Mashable

Save 44%: As of Oct. 11, you can grab the Lego Icons Dried Flower Centerpiece for just $27.99 at Amazon. At that price, you're saving $22 off the $49.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Icons Dried Flower Centerpiece $27.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $22.00 Get Deal

Anyone who's ever funded a Lego habit for themselves or someone else learns one thing very quick: those bricks don't come cheap. But, they are fun to build, and the Lego Botanicals collection make for unique (and weirdly practical) house decor.

While it may be tempting to put off thinking about the holidays as long as possible, the benefit is getting in early on any deals that pop up. For example: the Lego Icons Dried Flower Centerpiece is on sale for just $27.99, down from $49.99, saving you $22 and actually bringing the Legos down to the realm of affordability.

SEE ALSO: TikTok is in love with the Ninja Creami, but am I?

The set comes with a whopping 812 pieces, making its price point even more affordable. (For comparison, two other Lego Icons holiday sets, the 608-piece Poinsettia and the 1,194-piece wreath, are currently at the full prices of $49.99 and $99.99, respectively).

The autumn design can be built solo, but if you want to work with someone else, the split design makes splitting up the job easier than with most Lego sets. Once you're done building, it can be arranged in different ways as a centerpiece, hung on the wall, or combined with our Lego Botanical sets.

If you're most interested in that last option, we've put together a list of a few other Lego Icons set on sale.

More Lego Icons deals

• Lego Icons Tiny Plants — $39.95 $49.99 (save $10.04)

• Lego Icons Bonsai Tree — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10)

• Lego Icons Orchid — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10)

• Lego Icons Succulents — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10)

• Lego Icons Flower Bouquet — $47.95 $59.99 (save $12.04)

• Lego Icons Wildflower — $47.99 $59.99 (save $12)

SAVE $400: As of Oct. 11, the Roomba Combo 10 Max robot vacuum and AutoWash dock is still on sale for $999 — the same price as this week's October Prime Day — down 29% from the usual price of $1,399. That's 29% off.

Opens in a new window Credit: iRobot iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max + AutoWash Dock $1,399.00 at Amazon
Get Deal

iRobot is making smart moves in 2024. First, it finally gave the people what they wanted — a Roomba that washes and dries its own mopping pads, damn it — in July. iRobot debuted the Roomba Combo 10 Max + AutoWash Dock at $1,399, the same debut price as last year's Roomba Combo j9+ that doesn't self-clean its mop.

Now, for the grand finale: iRobot gave the Roomba Combo 10 Max its first discount ever during October Prime Day, dropping it to a sweet $999. Somehow, that sale price is still live the day after Prime Day. $1,000 for a robot vacuum seems pricey until you realize that that's simply in line with pricing for most of the flagship robot vacs from other brands, and iRobot finally humbling itself to competitive pricing is always a treat.

SEE ALSO: As a Dyson stan, I wouldn't tell anyone to buy the Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum

Here's our hot take: If you're going to spend more than $500 on a Roomba, make it this one. That's a practical hard-stop budget when trying to decide which Roomba model is best for you. If you can spend a little extra coin, there's no reason to settle for the s9+ or j9+, which simply do a lot less than the Combo 10 Max. The AutoWash Dock's ability to deal with its own mopping pad after mopping, taking the burden off of its human to touch a soggy, mildewy pad and throw it in the washing machine. This, plus the self-emptying that we've seen on a ton of Roombas, finally creates the ultimate hands-off cleaning and maintenance experience that's becoming the standard for 2-in-1 hybrid robot vacs.

The Combo 10 Max also borrows some of iRobot's best features from the OG Roomba hybrid, the Combo j7+ that I really liked when I first tested it. These are the auto-lifting mop, which completely lifts itself over the vacuum to avoid getting carpet wet, and iRobot's PrecisionVision small obstacle avoidance, which detects and avoids small obstacles like cords, pet waste, and socks. iRobot performs both of these tasks more accurately than any other robot vacuums I've tested.

Cleaning-wise, the Combo 10 Max is also iRobot's best. It deploys a four-stage suction system compared to the three-stage approach that most cheaper Roombas use, has stronger sheer suction power and more intense scrubbing than any model but the Combo j9+ (which cleans identically), and has enhanced brainpower that pays more attention to dirtier areas.

BlueSky isn't trying to replace Twitter, all of a sudden. Instead, it's making a pitch to replace Threads, Meta's Twitter alternative.

The social media platform created an account on Threads this week and immediately began pitching itself as an alternative to the site. Threads has come under fire lately for its haphazard content moderation and a rise in posts that are clear engagement bait. BlueSky was more than happy to claim it does a better job at all that Threads gets wrong.

"heard people were talking about us ... so we created an account to share some more information!" the BlueSky account wrote on Threads, before getting into its content moderation policies and how its platform works.

Shade about Threads, on Threads. Credit: Threads / bluesky_social

BlueSky pitched the idea that its moderation is largely left into the hands of users and that posts get engagement by...being actually engaging. It also noted in a different post that it wasn't owned by someone like Mark Zuckerberg.

It wrote: "we're not like the other girls... we're not owned by a billionaire."

Threads, BlueSky, and others all popped up as Elon Musk reimagined Twitter into what we now see on X. There really hasn't been a collective migration to one site or another, but rather a gradual fracturing of the site Twitter once was.

Though for many, there really has been no alternative to Twitter — it takes time to build that user-base and familiarity — and they're sticking with the often-faulty X, for better or worse.

Breakup messages are always painful to receive. Even when the sender is trying their best to be gentle and mindful of your feelings.

Of course, not everyone is quite so adept at conveying difficult news in a damage-limitation parcel. Breakups can be messy, hurtful, and honest. Then there's the small matter of practicalities: of dividing up one's lives, our homes, possessions, keepsakes. That's not even considering when children, pets, and shared friendship groups are involved.

A new AI tool is coming, which neatly summarises breakup texts, providing you with the key points without needing to pore over every word that your heartbreaker has sent you.

When app developer Nick Spreen tried out the beta version of iOS 18.1, he experienced first hand the impact of Apple Intelligence's new features.

When Spreen received a breakup text, Apple Intelligence went ahead and provided him with an AI-generated abridged version of the message. It read: "No longer in a relationship; wants belongings from the apartment." Straight to the point.

Spreen posted a screenshot of the breakup text summary on X (formerly Twitter), followed by a tweet confirming that it is real.

Tweet may have been deleted

Tweet may have been deleted

Tweet may have been deleted

As Mashable senior editor Stan Schroeder points out, Apple Intelligence still isn't available to all users, only in public iOS beta. And Apple's iPhone 16 — which Apple says is "the first iPhone designed for Apple Intelligence" — is launching without Apple Intelligence. To get Apple Intelligence, you have to sign up for beta.apple.com — more info on how to sign up in this guide.

SEE ALSO: How to separate romantic rejection from your self-worth

Is this the future of breakups? Or, is this just another attempt to "optimise" our emotions and our love lives — something which doesn't entirely feel sustainable or realistic. According to evolutionary psychology, human beings are wired to process rejection as a threat to survival. An AI summary might soften the blow in the short-term, but ultimately, you'll probably still feel really upset about being dumped. You can't AI your way out of emotional processing! You've got to feel the feelings and move on. Look after yourselves!

And remember: you're not being rejected, the relationship is.

UP TO $130 OFF: As of Oct. 11, Target is offering up to $150 off select Apple devices. Shop discounted iPads, AirPods, and more during Target Circle Week.

Best Target Circle Week Apple deals: Best Apple Watch deal Apple Watch SE 2 (2023) $169.99 at Target with Target Circle (save $80) Get Deal Best Apple AirPods Max deal Apple AirPods Max $399 at Target with Target Circle (save $150) Get Deal Best Apple iPad deal 10.9-inch Apple iPad (10th gen, WiFi, 64GB,) $299.99 at Target with Target Circle (save $50) Get Deal

Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days has come and gone, but Target Circle Week is still in full swing (until 11:59 p.m. tonight, that is) — and if you weren’t able to get your hands on the discounts you were hoping for during Prime Day, Target’s competitive pricing might be able to help.

Now through midnight tonight, Target is offering Target Circle members up to $150 off select Apple devices, including iPads, AirPods, and other Apple accessories.

Here are our top picks from the sale:

Best Apple Watch deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch SE 2 $169.99 at Target
$249.99 Save $80.00 Get Deal Why we like it

The Apple Watch SE 2 (2023) is the only non-refurbished Apple Watch deal in Target’s Circle Week sale. This 40mm watch with sport band and GPS is only $169.99 for Target Circle members — $80 off the original list price and the cheapest deal around. (Even Best Buy and Walmart can’t match this price.)

With sleep and heart rate monitoring, GPS, and crash detection, this smartwatch has all the basic fitness and safety features you could want.

Best AirPods Max deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Max $399.00 at Target
$549.00 Save $150.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the Apple AirPods Max.

The Apple AirPods Max were selling for $394.99 during October Prime Day (28% off). Now, Target has them on sale for $399 — not as good a deal, but still $150 off the original $549 MSRP.

These over-ear headphones are trendy and offer good sound quality and noise cancellation. But if you’re not ready to spend $400 or want USB-C charging, our Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard recommends trying out Bose QC Ultra headphones or the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones instead.

Best Apple iPad deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple 10.9-inch Apple iPad (10th gen, WiFi, 64GB,) $299.99 at Target
$349.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal Why we like it

The 10.9-inch iPad (10th gen) is $299.99 during Target Circle Week. Ironically, you can find it for the same price at Amazon and Best Buy. (This is also the lowest price we've seen for this particular iPad model.)

This iPad comes in tons of fun colors and has a large enough screen for reading, streaming, or browsing the web. It has 64GB of space to store photos, documents, and more. Plus, the 12MP camera makes video chatting with friends and family easy.

SAVE $50.99: As of Oct. 11, the tough-to-find Ninja Slushi machine is back in stock at Walmart. Not only that, but it's also $50.99 off the usual price of $299.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Slushi $249.00 at Walmart
$299.99 Save $50.99 Get Deal

You'd probably think that once Prime Day ends, the deals start slowing down — but that's not necessarily true. In fact, the days right after an Amazon sale event are usually ripe with diamond-in-the-rough deals that you probably shouldn't ignore.

Case in point: The elusive Ninja Slushi machine is back in stock at Walmart, and it's on sale. Get it for $249, or $50.99 off the usual price of $299.99. The Slushi tends to go fast whenever it gets a restock, so act quickly if you want to pick one up and bring a little piece of summer into the colder months with you (there's never a bad time for a piña colada).

SEE ALSO: 30+ kitchen deals still live post-Amazon Prime Day: Ninja, Breville, Vitamix, and more

Senior Shopping Reporter Leah Stodart reviewed the Ninja Slushi for Mashable, and really enjoyed her time with the niche kitchen appliance. The straightforward instructions, easy cleaning, and quiet operation were highlights when she tested the machine out. She thought that the splurge was worth it for those who are really passionate about frozen drinks, or who just like to reward themselves with a little treat here and there. "At any rate, the serotonin boost of one of life's most simple treasures — a fun little drink — is priceless," Stodart wrote. "As is the bonding (and money saving) that could come with staying in with friends and having a frozen marg party in your PJs."

If you too are yearning to host your own marg party this fall, definitely take advantage of this deal. Pick up the Ninja Slushi at Walmart for $50.99 off while you still can.

Hulu. Netflix. Max. Disney+. Apple TV+. Prime Video. Shudder. Paramount+. Peacock. When it comes to streaming options, the list goes on and on, and it can be overwhelming. So, we offer watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, animation, and more. But maybe you don't know what you want beyond something new and entertaining. No worries. 

Mashable's Entertainment Team has scoured the streaming services to highlight the most buzzed-about releases of the week and ranked them by least to most watchable. 

Want to know what's worth your time? We've got you. 

SEE ALSO: What to Watch: Best Scary Movies 5. Teacup

Don't be fooled by the innocuous title. Teacup is a twisted horror series that's likely to brew nightmares. Yellowstone producer/writer Ian McCulloch adapts Robert McCammon's 1988 novel Stinger across eight 30-ish-minute episodes, unfurling a claustrophobic tale of terror. Yvonne Strahovski and Scott Speedman star as Maggie and James Chenoweth, a married couple at odds who live on a rural farm with two kids and a pot-smoking grandma (Kathy Baker). Tensions are rising in the house before a gas-masked stranger turns up, warning them — and their visiting neighbors — that leaving the farm will have horrendous consequences. 

SEE ALSO: 'Teacup' cast on the horror of isolation

McCulloch offers a slow-burn approach, sprinkling creepy elements like a muttering intruder, animals enacting confounding self-harm, and a little boy who hears voices. But by the end of the second episode now streaming, Teacup gets cooking, revealing the eye-popping consequences for crossing the line established by the aforementioned and mysterious stranger. With two new episodes airing each Thursday, this series — executive-produced by James Wan — could deliver chills all through spooky season. 

Starring: Yvonne Strahovski, Scott Speedman, Chaske Spencer, Kathy Baker, Boris McGiver, Caleb Dolden, Emilie Bierre, and Luciano Leroux 

How to watch: Teacup is now streaming, with two new episodes weekly.

4. Caddo Lake

Produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Caddo Lake is a mind-bending thriller spiked with strange twists and a bonkers ending. Co-writers/directors Logan George and Celine Held carve out an original vision of grief and heroics by following two strangers, whose lives are changed forever by their separate searches for a missing 8-year-old girl. 

On the surface, surly teen Ellie (Eliza Scanlen) and haunted twentysomething Paris (Dylan O'Brien) have a lot in common: Both live on the edge of a dense swamp, and lost a parent at an early age through unexplained disappearances. Could it be something in the swamp? When Ellie's stepsister goes missing, efforts to find her unlock secrets from the past and a shocking new reality. If you're seeking something freshly creepy and a bit confounding, check out Caddo Lake. And if you need some help making sense of that climax, check out our ending explainer.  

Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Eliza Scanlen, Lauren Ambrose, Eric Lange, Sam Hennings, and Diana Hopper 

How to watch: Caddo Lake is streaming now on Max.

3. Mr. Crocket

What if Mr. Rogers were magic and evil? That's basically the pitch for Mr. Crocket, a Hulu original about a kids' show host who takes his devotion to his fans way too far. Written by Carl Reid and Brandon Espy, Mr. Crocket introduces home-viewing audiences to an enchanted VHS tape called Mr. Crocket's World. Featuring fluffy puppets, jaunty songs, and a jovial host wearing a big smile and a bowtie, the kids' show seems the perfect escape for children enduring trouble at home. But if Mr. Crocket feels he'd be a better caretaker of a kid than the parents, he'll creep right out of that VCR for some home-invasion horror. When one recently widowed mom (Jerrika Hinton) realizes her son (Ayden Gavin) is at risk of being snatched by Mr. Crocket, she'll do whatever it takes to save him. 

Full of lurid colors, grisly surprises, and a plotline that feels appropriate for Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Mr. Crocket seems designed for Gen X or millennials who remember the solace of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and the horror of stranger-danger hysteria. The tone is broad, relishing in creepy practical effects and Freddy Krueger-style showmanship. All in all, a solid pastiche of throwback influences with some fresh kills and thrills. 

Starring: Jerrkia Hinton, Elvis Nolasco, Ayden Gavin, Kristolyn Lloyd, and Alex Akpobome

How to watch: Mr. Crocket is now streaming on Hulu.

2. The Last of the Sea Women

Produced by Malala Yousafzai, The Last of the Sea Women is an intriguing documentary about an extraordinary but dying tradition. On the coast of South Korea’s Jeju Island, elderly women gather in diving suits to plunge into the depths and harvest seafood for sale. They are known as the haenyeo divers, often compared to mermaids for their ease in the water and their rejection of oxygen tanks. Director Sue Kim gets close to this compelling club, who share their stories, worries, and personalities with candor. Their ways are largely being lost, though Kim finds a pair of young haenyeo divers who have made their mark online by sharing videos of their dives. However, the greatest battle they have to fight is against the rampant pollution that risks their health and the lives of the sea creatures they hunt but cherish.

Gorgeously captured, The Last of the Sea Women easily bestows upon the viewer the majesty of the sea in which the haenyeo divers swim. Kim's curiosity invites us into this wondrous world of hard work and sisterhood. While the film has a clear and powerful message about preservation and the power of activism, it's also a heart-warming portrait of community and bold, charismatic women as enchanting as the sea life that is their calling. Beautiful and moving, The Last of the Sea Women is a trip across the world you can take from the comfort of your couch. 

How to watch: The Last of the Sea Women is now streaming on Apple TV+

1. Disclaimer 

Five-time Academy Award–winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón teams with two-time Academy Award–winning actress Cate Blanchett for a seven-part thriller sure to get your blood pumping. Written and directed by Cuarón, Disclaimer stars Blanchett as Catherine Ravenscroft, a revered journalist who has built her career on unearthing the sordid secrets of others. However, her life is thrown into spin when an unsolicited novel shows up on her doorstep, its pages spilling out the skeletons within her own closet. 

In her review for Mashable, Entertainment Reporter Belen Edwards writes, "The overall effect of Disclaimer is one of intrigue and of questioning the layers of narrative you see before you. With its commitment to formal changeups and a brutal knockout of a finale, Disclaimer is a puzzle that gets under your skin and refuses to leave.”

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Lesley Manville, Louis Partridge, Leila George and Hoyeon 

How to watch: Disclaimer's first two episodes are streaming on Apple TV+, with new episodes each Friday.

For more viewing suggestions check out Mashable's Watch Guides for the latest and greatest movies and TV shows now streaming. 

SAVE $299.99: Motorola is offering a free pair of Bose QuietComfort II wireless earbuds with the purchase of a Motorola Razr+ or Motorola Edge smartphone. That's a savings of $300 on the earbuds.

Opens in a new window Credit: Motorola Motorola Edge $549.99 at Motorola
Get a free pair of Bose QuietComfort II earbuds with purchase Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Motorola Motorola Razr+ $999.99 at Motorola
Get a free pair of Bose QuietComfort II earbuds with purchase Get Deal

October Prime Day may be officially over, but the deals just keep coming.

That includes this intriguing bargain from Motorola and Bose. If you buy either a Motorola Razr+ or Motorola Edge smartphone from Motorola's website right now, you'll also get a free pair of Bose QuietComfort II wireless earbuds. All you have to do, according to Motorola, is add the phone to your cart.

Since the QuietComfort II earbuds are normally $299.99, that's a pretty steep bargain. Bose promises six hours of battery life to go along with active noise cancelation and adjustable EQ settings in a mobile app. These are probably a little more intense and audiophile-centric than AirPods would be, but they're free, so that's fine.

Steam is now admitting what was true all along: You don't own any of those games.

Valve's PC gaming digital marketplace has started including a notice on the shopping cart screen letting users know that purchasing a game on Steam grants them a license for it, per Engadget. That's a fairly benign message without any context, and you'd be forgiven for barely noticing it. After all, of course I have a license for the thing I bought, right?

SEE ALSO: PS5 vs. PS5 Slim: What are the differences?

Well, it's a little more complicated than that. Thanks to a new California state law signed by governor Gavin Newsom in September, digital storefronts that operate in the state have to add that disclosure before they're allowed to use words like "buy" or "purchase." It's a small thing, but important to note as we move further and further into an era where most people collect things digitally, not physically.

In other words, there will always remain a possibility that someday the licenses you paid for won't be worth anything. Steam might shut down eventually, in the distant future, and the games won't work anymore. The purpose of this law and Valve's new disclosure is to make sure you know that, even if there's not much you can do about it.

SAVE 15%: Now through 11:59 p.m. PT, you can get 15% off select gift cards with Target Circle.

Opens in a new window Credit: Target Get 15% off select gift cards with Target Circle Shop Now

Now that Prime Day’s officially over, we’ve been looking elsewhere for the best deals. If you missed Amazon’s shopping extravaganza, you still have until Oct. 12 to shop Target Circle Week and snag member-only discounts.

One deal worth looking into is Target’s 15% off gift card offer, valid through 11:59 p.m. PT tonight (Oct. 11). With this deal, Target Circle Members can save 15% on gift cards for Fandango VUDU, Cinemark Theatres, and IHOP. Even though the selection is limited, this gives you an opportunity to grab some gift cards for the pancake or movie lovers in your life at a discounted price.

Bonus offer: Buy a $100 One4all Happy Holidays Dining gift card (e.g., The Cheesecake Factory, Outback Steakhouse, Red Robin, and others) or Domino’s Pizza gift card and receive a $15 Target gift card for yourself!

Wondering how to watch college football this season? Here are your best options: Best for affordability Sling TV Blue Plan $20 for the first month, then $40/month (save $20 ) Get Deal BEST FOR SINGLE GAME FuboTV Pro plan 7-day free trial, then $59.99/month for 1 month (Save $20) Get Deal

The Arizona State vs. Utah football teams are going head-to-head at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, on Friday, Oct. 11. The game is scheduled to start at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT. 

SEE ALSO: How to watch college football without cable

It's set to be an exciting game, so keep reading to find out how and when you can tune in.

Arizona State vs. Utah football kickoff time and network

The Arizona State vs. Utah football game is scheduled for a 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT start on ESPN on Friday, Oct. 11.

If you don't have cable or satellite TV, there are some options available if you want to watch the Arizona State vs. Utah football game via online live stream.

Best streaming services for Arizona State vs. Utah football game

To watch college football, you'll need to choose a streaming service to watch college football without cable or satellite TV. Here are the best streaming services to consider for Friday's Arizona State vs. Utah football game on ESPN. 

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

Getting Sling TV for the Arizona State vs. Utah football game is an option for catching the game. You’ll need to purchase the Orange Plan, which comes at $15 for the first month and $40 for subsequent months.

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

Best for single game: FuboTV Opens in a new window Credit: FuboTV FuboTV Pro plan Get Deal

If you want to watch just a single game of the season, FuboTV is one to try. It offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once and, you can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period.

Visit the FuboTV website to see if your zip code includes the FOX broadcast. If you’re in luck, then you can get ESPN with the FuboTV Pro plan, which has a one-month introductory rate of $59.99/month and a regular subscription rate of $79.99 per month. 

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. 

Jordan Peele appeared on "The Tonight Show" and ranked classic horror movies for Jimmy Fallon.

Social media has been a part of Americans' lives for well over a decade and, in part because of its newness, some people argue that there is a dearth of research about its effect on us — particularly its effect on young people.

For the first time ever, the Centers for Disease Control's Youth Risk Behavior Survey assessed the frequency of social media use among U.S. high school students. Using that data, the organization drew some conclusions on the relationship between high school students' social media use and bullying, feelings of hopelessness, and suicide risk. The findings show that most students use social media frequently and it significantly affects their mental health.

SEE ALSO: Teens feel burnt out. Social media can make it worse.

The study showed that the vast majority — 77 percent — of high school students use social media at least several times a day, which the CDC defines as "frequent social media use." Female students use social media more — 81.8 percent — in comparison to male students' 72.9 percent. Heterosexual students reported using it more frequently than lesbian and gay students, 79.2 percent to 67.7 percent, but bisexual and questioning students reported using social media more frequently than students identifying with any other sexual orientation with 82.2 and 82.6 percent, respectively.

"Students who reported frequent social media use were more likely to be bullied at school and electronically bullied compared with less frequent social media users," the report reads. "Frequent social media users also were more likely to report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Frequent social media use was associated with having seriously considered attempting suicide and having made a suicide plan."

While those findings break down by gender, race, and sexuality, all groups surveyed — male students, female students, and LGBQ+ students — who reported "frequent social media use" were more likely to report feeling sad, hopeless, and seriously considering attempting suicide than their less online counterparts.

While social media can also help young people find community, express themselves, and create, this study is further confirmation that the darker effects also exist.

"Daily Show" host Jordan Klepper has made fun of the people on Fox implying that real men don't vote Democrat.

Among the 5,700 confirmed exoplanets astronomers have discovered outside the solar system, there are those considered ice worlds and water worlds, but what about a steam world? 

Well, they've done it. Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope, a partnership of NASA and its European and Canadian counterparts, have indeed detected a sauna-like planet about 100 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Pisces. Some have called it the first direct evidence of a planet blanketed in wet heat. 

This humid alien planet, GJ 9827 d, is about double the size of Earth and has an atmosphere almost entirely composed of water vapor, according to a new study. Before now, such worlds were only theorized to exist in space. 

"It was a very surreal moment," said Eshan Raul, who contributed to the research while an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, in a statement. "We were searching specifically for water worlds because it was hypothesized that they could exist. If these are real, it really makes you wonder what else could be out there."

SEE ALSO: Scientists haven't found a rocky exoplanet with air. But now they have a plan. Europa, left, and Enceladus are two moons in the frigid outer solar system suspected to have oceans under icy shells. Credit: NASA

Such a steam world is thought to have thick water-rich air, with a surface devoid of ice or flowing water. It's what scientists imagine icy moons of Jupiter, like Europa and Ganymede, would be like if they orbited near the sun instead of more distant reaches of the solar system. 

GJ 9827 d, a rocky super-Earth, is so close to its host star that it has an estimated surface temperature of 660 degrees Fahrenheit. For comparison, the average surface temperature of Earth is 59 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of the exoplanet's extreme heat, its atmosphere is likely a mix of gas, without clouds or distinct layers.

Scientists have found signs of hydrogen-rich atmospheres surrounding many worlds, but all of them have been around gas giant planets, like Jupiter. The hunt for a more terrestrial world swaddled in a protective atmosphere of heavier elements had eluded astronomers, though Webb has helped scientists find reasonable bets, such as 55 Cancri e, GJ 486 b, and LHS 1140 b. 

This is the first confirmed case of an exoplanet atmosphere where hydrogen is not the dominant component, said Caroline Piaulet-Ghorayeb, a doctoral student at the University of Montréal. The new paper, led by Piaulet-Ghorayeb, was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters last week. 

Since Webb opened for business, researchers have frequently used a technique called transmission spectroscopy to study exoplanets. When these worlds cross in front of their host star, starlight gets filtered through their atmospheres. Molecules within the atmosphere absorb certain light wavelengths, or colors, so by splitting the light into its basic parts — like a rainbow — astronomers can detect what light segments are missing to discern the molecular makeup of an atmosphere.

Researchers used the new Webb data, coupled with Hubble Space Telescope observations conducted earlier this year, to confirm the steam composition. A common problem with such studies is the potential for variability in signals based on stellar activity — like the spots that can form on the sun. After careful analysis, teams were able to rule out the possibility of botched data due to stellar contamination. 

Researchers will use the James Webb Space Telescope to continue studying GJ 9827 d, the first confirmed "steam world." Credit: NASA GSFC / CIL / Adriana Manrique Gutierrez illustration

While this planet would not be habitable for most life forms people are familiar with on Earth, the success of finding a terrestrial world with an atmosphere teeming with water means scientists are getting ever-closer to finding temperate hospitable worlds. 

Webb scientists are about to begin a massive study of rocky worlds outside the solar system, specifically in search of planets orbiting close to red dwarf stars — the most abundant type of star in the Milky Way — that could have air. The program, first reported by Mashable, has already picked the first two of about a dozen target planets to study.

"Now we’re finally pushing down into what these mysterious worlds with sizes between Earth and Neptune, for which we don’t have an example in our own solar system, are actually made of," said coauthor Ryan MacDonald in a statement. "This is a crucial proving step towards detecting atmospheres on habitable exoplanets in the years to come."

SAVE $60: As of Oct. 11, the Samsung 27-Inch Essential S3 Curved Monitor is on sale for $119.99 at Amazon. That's a saving of 33% on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 27-Inch Essential S3 Curved Monitor $119.99 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $60.00 Get Deal

We spent a lot of time looking directly at screens. Whether it's for work or play, our eyes are always distracted by screens. So why not upgrade to the best quality on offer?

If you work from home regularly, or you just need to upgrade your home office, Amazon has some great deals to help you do this for less. Including a limited-time deal on the Samsung 27-Inch Essential S3 Curved Monitor.

This monitor features a 1000R curvature to improve your comfort by mimicking the natural curvature of the human eye. It also supports a refresh rate of 100 Hz to reduce lag and motion blur. Another impressive feature is the advanced eye comfort technology that reduces eye strain by minimizing blue light and minimizing any irritating screen flicker.

And if you're a gamer, this screen is perfectly kitted out for that. You can optimize game settings, change colors and image contrast, and offers a game mode that allows you to adjust any game to fill the screen so you can view every detail.

As of Oct. 11, the Samsung 27-Inch Essential S3 Curved Monitor is available for $119.99, a saving of 33% on list price.

SAVE $50: As of Oct. 11, the Bose Ultra Open earbuds are on sale for $249 at Amazon. That's a saving of 17% on list price, and the lowest-ever price on Amazon.

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds $249.00 at Amazon
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If you thought the end of Prime Day meant the end of great deals, think again. Amazon still has incredible offers on a huge range of products, so if you didn't find something for yourself during the main event, there's still a chance to secure a saving. And if you're looking to upgrade your earbuds, we've found a fantastic new deal for you.

The Bose Ultra Open earbuds are designed for music lovers who still want to be connected to their surroundings. They work by resting just outside your ears rather than fitting inside the ear canal like standard designs. This positioning uses Bose’s open-ear audio technology to direct sound precisely toward your ears, allowing you to hear music clearly without blocking external noise. This type of earbud is fantastic for running, walking, and any outdoor activity where it pays to stay aware of your surroundings. They're also water resistant so won't cause any issues on rainy days.

SEE ALSO: I tested the best headphones and earbuds for working out during my daily run

But don't think this design means you scrimp on sound quality. With a name like Bose, you know you'll be getting some of the best sounds around. Bose still manages to create an immense, full sound even though the buds don’t seal in your ears.

As of Oct. 11, you can grab these earbuds for 17% off at their lowest-ever price of $249. The deal is available in Black, White, and Moonstone Blue options.

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 October 11'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 SEE ALSO: Hurdle hints and answers for October 11 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.

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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.

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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.

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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 October 11 Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Adore

• Green: Plunge

• Blue: Pure profit

• Purple: Audacity

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: Places Where One Scores

• Green: Basketball Defenses

• Blue: Houston Sports Athlete, Past and Present

• Purple: Fictional Coaches

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 #18 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Places Where One Scores: END ZONE, GOAL, HOOP, PLATE

• Basketball defenses: MAN, PRESS, TRAP, ZONE

• Houston Sports Athlete, Past and Presen: ASTRO, COMET, ROCKET, TEXAN

• Fictional Coaches: BOMBAY, BUTTERMAKER, DALE, LASSO

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.

SEE ALSO: Mini crossword answers for October 11

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.

NASA, in 2030, will plunge the aging International Space Station into the ocean.

The space agency is banking on commercial companies to build and operate future habits in orbit around Earth. One of them could look like Haven-1, built by the space technology company Vast. The Southern California company has released the final designs for its sleek-looking Haven-1 capsule, which SpaceX plans to launch on its workhouse Falcon 9 rocket as early as 2025.

While the program has a dependable rocket, a reliable SpaceX craft to take occupants there, and a billionaire founder, the timeline for the construction and then launch of a capsule with life-support systems by the second half of 2025 is certainly ambitious. Mashable has reached out to the company for more information on the plans and progress for Haven-1.

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

Vast does have the benefit of hiring a retired NASA astronaut, Andrew J. Feustel, to advise the capsule's design.

"I’ve flown three missions to space, and we are learning from those experiences and innovating to improve the way we can live and work on a space station," Feustel said in a statement. "From communication and connectivity, to private space and interacting with others aboard, to advancing human progress on Earth and beyond, every detail has been designed with the astronaut experience at the core of our work."

The video and images below show conceptions of this design. In sharp contrast with the International Space Station — a cluttered space laboratory dominated by walls burgeoning with equipment and wiring — Haven-1 is minimalist and neat. Lots of equipment, it appears, is stored behind spartan wall panels. The capsule even includes "fire-resistant maple wood veneer slats, bringing natural warmth into what has traditionally been a sterile, necessity-driven interior," the company explained.

The interior layout of the Haven-1 capsule. Credit: Vast A conception of the common area on Haven-1, with a large window overlooking Earth. Credit: Vast

An important factor that might contribute to the likelihood of Haven-1 launching is that it's a single, relatively small capsule (for reference, see the layout above.) In contrast, the International Space Station — which nations began building in the late 1980s — is the "largest humanmade object ever to orbit Earth," NASA explains. It took 42 flights to deliver the main pieces of the station.

It's "larger than a six-bedroom house with six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym, and a 360-degree view bay window," the space agency said.

The labeled elements of the sprawling International Space Station. Credit: NASA

Vast has solar system ambitions well beyond its initial capsule. If Haven-1 is realized, and it safely harbors a 4-person crew, the company plans to build and then launch a larger module in 2028. Eventually, in the 2030s, it hopes to build "Artificial Gravity Stations" that can house 8-person crews. These longer-term plans, of course, require the financial commitments of deep-pocketed customers, like perhaps a certain national space agency that needs a place to conduct science in low-Earth orbit.

Meanwhile, NASA's ambitions in the coming decades are to the moon and beyond. The agency plans to build a permanent lunar presence, where it will harvest water preserved in frigid craters, and perhaps build a fuel depot for endeavors to Mars or resource-rich asteroids.

Nicolas Cage wages war on a gang of hostile Australian surfers who stole his surfboard.

That's the elevator pitch for The Surfer, a trippy psychological thriller directed by Lorcan Finnegan (Nocebo, Vivarium) and written by Thomas Martin. But there's more afoot within the riptide of this strangely hypnotic film, which ruminates on toxic masculinity and unprocessed trauma while putting Cage through the absolute ringer.

SEE ALSO: How Nicolas Cage memes shaped 'Dream Scenario'

Taking creative cues from Ozploitation classics of the Australian New Wave like Wake in Fright, Finnegan simultaneously reveres and villainizes the Australian landscape, blurring the line between reality and surrealism while throwing everything he has at the Hollywood star. Cage delivers a characteristically unhinged performance, though he's at the risk of being upstaged by an exceptional Julian McMahon.

What is The Surfer about?

Equal parts tense survival thriller and coastal Western, The Surfer essentially takes place within one location: the confines of a beachside parking lot in the fictional suburb of Luna Bay, Western Australia. (It was filmed in Yallingup, located in Wadandi Country, the traditional land of the Wadandi people.)

Credited just as "The Surfer," Cage's character is a man bursting with nostalgia and idealism. Returning to the Australian town he grew up in after a life in California, he's anxious to finally buy his childhood home and reunite his family. He's a classic divorced dad, waxing lyrical about surfing as a metaphor for life in speeches aimed at his estranged teenage son (Yellowstone's Finn Little). But his lofty quest to close the deal and secure a seaside utopia is disrupted by hostile locals, who won't have a bar of him.

When the Surfer attempts to go surfing with his son, he comes face to face with the Bay Boys, a gang of surfers determined to "keep the riffraff out" of their waves — i.e. non-locals. They're brilliantly described by a carpark-dwelling character crudely credited as "The Bum" (Nicholas Cassim) as a "bunch of fuckin' yuppies cosplaying at being surfers." Dedicated to their mustachioed gang leader Scottie "Scally" Callahan (a brilliant Julian McMahon), this hollering group of violent bleached blondes in tank tops humiliate and harass Cage's protagonist, stealing his surfboard and creating hell for him. As for the local police officer (Justin Rosniak), he's in Scally's pocket too.

As soon as he arrives at the Luna Bay break, the Surfer starts to lose. With dwindling personal effects, increasing dehydration, no allies, and a teetering grip on reality, the Surfer wages an uphill battle against his downhill enemies. Somehow, Finnegan and Martin manage to concoct a never-ending supply of misfortune for their protagonist, all while presenting the locals as deeply corrupt and self-serving. But there's more to this place than it initially appears for the long-suffering Surfer.

The Surfer traps Nicolas Cage in the parking lot from hell.

The entirety of The Surfer is set within an asphalt arena, the beachside carpark overlooking the waves that Cage's character so desperately wants to surf again. That the Surfer himself is contained to this bitumen plain mirrors his denied access to the beach. However, this limitation doesn't mean the film is boring by any means, thanks to Cage's signature slow-burn unraveling.

Cage has been unpredictable in his film choices over the last few years, from his serial killer transformation in Longlegs to playing an amped-up version of himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Here, he's tasked with carrying the whole film as a man just trying to get his stolen surfboard back and catch a wave, and Cage truly leans into gaslit delirium.

Featured Video For You 'Longlegs' cast on Nic Cage's total transformation

Cage's character is pushed to the brink in the film, as his characters often are. But here he's drinking beer out of puddles, eating dead rats, and having his bare feet shredded by carpark broken glass, completely at the mercy of what is by no means a remote environment. As Cage's character stumbles through misfortune after misfortune, the film cleverly and organically becomes a kind of survival drama set within a relatively busy beachside suburb. At many points in The Surfer, you're basically yelling at the screen for this man to get a hotel room and call it a day — two things pretty much always available to him during his turmoil. But there's a deeper reason for the Surfer's determination.

What Finnegan's production team manages to create within one seaside battleground is nothing short of impressive. But probably the most stunning achievement of the film is using Australia's idyllic natural beauty and surfing culture to dive into the sinister realities of toxic masculinity.

The Surfer dives into a particularly Australian brand of aggressive male behavior.

The Surfer is, at its core, a rumination on the harmful effects of hypermasculinity. But it's a particularly Australian, and particularly violent form of it, with the country's tendency to dismiss male toxicity and violence as "larrikin" behaviour. "Boys will be boys," a character literally says aloud in this film.

Finnegan and Martin use surfing culture and the terrifying Bay Boys to sharpen their focus on misogyny and superiority complexes, as well as hammering home Australia's skewed sense of local identity. (The film's local surfer gang, the Bay Boys, seems a subtle nod to the real surf gang from Sydney's Maroubra Beach, the Bra Boys.) While the film doesn't address the hypocrisy of such localism in a country with a violent colonial past, it does go hard on the general messaging of keeping outsiders out, locals in. "Don't live here, don't surf here," the Surfer is violently told by the locals. "Locals only" signs adorn the beach. 

SEE ALSO: How to talk to the men in your life about toxic masculinity

It's the head of this predatory pack who threatens to upstage Cage in The Surfer: McMahon as the chilling Scally. Swanning about with a deep tan and a bright-red beach poncho, this character is so blatantly yet amiably menacing that he gets right under your skin (and that of Cage's character) with cold finesse. Running his "Sanctuary" for young surfers and their problematically younger teen girl visitors — no girl surfers here, no way — Scally's whole deal is that modern men have "gone soft" and "haven't had to suffer." He preaches this to his young followers, encouraging them to unleash their inner "animal" within their beach haven. Under Scally's tutelage, the Bay Boys' abrasive, territorial behaviour isn't just allowed by the rest of the community, it's encouraged, with Cage's Surfer encountering the same level of anti-outsider animosity by other non-surfer locals he comes across in the lot.

In fact, there are only two characters in the entire film who aren't total assholes to the Surfer: his son and a confoundingly underused Miranda Tapsell (Top End Wedding) as a friendly photographer who helps him out. It's overwhelming, this unrelenting hostility. And it's been used as a weapon in many an Australian film.

The Surfer stylistically rides the Australian New Wave.

The Surfer is by no means the first to make a nightmare of Australia's natural environment, amping up the heat, sunlight, and mysteries of the bush for psychological thrills. But Finnegan appears to pay tribute to such Australian New Wave thrillers of the '70s and '80s like Ted Kotcheff's Wake in Fright, Everett De Roche's Razorback, and Tony Williams' Next of Kin. Wake in Fright is the most overt reference here, as a film in which an outsider is also driven to madness by the locals — a psychological state only intensified by the harsh heat and dangerous dehydration. 

Director of photography Radek Ladczuk, cinematographer for Jennifer Kent's brutal Tasmanian film The Nightingale as well as The Babadook, makes a Australian New Wave meal of The Surfer. Meticulously slow or audaciously fast zooms feel right out of the '70s, proving to be a hilariously kitsch but strangely authentic way to capture Cage's earnestness over his beloved waves. Lighting furthers The Surfer's slightly surreal feeling; the entire film feels like it's been drenched in a golden sunlight filter, which moves from idyllic to dangerously searing. The carpark itself glows in green-lit darkness at times, while the lot's cursed toilet block glows an ominous orange. Ladczuk takes full advantage of the strange distortions reflected by metal mirrors typically found in Australian public toilet blocks. 

Then there's that score by François Tétaz and sound design by Aza Hand, resulting in a hypnotic, bonkers smorgasbord of operatic singing, chimes and harps, and blissful orchestral overtures uniquely combined with the sounds of Australian wildlife. Cicadas chirp loudly and relentlessly, a kookaburra's famous laugh becomes a cursed rhythm, and buzzing flies rise as the Surfer's hold on reality slips. It's this combination of whimsy, threat, beauty, and overwhelming powerlessness that makes The Surfer deeply effective.  

Everything about The Surfer's one-line pitch sounds ridiculous (Nicolas Cage versus mean Australian surfers), but the film itself is a haunting set piece about localism, repressed memory, and toxic masculinity, boasting the wild ride we've come to associate with Cage. It's as far from a wipeout as you can get.

The Surfer was reviewed out of the BFI London Film Festival. The film will open in in cinemas early 2025.