Mashable

Windows computers around the world are being hit by the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) thanks to an outage caused by services provided by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. The issue has impacted everyone from banks to airlines, with flights grounded, grocery carts abandoned, and productivity even lower than usual for a Friday.

Fortunately, CrowdStrike has since announced at 2:30 a.m. ET that it has identified the update causing the issue and rolled it back. The company also offered a workaround for anyone having problems:

1. "Boot Windows into Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment

2. "Navigate to the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike directory

3. "Locate the file matching 'C-0000029*.sys', and delete it.

4. "Boot the host normally."

Of course, having to do this for every single computer in multiple companies across the globe is still likely to take some time.

Windows PCs all around the world are crashing, and it's getting uglier fast.

The issue is due to a issue with CrowdStrike's Falcon Sensor software, and it's spreading in unpredictable ways. But what is CrowdStrike? What's a "blue screen of death"? And how worried should Windows PC owners be? Here's what you need to know.

What is CrowdStrike, and what is Falcon Sensor?

CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity company, and Falcon Sensor is software designed to prevent computer systems from cyber attacks. Earlier this morning, on July 19, the company warned its users that Windows systems are "experiencing a bugcheck/blue screen error related to the Falcon Sensor," and said that its engineering teams are "actively working to resolve this issue."

Apparently, an update to the Falcon software is what caused the issue; the company rolled back the update but numerous machines are still affected.

What's a blue screen of death?

If you've been so fortunate to never see a blue screen of death, it is a type of critical error on Windows PCs which essentially halts whatever the computer's been doing and displays an error report on a blue screen.

How widespread is this issue?

CrowdStrike's software is popular and widely used, and as a result, there are numerous outages across platforms including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft 365, Azure, Instagram, eBay, Visa, and AT&T. Downdetector is a good place to check which services are having issues. (Full disclosure: Downdetector is owned by Mashable's parent company, ZiffDavis.)

The problems are widespread enough to have caused some airlines, including Delta, American, RyanAir, and United Airlines, being grounded due to communications issues, apparently related to the outage.

Sky News was unable to broadcast live TV early on Friday, also apparently due to this problem.

Tweet may have been deleted

Even electronic payment systems in some supermarkets are down, rendering people unable to pay for groceries.

What should I do?

CrowdStrike software is typically maintained by the company's system administrator. For most users experiencing problems, this means that they should probably report the issue to their system admin and wait for resolution.

In a notice to users, CrowdStrike said that there is no need to open a support ticket with CrowdStrike as the company's engineers are aware of the issue and are actively working on it.

For support from CrowdStrike, users can go to the company's Support Portal over at supportportal.crowdstrike.com/s.

There's also an active discussion on Reddit, where system admins are sharing their experiences while trying to resolve the issue.

If you're eager to try to fix the issue yourself, here's a workaround:

1. "Boot Windows into Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment

2. "Navigate to the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike directory

3. "Locate the file matching 'C-0000029*.sys', and delete it.

4. "Boot the host normally."

Developing...

Google is the king of leaks, there can be no doubt about it. The company's upcoming phones are often extensively leaked weeks or months before launch, and Google typically responds by revealing the phones early, announcement dates be damned.

Sure enough, it happened this year as well with the Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Even though the two upcoming smartphones are scheduled to be unveiled on August 13, Google revealed their design in a pair of brief teaser videos.

The videos are focused on Google's AI assistant Gemini, but are clearly labeled "Introducing the Google Pixel 9 Pro" and "Introducing the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold," both giving us a glimpse at the upcoming phones near the end of the video.

In the first video, we see the Pixel 9 Pro's humongous, oval camera island with three lenses on the back, while the 9 Pro Fold sports a slightly shorter but double-stacked camera bump instead.

Google also followed up with another teaser, this time on the Google Store, which has a new landing page for the Pixels with images of the two phones, revealing even more details. The Fold is more interesting of the two reveals, as it also shows a redesigned hinge, flatter edges, as well as narrower bezels all around. The new Fold definitely looks to be a big improvement compared to the old Pixel Fold, which had quite unsightly bezels on both the inner and outer display.

SEE ALSO: Apple's creepy new ad appears to slam Google Chrome on iPhone: ‘You're being watched'

The new teasers also tell us something we could've easily guessed: Google will place major emphasis on the phones' AI capabilities. Everything will be Gemini-fied, and the Pixels will likely get some exclusive features.

Full specs are still missing, but those will be revealed at the event, which kicks off at 10 a.m. PT on Aug. 13.

If your Windows computer is currently serving you the Blue Screen of Death, take heart in the fact that you aren't alone. Windows outages are being reported across the globe, apparently caused by a CrowdStrike issue.

"CrowdStrike is aware of reports of crashes on Windows hosts related to the Falcon Sensor," CrowdStrike wrote in an alert confirming the outage at 5:30 a.m. UTC. "Symptoms include experiencing a bugcheck\blue screen error related to the Falcon Sensor. Our Engineering teams are actively working to resolve this issue and there is no need to open a support ticket."

CrowdStrike's Falcon Sensor is software designed to prevent computer systems from cyber attacks.

Though the CrowdStrike issue is specifically causing Windows to crash, the problem seems to be having further reaching implications as well. Considering that Windows is an incredibly popular operating system and CrowdStrike an incredibly popular cybersecurity company, multiple companies and services also appear to be experiencing outages due to their computers being down.

As of writing, DownDetector is indicating a spike in issues across a slew of platforms and businesses, including Amazon Web Services, Instagram, eBay, Visa, ADT, and PlentyOfFish. Reports of outages have rolled in from multiple countries around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, India, and Japan.

Credit: Mashable screenshot: DownDetector Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

This story is developing...

TL;DR: As of July 17, you can now get the Complete 2024 CompTIA Certification Training Super Bundle for just £38.60 instead of £50.19.

For fast-growing industries like IT and cybersecurity, getting the right certifications can help you stand out from other candidates. And to get prepared for your exams, it may be worth it to go straight to a credible source.  

That's why aspiring IT workers and students could benefit greatly from the Idunova Complete 2024 CompTIA Certification Training Super Bundle. This online learning bundle includes 15 courses and 262 hours of instruction. You can even get it for a reduced price, just £38.60 (at its original price, this course cost £451.92). That's a nearly £12 price drop since it first went on sale.

Save on a comprehensive IT intro

If you're looking forward to a career in tech, this bundle could be a great place to get started. The courses do start with fundamental material, as the instructors recommend some basic understanding of computers and CompTIA objectives. So, give the course topics a once-over before purchasing. 

When you're ready to get started, it's up to you which class you start with. There are introductory IT fundamentals courses, lectures on network security, guides for using Linux, an introduction to cloud computing, and a whole lot more. 

This bundle itself won't certify you as an expert, but you could use it as a study guide for your CompTIA certifications. Just keep in mind that those exams are organised by CompTIA, so you'll still need to register through them. 

Learn the basics of IT and cybersecurity

Get a lifetime of CompTIA study materials at a drastically reduced price.

Get the Complete 2024 CompTIA Certification Training Super Bundle on sale for only £38.60, with no coupon needed. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: CommerceNova LTD Complete 2024 CompTIA Certification Training Super Bundle £38.60 at the Mashable Shop
£451.92 Save £413.32 Get Deal

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

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for July 18's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Subtly mention someone.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are 2 letters that appear twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter R.

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

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

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle...

REFER.

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

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

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

Prime Day deals you can shop right now

• iRobot Roomba Essential Vac Q011 Robot Vacuum Cleaner — $159.99 (List Price $249.99)

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet — $197.49 (List Price $219.99)

• Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case — $168.99 (List Price $249.00)

• Fitbit Charge 6 Fitness Tracker With 6-Months Membership — $119.95 (List Price $159.95)

• Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS, 41mm, Midnight, S/M, Sports Band) — $279.99 (List Price $399.00)

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for July 19 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for July 19

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

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: And the Oscar goes to...

They are class acts.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for July 19 Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The clues are the last names of Oscar winners in acting categories.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today:

Today's spangram is BestActing.

NYT Strands word list for July 18

• Field

• Bridges

• Stone

• BestActing

• Berry

• Swank

• Phoenix

• Hunt

Looking for other daily online games? Find one you might like – or hints for another game you're already playing – on Mashable's Games page.

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

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for July 19's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

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

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: My beloved

• Green: Picking on someone

• Blue: Filling up gas

• Purple: Types of tables

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

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

• Yellow: Romantic Partner

• Green: Insult

• Blue: Gas Pump Options

• Purple: ___Table

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #404 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Romantic Partner: FLAME, LOVER, STEADY, SWEETHEART

• Insult: BURN, DIG, JAB, SLIGHT

• Gas Pump Options: DIESEL, PLUS, PREMIUM, REGULAR

• ___Table: COFFEE, PERIODIC, POOL, WATER

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

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

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

Prime Day deals you can shop right now

• iRobot Roomba Essential Vac Q011 Robot Vacuum Cleaner — $159.99 (List Price $249.99)

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet — $197.49 (List Price $219.99)

• Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case — $168.99 (List Price $249.00)

• Fitbit Charge 6 Fitness Tracker With 6-Months Membership — $119.95 (List Price $159.95)

• Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS, 41mm, Midnight, S/M, Sports Band) — $279.99 (List Price $399.00)

SAVE UP TO 62%: As part of Amazon's post-Prime Day deals, you can save 50% to 60% on classic sci-fi and fantasy books.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Shop Amazon Prime deals on books Shop Now

Once upon a time, a partially bald man named Jeff Bezos decided to launch an online book store. Thirty years later, and that store has evolved into a digital everything store. Amazon now makes Oscar-winning movies, provides healthcare services, delivers groceries, and sells smart home gadgets galore.

During Amazon's annual Prime Day event, professional deal hunters spend a lot of time focusing on gadgets, tech, and kitchen appliances. That's where we typically find the biggest discounts. But in all the hubbub of Prime Day 2024, you may have missed that one of Amazon's biggest sections was also full of deals. We're talking about books, obviously. And because quite a few of our readers are interested in science-fiction and fantasy, we wanted to give you a heads up that plenty of sci-fi bucket-list novels are on sale right now.

We're finding titles by legendary authors like Stephen King and Frank Herbert available at up to 60% off. You can also find contemporary titles like Three Body Problem and Project Hail Mary discounted by 57%. Now, because a lot of Amazon discounts are of the "always-on" variety, not all of these discounts are quite as big as they appear to be. But there are plenty of genuine deals.

Case in point, the paperback version of Jeff VanderMeer's Annihilation is 61% off. It's new $6.99 price is the lowest it's ever been on Amazon. The same goes for Stephen King's The Shining sequel, Doctor Sleep. The hardcover edition is discounted by 65%, bringing it to a record low for Amazon.

The discounts span paperback, hardcover, box sets, and Kindle. So if there's a book that's been on your reading list for too long, there's a good chance it's on sale right now. Check out some of our favorite discounted reads below.

Post-Prime Day deals on books:

• A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas, Box Set — $51 $95 (save $44)

• A Secret History of Witches: A Novel (Kindle edition), by Louisa Morgan — $2.99 $18.99 (save $17)

• Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer — $6.99 $18 (save $11.01)

• Doctor Sleep, by Stephen King — $10.49 $30 (save $19.51)

• Dune, by Frank Herbert — $7.61 $10.99 (save $329)

• Fairy Tale, by Stephen King — $11.99 $32.50 (save $22.50)

• House of M, X-Men Omnibus — $73.44 $125 (save $51.56)

• Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir — $13.04 $30 (save $16.96)

• The Three Body Problem Series (Kindle editions), by Cixin Liu — $28.78 $56.97 (save $28.19)

• Three-Body Problem, by Cixin Liu — $8.14 $18.99 (save $10.85)

• Uprooted, by Naomi Novik — $11.69 $18.99 (save $7.30)

Over the weekend, Elon Musk made his support for Donald Trump official by publicly endorsing the former-president shortly after Trump was wounded in the ear by a would-be assassin during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Now, it appears that Musk's social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is also displaying support for Trump.

On Thursday, July 18, some X users began to notice that custom icons were appearing next to certain pro-Trump hashtags. 

For example, when a X user posts the hashtag #MAGA, a small photo of Trump raising his fist after the shooting, automatically appears next to the hashtag in the post. 

Tweet may have been deleted

X takes things even further with another pro-Trump hashtag #Trump2024. When a user posts #Trump2024, an American flag icon appears beside the hashtag in the post. If a user clicks on that hashtag, as per usual, they are taken to the search page for #Trump2024 which displays other posts containing the hashtag. However, X has added a custom effect to the #Trump2024 search page: A display of American flags raining down on the page.

Tweet may have been deleted X's pro-Trump custom hashtag icons are a first

X has added emoji-like custom icons next to hashtags before. However, those icons usually appear as part of brand advertising deals for hashtags related to a live event or new movie release. For example, the #AppleEvent hashtag for Apple's annual iPhone launch event has previously appeared with a custom icon.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk to move X and SpaceX's headquarters to Texas

Then-Twitter did add custom icons to political-related hashtags before. However, these hashtags were for bipartisan events like Election Day and not for any particular candidate.

The addition of pro-Trump custom hashtag icons appears to be the first time X has added a custom hashtag icon in a partisan matter promoting a specific candidate.

The addition of these custom icons next to these hashtags appeared on the same day Trump is scheduled to give a speech formally accepting his nomination as the official Republican nominee for president on the final day of the Republican National Convention. 

It's unclear at this time if the RNC paid X for these custom hashtag icons. Under usual scenarios, that would seem to be the likely case, as that's how companies and brands obtain a custom hashtag. Businesses and other users on X cannot create a hashtag icon on their own via the platform. Custom hashtag icons require action by X, the company, itself.

As of publishing, #MAGA and #Trump2024 appear to be the only pro-Trump hashtags given a custom icon by X. The #Biden2024 for President Joe Biden does not appear with any custom hashtag.

Mashable has reached out to X with questions about the scope of this change, whether it is a first-of-its-kind program, and to find out if money changed hands. We will update if we hear back.

SAVE $50: Buy a $500 Southwest gift card for just $450 at Amazon. That's a 10% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Southwest $500 Southwest gift card $450.00 at Amazon
$500.00 Save $50.00 Get Deal

Want to take a vacation but not thrilled with the price of flights these days? We don't blame you. But if you're looking to save a bit of money when booking tickets, check out this Prime Day Southwest deal at Amazon today.

As of July 18, a $500 Southwest gift card is on sale at Amazon for just $450. That's a savings of $50 or a 10% discount. Add $500 worth of Southwest gift cards to your Amazon cart to apply the discount.

We all deserve a vacation, but the bank account sometimes doesn't agree. However, today's Southwest gift card sale can save you $50 when booking your next vacation. Southwest has a vast network that spans the entire U.S., the tropical paradise of Hawaii, some incredible cities in Mexico, and great beaches in the Caribbean.

Plus, Southwest lets you check two bags for free, so you no longer have to cram everything into a tiny carry-on suitcase.

Saving $50 on your flight means you'll have some extra funds for poolside drinks, new books to enjoy on vacation, or some extra spending money for souvenirs.

Start planning a last-minute fall-getaway or book those holiday flights to see family thanks to today's deal at Amazon that offers a $500 Southwest gift card for only $450. Happy travels!

Gay hookup app Grindr is apparently experiencing an outage in Milwaukee, where the Republican National Convention is taking place this week.

According to Downdetector (which is owned by Mashable's parent company, Ziff Davis), the app has been experiencing problems in the last day. Milwaukee — as well as Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York — are all hotspots for outages as of Thursday afternoon:

Milwaukee is bright red on the Grindr outage map, as are other major cities. Credit: Screenshot: Downdetector

Milwaukee has been home to this year's RNC, which began on Monday and concludes tonight.

There have been several false reports of Grindr at the RNC that have gone viral on X (formerly Twitter) this week, such as a video of someone quickly swiping through lots of options on the app with the caption, "Opening Grindr at the RNC." (The video is actually someone opening the app at a Troye Sivan concert.)

SEE ALSO: Men found a surprising new way to lie on dating apps

Another fake viral post, courtesy of satirical account The Halfway Post, read, "BREAKING: An executive of the gay dating app Grindr says the Republican National Convention is 'basically Grindr’s Super Bowl.'"

There's no confirmation anyone at Grindr said this, but former Republican congressman George Santos ran with it. He shared a video on X urging these men to come out of the closet and that they can be both gay and conservative.

"I'm openly gay, no qualms about it, proud conservative Republican," Santos said, before saying that he met his husband on Grindr.

Tweet may have been deleted

"Grindr's already outed you anyway," Santos continued. An executive may not have called the RNC Grindr's "Super Bowl," but the outage map doesn't lie.

Mashable has reached out to Grindr for comment.

As expected, robot vacuum deals popped off this Prime Day. Almost every single robot vacuum that we recommend to people went on sale (minus the big, bad Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, which is apparently very comfortable at its casual $1,799.99 MSRP).

SEE ALSO: What the Mashable staff bought over Prime Day

If you didn't grab one during actual Prime Day, take this as a sign to not endure several more months of groaning over vacuuming until October Prime Day: Most of the best robot vacuum deals have stuck around the day after. Of the nearly 30 robot vacuum deals we threw at you in the days leading up to and during Prime Day, you could probably count one hand the ones that actually fell off when Prime Day ended (and TBH, they're not ones were were super psyched on, anyway).

In that long list of leftover deals is the top most-purchased robot vacuum by Mashable readers, several Roombas, and a ton of options with full self-cleaning stations that wash and dry the mopping pads.

We've gathered the best deals still live below, and have marked the ones at record-low pricing with a 🔥.

Our top pick Opens in a new window Credit: Eufy Our pick: Eufy X10 Pro Omni 🔥 $599.99 at Amazon
$799.99 Save $200.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Amid the flood of Roomba and Roborock deals, one robot vacuum deal quietly beats them all: the Eufy X10 Pro Omni. Senior shopping reporter Leah Stodart manifested that this CES 2024 release would get a major discount for its first Prime Day on the market, and its $599.99 sale price is the definition of bang for your buck.

What makes the Eufy X10 Pro Omni such a steal? Let's unpack. First and foremost, it's a robot vacuum and mop combo that not only self-empties, but washes and dries its own mopping pads. That's a feature typically tricky to find for less than $1,000 — let alone less than $600. Having tested both the X10 Pro Omni and the fanciest Roomba, the Combo j9+, in her own apartment, Stodart says that not having to deal with soggy mopping pads made her subconsciously reach to open the Eufy app over the iRobot one for pretty much every task.

When it comes to actual cleaning performance, the X10 Pro Omni's 8,000 Pa suction power is quite high for the price, and it's a rare hybrid model that scrubs with two spinning mopping pads rather than one stationary one. The X10 Pro Omni also has small obstacle avoidance technology that helps it steer clear of those pesky items that could be on your floor at any given moment, like a phone charger or laundry that missed the hamper. This is Stodart's favorite feature in any robot vacuum — what good is meticulous cleaning if the botvac is getting stuck before it gets to the right room?

More Prime Day robot vacuum deals still live

• Eufy L50 — $139.99 $199.99 (save $60) 🔥

• iRobot Roomba Vac Essential — $159.99 $249.99 (save $90) 🔥

• Eufy L60 — $179.99 $279.99 (save $100) 🔥

• Eufy L60 with self-empty station — $279.99 $399.99 (save $120)🔥

• Eureka E10s — $299.99 $699.99 (save $400) 🔥

• Roborock Q5 Max+ with self-empty station — $299.99 $599.99 (save $300) 🔥

• iRobot Roomba i3+ with self-empty station — $299.99 $549.99 (save $250) 🔥

• Eufy X8 Pro with self-empty station — $349.99 $649.99 (save $350) 🔥

• iRobot Roomba j7+ with self-empty station — $399.99 $799.99 (save $400) 🔥

• iRobot Roomba j9+ with self-empty station — $649 $899 (save $150)

More Prime Day robot vacuum and mop combo deals still live

• Yeedi Vac 2 Pro — $129 $249.99 (save $120.99) 🔥

• Roborock Q7 Max — $219.99 $599.99 (save $380) 🔥

• Eufy G30 Hybrid with self-empty station — $249.99 $429.99 (save $180) 🔥

• Narwal BX1 — $279.99 $399.99 (save $120) 🔥

• Roborock Q8 Max — $339.99 $599.99 (save $260) 🔥

• Roborock S8 — $419.99 $749.99 (save $330) 🔥

• Narwal Freo with self-empty station — $599.99 $1,399.99 (save $800) 🔥

• Roborock Q Revo S with self-empty station — $599.99 $799.99 (save $200)

• Yeedi M12 Pro+ with self-empty station — $669 $899 (save $230) 🔥

• Roborock Q Revo Pro with self-empty station — $699.99 $999.99 (save $300) 🔥

• Ecovacs Deebot T30S with self-empty station — $699.99 $999.99 (save $300) 🔥

• Roborock S7 Max Ultra with self-empty station — $799.99 $1,299.99 (save $500) 🔥

• Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni with self-empty station — $899.99 $1,499.99 (save $600) 🔥

• Narwal Freo X with self-empty station — $949.99 $1,399.99 (save $450) 🔥

• Roborock S8 Max Ultra with self-empty station — $1,199.99 $1,599.99 (save $400) 🔥

Amazon Prime Day is technically over, but there are still some deals that may be worth checking out. 

Whether you’re a gym rat, or you're just someone who prefers bone conduction headsets, this deal is for you. 

The Shokz OpenRun Pro is now $124.95. That's a 31% mark down from the retail price of $179.95 that won’t last long. 

This discount applies to all four colors: beige, black, blue, and pink. 

While we haven’t tested these particular headsets, the product has a 4.6/5 review on Amazon with 77% of more than 19,000 customers giving it 5 stars. 

The most favored features, according to customers

• Comfortable enough to wear all day

• Fast Charging 

• 10 hours of battery life  (some users wish it lasted longer)

• Stays secure in your ear 

Before you buy

If you plan on cashing in on this deal, make sure you’re signed into your Amazon Prime account. Don’t have one? No problem. Sign up for a free trial: six-months for students and one-month for non-students. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Credit: Shokz SHOKZ OpenRun Pro $124.95 at Amazon
$179.95 Save $55.00 HOKZ OpenRun Pro - Open-Ear Bluetooth Bone Conduction Sport Headphones - Sweat Resistant Wireless Ea Get Deal

Apple dropped a new ad this week, with Google Chrome as its likely target, that signaled the horrors of using an unsecured browser.

In the ad, a middle-aged man sits down on a bench outside and starts browsing his iPhone. Elsewhere, a woman at her office desk also picks up her iPhone. 

Suddenly, an unsuspecting security camera appears to become sentient. It leaps off its perch on a wall and springs bird-like wings, flying down to the man on an iPhone to spy on him up close. A similar winged security camera creature crashes into the office window where the woman works in an attempt to get closer. The sky fills with flocks of these flying security cameras – they are everywhere.

No, this isn't a trailer for a new horror movie. It's a warning.

"Your browsing is being watched," on-screen text reads during the ad before later touting that Apple's Safari for iPhone is "a browser that's actually private."

Because the ad doesn't explicitly mention its target, viewers may not immediately realize that this unsettling new commercial is actually Apple's latest critique of Google and its Chrome web browser for iPhone.

Apple vs. Google over iPhone users' web browser

Over the past couple of weeks, new Apple ads have been popping up on billboards to showcase Safari, Apple's privacy-focused web browser.

A big-tech company promoting one of its products isn't surprising. Especially so when it comes to Apple lauding its commitments to user privacy. After all, Apple is the company that reportedly wouldn't even consider Meta's AI model due to the company's negative history with user privacy. However, many may not realize that these billboards are part of an ongoing battle between Apple and Google, which are both duking it out for iPhone users' eyeballs.

Tweet may have been deleted

Apple is promoting Safari for iPhone, and the company's overall focus on user privacy, to tacitly inform consumers about Google Chrome's issues. Google's Chrome web browser is notorious for tracking users' browser usage through third-party cookies. 

On top of that, just this past April, as part of a class-action lawsuit settlement, Google revealed that the company was actually collecting data from users while they were using Chrome's "Incognito Mode." 

Why are Apple and Google fighting over iPhone web browsers now?

Anyone who uses Safari on iPhone knows that while performing a search, the Apple-owned web browser defaults to Google. If Google already has a working relationship with Apple, and these consumers are using their search engine product, why does it matter that they use Google Chrome?

It was recently revealed that Google pays Apple a lot of money to have their search engine be the default on Safari for iPhone. In fact, it was revealed that in 2022, Google paid $20 billion to Apple for that honor. We know that because that payment was unveiled as part of an antitrust lawsuit from the DOJ seeking to put a stop to Google and Apple's multi-billion dollar arrangement.

If the DOJ prevails, which is a very possible scenario, the financial relationship between Google and Apple for Safari's default search engine is over — and Google Search could potentially lose hundreds of millions of users.

According to The Information, Google is preparing for this potential worst case scenario and aiming to grow its iPhone web browser market share. Google Chrome is reportedly used by 30 percent of iPhone users as their default browser. However, Google is aiming for Chrome to be the default on 50 percent of iPhone users' devices. That amounts to roughly more than half a billion iPhones in total.

On desktops and laptops, Google Chrome is the clear winner when it comes to web browser market share. But, that's not the case when it comes to the more than one billion active iPhone devices out there. With Google trying to gain more a foothold on iPhone, Apple is rolling out a much larger campaign to promote Safari and play up its user privacy strengths.

But, will iPhone users care? Depending on the verdict in the antitrust case, the iPhone web browser battle will likely heat up and we'll find out just how much Apple consumers value privacy.

Prime Day may be officially over, but Apple didn't get the memo. Here are some great deals on AirPods that are available on Amazon the day after Prime Day:

Best last-chance AirPods deals for Prime Day 2024 Best overall AirPods deal Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) 168.99 on Amazon (Save $80) Get Deal Best deal on over-ear AirPods Apple AirPods Max 394.99 on Amazon (Save $155) Get Deal Best deal on great Apple earbuds that technically aren't AirPods Beats Fit Pro 149.95 at Amazon (Save $50) Get Deal

Even with Amazon Prime Day 2024 firmly in the rearview mirror, some deals still persist. That's particularly true for Apple's various in-house brands of wireless headphones, namely AirPods.

Apple has dropped prices on its main noise-cancelling earbuds, its high-end over-ear cans, and even the secret best wireless earbuds the company makes in the aftermath of Prime Day. The second-generation AirPods Pro (with USB-C charging!), AirPods Max, and Beats Fit Pro are all well-regarded Apple headphones that will work seamlessly with any iPhone, and they're all relatively cheap right now.

Best overall AirPods deal Opens in a new window Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) $168.99 at Amazon
$249.00 Save $80.01 Get Deal Why we like it

Apple's active noise cancelling AirPods could be a steal at the sale price of $168.99. Our reviewer Stan Schroeder noted improved battery life on this model, claiming he got seven hours of use out of a single charge. He also commended the ANC, saying he was "in awe" the first time he turned it on out in public. They may not actually be the best wireless earbuds Apple has to offer (more on that later), but by all accounts, this is a good deal regardless.

Best deal on over-ear AirPods Apple AirPods Max $394.99 at Amazon
$549.00 Save $154.01 Get Deal Why we like it

Anytime you can shave more than $150 off the sticker price for an Apple product, you almost have to do it. The AirPods Max were considered truly excellent over-ear headphones when we initially reviewed them a few years ago, but even then, reviewer Brenda Stolyar noted that the $549 price tag was just too dang high. Negotiating it down below $400 makes the prospect of owning Apple's highest-end headphones, with lauded audio quality, much more feasible.

Best deal on great Apple earbuds that technically aren't AirPods Beats Fit Pro – True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds – Apple H1 Headphone Chip, Compatible with Apple & Android, Class 1 Bluetooth®, Built-in Microphone, 6 Hours of Listening Time – Black $149.95 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $50.00 Get Deal Why we like it

The Beats Fit Pro may not be AirPods by name, but they are made by Apple, and in some ways, are even better than the AirPods Pro. I reviewed them when they came out and noted the enhanced stability of the rubber wingtip that goes in your ear, as well as the fantastic audio quality and active noise cancelation. These may be better-suited for more active earbuds users, as they're less likely to fall out while on the move.

Prime Day might officially be over, but Amazon is still dishing out the deals. If you could use a full re-stock on household essentials and you're a Prime member, today is a great day to load up your cart.

As of July 18, Prime members can get 15% off purchases of $50 or more of select Amazon Basics goods. The deal extends to hundreds of Amazon Basics products like bathroom essentials, cleaning supplies, and paper products. To simplify the math, if your total comes to $50, you'll be saving $7.50 thanks to the 15% off, spending a total of $42.50 instead of $50.

Here are some of our favorite Amazon Basics products included in the deal:

Best Amazon Basics products to save 15% Best home deal Amazon Basics Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent (82.5 oz) $15.05 at Amazon (save $2.65) Get Deal Best back-to-school deal Amazon Basics Woodcased #2 Pencils (30 count) .84 at Amazon (save $5.60) Get Deal Best deal for dog owners Amazon Basics Dog Poop Bags With Dispenser and Leash Clip (lavender, 270 count) $8.26 at Amazon (save $1.45) Get Deal

Amazon is not only a haven for finding great deals, the brand itself has come out with some stellar products that are always cost-effective solutions. On their own, the prices shine but thanks to today's deal exclusive to Prime members, the savings gets even better. Get ready to stock up on household essentials, clothing basics, and pet supplies during this deal.

Best home deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Our pick: Amazon Basics Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent (82.5 ounces) $15.05 at Amazon
$17.70 Save $2.65 Get Deal Why we like it

Super concentrated and free of perfumes or dyes, the Amazon Basics Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent is ideal for stocking in your laundry room. The 82.5-ounce jug should take care of cleaning 110 loads of laundry, and it's compatible with both standard and high-efficiency washing machines. With the 15% discount, you'll be spending $15.05 on the laundry detergent which comes to just 14 cents per load of wash.

Best back-to-school deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Our pick: Amazon Basics Woodcased #2 Pencils (30 count) $0.84 at Amazon
$5.69 Save $4.85 Get Deal Why we like it

Can a student ever have too many pencils? Unlikely. If you need 30 more, grab the Amazon Basics Woodcased #2 Pencils box for a mere 84 cents thanks to the Amazon Basics sale. That comes out to just less than 3 cents per pencil, so if you loan one out to a classmate and they don't return it, no sweat.

Alternatively, if you have teachers in your friends or family circle, gift them a couple boxes that'll help tick off the classroom-needs list.

Best deal for dog owners Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Our pick: Amazon Basics Dog Poop Bags With Dispenser and Leash Clip (lavender scented, 270 count) $8.26 at Amazon
$9.71 Save $1.45 Get Deal Why we like it

If you're a dog owner, you understand there's nothing worse than reaching to grab a poop bag and realizing there are none left. Save your own bum by stocking up with 270 bags in the Amazon Basics set which includes a dispenser and leash clip. To score this deal, you'll want to get the lavender scented version of the leak-proof bags that measure 13 by 9 inches.

More Amazon Basics products included in the promo:

• Baby care

• Clothing

• Diet and sports nutrition

• Health care

• Household essentials

• Grocery

• Office supplies

• Personal care and beauty

• Pet supplies

• Vitamins and supplements

For the tech and shopping experts that make up the Mashable staff, Prime Day is An Event. For weeks, we track deals from Amazon and its competitors, meaning that once the big day(s) finally arrives, we've already seen more deals than the human brain should be able to reasonably process.

It also means we have our shopping lists ready.

SEE ALSO: Last chance to shop hundreds of Prime Day deals: Our shopping experts have spoken

So what does the team that turns out over 100 deals posts over Prime Day actually buy? We're so glad you asked.

A tried and true face mask

Rather than use Prime Day to splurge on big-ticket items, I find the best deals to be on skincare products I want to restock or finally try out. I picked up an old favorite, the Mario Badescu Azulene Calming Mask. It’s a clay mask that comes in a gorgeous blue shade, that’s admittedly quite fun to wear, but it works wonders too. It’s far gentler than other clay masks, simultaneously clearing out my pores while toning down any redness. — Sam Mangino, Shopping Reporter

Opens in a new window Credit: Mario Badescu Mario Badescu Azulene Calming Mask Shop Now And a new hydrating face mask

The new skincare product I decided to try out thanks to Prime Day deals is the Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask. Recommended by several beauty influencers I trust, this mask promises to hydrate, minimize pores, and firm skin. It’s loaded with ingredients my skin loves like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, and I can’t wait to throw one on after a long day out in the sun when my skin is parched. — SM

Opens in a new window Credit: Biodance BIODANCE Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask Shop Now A Blu-ray box set of an absolute classic

This box set includes all three seasons of Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender (books Water, Earth, and Fire), and all four seasons of Avatar: The Legend of Korra (books Air, Spirits, Change, and Balance). 

Sure, with the Netflix live-action remake, you may have recently revisited this fan-adored franchise from Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. But with one buy, you'll have these Blu-rays for any time the urge hits to revisit this sensational series. Or, hey, introduce it to the next generation, who will revel over the antics and adventures of Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Korra, Bolin, and many, many more. — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Avatar & Legend of Korra Complete Series Collection Shop Now Upgraded travel gear

I bought this toiletry bag during Prime Day. I have some travel coming up later this year and instead of digging through all of the old, free bags I’ve gotten over the years (most of which are falling apart), I decided it was time to officially buy one. The bag has a double zipper that opens fully and has tons of compartments for organization. I’ve seen the BAGSMART brand all over TikTok and it has great reviews, so that definitely influenced me as well. It also helps that the bag was almost 50% off for Prime Day. I may not be having a European Summer, but getting new travel gear makes me feel like I am. — Lily Kartiganer, Senior Social Media Editor

Opens in a new window Credit: Bagsmart BAGSMART Toiletry Bag Shop Now The third in a line of Echo devices

I was slightly disappointed with this year's Prime Day deals, honestly. I had two big-ticket items on my list going into the shopping holiday. One was a Kindle Paperwhite for my boyfriend, but the e-reader only dropped down $15 and he said he wanted to wait and see if the Black Friday deal would be better. The other was the new Echo Spot, which I did buy for myself.

I have an Echo Show 5 on my desk and love being able to check the time and weather at a glance and connect it to my Echo Show 10 to play music through my entire apartment. To complete my trifecta of Echos, I got the Spot to go on my nightstand and act as a bedside clock and additional speaker. I'll probably stick with my iPhone as my alarm clock, though, because the Echo alarm sound is strikingly haunting. — Miller Kern, Deputy Shopping Editor

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Echo Spot Shop Now A restock of dog treats

Maybe not the most exciting purchase, but I always stock up on these Full Moon dog treats during Prime Day and Black Friday. They’re consistently 50% off (or more), so I just buy a bunch of bags to hold the dogs over until the next shopping holiday. This year I bought three 1.5 pound bags, which should last us until the next Prime Day rolls around in the fall. — Jae Thomas, Shopping Editor

Opens in a new window Credit: Full Moon Full Moon Chicken Jerky dog treats Shop Now A top-notch rice cooker

My best friend has been meaning to replace a lost rice cooker (tragic) for a couple of years now, and because she knew I'd be living and breathing deals over Prime Day, she asked me to give her a heads up if I saw any good ones on sale. Because she is my best friend and her birthday is just a couple of weeks, I decided to just buy her an early present when I spotted that this Cuckoo six-cup rice cooker got a nice $35 price cut.

I have another Cuckoo rice cooker in my apartment, but I got this model for my mom over Christmas and I now receive some version of the text "This is perfect rice" from her once or twice a month, so I feel confident that I'm giving my friend the gift of gloriously fluffy rice (and really, what better way to say I love you?). — Bethany Allard, Lead Shopping Reporter

Opens in a new window Credit: Cuckoo CUCKOO Micom rice cooker Shop Now An Apple Pencil replacement part

The Apple Pencil (1st gen) is the only model compatible with my 9th generation iPad, but unfortunately, its cap constantly falls off. I finally lost the cap during some recent travel (it was a long time coming), so during Prime Day I picked up this Jelanry pack of replacements that come with silicone holders. I’m hopeful these will make the cap of my Apple Pencil more secure, preventing future losses. — SM

Opens in a new window Credit: Jelanry Jelanry Magnetic iPencil Cap Replacement Shop Now A summertime essential for dogs and humans alike

I bought this Ryobi fan package during Home Depot’s Ryobi Days sale, which happened to line up with Prime Day. The bundle saved me like $60, and the fans are great for keeping my dogs cool in the car during the summer and for keeping me cool during hot summer camping trips. — JT

Opens in a new window Credit: Ryobi Ryobi fan package Shop Now Some moving essentials

I also went the boring route and stocked up on moving supplies for my move in September. I'm going to need packing tape, Lysol wipes, and a mattress bag anyway, so I figured I'd buy them at a slight discount. — MK

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Basics Heavy Duty Packaging Tape Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Coldwind Coldwind mattress bags Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Lysol Lysol Disinfectant Wipes Bundle Shop Now

Even a baby spider is cuter than its adult counterpart, so when OpenAI debuted a mini version of its most powerful model, you'll have to excuse my instinct to say "Awwww!"

That's probably not always the right response, instincts be damned. Because there isn't very much about this new mini version of GPT-4o that we'd describe as "cute."

SEE ALSO: It’s not just ChatGPT. A new AI chatbot is coming to iPhone, according to new report.

OpenAI's new AI model, GPT-4o mini, is the AI startup's latest effort to make its chatbot the biggest in the game — even if it's tiny. The company says it is its "most cost-efficient small model."

"We expect GPT-4o mini will significantly expand the range of applications built with AI by making intelligence much more affordable," OpenAI said in a press statement.

OpenAI went on to specify that the tool currently only supports "text and vision in the API," but said that "support for text, image, video and audio inputs and outputs" will be integrated in the future. It did not specify when that integration will take place.

"I think GPT-4o Mini really gets at the OpenAI mission of making AI more broadly accessible to people. If we want AI to benefit every corner of the world, every industry, every application, we have to make AI much more affordable," Olivier Godement, who leads the API platform product, told The Verge.

On Thursday, most ChatGPT users — those who use it on a free, plus, or team plan — will be able to use GPT-4o Mini instead of GPT-3.5 Turbo. Enterprise users will gain access to the mini model next week.

A new report claimed that tech giants including Apple, Nvidia, Anthropic, and Salesforce used data from "thousands of YouTube videos" to train AI. The investigation, performed by Proof News and published on Wired, alleged that subtitles from 173,000 YouTube videos were swiped for the companies' AI models.

Called "YouTube Subtitles," the dataset contains video transcripts from educational channels like Khan Academy, MIT, and Harvard, as well as the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and the BBC. Material from YouTube stars like PewDiePie, Marques Brownlee, and MrBeast were discovered, too.

We haven't heard from Anthropic and Salesforce yet after reaching out for comment, but Apple has issued a response to Wired's report.

SEE ALSO: 5 most useful features of iOS 18 public beta — and how to use them Will Apple use this data for Apple Intelligence and other AI services?

The short answer is no, but here's the longer response for those who don't identify with the "TLDR" crowd:

In an email to Mashable, Apple said that its open-source language model, OpenELM, indeed used the dataset, but not in the way some may be thinking.

The OpenELM project is a part of Apple's ongoing effort to benefit the broader research community. In other words, according to Apple, the OpenELM model was created for research purposes only and will not underpin any of Apple's machine learning-powered hardware or AI services, including Apple Intelligence.

For the uninitiated, Apple Intelligence is the company's new suite of AI features, which were revealed at WWDC 2024 (Apple's annual event where the company spills the beans on what's to come with its software offerings, including iOS and iPadOS).

Apple Intelligence, for example, can help summarize text, whether it's an email or text message, for quicker interactions with friends, loved ones, coworkers, and more. It will also underpin more entertainment-focused features like Genmoji, which generates new iOS emojis with a prompt. There's also Image Playground, which lets users create AI-generated images on the fly.

New Genmoji feature coming to iOS 18. Credit: Apple

When it comes to AI utilities for its consumers, Apple highlighted that it offers websites an option to opt out of having their content used for AI training. Apple assured that its generative models are built and fine-tuned using high-quality data, including licensed content from publishers and stock image companies, alongside publicly available data on the web.

To put it succinctly, Apple doesn't deny that its open-source language model, OpenELM, used the dataset, but wants to make clear that it will not underpin any of its AI services, including Apple Intelligence.

What does Nvidia have to say?

We also reached out to Nvidia for comment, but the company, known for bringing AI to many of its gaming hardware and services, declined to issue a statement.

We will update this article if we hear anything from Anthropic and Salesforce.