IT General

uBlock Origin, the popular browser extension for blocking ads and trackers, just received another update. uBlock Origin version 1.66 adds new blocking options, removes some built-in lists, and makes a few other changes.

UPDATE: Sep. 8, 2025, 3:03 p.m. EDT Google reported that issues with Meet have been "resolved for all affected users," according to an update posted to its app status dashboard. "From preliminary analysis, the root cause of the issue is a recent change in content edge cache," the update read. "Our engineers have resolved the issue by rolling back the change."

Google Meet appeared to suffer an outage on Monday as users reported issues with the tech giant's videoconferencing tool.

User-reported issues with Google Meet began to spike sharply on Down Detector shortly after 1 p.m. ET. It's worth noting that these problems are reported by users and do not always indicate an issue for all users. (Disclosure: Both Down Detector and Mashable are owned by Ziff Davis.)

Google acknowledged Meet was having issues in an update to its app status dashboard. "Some Google Meet customers are experiencing issues with loading the meet UI," the update read, while noting that could mean slow load times or the inability to join meetings.

"Our engineering team continues to investigate the issue," the update read.

Lots of people posted online about problems with Google Meet, some celebrating the sudden cancellation of meetings.

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YouTube's exclusive rights to the first Friday night game of the NFL season seems to have paid off.

Over 17.3 million football fans watched the exclusive NFL broadcast on YouTube TV last Friday, according to Google (via Variety). Millions tuned in on the streaming platform to watch the Los Angeles Chargers beat the Kansas City Chiefs (27-21), which was broadcast by YouTube for free.

SEE ALSO: Yes, that weird NFL parade float commercial was made with generative AI

YouTube won the coveted exclusive rights for the Friday game, which was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The game took place on Sept. 5, the day after the NFL season opener on Thursday. YouTube told Variety the 17.3 million stat included 1.1 million viewers outside of the U.S., with 16.2 million views across YouTube and other distribution platforms in the U.S.

Over the past few years, streaming platforms have paid extravagant sums to the NFL in exchange for broadcasting rights throughout the football season. Amazon Prime has the Thursday Night Football rights and YouTube has the Sunday Night ticket. Other games are broadcast by Netflix, NBC's Peacock, classic networks like ESPN and Fox, and others, forming a confusing, patchwork schedule requiring multiple subscriptions, which can quickly add up for viewers. On top of that, fans will need additional subscriptions to watch all of the out-of-market NFL games.

Mashable's Tim Marcin did the math last year and calculated that it would cost $891.36 in streaming bills to watch all the 2024 NFL games.

While the Friday game was free to watch, YouTube was, of course, promoting its Sunday Night ticket. This subscription, which streams regular-season games broadcast on Fox and CBS, will set you back $85 a month (or $276 for the full season). Professional football is obviously a big business, and the number of people tuning in proves that.

By comparison, Amazon reported a season average of 12.3 million viewers for its Thursday Night Football broadcast, according to Variety.

SEE ALSO: How to watch NFL games without cable: The best football streaming deals for the 2025–2026 season

It's getting more and more difficult to navigate an internet ecosystem rife with AI-generated video — much of it slop — designed to flood the ephemeral attention marketplace online. Good news movie buffs: That experience could soon come to a theater near you!

The Wall Street Journal published an exclusive report on a project called Critterz that is backed by OpenAI and will look to make a feature-length movie largely created via generative artificial intelligence. The movie centers on woodland creatures going on an adventure. The exact process of how the movie will be made wasn't made totally clear. The report from the WSJ suggested the script was human-written and that human artists would feed images into AI tools to generate footage.

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The selling point of Critterz, at least as it seems in the WSJ article, was lowered costs and a faster turnaround. That is, by and large, the selling point for a lot of AI-generated "art" — you can get cheap output quickly. After all, human workers have a pesky habit of requiring money to purchase things such as food and shelter.

While certainly an impressive technology, AI video in commercial settings has, at times, proven odd or uncanny-valley-esque. But it is cheap and quick. Forget a resonant message on the human experience, isn't maximized profitability what we all want out of our films?

In all seriousness, AI certainly threatens to upend the movie industry. Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, and Universal have all sued AI video generation tool Midjourney for copyright infringement, for instance. An Amazon-backed AI firm recently announced plans to recreate the lost minutes of an Orson Welles film, much to the chagrin of the great director's estate.

But OpenAI's Critterz is certainly the most ambitious, brazen even, attempt at replacing human filmmaking with AI to date. The WSJ reported the team hopes for the film to debut at Cannes Film Festival in May. We'll have a better look at the future of movies — for better or worse — in just a few short months.

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.

SAVE $700: As of Sept. 8, the 55-inch Samsung The Frame TV is on sale for just $797.96 at Amazon. That's 47% off its list price and marks a new best price ever for the TV.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 55-inch The Frame 4K QLED TV (LS03D) $797.96 at Amazon
$1,497.99 Save $700.03 Get Deal

While it's not traditionally the best time of year to buy a new TV, Samsung apparently doesn't follow the rules. Not only is the Q8F QLED TV at a record-low price, but so is the 55-inch The Frame TV.

As of Sept. 8, you can grab the 55-inch Samsung The Frame TV for only $797.96 at Amazon. That's a 47% discount and a new best price ever on the LS03D model (it beats the Prime Day price by a few cents — but every cent matters in this economy).

The most elegant TV upgrade you can get, The Frame TV is a QLED 4K TV that doubles as wall art. If you're not into a giant black slab of tech hanging on the wall, it's the TV for you. When you're not watching football on Sundays or catching up on your favorite Netflix series, its matte screen and customizable thin-bezel frames give the illusion of framed wall art. It features over 2,500 pieces of art from major museums like The Met and MoMA in Samsung's Art Store. Plus, you can customize the functions to suit your lifestyle. Want the TV to shut off when nobody is around to see it? Your wish is Samsung's command.

Besides the art aspect, The Frame TV is also just a solid QLED TV. It's not the fanciest model on the market, but it's not meant to be. The Frame is built more for households that want a decent TV when it's time to watch it and artwork when it's not. At 47% off, the price is more than justified. We recommend grabbing the 55-inch model while it's under $800 for only the second time ever.

SAVE 20%: As of Sept. 8, you can get LG's 27-inch StanbyMe for $796.99, down from $999.99. That's a 20% discount and a $203 savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 27-inch StanbyMe $796.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $203 Get Deal

If you’ve been on TikTok or Instagram lately, you’ve probably seen the LG StanbyMe in at least one influencer’s grid. Although these monitors are often glorified by the Instagram girlies who take bathtime to another (bacterially-scary) level, they’re actually a handy gadget to have in the kitchen, a workshop, or any space where you need to get work done with a little hands-free instructional help. And right now, you can get it for less than $800 at Amazon.

SEE ALSO: The best monitors in 2025

As of Sept. 8, you can get LG's 27-inch StanbyMe for $796.99, down from $999.99. That's a 20% discount and a $203 savings. This is the best price we’ve tracked for this portable, rollable monitor. The last time it was this low was back in November 2024.

The LG StanbyMe is essentially a TV and a tablet combined. The stand's base has five wheels, so you can literally roll it from the kitchen for recipe videos to the garage for a workout tutorial. The main trick is that the screen fully rotates: keep it in landscape mode for movies, then flip it vertically to scroll through TikTok or read an article, just like you would on your phone.

It's also worth noting that this product line has serious industry recognition. While this deal covers the original model, LG recently released the StanbyMe 2, which just won an Honoree award for Best in Home Entertainment at the IFA Innovation Awards.

One of the most controversial aspects of the nascent Nintendo Switch 2 era might have seriously benefited at least one third-party title.

Star Wars: Outlaws was recently ported to Switch 2, after previously being exclusive to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series consoles. It's a hugely ambitious port that exists only in "game key card format" for those who prefer physical purchases, and according to Ubisoft developer Rob Bantin on Bluesky, it was actually key to getting the game running on Switch 2 at all.

First, some context. Game key cards are a pretty roundly unpopular format for physical releases that Nintendo introduced alongside Switch 2. It's basically a license for a digital download that lives on a cartridge, as opposed to the game data being on the cartridge itself. Most agree that it's bad for historical preservation (Nintendo will shut off those download servers someday), and so far seemingly the only benefit to them has been as a cost-cutting measure for game manufacturers who don't want to shell out for cartridges with high storage capacities for bigger games.

According to Bantin, though, Ubisoft chose this format for Outlaws not to save money, but because the developers had a hard time getting the game to run acceptably on a regular cartridge due to in-the-weeds technical issues surrounding the Snowdrop engine that Outlaws runs on. By putting the game on a game key card, Ubisoft was able to circumvent those limitations.

SEE ALSO: 'Kirby Air Riders' is a 'Super Smash'-style racer that triggers all the good brain chemicals

"[The Snowdrop engine] relies heavily on disk streaming for its open world environments, and we found the Switch 2 cards simply didn’t give the performance we needed at the quality target we were going for," Bantin said. "I don’t recall the cost of the cards ever entering the discussion - probably because it was moot."

For what it's worth, that decision seems to have paid off. The Switch 2 version of Outlaws has been very well received by experts who perform technical analysis of games, like Digital Foundry. That particular channel called it an "extraordinary" port that maintains a level of visual quality that's pretty comparable to the Xbox Series S version, including ray tracing features that almost seem like they shouldn't be possible on Switch 2. Having played the game myself on PS5 (and also having a basic understanding of the power differential between that console and Switch 2), it looks very impressive.

All of the aforementioned problems with game key cards still exist, to be sure, but in this case, the format may have justified its existence a little bit.

MacOS 26 Tahoe is finally coming. Apple’s big new Mac-focused operating system gets its new naming scheme, based on the year. But it’s not all about naming – the new OS also gets a series of features that make it more uniform with Apple’s other operating systems, and more helpful in general.

All these changes come together into a new operating system that could be the biggest shift for macOS in many years. While some of them take some getting used to, the majority of changes to the OS are genuinely helpful. So what's new with macOS 26? I’ve been using the MacOS 26 Tahoe beta for a while now to find out.

An all-new design language Credit: Christian de Looper

Like the rest of Apple's software lineup, macOS 26 gets the Liquid Design treatment, essentially giving the software glass-like objects and layers. But, the way Liquid Glass looks on MacOS is slightly different than on other Apple operating systems. For example, it’s apparent in services like Spotlight, in menus, and in the dock. Of course, it also shows up in areas like Control Center, just like on iOS and iPadOS. And, like on other platforms, buttons show up in layered areas.

There are other design changes in MacOS 26 too though. Notably, windows have more rounded corners, and there are more layered designs for things like sidebars in apps like Finder. It definitely gives the operating system a fresh look, and while not everyone is thrilled with it, I can say that you get used to the design pretty quick.

A better Spotlight Credit: Christian de Looper

One MacOS feature in particular that has gotten a big update is Spotlight. Apple’s goal with Spotlight was to make it more powerful, and indeed, the universal search bar for the Mac is now a whole lot more universal. 

Now, Spotlight can search across the entire operating system, including individual files, folders, apps, and even messages. Speaking of apps, Spotlight now replaces the App Library in MacOS – and Apple has completely removed the launcher grid of apps. There’s still an icon for the app list in the dock, but pressing it will bring you to Spotlight instead.

Spotlight actually gets even more powerful features that make it a replacement for some third-party Spotlight-type apps. Notably, Spotlight can now filter searches, search only through specific areas of your Mac, and use app actions, like those you can find in Siri Shortcuts. That means that you can control certain aspects of apps without ever having to open the app. If you’re willing to learn how to use those features, it makes Spotlight a whole lot more powerful. I rely on Spotlight for finding apps, files, and more – and I’ve even started using it for app actions with this new feature. That in particular is a feature that can be as advanced as you want it to be. Thankfully, if you don’t want to use it at all, Spotlight still will work as well as it always has. 

Phone app for Mac Credit: Apple

To date, making phone calls using Continuity with your phone has been a little complicated – but that changes with MacOS 26. Now, MacOS has a new phone app that looks and acts a lot like the Phone app on the iPhone, though expanded. You’ll be able to make calls to favorite contacts, dial phone numbers, and search contacts, all without ever having to open the FaceTime app. It works well, and while not everyone will need it, it’s nice to have for those who don’t want to have to pick up their phone every time they want to make a call while already using their Mac.

Live Activities

Live Activities have been available on the iPhone for a while now, but now those same Live Activities will show up on your Mac too. You’ll see Live Activities in the menu bar on your Mac, allowing you to easily keep up with things like sports scores, Uber progress, and more. The data is pulled straight from your connected iPhone, and it looks and feels a whole lot like Live Activities do in the Dynamic Island on iOS. Click on the Live Activity in the menu bar, and you’ll see expanded information – again, just like you would in the Dynamic Island. 

Shortcuts is now AI-powered Credit: Christian de Looper

Nerds like me love Apple Shortcuts for automating activities across operating systems – and it gets a whole lot more powerful in MacOS 26. How? Through the power of AI, of course. Now, in Siri Shortcuts you’ll be able to leverage Apple Intelligence for all kinds of different tasks, making use of the actual Apple Intelligence model for things like summarizing text, giving you a morning summary with weather and calendar events, and so on. Having that kind of access in Shortcuts unlocks all kinds of options for those who want to tinker too, as you can use Apple Intelligence as one step in a series of steps in a Shortcut. I personally use Shortcuts all the time, and being able to use an LLM in the flow of a Shortcut makes it a whole lot more powerful. 

Games app Credit: Christian de Looper

Apple is seemingly making a bigger push into gaming, and in that effort has launched a new Games app on many of its major operating systems. The Games app is relatively well-designed, and essentially works as a launcher to get you back into games you’ve been playing. It also offers suggestions for new games you might like, based on games you’ve played in the past. Considering the fact that over the past few years we’ve started seeing ports of more AAA games to Apple devices, this could come in handy – especially if developers continue to take advantage of the graphics performance of Apple Silicone.

For more Apple event coverage, follow Mashable's live blog and get real-time updates on the iPhone 17, Apple Watch Series 11, and AirPods Pro 3 launch. 

The specs for Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 lineup might've leaked just ahead of the highly anticipated "Awe Dropping" Apple Event 2025 on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

Let's be clear, however, that these rumored specifications are just speculation, at least for the moment. The apparent leak was written up in Apple-focused publications like 9to5 Mac and Apple Insider, which cover iPhone news in granular detail. The specs in question were first posted to X by tech leaker Jukan, who claimed to have a photograph showing a complete breakdown of the specs of the entire iPhone 17 lineup. The picture in question reportedly came from a Korean mobile carrier.

The leaker's tweet, however, has since been deleted.

Others did repost the alleged leak.

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There have been plenty of leaks and rumors about the iPhone 17, of course. Of particular note in this rumored leak: The 17 Pro and Pro Max would have an 8x zoom as well as support for 8K video on those top-of-the-line models. The iPhone 16 Pro models have just a 5x zoom feature (rivals offer a 100x super zoom setting).

Still, it's worth noting that the specs in this particular leak are far from confirmed and, as 9to5 Mac noted, carriers at times "create documentation like this in advance of official announcements based on consensus rumors." In addition, it's very easy to create phony images using generative AI, and we can't confirm this particular leak.

Fortunately enough, we won't have to wait long until we get the true specs for the iPhone 17 lineup. It's all but a certainty we'll get the official announcement at Apple's Tuesday event.

For more Apple event coverage, follow Mashable's live blog and get real-time updates on the iPhone 17, Apple Watch Series 11, and AirPods Pro 3 launch.

After five seasons of Only Murders in the Building, I've realized I don't care much about the show's murder mysteries anymore.

Yes, I gasp at every end-of-episode twist and give suspicious new characters the side-eye, but I'm not watching Only Murders for its murders. I'm watching it for the building.

SEE ALSO: 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 5 trailer: Christoph Waltz and Renée Zellweger are among the new suspects

More specifically, the community the show has built within the Arconia. At the center of it all is the trio of Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), a combination that still charms, five seasons in. The Arconia is more than just them, though. It's a complex ecosystem of tenants and staff that gains enticing new details each season, from secret tunnel systems to the West Tower sqaud known as the Westies. Season 5's additions prove extra juicy, giving Charles, Oliver, and Mabel new secrets to unravel, all while returning the show to its New York roots.

In Only Murders in the Building Season 5, it's old New York versus new New York. Steve Martin and Teddy Coluca in "Only Murders in the Building." Credit: Disney / Patrick Harbron

Over the course of its run, Only Murders in the Building started to give themes to its murder mysteries. Season 3 brought the show into the world of Broadway, while Season 4 plunged into the filmmaking industry.

In Season 5, the show shakes off its Hollywood glam and goes full "old New York," as Charles and Oliver call it. Think mobsters, doormen, and wheeling corpses through Manhattan streets in a dry cleaning bin.

The first corpse on the Only Murders crew's investigation list is that of Arconia doorman Lester Coluca (Teddy Coluca), whom they found dead in the Arconia fountain in the Season 4 finale. The police have ruled it an accident, but our intrepid murder podcasters aren't buying it. A trail involving a severed finger and the long-missing mobster Nicky Caccimelio (Bobby Cannavale) leads them to suspect the New York mob has something to do with Lester's death.

However, new suspects arrive on the scene in the form of three powerful billionaires: Sebastian "Bash" Steed (Christoph Waltz), who "owns the internet" and is obsessed with longevity; Camila White (Renée Zellweger), a hotel magnate and interior designer who never met a beige she didn't like; and Jay Pflug (Logan Lerman), heir to a pharmaceutical fortune who's infuriatingly obsessed with downplaying his billionaire status.

SEE ALSO: 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 4 finale: Wait, what about those loose ends from Season 1?

Only Murders paints these three as the new mob of New York, hellbent on shaping the city to their needs. Their visions of the city's future don't include New York staples like doormen. No, for them, robot doormen are the future! (Because even Only Murders has to tackle the AI debate.)

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

The juxtaposition between the old and new mobs of New York makes for a delicious push and pull throughout the season, building atmosphere even as the mystery gets overly convoluted. The incorporation of a robot is already a bit much, for example, and the podcasting trio and the billionaire trio have basically the same exact conversation multiple times throughout the season. But what the season lacks in cohesion, it more than makes up for in pure, unadulterated vibes.

Murders aside, Only Murders in the Building remains a cozy comfort watch. Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, and Martin Short in "Only Murders in the Building." Credit: Disney / Patrick Harbron

These vibes are shaped by some new bombshell reveals about the Arconia, which continues to shift and grow from season to season, as much a character as Charles, Oliver, and Mabel at this point.

The building's newly revealed secrets enhance the season's old New York feel, but they also give the Arconia more history, adding to the building's storied past — and how Lester ties into it all. Only Murders Season 5 explores Lester's history with the building in its standout second episode, which focuses on Lester's experience at the Arconia through the years. Any time Only Murders spends an episode on a side character, you're in for a treat, one that deepens the world of the Arconia beyond the viewpoints of Charles, Oliver, and Mabel. Season 5's Lester episode is no different: a reminder of the stories of the people around you whom you may not notice, and may even take for granted.

There's more where that came from, with Only Murders looping in more members of the Arconia's staff, including new doorman Randall (Jermaine Fowler). But it also leans hard on its core dynamic, and understandably so. Martin, Short, and Gomez remain an unlikely match made in TV heaven, with each getting intriguing new ground to cover this season. A new medication for Charles grants Martin more opportunities for outrageous physical comedy. Elsewhere, Oliver embraces his new married life with Loretta (Meryl Streep), leading to more adorable scenes between Short and Streep (who is game to do so many accents this season). Finally, Mabel reunites with middle school friend-turned-pop star Althea (Beanie Feldstein), ushering in waves of unexpected insecurity.

And of course, there's nothing the show does better than letting us sit back and watch Martin, Short, and Gomez bicker over a crime scene. Only Murders' mysteries may not be hitting the same as they did in the first season, but the show's team of amateur detectives and the building they live in are the TV gift that keeps on giving.

The first three episodes of Only Murders in the Building Season 5 premiere Sept. 9 on Hulu, with new episodes every Tuesday.

Tesla's ad spending on X this year has dwindled down to a fraction of what it was last year.

According to a recent SEC filing, Tesla spent $10,000 on ads on X in the first two months of 2025, per TechCrunch, which would amount to a total of $60,000 for the full year, if that amount of spending continues. By comparison, Tesla spent $400,000 on X ads in 2024. Elon Musk, who is the co-founder and CEO of Tesla and owner of X, was pressured by shareholders to start advertising for Tesla in 2023, according to the report.

The decrease in ad spending comes at a time when Tesla is struggling with sales and competition from Chinese EVs. Tesla sales plummeted in Europe this past spring, and by June, had been on the decline in the region five months in a row. Around the same time, Tesla fell behind Chinese EV manufacturer BYD in Europe. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration's Big Beautiful Bill is eliminating the need for car manufacturers to purchase carbon credits. Tesla's sale of these credits was a major source of revenue.

This summer, Tesla launched a number of incentives and discounts for American buyers in a seeming effort to sell as much inventory as possible before the Bill Beautiful Bill's tax credit expires at the end of September.

But things are still looking good for Musk personally, as least as far as Tesla's latest filing is concerned. The filing also proposed a pay package for Musk of around $29 billion in shares, as part of a deal with the board that also requires Musk to be more involved in the company.

Save 50%: As of Sept. 8, you can grab the Beats Studio Buds + at Woot for just $84.95, saving you $85 off their asking price and bringing them down to their lowest price ever.

Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Studio Buds + $84.95 at Woot
$169.95 Save $85.00 Get Deal

As of Sept. 8, the Beats Studio Buds + are down to their lowest price ever at Woot, coming in at just $84.95. These earbuds are brand new, making this an $85 price cut on their $169.95 list price. For comparison, Amazon has the same earbuds on sale for $99.95. The only catch? Woot's deal is only live for the next five days (or until the earbuds sell out) and only applies to the transparent colorway.

Though they're not the newest earbuds out there, the Beats Studio Buds + were Mashable's best mid-range earbuds pick at one point. Like AirPods, you do miss out on having a customizable equalizer. The Beats also lack spatial audio. However, also like AirPods, they are designed to be integrated into the Apple ecosystem, which means they pair about as quickly as Apple's earbuds, but Android users shouldn't feel left out — these Beats are also compatible with Google Fast Pair.

As for how they function, the active noise cancellation does a good (if not exemplary job), making them a great option for anyone who doesn't need (or want to pay for) the latest and greatest ANC tech. In classic Beats style, these earbuds also handle bass well, without sacrificing the quality of the mids- and highs. Finally, you'll get the same battery life as you do with the AirPods Pro — six hours per charge with ANC on. With the case, the Beats offer a little less — 24 hours compared to the Pro's 30 hours. Still, at this price, it's hard to complain.

FREE GALAXY SMARTTAG2: As of Sept. 8, buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE earbuds and get a free Galaxy SmartTag 2 at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE + Free Galaxy SmartTag 2 $149.99 at Amazon
$179.98 Save $29.99 Get Deal

A new pair of earbuds is always a treat. But so is getting something for free. If you love listening to your favorite music in style and you love bonuses, this Amazon deal was made for you — especially if you're an Android user looking for more tech to add to the ecosystem.

As of Sept. 8, buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE earbuds and get a free Galaxy SmartTag 2 for $149.99 at Amazon. The bundle's normal price is $179.98, which includes the retail price of $29.99 for the SmartTag 2, so this deal gives you a total discount of 17%. The bundle includes both items automatically, so you don't have to do anything special to snag the free SmartTag 2.

SEE ALSO: The 8 best earbuds to buy in 2025, selected by Mashable audio experts

The newly-released Galaxy Buds 3 FE just debuted, and offer upgraded audio from their previous iteration. These wireless Bluetooth earbuds come with active noise cancellation (ANC) thanks to their "blade design," according to Samsung, and include pinch and swipe controls to adjust the volume and change tracks. They offer six hours of battery life with ANC on and up to 8.5 hours without, and the included charging case gives you up to 30 additional hours of listening time.

Plus, they offer quality microphones for calls, AI features like real-time translation via Galaxy AI on your Galaxy smartphone, hands-free voice commands, and other niceties upgraded from the previous model.

If you're someone prone to losing things, the Galaxy SmartTag 2 can help you keep tabs on your items. You never know when you're going to have to find a lost bag or wallet. Or worse. With this deal available until Sept. 28, now's a good time to capitalize and get the free smart tracker, which Amazon notes will ship separately from the earbuds.

SMALL BLIZZARD DEAL: From Sept. 8 to Sept. 21, DQ Rewards members can grab a small Blizzard Treat for just 85 cents.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dairy Queen Celebrate DQ's birthday with an 85 cent small Blizzard Get Deal

Dairy Queen is celebrating its 85th birthday, and to mark the occasion, DQ Rewards members can grab a small Blizzard Treat for just 85 cents.

The promotion runs from Sept. 8 through Sept. 21. To claim the deal, you must be a member of the free DQ Rewards program (sign-up is free!) and make a purchase of $1 or more using the mobile app.

SEE ALSO: The Ninja Swirl is even better and more fun than the original Creami

Joining the DQ Rewards program is super simple and should only take a minute or two. You’ll also get points whenever you make eligible purchases that can be redeemed for future discounts and free items. There are also app-only coupons within the DQ App, like Mobile Monday deals, surprise offers, and more.

This deal arrives just in time for DQ's new Fall Treat Collection. If you need inspiration for your order, you could use the offer on the returning fan-favorite Pumpkin Pie Blizzard, or try something new like the Caramel Toffee Cookie Blizzard. The seasonal lineup also features a new Maple Cookie Shake for a different kind of fall flavor.

What if Leon had a horror/fantasy twist?

That seems to be the question being posed by Bryan Fuller's Dust Bunny, a movie about a 10-year-old girl teaming up with the hit man next door neighbor to try and track down the monster she believe killed her parents.

Sophie Sloan, Mads Mikkelsen, Sigourney Weaver and David Dastmalchian star in this thriller from the Hannibal creator.

Dust Bunny is in cinemas Dec. 5.

OK, so we know that Apple will launch the iPhone 17 devices at 10 a.m. PT on Sept. 9. But when will you actually be able to buy them?

While we don't have an official availability date just yet, we do have a good guess.

Apple typically opens pre-orders on Friday of the week when the phones are announced. In this case, that would be Sept. 12. And the company typically actually releases the phones on the Friday after that, which would be Sept. 19.

SEE ALSO: The iPhone 17 is days away: What to expect from the specs, cameras, colors, and release date

So, to recap: The iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone 17 Air, will launch on Sept. 9. They will likely become available to pre-order on Sept. 12, and they will arrive in stores on Sept. 19.

For more Apple event coverage, follow Mashable's live blog and get real-time updates on the iPhone 17, Apple Watch Series 11, and AirPods Pro 3 launch.

SAVE $400: The 27-inch Samsung Odyssey G81SF gaming monitor is on sale at Amazon for $899.99, down from the list price of $1,299.99. That's a 31% discount and the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Odyssey G81SF gaming monitor (27 inch) $899.99 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $400 Get Deal

Winter is coming. It might not feel like it, but it won't be long now before we turn the clocks back, sink into darkness, and begin the battle to stay warm until spring hits. If your ideal winter hobbies include gaming, you deserve a great gaming monitor that doesn't lag, flicker, or cause you other disruptions. Samsung makes some of the most impressive and reliable gaming monitors in the business and there's a sweet deal in store today at Amazon.

As of Sept. 8, the 27-inch Samsung Odyssey G81SF gaming monitor is on sale for $899.99 at Amazon, marked down from the standard price of $1,299.99. That's a 31% discount that works out a major savings of $400. It's also the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

With a 240Hz refresh rate, the Samsung Odyssey G8 is ready for your quick moves. It sure helps that it uses an OLED 4K display with 166 PPI. The PPI on the 32-inch model drops to 139, so the 27-inch model is where you want to live in you prioritize PPI.

AMD FreeSync and VRR are around to assist with minimizing any lag or tearing. And did we mention this is a glare-free model? That means when the sun does come out this winter, you won't have to close the blinds to continue on gaming.

SEE ALSO: This 57” Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 Curved Gaming Monitor is $700 off right now

The 27-inch model of the Samsung Odyssey G81SF means it's not gonna take over your entire desk or require a massive space. Samsung also added some fun features to the gaming monitor like a great ergonomic stand that can tilt and shift to your liking, even going vertical. There's also the Samsung CoreSync and CoreLighting+ features that bring the gaming colors on the screen into real life via the back of the monitor.

Before we hit the depths of winter, equip your gaming set-up with the best of the best, thanks to this Samsung deal at Amazon. The 27-inch Samsung Odyssey G8 will be your ticket to a winning winter of gaming.

No movie is safe from a musical reinterpretation. Broadway has been dazzled with reinventions like The Producers, Sunset Boulevard, and Death Becomes Her, while off-Broadways got weirder with offerings like Heathers, Teeth, and Little Shop of Horrors.

But how do you turn The Exorcist, a truly iconic horror movie about demons and sacrilege, packed with practical effects that seem impossible to recreate on stage, into a musical comedy? 

For writer Michael Shaw Fisher, you come at it from a lot of angles. Inspired by the madcap humor and fourth-wall-breaking of John Cameron Mitchell's Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Fisher created Exorcistic: The Musical. Rather than playing like a straight-up parody (like Teeth), Fisher not only recreates scenes from William Friedkin's famous film, but also presents them as a play-within-a-play. Confused? Oh, just you wait. 

For every truly rousing musical number or solidly silly gag, Exorcistic: The Musical is cluttered by bits and big ideas that just don't play out. 

Exorcistic: The Musical is more than a parody of The Exorcist.  Jaime Lyn Beatty and cast of "Exorcistic: The Rock Musical." Credit: David Haverty

Rather than rolling right in with the first number "A Christian in Iraq (Pazuzu Theme)," Exorcistic: The Musical sets up the cast and crew behind the rock musical. The cast piles onto the stage, introducing themselves as actors or actor/producer, actor/writer, and so on. Among them are familiar archetypes: the elegant leading lady, the ambitious ingenue, the playboy leading man, the pompous author, the egotistical character actor, the cheerful elder, and the infuriated stage manager. 

Rather than just following the plot of The Exorcist, Fisher is introducing a thread about warring egos, pretentious showmanship, and toxic showmances. But that's not all. At the start, the cast welcomes the audience to a stage reading, then begins acting out the movie — initially with minimal props, like a sheet music stand. But then they pause to do an "anatomy of scene." In these segments, which pop up throughout the show, the actors break out of their Exorcist-inspired roles as possessed child, concerned mom, and plagued priest to lecture the audience about what the source material meant. But even here they're acting, playing actors explaining The Exorcist.

Frankly, these sections are tedious. Even when the insights revealed are interesting, they feel like a lecture, or worse, yet a justification that The Exorcist is important enough to merit a parody rock musical to begin with. It's a hat on a hat on a hat. A parody about The Exorcist — even an unofficial one — could have brought the irreverent fun of Puffs, an unofficial Harry Potter comedy that wowed audiences by focusing on the much-ignored Hufflepuffs. Piling on the play-within-a-play to make Exorcistic: The Musical not only a parody of The Exorcist but also a parody of parody musicals is ambitious enough. Then, Fisher adds on the "anatomy of scene" interludes. Some of the elements of the play parody and the Exorcist parody work. But altogether, it's a tangle of ideas and emotions that make the actual production hard to follow and less fun.

Emma Hunton is worth the ticket price of Exorcistic: The Musical.  Emma Hunton as Megan in "Exorcistic: The Rock Musical." Credit: David Haverty

This musical parody works best when it delivers on what the title promises. Emma Hunton stars as Megan O'Neil — the legally distinctive parody of The Exorcist's Regan MacNeil. And while the repetition of characters saying things like "Regan — I mean Megan!" gets old fast, Hunton is on fire on that stage. Her first big number is "Howdy Captain Rowdy," which involves a Ouija board, a demon with horns and cowboy attire, and a none-too-subtle metaphor for discovering masturbation. It's outrageous, and Hunton revels in it with a mesmerizing gusto.

As Megan becomes increasingly possessed by Captain Rowdy, Hunton's behavior becomes more aggressive and sexual. This sets the stage for the reenactment of some epically disturbing scenes from The Exorcist, involving peeing on a rug, projectile vomiting on a priest, playing with a crucifix, and levitating off her bed. Surprisingly, the spectacle bits that work best are simple, relying chiefly on Hunton's performance over what an off-off-Broadway budget could manage in terms of effects.

Emma Hunton as Megan in "Exorcistic: The Rock Musical." Credit: David Haverty

Hunton explodes on stage, singing bright and brash like a Broadway diva. Through her physical comedy, she relishes in the pre-established transgressive behaviors of Regan — including taunting this critic during the urination scene by flicking the flow of liquid closer while making eye contact. But she's absolutely phenomenal in the second act break number, "Your Cunting Daughter." 

Carrying the harrowing realization of just bad things have gotten in this D.C. home, Megan unleashes a scorching song number that not only rocks, it goes full-on Fosse. A quick change reveals a puke-green fringe dress, which Hunton shakes with deliberate abandon, while pulling dance moves that seem stolen from Chicago. It's deranged and absolutely exhilarating. 

Exorcistic: The Musical does too much.  The cast of "Exorcistic: The Rock Musical." Credit: David Haverty

This turducken of a play gets more confusing as it goes. Essentially, within the play it's not that Emma (the fictional character) is getting great at playing a possessed Megan, it's that she has also been possessed.

Then, in between acts, the fictional cast makes the leap from off-Broadway to Broadway, as we're informed by an untraditional post-intermission curtain speech. Over the course of the show, the actors (played by actors) have seen the production develop over months, while we see small changes, like better props and flashier costumes. However, the show itself does not grow in the same way.

While there are suitably silly songs like "A Movie Star With a Fucked Up Kid" and "The Jesuit Blues," the show suffers when Hunton isn't on stage. Her co-stars, while earnest, don't have her ability to project. The night I attended, the sound mix was off, so the lyrics of several numbers was absolutely drowned out by the rock band meant to be backing them. In dialogue scenes, Jaime Lyn Beatty was a standout, playing the stage manager determined to get her moment in the spotlight. But when it came to songs, Hunton never got drowned out. 

To director Chadd McMillan's credit, the cast tries to make the most of the space. Performed at the Asylum in New York (where this critic previously saw and praised the musical comedy Cellino V. Barnes), Exorcistic: The Musical has a small stage to work on. So, from the first scene, the cast makes clear the whole of the theater is their play space.

They stomp off the stage for group numbers, and storm up the stairs, deep into the audiences' seating. They even interact, urging audience members in the front row or the aisle to get in on the action. This could mean holding a prop for a character break, grabbing a boob from a consenting actress, getting flirted with by a demon, or getting drenched in glittery confetti. (I can speak from experience, you'll be finding confetti in your hair for hours, if not a whole day after.) A less welcome side effect of the actors' getting this close to the audience included inadvertently being spit on. Of course, this can be a part of passionate singing. But, be warned: There is a splash zone, and it is the front row.

While I appreciate the production's moxie in using the space so fully, it actually makes seats toward the front a bad view! For several numbers I had to crane completely around to see what was going on behind me. And as some of the gags — like a lackluster projectile vomit moment — failed to impress, I wished the focus had been less on the stairs and more on how to make these big moments really shine.

Sure, an off-Broadway production can't compete with the zany perfection of Death Becomes Her's stair-fall sequence. But as Cellino V. Barnes proved last year, a small stage can work great if the concept is focused. Here, Fisher feels like he's throwing so many ideas at the audience, surely something will hit. But in the barrage, I was often more flustered than enthralled. 

Exorcistic: The Musical has a lot of energy. But the bits of it that are not a rock musical take away from the parts of it that are. The ingenue getting possessed concept is fun, playing into the idea that the movie was cursed — and thereby wouldn't a parody of it be too? But Fisher bogs down the play with too much flare and loses focus.

Simply put, this parody works best when it leans on what we loved about The Exorcist — the creepy visuals, Linda Blair's legendary performance — and gives them a loving but silly sendup. In this moments, Exorcistic: The Musical is devilishly beguiling. Unfortunately, those highs are too few and far between. 

Exorcistic: The Musical is now playing at the Asylum in New York. 

Daniel Craig is back as the debonair Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson's latest Knives Out murder mystery, with one hell of a cast and a new murder case to solve.

With a trailer out today, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery sees the dapper detective faced with another dastardly happening following The Glass Onion. This time, he's off to a small town where Monsignor Wicks (Josh Brolin) ends up dead after a sermon attended by a star-studded cast: Andrew Scott, Josh O’Connor, Kerry Washington, Daryl McCormack, Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Cailee Spaeny, Jeremy Renner, and Thomas Haden Church.

After its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will hit cinemas Nov. 26 and stream on Netflix Dec. 12.

Pips is the newest game in the New York Times catalogue. Released in August 2025, the new game puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. Like dominoes, the tiles are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 6, 2025

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for September 6, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 8 Pips

Greater than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically; 2-1, placed horizontally.

Less than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 8 Pips

Number (5): Everything in this space must add to 5. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically; 2-3, placed vertically; 1-3, placed vertically.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically; 5-6, placed vertically; 1-3, placed vertically; 2-3, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 8 Pips

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this must add up to 3. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally; 1-2, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed horizontally.

Number (16): Everything in this space must add up to 16. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must equal 3. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must equal 2. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed vertically; 2-5, placed vertically; 2-2, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically; 5-0, placed vertically.

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