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Gay hookup app Grindr is currently on its Grindr Rides America bus tour for Pride Month. In other places around the world, however, the app is far from celebrated — it's banned, sanctioned, or restricted in the App Store. According to digital rights organization Access Now, Grindr is the second-most blocked messaging platform outside of India after Facebook.
In some of the areas where Grindr is banned, you can use a VPN (virtual private network) to access it. VPNs encrypt your internet traffic and data, and mask your real IP address. You can pretend to be browsing from elsewhere in the world using a VPN. Here's where you can and can't access Grindr through a VPN, and how to do so.
Where is Grindr banned?According to Grindr's website, the app is restricted by the governments of these places:
Indonesia
Turkey
Lebanon
Qatar
Pakistan
Jordan
United Arab Emirates
Malaysia
Grindr is sanctioned — meaning the U.S. government has restricted trade there — and thus the app isn't available in these territories:
Crimea
Syria
North Korea
Cuba
Sudan
Finally, Grindr is delisted in the App Store in Saudi Arabia and China.
Where can you use a VPN to access Grindr?You can access Grindr through a VPN in countries where it is restricted, so the first list. Grindr states on its website that VPNs have been used in these places, but there's no guarantee that they'll work. Also, as Consumer Reports investigative tech reporter Yael Grauer told Mashable in a story about using VPNs to view porn, don't rely on VPNs in severe instances, as these networks can fail.
That being said, if you want to use a VPN to access Grindr in a restricted country, here's how:
How to unblock Grindr with a VPN Total TimeStep 1: Sign up for a VPN
ExpressVPN is one example.
Step 2: Download the VPN app to your device
Step 3: Use the VPN to connect to a server in a location where Grindr is accessible
Step 4: Visit and use Grindr
Is a celeb account on TikTok acting suspiciously? Chances are they've been hacked.
It appears that a hacker or a group of hackers are currently exploiting an undisclosed security issue, and using it to target high-profile accounts on TikTok.
Forbes reported on the attack earlier this week, noting that the accounts belonging to CNN, Sony, and Paris Hilton have been taken over by hackers.
According to the report, hackers are using malware which is transmitted through direct messages on TikTok, and doesn't require the victim to do anything beyond opening a message. So far, the hacked account aren't posting anything, which is somewhat odd for celeb account hacks.
TikTok has acknowledged that something is going on, though the company didn't exactly share too many details.
"Our security team is aware of a potential exploit targeting a number of brand and celebrity accounts. We have taken measures to stop this attack and prevent it from happening in the future. We're working directly with affected account owners to restore access, if needed," a spokesperson for ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, told Forbes. The spokesperson did later add that the number of compromised accounts was "very small."
Be that as it may, high-profile account hacks are always dangerous as these profiles typically have large follower numbers, and can be used to further spread malware or disinformation.
In case of CNN, in particular, Semafor reported that the company's TikTok account was taken down for several days, and CNN is working with TikTok to put additional measures in place to prevent this from happening again.
SEE ALSO: Ticketmaster confirms massive hack. What you need to know.TikTok isn't the only social media platform that's under attack from hackers right now. Several high-profile accounts have recently been hacked on X as well, including Microsoft India's account, which has been used to direct users to a fake crypto site designed to steal user funds.
TikTok, which is facing a ban in the U.S., has recently become an important topic ahead of the U.S. elections, with Donald Trump joining the platform (President Biden was already there, though only in the form of his campaign's account) and rapidly amassing more than five million followers.
For OpenAI, the last few weeks have made multiple headlines – and not for the best reasons. The story hasn't ended there: several current and former OpenAI employees, alongside Google DeepMind employees, are now calling out their leading AI companies on oversights, a culture of stifling criticism, and a general lack of transparency.
In an open letter, the whistleblowers essentially called for the right to openly criticize AI technology and its associated risks. They wrote that, due to a lack of obligation to share information with government bodies and regulators, "current and former employees are among the few people who can hold [these corporations] accountable to the public", and said that many of them "fear various forms of retaliation" for doing so.
SEE ALSO: What OpenAI's Scarlett Johansson drama tells us about the future of AIThe signatories asked for advanced AI companies to commit to certain principles, including the facilitation of an anonymous process for employees to raise risk-related concerns and that the companies will support "a culture of open criticism", so long as trade secrets are protected in the process. They also asked that the companies not retaliate against those who "publicly share risk-related confidential information after other processes have failed."
In the letter, the group also touched upon the risks of AI that they recognize: from the entrenchment of existing inequalities, to the exacerbation of misinformation, to the possibility of human extinction.
Daniel Kokotajlo, a former OpenAI researcher and one of the group's organizers, told the New York Times that OpenAI is "recklessly racing" to get to the top of the AI game. The company has faced scrutiny over its safety processes, with the recent launch of an internal safety team also raising eyebrows for the fact that CEO Sam Altman sits at its helm.
While your friends and family love your passion for say, Icelandic pop music or the history of breakfast cereal, they might be tired of your endless streams of knowledge. Hey, that’s okay, it just means it’s time to take your monologues and curiosity to the masses with a podcast.
Yes, we know, everyone has a podcast these days, but that’s because you don’t need to be an audio engineering mastermind to do so. While creating a podcast isn’t as simple as recording in your phone’s voice memos, you also don’t need to start renting out studio space. All you need are a few pieces of equipment to get you started, and we're here to help you assemble your podcast starter kit.
SEE ALSO: The best podcasts of 2023To get the details on how to kickstart your own podcast, we spoke with Lindsey Weber, co-host of the podcast Who? Weekly, and Brooke Solomon, screenwriter and co-host of The Queer Quadrant podcast. Plus, Mashable lead shopping reporter Bethany Allard, who produces and edits podcasts, also lent us her expertise.
While it's easy to feel overwhelmed when embarking on a new creative venture, take a breath and start slow. While you'll see a long list of products here, you don't need to go all in and add all of this podcast gear to your shopping cart. While we're here to recommend the equipment and software to get you started, there is a plethora of online resources that can provide guidance once you get going. "The podcasting world is pretty user-friendly," Solomon tells us.
How much does it cost to start podcasting?You could start podcasting today for $0. Record using the mic on your favorite headphones, edit on free software like Audacity, upload to a free hosting site, and voilà, you're a podcaster! Of course, that won't produce the highest-quality content and might result in much more work than necessary. But you can start small and stay on budget. "Now that podcasting has become more popular, there is an array of equipment at very different price points," says Weber.
Suppose you're going to invest in a single item on this list. In that case, Solomon says that it should be "a very good mic, preferably a dynamic mic that is professional-grade." Whether you use a USB or an XLR, a good microphone costs around $100. You can stop there, as Weber recommends a USB mic paired with recording software already on your computer (like Garageband). In addition, a pair of nice studio headphones helps with recording and editing, which will cost you about $50. Together, that's $150 for startup costs.
SEE ALSO: Gaming starter kit: All the gear you need to play like a real gamerHowever, if you want to level up, swing for an XLR mic that costs about $100 paired with an audio recorder, which will cost around $150. Those two items, plus the headphones, will cost you about $300.
If you're ready for the world to hear you, here's the best podcast equipment for beginners.
Noise-cancelling headphones keep me sane. Whether I'm going for a stroll or need to keep my focus while working in a busy coffee shop, they're my not-so-secret weapon for productivity. However, in my old office days, I used to work a solid eight hours with a pair of over-ear headphones that left my ears and head aching by the time 5 p.m. hit. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones have comfort right in the title, but I had to experience it myself.
And reader, these are absolutely the most comfortable over-the-ear headphones I've tried. After a couple weeks of testing, my ears have relished the comfort of the Ultras. These Bose headphones come at a steep price of $429 (though you can find them on sale), and I found that you're paying for their cushiony wear because in my experience the sound quality is not quite up to flagship level.
SEE ALSO: Our 8 favorite noise-cancelling headphones that actually work What is QuietComfort Ultra?Bose's flagship line of headphones and earbuds falls under QuietComfort, which promises to block out your surroundings with active noise cancellation while providing plush comfort for all-day wear. The QuietComfort line includes earbuds and over-the-ear headphones.
The line also has tiers, with Ultra signifying the brand's high-end products featuring Bose's latest technology, immersive audio.
How much are the QuietComfort Ultra headphones?The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are $429, a steep price. They're the most expensive pair of headphones in our guide to the best headphones, but you definitely don't need to spend over $400 to get great sound quality and noise cancellation. What you're paying for is exceptional comfort.
Bose goes two for three on design, connectivity, and controlsThe BoseQuiet Comfort Ultras are a beautiful set of headphones available in black, sandstone, and white smoke. The white smoke pair I tested was sleek and good-looking. I wore them on the smallest setting, and in comparison to other over-the-ear headphones, they didn't provide the most secure fit, but they were comfortable. Where they did outperform other headphones is the actual size adjusting, which stays firmly in place and doesn't slip when you don't want them to like other headphones.
The buttons are minimal — maybe to the product's detriment.
The headphones have three physical controls: A power/Bluetooth button, a multi-function button, and a volume bar. The rest of the settings can be changed using the Bose app, which I generally like. The app is user-friendly and highly customizable for those who care about adjusting audio settings to find your perfect balance of bass and treble.
Switching between modes and Bluetooth sources is easy in the Bose app. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Screenshot courtesy of BoseThe app is where you can also switch between your Bluetooth sources, which is a smooth transition, requiring just the press of a button. However, if you want to connect to multiple devices at once, you'll miss multi-point pairing here.
The physical buttons on the headphones were a little bit of a nightmare. Setting them up was a breeze, a false start to the rest of my time with them. Maybe it's because I already use a pair of Bose wireless earbuds and have the app set up, but I just clicked the power button, and the QuietComfort Ultras connected immediately without issues. However, after that, I was in a constant power struggle with the surprisingly finicky power button. Sometimes, it only required a quick press to power on or off, and other times that would fail, and I'd need to hold it for a few seconds at a time. Another Mashable reviewer who also tested these headphones confirmed she had a similar experience. The one upside is that the headphones have an on-and-off tone that plays, so you know when the button is working.
The first time I clicked the multi-function button, it quickly swapped between the different listening modes: Quiet, Aware, and Immersive. However, after that first use, it completely changed, becoming the button for pausing, playing, and skipping songs. I am still trying to figure out why it suddenly changed, and even looking through the manual, I'm unsure how to get the mode changing functionality back. (You can also pause the music by lifting the right ear cup, which only works about 25 percent of the time in my testing.)
The touch controls on the bottom of the ear cups. Credit: Samantha Mangino / MashableThe volume button is a nice thought; it's definitely more functional than other external volume settings I've tried. However, it's not intuitive, especially if you don't have your phone or computer in front of you. I didn't know which direction to slide my finger to turn down the music, and several times, I overloaded my ear drums. The volume bar also has multi-function capabilities. I set mine to tell me the battery level every time I press it, which it does — sometimes. Like the rest of the controls, its performance is inconsistent.
Overall, I enjoyed wearing and using the QuietComfort Ultras, but the touch controls were often frustrating.
Good but not great sound quality and noise-cancellationThe first word that comes to mind when describing the sound quality on the Bose QuietComfort Ultras is rich. They tend to run on the quieter end, and I felt like I had to crank the volume a little higher than I do with other headphones, but the sound overall is more detailed.
When I hooked up the headphones to my Apple TV while watching Survivor, it picked up everything from the waves on the Fijian beach and buzzing of insects around contestants — certainly far more impressive than the built-in speakers on my TV. Meanwhile, the headphones caught every minute of synth and beat dropped in the Charli XCX & George Daniel remix of "Welcome to My Island."
While the general sound quality is solid, I'm less enthused about the different modes. Both Quiet and Immersive modes offer active noise cancellation (more on that soon). Quiet mode delivers a flatter sound, as the music sounds like you're facing it while the Immersive setting surrounds you with spatial audio. Admittedly, I wasn't super impressed by the Immersive audio; switching from Quiet to Immersive mode felt like just turning up the volume.
I didn't like the Aware mode and used it for testing purposes only. Otherwise, in my daily use, I'd never use this mode, as it delivers a horrible hissing noise that I'm used to experiencing on noise-canceling settings, not the transparent sound settings. When testing these headphones, if I wanted to get a better sense of my surroundings, I just slipped one of the ear cups off my ear for a far more pleasant experience.
While the Bose QuietComfort have similar sound quality to my favorite Sony headphones, they didn't measure up with ANC. Credit: Samantha Mangino / MashableI wasn't thrilled by the ANC on these Bose headphones. The noise cancellation does work better in Immersive mode than Quiet mode thanks to the more well-rounded sound. However, while the noise cancellation is really good at blocking out low-pitched noises, it can't wholly block high-pitched sounds unless you turn up the sound to unhealthy volumes.
While testing the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, I compared them to my old standbys, the Sony WH-1000XM4, and the Bose's noise cancellation paled in comparison. The Sony's bring a tighter fit to the ear, offering passive cancellation as well as active. Because the Bose are looser (and thus more comfortable, it should be noted), you're not getting that passive benefit.
Still, these headphones have perfectly good ANC. It didn't wow me, but as I took my daily walk outside, I felt focused and in my own world while blasting the Challengers soundtrack — for motivation, of course.
Bose delivers on all-day comfort, all-day batteryAlthough I wasn't floored by many of the QuietComfort Ultra's features, I will say this — these are the most comfortable pair of over-the-ear headphones I've ever used.
Even when wearing the headphones with glasses and earrings, my ears were comfortable all day. Credit: Samantha Mangino / MashableI wear glasses daily and love hoop earrings—two things that are normally incompatible with over-ear headphones. However, I worked a whole day while wearing glasses and my favorite earrings without discomfort. Whether I was typing at my desk, washing dishes, or walking around town, the Ultras gently cupped my ears without any discomfort—something my Sony XM4s can't give me (they usually have my ears aching by the end of the day).
SEE ALSO: Review: Bose's unique new Ultra Open Earbuds surprised usWhile they left me wanting in technical areas, I'm satisfied with their easy comfort. These are great for office workers, especially those who need headphones they can wear all day without discomfort. For the same reason, Mashable has also named these the best noise-cancelling headphones for flying.
The battery life on these headphones is excellent. I charged them fully when I first began testing. A week later, after multiple hour-long walks, a full day of work, and hours of wear while doing chores around the house, they only dipped down to 60 percent. Bose claims they can last up to 24 hours on Quiet or Aware mode or 18 hours on Immersive Audio, and they definitely live up to that in my testing.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones: Are they worth it?Like anything, these are worth it for the right person. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones offer exceptional comfort. They cup your ears for a secure fit but won't cause aching ears. If you're wearing headphones from the beginning of your commute, all throughout the workday, and until the moment you get back home, these are a worthy investment for comfort, not to mention battery life.
However, if you're looking for superior sound quality, I would describe these as perfectly fine, but that's not what you're paying for. If you're after sound quality, you can find something like the Sony WH-1000XM5, made for the audiophiles, or the Sony ULT, a budget-friendly pair with exceptional bass.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones $379.00 at AmazonTL;DR: As of June 3, you can learn how to take and edit photos like a pro with lessons straight from the pros themselves. Sign up for the Photography Master Class bundle while it's on sale for $39.99.
Think blurry photos are artsy? Sure, Gen Z influencers might have you convinced that a grainy snap from a 2000s-era Nikon Coolpix is what's cool, but if you really want to capture memories that don't look like pixelated blobs, you need more than a retro camera and some trendy tips. The 2024 Photography Master Class course bundle can help you take photos that aren't just Insta-worthy but genuinely high-quality.
On sale for $39.99 for a limited time, this expert-led online photography course packs a punch. It boasts 27.5 hours of lessons taught by seasoned professionals like award-winning portrait and wedding photographer Bernie Raffe and professional photographer and lighting master Charlie Borland, who has worked for clients such as Nike, Xerox, and National Geographic. From choosing the correct lens to editing your output down to the last pixel in Lightroom, their courses show you how to photograph like a professional.
The bundle includes 10 comprehensive courses covering relevant photography niches. Want to master nightclub photography? There's a course for that. Interested in studio portraiture or capturing the perfect landscape? Those are covered, too. There's even a course on iPhone photography, so you can up your game without upgrading your gear. And if your editing skills need some work, the deep dive into Adobe Lightroom will show you how to transform your photos.
All these courses are accessible anytime, anywhere, using any device. Whether you're a complete newbie or a budding professional, you can learn in your own time and at your own pace. Plus, you'll get certificates of completion after finishing each course, which you can use to boost your resume.
For a limited time, you can get the 2024 Photography Master Class bundle on sale for only $39.99 (reg. $190) — no coupon code necessary.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: StackSocial The Complete 2024 Photography Master Class Bundle $39.99 at the Mashable ShopIf you've wondered how to write a Google review, you've come to the right place. There are some experiences so good — or so bad — that you're compelled to put it in writing.
Whether it's a five star review of the South China Sea ("Only gripe is how humid it is. Beyond that, a great place to conduct military operations") or giving one star to a skatepark ("Sitting at the school waiting for my grandson and at 68, I don't think I can go skateboarding"), you have the power at your fingertips to voice your opinion. By the way, both of these examples came from r/GoogleReviews, which is a very good time. Funny Google reviews aside, here's how to do it.
How to leave a Google review from Google Maps Total TimeStep 1: Open Google Maps and find the location or business you want to review
Search for the place you want to review and tap on it to open the page.
Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / GoogleStep 2: Go the Reviews section
On the business or location's profile page, tap the Reviews section which is on the same line as other profile sections like Overview, Menu, Photos, etc.
Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / GoogleStep 3: Scroll to the Rate and Review section
In this section, you'll see five empty stars. Select how many stars you want to give the business or location. This will take you to a new page which prompts you to leave a review. From here, you can write your review in the text box that says, "Share details of your own experience at this place. You can also add photos and videos.
Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / GoogleStep 4: Publish your review
When you've finished your review, tap Post at the bottom of the page. Typically, reviews publish immediately, but it might take longer depending on Google's approval system. Your review will be shared publicly with the name, picture, and profile associated with your Google account.
Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / Google How to leave a Google review from your browser Total TimeStep 1: Find the business or location you want to review
First, you need to be logged into your Google account on whatever browser you're using. Next search for the business or location you're reviewing.
Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / GoogleStep 2: Find the Reviews section
In a Google search, the business or location profile will show up on the righthand side of the screen. Scroll down to the Reviews section and click "Write a review."
Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / GoogleStep 3: Write your review
Once you click "Write a review," a window will pop up prompting you to rate the business or location out of five stars. There might be more specific ratings if it's a restaurant, such as food, service, and atmosphere. Once you've rated the place, write your review in the text box below. In certain cases, you can also add information about whether you dined in, got takeout, or delivery, what you ordered, how much you spent, and any dishes you'd recommend. You can also add photos and videos.
Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / GoogleStep 4: Publish your review
When you've finished, click Post to publish your review. As is the case with posting a review via Google Maps, your review publicly show your Google account information.
A few things to keep in mind when writing a Google review. There are certain guidelines for submitting a review, and if your review violates those guidelines, it might not be approved. This includes criteria like writing a fake review, harassment, hate speech, NSFW content, or personal information. The full list can be found here.
TL;DR: Restock your vino collection with 15 bottles of red, white, or mixed wine from Swirl Wine Shop for just $69 (reg. $225) — shipping not included.
Tired of the same old wine selection at your local shops? Plus, having to lug yourself out of the house to get it? Swirl Wine Shop has curated a unique list of varietals for you to get excited about, and whether you’re in the mood for red, white, or a little of both, they'll all be delivered right to your door. For a limited time, you can get 15 bottles from Swirl Wine Shop on sale for only $69 before shipping.
The Swirl team has carefully sourced wines from all over the world including regions in Argentina, Italy, and Spain. The wines are well balanced and not overly complex, and are sure to suit any palate. Pair a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile with sauteed chicken or a crisp Rosé from California with a summer charcuterie board — the options are infinite. Whether you’re hosting a backyard gathering or relaxing on the couch, impress your guests with a vibrant Spanish Tempranillo and a delectable assortment of tapas.
Swirl Wine Shop offers affordable, high-quality wines that cater to both connoisseurs and casual drinkers alike. You’ll get 15 (750 ml) bottles of wine delivered right to your door. Be sure to redeem your code within 30 days of purchase and take advantage of this deal.
While the shipping cost of this deal is $39.95, the total price still comes out to only about $7 per bottle.
No matter the occasion, you can always toast to a good time. Get 15 bottles of red, white or mixed wine from Swirl Wine Shop for only $69 (reg. $225) plus shipping.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: Swirl Swirl Wine Shop - 15 Bottles of Red, White or Mixed Wines for just $69 $69.00 at the Mashable ShopAll good things come in pairs. Spaghetti and meatballs. Peanut butter and jelly. Matt Damon and... You said Ben Affleck, didn't you?
The two actors have long been linked. They've known each other since they were kids. They came up together and broke out simultaneously with their film Good Will Hunting. Through the ups and downs of two A-list Hollywood careers, they've been best buds. And maybe more, according to TikTok.
Yes, Damon and Affleck truly are just best friends. But that hasn't stopped the internet from shipping them romantically. TikTok is currently aflame with posts, memes, and fancams of Affleck and Damon, imagining them as a romantic couple. And, to be fair, it's not hard to find clips of the actors expressing their love for one another. Seriously, look at these TikTok mashups.
Seriously, there are lots of posts about Affleck and Damon right now. Why? Well, for one, Affleck is in the news amid rumors that his rekindled relationship with Jennifer Lopez is on the rocks. There's also a meme going around about Matt and Ben via a very funny and viral 2021 headline from the gossip website Lainey Gossip in which it posted a photo of Matt Damon's ringless finger with the phrase, "which could mean nothing." It negates the entire point of the headline itself but also leaves so much open to interpretation.
Tweet may have been deletedTikTokkers and others have latched onto the phrase "which could mean nothing," using it as a wink of sorts while shipping a romantic relationship between Affleck and Damon. Basically, the idea is, "Here are all of the ways they love each other...which could mean nothing." Look at most of the posts about Damon and Affleck, and you'll see a "which could mean nothing" hashtag, caption, or comment.
It's funny to see TikTok shipping Damon and Affleck in 2024. In general, the site is composed of younger folks who might not know there is a deep history. There are dozens and dozens of works of fanfiction about Matt and Ben on the site Archive Of Our Own, and you can imagine where many of them go.
The '90s and 2000s have been back in vogue for a while now, so it only makes sense TikTok has reignited the flame around Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's bromance.
TL;DR: As of June 3, turn up the summer fun with an open-box Sony XE300 Portable Bluetooth Speaker on sale for $79.99 for a limited time.
While the market is flooded with state-of-the-art headphones and earbuds that can make you feel like you're at a concert, there's something undeniably fun about blasting your favorite tunes from a Bluetooth speaker. With summer nearly here, it's the perfect time to invest in one. Bring your jams to the beach, barbecue parties, or even just dance your heart out in your backyard.
For a limited time, you can score an open-box Sony XE300 Portable Bluetooth Speaker for 60% off at $79.99 (reg. $199.99). This speaker can deliver room-filling sound for 24 hours straight, which means you can keep the party going all day and night.
What's an open-box unit, you ask? It means the product is pretty much new, just taken from store shelves due to excess inventory or customer returns. The packaging might show signs of extra handling, but it performs like a brand new product. In this case, your purchase will be in "Brand new condition with zero cosmetic flaws."
This speaker features a Line-Shape Diffuser that blasts out big sound without sacrificing clarity. Whether you're screaming your lungs out to "Espresso" or chilling with some smooth jazz, you can stream your tunes without experiencing drops in quality. It also boasts a Sony X-balanced speaker for powerful, distortion-free sound.
With advanced Bluetooth, you can connect up to two devices simultaneously and even customize the sound and set the mood with the accompanying app.
Worried about durability? Don't be. With its IP67 water-resistance, shockproof, and dust-proof rating, you won't have to stress about dropping it in the pool getting caught in the rain. And with its generous 24-hour battery life and quick charging for those unexpected summer adventures, you can party for as long as you want, whenever you want. It comes in a beautiful blue, adding a pop of color to your summer festivities.
Take your summer jams anywhere with an open-box Sony XE300 Portable Bluetooth Speaker, on sale for only $79.99 (reg. $199.99).
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony XE300 Portable Bluetooth Speaker Blue (New - Open Box) $79.99 at the Mashable ShopTL;DR: Through June 9, save on streaming service fees with a lifetime subscription to this all-in-one platform for $29.99 and save 80% off its regular price.
When did subscribing to Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu become almost as much as groceries? As streaming services slowly turn into cable, we’re jumping ship to something new to save money and we want to bring you along — are you down?
Check out BitMar, an all-you-can-eat buffet for streaming free content from the web. Before you ask, it’s totally legal and it’ll only cost you $29.99 to use it for life (reg. $150). Other streaming platforms simply cannot relate.
Experience the all-you-can-stream buffetWhen you shell out regular payments to your streaming services, that’s like cooking meals at home. But, with BitMar, it’s like you’re heading to Golden Corral every night with seemingly unlimited options at your fingertips.
You’ve probably heard of some free platforms like Pluto TV, Tubi, and Plex, and BitMar basically compiles their content into one place so you don’t have to hop between them to browse their movie and show selections — just like getting fried chicken and dipping treats into the chocolate fountain in one visit.
Stream smarter, not harderBitMar can also hook you up with free music via iHeartRadio or YouTube. That’s more saved cash in your pocket each month.
BitMar works on any device that can access the internet, and you can connect up to five at once with your lifetime subscription. Netflix is probably fuming after reading that last part.
The tradeoff for streaming free content is having to watch ads sometimes, maybe in the middle of an episode or movie, but it feels pretty good saving potentially hundreds each year on fees. Plus, ads are a great time to get up and grab a snack (or buffet leftovers).
Join the new wave of streaming with a BitMar lifetime subscription for $29.99 (reg. $150) and save 80%.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: BitMar BitMar All-in-One Streaming Platform: Lifetime Subscription $29.99The tale of a vicious cartel boss who undergoes gender-affirming surgery, Emilia Pérez places women front and center in a traditionally male-led gangster genre. But rather than subverting its visual and tonal hallmarks, French filmmaker Jacques Audiard compliments them with a liberating sense of expression through song and dance.
The Spanish-language Cannes title not only won Audiard the Jury Prize — the festival's third most prestigious accolade — but it was also awarded the Best Actress trophy to not one but four of its central performances, each of which brings a unique thoughtfulness and passion to the screen. Part throwback musical and part modern cartel saga, the Dheepan director's audacious blend is about the transgender experience in thorny ways, but it finds a deft balance between energetic filmmaking and intimate drama.
What is Emilia Pérez about? Credit: Cannes Film FesitvalDreamlike landscape shots of a nebulous Mexican city — the film was largely shot in France — fade and overlap as we're slowly lowered onto streets overrun with violent crime. Rita (Zoe Saldaña), an overworked, underappreciated corporate defense attorney, is part of the problem. She's a cynical cog in a brutal machine, and her job is getting killers off the hook. It's a premise she introduces to us firsthand via a snappy dance number in the tight confines of a public market, where she's promptly joined by extras.
Soon, Rita is presented a deal with a devil: the vicious wanted criminal Juan "Manitas" Del Monte (transgender telenovela star Karla Sofía Gascón), who, midway through the movie, changes her name to Emilia Pérez and adopts a whole new identity. Emilia wants Rita to help her evade authorities by researching an expensive and secretive gender-affirming surgery, and by recruiting discreet international experts. The procedure, however, is no mere excuse or easy escape hatch from her life of crime. Rather, it's been her deep desire for many years — Emilia has also covertly begun hormone replacement therapy — and it just so happens to align with her need to leave her life of crime in her rearview.
When she was living as Manitas, Emilia was perceived to be a tough-as-nails cartel boss who built an empire on blood. Its foundations, which she relays to the audience by singing in despondent whispers, involved leaning into society's violent masculine expectations for the sake of survival. Now, upon undergoing a series of simultaneous surgeries — which receive their own informative musical number, courtesy of some excitable Thai surgeons — her plan also includes faking her own death in the eyes of the law. In order to fully shed her past, she wants to "kill" Manitas, and have Rita evacuate her wife, Jessi (Selena Gomez), and their two adolescent kids to Switzerland, where they'll be safe and none the wiser about Emilia's new life and identity.
All's well that ends well... That is, until Emilia — having fully transitioned — resurfaces several years down the line in the hopes of reuniting with her family. For this mission to bring Jessi and her kids to Mexico, Emilia once again conscripts the resourceful Rita, though both women have since turned over new leaves, making their return to Mexico (and to the thick of cartel activity, where Manitas is still wanted) a challenging conundrum. What follows is a complicated and often amusing plot in which Emilia reintroduces herself to her kids as their long-lost aunt, while also embarking on a pilgrimage of rigorous social work alongside Rita to clean up Mexico's top-down corruption, if only so that both women can atone for their sins.
These acts of repentance come wrapped in wildly energetic musical numbers that leap off the screen, as the camera jostles and swerves to keep pace. All the while, the film asks intriguing philosophical questions about the mind, body, and soul, as they pertain to its genre lens.
Emilia Pérez is a charged transgender tale of remorse.Until she undergoes her affirming procedures, nearly every character in the film (including her surgeon, and even Emilia herself) refers to her with male pronouns, as though Manitas were a distinct entity whose life ends when Emilia's begins. While trans people generally use pronouns that align with their gender regardless of their desire for (or access to) gender-affirming care, perhaps the movie's 72-year-old cisgender director, and its numerous cis writers and producers, aren't up to date on the terminology, though Emilia hints at having experienced dysphoria as a child. However, her being older and more isolated from trans issues and communities also means she lacks the necessary language to define her deep-seated feelings and experiences. So, this imaginary dividing line between Manitas and Emilia becomes a vital dramatic question.
SEE ALSO: Failed by the healthcare system, transgender people find help elsewhereConversations between Rita and the doctors she interviews are rife with differing perspectives about physical transformation representing metaphysical good, and about the ways in which gender dysphoria can be relieved through physical means. If the film, as a political entity, ought to be judged on its approach to trans people irrespective of its language, then it's ostensibly in the right, and only introduces these dueling questions as a means to channel Emilia's spiritual dilemma.
While gender-affirming surgery is something she wants, in order to escape, and needs, in order to survive as her true self, it's also something she hopes will relieve her of her ethical burdens as a ruthless killer — as though Manitas were some uncomfortable temporary skin she could simply shed. Gascón even embodies this idea when she first appears as the gruff and grizzled Manitas onscreen. The actress's prosthetic nose (i.e. the character's "real" nose, pre-rhinoplasty) sits uncomfortably on her face, while the contours of her beard and unkempt, mane-like wig are visible to the naked eye. It's as though we were seeing Emilia the way she sees herself: performing maleness, and being forced to pretend in order to survive.
If anything, the outdated idea that she "was a man" and "is now a woman" (according to some characters) is something she wishes were true, if only to rationalize her life as having a distinct "before" and "after" point — for her spirit, as represented by her body — between Manitas and Emilia. The more modern way we understand gender and identity, wherein Emilia has been the same person all along, is not something she herself can sit with, even though she claims to have recognized this about herself from an early age. Her transformation may be life-affirming, and even life-saving, but it cannot possibly provide her with the absolution she desires. This, in turn, portends the aforementioned tale of Emilia and Rita trying to confront their sins by exposing the metaphorical and literal skeletons they once helped bury.
Transgender opinions on the film are unlikely to be monolithic, but emphasis on the surgical aspect of the trans experience tends to be a reductive, retrograde cisgender fixation more often than not. However, in Emilia Pérez, these anxieties around the nitty-gritties of physical transformation become a key emotional focal point, over which Gascón pores in every scene and every quiet musical number. Her novel sense of gender euphoria remains shackled by a kind of moral dysphoria, having committed atrocities under a façade to which she can no longer relate, if she was ever able to in the first place. And yet, Manitas' actions are a part of her too, even if they belong to a false version of herself.
While Emilia may be guilty from a legal standpoint, the ethics of her guilt, as imagined by Audiard's drama, become infinitely more complicated. It's as though her corrective physical metamorphosis had fallen tragically short of helping her purge herself of her misdeeds. However, on the other side of her social transition, she also finds renewed romance with a headstrong local woman on the run from her husband, Epifania (Adriana Paz) — a committed, loving performance that rounds out the quartet of Cannes winners — but the very idea of happiness becomes corrupted too, so long as Emilia's past remains unconfronted. For instance, Jessi, who believes herself to be a widow, moves on romantically as well, leading to sparks of envy that anchor Emilia to her ugliest emotional tendencies.
But while all these ideas are all somewhat interesting, it's the way in which Audiard assembles them — in the vein of a mid-2000s Hollywood thriller, imbued with raucous musical energy — that truly makes them sing.
Emilia Pérez is a stylistic triumph. Credit: Cannes Film FestivalTo liken crime movies and musicals to strictly "masculine" and "feminine" forms of cinema might sound reductive, but this traditional genre binary is key to Audiard's artistic approach. These respective modes, each repressive and expressive in their own right, inform the ways his actors move through space, and the way he captures them doing so.
For one thing, Emilia Pérez resembles the highly saturated war-on-drugs/war-on-terror studio films produced in America at the turn of the century. Its intimate, shaky camerawork and high-contrast shadows create a sickly feel akin to Steven Soderbergh's Traffic or Tony Scott's Déjà Vu, hi-octane thrillers in which you can practically smell the gasoline radiating off people's skin, thanks to their overblown visual highlights (including on Black skin; something Déjà Vu and Emilia Pérez have in common). These are the kinds of films where it feels like the light source is everywhere, all at once, reflecting off people's bodies at all times — if not emanating from them in the first place.
Audiard and cinematographer Paul Guilhaume take full advantage of these familiar textures and conventions as soon as they begin blending the aforementioned approach — an ostensibly more "realistic" one — with the theatrical expressionism of dance. The harsh highlights become spotlights, as the film’s luminous characters begin to control the fabric of the frame. Their movements determine whether people around them are still or in motion. Routine activities take on musical rhythms. Personal confrontations in public settings determine whether or not other characters are lit at all. These are women fighting for agency in harsh environments, and their aesthetic control over the space around them ends up a particularly fitting depiction of this idea.
While the film has lengthy stretches without musical numbers, and features a few laments with rusty delivery that it could've probably done without, there are just as many songs that are exciting and emotionally rousing. (Some tracks are mercifully rapped, rather than sung, by actors with less vocal training.) One in particular, a rock opera ballad which unfolds just as Rita begins turning over a new leaf, sees Saldaña dancing across a series of expensive banquet tables. While she's invisible to its lavish guests — corrupt politicians and police personnel she now hopes to take down — her pulsating movements practically force them to move and convulse to the beat as well. Others finally have no choice but to dance to her tune. It's one of the most fist-pumping cinematic moments this year.
However, no matter who's on screen, Emilia remains the focal point around whom everyone's story pivots — whether it heads toward catharsis, tragedy, or both. She represents, in microcosm, the transformative nature of fictional characters at large, and ends up embodying a novel narrative tension through her transgender experience: between physical and emotional metamorphosis, a dramatic disconnect that becomes the catalyst for nearly every scene and song.
Above all else, the film's four leading ladies are perfectly attuned to Audiard's volatile mixture of operatic emotion and naturalistic cinematic influence. The result is a dazzling, dramatic high-wire act that's always fun to watch, and is frequently invigorating, too. While its combination of styles and subject matter could've been picked out of a hat, Emilia Pérez sees Audiard sorting through a fog of risky, seemingly immiscible ideas to deliver a queer Molotov cocktail.
Emilia Pérez was reviewed out of the Cannes Film Festival.
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Now that defending Roland-Garros champion Novak Djokovic has been forced to withdraw with a knee injury, the men's singles feels wide open. The world No. 1 is out of the picture and we're guaranteed a new champion.
German dynamo Alexander Zverev is tipped to win this next match as the No. 4 seed, but his opponent — Australia's Alex de Minaur — has already caused a significant upset. He knocked out No. 5 seed Danill Medvedev in the fourth round.
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When is Zverev vs. de Minaur?Alexander Zverev vs. Alex de Minaur will meet in the 2024 French Open from 2:15 p.m. ET on June 5.
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What a Cinderella story this would be at Roland-Garros as the unseeded 17-year-old Russian, Mirra Andreeva, takes on No. 2 seed and 2023 finalist, Aryna Sabalenka.
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