IT General

There’s no shortage of officially supported Android Auto apps available on the Play Store. You can find everything from navigation and music players to podcast apps and even a few games. But the simple truth is that Google still puts heavy restrictions on what apps can do inside Android Auto.

Back in the day, I used to loathe the custom skins and apps that Android phone makers added to their phones. Android's vendor-neutral default apps have since been replaced by Google apps, and the tech giant has used its dominance to fill our Android devices with far more pre-installed software than any other company.

Most people treat USB ports as background infrastructure. You plug things in, they work, and you don't think about them until something stops showing up in File Explorer. I assumed desktop PCs were basically immune to the problems I'd seen on laptops, where I'd already burned out ports by pulling too much power through them. However, the limits are real; they just fail in quieter and stranger ways than I expected.

We love the Raspberry Pi here at How-To Geek. For many of our writers, past and present, the Raspberry Pi was a revolution in small-format, affordable Linux computing. That’s why it pains me to recommend against buying one at the moment.

Ford is finally ready to share tangible details of its affordable electric pickup truck. The automaker has revealed that the EV will carry the Fathom name and a starting price of $28,350 when equipped with a "standard-range" battery.

We've all been there: you're in the middle of a winning streak in a game and your ping spikes, or you're on a video chat and suddenly your image freezes without warning. Maybe a download is inexplicably slow despite other devices on the network functioning fine.

Are you ready for another slew of homelab projects to try out this weekend? Well, you're in luck, because I have some nifty things to try out, including my favorite project of the weekend—creating a custom TV channel for your home based on your Plex media server.

For months, video game enjoyers have been wondering when we'd actually get to see some real gameplay footage of Grand Theft Auto VI prior to its release in November. It seems like the answer is "very soon," but the choice of venue is a little unusual.

Rockstar Games announced on X on Thursday morning that "an extended look" at GTA VI will air on Aug. 27 on Netflix, at 3 p.m. ET. If you can't or don't want to watch it on Netflix, the same footage will appear on Rockstar's YouTube channel at 9 p.m. ET that night. The Netflix website also states, "Coming August 27: See an extended look at Grand Theft Auto VI, the next evolution in the groundbreaking Grand Theft Auto series.

SEE ALSO: 'GTA VI' Online release date: What we know so far This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Fans have been speculating for months about when the next GTA VI trailer will finally see the light of day. Interestingly, neither Rockstar Games nor Netflix actually uses the word trailer, so it's unclear what form this "extended look" will take.

Likewise, Rockstar's post didn't include any new footage or even a clear description of what we'll see, but it's easy enough to make an educated guess. The game is out on Nov. 19 and we still haven't seen anything resembling real gameplay footage yet. The two trailers we have seen have focused entirely on vibes and tone, so we don't actually know much of anything about how GTA VI works at this time. If Rockstar doesn't give us any information along those lines in this "extended look," then we might never get it until the game is in our hands.

Our big Guessing Game is back! Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch.

It's also worth briefly noting that, as someone who has followed video game news very closely for more than 20 years, I can't recall a single game trailer airing first on a paid streaming service. That's the world Rockstar has created for itself.

As a reminder, you have until the middle of November to save up $100 for the version of the game that comes with every feature.

'Grand Theft Auto VI' for PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X $79.99 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Best Buy Pre-order Here at GameStop 'Grand Theft Auto VI' Ultimate Edition: PS5 or Xbox $99.99 at PlayStation Store
  Pre-order Here at PlayStation Store Pre-order Here at Xbox Pre-order Here at Rockstar Games

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Many Android apps need internet access. Lots don't, but connect anyway. By installing a firewall app on my Pixel, I was able to lock down more than a dozen apps. It brings a big privacy boost as well as data and battery savings. And it's surprisingly simple to set up.

We've all heard that 5GHz Wi-Fi is better, so the logical conclusion would be to just let everything use 5GHz, right? Nope. Not so much.

TikTok has paused a test of a dating feature that put singles in live chats, Business Insider reported.

Over the past week, TikTok tested the tool, which was in a section of the app called "hangout." Users were invited to join chat rooms with "great people" or "awesome people to meet," according to Business Insider. The chatrooms ranged from unrelated to dating to more sexual in nature, like a chatroom for lesbians looking for "big beautiful women."

SEE ALSO: TikTok withheld a safety feature from 15 million users, report says

A TikTok spokesperson told Business Insider that the app wouldn't recommend dating livestreams to users unless they'd already followed the host creator. TikTok livestreams can only be hosted by users over 18, according to the app's community guidelines, and the app won't recommend "restricted content" to teens under 18.

The spokesperson also told Business Insider the test was seen by a subset of users in the U.S. and a few other markets, but it's now paused, as is a broader test of the "hangout" social livestreaming section.

Like other social media apps (like then-Twitter), TikTok isn't an explicit dating app, but people have found love therege despite this. Meta was the first social media giant to formally enter the dating app scene with Facebook Dating, which apparently has over 20 million users.

Editor's note (Aug. 6, 2026): Sydney Towle died on Aug. 5, 2026, at the age of 26, after living with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer she documented with extraordinary honesty on TikTok. We are leaving this June profile largely unchanged to reflect the community she built and the impact she had on more than 1.1 million followers. You can read Mashable's obituary honoring Towle and her legacy here.

Sydney Towle has built a large online community by documenting living with cancer in real time. The 26-year-old creator, who lives in New York, shares candid TikTok videos about undergoing treatment for cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer that typically affects people decades older than she was when she was diagnosed at 23.

Towle’s account has grown to over 1 million followers on TikTok, where viewers follow her updates on chemotherapy treatments, clinical trials, and the emotional realities of navigating illness as a young adult. Her videos often move between the everyday and the existential: hospital visits, walks through the city, and reflections on fear, fatigue, and what it means to live with uncertainty and feel like you're not in control of your own life.

Unlike many social media narratives about illness that emphasize constant optimism, Towle’s posts frequently acknowledge the more complicated emotional terrain of treatment. In recent videos, she has spoken openly about the psychological disorientation that can accompany chemotherapy and the challenge of processing life events while going through treatment.

That openness has turned her account into more than a personal diary. In the comments, followers share their own diagnoses, stories about loved ones with cancer, or messages of support, transforming her page into a kind of digital support network.

As more people turn to social media for connection around health experiences, Towle’s videos show how creators can reshape how illness is discussed online.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Are you considering dual booting Linux and Windows? Do you want to play it safe and avoid potential pitfalls before diving in? After a decade of breaking and fixing my multi-boot setups, I've compiled seven crucial truths that nobody tells you about dual booting.

Microsoft Publisher, the classic app behind countless newsletters, flyers, brochures, and church bulletins, is about to reach the end of the road. If you still have years of .pub files sitting on your computer, now is the time to check what you need to save before Microsoft retires the app.

In an era when everything feels spendy, we're looking for ways to keep costs low. At the same time, life has essentials that come with steep prices.

A phone, for example, is something most of us can't live without but comes with a high upfront cost. Instead of worrying about the upfront cost, T-Mobile is offering a new way to get a phone in hand without spending a lot of money.

Opens in a new window Credit: T-Mobile T-Mobile EIP Flex 36   Shop Now

The new T-Mobile EIP Flex 36 financing option means you can leave with a new phone while paying $0 out of pocket. Plus, it comes with 0% APR during its launch for well-qualified customers. You can select EIP Flex 36 at checkout to see the full breakdown of device costs, taxes, and fees, including what's due at checkout and what the monthly payments will amount to. The payment plans cover a 36-month period, lowering payments to make bills more manageable.

The EIP Flex 36 plan applies not only to phones but also to watches and tablets. Well-qualified customers can snag the new lineup of Samsung Galaxy devices thanks to the new T-Mobile program.

SEE ALSO: Amazon is giving away $100 gift cards with the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 — offer ends tonight

Depending on qualification status and grabbing the initial 0% APR offer, customers are in line for a no "catch" offer, but simply paying off a device over 36 months instead of one initial lump sum. T-Mobile mentions that qualification depends on your credit, and APR rates range from 0% to 24%.

For those who've been eyeing a new phone but have been concerned about the initial costs, check out the new T-Mobile EIP Flex 36 financing program. We also have the new Apple Upgrade program to help ease cost pain.

As a cinephile who loves to spend time at movie theaters, I have to admit that the in-home viewing experience has dramatically improved. I'm so impressed when I see how people transform their spaces into legitimate screening rooms with reclining seats, pristine surround sound, and professional lighting. However, the TV itself remains the most essential part of a successful watch party.

Sydney Towle, the TikTok creator who spent the past three years documenting her battle with a rare form of bile duct cancer for a community of 1.1 million followers, has died. She was 26.

Towle's death was announced Thursday in a video posted to her TikTok account by her older brother, Austin, one day after she died. "She fought really hard, and we're so proud of her," he said, thanking the millions of people who had followed her journey and supported their family throughout her illness. Towle's mother added, "We love you, and thank you for all of your kind messages of support and love... She will not be forgotten."

For the past month and a half, Towle had remained hospitalized while undergoing tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) cell therapy, an experimental form of immunotherapy she hoped would slow the progression of her cancer. Just days before her death, Austin shared that she had entered hospice care after exhausting available treatment options.

Towle was just 23 when she was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive bile duct cancer that is typically diagnosed in much older adults. Rather than retreat from public view, she chose to document nearly every stage of her experience online.

Over the next three years, her TikTok account became an unusually candid record of living with serious illness. She shared chemotherapy appointments, surgeries, clinical trials, emergency hospital visits, and difficult conversations with doctors. But she also documented the moments that could have belonged to any twentysomething: walks through New York City, spontaneous dance parties in her apartment, afternoons with friends, getting dressed for the day, and reflecting on the future she was still trying to imagine.

SEE ALSO: Sydney Towle is living with cancer, one TikTok video at a time

Unlike many social media narratives about illness that emphasize relentless positivity or triumphant recovery, Towle's videos often embraced something more complicated. She spoke openly about exhaustion, anxiety, and the psychological toll of treatment while still allowing herself to hope for better days. The words Towle returned to most often — "Just keep swimming" and "Today's a great day to have a great day" — became more than personal mottos. They became the language of the community she built, repeated by followers to encourage her through every setback and, after her death, to comfort one another.

Even after doctors told her earlier this year they wanted to transition her to end-of-life care, Towle sought a second opinion and continued pursuing treatment, sharing each step of the process with her audience.

That openness transformed her account into something larger than a personal diary. The comments beneath Towle's videos became a gathering place for people living with cancer, survivors, caregivers, medical professionals, and strangers who simply cared. Followers shared their own diagnoses, celebrated clean scans together, mourned difficult updates, and offered encouragement after every appointment.

The impact of that community extended far beyond TikTok. Earlier this year, Mashable recognized Towle as a Mashable 101 nominee, honoring creators shaping internet culture through authenticity and connection.

During the past month, as Towle remained hospitalized receiving TIL cell therapy, the community waited anxiously for every update. Videos from her hospital room drew millions of views as viewers hoped the treatment might offer the breakthrough she had spent years searching for.

Towle often described her platform not as a place to inspire people, but as a way to tell the truth about what it was like to be a young adult navigating a terminal illness. In doing so, she showed that living with cancer isn't a single story of perseverance or tragedy, but an ongoing reality filled with uncertainty, humor, disappointment, joy, and ordinary life.

Her impact extended beyond awareness of cholangiocarcinoma. She showed what social media can look like when vulnerability becomes a form of community, creating a space where people facing some of life's hardest moments could feel less alone.

On Thursday, the community Towle spent three years building gathered one last time, offering condolences and sharing the many ways she had changed their lives.

Towle's diagnosis brought people to her page. The life she chose to share with them is what they'll remember.

The overwhelming consensus is that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the most exciting Samsung foldable in years. Its passport shape makes it very pocketable, but that new form factor comes in at around $2,000. If you're curious about this new shape, you can give it a shot today for a third of the price of existing book-style foldable phones.

SAVE $200: As of Aug. 6, the Bluetti Apex 300 portable power station is on sale for $1,498.99, down from $1,699. That's a savings of 12% or $200.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bluetti Bluetti Apex 300 $1,498.99 at Amazon
$1,699 Save $200.01   Get Deal

If you're in the market for a power station that can do a whole lot more than just charge your phone and laptop, the Bluetti Apex 300 is one of our top picks. And it's currently $200 cheaper than usual.

As of Aug. 6, the Bluetti Apex 300 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for $1,498.99. That's a 12% price drop from its typical cost of $1,699.

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While it is technically portable, the Apex 300 weighs in at around 84 pounds. So, as Mashable's reviewer writes, "It’s certainly not something you want to move around often, honing in that the Apex 300 is ideal for RV trips, van life, off-grid homes, or for whole-home backup." It also offers 2,764.8Wh of power capacity and 3,840W total output. That's enough to power full-size refrigerators and AC units. In other words, for your run-of-the-mill camping trip, it's probably overkill.

Not only is the Apex 300 one of Mashable's favorite power stations overall, but it was also named as one of Time Magazine's best inventions last year. It features four standard AC outlets, plus two more robust ones, and a toggle that lets you switch the voltage between 120V and 240V. With its massive expansion capability, you can add to it to build a system that can run your entire household during outages.

It's still quite the investment, but for a limited time, the Bluetti Apex 300 is $200 cheaper at Amazon.

TL;DR: Bogg launched its first-ever NYC-inspired collection today. The Checker Out Collection features checkered totes, crossbodies, pouches, and playful charms inspired by New York staples like pizza, coffee cups, taxis, hot dogs, MetroCards, and the iconic "Have a Nice Day" bodega bag.

Bogg is bringing a little New York energy to its latest collection. The brand's first-ever NYC-themed drop celebrates the city’s most recognizable symbols with playful accessories, including checkered bags and charms. The Checker Out Collection pairs Bogg’s signature checkered bags with a playful lineup of charms that are inspired by the city's staples.

Here's a breakdown of some of the standouts from the collection:

Checkered Out Bags Opens in a new window Credit: Bogg Original Bogg Bag $100 at Bogg
  Shop Now

The centerpiece of the collection, Bogg’s signature tote gets a New York-inspired checkered makeover while keeping the features fans already love. The washable, durable bag is built for beach days, travel, and everyday errands, with a tip-proof design that helps it stay upright and two clear insert bags for keeping smaller essentials organized.

It comes in three sizes, OG ($100), Baby ($80), and Bitty ($60), with colorways including Camel/Hot Cocoa and Coconut/In the Forest.

Credit: Bogg Bodega Charm Collection Opens in a new window Credit: Bogg Bodega Charm Collection Starting from $15 Shop Now

This is where the NYC theme really shines. You can customize your bag with charms inspired by everyday city staples, including a pizza box, Bogg Bodega bag, “Have a Nice Day” bag, hot dog, taxi, Big Apple, Cord Bow, Cord Ball, and NY Coffee Cup Bevy.

For New Yorkers, former New Yorkers, and anyone who loves the city’s little details, it’s a fun way to bring some NYC personality along. Shop the Bogg Checker Out Collection for a little bodega-inspired twist.