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TL;DR: Watch Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA with WNBA League Pass. Avoid blackouts and watch the WNBA from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Las Vegas Aces and Minnesota Lynx are next on the court as the WNBA season continues. Las Vegas Aces have had a strong season thus far, and are among the top three teams shooting for the playoffs. The Minnesota Lynx will be fighting for a playoff spot after an improved performance over recent games.

If you want to watch Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA from anywhere in the world, keep reading to find out all the information you need. Don't miss out.

When is Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx?

Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA starts at 9:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 23. This fixture takes place at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

How to watch Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx

WNBA fans can live stream Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx and the remainder of the 2024 WNBA season from anywhere in the world by using the WNBA League Pass.

However, the WNBA League Pass may not show locally televised games live in the participating teams' local areas. But not to worry, there's a way around this. You can beat these geo-restrictions by using a VPN, a useful tool that works by hiding your real IP address to help you connect to secure servers in other locations. So, you'll be able to bypass any blackouts and watch every WNBA League Pass game live, excluding games hosted by Amazon Prime Video.

You can access every WNBA League Pass game by following these simple steps:

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

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with no broadcast deals for the WNBA

4. Log in to WNBA League Pass

5. Stream every WNBA game live (barring games hosted by Amazon Prime Video)

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal What is the best VPN for the WNBA?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for hiding your real IP address and streaming more sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Stream Las Vegas Aces vs. Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix for free on ORF, ServusTV, or RTBF. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Fans have been patiently waiting for competitive F1 racing for years, and after a disappointingly routine start to the season, it looks like things are heating up. Recent races have been thrilling battles between a number of drivers, and we're hoping for more of the same at the Dutch Grand Prix.

If you're interested in watching the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix?

The 2024 Dutch Grand Prix takes place over 72 laps of the 4,259-kilometre Circuit Zandvoor. The full schedule can be found here:

• Practice 1 — 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. ET on Aug. 23

• Practice 1 — 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET on Aug. 23

• Practice 1 — 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. ET on Aug. 24

• Qualifying — 9 to 10 a.m. ET on Aug. 24

• Race — 9 a.m. ET on Aug. 25

The good news is that it's possible to stream the Dutch Grand Prix without spending anything.

How to watch the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix for free

You can find free F1 live streams on these platforms:

• Austria — ORF or ServusTV (12 races each)

• Belgium — RTBF (every race)

ORF, ServusTV, and RTBF are geo-restricted, but anyone from around the world can access these free streaming platforms with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, meaning you can access these streaming services to watch F1 for free from anywhere in the world.

Unblock free streaming services by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Austria or Belgium

4. Connect to ORF, ServusTV, or RTBF

5. Watch the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch F1 live streams for free. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it does mean you can stream the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix without actually spending anything.

What is the best VPN for F1?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for live streaming F1 for free, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Austria and Belgium

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is protected

• Fast streaming speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Watch the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream San Francisco 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders for free on DAZN. You can watch the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 49ers' Quest for Six — to win their sixth Super Bowl — enters its 30th year, though the franchise has come close in recent NFL seasons. The 49ers lost to the Chiefs in overtime earlier this year at Super Bowl LVIII — an emotional sucker-punch of a loss. But experts are predicting big things for the 49ers this season. They're amongst the favorites, alongside the Chiefs, to win Super Bowl LVIIIX.

The Las Vegas Raiders meanwhile are battling to earn a spot in the playoffs, having failed to reach the playoffs for two consecutive seasons. But a preseason win over the 49ers might give the Raiders a boost heading into the 2024 season. Their Super Bowl drought extends back further than the 49ers' Quest for the Six, having last won a Super Bowl in 1983.

If you want to watch the NFL preseason for free, no matter where you are around the world, here's all the information you need.

When is 49ers vs. Raiders?

San Francisco 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders takes place at 10 p.m. ET on Aug. 23. This fixture will be played at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

How to watch 49ers vs. Raiders for free

To watch the NFL preseason for free, simply sign up with sports platform DAZN. This service is streaming the NFL preseason live and on-demand for free, though it's restricted to viewers outside the U.S., Canada, and China.

However, anyone can bypass these geo-restrictions with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and then connect you to secure servers in other countries, allowing you to unblock geo-restricted content from around the globe.

Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

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

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage of the NFL preseason

4. Visit DAZN

5. Watch the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world.

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not actually free to use, but the leading VPN providers usually have incentive deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these deals, you will be able to access free live streams of the NFL preseason — all without spending anything. Sure, it's a short-term fix, but this gives you enough time to watch the NFL preseason before you claim back any upfront investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is currently on sale for $99.95 — a saving of 49% for a limited time only. With this plan you get a bonus three months at no extra cost, plus a year of unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Miami Dolphins vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers for free on DAZN. Watch the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

With just two weeks until the NFL season kicks off for real, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Miami Dolphins — a second Florida showdown following the Buccaneers' preseason loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Dolphins are 2-0 in the preseason and want to head into the real competition with some momentum, following a patchy 2023 campaign and a 24-year losing streak in the playoffs. Will the Dolphins wrap up this preseason by showing fans they can do better in 2024?

If you want to watch the NFL preseason for free, no matter where you are around the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Dolphins vs. Buccaneers?

Miami Dolphins vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers takes place at 7.30 p.m. ET on Aug. 23. This fixture will be played at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

How to watch Dolphins vs. Buccaneers for free

To watch the NFL preseason for free, you can sign up with streaming platform DAZN. This service is showing the NFL preseason live and on-demand for free, but only to viewers outside the U.S., Canada, and China.

That's frustrating, but anyone can bypass these geo-restrictions by using a VPN. If you haven't used them before, VPNs are brilliant tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and then connect you to secure servers in other countries, which allows you to unblock geo-restricted content from around the globe.

Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

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

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage of the NFL preseason

4. Visit DAZN

5. Watch the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world.

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not actually free to use, but leading VPN providers tend to offer incentive deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can gain access to NFL preseason live streams — all without spending anything in the long run. Sure, it's a short-term fix, but it gives you enough time to watch the NFL preseason before claiming back any upfront investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is currently on sale for $99.95, giving you an overall saving of 49%. The plan is available for a limited time and also includes a bonus three months at no extra cost, plus a year of unlimited cloud backup, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons for free on DAZN. Watch the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

After a difficult 2023 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars are looking good in preseason action. They've notched up wins against the Kansas City Chief and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Particularly impressive was the fact that the Jaguars fielded mostly secondary players but still dominated against the Buccaneers. Preseason is always a chance for reserves to show their stuff.

Conversely, the Atlanta Falcons are 0-2 in preseason games, following a tricky season that saw them fire their head coach. This is only preseason, of course, so it makes no major impact other than seeing how the roster will likely shape up. But Falcons fans will be hoping to see rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. get some game time against the Jaguars. Can Penix be a difference maker for Atlanta in 2024?

If you want to watch NFL preseason games for free, no matter where you are around the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Jaguars vs. Falcons?

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons takes place at 7 p.m. ET on Aug. 23. This fixture will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

How to watch Jaguars vs. Falcons for free

To watch the NFL preseason for free, you can simply register with DAZN.

This platform is showing the NFL preseason for free — both live or on-demand — but only to viewers outside the U.S., Canada, and China. However, anyone can bypass these geo-restrictions by using a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and then connect you with secure servers in other countries, which allows you to unblock geo-restricted content from around the globe.

Access free live streams of the NFL preseason by following these simple steps:

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

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage of the NFL preseason

4. Visit DAZN

5. Watch the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world.

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free to use, but the leading VPN providers tend to offer incentive deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can gain access to NFL preseason live streams — all without spending a dime. This is a short-term fix, but you'll have time to watch the NFL preseason before recovering any upfront investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is currently on sale for $99.95, which is an overall saving of 49%. The plan is available for a limited time and also includes a bonus three months at no additional cost, along with a year of unlimited cloud backup, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream the NFL preseason for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

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 August 22'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.

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for August 20 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Aquatic parasite.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter E appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter L.

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

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

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

LEECH.

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

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

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: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for August 23 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for August 23

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: The nose knows.

These words are intoxicating.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The answers are aromas.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is CommonScents.

NYT Strands word list for August 23

• Cedar

• CommonScents

• Sandalwood

• Lavender

• Rose

• Lemon

• Musk

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.

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

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

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for August 23'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.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for August 22 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: UI/UX

• Green: Burlesque outfit

• Blue: Generic whiteish colors

• Purple: Sounds like a language

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: Visual Interface

• Green: Burlesque Wear

• Blue: Beige Shades

• Purple: Language Homophones

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 #439 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Visual Interface: DISPLAY, MONITOR, SCREEN, TERMINAL

• Burlesque Wear: BOA, CORSET, FAN, GLOVES

• Beige Shades: BUFF, CREAM, FAWN, TAN

• Language Homophones: BASK, CHECK, FINISH, TIE

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.

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

Donald Trump has put his name on a cryptocurrency platform.

The former United States president and current U.S. presidential hopeful announced in a post on Truth Social that he has launched a crypto business called The DeFiant Ones, as reported by The Verge. The Truth Social posts acknowledges that "the average American has been squeezed by the big banks and financial elites," but offers zero other details on what The DeFiant Ones is, how it works, and how it will help average Americans.

SEE ALSO: The Trump campaign's take on Tim Walz's coaching days proves they don't know football

It could be anything from a full-on cryptocurrency to a trading market or even just a website about crypto. It's impossible to say at this point, but as The Verge noted, Trump's son Eric recently told the New York Post that DeFiant could exist to help those who are "unbanked," or lacking any kind of savings or checking account at a bank or credit union. According to the FDIC, 5.9 million Americans were unbanked as of 2021.

While that could be a noble purpose for DeFiant, there's a long and sordid history of Donald Trump not being especially honest or responsible with money. Those who choose to invest in DeFiant, if that is indeed something you can do, might be taking a risk.

It doesn't matter how low your expectations are for Rupert Sanders' The Crow, because this callous and clumsy remake will still fail to exceed them. But this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. 

Director Alex Proyas' 1994 The Crow was a hit at the box office, but its fandom truly exploded in the following years; this was due, in part, to the electrifying performance of its late leading man Brandon Lee, who was fatally injured in the movie's making. Three sequels followed, boasting stars like Kirsten Dunst, Iggy Pop, and Edward Furlong, but none could recapture the magic of Proyas and Lee's collaboration. That didn't stop folks from trying. A relaunch of The Crow has been threatened for over a decade. Now, 30 years after the first adaptation of James O'Barr's dark and deeply personal comic books arrived on the big screen — with a game-changing soundtrack to match — The Crow returns, like the revenant at its center. But unlike poor Eric Draven, there's no heart at the center of this grim and gruesome reboot. 

SEE ALSO: 'The Crow' soundtrack turns 30: Looking back on the album that defined an era The Crow's plot has been changed for the worse and the WTF.  Credit: Larry Horricks / Lionsgate

It's Bill Skarsgård and British singer/songwriter FKA twigs star as doomed lovers Eric Draven and Shelly Webster. This time around, however, they won't be swiftly slaughtered in the first act by a vicious gang led by a nefarious and chicly goth kingpin. Instead, screenwriters Zach Baylin and William Josef Schneider construct a convoluted and yet ambiguous urban hellscape run by Roeg (a smarmy Danny Huston). This villain may look like your average wealthy and powerful white man who treats everyone like pawns in his twisted game, but also, he's an actual demon, collecting souls to extend his life on Earth. 

This change from the 1994 movie means Eric isn't just unleashing violence on a Detroit drug ring in the name of love and vengeance. It means he's looking to save Shelly's soul from the grips of hell itself. And this time he is not the cackling dark clown, swaggering shirt-off and bare hips out, swinging from broken window frames and relishing the kill. A grim and pretentious opening sequence involving a hurt horse and a mucky rural landscape establishes this Eric as a country boy with vague but damning childhood trauma. Shelly can relate. She's got a hard history too, which is briefly alluded to when the two of them meet in rehab. 

FKA twigs and Bill Skarsgård can't save The Crow.  Credit: Larry Horricks / Lionsgate

Where the first film began with the lovers as an established couple on the brink of marriage, this Crow chucks Eric and Shelly into a whirlwind romance that plays as if the screenwriters saw the trailer for American Honey. Once. 

Drug-loving free spirits with wounded souls, they bond over cafeteria trays before escaping rehab to a series of inexplicable montages. The self-proclaimed "degenerates" wander into the swanky apartment of an unknown friend, allowing for a fashion show in designer clothes and lovemaking on silk sheets. Then they tumble into a day out with friends (whose are unclear) — which is odd as Shelly is on the run from Roeg. 

SEE ALSO: As 'The Crow' flies — the bumpy road to 2024's reboot

While Proyas' The Crow established a cast of supporting characters who showed Eric and Shelly as a part of a community, this version takes such associations for granted. Across The Crow, characters aren't even introduced as much as they shuffle on-screen to provide a plot point, then either disappear or die. Likewise, Shelly and Eric's lives beyond their days-old romance are illustrated via flimsy quick cuts to flashbacks. These two are less characters and more a Pinterest board for a grungy, romantic aesthetic. Thought they have a certain chemistry, Skarsgård and twigs can't elevate the cringeworthy dialogue. The love story — which takes up the first 40 minutes of the film — is a tedious trudge to its inevitable tragedy. 

Rupert Sanders' The Crow is a familiar husk stuffed with grisly, greasy nothing.  Credit: Larry Horricks / Lionsgate

Sanders, the director behind the largely forgotten fantasy-actioner Snow White and the Huntsman and the actively underwhelming live-action remake of The Ghost in the Shell, brings a sickly green/gray palette that recalls DCEU drudgery. Gone is the high-contrast face paint of Lee's sad clown, replaced with Skarsgård smearing tattoo ink across his eyes and high cheekbones for a look that reads more Jared Leto's Joker than The Crow. (That's in no small part to the barrage of trashy tattoos that litter Skarsgård's pale skin.) 

To Sanders' credit, this palette does make the hard reds and blacks of blood and bile all the more putrid on-screen. The director seemingly relishes in the movie's R-rating, creating an ultra-violent spectacle that is at times hard to stomach, much less watch. Eric spends the first two-thirds of the film not only horrified by the violence inflicted on his own body — which is shot, stabbed, and run over — but also mortified to cause violence, gawping in shock when he takes a life with a gunshot through the chest. But he'll conveniently get over this in time for a finale that is overflowing with nameless goons who are ripped to pieces with a ruthless abandon. 

Credit: Larry Horricks / Lionsgate

I consider myself to have a pretty high tolerance for gore and violence on-screen, as I am an avid horror-lover. But frankly, I was aghast at the graphic violence of this Crow. Part of it is that the villains — outside of Roeg — are barely established. There's little individual flare, much less the evocative nicknames like Tin Tin, Funboy, and Skank, so these malicious minions become a row of blood-gushing dominoes to be knocked down on the way to the big bad. This kind of move might work in a sequel, where you trust in the hero and so follow him into moral gray areas readily. (See John Wick 2 through 4.) But this is not the Eric Draven that Crow fans know and love. He's an inferior imitation that lacks the haunting charm of Lee. Despite his efforts, Skarsgård's is more a pose than a protagonist. 

In the end, 2024's The Crow is only an echo of an echo of the original, sometimes literally repeating the 1994 film's best lines, but in a new context that makes them more cringe than compelling. Sanders didn't even manage to create a soundtrack that scratches at the distinctiveness or greatness of the original. Ugly, incoherent, and ultimately cynical, The Crow evokes the words of wisdom from another horror movie about resurrected corpses on a rampage: Sometimes dead is better. 

The Crow opens in theaters Aug. 23. 

Anime film "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" tells the story of Rohan's King Helm Hammerhand and his daughter Héra.

Any time you shop for a new laptop, a lot of people are going to tell you the same thing: Get a MacBook.

We don't blame them. The best MacBooks are fantastic laptops, and while they don't afford you the freedom of customization that other brands offer, that's not something everyone will care about. Most of us just want a high-quality laptop that'll get us through work, school, and play with minimal fuss.

SEE ALSO: The best laptop deals this week, from MacBooks, to Chromebooks, and everything in between

Although MacBooks can get a bit pricey — with some reaching into truly frightening territory — they justify the price with Apple's signature design, user-friendly OS, and zippy M-series processors. Plus, you can often find MacBook Air and Pro models on sale (with the cheapest ones priced around $850 to $999).

After testing out Apple's lineup of laptops, we're here to help you narrow down the choices and take home the Apple machine of your dreams. So, let's start shopping.

Your first big decision: MacBook Pro vs Air

With today's current lineup of MacBooks, you really only have two options: The MacBook Pro or the MacBook Air. So, which is right for you?

If you're a creative who regularly pushes their laptop to the limit with demanding video and photo editing applications, you'll want to aim for the Pro. The name of the game with the Pro line is processing power, and the latest iteration is the speediest and most performance-driven yet.

Testing the M1 MacBook Air after its 2020 release. Credit: Zlata Ivleva / Mashable Testing the super-powered M3 MacBook Pro. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

If convenience and portability are your top priorities, then the Air will be most suited to you. It's thin and light, and it even comes in a 13-inch option if you'll be be lugging it around wherever you go. Plus, ever since the debut of Apple's M Series chips, the MacBook Air has become a pint-sized powerhouse. The most current model utilizes the M3 chip, so you won't be sacrificing all that much in terms of power.

Which generation MacBook is the best?

This will come down to what you're willing to give up in performance, and in some cases, quality. But, whatever you do deem worthy of sacrificing, you'll be paid back in savings. For example, the 2022 model M2 MacBook Air won't come with the latest chip, but you'll still be scoring an impressive laptop that frequently goes on sale for just $849.99. That's compared to the $1,249 price tag of the most recent Air, and the $1,599 asking price of the latest Pro.

A photo from Mashable's test of the M1 MacBook Air. Credit: Zlata Ivleva / Mashable Testing the M2 MacBook Air. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable

So, if you've got a lighter budget, don't fret — you can still get a MacBook at an affordable price. Older MacBooks are still very much worthy of your consideration, and they won't cost you nearly as much.

SEE ALSO: If you're waiting for a touchscreen MacBook, we've got bad news What are the best MacBooks?

After testing out the latest Apple laptops, we think there are four MacBooks worth buying in 2024. Check out our top picks below, their pros and cons, as well as who we think would like each model best.

The Rabbit R1 has been collecting dust on my shelf since I grew disappointed with the device not meeting my initial expectations. It's been two months since I used it. Jesse Lyu, the CEO behind Rabbit R1, overpromised and underdelivered with the Rabbit R1.

Admittedly, some features like Vision, which shows off how the Rabbit R1 can identify objects by “looking" at them before explaining what it "sees," aren’t half bad. I also loved that it could identify foreign languages, like on a menu for example, and spit it back out in English. (These features are already available on my phone via apps like ChatGPT Plus, however.)

Rabbit R1 Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Plus, some of the marquee features, like ordering Uber and DoorDash via Rabbit R1, or invoking the AI to launch a Spotify song, did not work well.

And not to mention that Rabbit R1 has been suffering from a critical security flaw, according to the The Verge, that further threatened its viability in the market.

Rabbit R1 Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

To be fair, this isn't just a Rabbit R1 issue. This whole "we'll promise stuff now, but deliver after you give us money" tactic has been running rampant across the tech world. But the likes of the Rabbit R1 and the Humane Ai Pin, which is reportedly suffering from more returns than it can can sell, shows how this strategy can backfire.

But Rabbit hasn't given up yet. In a press email to Mashable, Rabbit said that it has issued extensive updates to the R1 device, goading me to give it a try. The team warned that these new features, dubbed "beta rabbit mode," are still rough around the edges, but that I should experiment with them. So I did.

'Beta rabbit mode' on Rabbit R1: What is it?

According to Rabbit, beta mode enhances R1's capabilities with more thoughtful, comprehensive responses to complex questions that require deep reasoning and multi-step research. It can also be used with Vision. In other words, based on what Rabbit R1 is looking at via the camera, it should be able to deliver advanced responses to questions.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Beta rabbit supposedly makes Rabbit R1 more conversational and intelligent.

I put 'beta rabbit mode' to the test

To access beta rabbit mode, all I needed to do was say, "beta rabbit." Just as I was about to give this beta rabbit mode a bash, an update suddenly occurred, preventing me from using the device for about three minutes.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

And it must be connected to a USB-C charging cable to successfully complete the update. It took about 30 long minutes from start to finish due to Wi-Fi connectivity issues (that weren't on my end).

Rabbit gave me the following commands for testing beta rabbit mode:

1. "Beta rabbit, can you suggest three books similar to The Power of Now? Include page length, year of release, and ratings. And save that as a note titled 'Reading list.' Also, include pictures of the authors." To show contextual capability, Rabbit suggested following up with, "Beta Rabbit, can you also get me summaries for those three books?"

2. "Beta Rabbit, can you give me a two-day itinerary for San Francisco? I want to go to one historical site, a museum, eat Japanese food, and try a cocktail bar. Can you also give me photos of each location?

3. Beta Rabbit, can you find me the best deals for the Dyson V8 vacuum? I want to get the cheapest price and the purchase links.

4. Point at the nutrition chart of a Japanese snack, or any snack in a foreign language, and ask, "Beta Rabbit, what are the nutritional facts for this snack? Is it healthy?"

I tweaked these a bit so that it suited my personal life. For example, for number one, I asked for film recommendations in lieu of book suggestions. (Plus, I don't want to follow a Rabbit-curated list; I want to challenge it.)

For number two, I swapped San Francisco for Greece because I'm headed there in two months. For three, I'm in the market for the Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer, so I plugged that in. And lastly, I don't have a Japanese snack, but I do have a cup of Ramen Noodles, so i'll ask "beta rabbit" how healthy it is.

1. Film and book recommendations

Initially, when I tested beta rabbit mode on Aug. 8, it worked well.

Rabbit R1 populates film recommendations for similar movies to "The Wolf of Wall Street." Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

I asked, "Beta Rabbit, can you suggest three films similar to The Wolf of Wall Street? Include movie length, year of release, and ratings. Also, include pictures of the directors." It suggested The Big Short, American Hustle, and The Social Network, alongside the requested information. Since my two-month break from the Rabbit R1, one thing that caught my eye is that the device finally supports pictures in its response, delivering photos of each director as requested.

I also followed Rabbit's suggestion to ask for book recommendations. I said, " Beta Rabbit, can you suggest three books similar to Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. Include page length, year of release, and ratings. Include pictures of the authors, too." Again, it surfaced exactly what I asked for, including The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, with pictures in tow.

Rabbit R1 showing book recommendations Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

However, a week later, I retested these queries and discovered that the photo-filled responses have been replaced with a rough, rudimentary, raw reply, with some backend coding exposed. I no longer saw photos.

As of Aug. 22, however, the Rabbit R1 is back in working order after a final retest. (In Rabbit's defense, it's a beta mode.)

2. Travel itinerary

I plan on visiting Greece later this year, so I asked the Rabbit R1 to curate a travel plan for me: "Beta Rabbit, can you give me a two-day itinerary for Athens? I want to go to the nearest beach, a historical site, eat greek food from a highly rated restaurant, and go to the best rooftop bar. Also, can you give me photos of each location?"'

A Rabbit R1-curated travel itinerary for greece Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

To my surprise, the Rabbit R1 actually put together a useful Athens-based itinerary. Now, I'll have to actually check out Rabbit R1's suggested places to determine if the AI device can double as a beneficial travel assistant. But based on what Rabbit R1 has produced, I could see myself using it for moments when I just don't have the time to do the research to put together a fleshed out itinerary.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

The only downside is that there doesn't seem to be a way to retrieve a history of responses on the actual Rabbit R1 device, so you'd have to be careful not to accidentally press a button that makes the two-day itinerary disappear from the screen.

3. Deals hunting

As mentioned, I'm in the market for a new air fryer (i.e., the Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer).

Rabbit R1 goes hunting for the best air fryer deal Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

As such, I asked the Rabbit R1 to surface the best deals for it. The Rabbit R1 pointed to a $131 Amazon "deal." However, I did a little research myself and discovered at it was not the cheapest online offering at the time. The best discount for the air fryer was via Williams Sonoma, which had the same fryer for about $99.

(Interestingly, two weeks later after testing, that $131 Amazon deal has dropped down to $99 as of this writing.)

4. Nutrition label analysis

I pulled out a cup of Ramen Noodles. Using the Rabbit R1's "Vision" feature, I pointed the camera at the back of the Ramen Noodles, which sports the nutrition facts label. I asked, "Beta Rabbit, what are the nutritional facts for this cup of Ramen? Is it healthy?"

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

When I mentioned "cup of Ramen," the Rabbit R1 gaslit me and told me that I was not holding a cup of Ramen. I re-asked the question, but this time, I simply said, "Beta Rabbit, what are the nutritional facts for this food? Is it healthy?"

In response, it told me that the Ramen Noodles are too high in salt and saturated fats, which may impact cardiovascular health. Rabbit R1 continued to say that the product "lacks essential vitamins and minerals."

Rabbit R1 concluded that Ramen Noodles are not healthy and suggested that I avoid eating them.

5. Timers and alarms

Surprisingly, at launch, users couldn't set timers nor alarms with the Rabbit R1. Now, you can use the cute little orange gadget to wake you up or remind you that your cookies are almost done.

Does the Rabbit R1 has a chance for revival?

Unfortunately, the Rabbit R1's chance to captivate the masses has come and gone. I believe Rabbit would have had a glimmer of hope if it were transparent about the device's half-baked feature set from the start. To be fair, there were some utilities that did operate smoothly day one. For example, the translation and Vision features worked better than expected, as well as the sound recording capabilities and the relatively fast, Perplexity-based AI assistant (though its contextual abilities are limited). On the other hand, the team promised a slew of other perks, including UberEats and DoorDash ordering, seamless integration with Spotify, and more. But these features struggled to operate properly.

Plus, people kept wondering the one question Rabbit likely hates hearing, "Why can't this just be an app? Why do I have to spend $200 on a device that already does things my daily driver phone can do?" (This investigation led to a number of explosive reports, including the revelation that the term "RabbitOS" is a bit disingenuous because it's really just an app running on a cheap Android handset.)

And in Rabbit's defense, would people really give a monkey's behind about the R1 if it rolled out to the Google Play Store as a $20-a-month app?

The Rabbit R1, despite offering the same features that are available on your phone, could have gotten away with being a success just from being a bright-orange, nostalgia-inducing device with funky, fidgety controls that taps into one's inner child. But again, the Rabbit R1 is simply too disgraced to experience a revival. However, the Rabbit R1 was such a hyped piece of tech in recent pop culture, I wouldn't be surprised if the Rabbit R2, if Lyu dared to give it a second shot, landed in the spotlight again. Its popularity would likely stem from people wondering if the R2 will be another unfinished gadget.

I suspect that consumers are at their wits end with overpromise-and-underdeliver tech. At the very least, consumers want something as close to perfection as possible (as opposed to the deliberate and exploitative launch of half-baked product releases to secure a return on investment). One can only hope that the wave of negative reviews that the Rabbit R1 and Humane Ai pin have suffered lights a fire under the tech industry's butt to quit the sloppy practices.

There are few things as shameful, in my mind, as pretending to Know Ball and yet Not Knowing Ball.

To be indifferent to Ball is fine enough. To be indifferent to Ball is to be a potential Ball-Knower lain dormant. But to act like you Know Ball and to not Know Ball? That is a moral failing. Even further, it is a black stain on your character — to thieve at Ball-Knowing is to steal valor from the Ball-Knowers who are right with God. You claim to Know Ball but don't remember Correll Buckhalter? How rich. Describe to me the merits and rise of, if you will, the read option among the pro ranks in the 2010s. Thoughts on Chris Borland?

I am, of course, talking about the 2024 presidential election.

The Trump campaign and other Republicans, in a distasteful fit of Not Knowing Ball, have called into question the football bona fides of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic Vice President nominee and former high school football coach. Some rightwing Non-Ball-Knowers have posted and pontificated about the merits of Walz's football career because he was a defensive coordinator. They wonder how he can claim to be a football coach if he was an assistant coach.

Here is, for instance, a post about it from an official Trump campaign account. The replies feature many people agreeing.

Tweet may have been deleted

I take no pleasure in reporting that all these people do not Know Ball. There is perhaps no more Football Job in the world than defensive coordinator. It is the purest form of Ball. A head coach is basically a CEO figurehead for the team. Fine enough, but it's akin to a celebrity chef who hasn't worked the line in years. An offensive coordinator is all sizzle, no steak. They're all 35, good-looking, and working for their next job — a politician, basically. Special teams coordinators work closely with kickers.

To be a defensive coordinator is to live with honor. It is the American version of being a chivalrous knight. It is not to expect glory but to live with purpose because it is right to live a purpose-driven life. You must admit there will always be points scored, yet you will always fight against that current. Perhaps the only more honorable job is strength coach.

Walz was a defensive coordinator who took a cellar-dwelling team to a state championship. The Republican Party and Trump's campaign are telling voters in the Rust Belt, SEC country, and elsewhere that defense doesn't matter. As if it doesn't win championships? That is a horrific display of Not Knowing Ball. People online let them know it.

Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

Any politics aside, this was a stunning, official display of the Trump campaign Not Knowing Ball. To slander a defensive coordinator is to slander the game itself. To wonder aloud the merits of leading a group of young men to glory in the 4-4 alignment? That is an affront to all this nation holds dear.

Not every American needs to Know Ball. But we must hold sacred the values of those who do and protect against those who wish to muddy the waters with a lack of Ball knowledge.

As a New Yorker who has lived in small apartments for the past 15 years, I gravitate toward solutions that can help me maximize my space from both a design and practicality perspective. When you’ve only got a 600 square foot home, every inch counts! 

During the work week, my living room also functions as my home office, so keeping my space presentable for video calls is just as important as having a comfortable home entertainment setup. So when I got the chance to try out the new Hisense CanvasTV (available for $1,299.99 at Best Buy) — a TV that doubles as fine art — I was all in. 

Credit: Josh Steinbauer A high-tech blend of form and function

Over the years, TVs have gotten slimmer, but the newly released CanvasTV is one of the first in the market to fundamentally rethink its form, transforming it from a black box into a stylish design element for your home.

The CanvasTV includes all the tech specs that you want in your watch box, including 4K QLED that captures over a billion shades and a 144Hz refresh rate that guarantees you’ll be streaming your favorite shows with zero lag. Its surround sound audio makes movie nights feel like you're in a theater. 

But these tech specs come to life in a whole new way once you switch the TV to Art Mode and choose from one of the included 120 famous paintings to display on your wall. Capturing all the hues of a Monet painting is no easy feat, but with quantum dot technology, this TV renders a wider range of more accurate hues — something LED alone can't achieve. Plus, it enhances the immersive experience, making every viewing feel truly spectacular in either mode. 

The CanvasTV also has a hi-matte display which showcases artwork more realistically by removing any glare or distortion from ambient light. This thoughtful detail makes the experience as enjoyable as viewing actual artwork, with the added benefit of being lit up by QLED.

Credit: Josh Steinbauer Credit: Josh Steinbauer Thoughtful attention to detail

With all these features, the CanvasTV works impressively in both function and form equally, avoiding any cheesy gimmicks you might worry about. I can confirm: the CanvasTV is much more than a fun party trick! 

Adding to its impressive design, the ultra-slim wall mount included with the CanvasTV is both sleek and sturdy. The two-part mounting system is easy to install with another person's help (shoutout to George from Best Buy!). 

As my first wall-mounted TV, my space instantly felt more open and airy, with my media console freed up to hold other objects. Flush against the wall, this device extends just a few inches outward — complementing the look and feel of the rest of the artwork adorning your walls and enhancing the feng shui of the room. 

The teak frame is also a standout feature. Nothing would’ve ruined the art vibe faster or screamed TV louder than a shiny black plastic frame. The inclusion of a magnetic teak frame that easily snaps into place and has the Hisense logo displayed discreetly on the side rather than the front, ties the dual functionality of this product together in a really intentional way. 

It helps that the teak effortlessly matched my acorn-finish media console and my parquet floors, blending mid-century modern vibes with cutting-edge tech.

Curate your own gallery experience

Your taste in art is your own, and who better to be the director of your new at-home art gallery than you? Art Mode comes preloaded with 120 famous paintings, ranging from iconic portraits like the Mona Lisa to modern abstract works from Klimt and van Gogh.  

Personalize your picks to display your favorite work, or cycle through a slideshow that you can curate to set a specific vibe. A handy button on the remote overlays a description with the title, artist, and a brief description of the piece — so you’ll brush up on your art history, too. And if you want to add a personal touch, you can easily upload your own photos using the Art Mode app. 

During my workday, I like to pair an upbeat music playlist with a modern or abstract masterpiece. When it’s time to unwind at night, I switch to Google TV’s intuitive layout of streaming apps and smart recommendations. A prominent Rotten Tomatoes rating helps me choose without searching for reviews on another device. 

Here’s the takeaway: If you’re looking for a new TV or want to elevate the design appeal of your living space, the Hisense CanvasTV is a fantastic dual-function product that flexes on form and function. Turns out, a 65-inch Hisense CanvasTV (available for $1,298.00 at Walmart) can transform a small cozy Brooklyn apartment into a space with some grandeur. It’s also available in a 55-inch (available for $999.99 at Best Buy) version, so you can select the size that works best for you.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 65-Inch CanvasTV $1,299.99 at Amazon
Ultra-slim design with anti-glare panel Shop Now

SAVE $25: As of August 22, get the Amazon Echo Spot for just $54.99, down from its normal price of $79.99. That's a 31% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Spot $54.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $25.00 Get Deal

Still having trouble rolling out of bed in the morning? You aren't alone. It can be a struggle to wake up when you're snuggled in bed all warm and cozy. Make it a little easier with one of Amazon's most useful devices that can double as a smart alarm clock – and one that can help you out even long after you're finished snoozing.

As of August 22, the Amazon Echo Spot is on sale for just $54.99, which is marked down from its standard price of $79.99. That's a 31% discount and savings of $25.

This Echo device is small enough to place on a bedside table or a nightstand, and it has plenty of awesome features that can help with a variety of life's little tasks. It's a smart speaker, so you can listen to all your favorite music and podcasts, assign tasks via Alexa to control your smart home, and rise in the morning with the onboard smart alarm.

The Echo Spot can play your favorite sound or tune at the volume you set it to, with Alexa taking over to ensure you wake up at at the right time. You can also link it with other Alexa-enabled devices to help wake you in the morning, like a light to give you some soft, gentle light instead of just a noise ringing in your ears. It can display a calendar as well so you know what's going on for the day, too.

If you want some help rising each day and a new companion you can rely on as soon as you open your eyes, this is one deal you won't want to pass up.

One of Nintendo's flagship phone games is shutting down, but it isn't going away completely.

As announced on the official website for the iOS and Android version of Animal Crossing, service for Pocket Camp will end on Nov. 28 of this year. The game will continue to work, and there will even be seasonal events and other activities until that date. But after Nov. 28, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp as you know it will end, as have many online service-based games over the years, including Nintendo's own Dragalia Lost in 2022.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo Switch 2: It might not come out in early 2025 after all

But it's not completely over. A single-player, offline version of Pocket Camp, which you can buy with a one-time payment (the original game is free-to-play with microtransactions) that gets you access to the game's "included features," per a vaguely worded FAQ page on the website. Yes, you will be able to transfer your save data to this new version of the game, so you can keep going.

There are some asterisks to this — both good and bad. Unfortunately, since this new app is offline, you won't be able to use any network features, like the ability to visit your friends' camps. On the plus side, there will be no microtransactions nor subscriptions in the game anymore; you simply buy it once and that's that.

Considering so many online games (such as Dragalia Lost) shut down unceremoniously with no way to keep playing, this approach to Animal Crossing's end-of-life process is a pivot for Nintendo. Maybe other companies will start thinking about doing similar things in the future.

SAVE 29%: Shop our favorite 2-in-1 Chromebook, the HP Chromebook Plus x360, which is now $499, saving you $200 for 29% off.

Opens in a new window Credit: HP HP Chromebook Plus x360 2-in-1 laptop, 14-inch (Intel Core i3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $499.00 at Best Buy
$699.00 Save $200.00 Get Deal

Laptops don't need to break the bank. We've spent plenty of time rounding up the best cheap laptops that are under $1,000 but still get the job done. Chromebooks are the go-to affordable laptop option, however, the downside is they don't offer a ton of special features and are usually made with cheap materials.

Normally $699, the HP Chromebook Plus x360 2-in-1 laptop is down to $499. That knocks $200 off the price for 29% savings. This deal is available during the Best Buy Tech Fest, and My Best Plus members get an even better deal. With the purchase of $250 or more, you'll get a $25 bonus reward. Those extra savings can go toward a stylus that will work alongside your new 2-in-1 Chromebook.

SEE ALSO: Lenovo's 2-in-1 Yoga laptop provides a flexible workstation — and it's up to 35% off

Through our research, we tested the HP Chromebook Plus x360 2-in-1 laptop and discovered all it had to offer. Not only is it made from sleek aluminum, it includes a touchscreen for a flexible 2-in-1 design. It's best for those with a light work load who primarily need to access the Google Suite of apps or do some light streaming. If you're headed off to college or need a laptop for high school, this will certainly do the job. It doesn't have the best displays and the webcam is weak, but for $499, it's still a great value.

SAVE $30: The Apple Pencil (1st Gen) is on sale at Amazon for just $69, down from the list price of $99. That's a 30% discount and the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Pencil (1st Gen) $69.00 at Amazon
$99.00 Save $30.00 Get Deal

It's not everyday that we see a major discount on an Apple product, but today is no ordinary day. If you rely on your iPad for checking off work or school tasks, listen up to this great deal.

As of Aug. 22, the Apple Pencil (1st Gen) is just $69 at Amazon, marked down from the normal price of $99. That's a 30% discount or a savings of $30. It's also the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon on this model.

An iPad can be one of the greatest tools when it comes to productivity, but add in the Apple Pencil, and you're on a whole new level. The Apple Pencil is compatible with the following devices:

• iPad (6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Gen)

• iPad Air (3rd Gen)

• iPad mini (5th Gen)

• iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 1st and 2nd Gen)

• iPad Pro (10.5-inch and 9.7-inch)

If you're using one of these models, the Apple Pencil has the ability to turn your tablet experience into one full of note-taking in the margins, sketching an inspiring scene, or writing yourself a to-do list.

SEE ALSO: Apple Watch 10: Everything we know so far, including blood pressure monitor rumor

Apple mentions the precision of the Pencil gets down to individual pixels, and both tilt and pressure sensitivity make using the Pencil easier. Thanks to this feature, you can draw lines of varying weights and get a better result when shading, making it an attractive option for artists who create on an iPad. You're also looking at a lag-free writing and drawing with the Apple Pencil, just like you would expect from a good-old No. 2 pencil.

Included with the Apple Pencil deal the device itself, a lightning adapter for charging, an extra tip, and a USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter, which is necessary to charge and pair with a 10th Gen iPad.

The perfect accessory for an iPad, the Apple Pencil (1st Gen) is currently at the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon at just $69. Whether you're heading back into the classroom and could benefit from taking notes or you're an artist drawing up a new project, the Apple Pencil brings a whole new level of creativity to using a tablet.

A group of Olympians who've collapsed while crossing the finish line. Pop stars dancing in ecstasy. The array of films, seen from another row of seats, watched on an airplane. On X, these photos are all dubbed "Renaissance paintings" due to their varying degrees of resemblance to the work of 15th century Italian masters like Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. 

Tweet may have been deleted

The European cultural movement first became shorthand online a decade ago, when images of a physical fight in the Ukranian parliament, a somewhat common occurrence, circulated. One of the images bore a striking adherence to the Ancient Greek mathematical art theory further developed in the Renaissance by da Vinci and mathematician Luca Pacioli, which used the "Golden ratio" and "Fibonacci spiral" to create the most satisfying composition. Users dubbed it "accidental Renaissance," and the phrase stuck in our meme-y vocabulary, changing the way we understood images online. 

SEE ALSO: Sam Soar just wanted free books. So she became an influencer.

On Reddit, over a million people belong to r/AccidentalRenaissance, a community devoted to sharing images that they feel have a resemblance to the paintings of the period. 

Matthias Wivel, head of research at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek art museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, and previously the National Museum's curator of 16th-century Italian paintings, described the Ukrainian parliament image as "remarkable" and "quite perfect." He notes, however, that it's more akin to a Roman Baroque painting, the period directly following the Renaissance, due to its complex, interlocking postures and incidental mastery of visual language developed during the former period — specifically, the value placed on rich symbolism and continuous narrative across multiple figures within the frame.

As with most internet trends, "accidental Renaissance" is no longer used to describe photographs that are decisively similar to the movement's work. Once something is part of the online vernacular, its use resonates and gains traction despite its meaning changing throughout the repetitive process. Now, seemingly any image featuring multiple figures could receive the title.

"People use 'Renaissance painting' as kind of a shorthand for an image capturing a group of people who are compositionally interesting."

When a pop culture aggregate account captioned an image of Charli XCX dancing with Lorde at the brat singer's birthday party, "this is like a modern renaissance painting," James Webster, a 31-year-old web marketing assistant at Seven Stories Press in Texas, shot back with a meme. He manipulated a dril post to read, "(me after seeing 3+ people in any context whatsoever) Well well well if isnt the Renaissance painting." The post received 83,000 likes, 20,000 more than the photo. 

The post and the popularity of its retort signaled the meme's ubiquity and perceived distance from what defined Renaissance paintings. It suggests the Renaissance becoming a meme outside of the historical cultural movement.

"It clicked in my mind that people use 'Renaissance painting' as kind of a shorthand for an image capturing a group of people who are compositionally interesting," Webster told Mashable. 

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However, Wivel understands why people still use the term. "Most people don't know much about art history, but they've heard of the Renaissance and know it's an era of classical painting," he said. 

It's also a pivotal moment in art history and the history of Western culture that's reiterated in history classes and at museums around the world. Da Vinci's The Mona Lisa gets 10 million visitors a year in the Louvre, making it the most visited painting in the world. Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling panel The Creation of Adam has been spoofed in popular culture a hundred times over. Thousands cram themselves in front of Raphael's The School of Athens every day in the Vatican.

Many of the characteristics of the Renaissance that these images hint at, like the rational organization of figures in space and psychological realism, were developed during the period. Given that that's when the characteristics emerged, Wivel argues, the descriptor makes sense.

These developments are most notably articulated in da Vinci's The Last Supper, which is likely the central reference point for posters as one of the most famous images of all time. "You have Christ in the middle with the apostles around him. It's just as he announces that one of them is going to betray him, you see his words reverberating in all they all respond to it," explains Wivel. "So there's a psychological intertwinement of all the figures in that image. Leonardo's great goal is to show not just the physical presence of humans, but also the mental presence."

Jerry Brotton, professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary University of London and author of Four Points of the Compass: The Unexpected History of Direction, also cited The Last Supper as a demonstration of the emotions we associate with the Renaissance. 

"Revelation, calmness, thoughtfulness, guilt, terror, horror, it's all laid out there at a dinner table," he told Mashable. "Those images that are captured now through social media are doing something similar. They are trying to capture a certain composition or moment which is about pain, ecstasy, joy, and/or horror."

With the range of emotions and sculpted bodies on display — another defining aspect of the Renaissance — at the 2024 Paris Olympics, many so-called Renaissance paintings circulated on social media. 

The image of the four-by-400-meter relay race that got the descriptor displayed members of Team Great Britain. One lies on his back, another bent over him. Beside him is another runner with a face of shock and hands almost held in prayer, and the final member of the team keeps his hands over his head. In a Renaissance painting, these emotions would be assumed as driven by religious beliefs — and despair featured heavily. Wivel likened the image to a painting of a lamentation over the dead body of Christ, a popular scene for artists known as the Pietà, rendered by masters from Michelangelo to Pietro Perugino and Giovanni Bellini.

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Emma Turner, a 24-year-old working in sports media in Brisbane, Australia, posted a photo of her TV displaying the men's triathlon finish line with the caption, "obsessed with the finish line in the men’s triathlon, it’s like a renaissance piece" to X. The photo showed one athlete lying on his back and another on his hands and knees. 

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The response to the meme and its recirculation on Facebook and Instagram surprised her. She received comments like, "People are just calling anything a Renaissance painting these days."

"With modern phrases and pop culture, it's just become a shorthand for people to say this is beautiful or this is something that came together in a way that is appealing to the human eye, in the way that classical art is," she told Mashable.

Despite the loosening of what "Renaissance painting" means in reference to viral images, it's no accident that, again and again, we find ourselves attracted to these images of extreme emotion and beautiful bodies. We may no longer be living in the time of da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo, but we're still appreciators of art, whether that be murals or memes.