Technology

Tom Holland has cemented himself as one of Hollywood's leading stars under the age of 35. After becoming a child star in Billy Elliot the Musical on the West End, Holland transitioned into movies, where he slowly became a reliable supporting actor in several films. In 2015, Holland's life changed when Marvel cast him to play Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the MCU.

Mercedes-Benz is ready to release an EV edition of one of its most popular cars. The automaker has introduced a redesigned GLA for 2027 that includes a pure electric model alongside hybrids.

Hybrid SUVs dominate the conversation whenever fuel economy comes up, but they're no longer the only way to keep running costs under control. Advances in turbocharging, engine efficiency, and lightweight platforms mean there are now several crossovers that comfortably clear the 30 MPG mark without any form of electrification.

The TV is by far the biggest screen in my home. I have smaller screens all around the house that I use to display useful information, but the 49-inch screen in the living room is mostly going to waste. I decided to build a custom TV dashboard that could be displayed on the TV when we weren't watching anything.

When a laptop starts showing its age, the usual advice is to install Linux to make it faster. While that certainly helps, there’s an even better approach to stop thinking of it as your everyday computer. Instead, turn it into a Linux appliance.

SUVs have become the default recommendation for family buyers, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're the smartest choice. For many households, the extra cost, weight, and fuel consumption simply don't deliver enough real-world benefits to justify moving away from a traditional sedan.

I could bore you with yet another “everything costs more these days” rant, but for those of us who love technology, high prices are nothing new. It’s always been hard for me to justify the full retail price of a brand new smartphone or laptop—so I don’t pay it. I’ve been buying used tech for years, and it’s never let me down.

Self-hosting is both an entertaining hobby if you like computers, and a reasonable way to save a few dollars if you swap out your subscription services for something you host yourself. It does come with a bit of risk, however, if you put your self-hosted services online so they're accessible from the internet. I was curious about what kind of attacks my server was getting, so I set up a honeypot to see what happened.

When it comes to laptops, Windows on Arm seems to be taking center stage lately. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x Gen 11 is right in the middle of Windows on Arm, with the Snapdragon X2 Plus processor in tow. I was surprised at just how performant this mid-range laptop is, and actually think it's a better buy than its more expensive Snapdragon X2 Elite brothers.

Martha Stewart just launched an app that uses AI to analyze the soil quality in your lawn. And yes, every part of that sentence is true.

The app is called Hint, from a startup of the same name that counts the popular former TV host as a co-founder. It's available now on iOS and coming soon to the Google Play Store.

Hint uses AI to create personalized insights for home maintenance, perhaps one of the few areas of modern life that hasn't already been overrun by AI apps.

"My life’s work is showing people how to care for and beautify their homes," Stewart says on Hint's website. "Hint brings that philosophy to more people, making the knowledge and expertise behind thoughtful homeownership accessible to everyone."

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy users complain of battery drain and overheating after update

Hint asks users to enter their home addresses, which may be a turnoff for some customers given the potential for privacy issues. If you do feel like sharing, Hint will use your address to start analyzing things like the soil and air quality on your property, available utilities, and anything else it can dredge up using public property records.

You can also upload vital documents like mortgages and warranties to the app, if you trust Hint that much. The idea is to give users a comprehensive, personalized outlook on things like energy usage, insurance risks, and anything else that can come up in the process of owning a home.

Hint's website claims its insights come from experts such as Stewart herself. There's also an in-app AI chatbot you can talk to if you have questions about home ownership.

If you can get over the trust issue, Hint could well provide intriguing practical insights on one of the more complex and tedious areas of daily life. And that, in theory, is a good thing.

Plug-in hybrids offer a unique middle ground between conventional hybrids and fully electric vehicles. They allow drivers to complete many daily trips using electric power while keeping the convenience of a gasoline engine for longer journeys.

I use Excel for pretty much everything. So when I wanted to keep track of the 2026 FIFA World Cup stadiums, my first instinct was to open a spreadsheet and start building a list. The problem was that a table full of addresses didn't give me a clear picture of where those venues actually were.

50% OFF: Celebrate National Orgasm Day on July 31 with Babeland's one-day flash sale. Save 50% on best-selling vibrators, rabbits, wands, and more.

Opens in a new window Credit: Babeland National Orgasm Day Sale Get up to 50% off best-selling toys. Shop Now

July 31st is National Orgasm Day! (You're welcome for your positive news dopamine shot of the day.) And, to celebrate, retailers everywhere are slashing prices on best-selling toys, kits, and more. One of my fave retailers, Babeland, is offering up to 50% off its best sellers, including The One Supreme Wand (54% off right now, so it may go even lower by this weekend!) and The One Rabbit (also on sale right now).

SEE ALSO: I've tested 100+ sex toys. Here are the 15 most mind-blowing toys I've ever owned.

There isn't an official sale tab marked on the site just yet, but I've received an email confirmation from the brand that there will be a National Orgasm Day Sale landing page hitting the site soon. It's a one-day sale, so I thought I'd tell you to mark your calendars now.

If you can't wait for the sale or you prefer something a little kinkier, Babeland is currently offering up to 50% off BDSM and kink products (handcuffs, restraints, and the like) now through July 31. There are also a ton of vibrators on sale right now, including The One Le’Moan, which is a knockoff of the internet-famous Hello Nancy Lem. And, if you use the code GETHOT at checkout, it'll get you an additional 10% off select items.

SAVE $600: As of July 29, get the Hisense 75-Inch U6 Pro Mini-LED ULED 4K UHD TV for $799.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,399.99. That's a discount of 43%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Hisense 75-Inch U6 Pro Mini-LED ULED 4K UHD TV   Get Deal

If you've been planning on doing a massive TV refresh as of late, now's the time to do so. We've found an especially great deal on a living room display, one you'll absolutely love adding to your home. And the best part is, you're getting a 75-inch TV without having to spend the better part of a paycheck.

As of July 29, get the Hisense 75-Inch U6 Pro Mini-LED ULED 4K UHD TV for $799.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,399.99. That's $600 off and a discount of 43%.

SEE ALSO: What is the slimmest TV you can buy? I compared numbers to find the thinnest OLED, QLED, and RGB TVs.

This massive screen comes equipped with 4K resolution and Mini-LED tech to bring you the clearest, sharpest picture possible. It features a gorgeous picture with bright, crisp color that looks close to reality, with a native 144Hz refresh rate and motion rate of 480, powered by Dolby Vision IQ. In short, this is the TV you want in your living space when you want to show off a bit, and you can have it for a deep discount.

With support for Dolby Atmos and HDR10+, you're covered with all the additional graphical and audio tweaks you'd want to make to get this display looking its absolute best. It even has a built-in subwoofer so you don't have to supply one. And at the end of the day, it's an Amazon Fire TV, so it has Alexa+ support and you can watch all your favorite shows and movies on it without needing an additional streaming peripheral.

If you've been waiting for a great TV at an even better price, this is the time to go ahead and buy -- before all the fall TV starts pouring in.

I subscribed to YouTube Premium for one reason: an ad-free viewing experience. After all, it’s the biggest selling point of the popular video-sharing platform. It didn’t take me long to realize that I was paying every month without using half of what I’m actually getting.

If you've been couch-potatoing this summer, the new trailer for Fall 2: Deadpoint will likely have you feeling validated. Go outside? To what — climb a cliff face, only to be stranded with your best friend in mid-air?

Being in a very high place with no cell reception and only your bestie was a recipe for disaster in 2022's Fall, which had a sensationally WTF ending.

For its sequel, the concept is similar, but the cast is new. Harriet Slater and Arsema Thomas star as two climbers eager to tackle Thailand's Mount Kwan. But when their climb goes sideways, they'll have to combat vertigo-inducing heights, exposure, and maybe even hallucinations as they struggle to survive.

Having seen Fall but not its sequel (yet!), my takeaways for summer travel are: Do make plans with your bestie! Don't do it at great heights, and avoid activities that may require using your friend's corpse as a DIY phone case.

Might we suggest a movie night instead?

Fall 2: Deadpoint opens in theaters Sept. 2.

The idea that you need a luxury badge to enjoy a genuinely premium SUV is starting to feel outdated. Mainstream models have closed the gap with better cabins, more technology, and a stronger focus on everyday comfort.

SAVE $500.99: The Ecovacs Goat 01000 robot lawn mower is on sale at Amazon for $999, down from the normal price of $1,499.99. That's a 33% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ecovacs Ecovacs Goat O1000 robot lawn mower $999 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $500.99   Get Deal

Now that we're squeaking out the last bits of summer enjoyment, it's no time to focus on chores. Household tasks can wait until the chill and dark months. Some tasks can handle waiting, but others will still need attention. That's very true of lawn maintenance since we'll all be in the backyard as much as possible. Instead of pushing the mower yourself, employ the help of a robot lawn mower.

As of July 29, the Ecovacs Goat 01000 robot lawn mower is on sale at Amazon for $999, down from the normal price of $1,499.99. That's a 33% discount that matches the record-low price at Amazon.

Just like we've come to use robot vacuums inside, a robot lawn mower can keep the yard tidy outside. The Ecovacs Goat 01000 can mow up to a quarter of an acre with wire-free mapping and intelligent obstacle avoidance.

Instead of pushing a loud mower around, let the Ecovacs take over with a quiet mowing experience. From the app, set your desired mowing schedule and kick back with a hands-off way of tackling chores. You also get to set the desired cutting height between 1.2 and 3.1 inches.

SEE ALSO: Enjoy clean windows with over $100 off the Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Omni

When it comes to precision, the Ecovacs has the smarts to avoid over 200 common obstacles, and it can handle mowing on slopes of up to 45 degrees. The narrow mower can fit through spaces as narrow as 2.6 feet which is ideal for yards with raised garden beds or landscaping.

Since the Ecovacs Goat 01000 robot lawn mower is sitting at a record-low price and no one has time for more summer chores, make the upgrade for under $1,000. You'll be able to sit back and watch the robot do the hard work while sipping a chilled beverage.

Tragic news out of Dublin: Glen Hansard, the Oscar–winning Irish musician, has died in a motorbike crash. He was 56.

In life, Hansard was the frontman of The Frames, and made his screen debut in the Irish musical dramedy The Commitments in 1991. But his global breakthrough came in 2006, as he fronted John Carney's Once, an indie romance about a busker who falls for a fellow musician (Markéta Irglová) in Dublin. Hansard, a former busker himself, not only won praise from critics for his work in the film, but also an Academy Award alongside Irglová for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song. That song was their duet, "Falling Slowly."

The pair went on to form the Grammy–nominated folk band The Swell Season and tour, while Once went on to become a Broadway musical.

The BBC notes Hansard also was a key figure in a fundraiser for unhoused people, participating in the annual Christmas Eve charity busk in support of the Dublin Simon Community. They included condolences from the organization, reading in part, "Glen's talents will indeed be his legacy but so too will his commitment to social justice. We will be forever indebted to him for the difference he made in the lives of the people we serve."

On social media, more friends and fans are sharing their admiration for Hansard and their grief over his passing.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. View this post on Instagram 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.

To revel in more of Hansard's work, we'd recommend streaming The Commitments, Once, or Cyrano, in which Hansard steals the movie as a singing guard.

How to watch: Once is now streaming on BroadwayHD, which offers a free trial on Amazon, where it's also available for rental or purchase.

How to watch: The Commitments is now streaming free on YouTube.

How to watch: Cyrano is now streaming on Prime Video.

You can also enjoy Hansard's music on Apple Music and Spotify.

TL;DR: Just in time for back-to-school shopping, Sticki Rolls launched its new Series 3 collection and Sticki Mates bag charms at Target. Prices start at $4.99 for wearable sticker bracelets, craft sets, and three-inch refillable sticker-dispensing charms.

If you spent your childhood swapping stickers, wearing slap bracelets, or trading friendship bands in the '90s and early '00s, you can finally share that obsession with your kids. Sticki Rolls took classic sticker collecting and turned it into a wearable, shareable trend, racking up over 1.86 million YouTube subscribers and more than 1 billion views.

Now, they're expanding their lineup with two new releases: the Series 3 Collection and Sticki Mates.

View this post on Instagram

The Series 3 Collection introduces 1,200 sticker designs with new and returning characters. It also uses a five-tier rarity system (stickers range from common everyday prints to ultra-rare holographic finishes), so kids can hunt for special ones to trade with friends. The drop includes wearable sticker-dispensing bracelets, holographic Jumbo Stickies for lockers, and crafting kits like the Sticki Station and Rolluxe handbag.

SEE ALSO: Pokémon TCG Ascended Heroes Tech Sticker Collections now only $32 at Walmart — save $5 vs. Amazon

Sticki Mates are little, three-inch collectible figures that clip onto a bookbag or tote and double as working, refillable sticker dispensers compatible with existing Sticki Rolls. There are 10 characters to collect in the initial launch, including an ultra-rare "Golden Chillin Charlie."