Mashable

No matter the gifting occasion, you want to wow your mom. She spent years of her life providing for you, and now you're in a place where you can *kind of* return the favor.

While she probably won't say no to a new high-tech vacuum or kitchen appliance (you'll find a couple on this list), make sure not to pigeonhole your mother by looking only at stereotypical "mom gifts." Remember, moms are actual, whole human beings outside of being your mom! Instead, consider gifts that are actually for her and don’t just have to do with weirdly gendered mom pursuits, an all-too-common issue that afflicts many a gift guide.

SEE ALSO: Best gifts for parents: Great gift ideas for moms, dads, and guardians

Your mom (or mom figure, or mom friend) should revel in her own glory with gifts that make her feel smart, sophisticated, and valued. Consider what she does when she has no one putting demands on her time — then shop for those moments. Here are over 35 ideas to get you started:

Elon Musk's X appears to be adding yet another fee for third party apps, according to an affected app developer.

After acquiring then-Twitter, Musk made big sweeping changes to the platform's API, which allows third-party developers to integrate X into their platforms. The biggest change? Charging thousands of dollars just to access X's API, which used to be free to use for most developers.

Under Musk, many app developers found that they'd have to pay $42,000 per month, in order to continue using X integration. 

Some third-party companies like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo just removed X from their app. Many apps that depended on X API access had to shut down. However, some companies had no choice but to fork over the $42,000 per month just to access the lowest-priced tier of X's Enterprise API plan. 

SEE ALSO: Why Elon Musk is skipping around on stage for Donald Trump

Now, those companies that are paying tens of thousands of dollars to X per month are being asked to pay additional fees to the tune of $1 per month for each account that will be connecting to X's API through their app. Again, this monthly $1 per account fee is on top of the $42,000+ per month companies are already paying for X API access.

Musk squeezing developers dry for a buck

Social media management app Publer was the first to go public with the most recent X API changes.

"I just got off a call with our Enterprise Partner Manager at Twitter/X, and unfortunately, I have some bad news for those using the free version of Publer," Publer founder and CEO Ervin Kalemi wrote in a post on X. "In addition to the hefty Twitter/X API Enterprise fee ($42K/month), starting November 1st, we will also have to pay $1 monthly for each Twitter/X account connected to Publer. Long story short, we can no longer support Twitter/X for free."

Mashable reached out to X for confirmation and any more information about this apparent change to the platform's fee structure, and we will update if we hear back.

To get a better understanding of what these fees mean to third-party app creators, here's an example: According to Publer's own reports, the company was making between $125,000 and $140,000 per month at the beginning of the year. Based on those numbers, X currently takes more than one-third of Publer's revenue each month due to the $42,000 per month API cost.

Let's say a social media management company like Publer charges users $10 per month to manage their social media through their app. Based on Publer's previously reported revenue, that means Publer could have up to 14,000 paying customers. If each paying user connects just one X account to use on Publer, those new X per account fees could now cost Publer an extra $14,000 per month or $168,000 per year. Again, this is in addition to the $504,000 per year a company like Publer already pays X for the lowest tier of X's Enterprise API access.

And if you're wondering how much other social media companies like Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and YouTube charge developers and companies for API access, it's nothing. All those companies provide API access at zero cost, free to use.

X's once-lively app ecosystem barely exists now

Charging exorbitant fees for API access is easily one of the more controversial decisions that Elon Musk made after acquiring then-Twitter. Before Musk, Twitter was known for having a robust third-party app ecosystem. 

Indie developers as well as larger companies were freely creating their own apps that provided Twitter users with additional functionality not built-in to the platform itself. Some found financial success with their apps that utilized Twitter's free API. However, in return, these third-party apps encourage content creation, engagement, and overall Twitter platform usage.

Since Musk took ownership, however, many of those apps have since shuttered. The once-bustling forums and message boards where developers shared daily news and tips about Twitter's API are now dead. The developers that can afford it are being forced to pay dearly to keep their apps afloat. With the latest additional API fees, it'll be interesting to see how many developers continue to allow themselves to be squeezed by Musk.

In just a few days, we'll all have access to Apple's latest iPhone software update, iOS 18.2, but the beta is already available to some developers.

Of course, the most news shattering feature of the new iOS update is Apple's AI-related features. Among them are Genmoji, AI-powered custom emojis; image playground, which allows users to create images based on a text description from their library; and Image Wand, which Mashable's Stan Schroeder described as "essentially Image Playground integrated into the Notes app." Siri can answer your questions using ChatGPT now, and there are expanded AI writing tools. Finally, there's Visual Intelligence, in which AI gives you info about something your camera is pointed at — like, say, hours of a place of business.

SEE ALSO: The real AI update: Apple launches iOS 18.2 developer beta Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

If AI isn't really your thing, there's still something for you in the new update. You can turn off game previews in your Apple Arcade, use built-in categories for organizing your emails in the mail app, layer voice memos on top of each other and mix them in the voice memo app, and change your default apps in your settings. You can change up the volume limit, there are new sections for managing data in Safari, and you can favorite categories in the Podcasts app.

Overall, lots of changes and updates to look forward to.

TikTok is bringing its STEM feed to all users in the U.S., UK, and Ireland. Previously, it was only enabled for users under 18.

SEE ALSO: TikTok's retro dating dance trends harken back to the days of courtship

Launched last year, the STEM feed is a designated hub for vetted science, technology, engineering, and math content. Since its launch, nearly 200 million videos have been uploaded to the feed. It also spurred an 18 percent increase in STEM-related content on the platform. One-third of teen users in the U.S., UK, and Ireland use the STEM feed on a weekly basis.

All videos on the STEM feed must be approved by Common Sense Networks and The Poynter Institute for Media Studies. Common Sense assesses a video's age-appropriateness, and Poynter checks its reliability. Misinformation runs rampant on the platform — Newsguard recently found that AI-enhanced videos spreading election misinformation garnered over 380 million views — and the STEM feed provides a rare haven of vetted content.

The STEM feed has been used to counter claims that the platform is damaging to teen mental health — despite overwhelming evidence of social media's impact on teen mental health. In two U.S. congressional hearings, TikTok CEO Shou Chew pointed to the feed as an example of TikTok fostering a love of learning and science and math.

The STEM feed is one of several Topic Feeds available on the platform. These hubs serve as topic-specific alternatives to your FYP and Following feed. They've launched Sports, Food, Gaming, and Fashion feeds.

While the feed is now enabled for all users in the U.S., UK, and Ireland, you can turn it off in the app's settings under "content preferences."

Hilarious comedian and actress Ali Wong took on 'Hot Ones.'

More sex workers are supporting Kamala Harris in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, new data shows.

Nearly three out of four (74 percent) said they will vote for Harris in a poll of over 200 sex workers conducted by research firm SWR Data in the last week. Just above nine percent will vote for Trump, and the same amount are undecided. More than 7 percent will vote for someone other than Harris or Trump. One person said they definitely won't vote.

SEE ALSO: Porn performers launch campaign against Project 2025

While the sample size is small, it's a subgroup within the estimated two million adult creators in the U.S., according to a press release shared with Mashable.

Credit: SWR Data

Porn performers working on studio sets are the strongest Harris supporters, with 81 percent voting for the candidate. Considering that Project 2025 — the right-wing policy wishlist for Trump if he wins — includes outlawing porn, it makes sense that performers want his opponent to win. Harris support is also strong among strippers, with 78 percent of those polled voting for her.

Trump, meanwhile, has the strongest support among webcam models (11 percent) and phone sex operators (11 percent). But all Trump supporters polled said they're extremely certain in their choice of candidate, while only 80 percent of Harris voters are extremely certain. Last month, Mashable reported that some sex workers are uncertain about voting for Harris considering her past actions. These included co-sponsoring the bill SESTA while a senator (a law that, along with FOSTA, were anti-sex-trafficking in theory, but in practice, researchers say hurt sex workers) and helping shut down Backpage.com, which sex workers say made them less safe.

Despite the hesitation to vote for her, Harris supporters speak about politics with their fans more often than Trump voters do: 20 percent of Harris voters do so "very often," contrasted with six percent of Trump voters. Thirty-seven percent of Harris voters speak about politics "occasionally," while only 19 percent of Trump supporters do. Half of Trump-voting creators never speak about politics with fans, and only 18 percent of Harris voters never do.

"With censorship and bodily autonomy on the ballot, the stakes could not be higher," MelRose Michaels, adult performer and co-founder of SWR Data, commented on the press release. "We're seeing a highly political, highly engaged sex worker population embrace its voice and flex its muscle. While there’s certainly still significant concern in the community over Harris' role in passing FOSTA, there's clearly much much greater concern about the possibility of a second Trump administration and the potential repercussions of Project 2025-like theocracy."

SAVE UP TO 35%: Beats headphones are up to 35% off this week. Find the Powerbeats Pro for $40 off at Best Buy, the Solo 4 for $69.96 off, and the Studio Buds for $49.96 off.

Best Beats Deals Best over-ear headphones deal Beats Solo 4 $129.99 at Amazon (Save $69.96) Get Deal Best sporty earbuds deal Beats Powerbeats Pro $159.99 at Best Buy (Save $40) Get Deal Best earbuds deal Beats Studio Buds $99.99 at Amazon (Save $49.96) Get Deal

With all the headphones on the market, how does one decide what pair to get? Well, the easy answer is to chase the deals. This week, those deals point straight to Beats headphones and earbuds. Before there were AirPods, there were Beats. Apple's original dive into earbuds and headphones has since been overshadowed by AirPods, but they're still fantastic. Plus, they're compatible with Android as well as iOS systems.

This week, we've spotted deals across the Beats lineup. You can find savings on headphones and earbuds from the brand that are up to 35% off.

Best over-ear headphones deal Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Solo 4 $129.99 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $69.96 Get Deal Why we like it

The Beats Solo 4 are a more budget-friendly entry in the Beats headphone line-up. While they don't have active noise cancellation, these on-ear headphones feature spatial audio and dynamic head tracking for sound that moves with you. Plus, at full charge, they have 50 hours of battery life — that will get you through the entire work week.

Right now, the Beats Solo 4 are on sale at Amazon for $129.99, saving you $69.96 for 35% off.

Best sporty earbuds deal Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Powerbeats Pro $159.99 at Best Buy
$199.99 Save $40.00 Get Deal Why we like it

For a sportier pair of earbuds, look to the Powerbeats Pro. When we first tested these back in 2019, we found them to have better sound, fit, and battery life than AirPods. While haven't put them head-to-head with the latest AirPod models, the Powerbeats Pro still make a great pair.

They're completely wireless, so you don't get tied up while working out, plus they're sweat-resistant. Right now, Best Buy is running a sale on the Powerbeats Pro, bringing them down to $159.99 for $40 off.

Best earbuds deal Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Studio Buds $99.99 at Amazon
$149.95 Save $49.96 Get Deal Why we like it

For affordable earbuds with active noise cancellation, the Beats Studio Buds are a great pick, especially if you're looking for an AirPod alternative. All Beats come with the same easy connectivity as AirPods, instantly connecting with iOS systems, however, they're also compatible with Androids too.

The Studio Buds come with eight hours of battery life and 24 hours with the charging case. You can switch between ANC and transparent modes when you need to be aware of your surroundings.

Right now, you can get the already affordable earbuds for $99.99. This is an especially good deal compared to the AirPods 4 with ANC, which cost $168.99. This deal on the Beats Studio Buds saves you $49.96 for 33% off.

Music legends Tegan and Sara have experienced a lot in their over 25 years in the music industry. Here, they share some valuable life experience for breakout star, Chappell Roan as she navigates superstardom.

Google Calendar is getting a big design revamp, so it may look quite different on your web browser. Among the changes is the option to toggle to dark mode, which some users will certainly welcome.

Google published a blog detailing the changes, which began rolling out this week. Most of the changes are a part of the company's shift to its Material Design 3 standards. You can expect different buttons, new fonts, and a focus on legibility.

SEE ALSO: How to share your Google calendar

Google wrote about changes were:

• Controls (like buttons, dialogs, and sidebars) that are more modern and accessible

• Interface typography that uses Google’s custom-designed and highly-legible typefaces 

• Iconography that is legible and crisp, with a fresh feel 

Of course, there's dark mode, which many people prefer for battery conservation and eye strain. The dark mode option is available in the settings icon at the top-right corner of your Google Calendar, under the "Appearance" tab.

Google gave a preview of what the new calendar and dark mode options will look like.

Credit: Google Dark mode! Credit: Google

While the changes to Google Calendar might not be the most dramatic shifts in history, it's good to be ready for anything new in a tool you likely use daily.

SAVE $220: As of Oct. 24, get the 34-inch Alienware Curved QD-OLED Gaming Monitor for $679.99 at Dell. That's a discount of 29%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dell Alienware Curved QD-OLED Gaming Monitor $679.99 at Dell
$899.99 Save $220.00 Get Deal

A great monitor can completely transform your favorite games. When you can see everything in stunning detail, there's no screen tearing, and you've got the perfect blend of contrast and brilliant colors that highlight the game's graphics, you're enhancing your experience. Same goes with crazy colorful games – the better things look, the more fun you'll have since you're not bogged down wondering if you're missing out on the way things should look. And right now, you can snag a great price on a monitor that'll help you take your gaming sessions to the next level.

As of Oct. 24, you can get the 34-inch Alienware Curved QD-OLED Gaming Monitor for $679.99 from Dell. That's $220 off its normal price of $899 and a discount of 29%.

This behemoth of a monitor will take up plenty of desk real estate, but it's worth it for the immersion, given its curve. It boasts a 165Hz refresh rate via DisplayPort and 100Hz via HDMi, with AMD FreeSync and VESA AdaptiveSync options. With a 0.1 ms response time, you'll absolutely notice some improvements in how you play, too – that kind of speed can make all the difference between winning and losing in games like the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

You'll get a low-latency picture with tear-free gaming, smooth gameplay, and great-looking colors as well as darker shades thanks to the QD-OLED curved 1800 panel. Beyond that, the monitor is attractive on its own, with the iconic Alienware logo on the back and a supportive swiveling base that you can use to customize how your screen is angled and how it fits on your desk or table. It's high time for a splurge, so might as well grab this monitor while it's still available for this kind of price.

It's no secret that kids love Roblox, which has led to tons of parental concerns about child safety over the years. Now, the company behind the game is doing something about it.

Bloomberg reported that Roblox is adding enhanced child safety features sometime next month. These include new accounts for parents that allow them to see what their kids are getting up to online, as well as requirements for parental permission to access certain features or modes for players who are 13 or younger.

SEE ALSO: Google launches new gaming world for kids on Roblox

Put bluntly, these features may feel like too little, too late for some of Roblox's biggest critics. As a robust platform for game creation, Roblox has an essentially unlimited number of games and modes for players to mess around with, and inevitably, some of those are going to be inappropriate at best and actively exploitative at worst.

In just the latest of Roblox's many high-profile child safety-related problems, a woman arrested in Florida last week faces a deeply disturbing allegation that she coerced a 10 year-old into doing serious harm to a baby. There is, sadly, a long history of related cases. A 2022 lawsuit accused Roblox of allowing for a young girl to be sexually and financially exploited, for example. Sony, for its part, blocked Roblox from appearing on PlayStation consoles until recently over safety concerns.

But some child safety features are better than none.

Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of Oct. 24: OUR TOP PICK Apple MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $699.99 at Amazon (save $299.01) Get Deal BEST GAMING DEAL Amazon Luna wireless controller $49.99 at Amazon (save $20) Get Deal BEST TABLET DEAL Google Pixel tablet (128GB) $274.99 at Amazon (save $124.01) Get Deal BEST HEADPHONES DEAL Beats Solo 4 $129 at Amazon (save $69.96) Get Deal

From Apple to Google, this week has brought us plenty of excellent deals on wishlist-worthy brands and products. And since we're still over a month out from Black Friday, we're welcoming the deals with open arms. If you're looking to partake in some early holiday shopping, we've got you covered with the best Amazon deals you can shop each day.

Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day on Oct. 24. If you missed out on our picks from earlier this week, be sure to take a look. Many of the deals from Oct. 22 and Oct. 23 are still available to add to your cart, including a pair of Sony headphones for under $40 and a coupon that drops the Fire TV Stick 4K Max to a record-low.

Our top pick Apple MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $699.99 at Amazon
$999.00 Save $299.01 Get Deal

Want to upgrade your MacBook? You can do it on a budget if you opt for the 13.6-inch M2 MacBook Air from 2022. Sure, it's not the latest and greatest MacBook on the market, but it's still a very solid laptop. Tech Reporter Alex Perry gave it the Mashable Choice Award badge of honor, praising its peppy M2 processor, rock-solid battery life, slim profile, and more than satisfying keyboard design. Not only did it get a permanent price drop back in March when the M3 made its debut, knocking its starting price down from $1,099 to $999, but Amazon also just knocked another $299.01 off as of Oct. 24. That brings the price down to a wallet-friendly all-time low of $699.99.

Read our full review of the M2 MacBook Air.

Amazon Luna wireless controller $49.99 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal

While we haven't had the honor, our buds at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) tested and reviewed the Amazon Luna controller and dubbed it "an excellent gamepad that provides the optimal Luna game-streaming experience." The real standout is its separate WiFi connection, which helps reduce input lag as you play. While technically an optional add-on for the Luna gaming experience, they called it a "must-have" and granted it an Editors' Choice award. It's regularly $69.99, but you can save $20 as of Oct. 24 and pick one up for only $49.99.

Google Pixel tablet (128GB) $274.99 at Amazon
$399.00 Save $124.01 Get Deal

Google's first attempt at a tablet went much better than its first attempt at a smartwatch. The specs aren't going to blow you away, but they're definitely acceptable; it packs a Google Tensor G2 chip with 8GB of RAM under its hood and 8MP cameras on the front and back, an 11-inch 2560 x 1600 display, and up to 12 hours of battery life per charge. It really shines when paired with the speaker dock (sold separately), which transforms it into a useful smart display or, as Mashable's Alex Perry called it, "a nifty little desktop TV." Regularly $399, you can grab the 128GB version on sale for just $274.99 as of Oct. 24.

Read our full review of the Google Pixel tablet.

Beats Solo 4 $129.99 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $69.96 Get Deal

While not as impressive as the 50% price drop they got on Prime Day, this 35% discount on the Beats Solo 4 is still pretty dang good. Just released earlier this year, the Beats Solo 4s improve upon the previous generation with upgraded drivers, rebalanced acoustics, and an improved frequency response. Translation: they pack more dynamic sound. They also have a better battery life, clocking in at about 50 hours (10 hours more than their predecessor). Our one qualm is the lack of noise-cancelling technology. At the sale price of $129.99, however, we're willing to overlook it.

None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.

SAVE $500: Shop the M3 MacBook Pro for $1,499 at Best Buy. That's $500 in savings for 25% off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M3 chip, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,499.00 at Apple
$1,999.00 Save $500.00 Get Deal

We've tested a lot of laptops here at Mashable, so we don't speak in hyperbole when we say something is the best. Whether you're in need of a cheap laptop or something that can handle heavy-duty video editing, we've got you covered. If you're in the market for the latter or maybe you've just been dragging your feet on upgrading your MacBook, Best Buy is delivering the ultimate deal on the best laptop for creatives.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 chip, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD, is on sale at Best Buy. It comes with hardware accelerated ray-tracing, elevating the display on graphics for a more realistic look. Plus, it has an 18% increase in power over the previous M2 model.

There are rumors that new MacBooks are coming next week that will have the M4 chip. We've seen what said chip can do in the iPad Pro, and are stoked to see the power it has in a MacBook. That being said, the M3 MacBook is still the best laptop we've seen from the fruit-brand and if you care more about savings than the newest tech, now is the time to shop.

Right now, get the MacBook Pro 14-inch model with M3 chip for just $1,499 at Best Buy. This laptop comes with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD, plenty of power for photo editing, graphic design, and more. This deal saves you $500 for 25% off.

SAVE UP TO 40%: Coffee makers from brands like Ninja, Philips, Keurig, and more are on sale at Amazon for up to 40% off.

Top coffee makers deals at Amazon Best overall deal Ninja CFN601 Espresso and Coffee Barista System $189.94 at Amazon (save $60.05) Get Deal Best budget-friendly deal Keurig K-Mini Single Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker $59.99 at Amazon (save $40) Get Deal Best splurge Philips 3200 Series Fully Automatic Coffee Machine $689.95 at Amazon (save $310.04) Get Deal

Spooky season is here, which means we're thrilled about decorative skeletons, but it also means we're dealing with some dark mornings. Soon we'll turn the clocks back by an hour which will help get some daylight back, but chilly winter mornings can be tough regardless. What we need is something to lure us out of bed each morning. Something that we look forward to. Thanks to some great sale prices at Amazon, a coffee maker is ready to become the reason we get out of bed this winter.

Whether you're a simple cup of black coffee kind of person or someone who prefers an extra frothy cappuccino, Amazon has a coffee maker deal today that'll please. Here are some of our favorites:

Best overall deal Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Our pick: Ninja CFN601 Espresso and Coffee Barista System $189.94 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $60.05 Get Deal Why we like it

Versatility wins with the Ninja CFN601 Espresso and Coffee Barista System. The system allows you to brew up a pot of drip coffee, make a single-serving cup for yourself, pull an espresso shot from an espresso capsule, or craft a foamy latte. While the machine usually costs $249.99, it's on sale at Amazon for $189.94 which means you'll save an impressive $60.05.

The Ninja Espresso and Coffee Barista System can be especially great for households that have different coffee preferences like a busy college student who prefers a quick espresso and night owl who can breeze through half a pot of coffee while working well into the night. The machine uses Ninja's barista plus technology which keeps water at an ideal brewing temperature and uses a 19-bar pressure system to better extract coffee's natural flavors. Plus, the large-capacity 60-ounce coffee reservoir means you'll need to refill less often.

Best budget-friendly deal Opens in a new window Credit: Keurig Our pick: Keurig K-Mini Single Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker $59.99 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $40.00 Get Deal Why we like it

If you're shopping on a budget or you have limited counter space in your kitchen, the slender Keurig K-Mini Single Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker could be great. Normally priced at $99.99, the Keurig is on sale at Amazon for just $59.99 in colors like Dusty Rose, Evergreen, and Oasis to add a pop of color to your morning. This sale price means you'll be scoring a 40% discount.

Measuring less than five inches wide, the Keurig is great for sliding into small spaces in your kitchen without sacrificing on functionality. You'll be able to brew a 6 to 12 ounce cup of coffee in mere minutes. It's also an energy-efficient model with an auto-shutoff that kicks in 90 seconds after the last brew, so you'll never need to worry about if you remembered to turn the coffee maker off.

Best splurge Opens in a new window Credit: Philips Our pick: Philips 3200 Series Fully Automatic Coffee Machine $692.96 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $307.03 Get Deal Why we like it

For those who frequent the local coffee house several times a week, the Philips 3200 Series Fully Automatic Coffee Machine is meant for your kitchen counter. The machine's normal price is listed at $999.99 but on it's on sale at Amazon today for $692.96 which saves a whopping $307.03. While the price means this machine isn't the best option for a casual or occasional coffee drinker, it could be awesome for those who grab one, two, or three drinks per day from the coffee shop.

The Philips is designed for ease with five one-touch buttons to make espresso, coffee, an Americano, cappuccino, or latte macchiato. There's also a hot water button for those evening herbal teas or hot chocolates. Inside, the machine uses a ceramic grinder that Philips says should last for 20,000 cups of coffee. If your household makes four cups of coffee per day, you'll reach 20,000 cups in about 13.5 years.

The Philips coffee machine also allows you to select your ideal coffee strength and volume. The two-part milk system can easily be washed under the tap in as little as 15 seconds or you can pop it in the dishwasher.

25 years since the 1999 film, "Cruel Intentions" has been rebooted as a TV series. Watch the trailer.

More teens want to see friendship on screen, not romance.

Last year, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles found that teens and young adults think there's too much sex and romance in TV and movies, according to its annual Teens and Screens report out of the Center for Scholars and Storytellers (CSS). This year's report found that the figure went up: 63.5 percent of adolescents want stories focused on friendship and platonic relationships, up from 51.5 percent last year.

SEE ALSO: Why do I feel lonely when I have friends?

The number of adolescents who said sex and sexual content aren't needed to advance the plot of TV shows and movies also jumped, from 47.5 percent last year to 62.4 percent this year. Additionally, 46 percent are interested in more asexual and/or aromantic characters on screen, up from 39 percent last year.

"The romance doesn't need to be the biggest part of the plot. The relationships need to involve less jealousy and the plot shouldn't fixate so much on the relationship being formed. They really aren't that dramatic," said an anonymous 17-year-old quoted in the report. "It would also be awesome to see more diverse groups such as queer people in romantic relationships. That's more realistic for the real world and I like seeing more representation."

The report clarifies that survey questions regarding romance and sex weren't shown to younger adolescents aged 10-13. Those 14-24 years old were asked, however, around 1,200 participants surveyed in early August this year. CSS considers ages 10-24 "extended adolescence," when young people form their own opinions and gain independence.

Ten- to 13-year-olds were asked about friendship, though, CSS's founder and executive director Yalda T. Uhls confirmed to Mashable. As one anonymous 12-year-old commented, "I think more friendships should be shown. And just because boys and girls are friends doesn't mean they have to be romantic."

Young people seem to be tired of "the same dated and unrelatable romantic tropes on screen," Alisha J. Hines, director of research at CSS, said in the press release. "Teens and young adults want to see stories that more authentically reflect a full spectrum of nuanced relationships."

"Teens and Screens" also offers insights unrelated to romance. One is that teens love fantasy, with 36.2 percent saying they most wanted to see that genre. Adolescents want to see "hopeful, uplifting content with people beating the odds" and less content about the rich and famous. No Succession or The White Lotus for them, supposedly.

The study also found that around a third of adolescents (31.1 percent) consider social media the most authentic media space — but almost half (45.1) cringe when they watch portrayals of social media in TV and movies. Despite the social media love, 48.1 percent of adolescents say they talk about TV and movies more than they talk about social media.

Teen respondents actually prefer going to the movies during opening weekend over other leisurely activities like going to a concert or playing a new video game as it's released. According to the study, however, they'd rather see a story about friends rather than lovers.

All the insights about young people's thoughts on TV and movies can be found at the full "Teens and Screens" report.

SAVE $299.01: As of October 23, get the Apple MacBook Air (M2 chip, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $699.99, down from $999, at Amazon. That's a 30% discount and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple MacBook Air (M2 chip, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $699.99 at Amazon
$999.00 Save $299.01 Get Deal

Some apples are rotten right to the core (yes, that's a Charli XCX reference). But when it comes to MacBooks, you can occasionally score a ruby-red deal. The holidays are almost upon us, so whether you want a new laptop of your own or you want to give the perfect gift to someone else, you can save big right now on a MacBook you'll love using, thanks to its portable size and incredibly lightweight frame.

As of Oct. 24, get the Apple MacBook Air (M2 chip, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for just $699.99 at Amazon. That's $299.01 off its normal price of $999 and a 30% discount. That's the lowest price we've seen so far.

SEE ALSO: Snag the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for its lowest price yet

The MacBook Air is the thinnest and lightest MacBook yet at just 2.7 pounds. It has a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display and boasts over 500 nits of brightness and support for a billion colors. Beyond that, it's powered by the Apple M2 chip, an 8-core CPU, and 24GB of unified memory. It's ready as-is for Apple Intelligence as well, so you don't have to splurge on the newest MacBook to take the new AI-based features Apple has up its sleeve for a spin.

With 18 hours of battery life, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, and two Thunderbolt ports as well as MagSafe charging, the MacBook Air is super convenient and useful to have around, whether you're using it to stay connected with work or just browsing the internet and catching up on email each day. No matter what you use it for, it's a steal at this price, so grab one while they're still in stock.

We've just entered Week 8 of the NFL season, but — since that's nearly halfway through the regular season — some teams are already pretty much cooked.

There are four teams with just one win: the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, and Carolina Panthers. If you're a fan of any of those teams, for instance, your 2024 season is pretty much done, barring a huge miracle. And if you root for one of the seven two-win teams — the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, L.A. Rams, and New Orleans Saints — then you probably need a slightly smaller miracle. As the saying goes, there's always next year.

As a matter of fact, it might be time to start thinking about next year. Pushing off your hopes to the next season is a tale as old as time. As a fan of the Philadelphia 76ers — perhaps the sports franchise most associated with tanking — I empathize with fans of bad NFL teams who have already turned their attention to the 2025 NFL Draft.

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We've taken the time to collect some of the best online resources for fans of teams that stink to help you better prepare for next year's draft. After all, hope springs eternal.

Tankathon

The NFL has relatively simple draft rules compared with the NBA's arcane lottery system. But Tankathon remains an indispensable resource for teams that suck. It's a website that tracks where each team would stand in the next year's draft, according to the results thus far in the season.

Here's how the 2025 draft would look right now, for instance.

Congrats, Pats fans. Credit: Tankathon

Scroll down a bit, and you can also find Tankathon's Mock Draft for 2025, which is far too early to take seriously but still fun to look at.

The Panthers trying again at QB is interesting. Credit: Tankathon

If your NFL team is trash, think of Tankathon as a hub of hope. It's where you go to remind yourself that at least a good draft pick is coming. It's a place where you get to think of the potentially good players of the future rather than the bad ones of the present.

The Ringer's NFL draft coverage

I'm a big fan of The Ringer's NFL coverage, especially their podcast — hosted by Danny Kelly, Danny Heifetz, and Craig Horlbeck — that oscillates between covering the draft and fantasy football, depending on the time of year. Right now, the pod is centered on fantasy football, but it will switch over as the draft nears. However, the outlet still provides in-depth coverage of the college games and the draft, which you can find on its NFL Draft landing page. The site also has perhaps the best and most intuitive draft guide around. The 2025 version hasn't been released yet, but it always features incredibly in-depth scouting reports, digestible summaries, and an easy-to-navigate design.

SEE ALSO: How much would it really cost to watch every NFL game on TV? Draft experts

Now's the time to start beefing up on the college players your team might draft. There's a whole cottage industry based around prognosticating players' transition from college to the pros.

Here's a quick list, with links, to some of the NFL draft folks I've read, listened to, or otherwise appreciated over the years. Note that some of these people also cover the NFL at large, so you may get varying content.

• Todd McShay, the former ESPN stalwart, just launched a podcast on The Ringer.

• Dane Brugler, NFL draft analyst at The Athletic, puts out a yearly comprehensive guide dubbed The Beast.

• Lance Zierlein does NFL draft coverage for the league's media outlet.

• Ben Solak, who covers the NFL as a whole for ESPN, does a great job with the draft and breaking down how the game works for the average fan.

Mock drafts

As previously noted, Tankathon has a constantly updated mock draft, but it's far from alone. If your team is awful, it's fun to constantly check in on who you might take in the draft, according to different outlets. Even this early in the season, you can find mocks on CBS, Fox Sports, and ESPN. And you can keep Googling throughout the year because many outlets update their mock drafts weekly.

YouTube highlights

Granted, this one's a bit kooky, but if your team is crap, then YouTube highlights might be just the thing you need. Hear me out: Instead of lamenting over your bad team, watch old clips from when they were good. Sure, the Patriots are godawful now, but you can watch 30 minutes of every single touchdown pass Tom Brady threw to Rob Gronkowski. Yes, the Titans are hapless at the moment, but you can still watch clips of Derrick Henry running over people while wearing a Tennessee uniform.

Your football present might stink, but at least you have the future draft prognostications and past triumphs to tide you over until next season.

It's happening - albeit a little later than originally planned.

On Wednesday, Tesla had its quarterly earnings call for Q3 2024, with the financials looking healthy: Revenue and earnings went up year over year (8% and 17%, respectively, with Tesla's energy generation and storage business performing exceptionally well (a 52% increase). The company's profitability increased, making up for quarterly deliveries which, at 470,000, were slightly lower than expected.

But after the somewhat disappointing 'We, Robot" event, in which Tesla showed us a robotaxi, robovan and a robot which won't hit the market for years, the big question was: When is the company launching that cheaper car it promised a while ago?

The short answer is: We don't really know what is being launched. But we do know a bit more about when it's being launched.

"Preparations remain underway for our offering of new vehicles — including more affordable models — which we will begin launching in the first half of 2025," the company said in its earnings report.

While this is vague — we don't know how many new models are coming, and which one of them will come first — it gives hope that the company will launch a more affordable Tesla (perhaps the rumored Model 2) fairly soon.

Tesla did provide a little more info about this during the call. "As Elon and Vaibhav both said, it’s our plan to meet that in the first half of next year. Our mission has always been to lower the cost of our vehicles to increase the adoption of sustainable energy and transport. Part of that is lowering the cost for current vehicles," a company rep said, before CEO Elon Musk jumped in and started talking about the Robotaxi (CyberCab) which he says will cost "30k" "with incentive."

When asked for more clarity on when, exactly, Tesla plans to launch the "$25,000 non-robotaxi regular car model," Musk went into a rant about the future being all about "autonomous electric vehicles," before saying that "having a regular 25K model is pointless."

"It would be silly. Like it would be completely at odds with what we believe," he said.

It sure appears he was talking about the Robotaxi, as he reiterated: "What we designed is optimized for autonomy. It will cost on the order of — cost roughly 25K, so it is a 25K car. And you can — you will be able to buy one exclusively if you want. So, it just won't have steering wheels and pedals."

(Do note that Elon is contradicting himself by saying the CyberCab (Robotaxi) will cost $25,000 after claiming it will cost $30,000 with incentives (so, roughly $37,000) just minutes ago).

SEE ALSO: Tesla's Optimus robots at 'We, Robot' event were not very autonomous

All of this makes it incredibly unclear as to what, actually, is being launched in the "first half of 2025," given that the Tesla is planning to launch the Robotaxi "before 2027" but no sooner than 2026. Will the current models get cheaper? Will there be a "more affordable" new Tesla that costs more than $25,000 but still less than the cheapest Model 3, which costs $42,490 before incentives? Will it just be some sort of a trimmed down variant of the Model 3 or Model Y? We'll have to wait and see.

Megan Thee Stallion appeared on "The Tonight Show" and spoke about her newfound love of "Sex and the City" before rating the main characters.