Feed aggregator

TL;DR: Live stream Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers for free with a 30-day free trial of Prime Video.

Thursday Night Football returns with Week 15 action, which kicks off with an NFC West showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. The Rams are 7-6 overall, looking to overtake the Seattle Seahawks (8-5) in the division. The 49ers are technically at the bottom of the division with a 6-7 record. The NFC West is the closest division race in either conference and with three weeks left to go, it really could be anyone.

The Rams have won three of their last five games and head to San Francisco with back-to-back wins under their belt. The 49ers have won only two of their last five games, but are coming off a decisive win over the Chicago Bears last week. With a 4-3 record at home, and the Rams having a .500 record on the road, the 49ers are the betting favorite.

When is Rams vs. 49ers?

Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers takes place at 8:15 p.m. ET on Dec. 12. The two teams will face off at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Al Michaels is expected to do the play-by-play, Kirk Herbstreit will join him in the booth as the analyst. Kaylee Hartung will report from the sidelines.

How to stream Rams vs. 49ers for free

Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers is available to live stream on Prime Video in the U.S., but anyone can watch this game for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime (not to mention other Thursday Night Football fixtures).

If you're already a member, or have already used the 30-day trial, Prime Video subscriptions start at $8.99 per month.

Best streaming services for Rams vs. 49ers

Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers will be aired locally in both Los Angeles and San Francisco. It may be available in some other markets, but NFL games are subject to local blackouts.

If you do not have a cable package in those markets, you have options. We've found some of the best streaming services to consider for the Rams vs. 49ers on local networks.

Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling TV Sports Plan Get Deal

Sling TV offers its Orange & Blue package of 48 channels at $55 per month that would serve your needs for locally available NFL games. Sign up to enjoy a first-month discounted rate of $27.50.

Sling TV’s sports channels feature ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.

For in-market games: FuboTV Opens in a new window Credit: FuboTV FuboTV Pro plan Get Deal

FuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period. 

FuboTV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, FOX, FS1, FS2, Golf Network, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network. 

Again, Rams vs. 49ers is subject to local blackouts. It is available nationally on Prime Video.

How to watch Rams vs. 49ers from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of the NFL from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Rams vs. 49ers from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch Rams vs. 49ers from anywhere in the world

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

TL;DR: Unblock your favorite porn sites with a VPN. The best service for unblocking free porn sites is ExpressVPN.

Your access to porn sites is not always guaranteed. There are many locations that will restrict your access to certain sites, and that's probably a good thing. But online freedom is also nice. And when the time is right, you should be able to access all your favorite sites without a hassle.

Want to bypass online restrictions and access everything the online world has to offer? We have all the information you need to unblock porn sites for free from anywhere in the world.

How to unblock porn for free

VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This quick and easy process means you can bypass geo-restrictions to access your favorite porn sites from anywhere in the world. It sounds complicated, but it's really not.

Follow these simple steps to unblock porn sites:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to porn

4. Watch porn from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for bypassing content restrictions are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can retain access to porn sites when traveling or temporarily away from home.

If you want to retain permanent access to blocked sites, you might benefit from a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing online restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for porn?

ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking porn sites, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Unblock porn for free with ExpressVPN.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 12 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 12 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Shape and bake

These words are what you might form dough into

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

Words are shapes you might put into the oven.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is CookieCutter.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for December 12

• Bell

• Star

• Flower

• Bunny

• Diamond

• Heart

• Angel

• CookieCutter

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 12 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Phonetic similarity to the letter T

• Green: Resembles teeth

• Blue: Inoffensive expressions of frustration

• Purple: Make up the structure or flow of a river

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Things That Sound Like T

• Green: Objects with Teeth

• Blue: Mild Oaths

• Purple: Parts of a River

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #550 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Things That Sound Like T: TEA, TEE (GOLF), TI (MUSICAL NOTE)

• Objects with Teeth: COMB, GEAR, SAW, ZIPPER

• Mild Oaths: FUDGE, GEEZ, NUTS, RATS

• Parts of a River: BANK, BED, DELTA, MOUTH

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 12

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for December 12 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 12 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Striving to outperform one another.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter V.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

VYING.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 12

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 12 Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: NFL teams

• Green: Football conferences in college

• Blue: ___________ Jones

• Purple: Trophies won in different sports competitions and rivalries

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: NFL teams in singular form

• Green: College conferences

• Blue: Famous Joneses

• Purple: ____ Cup

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #80 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• NFL teams in singular form - RAM, RAVEN, SAINT, TITAN

• College conferences - AMERICAN, IVY, PATRIOT, SEC

• Famous Joneses - CHIPPER, DANIEL, JONQUEL, MAC

• _____ Cup - APPLE, DAVIS, STANLEY, WORLD

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Your small children being on YouTube is inevitable at this point. From experience, I know kids master how to swipe and scroll on touchscreens at just months old. This is why YouTube launched a YouTube Kids app for iPhone and Android devices back in 2015.

Now, for the first time since that launch, YouTube Kids has received a complete redesign. With that update, YouTube Kids looks a lot more like YouTube.

"As part of YouTube's design modernization efforts, we’re happy to announce that we’re bringing a new look and feel to the YouTube Kids mobile app!" reads a new update posted by YouTube earlier this week on the official YouTube Kids community site.

Here's what's new in the YouTube Kids app

The biggest update to the YouTube Kids app is obvious: The redesign.

Previously, YouTube Kids (as seen above) looked like an app for children. It barely resembled the current YouTube design at all. 

The old YouTube Kids app design Credit: YouTube

The new YouTube Kids (as seen below) looks like YouTube, but with a kids-oriented twist. The design is more colorful and visual, but it still distinctly like YouTube. The previous design was geared toward toddler-aged children, whereas this one looks like it's meant to be enjoyed throughout childhood.

The new YouTube Kids app design Credit: YouTube

The redesign also brings a more YouTube-like user interface to YouTube Kids as well. YouTube Kids now displays video categories at the top of the homescreen just like YouTube does. The new navigation bar at the bottom of the page is basically straight from the main YouTube app as well.

Another big change is that YouTube Kids can now be used both horizontally and vertically just like the main YouTube app. Previously, YouTube Kids had to be used in landscape mode. But, now that shortform video is popular on the platform thanks to YouTube Shorts, that no longer makes sense.

The new update to the YouTube Kids app allows users to view content vertically for the first time. Credit: YouTube

Aside from the redesign, everything else in YouTube Kids is basically the same. The app remains the best way for kids to safely watch age-appropriate YouTube content. YouTube has greatly improved the content moderation issues that plagued the app years ago.

A few comments on YouTube's update announcement have generated a negative response to the redesign. However, like it or not, the redesigned app should be preferable to what YouTube did to its smart TV kids app. Earlier this year, YouTube completely shut down its standalone kids app for TVs and integrated it into the main YouTube app for smart TVs.

There's a story from the earliest days of cinema that seems applicable to Sora, the text-to-video creation tool launched by OpenAI this week. And given that Sora's servers are struggling with demand, with many OpenAI subscribers still waiting to try it out, we've got time for stories.

You probably know of Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station (1896) by the Lumiere brothers, even if you've never seen it. Like Sora, the Lumieres created very short movies that showcased the latest tech. We're talking cinematograph rather than AI rendering, and a luxurious 50 seconds of film rather than the maximum 20 seconds allowed in Sora videos.

Still, it's the same principle: This was an early peek at a shockingly new form of entertainment. According to legend — a legend cemented in Martin Scorcese's charming movie about a boy in the Lumiere era, Hugo (2011) — Arrival of a Train audiences ran in terror from a steam engine that appeared to be heading straight for them.

A similar sense of panic clings to Sora — specifically, panic about what AI videos might do to further crack up our "post-truth" media landscape. The average viewer is already having a hard time judging what is real and what isn't, and the problem is worse if they're depressed. We're living in a golden age of conspiracy theories. The world's richest man already shared an AI deepfake video in order to help swing an election.

SEE ALSO: Could an AI chatbot talk you out of believing a conspiracy theory?

What happens when Sora can make any prompt look as real as something you might see on the evening news — ready-made to spread on social media?

OpenAI seems to think its watermarks, both visible and invisible, would prevent any shenanigans. But having downloaded dozens of Sora videos now, I can attest that the visible watermark is tiny, illegible, and fades into the background more often than not. It would be child's play for video editing software to clip it out altogether.

So a world of deliberate disinformation, either from bad political actors or influencers trying to gin up their engagement, is barreling down on us like a train. Right?

Wrong. Because as the actual story of the Lumiere movie tells us, humans are actually a lot smarter about new video entertainment than we give them credit for.

Here's the thing about Arrival of a Train: the legend is almost certainly wrong. We have zero first-hand evidence that audiences fled the cinema, or even flinched when they saw a train approaching in a 50-second clip.

Media studies professor Martin Loiperdinger calls the panic tale "cinema's founding myth," and notes it can be traced back to books written in the second half of the 20th century. It's possible that authors conflated it with the Lumieres' later experimental 3-D version of Arrival of a Train, which screened a handful of times in 1934 and was — like a lot of 3-D movies to come — a novelty, and a commercial failure.

So no, early audiences likely did not confuse a moving image of a train with a real train. Rather, they seem to have adapted to the whole concept of movies very quickly. Contemporary accounts of the Lumiere shorts (of which there were dozens; Arrival of a Train was not seen as a stand-out) are filled with excitement at the possibilities now unlocked.

"Why, if this continues," wrote one newspaper, Le Courier de Paris, in 1896, "we could almost overcome memory loss, almost put an end to separation, almost abolish death itself." (Spoiler alert: we did not, although that sounds like a great premise for a 19th century Black Mirror episode.)

Another periodical, La Science Francais, enthused about the "most unbelievably wonderful sorcery" that had created the cinematograph's "hallucinatory phantasmagoria." Even today's most tech-happy AI boosters would have a hard time endorsing Sora in the same terms.

Because like most AI, Sora is often "hallucinatory" — and not in a good way.

SEE ALSO: 7 wild Sora videos blowing up social media after its launch

As I discovered in the moments that OpenAI servers weren't slammed, almost every Sora-generated video has some detail that looks wrong to human eyes. I typed a prompt for "journalist slams desk in frustration at not being able to access AI videos," then noticed a pen that appears and disappears in the journalist's hand.

The mistakes went on and on. The novelty factor diminished fast. Friends were amused and a little freaked out by the realness of the swag in "hip-hop artist models a cozy Christmas sweater" — until we spotted that the rapper's gold chain had become a gold pony tail at the back, and the reindeer on the sweater had eight legs.

Sora's response to "a funeral mass with circus clowns" pretty much nailed the prompt ... except that the colorful-wigged, red-nosed figure in the casket was missing his body.

That's not to say Sora won't have an immediate impact on the moving image industry. Given less outlandish prompts, it could certainly replace a lot of the generic B-roll often seen in YouTube explainers and corporate training videos. (That's assuming OpenAI isn't going to be forced to cease and desist training Sora on internet video footage without the makers' permission.)

It is to say that there's a significant barrier to entry when it comes to creating videos featuring anything unusual, anything you're trying to lie about, anything that Sora hasn't been specifically trained on. Rooting out all those mistakes, to the point where we won't immediately notice, can be an exercise in frustration.

And perhaps these early mistake-filled AI videos will serve as a kind of mass inoculation — a small dose of the post-truth disease, one that effectively gives our brains AI-resistant antibodies that can better prepare us for a future epidemic of visual fakes.

AI video needs to board the clue train

I'm certainly less impressed with AI after I prompted Sora for a new take on the Lumieres' Arrival of a Train. I asked for a video where a locomotive does actually break through the projection screen at the end, crushing the cinematograph audience.

But Sora couldn't even access the original 50-second short, which is way out of copyright and widely available online (including a version already upscaled by AI). It hallucinated a movie called "Arrival of a tal [sic] train," apparently released in the year "18965."

As for breaking a literal fourth wall, forget about it: despite multiple prompt-rewording attempts, Sora simply couldn't grok what I was asking. The projection screen remained intact.

Still, this version of Sora may still be a harbinger of some terrifying visual fakery to come — perhaps when more robust AI video tech falls into the hands of a future D.W. Griffith.

Two decades passed between Arrival of a Train and Griffith's infamous movieThe Birth of a Nation (1915)— the first real blockbuster, a landmark in the history of cinema, which also happened to be a skewed take on recent American history stuffed with racist lies.

Griffith's movie, protested at the time by the NAACP, was hugely influential in perpetuating segregation and reviving the Ku Klux Klan.

So yes, perhaps Sora's release is slowly nudging us further in the direction of a fragmented post-truth world. But even in an AI-dominated future, bad actors are going to have to work overtime if they want to do more damage to society than the cinematograph's most dangerous prompts.

Luigi Mangione’s social media accounts attracted swift attention after he was arrested in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive. When do companies scrub a digital trail?

On Monday, 26-year-old tech worker Luigi Mangione was charged as the sole suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. In an era where social media is a repository of personal narratives, the suspect's digital footprint offers a glimpse into his online life.

SEE ALSO: Why is the internet thirsty for the alleged CEO shooting suspect?

His social media activity spans several platforms; some posts suggest a level of self-awareness (a five-star review of The Lorax, for instance), while others appear to be typical artifacts of a digital life shared by many young Americans.

While not explicitly linked via a unified profile like LinkTree — though, the suspect had an account with a bio of "💻🤓 - 🥷🏃‍♂️🧘‍♂️🏋️ - 📚🤓 - 🦍🧠 - 🍄🧠 - 🐄👨‍⚖️ - ☯️" — his socials have been unearthed through public searches on Goodreads, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn.

GoodReads

His GoodReads, confirmed by The Cut, reflects a varied reading list, including self-improvement books like Atomic Habits and The 4-Hour Work Week and more contentious selections. (And, again, The Lorax.) One of his reviews, four stars for Ted Kaczynski's Industrial Society and Its Future, drew particular attention:

"Clearly written by a mathematics prodigy. Reads like a series of lemmas on the question of 21st century quality of life. It's easy to quickly and thoughless [sic] write this off as the manifesto of a lunatic, in order to avoid facing some of the uncomfortable problems it identifies. but it's simply impossible to ignore how prescient many of his predictions about modern society turned out. He was a violent individual — rightfully imprisoned — who maimed innocent people. While these actions tend to be characterized as those of a crazy luddite, however, they are more accurately seen as those of an extreme political revolutionary."

His "Want to Read" list included Infinite Jest, Atlas Shrugged, and American Prometheus, completing the trifecta of "books I don't want to see on a man's shelf." His favorites included Sapiens, a biography of Elon Musk, and The Lorax. He gave J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy three stars. Crooked: Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting on the Road to Recovery, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, and Back Mechanic also appeared.

Instagram

The suspect's Instagram account, @luigi.from.fiji, reportedly experienced an influx in followers after his name was released to the public, and subsequently, Meta removed the account, according to The Standard.

SEE ALSO: As some on the internet celebrate a CEO's murder, content moderators are at a crossroads

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Mashable, but if the media reports are accurate, his last post was from 2021. He appeared to be an outdoorsy guy, with photos of him hiking around volcanoes, swimming, and drinking in bars in places like Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. His account also included references to a University of Pennsylvania fraternity.

Twitter/X

The suspect's X account was recently verified by the platform, so, as far as we know, that's just about as confirmed as you can get. His pinned post on X is from December 2022. It's a quote-post of a photo in a thread about AI and human progress, and he wrote:

"7 years ago, I gave my hs senior speech on this topic: 'Today, I will be talking to you about the future, about topics ranging from conscious artificial intelligence to human immortality. Likely, you’ll dismiss all this pretty quickly as interesting, but just science fiction…'"

He reposted posts by Andrew Huberman, talks by Peter Thiel, a summary of The Anxious Generation, and a post that compares coffee to cocaine. His tweets also touched on cellular agriculture, religion, failing birthrates in Japan, and math.

His posts don't reflect the man many leftist users on X thought he was before he was caught, but he was, instead, a 26-year-old man with the politics of one. As one Reddit user stated about the suspect's X account in a sub, "He had to be slightly revolutionary, slightly lefty, with just a sprinkling of chudiness. A touch of the chud. Chud adjacent."

LinkedIn

On LinkedIn, the suspect presented a polished professional image detailing his academic achievements at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a Master of Science in engineering with a major in computer and information science and a Bachelor of Science in engineering, majoring in computer science with a minor in mathematics, according to CBS News. Most recently, he worked as a data engineer for TrueCar, according to his profile.

When I was growing up, I didn’t realize I had dyslexia. I just knew I wasn’t keeping up with other kids. I’d struggle with reading and math, but didn’t think much of it until my mom told me I’d be switching schools to get extra help. 

At the time, I was just a kindergartener, confused about why I had to leave my friends behind and go to a place called the Julie Billiard School in Lyndhurst, Ohio.

At Julie Billiard, I began to realize that my brain simply processed things differently. I could learn, but it took me longer to master things than everyone around me. What took my classmates two weeks might take me six. I remember my pulse increasing and my muscles growing tense, frustration storming throughout my body. 

But over time, I recognized a pattern emerging; I was slower to start, but once I grasped something, I would soar past others. I could also keep learning long after my peers had moved on, and my understanding of a topic would often go much deeper. This realization was a game-changer. 

Rather than viewing dyslexia as a limitation, I started to see it as an advantage. Dyslexia taught me patience and discipline. I learned not to compare myself to others because I realized my learning curve was simply different.

This approach has been critical in my career as the founder and CEO of LANDE, a digital marketing agency. In the tech world, where systems, coding, and problem-solving are prerequisites, the ability to break things down and understand the process separate the swimmers from the sinkers.

Coding, for instance, requires giving a computer precise instructions — an "ingredient list," if you will. You have to think about every step.

Take something simple, like making toast. Most people would say, "Grab the bread, put it in the toaster, and hit the button." But for me, my brain immediately goes into process mode. I think about opening the cupboard with my right hand, grabbing the bread, and if there’s no bread, I’ll plan a trip to the store. And that involves grabbing my keys with my right hand, opening the door, going into the garage, walking toward the car, and well … you get the idea. 

Dyslexia has also made me a better teacher. I’ve had to learn everything so thoroughly that when I explain it to others, I can break it down into easily digestible pieces. 

Whether it’s coding, paid advertising, or even accounting, I know how to guide someone through the process because I’ve had to master each step myself. This skill has been crucial in scaling LANDE, where creating systems and standard operating procedures (SOPs) is crucial for growth.

As dyslexics, we can solve problems better because we can see all the steps from start to finish and from finish to start. It helps me with being able to forward think and calculate different scenarios. It’s just how my brain works. And if you have dyslexia or know someone who does, it’s an important aspect to understand. Because, after all, many people with my condition are underestimated.

But you have to ignore the naysayers. I remember my high school guidance counselor looking at my grades and suggesting I avoid a career in tech. If I had taken her advice, I wouldn’t be where I am today. 

My advice to anyone with dyslexia is simple: Be patient with yourself. Learning might take longer, but when it clicks, it clicks. And once you understand something, your ability to build on that knowledge can outpace those around you. 

LANDE CEO Ben Herbert Credit: Courtesy LANDE

Ben Herbert is the founder and CEO of LANDE, a digital marketing agency in Columbus, Ohio. With over a decade of experience, Ben has helped businesses grow through innovative, tech-driven marketing strategies.

He began his career working in customer success and website development, implementing content management systems for school districts nationwide. At FinalForms, he served as technical sales lead and marketing director, overseeing large-scale software implementations and introducing CRM systems to streamline sales operations.

Ben’s technical expertise includes HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Node.js, C#, ASP.NET, and custom web apps. He excels at integrating software to help businesses scale and improve efficiency.

Beyond his tech career, Ben is passionate about coaching, having contributed to multiple state appearances at Kenston High School and a Big Ten Championship at The Ohio State University.

Kraven the Hunter is an extraordinary creature. From its earliest reports, it was confounding, bringing together celebrated independent filmmaker J.C. Chandor (Margin Call, A Most Violent Year) and a superhero genre that seems to scoff at the grounded dramas that made this filmmaker's name. Then came the red-band trailer, where the eponymous anti-hero swung around his foes like an unleashed animal, biting off one man's nose before spitting it meaningfully at another. Sony Pictures seemed to declare: Here is a R-rated superhero movie that goes hard and brings fresh blood to the genre. But then came the bumps — the release-date bumps. 

Kraven the Hunter was originally scheduled to premiere in January of 2023. Then it was bumped to October 2023. Then it was bumped yet again to August of 2024, and then to December. Finally, the film is coming out, and the delays seem to be explained by the final result — a Frankenstein's monster of a film with seams that are not only showing, they're practically protruding from the screen. And yet, I might just love this hot mess of a movie, because for all its failings, it managed something that's been increasingly difficult as oversaturation drives the superhero story into the ground. Kraven the Hunter is surprising, truly wild, fun, and definitely not for kids. 

SEE ALSO: Kraven the Hunter is the horny antihero of our dirty dreams This is not the Kraven that Spider-Man fans are expecting.  Kraven smash? Credit: Jay Maidment / Sony Pictures

The screenplay by Richard Wenk, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway radically reimagines the supervillain, who is chiefly known as a big game hunter who wears a lion's head as a gaudy vest. In Kraven the Hunter, Sergei "Kraven" Kravinoff is a vigilante who abhors hurting animals and instead tracks and kills men, specifically bad men like poachers and arms dealers. 

The estranged son of a grumbling kingpin (an entertainingly surly Russell Crowe), Sergei lives off the grid in the wilderness, rebelling against his father's villainy by balancing the scales with his own bare hands — and mystical superpowers that allow him to scale skyscrapers, flex superhuman strength, and run on all fours. And yes, that is often as goofy-looking as you'd expect, but also exhilarating for exactly that reason. Kraven may look ridiculous running like a charging gorilla down a city street in pursuit of kidnappers who've snatched his demure brother, Dmitri "Chameleon" Smerdyakov (Fred Hechinger). But after years of noble posing, it's fun to watch a hero cut loose in such a non-regal way.

While rejecting the values of his gangster father, Kraven seeks to save his brother from rival kingpin Aleksei "The Rhino" Sytsevich (Alessandro Nivola, exhilaratingly eating this film alive in every frame). Along the way, he'll find an ally in Calypso (Ariana DeBose), a lawyer whose secrets include mystical magic potions and skills with a crossbow, and an enemy in The Foreigner (Christopher Abbott), a supervillain whose powers appear to be counting while dressed as a douchebag. 

Kraven the Hunter has way more plot than it can handle.  Might they plot a trip to Mars next? Credit: Jay Maidment / Sony Pictures

Chandor's film aims to be a story of fathers-and-sons and a gangster drama and a superhero movie. And that's a lot to pull off, even with a runtime of two hours and seven minutes. This means Kraven the Hunter is fitfully focused on backstory, spending an egregious amount of screentime on Sergei's traumatic teen years, but explaining the Rhino's unique abilities in a growling monologue. As for The Foreigner, Calypso, or Chameleon, a dense knowledge of Spider-Man comics might come in handy there, as their backstories are alluded to with gestures to other characters too vague for many to grasp. 

The movie only fitfully cares about the why of what's happening, focusing more intensely on the what the fuck of it all. So, if — for instance — you wonder how a man living off the grid, without any apparent income, has access to a private helicopter and pilot willing to traverse a blizzard, you'll be disappointed. But honestly, the glaring plot holes didn't bother me. I relished every outrageous moment that breaks the mold, like the ultra-violent bloody assassinations that Kraven carries out coolly; the unapologetic ogling that Chandor's lens offers of Johnson's sculpted abs, broad shoulders, and taut backside; and the chaotic pleasures of Hechinger switching from sniveling little brother to suave lounge act, as his character's unique ability to mimic voices allows him to sing Harry Styles, Ozzy Osbourne, and Tony Bennett with equal ease and flare. Other elements, however, are outrageous in a bad way. 

The post-production struggles are clear in Kraven the Hunter. Aaron Taylor-Johnson's abs can't cover all cinematic sins. Credit: Jay Maidment / Sony Pictures

"We'll fix it in post" is an adage in Hollywood that, as a former video editor, always makes me cringe. Some mistakes cannot be papered over with computer graphics or additional dialogue recording, but that doesn't stop Chandor's team from trying. Like in Madame Web, there's an astounding amount of noticeable ADR in this movie, made clear by how often the mouth of the speaker is not on-screen or how the sound doesn't quite match the setting. This suggests that while cuts were being made to the movie, the dialogue needed to be changed to make Kraven the Hunter comprehensible.

Such audio changes might be overlooked by many. But in one scene in Kraven's cozy glass hut, there's a moment where post-production fails so spectacularly that Ariana DeBose's mouth is bizarrely out of position as she speaks, as it it were glued on wrong. It looks like bad AI or maybe a messy composite job done by a human technician. But it's jarring to say the least. Other CGI sloppiness — like when a bounding Kraven looks more rubbery than flesh-and-bone — is less offensive, and maybe even charming when seen with a nostalgic eye that remembers Sony's first Spider-Man trilogy fondly. 

I don't care that Kraven the Hunter is a bad movie.  Bro time. Credit: Jay Maidment / Sony Pictures

Plotwise, it's barely cohesive. Technically, it's a disaster. But to Chandor's credit, every single actor in this movie commits to the bit. As the loathsomely cruel father, Crowe is low-key hilarious, spitting out the word "weakness" so much that it's infectious. Across the film, so many characters say "weakness" that if this were a drinking game trigger, no one would make it out of the theater alive. 

Taylor-Johnson, who's previously played the speedy but traumatized Quicksilver in the MCU and the wise-ass Kick-Ass in Kick-Ass, is glorious in this incarnation of Kraven, who is both capable of horrendous violence and enviable serenity. The English actor offers an almost breezy openness when the hunter explains his self-imposed mission to Calypso, talking about assassinations as casually as one might their lunch plans. But when opposite Crowe, a wounded sharpness creeps in, giving the family drama at the film's core emotional weight. 

As for Hechinger — who's been crushing it this year, with noteworthy turns in the action-comedy Thelma and two very tonally different critically heralded historical dramas, Nickel Boys and Gladiator II — is a brilliant counterpoint to his on-screen family. Where Crowe is putridly macho and Taylor-Johnson is swaggeringly confident, Hechinger cowers and smiles with a plea for affection that is heartbreaking in its earnestness. When he sings at the piano, you see the moments of rare bliss when he feels valued are also the moments where he's pretending to be someone else. And that too stings. 

DeBose relishes the broad-shouldered power suits of her high-powered lawyer, affecting a walk that feels like her own spin on being king of the jungle. As Calypso, she brings a modern awareness to this tale of men who will do anything but go to therapy, and she does so with sophistication and a bit of cheek. Meanwhile, Abbott paints The Foreigner as a pretentious and vengeful weirdo, who relishes his power to dodge and strike while his victims are stunned (again, by counting I guess?). He's so absolutely smarmy in the role that it's a sicko pleasure to watch him, whether he's slaughtering a prison guard or stealing a bite of steak from a captive's plate. 

Alessandro Nivola is reason enough to see Kraven the Hunter. Look at his little backpack! Credit: Jay Maidment / Sony Pictures

Arguably one of the best supporting players in the game, Alessandro Nivola is brilliant as the Rhino. Introduced as a sniveling lackey of Crowe's crime boss, Aleksei echoes the dweeby neediness Nivola brought to the bespectacled Pollux Troy, brother of Nic Cage's outrageous terrorist in Face/Off. However, as Kraven grows into his power, the Rhino comes into his own. With that, Nivola injects outbursts that are erratic and electrifying. 

Wearing a slim-fit dress shirt and a small black backpack, Aleksei looks like a tech bro about to go on a brisk hike. But there's something hard and sinister brewing beneath his surface, physically and psychologically. The almost melodic tone in his voice is essentially a disarming disguise, inviting his enemies to underestimate him. But he can't maintain the ruse, so occasionally he explodes with a cry, or a threat that reveals not only his potential for malice and blood, but also the internal insecurity that could swallow him whole. 

Watching the trailers for Kraven the Hunter, I found the imagery often hilarious in its audacity. But I worried Chandor — because of his history with straight-faced drama — wouldn't lean into the absurdity. I misjudged him. By casting Nivola, and encouraging this particular performance, Chandor smartly weaves the kind of lunacy into his superhero movie that recalls the savage spontaneity of Tim Burton's Batman villains. And truly, between Batman and Batman Returns, those were portrayals both iconic and influential. Now, Nivola's Rhino is nowhere near as stylish, sexy, or cool as Burton's goth squad of scoundrels, but he is his own brand of deliciously evil and undeniably enthralling. 

In the end, Kraven the Hunter has much in common with siblings Venom: The Last Dance and Madame Web. It's an anti-hero story overloaded with IP, presumably to secure the interest of longtime Spider-Man fans. But these branding requirements plus the subgenre mashups that could make these Sony superhero movies standout from their MCU and DC competitors ultimately eviscerate any narrative cohesion. Or to put it simply, Kraven the Hunter is doing too much. However, this bonkers superhero movie is at its best when it embraces its most bizarre elements. In those moments, Kraven the Hunter is chaotic fun that's an absolute blast to see on the big screen.

Kraven the Hunter opens only in theaters Dec. 13.

Meta companies — namely giants Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and WhatsApp — all appeared to have had issues and, in some cases, crashed for users on Wednesday.

Reports of problems with the major social and messaging platforms spiked on Down Detector — which, full disclosure, is owned by the same parent company as Mashable — around 1 p.m. EST. User generated reports on Down Detector showed all Facebook, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Threads all having a major spike in issues at the same time.

People posted on social media about the apps going down.

Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

There wasn't an immediate confirmation of issues from Meta and the spike in reports did appear to be subsiding on Down Detector. As of about 1:41 p.m. EST I was able to load the major Meta apps and websites, so perhaps the issues were resolving as quickly as they appeared.

The latest in a string of announcements from OpenAI is the official release of ChatGPT on Apple Intelligence.

With new ChatGPT integration, iPhone users can invoke ChatGPT through Siri, as part of Apple Intelligence's Writing Tools, and with Camera Control on iPhone 16 which can process visual data.

SEE ALSO: 'LLM Siri' aims to rival ChatGPT — but don’t expect it until iOS 19

The Apple and OpenAI partnership was announced last summer's WWDC which unveiled Apple's suite of AI tools called Apple Intelligence. Through the partnership, iPhone users can connect with ChatGPT as an extension of specific tasks. Coinciding with this announcement, Apple released the iOS 18.2 update on Wednesday. You can learn more about that from Mashable's iOS 18 coverage.

In the livestream, CEO Sam Altman, joined by engineering manager Dave Cummings and product manager Miqdad Jaffer demoed how to use ChatGPT with iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia 15.2. Taking a picture on an iPhone, they showed how iPhone 16's Visual Intelligence feature works with ChatGPT to answer when a user asks the chatbot about the image. Cummings then opened a Mac and demonstrated how to use type to Siri to ask a question about a document. Siri then gave the option to send the query to ChatGPT, which provided a response, including a visual breakdown of the request.

This story is developing...

SAVE $40: As of Dec. 11, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 is just $59.99 instead of $99.99 at Amazon. That's 40% in savings and its lowest price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ultimate Ears Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 $59.99 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $40.00 Get Deal

Whether you need a Bluetooth speaker to blast holiday tunes during your gift-wrapping sessions this season or are looking for an affordable option for someone on your list, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 is the best speaker we've tested under $100. And we have good news: it just dropped to the lowest price It's ever been.

As of Dec. 11, the Wonderboom 4 is on sale for just $59.99 at Amazon, down from the usual $99.99. That's 40% in savings and beats its previous low by $10. It also beats its Black Friday price by $20.

SEE ALSO: The Sonos Era 100 is my favorite speaker, and it's on sale at its lowest-ever price after Cyber Monday

This tiny powerhouse fits in the palm of your hand, but can get as loud as a larger speaker without losing much clarity. The fourth-generation speaker has less muddiness than the previous one, especially at higher volumes, as well as an Outdoor Boost Mode and Podcast Mode. Plus, it has a new USB-C port for easy charging. Otherwise, it's pretty much identical to the Wonderboom 3 (which we also loved). Like its predecessor, the Wonderboom 4 can survive drops from up to five feet and plunges into water for up to 30 minutes (thanks to an IP67 rating). It also packs a healthy battery life of 14 hours.

The only reason we'd pass on this speaker is if you already own the Wonderboom 3. Otherwise, at 40% off, we can't recommend the Wonderboom 4 enough. It comes in four fun colors and all of them are on sale.

You might be able to get paid (kind of) for using TikTok, which, let's be honest, you might be doing habitually anyway.

Bloomberg reported that TikTok has enacted a few different promotions that gift folks TikTok Shop credits to increase users and time spent on the app. The business outlet reported that TikTokkers can receive $50 in Shop credits for recruiting a first-time user and up to $350 in bonuses for bringing in more new users. TikTok is also reportedly offering credits for checking TikTok every day for a week and for "scrolling through 10 TikTok Shop items five times per week." Users can also get up to an $80 credit for making a TikTok Shop purchase.

Tweet may have been deleted

The move comes at a precarious moment for TikTok. It could be a ploy to add users and engaged time on its app ahead of its potential ban. A Jan. 19 deadline looms for TikTok's parent company ByteDance to find a buyer or face a ban in the U.S.

SEE ALSO: When will TikTok be banned in the U.S.? And what can stop it from happening?

Mashable's Christianna Silva has the full details on the latest updates but a legal fight remains ongoing in the final month or so before the potential ban. Signing up more American users and logging more TikTok Shop sales could be a way to garner public support against a potential ban.

TikTok may be gone in a month in the states but, until then, you might be able to earn some rewards. Bloomberg reported the promotions appeared on users' For You Page, so be on the look out.

The country’s largest oil company is designing a natural gas power plant outfitted with carbon capture technology to meet the voracious power demand of technology companies.

SAVE $10: As of Dec. 11, you can snag Astro Bot (PS5) for just $49.99 at Best Buy. That's $10 off the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment Astro Bot (PS5) $49.99 at Best Buy
$59.99 Save $10.00 Get Deal

If you have a PS5, you’re probably already well-acquainted with a little guy named Astro. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you definitely need to check out Astro’s Playroom — a free game that comes pre-installed on every PS5 console.)

Right now, you can get the newest Astro Bot (PS5) game for just $49.99 at Best Buy. That’s $10 off and a great deal for a genuinely fun-to-play PlayStation game. I’ve already beaten the game twice and can, without a doubt, attest to its undeniable cuteness.

SEE ALSO: AstroBot review: The most 'Super Mario Galaxy' game that isn’t actually 'Super Mario Galaxy'

In this edition of Astro’s adventures, the lovable little robot hero is on a mission to save all his Bot friends and the mothership — both of which have been scattered across different planets after an alien takeover. (You’ll also see surprise cameos from some iconic PlayStation characters, including Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon.)

The actual challenges within the game are pretty straightforward, but still fun to work through. I found the single-bot islands the toughest to beat. Another cool thing about this game is the hidden secrets and collectibles dispersed throughout each level.

If you’re looking for a lighthearted game to clear your mind, Astro Bot can be completed in a single weekend, but there's definitely enough content to keep you engaged for longer. It also makes for a great stocking stuffer for kids or PlayStation stans who could use a little more whimsy in their lives.

Check out our full review of Astro Bot by Mashable’s Alex Perry.

The holidays just may be the most wonderful time of the year for scammers.

As consumers part with their cash to fill stockings and spread cheer, scammers see countless opportunities for deception, theft, and fraud.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation highlights some of their go-to tactics, including failing to ship merchandise you purchased, asking you to pay for items with a pre-paid gift card, and phishing for your personal information.

SEE ALSO: How one man lost $56,000 when he opened an Amazon store

These scams may not be different from others that run year-round, but they tend to increase during the holidays.

Jaeson Schultz, technical leader for Cisco Talos Security Intelligence & Research, said that any time there's an increase in information volume, it "provides good places for criminals to blend in and hide."

The spike in data means more work for security teams that look for and filter malicious communication, increasing the odds that something may inadvertently slip through.

Consumers may also let their guard down as they hunt for deals. Eager to make convenient purchases for the right price, some may be duped — even on platforms they know and trust, like Ebay and Amazon.

Because scams are so widespread, Schultz recommends using a credit card with fraud coverage when shopping.

Unlike with other types of currency, including cash and debit and pre-paid gift cards, a standard credit card typically offers protection from fraud. Consumers who've been deceived into buying fake goods, for example, can ask for and receive a refund.

While it's impossible to track every type of scam, here are five schemes that should be on your radar:

Deals too good to be true

If you've never seen an iPhone or PlayStation for such a low price, it might not be the real thing. These days, scammers can easily take advantage of the holiday shopping frenzy by posting fake listings on pretty much any platform.

Schultz says scammers can simply open a Shopify or Square account and look like a legitimate business or store, or open their own ecommerce outfit on a platform that hosts third-party sellers, like Amazon, TikTok, or Walmart.

They might sell inauthentic merchandise or repackage returned goods and advertise them as brand new. Scammers can even use artificial intelligence to produce compelling phony reviews.

If the deal you've spotted seems too good to be true, and you're not buying it directly from the manufacturer, Schultz recommends pausing and assessing the situation. It may hurt to pass on a bargain-basement price, but you're likely better off doing exactly that.

Purchases that never arrive

If you mostly shop online, it can be hard to track what has arrived, and what's still missing. Even the most organized shoppers can sometimes just forget that they're expecting a package.

Scammers are counting on the chaos to go undetected as they accept your money for a purchase but then never ship it. The FBI lists this scam as one of the top schemes that holiday shoppers will encounter.

It's a time-consuming task but try to stay on top of your expected shipments. You can note and follow the tracking progress if you receive a tracking number.

If you purchase an item but never receive the tracking number or the package itself, try contacting the seller first. If you get silence or an unsatisfactory response, consider filing a fraud complaint with your credit card company as well as reporting the seller to the Better Business Bureau.

In addition, you can also publish a truthful but negative review online about your experience, and report the company to your state's attorney general.

Gift card scams

Gift-card draining scams are a year-round concern but can escalate during the holidays as shoppers hand the convenient presents out to friends, coworkers, and family.

For this scam, a thief physically tampers with a card sold at a retail shop in order to obtain the barcode and PIN, then puts it back on the shelf. Once the card is loaded with cash, they spend the card before the recipient has a chance to enjoy their gift.

If you buy a gift card, inspect the packaging for signs of tampering. Also consider buying gift cards directly from the brand online rather than purchasing them from a third-party retailer.

A different popular gift card scam involves selling goods online and asking for payment via a pre-paid gift card, according to the FBI. Scammers use this transaction to steal the gift card PIN number, with no intention of ever delivering the item you thought you purchased.

The surefire way to avoid this scam? When shopping online, never pay for your purchase with a pre-paid gift card.

Phishing attempts

Scammers know that you are inundated with physical and digital mail and messages during the holidays, which is why you might see more attempts to steal your valuable data. Known as phishing, these tactics are designed to make you think you've received a legitimate letter, email, or text message from an important person or institution, like a coworker or your bank.

These messages ask you to click on a link or scan a QR code in order to respond to an urgent message or complete a timely form, for example. Particularly during the holidays these messages may have a tracking number purportedly sent by a shipping company.

The number of emails containing a QR code has increased in the last few years, Schultz says. He notes that scammers have realized they're an effective way of sending a link to victims, because they can often bypass messaging security systems.

Though the volume of these messages is low compared to other phishing tactics, people unknowingly scan the QR codes and are redirected to a malicious site that captures their personal data, according to Cisco Talos' research.

Schultz says consumers can lower their risk of being phished by remaining skeptical and wary of unsolicited links and QR codes. If you don't know where the link or code will take you, don't click or scan it. Instead, Schultz recommends navigating directly to your desired site.

Fake charities

The San Francisco bureau of the FBI recently warned consumers about fake charities preying on people who want to make a difference during the holiday season.

It recommended being on the lookout for solicitations via phone, email, crowdfunding platforms, and social media. Additionally, people might be duped by copycats attempting to mimic a legitimate charity in order to steal the funds.

If you want to donate to a worthy cause or nonprofit, consider only doing so via the organization's official website, which matches any profile they may have on a platform like Charity Navigator or the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance.

In general, if you think you've been the victim of a scam, the FBI recommends reporting it to law enforcement and to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

SAVE $10: Spend $50 or more on eligible toys and games at Amazon and automatically save $10.

Eligible toys and games at Amazon Best board game deal Monopoly Wicked Edition Board Game $23.99 at Amazon (save $6) Get Deal Best Nerf deal Nerf Basketball Hoop Hamper $41.91 at Amazon (save $3.08) Get Deal Best deal for toddlers Melissa & Doug Get Well Doctor’s Kit Play Set $24.97 at Amazon (save $7.52) Get Deal

It's crunch time when it comes to shopping for holiday gifts. In order for them to arrive on time and get wrapped, they'll need to be heading your way soon. If you're still shopping for kiddos or anyone who likes board games, Amazon has a nice deal in store.

As of Dec. 11, spend $50 on toys and games at Amazon to save $10. To grab this deal, browse the selection of over 1,000 eligible items, add at least $50 worth to your cart, and the discount will automatically apply during checkout.

Here are some of our favorite picks eligible for the deal at Amazon. The items listed below are already on sale, but they'll be further discounted with the $10 off deal when you spend $50 or more.

Best board game deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hasbro Gaming Monopoly Wicked Edition Board Game $23.99 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $6.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Anyone who's been enamored by the Wicked film is bound to love the Monopoly Wicked Edition board game. This edition uses the classic Monopoly gameplay goals while adding in Wicked touches. You'll be passing by locations from the movie like Shiz University and Emerald City. Plus, the movie-themed tokens include options like Elphaba's Broom, Glinda's Crown, and the Grimmerie.

The game is designed for anyone ages 8 and up, and gameplay typically takes about 30 minutes.

Best Nerf deal Opens in a new window Credit: Nerf Nerf Basketball Hoop Hamper $41.91 at Amazon
$44.99 Save $3.08 Get Deal Why we like it

Almost any kid would be thrilled to have a Nerf playset in their bedrooms, but how about one that's pleasing for parents too? Enter the Nerf Basketball Hoop Hamper which gamifies tossing dirty clothes into the hamper. Conveniently attaching over a standard size door, the Nerf set doesn't need any tools for installation. The mini basketball hoop and attached hamper means kids can get enjoyment out of tossing dirty clothes into the hamper. Not only does this equal less work for the parents, it's a fun way to encourage kids to keep their room clean.

Come laundry day, the bottom of the hamper unzips, making it easy to take clothes to the washing machine.

Best deal for toddlers Opens in a new window Credit: Melissa & Doug Melissa & Doug Get Well Doctor’s Kit Play Set $24.97 at Amazon
$32.49 Save $7.52 Get Deal Why we like it

For the kids who say they want to be a doctor when they grow up, the Melissa & Doug Get Well Doctor’s Kit Play Set is perfect. While the set usually sells for $32.49, it's discounted at Amazon to just $24.97, which will get even lower once you spend $50 and save $10.

Known for their quality toys, the Melissa & Doug set includes 25 pieces to role-play doctor, like a stethoscope, otoscope, eye cover, and blood pressure cuff. The whole set can fit into the included medical-themed tote bag for easy clean-up and storage after playtime.

More eligible toys and games at Amazon

• Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. Kidnoculars — $7.75 $14.99 (save $7.24)

• Bluey Figure 4-Pack — $14.88 $15.99 (save $1.11)

• Hatchimals Alive Rainbow Splash Egg Carton Toy — $15.99 $19.99 (save $4)

• OXO Tot Stand Up Bath Toy Storage — $22.49 $27.99 (save $5.50)

• Exploding Kittens Party Pack — $24.99 $29.99 (save $5)

• Melissa & Doug Let's Play House Dust! Sweep! Mop! — $30.09 $42.99 (save $12.90)

• Azul Board Game — $31.97 $39.99 (save $8.02)

• Barbie 31-inch Lenticular Skateboard — $31.99 $39.99 (save $8)

• Splendor Board Game — $31.99 $39.99 (save $8)

• Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother Musical Crib Toy and Sound Machine — $33.90 $39.99 (save $6.09)

• Ticket to Ride Board Game — $43.97 $54.99 (save $11.02)