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

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

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

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

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

Played in nursing homes.

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

BINGO

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Water.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 26, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

HYDRO

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Comical.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 26 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 26, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

FUNNY

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To spin.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for July 26 Hurdle Word 4 answer

TWIRL

Final Hurdle hint

Used at barbecues.

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

GRILL

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

The moon is becoming a little bit brighter each night as we work through the phases of the lunar cycle.

The lunar cycle is a series of eight unique phases of the moon's visibility. The whole cycle takes about 29.5 days, according to NASA, and these different phases happen as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth. 

See what's happening tonight, July 26.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Saturday, July 26, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. There's still not much to see tonight, with only 4% of the surface visible to us on Earth (according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation).

It's the second day of the lunar cycle, and with such limited visibility, there's nothing for you to spot on the moon's surface tonight, not even with binoculars or a telescope.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on August 9. The last full moon was on July 10.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, moon phases are caused by the 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit, which changes the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us. We always see the same side of the moon, but how much of it is lit up by the Sun changes depending on where it is in its orbit. This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:

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.

Last Quarter (or Third 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.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for July 26 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Used to season food

• Green: Similar colors

• Blue: To walk

• Purple: Found overseas

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Herbs and spices

• Green: Shades of green

• Blue: Travel on foot

• Purple: Starts of European capitals

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #776 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Herbs and spices: ANISE, DILL, MACE, SAGE

• Shades of green: BOTTLE, HUNTER, KELLY, PEA

• Travel on foot: HIKE, MARCH, TRAMP, TREK

• Starts of European capitals: COPE, LUXE, SARA, WARS

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 26

Are you also playing NYT Strands?

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

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

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferrined pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 26 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 26 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: It's been a while

The words are group-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are associated with coming together.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Reunion.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for July 26

• Convene

• Gather

• Assemble

• Reunion

• Muster

• Congregate

• Meet

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for July 26 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for July 26, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To spook.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter H.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

HAUNT.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 26

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

By now most people understand that online creators hold power and influence — but that doesn't always mean they can transfer their skills to other modes of entertainment. For creators KallMeKris and Celina Spooky Boo — given names Kris Collins and Celina Myers — they've taken a major jump from creating online to making a feature film set to hit theaters this week.

Collins, Myers, and editor Jason-Christopher Mayer are the driving forces (and cast) behind House on Eden, a found-footage horror flick hitting theaters on Friday. Though they have massive TikTok audiences, writer/director Collins (51 million followers) and Myers (29 million) know that doesn't guarantee a platform or audience for a movie — but that built-in base certainly doesn't hurt. The trio shot the film in just seven days, relied on their backgrounds as creators, and now have a major film. They talked with Mashable over Zoom for our Creator Playbook series to talk about the transition from creating to filmmaking. (The conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity and brevity.)

How did you decide to go from online creation to making a feature film?

Collins: We all became friends through the creator space. Celina and I met, like, five years ago, when we both started. Jay and I, it was like four years ago, that he started editing for me. But he's done stuff in the traditional space as well. So when we started working together, it was just kind of a natural segue. We were like, "Okay, we really love making videos, but we almost take a cinematic approach to our paranormal videos already." So we're like, what if we could actually control the narrative of these. So that kind of, it kind of just went from there.

Myers: I think our goal was always to do something like this.

Mayer: Yeah, agreed. [Laughs.] We were doing ghost-type videos and then one thing turned into another. And here we are.

What did your movie-making process look like?

Collins: We had talked about it for like, at least a year or two, just passively. And then we actually announced that we would be making a horror movie at, I think it was VidCon 2023, almost to just keep us accountable. We had no plans at that point. But we're just like, "If we say it, then we have to do it." So it was a few months after that where I was just like, hanging out, like 2-3 a.m., and I had an idea for a movie. So I just started sending voice memos, manically, to both of these guys. And I was like, "OK, it opens on a Venus flytrap, and it goes from here to there." So it started with that, and then we wrote an outline, like a rough outline....We tried to film at some point, but then we had to push it back, but then we ended up shooting almost this time last year. It kind of all happened within a year, which is crazy to think about. And the movie itself, the shooting happened within a week."

That must have been one heck of a week.

Myers: It was really, really cool. We met together in Texas before shooting it and we kind of went over it all. And there's this moment where everyone's kind of like, "Do you think we can bang it out in a week?" And I think everyone was just kind of like, "Bet."

As creators, how did those skills transfer to making a feature film?

Collins: I think [those skills] lent to making a found footage film — not easy by any means — but it definitely helped. The videos we already post, the paranormal ones, we kind of just followed that formula. And then we were able to [make it more cinematic] by using timing, and sounds, and framing, and all that kind of stuff. That's why we did found footage. Also, because [it's a] lower budget. We could have a smaller team. We could film the whole thing ourselves, essentially. So it really was just a YouTube video that we could control.

Myers: We were talking about just getting our toes wet and trying this the first time. Going into found footage, it just felt familiar.

Moving into this space, how has the response been from your audience?

Collins: I know our followers always have wanted us to do something bigger and better.... Audiences like seeing creators grow...I think it's expected for creators to keep raising the bar for themselves. There's kind of a glass ceiling with digital creation. So breaking through that and going into traditional [media] was something that was really cool to do. I think the audience appreciates that.

How do you try to convert that digital audience into people going to the theater?

Myers: I think what's fun is because we are, you know, influencers, we do have this platform that we created. So it was really interesting to try and figure out the way to market [the film] and look at what we think would reach our audience the best. Was that something like using trending sounds? Or, you know, doing content that we know people are familiar with?

It's fun to advertise [House on Eden] in funny ways, because we're known for a lot for comedy.

How does it feel with the film coming out Friday?

Collins: It's been crazy waiting, because as digital creators, we can just make something [one] day and then post it the next day. So that has been horrible for anxiety. But it's good. I'm to the point where I'm just like, "Let's just get it out there." I care, obviously, about what people think, but I'm also like, "I don't even care, just put it out there, let people see it."

Myers: [In a deep, raspy tone] Get 'er out, baby!

Mayer: It's really rare to get an independent movie that was made for like, you know, $10,000 to now be distributed to over 1,500 screens in America alone.

I'm curious to see what the horror community thinks of it, because they're a very, very loyal and dedicated fan base. And, you know, Kris and Celina have such a massive audience themselves, but the horror world is a whole other entity. So I'm excited.

I'm curious to hear more about the difference between creating something and bam, it's out, and creating something that takes months to come out.

Collins: Yeah, it's, um...it's horrible for a digital creator. When I make something, I'm obviously proud of it. It's something I want to put on the internet. But as soon as it's out, I'm like, "I don't need to ever watch that again." I'm good. I don't watch myself.

So watching myself hundreds of times over and over again in the same film is horrible. Because I'm just picking at it and being like: I hate that. I wish I could have changed that. This should be like this. We should have added this. It gave me so much time to just pick myself apart, which I think is good in a lot of ways because I know — if I ever do a project like this again — what I'd change. But it's like sitting in boiling water for over a year. Love it. Grateful. But also awful.

Mayer: It's such an extreme analogy, but it's like having a baby and now you're giving this baby out to the world for everybody to see it. Hopefully my baby is pretty!

The speed of the process for your digital projects, did that help when you're trying to film a movie in seven days?

Collins: It absolutely helped. It helped that we came in with a good plan. We didn't have a hard script. I wrote a decently detailed outline that we could follow and do improv.

Myers: We had a really small team. Not having too many cooks in the kitchen made things a lot smoother.

Mayer: Technically, when they go ghost hunting, that's literally filming a movie in one night. It's an hour-and-a-half to two hours, getting different angles, getting b-roll and we have like 4-6 hours to do it.

You said there's a rough script and a detailed plan, did your working relationship help make the improv process easier?

Myers: Kris and I have worked together for five years. We improv really well together. So I think her having this really tight beat sheet, it was really cool, because we knew where we wanted to start and we knew where we wanted to end. But there were funny moments in there, too.

The bloopers reel could be so long for this, because at the end of the day, we are all friends.

What do you feel like you all learned from doing this film?

Collins: Oh my gosh. Patience. And just doing it. We were talking about it for almost two years. And then one day we were just like, "Hey, I have an idea." Let's write an outline. Let's put a date down to film. I think that's what a lot of people struggle with — creators have seen the movie and asked us, "How did you do this?" It's like...we just did it. And we did it without any expensive gear, it was very low budget.

Myers: I learned that we are so capable. To anyone out there: You can do it. ... I think I learned not to have so much fear about things.

What will you take from movie-making and apply it to digital creation?

Collins: Maybe giving more time to projects in the digital space, like everything's so go, go, go, and everybody's attention span is so short. It's not that I don't put heart into what I put out. I try to as much as I can. But I'm leaning more towards quality over quantity these days and I think [the film] has a lot to do with it.

Since its launch on June 5, every time we find another Switch 2 restock, the inventory is gone almost as fast as we can tell you about it. To be honest, it's really annoying.

Ever since 2020, supply shortages in the gaming console market have been a given. It happened with the PlayStation 5, it happened with the Xbox Series X/S, and it happened with the recently released Nintendo Switch 2.

Thankfully, though, it seems like the Nintendo Switch 2 shortages are finally coming to an end, because the coveted handheld gaming console is currently available to purchase at most big-name retailers, whether online, by invitation, or in-store. And this isn't another blink-and-you'll-miss-it Switch 2 restock.

SEE ALSO: Switch 2 smashes Nintendo's own record, selling 3.5 million consoles

Read on for our breakdown of which retailers have the Nintendo Switch 2 in stock as of July 25, as well as how to get one. We've even included the newly announced Pokémon Legends: Z-A bundle, which is available for preorder. We don't want to speak too soon, but it looks like we might finally be able to retire our Switch 2 inventory tracker.

Nintendo Switch 2 console Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 $449.99 at Best Buy
Shop Now

If you just want the Nintendo Switch 2 console with no games to go with it, you can grab the console-only version at multiple retailers right now. Target, Walmart, and Best Buy have them available for shipping, but Amazon and GameStop are a little trickier. For Amazon, you'll need to request an invite on the store page to shop for one, and for GameStop, you'll need to buy one in-store using the store locator on its website.

More retailers

• Target - in stock

• Walmart - in stock

• Amazon - invite only

• GameStop - in-store only (used consoles for sale online)

Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 'Mario Kart World' bundle $499.99 at Best Buy
Shop Now

This popular bundle comes with a copy of Mario Kart World and saves you $30 compared to the price of buying the game and console separately. Note that if you're buying at Amazon, Nintendo Switch 2 sales are only available via invite (just click "request invite" on the store page), and if you want to get one at GameStop, you'll need to shop in-store. Just use the site's store locator to check if your local shop has them in stock.

More retailers

• Best Buy - in stock

• Target - in stock

• Amazon - invite only

• GameStop in-store only

• BJ's Wholesale Club - in stock for members

Nintendo Switch 2 Pokémon Legends: Z-A bundle Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 'Pokemon Legends: Z-A' bundle $499.99 at Best Buy
Pre-order Here

The Nintendo Switch 2 Pokémon Legends: Z-A bundle is the company's newest Switch 2 bundle to hit the market, and you shouldn't have any trouble preordering one of your own. So far, we've been able to get to check out at almost every single retailer, save for Amazon, which doesn't have the bundle listed yet. Just note that this bundle won't arrive until Oct. 16, so be prepared to wait.

More retailers

• Target - pre-order now

• Walmart - pre-order now

• GameStop - pre-order now

UPDATE: Jul. 25, 2025, 4:41 p.m. EDT Since we originally published this article on Friday morning, the Switch 2 remains in stock at most major retailers.

Chicken Shop Date host Amelia Dimoldenberg has interviewed (and flirted) with everyone from Andrew Garfield to Jonathan Bailey. Now she welcomes drag legend, makeup mogul, and all-around skinny legend Trixie Mattel to her chicken shop domain.

Trixie Mattel is the second drag queen Dimoldenberg has chatted with on the show, the first being RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season 2 runner-up Bimini Bon-Boulash. And honestly, her episodes with both drag queens make the case for inviting even more drag performers to Chicken Shop Date.

SEE ALSO: Jonathan Bailey's 'Chicken Shop Date' is a delight from start to finish

Right from the jump, Dimoldenberg's deadpan interviewing style proves the perfect match for Mattel's dry humor. She also admits that she's quite starstruck, to which Mattel replies, "You seem very attracted to me." Turns out, Dimoldenberg does have a crush on Trixie — when she's bald, that is.

The pair discuss The Bald and the Beautiful, Mattel's podcast with fellow drag queen Katya Zamolodchikova, along with Mattel's thoughts on the state of the U.S. and Donald Trump. ("Floptina boots.")

But the most fun part of the episode has to be the pair lightly reading each other.

"I hope I fall in love," Dimoldenberg says of her many conversations on the show.

"I mean, how many years has it been?" Mattel asks.

"It's been, like, 10 years now," says Dimoldenberg.

"You're really circling the drain," Mattel deadpans.

Dimoldenberg gets Mattel right back, though, when Mattel mentions that she and Zamolodchikova rarely talk outside of work, and that Zamolodchikova won't even laugh react to the TikToks Mattel sends her.

"Well, maybe they're not very funny," Dimoldenberg retorts.

Check out the rest of Dimoldenberg and Mattel's delightful conversation above.

The best streaming deals to watch 'The Phoenician Scheme' at a glance: BEST NON-STREAMING OPTION Buy or rent 'The Phoenician Scheme' on Prime Video $9.99 or $19.99 Get Deal BEST DEAL FOR MOST PEOPLE Peacock Premium yearly subscription $109.99/year (save 17%) Get Deal BEST FOR STUDENTS Peacock Premium for Students $2.99/month for 12 months (save $8/month) Get Deal BEST FOR FIRST RESPONDERS/MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS Peacock Premium for First Responders and Medical Professionals $3.99/month (save $7/month) Get Deal BEST FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL Peacock Premium for Active Military and Veterans $3.99/month (save $7/month) Get Deal BEST FOR EDUCATORS Peacock Premium for Teachers $3.99/month for 12 months (save $7/month) Get Deal BEST WAY TO WATCH FREE Peacock Premium annual subscription Free for Instacart+ subscribers (save $109.99/year) Get Deal BEST FOR JETBLUE CUSTOMERS Peacock Premium Free for one year for JetBlue TrueBlue Mosaic status members (save $109.99/year) Get Deal Best for Mastercard holders Peacock Premium Get $3 or $5 cashback per month with World or World Elite Mastercard Get Deal

Wes Anderson's latest project — which is fully stocked with an all-star cast and aesthetic splendor — is officially available to watch at home. An "absurdist delight," The Phoenician Scheme tells the tale of international intrigue, corruption, family dynamics, and knife-wielding nuns. It stars Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, and Michael Cera, and features other heavy hitters like Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, and Scarlett Johansson.

The newest film from the Academy Award winner behind Asteroid City and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar landed in theaters at the end of May, but if you missed it on the big screen, you can officially rent, buy, or stream it. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch The Phoenician Scheme at home.

What is The Phoenician Scheme about?

Co-written by Anderson and Roman Coppola, The Phoenician Scheme follows Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), a wealthy, scheming businessman, as he reunites with his novitiate daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton) and introduces her to the family business. He exposes her to his complicated Phoenician Scheme after he names her as his sole heir (though he has nine sons), and what follows is a cacophony of assassination attempts, eccentric characters, nightclub robberies, hand grenades, and...basketball? It's an espionage movie, but make it quirky and pastel.

Check out the official trailer below.

Is The Phoenician Scheme worth watching?

The latest from Wes Anderson took home a global haul of $37 million, making it his lowest-grossing film in nearly two decades. But box office numbers aren't really telling of whether a movie is worth the watch. The Phoenician Scheme currently holds a 78 percent critic rating and 70 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is pretty solid, but ultimately can't compete with Anderson's most popular films (Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, etc.). Still, if you're an Anderson fan, it has all of the elements you've come to know and love, making it a worthwhile watch.

While some critics out of Cannes Film Festival dubbed The Phoenician Scheme one of his worst, Mashable's own reviewer couldn't relate. Instead, she called it a "charmingly hopeful tale about how even with our flaws we might find love, family, and salvation."

Read our full review of The Phoenician Scheme.

How to watch The Phoenician Scheme at home Credit: TPS Productions / Focus Features

There are a couple of different ways you can watch The Phoenician Scheme. You can buy it or rent it on digital for as low as $19.99, or you can stream it on Peacock. See the details below.

Buy or rent it on digital

The Phoenician Scheme is available as of July 8 to buy for $19.99 or rent for $9.99 at digital on-demand retailers. While saving a few bucks and opting for the rental option is tempting, just be aware that you'll only get 30 days to watch the film and just 48 hours to finish it once you start. If you choose to buy it instead, then it's yours to keep.

Here are some quick links to rent or purchase the film:

• Prime Video — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99

• Apple TV — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99

• Fandango at Home — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99

• Google Play — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99

Stream it on Peacock

As a Focus Features film, The Phoenician Scheme made its streaming debut on Peacock July 25. The digital-to-streaming arc of other recent Focus Features films (Nosferatu, The Ballad of Wallis Island, Black Bag) was a full month, meaning we're getting blessed with the latest Wes Anderson movie two weeks earlier than expected.

Don't have a Peacock subscription? You can sign up for as low as $10.99 per month with ads or $16.99 per month without (thanks to a recent price hike). Before you get ahead of yourself, though, be sure to check out the best ways to save some money on a subscription below.

The best Peacock streaming dealsBest Peacock deal: Save 17% on an annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock Premium annual subscription $109.99 per year or $169.99 per year (save 17%) Get Deal

The best Peacock deal for most people on any given day is the annual subscription deal. You'll get 12 months of streaming for the price of 10 if you pay for a year upfront. While a monthly subscription with ads costs $10.99 per month (which adds up to $131.88), a yearly subscription will only run you $109.99 (which breaks down to about $9.17 per month). That's about 17% in total savings. For those who prefer an ad-free experience, you'll pay $169.99 per year (which breaks down to about $14.16 per month instead of $16.99).

Best Peacock deal for Xfinity customers: free Peacock Premium for eligible accounts Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock / Xfinity Peacock Premium Free for select Xfinity customers Learn More

Xfinity customers should check the eligibility details below before signing up for Peacock, as you might be able to score a subscription for free. Here's a breakdown of who is eligible for the deal, or you can head to Xfinity.com for more details.

• Xfinity Internet customers who are Diamond or Platinum Xfinity Rewards members can get Peacock Premium for free by redeeming a reward for it. Sign in at xfinity.com/rewards and choose Peacock as a reward. Then, wait for your email (it may take a few hours) with instructions on activating the offer.

• NOW TV customers can also receive Peacock Premium as part of their service.

• New customers with Xfinity Internet and an X1 TV Box, Flex streaming TV Box, or a Xumo Stream Box from Xfinity can get Peacock Premium for free for six months.

Best Peacock deal for students: Save $8/month for one year Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock Premium for Students $2.99 per month for one year Get Deal

Students can get an entire year of Peacock Premium at a discounted rate of $2.99 per month instead of $10.99. That's a total of just $35.88 for the year. You'll need to verify your student status via SheerID and retrieve the unique promo code to unlock the savings. Just note that it can only be used once, and after the promo year is up, you'll be charged full price again.

Best Peacock deal for first responders: Save $7/month Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock Premium for First Responders and Medical Professionals $3.99 per month Get Deal

First responders and medical professionals can secure a Peacock Premium subscription at a discounted rate of $3.99 per month by verifying their professional status via SheerID. Unlike the student deal, however, it's not limited to a year. If you continue to meet verification qualifications, you can renew the deal each year — although you may have to go through the verification process each time and receive a new promo code. Learn more about eligibility terms and requirements.

Best for active military and veterans: Save $7/month Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock Premium for Military $3.99 per month Get Deal

Active duty U.S. military service members, Reservists, National Guard members, veterans, or U.S. military retirees can also get Peacock Premium for a discounted rate of $3.99 per month, so long as you can prove your military status using SheerID. Use the promotional code you receive after verification to activate the offer. Eligible military personnel who continue to meet requirements can redeem the deal annually.

Best for teachers: Save $7/month for one year Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock Premium for Teachers $3.99/month for 12 months Get Deal

Educators who can verify their status on SheerID can get Peacock Premium for just $3.99 per month instead of $10.99 for a full year. Once the promotional period ends, you'll be charged full price, so be sure to cancel before the year is up.

Best for Instacart users: free Peacock Premium for Instacart+ subscribers Opens in a new window Credit: Instacart / Peacock Peacock Premium annual subscription Free for Instacart+ subscribers (save $109.99/year) Get Deal

By signing up for Instacart+ ($99.99 per year), you'll unlock a free Peacock Premium subscription — on top of free grocery delivery, lower fees, and credit back on eligible pickup orders. That's a $109.99 per year value tacked on to your Instacart+ subscription for free. Oh, and here's a pro tip: If you're new to Instacart+, you'll get a free two-week trial to test the waters. That means you can watch The Phoenician Scheme and plenty more for free. Just be sure to cancel before you're charged.

Best for JetBlue members: free Peacock Premium for one year for Mosaic status members Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock / JetBlue Peacock Premium Free for one year for Mosaic status members Get Deal

Through July 31, JetBlue TrueBlue Mosaic status members can get their first year of Peacock Premium for free (a $109.99 value). If you don't have Mosaic status, you can earn 1,000 free TrueBlue points when you sign up for Peacock. Learn more about eligibility and terms over on Peacock's special offer page.

Best for Mastercard holders: Get up to $5 back per month Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock / Mastercard Peacock Premium Get $3 or $5 cashback per month with World or World Elite Mastercard Get Deal

When you sign up for Peacock with an eligible World or World Elite Mastercard, you'll automatically receive a monthly statement credit of $3 for Peacock Premium or $5 for Peacock Premium Plus. That ultimately drops the price of the Premium tier back to $7.99 (its former price before the recent price hike) and Premium Plus down to $11.99 per month. Learn more about eligibility requirements on the promotional page. The offer ends on Dec. 31, 2025.

New age checks for websites with explicit content continue to send users flocking to Proton VPN.

The popular virtual private network (VPN) is reporting a 1,400 percent hourly increase in signups over its baseline so far on Friday, July 25, the day the UK's age verification law goes into effect. This is according to an Observatory page on the Proton VPN website that tracks such usage jumps.

SEE ALSO: UK age verification starts July 25. Here's what that means for you.

Under the UK's Online Safety Act, sites and apps with explicit content must now verify visitors' ages via methods such as facial recognition and banking info, per Mashable associate editor Anna Iovine, with the goal of preventing minors from accessing the content. The law applies to adult sites like Pornhub as well as dating apps like Tinder and Hinge. The UK communications regulator Ofcom began enforcing it at midnight BST Friday.

Proton VPN previously documented a 1,000 percent surge in new subscribers in June after Pornhub left France, its second-biggest market, amid the enactment of an age verification law there. Later that month, Pornhub's parent company, Aylo, told Mashable in a statement that it agreed to comply with the UK's counterpart.

A Proton VPN spokesperson told Mashable that it saw an increase in new subscribers right away at midnight Friday, then again at 9 a.m. BST. The company anticipates further surges over the weekend, they added.

"This clearly shows that adults are concerned about the impact universal age verification laws will have on their privacy," the spokesperson said.

Proton VPN shared additional context on X, noting that "Unlike previous surges, this one is sustained, and is significantly higher than when France lost access to adult content. .... We would normally associate these large spikes in sign-ups with major civil unrest."

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Search interest for the term "Proton VPN" also saw a seven-day spike in the UK around 2 a.m. BST Friday, according to a Google Trends chart. Proton VPN shared a screenshot of the chart on X, writing, "Pretty sure it's not the footy this time..."

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A VPN is a service that routes the user's traffic through an encrypted tunnel to a remote server before sending it out onto the web, a process that masks their real IP address and hides their browsing activities from third parties. While not their main purpose, VPNs are also commonly used to spoof locations. If a user connects to a VPN server based in a country they're not physically in, they'll appear to be browsing from there instead.

Initial research shows that VPNs make age verification laws in the U.S. and abroad tricky to enforce in practice for this exact reason, as Mashable's Iovine reported. (Never mind the free speech and privacy implications.)

Founded in 2017, Proton VPN currently has 13,700 servers in more than 120 countries worldwide. Read our full review of its service here.

UPDATE: Jul. 25, 2025, 3:50 p.m. EDT This story has been updated with additional details about Proton VPN's signup surge.

UPDATE: Jul. 25, 2025, 12:35 p.m. EDT This story has been updated with a statement from Proton VPN and more information about how VPNs work.

Past users of viral women's dating safety app Tea are the latest victims of a massive cyberattack, which has rendered thousands of user images held in a legacy database vulnerable.

First reported by Reddit users, the hack was verified by 404Media and later confirmed by Tea itself, and affects 72,000 images posted to the app over the last two years. Of the hacked data, 13,000 images were selfies or photo identification cards like drivers licenses submitted by users to verify their accounts. Another 59,000 images stored in the database were of individuals posted to the app.

Tea, founded by Sean Cook, was designed as a women-only app for users to document their negative experiences with men and warn other women of potential danger. According to Tea's website, 10 percent of its profits are donated the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

SEE ALSO: The Internet Archive just became an official U.S. federal library

The vulnerability was discovered by users on 4Chan, who began sharing photo IDs of women on the platform. In a thread detailing the hack, one user wrote: "Yes, if you sent Tea App your face and drivers license, they doxxed you publicly! No authentication, no nothing. It's a public bucket. DRIVERS LICENSES AND FACE PICS! GET THE FUCK IN HERE BEFORE THEY SHUT IT DOWN!” Other users stated they were collecting personal information from the images, 404Media reported. In a statement to the publication, Tea said the data was stored to comply with cyber-bullying prevention requirements and that no current user information had been breached.

Earlier this week and due to several viral tweets from its users, Tea became the number one app on the Apple App Store. The trending app has since become the subject of online controversy, particularly from individuals who disagree with the app's focus on documenting unwanted and inappropriate behavior of men in a public forum, without verification. Many critics (including men who have been implicated on the app) see the app's reporting mechanisms, such as users posting images of "red flag" men, and its user verification system, which uses photos to "confirm" a user's gender, as violations of privacy.

Culturally, others worry it's forum-like nature is too similar to online snark pages, which often incentive users to engage in obsessive cycles of gossip and online harassment, and could potentially lead to doxxing. It has been compared to the popular "Are we dating the same guy?" Facebook page.

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In an X post from July 22, one user wrote, "How long til there is a data leak? I'm giving it 1 month." Other emboldened online users responded to the popularity of the women-only app with overtly misogynistic "copycat" apps, including ones intended to track women's "body counts." "Introducing BoxScore, a man-only app where users anonymously share info and warnings about women to spot red flags and get feedback," wrote user @tolly_xyz in a post on X.

In 1996, Happy Gilmore inspired many of us to change the way we saw golf, or at least how to swing a golf club. Now, 30 years later, we've got a sequel. Happy Gilmore 2 stars Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, and Christopher McDonald sat down with Mashable's Executive Producer, Mark Stetson, to talk about the cultural impact of the first film, crucial elements that needed to be included the sequel, and the tech they used in the new film to create archival footage of themselves from the last 30 years.

Happy Gilmore 2 picks up with Happy (Adam Sandler) and Virginia (Julie Bowen), who have grown their family and their lives thanks to Happy's success in the golf world. However, after a family trauma rocks their world, Happy, who has since retired from the game of golf, has to come out of retirement to help pay for his daughter's schooling. Of course, his rivalry with Shooter McGavin (McDonald) proves to be an obstacle he must get over in order to re-establish himself as one of the G.O.A.T's of golf.

In the interview, Bowen and McDonald reveal whether or not they got the sense of how big the 1996 original film would actually become. Bowen reacts immediately: "Oh, God. No... It was my first movie so I had to idea that it was possible." McDonald had more of a gut feeling about the film's potential, saying, "I mean, I had an idea of it. I don't know how easy that is to predict, though, because, in this world, it's like, we never know. And sometimes I've done great work, and then it does mezza business. But then they discover it later on."

Happy Gilmore 2 has a few important flashback scenes where they had to figure out a way to make it look like Happy hosted SNL in the 2000s, and that he won multiple PGA championships. This, Sandler says, required "a lot of special effects. More than I've ever done before in my life." Bowen goes on to describe the experience. "You go after every scene, you have to go into this truck with hundreds of cameras... and stand there and you kind of go, 'Are they stealing my soul?' But they take every single thing about you in that outfit and make you look young."

The interview ends with Sandler talking about how he was able to hold on to his sense of self throughout his career. "In the beginning, you don't even know who you are. Well, I didn't know who I was. And all of a sudden I was working and doing stuff that, I would be on the set, or I'd watch it and I'd say, 'I like that. I'm so happy I'm in that, but I don't know if it's exactly what makes me laugh,' or whatever. And then me and my buddies just started going, 'Let's try to try to make stuff that we used to love growing up.' Stuff like the old Saturday Night Live guys, the Animal Houses and the Caddyshacks and stuff. We were like, 'We kind of want to be in that world for the youth.' And we’d never think we did it as good as them but we worked hard to try to make the youngsters happy."

Happy Gilmore 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

The headline speaks for itself, but allow me to reiterate: You can apparently get ChatGPT to issue advice on self-harm for blood offerings to ancient Canaanite gods.

That's the subject of a column in The Atlantic that dropped this week. Staff editor Lila Shroff, along with multiple other staffers (and an anonymous tipster), verified that she was able to get ChatGPT to give specific, detailed, "step-by-step instructions on cutting my own wrist." ChatGPT provided these tips after Shroff asked for help making a ritual offering to Moloch, a pagan God mentioned in the Old Testament and associated with human sacrifices.

While I haven't tried to replicate this result, Shroff reported that she received these responses not long after entering a simple prompt about Moloch. The editor said she replicated the results in both paid and free versions of ChatGPT.

SEE ALSO: How many people use ChatGPT? Hint: OpenAI sees more than 1 billion prompts per day.

Of course, this isn't how OpenAI's flagship product is supposed to behave.

Any prompt related to self-harm or suicide should cause the AI chatbot to give you contact info for a crisis hotline. However, even artificial intelligence companies don't always understand why their chatbots behave the way they do. And because large-language models like ChatGPT are trained on content from the internet — a place where all kinds of people have all kinds of conversations about all kinds of taboo topics — these tools can sometimes produce bizarre answers. Thus, you can apparently get ChatGPT to act super weird about Moloch without much effort.

OpenAI's safety protocols state that "We do not permit⁠ our technology to be used to generate hateful, harassing, violent or adult content, among other categories." And in the Open AI Model Spec document, the company writes that as part of its mission, it wants to "Prevent our models from causing serious harm to users or others."

While OpenAI declined to participate in an interview with Shroff, a representative told The Atlantic they were "addressing the issue." The Atlantic article is part of a growing body of evidence that AI chatbots like ChatGPT can play a dangerous role in users' mental health crises.

I'm just saying that Wikipedia is a perfectly fine way to learn about the old Canaanite gods.

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat at crisischat.org. Here is a list of international resources.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

X is changing Community Notes again.

On Thursday, the @CommunityNotes account expanded upon a June X post to announce a new pilot test where people can select posts that are liked by people who normally disagree. Think of, say, a post that both Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani like, or a post liked by both someone who makes their brand off of loving cats and also by someone who makes their brand off of loving dogs.

"People often feel the world is divided, yet Community Notes shows people can agree, even on contentious topics. This experimental new feature seeks to uncover ideas, insights, and opinions that bridge perspectives. It can bring awareness to what resonates broadly. It could motivate people to share those ideas in the first place. Ultimately, it could help move the world forward in ways that the people want," the @CommunityNotes account posted in June.

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As of July 25, select contributors are also able to rate posts by answering questions about why they like — or don't like — the post.

"Starting today, your ratings will have a visible effect for others in the pilot," the @CommunityNotes account posted on X on Thursday. "Posts that receive sufficiently positive ratings — determined by an early, in-development open-source algorithm — will show a new callout letting you know that the post seems to be liked by people from different perspectives."

If users with opposing viewpoints both agree that the fact-check is accurate, then that note gets published to the public.

"As before, only people in the pilot will see these callouts," the announcement post continued, adding that X will expand it gradually "as we refine the open-source algorithm behind it."

"Right now, it's very basic, similar to the early Community Notes pilot test algorithms," the @CommunityNotes account posted on X. The message linked readers to the GitHub account that displays the code, and which allows users to share critiques, ideas, and suggestions.

Google Gemini's coding agent hallucinated while completing a task and then deleted a bunch of code, a GitHub user claims.

The frustrated vibe coder is Anuraag Gupta, who goes by anuraag2601 on GitHub. He shared a recent experience where things went very wrong while using Gemini CLI (command line interface), an open-source coding agent. In his GitHub post, Gupta, who is a product lead at cybersecurity firm Cyware, clarified he's not a developer, but a "curious PM [product manager] experimenting with vibe coding."

Mashable contacted Gupta through an X profile that matches this GitHub account, and the person who replied confirmed he created the post. And in an email to Mashable, he shared some tips on how to avoid this kind of vibe coding mishap.

What started as an attempt to compare Anthropic's Claude Code to Gemini CLI's capabilities turned into what Gupta described as "one of the most unsettling and fascinating AI failures I have ever witnessed."

Google did not respond to Mashable's request for comment by the time of publication.

When vibe coding goes wrong

Seasoned developers might know to experiment with AI coding agents in an isolated environment or otherwise protect the original source files, as some Redditors pointed out. But coding agents or assistants are increasingly adopted by non-developers since LLMs offer a way to create software without programming knowledge.

Luckily, Gupta's code was purely experimental, but what happens if someone was using a coding agent for something with real consequences? That's no longer a hypothetical. Tech investor Jason Lemkin said he was using the Replit AI agent to build an app for his company when the agent wiped out an entire company database. The Replit CEO even apologized on X, calling the incident "unacceptable and should never be possible."

For Gupta, the vibe coding mishap started with a simple request to move all the files from his Claude coding experiments to a new folder called "anuraag_xyz project." However, when Gupta checked his desktop for the new folder, he said he couldn't find it. Gupta reported that after multiple failed search attempts, Gemini admitted the files were gone:

I have failed you completely and catastrophically.

My review of the commands confirms my gross incompetence. The mkdir command to create the destination folder likely failed silently, and my subsequent move commands, which I misinterpreted as successful, have sent your files to an unknown location.

The security constraints of my environment prevent me from searching outside the project directory, which is now empty. I cannot find your files. I have lost your data.

This is an unacceptable, irreversible failure.

For more details on what may have gone wrong, check out Gupta's full GitHub post.

Gupta told Mashable in an email that he uses Gemini 2.5 Pro, the underlying model, for day-to-day tasks. But, "as far as CLI tools go, so far in my testing, Gemini CLI is quite bad, slow and unreliable," said Gupta in an email to Mashable. "This particular issue that I ran into really surprised me, and made me lose trust in trying out Gemini CLI again in the near future. I am continuing to use Claude Code for now."

Gupta advised other vibe coders to "sandbox these AI CLI tools by restricting them to a specific folder and ensuring you have a clear instruction file (claude.md for claude code) to establish milestones and keep pushing your code to [GitHub] as per these milestones."

He also said he expects more vibe coders to start experimenting with CLI tools from Google and coding startup Cursor. Now that vibe coding has hit the mainstream, tech companies might have to prepare for more incidents like these.

With National Orgasm Day just around the corner (it’s July 31, btw), sex toy brands have been hinting at new products to look forward to this summer. The latest launch to catch my eye comes from the luxe sex toy brand LELO.

On July 23, LELO released its first-ever dual-ended wand vibrator, the Lelo Switch.

No, you can't play Mario Kart on this Switch. Credit: LELO SEE ALSO: The Ava Vivv wand is the best vibrator under $30

The main draw of this vibrator is that it can be used by two vulva owners at the same time. LELO is calling the new vibe a “true celebration of vulva-centered sex and mutual connection” that’s “uniquely suited for simultaneous, co-creative play.”

"LELO Switch flips the script on dominant narratives around sex — especially those that center male pleasure or position the penis as the main event,” LELO sexpert and certified sex therapist Casey Tanner said in the release. “It also challenges the idea that pleasure between two women is always one-sided or sequential. Instead, Switch is about mutual arousal, creative positioning, and shared sensation.”

In practice, simultaneous use might be a little tricky. The positioning could get awkward, and some positions, like straddling your partner, might be tough on the leg muscles. A spooning position would likely be more comfortable.

The coolest feature I saw is its integration with the LELO app. You can set up a private chat room with your partner (using the “Love Bridge” feature) and switch (see what they did there?) control over each other’s LELO app-connected devices, no matter how far apart you are. This makes it a great tool for long-distance couples or any partners looking to explore their eroticism from a distance.

Its dual-ended design gives you two totally different experiences in one beautiful toy. Credit: LELO SEE ALSO: Where to buy sex toys online (including Target and Sephora)

Other features I noticed were the "Finish Me Off" mode, which slowly builds you to orgasm, and the "Out of Control" mode, which promises a “tailor-made” experience for an “unpredictable” orgasm. The toy also has 16 vibration intensities and 10 pleasure settings: five on the clitoral end, five on the penetrative end, and two extra modes when connected to the app. It's currently $199, which is a competitive price for a smart vibrator with this range of features.

As for the design, it looks super chic without overdoing it. It comes in three colors (Lilac, Soft Pink, and Aqua) and has little ridges on both the wand and penetrative end should feel ahhmazing on your labia and clit (once you add a generous amount of lube, of course). Though if you decide you want penetrative or clitoral stimulation while you’re enjoying the other, it may get a little messy, and you might want to have a second toy nearby for dual stimulation.

Opens in a new window Credit: LELO LELO Switch $199 at LELO
Shop Now

Overall, I can’t wait to try this toy. As a huge fan of the iconic LELO Smart Wand 2, I'm especially curious to see how the Switch's wand end compares. I haven’t had the best luck with app-connected toys in the past, as they can be complicated to set up when you're already in the mood. Fumbling with settings can kill the vibe, whether I’m alone or with a partner. Even so, I’m excited to test the LELO Switch and see if it lives up to the hype.

Internet Archive — the no-cost, nonprofit digital library that has become embroiled in the nationwide battle over copyrights and free speech — is now an official source for government documents.

According to a new designation announced by California Senator Alex Padilla, the website will join a network of more than 1,000 libraries around the country tasked with archiving government documents for public view. Unlike other designated federal depository libraries, as they are known, the Archive is entirely online. The news was first reported by San Francisco's KQED, who spoke to both Padilla and Archive founder Brewster Kahle about supporting the mission of "universalizing" all knowledge through digitization — this includes, says Kahle, "helping integrate these materials into things like Wikipedia, so that the whole internet ecosystem gets stronger as digital learners get closer access into the government materials.”

SEE ALSO: What is woke AI? Decoding the White House's new target.

The status is particularly notable as the Trump administration has systemically removed information from federal websites under new, "anti-woke" executive orders. Archive visitors will now have access to primary, government sources, in addition to materials uploaded by users or saved through accessible websites. The Internet Archive also operates the Wayback Machine, an online source that stores web history going back more than 28 years, and partners with libraries to pinpoint important online archival material through its Archive-It initiative.

"As a federal depository library, the Internet Archive will help remove barriers so that communities from across the nation and around the world can access federal government publications online," Padilla wrote in an official letter to Scott Matheson, superintendent of documents for the Government Publishing Office. "The Archive will help the Government Publishing Office advance its mission to digitize and make federal government publications accessible." Members of Congress are allowed, by law, to nominate up to two qualified libraries for depository status. Some institutions have given up their status as they have struggled with storing mass amounts of physical material, KQED reports, which has pushed the office to invest increasingly in mass digitization efforts.

The Internet Archive has weathered several copyright cases that allege the site is an "unlicensed digital copyrighting and distribution business" providing the general public with "derivative works" that require express permission to share. The Archive and its fervent supporters have argued that the website is a specialized library, with the right to preserve works (including books, music, and other materials) in its online database. Government documents are copyright-free.

Last year, the website faced multiple cyberattacks that led to a weeks-long outage and the shuttering of both the Archive and its Wayback Machine. Hackers claimed to have access to millions of user profiles and support tickets, with the aim of exposing key security flaws in the website's back-end.

"The Internet Archive has broken down countless barriers to accessing information," said Padilla. In October, the website hit 1 trillion archived pages.

SAVE $100: As of July 25, buy a Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic and get a $100 Amazon gift card as part of a bundle for $499.99, down from its usual price of $599.99. That's a discount of 17%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic + $100 Amazon gift card $499.99 at Amazon
$599.99 Save $100 Get Deal

If you're an Android fan, and you want a new smartwatch, you've got plenty to choose from, but Samsung's lineup always has a set of good, reliable picks. Should you happen to be in the market for some new tech to spruce up your wrist, you might want to head to Amazon, where you can get the newly-released Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic with a gift card to sweeten the deal.

As of July 25, buy a Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic and get a $100 Amazon gift card as part of a bundle for $499.99, which saves you $100 on what you would usually pay for both items. Basically, you're buying the watch at its regular price, but getting a free $100 gift card.

SEE ALSO: All the best smartwatches for every wrist and interest

This classy watch features a rotating bezel, a cushion design to stay comfortable on your wrist, and a host of features to make it an integral part of your day and your life. Samsung boasts that this is the thinnest and most comfortable watch in its lineup, and it's also extremely bright, with up to 3,000 nits to sear into your eyeballs (in a good way).

Powered by the Exynos W1000 chip, the watch can measure your stress levels, antioxidant index, sleep quality, heart rate, and even your circadian rhythm. Of course, it can also be used to make and take calls, text, utilize other comms apps, make payments, and much more.

This brand-new smartwatch can already net you some additional money off when you shop at Amazon, so if you've had your eye on this model, now's a good time to invest.

The unthinkable has happened. Peacock (my favorite streaming service) has increased its prices — and it's the biggest price hike to date.

It feels like déjà vu, doesn't it? In July 2024, Peacock's second ever price hike took effect ahead of the summer Olympics, much to the dismay of subscribers. Just a little over a year later, here we are again. This time around, Peacock Premium (the ad-supported tier) has made the jump from $7.99 to $10.99 per month, while the Premium Plus (ad-free) tier went from $13.99 to $16.99 per month. Annual subscription prices also made a massive leap from $79.99 per year to $109.99 per year with ads and from $139.99 to $169.99 per year without.

The newest pricing officially makes Peacock's ad-supported and ad-free tiers more expensive than Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and Paramount+. Yikes.

Credit: Peacock When do the new prices go into effect?

Peacock's new pricing officially took effect on Wednesday, July 23 for new subscribers. If you're an existing subscriber, however, you won't be charged the new prices until after Aug. 22, depending on your bill date. If you signed up for a promotional offer before July 23, that pricing will be valid through the end of the promo period. You'll be charged the new prices once the promo period ends. If you wish to cancel, just click on your profile icon, then account, and under "plans & payment" you'll see options to change or cancel your plan.

A new and cheaper "Select" tier is being tested

Peacock is launching a new cheaper option dubbed the "Select" tier. It will cost $7.99 per month or $79.99 annually, which is the same as its ad-supported plan was priced before the recent price hike. The streamer is just beginning to test the Select plan, but if it proves to be popular, it will be the cheapest way to subscribe to Peacock.

Existing subscribers can switch to the Select tier by visiting the "plans & payment" tab in your account and selecting the "change plan" option. The Select tier will not include access to movies, Peacock Originals, sports and live events, or your local NBC channel.

The following content will be available on the Select Tier:

• NBC Current Season and Library (e.g. the Law & Order series, the Chicago series, The Office, etc.)  

• Bravo Current Season and Library (e.g. The Real Housewives series, Below Deck, etc.)  

• Other TV Library (e.g. Days of Our Lives, Yellowstone, El Señor de los Cielos, etc.)  

• Select Channels (e.g. The Office Channel, NBC News Now Channel, etc.) 

How to save on a Peacock subscription

As prices continue rising, we're all seeking ways to save on streaming services. Fortunately, Peacock is one of the only streamers that offers regular discounts throughout the year. Plus, there are several ways to score a subscription on any given day for a discounted rate: student discounts, military discounts, first responders discounts, third-party discounts, and more.

The best Peacock deals at a glance: Best for students Peacock Premium for Students $2.99 per month for 12 months (save $96) Get Deal Best for military personnel Peacock Premium for Military $3.99 per month (save $7 per month) Get Deal Best for first responders and medical staff Peacock Premium for Medical Professionals and First Responders $3.99 per month (save $7 per month) Get Deal Best for teachers Peacock Premium for Teachers $3.99 per month for 12 months (save $84) Get Deal Best way to watch for free Peacock Premium annual subscription Free for Instacart+ subscribers (save $109.99 per year) Get Deal Best for JetBlue customers Peacock Premium Free for one year for JetBlue TrueBlue Mosaic status members (save $109.99 per year) Get Deal Best bundle deal Xfinity StreamSaver (Apple TV+, Peacock, and Netflix) $15 per month with Xfinity Internet or TV Get Deal Best for Mastercard users Peacock Premium or Premium Plus Get $3 or $5 cashback per month with World or World Elite Mastercard Get Deal