IT General

You've been using your brain all week, and now that it's time to shut things down for the weekend, the last thing you want to do is fire up those synapses to find something to watch—and Hulu has tons to choose from.

Calibre 8.7 is officially here, bringing with it a whole host of improvements and fixes for your favorite eBook manager. This new version, codenamed "Eclipse," keeps up with the regular updates we've come to expect, and it's got some really cool features, especially if you like Kindle books.

In an era where automatic transmissions and hybrid systems dominate the performance landscape, one sports sedan stands defiantly apart in 2025. It’s the only model on the market that combines all-wheel drive with a manual transmission, a rare pairing that driving purists will truly appreciate.

SAVE 41%: As of July 18, you can get the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe for $129.99, down from $219.99, at Amazon. That's a 41% discount and a $90 savings.

Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe NV360 Upright Vacuum (Blue) $129.99 at Amazon
$219.99 Save $90 Get Deal

I have three vacuums in my apartment — one for quick cleanups, one for deep cleaning the couch and other upholstery, and one robot vacuum for daily cleaning. It might sound like overkill, but with two beagles, it’s what’s required to keep my apartment from disappearing under a layer of fur.

If you’re battling pet hair on the reg, and you’re not into the idea of buying multiple vacuums or outsourcing the chore to a robot, the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe vacuum is a solid option, and it’s on sale. As of July 18, you can get the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe for $129.99, down from $219.99, at Amazon. That's a 41% discount and a $90 savings.

SEE ALSO: Not all cheap robot vacuums suck — I tested and genuinely trust these 3 picks

The Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe vacuum is a corded upright vacuum that can be converted into a handheld vacuum for cleaning stairs, furniture, and other hard-to-reach areas (hence the “lift-away” part of its name). It’s a great choice for homes with pets or allergies, as its Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology and a HEPA filter work to trap dust and allergens inside the vacuum. Plus, the swivel steering and brushroll shutoff make it easy to maneuver on both carpets and hard floors.

With this model, you’ll get a large-capacity dust cup, so you won’t have to empty it as often. It also comes with a Crevice Tool, Upholstery Tool, and a HEPA Filter.

World of Warcraft is still a massively popular, massively multiplayer game. Even though it’s not on Steam, you can still play it on your Steam Deck and there’s even a handy mod to adapt the game for a controller layout.

Best headphone and earbud deals at Woot as of July 18, 2025: Best headphone deal JBL Live 460NC $44.95 (save $85) Get Deal Best earbud deal Samsung Galaxy Buds FE $46.99 (save $53) Get Deal

If you’re trying to find a good post-Prime Day deal on headphones or earbuds, you might want to check out what Woot has to offer right now. If the deals seem almost too good to be true, don't worry — Woot is an Amazon company. You can even log in with your Amazon account, and Prime members get free shipping on their orders. The only catch is that Woot's deals are extremely limited and sell out fast, so we're tracking the best discounts available right now.

Here are the best headphone and earbud deals at Woot as of Friday, July 18, 2025.

Best headphone deal Opens in a new window Credit: JBL JBL Live 460NC $44.95 at Woot
$129.95 Save $85.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Right now, you can get a new pair of JBL Live 460NC wireless headphones at Woot for just $44.95. With an MSRP of $149.95, that's a 70% discount, saving you $105. In addition to the great price, these headphones come with a 1-year manufacturer warranty from JBL.

SEE ALSO: Beats Studio Pro headphones are great for both iPhone and Android users

These headphones feature adaptive noise cancellation with Ambient Aware technology to let you hear your surroundings (when you want to) and a TalkThru feature that lowers music and amplifies speech so you can chat without taking them off. You get up to 50 hours of playtime (40 hours with ANC on), and a quick 10-minute charge gives you an extra four hours of listening time.

They're also equipped with 40mm drivers for JBL's Signature Sound and have built-in Google and Amazon Alexa for hands-free calls and music control.

More headphone deals

• JBL Tune 770NC (Refurbished) — $84.95 $129.95 (save $45)

• Beats Solo3 — $84.99 $199.95 (save $114.96)

• Sony WH-CH720N (Refurbished) — $84.99 $148 (save $63.01)

• Beats Studio Pro (Refurbished) — $139.99 $349.95 (save $209.96)

• Sony WH-1000XM5 (Refurbished) — $227.99 $398 (save $170.01)

Best earbud deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Buds FE $46.99 at Woot
$99.99 Save $53.00 Get Deal Why we like it

If you’d rather have a pair of earbuds, Woot also has the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE on sale for $46.99. Again, this is the lowest price you’ll find these buds for right now (not even Amazon is matching this deal).

These buds feature active noise cancellation and an auto-switch function, allowing you to easily switch between Galaxy devices. The sound itself is also pretty impressive.

SEE ALSO: The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE wowed me, even as a lifelong Apple user

“Not only is the sound quality of the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE robust, crisp, and surprisingly bass-heavy, these tiny earbuds almost rivaled the sound quality of my beloved Bose QuietComfort 45s — something no earbud has ever done before,” Mashable’s RJ Andersen wrote in his review. “From podcasts to EDM, hip-hop, Top 40, and classical, the sound quality blew my AirPods Pro out of the water, so much so that I haven’t reached for my AirPods at all since that first day.”

The coolest feature, though, might be the Interpreter feature that offers real-time translation through your earbuds.

More earbud deals

• JLab Go Air — $16.99 $29.99 (save $13)

• Beats Fit Pro — $109.95 $199.95 (save $90)

• Beats Powerbeats Pro — $124.95 $249.95 (save $125)

• Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — $164.99 $249.99 (save $85)

On Thursday night, Stephen Colbert announced that CBS has canceled The Late Show. The iconic late-night series, which ran for over 30 years between both Colbert and David Letterman's tenures as host, will end in May 2026.

Predictably, no one is happier about the news than President Donald Trump, whom Colbert frequently critiques. Trump took to Truth Social Friday morning to gloat about the cancelation and hope for the downfall of other late-night talk show hosts, like Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel.

SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert announces 'Late Show' cancelled, CBS claims Trump deal unrelated

"I absolutely love that Colbert got fired," Trump wrote. "His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert! Greg Gutfeld [who hosts Fox News late-night show Gutfeld!] is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show."

The news comes just days after Colbert delivered a barn-burning monologue about Paramount (CBS's parent company) reaching a $16 million settlement with Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris, alleging "deceitful" editing. CBS News called the suit "completely without merit," a statement which Colbert called out in his monologue.

"As someone who has alway been a proud employee of this network, I am offended," Colbert said. "And I don't know if anything will ever repair my trust in this company. But just taking a stab at it, I'd say $16 million would help."

Colbert also called out the timing of the settlement, pointing to Paramount's proposed merger with Skydance Media.

SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert takes aim at Trump/Paramount settlement as a 'big fat bribe'

"I believe this kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles. It's 'big fat bribe,'" Colbert said. "Because this all comes as Paramount's owners are trying to get Trump administration to approve the sale of our network to a new owner, Skydance... And some of the TV typers out there are blogging that once Skydance gets CBS, the new owner's desire to please Trump could 'put pressure on late-night host and frequent Trump critic Stephen Colbert.'"

Given the timing of this monologue and Colbert's subsequent firing, it's hard not to take the cancelation of The Late Show as a sign of CBS caving to that pressure. However, the network claimed in a statement about the cancelation that this was not the case, and that the move was more about the decline of late-night television.

"This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," the statement reads. "It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount."

According to LateNighter and Nielsen ratings, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert is the most-viewed late-night show in its time slot, outpacing both Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

While Trump celebrated The Late Show's cancelation, other politicians called out the suspicious timing of CBS's move.

On X, Senator Elizabeth Warren posted: "CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump — a deal that looks like bribery. America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons."

Senator Adam Schiff, a recent Late Show guest himself, posted on X, "If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better."

Elsewhere, Kimmel had a more blunt response to Colbert's axing, writing in an Instagram story, "Love you Stephen. Fuck you and all your Sheldons CBS."

Meta is refusing to sign the European Union's new code of practice for artificial intelligence, a company leader said on Friday.

The AI code is a part of the AI Act, which became law last year. The set of laws will apply to the largest AI models, and companies have until Aug. 2 next year to comply. However, the new AI code of practice is voluntary.

Joel Kaplan, Meta's Chief Global Affairs Officer, issued a statement on LinkedIn announcing the company's decision to opt out of the code.

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"Europe is heading down the wrong path on AI," he wrote. "The European Commission’s Code of Practice for GPAI will stifle the development & deployment of frontier AI models and hinder Europe’s economic growth," he continued.

The AI Act applies to AI models that the commission deems to carry systemic risks that could significantly affect "public health, safety, fundamental rights, or society," reports Reuters. It also includes the most well-known "foundational models" from companies like Meta, OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.

The European Commission, the primary executive arm of the EU, issued new guidelines earlier today to help AI companies comply with the AI Act. That follows the voluntary code of practice issued earlier this July, according to Bloomberg.

AI model providers can choose whether or not to sign the code of practice, which will include copyright protections, safety guidelines, and transparency requirements. If a company chooses to sign the code, it could receive more legal protections if accused of violating the act. Companies found to breach the law could be fined up to 7 percent of their annual global revenue.

SEE ALSO: Apple and Meta face hundreds of millions in fines under EU tech law

Meta is the latest U.S. company to push back against the EU's widespread efforts to regulate AI. Others include Mistral AI and Airbus, companies that signed a letter earlier this year asking the EU Commission to delay enforcement of the law.

"We shared concerns raised by these businesses," said Kaplan in his statement, "that this over-reach will throttle the development and deployment of frontier AI models in Europe and stunt European companies looking to build businesses on top of them."

Meanwhile, OpenAI has agreed to sign the EU’s Code of Practice for General Purpose AI, saying in a statement, "Signing the Code reflects our commitment to providing capable, accessible, and secure AI models for Europeans to fully participate in the economic and societal benefits of the Intelligence Age."

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

SAVE $300: As of July 18, get the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x for $449.99 at Best Buy, down from its original price of $749.99. That's a discount of 40%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Best Buy Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x (Qualcomm Snapdragon X, 16B RAM, 256GB SSD) $449.99 at Best Buy
$749.99 Save $300 Get Deal

Looking to score a great laptop deal? If you don't mind acting quickly, there's a one-day only Best Buy deal that can help you bring home a great computer that you'll love taking with you for on-the-go work or play. At the same time, it's the perfect combination of rugged and utilitarian to be used as a home daily driver.

As of July 18, get the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x for $449.99 at Best Buy, down from its original price of $749.99. That's $300 off and a discount of 40%.

SEE ALSO: The 3 best laptops of 2025 (so far)

This flexible touchscreen laptop boasts a 15-inch LCD display and a build meant for Copilot+, which can help you tackle a wide variety of tasks. That includes taking your prompts and bringing them to life, enhancing the way you search, and even helping you read other languages with Live Captions. It's powered by the Snapdragon X Plus processor so you can get things done faster and more efficiently.

You can use it as a traditional laptop, but also make a quick change to navigate and get things done with the touchscreen as well, which is more than just a novelty. You never know when it might be faster or easier to scribble something down, or sketch instead of using your mouse or other peripheral to get things done.

It has an all-day battery with a quick-charging battery that can get you two more hours of power in just 15 minutes with Rapid Charge. All this, and it's built tough to go where you go, with 810H military-grade standards for durability.

If you want to get your hands on this deal, you'll have to act fast. It's only available at this price today, July 18.

Best tech deals

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $79.98 (List Price $99.00)

• Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop — $849.00 (List Price $999.00)

• Apple AirPods Pro 2 ANC Earbuds With USB-C Charging Case — $169.00 (List Price $249.00)

• Dreame X40 Ultra Robot Vacuum With Removable and Liftable Mop — $699.99 (List Price $1399.98)

SAVE $400: As of July 18, Alienware has discounted its recently released Aurora gaming laptops with Nvidia's 50-series GPUs. Right now, you can grab one on sale at Dell for $400 off the original price, just $1,099.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dell Alienware 16 Aurora Gaming Laptop (Intel Core 9 Processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,099.99 at Dell
$1,599.99 Save $500 Get Deal

We say it all the time: If you're interested in PC gaming but don't want to commit to building a desktop setup, getting a gaming laptop is a great alternative. The best gaming laptops get you all the best parts of the PC gaming experience, all while taking up way less space and potentially saving you lots of time and money.

As of July 18, Dell is offering discounts on its recently released Alienware 16 Aurora gaming laptops, which are equipped with Nvidia's latest 50-series GPUs. Usually $1,599 for a configuration with the best processor and GPU combo (the Intel Core 9 CPU and 5070 GPU), you can now snag one for just $1,099.99 for a limited time (Dell's Black Friday in July sale is on now). That's $400 off, which is a really nice price cut for such a recent release.

SEE ALSO: Gaming starter kit: All the gear you need to play like a real gamer

Beyond the nitty-gritty specs, the Alienware 16 Aurora gaming laptop has a bunch of other features that make it a great option for PC gaming newcomers. It has a sleek, understated design that'll suit you well if you're not heavily into the "gamer aesthetic," removing the thermal shelf and keeping things compact without sacrificing performance. It also has a new Cryo-Chamber structure that keeps the machine running cool and quiet. If you want to go even quieter, the Aurora has a Stealth Mode that turns off some of the laptop's lighting options and further reduces fan noise. It has two upgradeable SSD and memory slots for those who want a future-proofed laptop, and with the help of that 5070 GPU, you'll get next-level graphical performance with ray tracing, DLSS 4, and more.

Shop the best tech deals

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $79.98 (List Price $99.00)

• Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop — $849.00 (List Price $999.00)

• Apple AirPods Pro 2 ANC Earbuds With USB-C Charging Case — $169.00 (List Price $249.00)

• Dreame X40 Ultra Robot Vacuum With Removable and Liftable Mop — $699.99 (List Price $1399.98)

Apple leaks are generally considered a standard feature of the tech news space, but apparently one leaker may have gone too far for Apple's liking.

The company is suing prolific leaker Jon Prosser for his alleged role in securing non-public information about iOS 26, per The Verge. The new mobile OS, which was popularly referred to as iOS 19 prior to its official unveiling at WWDC earlier this year, was the subject of several reports on Prosser's YouTube channels, which turned out to accurately predict redesigns of major iPhone apps prior to the official announcement.

SEE ALSO: Apple Wallet's Car Keys feature expands to 13 new auto brands

In the suit, Apple alleges that "The Defendants here conspired to break into an Apple employee’s development iPhone to take Apple’s trade secrets."

Apple's specific accusation is that Prosser worked through another man named Michael Ramacciotti. Per the lawsuit, Prosser allegedly "promised to 'find out a way for [Mr. Ramacciotti] to get payment' if Mr. Ramacciotti would provide access" to a company phone that belonged to an Apple employee named Ethan Lipnik. Ramacciotti allegedly had a friendly relationship with Lipnik, who lost his job at Apple as a result of the incident.

Apple claims that Ramacciotti allegedly infiltrated the company phone (which was running a development version of the new iOS) and showed off new features to Prosser over a video call, the contents of which were reportedly used to come up with renders for Prosser's reports.

It should be noted that Prosser denied these accusations on X.

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Prosser wrote, "For the record: This is not how the situation played out on my end. Luckily have receipts for that. I did not 'plot' to access anyone’s phone. I did not have any passwords. I was unaware of how the information was obtained. Looking forward to speaking with Apple on this."

Apple wants both damages and a court order preventing Prosser from reporting on Apple secrets again. We will see if Apple gets what it wants.

SAVE $115: As of July 18, get the Google Pixel Watch 3 for $334.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $449.99. That's a discount of 26%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Google Pixel Watch 3 $334.99 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $115 Get Deal

If you're out and about soaking up the summer sun, you probably have your phone in your pocket, bag, or elsewhere so you can focus on catching rays and vibing. But you still want to make sure you're reachable and that you can access your phone's features you do want, like music or fitness tracking. You need a smartwatch for that, and there's a great deal at Amazon right now that brings a popular favorite back down to its Prime Day price.

As of July 18, get the Google Pixel Watch 3 for $334.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $449.99. That's $115 off and a discount of 26%.

SEE ALSO: All the best smartwatches for every wrist and interest

The Pixel Watch 3 does a lot more than just tell time. It’s packed with tools to help you stay on top of your health. That means whether you're tracking your runs, checking in on your sleep habits, or monitoring your heart rate throughout the day, it can help you keep track of all of it. Also, you can customize your running metrics and even get feedback on your form mid-workout. So it can handle all of this on the fly and more.

But this smartwatch isn’t just about health and exercise. You can take calls, send texts, and stay on top of your day-to-day tasks right from your wrist. It’s compatible with a wide selection of apps, so chances are your favorites are already supported. And with this deal, it's a smart time to make the upgrade. If you’ve been thinking about trying a new wearable, this is your chance to get one if you missed out on this particularly good Prime Day deal.

Best tech deals

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $79.98 (List Price $99.00)

• Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop — $849.00 (List Price $999.00)

• Apple AirPods Pro 2 ANC Earbuds With USB-C Charging Case — $169.00 (List Price $249.00)

• Dreame X40 Ultra Robot Vacuum With Removable and Liftable Mop — $699.99 (List Price $1399.98)

You'll soon be able to include a Bigfoot emoji in your chats — even if the organization behind it won't call it that.

Unicode announced that a "Hairy Creature" emoji will be among the new additions to its standard emoji options when it releases Unicode 17 in September. Here is the full list of emoji that'll be included in the release.

• Trombone

• Treasure Chest

• Distorted Face

• Hairy Creature 

• Fight Cloud

• Apple Core

• Orca

• Ballet Dancers 

Here's what the emoji look like.

The fight cloud is kind of funny. Credit: Unicode

As Engadget noted, Unicode — the nonprofit that creates an emoji standard — might call it "Hairy Creature" because it wants the name to be understood globally, where Bigfoot might not be the preferred nomenclature. All eight emoji were among the expected additions for 2025, though a landslide emoji seemingly did not make the cut.

So, soon enough, your chats can officially have a "Hairy Creature" or a Bigfoot — whatever you want to call it.

SAVE 25%: As of July 18, you can get the Apple Watch Series 10 (42 mm, GPS) for $299, down from $399, at Amazon. That's a 25% discount and $100 in savings.

Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm, Black, S/M 130-180mm, Sports Band) $299 at Walmart
$399 Save $100 Get Deal

If you weren’t able to get an Apple Watch during Prime Day, now’s your chance. We’re currently seeing discounts on multiple Apple Watches at Amazon, including the SE (2nd generation), Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra. Of these, the Apple Watch Series 10 offers a pretty good balance of features at an affordable price.

As of July 18, you can get the Apple Watch Series 10 (42 mm, GPS) for $299, down from $399, at Amazon. That's a 25% discount and $100 in savings. It looks like this deal is the same across all colors, including rose gold and natural titanium. (Note: This is for the small/medium band — the price does change if you pick the medium/large size).

SEE ALSO: Apple Watch Series 9 vs. SE 2: I tested both for 13 days

The Apple Watch Series 10 has a bigger display compared to other models. It’s also thinner, lighter, and more comfortable. It includes on-wrist temperature sensing for cycle tracking, crash detection, and fall detection. Plus, you’ll get the regular host of features you’d expect, like heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and the ability to send texts, take calls, and listen to music or podcasts.

Thanks to its IP6X-certified dust-resistant exterior and water resistance (up to 50 meters), you can wear the Apple Watch Series 10 while doing just about anything. It also features fast-charging capabilities that can take you from zero to 80% in just 30 minutes, according to Apple.

SAVE $39.01: As of July 18, get the Apple AirPods 4 for $89.99, down from their usual price of $129 at Amazon. That's a discount of 30%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple AirPods 4 $89.99 at Amazon
$129 Save $39.01 Get Deal

If you've been looking for a new pair of earbuds, you might want to go back to the classics for something reliable and affordable: Apple's AirPods. Sure, they can be pricier than some of the alternatives, but you also are pretty much guaranteed to have a good experience no matter whether you're listening to music, audiobooks, or podcasts. And this deal on Apple AirPods 4 is still going on this week, which means it's not too late to pounce.

As of July 18, get the Apple AirPods 4 for $89.99, down from their usual price of $129 at Amazon. That's $39.01 off and a discount of 30%. This is the model without active noise-cancelling, so be aware when purchasing.

SEE ALSO: The 9 best earbuds to buy in 2025, selected by Mashable audio experts

This pair of fourth-gen Apple buds are comfortable, solidly built, and perfect for just about any use case. They boast spatial audio, voice isolation, and Siri integration so you can ask all the questions you need while controlling your music and phone hands-free.

They're great for throwing in while at the gym or doing something else that keeps you moving. When they're in, they stay put, and you don't have to worry about them falling out. That makes them a great choice for your new set of daily driver headphones, especially now that they've fallen to under $100.

If it's high time you changed out your current pair of earbuds for something a little more luxurious or part of the Apple ecosystem, pounce on this deal before it goes away.

Best tech deals

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $79.98 (List Price $99.00)

• Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop — $849.00 (List Price $999.00)

• Apple AirPods Pro 2 ANC Earbuds With USB-C Charging Case — $169.00 (List Price $249.00)

• Dreame X40 Ultra Robot Vacuum With Removable and Liftable Mop — $699.99 (List Price $1399.98)

Years ago, fans were excited to see the return of Master Chief, who vowed in Halo 2 that he would “finish this fight.” Now, though, the fight looks finished in the worst possible way. When Halo Infinite debuted, it was a hit title that once had over 272,000 gamers playing simultaneously on Steam. Now the game is nearly dead, with only about 2,000 players (give or take) playing on Steam at the same time.

Nearly every tech company has launched vertical videos, imitating TikTok, the unequivocal leader in this space.

Twitch is the latest to do so. The Amazon-owned livestreaming service made an announcement about vertical video at TwitchCon earlier this year, and it's now officially testing this video format, according to market intelligence provider AppSensa. The firm discovered that Twitch is testing vertical videos, with a handful of references found in the app's code. Twitch is supposedly only testing the feature with a handful of streamers so far.

If users encounter the feature, they'll be shown dialogs declaring "vertical video is here" and told that this is still being tested. Users can decide whether to view streams in vertical format or in classic mode.

In a statement following TwitchCon, Twitch said that the new format will allow it to "better optimize the viewing experience for a device and how a viewer is using that device." The streaming service said that viewers on mobile can watch live streams vertically if they hold their phones that way.

"We really care about getting this right, so we’ll be testing dual-format streaming and the new vertical theater with a small number of channels this summer before slowly expanding to more users later this year," said the company.

With Twitch lagging behind the likes of TikTok and YouTube, this move marks its efforts to compete with other livestream platforms.

Hatchbacks are seriously underrated—they’re practical, fun, and way easier to maneuver than those bulky crossovers. A hatchback might be your perfect match if you want great value without sacrificing style or drivability.

There are pink ones, small and dainty, that fit into the palm of your hand and are charged with a USB port. There are black ones, large enough to blow wind through both your hairline and your collarbones, kept alive by the electric pulses of a Duracell battery. There are paper ones, folded small and powered completely by the manual force of your own hand, that splay out to show off intricate designs or ads for clubs. They're portable fans, and they're everywhere.

Directly under the California sun at VidCon this summer, influencer Naomi Hearts, walking around with a portable fan, told me, "That's all you need." At the Creator Weekend for the 2025 Webby Awards, "demure" icon Jools Lebron never went anywhere without one of her four handheld, battery-powered fans because she "always [has] to have the wind." There are thousands of reviews and recommendations for handheld fans on TikTok: for your car, for a festival, for a cookout.

This isn't just my personal observation from the floor of a variety of admittedly sweaty conventions and the depths of TikTok recommendations — climate change is here, and $10 portable fans are trending. According to market research consulting company Credence Research, the portable fan market is projected to grow from $558.92 million in 2024 to $979.16 million by 2032. According to a different market research consulting company, Business Research Insights, the global personal portable fan market size is "set to expand to $1.06 billion by 2033." A third market research company echoed the others' insights, adding that part of the reason behind personal fans' success is online retail and e-commerce. The trend is clear and, as Mashable shopping reporter Samantha Mangino pointed out, the cause is clear, too: We're experiencing devastating heat waves across the world, with a recent heat dome that reached from Chicago to New York.

Stormzy and Helen Mirren with their fans at Wimbleton. Credit: Getty Images / Karwai Tang / WireImage SEE ALSO: Personal fans are the product of summer

We've responded to this by increasing our air conditioning usage inside. According to Columbia Climate School, "Air conditioning is no longer just a luxury, but an imperative for human health, as heat stress is the leading weather-related cause of death." But, as the researchers wrote, "the more we cool, the more planet-warming global greenhouse gas emissions we pump into the atmosphere."

And you can't bring a Frigidaire onto the subway with you. Enter: Personal fans that you can buy from companies like Shein and Amazon, both of which contribute wildly to climate change by producing textile waste, microplastic pollution, and astounding amounts of plastic waste, making the problem you're trying to solve even worse. Capitalism both produces the crisis — rising global temperatures — and then commodifies the coping mechanisms — portable fans.

I should be clear: If you're buying a portable fan to use instead of your air conditioner or as a way to decrease your air conditioning use inside, you'll be decreasing your carbon footprint. A 2022 University of Sydney study found that using fans in conjunction with occasional AC use can drastically cut energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. But the trend I'm seeing isn't folks using handheld fans in this way — instead, it's using them to avoid the heavy blanket of heat that smacks you when you step outside while keeping the AC on blast while inside.

The fans' existence is twofold: a response to our economic system — our capitalist modes of production rely on a dependence on fossil fuels and a global supply chain built on ecological destruction and exploitation, leading to rising temperatures as well as a rise in people buying and depending on portable fans (the production of which adds to the destruction) — and a trend, thanks to social media.

It’s also worth noting that fans trending isn’t solely a necessary response to the creeping climate crisis. When a trend reaches escape velocity, it becomes a logic ouroboros: You get a fan because getting a fan is what everyone is doing, which means someone else gets a fan, and the snake eats its tail. And people love having the right accessories, even if they don’t necessarily need them. Sure, it’s mindless consumption, but sometimes we buy things because they’re cute and they’re in vogue. To wit: Nobody needs a Labubu. Sometimes a portable fan is just a thing attached to your bag, even if it’s also a sign of climate doom.

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Still, portable fans are just one of many ways capitalism has commodified survival by prioritizing profits above all else. Bottled water is essential in areas where public water is either unavailable or contaminated; air purifiers and N95 masks are necessary in some areas with wildfire smoke, pollution, or industrial smog. There's climate insurance; emergency survival kits; portable solar panels — the list is ongoing.

As heat becomes more intense and widespread, the economic system we have built our lives upon will force many of us to look to it for solutions we must purchase privately, like portable fans. In the absence of a government that addresses the systemic causes of climate change, we are forced into the role of helping companies squeeze profits from existing systems. Governments and corporations avoid large-scale climate mitigation to instead place responsibility on individuals to attempt to manage these risks.

All this individualizes responsibility while absolving state actors. We’re left to our own devices. Portable fans are cute; they're also a symbol and tool of alienation.

When the response to climate change is reduced to choosing the "best" fan on Amazon or TikTok, political energy is funneled into consumer decision-making rather than collective action. In short, the  portable fan is a microcosm of capitalist climate failure — but at least it comes in seven pastel colors.

The race for the largest self-driving taxi service area in Austin is on.

Shortly after Tesla increased the geofence for its Robotaxis in Austin to a larger, penis-shaped area, Alphabet's Waymo followed up with an area increase of its own.

SEE ALSO: Tesla to launch Model 3 Plus with massive range

The company's autonomous taxis now serve 90 square miles of the city, including new areas like Crestview, Windsor Park, Sunset Valley, Franklin Park, and more. With this increase, the company serves a significantly larger area than Tesla.

Tesla's Robotaxi service area now looks kinda small. Credit: Tesla

Waymo chose to keep this fight civil, though, so its new coverage area isn't shaped like genitalia. It is, as one would expect, bordered mainly by major roads and avenues, such as the MoPac Expressway on the west and Route 183 up north.

In a press release, Waymo pointed out that it's the "only fully autonomous, 24/7 experience for anyone in Austin," with "more than 100 Waymo vehicles" in the city. In comparison, Tesla's service is limited to a fairly small number of Model Y vehicles, and is only available to a handful of users who'd received invites from Tesla.

The company said it plans to expand to both new communities in existing markets and new cities from coast to coast. Waymo currently covers more than 700 square miles across the U.S.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently said the company's Robotaxi service will expand to the Bay Area (Waymo is already present there), pending regulatory approval.