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Windows laptops aren't the only computers getting more expensive amid the global RAM shortage. Two PC makers just quietly raised the prices of their premium Chromebooks as well.
As of mid-May, two configurations of the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 and one variant of the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 were up to $250 pricier than they were at launch last year:
Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 (MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910, 16GB RAM, 256GB UFS) — was $749.99, now $999
Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 (MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910, 12GB RAM, 128GB UFS) — was $649.99, now $829.99 (but sold out)
Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910, 12GB RAM, 256GB UFS) — was $699.99, now $749
A second configuration of the Acer model has remained steady at $799.99 since its release in September 2025, though it was out of stock at the time of writing.
Lenovo and Acer haven't formally announced these price changes, which were first reported by the tech site Chrome Unboxed. Mashable reached out to both companies and will update this story if we hear back.
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Both Chromebooks are best-in-class machines (we've tested them), but they were already costly at their original MSRPs. The now-$999 Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, in particular, is impossible for me to recommend at full price despite its beautiful OLED display and peppy processor. An on-sale M5 MacBook Air is a vastly smarter buy.
If nothing else, these Chromebooks make Apple's new budget laptop, the Mashable Choice Award-winning MacBook Neo, look like even more of a bargain at $599 (or $499 for education buyers). But it might not be available at that price for much longer.
The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is a really nice Chromebook — but for $999, just get an on-sale MacBook Air. Credit: Sarah Chaney / MashableA surge in RAM and SSD demand for AI data center construction has led to a shortage of those components, driving up prices for the chips themselves and, by effect, the consumer electronics that require them. The RAM crisis has gotten so dire lately that scammers have started selling fake RAM modules, and it's expected to get worse next year.
In April, Microsoft announced price hikes of up to $500 for its Surface Laptops and Surface Pro convertibles, blaming "recent increases in memory and component costs" in a statement to Windows Central. Meanwhile, the modular PC maker Framework has adjusted its RAM and SSD prices every month since December. Most recently, it told customers that it's seen some stability this spring, but cautioned that it's likely just "a temporary reprieve."
For its part, Apple has been largely immune to "RAMageddon" so far, though it discontinued the cheapest configuration of its Mac mini desktop computer earlier this month. The base MacBook Neo might soon suffer the same fate, according to tech analyst Tim Culpan.
SAVE OVER $800: As of May 12, the LG 39-inch Ultragear WQHD OLED curved gaming monitor is on sale for $749.99 at Amazon, marking a new low price at the retailer.
Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 39-inch Ultragear WQHD OLED Curved Gaming Monitor $749.99 at AmazonHave you been thinking about upgrading to a new gaming monitor for your PC setup? Amazon is the place to look. The retailer has quite a few excellent deals available at the moment, including one standout offer on the sleek LG 39-inch Ultragear WQHD OLED curved gaming monitor.
As of May 12, Amazon has dropped the price of this LG Ultragear gaming monitor from $1,599.99 to $749.99. This is a massive 53% discount, and also marks a brand new low price for this monitor at the retailer. What better time to grab it?
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!And what an upgrade this 39-inch LG Ultragear gaming monitor is. It boasts a WQHD OLED display, which offers vibrant colors and contrast that makes your favorite games pop with astonishing picture quality, alongside an 800R curve to help you feel truly immersed in what you play. Plus, the screen has an anti-glare surface, so outside light and reflections won't get in the way of the action.
On top of that, it's also incredibly responsive, offering a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time. It's also compatible with AMD FreeSync Premium and NVIDIA G-SYNC, so you won't have to worry about screen tearing while you play.
Amazon currently has it marked as a limited time deal, so this offer won't be live for long. Act fast to save big on the LG 39-inch Ultragear WQHD OLED curved gaming monitor.
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TL;DR: Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box listed for $69.69, down from $84.99. That’s an 18% discount and puts the sold-by-Amazon listing back under $70.
Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box $69.69 at AmazonThe Perfect Order ETB has been going up and down in price over the last few weeks, but ahead of Chaos Rising and Pitch Black dropping, more Pokémon sellers are listing product for under $70.
As of May 12, Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box on sale for $69.69, down from its $84.99 list price. It’s sold and shipped by Amazon directly, with free delivery and Prime delivery depending on your location. That puts Amazon back in the sub-$70 bracket after briefly creeping higher.
Walmart is currently listing the same Perfect Order ETB for $68.95, which is technically a little cheaper. Over on TCGplayer, the main unopened shipped listing is $74, with a $74.77 market price and a $79.45 listed median. There are cheaper listings around, but some come with caveats, including one without booster packs.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!Inside the ETB, you’re getting nine Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order booster packs, one full-art foil Tyrunt promo card, 65 card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, a player’s guide, damage-counter dice, a coin-flip die, a plastic coin, a collector’s box with dividers, and a code card for Pokémon TCG Live.
Perfect Order is still the most affordable expansion compared to Ascended Heroes and Chaos Rising. If you want a 120+ card set well below $100, this is the best go-to available.
If you are dead set on stocking up on all the latest Pokémon expansions, the Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box is still available to preorder for under $120. Meanwhile, individual Perfect Order Booster Packs are also on sale at 13% off on Amazon.
Although currently not available on Amazon, the Pokémon TCG’s newly announced Pitch Black expansion Booster Packs, ETBs, Display Boxes, and Booster Bundles are available to pre-order at TCGplayer.
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TL;DR: Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box up for preorder at $119.45, putting it under $120 and about $15 over TCGplayer's current market price of $103.78. Walmart is also cheaper right now at $113.97.
Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box $119.45 at AmazonThe Pokémon TCG Chaos Rising expansion has seen price fluctuations matching the likes of Ascended Heroes, but you can thankfully still secure the Elite Trainer Box at leading retailers for under $120.
As of May 12, Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box listed from $119.45, with free delivery shown for May 27-28. That lowest preorder is sold and shipped by Kings Games. BetterShopping4You has a $119.45 listing with free delivery shown for Saturday, May 30.
Amazon comes with a premium compared to the two other key retailers in the space, but it is still a worthwhile price if you prefer sticking with Amazon for your trading card needs. Walmart has the Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box listed for $113.97 with free shipping, while TCGplayer's unopened presale listings start at $103.75
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!No matter where you buy from, the Pokémon TCG Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box includes the following:
Nine Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising booster packs
One full-art foil promo card featuring Fennekin
65 card sleeves
40 Pokémon TCG Energy cards
A player's guide
Six damage-counter dice
One competition-legal coin-flip die
One plastic coin
A collector's box with six dividers
One Pokémon TCG Live code card
Launching May 22, Chaos Rising heads back to Lumiose City, where Mega Floette ex is turning the city into a disaster zone. Mega Greninja ex, Mega Pyroar ex, and Mega Dragalge ex are among the Mega Evolution Pokémon ex featured, giving collectors another Legends: Z-A-flavored expansion to chase.
To make sure you’re stocked up after release, you can still preorder individual Pokémon TCG Chaos Rising Booster Packs for $12.99. As for currently available ETBs in the Pokémon TCG, the Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box is still on sale for under $70.
Although currently not available on Amazon, the Pokémon TCG’s newly announced Pitch Black expansion Booster Packs, ETBs, Display Boxes, and Booster Bundles are available to preorder at TCGplayer.
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Donald Trump's newly released UFO files not only glow with distracting X-Files energy but also the power of Céline Dion, according to Stephen Colbert.
The Late Show host unpacked the U.S. government's recent drop of "new, never-before-seen files" on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), a term Colbert described as "also my pre-show warm-up."
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"So, what's in these mysterious, top secret, super cool files?" asked the host. "For example, one of the astronauts [Alan Bean] from Apollo 12 reported 'flashes of light.' And we actually have footage of the astronaut describing what they saw."
Cut to the music video for Dion's eternal power ballad "It's All Coming Back to Me Now." "Thank you, Commander Dion," says Colbert.
And the Céline reaction videos do not stop there.
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Stephen Colbert's Late Show is coming to a close, and the guests appear to be getting more entertainingly chaotic every day.
Last week we had leg wrestling with John Krasinski, and on Monday we had Colbert interviewing all four other late night hosts that were in the Strike Force Five podcast — Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver — at the same time.
The result is as hilarious and ridiculous as you'd expect, with jokes and anecdotes gradually leading on to a game in which the hosts hold up paddles to vote for which one of them is most likely to do various things. Fallon and Colbert even share a brief kiss.
If you want to know when the last episode of the Late Show will air and how to watch it, we've got you covered.
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SAVE $350: As of May 12, the Roborock Qrevo S5V is on sale for $549.99 at Amazon. That's a 39% discount on the list price.
Opens in a new window Credit: roborock Roborock Qrevo S5V $549.99 at AmazonThe Roborock Qrevo S5V is back on sale at Amazon. As of May 11, you can save $350 on this impressive model. It vacuums, it mops, and it navigates your home all by itself. Buy now for just $549.99 (down from $899.99).
This robot vacuum has a 12,000Pa HyperForce suction powered by a brushless motor. It can pick up dirt from all floor types, even stubborn dirt and pet hair. It includes a rubberised floating main brush and an arc-shaped side brush as part of an SGS-certified zero-tangle system intended to reduce hair getting stuck. It also uses a FlexiArm design with dual spinning mop pads rotating at 200 RPM, alongside a 10 mm mop lift to help prevent your carpets from getting wet.
SEE ALSO: T-Mobile just dropped the Apple iPhone 17 for free — how to claimIt also comes with an all-in-one docking station where it empties dust into a 10-week storage bin. Here it also takes care of self-washing the mops, drying them, and automatically filling the water tank.
And you don't even need to tell it where to go. This robot vacuum uses structured light sensors to navigate around items like cables and furniture legs as well as the PreciSense LiDAR navigation which creates maps of your floorplan.
You can even choose between two colors, black and white, to better match your space. Get this robot vacuum deal at Amazon now.
SAVE $50: As of May 12, the Garmin Forerunner 165 is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon. That's a 20% discount on the list price.
Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Forerunner 165 $199.99 at AmazonA good fitness tracker can make your runs feel easier and recovery feel more valuable. If you've been in the market for an upgrade, there's a great deal on the Garmin Forerunner 165 live right now at Amazon. As of May 12, you'll save $50 with the new price of $199.99 on both the black and whitestone colors.
As the name suggests, the Forerunner 165 is designed for runners. It includes many helpful features, including built-in GPS for tracking pace and distance, wrist-based heart rate monitoring, and much more. The 43mm screen is AMOLED, so the display is always bright and colorful. It's also controlled both by a touchscreen and the traditional button controls.
SEE ALSO: T-Mobile just dropped the Apple iPhone 17 for free — how to claimThe battery life is great and ideal if you're wanting to hit longer distances. You'll get up to 11 days in smartwatch mode or up to 19 hours in GPS mode. And it's not just suited for running — there are more than 25 built-in sports tracking modes, including swimming, cycling, HIIT, and strength training.
This smartwatch also gives you a morning report with information such as how well you slept, your recovery time, training outlook, weather, and more.
Get this Garmin deal online at Amazon right now.
SAVE $70: As of May 12, the Roku 65-inch Smart TV is on sale for $379.99 at Amazon. That's a 16% discount on the list price.
Opens in a new window Credit: Roku Roku 65-inch smart TV $379.99 at AmazonThe Roku 65-inch Smart TV is back on sale at Amazon, and this time it's down to its lowest-ever price. As of May 12, it's $70 off. That drops the price down from $449.99 to $379.99.
This smart TV has a QLED display and HDR10 support for enhanced color. It benefits from smart features like the Roku Smart Picture which automatically adjusts incoming signals and picture settings. The TV also includes access to Roku’s streaming platform, with over 500 free TV channels giving you live shows, movies, news, weather, and Roku Originals.
SEE ALSO: T-Mobile just dropped the Apple iPhone 17 for free — how to claimNot to mention, you'll also have easy access to a wide range of streaming platforms like Netflix and Prime Video. You can even personalize the home screen through customized app placements, making everyday use much easier.
It also supports voice control through Roku Voice, Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. Just use the advanced voice remote which lets you use your voice to search through multiple apps at once and research queries online. It also has a lost remote finder function which lets you track its location in the Roku app.
You can find this TV deal at Amazon right now.
SAVE OVER $1,000: As of May 12, the Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus is on sale for $2,299.99 at Amazon. That's a 38% discount on the list price.
Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus $2,299.99 at AmazonThe Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus is back on sale at Amazon, this time with more than $1,000 off the list price.
If you're looking for a seriously reliable power unit that will see you through not just days, but weeks, don't miss out. As of May 12, this portable power station is currently down to $2,299.99 from the $3,699 list price. That's a 38% discount. The unit comes with two 200W solar panels, so you'll be able to keep it charged using solar power while off-grid.
SEE ALSO: T-Mobile just dropped the Apple iPhone 17 for free — how to claimThe Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus is a portable power station with a 3,600W output. It supports dual voltage output of 120V and 240V in parallel and has a 3,584Wh capacity that can be expanded up to 21kWh per unit or 43kWh by adding multiple units.
It's a big purchase, but one that will last you many years. In fact, Jackery states it is rated for 6,000 charge cycles and a lifespan of up to 10 years, thanks to its high-temperature resistant ceramic membrane battery cells. It can cope with harsh conditions too, and has even been passed to operate in temperatures as low as -4°F.
This is a limited-time deal on the Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus at Amazon. Act fast to save big.
TL;DR: The iPhone 17 is free right now with T-Mobile. To claim yours, simply switch and bring your number on an Experience Beyond or Better Value plan.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple T-Mobile: Apple iPhone 17 for free Shop NowLeading mobile carriers are battling it out to offer you the most tempting deals. They all want you to make the switch, but right now, T-Mobile has gained the upper hand on the likes of Verizon and AT&T by dropping a free iPhone deal that doesn't require a trade-in.
For a limited time, you can claim the Apple Phone 17 for free when switching to T-Mobile and bringing your number on an Experience Beyond or Better Value plan. It's a straightforward offer that removes the trade-in barrier associated with a lot of these "free deals."
The iPhone 17e is also available for free with any T-Mobile plan (without a trade-in). For power users, the iPhone 17 Pro could be yours if you trade in your eligible phone in any condition on an Experience Beyond or Go5G Next plan. For all of these deals, you do need to pay taxes and a $35 device connection fee. There's the catch, but it's a small price to pay for a free iPhone.
The iPhone 17 is primed and ready to handle Apple’s most advanced AI features. In Mashable's review, Stan Schroeder said it's an "excellent phone that matches the iPhone Pro models in many ways that matter." According to our review, the camera is "almost as good as the one on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max."
iPhone 18 announcements are still months away, so this limited-time T-Mobile offer is your best means of securing the latest iPhone tech at a low price.
Score the Apple iPhone 17 for free from T-Mobile.
Vacuum-turned-everything brand Dreame has dropped its version of a hack for living without a garbage disposal. That's how I'm framing electric countertop "composter alternatives" that are just drying and condensing food, not making actual compost. That doesn't mean these appliances are pointless — they're still a brilliant way to keep your kitchen from reeking of old food rotting in the trash. That's an especially big deal in a small space like my apartment, where I put use of my beloved Mill food recycling bin on hold to test the Dreame S25P Food Waste Disposer for two weeks.
Design and price: Smaller footprint, lower price than othersThe Dreame food waste disposer is incredibly slim and delightfully chic. Not that competitors like the Lomi 3 or Food Cycler are eyesores — they're cute enough, but very much scream "I'm an appliance with a bucket inside." Dreame's machine is literally just a beige rectangle. I could see this minimalist color and shape combo alone being the deciding factor for aesthetic-minded shoppers who prefer countertop appliances to be as subtle as possible.
I played around with the Dreame disposer's placement to test its versatility in the wild. I originally set it up on the end of my kitchen credenza that sits opposite the wall of cabinets and appliances, then moved it to my last free slab of countertop.
I put a glass cutting board underneath to protect the wood. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable You need around 20 inches of clearance for the lid to fully flip open. Credit: Leah Stodart / MashableFor being an appliance, the Dreame disposer doesn't look obnoxiously appliance-y among the rest of my decor. If you're fully maxed out on counter real estate, it certainly has the curb appeal to chill in harmony on another more styled flat surface near the kitchen.
Overall, Dreame's design has a negligibly smaller footprint in cubic inches than the Lomi 3. But the unique way that the Dreame disposer is oriented makes it better suited for a tight squeeze. It's less than eight inches wide with an oblong design that runs perpendicularly to the counter, very similar to how a Ninja Slushi sits.
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But the smartest part of the design is that the control panel is on top at the front instead of on the side like the Lomi. If your only free counter space was a sliver beside your coffee maker or blender, you'd still have front-facing access to the button that opens the lid or starts a cycle. If you have empty space in a cabinet or pantry, you could technically store the Dreame disposer away until you need to use it. It obviously wouldn't be instantly accessible, so you'd have to remember to get it out before you're ready to dump something in it.
The temperature monitor switches to a countdown timer when a cycle is running. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable Sansa says, "Look how skinny this thing is! I barely fit!" Credit: Leah Stodart / MashableSpeaking of remembering to open the lid before your hands are full, the Dreame SF25's lid opening process is oddly impractical. It goes into standby mode after a few minutes of no interaction, so you actually have to tap twice to open the lid: once to wake the device up, and then once to open the lid. The buttons are more like a touchscreen than physical, pressable buttons, and more often than not, I don't have a free finger. I'm either waiting to push plate scrapings in with a fork or am carrying a sink strainer full of soggy food, using the other hand to keep the juice from dripping on the floor. I really miss my Mill's presser foot in times like these.
SEE ALSO: How to actually recycle electronics, beauty empties, toys, and more tricky items in 2026I could also really do without the voice assistant narration between each step. For an appliance that claims to be "whisper quiet," which it genuinely is when running a cycle, it feels counterintuitive to loudly announce that "the device is now in standby mode," "the door is opening," and "the door is closed," every single time. I hope there's a way to disable that and I just haven't found it yet.
What can go in the Dreame food waste disposer?Dreame's list of acceptable food waste includes fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, eggshells, nuts and grains, small bones, and fibrous foods. That's a pretty standard lineup for indoor food waste bins. I found it odd that Dreame doesn't officially green-light dairy in the list. I throw cheese in there, and it's been fine. It's probably milk or globs of yogurt that would mess with the bucket's interior mechanism.
This cycle had a mix of old fruits and veggies, stale chips, eggshells, and rice. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The end result looks like soil with some chunks sprinkled in. No, it doesn't stink. Credit: Leah Stodart / MashableWhen thinking about who should buy one of these devices, residents of cities with mandatory food separation rules (like San Francisco, Seattle, and New York City) come to mind. The Dreame disposer would make the separation of daily food scraps a much less gross process, and again, its compact build feels ideal for small apartment living. When I lived in Brooklyn years ago and was trudging to a local compost drop-off with a dripping bag of melting frozen food scraps, I could have really used this damn Dreame machine.
If you are using an electric food waste condenser for collected curbside or community compost, you still have to follow the organization's rules of what can and can't go in. While NYC residents are allowed to toss meat, bones, and dairy into their curbside compost bins, many smaller community compost groups don't allow meat or dairy — the fat and protein in animal products attract pests to outdoor compost piles. That still applies to food waste in dried dirt form.
You'll barely know this thing is runningWhen enough scraps have piled up in the Dreame bucket, running a cycle is as easy as hitting start (there's just one setting). The stirring, drying, and grinding mechanism inside is legitimately inaudible, and shouldn't take more than six hours. At the end, you're left with a pile of dirt that's significantly smaller than the stack of food you started with. You can throw it in the trash if that's your only option. It'll take up less room and keep the bag smelling much fresher.
The bucket's spiral blades spin to stir and grind food scraps. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The charcoal filter neutralizes odor from the food sitting inside. Credit: Leah Stodart / MashableMy household of three took a few days to completely fill the bucket up the first time. The 2.5-liter capacity is smaller than most competing countertop devices, but not by an inconvenient amount. I've been inclined to run a cycle before the bucket is full, anyway. You can't smell a thing when the lid is closed, but things can get diabolical when it's opened.
One of my only bones to pick with this product is the fact that its Amazon listing calls it an electric composter. It's not. No microbes are involved, so no, it's not creating fertilizer for your garden. (Dreame's website does refer to the SF25 as a food waste disposer with an end result that is "suitable for direct compost.") But why try to be something it's not? Marketing it as a device that downsizes your kitchen trash could strike a chord with a whole new group of people who don't care about composting. I have hope in the "buying a food waste disposer for convenience purposes" to "giving a shit about the United States' serious food waste problem" pipeline.
Dreame SF25 Food Waste Disposer $199.99 at AmazonHaving spent time both in front of and behind the camera, Kelsey Impicciche has long perfected her content creation set-up.
The gamer and YouTube creator has amassed a following that numbers in the millions, having spent the past 12 years posting videos of herself playing The Sims, Animal Crossing, and more life simulator games to her channel under the handle @kelseydangerous.
SEE ALSO: How Kelsey Impicciche turned a viral 'Sims' video into 1 million YouTube subscribersImpicciche also worked at BuzzFeed for several years, where her breakout video on BuzzFeed's Multiplayer channel, "Single Girl Tries The 100 Baby Challenge In The Sims 4," has garnered 24 million views since it debuted in 2018. This past year, she added "author" to her resume thanks to the 2026 release of her debut novel, The Voice of the Ocean.
Impicciche's dreamy set-up includes two Alienware monitors. Credit: Kelsey Impicciche To record audio, she uses a Shure mic pluged into a Zoom H6 audio recorder. Credit: Kelsey ImpiccicheWhile she may have her go-to filming and streaming set-up now, that wasn't always the case.
"You don't have to know it perfect at the beginning. You learn by doing," says Impicciche.
Credit: Zooey Liao/Mashable/Amazon/Kelsey ImpiccicheWe chatted with Impicciche at BookCon to get a full rundown on her filming essentials, including the tech that can handle the heft of all her gaming needs.
Cyberpower PCs and Alienware monitors Opens in a new window Credit: Cyberpower PC Cyberpower PC From $903 Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Alienware Alienware Gaming Monitor $349.99 at DellBefore cameras, mics, and lights even come into the picture, Impicciche needs a PC.
"I need one that can handle The Sims, because it's a huge game," says Impicciche.
She uses two Cyberpower PC towers, which she mentions can be custom built online (her specific models are no longer available.) Also crucial to her streaming endeavors are Elgato capture cards.
For monitors, Impicciche uses two Alienware monitors, one standard and one curved.
Wired headphones Opens in a new window Credit: HyperX HyperX Cloud III Headphones $79.99 at Best BuyFor simultaneously filming and gaming, a good pair of headphones is essential. Impicciche likes both the HyperX Cloud and Logitech G735 headphones.
Canon C100 Opens in a new window Credit: Canon Canon C100 (Used) $698.95 at B&H Photo and VideoWhether she's streaming or filming, Impicciche uses the Canon C100 with a 24-70mm lens.
"This camera connects directly to my PC using another Elgato capture card and it's HDMI output," says Impicciche.
The C100 is no longer sold new, but it remains a widely beloved video camera and can be purchased used.
Zoom recorder and Shure SM7B Microphone Opens in a new window Credit: Zoom Zoom H6 Essential Handheld Recorder $329.99 at AmazonImpicciche's audio set-up includes a Shure SM7B microphone and a Zoom H6 audio recorder.
"My microphone is on a splitter so it feeds into the Zoom H6 for recording sound for video, but it also feeds into my audio mixer so I can use it for streaming."
Her audio mixer also connects to her streaming PC so she can adjust the sound of her game, personal audio, and music all on the same device. Currently, she uses the TC-Helicon GoXLR but wouldn't recommend it as the company is no longer supporting updates on the tech.
She also keeps a back-up microphone attached to her camera on the off chance her main microphone runs out of storage.
Elgato lights Opens in a new window Credit: Elgato Elgato Key Lights $359.98 at B&H Photo and VideoLighting is crucial for all content creators. While Impicciche thinks the best light for filming any type of content is a window with really good natural light, sometimes you have to fake it. For filming for YouTube or streaming, her set-up includes two key lights from Elgato.
Rode mic Opens in a new window Credit: Rode Rode VideoMic Me-C+ $79Not all of Impicciche's content requires the full set-up. For filming TikTok content, she gets it done with her iPhone and a Rode mic. The Rode VideoMic Me-C+ plugs directly into her phone so she doesn't have to worry about connecting wireless mics on the go.
The Milky Way's core doesn't look like the ancient stellar graveyard many astronomers once thought it was.
At the heart of a massive new survey from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers are mapping one of the most crowded regions in our galaxy. Early results from the project may help address a long-running debate about the age of the Milky Way's central bulge — the tightly packed region of space surrounding the galaxy's core.
For decades, many astronomers treated the bulge as a relic from the Milky Way's earliest years. Previous studies of star brightness and color placed most of its formation around 10 billion years ago. By comparison, our solar system formed just 4.6 billion years ago.
But newer research has complicated that picture. Some studies suggest a noticeable share of stars near the galactic center may be much younger — perhaps only 5 billion to 8 billion years old. If true, that would mean the Milky Way kept developing its central region far later than some scientists had ever imagined. If astronomers can determine when the bulge's stars formed, they can reconstruct how the galaxy itself grew and changed over time.
The Hubble survey will build a catalog of 20 to 30 million objects in this dense region, said Sean Terry, an assistant research scientist at the University of Maryland and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The team has published a paper on the Hubble survey in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
SEE ALSO: 5 times NASA astronauts pop up in Trump's newly released UFO filesResearchers designed the Hubble program to support the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will search the same region for planets using gravitational microlensing, a technique that detects distant objects by measuring how their gravity bends and brightens starlight. The Roman mission could launch as early as this fall.
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"The main goal of these observations is to be able to identify objects that participate in lensing events during the Roman survey, catching them before they undergo the lensing event," said Jay Anderson, a co-author based at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Maryland, in a statement. "When, in a couple of years, an event happens during Roman's long stare at the field, we can go back and say, 'This was a red star, this was a blue star, and the event happened when the red star went in front of the blue star.'"
But the Hubble survey also stands on its own. It delivers one of the sharpest wide-area views ever captured of the Milky Way's crowded core, where dust clouds block much of the light and stars are so tightly packed that their images often overlap. By distinguishing those stars more cleanly, the survey allows astronomers to assemble a consistent catalog across 354 fields near the galactic center.
Even so, conditions vary sharply throughout the region. In some fields, astronomers match thousands of stars to measurements from the Gaia spacecraft, a mission that tracked star positions and their motion across the sky. In others, dense dust blots out so much light that only a few hundred stars appear clearly enough for comparison.
The variation itself helps map the inner galaxy. It shows where dust obscures the view and where starlight passes through more easily. While Hubble sharpens the view of crowded stars, it cannot remove the effects of dust. That means there are still some patchy areas of the Milky Way's interior.
The Hubble Space Telescope reveals the Milky Way's crowded core in this 2018 image of the galactic bulge. Credit: NASA / ESA / Thomas BrownResearchers expect future work from the survey to produce detailed maps of the interstellar dust in the galactic center, showing where starlight is blocked and where it shines. That will help astronomers trace how stars are distributed.
The Roman telescope will repeatedly monitor the same region and track changes in how stars move and brighten over time across millions of objects. By collecting Hubble images years earlier, astronomers effectively created a "before" snapshot of the galactic bulge.
That long time gap could help scientists measure how fast stars drift across the sky with unusual precision. It may also help them identify faint or otherwise hidden objects through their gravitational effects.
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