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SAVE $26: As of August 21, get the Anker 735 Charger (Nano II 65W) for just $29.99, down from $55.99, at Amazon. That's a 46% discount and the lowest price we've seen.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Anker 735 Charger (Nano II 65W) $29.99 at AmazonNeed an affordable, reliable charger that won't let you down? Anker has you covered with one of the best chargers you can find right now on Amazon for the money, even at full price — and his 46% discount on a Mashable-approved charger is a true deal.
As of August 21, you can get the Anker 735 Charger (Nano II 65W) for just $29.99. That's $26 off its normal price of $55.99, and a discount of 46%. It's also the best price we've seen for this charger, matching the sale we saw back in July when several Anker-branded models went on sale.
SEE ALSO: Amazon deals of the day: Echo Buds with ANC are just $10 shy of their Prime Day priceThis charger uses GaN technology, which means it can charge must faster than others while putting off less heat. It's incredibly quick, boosting your phone or laptop back to 100% in less time than other options on the market, and it can charge multiple devices at once, with a max of three. Its 65W high-speed charging means you could get your MacBook Pro back up to 100% in a couple of hours, which makes this a travel must-have.
You get two USB-C and one USB-A slots, so you could feasibly charge your laptop, phone and tablet, or a pair of earbuds — all in one easy charger.
Snatch up this deal while it's still around and bring home a great little charger that will get everything boosted up to full battery quicker than usual.
AI is encroaching into every app, and in some cases that could be a problem.
Take Slack, for example. The workplace instant messenger app has an optional suite of AI features you can pay extra for, but according to the security firm PromptArmor, it's full of potential holes. The feature exists to help create quick summaries of conversations, but per PromptArmor, it does so with access to private DMs, and can be tricked into phishing other users.
The technical nitty-gritty details are all in the PromptArmor blog post, but the problem here is essentially twofold. For starters, Slack recently updated its AI system to be able to scrape data from private user DMs and file uploads on purpose. Beyond that, using a technique called "prompt injection," PromptArmor proved you can use Slack AI to create malicious links that could potentially phish members of said Slack channel.
SEE ALSO: Gmail can now literally 'polish' that turd of an email draftMashable has reached out to Slack for comment on this. Per PromptArmor's blog, the issue was raised to Slack ahead of the publication of its blog post. A spokesperson for Slack's parent company SalesForce told The Register that the problem has been addressed, but did not go into specifics.
"When we became aware of the report, we launched an investigation into the described scenario where, under very limited and specific circumstances, a malicious actor with an existing account in the same Slack workspace could phish users for sensitive data," the SalesForce spokesperson said. "We've deployed a patch to address the issue and have no evidence at this time of unauthorized access to customer data."
If nothing else, it's probably worth looking up the stated AI policies for every app that you use regularly.
Some of the best waterproof and portable Bluetooth speakers are on sale today for up to 27% off. Here are some of our top recommendations:
Our top picks: Best overall deal JBL Flip 6 $99.95 at Amazon (save $30) Get Deal Best Sony deal Sony ULT Field 1 $98 at Amazon (save $31.99) Get Deal Best Bose deal Bose SoundLink Flex (black) $109 at Amazon (save $40) Get Deal Best Sonos deal Sonos Roam 2 $143 at Amazon (save $36) Get DealWatching the sunset at the beach or lakeside is one of life's simple joys. Perhaps one of the only things that could make it better would be listening to some great music. Pop on some ambient jazz or this summer's playlist and take the experience to a whole new level.
However, there's one non-negotiable when it comes to tunes by a body of water: your portable Bluetooth speaker needs to be waterproof. Sure, we all tell ourselves we'll keep the speaker far away from the water source, but stuff happens. It's better to play it safe and opt for a waterproof speaker for the beach, the lake, or the pool.
Some of our favorite models are on sale as we count down the final days of summer, so if you have some water-side hangs planned, here are some great deals to shop today.
Best overall waterproof speaker deal Opens in a new window Credit: JBL Our pick: JBL Flip 6 $99.95 at AmazonGetting up to 12 hours of playtime before it needs a recharge, the JBL Flip 6 is a great option if you're shopping for a portable Bluetooth speaker that's worthy of taking along to the beach or the pool. Thanks to today's sale price at Amazon, you can score late-summer savings and get the speaker for just $99.95 instead of the usual price of $129.95. That's a 23% discount. Plus, this deal extends to all colorway options of the JBL Flip 6, including pink, teal, red, and camo.
In Mashable's review of the best outdoor speakers, the JBL Flip 6 earned the spot of the best Bluetooth party speaker. "In our testing, the JBL Flip 6 delivered strong bass and better overall sound compared to more expensive outdoor Bluetooth speakers from Sonos and Bose," according to the review.
The Flip 6 comes with IP67 waterproof and dustproof reassurance, so it'll be no problem to carry this portable party to any gathering. It also weights under two pounds, so it doesn't add much when tossing it in your tote bag or backpack.
More waterproof speaker dealsAnker Soundcore 2 — $29.99 $39.99 (save $10 with on-page coupon)
Sony SRSXB13 — $38 $59.99 (save $21.99)
Soundcore Motion 300 — $64.99 $79.99 (save $15 with on-page coupon)
Bose SoundLink Micro — $99 $119 (save $20)
Soundcore Boom 2 — $99.99 $129.99 (save $30)
Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of Aug. 21:
Amazon deals of the day at a glance: OUR TOP PICK Amazon Echo Buds with ANC (2nd gen) $44.99 at Amazon (save $75) Get Deal BEST SPEAKER DEAL Sonos Roam 2 $143 at Amazon (save $36) Get Deal BEST KINDLE DEAL Kindle Kids $94.99 at Amazon (save $25) Get Deal BEST LAPTOP DEAL Asus Vivobook 17 (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $679.99 at Amazon (save $120) Get Deal BEST SMART HOME DEAL Blink Outdoor 4 three-camera system $139.99 at Amazon (save $120) Get DealIf you're looking to dabble in some deals — for back-to-school shopping or just because —allow us to steer you in the right direction. We've scoured the pages and pages of deals at Amazon and hand-picked a few that we think are worth your money, including some of the mega retailer's own devices and other top brands like Asus and Sonos.
Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day for Aug. 21, 2024. If none of these Amazon deals catch your eye, be sure to take a peek at our picks from Aug. 19 and Aug. 20. Many of those savings are still live — including a record-low ninth-generation iPad and the first-ever discount on the Sonos Ace headphones.
Our top pick Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Buds with ANC (2nd gen) $44.99Amazon's second rendition of the Echo Buds, now dubbed the Echo Buds with Active Noise Cancellation, offer solid sound quality and a pretty comfortable design. While the battery life isn't anything to write home about, they're still some of our favorite wireless earbuds. Mashable's Alex Perry tested them upon release and called them "a steal for anyone who wants to dip their toes into the world of ANC without setting their wallet on fire."
As of Aug. 21, you can snag a pair on sale for only $44.99, down from the usual $119.99. That's 63% in savings and just $10 away from their record-low Prime Day price.
Best speaker deal Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Roam 2 $143.00 at AmazonPrime Day pricing is back for the Sonos Roam 2 Bluetooth speaker, y'all. While we haven't had a chance to test it out ourselves, we did love the first generation of this sleek and portable speaker. Mashable's Alex Perry called the first rendition "an endearing and great-sounding portable speaker that you can use in just about any way you want," and bestowed on it the coveted Mashable Choice award.
According to our friends at PCMag (which is owned by Mashable's publisher, Ziff Davis), the second generation doesn't do much to distinguish itself from the first generation. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but we feel better recommending it now that it's back down to just $143.
Best Kindle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Kindle Kindle Kids $94.99 at AmazonJust like the baseline Kindle, but designed for young readers, the Kindle Kids is a solid budget-friendly pick for an e-reader. It's screen time you can feel good about.
Like the regular Kindle, it has a six-inch, glare-free display with 300 ppi for sharp resolution, adjustable front light, and dark mode to prevent eye strain. Where it stands out is the kid-friendly extras, like 1-year of unlimited access to Amazon Kids+. This subscription would normally run you $4.99 per month and includes thousands of ad-free books and a Vocabulary Builder, where kids can look up definitions and learn new words. As of Aug. 21, it's down to just $94.99 from $119.99. That's 21% in savings.
Best laptop deal of the day Opens in a new window Credit: ASUS Asus Vivobook 17 (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $679.99 at AmazonIf a new laptop is on your shopping list, the Asus Vivobook 17 is a solid everyday powerhouse. Not only does it feature a 17.3-inch NanoEdge display, but it also boasts a 180-degree hinge to enhance usage. Other features include a fingerprint reader, noise-cancellation for video calls, military-grade toughness, and plenty of ports for versatility. Usually $799.99 for the 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD model, it's on sale for just $679.99 as of Aug. 21. That's 15% in savings and its lowest price on record.
Best smart home deal Opens in a new window Credit: Blink Blink Outdoor 4 three-camera system $139.99 at AmazonIf you're in the market for a security system, this bundle of Blink Outdoor 4 cameras is a budget-friendly way to add some eyes around your home. It's one of our top overall picks for security cameras, thanks in part to its extremely long battery life. Once you pop in some AAs, you won't have to worry about changing them for two years.
The Amazon-brand cameras work seamlessly with other Alexa-enabled devices, come with customizable motion zones without the need for a subscription (although a subscription does unlock more features), as well as infrared night vision and crisp two-way audio. Snag a three-pack for only $139.99 as of Aug. 21. That's 46% in savings and just $5 shy of the bundle's all-time low price.
None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.
Want to build something fun with Lego? Check out our picks of today's best Lego deals:
Our top picks: Best Lego Star Wars Deal Lego Star Wars Emperor's Throne Room Diorama $78.99 at Amazon (Save $21) Get Deal Best Lego Icons Deal Lego Icons Tiny Plants Building Set $39.99 at Amazon (Save $10) Get Deal Best Lego Super Mario Deal Lego Super Mario Bowser's Muscle Car Expansion Set $23.95 at Amazon (Save $6.04) Get DealWho doesn't love getting a new Lego set? The iconic building blocks come in a wide variety of sets, from landmarks to animals and everything in between. They're great for both kids and adults and offer hours of entertainment. Plus, when you're finished, you have a great little setpiece for display. But as fun as Lego sets can be, they can be pretty pricey, so it's usually a good idea to wait until they go on sale.
That means right now is a great time to jump in and pick up a few sets, since there are a few deals going on that you won't want to miss. Whether you're a Star Wars fan or you just want to put together some pretty flowers, you'll find discounts on a variety of sets, including some fun additions to your Lego Super Mario setup.
Whether you're shopping for yourself, a child, or a Lego collector, you'll find plenty of good reasons to drop some cold, hard cash on these options that you can bring home right now. Check out our picks and snatch them up before they're gone.
Best Lego Star Wars deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Our pick: Lego Star Wars Emperor's Throne Room Diorama $78.99 at AmazonThis Lego Star Wars diorama looks like it was taken straight from the video game series. It captures the duel scene between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker from Return of the Jedi with adorable minifigs of both characters, Emperor Palpatine, and some seriously tiny lightsabers. It includes the circular Death Star window, a rotating throne, two display consoles and a special 40th anniversary Star Wars: Return of the Jedi plaque. When finished, it stands 6.5 inches tall, and it consists of 807 pieces. It's not only a fun set to put together, but a great finished display item for any fan of the movies.
Best Lego Icons deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Our pick: Lego Icons Tiny Plants Building Set $39.99 at AmazonLove tiny plants, but don't want to take care of the real thing? This Lego Icons flower set comes with multiple small plants — nine, to be exact — each sprouting from their own miniature pot. These tropical plants are colorful and exotic, and simple to build. When you're finished, they can go on your desk as fun little paperweights or even replace the real tiny plants you may have on display in your home. Because they don't die, and you don't have to worry about watering them. This is a 758-piece building set.
Best Lego Super Mario deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Our pick: Lego Super Mario Bowser's Muscle Car Expansion Set $23.95 at AmazonIf you've been collecting Super Mario toys for your Lego menagerie, you'll want to add Bowser's muscle car to the pack. Bowser comes in a purple jalopy with a Super Mario character and an Action Tag that can interact with the rest of the Mario Lego sets. Put Bowser in his car, pull the yellow lever, and the hood ornament will move. He can also toss bombs out of his trunk. This 458-piece set also features support for Lego Mario, Luigi and Peach for "driving" the car, which will make sound effects. You'll also be able to earn digital coins by doing so.
More Lego deals:Lego Creator 3-in-1 Exotic Parrot — $15.99 $19.99 (save $4)
Disney and Pixar Up House — $47.99 $59.99 (save $12)
Brand-new Xbox consoles are available for preorder now. We've got all the details:
Where to buy: Microsoft Store Xbox Series X – 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition $599.99 Pre-order Now Microsoft Store Xbox Series X – 1TB Digital Edition (Robot White) $449.99 Pre-order Now Microsoft Store Xbox Series S – 1TB (Robot White) $349.99 Pre-order NowMonths after their initial announcement at June's Xbox Games Showcase 2024, Microsoft has finally set a release date and opened preorders for its three new Xbox console variants.
The lineup includes a 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition Xbox Series X ($599.99), an all-digital Series X in Robot White ($449.99), and a 1TB Series S in Robot White ($349.99). They'll formally launch in the U.S. on Tuesday, Oct. 15, per an Xbox Wire post. And if you're worried they'll sell out fast for the holidays, you can lock in a preorder through the Microsoft Store starting today (Aug. 21).
The Special Edition Series X is the flashiest of the bunch, sporting double the space of the regular model and a speckled lime green-on-black design. The company said this "celestial effect [represents] thousands of games and millions of gamers playing on Xbox," but I'd argue it's also kind of brat. It ships with an exclusive Xbox Wireless Controller with a green back case.
SEE ALSO: Gamescom 2024: Every game and series announced and shown at this year's event, so farThe Robot White Series X scraps a disc drive for the first time in Microsoft's flagship console, blurring the line between the Series X and the entry-level Series S. (You'll still get more power out of a Series X, for what it's worth.) It's $50 cheaper than the standard black version that can play physical games, and it comes with a matching controller.
Meanwhile, the new 1TB Series S is just a new colorway; we've had a 1TB Carbon Black Series S since fall. Notably, that version appears to be getting phased out: Microsoft said in its announcement that "fans can still purchase [it] while supplies last" (emphasis mine), and seemingly just from third-party retailers. The Microsoft Store is only selling refurbished models.
SAVE $50: The Google Nest Audio Smart Speaker is on sale for $49.99 at Best Buy, marked down from the normal price of $99.99. That's a 50% discount that also comes with three free subscriptions.
Opens in a new window Credit: Google Nest Google Nest Audio Smart Speaker $49.99 at Best BuyIf you've never taken care of household chores or cooked dinner while listening to an audiobook, you're missing out. And if audiobooks aren't your thing, your favorite playlist or podcast can also transform an otherwise dull task into something enjoyable. Today at Best Buy, you can score a great deal on a smart speaker from Google Nest, which also comes with bonus perks.
As of Aug. 21, the Google Nest Audio Smart Speaker is on sale for $49.99, down 50% from the normal price of $99.99. That's a $50 savings on a top-rated smart home product. Plus, on top of the speaker itself, you'll also get some noteworthy extras for free:
Free 4-month subscription to SiriusXM
Free 3-month access to Google One with 100 GB of cloud storage
Free 3-month subscription to YouTube Premium
Synching with streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music, you can ask the Google Nest Audio to play all your favorite songs. You can also tune into the news, podcasts, and the radio with voice control.
If you have other Google Nest speakers in the house, you can ask Google to move your music from room to room as you move around. Or you can let the whole house know dinner's ready by broadcasting messages over all your household's Nest speakers. While jamming out in the morning to your wake-up playlist, you can ask Google for your daily schedule or the weather forecast so you can plan your day.
SEE ALSO: Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Hands-on with the thinnest foldable you can getGoogle has made some major product announcements lately, like the upgraded Google Nest Learning Thermostat, the new Google TV Streamer (which will replace the Chromecast), the new Pixel 9 lineup, and the Pixel Watch 3. However, Google didn't announce any new smart speakers, so the Nest Audio remains the latest model.
The half-off sale price paired with free subscriptions makes this a great time to snag the Google Nest Audio. Doing household chores, making dinner, or getting ready in the morning while enjoying some premium tunes on the Nest Audio will surely make the tasks more enjoyable.
I’ve reviewed good chunk of laptops over past few years, many of which were Lenovo laptops, so I'm a bit of a master, if I say so myself.
I evaluate how comfortable and intuitive a keyboard is for typing, whether the display meets my expectations for brightness and crispness, how hot and noisy the laptop gets under heavy use, whether the speakers and webcam are mediocre (like most laptops), and much more.
That said, you know I mean it when I say these are the best Lenovo laptops you can get.
The best Lenovo laptopsBecause Lenovo generally delivers high-quality laptops, choosing my three favorites wasn’t an easy task. There are so many different laptop lines under Lenovo — ThinkPad, ThinkBook, the Legion and LOQ gaming laptops, Yoga, IdeaPad — and I haven’t had a chance to review all of the lines over the past few months.
But out of all the Lenovo laptops I've tested this year, these three laptops stood above the rest.
1. Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is a dual-screen productivity masterpieceWhen I first unboxed the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, I remember thinking, “This is so cool, but I couldn’t see myself buying it as a daily laptop.” And man, I quickly proved myself wrong. I even ended up keeping this laptop for a week longer than I normally do before sending a review unit back.
Credit: Sarah Chaney / MashableAfter just a few weeks with this laptop, I was obsessed. With two stunning 2880 x 1800-pixel OLED panels, a surprisingly satisfying keyboard, and the included wireless mouse, I was more productive than I've ever been — it was like bringing my two-monitor desktop setup with me wherever I went.
Credit: Sarah Chaney / MashableWhile this laptop’s dual display greatness is my favorite feature, it wasn’t the only feature that impressed me. The Yoga Book 9i is also equipped with a rotating Bowers & Wilkins soundbar that had me listening to my favorite bassy tracks on repeat. Plus, the webcam takes incredibly detailed shots.
During my time with the Yoga Book 9i, it never got too hot nor noisy, and I didn’t notice any lag while performing my daily work. That said, its Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 8,642 reflects middle-of-the-road performance and is worth noting.
There was one feature I wasn’t crazy about when reviewing the Yoga Book 9i: its battery life. In our 1080p video test, it only lasted 7 hours and 5 minutes, which is low even for a Windows laptop. That said, it does charge quickly — and if you’re like me, there’s rarely a moment where I’m not next to an outlet, so I’d still highly recommend this laptop despite its short battery life.
Opens in a new window Credit: Sarah Chaney / Mashable Lenovo Yoga Book 9i $1,799.00 at Best BuyYou can buy the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i for $1,999 via Best Buy.
2. Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 is ideal if you're on a budgetThe Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Gen 9 is a newer version of my daily driver laptop (the Yoga 9i Gen 7), and if I needed to replace my existing laptop, this one would be a strong contender.
Credit: Sarah Chaney / MashableBefore diving into which hardware features I love about the Yoga 9i 2-in-1, let’s talk price, because that’s a huge driving factor behind my recommendation. At full price, this laptop is $1,449 — that’s already a great deal. Right now, you can grab the Yoga 9i 2-in-1 for just $1,099 via Best Buy.
To help you understand why paying $1,099 for this laptop is insane, let me tell you what it brings to the table. The Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Gen 9 is decked out with a vivid 2.8K OLED display, a rotating Bowers & Wilkins soundbar that provides full-bodied, delicious audio, a comfortably springy keyboard, and a flexible form factor that lets you flip between tablet, tent, and laptop modes.
This laptop is also equipped with one of Intel’s new Core Ultra 7 155H chips, and it earned an impressive Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 12,345. In practice, the laptop ran a bit hot and noisy under pressure, but nothing too major.
And like its close sibling above, the Yoga Book 9i, the Yoga 9i 2-in-1 doesn’t have the best battery life. It only lasted 7 hours and 21 minutes in our 1080p video test, but with double-sided USB Type-C ports and fast charging, it wasn’t that big of a deal for me while testing.
Opens in a new window Credit: Sarah Chaney / Mashable Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 $1,799.99 at LenovoIf you’re looking for a Lenovo laptop with exceptional battery life, look no further than Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9. In our 1080p video test, this laptop lasted 14 hours and 21 minutes, double that of both Yoga laptops mentioned above.
Credit: Joe Maldonado / MashableThat lengthy battery life could be due to the laptop’s Intel Core Ultra 155U CPU or its 1920 x 1200-pixel, low-power IPS display with a matte finish, or a combination of the two. Its display is reminiscent of a Kindle, which feels easy on the eyes during long work days.
I enjoyed the laptop’s springy keyboard, smooth glass touchpad, surprisingly capable speakers hidden below the keyboard, and overall port variety — I love seeing HDMI ports and multiple USB Type-A ports on laptops. The ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 performs well, too, earning a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 9,420.
The only hangup I have with the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 is its price. It’s a business-forward laptop, but if you don’t need 1TB of storage, you’re paying a premium for this configuration. The exact configuration I reviewed is $2,419 via B&H,
Opens in a new window Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 $2,419.00 at B&H PhotoOne of the most stressful parts of travel, especially when traveling internationally, is worrying about your cell phone data. Am I using too much? Will there be extra charges? Will I run out and be stranded? These are questions we’ve all asked ourselves when roaming abroad — which is where Nomad comes in. Nomad provides data-only eSIM cards for reliable connectivity in 170 countries, giving you access to high-speed data for just pennies per gigabyte. Here’s how:
Democratizing data with global partnershipsNomad has dozens of global partners, allowing them to provide a reliable, high-quality connection to your mobile device and offer data that’s up to 40 percent cheaper than other providers, depending on your destination. Nomad stands out of the crowd by working with multiple local providers whenever possible, allowing you to connect to another network if a connection is bad.
Data you need, when and where you need itNomad has a few plan options depending on your travel itinerary. The Regular Plan offers pre-purchased data by the gigabyte with up to 30 days to use it. A Day Plan lets you choose the length of your trip and the amount of high-speed GB per day. Once that allocation is up, you get unlimited data at 512kbps. You can even opt for a Regional Plan that covers multiple countries or worldwide. For example, Nomad’s Europe Regional Plan gives you 10GB of data for just $18, that you can use as you travel through 35 countries, using a single eSIM to connect.
Credit: Nomad Help that’s actually helpfulIf you’ve never used eSIM data before, Nomad makes it as easy as scanning a QR code or tapping a simple "Install Now" button on their app, offering data monitoring and management across multiple eSIMs if you have them. Your mobile data will automatically connect when you arrive at your destination. And if you ever need help, their responsive, thorough customer support team is available 24/7, wherever you are in the world, to get you the answers you need — without making you feel like you’re dealing with an uncaring chatbot.
Opens in a new window Credit: Nomad International Cellular Data Plans Enjoy up to 50% off your eSIM data Shop NowIn addition to the savings Nomad offers, users can also save 5% off Nomad eSIM plans whenever you want using the promo code MASHABLE. If you know someone traveling soon, you can also send them to Nomad’s referral program which allows you to share codes with friends and save 25% off.
Click here to see everything that eSIM data from Nomad can add to your travel experience...and happy wandering.
If you're crap at writing emails, Gmail's latest Gemini-powered update could sort you out.
Announced by Google on Tuesday in a blog post, the new "Polish" feature for Gmail uses the company's Gemini AI to do exactly that to your draft. It's an expansion of the AI-powered "Help me write" feature launched in May last year for Google Docs and Gmail.
The "Polish" feature is available through a "Refine my draft" shortcut now appearing within email drafts on both desktop and mobile Android and iOS devices. But it's only available for people paying for Gemini for Google Workspace or Google One AI Premium. Google says the feature will be switched on by default for these users.
SEE ALSO: Gemini Live: I got to use it before you and it's the biggest threat to ChatGPT right nowWhen writing an email in Gmail, you can select the "Refine my draft" option to do one of the following with your trash words: Formalize, Elaborate, Shorten, and now, Polish. The Polish option lets you write the email as rough notes, then transforms it into a proper, formal email that another human will hopefully be able to understand.
According to Google, this is how the feature works:
"When 12+ words are present in an email draft, the 'Refine my draft' shortcut will be shown below the email content to indicate that there are options available to Polish, Formalize, Elaborate, or Shorten your draft, or Write a new draft. The menu can be triggered simply by swiping right on 'Refine my draft.'"
It's one of the few things that's new in Gemini, with only a few announcements about Google's AI at the company's "Made by Google" event last week — it was really about the new Pixel phones. However, Google did announce several Gemini-powered Gmail updates including tools to summarize your emails for you, Google Meet highlights, and the ability to ask Gemini questions about your inbox.
At the event, Google also announced Gemini Live, its AI chatbot that Mashable tech editor Kim Gedeon dubbed "the biggest threat to ChatGPT right now."
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 21 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for August 21Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, August 21, 2024:
AcrossTop ten, e.g.The answer is List.
The answer is Wario.
The answer is Anode.
The answer is Lanes.
The answer is Kiss.
The answer is Lanai.
The answer is Irons.
The answer is Sides.
The answer is Toes.
The answer is Walk.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Attics are all very well and good when they're being used for storage and you don't have to think about them all that much — but what if you woke one morning to find that the hatch had been...disturbed?
This was the unpleasant scenario 30-year-old freelance artist and store owner Loppy Rae from Tennessee, U.S., found themselves in recently. And it only got worse from there.
SEE ALSO: Scream time: The best horror movies on Netflix right now"So, this morning I went into the garage and noticed the attic was wide open. We don’t use it and it’s a heavy panel, so I was freaked out already but trying to play it cool for my kid," wrote Rae on X (formerly Twitter). "But tell me why my 5yo stared straight into the darkness and said “a man lives there.”
Tweet may have been deletedNope, nope, nope.
At the time of writing, that post has over 5,000 shares and 13 million views.
Rae went on to share an image of the open attic hatch — along with a new detail they'd only just noticed.
Tweet may have been deleted"The attic in question and tell me why I just noticed the fucking black handprint I’m SCREAMING," they wrote.
Rae confirmed in a later post that their husband has been up in the attic to have a look, but there's nothing there.
"For the handprint, the only explanation i can think of is that it’s leftover from when we got a home inspection last year," Rae told Mashable. "We just purchased this house a little over a year ago. Neither my husband nor I have been up to the attic since we moved in, since we don’t really have a lot of things to store. It’s completely empty, aside from the insulation. Technically, this is the second time we have found the latch open without explanation. The first time, I admittedly thought my husband was just messing with me."
Tweet may have been deletedRae said the internet is convinced they have a phrogger — a person who secretly hides in another person's home. But Rae isn't so sure. "With all due respect, we live out in the middle of nowhere. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone just wandering around out here in the sticks, especially with all the recent bear sightings in our town. And if it is truly a person, he’d have to be pretty dumb to leave the latch open."
Rae said they haven't heard any noises coming from the attic, but that they sleep with ear plugs in anyway.
"My kid, on the other hand, mentioned that he heard banging above his bed. This was after the attic had already been closed up again."
As a last ditch effort to work out what's going on, they've now set up a camera in the garage.
Tweet may have been deleted"I only set the camera up last night, so I’m afraid that I don’t have much in terms of updates. When these things happen, people are always eager for updates, but I think it’s funny that the only way we would have an update is if something bad were to happen," Rae said.
"As for my son…he has mentioned the man multiple times, but it’s hard to make sense of what he’s saying. He doesn’t watch horror movies and he’s never out of our sight for long. I don’t know where the idea of a man in the attic came from. He talks about his imaginary friends often, and it’s hard to determine what’s nonsense and what isn’t. It’s all unsettling nonetheless."
Some 430 light-years from Earth lies our stalwart cosmic beacon, the North Star.
Except this star is actually volatile. It's pulsating as it constantly grows and shrinks. And a new unprecedented image of the hot ball of gas reveals it's covered in large spots.
In research published by The Astrophysical Journal, researchers used an array of telescopes in California's San Gabriel Mountains — the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) Array — to capture an image of the famous star, also known as Polaris. The star is located almost directly above the North Pole and in line with Earth's rotational axis, so it appears at a constant point in the sky (and serves as a navigational reference).
Yet Polaris is a "cepheid variable" star, meaning its brightness fluctuates dramatically. The array's view of the North Star — the first look at the surface of a cepheid variable — showed its surface is actually covered in spots.
"The CHARA images revealed large bright and dark spots on the surface of Polaris that changed over time," Gail Schaefer, director of the CHARA Array, which is operated by Georgia State University, said in a statement.
SEE ALSO: The most fascinating star in our sky inches closer to explodingThe view below shows these newly observed spots. Capturing such an image from deep space is quite a feat. The North Star appears 600,000 times smaller in the sky than a full moon.
Vivid bright and dark spots seen on the surface of Polaris. Credit: CHARA Array / Georgia State University The North Star, at center, as viewed in the night sky. Credit: NASA / Preston DychesThe new imagery also revealed that the North star, which is part of a three-star system, is five times more massive than our medium-sized sun, and 46 times wider.
To capture this stellar view, six spaced-out telescopes atop the lofty array captured light from Polaris. In effect, this created a 330-meter (1,082-foot) telescope, which is needed to capture such extremely faint light. This light was ultimately fed to an instrument called the MIRC-X camera — which simultaneously combines the light from all six telescopes.
Polaris' behavior still largely remains a mystery. Solar scientists know it grows and shrinks over four-day cycles, but its spotted appearance may be tied to 120-day cycles. "We plan to continue imaging Polaris in the future," astronomer John Monnier, one of the study's coauthors, also said in a statement. "We hope to better understand the mechanism that generates the spots on the surface of Polaris."
Today, Polaris might be a dominant fixture in the night sky. But it won't always be our North Star.
Earth wobbles on its axis, like a spinning top. "This causes the celestial pole to wander in a slow circle over the eons, sweeping past different stars," NASA explains. In some 12,000 years, the star Vega will be our North Star, replacing the spotted curiosity, Polaris.
There's a little fitness secret that they don’t always tell you at the gym: Muscles are made in the kitchen. Indeed, you could spend hours pumping away in the weights room, sweating it out in front of the mirror, but if your diet isn’t up to scratch, you aren’t going to get the results that you want. You'll be pumping iron for nothing.
Sorry guys, but that's just the way it works.
To work towards those fitness goals, take a closer look at the fuel you’re consuming (i.e. what you’re eating day-to-day). We definitely wouldn't recommend counting every gram going in and out, but doing something relatively simple like increasing your protein intake will improve results. You're guaranteed to see a difference.
Upping your protein may help keep muscles healthy and boost your muscle mass. You could load up on meat — and pack it into every meal — but that would be both expensive and boring. (Not to mention bad for the environment!) The most effective and affordable method of adding protein to your diet is with something called whey protein powder. Here’s a quick need-to-know guide.
What is whey protein powder?Whey protein is a byproduct of the cheese-making process. Whey is the watery bit of milk that separates from curds when cheese is made. We agree that it doesn’t sound appetising but there's more on that issue below. Whey protein usually comes in the form of a powder — packages in flexible sachets or plastic tubs — and can be mixed with liquids to make milkshake or smoothie-like drinks that you can drink as part of a set daily routine, or before and after workouts.
What are the benefits of whey protein powder?There’s some debate about the exact health benefits of whey protein powders, but there's some evidence to suggest that adding protein powder to your workout routine boosts strength, muscle mass, and recovery. Other potential benefits include weight gain, faster healing properties, and combatting allergies.
Are whey protein powders safe?Always check with your healthcare professional before you increase your protein intake significantly. There are a few risks for people with particular illnesses, so we recommend playing it safe before you invest. Once that is out of the way, there's nothing stopping you from mixing and maximising those muscles.
Do whey protein powders come in different flavours?A "byproduct of cheese-making" sounds a bit sickly, yes. But supplement companies add flavours and sweeteners to their powders, while keeping calories and carbohydrates to a minimum. This ensures that it is both palatable and effective at doing what you want it to do — build muscle. Flavours include chocolate, banana, vanilla, and strawberry. What's not to like?
What is the best protein powder?To help you pick the best product for your particular set of goals, we have researched all the top protein powders, and compared brands, prices, reviews, and much more. We've then condensed all of this information into a handy list, so that you can make an informed decision.
These are the best protein powders for 2024.
A spacecraft just sped between Earth and the moon, en route to the deep solar system.
And as it zipped by the cratered lunar orb on Aug. 19, the European Space Agency's Juice mission snapped views of the 21st-century space scene.
"Sometimes the journey is just as worthy as the destination," ESA director Josef Aschbacher posted online. "As humankind embarked on the monumental first lunar-Earth flyby, @ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) mission captured a breathtaking glimpse of our natural satellite."
SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.Mission planners sent the craft by Earth and the moon to exploit our gravity as it slingshots through space. It will fly by Venus and Earth twice more, picking up speed as it escapes to the distant, icy solar system. Juice is expected to arrive at Jupiter in 2031, where it will swoop by 35 of the gas giant's icy moons.
The images from the mission's monitoring cameras show the spacecraft, with its antennae and instruments, in the foreground of the moon vistas.
The Juice spacecraft as it flies by the moon for a gravity assist. Credit: ESA / Juice / JMC // Acknowledgement: Simeon Schmauß and Mark McCaughrean (image processing) Part of the Juice spacecraft's solar panels and booms in the foreground; the moon is seen on left in the background. Credit: ESA / Juice / JMC // Acknowledgement: Simeon Schmauß and Mark McCaughrean (image processing) Tweet may have been deletedAfter the successful lunar flyby, Juice will now venture by Earth on Aug. 20.
The spacecraft is shielded from the extreme radiation present around Jupiter, similar to NASA's Juno spacecraft. But Juice is bigger. It wields two large cross-shaped solar panels, the biggest ever built for an interplanetary mission, ESA explains. That's because solar radiation at distant Jupiter, which is on average 484 million miles from the sun, is 25 times weaker than on our planet.
"This makes JUICE the largest 'solar power plant' in the Solar System," ESA wrote. It's a whopping 71 feet (21.7 meters) wide.
The mission will scrutinize worlds like Europa, an ice-blanketed moon suspected to harbor a voluminous sea beneath its ice shell, as well as the large moons Ganymede and Callisto. They're not just planetary objects, ESA emphasizes. They're "possible habitats."
It's been 30 years in the making, but The Crow has finally been rebooted. Despite many, many challenges along the way, this was inevitable.
In 1994, The Crow found roost in the hearts of movie fans, from goths clutching tattered copies of James O'Barr's graphic novels and those who stumbled across the soundtrack's bands on MTV late at night to action fans eager to see Bruce Lee's only son, Brandon Lee, in what should have been his big-screen hurrah. Lee's accidental death before the film was finished, caused by a prop gun shot during a crucial scene, only added to the tragic allure of the film and its rain-slick aesthetic.
Three sequels, with increasing levels of silliness, tried to gain momentum. (Iggy Pop shrieking, "Fuck you, bird dick!" during The Crow: City of Angels is a treasured college memory.) There was even a short-lived Canadian TV show, which seemed to be an urban fantasy hallucination along the lines of Ron Perlman's Beauty and the Beast, but, like, worse. You couldn't go to a goth club without seeing a guy wearing Eric Draven's maquillage until well into the 21st century. Even with these sequels' failings — ranging from from forgettable leading men and laughably bad storylines to exponentially dismal box office earnings — there was no way the powers that be wouldn't keep trying to recapitalize upon the fervor over the original.
Now, the same year Alex Proyas' original Crow celebrates its 30th anniversary, director Rupert Sanders resurrects Draven with a reboot. Bill Skarsgård headlines, donning haute JNCOs and scrubby facial tattoos to woo British musician FKA twigs, the two of them lovers on the run from Satan himself. They are Eric and Shelly for a neo-noir by way of Spring Breakers. But how did we get here?
Trying to untangle the various proposed reboots — inevitably "gritty," inevitably starring the popular edgy actor du jour — is an exhausting Hollywood rabbit hole. But we're gonna do our best.
The Crow reboot buzz began with Blade and Nick Cave. Nick Cave performs in 2010. Credit: Andre Csillag / Shutterstock,comBlade director Stephen Norrington was the first name attached to direct a reboot of The Crow, in 2008. Norrington's genre bona fides are pretty tight; in addition to his critical and commercial success with Blade — Marvel's first big hit! — he learned special effects from industry pioneers Rick Baker, Stan Winston, and Dick Smith, who earned Oscars for their behind-the-scenes practical magic on movies like An American Werewolf in London, Jurassic Park, and the like.
Then Nick Cave himself was brought on in July 2010 to give Norrington's script a gothic gleam. (While we love and respect Nick Cave's current status as elder spooky statesman, penning advice columns and going to church, this was a different era of Bad Seed, and a movie based on nearly anything Cave wrote would have been hellishly good.)
Here's where things get tricky. The internet isn't actually forever, as we once thought; the sites that once posted casting news and rumors about The Crow have gone through redesigns, reboots, and relaunches that have done funky things to their archives or deleted them altogether. Google's prioritizing of paid search results, the integration of AI, and good old link rot have made it almost impossible to find the original source for some of these rumors. It's like a game of Operator gone berserk. And honestly? Some of the actors whose names were attached to the reboot are so random that I'm skeptical they were much more than fancasting.
Mark Wahlberg was an early contender for The Crow reboot. Mark Wahlberg on the set of "The Other Guys," 2009. Credit: A J Sokalner / Shutterstock.comIn October 2010, Bloody Disgusting reported that Mark Wahlberg had been offered the lead role. A few days after this news leaked, Norrington dropped out, because an unnamed actor attached to the movie was unhappy with the script. Empire was careful to point out that it sounded like Wahlberg was not the culprit. Norrington even said, "I will say I think Wahlberg could be cool if they take a gritty blue-collar approach… He's a truthful actor. I think he could really ground the supernatural stuff."
However, Wahlberg distanced himself from the project, telling the long-defunct Cinematical (via Empire) in November 2010, "We never committed to making the movie…They talked to me about it and there was a director attached who I was a fan of, and he's no longer doing it. We just thought about it — 'is there something cool to be done there?' But we're not committed to making the movie."
In April 2011, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo was announced as the next director for the reboot. At the time, Fresnadillo (Damsel) was primarily known for the sequel 28 Weeks Later; by October of that year his departure was announced, possibly due to scheduling conflicts with a remake of Highlander.
When asked in 2012 by Entertainment Weekly about being attached to big, buzzed-about projects that didn't come to fruition, like an adaptation of the video game Bioshock and, of course, The Crow, he said, "Let me tell you this, it’s usual. In every interview people ask me about this. This is something all directors in Hollywood usually do. Maybe my projects are more famous or something. But it is the normal thing to do — to deal with five, six projects at the same time. Because you never know which one is going to be the proper one at the end. It’s something you have to do. The crazy thing is that you develop something and then all the newspapers are reacting."
Jason Momoa, Channing Tatum, Ryan Gosling, and Tom Hiddleston were rumored for The Crow. Tom Hiddleston as Loki in 2013's "Thor: The Dark World." Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock.comIn the meantime, Bradley Cooper was attached and then disattached, reportedly due to scheduling conflicts. That announcement via THR seems to be the first mention of Channing Tatum's interest in the project.
Per that same story, Relativity was also in the middle of a lawsuit with The Weinstein Company over distribution rights to The Crow: "Harvey and Co. believe they have a deal to release the film but Relativity argues that the Weinsteins forfeited their right by, among other things, botching the release of the expensive Relativity-backed flop Nine. That case is currently in arbitration." Both companies dropped their claims by January 2012, agreeing to work together instead. But it was not to be.
Around the same time the lawsuit was dropped, Before the Fall helmer F. Javier Gutiérrez was brought on to direct a script by Jesse Wigutow (who has Tron: Ares coming out in 2025). Or maybe it was with a script by Cliff Dorfman (Warrior, Entourage). And then director Corin Hardy (The Hallow, The Nun) came onboard, spending three and a half years trying to get this bird off the ground, with Jason Momoa and all of his muscles dipped into latex attached to star — but this too fell apart!
There were more actors attached to the project, including Ryan Gosling, James McAvoy (who says it was all just "rumor mill stuff"), Tom Hiddleston (a real he-said, she-said between trade rags Deadline and The Wrap in 2013), Alexander Skarsgård at the height of his True Blood glory, Jack Huston, and Luke Evans (who was attached to the reboot for two entire years!).
At one point, Rob Zombie was attached to direct The Crow: 2037, which was sort of a spiritual three-quel, before Zombie departed and the project was abandoned in favor of The Crow: Salvation. And there was almost an untitled fourth sequel that would have starred Eminem and DMX. But it was killed by the Weinsteins a few years before Eminem broke big with 8 Mile.
The Crow rises with the help of a new studio. Bill Skarsgård plays Eric Draven in "The Crow" (2024). Credit: Larry Horricks / LionsgateAcross a lot of rumors and iterations with big stars attached, most of the problems around this reboot were due to inside-baseball boring stuff about legal tussling over copyright. It boils down to the indie studio Relativity Media having an invaluable piece of intellectual property but not the resources needed to do it justice.
Eventually, the beleaguered Relativity Media — which owned the rights to remake The Crow — filed for bankruptcy, reorganized, then filed for bankruptcy again in 2018, at which time it was bought out by investors.
In 2016, the rights to The Crow reboot went to Samuel Hadida’s Davis Films, Highland Film Group, and Electric Shadow; Hadida was slated to produce, along with Edward R. Pressman (who produced the original and is listed as a producer on the 2024 Crow). Pressman, who passed away in 2023, was instrumental in bringing both the original Crow to the big screen and its winding road to reboot. (His son, Sam Pressman, is CEO of Pressman Film and an executive producer on The Crow 2024.)
There are ways to play in the universe of Eric Draven that would honor the source material (which, in this case, absolutely includes Alex Proyas' 1994 film) without making viewers feel like they're grave-robbing. Whether or not Rupert Sanders' take will woo viewers into enough box office lucre to afford a murder of sequels has yet to be seen — but this goth isn't holding her breath.
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