Technology

Found the perfect meme? Need to share an old snippet from a WhatsApp conversation? Sometimes the humble screenshot is best.

The process is pretty simple, but does vary slightly depending on what model of iPhone you have. Here's now to take a screenshot on your iPhone, without or without a home button.

SEE ALSO: How to mirror your iPhone to your TV If your iPhone has a home button Total Time

• 1 min

What You Need

• iPhone

Step 1: Press the home button at the same time as the button on your phone's right-hand side.

You'll know your on the right track if your screen goes briefly white, camera-flash style.

Credit: Apple

Step 2: Navigate to Photos to view your screenshot.

Now you can edit it, delete it, or send it!

If your iPhone doesn't have a home button Total Time

• 1 min

What You Need

• iPhone

Step 1: Press the volume button and the side button at the same time.

Did you phone screen go briefly white? That means you were successful!

Credit: Apple

Step 2: Navigate to your Photos to view your screenshot.

Now you can edit it, delete it, or send it.

Want to screenshot an entire webpage on your iPhone, or take a screenshot on a iPad instead? We've got you covered.

TL;DR: Through April 21, get two years and 5TB of cloud storage for just $119.97. If you want one central backup for all your devices, try ElephantDrive and get 5TB of backup.

Losing important files is frustrating at best, and devastating at worst. Whether it's an essay for school, a project for work, or the monthly budget you've been working on for hours, all it takes is a spilled cup of coffee or a corrupted save to lose your work. 

Even if you have physical data storage, cloud backups are another level of insurance that might be a little harder to get rid of. ElephantDrive is a secure cloud storage solution that you can use to backup and sync across your devices, and a 5TB 2-year plan is only $119.97 for a limited time. 

Protect your important files

ElephantDrive gives you a whole lot of room to work with, but this cloud backup is about quality as well as quantity. Tools like the Everywhere Folder let you manage your files across all synced devices. If you like to bring your work home with you, that means you can access your work files without transferring them manually, and it works on  Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android devices.

If all your files meet in one cloud hub, security is a must. That's why all your data on ElephantDrive is locked with an AES 256-bit encryption before leaving your device, but you can still share files by creating links. You can even give your links a password. 

This subscription is only available to new users. 

Save on 5TB of cloud storage

Give your important files some backup. 

Until April 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT, you can get a 2-year 5TB subscription to ElephantDrive for $119.97. No coupon needed. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Opens in a new window Credit: ElephantDrive ElephantDrive 5TB Plan: 2-Yr Subscription $119.97 at the Mashable Shop
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Watching The Jinx: Part 2 demands its audience look back — not just on the crimes of its subject, real estate tycoon turned notorious killer Robert Durst, but also on where we were when the first part aired on HBO. In February of 2015, filmmaker Andrew Jarecki had audiences at rapt attention as he unfurled week-by-week six chapters detailing the bizarre "Life and Deaths of Robert Durst." That Durst had committed a string of murders seemed more and more certain as the episodes passed. Could his closeness with the documentarian, who'd piqued Durst's interest by making a loosely fictional film about him called All Good Things, compel this slippery figure to finally confess? Incredibly, yes, and in a way that was as bizarre as "Bob" himself. 

Beyond the burping, the hot mic recording that became a national news story, and the many parodies that followed, The Jinx became a modern true crime flashpoint, along with Netflix's docuseries Making a Murderer and the podcast Serial. Each explored a cold case over a long-format deep dive, often with the reporter confessing to being compromised by their closeness to the accused. Sure, there were (and are) plenty of tawdry true crime shows that would continue to churn out cheap thrills for viewers, but these three shows were so massively popular that they spawned a flood of true crime doc series — for better (the in-depth and humane I'll Be Gone in the Dark and Last Call) or worse (the leeringly exploitative The Curious Case of Natalia Grace and The Tiger King). 

In the years since, true crime has continued to saturate the media, reaching a ubiquity that rivals the heights of London's Jack the Ripper obsession; at the same time, the critique of true crime and its fans has grown sharper, as media critics and enthusiasts alike dissect it from all angles. Telling a good story may attract an audience, but how you go about it may earn filmmakers ire online, where TikTokkers and podcasters pick apart every bit of evidence — often for their own moments in the spotlight. When The Jinx arrived, of course we were shocked by Durst and his bizarre behavior on camera, but what was truly compelling was Jarecki's willingness to show himself and his internal conflict as they approached the final interview. This added a layer of uneasy vulnerability to the show. Returning to the case to follow Durst's capture and conviction, The Jinx: Part 2 continues on with "Chapter 7," as if nine years hadn't passed in the interim. The world has changed dramatically in this span, and yet Jarecki and his team are playing the same game as before. But now it hits differently, as they're coming back with the perspective not of investigation but validation.  

Robert Durst is the leader of The Jinx's 3-ring circus.  Credit: HBO/Max

In the original run, Jarecki spoke at length with friends and family of Durst's missing first wife, Kathleen McCormack Durst, who gave a chilling portrait of their marriage. In Part 2, we finally get to meet more of Durst's inner circle. Though Durst's second wife Debrah Charatan once more dodges Jarecki's interview requests, she's depicted through strange anecdotes about how she allegedly ruled her company with an iron fist and a nose that'd literally sniff her employees' armpits to assure they met her high hygiene standards. "Chapter 9: Saving My Tears Until It's Official" dives deeper into the psychology — and potential complicity — of Durst's best friend Susan Berman, who was conspicuously killed before she was interviewed by police over the McCormack case. Through these interviews, Jarecki empathetically explores Berman's mindset, forged by growing up the daughter of a mob boss and a "saintly" mother; she was fiercely protective of the skeletons in the family's closet. Plus, Berman's friends face new evidence that transforms their perspective on her involvement with Durst. 

However, it's the new members of the menagerie who will likely have viewers agog. "Chapter 7: Why Are You Still Here?" introduces Bob's mistress through a talking-head interview and recorded jail-house visits. A surly longtime colleague gives the cops a hard time over the phone, demanding the police pay for his private jet's costs if they expect to interrogate him in Los Angeles. (He practically screams in outrage when they offer him a ticket to fly coach.) But the most attention is paid to Nick Chavin, who counts himself as a best friend to both Durst and the long-ago murdered Berman. 

Chavin is introduced as he blithely paraphrases the opening line of Goodfellas, confessing with a grin, "For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be famous." He then presents Jarecki (and us) with his music, a sexed-up version of country music that includes a track called "Cum Stains on the Pillow." Yes, this man is a clown who — like Durst — relishes the attention Jarecki's cameras can bring. And as was true of the first part, it is darkly compelling to watch such a kooky creep expose himself. You might wonder if Chavin has any self-awareness as he makes statements like "I don't have that same moral hatred of murder and murderers." You might also doubt his veracity, considering his motivations are so nakedly about fame. But he is far from the only cringeworthy character presented in Part 2. 

The Jinx: Part 2 celebrates and mocks the LAPD.  LA Deputy District Attorney John Lewin Credit: HBO/Max

Chapter 7 centers on the weeks leading up to Chapter 6 airing in 2015. At the time, the show's producers were sharing information with the the LAPD, who were tracking Bob Durst to finally charge him in the murder of Susan Berman before he might flee internationally. As the new episode proudly pronounces in a title card, Durst was arrested the day before the famous burping confession aired. 

As this first episode details the process with LA attorneys and homicide detectives, The Jinx becomes blandly bog-standard for a stretch. Artful slo-mo reenactments and archival photos of Durst play under interviews spelling out the chase and anticipation. LA Deputy District Attorney John Lewin, who clearly sees himself as the hero of the sequel season, declares, "This is going to be the biggest thing to hit my office since OJ." Where the officers of Part 1 tended to somber reflections, Lewin can't contain his grin as he cockily exclaims, "I love circumstantial cold cases." In "Chapter 8: Friendships Die Hard," Lewin introduces his "wonder twins," identical twin law clerks whose commentary is so farcical it'd be well suited to the 2017 true crime parody series Trial & Error. 

The novelty of the twin law clerks Michael and David Belcher is emphasized by pairing them up for their interviews; they even share a chyron. Recalling how they got assigned the Durst case, Michael says he got a call from Lewin, and when the name "Durst" came up, the baby-faced clerk said, "Fred Durst? Oh my god!" (In response, the doc cuts to an image of the Limp Bizkit frontman wearing a t-shirt that reads "NOT ROBERT.") After clearing up the confusion, Michael was offered a job, and in turn suggested they hire his twin too. So Lewin did. It's a story that they all seem to regard as charming. 

Like their boss, the duo shares a jarring breeziness about the case, cracking odd jokes and impersonating Durst's nasally voice together in sync. Such interviews feel like a sideshow that exposes a glaring disconnect between the seriousness of the crimes and the arrogant attitudes of this prosecution team. The filmmakers seem eager to expose the ugly vanity of all arrogant fools, no matter what side of the law they are on. Yet at the same time, the first several episodes carry the enthusiasm of sharing in this victory lap. (Critics were given access to the first four episodes of Part 2 for review.) So one moment, you have the "wonder twins" revealing crucial evidentiary phone calls with all the reverence of pigeons over a new Porsche. But in another — among the most moving in the sequel series so far — Chapter 7 shows The Jinx team's viewing party, where McCormack's family finally hears the confession they've prayed for for decades: "Killed them all, of course." 

Here, like the exemplary HBO doc series Mind Over Murder and the mesmerizing movie Last Stop Larrimah, the outrageous details of the case are the hook for something deeply human. As this long-suffering family gets the release of this clumsy confession, we are witness to their world changing. It's not the end of the McCormack family's story, as her brother is quick to point out, but there is comfort in finally closing a terrible chapter. So, the pride that radiates from these newly issued episodes — while arguably gauche in their goofier moments — may be justified and may even be frankly honest. 

The Jinx: Part 2 is hitting while true crime is in transition.  Jim McCormack, Sharon McCormack, Liz McCormack in "The Jinx: Part 2." Credit: HBO/Max

The mid-2010s brought the genre out of the shadows and into the mainstream. And yet after so much popularity and praise, neither Making a Murderer nor Serial could top their first seasons. Instead, they came under scrutiny as many others chased such successes, not only in TV docs and podcasts but also in an avalanche of TV dramas and dramedies, ranging from When They See Us to Dahmer, The Staircase, Dirty John, Inventing Anna, Under the Banner of Heaven, Joe vs. Carole, and not one but two versions of the ​​Candy Montgomery case: Candy and Love & Death. Serial was even parodied in the podcast-centered comedy series Only Murders in the Building. Meanwhile, HBO/Max/Investigation Discovery have offered an endless array of murder shows and documentaries, ranging from thoughtfully thorough (The Lady and the Dale) to absolutely cringeworthy (Mean Girls Murders, which opens every case with a cheeky quote from a teen comedy).  

Amid all of this, there is outcry from audiences and advocates about the ethics of true crime. Some call for such media to focus more on the humanity of the victims, and less on glorifying the killer. Others note the racial bias that favors coverage of stories about white victims, ignoring many, many cases of murdered and missing Black and Indigenous people. Still others note there's a fine line between exposure and exploitation, as filmmakers unearth traumatic and triggering experiences not only for those who agreed to be involved in their productions but also for those who've not consented to participate. So, where does The Jinx: Part 2 fit in this? 

Frankly, it's impossible to say without having seen how it'll end. At present, I'm underwhelmed. Granted, true crime fans or those who were hooked on The Jinx will likely rally around the weekly chance to once again compare notes around the metaphorical watercooler. There's a lot to take in and marvel over. Jarecki and his team have masterfully planted their new chapters with plenty to keep us coming back, from new revelations, unnerving interviews, and the promise of Durst giving one last statement on the case. But having binge-watched the first four episodes, the experience is disorienting. 

Where should true crime go next? Credit: HBO

As egos flash and clash, a few things have already become clear. First off, it takes a village to get away with murder, and The Jinx: Part 2 is here to introduce us to Durst's villagers. Two, the series feels both in awe of its own power but also wary of it. Truly, there's no way the producers could include the more embarrassing interview moments with the prosecution side without an awareness they are in league with them. Yet Durst's defense team is so stringently slippery they are practically caricatures of corrupt lawyers. So, in this bid to show that both sides of this case are peopled by characters that are not just riveting but at times downright ghastly, what is The Jinx saying? 

This possibly shows a self-awareness that no documentary can ever be truly "objective." Maybe it's intentionally drawing attention to the messiness of humanity that makes up every part of our legal system, from the crime to the investigation to the trial and beyond. We can aim to be as rational and objective as possible, but we're all human. And while some of our motives might be noble, we've all got our less admirable motives too — like wanting your fifteen minutes of fame no matter how you get it. In Part 2, you see the fingerprints of this vanity throughout. 

That commonality is what has me itching after these first four episodes. You can easily google and find out what happened next in the case, but what I'm curious about is how The Jinx: Part Two will process those events. In my mind, the best of true crime is not just telling us a riveting story, rich in complexity and character — though that's a good start. It's when a production pushes the audience past understanding the story merely as a cozy cautionary tale, instead examining how and why a crime happened and was investigated (or not, as the case may be), and what that says about society itself. (Again, see Last Call, Mind Over Murder, and the kidnapping doc Chowchilla.) 

While it may be a cliche that money can buy an affluent American out of anything, both parts of the Jinx explore the specifics of this. Not only do they detail how Durst could swiftly lay down a quarter million in bail so he could go on the run again, but also they reveal in ways big and small how his perceived generosity (a car, a college education, a love nest) bought allegiances, whether the receiver consciously understood that or not. So, what does Durst's long con have to say about American justice? What has his post-Jinx popularity — recapped in a spirited montage of comedy sketches, news coverage, and stand-up — say about out hunger for true crime stories? What will his final chapter say about who we were then? And who we are now? 

Truly, I'm not sure how much of this Chapters 11 and 12 can or will answer. Having once defined this genre, could it now reinvigorate it, drawing it more rigorously to profound realizations and away from our tendency toward grisly gawking? Or might it interrogate our macabre interest to guide us to better understand our dark appetite? I can't say. But despite my frustrations with this series veering into familiar areas and perplexing portraits, I confess I will be watching. 

The Jinx: Part 2 kicks off with Chapter 7 premiering on April 21 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. A new episode will air each Sunday, until the finale on May 26. 

Virtual reality (VR) is a relatively new frontier of entertainment that has yet to attract mainstream appeal. But with more industry giants throwing their hats into the metaverse as of late — looking at you, Apple, Sony, and Meta — an intrigue exists for gamers and techies in pursuit of next-level immersion.

After a period of hands-on testing, we've decided to recommend the Meta Quest 2, the PlayStation VR2, and the Valve Index VR Kit. All four VR headsets are consumer-friendly devices that felt comfortable during hours of use, supported a breadth of features and content upon unboxing, and performed well at their respective price points.

SEE ALSO: Should you try a VR workout? We put Litesport to the test.

While sourcing contenders for this roundup, we chose to test VR headsets that are making waves in the small-but-growing market, whether they're known for their libraries, innovations, or both. All of them are true, dedicated VR headsets with built-in screens, as opposed to mobile headsets that require a smartphone. (Some, but not all, are tethered headsets that require a connection to a separate console or PC.) We also excluded enterprise-level units that are designed for business and commercial use.

What about Apple Vision Pro?

Unless you live under a rock, you've either seen or heard about the Apple Vision Pro by now. But, if you're new to the world of VR, you may be asking yourself why it isn't included here. Well, as we mentioned earlier, our recommendations are specifically tailored to gaming-centric headsets — the Apple Vision Pro falls into that "enterprise headset" category, so we didn't consider it for this article.

While still a worthwhile VR category to look into, enterprise headsets aren't designed with gaming capabilities at the forefront. These types of headsets are designed for productivity and business purposes that can help make your daily life easier. If you're all about gaming (and we assume you are because you're here) and want to get into VR, look elsewhere.

What are the best VR headsets for gaming?

Here's a deeper dive into the best VR headsets we've tried. (Note: We're in the process of testing the HP Reverb G2 and will update this guide accordingly with the final results of our trial.)

You wanna hide apps from your iPhone home screen, do you?

First of all, there are plenty of reasons to make an iPhone app more difficult to access, and many of them are perfectly wholesome. Perhaps you want to hide your Venmo/Cash App so it's not easily accessible on your home screen. Or maybe you want to hide your Instagram, TikTok, etc. if you have a little sibling who likes to steal your phone and post embarrassing pics and videos of you on your socials.

SEE ALSO: How to mirror your iPhone to your TV

So now that you know we're not here to judge, here's how to do it:

Total Time

• 2 min

What You Need

• iPhone

Step 1: Find the app you want to remove from your home screen.

Step 2: Tap and hold the app until a menu pops up with the option to "Remove App".

You can also tap and hold the home screen until the apps start shaking, and then tap the little "minus" sign next to the app you want to hide.

App mini menu. Yes we tried Power Vinyasa and yes it was really freaking hard Credit: Andy Moser / Apple

Step 3: Tap "Remove App".

You'll see options to either delete the app, remove it from the home screen, or cancel the action.

Step 4: Choose "Remove from Home Screen".

The app will be hidden and won't appear on your home screen.

Tap "Remove from Home Screen" Credit: Andy Moser / Apple

Cool! But now...how do you find it again? The app, though hidden from your home screen, is still in your app library.

Check out our piece on how to find hidden apps.

The Oscars was quite a while ago now, but it seems as though a certain former president still hasn't forgotten about it.

On Wednesday Donald Trump took to Truth Social to share an angry diatribe about Jimmy Kimmel's Oscars joke about him, during which he called Kimmel "stupid" and a "fool" and made fun of his "big ratings drop".

"That's weird, because I read in the news that the ratings went up this year," says Kimmel in the clip above (he's right), before diving into Trump's post line-by-line.

The core of what Trump had to say focussed on Kimmel apparently flubbing his announcement of Best Picture, something Trump referred to as a "CLASSIC CHOKE" — but, as Kimmel points out, there was a small problem.

"I didn't present the award for Best Picture," laughs Kimmel. "I was the host, the host doesn't present awards, the presenters present the awards, and the person who presented the award was Al Pacino, not me. We are different people."

Twitch is rolling out its new TikTok-like Discovery Feed later this month, joining a growing cohort of tech companies taking design tips from the popular video sharing app. While select users have had access to Twitch's scrollable video feed test since August last year, the Amazon-owned streaming platform is now finally ready to release the feature to all its mobile users.

SEE ALSO: No more nudity: Twitch is ending the 'topless meta' party.

Detailed in Twitch's Patch Notes livestream on Wednesday, the new Discover Feed is only available in Twitch's mobile app, and will actually consist of two separate feeds: a Live Feed and a Clips Feed. Users will be able to switch between the two via buttons at the top of the screen, similarly to switching between your Following and For You feeds on TikTok.

What is Twitch's new Live Feed?

As the name suggests, Twitch's Live Feed will show live footage from accounts that are actively streaming at the same time you're scrolling through the Discovery Feed. Streams will be collated both from accounts you follow and ones recommended by Twitch's algorithm based on your viewing history. 

"A majority of our viewers do want to discover someone new to watch, but it's not super easy to do right now without spending a ton of time browsing streams or sitting through ads," Twitch's Jess Sung said during Twitch's stream. "This is meant to help you find something quickly to watch without having to sit through a pre roll ad before you even know if that content is something you're gonna like." 

As the name suggests, Twitch's Live Feed will show live footage from accounts that are actively streaming at the same time you're scrolling through the Discovery Feed.

The feeds will still have ads, but just like TikTok they will be scrollable, allowing you to quickly flick past them.

If you see content in the feed that catches your interest, you can tap on the streamer's avatar to start watching the livestream. Sung also stated that Twitch is working on an update that will allow you to join a livestream simply by tapping the screen.

What is Twitch's new Clips Feed?

Meanwhile, Twitch's Clips Feed will show short videos taken from past broadcasts. Twitch already allows users to extract short segments from their livestreams to feature on their pages, known as Clips. The new Clips Feed will serve such videos to users, essentially allowing viewers to see the highlights of creator's broadcasts.

The Clips Feed will also display whether or not the streamer is live, and allow you to join their livestream if they are.

Twitch's Clips Feed will show short videos taken from past broadcasts.

While streamers can't upload videos directly to the Discovery Feed, the algorithm will prioritise clips that are Featured on their profiles. All livestreams and clips which adhere to Twitch's content guidelines are automatically eligible to appear in the Discovery Feed, including mature games and profanity, though Sung stated that "some mature content types" will be restricted. The Discovery Feed will also still show users creators they follow who have used Twitch's Content Classification Labels.

Sung also stated that this isn't the end for changes to Twitch's mobile app, hinting that it may soon look even more like TikTok.

"Next month some users might see the feed as the home page of the app instead of seeing it in the feed tab," said Sung. "Over time as we work toward redesigning our mobile app… you might see more experiments and changes to the feed and the mobile viewing experience."

The teaser trailer for One Hundred Years of Solitude has arrived, giving us a glimpse at the first official screen adaptation of Nobel Prize winning author Gabriel García Márquez's magnum opus.

One Hundred Years of Solitude follows the Buendía family in Macondo, a fictional Colombian town founded by their patriarch Jose Arcadio Buendía (Marco González). Netflix's 16-episode magic realist series will track multiple generations of the family as they deal with love, war, and a curse which has confined them to a century of isolation.

SEE ALSO: Netflix buys the rights to make first ever adaptation of 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'

Originally published in 1967, One Hundred Years of Solitude is a widely lauded and heavily influential novel which contributed to García Márquez being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982. However, the author was reluctant to grant the rights for a screen adaptation up until his death in 2014, concerned that the story would not fit into a traditional movie structure and that it would not be filmed in Spanish.

His estate has now allowed Netflix to adapt the novel, with García Márquez's sons Rodrigo García and Gonzalo García Barcha serving as executive producers on the series.

"[I]n the current golden age of series, with the level of talented writing and directing, the cinematic quality of content, and the acceptance by worldwide audiences of programs in foreign languages, the time could not be better [for a screen adaptation of One Hundred Years of Solitude]," García said when the series was first announced in 2019.

One Hundred Years of Solitude will be available to stream on Netflix later this year.

Benjamin Bratt's cameo in episode 4 of Loot, "Mr. Congeniality," plays up the actor's heartthrob status while poking sly fun at the surreal nature of cameos themselves.

SEE ALSO: 'Loot' review: Maya Rudolph shines in a sitcom that makes for a great weekend binge

At the beginning of this episode — whose title is a nod to Bratt's role in the seminal action rom-com Miss Congeniality — harried heroine Molly (Maya Rudolph) has sworn off men. Alas, she's only human, and her urges are getting out of control. To get over that, she does what any ultra-rich philanthropist does; she jets off to an elite wellness retreat. It’s going well, and Molly is relaxed, but a latecomer to the meditation session changes everything. Enter Benjamin Bratt.

Benjamin Bratt's cameo plays on his history of advocacy. Credit: Apple TV+

The Poker Face actor smiles and says, "My motorcycle broke down on the way here. I had to drag it the last mile." Thoughts of Bratt dragging a motorcycle does something to Molly, who looks at him as if she’s watching the universe's secrets being unlocked in front of her very eyes. (Here, Rudolph's command of physical humor and over-the-top performance of female horniness, as in her fantastic Prince cover band Princess, becomes key.)

As he approaches Molly, one arm over his head, maintaining his cheeky grin, he says, "I'm Benjamin Bratt."

From the moment Bratt swaggers into the episode (accompanied by the very sexy R&B classic "I Know What You Want" by Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey, no less), his goal isn’t to stand out but to immerse himself in the world of Loot. Often, cameos only have to work in a single scene for a laugh, and aren’t always woven into the narrative, but Bratt’s mission is to be a genuine romantic interest for Molly. And he does it perfectly. 

Molly is a fan of Bratt, and is thrilled (and aroused) by the fact that he’s been assigned as her partner for the meditation. But Loot twists our expectations by making him as big a fan of her work as a philanthropist. Molly can’t believe she’s talking to Bratt, and he can’t believe it, either. There’s a sense of genuine excitement and nervousness as Bratt rattles off information about Molly that a dedicated fan would know, like details about the speech she delivered in the Season 1 finale. Their chemistry is genuinely riveting. Loot plays on Bratt's image as the ultimate sex symbol: What could be hotter than a man who can drag a motorcycle for a mile without breaking a sweat — and who has a genuine passion for your work? 

This is also where knowing a touch more about Bratt in real life comes into play. Like, yes, there's his jawline, but here's an essay he wrote for Esquire about the wisdom of abuelas — now that's swoon-worthy. He's a passionate advocate for Latinx and Indigenous representation onscreen, specifically requesting that his breakout Law & Order character have the same Peruvian American background as himself. (His mother was born in Peru and is of Quechua descent.) He’s taken on challenging and unexpected roles, like poet Miguel Piñero in 2001's Piñero, a role John Leguizamo turned down after learning of the poet's bisexuality. Bratt was a consulting producer on Dolores, the documentary helmed by his brother, Peter, about activist Dolores Huerta. The list goes on and on.

By leaning on his niche as a dashing leading man with heart, his performance plays into the fantasy of him falling for one of his fans. (Fictional millionaires: They're just like us!)

From Al Pacino to Michael Cera, the self-parody is ripe for comedy. 

At their best, a celeb playing themselves is playing a heightened version of their persona. Camp is very much in play as these performers deliver goofy, hyper-violent, or comically out-of-touch iterations of themselves. That’s precisely what makes these performances fun — they provide an element of surprise that plays upon what we think we know, twisting that into something shocking. 

Many actors make a meal of these cameos. In Jack and Jill, legendary actor Al Pacino brings his manic energy to new heights as a passionate Dunkin’ advocate, hamming it up to infinite degrees. In Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reunite with Dogma director Kevin Smith and play up their famous friendship with hyper-bro caricatures of themselves, filming an action-packed sequel to Good Will Hunting. The animal-loving Bob Barker beats up Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore. Most recently, the charming and suave James Marsden taps into an egomaniacal side for his turn in Jury Duty. Perhaps the wildest example is Michael Cera in This Is the End. His film persona (especially before the film was released in 2013) was a bastion of sweet nerdy innocence. This Is the End, however, showcased Cera as a coke-addled sex fiend, playing against type with glee.    

Benjamin Bratt as himself lays on the charm offensive.  Credit: Apple TV+

The two projects that have shaped Bratt’s public persona best are Law & Order and Miss Congeniality. During a four-year stint on Law & Order, Bratt played Detective Rey Curtis, a devout Catholic who was determined to uphold the law to the best of his ability. He was charming and kind, but unafraid to let his inner bad boy out, getting reprimanded for losing his temper on numerous occasions. And in Miss Congeniality, he’s FBI agent Eric Matthews, the love interest of Sandra Bullock’s Gracie Hart. Bratt proves to be a perfect rom-com love interest, serving a lot of the charm that would serve him for decades to come.

SEE ALSO: 24 best romantic comedies to fall in love with on Netflix

Bratt’s performance in Loot challenges our expectations of the celebrity cameo. Audiences have come to expect exaggerated personas doing things we’d never expect to see them do — think of Anna Faris as a coke-addled advocate for gun violence in Keanu as another funny example. But when actors playing crazy versions of themselves becomes the norm for the celebrity cameo, that starts to feel less like a surprise and more like an inevitability. By breaking this mold, Bratt’s gives us a real surprise and true delight. The real magic of his performance is that — whether you know Bratt’s persona or not  — you can believe his character is a largely accurate reflection of who he really is.

Bratt saves the best for last.

At the end of the episode, cracks begin to appear in Bratt’s charm offensive, as he starts to reveal a more egotistical side while wooing Molly. Bratt simply can’t stop himself from mentioning his work, especially when trying to seduce Molly. He compares Molly’s beauty to "the Russian tundra at twilight," adding that he "just filmed there." His role has subtlety — something missing from the vast majority of celebrity cameos — and it plays deliciously into the idea of the narcissistic actor, twisting the initial setup of the romantic fantasy Molly is looking for. Still, Bratt toes the line gently to keep himself an attractive option for Molly. In this way, Bratt puts his own spin on the typically heightened expectations of a celebrity cameo, gingerly dropping hints that he's just like other ego-driven actors without going full-tilt, and delivering a delicate, nuanced performance — one that still lets him be extremely funny and memorable.

Eventually, he tells her exactly what she wants to hear: He’s not looking for anything serious. He could have just said that, but instead he delivers the funniest lines of the episode in a hushed tone, as if he’s whispering sweet nothings into Molly’s ear.

"I'm moving to London next week to shoot a live-action version of Despicable Me. I'll be there for two years."

Of course, a film shoot typically takes a few weeks to a few months, so the idea of filming anything for two years (especially a freaking live-action version of Despicable Me) is outrageous and an obvious lie to avoid future commitment. Bratt voiced Eduardo Pérez and El Macho in Despicable Me 2, way back in 2013, so it's not outside of the realm of possibility that he'd be involved with a future iteration of the series. The time frame and making it a live-action movie is what pushes this particular excuse over the top and into surreal hilarity.

That Bratt delivers this line with complete seriousness is what solidifies the performance. It's a terrific twist on what we’ve come to expect from playing yourself on-screen. Leave it to Bratt to have us swooning and cringing in equal measure.

Loot is now streaming on Apple TV+, with new episodes available every Wednesday.

TL;DR: The Mymanu CLIK S translation earbuds are on sale for £72.30, saving you 42% on list price.

Springtime is a great opportunity for a holiday, but you might not get to really experience the culture of a place if you stick to the standard tourist attractions. Knowing the local language may help, but learning a whole language for a holiday might actually be harder than finding a good price on flights.

If you don’t have time to learn the language, then you may want to try out a wearable translator that does the job for you. The Mymanu CLIK S earbuds have been featured at CES and can translate over 37 languages from all over the world. Get these earbuds while they’re only £72.30.

Take a translator anywhere you go. These earbuds may not make you fluent, but they could help you understand individual speakers or groups of speakers in another language. Download the MyJuno app on your Android or iOS device and pick which languages are being used in your conversation. When you need to talk, press the button on your earbud. A translation will automatically play from your phone. 

When it’s your turn to listen, the other speaker just has to talk into your phone for a translation to play in your earbud and appear in writing on your screen. Groups of speakers are limited to text-only translations, but that may still be easier than manually entering everything into unreliable browser translators.

Mymanu CLIK S supports German, French, Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, Finnish, Thai, Japanese, Czech, and more. And when you’re not translating, you can also listen to music or take calls. These earbuds are impressive translators, but they also come with many of the standard amenities you may expect of wireless earbuds. That includes high-quality sound and call functions. 

Planning a holiday? Find the best local spots by talking to the people who live there in their own language. Get the Mymanu CLIK S translation earbuds on sale for £72.30. No coupon needed. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Mymanu Mymanu CLIK S Translation Earbuds £72.30 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal

TL;DR: Watch Punjab Kings vs. Mumbai Indians in the IPL for free on JioCinema. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Cricket fans have been well and truly enthralled by this year's IPL, and it's not over yet.

Three weeks in and things are continuing to heat up, and next up is the Punjab Kings vs. Mumbai Indians. Expect to see players such as Shikar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya as the two teams face off in the 33rd match of the season.

If you want to watch Punjab Kings vs. Mumbai Indians for free from anywhere in the world, here's all you need to know.

When is Punjab Kings vs. Mumbai Indians?

Punjab Kings vs. Mumbai Indians starts at 3 p.m. BST on April 18. This match takes place at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, India.

How to watch Punjab Kings vs. Mumbai Indians for free

JioCinema is offering free live streams of every IPL cricket match this season in 4K resolution on its app.

JioCinema is geo-restricted to India, but anyone can unblock this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in India, meaning you can access JioCinema from anywhere in the world.

Unblock JioCinema to stream the IPL 2024 by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly 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 India

4. Visit JioCinema (you will need an Indian phone number to subscribe)

5. Watch Punjab Kings vs. Mumbai Indians for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

Most of the best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these offers, you can watch IPL live streams without committing with your cash. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select IPL fixtures for free.

What is the best VPN for JioCinema?

ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking JioCinema, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including India

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream the IPL for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix for free on ORF, ServusTV, RTBF, or RTL ZWEE. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Whether or not the battle for the F1 championship is actually competitive, fans will keep coming back for more. Max Verstappen could win every remaining race this season, and whilst that wouldn't exactly make for great viewing, we're all still watching extremely fast cars going wheel to wheel. Things could be worse.

If you're interested in watching the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix, we've got all the information you need.

When is the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix?

The 2024 Chinese Grand Prix takes place over 56 laps of the 5,451-kilometre Shanghai International Circuit. The full schedule can be found here:

• Practice 1 — 4:30 to 5:30 a.m. BST on April 19

• Sprint Qualifying — 8:30 to 9:14 a.m. BST on April 19

• Sprint — 4 to 5 a.m. BST on April 20

• Qualifying — 8 to 9 a.m. BST on April 20

• Race — 8 a.m. BST on April 21

Sky Sports is broadcasting live coverage of every race weekend this season, with race highlights of the Chinese Grand Prix available on Channel 4 shortly after the race.

How to watch the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix for free

You can stream the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix live and free on these streaming platforms:

• Austria — ORF or ServusTV (12 races each)

• Belgium — RTBF (every race)

• Luxembourg — RTL ZWEE (every race)

These free streaming platforms are geo-restricted, meaning you'll be blocked if you attempt to connect from outside the country of origin. Fortunately, you can bypass these restrictions with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, meaning you can access these streaming services to watch F1 for free from anywhere in the world.

Unblock these free streaming services 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 Austria, Belgium, or Luxembourg

4. Connect to ORF, ServusTV, RTBF, or RTL ZWEE

5. Watch F1 races from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch F1 live streams for free. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it does mean you can stream the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix without actually spending anything.

What is the best VPN for F1?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for streaming F1, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is protected

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix for free with ExpressVPN.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for April 18's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

One side of something many-sided.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no letters that appear twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter F.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. What's the answer to Wordle today?

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to Wordle #1034 is...

FACET.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Reporting by Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for April 18's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Things you'd see in a suburb

• Green: Planning something

• Blue: Units of measurement

• Purple: Golden things

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Sidewalk Sights

• Green: Have in Mind

• Blue: Unit Abbreviations

• Purple: Golden___

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to Connections #312 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Sidewalk Sights: CURB, GRATE, GUTTER, MANHOLE

• Have in Mind: AIM, INTEND, MEAN, PLAN

• Unit Abbreviations: CAL, GAL, IN, OZ

• Golden___: FLEECE, GIRLS, PARACHUTE, RULE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

Around this time just one week ago, iPhone users in 92 counties received a bizarre notification on their device.

"Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID," read the notification. "This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do. Although it's never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning — please take it seriously."

Apple posted an announcement on its website giving basic details for why the company would generally send out a notification warning like this. However, the company has been relatively mum on the situation since. And it never quite disclosed the exact threat that spurred Apple to send out that notification to those users at that specific time.

Now, a new report appears to have solved the mystery.

China-linked LightSpy spyware

The Apple news outlet Apple Insider noticed a report by Blackberry — yes, the mobile phone company that was popular in the 2000s and has since pivoted into a cybersecurity firm — that appears to have gotten to the bottom of the spyware notification situation.

According to Blackberry, the spyware that iPhone users were warned about is called LightSpy, which is described in the report as a "sophisticated iOS implant." 

The report points out that this is a concerning development because LightSpy was last seen used in a campaign during the 2020 political protests in Hong Kong. So, this latest attack appears to be a reemergence of LightSpy.

LightSpy is "a fully-featured modular surveillance toolset," according to Blackberry. The spyware can pull targets' private information, which includes pinpoint-accurate location data as well as data from messaging applications, text messages, phone call history, and web browser history. It can even create sound recordings from the device, including recording during VOIP calls. 

LightSpy has been used by attackers to target individuals in Southeast Asia, including India, for the most part, which explains why those notifications were mostly received by iPhone users located in that general region. The messaging apps mentioned in Blackberry's report are among the most popular in that part of the world: QQ, WeChat, and Telegram. In addition, LightSpy can pull payment history from targets from the WeChat Pay service.

Blackberry believes this attack was once again perpetrated by China-based or native Chinese-speaking actors, as with previous LightSpy campaigns, and there's a potential for state-sponsored involvement as well.

The report recommends that users who have reason to be targeted, whether due to their employment or activism, utilize Apple's Lockdown Mode, which the iPhone-maker describes as a feature used to "protect devices against extremely rare and highly sophisticated cyber attacks."

There's a new app in town, according to Wired and Bloomberg, if you consider Silicon Valley a town. A by-invitation-only audio-based app called Airchat is reportedly being "hyped in tech circles," with invites making the rounds among the Valley's top brass.

The app combines elements of X (formerly Twitter) and voice notes, with a main feed populated by text transcripts of voice notes from other users, which you can play, heart, or repost.

SEE ALSO: BeReal has 10 months left before it runs out of money

The "hype" for AirChat has been magnified by reports from Business Insider and a contributor at Forbes, who declared that you'd have to have been "under a rock" to have avoided an invite to the app. And it's no coincidence that Airchat cofounders Naval Ravikant (co-creator of AngelList) and Brian Norgard (former chief product officer at Tinder) are tech insiders themselves, or that investors include the likes of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who "threw in a check, kind of blindly," according to Ravikant.

But the numbers may tell a different story. Both Bloomberg and Business Insider cite data from Sensor Tower that claims Airchat has been downloaded just over 45,000 times since launching in mid-2023, with 30,000 of those downloads occurring only after a relaunch this month. That lackluster showing could be chalked up to the app's current exclusivity, but Airchat is also losing steam fast. Bloomberg reported that the app was ranked no. 29 in the App Store's ranking of top social networking apps just yesterday. As of publishing today, the app has fallen to no. 42.

If the term "social audio app" rings a bell, you may be remembering Clubhouse, which shot to fame in 2020 and 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and was valued at $4 billion. But Clubhouse gained popularity at a lonely time, when most people were sheltering inside and desperate for human interaction, and last year, the app laid off half of its staff.

Perhaps Airchat can do what Clubhouse could not. For now, it seems like just another place tech execs can hear themselves talk.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro rumors are flooding in – and we're curious about how it will be different from the iPhone 15.

Although it’s early days, we’re already hearing whispers about a RAM boost for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models.

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, on the other hand, are reportedly getting some striking upgrades to the cameras that may dazzle the masses. Here’s a compilation of everything we know so far about next year's iPhone 16 line.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus review iPhone 16 release date

The iPhone 16 release date is expected to be September of next year. After Apple has its whole shebang of an event showcasing the next-generation handsets, the iPhones typically ship about a week or two later.

iPhone 15 Credit: Apple

In the past, Apple has deviated from this cadence due to reported production hindrances (e.g., supply chain issues). For example, the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 14 Plus shipped in October, but typically, get unveiled some time during the first half of September every year.

iPhone 16 design

Let’s dive into arguably the most important aspect of the iPhone’s design: the screen.

There haven’t been any significant changes to the display sizes since the iPhone 12, but according to reliable leaker Unknownz21, the upper-tier iPhone 16 models are going to be a little bit more unwieldy in your hands.

Display

The iPhone 16 Pro will reportedly have a 6.3-inch display while the iPhone 16 Pro Max will pack a 6.9-inch panel. You may be wondering, “What about the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus? Will they get a screen size bump, too?” The answer is likely no. The lower-tier models will reportedly have the same display sizes as their predecessors.

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iPhone 15 screen sizes

• iPhone 15 - 6.1 inches

• iPhone 15 Plus - 6.7 inches

• iPhone 15 Pro - 6.1 inches

• iPhone 15 Pro Max - 6.7 inches
  

iPhone 16 screen sizes (rumored)

• iPhone 16 - 6.1 inches

• iPhone 16 Plus - 6.7 inches

• iPhone 16 Pro - 6.3 inches

• iPhone 16 Pro Max - 6.9 inches

Ross Young, a well-known display analyst and Apple leaker, was the first to claim that the iPhone 16 Pro models will have larger screens. 

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However, he offered slightly different numbers: 6.2 inches and 6.8 inches. What could be the reason behind the discrepancy? According to MacRumors, it’s "likely due to the difference between actual display area and viewable display area."

Another rumor we're hearing is that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will continue to have 60Hz refresh-rate displays. This is a little disappointing considering other phones in the market at least have 90Hz screens, making navigating through the UI smoother, zippier and seamless.

Thinner bezels

The iPhone 16 will also reportedly have slimmer bezels, according to a report from The Elec (h/t MacRumors). Apple is tipped to be using something called Border Reduction Structure (BRS) technology, which reduces the internal footprint of the circuitry inside, allowing for thinner bezels (without sacrificing anything important aspects like display performance, for example).

Thinner bezels means that the iPhone 16 series should yield more screen real estate for users.

Action Button

A report from MacRumors claims that every single model in the iPhone 16 line will feature an Action Button — not just the iPhone 15 Pro variants. The current-gen iPhone 15 Pro models' Action Button can be programmed to launch a range of apps and functions, including Flashlight, Camera, Silent Mode, Voice Memo, Focus, Magnifier, Translate (coming to iOS 17.2), and a range of accessibility features.

When iPhone 16 drops, however, the rumor mill states that Apple will add more functionality to the Action Button.

Capture Button

The Action Button was all the rage for the iPhone 15 series, however, according to MacRumors and The Information, a new Capture Button will be one of the biggest selling points for the iPhone 16. Reportedly placed slightly under the power button, the Capture Button is a camera-focused feature that can do the following:

• Zoom in and out of photos/videos with swiping gestures

• Allows users to focus on subjects

• Activates the shutter button

While MacRumors and The Information both concur that Apple is testing a "capture button" on the iPhone 16, both aren't on the same page on whether it's a mechanical button or a capacitive one. MacRumors says it's the latter, but the Information claims it's both.

Solid-state buttons

Apple reportedly planned on introducing solid-state buttons with the iPhone 15 Pro models, but instead, we got a customizable Action Button. For the uninitiated, solid-state buttons aren’t buttons per se – they’re panels that feature haptic feedback sensations that simulate real button presses (Think of the iPhone SE series' Home button). On the plus side, the solid-state buttons aren’t totally out of the picture. According to respected Apple leaker and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is working on debuting solid-state buttons on the iPhone 16 Pro models instead.

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Kuo added that these solid-state buttons will add two additional Taptic Engines, which will help fire off tangible feedback to users. (If this is true, the number of Taptic Engines in the iPhone 16 will increase to three — up from one.)

According to a tip from Weibo (via MacRumors), the Action Button on the iPhone 16 Pro will be a solid-state button and sit flush against the chassis. To make room for this change, Apple will reportedly move the mmWave antenna to the left of the iPhone 16 Pro as opposed to the right. This Weibo tip comes from a leaker with the moniker "Instant Digital," a bean spiller that reportedly has an accurate track record, according to MacRumors.

iPhone 16 AI

The iPhone 16 will reportedly featured an AI-powered Siri.

Siri is about to get a whole lot smarter. Credit: Apple

In other words, Siri is maturing into a more sophisticated digital assistant. According to Kuo, this means that Siri will bring new hardware to the iPhone 16, including updated microphones with better water resistance and an improved signal-to-noise ratio.

iPhone 16 cameras

Apple debuted a new zoom lens with a "tetra-prism" design on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which simply means that engineers found a way to "fold" the shooter so that it still has telephoto capabilities without taking up too much space. This new camera increases the Pro Max’s optical zoom from 3x to 5x.

iPhone 15 Pro Credit: Apple

However, according to Digital Chat Station (DCS), a bean-spiller on the Chinese social media site Weibo, both the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max will get the new tetra-prism telephoto camera.

DCS also added that the iPhone 16 Pro Max specifically is getting the Sony IMX903 sensor, an upgrade from the Sony IMX803 sensor. This means that the iPhone 16 Pro Max wide lens will have a larger sensor size, allowing for more light gathering for better photos and videos in low-light conditions.

Credit: John Keeble/Getty Images

According to Jeff Pu, a tech analyst from Haitong International Securities (a Hong Kong investment firm), the ultrawide cameras are getting a boost, too.

Pu stated tthe iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models will also feature a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera with better light gathering. As such, camera performance in dimmer environments should improve. As it stands now, the iPhone 15 Pro models have a 12MP ultrawide camera.

The ultrawide camera is perfect for taking landscape photos, allowing you to capture more scenery. However, compared to the main camera, the ultrawide lens tends to deliver a slight drop in crispness and sharpness. If this rumor is true, the new 48-megapixel ultrawide camera may ameliorate this minor foible.

Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple will upgrade the rear cameras on the iPhone 16 Pro models, introducing a stacked design. What will a stacked design do? According to Apple Insider, it increases light capture and provides wider dynamic range, so Night Mode should get a sweet boost.

Finally, it's worth pointing out that the iPhone 16 Pro, as we reported in April, will allegedly tackle lens flare and ghosting issues by using anti-reflective coating on the cameras.

Featured Video For You History of iPhone (updated) iPhone 16 battery sizes

As we reported in early April, a Weibo leaker by the name of "OvO Baby Sauce OvO" seemingly unveiled the new new battery sizes across the iPhone 16 lineup:

• iPhone 16: 3,561mAh

• iPhone 16 Plus: 4,006mAh

• iPhone 16 Pro: 3,355mAh

• iPhone 16 Pro Max: 4,676mAh

All the iPhone 16 models have some sort of increase from two to six percent except for the iPhone 16 Plus, which reportedly has a reduction of nearly nine percent compared to the iPhone 15 Plus.

Keep in mind that an increase in battery size doesn't necessarily mean that the device will deliver longer battery life. And in the same vein, a battery size reduction doesn't necessarily lead to shorter runtimes. There are other aspects at play (the display's efficiency, for example). So we won't know for sure how battery life is affected until we get the phones in our hands.

iPhone 16 specs

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are equipped with 8GB of RAM while the lower-tier models, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Max, are stuck with their predecessors’ 6GB of RAM. If that bums you out, don’t worry. According to Pu, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are expected to join the 8GB of RAM bandwagon, too.

iPhone 15 lineup Credit: Apple
Storage

According to news aggregator account "yeux1122" from Naver, a Korean blog, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will feature options that offer 2TB of storage.

That is double the current max storage capacity of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Chipset

In recent years, Apple has followed the trend of putting last year's chip into the two entry-level models while the Pro models, the Pro and the Pro Max, get the new-generation chip. For example, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus got the A16 Bionic chip, the same inside the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. However, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max got outfitted with the new A17 Pro chips.

If this pattern continues, it should follow that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus get the A17 Pro while the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max get the A18 chips. Pu hinted that this is how it will be for the iPhone 16 line, hinting that the A17 Pro will reportedly be less efficient. In other words, the iPhone 16 models equipped with this chip may take a battery life hit. This is because the next-generation chip will offer tremendous performance gains at the expense of power efficiency.

However, another rumor tells a different story.

According to an alleged iOS 18 code leak from MacRumors, the entire iPhone 16 line will get an A18 chip. However, there’s a chance that Apple will use a “Pro” identifier name to differentiate from the standard and Pro models (e.g., A18 chip and A18 Pro).

The iPhone 16 Pro models will also reportedly support Wi-Fi 7 (current models support WiFi 6E). Wi-Fi 7 should offer zippy transfer speeds that exceed 40 Gbps, quadrupling what WiFi 6E can do.

According to Pu (via 9to5Mac), the iPhone 16 Pro will come with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75 modem, which can reach a 5G download rate of up to 7.5 Gbps.

We’ll periodically update this rumor hub as new iPhone 16 leaks trickle in, so be sure to bookmark this page. 

PS5 Pro rumors have been flooding in for some time now. As such, if you haven't gotten a PS5 yet, it might be best to wait a few months.

Sony will reportedly release a powered-up "Pro" version of the console as soon as this year. To be clear, there hasn't been a great deal of solid, reliable reporting on the topic just yet, but rumblings of a PS5 Pro have only gotten more intense as time has gone on.

But what would a PS5 Pro actually entail? Let's dig in.

SEE ALSO: PS5 Slim vs. PS5: What are the differences? PS5 Pro release date

The PS5 Pro's release date is reportedly some time during the 2024 holiday season, according to Insider Gaming, which cited "trusted sources."

Serkan Toto, a gaming industry analyst from Kantan Games, told CNBC that he believes a revamped PS5 could be in the works for launch in late 2024, too. Part of the reasoning for this is that Sony cut its sales forecast for the next fiscal year, perhaps signaling that the PlayStation brand could use a boost in the near future.

Credit: Sony

Toto also mentioned the impending release of Grand Theft Auto VI in 2025 as a good reason for Sony to get new hardware in people's entertainment centers.

These are simply the words of an analyst who doesn't work for Sony, so it's fair to take them with a grain of salt. However, the prediction somewhat lines up with Sony's past activities with the PlayStation brand. For example, the PS4 Pro came out in 2016, three years after the launch of the PS4. Late 2024 will mark four years since the launch of the PS5.

As we enter the latter half of the PS5's life cycle, 2024 may be the only year where it makes sense to launch the PS5 Pro.

PS5 Pro specs

Thanks to a leak from The Verge's Tom Warren, the PS5 will have the following internal upgrades over the PS5:

• 10% CPU improvement

• 45% GPU improvement

Warren also added that the PS5 Pro frees up 1.2GB more system memory for developers for a total of 13.7GB (compared to the PS5's 12.5GB).

Tweet may have been deleted PS5 Pro price

This is where the lack of solid reporting on the PS5 Pro's existence becomes difficult to deal with.

Credit: Sony

Since we don't even know that the PS5 Pro exists, it's impossible to say how much it would cost. All we can really do is look back on how Sony handled the PS4 Pro, which is actually somewhat encouraging. The upgraded PS4 launched at $399 — the same price the original PS4 launched at three years prior. Perhaps Sony will drop the price of the standard PS5 and release the Pro at $499, the current PS5 price in the U.S. for the model with a disc drive.

Making this a little more complicated is the fact that Sony slightly hiked the price of the PS5 in other markets in late 2022. Sony will have to figure out a way to sell the PS5 Pro at a somewhat fair price without losing a ton of money in the process.

PS5 Pro design

This is another area where all we can do is speculate.

Credit: Sony

Sony has already lightly revised the PS5 post-launch, with the release of the PS5 slim model late last year. That made the console slightly shorter and thinner, but it's still the same basic design. In all likelihood, a PS5 Pro would go in the opposite direction and be even larger than the already very large standard PS5. That's the price of increasing horsepower.

One way Sony could alleviate this is by getting rid of the disc drive and forcing customers to buy the separate, detachable disc drive that's available for the PS5 Slim. That wouldn't exactly be ideal, but it would make the console a bit smaller.

PS5 Pro 'Ultra boost' mode

According to The Verge, the PS5 Pro may have an "Ultra Boost" mode for games.

Sony is reportedly asking developers to create something called a "PS5 Pro-exclusive graphics mode" for their games, which uses PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) to upscale to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second (with ray-tracing effects in tow).

Per Insider Gaming, titles will get a "PS5 Pro Enhanced label" if they offer the following:

• PS5 Pro ray-tracing effects

• Higher target resolution for games that run a fixed resolution on the standard console

• Higher target maximum resolution for games that run at variable resolution on the standard console

• Higher target frame rate for games that target a fixed frame rate on the standard console

Sony may be working on an Ultra Boost mode for older games, too.

PS5 Pro controller

When Sony launched the PS4 Pro, it made zero changes to the PS4's standard DualShock 4 controller. After all, it didn't really need any. I would expect the same approach to be taken with the PS5 Pro.

Credit: Sony

The PS5 DualSense controller is excellent as is, with the exception of inevitable analog stick drift. I've personally gone through like three of the dang things since launch. In a perfect world, Sony would bundle the PS5 Pro with the more expensive DualSense Edge controller, which allows users to easily swap new analog sticks in and out instead of buying a whole new controller when drift develops.

That seems unlikely based on past precedent, but hey, a man can dream.

When iOS 18 launches later this year, the Notes app could be useful for a lot more than just lazy celebrity apologies.

AppleInsider reported on Wednesday that iOS 18 could come with a revamped Notes app that includes two major new features: voice notes and math. If Apple sticks to its usual launch pattern, iOS 18 will be unveiled at WWDC 2024, so expect to hear about official updates from the mothership in June.

Which features are reportedly coming to iOS 18 'Notes'?

The two new features are pretty self-explanatory. Voice notes would allow users to record and store voice memos within the Notes app itself, complementing any text or images they wish to include alongside them. Folks could then put their voice notes in iCloud and access them from different Apple devices.

SEE ALSO: How to mirror your iPhone to your TV

As for what AppleInsider called "Math Notes," these would tie into the iOS Calculator app and would theoretically allow for users to perform complex math equations with proper notation within the Notes app.

Both features would probably be most useful for people in academia and business. As AppleInsider pointed out, similar features are already available in Microsoft's popular OneNote app, a competitor to the native Apple Notes app. It would make sense, then, for Apple to crib a couple of key components from OneNote for its own app.

It also wouldn't be the first time Apple has taken "inspiration" from other companies for big features or ideas. Such is the way of things.

Hate emptying the cat's box after your furry friend does its business? Check out these deals on self-scooping litter boxes at Amazon as of April 17:

Best self-scooping litter box deals Best overall deal PetSafe ScoopFree Crystal Smart Self-Cleaning Litter Box $229.95 at Amazon (Save $40) Get Deal Best front-entry deal PetSafe ScoopFree Crystal Plus Front-Entry Self-Cleaning Litter Box $184.95 at Amazon (Save $45) Get Deal Best odor control deal PetSafe ScoopFree Clumping Self-Cleaning Litter Box $99.95 at Amazon (Save $20) Get Deal

Cats are absolutely adorable. The entire internet agrees. What isn't adorable is having to clean up after your feline sidekick. While cats are arguably cleaner than most dogs since they relieve themselves in a litter box, you're still left with the responsibility of emptying it.

If you've had your fair share of scooping your cat's mess out of the litter box and want a better solution, there is one! We present the self-scooping litter box. It collects waste and empties it into a reservoir that you don't have to see or touch (mostly), which means a much more pleasant experience for you and a clean and happy cat. Automatic litter boxes are the cat's meow, so to speak.

Now's a great time to make the change because Amazon has select self-scooping litter boxes on sale for up to 20% off right now, with one available for just $99.95 — so, no, you don't have to spend upwards of $700 to get one. If you're ready to bring home a new litter box for your favorite fur baby, grab one of our picks of the best self-scooping litter boxes below.

Best overall deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon PetSafe ScoopFree Crystal Smart Self-Cleaning Litter Box $229.95 at Amazon
$269.95 Save $40.00 Get Deal Why we like it

The PetSafe ScoopFree Crystal Smart Self-Cleaning Litter Box connects to its companion My PetSafe app to let you check on its status wherever you are. Its hands-free cleaning cycle is set to automatically rake any solid waste 20 minutes after detecting your cat has left the box. That means you only have to swap in a fresh tray once per month. With its leak-proof trays, you never have to touch anything unsightly, and pre-filled crystal litter helps keep those unpleasant smells as undetectable as possible. Plus, you'll get a notification when your cat uses the litter box, so you know exactly how your pet is doing, complete with an activity log to show the vet should you run into any health concerns.

Best front entry deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon PetSafe ScoopFree Crystal Plus Front-Entry Self-Cleaning Litter Box $184.95 at Amazon
$229.95 Save $45.00 Get Deal Why we like it

The PetSafe ScoopFree Crystal Plus Front-Entry Self-Cleaning Litter Box is a great front-entry option if that's what your cat prefers. It has a nice domed entry that your furry friend can feel secure in. You don't have to clean or refill your cat's litter box for weeks thanks to this box's automatic scheduling. It also has disposable trays with plastic lining that you simply throw away instead of replacing with additional litter. The crystal litter it uses can reduce most of the smell, and since you dispose of everything at once, that cuts down on odors as well. There's also an included health counter to help you keep track of how many visits your cat makes to the litter box in case you need to know.

Best odor control deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon PetSafe ScoopFree Clumping Self-Cleaning Litter Box $99.95 at Amazon
$119.95 Save $20.00 Get Deal Why we like it

The PetSafe ScoopFree Clumping Self-Cleaning Litter Box is compatible with clumping litter if you prefer that over crystal, but it uses most types of litter without the need for trays. It will automatically rake through your cat's litter with an eye on keeping waste and odors at bay. You can empty its attached waste bin once a week and refresh the litter occasionally, and that's about all you really need to do for this setup. You can use it with one cat or let multiple felines do their business here. Whatever you choose, it cuts down significantly on the smells you might get from a regular litter box.