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NASA’s newest space telescope has taken its first look at the stars. The view is blurry for now, but that is exactly what engineers expected.

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope captured the test image while traveling to its operating position about a million miles from Earth, according to a Sept. 15 NASA blog post. NASA completed the telescope’s assembly back in Nov. 2025 and launched it on Aug. 30, 2026. Its camera’s detectors remain in their launch position, and the telescope’s optics have yet to be aligned. NASA will use the image as a starting point for bringing the stars into focus.

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Tyler Desjardins (STScI)

The camera is Roman’s Wide Field Instrument, a 300-megapixel infrared imager built to photograph large areas of the sky in fine detail. Each image will cover an area larger than the full moon appears from Earth. That wide view will help scientists survey planets beyond our solar system, investigate dark energy, and map how matter is distributed across the universe.

SEE ALSO: NASA's incredible new telescope will offer an 'atlas of the universe'

Before it could take even this first image, the instrument had to be prepared for space. NASA gave its 18 infrared detectors 10 days to dry out, then cooled and activated them. Engineers also checked the camera’s calibration system, filters, and focus mechanism. NASA says the results show it is working as expected.

The team has begun checking Roman’s other major instrument, too. The Coronagraph is designed to block a star’s glare so scientists can detect the much fainter light reflected by planets orbiting it. Engineers have confirmed they can communicate with and control its components from Earth, though further preparation and testing remain.

Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

Meanwhile, NASA has raised its estimate of how long Roman could operate. The telescope was designed for a five-year primary mission, with fuel budgeted for up to 10 years. Its first course correction used less than 10 percent of the fuel set aside for that maneuver. Factoring in that saving, extra fuel loaded before launch, and projected savings from maneuvers still ahead, NASA estimates Roman has enough propellant for at least 22 years of potential science operations. (That is a fuel-based projection, rather than a guaranteed mission length.)

Next, engineers will align and focus the telescope and activate a guidance system that lets it hold its view on a target. NASA expects Roman’s first science images by early 2027. For now, the out-of-focus stars provide the team with a starting point — and confirmation that its main camera can detect light in space.

If you're not sure how you feel about the AI data center debate yet, seeing news like this may just convince you that those anti-data center folks have a point.

In the first study of its kind since the AI-driven data center discourse began, researchers in Oregon have released a new report detailing the size of the data center industry in the state. In doing so, the researchers have also uncovered just how much energy data centers use up in the state.

SEE ALSO: Every U.S. state that bans data centers

According to the report, there are 111 operational data centers in the state of Oregon, which take up 22.1 million square feet of building space. Those data centers account for a whopping 23 percent of the state's entire retail energy sales in 2025.

The report also details that there are 32 additional data centers under construction or in the planning stages, which will take up an additional 6.9 million square feet.

The researchers behind the report believe that data center energy consumption in Oregon will rise to nearly 25 terawatt hours by 2030. That's around 31 to 32 percent of all electricity demand in the state and the same energy consumption as 2.5 million homes.

"Data center electricity demand is increasing substantially, and regional as well as state-level planning efforts…indicate that accommodating large-load growth will require new electricity resources, transmission capacity, and coordinated infrastructure planning," the report says.

The report also found that these data centers directly employ 2,630 workers.

This new report was released on Thursday by ECOnorthwest and the University of Virginia. It was funded by the entrepreneurship and environmentalist nonprofit Lemelson Foundation, which is based in Portland.

Flock cameras don’t look like much: a box on a pole, pointed at the road. But they photograph passing cars and turn where and when they were seen into searchable records. Police say that helps solve crimes. Critics worry about who can really search those records, what they can do with them, and how much of a person’s daily life they might reveal.

So what happens when people find one in their community and want it gone? Quite a bit, it turns out. Residents across the U.S. are mapping cameras, digging up contracts, and filling public meetings. Others have gone after the cameras themselves, stealing or vandalizing them. And this week, 404 Media and WIRED reported that hackers removed one and copied its stored data, giving journalists a rare look inside a device that features software capable of detecting people as well as cars.

Here’s a compilation of what people have done through maps, records requests, petitions, and city hall — and what those efforts have actually changed.

SEE ALSO: What are Flock cameras and why are they so controversial? 1. Putting Flock cameras on the map

One way people are pushing back is by making the cameras easier to see. Volunteers with Deflock Maps, a crowdsourced automated license plate reader (ALPR) resource, document license plate readers and add their locations to OpenStreetMap. The site opens on a map dotted with numbered clusters of reported cameras. Search for a city or ZIP code, zoom in, and those clusters give way to individual locations. It includes readers made by Flock and other companies, though its volunteer-submitted data may be incomplete or out of date.

In San Francisco, 16-year-old Zachary Schwartz noticed there wasn’t a local DeFlock chapter, so he started one. DeFlock SF pairs a city camera map with local news, a calendar of meetings about the technology, and a link for residents to contribute camera locations. Schwartz and fellow student Hugo Zorn have also made videos and spoken at Police Commission meetings. Schwartz has also called for an audit of how the city uses the cameras and what data they collect.

SEE ALSO: This map shows how many Flock cameras are in your neighborhood

DeFlock isn’t the only place people are documenting the technology. The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Atlas of Surveillance lets users search by city or police agency to see whether it has documented license plate readers. It answers a different question from DeFlock’s street-level map: which agencies have been identified as using the technology, rather than where each reported camera sits.

Curious what’s been documented near you? Enter your city or ZIP code in DeFlock Maps and zoom in on the numbered clusters to see individual camera locations. If you spot a reader that’s missing or marked incorrectly, DeFlock explains how to add or correct it through its app and OpenStreetMap. Just remember that a pin is a volunteer report, and an empty stretch of map isn’t proof there are no cameras.

2. Following the paper trail

Some people are fighting Flock by checking whether what happens behind the scenes matches what their city agreed to. In Syracuse, New York, Central Current found a gap between the two. The city’s contract said its license plate data wouldn’t be shared outside the police department. But the department had granted access to other agencies, which police said was an accident. Over roughly a year, searches by officers around the country reached Syracuse’s data nearly 4.4 million times. And that wasn’t the only surprise in the paperwork. Central Current also found that Flock could keep using Syracuse data after the contract ended.

When the city approved cameras from Axon to replace Flock’s, Flock said Syracuse couldn’t simply end its agreement early. It warned that the city might have to pay for both systems; so even as officials moved to replace the cameras, they faced questions about what Flock could do with the data and what the city might still owe.

People elsewhere have been looking at the searches themselves. The Electronic Frontier Foundation examined Flock search logs released through public records requests and found that some users entered “LMAO” or “idk” as their reason for searching. And website Have I Been Flocked? puts released logs in one searchable place, though it has only the records it’s been able to obtain.

SEE ALSO: Have you been Flocked? This website lets you find out

Curious what’s on record where you live? The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) suggests looking for Flock on city council agendas; you can also check Have I Been Flocked? for your local agency or request its search logs.

3. Showing up and organizing locally

For residents trying to push back against Flock cameras, the first step is often finding out who agreed to install them. From there, neighbors can compare what they’ve learned, organize around the next public meeting, and ask officials to make a decision in front of the people affected.

That’s what happened in Saranac Lake, New York. Cameras began appearing before many residents knew the village had agreed to install them, so they attended board meetings to ask who had approved the deal and why the public hadn’t been consulted. By a March meeting, dozens had filled the room and the hallway. Trustees came prepared to pause the cameras while they wrote a policy. Residents argued for ending the program instead, and the board voted 4–1 to cancel the contract.

An August protest against Flock in Boston, MA. Credit: Barry Chin/Getty Images Protesters rally in Houston during an August protest. Credit: Raquel Natalicchio/Getty Images

Elsewhere, people have kept the pressure on between meetings. In Milford, Connecticut, residents connected through a DeFlock Milford Facebook group, brought signs, and returned to speak as the debate continued. Activists even projected "Flock Out Of CT" onto City Hall before a vote. In Austin, more than 30 community groups joined forces and residents raised concerns at a council work session ahead of a decision on renewing the program.

If you want to find out what’s happening where you live, the ACLU’s toolkit can help you connect with a nearby group and identify which officials are the decision makers.

4. Writing lawmakers and gathering signatures

Not everyone can make it to a meeting. Some people are putting their objections in writing — and gathering thousands of signatures so officials can see how many others agree.

At the national level, the ACLU’s "Get the Flock Out" campaign offers a draft message people can edit and send to members of Congress. It asks lawmakers to ban license plate readers. If they won’t, the message calls for limits on federal funding and use, warrants to access the data, and faster deletion.

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Local petitions can name the people who have the power to remove specific cameras. In Texas, a petition opposing Flock cameras in Boerne and Kendall County asks county commissioners to cancel the agreement, take down the cameras, and delete the data they’ve collected.

Of course, a growing signature count doesn’t guarantee a changed vote. In Conroe, Texas, resident James Fletes started a petition calling for the city to cancel its Flock contract. It had more than 1,200 signatures by July, but the council went on to shelve proposals to review the cameras or put their use to a public vote. (The city kept their Flock program.)

For people writing their own officials, the ACLU’s organizing toolkit has a sample email for state and local representatives, proposed rules for how camera data can be used and shared, and a resolution a city could use to cancel a Flock contract. Want to send something? You can personalize the message to Congress, or use the toolkit to make a specific request of the officials who control cameras where you live.

5. And yes, some people have gone after the cameras themselves

Some people have taken the fight to the cameras. In Houston, Flock readers have been found damaged, painted, and knocked down. In another neighborhood, four Flock cameras were cut down in late July, prompting a law enforcement investigation. And in Winona, Minnesota, all eight of the city’s police-operated Flock cameras were stolen. The people responsible haven’t necessarily explained their motives, but the incidents show how far the backlash has moved beyond public meetings.

Credit: Raquel Natalicchio/Getty Images Credit: Raquel Natalicchio/Getty Images

There are even people who went looking inside a Flock camera. Hackers removed one, copied the data stored on it, and shared the files with 404 Media and WIRED this week. The journalists found software that could detect people as well as vehicles. Logs from the device showed it had generated about 1.6 million images of roughly 50,000 vehicles across 21 days of recoverable activity. Flock said removing and tampering with the camera was illegal.

The findings raise many questions: What can these devices detect? What data do they keep, and who can access it? If you’re wondering about cameras near you, start with the agency operating them and the officials who approved the contract.

SEE ALSO: Someone stole every Flock camera in this Minnesota city

What the hackers found gives people more to ask about at the next public meeting. And those questions won’t disappear if a city swaps Flock for another company’s cameras, as Syracuse plans to do with Axon. We'll see where the fight goes, and how much more the public, and the company, can take.

Emily Normandin-Parker, 23, was struck and killed on a California freeway after an Uber driver ordered her and a friend out of his car in August 2023.

Early October Prime Day Deals at a glance: Best headphone deal Beats Studio Pro $169.95 (Save $180.04) Get Deal Best Apple deal Apple AirPods Pro 3 $199 (Save $50) Get Deal Best Fire tablet deal Amazon Fire HD 10 (32GB) $76.99 (Save $78) Get Deal Best fire stick deal Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select $19.99 (Save $20) Get Deal Best smartwatch deal Garmin Vivoactive 6 $229.99 (Save $70) Get Deal Best for Prime members Audible (standard plan) $0.99 (99 cents/month for 4 months) Get Deal

The holiday shopping season will be here before you know it. This week, Amazon announced the return of Prime Big Deal Days for 2026, its fall savings event for Prime members (aka "October Prime Day"). The sale will run for 48 hours from Oct. 6 to 7 and compete with concurrent festivities at Target and Walmart.

Prime Big Deal Days will be an opportunity to get a head start on your Black Friday wishlist — and to get some relief from the RAMageddon price hikes impacting the tech industry this year. For its part, Amazon increased the prices of nearly two dozen Kindles, Fire TV Sticks, Echo smart speakers, and eero routers this summer because of rising component costs. Its upcoming seasonal deals should cancel out some of those markups.

SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime in time for the next Prime Day

As we gear up for fall, Amazon has already started dropping some early October Prime Day deals, and we've rounded up the best ones below. (Spoiler: So far, the best deals are on Amazon's own devices and services.) Finally, a word of warning: We do expect prices to drop even lower on select Apple products when the sale starts Oct. 6, so you might want to hold out until then. In the meantime, we'll be regularly updating our picks in the lead-up to Prime Big Deal Days.

Products marked with a ✅ were personally tested and recommended by a member of the Mashable team.

Best headphone deal Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Studio Pro ✅ $169.95 at Amazon
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Ahead of October Prime Day, you can save 51% on the Beats Studio Pro over-ear headphones. Usually, $349.99, the premium headphones are now just $169.95. Beats is all about audio, and these cans provide support for lossless audio. Similar to AirPods, Beats products also offer seamless connectivity to iOS devices.

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The basic AirPods just got an upgrade with the new AirPods 5, and last year's Apple AirPods Pro 3 are back on sale. Ahead of October Prime Day, shop the Apple AirPods Pro 3 for $199, a $50 discount. The earbuds have ANC, a more comfortable fit, and bring live translation to the AirPods experience. They're perfect for commuters and even measure your heart rate, which is great for athletes who love a good workout playlist.

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Best Fire tablet deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 10 (32GB) $76.99 at Amazon
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It's no surprise that the best early October Prime Day deals include plenty of Amazon's own gadgets. Case in point: you can grab this HD tablet with 32GB of storage for 50% off. In the midst of a global memory crisis, a $77 tablet sounds pretty appealing to us. This 10-inch tablet has a lightweight design, a decently long battery life, and a crisp, colorful display. According to the Amazon price-tracking site camelcamelcamel, it's never been this cheap before.

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Amazon's cheapest 4K media player faced a $10 price bump in August. Amazon's pre-Prime Big Deal Days price of $19.99 erases that and then some, saving you 60%. If you want to catch up on all of this year's Emmy award winners, then this is one of the best October Prime Day deals so far.

More Fire TV Stick deals

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Best fitness tracker and smartwatch deal Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Vivoactive 6 $229.99 at Amazon
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Many runners believe Garmin is the gold standard of smartwatches and fitness trackers. And ahead of Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, you can grab the Garmin Vivoactive 6 for just $229.99. That saves you $70 off its retail price.

The Vivoactive 6 features an AMOLED display and up to 11 days of battery life, so you can wear it around the clock. It provides energy monitoring and a sleep score so you get personalized tips on how to improve your sleep. Plus, it has 80 built-in types of sport tracking.

More fitness tracker and smartwatch deals

• Garmin Lily 2 — $199.99 $249.99 (save $50)

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Early October Prime Day toys and gaming deals Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch Pro Controller $55.97 at Amazon
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The Nintendo Customer Appreciation Sale is a great chance to save on Switch games and accessories, and the sale runs through Sept. 26. Amazon is undercutting Nintendo, Walmart, and Best Buy by a whopping $0.02 cents with this deal, but we're not complaining.

This wireless controller provides better controls for many types of games (both on the Switch 1 and Switch 2) compared to the standard Nintendo Joy-Con controllers, and this is your chance to grab it for its lowest-ever price.

More deals on toys and games Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Classic Creative Suitcase 10713 $11.80 at Amazon
$19.99 Save $8.19 We're expecting a lot more Lego deals as we approach Oct. 6. For now, this is the perfect Lego starter kit for young kids — or anyone who loves brick building. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Botanicals Succulents 10309 $34.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $15 There are few things we love more than Lego Prime Day deals. We also love the Lego Botanicals line here at Mashable, and this popular cactus-themed building kit is at an all-time low price. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Joy-Con (single) $31.49 at Amazon
$44.99 Save $13.50 If you need an extra Joy-Con for your Switch, both single and dual Joy-Con controllers are on sale for a limited time. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Metroid Dread Nintendo Switch (Digital Code) $41.97 at Amazon
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Right now, Prime members can save 80% on four months of Amazon's audiobook service, paying just $0.99 for their first four months. Your membership lets you download one title per month. including classics, new releases, and BookTok faves like the ACOTAR series. And if 99 cents feels a little high, you can also sign up for a 30-day free trial.

More Amazon subscription deals

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Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

Duncan Sheik, the singer-songwriter who turned "Barely Breathing" into an enduring '90s alt-pop hit before finding a second act on Broadway as the Tony-winning composer of Spring Awakening, died Thursday in Manhattan. He was 56.

His mother, Suzanne Sheik, confirmed his death to The New York Times and said the cause was heart failure leading to cardiac arrest.

For many people, Sheik will forever be associated with "Barely Breathing," the deceptively catchy breakup song that became the breakout single from his self-titled 1996 debut. The song reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the chart for 55 weeks, earning Sheik a Grammy nomination and turning the soft-spoken musician into an unlikely star.

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For a generation of millennials, however, Sheik's most enduring work wasn't necessarily a song with his voice on it. It was Spring Awakening.

The musical arrived on Broadway in December 2006, just as a new kind of teenage fandom was taking shape online. You didn't necessarily have to live in New York or have the money for a Broadway ticket to become completely consumed by it. Teenagers passed around grainy YouTube clips and shaky, questionably obtained recordings, memorized the cast album, traded photos and interviews, and followed the young cast, which included Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, and John Gallagher Jr., online.

Lauren "Lolo" Pritchard, Steven Sater, Lea Michele, Jonathan Groff, Duncan Sheik and John Gallagher Jr. at the 2022 the premiere of "Spring Awakening: Those You've Known" in New York City. Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Before Broadway fandom lived on TikTok, Spring Awakening fans were finding one another in the messier corners of the internet. I was one of those teenagers.

In 2007, I was deep in Spring Awakening. I listened to the cast recording obsessively and watched whatever shoddy footage I could find online. Then I moved to New York City that fall and finally got to stand at the stage door, Playbill in hand. Songs like "Mama Who Bore Me," "The Bitch of Living," "Touch Me," "Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind," "Totally Fucked" — I knew them all. These were songs built around the particular intensity of being young, when desire can feel catastrophic, anger can feel righteous, and nobody, least of all the adults around you, seems capable of understanding what's happening inside your head.

Sheik's music and score gave those feelings somewhere to go. He made music for young people who felt everything too much.

There was something almost perfectly matched about the material and the way teenagers encountered it. Spring Awakening was a story about young people whose inner lives were misunderstood and suppressed by the adults around them. Online, its young fans found one another and became obsessive about it together.

Nearly 20 years later, many of those same fans are back online mourning the man who wrote the music that soundtracked that period of their lives.

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In the hours after news of Sheik's death, listeners inevitably returned to "Barely Breathing." More than 30 years after its release, it's the kind of song whose opening notes can instantly locate you in another time.

But the Duncan Sheik music I keep returning to isn't sung by him at all. It's a group of teenagers singing at the top of their lungs about everything they haven't yet figured out. I was one of the teenagers listening. And nearly 20 years later, those songs still know exactly where to find me.

Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the state to develop recommendations on safety measures, including requiring companies to build a “kill switch,” amid mounting concerns.

Thirty years ago, catching Pokémon meant booting up a Game Boy. In 2026, apparently, it means getting to Target before sunrise and hoping the person in front of you doesn't clean out the shelves.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game's highly anticipated 30th Celebration expansion arrived worldwide on Sept. 16, and fans have been extremely normal about it.

By which we mean: not normal at all.

SEE ALSO: 30 years of Pokémon: The memes that made it immortal

Videos of the launch have flooded social media, showing enormous lines of would-be buyers waiting outside retailers and, in some cases, rushing for the cards once doors opened. One video, posted by a Pokémon card collector on X, captured adult shoppers sprinting toward a display and frantically shoving merchandise into their baskets. "It's like wild chickens during feeding times 😭😭," the poster wrote.

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It's the kind of scene that feels ripped from a Black Friday sale in the early 2000s, except everyone is here for Pikachu (and not Elmo).

The viral video is hardly an isolated incident. According to local news reports, fans and resellers lined up for hours outside Targets across the U.S., with some stores selling out shortly after opening. In San Antonio, customers camped outside Best Buy ahead of the launch, while retailers introduced increasingly elaborate rules to keep the drop under control, including purchase limits, staggered entry, and restrictions on when customers could begin lining up.

Pokémon card collectors wait in line outside a Best Buy to purchase the new 30th Celebration set in Pasadena, California.. Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

The chaos wasn't limited to the U.S. Thousands of collectors reportedly queued overnight in the UK, where fans complained that products disappeared almost immediately after going on sale. In Sydney, video showed a massive line snaking through a shopping center ahead of the Australian launch.

So, why all the pandemonium?

Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration is designed to make longtime collectors lose their minds. The anniversary expansion features foil cards throughout, the return of classic cards, new Mew and Mewtwo Futuristic Rare cards, and, perhaps most dangerously, 30 different Pikachu illustrations to collect.

Then there's the resale market. Pokémon cards have become increasingly valuable collectibles, creating an ecosystem in which major releases attract not just fans but buyers hoping to flip scarce products for a profit. That rare Mew card? It's worth roughly $3,800 on the resale market. Scalping has become an especially sore subject in the Pokémon community, and the 30th anniversary release is pouring gasoline on the fire.

Less than a day after release, ICv2 reported that 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Boxes with an MSRP of $49.99 had sold on eBay for more than $300. That helps explain why retailers are treating a Pokémon card release like a crowd-control exercise.

Of course, there's something beautifully absurd about watching adults camp overnight, navigate virtual queues, and sprint through stores for a trading card game many of them first encountered as kids.

Thirty years later, it turns out you still gotta catch 'em all. You just might have to elbow your way to the display first.

SAVE 35%: As of Sept. 18, you can get the 65-inch Toshiba G700 Series ArtVision 4K UHD Smart Fire TV (2026) for $1,297.99 at Amazon. That's a 35% discount.

Toshiba G700 Series ArtVision 4K UHD Smart Fire TV (2026) $1,297.99 at Amazon
$1,999.99 Save $702   Get Deal at Amazon

If you've been dying to get your hands on Samsung's coveted Frame TV, but you aren't sold on Samsung's ecosystem, Toshiba just released its own version — the ArtVision G700 Series — and it's already on sale.

Right now, you can get the 65-inch Toshiba G700 Series ArtVision 4K UHD Smart Fire TV (2026) for $1,297.99 at Amazon. That's a 35% discount or $702 in savings.

SEE ALSO: What's the best time to buy a TV? Not just Black Friday. Shop strategically during these 4 windows.

Unlike its rival, the ArtVision comes with its own magnetic white oak frame and a zero-gap wall mount. It also has impressive specs for a display built for aesthetics, including an anti-glare QLED screen, a 165Hz refresh rate, Fire TV built directly into the UI, and an Ambient Mode with over 3,000 free artworks to choose from when you're not binge-watching your faves.

From Catastrophe to Bad Sisters, Sharon Horgan has proven herself adept at creating deeply human, deeply messy characters muddling through complicated lives. Her latest series,Youth on HBO, continues that trend with a tale of menopausal love and sex that's equal parts hilarious and vulnerable.

SEE ALSO: 2026 fall TV preview: Every show you should know about What's Youth about? Rupert Friend and Sharon Horgan in "Youth." Credit: Colin Hutton / HBO

Horgan plays Alex, a divorced literary agent dealing with the sheer onslaught of life at 50. She's taken on the role of caretaker twice over, looking after her ailing parents as well as her angst-ridden 18-year-old son, Ruari (Aran Murphy). As the latter heads off to university, Alex determines to put her own needs first and find the love and sex she's denied herself while he's been at home.

That quest proves difficult. After years of marriage, Alex is daunted by the prospect of starting her love life over at square one. As she weathers awkward courtships and gets accustomed to "new dick," she also confronts her body image issues tied to aging. In the very first episode, she learns she's got arthritis in her jaw. (You can imagine the off-color joke her doctor makes about her oral activities.) In a solid background running gag, she constantly buys new exercise equipment. Panic over her appearance abounds, especially when confronted with her on-again, off-again lover Patrick's (Rupert Friend) current, much younger fling, Cara (Nadia Parkes).

SEE ALSO: What's new to streaming this week? (Sept. 18, 2026)

And all that's before Ruari moves back home, mere days into his university career. His return, coupled with Alex's romantic and professional anxieties, sparks a perfect storm of awkward situations, like an Ibiza vacation where everyone is romantically paired off except for Alex and her son. Horgan brings every social misstep to life with deft frankness. Cringe comedy melds with earnest heart-to-hearts, putting us on an emotional rollercoaster that nails life's many ups and downs.

Youth thrives, thanks to imperfect relationships. Sharon Horgan and Aran Murphy in "Youth." Credit: Colin Hutton / HBO

Horgan is astounding in Youth: filthy, funny, flawed in all the right ways. So is the rest of the main ensemble, whose interactions with Alex result in a tangled web of relationships that each feel painfully real.

On the work front, Alex has the unique situation of her boss Sam (Sharlene Whyte) also being her best friend. Often times, they get along great, like when they're venting over a best-selling client's (Anne Reid) latest racy — and racist! — manuscript, or dishing on their relationships. When the power dynamic comes into play, though, Alex bristles and tends to buck Sam's authority. Whyte and Horgan's chemistry oscillates between playful and strained as needed, and the result is a solid addition to the canon of HBO's complex female friendships.

On the love front, Alex always seems to find her way back to Patrick. Described as "institutionally single," he's no perfect rom-com hero. Commitment eludes him, even though he wants to start a family. Yet Patrick's no dirtbag either. He's kind and invested in Alex, and Friend and Horgan's scenes together burn with such familiar intimacy you can't help but root for the pair. Look no further than a scene where they lay in bed, discussing Alex's estrogen patch. It's sweet, sexy, and honest, all rolled into a 30-second sequence.

But the relationship at Youth's core is that between Alex and Ruari. As Ruari, Murphy gives an explosive performance, careening between impulsive recklessness and pure apathy. He's just as likely to be making rash decisions in a club as he is to be watching video game playthroughs on his phone. Yet while Ruari begins the series by frequently lashing out at his mother, and Alex begins it in a near-constant state of frustration towards her son, the two inevitably grow closer. In fact, they become mirrors to one another, in all their self-sabotaging glory. Both are at a major turning point in their lives: Ruari stands on the precipice of adulthood, not quite ready to leap into what comes next. Alex is entering a new decade of her life, terrified at the baggage the number 50 brings, yet ready to embrace the freedom it might afford her.

With this dysfunctional mother-son duo, Horgan weaves two very different coming-of-age stories that prove that you never really stop growing up. And what a beautiful, frightening, and funny reality that is.

The first two episodes of Youth premiere Sept. 20 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Lizzie Borden. The name instantly conjures images of axes (or more accurately, hatchets), that 19th-century Greek Revival-style Massachusetts home, and children singing that creepy rhyme: 

Lizzie Borden took an ax / And gave her mother 40 whacks. / When she saw what she had done / She gave her father 41.

Though Borden was acquitted of the murder of her father and stepmother in 1893, the case has attracted armchair detectives and adaptations for more than 100 years. They range from Elizabeth Montgomery's Emmy-winning performance in 1975's The Legend of Lizzie Borden to Christina Ricci's Lifetime movie rendition in Lizzie Borden Took an Ax and its spinoff series The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, and most recently, Chloë Sevigny's underrated turn in the 2018 sapphic thriller, Lizzie.

SEE ALSO: 'Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story' has scenes involving a 19th-century vibrator

Now, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's Netflix series Monster, which previously explored the controversial representations of killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and Ed Gein, takes on Borden's story. Here's what you should know about Lizzie Borden, the grisly crimes she was accused of, and how the Netflix series portrays her.

Did Lizzie Borden kill her parents? Portrait of Lizzie Borden (1860-1927). Credit: Getty Images / Bettmann

What actually happened the day of the murders of Andrew and Abby Borden? The timeline has had true crime enthusiasts obsessed for decades.

According to historians, on the morning of Aug. 4, 1892, at 92 Second Street in Fall River, Massachusetts, Andrew Borden and his second wife, Abby, were found murdered in their home. Though the murder weapon was never found, it was clear to investigators that an axe or hatchet was used.

Lizzie Borden, Andrew's 32-year-old daughter, was tried for the murders. At the time, the only other person in the house was the Borden's Irish maid Bridget Sullivan, called "Maggie" by the Bordens, who gave her the name of their previous maid.

In her testimony, Lizzie claimed she'd been in the barn, walked into the house, and found her father's body in the living room. Then, she's said to have called for Bridget, who was allegedly napping in her room on the third floor, and told her to fetch a doctor. Her stepmother was found dead in an upstairs guest bedroom (you can actually stay the night in this 134-year-old crime scene, as the Borden house is now a macabre bed and breakfast).

In 1893, Borden was acquitted of the murders, though nobody else was ever convicted. To say the trial was colossal at the time is an understatement, and Borden herself testified on the stand. As historian Joseph Conforti writes, "The inquest, preliminary hearing, and Superior Court trial generated over 3,000 pages of testimony on the Borden murders," and news coverage was through the roof. Borden was not found guilty and was released (episode 7 of Monster follows Borden's arrest, imprisonment, and trial).

How does Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story portray the parties involved? Charlie Hunnam and Rebecca Hall as Andrew and Abby Borden in "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story." Credit: Netflix

For Monster, Murphy rallies go-to faces: Feud: Capote vs. The Swans' Ella Beatty portrays Borden, The Ed Gein Story's Vicky Krieps plays the Borden's housemaid Bridget Sullivan, and The Beauty's Rebecca Hall and previous Monster star Charlie Hunnam play Borden's parents.

Beatty's Lizzie is a sweet, smart, socially awkward, sexually oppressed woman who endures her parents' abuse while trying to maintain decorum. She's portrayed as a true romantic, whimsically gathering flowers and twirling while feeding her birds in a style that can only be described as Disney princess-like. She's also portrayed as a kleptomaniac, stealing her parents' belongings, which has become a myth about Borden.

Hunnam’s Andrew Borden is an undertaker and woodworker (in real life Andrew Borden was also a wealthy banker and textile investor). Hall portrays Borden's stepmother, Abby, as an immovably malicious person, treating her stepdaughter as inconvenient property and doling out hot liquid punishments on her maids. In Monster, the marriage is one of coldness, with Abby actually planning to leave Andrew in episode 4, a fabrication of the show.

Vicky Krieps as Bridget "Maggie" Sullivan and Ella Beatty as Lizzie Borden in "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story." Credit: Netflix

One of the major players in the case is the only other person at home during the time of the murders: Bridget "Maggie" Sullivan, played by Krieps. Bridget's potential role in the Borden murders remains a historical question mark, yet in Monster, Bridget is extremely involved. Despite no historical evidence of it, Lizzie and Bridget’s relationship, like most screen interpretations of the story, is portrayed in Monster as an intimate lesbian love affair.

One of the only other suspects in the case, Joey Pollari plays Lizzie's uncle, John Morse, who stayed at the Borden's the night before the murders. Monster has John show up at the Bordens as a surprise brother of Andrew's late first wife, Sarah. He's portrayed as a money-seeking dirtbag, taking Andrew through his collection of knives, each named like Andrew's axes, then asking him for money to start a business.

In Monster, Lizzie's older sister Emma (played by American Horror Story's Billie Lourd) is portrayed as everything Lizzie isn't — engaged, popular, liked by their parents. In the real case, Emma was out of town during the murders, and the same occurs in Monster.

Another who features in the Netflix series is famed actor Nance O’Neil (played by Jessica Barden), who was indeed friends with Lizzie. However, Monster has the pair meeting in Fall River before the Bordens were murdered — in history, they met in Boston after Lizzie was acquitted — and the series has her train Lizzie in acting to ready her for her murder trial (which didn't happen).

How does Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story depict the Borden murders? Ella Beatty as Lizzie Borden in "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story." Credit: Netflix

Monster gives Borden multiple motives for murder: a life of emotional abuse by her parents (especially her stepmother), her father's treatment of Bridget, Andrew leaving Lizzie out of his will (in real life, Andrew had no will, so Lizzie stood to inherit quite the fortune). When Abby kills her beloved birds (with an axe, of course), and her father doesn't support her grief, Lizzie makes her decision to murder them both. Given the real Borden pled not guilty, perhaps we'll never know if there was a motive or not.

The Netflix series actually shows the murders of Andrew and Abby Borden twice, as its opening scene and in episodes 4 (Abby's murder) and 5 (Andrew's murder). The opening sequence actually shows a closer version to what is theorised to have happened — Lizzie, working alone, descended from her bedroom, armed herself with an axe or hatchet, then first murdered Abby, who was straightening the guest room. Andrew arrived home downstairs, and is then murdered in the living room. We see this all play out without dialogue.

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Later, in episodes 4 and 5, Monster stages the Borden murders in a more elaborate manner, all throughout the house, being liberal with the timeline and events for dramatic effect. Unlike the real murder, Abby's death in Monster doesn't solely occur in the upstairs guest room, instead playing out as a violent chase from the front door of the house. In episode 4, Abby and Lizzie have an argument as she is leaving the Bordens — for good. In a fabricated conversation, Lizzie gives her stepmother home truths before chopping off her nose with a hatchet.

Despite the question mark around Bridget's involvement in the Borden murders, Monster has her play a crucial role. While historians say Bridget was seen washing windows during Abby's murder, in Monster, Bridget appears during the attack holding an axe (in episode 5, the show depicts Lizzie instructing Bridget to be seen washing windows to provide this historical alibi). Putting the murder back into historical events, Monster has Lizzie letting Abby run upstairs into the guest bedroom, where she's killed by Lizzie in a frenzy. Afterward, Lizzie and Bridget bury her dress in the forest (they don't burn it yet, like a witness said Borden did, leaving this action to later in the series after Andrew's death).

Ella Beatty as Lizzie Borden, in the upstairs guest bedroom, in "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story." Credit: Netflix

Andrew's death is also portrayed differently to what historians believe happened, especially with how involved Bridget is in the scenes. 

In episode 5, Monster has Andrew returning to the house (whether it's on the same day, as happened, is unclear) and finding his wife's body upstairs — the latter of which did not happen in the real case. He's attacked not by Lizzie but by Bridget with an axe in the bedroom, then Lizzie intervenes, and there's a moment in which Andrew and Lizzie acknowledge her act. The pair then manage to shut Andrew in the basement, where he's left with an axe embedded in his shoulder, all while Lizzie and Bridget clean up the crime scene. Then, Monster has Lizzie battling her father in an axe fight that never happened, Andrew is killed in the living room, which actually happened. After Lizzie's attack, Monster then puts the hatchet in Bridget's hands for the final blows.

The last three episodes of Monster follow Borden's arrest, the police investigation, and the trial, which would take another article to unpack.

In the series finale, Monster has Borden at a dinner party recount all other theories and rumors around other suspects — from her uncle John to a random thief — as we see them played out on screen. Then, Lizzie describes the murders as "a random act of violence, no motive, someone just walked into my family's house and killed my dear parents with an axe."

Did Lizzie Borden try to poison her parents like Monster depicts? Ella Beatty as Lizzie Borden in "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story." Credit: Netflix

The real Lizzie Borden was seen buying poison (prussic acid) the day before the murders, which led to her arrest on Aug. 11. Monster plays out the horrible fantasy of this decision in its early episodes. Bridget suggests to Lizzie they should use poison, with the series spending ample time showing how much Lizzie and Bridget know about the properties of plants.

Then, one of the series' grossest scenes, in episode 2, Monster actually hypothesizes Lizzie poisoning her parents with Bridget's help. Episode 2 sees the Bordens booting bouillabaisse all over their dining room, unknowingly purging the poison in their soup.

After their attempt fails, Monster has Bridget give Lizzie the idea of using an axe, not a knife or gun, to kill her parents — we literally see her training Lizzie to swing an enormous double-headed weapon. "An axe is the most personal way of killing someone," she says. "Put all your feelings in the swing. Make it personal and give it your signature."

Who was Bertha Manchester? Ella Beatty as Lizzie Borden in "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story." Credit: Netflix

Controversially, Monster includes Bertha Manchester (played by Linda Reiter), a real Fall River woman who was murdered with an axe nine months after the Borden murders — and one week before Lizzie Borden's jury was chosen. Shockingly, in episode 3, Monster changes the order of events to actually make Lizzie Bertha's murderer, retaliating against Bertha's hateful, homophobic cat-o-nine-tails attack on Bridget. "Bertha Manchester's the first one we kill," says Bridget. "We have to make sure we know what we're doing, and that we have our courage." Essentially, Monster positions Bertha Manchester as their test run, with Lizzie doing the deed and the pair washing the blood off in a waterfall as The Doors' "The End" plays.

While Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story takes more than a few liberties with timelines and details, it wouldn't be the first of Murphy's Netflix anthology depicting famous true crime cases. And no, Aileen Wuornos never visited the Borden house.

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is now streaming on Netflix.

The world is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Pokémon, and if you're still playing the franchise's popular mobile game Pokémon Go, one of the original 151 Pokémon is back with a fresh accessory.

As spotted on Reddit before being officially announced on X, Pokémon Go players can get a special version of Charmander wearing goggles by redeeming a Pokémon Go code on the game's website. Simply go to the website, sign in to your account, and put in the code "0004POKEMONGO" to start a series of activities that will eventually lead to an encounter with this special Charmander.

SEE ALSO: Owala’s exclusive Pokémon just dropped at Target: Shop Pikachu, Eevee, Charizard, and Gengar designs This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The event expires on Sept. 22, as it's a limited-time thing related to the Pokémon Horizons: The Series anime. (Those goggles belong to Professor Friede, if you must know.) According to Reddit, you'll have to do the following things to meet this Charmander:

1. Catch 10 Pokémon

2. Catch 20 Pokémon

3. Use 5 berries to help catch Pokémon

4. Make 10 Nice Throws

That all sounds straightforward enough. Go do that before next week and get yourself this cool little guy for your collection.

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Father Time comes for us all, and landline phones are no exception.

Verizon announced on its website that it is seeking permission from the FCC to phase out traditional copper landline service. The post doesn't have a specific timeline, but local news outlet WWNY in Watertown, NY is reporting that customers are being told that it could happen by the end of November. The idea is to get rid of the older technology and replace it with fiber or wireless service for as many people as possible.

SEE ALSO: Verizon has some of the best iPhone 18 Pro deals: Here's how to cash in on the savings

Of course, there will always be people left behind by decisions like this, especially in rural or remote areas. Apparently, people were still using AOL dial-up internet before the company killed the service last year.

Verizon says customers will be given plenty of advance notice before being able to choose a modern FCC-approved solution, and things like emergency services will still be available. Customers will allegedly be able to keep their phone numbers, too. Lastly, Verizon said people who do not have access to a newer solution for whatever reason will be able to keep copper landline service until an alternative is identified.

While this is being positioned as a sort of modernization, it's also likely true that Verizon is doing this to save money. Maintaining an older copper network for what has to be an increasingly small customer base may not be worth it in the eyes of the company's accountants.

The decision will still need FCC approval.

SAVE 13%: As of Sept. 18, you can get the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo for $549, down from $629, at Amazon. That's a 13% discount, or $80 in savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo $549 at Amazon
$629 Save $80   Get Deal

If you're interested in becoming a content creator but aren't sure about the equipment or what to do first, you may want to check out DJI's creator line. The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo has pretty much everything you need to get started: the Osmo Pocket 3 camera, the DJI Mic 2 transmitter, battery handle, and an Osmo mini Tripod.

SEE ALSO: The three best DJI products every creator could use in their tool kit

And right now, you can get it for $549, down from $629, at Amazon and Best Buy. (It's sold out on the official DJI website.) That's a 13% discount, or $80 in savings. While this isn't the lowest price we've seen for this combo (it was $512 in July), $80 is still a good chunk of change to save on your on-the-go studio setup.

The best thing about this kit is that it's designed for beginners (it's also a Mashable Choice award winner). "You don't need to be an experienced videographer to set up and start shooting with this camera," Mashable's tech editor, Timothy Beck Werth, writes in his review. Thanks to its three-axis mechanical stabilization, you can focus on what you're doing without worrying about your footage looking shaky. There's also a rotating touchscreen that flips between horizontal and vertical video in seconds.

Times columnist Kevin Roose sees reasons for optimism — and worry — as the world wakes up to what Silicon Valley has been talking about for years.

A new cat species has been formally identified for the first time in 100 years. Found in Bolivia, the Leopardus tilcayo has markings similar to a leopard, but is smaller than a domestic house cat. Unfortunately, while this tiger cat is undeniably cuddle-sized, it is not for cuddling.

SEE ALSO: Scientists accidentally created the cutest mouse in the world

Revealed in a paper published in Current Biology on Thursday, the diminutive Leopardus tilcayo is described as having "relatively large, irregular, dark brown to black rosettes" on its light brown fur, which darkens along its spine and lightens toward its limbs. The tiger cat is also adorably small, measuring just 425 to 505mm from its head to the end of its body, excluding its 250 to 265mm-long tail. (In comparison, the average domestic cat is around 460 to 510mm long, with a tail measuring 250 to 380mm.)

A tilcayo cat (Leopardus tilcayo) at Senda Verde in Coroico, Bolivia. Credit: Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark

Other than this, very little is known about the tilcayo. However, researchers state that this tiger cat was already known to locals in the Bolivian Yungas region, who called it "tilcayo."

"We asked the local people, 'Why do you call it tilcayo?'" the paper's co-lead author, Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, told National Geographic. "And they said, 'I don't know! My grandpa called it tilcayo, so I call it tilcayo."

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The specific cat that helped Nogales-Ascarrunz and her team identify the new species had already been living in a Bolivian wildlife sanctuary for almost a decade. A local man initially found the male kitten on a road and cared for it at his home for about a year, believing it was an ordinary house cat. However, he eventually realised that it was in fact a wild animal, prompting him to hand it to the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary in 2016.

They then contacted biologist Nogales-Ascarrunz, who mistakenly identified the cat as a Leopardus tigrinus, also known as an oncilla or northern tiger cat. However, upon subsequently reviewing her photos of the cat in 2019, she realised that it did not match images of other felines presumed to be of the same species.

DNA testing has now proved her suspicions correct, confirming that the cat is indeed an entirely new species. Nogales-Ascarrunz and her fellow researchers further noted that, compared to the oncillia, the tilcayo has "larger and more irregular flank markings, [a] longer and fuller tail, and irregular caudal blotches [near the tail]."

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Affectionately named "Tigrino," Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary's resident tilcayo is the only known animal of his species to be in protective human care. As such, practically everything we know about tilcayos is in reference to Tigrino. However, now that researchers know what to look for, there is the chance that other previously misidentified tilcayo cats may be discovered.

The countries, along with Israeli firms, combined Chinese open-source A.I. models and A.I. agents for the campaigns, foreshadowing future online manipulation.

SAVE $30: As of Sept. 18, get Otterbox's new iPhone 18 Pro Defender Pro Case for $49.99. That saves you $30 on its $79.99 list price for 38% off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Otterbox Otterbox Defender Pro iPhone 18 Pro Case $49.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $30.00   Get Deal

Today is finally the day — the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are arriving in stores and into your hands. If you have the new iPhone or are planning to go out and grab one this weekend, don't forget to pick up a case for it. There's no bigger tech nightmare than dropping and cracking your brand-new phone. So if you're in the market, we spotted a deal just for you.

As of Sept. 18, get the Otterbox Defender Pro iPhone 18 Pro Case for just $49.99. That's $30 off the case's list price of $79.99, saving you 38%. That's some pretty substantial savings, especially when you just dropped a lot of money on a new phone.

Otterbox makes cases that are rugged and durable so that the case absorbs damage — not your phone. The brand's Defender Pro series provides maximum protection that's up to a military standard. It also has a grippy finish to hopefully prevent the number of drops you have to begin with. Plus, it's not bulky either.

Shop the Otterbox Defender Pro iPhone 18 Pro Case now for just $49.99 at Amazon and save $30.

It's iPhone launch day! Did you get a brand new iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max? Did you see John Ternus at the Apple store? If so, congratulations! Also, and this is very important, don't drop it.

Apple has shared just how much it's going to cost for the most common iPhone repairs for the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. And, let's put it this way, damaging your new iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max is going to cost you a pretty penny on top of what you just spent for the device itself.

Just how much? Here's what Apple said about iPhone 18 Pro repair costs

The cost of fixing a damaged iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max

Damaged the back glass of your new iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max? That'll cost you $159 to repair.

Dropped the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max and wrecked the rear cameras? Apple will fix that for a whopping $249.

Something wrong with the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max battery? Battery issues are usually covered under warranty this early in your smartphone's lifecycle, but if it's an issue caused by you, then Apple's charging $129 for the fix.

Apple can also fix your screen if you break or crack it. However, unlike the previous repairs, the cost of this one will depend on which device you have. Screen damage repair on the iPhone 18 Pro will cost a whopping $329. If the back glass is damaged along with the screen, then it'll cost $419 for the fix. Those same repairs will cost $379 and $469 for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, respectively. Obviously, the fix for a much larger screen will cost you more.

Those seem to be the most common repairs, and if you must damage your new iPhone, you'd better hope it's one of those things that need fixing. If you did something unique to wreck your iPhone, those repairs, which Apple deems as "other damage," will set you back a whopping $849 for the iPhone 18 Pro and $899 for the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

And here's the TL;DR version:

• Battery service: $129

• Back glass damage: $159

• Rear camera damage: $249

• Screen damage: $329 ($379 for Pro Max)

• Screen and back glass damage: $419 ($469 for Pro Max)

• Other damage: Up to $849 ($899 for Pro Max)

iPhone 18 repair price vs. iPhone 17 repair price

If you're wondering how the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max repair prices stack up to the cost of fixing its predecessors, you may be surprised to find out that there's not much of a difference. Of course, the bodies of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max and the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are practically the same, so they likely require similar, if not identical, parts and labor costs to repair, so it makes sense. The one difference is the battery service repair, which Apple charges a mere $10 more to fix for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max: Everything Apple changed

So, if you're wondering if you should splurge on the new iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max or save some money by purchasing an iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max, just know they cost basically the same exact thing to fix!

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TL;DR: Live stream the 17th season of The Great British Baking Show for free on Channel 4. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

You know that summer is making way for fall when The Great British Baking Show returns to screens. Things are about to get a whole lot cozier. Which is what The Great British Baking Show, aka Bake Off, is all about — comforting, wholesome fun.

The Great British Baking Show pits Britain's best amateur bakers against each other in the iconic white tent. They battle it out — in the nicest possible way — by dazzling the judges with technical challenges and stow-stopper bakes.

This year, things will look a little different as longtime judge Prue Leith has departed the show. She's replaced by cookery show queen Nigella Lawson, who will judge 12 new bakers alongside Bake Off mainstay Paul Hollywood.

If you're interested in watching The Great British Baking Show in 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is The Great British Baking Show in 2026?

The 17th season of The Great British Baking Show starts on Sept. 22 in the UK. Episodes go live a few days later in the U.S.

How to watch The Great British Baking Show for free in 2026

The Great British Baking Show is available to live stream for free on Channel 4.

Channel 4 is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone worldwide can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock Channel 4 to watch The Great British Baking Show from anywhere in the world.

Live stream The Great British Baking Show for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit Channel 4

5. Stream The Great British Baking Show for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch episodes of The Great British Baking Show without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream a large chunk of the season before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Channel 4?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for accessing free live streams on Channel 4, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream The Great British Baking Show for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.