IT General

When XPENG invited me to Munich for the global debut of the L03, I expected to see another electric SUV launch. Instead, I found myself looking at a company trying to redefine what a car can be, with AI-powered vehicles, robots, robotaxis, and flying machines all part of the same plan.

Netflix has been on a streak lately, releasing outrageous true crime documentaries that are stranger than fiction. There's been The Perfect Neighbor, a grim recounting of a manipulative murder told through police bodycam footage; Maternal Instinct, in which a con woman faked a pregnancy, before going to fatal lengths to make her lie seem true; and The Crash, wherein a reckless teen girl's vehicular menace led to the death of two friends. Now comes A Toxic Love Story.

By the title alone, you might think you know what you're in for. But documentarian Alexandra Lacey shrewdly takes audiences through the waves of understanding that investigators had to wade through before finding a truly shocking truth. Along the way though, there's plenty of WTF before the final reveal. Unlike the other true crime docs mentioned above, no one dies in this one. And yet, this is surely the most bizarre of the bunch.

Diving into increasing spoilers, we're discussing three big reveals, and the clues Lacey dropped along the way to warn keen viewers all is not what it seems.

A Toxic Love Story begins with the tale of an allegedly crazy ex-girlfriend. Michelle Hadley shares her side in "A Toxic Love Story." Credit: Netflix

This sexist trope has been a horror element that's most recently resurfaced in Focus Features' indie hit Obsession. What if there was a woman so obsessed with you that she'd rather burn your whole life down than lose you? For the first chapter of A Toxic Love Story, this seems to be the narrative unfurling.

In 2016, newlyweds Ian Diaz and Angela Connell Diaz seemed to have a postcard-worthy life. Living in Anaheim, California, minutes from Disneyland, they could visit the park anytime they wanted, which was important to Ian, as a confirmed Disney adult. Plus, Angela was expecting twins. According to Ian's friend of 20 years, Leslie, this was all he wanted. Then came the emails.

From an account called "Lilithistruth," Angela began getting messages that threatened her life, her home, and the lives of her unborn twins. Ian, a U.S. deputy marshal, reached out to the local police department, who only intervened when the threats escalated to an attempted sexual assault. See, the mysterious Lilith replied to a Craigslist ad, which suggested Angela was up for a "rape fantasy" in the Diaz condo. When a stranger showed up, the couple called 911, and the police arrested Ian's ex-girlfriend, Michelle Hadley.

In an interview with police, which is heard in the documentary, Hadley seems to admit to writing the Lilith emails. She's arrested and held for 88 days on a million-dollar bond. That is, until the police uncover another suspect. There are some red flags along the way, but we'll get to those at the end.

A Toxic Love Story reveals a con woman who went to extreme lengths for love. Angela Connell smiles with husband Ian Diaz. Credit: Netflix

Twenty-eight minutes into A Toxic Love Story, the focus shifts from the narrative that Michelle was a vengeful ex to pull back and ask, "Who is Lilith?"

Lacey transports her viewers back to 2013, Huntington Beach, where a pre-Ian "Angie" is desperate to impress her new beau and his circle of friends. However, part of her appeal to be liked includes faking a cancer diagnosis by employing photos of chemo treatments snatched from Google and a knit cap to cover her long hair.

Former friend Mary Bukovskis recounts this fraud with venom and vigor, even sharing cellphone video of a bizarre intervention in which the friends confront Angie, saying, "You don't have cancer!" until she literally runs away.

This audacious scene hits before even the halfway mark of A Toxic Love Story. So, in 2016, amid the "bizarre Orange County love triangle" events that were all over the news, it's somehow less shocking to learn that Angela faked her pregnancy.

Like in Maternal Instinct, this fraud used a sonogram she pulled from online as proof she was pregnant. From there, Leslie recounts how Ian was floored by the revelation, and even more disturbed when he realized Angela was Lilith, sending the emails and unwitting rapist upon herself to frame Michelle.

"It seems like I've been sleeping with the enemy the entire time," Ian says in an audio interview with the authorities.

At the 46-minute mark, A Toxic Love Story puts up a title card, detailing how Angela pled guilty to fraud, false imprisonment, and falsely reporting a crime. But while this seems like case closed, this is only the halfway point of the doc!

A Toxic Love Story is about an abusive boyfriend with a twisted scheme. Ian Diaz and his wife Angela captured on bodycam footage in "A Toxic Love Story." Credit: Netflix

While the case was closed for Anaheim PD, Ian's work with the U.S. marshals meant the Department of Justice was going to take their own look at the findings. Enter DOJ special agent Jason Higley, who looked at the bodycam footage of Ian and Angela, and suspected there was more than one fake at play.

Michelle, the only one in this supposed love triangle who did participate in the doc, reveals the full side of her story in this final chapter. She was young and naive when Ian caught her eye. They dated for two years, and bought that Anaheim condo together. Well, she paid the down payment and he "helped with the mortgage payments." But once they moved in together, Michelle says Ian became frightfully controlling.

He dictated how she dressed. He installed security cameras in their home, seemingly to track her every move. And even when they were apart, he seemed to know where she was. But the "biggest red flag," according to Higley, was that Ian manipulated Michelle into having sex with another man so he could watch. Though this doc touches on cuckolding and rape fantasy, the participants take efforts to not kink-shame. The issue here is not desire, but consent.

In interviews both with the DOJ and with Lacey's crew, Michelle recounts how "the condo felt like a cage," so she fled. As she recovered from complex PTSD from Ian's abusive control, she admits she wrote the first two Lilith letters. "I don't really understand where it can from or why I wrote it," she tells Lacey. "I listened to a lot of sermons growing up."

Higley uncovered that the later Lilith letters and the emails to the Craigslist hook-up tied back to Ian and his laptop. It seems Ian used Michelle's initial letters, which evoked the first wife of Adam who was thrown out for not being submissive, as a damning tool to ruin his ex and secure the condo for good.

What are the red flags and clues A Toxic Love Story dropped to telegraph its big reveals? Ian Diaz smiles. Credit: Netflix

The first clue is subtle and early on. When the doc cuts to Ian's recounting of the story, it's through previously recorded interviews with the authorities. He's not a talking head, sharing his side of what happened from a current perspective.

On the same note, Angela is only shown through bodycam footage, and later the cellphone video from her cancer intervention. In a love triangle story where no one died, why would neither be sharing their side?

Next comes a red flag from Leslie, who definitely doesn't see it that way, as she still believes Ian is innocent, even after all his convictions. She says, "Within a few months of meeting, Ian and Angela are living together, married, and expecting twins."

Ian moved very fast, not just with Angela, but also in moving on from his two-year relationship with Michelle. According to A Toxic Love Story, Michelle left him in August of 2015. He met Angela on Jan. 2, 2016. And by June 13, 2016, they were living together, married, "pregnant," and trying to frame Michelle for the attempted rape of Angela.

The next clue, as Higley will point out in the final chapter, is that when the cops came after the alleged rape attempt, Ian shows them the Craiglist ad that Lilith must have responded to. How did he know which one it was right away? "The odds of that are just impossible," Higley said.

The final clue in this first chapter that all is not what it seems is Michelle's interview. The doc plays part of her initial police interrogation. The officer says, "Did you write this?" And she says, "Yeah, that was me." Then, in a modern-day interview with the documentary crew, Michelle muses on where the Lilith imagery came from.

Typically, when true crime docs have footage of a confession, they show a lot of that footage. But A Toxic Love Story used just moments. The omission might strike some as odd. And of course, once Michelle shares her whole story, we realize why the doc moved right along.

In the end, A Toxic Love Story manages to tell not one true crime tale, but three in one. The initial narrative recounts how Michelle was maligned as "the craziest woman in Orange County." The second reveals the villainy of con woman Angela Connell, who went from lying about having cancer, to lying about a pregnancy, to helping her husband frame a woman she'd never even met. The third is about a corrupt U.S. marshal who saw himself as a criminal mastermind, but was exposed by his own hubris.

It's not as gnarly as Don't F*** with Cats, or as heartbreaking as Abducted in Plain Sight. But when it comes to most WTFs per runtime, you'd be hard-pressed to beat A Toxic Love Story.

A Toxic Love Story is now streaming on Netflix.

TL;DR: Get Babbel Language Learning for life for just $159 through July 31 and unlock all 14 languages with one purchase.

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Language learning usually starts with good intentions. The trick is sticking with it long enough to order dinner confidently, ask for directions without panicking, or actually hold a conversation.

That’s where Babbel truly shines. Through July 31, you can get lifetime access for a one-time $159, giving you unlimited access to 14 languages without worrying about another recurring subscription.

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Babbel keeps lessons short — just 10 to 15 minutes — making it much easier to fit learning into a lunch break, commute, or quiet evening at home. The lessons focus on real-life conversations, covering everything from travel and dining to shopping and business situations, so you’re learning phrases you’re actually likely to use.

Plus, the biggest win is that the lessons were created by 100+ professional linguists, not just bots.

The platform also includes an AI Conversation Partner for speaking practice, speech recognition technology to help improve pronunciation, personalized review sessions to reinforce what you’ve learned, and offline access so you can keep studying without an internet connection.

More than 15 million people worldwide have used Babbel, and the app holds an impressive 4.6-star rating on the App Store.

Whether your goal is planning an overseas trip, connecting with family, or simply learning something new, Babbel offers a flexible way to build practical language skills at your own pace.

A lifetime of Babbel Language Learning is available for just $159 (reg. $299) through July 31, making it an easy way to invest in a skill you can keep using for years.

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Filmmaker Neill Blomkamp built his reputation on sci-fi films like the critically heralded District 9, and the divisive Chappie and Elysium. His latest, "Nightborne," a 13-minute short film generated almost entirely by artificial intelligence, is getting a largely negative reception.

Loosely adapted from the 2006 hard sci-fi novel Echopraxia, "Nightborne" was built using ByteDance's Seed 2.0 video model, which animated the faces and voices of 32 real people who signed likeness agreements. Per the video's own description, human artists produced the concept art, presumably so it could then be fed into the machine.

SEE ALSO: YouTube reveals which AI slop videos can't make money

The plot of "Nightborne" follows a US Army pilot, who, after being shot down in the Middle East, is pronounced brain-dead and reanimated by the military as a mind-controlled super-soldier. There are also scenes of a journalist speaking with a film crew about his discoveries, as well as scenes of the scientist running the program.

That the short turns real human beings into digital puppets to tell a story about the military turning a human being into a soulless killing machine is an irony apparently lost on Blomkamp and his collaborators.

Blomkamp's fans have not been kind in response. Comment sections on Instagram and YouTube skew heavily negative, with many mourning what they see as Blomkamp's fall from grace.

"Guys, be nice to Neill, he spent the entire afternoon prompting this," read one top comment on YouTube.

"It's actually impressive how you can throw this much talent at a project, and it still ends up looking like soulless slop," read another.

Whatever one thinks of AI-generated films on their own merits, Blomkamp now joins Darren Aronofsky as another high-profile director betting on generative AI as cinema's next act. That bet is facing real headwinds, considering Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey just posted a $100+ million opening weekend. A reminder that audiences are still very much willing to show up for something people actually made. Or you can watch the AI-generated version that Elon Musk wants to make.

There's been a lot of talk about the upcoming iPhone 18 and foldable iPhone that are likely to launch in September. However, Apple is also planning for its next generation of Macs and MacBooks, and it seems pretty much every line of computers is getting a refresh. That's according to a new report from Mark Gurman, managing editor of the consumer technology team at Bloomberg News.

So, what's in store for the new Mac devices?

Let's start with Apple's breakout hit and the latest addition to the MacBook family, the entry-level MacBook Neo.

MacBook Neo

A new MacBook Neo in the near future makes sense. Apple's budget laptop was a big success for Apple and initially sold out at launch. Even after a recent price increase, it stands far apart from budget Windows laptops in its price range.

According to the new Bloomberg report from Gurman, Apple is already developing its next-generation MacBook Neo. The new MacBook Neo will offer more memory and will be powered by an updated A19 Pro chip. In addition, Apple will be rolling out additional color options, Gurman reports. Apple has a long history of offering fun color options, and this was a key part of the Neo's splashy marketing campaign.

Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

However, the MacBook Neo was arguably the hardest hit by Apple's recent price increases, as its low price is part of the draw. The MacBook Neo launched at $599, and through Apple's education discount, it was priced as low as $499, but it now has a starting price of $699. A new MacBook Neo with upgraded specs could make that $100 price increase more palatable for buyers. If we're lucky, shoppers might even see the original MacBook Neo get discounted back to its original price, at least during sales events.

Touchscreen MacBook Pro

Aside from the MacBook Neo refresh, Apple is reportedly preparing to launch its long-rumored high-end touchscreen MacBook Pro. Gurman says these touchscreen MacBook Pro models will also be the first with OLED displays. These rumors have been circulating for a long time, but the wait may soon be over.

Apple is reportedly testing the new MacBooks, but is eyeing an October 2026 launch for touchscreen models powered by the M5 Pro. Even more advanced versions of the MacBooks could arrive in 2027 or early 2028, Bloomberg reports.

Given the ongoing global memory crisis, new MacBooks with OLED screens, next-gen chips, and touchscreens could arrive with some very intimidating prices. Supply chain experts who've spoken to Mashable say that the memory crisis will likely get worse before it gets better, and so even laptops that arrive in 2027 or beyond could be impacted.

MacBook Pro and MacBook Air The M5 MacBook Pro released in 2025. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

Gurman also reports that Apple is planning even more new options for MacBook customers. Bloomberg reports that the company has developed a "low-end" entry-level MacBook Pro powered by a new M6 chipset. Likewise, Gurman's report claims that the MacBook Air will get a refresh soon, too.

In fact, Gurman reports that the popular MacBook Air could get its first big redesign in over four years.

Mac Mini and Mac Studio

Apple's powerful desktop computers, the Mac Mini and Mac Studio, have been popular choices for users looking to take advantage of agentic AI technology. But the AI boom that has benefitted these two Apple desktop lines has also created major shortages.

So, it's no surprise that Apple is refreshing its Mac Mini and Mac Studio line with these AI users in mind. The company is reportedly testing a Mac Mini model powered by the M5 Pro and a model powered by the M6, according to Bloomberg.

Finally, Bloomberg reports that there are even more changes in store, with more MacBook Air and Pro models in the works, plus refreshes coming to the iMac line. To read about all of the new MacBook and iMac models reportedly being developed and tested at Apple, check out the full Bloomberg report.

There’s no shortage of advice from productivity gurus telling you how your Windows desktop should be. A minimalist taskbar, fewer shortcuts, folder organization, and an empty desktop look great in YouTube videos and promotional images. But I found that the reality is not exactly true. The picture-perfect setup never survived more than a week on my PC.

Rooting an Android phone unlocks a level of customization stock firmware can't touch, but the real power comes from the modules layered on top. After years of flashing and re-flashing, these four make the cut every single time.

With 70 live-action feature films under his belt, Oscar winner Matt Damon is one of today’s best actors. His unique talents, sharp intellect, and extreme versatility have turned him into a bit of a cinematic unicorn. With The Odyssey currently in theaters, now is the perfect time to explore some of the A-lister’s best movies of all time, from leading-man blockbusters and hard-hitting historical pictures to giddy ensemble bro-fests, one-man showcases, and creepy thrillers.

Samsung's latest foldable phones both pack the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, and both cost $100 more than last year's models. We went hands-on to see what else has changed.

With a fresh, passport-sized design, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 is optimized for both horizontal and vertical media. It’s also incredibly fun to use. 

Long before mewing, jawline measurements, and "mogging" took over social media, Batman villain Matt Hagen was willing to risk everything for a better face.

That pursuit of physical perfection sits at the center of Clayface, DC Studios' first full-fledged horror movie. Directed by Speak No Evil filmmaker James Watkins, the R-rated origin story stars Tom Rhys Harries, known for Netflix's White Lines and The Gentlemen, alongside Mickey 17 star Naomi Ackie. Warner Bros. released the official trailer Wednesday, July 22, ahead of the film's theatrical debut on Oct. 23.

DC fans celebrated the trailer's gruesome body horror and the character finally receiving a solo movie after decades in comics, animation, and video games.

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Harries plays Hagen, a rising Gotham actor whose face is mutilated just as his career takes off. Convinced that restoring his appearance is the only way to reclaim the life he built, he turns to scientist Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Ackie) and an experimental treatment that promises to make him look like himself again.

The possible consequences do not deter him.

"Even if it kills me, I'll be better off than I am now," Hagen says in the trailer.

The treatment initially restores his movie-star looks. Then his face begins melting and changing uncontrollably, turning him into the shapeshifting Batman villain.

It is a gruesome superhero origin story. But at a time when young men are being encouraged to measure, rank, and radically alter their faces, Hagen’s conviction that looking better will fix his life feels unexpectedly current.

So, was Clayface the first looksmaxxer? Let's examine the evidence.

What is looksmaxxing?

Looksmaxxing is the practice of attempting to "maximize" physical attractiveness through methods ranging from skincare, exercise, hairstyling, and clothing to cosmetic surgery and potentially dangerous forms of self-modification.

The term emerged from incel and manosphere forums during the 2010s before spreading into mainstream internet culture, particularly on TikTok. Within looksmaxxing communities, attractiveness is often treated as a system that can be measured and optimized. Users scrutinize jaw width, eye shape, cheekbone projection, facial symmetry, body-fat percentage, and even the angle at which someone's eyes tilt.

Its vocabulary sounds like a collision between a beauty tutorial, fitness plan, and video game. "Softmaxxing" generally refers to conventional grooming and lifestyle changes, including skincare, exercise, fashion, and better sleep. "Hardmaxxing" can include cosmetic procedures, anabolic steroids, weight-loss drugs, unapproved peptides, and other aggressive attempts to alter the face or body.

"Mogging" means visually outclassing someone, while "mewing" refers to an unproven tongue-positioning technique that supposedly reshapes the jaw. Some users also judge faces using the PSL scale, a hierarchy that sorts men into categories ranging from "subhuman" and "normie" to various levels of "Chad."

One of the movement's most visible figures is Braden Peters, the 20-year-old streamer known as Clavicular. Peters has built an audience of more than 2 million followers across TikTok, Kick, and Instagram by documenting his appearance and promoting increasingly extreme interventions.

He has claimed to practice "bonesmashing," which involves striking facial bones with a hammer in the scientifically unsupported hope that the resulting injuries will heal into a larger jaw or more prominent cheekbones. He has also said he began taking testosterone at 14 to "optimize" puberty and later used anabolic steroids including Masteron and Anavar. Although Peters has acknowledged that hormone use may have affected his fertility, he continues to frame the possible health consequences as an acceptable price for becoming more attractive.

Other creators have promoted DIY orthodontics, experimental substances, extreme fat loss, and procedures intended to produce "hunter eyes," hollow cheeks, and sharply defined jawlines. One creator known as Nocturnal Kent has claimed that consuming 500 grams of sugar a day changed the structure of his face.

The audience for masculinity content is substantial. A 2025 study found that 60 percent of men between 16 and 25 regularly consume material from at least one masculinity influencer. That does not mean all of them follow looksmaxxing advice, but reports have warned that recommendation systems on TikTok and YouTube can steer users from ordinary grooming and fitness videos toward more extreme content.

The rise of looksmaxxing has also coincided with more men seeking professional cosmetic work. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of surgical cosmetic procedures performed on men worldwide increased 95 percent between 2018 and 2024. Younger patients have shown particular interest in treatments designed to produce stronger chins, sharper jawlines, and more angular faces.

Was Clayface really the first looksmaxxer?

Not literally. The term "looksmaxxing" did not exist until decades after Clayface first appeared, and several DC characters have used the villain’s name.

But the version of Matt Hagen developed in the early 1990s anticipated the movement's underlying logic: Appearance determines value, physical flaws can be engineered away, and nearly any intervention (no matter how gory) is justified if it brings someone closer to an ideal face.

The original Clayface, Basil Karlo, debuted in 1940's Detective Comics No. 40. Karlo was an actor who committed murders while wearing the mask of a horror character he had once played. He possessed no shapeshifting abilities and was not attempting to improve his appearance.

Matt Hagen became the second Clayface in 1961. Initially portrayed as a treasure hunter, Hagen encountered a strange pool of protoplasm that transformed his body into a clay-like substance. He could temporarily reshape himself into other people but had to return to the substance to restore his powers.

The version closest to a modern looksmaxxer arrived in 1992, when Batman: The Animated Series combined elements of those characters’ histories for the two-part episode "Feat of Clay."

This Hagen was a successful actor whose face had been severely disfigured in a car accident. When reconstructive procedures failed, he began using Renuyu, an experimental cream. The product restored Hagen's appearance and allowed him to reshape his face for different acting roles, but its effects were temporary. Each transformation left him dependent on another dose and on the man who controlled the supply.

Renuyu was, in effect, the ultimate hardmaxxing product. It did not merely smooth Hagen's skin or define his jaw; it allowed him to rebuild his entire face around whichever role or identity he wanted.

The problem with it, though, is that its effects are temporary. Every time the cream wears off, Hagen's injuries return, forcing him to seek another dose from Roland Daggett, the businessman who controls the supply. That dependency gives Daggett control over Hagen. In exchange for Renuyu, Hagen impersonates other people and commits crimes on his behalf. The treatment that was supposed to restore his identity gradually requires him to surrender it.

This is where the comparison to extreme looksmaxxing becomes clearest. Hagen isn’t trying to "mog" strangers or boost his PSL score. But he does believe his face determines whether he can work, appear in public, and live the life he wants.

That mirrors the blackpill belief that physical traits like facial structure and height largely determine a man’s romantic, social, and financial prospects. If appearance controls your future, looksmaxxing offers a supposed way out: Change your appearance. The new Clayface carries that same logic into the present, with Hagen declaring he'd rather risk death than keep living with his injuries.

The terminology may have changed by 2026, but Gotham’s original hardmaxxer would get it.

Clayface opens in theaters Oct. 23.

After a week of testing, here's what's actually new and whether the higher prices are worth it.

For years, I accepted Excel's ribbon exactly as Microsoft designed it, even though I only used a fraction of its commands. After spending 10 minutes removing the clutter and reorganizing my favorite tools, I had a personalized workspace that sped up my workflow and stayed with me every time I opened Excel.

Samsung set up a gym, a kitchen and a darkened test room to show off the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra, Z Flip 8 and Watch Ultra 2. Here's everything we got our hands on.

Plug-in hybrids promise the best of both worlds, but they only deliver their biggest benefits if you remember to charge them regularly.

Choosing a three-row SUV isn't just about passenger space anymore. For many families, long-term reliability is just as important as comfort, especially when repairs on larger, more complex vehicles can quickly become expensive.

Raspberry Pi just gave DIY dashboard builders exactly what they’ve been asking for. The company has expanded its official touchscreen lineup with a 10-inch Raspberry Pi Touch Display 2, joining the 5-inch and 7-inch models. It is aimed squarely at anyone who has been cramming a dashboard onto a screen that feels just too small.

The next big Galaxy Unpacked launch event is upon us, and as expected, Samsung delivered big news for Android users — and Android-curious users.

Samsung's big event kicked off on July 22 at 9 a.m. ET in London, where the company debuted five new devices. Mashable is in London reporting live on all of the day's biggest announcements and surprises, so keep checking back as the day unfolds. During the mobile launch event, Samsung launched five new devices, including three new foldable phones:

• Galaxy Z Flip 8

• Galaxy Z Fold 8

• Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

• Galaxy Watch 9

• Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

We also got our best look yet at the upcoming Samsung smart glasses, with designs from Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. So, if you missed the Galaxy Unpacked livestream, check out our live coverage of one of the biggest tech launch events of the year.

The Daily Show is swapping the news desk for romance, billionaires, and vertical video.

Comedy Central announced Tuesday, July 21, that the late-night franchise is producing its first microdrama — a serialized soap opera shot vertically and told through short, cliffhanger-heavy episodes designed for phones.

Its suitably dramatic title is The Daily Show Presents: Two Billionaires Fight to Dominate the Country… And My Heart!

The series follows Alonka, the "beautiful daughter" of an aging president who would prefer to spend more of his Oval Office time sleeping. Two wealthy technology moguls, Egon Husk and Jiff Davos, compete to build an artificial intelligence president capable of running the country in his place.

Naturally, both men are also competing for Alonka.

"But their lust for power, and Alonka, leads to dangerously hot complications," the official description promises.

SEE ALSO: Josh Johnson is looking for the 'good parts of the internet'

The names do not require much decoding. Alonka appears to be modeled on Ivanka Trump, while Egon Husk and Jiff Davos combine elements of Elon Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Davos' surname may also nod toward the Swiss town that hosts the annual gathering of political and business leaders.

The premise gives The Daily Show plenty to parody, but its choice of format is also arriving as vertical dramas become serious business.

What exactly is a microdrama?

Microdramas, sometimes called verticals or microseries, are scripted shows created primarily for smartphones. Episodes generally last anywhere from under a minute to a few minutes and are frequently released in large batches on dedicated apps such as ReelShort, DramaBox, and FlareFlow, or across social platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

Many borrow heavily from soap operas and romance novels, using heightened dialogue, fast-moving plots, and cliffhangers to push viewers directly into the next episode. Billionaires, forbidden relationships, secret heirs, revenge plots, supernatural lovers, and remarkably complicated family arrangements are recurring fixtures.

Two Billionaires Fight to Dominate the Country… And My Heart! will parody those conventions alongside current U.S. politics. In this case, the all-powerful billionaire isn't secretly married to his assistant's twin sister — he's trying to automate the presidency while dating the president's daughter.

The premise also gives The Daily Show a fresh opportunity to extend its satire beyond the nightly program, which airs Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m. ET on Comedy Central and streams the next day on Paramount+. Jon Stewart hosts on Mondays, while members of the show’s news team rotate behind the desk for the rest of the week. The franchise already produces digital segments like "Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse" and the Emmy-winning "Desi Lydic Foxsplains," as well as the The Daily Show: Ears Edition podcast.

The move follows a strong period for the nearly 30-year-old franchise. According to Comedy Central, The Daily Show recorded its highest-rated second quarter among adults ages 18 to 49 in nine years and ranked as cable's most-viewed program across social platforms in 2026. The show also received 7 Emmy nominations this year.

Hollywood is getting serious about vertical shows

The Daily Show is entering the format at a moment when entertainment companies are investing real money in them.

The format first grew into a major business in China, where more than 718 million people now subscribe to micro-short dramas. The Chinese market is valued at more than 100 billion yuan, or approximately $14.7 billion annually — more than twice the country's yearly theatrical box-office revenue.

Microdramas are quickly becoming big business in the United States. The domestic industry generated an estimated $1.3 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach approximately $1.5 billion this year, accounting for half of all microdrama revenue outside China — and surpassing Netflix and Prime Video in mobile engagement.

SEE ALSO: The founder of E! says Hollywood is still making content for the wrong screen

The leading apps are already pulling in serious money: ReelShort and DramaBox each generated nearly $140 million in global in-app revenue during the first quarter of 2026. With viewers willing to pay to unlock the next cliffhanger, media companies, producers, creators, and consumer brands are now trying to make hits of their own.

Actor Taye Diggs is testing a model that gives creators a larger role in the business behind vertical series. During a July 18 panel at ViewerCon in New Jersey, Diggs said creator-led, long-form projects have found a path onto streaming platforms, but the same pipeline has not yet been established for microdramas. The format, he said, is something "no one has really cracked."

Diggs hopes his recently launched platform, Microhouse Films, can help build that path by involving creators "from the get." As Truth Headlam reported for Mashable, filmmakers on the platform set the token price viewers pay to unlock their episodes, receive 75 percent of the proceeds generated by their work, and can access data showing how audiences watch and spend on their series.

SEE ALSO: Taye Diggs challenges studio norms with creator-focused venture Microhouse Films

Some other news broke this week in the microdrama world. On July 22, BuzzFeed Studios and vertical entertainment company MuVpix announced a deal to produce over 100 microdrama titles over the next two years. The projects will launch across TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, connected-TV services, and MuVpix’s own platform.

The first series, Romeo & Juliet, Reimagined, moves the Montague-Capulet feud into modern-day Los Angeles' criminal underworld. It was filmed in both horizontal and vertical formats and is scheduled to debut in August.

Veteran producers Alon Shtruzman and Scott Einbinder also announced microdrama platform New Short Media on Wednesday, with plans to move beyond the melodramatic romances that dominate many current platforms. Its initial slate includes an action romance about competing car thieves, a comedy about influencers who accidentally cross a cartel, and a reality dating show following a celebrity couple searching for a third partner.

Rather than launch its own app, New Short plans to work with established Hollywood talent and online creators on phone-first projects that could eventually expand into television, movies, games, and consumer products.

All this buzz helps explain why The Daily Show is entering the category now. Vertical dramas have become recognizable enough to parody, while the business surrounding them has become large enough that traditional entertainment companies no longer want to watch from the sidelines.

The cast, release date, episode count, and distribution platforms have not yet been announced. For now, The Daily Show is leaving viewers with the most important part of any microdrama: a cliffhanger.

I have been using smartphones for just about as long as Android has existed. Countless phones have lived in my pockets, and I begrudgingly put cases on many of them. However, screen protectors are where I’ve always drawn the line—until disaster finally struck.