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SAVE OVER $600: As of May 21, the Mammotion Luba 3 is on sale for $2,899 at Amazon. That's a 17% discount on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mammotion Mammotion Luba 3 $2,899 at Amazon
$3,508 Save $609   Get Deal

Summer is nearly here, which means lawns are about to need a lot more attention. Rather than wrestling with a heavy mower every weekend, more people are switching to robot mowers that can keep the grass trimmed automatically with barely any effort. If this sounds like a great idea to you, why not check out this latest Amazon deal on the Mammotion Luba 3?

As of May 21, the Mammotion Luba 3 has dropped to its lowest-ever price, now $2,899. That's a saving of more than $600. This price is for the 1.25 acres model with an included garage.

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This is a seriously advanced mowing machine. It uses Tri-Fusion Navigation Technology that includes 360° LiDAR, NetRTK, and dual-camera AI vision to help it successfully navigate around your yard. It also has a rechargeable lithium battery that lasts for up to 215 minutes of runtime with coverage of up to 500m² per hour. That makes this is a great choice if you have a large outdoor space.

It features four motors for all-wheel-drive performance, so it can climb slopes up to 80%, pivot using an omni wheel for turning, and cross thresholds like curbs or uneven ground. The AI processor also helps it detect more than 300 obstacle types and helps it navigate to avoid them.

This robot mower deal is available at Amazon now.

The best Memorial Day mattress deals at a glance: Best mattress deal overall DreamCloud Classic Hybrid (Queen) $649 (save $1,243) Get Deal Best mattress deal for people with back pain Saatva Rx (Queen) $2,799 (save $650) Get Deal Best organic mattress deal Avocado Green Mattress (Queen) $1,359 (save $240) Get Deal

Memorial Day is one of the best times of the year to buy a new mattress — that's just a fact of life. Discounts during this extended holiday weekend, which marks the unofficial start of summer, typically drop prices by $400 (or more in some cases), and brands love to throw in free add-ons — things such as pillows, sheets, and bedding bundles. It's gentle on your bank balance — not to mention your back, neck, and sense of relaxation.

SEE ALSO: Saatva is already taking $650 off luxury mattresses for Memorial Day

It's true that sleep is no place to place to cheap out. I recently upgraded to the Saatva Rx, which has been one the best decisions I've made all year. But while investing in a good bed is important, there's no reason to pay full price when with all these great a holiday discounts currently available. So, if your current mattress is sagging, overly springy, or you're just tired of waking up stiff as a board, now's the time to scope out the mattress deals and take advantage.

Best Memorial Day mattress deal Opens in a new window Credit: DreamCloud DreamCloud Classic Hybrid (Queen) $649 at DreamCloud
$1,892 Save $1,243   Get Deal Why we like it

The best deal you can get right now is on a DreamCloud. The brand's top-rated hybrid Queen mattress — which features six layers, a CloudQuilt quilted cover, cooling fiber technology, and 1 inch of "pressure-relieving" memory foam — is on sale for just $649 (!!) right now. Or, if you need a base and all, the company's basically giving away bundles. You can score a bundle that includes the mattress, an adjustable bed frame, and a full sheet set (pillows and all) for under $2K.

More Memorial Day mattress deals

• Amerisleep: Get up to $1,000 off all mattresses and 40% off bundles

• Bear: Get 35% off sitewide, plus $275 worth of free accessories

• Casper: Get up to 30% off select mattresses and 35% off bundles

• Purple: Get up to $900 off a mattress and a base

• Helix: Get 25% off sitewide with code MEMDAY25

• Leesa: Get 30% off select mattresses

• Mattress Firm: Get up to 60% off select mattresses with Queens starting at $189.99

• Nectar: Get up to 50% off select mattresses and 66% off bundles

Best Memorial Day mattress deal for people with back pain Opens in a new window Credit: Saatva Saatva Rx (Queen) $3,074 at Saatva
$3,449 Save $375   Get Deal Why we like it

I'm only 32, but because I live with endometriosis and interstitial cystitis, I experience back pain on the reg. Like, chronic, can't sleep, going to rip my hair out, back pain. This month, I decided to switch from Purple (my former go-to mattress brand) to Saatva, and I couldn't be happier. For someone with chronic, debilitating back pain, the Saatva Rx is the mattress to get, and right now, you can get it (or any mattress on the Saatva site) for $375 off.

Best organic Memorial Day mattress deal Opens in a new window Credit: Avocado Avocado Green Mattress (Queen) $2,039 at Avocado
$2,399 Save $360   Get Deal Why we like it

If you're trying to be a little greener, Avocado is offering up to 20% off select mattresses, including its luxury mattress collection, and 15% off its Avocado Green Mattress (a best-seller). The Avocado Green Mattress is the "most certified organic mattress" and has a 4.5 average star rating with around 19,439 reviews. It's formaldehyde-free (you'd be surprised how many products contain this nasty stuff!), OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified, and is available in five comfort levels. Of course, the price will vary depending on the size you get, but a Queen with a "medium" top will cost you $2,039 with the discount.

More organic mattress deals

• Essentia: Get 25% off sitewide plus a free, luxury sheet set (worth $749) when you buy the Dormeuse REM9 Active or Classic REM5 Active

• Birch: Get up to 25% off sitewide with code MEMDAY25

• Naturepedic: Get up to 20% off sitewide

• Plush Beds: Get up to 50% off select mattresses and free white-glove delivery, plus 25% off all toppers and bedding through May 18

Billy on the Street is back and angrier than ever.

In the clip above actor, comedian and writer Billy Eichner (Bros) returns to his old stomping ground in New York to gleefully confuse passersby, this time yelling at them about his new audio memoir, Billy on Billy.

It's every bit as chaotic and entertaining as you'd hope.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Vote for your favorite creator today

"Welcome to the Boroughs, where you'll have the time of your life."

That's the tagline for the titular retirement community in Netflix's new series The Boroughs, but it's also how I've been recommending this sci-fi treat to anyone who will listen. 

SEE ALSO: 2026 Summer TV preview: Every TV show you need to know about now

The series draws heavily from Ron Howard's 1985 film Cocoon, as well as Steven Spielberg's Amblin films. That emphasis on '80s nostalgia shouldn't come as a shock, given that The Boroughs is produced by Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers. Still, The Boroughs creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews manage to shake things up from the Stranger Things and Amblin formulas. With the help of a modern setting and a cast of formidable legends, The Boroughs tells a meaningful tale about aging and grieving, all wrapped up in an irresistible adventure.

What is The Boroughs about? Denis O'Hare, Alfred Molina, and Alfre Woodard in "The Boroughs." Credit: Netflix

The Boroughs doesn't hesitate to pay tribute to its inspirations. Its very first scene introduces Grace, a Boroughs resident played by E.T. star Dee Wallace. Unfortunately for E.T. fans, Wallace's character is not long for this world. As night falls over the seemingly idyllic New Mexico retirement community, a spindly legged creature sneaks into her house. Part spider, part human, all terrifying, it spirits Grace away, never to be seen again.

It's a suitably spooky opening sequence, albeit one that may give away too much of The Boroughs' monsters, too fast. (Of all the Spielberg movies for The Boroughs to draw from, Jaws and its monster-hiding tactics don't appear to be at the top of the list.) However, Grace's death also frees up a new house in the Boroughs, making way for grieving widower Sam Cooper (Alfred Molina) to move in.

SEE ALSO: 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' review: If this is the future of Star Wars, I don't want it

Sam was originally meant to move to the Boroughs with his late wife, Lilly (Jane Kaczmarek). Now, just months after her death, there's nothing he wants less than to live alone in the house they were going to spend the rest of their lives in. Despite what his uber-friendly neighbor Jack (Bill Pullman) might tell him, he doesn't view the Boroughs as a new beginning, only a dead end.

However, a shocking encounter with the creature that offed Grace might just be the new beginning Sam was so resistant to. He launches an investigation into what's truly lurking in the Boroughs, and manages to find an unlikely community along the way.

The Boroughs introduces an instantly lovable adventuring crew. Clarke Peters, Alfre Woodard, Alfred Molina, Denis O'Hare, and Geena Davis in "The Boroughs." Credit: Netflix

Played to curmudgeonly perfection by Molina, Sam is one of several irresistible retirees you'll meet in The Boroughs. As a former engineer, he bonds with former doctor Wally (Denis O'Hare) over the science of identifying and perhaps even capturing the creature.

Married couple Judy (Alfre Woodard) and Art (Clarke Peters) have different ways into the case. Once a journalist, Judy is ready to snoop on the suspicious scientific activity coming from Sam's end of their cul-de-sac. Meanwhile, yoga and weed lover Art spends his time on a spiritual quest for life's great meaning, potentially finding it in an unexplained phenomenon in the desert beyond the Boroughs' walls. Rounding out the crew is the Boroughs' community center art teacher Renee (Geena Davis), who's confused as to why her bags of quartz keeps going missing.

SEE ALSO: 'Stranger Things: Tales from '85': Ending explainer

In Stranger Things fashion, each party assembles different pieces of a vast and supernatural puzzle. It's incredibly satisfying to finally watch them come together, but even apart, these amateur sleuths shine. Each performer in this cast of legends is clearly having a blast, whether they're jerry-rigging a weapon out of vintage TVs or getting a chance to do their best Spielberg face of shock and awe. (The latter is accentuated by John Paesano's John Williams inspired-score, which evokes whimsy and adventure in spades.)

The show has that same fun right beside its cast. Even in some of its scariest moments, there's a playfulness, like in a suspenseful shadow play sequence involving a lurking monster. Elsewhere, The Boroughs delights in referencing its cast's prior work. At one point, a car drives off a cliff, Thelma and Louise-style, and yes, Davis is present at the scene.

It's also a joy to watch older characters take on adventures usually reserved for younger characters. The Boroughs' residents are certainly in conversation with groups like the Stranger Things party, Elliott and his friends in E.T., and IT's Losers Club. Yet there's a deeper pathos to their storyline, as Sam and his friends reckon with their nearing mortality, their waning health, and the losses of their friends and family becoming common occurrences.

The Boroughs' frankness about aging will leave you weepy. Alfred Molina and Denis O'Hare in "The Boroughs." Credit: Netflix

Rarely an episode of The Boroughs passed without me getting teary-eyed, especially because of its focus on Sam's grief.

Lilly may already be dead by the time The Boroughs begins, but she's a steady presence in the show. Sam is consistently haunted by memories of their last day together, and what I initially assumed to be clichéd dead wife flashbacks soon morph into something so much more, at once plot-relevant and devastating.

The evolution of Sam's painful memories is one of the many ways in which The Boroughs takes aging and loss seriously. It weaves these elements into its central mystery, right down to its sinister antagonists' anti-aging agenda (and how the monsters play into it).

One of The Boroughs' particularly affecting threads concerns the Manor, a long-term care facility for residents who need more attention. This includes dementia patients, whom the show treats with respect and empathy, even if their cruel caretakers don't. Though The Boroughs teems with spooky creatures and the occasional jump scare, its most unsettling moments are those in which older characters experience the loss of their faculties, or when their caretakers or family members dismiss them.

Between its examination of dementia and its tale of a reclusive retiree finding community, The Boroughs feels like a sci-fi version of another stellar Netflix offering: A Man on the Inside. The Boroughs may have 100 percent more monster attacks, but it also has A Man on the Inside's same compassion when it comes to telling stories of retirees living fulfilling, adventurous lives.

Yes, in terms of pure adventure, The Boroughs establishes itself as the spiritual successor to the best parts of Stranger Things. But it's the show's embrace of its older ensemble, in all their joy and grief, that sets it apart and makes it truly worthy of that Spielberg-style awe its characters experience so often.

The Boroughs is now streaming on Netflix.

TL;DR: Watch Canada vs. Norway in the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships for free on IIHF.TV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships are stacked with huge games, but Canada vs. Norway is absolutely one of the biggest on the schedule. Canada have won every game they've played in this competition, but Norway will pose a serious problem.

If you're interested in watching the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Canada vs. Norway?

Canada vs. Norway in the 2026 IIHF World Championships starts at 10:20 a.m. ET on May 21. This fixture takes place at the BCF Arena in Fribourg.

How to watch Canada vs. Norway for free

Canada vs. Norway in the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships is available to live stream for free on IIHF.TV.

IIHF.TV is not available in some locations due to regional broadcasting restrictions (blocked locations listed here), but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in a location with access, meaning you can stream the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with access

4. Connect to IIHF.TV

5. Watch the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer pretty generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream Canada vs. Norway plus every other fixture before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for the Ice Hockey World Championships?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on free platforms, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Canada vs. Norway in the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships for free with ExpressVPN.

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

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

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

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

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

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

To multiply.

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

BREED

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To burn.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 21, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

STING

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Feminine.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 21 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 21, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SISSY

Hurdle Word 4 hint

From Wales.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

WELSH

Final Hurdle hint

To manage.

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

TREAT

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

The Moon is still in its Crescent phase, but it's getting more and more illuminated each night as we work through the lunar cycle, the roughly month-long journey of the Moon’s changing phases as it orbits Earth.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Thursday, May 21, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. Tonight, 27% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

Tonight, without any visual aids, you'll be able to spot the Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis. Binoculars or a telescope will also bring the Endymion Crater into view.

When is the next Full Moon?

There are two Full Moons in May, with the next due to take place on May 31.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to orbit Earth completely, passing through eight phases during that time. While the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the way sunlight hits its surface changes throughout its orbit, creating the familiar full, half, and crescent appearances we see in the night sky. Altogether, the lunar cycle consists of eight main phases:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Google previewed new Gemini-powered features coming to Android Auto and Google Built-in at I/O 2026. The updates are designed to make in-car interactions more helpful while keeping drivers focused on the road. Here’s an early look at Google’s expanding AI ambitions in vehicles.

CNET Editor at Large Andrew Lanxon hosts a panel discussion about the latest generative AI demos we saw at Google I/O 2026. Who is this for and why does Google think it's so important?

Google unveiled its Android XR intelligent eyewear at I/O 2026, but major details remain unknown. CNET’s Andrew Lanxon leads a discussion on what Google revealed, what’s still missing, and what consumers can realistically expect from the upcoming glasses.

Sam Altman's OpenAI may be losing money to the tune of $1 billion a month. It may be struggling to convert more than 5% of ChatGPT users to paid customers. And it may be losing ground to rivals like Anthropic (makers of the highly-teased Claude Mythos) and Google (makers of the freshly updated Gemini).

But OpenAI investors still believe they can cash in — perhaps to the tune of $1 trillion — if the company launches on the stock market soon.

And now that Elon Musk's lawsuit (which claimed OpenAI defrauded him during its conversion to a for-profit company) has been dismissed at trial on a technicality, the launch window appears to be opening.

Sources at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley told reporters at the Wall Street Journal that the OpenAI IPO would be filed with regulators as early as this Friday. And though plans remain "fluid," the Journal warned, that would mean you'll likely see OpenAI shares debut on the NYSE as soon as September.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Vote for your favorite creator today!

SEE ALSO: 'The AI Doc' director says ‘F*ck you’ to AI companies stealing artists’ IP

Musk, meanwhile, says he plans to appeal the trial verdict; a bonanza IPO for a company still nominally governed by a nonprofit board may help bolster his case. Ironically, Musk is currently distracted by his own pending IPO bonanza; SpaceX, fresh off its acquisition of xAI, is also reportedly ready to file paperwork with regulators this week.

So, Altman, increasingly Musk's AI nemesis, may be taking a little of his rival's thunder here. But exactly how much Altman will take home from an OpenAI IPO remains a mystery.

The CEO confirmed in the courtroom what has been an open secret for some time — that Altman does have investments in the company, via a fund at the Silicon Valley incubator he used to run, YCombinator.

In 2023, Altman told the U.S. Senate he had no financial stake in the company, per The Atlantic. He's now the target of a probe led by GOP members of the House Oversight Committee, which is looking into OpenAI's habit of making deals with other companies Altman has investments in.

In other words, Altman's long-documented reputation for telling people what they want to hear may be catching up with him, while the wheels are wobbling a bit on the OpenAI bandwagon. And yet, at the same time, a payday of unknown magnitude approaches.

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Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Google I/O 2026 gave us plenty to talk about, but what about the things Google didn't say? Join CNET Editor at Large Andrew Lanxon and a panel of top tech experts as they dig into the biggest missing pieces, delayed features and skipped announcements from this year's keynote.

Kickstarter is walking back recent changes to its content guidelines, which users lambasted as blanket censorship.

Kickstarter announced the new adult-oriented content guidelines last week, prohibiting pornographic imagery, projects and reward tiers tied to sexual pleasure or gratification, and marketing of products designed for "insertion and penetration."

SEE ALSO: Child safety organizations accuse Roblox of violating FTC rules

The changes were made to better reflect policies set by Stripe, the platform's payment processor.

Kickstarter had previously come under fire for similar restrictions on sex toy companies, which were later amended. But as of last week, those policies were back on the table. Indie companies and artists who rely on the crowdfunding site decried the move, arguing that the new guidelines limited creative expression and impacted their businesses. Many suggested moving to competitor sites like Patreon.

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"Honestly? We botched it. The rules didn't land the way we intended, and the response from our community let us know loud and clear that we got it wrong," wrote Kickstarter COO Sean Leow in a May 19 blog post. "The decision we made was an abandonment of the core counterculture, f*ck the establishment spirit of Kickstarter, and it left our community vulnerable."

According to Leow, the new guidelines — which merged existing Kickstarter rules and Stripe prohibitions — were intended to provide a more streamlined experience for users who may eventually face roadblocks in their campaigns due to Stripe's e-commerce constraints. "Over the past several months, we've seen a growing number of campaigns that had already been approved by Kickstarter get suspended by Stripe mid-funding," he wrote.

However, in the face of widespread criticism, Leow said the platform would reverse course, reinstating former policies that simply prohibit pornography and illegal content — but this also means campaigns can once again face suspension at any point in time, Leow explained.

While Kickstarter goes back to the drawing board, users can consult the platform's mature content review guide, which includes an explanation of common suspension triggers and ways to request an exception.

At last year's Google I/O event, we (and most outlets) modestly declared that the Google Search we had known for the past 20 years was dead. Fast forward a year, and it's still really, really dead. Not to beat on a dead horse or anything, but with I/O 2026, Google firmly established that Search is and will be built on Gemini and artificial intelligence.

SEE ALSO: Google’s Project Aura is a wild pair of supercharged Xreal glasses

Search is no longer a place you go to find a link. It's becoming a place you go to have an AI handle the whole thing for you. Based on everything Google announced at I/O 2026, the way people find information on the internet is about to look fundamentally different. Whether any of this is actually useful depends on the person being asked, but Google wants to fundamentally change how we navigate the internet.

Publishers are in trouble

AI Overviews have been chipping away at web traffic since they launched, and everything Google announced this week accelerates that trend. When Search agents are scanning the web 24/7 on your behalf, when AI Mode is handling your follow-up questions, when the search box is expanding to accept entire paragraphs of context — the implicit promise is that you won't need to click through to anyone's website to get what you need.

Google gets the query, Google surfaces the answer, and the publisher who wrote the piece that informed that answer gets nothing.

This fight between online content publishers and Google has been raging since last year, when the whole thing was dubbed the "traffic apocalypse." Google, of course, has pushed back on the framing that publishers are getting the short end of the stick, arguing that users who do click links after seeing AI Overviews engage more deeply with those sites. That may be true in a narrow sense, but it sidesteps the larger issue — fewer people are clicking at all.

SEE ALSO: Common Crawl accused of feeding paywalled content to AI companies

That pushback comes from a Wall Street Journal report from June 2025. In it, Neil Vogel, CEO of Dotdash Meredith — the company behind People and Southern Living — told the Journal that Google search went from driving roughly 60 percent of their traffic at the time of their 2021 merger down to about a third. The floor, based on everything announced at I/O this week, hasn't been found yet.

Publishers are responding by pivoting toward direct relationships with readers — newsletters, events, apps, subscriptions — anything that doesn't depend on Google as a middleman. That's a reasonable long-term strategy, but a fundamental restructuring of how digital media works.

A new search box

The AI Search Box — the first redesign of Google's search bar in over 25 years — is built for conversations now. You can drop in images, files, videos, and Chrome tabs alongside a long-form prompt and let Google figure out what you're actually asking.

Obviously, this is a massive shift in how we search on the internet. Google searching used to be about compression. To ask our questions in the fewest possible words. The entire discipline of SEO was built around the assumption that people type short, imprecise fragments into a box, and that it's Google's job to interpret them. "Flights NYC to LA." "Best running shoes 2026." "Symptoms of strep throat."

Now Google is actively dismantling that habit. With the expanded search box, Google wants you to stop translating your thoughts into keyword-ese and just talk to it. Tell it you're planning a trip, attach your calendar, upload a photo of the hotel you're considering, and let Gemini piece it all together. The idea being that the more context you give it, the more helpful the AI is.

And that's true to an extent, but it's more information you're giving Google, and more data for them to collect. The company spent $68 million earlier this year settling a lawsuit after it was alleged that Google's Google Assistant recorded "private conversations without permission."

Whether users are ready to hand over that level of context — and whether Google has earned that trust — is a question the keynote didn't really address.

The hallucination problem isn't going away

For all the polish Google put on its AI features at I/O, one thing conspicuously absent from the keynote was any serious reckoning with accuracy. AI Overviews have a documented history of surfacing confidently wrong information, and the new conversational follow-up feature essentially lets you go deeper into an AI-generated summary without necessarily verifying the foundation it's built on.

Gmail VP Blake Barnes touched on this in his conversation with Mashable's Haley Henschel, noting that Gmail Live is being built with sourcing so users can check which emails informed the AI's response. That's a reasonable approach for a personal inbox tool. But for a broader search across the entire web, the bar for scrutiny needs to be higher due to the risk of misinformation and disinformation. As Google hands over more of the search experience to AI, the burden of fact-checking shifts more squarely onto users. That's worth keeping in mind every time an AI Overview tells you something with complete confidence.

The agentic push across everything Google announced this week, like Spark running your life in the background, Search agents monitoring the web on your behalf, and AI that can call businesses, make purchases, and book reservations, is the early infrastructure of something that looks a lot like what the AI research community means when it talks about AGI-adjacent systems.

Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis described Gemini Omni at I/O as a meaningful step toward AGI — artificial general intelligence, the theoretical point at which an AI system can perform any intellectual task a human can. That framing was almost a throwaway line in the context of a video generation demo, which is exactly what makes it worth paying attention to.

Google's answer to the obvious concern about that — what stops it from doing something you didn't want — is the Agent Payments Protocol and a set of configurable limits that give administrators ultimate control over the AI. Josh Woodward, VP of Google Labs, described the philosophy as being like handing a teenager their first debit card. That's a candid framing, and in some ways a reassuring one. But it also acknowledges that the trajectory is toward more autonomy, not less. The guardrails are explicitly described as temporary.

Right now, when Gemini gets something wrong in a search summary, the stakes are relatively low. As these systems take on more — scheduling, purchasing, monitoring, acting — the cost of a confident wrong answer goes up considerably. Google wasn't having that conversation on stage at I/O. That's the one worth having now.

If you want an e-reader but don't want anything to do with Amazon, the alternative is a Rakuten Kobo e-reader. Kobos are speedy, easy-to-use, and a great value, but now, they're teaming up with another bookish company for the ultimate reading integration. The Storygraph, a platform for tracking everything you read, is now coming to all Kobo devices in June.

The integration syncs Kobo e-readers and apps to a Storygraph account. That means your reading progress will automatically be captured in your Storygraph account, so when you finish a book, it's marked as read without any additional effort from you.

"Our mission is to make reading lives better, and removing the friction from tracking is one of the most direct ways we can do that," says Nadia Odunayo, Founder & CEO, StoryGraph. The new partnership between Rakuten Kobo and Storygraph further cements both brands as anti-Amazon alternatives.

So much of the book industry is dominated by Amazon. The mega-brand makes Kindles, the most popular e-readers, and is a major online bookseller of physical and e-books. Since 2013, Amazon has owned Goodreads, the original book tracking platform. Kindles and Goodreads are already integrated, offering features similar to those in the Kobo and Storygraph integration, including progress tracking.

But with plenty of readers feeling resistant to Amazon and the impact it has had on independent bookstores, there's a desire for alternatives, whether that be with e-readers or a place to track reading.

Kobo Clara Colour $179.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Rakuten Kobo eReader Store Kobo Libra Colour $259.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Rakuten Kobo eReader Store

For many years, Plex has been one of the go-to options for anyone looking to curate a server for all their downloaded media. Unfortunately, it's about to become much more expensive to guarantee lifetime access to its best features.

Plex announced in a blog post on Tuesday that its Lifetime Pass subscription (a one-time payment that locks you into its highest premium service tier for life) will increase from $249.99 to $749.99 on July 1. As Android Authority pointed out, this comes only about a year after Plex had previously more than doubled the price from $119.99 to $249.99. In a little over 12 months, the service has increased in price by 525 percent.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo Switch 2 officially gets a $50 price hike in the US

That's pretty staggering, but one tiny silver lining is that the change doesn't go into effect for several weeks, so you have some time to decide if you want to lock into a lifetime of Plex premium service for $250 or invest in an alternative. Plex is one of the most popular services for storing downloaded media like movies and TV shows, and the paid tier offers more flexibility for downloads, remote streaming for all users, and other bonuses that might make it worth $250, if not necessarily $750.

If that cost is too high for you, it might be worth looking into something like Jellyfin. I know my friends who care a lot about media server curation have some fondness for that one, and it definitely won't cost as much as a decent smartphone to set up.

Google I/O 2026 was all about improvements in AI. Gemini is getting smarter, faster and more customized. See what was presented at this year’s event, from a more intuitive Gemini Omni to the realization of Android XR with consumer products coming in the fall. We’ve got the highlights.

Google I/O 2026 just wrapped, and we're breaking down the absolute biggest announcements. Join our expert panel—featuring Andrew Lanxon (CNET), Andrew Gebhart (PCMag), and Timothy Beck Werth (Mashable)—as they analyze everything you need to know about the next generation of Google Gemini, the highly anticipated Android XR Glasses, and more.

The best Memorial Day TV deals at a glance: Best TV deal overall Hisense 75-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED ULED 4K TV $849.99 (save $550) Get Deal Best art TV deal Hisense 65-inch S7 Canvas QLED 4K TV $1,099.99 (save $900) Get Deal Best small TV deal Hisense 43-inch E6 Cinema QLED 4K TV $209.99 (save $140) Get Deal Best splurge Samsung 65-inch S95F OLED 4K TV $2,199.99 (save $400) Get Deal

You probably expect great deals on mattresses and outdoor gear for Memorial Day, but it also happens to be a great time to upgrade your TV. Many of the new releases from CES 2026 are officially on shelves now, and some of those are actually already on sale.

If you prefer an even more budget-friendly option, there's also a ton of last-generation models getting the deal treatment to make way for the newer models. Regardless of your preference, you can definitely score a discount on TVs from top brands like Hisense, Samsung, and LG in all shapes and sizes.

I'm tracking all of the best Memorial Day TV deals leading up to the holiday weekend, so check back if there's a specific model you're hoping to bring home for cheaper than usual.

Best Memorial Day TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 75-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED ULED 4K TV $849.99 at Amazon
$1,399.99 Save $550   Get Deal Why we like it

The U6 Pro is one of Hisense's new mid-range models for 2026 and it's a perfect mashup of performance and value. It packs Mini-LED backlighting, quantum-dot color, AI-driven processing, a peak brightness of 1,200 nits, a 144Hz refresh rate, and 2.1-channel Dolby Atmos audio. Hisense markets it as an easy way to "step into a premium experience without moving into higher-priced tiers." And that's especially true now that the 75-inch model has received its second price drop since its launch earlier this month.

Best Memorial Day Art TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 65-inch S7 Canvas QLED 4K TV $1,099.99 at Amazon
$1,999.99 Save $900   Get Deal Why we like it

Hisense also launched a new version of the extremely popular CanvasTV for 2026, which features a Hi-QLED display with an AI RGB ambient light sensor. Not only is the display upgraded with deeper color accuracy and richer hues, but it can also adjust brightness and color temperature based on the lighting in the room. A new motion detection feature will also wake your display when you enter the room and fade when you walk away in order to save some energy. It still packs the same 144Hz refresh rate, Hi-Matte design, teak frame, and free digital art library to turn your TV into fancy artwork. Amazon and Best Buy both have the 65-inch model for $900 off this Memorial Day.

More Memorial Day TV deals

43-inch to 50-inch TVs

• Hisense 43-inch E6 Cinema QLED 4K TV — $209.99 $349.99 (save $140)

• Amazon 43-inch Ember 4-Series 4K TV — $269.99 $329.99 (save $60)

• Amazon 50-inch Ember 4-Series 4K TV — $309.99 $399.99 (save $90)

• Amazon 50-inch Ember QLED 4K TV — $419.99 $479.99 (save $60)

• Hisense 50-inch S7 Canvas QLED 4K TV — $798.99 $1,299.99 (save $501)

55-inch TVs

• Insignia 55-inch F50 LED 4K TV — $199.99 $349.99 (save $150)

• Hisense 55-inch E6 Cinema QLED 4K TV — $278.99 $429.99 (save $151)

• Hisense 55-inch U6 Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $399.99 $799.99 (save $400)

• Amazon 55-inch Ember Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $559.99 $819.99 (save $260)

• Hisense 55-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $599.99 $849.99 (save $250)

• LG 55-inch B5 OLED 4K TV — $799.99 $1,499.99 (save $700)

65-inch TVs

• Samsung 65-inch Class QLED Q7F 4K TV — $427.99 $499.99 (save $72)

• LG 65-inch 70A QNED AI 4K TV — $429.99 $579.99 (save $150)

• Roku 65-inch Plus Mini-LED 4K TV — $479.99 $649.99 (save $170)

• Hisense 65-inch U6 Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $547.97 $999.99 (save $452.02)

• Samsung 65-inch Q8F QLED 4K TV — $597.99 $899.99 (save $302)

• Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $949.99 $1,499.99 (save $550)

• Samsung 65-inch S95F OLED 4K TV — $2,199.99 $2,599.99 (save $400)

• Sony 65-inch Bravia 8 II QD-OLED 4K TV — $2,598 $3,299.99 (save $701.99)

75-inch TVs and up

• Insignia 75-inch QF QLED 4K TV — $399.99 $649.99 (save $250)

• TCL 75-inch T7 4K QLED TV — $629.99 $899.99 (save $270)

• Hisense 75-inch S7N CanvasTV QLED 4K TV — $999.99 $2,499.99 (save $1,500)

• Hisense 75-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $1,199.99 $1,999.99 (save $800)

• LG 77-inch B5 OLED 4K TV — $1,499.99 $2,999.99 (save $1,500)

• Hisense 85-inch U6 Pro Mini‑LED 4K TV — $1,199.99 $1,999.99 (save $800)

• Hisense 100-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $2,299.99 $3,499.99 (save $1,200)

The best Memorial Day tech deals of 2026: Best headphone deal Nothing Headphone (a) $169 (save $30) Get Deal Best speaker deal Bose SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) $99 (save $30) Get Deal Best laptop deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $999 (save $100) Get Deal Best TV deal Amazon Ember 50-inch 4-Series with Fire TV (2025) $309.99 (save $90) Get Deal Best smartwatch deal CMF by Nothing Watch 3 Pro $69 (save $30) Get Deal Best smart home deal Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select $14.99 (save $25 with code SELCT4K) Get Deal

Replacing a busted laptop or losing your favorite earbuds is painful enough without having to pay full retail price to replace them. Memorial Day is historically a great weekend to score discounts on big-ticket electronics (and mattresses!), but finding a real deal among all the manufactured holiday markdowns can be confusing, and a little insulting. (Looking at you, inflated list prices!)

SEE ALSO: The best deals this week, according to Mashable's team of shopping experts

To help you find the biggest discounts, I sifted through the sales to round up the best tech deals happening this weekend. I prioritized Mashable's favorite tech — so you get genuinely good, vetted gear, not just whatever inventory retailers are trying to clear out of their warehouses.

Best Memorial Day headphone deal Opens in a new window Credit: Nothing Nothing Headphone (a) $169 at Amazon
$199 Save $30   Get Deal Why we like it

Read our full review of the Nothing Headphone (a).

Mashable's Lead Shopping Reporter is fresh off reviewing Nothing's new mid-range headphones, which she rated a 4.3/5. She thinks they're better than the flagship Nothing Headphone (1) because they offer the same app experience, comparable noise cancellation, and a comfier fit at a lower price. Moreover, they last for up to 135 hours on a single charge (!) without ANC, and their retro design is fun. Amazon has them on sale for a record-low price ahead of Memorial Day, saving you 15%.

More Memorial Day headphone deals

• Sony ULT Wear — $148 $249.99 (save $101.99)

• Bose QuietComfort — $229 $349 (save $120)

• Sennheiser Momentum 4 — $230 $299.99 (save $69.99)

• Nothing Headphone (1) — $238.99 $299 (save $60.01)

• Marshall Monitor III — $248.99 $379.99 (save $131)

• Sony WH-1000XM5 — $248 $399.99 (save $151.99)

• Sony WH-1000XM6 — $398 $459.99 (save $101.99)

Earbud deals

• Anker Soundcore P31i — $34.99 $59.99 (save $25)

• Apple AirPods 4 — $99 $129 (save $30)

• Anker Soundcore AeroClip — $109.99 $169.99 (save $60)

• Apple AirPods 4 with ANC — $148.99 $179 (save $30.01)

• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds — $149 $179 (save $30)

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $229 $249 (save $20)

• Bose Ultra Open Earbuds — $229 $299 (save $70)

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) — $249 $299 (save $50)

Best Memorial Day speaker deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) $99 at Amazon
$129 Save $30   Get Deal Why we like it

Read our full guide to the best Bluetooth speakers.

The latest SoundLink Micro is our favorite portable speaker in Bose's lineup, and it's never been cheaper before. For only $99 (or 23% off), it delivers rich, clear sound, a solid 12-hour battery life, and great build quality in a compact package. Plus, it comes with a removable strap that makes it easy to attach to bike handles and backpacks. Take your pick from five colors.

More Memorial Day speaker deals

• Marshall Emberton III — $129.99 $179.99 (save $50)

• Bose SoundLink Plus — $209 $269 (save $60)

• Sonos Move 2 — $399 $499 (save $100)

Best Memorial Day laptop deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $999 at Amazon
$1,099 Save $100   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Read our full review of the M5 Apple MacBook Air.

The MacBook Neo is only $10 off on Amazon right now, but the brand-new 13-inch MacBook Air is $100 off there — you can get the base model for just $999. This isn't the lowest price we've seen it hit, but it's close: It was $949 on April 6. In our review, Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Werth said the new MacBook Air "takes everything good about the MacBook Air and adds the faster M5 chip."

More Memorial Day laptop deals

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,149 $1,299 (save $150)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,499 $1,699 (save $200)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,749 $1,899 (save $150)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro with 15-core CPU/16-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $2,399.99 $2,599 (save $199.01)

Best Memorial Day TV deal Amazon Ember 50-inch 4-Series with Fire TV $309.99 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $90   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Right now, you can get last year's Amazon Ember 50-inch 4-Series with Fire TV for $309.99. (If you're a new Xbox GamePass customer, you'll also get a month of the subscription service for free.) That's a 23% discount and not too shabby of a deal for a 2025 TV.

More Memorial Day TV deals

• Hisense 55-inch E6 Cinema Hi-QLED 4K Fire TV — $278.99 $429.99 (save $151)

• Amazon Ember 55-inch Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $559.99 $819.99 (save $260)

• Samsung 65-inch Q7F QLED 4K TV — $427.99 $629.99 (save $202)

• Roku 65-inch Plus Series Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $479.99 $649.99 (save $170)

• Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $696.94 $1,499.99 (save $803.05)

• Hisense 65-inch Hi-QLED S7 CanvasTV 4K TV — $1,099.99 $1,999.99 (save $900)

• TCL 75-inch T7 QLED 4K TV — $629.99 $899.99 (save $270)

• Hisense 85-inch U6 Pro Mini‑LED 4K TV — $1,199.99 $1,999.99 (save $800)

• Toshiba 100-inch Z670 Mini-LED 4K Fire TV — $2,299.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,700)

Best Memorial Day smartwatch deal Opens in a new window Credit: Nothing CMF by Nothing Watch 3 Pro $69 at Amazon
$99 Save $30   Get Deal Why we like it

Read our full review of the CMF by Nothing Watch 3 Pro.

The Mashable Choice Award-winning CMF Watch 3 Pro features great health, fitness, and sleep tracking tools, and it lasts forever — it's rated at up to 13 days per charge with average use. It's not as sleek as other wearables, but it's an impeccable value at its $99 MSRP: "Please, no one tell Nothing they should be charging a lot more for this watch," writes Mashable Contributor and reviewer Lauren Allain. Right now, it's yours for 30% off.

More Memorial Day smartwatch deals

• Garmin Lily 2 — $199.99 $249.99 (save $50)

• Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) — $299 $399 (save $100)

Best Memorial Day smart home deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select $14.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $25 Enter code SELCT4K at checkout. Get Deal Why we like it

Amazon's budget 4K streaming stick has been going on sale regularly since its launch last fall, but it's never been this cheap before. (Be sure to enter the coupon code SELECT4K at checkout.) At 63% off, it's very difficult to see it getting any cheaper come Prime Day.

More Memorial Day streaming stick deals

• Amazon Fire TV Stick HD — $17.99 $34.99 (save $17 with code SAVEHD)

• Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $24.99 $49.99 (save $25 with code 4KFTVSAVE)

• Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max — $29.99 $59.99 (save $30 with code MAX4KFTV)

Home security deals

• Blink Mini — $14.99 $24.99 (save $10)

• Blink Mini 2K+ — $25.99 $39.99 (save $14)

• Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera — $54.99 $99.99 (save $45)

• Blink Outdoor 2K+ — $64.99 $99.99 (save $35)