IT General

Let's face it: now is not exactly a great time to shop for PC upgrades. With the RAM-pocalypse in full swing, it's not just RAM that's getting pricey—many components are. Those who were hoping to score a thrilling piece of tech this holiday season are in for a disappointment.

When I first heard about AutoMix and saw tech bloggers posting about it on social media, I was excited to try the new feature. I’ve had Crossfade enabled since it was introduced and thought AutoMix would be a great way to enjoy my playlists—especially those with a variety of genres.

Raspberry Pis have been popular for small self-hosting jobs and tinkerers for years, and it is pretty common to have a few old ones forgotten in a drawer somewhere. Here are a few great ways to put those old Raspberry Pis to use.

Apple does a great job of keeping older iPads up to date. However, just because an iPad is compatible with the latest version of iPadOS doesn’t mean you’ll get every feature it offers. Here are four features you won’t get if you don’t have one of the newer iPad models.

SAVE $600: As of December 13th, Amazon has this DJI Power 2000 portable power station for $699; that's 46% off $1,299.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Power 2000 Portable Power Station $699 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $600   Get Deal

DJI is well known for its microphones and drones, but they also specialize in portable power stations. This particular power station isn't your temporary, charge-a-few-phones battery.

The solar-compatible DJI Power 2000 portable power station is designed to handle 99% of everyday appliances and devices. Think: power tools, RV basics, projectors, and more. This portable power station is ideal for off-grid living, RV (or regular) camping, and other projects, such as projector-requiring outdoor performances or small business vending.

At 21kg (47.4 lbs), this station is hefty. For what it lacks in lightness, it makes up for in power and speed. The portable power station can recharge up to 80% in 55 minutes. It’s also designed with safety in mind, including a water-resistant and flame-retardant design that makes the station usable in wet, muddy, and rugged conditions. It’s also an ideal backup tool for power outages with 10ms UPS switchover (in the event of an outage), it can run select important devices.

This DJI Power 2000 portable power station is the whole package when it comes to a backup power source and portable battery. 

When it comes to podcast streaming, Apple and Spotify both have their own unique offerings for listeners. But Apple Podcasts is not for everyone, as the app can feel very challenging to use at times, given its organization and categorization.

SAVE $100: As of December 13th, this LG 34-inch ultragear curved gaming monitor is $299, down 25% from its list price of $399 on Amazon. 

Opens in a new window Credit: LG 34-inch curved gaming monitor LG 34G600A-B 34-inch Ultragear Curved Gaming Monitor $299 at Amazon
$399 Save $100   Get Deal

This weekend on Amazon has this LG 34-inch Ultragear curved gaming monitor on sale for 25% off. The monitor comes packed with features that make it an amazing gift for a gamer in your life or yourself (you know, you deserve a little treat, too). The curve of the monitor and picture clarifying features allows gamers to be totally immersed within their game of choice. The monitor also has an adjustable height, swivel, and tilt for nailing the perfect angle. 

This monitor is an excellent option for gaming, but it can also level up any work from home setup, as well. The curved monitor is designed to have fast, crystal clear picture with a 160hz frame rate, 1ms motion blur reduction and a built-in stereo speaker. The monitor also has “dynamic action sync” which minimizes input lag as much as possible so you can catch every move and shot when it counts.

Reviewers on Amazon praise the monitor for being excellent for gaming and general use. They also praise the picture quality, value for the money, and overall quality.

It might be hard to imagine now, but not too long ago the idea of free software with source code that anyone can modify wasn't one with much enthusiasm behind it. How could that be safe? What about support? Could you trust mission-critical stuff to this software?

There are, tragically, seven months standing between audiences and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. But if you can't wait that long to get your dose of Nolan, you're in luck: You can catch the first six minutes of the historical epic in theaters this month.

SEE ALSO: 'Euphoria' Season 3 gets first look in HBO Max's 2026 trailer

The prologue is showing ahead of the IMAX 70mm re-releases of two of this year's biggest awards contenders: Ryan Coogler's Sinners and Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another. These re-releases, which began Friday, will run for a week.

Only 10 theaters in the world — eight in the United States, one in Canada, and one in the United Kingdom — show films in IMAX 70mm, which, according to Variety, is Nolan's preferred format for the film. That makes sense, given that The Odyssey will be the first blockbuster shot only on IMAX film cameras.

However, you'll still have a chance to see The Odyssey's prologue even if you don't live near a theater with IMAX 70mm capabilities. Starting Dec. 19, The Odyssey's prologue will play in front of all IMAX screenings of James Cameron's Avatar: Fire and Ash, not just those in 70mm.

The non-IMAX Avatar: Fire and Ash screenings will be showing a full-length trailer for The Odyssey, but not the entire prologue.

What's in the prologue for The Odyssey?

If you can't make it to any of these screenings but still want to know what goes down in The Odyssey's prologue, we've got you covered. According to outlets like Variety and World of Reel, the prologue recreates the end of the Trojan war, when the Greek forces snuck into the city of Troy inside a massive wooden horse disguised as a peace offering. The architect of that scheme? None other than Odysseus (Matt Damon).

Nolan invites viewers into Odysseus and his soldiers' tense wait inside the Trojan Horse. Then, once they leave the horse, Nolan unleashes a full-scale battle, complete with Damon shooting his enemies with a bow and arrow.

The sequence is framed as a story passed from Sparta's King Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) to Odysseus' son Telemachus (Tom Holland). Other members of The Odyssey's star-studded cast include Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and Mia Goth, although none show up in the prologue. But you know what does appear? An animatronic cyclops. From promises of Nolan battles to practical monster effects, July can't come soon enough.

The Odyssey hits theater July 18.

Do dating apps still work in 2025?

We get it, though. Dating as a man in 2025 is tough. It's not just the pressure to make or the fear of rejection if you do — it's the endless swiping through fake profiles, scammers, AI-generated thirst traps, bots posing as potential matches, relentless Instagram models trying to lure you into their OnlyFans scam, and matches with impossibly high expectations (yes, the "6-6-6 rule" is a real thing).

But despite the challenges, dating apps do work. A 2025 SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus survey found that nearly 39 percent of all U.S. adults have used a dating app at some point. The numbers are even higher for young people and the LGBTQ+ community.

SEE ALSO: The dating app glossary: The A to Z of terms you need to know

While the experience isn't always perfect, plenty of guys find success. According to an older, 2023 Pew Research survey, 53 percent of people who've used a dating app said they had a positive experience, with 14 percent rating it as "very positive." And there's more good news — 57 percent of guys reported positive experiences and results compared to 48 percent of women.

The best dating apps for guys who know what they want

This guide is your cheat sheet for the best dating apps for men in 2025. We've done the research and found the apps that are actually worth your time. Whether you're looking for something casual or something serious, we have a dating app to recommend.

Pro tip: Don't be afraid to experiment. Try out a few different apps and see what works for you. And most importantly, don't get discouraged! Sometimes, the occasional bad date or disappointing flirtation is just the price you pay to meet the match of a lifetime.

SAVE $220: As of December 13th, the Roborock Q10 S5+ robot vacuum is $329 at Amazon, down 40% from its list price of $549.

Opens in a new window Credit: Roborock Roborock Q10 S5+ robot vacuum $549.99 at Amazon
  Get Deal

This weekend, Roborock is offering the Q10 S5+ robot vacuum at 40% off. This model is one of the lowest-cost vacuum-and-mop combo robot vacuums on the market. Roborock boasts 70 days of hands-free cleaning with its large dust bag situated neatly in its fairly small, self-emptying dock station. 

This dual mop and vacuum robot cleaner comes equipped with many features, including Smart Carpet Care, which detects carpet and automatically lifts mopping modules to protect your carpet.

"This Roborock robot vacuum is ideal for those who don't want to spend much more than $500, but who also don't want to settle for the most basic cleaning possible," says senior shopping reporter Leah Stoddart, in her roundup of the best robot vacuums for every budget and floor. "This 2025 entry-level model is the rare cheap robot vacuum and mop combo with legitimate pressurized scrubbing — a nice upgrade for hardwood floors or entryways with high foot (or paw) traffic."

Stoddart praised the model for its quiet presence, cost, high suction for its price, pet waste detection, sonic mopping, and LiDAR smart mapping. Some downsides to this model, according to Stoddart, include that its mopping pad soils quickly and that the physical robot isn't super petite. There are certainly many pluses compared to the minimal flaws of the product. If you're looking for a budget-friendly robot vacuum with higher-end features, this might be the model for you. 

Are you like me and type thousands of words per day on your keyboard? Is the keyboard that you’re using one of those cheap membrane-style ones? Here’s why you should stop using a membrane keyboard if you type all day and switch to mechanical.

Webcams in laptops aren’t great, and even external webcams struggle unless you pay for a high-end model. Before you look for an upgrade, think about the much better camera that’s already in your pocket. You can turn your Android phone into a high-definition webcam with shocking ease.

Enshittification is an inescapable fact of life. Apps and services that were once good fall foul of the constant need to maximize shareholder profits, which comes at the cost of user experience. Very few apps escape the march of enshittification, but there are some that have gotten significantly worse this year.

I love making my own 3D models and 3D printing them at home. The problem with making my own models is that I can go through several, or even dozens, of prototypes before getting to the final product.

Google has purged dozens of AI-generated videos from YouTube that involved characters from Disney properties, according to Variety.

SEE ALSO: Even 1,001 Disney deals may not save OpenAI

The move follows a cease-and-desist letter Disney sent to Google on Wednesday, the evening before Disney announced a $1 billion deal with OpenAI.

The letter, according to Variety, accused Google of infringing on Disney IP from Star Wars and the MCU to animated films like Frozen, Moana, Lilo & Stitch, and more. Several of the videos Disney flagged were created with Veo, Google's AI tool. Disney also cited a trend of creating AI "action figures" as infringement, including images of AI-generated figurines of Deadpool, Elsa, Homer Simpson, and Darth Vader in their letter.

As reported by Variety, links to videos cited in the cease-and-desist letter were still working on Thursday. However, by Friday, they redirect to a message that reads, "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Disney."

In a Thursday statement to press, a Google spokesperson affirmed that they would cooperate with Disney on the issue, saying, "We have a longstanding and mutually beneficial relationship with Disney, and will continue to engage with them. More generally, we use public data from the open web to build our AI and have built additional innovative copyright controls like Google-extended and Content ID for YouTube, which give sites and copyright holders control over their content."

The cease-and-desist is not the only action Disney has taken against generative AI. In June, it filed a joint lawsuit with Universal against Midjourney, calling the AI image platform a "bottomless pit of plagiarism."

However, if you thought that suit was evidence of Disney taking a broad stand against AI slop, you'd be sorely mistaken. Disney's agreement with OpenAI indicates the opposite: The House of Mouse is embracing AI in a big way.

According to OpenAI's post announcing the deal, Disney is making a $1 billion equity investment in the company, becoming a "major customer" and gaining access to its tools.

The three-year licensing agreement will allow users to make Sora videos featuring Disney characters. OpenAI's announcement reveals that a selection of these "fan-inspired Sora short form videos [will be made] available to stream on Disney+."

That's right, soon you'll be able to enjoy AI slop platformed alongside work by human artists. But according to Disney CEO Bob Iger, the deal "does not in any way represent a threat to the creators at all."

It seems that Disney will permit AI slop of its characters, but only if the slop comes from OpenAI.

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.

Car ownership and maintenance can be expensive, and there's nothing worse than firing up your vehicle and seeing the dreaded check engine light. I've been in that situation, and fortunately, this affordable little device told me what was wrong, saving me an expensive trip to the dealership.

Notifications are one of the most useful tools in Home Assistant. You can use notifications to alert you that motion has been detected at your front door, that your washing machine has finished running, or that the battery needs changing on one of your smart home devices. Notifications can do so much more than just send you messages, however.

If you're looking to start using YouTube Music or are a loyal user who wants to improve your music experience on the streaming platform, you may want to tweak a few essential settings that can transform your streaming.

Winter isn’t exactly prime time for roadster fun—you’ll spend more time bundling up than enjoying the breeze. But that’s also when smart buyers can score a deal, since prices drop when demand cools.