Mashable

The forthcoming Museum of AI Arts in Los Angeles revealed new details on its offerings and announced its opening in spring 2026.

Occupying the base of a Frank Gehry-designed tower, the museum, called Dataland, will highlight machine-made art in five galleries spread over 25,000 square feet. Refik Anadol Studio, the L.A.-based digital art studio behind Dataland, also highlighted the museum's forthcoming Infinity Room, which will fill one of the galleries.

SEE ALSO: Cybercrime exhibit at Vegas Mob Museum tracks real-time attacks

The Infinity Room, referred to as an "immersive data sculpture" by its creator, artist Refik Anadol, is inspired by the Light and Space movement and was created over a decade ago (check out a teaser of the Infinity Room below). Besides trippy visuals, the Infinity Room features AI-generated scents from the museum's Large Nature Model, which sources data from the natural world.

The immersive space will be the first to utilize an "advanced type of generative AI model that understands the dynamics of real-world physics and spatial properties," according to the studio.

Dataland also announced an Artist Residency Program, where three (human) artists "will embark on projects that expand the creative horizons of human-machine collaborations" and "explore how AI can transform culture, storytelling, and design."

TL;DR: Keep track of your most important items with the KeySmart SmartCard, now just $89.99 (reg. $119.97) for a three-pack.

Opens in a new window Credit: KeySmart KeySmart® SmartCard (3-Pack) $89.99
$119.97 Save $29.98   Get Deal

Losing your wallet is stressful, but finding it doesn’t have to be. AirTags are too clunky to fit into small spaces, but the KeySmart SmartCard offers a sleeker, credit-card-sized way to locate your most important belongings. Slide it into your wallet, passport case, or attach it to an ID card, then use the Apple Find My app to locate it anytime.

Right now, you can snag a three-pack of these convenient trackers for only $89.99 (reg. $119.97) — just $30 each.

SEE ALSO: Somehow, Apple AirTags are still at their low Prime Day price — buy now to save over $30

The KeySmart SmartCard is a tracker that can actually fit where you need it to. Unlike a chunky AirTag that’s too wide to be stealthy, the KeySmart SmartCard is ultra-slim, measuring just 2mm thick — the size of two credit cards. You can easily slip it into tiny spaces and rest easy knowing you’ll always be able to find it.

Like the AirTags, the KeySmart SmartCard is compatible with the Apple Find My app. Once you’ve placed your SmartCards, just open the app and track them easily from your Apple device. It shows the last known location and can play a sound if you need to find it. If you leave something behind, it even sends alerts to your Apple devices and can display a message and contact info to anyone who finds it.

Need to keep track of an ID card or security badge? The KeySmart SmartCard features a lanyard slot, making it easy to attach it. These trackers have an IPX8 rating, so they’re waterproof and can survive up to an hour in 3.3 feet of water. And they feature a rechargeable battery that powers back up with any Qi-enabled wireless charger and lasts up to five months on a single charge.

Get a three-pack of KeySmart SmartCards for just $89.99 (reg. $119.97).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

SAVE $100: The new Ninja Slushi Max is on sale for $399.99 with promo code MAX100, down from its usual price of $499.99. That's a 20% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Slushi Max $399.99 at Ninja
$499.99 Save $100 use code MAX100 at checkout Get Deal

It's no secret that Ninja makes some excellent kitchen appliances. We now have soft-serve on the countertop and an air fryer that cooks in glass, the Ninja Crispi. But if you tend to host parties or have kids, there's a special appliance that whips up a delightful treat every single time — it's the slushy. Yes, the Ninja Slushi can turn practically any liquid into its slushy form, and it does this without ice. That means no more late-night runs to the convenience store, and it means that your parties get a serious upgrade. If that sounds appealing, check out this deal.

Through Oct. 30, use code MAX100 at checkout to get the new Ninja Slushi Max for $399.99 instead of its list price of $499.99. The code takes $100 off the price, which works out to a 20% discount.

The Slushi Max is built for a crowd. Building on the excellence of the original Ninja Slushi, the Max has a larger capacity, coming in at 150 ounces. That's 15 individual 10-ounce servings of slushy cola, frozen hot chocolate, the best margarita you've ever had, and milkshakes to please the kids after a soccer game.

SEE ALSO: Testing the Ninja Slushi by making a frozen version of every drink I can think of

Ninja also mentions that this model is twice as fast as the previous version. A one-ingredient soda slush can make up to 14 servings in just 45 minutes. Plus, there's the new SlushAssist, which automatically detects liquid ingredients and auto-adjusts to make the perfect texture. Or there's the manual mode, which gives you full control of the temperature for creating your ideal texture, whether it's thin or super thick.

If your parties have alcoholic slushies on the menu, the new Ninja Slushi Max can handle higher alcohol percentages compared to the original. Ninja says this model can slush-ify hard seltzers, wine, mudslides, cosmos, long island iced teas, and plenty more. Drinks under 20 percent alcohol will work with the new Slushi Max. That has the potential to be the highlight of holiday gatherings this year.

If your kitchen is the center of the party, the new Ninja Slushi Max is here to impress all guests, from the adults to the kids. Whip up your own favorite boozy treat, a non-alcoholic refresher, or the perfect milkshake thanks to the speed and performance of the new Slushi Max. It's on sale before the holiday rush for $399.99. But act quickly because this deal is set to expire on Oct. 30.

SAVE $11.22: As of Oct. 29, get the Lego Lunch Bag for $16.78, down from its usual price of $28. That's a discount of 40% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Lego Lunch Bag $16.78 at Amazon
$28 Save $11.22   Get Deal

If you're packing lunches for yourself or the kids every day, it's high time you did it in style. Skip the brown bag and pick out a fun lunch bag that everyone can enjoy, and save a little money while you're at it. There's an especially good deal for anyone who likes Lego, which is pretty much everyone in existence, and it can make lunchtime fun.

As of Oct. 29, get the Lego Lunch Bag for $16.78, down from its usual price of $28. That's $11.22 off and a discount of 40%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: The 24 best new Lego sets: If you love Wicked, Back to the Future, or Star Wars, prepare to geek out

This lunch back looks just like a Lego brick. It's shaped like a 1x2 brick with a fun Lego stud detail zip pocket. It's got water-resistant backing as well as insulation to keep food and drinks cold for hours, so whether you're sending the kids to school or making lunch for work, everything will stay nice and fresh while you wait.

There's also an interior mesh pouch that you can close with velcro, with additional zippers and a padded handle you can use to either carry it or attach it to a backpack. It's super versatile and fun, so even if you're an adult taking it to your job, or hanging out with your lunch in your car, or helping your kids get to school or appointments with a nutritious meal, you'll all feel a little cooler carrying it. Lego is pretty universal, after all. And for under $20, this isn't a bad deal for making lunch fun.

Stop me if you've heard this one before: The new M5 Apple devices are faster and more powerful than their predecessors, with new AI tools built right into the experience. Yet they're also not a necessary upgrade for the vast majority of people.

Already this year, I've said this exact same thing about headphones, smartwatches, laptops, tablets, and TVs. I'm also getting tired of finding new ways to say this: We're living in the era of iterative improvements, when companies release new products faster than consumers can keep up. And the new M5-powered MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro are the epitome of iterative improvements, with an obligatory sprinkling of AI bells and whistles.

This is the trap Apple has laid for itself: The previous M-series chips (M1, M2, M3, M4, and a few variations thereof) are already so good that I'm not sure who really needs the M5. In my household, tablets are more likely to be used for watching Netflix or playing The Sims. I think I would struggle to push even the ancient M2 chip to its limits in daily use. I also know professional video editors who are still happily working on M1 and M2 MacBook Pros.

And that puts reviewers like me in the awkward position of simultaneously praising these products and telling you to stick with the Apple laptop or tablet you already have.

I'm not sure if that's a compliment or a criticism of Apple. I guess it's both.

Does that mean these are bad products? The opposite, actually. I believe they're some of the best gadgets in the history of the world, truly. But would I buy them? Under the right circumstances, yes. But as an actual consumer worried about inflation, rent, and health insurance, I'm sticking with my old laptop and tablet for as long as I can. And my budget definitely does not include the Vision Pro.

So, who are the new MacBook Pro and iPad Pro for, exactly? Credit: Apple / Mashable

I can, and have, raved about the new M5-powered MacBook Pro (see also: my review of the new iPad Pro). And I recently got the chance to spend over an hour with the newly updated Vision Pro, completing the M5 trifecta.

The iPad Pro in particular is truly special, with a razor-thin design and crisp OLED display. And yet, everything I love about it, I also loved about last year's M4 model. Even Liquid Glass is available on the M4 models now, thanks to iPadOS 26. Likewise, as impressive as the new MacBook may be — and it is very impressive — it's also nearly identical to last year's model. Ditto Vision Pro.

Of course, the name of these products gives away the game. These products are designed for professional users running AI models locally, editing movies and podcasts, creating social video, and using 3D rendering software. For filmmakers and social creators who need an extra reference monitor they can take on the go, the iPad Pro is unmatched. There's really nothing else quite like it. But for playing The Sims? It's like bringing a Ferrari to a track and field meet.

So, unless you're prepared to write off the MacBook Pro or iPad Pro as a business expense, or unless it's going on the company card, I'm not sure you really need them.

The new M5 MacBook Pro also has another limitation. Right now, it's only available in a 14-inch version, and I know a lot of film editors are going to prefer working on a 16-inch laptop or an iMac or Mac Studio instead. You may even be able to get better performance out of M3 Ultra or M4 Max devices from Apple.

So, if the M5 MacBook Pro or iPad Pro aren't quite in your budget this year, don't worry. You can just wait for next year's M6 version.

SAVE $54: As of Oct. 29, you can get a Vizio 50-inch 4K LED TV for only $214 at Walmart. That's about 20% in savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Vizio Vizio 50-inch 4K LED TV $214 at Walmart
$268 Save $54   Get Deal

Not everyone is in the market for a top-of-the-line TV that costs thousands of dollars — especially in this economy. Sometimes you just want a TV that can do the basics: show you the content you want and look decent doing it. If that sounds like what you're looking for, check out this deal on a 50-inch Vizio TV.

As of Oct. 29, the Vizio 50-inch 4K LED TV is only $214 at Walmart. That's $54 or 20% cheaper than its list price of $268 and literally a fraction of the price of our top picks.

This TV is equipped with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG, which essentially translates to an adequate picture quality. It's not going to blow you away, but it won't look pixelated or blurry. It has two speakers that are engineered to deliver spatial audio with high-performance Dolby Audio and DTS:X, but ultimately, you'll probably want to grab a compatible soundbar to enjoy Dolby Atmos pass-through.

The WiFi 6 and Vizio OS ensure you can stream all of your favorite apps smoothly. However, if you prefer, the Vizio mobile app also lets you search, browse, and launch shows and movies directly to your TV. It may not be the most advanced TV on the market, but with over 12k reviews at Walmart, it's earned a 4.3 out of 5-star rating. Customers seem to appreciate the value for the cost and the vivid display. And at only $214, it's honestly hard to complain about much.

"You've got mail!"

While America Online, better known as AOL, is nowhere near its heights during the late 90s and early Aughts, when the dial-up service had more than 20 million paying subscribers, millions of people still hear that infamous catchphrase to this day when logging into their email account on America Online, better known as AOL.

And those millions of users are worth a significant chunk of change to the Italian app maker Bending Spoons, which just announced it was acquiring AOL from Yahoo for a whopping $1.5 billion.

"AOL is an iconic, beloved business that’s in good health, has stood the test of time, and we believe has unexpressed potential," said Bending Spoons CEO and co-founder, Luca Ferrari, in a statement along with the company's acquisition announcement. "By our estimation, AOL is one of the top ten most-used email providers in the world, with a highly retained customer base counting around 8 million daily and 30 million monthly active users. We intend to invest significantly to help the product and the business flourish."

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Bending Spoons also announced it took on $2.8 billion in debt financing in order to fund the AOL acquisition, among other investments.

According to the Wall Street Journal, AOL still pulls in more than $500 million annually in revenue, resulting in roughly $400 million in earnings each year. 

Last month, AOL officially sunsetted the company's dial-up service offerings after 30 years. However, while only hundreds of thousands of users in the U.S. still utilized dial-up, more than one million customers still pay AOL for other services, such as cybersecurity and technical support. 

Bending Spoons has been on an acquisition spree in recent years, buying up well-established online brands that seem to have grown stagnant among newer competition. 

In 2022, Bending Spoons acquired the note-taking platform Evernote and pro video mobile app company FiLMiC. In 2024, the company bought the real-life community platform MeetUp, streaming service StreamYard, and the file-sharing platform WeTransfer. Earlier this year, Bending Spoons acquired streaming platform Brightcove. Just last month, the Italian app maker announced it was acquiring the online video platform Vimeo.

As Mashable's Chris Taylor wrote over the summer, AOL was once a pioneer in the online space. From Instant Messenger to AOL Chat, the company transformed what the web would be and laid the foundational ground for today's big tech companies.

When Sewell Setzer III began using Character.AI, the 14-year-old kept it a secret from his parents. His mother, Megan Garcia, only learned that he'd become obsessed with an AI chatbot on the app after he died by suicide. 

A police officer alerted Garcia that Character.AI was open on Setzer's phone when he died, and she subsequently found a trove of disturbing conversations with a chatbot based on the popular Game of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen. Setzer felt like he'd fallen in love with Daenerys, and many of their interactions were sexually explicit. 

The chatbot allegedly role-played numerous sexual encounters with Setzer, using graphic language and scenarios, including incest, according to Garcia. If an adult human had talked to her son like this, she told Mashable, it'd constitute sexual grooming and abuse. 

SEE ALSO: After losing their son, parents urge Senate to take action on AI chatbots

In October 2024, the Social Media Victims Law Center and Tech Justice Law Project filed a wrongful death suit against Character.AI, seeking to hold the company responsible for the death of Garcia's son, alleging that its product was dangerously defective.

Last month, the Social Media Victims Law Center filed three new federal lawsuits against Character.AI, representing the parents of children who allegedly experienced sexual abuse while using the app. In September, youth safety experts declared Character.AI unsafe for teens, following testing this spring that yielded hundreds of instances of grooming and sexual exploitation of test accounts registered as minors. 

On Wednesday, Character.AI announced that it would no longer allow minors to engage in open-ended exchanges with the chatbots on its platform, a change that will take place no later than November 25. The company's CEO, Karandeep Anand, told Mashable the move was not in response to specific safety concerns involving Character.AI's platform but to address broader outstanding questions about youth engagement with AI chatbots. 

Garcia said that the new policy came "too late" for her family: "This should have been done when they released this product to the public."

Still, chatbots that are sexually explicit or abusive with minors — or have the potential to be — aren't exclusive to a single platform. 

Garcia said that parents generally underestimate the potential for some AI chatbots to become sexual with children and teens. They may also feel a false sense of safety, compared to their child talking to strangers on the internet, not realizing that chatbots can expose minors to inappropriate and even unconscionable sexual content, like non-consent and sadomasochism.

"It's like a perfect predator, right?" - Megan Garcia, safety advocate

When young users are traumatized by these experiences, pediatric and mental health experts say there's no playbook for how to treat them, because the phenomenon is so new. 

"It's like a perfect predator, right? It exists in your phone so it's not somebody who's in your home or a stranger sneaking around," Garcia tells Mashable. Instead, the chatbot invisibly engages in emotionally manipulative tactics that still make a young person feel violated and ashamed. 

"It's a chatbot that's having the same kind of behavior [as a predator] that you, now as the victim, are hiding their secret for them, because somehow you feel like you've done something to encourage this," Garcia adds.

Predatory chatbot behavior 

Sarah Gardner, CEO of the Heat Initiative, an advocacy group focused on online safety and corporate accountability, told Mashable that one of the classic facets of grooming is that it's hard for children to recognize when it's happening to them. 

The predatory behavior begins with building trust with a victim by talking to them about a wide range of topics, not just trying to engage them in sexual activity. Gardner explained that a young person may experience the same dynamic with a chatbot and feel guilty as a result, as if they did something wrong instead of understanding that something wrong happened to them. 

The Heat Initiative co-published the report on Character.AI that detailed troubling examples of what it described as sexual exploitation and abuse. These included adult chatbots acting out kissing and touching avatar accounts registered as children. Some chatbots simulated sexual acts and demonstrated well-known grooming behaviors, like giving excessive praise and telling the child account to hide sexual relationships from their parents.

A Character.AI spokesperson told Mashable that its trust and safety team reviewed the report's findings and concluded that some conversations violated the platform's content guidelines while others did not. The trust and safety team also tried to replicate the report's findings. 

"Based on these results, we refined some of our classifiers, in line with our goal for users to have a safe and engaging experience on our platform," the spokesperson said. 

Matthew P. Bergman, founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center, told Mashable that if the Character.AI chatbot communications with the children represented in the lawsuits he recently filed were conducted by a person and not a chatbot, that individual would be violating state and federal law for grooming kids online. 

How big is the problem? 

Despite the emergence of such cases, there's no representative data on how many children and teens have encountered sexually explicit or abusive chatbots. 

The online safety platform Aura, which monitors teen users as part of its family or kids membership, recently offered a snapshot of the prevalence. Among teen users who talked to AI chatbots, more than one third of their conversations involved sexual or romantic role play. This discussion type ranked highest among all categories, which included homework help and creative uses. 

Dr. Scott Kollins, Aura's chief medical officer, told Mashable that the company is still analyzing the data to better understand the nature of these chats, but he is disturbed by what he's seen so far. 

While young people are routinely exposed to pornography online, a sexualized chatbot is new, dangerous territory. 

"This takes it a step further, because now the kid is a participant, instead of a consumer of the content," Kollins said. "They are learning a way of interaction that is not real, and with an entity that is not real. That can lead to all sorts of bad outcomes." 

'It is emotional abuse' 

Dr. Yann Poncin, a psychiatrist at the Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, has treated patients who've experienced some of these outcomes. 

They commonly feel taken advantage of and abused by "creepy" and "yucky" exchanges, Poncin says. Those teens also feel a sense of betrayal and shame. They may have been drawn in by a hyper-validating chatbot that seemed trustworthy only to discover that it's interested in a sexual conversation. Some may curiously explore the boundaries of romantic and erotic talk in developmentally appropriate ways, but the chatbot becomes unpredictably aggressive or violent. 

"It is emotional abuse, so it can still be very traumatizing and hard to get through," Poncin says.

Even though there's no standard treatment for chatbot-involved sexual predation, Poncin treats his patients as though they've experienced trauma. Poncin focuses first on helping them develop skills to reduce related stress and anxiety. A subset of patients, particularly those who are socially isolated or have a history of personal trauma, may find it harder to recover from the experience, Poncin adds. 

He cautions parents against believing that their child won't run into an abusive chatbot: "No one is immune."

Talking to teens about sexualized chatbots

Garcia describes herself as a conscientious parent who had difficult conversations with her son about the risks of being online. They talked about sextortion, porn, and sexting. But Garcia says she didn't know to talk to him about sexualized chatbots. She also didn't realize he would hide that from her. 

Garcia, a lawyer who now spends much of her time advocating for youth AI safety, says she's spoken to other parents whose children have also concealed romantic or sexual relationships with AI chatbots. She urges parents to talk to their teens about these experiences — and to monitor their chatbot use as closely as they can. 

Poncin also suggests parents lead with curiosity instead of fear when they discuss sex and chatbots with their teens. Even asking a child if they have seen "weird sexual stuff" when talking to a chatbot can provide parents with a strategic opening to discuss the risks.  

If a parent discovers abusive sexual content in chatbot conversations, Garcia recommends taking them to a trusted healthcare professional so they can get support. 

Garcia's grief remains palpable as she speaks lovingly about her son's many talents and interests, like basketball, science, and math. 

"I'm trying to get justice for my child and I'm trying to warn other parents so they don't go through the same devastation I've gone through," she says. "He was such an amazing kid." 

UPDATE: Oct. 29, 2025, 2:53 p.m. PDT This story has been updated to include new comments from Megan Garcia about Character.AI's teen chat policy.

If you have experienced sexual abuse, call the free, confidential National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or access the 24-7 help online by visiting online.rainn.org.

We’ve reached the First Quarter Moon tonight, meaning we're halfway between the New Moon and the Full. Keep reading to find out what this means.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Wednesday, Oct. 29, the moon phase is First Quarter. There will be 49% of the moon lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

The moon is getting brighter each night, so there's always something to see right now. Tonight you should be able to see the Mare Vaporum, the Mare Fecunditatis, and the Mare Serenitatis.

Grab a pair of binoculars to see even more, including the Endymion Crater, Posidonius Crater, and the Apennine Mountains. Add a telescope to see the Apollo 16 and 17 landing spots, and the Rima Ariadaeus.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

NASA explains that the moon goes through phases as it completes its 29.5-day orbit around Earth. The changing angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth cause the different phases we observe. From Earth, the moon can look full, partially lit, or even disappear entirely, but we always see the same side. What changes is the amount of sunlight reflected from its surface, depending on its position in orbit.

The eight main moon phases are:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Character.AI, a popular chatbot platform where users role-play with different personas, will no longer permit under-18 account holders to have open-ended conversations with chatbots, the company announced Wednesday. It will also begin relying on age assurance techniques to ensure that minors aren't able to open adult accounts.

The dramatic shift comes just six weeks after Character.AI was sued again in federal court by the Social Media Victims Law Center, which is representing multiple parents of teens who died by suicide or allegedly experienced severe harm, including sexual abuse. The parents claim their children's use of the platform was responsible for the harm. In October 2024, Megan Garcia filed a wrongful death suit seeking to hold the company responsible for the suicide of her son, arguing that its product is dangerously defective. She is represented by the Social Media Victims Law Center and the Tech Justice Law Project.

Online safety advocates recently declared Character.AI unsafe for teens after they tested the platform this spring and logged hundreds of harmful interactions, including violence and sexual exploitation.

As it faced legal pressure in the last year, Character.AI implemented parental controls and content filters in an effort to improve safety for teens.

SEE ALSO: 'Perfect predator': When chatbots sexually abuse kids

In an interview with Mashable, Character.AI's CEO Karandeep Anand described the new policy as "bold" and denied that curtailing open-ended chatbot conversations with teens was a response to specific safety concerns.

Instead, Anand framed the decision as "the right thing to do" in light of broader unanswered questions about the long-term effects of chatbot engagement on teens. Anand referenced OpenAI's recent acknowledgement, in the wake of a teen user's suicide, that lengthy conversations can become unpredictable.

Anand cast Character.AI's new policy as standard-setting: "Hopefully it sets everyone up on a path where AI can continue being safe for everyone."

He added that the company's decision won't change, regardless of user backlash.

Garcia said in a statement that the announcement comes "too late" for her family: "This should have been done when they released this product to the public."

Matthew P. Bergman, Garcia's co-counsel in her wrongful death lawsuit against Character.AI, credited her and other parents for coming forward to hold the company accountable. Though he commended Character.AI for shutting down teen chats and said the decision marked a "significant step toward creating a safer online environment for children," he added that it would not affect ongoing litigation against the company.

Meetali Jain, who also represents Garcia, said in a statement that she welcomed the new policy as a "good first step" toward ensuring that Character.AI is safer. Yet she added that the pivot reflected a "classic move in tech industry's playbook: move fast, launch a product globally, break minds, and then make minimal product changes after harming scores of young people."

Jain noted that Character.AI has yet to address the "possible psychological impact of suddenly disabling access to young users, given the emotional dependencies that have been created."

What will Character.AI look like for teens now?

In a blog post announcing the new policy, Character.AI apologized to its teen users.

"We do not take this step of removing open-ended Character chat lightly — but we do think that it's the right thing to do given the questions that have been raised about how teens do, and should, interact with this new technology," the blog post said.

Currently, users ages 13 to 17 can message with chatbots on the platform. That feature will cease to exist no later than November 25. Until then, accounts registered to minors will experience time limits starting at two hours per day. That limit will decrease as the transition away from open-ended chats gets closer.

Character.AI will see these notifications about impending changes to the platform. Credit: Courtesy of Character.AI

Even though open-ended chats will disappear, teens' chat histories with individual chatbots will remain in tact. Anand said users can draw on that material in order to generate short audio and video stories with their favorite chatbots. In the next few months, Character.AI will also explore new features like gaming. Anand believes an emphasis on "AI entertainment" without open-ended chat will satisfy teens' creative interest in the platform.

"They're coming to role-play, and they're coming to get entertained," Anand said.

He was insistent that existing chat histories with sensitive or prohibited content that may not have been previously detected by filters, such as violence or sex, would not find its way into the new audio or video stories.

A Character.AI spokesperson told Mashable that the company's trust and safety team reviewed the findings of a report co-published in September by the Heat Initiative documenting harmful chatbot exchanges with test accounts registered to minors. The team concluded that some conversations violated the platform's content guidelines while others did not. It also tried to replicate the report's findings. 

"Based on these results, we refined some of our classifiers, in line with our goal for users to have a safe and engaging experience on our platform," the spokesperson said.

Sarah Gardner, CEO of the Heat Initiative, told Mashable that the nonprofit organization would be paying close attention to the implementation of Character.AI's new policies to ensure they're not "just another round of child safety theater."

While she described the measures as a "positive sign," she argued that the announcement "is also an admission that Character AI's products have been inherently unsafe for young users from the beginning, and that their previous safety rollouts have been ineffective in protecting children from harm."

Character.AI will begin implementing age assurance immediately. It'll take a month to go into effect and will have multiple layers. Anand said the company is building its own assurance models in-house but that it will partner with a third-party company on the technology.

It will also use relevant data and signals, such as whether a user has a verified over-18 account on another platform, to accurately detect the age of new and existing users. Finally, if a user wants to challenge Character.AI's age determination, they'll have the opportunity to provide verification through a third party, which will handle sensitive documents and data, including state-issued identification.

Finally, as part of the new policies, Character.AI is establishing and funding an independent non-profit called the AI Safety Lab. The lab will focus on "novel safety techniques."

"[W]e want to bring in the industry experts and other partners to keep making sure that AI continues to remain safe, especially in the realm of AI entertainment," Anand said.

In her statement, Garcia argued for federal regulation to ensure the safety of AI chatbots.

“Lawsuits, regulators, and public scrutiny have forced this change, but I'm mindful of the fact that we have seen time and time again that tech companies announce these big sweeping changes that fall flat," Garcia said.

UPDATE: Oct. 29, 2025, 2:50 p.m. PDT This story has been updated to include comments from Megan Garcia and her legal counsel, as well as a safety expert.

How do you capture what it looks like to fall head over heels? This was the challenge writer/director Nia DaCosta faced in adapting Henrik Ibsen's classic play Hedda Gabler into a steamy and salacious sapphic romance.

Hedda stars Tessa Thompson as the eponymous antiheroine, a woman who hungers for luxury, love, and freedom. And when she doesn't get what she wants, she proves to be a vicious mastermind. So, when Hedda's ex-lover, genderswapped by DaCosta to be Eileen Lovborg (Nina Hoss), turns up at the big party she's throwing with her newly minted husband George Tesman (Tom Bateman), trouble is in the air. But so is love.

SEE ALSO: 'Hedda' review: 'Hedda Gabler' meets 'Saltburn' in Nia DiCosta's sexy, sapphic adaptation

As Eileen enters the ballroom, she is elegant, robust, and sensual, instantly awing the audience and capturing the mercurial Hedda's full attention. In interviews with DaCosta, Thompson, Hoss, and Bateman, Mashable's Entertainment Editor, Kristy Puchko, asked how this scene came together.

DaCosta got technical, sharing the precise details demanded of a camera effect that makes it seem as if Hedda is floating toward Eileen, a moth to the former flame. Hoss shared how it takes a village to make such an impactful moment in film. Bateman provided an insightful comparison between Eileen's entrance and the swagger of Westerns, when a cowboy strides through swinging saloon doors. For her part, Thompson shared the difficulty of playing this moment with grace when you're fully aware of how goofy things look just outside of the frame.

Enjoy this dive into movie magic, then enjoy Hedda — now playing on Prime Video.

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Polymarket. Kalshi. Truth Social? 

It looks like Donald Trump's social network is getting into the prediction market space. On Monday, Truth Social's parent company, Trump Media and Technology Group Corp., announced that the social media platform would be the first such site to launch its own prediction market. 

The prediction market will be called "Truth Predict."

Truth Social announced an "exclusive arrangement" that sees the company partnering with Crypto.com to make the prediction market happen.

“We are thrilled to become the world’s first publicly traded social media platform to offer our users access to prediction markets,” said Trump Media Chairman and CEO Devin Nunes in a statement. "Truth Predict will allow our loyal users to engage in prediction markets with a trusted network while harnessing our social media platform to provide totally unique ways for users to discuss and compare their predictions."

SEE ALSO: Truth Social's new AI search is 'woke' enough to disagree with Trump

Polymarket and Kalshi are currently the two most popular prediction markets. These platforms allow users to place bets on nearly anything, from the results of an election or a basketball game to betting on whether a celebrity will do a specific thing before a set date. Prediction markets circumvent gambling laws and regulations by offering "contracts" with users betting against each other instead of playing against the house. Polymarket and Kalshi do not bet on outcomes and instead make money through fees on each contract sold.

Prediction markets have become increasingly popular in recent years. In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, many followed what platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi were predicting based on bets being placed over traditional pollsters. Now, even news outlets are sourcing these prediction markets when looking at polling data.

However, prediction markets have gained a much stronger foothold in the U.S. since Trump won the election. For example, Polymarket was unable to even operate in the U.S. from 2022 as a result of a settlement with the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The regulatory agency alleged that Polymarket was running an unregistered derivatives trading market. The FBI even raided Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan's home in 2024 to investigate whether the company was still trying to operate in the country.

Trump's Department of Justice closed the investigation into Polymarket in July of this year, and the company has since been allowed to operate once again in the U.S.

“Prediction markets are poised to be a multi-deca-billion dollar industry,” said Crypto.com co-founder and CEO Kris Marszalek in a statement about the partnership with Truth Social.

And that really gets to the heart of why Trump Media is launching Truth Predict. As Wired points out, the Trump family already has a financial interest in the prediction market space. The President's oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., is currently a strategic adviser at Kalshi. Trump Jr. is also on Polymarket's advisory board as a result of an investment made by the VC firm where he's a partner.

It's already well established that President Trump and his family have no concerns about conflicts of interest and alleged corruption. They have already tested the waters with their various cryptocurrency projects, which have seen the Trump family earn around $1 billion in the past year alone.

If the President of the United States gets involved in essentially an unregulated gambling industry where people place bets on what will happen in politics, business, sports, and more — what can go wrong? Not much for the ultimate insider who can pull the strings in multiple scenarios like Trump.

As for everyone else, though? Just ask the hundreds of thousands of people who lost money investing in Trump's memecoin.

An apparent Microsoft Azure outage on Wednesday took down important parts of the internet.

The tech giant's cloud computing service confirmed it was having issues.

Wrote Azure on its status page:

"Starting at approximately 16:00 UTC, we began experiencing Azure Front Door (AFD) issues resulting in a loss of availability of some services. We suspect that an inadvertent configuration change as the trigger event for this issue.

We are taking several concurrent actions: Firstly, where we are blocking all changes to the AFD services, this includes customer configuration changes as well. At the same time, we are rolling back our AFD configuration to our last known good state."

Azure has since updated that it had "initiated the deployment of our last known good configuration, which is expected to complete within 30 minutes. As this deployment progresses, customers should begin to see initial signs of recovery."

Microsoft wrote that it did not have an estimated time for when it would be fixed.

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

User-reported issues on Downdetector indicated people were having issues accessing Microsoft services like Outlook and 365, as well as platforms like Minecraft. (Disclosure: Downdetector is owned by Ziff Davis, the same company that owns Mashable.) User-reported issues were especially high for both Minecraft and Xbox, which means it was quite the tough day for gamers. There were lots of posts complaining about it online.

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.

By about 2:30 p.m. ET, user-reported issues for some services appeared to be trending downward, but it was still unclear if the issue was fully resolved. The outage comes just days after last week's massive Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage that took down large swaths of the internet.

Azure provides cloud services for lots of companies and platforms, which means it hosts data, websites, and provides key infrastructure for large portions of the internet. Azure actually crashed earlier this month, too, taking down Microsoft services like 365 and Outlook in the process.

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

Lovehoney's pre-Black Friday deals: Best deal overall Lovehoney Couple's Advent Calendar (24 Day) $199 (save $418.77) Get Deal Best vibrator deal Lovehoney Power Play Rechargeable Mini Wand Vibrator $39.99 (save $25) Get Deal Best anal sex toy deal Rocks-Off 7 Speed Ass-Berries Raspberry butt plug $26.99 (save $3) Get Deal

Alright, let’s talk sex toy deals. As Mashable’s resident expert in this area, I see a lot of questionable sales pop up, especially as we get closer to Black Friday. It’s super easy to get swindled online — honestly, places like Amazon and Walmart aren’t the best sources for buying pleasure products thanks to sketchy third-party sellers hawking potentially unsafe knock-offs. My advice? Stick to reputable retailers you trust. That’s why I’m spotlighting Lovehoney today. Its pre-Black Friday sale is totally legit, and the discounts are real and good.

SEE ALSO: Is the male sex toy revolution upon us?

Right now, you can get up to 50% off a pretty wide selection of toys, lingerie, bondage gear, and more at Lovehoney. On top of those markdowns, you’ll also get a free gift if you spend $89 or more (which shouldn’t be too hard to do). Note: This offer excludes Advent calendars.

Sorting through hundreds of discounted nightstand goodies can be overwhelming (especially if it’s your first time), so here are three of the best deals I’ve found so far:

Best deal overall Opens in a new window Credit: Lovehoney Lovehoney Couple's Advent Calendar (24 Day) $199 at Lovehoney
$617.77 Save $418.77   Get Deal Why we like it

Even though Lovehoney’s Advent calendars aren’t eligible for the free gift promotion, I still think that Lovehoney Couple's Advent Calendar (24 Day) is the best deal you can get on the site right now. According to the product page, this calendar is only $199 but holds goodies worth over $617 (so you’re saving over $418). Inside, you’ll get 24 items, including the Womanizer Classic 2 and the We-Vibe Sync Lite, and a bunch of other fun little treats. (If you want to know exactly what’s inside, the product page lists each item under the description section, but if you’d rather it be a surprise, I’ve kept this blurb spoiler-free.)

Advent calendars are a quirky and exciting way to celebrate the holiday season, and with a pleasure-focused calendar, you might be able to rekindle a spark with your partner or discover even better ways to love yourself. Like I always say, an orgasm a day keeps the blues away (it'll also give you flawless, glowing skin).

Best vibrator deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lovehoney Lovehoney Power Play Rechargeable Mini Wand Vibrator $39.99 at Lovehoney
$64.99 Save $25.00   Get Deal Why we like it

It’s always hard for me to recommend a vibrator for someone I don’t know (there’s so much that goes into picking a sex toy), but wand vibrators are usually a safe bet. Right now, you can get the Lovehoney Power Play Rechargeable Mini Wand Vibrator for just $39.99 (save $25). It’s waterproof, available in black or purple, has a travel lock, and is small enough to throw in your purse (I’d recommend putting it in a pouch or bag first). There are seven vibration modes, and it’s USB-rechargeable (so you could potentially charge it at the airport or even in your car if you run out of juice).

This little wand has 88 reviews, all of which are pretty positive. Most give it a five-star “orgasm rating” and praise its compact yet powerful design. “My girlfriend and I love to travel, and our usual wand was just too big to bring with us on holiday, so I purchased this little cute thing, and boy did it impress,” one reviewer writes. “So happy with this purchase and so was my partner.”

Best anal sex toy deal Opens in a new window Credit: Rocks-Off Rocks-Off 7 Speed Ass-Berries Raspberry butt plug $26.99 at Lovehoney
$29.99 Save $3   Get Deal Why we like it

Not everyone is into anal, and that’s OK! But, if you are, the Rocks-Off 7 Speed Ass-Berries Raspberry butt plug is only $26.99 right now. Sure, that’s only a $3 discount, but it’s totally worth it for the quality and unique design of this plug. You’ll notice that the head is textured (like a raspberry; you can get as graphic with that as you want) with raised nubs, and the base is super flared out, so there’s no chance this cutie will accidentally disappear during playtime. It also vibrates, which isn’t something most butt plugs at this price point can do (or do well, that is).

With tons of five-star reviews (some as recent as last week), you can’t beat this price. But please, for the love of God, USE LUBE. Do not attempt to play with this toy (or any anal toy) without a generous amount of water-based lube.

SAVE $11.80: As of Oct. 29, students can save 20% on The Brick by proving their educational status. That makes The Brick $47.20, down from its usual price of $59.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Brick The Brick $47.20 at The Brick
$59 Save $11.80 Save 20% off The Brick with a student discount. Get Deal

When you get bored, what's the first thing you reach for? If you said your phone, so you can switch between social media platforms, you may want to give all that a rest. Scrolling fatigue can be real, and sometimes you need a break. The Brick is a device that can help with all that, and right now, students can get a great deal on it.

As of Oct. 29, students can save 20% on The Brick by proving their educational status. That makes it $47.20, down from its usual price of $59. You save $11.80 thanks to the discount.

SEE ALSO: The Brick taught me how to be bored again

To access this discount, you'll need to prove your student status. The Brick website will direct you to create a free Student Beans account, where you'll input all of the required information to set things up. From there, you'll verify your status and can return to The Brick to get a discount code. From there, all you need to do is enter the code at checkout to get The Brick for its sale price.

The Brick is a small gray device that you can use to lock certain apps on your phone. You just tap your phone to the device and it works immediately. It's available for both iOS and Android, and can be a huge help if you're looking to stop mindlessly and aimlessly scrolling. With that in mind, it's a productivity tool and mental health tool that you can use to improve your life.

Mashable's Samantha Mangino reviewed The Brick and praised it as "the only thing that cuts [her] screen time in half." There are a ton of reasons to try it if you're struggling to cut down on your phone use, but being in school and needing to focus is certainly a big one. Luckily, it's even more affordable right now, so you can take it for a test drive.

TL;DR: Live stream Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Newcastle United have been wildly inconsistent in the early stages of the new Premier League season. You could make the same argument for Spurs, but Thomas Frank's team have secured some big results to climb the table and currently sit in third place. Now these two sides meet in the fourth round of the EFL Cup.

If you want to watch Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur?

Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup kicks off at 8 p.m. GMT on Oct. 29. This fixture takes place at St. James' Park.

How to watch Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur for free

Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

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

Live stream Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Carabao Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

SAVE $100: The Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 indoor grill and air fryer is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon, down from the usual price of $299.99. That's a 33% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 indoor grill and air fryer $199.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $100   Get Deal

Outdoor cooking these days is out. Unless you like frosty fingers, you've probably put the grill away for the year. But if you miss perfectly grilled steaks and vegetables, there's a Ninja appliance that is designed for indoor use and can help ease your pain of missing barbecue. It's also the perfect appliance to help out with holiday food cooking this year. If that sounds appealing, check out this deal.

As of Oct. 29, the Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 indoor grill and air fryer is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon, marked down from the normal price of $299.99. That's a 33% discount that shaves $100 off the price.

The Ninja Foodi Smart XL indoor grill and air fryer is the perfect assistant in the kitchen. It's designed with six cooking functions that include air fry, roast, bake, broil, dehydrate, grill, and air crisp. Ninja even mentions you can get frozen protein from a solid chilled brick to perfectly char-grilled in as little as 25 minutes.

SEE ALSO: The coolest kitchen gear and gadgets we'll always recommend

When it comes to holiday meal prep, the Ninja Foodi grill can help out with grilled protein, side dishes, and quick appetizers. The indoor cooker includes a grill grate, an air fryer basket, a cooking pot, a cleaning brush, and a thermometer. This thermometer is the Ninja Foodi Smart Thermometer that takes the guesswork out of deciding when your protein has finished cooking. Just remove the thermometer from its magnetic coil that attaches to the grill, insert it into the meat, set your desired doneness level, and the Foodi will let you know when cooking is complete.

Instead of getting stressed about cooking holiday meals this year, enlist the help of the Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 indoor grill and air fryer while it's on sale at Amazon for under $200. Its large capacity makes it ideal for feeding a crowd, whether that's holiday guests or the kids on a busy weeknight.

SAVE $10/MONTH: The ESPN and Fox One bundle deal is now live. Get both sports streaming apps for just $39.99 per month instead of $49.98 per month. That's a savings of 20% for the best streaming lineup in sports.

Opens in a new window Credit: ESPN / Fox One ESPN + Fox One bundle $39.99/month (save $9.99/month) Get Deal

Watching live sports in the streaming age has become such a headache. Two new services joined the mix this year, and they're teaming up to bring us the best streaming lineup in sports.

In August, ESPN redesigned its streaming service to offer two separate tiers: the existing ESPN+ as ESPN Select and a new ESPN Unlimited tier. ESPN Unlimited brings the suite of ESPN networks and services to sports fans in a direct-to-consumer subscription, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network — in addition to ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX. On its own, the direct-to-consumer Unlimited tier costs $29.99 per month.

The same day, Fox launched its first-ever streaming service called Fox One. Like ESPN Unlimited, it brings the entire Fox TV portfolio (live and on-demand) to viewers in one app. That includes Fox News, Fox Sports, Fox Weather, FS1, FS2, Fox Business, Fox Deportes, Big Ten Network (B1G), local Fox stations, and Fox Network. It costs $19.99 per month as a standalone service.

Each streamer is great on its own, but earlier this month, they joined forces to bring sports fans the best deal in live sports streaming. You can now get both ESPN Unlimited and Fox One for just $39.99 per month, which saves you $9.99 per month. That includes over 50,000 live events and over 100,000 hours of live event coverage.

Once you sign up for the bundle deal via ESPN, you'll be prompted to activate your Fox subscription on the confirmation screen. You'll also receive an email confirmation with an activation link.

With ESPN Unlimited, you'll be able to watch Monday Night Football, tons of college football, NBA and WNBA games, college basketball, and NHL games live without cable. That's already a well-rounded live sports lineup in itself. Add the Fox One portfolio into the mix, and you'll also be able to tune into the NFL's NFC games on Sunday afternoons, Big Ten college football games, international soccer, and the MLB World Series.

In the past, you would need a cable alternative like YouTube TV or Fubo to watch ABC, ESPN, and Fox networks live without cable. These services cost between $80 and $90 per month. So, while $39.99 per month might seem steep to some folks, it's actually the best value for your money — and the best streaming deal in sports.

The next wave of Google's AI rollout is in the process of happening right now.

Earlier this month, Google announced a bunch of Gemini-powered smart home devices, but several existing ones are also getting Gemini support this week. Specifically, users who have requested Early Access via the Google Home app should have gotten the ability to use Gemini on compatible devices on Tuesday.

SEE ALSO: How to use Google Meet's new AI makeup tool This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

You might be wondering: Which devices are compatible with Gemini right now? It's not a super long list, but here it is, courtesy of Android Authority:

• Google Home (2016 model)

• Google Home Mini (2017 model)

• Google Home Max (2017 model)

• Nest Mini (2019 model)

• Nest Audio (2019 model)

• Google Home/Nest Hub (2018 model)

• Nest Hub Max (2019 model)

• Second generation Nest Hub (2021 model)

It should be noted, also per Android Authority, that there is a smaller list of models that support Gemini Live, the more advanced, conversational version of Gemini. You also need to pay for Google Home Premium to use Gemini Live. Here are the supported devices:

• Nest Mini (2019 model)

• Nest Audio (2020 model)

• Nest Hub Max (2019 model)

• Second generation Nest Hub (2021 model)

If you've got one of those, you're golden. If not, well, the new one is coming out next year.

SAVE $50: Amazon has both sizes of the new Apple iPad Pro (M5, WiFi, 256GB) on sale as of Oct. 29. Get the 11-inch model for $949 (normally $999) or the 13-inch variant for $1,249 (usually $1,299).

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) $949 at Amazon
$999 Save $50   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) $1,249 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $50   Get Deal

At this point, I'm starting to feel bad for anyone who preordered Apple's new M5 iPad Pro: Amazon hasn't stopped lowering its price since launch.

As of late October, both sizes of the supercharged tablet are on sale for $50 off at Amazon. The 11-inch base model is marked down to $949, while the 13-inch version has fallen to $1,249; both include 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Those prices beat last week's release-day discounts by up to $35, making them cheaper than ever before.

(Cheaper is all relative here, of course. If you don't need the latest specs and just want the cheapest iPad available, check out Walmart's current deal on the standard iPad from 2022 — it's only $242.)

SEE ALSO: Review: The new M5 iPad Pro is a victory lap for Apple

ICYMI, the M5 iPad Pro is our new favorite iPad for creative professionals. It retains the same beautiful tandem OLED design as last year's M4 version but tacks on extra horsepower, blowing past competitors like the 13-inch Microsoft Surface Pro 11 with the powerful Snapdragon X Elite chip.

"For the average user, it's overkill," wrote Mashable tech editor Timothy Beck Werth. "That being said, if you like to run AI models on your device, you're a professional illustrator or designer, or you need to deliver professional-quality video, the new iPad Pro is up for the job." Read his full review.

Last I checked, both sizes of the M5 iPad Pro are still full price at Best Buy and in the Apple Store.