IT General

Discord has released its first personalised end-of-year wrap up, cataloguing just how many hours you spent chatting with friends this year. Called Discord Checkpoint, it's basically like Spotify Wrapped for your gaming habits.

SEE ALSO: Discord launches new safety features following lawsuits What is Discord Checkpoint?

Rolling out from Dec. 4, Discord Checkpoint is the voice messaging app's first ever year-in-review feature. Discord hasn't committed to making this an annual event going forward, stating that Checkpoint was released to celebrate the app's 10th anniversary this year. However, it has stated that "plans for Checkpoint beyond 2025 are still unfolding."

Discord Checkpoint summarises statistics such as how many hours you've spent in voice chats, which friends you talked to the most, which servers seem to be your favourite, your most-used emojis, and your most frequently played games. (Apparently I played 139 sessions of Dota 2 this year.) Users can directly share their Checkpoints on Discord via a Share button on its final summary page, or screenshot their results to post elsewhere.

The wrap up is available to users who were active on Discord in 2025, and have allowed it to "use data to personalize [their] Discord experience" in the app's data and privacy settings. New users and those who weren't very active won't have a Discord Checkpoint, as they won't have enough statistics to compile.

How to get your Discord Checkpoint

A pop-up notification directing you to your Discord Checkpoint should automatically appear when you open the app, both on desktop and mobile. You can also access your Discord Checkpoint on your desktop by clicking the flag icon in the top right corner of the Discord app. On mobile, you'll have to tap the You icon on the bottom right first, then select the green Checkpoint banner.

If your Discord Checkpoint isn't showing up, double check that your Discord app is up to date. While the desktop Discord app should automatically update when you restart it, the mobile app may require a manual update via the app store.

Viewing your Discord Checkpoint will grant you a temporary decorative frame for your profile picture. Users will be able to display it until Jan. 15, at which time their Checkpoint will vanish as well. Those who didn't get a Checkpoint can still grab the frame by attempting to view it anyway.

Credit: Discord

Discord has also released a wrap up of its wrap up, summarising the behaviour of its 200 million monthly active users across the globe. Multiplayer online battle arena League of Legends was the most popular game amongst Discord users despite turning 16 this year, while co-op survival horror R.E.P.O. was the biggest indie game. Discord's most used emoji was the red heart, used 2.18 billion times, followed by the sobbing emoji at 1.71 billion uses.

Pluribus episode 5 left viewers on a cliffhanger bigger than the Others' globe-spanning hive mind.

While investigating the Others' apparent love of milk, Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn) discovered that the Others' primary food source was actually an oily amber-colored fluid, made of water and a suspicious white powder. Further detective work took her to a cold-storage warehouse filled with produce and unknown items wrapped in plastic bags. Upon snooping in one of the bags, Carol claps her hand over her mouth — the universal sign for "What the hell have I just witnessed?"

SEE ALSO: 'Pluribus' fans, you can now read Carol's 'Bloodsong of Wycaro'

Pluribus cut to black before we could get a response to that question, but thankfully, episode 6, titled "HDP," wastes no time in giving us the answer.

It's human bodies.

You might have guessed it, but that doesn't make seeing all the shrink-wrapped corpses any less disturbing. Adding to the horror? The massive meat grinders and cooking vats full of human body parts in the next room of the warehouse.

That's right: Just when you thought the Others couldn't get any scarier, turns out they're cannibals. Carol truly cannot catch a break.

The Others aren't hiding their cannibalism, though. When Carol heads to Las Vegas to tell Mr. Diabaté (Samba Schutte) about her discovery, he reveals he already knows. ("It is troubling," he acknowledges. But not troubling enough to stop LARPing his James Bond casino fantasy with them!)

The Others have prepared a video explanation for Carol, complete with a very special cameo. The video explains that since the Others can't harm or kill any form of life — including plant life — they're having a tough time finding food on Earth to feed all 7,348,292,411 members of the hive mind.

Yes, they can use the food that was already stockpiled by the time they so kindly infected everyone on Earth, but even that's not enough. To get those extra calories, they need to add Human-Derived Protein (HDP) to their diets. Each carton of the Others' mysterious liquid contains eight to 12 percent of that sweet, sweet HDP. Don't worry, they're not actually killing anyone to get that HDP. They can't! They can, however, harvest the bodies of people dying of natural causes. Following the Joining, which killed hundreds of millions of people, the Others already have quite the human corpse stockpile — and they can't let that go to waste, right?

However, the Others leave a key twist out of their video, one that Mr. Diabaté quickly reveals to Carol. Even with the HDP, the vast majority of the Others will starve to death within ten years. Mr. Diabaté and the other immune survivors want to save them from that fate. ("Maybe tell 'em to pick a fucking apple," Carol points out.) For now, though, Carol's goal remains the same: Reverse the Joining, and get the — confirmed cannibal! — hive mind away from Earth.

Pluribus is now streaming on Apple TV, with a new episode every Friday

If you had "John Cena calmly explains cannibalism" on your 2025 bingo card, congratulations! Pluribus has made all your hyper-specific dreams come true. (Side note: Are you okay?)

That's because Cena makes a cameo in Pluribus' sixth episode, titled "HDP." He plays himself... kind of. This version of Cena isn't really a wrestler or an actor. Instead, he's a member of the global hive mind that's taken over the world. He's lost all individuality, but on the bright side, this means everyone in the hive mind has Cena's memories of filming Peacemaker's opening dance intro, and that's fun, right?

SEE ALSO: 'Pluribus' episode 6: What did Carol find in the warehouse?

Cena appears in a video message to Carol (Rhea Seehorn) from the Others, bursting into Pluribus in such a surprising manner I wondered if I'd stumbled on an unexpected John Cena meme compilation from 2015. Seriously, I half expected to hear the trumpets from his entrance theme blaring once he started talking.

But there's no time for memes here. Pluribus' Cena has something serious to tell Carol about: cannibalism.

In Cena's video message, he explains why the Others have turned to cannibalism and are mashing human body parts into their little milk cartons. The answer? They need to in order to survive.

See, the Others are unable to harm or kill any form of life, including plants. That means their food sources on Earth are limited. They can use the millions of tons of food that were processed before their arrival, but even that's not enough to curb the caloric deficit facing the billions of members of the hive mind.

SEE ALSO: 'Pluribus' episode 6 reveals something huge about the virus

The solution? Adding human corpses to their diet. For the Others, anyone who dies of natural causes becomes part of their food source. Why bury a body and waste all that meat?

Because of this, eight to 12 percent of the liquid in the Others' milk cartons is made up of Human-Derived Protein (HDP). Do the Others really want to eat this? No way, Hive Mind Cena tells Carol. They'll also never force Carol to partake in HDP under any circumstances. Reassuring!

The Others present the cannibalism as efficient and logical, with the video message featuring helpful charts, stock footage, and many, many wipe transitions. (Which member of the hive mind was Cena's video editor? Was it Cena himself, tapping into other members' memories of using iMovie?) But their affable spokesman can't deny the truth: This is monstrous, just like their invasion. The Others may try to treat it like it's just an unfortunate part of life, but the fact remains that they haven't just desecrated human minds by taking them over. Now, they're desecrating bodies, too. All because they can't, as Carol points out, "pick a fucking apple."

As harrowing as the HDP twist is, it's undeniably fun to watch Cena channel the cheery helpfulness of the Others. The line "We're John Cena" alone had me cackling, both because it's funny, and because I was so weirded out that cackling seemed like the best reaction.

With this appearance, Cena joins a crowded landscape of celebrities playing themselves on TV in 2025. Apple TV's own The Studio is crammed with actors and directors poking fun at themselves, while new comedies like Overcompensating, Adults, and I Love LA roped in the likes of Charli XCX, Julia Fox, Quenlin Blackwell, and Elijah Wood to play heightened versions of themselves.

But when it comes to sheer strangeness, you really can't top alien virus hive mind John Cena explaining why drinking processed human body parts from a milk carton isn't just okay, it's necessary. The bar's been set pretty high, so if your next celebrity cameo doesn't feature at least one Soylent Green reference, take it back to the drawing board!

Pluribus is now streaming on Apple TV, with a new episode every Friday

Now that the Steam Deck is starting to show its age, gamers are searching for upgraded handhelds that can fill the void of a not-yet-realized "Steam Deck 2." For me, the Legion Go S is that handheld, and it's just generally a great platform for on-the-go PC gaming.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Threw.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

FLUNG

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Noisy.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 5, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ROWDY

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Silly.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 5 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 5, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

GOOFY

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To gag.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for December 5 Hurdle Word 4 answer

CHOKE

Final Hurdle hint

Jumped.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

LEAPT

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

The moon still looks pretty big and bright in the sky after last night's Full Moon. But now that it's passed, the moon will actually be getting less visible each night as we work through the lunar cycle and approach the New Moon phase. Until then, however, there's plenty to see on the surface, so keep reading to find out what you can spot.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday, Dec. 5, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. This means 99% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

If you're looking up with just your naked eye, there's lots to see, in particular the Humorum Mare, Endymion Crater, and Alphonsus Crater. With binoculars you'll also be able to spy the Alps Mountains, Clavius Crater and the Mare Humorum. And with a telescope, you can catch a glimpse of the Apollo 11 and 12 landing spots.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

NASA explains that the lunar cycle (which is about 29.5 days long) is made up of the Moon’s phases, which describe how the Moon looks from Earth as it travels around us. We view the same side of the Moon at all times, but the sunlight hitting its surface shifts as it moves through its orbit. That changing illumination is what makes the Moon appear full, half-lit, or not visible at all. The cycle includes eight distinct phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Is the Trump administration about to be the Grinch that stole sales of most drones just before Christmas?

There's a Dec. 23 deadline looming for DJI, which makes 90 percent of the world's drones, to pass an audit from the U.S. government. Without an audit, U.S. law says DJI will go on the FCC's naughty list — sorry, Covered list — effectively a ban on further U.S. sales.

DJI has long said it is happy to schedule the new U.S. audit; after all, the company has years of independent audits (and a Department of the Interior audit) under its belt. But with no reply from anyone in the Trump administration three weeks before deadline, DJI drones look like they will be left high and dry.

That's why DJI just took the desperate step of sending open letters to Homeland Security head Kristi Noem, FBI boss Kash Patel, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Department of Defense (or is that War?) chief Pete Hegseth — whom they'd written to multiple times privately.

"In September you indicated through written communication the Department's willingness to work with DJI," the letter to Noem says. (Translation: we've got the receipts.) "We stand behind the security of our technology, and are keen to meet with you and ensure that this Congressionally-mandated security review takes place as soon as possible so you can fulfill your commitment."

SEE ALSO: Everything we know about the looming DJI drone ban in the United States

Adam Welsh, DJI head of global policy, ticked off all the ways DJI drones are safe — flight logs don't go on servers, images and videos aren't backed up to servers unless the user wants, and there's a "local data" mode that cuts all connection between the drone and the internet.

With an eye to outraged consumers — especially farmers who use drone technology — Welsh wrote that a ban "would lead to widespread consumer confusion and deprive American drone users of due process — and of answers about the safety and security of the DJI products they use every day. Failing to undertake the review further goes against Congressional intent for a security review to be completed."

The administration hasn't commented on the open letters yet, but in the past, Hegseth's department has claimed — without evidence — that DJI is a Chinese military company.

SAVE $90: As of Dec. 4, get the DJI Mic Mini (2 TX, 1 RX, and Charging Case) for $79, down from its usual price of $169. That's a discount of 53% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon DJI Mic Mini (2 TX, 1 RX, and Charging Case) $79 at Amazon
$169 Save $90   Get Deal

Though Black Friday and Cyber Monday have both come and gone, there are still plenty of deals across the board that you won't want to miss. Some of those deals include discounts on creator-approved devices like the TikTok-favorite DJI Mic Mini. You can get one for yourself right now as it's back at the lowest price recorded just yet.

As of Dec. 4, get the DJI Mic Mini (2 TX, 1 RX, and Charging Case) for $79, down from its usual price of $169. That's $90 off and a discount of 53%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: The best Cyber Monday deals on portable power stations: Jackery, Bluetti, and DJI at record lows

This cult-favorite microphone is a favorite that's even used by the Mashable team. It's a great option for anyone who needs to record audio, whether that means interviewing or doing regular vlogging. All you need to do is clip it onto a secure area and it can do the rest as it records in excellent quality with a great range: up to 400 meters to be exact.

It's not only lightweight, but it records high-quality audio with 48kHz sampling at up to 120 dB SPL. With 10 hours of battery and an additional 48 thanks to the included charging case with this deal, you have plenty of time to record all the audio you need as well.

Part of what makes this mic such a favorite is its ease of use related to its high quality. It really is perfect for both entry-level and seasoned creators. And if you want to be in with the in crowd when it comes to tech, now's a good time to lock yours in while the deals are still hanging on.

TL;DR: A Grade A refurbished 2019 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar that still delivers smooth, everyday performance — on Cyber Week sale for $359.97 for a short time.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Macbook Pro 2019 (Refurbished) $359.97
$1,499 Save $1,139.03   Get Deal

Not every MacBook needs to be brand new, freshly unveiled, and packed with the latest buzzwords. Sometimes, the smartest move is choosing a dependable model that still delivers where it counts — and the Grade A refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (2019) 13″ with Touch Bar fits that role.

Whether you’re responding to emails, managing spreadsheets, editing photos, hopping onto Zoom calls, streaming your favorite shows, or handling everyday work tasks, this Apple MacBook Pro has the power and polish to keep everything running smoothly without feeling outdated.

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Powered by a 2.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor and paired with 8GB of RAM, it handles multitasking easily. The 256GB SSD ensures fast boot times and quick file access. Add in the 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone technology and wide color support, and you get sharp, vibrant visuals that make everything from documents to Netflix look crisp and comfortable on the eyes.

The Touch Bar brings a customizable layer of convenience to your workflow, putting relevant shortcuts at your fingertips depending on what you’re doing, while Touch ID makes logging in quick and secure.

With four Thunderbolt 3 ports, you get flexibility for charging, external displays, and accessories — a bonus for anyone juggling multiple devices.

Battery life clocks in at up to 10 hours, making it a reliable companion for full workdays, travel, or casual productivity sessions at the kitchen table. And thanks to its Grade A refurbished rating, this Mac arrives in near-mint condition with minimal to no visible wear.

Don’t miss out on getting a near-mint MacBook Pro while it’s $359.97 (reg. $1,499) for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: A lifetime AdGuard Family Plan that blocks ads, boosts privacy, and protects up to 9 devices — for a one-time $15.97 payment with code FAMPLAN.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdGuard AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription $15.97
$169.99 Save $154.02   Get Deal

The internet is supposed to make life easier — but between pop-ups, autoplay videos, banner overload, and questionable links, it can sometimes feel like a noisy theme park you didn’t buy a ticket for.

This AdGuard Family Plan lifetime subscription quietly turns the chaos down and restores your browsing experience to what it should’ve been all along: simple, clean, and refreshingly calm.

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The family-friendly plan covers up to nine devices, making it an easy way to protect phones, tablets, and computers all at once. Instead of juggling different settings and endless reminders to “close that ad,” AdGuard works in the background to block distracting ads, keep trackers at bay, and shield your devices from harmful malware and phishing attempts.

What makes it especially appealing is how it simplifies life in a world that already feels complicated. Parents can enable safe browsing controls for kids, helping filter inappropriate content and creating a more secure online space without constant hovering or manual interventions.

Meanwhile, everyone gets to enjoy faster page load times, cleaner screens, and fewer interruptions while streaming, shopping, or scrolling.

AdGuard’s advanced ad-blocking engine doesn’t just tackle the obvious stuff. It filters video ads, sneaky banners, and aggressive pop-ups that tend to slow down devices and clutter your screen. Pair that with built-in privacy protection, and you’ve got a tool that keeps personal data from being tracked and analyzed across the web.

Compatible with both Android and iOS, as well as computers, this lifetime plan is designed to age well with your devices. One simple setup, ongoing updates, and long-term protection — all without monthly fees to keep track of.

Get lifetime access to the AdGuard Family Plan for a one-time $15.97 payment (reg. $169.90) through Dec. 14 with code FAMPLAN.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Safeguard your data forever with this lifetime subscription to a FolderFort 1TB Cloud Storage Pro Plan, now just $49.97 (reg. $399) through Dec. 14.

Opens in a new window Credit: FolderFort FolderFort 1TB Cloud Storage Pro Plan: Lifetime Subscription $49.97
$399 Save $349.03   Get Deal

Everyone’s wallet is stretched thin during the holidays — so why not take one monthly bill off your plate? With FolderFort, you can store data for a low, one-time payment with no future bills in sight. And right now, you can secure 1TB of storage with their Pro Plan for only $49.97 (reg. $399) through Dec. 14.

Whether you’re tired of storing a ton of chunky external hard drives or you’re looking for a more affordable way to keep your content stored safely in the cloud, FolderFort offers an option that solves both issues. This 1TB Cloud Storage Pro Plan lets you stop renting and start owning your cloud storage, providing a permanent place to store your data.

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Aside from being a much more affordable option, FolderFort Cloud Storage offers incredible security and speed thanks to BackBlaze, which delivers strong encryption and blazing-fast speeds. You’ll enjoy high-speed access, fast transfers, and 99.99% uptime, too, so none of your precious time is wasted.

FolderFort lets you log in and share files across all your devices, with cross-platform access. If you need to share content, it’s easy to create links to folders or files and provide someone access, or make public links you can share more widely.

We’re constantly creating more data, so our storage needs naturally grow over time. FolderFort makes it easy to scale your storage as needed, with unlimited expansion options.

Get a lifetime subscription to a FolderFort 1TB Cloud Storage Pro Plan for only $49.97 (reg. $399) through Dec. 14.

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Nothing spells cozy like kicking back and snuggling up with your favorite, binge-worthy shows during the holiday season. Netflix is lending a helping hand to this comfort with its December lineup of new and returning shows for your holiday watch parties.

Looking forward to Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2, but don't have enough time for a full Season 1 rewatch? Don't worry, Phineas and Ferb (voiced by Vincent Martella and David Errigo Jr.) are here to help.

SEE ALSO: 'Phineas and Ferb' creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff 'Swampy' Marsh reveal the ultimatum that made the show fans love

Yes, you read that right. In a new animated short, the leads of Phineas and Ferb helpfully walk their friends through Percy Jackson's quest to return Zeus' Master Bolt to Mount Olympus. As a child of both Phineas and Ferb and Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books, this crossover's clearly been designed in a lab to make my nostalgia go through the roof.

To help set the scene (and channel that Disney corporate synergy), Phineas is rocking a Percy cosplay, blonde wig and all, while Ferb is dressed as Mr. D. They're not the only ones in costume: Isabella (voiced by Alyson Stoner) has Medusa's snake hair, Baljeet (voiced by Maulik Pancholy) has gone full Grover mode, and Buford (voiced by Bobby Gaylor) is channeling his inner Ares. Even Perry the Platypus (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) is in on the fun, trading his trademark fedora for a Chimera costume, horns and all.

For their recap, Phineas and Ferb have crafted a Greek urn that plays out the condensed story of Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1. With all these inventions, you know the two of them would fit right in with the children of Hephaestus at Camp Half-Blood.

To relive Percy Jackson's adventure with Phineas, Ferb, and some Greek vase painting-style animation, check out the full short above. The short will also be available on Disney+ and Disney Channel Animation's YouTube Channel on Dec. 5, and on Disney Channel Dec. 7.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 premieres Dec. 10 on Disney+.

Phineas and Ferb Season 5 is now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes arriving in January.

HBO has released the final trailer for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and it gives viewers our best look yet at the Ashford Meadow tournament.

SEE ALSO: 'Knight of the Seven Kingdoms': 5 things we learned at the New York Comic Con panel

The tourney, complete with jousting and sword fights aplenty, is the main setting for George R.R. Martin's novella The Hedge Knight, upon which A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based. In the novella, newly knighted Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), also known as "Dunk," heads to Ashford Meadow to earn some money (and maybe a tad of knightly glory along the way).

On his journey, Dunk encounters Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), a plucky young boy determined to be his squire. So begins a Westerosi buddy comedy, one with a decidedly lighter tone than either Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon. (Timeline-wise, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms falls between the two.)

But just because A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a lighter show doesn't mean Dunk and Egg aren't in any danger. In fact, Dunk's in tons of it, because Prince Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett) wants his head. You remember the old saying about how every time a Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin to determine whether they'll be mad? Well, let's just say that the coin did not land in Aerion's favor, and that's going to complicate things for Dunk once he winds up in Aerion's crosshairs.

How will they settle their beef? On the battlefield, of course! Check out the full trailer above for teases of the jousts and duels that await in this new Westerosi adventure.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Discord has finally introduced its own version of the popular annual recap feature with the rollout of Discord Checkpoint for 2025 activity. This is the first time the platform has given users a comprehensive, personalized look back at their yearly habits, and the results are interesting.

If you're tucking into Stranger Things or Wednesday on Netflix this holiday season, you may dream of visiting Hawkins or Nevermore Academy. The trouble is, the risk of encountering monsters in those places is pretty high. That's why the safer option is to stream Netflix's fireplace scenes from those shows and other popular worlds like K-Pop Demon Hunters. You can enjoy the festive vibes from the comfort of your home.

Lagging Zoom calls aren't just annoying parts of the average work day. They may be irreparably changing our social interactions.

According to a new study published this week in Nature, audiovisual glitches can have far-reaching affects on users that extend beyond expected nuisances, but which have the power to fundamentally impact major areas of our life, including the outcome of a job interview, trust in medical professionals, and the result of legal proceedings. And for people who don't have reliable internet access, including digitally disconnected, rural, or low-income households, the impact may be even more severe.

SEE ALSO: It's time to add AI protections to your will

Titled "Video-call glitches trigger uncanniness and harm consequential life outcomes," the study focused primarily on on-screen face-to-face video calls, rather than audio-only calls or conversations featuring screen sharing or visual aids. Researchers reviewed several scenarios, including a database of casual video social interactions, a scripted video sales pitch given to participants, and a health consultations. They found that frequent video lags reduced feelings of trust and willingness to engage, such as to take the advice of or reconsult with a health provider.

The reason is that a dropped internet connection or glitches that distort faces, misalign audio and visual feedback, or create choppiness "break the illusion of face-to-face contact" that is created while on a video call, researchers write. This evokes a feeling of uncanniness that reduces a sense of social connectedness and trust — like when you realize you're talking to an AI. This sense is commonly referred to as the "Uncanny Valley," where something looks almost human, but not quite.

"Glitches can be costly in these consequential, virtually held life events. That is, beyond just undermining trivial and fleeting moments of conversation, glitches have the potential to fundamentally alter the trajectory of individuals’ lives, from their health to job status and more," researchers found. "Because people participate in numerous personal and professional virtual interactions annually, even modest glitch-related disadvantages can compound over time into substantial cumulative effects."

The researchers also reviewed court data, and when combined with the above results, found that video glitches correlated with a lower likelihood of being granted parole. "Despite being considered a boon to access, virtual communication might unintentionally perpetuate inequality," write the study's authors. "Because disadvantaged groups often have poorer internet connections, they are likely to encounter more glitches, and, in turn, to experience worse outcomes in consequential contexts such as health, careers, justice and social connection."

The study suggests that the evolving political and technological landscape, which has shifted increasingly toward remote-only processes, consider the impact of reverting to in-person interactions in favor of video interfacing. And the study recognizes there may be an implicit bias in the design of remote systems that advantage certain groups over others.

It also argues for more research on how best to reduce the impact of the Uncanny Valley while video conferencing, with one possible intervention standing out among others: Cracking a joke or two.

ChatGPT users are up in arms over what seems like advertisements appearing in their conversations — while OpenAI disputes that the messages are advertisements at all.

Even users who shell out $200 per month for a Pro subscription say they're seeing suggestions for apps or stores that may not actually be ads, but feel like it.

Here's one example, in which ChatGPT suggests the Peloton app — in a chat that's unrelated to the exercise equipment brand.

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

An OpenAI employee responded quickly to the viral tweet. "Thanks for flagging. This is not an ad (there's no financial component)," wrote Daniel McAuley, who works on the data team at OpenAI.

"It's only a suggestion to install Peloton's app. But the lack of relevancy makes it a bad/confusing experience. We're iterating on the suggestions and UX, trying to make sure they're awesome."

Users on Reddit and elsewhere have also complained about so-called "app suggestions" ... that aren't technically ads.

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While these suggestions may not technically be ads, there have also been indications that ChatGPT could integrate straightforward advertisements soon — although when OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a "code red" for the company, he suggested this would mean delaying the ad rollout.

As AI companies with massive valuations and a huge burn rate scramble to make money, it seems the era of an ad-free chatbot might be reaching its end.

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.

Handing over your personal information to sign up for a mobile carrier is expected, but what if it didn’t have to be that way? If you’re tired of your data being misused by the company that keeps you connected, then a new startup wireless service might be right up your alley.

Among Amazon's flagship gadgets, like Kindles and Fire TVs, Echos are the stars of the show. These multitasking smart home devices do a little bit of everything in nearly every room in the house. (Plus, with this year's rollout of Alexa+, they're now supercharged with extra AI features.) Whether you need a smart speaker, alarm clock, or hub for your other smart devices, there's an Echo to help you out. Amazon's list of devices is ever-growing, so we've tested them to find the best Echo devices for your smart home.

If you're ready to invest in an Echo, you don't need to buy these devices at full price. They always go on sale during events like Prime Day and Black Friday, so it's worth holding out until the next sale.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's Alexa is a Mashable Readers' Choice Award winner New Echos in 2025

On Sept. 30, 2025, Amazon debuted several new Echo devices. We've yet to test the new Amazon Echo Dot Max or the refreshed Echo Studio, however, once we've completed testing, we'll add them to this guide.

Changes to existing Echo devices in 2025

For existing Echo owners, or those looking to become ones, a major change happened in 2025 that affects user privacy. Amazon sent out an email to users saying the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" feature on the device will no longer be available as of March 28, 2025. But what does that mean?

Previously, the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" setting allowed the devices to process requests locally without sending them to Amazon servers. However, with that setting no longer supported, all requests will now go through Amazon servers. Plus, if you do have that setting turned on after the change goes into effect, you'll lose access to the Voice ID feature as well.

While Amazon promises that all information requests are encrypted and secure, it still means that the retailer has access to all of that data.

What can an Echo smart speaker do? Trying out the new Echo Spot smart alarm clock. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

All Echo devices utilize Amazon Alexa's AI superpowers — it's just a matter of which form you want your Echo to take. The Echo and Echo Dot are smart speakers that you can use for music, phone calls, calendar reminders, or news alerts. Amazon Echo Show devices, on the other hand, can do all of the aforementioned audio stuff, but they also boast colorful displays for making video calls, streaming entertainment, or managing your day. Think of Echo Shows as stationary, more affordable tablets, essentially.

Most Echo devices are designed to act as smart hubs within your home, but some Echo devices can also be taken on the road. Echo Auto brings hands-free Alexa functionality to the car, while Echo Buds and Echo Frames can travel with you anywhere.

What can Alexa+ do?

Alexa is to Amazon as Siri is to Apple, and is the driving force behind every Echo. But Alexa just got a big upgrade. Now there's Alexa+, a new AI-powered version of Alexa introduced to Echo devices in March 2025. For Prime subscribers, Alexa+ will be included in membership, and non-subscribers will have to pay $19.99 per month for the service.

Alexa has an answer to almost anything you ask. Just by shouting out, you can play music, adjust the volume, and set an alarm or timer. And that's just naming a few options. On devices like the Echo Show, you can also ask Alexa to pull up recipes or answer questions that come up while cooking. With Alexa+, the AI agent doesn't just respond to commands but can actually engage in conversation.

Here's a short list of what Alexa+ can do:

• Provide a highlight reel of the day's security footage

• Read stories to kids

• Plan a date night

• Book restaurant reservations

• Control your smart home technology from one central hub

• Access your calendars and set reminders

• Get answers to any question you can think of

• Make phone calls (and video calls with an Echo Show)

• Get the latest weather and news

• Follow recipes

• Shop on Amazon

• Stream music (and video on an Amazon Echo Show)

• Play games

There are more than 100,000 Alexa skills that you can utilize via an Echo device, and Amazon is always adding more.

Alexa gets supercharged when other smart home tech comes into the picture. If you have a smart thermostat or smart light bulbs, as long as they're compatible with the Alexa system, you can create routines through your Echo. That can be as simple as telling Alexa to turn on the lights in one room or programming Alexa to turn the thermostat down before you come home.

If you're ready for an Alexa-powered home, read on for the 10 best Amazon Echo devices of 2025.