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SAVE OVER $100: As of Aug. 22, the TCL 55-Inch QM7K QD-Mini LED 4K TV is on sale for $597.99 at Amazon. This marks a return to its best-ever price.

Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 55-Inch Class QM7K Series QD-Mini LED 4K UHD TV $597.99 at Amazon
$699.99 Save $102 Get Deal

If you've been hoping to invest in a new TV, Amazon has had some great deals available lately. This discount on a TCL 55-Inch QM7K QD-Mini LED 4K TV is a standout choice, as it's currently marked back down to its lowest-ever price at the retailer.

The TCL 55-Inch QM7K QD-Mini LED 4K TV is usually listed for $699.99, but it's on sale right now for $597.99. This marks a 15% discount from its list price, saving you $102 on list price. More importantly, this is its best-ever price, so there's no better time than now to scoop it up for less.

SEE ALSO: Samsung is giving away a free 65-inch TV right now — here's how to get yours

This 55-inch TCL TV boasts a QD-Mini LED display and 4K resolution so you can enjoy all of the latest shows and films on streaming in their best quality. And with audio by Bang & Olufsen, your ears are in for a treat with excellent sound quality to help you fully absorb whatever you're watching. On top of that, you can have all of your favorite streaming apps right at your fingertips.

It's currently listed as a limited-time deal, so act fast to score the TCL 55-Inch QM7K QD-Mini LED 4K TV at its best-ever price at Amazon. And if you're on the hunt for an even bigger TV, check out this great discount on the 98-inch Hisense QD5 QLED TV over at Amazon as well.

TL;DR: Live stream Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

A summer without domestic football is always a struggle, but the return is oh so sweet. The Premier League got underway last week, but Bundesliga fans have had to remain patient.

Well we have some good news for fans of German football. Not only is the Bundesliga back, but you can watch the opening game of the new season without spending anything. And it's not just any game, it's the defending champions taking on the talented RB Leipzig. Can Bayern Munich kickstart their title defence with a win? Home fans will be expecting big performances from the likes of Harry Kane and Michael Olise.

SEE ALSO: How to watch the NFL online for free

If you want to watch Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig?

Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga kicks off at 7:30 p.m. BST on Aug. 22. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Arena.

How to watch Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig for free

Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

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

Live stream Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig for free by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream select fixtures from the Bundesliga before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A 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. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga for free with ExpressVPN.

Stephen King took some time out from posting movie reviews on Thursday to get back to one of his other favorite topics: Trump.

Specifically in this case, he wanted to share his thoughts on the ongoing trolling of Trump by California Governor Gavin Newsom, which has unfolded on the Governor's official X press account in recent weeks in the form of many shouty, all-caps posts parodying the president himself.

SEE ALSO: Every single Stephen King movie adaptation, ranked

The horror master's verdict? "Gavin Newsom's tweets are awesome. Thank you for your attention to this matter."

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If you haven't seen Newsom's posts yet, here are a few examples.

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The posts have been going so viral that both Trump and J.D. Vance have now responded — but it doesn't appear that Newsom's team will be stopping anytime soon.

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 4 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 4 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Whodunit?

The words are crime-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are kinds of typical suspects.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Its a Mystery.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for August 22

• Spouse

• Heir

• Lover

• Its a Mystery

• Stranger

• Detective

• Rival

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for August 4 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for August 4, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Annoyed.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter T appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter R.

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

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

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

RATTY.

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 4

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

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

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

Pips is the newest game in the New York Times catalogue. Released in August 2025, the new game puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. Like dominoes, the tiles are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 22, 2025

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 20, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Aug. 22

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this blue space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 3-4, placed vertically.

Equal (1): The domino halves in this space must be 1. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Aug. 22

Number (3): The domino halves in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed vertically.

Equal (5): The domino halves in this space must be 5. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed vertically.

Number (5): The domino halves in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally.

Equal (6): The domino halves in this yellow space must be 6. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally; 6-4, placed horizontally.

Number (6): The domino halves in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Aug. 22

Number (18): The domino halves in this space must add up to 18. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed vertically.

Number (0): The domino halves in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically; 0-1, placed vertically; 0-0, placed vertically; 0-2, placed horizontally

Equal (2): The domino halves in this red space must be 2. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically; 0-2, placed horizontally.

Number (1): The domino halves in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically.

Equal (4): The domino halves in this blue space must be 4. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 4-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): The domino halves in this purple space must be 3. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally; 2-3, placed vertically.

Number (2): The domino halves in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically.

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

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

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

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for August 22, 2025 Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: See

• Green: Regionally specific

• Blue: Regionally specific team abbreviations

• Purple: Same first word

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

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

• Yellow: Recognize

• Green: A Chicago athlete

• Blue: ACC teams, familiarly

• Purple: Front ___

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #333 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Recognize - AWARD, CORONATE, CROWN, HONOR

• A Chicago athlete - BEAR, BLACKHAWK, BULL, CUB

• ACC teams, familiarly - CAL, CUSE, PITT, WAKE

• Front ___ - COURT, OFFICE, ROW, RUNNER

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

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

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

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

Since King of the Hill first premiered in 1997, Pamela Adlon has been the voice of the lovable Bobby Hill. As a boy, he "just ain't right," but in Season 14 of the recently resurrected cartoon series, Bobby is a 21-year-old man who's got a lot going for him, including his own fusion restaurant.

SEE ALSO: Forget 'The Bear.' 'King of the Hill' has the most stressful restaurant episode of 2025

What's it been like for Adlon to return to the role of Bobby Hill and see him all grown up? The accomplished writer/director/actor sat down with Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko for a Say More interview, where they touched on all that and more. They also chatted about how Adlon feels about the Oscar win of her Better Things co-star Mikey Madison, her upcoming auction of TV memorabilia to help her colleagues in the entertainment industry, and her thoughts on BobbyTok — TikTok videos centered on Bobby Hill, and particularly his very popular proclamation: "That's my purse! I don't know you!"

In the clip above, Adlon recounts how voicing Bobby over years on King of the Hill led to her feeling a deep connection with him. "I love Bobby so much. He's my favorite character, so much so that when I see a picture of Bobby I think I'm looking at myself, because it's me. It's an extension of me. He's one of my kids as well."

As proud as Adlon is of Bobby, she had no idea how big he'd become on TikTok, where his self-defense class proclamation became a trending sound, inspiring lots of videos — many about standing up for yourself — and even a purse.

She asked us to show her some of these videos, and we obliged. "Oh my God!" Adlon shouted. "That's amazing!" She then asked her publicist to download TikTok so they could look at more later.

King of the Hill Season 14 is now streaming on Hulu.

Choosing the best e-reader for you is one thing, but building your digital library is a whole other endeavor. For thrifty readers, Libby and Stuff Your Kindle Day are two routes that don't involve spending a dime but still give you the freedom to read nearly anything you'd like. However, if you already have an impressive EPUB library to upload to your new Kindle e-reader, that makes things even easier.

Kindles used to only support limited file types, but as of 2022, they officially started supporting EPUB files. Now you can get the universal format on your Kindle, and there are two routes to do so. We break down each method for how to get EPUBs on Kindles, one using the Send to Kindle feature and the other using the software Calibre. Rest assured, both are extremely user-friendly; it's just a matter of personal preference.

SEE ALSO: The 7 best e-readers of 2025, reviewed by someone who really loves books Use Send to Kindle feature: The easy option One of the Kindle's best built-in features. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable Total Time

• 5 minutes

What You Need

• Computer

Step 1: Register your Kindle to Amazon

To use Send to Kindle, your Kindle device needs to be registered to your Amazon account.

Step 2: Navigate to Amazon's Send to Kindle page

Visit the Send to Kindle page on Amazon's website.

Step 3: Choose your file

Drag and drop your file or click the "Select files from device" button to choose your epub files to upload. The file will go directly to your Kindle device.

One thing to note about this feature is that it takes about five minutes to upload and send, so if you're doing a mass upload it might be a long process. Plus, there are some folks who want a Kindle but want to avoid ties to Amazon otherwise. If that's the case and you don't register your Kindle e-reader to an Amazon account, then you'll have to upload your EPUB files another way.

Use Calibre: The fastest option

An alternative way to get EPUB files onto your Kindle is to use an application that stores them and also serves as an intermediary to upload those files to your e-reader. The best program to do so is Calibre, and it's totally free to use. The e-book management system allows you to upload e-book files to read or convert them.

Total Time

• 2 min

What You Need

• Computer

Step 1: Download Calibre

Visit Calibre's website to download the platform for your device.

Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Step 2: Convert book

The convert feature provides a list of formats to choose from, so if an e-reader only supports certain file types, you can make the file compatible. Choose which format you'd like to convert your EPUB file to and hit convert.

Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Step 3: Plug e-reader into device

Once you have your files uploaded and converted, plug your e-reader into your computer. A new icon will populate on Calibre called "device," where you can access all of your e-reader's files.

Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Step 4: Drag book into device library.

Once the device is attached, just drag your EPUB file to the device icon and drop it in. The file will upload in seconds and be ready to use. To verify the upload was successful, click on the device icon and make sure the file now appears in the device library.

Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Step 5: Optional: Auto-convert

If you forget to convert your EPUB files before upload, Calibre is a thorough program and will prompt you to auto-convert when you add your file to your device.

Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable The issue of DRM files

While Calibre has the unique advantage of being able to convert files to be compatible with most e-readers, there is one thing it can't do — remove encryption on DRM (Digital Rights Management) files. One extremely obnoxious thing e-reader brands have done is encrypt their books so that they can't be read on other devices. This means if you buy a book on a Kindle but later get a Kobo, the books you purchased in the Kindle store can't be converted over. While there are some services that advertise decoding these files, we have yet to find success with one. So for the time being, these processes of uploading EPUB files only work with unencrypted files.

SAVE 50%: The Nectar Labor Day sale is live — save up to 50% on Nectar mattresses and get up to 66% off with bundles.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nectar Nectar Labor Day Sale Shop Now

Labor Day sales are officially underway, with a wide range of retailers offering up early access deals. And if you're in the market for a new mattress or bed frame, the Nectar Labor Day sale is the place to be.

This is one of Nectar's largest Labor Day promotions yet, with savings of up to 50% on mattresses and 66% off bundles. That means you can save big not just on beds, but on a complete sleep setup. Think mattresses paired with top-quality bed frames, bedding, and accessories. The discounts cover Nectar’s full lineup, from the Classic to the more advanced Premier, Luxe, and Ultra models, available in both foam and hybrid versions.

SEE ALSO: Brooklyn Bedding’s CopperFlex Pro is the coolest mattress I’ve ever slept on

We're tracking all of the best Labor Day deals from Nectar. To get you started, we've lined up a selection of standout options for a better night's sleep:

The best Nectar Labor Day deals

• Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress — $649 $1,490

• Nectar Premier — $949 $2,282

• Nectar Luxe — $1,249 $3,299

• Adjustable Comfort Premier Bundle — $1,398 $3,054

• Bamboo Bed and Mattress Bundle — $1,548 $3,204

Head to Nectar to score these early Labor Day deals.

Online dating as a gay man is a rite of passage, from the Craigslist m4m era to today's endless scroll. But for all the high rewards, it comes with a unique set of challenges that can sour the experience: ghosting, catfishing, straight guys who shouldn't be in your feed, and even some not-so-subtle fetishization. It's a lot to take in when you're just trying to find a genuine connection.

Yet, despite the BS, the best gay dating apps are still one of the main ways to meet new people, especially if you're a gay or bisexual man. Pew Research found that about one in four LGBTQ+ adults met their partner online, a much higher rate than for straight people.

Of course, we can't talk about gay dating without talking about Grindr. It's the undisputed king of gay dating apps, but between the bugs, the features moving behind paywalls, and its well-deserved reputation as one of the top hookup apps, it's not always the best option for finding a real connection.

"Grindr is a tried and true app that many queer men gravitate toward to find partners or for relationships that require lesser commitment, so it’s easy to point to it as the No. 1 app," Michelle Herzog, LMFT, AASECT-certified sex therapist, tells Mashable. "However, like Tinder, it’s gained a reputation as a hookup app — but that doesn’t mean there still aren’t men looking for long-term commitments, either."

SEE ALSO: You can now view Grindr's original (and uncensored) content right in the app

The good news is that the dating app landscape is bigger and more diverse than ever. Mainstream apps like Hinge and OkCupid have made huge strides in inclusivity, while niche apps like Scruff and Feeld cater to specific communities, kinks, and desires. The key is figuring out which one is actually worth your time.

So, here's our guide to the best dating apps for gay men in 2025.

Budget-friendly robot vacuums are way smarter than they used to be. Even without all of the fancy features, the best cheap robot vacuum can absolutely shave some time off of your chore routine — if it works the way it's supposed to.

But many of the super-inexpensive robot vacuums cut corners too close to the sun, quickly going from helpers around the house to agents of chaos. Let's say that their low price stems from basic bumper car navigation instead of smart mapping, or from outdated obstacle sensors that get confused by table legs. Your chances of coming home to a vacuum stuck under the couch are higher than the chance of coming home to a fully-swept floor plan.

It's also more likely than not that any old cheap robot vacuum caps suction power at 3,000 or 4,000 Pa. And that's simply not enough to challenge any remotely stubborn crumbs, dust, or pet hair baked into carpet. That mediocrity extends to many robot vacuum and mop combo models, which often don't "scrub" so much as feebly glide a damp cloth around. A few steps in your bare feet, and you're all but guaranteed to step on debris the vacuum left behind.

SEE ALSO: Shark vs. Roomba: Comparing top-rated robot vacuum lineups

Long story short: Buying a robot vacuum just because it's cheap puts that glorious hands-off cleaning experience in jeopardy. But not all budget robot vacuums are disappointing. Compared to five years ago, the affordable end of the robot vacuum spectrum has experienced just as much of a glow-up as the premium end. Smart mapping and self-emptying docks are both common and affordable in 2025, especially when deals on robot vacuums happen year-round. All of the vacuums in this guide regularly go on sale for under $500.

While I do have some good tips on how to make any robot vacuum work better, how do you ensure a cheap vacuum doesn't suck? By taking a recommendation from someone who's tested them personally. I'm regularly testing budget robot vacuums in my own apartment, actively keeping the "bang for your buck" mentality in mind. So, here are my picks for the best budget robot vacuum to buy in 2025.

Other robot vacuums I've tested recently

I have tested several other inexpensive robot vacuums in the past that didn't make the most recent cut for this list. These include older models like the Eufy L60, Roomba 694, the Roomba Combo Essential 2, and Shark Matrix RV2300, which have simply been overshadowed by other (often newer) vacuums that offer more suction power and smarter features in the same budget price range.

One comparison that sticks out is the Roomba 205 DustCompactor versus the 3i G10+, which both "self-empty" without a self-emptying dock. However, I wasn't psyched on my experience with the Roomba 205 — it got stuck on rug corners and got lost too often. Plus, the 3i G10+ offers more advanced features like small obstacle and pet waste avoidance and a livestream pet camera, whereas the Roomba 205 doesn't.

SAVE 50%: Masterclass is offering 50% off all courses for Labor Day. This MasterClass Labor Day discount ends on Sept. 1.

Opens in a new window Credit: Masterclass Masterclass Labor Day Sale 50% off all courses until Sept. 1 Shop Now

If you're looking to take up a new skill or hone in on a hobby from years gone by, it's time to check out Masterclass.

MasterClass is an online learning platform where well-known experts and public figures offer video courses on their areas of expertise. It covers a wide range of subjects, like cooking, filmmaking, writing, business, music, sports, and more. For example, you can take a cooking class with Gordon Ramsay or pick up tennis tips from Serena Williams. It doesn't get much better than that.

SEE ALSO: Google Pixel 10 vs. Samsung Galaxy S25: Which smartphone is right for you?

For Labor Day 2025, MasterClass has announced an incredible 50% off promotion. Instead of paying for individual classes, you get access to the entire library of more than 200 courses, and you can dip into as many lessons as you like during your membership. And until Sept. 1, all three membership models are half-price.

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Save 50% on learning this Labor Day with Masterclass.

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 SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, August 22, 2025:

AcrossPlaces to store shovels and leaf blowers

• The answer is Sheds.

Coating for Babybel cheese

• The answer is Wax.

"___ vs. Predator" (2004 sci-fi film)

• The answer is Alien.

Streaming glitch

• The answer is Lag.

Docking spots

• The answer is Piers.

Feature of a Southern accent

• The answer is Twang.

Sweet potato lookalike

• The answer is Yam.

Top-notch, informally

• The answer is Primo.

Greenskeeper's roll of grass

• The answer is Sod.

Campfire remnants

• The answer is Ashes.

DownNickname for the Florida Gators football stadium, with "the"

• The answer is Swamp.

"2001: A Space Odyssey" villain

• The answer is Hal.

Cast out from a country

• The answer is Exile.

"Uptown Funk" and "Downtown," for two

• The answer is Songs.

"Can I bend your ___ for a second?"

• The answer is Ear.

Like an ambitious, competitive personality

• The answer is Type A.

Simple-to-play card game for two

• The answer is War.

Simple-living sect

• The answer is Amish.

Shop owner's stock

• The answer is Goods.

Barkeep on "The Simpsons"

• The answer is Moe.

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 the latest Mini Crossword.

Sorry to disappoint, but if you're looking for a quick list of foolproof ways for detecting AI-generated videos, you're not going to find it here. Gone are the days of AI Will Smith grotesquely eating spaghetti. Yes, there are some tells, but AI video makers are getting better all the time, and the latest tools can create convincing, photorealistic videos with a few clicks.

Right now, AI-generated videos are still a relatively nascent modality compared to AI-generated text, images, and audio, because getting all the details right is a challenge that requires a lot of high-quality data. "But there's no fundamental obstacle to getting higher quality data," only labor-intensive work, said Siwei Lyu, a professor of computer science and engineering at University at Buffalo SUNY.

In the past six months, AI video generators have become so good at creating realistic videos that they often dupe the casual scroller. Telltale artifacts that used to give the game away, such as morphing faces and shape-shifting objects, are seen far less frequently. There's not much fakery in evidence in the viral AI-generated videos of the emotional support kangaroo, bunnies on a trampoline, or street interviews made with Google's Veo 3 model (which can generate sound with videos).

The key to identifying AI-generated videos, as with any AI modality, lies in AI literacy. "Understanding that [AI technologies] are growing and having that core idea of 'something I'm seeing could be generated by AI,' is more important than, say, individual cues," said Lyu, who is the director of UB's Media Forensic Lab. 

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Navigating the AI slop-infested web requires using your online savvy and good judgment to recognize when something might be off. It's your best defense against being duped by AI deepfakes, disinformation, or just low-quality junk. It's a hard skill to develop, because every aspect of the online world fights against it in a bid for your attention. But the good news is, it's possible to fine-tune your AI detection instincts.

"By studying [AI-generated images], we think people can improve their AI literacy," said Negar Kamali, an AI research scientist at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, who co-authored a guide to identifying AI-generated images. "Even if I don't see any artifacts [indicating AI-generation], my brain immediately thinks, 'Oh, something is off,'" added Kamali, who has studied thousands of AI-generated images. "Even if I don't find the artifact, I cannot say for sure that it's real, and that's what we want."

What to look out for: Imposter videos vs. text-to-image videos

Before we get into identifying AI-generated videos, let's distinguish the different types. AI-generated videos are generally divided into two different categories: Imposter videos and videos generated by a text-to-image diffusion model.

Imposter videos are AI-edited videos that consist of face swapping — where a person's entire face is swapped out for someone else's (usually a celebrity or politician) and made to say something fake — and lip syncing — where a person's mouth is subtly manipulated and replaced with different audio.

Imposter videos: why regulators are cracking down

Imposter videos are generally pretty convincing; the technology has been around longer, and they build off of existing footage instead of generating something from scratch. Remember those Tom Cruise deepfake videos from a few years ago that went viral for being so convincing? They worked because the creator, Chris Ume, looked a lot like Tom Cruise, worked with a professional Tom Cruise impersonator, and did lots of minute editing, according to an interview with Ume, via The Verge.

These days, there are an abundance of apps out there that accomplish the same thing and can even — terrifyingly — include audio from a short sound bite that the creator finds online.

That said, there are some things to look for if you suspect an AI video deepfake. First of all, look at the format of the video. AI video deepfakes are typically "shot" in a talking-head format, where you can just see the heads and shoulders of the speaker, with their arms out of view (more on that in a minute). 

To identify face swaps, look for flaws or artifacts around the boundaries of the face. "You typically see artifacts when the head moves obliquely to camera," said digital forensics expert and UC Berkeley Professor of Computer Science Hany Farid. As for the arms and hands, "If the hand moves, or something occludes the face, [the image] will glitch a little bit," Farid continued. And watch the arms and body for natural movements. "If all you're seeing is this," — on our Zoom call, Farid keeps his arms stiff and by his sides — "and the person's not moving at all, it's fake." 

If you suspect a lip sync, focus your attention on the subject's mouth — especially the teeth. With fakes, "We have seen people who have irregularly shaped teeth," or the number of teeth change throughout the video, said Lyu. Another strange sign to look out for is "wobbling of the lower half" of the face, said Lyu. "There's a technical procedure where you have to exactly match that person's face," he said. "As I'm talking, I'm moving my face a lot, and that alignment, if you got just a little bit of imprecision there, human eyes are able to tell." This gives the bottom half of the face a more liquid, rubbery effect.

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When it comes to AI deepfakes, Aruna Sankaranarayanan, a Research Assistant at MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, says her biggest concern isn't deepfakes of the most famous politicians in the world like Donald Trump or Joe Biden, but of important figures who may not be as well known. "Fabrication coming from them, distorting certain facts, when you don't know what they look like or sound like most of the time, that's really hard to disprove," said Sankaranarayanan, whose work focuses on political deepfakes. Again, this is when AI literacy comes into play; videos like these require some research to verify or debunk.

In April 2025, Congress passed the Take It Down Act, making it a federal crime or post or share nonconsensual intimate imagery. Another bill called the NO FAKES Act is making its way through the Senate; this aims to provide legal protections against AI-generated replicas.

How to spot text-to-image videos

While regulators are cracking down on imposter videos, text-to-image generators have exploded in popularity. You can now generate AI videos directly within ChatGPT and Google Gemini. And Luma, Kling, and Freepik are just a few of the other alternatives of easy-access video generators that have proliferated online.

With a short text description, you can generate any kind of video your imagination dreams up. The majority of AI-generated videos shared online fall into the category of, "Hey, look what I can do with this cool new technology." This can range from the absurd, like a cat jumping off an Olympic diving board, to the downright misleading, like fake videos of hurricane damage. But all of it contributes to a confusing, dystopian experience, where it's harder and harder to separate AI-generated fiction from reality.

What's more, many accounts circulating AI-generated videos are profiting from the clickbait by deliberately deceiving users. On TikTok, it's practically impossible to know whether that creator selling you the latest skincare product is AI-generated or not. AI-generated videos made with TikTok's tools are automatically disclosed, but that doesn't stop users from uploading AI-generated or edited videos made with tools outside of the platform.

You can try looking for context clues, the experts say. Farid said to look out for "temporal inconsistencies," such as "the building added a story, or the car changed colors, things that are physically not possible," he said. "And often it's away from the center of attention that where that's happening." So, hone in on the background details. You might see unnaturally smooth or warped objects, or a person's size change as they walk around a building, said Lyu.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. SEE ALSO: AI actors and deepfakes aren't coming to YouTube ads. They're already here.

Kamali says to look for "sociocultural implausibilities" or context clues where the reality of the situation doesn't seem plausible. "You don't immediately see the telltales, but you feel that something is off — like an image of Biden and Obama wearing pink suits," or the Pope in a Balenciaga puffer jacket. 

The artifacts may change, but good judgment remains.

But relying too much on certain cues to verify whether a video is AI-generated could get you into trouble. 

Lyu's 2018 paper about detecting AI-generated videos because the subjects didn't blink properly was widely publicized in the AI community. As a result, people started looking for eye-blinking defects, but as the technology progressed, so did more natural blinks. "People started to think if there's a good eye blinking, it must not be a deepfake and that's the danger," said Lyu. "We actually want to raise awareness but not latch on particular artifacts, because the artifacts are going to be amended." 

Building the awareness that something might be AI-generated will "trigger a whole sequence of action," said Lyu. "Check, who's sharing this? Is this person reliable? Are there any other sources correlating on the same story, and has this been verified by some other means? I think those are the things the most effective counter measures for deepfakes."

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For Farid, identifying AI-generated videos and misleading deepfakes starts with where you source your information. Take the AI-generated images that circulated on social media in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Most of them were pretty obviously fake, but they still had an emotional affect on people. "Even when these things are not very good, it doesn't mean that they don't penetrate, it doesn't mean that it doesn't sort of impact the way people absorb information," he said.

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Be cautious about getting your news from social media. "If the image feels like clickbait, it is clickbait," said Farid before adding it all comes down to media literacy. Think about who posted the video and why it was created. "You can't just look at something on Twitter and being like, 'Oh, that must be true, let me share it.'" 

If you're suspicious about AI-generated content, check other sources to see if they're also sharing it, and if it all looks the same. As Lyu says, "a deepfake only looks real from one angle." Search for other angles of the instance in question. Farid recommends sites like Snopes and Politifact, which debunk misinformation and disinformation. As we all continue to navigate the rapidly changing AI landscape, it's going to be crucial to do the work — and trust your gut.

How are AI companies labeling AI-generated videos?

Some AI companies, including Google and OpenAI, have ways of labeling their AI-generated videos as such. With every video generated by Veo, Google has embedded an invisible watermark called SynthID. After the launch of Veo 3 caused a wave of concern, the company also added a visible watermark labeling it as AI-generated.

OpenAI, Adobe, and other companies label their AI-generated videos and images with invisible watermarks using a technical standard developed by the nonprofit Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA).

While visible watermarks may seem like an obvious solution, they can also be easily removed. And there's the question of whether they even matter. A study from Stanford University's Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) recently found visible labels indicating AI-generated content "may not change its persuasiveness." After all, we're used to all sorts of meaningless logos on viral videos; it's easy to visually tune them out.

Invisible watermarks, on the other hand, are baked into the metadata. This makes them harder to remove and easier to track.

Standards like C2PA are a step in the right direction, but right now, it's up to the companies to voluntarily adhere to these standards. Perhaps one day, those standards will be enforced by regulators. In the meantime, our best bets are still sound judgement and strong media literacy.

A new study has returned to a popular Milky Way attraction, formed by a fast-spinning dead star core that scientists say is one of the most powerful electromagnetic generators in the galaxy. 

At the heart of this colorful nebula is a so-called pulsar, a type of neutron star that blasts streams of high-energy particles through space as it revolves like a lighthouse beacon. This thing is what remains of a massive star that suffered a supernova explosion. 

By adding radio data to NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory image, astronomers can now see that some of the features don't match up at different light wavelengths, suggesting scientists still don't fully understand how the pulsar wind interacts with the leftover supernova debris.  

Researchers hope that by further probing the mysterious object, MSH 15-52, they can learn how this type of event creates high-energy particles, some of which may become cosmic rays that could eventually reach Earth. 

SEE ALSO: NASA spacecraft snaps photo of Earth from across the solar system

The Chandra observatory took an image of the nebula more than 15 years ago. Recently, scientists used the Australia Telescope Compact Array to make detailed radio maps of this region in space, then combined them with the X-ray data. The findings from that work are published in The Astrophysical Journal. 

At about 1,700 years old, MSH 15-52, sometimes called the "cosmic hand" or "hand of God" for its unusual shape, is one of the youngest-known nebulas formed by pulsar wind. Located about 17,000 light-years away in the constellation Circinus, it's also quite large, dwarfing the famous Crab Nebula. The hand stretches about 150 light-years.

That's hard to imagine, given that the pulsar itself — the thing responsible for this scene — is only about 12 miles wide. But, make no mistake, it's fast and powerful. The pulsar spins seven times per second. For the millennials out there, that's about as fast as a CD revolves in a Discman. And the pulsar's magnetic field is about 30 million times stronger than the most powerful steady magnet ever built on Earth.

In the new composite image, gold represents hydrogen gas in visible light, red represents radio waves, and blue, orange, and yellow represent X-rays. The "fingers" look purple where radio and X-rays overlap.

Particles from the pulsar form a bubble of glowing gas. The system is also linked to the surrounding supernova debris, RCW 89, the remains of the massive star explosion that created the pulsar. The new radio data reveals threadlike filaments that could result from the collision of the pulsar's wind with the supernova's debris.

Threadlike filaments revealed in new radio data trace the directions of the nebula's magnetic field. Credit: NASA / CXC / S. Zhang et al / ATNF / CSIRO / ATCA / UK STFC / Royal Observatory Edinburgh / SAO / N. Wolk

Some bright X-ray features, like the pulsar's jet and fingerlike shapes, don't show up in radio waves. This means the particles that produce them are a higher-energy source.

"Highly energetic particles are leaking out from a shock wave — similar to a supersonic plane's sonic boom — near the pulsar,"  according to the Chandra X-ray Observatory, "and moving along magnetic field lines to create the fingers." 

For the supernova remnant, the radio waves match up with bright knots seen in X-rays and visible light. But surprisingly, that radio glow extends much farther, leaving the researchers somewhat baffled.  

To get to the bottom of the mystery, scientists will likely need more detailed computer models.

In ye olde days of the early internet, porn was genuinely hard to come by. The rise of ASCII porn in the '80s (seriously, look it up, if you dare) gave way to early peer-to-peer networks, sharing grainy imagery. Then, the World Wide Web helped early cyber-pornstars mint a fortune with their own web pages — but you had to get to grips with modems first.

When broadband got faster, tube sites like Pornhub, YouPorn, and RedTube began to spit out free (often pirated) content in the mid-'00s, before smartphones saw people switch to the smaller screen. OnlyFans, launched in 2016, changed the game by removing the barrier to entry of making adult content and popularizing the subscription-based model.

SEE ALSO: Porn censorship is going to destroy the entire internet

Still, Pornhub dominates in terms of traffic, with over a billion site visits last month compared to around 280 million for OnlyFans, according to Similarweb. Now, the floodgates for explicit content will open even further with Pornhub Shorties, a brand-spanking-new feature that's still being tested.

What is Pornhub Shorties?

Pornhub Shorties is a lot like Instagram Reels, but for porn: fast, dynamic videos presented in a vertical, scrollable format. Think cutdowns of longer videos, snappy jerk-off instructions, and instant money shots. It's something that users on Reddit have been predicting for the last few years (and, as many have lamented, it should really have been called "Quickies," right?).

It quietly launched in beta in March 2024 and has been gradually appearing on users' and creators' devices since. While Pornhub is hush-hush about a hard launch date, it's likely coming soon, considering the feature is already accessible.

Shorties' launch is no big surprise. After all, vertical content is now king. People hold their phones vertically 94 percent of the time, and the vast majority of all Pornhub traffic worldwide comes from mobile devices, so ensuring it's optimised for phone viewing is obvious stuff. 

Plus, for years, Pornhub's content has been lagging behind; many of its videos are uploaded in landscape format, meaning you have to turn your phone around (and, crucially, use two very precious hands) if you want to watch in full screen.

More portrait porn, then, is clearly the way forward. "Porn reflects and shapes the media environment. It makes sense that Pornhub would have its own TikTok dupe of vertically filmed videos that are easy to view on your phone," says Hallie Lieberman, a sex historian and journalist. Especially, when it uses a scrolling mechanism that we've been so accustomed — and addicted — to. "Scrolling allows us to titrate for potency and novelty. The result is a state of hypnotic lassitude that is hard to break free from," says psychiatrist and Dopamine Nation author Anna Lembke. Doomscrolling is now firmly ingrained in our collective consciousness.

Ironically, all this vertical content encroaches on our horizontal time. According to a recent YouGov survey, 87 percent of Britons look at their phone or tablet within an hour of going to sleep. With many of us spending time thumbing away in the bedroom — and porn frequently consumed at night — it makes sense that Shorties is now vying for our increasingly atrophied attention and tapping into our desire to keep scrolling.

But what's the payoff? Well, for creators, it's supposedly just that. With Shorties being increasingly promoted, engaging with the platform could reward people with better reach and revenue (also like Reels). But Pornhub's track history in the industry isn't rosy; the tube site laid the groundwork for the porn "gig economy" that OnlyFans and others foster. And, as of February this year, the average amount earned per 1,000 streams is just $0.69.

Lola May, a 23-year-old adult content creator who also goes by the alias Saint Bunnie, has seen some early (dollar) signs of success. "I first came across Shorties a few months ago when one of my vertical videos had the option in the upload screen and I thought I'd give it a try," she says. Her Shorties portfolio, so far, features short blowjob scenes and stripteases. "Based on the views on my videos comparatively, I can't really tell how much the algorithm is pushing them, but I feel like they're definitely doing better than just uploading as a normal video in the vertical format."

The bonus, she says, is that they offer a platform for "low-pressure" vertical videos and "additional cell phone footage" that might not usually perform well. But to make money via ad revenue, you really need a money shot. "I think the key to Shorties is: action, action, action. I've tried teasing style videos, but it's Pornhub, so they never do as well as straight action."

This instant excitement is part of the attraction for viewers. Shorties promises tailored, quick-fix content that can be shuffled through without the need to hit up the search bar. Unlike a self-curated Pornhub Playlist, there is no end to Shorties; it's an unlimited buffet of all-you-can-view porn. A quick flick through Shorties, on a newly-registered account, reveals a focus on the most popular porn categories: Milf, Amateur, and, unnervingly, a lot of Teen. Size matters, too: "Big Ass" tags and "big tiddy" captions abound. And as expected, it's all about in media res action; until, that is, my scroll is briefly interrupted by a full-size ad for AI porn.

The traction for vertical seems, so far, surprisingly slow. According to Pornhub's Year in Review 2024, Vertical was the shortest-watched category, with the average view time clocking in at four minutes and 14 seconds. "They pop in to get the job done and they're out, no time for browsing!" chirps the report. However, it seems to be chiming with younger viewers. Pornhub's statisticians found that 18-24 year olds were the most likely (+392 percent than other age groups, apparently) to view Vertical videos. 

A spokesperson for Pornhub shared more positive thinking: "Our new vertical platform, Shorties, is currently in beta, but early feedback from both users and creators has been very positive. We are excited about the creativity and engagement it is already generating, and we look forward to sharing more information when it officially launches later this year." 

The spokesperson didn't answer a follow-up question asking to clarify the positive feedback. But if it is hooking in viewers, could their growing engagement turn into indulgence?

Will Pornhub Shorties encourage gooning?

Pornhub will likely be banking on Shorties to make its website even stickier thanks to the power of short-form video. As Lembke explains, short-form "activates our brain's reward pathway, providing 24/7 access to potent, frictionless pleasure with minimal up-front work."

There's a chance that Shorties will also feed into another growing phenomenon: gooning. To goon is neither a bag of wine nor a synonym for "idiot" in this case. Instead, it means spending an extended amount of time masturbating, sometimes without climax. It's edging on steroids (or, Viagra, maybe). Online, gooning has become an entire subculture, where proponents try to enter a meditative "goon state" and share experiences, a little like Erowid if you swapped trips for death grips. 

Could goonscrolling become a thing, combining two pathways to compulsive behaviour?

Lembke thinks so, and that it could exacerbate issues for people who can't stop watching porn. "Pornhub is copying the same short-form video format that has been so successful for other digital platforms. The experiment has already been done...the short form videos adapted to pornography will only increase the potency and risk of addiction." 

SEE ALSO: I wore out my swiping finger to find the best hookup apps

The anti-masturbation NoFap community is similarly concerned. "This is sad. They're attacking us with all the powers they have in them. We're truly cooked," reads one top comment on a Reddit thread about Shorties.

May, the Pornhub creator, is also anxious. "I definitely think that Shorties can have some negative effects on those who already struggle to moderate their porn intake. Porn addiction is beginning to become a huge issue, especially for young people, and it can lead to some pretty serious problems in relationships," she says. 

"I would like to see some kind of moderation on the length of time spent on Shorties in a future update." She pointed out TikTok's pop-up if a user has spent a "concerning" amount of time scrolling, and believes it would benefit Pornhub to add something similar. 

"It's easy to get lost in doomscrolling, and it can be even easier to get lost doomscrolling porn," May says.

Porn addiction, though, isn't a medically accepted diagnosis. Many scientists believe that moral incongruence surrounding porn use (in other words, feeling guilty) is the best indicator of self-diagnosed issues surrounding porn use. Lieberman agrees with this thesis, and she also doesn't think the new feature will lead to wild, unadulterated masturbation sessions. "I'm not afraid that Shorties will transform America into a country of gooners with an endless stream of porn," she says.

It's easy to get lost in doomscrolling, and it can be even easier to get lost doomscrolling porn. - adult content creator Lola May

And there's no certainty that Shorties will even be able to harness the mindless scrolling of other social media platforms. "I'm not sure if people will end up being sucked into Shorties in the same way they are sucked into Instagram Reels and TikTok," Lieberman continues. After all, even the horniest of us are unlikely to start scrolling through quickfire bukkake while simultaneously "watching" telly.

Perhaps the fate of Shorties lies in the power of its secret algorithm. Again, Lieberman isn't too worried. "If it's a choice between algorithms driving people to masturbate more versus algorithms driving people to crazy conspiracy theories, I'd choose the masturbation." 

But there is already widespread concern surrounding other platforms' shadowy algorithms and how they serve provocative content to keep users hooked. Earlier this year, for example, Meta had to apologise after Instagram users were suddenly flooded with extraordinarily graphic Reels. It's unclear whether the same could happen with Shorties. 

Or maybe Shorties will prove to be a damp squib due to deeply-embedded porn habits and go the way of that freaky ASCII stuff: straight into the deleted history of the internet.

KPop Demon Hunters is a phenomenon that's only growing. 

The Netflix release focuses on a trio of K-pop idols called HUNTR/X who not only lay down devastatingly catching songs but also battle deadly demons, including the dastardly alluring boy band called Saja Boys.

The combination of enthralling action, swoon-worthy romance, total squad goals, and a banging soundtrack has made the film massively popular on the streaming service. Since its June debut, KPop Demon Hunters has become Netflix's most-watched animated movie ever, and is currently the second most-watched Netflix movie of all time. (Watch out, Red Notice; HUNTR/X is on your tail!) 

Meanwhile, the soundtrack for KPop Demon Hunters debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 chart. And as I write this, "Golden," a HUNTR/X track from the film, is currently number two on the Hot 100 Chart, while Saja Boys' "Your Idol" is at number four and "Soda Pop" is at number 10.

There's no escaping KPop Demon Hunters, and this is the perfect weekend to give in, because the movie that's got Netflix users hooked is coming to theaters for a special series of sing-along screenings. 

To get a feel for what this experience would bring to KPop Demon Hunters fans, I attended a press preview of the sing-along screening in New York City, at the Netflix-owned Paris Theater. Here are my five takeaways from the experience: 

1. KPop Demon Hunters sing-along screening is as close as you'll get to a HUNTR/X concert.  HUNTR/X faces demons. Credit: Netflix

Watching this movie at home is a joy, sure. But in a theater with advanced surround sound, the soundtrack just hits different. The opening battle scene, where Rumi, Mira, and Zoey kick off "How It's Done" while pummeling demons and skydiving from a destroyed plane into their arena show below? It's epic on the big screen. 

It's the feeling of being at a real concert. The music is marvelous and enveloping. The audience around you is geeking out with you, dancing in their seats (or out of them) and singing along with their full chest. In this way, KPop Demon Hunters brings together the sublime community vibes of concerts and moviegoing with the cost of one ticket. 

2. People will have their phones out, unless you go to the Alamo.  HUNTR/X carbo-loads ahead of their concert. Credit: Netflix

Yes, we know people love pulling out their phones in theaters. But the expectation of this controversial behavior is higher when the audience is offered a chance to perform too. 

SEE ALSO: Why is everyone using their phones in movie theaters?

Personally, I was a bit shocked to see at a press screening how many attendees were pulling out their phones. From my seat, I could see several filming the screen (weird, when the movie is already online?). Some filmed their party singing along, and one guy appeared to film his own reactions to watching the movie. 

Arden Cho, who voices Rumi, shared her own footage from her preview screening on TikTok, which includes viewers dancing and singing along excitedly. This is reminiscent of footage from theaters that showed Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.

However, if you don't want the distraction of other people's phones, you might want to favor an Alamo Drafthouse screening. Famously, the Alamo doesn't put up with talking or texting in their theaters. But Mashable wondered if the rules might be bent for a sing-along.

A rep for Alamo Drafthouse answered our inquiry with: 

"Policy will remain and phones will not be allowed at these screenings. Lyrics will be on the screen for audience to sing along." 

Alamo also has party screenings, which come with some sweet KPop Demon Hunters merch. However, you can also buy your own merch online at Netflix's shop.

3. The sing-along subtitles aren't really needed for KPop Demon Hunters.  Zoey, Rumi, and Mira, the members of HUNTR/X Credit: Netflix

Ahead of the movie, the Paris Theater piped in the soundtrack as people took their seats. Already, the excited fans — many of whom were young girls — were singing along. They were beyond ready, knowing the words by heart.

When the movie played with lyrics subtitled on the screen, the level of enthusiasm and volume from the audience boomed — even over the sections of songs that are in Korean. Then, when some snippets of song — like Rumi struggling to get through "Golden" on a solo moment on a rooftop — are not offering the lyrics onscreen, these fans sang with her, every word, without a missed beat.

4. Fan reactions go beyond singing at KPop Demon Hunters sing-along.  The Saja Boys Credit: Netflix

If you're a Rujinu shipper, scandalized that Rumi and Jinu do not kiss in the film, you're not alone. And you'll likely learn that if you go to the sing-alongs. 

In my screening, every time the hot demon and the heart-struck huntress came remotely close to kissing, a girl or several girls would cry out, "KISS!" 

Sure, we know their kisses got cut from the film. But there's something deeply heartwarming about being a part of a crowd willing this romance to take that next step. 

Girlhood is alive and well. 

5. Newbies are welcome to KPop Demon Hunters sing-along.  Derpy Tiger offers an invite in "KPop Demon Hunters." Credit: Netflix

Look, this audience will be mostly fans who are already deep into loving the soundtrack, swooning over their favorite Saja Boy or HUNTR/X girl, and manifesting the announcement of a sequel. However, those new to the movie are totally welcome too. 

This was clear in the moment of a major revelation from Jinu. IYKYK. And if you don't know, you'll be like the woman behind me who gasped hard and loud in genuine surprise. In response, the crowd around her laughed and cheered, realizing they had a new member to their ranks. 

That's all you need to know, outside of how to get tickets: KPop Demon Hunters sing-along is a limited theatrical event, which occurs on Aug. 23 and Aug. 24. across the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. 

To view the full list of theaters and showtimes in your area, and to download tickets, check out the following links: U.S. and Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. 

Kpop Demon Hunters is now streaming on Netflix.

This month, Threads announced that it reached 400 million monthly active users — nearly as many as X (née Twitter). That’s almost half a billion people.

Threads is the Big Bang Theory of social media. Bland, boring, largely unoffensive, and somehow, it was the most popular show on television for years. Game of Thrones got the cultural and critical attention, but Old Sheldon retained a steady audience of nearly the same size. At any given time, "Twitter" and "X" are searched somewhere between 12 and 30 times more than "Threads" on Google, according to the search engine's Trends data. Threads is a popular platform without much of an identity. And maybe that's a good thing: X's cultural relevance is inseparable from the constant churn of Elon Musk drama — just like how Game of Thrones' cultural legacy is forever tied to its spectacularly bad final season.

SEE ALSO: Threads apparently just passed another massive milestone for monthly users

Meanwhile, Big Bang Theory delivered consistency: viewers' expectations were met each week, even if those expectations didn't reach the heights of what a television show can, or should, be. Threads, likewise, is consistently good at one thing users really want from a social media platform: for their posts to be seen and engaged with. Threads might be boring in comparison to its competitors, but its users say it might be the only place on the internet right now where they don't feel they are screaming into the void.

And despite Threads' connection to Meta's universe of social media platforms, it is a relatively new app — and after speaking with a few Threads power users, I'm convinced its newness and ever-slow rollout of features is where its success lies. This is far from X, which is in a constant state of change and seems to be hemorrhaging users.

It's more than just "not X"

Meecham Whitson Meriweather, a 38-year-old writer in Brooklyn, decided to join Threads when it launched in 2023. He posted on both X and Threads for a while before, in February of this year, he was kicked off of X entirely. He's not entirely sure why he was suspended from the social media platform — he was an active user with 58,000 followers at the time — but has a suspicion it was tied to a post he made about X's owner Musk needing to be "locked up."

He's not the only person who left X — by choice or not — after Elon Musk took over the site in 2022. Like other users who fled the platform, he considered alternatives like Mastodon and tried out Bluesky but found his home in Threads, largely because of Meta's interconnected ecosystem. 

"It also just felt more authentic as a text-based app because they already had everything that they needed," Whitson Meriweather told Mashable. "That was the main draw for me. I'm already seeing people I know here. I can already talk about what I feel like talking about. There's no weird balance in the feed."

Not only are all your Threads followers connected to your Instagram or Facebook accounts, but Threads is integrated with ActivityPub, a decentralized protocol that also powers Mastodon, which pushes the platform into federated, open social networking.

He's since started an on-platform interview series he calls "Loose Threads," where he interviews people — including Martha Stewart and Pam Anderson — on the app.

Reach without followers

Whitson Meriweather, who writes a Substack newsletter and has published work in Vulture, GQ, and New York Magazine and has 41,500 followers on Threads. But one reason users seem to appreciate Threads is that, much like TikTok, you don't actually have to have thousands of followers to find decent engagement on the app.

One user, commenting in a Reddit forum questioning who actually uses the app, said they "find it worthwhile" because "you can just say stuff on there under a tag and people will find it and respond."

"Engagement on [Threads] is really good, and it doesn't feel like screaming into a void," the user wrote. 

"Screaming into a void" is often a complaint for social media users without significant followings. David "YoRush" Rushing, a 37-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, didn't have much of a social media presence before coming to Threads. He was on X, but found it to be "toxic" and none of his posts really made an impact. When Meta launched Threads, he was one of the first adopters — and one of his first posts immediately took off.

SEE ALSO: How a Threads post helped me find community and beat loneliness

It was opening night for the NBA, and Threads was new and lacked key features — for instance, a way to search for posts about opening night for the NBA. So he posted asking if there were any NBA Threads users, and it "took off."

"A lot of conversations jumped off" as a result of that post, he told Mashable. "I was being really intentional about [creating community]. If someone engaged with me, I engaged back."

After a few weeks, he noticed that it was still really difficult for users to find each other on Threads with its limited features. "So I made a really big community-oriented post and was just like, 'Hey, this is our opportunity for a fresh start for NBA Threads. These are all the people I've met this week who are really into the NBA."

Now, with more than 87,400 followers, he's one of the most influential voices in the NBA Threads community.

"NBA Threads is [a] really special [community]," he said. "It's seen a couple of different iterations because that's just normal with these platforms. As time goes on, things change. But I really do think it's still a very unique place where you can go, and you can be the passionate sports fan you are. You're not constantly facing a barrage of toxicity when you share your opinions or when you jump into a conversation that's happening."

Driven by community

According to consumer research company GWI, while users signed up for Threads because of its integration with Instagram, they're staying because Threads users are "community-focused," noting there's a strong overlap between Discord users and Threads users. That's why Whitson Meriweather loves it for pop culture; Rushing loves it for sports; and Tina Mars, a 36-year-old book marketer and author in California, loves it for the book community.

"Threads is very community-driven," Mars told Mashable. She really enjoyed Instagram — Bookstagram is a huge community on that platform — but never felt particularly drawn to text-forward platforms like X or Bluesky. She checked out Threads because of its integration with Instagram and immediately found her people. After a year on Threads, Book Threads was one of the top three micro communities on the app. 

View on Threads

Book Threads "has its own drama, as these kinds of platforms do, but I do feel like it's very much community-driven. It's very chill," she told Mashable. "[It's] easy to share your authentic thoughts. It doesn't have to be curated; it doesn't even have to be well said. It can be very much in the moment, unplanned, and I think a lot of people really love a space to do that. And a lot of people also were finding a lot more interaction and connection on there than on other platforms as well." 

Will Threads continue to grow?

Meta is a beast. Threads, while relatively quiet, should have been the expected winner of the X replacement battle all along.

It just doesn't have the same flair as X or Twitter, which could be because Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, went out of his way to ensure politics was downplayed when Threads first launched. (Meta has since backtracked slightly by phasing "civic content" back into Threads "with a more personalized approach.") The vibe was calmer, and the site was kind of easy to forget. Unless, of course, you logged into your Facebook or Instagram account.

It's easy to see why Threads picked up so many users in the beginning. Meta has mastered the art of baiting people onto Threads. On Instagram, you're met with the most viral Threads posts, but the last few words will almost always be cut off, convincing you to click through, and there you have it — an account on Threads, and with that one click, you're one of the 400 million monthly users of the site. But that was two years ago, and users not only stayed, but more have joined, all while the distance between our cultural obsession with an app and the reality of its use seems vast

Threads is still in its adolescence. It lacks the media ecosystem that made Twitter indispensable for journalists, politicians, and celebrities. But it has something else: sheer scale and Meta’s backing. With Instagram’s 2 billion users as a feeder system, Meta can keep funneling people toward Threads whether they like it or not. And with ActivityPub integration, it has the potential to tap into the wider fediverse, giving it a future that even Twitter never had.

There are still plenty of things users want from Threads, and the Meta team promises they're working on solutions. But Threads isn't the X killer. X is the X killer — Threads is just the replacement.

All of the creators I spoke to said since community is so important on the app, they wish there was a way to zone in on it tighter — with something like Circles on X or Close Friends on Instagram. Threads is developing group DMs for this, which isn't quite the same thing. In all, there's a lot that creators want from the platform.

"The Threads community, especially the book community, is generating these vibrant, engaging, real conversations," Mars said, adding that, while she'd love a new Circles-like feature, she's been elated to see what the Threads community has already built. "I've seen this community get a lot of cool opportunities from just posting on Threads. I think it is amazing."

UPDATE: Aug. 22, 2025, 11:35 a.m. EDT This story has been updated to accurately reflect the timing and number of followers Meecham Whitson Meriweather had when he was suspended from X. We have also clarified Threads' current approach to political content.

TL;DR: Get Windows 11 Pro for $15 before Microsoft cuts support for Windows 10.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Windows 11 Pro $14.97
$199 Save $184.03 Get Deal

With Microsoft preparing to end support for Windows 10, millions of users will soon face a choice. Stick with an outdated system that no longer receives security patches, or upgrade to Windows 11 Pro and keep your computer protected.

For now, you can make that upgrade for only $14.97, far below the regular $199 price.

Is Windows 11 Pro worth it?

Yes.

Windows 11 Pro has improvements across the board, from gaming to basic things like navigating tabs. The interface is cleaner, with a simplified taskbar and updated design that feels more modern. Features like Snap Layouts let you organize multiple windows quickly, and virtual desktops help separate work, personal projects, and entertainment into different spaces. These tools make multitasking less of a hassle and keep everything within easy reach.

Performance is another reason to consider upgrading. Windows 11 Pro is optimized to handle multiple apps at once while using system resources more efficiently. The result is faster response times and a system that feels less bogged down, even if you keep a lot open at once.

Security has also been improved. BitLocker encryption keeps your data safe, while Smart App Control reduces the risk of downloading harmful software. Support for biometric login, such as facial recognition and fingerprint scanning, adds another layer of protection.

SEE ALSO: Windows 11’s latest update may be bricking some SSDs, users report

For advanced users, Windows 11 Pro includes DirectX 12 Ultimate for gaming, Hyper-V for running virtual machines, and Windows Sandbox for testing software in a secure environment.

The system also introduces Microsoft Copilot, an AI-powered assistant built directly into Windows. Copilot can help with writing, editing, and navigating your computer, making everyday tasks faster without the need for extra subscriptions.

This upgrade is a one-time purchase that provides a lifetime license for your device. You will continue to receive updates and security improvements for as long as the hardware is supported.

Right now, it’s only $14.97 to get Windows 11 Pro, but it’s not going to stay that way.

StackSocial prices subject to change.