IT General

One week before Dropout released Season 7, episode 8 of Game Changer, show host and Dropout CEO Sam Reich took to social media to deliver an intriguing PSA about how to get the most out of the episode.

He suggested viewers follow three rules. First, watch the episode as close to its premiere date as possible. Second, if you aren't able to watch it as soon as possible, it's best to stay off of Game Changer's social media channels. Third, if you can watch it live, he encouraged you to interact with Game Changer's social media as much as possible. What could this warning mean, and what did social media have to do with this upcoming episode?

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

Turns out, everything. The episode, titled "Fool's Gold," takes the game to social media and encourages audience interaction in a way no Game Changer episode has done before.

In "Fool's Gold," contestants Mike Trapp, Rekha Shankar, and Jordan Myrick each have $10,000 that they can use to fund video pitches by fellow Dropout cast members. These videos will end up on Game Changer's social media channels. By the end of the month, the contestant whose videos have racked up the most views will be declared the winner. All they have to do is figure out which pitch has the potential to go most viral.

Credit: Jill Petracek

The concept works on multiple levels. On a Game Changer front, it's a comedic riff on Shark Tank, one that delivers ridiculous concepts ranging from a breast milk taste test (pitched by Lily Du and Isabella Roland) to a man peeling glue off his entire body (pitched by Paul Robalino). The episode also doubles as the perfect Game Changer marketing campaign. Dropout's primary marketing strategy is social media clips, so the entire episode has been reverse-engineered to market the show.

"Whenever we're brainstorming for Game Changer, I'm looking for ideas that are not only original but also elegant in their simplicity," Reich told Mashable over e-mail. "This idea appealed to me because it basically strips down the job we do as Dropout development every day to its bare essence: coming up with ideas that are going to translate both to long-form on Dropout and short-form on social media as a means of marketing the platform. Really, the episode is just me being a good delegator!"

"Fool's Gold" also offers an insight into Dropout's cast's understanding of virality. They know sex sells, which is why Persephone Valentine pitches a Dropout cast car wash. They also know they can replicate a prior success, which is why Roland pitches a parade of animated buttholes — a follow-up on her already-viral request from Season 4's "Sam Says" episode. And finally, they know that drama always wins big on the internet. That's why Vic Michaelis' pitch for a "Why I Left Dropout" video from Dropout fan-favorite Brennan Lee Mulligan gets funded by every contestant, along with Reich himself.

SEE ALSO: Inside 'Game Changer,' the internet's favorite game show

Of course, the players' opinions on virality are only half the battle to winning "Fool's Gold." The other half is entirely dependent on the viewers, who, if they abide by Reich's guidelines for viewing the episode, will be able to "play" along live as "Fool's Gold" airs. Then, over the course of the next month, viewers will be able to keep affecting the episode's outcome. Could we see concentrated efforts to influence social media algorithms and get one video more views than others?

"Fool's Gold" is the most a Game Changer episode has interacted with its fanbase, but it's far from the only one to do so. Multiple Season 7 episodes have made fans a part of the game. "Crowd Control" cast Dropout fans as the audience for comedians Jeff Arcuri, Gianmarco Soresi, and Josh Johnson. One of the challenges for the Season 7 premiere, "One Year Later," involved creating the most profitable piece of Dropout merchandise, something fans only realized while watching the episode. Either unknowingly or knowingly, Game Changer is bringing its fans into the game, and, according to Reich, that's a testament to Dropout's relationship with its fandom.

"Game Changer pulls from basically every available resource in order to remain fun and surprising — the players' significant others, their families, the crew, the studio, etc. — so it should be no surprise that now Dropout fans are getting in the mix," Reich explained. "Brennan makes this observation in another upcoming episode: For the most part, the fans can be trusted to be funny, which is pretty unique to Dropout as far as fandoms are concerned."

SEE ALSO: Brennan Lee Mulligan on 'Dimension 20: Cloudward, Ho!' and bringing steampunk to the dome

In terms of the logistics of getting fans involved in the episode, Game Changer released each social clip created for "Fool's Gold" as they aired. That way they could avoid fans posting the clips ahead of them, therefore "upsetting the experiment," as Reich put it. Hence Reich's PSA from the week prior.

"For this episode, our social channels are more spoilerific more quickly than ever before," Reich said. "That said, the audience can also 'participate' by engaging with the clips they want to see win. So the message [of the PSA] is sort of, 'Don't engage until you've seen the episode; then engage to your heart's content!'"

Credit: Jill Petracek

In addition to its fan involvement, "Fool's Gold" marks a new step in Game Changer's experimentation with its own form. This season has played with time scales and delays in games before. "You-lympics" saw contestants competing with themselves from four days prior, while "One Year Later" gave contestants an entire year to complete a list of challenges. With "Fool's Gold," though, Game Changer extends past the episode's production and into the future, a fascinating — and exciting — shift for a show whose only constant is change.

These shifts in timeline have created bold new opportunities for Game Changer, not just behind the camera, but in front of it, too. "The greatest reward has been watching my players spread their wings creatively when given the opportunity," Reich said of the show's experiments with time. "After all, by virtue of Dropout championing mostly unscripted content for the last handful of years, they haven't had the opportunity to write or shoot anything on location. Episodes like this and 'One Year Later' prove that they aren't just brilliant off the cuff; they're brilliant premeditatedly too. Of course, by doing this, we're making my (patient and diligent) production and post team's lives much more difficult."

Now that the dust has cleared and "Fool's Gold" is finally out, the question remains: Which pitch does Reich think will go most viral and take the crown?

"Here, the real battle is between the Game Changer meta (in which case my money is on 'Dimension 20: On a Bus') and non-Game Changer meta (in which case my money is on 'Project Snake Skin')," Reich said. "But the truth is that social media is always gambling, and I just don't know."

Speaking of "Dimension 20: On a Bus," is there a chance we'd ever see more of Katie Marovitch's Dimension 20 campaign with Mulligan, Aabria Iyengar, Jasmine Bhullar, and Matthew Mercer? (Or "Mark," as Marovitch calls him?)

According to Reich, "I'm in if Mark Mercer is!"

Season 7 of Game Changer is now streaming on Dropout, with new episodes every other Monday at 7 p.m. ET.

On paper, video games should be more successful than ever before. Gaming is now a massively profitable industry, the technology behind new games is constantly improving, and the sheer breadth and quality of new releases is greater than it's ever been. And yet, the industry has never been in a more dire state.

There are some accessories for the PlayStation 5 that everyone can agree are useful—like the official DualSense Charging Station. Others are less popular, like the PlayStation VR 2, but it has a clear purpose. However, how many people do you know that have actually bought the PS5's Media Remote? Well, count me among them now!

TL;DR: Youbooks is a unique AI tool that combines AI models to write your book how you want it, and it’s only A$74 for life.

If you’ve ever thought about writing a book but got stuck on where to start, Youbooks can help get you over that hurdle. This AI-powered platform helps transform your ideas into professional-quality non-fiction books, and right now, you can get a lifetime subscription for just A$74 (reg. A$825).

AI can write your book

What makes Youbooks stand from other AI tools is its use of multiple AI models, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Llama, to craft well-rounded and coherent content. You can create massive manuscripts of up to 300,000 words, so whether you’re a content creator, educator, or entrepreneur, Youbooks gives you a solid way to bring your ideas to life.

You can even upload your own research, documents, or notes to steer the AI in the right direction and make sure the final product reflects your voice and expertise. Plus, Youbooks taps into real-time web research to pull in current facts and stats, keeping your book accurate and up to date.

You also have a lot of flexibility when it comes to style. You can set the tone and writing style you want, and once your book is ready, you own it completely. You’re free to publish, sell, or share it however you like.

With 150,000 monthly credits included (and the option to stack codes for more), there’s plenty of room to create.

It’s now only A$74 to get a Youbooks lifetime subscription, but it won’t stay that way.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Youbooks Youbooks - AI Non-Fiction Book Generator: Lifetime Subscription AU$74
AU$825 Save AU$751 Get Deal

Customizable (and often convoluted) beverages have long been a staple at Starbucks, but the coffee chain announced a novel way to access them and even invent some of your own.

Starbucks customers who use the company's app — reportedly over 31 million people — can now use it to order off the "secret menu," the Seattle-based coffee chain just announced. The secret menu is not as clandestine as it sounds; it's really just customized drinks that put a new spin on the company's lattes, fraps, iced coffees, teas, and lemonades. Besides collecting stars that eventually accrue into free beverages, app users can access the secret menu on the "offers" tab and order directly from it. The first "secret" offerings include a "Cookies on top" cold brew, a "Dragonfruit glow-up" lemonade refresher, a "Lemon, tea & pearls" iced tea, and a "Just add white mocha" iced shaken espresso.

SEE ALSO: Starbucks is shutting down its NFT rewards program

The company stated that the app offerings were inspired by their Not-So-Secret Menu broadcast channel on Instagram. Accessible via Starbucks' Insta bio, the not-so-secret menu channel teases customized drinks (e.g., iced black tea with brown sugar syrup) and other specials.

The secret menu offerings on the app will be updated periodically, and the company is enticing fans to create their own customizable beverages for it. Starbucks is launching a Secret Menu Contest "to celebrate the incredible creativity and passion our customers and partners (employees) bring to Starbucks every day," accepting submissions for customized drinks from July 14 to July 20. Four finalists for best drink will be chosen, and their creations sold on the app from August 18-25; fans will choose the favorite from August 18-20. The finalists will each snag $5,000, while the winner will take home another $25,000. Pumpkin spice tea latte with a shot of mango lemonade, anyone?

One of my main complaints about Windows 11 is that it comes with a lot of bloatware. While there is no certainty as to when Microsoft will stop or even limit the number of bloatware apps included with Windows 11, they are now offering a way to remove most of these apps during a new installation.

Cybersecurity issues are a fact of life in our digital age. Some threats are more concerning, while others aren’t nearly as big of a deal as some make them out to be. On today's menu, we'll talk about Rowhammer, a known exploit that affects dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). Specifically, a variant called GPUHammer that alters graphics cards with GDDR6 memory. 

According to new research from the University of Toronto, GPUHammer is the first Rowhammer variant that affects GPUs (graphics processing units) specifically. The research shows that GPUHammer can flip bits on GDDR6 memory, which can cause all sorts of issues, including leaking personal data and affecting the GPU’s ability to perform some workflows. As an example, the researchers say that flipping even one bit can reduce the accuracy of deep neural network models from 80 percent to 0.1 percent, and that accuracy degrades further when more bits are flipped. Since Nvidia GPUs are so popular with data centers and workstation computers, that means this vulnerability could impact many businesses. 

SEE ALSO: Everything Revealed at Nvidia's 2025 Computex Press Conference in 19 Minutes

Nvidia released a security notice about the exploit. Fortunately, the fix is pretty simple. All anyone needs to do is enable System-Level ECC, or error correcting code. This simple setting creates a redundancy in the bits so if one gets flipped, the system can automatically correct it before anything goes wrong. 

Should I be worried about GPUHammer?

In short, no. Nvidia and the researchers agree that this only seems to be affecting workstation and data center GPUs. The researchers even attempted this exploit on an Nvidia RTX 3080 and were unable to get it to work. So, for us plebeians, everything is okay. In addition, BleepingComputer notes that the exploit requires conditions generally not seen in consumer-level computers anyway, so even if consumer GPUs could be exploited, there's very low risk of that actually happening. 

If you own a business that uses Nvidia workstation or data center GPUs, then you’ll want to check out the list of affected GPUs. If yours is on it, follow Nvidia's guide for enabling GPU ECC. Once it's enabled, everything should be back to normal.

Like many geeks my age, I've felt the need for the warm glow of a CRT display in my life again, and I'm now up to three of these glass sirens, calling me back to my childhood. This has been great for video games, but what about old standard definition TV shows?

The new Xbox gaming handheld might be even more of a premium product than initially expected.

That's the fear emanating from a new leak that originated in a Spanish online Asus marketplace (via Tom's Guide), anyway. If you type "xbox ally" into the search field, it will actually show supposed prices for both the base ROG Xbox Ally console and the more powerful Xbox Ally X. The "cheaper" one is the equivalent of $699 USD, while the Ally X comes out to around $1,050 after currency conversion. I tried this and can confirm that it still works at the time of publication.

Whoops. Credit: Screenshot: Alex Perry

Of course, there are some caveats here. One is that this could simply be a technical error on the part of this one specific Spanish Asus store. Perhaps those numbers are just placeholder figures that were never meant to be seen by the public. After all, they haven't appeared anywhere else yet, as far we know. Another is that a leaker named eXtas1s claimed on YouTube that the two devices would cost $499 and $799, respectively. Those would be far more in line with competing gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch 2.

Still, if the leaked figures in the Spanish Asus store are even close to true, it would be another in a long line of negative recent headlines for Microsoft and its Xbox division in particular. In just the past few months, Xbox has been added to the official Boycott, Divest, and Sanction list due to Microsoft's partnership with the Israeli military, while a recent round of layoffs saw 9,000 people put out of work on top of 6,000 others who lost their jobs just a couple of months prior.

Nintendo might have finally realized the Switch eShop has a lot of garbage. The company quietly rolled out a new set of publishing guidelines for developers looking to put their games on the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop in Asia, but it's not clear if the same rules are coming to other regions.

Are you still using an old, slow, outdated phone charger in your car, or do you have only a single port but often need to charge multiple devices? If so, you'll love this deal we found on one of Anker's best little 2-in-1 phone chargers. Right now, Anker's 52W dual-port car charger is 40% off and under $12.

You've probably noticed that your PlayStation 5 has quite a few USB ports on the back and front of the console. You already know that you can charge your controllers using these ports, but they're useful for much more than that.

Google running two different, seemingly independent operating systems might be a weird strategy for some people. But now, it looks like Google might actually merge Android and ChromeOS, the operating system running on Chromebooks, at some point down the road.

The Alienware 27" Gaming Monitor has hit an astonishingly low price, now available for just $189 on Amazon. This incredible deal slashes the original list price of $270, netting you a massive 30% off on a premium gaming display. This markdown makes it an absolute steal considering the brand name.

From the moment Gachiakuta drops you into its world, you can practically smell the rot. There’s a grime-coated intensity to everything: the clatter of rusted machinery, the soot-stained alleyways, the discarded objects that form the bones of the city. But this isn’t just set dressing. Like the manga it’s based on — written and illustrated by Kei Urana with graffiti designs by Andou Hideyoshi — the anime wastes no time building a world where the societal divide is so extreme it’s physically enforced, where expendables are cast into an abyss of literal garbage.

The series takes place in a divided floating city called The Sphere, where the wealthy live in comfort and convenience, and the marginalized are confined to the outskirts, a slum-like district carved out for the city’s unwanted. It's a world built on rigid separation and systemic cruelty, where even a stuffed animal with a busted seam is tossed away without a second thought, and so are the people.

Rudo surveys the wasteland from atop a mountain of debris. Credit: ©Kei Urana, Hideyoshi Andou and KODANSHA/ “GACHIAKUTA” Production Committee

"This manga started from a visual image of the protagonist and his crew fighting amongst trash," Urana told Mashable. "But in terms of theme, I kept asking myself: 'Who am I? What kind of person am I?' And at the bottom of that question, I realized I’m someone who cherishes the objects I use."

That emotional core of care amid cruelty permeates every level of Gachiakuta’s worldbuilding. It’s a story about waste, yes, but also about value: who gets to define it, and what happens when it’s denied.

Gachiakuta's brutal worldbuilding

That trash doesn’t just disappear. In Gachiakuta, everything unwanted ends up in The Pit, a toxic wasteland where discarded objects rot alongside those society deems unworthy. Officially, it’s where criminals are sent, but in The Sphere, there’s no such thing as due process. The Pit is punishment by proximity: out of sight, out of mind.

But what The Sphere calls The Pit is, in reality, a surface-level world known as The Ground. It’s a harsh, chaotic ecosystem shaped by generations of fallout. Toxic air, mutated Trash Beasts, and collapsing debris from above make it nearly uninhabitable, yet an entire civilization has adapted to life down there.

It’s here that Gachiakuta fully leans into its trashpunk aesthetic: twisted environments stitched together from broken remnants, monsters born of corruption and decay, and a brutal logic that says worth is measured by usefulness. It’s violent. It’s unfair. And it’s where the real story begins.

At the center is Rudo, a fiery 15-year-old boy from the slums of The Sphere. After being falsely accused of murdering his guardian, Regto — the one person who ever treated him with care — Rudo is cast into The Pit. As he falls through the void, he vows revenge on the society that threw him away and the person who killed Regto.

Rudo moments before being discarded by The Sphere. Credit: ©Kei Urana, Hideyoshi Andou and KODANSHA/ “GACHIAKUTA” Production Committee

"The story isn’t just about the people who feel discarded," Urana explained. "It’s also about those around them and how easily someone who used to be your friend can turn on you, like a witch hunt. That kind of betrayal, and the loneliness that follows, is something I really wanted to explore."

She sees this dynamic reflected in our own digital lives. "That moment where [Rudo] is discarded under the supervision of many people, that felt like a visualization of how people behave on the internet," she said.

It’s the kind of revenge plot that fuels so many shōnen narratives: a young outcast betrayed by the world, burning with rage and purpose, determined to claw his way back and take down the system. Rudo’s anger isn’t vague teenage angst; it’s righteous, and it burns bright. His world collapses quickly, but in the wreckage, something new is forged.

On The Ground, Rudo is rescued by a group known as the Cleaners, a team led by the enigmatic Enjin. Their job is to defeat the Trash Beasts, monsters born from the waste of the world above. Using Vital Instruments, powerful weapons made from objects imbued with meaning, the Cleaners turn survival into resistance. Through them, Rudo begins to understand The Ground not as a graveyard, but as a place of second chances.

A snarling Trash Beast emerges from the wreckage. Credit: ©Kei Urana, Hideyoshi Andou and KODANSHA/ “GACHIAKUTA” Production Committee What makes Gachiakuta's trashpunk aesthetic so visually striking

That darkness is where the show begins to stretch its legs, especially with the introduction of Enjin in Episode 2. Manga readers have long been drawn to his chaotic charisma, and the anime adaptation captures that energy: stylish, unpredictable, and sharp-edged. He literally falls into frame wearing a gas mask and wielding his Vital Instrument, an umbrella, like some punk Mary Poppins. (Naturally, the fan edits followed.) But it’s not just Enjin that marks this tonal shift. It’s life on The Ground.

The Ground is a paradox: both vibrant and volatile. Some areas, like graffiti-covered Canvas Town, introduced later, pulse with color and creativity, while other parts are far less forgiving. No Man’s Land, a region choked by the most toxic air, is barely survivable. And even in the safer zones, there’s the constant threat of falling debris from above. Still, people persist, building communities from the wreckage.

Visually, Gachiakuta leans hard into its grunge edge. Directed by Fumihiko Suganuma and animated by Studio Bones Film, the anime doesn’t just adapt Urana's jagged, kinetic art; it amplifies it. The line work is bold, the color palette scorched, and the movement constantly teeters between chaos and control. "When I first started working on the script, there were only three or four chapters out," Studio Bones producer Naoki Amano told Mashable. "But even then, I knew the visual impact of Gachiakuta was strong — things like graffiti, intense emotions like anger — I felt like all of that could translate into a powerful and dramatic anime."

Enjin takes on a Trash Beast with his Umbreaker. Credit: ©Kei Urana, Hideyoshi Andou and KODANSHA/ “GACHIAKUTA” Production Committee

The character designs ooze cool. Urana's punk sensibility is everywhere, from the baggy silhouettes to the jagged haircuts to the way each character carries their weight, sometimes literally, through oversized coats, slouchy pants, and heavy boots. No one in Gachiakuta looks delicate. Enjin, with his undercut, tattoos, and rings, fits right in, all sharp lines and calm menace. Rudo's design, meanwhile, captures his volatility perfectly: his gravity-defying white hair tipped in black, his burning red eyes, and his permanently clenched expression all radiate a kind of emotional combustion.

"I always loved cool things,” Urana said. "So I was always accumulating these kinds of images in my mind… and eventually they naturally started to come out in my work. That’s how Gachiakuta started to take shape."

That sharpness of vision extends into the adaptation. "My character designs are pretty complex, so I was a bit nervous at first," she said. "I gave feedback to the anime production team about their initial approach, and they really understood my notes and reflected that in the final designs. I truly appreciated that."

That raw energy carries into the music as well. Taku Iwasaki's (Bungo Stray Dogs) score pulses with tension and swagger, while the opening theme "HUGs" by Japanese punk band Paledusk — chosen by Urana and Andou — is a controlled explosion: distorted, defiant, and deeply felt.

"At first, I was worried about the music and sound direction," Hideyoshi told Mashable. "But when I heard what the anime team brought to the table, it was honestly the best possible choice. As soon as I heard it, I was really excited, and that excitement carried through when I watched the episodes."

Gachiakuta's power system is fueled by emotion, not force

What makes these first episodes click is how fully the world and its mechanics are realized from the jump. In Gachiakuta, power isn't just about strength; it’s about sentiment. Objects that have been treated with care are said to be imbued with a soul, and those known as "Givers" can transform these cherished items into Vital Instruments. It’s a system that ties power to memory, utility to emotional value, in a world that otherwise treats everything as disposable.

A tender flashback of Regto and young Rudo that shows how care, not power, gives objects their worth. Credit: ©Kei Urana, Hideyoshi Andou and KODANSHA/ “GACHIAKUTA” Production Committee

"When I was younger, I broke a pen out of anger, and I immediately regretted it," Urana said. "I felt really bad for the pen. That’s when I realized I’m the kind of person who wants to take care of things. That’s where the idea came from: that if an object is treated with care, it gains a soul."

Rudo doesn’t just wield trash; he treasures it. In the very first episode, we see him shyly offering a stuffed animal he fixed up from the trash to his childhood friend Chiwa, trying to express feelings he doesn’t yet have the words for. That same instinct to mend and repurpose becomes the foundation of his strength. It’s why he alone can turn multiple objects into Vital Instruments. Where others see waste, Rudo sees worth.

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The concept is rooted in care, but also in rage. "One of the things I wanted to express in this work is the anger, and I felt like that anger should be portrayed honestly and straightforwardly," she added. "That’s the kind of intensity I wanted from the anime, too, and I feel like the anime team successfully accomplished that."

Rudo’s rage may be the spark, but Gachiakuta is ultimately about what happens after the fire is lit. On The Ground, Rudo is met with something unexpected: not just survival, but humanity. That’s the beating heart of Gachiakuta — it’s less about vengeance than it is about the slow, radical act of learning how to be human in a world that tried to strip you of that very right. His fury may ignite the plot, but what sustains it is something quieter, more enduring.

"It’s about how people could change by being in relationships with other people," Urana said. "Those are the kinds of things that come to my mind when I’m writing the theme of the story."

It’s what makes the show’s explosive first episodes so compelling. They’re brisk but never rushed; stylish but not shallow. Instead, Gachiakuta threads story, character, and worldbuilding with surprising clarity, immersing you in a dystopian trashpunk nightmare that’s equal parts shōnen adrenaline and emotional reckoning.

In a world built on what’s been thrown away, Gachiakuta dares to ask what’s still worth holding onto.

New episodes of Gachiakuta stream weekly on Crunchyroll.

Like most carriers and big companies, T-Mobile loves to collect personal data. While that's typically done for targeted ads and other marketing, it still gives many users pause. And now, it looks like T-Mobile has fired up two more collection processes, which are enabled by default.

Tesla will soon face a jury over a fatal crash involving its autopilot system. The trial, set to begin today in Miami, could be the first legal judgment regarding the increasingly normalized transportation tech.

The Elon Musk-owned company has weathered several lawsuits levied against its autopilot driver-assist system in recent years, all of which have previously been dismissed or settled. The latest suit was brought forward by the family of Naibel Benavides, the victim of an April 2019 crash involving a Tesla Model S sedan with an allegedly defective autopilot, and her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, who was severely injured in the same south Florida wreck. Benavides, a 22-year-old college student, and Angulo were standing outside an SUV when they were struck by the Tesla, which was driven by George Brian McGee.

SEE ALSO: Grok is now in Tesla cars, but not in the way you think

Tesla contends that the autopilot feature was not fully activated at the time of the crash, which resulted when McGee dropped his cellphone and reached down to find it, smashing into the parked SUV and surrounding pedestrians, according to case documents reviewed by the New York Times. "The evidence clearly shows that this crash had nothing to do with Tesla’s Autopilot technology. Instead, like so many unfortunate accidents since cellphones were invented, this was caused by a distracted driver,” a Tesla spokesperson told the Times. McGee was allegedly driving nearly 62 miles per hour in a 45 m.p.h. zone, and pressed the accelerator before the crash, which overrode the autopilot's cruise control.

But the plaintiffs believe that the crash should have been prevented by Tesla's advertised attentiveness features and automatic emergency braking system — according to video obtained from the vehicle's computer, the autopilot system recognized the presence of the parked car and at least one person, but didn't activate its breaks or alert the driver to the obstacles. The plaintiffs' legal team plans to depose Tesla Autopilot engineer, David Shoemaker, and two other employees.

For years, Musk has repeatedly claimed that Tesla's autopilot features, including those powering the company's new fleet of autonomous vehicles, are empirically safe for drivers and pedestrians. Experts who study autonomous vehicle safety, however, aren't as quick to claim the data as sound and the technology ready for widespread use, noting continued issues with unexpected driving behaviors like unpronounced disengagement, roadblock confusion, and phantom breaking. In addition, popular "robotaxi" companies Waymo and Zoox are currently under the microscope of the federal government, including 22 reported incidents by Waymo vehicles that the NHTSA began investigating in 2024.

In June, Tesla appealed to a judge to block the public disclosure of vehicle crash data in a case with the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), arguing that it would threaten their competitive advantage in the market. In addition to repeated incidents of Tesla vehicles and robotaxis acting unpredictably, analysts have accused the company of obscuring and de-contextualizing safety data in its Autopilot Safety Report.

SAVE $150: As of July 14, the Sonos Ace headphones are down to $299 at Amazon. That's a 33% discount from the usual cost of $449 and their best price to date.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Ace $299 at Amazon
$449 Save $150 Get Deal

While Prime Day had some of the best deals on headphones we've seen in a long time, most of our favorite discounts up and disappeared once the event ended on July 11. But not all of them.

As of July 14, you can still score the Sonos Ace headphones at their Prime Day price of $299. That's a massive $150 discount from the usual cost of $449 and their best price on record, beating their previous low by $30.

The Sonos Ace are the brand's first foray into headphones and unsurprisingly, they're pretty dang impressive. These cans were three years in the making and while other brands may have better noise cancellation, Mashable's Miller Kern said, "Sonos wins when it comes to sound quality."

The headphones are an aesthetic 10 out of 10, they offer great spatial audio, and they'll last you up to 30 hours per charge with ANC turned on. Kern said the ear cup seal could be tighter, but ultimately she would recommend the Sonos Ace to "true audiophiles who value incredible sound quality above all else."

Our biggest complaint is the steep $449 price tag. So we're thrilled this $150 discount has stuck around. We can't guarantee it'll be around for much longer, though. Get your post-Prime Day savings while you can.

Save up to $20: Looking to save a little extra on food deliveries? Best Buy marked down DoorDash gift cards valued from $15 to $200 about 10% as of July 14.

Opens in a new window Credit: DoorDash DoorDash gift cards Save up to 11% on gift cards valued from $15 to $200 Get Deal

Anyone who's ordered food delivery knows that it's very easy for a $13 sandwich to end up costing you $25 to $30 once taxes, fees, and the driver's tip gets added in to the equation.

Sometimes, apps offer you limited time deals, but if you'd rather lock in some guarantee savings for yourself, grabbing a discounted gift card is exactly the way to do that. Or maybe you're picking up a gift that almost anyone would appreciate. In either case, DoorDash gift cards are on sale at Best Buy for up to 11% off as of July 14.

While this isn't the wildest DoorDash deal we've ever seen, it does apply to gift cards valued for $15 to $200, which is less common for Best Buy to offer. At the $15 tier, you'll save $1.50, knocking your price down to $13.50. However, even just the slightly more expensive $50 gift card gets a $5 price cut to $45 — not huge, but not nothing. All the way at the $200 gift card, you'll save $20, paying $180 instead.

All the pricing tiers except for the $15 and $200 gift cards are available as both digital and physical gift cards. Digital gift cards require a valid email, and will be sent to your inbox shortly after purchase. Additionally, they're not eligible for returns. Physical gift cards, on the other hand, can be ordered online to be shipped or picked up at your nearest Best Buy.

Someone just calculated a potential drop date for the iPhone 17 — and it could be sooner than many of us thought.

The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air, the long-awaited new iPhones that allegedly could come in black and have a potentially extensive battery life, doesn't have a set release date. We don't know many of the specs, including price, hardware, and colors, but we have gotten plenty of exciting leaks. One leak reported by Mac Rumors from a leaker known as Majin Bu claims that the iPhone 17 Air could come in the MacBook Air's new Sky Blue finish.

The newest piece of iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air rumors comes not from a leak, but from some well-calculated math. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman wrote in the newsletter Power On that we might get the new iPhone specs — and the opportunity to buy them — the week of September 8.

Gurman noted that Apple tends to launch its new iPhones the week after Labor Day. This year, that falls on September 1, so we'll probably see the launch the week of September 8. And that tracks with its history — in the last decade, nine of the 10 Apple events fell on the second week of September, according to MacRumors. The only year that breaks the pattern is 2000, when the event was moved due to the pandemic.

Apple never schedules events on Fridays, Gurman argues, and will likely avoid a show on September 11. That leaves three days open for its iPhone event: September 8, a Monday; September 9, a Tuesday; or September 10, a Wednesday.

"It could be that Monday (the 8th), though I suspect the 9th or 10th is probably more likely,” Gurman wrote, according to PC Mag.

So if you're on the lookout for all the new iPhone details, you might want to set time in your calendar for the second week of September.