Technology

SAVE $50.95: As of June 10, the Beats Pill speaker is on sale for $99 at Amazon. That's a saving of 34% on list price.

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$149.95 Save $50.95 Get Deal

The Beats Pill speaker keeps crawling down in price, and for a powerhouse of a speaker, we're impressed. Yes, as of June 10 this portable device just got reduced again, now priced at $99. Not only is this a great deal, but it has never been this cheap at Amazon before. With this deal, you'll be saving $50.95, but be sure to choose either the champagne gold or matte black colors to get this discount.

This price is also excluding a power adapter and AppleCare+. For these add-ons you'll need to pay slightly more.

SEE ALSO: Grab the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 while they're back down at their lowest price ever

It's a small, nifty device, but don't let that fool you. As is the case with all Beats products, this model is robust and packs a serious audio punch. This is thanks to the bigger, bespoke racetrack woofer displacing 90% more air volume, meaning you get a much deeper, fuller bass.

This speaker also has IP67 water resistance, so it's safe from accidental splashes, whether at the beach or the pool, or any water-based accidents. For portable listening, the new 24-hour battery life will keep you going all day long and can even be used to charge your phone or other devices through a USB-C cable.

You can also pair two Beats Pill speakers at once, for twice the sound experience. Just use the Amplify or Stereo mode and enjoy the powerful sound.

This is a limited-time deal at Amazon, so don't miss out.

The best tech deals right now, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case — $169.00 (List Price $249.00)

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker — $99.00 (List Price $149.95)

• Roborock Qrevo Master Robot Vacuum and Mop — $799.97 (List Price $1599.99)

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $74.99 (List Price $99.00)

TL;DR: Get a fresh perspective with these Mini Digital Night Vision Binoculars with 1080p HD Recording, now for only $89.99 (reg. $159.99).

Whether you’re out camping, exploring after sunset, or just curious about what’s moving in the distance, a solid pair of night vision binoculars really comes in handy. These Mini Digital Night Vision Binoculars allow you to see up to 1,000 feet away in the dark and even capture what you see in 1080p HD.

This handy gadget is on sale and ready to join your adventure tools for just $89.99 (reg. $159.99).

Explore after dark with HD night vision

Don’t let the nocturnal animals have all the fun — see what’s out there in the dark. They’re tiny enough to fit in your pocket and ready to help you see in the dark — whether you’re camping, exploring, hunting, or just on a late-night adventure. A 10x optical magnification lens makes sure you see everything in sharp detail.

These binoculars are equipped with seven adjustable brightness levels and four color effects — color, black and white, luminous green, or infrared. And if you see something you want to capture forever on the 2.4-inch HD screen, there’s a built-in HD camera that takes 1080p Full HD videos and photos.

A built-in lithium battery with a 2,260mAh capacity keeps you powered up on lengthy adventures, and you’ll also receive a 32 GB memory card to store all your footage.

Gear up for your next adventure with these Mini Digital Night Vision Binoculars with 1080p HD Recording, now only $89.99 (reg. $159.99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: StackSocial Mini Digital Night Vision Binoculars with 1080p HD Recording $89.99
$159.99 Save $70.00 Get Deal

TL;DR: Enjoy a nice bike ride without any of the workout thanks to this Vanpowers City Vanture 350W Commuter e-Bike, just $949 (reg. $1,749) with code VAN150.

What’s better than a bike ride in the summertime? If you’re craving a hit of childhood nostalgia, there’s now a bike ready to take you places as a big kid. This Vanpowers City Vanture 350W Commuter e-Bike offers a smooth and silent ride complete with a 350W motor, which is great if you don’t have the energy you used to. And it’s on sale for $949 (reg. $1,749) with code VAN150.

Built for smooth, fast rides

Go for a ride with the wind in your hair on the Vanpowers City Vanture. This sleek e-bike is made for city life, letting you cruise with pedal-assist at up to 20 miles per hour thanks to a 350W motor. It’s also lightweight, weighing just 34 pounds, and made from aerospace-grade aluminum, so you can easily lift it when needed.

A full charge takes you up to 20 miles, and an optional range extender (not included) takes that number to 80. You can check battery life on the minimalist LCD display, which also shows your speed and customizable assist level to match your pace, terrain, and ride style. And when you need to power back up, it fully charges in just two to three hours.

This stylish bike also prioritizes safety. Integrated front and rear lighting keeps you visible on day or night rides. The Tektro® hydraulic disc brakes give you a 2.6 m stopping distance from 23 km/h and an impressive 0.6-second response time, and Kenda 700x28C Tires offer dual-layer puncture protection and optimized tread.

Ride in style all summer long and beyond with this Vanpowers City Vanture 350W Commuter e-Bike, now just $949 (reg. $1,749) with code VAN150.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Vanpowers Vanpowers City Vanture 350W Commuter e-Bike $949
$1,749 Save $800 Get Deal

We're halfway through 2025, and we've already been blessed with some incredible TV.

Returning shows like Severance and Andor surpassed our highest expectations for them, which more than made up for the disappointing returns of some other high-profile series. (Looking at you, The White Lotus and The Last of Us.) Plus, where old favorites failed to wow us, new favorites rose in their place, like The Pitt and The Studio. But that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what 2025 TV has to offer. Luckily for you, we've compiled a list of the very best shows that have come out this year. Some might have taken over your social media feeds for months at a time, while others may be more off the beaten path, but trust us: All are worth watching.

SEE ALSO: Summer TV preview: All the TV shows you need to know, and where to stream them

From devastating crime dramas and sci-fi epics to college comedies and sex quests, here are the 10 best TV shows of 2025 so far, and where to stream them.

10. Game Changer, Season 7

Few shows on TV are as varied or fun as Game Changer, the ever-changing game show from comedy streamer Dropout. Hosted by Dropout CEO Sam Reich, each installment presents its contestants with a new challenge with rules they discover in real time. That built-in versatility means there's truly something for everyone, with previous seasons including lie detector tests, escape rooms, and Survivor parodies.

SEE ALSO: Inside 'Game Changer,' the internet's favorite game show

With Season 7, Game Changer leaps to a whole new level. The season kicks off with a highly ambitious, year-long scavenger hunt involving squids, jet skis, mind control, and so much more. That premiere alone would be enough to earn Game Changer a spot on this list, but the series doesn't let up from there. An episode focused on stand-up comedians' crowd work quickly becomes a showcase of empathy and comedic connection, while a drunken play on The Traitors devolves into glorious chaos and trickery. There's no telling what you'll get when you tune into an episode of Game Changer, but Season 7 proves that you'll always be in for a treat.

Starring: Sam Reich, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Vic Michaelis, Lisa Gilroy, Lou Wilson, Jacob Wysocki, Oscar Montoya, and more

How to watch: Game Changer is now streaming on Dropout, with a new episode every other Monday at 7 p.m. ET.

9. North of North

The small-town comedy genre gets a lovely new entry in Netflix's North of North, which transports viewers to the Arctic town of Ice Cove. There, young Inuk woman Siaja (Anna Lambe) decides to leave her stale marriage to local legend Ting (Kelly William) and start over. That's easier said than done in an isolated town of 2,200 people, but Siaja is determined to succeed — although things get complicated when her estranged father (Jay Ryan) returns to town.

Don't let the frigid setting fool you: North of North is as heartwarming as TV shows come. Siaja's journey to independence is equal parts inspiring and amusing, as it takes several ridiculous mishaps for her to learn what she wants. Also touching is her troubled relationship with her mother Neevee (Maika Harper), whose rocky past has led her to put up a tough exterior. These two flawed, lovable women head up a charming ensemble, with Ice Cove and its townspeople coming to life through detailed character work and specific town traditions like elders' night and walrus dick baseball. You read that right: walrus dick baseball. To watch how that plays out, and to fall in love with Lambe's wonderful turn as Siaja, be sure to journey North of North.

Starring: Anna Lambe, Maika Harper, Braeden Clarke, Jay Ryan, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Zorga Qaunaq, Bailey Poching, and Kelly William

How to watch: North of North is now streaming on Netflix.

8. Dying for Sex

When Molly Kochan (Michelle Williams) is diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer, she embarks on a quest to orgasm with another person for the first time. That means leaving her husband Steve (Jay Duplass), joining hookup apps, experimenting with sex toys, and trying to find what, exactly, gets her off.

SEE ALSO: 'Dying for Sex' review: Michelle Williams' horny miniseries will break your heart

Based on a true story, Dying for Sex takes a frank, judgment-free approach to Molly's sexual encounters, be they awkward, pleasurable, or downright hilarious. (Often, they're all three.) But it also proves to be a tender love story between Molly and her best friend Nikki (Jenny Slate), who becomes Molly's primary caretaker. As the two face down Molly's declining health, Dying for Sex explores the lengths this pair will go to to make each other happy and fulfilled. It's life-affirming and heart-shattering in equal measure, anchored by phenomenal performances from Williams and Slate. As I wrote in my review, "As a duo, they oscillate between gallows humor and genuine heartbreak at a moment's notice, a dichotomy that feels so natural you can't believe you've only been watching their takes on Molly and Nikki for a few episodes. You also can't believe that their friendship will one day come to an end, but Dying for Sex faces that inevitability head on, as honest about death as it is about sex."

Starring: Michelle Williams, Jenny Slate, Rob Delaney, Jay Duplass, Kelvin Yu, Sissy Spacek, David Rasche, and Esco Jouléy

How to watch: Dying for Sex is now streaming on Hulu.

7. Overcompensating

You may know Benito Skinner for his viral, pop culture-savvy sketches, but with Overcompensating, the comedian makes the jump from the internet to TV, delivering one of the best comedies of 2025 in the process. The semi-autobiographical series stars Skinner as Benny, a closeted college freshman who strikes up a fierce friendship with outsider Carmen (Wally Baram). Can the two reinvent themselves in college and discover who they really are? Or will they be pulled back into destructive patterns?

SEE ALSO: 'Overcompensating' review: Benito Skinner's college comedy is a raunchy, thoughtful laugh riot

These core questions make for the poignant heart of Overcompensating, but make no mistake: The show is downright hilarious. From a barrage of pop culture jokes and cameos (Charli XCX among them) to pitch-perfect cringe comedy, Overcompensating is the college comedy of your dreams. As I wrote in my review, "Overcompensating may emphasize its characters' struggles with identity, but that's not a struggle the show itself shares. Raunchy yet thoughtful, this is an immediately assured coming-of-age story bursting with laughs and comedic stars on the rise."

Starring: Benito Skinner, Wally Baram, Mary Beth Barone, Adam DiMarco, and Rish Shah

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

6. Mo, Season 2

Not only is Mo one of the best TV shows of 2025 — it's also essential viewing. Co-created by Mo Amer and Ramy Youssef, this semi-autobiographical series centers on Palestinian refugee Mo (Amer) and his family's lives in Houston. Season 2 opens with Mo struggling to get back to the U.S. from Mexico. Detention centers and perilous border crossings await, all sobering reflections of the real-life journeys of immigrants trying to make it across the U.S.-Mexico border.

SEE ALSO: 'Mo' Season 2 review: Here's why it's still one of TV's most important shows

As UK Editor Shannon Connellan wrote in her review, "Mo's second season comes at a volatile time for Palestinians and undocumented immigrants alike, with those in power enforcing heartless, brutal decisions from disengaged, lofty offices that impact real people. Somehow, beyond all belief, amid a sense of transience and fear, of stacked odds and starting from scratch, Mo finds levity, surrealism, and personal solidarity in the dark, while being a genuinely funny and moving show." 

Starring: Mo Amer, Farah Bsieso, Teresa Ruiz, Tobe Nwigwe, and Omar Elba

How to watch: Mo Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

5. The Pitt

ER's Noah Wyle jumps back into a TV hospital in The Pitt, the real-time medical drama that took the world by storm in early 2025. Wyle plays Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, the chief attending physician in the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center's emergency department. He's about to embark on 15-hour shift, where he and his colleagues will train the next generation of doctors, weather personal troubles, and do everything in their power to treat the injuries and illnesses that come through their doors.

SEE ALSO: 'The Pitt' review: Noah Wyle medical drama is part 'ER,' part '24,' and all compelling

The Pitt's real-time structure and grounded cinematography turn the series into a veritable pressure cooker, immersing audiences in a world of exhausting, often overwhelming chaos. The series also thoughtfully tackles pressing medical issues, including understaffed hospitals, racial disparity in care, and hot-button topics like abortion. Leading us through it all is Wyle and The Pitt's exceptional ensemble cast, tasked with performing some of the most graphic, hyper-realistic TV surgeries in recent memory. Clock into The Pitt in order to see for yourself why I called it "TV's next great medical drama."

Starring: Noah Wyle, Tracy Ifeachor, Patrick Ball, Supriya Ganesh, Fiona Dourif, Taylor Dearden, Isa Briones, Gerran Howell, Shabana Azeez, and Katherine LaNasa

How to watch: The Pitt is now streaming on Max.

4. Adolescence

Likely to be the most harrowing viewing experience you'll have this year, Adolescence traps you in a nightmare over the course of its four episodes, each filmed in one take. Co-created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, and directed by Boiling Point's Philip Barantini, Netflix's much buzzed-about miniseries examines the aftermath of a chilling murder committed by 13-year-old Jamie (newcomer Owen Cooper). Each episode focuses on a different perspective around the case, from a detective (Ashley Walters) investigating Jamie's school to Jamie's family reckoning with his actions.

SEE ALSO: Netflix's 'Adolescence' review: One of the best, most devastating shows of 2025

These vignettes, coupled with Barantini's one-take technique, create an unflinching portrait of a crime that feels all too rooted in reality. As UK Deputy Editor Sam Haysom wrote in his review, "Adolescence's story isn't a crime mystery so much as a psychological study — it's an exploration of the manosphere culture that's having a real world affect on teenagers, and the societal and familial triggers that might lead to a seemingly ordinary 13-year-old doing something unthinkable. On this level, and on almost all others, the show is chillingly effective."

Starring: Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters, Erin Doherty, Owen Cooper, Faye Marsay, Christine Tremarco, and Amelie Pease

How to watch: Adolescence is now streaming on Netflix.

3. The Studio

Seth Rogen absolutely torches Hollywood in Apple TV+'s The Studio, where he plays new studio head Matt Remick. A cinephile tasked with creating a movie based on the Kool-Aid brand, Matt finds himself faced with the eternal question of art versus commerce. Can he make high-grossing movies with artistic merit? Or is he — along with the rest of Hollywood — doomed to make slop?

SEE ALSO: 'The Studio' review: Seth Rogen torches Hollywood in must-watch satire

The Studio approaches this question with razor-sharp satire and a healthy dose of cringe comedy, bludgeoning the egos of everyone from actors and directors to publicists and executives. But despite its Hollywood grievances, The Studio also serves as a love letter to film. On top of tributes to genres like film noir and zombie movies, the series often employs long takes in homage to Robert Altman's satire The Player. These create a high-energy wave of cinematic mayhem where everyone from Martin Scorsese to Zoë Kravitz could pop up at any given moment. The result is a show that's current, formally engaging, and, as I wrote in my full review, "full-on comedy gold."

Starring: Seth Rogen, Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, and Bryan Cranston

How to watch: The Studio is now streaming on Apple TV+.

2. Andor, Season 2

Star Wars' best TV show goes out with a brilliant bang in its second (and tragically final) season. Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is now a full-fledged part of the Rebellion, joining Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) and Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) in their fight against the Empire. But the Empire has plans of its own, setting its sights on the planet Ghorman in the lead-up to one of the most devastating plot lines in all of Star Wars.

SEE ALSO: 'Andor' Season 2 review: The best Star Wars show goes out with a brilliant bang

In showrunner Tony Gilroy's hands, Andor remains equal parts nail-biting spy thriller and astonishing rallying cry against fascism, pulling no punches when it comes to topics like Imperial propaganda or genocide. From its portrayal of revolutionary sacrifice to its chilling take on the machine of empire, Andor is so damn good it's a shame it's over. (And that we'll likely never get a Star Wars show this subversive again.) But on the bright side, as I wrote in my review, "Andor goes out on its own terms, leaving a brilliant, blistering look at fascism and those who fight it in its wake."

Starring: Diego Luna, Kyle Soller, Adria Arjona, Stellan Skarsgård, Fiona Shaw, Genevieve O'Reilly, Denise Gough, Faye Marsay, Varada Sethu, and Elizabeth Dulau

How to watch: Andor Season 2 is now streaming on Disney+.

1. Severance, Season 2

My expectations for Severance Season 2 were insurmountably high, especially after a three-year hiatus. But somehow, Dan Erickson's sci-fi workplace drama managed to surpass even my highest hopes, delivering a season that's deeper, stranger, and even more mysterious and important than Season 1.

Severance Season 2 furthers its examination of identity, with almost all of Lumon's Severed employees somehow at war with themselves. It also toys with the implications of what the severance procedure could mean for the rest of the world, resulting in the jaw-dropping reveals of the Gemma (Dichen Lachman)-focused "Chikhai Bardo" episode. That's just one of many standout installments Severance had to offer this season, including the Innies' bizarre odyssey through "Woe's Hollow" and a jaw-dropping finale that solved many questions, but left just enough mysteries for fans to puzzle over before Season 3.

SEE ALSO: I went to the 'Severance' pop-up at Bell Works. It was surreal.

But amid all its sci-fi twists and turns, Severance still manages to stay rooted in its characters' struggles for connection in a cold, corporate world. As I wrote in my review, "The show may throw everything from surreal workplace dance parties to precious baby goats at us, but at the end of the day, we're watching a man trying to reunite with his wife. We're watching Irving pining for Burt, and Dylan seeking crumbs of information about the family he may never know. We're watching workers fight to be recognized as humans instead of free labor. It's personal, it's universal, and it's absolutely astounding."

Starring: Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Zach Cherry, Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, Dichen Lachman, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Patricia Arquette, and Sarah Bock

How to watch: Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+.

TL;DR: Take the first step into the world of cybersecurity with no prior tech skills required, thanks to The 2025 Ethical Hacking Bundle for Beginners, now just $19.99 (reg. $140) — less than $3 a course.

Opens in a new window Credit: The 2025 Ethical Hacking Bundle for Beginners The 2025 Ethical Hacking Bundle for Beginners $19.99
$140 Save $120.01 Get Deal

You don’t need to be a tech wizard to break into the world of cybersecurity. With the right training, even beginners can learn how to protect networks, outsmart cyber threats, and build real-world hacking skills (the ethical kind, of course).

Sound like something you might be interested in? The 2025 Ethical Hacking Bundle for Beginners is a great place to start, and right now you can get it for just $19.99 (reg. $140) so you can start learning this summer.

Start your journey with these seven hands-on courses

Let the 2025 Ethical Hacking Bundle for Beginners teach you to be a modern-day superhero, helping stop invisible cybercriminals right in their tracks. It’s packed with seven courses, filled with a total of 22 hours of instruction.

You don’t need to have any tech knowledge. Courses like Linux Basics for Beginners and Kali Linux for Beginners are ideal for those just getting started. These classes are taught by Oak Academy, a group of tech experts with years of experience who specialize in cybersecurity and offer plenty of hands-on experience.

Once you have a foundation, you can dive into more specific topics, like Ethical Hacking: Network Scan Nmap & Nessus | Network Security and Ethical Hacking with Metasploit: Exploit & Post Exploit. You’ll explore how to scan for vulnerabilities, exploit systems ethically, and understand the full penetration testing lifecycle.

There’s also a course devoted entirely to hacking WiFi, WiFi Hacking & Wireless Penetration Testing Course, which shows you how to assess and defend against threats targeting everyday networks.

Get a taste of ethical hacking with The 2025 Ethical Hacking Bundle for Beginners, now just $19.99 (reg. $140).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Stay cool on hot summer nights with this 4-Piece Bamboo Blend Waffle Hem Sheet Set, now only $28.99 (reg. $99).

Opens in a new window Credit: Bibb Home 4-Piece Bamboo Blend Waffle Hem Sheet Set (Hunter Green/Queen) $28.99
$99 Save $70.01 Get Deal

There are a lot of great things about summer, but sweaty nights aren’t one of them. If you want to elevate your sleep experience this season, the 4-Piece Bamboo Blend Waffle Hem Sheet Set can help. This gorgeous hunter green queen-sized set helps keep you cool. Right now, it’s 70% off — get it for just $28.99 (reg. $99).

Say goodbye to sweaty summer nights

Better sleep starts with better sheets, and with a 1,800 thread count, these sheets are made to last and feel great after every wash. They offer silky softness with breathable performance that keeps you cool while wicking away moisture, so you stay comfortable all summer long and beyond.

Rest easy knowing the 1,800 thread count means they’re built to last and will continue to feel like luxurious hotel bedding for many washes to come. And the deep pocket fits mattresses up to 16 inches, so they stay securely in place.

Bring a rich touch to any space with this hunter green shade, while the elegant waffle hem design adds a dash of personality. Aside from adding style, these sheets are also eco-friendly and hypoallergenic.

Get this hotel-quality 4-Piece Bamboo Blend Waffle Hem Queen Sheet Set in hunter green for just $28.99 (reg. $99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

We're halfway through 2025, and the cinema has been outrageous!

If you love action, this year's delivered plenty already. Tom Cruise dazzled in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. Anthony Mackie and Florence Pugh returned to the MCU with Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*, respectively. Martial arts movie legends Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio joined forces with Ben Wang in the rousing Karate Kid: Legends. Then of course, Jack Black's A Minecraft Movie has action scenes so bonkers it drove audiences absolutely wild.

SEE ALSO: Teens are causing chaos in 'Minecraft' movie screenings

Other movies offered action with high doses of side-splitting buddy-comedy, like One of Them Days, starring Keke Palmer and SZA, and The Accountant 2, which reunited Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal. Meanwhile, horror offered plenty of new reasons to scream with Final Destination: Bloodlines, Heart Eyes, The Ugly Stepsister, and Ryan Coogler's epic vampire movie, Sinners. But of course, that's a movie that's more genre-fluid than just horror.

In fact, as Mashable's entertainment team looked over the movies hitting so far this year, we found a lot of our favorites didn't snugly fit into one genre. They could best be described as post-apocalyptic rom-com, espionage family-comedy, body horror fairy tale, sci-fi screwball comedy, and vampire historical drama/musical? But no matter how you categorize them, these films are absolutely awesome.

So with no further ado, here are the 10 best movies of the year so far, and where you can watch them.

10. The Phoenician Scheme

Wes Anderson reunites with The French Dispatch's Benicio del Toro for a father-daughter story unlike any you've seen before. Tapping into some elements of espionage thriller — spies! explosions! international intrigue! poisonous gas! — Anderson and company unfurl the story of manipulative and massively wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda (del Toro) and his daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton).

The subject of a U.S. government investigation and a flurry of assassination attempts, Korda decides to reach out to his estranged daughter, who is training to become a nun. He wants her to be his heir and aid in his "Phoenician Scheme." But her faith and his dastardly dealings quickly lead to conflict. Along their journey, they'll meet an array of colorful characters, allowing Anderson to fold in familiar faces from his recurring collaborators, as well as Michael Cera, who — as I wrote in my review — was born to be in a Wes Anderson movie.

While critics have been divided on this Anderson offering, I cheered the filmmaker's genre approach and wrote, "The Phoenician Scheme becomes a charmingly hopeful tale about how even with our flaws we might find love, family, and salvation."

Starring: Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, and Hope Davis

How to watch: The Phoenician Scheme is now in theaters.

9. The Ugly Stepsister

2025 is proving a great year for great horror movies, and it kicked off with The Ugly Stepsister out of the Sundance Film Festival. This twisted fairytale plays like the grubby baby of Wicked and The Substance. Hear me out.

This gnarly body-horror movie reimagines Cinderella by focusing on the heroine's much-maligned stepsister Elvira (Lea Myren). Writer/director Emilie Blichfeldt delivers not only a deeply empathetic tale of a young girl grappling with a princely crush, sibling rivalry, and crippling societal pressures to conform to cruel beauty standards, but also the grisly scenes to back up its social critique. This one isn't for the faint of stomach.

SEE ALSO: 'Sinners,' 'Black Mirror,' and 'The Ugly Stepsister': Film critics weigh in on what's worth watching and what's skippable

In my review for Mashable out of Sundance, I cheered, "The Ugly Stepsister is a deranged and dizzying achievement, folding in a classic story with a bitingly modern satire and bold body horror. Blichfeldt weaves these elements together to make a film that feels both of this moment but aesthetically nostalgic... And yet, her journey, as gross and grim as it is, is threaded with a ribbon of exhilaration, rebellion, and even defiant joy. Simply put, The Ugly Stepsister is savagely brutal and yet strangely beautiful."* — K.P.

Starring: Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp, Flo Fagerli, Isac Calmroth, and Malte Gårdinger

How to watch: The Ugly Stepsister is now streaming on Shudder.

8. Love Me

While the debate of AI in work, education, and even our sex lives rages on, Love Me imagines a post-apocalyptic Earth in which AI is all that remains of humanity. And despite that very bleak setup, it's deeply sweet.

Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun star as will-they-won't-they lovers in this tale of buoy meets... satellite. She is a buoy, frozen in the ocean of a dead earth, programmed to learn from her surroundings. He is an orbiting satellite, left behind as a sort of time capsule of humanity's long-ago reign on the planet. She is entranced by him, but when looking to understand love finds cached videos of a pair of influencers, who who relish silly onesies, date night, Friends, and Blue Apron. So, these machines begin to mimic mankind. But can they find a love of their own?

Written and directed by Sam Zuchero and Andy Zuchero, Love Me is a strange sci-fi treasure. In my review, I praised Stewart and Yeun's performances, which begin as roboty voiceover and evolve into flesh and blood portrayals of identity crises and romance in peril. "As their characters shift from jaunty animated avatars to carefully crafted human forms — complete with flaws — the performances carry a new emotional weight, as both feel out the shift in tone," I wrote, adding, "Props to the Zucheros; however, who refuse to abandon the weirdness of their premise or online courtship. A satisfying steamy yet surreal sex scene creates a unique space for their self-actualizing characters to explore their desires and bodies. Moments like this, where their heroes' self-expression is a messy bramble of ideas, colliding imitation with their own impulses, sets Love Me apart from a sea of sweet but superficial rom-coms."

Starring: Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun

How to watch: Love Me is available for rental or purchase on Prime Video.

7. Mickey 17

As follow-up to his Best Picture-winning Parasite, Bong Joon Ho delivered a scathing and silly political satire with Mickey 17.

Robert Pattinson stars as the eponymous protagonist, a low-level criminal who flees earth by taking a pretty brutal gig on a colonizing spaceship. He's an expendable, meaning a human test dummy who dies over and over only to be human printed again to, well, die again. Despite all these deaths, Mickey makes a cozy life for himself on the ship, falling for the tough-as-nails Nasha (Naomi Ackie). But their love life is thrown into spin when human error leads to two Mickeys — 17 and 18 — existing at once. That's a threat to the snarling rich folk (Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette) who rule the ship. And, man, we haven't even gotten to the "creeper" aliens who live on the surface of the humans new home world!

A film rich in plot and twists, Mickey 17 is a rollicking ride, mainly because its celebrated writer/director refuses to be predictable. The movie shifts tones and genres freely, reflecting the tumultuous life (or lives) of Mickey. And it's an absolutely mind-blowing blast. As I wrote in my review for Mashable, "The journey Mickey goes on is winding and wild, bucking the conventional flow of a sci-fi action movie, by being only gently sci-fi and barely action. Instead, Mickey 17 plays as a political comedy with cross-genre flare, ultimately urging the audience to see the similarities, and perhaps find our own inner Mickey 17."

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo

How to watch: Mickey 17 is now streaming on HBO Max.

6. The Life of Chuck

When people think of the works of Mike Flanagan (The Fall of the House of Usher, Midnight Mass) or Stephen King, they don't usually think life-affirming stories. But The Life of Chuck will change that.

Based on a King novella, this genre-bending wonder is post-apocalyptic thriller meets feel-good coming-of-age drama meets ghost story. And yet, it's more! Tom Hiddleston stars as Chuck Krantz, whose life, at a glance, might be considered average. But in this rapturous movie, filled with a wonderful ensemble cast, King and Flanagan weave a tale of love, loss, and dance that's sure to enthrall audiences.

SEE ALSO: Every single Stephen King movie adaptation, ranked

In Mashable's review out of the film's Toronto International Film Festival premiere, I cheered, "The Life of Chuck is masterfully told. Like King's most moving adaptations, it doesn't play by standard rules of structure or audience expectations. It demands we follow the winding road through playful dialogue, painful lows, and rollicking highs to an unknown beyond. It's surprising and upsetting, funny and profound. I laughed hard, cried 'til my eyes ached, and once gasped so loud that I heard it echo across a theater struck silent by a moment both shocking and tender." Simply put, see it theaters, or you'll be missing out.*

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tom Hiddleston, Annalise Basso, Benjamin Pajak, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Matthew Lillard, Carl Lumbly, Samantha Sloyan, Harvey Guillén, Jacob Tremblay, Kate Siegel, and Mark Hamill

How to watch: The Life of Chuck is now playing in theaters.

5. Black Bag

Black Bag marks the third collaboration between director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp, the first being the riveting techno-thriller Kimi, and the second being the superbly unique haunted house movie Presence. Both creators relish the opportunity to shake up a genre. With this movie they do that to the espionage thriller, with Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender.

SEE ALSO: 'Presence's Steven Soderbergh and David Koepp on ghosts, horror, and hating winks

When UK intelligence tells agent George Woodhouse (Fassbender) that his wife Kathryn (Blanchett) might be a turncoat, he does what any master spy might: He throws a dinner party, inviting all the suspected double agents. While Black Bag offers espionage standards like globe-trekking, covert surveillance, and lie detector tests, it's Koepp's dialogue over dinner that makes this movie absolutely electrifying. Soderberg's direction of a crackling cast makes the most of every cutting line.

In my review for Mashable, I was especially elated to see a portrayal or marriage that didn't fall into the tedious cliches of stagnation. I wrote, "As soon as Black Bag was over, I felt that dizzying high one gets from a proper spy thriller, the rush of vicarious adrenaline from the case cracked and the day saved. But I also had the deep urge to see this movie again immediately. Because as generous as the filmmaker and stars are with slathering this story in George and Kathryn's mutual attraction, I couldn't get enough. I wanted to go back to feel the thrill of their love for each other all over again."

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, and Pierce Brosnan

How to watch: Black Bag is now streaming on Peacock.

4. Bring Her Back

In 2023, filmmaking duo Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou awed critics and horror fans with their haunted hand hit Talk to Me. Now, they return with a gnarly psycho-biddy horror offering starring two-time Academy Award–nominee Sally Hawkins. The result is a nail-biting film that might have you gagging, covering your eyes, or experiencing some hard-won catharsis.

SEE ALSO: Say More: Danny and Michael Philippou on 'Bring Her Back'

The Philippou brothers probe into grief once again, exploring how this unmooring feeling can make the world around us feel unreal, hostile, and strange. In Bring Her Back, Hawkins stars as a foster mom named Laura, who takes in young orphans like Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), and siblings Piper (Sora Wong) and Andy (Billy Barratt). But despite Laura's chipper demeanor, 17-year-old Andy realizes something is off in her remote forest home. But can he stop the hell that's coming?

In my review for Mashable, I wrote, "Bring Her Back is extraordinary. For those who found Talk to Me sensationally scary, this follow-up will thrill with its deeply deranged tale of heartache and body horror. But the Philippous went deeper, presenting a character-driven drama with flares of psycho-biddy and religious horror. That heady combination not only makes for a satisfyingly scary as hell movie, but also a profound one."

Starring: Sally Hawkins, Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, and Sally-Anne Upton

How to watch: Bring Her Back is now in theaters.

3. The Ballad of Wallis Island

You might have missed this feel-good movie when it hit theaters, but don't sleep on the chance to enjoy it at home. Perhaps while wearing a cozy sweater to be lavish in comfort.

Written and starring Tom Basden and Tim Key, this Focus Features gem imagines what would happen if a lonely but lovely folk-rock fan won the lottery. In The Ballad of Wallis Island, Charles (Key), who lives on the remote island, uses heaps of cash to reunite his favorite band, McGwyer Mortimer. There's just one problem. This folk duo — made up of Herb McGwyer (Basden) and Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan) — weren't just a band, but also a couple, who broke up hard. So, this reunion concert is socially awkward, to say the least.

Adapted from an award-winning short film Basden and Key made with director James Griffiths, The Ballad of Wallis Island creates an enveloping village atmosphere. Then it plops down a flailing rock star and his chipper ex to create some sparks and lots of laughs. In my review out of SXSW 2025, I cheered, "The Ballad of Wallis Island is not only deeply charming and laugh-out-loud funny for all its social foibles and comedy duo banter, but it's also cathartic....as Basden and Key strike their final chord of this masterfully charted comedy, you feel it reverberate warmly in your heart, carrying you out of the theater with a song still playing there."  

Starring: Tim Key, Tom Basden, Sian Clifford, Akemnji Ndifornyen, and Carey Mulligan

How to watch: The Ballad of Wallis Island is available for rental or purchase on Prime Video.

2. Pee-wee as Himself

Between Pee-wee's Playhouse and Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Pee-wee Herman was an '80s icon adored by kids and grown-ups alike. But a scandal in 1991 brought Paul Reubens, the man behind the children's show, into a cruel tabloid spotlight. Since then, Reubens rebuilt his reputation and broadened his career, appearing in movies like Mystery Men, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Matilda. But the scorch of scandal kept Reubens reluctant to be open with the public about his life and loves — that is, until documentarian Matt Wolf began collaborating with the comedian for Pee-wee as Himself.

SEE ALSO: Say More: R.L. Stine on 'Fear Street: Prom Queen' and Matt Wolf on 'Pee-wee as Himself'

Though Reubens died of cancer before the film was wrapped, Wolf has built an empathetic and comprehensive portrait of the man, the artist, and the enigma. Told in two parts, this HBO documentary explores not only Reuben's inspirations for his most popular character, but also his queerness, and why he chose to go back into the closet to pursue a career in Hollywood.

In my review out of Sundance, I wrote, "Pee-wee as Himself is not a simple love letter to the iconic character or Reubens. That would suggest Wolf goes easy on either, fawning over them without reservation. This is something greater...Thought-provoking, boldly funny, and emotionally riveting, Pee-wee as Himself is [Reuben's] gift to us as grown-ups, as it reveals how hard that lesson can be, and how we must keep pushing ourselves to learn it."

Starring: Paul Reubens, Lynne Marie Stewart, Laurence Fishburne, Natasha Lyonne, Cassandra Peterson (aka Elvira: Mistress of the Dark), Debi Mazar, and David Arquette

How to watch: Pee-wee as Himself is now streaming on HBO Max.

1. Sinners

Ryan Coogler reunited with Michael B. Jordan, star of his critically heralded films, Black Panther, Fruitvale Station, and Creed. With Sinners, the two set the bar against which every other 2025 movie would be compared — not to mention every vampire movie from here to eternity.

Jordan stars as the Smokestack Twins, gangsters turned juke joint-proprietors whose opening night is crashed by a vicious vampire (Jack O'Connell), who craves the blood of their magical bluesman (Miles Caton in a jaw-dropping debut). Weaving folk lore, hoodoo practices, and history into the vampire subgenre, Coogler, who wrote and directed, built a world so rich that it could only be properly appreciated in 70mm IMAX. And in a time where naysayers are ringing the bell for the death of movie theaters, audiences came in such numbers that Sinners got a 70mm IMAX re-release to meet demand.

TikTok has been exploding with fans digging into every detail of the film, and we got in on the fun too! Critics praised the epic scope Coogler applied to his genre-fluid drama — which might be a horror musical. And audiences swooned over the ensemble, who were radiant as they created characters complex and compelling.

In my review of the film, I cheered, "Sinners is more than a hell of a thrilling vampire movie. Like Black Panther, it expands beyond the expectations of its genre to become a magnificent film, emanating with spirit, power, and purpose. Smoothly blending vampire horror into a unique tale of regret, resilience, and redemption, Coogler and Jordan have made a cinematic marvel that is terrifying, satisfying, and unforgettable."

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Li Jun Li, Yao, Lola Kirke, and Delroy Lindo

How to watch: Sinners is now in theaters and is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

SAVE $55: As of June 10, the Amazon Fire Max 11 is on sale for $174.99 at Amazon. That's a 24% saving on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire Max 11 $174.99 at Amazon
$229.99 Save $55 Get Deal

The Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet is back on sale at Amazon, and this time it's at its lowest price in six months.

This impressive tablet is currently reduced to its lowest price this year, now just $174.99. This deal is for the 64GB option without lockscreen ads.

SEE ALSO: Save 41% on the kids-proof Fire 7 Kids tablet from Amazon

This tablet is one of the most advanced in the range, and is perfect for both work and play. The screen boasts an impressive 2000x1200 resolution and a bright display with over 2.4 million pixels. It's also certified for low blue light, so it's easy on the eyes, especially if you're looking at the screen for long periods of time.

You can add optional accessories to this tablet so you can adapt it to what you need. Accessories like a keyboard case and stylus pen can be purchased separately. It's even compatible with Microsoft 365, so you can download it onto the tablet for all your work or study needs.

For on-the-go use, the impressive battery life promises to last up to 14 hours. And with storage expandable to 1TB, it’s got plenty of room for all your favorite apps, movies, and documents.

This deal is stamped as "limited-time" only, so don't miss out.

The best tech deals right now, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case — $169.00 (List Price $249.00)

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker — $99.00 (List Price $149.95)

• Roborock Qrevo Master Robot Vacuum and Mop — $799.97 (List Price $1599.99)

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $74.99 (List Price $99.00)

SAVE $120: As of June 10, the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are on sale for $228 at Amazon. That's a 34% saving on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-1000XM4 $228 at Amazon
$348 Save $120 Get Deal

Amazon's Daily Deals is the place to go for great discounts on tech, and if a new set of headphones is high on your wishlist, you'll love this latest deal on the Sony XM4, currently at their cheapest price this year.

As of June 10, you can find Sony XM4 headphones for $228 at Amazon, saving you $120 on list price. They are available in three colors, black, blue, and silver, all at the same reduced price.

SEE ALSO: The Dyson OnTrac headphones received a rare $100 discount

These headphones are packed with features that make them worth every cent. Noise canceling is handled by dual sensors, so they’re great for cutting out all kinds of background noise. Battery life is also solid and promises to give you up to 30 hours of juice. And when this runs out, simply charge for 10 minutes and get an extra five hours of listening.

These headphones also have touch controls for playback, volume, calls, and your voice assistant, plus a speak-to-chat feature that lowers the volume automatically when you start talking. There are also five built-in mics and smart voice pickup tech to make sure your calls and voicenotes are nice and clear.

Grab this deal from Amazon.

The best tech deals right now, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case — $169.00 (List Price $249.00)

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker — $99.00 (List Price $149.95)

• Roborock Qrevo Master Robot Vacuum and Mop — $799.97 (List Price $1599.99)

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $74.99 (List Price $99.00)

During its opening WWDC keynote on Monday, Apple's presenters highlighted a striking new look for the iPhone's home screen: A clear look for all the icons, folders, and widgets on your screen, making it seem that everything is made of slightly curvy glass.

This is not, however, the default look on the iPhone in the new iOS 26, which is now available as a developer beta.

First, a quick name check-up: Apple calls its new design, which extends throughout all of its software, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, and macOS Tahoe, Liquid Glass. In this new design language, some of the elements, including some menus and notifications, are see-through, with an effect that slightly blurs the background design. It looks really cool, and has a visual effect of somehow freeing up space on your iPhone or iPad display.

But on the iPhone (and the iPad), the default look after you've installed iOS 26 isn't as striking, with most icons looking similar to how they did before.

The Liquid Glass elements show up everywhere, but if you want your phone to be fully glassified, read on. Credit: Apple

Fortunately, there are many ways to "glassify" your icons and widgets, some more obvious than others.

How to achieve the full Liquid Glass look in iOS 26: Total Time

• 5 min

What You Need

• iPhone
• iOS 26 Developer Beta

Step 1: Long press your home screen to get the Edit button in the top left corner.

Step 2: Tap Customise and choose a "Clear" look.

Step 3: Choose between Clear Dark and Clear Light look

From here, there are two options; the Clear Dark look will glassify your interface to a certain extent, but the icons will retain some of their original color. The Clear Light look turns everything into glass. Additionally, you can choose Auto, which means the look will switch from Light to Dark and vice versa depending on time of day.

Step 4: Glassify your widgets

Additionally, you can glassify or un-glassify (we're just making these words up as we go along) the elements on your lock screen. Go to Settings - Wallpaper - Customise. From there, tap on the big clock widget, and you'll get Font & Color options; in the bottom of the display, you'll see an option to make the look Glass or Solid. And if you want to make the look even glassier, slide the slider at the bottom all the way to the left, which will make the font more transparent.

Step 5: Tune-up your wallpaper

Finally, your choice of wallpaper can additionally enhance the clear look of your icons and widgets. I've found that nature panoramas and cityscapes work best for the home screen. Make sure to turn off the blur effect (click on Settings - Wallpaper - Customise and tap on "Blur" in the lower right corner) if you want the glassy icons and folders to slightly alter the details of your wallpaper in the background; the effect is really cool.

Apple's iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 are currently in the developer beta stage, with a public beta coming in about a month.

More glass! Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Most users should not attempt to install these new versions, as they will inevitably be buggy; they're primarily aimed for developers who need them for testing. If you do choose to sign up as a developer, you can do so here, after which you'll be able to download and install the developer betas. The developer program is not free; there's a $99 annual membership fee, but there's also a free tier which you can access by signing up here.

TL;DR: Upgrade your PC with Windows 11 Pro for only $14.97 (reg. $199) before codes sell out. Fewer than 50 are left in stock, and there's only one more day for this all-time low price.

If you haven't heard already, Microsoft has officially announced the countdown clock on Windows 10. Are you still running your PC on this dated operating system? Now might be the perfect time to finally upgrade your device's performance, because the latest operating system, Windows 11 Pro, is now less than $15. However, codes are limited.

With these Windows 11 Pro keys, you can completely revamp two compatible PCs, whether they're your personal or work computers. For starters, you'll enjoy a refreshed user interface that's been designed to be intuitive and aesthetically pleasing with rounded corners.

This updated operating system provides more than just an improved navigation experience. New productivity tools like snap layouts, easy redocking, and improved voice typing can help you complete personal and professional tasks, and you'll even have a more powerful search experience to get you further.

Digital safety is paramount for anyone online, which is why Windows 11 Pro is outfitted with enhanced security measures like Smart App Control, TPM 2.0, BitLocker device encryption, and more for greater peace of mind as you browse, stream, or game. And speaking of gaming, this operating system is designed to improve PC gaming graphics with DirectX12 Ultimate.

Since this is the Pro version of Windows 11, you'll additionally get remote work-friendly features, such as remote desktop access for viewing files and running programs from your mobile device. There's also Azure AD, Hyper-V, and Windows Sandbox for extra professional usage.

Act while the price is still at an all-time low, or before codes sell out for good.

StackSocial prices subject to change

Opens in a new window Credit: InterPlein Microsoft Windows 11 Pro $14.97
$199 Save $184.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub from anywhere in the world with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

Pornhub is seemingly getting banned everywhere.

Early in 2025, more than a third of U.S. states introduced age verification laws. As a result, Pornhub banned visitors from those states from accessing their website (plus YouPorn and RedTube). And now the same situation is taking place in France. Could you be next?

The reasons for this ban are complicated, but the workaround is straightforward. If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from anywhere in the world, we have the information you need.

How to unblock Pornhub for free

VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure server in another location. This process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.

Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like 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 a location that supports access to Pornhub

4. Visit Pornhub

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to your favorite site, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing online restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Unblock Pornhub for free with ExpressVPN.

The perfect cup of tea or coffee doesn't come easy. It takes practice — even the supposedly simple act of boiling some water, adding a tea bag, and then dropping in milk. It's a true art form — a delicate process that's refined over years of hot brew making. We're not here to tell you how to master the art, because everyone follows a slightly different routine. Though anyone who puts the milk in first needs to take a long hard look at themselves. (Seriously, what's that mad behaviour all about?)

With that out of the way, we can focus on what you'll need to make the perfect brew. Mugs and tea bags are important, obviously, but the kettle is the true difference maker. Think of the kettle as the artist’s canvas. You won’t brew any tea without it. And if you’re an enthusiastic caffeine-quaffer, the kettle is going to be put through its paces.

All of which means you should invest in a kettle that can cope with intense tea-making demands. But where to start? Here's some useful information to, erm, brew over.

What makes a good kettle?

First and foremost, a kettle boils water. That's what it's made to do. But there are all kinds of features that modern kettles have, going from kitchen essential to luxury item. These can include temperature control settings, "keep warm" functions, LED lights, a nice interface, and fast-boiling technology. It's also good to think about how big each kettle is for managing kitchen space, plus the water capacity. Finally, consider whether you need a kettle with a base. If the kettle itself is corded, that limits movement in the kitchen. If it has a base you'll be able to move around without the restriction of a cord.

Are plastic kettles safe?

Many electric kettles boil in plastic, which you could probably guess is unsafe. When plastic is boiled, the chemicals held within it can seep into whatever you're preparing. Plastic kettles are cheaper and the options are bountiful, but in all honesty, it isn't worth it unless you can find one that's totally BPA-free or made from silicone. We generally recommend going for either a glass or stainless steel electric kettle. 

What is variable temperature control?

We’ve honed in on this feature because it’s increasingly relevant in the age of herbal teas, serious coffee habits, and everything else. It's true that certain teas and coffees unlock the perfect flavour at very specific temperatures. Or maybe you just have a favourite temperature for hot drinks — some people prefer them piping hot, others like nicely warmed. Variable temperature control allows you to set the water to heat to a temperature of your choosing. You won’t always find variable temperature control on cheaper kettles, though it’s increasingly common on more premium models.

How much does a kettle cost?

A kettle costs as much as you want it to — or as much as you’re willing to spend. You can pick up a kettle from as little as £20 if you want to go seriously basic. Or you can spend over £100 if you’re looking for something with lots of features. We’ve included a selection of kettles at every price point.

What is the best kettle?

We have tried to make the purchasing process a little easier by lining up a selection of the best electric kettles from top brands like Sage, Smeg, and Black & Decker. All you need to do is pick your favourite and provide the tea bag.

These are some of the best electric kettles in 2025.

Travelling usually means compromising. Limited luggage space and the need to prioritise practicality often relegates matters of style to an afterthought, if they're thought of at all. This can result in you finally arriving at your picturesque holiday destination only to feel like the most disorganised, dishevelled person on the face of the Earth.

You aren't the only one who's been left haggard by travelling, and hotel staff have likely seen it all before. Even so, a few thoughtful upgrades to your travel kit can help you feel more glamorous than gremlin. Incorporating a little luxury may also help you reframe your travel identity for yourself, transforming from a harried airport sprinter to a poised and put-together globetrotter. After all, it's hard to feel your best when you aren't looking your best.

Here are six essentials to help you travel in style.

SEE ALSO: 7 overlooked and underrated essential travel gadgets 1. July Checked Expandable and Carry On Light Expandable luggage Credit: July

An enjoyable trip starts with a reliable set of luggage. While a good suitcase must be big enough to hold your travel shopping and sturdy enough to protect your purchases, it also shouldn't eat into your weight limit too much.

July's Checked Expandable suitcase strikes an excellent balance between these competing concerns. Weighing 4.5 kilograms (9.9 pounds), July's hard shell luggage can be expanded to a 90-litre capacity, which should be more than enough to satisfy many globetrotting shopaholics. The Checked Expandable has an in-built TSA combination lock, telescopic handle, aluminium-reinforced corners to help protect it from bumps, and rolls smoothly on four wheels. Its interior further indicates thoughtful design, including a side pocket which holds an extremely useful nylon laundry bag, and a strong Y-strap compression system. This includes a flat, structured pocket placed under the Y-strap to compress your clothes, helping maximise your suitcase space.

If you aren't planning on checking a bag, July's Carry On Light Expandable suitcase also offers a lot of space for minimal weight. Small enough to easily fit in a plane's overhead storage compartments, this delightfully convenient suitcase weighs just 2.2 kilograms (4.9 pounds) and has a 40-litre capacity when expanded — half the size of the unexpanded Checked Expandable. While it doesn't have a laundry bag or Y-strap compression system, its two zipped interior segments help keep the Carry On Light Expandable in order instead.

Opens in a new window Credit: July July Checked Expandable $300 at July
$375 Save $75 Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: July July Carry On Light Expandable $220 at July
$275 Save $55 Shop Now 2. DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Credit: DJI

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is the type of gadget that might sound excessive when you first hear about it. After all, do you really need a standalone video camera if you already have a smartphone in your pocket? The answer is yes, you very much do. In fact, once you try DJI's fantastic pocket-sized gimbal camera, there's a good chance you'll never want to record videos with your phone ever again. 

At just 5.5 inches long, the Osmo Pocket 3 is a great camera to slip in your bag when you're on the go. It's phenomenally simple to operate, turning on with a satisfying twist of its two-inch rotating display screen, while its facial tracking feature follows your subject for smooth, well-framed, professional-looking shots. Capable of filming 4K footage in landscape and 3K footage in TikTok-friendly portrait, this camera is much less unwieldy than recording on your phone, and turns out better results. In fact, the only reasons any vlogger or content creator wouldn't covet an Osmo Pocket 3 are either because they already have one, or because they haven't heard about it.

While you can just pick up the Osmo Pocket 3 by itself, it's well worth upgrading to the Creator Combo pack if you can afford it. This pack adds a few accessories such as a battery handle, mini tripod stand, and most significantly a DJI Mic 2 transmitter. It's ridiculously easy to connect the Mic 2 to your Pocket 3 — literally just turn it on — and it provides noticeably clearer audio than the Osmo Pocket 3's on-device mic. Just remember to set a bit of cash aside for a good microSD card as well, as the Pocket 3 doesn't have any internal storage.

You should also remember to treat your Osmo Pocket 3 with care, particularly its delicate gimbal. The camera does come with a hard carry case, but unfortunately it doesn't fit in the Creator Combo's soft carrying bag when in use, and the easy access design still leaves the Osmo Pocket 3 open to potential damage. Though considering the device's compact size and how fun it is to use, this is probably one you'll keep close by in your carry on anyway.

DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo $979 at Amazon
Shop Now 3. MAISON de SABRÉ Weekender bag Credit: MAISON de SABRÉ

MAISON de SABRÉ's Weekender Bag is the type of bag you travel with if you have your life together and don't mind if everyone knows it. Made of gorgeously supple full-grain leather, this beautiful 23-litre luggage option is both fashionable and functional, firmly establishing you as prime airport crush material.

The Weekender has six internal side pockets to help keep your belongings organised, including a padded sleeve for your laptop and a zipped option on the opposite side. It also has two external sleeve pockets, one of which can be zipped open at the bottom to turn into a luggage passthrough. Though even if you opt not to use the passthrough, The Weekender's structured base allows it to sit neatly on top of your suitcase without you having to worry about it sliding off. The bag also features shoulder carry handles, and comes with a detachable crossbody strap for an alternate carry option.

Featured Video For You One day you might be able to travel by water, land, and sky all in one vehicle – Future Blink

Weighing 1.45 kilograms (3.19 pounds), the Weekender is slightly heavier than MAISON de SABRÉ's 1.42-kilogram Duffle Bag, which also has a larger 35-litre capacity. However, this is because the Weekender is designed to be used more frequently, so has increased reinforcement. Considering how attractive this bag is, you'll probably be searching for any excuse to use it. Though on the other hand, the Weekender is also so pretty that subjecting it to the cruel rigours of travel almost feels like sacrilege regardless of whether it can take it.

Opens in a new window Credit: MAISON de SABRÉ MAISON de SABRÉ Weekender Bag $519
Shop Now 4. Sonos Ace headphones Credit: Sonos

A good pair of headphones is imperative to a good travel experience. Unless you're on a road trip and it's your turn to drive, there's a good chance you'll spend a significant amount of time watching the scenery go by during the travel part of travelling. A decent soundtrack can make these hours feel restorative rather than mundane.

Sonos' Ace headphones are the speaker company's highly anticipated first foray into wearables. With decades of audio experience behind its development, the Sonos Ace offers exceptional sound quality, long battery life, notable comfort, and a well-balanced transparency mode in a sleek, minimalist design. This includes removable magnetic ear cups, so you can swap them out if they get damaged rather than ditching the whole device. The headphones come with a handy carry case as well, so you don't have to worry about them getting tossed around in your bag. 

The Sonos Ace operates via Bluetooth, so that's something to keep in mind if you were hoping to be able to connect via WiFi. However, if you just want to listen to your Spotify playlist on your phone, these headphones should have you covered. Like other Bluetooth headphones, the Sonos Ace can also be used to listen to your plane's in-flight entertainment if you pair it with Twelve South's AirFly wireless adapter. They're a particularly good option if you already have a Sonos sound system at home as well, as you can pair it with the Ace to easily swap audio from your speakers to the headphones and vice versa.

Sonos Ace headphones $329 at Walmart
Shop Now 5. Solbari ultra wide cotton linen hat UPF50+ and Traveller broad brim sun hat UPF50+ Credit: Solbari

Hats are severely underrated travel items. Many people have never had a good quality hat, getting by with miscellaneous branded caps that offer mediocre coverage at best. Considering that a bad sunburn can completely derail a trip, it's an area that travellers would do well to consider more seriously.

Solbari is an Australian brand focused on sun protection — and if anyone knows about sun protection, it's Australians. The country is notorious for its powerfully damaging sun which is seven to 10 percent stronger than in the U.S., resulting in sun safety being baked into its national consciousness as a constant concern for all Australians.

Solbari's ultra wide cotton linen hat UPF50+ is a fashionable yet functional addition to your travel kit. Made of a breathable linen and cotton blend that feels luxurious to handle, this lightweight hat's wide five-inch brim extends even further to six inches at the back, offering fantastic protection against the sun while also looking stylish. The hat even has a small slot at the back for you to pull your ponytail through, so it isn't uncomfortably pressed against the back of your skull.

While Solbari doesn't offer linen in its men's styles, its popular Traveller broad brim sun hat UPF50+ includes four vents to help keep you cool. With a brim measuring three inches at the front and 3.5 at the back, the hat is made of thin, lightweight nylon that's both water- and stain-resistant, features which are always beneficial in travelling gear.

Both of these Solbari hats are UPF50+ rated, and have adjustable chin straps and drawstrings at the back to keep them safely on your head (though the former is removable if that's the look you prefer). The cotton linen hat does fold up more easily than the Traveller which has a stiffer rim, but the latter still packs flat for easy transport. You can always simply loop the chin strap around your luggage handle as well.

Solbari Ultra Wide Cotton Linen Hat UPF50+ $79 at Amazon
Shop Now Solbari Traveller Broad Brim Sun Hat UPF50+ $48.30 at Amazon
Shop Now 6. Insta360 Flow Pro Credit: Insta360

While DJI's Osmo Pocket 3 is a great camera, it definitely isn't in everyone's budget. As the famous saying goes, the best camera is the one that's with you — and more often than not, that's the one on your phone. This doesn't mean you couldn't use an extra gadget to upgrade your photography, though.

The Insta360 Flow Pro is a gimbal, tripod, and selfie stick all in one, helping you perfectly frame your holiday videos. In addition to compensating for shaky hands, the Flow Pro can use AI to track subjects, allowing you to film yourself in steady, cinematic panning shots even when travelling alone. The buttons on its handle also enable you to control your camera, whether you want to change your phone's orientation, switch between the front and back cameras, start and stop tracking and recording, or even zoom in.

Though the Flow Pro is considerably more chunky than the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, it boasts 360-degree tracking. An upgrade from the Insta360 Flow, the Flow Pro further adds one-tap NFC pairing for quick and easy setup, and a light to indicate when tracking is active. This severely souped-up selfie stick even has native tracking within the iPhone camera (though you should definitely update your iPhone to at least iOS 18 to ensure this works properly).

While Insta360 Flow Pro does have extra compatibility with iPhones, Android users can still benefit from this gadget as well. Green bubble adherents won't be able to use one-tap pairing or tracking in their phone's native camera, but will otherwise be able to enjoy the Insta360 Flow Pro's full functionality via the Insta360 app. You'll probably want to use the Insta360 app even if you do have an iPhone anyway, as it offers a smoother experience, improved tracking, and access to features such as 3x3 panoramic photos.

Insta360 Flow Pro $127.50 at Amazon
$149 Save $21.50 Shop Now

UPDATE: Jun. 10, 2025, 12:00 p.m. AEST This article was originally published September 2024, and has since been updated in June 2025.

Apple is increasingly caught between a rock and a hard place — and not just on Artificial Intelligence.

Here's the problem, one that may have been stretched to breaking point during CEO Tim Cook's 2025 WWDC keynote. There are people in the market for Apple products, who want and have always wanted technology that just works. They want gadgets that are intuitive to use, not intrusive. According to multiple surveys, consumers continue to be distrustful of anything with an AI label. According to the nonprofit IAPP, 57 percent of us believe AI poses a threat to our privacy.

Then there are investors who are in the market for Apple stock, who are always on the lookout for tech products that seem new. Overall, tech investors are still drinking the AI Kool-Aid despite abundant evidence — including a brand new paper from Apple researchers! — that AI's ability to reason, and to be useful in general, may have already hit a wall.

SEE ALSO: 'The illusion of thinking': Apple research finds AI models collapse and give up with hard puzzles

Apparently, Apple is trying to keep both of those groups happy. Result: a keynote that liberally sprinkles on mentions of "Apple Intelligence," a rebranding of many software services (including voice assistant Siri, which got just one shout-out compared to multiple mentions of ChatGPT), but failed to gin up any excitement about what Apple Intelligence can do for you.

Given privacy is a major concern for consumers, it's cool that Apple Intelligence won't send any of your queries to the company. But we already knew that from Cook's 2024 keynote that introduced Apple Intelligence. Without getting tough on dangers posed by other companies who are more reckless with your data when it comes to AI — the same way Cook once dared to call Android a "toxic hellstew" — mentions of privacy just fly by like an F1 race car.

More than anything else, Apple's updates were mere vibes. Apple Intelligence is a vibe. The "liquid glass" design refresh is a vibe. Craig Fedherigi is definitely a vibe. But tech stocks are coasting on a different vibe right now, the one OpenAI's Sam Altman has been nurturing for the last three years — including hiring Apple legend Jony Ive to create a screenless gadget. There are only so many F1 dad jokes Apple can make to compete with that alluring vision.

The Apple analyst who called the event a "yawner" because Apple did not "monetize on the AI front" spoke for the market, which drove Apple stock down from the minute the keynote began.

How Apple is being a people-pleaser "Yes. F1, baby." Credit: Apple keynote, Mashable screenshot

You'd think the interests of Apple consumers and Apple investors would not diverge, and for most of the past two decades they haven't. Thanks to the roaring success of the iPhone, Apple got millions of new customers for all its well-designed, highly-rated, premium price products. Investors rewarded that runaway growth by making Apple the first company ever with a market capitalization of more than $3 trillion.

But Apple is increasingly dealing with mature markets. Or in normal person-speak, its gadgets have solved most major problems and settled down into standard versions of themselves. The average user can buy an iPhone now and be reasonably confident that its superfast chipset and self-updating software will keep it future-proofed for the next five years or so. You can still rock an iPhone 11 from 2019 well into 2026; it's the oldest phone that officially supports the upcoming iOS 26.

And that's as it should be! Apple would not have earned its current level of love from consumers if it had gone any further with the obnoxious business strategy known as planned obsolescence, or if it wasn't trying to rein in the environmental impact of its gadgets. A business model that has nothing to do with selling user data means the company can crow about privacy on billboards.

But it also means Cook has to work extra hard to convince the market that incremental updates are something to be excited about — and risks looking extra in the process.

"Liquid Glass" is a case in point. Fedherigi described it as a "material" that sits atop the user interface in Apple OSes, as if the company had literally injected liquid glass into all its screens. Spoiler alert: it hasn't. Liquid Glass is just a design language that makes menus a bit more "see-through-y", in Mashable senior editor Stan Schroeder's memorable summary. Such obvious overhyping makes Apple marketing a bit more see-through-y too.

In search of a new look, Liquid Glass also adds a drop shadow to some icons — verboten at Apple back when Jony Ive was there. Former Apple executive Scott Forstall was ousted in 2012 in part because he championed this kind of design, known as skeumorphism, whereas Ive favored a flat look. Apparently Apple has extended its recycling program to include design ideas.

Apple's new call screening feature will positively affect more lives than Liquid Glass. But Android has taken the lead on that front, so Cook can't really claim credit for it; it's just listed as one of a grab bag of features in Apple Intelligence. Polls in group chats? That's also an Apple Intelligence feature. Order tracking in Apple Wallet? Sure, let's call that Apple Intelligence too.

But whether you fear AI or love it, that grab-bag approach to what Apple Intelligence actually is ain't going to cut it. Investors, who have already sent the market cap of AI-leveraged companies like Microsoft and Nvidia soaring higher than Apple's, aren't going to be satisfied with what seems like a weak commitment to the coming AI era. And so long as he refuses to explain what the market and other companies get wrong about AI, Cook will stay stuck between the rock and the hard place.

It's hard to fit a high-end graphics card inside a small PC. So much so that apparently, it's easier to fit a small PC inside a high-end graphics card. Pretty weird, I know, but these are the times we're living in.

Apple’s 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference keynote was sparse on the kind of groundbreaking announcements it’s usually known for. With no major hardware reveals until September and no pressure to wade into undercooked tech categories like AI or augmented reality, the Silicon Valley giant went back to basics. The message was clear: iOS needs an update.

That was the crux of this year’s keynote, with Apple CEO Tim Cook and Senior VP Craig Federighi diving deep into the all-new iOS 26 redesign, dubbed Liquid Glass. Apple also confirmed it's introducing a new naming convention for all of Apple’s software platforms, aimed at aligning with the company’s vision for the future. While Apple Intelligence and AI weren’t the headline act, the OS does include new AI features that will hopefully spark some enthusiasm among consumers. According to a new survey by CNET, just 11 percent of US consumers upgrade their phones for AI features. From live translations to music tools and Safari enhancements, AI is embedded across the system, even if it feels a bit reactionary following the Google I/O 2025 keynote, which was all AI, AI, and more AI.

iOS 26, along with updates across Apple’s hardware operating systems, brings a mix of big swings and incremental upgrades. Here’s a full breakdown of everything announced at WWDC 2025, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, and WatchOS 26.

And let's start with...

iOS 26 updates Good enough, welcome back Windows Vista. Credit: Apple

Apple's new visual style is called Liquid Glass, and the translucent UI marks Apple’s most significant visual overhaul in years. It keeps the core layout familiar but introduces a suite of subtle quality-of-life improvements designed to make navigation smoother and more intuitive.

“Expressive” was the word Federighi leaned on to describe the new look, with demos showcasing apps that appear to float in space — a design language clearly borrowing from the spatial interface of Vision Pro. That spatiality now filters down to iPhone, giving everything a slick, responsive, and notably fluid feel.

This includes an updated Dark Mode and an all-new Clear theme — Apple’s take on a fully translucent UI that somehow feels modern, minimal, and a rich man's version of Windows Vista.

It’s a noticeable shift that brings a handful of thoughtful features. Nothing revolutionary, but enough to make you pause and think, okay, that’s pretty clever.

Live translations Credit: Apple

In one of the more genuinely useful Apple Intelligence features for everyday users, Live Translations are now integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and other core apps. It’s arguably the flagship AI-driven feature in iOS 26. Apple says the real-time translations are processed entirely on-device and can even mimic the user’s voice during translation — a technical flex that’s impressive, if slightly uncanny.

The feature also extends to music, with support for real-time lyric translations and live pronunciation to help users sing along. How seamless it all feels in practice remains to be seen.

Phone

The Phone app is getting a streamlined new layout that brings Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails into a single, unified view. Building on the existing Live Voicemail feature, Apple is also introducing Call Screening, which prompts unknown callers to explain why they're calling, giving you the chance to decide whether it's worth your time.

Apple wants to give you your time back. Credit: Apple

The standout addition, though, is Hold Assist. When you’re stuck waiting for a live agent, your iPhone will now alert you the moment a real person picks up. A small upgrade, but a smart one.

Photos

Photos are finally — finally — getting the visual "overhaul" it desperately needed. The app has been a mess since iOS 18, when Apple turned what was a perfectly functional interface into something oddly convoluted, burying albums and making navigation a chore.

Credit: Apple

With iOS 26, Photos is being restructured around two main tabs: one for your full photo library and the other for your collections. Apple is framing it as a sleek, modern redesign, but really, it’s a return to the pre-iOS 18 layout, just better looking. It's a reinvention of the wheel, sure, but at least it's a wheel that actually rolls.

Messages Credit: Apple

Group chats are getting a solid quality-of-life update in iOS 26, with the addition of Apple Pay integration and built-in Polls. It’s a small but meaningful upgrade that makes coordinating with friends or splitting bills a bit more seamless.

Messages is also getting smarter about unknown numbers, automatically sorting them into a separate folder. From there, you can mark them as known, request more info, or delete them entirely. Which is particularly useful for online daters navigating their talking stage graveyard.

Now integrated with Apple Intelligence, the app will now suggest creating a poll when it detects that a decision needs to be made, and works in tandem with Image Playground for generating custom backgrounds to personalize your chats.

CarPlay

The new design for CarPlay introduces a compact view for incoming calls, so drivers can see who’s calling without losing sight of critical info like navigation directions.

Credit: Apple

Messages in CarPlay now supports Tapbacks and pinned conversations, making it easier to keep track of active chats on the go. Plus, with the addition of widgets and Live Activities, staying informed while driving looks to be more seamless and less distracting.

Apple also introduced CarPlay Ultra, an enhanced version of CarPlay designed specifically for its luxury automotive partnerships, starting with Aston Martin. Despite the name sounding like a subscription tier (it’s not… at least for now), CarPlay Ultra is touted as a deeper, more immersive integration of Apple’s software into the car’s entire being.

Credit: Apple

Instead of being confined to the central infotainment screen, CarPlay Ultra extends across all driver-facing displays, blending iPhone functionality with the vehicle’s native systems for a more unified and premium in-car experience.

Maps, Wallet, and a Passport Digital ID

Apple Maps is getting a memory upgrade in iOS 26 with Visited Places, a feature that logs where you’ve been, like restaurants or shops, and organizes them right in the app. Sure, Google Maps has done this for years, but Apple’s finally catching up.

Credit: Apple

The app also gets smarter about your daily patterns. Using on-device intelligence, iPhone can now recognize regular routes — like your commute — and surface preferred directions, flag traffic delays, and suggest faster options, all from the lock screen.

As expected, it raises some privacy flags. But Apple claims both Visited Places and daily route tracking are end-to-end encrypted and can’t be accessed by the company itself, though by now, that promise feels more like a standard PR line than a standout feature.

Adding to the pile of privacy-adjacent updates, Apple Wallet in iOS 26 now supports Digital ID for passports, though Apple is quick to note it’s not a replacement for your physical passport. You can add it to your Wallet, and it’s currently accepted by TSA in 10 states and Puerto Rico. (For context, Digital IDs are recognized in 14 states total, but holdouts like New York and Louisiana use their own apps and don’t support Apple Wallet.)

Credit: Apple

Boarding Passes are also getting smarter with Live Activities integration. They let you share your flight status with friends in real-time, so they know when you land — no group text updates required.

A new Games app Credit: Apple

Apple is finally taking mobile gaming more seriously with the new Apple Games app. It pulls everything into one place—a Home tab for updates to the games you actually play, a dedicated section for Apple Arcade, and a Library that tracks every game you’ve ever downloaded.

There’s a new “Play Together” tab for comparing scores, sending invites, and competing in real-time challenges with friends. It works in portrait or landscape, and pairs smoothly with a controller.

Safari

According to Apple, Safari in iOS 26 is getting a boost in privacy and design. The mobile browser now includes advanced fingerprinting protection while browsing. Visually, Safari adopts a more rounded, edge-to-edge look — web pages now flow seamlessly from the top of the screen to the bottom.

Accessibility Features

iOS 26 brings a wave of meaningful accessibility updates across the Apple ecosystem. Accessibility Reader introduces a customizable, systemwide reading experience tailored to individual needs, while Braille Access delivers a completely rethought interface for users connecting braille displays to iPhone.

Apple has also improved features like Live Listen, Background Sounds, and Personal Voice, aiming to make day-to-day device use more intuitive and inclusive.

iPadOS 26 updates Credit: Apple

Apple claims iPadOS 26 is its most ambitious iPad update yet — combining the sleek new Liquid Glass design with deeper productivity features and expanded Apple Intelligence integration. The headline feature for iPadOS 26 is a powerful new Apple "invention" called Windows — an upgrade that finally lets users freely resize, move, and tile apps across their iPad screen. And no, this does not make the iPad just like a Mac. They have different names, after all.

Still, it’s the closest the iPad has come to feeling like a true multitasking machine, shedding some of the clunky constraints of Split View and Slide Over. It’s not macOS, but it's not far off either — just don’t say that too loudly in Cupertino.

The Files app gets new folder customization and default app settings, and the long-awaited Preview app comes to iPad for editing PDFs and images with Apple Pencil.

Creative pros get features like Background Tasks, local capture for recording, and improved audio input tools, while the Journal app, Game Overlay, and a new menu bar round out a packed update focused on making the iPad more capable, personal, and pro-friendly than ever.

macOS Tahoe 26 updates Credit: Apple

macOS 26, now officially named macOS Tahoe, builds out the Mac experience with deeper iPhone integration, smarter system-wide intelligence, and a much beefier Spotlight. The Phone app finally lands on macOS, complete with Call Screening and Hold Assist, while Live Activities can now surface in the menu bar for real-time updates like flights or rides.

Credit: Apple

Spotlight gets its biggest update yet — it can now execute actions like sending emails or creating notes, and supports filtering, quick keys, and results from third-party cloud services. Apple Intelligence brings on-device Live Translation, smarter Shortcuts, Genmoji customization, and new tools in Image Playground.

Credit: Apple

A personal favorite from the keynote is the updated Finder, which lets users customize folder icons with colors and symbols, and themes offer more personalized desktop setups.

tvOS 26 updates

tvOS 26 brings new content features and quality-of-life improvements to the Apple TV experience. Users can now set up individual profiles for personalized recommendations and continue watching across devices. The TV app has been redesigned to prioritize content, with streamlined playback controls that stay out of the way.

Credit: Apple

Cinematic poster art adds some polish, but, to be honest, the real highlight of the tvOS 26 spotlight was the Apple TV+ preview: Chief of War with Jason Momoa, Foundation season 3, Slow Horses season 5, and a new Denzel Washington film titled Highest to Lowest are all on the way.

It’s a steady update that Apple intends to be more personal and content-driven.

watchOS 26 introduces Workout Buddy Credit: Apple

It kind of feels like Apple’s heart just isn’t in watchOS anymore, at least based on what was shown at WWDC. The headline feature is Workout Buddy, an AI-powered fitness coach that dishes out real-time encouragement, milestone callouts, and personalized playlists, all voiced by synthetic versions of Fitness+ trainers.

The Workout app itself finally gets a much-needed redesign, making it easier to jump into custom routines and access pacing tools without digging through menus. Beyond that, most of what’s new in watchOS is inherited directly from iOS 26 — small quality-of-life improvements that round out the experience, but don’t exactly move the needle.

VisionOS 26 updates Good enough. Welcome back 'L.A. Noire." Credit: Apple

Finally, to wrap up this round-up, it’s VisionOS 26 and Vision Pro — the source of inspiration behind Apple’s new Liquid Glass aesthetic and translucent UI design overhaul across its platforms.

This year’s update doubles down on spatial computing and everyone's "love" for widgets. This includes spatially aware widgets that persist in your physical environment, letting users pin things like clocks, weather, and photos around their space, customizable down to frame depth and color.

Apple’s also focused on social and collaborative use cases. Users can now share spatial experiences with others in the same room or dial in friends via FaceTime. Safari supports interactive 3D models embedded in web pages, and developers can tap into new APIs to make apps more immersive.

That includes Personas, which is getting a — slightly less creepy — glowup. With the help of some "enhanced volumetric rendering," Personas invade your digital space with sharper detail, full side profiles, and more natural motion.

And yes, you can still watch movies and play games — because it's still a $3,500 headset, after all.

YouTube quietly loosened its video moderation rules a few weeks before Donald Trump was sworn in as president a second time, reports the New York Times.

The new rules encourage the site’s moderators not to remove videos that break YouTube’s code of conduct — which bans nudity, graphic violence, hate speech, and incendiary misinformation — if the videos are considered to be in the public interest. Previously, YouTube would keep up videos it considered in the public interest if only a quarter of its content was considered in violation of its rules; now, half of a video’s content can still break the rules and remain up, according to the Times.

YouTube considers content concerning “elections, ideologies, movements, race, gender, sexuality, abortion, immigration, censorship and other issues” part of the public interest, according to the Times, which viewed the training materials where the change was outlined.

SEE ALSO: Meta reportedly replacing human risk assessors with AI

YouTube, owned by Alphabet, the parent company of Google, made the change in mid-December by introducing the updated training materials to moderators. Similarly, Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, ended fact-checking on social posts in January, the same month Trump entered the White House. Many Republicans, including Trump, have called for tech giants to minimize or end moderation on their users’ content. X ended fact-checking after Elon Musk bought the social media site in 2022, implementing a crowdsourced Community Notes feature instead. While X and Meta publicly announced they were ending or minimizing moderation, YouTube did not. 

The Times cited several examples of YouTube’s new policy. One included a 43-minute video about Trump’s cabinet appointees that remained up even though it included a slur against a transgender person. Another included a South Korean video that was not taken down even though a commentator discussed an imagined scenario involving a politician being killed by a guillotine. YouTube decided to keep the video up because “execution by guillotine is not feasible.”

When reached for comment, YouTube representatives stated that moderators removed 192,856 videos in the first quarter of 2025, which actually constituted a 22 percent year-over-year increase. Additionally, a YouTube spokesperson directed concerned viewers to visit their Community Guidelines Transparency Report for more details and clarity on the policy change.

"We regularly update our Community Guidelines to adapt to the content we see on YouTube," YouTube spokesperson Nicole Bell said in a statement to Mashable. "As examples, earlier this year, we retired our remaining COVID-19 policies and added new protections related to gambling content. The New York Times article is about a separate aspect of our approach: our long-standing practice of applying exceptions to our policies for content that serves the public interest or has EDSA (educational, documentary, scientific, artistic) context. These exceptions apply to a small fraction of the videos on YouTube, but are vital for ensuring important content remains available. This practice allows us to prevent, for example, an hours-long news podcast from being removed for showing one short clip of violence. We regularly update our guidance for these exceptions to reflect the new types of discussion and content (for example emergence of long, podcast content) that we see on the platform, and the feedback of our global creator community. Our goal remains the same: to protect free expression on YouTube."

Apple kicked off its 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference with a glossy flourish: a sweeping UI redesign called Liquid Glass for the newly christened iOS 26. It’s translucent, fluid, and "expressive," Apple says. Nearly every new feature is now stitched together with some form of Apple Intelligence or, in some cases, OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

However, amid all the name-dropping of LLMs and neural networks, one thing was conspicuously missing: Siri. Apple’s OG AI assistant. Apparently, she’s still not ready for her makeover.

"As we've shared, we're continuing our work to deliver the features that make Siri even more personal," said Craig Federighi, Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering, during the keynote. "This work needed more time to reach our high-quality bar, and we look forward to sharing more about it in the coming year."

When Apple first introduced its Apple Intelligence branding almost exactly a year ago, it was supposed to usher in a smarter, sharper Siri — a reimagined voice assistant powered by AI that combined its legacy system with Apple Intelligence to handle more advanced queries. But, as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported, Apple’s entry into the AI race has been more reluctant than revolutionary.

Because of this, Siri has become something of a collateral victim in what can only be described as Apple’s internal AI scramble. You can see the fallout in how iOS 18 has handled its so-called intelligence upgrades, rolled out in fragmented waves over the last year or so.

Back in March, Gurman noted Apple was still "running way behind" on delivering any substantial updates to Siri, with its more conversational, AI-enhanced version unlikely to land before 2027.

So, yes, iOS just got a sleek new skin, but Siri is still stuck in the waiting room.

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

On Monday, June 9, Apple held its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, where it confirmed that the successor to iOS 18 will actually be iOS 26. It's part of a whole new naming convention and a fresh new look, and it was the headline from an event packed with updates. See also: new Apple Intelligence features, the announcement of macOS Tahoe, and a new Live Translation feature.

At a glance, there's a lot to like about Apple’s new iOS 26, up to and including Liquid Glass, Cupertino’s brand new multi-platform design language. The hype train is real since it’s the first iOS design overhaul since 2013.

So, when can you actually get the iOS 26 update?

Apple intends to release iOS 26  to everyone this fall as a free software update, but enterprising individuals can try it early with the beta. 

The release of iOS 26 Liquid Glass is the biggest Apple redesign in over 10 years. Credit: Apple

In a press release, Apple only says that iOS 26 is coming in the fall.

You could wait for the stable release, which is coming to every iPhone from the iPhone SE and iPhone 11 series to the latest iPhone 16e. Alternatively, you can try out the iOS 26 beta starting today. Back in the olden days, you used to need a $99 Apple Developer account. These days, it’s much easier and $99 cheaper since you can get into it for free. You just have to know how to do it.

Read this before trying the iOS 26 beta

A note before we begin, betas tend to have bugs, glitches, and other instabilities that may make it difficult to use for daily use. For the most part, betas are a lot more stable than they used to be but it’s not guaranteed. Make sure you understand the risk before installing a whole OS, whether it’s iOS 26 or Samsung’s One UI 8 beta. 

So, before you start, you’ll want to make sure everything is backed up in case something goes wrong and familiarize yourself with the process of reinstalling iOS 18.5. 

Apple CEO Tim Cook announced iOS 26 at WWDC 2025 on Monday, June 9. Credit: Apple How to install the iOS 26 beta

Note: You’ll want to make sure your iPhone is on the latest update, which is currently iOS 18.5. You’ll want to have a compatible phone as well. 

Getting the beta is a lot easier than it used to be, especially since Apple has a free tier of its Developer Program. Since that’s all you need to download the beta right now, you can download iOS 26 today. Here’s how:

• If you are already a developer, skip this part. 

• If you are not, head to this link and follow the instructions to sign up for a free Apple developer account. 

• Note: The process may ask for payment, but you can back out once you get to that point, and you should still have a free developer account. 

Once that’s done, go to the Apple Developers website and log in with your new (or existing) developer account. Once done, enroll your device for the Apple Beta Software Program. After that, do the following:

• On the device you enrolled, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates. 

• Choose the iOS 26 Developer Beta.

• Return to the prior menu screen and tap Download and Install. 

• Grab a cup of coffee. It’s a whole OS update and it’s going to take a while.

If the iOS 26 Developer Beta doesn’t appear in your settings. Wait a few minutes or reboot your device. It should show up then. 

Alternatively, you can sign up for the public beta that is slated to launch next month. You can sign up for the public betas on Apple’s Beta Software Program website linked above and enroll your device. Once the public beta is ready, you’ll be able to install it. 

Which devices can run the iOS 26 beta? Some of the new Messages features in iOS 26. Credit: Apple

All of the devices that will receive iOS 26 at launch should be compatible with the beta. The list includes:

• iPhone SE (second generation and later)

• iPhone 11, Pro, and Pro Max

• iPhone 12, Mini, Pro, and Pro Max

• iPhone 13, Mini, Pro, and Pro Max

• iPhone 14, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max

• iPhone 15 Plus,, Pro, and Pro Max

• iPhone 16 Plus, Pro, and Pro Max

• iPhone 16e

Alternatively, you can sign up for the public beta that is slated to launch next month. You can sign up for the public betas on Apple’s Beta Software Program website linked above and enroll your device. Once the public beta is ready, you’ll be able to install it. 

What’s new in iOS 26? Liquid Glass has lots of translucent, clear, and customizable elements. Credit: Apple

On top of the new Liquid Glass design language, Apple has tucked some other neat stuff under the hood. Apple Maps got some cool new features, as did iMessage and the Call app. The iPad received something we’ve never heard of before called “windows.” There was a lot more from the keynote, but honestly, you’re here because you want to try Liquid Glass, and I don’t blame you. It looks pretty sweet. 

We’ll be diving more into iOS 26 as we learn more, so keep an eye out for more information.