Technology

Every gamer has a graphics card they still talk about years later after it left their rig. Most gamers also have that one GPU that got away, the GPU they really wanted to get, but couldn't. Many of these graphics cards have earned legendary status over the years.

Creators have another sign that major financial companies increasingly view them as business owners: Mastercard is helping launch a debit card built specifically for the creator economy.

Manifest Financial announced Thursday that it has partnered with Mastercard on the Manifest Business Debit Mastercard, which combines a business bank account and card with tools for managing creator income, expenses, invoices, taxes, and payments.

SEE ALSO: The Mashable 101: The creators defining the internet in 2026

The card is intended for creators whose finances can look very different from those of a traditional employee. Instead of receiving one predictable paycheck, creators may earn money through platform payouts, brand partnerships, subscriptions, merchandise, affiliate links, appearances, and other projects. Those payments can arrive at different times, from different companies, and sometimes in different currencies.

Manifest says its platform is designed to bring more of that financial work into one place. Creators can use it to accept payments, access faster payouts, send invoices, monitor expenses and cash flow, prepare for taxes, and manage income from multiple sources. The platform also supports cross-border payments for creators working with international brands, platforms, or audiences.

Because it is a debit card, users spend money held in their Manifest business accounts rather than borrowing through a line of credit. The card is issued by MVB Bank, an FDIC-insured institution, and operates on Mastercard’s network.

Cardholders also receive several existing Mastercard business benefits, including automated merchant discounts through Mastercard Easy Savings, fraud monitoring, identity-theft protection, zero-liability protection for qualifying unauthorized transactions, and access to certain dining, travel, and entertainment experiences.

"Creators are building some of today’s most dynamic small businesses," Ginger Siegel, Mastercard’s North America small and medium business lead, said in the announcement. "They’re managing customers, cash flow, taxes, global audiences, and multiple income streams often without tools designed for how they work."

Creators have business problems, too

Financial companies have been laying the groundwork for this pitch for several years as more creators have attempted to turn their audiences into sustainable businesses.

Creators face many of the same costs and administrative responsibilities as other entrepreneurs, but their income can be especially unpredictable. A brand may take weeks or months to pay an invoice, while earnings from livestream gifts, subscriptions, affiliate sales, and platform revenue may follow different payout schedules.

Visa research in April 2026 found that 86 percent of creator-run businesses are self-funded, and 49 percent have experienced late payments. Late payments affect companies working with creators, too: in a 2025 study, 97 percent of marketing and creative agencies encountered them, leading some to postpone or cancel plans for growth.

Siegel made a similar case in a 2025 Mastercard profile of sports creator Tyler Webb, who turned a teenage football account into a marketing career and later co-founded the sports agency Uncle Charlie.

"Creators transforming their passions into professions need to start thinking of themselves as small businesses," Siegel said at the time.

That means separating personal and business expenses, setting aside money for taxes, monitoring cash flow, and covering production costs while waiting to get paid — parts of the creator career that rarely appear in the finished TikTok or YouTube video.

Webb put it more plainly: "I don’t think it’s ever been easier to make a career as a creator, but I can’t just fall out of bed, post a video of myself, and I’m a millionaire."

Mastercard is not the only card company chasing creators

The Manifest card arrives three months after Visa partnered with TikTok on its own creator-focused debit card in the UK.

Announced in April, the TikTok Creator Card is designed for creators who earn money through TikTok LIVE, where viewers can purchase virtual gifts that creators can exchange for income. Those earnings typically arrive in bursts rather than as a regular salary, and the card gives eligible creators faster access to their payouts while helping them separate business and personal spending.

Visa has also explored a partnership with creator financial platform Karat and worked with payments company Lumanu to provide real-time payments to creators and contractors.

Mastercard has developed its own creator efforts beyond the Manifest partnership. Its previous programs have included Business Builder debit and credit cards with small-business resources, educational materials about brand partnerships and business operations, and creator-focused events such as the Mastercard Creator Studio at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The interest from both card networks reflects how far the business surrounding online content has expanded. Adobe estimates that more than 300 million people worldwide identify as creators, while Goldman Sachs projects the creator economy could reach $480 billion by 2027.

That does not mean every person posting online is operating a profitable company. But established creators increasingly employ teams, negotiate contracts, sell products, manage customers, and build businesses that extend well beyond their social media accounts.

Manifest, which publicly launched in April 2025, has expanded its platform across content, music, college athletics, NIL, talent representation, and creative agencies. Its new Mastercard is an attempt to become the account connecting all those different forms of creator income.

"Creators are the next founders," Manifest co-founder and CEO Michael Cavallaro said.

Creators have spent years being told to treat themselves like businesses. Now, Mastercard and Visa want to make sure they have the cards to match.

Apple Maps was a joke magnet when it first launched, but it's now good enough that one of the world's largest automakers will depend on it. Ford has revealed that Apple Maps will underpin navigation in EVs based on the company's new Universal Electic Vehicle (UEV) platform, including the highly touted $30,000 electric pickup truck.

If you have a relatively new vehicle, it probably has USB-A and newer USB-C ports on the dash, in the center console, and maybe in the back for passengers. They're everywhere, and it makes charging phones fast and easy, right? Nope.

SAVE $1,050: The Dell 14 Plus laptop (Intel Core Ultra 9, 32GB, 1TB) is on sale at Dell for $999.99, down from the normal price of $2,049.99. That's a 51% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dell Dell 14 Plus laptop (Intel Core Ultra 9, 32GB, 1TB) $999.99 at Dell
$2,049.99 Save $1,050.00   Get Deal

Tell your friends, neighbors, and your favorite high-school grad who's entering college: there's a shockingly good deal on a Dell laptop live right now. At a time when tech prices are on the rise and memory is short, this deal feels a bit bonkers.

As of July 23, the Dell 14 Plus laptop (Intel Core Ultra 9, 32GB, 1TB) is on sale at Dell for $999.99, marked down from the normal price of $2,049.99. That's a massive 51% discount that shaves $1,050 off the price.

Shopping for a budget laptop feels pretty challenging these days without making major sacrifices on specs. But thanks to this Dell deal, we're all in line for pretty awesome specs at a budget price. For starters, the Dell 14 Plus comes with an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor. Additionally, the $999.99 model has 32GB of RAM and top-tier 1TB storage.

SEE ALSO: Save $70 on Beats Solo 4 headphones with this limited-time Amazon deal

The 14-inch display has anti-glare, and it can get up to 300 nits of brightness. Perhaps one downside to this model is it's not a touch screen. But the backlit keyboard is also a great feature, as is the four-cell battery.

If you need more convincing, the latest Dell 14S earned a top spot in Mashable's 2026 review of the best laptops for college students. The Dell 14 Plus is last year's model of this machine.

Considering this price comparison, today's $999.99 deal on the older Dell 14 Plus is pretty awesome. We're not sure how long this deal will last, so hop on it if you've been shopping for a worthy Dell laptop.

Smart TVs looked like the obvious move when they launched. One less box under the TV, everything built in, nothing extra to buy. A few years later, many people are watching their menus get slower every month, waiting for apps to load, and realizing their TV hasn't seen a meaningful update in years and no longer feels new. A $20 Fire TV Stick doesn't fix the screen, but it quietly fixes almost everything else.

For a very long time, if you wanted to try Linux on a semi-permanent basis, you needed to shrink your Windows partition, install a Linux distro of some variety, and just suffer through any of the numerous problems that can occur with dual booting.

Apple just launched the public iOS 27 beta 2, mostly centered around small quality-of-life updates.

The iOS 27 beta 2, which should be identical to the fourth developer beta released earlier this week, isn't as momentous as the first beta was. That one brought over the bulk of iOS 27's new features, including the Siri AI beta experience, while the second beta seems more focused on making everything the first beta introduced work a little better.

Still, there are some new things to try. If you want to check them out, read our guide for how to install public betas first. As always, make sure you create a fresh device backup ahead of time.

SEE ALSO: Apple Store app will soon get an AI shopping assistant Keep your Apple TV library stocked with fresh downloads

If you love Apple TV shows like Widow's Bay, and you find yourself away from reliable internet access regularly (in other words, you travel a lot), there's a new option in the Apple TV app to enable automatic downloads. This will, as its name suggests, automatically download the next two episodes in any show in your "Continue Watching" queue, and then delete them when you're finished watching.

This might take up some space in your device storage, so keep that in mind, but it'll also ensure you have something to watch when the airplane WiFi isn't working.

New and enhanced Siri voices

Siri AI is the headliner for all of iOS 27, and the new public beta added a couple of things to try out with regards to voices.

Specifically, you can now mess with the Pace and Expressivity sliders for two American-accented Siri voices to give you an idea of how much customization each voice will have once Siri AI is fully baked and iOS 27 is really out. If you want to do this with other Siri voices, you'll have to wait, and the sliders are apparently shown as "coming soon" for every other option.

Speaking of other options, the new update apparently adds some new voices and kinds of English accents to try out. You won't be able to customize those yet, but they might be worth experimenting with anyway.

Increased AirPods control in Control Center

Lastly, as far as new additions go, Apple made a small but meaningful change to Control Center. If you own a pair of AirPods Pro and use the Adaptive Audio feature, you can access the slider to adjust how much outside audio the AirPods allow in within Control Center now. This isn't massive, obviously, but it will save time since you won't have to go into the AirPods settings menu anymore.

As a bonus, try Siri AI

The new iOS 27 public beta 2 doesn't introduce any major changes to Siri AI beyond what we've seen before, but as a general reminder, the enhanced version of Siri is available to try in the iOS 27 beta, as long as you have an iPhone 15 Pro or newer.

Once you have the iOS 27 beta installed, what you'll need to do is ensure Apple Intelligence is turned on in your Settings menu. After that, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings

2. Tap Siri

3. Tap "Try the new Siri (beta)"

This will put you on a waitlist to try Siri AI. No, you won't be able to try it right away, but it shouldn't take more than five to 10 days at the absolute maximum to get approved.

Are you looking for a private, alternative search engine? Google is king, but its rivals are quickly catching up. With the recent general shift toward privacy awareness, perhaps one of them is right for you.

Google just gave you a new account login option to help escape the maze of password resets and recovery contacts. The company has introduced a selfie video sign-in feature that can get you in even when you're locked out or using a different device.

Are you ready for another batch of fun (and useful) homelab projects to try out this weekend? From building your own speed test server to some media server maintenance, here are three projects for you to finish before Monday rolls around.

The best cordless power tool deals at a glance: Best Ryobi deal Ryobi ONE+ 2-battery starter kit $99 + get a free tool (save $129) Get Deal Best DeWalt deal DeWalt ToughSystem 6-Tool Cordless Combo Kit $549 (save $350) Get Deal Best Milwaukee deal Milwaukee M12 FUEL Cordless Hammer Drill/Impact Kit $279 (save $171) Get Deal

Planning some home improvement projects while you're inside in the AC this season? You're probably going to need better tools. That basic screwdriver and leftover hardware from the Amazon furniture you put together last year aren't going to cut it. It's time you get some tools that'll actually help you get the job done.

It's an excellent time to build out your power tool arsenal, as The Home Depot has a wide selection of cordless tools on sale. From drills to sanders to nailers — or a huge kit that includes all of the above — there are plenty of discounted options to choose from. We've rounded up our top picks from three of our favorite brands: DeWalt, Ryobi, and Milwaukee.

Here are some of the best deals on cordless power tools at The Home Depot.

Best DeWalt cordless power tool deal Opens in a new window Credit: DeWalt DeWalt ToughSystem 6-Tool Cordless Combo Kit $549 at The Home Depot
$899 Save $350   Get Deal Why we like it

If you're overhauling your entire toolkit, DeWalt's ToughSystem Combo Kit is a worthy upgrade. It includes a hammer drill/driver, impact driver, circular saw, grinder, random orbital sander, oscillating multi-tool, two batteries, a charger, and a TouchSystem rolling storage box. It would cost you over $1,500 to purchase each of these tools separately, but this deal brings the total to only $549. Whether you're a pro or a home DIY beginner, this kit is built for flexibility across projects and materials, as well as efficiency and performance. DeWalt tools also come with a three-year warranty.

More DeWalt deals

• DeWalt Atomic Compact 1/4 in. Impact Driver Kit — $99 $179 (save $80)

• DeWalt Atomic Compact 1/2 in. Hammer Drill Kit — $149 $199 (save $50)

• DeWalt Atomic Compact Drill/Driver Combo Kit — $169 $249 (save $80)

• Free tool with purchase of Battery Starter Kit — $299

• DeWalt ToughSystem 6-Tool Cordless Combo Kit — $549 $899 (save $350)

• DeWalt 9 Tool Cordless Combo Kit — $799 $999 (save $200)

Best Ryobi cordless power tool deal Opens in a new window Credit: Ryobi Ryobi ONE+ 2-Battery Starter Kit (1 2Ah battery, 1 4Ah battery, 1 charger) $99 at The Home Depot
$228 Save $129 + Get a free tool Get Deal Why we like it

Ryobi tools are known for offering durability and superior performance at affordable prices, making them a top choice for everyday home projects. During Ryobi Days, the brand's summer sales event, you can get a free tool with the purchase of the 2-battery starter kit for $99. This is the best option if you're seeking one specific tool for a bargain. The following tools are available for free: cordless leaf blower, hedge trimmer, reciprocating saw, oscillating multi-tool, orbit sander, angle grinder, and more.

More Ryobi deals

• Ryobi ONE+ HP 18V Brushless Cordless 4-1/2 in. Angle Grinder — $99 $129 (save $30)

• Ryobi ONE+ 18-Gauge Cordless AirStrike Brad Nailer — $99 $149 (save $50)

• Ryobi ONE+ 3/8-inch Impact Wrench Kit + 1 4Ah battery and 1 2Ah battery — $99 $341.97 (save $242.97)

• Free tool with purchase of Ryobi ONE+ 3-battery kit — $179 $361.97 (save $182.97)

• Ryobi ONE+ Brushless Cordless 1/2 in. Hammer Drill Kit with 3-battery kit — $199 $490.97 (save $291.97)

• Ryobi ONE+ 18V Cordless 6-Tool Combo Kit with 40-piece Impact Drive Kit — $211.97 $364.97 (save $153)

Best Milwaukee cordless power tool deal Opens in a new window Credit: Milwaukee Milwaukee M12 FUEL Cordless Hammer Drill/Impact Kit $279 at The Home Depot
$450 Save $171   Get Deal Why we like it

Milwaukee's M12 tools are built for portable productivity and high performance in tighter spaces. This combo kit includes the essentials for a compact DIY project: a 1/2-inch drill driver, 1/4-inch hex impact driver, 3/8-inch ratchet, 23-piece drill bit set, and two batteries. If you're building your arsenal from scratch and want to invest in long-lasting tools you'll actually use, this Milwaukee kit is a steal at $279. The tools even come with a five-year warranty.

More Milwaukee deals

• Free battery with purchase of M18 Tool Kit

• Free tool with purchase of M12 Kit

• Free tool with purchase of M18 Kit

• Milwaukee M18 Cordless Oscillating Multi-Tool Kit — $119 $199 (save $80)

• Milwaukee M12 FUEL Hammer Drill Driver Combo Kit with 3/8-inch Ratchet — $249 $409 (save $160)

• Milwaukee M18 FUEL 4-1/2 in./5 in. Grinder w/Paddle Switch — $299 $569 (save $270)

• Milwaukee M18 FUEL Hammer Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit — $349 $399 (save $50)

• Milwaukee M18 FUEL 6-Tool Cordless Combo Kit — $399 $999 (save $600)

TL; DR: Technics and The Rolling Stones have teamed up on limited-edition EAH-AZ100 earbuds, timed to the band's new album "Foreign Tongues." Only 5,000 units exist worldwide, each individually serial-numbered, with a case featuring the band's Lips & Tongue logo. They're priced at €299 in Europe and £259 in the UK.

Opens in a new window Credit: Rolling Stones / Technics Technics Rolling Stones EAH-AZ100 Earbuds £259 at Technics
  Shop Now

Rolling Stones fans have a new way to hear "Foreign Tongues," and it's built to last well past the album's release. Technics just launched a limited-edition version of its flagship EAH-AZ100 earbuds, designed specifically for fans of the Stones' new album. Only 5,000 exist worldwide, and they're priced at €299 in Europe and £259 in the UK.

Sound-wise, you're getting the same tech that makes the standard EAH-AZ100. It runs on a Magnetic Fluid Driver, a first for the industry, engineered to deliver ultra-low distortion, deep, controlled bass, and clarity across the entire frequency range.

SEE ALSO: Marshall’s new Billie Joe Armstrong amp is built for Green Day nostalgia: Price, release date, and more

What makes this a collector's piece, though, is the packaging (surprise, surprise). Each pair ships in a specially designed gift box, with the earbuds in Technics' signature black finish and an exclusive rubber case stamped with the Stones' iconic logo.

This is where it gets personal: every single unit is laser-engraved with its own serial number, running from 0001 to 5000, on the back of the case. You don't get to pick your number — it's the luck of the draw. These limited-edition earbuds aren't something you're going to stumble across at a big-box retailer, either.

Given the limited run, if you want one, the move is to not sit on it too long.

It's only rock 'n' roll, but you'll like it — grab the limited-edition Rolling Stones EAH-AZ100 earbuds at Technics while stock lasts.

SAVE $90: The DJI Mini 4K drone combo is on sale at Amazon for $299, down from the list price of $389. That's a 23% discount and the best price we've seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Mini 4K drone combo $299 at Amazon
$389 Save $90   Get Deal

If you've never flown a drone before to capture footage of your best outdoor adventures, today's the day. Since we're taking advantage of the summer weather and getting outside, the season marks a great opportunity to become a drone expert. For those looking to snag a compact model, check out this deal.

As of July 23, the DJI Mini 4K drone combo is on sale at Amazon for $299, marked down from the standard price of $389. That works out to a savings of $90, marking the best price we've ever seen at Amazon.

Weighing under 249 grams, the DJI Mini 4K is loaded with beginner-friendly features. The combo deal includes two batteries for a total flight time of 62 minutes and a transmission radius of a bit over six miles.

SEE ALSO: Vtoman just dropped new power stations that prioritize speed — score the best launch deal at Amazon

The DJI RC-N1 remote controller makes for easy maneuvering, and DJI excels in convenient features like a one-touch return-to-home function. In terms of portability, the folding body and included shoulder bag make for easy transporting. Wind resistance is rated at level five or about 23 miles per hour. Another desirable feature is the ability for the drone to take off at altitudes up to 13,000 feet.

Since the DJI Mini 4K drone combo is both in stock and on sale at Amazon, snag it for just $299. It's a great deal to jump on if you want to capture footage while hiking, out on vacation, or for selling property.

When it comes to single-board computers, you have other flavors of Pi to choose from than just Raspberry these days. The Orange PI series of competing products might lack the vast community support and software library of the Raspberry Pi, but when it comes to one specific use case, the choice is much less clear.

For a few years, Intel Optane felt like it was cheating. Random reads that beat any SSD on the market. Latency low enough to make a spinning hard drive feel like a relic. And the most interesting side? A whole new memory tier that nobody else could touch. Then it just quietly stopped existing.

Seattle may need to prepare for the possibility of multiple Jimothys — Jimothies? Jimothem? Jimothi? The internet has not yet settled on the plural.

The unusually shaped raccoon became an internet celebrity after footage of him walking through the city’s Ballard neighborhood went viral. But as residents continue sharing possible sightings — including some they claim date back to 2017 — wildlife experts are questioning whether every round raccoon caught on camera is actually the same animal.

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Jimothy first captured widespread attention after Seattle resident Kiana Hall encountered him during a walk through Ballard on July 13. Hall initially mistook the animal beneath a parked car for a cat, then started recording when the creature emerged with the masked face of a raccoon and a noticeably shortened torso and neck. She named him Jimothy because, as she later explained to Today, he simply looked like one.

The brief video accumulated millions of views and made Jimothy an almost immediate Seattle celebrity. Fans declared it “Hot Jimothy Summer” and created memes, murals, tattoos, and merchandise in his honor, while local organizations joined in with government PSAs and an honorary doctorate from the University of Washington. A costumed Jimothy even defeated four oversized fish during the Seattle Mariners’ seventh-inning Salmon Run. Google has even joined in on the fun — if you look up "Jimothy" or "Jimothy the raccoon" in the search box, an animation of Jimothy will scurry across your screen.

Experts believe his unusual appearance may be caused by a congenital spinal deformity resembling short spine syndrome, although he has not been examined by a veterinarian and does not have a confirmed diagnosis. Despite his compressed build, videos show him walking, climbing, finding food, and independently navigating the neighborhood.

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But as Jimothy’s following grew, Ballard residents began digging through old photographs and security-camera footage for previous sightings. That is where the plot thickens.

Ballard resident Rebecca Sorenson raised the question in an interview with FOX 13 Seattle after noticing conflicting accounts of Jimothy’s age.

“There’s posts now that say that he was born a year ago and then other people with posts that saw him in 2017,” Sorenson said. “I’m curious now if there are more than one?”

Those dates would be difficult to reconcile if every video showed the same raccoon. Wendi Mallo, an animal keeper who cares for two raccoons at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, told the station that three to five years would already be a long lifespan for a wild raccoon. Many do not survive their first year because of cars, dogs, disease, and other dangers.

A raccoon spotted in 2017 would therefore need to be at least 9 years old today, making it unlikely — although apparently not impossible — that Seattle has been following the same Jimothy for nearly a decade.

“Yeah, that seems like a very long-lived raccoon to me for the wild,” Mallo told FOX 13 Seattle. “But who knows, there’s magic in the wild. We’ve just got to look for it.”

Another possibility is that Ballard has been home to multiple raccoons with similar spinal abnormalities. The theory remains speculation, however. No one has confirmed that multiple short-spined raccoons are living in the neighborhood, just as no one has established that all the reported sightings show the same animal.

The uncertainty complicates the story of Jimothy’s life. Residents have collected old security-camera footage, photographs, and backyard sightings they believe show the distinctive raccoon at different ages. One set of videos reportedly captures a young Jimothy living with his mother and siblings in 2025, while other residents have attached different ages and origin stories to raccoons they believe are him.

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Without an examination or another reliable way to identify the animal, there is no definitive answer. Seattle could be following one exceptionally resilient raccoon, several similarly shaped relatives, or a mixture of genuine Jimothy sightings and mistaken identities.

Whoever appears in the recent videos seems to be doing well. Mallo added that the raccoon’s body appears to be in good condition, despite the challenges his unusual build may create.

Wildlife officials have advised residents to continue observing Jimothy — or any possible Jimothys — from a distance. People should not approach, feed, capture, or attempt to pet the animals, especially as increased attention could draw more visitors into the neighborhood, creating more hazards for racoons as well.

Until someone solves the mystery, “Jimothy” may be less one raccoon’s name than a title passed among Ballard’s roundest residents.

Seattle may need to prepare for the possibility of multiple Jimothys — Jimothies? Jimothem? Jimothi? The internet has not yet settled on the plural.

The unusually shaped raccoon became an internet celebrity after footage of him walking through the city’s Ballard neighborhood went viral. But as residents continue sharing possible sightings — including some they claim date back to 2017 — wildlife experts are questioning whether every round raccoon caught on camera is actually the same animal.

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

Jimothy first captured widespread attention after Seattle resident Kiana Hall encountered him during a walk through Ballard on July 13. Hall initially mistook the animal beneath a parked car for a cat, then started recording when the creature emerged with the masked face of a raccoon and a noticeably shortened torso and neck. She named him Jimothy because, as she later explained to Today, he simply looked like one.

The brief video accumulated millions of views and made Jimothy an almost immediate Seattle celebrity. Fans declared it “Hot Jimothy Summer” and created memes, murals, tattoos, and merchandise in his honor, while local organizations joined in with government PSAs and an honorary doctorate from the University of Washington. A costumed Jimothy even defeated four oversized fish during the Seattle Mariners’ seventh-inning Salmon Run. Google has even joined in on the fun — if you look up "Jimothy" or "Jimothy the raccoon" in the search box, an animation of Jimothy will scurry across your screen.

Experts believe his unusual appearance may be caused by a congenital spinal deformity resembling short spine syndrome, although he has not been examined by a veterinarian and does not have a confirmed diagnosis. Despite his compressed build, videos show him walking, climbing, finding food, and independently navigating the neighborhood.

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

But as Jimothy’s following grew, Ballard residents began digging through old photographs and security-camera footage for previous sightings. That is where the plot thickens.

Ballard resident Rebecca Sorenson raised the question in an interview with FOX 13 Seattle after noticing conflicting accounts of Jimothy’s age.

“There’s posts now that say that he was born a year ago and then other people with posts that saw him in 2017,” Sorenson said. “I’m curious now if there are more than one?”

Those dates would be difficult to reconcile if every video showed the same raccoon. Wendi Mallo, an animal keeper who cares for two raccoons at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, told the station that three to five years would already be a long lifespan for a wild raccoon. Many do not survive their first year because of cars, dogs, disease, and other dangers.

A raccoon spotted in 2017 would therefore need to be at least 9 years old today, making it unlikely — although apparently not impossible — that Seattle has been following the same Jimothy for nearly a decade.

“Yeah, that seems like a very long-lived raccoon to me for the wild,” Mallo told FOX 13 Seattle. “But who knows, there’s magic in the wild. We’ve just got to look for it.”

Another possibility is that Ballard has been home to multiple raccoons with similar spinal abnormalities. The theory remains speculation, however. No one has confirmed that multiple short-spined raccoons are living in the neighborhood, just as no one has established that all the reported sightings show the same animal.

The uncertainty complicates the story of Jimothy’s life. Residents have collected old security-camera footage, photographs, and backyard sightings they believe show the distinctive raccoon at different ages. One set of videos reportedly captures a young Jimothy living with his mother and siblings in 2025, while other residents have attached different ages and origin stories to raccoons they believe are him.

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

Without an examination or another reliable way to identify the animal, there is no definitive answer. Seattle could be following one exceptionally resilient raccoon, several similarly shaped relatives, or a mixture of genuine Jimothy sightings and mistaken identities.

Whoever appears in the recent videos seems to be doing well. Mallo added that the raccoon’s body appears to be in good condition, despite the challenges his unusual build may create.

Wildlife officials have advised residents to continue observing Jimothy — or any possible Jimothys — from a distance. People should not approach, feed, capture, or attempt to pet the animals, especially as increased attention could draw more visitors into the neighborhood, creating more hazards for racoons as well.

Until someone solves the mystery, “Jimothy” may be less one raccoon’s name than a title passed among Ballard’s roundest residents.

For over a decade, Plex was the undisputed choice for anyone looking to self-host a media server. Unlike its alternatives, Plex was polished, feature-rich, and years ahead of the competition.

After a rough try in May and a scrubbed launch last week, SpaceX will attempt to launch Starship on its 13th test flight Thursday. 

The launch follows a scrubbed attempt on July 16 — canceled because some of the engines didn't start, triggering an abort, company founder Elon Musk said in a post on X. SpaceX officials say they're ready to give it another go, but weather conditions could foul their plans.  

As previously reported by Mashable, this test will seek to prove the rocket booster can separate cleanly from the ship in the air, swing around the right way, fire its engines again, and splash down in the Gulf of Mexico. They've changed how engines light and tweaked the landing sequence, which plops the ship into the Indian Ocean. 

The modifications follow the 12th flight's botched flip and several engine restarting failures.

This launch marks the latest step in SpaceX's campaign to turn the most powerful rocket ever built into a reusable workhorse — one that can haul heavy cargo into space, survive the fiery return trip, support NASA's moon landings, and eventually execute Musk's personal Mars ambitions.

SEE ALSO: Astronomers think some asteroids have been comets all along. Here's why.

SpaceX says it will stream the South Texas launch on its website and X, the social media platform owned by Musk. The broadcast is expected to start as early as 5:15 p.m. CT. If any delays occur, the company will provide updates on X.

Once it gets off the ground, Starship will try to deploy 20 satellites, then attempt to restart a single engine while coasting, a skill SpaceX says it will need for future missions that change course or head to the moon. The cargo includes Starlink V3 internet satellites. 

"The thing that separates us from a lot of other companies is that we test fast and we test often, and that includes launches," said Tim Southerton, director of Starship launch engineering, in SpaceX's latest mini documentary. "We want to make sure the vehicle's all ready to go. We want to make sure the ground's all ready to go, but we also don't want to be caught in analysis paralysis."

While waiting for ignition, viewers can watch SpaceX's short documentary, called "Critical Path." The film follows engineers and pad crews through the final days leading up to the previous flight. 

During the film, Musk doesn't say much. 

"I personally have never felt any pressure from Elon of like, 'It doesn't matter, hell or high water, we're flying this rocket.' Like, absolutely not. That's not his style," said Justin Styer, the company's senior Starship launch director, in the film. "And, like I said, the critical path to Mars is not blowing up rockets."