Technology

BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz may be the default names that come to mind when you're shopping for a luxury SUV, but their base models don't always offer the value their badges suggest. The 2026 Acura RDX takes a different approach, giving every buyer a 272-horsepower turbocharged engine and a useful list of standard equipment.

The Gmail app can be a treasure trove for all your work, personal, and social emails, but it's not always neat. My inbox easily gets flooded with emails from work, subscriptions, and personal commitments. The good news is that the fixes are hiding in plain sight.

If you hate the thought of replacing your wireless earbuds every few years as the batteries wear out, you now have an easy-to-buy solution. Sennheiser has introduced the Momentum True Wireless 5 with user-replaceable batteries in both the buds and the case.

SAVE $90: The DJI Flip is on sale for $349 at Amazon, down from the standard price of $439. That's a 21% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Flip $349 at Amazon
$439 Save $90   Get Deal

Choosing a new hobby is packed with endless options. Common options include running, reading, hiking, or cooking. You can also get obscure like synchronized swimming, growing bonsai trees, or beekeeping. But there's also the option to capture incredible scenes with a drone. If you like the idea of becoming an expert drone pilot in your free time, there's a great deal at Amazon that'll get you started.

As of Aug. 20, the DJI Flip is on sale at Amazon for $349, down from the list price of $439. That's a 21% discount, taking $90 off the drone and DJI RC.

DJI does a great job of making drones that are great for those who've spent hundreds of hours flying or those who are brand new. The DJI Flip weighs under 249 grams, which means you don't need a license to fly in most instances. There's also a 4K UHD camera with a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor.

SEE ALSO: The Segway Navimow i110N robot lawn mower is down to its best-ever price at Amazon — save $300+

With the included battery, you'll get about 31 minutes of flight time, and today's bundle deal also includes the DJI RC-N3, a remote control that makes flying the DJI Flip even easier. The drone folds down to a compact size for easier transport and has full-coverage propeller guards.

If you've been eyeing a DJI drone, consider today's sale price on the DJI Flip at Amazon as your sign to make this your new hobby. We're getting into great drone-flying weather this fall.

Google just launched a bunch of new Pixel phones, coincidentally at the same time that Pixel devices are getting an interesting new keyboard feature.

According to 9to5Google, Gboard beta users are starting to get access to a feature that lets them manually adjust the size of emojis. In case you don't know, Gboard is the default keyboard on Pixel phones and some other Android devices. It's also available as a standalone app you can install on other phones, including iPhones.

SEE ALSO: Review: The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold finally gives Samsung a real fight

Anyway, when the feature rolls out to everyone at an indeterminate point in the future, users will be able to go to Settings, then Preferences, then Appearance to find an emoji size slider underneath the already-existing font size slider. It seems like it does exactly what you'd think: Emojis will scale up and down depending on what you choose, making them easier on the eyes for users who might need that.

And maybe you'll be able to enjoy this feature on your brand new Pixel 11 Pro Fold soon.

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Reddit, once a favorite source of information for AI chatbots, is now barely being cited by ChatGPT, according to a new report from an AI search and analytics company.

Published this week by PromptWatch, the report found that Reddit citations in ChatGPT Search fell more than 86 percent over a recent four-day period.

PromptWatch data shows that Reddit held an average share of 3.83 percent of ChatGPT citations. This made Reddit one of ChatGPT's most cited domains from across the web. However, within one day, that quickly changed. PromptWatch noticed that starting on Aug. 14, Reddit's citation share plunged to less than 1 percent.

Between Aug. 14 and 17, Reddit's ChatGPT citation share fell even lower, to an average of 0.52 percent, or an 86.4 percent decline.

This is a stunning and sudden drop in ChatGPT citations for Reddit. So, what happened?

As of now, exactly why Reddit fell out of favor with ChatGPT is unclear. 

The drastic decline in Reddit citations is unique to ChatGPT, according to PrompWatch's report, although there were slight decreases in Reddit citations in Google AI Overviews and AI Mode during the same timeframe.

Search Engine Journal reports that ChatGPT changed its search process on Aug. 8, but that this wouldn't explain the massive drop days later on Aug. 14. As the outlet explains, a similar drop has occurred before, and neither ChatGPT creator OpenAI nor Reddit was responsible. In September of last year, Reddit citations on ChatGPT also declined. It turned out that that citation plunge was due to a search parameter change that Google had made, and which many tools, including ChatGPT, relied on.

Reddit has long had a complicated relationship with AI and scraping bots. Generation engine optimization, or GEO, is a new branch of search engine optimization (SEO) that optimizes websites specifically for AI. As a result of AI's rising popularity, Reddit has dealt with a significant uptick in spam and other promotional GEO tactics from users and agencies looking to get their websites and clients mentioned by AI chatbots.

With that said, Reddit has also benefited from the AI boom as well. The company signed a lucrative deal with OpenAI a few years ago, which allowed the AI company to train its LLMs using Reddit user content. When news broke last month that Reddit may not renew a similar AI licensing deal with Google, Reddit stock took a dive.

While it's possible that either Reddit or OpenAI made a purposeful decision that resulted in the citation decline, don't be surprised if ChatGPT soon reverts to regularly sourcing Reddit again either.

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A new luxury car gives you the latest technology and styling, but it also comes with one unavoidable problem: depreciation. A four-year-old Lexus hybrid can offer much of the comfort, efficiency, and premium equipment buyers want from a luxury car while costing substantially less than it did when new.

In a world flooded with AI slop, there's no better cure-all than watching an artist walk you through their human, hand-made process.

SEE ALSO: LAIKA's 'Wildwood' trailer is the most stunning thing you'll see today

Enter a new featurette for LAIKA's new film Wildwood, an epic fantasy tale brought to life by gorgeously crafted stop-motion animation. Directed by Travis Knight (Masters of the Universe), Wildwood follows headstrong teenager Prue McKeel (voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee) as she goes on a quest to save her abducted baby brother. Her journey takes her to the Impassable Wilderness, an enchanted forest outside Portland, Oregon filled with talking animals and bandits.

Every element of Wildwood is painstakingly brought to life by an army of artists and animators, including the many horses roaming the Impassable Wilderness. In the featurette above, lead armaturist Matt Cole walks us through the creation of the film's stop-motion horses.

As an armaturist, Cole creates the skeletons within the stop-motion puppets, which will then be manipulated by animators.

"With Wildwood, we were tasked with building quadrupeds, and the animals have their own expression, their own musculature," Cole explained. He grew up around horses, calling the experience "transformative," which meant he felt extra pressure to get their movement right onscreen.

"We ended up making basically a Swiss watch inside of the puppet," Cole said. "There are gears that drive movement. There's specialized joints to be able to rotate. So we have to nail down both the look and the performance for the animators. Those are equally important."

The featurette above shows each painstaking step of the process that brings Wildwood's horses to life, from designing the skeletons in CAD to testing their movement to their final onscreen appearance.

"Every single [LAIKA] film is pushing things further and further," Cole said. "The horse was kind of the ultimate challenge, and this personally circular thing for me to revisit my childhood as an adult. That's part of the magic of stop motion at LAIKA. We're always looking for that way back."

Wildwood hits theaters Oct. 23.

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If you have opened TikTok or Instagram lately, you have probably been informed that something — anything — is “kinda chic.” Repeating outfits is kinda chic. So are taking a coffee walk at work, letting people be wrong about you, being a beginner at something, and making all your major decisions in the bath.

The phrase’s takeover did not come from nowhere. For years, the internet has applied "chic" to an ever-expanding collection of clothes, products, habits, and lifestyles, stretching its meaning until it became little more than shorthand for "something I like." Fashion writers have declared the word dead, even as Google search interest in "chic" has reached its highest level since the company’s publicly available data began in 2004.

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Over the past several months, however, "chic" has found new life through an endlessly reusable social media format. TikTok and Instagram users have been posting videos and carousels that declare their habits, hobbies, insecurities, and occasional displays of wealth "kinda chic." Almost anything can qualify, which may explain why some people are already begging the internet to find a new phrase.

What is the 'kinda chic' trend?

The format is simple: Users place text, generally in a pale yellow font, over a photo or video and complete the phrase "kinda chic to…" with something they want to celebrate.

Some posts declare it "kinda chic" to eat pizza, be overdressed, spend time outdoors, or love Joe Jonas. Others are more earnest, celebrating setting boundaries, following your dreams, accepting your body, moving somewhere new, continuing to learn, or doing something alone and scared.

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The trend’s exact origin is unclear, but examples began appearing as early as April. Know Your Meme points to an April 27 post from plus-size creator Maria Castellanos, known online as MariaBegins, as one of the earliest examples, writing at the end of her carousel, "tell me something 'kinda chic' about you!"

At its most sincere, the trend separates chicness from money, designer clothing, Ibiza trips, and whatever other aspirational lifestyles the algorithm is currently selling. Users don't need an extensive wardrobe, expensive hobby, or packed social calendar to participate. Chic is a mindset: if something makes you feel more comfortable, confident, or like yourself, it qualifies.

By early August, celebrities including Drew Barrymore, Ashley Graham, and Reese Witherspoon had joined in. Witherspoon’s version deemed it "kinda chic to cheer on other women," start a book club, and call your mom. Barrymore announced that it was "kinda chic to be in your 50s," while Graham said it's "kinda chic to know cellulite never held you back."

Brands have joined in, too — naturally. Boots called reapplying sunscreen, romanticizing your daily routine, and removing your makeup before bed "kinda chic." Simple Skincare used the trend to promote sensitive-skin care, while Laneige declared it "kinda chic" to be obsessed with its Cream Skin toner. Outside the beauty aisle, Aldi celebrated selling a foldable sock hanger beside the wine, and Virgin deemed requesting the window seat "kinda chic."

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According to The Guardian, Google searches for "kinda chic" increased by 5,000 percent as the hashtag accumulated more than 60,000 Instagram posts.

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Yet rising search interest does not mean people feel positively about the word. Madé Lapuerta, the fashion data analyst behind Data, But Make It Fashion, conducted a sentiment analysis of online articles containing "chic" and found that positive sentiment had fallen by an average of 14 percent per month since March.

Online, users are fed up: "It’s every second post I see on Instagram," one Threads user wrote. Another said they had reached the point where they see "kinda chic" and "just scroll," describing their aversion as "trend fatigue." "It’s chic to not be annoying as heck," one Reddit user wrote on the r/petpeeves subreddit. Some influencers agree; New York stylist Coco Schiffer announced that “kinda chic” had been “revoked.” By Aug. 18, Naomi May’s Cultural Memory newsletter was calling for the adjective to be retired "for the sake of humanity."

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The problem is not what the posts are saying, of course. Loving your body, establishing boundaries, and calling your mom are all perfectly nice things to do. The irritation comes from watching one person’s personal observation become a fill-in-the-blank strategy for thousands of creators, celebrities, and social media managers.

"Kinda chic" is also only one format in a feed increasingly built from templates. Examples are endless: Remember the Unfortunately, I do love… trend? "This and yap?" "5 things that are worth the money"?

Fashion editor and creator Brenda Weischer has called this sort of resulting sameness "template slop." In her newsletter, she described an Instagram Explore page filled with butter-yellow and pastel type, recycled "cool girl" advice, and interchangeable cultural recommendations. "Everyone is getting good. No one is getting better."

The exhaustion, then, is larger than any one meme. Users are not simply tired of being told what is "kinda chic." They are tired of scrolling past supposedly personal posts that all use the same handful of fonts, hooks, and formulas. Even when the person filling in the template has something sincere to say, the result can feel like content the viewer has already consumed dozens of times.

I mean, if everything is “kinda chic,” nothing really is — right? At this point, coming up with a different caption might be the chicest move of all.

Search for "how to fix a bloated Excel workbook," and you'll find plenty of familiar advice. But the real problems are often hiding in places you never think to look. Here's where to check before you assume the problem is Excel itself.

Are you ready to take your homelab to the next level? This weekend, I'm showing you three unique projects to try out in the homelab, from simplifying your Docker experience to replacing Canva. Here are the projects you should try before Monday rolls around.

How determined are you to play Grand Theft Auto VI? If you're in the right U.S. Army unit, you only need to commit to years of military service. Soldiers in the Georgia-based 9th Brigade Engineering Battalion have been offered a four-day pass to play Rockstar's upcoming blockbuster game if they reenlist.

The best gaming monitor deals at a glance: BEST OLED deal LG 27-inch Ultragear OLED 27GX790A-B $499.99 (save $500) Get Deal Best budget pick Samsung 27-inch Odyssey G55C $199.99 (save $130) Get Deal Best curved deal Samsung 57-inch Odyssey Neo G95NC $1,449.99 (save $650 + get a free $120 Amazon credit) Get Deal

Gaming hardware might come with major sticker shock, but upgrading your gear can truly make a world of difference in how you experience your favorite games. If your current setup is feeling lifeless, I've spotted a few deals on gaming monitors that'll take some of the pain out of upgrading. A discount of up to 50% is a great excuse to make the jump to a new monitor, don't you think?

While the market is wide and varied, here are three of the best deals we could find on gaming monitors as of Aug. 20. Gaming is not a cheap hobby by any means, but it also doesn't have to cost a fortune.

Best OLED gaming monitor deal Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 27-inch Ultragear OLED 27GX790A-B $499.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $500   Get Deal Why we like it

LG's Ultragear gaming monitors are some of the most popular models on the market for their premium specs, excellent build quality, reliability, and performance. And the OLED 27GX790A-B is no exception.

It packs a brilliant 27-inch matte 1440p OLED panel with VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400, a blistering 480Hz refresh rate, and a 0.03ms response time for fluid gameplay. There's also plenty of ports on board, including dual HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1, and USB 3.0 (1 upstream / 2 downstream). While the LG UltraGear OLED 27GX790A-B's premium specs might be out of reach on a normal day, this 50% discount makes it a whole lot more approachable. At $499.99, it's the cheapest it's ever been.

Best curved gaming monitor deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 57-inch Odyssey Neo G95NC $1,449.99 at Amazon
$2,099.99 Save $650.00 + get a $120 Amazon credit Get Deal Why we like it

If you like to be in the center of the action while gaming, this Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 monitor deal is for you.

Beyond its wild 57-inch screen real estate, the Odyssey Neo G95NC also features a 1,000R curve that envelops you as you play. A 1,000R curve is considered ideal for a monitor, as it closely matches the human field of view, reduces eye strain, and enhances depth perception. It's worth noting, however, that the G9's 32:9 aspect ratio isn't compatible with every game (check that your faves will work before pulling the trigger). The G95NC packs a solid 240Hz refresh rate, a 1ms response time, VESA DisplayHDR 1000, and G-Sync and FreeSync Premium Pro compatibility. There's also plenty of ports for connectivity, including HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1, and a USB Hub.

Not only is it 31% off as of Aug. 20, but you'll also get a free $120 Amazon credit with your purchase for a limited time.

Best budget gaming monitor deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 32-inch Odyssey G55C $199.99 at Amazon
$329.99 Save $130   Get Deal Why we like it

If you're a little curious about curved monitors, but don't want to break the bank making the switch, Amazon's deal on the Samsung Odyssey G55C can transform your gaming experience for under $200.

It packs a 32-inch 2560x1440 QHD display with a 1000R curvature and 16:9 aspect ratio. That means the screen will wrap around your field of view, enhancing the depth of your games while reducing eye strain. It also features a 165Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, AMD Radeon FreeSync, HDR10, and an eye-saver mode to reduce screen flickering during extended gaming periods.

While it's not the most premium monitor on the market, Samsung monitors have a solid reputation. If you're balling on a budget, it's a hard deal to pass up for only $199.99. That's just $10 away from its best price ever.

Google Assistant’s retirement was announced well over a year ago, but the official end date is now in sight. For better or worse, Gemini will be the company’s last digital assistant standing on September 4th. It’s had plenty of time to get up to speed with Assistant—here’s what’s still missing.

It’s easy to dismiss USB drives as little more than inexpensive portable storage devices that you can plug into practically anything.

Cheap Yellow Display, or CYD for short, is a catch-all term for an affordable microcontroller and touchscreen combination. These devices include everything you need to get started with ESP32 projects that depend on a display, offering a larger footprint than a standalone microcontroller but an easier onboarding for many projects.

The best 3D printer deals at Amazon: Best for everyday printing Flashforge 3D Printer $378.99 (save $170) Get Deal Best overall 3D Printer Bambu Lab P1S 3D Printer $499.99 (save $49.01) Get Deal Best for large-scale prints Creality K1 Max 3D Printer $548.98 (save $170) Get Deal

Getting into 3D printing usually means choosing between speed, print quality, and not blowing your whole budget — but this week's deals make that trade-off a lot less painful. Three printers from Bambu Lab, Creality, and Flashforge are discounted right now, with savings up to $171 (31% off).

There's a fit here no matter what you're after — a beginner-friendly all-rounder, a large-format speed machine built for bigger projects, and a quiet, filtered option for everyday use.

Best for everyday printing Opens in a new window Credit: Flashforge Flashforge 3D Printer $378.99 at Amazon
$549 Save $170.01   Get Deal Why we like it

The AD5M Pro is the printer that gets out of your way. Setup takes 10 minutes or less with no experience required, and full-auto leveling means you skip manual adjustments before your first print. It moves fast, up to 600mm/s with 20,000mm/s² acceleration, backed by a CoreXY metal structure that keeps output stable and precise even at that speed.

It's also the pick for anyone printing at home or in a shared space. It's quiet enough for a living room or classroom, and the enclosed design keeps fumes and dust from escaping into the room. There's also a built-in camera so you can check on prints remotely or capture time-lapse videos, easy nozzle swaps for different filament types, and automatic recovery if the power cuts out mid-print.

Best overall 3D Printer Opens in a new window Credit: Bambu Lab Bambu Lab P1S 3D Printer $499.99 at Amazon
$549 Save $49.01   Get Deal Why we like it

The Bambu Lab P1S earns the top spot in this lineup because it balances speed, quality, and ease of use better than most printers at this price. It sets up in about 15 minutes, handles calibration automatically with auto bed leveling, and prints fast — up to 500mm/s — without sacrificing quality. That combination makes it approachable for someone printing their first model, while still being capable enough that experienced makers won't outgrow it quickly.

What sets it apart is the AMS add-on, which unlocks multi-color and multi-material printing (up to 16 colors) without any manual filament swapping. It's fully enclosed, so advanced filaments like ABS and ASA print consistently, and the build volume is generous enough for bigger projects.

Best for large-scale prints Opens in a new window Credit: Comgrow Creality K1 Max 3D Printer $548.99 at Amazon
$719 Save $170.01   Get Deal Why we like it

The Creality K1 Max packs a massive 300x300x300mm build volume into a compact footprint, giving you room for larger prints while staying space-efficient. Pair that with a 600 mm/s print speed and 20,000 mm/s² acceleration, and you get a printer built to move fast without making you choose between size and speed.

The AI Lidar scans the first layer and automatically halts the print if something's off, while the onboard camera monitors for print failures or debris mid-print. It also comes with dual hands-free auto leveling and dual-fan cooling that hardens each layer before warping or stringing can set in.

Google's new Pixel 11 lineup is here, but despite having a new processor, it's not exactly a generational leap. It's a fairly modest upgrade, and although it's far from a bad phone, the value isn't there, especially when the Pixel 10 still offers most of the same features and capabilities. That's why last year's model could actually be a much better buy for most people.

Electric vehicles are clearly the future of the automotive industry, as brands have essentially all begun their march towards carbon neutrality. However, range anxiety and slow charging have all been barriers to the average person making the switch to an electric vehicle. However, solid state batteries (SSBs) may be the solution.

Are you ready to spend some time soldering and setting up projects on your Pi this weekend? Then today's post is for you! Below, I talk about building a custom turntable with a Pi Pico, designing a custom OBD-II dashboard for your car, and building a tabletop game soundboard.