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The explosion of nonconsensual deepfake imagery online in the past year, particularly of female celebrities, has presented a difficult challenge for search engines. Even if someone isn't looking for that material, searching for certain names can yield a shocking number of links to fake explicit photos and videos of that individual.

Google is trying to tackle that problem with an update to its ranking systems, the company announced in a blog post.

Google product manager Emma Higham wrote in the post that the ranking updates are designed to lower explicit fake content for many searches.

When someone uses terms to seek out nonconsensual deepfakes of specific individuals, the ranking system will attempt to instead provide "high-quality, non-explicit content," such as news articles, when it's available.

SEE ALSO: The consequences of making a nonconsensual deepfake

"With these changes, people can read about the impact deepfakes are having on society, rather than see pages with actual nonconsensual fake images," Higham wrote.

The ranking updates have already decreased exposure to explicit image results on deepfake searches by 70 percent, according to Higham.

Google is also aiming to downrank explicit deepfake content, though Higham noted that it can be difficult to distinguish between content that is real and consensual, such as an actor's nude scenes, and material generated by artificial intelligence, without an actor's consent.

To help spot deepfake content, Google is now factoring into its ranking whether a site's pages have been removed from Search under the company's policies. Sites with a high volume of removals for fake explicit imagery will now be demoted in Search.

Additionally, Google is updating systems that handle requests for removing nonconsensual deepfakes from Search. The changes should make the request process easier.

When a victim is able to remove deepfakes of themselves from Google Search, the company's systems will aim to filter all related results on similar searches about them, and scan and remove duplicates of that imagery.

Higham acknowledged that there's "more work to do," and that Google would continue developing "new solutions" to help people affected by nonconsensual deepfakes.

Google's announcement comes two months after the White House called on tech companies to stop the spread of explicit deepfake imagery.

The group, including Democratic donors such as Reid Hoffman and Vinod Khosla, has been organized under an effort called VCsForKamala.

ChatGPT's new Voice Mode update is here for some paying users, and it definitely won't sound like Scarlett Johansson.

Last week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the imminent release for ChatGPT's new Advanced Voice Mode, and as of Tuesday, it's available for some $20 per month ChatGPT Plus subscribers. Notably, it's available in four preset voices, not the five announced at launch, with the voice sharing likeness with the Her actor removed by the company after backlash.

The company announced the rollout on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, declaring it available "to a small group of ChatGPT Plus users." OpenAI added in a thread that it would "continue to add more people on a rolling basis and plan for everyone on Plus to have access in the fall."

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When OpenAI debuted GPT-4o in May, a new AI model that fuses text, video, and audio with five preset voices, it featured a "Sky" voice option that sounded eerily similar to Johansson's and particularly her performance as a digital assistant in the 2013 film Her. Johansson was not impressed, took legal action, and OpenAI dropped the voice.

SEE ALSO: In case you missed it, ChatGPT on Mac suffered a serious security issue

"To protect people's privacy, we've trained the model to only speak in the four preset voices, and we built systems to block outputs that differ from those voices," reads OpenAI's tweet from Tuesday. "We've also implemented guardrails to block requests for violent or copyrighted content."

So, if you're a ChatGPT Plus subscriber, how do you know if you're included in this "small group"? OpenAI explained in an X thread, "Users in this alpha will receive an email with instructions and a message in their mobile app."

Tweet may have been deleted

OpenAI added it had "tested GPT-4o's voice capabilities with 100+ external red teamers across 45 languages."

The update was supposed to arrive in June but was delayed. OpenAI added it would "share a detailed report on GPT-4o’s capabilities, limitations, and safety evaluations in early August."

OpenAI announced a bunch of extra features also coming with the Voice Mode update — Mashable's Alex Perry has the details.

"The Daily Show" host Ronnie Chieng broke down the Democrats' decision to brand Trump and Vance as "weird".

The Olympic Games is an event intended to bring the world together, all nations joining hands to celebrate the heights of human athleticism. Of course, there are limits to this philosophy, as global politics and conflicts realistically can't be entirely put aside. 

Even so, some Olympic disputes are decidedly more petty than others. One such quarrel at the Paris 2024 Games now involves pizza, with a Pizza Hut promotion in Hong Kong and Macao going viral due to its cheeky jab at Italy. 

SEE ALSO: Watch why the internet exploded over USA women's rugby Olympic bronze win in last-second play

Earlier this week, Pizza Hut announced that customers in Hong Kong and Macao can have pineapple added to their pizzas free of charge until July 31. 

"If you are a foodie, choose the Italian style and add pineapple," Pizza Hut Hong Kong & Monaco wrote on Facebook (translated via Google Translate). "Or add Hawaiian style with pineapple, starting from $139 [$US18]!"

The post was accompanied by a graphic showing a fencer with three pineapple rings threaded on their sword.

Pizza Hut's promotion seems specifically designed to rile up Italians by ostensibly ruining one of their most famous dishes. Pineapple on pizza has long been a controversial topping, with many considering it tantamount to sacrilege (albeit typically in a joking manner).

However, this lighthearted potshot didn't come out of nowhere. Pizza Hut's pineapple promotion came hot on the heels of Hong Kong defeating Italy in fencing for gold at Paris, responding to the latter's poor reaction to the loss.

The Olympic fencing controversy between Hong Kong and Italy

On Monday, at Paris' Grand Palais, Hong Kong fencer Ka Long Cheung defeated Italy's Filippo Macchi to win the 2024 Olympic gold medal in the men's fencing individual foil event. The close bout ended with a score of 15-14 after going to sudden death, with Macchi putting up an impressive fight against the defending champion at his first ever Olympic Games. There were even two moments where the judges had to review video footage to determine whether the winning 15th point had been scored, though no point was awarded both times.

Filippo Macchi of Italy and Ka Long Cheung of Hong Kong. Credit: Al Bello / Getty Images

Cheung eventually emerged victorious after a video review of a third contentious point was ruled in his favour. Unfortunately, both Cheung's gold and Macchi's silver have been marred by what appears to be some rather poor sportsmanship.

Shortly after the match, the Italian Fencing Federation (IFF) announced it was filing a formal protest against the results with the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (the governing body of Olympic fencing) and the International Olympic Committee. In particular, the IFF took issue with the referees' home countries of Taipei and South Korea, alleging that they were too close geographically to Hong Kong to arbitrate fairly.

This seems a strange argument considering that the entire history of international conflict suggests physical proximity bears little relation to whether countries actually like each other. As such, many people online have attributed the IIF's complaint to anti-Asian racism.

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"Filippo Macchi is the real winner and he was denied a gold he deserved," said IFF president Paolo Azzi in a statement (translated via Google Translate). "The selection of referees is a problem but the level of refereeing was below the great final we saw."

The gold medal match was refereed by Huang Hao-Chih from Taipei, with Suh Sangwon of South Korea acting as the video referee. Ayoub Ferjani from Tunisia and Vilem Madr from the Czech Republic served as assistant referees. These four judges had previously refereed Macchi's 15-11 semi-final win against U.S. fencer Nick Itkin, albeit with Ferjani and Huang acting as referee and video referee respectively.

Macchi's quarter-final win against Egypt's Mohamed Hamza was also overseen by Madr and Tim Claus Bardenhagen, whose respective home countries of the Czech Republic and Germany are notably closer to Italy than Egypt. 

The IFF did not raise any objection to the choice of referees in either of these previous matches.

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Italy's apparent sore loser behaviour wasn't confined to IFF officials. People from both Italy and Hong Kong quickly took to social media to insult the opposing athletes, the match referees, and each other. Such comments have ranged from sharing offensive food combinations to more aggressive and mean-spirited attacks.

It isn't all vitriol, though. While Macchi, Cheung, and the judges' Instagram comment sections still contain mean-spirited posts, there are many congratulatory and appreciative sentiments as well.

For his part, Macchi is leading by example by accepting his Olympic silver medal with class and grace. The Italian fencer acknowledged fans who felt he'd been robbed of gold, but said he considered himself fortunate to have come in second.

View this post on Instagram

"I’ve heard of all kinds, they robbed you, outrageous arbitration, it’s a shame,"  Macchi wrote in a post on Instagram (translated via Instagram). "Yet I'm reminded that I'm one lucky guy. I'm 22, a beautiful family, amazing friends, and a girlfriend that constantly leaves me speechless. 

"I came second in the most important competition for any athlete playing a sport, and because I play this sport I learned that referee decisions must be respected, always! I know both referees, I don’t feel like pointing a finger at them and blaming them for my lack of success even because it would lead to nothing but creating an alibi for me. What has happened is in the past, now it is gone, what will happen in the future is up to me!"

Macchi's mature response appears to have earned him the respect of many, whether they're from Hong Kong or elsewhere. Fortunately, the men's fencing individual foil wasn't his only chance of winning gold at the Paris Olympics. The Italian fencer is currently scheduled to compete against Poland in the men's foil team quarter-finals next week. He'll no doubt have quite a few more people cheering for him now.

While we're waiting for the Season 2 finale of "House of the Dragon," why not take a tour through Driftmark with Clinton Liberty?

Sabrina Javellana was a rising star in local politics — until deepfakes derailed her life.

Apple Intelligence, if it were personified, would be a royal attendant who feeds me grapes and fans me with palm leaves. I've never felt so pampered. Is this what it's like to be catered to? Is this what it's like to be spoiled rotten?

If you've been out of the loop, Apple Intelligence is the Cupertino-based tech giant's new suite of AI features, which were announced at WWDC 2024 in June.

Siri now has an enchanting glow around the display. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Some of the most highly anticipated Apple Intelligence features, like Genmoji (AI-generated emojis) and Image Playground (AI-generated images), are not available yet. However, there are still some Apple Intelligence utilities you can test right now — especially since they've made their first robust debut with the iOS 18.1 developer beta that Apple dropped on Monday.

With my iPhone 15 Pro Max, I tested some Apple Intelligence features, and to be succinct, I appreciate how much it indulges my laziness. Of course, it's not perfect — not yet at least. After all, the iOS 18.1 developer beta is expectedly a bit rough-around-the-edges as Apple collects feedback from testers. (This is why you should always backup your iPhone before installing any iOS beta because it can be risky.)

Overall, though, Apple has something here that will make its "Pro" and "Pro Max" iPhone models even more enticing than ever. (Apple Intelligence is only available on the current-gen "Pro" variants: iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.)

SEE ALSO: 6 Apple Intelligence features you can try right now — and how to turn them on New 'Summarize' tool makes Safari more attractive

Apple basically put a TLDR (too long, didn't read) button in Safari, allowing me to skip ultra-long articles and get to the point. After opening Safari, I can press-and-hold the icon on the left of the URL bar, tap "Summarize," and wham, Apple Intelligence gives me "CliffsNotes," if you will, of any article I don't have time to read. It's perfect for when you want to get to the gist of the story as quickly as possible.

My article on Apple Intelligence being summarized by, er, Apple Intelligence. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

As someone with an attention deficit, I can't help but get a little antsy after stumbling upon a wall of text or a verbose story. Typically, I'd read a few sentences and give up. However, with the "Summarize" tool, I received short-and-sweet synopses on articles that ramble, meander, and seem to go nowhere fast. In fact, at times, I found myself wanting to read a lengthy article in its entirety after the AI-powered summary revealed that the story is juicier than expected.

Check out the Summarize button on the upper-left corner. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

That being said, when it comes to delving into dense articles, why would I use Google Chrome? I'm hopping and skipping over to Safari to take advantage of that new Apple Intelligence-powered Summarize tool.

The only downside, however, is that the Summarize tool tests my patience sometimes. It can be a few seconds too slow for my tastes, but this isn't unique to Apple Intelligence (ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini can be slow pokes, too.) But admittedly, it's worth the wait.

'Writing Tools' feature is surprisingly useful

One of the most popular use cases for AI, whether it's ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Copilot, is "tone tuning" text. For example, you can drop in an email draft and ask those AI tools to help adjust your tone.

I wrote a text to Mashable's video guy Alex Humphries, and Apple Intelligence helped me soften the tone. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

However, I'll admit that I was one of those people who thought, "Pfft, I don't need an AI chatbot to tell me how to make something sound more professional!" As it turns out, the Apple Intelligence-based tone-adjustment tool, which can be accessed via the new Writing Tools feature, is a lot more helpful than I thought.

You'll be surprised how often you may think you're coming across friendly and congenial in emails and texts, but instead, your messages are being interpreted as prickly. To reduce the risk of this, I found myself using the "friendly" tone-adjustment tool to nix unintended snippiness. The best part is that I was able to use Writing Tools in almost any text field across the iOS 18.1 developer beta. I just highlight the words, hit "Writing Tools," and choose my desired tone.

As a result, I've definitely seen more positive responses from my co-workers, friends, and other loved ones.

No more endless scrolling on the Photos app

I take a lot of pictures and selfies, but no, I don't categorize them nor put them into albums (because, spoiler alert, I'm lazy). I just let them pile up into a haphazard collection of random snapshots. Every now and then, however, I need to find that one picture, which requires me to scroll endlessly to find it.

My library in the Photos app needs help. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Fortunately, with the iOS 18.1 developer beta, I can use natural language to search for a particular picture in the Photos app. For example, I typed the word "pancakes" to find a saved screenshot of my favorite IHOP order.

This natural search feature can also detect text on the photo, which is helpful, too. However, the natural language-based search function isn't sophisticated yet. For example, while I can get away with typing something like "laptop" and "food" (and it will find photos that match those terms), it's not advanced enough to grasp more complex searches like, "Woman wearing a red shirt."

The natural language search feature was able to find that one laptop photo I took in 2021. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Again, this beta version of iOS 18 is early days, so the search function's complexity may get a boost when iOS 18 officially drops later this year.

Siri is more helpful than ever

Siri received an AI-powered boost with Apple Intelligence, but my favorite perk is its contextual awareness. For example, if I am perusing through a webpage on Safari, I can say something like, "Hey Siri, send this article to Jason."

Siri lets me send links to articles I'm currently reading without lifting a finger. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Siri is aware of which article I'm looking at, so it can snatch the URL and send it to my fiancé without needing to lift a single finger. (I'm telling you — I've been spoiled rotten.)

Is Apple Intelligence worth it?

As hinted at the outset, Apple Intelligence nurtures my laziness — and I dig that. I don't always want to suffer through several paragraphs to get to the author's point. I don't want to spend too much time hemming and hawing over how to best respond to someone. And finally, I don't want to scroll endlessly through my cluttered gallery to find a specific photo — it's like finding a needle in a haystack.

Apple Intelligence addresses all of those concerns. I was initially skeptical of Apple's new suite of AI features, but as it turns out, Apple Intelligence is useful, and yes, totally worth it.

Apple Intelligence is expected to officially roll out with iOS 18 later this year (but keep in mind that reports claim that some features may be delayed).

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max $0.01 at Amazon
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Can a great horror movie be Frankensteined together from a laundry list of iconic ones? That's what I'm left pondering after watching Shelby Oaks, the promising and oft unnerving but also somewhat scattered first feature from popular YouTube movie reviewer Chris Stuckmann.

The movie starts out convincing you it's one thing, but reveals itself in quick succession to be a very different beast altogether. From The Blair Witch Project to Martyrs to Barbarian and several beyond that, Shelby Oaks doesn't just wear its many genre influences on its sleeves — it wears them on its chest and back and shoulders. It's a coat of many horror movies, made of cuts deep and broad. And, to ever so slightly belabor the metaphor, some of the coat fits just right, while as much of it could use some more refined tailoring. 

Still, as far as Kickstarter-funded first features go, Shelby Oaks is a big, bold swing — albeit one produced by horror honcho Mike Flanagan, the man behind a swath of Netflix horror miniseries like The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher. It's twisty as hell, bears some ace performances, and truly gifts audiences with some very sticky and very spooky images. Most of all, it marks the emergence of a horror filmmaker worth keeping an eye on. 

Shelby Oaks blends The Blair Witch Project with Lake Mungo — and that's just the start.

"Who took Riley Brennan?" is the question at the heart of Shelby Oaks. The film opens with the last known bit of footage of Riley Brennan (Sarah Durn), YouTuber/ghost hunter, before she went missing in the titular town. In the scene, she sits on a bed in a cabin in the middle of the woods. She's seen sobbing, absolutely terrified, saying into the camera, "I'm so scared."

It's an inch-long leap from Riley's tearful lament to Heather Donahue's legendarily snotty apologia in The Blair Witch Project, the one that poetically stated, "I'm scared to close my eyes, and I'm scared to open them."

Writer-director Stuckmann anticipates his horror-loving audience will make this connection. But then he does something really interesting, pivoting from the found-footage conceit to a true-crime documentary framework. Leaping to a decade or so after Riley's disappearance, it turns out that Riley's older sister, Mia (Camille Sullivan), has spent the intervening years fruitlessly searching for the truth of what happened in the woods of Shelby Oaks that night. And she's now starring in a true-crime documentary in an effort to reignite interest in the case of her missing sister.  

For horror fanatics, this turn might well recall Lake Mungo. Told via talking-head interviews with the family of the missing blonde girl at its center, the 2008 Australian horror film unfurls its paranormal revelations piecemeal through conversations and scattered bits of phone video. Lake Mungo is admittedly a deeper cut than The Blair Witch Project, but no sooner does Shelby Oaks settle into this faux-documentary conceit than Stuckmann pivots again to a straightforward narrative film. Well, it's as straightforward as the twisty likes of Hereditary or Barbarian.

SEE ALSO: As a prelude to Halloween, I spent an afternoon with Hunt a Killer: Horror — Blair Witch

Essentially, Shelby Oaks maintains its cast, but ditches the documentary framework altogether, showing us what is "really" happening — but through artifice, forcing us to question what is real. The camerawork becomes stylized, with special effects and slow motion and close-ups; an aggressive and manipulative score takes over. The film will shift from these narrative scenes to the documentary setup to found footage and back again, maximizing this sense of narrative disquiet.  

These structural sleights of hands, like all good and proper rug-pullings, are where Shelby Oaks works its greatest magic. Playing on the expectations of horror diehards, Stuckmann manages to keep us on our toes, even discombobulated. We find ourselves switching between missing-person found footage to the cult horror of Hereditary with the twists and turns (and hidden underground caverns) of Martyrs and Barbarian, and then right back to a talking-head true-crime doc on a dime. This all builds up its own sort of disassociation within the experience of watching it. 

Shelby Oaks is a hodgepodge of horror, from found footage to Satanic panic.

Despite these daring shifts, Shelby Oaks begins to feel more like the parts of its sum and not vice versa. Stuckmann is motioning toward all of these other movies to unmoor us, but those references often distract from the actual plot and, in turn, undermine our investment in it. For instance, the casting of Brendan Sexton III as Mia's husband proves distracting, even though he's terrific. An actor who's been killing it since Todd Solondz's 1995 hit, Welcome to the Dollhouse, Sexton turns in yet another lovely, sad piece of work here. But you set him against multiple scenes that take place inside of a haunted prison, and now all I'm thinking about is Session 9, Brad Anderson's fantastically creepy 2001 haunted prison movie, where Sexton made a mark as one of the asbestos cleaners who found himself on the wrong end of some rusty psychiatric equipment.

To what end is this? At what point do these Easter eggs overwhelm? All these allusions ultimately get in the way of Shelby Oaks standing on its own and becoming truly, deeply scary. Stuckmann seems very aware of the exact moment when his scares are supposed to land, often to the point of self-consciousness. You could set a timer to when the thing you're supposed to be dreading will appear, and the dreaded thing will stick that mark every time. There are moments when a zag would've kicked the ass of a zig, but Stuckmann keeps on zigging, playing right into horror connoisseur expectations. There is real, earned tension, but the film keeps deflating itself despite the fun of its reality-shifting and the many excellent go-for-broke performances therein. 

Camille Sullivan leads a cast that fights valiantly for Shelby Oaks. 

An actor who's been nipping at the edges of recognition for two decades, appearing in TV shows from Dark Angel to The Man in the High Castle, Camille Sullivan has long proven a reliable performer. And here at last she is given the spotlight to make the most of it. 

Even when Mia starts doing incredibly stupid things that put her right in harm's way, Sullivan is genuinely devastating. She sells the hell out of bad choices, making it clear that Mia's a person who would go to any lengths to uncover what happened to her beloved sister. (And as long as we're talking references, besides this being the lead's arc in that French Extremity classic Martyrs, it's straight out of the terrifying 1988 Dutch thriller The Vanishing, too.) 

Sullivan nails big action moments, like emotional blowups and freak-outs in which her palpable fright is legitimately difficult to look at. But even the small moments give her opportunities to send shivers. Just watch the way the flashlight trembles in her hand as she investigates that haunted prison, a subtle shift in body language that communicates a bone-deep terror. It's those touches that carry the audience alongside Mia the entire way. 

Sarah Durn is also haunting as missing girl Riley, who has to sell her undoing while staring off into space during the "naturalistic" found-footage portions of this movie. These are scenes we keep coming back to to see more of as, natch, more footage gets found, and her haunted presence diffuses into every corner of the film. As we know from decades of subpar found-footage movies, it's not easy, this high-wire balancing act of giving a relaxed and unprofessional-seeming performance under those constraints. Loads have failed spectacularly. But Durn makes us understand why her sister won't let her go even as everyone else has long given up. She makes Riley our ghost, too.

The whole ensemble expertly submerges into the multiple realities of this story. Even if Stuckmann needs to get a little bit out of his own way in some other areas, he proves to be terrific with his performers. Sullivan and Sexton share some very moving moments together as they watch their marriage crumble in the face of tragedy. Michael Beach wears a bone-deep exhaustion in his performance as the main detective on the case, giving a lived-in sense of resignation at the system's endless failures. And Keith David (the deep-voiced legend from The Thing and They Live, among many) shows up to Keith David it out of the park, playing the former warden of that haunted prison who has seen some shit and who, in typical fashion, is going to colorfully monologue to you all about it. 

But best of all is the great and notoriously underused Robin Bartlett. One of those stalwart character actors with decades of stealing scenes under their belts (she's been doing it since Heaven's Gate in 1980, but I always first think of her hilarious scenes around the dinner table in Inside Llewyn Davis whenever I see her), Bartlett shows up and gives the movie a last-act goose that takes it over the edge into true unhinged horror-movie delight. More I cannot and will not spoil, except to say that yes, this is how you give Robin Bartlett her due. She ends up stealing — and in so doing, making — the entire movie.

Playing like a post-post-modern pastiche, an ouroboros of antecedents, and sometimes just a wicked walk through a nightmare wasteland, Shelby Oaks has enough gas in its tank for 10 movies. That it sometimes feels like 10 movies we've seen before is both part of its weird ballsy charm and its scrappy undoing. In the end, Shelby Oaks is a battle between Stuckmann's many, many inspirations. But the gripping performances and big swings in style make for a movie worth its runtime. Despite its faults, the directorial debut should prove a hell of a calling card for Chris Stuckmann as a new voice in horror. I can't wait to see what he delivers to us next.

Shelby Oaks was reviewed out of the Fantasia International Film Festival.

TL;DR: Update your computer with a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows for $39.97 or Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 for Mac for $89.99 (reg. $219.99).

Opens in a new window Credit: Retail King Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License $39.97 at the Mashable Shop
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For cost-conscious small business owners, college students, freelancers, and other professionals, popular Microsoft Office tools like Word and Excel are essential — and expensive. That's why finding a budget-friendly, reliable productivity solution is crucial. For a limited time, Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows and Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 for Mac are both on sale, and they offer a terrific alternative to the ongoing subscription model of Microsoft 365.

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TL;DR: This grade-A refurbished Apple MacBook Pro with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage is on sale for $329.99 (reg. $799).

Most people need a reliable laptop for work, school, or getting things done in their personal lives. However, finding a trustworthy and high-performing laptop that fits your budget can often be challenging. This refurbished Apple MacBook Pro 13.3" offers a compelling solution. 

It comes from 2016 and has a grade A refurbished rating, which means it should arrive in near-mint condition with minimal to no cosmetic scuffing. This also makes the price easier on the budget at just $329.99 (reg. $799). 

The MacBook Pro is an excellent choice for professionals who need a portable yet powerful machine, whether commuting, traveling for work, or moving between meetings. The Touch Bar adds a layer of convenience by offering quick access to tools and shortcuts that can streamline your workflow. It's located just above the keyboard and offers different shortcuts depending on what program you're in.

If you’re into more creative endeavors, the MacBook Pro’s Retina display with True Tone technology supports the DCI-P3 color spectrum. Its 2.9GHz Intel Core i5 processor can easily handle most creative software, and the 8GB of RAM allows for smooth multitasking while you work on multiple projects without significant lag.

Students can appreciate the MacBook Pro’s performance and portability. It’s ideal for taking notes in class, conducting research, and completing assignments. The 256GB SSD provides ample storage for documents, presentations, and media files. 

For general day-to-day use, such as browsing the web, streaming videos, and managing emails, the MacBook Pro is a good choice. Anyone can enjoy connecting to various peripherals and high-speed transfer rates with this device's four Thunderbolt 3 ports.

While it may not be suitable for high-end gaming or heavy-duty video editing, it does offer a robust set of features that cater to a wide array of everyday needs.

Get this grade-A refurbished Apple MacBook Pro for just $329.99 (reg. $799).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro 13.3" MLH12LL/A (Touch Bar & Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) 2.9GHz i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD - Space Gray (Refurbished) Apple MacBook Pro 13.3" MLH12LL/A (Touch Bar & Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) 2.9GHz i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD - Space Gray (Refurbished) Apple MacBook Pro 13.3" MLH12LL/A (Touch Bar & Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) 2.9GHz i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD - Space Gray (Refurbished) Apple MacBook Pro 13.3" MLH12LL/A (Touch Bar & Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) 2.9GHz i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD - Space Gray (Refurbished) $329.99 at The Mashable Shop
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A space reconnaissance mission has returned unprecedented imagery of a metal hunk zooming around Earth.

The discarded three-ton rocket, a robust piece of space junk some 36 feet (11 meters) long, is the type of problematic debris agencies seek to remove from our planet's orbit. A future collision could spawn thousands more objects, posing threats to satellites and potentially the International Space Station. The Japanese satellite technology company Astroscale plans to remove this spent rocket stage, but is first gathering more information on the rocket's condition and motion.

Astroscale used its ADRAS-J spacecraft to carefully approach the metallic debris, coming within some 164 feet (50 meters) and capturing the detailed footage below.

"Hey space debris, we're watching you from every angle!" the company posted online. "ADRAS-J has completed not one, but TWO fly-arounds of the upper stage, confirming the planned capture point has no major damage. This milestone sets the stage for future removal and a sustainable space environment!"

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

Operating in such close orbital proximity to another object is daunting. Many objects in Earth's lower orbit travel at some 7 to 8 kilometers per second (15,660 to 17,895 mph). The company first attempted a fly-around in June, but an anomaly prompted the satellite to abort. "ADRAS-J safely maneuvered away from the upper stage as designed, demonstrating the effectiveness of its on-board collision avoidance system in safely approaching a non-cooperative object," Astroscale said in a statement.

But as the imagery below shows, the next flybys on July 15 and 16 were successful.

Views of the large rocket debris orbiting Earth. Credit: Astroscale Tweet may have been deleted

The greater space debris removal mission is part of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA, which is Japan's NASA counterpart) "Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration" project, which seeks a proven way to remove problematic space junk from Earth's orbit.

"We selected this target because it is a large piece of space debris and there are many similarly shaped (cylindrical) pieces on the [space debris] list," Yamamoto Toru, who leads Japan's commercial removal mission, said in a statement. "If we are successful, we expect to be able to apply these techniques to the removal of similarly shaped space debris."

With the reconnaissance now complete, Astroscale will next attempt to capture the debris (using a spacecraft currently under construction) with a robotic arm, and bring the rocket stage down to a lower orbit. Eventually, it will largely burn up in Earth's atmosphere. In the future, the hope among spacefaring nations and commercial space interests is to keep low Earth orbit (LEO) largely clear of threatening space debris — especially inert craft that can't maneuver on their own.

"LEO is an orbital space junk yard," NASA explains. "There are millions of pieces of space junk flying in LEO. Most orbital debris comprises human-generated objects, such as pieces of spacecraft, tiny flecks of paint from a spacecraft, parts of rockets, satellites that are no longer working, or explosions of objects in orbit flying around in space at high speeds."

Netflix has invested big in true crime. The streaming service not only boasts such popular documentaries as Making a Murderer, The Keepers, and Amanda Knox, but also gripping drama series based on real crimes, like The Watcher, When They See Us, and Mindhunter. So, it seemed a natural fit for Netflix to resurrect Unsolved Mysteries in 2020, even if it meant a radical reimagining. 

While the series continues to cover everything from suspicious deaths to missing persons cases to paranormal activity, the rebooted Unsolved Mysteries ditched the anthology format. Instead of a series of segments about various mysteries, each episode focuses on one case. Gone too is the ominous yet resolute voiceover of the late Robert Stack, and it is sorely missed. Rewatching the episodes of the classic series, you can see how even the grimmest cases offered a moment of hope. As the segment concluded, you'd hold your breath waiting for Stack's husky timber to say firmly: "Update." Then, a racing synth score would play, laying out how the case has moved forward or even been solved.

With Stack having passed over 20 years ago, this wouldn't be the case even if Netflix's version solved the mysteries. (While Netflix's relaunch has led to some updates, they are typically announced over social media.) Still, never have I yearned for Stack's gruff but urgent "Update" more than at the conclusion of Unsolved Mysteries Volume 4, episode 2, "Body in the Basement." 

Before you dive into Netflix's latest offering of true crime tales, take this as a warning: Do not watch this alone. 

In "Body in the Basement," Unsolved Mysteries explores the case of Amanda Antoni's suspicious death.  Amanda Antoni poses outside a van. Credit: Netflix

Volume 1 began with this unsettling subset of Unsolved Mysteries, focusing on the bizarre demise of Rey Rivera, a beloved husband who raced out the door in flip-flops never to come home. He'd be found days later, fallen through the broken roof of a historic high-rise hotel. But the police's insistence that it was suicide didn't satisfy family and friends who pointed to various clues that just didn't add up. Did he fall or was he pushed? A similar and similarly troubling question arises in the fourth, and latest, volume of the series, with "Body in the Basement."

Directed by Gabe Torres, the second episode of Volume 4 begins like many a true-crime documentary, with the playing of a frantic 911 call. "There's so much blood." weeps the caller, Lee Antoni, who is detailing the scene he came home to after a weekend away from his wife, Amanda. Interviews with her brothers will set up who she was through warm memories and family photos. Then, they begin to paint a picture of Lee.

Lee Antoni and Amanda Antoni smile for the camera in a family photo shown on "Unsolved Mysteries" Volume 4. Credit: Netflix

As her spouse, he's naturally the police's first suspect after she's found dead in the basement of their house. But swiftly, the police and this episode move on from Lee as a suspect and instead regard him as a resource, as it seems he was on the phone with her when disaster struck. What made their pet Labrador, Ruby, bark in apparent alarm? Why did Amanda's call get abruptly cut off?

Was it a break-in? A murder? An accident? These are the possibilities that still haunt Amanda's loved ones. What forensics offer is that Amanda's head was cut open, causing her to bleed profusely and fatally as, over hours, she walked around the basement but didn't leave to seek aid. Her bare footsteps in the blood tell us this much. But how did her head come to be cut? Why didn't she leave the basement? And why — over the day and half that she was in the basement before discovery — did neither her dog or cat come down, disturbing the blood with their paw prints? 

As a detective stands at the base of the stairs where Amanda's blood footprints stopped, the audience is left to wonder about these questions with no promise of resolution. Worse yet, we're left to wonder what to even root for, as all possibilities are bone-chilling. 

I beg you: Do not watch this Unsolved Mysteries episode alone.  A dog sits at the top of the basement stairs. Credit: Netflix

I watch a lot of true crime, both for work and because I can't stop. "Body in the Basement" was the episode I turned on before my work day began. But it stopped me cold. I was unfit for morning chitchat. Coffee couldn't shake the shivers from my legs. Even now, thinking back on Amanda's story, my eyes sting, threatening tears, and my legs are covered in goosebumps. This episode didn't show footage of her remains at the scene. But it did show the blood, so much blood, that surrounded where her body laid before being removed by police. Worse still, it showed those footprints that sketch a story we cannot (yet?) understand. 

I can't wrench loose the vivid image in my head of Amanda walking around her basement, bleeding, her loyal Labrador just up the stairs with no door to separate them, yet keeping her distance. What were those hours like for Amanda? And do I really want to know? All the speculation I can offer is fueled by fear, and none of it gives me solace. 

Amanda Antoni Credit: Netflix

Volume 4 delves into five new mysteries, among them a summary of the crimes of Jack the Ripper; the cold case of Sigrid Stevenson, who was murdered on the college stage on which she loved to perform; the curious incident of an embalmed head being found in Pennsylvania; and a look into the American cryptid most beloved by internet culture, the Mothman.

These stories are in turn shocking, sad, and maybe even at times outrageous. (The expert who points to the blue heron as a possible cause for Mothman hysteria is pretty amusing in his barely restrained cynicism about the cryptid's existence.) Yet nothing hits as hard as the mystery of Amanda Antoni. It's been days since I first learned her story, saw her home, heard her brothers' praise and saw her husband's tears. And I wish I had something profound to say about her or their loss. I wish I had something to offer beyond a warning. 

Some true crime stories serve as cautionary tales. Some sing of justice, however long delayed. Some warn of the fatal flaws in our society. Some will break your heart to pieces. And some scar your psyche, cutting deep to the very root of fear and existential dread. "Body in the Basement" is the last two.

So brace yourself before hitting play. If you dare at all. 

Unsolved Mysteries Volume 4 premieres on Netflix Aug. 31.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for July 31 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for July 31

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, July 31, 2024:

AcrossKeyboard key near the top left

• The answer is tab.

Hot couple, in a celebrity gossip column

• The answer is item.

Wild, as an animal

• The answer is feral.

Like many four-legged friends

• The answer is furry.

Keyboard key on the bottom

• The answer is space.

DownLittle spats

• The answer is tiffs.

Thoroughly devoured

• The answer is ateup.

Yogi who said "Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours"

• The answer is Berra.

Comedian Maron

• The answer is Marc.

Caustic chemical compound

• The answer is lye.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for July 31 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for July 31

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Staying power

The hint for the theme is that these words are binding

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The answers are different types of sticky materials.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is StickyStuff.

NYT Strands word list for July 31

• Glue

• Epoxy

• Adhesive

• StickyStuff

• Bubblegum

• Tape

• Caramel

Looking for other daily online games? Find one you might like – or hints for another game you're already playing – on Mashable's Games page.

TL;DR: Enjoy a lifetime subscription to HostVerge and get your secure websites up and running with unlimited storage and bandwidth — for life — for only £18.69 (reg. £116.07). Use the coupon code SAVE5 to take advantage of this pricing through Aug. 4.

Opens in a new window Credit: HostVerge HostVerge: Lifetime Subscription (Tier 1) £18.69 at the Mashable Shop
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Having a website is a crucial part of running a business. Even if your business has a physical location or shop, it's your digital storefront that informs potential customers about you before they even walk inside. So if you're trying to get your new venture off the ground or bring your old one into 2024, you'll need fast and secure web hosting. Through Aug. 4, HostVerge has web hosting deals that let you create unlimited websites for life.

HostVerge offers top-tier hosting services, ideal for e-commerce businesses, entrepreneurs, and agencies alike, in one convenient spot. Right now, you can secure a Tier 1 subscription to host two websites for life for just £18.69 for a limited time. Be sure to use the coupon code SAVE5 to access this special pricing. And for entrepreneurs interested in unlimited website hosting for life, try the Tier 4 lifetime plan, discounted to £139.44 (reg. £544.54).

HostVerge plans offer attractive perks such as:

• Unlimited SSD hosting

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There are numerous perks to using HostVerge, like unlimited SSD storage and bandwidth for your website, a free Content Delivery Network that helps your site load faster, and SSL certificates that help your future websites load quickly and stay secure. And one-click installation means your sites will be live in no time, as it works with popular content management systems like WordPress, Joomla, OpenCart, and more. 

This Tier 1 lifetime subscription includes support for two domains for life with a one-time purchase. There's also unlimited storage offered, so you can utilise as many files, databases, and media as you want in your site. 24/7 customer service and WordPress support is all included as well, so if you need any help it's just a few clicks away. 

Host online for life with this lifetime subscription to HostVerge, now £18.69 (reg. £116.07) right here for a limited time. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Live stream USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Team USA are expected to win basketball gold at Paris 2024, which is a lot of weight on the shoulders of those players. But we're talking about the likes of Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry here, so they're not exactly new to pressure.

Next up for team USA is South Sudan. These sides met recently in a warm-up fixture that almost ended in a stunning win for South Sudan. Could they secure a shocking win this time around, or will USA show their class?

If you want to watch USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024?

USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 takes place at 3 p.m. ET on July 31.

How to watch USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 for free

USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These are tools that hide your real IP address and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock free streaming sites like BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Unblock BBC iPlayer for free by following this simple process:

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

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

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

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock BBC iPlayer without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it gives you time to stream USA vs. South Sudan (plus the rest of Paris 2024) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport on BBC iPlayer, 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 so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream USA vs. South Sudan at Paris 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream the women's 200m final at Paris 2024 for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

If you're looking to watch athletes run at seriously impressive speeds during Paris 2024, the women's 200m final promises to have excitement and drama in abundance.

The gold medallist from Tokyo 2020, Jamaican runner Elaine Thompson-Herah, is out injured, which means we're guaranteed to get a new champion. Fellow Jamaican runner Shericka Jackson is the favorite, having run the second fastest time ever in the 200m last year. But it's not a foregone conclusion. Jackson could find strong competition from U.S. runner Gabby Thomas and Great Britain's Dina Asher-Smith.

If you want to watch the women's 200m final at Paris 2024 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is the women's 200m final at Paris 2024?

The women's 200m final at Paris 2024 takes place at 3:40 p.m. ET on Aug. 6. The event is hosted by the Stade de France.

How to watch the women's 200m final at Paris 2024 for free

The women's 200m final at Paris 2024 is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but you can access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world by signing up to a VPN. A VPN can disguise your real IP address (digital location) while connecting you to a secure server in the UK, which will help you unblock free streaming platforms such as BBC iPlayer no matter where you're based around the globe.

Unblock BBC iPlayer for free by following this simple process:

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

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

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

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream the women's 200m final at Paris 2024 from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. Take advantage of these offers to unblock BBC iPlayer, and without parting with any cash in the long-run. This will give you time to stream the women's 200m final at Paris 2024 (plus all the events that follow) before recovering any investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport on BBC iPlayer, 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 so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free. That's an impressive 49% off for a limited time. For that price you'll also get a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream the women's 200m final at Paris 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.