Mashable

Google Cloud was identified by a Cloudflare representative as the cause of a massive outage that disrupted services across the internet Thursday.

The widespread internet outage affected a variety of popular platforms, with users reporting problems accessing Google services, Cloudflare, Spotify, Twitch, and Discord.

The outage also included popular cloud hosting services such as Cloudflare, which reported service disruptions on its status page. However, a Cloudflare representative stated in an email to Mashable that Google Cloud was responsible for the disruptions to internet services.

"This is a Google Cloud outage," a Cloudflare spokesperson told Mashable by email. They added, "A limited number of services at Cloudflare use Google Cloud and were impacted. We expect them to come back shortly. The core Cloudflare services were not impacted."

On the Google Cloud status page, the company initially reported that it was "experiencing service issues with multiple GCP products beginning at Thursday, 2025-06-12 10:51 PDT."

At 3:41 p.m. ET, Google Cloud provided a further update: "Our engineers have identified the root cause and have applied appropriate mitigations. While our engineers have confirmed that the underlying dependency is recovered in all locations except us-central1, we are aware that customers are still experiencing varying degrees of impact on individual google cloud products. All the respective engineering teams are actively engaged and working on service recovery. We do not have an ETA for full service recovery."

On its own status page, Cloudflare reported, "Cloudflare’s critical Workers KV service went offline due to an outage of a 3rd party service that is a key dependency. As a result, certain Cloudflare products that rely on KV service to store and disseminate information are unavailable..."

Mashable reached out to Google for comment on the outages, and we will update this story if they respond.

On Thursday afternoon, the website Down Detector showed a spike in user error reports starting around 2 p.m. ET. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis owns both Mashable and Down Detector.) By 3:30 p.m., service had been restored at many of the affected platforms, though some users are still reporting problems.

Prime Day is coming, and if you want to shop all the best deals, you'll need an Amazon Prime account.

Here's how shoppers can sign up for Amazon Prime:

Total Time

• 5 minutes, email address or phone number

What You Need

• Internet access

Step 1: Go to the Amazon Prime sign-up page and click on Start your free 30-day trial.

Head to Amazon Prime's sign-up page.

Step 2: Input your email if you have an existing Amazon account or click on Create Your Amazon account.

A new sign-in page will open up on the website. Input your email or mobile number and password if you have an existing Amazon account or click on Create Your Amazon account. If you make a new account, you'll need to provide some basic information such as name, email, and password.

Step 3: If you're creating a new account, follow the steps to verify your email with a One-Time Password.

If you choose to create a new account, Amazon will send an OTP to your respective email address or mobile number for account verification. If you are using an existing account, skip to Step 5.

Step 4: Input the OTP and click on Verify.

Once the OTP verification page appears on the screen, input the code and click on Verify.

Step 5: Sign up for your free one-month trial or purchase a full subscription.

Now users have two options: sign up for a free one-month trial or purchase a full subscription, though many users might not qualify for a free trial if they have already availed it in the past with the same email or phone number. If you are purchasing a subscription, click on one of these four plans to become a prime member: Monthly Prime Membership — costs $14.99 per month Annual Membership — costs $139 per year or under $12 monthly Student Monthly Membership — costs $7.49 per month; students are eligible for exclusive offers including a 6-month free Prime trial. Prime for government assistance recipients — costs $6.99 per month (must verify eligibility)

Meta has struck out against a popular app used to produce AI-generated nonconsensual intimate images — commonly referred to as "nudify" or "undress" apps — as the company selectively cracks down on advertisers.

In a new lawsuit filed in Hong Kong against the makers behind a commonly-used app known as Crush AI, the tech giant claims parent company Joy Timeline HK intentionally bypassed Meta's ad review process using new domain names and networks of advertiser accounts in order to promote the app's AI-powered deepfake services.

"This legal action underscores both the seriousness with which we take this abuse and our commitment to doing all we can to protect our community from it. We’ll continue to take the necessary steps — which could include legal action — against those who abuse our platforms like this," Meta wrote in a press release.

SEE ALSO: FDA wants to use AI to speed up drug approval process

Meta has previously been under fire for failing to curb nudify apps from advertising on its platform, including allowing ads featuring explicit deepfake images of celebrities to appear repeatedly on the platform — in addition to its advertising policies, Meta prohibits the spread of non-consensual intimate imagery and blocks the search terms "nudify," "undress" and "delete clothing." According to an analysis by Cornell researcher Alexios Mantzarlis, Crush AI allegedly ran more than 8,000 ads across Meta platforms between the fall of 2024 and January 2025, with 90 percent of its traffic coming from Meta platforms. Broadly, AI-generated ad content has plagued users, as the company has relaxed its content moderation policies in favor of automated review processes and community-generated fact-checking.

Victims of AI-generated nonconsensual intimate imagery have spent years fighting for greater industry regulation and legal pathways for recourse. In May, the Trump Administration signed the Take It Down Act, a law that criminalizes nonconsensual intimate imagery and sets mandatory takedown policies for online platforms. AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has also proliferated across the internet in recent years, prompting widespread concern about the safety and regulation of generative AI tools.

In addition to taking legal action against Crush AI, Meta announced it was developing a new detection technology to more accurately flag and remove ads for nudify apps. The company is also stepping up its work with the Tech Coalition’s Lantern program, an industry initiative to coalesce information on child online safety, and will continue sharing information on violating companies and products. Since March, Meta has reported more than 3,800 unique URLs related to nudify apps and websites and discovered four separate networks trying to promote their services, according to the company.

UPDATE: Jun. 12, 2025, 5:33 p.m. EDT The Google Cloud service page has posted another update saying, "most of the Google Cloud products have confirmed full service recovery."

UPDATE: Jun. 12, 2025, 5:12 p.m. EDT The Google Cloud service page says engineers "have implemented mitigation for the issue" and are "seeing signs of recovery" in multiple regions. The status update says Google Cloud expects the recovery to complete in "less than an hour."

If you noticed some of your favorite sites aren't working this afternoon, you're not alone. It seems like practically the entire internet is down, including Google Cloud, OpenAI, Twitch, Discord, Nintendo, and Spotify.

Down Detector, a platform where users can report errors and other problems, showed a widespread spike in problems. (Disclosure: Down Detector is owned by Mashable's parent company Ziff Davis.) And on social media platforms like X, users also shared their frustration.

On the Google Cloud status page, the service admitted to "service issues" at 2:46 p.m. ET. According to the most recent updates at 3:41 p.m. ET and 4:16 p.m. ET, engineers “have identified the root cause and have applied appropriate mitigations.” However, the company also noted that they don’t have an ETA for full recovery.

Meanwhile, a Google Cloud representative provided this statement to Mashable: "We are currently investigating a service disruption to some Google Cloud services."

The Google Cloud status page states that affected areas include regions all across Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America.

What is Google Cloud?

Google Cloud is a popular cloud hosting service. Because it provides hosting for a variety of other services, websites, and apps, an outage with Google Cloud Products (GCP) could cause major ripple effects across the digital ecosystem.

This story is developing and we'll update it with more information...

Is the entire internet down?

Around 2:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 12, users started reporting widespread service disruptions at popular websites and apps, including Twitch, Gmail, Discord, Nintendo Switch Online, Spotify, and dozens of other platforms. By 3:30 p.m., some services appeared to be restored, although ongoing outages continue.

The service Down Detector showed a spike in error messages across the internet, and users are taking to social media to complain of problems at their favorite websites. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis owns both Mashable and Down Detector.) Mashable reporters experienced problems accessing some Google services, such as Google Meet, when the outage first occurred.

Credit: Down Detector

Cloudflare, a popular IT management company that provides hosting services, is among the services disrupted by the massive internet outage. Cloudflare reported "Broad Cloudflare service outages" on its website on Thursday afternoon. The company initially reported that they are "continuing to investigate this issue." However, a more recent message states, "We are starting to see services recover. We still expect to see intermittent errors across the impacted services as systems handle retried and caches are filled."

At the same time, a Google Cloud status page states, "Multiple GCP products are experiencing Service issues."

According to Down Detector, the following sites are experiencing a spike in user error reports:

• Discord

• Google (Google Cloud, Gmail, Google Meet, and others)

• Spotify

• Twitch

• character.ai

• Rocket league

• Cloudflare

• Etsy

• Pokémon Trading card game

• Snapchat

• fuboTV

• Anthropic (maker of Claude)

• Shopify

• Gemini

• MLB.tv

• Doordash

• Ikea

• Equifax

• Marvel

• Vimeo

• Nintendo Switch Online

• Gitlan

• Calendly

Disruptions to platforms like Cloudflare, Google Cloud, Shopify, and AWS could cause ripple effects across the internet. And because the disruption occurred during work hours, frustrated workers are complaining of problems accessing tools like Google Meet. As of 3:35 p.m., many of the impacted websites appeared to be recovering, according to user reports on Down Detector.

On social media sites like X, confused users are reacting in real-time to the widespread service disruptions across the internet.

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This is a developing story and will be updated as new details emerge.

UPDATE: Jun. 12, 2025, 4:40 p.m. EDT This story has been updated with additional details about the widespread internet service disruption. An earlier version of this story stated that Amazon Web Services (AWS) was impacted by the outages; however, an Amazon representative told Mashable this is not the case. An AWS spokesperson said, "Currently there are no board service issues with AWS."

UPDATE: Jun. 12, 2025, 5:06 p.m. EDT According to the Cloudflare status page, the service issues have been fully resolved. "All Cloudflare services have been restored and are now fully operational," the company wrote. "We are moving the incident to Monitoring while we watch platform metrics to confirm sustained stability."

Large swaths of the internet went down on Thursday afternoon, affecting a wide variety of services, including Cloudflare.

Down Detector showed a spike of user-reported issues for the popular IT tool, but it was far from alone. User-reported issues for major sites and services flooded in. Sites like Spotify, Google, Snapchat, Discord, Nintendo, Character.ai, and more all saw spikes on Down Detector. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis owns both Mashable and Down Detector.)

Cloudflare has provided regular updates on the issues on its status page. Most recently, it wrote: "Cloudflare’s critical Workers KV service went offline due to an outage of a 3rd party service that is a key dependency." That update was posted online at about 4 p.m. ET, indicating the problems persisted, to some degree, hours after it was first identified.

"Cloudflare engineers are working to restore services immediately," the company added. "We are aware of the deep impact this outage has caused and are working with all hands on deck to restore all services as quickly as possible."

The large spike on Down Detector has begun to trend downward and, in an earlier update at about 3:15 p.m. ET, the company noted it was "starting to see services recover" but still expected "intermittent errors." According to the most recent updates, the service issues have been resolved.

What is Cloudflare?

Cloudflare, in short, supplies IT management for lots of businesses. The idea is it improves website security, hosting, and functionality and, apparently, works with many of the sites you might come across daily.

"Cloudflare powers Internet requests for millions of websites and serves 78 million HTTP requests per second on average," its site reads.

So, a disruption to Cloudflare could cause ripple effects across the digital world.

This is a developing story and will be updated as new details emerge.

The Schwartz has been awakened! That's right: Writer-director Mel Brooks' cult classic Spaceballs is getting a sequel, 40 years after the sci-fi parody's original release. Jury's still out on whether it will be called Spaceballs 2: The The Search for More Money, as the original film joked.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best movies of 2025 (so far), and where to watch them

Amazon MGM Studios announced the sequel will be arriving in theaters in 2027, with a video of Brooks himself discussing making more Spaceballs.

"After 40 years, we asked, 'What do the fans want?'" Brooks says. "But instead, we're making this movie."

The video also sends up just how drastically the franchise landscape has changed since Spaceballs' 1987 release. In an opening title crawl, the video reminds us that there are now three Star Wars trilogies, several spin-off TV shows, and a whole host of other massive franchises, like "36 MCU movies with two different Robert Downey Jr.'s."

So where will Spaceballs 2 fit into the world of franchises? Is it a sequel? A prequel? A reboot? According to its log line, it's actually "A Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part Two but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film."

While Spaceballs 2's plot details are currently under wraps, there's still lots to get excited about. Brooks will be reprising the role of Yogurt, Spaceballs' Yoda stand-in who encourages hero Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) to use the Schwartz.

According to Deadline, Pullman is also set to return in Spaceballs 2, along with Rick Moranis, who played Spaceballs' villainous Dark Helmet. The role would mark Moranis' return to live-action films after a hiatus of 28 years. (Moranis did do voice work, like Brother Bear, as well as TV work during this time.)

On top of the returning Spaceballs cast members, Spaceballs 2 will star Keke Palmer. Josh Gad is also expected to star. Gad wrote the script alongside Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez. Josh Greenbaum (Will & Harper, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) will direct.

Spaceballs 2 hits theaters in 2027.

Amazon and other major online retailers' websites are still working amid this afternoon's massive internet outage, but they're taking their time to load.

The outage appears to be affecting dozens of online services, including the ecommerce platform Shopify. Walmart and Target rely on Shopify to support their third-party marketplace sellers.

SEE ALSO: Massive internet outage: Google services, Cloudflare, Spotify all down, users report

Mashable reporters were able to add products to their cart and get through the checkout process on Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and eBay as well as several online stores that use Shopify (Sennheiser, Good American, Allbirds, Brooklinen, and Netflix). However, all sites we tried were very slow to load.

It's still unclear what exactly caused today's outage.

This story is developing.

On Thursday afternoon, a massive list of popular internet services all started experiencing outages at the same time.

Thousands of confused internet users took to Google and social media to ask why they couldn't log into their favorite websites and apps. The front page of Down Detector was a menagerie of spiking orange line graphs, starting around 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 12. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis owns both Mashable and Down Detector.)

Here's what we know so far.

What's causing the service outage?

At the time of writing, it's unclear what the cause of this outage is, though both CloudFlare and Google Cloud have reported problems. Cloudflare's status page is reporting broad service interruptions.

According to the most recent updates from the company:

• "We are starting to see services recover. We still expect to see intermittent errors across the impacted services as systems handle retried and caches are filled."

• "We are seeing a number of services suffer intermittent failures. We are continuing to investigate this and we will update this list as we assess the impact on a per-service level."

• Cloudflare engineering is investigating an issue causing Access authentication to fail. Cloudflare Zero Trust WARP connectivity is also impacted.

And at the Google Cloud status page, the company reported earlier today that "Multiple GCP products are experiencing Service issues." The most recent update states: "We have identified the root cause and applied appropriate mitigations. Our infrastructure has recovered in all regions except us-central1. Google Cloud products that rely on the affected infrastructure are seeing recovery in multiple locations. Our engineers are aware of the customers still experiencing issues on us-central1 and multi-region/us and are actively working on full recovery. We do not have an ETA for full recovery."

A representative for Google Cloud told Mashable via email, "We are currently investigating a service disruption to some Google Cloud services. Please view our public status dashboard for the latest updates.”

What does Down Detector say?

Down Detector, a platform where users can report errors, has received an avalanche of user reports, with Google Services, popular AI platforms, and e-commerce websites all affected. Social apps like Twitch, Nintendo Switch Online, and Discord all received a spike in error reports as well.

Even more services. Credit: Screenshot: Downdetector Some impacted services. Credit: Screenshot: Downdetector More services. Credit: Screenshot: Downdetector Is Google down?

Down Detector users have reported problems to a variety of Google services, although Google Search and Gmail appear to be working for most users. Multiple Mashable reporters have also experienced problems accessing services such as Google Meet. Google Cloud is reporting issues, which would help explain why so many Google services are struggling.

As of 3:30 p.m. ET, Google Cloud said it doesn't have an ETA for "full recovery" yet.

What websites, apps, and platforms are affected?

As of 3:20 p.m. ET, dozens of popular platforms are down or experiencing issues. According to Down Detector, the following sites reported a surge in error messages.

• Discord

• Google and all related services (e.g. YouTube, Google Meet)

• Spotify

• Twitch

• Character.ai

• Rocket League

• Cloudflare

• Etsy

• Pokemon Trading Card Game

• Snapchat

• fuboTV

• Anthropic

• Shopify

• Gemini

• MLB.tv

• Doordash

• Ikea

• Equifax

• Marvel

• Vimeo

• Nintendo Switch Online

• Gitlab

• Calendly

• Bluesky

• Grok

• Fortnite

• Apple Music

• Netflix

• Disney Plus

• Prime Video

This story is developing...

UPDATE: Jun. 12, 2025, 4:30 p.m. EDT This story has been updated with additional details about the widespread internet service disruption. An earlier version of this story stated that Amazon Web Services (AWS) was impacted by the outages; however, an Amazon representative told Mashable this is not the case. An AWS spokesperson said, "Currently there are no board service issues with AWS."

Countless sites and services — stalwarts like Twitch, Gmail, Discord, Nintendo, and more — went down on Thursday afternoon, eastern time. The internet, even as large swaths of it went down, was quick to react on social media. And, in short, people were freaking out.

People posted screenshots of Down Detector, which showed, well, just about everything was out. It's worth noting that Down Detector registers user-reported issues, so you still may have access to sites experiencing spikes. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis owns both Mashable and Down Detector.)

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The memes and jokes flowed in, too, of course.

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Almost all of the internet may be down, but the internet still has jokes about it.

This story is developing and will be updated as needed...

If you're having trouble with Google right now, you're not alone.

On Downdetector, users started reporting outages with Google around 1:30 p.m. EST — so you're not the only person experiencing tech issues today. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis owns both Mashable and Downdetector.)

SEE ALSO: Massive internet outage reported: Google services, Cloudflare, Character.AI are all down

And Google Search isn't the only thing on the internet struggling right now. Mashable editors are experiencing service disruptions to Google Meet in particular.

"We are currently investigating a service disruption to some Google Cloud services. Please view our public status dashboard for the latest updates," a Google Cloud spokesperson told Mashable over email. As of this writing, Google's status dashboard reports that "multiple [Google Cloud Platform] products are experiencing Service issues."

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

And, on Downdetector, users are also reporting outages with Google Cloud, Discord, Spotify, Amazon Web Services, CharacterAI, Snapchat, Cloudfare, Rocket League, Pokemon TCG, Google Nest, FuboTV, Box, HighLevel, Etsy, Vimeo, OpenAI, Google Drive, Mailchimp, Shopify, UPS, Microsoft Azure, Google Maps, Anthropic, cursor, reCAPtcha, Dialpad, Verizon, YouTube, Gmail, NPM, AT&T, T-Mobile, Gemini, Twitch, Pokemon GO, Dragon Ball, Phasmophobia, DoorDash, and more.

So, basically, the entire internet is having issues.

SEE ALSO: Much of the internet is down and social media is not taking it well

This is a developing story.

SAVE 20%: Through Aug. 10, you can slash 20% off a Ninja Thirsti Max bundle and Dirty Soda pack when you use the code JEN20, DEMI20, TAYLOR20, or MAYCI20 at Ninja Kitchen's website. Add the Ninja Thirsti Max bundle and your choice of Dirty Soda pack to your cart to redeem the codes.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Thirsti Max bundle + Dirty Soda flavor pack Get 20% off with codes JEN20, DEMI20, TAYLOR20, or MAYCI20 Get Deal

Dirty soda — aka soda spiked with cream and flavored syrup — is a TikTok favorite, thanks greatly in part to MomTok creators Taylor Frankie Paul, Jen Affleck, Demi Engemann, and Mayci Neeley. So, Ninja decided to tap into the viral drink trend by joining forces with the beloved Utah-based influencers to create four hand-crafted Dirty Soda bundles for fans.

No need to head to a drive-thru. Ninja's collab with the MomTok ladies makes it easy for fans to craft the unique drinks at home at the touch of a button using the Ninja Thirsti. And for a limited time, you can get the drink maker and exclusive Dirty Soda packs for 20% off.

Through Aug. 10, shoppers and MomTok fans can save 20% when purchasing the Ninja Thirsti Max bundle and a Dirty Soda pack at the Ninja Kitchen website with the code JEN20, DEMI20, TAYLOR20, or MAYCI20. That knocks the cost of the Ninja Thirsti Max drink system bundle down to $143.99 from $179.99 and the Dirty Soda pack of your choice down to $16.78 from $20.97 — a grand total of $160.77.

In order to redeem the discount, you'll first need to add the Build Your Own Ninja Thirsti Max bundle to your cart. Then choose one of the Dirty Soda packs and add it to your cart. When you're ready to check out, enter the code of the MomTok creator that matches your Dirty Soda pack — JEN20, DEMI20, TAYLOR20, or MAYCI20 — and hit "apply." The price should go from $200.96 to just $160.77.

One of our favorite Ninja appliances, we're big fans of the Ninja Thirsti. Mashable Sam Mangino calls it "a fantastic carbonated drink maker, best for the flavored water devotee."

TL;DR: Upgrade your PC for just A$23 with this Microsoft Windows 11 Pro lifetime license, on sale through 20 July.

Opens in a new window Credit: Windows Microsoft Windows 11 Pro AU$23
AU$307 Save AU$284 Get Deal

Do you have an old computer that could use a refresh? Upgrade its operating system and give it new life with a lifetime license to Windows 11 Pro, now just A$23 (reg. A$307) through 20 July.

If you’ve got an older device lying around, you don’t need to shell out hundreds of dollars for a brand-new laptop. Just give it a new lease on life with a Windows 11 Pro upgrade. This new operating system is filled with features that can help you tackle both work and play.

What’s new in Windows 11 Pro?

Microsoft Windows 11 Pro was created with modern professionals in mind, but you don’t have to be tackling work to appreciate the new features. It offers a seamless interface that’s easy to navigate, snap layouts, improved voice typing, and a more powerful search experience everyone can benefit from.

We should all be taking our cybersecurity more seriously, and Windows 11 Pro offers advanced security measures like a biometric login, encrypted authentication, and advanced antivirus defenses to beef up your protection.

Need to get work done? Windows 11 Pro includes Microsoft Teams, and also offers some unique professional features. Azure AD lets you manage logins and permissions for employees, while Hyper-V makes it possible to create and run virtual machines to test things. You’ll also get Windows Sandbox, a way to test files safely without risking your computer.

If you’d like to ditch the mouse and keyboard, Microsoft Windows 11 Pro gives you the option to go touchscreen. And it also puts Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant, right on your desktop.

Once you tackle all your responsibilities, it’s time to start gaming. Windows 11 Pro includes DirectX 12 Ultimate, with graphics that make you feel like you’re right there in the game.

Note: You’ll need 4GB RAM and 40GB of hard drive space to run Windows 11 Pro, and if you’re running Windows 11 but can’t install upgrades via Windows Update, you won’t be able to install this version either.

Elevate your PC experience with this lifetime license to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro, now just A$23 (reg. A$307) through 20 July.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Picasso? Don't know him. Rolex? Don't care. The hottest item on the collectibles market right now is a mischievous, sharp-toothed, gremlin-like little girl named Labubu. And yes, someone just paid $150,000 for one.

That’s not a typo. As reported by CNN, at a recent auction in Beijing, a mint green, first-generation Labubu figure measuring a whopping 131 centimeters tall (that’s over four feet!) sold for 1.08 million yuan, or about $150,325.

Let’s pause for effect: $150K. For a toy figure with a devilish grin and bunny ears. If you weren't convinced by now, Labubu is an icon, a legend — and she is the moment.

SEE ALSO: The cult and community of Labubu What makes this $150K Labubu so special?

This wasn’t your everyday Labubu plush keychain from Pop Mart (which typically retails anywhere from $27.99 to $39.99). This Labubu figure was the only one of its kind, auctioned at the prestigious Yongle International Auction House, which normally deals in fine jewelry and modern art. So when the auctioneer banged the gavel and congratulated the anonymous online bidder, it wasn’t just a win; it was a moment in collectible toy history.

The minty mischief-maker stood tall like a playful art statue, and it wasn’t alone. The auction featured 48 rare Labubus, including a 160 cm brown version that went for a cool $114,000. Only 15 of those exist, but even that couldn’t top the green figure's jaw-dropping price tag.

So, why are people paying Range Rover money for a Labubu?

Thank the global Labubu craze.

Created by Hong Kong illustrator Kasing Lung and mass-produced by Chinese toy powerhouse Pop Mart, Labubu isn’t your average cuddle toy. It’s part art, part misfit charm, part collector goldmine. Think of it as the lovechild of a Nordic folklore creature and a TikTok star, with a resale value much higher than its price tag. It's not uncommon for people to pay double or triple retail price for a Labubu keychain, and limited-edition drops and collabs can go for hundreds of dollars on sites like StockX.

Toothy, trendy, and now worth $150K. Credit: VCG/VCG via Getty Images

The demand is there. Pop Mart stores regularly see long lines and sold-out releases for Labubu drops. Blind boxes, where you don’t know which character you’re getting, are snapped up instantly, and $28 toys are being flipped online for over $270. Labubu isn’t just trending — she's a pop culture phenomenon.

Celebrities like BLACKPINK's Lisa, Rihanna, Dua Lipa, and even basketball star Dillon Brooks have sported Labubus clipped to their handbags and belt loops. Labubu is fashion's most playful accessory, a toothy vehicle for self-expression and the ultimate symbol of consumer culture.

As Mashable previously reported, business is booming for Pop Mart. "Labubu is currently Pop Mart's top-selling IP in the U.S. and one of the strongest globally," Emily Brough, Pop Mart's head of IP licensing for the Americas, told Mashable. In 2024 alone, Labubu generated more than $419 million, outperforming all other IPs in the company’s catalog. And the company's revenue in China alone topped $1.09 billion, up 34 percent from the previous year, reports CNN. Globally, Pop Mart profits shot up 125 percent, driven largely by Labubu-mania.

The best last-minute Father's Day deals at a glance: Bird Buddy Pro smart bird feeder $249 (save $50) Shop Now MasterClass Save 50% on the first year Shop Now Meater Plus smart meat thermometer $69 (save $30) Get Deal Regal Cinemas e-gift card $85 (save $15) Shop Now Roborock Qrevo Master self-emptying robot vacuum and mop $799.98 (save $800.99) Get Deal

Dads always insist that they don't want anything for Father's Day, leaving you stumped on a gift idea until you're scrambling at the last minute. But you're not tied to the ol' "it's still in the mail" excuse just yet — there are still plenty of good Father's Day gift ideas that can arrive by Sunday, June 16.

I've rounded up a variety of last-minute Father's Day ideas below, many of which also happen to be on sale. Some are physical items available with next-day or two-day delivery at Amazon, to digital gifts that don't involve any shipping at all. Be sure to double check the shipping window before purchasing. (If you're reading this on Saturday, June 14, your options may strictly be limited to the digital gifts.)

1-800 Flowers — next-day gift basket delivery, plus savings up to $30

A gift basket full of his favorite snacks is kind of a guaranteed win. Most of 1-800 Flower's Father's Day gift baskets have $10 to $30 discounts in the days leading up to the big day, plus one or two-day delivery options for many. Choose from a variety of snack crates featuring meats and cheeses, munchies like pretzels and popcorn, chocolate-covered fruit (and just plain chocolate), and more, or go extra hard with a full grilling-themed one.

Opens in a new window Credit: 1-800 Flowers 1-800 Flowers Shop Now Home Depot — save up to 50% on Father's Day essentials

There's quite literally something for every type of dad at Home Depot, and a ton of it is up to 50% off during the Father's Day sale. Save on tools and outdoor equipment, grills, lawn mowers, fire pits, patio furniture, smart home products, and even home renovation items like ceiling fans. Some are eligible for delivery as quick as same-day, or you could pick your item up for free if you have a Home Depot nearby.

Opens in a new window Credit: Traeger Home Depot Father's Day Sale save up to 50% Shop Now Masterclass — save 50% on the first year

The final boss of digital gifts, a MasterClass subscription is an immersive online learning program that features courses taught by the celebrities and industry leaders who have mastered their skill. Gordon Ramsay teaches cooking, Tom Morello teaches electric guitar, and Annie Leibovitz teaches photography, just to name a few. The Father's Day deal will get dad half off his first year of an annual plan, which usually cost between $120 and $240.

Opens in a new window Credit: MasterClass MasterClass Save up to 50% on the first year Shop Now Meater meat thermometer — save 31%, plus next-day Prime shipping

If dad's cursing out his half-broken ancient meat thermometer every time he cooks, an upgrade is imminent. The Meater Plus is one of the internet's favorite smart wireless meat thermometers and is on sale for $69 at Amazon ahead of Father's Day. The connected app provides crucial intel for BBQ-ing, grilling, smoking, and air frying, like current and target temperature notifications.

Opens in a new window Credit: Meater Meater Plus $69 at Amazon
$99.95 Save $30.95 Shop Now Bird Buddy — next-day Prime shipping

A solar-powered smart bird feeder is the ultimate gift for anyone who is proud of their yard. Bird Buddy's award winning design uses smart species recognition to detect the variety of visitors, which dad can watch on the app through the live stream camera.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bird Buddy Bird Buddy Pro $249 at Amazon
$299 Save $50 Shop Now Yeti cooler — next-day Prime shipping

Once dad has a Yeti cooler, he'll likely never need another cooler again — these things are virtually indestructible (and bear resistant!) The Tunrda 35 cooler uses three inches of PermaFrost insulation to keep up to 20 cans cold for several days, plus a built-in drain system for the ice when it does melt. A few other Yeti items are also available with next-day shipping at Amazon, and some colors are even on sale.

Opens in a new window Credit: Yeti Yeti Shop Now Movie theatre e-gift card — save $15

There are a ton of good movies set to hit theaters in the last half of 2025, including 28 Years Later, Elio, Jurassic World Rebirth, Superman, and Happy Gilmore 2. If dad's a big theatre guy, some free trips to the big screen (maybe even an IMAX viewing or two) will be his ideal gift. Best Buy has slashed $15 off of this $100 Regal gift card, which will be delivered to his inbox within minutes.

Opens in a new window Credit: Regal Regal e-gift card $85 at Best Buy
$100 Save $15 Get Deal Beats headphones — next-day Prime shipping and up to 51% off

A good pair of noise-cancelling headphones is a staple for, well, life. Dad would appreciate the peace and quiet when he's working, working out, diving into his favorite hobby, or sitting on an airplane. Beats has a large selection of water-resistant over-ear, on-ear, or earbuds that can all arrive the next day from Amazon. Some pairs, like most colors of the Beats Studio Pro that Mashable's Alex Perry loved, are up to 51% off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Shop Now Roborock Qrevo Master robot vacuum — save 50%, plus free two-day shipping

Your parents cleaned up after you for the first chunk of your life — now, return the favor by crossing one major chore off their list. After a lot of at-home testing, I crowned the Roborock Qrevo Master the best robot vacuum of 2024 for its ability to successfully mop corners and get to the right room without getting stuck. This model also self-empties and washes and dries its own mopping pads. At $799.98 on sale at Amazon, it's one of the most advanced robot vacuums you can get under $1,000.

Opens in a new window Credit: Roborock Roborock Qrevo Master $799.98 at Amazon
$1,599.99 Save $800.01 Shop Now

It's not your imagination — you're likely seeing more ads these days.

Prime Video, Amazon's streaming offering, has quietly doubled its ads, according to an exclusive report from Adweek. Citing ad buyers and documents it reviewed, Adweek reported that Amazon has moved to four to six minutes of ads per hour of streaming. That's double the two to three-and-a-half minutes when Prime Video first launched ads in January of last year.

“Prime Video ad load has gradually increased to four to six minutes per hour,” an Amazon representative told an ad buyer, according to Adweek.

It seems like every streaming platform has gradually moved to include more ads. HBO Max — then known as Max, which was previously HBO Max, which was previously HBO Now, which was previously HBO Go — rolled out ads last year and recently cracked down on password sharing. That's a double whammy of ad inconvenience. Netflix? Ads and password sharing crackdown. Hulu or pretty much anywhere else? Ditto.

You can, of course, pay extra to get an ad-free experience. For Amazon, that means an extra $3 per month. Streamers, of course, have rebranded the ad-supported tiers as cheaper options.

But I, for one, remember the days when ponying up hefty monthly fees meant no ads on streaming at all. Unfortunately for consumers, it appears the ads will only become more and more frequent.

FREE GIFT CARD WITH PURCHASE: When you grab the new Sony WH-1000XM6 noise-cancelling headphones at Amazon for $448, you'll get a free $30 Sony gift card to spend as you please.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones $448 at Amazon
Get a free $30 Sony gift card Get Deal

Sony dropped its newest flagship headphones last month, the WH-1000XM6s, and we're loving them. And so are our readers; the noise-cancelling headphones are one of Mashable readers' top purchases in May 2025. They're expensive (shocker), but our reviewer Timothy Beck-Werth says they mostly justify their cost, thanks to phenomenal noise cancellation, a comfortable fit, improved audio quality, and a travel-friendly design.

If you're in the market for a pair of elite headphones and want to be among the first adopters of the newest Sony technology, Amazon will give you a free $30 gift card with your purchase of the Sony WH-1000XM6s. This deal is only available at Amazon, which also has the best price on the headphones. They're $448 at Amazon, while they're listed at $449.99 (full price) at Sony, Best Buy, and Target. Sure, $1.99 isn't much as far as savings go, but paired with a free $30 gift card, it's the best deal you'll find on the headphones right now.

SEE ALSO: The 9 best headphones of 2025 — how do the new Sony XM6 compare?

The listing doesn't specify how you'll receive your $30 gift card, but we can assume the information will be emailed to the account you have on file at Amazon after your purchase. The deal is only available until 2:59 a.m. ET on June 23, so if you want to score a free gift card with your purchase, you have about a week and a half to decide.

If you need some influencing, check out our full review of the new flagship headphones.

Best Audio Deals

• Soundcore by Anker P20i True Wireless Earbuds — $24.99 (List Price $39.99)

• Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Headphones — $59.99

• JBL Flip 6 Portable Bluetooth Speaker — $99.95 (List Price $129.95)

• Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker — $149.00

• Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones — $228.00 (List Price $348.00)

• JBL Bar 300 5.0ch Compact Soundbar — $249.95 (List Price $399.95)

SAVE $150: All colorway options of the M4 Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) are on sale at Amazon for $849, down from the normal price of $999. That's a 15% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $849 at Amazon
$999 Save $150 Get Deal

The school year might be winding down, but it's already time to consider the next round of classes. If you could use with a shiny, new, and speedy laptop, there's a great Apple deal at Amazon today that's well worth a look.

As of June 12, every colorway option of the M4 Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) is on sale for $849 at Amazon, marked down from the normal price of $999. That's a 15% discount that shaves $150 off the list price.

If we're being honest, a lot of us look at our laptop as much (or more) than our phones, the dog, or even a partner. Because of that, you deserve a laptop that comes in a colorway that brings you joy. Apple gifted us with options on the M4 Apple MacBook Air and with today's deal, you can choose what suits you best. Go with the bright Sky Blue, stick with a classic Silver, go all-drama with Midnight, or stick with the cheery Starlight. While we've been in a flurry of discounts on the M4 Air this spring, it's rare to see every color option included in the sale.

SEE ALSO: The Apple Watch SE is still down to $169 at Amazon — act fast to save $80

In terms of performance, you're in good hands with the M4 Air. Mashable considers it the best MacBook to buy in 2025, largely thanks to the upgraded M4 chip and better cameras. There's also the near-silent operation which is also welcomed.

Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder also points out the upgrade to internal memory in his review. Last year's model topped out at 8GB but the new M4 Air comes with 16GB of starting memory. Plus, you get the option to use two external displays. Apple mentions this model can get up to 18 hours of battery life, so you're in for all-day use before you'll need to recharge.

If you've been considering a MacBook upgrade, today's deal on every colorway on the M4 Air means this is a great time to snag the 13-inch model for $849. You'll be so thankful of the speedy new chip come next semester.

The best tech deals to shop this week

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

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

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

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

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

SAVE $25: As of June 12, get the Samsung Galaxy A16 for $174.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $199.99. That's a discount of 13% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung Galaxy A16 $174.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $25 Get Deal

Looking to pick up a new smartphone? You don't have to pay over $1,000 to get a quality phone that you can rely on. In fact, you can get a Samsung smartphone that fits your budget for a steal right now if you hurry to Amazon, where you can find the Galaxy A16 smartphone discounted to a price that's more than nice.

As of June 12, get the Samsung Galaxy A16 at Amazon for $174.99, down from its usual price of $199.99. That's $25 off for a discount of 13%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: Save $500 on the Samsung Frame TV at Amazon

The Galaxy A16 boasts a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 800 nits of brightness, a 50MP camera array with a 12MP front-facing lens, 128GB of storage and 4GB of RAM. It's powered by the Exynos 1330 processor, and includes a 5,000mAh battery that supports 25W fast charging, so you won't be left waiting around if you need to juice it up after long-term use. And of course, most importantly, it does support 5G connectivity.

It has an IP54 rating for high water and dust resistance, and it's built to last. Plus, it packs all the features you'd expect from a high-end Samsung smartphone into a small, more affordable package, so you can feel good about having a reliable phone in your pocket instead of something that's more hit or miss.

Is it going to run all your apps simultaneously without batting an eye? No. Is it a great smartphone for under $200? Yes. So don't miss it now that it's available at its lowest price yet.

Best Tech Deals

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

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

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

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

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

An experiment adding AI-generated summaries to the top of Wikipedia pages has been paused, following fierce backlash from its community editors.

The Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit behind Wikipedia, confirmed this to 404 Media, which spotted the discussion on a page detailing the project. Introduced as "Simple Article Summaries" by the Web Team at Wikimedia, the project proposed AI-generated summaries as way "to make the wikis more accessible to readers globally." The team intended to launch a two-week experiment to 10 percent of readers on mobile pages to gauge interest and engagement. They emphasized that the summaries would involve editor moderation, but editors still responded with outrage.

"I sincerely beg you not to test this, on mobile or anywhere else. This would do immediate and irreversible harm to our readers and to our reputation as a decently trustworthy and serious source," one editor responded (emphasis theirs). "Wikipedia has in some ways become a byword for sober boringness, which is excellent. Let's not insult our readers' intelligence and join the stampede to roll out flashy AI summaries."

Others simply responded, "yuck" and called it a "truly ghastly idea."

Several editors called Wikipedia "the last bastion" of the web that's held out against integrating AI-generated summaries. Behind the scenes, it has proactively offered up datasets to offset AI bots vacuuming up the content of its pages and overloading its servers. Editors have been working hard to clean up the deluge of AI-generated content posted on Wikipedia pages.

"Haven’t we been getting good press for being a more reliable alternative to AI summaries in search engines? If they’re getting the wrong answers, let’s not copy their homework," said one editor.

Another pointed out that the human-powered Wikipedia has been so good that search engines like Google rely on them. "I see little good that can come from mixing in hallucinated AI summaries next to our high quality summaries, when we can just have our high quality summaries by themselves."

Wikipedia was created as a crowdsourced, neutral point of view, providing a reliable and informative source for anyone with internet access. Editors responding on the discussion page noted that Generative AI has an inherent hallucination problem, which not only could undermine that credibility, but provide inaccurate information on topics that require nuance and context that could be missing from simple summaries.

Some of the editors checked how the AI model (Aya by Cohere) summarized certain topics like dopamine and Zionism and found inaccuracies.

One editor even accused Wikimedia Foundation staffers of "looking to pad their resumes with AI-related projects."

Eventually, the product manager who introduced the summary feature chimed in and said they will "pause the launch of the experiment so that we can focus on this discussion first and determine next steps together."

AI-free Wikipedia lives to fight another day.