Technology

Tesla CEO Elon Musk may have the sense of humor of South Park's Terrance and Phillip, but one has to acknowledge his consistency.

After expanding the Robotaxi service area in Austin to an area that looks like a giant penis, Tesla also increased the ride fare.

Originally, no matter the distance of the ride, the Robotaxi fare was a flat $4.20, a reference to weed culture. The new fare, of course, is $6.90, a reference to sex that probably goes better with the Robotaxi geofence area's intentionally provocative shape.

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On X, Musk called the new price "princely."

Jokes aside, this is quite a large price increase (40 percent), though it's still fairly cheap compared to traveling an Uber (or a self-driving Waymo, which is integrated with Uber and has the same pricing as Uber in Austin), especially if you go for a longer ride (which you can now actually do, thanks to the penile shape of the coverage area).

SEE ALSO: Tesla's Robotaxis keep screwing up. There's now a list of incidents.

The new pricing comes ahead of the announced expansion of Tesla's Robotaxi service to the San Francisco Bay Area, which might come in a few months, pending regulatory approval.

SAVE $150: As of July 16, the 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch with M4 chip is on sale for $849 at Amazon — that's 15% off its list price of $999.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple 2025 Apple MacBook Air M4 $849 at Amazon
$999 Save $150 Get Deal

If you're an Apple fan who's been holding out for the perfect moment to upgrade your laptop, that moment may have arrived. As of July 16, the new 13-inch MacBook Air with M4 chip is down to $849 at Amazon — a rare $150 discount on what we deemed as the best among Apple’s MacBooks of 2025. 

The catch is that this deal is only available for the midnight and starlight models. If you want the silver and sky blue models, you now need to pay more. We can't say how much longer this $849 deal is going to be live, so if you're considering upgrading, we suggest you come to a decision fast.

SEE ALSO: Looking for cheaper food delivery? DoorDash gift cards are on sale at Best Buy

Designed for users who expect more from their tech, this MacBook Air blends power and portability with Apple’s signature finesse. The M4 chip boosts performance across the board — whether you’re toggling between apps, editing content, or diving into graphics-heavy work. 

It's also built to take full advantage of Apple Intelligence, the new system designed to streamline writing, productivity, and multitasking with an assist from on-device AI, along with serious privacy safeguards.

With up to 18 hours of battery life, a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, and 16GB of unified memory, it’s more than equipped for everything from deep work to late-night binge sessions. The 12MP Center Stage camera and Spatial Audio-ready speakers also mean you'll look and sound top-tier on video calls.

And like any great Apple device, it works with the rest of your ecosystem — like iPhone mirroring, seamless AirDrop, and Messages on your desktop.

It may not have the best framerate in the world, being capped at 60Hz, but a MacBook Air deal like this still makes it worth the investment. This deal brings Apple’s newest MacBook Air into reach right now. But there’s no telling how long this price will stick, so if you’re tempted, best to click before it’s gone.

For more bargains on the latest and greatest tech, check out the other Apple deals on MacBook Air, AirPods, and iPads this week.

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

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $79.98 (List Price $99.00)

• Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop — $849.00 (List Price $999.00)

• Apple AirPods Pro 2 ANC Earbuds With USB-C Charging Case — $169.00 (List Price $249.00)

• Dreame X40 Ultra Robot Vacuum With Removable and Liftable Mop — $699.99 (List Price $1399.98)

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Wednesday, July 16, 2025:

AcrossKeeps in the loop, in a way

• The answer is CCS.

They're kept in the loop

• The answer is Belts.

Love to pieces

• The answer is Adore.

Craze

• The answer is Mania.

Single weightlifting unit

• The answer is Rep.

DownType of wood in Horace Slughorn's wand in the Harry Potter books

• The answer is Cedar.

What might have you seeing double?

• The answer is Clone.

Cartoonist's creation

• The answer is Strip.

"Ka-POW!"

• The answer is Bam.

The Caribbean, e.g.

• The answer is Sea.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Mini Crossword.

TL;DR: If you use a Mac and still don’t have lifetime access to Microsoft Office 2021, this $59.97 deal is a no-brainer.

If you’re a Mac user who’s tired of recurring subscriptions, we’ve got some good news: You can now own Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 for Mac — forever — for just $59.97 (regularly $219). No monthly fees. No surprise renewals. Just the full suite of Microsoft’s go-to productivity tools, available as a one-time purchase that installs on one Mac for lifetime use at home or work.

This version includes the essentials: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and even Teams (basic) — all tailored for the Mac experience. Whether you’re writing papers, running your business, balancing your budget, or presenting that brilliant pitch deck, these tools have you covered.

Even better? This isn’t some pared-down version. It’s the full Home & Business suite, meaning you’re getting access to everything you’d expect from Microsoft Office — including powerful email tools in Outlook and robust data management in Excel.

Once installed, it’s yours for good. It’s connected to your Microsoft Account, not your device, so you can redownload it any time. And with instant delivery, you’ll get your license key and download links within minutes of purchase.

Get lifetime access to Microsoft Office 2021 for just $59.97 (reg. $219).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021: Lifetime License $59.97
$219 Save $159.03 Get Deal

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Not taken.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

GIVEN

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A severe throat infection.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 16, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

STREP

Hurdle Word 3 hint

What one does to butter.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 16 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 16, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

CHURN

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Perfect.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for July 16 Hurdle Word 4 answer

IDEAL

Final Hurdle hint

A group of animals.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

FAUNA

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

For a while now, your couch has not been the only place to play your Xbox games, thanks to the magic of streaming. If you'd rather play them on your PC, though, that surprisingly has not been an option. Until now, at least.

Have you tried out experimental features in ChromeOS before? I used to live on the experimental branch, but lately I have just been enjoying the stable branch—mostly because Google has rolled a lot of features that used to require flags into the main operating system.

When Wayne's World ran with its hilarious spoofing of product placement in movies, it was almost prophetic. Today, it's hard to look past some of the immersion-breaking product spots in major films, and there's seemingly no end in sight.

Nothing is better than getting high-quality tech without paying high prices.

That's the idea behind the release of tech start-up Nothing's first pair of over-ear headphones, the aptly named Headphone (1). Clocking in at $299, these headphones are a good $100 to $150 cheaper than most premium flagship releases these days, and as of July 15, available to order.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nothing Nothing Headphone (1) $299 at Amazon
Shop Now

As someone who's tested their share of budget to premium headphones, I know that budget headphones these days can often punch above their weight, but that a lower price also comes with some trade-offs, whether that be slightly less powerful ANC, less customizability for sound and on-ear settings, or a less comfortable wear.

With that in mind, I expect the $299 Nothing Headphone (1) to be great in some areas, and just OK in others — so far, my initial testing has proven that expectation true.

(Note: the following are my first impressions based on a couple of days of use. Though not likely to change dramatically, my opinions may develop as I spend more time with these headphones.)

The Nothing Headphone (1) has a unique, futuristic design. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable Nothing Headphone (1): The specs

Before we get into my thoughts, here's the basics of what you'll encounter with these headphones:

• Size: 174mm x 189mm x 78mm

• Case size: 220mm x 220mm x 52mm

• Weight: 329 grams

• Playback with ANC: Up to 35 hours

• Playback without ANC: Up to 80 hours

• Fast charging: 5 minutes for 5 hours of playback (or 2.4 hours with ANC)

• Codecs: AAC, SBC, LDAC

• Water resistance: IP52 rated for water and dust resistance

• Inputs: USB-C and 3.5mm headphone jack

• Microphones: 4

Nothing Headphone (1): The goodDesign

First and foremost, these headphones don't look like anything else on the market. That's typical for Nothing, whose earbuds and phones lean on a futuristic, often transparent design. While the look isn't exactly my favorite, I do appreciate a brand not going for the blatant copy of already popular headphones. And I can appreciate them offering two distinct colorways: white and black.

The white nothing headphones compared to the silver Sony WH-1000XM5s. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Aesthetics aside, I love that Nothing went for tactile on-ear controls over touch controls. I find buttons to generally be more reliable and easier to use than the touch controls on headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM6s. Along with the dedicated on/off switch, these headphones have a Bluetooth button, an exterior round button, a paddle button, and a roller button. Each comes with its own presets that can be customized, earning these headphones even more points. This thoughtfulness of design and level of customizability definitely makes them feel like a premium pair of headphones.

From this vantage point, you can see three of the five on-ear controls: the volume roller, the paddle control, and the round button. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Less practical is the lack of folding ear cups, but Nothing does keep the carrying case profile ultra slim. I also have to shout out the clean design of the companion app, which offers plenty of avenues for customization without much of a learning curve.

SEE ALSO: Dyson’s first stand-alone headphones look like a vacuum, but sound incredible Active noise cancellation

Speaking of customization, Nothing's headphones come with customizable ANC, at three different levels, plus an adaptive ANC mode. After the discontinuation of the Bose 700 headphones, adjustable ANC seemed to take a back seat for a few years, but I've been seeing it pop up in more budget models from EarFun and Skullcandy, though it's not in more premium options like the Bose QC Ultras or Sony's latest release.

SEE ALSO: The best noise-cancelling headphones we use and love

Overall, the AI-powered ANC is solid. It's not quite as powerful as Bose or Sony's flagships — which makes sense, considering those headphones have 10 and 12 mics respectively, which help out with ANC. Still, these headphones do muffle the sound of my typing and my partner, who also works from home.

Sound quality

These headphones were created in partnership with KEF to produce high-fidelity sound, and the result is a sound profile that, so far, epitomizes the word decent.

I also have a sound quality section below — that's because I truly feel like these headphones fall most in the middle in this specific category. For its good points, it has some depth out of the box with a respectable amount of clarity, but it just doesn't compare to more expensive options. However, with the companion app, it does have the most intricate equalizers I've ever seen on consumer headphones. I need to play around with it more before I give my final thoughts, but I am impressed by its existence.

The app equalizer offers simple... Credit: Screenshot / Nothing And advanced equalizers. Credit: Screenshot / Nothing

Alongside the equalizer, the app also offers a bass enhancement mode with several different levels, and two different kinds of spatial audio (fixed and head-tracking) that, upon a listen to "In My Life" by the Beatles, definitely makes a difference in the listening experience.

Battery life

At 35 hours per full charge with ANC on, these headphones have better battery life than the AirPods Max, Bose QC Ultras, and Sony WH-1000XM6s. The Dyson OnTrac have them beat at 55 hours, but they also cost $500. At a $300 price point, I'm impressed.

Nothing Headphone (1): The badComfort

I'll start with the point that could easily be in someone else's pro column: how these headphones wear. Other reviewers have found the stronger grip and heft of these headphones preferable, but it wasn't my cup of tea. For me, I like the feeling of headphones so comfortable and lightweight that I forget I'm wearing them. Though the Headphone (1) were not outright uncomfortable, they do squeeze and weigh down my head — I much prefer options like the Bose QuietComfort line or the Sony WH-1000XM5 or XM6s for long-term wear. All this to say, headphone fit can be so personal.

SEE ALSO: The most comfortable headphones we've ever tested will take care of your ears So-so sound quality

To be clear, these headphones don't sound at all bad. They just don't quite match up with the rest of the premium market right out of the box. The more bass-heavy cover of "God Only Knows" by Scary Pockets and Pomplamoose lacked a richness and some clarity, while "Cookie" by New Jeans sounded good enough, but not excellent in the way it sounds on the Sony WH-1000XM6s. In other words, so far, the sound profile of these headphones reflects their lower price point.

It's also worth pointing out again that these are my very initial, out-of-the-box impressions. I'm curious to play around more with the extensive equalizer settings and test out the spatial audio more to see how that impacts my experience with the sound.

No passive playback

Where I don't imagine my opinion changing is the lack of passive playback. Though not a hugely important feature, I cannot wrap my head around the trend of requiring headphones to be on for the aux cord to provide audio playback — it defeats the purpose. It's a smaller gripe (and one also seen on the QC Ultra headphones), but one worth mentioning.

On-ear volume control

As much as I love the tactile experience, the volume roller is my least favorite of the on-ear buttons. I appreciate the thought behind swiping left or right to change the volume, but the reality is that it's hard to control the amount either way, and the way it registers touch is inconsistent.

Where to buy the Nothing Headphone (1)

If you're ready to check out the Nothing Headphone (1) based on the above, you can buy it now from Amazon or Nothing's website.

Where to buy Nothing Headphone (1) Amazon Nothing Headphone (1) $299 Shop Now Nothing's direct site Nothing Headphone (1) $299 Shop Now

If you're a programmer, particularly in data science or analysis, you've probably suffered headaches over the packages included in a Linux distribution. What if there were a way you could have a separate programming environment for your projects that was isolated from the system without having to set up a virtual machine? Mamba might be what you need.

Right now, you can snag the ASUS Vivobook 14 at Best Buy for an impressive $320, which is a massive $280 off its usual $600 price tag. This excellent deal makes it an great time to grab a reliable laptop without breaking the bank.

Farscape is—and I don't want to undersell it—one of the best sci-fi TV shows to ever grace our screens. When most sci-fi TV shows just gave use dudes with thick makeup, Farscape (with the help of Jim Henson's puppets) gave us actually alien aliens. The only other show that came close was Babylon 5, but that's a story for another day.

Microsoft has pushed generative AI features into every corner of Windows 11, but most of them aren’t actually useful to most people, and some of them are actively distracting or harmful. Thankfully, the latest addition is actually great: a ‘Describe image’ feature.

Flying was never the most stress-free way to travel, but thanks to never-ending airline delays, unruly passengers, and the incredible shrinking airline seat, it can be a nightmare. Not to mention the added anxiety of recent airplane crashes. If you're ready to add some peace to your flying experience, picking up a pair of noise-cancelling headphones can go a long way.

You definitely have options: plenty of headphones, from over-ear headphones to wireless earbuds, offer active noise cancellation. And in 2025, it's not too hard to find ANC headphones for under $100. That said, we do recommend spending a little more to enjoy maximum calm at 35,000 feet. To make sure your investment is worth it, we've tried and tested the top noise-cancelling headphones on the market.

SEE ALSO: The best MacBooks in 2025: Which should you buy? How much should I spend on noise-cancelling headphones?

If you want to find the best noise-cancelling headphones for flying, you should be prepared to pay $250 to $500. Premium headphones offer improved active noise cancellation, customizable settings, and transparency modes that allow you to hear those all-important gate announcements.

Many cheap headphones claim to offer "noise-cancelling" features, but a random pair of $50 over-ear headphones with passive noise cancellation will let a lot of sound through. They'll also struggle to connect and switch between devices easily, or simply feel uncomfortable.

SEE ALSO: What does Airplane Mode do?

At the end of the day, going for that good all-around pair is worth it, because on a flight, ANC on its own won't save the day — otherwise, we'd just direct you to our guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones. For long flights, comfort is also key. It won't matter if your headphones block sound if you only want to wear them for two out of five hours of your flight. And because this is a flying-focused roundup, we did give extra points to headphones with thoughtful design that makes storage easy.

If that $250-plus price range feels totally out of the question, we've included a couple of budget earbuds in the under-$100 category, but they come with tradeoffs. If you're okay with a mid-range pick, consider buying wireless earbuds with ANC instead of over-ear headphones.

If the cost of a pair of headphones is off-putting, you can always wait for a sale to start. We see headphones from Bose, Sony, and Apple get marked down year-round — if you don't want to keep your eyes peeled yourself, Mashable's deals coverage is a great place to find any noteworthy headphone deals. For the picks on our list, we recommend waiting to buy at the following prices:

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones — At least $349, if not $329

• Sony WH-1000XM5 — At least $329, if not $299

• Apple AirPods Pro 2 — At least $189, if not $179 or lower ($199 is technically a sale price, but typically what these earbuds go for at Amazon)

SEE ALSO: The best gifts for people who love to travel What are the best noise-cancelling headphones for flying?

Noise-cancelling headphones are at their most useful on airplanes. It's difficult to find a moment's peace when so much is going on around you. Frequent flyers may prefer to rest or work, and the best way to prepare for either is by using the best ANC headphones to block out the chaos. 

Because shopping for headphones shouldn't be as stressful as heading to the airport, we've done extensive testing to bring you the top options. Our top pick is the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, but read on to see other great picks for the best noise-cancelling headphones for airplanes in 2025 — all based on Mashable's hands-on testing.

Recent testing updates

In July 2025, we swapped the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for the newer Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones.

As of May 2025, we're evaluating whether the Panasonic Technic AZ100 are a better pick for earbuds over the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, and whether the new Skullcandy Method ANC 360 earbuds might be a good budget option.

After testing them for a few weeks, we decided in February 2025 that the EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds earned a spot on our guide as our top budget pick, knocking out the cheaper but inferior Anker Soundcore P3i earbuds. Shortly after, we added the Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones as one of our recommendations, thanks to their long battery life.

For September 2024, we didn't change our lineup, deciding against including the Dyson OnTrac headphones — although we really like their long battery life, the 55 hours of charge might be overkill for air travel. Plus, they're a little too bulky and expensive to recommend as travel headphones.

Among Amazon's flagship gadgets, like Kindles and Fire TVs, Echos are the star of the show. These multitasking smart home devices do a little bit of everything in nearly every room in the house. (Plus, with this year's rollout of Alexa+, they're now supercharged with extra AI features.) Whether you need a smart speaker, alarm clock, or hub for your other smart devices, there's an Echo to help you out. Amazon's list of devices is ever-growing, so we've tested them to find the best Echo devices for your smart home.

If you're ready to invest in an Echo, you don't need to buy these devices at full price. They always go on sale during events like Prime Day and Black Friday. This past Prime Day, we saw Echo discounts of up to 73% off devices like the Pop, Dot, and Spot. So, if you are going to buy an Amazon smart home device, it's worth holding out until the next sale.

Changes to Echo devices in 2025

For existing Echo owners, or those looking to become ones, a major change happened in 2025 that affects user privacy. Amazon sent out an email to users saying the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" feature on the device will no longer be available as of March 28, 2025. But what does that mean?

Previously, the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" setting allowed the devices to process requests locally without sending them to Amazon servers. However, with that setting no longer supported, all requests will now go through Amazon servers. Plus, if you do have that setting turned on after the change goes into effect, you'll lose access to the Voice ID feature as well.

While Amazon promises that all information requests are encrypted and secure, it still means that the retailer has access to all of that data.

What can an Echo smart speaker do? Trying out the new Echo Spot smart alarm clock. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

All Echo devices utilize Amazon Alexa's AI superpowers — it's just a matter of which form you want your Echo to take. The Echo and Echo Dot are smart speakers that you can use for music, phone calls, calendar reminders, or news alerts. Amazon Echo Show devices, on the other hand, can do all of the aforementioned audio stuff, but they also boast colorful displays for making video calls, streaming entertainment, or managing your day. Think of Echo Shows as stationary, more affordable tablets, essentially.

Most Echo devices are designed to act as smart hubs within your home, but some Echo devices can also be taken on the road. Echo Auto brings hands-free Alexa functionality to the car, while Echo Buds and Echo Frames can travel with you anywhere.

What can Alexa+ do?

Alexa is to Amazon as Siri is to Apple, and is the driving force behind every Echo. But Alexa just got a big upgrade. Now there's Alexa+, a new AI-powered version of Alexa introduced to Echo devices in March 2025. For Prime subscribers, Alexa+ will be included in membership, and non-subscribers will have to pay $19.99 per month for the service.

Alexa has an answer to almost anything you ask. Just by shouting out, you can play music, adjust the volume, and set an alarm or timer. And that's just naming a few options. On devices like the Echo Show, you can also ask Alexa to pull up recipes or answer questions that come up while cooking. With Alexa+, the AI agent doesn't just respond to commands but can actually engage in conversation.

Here's a short list of what Alexa+ can do:

• Provide a highlight reel of the day's security footage

• Read stories to kids

• Plan a date night

• Book restaurant reservations

• Control your smart home technology from one central hub

• Access your calendars and set reminders

• Get answers to any question you can think of

• Make phone calls (and video calls with an Echo Show)

• Get the latest weather and news

• Follow recipes

• Shop on Amazon

• Stream music (and video on an Amazon Echo Show)

• Play games

There are more than 100,000 Alexa skills that you can utilize via an Echo device, and Amazon is always adding more.

Alexa gets supercharged when other smart home tech comes into the picture. If you have a smart thermostat or smart light bulbs, as long as they're compatible with the Alexa system, you can create routines through your Echo. That can be as simple as telling Alexa to turn on the lights in one room or programming Alexa to turn the thermostat down before you come home.

If you're ready for an Alexa-powered home, read on for the 10 best Amazon Echo devices of 2025.

Whether your TV is brand new or 20 years old, chances are it has a remote control that uses IR (infrared) light to work. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but there are many things that annoy me about IR remotes, and, honestly, there are better ways to control devices at a distance these days.

Despite various woes in both the gaming hardware and software department, one place where Microsoft has always been the undisputed leader in gaming (in my opinion) is when it comes to accessibility.

For years, some daters have used chatbots to flirt for them. Now, one of these "wingman" apps has leaked hundreds of thousands of messages.

The makers of FlirtAI, which promotes itself as the "#1 AI Flirt Assistant Keyboard" on the App Store, have leaked 160,000 screenshots that users have shared with the app, according to an investigation by Cybernews. FlirtAI promises to help craft "charming, personalized, and instant" messages to dating app matches, its App Store description says. On the App Store, FlirtAI says it "works with every dating and chat app," and lists many of the most popular of each, including Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

SEE ALSO: Should you be using AI in your dating life?

Users upload screenshots of their private dating app conversations, and FlirtAI generates responses. FlirtAI's privacy policy mentions this method: "When you use our service, we may collect certain information from you, including the prompts and text detected inside the uploaded screenshots." It also states that uploading screenshots implies that everyone involved has consented to the use of FlirtAI.

The Cybernews team found an unprotected Google Cloud Storage bucket owned by Buddy Network GmbH, the company behind FlirtAI, containing such screenshots of conversations and dating app profiles. After the team notified the company, it closed the exposed bucket.

Cybernews said that the leak data appeared to contain screenshots from a large number of teenage users. According to initial research out of MIT, using ChatGPT to write for you can impair cognitive ability. And while FlirtAI isn't an AI companion, researchers at Common Sense Media say that AI companions aren't safe for teens, because they can become emotionally dependent on them. One section of FlirtAI's privacy policy states that minors may not use the app, while another states that teens over 13 can use it with permission from a parent or guardian.

Buddy Network GmbH has also created an app to talk to an "angel" AI and a "90-second AI journal" app. Mashable has contacted the company.

It can be frustrating to swipe through your Facebook Feed and be inundated with accounts dedicated to stealing other people's work, impersonating people, and generally participating in copycat antics. But Facebook is trying to put a stop to that slop.

In April, Meta implemented changes aimed at improving the Feed experience by reducing spammy content tactics used to boost views, gain followers, and monetize inauthentically, ultimately leading to a less enjoyable scrolling experience. The platform announced it would reduce the reach of, or completely remove, accounts that engage in this behavior, while boosting visibility for those who share original content.

SEE ALSO: Facebook determined to use Meta AI — even on the private photos in your camera roll

In a Monday blog post, Meta said it "took action on" 500,000 accounts engaged in spammy behavior during the first half of 2025 by "applying measures ranging from demoting their comments and reducing the distribution of their content to preventing these accounts from monetizing." The platform also took down 10 million profiles impersonating large content producers.

"But there’s more to do. Too often, the same meme or video pops up repeatedly ‑ sometimes from accounts pretending to be the creator and other times from different spammy accounts. It dulls the experience for all and makes it harder for fresh voices to break through," Meta wrote in its blog post.

Going forward, accounts that repeatedly reuse others' videos, photos, or text posts without proper transformation or credit will lose access to Facebook's monetization programs and see a drop in overall content distribution. Facebook also said it will reduce the visibility of duplicated videos "so that original creators can get the visibility that they deserve." These changes will roll out gradually over the coming months.

If you're worried these new protocols will affect your work, Facebook says you can do a few things: post original content, make meaningful enhancements, tell a story, avoid watermarks, and use high-quality captions.

It's a tale of two retail behemoths vying for your dollars.

In one corner is Amazon, the scrappy bookseller-turned-global ecommerce empire that's the reason why we're all a tad impatient. In the other is Walmart, the veteran department store with one-stop, starburst-studded supercenters in every neighborhood.

From speedy shipping to members-only perks, both retailers pull out stops to entice shoppers to buy from them. But in the battle of Walmart vs. Amazon, whose deals are actually better?

Mashable's shopping experts have spent years tracking online discounts on popular tech across both retailers, including TVs, laptops, headphones, robot vacuums, and video games/gaming consoles. In covering their daily deals and their massive sitewide sales, we constantly cross-check prices between the two of them to recommend the most worth-it discounts. Here's how we see things.

Where Amazon wins: More competitive pricing and useful deal-finding tools

There's a ton of overlap between the two retailers, but Amazon is where we normally find the most competitive prices on any given day. Anecdotally, if a product isn't on sale there, it's probably not on sale anywhere.

Our experience is backed up by ongoing research from the ecommerce analytics firm Profitero, which conducts an annual Price Wars study comparing everyday online prices across major U.S. retailers. In examining more than 13,000 items across 15 product categories over a 12-week period from July to September, the 2024 edition of the study found that Amazon's prices were five percent lower than Walmart's on average. (It's worth noting that the time frame included Amazon's flagship Prime Day sale and Walmart's counter-programming.) In the electronics category specifically, Amazon's prices were six percent lower on average.

Amazon also put items on sale more frequently, undercutting Walmart about a third of the time on like-for-like items, according to Profitero's "low price reliability" metric. They otherwise tended to price-match one another; Amazon offered higher prices than Walmart just four percent of the time. (Neither Amazon nor Walmart have formal price-matching policies allowing customers to request price adjustments if an item is cheaper elsewhere, FYI.)

To Walmart's credit, it was Amazon's closest price competitor in most of the Profitero study's categories, "most aggressively" when it came to appliances. Walmart has gained a little ground on price competitiveness in the electronics category in the past year, but lost some of its edge with video game prices.

The other big pro to shopping on Amazon is that consumers have more deal-finding tools at their disposal (beyond your usual shopping browser extensions or Google Shopping features). If something you're interested in buying isn't on sale, you can keep tabs on price drops by adding it to a Wish List, your Shopping Cart, or your cart's "Saved for later" section. Amazon flags deals on wish-listed items underneath their product names and in the occasional notification pop-up if you have the Amazon Shopping mobile app. In your cart, you'll see a "Messages about items in your cart" notification at the very top of the page if a product's price changes.

This fancy colored pencil set has gotten slightly cheaper since I first wish-listed it. Credit: Screenshot: Amazon Amazon let me know about its discount via mobile notification, too. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable Visit your cart and click the "See all updates" line in the "Messages about items in your cart" notification. A pop-up window will tell you which products you've been eyeing have gotten less (or more) expensive since you added them. Credit: Screenshot: Amazon

If you're a member of Amazon's Prime subscription service and you own an Echo smart speaker, you can also enable an "Advanced deal alerts" feature that will notify you if a wish-listed item is about to go on sale — up to 24 hours ahead of time.

Crucially, Amazon shoppers also have the ability to verify how good its deals actually are using a website called CamelCamelCamel. Enter an item's Amazon URL in the search bar, and you'll pull up its complete pricing history. (There's a supplementary browser extension, too.) CamelCamelCamel occasionally misses coupons and skips over limited-time deals during Amazon's sitewide sales, including Prime Day and Prime Big Deal Days, its fall counterpart. But it's generally great for determining whether a discount is even worth considering. Mashable's shopping experts rely heavily on it to appraise Amazon deals year-round.

Here's the Amazon price history of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones as of late June 2024, per CamelCamelCamel. Credit: Screenshot via CamelCamelCamel

There's no CamelCamelCamel equivalent for Walmart, though there is a "Droplist" tool in the free browser extension Honey that can offer some Walmart price history insights for products. However, it only uses data from the past 120 days, and it doesn't appear to take third-party sellers into account — which can sometimes pose a problem. (More on those later.)

Where Walmart wins: Hidden gems

Don't rule Walmart out entirely. As mentioned, its prices are more competitive than any other retailer when stacked up against Amazon's, and the two price-match each other more often than not — especially during major savings events like Prime Day and Black Friday. We also think it's important to note that Walmart's deals are occasionally better than they appear.

Every so often, Walmart does this thing to on-sale items where it advertises deflated sticker prices. In other words, the "original price" you see on a listing is lower than the actual MSRPs you'd see on the brand or manufacturer's website — so, in actuality, you're saving more than Walmart lets on. (We've run into this on Amazon, too, but it seems to happen far more often at Walmart.)

We're not exactly sure why Walmart chooses to do this, since it kind of works against its bottom line. (Wouldn't the real, bigger discount entice more shoppers to buy…? We asked a Walmart representative and never heard back.) But it can result in pleasant surprises for meticulous shoppers who cross-check prices before adding items to their carts. You might even snag a deal that may have sold out sooner had it been advertised accurately.

Take this 65-inch Samsung QLED TV: Walmart had it marked down from $997.99 to $798 during its Deals Holiday Kickoff Event in October 2023, advertising a discount of $199.99. But when the Mashable Shopping team searched for the TV's model number on the Samsung website, we discovered that it had an MSRP of $2,699.99 there — meaning Walmart's deal was actually saving shoppers just over $1,900.

Along similar lines, Walmart periodically releases extra-cheap products as "Special Buys" during sales. It doesn't attach any original MSRPs to these products, so there's no way of determining how much you're actually saving, but the prices tend to be low enough that it almost doesn't matter. (See: this 65-inch onn. 4K TV, which went on sale at Walmart for $278 a few weeks before Black Friday 2023. We didn't know how much it was truly worth, but compared to other TVs of that size, it was absurdly cheap.)

Where both win: Memberships are useful for scoring deals

In addition to other benefits, Amazon and Walmart's membership services both include varying degrees of access to certain deals during tentpole sales throughout the year.

An Amazon Prime membership ($14.99 per month or $139 per year) is non-negotiable if you want to shop the best deals of Prime Day in July and Prime Big Deal Days in October. No Prime, no access — though making use of Amazon's free 30-day Prime trial still counts you in. This members-only restriction hasn't applied to Amazon's Cyber Weekend sales.

SEE ALSO: How to get free Amazon Prime: Switch to this Metro by T-Mobile phone plan

Meanwhile, a Walmart+ membership ($12.95 per month or $98 per year) unlocks early access to Walmart's biggest sitewide sales throughout the year — usually three to five hours before they're open to the general public, but sometimes up to 12. Those sales would be its main summer savings event, which competes with Prime Day; an October deals event that goes up against Prime Big Deal Days; and lastly, its staggered Black Friday Deals events. Featured doorbusters can sometimes sell out during these early-access phases or get slightly more expensive once the paywalls lift, so it's worth taking advantage of this membership perk.

There's one catch, which is that early deals access for Walmart+ members is restricted to paid members; you don't count if you're using its free 30-day trial. On the plus side, we usually see subscriptions go on sale for half price immediately before Walmart's summer and Black Friday sales.

Where both lose: Sketchy third-party sellers

Be sure you know exactly whose deals you're shopping — because it may not be Amazon or Walmart itself. Amazon is better known for hosting myriad third-party sellers, but Walmart's listings are also rife with so-called "MarketPlace Sellers." 

Some of these merchants are simply storefronts for verified brands, like Roborock or Dyson, which are unremarkable. But many others across both retailers are no-name independent sellers that shoppers should treat with caution. Third-party sellers on Amazon may not use its customer service, and Walmart's Marketplace Sellers may have different return policies or warranty terms.

Counterfeit products are also a huge issue for both online retailers. Amazon has been particularly aggressive in fighting fakes: The company has a dedicated Counterfeit Crimes Unit and invested over $1.2 billion into the cause in 2023. Walmart says it "regularly monitors Marketplace seller performance" and identifies those who provide the best service with "Pro Seller" badges. It also maintains pages where consumers can report intellectual property infringements and suspicious marketplace activity.

Walmart appears to have once been a member of the Buy Safe America Coalition, an industry lobby group that aims to protect consumers from counterfeit and stolen goods on online marketplaces (like Amazon), according to a 2020 Business Insider story about its formation. However, the big-box store's name wasn't listed on the coalition's website at the time of writing. Walmart's rep didn't respond to a request for comment.

Third-party sellers are typically easily identifiable by their titles, like Mall of Americ (sic), Emma's Market, busylittlebee, Delight Tech Electronics, and QuickNDeals. However, we've encountered one instance where an unauthorized seller was using the same name and branding as the real one on Amazon.

A third-party Amazon seller named "Issaquah Highlands Tech" was selling a Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 for $1,349.99 (with a free stylus) in March 2025. Skip it. Credit: Screenshot: Amazon The same Surface Laptop 7 configuration was $40 pricier when purchased directly from Amazon. We think it's worth it: It's still a great deal, and more importantly, you're not taking chances on such a big purchase. Credit: Screenshot: Amazon

This isn't to say that all third-party sellers are inherently malicious or scammy — looking at their reviews can be enlightening, usually. And for their parts, both retailers offer recourse if shoppers have issues with them. Amazon's A-to-z Guarantee and Walmart's Marketplace Promise both cover problems with delivery, item condition, returns, and refunds for items sold and fulfilled/shipped by third-party sellers. Both require an eligibility and claims process.

That said, we recommend avoiding third-party sellers entirely, even if you see one offering a lower price on an item that Amazon and/or Walmart also sells directly. Avoiding unnecessary hassle or risk is an excellent rule of thumb when your money's on the line.

A third-party Walmart seller named "Value Tech" was selling PlayStation 5 copies of "Madden NFL 25" for $31.96 in March 2025. That's a less risky buy than a $1,350 laptop, but we'd still skip it. Credit: Screenshot: Walmart The same game was $3.01 pricier when purchased directly from Walmart. We think it's worth it: It's still a great deal, and $3 is a small price to pay for total peace of mind. Credit: Screenshot: Walmart

Put it this way: Would you feel better about buying an $800 Roomba directly from Amazon or someone who does business under the name "wacky jacky"? That's all we can really tell you about them: Their seller bio is also, succinctly, just "wacky jacky."

Stick with products that have "Ships from/Sold by Amazon.com" or "Sold and shipped by Walmart.com" labels underneath the "Add to cart" buttons on their listings. Walmart makes this easy by letting shoppers filter out third-party sellers from searches.

When the competition heats up: More insights about Prime Day and Black Friday deals

Amazon and Walmart both reliably drop their prices to new or year-round record lows during Prime sales and Cyber Weekend. Again, Walmart typically hosts its own festivities alongside Prime events.

From our experience, these sales are also when both retailers do their most aggressive price-matching. If one retailer offers a huge discount on an item during a major savings event, it's normal for the same deal to pop up at its competitor in a matter of days — sometimes even hours. We see this a lot with Apple products, particularly AirPods, Apple Watches, and iPads.

Below, we share more granular insights on the way Amazon and Walmart approach deals during these sales that shoppers can use to strategize.

Prime events

Amazon offers a couple weeks of official early deals ahead of its Prime events, giving shoppers a chance to nab certain promotions before the chaos of the event. It also teases some of its top day-of deals in a press release ahead of time, though they come in the form of a discount range, not exact pricing. ("Save up to 50% on select floorcare from Bissell and iRobot," for example.) Shoppers can find deals across all departments during these sales, and new batches of them drop constantly, but there's an especially big focus on Amazon's own devices and services.

On the flip side, Walmart's anti-Prime event deals don't go live until its sales actually start. However, it usually previews some of its top offers in a press release well before then, and uses specific numbers — "Nintendo Switch Joy Con with Game for $69.00 (was $99.00)," for instance. You know exactly what you'll be paying ahead of time.

Black Friday

In recent years, Amazon and Walmart have both moved to kick off their Black Friday sales in early to mid-November. They both still save some of their deepest markdowns for the day of — that being the fourth Friday of the month — but shoppers are wise to comb those early deals in case they wind up selling out (or getting pricier) down the road. As with Prime events, both retailers preview these Black Friday deals in their own ways: Amazon teases its discounts as vague "up-to's," while Walmart names them as specific "before-and-afters."

Walmart takes a more structured approach to its Black Friday festivities, staggering its deals across several mini week-long events leading up to Black Friday proper, so shoppers also have a better idea of how long certain offers last. (They can stick around beyond that timeframe, but it's not guaranteed.) Some of its doorbusters pop up in Walmart stores a few days after launching online.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Prime Day vs. Black Friday: When are the deals better?

Alternatively, Amazon simply starts its Black Friday season sale on a certain day and adds or removes deals whenever it feels like doing so. Sometimes they'll run the course of the whole event, sometimes they'll be gone in a day. It's more of a revolving-door approach.

On the off-chance that something you buy from Amazon or Walmart during their Black Friday sales gets cheaper there later, you won't be able to get a price adjustment — but you can take advantage of their extended return policies. In the past, eligible year-end purchases from either retailer have been returnable through January of the following year.

The bottom line: Where should you shop for the best deals?

To recap: We think Amazon is the place to shop if you want the most options, if you need help finding deals, and if you care about the quality and rarity of a discount. Walmart can also fit the bill for bargain hunters who are willing to do a little digging. Both retailers host huge savings events in the summer and before the holidays, which is when they bring their best deals to the table.

If you're already an Amazon Prime or Walmart+ member, you might be inclined to peruse the respective retailer's wares first. It might give you exclusive or early access to certain deals.

Ultimately, though, you're not doing yourself any favors by being loyal to a single retailer. One of the best ways to make sure you're getting the very best deal is by cross-checking prices across the web, comparing offers at Amazon, Walmart, and elsewhere… especially elsewhere. For what it's worth, we have a lot of luck at Best Buy when it comes to deals on big-ticket items like TVs and laptops — and it's not swarming with questionable third-party sellers. (Not yet, anyway.) Smart shoppers know all of their options.

For extra help finding the best, most up-to-date discounts on popular tech, consider bookmarking Mashable shopping experts' dedicated deals coverage. We only highlight the best deals we've personally vetted at Amazon, Walmart, and beyond.

Senior Shopping Reporter Leah Stodart, Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard, and Shopping Reporter Samantha Mangino contributed to this story.