IT General

Sometimes, it can be tough to be a ‘90s kid. Every director and showrunner seems obsessed with the 1980s, which is why franchises like Stranger Things are everywhere in the pop culture landscape. But if you have deep nostalgia for the subsequent decade, you've come to the right place.

Our car pulled up to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and we hopped out. It was the kind of June day in D.C. that was nice in the shade but hotter than hell without it. The breeze was encouraging, so Laura Marquez-Garrett (LMG) — an attorney who uses they/them pronouns — and I walked around the corner and found a nearby bench. We were waiting outside the FTC as its workshop, “The Attention Economy: How Big Tech Firms Exploit Children and Hurt Families,” took place inside. We had signed up for the workshop but decided at the last minute not to go.

There were many reasons we decided not to attend, the main one being internal documents showing plans for a different FTC workshop pushing anti-transgender rhetoric. This makes it hard to see the FTC as the nonpartisan, consumer protection agency it is supposed to be. Additionally, at the "Attention Economy" workshop, the FTC chose to exclude pro-industry and free market advocates from participation, suggesting that one of our nation's biggest consumer protection mechanisms may be losing sight of its purpose.

Americans don’t like censorship, and this came dangerously close, especially since companies like Meta, Snapchat, TikTok, Google, or Apple were not part of the featured speakers at the Big Tech workshop. Free speech thrives in openness. The danger isn’t when industry or dissenting voices speak publicly — it’s when they operate in the shadows, misleading lawmakers behind closed doors. We need companies to make their case in the public square, where their arguments can be challenged. Not having Big Tech representatives at the workshop only drives their machinations underground, where scrutiny disappears.

As we sat outside the FTC, our conversation turned to the difficulty of pursuing a goal many see as impossible — keeping kids safe online — while working with an administration that often seems to invalidate the existence of trans lives like my own. We talked about the discipline it takes to keep this work bipartisan. That bipartisanship is essential because right now, the only winners in our gridlocked political system are companies like Meta, Apple, and Snap Inc., while parents and children continue to lose.   

This isn’t a new idea. Ralph Nader wrote in Unstoppable about how right-left coalitions can drive real change. Division isn’t just a win for certain technology companies — it’s their strategy. A paralyzed democracy can’t pass meaningful legislation.

Making real change

The most prominent kids' online safety legislation last session was the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which would have confirmed a duty of care for social media platforms in its design. In response to the proposed legislation, social media companies claimed it would lead to the censoring and denying of valuable resources to the LGBTQ+ community. Even though the strength of the bill is evident in the bipartisan negotiations that led to its 91-3 passage in the Senate, those vulnerable communities were still afraid. Events like the anti-trans FTC workshop only reinforce those fears.

Inside the FTC’s "Attention Economy" workshop that we skipped, the event focused on “conservative family values” and aggressive partisanship. The Verge’s Lauren Finer wrote, “Republicans are barreling toward remaking the internet” and that the invited lineup might be a “targeted message at the very people who had previously stood in the way of kids' online safety reform: fellow Republicans.”

But Republicans didn’t kill KOSA. Big Tech did.

When KOSA failed to reach a vote in the House of Representatives in September of last year, LMG told Bloomberg it was about “choosing Big Tech money over children.” That same article showed bipartisan frustration with Big Tech lobbyists misleading congressional aides. “The tech companies are doing everything they can to play both sides,” said Jon Schweppe of the conservative American Principles Project.

SEE ALSO: The bros’ new clothes: How Big Tech lurched to the right

The war on party lines only hurts kids. Big Tech doesn’t see Democrats or Republicans — just people in power who can help them profit. In Colorado, Democratic Governor Jared Polis, a former tech entrepreneur, vetoed SB25-086, a bill to protect kids from online predators. Big Tech then used gun lobby groups to flip just enough Republicans to block an override.

Big Tech wants us to believe cooperation is dead. But it’s not. The 91-3 Senate vote on KOSA proves that. So do bipartisan efforts from Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal, Josh Hawley and Ed Markey, Lindsey Graham and Amy Klobuchar. Leaders from both sides have come together to challenge Big Tech’s unchecked power. They’ve debated, amended, and compromised — all to pass a bill that could save lives.

We can’t let these companies fracture that fragile progress. The stakes are too high.

Back on the hot day in D.C., Jennie DeSerio and Amy Neville rounded the corner near LMG and I. Jennie and Amy are two parents from opposite sides of the political aisle, united in grief and purpose. Jennie lost her son, Mason, after he was targeted with suicide content on TikTok. Amy lost her son, Alexander, to a counterfeit pill sold on Snapchat. The moms had just come from the FTC workshop we chose not to attend.

Parents like Jennie and Amy, and advocates like LMG and me, are working with unlikely allies to protect kids online. Bipartisanship isn’t dead — but it’s hanging by a thread. If we want to stop kids from dying at the hands of Big Tech, we must all stay focused and disciplined. We must all prioritize child safety by design and not conflate that fundamental issue with ones designed to distract and divide. Everyone who cares about kids deserves a seat at the table.

If we’re asked to show up and do the work to protect all kids online — and do so without harming any of them — we will. The question is whether this administration will use the FTC to hold Big Tech accountable or to target the very people fighting to survive. If it chooses the former, we can make real, lasting change.

Lennon Torres is a Public Voices Fellow on Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse with The OpEd Project. She is an LGBTQ+ advocate who grew up in the public eye, gaining national recognition as a young dancer on television shows. With a deep passion for storytelling, advocacy, and politics, Lennon now works to center the lived experience of herself and others as she crafts her professional career in online child safety at Heat Initiative. This column reflects the author's opinion.

Laura Marquez-Garrett is a parent who also happens to be an attorney.  They graduated from Harvard Law School in 2002, then spent twenty years building a successful litigation practice in Big Law with a specialization in electronic evidence and forensic investigation. In February 2022, Laura left the corner office to join a firm focused solely on issues of Big Tech harms and corporate accountability.  They now contribute in every way possible to the goal of change and holding social media companies accountable for design-based harms to children and families.  This column reflects the author’s opinion.

Brain-teasers hit just right when I'm not in the mood to engage with RPG mechanics or fast-paced action. If you want to sharpen the mind too, check out these brain-teasers you can play in your browser.

We've officially entered summer, and a new week means new things to watch. For your viewing pleasure, I bring you a mix of classics from the 80s and 90s, hits of the 2010s, and even a little Australian sitcom that makes for an excellent quick binge.

You'd think they'd be more common, but Chromebooks running ARM chips are a relatively rare sight. When we do get one, it's noteworthy. On that same vein, we have a new ARM Chromebook, and it's pretty nice.

Large language models (LLMs) are the talk of the town, but small language models are also important for certain tasks, especially on power-limited devices like phones and laptops. Microsoft just revealed its new Mu language model, and it’s already powering some Windows 11 features.

Thanks to a viral TikTok, the song of the summer has (adorably) arrived. And it's come from an unexpected source.

A little girl decided to sing a topline melody over creator @day1keenan's beats, recorded from his home in Atlanta, Georgia. The creator posted the video on June 20, which shows him understandably impressed as the girl, whom he calls his niece, starts freestyling. TikTok quickly did its thing: the video garnered 35.6 million views and over 6.1 million likes.

The bop is just 43 seconds long, but it's one of the most wholesome things on the internet right now. There's a reason the internet took notice. From the girl's musical talent and confidence to the bond with her family, it's no wonder people took note.

Commenters were so impressed that they're asking for the song to hit Spotify. One user said, "It's an actual natural talent. I love seeing kids discover their strengths." Another said, "That actually slapped. I’d listen to this all day."

The audio itself is going viral on TikTok, with a slew of creators dancing to the tune and writing lyrics for it.

The singer in question now has a TikTok of her own, @zippy_payton, with just one video of the original song that got her on the app's radar in the first place. The uncle and niece posted a video thanking everyone for all the love and for hitting 2 million likes in a while day. "Thanks to EVERYONE showing love!!," wrote Keenan.

It seems there's a celebrity in the making here. With everything else that the Internet spews at us, this video offers some respite.

Aflac recently revealed that hackers stole its customers' data in a cyberattack. Details remain scarce, but the company says it "was caused by a sophisticated cybercrime group" that's targeting the insurance industry.

Aflac wrote in a (legally required) SEC filing that hackers gained access to its network on June 12 and that it "initiated its cybersecurity incident response protocols and believes that it contained the intrusion within hours." The company said it still did not know the scope of the incident but that potentially impacted information includes health info, social security numbers, personal information, and more. Crucially, the company reported that its "systems were not affected by ransomware."

Aflac wrote it was conducting a "review of potentially impacted files" and that it was "unable to determine the total number of affected individuals until that review is completed." In a press release on Friday, the company noted the hackers gained access via social engineering tactics, a common technique that's resulted in other big cybersecurity breaches.

"This attack, like many insurance companies are currently experiencing, was caused by a sophisticated cybercrime group," the press release read. "This was part of a cybercrime campaign against the insurance industry...The potentially impacted files contain claims information, health information, social security numbers, and/or other personal information, related to customers, beneficiaries, employees, agents, and other individuals in our U.S. business."

The company believes the attack was consistent with hacks from the group Scattered Spider, which is believed to be responsible for recent outages at Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY) and Erie Indemnity, Reuters reported.

Aflac customers who may have been affected by the breach can contact the company for free credit monitoring and identity theft protection.

Google announced the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 today, deeming it "the most advanced Chromebook Plus yet" and kitting it with premium specs to match. It comes with two exclusive AI features as well as 12 free months of Google AI Pro, which includes access to advanced AI tools like Veo 3 Fast, Gemini 2.5 Pro, and Flow.

The 14-inch, clamshell-style computer features MediaTek's new high-end Kompanio Ultra 910 processor, which has a neural processing unit (NPU) with up to 50 TOPS (trillions of operations per second, a metric that quantifies AI performance). In layman's terms, it's able to handle more AI tasks onboard instead of needing to offload them to the cloud. It's the first Chromebook Plus with an NPU and the first to run on ARM hardware.

The Chromebook Plus 14 comes with two unique AI software features that take advantage of this power: smart grouping, a project management tool that sorts the user's open tabs by task, and AI image editing within the Gallery app. It'll be the longest-lasting Chromebook Plus to boot, offering up to 17 hours of battery life per charge.

Where to buy the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14: Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 (MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910, 12GB RAM, 128GB UFS) $649.99 Shop Now Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 (MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910, 16GB RAM, 256GB UFS) $749.99 Shop Now

The Chromebook Plus 14 features a 0.62-inch-thin fanless design that starts just under 2.6 pounds. (Hello, Chromebook Air?) Other spec sheet highlights include:

• A 16:10, 400-nit 2K OLED display with an optional touchscreen upgrade

• Quad speakers with Dolby Atmos (another Chromebook first)

• A 5MP webcam with a physical privacy shutter

• A backlit keyboard with an optional fingerprint reader

• Support for two external 4K displays

• WiFi 7

• 12GB or 16GB of RAM

• 128GB or 256GB of UFS storage

• Seashell and Lunar Gray colorways

Set for release in July, the Chromebook Plus 14 is now available in two configurations for $649.99 and $749.99. Both of them are sold on Lenovo's website, and Best Buy also carries the pricier one.

SEE ALSO: Chromebook vs. laptop: What are the differences?

Chromebooks, or ChromeOS-based laptops, have come a long way since the basic clunkers of the early 2010s. Google's introduction of the Chromebook Plus certification in October 2023 accelerated that; the label applies to models with enhanced features and spec requirements, helping shoppers easily identify more capable machines. But Chromebook Plus 14 toes the blurriest line between Chromebooks and regular budget laptops thus far.

Lenovo is hyping the device accordingly. "Whether you are an executive needing AI performance through the day, an artist wishing to create outside the studio, or an everyday user looking to browse, learn or play, this premium device is your perfect everyday companion," said Benny Zhang, Executive Director and General Manager of Chromebooks in Lenovo’s Intelligent Devices Group.

Credit: Lenovo

The Chromebook Plus 14 makes its debut alongside several new AI-powered features and updates for the Chromebook Plus line, which start rolling out on all models today:

• Select to search with Lens can look up anything that's highlighted onscreen (no matter the app) with a long press or the screenshot tool. This is also coming to standard, non-Plus Chromebooks.

• Text capture, a tool that turns information from pictures into editable text. It also works on event invitations, which automatically become Google Calendar holds.

• The Quick Insert key can now generate AI images on demand.

• A new "simplify" tool in "Help me read" can decode complicated, jargon-y text.

Every Chromebook Plus now comes with 12 free months of Google AI Pro (previously Google One AI Premium), a $239.88 value, which unlocks 2TB of cloud storage and access to tools like Gemini 2.5 Pro, Flow, and Veo 3 Fast, among other perks.

It was only a matter of time before OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addressed the inevitable: ads in ChatGPT.

On the debut episode of OpenAI’s official podcast, Altman was asked whether ads might show up in ChatGPT. He didn’t dodge the topic. In fact, he sounded casually on board:

"We haven't done any advertising product yet. I kind of...I mean, I'm not totally against it. I can point to areas where I like ads. I think ads on Instagram, kinda cool. I bought a bunch of stuff from them. But I am, like, I think it'd be very hard to…I mean, take a lot of care to get right."

The idea that Instagram ads are "cool" never gets a proper follow-up in the episode, but the real takeaway is that the door to advertising in ChatGPT is cracked open.

SEE ALSO: AI actors and deepfakes aren't coming to YouTube ads. They're already here.

OpenAI hasn’t needed to rely on ads, largely thanks to unprecedented levels of venture capital. In March, the company raised $40 billion — the largest private tech funding round in history. That followed $6.6 billion from Microsoft and Nvidia in Oct. 2024. Just last week, OpenAI secured a $200 million contract with the US Department of Defense.

The company needs that kind of capital. Keeping ChatGPT operational reportedly costs upwards of $3 to $4 billion a year. Operating at that scale means revenue models may eventually shift from experimental to inevitable. According to The Verge, ChatGPT has 20 million subscribers, and OpenAI projects $12.7 billion in revenue for 2025.

Altman isn’t the first to consider advertising inside an AI chatbot. Google has been experimenting with native ads in Gemini. The concept has precedent, even if unofficial.

This also isn’t the first time ads have come up in the context of ChatGPT. In a 2024 discussion at Harvard Business School, Altman described advertising as a "last resort" for OpenAI—a path he clearly wanted to avoid. By March of this year, that stance had softened. In an interview, he admitted, "Maybe there’s a tasteful way we can do ads, but I don’t know."

Just a few months later, Altman’s tone has shifted again. He’s more direct and open and clearly thinking through how ads could fit into ChatGPT’s future. OpenAI hasn’t provided any specifics yet, but the idea is on the table.

As companies like OpenAI and Google pivot toward AI-powered search, the incentive to insert paid messaging grows stronger. Ads may not be here yet, but it appears the infrastructure and the intent are starting to align.

Alternatively, ChatGPT ads could be more like something many people are already familiar with: A slick T-shirt slipped between prompt responses, just like Instagram slots ads between stories. For now, at least, we don't have to imagine what that looks like.

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.

Do you remember how you felt about Death Stranding all the way back in 2019? I know it's hard to retrieve memories from before COVID at this point, but your feelings on that game will go a long way towards determining how you feel about Death Stranding 2, launching this week on PS5.

Put simply, Death Stranding 2 is not interested in winning over the many people who didn't vibe with the first game. After playing the first 30 hours, I can safely report that this is still (mostly) a game about being a post-apocalyptic gig worker who has to juggle his time between planning transit infrastructure and soothing a crying baby on his chest. There was always a possibility, however slight, that director Hideo Kojima and his team at Kojima Productions would opt to reconsider and revise Death Stranding after the first game's mixed reception, but instead, DS2 would rather build on what was already there.

The result, at least after the portion of it that I've played, is a bigger, prettier, funnier, and more endearing game than the uneven 2019 original. But be warned: If you didn't like what was on offer before, you won't like what's on offer now.

SEE ALSO: Review: 'Mario Kart World' is chaotic, hilarious fun I don't know if the story is great, but at least it's there It was very rare for this many people to appear on screen together in the first game. Credit: Kojima Productions

There is one area where DS2 strives to differentiate itself from its predecessor, and that's the part where it actually has a story with characters who are present most of the time. The first game opened with about four hours of incredibly dry exposition, which led into several dozen hours of nothing, before another seven or eight hours of more boring cutscenes to close it out. Its narrative pacing, much like Kojima's last two Metal Gear games in Peace Walker and The Phantom Pain, left a lot to be desired. There were just too many long stretches where very little happened, and also following in the footsteps of Phantom Pain, the few things that did happen weren't especially interesting.

I can't holistically analyze the story in the sequel without having finished it, but after 30 hours, it's at least present. It helps a lot that protagonist Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus) gets access early on to the DHV Magellan, a ship that can fast travel between visited settlements and acts as a home base for the few interesting characters from Death Stranding, such as Léa Seydoux's Fragile, as well as the sequel's menagerie of new weirdos.

Tomorrow's got some stuff going on. Credit: Kojima Productions

Fragile is actually a fairly omnipresent character this time around, rather than the strange woman who made a few cameo appearances in the first game. The Magellan's captain Tarman, who has the face of Mad Max series director George Miller, is a fairly delightful old guy with a pet cat that may or may not be a demon of some sort. There's also Dollman, a former human who now lives inside the body of a doll for some reason. Dollman rides on Sam's belt and chimes in during gameplay with helpful tips and emotional support. He's a kind soul and I love him.

The cast, at least at the point of the game I've gotten to, is also rounded out by Elle Fanning's Tomorrow, a mysterious otherworldly woman who hates wearing shoes, though that particular trait is surprisingly not fodder for a bunch of creepy Tarantino foot shots, as one might suspect. Shioli Kutsuna's Rainy also brings a lot of levity to the proceedings as a fun-loving pregnant woman with the ability to create life-giving rain and a penchant for peppering Sam with irrelevant trivia questions.

Sam sees and interacts with these people face-to-face far more often than he did with the first game's far more scattered (and, frankly, uninteresting) cast of characters. Not for nothing, the story also seems to be weaving some threads together about the dangers of global connection and American cultural hegemony, but I can't say for sure if the game ever pays any of that off yet. Knowing Kojima, I'd say there's about a 50/50 chance it either goes to amazing places, or winds up being nothing.

Sad delivery hikes have never been better Floating carriers are more useful than before. Credit: Kojima Productions

I can't talk too much about the plot of DS2, but I can talk a lot more about the few dozen hours I've spent walking from points A to B to C and beyond in its sizable open world. Missions are still largely structured like package deliveries, and the core gameplay still revolves around planning a route to your destination, keeping in mind how you're not only going to get Sam there, but how you're going to get the package there. Like the first game, a great deal of the moment-to-moment action here involves walking on foot with a bunch of heavy crap in your backpack, but plenty of missions also incentivize the use of vehicles, monorails, highways, ziplines, and more to cross unfriendly terrain.

When it hits, it still hits as hard as ever. Death Stranding's signature aesthetic touch of spooling up some sad indie song (complete with an on-screen artist credit) as you crest a hill with your destination in sight is back in full force in DS2, happening roughly 15 times in the first 30 hours of gameplay. Hikes are still as meditative as ever, and I find a lot of enjoyment in gameplay where the core tension often comes down to choosing whether or not you should try fording a stream or scaling a ridge.

Oh yeah, there are sandstorms now. Credit: Kojima Productions

Of course, there are higher-stakes missions, and this is another area where DS2 stands apart from the original. Combat, especially against human enemies, is much less tacked-on and avoidable here. Bandit camps are littered around the landscape and you will regularly (though not necessarily frequently) have to find ways through them to progress. To compensate for combat being a bigger part of the game, it's also a lot more manageable. You're given a wide variety of very effective non-lethal guns and stealth tools in the first 10 hours this time.

The core shooting and stealth mechanics haven't changed that much, but where I found combat in the first Death Stranding to be burdensome and annoying, I find it to be a fun source of variety whenever the game asks me to do it. Infiltrating bases as stealthily as I can (until one guy sees me and I go Rambo mode on everyone else) has consistently been enjoyable and rewarding. I like that this game demands that the player engage with every part of its design rather than making combat a weird afterthought like it was before.

This is also more fun than before. Credit: Kojima Productions

Aside from those small changes, this really is an iterative take on Death Stranding. Everything that worked in the original, like the core design loop and ability to build out a transit network using the assistance of other players online, is still here and works as elegantly as before. On top of that, Death Stranding 2 has more characters, more opportunities to spend time with those characters, and a wider variety of problems to solve (and more ways to solve them) than the original game did.

This has been enough for me after 30 hours, but if you just couldn't deal with what Death Stranding was trying to be in 2019 (and there were plenty of good reasons to feel that way), you probably won't find much to enjoy about the sequel in 2025.

Since the New York Times acquired Wordle, it seems most platforms and publications are jumping on the game wagon. The latest is Wikipedia, the internet's favorite encyclopedia, with a new game especially enticing for history enthusiasts.

First reported by Kotaku, Wikipedia recently introduced a quiz game on its official Android app, called Which Came First? The game has a simple premise, which you could probably guess from its name. Wikipedia users are given two descriptions of historical events with images for clues. All you have to do is choose which event happened first, with five questions to try your hand at.

SEE ALSO: Wikipedia halts AI plans as editors revolt

The game aligns with Wikipedia's premise: a vast internet archive of people, places, and things, all available near the top of any search. At the end of the mini quiz, you're given the average score of users and various articles attached to the answers, just so you can learn a little more.

Wikipedia's archive for this game goes back to May 20th of this year, so it may have been around for a few weeks. But people still seem to be discovering it.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

According to Wikipedia, the game is available only for Androids so far, and can be played in English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Turkish.

To play, download the Wikipedia mobile app and select Which Came First? from the Explore feed. It's time to test your historical knowledge.

GET $140 OFF: As of June 23rd, the Dewalt Grease Gun Kit is on sale for $229.00 at Amazon for a savings of 38%, or $140 off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dewalt Dewalt Grease Gun Kit DCGG571M1 $229 at Amazon
$369 Save $140 Get Deal

If you're unfamiliar, a grease gun might sound like it's designed to up the ante at a state-fair greased pig contest, but grease guns are crucial tools for mechanics. A good grease gun empowers you to apply specific amounts of grease to fittings in hard to reach areas. When you're working on heavy machinery, you'll need one on hand.

Right now, the Dewalt Grease Gun Kit is on sale for $229.00 at Amazon ahead of Prime Day. Get it now and save $140, or 38% off.

SEE ALSO: Walmart's anti-Prime Day sale is extra competitive this year The best tech deals available right now Products available for purchase through affiliate links. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $74.99 (List Price $99.00)

• Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (Wi-Fi, 40mm, S/M Green) — $199.99 (List Price $299.99)

• Dyson V15 Detect Plus Cordless Vacuum Cleaner (Yellow/Nickel) — $649.99 (List Price $749.99)

Dewalt's Grease Gun kit has a 42-inch hose that can snake into hard to reach places. It has a max PSI of 10,000 and moves up to 5.0oz per minute. Control the flow with a variable strength trigger and blast through clogged grease.

The tool can handle 16 cartridges per charge. Use any 20V Max battery that you already own, you'll be able to swap batteries out, so you won't have to buy new ones just to run this.

Act now and take advantage of this pre-Prime Day sale to get the Dewalt Grease Gun Kit for $229.00 and save $140, or 38%.

A bleed valve primes the pump to ensure you work clean while a filter screen prevents clogs. With a three year limited warranty, this is a tool that will provide lasting value.

Best National Hydration Day deals Best overall deal Hydro Flask All Around Travel Tumbler (40 ounce) $25.97 (save $13.98) Get Deal Best travel hydration deal LifeStraw Go Series (1 liter, Aegean Sea) $35.28 (save $14.67) Get Deal Best at-home hydration deal Culligan ZeroWater filter pitcher (7 cup) $19.97 (save $5.02) Get Deal

On June 23, we all raise a glass to water. It's National Hydration Day and unfortunately, all that stuff we're told about staying hydrated is true. It's so much easier too simply not drink water, but it turns out that water an essential pillar of being a healthy human.

SEE ALSO: The best 4th of July mattress and bedding sales that are already live

We need water to survive. And we apparently need proper hydration to thrive. Without it, we're asking for issues like headaches, lethargy, or even dizziness. Since none of us have time to deal with those ailments, it's best to drink up. Doing this from a fun tumbler, sipper cup, or filtered water bottle can make this task a bit easier. Thanks to National Hydration Day, we're seeing dozens of deals that can help serve as motivation for downing those daily ounces. Here are some of our favorites.

Best overall hydration deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hydro Flask Hydro Flask All Around Travel Tumbler (40 ounce) $25.97 at Amazon
$39.95 Save $13.98 Get Deal Why we like it

Holding an ample 40 ounces, the Hydro Flask All Around Travel Tumbler really is worth carrying all around. It's vacuum insulated so your cold drinks will stay nicely chilled and the durable build means it won't break apart should it take a tumble off the coffee table. We also love the handle and the straw, both of which make staying hydrated just that much easier. Plus, it's dishwasher safe.

Best travel hydration deal Opens in a new window Credit: LifeStraw LifeStraw Go Series water bottle (1 liter, Aegean Sea) $35.28 at Amazon
$49.95 Save $14.67 Get Deal Why we like it

Staying hydrated while traveling is especially important. No one wants to deal with dehydration symptoms while on vacation at a tropical beach. Instead, pack along the LifeStraw Go Series filtered water bottle. On National Hydration Day, the one liter model in the Aegean Sea colorway is down to just $35.28 at Amazon which takes 29% off the normal price of $49.95.

This LifeStraw bottle uses the go-to LifeStraw filter which ensures your water is free from bacteria, parasites, and microplastics. That makes this option fantastic for camping or hiking trips where you won't want to carry as much water as you'll need for the trip. The filter is designed to last for up to two months with daily use.

Best home hydration deal Opens in a new window Credit: Culligan Culligan ZeroWater filter pitcher (7 cup) $19.97 at Amazon
$24.99 Save $5.02 Get Deal Why we like it

For staying hydrated at home, keep a filtering pitcher in the fridge and the Culligan ZeroWater pitcher is a great option since it won't take up much space. The five-stage filter is certified to remove lead and PFAS from your tap water. It can also help with lead, chlorine, mercury, and other containments that are not great to ingest like pesticides.

While the seven-cup Culligan ZeroWater pitcher is on sale for under $20 on National Hydration Day, snag one for home and one for the office. This is the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon on this pitcher.

More National Hydration Day deals

• Nalgene Monochrome Water Bottle (32 ounce) — $14.60 $16.99 (save $2.39)

• Owala FreeSip Bottle — $14.88 $16.99 (save $2.11)

• YETI Rambler Tumbler (20 ounce) — $24 $30 (save $6)

• MiiR Wide Mouth Water Bottle (20 ounce) — $29.71 $34.95 (save $5.24)

• Stanley Quencher H2.0 FlowState (40 ounce) — $29.99 $45 (save $15.01)

• LARQ Bottle PureVis 2 (23 ounce) — $114 $129 (save $15)

The best home and kitchen deals to shop this week

• Skylight Frame 10-inch Digital Picture Frame — $139.99 (List Price $159.00)

• Ninja Crispi Air Fryer — $159.99 (List Price $179.99)

• Birdfy AI Smart Solar Powered Bird Feeder with Camera — $159.99 (List Price $249.99)

• KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer — $449.95

• Eufy Omni C20 Robot Vacuum and Mop With Self-Emptying Base — $449.99 (List Price $699.99)

Top Eufy E20 Deals Best Amazon deal eufy E20 3-in-1 Robot Vacuum, Stick Vacuum, and Hand Vacuum $379.99 (Save $270 at Amazon) Get Deal Best Walmart deal eufy E20 3-in-1 Robot Vacuum, Stick Vacuum, and Hand Vacuum $379.99 (Save $270 at Walmart) Get Deal

The new wave of robot vacuums coming to the scene in 2025 has added some serious diversity to the pickings.

A few have been overhyped, like the robot vacuum with an arm. But a few have been impressive — I'm pretty confident that the Roborock Saros 10R will stay my favorite robot vacuum of the year, even if some stragglers come out in the second half. This isn't even touching on the eight new Roombas that casually showed up in the spring.

SEE ALSO: Roborock Saros 10 vs. 10R: I narrowly crowned a winner after head-to-head testing at home

During my in-apartment testing of all of these robot vacuums, though, one unique vacuum stood out as deserving of way more attention than it's getting: the Eufy E20 3-in-1 vacuum.

This genius design quite literally involves a robot vacuum that can transform into a cordless stick or handheld vacuum in seconds. Though an affordable convertible vacuum cleaner is probably something a ton of people wish existed, few know it's actually a thing. So let me put you on to the most underrated robot vacuum of 2025 so far.

The self-empty dock holds more than two months' worth of debris. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Most robot vacuum shoppers face the age-old question: "Should I get a robot vacuum or stick vacuum?" My ultimate piece of wisdom is to...well, buy both. Rather than spending a lump sum on a super advanced robot vacuum that does everything or on one of the expensive Dysons, you could strategically spend around half on a more budget-friendly version of each.

But what if you don't want to spend more than $500 on your vacuum situation? I can't believe something like the E20 didn't happen years ago, but Eufy deserves serious credit for finally filling that product gap. When I first heard about the E20's release during CES 2025, I expected it to cost near $1,000. Not only is the $649.99 MSRP already pretty feasible, but I've seen the Eufy E20 on sale for less than $400 several times since it came out in February 2025. (As of this writing, it's on sale for $379.99.)

SEE ALSO: As a Dyson stan, I wouldn't tell anyone to buy the Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum

The Eufy E20 is just as much of a space-saving hack as it is a money-saving hack. If you're set on having both types of vacuums, it saves you from having to store a whole-ass upright vacuum in a closet somewhere. Then, the self-emptying dock itself is extremely compact, taking up around half the floor space that the robot vacuums that wash and dry their mopping pads do. It's easily one of the best robot vacuums you could get for a small space.

Unfortunately, you do have to find a spot for the loose stick vacuum wand. I wish the dock had the option to click it on for storage somewhere.

The most powerful suction mode is loud, but worth it. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable My cats are notorious for covering the windowsills in potted plant soil. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The motor and onboard dust bin live in the body of the robot vacuum most of the time. To make the switch to handheld mode, there's a single red button to click to release the lightweight handheld part, which clicks right onto the extender wand or handheld brush and crevice attachments. That's it — that's all the hardware that's involved.

To my surprise, the Eufy E20 doesn't skimp on any cleaning mode

No offense, but I wouldn't have been surprised if an affordable robot vacuum promising this kind of versatility ended up having lackluster cleaning skills in at least one of the modes. But for a mid-range price point, the Eufy E20 is actually a solid sucker-upper in the robot vacuum, stick vacuum, and handheld vacuum departments. In robot form, the E20's 8,000 Pa of suction power is definitely in line with most $500 to $700 vacuums out there, including the Eufy X10 Pro Omni that I loved in 2024.

I live with two other people and two cats, so there's always a mix of pet hair, kitty litter, and food crumbs on our hardwood floors and rugs at any given time. The E20 thoroughly picked up between 85 to 90 percent of all the visible stuff, only really missing some corners and edges near plush rugs. I was similarly impressed with the accuracy of its smart mapping — the E20 always made it to the correct room or cleaning zone that I selected in the app, which is the most that I can ask from a "basic" LiDAR vacuum. (The Eufy E20 doesn't mop, so I wouldn't recommend it if you live in a high foot traffic home with lots of hard floors.)

SEE ALSO: I've tested 20+ robot vacuums. These are the only ones I'd tell you to buy in 2025.

In cordless vacuum form, the suction power is bumped to 30,000 Pa (for reference, the most powerful robot vacuums of 2025 max out at 22,000 Pa). That cyclonic action can be adjusted through a button on the handle, and the max setting created oomph that I could feel tugging at my hand. If you have pets, I think the Eufy E20's stick vacuum power is more than enough to uproot shedding that a robot vacuum misses.

The best thing about a vacuum that automatically empties itself is that you can really visualize how much the vacuum is picking up during each cleaning session. The E20's dustbin isn't as transparent as Dysons or Sharks that I've tested, but you can still definitely see the tufts of dust that it found hiding somewhere.

But to me, handheld mode is the real gem here. I could never be a robot vacuum-only person is because I'd simply spiral if I had no way to tend to the areas where a robot vacuum or full-sized stick vacuum can't go, like my desk, windowsills, couch cushions, and car seats — all places where my cats shed or people eat snacks. That flexibility boosts the E20's value over a ton of other plain ol' robot vacuums in its price range.

Did it NEED to have exposed guts? Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Is the Eufy E20 the chicest robot vacuum I've ever seen? Not exactly. The whole exposed motor look is a bit sci-fi-y, and I'd prefer something a little more refined and subtle if the robot vacuum were to be stored in a main room of my home. But at the end of the day, it feels unfair to put too much weight on the E20's curb appeal when it's such a bang for your buck otherwise.

Opens in a new window Credit: Eufy E20 Eufy E20 3-in-1 Robot vacuum, Stick Vacuum, and Hand Vacuum $379.99 at Amazon
$649.99 Save $270 Shop Now

VidCon 2025 had it all: dozens of panels, hundreds of featured creators, loads of meet-and-greets, and three very different tracks (Community, Creator, and Industry) designed to serve three very different audiences. But as often happens when you try to serve all audiences at once, not everyone walked away satisfied.

Still, a few core themes stood out amid the noise. These three takeaways reveal where the creator economy is going next — and why creators may need to adapt faster than ever.

'Curiosity' is the newest buzzword.

For years, "authenticity" has been the north star for creators looking to build community and grow their platforms, despite no one really knowing what that meant. Underneath that was the idea of a "curiosity gap," in which creators would use curiosity as the guiding light for content.

“The ideas for [successful] content are based on curiosity,” digital media executive Filup Molina, who produced MrBeast’s "Beast Olympics," said during a panel on how to write compelling video scripts. He pointed to a larger trend seen across the weekend’s workshops and keynotes: curiosity is king when it comes to content.

SEE ALSO: YouTube turns 20: How one video at the zoo changed the internet forever

And Molina wasn't the only person who pointed to curiosity as the deciding factor for videos that truly served an audience over the three-day convention. Kai Plunk, the managing director of Elevate Talent Management and the creative mind behind some of MrBeast's most viral hits, said as much during his masterclass "Why'd They Click Off." According to Plunk, strong retention isn’t built on flashy gimmicks.

"You want to make your retention go through the roof? Stop thinking about retention. Think about what you're actually giving them that makes them want to stick around,” he said.

Plunk emphasized storytelling over metrics: “Choose a story that leads to curiosity.” Essentially, he said, build a narrative that your audience has to finish because they’re dying to know what happens next.

So what does curiosity-based content actually look like? It starts with asking an intriguing question. Jason Gandy, a content creator and instructor at Quantum Courses, said during a panel about writing hooks, said that the question should "spark curiosity and hook viewers into watching the rest of your video to find the answer." The best hooks hint at emotional payoff, build suspense, and gain trust over time, he argued — all of which depend on closing that curiosity gap.

SEE ALSO: The first 3 seconds of your video matter. Here's how to keep people watching your TikTok

Experts at VidCon agree that creators with long-term success aren't just lucky; they understand that keeping an audience is a different skill from reaching one. The future favors those who can tug at curiosity while delivering real value.

AI is here to stay.

At VidCon, there was plenty of buzz around Veo 3, Google DeepMind’s next-generation video generation model, which is soon coming to YouTube Shorts. Judging by the packed AI panels, creators are clearly paying attention.

Beauty and comedy influencer Jenny Solares has been trying to use AI tools in her process, not because it's indispensable today, but because it's going to be the future. "I used to have to find images for green screen backgrounds on Google… now I'll use ChatGPT. That helps a lot," she told Mashable at VidCon. While she doesn’t rely on it for every part of the creative process, she added, "Sometimes I'll have the idea and I just want to see how I can bring it to life. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't."

SEE ALSO: Jenny Solares' authenticity makes us all love her

Jenny Hoyos, another creator who uses AI to aid in her content creation, described these tools as her "partner and assistant" from ideation to execution. She told Mashable, "I love all of them, but Google Gemini is really good."

Her approach is systematic: Identify a trend, brainstorm with AI, choose the most viral hook and payoff, and then build the video line-by-line. "I don't even think about, 'Oh, what is the viral video?' I just think about what's a viral hook, what's gonna shock people."

At a session titled "Mapping the Modern Creator Economy," Ollie Forsyth, founder of New Economies, said that in 2023, just 33 percent of creators were using AI tools — now, that number has surged to 80 percent.

Forsyth argued that AI doesn’t just make creation easier, it transforms creators into global businesses from Day One. With AI-powered dubbing, for example, creators like MrBeast can reach massive audiences across the globe. "Every creator is going to have to be AI-focused," Forsyth said. "It’ll help them free up the time they spend on admin, finances, brand partnerships, marketing, and more."

In short, AI isn't just about editing faster. It's about scaling smarter.

Fans had a blast. Everyone else, not so much.

VidCon offers three distinct tracks tailored to different audiences: Community, for fans and casual attendees who want to meet their favorite creators; Creator, designed for aspiring and emerging content creators looking to grow their platforms; and Industry, geared toward professionals working in digital media, marketing, and brand partnerships. The Industry track is the most expensive, the Community track is the most affordable, and the Creator track falls right in between.

Every year, there's an ongoing debate about who VidCon truly caters to, but this year, it was clear who had the best time: the fans.

Many of them — remarkably young, with a noticeable number on summer break from elementary school — showed up for selfies, meet-and-greets, live podcast recordings, and hours of access to their favorite creators. And they got exactly what they came for.

Meanwhile, creators and industry professionals spent their days in back-to-back panels on brand growth, monetization strategies, and the state of the creator economy. Insightful? Sometimes. Fun? Rarely. Even among the 200-some featured creators, the sentiment was mixed: the swag was underwhelming, the events less exciting than in years past, and the overall vibe just felt...off. As for the Industry track, it often felt more like a marketplace than a hub for meaningful networking.

If VidCon has one constant, it’s this: an ongoing identity crisis. Is it for fans? For creators trying to break through? For those who’ve already made it? Or for the brands trying to capitalize on all of the above? And in trying to serve all those audiences, does it end up fully serving none of them?

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. After all, VidCon has always been a space for fans to connect with their favorite digital creators IRL. But it does signal a shift in how the creator economy sees its biggest annual gathering. The fans are still showing up. But the creators? They may soon start looking elsewhere for inspiration, connection, and free swag.

All mentions of OpenAI's partnership with Jony Ive's startup io have been scrubbed from the company's site, following a trademark dispute.

On Sunday afternoon, users on X noticed that the page on the OpenAI website announcing the company's $6.5 billion acquisition of io was taken down. But following brief speculation that the partnership had crumbled, OpenAI confirmed to The Verge that the deal is still on. Instead, it's related to a trademark dispute involving an AI earbud company called "iyO."

"This page is temporarily down due to a court order following a trademark complaint from iyO about our use of the name 'io,'" the webpage now says. "We don’t agree with the complaint and are reviewing our options." The promotional video is still up on X.

According to an earlier report from Bloomberg Law last week, iyO, which began as a project within Google's Moonshot Factory incubator, filed a trademark lawsuit against OpenAI. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the judge presiding over the lawsuit issued a restraining order Jun. 20 against OpenAI, forcing the company to remove all materials with the "io" name. "The Jony Ive and OpenAI deal is on track and has NOT dissolved or anything of the sort, I’m told," said Gurman on X.

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The OpenAI and io collaboration was announced in late May, with a promotional video and blog post sharing plans to develop a screenless AI companion. Ive, the iconic designer behind the iPhone and other emblematic Apple designs, is leading a team within OpenAI to develop a wearable device that has an awareness of users' surroundings through voice and image support.

iyO makes an AI-powered companion in the form of earbuds. The company is currently accepting pre-orders for its iyO One device, and has argued in its lawsuit that OpenAI's venture has already created confusion. "Momentum 'came to a screeching halt' after io news," Bloomberg Law reported.

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.

Rumor has it you could soon have a new, colorful option when picking out an iPhone.

A purple or green might be on the table for the aluminum-framed iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Plus, according to 9to5Mac. It's a one or the other situation, apparently, with Apple still mulling over which color to include.

The post from 9to5Mac cited leaker Majin Bu, a frequent leaker of Apple news, and Bu noted that "only one color might make the final cut, with expectations leaning toward Purple being the likely choice for release.”

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The colors — should the rumors be true — do look sharp and interesting. It's worth noting, however, that these rumors about new iPhones are frequent and not always reality — so take them with a grain of salt.

We're likely to get the actual announcement and first look at the iPhone 17 in September. There could be a purple option or, less likely, a green — but as with most things Apple-related, we'll need to wait for them to tell us to know for sure.

Samsung's upcoming foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7, are shaping up to become the least surprising launches of the year, with leaks upon leaks (not to mention the company's own teasers) revealing all there is to know about the phones.

Now, leaker Evan Blass (with PhoneArena) has shared official-looking renders of the Galaxy Z Flip 7, revealing some of the colors the phone will be available in.

That's refreshing. Credit: Evan Blass

Two of the colors that were shared, Jet Black and Blue Shadow, have been revealed in earlier reports. But the third color is the slightly more adventurous Coral Red. It's a nice, slightly flashier option that suits the Flip 7 well — perhaps better than the dark, solemn black and blue that we've seen before.

Blass also shared renders of the upcoming cheaper variant of the same phone, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. That one will apparently come in Black And White. Check out all of the new colors on PhoneArena.

Notably, Blass says that the new phones will be available in "at least" these colors, meaning there could be more that we just haven't seen yet.

SEE ALSO: Leaked Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7 renders show surprising design change

The new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, Flip 7 FE, and Galaxy Z Fold 7, will all be revealed in July at a Samsung Unpacked event. You can find everything we know about the upcoming devices in Mashable's roundup, reporting, and feature analysis.

TL;DR: Unblock porn sites for free with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

The online world is full of content restrictions and blockades, and that very much includes adult content.

Porn obviously comes with a lot of restrictions, but there's really nothing wrong with visiting your favorite sites when the time is right. At an entirely appropriate moment, you should be able to bypass content restrictions to access sites like Xnxx from any location.

If you want to unblock porn sites like Xnxx from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

How to unblock Xnxx for free

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

SEE ALSO: How to unblock xHamster for free

Unblock porn sites like Xnxx 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 Xnxx

4. Visit Xnxx

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The best VPNs for bypassing content restrictions are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Xnxx without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can retain access to porn sites when temporarily away from a secure network.

If you want to retain permanent access to everything the online world has to offer, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for porn is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for porn?

ExpressVPN is the best service for fast and reliable unblocking of porn sites like Xnxx, for a number of reasons:

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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. Alternatively, you can get a one-month subscription for just $12.95 (including money-back guarantee.)

Unblock Xnxx for free with ExpressVPN.