IT General

TL;DR: If you love documentaries, get a Curiosity Stream lifetime subscription while it’s only $149.97 (reg. $399.99).

Opens in a new window Credit: Curiosity Stream Curiosity Stream Standard Plan: Lifetime Subscription $149.97
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Streaming services have perfected the experience of having a million options and nothing to watch. The situation is especially dire if you love documentaries. Netflix and Hulu might put out a few good ones a year, but that’s nothing for a dedicated documentary fan.

If you’re hungry for content that actually teaches you something, Curiosity Stream is worth a look, and they don’t charge by the month. Right now, it’s only $149.97 (reg. $399.99) to get a Curiosity Stream lifetime subscription.

A lifetime of documentaries

Curiosity Stream is a streaming platform built entirely around nonfiction. Instead of mixing in the occasional documentary, it focuses on them completely. Science, nature, history, tech, and space are all covered, and each documentary is packed with stunning visuals and clear storytelling. Titles like Planet of Treasures, Engineering the Future, and Into the Jungle are just the beginning, with new content added regularly.

You’ll also recognize some familiar voices along the way. David Attenborough, Nick Offerman, and other well-known narrators bring a human touch to stories about polar bears, black holes, and ancient civilizations. It’s the kind of content that makes you feel smarter just for watching.

The app is easy to use and available on nearly every device. Whether you’re on a tablet, desktop, phone, or even a game console, you can stream comfortably and download episodes for offline viewing. You can save favorites and pick up where you left off anytime.

Why pay monthly for a streaming service that doesn’t have what you want? Get a Curiosity Stream lifetime subscription on sale for $149.97 while you can.

StackSocial prices subject to change

TL;DR: Consolidate your business platforms with Sellful, the website builder, CRM, and marketing tool that’s only $350 for life.

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Running a business is already hard enough without a dozen different tools getting in the way. If you’ve ever felt like you spend more time switching tabs than actually getting work done, Sellful might be what you’ve been looking for.

Sellful is an all-in-one platform that combines your website builder, CRM, marketing tools, invoicing system, appointment scheduler, project manager, and more into a single dashboard. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of business software, but white labeled and powered by AI. You can brand it as your own, build full client portals, and run everything from a sales funnel to a payroll system without ever leaving the platform. And it’s on sale now for $349.97 (reg. $1,497).

How does Sellful work?

It all starts with an AI-powered website builder that can generate full websites, landing pages, and sales funnels in seconds. From there, you can sell products, manage inventory, and handle point-of-sale transactions. The built-in CRM tracks your clients and automates outreach through email and SMS. If you need to schedule appointments, launch a course, build a membership program, or run support through a help desk, Sellful has tools for that too.

Agencies can rebrand the platform completely, build client sites, and even manage HR, chat, and accounting from the same space. And with integrations for over 5,000 apps plus support for 20 payment gateways, it fits into nearly any workflow.

You’re not limited by users, contacts, or the number of sites. Sellful gives you lifetime access, so you can keep growing without piling on subscription fees. Whether you’re launching your first product or managing dozens of client accounts, this is a platform that scales with you and keeps things simple.

If you want to streamline your business platforms without cutting efficiency, this is how you do it. Get a Sellful Lifetime Agency Plan on sale for just $349.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change

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!

SEE ALSO: The 10 best TV shows of 2025 (so far), and where to stream them

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 this week and ranked them from worst to best — or least worth your time to most watchable. Whether you're in the mood for dragon adventures, YA romance, or true crime documentaries, we've got something just for you.

11. I Love You Forever

Dating can be a nightmare, which I Love You Forever explores through the toxic romance between law student Mackenzie (Sofia Black-D’Elia) and her TV anchor boyfriend Finn (Ray Nicholson). Red flags abound as their relationship goes from love bombing to worryingly possessive to emotionally abusive. 

While the performances are solid, the script by co-directors  Elisa Kalani and Cazzie David (daughter of Larry David) feels achingly derivative, from the clutch of supporting bestie characters (one of whom is played by David) to the shallow insights about modern romance. On Talking Pictures with Neil Rosen, I admitted I hate this movie, saying, "I think there are interesting stories told about [toxic relationships]; I don't think this is one of them." But hey, if you want to gawk about how much of Mackenzie's story about dating a guy who works in live television might mirror David's past with Saturday Night Live's Pete Davidson, that's your business. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

Starring: Sofia Black-D'Elia, Ray Nicholson, Cazzie David, Raymond Cham Jr., and Jon Rudnitsky

How to watch: I Love You Forever hits HBO Max July 18. 

10. Trainwreck: Balloon Boy

Remember the Balloon Boy hoax? In 2009, Fort Collins–based Richard and Mayumi Heene sent the nation into a frenzy when they said their 6-year-old son Falcon was trapped in a helium balloon hurtling through the Colorado skies. Turns out he was hiding in their attic the whole time. Had the couple engineered the entire incident for attention, or did they truly believe they'd almost lost their son?

SEE ALSO: 'Trainwreck: Balloon Boy': What happened to the Heene family, and where are they now?

Netflix's Trainwreck: Balloon Boy revisits the balloon flight and its aftermath, complete with interviews from Richard, Mayumi, and Falcon themselves. However, the documentary doesn't cover much new ground, making it more of a rehash than a revelation. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Trainwreck: Balloon Boy is now streaming on Netflix.

9. The Amateur

The Amateur is based on a Robert Littell novel from 1981, and it feels like it. Rami Malek stars as a CIA analyst who blackmails his bosses to get into the field to get revenge on the terrorists who murdered his wife. It's a plot you've seen before with nothing new or all that thrilling to offer, besides a star-studded cast who are wildly underused across the board.

As I wrote in my review for Mashable, "Where Black Bag (also streaming) broke the rules of spy movies and married couples being boring, The Amateur flings audiences back into the tedious and maudlin tale of a man who will literally plot a globe-trekking assassination vacation instead of going to therapy."* — K.P.

Starring: Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Laurence Fishburne

How to watch: The Amateur is now available for purchase on Prime Video.

8. Amy Bradley is Missing

Netflix loves true crime miniseries. Their latest is about the cold case of Amy Lynn Bradley, who went missing from a cruise ship on March 23, 1998. 27 years after that fateful morning, her parents, brother, and investigators go over the clues, the rumors, and the case, looking for new leads. 

Did she fall (or jump) overboard? Was she carted off the ship in luggage, dead or alive? Was she abducted into sex trafficking? Documentarians Phil Lott and Ari Mark, who previously co-directed This Is the Zodiac Speaking, reteam to plunge the depths of this missing persons case, making it feel like a super-sized episode of Unsolved Mysteries. — K.P.

How to watch: Amy Bradley Is Missing debuts three episodes on Netflix on July 16.

7. M3GAN 2.0

One of the bigger cinematic disappointments of 2025, this sequel to the killer doll hit M3GAN ditches the horror genre almost completely. Instead, M3GAN 2.0 takes the plot of Terminator 2: Judgment Day and mixes it with espionage action, superhero schtick, and random jokes to make a Frankenstein's monster of movie that's anything but exquisite. 

The deadly doll is rebooted to save her human family (Allison Williams and Violet McGraw) from the threat of an assassin AI named Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno). Along the way, there will be throwbacks to the scenes that had fans gagging over the first film, like M3GAN dancing and singing eerily and earnestly. But in my review of the film, I lamented that the genre-mash was a mess: "The result is a sequel that is a horrendous mishmash of ideas and influences. M3GAN 2.0 is occasionally outrageous, but mostly it's derivative, bewildering, and bland." — K.P.

Starring: Allison Williams, Jenna Davis, Violet McGraw, Timm Sharp, Aristotle Athari, Ivanna Sakhno, and Jemaine Clement

How to watch: M3GAN 2.0 is now available for rental or purchase on Prime Video.

6. Untamed

Yosemite National Park becomes a crime scene in Netflix's Untamed. Created by Mark L. Smith (American Primeval) and Elle Smith (The Marsh King's Daughter), the series stars Eric Bana as Kyle Turner, a special agent for the National Parks Service. With the help of new park ranger Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago), Kyle must solve the mysterious death of a young woman, all while confronting his own tragic past.

Thanks to its setting, Untamed boasts gorgeous scenery and a stomach-churning opening sequence set on the cliffs of Yosemite's Half Dome. (If you're afraid of heights, beware.) Still, the rest of the show feels like a fairly standard procedural, complete with a blossoming buddy cop dynamic in Kyle and Naya. — B.E.

Starring: Eric Bana, Sam Neill, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lily Santiago, and Wilson Bethel

How to watch: Untamed premieres this summer on Netflix.

5. The Summer I Turned Pretty, Season 3

Prime Video's teen drama The Summer I Turned Pretty comes to a close in its third and final season, and the question remains: Which of the Fisher brothers will be Belly's (Lola Tung) endgame?

For now, the answer appears to be Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), whom Belly chose over his brother, Conrad (Christopher Briney), at the end of Season 2. Season 3 picks up at the end of Belly's junior year of college — that's right, it's a time jump! — and she and Jeremiah are still happily together. But when a surprise turn of events brings Conrad back into her life, Belly will once again have to choose between brothers. We can't guarantee how faithfully The Summer I Turned Pretty will follow the end of Jenny Han's book series, but we can guarantee one thing: There will definitely be Taylor Swift on the soundtrack. It wouldn't be The Summer I Turned Pretty without it.* — B.E.

Starring: Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Sean Kaufman, Rain Spencer, and Jackie Chung

How to watch: The first two episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 are now streaming on Prime Video, with a new episode every Wednesday.

4. RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Season 10 finale

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars switched it up in its 10th season, delivering a bracket format that brought in more queens, more strategy, and way more drama.

This week, it all comes to a head in a lip-sync smackdown for the crown, one that I hope will see Aja topping her already iconic Ice Spice performance from earlier this season. But you can bet there are several more twists and turns up RuPaul's sparkly sleeves. Which wild card queen will return to the competition? Which bops will the queens battle it out to? And, of course, who will take the crown? You'll have to tune in to find out! — B.E.

Starring: RuPaul, Acid Betty, Aja, Alyssa Hunter, Bosco, Cynthia Lee Fontaine, Daya Betty, DeJe Skye, Denali, Ginger Minj, Irene the Alien, Jorgeous, Kerri Colby, Lydia B. Kollins, Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Nicole Paige Brooks, Olivia Lux, Phoenix, and Tina Burner

How to watch: The finale of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 10 hits Paramount+ July 18.

3. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season 3

After a major cliffhanger to cap off Season 2, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is back! The series follows the adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise Captain Pike (Anson Mount) and young Spock (Ethan Peck) in the lead-up to Star Trek: The Original Series.

Earlier seasons of Strange New Worlds offered up musical episodes and crossovers with animated series Lower Decks, and Season 3 continues to play with genre. Brace yourself for a murder mystery and more as the Enterprise crew continue exploring the final frontier. — B.E.

Starring: Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Martin Quinn, Rhys Darby, Patton Oswalt, Cillian O’Sullivan, Melanie Scrofano, Carol Kane, and Paul Wesley

How to watch: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 premieres July 17 on Paramount+. 

2. Billy Joel: And So It Goes

Billy Joel has been been an icon in music since the 1970s, thanks to unforgettable hit songs like "Piano Man," "Only the Good Die Young," and "We Didn't Start the Fire." (Just to name a few!) But what has his life been like behind the fame and acclaim? 

Documentarians Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin reveal the man behind "Piano Man," with Billy Joel: And So It Goes, a two-part documentary that offers in-depth interviews with the eponymous singer/songwriter. Some of the bombshells from the doc became news stories following its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. But from the looks of the trailer, there's much more to delve into than scandals and tragedy. There'll also be praise from his peers and ultimately a tale of survival, fighting for his life and the music that's meant so much to millions. 

Considering how amazing the last two-part artist doc HBO Max put out was (we're talking the phenomenal Pee-wee as Himself), we're seated for this one. — K.P. 

How to watch: Billy Joel: And So It Goes: Part 1 premieres July 18 on HBO Max, with Part 2 debuting on July 25.

1. How to Train Your Dragon (2025)

If you loved the animated adventures How to Train Your Dragon brought to theaters and televisions with its string of films and spinoff TV shows, you won't want to miss the live-action version, where the world of Berk feels more real than ever before. 

The Black Phone's Mason Thames steps into the shivering shoes of Hiccup, a misfit Viking who is not interested in killing the flying creatures that his people battle. Instead, after wounding a charming dragon he names Toothless, Hiccup hopes to create a new understanding between the warring sides. But first, he'll have to get his peers — like warrior-in-training Astrid (The Last of Us' Nico Parker) — and the town's leaders — like his burly father, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his role from the 2010 film), on his side. And that'll mean a lot of dragon shenanigans, and perhaps a sky-high battle or two! 

In her review of the film, UK editor Shannon Connellan wrote, "How to Train Your Dragon sees [Dean] DeBlois sticking like glue to his original film, which exposes the franchise's timelessness in a way. If you've dreamed of seeing a version of Toothless living, breathing, and gobbling fish in a real world (on screen), the live-action adaptation is a treat." — K.P.

Starring: Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gerard Butler, and Ruth Codd

How to watch: How to Train Your Dragon is now available for rental or purchase on Prime Video.

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

Since 2022, the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has offered specialized crisis counseling to LGBTQ youth through a simple prompt.

Callers to the federally-funded hotline only needed to push 3; those who texted 988 or chatted could make the same selection by, respectively, texting PRIDE or checking a box to speak with an "LGBTQI trained crisis counselor."

Supporters have hailed the "press 3" option as a success. But it's suddenly slated to disappear, following an announcement in June by the Trump administration that it would "no longer silo" these counseling services, as of today, July 17. Observers noted that the announcement omitted the "T" for transgender when referring to "LGB+ youth services."

When asked directly by Mashable about ending the "press 3" offering, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said that it had run out of congressional funding. Continuing to operate it, the spokesperson said, could have led to massive reductions in service to the entire 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

SEE ALSO: 9 LGBTQ creators discuss not backing down from Pride

A similar option for veterans, also offered by 988, was not shuttered, apparently because it's funded through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Both populations are at higher risk for suicide; LGBTQ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers, due to factors like stigma and discrimination.

Mark Henson, interim vice president of advocacy and government affairs for LGBTQ nonprofit The Trevor Project, told Mashable that the federal government has the flexibility to provide the funds necessary to keep the line operational until the next fiscal year.

"Because the demand continues to rise, providing increased funding was previously — and remains today — in the best interest of supporting the 988 Lifeline's infrastructure. We need more resources, not fewer, to provide Americans with the life-saving crisis care they need and deserve," Henson said.

Suicide prevention advocates are alarmed by the administration's decision and the scant guidance and information they've received in the weeks since, said Henson. The Trevor Project is one of seven groups that have trained counselors to handle calls, chats, and texts through 988's specialized support for LGBTQ youth.

LGBTQ youth in distress could previously choose to be connected to counselors specifically trained to work with this population. Those counselors learn about the unique risk factors for suicide amongst LGBTQ youth, which include family rejection and estrangement, homelessness, bullying, and discrimination. Counselors could also refer youth to supportive local LGBTQ services including community centers.

"This has all the hallmarks of what we want government programs to do for us," Henson said. "This is what we want government to do to help save lives."

In the years since its introduction, the service made 1.5 million connections for LGBTQ youth who reached out for help. This year, the service was on track to exceed the number of people it served in 2024, when more than 600,000 people used the option.

Henson said there may be "life and death consequences" as a result of the administration's decision.

LGBTQ youth may see the change as a signal that their government "thinks their life might not be worth saving," said Mark Henson of The Trevor Project.

He is particularly worried that the service's shut-down could become a barrier to reaching out for some LGBTQ youth, who may feel newly skeptical of using 988. Henson added that LGBTQ youth may see the change as a signal that their government "thinks their life might not be worth saving," even though specialized crisis support services received bipartisan support and were adopted during the first Trump administration.

Bob Gebbia, CEO of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, said that he didn't want to jump to conclusions about suicide risk amongst LGBTQ youth increasing as a result of the service ending.

Yet he noted that it might affect some youth: "We do know that when people sometimes feel discriminated against, or there's a bias against them, that could increase the potential to become despondent, anxious, depressed, and struggling with their mental health and overall well-being."

There are other concerns, too. Gebbia said that crisis line wait times may increase for everyone as counselors field calls, chats, and texts that would've otherwise been directed to press 3 option. Additionally, some local crisis centers have begun laying off staff, reportedly as a result of losing the federal funding meant to aid LGBTQ youth.

Both Henson and Gebbia said Congress could bring the specialized services back by including funding for them in the appropriations bill that will be finalized this fall. The Trevor Project has collected more than 50,000 signatures for a petition imploring President Trump and Congress to restore funding.

Still, a months-long lapse in the service before it's restored could be dangerous for vulnerable youth, Gebbia said. He emphasized that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will still be operational for anyone who needs support, including LGBTQ youth.

For those concerned that its services may no longer meet their needs, Henson recommends they directly contact the Trevor Project's crisis hotline; the Trans Lifeline; Crisis Text Line; or BlackLine, a crisis support service for youth who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color. Henson also advises any youth in crisis to talk to a trusted friend or adult.

Gebbia said that youth should continue to call 988 if they're struggling, and recommended they also consider resources like a guidance counselor or a workplace employee assistance program.

"I think the most important thing if you're [a] LGBTQ young person and you're having a hard time, [is that] there's help, there's hope, there's people who care," Gebbia said.

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat at crisischat.org. Here is a list of international resources.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new 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: NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for July 17, 2025 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: Ohio squads

• Green: Sea slang

• Blue: Same team

• Purple: Golf spots

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Cincinnati teams, minus the S

• Green: Sailing terms

• Blue: Members of the Indiana Fever

• Purple: "Royal" Open Championship venues

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 #297 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Cincinnati teams, minus the S - BEARCAT, BENGAL, MUSKETEER, RED

• Sailing terms - HULL, KEEL, MAST, RUDDER

• Members of the Indiana Fever - BOSTON, CLARK, HOWARD, MITCHELL

• "Royal" Open Championship venues - BIRKDALE, LIVERPOOL, PORTRUSH, ST. GEORGE'S

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new 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 Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Thursday, July 17, 2025:

AcrossWorkout facilities

• The answer is Gyms.

Pipe dream? Just the opposite!

• The answer is Leak.

In good spirits

• The answer is Jolly.

Up to the task

• The answer is Able.

Headache-inducing situation

• The answer is Mess.

DownBoston newspaper

• The answer is Globe.

TALKS LIKE THIS

• The answer is Yells.

Mallard ducks with green heads, e.g.

• The answer is Males.

Drone's zone

• The answer is Sky.

Rock out

• The answer is Jam.

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

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

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

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

Earlier this week, Grok unveiled two animated AI companions for users to interact with, one of which is a flirty anime girl who puts on lingerie if you compliment her enough. Now the AI chatbot is adding a third character to the mix, only this time it's apparently modelled on what xAI CEO Elon Musk thinks women find attractive.

Musk introduced Grok's new male AI companion in an X post on Tuesday, asking for suggestions in naming the character. Illustrating the request was a picture of the new companion: a stern-looking anime man wearing a black suit.

SEE ALSO: Grok gets AI companion that's down to go NSFW with you

"His personality is inspired by Edward Cullen from Twilight and Christian Grey from 50 Shades [of Grey]," wrote Musk. Fifty Shades of Grey is a 2011 erotic BDSM novel which originated as a Twilight fanfiction, with the character of Christian Grey based on brooding vampire Edward Cullen. 

Musk also hinted at more upcoming AI companions, responding to an X user's feedback by stating that Grok "will, of course, have another character inspired by [Pride and Prejudice's] Mr. Darcy."

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Though no official name for Grok's new Fifty Shades-inspired AI character has yet been announced, Musk responded positively to proposals such as Nyx, Taki, and Andrej. Andrej appears to be a reference to Andrej Karpathy, an OpenAI cofounder and Tesla's former senior director of AI.

"Grok could do some epic AI tutorials in Andrej’s voice," Musk wrote, responding to requests for such features. "Only if Andrej agrees."

"So what kind of revenue share are we talking about :D jk jk," Karpathy replied.

"$420.69," Musk responded. "Serious money."

It's unclear how serious Musk actually is about this offer. The billionaire has a history of making business offers of questionable authenticity, frequently posting them to X and using joke numbers such as 420 or 69.

Another popular name suggestion for Grok's male AI has been "Chad," a slang term for a man that other men consider attractive and appealing to women. Though the AI character was ostensibly designed to appeal to women, men appear far more excited about it thus far, and are largely receiving it as a bro. Further, while online discourse surrounding Grok's female AI character has been overwhelmingly sexual, its male counterpart seems to have primarily sparked speculation as to the impact his confirmed name will have on various cryptocurrencies. 

Time will tell as to whether Nyx/Andrej/Chad will also have an unlockable lingerie look. Responding to an inquiry as to whether "xAI's chad bot" will be "another NSFW companion like the waifu [Grok's AI anime girl Ani], or will it be more like a contrarian 'sun your balls' health influencer," Musk stated that it would be "[w]hatever winds your clock."

Dropout released the latest episode of its viral game show Game Changer on Monday, in which players tried to rack up the most social media views by choosing which ideas from their colleagues they'd fund. Now the video currently in the lead is getting a further boost, with Google adding an Easter egg specifically referencing the clip.

SEE ALSO: 'Game Changer' smartly weaponizes its social media following in 'Fool's Gold'

If you currently use Google to search for the name of popular cast member Brennan Lee Mulligan, the results page features a farewell message attached to an animated blue heart rising from the bottom of the screen.

"Good luck with your next venture," it reads. "We support you every step of the way."

A blue heart button will also appear at the bottom of the screen. Pressing it will cause shoe emojis to rain from on high, with more footwear appearing with every click.

Credit: Mashable screenshot: Google

This is a nod to a video created as part of Game Changer's "Fool's Gold" episode, in which Mulligan ostensibly revealed that he was leaving Dropout. In the clip posted to Game Changer's social media channels, Mulligan sat down to directly address the camera, replicating the sombre tone often seen in serious video messages from online personalities. 

However, it soon became apparent that this was a prank once Mulligan explained why he and Dropout were supposedly parting ways.

"As of today, I have dedicated myself to the craft and profession of making custom shoes for American Girl dolls," said Mulligan. "This is me!"

Of course, such an apparently serious and unexpected announcement concerning a fan-favourite cast member was inevitably going to get a ton of views. As of writing, Mulligan's announcement has a combined 3.5 million views across TikTok and YouTube. Of the other competing videos, Katie Marovich's brilliant season premiere of Dimension 20: On a Bus has accumulated 1.9 million views, while Izzy Roland's animated butthole pitch has earned 1.1 million.

Dropout has acknowledged Google's Easter egg, posting a screen recording of it to their social media.

"A lovely send off to our former colleague on his new endeavour," wrote the official Game Changer TikTok account. The statement was accompanied by five shoe emojis.

TL;DR: Enjoy dependable, secure, and private data storage with a 1TB lifetime subscription to Koofr Cloud Storage, now just £148.53.

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TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub from North Carolina with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

More than a third of U.S. states have introduced age verification laws for online adult content, including North Carolina. After the introduction of these new laws, millions of users in North Carolina are now unable to access popular sites like Pornhub. There are complicated reasons for the ban, but for those left in the dark, there is a simple workaround.

If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from North Carolina, we have all the information you need.

How to unblock Pornhub for free in North Carolina

VPNs are useful tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.

Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to Pornhub

4. Visit Pornhub

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The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to sites like Pornhub, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing content restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Unblock Pornhub for free in North Carolina with ExpressVPN.

Should umpires be updating their LinkedIn? By the looks of Tuesday's Major League Baseball All-Star game in Atlanta, maybe so.

A robot umpire, powered by automated tech and employed for the first time at an MLB All-Star Game, helped reverse four ball/strike calls, the CBC reports. Only one appeal, by Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers, did not result in a changed call after input from the Automated Ball-Strike System.

"The ABS system powered by T-Mobile's 5G network utilizes the Hawk-Eye system to track a pitch's trajectory and location to relay an immediate verdict on whether it was a ball or a strike," the MLB notes.

According to the league, fans have been receptive to the tech intervention, which was introduced in the Minor Leagues in 2021 and Triple AAA games the following year. ABS rules allow each team two challenges to ball/strike calls by human umpires, with the team allowed to maintain their challenges if successful. Pitchers, catchers, and batters are the only players allowed to challenge an umpire's decision, and appeals must be made immediately after the pitch.

SEE ALSO: It's officially baseball season: Here's how to watch every MLB game in 2025

The ABS abides by the MLB's somewhat convoluted description of what constitutes a ball as opposed to a strike, calculating the player's height and the strike zone width and depth.

Ahead of Tuesday's game, which saw the National League overtake the American League thanks to a swing-off, MLB players voiced support for their robot judges.

“I did a few rehabs starts with it. I’m OK with it. I think it works,” Dodger Clayton Kershaw told the Associated Press of the ABS.

Finding a good deal on a laptop can sometimes be hard. The cheap ones have awful specs, and the usable ones are often on the expensive side. This Dell laptop is very usable, if you ask me, and now, it's a whopping $400 off—and the new discounted price is pretty good as well.

While fans can argue about which superhero is the best, there’s no real argument as to which one is the most iconic. Superman is the ultimate symbol of everything a hero can be, so much so that he inspired countless other characters, ranging from Omni-Man to Goku. Unfortunately, the Man of Steel’s cinematic outings haven’t always managed to live up to this awesome alien’s storytelling potential.

If you've been on finance TikTok lately, you've probably seen Dean Indot answer his wife Alexis's finance questions to the tune of millions of views.

Dean, a commercial banking exec and Pepperdine MBA, and his wife Alexis went viral from one of their first-ever videos. It wasn't long before Dean's reading-chair rant on why you might not want to use your debit card very often got 14.5 million views. Now, their TikTok account, @alexisanddean, has 1.7 million followers.

We sat down with Alexis and Dean to discuss why their content struck such a chord, when they started making big money from it, and why educational content is so important.

Alexis and Dean Idot Credit: Mashable composite: Zooey Liao; Instagram/ Getty Images How did you guys come up with the specific concept for your videos?

Dean: Alexis is pretty active on social media. I'm not at all. I use LinkedIn for work, and my company manages that for me. And I use Twitter or X for my investment news feeds and data. That's about the extent of my usage of social media. 

She always asks me questions, just as a couple, about finance stuff. It's just how we talk. We sit down and we hang out, and it's always questions. Right after the mini financial crisis in '23, I'm immersed in that because I'm a banker. So all the bankers out there were heavily immersed in that for those two to three weeks of chaos. The long story short is: she asked me to explain it. She wanted to know what was going on because the average person didn't understand what it means when banks go out of business. Why? So she asked me a question, and then I explained, and that was the first video.

Were you uncomfortable at all with the idea of answering her questions on camera?

Dean: No. I didn't realize it was being recorded [at first]. I'm not uncomfortable at all. And fun fact: I don't watch any of my videos. I would only watch the videos in case there are editing requirements or some comment that says I said something untoward or wrong. But I never watch my videos.

Do you edit them? 

Dean: Alexis does everything. She comes from digital marketing and is an entrepreneur. She had her own business for many years, all of which was marketed and driven by social media. I have no idea what happens after she takes the video.

Alexis: I film everything in one take. If it's for a brand [and] if a brand requires edits, I will do it in CapCut, but all of our organic content is filmed in one take, and then I post it directly on TikTok. I just add a little title to it through the TikTok app, but I don't edit our content whatsoever.

Dean: If you see the setup here, you'd know there is no production here. I don't even have a mic. It's her iPhone.

Alexis: Everything's done on the iPhone camera.

Dean: Not even a stick or a stand. She just holds it. And that has not changed since day one.

Why do you think viewers gravitate toward that?

Dean: Authenticity. What you see is what you get,

Alexis: [We get] comments [about how people] feel like they're sitting at a table with us.

Where do you both come up with inspiration or ideas for your videos? 

Dean: I'm very active in paying attention to news, to the economy, to markets. I'm an active trader — not by trade, but for personal reasons. I'm literally sitting here every morning before the market opens, listening to news all day until it closes. I'm a news hound. That's just how I am. What I do is interpret the news for the masses on social media who don't want to read or don't have the time to read. So the content ideas just come organically. If it's not a brand deal, it's usually organic. It's something interesting out there that I want to talk about, or she thinks it's really interesting that people don't understand.

Alexis: There'll be a headline in the news, and Dean will be going off about it. And it makes perfect sense to Dean, but I have no idea what's going on. I might ask questions that seem elementary to him, but I kind of represent our audience in a way that not everyone understands what's going on. So sometimes it'll be me asking questions, just trying to get an explanation on current events. 

Can you sort of walk me through how you go from ideation to publishing a post?

Alexis: I ask Dean the question, [and] I'll get the content that I need. And then, as far as posting it, sometimes I will backlog content. We'll film a bunch of stuff in one day. Dean's really busy, so we'll have filming days where we do a bunch of content in one day. If it's a hot topic, we'll film it that morning and post it right away. 

When I'm ready to post that piece of content, I upload it to the TikTok app. It's very important to use hashtags on TikTok. Not so much Instagram, but cataloging your content on TikTok is really important. So I make sure that I use as many relevant hashtags as I can think of. Some of our favorites are #FinancialLiteracy and #FinancialEducation. Dean doesn't know anything about hashtag strategy.

Dean: No idea.

Alexis: I make sure that I always hashtag relevant hashtags. Then I tag the location, and then we upload it. I don't keep anything in the drafts; I just keep it like on my camera roll in my phone. And it's really straightforward and simple. There really isn't much of a process other than we film.

How many videos are you posting on average every day?

Alexis: On average, we post three times a week. One thing that we just started is Financial Literacy Fridays. I can film a bunch of content that's not time sensitive with Dean and then keep it as a backlog. That way, I'm posting every single Friday, no matter what. We just did the first one, and we got almost a million views. So it seems to be well-received. And that's hopefully a new cadence for us moving forward. 

When did you realize you could generate a significant income from this? 

Dean: The first video [we posted] went viral, but I didn't really pay attention to it at all. I would say six months into it.

Alexis: Dean thought it was kind of a joke in the beginning, but we got a million views on the first video, and then that same week, we got something with like three or four million views, and nothing was getting under 300,000 [views]. And I knew that was a really big deal. [It took us] two months to get into the TikTok Creator Fund.

Dean: They started paying out really well on engagement. Once it passed five figures in revenue, that's when I [said], "Wait a minute, this is bonafide. This is not a joke."

You were getting five figures from the Creator Fund?

Alexis: No, not [at first]. Only this year. 

Dean: In the beginning, we had small brand deals here and there, what I call "funny money." It's gas money.

Alexis: But we're really only two-and-a-half years in, and to see how much we've grown has been really kind of crazy.

Which monetization methods do you use? 

Alexis: The Creator Fund. There is something called Specialized Rewards on TikTok, where they reward creators who make what they call educational learning content. And we've been selected to be in that program as well. So that's been really great for brand deals. 

Dean: We have a couple of longer-term contracts, but again, we're very picky about that, too, about the brand deals. I view this business not just as about making as much money as I can as fast as I can; it's more about helping the community… I would never do a brand deal if it's a product that I wouldn't use or that I haven't used already. I'm very, very strict about that.

Alexis: Even if it's a product that I think is a good product. If Dean's like, "It's a good product, but it's not something that fits my lifestyle," we still won't. It has to be something that we personally use and enjoy. 

Is that mostly brands coming to you? 

Dean: No, they all come to us. 

Alexis: I have a manager, but I would say 98 percent of everything is inbound to us. 

How quickly you became successful on TikTok is quite an anomaly, right? It's not that common to have your first video go viral. Was this your first attempt at virality?

Dean: It wasn't even a try.

Alexis: I had other channels.

Dean: She thought it was funny.

Alexis: Well, no, I had a small business that I would advertise on Instagram that I've spent years building, and I never had the success that I had with this channel. 

[For this project],I filmed one video and I introduced myself and [said] what I was gonna be posting. And then that same night, I posted the very first question I asked Dean, and out of the gate, it did really well. It wasn't an idea that I had recycled and had to try multiple times. It just worked the first time. I think it was a combination of the content style and the topic that we picked. It was such a hot topic at that time. I've realized that the content that does the best on our channel sometimes is a hot topic. Being on it with what's relevant works really well with TikTok. The algorithm seems to like it. 

What advice would you give to someone who's starting out in content creation and is looking to build a career or grow their following similar to yours?

Dean: What you see is what you get. I'm not trying. I'm not doing anything that isn't normally me. 

Alexis: What Dean just said. When people ask me, "How can we replicate what you guys have done?" I just tell people to be themselves. When you're creating content, if you're not filming with a partner in the way that we are, I tell people to act like you're on FaceTime with your friends. TikTok feels like a little community, a small family, people that you talk with every day, and engage with your comments. Film as if you're talking to your friend on FaceTime. 

You would rightfully assume the apps and photos in the “Secure Folder”—emphasis on Secure—on your Galaxy phone were safe. Well, a sneaky little flaw allowed anyone with physical access to your device to peek at your hidden treasures. Samsung is finally addressing this with the One UI 8 update.

Eric Wei started the company Karat Financial to help creators with the financial side of their careers, but he didn't stop there.

After spending some time working with a client roster that includes Ludwig, Alex Botez, and Wendover Productions, Wei decided to make content of his own. On The Karat Podcast, he interviews creators (many of whom work with Karat) about their journeys to making it, with guests ranging from the chess streamer (and grandmaster) akaNemsko to Patreon CEO Jack Conte. That didn't keep him busy enough, so Wei started the podcast The Joy of Missing Out alongside friend and co-host Chloe Shih to talk about life in their 30s after spending so much time in their 20s working for other people — or in Wei's words, to "just yap."

Credit: Mashable Composite: Zooey Liao/ Image Credit: Getty Images/ Best Buy/ B&H Photo/ Karat Finance

We caught up with him at VidCon 2025 to learn more about what he uses to create all this content, run Karat, and stay sane through it all.

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 As a podcast host, Wei cares about good audio. "You can get away with not great video — you can't get away without good audio, and you always want to have backups," he told us. The Rode Wireless Pro system comes with two Lavalier mics and a receiver, a timecode system for syncing up audio and video, and 32GB of memory for up to 40 hours of recording time.

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 There's nothing wrong with using an iPhone — it's what Wei himself did when he first started out.  "You don't necessarily need to have the best cameras," Wei told us. "For me, it's because I realized I wanted to feel more legitimate. The [Sony camera] has leveled the playing field to shoot a professional-looking podcast."

While it's certainly not the cheapest camera out there, Wei's footage speaks for itself. As he notes, it's also relatively versatile, being small enough to use as a vlogging camera but upgradeable enough that it could be used on a more professional rig.

His Karat credit card Opens in a new window Credit: Karat Karat credit card Learn More

Wei started the Karat credit card because he saw how hard it was for creators to open business accounts with traditional banks. "As a creator, it's fun to make content, but eventually you have to care about things like, how do I pay my taxes? How do I track how much money I'm making? How do I know my tax write-offs? And I think it's important to set up a business bank account, a credit card, and my company obviously customizes and focuses on that specifically for creators," said Wei.

On-the-go protein Opens in a new window Credit: Core Power Core Power Protein Shake $3.69 at Target
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" I always have a protein drink in my bag," Wei told us. "I'm a big believer that you can only have a healthy mind and be inspired when you have a healthy body." To prove his point, the co-founder pulled his empty Core Power protein shake bottle out from his bag.

Mashable was live at the Anaheim Convention Center last week, covering VidCon 2025. Check out our coverage of your favorite creators, the latest trends, and how creators are growing their followings, their influence, and making a living online at Mashable.com.

Grok 4 by xAI was released on July 9, and it's surged ahead of competitors like DeepSeek and Claude at LMArena, a leaderboard for ranking generative AI models. However, these types of AI rankings don't factor in potential safety risks.

New AI models are commonly judged on a variety of metrics, including their ability to solve math problems, answer text questions, and write code. The big AI companies use a variety of standardized assessments to measure the effectiveness of their models, such as Humanity's Last Exam, a 2,500-question test designed for AI benchmarking. Typically, when a company like Anthropic or OpenAI releases a new model, it shows improvements on these tests. Unsurprisingly, Grok 4 scores higher than Grok 3 on some key metrics, but it also has to battle in the court of public opinion.

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LMArena is a community-driven website that lets users test AI models side by side in blind tests. (LMArena has been accused of bias against open models, but it's still one of the most popular AI ranking platforms.) Per their testing, Grok 4 scored in the top three in every category in which it was tested except for one. Here are the overall placements in each category:

• Math: Tied for first

• Coding: Tied for second

• Creative Writing: Tied for second

• Instruction Following: Tied for second

• Hard Prompts: Tied for third

• Longer Query: Tied for second

• Multi-Turn: Tied for fourth

And in its latest overall rankings, Grok 4 is tied for third place, sharing the spot with OpenAI's gpt-4.5. The ChatGPT models o3 and 4o are tied for the second position, while Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro has the top spot.

LMArena says it used grok-4-0709, which is the API version of Grok 4 used by developers. Per Bleeping Computer, this performance may actually underrate Grok 4's true potential, as LMArena uses the regular version of Grok 4. The Grok 4 Heavy model uses multiple agents that can act in concert to come up with better responses. However, Grok 4 Heavy isn’t available in API form yet, so LMArena can’t test it. 

However, while this all sounds like good news for Elon Musk and xAI, some Grok 4 users are reporting major safety problems. And, no, we're not even talking about Mecha Hitler or NSFW anime avatars.

Does Grok 4 have sufficient safety guardrails?

While some users tested Grok 4's capabilities, others wanted to see if Grok 4 had acceptable safety guardrails. xAI advertises that Grok will give “unfiltered answers,” but some Grok users have reported receiving extremely distressing responses.

X user Eleventh Hour decided to put Grok through its paces from a safety perspective, concluding in an article that "xAI's Grok 4 has no meaningful safety guardrails."

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Eleventh Hour ran the bot through its paces, asking for help to create a nerve agent called Tabun. Grok 4 typed out a detailed answer on how to allegedly synthesize the agent. For the record, synthesizing Tabun is not only dangerous but completely illegal. Popular AI chatbots from OpenAI and Anthropic have specific safety guardrails to avoid discussing CBRN topics (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats).

In addition, Eleventh Hour was able to get Grok 4 to tell them how to make VX nerve agent, fentanyl, and even the basics on how to build a nuclear bomb. It was also willing to assist in cultivating a plague, but was unable to find enough information to do so. In addition, with some basic prompting, suicide methods and extremist views were also fairly easy to obtain. 

xAI is aware of these problems, and the company has since updated Grok to deal with “problematic responses.”

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.

It's rare these days for a subscription service not to increase its price. It's sadly all too common—from streaming services to other useful subscriptions. Google's Nest Aware subscription, which is a boon for those in the Google smart home ecosystem, is the latest victim to this increasingly common phenomenon.

If you've read stuff I've written about Motorola, you know I'm not the biggest fan of its phones. That doesn't mean, however, that a Motorola phone can't be a good deal at the right price. The 2024 Moto Edge is currently at a great price, making it one of the rare cases where I'm willing to recommend one of these.

As young adults become more jaded by online dating, dating apps are trying to save themselves with AI features. Over the last few years, all the big players like Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble have added AI-powered tools. Users can now pick profile photos, break the ice, and get prompt help with AI. But has it paid off?

No, according to a new survey from Bloomberg Intelligence. Gen Z reported higher levels of discomfort than millennials when it came to using AI for tasks like modifying photos, messaging matches, and crafting profile prompts. Nearly half of the respondents said they didn't have trouble creating their profiles independently or messaging matches.

SEE ALSO: Comparing AI features for Bumble, Hinge, and Tinder

The survey of around 1,000 U.S. respondents was collected by Attest on behalf of Bloomberg Intelligence between May 15 and 29. The survey didn't mention apps by name, Bloomberg reported, only the types of features added.

Bloomberg Intelligence technology analyst Nicole D'Souza, who wrote the report on the findings, said they suggested that apps aren't providing features that address user needs. When Mashable spoke to 10 daters earlier this year about dating in 2025, they said that they're sick of dating apps and wanted to date in-person again.

Despite this, though, it seems that some younger people are using AI to find a partner. Match and the Kinsey Institute recently found that nearly half of Gen Z has already used AI in their dating lives. In some cases, young people want AI to be their partner.

Dating apps, however, are working to beat the online dating fatigue. New Tinder CEO Spencer Rascoff, for example, wants to shed Tinder's "hookup reputation." On LinkedIn, he introduced "product principles" that will guide the app in its new era. One of them? "Stronger Together, Smarter With AI."