Technology

TL;DR: Make your PDFs easier to work with on Mac. This PDF Expert lifetime license offers editing, conversion, merging, and even search and signing functionality for any PDF — and it’s only $80.

Opens in a new window Credit: Readdle PDF Expert Premium Plan: Lifetime Subscription (Mac) $79.97
$139.99 Save $60.02 Get Deal

Let’s be honest: working with PDFs isn’t anyone’s idea of fun. Whether you’re trying to fill out a form, edit a document, or combine files, the built-in tools on a Mac don’t always make it easy. That’s where PDF Expert comes in. Right now, a lifetime subscription to the premium version (which is fully compatible with Mac) is down to $79.97 (reg. $139.99), but only while supplies last.

PDF Expert is a powerful, Mac-only app that lets you do pretty much anything you need with PDFs. Its interface is sleek, the tools are straightforward, and the price is about as low as you’re likely to see for a full-featured PDF editor.

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You could piece together some of these features with free online tools, but if you’re doing PDF work regularly — whether for contracts, school, or freelance gigs — it’s a lot more efficient to have it all in one place. And unlike most PDF software that locks key features behind pricey subscriptions, this is a one-time payment.

If you’re someone who only opens a PDF once in a blue moon, you might not need something this robust. But if you’ve ever wished editing a PDF was just a little less annoying (and a lot more intuitive), this deal’s worth a look.

Don’t wait too long to act on this deal. Get your PDF Expert lifetime license for Mac for just $79.97 (reg. $139.99) while inventory is still available.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

About 43 minutes into a livestream, Dr. Alok Kanojia, known more familiarly online as Dr. K, asks streamer and voice actor LilyPichu if she'd rather talk about a recent breakup or where she got the idea she's not good enough.

Even for those well-versed in the more parasocial nature of livestreaming, it's a surprisingly vulnerable scene. But for Dr. K and his guest, it's expected, with this therapy-esque interview being one of the several formats he's brought to Twitch and YouTube.

Credit: Mashable composite: Tharon Green; Dr. Alok Kanojia/Inna Kot/iStock / Getty Images Plus/Instagram/Youtube/Twitch

The Harvard-educated psychiatrist got his start on his Twitch channel HealthyGamer_GG in 2019. These days, that channel has 667,000 followers, while his YouTube channel has 2.94 million subscribers. On it, you'll find videos on all things mental health, with titles including "Why You're Struggling With Discipline," "Stop Letting Social Anxiety Control You," and "Getting a Girlfriend is NOT an Achievable Goal."

In addition to the content he creates, Dr. K is also the co-founder and president of the company Healthy Gamer, where folks can find mental health guides, coaching, and community. In addition to the Healthy Gamer comment sections, there's a Healthy Gamer Discord and an active subreddit with 143,000 members. He also wrote the book How to Raise a Healthy Gamer.

SEE ALSO: AI has entered the therapy session — and it's recording you

Below, we caught up with Dr. K to hear more about the experience of building this community up — and the lessons he's learned along the way.

Why did you start making videos?

 What I found in my office with my patients was that everyone was facing the same problems. And most of what I was doing was not therapy with my patients. It was educating them. So I started to realize that what people are missing is an understanding of how they work: How does the mind work? Where does depression come from? How do we get depressed? Where does anxiety come from? I was like, OK, I'm having the same conversation like 15 times in a week. So I started to develop talking points. And then I was like, "OK, can I just share this with everybody, and would it be helpful?" And that's what I started doing, and it turned out that it is helpful.

When you considered how to share that information, was making YouTube videos the first thing that came to mind?

 No. I started streaming on Twitch. I'm a gamer, and I really love teaching, so that's where we started out. And then I think what we realized on Twitch is that things only live there for 30 days. And a lot of the questions, like, if someone asks about how do I cut back on pornography use, that stays an important question for years. So we really started focusing on YouTube to create a storehouse of resources for people.

When you started out, was it just you running the show?

Yeah.

What was that like?

 I had an intern help me set up my camera. Then, quickly within the first two months, I looked at the metrics. My goal was to have 100 concurrent viewers by one year in. So I was like, "OK, if I can have like five new viewers by the end of the month, like that'll be a win." And then it started going really fast. Within the first 45 days of my first stream, I had two or three people starting to help me out, because they started building emoji and helping me with managing chat, moderating things, and moderating a subreddit. Those are people who are actually here with me today; they were some of our first five employees.

Within those first 45 days, how many people were coming to the stream?

My first stream had 20 to 30 concurrent viewers, which is very unusual, I think. I also did a collab super early on, and people showed up and were like, "This is pretty cool." So it started spreading and then we grew very rapidly. We started with 30, and I think within six, eight months, maybe within a year, we were up to 40,000 concurrents. That was crazy.

After that first year, how did you navigate that growth?

Our numbers kind of dropped, but we also did this on purpose. I started to realize that a lot of people were coming to us for the wrong reasons. They were coming to us for voyeurism instead of to learn, because sometimes people would get emotional on stream and things like that.

I started streaming to try to help people and that's the north star. I would rather help one person a lot than entertain 10 people.

As we shifted towards being more value-oriented as opposed to entertainment-oriented, our numbers dropped. I still think that if we had gone like the entertainment route, [the numbers] would be better, but I don't think we'd be having the impact. I started streaming to try to help people, and that's the north star. I would rather help one person a lot than entertain 10 people. There are plenty of people out there to entertain; the field is plenty saturated.

What was the selection process for who you interviewed?

 For people who are community members, it's just: Are you struggling with something that a lot of people are struggling with? Let's talk about it. With creators, it's kind of all over the place. We don't honestly care about the size of the creator — we'll do things with gigantic creators, and we'll do things with like tiny creators. It's really about the problems that they want to talk about.

The other thing that's really important is what our community tells us. If they say, "Hey, you should do a collaboration with this person," or you should do something, then we are likely to do it because our community knows us and what we bring to the table, and so we're driven by them more than anyone else.

More generally, how do you decide on your content topics?

There are a number of things. When I was in residency, you're working like 80 to 100 hours a week, every week, for like four years. And so there's this idea that when you're done with residency, it gets easier. The crazy thing is that I learn way more than I have in the history of my career. I'll read between 100 and 400 pages of scientific literature a week.

In residency, I would do that in a month because I had to. So I read a ton because there's so much research out there, and that's a chunk of my inspiration. I also read a lot of spiritual texts and have a lot of spiritual practice; that's a bunch of my inspiration.

And then there's like, things happen on the internet, which is another source of inspiration. So we just had this video about why women prefer beta males. So someone on our team sent me this tweet that was this Twitter argument between men and women about whether women are more attracted to super cut dudes.

I feel like I saw this one.

Yeah, so someone on my team said, "Hey, have you seen this? What do you think about this?" And I was like, "Let's find out." I did a literature search and found something really fascinating. Then we made a video about it, and it went great.

There's a lot of stuff that people are debating about, worrying about, and struggling with, and so we think about how we can offer an evidence-based perspective to help people navigate what the hell is going on.

The way to offer that perspective could be research-oriented, like a video or an interview. So, do we just want to talk to someone about what it's like to date nowadays or the existential threat of AI? Oftentimes, there's a lot of stuff that if there isn't [data about it], if there aren't studies to explain it, then we'll just talk to a human.

When did you start to scale up the Healthy Gamer team? How did you decide it was time?

I was CEO for six months. I suck at being CEO and [my wife's] fucking amazing. So she took over as CEO, and it was really challenging in a lot of ways, but it was also great in a lot of ways.

That's when we really started to scale. I had a group of people who were helping me out, and we weren't paying them, so those became our first five employees.

[My wife also] started thinking about monetization, started thinking about like how to get people salaries, how to get people competitive salaries. We hired our first employee in April of 2020. We're now up to a team of like 30 employees. Then we've got 150 coaches. And then we've got other contractors, so we're up to like 200. And it all started with one [employee] five years ago. So that's really when we started to kick ass and take names.

Did you go through learning curves after bringing on a team and adjusting your workflow to working with a group?

 Yeah, absolutely. I'm lucky because in medicine you learn how to work with teams, right? One of the most important things I learned in medicine is listening to nurses.  As a doctor, I know way more medicine than a nurse does, but the nurse knows the patient way more than I do.  So even if you're the boss, you listen to the people who are, quote unquote, under you because they know things you don't know.

 The biggest thing that I've learned as a content creator is that the more we've grown, the farther down the reporting structure I go. So with the content director, I am their boss on paper, but in practice, I'm their employee. When my content director is like, "Hey, I want you to make a video about this," I say, "Yes, sir." That was kind of strange, but recognizing that I'm a resource and all of these people have jobs, and in order for them to do their jobs, they need me to do certain things.

And I think that's hard for a lot of people from an ego perspective, but if you have your domain, I'm a resource, and if you need me to do something, I will do it.

You're a mental health professional and a mental health creator who has communities of people online who seek your help. Do you get burned out or deal with any empathy burnout?

What do you mean by empathy burnout?

Basically, a lot of people come to you with mental health problems — do you ever find yourself taking that stress on?

That doesn't really happen to me. I've been working for five years, and I had my first vacation of about two weeks; it was amazing. After five years, I worked six to seven days a week. I'm not saying this because I'm like, "Oh, I'm great."

The main thing is that we just don't understand how our empathy battery works. Empathy burnout can be fixed if you figure out how to fill up your gas tank. What is the gas station of your life? So, I think there are a couple of helpful things that we learn as psychiatrists. The first is to understand that there's only so much that you can do.

This lesson is something that a lot of creators do not understand. You are limited in your capacity for what you can do...there's nothing you can do that will make a video go viral.

A lot of creators do not understand this lesson: you are limited in your capacity for what you can do. You can put forth most of your effort. Absolutely. Work hard, work six days a week. But there's nothing you can do that will make a video go viral. Can you try to make it go viral? Absolutely. That attitude is how you work five years without a day off. It's really focusing on the things that you can do.

The other big thing that I do is take care of myself every day. If I drive a hundred miles, I go to the gas station every day. I don't wait until I'm at E because there are going to be times when things pile up.

I imagine some creators struggle to identify when their meter is down and getting close to E. How did you even learn to read that?

I know it's weird, but it's the wrong question.  The question is, how do you fill up your tank, and are you doing it every day?  The problem is that everyone waits until the gas tank is empty to fill it up, and then, of course, you're going to get in trouble. It's not about focusing on empty; it's about focusing on staying full.

 If anyone who looks at what you've done with Healthy Gamer wants to make content that helps people and create a community in the way you have, do you have any advice?

Do it.  There is no shortage of people who need your help, and each human being has a unique set of genetics, a unique set of circumstances, a unique set of experiences. So you can help other people in a way that no one else can.

The second thing is that it's going to be hard. It's going to suck and you're going to fail a lot, and that's OK. As you fail the first time, the second time, the third time, then you'll figure out how much your heart is really in this. And it's OK to try something and recognize even though [you] want to help people, if it's not working for you, that's OK too. It doesn't make you a bad person to not want to help people. You'll help people later in life — that karma will come to fruition — it may just not be your time. So I'd say give it a shot.

The other thing is to try to really do your best. Focus on iteration, focus on improvement. It's about, "What did I do today? How can I be better tomorrow?" I think people are way too goal-oriented. The goal is over there, right? And I'm over here. So focus on the next step you're going to take and the next step you're gonna take and the next step that you're gonna take. In my practice with my patients and in my private coaching clients, I have a ton of creators who are 10, a hundred times bigger than I am. And I think that we see something that's really interesting, which is that basically all the super successful creators focus on what's next, not what's at the end.

So what's next for Healthy Gamer?

 I have a panel in two hours, a couple of podcasts, some thoughts that I want to write down, and I'm going to try to swim today.

Spend a few minutes on TikTok or YouTube, and chances are you’ll run into one of those viral police bodycam videos. A tense traffic stop with racist undertones. A surprise arrest. A drunk, entitled woman gets her fifth DUI. A rookie officer catches a corrupt superior in the act. These clips look real enough to pass at a glance, but some of the bodycam videos currently going viral on TikTok are staged.

The staged body cam videos are the work of a YouTube channel called Bodycam Declassified, which has uploaded 35 videos over the past four months. While many of the videos are staged, the occasional legit bodycam video is mixed in for variety. The YouTube channel has more than 10.2 million views since the account was created in February.

Screenshot from a Bodycam Declassified video titled, "Cop Arrests Black Mail Carrier in Rich Neighborhood." Credit: Bodycam Declassified

The channel joins a highly trafficked corner of YouTube: police bodycam footage, itself a subgenre of the ever-expanding true crime industrial complex. These videos are usually obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests and have massive audiences. Major players like Police Activity (6.6 million subscribers), EWU Bodycam (2.02 million), Code Blue Cam (2.9 million), and Audit the Audit (2.89 million) have turned this raw, often unsettling footage into algorithm gold.

Each of Bodycam Declassified clips follows a familiar pattern: a Florida police officer engages with someone (often a person of color), a conflict escalates, and the video ends with some overt moralizing. The titles are ripped straight from a Dhar Mann video — another scripted YouTube channel known for morality plays geared toward a younger audience.

Popular Bodcam Declassified videos have titles such as:

• Stolen Valor Fake Marine Arrested by Police Officer Who Was Real Marine

• Rookie Cop Pulls Over His Powerful Sheriff

• Black Female Officer Busts Arrogant Detective For Parking In Handicap Spot

• Cop Slaps Arrogant Prince in Ferrari and Gets Suspended

• Arrogant Police Officer Pulls Over Black FBI Agent and Regrets It

Bodycam Declassified labels its videos as fictional — sort of. The channel description implies the videos are real, with a lot of hedging. "In our channel, we bring you real, unfiltered bodycam footage, offering insight into real-world situations. In some cases, we may reenact some elements to clarify key aspects of certain encounters."

However, in an email to Mashable, a member of the "Bodycam Declassified Team" stated, "Yes, the videos on our channel are fully scripted and performed by actors. This is clearly disclosed in multiple places: via watermarks in the footage, on our website, and in our YouTube channel description. Transparency has been a priority from day one."

SEE ALSO: How to identify AI-generated text

The watermark plastered all over the videos leads to a website that issues bold DMCA warnings against content theft. Here, under a section titled Content Licensing, the site makes it clear:

"Our content is NOT actual bodycam footage."

However, because the channel's content is often reposted without permission by clickfarm accounts, viewers may have no idea that they're watching staged videos.

When we contacted the email address associated with the account, the individual who responded acknowledged this problem. The individual said the channel struggles with "rampant content theft." They added, "Many of our videos have been re-uploaded without context or credit, often stripped of the disclaimers, and presented on other social platforms as real events. Despite our proactive efforts, takedown processes on many platforms are slow and inconsistent, making it harder to preserve the original intent and integrity of the content."

Still, the proof is in the details. The police cars in the videos look real enough, but the logos are fabricated and don’t correspond to any real jurisdictions. The videos lack the redactions and face-blurring typical of legally released bodycam footage. Most include timestamps that repeat across clips, indicating batch filming. The upload timeline — just weeks between "incident" and release — is far too fast to reflect real FOIA-based reporting.

Who's creating these staged police bodycam videos, and why? A Bodycam Declassified video titled, 'Mall Security Guard Thinks He's A Cop. Does Not End Well.' Credit: Bodycam Declassified

For as long as the internet’s been around, trolling and outrage bait have been a reliable subgenre of social media entertainment. The formula is simple: tap into moments that trigger easy moral outrage — mid-flight meltdowns (another booming category of scripted virality), Reddit confessionals, racist white people, and of course, police encounters.

And in conversations with Mashable, the anonymous creators of Bodycam Declassified hinted at what they want to do next: staged courtroom videos.

In a series of emails to Mashable, the creators of Bodycam Declassified described the project as "part of a larger creative initiative tied to a fictional judge show currently in development."

"We created these videos to go viral and intentionally left them unresolved to spark conversation and curiosity," a team member wrote. "The goal was always to circle back with a courtroom series where the same characters and situations are brought before a fictional judge who delivers a verdict."

The group claims to be behind "hundreds of massively viral videos across a range of online niches" and says they’re building a full-scale courtroom set inside a 10,000-square-foot warehouse, with professional designers who’ve worked on major productions like Bad Boys and Netflix’s Griselda.

"We’ve seen plenty of knockoffs already, but they miss the tone and satirical edge we’re aiming for. That’s why we’ve been deliberate in building this next phase to make sure the final courtroom product lands with the impact we’re setting up now."

A preview of a Bodycam Declassified video titled, 'Stolen Valor, Fake Marine Arrested By Police Officer Who Was Real Marine.' Credit: Bodycam Declassified SEE ALSO: AI actors and deepfakes aren't coming to YouTube ads. They're already here.

They claimed the project is self-funded and declined to provide any production details or internal pitch decks on the project.

Mashable was unable to independently verify these claims. The individual corresponding via email did not provide any identifying information, and when we reached out to Griselda's lead set designer, Michael Budge, he said he had no knowledge of this project or the channel.

Additionally, when pressed with follow-up questions about the channel — for instance, why their website's mailing address is registered to a plastic surgery clinic in Fort Lauderdale, which is also the listed address for various crypto and adult content sites — the person promptly stopped speaking to us. Not long after, the address was quietly removed from domain records.

While we were reporting this story, Bodycam Declassified uploaded a new video with the watermark "property of @curbsideconflict" — a handle that had no trace on social media or in trademark records. However, it matches the name of a just-launched YouTube channel focused on parking ticket conflicts ("Woman Refuses To Pay For Parking Because She's Attractive"). [Editor's note: Shortly before we published this story, the Curbside Conflict YouTube page was removed from YouTube, along with all of its videos.]

Another recent video on the Bodycam Declassified channel shows a real police encounter in Ohio, which ends with a woman being shot by an officer. The one before that? A scripted scene where the channel’s go-to actor-cop tickets a pregnant woman and her unborn child, followed by an epilogue claiming a judge ruled her unborn child would also be liable for the fine upon his or her birth.

You honestly can't make this up. Except, clearly, someone is.

If the creators are to be believed, brace yourself for a new wave of courtroom and parking drama ragebait — likely chopped into multiple parts by TikTok clip farmers — featuring the same characters, this time arguing their cases in front of a fictional judge.

Or, maybe they're simply making ragebait for the love of the game.

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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
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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

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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

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• 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.

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