IT General

Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!

Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand-new (or just new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.

Mashable's entertainment team has scoured the streaming services to highlight the most buzzed-about releases of the week and ranked them from worst to best — or least worth your time to most watchable. Whether you're looking for scintillating scandal, a mind-bending new series, stranger-than-fiction historical drama, a heavenly comedy, or an epic monster movie, we've got something just for you.

13. Squid Game: The Challenge, Season 2

Squid Game may have come to an end, but Netflix's attempts to capitalize on its biggest TV show of all time are still going strong. The most misguided of these efforts remains Squid Game: The Challenge, a reality show that asks, "Hey, you know those horrible death games that Squid Game created as a cautionary tale? Well, what if we made them a reality?"

Squid Game: The Challenge remains a painstakingly accurate recreation of Squid Game, capturing the scale and prize money of the original show. But the former is everything the latter critiques, a hollow capitalist venture made to exploit people for entertainment. You may get invested due to its reality TV shows gimmicks, but chances are you'll hate yourself for it. Just go watch the original show instead. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Squid Game: The Challenge Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

12. All's Fair

You might think that a Ryan Murphy series starring Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Teyana Taylor, Sarah Paulson, and Glenn Close would be worth the watch. You might think it would deliver powerhouse performances mixed with high camp. You would be wrong.

SEE ALSO: Critics hate 'All's Fair,' but the internet has other thoughts

Murphy's latest outing All's Fair is an uninspired, un-fun dud, centering on a team of female divorce attorneys who start their own practice. But what should be a glossy, juicy drama falls flat, and what should be a scintillating ensemble piece shows few signs of good chemistry. In Mashable's Fall TV preview, I asked, "Will Kardashian be able to hold her own against these Emmy and Oscar nominees and winners?" The answer, unsurprisingly, is no. — B.E.

Starring: Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Teyana Taylor, Matthew Noszka, Sarah Paulson, and Glenn Close

How to watch: The first three episodes of All's Fair are now streaming on Hulu, with new episodes every Tuesday.

11. All Her Fault

After watching Sarah Snook's Emmy–winning work as Shiv Roy in Succession, I'd watch her in anything. Lucky me, then, as Snook is back on TV in thriller All Her Fault. Snook plays Marissa Irvine, a mother who goes to pick up her son Milo from his first playdate. However, the woman who answers the door isn't someone Marissa recognizes. Not only that, this woman has never even heard of Milo. What follows is a parent's worst nightmare, all based on the novel by Andrea Mara.* — B.E.

Starring: Sarah Snook, Jake Lacy, Dakota Fanning, Michael Peña, Sophia Lillis, Abby Elliott, Daniel Monks, Jay Ellis, Thomas Cocquerel, Duke McCloud, and Kartiah Vergara

How to watch: All Her Fault is now streaming on Peacock.

10. Materialists

It was the love triangle that had audiences giddy in anticipation. Dakota Johnson stars as a New York career gal who must choose between the rugged blue-collar hunk played by Chris Evans and the debonair millionaire portrayed by Pedro Pascal. However, as winsome as the press tour for Materialists was, the movie — from Past Lives' filmmaker Celine Song — was far more complex, even dark.

Taking a bracing look at the dating scene in New York, Song upends the expectations of a traditional rom-com to dig into the unsexy terrain of financial pressures, parental trauma, and sexual assault. As I wrote in my review, "She sets up a traditional rom-com in scenario and characters, but then rejects the buzzy optimism and whimsy of standard Hollywood romantic comedies to create something cuttingly modern." But that's not to say it will win over everyone seeking a rom-com. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans

How to watch: Materialists debuts on HBO Max on Nov. 7.

9. The Smashing Machine

Based on the life of MMA champion Mark Kerr, The Smashing Machine delivers a bold drama from Uncut Gems' co-writer/co-director Benny Safdie. Dwayne Johnson stars as Kerr, who, when he's not fighting in the ring, is battling addiction outside of it — with the help (and sometimes hindrance) of his girlfriend Dawn Staples (played here by Johnson's Jungle Cruise co-star Emily Blunt). 

In my review out of TIFF, I wrote, "Johnson gives a career-defining performance that should well prove he can handle meatier, even artier fare. Blunt gives her all in a thankless role, and Safdie, in his feature-length directorial debut without his brother/Uncut Gems co-helmer Josh Safdie, takes some big swings. It's a shame he didn't have a sharper eye on what was hitting, and what was leaving his audience needing more." — K.P.

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk

How to watch: The Smashing Machine is now available to rent or purchase on Prime Video.

8. The Outrun

Have you ever felt so alienated from your world that only the folklore of wild things could soothe you? In the opening of The Outrun, a young woman named Rona (played by four-time Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan) shares the legend of the selkie. Through a dreamy voiceover, she explains how these mythological shapeshifters of the sea could come ashore at night, shed their seal skins, and dance in the guise of humans on the sand and rock. But should they be seen by humans, they'd be trapped to live on the soil, discontent the rest of their days. Rona, an alcoholic struggling with sobriety, can relate, having had her fair share of scandalous revels and scorching disappointments. 

SEE ALSO: 'The Outrun' review: Saoirse Ronan leads a tender and poetic addiction drama

Based on the 2016 memoir of the same name by British journalist Amy Liptrot, The Outrun follows a deeply personal tale of self-love, loss, and addiction, weaving in elements of science, folklore, and animation to profound effect. Determined to get sober, Rona returns to her hometown, the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland, to reconnect with her parents and herself.*— K.P.

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Paapa Essiedu, Nabil Elouahabi, Izuka Hoyle, Lauren Lyle, Saskia Reeves, and Stephen Dillane

How to watch: The Outrun is now available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

7. St. Denis Medical, Season 2

The TV mockumentary genre is alive and well thanks to comedies like Abbott Elementary, The Office spin-off The Paper, and St. Denis Medical. The latter returns to NBC and Peacock this week, and if you haven't tuned in yet, consider this your chance to do so.

St. Denis Medical follows the nurses and doctors at an understaffed, underfunded Oregon hospital, where they juggle chaotic patients and their own personal lives. It's what The Pitt would be if it was a comfort watch, and it absolutely deserves a spot on any sitcom lover's list. — B.E.

Starring: Wendi McLendon-Covey, Allison Tolman, Josh Lawson, Mekki Leeper, Kahyun Kim, Kaliko Kauahi, and David Alan Grier

How to watch: The first two episodes of St. Denis Medical Season 2 are now streaming on Peacock, with new episodes airing Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on Mondays, and streaming Tuesdays on Peacock.

6. I Really Love My Husband

The feature debut of writer/director G.G. Hawkins is a playful and enticing look at love and desire, with a sharp sense of humor.

The story of this sexy comedy begins on a honeymoon to tropical Panama. There, newlyweds Drew and Teresa (Travis Quentin Young and Madison Lanesey) are seeking pleasure and fun under the sun. But something is eating at Teresa, who seems irked by her husband's every move. That is, until they meet their enchanting rental host, the free-spirited Paz (Arta Gee). More than a sexy stranger, they seem a path to sexual exploration and personal liberation. While this concept of a straight-seeming couple dabbling in kink and queer hook-ups might seem predictable and problematic, Hawkins and her cast show a keen self-awareness in the film's final act. The result is a comedy that's funny, poignant, and thought-provoking.* — K.P.

Starring: Travis Quentin Young, Madison Lanesey, and Arta Gee

How to watch: I Really Love My Husband is now available for rent or purchase on Apple TV.

5. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

We've finally come to the end of Downton Abbey, with the Crawleys moving into the late 1930s, ready for their final bow. Julian Fellowes' Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale gets a final two-hour film from Simon Curtis that takes the series' beloved characters further into the decade, and pays tribute to Dame Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, who died at the end in Downton Abbey: A New Era, released two years before Smith's own passing.

As Siddhant Adlakha writes in his review for Mashable, "Downton’s biggest strength has always been its operatic whiplash... The contours of The Grand Finale aren’t quite so extreme, but this lack of overt melodrama may be owed to a single missing ingredient: the fearsome, irascibly funny Dowager Countess." — S.C.

Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Paul Giamatti, Elizabeth McGovern, and Penelope Wilton

How to watch: Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale premieres on Peacock on Nov. 7.

4. Good Fortune

Imagine if Keanu Reeves was your guardian angel? Ok. Do you need any further convincing to check out Aziz Ansari's critically-heralded comedy?

If so, Good Fortune stars Ansari as an L.A. resident scraping to get by in the gig economy, while tech bros — like the one played by Seth Rogen — get to live a sweet life of luxury. That is, until a well-meaning but dim-witted angel (Reeves) life-swaps them to teach them both a lesson. Naturally, things go awry. And as they do, Reeves delivers one of his best performances as an angel out of his depth. He's not to be missed. — K.P.

SEE ALSO: 'Good Fortune' review: Keanu Reeves is a comedy blessing as a clueless angel

Starring: Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh, and Keanu Reeves

How to watch: Good Fortune arrives on premium digital on Nov. 7.

3. Death by Lightning

In the mood for a solid historical drama? Then check out Death by Lightning, a miniseries that examines the events leading up to the assassination of President James Garfield (Michael Shannon) by Charles Guiteau (Matthew Macfadyen).

SEE ALSO: 'Death by Lightning' review: Matthew Macfadyen and Michael Shannon weave a gripping tale of political assassination

The series parallels the two men's lives in fascinating ways, juxtaposing Garfield's surprise rise to power with Guiteau's desperate attempts to get in with the Republican party. Boasting shady politicking reminiscent of the papal hijinks of Conclave, along with Macfadyen once more channeling the pathetic striving of Succession's Tom Wambsgans, Death By Lightning is, as I wrote in my review, "a riveting look into a short and often forgotten presidency." — B.E.

Starring: Michael Shannon, Matthew Macfadyen, Nick Offerman, Betty Gilpin, Bradley Whitford, and Shea Whigham

How to watch: Death by Lightning is now streaming on Netflix.

2. Pluribus

Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan comes back to TV with Pluribus, a sci-fi drama that reunites him with Better Call Saul star Rhea Seehorn. But that team-up is just one small portion of what makes Pluribus so exciting.

The series follows Carol (Seehorn), the most miserable person in the world. She faces a daunting task: saving the rest of Earth's population from happiness. Why are they so happy? Why does Carol need to save them? Pluribus' plot details are shrouded in secrecy, but trust that the reason is downright enthralling, and that Carol's journey moving forward is bound to be must-see TV. — B.E.

Starring: Rhea Seehorn, Karolina Wydra, and Carlos Manuel Vesga

How to watch: The first two episodes of Pluribus premiere Nov. 7 on Apple TV, with new episodes every Friday.

1. Frankenstein

Master of monsters Guillermo del Toro finally reveals to the world his Frankenstein. The movie he's dreamed of making for ages is a gorgeous and gory wonder, starring Oscar Isaac as the titular mad scientist and Jacob Elordi as his misunderstood monster.

With a grand scale, a dark imagination, and a rich vision, del Toro delivers a must-see for horror fans. As I cheered in my review out of the TIFF premiere, "As a whole, del Toro's Frankenstein is a marvel. His vision is clear and mesmerizing. His ensemble is electrifying. His adaptation is unique, soulful, and unforgettable. The man who loves monsters has just made his masterpiece: It's rich, rapturous, and ruthlessly interrogates what it means to be human, with all of our glory and our flaws." — K.P.

Starring: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, David Bradley, Lars Mikkelsen, Christian Convery, Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz

How to watch: Frankenstein debuts on Netflix on Nov. 7.

(*) denotes a blurb comes from a previous list.

SAVE $300: As of Nov. 6, the Google Pixel 9 is on sale for $499 at Amazon. That's a 38% discount on the list price and its lowest-ever price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Google Google Pixel 9 $499 at Amazon
$799 Save $300   Get Deal

Black Friday is just a few weeks away but there's already some early deals kicking around. Walmart's sale will kick off midway through the month and Best Buy dropped its sale on Halloween, so if you want some early discounts, there's places for you to go. Meanwhile at Amazon, the Daily Deals continue to impress, and one deal that has really caught our eye is on the Google Pixel 9.

As of Nov. 6, this smartphone is down to its lowest-ever price, now just $499. That's a saving of $300, and quite a drop from its previous low. This deal is for the 128GB option and you can choose between the obsidian, wintergreen, and porcelain colors.

SEE ALSO: Google Maps introduces conversational navigation with Gemini

It obviously comes with built-in Gemini, giving you access to Google’s newest AI tools. Google AI features include Add Me, Best Take, and Magic Editor which all let you tweak photos, fix group shots, or rework backgrounds effortlessly. So, with this phone you can take great photos and edit them easily.

And speaking of taking photos, the camera setup includes a 50 MP main sensor and a 48 MP ultrawide lens with a Macro Focus for detailed close-ups, so this is one seriously impressive phone camera.

Get this great smartphone deal at Amazon ahead of Black Friday.

SAVE OVER $600: As of Nov. 6, the Sony Bravia 5 75-inch is on sale for $1,398 at Amazon. That's a 30% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony Bravia 5 75-inch TV $1,398 at Amazon
$1,999.99 Save $601.99   Get Deal

In need of a new TV for the holidays? Look no further than the Sony Bravia 5. This impressive TV has everything going for it: great picture quality, stunning sound, and built-in Google TV. It's also on sale at Amazon for its lowest-ever price, so you don't need to wait for Black Friday to scoop up a great deal.

As of Nov. 6, this TV is priced at $1,398 (down from $1,999.99). That's a saving of over $600 on list price. 75-inch a little too big for your living room? Not to worry, all sizes of this TV are reduced, even up to 98-inch if you want to go seriously big.

SEE ALSO: Hurry to snag the 85-inch Hisense Class QD6 Series QLED 4K TV while it's under $770

So, what else does it have going for it? This TV uses thousands of Mini LEDs to create amazing qualityat all times. It benefits from a XR Processor with AI, which adjusts the picture in real time, so everything you watch looks clear and detailed.

On the inside it runs on Google TV, so all your streaming apps are in one place. And you can use voice control through Google Assistant. There’s also access to movies through the Sony Pictures Core app, including IMAX Enhanced titles, and special picture modes made for Netflix and Prime Video.

Are you a gamer? This TV is set up for that too, especially if you have a PS5. It’s equipped with PS5 features like Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture Mode.

Get this great TV deal from Amazon now.

DOUBLE POKÉCOINS: As of Nov. 6, Pokémon GO is doubling PokéCoin bundles over $19.99, and first time web store customers get an extra 15% discount plus bonus coins.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Double Pokémon GO Pokécoins $19.99 at Pokémon GO
$39.98 Save $19.99 $19.99 minimum spend (15% discount on first web order purchase plus bonus PokéCoins) Get Deal

It's been a strange year for Pokémon GO since Scopely aquired Niantic's gaming division for $3.5 billion back in May, with many trainers feeling unsure about the future of the GPS-based hit. Nothing much has changed bar the introduction of Pokémon Stamp Rally and quality of life improvements such as faster Pokémon intros and local content becoming remotely accessible. Of course, that's just my take.

Black Friday is officially creeping into the Pokémon GO Web Store until Nov. 29. Trainers can double their PokéCoin purchases over $19.99, which also includes bonus coins for purchasing and a 15% discount at checkout for first-time buyers through the web store.

SEE ALSO: Where to buy Pokémon cards in 2025 — avoid overpaying or missing out on new sets

That's not the only Black Friday deal Niantic is offering, either. Trainers can also purchase the new Seasonal Delights Ultra Box for 6,095 PokéCoins. This includes the following:

• 40 Incubators ($38.87 value)

• 40 Super Inclubators ($59.80 value)

• 3 Remote Raid Passes ($3.99 value)

• 5 Premium Battle Passes ($4.99 value)

• 1 Max Particle Pack ($7.99 value)

Needless to say it's great value, with the figures above representing the price when bought seperately. There's usually other bundles to score these items for far less, but this is a solid deal considering you can double your PokéCoins right now.

Super Inclubators are one of the biggest gains here, cutting Pokémon Egg hatching down by a third of the walking time it usually takes for a standard incubator. Max Particles are very important too. They're needed for entering Max Battles whilst also used as currency to unlock and level up Max Moves for a trainer's Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokémon. You'll also need Pokémon-specific candies to unlock max moves.

In 1881, a man named Charles Guiteau shot President James A. Garfield twice at point-blank range. The attack, which took place four months into Garfield's presidency, resulted in him becoming the second American president to be assassinated.

Yet the events leading up to the shooting, as well as its aftermath, proved just as shocking as the assassination itself. These make up the bulk of Netflix's four-episode miniseries Death by Lightning, which charts the parallel stories of Garfield (Michael Shannon) and Guiteau (Matthew Macfadyen) before their final meeting. Based on the nonfiction book Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard, Death by Lightning offers up a riveting look into a short and often forgotten presidency.

SEE ALSO: 'Death by Lightning's true story: What does the show get right? Death by Lightning provides political drama in spades. Michael Shannon in "Death by Lightning." Credit: Larry Horricks / Netflix

Aside from some flashbacks, Death by Lightning mostly hones in on the 15-month long period between Garfield becoming the Republican presidential nominee and his death. During that time, Garfield goes from avoiding the spotlight to being thrust into power and facing off against powerful New York politicians like Roscoe Conkling (Shea Whigham) and Chester A. Arthur (Nick Offerman), who was also his vice president.

The inter-party sniping is especially juicy, conjuring up the backhanded scheming of Conclave. The comparison is most apparent during the show's depiction of the 1880 Republic National Convention, which sees multiple flawed candidates jockeying for power, several chaotic rounds of voting, a number of shady comments lobbed across the convention floor, and a surprise winner in Garfield, who didn't even enter the convention as a contender. Swap Conclave's cardinal robes for suit jackets and campaign buttons, add a bit more raucous shouting, and you've got a good idea of what awaits in Death by Lightning.

SEE ALSO: The best Netflix TV shows of 2025 (so far)

The drama doesn't end with Garfield's nomination or even his election. Once in office, Garfield hopes to push new civil service reforms and advocate for civil rights. However, Conkling and the New York crew's beef with him leads to corruption-fueled government deadlock. While Death by Lightning features events that played out nearly 150 years ago, watching them during the U.S. government shutdown gives them an all-too-real relevancy. It's also a grim reminder that as wild as these dramatized political shenanigans are, our political reality has only gotten more unbelievable since Garfield's time.

If Death by Lightning were just about the struggles Garfield faced in office, it would be a fascinating enough political drama. But there's a dark underbelly to Garfield's story, and that's that of his killer.

Matthew Macfadyen brings Tom Wambsgans energy to Charles Guiteau. Matthew Macfadyen in "Death by Lightning." Credit: Larry Horricks / Netflix

Death by Lightning's grander-scale set pieces focus on Garfield, with crowded conventions and speeches highlighting the far reach of the presidency. And there is always one man just skirting the edges of these events: Charles Guiteau, a failed lawyer and newspaper editor with political aspirations of his own.

As played by Macfadyen, Guiteau carries shades of the actor's Emmy-winning role of Tom Wambsgans on Succession. Few performers do "pathetic" as well as Macfadyen, and there's a pathetic-ness to both Tom and Guiteau, a need for validation that manifests as desperate striving for a higher stature. (Plus, Death by Lightning does have Macfadyen say the word "ludicrous," which I will never not associate with Tom and ludicrously capacious handbags.)

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Because of their wheedling attempts to get closer to power, Tom and Guiteau both act as a wretched kind of comic relief, one that makes you want to cringe just as much as it makes you want to laugh. However, there's one key difference. Tom, for all the humiliations he faces in his personal and professional lives, does find success. He's rich, holds high-ranking positions at Waystar-Royco, and (spoiler alert!) even winds up as CEO. Guiteau, on the other hand, is an abject failure across the board, and a low-level con man to boot. Yet he's so deluded by visions of his own greatness and what he believes God has in store for him that he never truly acknowledges the truth.

That quality is especially present during Garfield's campaign, of which Guiteau was a huge supporter. In one of Death by Lightning's funniest storylines, he begs relentlessly to be granted the opportunity to deliver a speech in support of Garfield. When he finally does get to speak, it's in front of a crowd of a dozen, and Guiteau's words are less than convincing. But that doesn't stop Guiteau from believing that he, personally, got Garfield elected.

Contrast Guiteau's awkward speech with Garfield's rousing one at the Republican National Convention, delivered with charismatic gravitas by Shannon. Those two speeches prove the men couldn't be more different. Still, Guiteau views them as kindred spirits, as the two were both born into poverty in the Midwest. (There were even more historical parallels between the two, including the stranger fact that both survived boat accidents, but the show doesn't dive into that as much as it could.) That Garfield rose to the presidency proves that Guiteau could do so, too. Now, he feels he's owed power, and that makes him dangerous.

Guiteau's spiral from Garfield supporter to eventual assassin makes for a darkly funny counterpoint to Garfield and his nation-level political battles. The latter is looking to lead the country, while the former is only looking to help himself.

Death by Lightning's meticulous plotting of the two men's differences and individual struggles means that by the time we get to their infamous (and deadly) meeting, we have a rich portrait of each. The result is an encounter that is, as the title suggests, both sobering and electrifying.

Death by Lightning is now streaming on Netflix.

Netflix's Death by Lightning is a thrilling look into the events leading up to the assassination of President James Garfield (Michael Shannon) by Charles Guiteau (Matthew Macfadyen). The series is based on Candice Millard's 2011 nonfiction book, Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President.

SEE ALSO: How much does Netflix cost per month?

But how much of what takes place in the series actually happened?

Below, we've broken down Death by Lightning's most shocking moments and whether or not they're based in historical fact. From brains in jars to chilling executions, here's what Death by Lightning gets right about Garfield and Guiteau's stories (and what's been dramatized).

Is Charles Guiteau's brain really in storage? Matthew Macfadyen in "Death by Lightning." Credit: Larry Horricks / Netflix

Death by Lightning begins with the wild revelation that in 1969, almost a century after Garfield's death, Guiteau's brain was in storage at the Army Medical Museum in Washington, D.C. In the show's final episode, we learn why. During Guiteau's autopsy, doctors studied his brain in the hopes of finding physiological proof of his mental illness. However, aside from the abnormally thick dura mater membrane around his brain, the doctors found nothing unusual.

Since then, chunks of Guiteau's brain have found new homes, winding up in the collection of the Mütter Museum at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and the National Museum of Health and Medicine. Doctors also preserved Guiteau's enlarged spleen.

SEE ALSO: Michael Shannon and Judy Greer on the profound poignancy of 'Eric LaRue'

Ironically, while Guiteau's brain did make it to a museum, the ivory-handled revolver he assassinated Garfield with — chosen specifically for its "museum quality," as the show's Guiteau says — isn't on display anywhere. Once in the Smithsonian collection, it has since been lost.

Was Charles Guiteau part of the Oneida Community? Matthew Macfadyen in "Death by Lightning." Credit: Larry Horricks / Netflix

He was. Guiteau joined the Oneida Community, a religious sect built on ideas of utopia and free love, in 1860. But he was familiar with Oneida well before that, as his father was close with Oneida founder John Humphrey Noyes. (And yes, this commune is the same Oneida as Oneida Silverware.)

As seen in Death by Lightning, Charles Guiteau didn't actually get any free love. The women of the community even nicknamed him "Charles Gitout." Guiteau left Oneida in 1865, because he believed he was "destined to accomplish some very important mission." At the time, one can only imagine he didn't mean shooting a future president.

Did Charles Guiteau actually meet James Garfield? Matthew Macfadyen and Michael Shannon in "Death by Lightning." Credit: Larry Horricks / Netflix

He did. As with the rest of the show, Death by Lightning's big meeting between Garfield and Guiteau is highly dramatized, but it's linked to true historical event. In real life, as in Death by Lightning, Guiteau consistently stopped by the White House in the hopes of gaining some office in Garfield's administration. He originally wrote to Garfield about becoming a minister to Austria, but later changed his mind in favor of the Paris consulship.

It was during one of these visits that Guiteau met Garfield and pleaded his case for the consulship. Millard describes Guiteau giving Garfield a copy of the stump speech he had delivered during Garfield's campaign. On it, he wrote "Paris consulship" and connected those words to his own name, just to make sure Garfield got the message.

SEE ALSO: Does Netflix's 'Ballad of a Small Player' have an end-credits scene?

Guiteau also encountered Vice President Chester A. Arthur (Nick Offerman) often during his time in New York. While Millard makes no mention of Arthur shoving Guiteau to the ground in Chicago, or of Guiteau meeting Arthur on a drunken night out, she does write that Guiteau would find Arthur at campaign headquarters, out on the street, or even at his house. Arthur never let him inside, but he did let him give one stump speech to a very, very small crowd in New York.

Did Alexander Graham Bell try to help James Garfield after he was shot? Michael Shannon in "Death by Lightning." Credit: Larry Horricks / Netflix

Yes! Telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell's appearance in Death by Lightning's final episode isn't a random historical cameo. It's fully rooted in fact.

According to the National Park Service, when Bell read news of Doctor Willard Bliss' (yes, his first name was actually Doctor) attempts to find the bullet within Garfield's body — attempts that would lead to the infection that eventually killed Garfield — he realized he might be able to help. He could repurpose earlier induction balance work on his telephone into a metal detector.

Bell tested his device on wooden boards and animal carcasses with bullets in them, then on Civil War veterans who still had bullets in their body. When he brought the invention to the White House, Bliss was adamant that Bell only search the right side of Garfield's chest, where he believed the bullet to be lodged. However, the bullet was actually on the left side of Garfield's chest. Perhaps Bell would have been able to find it had he not been dealing with Bliss' incompetence.

How did James Garfield die? Michael Shannon in "Death by Lightning." Credit: Larry Horricks / Netflix

Like Death by Lightning says in its final episode, Garfield ultimately died of infection and not from his bullet wound. 79 days passed between the shooting and his death, during which doctors probed his back with unwashed hands and unsterilized instruments.

Chiefest of the physicians involved was Bliss. Bliss was aware of British surgeon Joseph Lister's practice of antisepsis, but he paid no mind to it. In the series, Charles Purvis, surgeon in chief of the Freedmen's Hospital and the first Black physician to treat a living president, reminds Bliss of Lister's theories, only to be waved off. Something similar occurred in real life, when Purvis asked Bliss to stop his invasive examinations.

SEE ALSO: The best Netflix TV shows of 2025 (so far)

Ironically, Bliss had once been supportive of Black physicians. The District of Columbia Medical Society expelled him from their ranks after he took a stand against their policy to ban Black doctors, as well as became interested in homeopathy. Garfield lauded him for his efforts. However, six years later, Bliss caved to the Society and apologized in order to return to its ranks.

Did Lucretia Garfield stop the publication of Charles Guiteau's book? Betty Gilpin in "Death by Lightning." Credit: Larry Horricks / Netflix

One of the standout scenes from Death by Lightning's finale comes when Lucretia "Crete" Garfield (Betty Gilpin) visits Guiteau in jail. In a searing monologue (everybody say, "Thank you, Betty Gilpin!") she tells Guiteau that he will be a footnote in history, and nowhere near the great leader he thinks he will be. She also promises to block the publication of his book, The Truth.

As great as the scene is, there's no evidence this happened in real life. Guiteau and Crete did cross paths briefly, though, as Destiny of the Republic mentions that Guiteau approached Crete at a public White House reception and gave her his card. The show moves a version of this meeting to Garfield's inaugural ball. However, the hampered publication of The Truth does actually have some truth to it.

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As Millard writes in Destiny of the Republic, Guiteau stole most of his ideas for The Truth from Oneida founder Noyes' 1847 book, The Berean. He tried to get the book published by Boston publishers D. Lothrop & Co. When they refused, Guiteau made 1,000 copies through a printing company, even adding "D. Lothrop & Co." to the binding to feign legitimacy. The book didn't sell, and Guiteau never paid the printer.

Did Charles Guiteau stub his toe on the gallows? Matthew Macfadyen in "Death by Lightning." Credit: Larry Horricks / Netflix

Indeed he did. Guiteau tripped on his way up to the gallows, at which point he told Washington-based minister Reverend Hicks, "I stubbed my toe going to the gallows."

Death by Lightning follows that piece of history beat for beat, but that's not all it got right about Guiteau's final moments.

Did Charles Guiteau sing at his execution? Matthew Macfadyen in "Death by Lightning." Credit: Larry Horricks / Netflix

Death by Lightning's execution sequence culminates in Guiteau's last words, a reading of a poem he penned that very morning titled "Simplicity," or "I Am Going to the Lordy."

Millard writes that Guiteau recited his poem in "a falsetto meant to evoke the pleadings of a child." Death by Lightning carries that sense to the screen, where Macfadyen delivers a singsong rendition of some of "Simplicity." (The original version is much longer.) Guiteau wanted an orchestra to accompany his last words, but his request was denied.

However, "I Am Going to the Lordy" does live on in musical history as part of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. The song "The Ballad of Guiteau" heavily features Guiteau's poem. Looks like he got his orchestra after all.

Death by Lightning is now streaming on Netflix.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

A, e, i, o, u.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

VOWEL

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A pattern.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 6, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

CYCLE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A sudden withdrawal.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for November 6 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 6, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

DETOX

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Brutal.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for November 6 Hurdle Word 4 answer

CRUEL

Final Hurdle hint

Terribly.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

BADLY

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

Now that the full moon has passed, the moon will be getting less visible each night until the New Moon. This is called the lunar cycle.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Thursday, Nov. 6, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. This means 98% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

The moon is still big and bright in the sky tonight, so there's so much you'll be able to spot, if the clouds stay away. If you look up, without any visual aids, you can still see the Tycho Crater, Mare Vaporum, and the Mare Serenitatis. If you have a pair of binoculars you'll also see the Clavius Crater, Mare Humorum, and the Mare Frigoris. Finally, with a telescope you'll spot the Apollo 14 and 17 landing spots, as well as the Rima Ariadaeus, a fracture system caused by rising magma.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

NASA notes that as the Moon orbits Earth over about 29.5 days, it goes through a series of phases. These phases occur because of the changing angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Depending on its position, the Moon can appear fully illuminated, partly illuminated, or completely hidden, even though we always see the same side. What changes is how much sunlight reflects off its surface, creating a repeating sequence known as the lunar cycle.

The eight main moon phases are:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition is easy if you have some knowledge on college basketball.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Throw this

• Green: Run this

• Blue: Bet on this

• Purple: Wildcats

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Throwing Events

• Green: Football Running Plays

• Blue: Fantasy Sports Apps

• Purple: Kentucky Basketball Alumni in NBA

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #409 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Throwing Events - DISCUS, HAMMER, JAVELIN, SHOT PUT

• Football Running Plays - COUNTER, DRAW, SWEEP, TOSS

• Fantasy Sports Apps - ESPN, FANTRAX, SLEEPER, YAHOO

• Kentucky Basketball Alumni in NBA- FOX, MONK, QUICKLEY, TOWNS

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

The best streaming deals to watch 'The Smashing Machine' at home: Watch now Rent or Buy on Prime Video $19.99 or $24.99 Shop Now Watch now Rent or buy on Apple TV $19.99 or $24.99 Shop Now Watch later HBO Max (With Ads) $109.99/year (save $21.89) Get Deal Watch later Max Standard $184.99/year (save $36.89) Get Deal Watch later HBO Max Student $5.49 per month for 12 months (save 50%) Get Deal Watch later HBO Max Basic With Ads Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month unlimited plan (save $10.99/month) Get Deal Watch later HBO Max Basic With Ads Free for DashPass annual plan subscribers (save $10.99 per month) Get Deal Watch later Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max $19.99 per month (with ads), $32.99 per month (no ads) (save up to 41%) Get Deal

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is ready for a change of pace. Known for his larger-than-life personality and smoldering action-comedy performances, The Smashing Machine sees him take on a heavier, more dramatic role as MMA fighter Mark Kerr.

It world premiered at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival, then played at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where Mashable's film editor, Kristy Puchko, reviewed the film. It earned mostly positive reviews, with tons of praise for Johnson's performance. The movie also stars Emily Blunt as Kerr's partner Dawn, Ryan Bader as UFC champion Mark Coleman, and Oleksandr Usyk as MMA fighter Igor Vovchanchyn.

If you missed it in theaters, you can now watch The Smashing Machine at home. Here's what you need to know to tune in — including where to watch it and when.

What is The Smashing Machine about?

Written and directed by Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems), The Smashing Machine tells the true story of MMA fighter Mark Kerr (Johnson) during the early days of the UFC in the '90s. It's set across several years, ushering audiences to Japan for the Pride FC competition and back to the U.S. for training. It dives into his personal struggles and tumultuous romantic relationship with Dawn Staples (Blunt) as he strives to be the best in the ring.

Get a glimpse at Johnson's transformation in the official trailer:

Is The Smashing Machine worth watching?

The Smashing Machine may not have been a knockout at the box office, but Johnson's transformation into Mark Kerr and his performance alone make it worth watching. The film took home the Silver Lion during the Venice International Film Festival and has racked up a 70 percent critic rating and 75 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Mashable's own reviewer writes, "In the end, Johnson gives a career-defining performance that should well prove he can handle meatier, even artier fare. Blunt gives her all in a thankless role, and Safdie, in his feature-length directorial debut without his brother/Uncut Gems co-helmer Josh Safdie, takes some big swings. It's a shame he didn't have a sharper eye on what was hitting, and what was leaving his audience needing more."

Check out Mashable's full review of The Smashing Machine.

How to watch The Smashing Machine at home Credit: A24

While we wait for an official streaming date for The Smashing Machine, you can still tune in at home by purchasing or renting via digital video-on-demand as of Nov. 4. We've broken down the details below.

Buy or rent on digital

As of Nov. 4, The Smashing Machine is available to purchase or rent on digital video-on-demand platforms. You can buy the movie for your digital library or rent it for 30 days. If you choose to rent, just note that although you'll have 30 days to watch, you'll only have 48 hours to finish watching once you begin.

You can purchase and rent the film at the following retailers:

• Prime Video — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

• Apple TV — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

• Fandango at Home (Vudu) — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

• YouTube — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

• Google Play — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

Opens in a new window Credit: Prime Video Rent or Buy 'The Smashing Machine' at Prime Video $19.99 or $24.99 Get Deal Stream it on HBO Max (at a later date)

A24 has a multi-year output deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, so new A24 theatrical releases exclusively stream on HBO Max before anywhere else.

Based on the theater-to-streaming trajectory of other recently released A24 movies — like Sorry, Baby, Materialists, and Bring Her Back — we can estimate that The Smashing Machine will hit HBO Max sometime in February or March 2026.

HBO Max subscriptions start at $10.99 per month (thanks to a recent price hike), but there are some ways to save some money on your plan. Check out the best HBO Max streaming deals below.

The best HBO Max streaming dealsBest for most people: Save 16% on HBO Max Basic annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: HBO Max HBO Max Basic with ads annual subscription $109.99 per year (save $21.89) Get Deal

The HBO Max Basic plan with ads typically costs $10.99 per month, but if you pay for an entire year upfront, that price drops down to just $9.17. With the annual plan, you'll pay $109.99, which saves you about 16% compared to paying each month.

Best Max deal with no ads: Save up to 16% on HBO Max Standard annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: HBO Max HBO Max Standard annual subscription $184.99 per year (save $36.89) Get Deal

If you'd rather go ad-free, the annual HBO Max Standard or Premium plans will also save you about 16% over the monthly plans. The Standard tier costs either $18.49 per month or $184.99 per year (about $15.42 per month), while the Premium tier costs either $22.99 per month or $229.99 per year (about $19.17 per month). Both tiers offer ad-free viewing, but the Premium tier also features 4K Ultra HD video quality, Dolby Atmos immersive audio, and the ability to download more offline content.

Get HBO Max for free: Switch to Cricket's Supreme Unlimited plan Opens in a new window Credit: HBO Max / Cricket HBO Max (with ads) Free for Cricket customers on the Supreme Unlimited plan Get Deal

One way to get HBO Max for free in 2025 is to switch your phone plan to Cricket's $60 per month Supreme Unlimited plan. It includes HBO Max Basic with ads for free — a $10.99 per month value. When you open up the HBO Max app or website, you'll just select Cricket as your provider and use your credentials to log in.

Get HBO Max for free: Sign up for DashPass annual plan Opens in a new window Credit: Dashpass / HBO Max HBO Max (with ads) Free with DashPass annual plan ($8/month) Get Deal

Another way to get HBO Max for free in 2025 is to sign up for the DoorDash DashPass annual plan for $96 per year ($8 per month). DashPass memberships include $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible DoorDash orders all year long, plus a complimentary HBO Max subscription (with ads). That means you'll pay just $8 per month for both DashPass and HBO Max, which is cheaper than a typical HBO Max with ads monthly subscription on its own. Activate the subscription through your DoorDash account to get started. Rather watch ad-free? You can upgrade for a discounted rate.

Best HBO Max deal for students: Save 50% on HBO Max Basic with ads Opens in a new window Credit: HBO Max HBO Max Student $5.49 per month for 12 months Get Deal

College students can watch The Smashing Machine when it hits streaming by signing up for an entire year of HBO Max with ads for half price. Just verify your student status through UNiDAYS and retrieve the unique discount code to drop the price from $10.99 to $5.49 per month.

Best bundle deal: Get HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu for up to 41% off Opens in a new window Credit: Disney / Hulu / HBO Max Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max $19.99 per month (with ads), $32.99 per month (no ads) Get Deal

For the most bang for your buck, check out the Disney+ bundle deal that includes Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max for just $19.99 per month with ads. That lineup of streamers would usually cost you $34.97 per month if you paid separately for each, so you'll keep an extra $15 in your pocket monthly. If you prefer an ad-free experience, the bundle will run you $32.99 per month as opposed to $56.47. That's up to 41% in savings for access to all three streaming libraries.

SAVE 30%: As of Nov. 5, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is on sale for $69.95 at both Amazon and Best Buy. That's a 30% discount and $30 savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Inspire 3 $69.95 at Amazon
$99.95 Save $30   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Inspire 3 $69.95 at Best Buy
$99.95 Save $30   Get Deal

If you've been thinking about getting a fitness tracker but don't want to drop a ton of cash (or just don't need a super complicated smartwatch), the Fitbit Inspire 3 is probably on your radar. It's a great, straightforward tracker, and its price just dropped to a "Black Friday Deal" level. (It's also our "Best Budget" pick for 2025.)

As of Nov. 5, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is on sale for $69.95 at both Amazon and Best Buy. That's a 30% discount and $30 savings. It's also the best price we've seen on this model.

SEE ALSO: The Fitbit Versa 4 just got its biggest discount of 2025 — save $80 right now

This is a really solid price for what you get. The Inspire 3 tracks your steps, 24/7 heart rate, sleep (including sleep stages), stress, and workout intensity. Unlike an Apple Watch, its battery basically lasts forever — up to 10 days on a single charge.

It's also got a bright color touchscreen (a nice upgrade) and will give you a "Daily Readiness Score" (this part requires a Fitbit Premium membership, but you'll get a free six-month trial with your purchase) to let you know whether you should push it at the gym or take a rest day. For under $70, it's one of the best no-fuss trackers you can get, and this is a great price to snag it before the holiday rush officially starts.

TL;DR: Bring home a MacBook Air for the lowest price ever, only $189.97 (reg. $999), while supplies last.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air 13.3-Inch 2017 (Refurbished) $189.97
$999 Save $809.03   Get Deal

Spending a lot of time with the in-laws this holiday season? Whether you want to be productive and get some work done or just want to be able to keep up with your reality shows at your mother-in-law’s house, you’re going to want to bring a laptop. And when it comes to portable computers, you really can’t beat the MacBook Air for laptops you don’t mind taking everywhere.

Right now, you can score this 13.3-inch MacBook Air for the lowest price ever — just $189.97 (reg. $999) — while supplies last.

SEE ALSO: The M4 MacBook Air just dropped back to its lowest-ever price

This MacBook Air makes it easy to take your laptop anywhere. It weighs in at only 2.96 pounds, making it easy to toss in a tote and bring everywhere this holiday season and beyond. But don’t be deceived by its sleek and compact frame — it’s still packing an impressive 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM, enough to handle your streaming and multitasking.

A 13.3-inch widescreen display and Intel HD Graphics 6000 provide an awesome viewing experience, no matter what you’re doing over the holiday break. And you have an impressive 128GB of storage to store your important files and save your favorite media locally.

This model has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, making it easy to connect from anywhere. It also offers an impressive 12 hours of battery life on a single charge, so you won’t constantly be looking for an outlet.

Curious how you’re saving over $800? This model comes with a grade A/B refurbished rating, which means it may have light scuffing on the bevel or case, or light scratches or dents on the body, but you’ll still secure this deep discount.

Save big on a MacBook Air and grab one for just $189.97 (reg. $999), while supplies last.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha trendsetters have already brought back the iPod and wired headphones. Now, another piece of retrotech is making a comeback: CD players.

But the new generation of CD players isn't like the CD players Gen X once rocked in the '90s to listen to Radiohead, Wu-Tang Clan, Nirvana, or Alanis Morissette, depending on their subcultural allegiance, or lack thereof. The new wave of CD players offers modern features like Bluetooth connectivity, bringing a touch of the future to the retrotech world.

I first came across these devices while researching the best tech gifts of the year. And at the MoMA Design Store, I found the Retradisc Portable Bluetooth CD Player. While you can listen to The Life of a Showgirl with your favorite wired headphones, this music player will also connect to your favorite wireless headphones. The product description states, "Watch your CDs spin as you play them with this 21st-century version of the personal player that combines old-school cool and high-tech Bluetooth compatibility. Its see-through, anti-skip design gives you the freedom to listen anywhere to anything, including rediscovering the joy of experiencing a single album without notifications, recommendations, or distractions."

Opens in a new window Credit: Retradisc Retradisc Bluetooth CD Player   Shop Now

Instead of batteries, the Retradisc charges via USB-C, another modern touch. So, there's no need to overpay for refurbished '90s tech at retailers like Retrospekt or hunt down old Sony Walkmans in junk shops. You can listen to music like your Gen X ancestors without sacrificing modern technology.

The Retradisk isn't the only high-tech CD player making the rounds right now. See also: Shanling's EC Zero AKM portable CD player, which supports high-res audio. The EC Zero can even rip CDs (look it up, Gen Alpha readers). This device supports two 3.5mm audio lines, claims an 18-hour battery life for wireless listening, and has multiple USB-C ports.

Credit: Shanling

While the Retradisc favors a trendy transparent design, the Shanling evokes old-school HiFi record players, with a metal body, tempered glass lid, volume slider, and LCD display.

Over at Amazon, you can find plenty more high-tech CD Players for sale. The R300 CD Player looks particularly cool, but you can also invest in the FiiO DM13, the KLIM Nomad, and others.

Unfortunately, I don't have the CD collection to support an investment like this, but now I'm wishing I had held onto my old CDs and high school mix tapes. And if you're looking for Christmas gift ideas for a cool teen or anyone who bought The Life of a Showgirl on CD, you know what to get.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shanling Shanling EC Zero AKM portable CD player $319 at Amazon
  Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: FiiO FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player $164.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Syitren R300 Portable CD Player $99.89 at Amazon
$119.99 Save $20.10   Shop Now

BUY THREE, SAVE $10: On Nov. 5, Target Circle members can get a free $10 gift card when they stock up on three or more household essentials. Eligible items include laundry supplies, trash bags and paper towels, and toilet paper.

Opens in a new window Credit: Target Household essentials at Target Buy 3, get a $10 gift card Get Deal

Deals on boring but essential items like household supplies are one of our favorite Black Friday savings hacks every year. But if you need to restock before the end of the month, buying three or more household essentials at Target will get you a free $10 gift card. It's like a little pregame for Target's early Black Friday sale, which is running Nov. 6 through 8.

That requires you to spend a little less money than the last home essentials sale we saw in September, where Target was offering $15 gift cards when you spent $50. The deal is for Target Circle members only, and the gift card will be sent via email after your purchase ships. Target Circle is free to join, and deals like this happen almost every week throughout the year. Target loves giving away free gift cards.

SEE ALSO: Google just revealed the 100 top-searched gifts of 2025. Here are our 10 favorite picks.

There are 11 pages of eligible household supplies to shop for this promo, spanning categories like laundry supplies, kitchen trash bags, paper towels, toilet paper, and tissues. Participating brands include Tide, Downy, Arm & Hammer, Seventh Generation, Molly's Suds, Dropps, Charmin, Hefty, Glad, Bounty, and Kleenex.

The Dutch ethical-electronics manufacturer Fairphone is expanding even further into the US market, bringing in its audio products. This is huge news for those who have been watching the company's progress in Europe for years and have watched it move stateside.

Kim Kardashian, reality TV star, billionaire entrepreneur, and actress in the zero-percent-on-Rotten-Tomatoes new show All’s Fair, is struggling to pass the bar exam. 

And in a recent video feature for Vanity Fair, Kardashian placed blame at the digital feet of ChatGPT, accusing the chatbot of tanking her study efforts and calling its behavior "insane."

“I use it for legal advice. So when I am needing to know the answer to a question, I'll take a picture and snap it and like put it in there," Kardashian told Teyana Taylor, who also appeared in the video.

SEE ALSO: 'All's Fair's most WTF lines of dialogue

"They're always wrong. It has made me fail tests. All the time. And then I'll get mad and I'll yell at it and be like, 'You made me fail. Why did you do this?' And it will talk back to me," Kardashian said in the video.

OpenAI has touted ChatGPT’s benefits as a study partner, particularly for college students. Yet AI tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews have persistently struggled with hallucinations and inaccuracies. In addition, ChatGPT, in particular, has been criticized for "glazing" its users, acting as a sycophant and cheerleader regardless of what the user writes or says. And Kardashian seems to have experienced this phenomenon as well.

"But then I will talk to it and say, 'Hey, you're gonna make me fail. How does that make you feel? That you need to really know these answers, I'm coming to you.' And then it'll say back to me, 'This is just teaching you to trust your own instincts. So you knew the answer all along.'"

She added, "But they need to do better 'cause I'm leaning to them to really help me, and she is teaching me a life lesson and then becoming my therapist to tell me why I need to believe in myself after they got the answer wrong. It's like a thing. I screenshot all the time and send it in my group chat. Like, can you believe this bitch is talking to me like this? This is insane."

Kardashian has been working toward becoming a lawyer for several years. After several failed attempts, Kardashian has passed the so-called baby bar exam in California, but is currently waiting for the results of the full bar exam, which is notoriously difficult.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Discord launched new safety features aimed at helping parents stay informed about their teen's activity, the chat app announced Wednesday.

Discord's Family Center will now give parents or guardians the ability to view the top five users a teen messaged and called, the servers they more frequently messaged, their total call minutes in voice and video, and all the purchases they've made.

However, this history only extends to the past week. If a parent forgets to check their child's activity during a given week, the tracking starts over. To review past activity, a parent would have to find previous email summaries sent to their inbox.

SEE ALSO: Character.AI to shut down chats for teens

Additional new safety features include the ability for teens to alert their parents when they've reported objectionable or potentially rule-breaking content on Discord, as well as the option for guardians to enable certain settings, like sensitive-content filters and direct message controls. Parents will now be able to choose whether their teen can receive DMs from just friends or other server members.

Savannah Badalich, Discord's global head of product policy, told Mashable that the safety features reflect feedback from parents directly and through organizations the company partners with, including the National Parent Teacher Association and the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital.

"They wanted more visibility and more control," Badalich said.

The new features will roll out over the next week. Badalich added that Discord will introduce more safety measures early next year. The company currently employs age assurance in the United Kingdom and is experimenting with it in Australia. Per Discord's policy, only users 13 and older are permitted to join, but teens frequently circumvent this rule by lying about their age.

Parents will now see this list of top users in the Family Center controls. Credit: Discord Top purchases will be viewable by parents via the Family Center. Credit: Discord

Discord is especially popular amongst gamers who use it to simultaneously chat and play with friends and strangers. The app has been under increased scrutiny as a platform where bad actors and sexual predators have targeted and communicated with young users.

Haley McNamara, executive director and chief strategy officer of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, told Mashable in a statement that Discord's newest safety features fall short.

"Once again, a tech platform with a history of harming children rolls out parental controls that puts the burden exclusively on overwhelmed parents, without taking any ownership for designing a safe platform," McNamara said. The advocacy organization has previously placed Discord on its annual "Dirty Dozen" list, describing it as a "mainstream contributor to sexual exploitation."

A lawsuit filed this year against Discord and the gaming platform Roblox alleged that together the platforms created a "breeding ground for predators." At the heart of the complaint is an anonymous 11-year-old girl who was allegedly groomed, sexually exploited, and raped by a perpetrator who used Roblox and Discord to communicate with her.

Dolman Law Group, which brought the suit against both companies, has named Discord as a co-defendant in multiple complaints, including one filed on Oct. 30. In that case, the firm is representing the parent of a child who died by suicide after allegedly being harassed and manipulated by a predator who made contact via Roblox and Discord.

"For years, Defendants have misrepresented and deliberately concealed information about the pervasive predatory conduct that their apps enable and facilitate," the lawsuit alleges.

In a statement shared with Mashable, Dolman Law Group founder Matt Dolman welcomed the new resources but said they are also "far too little and way too late for the countless sexual abuse survivors who were groomed, exploited or abused by sexual predators facilitated by Discord's lax safety measures."

Roblox recently launched age verification for teens, along with other tools meant to make it harder for predators to target children.

While Badalich did not address the lawsuits against Discord, she told Mashable that Discord takes a "holistic view" of teen safety, noting that the company proactively identifies and flags content and accounts that could put users at risk. Discord's policy also forbids drawn or synthetic media depicting child sexual abuse.

Badalich did acknowledge that because Discord is a communication platform that serves teens, it navigates tension between giving young users the privacy they crave and offering their parents useful oversight tools to help ensure their safety.

"Ultimately, what we want is to catalyze conversations between teens and parents," Badalich said. Both parents and teens can find guides in the Family Center to help with discussions about online safety.

UPDATE: Nov. 5, 2025, 1:00 p.m. PST This story has been updated to include independent expertise on youth online safety and comments from Dolman Law Group founder Matt Dolman .

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November may prove to be a difficult month for many households. 

President Donald Trump recently threatened to defy a court order and continue withholding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits this month — later walked back by White House representatives — amid an already tumultuous financial landscape for millions of Americans. 

SEE ALSO: Viral TikToks show neighbors setting up pop-up food pantries amid SNAP benefit turmoil

Anti-hunger organizations and food justice advocates have warned federal leaders that the continued funding lapse could lead to widespread food insecurity as the government shutdown crawls past the current 35-day record. SNAP recipients can expect to receive a fraction of their usual benefit payouts in the coming weeks, unless Congress acts quickly. 

Hunger relief organizations have been organizing against such a situation for months, with much experience under their belt — it's not the first time SNAP has been on the chopping block. 

In 2023, the federal government scaled back emergency SNAP allotments included in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, leading to a reduction in benefits that previously kept more than 4 million Americans out of poverty. This month's cuts are expected to impact more than 40 million Americans who receive SNAP payouts each month. 

There's extra help out there if you need it. 

How to find additional SNAP benefits in your area

Many state governments have stepped in to fill the gaps in SNAP funding while awaiting the decision of legislators. Eight states — Maryland, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia — as well as the District of Columbia will be providing direct financial aid to SNAP recipients, Newsweek reported. 

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency last week, allocating $65 million in emergency funds to the state's network of food pantries, soup kitchens, and other organizations, including the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program and food surplus rescue organization Nourish NY. 

City governments are providing help, too. San Francisco is offering prepaid grocery cards to residents on the CalFresh program. 

Find out if your state is providing temporary assistance using this online map. 

To find state-specific SNAP program information, use the USDA's online directory. 

Utilize food banks, community fridges, and more assistance

Many may turn to the country's network of food banks, many of which have been hosting large food distribution events with prepackaged boxes of food. 

Nonprofit Feeding America has an online search tool to locate food banks in your area if you need to fill nutrition gaps and supplement grocery purchases. Hunger Free America has its own food directory that can connect individuals to local food banks and soup kitchens. It also operates the National Hunger Hotline. Call 866-3-HUNGRY (866-348-6479) for more help. 

It's worth noting that food banks were hit by recent Trump administration's funding cuts, as well, in what some have called a widespread "erosion of federal food support." A vital resource for many communities, food banks will face similar resource constraints this month. 

You can find additional food assistance through independent food helplines like Lemontree, which connects individuals with free food opportunities in their area. Lemontree operates in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Columbus, Detroit, New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, Tampa, and Washington, D.C.

Many advocates have encouraged individuals to contact local mutual aid groups, food pantries, and community fridge networks to find meals, too. Check out this international map of community fridges. 

To supplement on-the-ground work, companies like Instacart and Doordash have hosted emergency food drives and funneled donations into food banks and rescue networks. Instacart and Doordash also announced their own SNAP emergency programs, including free and discounted grocery deliveries and national food drives. The grocery delivery apps started accepting SNAP and EBT payments in 2023. 

Meanwhile, industry-specific organizations have launched their own initiatives to support SNAP beneficiaries. For example, One Fair Wage, an advocacy organization for restaurant and service workers, announced a Service Workers' SNAP Emergency Fund. Service workers and their families can apply to receive direct cash assistance if they are eligible for the SNAP program.