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For the most part, I'm a big fan of the Fitbit Charge 6. It's affordable, it's stylish on your wrist, and it tracks multiple sports from running to swimming with its built-in GPS. It's what I'd call a pretty good all-rounder, and a solid choice for anyone wanting a tracker to monitor performance.

That said, there’s one notable feature that it’s missing: an altimeter. And I just can't get over it.

What is an altimeter?

An altimeter is a sensor that measures elevation. Basically, how high you are above sea level. In fitness trackers, it helps count how many floors you’ve climbed or tracks the elevation you've gained during activities like hiking or running. It works by detecting changes in air pressure, which drop as you go higher.

Having an altimeter in your fitness tracker is important because it gives you a more detailed picture of your workouts. This is especially important for the likes of trail runners, where elevation really matters.

SEE ALSO: Oura Ring vs. Whoop: A fight of the best fitness trackers

GPS can give a vague idea of changes in height based on location changes, but it's not fully accurate and often misses smaller elevation shifts. So to me it's important to own a tracker with a dedicated altimeter. It's a shame that it isn't included in the Charge 6, because there's a lot to like about this smartwatch.

What the Fitbit Charge 6 does have

The Fitbit Charge 6 has many great qualities, and if tracking elevation isn't necessary for you, it's a fantastic option.

First off, it comes with built-in GPS. This means you can head out for a run, bike ride, or walk without carrying your phone. It tracks your pace, distance, and route using satellite data, so you get a clear map of where you’ve been. It also logs your steps, calories burned, and Active Zone Minutes, a clever Fitbit stat that tracks how much time you spend in elevated heart rate zones.

Users also get heart rate monitoring. It uses Fitbit's PurePulse 2.0 sensor, so you've got 24/7 heart rate tracking with this watch. This also means you get data on your resting heart rate, heart rate zones during workouts, and even alerts if your heart rate goes unusually high or low. That's a big plus if you want to keep a close eye on your cardiovascular health.

The Charge 6 also has SpO2 tracking, estimating blood oxygen saturation overnight. This can help you catch potential breathing issues during sleep or identify when your body needs a bit more rest and recovery.

SEE ALSO: Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Which health and sleep tracker is right for you?

And speaking of rest, this model also has advanced sleep tracking. Like most Fitbits, it monitors your sleep stages (light, deep, and REM) and gives you a sleep score every morning. The score is a number up to 100, and helps you see through a simple figure how well you slept and how well your body recovered. It even tracks how long you’re restless or awake during the night.

It offers some lifestyle features, too. Receive notifications straight to your wrist, and if you have an Android phone, you can even reply to messages using quick replies or voice dictation. Unfortunately, this function is not available for iPhone users.

Where to buy the Fitbit Charge 6

The Fitbit Charge 6 is available at many retailers and is often on sale, so keep an eye out for discounts. At Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy, the Charge 6 is now priced at $159.95.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Fitbit Charge 6 $109.95 at Amazon
$159.95 Save $50.00 Get Deal

It's about time Molly Gordon got a role that knows what to do with her.

Don't mistake me. The American actress has been delivering stellar supporting turns in a string of acclaimed comedies, from coming-of-age comedies like Booksmart and Good Boys, where she played back-to-back smart party girls, to playing opposite Rachel Sennott as her rightfully surly ex in the anxiety-inducing Shiva Baby. Gordon's beloved on the small screen too, as the saintly Claire "Bear" Dunlap in TV's award-winning comedy series The Bear. Even Theater Camp, which Gordon co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in, didn't fully explore her comedy chops. But writer/director Sophie Brooks' Oh, Hi! proves a sensational showcase for Gordon's unique brand of earnest, edgy absurdity.

Playing a young woman who embraces sex, love, and a bit of kidnapping, Gordon — who shares a story credit with Brooks — creates a complicated and compelling comedy heroine that's a satirical antihero, representing the perils of modern dating.

Oh, Hi! is a must-see sex comedy. Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

It's a sunny weekend when Iris (Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman) head out to a cozy cabin for a romantic getaway in upstate New York. The remote setting is a perfect place to get away from the stress of living in the city life, and indulge in the joys of vacation sex. Admittedly, it's less than ideal when their frolic in the pond is interrupted by a nosy neighbor (a perfectly irked David Cross), but whether preparing a succulent meal, plunging a busted toilet, or snooping in the owner's closet to find sex toys, Iris and Isaac seem well-matched. So, why is he saying he's not her boyfriend?

After a terrific day and romantic night capped off with some light BDSM, Iris is absolutely flabbergasted to realize she and Isaac have very different views of their relationship. (Cue Chappell Roan's "Casual"!) Heartbroken but determined, Iris decides the only way Isaac can see them as she does is to leave him handcuffed to that big bed, while she takes 12 hours trying to convince him of just how compatible they are.

The premise has shades of Pedro Almodóvar's black comedy Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! for sure. But Brooks and Gordon make this movie distinctly their own with a keen awareness of the ups and downs of dating in America in this moment, where growing awareness of therapy, kink, and open communication has somehow made the battle of the sexes more confusing than ever.

Oh, Hi! wisely keeps its most crucial scene offscreen. Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

In a shrewd move, the key moment at the center of this conflict happens offscreen. Iris and Isaac refer back to a conversation they had before this weekend, before the movie even began. There'll be no convenient flashback to cement how it played out. Instead, we only have their contrasting accounts in this moment to figure out who said what. And in that way, Oh, Hi! plays less like Rashomon — with its different viewpoints clearly presented — and more like a juicy AITA from Reddit.

Who is the asshole? Is it the guy who acted like a boyfriend — including cooking scallops on a weekend getaway he planned — with no intentions to commit? Or is it the girl who took his rejection as a sign she should keep him chained to a bed while she calls in her best friend (Drive-Away Dolls' Geraldine Viswanathan) — and her best friend's attached-at-the-hip boyfriend (Search Party's John Reynolds) — for backup?

The answer might seem obvious, sure. But Oh, Hi!'s defiantly bouncy humor keeps the kidnapping plotline delightfully daffy, while that ache of emotional betrayal remains smartly sharp. The movie becomes about more than the boy in the ball gag chained to the bed, expanding to topics like consent, consideration, communication, and ride-or-die relationships. It's essentially a comedy that imagines the best-case scenario of chasing down those intrusive thoughts that might creep in after you've been ghosted again.

Molly Gordon is perfection in Oh, Hi! Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

Where fans of The Bear have moaned about Gordon's character being too one-note nice in Season 3, here the actress subverts that simple sunniness by exploring her dark side. Iris isn't out to hurt Isaac. But with him as her literal captive audience, she chucks herself into romantic cliches to woo him. Satisfyingly silly sequences are built around mundane things, like making breakfast in bed, and unexpected things, like a clumsy, nude attempt at moonlit witchcraft.

In each instance, Gordon risks falling into the trap of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, a trope in which a gorgeous woman is made to be preciously nonthreatening yet inspiring to the male protagonist, so he might grow. But because of the central bondage element, the audience can't shake off that Iris is threatening. And within that, Gordon displays a raw vulnerability that is in turn alarming and achingly relatable.

Yet all this might be for naught if she weren't matched by her captive and co-conspirators. Lerman sparks enticing chemistry with Gordon, which becomes tension as they shift from fucking to fighting. And even with his hands tied, he's skilled at landing a wry punchline or a withering remark. As Iris' bestie Max, Viswanathan brings the loose spontaneity that made her mesmerizing on Miracle Workers, while Reynolds brings hilarious wife-guy energy, whether small-talking or laying out legal obstacles to just letting Isaac go. And then there's Cross, who finely tunes his gruffness to become an offbeat ally in this delicious, chaotic comedy.

In the end, Brooks and Gordon have made something beyond a very funny sex comedy. With a bold premise, clever character development, and a cracking ensemble cast, they've made a daring film that deserves to be compared to the likes of early Pedro Almodóvar (especially Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!) or Emma Seligman (Shiva Baby, Bottoms). Simply put, they've crafted a comedy as current and enthralling as it is outrageous. And by rights, it should prove Gordon is a star.

Oh, Hi! opens in theaters July 25.

Even before he joined the MCU, Pedro Pascal has been an internet phenomenon for his saucy attitude in interviews, red carpet style, political activism for trans rights, and contagious joie de vivre. Incredibly, as mischievous as he can be in the The Fantastic Four: First Steps promotional campaign and as charmingly cavalier as he often is on talk shows, he typically plays characters in films and TV shows who are sterner, darker, and doomed. And these characters don't just die, but they meet their maker in deeply horrific ways.

To paraphrase Phineas and Ferb, if we had a nickel for every time Pedro Pascal's eyes got fatally pressed into his skull, we'd have two nickels. Which is not a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

SEE ALSO: Please stop killing Pedro Pascal!

This has given Pascal's fans a unique point of panic. Because sure, we might revel in cheeky memes about his dirty-talking cowboy in Kingsman: Secret Service or his surly allure as the gruff-but-lovable smuggler Joel in The Last of Us. But we also might want a heads-up if we're going to have to witness the demise of these hunks. We at Mashable get this pain.

So, we're here to help with an easy guide that answers: Does Pedro Pascal die in this? Don't want spoilers for other Pascal projects? No problem. Below, we've listed an array of Pedro Pascal movies and TV shows, including the details of plot and his role. But to find out if Pedro's character lives or dies, you have to click and drag the slider on the images below.

Left: Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Dominique Charriau / WireImage / Getty Right: Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Stephane Cardinale / Corbis Entertainment / Getty

Don't want to know that answer for a particular title — just move along! But need to know before you cue up a show or hit the theater, even just to brace yourself? We've got you covered.

Does Pedro Pascal die in Game of Thrones? Left: Credit: HBO / YouTube screenshot Right: Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Stephane Cardinale / Corbis Entertainment / Getty

Pedro Pascal's ascent to becoming the internet's favorite sex symbol began with Season 4 of Game of Thrones. In a series steeped in sex, intrigue, and violence, Pascal swanned in as the immediate favorite Oberyn Martell, the sensual pansexual and well-reputed warrior of House Martell of Dorne, also known as the Red Viper.

Where the Targaryens were always sneering and arguing, Oberyn brought an alluring, practically carefree swagger to King's Landing — well, unless you got on his bad side. Quick-tempered and deadly, he was positioned as a winsome warrior could take on any challenger, including Ser Gregor Clegane, who murdered the children of Oberyn's beloved sister Elia before sexually assaulting Elia herself. Given the chance to fight the massive and merciless knight known as "The Mountain," Oberyn took it on. But would he live?

Does Pedro Pascal die in Prospect? Left: Credit: One Media / YouTube screenshot Right: Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Stephane Cardinale / Corbis Entertainment / Getty

Written and directed by Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell, Prospect is an underseen gem in Pascal's filmography. Released in 2018, this space-set Western stars Yellowjackets' Sophie Thatcher as a teen girl named Cee who travels with her father (Jay Duplass) to mine remote foreign planets for rare gems. But when their expedition goes horridly awry, Cee is forced to make an uneasy alliance with an outlaw named Ezra (Pascal).

A hostile terrain is potentially rich in prospects but also dangers, including cultish villagers, gun-toting mercenaries, and poisonous spores in the air. Can this odd couple not only survive such threats, but also make it off-planet alive?

Does Pedro Pascal die in Kingsman: The Golden Circle? Left: Credit: Shutterstock Right: Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Stephane Cardinale / Corbis Entertainment / Getty

This is the sequel that launched a thousand fan edits. You know that TikTok sound that features Pascal saying, "How would you like to ride home on a real cowboy? I've got a 6-pack of cold ones on ice and my roommate is out all all night. So you can scream my name as loud as you need to, sugar!" That comes from Agent Whiskey, a spy for the Statesman, the American affiliate of the UK's Kingsman.

Where the Kingsman are named after knights of the roundtable and prefer a posh aesthetic, the Statesmen are cowboys who are named after types of booze. Agent Whiskey, with his lasso and dirty mind, drew a dynamic contrast to Agents Galahad (Colin Firth and Taron Egerton). But did Whisky make it to the credits of this giddily gruesome movie?

Does Pedro Pascal die in Wonder Woman 1984? Left: Credit: WARNER BROS / Moviestore / Shutterstock Right: Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Stephane Cardinale / Corbis Entertainment / Getty

You might not recognize Pascal in Patty Jenkins' sequel to the blockbuster Wonder Woman. In Wonder Woman 1984, he plays DC villain Max Lord (aka Maxwell Lorenzano), a businessman with plenty of bravado but few ethics.

Naturally, Max must face off against Wonder Woman as they battle for the coveted magical artifact, the Dreamstone, which has the power to grant wishes. But will this big bad make it out of this DCEU movie alive?

Does Pedro Pascal die in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent? Left: Credit: Katalin Vermes / Lionsgate Right: Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Stephane Cardinale / Corbis Entertainment / Getty

Ever seen the Pedro Pascal meme where he's smiling joyfully at Nicolas Cage while "Make Your Own Kind of Music" blares on the convertible's radio? Well, that scene is from the happily absurd action comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

Released in 2022, this comedy from Tom Gormican stars Nicolas Cage as himself, but a version who's desperate for a gig that might get him some cash and win back the respect of his wife and daughter. Enter Cage's number-one fan, Javi Gutiérrez (Pascal), who offers the iconic actor $1 million to attend his birthday party in Majorca.

Though initially reluctant, Cage takes the gig and even begins to enjoy palling around with Javi. But things get complicated as the movie star gets looped into a sting operation, because the CIA thinks Javi is a notorious crime boss. It's a Nic Cage action movie, so you know things will get wild. What does that mean for Pascal?

Does Pedro Pascal die in Drive-Away Dolls? Left: Credit: Focus Features / YouTube screenshot Right: Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Stephane Cardinale / Corbis Entertainment / Getty

A daffy crime comedy from married moviemakers Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke, Drive-Away Dolls casts Pascal in a small but memorable role. Much of the movie follows lesbians pals Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) on a wild roadtrip with a coveted MacGuffin in the trunk. But before we even meet the movie's heroines, Drive-Away Dolls introduces Pascal's character, Santos, a suspicious figure slinking about with a suitcase.

His role in this B-movie mystery will soon become clear. But will Santos survive this madcap movie?

Does Pedro Pascal die in The Wild Robot? Left: Credit: DreamWorks Right: Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Stephane Cardinale / Corbis Entertainment / Getty

You might think because The Wild Robot is a kids' movie that it's safe from heartbreak. Well, on top of being a thought-provoking parable about climate change, this animated movie is a real tear-jerker! The death of a flock of baby geese is the film's inciting incident. So who is safe?

Written and directed by Chris Sanders, this adaptation of Peter Brown's novel follows Roz (Lupita Nyong'o) a helper robot who crash lands on a remote island, where only animals roam. There, Roz befriends a sly fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal). And while neither of them are trusted by the other natives of this wooded island, they'll need to depend on each other to survive a harsh terrain and harsher winter. So, does Pascal fox his way out of this?

Does Pedro Pascal die in Gladiator II? Left: Credit: Paramount Pictures Right: Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Stephane Cardinale / Corbis Entertainment / Getty

In Ridley Scott's long-awaited sequel to his Oscar–winning Gladiator, Paul Mescal stars as Lucius Verus Aurelius, grandson of the emperor Marcus Aurelius and son of Maximus Decimus Meridius — the hero played by Russell Crowe in the first film. Seeking to strike a blow against tyranny from the gladiator's pit, Lucius is in a tough predicament when it comes to knowing who to trust.

General Acacius (Pascal) seems a clear enemy, as he led the Roman army that invaded Lucius's village, killing his wife and making him a slave to the savage bloodlust of the twin emperors. But Acacius is also Lucius' mother's lover... so it's complicated. Will these two remain foes? Become friends? Most importantly: Will Pedro Pascal live or die?

Does Pedro Pascal die in The Last of Us? Left: Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO Right: Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Stephane Cardinale / Corbis Entertainment / Getty

With the success of Season 1 of The Last of Us, Pascal reached new heights of fame. It wasn't just that he brought a nerve-scraping authenticity to the role of sneering smuggler Joel, or that he slowly, intoxicatingly unfolded the hard-headed man's soft heart through his growing bond with mischievous teen Ellie (Bella Ramsey). It was also the press tour, where Pascal's smile lit up the darkness of this post-apocalyptic series, shining a light on his real-life friendship with his young co-star.

Season 2 brought the pair back together in the show and on the press tour, and things were looking up for Ellie and Joel. Instead of being ever on the run from ravenous zombies and vicious humans, they'd made a home in a fortified settlement. But on their trail was Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), who sought vengeance for the murder spree Joel committed during the climax of Season 1. So, who came out on top of this showdown?

Does Pedro Pascal die in Materialists? Left: Credit: A24 Right: Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Stephane Cardinale / Corbis Entertainment / Getty

Writer/director Celine Song's follow-up to the critically heralded romantic drama Past Lives seemed a solid chance to see Pascal be charming without being killed for it.

Materialists is a love-triangle tale in which Dakota Johnson plays a Manhattan matchmaker who is torn between her first love, a broke aspiring actor played by Chris Evans, and a dashing millionaire played by Pascal. While there is a rivalry and offscreen violence in the movie, the genre suggests Pascal should make it out alive. But does he?

SEE ALSO: Chris Evans and Dakota Johnson weigh in on 'Materialists' big street fight and their cocktails of choice Does Pedro Pascal die in Eddington? Left: Credit: A24 Right: Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Stephane Cardinale / Corbis Entertainment / Getty

Following Ari Aster's bold and divisive Beau Is Afraid, he reteamed with Joaquin Phoenix for the COVID-19-centered black comedy Eddington. Set in a small New Mexico town, Phoenix plays local sheriff Joe Cross, who scoffs at mask mandates and finds these precautions an invasion on his freedom. Standing in opposition to Cross's attitude (at a socially responsible distance of six feet) is Eddington's mayor, Ted Garcia (Pascal).

A movie meant to mock both sides of the political divide, Eddington pits Phoenix and Pascal against each other in a mayoral election. Masculinity is threatened. Katy Perry music is blasted across desert bluffs. And — as you might expect of Aster, who also made Hereditary and Midsommar — the film ends in a wildly violent confrontation. But does Pascal survive the carnage?

Does Pedro Pascal die in The Fantastic Four: First Steps? Left: Credit: Marvel Studios © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL Right: Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Stephane Cardinale / Corbis Entertainment / Getty

After several fumbles, The Fantastic Four relaunches with this swinging '60s-style adventure, and it's "one of the best MCU films in years" — so says our critic!

Pedro Pascal stars as Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, who beyond being brilliant also has the ability to stretch like rubber. By his side in heroism is Vanessa Kirby as Reed's wife Sue Storm/the Invisible Woman, whose power is pretty self-evident in her name; The Bear's Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/the Thing, who is a near-invincible man of rock; and Joseph Quinn as Sue's brother, Johnny Storm/the Human Torch, who — yeah — can turn into fire.

In The Fantastic Four: First Steps, they'll face off against the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) and the very big bad Galactus (Ralph Ineson). But will Pascal make it out alive? On one hand, Marvel Entertainment seems to have big plans for the hot actor, as he's currently slated to appear in two upcoming Avengers projects in 2026 and 2027. On the other hand, the MCU already killed Reed Richards once before. Remember John Krasinski's ripped-to-shreds Reed in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Click and drag the slider to see for yourself if Pascal's Reed Richards suffers a similar fate!

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

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

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, July 25, 2025:

AcrossWhat a palm tree emoji on Slack might indicate, informally

• The answer is Vacay.

Skirt

• The answer is Evade.

iPhone app for jotting

• The answer is Notes.

C.E.O., C.F.O. or C.T.O.

• The answer is Title.

Requirements for pink or purple hair

• The answer is Dyes.

DownLet off a little steam

• The answer is Vent.

Skirt

• The answer is Avoid.

Like a remark that might elicit a "me-ow"

• The answer is Catty.

"Skyfall" singer

• The answer is Adele.

Positive R.S.V.P.s

• The answer is Yeses.

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

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

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

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

Determining whether you should buy a stick vacuum or a robot vacuum requires more than a surface-level comparison of suction power or battery life. It involves a cold, hard look in the mirror and some introspection: How often would you realistically do the cleaning yourself?

Factors like the size of your home and whether you have pets do matter, of course. But the stick vacuum vs. robot vacuum conversation really comes down to how picky you are about cleanliness and whether or not you care enough to ensure the vacuuming job is done thoroughly by doing it manually. I have both types of vacuums in my apartment, and have tested dozens of models of each variety over the past few years. I'm breaking down the pros and cons of each below.

The case for a robot vacuum The iRobot Roomba Plus 405 Combo. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The Roborock Saros 10. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

"The only way my house is going to get vacuumed every day is if a robot does it." I've heard that sentiment from more than one person when they ask me for a vacuum recommendation. If that resonates, you should definitely choose a robot vacuum.

It's also much easier to find a robot vacuum that mops than a stick vacuum that mops. Is the scrubbing as thorough as what you may be able to do with a manual mop? No, but automated mopping is more sanitary than forgetting to mop your floor for months on end. My favorite robot vacuum of 2025, the Roborock Saros 10R, is actually really good at mopping in corners, too.

SEE ALSO: Roborock Saros 10 vs. 10R: I narrowly crowned a winner after head-to-head testing at home

Robot vacuums are typically less work to maintain as well. It's more common than not for robot vacuums to auto-empty nowadays. Self-emptying robot vacuums deal with their own dustbins for several weeks (up to a few months) at a time. Many mopping robot vacuums can also refill their own water tanks and wash and dry their own mopping pads after each use. Parents or folks with busy schedules would probably appreciate the ability to set a robot vac to clean before they even get home, even if the clean isn't 100 percent as meticulous as a human wielding a cordless vacuum.

The Roborock Saros 10R. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The Roborock Saros 10's water tanks. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Some robot vacuums take automation further with features like small obstacle avoidance and livestream pet cameras. These take the hands-off-ness of it all up a notch — you're less likely to come home to a robot vacuum stuck on a sucked-up sock, or can check in on your pets when you're not home. However, it's important to keep in mind that you'd be paying a lot more to keep your robot vacuum out of trouble than you would if you were simply the one at home cleaning. The most advanced robot vacuums are generally much more expensive than the most advanced stick vacuums, costing between several hundred to even $1,000 or more for full automation.

SEE ALSO: Shark vs. Roomba: Comparing top-rated robot vacuum lineups The case for a stick vacuum The Shark PowerDetect. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The Dyson V12 Detect Slim (in handheld mode). Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

No one can argue with the fact that humans are just smarter cleaners than robotic vacuums. We can visualize the spots that need to be cleaned more scrupulously than a robot vacuum can, and sneak stick vacuums into tight spots that even the smartest robot vacuums can't figure out. There's a lot of furniture that's too low clearance for even the slimmest robot vacuums. The 2.85-inch Roborock Saros 10R that I love can't clean under my dresser or nightstand, but my Dyson V12 Detect Slim can.

Physically speaking, there are also a ton of spots where robot vacuums quite literally cannot clean, like furniture, staircases, ceiling corners, or car seats. If you have pets that hang out on (and shed on) your couch or bed, a stick vacuum that converts into a handheld is crucial.

The Dyson laser shows exactly where you need to clean. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable A robot vacuum couldn't fit under my dresser. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Suction power-wise, it's true that upright stick vacuums are generally more powerful than robot vacuums. I mean, there could be an instance where a really high-end robot vacuum with 22,000 Pa suction is more powerful than a cheap stick vacuum. But in general, if you're comparing models at similar price points, the cordless stick vacuum is probably going to have better suction. Some Dysons, in particular, also enhance cleaning thoroughness with a laser that illuminates microscopic dust or hair that you wouldn't have seen otherwise. My brain chemistry was altered when I first experienced the laser on my Dyson V12 Detect Slim, and I've never been able to go back.

A few years ago, if you really wanted a vacuum that could empty itself, you'd be pretty firmly in robot vacuum territory. But now there are a ton of self-emptying cordless stick vacuums — I can't stop recommending the $549.99 Shark PowerDetect to people. Each time I hang it back up after cleaning, it automatically sucks the contents of its dust bin into the dock it charges on. That means I start every new cleaning session with an empty dust bin, and can literally see how much cat hair is coming off of the rug in one specific room. Dyson is the only main cordless vacuum brand that doesn't make a self-emptying vacuum yet.

SEE ALSO: Shark vs. Dyson: Which cordless vacuum should you get?

Depending on the storage situation in your home, a stick vacuum might be awkward to keep out of sight. For example, if you live in an apartment with limited closet space, storing a stick vacuum could be a pain. You'd either have to drill holes to hang it on the wall, shove it under a couch, or let it lean in the corner full time.

The case for getting both

But the answer I really want to give here is probably the most annoying one: Instead of choosing between a robot vacuum or a stick vacuum, just get both.

That sounds like a really expensive, really extra solution on its face. But it doesn't have to be. Let's say your budget was between $500 and $600 — a very common price point for a lot of mid-range vacuums of the robot and stick variety. Instead of going all in on one type of vacuum, you could be strategic and buy a $300 version of each (I've tested a ton of good, cheap robot vacuums, and Shark has several solid, affordable cordless vacuums). That way, you're securing hands-free light upkeep on a day-to-day basis, but have the option to do a more detailed manual cleaning when you have time.

SEE ALSO: Robot vacuum brands are losing the plot with the latest 'innovations'

(Splitting the cost won't exactly work if you're not trying to spend more than, say, $200. In that case, refer to my arguments above.)

I also think there's a real future for vacuums that are both. The affordable Eufy E20 3-in-1 is a robot vacuum that turns into a stick vacuum (a pretty powerful one at that), and that's exactly why it's my pick for the most underrated vacuum of 2025 so far. I'm convinced that practical versatility like that is quickly going to prove more valuable to the average person than super high-tech vacuum concepts like the $2,599 Roborock robot vacuum with a robotic arm... that misses half the time.

TL;DR: Put all your AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini Pro, and Leonardo.AI in one place with a lifetime subscription to 1minAI, an all-in-one AI app, on sale for just £22.17.

Opens in a new window Credit: 1minAI 1minAI: Lifetime Subscription £22.17 at The Mashable Shop
£173.10 Save £150.93 Get Deal

The free version of some AI models like ChatGPT can get the job done, but if you want the good stuff, you should consider opting for a paid subscription.  

1minAI consolidates many of the most popular AI models — like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Meta AI — into one platform where you can use them all seamlessly, whether you need to generate text, images, or even full videos. Get a lifetime subscription on sale now for £22.17.

What can you do with 1minAI

1minAI gives you one platform where you can access AI models like ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, Mistral AI, and more. You don't just get the baseline version, either — 1minAI users can chat with GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo, Gemini Pro 1.5, and Llama 2 or Llama 3. 

Like a ton of other AI platforms, 1minAI has a limit to how much you can generate every month. Unlike other platforms, the limit is incredibly high. Here's what your lifetime subscription gets you every month. 

First, you get a baseline of 1,000,000 credits per month. Then, every day you log in, you get an additional 15,000 free credits. These will roll over if you don't use them all, too. 

In practice, those huge numbers mean you could generate up to 362,500 words, research nearly 2,000 SEO keywords, generate 386 images, upscale 241 images, remove 24 backgrounds, convert text to speech for over 120,000 characters, and generate up to 12 videos. 

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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

Unclear.

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

VAGUE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Venomous spider.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 25, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

WIDOW

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To change.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 25 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 25, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

MORPH

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Done when arriving at a home.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for July 25 Hurdle Word 4 answer

KNOCK

Final Hurdle hint

Humiliation.

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

SHAME

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 in a new phase tonight, but there's hardly any of it on display as we start the beginning of a new 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 25.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday, July 25, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. There's still not much to see tonight, with only 1% of the surface visible to us on Earth (according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation).

It's the first 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.

TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub from Virginia with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

The big news in the world of porn is that more than a third of U.S. states have introduced age verifitcaion laws for online adult content, including Virginia.

Millions of users are now unable to visit popular sites like Pornhub after the adult site responded by restricting access in these locations. There are complicated reasons for this restriction that we're not going to get into right now, but what's important to note is that there is a workaround for users in these impacted states.

If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from Virginia, we have all the information you need.

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Virginia

VPNs are useful tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.

Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 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 a location that supports access to Pornhub

4. Visit Pornhub

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to sites like Pornhub, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing content restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Unblock Pornhub for free in Virginia with ExpressVPN.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps gifts viewers with a pair of wildly different post-credits scenes.

Its mid-credits scene brings a harbinger of doom to not just the Fantastic Four, but the whole MCU. Thankfully, though, The Fantastic Four: First Steps lightens things up in its end-credits scene, so you're still able to leave the theater smiling, instead of, you know, panicking about the fate of baby Franklin. Let's break it down.

SEE ALSO: 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' game-changing mid-credits scene, explained The Fantastic Four: First Steps' end-credits scene features a sweet Jack Kirby tribute. Ebon Moss-Bachrach in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps." Credit: Marvel Studios

As the credits finish rolling on The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a quote from Fantastic Four co-creator Jack Kirby appears on screen, saying, "If you look at my characters, you will find me. No matter what kind of character you create or assume, a little of yourself must remain there."

The attribution to Kirby also includes the dates of his life: Aug. 28, 1917 to Feb. 6, 1994. The American way of writing out his birthdate (8/28) corresponds to the number of the Fantastic Four's reality, which is Earth-828, making for a sweet tribute to the artist behind Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn).

The Fantastic Four: First Steps gets animated in its end-credits scene. Pedro Pascal in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps." Credit: Jay Maidment

Following the Kirby quote, The Fantastic Four: First Steps launches into the Fantastic Four cartoon that is mentioned throughout the film. As Ben laments, it's the origin of his catchphrase, "It's clobberin' time."

We get to see that animated catchphrase in action, but that's not all. The end-credits scene features a snazzy theme song, along with fights with comic villains previously brought up in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, like Puppet Master, Diablo, and Red Ghost.

Unfortunately, this cartoon only exists in the world of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, so you won't be able to catch more of Pascal, Kirby, Moss-Bachrach, and Quinn's animated selves. (At least, not yet. Disney could make this happen!) However, if you're yearning for more animated Fantastic Four, you're in luck. The 1994 Fantastic Four animated series is now streaming on Disney+.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now in theaters.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps features what might be the most important MCU mid-credits scene since Thanos first appeared in The Avengers.

Not only does it introduce one of Marvel's most iconic antagonists, it also teases why the Fantastic Four might have jumped to the main MCU universe, as seen in the Thunderbolts* end-credits scene. Let's break it down.

SEE ALSO: 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' end-credits scene, explained The Fantastic Four: First Steps mid-credits scene brings Doctor Doom to the MCU. Vanessa Kirby and Ada Scott in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps." Credit: Marvel Studios

The Fantastic Four: First Steps' mid-credits scene picks up four years after the film's ending. Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm/Invisible Woman's (Vanessa Kirby) son Franklin is growing up happy, healthy, and — seemingly — fairly normal. From looking at him, you'd have no clue he single-handedly resurrected his mother following a harrowing battle against Galactus (Ralph Ineson). Instead, you'd just see a regular preschool-aged child, one who's learning to talk and adores picture books like Michael McClintock's A Fly Went By.

In the scene, Sue reads Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Franklin in the Fantastic Four's Baxter Building apartment. She leaves him on the couch for just a moment while she goes to find their copy of A Fly Went By. However, when she returns to the living room, she discovers an unwanted visitor: a man in a green hooded cape, holding a silvery mask, who's holding Franklin's hand to his face. That mystery man? None other than Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.).

Even though audiences know Downey Jr. will be playing Doctor Doom, The Fantastic Four: First Steps doesn't give us a Downey-as-Doom face reveal just yet. Marvel will likely keep up waiting for a bit on that front! However, his appearance here marks the first time Doctor Doom has popped up in the MCU, setting the stage for 2026's Avengers: Doomsday, where he will be the main villain.

The question now becomes, what in the world is Doctor Doom doing in the Baxter Building? And what does he want with Franklin? Is he, like Galactus, entranced by Franklin's cosmic powers? Or perhaps he's more intrigued by his healing capabilities, like his resurrection of Sue? After all, Doctor Doom does have facial scarring. Maybe he is hoping Franklin can get rid of it, explaining why he's having Franklin touch his face.

Either way, if Doctor Doom comes after Franklin, you know the Fantastic Four are going to be hot on his trail.

How does The Fantastic Four: First Steps connect to the Thunderbolts* end-credits scene? Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Pedro Pascal in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps." Credit: Jay Maidment

The post-credits scene from Thunderbolts* teased the Fantastic Four's entry into the MCU, with their spaceship entering Earth's atmosphere. What caused them to leave their own dimension?

After seeing The Fantastic Four: First Steps' mid-credits scene, the answer to that question is likely Doctor Doom. Perhaps he stole Franklin right from under Sue's nose, and the Fantastic Four's extra-dimensional trip is part of their hunt to get him back. Or maybe the Fantastic Four are trying to warn parallel Earths about the arrival of Doctor Doom. Whatever the answer, one thing is clear: Doomsday is coming.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now in theaters.

When it comes to packing, I bring too many socks, triple-check that I have my meds, and unpack and repack to ensure I don't forget that one pair of pants. But chargers? Well, too often, they're back at home when I'm already on the road. Realizing that this was no way to live, I finally invested in a travel charger and power bank.

Anker Nano 3-in-1 Power Bank $44.99 at Amazon
Shop Now The Anker Nano 3-in-1 is a power bank and charger in one device This small but mighty device has kept my phone charged all across the country. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Over the past few months, the Anker Nano 3-in-1 has been my most consistent travel companion, coming with me to California, New York, Texas, and Vermont. While it's technically a power bank, with an included AC outlet plug-in, it's also a great charger, and multi-use devices are my love language.

This Anker power bank includes either a short Lightning or USB-C cable, a USB-C port, and an AC plug. Overnight, I plug the power bank into an AC outlet and plug my phone into the built-in lightning cable, and wake up to a fully charged phone and power bank. That's certainly not novel for a charger; however, in the months of use, it's never once faltered. Plus, it can charge two devices at once. Using the USB-C port, I charge both my phone and Apple Watch overnight.

The Anker Nano 3-in-1 charges phones and laptops on the go When plugged in, the Anker Nano tells you it's power percentage. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Where the Anker really impresses me is when plugged into an AC outlet and simultaneously charging multiple devices, it also charges the power bank. If I plug it in overnight, it has a full battery by the morning. That way, I can just throw the power bank in my bag, and it's ready to go for the day.

This was clutch while covering VidCon, where I was on the go for over 12 hours a day. Rather than worrying about where to find an outlet in the bustling Anaheim Convention Center, when my phone battery was low, I could just plug it into the power bank and keep it inconspicuously charging in my bag. It holds enough power to fully charge my iPhone 14 Pro twice over, but it's compatible with plenty of other devices. With the USB-C port, I could plug in my laptop charging cord to the Anker Nano and juice up my MacBook Pro.

It has one design flaw...

Having the built-in lightning cord (it's also available with a built-in USB-C cord) on the Anker Nano is great, and means you never have to haul around extra cords in addition to the power bank. However, that built-in cord is so short. If you're using it as a power bank, that's not really a problem, but as a charger, it's definitely annoying. I like to indulge in pre-bed phone time while my phone is charging, but with how short this cord is, it's nearly impossible to hold onto your phone while charging. Plus, if you want to charge your phone while it's plugged into an AC outlet, unless you're close to a table, the phone tends to end up dangling.

I've maneuvered my way around this pretty easily. On my honeymoon, our charming Cape Cod cottage didn't have any well-placed outlets for overnight charging, so I plugged the power bank in during the day and used it in power bank mode to charge my phone overnight.

I use the Anker Nano at home, too The Anker Nano has a permanent spot in my travel bag. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

While the Anker Nano 3-in-1 has a permanent home in my travel bag, I still reach for it when I'm not on the road. Our living room has poorly placed outlets, so there's no good spot for a charger. When I want to keep my phone charged but still within reach while lounging on the couch, I grab my Anker Nano.

I purchased the Anker Nano 3-in-1 for $34.99, $10 cheaper than its full price of $44.99, but I'd still tell you to buy it at full price. It's a convenient multi-use power bank that keeps all your devices fully charged on the go and at home.

On Thursday, The Verge reported that ChatGPT 5 from OpenAI will be arriving in August. We were already expecting a summer launch, but big models are often subject to delays. So, this is great potential news for fans of the popular AI chatbot, though official details remain scarce.

Unofficial details, rumors, and leaks, on the other hand, are plentiful.

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

So, what can we expect from ChatGPT 5?

ChatGPT 5, explained

If you're a casual ChatGPT user, then chances are most of your prompts are handled by GPT-4o. That's the default version of the chatbot that OpenAI describes as "great for most tasks." However, OpenAI is always cooking up new releases. In fact, the AI company has been releasing new AI tools at a breakneck pace in 2025. (Whether it can sustain that pace after Meta went on an AI talent poaching spree, we'll have to wait and see.)

So far this year, OpenAI released a hugely popular image generation tool (Remember the Studio Ghibli image trend, right? What about the Studio Ghibli trend backlash?). Then, in April, the company dropped two new reasoning models, o3 and o4-mini. The company also delivered its Operator AI agent, a new education initiative with Microsoft and teachers, and another, smarter reasoning model, o3-pro. And in addition to ChatGPT-5, the company announced it will be making an AI wearable with iPhone designer Jony Ive, and is also rumored to be working on an AI browser, among other projects.

However, ChatGPT-5 will be a particularly notable release, as it should bring noticeable improvements to the everyday ChatGPT experience.

What do we know about GPT-5?

We don't know much officially yet, except that GPT-5 is actively being tested. On July 23, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sat down with podcaster Theo Von, and he brought up GPT-5 repeatedly, saying, "5.0 I think is going to be great."

Later, he described what it's like testing the new model:

This morning I was testing our new model, and I got a question. I got emailed a question that I didn't quite understand. And I put it in the model, this GPT5, and it answered it perfectly. And I really kind of sat back in my chair, and I was just like, oh man, here it is moment. And I got over it quickly. I got busy onto the next thing, but it was like...I felt, like, useless relative to the AI in this thing that I felt like I should have been able to do. And I couldn’t, and it was really hard, but the AI just did it like that. Yeah, it was it was a weird feeling.

Of course, I feel like I've heard AI leaders tell a version of this anecdote every time they're promoting an imminent release.

We expect GPT-5 to offer more agentic capabilities.

ChatGPT-5 could combine multiple models and tools

Currently, ChatGPT users can toggle between different models, from GPT-4 to advanced reasoning models. OpenAI also has tools like Sora, for video generation, and Operator, a web-based AI agent.

However, Tech Radar points to rumors from early testers that GPT-5 will combine these various tools into a single interface, which would let you generate images, conduct deep research, or write code.

Better coding abilities

Earlier this month, Altman shared this story on X, which many users assume refers to GPT-5.

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

Big model releases usually deliver incremental improvements on core abilities like image generation and coding, and we expect that will be the case with the new model from OpenAI.

GPT is "coming soon," OpenAI leaders promise

We know that Altman isn't the only one testing GPT-5. And while discussing OpenAI's recent gold medal at a math Olympiad, OpenAI research scientist Alexander Wei promised, "we are releasing GPT-5 soon."

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Tech Radar also cites independent researchers who spotted a reference to the model in "OpenAI’s internal BioSec Benchmark repository, suggesting the model is already being trialed in sensitive domains like biosecurity."

Larger context windows

With each new model, OpenAI expands ChatGPT's context window. That term refers to how much data a model can "remember" when responding to a prompt. ChatGPT developers and users are actively calling for larger context windows (the exact size varies by model), and we'd be shocked if this wasn't a part of GPT-5.

To be candid, OpenAI has done a pretty good job of keeping GPT-5 leaks to a minimum. Besides a few cryptic references that the model is coming soon, OpenAI has kept pretty strict message discipline around the upcoming model.

On the afternoon of Thursday, July 24, Starlink customers reported trouble accessing the satellite internet service, and the company acknowledged a network outage.

At 4:05 p.m. ET, the Starlink X account stated, "Starlink is currently in a network outage and we are actively implementing a solution. We appreciate your patience, we'll share an update once this issue is resolved."

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

The website Down Detector recorded a spike in Starlink user error reports beginning around 3 p.m., with error reports peaking around 3:30 p.m. As of this writing, the number of reports had dropped, but they were still significantly higher than the hours prior to the incident.

A message on the Starlink website said the company was investigating the problem. It's not yet clear how widespread the outage is. However, Starlink operates the world's largest satellite constellation, with more than 6,700 satellites in use serving millions of customers around the world, the company says. Thus, a Starlink network outage could have a wide-ranging global impact for customers who depend on Starlink to access the web.

Starlink is a satellite internet company capable of bringing high-speed internet to communities and locations that don't normally have access to the web. Starlink is owned by Musk's SpaceX aerospace company.

This is a developing story, and we'll provide updates if new information becomes available...

Apple released the public beta for iOS 26 today. However, you probably shouldn't install it without a plan.

The latest edition of iOS brings about a huge new design language, new quality of life features, new AI tricks, and more. There's a lot to dig into, and this article won't cover every single new thing you can try on iOS 26. But once you've installed the public beta, here are some of the best new features to check out.

SEE ALSO: iOS 27 is reportedly focused on foldable iPhone features The 5 best new features to try in the iOS 26 beta

Again, this is not a full, comprehensive list of every single change in iOS 26, because there are a lot. Let's stick with the biggest and best for now.

Liquid Glass Credit: Apple Credit: Apple

Introduced at WWDC earlier this year, Liquid Glass is an all-encompassing term for Apple's new design language being introduced with iOS 26.

As its name suggests, Liquid Glass changes the look of all your app icons and other UI elements so they resemble, well, liquid and glass. When you drag something around with your finger, it'll animate nicely in a liquid-like fashion, and everything has a glassy, somewhat transparent texture to it. There isn't much more to say about this, other than that you should install the iOS 26 public beta and see it for yourself.

iOS 26 will also allow you to personalize the appearance of widgets, so if you don't love the "all clear" style, you can tone down Liquid Glass to your liking.

Changes to the Phone app Credit: Apple

One big thing Apple did with iOS 26 is totally redesign several core everyday apps, like Phone, Messages, and Photos. Let's start with the Phone app.

For starters, things like Recents, Voicemails, and Favorites all now live together on one screen rather than in separate tabs. There's also a new call screening feature which will answer any phone call for you and ask the caller who they are and why they're calling. If the answer is satisfactory, you can pick up the phone. If not, you can tell them to take a hike and get on with your day.

Hold Assist will also free you from the burden of listening to awful hold music on customer service calls. You can put the phone down and wait for a notification to pop up, which tells you when a human is on the other end. That sounds lovely.

New Messages features Credit: Apple

Messages, the home for all your texts and group chats, has also gotten some new toys to play with.

One of my favorites is the ability to make polls in group chats, which is nominally a feature for deciding where to get dinner, but will really be a feature that's used to settle incredibly arcane, nonsensical inside-joke arguments among friend groups. Group chats have also gotten the much-needed ability to see who is typing, plus a new feature that lets users set custom backgrounds for their chats.

Group chats are about to get so, so silly.

Photos app overhaul Credit: Apple

One of the more hotly anticipated iOS 26 changes will undoubtedly be the overhaul that the currently not-especially-good Photos app is getting.

There are only two tabs on the bottom now, Library and Collections. One of them (presumably) shows you all the stuff on your phone, while the other shows everything you've put into folders. That sounds much cleaner and less confusing than the current disaster of a Photos app interface. This seems like a small thing, but considering how bad Photos has gotten with recent updates, I'm really looking forward to it.

Live translation Credit: Apple

The new iOS introduces a suite of new Apple Intelligence-powered features, such as news summaries and shortcut actions that could theoretically make complex tasks an automated breeze. However, one of them stands out above the rest, at least to me.

Specifically, Live Translation has gotten a big power boost. It now works in the Messages app, which is cool, but what's even cooler is that it now interfaces with phone calls and FaceTime calls. You can now, in theory, have a conversation with someone over the phone without speaking the same language as them in iOS 26. Apparently, it'll even work if the other person doesn't have an iPhone, which is kinda nuts.

There is so much more to iOS 26 that we'll be looking at over the next couple of months, but for now, these features are plenty to chew on.

Honorable mention: New Genmoji creation tools, with a boost from ChatGPT Credit: Apple

If you want to take advantage of the new Apple Intelligence features coming with iOS 26, you'll need a relatively new iPhone. Specifically, iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max devices (with Apple Intelligence activated).

In iOS 26, you'll get new tools for creating custom Genmoji using ChatGPT. According to Apple, "Genmoji and Image Playground provide users with even more opportunities for self-expression, including mixing their favorite emoji, Genmoji, and descriptions together to create brand-new images."

We've covered the new Image Playground and Genmoji tools previously, but we haven't tried them out yet.

South Park goes right for President Donald Trump's jugular in the first episode of Season 27.

The episode sees Trump in bed with Satan, a callback to 1999's South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, which featured Satan in a relationship with Saddam Hussein.

"You remind me more and more of this other guy I used to date," Satan tells Trump. "Like, a lot. Like, you guys are exactly alike."

SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert has a blunt response to Trump gloating over his show's cancellation

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone don't stop there, though. They also show Trump as having a micropenis and mention rumors of him being on the "Epstein list."

The Season 27 premiere also skewers Paramount's $16 million settlement with Trump over a lawsuit in which Trump alleged that a 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris contained "deceitful" editing. (CBS News itself called the suit "completely without merit.") In the episode, the town of South Park protests against Trump. In retaliation, Trump sues the town, forcing them to pay Trump a considerable sum and produce a number of pro-Trump PSAs as part of a settlement.

The PSA shown at the end of the episode is extra-NSFW, showing an AI deepfake of Trump taking off his clothes in the desert. Once he's fully naked, his penis pops up and states, "I'm Donald J. Trump, and I endorse this message."

The PSA's voiceover declares: "His penis is teeny tiny, but his love for us is large."

Trump's White House is decidedly unhappy about the episode. According to Rolling Stone, a Trump adviser who has long been a fan of the series found it "disappointing."

In a statement sent to Variety, Rolling Stone, and The Hollywood Reporter among other outlets, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said: "The Left’s hypocrisy truly has no end — for years they have come after South Park for what they labeled as 'offense' (sic) content, but suddenly they are praising the show. Just like the creators of South Park, the Left has no authentic or original content, which is why their popularity continues to hit record lows."

Hours before South Park Season 27 premiered, Paramount reached a five-year deal with Parker and Stone for 50 new episodes on Comedy Central and a streaming partnership with Paramount+. The deal is valued at $1.5 billion.

South Park's takedown of Trump and specifically the Paramount settlement comes a little over a week after Stephen Colbert ripped into that same settlement on The Late Show. He called it a "big, fat bribe" meant to encourage the approval of a merger between Skydance Media and Paramount, which owns CBS. Days later, The Late Show was cancelled, although CBS claimed it was "purely a financial decision."

However, South Park thinks otherwise. Towards the end of the episode, Jesus Christ himself encourages South Park's citizens to settle with Trump, asking them, "Do you really want to end up like Colbert?"

Surprise: We're getting another new Nintendo console this year (sort of). On July 23, Lego unveiled a new Nintendo Game Boy building set that's a near 1:1 recreation of the classic handheld gaming system from 1989. It's priced at $59.99, making it $20 cheaper than the Switch 2's signature launch game.

You can preorder the Lego Game Boy set now at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart ahead of its formal release this fall. It was initially available directly through the Lego Store, too, but preorders sold out there early Thursday morning, according to @Wario64, a social media account that tracks video game deals and drops.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Super Mario Game Boy $59.99 at Amazon
Pre-order Here

The set contains 421 pieces, including bits for the Game Boy's control pad, buttons, and volume and contrast dials. Lego also throws in interchangeable Game Paks for The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and Super Mario Land. You even swap out the Lego Game Boy's screen to display its start screen or a 2D screencap from one of the aforementioned game cartridges.

Credit: Lego

"Designed for people who enjoy hands-on creative activities, this is part of a large assortment of Lego sets for adult designers and with step-by-step instructions newcomers to Lego can also enjoy the challenge," said Lego and Nintendo in a joint press release.

Credit: Lego

Initially teased on Instagram back in January, the brickified Game Boy marks yet another entry in Lego's Super Mario series made in partnership with Nintendo, which kicked off in 2020 with a 2,646-piece Nintendo NES build. (Lego has since retired that set, but Amazon is still selling it at an upcharge.) Other recent releases from the series include a trio of Mario Kart Lego sets that shoot turtle shells, which had Mashable's Timothy Beck Worth asking, "Where were these when I was growing up?"

The Lego Game Boy is set for release on Wednesday, October 1, making it another great holiday gifting option.

Where to preorder the Lego Game Boy: Amazon Lego Super Mario Game Boy $59.99 Pre-Order Here Best Buy Lego Super Mario Game Boy $59.99 Pre-Order Here Walmart Lego Super Mario Game Boy $59.99 Pre-Order Here

UPDATE: Jul. 24, 2025, 5:15 p.m. EDT The Lego Game Boy is no longer available for preorder directly through the Lego Store. However, Best Buy and Walmart's listings for it are now live. We've updated this story accordingly.

Thousands of educational institutions that use popular ed-tech platform Canvas to assign coursework, score tests, and design lesson plans will soon receive even more AI features in coming months.

Part of a series of industry-wide collaborations, the platform's parent company, Instructure, has signed on to a new partnership with OpenAI, an initiative that will see the learning software leverage OpenAI's tech to build out more AI experiences for users.

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Teachers, for example, will gain access to AI-powered personalization, feedback, and assessment data, the companies explain. "Routine and low-value tasks," will be automated, and students will experience more "personalized, adaptable learning journeys" with additional assignment and evaluation interactions with its AI.

Canvas' first collaboratively designed AI tool is a new "LLM-Enabled Assignment" feature, an additional assignment option for teachers that lets them create a classroom chatbot experience for students, customizing how students interact with, receive learning objectives from, and prompt the GPT-like tool. Teachers can then use insights from the LLM to evaluate student submissions. "This feature provides a meaningful way to teach students how to use these tools responsibly and effectively, all within a high-quality pedagogical framework that encourages critical thinking and supports higher-order skills," said Shiren Vijiasingam, chief product officer at Instructure.

Anthropic, makers of chatbot Claude, announced an integration with Canvas' Learning Tools Interoperability in June, which lets students use Claude directly in the Canvas platform while doing coursework — users will still be able to enable Claude (and other integrated tools) alongside the OpenAI partnership. Across the board, AI's biggest players have chosen to invest heavily in the technology's educational applications, including teacher tools, student skill building, and a free, nationwide training program for educators in partnership with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

“This collaboration with OpenAI showcases our ambitious vision: creating a future-ready ecosystem that fosters meaningful learning and achievement at every stage of education" wrote Instructure CEO Steve Daly. "This is a significant step forward for the education community as we continuously amplify the learning experience and improve student outcomes."

President Donald Trump is siding with tech companies in the hotly contested AI copyright battle.

On Wednesday, the president outlined his AI Action Plan in remarks at the AI Summit, an event hosted by the All-In podcast and the Hill and Valley Forum. In announcing the plan, Trump called for a "common-sense application" of AI and intellectual property rules (starting at minute 19:48 in the video).

"You can't be expected to have a successful AI program when every single article, book, or anything else that you've read or studied, you're supposed to pay for," the president said. "When a person reads a book or an article, you've gained great knowledge. That does not mean that you're violating copyright laws or have to make deals with every content provider." Notably, he also said, "China’s not doing it."

The rhetoric reflects the stance big tech companies like Meta and OpenAI have taken when it comes to AI model training and copyright infringement.

AI companies say copyright law is slowing them down

A fierce legal debate is raging that pits copyright holders against AI companies. Authors, musicians, and artists have sued OpenAI, Meta, Anthropic, and others, claiming the use of their creative works (some of which were pirated) as training data is copyright infringement. For instance, in its suit against Midjourney, Disney called the AI image generator "a bottomless pit of plagiarism." However, AI companies claim they are protected by the fair use doctrine, which allows the unlicensed use of copyrighted works in specific circumstances.

In its March recommendations for development of an AI Action Plan, Meta said, "the Administration should clarify that the use of publicly available data to train models is unequivocally fair use." OpenAI similarly argued that "applying the fair use doctrine to AI is not only a matter of American competitiveness — it’s a matter of national security," in their submitted recommendations. Companies like OpenAI have claimed they need the green light to use copyrighted works without consent to win the AI race against China.

SEE ALSO: Trump's AI Action Plan revives regulation showdown between states, feds

As part of its AI Action Plan, the White House also issued a trio of executive orders about AI, which Trump signed after giving his remarks. There was no explicit mention of copyright issues or fair use in these orders, but Trump's comments clearly signal that the administration is siding with big tech on this issue. The action plan also calls for easing regulations on tech companies in general. "To maintain global leadership in AI, America’s private sector must be unencumbered by bureaucratic red tape," said the AI Action Plan.

Fact check: You do have to pay for knowledge

Trump's comments about not having to pay for gaining knowledge is actually a common argument. Tech companies have claimed that because their AI models are generally learning from the data, they are not subject to copyright laws.

However, many copyright lawyers disagree.

"When the president raises the difficulty of paying for every 'single article, book, or anything else,' – that’s legit," said Justin Hughes, a law professor at Loyola Law School. "But nothing in that is inconsistent with the AI companies licensing large repositories of copyrighted materials – as they are doing, AI companies reaching settlements with certified classes of copyright owners in litigation – as they should, and AI companies paying exemplary damages when they rapaciously copy stuff without permission."

In a previous interview with Mashable about the Kadrey v. Meta case, Hughes also pointed out that "people pay to learn and they have to buy copies of books to learn."

Dozens of AI copyright cases are making their way through the courts right now. AI blog ChatGPT Is Eating the World counts 47 active cases. Recently, Anthropic and Meta both won their fair use rulings, but the judge presiding over the Meta case had this to say: "As should now be clear, this ruling does not stand for the proposition that Meta’s use of copyrighted materials to train its language models is lawful," and even postulated that "it will be illegal to copy copyright-protected works to train generative AI models without permission."

It's unclear how Trump's copyright remarks will turn into concrete action. But he seems to be out of sync with the U.S. Copyright Office's position on AI training and fair use, according to a pre-publication version of its AI Copyright Report. That report concluded that fair use likely doesn't provide a blanket exception for AI companies using copyrighted works. In Congress, Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal recently introduced a bipartisan bill that would ban AI companies from training on copyrighted works and allow people to sue tech companies for the use of their personal data for model training.

And then there's the possibility that Trump's stance might change, as Hughes theorized. "I think the president may feel very differently if and when he learns about AI companies training on episodes of The Apprentice without paying a dime."

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.

President Donald Trump says that "woke AI" is a pressing threat to truth and independent thought. Critics say his plan to combat so-called woke AI represents a threat to freedom of speech and potentially violates the First Amendment.

The term has taken on new significance since the president outlined The White House's AI Action Plan on Wednesday, July 23, part of a push to secure American dominance in the fast-growing artificial intelligence sector.

The AI Action Plan informs a trio of executive orders:

• Promoting the Export of the American AI Technology Stack

• Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure

• Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government

The action plan checks off quite a few items from the Big Tech wishlist and borrows phrasing like "truth-seeking" directly from AI leaders like Elon Musk. The executive order about woke AI also positions large-language models with allegedly liberal leanings as a new right-wing bogeyman.

So, what is woke AI? It's not an easy term to define, and the answer depends entirely on who you ask. In response to Mashable's questions, a White House spokesperson pointed us to this language in a fact sheet issued alongside the woke AI order: “biased AI outputs driven by ideologies like diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the cost of accuracy.”

What is Woke AI? Unpacking the White House's definition

Interestingly, except for the title, the text of the woke AI executive order doesn't actually use this term. And even though the order contains a definitions section, the term itself isn't clearly defined there either. (It's possible "woke AI" is simply too nebulous of a concept to write into actual legal documents.) However, the fact sheet issued by The White House states that government leaders should only procure "large language models (LLMs) that adhere to 'Unbiased AI Principles' defined in the Order: truth-seeking and ideological neutrality."

And here's how the fact sheet defines "truth-seeking" and "ideological neutrality":

Truth-seeking means that LLMS shall be truthful and prioritize historical accuracy, scientific inquiry, and objectivity, and acknowledge uncertainty where reliable information is incomplete or contradictory.

Ideological neutrality means that LLMs shall be neutral, nonpartisan tools that do not manipulate responses in favor of ideological dogmas like DEI, and that developers will not intentionally encode partisan or ideological judgments into an LLM’s outputs unless those judgments are prompted by or readily accessible to the end user.

So, it seems the White House defines woke AI as LLMs that are not sufficiently truth-seeking or ideologically neutral. The executive order also calls out specific examples of potential bias, including "critical race theory, transgenderism, unconscious bias, intersectionality, and systemic racism." Obviously, there is a culture-wide dispute about whether those subjects (including "transgenderism," which is not an accepted term by transgender people) are inherently biased.

Critically, AI companies that fail to meet the White House's litmus tests could be locked out of lucrative federal contracts. And because the order defines popular liberal political beliefs — not to mention an entire group of human beings — as inherently biased, AI companies may face pressure to adjust their models' inputs and outputs accordingly.

The Trump administration has talked a big game about free speech, but critics of the action plan say this order is itself a major threat to free speech.

"The part of the action plan titled 'Ensure that Frontier AI Protects Free Speech and American Values' seems to be motivated by a desire to control what information is available through AI tools and may propose actions that would violate the First Amendment," said Kit Walsh, Director of AI and Access-to-Knowledge Legal Projects at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, in a statement to Mashable. "Generative AI implicates the First Amendment rights of users to receive information, and typically also reflects protected expressive choices of the many human beings involved in shaping the messages the AI writes. The government can no more dictate what ideas are conveyed through AI than through newspapers or websites."

“The government has more leeway to decide which services it purchases for its own use, but may not use this power to punish a publisher for making available AI services that convey ideas the government dislikes," Walsh said.

Is Woke AI a real problem? President Trump has said the U.S. will do "whatever it takes" to win the AI race. Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Again, the answer depends entirely on where you fall along the political fault line, and the term "woke" has become controversial in recent years.

This adjective originated in the Black community, where it described people with a political awareness of racial bias and injustice. More recently, many conservatives have started to use the word as a slur, a catch-all insult for supposedly politically correct liberals.

In truth, both liberals and conservatives are concerned about bias in large-language models.

In November 2024, the Heritage Foundation, a conservative legal group, hosted a panel on YouTube on the topic of woke AI. Curt Levey, President of the Committee For Justice, was one of the panel's experts, and as a conservative attorney who has also worked in the artificial intelligence industry, he had a unique perspective to share.

I think it's interesting that both the left and the right are complaining about the danger of bias in in AI, but they're…focused on very different things. The left is focused mainly on the idea that AI models discriminate against various minority groups when they're making decisions about hiring, lending, bail amounts, facial recognition. The right on the other hand is concerned about bias against conservative viewpoints and people in large language models like ChatGPT.

Elon Musk has made it clear that he thinks that AI models are inheriting a woke mindset from their creators, and that that's a problem if only because it conflicts with being, what he calls, maximally truth-seeking. Musk says that companies are teaching AI to lie in the name of political correctness.

Levey also said that if LLMs are biased, that doesn't necessarily mean they were "designed to be biased." He added, the "scientists building these generative AI models have to make choices about what data to use, and you know, many of these same scientists live in very liberal areas like the San Francisco Bay area, and even if they're not trying to make the system biased, they may very well have unconscious biases when it comes to to picking data.”

A conservative using the phrase "unconscious bias" without rolling his eyes? Wild.

LLMs have biases because we have biases Credit: Cheng Xin/Getty Images

Ultimately, AI models reflect the biases of the content they're trained on, and so they reflect our own biases back at us. In this sense, they're like a mirror, except a mirror with a tendency to hallucinate.

To comply with the Executive Order, AI companies could try to tamp down on "biased" answers in several ways. First, by controlling the data used to train these systems, they can calibrate the outputs. They could also use system prompts, which are high-level instructions that govern all of the model's outputs.

Of course, as xAI has demonstrated repeatedly, the latter approach can be... problematic. First, xAI's chatbot Grok developed a fixation on "white genocide in South Africa," and more recently started to call itself Mecha Hitler. Transparency could provide a check on potential abuses, and there's a growing movement to force AI companies to disclose the training data and system prompts behind their models.

Regardless of how you feel about woke AI, you should expect to hear the term a lot more in the months ahead.