Technology

RAMageddon is showing no sign of stopping, if the global smartphone market is to be believed.

A new report from Counterpoint, a market research firm, indicates that global smartphone shipments were down 20 percent year-over-year in the third quarter of 2026. According to Counterpoint, they hit the lowest level measured since 2012, which was a time when smartphones were still not quite as prevalent in everyday life as they are now. The explanation, according to Counterpoint, is that "relentless increases" in memory prices have "significantly disrupted" shipments from manufacturers like Samsung and Apple.

SEE ALSO: Apple TV 4K: Where to buy the 4th generation of Apple TV

As a result, those companies have passed rising costs onto consumers, resulting in a 20 percent rise in smartphone retail prices in 2026. Per Counterpoint's research, this has led to customers holding onto older phones for longer and prioritizing high-end devices more than they might otherwise.

Samsung, for what it's worth, seems to have weathered the storm a little bit, with its market share increasing to 23 percent. Counterpoint attributes this to steady demand for the mid-range Galaxy A-series and high demand for premium devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Apple, meanwhile, also saw an increase in market share, while suffering a 22 percent decline in shipments year-over-year. Counterpoint theorizes that this had to do with the lack of a base iPhone 18 model in September; Apple is widely expected to launch that phone in early 2027 instead.

I do my best to keep my files organized, give them sensible names, and place them in project-specific folders. Even so, sometimes I still mess things up. Somehow, when I want to work on a specific version of a design project, I can only find a flattened PNG. All other iterations? Completely editable and ready to use, except the one I need.

I would've never guessed that the 1998 cult-favorite Practical Magic would get a sequel in 2026, but here we are. Practical Magic 2 brings back Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman's sister witches, as well as their on-screen aunties played by Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing. But it also adds new faces like Joey King and Maisie Williams into the mix.

Whether you're a Practical Magic superfan or you're looking to get into the spirit of the season, the sequel 30 years in the making is now officially available to watch at home.

The best ways to watch 'Practical Magic 2' at home, at a glance: Watch now Buy or rent 'Practical Magic 2' on Prime Video $24.99 or $19.99 Shop Now Watch now Buy or rent 'Practical Magic 2' on Apple TV $24.99 or $19.99 Get Deal Watch now Buy or rent 'Practical Magic 2' on Fandango at Home $24.99 or $19.99 Get Deal Watch later HBO Max (With Ads) $109.99/year (save $21.89) Get Deal Watch later HBO Max Standard $184.99/year (save $36.89) Get Deal Watch later HBO Max Student $5.49 per month for 12 months (save 50%) Get Deal Watch later HBO Max Basic With Ads Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month unlimited plan (save $10.99/month) Get Deal Watch later Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max bundle $21.99 per month (with ads), $34.99 per month (no ads) (save up to 43%) Get Deal Watch later Netflix and HBO Max bundle (with ads) $10/month with Verizon myPlan (save $9.98/month) Get Deal Watch later Netflix, Peacock, and HBO Max (with ads) $22/month with Xfinity StreamSaver (save $8.97/month) Get Deal

Directed by Susanne Bier and written by Akiva Goldsman and Georgia Pritchett, the sequel is based on the final novel in Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic series, The Book of Magic. In her review, Mashable's entertainment editor calls it "a tale of love, loss, sisterhood, and magic that bounds across genres while being thoroughly entertaining."

Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Practical Magic 2, including when and where it'll be streaming this season.

What is Practical Magic 2 about?

The witchy Owens family is cursed to be loveless for centuries, but when Sally's (Bullock) daughter Kylie (King) falls in love and begins to uncover hidden family secrets, she sets off to break the spell.

The sequel covers a lot of ground and takes a "a wild ride into different genre influences," as Mashable's Kristy Puchko puts it, but ultimately it delivers.

Check out the official trailer for a taste of Practical Magic 2:

How to watch Practical Magic 2 at home Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

As of Oct. 13, you can officially watch the Practical Magic sequel at home. You can either buy it or rent it via digital-on-demand retailers, with a streaming option still to come. We've broken down the details below.

Buy or rent on digital

Practical Magic 2 made its at-home debut via digital-on-demand retailers on Oct. 13, 2026. It costs $24.99 to buy and $19.99 to rent, but here's a pro tip: those prices will likely drop significantly if you wait a few weeks. Another thing to note is if you choose the rental option, you have 30 days to start watching, but only 48 hours once you start.

Quick links to buy/rent Practical Magic 2 on digital:

• Apple TV —  buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

• Fandango at Home — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

• Prime Video —  buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

• YouTube — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

Stream it on HBO Max

There's no official date yet, but we do know that Practical Magic 2 will make its streaming debut on HBO Max, as Warner Bros. Pictures theatrical releases exclusively stream on HBO Max before anywhere else. If it follows the same schedule as other recent Warner Bros. releases (like Wuthering Heights and The Conjuring: Last Rites), we expect a mid-November streaming release. Stay tuned.

HBO Max subscriptions start at $10.99 per month, but there are a few ways you can save money on your plan. Check out the best HBO Max streaming deals below.

SEE ALSO: HBO Max and Paramount+ are combining into one streaming service The best HBO Max streaming dealsBest for most people: Save up to $45 on HBO Max annual subscriptions Opens in a new window Credit: HBO Max HBO Max Basic with ads annual subscription $109.99 per year (save $21.89) Get Deal at HBO Max Opens in a new window Credit: HBO Max HBO Max Standard annual subscription $184.99 per year (save $36.89) Get Deal at HBO Max

The best way to save some cash on HBO Max on any given day is by committing to an annual plan. Yes, it'll cost you more up front, but you'll save about 16% over the course of a year — or up to $45.89 in savings.

A monthly plan with ads typically costs $10.99 per month, but a full year costs $109.99, which breaks down the monthly cost to only $9.17. Want to go ad-free? The annual HBO Max Standard or Premium plans will also save you about 16% over their monthly equivalents. Standard subscriptions cost either $18.49 per month or $184.99 per year (which breaks down to $15.42 per month). Premium subscriptions cost $22.99 per month or $229.99 per year (about $19.17 per month). While both are ad-free plans, the Premium option also unlocks 4K Ultra HD video quality, Dolby Atmos, and the ability to download more offline content.

Get HBO Max for free: Switch to Cricket's Supreme Unlimited plan Opens in a new window Credit: HBO Max / Cricket HBO Max (with ads) Free for Cricket customers on the Supreme Unlimited plan Get Deal

While it's not the most convenient option, switching your phone plan to Cricket's Supreme Unlimited plan for $60 per month will get you HBO Max with ads for free. Once you're a Cricket customer, you can use your provider credentials to log in via the HBO Max app or website.

Best HBO Max deal for students: Save 50% on HBO Max Basic with ads Opens in a new window Credit: HBO Max HBO Max Student $5.49 per month for 12 months Get Deal

College students can sign up for a whole year of HBO Max with ads for 50% off. Use UNiDAYS to prove your student status and you'll receive a unique discount code to shave the cost per month down from $10.99 to $5.49. The price will jump back to the full cost unless you cancel after 12 months.

Best bundle deal: Get HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu for up to 43% off Opens in a new window Credit: Disney / Hulu / HBO Max Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max $19.99 per month (with ads), $32.99 per month (no ads) Get Deal

The Disney+ bundle deal, which includes HBO Max and Hulu, remains one of the best streaming deals around — even with its latest price increase. For just $21.99 per month, you'll get all three streaming libraries with ads, which is about $14 cheaper than paying for each one separately. Want to go ad-free? It'll run you $34.99 per month as opposed to $61.47 for all three. That's $26.48 in savings.

Best for Verizon customers: Get Netflix and HBO Max for $13/month Opens in a new window Credit: Netflix / HBO Max HBO Max and Netflix (with ads) $13 per month for Verizon customers with myPlan (save $6.98 per month) Get Deal

If you're a Verizon customer on the Simplicity, Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus, or Unlimited Ultimate plan, you can add the Netflix and HBO Max bundle perk (with ads) to your plan for only $13 per month. A $19.98 per month value, that's about $7 in savings each month. Once you enroll in the promo, you'll have to complete the account setup separately for each service. Check out Verizon's support page for all the eligibility details, terms, and FAQs. You can also upgrade to the ad-free bundle for $7.50 more per month.

Best for Xfinity customers: Bundle HBO Max, Peacock, and Netflix and save $10/month Opens in a new window Credit: Netflix / Peacock / HBO Max Netflix Standard with ads, Peacock Premium, and HBO Max $22/month with Xfinity StreamSaver (save $8.97/month) Get Deal

Xfinity Internet and TV customers can also get in on the bundle action with Xfinity StreamSaver packages. The package with Netflix Standard with ads ($8.99 per month), Peacock Premium ($10.99 per month), and HBO Max Basic with Ads ($10.99 per month) can be added to your existing Xfinity service for only $22 per month. It typically costs $30.97 for all three, so that's about $9 in savings monthly.

SAVE $65: As of Oct. 14, the Coleman Cascade 222 2-Burner Camping Stove is on sale for $164.99 on Amazon (normally $229.99) — a 28% savings. You can add a cast-iron grill and griddle for $40 extra.

Opens in a new window Credit: Coleman Coleman Cascade 222 2-Burner Camping Stove $164.99 at Amazon
$229.99 Save $65   Get Deal at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Coleman Coleman Cascade 3-in-1 Camping Stove $204.99 at Amazon
$274.99 Save $70 FYI: Not returnable. Get Deal at Amazon

Tired: waiting around for Lana Del Rey to release her new album, Stove (or whatever it's called these days). Wired: grabbing a new camping stove on sale while end-of-season clearance sales are in full swing.

Right now, Amazon has the top-rated Coleman Cascade 222 2-Burner Camping Stove marked down to $164.99. That's 28% off its usual MSRP of $229.99 and its best price since summer, when it was just $11 cheaper.

For $40 extra, you can upgrade to a slightly more powerful version of this stove with a removable cast-iron grill and griddle. Just know that it's not returnable due to hazardous material regulations unless it arrives with damage or defects.

Credit: Coleman Credit: Coleman

This portable stove runs on propane fuel and offers 22,000 total BTUs of cooking power between its two burners. (The version that ships with those two accessories can hit up to 24,000 total BTUs.) It can fit 12- and 10-inch pans, and there are wind guards on either side of it to protect its flames.

When you're finished cooking, the Coleman Cascade 222 folds up and latches closed. There's a handle built into the bottom of it that makes it easy to carry.

Recently, people have become more cautious about their phone's battery health than about fast charging. For years, my bedtime routine has been to plug my phone in and fall asleep. This way, I stop reaching for my phone frequently at bedtime, which improves my sleep. While my sleep has improved, my Galaxy S25 Ultra's battery life has significantly declined in just a year and a half.

TL;DR: Live stream Roma vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are a number of interesting Champions League fixtures taking place this week, including Roma vs. Real Madrid at the Stadio Olimpico. Real Madrid won their opening game in this competition, whereas Roma had to settle for a draw. Of course, Roma could leapfrog their rivals by winning this clash.

If you want to watch Roma vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Roma vs. Real Madrid?

Roma vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 14. This fixture takes place at the Stadio Olimpico.

How to watch Roma vs. Real Madrid for free

Roma vs. Real Madrid is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player.

Virgin Media Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock Virgin Media Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Roma vs. Real Madrid for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit Virgin Media Player

5. Watch Roma vs. Real Madrid for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Roma vs. Real Madrid (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Virgin Media Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Roma vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: As of Oct. 14, you can get the Elegoo Centauri 2 Combo 3D Printer for $328.99, down from $461.99. That's a 29% discount or $133 in savings.

Elegoo Centauri 2 Combo 3D Printer $328.99 at Amazon
$461.99 Save $133   Get Deal at Amazon

My nephew has been begging for a 3D printer, and frankly, I haven't felt too comfortable with the prices, and I thought the mechanics might be a little too advanced for a 13-year-old. But according to Mashable reviewer Adam Doud, the Centauri lineup is easy to use and budget-friendly.

In his review of the Centauri Carbon, Adam called it an "idiot-friendly 3D printer that even I could understand". He loved that it's "an entirely self-contained device" — meaning all the moving parts are housed safely inside an enclosure rather than exposed on an open table — and noted that the automated calibration and leveling save you from having to master complicated technical tasks on day one.

SEE ALSO: Find a gift that kids will actually like

So if your little ones have been asking for a more advanced gift this year, this might be the one to get. Right now, you can get the Elegoo Centauri 2 Combo 3D Printer for $328.99, down from $461.99. That's a 29% discount or $133 in savings.

This upgraded Centauri 2 Combo model makes things even easier for beginners with its CANVAS system, which handles four-color printing automatically without requiring anyone to manually pause and swap filaments. It also uses the ElegooSlicer app so they can queue projects and monitor prints right from a phone. Plus, it prints at high speeds (up to 500mm/s), so nobody has to wait all weekend for a single build to finish.

Is Google purposefully serving up false data to AI scrapers?

According to a new report from Nozzle, a search engine results page (SERP) monitoring firm, Google may be deliberately manipulating search results that are visible to rank-tracking tools and other automated services.

SERPs are the pages Google displays in response to a search query. Companies often pay service providers like Nozzle to monitor these results and track how their websites rank for targeted keywords.

While monitoring Google SERPs, Nozzle discovered evidence that the search giant appeared to be deliberately poisoning results pages accessed by rank trackers. Google has little apparent reason to serve misleading data specifically to these tools, suggesting that legitimate SEO services may be caught in the crossfire of Google's efforts to disrupt data scraping by AI bots.

For its report, Nozzle analyzed 27.5 million SERPs and found that more than 660,000 keywords were associated with poisoned results pages. According to the report, approximately 8 percent of SERPs were poisoned. The altered results appeared in both desktop and mobile versions of Google Search.

SEE ALSO: Google upgrades its AI detection tool. How to use SynthID.

What does a poisoned SERP look like? According to Nozzle, it looks much like a normal search results page. However, links that typically rank well in legitimate results may be replaced with less relevant or less accurate results, often from social media platforms.

Google has been battling third-party AI scrapers for some time. These automated bots collect Google's search data, potentially to power competing AI services or reverse-engineer the company's search algorithms. By poisoning search results, Google could undermine the value of the data collected by these bots.

The problem is that legitimate rank trackers and other search engine optimization (SEO) tools may also be receiving this misleading data.

It's also possible that Google's efforts are intended, at least in part, to target rank trackers themselves. Black-hat and gray-hat SEO techniques have evolved in recent years, with some practitioners using AI to manipulate search rankings. Google may have an incentive to make automated tracking and analysis more difficult for those attempting to game its search results.

However, Google could simply block requests from AI scrapers and other automated tools, as it has done in the past. Over the past month, Nozzle's findings suggest Google may have shifted from blocking certain requests to serving misleading results instead.

If so, that would point to a more active effort to poison the data available to AI scrapers.

SAVE $300: As of Oct. 14, get the Hisense C3 Triple Color RGB Smart Laser Projector for $1,699.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,999.99. That's a discount of 15%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Hisense C3 Triple Color RGB Smart Laser Projector $1,699.99 at Amazon
$1,999.99 Save $300   Get Deal at Amazon

Looking for a new way to experience your favorite movies at home? A projector is a good place to start. You can use an investment like this for the foreseeable future to create an at-home theatrical experience without breaking the bank, and Amazon is making that even easier right now with this deal.

As of Oct. 14, get the Hisense C3 Triple Color RGB Smart Laser Projector for $1,699.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,999.99. That's $300 off and a discount of 15%.

SEE ALSO: The ultimate 'GTA 6' upgrade: The TCL 65-inch QM6K Mini LED TV is $152 off at Amazon

This projector can cast a 65-inch image all the way up to a 300-inch picture for the movie night of your dreams. It has support for IMAX Enhanced and Dolby Vision certification as well, so you can host movie night outdoors, show the big game on your wall, or just enjoy some time outdoors with everyone's favorite music videos.

Show off movies and other content in striking 4K UHD resolution with pixel-by-pixel reconstruction with depth and motion clarity like you'd find with a pricey TV. Setup is easy as well, with a 360-degree horizontal and 135-degree vertical gimbal so you can get things situated and get movie night going quickly. You can point it at a fence, ceiling, ramp, or wherever works for your viewing party.

If you've been dreaming about an alternative way to enjoy movies and the like with friends and family, this is the perfect way to do so, and at a significant discount as well. Be sure to grab yours while you can.

Spooky season is here, and my October watchlist wouldn’t be complete without a few good horror movies. But what I feel like watching depends on the day: sometimes it’s an unsettling horror-mystery, and other times, a bloody slasher with a little humor sprinkled in is more my vibe.

Character.AI, the chatbot platform that lets people create and talk to AI characters, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The company filed a voluntary petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on Oct. 12, according to court records. It is using the bankruptcy process to sell itself under court supervision.

SEE ALSO: Ask.com shuts down after 30 years

In a blog post announcing the decision, the company said it had spent the past year trying to sustain its business amid "significant legal, regulatory, and operational headwinds." The company also said that the board reviewed its options and decided a court-supervised sale offered the best chance "to maximize value for all of our stakeholders."

"The Character.ai platform remains up and running," the statement added.

Character.AI estimated both its assets and its liabilities at between $50 million and $100 million, TechCrunch reported. According to the filing, the board formed a restructuring committee on Oct. 8 to weigh its options given the company’s cash flow, liquidity, and potential legal liabilities. The committee approved the bankruptcy filing four days later.

A rocky five years

Former Google engineers Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas founded Character.AI in late 2021. The startup reached a $1 billion valuation in 2022 after raising $150 million. In Aug. 2024, Google struck a $2.7 billion deal to license its models, and both founders went back to Google.

Usage stayed high afterward. By October 2024, Character.AI had 20 million monthly active users, part of a fast-growing AI companion community, and Sensor Tower data cited by TechCrunch ranks it among the top AI apps by time spent.

Then the lawsuits started to come in.

One came from the mother of a 14-year-old Florida boy who died by suicide; she says he had become obsessed with one of the platform’s chatbots. Texas also opened an investigation into whether Character.AI followed child privacy and safety laws. The company settled some of the lawsuits, added safety features, and banned minors.

In its coverage of the bankruptcy, 404 Media argued that Character.AI’s money problems aren’t unusual. Many AI companies spend heavily on computing power without the revenue to support it. The distinction, though, 404 Media wrote, is that the big companies like Anthropic, Google, Meta, and OpenAI are "able to repeatedly get injections of new cash." Meta and Google can also use their advertising businesses to pay for their AI products.

Disney has agreed to buy some of Character.AI’s assets for $20 million, along with a non-exclusive, perpetual license to its technology, TechCrunch reported. Former Character.AI staff who joined Disney last month, including former CEO Karandeep Singh Anand, will help with the transition.

The statement on Character.AI's website said the sale should close in late November or early December. However, if no workable offer comes in, Adams told the outlet, the platform "will be wound down."

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

The Arch User Repository promises nearly every Linux app in one place, and it has its advantages. But there's a reason why I stick to official repositories and Flatpak. Here is what improves when compiling software stops being routine.

TL;DR: Live stream Man City vs. PSG in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League is back this week, and all eyes are on the huge Man City vs. PSG matchup. Man City have been in the news a lot lately, but not for footballing reasons. Despite all the controversy around Man City right now, they are top of the Premier League and won their opening game in this competition. The defending champions PSG will provide a stern test.

If you want to watch Man City vs. PSG in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Man City vs. PSG?

Man City vs. PSG in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 14. This fixture takes place at the Etihad Stadium.

How to watch Man City vs. PSG for free

Man City vs. PSG is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.

RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Man City vs. PSG for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit RTÉ Player

5. Watch Man City vs. PSG for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Man City vs. PSG (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Man City vs. PSG in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

Showtime has released the first teaser for the fourth and final season of Yellowjackets, which reveals what happened after the Yellowjackets made it home from the Canadian wilderness.

SEE ALSO: 2026 fall TV preview: Every show you should know about

The teaser opens with video interviews from the teen versions of Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown), Natalie (Sophie Thatcher), Shauna (Sophie Nélisse), Melissa (Jenna Burgess), Misty (Samantha Hanratty), Travis (Kevin Alves), Van (Liv Hewson), and Lottie (Courtney Eaton), each giving what appears to be a coordinated account of their time in the wilderness. (Naturally, they leave all the cannibalism out.)

Based on our knowledge of Yellowjackets' present-day timeline, we already know that all of these characters got rescued, so their presence in these video interviews comes as no surprise. However, the teaser does give us a major update on the fate of a Yellowjacket we haven't met in the adult timeline yet: Akilah (Nia Sondaya).

Akilah is not in the video interviews shown in the teaser, which initially suggests that she did not make it out of the wilderness. However, she does appear briefly in the background of a shot at a memorial in the Wiskayok high school gym, sitting next to Melissa and Taissa.

Jenna Burgess, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Nia Sondaya in "Yellowjackets." Credit: Screenshot: Paramount+

That shot clearly confirms that Akilah is rescued alongside all the other surviving Yellowjackets. Perhaps the teaser intentionally left out any of her video interviews in order to conceal her fate further, or perhaps, more worryingly, something happens to Akilah after the memorial that means she is unable to participate in the interviews.

Either way, we know that Akilah made it back to Wiskayok alive, putting years of fan speculation about her fate in the wilderness to bed. Now, the question remains, did she survive to the adult timeline? Tragically, the teaser gives us few answers on that front. We'll have to wait until November to find out.

Yellowjackets Season 4 premieres Nov. 20 on Paramount+.

Sometimes a movie comes along that is so bizarre that a traditional review of it seems beside the point. Will audiences go to see Whalefall because they expect masterful cinema? Or will they go because the premise is so batshit nuts that you need to see it for yourself? Or maybe people will go because they've developed a crush on Austin Abrams or Josh Brolin?

Whatever your totally valid reason for being interested in Whalefall, here's what you need to know with only minor spoilers.

SEE ALSO: Best movies of 2026, and where to watch them now What is Whalefall about?

It's a tale as old as the Bible, sort of: man gets eaten by a whale.

Specifically, college student Jay Gardiner (Abrams) is grappling with the suicide by drowning of his gruff scuba-diving father on the one-year anniversary of the tragic event. The body of Mitt Gardiner (Brolin, brawny, tan, and covered in nautical tattoos) has never been recovered. So, to bring some solace to his sisters (Jane Levy and Emily Rudd) and widowed mother (Elisabeth Shue), Jay decides to go on a secret dive to reclaim at least some of his dad's remains from the ocean. ("Just one bone!" he says to psych himself up before taking the plunge.)

With one hour of oxygen in his tank and a lot of hard-won lessons from the bellowing, abusive Mitt, Jay sees this as an opportunity to prove his manhood to his deceased dad. However, his quest becomes a self-rescue mission when he gets snagged in a battle between a giant squid and a sperm whale.

Austin Abrams swims away from squid tentacles in "Whalefall." Credit: 20th Century Studios

Like the squid, he's swallowed by the whale. And now, he has under an hour to get out before he'll suffocate. Of course, a whale's innards are not hospitable to humans, which Jay learns the hard way as he falls from its mouth to its stomach and beyond.

Is Whalefall based on a true story?

No. It's based on the novel of the same name by Daniel Kraus.

The author collaborated on the adapted screenplay with writer/director Brian Duffield, who's previously helmed the dark comedy Spontaneous and sci-fi horror movie No One Will Save You. The former is a teen-centered movie about what happens when high school students begin to spontaneously combust. The latter is about a lonely woman who seeks escape when she learns her small town has been invaded by aliens.

SEE ALSO: 'Spontaneous' is the movie for anyone who feels ready to explode Does Whalefall explain its title?

It does.

Does Whalefall explain its title by having Josh Brolin saying "whalefall" to direct to camera? Josh Brolin plays Mitt Gardiner in "Whalefall." Credit: Jennifer Clasen / 20th Century Studios

You betcha.

Some context: While the story of Whalefall mostly takes place inside a whale, Jay's hour of oxygen allows him time to reflect on his relationship with his departed dad. Every time he takes a particularly gnarly blow, Whalefall knocks the audience back to a relevant memory through flashbacks. Sometimes, this is Mitt drunkenly screaming betrayal at Jay for leaving their coastal California town for college in Iowa (a word that Brolin manages to snarl as if it's a slur).

In another instance, Mitt is marveling about how the death of a whale can have an incredibly positive impact on the ocean. When a whale dies, its carcass sinks to the ocean floor, where it becomes food for many other creatures, from sharks to clams. In this way, it becomes an ecosystem of its own, its bones creating a reef-like structure for more life.

Mitt explains this occurrence, telling Jay in the memory that it's called "whalefall."

Featured Video For You My Fall 2: Deadpoint interview with the cast featured a ropes course Is Whalefall a good father-son drama?

Well, it's certainly a father-son drama.

Jay's battle to survive becomes a metaphorical battle to understand his father, and let go of his anger toward him. Flashbacks reveal both the highs and lows of their relationship, but also set up accidental lessons on how to survive this particular outlandish scenario.

As Jay's time is running out along with his oxygen, he begins to address the whale and hears his dad's voice. Think Star Wars and the "use the Force" of it all. In voiceover, Mitt begins to refer to "we" — seemingly meaning Mitt and the whale.

Did the whale eat Mitt?

Unclear.

Is Jay hallucinating, or is he talking to his ghost dad in the belly of a whale?

It's certainly open to interpretation. You say tomato, I say Jay's having a psychological breakdown because men would rather get eaten by a whale than go to therapy.

Austin Abrams being eaten by a whale. Credit: 20th Century Studios Is Whalefall funny?

Yes. Sometimes intentionally!

As fans have noted from Abrams' recent turn in Zach Cregger's Resident Evil, this affable leading man has a great skill for physical comedy amid body horror. Whalefall puts his character into a literally tight space (whale innards), subjecting him to violence that is new nightmare fuel. But in that, Abrams plays Jay not like the rugged seaman his father was, but as a scrawny kid who's trying his best while freaking out regularly. And yeah, that's often pretty damn funny.

Jay talks to a bioluminescent jellyfish that he names "Glowy." He takes blows hard, with a sharp comedic timing that makes Whalefall fun rather than simply harrowing. But also, the earnestness of the father-son story is awkwardly stuffed amid these moments, making some of them laugh out loud silly. Like when Mitt says somberly, "The whale is forever."

What does 'The whale is forever mean'?

I don't know. The whale is the friends we made along the way?

Wait, is Whalefall gross?

Oh absolutely.

As teased in the trailers, there's solid action in this movie, including the battle of the squid and the whale, and Jay's determined efforts to climb his way out of the mighty marine mammal's open maw one tooth at a time. But for much of the movie, he's in the whales guts. It's basically spelunking in innards.

This means Jay's often surrounded by organ folds and sphincters, which — despite the pretty flecks of blue bioluminescent plankton — are pretty repulsive!

Things only get grosser as he battles stomach juices, saliva, and flesh-eating stomach bile as he navigates his escape. So, those crushing on Abrams may have a tough watch ahead of them, as he takes on some brutal physical abuse in the movie that results in gnarly prosthetic work.

Jay and Glowy in "Whalefall." Credit: 20th Century Studios Is Whalefall fun?

No question. It's like The Shallows, if The Shallows were way more ridiculous.

Pitched into this life-or-death sea creature situation, an average nautical sportsperson is challenged to survive with whatever they have handy — while battling their own grief and parental issues.

Whalefall has several exciting sequences, that are jaw-droppingly intense. Like, I've never thought about how it'd feel to climb up a whale's esophagus. Abrams makes it seem very exciting and terrifying. Props to him!

This journey is enhanced by Joseph Trapanese's score of screeching strings, along with cinematography by Aaron Morton that stays suffocatingly tight on Abrams' panicked face. His eyes bulge, his teeth are covered with spittle, and his face is pinched, communicating the pressure in that belly. Then, a sound effects team weaves together truly unnerving sounds to express the violence of this scenario, from the snapping beak of a furious squid to the booming explosion of a ruptured eardrum.

Editor Pietro Scalia smartly accentuates such moments by creating intervals of blackness and silence, allowing the audience to take a breath and let the horrors they've witnessed sink in (or to get our giggles out of the bonkers action onscreen).

Is Whalefall a good movie?

Let's not get carried away.

To Duffield's credit, he's made a movie that is exciting, funny, and gross in a thrilling way that makes Whalefall a fun film to see in theaters with a crowd. But the sentimentality of the father-son stuff becomes a drag, forcing Brolin into a caricature of an abusive, drunken working-class dad.

To Brolin's credit, he's never boring, and commits even when the dialogue gets treacly or confounding. But the emotional beats of the movie feel shallow in the midst of so many gross-out, goofy scenes about a dude trapped IN a whale.

Duffield does attempt to balance such spectacle with scenes of oceanic wonder outside the whale. The sperm whale plunging into the depths of the Pacific or pursued by a pod of orcas is gorgeously rendered. The sheer vastness of the sea making it seems as if Jay and the whale are swimming through deepest space. It's awe-inspiring, even when violent.

But the balance is off in terms of dialogue, where the living Mitt (in flashbacks) is incapable of spitting anything but insults and sharp-tongued advice, and the Mitt in Jay's mind is soft-spoken, encouraging, and spewing self-help book poetry.

Still, overall, Whalefall is a wild ride worth taking.

Whalefall opens in theaters Oct. 16.

Where to buy Pokémon Advent calendars: Best Pokémon Advent calendar overall Funko Pop! Countdown Calendar: Pokémon $56.94 Get Deal Best DIY option Pikachu, Fuecoco & Friends Pokémon Holiday Wood Countdown Calendar $49.99 Get Deal Best wearable Pokémon Advent calendar Get Trend Pokemon Novelty Socks $39.05 Get Deal Best puzzle Pokémon Advent calendar Pokémon 12 Day Advent Calendar $19.99 Get Deal Best mini figures Pokémon Advent calendar Funko Bitty POP! Countdown Calendar: Pokémon 34.99 Get Deal

Ready or not, the holidays are approaching quickly. If celebrating with 24 small surprises from an Advent calendar is one way you celebrate the season, it's time to get shopping. Popular models tend to sell out before Black Friday, and that's espeically true of calendars from franchises we love like Lego and Pokémon.

Before they sell out, here are our top picks if you're onboard with a Pokémon Advent calendar.

Opens in a new window Credit: Funko Pop! Funko Pop! Countdown Calendar: Pokémon $56.94 at Amazon
  Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Funko Pop! makes some of the best collectible figures, and the 2026 Pokémon Advent calendar is a fantastic example. Each of the 24 vinyl pocket Pop figures will be a delight for fans of any age, and they're made for a fun final display collection.

More Pokémon Advent calendars

• Pokémon Halloween Calendar — $27.99 $34 (save $7.01)

• Jazwares Pokémon Holiday Calendar 2026 — $49.99

• Pokémon Deluxe Advent Calendar 2026 — $98.88

TL;DR: As of Oct. 14, you can get the Dreame A3 AWD 1000 LiDAR Robot Lawn Mower for $1,259, down from $2,199.99, with an on-screen coupon.

Dreame A3 AWD 1000 LiDAR Robot Lawn Mower $1,399.99 at Amazon
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I love my robot vacuum (it's a Dreame; all of my floor care products are), and I've been trying to convince my mom to get the lawn mower equivalent so she doesn't have to spend her time sweating outside. I haven't yet, but I'm not giving up.

SEE ALSO: We found the best robot vacuums for every floor, budget, and level of laziness

If you're ready to switch from manual to robotic mowing, the Dreame A3 AWD 1000 LiDAR Robot Lawn Mower is currently down to $1,259.99 on Amazon when you clip the 10% on-screen coupon. That's a $940.99 savings. It's also the lowest price we've seen on this model to date.

Instead of burying perimeter wires or dealing with finicky RTK antennas, the A3 AWD 1000 maps a quarter-acre yard on its own using 3D LiDAR and AI vision. Its all-wheel-drive system can handle steep 80 percent slopes without stalling, and it actively dodges whatever's left in the grass (like garden hoses and dog toys). Plus, when the battery gets low, it can go from 0 to 100 percent in just 45 minutes.

(Note: You have to manually click the 10% coupon box on the product page for the discount to apply in your cart!)

Scammers might be using ever-more sophisticated tricks, but your phone will soon have a better chance at spotting those ploys. Google is rolling out a string of upgrades to Android scam detection that can thwart more advanced schemes.

If you've ever thought about building your own smart home devices, you may have been put off by learning how microcontrollers work or writing complicated code. I've built several smart home devices using ESP32 boards, and thanks to ESPHome, I haven't had to write a single line of code to get them working.

TL;DR: Today's the last day to score Prime Day-level prices on EcoFlow products, including the EcoFlow Delta 3 Ultra Plus. Get it now for $1,599, down from $2,199, at Amazon. That's a 27% discount or $600 in savings.

EcoFlow Delta 3 Ultra Plus $1,599 at Amazon
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If you’ve been holding off on buying a heavy-duty portable power station (honestly, with the way the weather's been, you should probs just go ahead and buy one!), today's your last chance to shop EcoFlow's extended Prime Day deals before they disappear.

SEE ALSO: The 8 best portable power stations to stay charged up at home and on the go

When Mashable contributor Lauren Allain (our power station queen) tested the EcoFlow Delta 3 Ultra Plus, she was so impressed by its performance that she gave it a Mashable Selects award.

In her hands-on review, she dubbed it a "workhorse warrior" that handles everything from powering high-draw home appliances like space heaters and microwaves to serving as an off-grid jobsite or camping power hub. It has a 3,072Wh capacity, 3,600W continuous output, a 30-amp RV plug, and an ultra-fast sub-10ms UPS switchover so your home electronics don't flicker during an outage.

Originally listed at $2,199, the EcoFlow Delta 3 Ultra Plus is currently marked down to $1,599. (That's a $600 savings for those of you counting.)

More EcoFlow Power Station & Solar Deals

• EcoFlow TRAIL 300 DC Power Station — $169 $199 (save $30)

• EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro Portable Power Station — $389 $429 (save $40)

• EcoFlow Delta 3 Classic Portable Power Station — $499 $559 (save $60)

• EcoFlow Delta 3 Max Portable Power Station with 220W Solar Panel— $1,149 $1,719 (save $570)

• EcoFlow Delta 3 Max Plus Portable Power Station — $1,149 $1,899 (save $750)