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The iPhone Air officially hit store shelves this Friday, but select early reviewers already had their hands on Apple’s thinnest iPhone yet. It’s the company’s boldest design shift since the iPhone X introduced FaceID and OLED displays. This time, though, Apple isn’t chasing new sensors or screen tech — it’s rethinking how the iPhone feels in your hand. And based on early iPhone Air reviews, people are into it.

That’s not to say it’s flawless. The Air compromises on camera quality and battery. Like the long-running MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro debate, users are asking if the tradeoff in performance is worth the sleek form factor and lighter feel. For many reviewers, the answer is yes — especially if you value aesthetics, portability, and a bit of novelty in your daily device. So, while the thin Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge was a flop, we wouldn't be surprised if the iPhone Air takes off.

Mashable’s full review of the iPhone Air is still in the works. So, until we're ready to render a verdict, here's a guide to the early iPhone Air reviews, both positive and negative.

On the design

PCMag's Eric Zeman:

The Apple iPhone Air is an exciting phone that favors design and aesthetics over features and raw performance. It looks terrific and is a joy to use, but lacks some capabilities of other models.

WIRED's Julian Chokkata:

The iPhone Air is just 5.6 millimeters thick and 165 grams; contrast that with the iPhone 17 Pro, which has a smaller screen yet weighs 206 grams and is 8.75 mm thick. It's a palpable difference. Initially, you might feel like the lighter weight makes the Air seem “cheap,” but that notion quickly disappears. This phone feels strong, durable, and rigid.

CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti:

There's one design element that's a bit of a letdown, especially if you spend as much time binging YouTube and TikTok videos on your phone as I do. The iPhone Air doesn't have a speaker on the bottom, only one at the top of the phone. That means the listening experience isn't as immersive, and music doesn't sound as good as it would on an iPhone with multiple speakers. It's not a deal-breaker, but for a nearly $1,000 phone, I'd expect a little more without having to resort to AirPods Pro 3 or other headphones for better audio.

CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti holds the iPhone Air. Credit: CNET

Engadget's Sam Rutherford:

Apple is setting new highs for mobile design with the iPhone Air. Not only is it even skinnier at just 5.6mm (versus 5.8mm for the S25E), it's the best example yet of what I like to call “the sci-fi space pebble look” thanks to its rounded corners and beautifully polished edges. It's a proper marvel of engineering and while I generally don't like saying this, you really do have to hold one to fully appreciate Apple's craftsmanship.

On battery life

The Verge's Allison Johnson:

Now for the less-good news: battery life is just okay. And honestly, that’s a pretty good outcome for the Air; the situation could have been worse. If you’re a light user and you spend most of your time on Wi-Fi, you might never have a problem with the battery.

PCMag's Eric Zeman:

The iPhone Air ran for 19 hours and 15 minutes. That's less than the 16 Plus's 21 hours and 51 minutes, but better than the iPhone 16's result of 17 hours and 47 minutes. More importantly, it's the shortest battery life of the new iPhone 17 models by several hours. The iPhone 17 runs for five hours longer, the 17 Pro runs for eight hours longer, and the 17 Pro Max runs for an amazing 13 hours longer. If you have battery anxiety, the iPhone Air is not the iPhone for you; the other models offer far more battery life.

Gizmodo's Raymond Wong:

In my totally unscientific daily testing, I would say the iPhone Air has good battery life, but my iPhone 16 Pro still had more juice by the end of the day. Is it deal-breaking, poor battery life like many people have been fearing? Absolutely not.

On the camera:

ZDNet's Kerry Wan:

The iPhone Air's cameras are both its high and low points. I'm a fan of the 18MP Center Stage front camera, as it can adaptively stretch out the field of view and give selfies a level of depth and embrace that's long been missing on phones in general…On the other hand, the rear 48MP camera leaves a sensor or two to be desired. Color accuracy, contrast, and shadow detail are still the iPhone's forte (as depicted in the samples above), but there were several moments when I craved the more distant optical zooming of the Pro model, especially when recording live events and subjects far away.

CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti:

It felt surprisingly limiting to not have an ultrawide camera, especially when I wanted to capture more sweeping landscapes. Not to turn this into a thin phone showdown, but I couldn't help but think of how the Galaxy S25 Edge does have a 12-megapixel ultrawide-angle camera, alongside a 200-megapixel wide-angle camera, which makes it feel like less of a compromise in that regard. 

TechRadar's Jacob Krol:

This is where the compromises necessitated by the iPhone Air’s unfeasibly thin design begin: the iPhone Air only features a single, 48-megapixel Fusion camera on the back. It can shoot at 1x, a sensor crop in 2x, or a maximum digital 10x, but the quality falls off noticeably with the latter.

The Verge's Allison Johnson:

On the subject of limitations: that camera. I mean, technically there are two of them — the 48-megapixel rear camera and a new 18-megapixel selfie camera that does some cool stuff. But there’s just one sensor and lens on that rear camera bump, even though the Galaxy S25 Edge managed to fit a second one. The single rear camera feels justifiable on the $599 iPhone 16E; on the Air it feels like a real concession.

Tom's Guide's Mark Spoonauer:

However, I don’t like that shoppers have to give up both an ultrawide lens and telephoto zoom with the iPhone Air. At least Samsung gives you an ultrawide camera that enables macro photography. But the iPhone Air’s main 48MP camera is very good overall.

It's iPhone 17 launch day. Consumers around the world are lining up at their local Apple stores in order to pick up the latest line of smartphones from Apple: the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 series.

However, within just a few hours of the new iPhone launching, Apple customers took to social media to share something a bit odd.

Some of the brand new iPhone 17 Pro devices on display in Apple Stores were already scratched.

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"Demo unit iPhone 17 Pro scratches on day 1…(it’s not even 24 hours yet)" posted one user on X alongside photos of the scratched devices. "Use a case immediately if you don’t wait to experience this kind of issue. I’m very disappointed with the quality here."

Photos and videos of the scratched-up in-store demo iPhone 17 Pro units quickly spread online, and some X users are already sharing photos of their own scratched phones, though we can't verify these posts.

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As Bloomberg's Apple insider Mark Gurman reports, the outlet experienced scratched-up iPhone 17 Pro devices in-person at various locations around the world, including Apple stores in New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and London.

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According to Gurman, it's not just the iPhone 17 Pro either. The iPhone 17 Pro Max and black iPhone Air were also "prone to scratching." The iPhone 17 Pro devices were also susceptible to a circular mark on the back of the device left by Apple’s MagSafe charger.

Of course, there's a simple solution to scratching: Start using an iPhone 17 Pro case immediately.

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone 17 Pro cases to protect (or hide) your new phone Is this why there's no black iPhone 17 Pro?

When Apple introduced its new iPhone 17 line, many Apple fans noticed that a black iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max was conspicuously absent from the lineup. A black iPhone offering has long been a standard iPhone color option, if not outright seen as the default iPhone option for many Apple customers. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are only available in Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue.

Gurman believes that the easily scratchable rear of the new iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max could explain the absence of the black iPhone 17 Pro.

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This year, Apple decided to replace the titanium body of the iPhone 16 Pro with an aluminum unibody for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. Anodized aluminium is notoriously prone to scratches, and these scratches are much more visible on darker-colored devices. 

The fact that Bloomberg only noticed scratches on the back of the black iPhone Air, which unlike the Pro and Pro Max is made with a Ceramic Shield, further substantiates this theory.

Apple likely won't experience any sales troubles due to this issue. Apple has had issues with scratch-prone iPhone models before. However, this might finally explain why we didn't get an iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max in black this year.

SEE ALSO: Marques Brownlee shows how good a black iPhone 17 Pro would have looked

As a writer and director, Jordan Peele has brought us the gnarly thrills of Get Out, Us, and Nope. As a producer, he's been busy expanding Black horror by uplifting other filmmakers, like Nia DaCosta (Candyman), J.D. Dillard (The Twilight Zone reboot), and now Justin Tipping, co-writer and director of Him. 

The upside of Peele's involvement is tying these rising filmmakers to an established brand of blockbuster horror and Black excellence. The downside, however, is that fans and critics may not be as welcoming to visions of horror that don't mimic Peele's signature scares. Critics were tough on Candyman and The Twilight Zone. So what will that mean for Him?

SEE ALSO: 'Him' trailer: Producer Jordan Peele turns football practice into a bloodbath

On Tipping's side are two incredible leading men. Marlon Wayans, in an off-brand dramatic turn, and Tyriq Withers are a sensational team, reflecting perhaps their own places in the movie industry. 

The former plays a charismatic, established football star who has grown weary of the pressures of fame and the abuse perpetrated by the sport on his body, not to mention the even darker underbelly of sacrifices he cannot talk about. The latter plays the ambitious, talented, but naive rookie who's unaware of what football will truly demand from his body, mind, and soul. 

The resulting film, while uneven, is rich because of these two performances, colliding with Tipping's giallo-inspired vision of American football. But is this film overall a win? 

Him plays like Suspiria meets the NFL draft.  Credit: Universal Pictures

For legal reasons, the script by Tipping, Zack Akers, and Skip Bronkie won't use familiar team names or other NFL-affiliated brands, including the actual moniker of the annual "big game." But Him doesn't need that. 

Centered on a team called the Saviors, Him instead focuses on the training required to become the GOAT (greatest of all time). Former college footballer turned actor Tyriq Withers stars as draft hopeful Cameron Cade. Ever since his boyhood, Cam's father pointed him to Black excellence in the field of football, telling him, "That's what real men do. They sacrifice. No guts, no glory." 

Cam is a college quarterback hoping to follow in the footsteps of his idol, Saviors' MVP Isaiah White (Wayans). Fourteen years after what should have been a career-ending injury on the field, White is finally eying retirement. But first, he takes Cam under his wing to see if the young man is ready to be "Him," meaning the next big thing for the Saviors' brand. However, Isaiah's training is unconventional, demanding Cam surrender his phone and submit to a regimen held mostly in a bizarre underground bunker, deep in a scorching desert. 

Like the aspiring ballerinas of the horror classic Suspiria, who are also trapped in a sketchy training facility, he's initially so driven to do right by his teacher that he'll do anything he's asked. This begins with tests of his obedience that begin with humiliation, then quickly graduate to endurance and violence. As his body is pushed to its limits, his mind quakes with horrific visions. Are they hallucinations caused by a concussion? Or scarier yet, are they real? And either way, what do they mean for Cam?

Him brews solid suspense and surreal scares.  Credit: Parrish Lewis / Universal Pictures

Tipping reimagines the iconography of American football in some sensationally scary sequences. For instance, a mascot, tall, masked, and wielding a weapon emerges in a jump scare and acts like a slasher, assaulting an unwitting footballer. Throughout Cam's journey, mascots will emerge in costumes fluffy, glittery, and yet alien and disturbing. There's a sense that they're hiding something sinister beneath their too-broad grins and fluttering limbs.  

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Fans get a similarly transformation. Their excited cheers turn into echoing, haunting yowls. Their fervor for Isaiah turns against any who might threaten his going for another win. Specifically, as Cam reaches the gates of the desert compound, his conveyance is ambushed by Marjorie (a truly creepy Naomi Grossman), whose long blonde hair and make-up seem ruined by years of sweat, tears, and obsession. She spits threateningly at Cam's car and glares at him as if an animal rages inside her. At her sides are two figures covered in white body paint. But instead of resembling the beer-bellied bros of Sunday night football, they have more in common with the skinny, ash-covered acolytes of Mad Max: Fury Road's Immortan Joe, their faces covered in strange football-shaped masks, goons to a cult.

As hinted by the team name Saviors, football is their faith, the quarterback their God. Tipping will push this point with more Christian iconography, like the gold cross around Cam's neck, the recreation of The Last Supper at a pivotal point in his training, and the offering of a grail that might be filled with red wine or sacrificial blood. Isaiah ties the idea of football and its demanded sacrifices of blood and body to gladiators in ancient Rome, though considering the film's third act reveals, there are historical references closer to home that might have been more effective. 

SEE ALSO: How Bob the Drag Queen weaves hip hop and history in his new book

Tipping is at his best when using smothering swaths of blood red light, flashing effects, and X-ray filters to disorient the standard vision of football, its play, training, and medicines. While Wayans bellows in mercurial moments, Withers is the audience conduit, alternately charmed and alarmed by this icon. Their chemistry, a dizzying mix of mutual admiration and toxic jealousy, makes Him steadily compelling as it tackles sequences of psychological horror and violence. But frustratingly…

Him fumbles its climax.  Credit: Universal Pictures

For much of the movie, Tipping plays with what's real. The horrors playing out onscreen could be visions from Cam's brain trauma, acting out his anxieties of fame and fans, or they could reflect the horrid extremes football obsessives might reach in pursuit of that exultant win. Such a setup certainly demands a violent finale. And yet, the one that Him offers feels lifted from another film.

After so much stylish and nightmarish suspense, the big showdown between Cam and Isaiah is confoundingly simple in its staging and infuriatingly anti-climactic. From there, the film pitches into a totally different look, taking its hero outside of the oppressive interiors of the compound to a brightly lit day with a sloppily introduced array of antagonists.

The violence that follows is splashy in a mainstream horror way, but cut together so slapdash it feels like an afterthought. It left me curious if Universal panicked and demanded a new ending with too little notice, because as it is, Him's climax feels jarringly disjointed from too much of what came before. Unanswered questions, curious characters, and even a seeming murder are left not only dangling, but utterly forgotten in place of a conclusion that only raises new queries, offering no satisfaction.

Julia Fox is utterly bizarre and diabolical.  Credit: Universal Pictures

Where Wayans and Withers ground Him in a world of challenging masculinity, Fox represents something else entirely. Her hair bleached pale blonde — eyebrows and all — she plays Isaiah's ostentatious wife Elsie White, a lifestyle influencer. In a whirlwind of an entrance, she welcomes Cam, declares the value of jade yoni eggs for "pussy" health, then hands him the male equivalent. "Put it up your butthole," she declares, before disappearing down a dark corridor, all while screaming at her assistant Taylor (a spunky Kiara Gomez Glad Bak). 

In the austere masculinity of this training compound, Elsie is a vision of femininity, sex, fashion, fame, and white privilege. She parrots the talk of sacrifice while dressed like a sultry disco ball and prattling on about the privacy required for the ultra-rich. Within this, she is outrageous comic relief, but also underscoring the film's message about race, its barriers and advantages within the media and sports. In Him, she is a siren and a spectacular scene-stealer. Even in a third act that's steadily falling apart with a barrage of shocks and assaults, Fox is mesmerizing.

In the end, Him is a mixed bag, offering rich performances, unnerving scares — especially one involving a sauna — and food for thought in terms of sport, race, religion, and masculinity. But perhaps with Him, Tipping, who's helmed episodes of sensational TV shows like The Chi and Dear White People as well as the calamitous true crime comedy series Joe vs. Carole, bit off more than he could chew.

Something ambiguous in the conclusion could have paid off, perhaps if Him stayed with the play of surreal suspense it had been running. But in its final minutes, Tipping's tale pivots to something more concrete, gorier, and less daring. That ending, though twisted and thrilling, doesn't feel earned. So, in the end, Him falls short of astounding. 

Him opens in theaters Sept. 19.

Is your favorite AI chatbot scheming against you?

If "AI scheming" sounds ominous, you should know that OpenAI is actively studying this phenomenon. This week, OpenAI published a study conducted alongside Apollo Research on "Detecting and reducing scheming in AI models." The researchers “found behaviors consistent with scheming in controlled tests,” the result of AI models with multiple, and at times competing, objectives.

So, what is AI scheming, and does it mean that ChatGPT is lying to you?

In a blog post about the study, the creators of ChatGPT define AI scheming as a chatbot "pretending to be aligned while secretly pursuing some other agenda." OpenAI wants to know why AI is deliberately lying to users and what to do about it.

OpenAI introduces the study with an interesting "human analogy" to better understand what AI scheming is:

Imagine a stock trader whose goal is to maximize earnings. In a highly regulated field such as stock trading, it’s often possible to earn more by breaking the law than by following it. If the trader lacks integrity, they might try to earn more by breaking the law and covering their tracks to avoid detection rather than earning less while following the law. From the outside, a stock trader who is very good at covering their tracks appears as lawful as — and more effective than — one who is genuinely following the law.

This sounds like a real problem; however, OpenAI claims that most AI models have "little opportunity to scheme in ways that could cause significant harm." According to OpenAI, the real harm could come in the future as AI is given "more complex tasks with real-world consequences." In addition, OpenAI warns that AI models will only get better at scheming in the future if the issue isn't dealt with now.

There are other ways AI can be at odds with its own users. For instance, if a user requests information on making controlled substances, an AI chatbot might face two competing objectives: Answer a user's query and keep them engaged, but also abide by system prompts that prohibit sharing this type of potentially harmful information.

In order to guard against AI scheming, OpenAI says its researchers "trained versions of OpenAI o3 and OpenAI o4-mini" by "teaching them to read and reason about a general anti-scheming spec before acting." OpenAI refers to this as "deliberative alignment⁠."

OpenAI says that utilizing this method reduced AI scheming; however, researchers have yet to discover how to eliminate AI scheming altogether. 

An even more concerning discovery from OpenAI's research is that AI models can't simply be taught not to scheme. Doing so would actually just make them better at scheming in the future.

"A major failure mode of attempting to 'train out' scheming is simply teaching the model to scheme more carefully and covertly," the study found.

SEE ALSO: 'The illusion of thinking': Apple research finds AI models collapse and give up with hard puzzles

In fact, OpenAI says, training with the intent to eliminate scheming actually makes the AI model aware that they are being tested for scheming, and as a result, the AI model will simply lie in order to pass the test.

"Anti-scheming training does appear to reduce scheming, but our analysis is complicated by another factor: models often become more aware that they are being evaluated. This situational awareness can itself reduce scheming, independent of genuine alignment," the study says.

In conclusion, OpenAI finds that "scheming is a complex failure mode that we do not expect to diminish with scale." OpenAI continues, saying "our findings show that scheming is not merely a theoretical concern—we are seeing signs that this issue is beginning to emerge across all frontier models today."

To summarize: AI models can intentionally lie to their users. Again, that sounds like a big problem, but OpenAI says it isn't yet.

Per OpenAI, most AI models aren't responsible for tasks with "real-world consequences" yet, limiting the potential for harm — for now.

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.

The 2025 Emmys may be over, but you can continue to celebrate your favorite TV shows' wins thanks to Google's post-Emmys Easter egg.

If you type in the name of one of last night's winning shows into Google search, like Outstanding Comedy Series winner The Studio or Outstanding Drama Series winner The Pitt, you'll see a trophy icon float up on screen. Clicking on the widget will let you know how many awards the show won at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards.

SEE ALSO: All the winners from the 2025 Emmys

Replacing the trophy, the icon will then resemble a flower. Clicking it throws a virtual bouquet across the screen to celebrate that show's awards, giving the series and everyone who worked on it their flowers. Google has previously featured this celebratory mechanic for other high-profile events like the Olympics, where users could throw bouquets at countries and athletes.

Get to celebrating! Credit: Screenshot: Belen Edwards

The flower icon also reveals how many total bouquets have been thrown for each show. At the time of writing, The Pitt has received approximately 336,700 bouquets, and The Studio has received approximately 405,600. The big bouquet winner so far, though, is Adolescence, which took home six Primetime Emmys, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series and acting awards for Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper, and Erin Doherty. At the time of writing, Adolescence has received approximately 741,600 virtual bouquets.

The bouquets aren't just for entire shows, though. You can also send virtual kudos to individual actors, writers, and directors who won Emmy awards, from Severance's Tramell Tillman to Hacks' Hannah Einbinder.

SAVE $40: As of Sept. 19, get the Asus ZenScreen portable monitor for $169 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $209. That's a discount of 19%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Asus ZenScreen portable monitor $169 at Amazon
$209 Save $40 Get Deal

Love to work on the go but run out of room with your phone or tablet? Or maybe you want a dual-screen setup with your laptop at home? A portable monitor is the way to go. And you may be surprised to learn that you won't have to pony up an ungodly amount of cash to add one to your setup, especially with this Amazon deal.

As of Sept. 19, get the Asus ZenScreen portable monitor for $169 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $209. That's $40 off and a discount of 19%.

SEE ALSO: The best monitors in 2025

This 16-inch full HD IPS display is an ultraslim, thin, and perfectly portable option that you can connect with any laptop with a USB Type-C or Type-A port. It features a kickstand so it can stand on its own, and it's small enough to fit in your laptop case, backpack, and on smaller surfaces.

It features flicker-free and low blue light technology to help protect your eyes when you use it for a long stretch of time, and is compatible with mounts if you want to have it out for a more permanent solution.

Whether you work from your iPad on your daily commute or you want a setup that can go with you and you're still tweaking the specifics, you can't really go wrong with this affordable option from Asus. It might not be the most efficient solution for gaming, but it can handle just about everything else very nicely.

SAVE $350: As of Sept. 19, the Mashable Choice Anker Solix C1000 portable power station is down to just $449 (reg. $799) at Amazon as a Lightning Deal. That's a savings of 44% — but you'll have to act fast.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Solix C1000 portable power station $449 at Amazon
$799 Save $350 Get Deal

Anker is known for offering quality products at budget-friendly prices — and the Solix C1000 portable power station is no exception. Already coming in at a relatively low (compared to competitors) $799, Amazon dropped its price as a Lightning Deal today. If you're in the market for portable power, whether for camping or power outages, act fast to score this Mashable Choice Award-winning device for less.

As of Sept. 19, the Anker Solix C1000 is on sale for only $449. That's a savings of 44% from its $799 list price and just $20 shy of its best-ever price. Since it's a Lightning Deal, you'll have to grab it today before the timer runs out or before all units have been claimed — whichever comes first.

Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

"The Anker Solix C1000 portable power station nails performance, design, and versatility. It’s a must-pack for weekend camping trips and comes in handy during power outages," Mashable contributor Lauren Allain writes in her review.

It weighs less than 30 pounds, which is like carrying a stocked cooler — not lightweight, but maneuverable. I wouldn't bring it along on a hike, but for powering a campsite or a tailgate, it's a dream. Of course, it helps that it has ergonomic handles on both sides for transport. With a massive 2,400W output and 11 versatile ports (two USB-C, two USB-A, and six AC), you can deliver power to everything from your phone and laptop to your coffee maker and refrigerator. It recharges in less than an hour via wall power, but you can also connect it to solar panels if you're off the grid.

Even at full price, our reviewer thinks the Solix C1000 is worth it for most people. And at 44% off, it's a helluva deal if you're in the market for a power station. Just remember you'll have to act fast.

SAVE $50: As of Sept. 19, get the DJI Osmo Action 4 Adventure Combo for $349, knocking $50 off its list price for 13% savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Osmo Action 4 Adventure Combo $349 at Amazon
$399 Save $50 Get Deal

DJI has become the 'it' camera of vloggers on the go. We spotted them everywhere during VidCon, and we get the hype. Having tried our hand at the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, we think it's the ultimate social media camera. Not to mention, their pocket mics are everywhere and hard to find in stock. So if you're ready to invest in a DJI camera, we've got a deal for you.

As of Sept. 19, get the DJI Osmo Action 4 Adventure Combo for $349. That saves $50 off of its $399 list price, providing 13% in savings.

The DJI Osmo Action 4 Adventure is made for more than just content creation. This is a camera meant for rugged adventures. It films day or night, with strong low-light performance, still capturing video in 4K. The Osmo Action 4 functions in extreme temperatures too, up to -4 degrees Fahrenheit. Plus, if you're filming on rocky terrain, it has three different stabilization videos.

Shop the DJI Osmo Action 4 Adventure Combo for $349 at Amazon now.

In a torrent of controversy surrounding ChatGPT and teenage mental health, OpenAI says it's working on some safeguards for the future.

CEO Sam Altman wrote in a somewhat short and vague company blog post this week that the firm is working on an automatic age detection feature that would, in theory, intelligently place users under the age of 18 into a restricted version of ChatGPT. Pursuant to that, adults may eventually need to provide some kind of proof of their ages in order to use the unrestricted version of the chatbot. However, it should be noted that Altman provided very few specifics, including a timeline for when this might roll out.

SEE ALSO: 4 reasons not to turn ChatGPT into your therapist

The announcement came as the parents of Adam Raine, a 16-year-old whose death by suicide was allegedly assisted by ChatGPT, spoke to Congress about potentially regulating the chatbot. Raine's family file a wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI in late August.

Around the same time, the company confirmed that some parental controls will come to ChatGPT in late September. These will include the ability for parents to link their accounts to those of their children and restrict access to the app. Parents will also receive notifications when ChatGPT "detects" distress on the part of the underage user, though it may also notify law enforcement if a parent can't be reached.

Cloudflare, a platform that provides network services, was the victim of a DDoS attack last week. It was also accidentally the cause of it.

You might remember Cloudflare was linked to a massive outage in June of this year. When Cloudflare went down, so did sites like Spotify, Google, Snapchat, Discord, Character.ai, and more, all of which rely on Cloudflare's services. That time, the disruption was sparked by a Google Cloud outage. Earlier this month, Cloudflare had another blunder, albeit much less disruptive than its outage from the summer — but this time, it did it to itself.

"We had an outage in our Tenant Service API which led to a broad outage of many of our APIs and the Cloudflare Dashboard," Tom Lianza, the vice president of engineering for Cloudflare and Joaquin Madruga, the vice president of engineering for the developer platform at Cloudflare, wrote in a Sept. 13 blog post. "The incident’s impact stemmed from several issues, but the immediate trigger was a bug in the dashboard."

The bug, according to Lianza and Madruga, caused "repeated, unnecessary calls to the Tenant Service API." On accident, Cloudflare included a "problematic object in its dependency array" which was recreated, treated as new, caused it to re-run, and, eventually, the "API call executed many times during a single dashboard render instead of just once."

"When the Tenant Service became overloaded, it had an impact on other APIs and the dashboard because Tenant Service is part of our API request authorization logic. Without Tenant Service, API request authorization can not be evaluated. When authorization evaluation fails, API requests return 5xx status codes," the blog reads.

Everything is back on track at Cloudflare for now.

"We’re very sorry about the disruption," the blog post reads. "We will continue to investigate this issue and make improvements to our systems and processes."

SAVE UP TO $200.99: As of Sept. 19, you can get the new Apple Watch Series 11 (and other models) for up to $200.99 off via 24 monthly bill credits when you add a qualifying watch line at T-Mobile.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 11 Get Deal

Paying full price for a brand-new Apple Watch isn't always in the budget, which is why it pays to keep an eye on carrier promotions. If you're willing to add a new watch line, T-Mobile's latest offer cuts the price of the brand-new Series 11 by over $200, which is a deal you won't find anywhere else right now.

SEE ALSO: How does the Apple Watch Series 11 stack up against the Series 10? Let’s compare.

As of Sept. 19, you can get up to $200.99 back when you buy a new Apple Watch (like the Series 11 42mm, priced at $499.99) on a monthly plan and add a new Watch Plan Plus line. The savings are applied as bill credits over 24 months, cutting your monthly payment from $20.84 down to just $12.46 per month.

The main catch, as with most carrier deals, is that you have to stick with the plan for the full two years to get all the credits. If you cancel your service early, the credits stop and you'll be on the hook for the remaining balance of the watch.

A proposed anti-porn law in Michigan could also bar VPNs in an effort to block people from circumventing adult content restrictions.

The legislation, proposed by six Republican representatives, is exceptionally prohibitive. Not only would the legislation ban all types of adult content, but it would also prohibit any depictions of transgender people at all.

In addition, the law outlines a ban on "circumvention tools," which includes VPNs, proxy servers, and encrypted tunneling methods. Such a move would be unheard of, even as other states across the country have enacted age-restriction laws on adult material. To ban porn altogether, as well as VPNs, is extreme. Obviously, banning any and all depictions of transgender people simply existing is wildly extreme, too.

To be clear, this is just proposed legislation at the moment, and the chances of it becoming law are unclear.

But it is interesting to note how sweeping these types of bans can be, especially as similar legislation gains momentum across the country. The legislation goes into minute detail on the type of content it considers pornographic. It also specifically bans "one biological sex imitating, depicting, or representing himself or herself to be the other biological sex." That wide-ranging provision could unintentionally ban many Shakespeare plays, Mrs. Doubtfire, the 2002 flop Juwanna Mann, and much more.

SEE ALSO: Porn censorship is going to change the internet as we know it

VPNs are the most common method for unblocking porn sites and streaming adult content anonymously. We've covered the best VPNs for just that here at Mashable. We've also covered the implications these anti-porn laws — and age-verification rules, in particular — have for the open internet. These laws, while ostensibly aimed at keeping kids off adult sites, also raise serious privacy concerns, as they often require people to divulge personal information to access large portions of the internet.

Where to buy the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and Air: Buy at Apple Apple iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and Air starting at $799 Shop Now Buy at Best Buy Apple iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and Air starting at $799 Shop Now Buy at Walmart Apple iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and Air starting at $799 Get Deal Buy at Target Apple iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and Air starting at $799 Shop Now Buy at Verizon Apple iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and Air starting at $799 Shop Now Buy at T-Mobile Apple iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and Air starting at $799 Shop Now Buy at AT&T Apple iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and Air starting at $799 Shop Now

The new iPhones have landed on shelves. After the "awe-dropping" announcement at the Apple Event on Sept. 9 and a week-long pre-ordering period, you can officially purchase the new iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max outright. No more waiting.

Well, actually, scratch that — wait times are lengthening for the new iPhones as we speak. As with any new Apple launch, initial stock could likely fly off shelves fast. A quick glance at Apple's online store shows that if you purchase the iPhone 17 Pro today, for example, you won't receive it until Oct. 6 at the earliest. Of course, you can always try checking out a brick-and-mortar store near you if you want to avoid potentially long shipping times. We'll leave that up to you and your patience levels, though.

Meet the new iPhone lineup

The 2025 iPhone lineup includes the base iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and a new kid on the block: the iPhone Air. Here's the pricing breakdown:

• iPhone 17 (lavender, mist blue, sage, black, white) — starting at $799

• iPhone Air (space black, sky blue, cloud white, light gold) — starting at $999

• iPhone 17 Pro (silver, deep blue, cosmic orange) — starting at $1,099

• iPhone Pro Max (silver, deep blue, cosmic orange) — starting at $1,199

The base iPhone 17 features a 6.3-inch display with 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate and can hit up to 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness (versus 2,000 nits on iPhone 16). It runs on Apple's new A19 chip, which allegedly 20 percent faster than the iPhone 16. It's also the first baseline iPhone to feature all 48MP cameras (dual fusion main camera and fusion ultrawide camera), plus a new 18MP Center Stage selfie camera.

Step it up to the iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max and you'll get an even more powerful A19 Pro chip and the fastest CPU in any smartphone, according to Apple. It's the first iPhone in history with a battery over 5,000mAh capacity. Plus, it has three rear camera lenses (and a questionable design choice) and can shoot 4K video at 120fps.

The iPhone Air is an entirely new iPhone model and it's insanely slim at just 5.6mm at its thinnest point. It packs the same processor as the 17 Pro, but it has just one camera lens and a shorter battery life than the other models. We're not entirely sure who it's for, but it looks pretty sweet nonetheless.

Where to buy the new iPhones

As I mentioned before, your best bet to get the new iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, or Air in your pocket today is by heading to the Apple Store or your local AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, or other carrier store. If you're not as pressed on instant gratification, you can order it at all major phone carriers, as well as retailers like Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and Apple directly. Shipping officially begins today, Sept. 19, but expect inventory to be limited.

As far as iPhone 17 deals are concerned, there are plenty of ways you can get credits toward a new phone by trading in your old device. If you're interested in trade-in options, you can learn more about it via Mashable's best iPhone 17 deals guide.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPhone 17 starting at $799 Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max starting at $1,099 Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPhone Air starting at $999 Shop Now

Best iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air deals Apple Apple iPhone 17 Get up to $200 to $700 in credit when you trade in iPhone 13 or higher. Get Deal AT&T Apple iPhone 17 Pro Get iPhone 17 Pro for $0 with iPhone trade in of iPhone 13 or higher (excludes iPhone 13 Mini). Get Deal Best Buy Apple iPhone 17 Pro Get up to $1,100 off of an iPhone 17 Pro with qualified trade-in. Get Deal T-Mobile Apple iPhone Air Get iPhone Air for free when you switch to T-Mobile and add a line on Experience plans. Get Deal Verizon Apple iPhone 17 Pro Get the new iPhone 17 Pro for free with eligible phone trade-in and an Unlimited Ultimate plan. Available to new and existing customers. Get Deal

The new iPhones have landed! As of Sept. 19, the latest round of iPhones are now available for purchase. With their launch comes an abundance of deals. To tempt you to buy the new iPhone, Apple and other mobile carriers, like T-Mobile and Verizon are offering big savings, practically giving away the new iPhone.

Early reviews of the new iPhone 17 are in, and people are coming around on the design, which the internet was quick to label as ugly. Plus, reviewers are noting that the selfie camera and battery life received major improvements. So if you held off on pre-ordering the new iPhone 17, 17 Pro, or Air, now is a great time to buy.

You can now find iPhone deals that give you over $1,000 in savings — some mobile carriers are even giving away iPhones with an eligible trade-in. We've rounded up the best deals on the new iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and Air that you can shop now.

Apple iPhone Deals

• Get up to $200 to $700 in credit toward iPhone 17 when you trade in iPhone 13 or higher.

• Get up to $200 to $700 in credit toward iPhone 17 Pro when you trade in iPhone 13 or higher.

• Get up to $200 to $700 in credit toward iPhone Air when you trade in iPhone 13 or higher.

AT&T iPhone Deals

• Get iPhone 17 for $0 with iPhone trade in of iPhone 13 or higher (excludes iPhone 13 Mini).

• Get iPhone 17 Pro for $0 with iPhone trade in of iPhone 13 or higher (excludes iPhone 13 Mini).

• Get up to $1,100 off an iPhone 17 Pro Max with trade in of iPhone 13 or higher (excludes iPhone 13 Mini).

• Get up to $830 off an iPhone Air with trade in of iPhone 13 or higher (excludes iPhone 13 Mini).

Best Buy iPhone Deals

• Get up to $830 off of an iPhone Air with qualified trade-in.

• Get up to $830 off of an iPhone 17 with qualified trade-in.

• Get up to $1,100 off of an iPhone 17 Pro with qualified trade-in.

• Get up to $1,100 off on an iPhone 17 Pro Max with qualified trade-in.

T-Mobile iPhone Deals

• Get iPhone 17 for free. No trade-in needed, when you switch to T-Mobile and add a line on Experience plans.

• Get iPhone Air for free. No trade-in needed, when you switch to T-Mobile and add a line on Experience plans.

• Get up to $1,100 on iPhone 17 Pro with trade-in of an eligible phone in any condition.

• Get up to $1,100 on iPhone 17 Pro Max with trade-in of an eligible phone in any condition.

Verizon iPhone Deals

• Get an iPhone 17 for free when you switch to Verizon myPlan.

• Get the new iPhone 17 Pro for free with eligible phone trade-in and an Unlimited Ultimate plan. Available to new and existing customers.

• Get an iPhone 17 Pro and an Apple Watch Series 11 for free with eligible phone trade and an Unlimited Ultimate plan.

FREE IPHONE 17, APPLE WATCH SERIES 11, AND IPAD (A16): As of Sept. 19, get up to $1,100 off an iPhone 17 with a qualifying trade-in and activation of eligible plan, plus get a free Apple Watch Series 11 and iPad (A16) at Verizon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Verizon Free iPhone 17 with qualifying trade-in and activation of eligible plan $1,100 at Verizon
Plus, free Apple Watch Series 11 and iPad (A16) with cellular lines Get Deal

The newly-announced iPhone 17 is officially out in the wild as of Sept. 19, and if you've been thinking about buying one, now's a great time to lock it in, especially if you're a Verizon customer. And if you're looking for a carrier and the best place to get freebies with your purchase, you can benefit from this deal as well, with Verizon's current promotions that net you a new iPhone 17 for the low, low price of free.

As of Sept. 19, get up to $1,100 off an iPhone 17 with a qualifying trade-in and activation of eligible plan, plus get a free Apple Watch Series 11 and iPad (A16) at Verizon. The biggest potential trade-in discount makes the iPhone 17 Pro free, and it's available with signups for the Ultimate unlimited plan.

SEE ALSO: Verizon is giving away the iPhone 17 Pro for free with this generous trade-in offer

Plus, get $200 as part of a switching bonus as well as the iPad and Apple Watch to make this an even more enticing deal. Both devices will require activation of a cellular data plan.

To score this deal, head to Verizon and start the buying process, where you'll see the deal lined out in the "1 available offer" blurb on this Apple Watch Series 11 page: "Get an iPhone 17 Pro, Apple Watch Series 11, and iPad (A16), all on us." You can choose the specifics of each item as you go through the checkout process, as well as figure out the bonus you'll receive with your trade-in device from there.

This limited-time offer will also net you $200 as part of your final signup bonus for switching to Verizon with activation, and that will be added automatically as part of your purchase. But since this is the official iPhone 17 launch day and preorders will no longer be available, you'll want to act quickly to lock yours in as this deal likely won't stick around for much longer.

With billions of users worldwide, Instagram is arguably the most popular photo sharing platform. With the ability to share posts, reels, and 24-hour stories, Instagram allows everyone and anyone to share snippets of their lives. The top accounts on the platform, primarily belonging to celebrities, show just how much we love to see the daily goings-on in lives different from our own.

Ever wondered who holds the top spot for the most followers? Here are the 10 most-followed people on Instagram, according to Social Blade.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 664 million followers

The most followed person on Instagram is none other than Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. At the time of writing, Ronaldo has amassed a whopping 652 million followers. Unsurprisingly, his posts mostly theme around football and his current team, Al Nassr. Ronaldo also holds the record for most liked Instagram comment when he wrote on Kylian Mbappé's Real Madrid announcement post "my turn (to watch)."

2. Lionel Messi – 506 million followers

Sticking with the footballer theme, the second most followed account belongs to Inter Miami CF player, Lionel Messi. His account also features mostly football content, sharing glimpses into life on and off the pitch. His most liked post is a series of photos celebrating Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup win.

3. Selena Gomez – 418 million followers

Actress, musician, and founder of cosmetics brand Rare Beauty, Selena Gomez is up next on the list. She shares career highlights, Rare Beauty promotions, and glimpses into her daily life, making her one of the most-followed celebrities on the platform.

4. Kylie – 392 million followers

At present, it's a tie for the next position on the list. The first of the Jenner-Kardashian clan to feature is Kylie. As of March 30, she has amassed an unbelievable 393 million followers. Her posts regularly give us an insight into her life, her Kylie Cosmetics empire, and family life with her two adorable children. Kylie previously held the record for the most liked photo on Instagram, a picture of her newborn daughter Stormi. However, she later lost this position to a photo of an egg (yes, an egg...).

5. Dwayne Johnson – 392 million followers

If you need motivation, The Rock's Instagram is your go-to. Dwayne Johnson’s Instagram followers are given a regular insight into his fitness routine, movie projects, and personal life. He shares workout clips with the sets and reps listed out for you to try at home, if you're feeling brave.

6. Ariana Grande – 373 million followers

The star of recent Wicked fame is number 6 on our list. An incredible singer and actress, Ariana Grande also holds Instagram-follower fame. Recent content has, of course, been heavily influenced by the recent release of Wicked, with the Oscar-nominated actress sharing behind-the-scenes images with co-star Cynthia Erivo.

7. Kim Kardashian – 355 million followers

Kim Kardashian's Instagram account is as aesthetic as her. It's full of glimpses of her Skims brand, family life and various other collaborations. Fashion is definitely a strong theme of her posts, and you can expect some serious glam envy.

8. Beyoncé – 309 million followers

Another musician to make the list is Beyoncé. Hot off a successful awards season for her latest album, Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé's Instagram account is the perfect insight for fans. Posts regularly include her latest Levi's partnership, her new fragrance release, and of course, awards season success.

9. Khloé Kardashian – 301 million followers

Number 9 on the most followed list is Khloé Kardashian. Another insight into the Kardashian-Jenner family, Khloe's posts are primarily wholesome family shots.

10. Justin Bieber - 293 million followers

Justin Bieber takes the 10th spot on the most followed people on Instagram. The musician recently surprised fans with the release of another album, entitled Swag II.

GET NEW IPHONE FOR FREE: AT&T is offering up to $1,100 off any of the latest iPhones with an eligible iPhone trade-in (in any condition).

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Get the New iPhone 17 for $0 Save with eligible trade-in and qualifying unlimited plan Learn More

Apple has had a huge week, with new products announced across almost its entire range of devices at the Apple Event. We've got new AirPods, Apple Watches, and of course, iPhones. What a time to be alive.

Anyone invested in the Apple ecosystem should check out everything announced, because there's a lot to consider. But for those only interested in the iPhone 17, we can help sort you out with a special trade-in deal from AT&T. If you're interested in upgrading, mobile carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile are offering tempting deals, but the AT&T offer might be the best of the bunch.

New and existing customers can get up to $1,100 off any of the latest models with an eligible iPhone trade-in (in any condition). Yes, that's the full value of the iPhone 17 Pro. So with this special trade-in offer, you can effectively get your hands on the iPhone 17 Pro for free.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 17 vs. Pixel 10: Which phone has the better display, price, and specs?

We know you're looking for the catch, and this deal does come with a few caveats. You will need to pay tax on the full retail price and there's a pesky activation fee of $35 per line. Your credits also start within three bills and are applied in equal amounts over the installment term. We get that you could make the argument that this new iPhone isn't completely free, but we're quibbling over semantics here.

Credit: CNET

So is your iPhone eligible for this trade-in promotion? AT&T is accepting the iPhone 13, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, and 16e. Anyone rocking a smartphone from the likes of Samsung, OnePlus, and Google can still be accepted if they have a trade-in value of $180 or more.

SAVE 15%: As of Sept. 15, the LG 45GX950A-B 45-inch Ultragear 5K2K OLED Gaming Monitor is on sale for $1,699.99 at Amazon, down from its list price of $1,999.99. That's a 15% discount and $300 in savings.

LG 45GX950A-B 45-inch Ultragear 5K2K OLED Gaming Monitor $1,697 at Amazon
$1,999.99 Save $302.99 Get Deal

Every so often, a piece of gaming hardware comes along that feels truly next-generation. LG's 45-inch Ultragear OLED monitor is one of those pieces. It's the self-proclaimed "world's first 5K2K OLED gaming monitor," and it's packed with an absurd amount of high-end tech. If you've been waiting for a deal to justify a serious battlestation upgrade, this is one to watch.

As of Sept. 15, you can get the LG 45GX950A-B 45-inch Ultragear 5K2K OLED Gaming Monitor on sale for $1,699.99 at Amazon, down from its list price of $1,999.99. That's a 15% discount and $300 in savings.

SEE ALSO: Say hello to the Legion Go 2, Lenovo’s new flagship gaming handheld with an OLED display

The massive 45-inch curved OLED screen features an ultra-wide panel with an 800R curve that's designed to fill your field of view. Thanks to the OLED technology, you'll be able to see deep blacks and vibrant colors, with a peak brightness of up to 1300 nits and DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification.

What really sets this monitor apart, though, is its unique "Dual Mode." Just press a hotkey, and you can switch between two different settings. For graphically rich, story-driven games, you can run it in its full 5K2K resolution at 165Hz. For competitive, fast-paced games like FPS or racing titles where every frame counts, you can switch to Wide Full HD resolution at an "electrifying" 330Hz. It's like having two specialized monitors in one.

FREE IPHONE: Verizon is offering up to $1,100 off any iPhone 17 Pro with select phone trade-ins.

Haven't you heard? Apple has announced the new line of iPhones, including the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The new range is officially launch date on Friday, Sept. 19. If you've been eyeing up these new iPhones, Verizon is offering a smart and free way to nab something for nothing.

The service provider is offering up to $1,100 (the cost of the iPhone 17 Pro) off a new iPhone 17 when you trade in your old phone and sign up for an eligible unlimited plan. Verizon says the trade-in can be in any condition, guaranteed.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 17 vs. Pixel 10: Which phone has the better display, price, and specs?

If this doesn't appeal to you, Verizon is offering more than just iPhone deals. Get up to $400 off a new Apple Watch when you trade in any eligible smartwatch on Unlimited Plus, or if you buy a new iPhone 17 Pro on Unlimited Ultimate with select trade-in, you'll get the Apple Watch Series 11 and iPad (A16) for free, the Apple Watch SE 3 or Apple Watch Series 11 for free, or $500 off the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Credit: CNET

The new iPhone 17 lineup comes with Apple’s latest A19 chip, so these phones will all offer superfast performance. They also have the new N1 wireless chip that supports WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. All models have bright OLED displays with ProMotion up to 120Hz and an always-on option, while cameras start at 48MP with the Pro versions offering an ultra-wide and telephoto lenses up to 8× optical zoom. Storage begins at 256GB across the board, with the higher-end models going up to 2TB.

Get this Verizon iPhone deal for launch.

Stephen King has taken a pause from his usual schedule of calling out Donald Trump on social media and reviewing horror movies to share his thoughts on Jimmy Kimmel's suspension by ABC.

The Jimmy Kimmel Live! host and longtime Trump critic was taken off the air after his comments made during Monday's show about how Republicans were reacting to the shooting of Charlie Kirk. And while Trump, who has been calling for Kimmel's sacking for years, gloated over the decision, a large number of celebrities and other late night hosts were quick to leap to Kimmel's defence.

SEE ALSO: Jimmy Kimmel pulled off the air. This is the monologue that sparked it.

King has now joined their ranks.

"Don't expect corporations (lookin' at you, ABC) to behave morally," wrote the horror author on X on Thursday. "Corps care about one thing: profit$. If you want Jimmy Kimmel back, you gotta holler your head off."

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

Kimmel's suspension came after Trump ally and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr criticised his comments on a podcast earlier in the week, and threatened to punish ABC and its parent company Disney. TV station owner Nexwtar Media subsequently refused to air Kimmel's show, which then led on to ABC making the decision to "indefinitely suspend" Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday.