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Google Maps on iOS is getting a cleaner look.
According to 9to5Google, which spotted the update, the bottom bar now has three options instead of five. Previously, when you opened up Google Maps on an iPhone, the tabs were Explore, Go, Saved, Contribute, and Updates. Now the bottom bar shows Explore, You, and Contribute.
SEE ALSO: How to share your location on Google MapsEssentially, Google consolidated some of the Saved and Updates tabs into the You tab. So now when you tap You, you'll see any trips you've bookmarked in addition to notifications and messages from Google. The outlet reports that this redesign appears in the 6.129.1 iOS update.
The old version of Google Maps has five tabs on the bottom bar. Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / Google The new version of Google Maps consolidated the tabs into three. Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / GoogleGoogle rolled out its Maps redesign for Android users in late July. In addition to a sleeker look, Maps also has new features like a nifty tool that shows you where to park when you arrive at your destination and a larger icon for reporting incidents.
For iPhone users, the decluttered look is a nice update for the popular navigation app. But while, many Apple fans opted to use Google Maps over Apple Maps which has notoriously lagged in usability, Apple Maps has gotten much better. Waze, which is owned by Google, continues to be a good choice for users who want gamification features.
GET $20 OFF: As of Aug. 23, you can get an Echo Dot (5th gen) for $29.99 at Amazon, down from $49.99. That's $20 off the list price and just $7 more than its lowest price ever.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Our pick: Echo Dot (5th gen) $29.99 at AmazonAmazon’s new edition to its Echo lineup, the Amazon Echo Spot (on sale for $54.99), is here, but I’m still a tried-and-true fan of the Echo Dot (5th gen) — especially when it's on sale.
Right now, you can get an Echo Dot (5th gen) for $29.99 at Amazon. It’s a $20 price reduction and just $7 more than its all-time low price of $22.99, which we usually only see during the holiday season or on Prime Day.
SEE ALSO: Amazon deal of the day: Our favorite starter soundbar, the Sonos Ray, is down to a new record-low priceThe Echo Dot (5th gen) does everything you’d want a smart speaker to do — you can play music, set alarms, and create routines via the Alexa app. I also use mine to control my smart lights and set reminders. It doesn’t have a screen or fancy clock display, but it's tough to beat for the price and sound quality (plus Alexa’s capabilities).
Give a quick smart upgrade to your home with an Echo Dot (or three) for just $29.99.
The best part about back-to-school season isn't just that the kids are out of the house. It's also that there are tons of epic deals on devices of all kinds. We did the hard part for you and found the deals on Amazon that are actually worth adding to your cart on Aug. 23. Head into the weekend with epic savings on brands like Sonos, Amazon Echo, Coleman, and Anker.
Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day. If none of these deals catch your eye, be sure to take a peek at our picks from Aug. 21 and Aug. 22. Many of those savings are still live — including a Fire HD 8 Plus tablet at a record-low price and a 17-inch Asus laptop for under $700.
Our top pick Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Ray soundbar $179.00 at AmazonA budget-friendly, low-profile soundbar, the Sonos Ray "delivers on the bottom line requirement of any speaker: true, quality sound," according to Mashable reviewer Stan Schneider. While it may not have a ton of extra features (no Bluetooth connectivity, HDMI hookup, or smart home compatibility), the price tag makes up for it. Typically $279, it's on sale for just $179 at Amazon as of Aug. 23 — that's a new record-low for our favorite starter soundbar.
Read our full review of the Sonos Ray.
Opens in a new window Credit: Coleman Coleman Roadtrip 285 portable propane grill $223.99 at AmazonIdeal for road trips, camping trips, tailgates, and beyond, the Coleman Roadtrip 285 packs — you guessed it — 285 square inches of grilling space, three adjustable burners, and a built-in thermometer. And when you're done cooking, the portable propane grill conveniently collapses into a compact design that you can wheel back to the car. It's regularly $319.99, but as of Aug. 23, you can slash that price down to just $223.99. That's a savings of 30%.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Pop + free Sengled smart bulb $22.99 at AmazonThe Echo Pop is the least expensive way to add Alexa to your home. It also adds a fun pop of color. It's essentially a pared down Echo Dot designed "for people who like to keep music playing, and who also use Alexa as a home assistant." Mashable's reviewer noted its not anything particularly groundbreaking, but it is a budget-friendly speaker that sounds great in any room in your home. And for just $22.99, you can pick up the speaker and a free Sengled smart bulb as of Aug. 23 — that's 61% in savings.
Read our full review of the Echo Pop.
Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Nano Power Bank with foldable USB-C connector $19.99 at AmazonReleased at the end of 2023, the Anker Nano power bank packs a massive 5,000mAH capacity in a extremely compact design. Better yet, it features a flip-out USB-C port you can easily plug into the base of USB-C smartphones and tablets (iPhone 15, Samsung S22 and S23 series, iPad Pro, iPad Air, etc.). It offers a 22.5W output with dual USB-C power delivery fast charging. Plus, as a bonus, it can recharged itself at 18W from the same USB-C connector. Pick it up in a variety of fun colors for only $19.99, down from $29.99.
Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Era 100 $199.00 at AmazonReleased last year, the Sonos Era 100 is a direct replacement for the now obsolete Sonos One. While it unfortunately does not offer spatial audio, it does produce stereo sound on its own (unlike its predecessor). It also has refreshed controls on top with a capacitive volume control and a new button to turn off the voice assistant, is slightly taller, and has two tweeters. It's regularly $249, but as of Aug. 23, it's back down to its record-low price of $199.
None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.
Spice up your life with one of the best sex toy deals we found this week:
Best sex toy deals this week Fun Factory Couple Goals Fun Kit $130 at Fun Factory Get Deal Lovers LELO Smart Wand 2 $159.20 at Lovers (save $39.80) Get Deal FemmeFunn Intro to Funn bundle $209.97 at FemmeFunn (save $50) Get Deal ZALO Tails G-Spot Pulsewave Vibrator $84.15 at ZALO (save $14.85) Get DealIt’s Anal August! But anal isn’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea, so we browsed the web for the best sex toy deals across the board — from vibrators with literal crystals embedded in them to gender-inclusive toys that work for all bodies.
Here are our top picks for the week of August 23:
Fun Factory Opens in a new window Credit: Fun Factory Our pick: Couple Goals Fun Kit $130.00 at Fun FactoryFun Factory’s known for its high-end, ethically-made sex toys. They’re a German company with a commitment to getting you off responsibly. Right now, you can snag the Couple Goals bundle (a $145 value) for just $130, so $15 off. This cute little bundle includes the Bootie Fem, a beginner-friendly butt plug designed for people with vulvas, and the NŌS, a vibrating cock ring that stimulates clitorises and penises alike. There’s also a fun game included to get you and your partner in the mood.
If you’d rather shop the catalog and get 10% off, use the code MASHABLE10.
Lovers Opens in a new window Credit: LELO Our pick: LELO Smart Wand 2 $159.20 at LoversI love Lovers for its wide selection of toys and bonus freebies. You can find a deal on this site almost every day of the week and extra special promos around major holidays. Today, for example, you can get up to 20% off select vibes, pulsators, and LELO products with the codes NEWVIBE20 and LELO20.
The only caveat is that these deals end tomorrow, so you'll want to move quickly if you see something you like. I recommend the LELO Smart Wand 2 — it’s high-powered, about as chic as a sex toy can get, and has an extra-long charge time, so you can use it for hours without worrying about running out of juice.
FemmeFunn Opens in a new window Credit: FemmeFunn Our pick: Intro to Funn Bundle $209.97 at FemmeFunnFemmeFunn’s been around since 2014, and they’re even credited with creating the first totally seamless silicone bullet vibrator (the Ultra Bullet). Yet, this brand isn’t super well-known outside of die-hard sex toy enthusiasts like me. (A total shame considering the ingenuity and quality of their products.)
If you haven’t heard of them, give the site a browse. Right now, you can get 15% off all anal toys with the code BUTTSTUFF or $50 off the Intro to Funn bundle, which includes the Ultra Bullet, Booster Rabbit, and Ultra Wand.
ZALO Opens in a new window Credit: ZALO Our pick: Tails G-Spot Pulsewave Vibrator $84.15 at ZALOZALO is like the Dyson of sex toys (yes, we know there’s Satisfyer and LELO, but ZALO is different in its approach). The brand has five distinct product lines, some of which have actual Swarovski crystals embedded into the handle, making them an actual luxury item.
What’s even cooler about this brand is that it caters to the BDSM crowd in a chic and high-end way. (Think: Spiked metal pinwheels, rose ball gags, and a designer bondage kit.) Right now, you can get your hands on ZALO’s entire product catalog, including the newly-released Tails G-Spot Pulsewave Vibrator, at 15% off with the code ZALOLOVE.
Finding the best back-to-school laptop for students can be taxing, to say the least. With so many different brands to choose between and different spec configurations to compare, it can quickly become overwhelming. Luckily, I’m here to make your back-to-school laptop search a little easier.
I’ve been reviewing laptops for years, so you could say I know my way around a laptop. At this point, I’ve scrutinized keyboard comfortability, personally run battery and performance tests, and compared specs vs. value for almost 20 different laptops.
In other words, I know my way around a laptop.
I chose these three laptops because they’re portable enough to slip into your backpack between classes and deliver enough battery life to last an entire 8-hour day — and then some. If you’re searching for a MacBook, a Snapdragon X Elite-powered machine, or a classic Intel-based Windows laptop, one of these laptops is bound to jump out at you as the perfect pick.
1. Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 Credit: Joe Maldonado / MashablePros: The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7’s shining feature for students is its battery life. In our 1080p video test to run down battery life, the Surface Laptop 7 lasted a staggering 22 hours and 50 minutes. That’s the longest battery life we’ve ever seen for a Windows laptop — and it’s largely thanks to the unit’s Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite CPU.
Under the balanced default power mode, the Surface Laptop 7 delivered a multi-core score of 11,875 on the Geekbench 6 performance test. Bumping it up to “best performance” power mode, that score jumped to 14,586, which is on par with what Qualcomm promised and certainly enough oomph for students.
Students will also be happy to know the Surface Laptop 7 is incredibly light, weighing in at just 2.96 pounds. And with slim dimensions of 11.85 x 8.67 x 0.69 inches, it fits nicely inside a backpack.
Cons: Unlike an Intel- or AMD-based Windows laptop, this Windows-on-ARM PC currently has compatibility issues with some apps, like Apple Music, and games, like Fortnite and Dirt 5. But for most students, these minor compatibility issues won’t be an issue. Many apps have native versions for Windows-on-ARM PCs, including Chrome, Zoom, Spotify, Photoshop, and Dropbox. And over the next few years, more apps will develop native versions to accommodate ARM chips.
Where to buy: Grab a Surface Laptop 7 via Amazon for 1,399.
Opens in a new window Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 Get Deal 2. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 Credit: Joe Maldonado / MashablePros: If you want to ensure compatibility with all your favorite Windows apps, you can’t go wrong with the Intel-based Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9.
For those with long commutes or packed days of classes, this laptop’s impressive battery life will be a strong selling point. When looping a 1080p video at 50% brightness, the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 lasted 14 hours and 21 minutes until turning off.
On top of solid performance and a lengthy battery life, the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 comes with a touch display with anti-glare, matte finish, a welcome feature when you’re spending a lot of time staring at a screen. With the laptop’s 2-in-1 functionality, you can flip it into tablet mode to finish your nightly reading from the comfort of your bed.
Cons: The ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 is a bit pricey, but for students, it’s worth it for that 14+ hour battery life. Plus, the laptop boasts a plethora of ports, a comfortably springy keyboard, and surprisingly great under-keyboard speakers.
Where to buy: Snag Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 via Amazon for 1,899.
Opens in a new window Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 $1,899.00 at AmazonPros: Apple’s 15-inch M3 MacBook Air is the obvious pick for students who want a MacBook. Whether you plan on vlogging, editing, and uploading your college experience, or you just love the sleek aesthetic MacBooks promise, this laptop offers the best bang for your buck.
You’ll get strong performance, thanks to Apple’s M3 chip. The 15-inch M3 MacBook Air earned a Geekbench 6 score of 12,057, and in practice, our reviewer said it provided “ample ‘oomph’ for creatives, professionals, and students who need robust performance that can handle their multifaceted workflows.”
The 15-inch M3 MacBook Air offers equally impressive battery life. On a single charge, the laptop lasted 10 hours and 52 minutes while looping a 1080p video. This laptop will last all day as your trusty note-taking companion in class, and still have juice leftover to study at a coffee shop before heading home.
In true MacBook fashion, this laptop excels at more than just performance and battery life. Almost every little feature meets or exceeds expectations, including the exquisite, clicky keyboard, an angelic six-speaker sound system, and a bright, crisp 15.3-inch, 2880 x 1864-pixel display.
Cons: There’s really only one reason not to buy the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air: lack of ports. If you’re looking for USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a SD card slot, or anything other than two USB-C ports and an audio jack, you won’t find it in this MacBook Air. That said, you can connect displays with the USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) ports and many peripherals connect via Bluetooth, so lack of port variety won’t be a dealbreaker for many students.
Where to buy: You can pick up a 15-inch M3 MacBook Air via Apple, starting at $1,299 for the base model.
Opens in a new window Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable 15-inch M3 MacBook Air Get DealLooking for Amazon shopping tips? With so many options available, from home essentials to to trendy gadgets, making a decision can be overwhelming. It’s especially challenging when you’re unsure if a product will perform as advertised.
That's why YouTuber Ryan Trahan decided to test some of quirkiest Amazon items he could find, including a fart neutralizer and a steering-wheel food tray, to determine whether they actually live up to their manufacturer's claims.
I Tested the Weirdest Amazon Items
Aside for making content for his YouTube channel, Trahan claims that he was on the hunt to find the weirdest birthday gift for his friend. Watch (and laugh) as he tests a bird feeder, a mini donut maker, a tiny smoothie blender, and a gaggle of other odd bits and bobs from Amazon.
Discover which Amazon item made the cut for the weirdest birthday gift in this must-watch 22-minute video.
UPDATE: Aug. 23, 2024, 11:20 a.m. EDT This story has been updated with the latest information about Prime Big Deal Days 2024, which has officially been announced for October.
Even though it feels like Amazon Prime Day just ended, it's time to gear up for yet another massive Amazon sale in just over a month. That's right, Prime Big Deal Days is back this October, and while it doesn't share the same name as the retail giant's flagship annual sale, it's still a pretty big deal (see what we did there?).
Here's what you need to know about Prime Big Deal Days 2024 ahead of the big event.
What is Prime Big Deal Days?Prime Big Deal Days is basically Prime Day Part 2. The now-annual fall sale has been hosted by Amazon since 2022 (back then, it was called the "Prime Early Access Sale"), and is usually the perfect teaser for the storefront's Black Friday festivities. While Prime Day is still Amazon's flagship sale, the two-day Big Deal Days event has quickly become something you really don't want to miss.
SEE ALSO: When is the next Prime Day? Here's how long you have to wait. When is Prime Big Deal Days 2024?We don't know the exact dates of Prime Big Deal Days 2024, but we can make an educated guess as to when the sale will go live. We know it'll take place this October — the official announcement from Amazon says as much — but we also know that the past two iterations of the sale have taken place during the second week of the month on either Monday and Tuesday or Tuesday and Wednesday, and summer Prime Day typically runs Tuesday through Wednesday. So, with that in mind, our best guess for Prime Big Deals Days 2024 would be Oct. 8 through Oct. 9.
What deals will Prime Big Deal Days 2024 have?Prime Big Deal Days doesn't always have the same exact deals as Prime Day, but they're usually of a similar flavor. We expect to see fewer summer items and more fall stuff, though — think indoor products like gaming and home gym equipment, in addition to the usual discounts on big tech from Amazon, Apple, and others. Like with the Prime Day sale, we may also see some early deals going live before Big Deal Days, so stay on your toes.
What early deals did we see before Prime Day 2024?In doling out many of its steepest price drops ahead of Prime Day 2024, Amazon kept things in the family. A slew of Echo devices from Amazon's in-house brand of smart home gadgets got slashed to all-time low prices for Team Prime, including the all-new Echo Spot (44% off), the Echo Show 8 (43% off), the Echo Buds with Active Noise Cancellation (71% off), and the Echo Frames (37% off, plus a free Echo Pop). Prime members could also snag five free months of Amazon Music Unlimited, three free months of Audible Premium Plus, and three free months of Kindle Unlimited if they hadn't subscribed before. Meanwhile, Prime Video rentals and purchases were up to 50% off.
Outside of the Amazon ecosystem, we saw some new all-time lows on big-ticket tech, including Apple devices, robot vacuums, and kitchen appliances. Highlights included an $800 M2 MacBook Air (20% off), a $300 Apple Watch Series 9 (25% off), a $450 Eufy X90 Pro (50% off), and a six-quart Chefman dual-basket air fryer for $70 (42% off). None of them had been labeled by Amazon as official early Prime Day deals, so anyone could take advantage of them — even non-members.
SEE ALSO: Prime Day 2024: 5 must-shop product categories Can you shop Prime Big Deal Days without being a Prime member?You have to be a Prime member in order to shop Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days. But if you don't want to commit to a monthly or annual paid subscription, you can still participate by scheduling a free 30-day trial of Prime around the sale. Just remember to cancel it as soon as Prime Big Deal Days is over to avoid getting charged.
Who's competing with Prime Big Deal Days?We don't know of any official sales from other retailers just yet, but they do traditionally hold competing sales during Prime Day and Prime Big Deal Days. During this year's Prime Day event, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart all ran their own counter-sales, so we may see that happen again. Watch this space.
NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER: As of August 23, you can pre-order Dyson hair tools, like the Dyson Airstrait straightener ($499.99), in the new strawberry bronze and blush pink colorway.
Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Airstrait straightener (Strawberry Bronze/Blush Pink) at DysonIf the special edition topaz orange or Prussian blue/rich copper Dyson hair tool colors had you in a chokehold, prepare to go absolutely feral. Not to be totally dramatic, but the hair-styling world is shook – Dyson's new strawberry bronze and blush pink is officially available across its range of hair tools, and you can lock in your own now.
As of August 23, you can preorder some of Dyson's most popular hair tools, like the Dyson Airstrait straightener ($499.99), Dyson Airwrap multi-styler ($599.99), Dyson Supersonic Nural ($499.99), and Dyson Corrale styler straightener ($499.99) in the new strawberry bronze and blush pink colorway.
View this post on InstagramInspired by a "single strawberry and a magnitude of hues," this special edition color sprang forth from Dyson Farming strawberries, according to the company. It's described as a "complex shade of pink, tinged with fresh red." Indeed, the body of each tool is a juicy deep red with soft, baby pink accents with black and blue tinges depending on which tool you buy.
We're right on the precipice of fall, but these juicy pink and red hair tools have us thinking Valentine's Day, or at the very least holiday gifts that fit some of the very specific ~girlypop~ aesthetics we can't stop pinning or saving TikToks to emulate. If you've been looking for a unique color from Dyson before finally grabbing a hair tool, this is your chance to snatch what might very well be one of the best. Get yours now before the preorders sell out.
Apple is rumored to reveal everything about the iPhone 16 in just a few weeks — and this major leak will likely heighten the anticipation.
Apple Insider claims that it has secured the iPhone 16's camera specs on Thursday. There are a few key details to note, especially that the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will share the same camera specs this year. However, these leaks offer even more to consider.
SEE ALSO: Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review: 3 ways it beats the iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 16 camera specsAccording to Apple Insider, these are the specs you can expect from the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus:
48MP wide camera
Ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture
The iPhone 16's wide camera, also known as the main lens, appears to have the same specs as the iPhone 15. However, the ultra-wide lens now features a faster aperture, upgraded from f/2.4 to f/2.2. That should improve low-light shooting capabilities. According to Apple Insider, the non-Pro phones will also get macro photography this year. The two lenses are also stacked vertically, rather than diagonally.
These rumors really get juicy when you get to the iPhone 16 Pro models, though. Here are the specs Apple Insider reported for the Pro phones, both of which supposedly have the same specs this year:
48MP main lens
12MP telephoto lens with 5X optical zoom
48MP ultra-wide lens
There are two major things to note here. First, both Pro phones have 5X telephoto zoom this year, as opposed to last year where only the Pro Max had that. Second, the ultra-wide lens has gone all the way up from 12MP to 48MP on the Pro phones this year.
Lastly, Apple Insider reported that the rumored "capture button," a capacitive button specifically for use with camera features, is real and is coming to all four iPhone 16 models. You'll theoretically be able to open the camera app with the press of a button, among other things. You can also slide your finger along the button for other potential actions.
Apple is rumored to announce the iPhone 16 at an event on Sept. 10.
GET $25 WHEN YOU SPEND $250: Don't miss Best Buy's Tech Fest! Get the latest tech deals before the event ends on August 25 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Plus, all members get a $25 bonus reward with any purchase of $250 or more.
Our top picks: Best laptop deal MacBook Air 13-inch laptop (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $849 at Best Buy (save $250 ) Get Deal Best gaming deal Xbox Series X, Insignia 42-inch LED 4K smart Fire TV, and extra Xbox controller $599.99 at Best Buy (save $139.98) Get Deal Best headphone deal Sony WH1000XM5 noise-canceling over-ear headphones $299.99 at Best Buy (save $100 ) Get DealThis year has been filled with sales events. Target Circle Week, Prime Day (round one), and others have been happening throughout the year, and now Best Buy is gifting us with a Tech Fest.
SEE ALSO: M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro: Which Mac is best for you?During this special weekend event, you can get discounts on everything from unlocked phones to major appliances. Plus, Best Buy members will get a $25 bonus reward with any purchase of $250 or more.
Here are our top picks:
Best laptop deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Our pick: MacBook Air 13-inch laptop (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $849.00 at Best BuyWhether you’re looking for a new laptop for school work, entertainment, or professional tasks, the MacBook Air 13-inch laptop (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) is a solid choice. This lightweight laptop has an 18-hour battery life, a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, and a powerful M3 chip, making it a good option for productivity, streaming, and more. But if you plan on running multiple apps at a time or having multiple browser tabs open, you might want to splurge for the 16GB RAM option.
Best gaming deal Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft, Insignia Our pick: Xbox Series X, Insignia 42-inch LED 4K smart Fire TV, and extra Xbox controller $599.99 at Best BuyBest Buy’s also offering a bundle deal on the Xbox Series X (1 TB), which includes an extra Xbox controller and an Insignia 42-inch LED 4K smart Fire TV for just 599.99. That’s a gaming console, an additional controller, and a TV for less than the price of most standalone gaming consoles.
This bundle deal is a pretty good value, especially if you want to upgrade your gaming setup for less than a grand. You can also customize your bundle to include different controllers, like the nocturnal vapor special edition controller, to fit your style.
Best headphone deal Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Our pick: Sony WH1000XM5 noise-canceling over-ear headphones $299.99 at Best BuyThe Sony WH1000XM5 noise-cancelling over-ear headphones are $100 off right now at Best Buy. These headphones, a 2022 Mashable Choice award winner, feature active noise cancellation, 30 hours of battery life (you can also get up to three hours of listening time on a quick 3-minute charge), and a Speak to Chat feature that automatically pauses your music when it detects you're talking.
In a news release on Thursday, rideshare giant Uber revealed that a new crop of self-driving cars will be launching on its platform as early as next year.
Uber announced that this is possible thanks to its multiyear partnership with Cruise, a self-driving car company based in San Francisco. In other words, in 2025, you'll have the option to hail a Cruise robotaxi via the Uber app — but only if your region supports it.
How will self-driving Uber rides work?Once Cruise-based self-driving Uber rides roll out, customers may be presented with two options when they request a ride. Their trip can be at the helm of a traditional human driver, or they can choose to have it completed by a self-driving car.
Uber said that Cruise's autonomous vehicles will be modified Chevy Bolt vehicles.
Is it safe?It's too early to say whether the Uber-and-Cruise autonomous vehicle launch will be safe. But as DigitalTrends pointed out, Cruise, which is owned by General Motors, suffered a reputation hit when one of its self-driving cars ran over a jay-walking pedestrian in San Francisco in 2024 after she was struck by a hit-and-run human driver.
According to SFChronicle, after the human driver sent the woman into the autonomous vehicle's path, Cruise's robotaxi dragged the woman "about 20 feet" in the October 2023 incident. Fortunately, the woman survived, but as a consequence, California blocked Cruise from operating in the state.
Cruise has been gingerly returning to the market. It began testing its robotaxis again in April 2024, including Phoenix, Dallas, and Houston, according to TechCrunch.
In a press release, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi claims that the rideshare giant is committed to customers' safety, adding "we believe Uber can play an important role in helping to safely and reliably introduce autonomous technology to consumers and cities around the world."
Cruise CEO Marc Whitten echoed Khosrowshahi's statement: "Cruise is on a mission to leverage driverless technology to create safer streets and redefine urban life."
It's worth noting that Cruise isn't the first autonomous vehicle company that Uber has inked a deal with. The rideshare giant has already partnered with Waymo, which has been available on the Uber app since October 2023.
Kamala Harris is officially on Twitch.
The vice president and Democratic presidential nominee now has her own streaming channel on the platform, as the campaign moves to reach more younger voters.
The account, with the handle kamalaharris, streamed Harris' speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Thursday night, with featured clips already posted by the campaign team. Harris currently has 6.6K followers at the time of writing; her opponent Donald Trump has 174K followers.
SEE ALSO: Donald Trump posts AI image to attack Kamala HarrisJoe Biden and Trump's campaigns joined Twitch in 2020. Trump was suspended from the platform in 2020 for "hateful conduct," then banned in 2021 after encouraging violent extremists to storm the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6. Twitch reinstated Trump's channel in July 2024 after he accepted the Republican presidential nomination. Other major tech platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and X/Twitter have also lifted their bans on Trump.
"We reinstated former President Trump’s Twitch channel," said a Twitch spokesperson in July, via The Verge. "We believe there is value in hearing from Presidential nominees directly, when possible. Trump is now the official Republican nominee for U.S. president."
The Twitch move for Harris comes a month after the vice president officially joined TikTok. Wired reports the Harris-Walz campaign has 175 staffers dedicated to digital strategy including content creation and online ads, and the latest, expansion to platforms like Twitch. The DNC has also wooed influencers at this year's DNC, with the campaign inviting over 200 content creators to cover the event alongside journalists — the first time influencers have been invited to do so.
As Elizabeth de Luna writes for Mashable, "The reality is that Gen Z could be kingmakers in this election. NBC exit polls from the 2020 election suggested that 65 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 24 — an age group almost entirely made of Gen Zers — voted for President Joe Biden. That was 11 percent more than any other age group. Since then, the support of Gen Z and millennial voters had become consistently elusive to the President."
SEE ALSO: CNN's embarrassing 'Kamala is brat' segment shows why we should take Gen Z and millennial voters seriouslyHarris' Twitch account is the latest in the presidential nominee's collection of social media accounts. Here's what the follower numbers look like:
In the midst of a bipartisan push to ban TikTok in the U.S., Harris has 4.6 million followers on TikTok; Trump has 10.5 million. Joe Biden's official campaign TikTok account, @bidenhq, created in February, has been rebranded as @harrishq, an official Harris campaign account, which has 3.8 million followers and hosts both new videos and Biden's previous posts. Wired reports the account's followers "quintupled" in the week Harris became the top Democratic presidential choice, with content posted getting 232 million views and 33 million likes.
On X (formerly Twitter), Trump has 89.9 million followers; Harris has 20.8 million; Biden has 38.5 million.
On Instagram, Harris has 17.7 million followers; Trump has 26.3 million; Biden has 17.3 million.
On YouTube, Trump has 3.1 million subscribers; Harris has 431K; Biden has 896K but The White House account has 2.1 million.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has fined Lingo Telecom $1 million over January's fake Joe Biden AI robocalls, which used deepfake audio of the president's voice to spread election disinformation in New Hampshire. The telecommunications company initially faced a penalty of $2 million, however this week's settlement agreement cut that figure in half.
While Lingo Telecom wasn't directly involved in creating the Biden AI robocalls, it still fell afoul of the FCC for transmitting the calls and failing to protect against Caller ID spoofing. The robocalls used Caller ID spoofing to deceptively present itself as originating from a phone number belonging to a former New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair.
SEE ALSO: AI-generated deepfake Biden robocalls came from Texas companyAs detailed in the FCC's Consent Decree, Lingo Telecom had incorrectly certified that they had "a direct authenticated relationship" and could confirm the caller's identity in almost 4,000 of the Biden AI robocalls. This was due to an internal policy which allowed Lingo Telecom to simply rely on Life Corporation's certification regarding the identities of its customers, taking the latter at its word when it claimed to have verified that the phone numbers being used were associated with said individuals.
"Lingo Telecom took no additional steps… to independently ascertain whether the customers of Life Corporation could legitimately use the telephone number that appeared as the calling party for the New Hampshire presidential primary calls," read the Consent Decree.
In addition to the $1 million civil penalty, Lingo Telecom has also agreed to a compliance plan ensuring it abides by the FCC's STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication rules. These rules require Lingo Telecom to be more thorough when verifying information provided by its customers, aiming to minimise the risk of similar incidents happening again.
"[T]he potential combination of the misuse of generative AI voice-cloning technology and caller ID spoofing over the U.S. communications network presents a significant threat," said FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan A. Egal in a statement. "This settlement sends a strong message that communications service providers are the first line of defense against these threats and will be held accountable to ensure they do their part to protect the American public."
Who was behind the deepfake Biden AI robocalls?Thousands of people across New Hampshire answered their phones in January to hear a voice which sounded remarkably like President Biden. These AI voice-generated robocalls explicitly discouraged people from voting in the then-upcoming primary election, falsely claiming that people needed to "save" their votes to be used in November's general election.
Of course, this was a blatant lie. Voters are able to cast a ballot in both primary and general elections, and don't have to save them up for strategic use in one or the other.
New Hampshire's Department of Justice subsequently traced the illegal calls to Texas company Life Corporation, which had been hired to create the Biden AI robocalls by political consultant Steve Kramer. Kramer was working for Democratic congressman Dean Phillips' presidential campaign, though he stated that he came up with the AI robocall idea himself. The deepfake audio itself was created by magician Paul Carpenter, who was commissioned by Kramer and has stated he didn't know how the clip would be used. Phillips also distanced himself from the stunt, his campaign stating that Kramer acted of his own volition.
Kramer is now facing numerous criminal charges and a $6 million fine.
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.
With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.
So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for August 23 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for August 23Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, August 23, 2024:
AcrossGood ___, bad ___ (classic routine)The answer is Cop.
The answer is Hear.
The answer is Sense.
The answer is Ortiz.
The answer is Less.
The answer is Cents .
The answer is Oasis.
The answer is Prez.
The answer is Here.
The answer is Sol.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.
Apple's new desktop operating system, macOS 15 Sequoia, will launch a bit earlier than is typical this year.
This is according to a new report by MacRumors, which claims that Apple plans to launch it alongside iOS 18 in mid-September. Both iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia were initially announced during Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
Apple typically launches new versions of iOS in September, but the latest macOS typically comes a little later. For example, macOS Sonoma launched on Sept. 26, a week after iOS 17. And its predecessor, macOS Ventura, launched on Oct. 24, more than a month after iOS 16.
SEE ALSO: The best MacBooks: Which Apple laptop should you buy in 2024?The reason for the unison launch, MacRumors claims, is making sure that cross-platform features, such as iPhone Mirroring, are working as intended at launch.
Apple Intelligence features, on the other hand, reportedly won't be part of iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia at launch. These AI features, which include tools that help you write, AI-enabled image creation and editing, and a smarter Siri, will show up in macOS 15.1 and iOS 18.1, which should launch in October.
We'll get the official word from Apple in the first half of September, when the company typically holds its iPhone launch event. The most likely date this year is Sept. 10, though Apple has historically launched new iPhones both earlier and later than that.
In 2014, BuzzFeed was the viral video behemoth churning out 80 videos a month on YouTube to satisfy social media algorithms. Video producers, who had the skills to create content all on their own, needed to turn out six videos a month to keep their jobs, finding new ways to keep an audience coming back for more daily uploaded content.
Keith Habersberger, a tall and quirky theater major, and Zach Kornfeld, a zany neurotic with an eye for editing, had just started working at BuzzFeed and were brainstorming what could do well during Facebook's "pivot to video" era. This was a time when Facebook executives pushed that video views were the way to grow in media, and used incorrect and misleading viewer data as a selling point.
SEE ALSO: Welcome back, MySpace: Instagram adds profile songsEventually, they decided to try on ladies' underwear for a video. Most of their colleagues wanted nothing to do with that public humiliation, except for two: the stoic Eugene Lee Yang and wife guy (who later had an extramarital affair with an employee) Ned Fulmer.
"We couldn't find anyone willing to do it beyond the handful of guys in the video," Kornfeld told Mashable in an interview about the group's 10-year journey. "I remember thinking it was such an obvious viral hit that no one wanted to make it. It seemed too easy."
The video was a smashing success (22.5 million views as of this publication), so the group decided to stick together. They thought it would last for maybe three videos, Kornfeld remembered, as they thought that would be all there was to "mine" from the group.
But a decade later, the Try Guys are still going strong (though they are down to two original members), evolving into their self-controlled YouTube channel with eight million subscribers. From live shows to their own short-lived Food Network series, the group has survived sharks, algorithmic shifts, and even a cancellation.
Buzzy beginnings for the Try GuysThe Try Guys almost didn't survive their first few years, however. Their bosses at BuzzFeed were opposed to the idea of the quartet, since having four producers on one video would lower the amount of content they could produce. But the group felt they had obvious chemistry and knew that an audience could grow attached to a recurring cast of faces. So, while still making their necessary deliverables for the company, they worked on Try Guys videos on the side.
"As an employee, your value is directly related to how many viral videos you made and how well those viral videos did," Habersberger said. "There was a culty vibe where you were celebrated if you had a super amazing video."
A lot of those videos in the first few years of BuzzFeed featured blurred or blocked-out nudity (making it allowed on YouTube), from trying stripping to laser hair removal. Though most of the lewd content was blocked out in editing (except for a pissing competition where Kornfeld's penis was accidentally shown without his consent — though he did manage to joke about it years later), it still helped garner a mostly female audience that remains to this day. The content they created "was an antidote to the male gaze, or at least the idea of toxic masculinity," Kornfeld said. Their "vulnerability" without their clothes allowed them to share a new side of themselves that had rarely been seen by men in the media.
One of their most successful videos featured them showing off their bodies to recreate Kim Kardashian's butt-filled 2014 Paper magazine cover, uploaded within 24 hours of the photo hitting the internet. Shooting the video after hours and editing it overnight, Habersberger said they were never "compensated for those extra hours" but they "did it because we knew it would do well."
"We saw a whole bucket of storytelling that was under-tapped, under-explored, and that we could use our experience and our identity to be a cipher for the audience to explore this part of storytelling that was very primed to be viewed and to be shared," Kornfeld explained.
As the videos started to perform better (and their bosses started to accept the format), branded opportunities started to roll in. Paid partnerships gave them bigger budgets to smash cars and pretend to be adrift at sea, raising the production value and teaching the members about the more traditional side of media (though they didn't get paid any extra cash). "We went from $300 to $600 a video, to suddenly having $20,000 or more, which allowed us to make something really cool," Habersberger said.
After four years of making a corporation money with their content, the Guys knew it was time to create something of their own. In 2018, the group negotiated a deal with BuzzFeed where they managed to keep their intellectual property and the name "Try Guys" while BuzzFeed kept getting clicks on their older videos. At the time, former BuzzFeed employees were sharing their negative experiences in "Why I Left BuzzFeed" videos, so having a positive mutual departure was best for everyone's brand.
"We felt there were more ways that we could build this brand than BuzzFeed was allowing us to do," Habersberger said. "We felt like we could do tours, we could have better merch, we could have other experiences, but that wasn't the agenda of BuzzFeed at that time."
Branching out and navigating controversyWhen striking out on their own, they wanted to "have a variety of programming," Kornfeld said, that "explored the different avenue[s] of ourselves" with a fairly limited budget. One of the first videos they filmed for the new channel was "Candid Competition," a reality show where Kornfeld asked different grocery stores to make him a custom cake. Originally, Kornfeld felt certain "that it had failed and that it was a dud," but after spending some time with an editor, it became one of his "favorite pieces of chaos."
Now free from the shackles of creating boilerplate content where they just "try" things, they shared their struggles with fatherhood, medical issues, and creating their own company. Repeatable formats like Keith Eats the Menu, where Habersberger tries every dish at a restaurant, and Which Try Guy knows the other the best, allowed them to push out content cheaply and quickly.
In 2022, as the channel was on the rise with their Food Network show No-Recipe Road Trip set to premiere, a scandal shook the group to its core. Fans on Reddit discovered that Fulmer, whose main characteristic was talking about his wife in videos, was having an affair with a producer. Fulmer, who had a stake in the company, was bought out and removed. The three remaining members released a tense statement on their channel that went so viral Saturday Night Live spoofed it.
When asked about this era of the Try Guys, Habersberger and Kornfeld jokingly played a game of rock, paper, scissors, to see who would answer.
"Our first goal was to do right by our staff, by each other, and by the audience," Kornfeld said. "We remain very proud of how we navigated a less-than-fortunate situation…Having a shakeup like that gave us the courage to take risks and to imagine a better future for us."
"We spent a year trying to figure out what we should do," Habersberger added. "It was an unfortunate thing that happened, that probably was a necessary change for this business to last as long as possible."
SEE ALSO: This man flew first class on six U.S. airlines to see which offered the best experienceOut of this controversy came what they describe as the "fuck it" era, where the three remaining members created the content that they wanted to make. They had been "playing the algorithm game for 10 years" and wanted "to focus on the audience we've already built and try to make stuff for those people," Habersberger said. That meant doing a livestreamed version of Romeo and Juliet and renting out a movie theater for Kornfeld to screen a short film. These weren't the best "business decisions," they both admit, but it was what they wanted to make. It showed them that the ad-based model of depending on YouTube revenue just wasn't sustainable for them.
Today's Try GuysAfter two years of controversy and ill-advised business decisions behind them, the Try Guys knew they had to evolve to save their growing business and keep their team of editors, producers, and more employed. "Our audience was interested in a depth of connection," Kornfeld said. "That just isn't what YouTube is built for."
That's why in May 2024, the Try Guys announced that the channel would undergo a rebrand. 2nd Try is a subscription service that expands the group to other members and viewpoints. Viewers can spend $5 a month or $50 for the year to get early access to ad-free, uncensored videos to the troupe's catalog. Some viewers found the move controversial, especially since weeks prior, fellow BuzzFeed alums Watcher announced their own streaming service which also ended in a couch apology. At the same time, Yang announced that he would be leaving the group.
Former BuzzFeed colleagues like Kwesi James and internet darlings like baker Jonny Manganello are part of a rotating roster of faces breathing new blood into the channel. The group is bounding into new territory, like creating their own comic book and trying drugs on camera.
Turning from post-grads forced to make six videos a week into cultural icons didn't happen overnight. Their decade of work and experimentation is impressive, and it leaves the future wide open to possibility.
"I think we had to go through that valley to see what was broken in what we were doing, to then imagine a better future," Kornfeld said.
Pachinko Season 2 is worth watching for its updated opening title sequence alone.
SEE ALSO: 'Pachinko' Season 2 trailer teases more sweeping family drama — with the help of BLACKPINK's RoséLike Season 1's stirring opener, this sequence features members of the Baek family dancing, carefree, down aisles of pachinko machines. In a new twist, though, these credits are split across two pachinko parlors: A muted, 1940s-era parlor with wood-paneled machines, and a much larger, rainbow-bright parlor from the 1980s. Characters from the show's earlier timeline dance through both sets, a joyful reflection of the ways in which history, both personal and global, layers itself over the present.
These echoes of the past — some joyful, some tragic — persist throughout the main body of Pachinko's second season, which remains a magnificent portrait of a family across generations.
What's Pachinko Season 2 about? Sungkyu Kim, Eunchae Jung, Kang Hoon Kim, Minha Kim, Eunseong Kwon, and Lee Minho in "Pachinko." Credit: Apple TV+Once again, Pachinko splits its time between the lives of Sunja (Minha Kim) and her grandson Solomon (Jin Ha), both of whom find themselves in periods of extreme transition.
In Osaka in 1945, Sunja struggles to keep her family afloat during World War II. As the American forces close in on Japan, a reunion with her former lover Koh Hansu (Lee Minho) — and father of her eldest son Noa (Kang Hoon Kim) — offers Sunja an escape to the countryside. There, she, Noa, her youngest son Mozasu (Eunseong Kwon), and her sister-in-law Kyunghee (Eunchae Jung) can wait out the end of the conflict.
SEE ALSO: 'Dìdi' review: Don't miss the coming-of-age comedy that's among the year's very best moviesWhile Pachinko continues to focus on Sunja's hard work to ensure her and her loved ones' survival, it also opens up to a coming-of-age story for Noa and Mozasu. The two face anti-Korean prejudice from their Japanese compatriots everywhere from schoolrooms in Osaka to the rolling rice fields of the countryside. Yet they also form new dreams and new friendships. Among them? A bond with Hansu, whose secret connection to Noa looms large over the season.
Meanwhile, in Tokyo in 1989, Solomon is fighting a war of his own against businessman Abe (Yoshio Maki) in retaliation for the loss of his career. Centered around discussions of real estate deals and starting his own fund, his is a struggle that's so far removed from Sunja's own that her older self (Academy Award winner Yuh-Jung Youn) can barely understand it. But of course, it’s in the moments where younger Sunja and Solomon’s stories intersect — or diverge — that Pachinko finds some of its most potent meaning.
Pachinko Season 2 continues to be an exceptional exploration of the past. Jin Ha in "Pachinko." Credit: Apple TV+Pachinko's earlier timeline stands by itself as a moving tale of perseverance through dark times, full of simple life-affirming moments like family dinners or days spent flying kites. But it also elevates the later timeline by constantly reminding of us of everything that brought Solomon to where he is today. His business ambition has roots in Noa's own drive to study for a university entrance exam. Any time a character in the past mentions wanting to go to America, we recall that Solomon went to Yale.
There are differences, too: In one episode, Noa learns a valuable lesson in forgiveness, while Solomon forgoes any kind of forgiveness in favor of revenge. The lack of Noa in 1989 reverberates through the past as well, making every scene with him a new step on the inevitable march towards his absence.
Throughout it all, Pachinko remains one of the most stunningly crafted shows on TV. Each set, costume, and prop bursts with lived-in texture. Often, the series slows down to detail the everyday processes that make up the Baeks' lives, from days spent working on a rice farm to hours spent making family meals. Each scene is so evocative you can almost feel sweat on the back of your neck in tandem with theirs, or smell the food they pass around their table.
Occasionally, Pachinko Season 2 breaks this carefully conjured realism, for better or worse. In the "better" corner, we have a tense sequence counting down to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki — an inevitability from the very first episode. Mundane activities play out in a Nagasaki factory, rendered in black and white, as if we're watching a newsreel of the moments leading up to the bombing. It's a breathtaking stylistic change, and marks a shift in the rest of the season. Unfortunately, Season 2 does stumble a tad in its final episodes, with love triangles and the occasional "shocking" reveal tending towards soap opera-esque melodrama.
Overall, though, Pachinko Season 2 is a triumphant achievement for one of TV's best shows. Like Pachinko's characters in the 1989 timeline, who can always sense the brush of history at their backs, you'll feel like you can reach out and touch the past just by watching.
Pachinko Season 2 premieres Aug. 23 on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.
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