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It's the first of the month, which means Netflix has added a substantial number of new movies and shows. Some of the highlights include the Creed movies, Friday Night Lights, The Karate Kid franchise, and the first five seasons of Hawaii Five-0. Keep an eye on the new movies coming later this month, including Office Romance and Little Brother.

Using Android Auto wirelessly is very convenient and cuts down on cable clutter, but it isn't perfect. The biggest issue is how heavy it can be on the battery. Obviously, it will never be able to match a wired connection that charges your phone as you go, but by tweaking a few settings, you can really reduce the battery drain.

You might think that hosting your own local photo server is a great way to save money instead of just paying for Google Photos. However, you'd be wrong. By the time you buy a NAS, storage, and pay for cloud backups, you'll be spending far more than Google charges you.

Welcome to June. It's a new month, which means the major streaming services will be adding a significant number of movies this week. In case you missed some of last week's top movies, be sure to check out two HBO Max movies: The Moment with Charli XCX and Miss You, Love You with Allison Janney and Andrew Rannells.

I always treated secondary DNS as a pretty inconsequential setting. You either leave it alone entirely or fill it once and then forget about it for the rest of time. You pick a primary server, pick a backup, and then move on.

SAVE $40: As of June 1, the Apple AirPods Max 2 are on sale at Amazon for $509 instead of $549. That's $40 cheaper than usual and matches their best price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Max 2 $509 at Amazon
$549 Save $40   Get Deal

If you already have the original AirPods Max headphones, you should definitely not spend $500+ on the AirPods Max 2. But if you're shopping for over-the-ear headphones for the first time and you've had your eye on the undeniably stylish Apple headset, you should at least grab them while they're on sale.

As of June 1, the AirPods Max 2 are $509 instead of $549. Sure, $40 off isn't the biggest discount, but it does knock these noise-cancelling headphones back down to their best price on record. And that's something.

The first proper upgrade to Apple's first and only set of over-the-ear headphones, which took six years, isn't a major one. The AirPods Max 2 look the same as the AirPods Max, come with the same case, have the same battery life, come in the same color options, and cost the same amount. It's what lies inside that's actually different. The new generation headphones come with Apple's H2 chip inside (the same as the AirPods Pro 3), which means they have better active noise cancellation and a few new smart features.

Mashable reviewer Stan Schroeder can vouch for this. He notes that the noise cancellation has been audibly improved compared to the old model. "Not only did the new AirPods Max 2 block more noise, but they were also better at reducing noise depending on where I turned or how I moved my head," he writes.

Another new thing to note is the ability to toggle on/off features like adaptive audio, live translation, loud sound reduction, conversation awareness, and Siri interactions however and whenever you desire.

While they're not a groundbreaking upgrade over the older model, the AirPods Max 2 are still pretty great. And if you're an avid Apple fan and have been saving up, we recommend grabbing them while they're down to their best price.

When XPENG invited me to China for a four-day press trip spanning Guangzhou and Beijing, I'll admit my expectations were mixed. Bold claims about self-driving tech from a Chinese EV brand—that I'd heard before. A flying car was something else entirely.

Google's yet-to-be-announced Pixel Watch 5 has turned up somewhere the company almost certainly didn't intend — on the ocean floor near the Caribbean island of St. Martin.

The source of the leak is Gearbox Software founder Randy Pitchford, who posted two images on X showing what appears to be an unreleased Pixel Watch 5 in his possession. A bizarre sentence for sure, but the former studio head wrote that a friend had discovered the smartwatch while scuba diving, and it was still partially functional despite its time underwater. It was only able to display the correct time on what appeared to be a reserve charge.

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In the age of AI, it's hard to trust photographs entirely, but Pitchford's photos seem legit. "Pixel Watch 5" is clearly visible around the rim, and Pitchford's own face is reflected in the screen as he takes the shot. Beyond that, there's not a ton to learn from it — the ocean stay did a number on the battery, so hands-on impressions are limited to "it exists."

On the specs side, don't expect a dramatic leap from the Pixel Watch 4, which launched last fall. Android Central reported back in August 2025 that blood pressure monitoring and arterial stiffness tracking could be on the way, along with a proprietary Google Tensor chip for the watch codenamed "NPT."

Pitchford later confirmed on X that the watch's owner had been found and that a return was in the works. Mashable reached out to Google for comment, but did not receive a response before publication time.

If Google sticks to last year's launch schedule, the Pixel Watch 5 should be released in August.

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang took the stage at Computex to unveil the new Vera Rubin AI computing platform, the Vera CPU, a new collaboration with Microsoft that promises to “reinvent” the PC and its new open source AI models.

VS Code is everywhere, but it comes at a cost: RAM, startup time, and creeping complexity. After spending serious time with three leaner alternatives, I'm not going back.

TL;DR: The Oura Ring 4 is finally on sale at Amazon. As of June 1, you can score up to 31% off select colors, including midnight (ceramic), petal (ceramic), and stealth (metallic).

Oura Ring 4 (ceramic, midnight) $345.09 at Amazon
$499 Save $153.91   Get Deal at Amazon

If you've been eyeing the Oura Ring 4, but couldn't justify the $399 price tag, you have a short window to get it on sale at Amazon. With the Oura Ring 5 making its debut on June 5 (it's available for preorder now), the company is temporarily knocking the price off of select finishes/colors/sizes.

SEE ALSO: I tried the best smart rings of 2026 — yes, there's more than just Oura

The only catch is that the discounts vary depending on your finger size and the finish you want. If you happen to be a size 8 and want the ceramic midnight colorway, you're in luck — it's 31% off. For everyone else, you'll just have to click through your specific size and preferred color to see the markdown.

Even though it's about to be replaced by the newer model (which is said to be 40 percent smaller), the Oura Ring 4 is a Mashable Choice Award winner that still accurately tracks your sleep, activity, and cycle data without the premium price tag. At $345, it’s a much more reasonable entry point into smart rings.

If the first thing you do after buying a new Android phone is head straight into Developer options and drop the animation scale to 0.5x, you're already ahead of most people. It’s one of Android’s worst-kept secrets that instantly makes any phone feel faster and more responsive.

PREORDER THE NEW LEGO LORD OF THE RINGS LEGO SET AND GET TWO FREE LEGO SETS: Preorders for the Lego Icons The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith quality for two free Lego sets. Get a free Lego Grond set and a free Lego Ninja Cole's Car with preorders. The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith set sells for $649.99 with a release date set for June 4.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Icons Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith (11377) $649.99 at Lego
get two free Lego sets with order Pre-order Here

We've all heard the warnings — this summer is going to be a scorcher. Instead of sweating it out at the beach, how about working on a massive Lego project that's nearly 1,000 pieces? On June 4, Lego is releasing The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith set, and preorders come with great perks.

Through June 7, orders for the new Lego Icons The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith (11377) come with two free Lego sets. The Lego set comes with a price tag of $649.99 with a release date of June 4. Orders qualify for a free Lego Grond set and a free Lego Ninja Cole's Car set. In total, you'll be saving $34.98 with the two free sets.

There's never a bad time to start a giant Lego built. Clear the dining room table or the coffee table because the Lego Icons The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith is taking over, in the most welcomed way. The set has 8,278 Lego pieces with 10 minifigures. Perfect for those with a Middle-Earth collection, Minas Tirith includes both exterior and interior details fans are sure to enjoy both building and displaying.

SEE ALSO: Lego's Cherry Blossom set is just $8 at Amazon right now

Once competed, the set measures about 24 inches tall, 24 inches wide, and 15 inches deep, so clear a large spot on the bookshelf for this one. Plus, the freebies are fun. The Grond Lego build will add to The Lord of the Rings Lego collection and the Ninja Cole's Car is great mini build.

If you're a Lord of the Rings fan and enjoy Lego builds, hop on this great deal to score two free Lego sets. All three sets combined will be the perfect summer activity done from the comfort of indoors.

Figuring out network issues is probably my least-favorite thing to do that's related to my PC (or my home network in general). It can take ages, simply because so many little factors can manifest themselves in various ways, ruining everything around them with little fanfare. Even something as simple as a mesh router can ruin internet speeds, for instance.

Nvidia has unveiled its first laptop CPU for the mainstream, the RTX Spark. It's built to power AI agents, content creation, and gaming, and it's already finding its way into Windows laptops from major brands — including in a MacBook Pro rival from Microsoft.

SAVE $48.55: As of June 1, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 Bluetooth speaker is on sale at Amazon for only $51.44. That's just shy of 50% off its list price and its lowest cost on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ultimate Ears Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 $51.44 at Amazon
$99.90 Save $48.46   Get Deal

Mashable's shopping team's favorite Bluetooth speaker under $100 is now under $55. We've tested tons of Bluetooth speakers and the itty bitty Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 made quite the impression. If you're in the market for an ultra-portable speaker that's an absolute powerhouse, we highly recommend scooping it up while it's on sale.

As of June 1, the Wonderboom 4 in blue is down to just $51.44 at Amazon. That's nearly 50% off its list price of $99.99 and the best price on record according to the price-tracking tool camelcamelcamel.

When we say itty bitty, we aren't being dramatic. The Wonderboom 4 fits snugly in the palm of your hand, but is surprisingly powerful and balanced. There's even an outdoor boost button to crank things up a notch when the moment calls for it. "The sound profile is well-rounded and can get loud," Mashable's reviewer Bethany Allard writes, but adds that she wishes there was a companion app for more customization.

Still, for a no-frills speaker, it's an excellent value. It can last up to 14 hours per charge, handle drops from up to five feet without breaking a sweat, and be fully submerged in water for up to half an hour and still live to tell the tale. Whether you want something to take along on hikes, beach trips, pool days, or anything in between, it's a easy grab-and-go speaker that's a total powerhouse for its size and price — especially now at just over $50.

I always assumed my home network was mostly talking to a handful of servers nearby, making the occasional overseas travel. But I probably wasn't fully aware of where my network was pinging to. Running TapMap for a week proved just how wrong I was—and how far my data actually travels.

Heart-pounding movies have been my crème de la crème. Whether their stories encompass the rise and fall of a ruthless empire, the fractured reality of memory, the chaos of conflict, or the reckless thrill of real-life crime, there’s no shortage of lingering entertainment.

The open earbuds market is one of the fastest-expanding audio categories of 2026, and a new budget contender just entered the space.

Meet the Baseus Bowie MC2 earbuds, officially available as of June 1. Priced at $79.99, they're one of the most affordable open models on the market. (Keep reading to learn about their discounted launch price.)

Despite their lower price point, Baseus seeks to blend solid sound quality, innovative comfort, and a battery life that bests earbud options over triple the price of the MC2s. So how do they stack up? While I don't have a full review just yet, I've spent a few days with the newest open earbuds and have some early thoughts.

Opens in a new window Credit: Baseus Baseus Bowie MC2 $49.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $30.00 Save $30 with code MC2OWSPR Get Deal

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Baseus Bowie MC2: Price and specs

As mentioned above, the Baseus Bowie MC2 earbuds are available now for $79.99, with a special launch price of $49.99 if you use the coupon code MC2OWSPR at checkout. For the price, these earbuds come loaded with:

• Battery: 11.5 hours with Bass Boost (55 hours in case) or 13 hours without Bass Boost (60 hours in case)

• Driver: 11mm dynamic

• Microphones: 8 microphones, plus two bone conduction sensors

• Connection: Bluetooth 6.0

• Codec: SBC, AAC, LDAC

• Multipoint: Yes, up to two devices simultaneously

• IP rating: IP67

• Ear cushion sizes: M, L, XL

• Colors: Cosmic black, stellar white, deep sea blue

Baseus Bowie MC2: First impressions The Baseus earbuds comes with three sizes of silicone ear covers so you can find the best fit possible. Credit: Baseus

For most people, the draw of open earbuds comes from what they can offer you while you're out and about in the world. The awareness open earbuds provide is generally better than any transparency mode you'll find on traditional earbuds, giving the user the flexibility to listen to music in the park or go for a jog around your city without feeling totally shut out from the world around you.

With that in mind, the Bowie MC2 earbuds make a strong initial case for themselves on a few fronts.

Impressive battery life

If I can listen to music while staying aware of the world around, chances are I'll be keeping my earbuds in and powered on for much of the day. Baseus accounts for this in its battery life, offering an impressive 13 hours per charge, or 11.5 with Bass Boost on. In my experience so far, Bass Boost is pretty essential for getting the best sound quality, even if you're a non-bass head. Otherwise, the music can sound too distant.

To put things into perspective, the only other pair of open earbuds I've encountered with comparable battery life are the Shokz OpenFit Pro, which get 12 hours per charge and 50 hours in the case. They're also $250.

Interchangeable ear covers for maximizing comfort

Most times with budget earbuds, I don't expect a ton of innovation, but with the Bowie MC2, Baseus introduces a feature I've never seen on open earbuds — interchangeable ear covers, which the brand calls CloudComfort 2.0 cushions.

The soft silicone covers are comfortable, but the sizing is somewhat limited. The earbuds come set up with the medium size, but you'll find large and extra-large covers in the box. I tried the larges because out of the box, the earbuds felt a tiny bit loose on me compared to other cuff-style earbuds I've tried. However, I found the larger cover to fit even less securely.

I'm anticipating that this might be due to the size of the band that wraps around the ear, which is also larger than I've encountered on other earbuds. I imagine this is in the service of providing a more comfortable fit, but I've never found smaller bands to be too snug before. In my testing, I'll be looking at how this looser fit works in an exercise context — though I hope it works well, as the IP67 rating could make these earbuds a great pair of workout earbuds.

Their budget earbud competition

At $79.99 (and $50 on sale), these earbuds offer potentially excellent value, especially in a landscape where many of the more popular open earbuds from major audio brands can set you back $200 or more.

The only real competition I see are the EarFun Clip earbuds, which cost $69.99 at full price and are frequently on sale for under $50. Similar to the Baseus earbuds, they have LDAC support, Bluetooth 6.0, and are just behind the Baseus buds in terms of battery life, offering 10 hours per charge and 40 hours in the case.

Baseus Bowie MC2: Where to buy

The Baseus Bowie MC2 earbuds are available now at Amazon for a special launch price of $49.99 when you use the code MC2OWSPR. The code is valid through July 31.

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Windows 11’s latest update has finally introduced ‘Haptic Signals’, a feature that enhances the UI experience of the operating system. Haptic feedback in a laptop trackpad is not a pioneering feat, since Apple brought it to its MacBooks all the way back in 2015. Ever since, Apple has been tweaking and improving the feature.