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SAVE $150: As of Dec. 6, Sony's WH1000XM4 headphones are on sale at Best Buy for $199.99. This is $150 off their original price of $349.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH1000XM4 Wireless Headphones $199.99 at Best Buy
$349.99 Save $150.00 Get Deal

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have passed, but a few deals still remain. If you were hoping to save big on some high-quality headphones this year in the sales, and are worried you may have missed your opportunity, we have great news. Best Buy has a few still on sale, including the Sony WH1000XM4 headphones.

These headphones are currently down to $199.99, $150 off their original price of $349.99. All colors are discounted as well, so you can pick between silver, midnight blue, or black. As a bonus, you also get two free items with your purchase: a four-month SiriusXM All Access (App Only) subscription and YouTube Premium for free for three months.

SEE ALSO: The latest Apple AirPods 4 are at their lowest-ever price on Amazon

If you've been trying to track down high-quality noise-canceling headphones, the Sony WH1000XM4s are worth every penny. They made our list of the best wireless headphones as the 'Best Overall' pick, with Mashable's Miller Kern saying, "If you have the budget, Sony's XM line offers the best mix of stellar noise-cancellation, comfort, and all-day battery life."

Deals like this one likely won't stick around for very long, so if you've been hoping to pick up Sony's WH1000XM4 headphones, now's your time to shine.

Looking for even more deals post-Cyber Monday? Have a look at our roundup of 12 Cyber Weekend deals that Mashable readers loved, where we include a selection of deals that are still live. It's also worth checking out our overall Cyber Monday deals roundup to see if anything else that's caught your eye is still available.

You've adorned your house with festive lights, but your Mac's desktop is still the same as it ever was? Time to change that.

Let's face it: You probably spend a good portion of the day looking at your desktop. So why not add some holiday cheer to it? Enter Festivitas, an app by developer Simon Støvring (via MacRumors), which lets you add a string of twinkling lights to your macOS desktop.

SEE ALSO: The best Christmas movies now streaming on Netflix

The app, which requires macOS 14.6 or later, offers a fair degree of customization; you can set parameters such as cable thickness, light size, their distance, lighting pattern, colors, and more.

Via Giphy

The app costs €4 (or more if you're feeling generous), which is about $4.23, and it's available on the Festivas website.

It's been six months since Google started adding AI-generated text to the top of many Google Search queries by default, and this experiment — that's what a disclaimer at the bottom of each AI Overview says it is — hasn't entirely been a rip-roaring success, Google acknowledged to Mashable.

While "AI overviews on balance and at large are very compelling sets of things that are helpful to the users," said Hema Budaraju, Google's senior director of product management for Search, "we have work to do on the quality side of things, which is an ever growing need."

AI Overviews launched with a slogan of sorts: "Let Google do the searching for you," but after some controversy at the start — notably that couple of weeks where stories kept coming out about Google Search telling people to eat rocks and put glue on pizza — the company appears to have pulled back a bit. At launch, AI Overviews showed up in about 15 percent of Google Search results pages, but that number was reduced to about 7 percent by the end of June, according to Search Engine Land.

So has quality improved over the past six months?

Are AI Overviews getting better?

It would be hard to argue point-blank that there's been a significant uptick in quality. Overviews materialize less often, and errors are still rampant, but I did find some very limited evidence of improvements: the AI Overviews for the queries I highlighted to Google for this article all improved while I was working on it.

For what it's worth, Budaraju says, across all types of queries, from the everyday to the weird, AI Overviews work, "especially when there is no single answer and it's multiple perspectives." Or at least that's what Google thinks based on internal data about quality, which comes from A-B testing, but not focus groups, Budaraju said.

Quotidian searches tend to get acceptable AI Overviews in my experience. "What do almonds taste like," for instance, may produce a reasonable AI Overview like the one I got: "Almonds can taste sweet, slightly bitter, or bitter, depending on their chemical composition." Fine.

But if you're an information fiend who uses Google Search more expansively, there's a good chance you still encounter bizarre errors. This November example from BlueSky user @coopercooperco is a decent summary of Google Gemini's unfortunate lingering tendency to put the truth in a blender from time to time.

my friend @craigbased.bsky.social made a comment about Cole kissing Shelly so I googled “what episode does Gordon Cole kiss Shelly” and that’s what it gave me. Today it gives a slightly different, also wrong answer. We all know deathly serious Gordon Cole would never do something like kiss a woman.

[image or embed]

— F♯A♯∞, fka ☕️ (@coopercooperco.bsky.social) November 26, 2024 at 8:59 AM

When queried for the Twin Peaks episode where Cole kisses Shelly, the AI Overview blurts out quite confidently and wrongly that there is no such scene. Without knowing with any certainty what went wrong, one can only assume the model's training data includes at least fleeting mentions — if not the full script — of the famous Twin Peaks scene about (David Lynch shouting voice) "two adults sharing a tender moment!" in which Cole and Shelly are seemingly interrupted by Bobby Briggs, but then clearly and unambiguously do kiss. The model likely isn't drawing from any faulty blogs or counterfeit scripts saying Cole never kisses Shelly (To what end would anyone write such a thing?). It's just making this up and sticking it at the very top of the Google Search results page.

The Bluesky user above is clearly making what Google frequently calls an "uncommon query." Hallucinations "tend to arise" when the query is uncommon, Budaraju said. "Even though the systems are trying to be helpful, there is some misinterpretation, some inherent lack of high-quality information on the web," she explained while speaking to Mashable about AI Overviews in general, not this particular one. Plenty of prominent, high-quality information online confirms that Cole and Shelly kiss, so "misinterpretation" of Bobby Briggs' unsuccessful interruption makes more sense as an explanation.

If you search based on faulty information, AI Overviews may make things significantly worse

According to Budaraju, improving AI Overviews involves "sentiment surveys" that are not exactly A-B tests. "We just give people an option to choose between one versus the other and get their expression of satisfaction," she said. 

But a nightmare scenario for AI Overviews is one in which a searcher starts out with less-than-perfect information, and the AI Overview makes it even less perfect.

If the basis for a search is wrong or flawed, and the AI Overview doesn't catch the problem, then it stands to reason the user won't notice it either. The result would be a satisfied user who is now even more ignorant than before. Admittedly, the problem of using Google Search to find misinformation is much older than AI Overviews, but AI Overviews could be a formula for supercharging this process.

For a vivid-but-fairly-benign example of what I mean, here's the result for the query "How to use baking soda to thicken soup." Someone might only have the fuzziest notion that one of the powders in the cabinet can give their chowder a heartier mouthfeel, but they might guess wrong. According to the AI Overview, "Baking soda can be used to thicken soup by making it silkier and smoother."

Credit: Mashable screenshot via Google

This won't work, and has the potential to make your soup taste weird.

When I showed this example to a Google representative, they told me Google would use it to improve their product.

But separating good and bad information becomes more of a muddle if you're searching for the paranormal. For instance, I tried searching "how to teach a dog to communicate telepathically," and the AI Overview began with the heading "Here are some tips for communicating with your dog telepathically," and then provided a bulleted list cobbled together from the writings of believers in the paranormal, like "animal communicator" Pea Horsley.

Credit: Mashable screenshot via Google

If you're inclined to read them, it's Google Search's job to steer you to the writings of people like Horsley — in fact, I recommend them. They're entertaining. But when the AI Overview at the top of a Google results page reads "Here are some tips for communicating with your dog telepathically," it gives the users the impression that this information is authoritative and trustworthy, rather than being "for entertainment purposes only."

A Google representative pointed out that AI Overviews are dynamic. They showed me their AI Overview for the same search, and it didn't say "Here are some tips for communicating with your dog telepathically," but instead mentioned that there's no scientific evidence that dogs can communicate telepathically, before transitioning into another Pea Horsley-influenced list of instructions. If I try this search today, I get a similarly improved result.

Finally, what if a user noticed that cow meat is called "beef," and pig meat is called "pork," and wondered what dolphin meat is called. Stranger things have happened. When I used Google Search to find answers, the AI Overview seemingly let slip the dark truth about mahi-mahi:

Credit: Mashable screenshot via Google

The AI Overview begins "The name for dolphin meat depends on the region and the type of dolphin" and then provides a bulleted list. The first item on the list is "Mahi-mahi."

If the user reads on, they'll see that mahi-mahi is also known as "dolphinfish" (because, to be clear, mahi-mahi is not dolphin. It's a fish). But the result is confusing to say the least. When I showed it to a Google representative they told me this was a reasonable interpretation of the search — in other words that a user searching for "dolphin meat name" really might be looking for the fish known as a "dolphinfish."

It's a good idea to click the source

Since, as I mentioned above, every single one of the searches that produced a problematic AI Overview that I featured here improved to some degree, I suspected Google was cleaning them up as I went along, but Budaraju claims otherwise. "We don't fix queries one by one. That's not how we operate. We actually think about it as what are the patterns of issues that we're seeing, and how would we actually solve them at scale?"

But she also told me Google remains focused on steering users toward the sources of AI Overviews — y'know, the old fashioned links on your Google Search results page? "To some extent," she said, "I think we are also hoping that our users have the right links, links for them to also pursue." She wonders if, in response to an AI Overview, the user would "actually pursue that path and look at the links that led to the overview that you've created."

If AI Overviews are never going away, then until they never hallucinate, it's probably a good idea to take Budaraju up on this suggestion, and cultivate a habit of clicking those links next to your AI Overviews whenever you see them.

SAVE $90: As of Dec. 6, the Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet is still down to its lowest-ever price of $139.99 at Amazon after Cyber Monday. This is 39% off its retail price of $229.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire Max 11 Tablet $139.99 at Amazon
$229.99 Save $90.00 Get Deal

While a lot of Cyber Monday deals disappear when the day is done, a few linger around in the following days for shoppers to scoop up before the holidays. Amazon has had a few deals still available after the big seasonal sale events, including a discount on its Fire Max 11 tablet, which is still at its lowest-ever price.

Right now, you can grab the Fire Max 11 tablet for just $139.99, 39% off its original price of $229.99. As mentioned earlier, this is the tablet's lowest-ever price according to price tracker camelcamelcamel, and who knows how long it'll stay there. So, if you've had your eye on it, now's the time to pick it up.

SEE ALSO: The latest Apple AirPods 4 are at their lowest-ever price on Amazon

Boasting a bright 11-inch display, an octa-core processor, 4GB memory, 64GB storage, and WiFi 6, this is a great tablet for either work or play. Writer SaVanna Shoemaker praised this tablet in our review as well, saying it "has a large, 11-inch display and is blazing fast, making it a good alternative to pricier tablets for streaming and games."

Amazon currently has this tablet listed as a "limited time deal", so it likely won't stay at this price for long. Now's your chance to score the Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet for $139.99.

Amazon's had some more deals still floating around after the Cyber Monday sale event. If you want to see which deals might still be available, have a look at our roundup of Amazon's Cyber Monday deals that are still live to see if anything that's been on your radar is still on sale.

Ben Stiller's Hot Ones strategy appears to be laugh through the pain.

In the First We Feast video above, the Severance director and Nutcrackers star takes on increasingly spicy wings while answering questions on everything from his long movie career to pilots that didn't get picked up.

He makes it valiantly to the end, but not without almost being derailed by Da Bomb.

The Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-In-1 16” (2024) laptop doesn't come with an impressive spec sheet. In fact, it's pretty mundane with a Core Ultra 5 processor and 16GB of RAM. But, this unassuming laptop nearly stole my heart and made me consider giving up my MacBook Pro.

Despite the genre's long history in Britain, espionage and assassin thrillers are having a fresh moment of late, with the likes of Day of the Jackal actually zapping some dramatic energy into the grey, contrastless landscape outside (hello, writing from London, send sunlight).

The latest, Black Doves, not only infuses the year's colder months with sultry stress and action, but it's a fittingly festive delight, with Christmas trees and twinkling lights bedazzling murder scenes, clandestine meetings, and violent fist fights. Festive viewing need not be contained to the cosy realms of The Holiday or easy viewing Netflix specials (though I love these too). If you're more into thrillers but still want the seasonal theming, fire up Black Doves.

SEE ALSO: 29 best thriller movies on Netflix right now What is Black Doves about? Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw are a dynamite team as Helen and Sam. Credit: Ludovic Robert/Netflix

Created and written by Joe Barton (The Lazarus Project) and directed by Alex Gabassi (The Crown) and Lisa Gunning (The Power), Black Doves is an espionage thriller that just happens to be set at the end of December — yes, just like Die Hard, but this is a Christmas action watch you'll have an easier time defending as one.

The series stars Knightley as Helen Webb, philanthropist, mother, and spy for a private espionage company called the Black Doves, who work for the highest bidder. Undercover, she's married to defence secretary Wallace Webb (Broadchurch's Andrew Buchan) who's completely unaware of that last part, as are their children. When the Ministry of Justice's Jason Davies (Bullet Train's Andrew Koji) turns up assassinated on the banks of the Thames, Helen's carefully crafted cover sits on a knife's edge as she investigates. Yes, she knew Jason, and yes, it's the spark of a potential geopolitical crisis that'll have Helen reunited with her old colleague, triggerman Sam (Ben Whishaw), to uncover answers. And they're both reporting to the show's M, spymaster Reed (Happy Valley's Sarah Lancashire).

Sarah Lancashire is the perfect spymaster as Reed. Credit: Ludovic Robert/Netflix

It's classic thriller material here: Seemingly unconnected high profile murders abound! The Chinese ambassador is dead and his daughter is missing! There's an assassin in the kitchen! And for reasons you should just enjoy, it's all set at Christmas time — we're talking rainy cabs through Oxford Street's lights, shady dealings within the bauble-clad Liberty department store, furious living room fights with candy-striped tea towels, tinsel surrounding the extremely well-signed ROASTED CHESTNUTS being sold on the Thames. Characters even wear tinsel scarfs and Santa hats firing guns on a job. 

While Black Doves by no means reinvents the espionage thriller, the series boasts solid twists, strong action, and electric performances from its superb cast, all of whom seem to have a genuinely great time. And at the heart of it all are two delightful BFFs.

Knightley and Whishaw are brilliant, modern spy-assassin besties Friends who train for dodgy jobs together stay together. Credit: Ludovic Robert/Netflix

Knightley and Whishaw have effortless chemistry as old espionage colleagues, with flashbacks giving them plenty of bickering banter, training moments, close calls, and in-jokes to build a long friendship for their characters. For the most part, this is Knightley in Official Secrets mode, not her formerly signature period drama mode, and she makes her own mark on the well-worn character of a covert operative (think Homeland, The Americans, with less traumatic exploration of secret identity guilt). Mastering hand-to-hand combat and unnerving interrogations, delivering lived-in spy dialogue, and downing tequila "like a Russian submarine captain" Knightley seems to have a ball as Helen.

Meanwhile, a marmalade-free Wishaw delights as heart-of-gold assassin Sam, a far cry from his previous spy thriller work as James Bond's gentle gadget master Q. Like Eddie Redmayne's character in Day of the Jackal, Sam's murder work is meticulous, cold, and nonchalant, while his social self is debonair, warm, and vulnerable. Swilling champagne in most scenes, understandably pining for his Big Ex, and grappling with murdering people for money, Sam has to figure out what his code is. But Knightley doesn't get to do all the hand combat, as Whishaw gets to throw punches too. 

Omari Douglas steals hearts and scenes as Michael. Credit: Ludovic Robert/Netflix

Lancashire, meanwhile, is a brilliant pick for the show's spymaster, her steely glare and subtle threat ringing through every scene and unsettling her reports. They're all backed by an excellent supporting cast, with highlights including screen legend Kathryn Hunter (The Front Room) as shrewd triggermen manager Lenny Lines, It’s a Sin star Omari Douglas as Michael, the love of Sam's life, and Fifteen-Love's Ella Lily Hyland as cold young assassin Williams. Douglas in particular is a sublime romantic lead, and scenes with Whishaw simmer with longing and love lost.

If you're looking for a festive treat with more hired killers, less small town Christmas festivals in barns, Black Doves is a riveting watch that just happens to come with decked halls. A true gift.

How to watch: Black Doves is now streaming on Netflix.

Sabrina Carpenter and Quinta Brunson are "ghosted past" and "ghosted present" in the sketch above, a teaser for Netlfix's upcoming variety special, A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter.

The SNL-style skit sees the pair materialising in the apartment of a guy who's ghosted them ("I figured out where you live from the breadcrumbs you left on TikTok for me to find," says Brunson).

A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter, part of the streamer's holiday slate, will feature a mixture of comedy sketches and duets with the likes of Chappell Roan and Shania Twain.

A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter premieres Dec. 6 at 9 p.m. ET on Netflix.

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: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, December 6, 2024:

Across"We haven't decided yet," on schedules

• The answer is TBA.

Analyze grammatically, as a sentence

• The answer is Parse.

Dice game for sidewalk gamblers

• The answer is Craps.

Gently gives a 👉

• The answer is Pokes.

Lionel Messi's jersey number

• The answer is Ten.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 6 DownDeck with cards like The Fool and The Hermit

• The answer is Tarot.

Slow the car down

• The answer is Brakes.

Colorado ski town

• The answer is Aspen.

Doctor you visit for a checkup, for short

• The answer is PCP.

Letter that can be added to the fronts of 4-, 6- and 7-Across to make new words

• The answer is Ess.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.

SAVE $75.99: As of Dec. 6, the PlayStation 5 Slim (disc edition) is still on sale for $424 at Walmart. This deal saves you $75.99 on its retail price of $499.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: PlayStation PlayStation 5 Slim (Disc Edition) $424.00 at Walmart
$499.99 Save $75.99 Get Deal

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be behind us now, but a few retailers are still holding onto some excellent deals before the holidays kick in. If you've had a new console on the brain and worry you missed out on deals over the seasonal sale event, Walmart is still offering some great gaming deals that are worth scooping up before they're gone for good, including on the PlayStation 5 Slim.

The PlayStation 5 Slim (disc edition) is still on sale at its Black Friday/Cyber Monday price of $424. This is $75.99 off its original price of $499.99.

SEE ALSO: The latest Apple AirPods 4 are at their lowest-ever price on Amazon

Compared to its predecessor, this console has a slimmer design. Your purchase also comes with a DualSense controller so you can start playing some incredible games right away. And on that note, this console also comes with 1TB of storage, so you can immediately start building up your library once you've got it set up. On top of that, you also get a game for free with the console, Astro's Playroom, which is an absolute delight and an incredible showcase for the DualSense controller.

This PlayStation 5 Slim deal won't last long, so take advantage of the discount at Walmart before it disappears.

If you're curious to see some other deals like this one that are still up after Cyber Monday, it's worth having a look through our breakdown of the best Cyber Monday deals still live to see if anything you've had your eye on is still available. While most of the big deals have passed, there are still a few options holding on before the holidays.

SAVE $110: As of Dec. 6, the Dyson Airwrap is on sale for $489.99 at Amazon. That's a 18% discount off the original price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Airwrap (Special Edition) $489.99 at Amazon
$599.99 Save $110.00 Get Deal

Deals on the beloved Dyson Airwrap are always worth considering. Years after its release, it is still very much one of the top hair products in the game. Just check out our review to feel the love. Famed for its incredible styling techniques using Dyson air-powered technology, such incredible technology of course comes with quite a high cost. But for salon-worthy hair at home, many deem the Airwrap worth the splurge.

As of Dec. 6, you can find this product on sale at Amazon for the reduced price of $489.99, $10 cheaper than it was during Black Friday, and the lowest it has ever been priced. This is ideal if you've been contemplating taking the Airwrap leap. This deal is specific to the "special edition — long for straight to wavy hair" model.

SEE ALSO: The latest Apple AirPods 4 are at their lowest-ever price on Amazon

This iconic hair tool features a range of attachments to curl, wave, smooth, and add volume to your hair without extreme heat. It offers versatility for all types of hairstyles, from natural waves to polished looks, all while minimizing the risk of heat damage.

This 'long for straight to wavy hair' dryer is a tailored version of the Airwrap, specifically designed for people with longer hair who want to create different styles ranging from straight looks to bouncy waves.

Convinced yet? Head to Amazon to snag this great deal.

NASA will not launch astronauts around the moon next year as planned, pushing the Artemis II mission back another six months to April 2026, space officials said Thursday.

The new timeline also will postpone the first human moon landing since Apollo 17 — Artemis III — to at least 2027. The announcement comes just a month before former President Donald Trump is expected to return to the White House for a second term. 

The announcement, coupled with the upcoming change in leadership, leaves concerns as to whether Trump will continue to support the federal agency's moon-to-Mars plans. Since his campaign, Trump has forged an unexpectedly close relationship with SpaceX founder Elon Musk. Some have wondered whether Musk's outsize influence will push the incoming president to cancel NASA's own Space Launch System rocket and spacecraft in favor of using SpaceX's own Starship. 

"It's a legitimate question that you're suddenly going to have Starship take over everything," said NASA administrator Bill Nelson, who will leave his post at the conclusion of President Joe Biden's term. 

SEE ALSO: NASA won't fly astronauts to the moon in 2024 — for good reason The Artemis II crew, announced last year, includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Hammock Koch, along with the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen.  Credit: NASA

The Artemis II mission is expected to build upon the success of Artemis I, an empty test flight of Orion that sent the moonship on a 1.4 million-mile voyage. The sequel mission will test-drive the spacecraft for about 10 days with human passengers, whizzing by the moon without ever landing on it.

The Artemis II crew, announced last year, includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Hammock Koch, along with the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen. 

The delays largely stem from an investigation into problems with the Orion moon capsule's protective heat shield, discovered after the spacecraft's uncrewed Artemis I flight in 2022. As the ship re-entered Earth's atmosphere for a splash down in the Pacific Ocean, the shield charred and eroded more than engineers had expected. 

The Orion moonship caught Earth rising in the distance as it flew around the moon during Artemis I in 2022. Credit: NASA

As of Thursday, agency officials said they had determined the root cause of the damage. Rather than scrap the heat shield, though, the agency plans to change the reentry trajectory to avoid a recurrence. 

"While the capsule was dipping in and out of the atmosphere as part of that planned skip entry, heat accumulated inside the heat shield's outer layer, leading to gasses forming and becoming trapped inside the heat shield," said Pam Melroy, NASA's deputy administrator. "This caused internal pressure to build up and led to cracking and uneven shedding of that outer layer."

Nelson emphasized that the new schedule for Artemis would still position NASA to put boots on the lunar surface before China, which plans to send its own astronauts to the moon in 2030. 

Tweet may have been deleted

But the delays could be the tipping point for those on Capitol Hill who would like to rein in spending on the Artemis campaign and NASA generally. The agency's SLS, sometimes dubbed the mega moon rocket, costs about $4 billion each time it launches. Meanwhile, SpaceX's Starship, a much more powerful commercial rocket and ship, is making leaps in progress toward flight readiness. 

NASA is already paying SpaceX $4 billion to build a lander version of Starship to ferry astronauts from lunar orbit to the moon during the Artemis III and IV missions. But pressure may be mounting from lawmakers to switch horses in midstream, instead opting to outsource the entire journey to Starship. It's unclear whether Musk is jockeying for this outcome.

Nelson, who was asked Thursday if he was concerned about Musk's relationship with Trump, said he was "basically optimistic" that Musk's political activism would benefit NASA. He wouldn't speculate how the billionaire's new role as co-head of the so-called "Department of Government Efficiency" would impact NASA's overall funding and workforce. 

Tweet may have been deleted

Under Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's chief operating officer, the commercial launch company has been a boon for the International Space Station, Nelson said, providing reliable rides for astronauts and cargo. 

"The proof's in the pudding," he said. "I have every reason to think that that relationship will continue." 

Just Wednesday, Trump's team announced his pick to replace Nelson at NASA's helm. The president-elect has tapped Jared Isaacman, CEO of Shift4 Payments and a friend of Musk. Isaacman has commanded two SpaceX missions, including Polaris Dawn this year. During that five-day spaceflight, Isaacman became the first person to perform a commercial spacewalk. 

NASA's own Space Launch System rocket has been estimated to cost $4 billion per launch. Credit: NASA / Isaac Watson

Wiseman, the astronaut who will lead the Artemis II crew, has not been deterred by the schedule setbacks. He visited the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, last month and saw the Orion spacecraft and SLS's booster. Right after, he watched a livestream of Starship's sixth flight test on his phone. 

Suddenly, humanity's return to the moon seemed real. 

"All the elements are there for humans on the moon, and all the elements are there to push us on to Mars in the very near future," he told reporters. "I just — I felt it in my soul."

The astronomical confusion started at 2 a.m ET on June 26, 2023.

Scientists using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope sought to observe a planet beyond our solar system (an exoplanet) called Kepler-51d, an unusual "puffy" world with a cotton candy-like density. But it passed into view two hours earlier than expected. That's strange for a planet, as they are usually quite predictable.

It turns out that a previously unknown world, and its potent gravity, altered Kepler-51d's orbit. Now there are four known planets orbiting the sun-like star Kepler-51, located some 2,556 light-years away. And at least three of them are puffy.

"If trying to explain how three super puffs formed in one system wasn’t challenging enough, now we have to explain a fourth planet, whether it’s a super puff or not. And we can’t rule out additional planets in the system either," Jessica Libby-Roberts, an astronomer at Penn State who led the observation, said in a statement.

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

The research was recently published in The Astronomical Journal.

Based on previous observations, the astronomers calculated that the distant world Kepler-51d would pass in front of its star on June 26, 2023, at 2 a.m. It was a valuable opportunity to use starlight shining through the planet's atmosphere to reveal what's transpiring on this mysterious orb. (This starlight passes through the exoplanet's atmosphere, then through space, and ultimately into instruments called spectrographs aboard Webb, a strategy called "transit spectroscopy." They're essentially hi-tech prisms, which separate the light into a rainbow of colors. Certain molecules, like water, in the atmosphere absorb specific types, or colors, of light. If a color doesn't show up for Webb, that means it got absorbed by the exoplanet's atmosphere — revealing its presence.)

But nothing came at 2 a.m. "Thank goodness we started observing a few hours early to set a baseline, because 2 a.m. came, then 3, and we still hadn’t observed a change in the star’s brightness with APO [the Apache Point Observatory also used during these observations]," Libby-Roberts explained.

Their data, however, captured a dip in the star's light around midnight. What could have caused the surprise orbital change? Only the gravitational influence of a large, previously unknown fourth planet, the researchers concluded. It's now earned the name "Kepler-51e."

"We were really puzzled by the early appearance of Kepler-51d, and no amount of fine-tuning the three-planet model could account for such a large discrepancy," Kento Masuda, a study coauthor and associate professor of earth and space science at Osaka University, added. "Only adding a fourth planet explained this difference. This marks the first planet discovered by transit timing variations using JWST."

An illustration showing the three puffy known worlds orbiting in the star system Kepler-51. Credit: NASA / ESA / L. Hustak / J. Olmsted / D. Player / F. Summers (STScI)

It's unknown if Kepler-51e is a puffy world, too. Astronomers will need to gather valuable observations from a transit in front of its star. What's known is that its orbit travels a little wider than Venus' orbit around the sun, and dwells on the edge of its solar system's habitable zone — a temperate region where liquid water could exist on a world's surface.

Any puffy world is a curiosity: They might evolve, for example, into a super-Earth planet. In this star system, scientists already have at least three to continue observing. What will the fourth reveal?

The Webb telescope's powerful abilities

The Webb telescope — a scientific collaboration between NASA, ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency — is designed to peer into the deepest cosmos and reveal new insights about the early universe. But as shown above, it's also examining intriguing planets in our galaxy, along with the planets and moons in our solar system.

Here's how Webb is achieving unparalleled feats, and likely will for decades to come:

- Giant mirror: Webb's mirror, which captures light, is over 21 feet across. That's over two-and-a-half times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope's mirror. Capturing more light allows Webb to see more distant, ancient objects. The telescope is peering at stars and galaxies that formed over 13 billion years ago, just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. "We're going to see the very first stars and galaxies that ever formed," Jean Creighton, an astronomer and the director of the Manfred Olson Planetarium at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, told Mashable in 2021.

- Infrared view: Unlike Hubble, which largely views light that's visible to us, Webb is primarily an infrared telescope, meaning it views light in the infrared spectrum. This allows us to see far more of the universe. Infrared has longer wavelengths than visible light, so the light waves more efficiently slip through cosmic clouds; the light doesn't as often collide with and get scattered by these densely packed particles. Ultimately, Webb's infrared eyesight can penetrate places Hubble can't.

"It lifts the veil," said Creighton.

- Peering into distant exoplanets: The Webb telescope carries specialized equipment called spectrographs that will revolutionize our understanding of these far-off worlds. The instruments can decipher what molecules (such as water, carbon dioxide, and methane) exist in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets — be they gas giants or smaller rocky worlds. Webb looks at exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. Who knows what we'll find?

"We might learn things we never thought about," Mercedes López-Morales, an exoplanet researcher and astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics-Harvard & Smithsonian, told Mashable in 2021.

Already, astronomers have successfully found intriguing chemical reactions on a planet 700 light-years away, and have started looking at one of the most anticipated places in the cosmos: the rocky, Earth-sized planets of the TRAPPIST solar system.

TL;DR: Get lifetime access to all 25 Rosetta Stone languages for just $148.97 (reg. $399) during this Cyber Week sale through December 8.

As the New Year approaches, so do those ambitious resolutions — like finally learning a new language. Whether your goals are personal, professional, or purely for the joy of travel, Rosetta Stone’s Lifetime Subscription can help support your success.

For just $148.97 (reg. $399) during this Cyber Week sale, you’ll gain lifetime access to all 25 languages Rosetta Stone offers. This deal is only available through December 8, so now is the perfect time to invest in your future.

For over 27 years, Rosetta Stone has been a leader in language learning, trusted by renowned organizations like NASA, Calvin Klein, and TripAdvisor. Its unique, immersive approach mimics the way you learned your first language — connecting words with images and real-world scenarios. From ordering food to holding full conversations, you’ll learn to think in your new language rather than just translating words.

Rosetta Stone’s cutting-edge speech recognition technology helps you sound more natural and confident. It analyzes your pronunciation 100 times per second and provides instant feedback, helping you master the nuances of each word. The lessons are designed to grow with you, starting with simple phrases and progressing to complex discussions about opinions, culture, and even pop trends.

This lifetime subscription doesn’t limit you to one language — it gives you access to all 25, including Spanish, French, Japanese, and Arabic. With bite-sized lessons that fit seamlessly into your day, learning becomes part of your routine, whether you’re on your commute, enjoying a coffee break, or winding down before bed.

This Cyber Week deal is a rare opportunity to commit to a goal that could enrich your life in countless ways.

Get lifetime access to all 25 Rosetta Stone languages for just $148.97 (reg. $399) through December 8.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Rosetta Stone Rosetta Stone: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $148.97
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TL;DR: Upgrade to Windows 11 Home for just $19.97 (reg. $199) during this Cyber Week sale through December 8 and unlock AI features, faster performance, and enhanced productivity tools.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Windows 11 Home $19.97
$199.00 Save $179.03 Get Deal

Ready to bring your computer up to speed? For Cyber Week only, you can snag a licensed copy of Windows 11 Home for just $19.97 (reg. $199). This offer is an ideal option for anyone building a new PC, upgrading from an older version of Windows, or looking to modernize their refurbished computer. But act fast, because this price is only available through Dec. 8.

Windows 11 Home combines performance, simplicity, and innovation to deliver a seamless computing experience for personal users. With faster performance, advanced multitasking tools, and a host of new AI-powered features, it’s the ideal operating system for everyday use.

The new Windows Copilot, a cutting-edge AI assistant, makes managing your computer easier than ever. Whether you’re adjusting settings, summarizing documents, or launching playlists, Windows Copilot works for you. Additionally, the beloved Paint app gets a major upgrade, introducing dark mode, AI-powered background removal, and support for layers to enhance your creative projects.

If you’re upgrading from Windows 7, 8, or 10 (and your device doesn’t meet the free upgrade criteria), this product offers the latest OS without breaking the bank. 

Windows 11 Home offers an affordable yet robust set of features, making it the go-to choice for home users. Its user-friendly interface provides intuitive navigation and customization options, while tools like Snap Layouts, Snap Groups, and Virtual Desktops make multitasking effortless.

Enhanced security features, including Windows Hello and Microsoft Defender Antivirus, protect your data from threats.

Don't miss this limited-time offer on Windows 11 Home for just $19.97 (reg. $199).

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TL;DR: Enjoy lifetime access to 1TB of Koofr Cloud Storage for just $109.97 during Cyber Week — no tracking, no recurring fees, and advanced features for seamless file management.

Digital clutter can be as stressful as a messy home. Between endless photos, work documents, and those videos you swear you’ll edit someday, your storage sitch can get chaotic fast. Koofr Cloud Storage can help, and this Cyber Week, for just $109.97 (regularly $139.99), you can secure 1TB of lifetime cloud storage with no recurring payments and no hidden fees.

With 1TB of storage, you’ll have room for around 250,000 photos, 500 hours of HD video, or 6.5 million document pages. Yes, million. And with no monthly fees, your wallet will thank you if it could talk.

On the collaboration side, Koofr lets you edit and collaborate on files with your team or colleagues, something many other services (we’re looking at you, FolderFort) just don’t offer. It’s perfect for work projects, shared family photo albums, or even planning that dream vacation with friends.

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Whether you’re managing personal files, running a business, or collaborating on group projects, its clean, intuitive interface helps make organizing files easier to manage.

Get lifetime access to 1TB of Koofr Cloud Storage for just $109.97 during this Cyber Week sale through December 8. 

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TL;DR: Get a $1,499 refurbished MacBook Pro on sale for $377.97 for Cyber Week. Sale ends December 8 at 11:59 p.m. PT. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (3.1GHz i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $377.97
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When you think of a budget-friendly laptop, a MacBook probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind, but Cyber Week has some surprises. Normally, a MacBook Pro like this one would cost $1,499, but that price has dropped all the way down to $377.97. Check out what this computer can do. 

Great ex-spec-tations

Powered by a 3.1GHz Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz, this laptop keeps things running smoothly, whether you’re editing photos, crunching numbers, or streaming videos. 8GB RAM and a 512GB SSD give you plenty of power and storage to play with. And the 13.3-inch Retina display offers stunning visuals with a 2560x1600 resolution and 500 nits brightness.

For the less technical among us, it's a beautiful display that's reasonably wide but not so huge that you'll have to order a custom computer bag. 

As much as this computer is a heavyweight of productivity, it's light to carry, weighing just over three pounds. This MacBook Pro also features a second-generation Touch Bar, adding intuitive shortcuts to your workflow, and Touch ID for secure logins and Apple Pay. Four Thunderbolt 3 ports give you a few versatile options for charging, external displays, and accessories. 

Refurbished to Grade A standards, this MacBook Pro is in near-mint condition, but it's still priced like any other refurb. 

Time for an upgrade. Dec, 8 at 11:59 p.m. PT is the deadline to get an Apple MacBook Pro on sale for $377.97. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Don't be fooled by its nostalgic, romantic title. Fly Me To The Moon is not the winsome, star-led rom-com you might expect. Instead, director Greg Berlanti takes a cheeky premise befitting a bouncy '60s rom-com and burdens it with dreary NASA drama and a half-baked showbiz satire thread. 

Sure, Fly Me to the Moon has Scarlett Johansson, smiling and beguiling as a Mad (wo)Man who's cinched and coiffed like a Hitchcock blonde. It's got a strapping Channing Tatum as the stern Tracy to her beaming Hepburn. The stellar supporting cast, which includes Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, Jim Rash, and the splendid Anna Garcia, breathes life into one-liners and extravagantly long bits. But overall, Berlanti lacks the creative vision to pull all this off. 

All told, Fly Me to the Moon is a disaster that fails to launch. 

Fly Me to the Moon does too much... and poorly.  Cole Davis (Channing Tatum) and Henry Smalls (Ray Romano) in "Fly Me to the Moon." Credit: Dan McFadden / Sony Pictures

Set in 1969, Fly Me to the Moon follows an enemies-to-lovers plot line that pits the noble ambition of a moon-landing mission against marketing. In the corner of scientific endeavor stands beefy but taciturn NASA launch director Cole Davis (Tatum); in the other corner swishes metropolitan advertising maverick Kelly Jones (Johansson). He is trying to get America on the moon. She's trying to sell America on the moon landing. But shucks! The news of late is super caught up with that Vietnam War! 

There's a jarring disconnect between the movie's would-be winsome romance and its clumsy handling of the era's hard-hitting horrors. The jumbled screenplay from Rose Gilroy doesn’t just have its heroine cynically lament about how this grim war's news cycle distracts from their PR efforts (though she does). Berlanti also douses his sometimes-comedy with reminders of the horrid war. So, anytime his love story might start heating up, real-life carnage hits like a cold shower. The tragedy of the Apollo 1 mission, in which three astronauts were killed, is also a heavy thread, knitting together the life-or-death stakes of Apollo 11 and giving Cole a series of scenes to grieve as that failed launch's haunted director. 

This remorse explains why he has no patience for Kelly's relentlessly can-do attitude, the white lies she employs in the name of "selling," and the persistent distraction she is to his work. (She literally pulls his astronauts away from training for product-placement photo shoots.) However, without her skills at selling NASA to the public, the mission could see its funding pulled. So, selling out is regarded by Fly Me to the Moon as a necessary evil — a point driven home by a climactic kiss that features OMEGA® watches in its cozy close-up of the headlining co-stars. 

The total dissonance of the film might be intentional; perhaps it's meant to reflect the conflict between the idealistic Cole and the jaded Kelly. While that might be clever on paper, on screen it makes for a deadly tedious film. There is absolutely no flow or momentum to the storytelling, as one scene of utter despair leads into one of of light-hearted flirtation, then to one of clumsy comic mayhem. 

Is star power dead?  Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) and Cole Davis (Channing Tatum) in "Fly Me to the Moon." Credit: Dan McFadden / Sony Pictures

Critics have been debating this for years now, and Fly Me to the Moon might be further proof that a eulogy is overdue.

Scarlett Johansson gives a lot to this film, including an arsenal of wheedling accents, a megawatt smile that Julia Roberts would be proud of, and a performance that ranges from plucky punchlines to a tearful monologue about a tragic childhood. Yet she can't dazzle thoroughly through all the shenanigans and tonal turns. Con woman Kelly is so throughly constructed of false fronts that even when she gets to her tender truth, it seems just another scheming schtick — amusing but shallow.  

Tatum is similarly shackled by a script that deflates the himbo allure he perfected in the Magic Mike movies, offering instead a stale archetype of a serious science man. Despite some early antics involving a flaming broom and a black cat, Cole never quite manages to solidify into a compelling fussbudget, molded from the likes of Spencer Tracy, Cary Grant, or Rock Hudson. 

Johansson and Tatum don't share a chemistry that can make this movie work for all its faults. Neither is helped by a plot line that runs in circles of highs and lows rather than a compelling three-act trajectory. As Berlanti has a storied history in television, with credits that include Everwood, Arrow, You, and Legends of Tomorrow, I began to wonder if this premise was originally conceived as a miniseries. This could explain the confounding structure that, at two hours and 10 minutes long, feels agonizing.

Broken up into 30-minute episodes, these jarring tonal shifts might've felt less severe, the quirky comedy bits could have been grounded, the dramatic stings given the space to hit with impact. But Berlanti, who won praise at the helm of romantic dramedies like Love, Simon and The Broken Hearts Club, doesn't have the cinematic vision to pull off all these elements. Instead, he takes a tale of love and lies and space, and creates something that is often astonishingly visually flat and uninspired. The whimsy of '60s comedies and its candy-colored fashion is lost here.

Fly Me to the Moon is nearly saved by its supporting cast.  Ruby Martin (Anna Garcia), Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson), and Lance Vespertine (Jim Rash) in "Fly Me to the Moon." Credit: Dan McFadden / Sony Pictures

While Johansson and Tatum struggle, the players around them manage to shine. Jim Rash certainly delivers the flashiest performance as Lance Vespertine, a unrepentantly flamboyant and narcissistic commercial director. Rash brings a welcomed chaotic energy to his scenes, issuing outlandish demands and withering remarks with the rapid-fire spray and viciousness of a tommy gun. In him, Fly Me to the Moon scratches at showbiz satire, gleefully mocking the indulgences allowed an arrogant director. But as Rash is used chiefly for breezy comic relief, the finer points of the critique are lost amid the screeching. 

Elsewhere, Ray Romano pops up as a pal of Cole's to deliver exposition dumps and hit plot points with a practiced efficiency and sly oafishness; Romano turns a thankless role into a needed source of heart. Meanwhile, Woody Harrelson strolls into the vaguely threatening authority role he's played across genres, this time as a mysterious yet intimidating government agent called Moe. He's on cruise control here, with a fedora doing half the work. Nonetheless, Harrelson is amusing, especially as he casually threatens Kelly, then erupts into the title song as he saunters away. 

However, the standout amid these big names (and Mr. Scarlett Johansson, Colin Jost, who pops by in a brief yet excruciating cameo) is Anna Garcia, a brilliant comedic actress who plays Kelly's plucky, politically minded assistant.

Plotwise, her Ruby is a confidante to whom Kelly can spill secrets of the fake moon landing, among other ploys. But in execution, Garcia brings a crisp comedy styling that is bright and intoxicating, whatever mess is going on around her. With guest stints on shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the Party Down reboot, and various DROPOUT productions, Garcia first caught my eye in the interview parody show Very Important People. Here, Garcia played an eccentric Eurotrash pop star so convincingly that I looked for Princess Emily's Spotify artist page. (She was probably an Eurovision contender I missed, right?) In Fly Me to the Moon, she steals scenes with sharp asides and eye-catching reactions. Regrettably, as the film plunges into ham-fisted pathos, radiant Ruby is flung off on a lazy romantic subplot involving a character who can be most kindly written off as Nerd Number Two. 

Berlanti aims for the moon and falls far short.  Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) in "Fly Me to the Moon." Credit: Dan McFadden / Sony Pictures

By taking on a '60s-style romcom, Berlanti stacks himself against the talents of such influential directors as Blake Edwards (Breakfast at Tiffany's), Norman Jewison (Send Me No Flowers), William Wyler (How to Steal A Million), Stanley Donen (Charade, Funny Face) and George Cukor (Adam's Rib, My Fair Lady). By folding in so many earnest elements of space travel drama, he invites comparisons to the celebrated filmmaking of Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey), who is repeatedly name-dropped in the film because of those exhausting conspiracy theories. And in every instance, this clunky dramedy pales in comparison, lacking the visual splendor, the emotional resonance, and the incorrigible wit of those that came before. 

With this genre-blending script, Berlanti has a wide sandbox to play in but no idea what to do with all these toys. In the end, Fly Me to the Moon is not just a misfire but a cataclysmic miscalculation, turning out to be far more tedious than enchanting. 

Fly Me to the Moon is now streaming on Apple TV.

UPDATE: Dec. 5, 2024, 5:37 p.m. EST "Fly Me to the Moon" was reviewed prior to its theatrical release in this article, originally published July 11, 2024. This article has been updated to reflect the latest viewing options.

What if all the hysteria about Y2K was valid? In 1999, as the clocks ticked down to the new millennium, there was a global fear that a computer coding shortcut could result in widespread tech issues, disrupting life as we know. That didn't happen, but Saturday Night Live alum Kyle Mooney's directorial debut Y2K asks the question: What if it did though? 

Studded with young stars like It's Jaeden Martell, Hunt for the Wilderpeople's Julian Dennison, West Side Story's Rachel Zegler, and Stranger Things' Eduardo Franco, sci-fi comedy Y2K's core story is about what a nightmare it is to be a teen with a crush. But is boatloads of nostalgia, goofy gore, and massive amounts of dopey jokes enough to make this comedy come together? 

Y2K is Terminator, but stupid. 

Written by Evan Winter, Y2K centers on two high school besties, who are way outside the cool kid clique. But one New Year's Eve, goofball Danny (Dennison) convinces wallflower Eli (Martell) that now is the time to get noticed by crashing a house party. While Eli's fumbling to get the attention of beautiful hacker Laura (Zegler), Danny is karaokeing raucously to Sisqó's "Thong Song" and getting the attention he's long craved. But as the clock strikes midnight, computers rebel as AI goes evil, going on a comedic killing spree in which everything from ceiling fans and microwaves to Tamagotchis can be a weapon. The midnight slaughter sequence is as outrageous as it is hilarious. 

Featured Video For You Why you're wrong about Y2K, 20 years later

The sci-fi logic of the film is basically non-existent, though Zegler's Laura is saddled with a series of hacker exposition dumps that half-heartedly set up some rules. But Y2K refuses to take science-fiction seriously. The premise is an excuse to goof on 2000s culture and chuck some teen archetypes into silly shenanigans. So Eli reluctantly leads a motley band of survivors out of this house of horrors and into a plan to save not just their high school but the whole world. 

Y2K is radiant in '00s nostalgia. 

Much like PEN15, Y2K plunges audiences back into a time where AIM away messages were pretentious poetry, dial-up squawked, T-shirts were worn inexplicably oversized, and burning CDs was a meaningful tool of self-expression. The opening sequence is littered with such nostalgic '00s details, which aptly set the era and earned much laughter and cheers from the SXSW audience at the film's world premiere. Props to Mooney for crafting such a crowd-pleasing beginning, but upon reflection, there's few actual jokes there. It's all about the joy of recognition, which could mean this comedy won't play for Gen Z at all, despite their recent Y2K revival. 

SEE ALSO: The ultimate Y2K gift guide for millennials and teens alike

Other references play a bigger role in the plot, like Danny learning Tae-Bo via Billy Blanks' once unavoidable workout videos and a musician cameo that — while funny and surprising — wears out its welcome by beating the same joke into the ground. Actually, that's a bit of a recurring problem. Mooney doesn't have a great sense of when enough is enough so several bits drag, making the movie feel a bit meandering even at one hour and thirty-three minutes. But the bigger issue is Y2K hangs itself on its least interesting character. 

Julian Dennison outshines Jaeden Martell. 

Winter's script is woefully lazy in developing Martell's Eli as a character. Established as shy and vaguely nerdy (he likes computer games and modifying action figures), Eli is identifiable as the lovestruck nerd archetype. However, he's not weird enough to be interesting in this world where electronics are suddenly transforming into gnarly killing machines. Likewise his crush Laura is regarded as extraordinary because she's pretty, popular, and into computers while being a girl. There's admittedly a self-awareness in other characters pointing out this supposed dissonance, but Y2K doesn't go any deeper into Laura's personality. So the jokes at her expense are more a lampshade of the issue rather than challenging it. 

Where the teen comedy aspect comes alive is in Danny as the charismatic wild card bestie, Franco as a rock-rap-loving bully, and Lachlan Watson as a surly alt chick. But sadly, the script sidelines them for way too much of the movie. While Zegler has undeniable screen presence, Martell offers a blank stare for much of the movie that just squashes its emotional pull. The frantic action and spurts of bright-red blood helps revive the movie's chaotic energy, but you might wish that Dennison had been given more to do here. The New Zealand actor is a dynamo, and it’s a shame to see him shunted to the side in a quirky bestie role. 

As a first watch, Y2K is a lot of fun. Its teen cast overall has terrific energy, and a supporting cast that includes Alicia Silverstone, Tim Heidecker, and Mooney — as a burnout video store clerk — brings welcomed microdoses of weirdness. The celebration of all things '00s is undeniably charming, even if used superficially. Jokes come fast and frantic, so even if some don't land, there's plenty of laughs to be had. But on reflection, the movie suffers under its lack of emotional depth. This is a solid stoner comedy, gleefully dumb and unapologetically wacky. But as a teen comedy, Y2K lacks the emotional awareness of classics like Clueless, the original Mean Girls, or Superbad. 

In short, Y2K is a good time, but falls short of greatness. 

Y2K is now in theaters.

UPDATE: Dec. 5, 2024, 4:40 p.m. EST Y2K was reviewed out of the world premiere at SXSW. This review was first published on March 11, 2024, and has been updated for its theatrical release.

From 2011 to 2012, thieves stole $18 million worth of maple syrup from the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers. Among the most valuable heists in Canadian history (and arguably the most Canadian heist ever), the robbery earned the title of the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist.

Now, the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist gets its own TV adaptation with Prime Video's The Sticky. Created by American Housewife team Brian Donovan and Ed Herro, The Sticky stars Margo Martindale, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Guillaume Cyr as an unlikely trio of maple syrup hustlers. The three have incredible chemistry — but in the end, is it enough to counteract The Sticky's long, winding road to the notorious heist that spawned it?

SEE ALSO: 'The Sticky' trailer: Margo Martindale, Jamie Lee Curtis, and the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist What is The Sticky about? Margo Martindale in "The Sticky." Credit: Jan Thijs

The Sticky may draw inspiration from true events, yet as a title card reminds us at the beginning of each episode, what we're seeing is "absolutely not" the true story. Yes, people will work to steal maple syrup from a governing syrup body in Quebec, but that's basically where the similarities begin and end. Notably, every member of The Sticky's aspiring heist crew is fictional.

Every member of the heist crew is also down on their luck, and growing more desperate day by day. There's syrup farmer Ruth Landry (Martindale), whose husband Martin lies in a years-long coma, and whose farming land is on the verge of being seized by the corrupt association that governs the local maple syrup supply. Security guard Remy Bouchard (Cyr) is the organization's sole security guard. Overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated by boss Leonard Gauthier (Guy Nadon), Remy takes revenge where he can — by stealing one barrel of syrup a month from the stockpile. Rounding out the team is Bostonian mobster Mike Byrne (Chris Diamantopoulos), who's looking to pull off a job unaffiliated with the U.S. crime family that hounds him.

Pushed together by circumstance, these three decide to take down those who have wronged them by executing the sweetest heist known to mankind. But of course, as we've come to expect from any heist story, things rarely go according to plan, and Ruth, Remy, and Mike are in for a hell of a lot of sticky situations.

SEE ALSO: 'A Man on the Inside' review: Ted Danson and Mike Schur reunite for sweet sitcom gold Margo Martindale, Guillaume Cyr, and Chris Diamantopoulos are a delightful heist crew. Margo Martindale, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Guillaume Cyr in "The Sticky." Credit: Jan Thijs

You may be drawn in by the promise of maple syrup mayhem, but the true heart of The Sticky is just watching Martindale, Cyr, and Diamantopoulos become the most dysfunctional heist crew in all of Canada. The three give delightful performances separately, but put them together, and you get dynamite.

Martindale's Ruth is ferocious as can be, unafraid to storm the association's offices with a downed tree in tow or curse out Leonard in front of his staff. Cyr's Remy becomes a perfect foil for her, not just because of his links to the organization but also because of his mild-mannered demeanor, which can sometimes lead to others taking advantage of him. However, that mildness flies out the door in most of his interactions with the hot-tempered Mike, who tries to assert himself as the dominant cool guy in charge of the operation. But despite all that posturing, Mike's often just as inept as his compatriots. Don't just take my word for it: Feast your eyes on Diamantopoulos' many icy pratfalls, which somehow get funnier over time, no matter how often Mike bites it in the Quebec snow.

SEE ALSO: The best comedies on Prime Video for when you need a good laugh

The lead-up to The Sticky's heist gives our trio plenty of time to bond, from planning sessions to car trips to an accomplice's storage unit. It also gives them plenty of opportunities to cross each other, building tension — and some very fun sap-related arguments — along the way. Yet among all The Sticky's many twists and turns, it can sometimes feel like the heist itself has gotten lost in the syrup... er, sauce.

The Sticky's heist feels more like an afterthought. Jamie Lee Curtis in "The Sticky." Credit: Jan Thijs

Despite The Sticky's lightning-fast first season (six episodes, each less than 30 minutes), the series can sometimes feel like it's wading through syrup in its efforts to get to the heist proper. Ruth and Remy drop out of the heist at separate points, only to get pulled back in mere moments later. Elsewhere, new wrinkles out of our trio's control keep pushing the planned heist date back. Some, like the arrival of new security guard Gary (Meegwun Fairbrother), spawn riotous side quests. Others, like the intrusion of Mike's Bostonian colleagues — including mobster Bo (Jamie Lee Curtis) — feel like The Sticky stalling for time, or clawing for a great antagonist for a potential second season.

Here's the thing, though: I'm far more interested in the small-town dynamics The Sticky initially sets up than whatever hell Boston has to rain down on Mike. The series briefly explores the solidarity between Ruth and the other syrup farmers and townspeople, including a scene where a diner refuses to give Leonard any syrup with breakfast. But otherwise, it barely fleshes out the rest of them.

By the time The Sticky finally gets to its heist, the season has almost run out of steam, and it shows. Prior iterations of the heist plan play out in snappy, darkly funny sequences of what the crime might look like. Yet that energy dissipates for the real deal, which seems almost grim in comparison to everything that's come before it.

But while the final destination of The Sticky Season 1 may be underwhelming, at least the characters who brought us there are anything but. Martindale, Cyr, and Diamantopoulos have created a trio of lovable, flawed criminals who are fully-fledged right off the bat, and watching their dynamic evolve over the course of the season is a sweet treat all by itself.

All episodes of The Sticky are now streaming on Prime Video.