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Mashable is a leading source for news, information & resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world. Mashable's 25 million monthly unique visitors and 10 million social media followers have become one of the most engaged online news communities. Founded in 2005, Mashable is headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco.
Updated: 39 min 39 sec ago

How to watch Valencia vs. Real Betis online for free

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 19:00

TL;DR: Watch Valencia vs. Real Betis in La Liga for free on CazéTV. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

If you're looking for La Liga action, Valencia are hosting Real Betis at the Mestalla.

Both teams got off to a mediocre start last weekend, drawing 0-0 in their respective opening games. The Spanish league also saw further draws yesterday, with Osasuna vs. Levante and Málaga vs. Deportivo failing to deliver a decisive winner. Soccer fans are now hoping for something more exciting from Valencia vs. Real Betis — goals would be nice.

If you're interested in watching Valencia vs. Real Betis in La Liga from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Valencia vs. Real Betis?

Valencia vs. Real Betis in La Liga kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Aug. 25. This fixture takes place at the Mestalla.

How to watch Valencia vs. Real Betis for free

Valencia vs. Real Betis in La Liga is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, 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 Brazil, meaning you can live stream Valencia vs. Real Betis for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Valencia vs. Real Betis for free by following these simple steps:

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

  2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

  4. Visit CazéTV

  5. Watch Valencia vs. Real Betis 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 generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Valencia vs. Real Betis without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for La Liga?

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

  • Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

  • 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 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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Valencia vs. Real Betis for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Apple announces new $899 M6 Mac mini and $5,499 M5 Ultra Mac Studio

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 18:48

That was fast: A day after rumors broke about Apple preparing new Mac devices for release, the company announced some updated desktop computers. Today, Apple unveiled a portable Mac mini with the new M6 chip and a hulking Mac Studio with new M5 Ultra silicon — its "most powerful chip ever," according to a press release.

These new processors offer "the next giant leap in performance and AI compute," said Sri Santhanam, Apple’s vice president of Silicon Engineering Group. They also bring some higher prices. (Blame RAMageddon.) The M6 Mac mini starts at $899, or $300 more than its M4 predecessor. The M5 Ultra Mac Studio starts at $5,499. That's $200 more than the M3 Ultra model, and more expensive configurations cost up to $18,299.

Both new Macs are available in a second configuration with other existing chips from the M5 series. Their external designs remain unchanged.

SEE ALSO: A maxed-out Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra will set you back $18,299

Preorders for the refreshed Mac mini and Mac Studio are now live in the Apple Store, though they won't start shipping until Sept. 22.

These announcements come ahead of Apple's annual September hardware event, where the company is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 series, a new foldable iPhone, updated smart home devices, and new Apple Watches.

M6 debuts on the Mac mini Credit: Apple

The new Mac mini, Apple's inaugural M6 device, features the company's first-ever processor built using a 2-nanometer manufacturing process, which crams more switches onto a smaller piece of silicon. (Apple's M3, M4, and M5 chips used 3nm technology.) This translates to "a major leap in performance and power efficiency," Apple said.

The M6 chip has two more CPU and GPU cores than the M5 chip for a total of 12 apiece, plus a Dual 16-core Neural Engine. Per Apple, it gives the new Mac mini up to four times faster AI performance up to two times faster graphics than the M4 model. The company recommends it for "everyday users, students, developers, AI hobbyists, and enterprises." It starts at $899 with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

SEE ALSO: New Apple HomePods with AI are coming. Everything we know.

The Mac mini is also now configurable with the M5 Pro chip. That model has up to an 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU with up to 64GB of RAM and 8TB of storage. It starts at $1,699 with 24GB of memory and 512GB of storage. Apple plugs it for "pro users" with "demanding workflows like app development, video rendering, scientific simulations, and more."

Both new Mac mini models support 2.5Gb Ethernet, with a 10Gb upgrade available, as well as WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6, the latest wireless technologies.

This year, Mac mini desktops have become a popular choice for people running AI agents, and some M4 models were hard to find in stock.

M5 Ultra beefs up the Mac Studio Credit: Apple

The M5 Ultra marks another Apple innovation: It's the company's first chip with quad-die architecture, made by fusing two dual-die M5 Max chips together. It has up to a 36-core CPU and 80-core GPU with up to a whopping 512GB of unified memory and 1.2TB/s of unified memory bandwidth. (The M3 Ultra was capped at 32 CPU cores and 96GB of RAM, and it only had 819GB/s of memory bandwidth.)

Compared to its predecessor, the M5 Ultra Mac Studio delivers up to 4.5 times faster AI compute speeds and up to 40 percent faster graphics. Johny Srouji, Apple’s chief hardware officer, called it "the ultimate desktop for on-device AI and the world’s most demanding pro workflows."

The new Mac Studio starts at $5,499 with a 30-core CPU, 64-core GPU, and 36GB of memory plus 512GB of storage. It's also configurable with the M5 Max chip for $2,499 to start. Both support WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Mac mini (M6, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $899 at the Apple Store
  Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Mac Studio (M5 Ultra, 36GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $5,499 at the Apple Store
  Shop Now
Categories: IT General, Technology

The new Apple Mac Studios are more powerful than ever. Heres how to preorder ahead of the Sept. 22 launch.

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 18:12

It's a big day for the Apple world. We have new a new M6 Mac mini and M5 Ultra Mac Studio. This should come as great news to those of us who've designed our ideal desktop station. Faster and smarter chips are always warmly welcomed, and Apple delivered.

The new M5 Mac Studio includes two configurations: the M5 Max and M5 Ultra. The Mac Studio with M5 Max is ready for preorder with prices starting at $2,499 or $2,299 for education. The Mac Studio with M5 Ultra starts at $5,499 or $5,099 for education.

In addition to new chips, both models of the new Mac Studio come with enhancements like Thunderbolt 5 ports and support for up to eight displays. You can also utilize the new Apple Upgrade program for either model. Here are some key features to keep in mind before placing a preorder.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Mac Studio M5 Max (18-core CPU, 32-core GPU) $2,499 at Apple
  Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Mac Studio M5 Ultra (30-core CPU, 64-core GPU) $5,499 at Apple
  Pre-order Here Mac Studio M5 Max

According to Apple's press release, the M5 Max chip can compute on-device AI "with up to 3.9x faster AI performance than the prior generation, speeding up prompt processing." In addition, Apple points out the M5 Max is a great option for those who need performance to match a complex demand but don't want something bulky. That's good news for musicians, videographers, engineers, or those who work with motion graphics.

Mac Studio M5 Ultra

Jumping up in faster AI performance, Apple has introduced the M5 Ultra version of the Mac Studio. The base processor on this model includes 30-core CPU and 64-core GPU for $5,499, or you can go with the boosted 80-core GPU for an additional $1,300.

Apple's most powerful chip yet, the M5 Ultra is meant to keep up with demanding workflows with top-tier performance. In Apple's eye, it's great for those who work with 3D renderings, 8K video editing, intensive gaming, or training AI models, to highlight a few applications. You get dual Thunderbolt 5 ports on the front and an SDXC card slot. On the back, you'll find four Thunderbolt 5 ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, Ethernet port, and a headphone jack.

The back port options on the Mac Studio. In addition, it can support up to eight displays. Credit: Apple How to preorder the Mac Studio M5 Max and Mac Studio M5 Ultra

At the time of writing, both the Mac Studio M5 Max and Mac Studio M5 Ultra are available for preorder at Apple with a launch date set for Sept. 22. Apple also mentions there's a Mac Studio with 512GB of unified memory is coming in late October.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Capture action-packed aerial footage with 15% off the HOVERAir X1 PROMAX Drone

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 18:05

SAVE $164: As of August 25, get the HOVERAir X1 PROMAX Foldable Drone for $925 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,089. That's a discount of 15%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon HOVERAir X1 PROMAX Foldable Drone $925 at Amazon
$1,089 Save $164   Get Deal

Looking for a way to spice up the way you take photos and video? How about switching over to aerial drone photography? You can get some absolutely wild angles and footage when using drones, and whether you're just getting into it or are looking for a significant upgrade for your current equipment, this Amazon deal is one worth checking out.

As of August 25, get the HOVERAir X1 PROMAX Foldable Drone for $925 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,089. That's $164 off and a discount of 15%.

SEE ALSO: The best drones for every level of pilot

This drone offers 8K footage at 30 fps, all captured by flying around in the air. It's pocket-sized at that, so you don't have to worry about maneuvering a massive drone around to get the footage you need. It's lightweight enough to get into the air and start flying with multiple smart flight modes so you don't have to waste time navigating and can jump right into creating. Because of its size, it doesn't require FAA registration, either.

It uses a two-axis gimbal with electronic image stabilization to keep things steady, as well as horizon leveling to top things off. It has a 107 FOV lens for even more stunning, crisp moments as well, so no matter whether you're shooting action footage of a jog or other sport or just getting some still aerial video, you're covered. This particular combo is made for cycling, so you can bike around town and then some and get some fantastic footage.

If you're ready to elevate your drone photography significantly or even get started with the format, this is an fantastic deal you'll want to pounce on before it goes out of stock.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Dunkin is giving away 1 million free coffees until Aug. 30 — how to claim now the code has dropped

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 18:04

TL;DR: Dunkin' is giving away 1 million free espresso drinks. Enter the promo code EASYCHOICE in your app's "Offers & Rewards" section to claim, redeemable through Sunday, Aug. 30.

Dunkin' is kicking off fall in the biggest way possible: with 1 million free drinks.

The coffee chain is giving away free specialty coffees and frozen drinks to the first million people who claim the offer — no purchase necessary. The giveaway comes as Dunkin' rolls out its fall menu, including the new Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte and Pumpkin Spice Cloud Dunkalatte.

How to get a free coffee from Dunkin'
  • Make sure you're a Dunkin' Rewards member

  • Open the Dunkin' app and go to the "Offers & Rewards" section

  • Enter the code EASYCHOICE to claim your free espresso

Once you've claimed the offer, there's no rush to use it. It stays redeemable through Sunday, Aug. 30, so you can cash it in whenever you're on a coffee run.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How to watch Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds online for free

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 18:00

TL;DR: Watch Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds in the EFL Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

As the Premier League kicks off the 2026/27 season, teams across all four tiers of English football are meeting for the second round of the League Cup.

Among the biggest games lined up for this round is Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds, two Premier League sides looking to bounce back after a difficult 2025/26 season that saw them both claw their way out of a relegation battle. This game is actually the second time these teams have faced off in the past few days, as Forest hosted Leeds in the Premier League last weekend, a game Leeds won 1-0.

If you're interested in watching Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds in the EFL Cup from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds?

Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds in the EFL Cup kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Aug. 25. This fixture takes place at the City Ground.

How to watch Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds for free

Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds in the EFL Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, 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 the UK, meaning you can live stream Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds for free by following these simple steps:

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

  2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

  4. Visit ITVX

  5. Watch Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds 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 generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, 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 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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Nottingham Forest vs. Leeds for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Categories: IT General, Technology

A maxed-out Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra will set you back $18,299

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 17:53

The most powerful Mac Studio Apple has ever built to date is here. Just be ready to pay up to $18,299 for it.

That's the price tag on Apple's own configurator for a fully maxed-out Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra chip, 36-core CPU, 80-core GPU, 256GB of unified memory, and 16TB of storage.

Credit: Screenshot courtesy of Apple Credit: Screenshot courtesy of Apple

It's a staggering leap from where the line starts. The base M5 Ultra Mac Studio opens at $5,499, with a 30-core CPU, 64-core GPU, 36GB of memory, and 512GB of storage. A separate, less expensive configuration built on the M5 Max chip starts at $2,499. Go from the entry price to the ceiling, though, and you're paying tens of thousands more for memory and storage upgrades that carry steep per-tier costs, like the $7,500 jump from 256GB to 1TB of storage.

Apple unveiled the new Mac Studio this morning alongside a refreshed Mac mini built around the company's new M6 chip, positioning both as major steps forward in on-device AI performance. Johny Srouji, Apple's chief hardware officer, called the M5 Ultra Mac Studio "the ultimate desktop for on-device AI and the world's most demanding pro workflows," per Mashable's report on the announcement.

The eye-watering top-line figure isn't purely a function of more cores and more storage. You can mostly blame the global memory crisis within the tech industry, aka RAMageddon, for the current state of consumer tech affairs.

For context, the crisis has been caused by an unprecedented supply squeeze on memory components, driven largely by the AI data center boom. Hyperscalers building out massive AI infrastructure have been pre-ordering huge volumes of RAM and related silicon for their server farms, tightening the supply available for consumer hardware and pushing up costs for manufacturers.

Knowing that can help explain why maxing out memory and storage on a machine like the Mac Studio costs the same as a starter home in the 1920s.

The new hardware also arrives ahead of Apple's annual September event, where the company is expected to introduce the iPhone 18 lineup, a foldable iPhone, updated smart home devices, and new Apple Watches.

Both the Mac Studio and the M6 Mac mini are open for preorder now, ahead of a Sept. 22 launch.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

Categories: IT General, Technology

GTA 6 Cyberleek update: Everything leaked so far, what might be next

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 17:42

With just a few days to go before Grand Theft Auto VI makes its big official debut (of sorts) on Netflix, the leaker known as Cyberleek is still on a tear.

Over the past week, someone (or perhaps a group of people) called Cyberleek has been busy sharing short gameplay clips of GTA VI left and right. On Aug. 20, Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of GTA-maker Rockstar Games, filed subpoenas against Microsoft and Discord to try to unmask the leaker, followed soon after by subpoenas against Google and X Corp. Those filings specifically cited "stolen content," seemingly confirming that at least some of the Cyberleek videos are legitimate.

The GTA 6 leaks represent the first glimpse of gameplay from the hotly anticipated title. In addition, countless AI-generated videos posing as "leaks" are also circulating widely on social media. So, we've put together a quick list of everything Cyberleek has released so far. We're not going to embed or link to any of these clips, and we can't verify their authenticity. However, they're easy enough to find on X or Reddit if you look hard enough.

SEE ALSO: What is Cyberleek? Everything we know about the alleged GTA 6 leakers. Every GTA 6 leak from Cyberleek so far

At the time of publication, several clips and screenshots have been posted by Cyberleek that purportedly show different aspects of GTA 6, from the game's map to glimpses of cut scenes. The leaker has avoided posting major plot spoilers, at least so far.

Here are the GTA 6 leaks Cyberleek has shared:

  • Map sneak peek 1: A small, cropped portion of the in-game world map, showing a location called Dalton Island.

  • Map sneak peek 2: Another cropped portion of the map showing locations called Tequesta Retreat, Gloriana Key, and Catalan Key.

  • Basketball video: A clip of protagonist Jason Duval throwing a basketball into a hoop in a mini-game.

  • Full map: An alleged view of the entire in-game map.

  • Random video 1: A clip of Jason driving around for a little bit before beating up a truck driver.

  • Taser video: A clip of Jason driving at night, stealing a security guard's taser, and using it on him. Jason then repeatedly kicks the guard while he is on the ground.

  • Junkies video: A clip that appears to show a healing drug called Zombix. A tooltip indicates that Zombix's effects will weaken over time if the player uses it too much.

  • Plane video: A clip of Jason flying a plane over Vice City, with much of the game world visible below. At the end, whoever is playing the game in the clip shoots the word "LEEK" into a wall with bullets, suggesting the leaker has a playable build of the game.

  • Hypercar part 1: A clip of Jason driving a high-end sports car around Vice City.

  • Hypercar part 2: A clip of Jason driving the sports car some more, before committing armed robbery.

  • Strip club: Jason wanders around a strip club, then a short clip of an in-game cutscene is shown.

  • Gas station: Jason causes trouble at a gas station, steals a truck with a bed full of gasoline, and crashes and dies; more of the previous cutscene is shown.

  • Nudist colony: Jason explores a nudist hangout spot (where the NPCs are, obviously, nude) and attacks NPCs

  • Nightclub: A pretty uneventful video of Jason walking around the interior of a nightclub

  • Beach cycling: Jason riding a bicycle on a beach full of NPCs

  • Video game store: Jason walking around a video game store with shelves full of fake video game boxes

Again, we can't authenticate any of the Cyberleek videos. That said, as someone who has played nearly every GTA game, I found them fairly convincing. GTA games all move in a certain way, and that movement appears to be recreated remarkably well in these videos. Everything from character movement to NPC interactions looks relatively on-brand for a modern Rockstar game. That said, we live in a world where it's easy to generate convincing AI videos.

As for what's next, we can't say. But Cyberleek is actively running polls on its website that allow people to pay in cryptocurrency to vote on what should be leaked next. You can also wait for real, official gameplay footage, which is set to debut on Netflix on Aug. 27.

So far, Rockstar and Take-Two have said nothing about the leaks outside of the subpoenas filed last week. Mashable has contacted the companies repeatedly with questions about the leaks, and we'll update this story if we receive a response.

Updated on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 11:40 a.m. ET — We've updated this story to reflect the latest Cyberleek videos.

Updated on Monday, Aug. 24 at 1:30 p.m. ET — We've updated this story to reflect the latest Cyberleek leaks.

Updated on Friday, Aug. 21 at 3:00 p.m. ET — Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., the parent company of Grand Theft Auto-maker Rockstar Games, has filed two subpoenas naming Microsoft and Discord as it hunts the leaker known as Cyberleek. The legal filings specifically cite "stolen content," seemingly confirming that the leaks are legitimate. Take-Two is also requesting the removal of leaked material that violates its copyrights, as well as information that could unmask the leakers.

Read more about the Microsoft and Discord subpoenas.

Categories: IT General, Technology

AI mental healthcare is here. Can it help people — or cause more problems?

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 17:39

Connecting virtually with a therapist went mainstream during the pandemic. The number of U.S. mental health facilities offering telemedicine services grew from 38 percent in 2019 to over 68 percent a year later, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. One of the most prominent companies to benefit from the shift to phone, text, chat, and video therapy remains Talkspace, which bills itself as an "easy-to-use, fully-encrypted web and mobile platform that meets HIPAA, federal, and state regulatory requirements."

This summer, Talkspace entered its AI era, launching Tee. A mental health app created with a specific large language model (LLM), Tee was developed by clinicians and trained with anonymous Talkspace data. The app, available to anyone over 18 for $19.99 per month, is trained to identify extreme distress among patients — and to elevate such cases to human caregivers.

Dr. Nikole Benders-Hadl, a psychiatrist who also serves as Talkspace’s Chief Medical Officer, was among those who helped develop Tee. In Talkspace’s June announcement of the app, Benders-Hadl acknowledged the reality that many people are using products like ChatGPT for mental health needs, even though most LLMs are not created by mental health experts nor informed by therapy sessions. That's what makes Tee different, according to Benders-Hadl.

Mashable recently connected with Benders-Hadl about the app, including how it was trained and whether it can address mental health stigma, especially among minority communities.

For the unfamiliar, what is Talkspace and Tee?

Benders-Hadl: Talkspace was founded in 2012 as a virtual therapy company. We really pioneered the development of asynchronous therapy, meaning the ability to message back and forth with your therapist at any time, whether that's sending texts, video messages, or audio messages. We've since expanded our virtual care offering to include self-guided materials, as well as psychiatry services for medication management.

Over the course of the last 14 years, but really since about 2019, we began the development of various AI tools, really aimed at improving clinical quality and efficiency for our providers, who are all virtual. A lot of that involved things like provider-assist tools; helping document progress, helping providers prepare for sessions better, and helping members.

Tee really was born out of seeing that millions of people were starting to turn to chatbots, or [seeking] health advice and support, through models not designed for that purpose. I'm sure you've heard about some of the really awful outcomes when you're using that kind of wellness support that hasn't been built for mental health and hasn't been built with safety in mind.

So, Tee is Talkspace's new AI-powered mental health support guide. It's really built on the idea of it being a safer, but also clinically grounded, alternative. It's developed by our own clinical team, really trained using evidence-based therapy techniques.

Tee was built to not only be able to recognize risk, but with clinical oversight in place that can escalate users to human care; to a human therapist if that need arises, all while keeping the data within Talkspace secure and safe.

So all of the messages exchanged between therapists and their clients are really the data that have been used to train Tee. How exactly was Tee trained, and how is it different than other AI models?

We consider the vast clinical dataset that Talkspace has at our disposal over the last 14 years as the engine that drives not only Tee, but all of our AI tooling. So all of the messages exchanged between therapists and their clients are really the data that have been used to train Tee.

And so, because our therapists are really engaging with their clients, utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy, utilizing motivational interviewing, we can really rely on that data, as much as clinically sound, to develop [an app] that responds in kind with evidence-supported responses.

One of the things we've seen that can be really dangerous with other models is that they can provide false confidence; they can reinforce harmful thinking, They can fail to recognize crisis situations, and because of Tee's training on clinical data, our model is able to recognize those risks and then point them to human clinicians to determine appropriate next steps at a different level of care.

SEE ALSO: How 3 very different people use AI chatbots Did Talkspace users consent to their conversations being part of Tee's training?

Yeah. So another part I think is important to call out around the history of Talkspace is that we have engaged in research with so many different academic partners; Johns Hopkins, NYU, Stanford, we have been the recipient of four different [National Institute of Health] grants, research grants, totaling about $10 million in grant funding.

[All of the research utilized] our de-identified, protected, encrypted clinical data. So we have made use of this data. We've made clear to all of our users from the beginning of Talkspace that it is possible [for the therapy conversations to be used for training purposes]. But again, [while] keeping [protected health information] protected. And everything that we utilize, even within our research and projects, is all de-identified and encrypted data.

Can Tee potentially address some of the mental health stigma that exists, especially among minority communities?

Sure. One thing I always say is that we have to think about mental healthcare as preventative. People's mental health, their state, whether that's good or bad, doesn't just exist in a vacuum. It's really shaped by your culture, your experiences, and other systemic factors.

Communities of color are really experiencing unique stressors often — discrimination, trauma, inequities, and access to care, in addition to all of the other [typical] barriers to mental healthcare that exist.

Something I'm really passionate about developing is not only a network of providers that are diverse, but also this new use of technology that can build in cultural values, experiences, and design resources with specific communities in mind. I think that makes a tremendous difference in building trust and improving engagement from historically marginalized communities that haven't engaged in care at all.

If someone is using Tee, what can they do to avoid some of the pitfalls that have befallen some people, like AI psychosis?

We have developed Tee [with guidance from] clinicians, with a lot of input on a continuous basis. [Overuse issues are] for sure something that we are looking at. We've developed Tee to really be session-based. We don't want people engaging with Tee 20 hours a day.

We think that it's our responsibility to not only be looking at and measuring those different factors between healthy and unhealthy use, but to build it into the product, so that it's not on the end user to have to figure those things out. We have built different layers within our quality system to detect overuse and misuse if someone attempts to use Tee inappropriately. [Including] benign cases, like ordering a pizza on a Friday night, right? That's not what Tee was intended to do. But we have built in those kinds of guardrails to redirect and to really guide users back to its intended use, which is mental support.

This interview was edited for length and clarity. The information contained in this article is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a qualified professional with questions about a medical or health issue.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How to preorder Apples new supercharged Mac minis with M5 Pro and M6 chips

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 17:35

So the rumors are definitely true: there's new Mac minis on the market. They're wildly powerful, with M6 and M5 Pro chips on board, which Apple calls "an extraordinary leap in performance and AI capabilities."

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Mac mini (M6) starting at $899 at Apple Store Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Mac mini (M5 Pro) Starting at $1,699 at Apple Store Pre-order Here

Apple not only surprise-announced the new desktop computer today, but it also promptly made it available for pre-order. With many folks using Mac minis to run AI tools like OpenClaw, we expect the tiny new powerhouses to be coveted products. The Mac mini hasn't had an update since the M4 and M4 Pro chips made their debut in a pint-sized package in November 2024, making this updated version with new Apple Silicon even more desired.

As the most powerful products in Apple's lineup, you can expect to pay a pretty penny for both the M6 and M5 Pro Mac minis. Of course, the weight of the global memory shortage certainly doesn't help. The M6 option starts at $899, with maxed out specs running you up to $2,399. Meanwhile, the M5 Pro starts at a jaw-dropping $1,699 and can cost as much as $6,799 with maxed out specs. Education buyers can save $100 on each device by ordering directly through the Apple Store.

Both the M6 Mac mini and M5 Pro Mac mini will start shipping on Sept. 22, but customers can pre-order either device starting today, Aug. 25, at the Apple Store. We'll keep our eyes peeled at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and other Apple Authorized retailers for pre-order availability in the coming days and update this story with any new details. If you want to ensure you get your hands on one of these small, but mighty desktops, we recommend pre-ordering as soon as your wallet will allow.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Pamela Andersons TikTok is the ultimate female fantasy

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 17:34

For much of the 1990s, Pamela Anderson was sold to us as the ultimate male fantasy. Three decades later, she's showing women a far more seductive proposition: being left alone in a beautiful garden.

The Rosebush Pruning star joined TikTok over the weekend, and so far, that's pretty much where she's stayed. In Anderson's first three videos, she's surrounded by flowers and greenery, wandering through the whimsical garden at her Vancouver Island home like a woman who has successfully escaped whatever algorithm the rest of us are trapped in.

There are no trending dances. No GRWMs. No boyfriend cameos. No desperate attempts to prove that Pamela Anderson, 59, understands what the kids are doing on TikTok. There is just a woman in her garden. As one commenter noted, "This is life without a man."

I want what she has.

SEE ALSO: The 35 best documentaries on Netflix

This isn't to say Anderson has logged on without an agenda. Her bio promotes Sonsie, the vegan skincare brand she co-owns, a fitting bit of self-promotion for the makeup-free era that has become part of her public reinvention for the past several years — one that feels worlds away from the version of Pamela Anderson that dominated pop culture in the '90s and early 2000s.

For decades, Anderson's image was almost impossible to separate from other people's ideas about her.

There was the red Baywatch swimsuit, the platinum blonde hair, the pencil-thin eyebrows, the Playboy covers, and the tabloid obsession with her body and her relationships. She became one of the most recognizable women in the world, but recognition isn't necessarily the same thing as being known.

In recent years, Anderson has been reclaiming that distinction. Her 2023 memoir, Love, Pamela, as well as the Netflix documentary Pamela, a Love Story, introduced the public to a woman who was far more introspective than the bombshell caricature that had followed her for decades. And her awards season run for her stunning performance in 2024's The Last Showgirl forced Hollywood to reconsider an actress it had long underestimated.

Featured Video For You Dua Lipa's lifestyle is building an internet empire.

Offscreen, Anderson has been building an equally compelling second act. She's a voracious reader and writer who has long kept journals and written poetry. She returned to Vancouver Island, where she grew up, and restored her grandmother's six-acre property. She gardens. She cooks, as documented in her plant-based cookbook I Love You: Recipes from the Heart. She has embraced appearing in public without makeup, including on some of fashion's biggest red carpets. Anderson has even extended her romantic, lived-in aesthetic to furniture with The Sentimentalist, a new collection created in collaboration with Los Angeles-based design house Olive Ateliers.

Taken individually, none of those things is particularly revolutionary. Women have been growing tomatoes and reading books for quite some time. But there's something satisfying about watching Pamela Anderson do them.

Here is a woman whose cultural value was once so closely tied to being looked at, now seemingly far more interested in looking around: at her flowers, at her home and her dogs, at the food she's growing, at the life she has built for herself. Now, her TikTok account feels like a tiny window into that world.

The internet is obsessed with finding the perfect way to be a woman

There's another reason Anderson's peaceful garden feels particularly alluring on TikTok.

The platform is overflowing with competing visions of the ideal female life. There are tradwives baking bread in immaculate kitchens and "soft life" influencers preaching the virtues of ease. There are clean girls, cottagecore girls, divine feminine coaches, dating experts, homesteaders, and women documenting their elaborate morning routines before most of us have managed to locate our glasses.

SEE ALSO: What is a "tradwife"? Nara Smith rejects the viral label.

Scroll long enough, and womanhood can start to feel like a series of lifestyle packages you have to choose between. Should you be a girlboss or reject hustle culture? Get married young or embrace being single? Move to the country? Move to Europe? Become a homemaker? Freeze your eggs? Delete the dating apps? Find a provider? Become the provider?

Social media has given us an endless vocabulary for the kind of woman we're supposed to be. And increasingly, even authenticity can feel like another performance. We're encouraged to look effortless while documenting the effort it takes to look that way, to be vulnerable but still aspirational, to somehow build a personal brand around being our most authentic selves.

After years of influencer aesthetics, sponsored vulnerability, and carefully curated "realness," audiences have gotten pretty good at recognizing the act. It's why authenticity has become one of the internet's most coveted — and hardest to manufacture — qualities.

Pamela Anderson, meanwhile, just wants to show you her sunflowers.

The life she's presenting doesn't seem organized around an argument about what women should want. Anderson isn't selling singledom as empowerment or domesticity as virtue. She isn't presenting herself as a blueprint. She's simply living.

And after spending so much of her life being defined through her desirability to men, there's something radical about how little male attention seems to factor into the image she's presenting now.

Pamela Anderson's new fantasy is being interested in your own life

It would be easy to describe Anderson's current era as a rejection of the woman she used to be. But that doesn't quite capture it. She hasn't disowned the bombshell. The makeup-free face doesn't invalidate the smoky eye. The garden doesn't erase Baywatch. If anything, Anderson seems increasingly comfortable allowing all of those versions of herself to coexist.

What has changed is who appears to be in control of the image. Anderson has spoken in recent years about stripping away expectations and rediscovering herself outside the persona constructed around her. "For years, I was acting like these characters: a Playmate, a rockstar's wife," she told Vogue in 2023. "I love that I went through all of it and did all of those things, but I'm also glad I’ve made it to this point and can laugh at it."

"My dogs love me like this, my garden loves me like this," she said of her makeup-free lifestyle. "Taking those chances are what makes life interesting. And if you have an open heart and you are being vulnerable, you can't lose."

Maybe that's the fantasy Anderson represents now. Not eternal youth or effortless beauty. Not finding the perfect relationship. Not becoming the woman everybody wants.

It's having a home you love. A mind that keeps you company. Something growing in the garden. A life interesting enough that you don't need anyone else to make it feel complete.

For decades, people wanted Pamela Anderson. Now, I think a lot of women just want to be her.

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Categories: IT General, Technology

Add some bass to your home theater with $140 off the wireless Sonos Sub 4 subwoofer

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 17:26

SAVE $140: As of August 25, get the Sonos Sub 4 subwoofer for $759 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $899. That's a discount of 16%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Sonos Sub 4 $759 at Amazon
$899 Save $140   Get Deal

Buying a new TV is great and all, but if you really want to get the most out of your latest purchase, you're going to need great audio to go with it. A soundbar and a subwoofer are integral parts of that setup. Right now, you can bring the bass with a great wireless sub option at Amazon for a low price.

As of August 25, get the Sonos Sub 4 subwoofer for $759 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $899. That's $140 off and a discount of 16%.

SEE ALSO: The best soundbars for upgrading your home entertainment

This sleek subwoofer is compact and unobtrusive, but it more than gets the job done. It features dual Sonos-engineered drivers for deep, satisfying bass as well as a force-canceling acoustic architecture to cut down on buzz, distortion, and rattle. That way you can keep your attention trained on what's on-screen and not every little noise you're hearing.

Further, it's wireless, so you don't have to worry about the complicated setup process that often comes with speakers or subwoofers and making sure they're all connected to your AV setup. Just connect and go. That makes this particular model a great pick for anyone who has an established audio setup with speakers, so it can just slide right in and fit in with the rest of the setup without anything complex getting in the way.

If you're ready to level up your entertainment, this is a great way to do it— and a good time, considering this significant discount.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Where to buy the Garmin Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro: New features, release date, and launch price

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 17:10
Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Fenix 9 $999.99 at Garmin
  Learn More Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Fenix 9 Pro $1,099.99 at Garmin
  Learn More

Garmin's lineup of fitness trackers just got bigger and more impressive. The Garmin Fenix 9 and Garmin Fenix 9 Pro are the brand's latest offerings, designed to help us "play harder." Launched via an in-depth YouTube video, the new lineup features a thinner design, better durability, a built-in flashlight, and a few new features that'll appeal to fitness fanatics.

The Garmin Fenix 9 and both the standard and solar versions of the Fenix 9 Pro become available to buy on Aug. 28. Here's a breakdown of features and details to consider before you buy.

Key features of the Garmin Fenix 9

With each new model, we're always looking for the key differences compared to the previous model. In this case, Garmin made the Fenix 9 slimmer and more durable, without adding much at all to the weight. Garmin Epic is new to the upgraded Fenix 9 family. The feature allows you to group activities into a single story rather than as individual activities. Consider a multi-day hike or a 100-mile bike ride split into two days. Garmin can now group these activities together to give you a larger overview of the adventure, including sleep data, mileage, and what impact the event had on endurance and stamina.

The Fenix 9 lineup features better mapping and navigational tools. Credit: Garmin

Garmin also noted that many of us have developed a special liking for rowing, especially those training for Hyrox. To meet this demand, Garmin incorporated improved performance data for rowing. For those heading out on the trail, Garmin added more intuitive routable maps.

The standard Garmin Fenix 9 can get up to 16 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and will launch with a list price of $999.99 on Aug. 28.

Key features of the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro and Fenix 9 Pro Solar

To clear things up right away, both the Fenix 9 Pro and Fenix 9 Pro Solar are identical in specs except for the solar recharging. One of the coolest things about this is that Garmin isn't charging us more for the solar-powered Pro option. Both the Fenix 9 Pro and Fenix 9 Pro Solar will cost $1,099.99 in the 47mm sizes and $1,199.99 in the larger 51mm size.

Compared to the standard Garmin Fenix 9, the Pro and Pro Solar have a brighter screen and an LED flashlight onboard that can illuminate in dimmable white, green, or red. The Fenix 9 can only display in dimmable white. The Pro and Pro Solar are also one gram lighter than the Fenix 9, and slightly thinner.

The latest models in Garmin's product offerings: The Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro Credit: Garmin

The Pro also has a larger battery, and Garmin says it can last up to 18 days in smartwatch mode. Of course, the Fenix 9 Pro Solar has a solar-charging lens that can earn you up to 34 days of battery life in smartwatch mode.

In addition to these physical features, the Pro and Pro Solar also come with the tech and fitness-tracking upgrades mentioned above for the Garmin Fenix 9, such as more advanced rowing performance data, the ability to group activities with Garmin Epic, an endurance score, and better stamina tracking.

How to buy the Garmin Fenix 9 and Garmin Fenix 9 Pro fitness tracker

While Garmin officially announced this new lineup today, Aug. 25, we have to wait a few days before we can place our orders.

The Garmin website indicates these models go on sale on Friday, Aug. 28. We'll keep an eye on availability at Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailers. We have a feeling we'll see more retailers add these new Garmin models once they become available for purchase.

Categories: IT General, Technology

GTA VI Cyberleek update: Everything leaked Tuesday, this week

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 17:00

Alleged clips of Grand Theft Auto VI simply cannot stop leaking onto the internet.

After a few clips came out over the weekend and into Monday, there are now a few more, courtesy of the now-notorious leaker known as Cyberleek. As Rockstar and Take-Two step up their efforts to find and stop Cyberleek, clips keep coming out at an even more rapid pace.

SEE ALSO: GTA 6 makers subpoena X, Google in hunt for Cyberleek

We're not going to embed or link directly to any of these clips, but they are easy to find on social media. As of Tuesday morning, three new clips have surfaced:

  • A clip of the player exploring a nightclub

  • A clip of protagonist Jason riding a bicycle on a beach packed with civilian NPCs

  • A clip of Jason looking around a fictional video game retailer, complete with a bunch of fake video game boxes

That brings the total number of leaked clips to 13, at the time of publication. To be clear, their authenticity has not been totally verified, but Rockstar and parent company Take-Two's legal efforts to stop them from coming out is certainly telling in that regard. In subpoenas, Take-Two has referred to the Cyberleek videos as "stolen content" and "leaked gameplay videos," suggesting they could be authentic.

As a reminder, Rockstar is set to officially show an extended look at GTA VI gameplay on Netflix on Thursday.

In the meantime, neither Rockstar nor Take-Two has issued any statements about the Cyberleek situation.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Keep electricity in any situation with $50 off the DJI Power 1000 V2 portable power station

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 16:46

SAVE $50.01: As of August 25, get the DJI Power 1000 V2 Portable Power Station for $399.98 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $449.99. That's a discount of 11%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon DJI Power 1000 V2 Portable Power Station $399.98 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $50.01   Get Deal

Summer may be on its way out, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have a backup when it comes to power outages in your home. And if you're thinking about taking one last trip before the season comes to an end, you might want to make sure you can charge your devices when you go off-grid. This portable power station is a great pick for you to do just that, and you can save some serious cash, too.

As of August 25, get the DJI Power 1000 V2 Portable Power Station for $399.98 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $449.99. That's a discount of 11%.

SEE ALSO: The 8 best portable power stations to stay charged up at home and on the go

This compact, high-capacity portable power station can be charged by solar power or traditional power, recharging up to 80% in just 37 minutes, so you don't have to sit around and wait for juice. It can power up everything from saws and drills to phones and tablets, with just about anything you might need in between.

It has a 1024Wh LFP battery that powers its near-silent operation (just 26 dB when in use), and it can keep all your devices running smoothly even when your home is without electricity. It has dual 140W USB-C ports to offer 40% more power than its competition as well, so you're well covered if you happen to need additional power for multiple items.

This lightweight power station is an excellent option to keep on reserve should you need it, and a great companion for having around if you want to be able to stay off-grid while still using electronic devices. It's especially good to pick up at this price, so grab it while you can.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Kindle prices have bumped, but you can still save on this top Kindle alternative at Amazon

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 16:29

SAVE OVER $15: The XTEINK X3 is on sale for $63.19 at Amazon, down from the list price of $79. That's a 20% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: XTEINK XTEINK X3 $63.19 at Amazon
$79 Save $15.81   Get Deal

If you’re looking for a bargain on an e-reader, you’d be forgiven for going straight to Kindle listings on Amazon. Just the word, Kindle, has become shorthand for leading e-reader tech — so much so that it’s easy to forget that there are alternatives available.

When we compiled a list of our nine favorite e-readers, only four of them were Kindles. And one of our non-Kindle favorites, the XTEINK, is currently discounted. As of Aug. 25, the XTEINK X3 is marked down to $63.19, a 20% saving off the regular list price of $79.

SEE ALSO: The Segway Navimow i110N robot lawn mower is down to its best-ever price at Amazon — save $300+

Now’s certainly a good time to look for Kindle alternatives. Amazon has quietly bumped up prices of its own devices across the board, including Fire Sticks, Echo speakers, and — yes — every type of Kindle. The price hikes are apparently related to what’s been dubbed RAMageddon, an AI-driven tech inflation. Some Kindles have increased by up to $50. 

The good news is that we recommend the XTEINK X3 as a slick, pocket-sized alternative. Indeed, it’s especially portable thanks to a 3.7-inch display and a weight of just 58 grams. It will even slip into your wallet. The big selling point is its built-in MagSafe-compatible magnet that attaches to MagSafe devices. In other words, it attaches to the back of your phone.

It comes equipped page turning buttons, though you can also shake it to turn to the next page. It also has a relatively low resolution of 259 ppi — and due to its size, it’s probably best to look elsewhere if you need big, chunky text — and 16MB of memory. The battery, meanwhile, should give you up to 10 hours of reading time.

Don’t miss the XTEINK X3 with 20% off — now priced at $63.19 for an overall saving of $15.81.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Sports fans on a budget should snag this 75-inch Samsung M70H Mini LED TV for its best price ever

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 16:26

SAVE $163.58: As of Aug. 25, the Samsung 75-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV is on sale at Amazon for $566.41. That's a savings of over 22% from its $729.99 list price (although Amazon sells it short) and a new record low.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 75-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV $566.41 at Amazon
$729.99 Save $163.58   Get Deal

College football kicks off this week, with the new NFL season not far behind. In other words, now would be a good time to replace your dull, dim, or broken old set. You don't need to spend a fortune anymore to invest in something better — especially since this 2026 Samsung model is down to its best price ever.

As of Aug. 25, you can upgrade to the Samsung 75-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV for only $566.41. While Amazon sells the deal a bit short, that's actually over 22% off its full list price of $729.99 (as seen on the Samsung website) and its lowest price on record.

The M70H goes beyond your basic LED TV, featuring a Mini LED display with loads of tiny LED bulbs for brighter, more vibrant colors and richer contrast. While it's not as impressive as an OLED TV, it's definitely a whole lot better for your budget.

Other features include HDR 10+, Motion Xcelerator and DLG 120Hz for gaming, Samsung's Tizen operating system, and a generalized soccer mode that gives you a "stadium-like experience from your living room" with optimized settings for clearer motion and more vibrant details. While it's designed with soccer in mind, we think it'll work pretty grand for football as well.

Mini LED TV prices have been dropping in recent years while improving in quality. You'll be surprised at how good the Samsung M70H is for just $566.41.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The ultimate retro flex for your phone: Backbone unveils blind-box 25th Anniversary Xbox controllers

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 16:05

TL;DR: Backbone is celebrating Xbox's 25th anniversary with a limited-edition Backbone Pro controller, available in three heritage-inspired colorways — crystal clear, iconic blue, and bold orange — sold as a blind box, so buyers won't know which color they're getting until they open it. It ships Oct. 20 for $159.99 and is available for preorder through Backbone and Best Buy.

Opens in a new window Credit: Backbone Backbone Pro Xbox 25th Anniversary Edition $159.99 at Backbone
  Pre-order Here

Backbone's marking Xbox's 25th birthday with a controller that comes down to pure luck — you won't know which color you're getting until you open the box. The Backbone Pro Xbox 25th Anniversary Edition is a limited-run mobile controller built around Xbox's design history.

The anniversary edition comes in three heritage-inspired colorways: crystal clear, iconic blue, and bold orange, each referencing the early era of Xbox hardware, back when consoles and controllers felt like things worth collecting and showing off. You can't choose your colorway in advance, and it's only available while supplies last.

Credit: Backbone

The controller's built to work well beyond your console. It supports Xbox Cloud Gaming, so you can stream games from anywhere, and it comes with one free month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for eligible new subscribers, unlocking access to hundreds of titles right out of the box. If you'd rather stick to your existing console library, Xbox Remote Play lets you stream your own games directly from your Xbox instead. Either way, you're set up to play games like Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 6, and Minecraft from day one.

Underneath the nostalgic packaging, this is still a Backbone Pro controller, so you're getting the same premium build the line's known for. That includes full-size ALPS joysticks, re-mappable rear buttons, and laser-etched grips built for comfort and precision. You can connect via USB-C for low-latency, wired play, or go wireless over Bluetooth to use it with tablets, laptops, VR headsets, or smart TVs, with up to 40 hours of battery life on a charge.

The Backbone Pro Xbox 25th Anniversary Edition starts shipping Oct. 20 for $159.99. It'll be sold in limited quantities through preorders from Backbone and Best Buy, with availability limited to the regions Backbone normally ships to.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why electric dirt bikes are winning over gas bikes

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 15:54

Are electric dirt bikes finally ready to replace traditional gas-powered machines? We explore the rapid rise of e-motos and compare them with gas dirt bikes. Featuring the Segway Xaber 300 and real-world racing insights from events like the Red Bull Erzberg Rocket Ride, we cover both the game-changing advantages and current limitations, like range and charging infrastructure. Are you sticking with gas forever, or are you ready to make the switch to electric?

Categories: IT General, Technology

The latest iPhone Ultra rumors and leaks: Everything we know about Apples first foldable

Tue, 08/25/2026 - 15:42

At this point, the foldable iPhone is the biggest open secret in Silicon Valley. Apple kept a tight lid on its first-ever foldable phone right up until dropping the iOS 27 developer beta, which includes some direct and indirect references to the iPhone Ultra (also rumored to be called the iPhone Fold, iPhone Ultra Fold, or something else entirely).

Early adopters already love foldables — and they have plenty of options — but Apple's been notably absent from the genre. However, don't count Apple out. The company has a history of showing up late to the party and then absolutely cornering the market, as it did with AirPods and iPhones.

So, as we await official details, here's everything we know about the first foldable iPhone, including the latest rumors, specifications, release date, and pricing.

When will the iPhone Ultra be released?

Apple holds an annual September iPhone launch event, and we fully expect the iPhone Ultra to be announced at this upcoming event.

We think the iPhone Ultra will arrive on store shelves in fall 2026 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Numerous rumors pointed to this over the last year. However, while Apple traditionally releases all of its new iPhones in September, the Ultra might not be ready right away.

A tech analyst named Tim Long recently claimed that shipments of the iPhone Ultra will begin in December of this year, not September, though Bloomberg's Mark Gurman threw cold water on this rumor. And Gurman seems to have a crystal ball looking right into Apple headquarters these days.

Reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the iPhone Ultra might follow the trajectory of the iPhone X, which was announced in September 2017 but took about a month and a half to actually hit the market.

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

And most recently, a report out of Australia (via the Chinese supply chain) claimed that the iPhone Ultra will be available right after launch in the U.S., but might get rolled out to other markets a bit later.

Given the ongoing global memory shortage, last-minute delays are always possible, so we'll have to wait and see.

What's the iOS 27 beta telling us about the iPhone Ultra?

The iPhone Ultra isn't (yet) an official device. We do know a lot about it, but mostly via rumors, whispers, and reports coming out of Apple's supply chain.

But now, with the first iOS 27 developer beta, we have some actual clues about the iPhone Ultra's existence. Software researcher M1Astra dug through the code (via Bloomberg) and found code that determines whether a device is folded or unfolded. Strings like “mechanicalAngleDegrees” and “angleDegrees" point to Apple fine-tuning the experience depending on how widely a foldable device is open. Researcher Sam Henri Gold found similar clues in the code.

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That's not all. Certain widgets, such as Music, News, and Weather, can now be configured to take up the majority of the iPhone's display. That split-view doesn't make a ton of sense on a regular iPhone (you'd probably just want to have one app open instead), but on an iPhone Ultra, such a widget could occupy one side of the display while you do something else on the other.

Apple seems to be preparing developers to handle a larger variety of form factors. Credit: Apple

Then, at WWDC 2026, Apple's Senior VP of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, pointed out a developer-specific feature called the Device Hub, which allows developers to simulate their apps in different screen configurations.

Finally, Macworld found references in the code suggesting a device that has both the Dynamic Island and a Touch ID; such a device does not exist today, but the iPhone Ultra is rumored to have both.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. SEE ALSO: Apple's iPhone Fold is on track, but it might be pricier than we thought What will the iPhone Ultra specs look like? What would you want to see in a foldable iPhone design? Let us know in the comments. Credit: Zain bin Awais / Mashable

The iPhone Ultra remains a mystery to some extent, of course, but we do have a very rough idea of what it could offer. Based on all the rumors and leaks, the iPhone Ultra will have a wider design than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Galaxy Z Fold 7, and the impressive Motorola Fold.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman predicts that the foldable iPhone will be a book-style foldable with four cameras — two on the back, one on the inside, and one front selfie camera. Gurman also predicted it would use Touch ID like the iPad Air and Pro, even though iPhones typically use Face ID. All the recent leaks back up Gurman's reporting.

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In fact, the smartphone market is already adapting to the expected size of the iPhone Ultra. Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8, which launched in July, is exactly that: A wider-than-usual foldable that looks like a proper tablet when unfolded. Huawei was the first to market with a wide foldable, though the Pura X Max is only available overseas.

The iPhone Ultra specs could look something like this:

  • Displays: 7.8-inch inner OLED display, 5.5-inch outer OLED display

  • Thickness: 9.5mm unfolded, 4.5mm when folded

  • Security: Touch ID

  • Processor: A20 processor

  • Cameras: Dual rear cameras (48MP), dual inner/outer front cameras

  • Price: $2,399

  • Battery: At least 5,088 mAh

We've seen several reports claiming that Apple has invested heavily in the iPhone Ultra's display and hinge. It should be very durable, thin, and without a visible crease. Samsung Display is reportedly producing the OLED displays for the iPhone Ultra, as Samsung's got the best flexible display tech in the game. There's a reason Samsung released the Galaxy TriFold while the world is still waiting on the first foldable iPhone.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported earlier this year that the iPhone Ultra would have a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display, and measure in at just 9 to 9.5mm of thickness. We heard another rumor in September 2025, which claimed the iPhone Ultra would look like two iPhone Airs put together, with a similar thickness of 5.6mm. Why the discrepancy between the two reports? It could be the difference between the device's thickness when folded and unfolded.

There's also talk about Apple using innovative tech to make the iPhone Ultra lighter and more durable than most foldables. These rumors include a report that the company is using liquid metal for the phone's hinge, which should improve durability.

In a recent update, Gurman claimed that some early testers were pleased with how the Ultra performed, in particular with its look and feel, as well as the quality of its hinge. The camera, which doesn't have a telephoto unit, left something to be desired, the report said. Gurman's report confirms a lot of these rumored specs, and he reports that early testers also liked the more iPad-like UX and homescreen layout on the Ultra.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. SEE ALSO: Foldable iPhone Ultra testers love the device except for these two things, report says What will the foldable iPhone be called?

Up until recently, most of the tech world has simply called the unannounced device the "iPhone Fold" or "iPhone Ultra." However, since it's not a confirmed product yet, it's very possible that the phone will have a different name at launch.

With reports piling in, and most of them pointing to the "Ultra" name, we're going to use that until Apple officially tells us what the phone is called.

How much will the iPhone Ultra cost, and will people buy it?

The iPhone Ultra is likely to be expensive. An early estimate from research analyst Arthur Liao suggested the price tag for the Ultra — gulp — could come in around $2,399. That's in line with expectations in a new report from International Data Corporation (IDC). Last year, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the iPhone Ultra is likely to retail between $2,000 and $2,500; recently, Kuo narrowed that down to $2,300 — $2,500.

Despite the sizable cost (the flagship Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is priced at $1,999.99), sales expectations remain high. The IDC report estimated Apple would siphon one-third of the spending in the foldable market in 2026.

"But the real game-changer for the category comes at year-end when Apple enters the foldable space, projected to capture over 22% unit share and a staggering 34% of the foldables market value in its first year, thanks to an expected average price point of $2,400,” read the report.

In March, Mark Gurman claimed that Apple could classify the iPhone Ultra as an "Ultra" product (no surprise there), putting it in a higher price tier than other devices in its portfolio alongside other high-end machines like the Apple Watch Ultra. If the phone ends up costing at least $2,000 as expected, this would make sense.

The latest iPhone Ultra leaks

In December 2025, we saw lots of alleged iPhone Ultra renders circulating on social media, which all share a similar design. We'd take these with a grain of salt, of course.

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In February, a leaker known as Instant Digital posted some alleged renders of the iPhone to the Chinese social media site Weibo. Like most leaks, especially the ones pertaining to Apple, we can't confirm their authenticity. However, they line up with earlier reports of the overall look of the phone.

More recently, Apple leaker Sonny Dickson shared another potential iPhone Ultra render in March 2026.

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Dickson shared more purported dummy units of the iPhone Ultra in April, giving those renders a bit more physicality than they had before.

April was fairly bounteous in terms of iPhone Ultra leaks. Aside from Dickson's dummy units, YouTuber Vincent Zhong got his hands on the newly released (in Asia) Huawei Pura X Max Wide. This Chinese phone was one of the first real "wide foldables" to hit the market. It matches the overall design of iPhone Ultra leaks, and its screen dimensions are almost exactly the same as the alleged dimensions of the Ultra.

While the iPhone Ultra will almost certainly look different from Huawei's device, Zhong's hands-on video gives us a decent idea of what to expect from the iPhone Ultra as a physical object in your hands.

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We've also gotten some interesting dummy photos from tech leaker Majin Bu on X. In these photos, the dummy units look very similar to what we've seen in other recent leaks. In other words, it looks like a shorter, more book-style foldable than previous foldables. It looks like it'll also support MagSafe cases.

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In June, a leaker on Weibo known as Ice Universe claimed to have the ultimate prize, a photo of the actual iPhone Ultra in white, though we believe the device in the photo is merely a dummy unit.

What about the cameras and battery?

Instant Digital makes some interesting claims. Most notably, the report says the iPhone Ultra will have the largest-ever iPhone battery. (For reference, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is estimated to have a roughly 5,088 mAh battery.)

"The volume buttons are not on the left side," reads a translation of the post. "Instead, they are placed directly on the top of the right-side frame (similar to the volume button layout on the top of the iPad mini). This may take some getting used to for users’ typical phone habits."

The post also stated, "The rear dual camera + right-side microphone + flash are arranged horizontally. The camera module appears to be fully black and does not match the body color. Currently, the only confirmed color is white, but it is expected that Apple will launch two color options."

Other sources have confirmed the iPhone Ultra's dual-camera configuration, consisting of a regular and an ultra-wide camera.

What else do we know about the iPhone Ultra?

Beyond physical design, another recent report suggested you'll be able to run multiple apps side-by-side when the phone is unfolded, sort of like multitasking on iPadOS 26. However, by all accounts, this device will run iOS, not iPadOS, so you won't exactly get a full iPad experience from the iPhone Ultra. (Apps that are designed to run natively in iPadOS, for example, would not be compatible.)

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold vs Apple foldable iPhone: Specs and rumors

Finally, even though the iPhone Ultra is still in the realm of fantasy, there are already rumors about a follow-up, clamshell-style foldable from Apple, potentially called the iPhone Flip. That one probably isn't coming until next year at the earliest, though.

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