IT General

Social media in 2025 is…complicated. It can still be fun and informative, but it takes a lot more effort to get there. There’s engagement bait, tons of ads, and “suggested” content you didn't ask for around every corner. Thankfully, there’s an old internet standard that can cut through the noise.

If you’ve ever opened a command-line window on Windows and wondered which tool you should be using, you’re not alone. Between Command Prompt, PowerShell, and Windows Terminal, knowing when to choose each can make a big difference in how efficiently you work.

Steam might get a lot of praise, but there are a few aspects that definitely needed work. The video player most often used for game trailers has been buggy for years, and now Steam is finally giving it a much-needed overhaul. No more jumping over to YouTube.

As I write this, we're right in the middle of fourth-generation Apple Silicon. The Cupertino house that Steve Jobs built took one of the biggest swings in tech history by pivoting to its own chips, and saying it was a homerun is something of an understatement.

TL;DR: Hurry and grab lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more with a Microsoft Office 2019 license for Windows at A$45 for a limited time.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows AU$45
AU$350 Save AU$305 Get Deal

Your credit card is exhausted from all of today’s subscription fees. While you probably don’t want to cancel Peacock and never see the ending of Yellowstone or say goodbye to two-day shipping with Prime, you could swap your Microsoft 365 subscription for a Microsoft Office lifetime license.

Instead of spending A$10 monthly (or A$107 yearly), you can pay once and use the apps as much as you’d like. For a little while longer, the Windows software suite is on sale for A$45.

What apps are included?

Microsoft Office 2019 isn’t the newest version available, but it’s the cheaper one for people who just need to use the apps and don’t care about what they look like inside. However, it does have a classic, timeless design.

Here's a list of the apps you get:

• Word

• Excel

• PowerPoint

• Outlook

• OneNote

• Publisher

• Access

Differences between Microsoft 365 and a lifetime license

This purchase is a no-brainer if you aren’t taking full advantage of Microsoft 365’s OneDrive storage, mobile app access, and cloud-based backups. Those just wanting the apps should be more than comfortable with a Microsoft Office download.

You might actually like this license more than the subscription. The apps are downloaded directly onto your PC instead of hosted on the cloud. While this does mean there are no built-in cloud backups, you don’t have to worry about the hassle of trying to work offline.

Plus, now that Microsoft added Copilot’s AI features to Microsoft 365, you might be looking for a way to escape them. Not everyone is crazy about having a virtual robot interfere with their work, and these classic apps won’t ever bug you about it.

The codes for this lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2019 for Windows are limited, so get yours now while it's available for A$45 (reg. A$350).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

UPDATE: Jul. 31, 2025, 2:20 p.m. EDT This article has been updated to include the streaming details of "Alien: Earth."

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There's a new addition to the Alien universe and for the first time, it's in the form of a TV series. Alien: Earth premieres Aug. 8, nearly a year to the day after Alien: Romulus, the latest film in the Alien franchise, hit theaters.

Created by Noah Hawley, the Emmy-winning creator of Fargo and Legion, Alien: Earth is set in 2120, two years before the events of the 1979 original Alien movie. And this time it doesn't drag us to the deepest reaches of space — it brings extraterrestrial horror to our home planet.

Unlike many other film franchises, all of the Alien films currently live inside one streaming app — from the original to 2024's Alien: Romulus. As of Aug. 8, that will also include the Alien: Earth series. It's a modern-day streaming miracle, truly. Here are all the juicy details on how to watch the entire Alien franchise online (and in order).

How many Alien movies are there?

There are seven films in the classic Alien franchise, including the newest release, Alien: Romulus. Prior films include Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), Alien: Resurrection (1997), Prometheus (2012), and Alien: Covenant (2017). There are also two crossover films to add to your binge if you really want to complete the saga, although no one will blame you if you skip AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007). Then, of course, the new FX series Alien: Earth adds a new layer of lore into the mix.

How to watch the Alien films in order

Like any good franchise, the official release order of the films and new series differs from the actual narrative. The order you watch them is completely up to you. If you want to simply watch the whole franchise in release order, it would go like this:

• Alien (1979)

• Aliens (1986)

• Alien 3 (1992)

• Alien Resurrection (1997)

• AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)

• Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

• Prometheus (2012)

• Alien: Covenant (2017)

• Alien: Romulus (2024)

• Alien: Earth (2025)

If you're more into the timeline jumps and lore of it all, you'll probably want to watch in chronological order. Though it's the newest film in the franchise, Romulus takes place somewhere in the 57-year gap between Alien and Aliens. And the new series is basically a prequel to the original Alien, set two years before. So story-wise, your marathon would go something like this:

• Prometheus (2012)

• Alien: Covenant (2017)

• Alien: Earth (2025)

• Alien (1979)

• Alien: Romulus (2024)

• Aliens (1986)

• Alien 3 (1992)

• Alien Resurrection (1997)

How to watch the entire Alien franchise online

Thanks to Hulu, you can watch every single Alien movie in one place — including the latest film Alien: Romulus, which made its streaming debut last fall. And while Alien: Earth is an FX series, it will stream simultaneously on Hulu — the official streaming home of FX.

It's becoming rare for an entire franchise to live on a single streamer, so you should definitely take advantage of your chance to enjoy an Alien marathon. Hulu subscriptions start at just $9.99 per month. Plus, there are plenty of ways to save on a subscription. We've rounded up all the best Hulu streaming deals below.

Is there a Hulu free trial?

New to Hulu or returning after a while? You can kick off your streaming with a free 30-day trial. That's the most generous of any streamer. Just remember that if you want to avoid charges, you'll have to cancel your subscription before the 30 days are up. If you choose to keep it going, it'll cost you $9.99 per month with ads or $18.99 without.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu (with ads) Free 30-day trial, then $9.99 per month Get Deal The best Hulu streaming dealsBest Hulu deal for most people: Hulu annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu (with ads) annual subscription Free 30-day trial, then $99.99 per year (save 16%) Get Deal

If you just want to save some money after your trial ends, you can sign up for an annual Hulu subscription instead of monthly and save about 16%. Hulu with ads now costs $9.99 per month, but if you pay annually, that monthly fee drops down to just $8.33 per month. Sure, you'll have to pay more upfront, but in the long run, it'll save you about $19.89 total.

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Want more bang for your buck? You can bundle Hulu with Disney+ (with ads) for just $10.99 per month. That's just $1 more per month and about 45% in savings for access to another entire streaming library. Even better, if you're a sports fan, you can add ESPN+ into the mix for just $16.99 per month and save 47% on all three streaming services.

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As long as you're a college student, you can sign up for Hulu for just $1.99 per month instead of the usual $9.99 per month. That's 80% in savings for the ad-supported plan. You'll just have to verify your student status using SheerID in order to secure the deal.

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T-Mobile customers on the Go5G Next or any Experience Beyond plans now get Hulu with ads included with their plan for no extra cost. And that's on top of the already stacked streaming lineup of Netflix and Apple TV+. Just head over to the T-Mobile promo page and click on "redeem now" to claim your offer if you haven't already. You'll just have to enter your T-Mobile number and account details in order to sign up.

Note: After your initial 12-month promotional period, you'll have to take action to keep your subscription alive.

Whether or not you believe in the real-life Ed and Lorraine Warren, it can't be argued that their movie counterparts have been successfully scaring audiences since 2013's The Conjuring.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have brought gravitas to the roles of husband-and-wife paranormal investigators across The Conjuring 2, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. And now they're back with The Conjuring: Last Rites, which — counting the spinoffs and sequels of Annabelle and The Nun — makes for the ninth installment in this sprawling spooky franchise.

Michael Chaves, director of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and The Nun II, takes the helm of The Conjuring: Last Rites. Set in 1986 Pennsylvania, this scary sequel centers on the case of Jack and Janet Smurl, who suffered the notorious Smurl haunting. As the story goes, a demon plagued their home for years. So, who better to call than the Warrens?

As teased in the trailer above, this dastardly demon brings destruction to the Smurl family. And the evil entity in The Conjuring: Last Rites is not new to Ed and Lorraine. It's a wickedness they've faced before. Now, it's back and after their daughter, played by Mia Tomlinson. This premise is sure to bring fresh scares and terror to this film series, so brace yourself for goosebumps.

The Conjuring: Last Rites opens only in theaters Sept. 5.

LinkedIn has joined the throng of social media platforms and companies silently removing protections for LGBTQ users, amid an increasingly dangerous time for transgender communities across the country.

The networking site removed a line from its hateful conduct policy that explicitly prohibited the misgendering and deadnaming of transgender individuals. Open Terms Archive first reported on the change, which was not announced publicly.

SEE ALSO: TikTok adds parental blocking and well-being 'missions' to its safety features

In the eyes of LGBTQ advocacy groups, explicit protections such as these are considered the bare minimum for companies seeking to protect LGBTQ users, and are used as a barometer in assessing a platform's willingness to protect historically underrepresented groups. According to GLAAD's annual Social Media Safety Index, which scores major platform policies on how they address anti-LGBTQ online hate, harassment, and disinformation:

Every platform should have public-facing policies that: protect LGBTQ people from hate, harassment, and violence on the platform; prohibit targeted misgendering and deadnaming on the basis of gender identity; prohibit content promoting so-called 'conversion therapy;' prohibit advertising content that promotes hate, harassment, and violence against LGBTQ individuals on the basis of protected characteristics; explain the proactive steps it takes to stop demonetizing and/or wrongfully removing legitimate content and accounts related to LGBTQ topics and issues; and explain its internal structures to best ensure the fulfillment of its commitments to overall LGBTQ safety, privacy, and expression on the platform.

In addition, LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft, removed mention of "race or gender identity" from its list of protected "inherent traits" that are monitored for potential harassment. These are the first changes to the hateful conduct policy since 2023, according to Open Terms Archive.

In a statement to Engadget, a LinkedIn spokesperson said the change doesn't reflect a difference in the company's "underlying policies," reiterating: "Personal attacks or intimidation toward anyone based on their identity, including misgendering, violates our harassment policy and is not allowed on our platform." They did not provide explanation as to why the wording was removed completely.

LinkedIn is just the latest to roll back previously strong protections. Most notably, Meta completely overhauled its hateful conduct policy to allow users to post previously banned divisive and harmful rhetoric — including the use of phrases such as "mental illness" and "abnormality" when discussing gender and sexual orientation — in the name of free speech. Meta's own independent Oversight Board called for the removal of discriminatory language in the company's updated policy. Advocates have called the move, and others like it, a direct attack on marginalized groups, a potential threat to public health, and even a "precursor to genocide."

With its treasure trove of ridiculous gags and a deadpan masterclass from Liam Neeson, The Naked Gun proves to be an inspired reboot of the classic Leslie Nielsen film series. So what was the secret to bringing The Naked Gun's inspired stupidity to life?

SEE ALSO: ‘The Naked Gun’ review: Liam Neeson is a comedy genius in this brilliantly stupid reboot

According to the actors, complete and total seriousness.

"To play each scene seriously, that was certainly a note for myself," Neeson, who plays Frank Drebin Jr., told Mashable in an interview.

"You have to play it seriously in order to be funny," added Pamela Anderson, who stars as femme fatale Beth Davenport.

Paul Walter Hauser, who plays Ed Hocken Jr., agreed, highlighting the importance of separating the characters' comedic circumstances with the actual emotions they're feeling.

"I try not to think about what is actually being said," Hauser explained. "And Liam, if you turn it on mute, he does look intense, and it looks like it could be an action film. Then you hear what he's saying, and you'll lose your mind laughing."

Check out the full interview above to hear more from the cast of The Naked Gun, including how Priscilla Presley, star of the original, sent Anderson a note before filming, and how Saturday Night Live legend Phil Hartman influenced Hauser's performance.

The Naked Gun is now in theaters.

If the internet loves anything, it's cute animals. But now, in the age of AI, you cannot trust the animal videos you see online.

You might've seen a recent viral video featuring bunnies jumping on a trampoline, seemingly captured via a home surveillance camera. It's adorable. And fake. Completely and totally fabricated via artificial intelligence.

Here's the AI video in question. It was seemingly first posted on TikTok by @rachelthecatlovers with the caption: "Just checked the home security cam and… I think we’ve got guest performers out back! @Ring.”

That video has racked up a whopping 203 million views on TikTok. Tech-focused site 404Media first pointed out that it was generated by artificial intelligence. As the site spotted, you can clearly see one of the bunnies spontaneously disappear in the midst of a jump, and the background of the video appears to be very static.

Still, the AI video does a really good job of disguising itself. For one, it's made to look like night-time surveillance footage, which means it's easier to hide AI artifacts and low quality. Second, it does look pretty good and incorporates sounds that seems to be real — bugs in the distance, springs squeaking as the bunnies jump. Third, it even tags Ring to make it seem like it was captured by a real camera. But it is, in fact, fake, even if it did fool lots of folks.

Ever since Google Veo 3 was released, it's become easier to make convincing AI videos with sound.

People are getting a little freaked out that they got fooled by AI, something they thought only happened to other, more gullible people. "This is the first AI that has ever got me," read a top comment. "[How] is this not real," read another. "A few years ago I was laughing at my mother for believing ai," read another.

The bunny video — while possibly the most believable — is far from the only AI-generated animal video to go viral. There seems to be a whole genre of fake videos of people cleaning barnacles off of whales, for instance.

Or here's a mash-up of all the silly, fake doorbell-cam footage of animals. Faux surveillance footage of animals seems to be a new genre of AI slop, unfortunately.

So if you see unbelievable animal footage out there, then maybe don't, you know, believe it.

Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis is one of this century's most confounding movies, a sci-fi epic that draws on Roman history, incorporated a live performance element in certain screenings, and featured a character named Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza).

But if you think Megalopolis is crazy — and it is, undoubtedly so — then you might be even more surprised by the story of its production. That's where Megadoc comes in.

SEE ALSO: 'Megalopolis' trailer pulled for using fake quotes from critics

Directed by Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas), Megadoc serves as a fly-on-the-wall look at the making of Megalopolis and Coppola's creative process. The documentary, which will premiere at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, features interviews with Coppola, along with input from Eleanor Coppola, Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Nathalie Emmanuel, Dustin Hoffman, Giancarlo Esposito, Chloe Fineman, Shia LaBeouf, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Voight, Talia Shire, and Robert De Niro.

The first teaser for the film gives a very, very small taste of what to expect from Megadoc, including Coppola declaring, "No one I'm working with realizes how weird a movie this actually is."

Other than that, Megadoc's teaser isn't quite ready to spill its behind-the-scenes secrets just yet. Still, the information that is public about the production of Megalopolis is intriguing enough to act as its own teaser.

Megalopolis was Coppola's passion project for decades. When he couldn't find funding, he financed the film himself, spending $120 million. (It took in just over $14.3 million at the global box office.)

Production on the film proved tumultuous, with Coppola often shifting shooting plans on the spot. He fired Megalopolis' visual effects team, and many other members of the crew departed soon after.

Several female extras on the film also alleged that Coppola behaved inappropriately with them onset. Extra Lauren Pagone sued Coppola for civil battery and civil assault, as well as negligent failure to prevent sexual harassment. Months before Megalopolis' theatrical release, Variety also published a video of Coppola's alleged sexual misconduct, along with accounts from his accusers. Following the release of that article, Coppola sued Variety for libel, seeking $15 million in damages.

Following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, Megadoc will open in select theaters Sept. 19.

According to the American Medical Association (AMA), about 90 million Americans snore, and around 37 million of them do it regularly. In more serious cases, snoring can take a real toll on your sleep quality. And when your sleep suffers, so does everything else.

Samsung has just launched the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7, which might be some of the best folding phones at the moment. But if you don't feel like going for a foldy boi just yet, the old reliable Galaxy S25 Ultra is back to one of its lowest-ever prices.

GuliKit is now offering the Elves 2 wireless gamepad. It's an surprisingly high-end controller with an affordable $30 price tag, though it's most notable for its Switch 2 wake-from-sleep functionality, which other third-party gamepads currently lack.

South Park's Season 27 premiere didn't just stir up controversy — it stirred up big ratings for Comedy Central and Paramount+.

SEE ALSO: 'South Park's Trump-bashing Season 27 premiere has the White House fuming

According to a statement from Paramount, the episode, which featured a scene of President Donald Trump in bed with Satan, as well a hyperrealistic deepfake of a naked Trump, scored 5.9 million cross-platform viewers across Comedy Central and Paramount+. These numbers come from Nielsen, which defines the total number of viewers by global watch time divided by run time over the course of the first three days the episode was out, from July 24 to July 26.

The episode also earned South Park its biggest linear season premiere share since 1999 and was up 68 percent from from its Season 26 premiere. In addition, the episode brought in South Park's best season premiere rating since 2022.

The premiere went viral on social media as well, with Paramount claiming it's the "#1 most social episode ever for South Park." #SouthPark trended on X for over 12 hours (five of which were spent in the top spot), and at the time of writing this, the Trump deepfake PSA has raked in 4.4 million views on YouTube.

Following the premiere, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers bashed South Park in a statement sent to Variety, Rolling Stone, and The Hollywood Reporter among other outlets.

"This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention," Rogers said in the statement. "President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country’s history – and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump’s hot streak."

For a "fourth-rate show," though, it's clear people are watching.

The new Corsair AI Workstation 300 is an AI-optimized ultra-compact workstation that is incredibly small but powerful. This is basically enterprise-class performance packed into a tiny 4.4-liter form factor.

With Gen 4 NVMe SSDs having been on the market for a few years by now, a lot of them are a very affordable purchase, and even more so when there are deals happening. Right now, you can get a 2TB NVMe SSD for your computer for just $115, a little more than what a 1TB unit would otherwise cost you.

Buying a phone can sometimes be more stressful for Linux users than other people. Does the phone respect your free software values? Does it let you customize it in all the ways we want? If you’re wrestling with these questions, you’ve come to the right place.

Amazon is investing in Fable Studio, the startup best known for a viral AI-generated South Park knockoff.

According to Variety, Amazon's investment (the amount of which was not disclosed) is going towards the startup's new streaming platform, Showrunner, which the company describes as the "Netflix of AI." Specifically, that means a streaming platform that lets users create shows with Showrunner's generative AI model.

In 2023, Fable Studio published a research paper about its SHOW-1 model that trained on South Park episodes and subsequently posted a 20-minute South Park-style clip entirely written, voiced, and illustrated by generative AI. Part of the video's virality was because it was posted during the SAG-AFTRA strike, which dealt with writers and actors negotiating protections against studios use of AI. The video was created without the permission of the South Park creators. Fable asserted in the research paper that it was an "experimental, non-commercial endeavor aimed at exploring the potential of artificial intelligence, voice synthesis, and deep learning technologies."

But now, Fable has launched a commercial endeavor with Showrunner that went live on Wednesday. The idea is for users to become the creators by generating their own animated shows or inserting scenes and characters into existing shows. Fable CEO and co-founder Edward Saatchi told Variety the company is pursuing partnerships with Disney and other Hollywood studios to license their IP for the platform.

The existing shows created by Showrunner include a Silicon Valley satire called Exit Valley that looks like Family Guy and a show called Everything Is Fine that has a Tim Burton-esque quality. It's unclear whether this is the result of licensing partnerships with copyright holders or from training data acquired without permission. Mashable has contacted Fable Studio for comment.

Showrunner is live in alpha mode on showrunner.xyz and Discord. Saatchi told the outlet that the platform is free to use and watch videos, but will eventually charge $10 to $20 a month for credits for users to want to generate new content.

Battlestar Galactica stands out from other sci-fi shows of the era as much darker, especially when compared to the original show of the same name. Despite that, it also stands out as one of the most compelling sci-fi series of all time. Here are some of the best episodes.