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After a wave of AI updates, Spotify finally launches a tool encouraging user creativity.
SEE ALSO: Spotify wants to make you an AI Playlist for every occasionThe streaming giant announced Tuesday a feature allowing users to create custom art for their playlists in the app. It allows users to create collages to accompany their user-generated playlists directly in the app. Users can layer images, text, and stickers to embody the vibe of their playlist visually.
Spotify partnered with artists like Clairo and Jamie xx to promote the new tool. In a blog post, the "Bags" singer said: "I used the new artwork tool on Spotify to make the playlist cover. It reminds me a lot of scrapbooking: labeling different eras of my life with different pictures, shapes, and colors."
Clairo's contribution to the custom cover art launch. Credit: SpotifyTo use the tool select the playlist you made and tap the three dots. Then click "Create Cover Art." In the hub users can upload images and add text and stickers. Once you finish the playlist will be updated with the new cover art. The feature is available in beta across 65 English markets.
Previously, users could upload images for their playlist covers, but if they wanted a collage they would have to make it in a separate app and upload the finished image.
While the update may seem small, it's rare to see a Spotify update that encourages the art of playlist making. Last month, the music giant doubled down on AI by bringing AI Playlists to premium users in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. The move, in addition to its already established AI DJ, felt like a death knell for user-generated playlists. The tool generates custom playlists based on niche prompts, discouraging the painstaking process of creating a playlist rich with personal meaning. But today's investment into user-generated playlists is a bright spot among passive, AI-generated listening.
SAVE UP TO 50%: Select decorations from the Home Depot's 2024 Halloween collection are half off online as of Oct. 22.
Quick links and online availability at the time of writing: 1,047 left 13-foot Giant-Sized Animated LED Jack Skellington $199 at the Home Depot (save $200) Get Deal 608 left 7-foot Animated Lethal Lily Witch $124 at the Home Depot (save $125) Get Deal 933 left 8.5-foot Giant-Sized Animated LED Knight Dullahan $189 at the Home Depot (save $190) Get Deal 723 left 8-foot Animated Boogeyman $99.50 at the Home Depot (save $99.50) Get Deal 1,749 left Standard Skelly Scary Head $39.98 at the Home Depot (save $40) Get Deal 13 left LED 12-foot Skelly Lighting Kit $14.98 at the Home Depot (save $15) Get Deal 44 left 12-foot Skelly Eye Kit $14.98 at the Home Depot ($15) Get Deal 1,917 left 12-foot Skeleton Accessory Kit $24.98 at the Home Depot (save $25) Get DealThe Home Depot’s iconic 12-foot skeleton has sold out online for the year, but many of its giant-sized friends and accessories are still in stock — and for a limited time, on sale.
As of Oct. 22, select decorations from the home improvement retailer's 2024 Halloween collection are up to 50% off on its website. That includes the 13-foot Giant-Sized Animated LED Jack Skellington (now $199), the 7-foot Animated Lethal Lily Witch (now $124), the 8.5-foot Giant-Sized Animated LED Knight Dullahan (now $189), the 8-foot Animated Boogeyman (now $99.50), and a handful of add-ons for the original 12-footer (nicknamed "Skelly"). There's the Standard Skelly Scary Head (now $39.98), a LED 12-foot Skelly Lighting Kit for its rib cage (now $14.98), a 12-foot Skelly Eye Kit (now $14.98), and a 12-foot Skeleton Accessory Kit (now $24.98).
Supplies are limited and future restocks are highly unlikely this close to Halloween.
Skelly was unavailable online at the time of writing, but there's a miniscule chance that your local Home Depot store still has it in stock. The same goes for the 7-foot Skelly's Dog and the 12.5-foot Giant-Sized Inferno Deadwood Skeleton, two other ultra-popular giants from the Home Depot's 2024 Halloween collection. (Enter your zip code on their online listings to see if they're available at any nearby locations.)
SEE ALSO: Live, laugh, LifeEyes™️: How the 12-foot Home Depot skeleton became a perennial hitConversely, the 12-foot Servo Skelly with a motorized head and the 12-foot Inferno Pumpkin Skeleton appear to be gone for good.
The Home Depot's 2024 Halloween collection had a limited "Halfway to Halloween" launch in April before its official drop in mid-July, and many items sold out within hours. For its part, Skelly's dog — new to this year's lineup — was gone in under 60 minutes during that initial drop, and its summer restock lasted less than two hours.
Skelly headed up the collection for the fifth year in a row (with newly upgraded eyes) — and its popularity doesn't appear to be waning even after all this time, if its scarcity wasn't any indication. According to Google Trends data, "12 foot skeleton" was the No. 1 search term related to Halloween decor in 2024.
On Oct. 22, hundreds of romance e-books are totally free on Amazon for Stuff Your Kindle Day. Shop our picks for free erotica romance books.
Best Free Erotica Romance Books Best erotica romance overall 'Kismet' by Gab Tuls $0 at Amazon (Save $4.50) Get Deal Best erotica rom-com 'Roommates with Benefits' by Licia Dawn $0 at Amazon (Save $0.99) Get Deal Best inclusive erotica 'It Starts with Summer' by Ezra Dao $0 at Amazon (Save $2.99) Get DealStuff Your Kindle Day is here again, and it's a glorious time for anyone who owns an e-reader. It's all about getting a ton of free books, which you get to own forever. No catch, no pay, no hoops to jump through – just all the free books you could want.
The event, hosted by the authors of said free books, is all about encouraging readers to check out works from indie authors. For one day, you can buy a great new book (or dozens) and keep it forever.
This time around, the event is squarely focused on the romance genre, with a variety of subcategories available: historical, fantasy, and even sweet romance stories are all on the table to check out. But if you want something a little hotter, you can also check out a wide variety of erotica novels as well.
If you're ready to get a little hot under the collar, check out some of our favorite erotica romance books that you can download for free below.
Best erotica romance book Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon 'Kismet' by Gab Tuls at AmazonIf you love your erotica in the form of a choose-your-own-adventure novel, you'll fall in love with Kismet. It follows office worker Tracey, who falls in love with Mitch, her sexy advertising exec boss who she just can't stay away from. Their situationship leaves Tracey unemployed and single, but destined for something better. That's where you come in as you help her find herself as well as someone else to drown her erotic sorrows in across 311 pages absolutely jam-packed with some of the steamiest scenes you've ever read. Only this time you get to control the outcome of what happens along the way, so that means you can always go back to the beginning and start over, too.
Best erotica rom-com book Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon 'Roommates with Benefits' by Licia Dawn at AmazonGwen Langley is a broke 22-year-old who needs a roommate to afford her college tuition. She's on the hunt for someone who can help her in the realm of money, but she ends up with an offer she can't believe instead. She might not have envisioned living with a guy named Jay or any of the roommates she ends up with when she started her search, but she finds herself there anyway. Her money woes are over, but it's the beginning of an exceptionally spicy and erotic living situation that involves the ridiculously hot Jay – and you can probably guess where this roommate situation goes from there. Let's just say that Gwen doesn't have to pick up hours as an Uber driver to make ends meet on the side.
Best inclusive erotica book Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon 'It Starts with Summer' by Ezra Dao at AmazonGolden retriever boyfriend Parker came out as gay at Camp Eagle Ridge, so he holds it near and dear to his heart. But when his closeted athlete ex heads to Eagle Ridge, Parker finds himself wondering how to proceed. Is his ex at camp to try and win him back? Or should he forget him entirely and focus his efforts on his hunky new co-counselor Ravi? Parker finds himself in an incredibly steamy love triangle in this inclusive romance, with characters of color as well as an LGBTQIA+ cast that you'll love diving into – just like Parker does into his daydreams about his crushes.
More free erotica to shop during Stuff Your Kindle DayMasked by Penny Jackson — $0 $2.99 (save $2.99)
Teach Me by VK Starling — $0 $2.99 (save $2.99)
Last Call by TL Matson — $0 $4.99 (save $4.99)
Dirty Owner by Aila Glass — $0 $2.99 (save $2.99)
Twice Shy by Mack Landry — $0 $2.99 (save $2.99)
Shared Spaces by Licia Dawn — $0 $0.99 (save $0.99)
Claiming His Friend's Daughter by December Drake — $0 $2.99 (save $2.99)
Their Rebellious Princess by Calista Jayne — $0 $3.99 (save $3.99)
The Whole Package by Natalie Grace — $0 $2.99 (save $2.99)
The Invader by Steli Simeonova — $0 $2.99 (save $2.99)
Fireflies by A.R. Hadley — $0 $2.99 (save $2.99)
Forbidden Desire by Emmanuelle de Maupassant — $0 $6.99 (save $6.99)
The Test by Minx Noir — $0 $0.99 (save $0.99)
Active by Lyla Andrews — $0 $2.99 (save $2.99)
Coming with the Countess by Rose Wetter — $0 $2.99 (save $2.99)
The Pool House by Penny Jackson — $0 $2.99 (save $2.99)
Best Buy is having a busy week, and the events are all we needed to know about how hard Best Buy is planning to go this holiday season.
After announcing Black Friday plans a full 10 days before Halloween, Best Buy is hitting us with a string of three Drops on some pretty major products: The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro on Oct. 23, the GoPro Hero10 on Oct. 24, and a 98-inch TCL QLED TV on Oct. 25.
SEE ALSO: Amazon Prime Day vs. Black Friday: When are the deals better?If you're not familiar with Best Buy Drops, Black Friday season is a great time to learn the ropes of this savings-centric shopping hack. The "Drops" tab at the top of the Best Buy mobile app is a running list of items that Best Buy is dropping that week, which are often high-profile items at record-low sale prices. Here, shoppers can preview which items are coming on which day so that they're ready to hit "add to cart" when each deal goes live at 11 a.m. ET on its respective day.
Acting fast is crucial because Drops are first come, first served. Once a Drop goes live, the app continuously updates a status bar with the percentage of inventory that has been claimed. Once inventory for a certain Drop is gone, it's gone.
Official Drop prices aren't revealed until that time, but looking at Amazon price history for each product is a genius strategy for making predictions. I've made my own predictions for each of the three products below:
Dropping: Oct. 23 Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro at Best BuySamsung announced two new pairs of noise-cancelling earbuds at its Unpacked event in July 2024, and they both have stems. The fancier pair, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro, are the ones featured in this Drop. The Pros feature a snugger canal-forward design as seen on the AirPods Pro, pinch-able and swipe-able Blade Lights on each stem that can control things like volume, and more robust sound quality through a new planar tweeter and dual amplifiers. The July event also brought Galaxy AI to all 3 Series Galaxy Buds with the Interpreter feature: With it, users can get real-time translations of a foreign language they're hearing in Listening Mode, whether that's in an IRL conversation or content being watched on a Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Flip 6.
Ahead of their Oct. 23 Drop date, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro are on sale for $219.99 at Amazon, but at their full price of $249.99 at Best Buy. Best Buy has been known to outdo Amazon's record-low pricing for a Drop in the past, so I expect to see the Buds3 Pro at $209.99 or $199.99.
Dropping: Oct 24 Opens in a new window Credit: GoPro GoPro Hero10 at Best BuyIf your budget has you eyeing GoPro dupes rather than the real thing, pause your research and snag this GoPro Hero10 Drop. The Sept. 2021 release obviously doesn't tout newer features like the Hero12's enhanced motion stabilization or the brand new Hero13's GPS, but for the price that it's likely dropping at, this is still quite a solid action camera. A noteworthy upgrade over the Hero9, the Hero10 shoots 5.3K video at 60 fps, though it can hit 120fps when shooting in 4K or in slow motion at 2.7K. It's also waterproof without buying an extra waterproof case.
Considering there was a Prime Day sale on a similar Hero10 bundle for $199.99, I expect Best Buy to drop this Hero10 well under $200 — $179.99 isn't at all out of the realm of possibilities.
Dropping: Oct. 25 Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 98-inch Q6 QLED 4K TV $1,999.99 at Best BuyBest Buy is always one of the best stores to buy a TV on sale during shopping holidays, hands down. This year, though, Best Buy particularly wants to cement itself as the destination for XXL TVs — we're talking 97 inches or larger. That announcement is being aptly followed by a drop of a 98-inch QLED monster from TCL. This model, the Q6 Series, gets brighter than the more basic TCL Q5, making HDR worthwhile by boosting color accuracy with that extra layer of quantum dots sandwiched between the screen and LED backlights. If you're looking for an affordable way to level up your football watching experience this season, this is it.
Ahead of its Oct. 25 drop date, the 98-inch TCL Q6 is already on sale for $1,999.99 — the same price as a 98-inch non-QLED model from TCL. I expect Best Buy to drop that price by another $500, giving you the opportunity to score a giant 98-inch QLED for $1,499.99.
If you own a Ford electric vehicle, avoid Tesla superchargers immediately.
According to a Ford service bulletin spotted by InsideEVs, Ford EV owners should cease using the company-provided adapter for Tesla superchargers ASAP. You might expect to hear that the problem is on Tesla's end, but actually, it's not. Ford issued adapters to its EV customers that would allow them to use Tesla's supercharger network and is now recalling them because they can potentially have negative effects on charging speeds and can damage charging ports.
SEE ALSO: Elon Musk and Tesla sued by 'Blade Runner 2049' producersFord's notice confirmed that the company will send new, presumably risk-free adapters to EV owners in the near future. Ideally that process won't take very long and everyone can forget about this in short order because losing access to Tesla's expansive charging network seems mightily inconvenient.
Tesla's supercharger network hasn't been as useful to non-Tesla owners as they would probably like because competing EV manufacturers need to make adapters for their cars. Ford's move to quickly issue adapters to its customers may have felt like a godsend in comparison, but now, those superchargers aren't useful for probably at least a couple of days.
The U.S. presidential election is drawing closer and Americans are stressed. Politics are increasingly visible off and online, even when dating. This isn't new; Mashable reported that political polarization on dating apps was thornier than ever in 2021. Three years on, nothing has changed (except with AI and fandom, maybe it's gotten worse?). The dating app Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB) surveyed around 1,400 of its American users at the end of August and found that a vast majority care about political views when it comes to picking a partner.
Eighty-three percent of CMB daters would consider ending a relationship because of different political views. Around the same amount, 84 percent, would date someone who supports Kamala Harris, according to CMB's blog post. Meanwhile, 65 percent of CMB daters — including 77 percent of women on the app — wouldn't date someone who supports Donald Trump.
SEE ALSO: TikTok's retro dating dance trends harken back to the days of courtshipIn terms of specific political issues, 31 percent said it'd be a dealbreaker if a partner has different views on women's reproductive rights. Eighteen percent said racial equality, and nine percent LGBTQ rights. Seventeen percent of CMB users have ended a relationship due to differing political views.
Most left-leaning CMB users, 89 percent, believe political alignment is at least "someone important" when choosing a partner. A lower number of right-leaning users (68 percent) feel the same way. Political compatibility matters more to the women surveyed, as 37 percent refuse to date someone with differing political views. Only 15 percent of men reported the same.
Women are also more likely to end a relationship over this issue than men: 22 percent of female users have ended a relationship over political differences, while only 13 percent of men have done the same. And, according to the survey, four out of five women who use CMB wouldn't vote for Trump. This includes 67 percent of Gen Z daters overall, with the generation being the most left-leaning and disinterested in dating someone with different political beliefs.
Credit: Coffee Meets BagelThese statistics are somewhat aligned with what other researchers are seeing: Gen Z women are the most progressive group in the U.S., but Gen Z men lean more conservative, The Guardian reported. There's a "partisan gap" between the two that's almost doubled in the last 25 years.
CMB found that women's reproductive rights, racial equality, and LGBTQ rights are the political topics that matter most for relationship compatibility to Gen Z users. For millennials, it's reproductive rights, racial equality, and economic policy. For Gen X, it's reproductive rights, healthcare, and economic policy.
Earlier this year, Mashable reported that political apathy is a dealbreaker for daters, and these statistics report that. Regardless of who wins the presidential race, we know daters will be watching on Election Day.
If you don't feel like waiting around for Black Friday to get some early holiday shopping done, you're not stuck shopping at full price. On any given day, we're on the hunt for the best deals at Amazon, and today is no different. We've found some solid discounts (including record-low prices) on products from top brands like Dyson, Sony, and Samsung.
Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day on Oct. 22. If none of these catch your eye, take a look back at our picks from yesterday, Oct. 21, or come back tomorrow for brand-new picks.
Our top pick Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-CH520 Bluetooth headphones $38.00 at AmazonThey may not be the fanciest headphones in Sony's lineup, but the budget-friendly Sony WH-CH520s are still a solid pick. And on this random October day, they're down to just $38 at Amazon — that's just $2 shy of the record-low price they reached as a Prime Day invite-only deal in July. These babies offer 50 hours of battery life, a three-minute fast charge feature, customizable sound quality and profiles on the app, and a lightweight and cozy fit. Pick a preset to match the genre you're listening to, or create your own from scratch. Currently, the black, blue, and white versions are on sale.
Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Corrale $399.99 at AmazonWith all of Dyson's fancy beauty tech on the market, it's easy to forget about the Dyson Corrale, which made its debut alongside the Covid-19 pandemic. But that doesn't mean it's not great. The cordless straightener untethers you from an outlet and allows you to smooth out your hair without frying it. The big pull is that its unique plates flex around strands of hair instead of clamping down on them (according to our Corrale review, this checks out). Its built-in sensor system also measures temperature over 100 times per second to keep heat consistent. The result? Smooth or softly curled hair with minimal heat damage and flyaways. Our biggest qualm with the Corrale is, like most Dyson products, its astronomical price tag. This $100 discount certainly helps, though.
Opens in a new window Credit: Chefman Chefman Indoor Pizza Oven $219.99 at AmazonIf you crave pizza daily, maybe it's time to invest in your own pizza oven and stop spending so much money on takeout. Most pizza ovens on the market carry hefty price tags, but as of Oct. 22, the Chefman Indoor Pizza Oven is down to just $219.99 — 45% off and its lowest price on record. It features multiple preset options like Neapolitan, New York, Thin-Crust, Pan, or Frozen, but you can also go with a manual setting to customize your pies. The dual heating elements range from 300 to 800 degrees Fahrenheit and can be set separately to create the perfect crusts. It also comes with a pizza stone, a pizza peel, and a cookbook to get you started.
Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (47mm, LTE) $507.99 at AmazonSamsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra, aka its "toughest watch ever," is down to its lowest price on record. The 47mm, LTE version is on sale for $507.99 instead of $649.99 — that's a savings of 22%. The Ultra packs some welcome upgrades, including better battery life, extreme durability, and highly detailed workout tracking. The most impressive new feature, however, is the new sleep apnea sensor, which can detect if you have mild-to-severe breathing issues as you sleep.
None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.
GET FREE SCI-FI ROMANCE BOOKS: It's Stuff Your Kindle Day, and this time the theme is romance. Download dozens of free romance sci-fi books today.
Stuff Your Kindle Day romance sci-fi highlights Best overall deal 'The Wastelander: A Post Apocalyptic Romance' by E.S. Luck $0.00 at Amazon (save $4.99) Get Deal Best dystopian sci-fi fantasy 'Alchemy of Light and Shadow' by Myosotis $0.00 at Amazon (save $4.99) Get Deal Best romance sci-fi book in a series 'Starship Waking' by C. Gockel $0.00 at Amazon (save $4.99) Get DealWe're all about free deals — it's the best price, after all. Avid readers might already know about Stuff Your Kindle Day, but if you're new to the world of e-books, here's the rundown: Stuff Your Kindle Days are author-led events to offer books at zero cost to you for a limited time. That means you get to pack dozens of books onto your Kindle without spending a single penny.
While the name implies you'll need a Kindle device, that's not the case. Kindle, Kobo, and Nook readers can download these free romance e-books. It's even possible to download these books on your preferred app and read them directly from your phone, as these free titles are available on the Google Play and Apple Books apps. But if you're in the market for a Kindle, our favorite is the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition.
The current Stuff Your Kindle Day is all about romance books, and there's something for everyone during this sale. Take your pick from historical romance, sweet and clean romance, or even paranormal romance. But if you have a hard time putting down sci-fi novels, there's a ton included in the sale today, all with a romance theme. Here are a few picks to get you started:
Best overall deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon 'The Wastelander: A Post Apocalyptic Romance' by E.S. Luck $0.00 at AmazonClaire Ainsley was born in a secure compound, far from the Wasteland full of terrifying Wastelanders. Claire understands her compound is exactly where she belongs, but what happens when life takes an unexpected turn?
The Wastelander: A Post Apocalyptic Romance by E.S. Luck takes on the story of how Claire navigates a new, dangerous life when she finds herself outside of the safety of her compound. What's more, she finds herself falling for a Wastelander...
Part of the romance-centered Stuff Your Kindle Day, this story is all yours at no cost today at Amazon, which means you'll save $4.99.
Best dystopian sci-fi romance Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon 'Alchemy of Light and Shadow' by Myosotis $0.00 at AmazonTouching on topics like human nature and survival instincts, Alchemy of Light and Shadow by Myosotis weaves romance into a dystopian realm. Since monsters threaten humanity's existence each night, everyone is forced to live in massive domes, created by ancient alchemy. Safety may seem assured inside the dome, but danger lurks from within. And not every domed city remains impenetrable. When society is getting much too crowded, a team is sent to reclaim a lost city. What happens then highlights some of life's biggest questions.
Best romance sci-fi book in a series Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon 'Starship Waking' by C. Gockel $0.00 at AmazonStarship Waking by C. Gockel, book four of the Archangel Project, is free today as part of the romance-themed Stuff Your Kindle Day. The novel explores the occurrences when three incredibly different lives collide. But before you dive into this novel, check out the first book in the series, Archangel Down, which is also completely free today.
More romance sci-fi books to download on Stuff Your Kindle Day:The Viking and the Raven: A Living Past Time Travel Romance by Annie O. Liberty — $0 $0.99
Alpha Star: Big Sky Alien Mail Order Brides by Elsa Jade — $0 $0.99
An Alien Needs Curves by Vivi Storm — $0 $2.99
Halloween Mischief by Kaylee Pike — $0 $2.99
The Retrofit: The Callistar 1.0 by B. Williams and J.J. White — $0 $2.99
From Vangar, With Love: Sci Fi Alien Romance Love Letters by Julie K. Cohen — $0 $3.99
Indigo: Alien Hunting Grounds Book 1 by Kyla Breene — $0 $3.99
Rescued and Ruined by V.T. Bonds — $0 $3.99
Alien Wanted: Sci Fi Mail Order Bride Grumpy Warrior Romance by Julie K. Cohen — $0 $4.99
GET FREE ROMANCE E-BOOKS: Stuff Your Kindle Day is back with a one day-only romance event. Shop dozens of dark romance titles that are completely free during the event.
Best Dark Romance Deals Best Dark Romance Deal The Thief and the Painter by Candice Clark $0 at Amazon (Save $4.99) Get Deal Best Friends-to-Lovers Deal For Now by Amanda Bentley $0 at Amazon (Save $2.99) Get Deal Best Dark Fantasy Deal Dark Hunter by Logan Fox $0 at Amazon (Save $4.99) Get Deal Shop Kindle Amazon Kindle $109.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Kindle Paperwhite Amazon Kindle Paperwhite $159.99 at Amazon Shop NowShop Your Kindle Day is the best shopping bash for readers. The author-driven event, organized by Romance Book Lovers, brings hundreds of discounts on e-books so, as the name implies, you can stuff your Kindle library. While the annual event encompasses all genres, Romance Book Lovers is throwing a single day event called Romance Book Blast on October 22. And the best part? All the books featured are totally free.
Normally we see a combination of free and discounted books during Stuff Your Kindle Day, but during Romance Book Blast, every book is totally free. Romance is far more expansive of a genre than you probably realize. You can find sweet, heartwarming reads or something darker and steamier.
One of the highlighted categories during the Romance Book Bash is dark romance. If you're usually into dark, psychological thrillers but want a bit of romance or spice, these books are for you. Here's how to shop the Romance Book Blast event.
SEE ALSO: Yes, Kindles with color are real and coming soon: Pre-order the Kindle Colorsoft Who can take part in Stuff Your Kindle Day?Short answer: Anyone! You don't need to own a Kindle to enjoy the event. Readers who use their iPad, Kobo, or Nook can also enjoy free and discounted books during the event. However, the Kindle app, which is available on a variety smartphones and tablets, makes it easy to read e-books without owning an e-reader.
And if you don't have an e-reader, this event is a great excuse to get one. Amazon just released a whole new line-up of Kindles, including the first ever color Kindle.
Shop free dark romancesBlades & Bones by Heather C. Myers and Frankie Cardona
Bleeding Outside the Lines by Jess Allen — $0 $2.99
Blindsided by Love by Diane Wiggs — $0 $2.00
Corrupt Saint by Cora Kent — $0 $0.99
Dangerous Dreams by Abbie Roads — $0 $4.99
Dark Hunter by Logan Fox — $0 $4.99
Dead and Buried by Mel Lane — $0 $3.99
For Now by Amanda Bentley — $0 $2.99
Growing with Her by A.R. Carlson — $0 $3.99
His Obsession by Emily Klepp — $0 $4.99
His Angel by HL Packer — $0 $3.99
Homecoming Chaos by D.W. Brooks — $0 $3.99
Ravage by Jessica Ames — $0 $0.99
Rise To Power by KyAnn Waters — $0 $4.99
Rook by TK Eldridge — $0 $0.99
Seeing Double by Lacie Chanel — $0 $4.99
Their Offering by S. Lynn Smith — $0 $3.99
The Thief and the Painter by Candice Clark — $0 $4.99
Uncovering Lily by Rene Webb — $0 $0.99
Under Their Protection by Emily Klepp — $0 $4.99
Wilderness by Lynn Burke — $0 $5.99
Humanity has marveled at the vivid star Betelgeuse for many millennia. Over two thousand years ago, this imperious red object in the constellation Orion caught the eye of the Roman poet Horace:
But see, with what a troubled glare Orion's star is setting there!
Today the colossal, easy-to-find star — so large that it would reach to Jupiter in our solar system — continues to intrigue us. And unlike most stars, we can see it changing, in part because it's relatively nearby in our galaxy. Betelgeuse is known for being a type of "variable star," meaning its brightness fluctuates, at times dramatically, as it inches toward an eventual grandiose collapse and stellar explosion, known as a supernova. In recent years, the star has grown noticeably brighter.
"People love Betelgeuse," Heidi Morris, a scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the president of Pajarito Astronomers, an astronomy club, told Mashable. "It's been doing these brightness fluctuations for a very long time."
SEE ALSO: Aliens haven't contacted us. Scientists found a compelling reason why.(What's more, recent research suggests that Betelgeuse may have a small stellar companion, "Betelbuddy," which forces nearby dust out of the way and contributes to pulses in Betelgeuse's brightness.)
Yet lately these fluctuations haven't been normal. Typically, Betelgeuse varies in brightness over 400 day cycles. But since violently blowing off a hunk of its atmosphere in 2019, these oscillating periods have shortened.
Tweet may have been deletedBut don't get too excited. This almost certainly isn't evidence of a bloated star on the literal brink of a supernova.
"People love Betelgeuse."Still, Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star that has lived hard and will die young. It's just some 10 million years old — while the sun is 5 billion years old. It's a colossal star in the final stages of its fast-paced evolution. When it inevitably runs out of fuel, the core will collapse under the weight of its immense mass, and create an explosion that can outshine galaxies. It will happen. But you, me, and everyone else would like to know when.
When will Betelgeuse explode?The cold, hard truth is, it's unknown when Betelgeuse, at some 640 light-years away, will collapse into a supernova.
"We don't have a way of predicting when stars will explode," Or Graur, an associate professor of astronomy at the University of Portsmouth who researches supernovae, told Mashable. "We have no idea when Betelgeuse will explode," added Graur, who wrote the book Supernova.
"It really is uncertain," agreed Los Alamos' Morris. "We haven't had a lot of supernovae to study in human history."
After the mass ejection of part of Betelgeuse's atmosphere in 2019, the graph below shows its expected fluctuations in brightness (green line) versus observations (red) showing an increased rate of change. Credit: NASA / ESA / Elizabeth Wheatley (STScI)There is some evidence that Betelgeuse might not explode for a long, long time. Historical records indicate Betelgeuse has become redder over the past two thousand years, explained Jason Ybarra, the director of the West Virginia University Planetarium and Observatory, who researches stars and the history of astronomy. That would mean Betelgeuse only evolved into a red supergiant relatively recently (in cosmic terms), so it might take quite a while for the star to completely exhaust its fuel.
"To answer the question the best I can, Betelgeuse is probably not going to supernova any time soon," Ybarra told Mashable.
Once a star becomes a red giant, it has a lot of cooking to do. Under the immense pressure in its core, heat fuses helium into carbon. After thousands of years, it then fuses carbon and helium to create oxygen, and the forging process continues, ultimately creating metals like iron. Right now, Betelgeuse is probably at an earlier stage in this cooking process, explained Morris, as the analysis of chemicals in the star's atmosphere suggests it's fusing helium to carbon in its core. (We can't see inside mighty Betelgeuse.)
NASA has recently written that Betelgeuse won't explode for "another 100,000 years." Indeed, this could happen. But that's far from certain. More observations might suggest the star could defy these expectations. Before 1987, for example, astronomers thought only red supergiants could blast into a supernova. But in 1987, a giant blue star in another galaxy exploded.
We clearly still have a lot to learn. We might be surprised. Watching Betelgeuse, and other giant stars, will give us a better answer.
"I would hesitate to say it will do nothing in 10,000 years," said Morris. "We should keep our eye on it and let it inspire us to move forward scientifically."
Betelgeuse's size compared to the sun and planets in our solar system. Credit: ESO / L. Calçada What will we see when Betelgeuse explodes?When Betelgeuse eventually explodes, it will astonish the world, or whomever is watching.
You'd be able to see the star change with the naked eye. Betelgeuse will get progressively brighter at night. After a few days, it will peak in brightness. This will last for around 100 days.
"It will be the brightest star," explained Graur. "You would even be able to see it by day." Research predicts the Betelgeuse supernova would be 15 to 250 times brighter than Venus, currently the second-brightest object in the night sky. Then it will begin to fade over hundreds of days, until it winks away into the black ether of space (binoculars and telescopes will be able to spy it for longer).
But Betelgeuse isn't the only red supergiant in our galaxy. Others, like Eta Carinae, might erupt in the sky first. In a galaxy the size of the Milky Way, statistically there should be a supernova every 50 or so years, explained Graur. But we haven't seen one actually happen in 400 years, though we've observed remnants of explosions.
"Statistically, we're overdo," Graur noted.
"Statistically, we're overdo."Any explosive event likely won't be sudden, like detonating a bomb. There could be signals, such as smaller eruptions before the grand finale.
Keep your eyes to the sky. "We don't know where the next supernova will come from," said Graur.
TL;DR: Live stream Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks in the NBA for free on Ran.de. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The NBA is back, and it's back with a bang. The Boston Celtics are hosting the New York Knicks in an absolutely massive season opener, and you can see how things unfold without spending anything.
The defending champions will be confident of starting strongly behind the support of their fans, but the Knicks have been circling the top teams for a few years now. This could be the year that they make the jump, bolstered by the addition of Karl-Anthony Towns.
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When is Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks?Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks in the NBA starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 22. This game takes place at TD Garden.
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Look, I'm not even mad.
Apple's new iPad mini, now in its seventh generation, looks the same as the last one, and while it brings a number of small upgrades across the board, none of them will knock you off your feet.
It's hard to blame Apple for not doing more, though. Even though it launched three years ago, the 6th generation iPad mini was a massive upgrade that brought a completely new design, with a larger display, new Touch ID, and a new camera, among other improvements. The 7th generation iPad mini merely builds on that same design, but brings a new chip, more starting storage, and compatibility with Apple's (yet unreleased) Apple Intelligence features.
Apple iPad mini 7 priceThe price for the Apple iPad mini 7 is the same as before, starting at $499 for the Wi-Fi version with 128GB of RAM, and $649 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular variant.
If you want 256GB of storage, you'll have to add $100 to the starting price, and if you want to max it out at 512GB of storage, that'll cost you another $200 compared to the starting price. You can also add the Apple Pencil Pro to the mix for $129, and Apple's Smart Folio cover will cost you an additional $59.
Apple iPad mini 7 designYou'll need a keen eye to notice the differences between the iPad mini 7 and the previous one, but they do exist. The choice of colors is now Space Gray, Blue, Purple (lighter than before), and Starlight. The Pink variant is no longer available. Apple sent me a Starlight-colored unit, so I can't say how the new colors look in person. I did get the Smart Folio in Sage, which to my eyes appeared more like lime, and I liked the color a lot.
The iPad mini 7 I reviewed was in Apple's old Starlight color, but I really digged the Smart Folio's Sage color. Credit: Stan Schroeder / MashableThere's another minor difference here: The previous version had an "iPad" inscription on the back, whereas the one on the new one says "iPad mini." Nice if you, like me, are a fan of the iPad mini.
Other than these details, no one will be able to tell that you have the brand new iPad mini. Sorry.
Apple iPad mini 7 specsThe new iPad mini is powered by Apple's A17 Pro chip (the same one that powers the iPhone 15 Pro), which gives it some gaming-related features like hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and enables (upcoming) AI features. Starting storage is 128GB, and you can now get the iPad mini with 512GB of storage, which wasn't available until now. There are also indications that the new iPad mini has 8GB of RAM, which doubles the previous model's 4GB of RAM.
Other tidbits include faster USB-C data transfer, Bluetooth 5.3 support, and Wi-FI 6E connectivity — all meaningful upgrades, though most users probably won't notice much of a difference. The cameras — a 12-megapixel shooter on the back, and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera on the front — are mostly the same as before, with the most notable upgrades being Smart HDR 4 support.
The camera is mostly the same, but Apple Pencil Pro support is new. Credit: Stan Schroeder / MashableThe big takeaways here are the big RAM increase and 128GB of starting storage, which is a huge upgrade as 64GB (the starting storage on the previous generation) was just cutting it way too close for comfort if you have a couple of games installed.
The new chip is a big improvement over the previous version's A15 Bionic, but it's a pity that the new iPad mini doesn't have Apple's latest mobile processor, the A18 Pro which is found in the new iPhone 16 Pro. The company probably decided to cut costs on this one, but it does make the new iPad mini just a little less future-proof.
I tested my unit with a combination of news apps, Chrome, Books, X, and Blizzard's Hearthstone. Everything felt sufficiently fast but don't expect iPad Pro performance; this is still a phone chip running things, and even a fairly simple game such as Hearthstone will push it pretty hard on high settings.
Apple iPad mini 7 battery lifeI didn't have the iPad mini 7 long enough to properly test battery life, but Apple rates it the same as before (19.3 Wh battery, up to 10 hours of surfing on Wi-Fi, and up to nine hours of surfing on cellular), and I didn't notice much of a difference compared to the previous version.
For a day, I used the iPad mini as a secondary display, next to my 16-inch M1 MacBook Pro, and it did struggle to keep up. But in more typical usage — which for me is light reading and a bit of gaming, mostly at home — battery life was never an issue.
Apple iPad mini AI supportApple made its life incredibly complicated with the belated launch of Apple Intelligence. The company's most important product, the new iPhone 16, launched without it. As for the iPad mini, it will launch at the same time as iOS 18.1 which brings some AI features, but it wasn't available at testing time.
SEE ALSO: 5 most useful features of iOS 18 public beta — and how to use themTo complicate matters further, Apple Intelligence isn't currently available in Europe and China, and it won't be arriving there until 2025 (the UK is the exception here; Apple says AI is arriving there in December). Being in Europe, I have no access to it (unless I go through a number of convoluted steps to enable it), and it would be unfair to test a new device running beta software.
This means that all I can say about AI is that this is the first and currently only iPad mini that supports it, and that it is coming soon (in the U.S.). Features will include Writing Tools, which can rewrite, proofread, and summarize your texts, a smarter Siri, Clean Up tool for photos, Genmoji, and integrated ChatGPT, among other features.
When AI launches, the iPad mini will get some cool writing enhancements. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable Apple iPad mini Pencil Pro supportThe iPad mini 7 supports Apple Pencil Pro, with all the bells and whistles such as hover and squeeze. I don't have a need for Apple Pencil, and it seems to me that a heavy user would also prefer a larger canvas to draw on, so an iPad Pro would be a better option. Furthermore, the asking price of $129 for the Pencil Pro is a bit steep when compared to the $499 price of the entry-level iPad mini.
Still, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this feature. I tested the Pencil Pro with the new mini, and it worked as advertised, and it's nice to have the option to use the company's best Pencil together with its smallest tablet.
Is the iPad mini 7 worth getting? It says "iPad mini" on the back now. Nice. Credit: Stan Schroeder / MashableAbsolutely.
If you're new to the iPad, and you want the most compact one around (or any compact tablet), the new iPad mini 7 is the best choice. If you already rock the iPad mini 5th generation or earlier, it's also a no brainer; the new one looks better and is a lot more powerful. And if you own the previous, 6th generation iPad mini, it could also be worth upgrading, but if it's still fast enough for you and you don't care much about the AI features, you'll be OK if you sit this one out.
The days of Tom Hanks having to issue Instagram warnings about fake AI videos of himself may hopefully be coming to an end.
Facebook and Instagram owner Meta is now working on facial recognition techniques to try and curb the rise in "celeb-bait scams", as well as help users recover their accounts quicker.
SEE ALSO: Ray-Ban Meta Glasses can be used to dox strangers via facial recognition, according to Harvard students. Here's how to protect yourself."We’re testing a new way of detecting celeb-bait scams," wrote Meta in a blog published on Monday. "If our systems suspect that an ad may be a scam that contains the image of a public figure at risk for celeb-bait, we will try to use facial recognition technology to compare faces in the ad to the public figure's Facebook and Instagram profile pictures. If we confirm a match and determine the ad is a scam, we’ll block it. We immediately delete any facial data generated from ads for this one-time comparison, regardless of whether our system finds a match, and we don’t use it for any other purpose."
The post went on to say that Meta has had success in early testing phases with a small group of celebrities. "In the coming weeks, we’ll start showing in-app notifications to a larger group of public figures who’ve been impacted by celeb-bait letting them know we’re enrolling them in this protection. Public figures enrolled in this protection can opt-out in their Accounts Center anytime."
As well as combatting scams, Meta confirmed it's also testing out video selfies as a means of aiding access recovery for anyone with a compromised account, not just famous people. "The user will upload a video selfie and we’ll use facial recognition technology to compare the selfie to the profile pictures on the account they’re trying to access," wrote Meta. "This is similar to identity verification tools you might already use to unlock your phone or access other apps."
The company confirmed that facial recognition data is immediately deleted after the comparison is made.
ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is often misunderstood. ADHD isn't a product of laziness, stupidity, or "bad parenting," as former Mashable reporter Jess Joho wrote. Rather, it's a brain disorder that can impact executive function, attention, hyperactivity, emotional regulation, and more. For ADHD singles trying to use dating apps, the condition can have a huge impact on their ability to find a partner.
That's what Hinge found in its new Love and ADHD D.A.T.E. report, with survey findings from over 60,000 global users, including 9,000 with ADHD. A majority (82 percent) of Hinge users with ADHD are seeking a relationship, but 75 percent feel misunderstood by their matches. Two areas where ADHD daters may struggle are responding to potential dates and navigating small talk, according to the report.
SEE ALSO: TikTok's retro dating dance trends harken back to the days of courtship ADHD daters (not) responding to matchesForty-three percent of Hinge daters with ADHD often forget to respond to matches, and 32 percent feel misunderstood when matches assume they're not interested due to slow responses. This might be compounded by the fact that 71 percent of Hinge daters expect their matches to respond within a day, and those who do are more likely to go on a date.
When asked what makes it hard to respond to matches, 45 percent of respondents forget, and the same amount said a conversation feeling repetitive and boring makes it difficult. Meanwhile, 40 percent said feeling overwhelmed is another barrier.
"I wish my matches understood that when I forgot to respond, it wasn't due to a lack of interest — it was just that my brain often got overwhelmed or distracted," said content creator Tarah Clark, who was quoted in the report. "When someone sent a gentle reminder, I appreciated it. A follow-up message helped bring the conversation back to the forefront of my mind, and I was always happy to continue chatting."
Credit: HingeHinge's director of relationship science, Logan Ury, shared some tips for daters with ADHD in terms of responsiveness:
Be upfront about your communication preferences from the start.
Reduce friction — meaning, make it easier for yourself to respond. If you're more responsive on iMessage than Hinge, for example, exchange numbers with a match.
Set reminders.
Shift to talking on the phone or FaceTime. This can help prevent a prolonged "talking stage."
Ury also shared tips for neurotypical daters:
Don't make assumptions. You don't know why someone isn't responding!
Keep an open mind.
Appreciate honesty.
Get on the same page. If you don't know how to read someone's behavior, ask them about it.
Daters with ADHD were 31 percent more likely than neurotypical daters to report that they don't like making small talk. Small talk — about someone's day or the weather — can feel boring and unstimulating. They were also 38 percent more likely than neurotypical daters to find it difficult to keep conversations going, with half of ADHD daters preferring to get to know a match in person.
SEE ALSO: Flirting IRL is having a major pop culture moment"So much of my personality is physical — my big facial expressions, how my body moves when I speak, how I always need to be doing something with my hands. It feels easier to me when I can connect in-person," said BookTokker Alexis Anunson, who was quoted in the report.
Here are Ury's tips for ADHD daters on navigating small talk:
Showcase your interests on your profile. Talking about what you care about can be more exciting than discussing your day-to-day.
Keep a list of questions on your phone to ask matches.
Get to a date faster (when you're both comfortable).
And for neurotypical daters:
Bond over shared interests.
Be open to exploring something new.
Embrace the differences of others.
For LGBTQ daters with ADHD specifically, 64 percent worry about saying the wrong thing. "Often, there are stigmas associated with being either LGBTQIA+ or having ADHD, but for people who are at the intersection of those identities, even messaging a match can cause anxiety," commented Hinge's love and connection expert Moe Ari Brown.
Brown encourages these daters to celebrate themselves, honor their strengths, and find ways to communicate that work for them. Similarly to Ury's example, if messaging overwhelms you, try a phone or FaceTime date instead.
While three in four ADHD daters feel misunderstood by matches, Hinge found that 63 percent of neurotypical daters do, too. Maybe with these tips, we can all move forward with fewer assumptions about the people in our phones.
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