Mashable

The first character you meet in Brad Bird's Ray Gunn isn't the titular private eye (voiced by Sam Rockwell). Nor is it his alien colleague, Eyera (voiced by Tom Waits), nor even pop superstar Venus Nova (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Instead, it's the film's setting: the massive, retro-futuristic city of Metropia.

Ray Gunn's opening sequence zips viewers through the canyons between Metropia's mile-high buildings. Flying cars and elevated trains transport hordes of humans and aliens alike, but commuters could just as easily rent a jetpack for quick travel. For them, it's business as usual, but for viewers, it's a rollicking introduction to an astounding city.

SEE ALSO: How 'Ray Gunn's Venus Nova, pop star of the (retro) future, evolved

Bird has been working to make Ray Gunn since the '90s, and he's stressed Metropia's importance from the very beginning. In an introductory note on a script draft from 1996, he wrote that the one character he couldn't adequately capture on the page was Metropia. In this world, he wrote, "Cities are gargantuan jewels that stretch into the heavens."

As Ray Gunn moved from page to screen, how did Bird and his team manage to bring the jewel of Metropia to life? At a press day at Netflix's animation studios, Bird and his collaborators broke down the influences and techniques behind the finished version of Metropia, as well as the importance of getting it right.

"The movie took place almost entirely in that city, and if the city wasn't a character, it would be an empty experience," Bird told Mashable.

According to Ray Gun art director Wendell Luebbe, Bird wanted to combine two different styles for the look of Metropia. One was the work of early 20th century architect Hugh Ferriss, who dreamed up tall, stepped buildings. (Fittingly for Ray Gunn, he also wrote the 1929 book The Metropolis of Tomorrow.) The other was Streamline Moderne, a sleeker take on Art Deco that took off during the 1930s. While Ferriss' work is defined by height and blocky geometry, Streamline Moderne is all about curves and aerodynamics.

Concept art for the city of Metropia. Credit: Netflix / Skydance Animation

"[Bird] wanted to meld those two together into something we've never seen," Luebbe told press. "So we took a lot of the ideas of Streamline Moderne and then grafted them onto the monumental Hugh Ferriss buildings."

As Ray Gunn's team developed Metropia's broader visual style, they also made sure to give its many neighborhoods their own distinct feel. The city's entertainment district is "like Times Square on steroids," Luebbe said. But you can find quieter, Greenwich Village-type areas with smaller clubs as well. Elsewhere, the city's aliens live in the Maze, a labyrinthine space whose organic structures drew inspiration from Dale Chihuly's glass sculptures.

When it came to putting all these ideas on screen, Ray Gunn's VFX team faced a challenge in building Metropia.

"To my team, that was very scary, because it's gigantic," VFX supervisor Adel Abada told Mashable. Rather than building a full digital model and moving the camera around it, they built out parts of the city to match certain sequences. This better allowed the team to follow the needs of the storyboards until they got the right shot composition.

"When you look at it as a whole movie, you would believe it's a city that exists, because that's the goal," Abada told press. "How can you create the illusion of a city that exists without going through the entire process of building it piece by piece?"

Concept art for the city of Metropia. Credit: Netflix / Skydance Animation

Abada and his team knew that the camera movement in Ray Gunn was going to be dynamic, especially in a particularly challenging sequence he described as "a vertical chase." That meant they couldn't rely on digital matte painting to create backgrounds. They needed to actually build out the geometry and depth of the buildings so the animators could know where everything was.

Part of designing Metropia also involved figuring out how it functioned as a city. How does Metropia's sheer height impact how people move around? For example, people using elevators have to strap themselves to the walls, as they move at top speed to ferry people up mile-high buildings.

Inspiration for the latter idea struck Bird as he directed Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, which features a tense climb up the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. (For reference, it's just over half a mile tall, making the buildings in Ray Gunn twice its size.)

"You press the elevator to go up to the top floors [of the Burj Khalifa], and your ears pop. It takes a few minutes to get up there," Bird recalled. "If you lived in a world where there were a lot of mile-high buildings that were taller than the ones in Dubai, people would not want to spend that much time in an elevator, so the elevators would be made really fast."

The elevators are just one of Ray Gunn's many world-building choices dictated by Metropia's astounding height, but they're far from the only ones. Scenes set in Metropia's airborne traffic lanes burst with rich detail about how inhabitants interact with this streamlined beast of a city.

As Bird told Mashable, "You want to give the audience a visual trip."

Ray Gunn premieres Dec. 18 on Netflix.

Travel costs for the production of this content were paid for by Netflix. The judgments and opinions of Mashable are our own.

In 2025, fictional girl group HUNTR/X took over the world thanks to Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters. Now, the streamer is bringing a new fictional pop star to our screens in director Brad Bird's Ray Gunn. Her name? Venus Nova.

SEE ALSO: Fall movie preview: All the 2026 films you need to know about

Voiced by Scarlett Johansson, Venus is the biggest star in Ray Gunn's sprawling, retro-futuristic city of Metropia, reaching the kind of media ubiquity we'd associate with Beyoncé or Taylor Swift. Even if you wanted to escape her reach, you couldn't: Holographic ads for her next album, Welcome to the Future, top skyscrapers and stand several stories tall.

However, Venus' superstar status comes with a high price. Her public outbursts and tumultuous relationships are catnip to Metropia's frenzied press, and they're enough to land her at the center of private investigator Ray Gunn's (voiced by Sam Rockwell) murder investigation.

Venus Nova welcomes us to the future (and her new album). Credit: Skydance Animation / Netflix

For Venus to be a larger-than-life icon as well as Ray Gunn's second lead, Bird and his team had to construct both her pop persona and her troubled personal life. At a press day at Netflix's animation studios, Bird was joined by art director Wendell Luebbe and VFX supervisor Adel Abada to discuss crafting the latest entry in a long, illustrious line of movie pop stars.

Instead of being inspired by pop stars of today, Venus' look draws on screen legends of the 20th century, emphasizing the "retro" in Ray Gunn's retro-futuristic setting.

"She went through all kinds of permutations, but ended up [with] a Lauren Bacall meets Veronica Lake look," Luebbe told press.

According to Luebbe and Abada, costume designer Neysa Bove designed 23 looks for Venus, including the gown she wears in her introductory performance. As Venus rehearses a tongue-in-cheek number, one of several songs written for the film by singer-songrwriter Kimbra, her gown shifts from angelic white to devilish red, complete with a light-up headpiece that mimics a halo and horns.

Concept art of Venus Nova's looks from "Ray Gunn." Credit: Skydance Animation / Netflix

One of the most challenging elements of the sequence was getting Venus' sequined dress to a blinding, pop star-level of shine. Abada recalled Bird's biggest note being, "Get me the sparkle."

"If it's sparkly enough, it reminds you of Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," Bird said, noting that the sequins on the dress for Venus' stand-in are much less sparkly, to emphasize she's not getting the quality fabrics.

But while Venus' onstage image is undoubtedly glamorous, Ray Gunn emphasizes that life in the spotlight isn't all glitter and rainbows. Metropia's media loves to paint Venus as an uncontrollable diva, but as Ray gets to know her better, he learns that Venus' fame is almost like a cage, and that she's hiding painful secrets of her own.

"What was more interesting to me — that was an idea early on — is the idea of someone who's really talented who is also a train wreck," Bird said of Venus' character.

Bird has been working on Ray Gunn since the '90s, and in the time since then, he and the rest of the world have watched young stars like Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse get devoured by invasive media scrutiny and public ridicule.

"You'd see a picture of [Winehouse] with a bloody nose in front of a pub at 4 a.m. and you'd go, 'Why is this woman looking for trouble?'" Bird said. "Then after she died, I saw the documentary, and I was sitting there feeling terrible, because she was so talented, and it was impossible for her to function with the people who were not looking out for her. So, that became an empathetic point when I was writing the later drafts of this."

These stories of pop stars battling the negative side of fame reverberate today, exacerbated by social media discourse. Look no further than the internet picking apart Ariana Grande's body. Or the fervor over Lola Young's collapse at the All Things Go music festival and her subsequent break from performing. Or relentless speculation about the hiatuses of KATSEYE members Manon Bannerman and Sophia Laforteza. People would just as soon tear a star down as they would build them up, and even though Ray Gunn's Venus doesn't draw direct inspiration from these modern stars, her story still speaks to our warped relationship to celebrity.

"I felt empathy for that character and people put in that position where they're just thrust into the spotlight, whether they're ready or not," Bird said.

Ray Gunn premieres Dec. 18 on Netflix.

Travel costs for the production of this content were paid for by Netflix. The judgments and opinions of Mashable are our own.

The best early Prime Day trading card deals: Best Pokémon TCG deal Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box $89.99 (save vs. market price) Get Deal Best MTG deal Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Bundle $59.99 (save $10) Get Deal Best one piece deal One Piece Card Game Starter Deck ST-35 Red Black Sabo $22.44 (save $2.01) Get Deal Best Disney Lorcana deal Ravensburger Disney Lorcana TCG Illumineer’s QuestPalace Heist Cooperative Adventure Against Jafar $23.99 (save $36) Get Deal Best Kpop Demon Hunters deal Kpop Demon Hunters Collectible Trading Cards Energy Edition $49.95 (save $4.04) Get Deal

Prime Day might not have started yet, but trading card discounts are already piling up at Amazon — with plenty of offers in the Pokémon TCG, Magic: The Gathering, One Piece Card Game, Disney Lorcana, and even KPop Demon Hunters card markets.

We’ve also found plenty of dedicated Pokémon deals, but if you’re a card collector who’s out to save money on Oct. 6-7, keep this page bookmarked as Mashable will be updating the latest deals in the build-up to the main event.

Here are the best early Prime Day trading card deals we’ve found so far. 

Best trading card deal Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Bundle $59.99 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $10.00 Get Deal Why we like it 

Magic: The Gathering's The Hobbit Bundle is a great way to explore the newer Middle-earth set, and this all-time low price (which we uncovered last week) represents incredible value ahead of Prime Day.

Now $59.99 instead of its $69.99 list price, saving you $10 at Amazon (its lowest-ever price, confirmed at price tracker camelcamelcamel). This box is below market price — with dedicated trading card marketplace TCGplayer still estimating it at exactly $61. What’s more, actual listings on the site only go as low as $63.58 plus shipping.

For that price, you're getting nine 14-card The Hobbit Play Boosters alongside an alternate-art Traditional Foil promo, 34 Land cards, an oversized Spindown life counter, two reference cards, and a storage box. That works out to about $6.67 per booster before even counting all of those extras, making this a strong all-in-one option if you've been waiting for a cheaper way to jump into The Hobbit expansion. 

More early Prime Day trading card deals

Pokémon TCG

• Pokémon TCG: Mega Lucario ex League Battle Deck — $18.51 $21.45 (save $2.94)

• Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Triple Pack — $24.58 $29.99 (save $5.41)

• Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolutions Perfect Order 3-Pack Blister — $26.99 $29.99 (save $3)

• Pokémon TCG: Mega Moonlit Tin (random) — $37.98 $39.99 (save $2.01)

• Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet Journey Together Booster Bundle — $53.95 $59.99 (save $6.04)

• Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box — $89.99 at Amazon, available by invitation

Magic: The Gathering

• Magic: The Gathering Avatar: The Last Airbender Beginner Box — $31.80 $34.99 (save $3.19)

• Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Gift Bundle — $79.95 $89.99 (save $10.04)

• Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart Booster Box (24 Packs) — $119.98 $139.48 (save $19.50)

• Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box (30 Packs) — $124.98 $209.70 (save $84.72)

• Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Play Booster Box (30 Packs) — $189.99 $213.99 (save $14)

One Piece Card Game

• One Piece Card Game OP-07 500 Years in the Future Booster Pack (Japanese) — $9.80 $14.99 (save $5.19)

• One Piece Card Game ST-35 Red Black Sabo Starter Deck — $22.44 $24.45 (save $2.01)

• One Piece Card Game The Adventure of The Island of God OP-15 Booster Box (24 packs, Japanese) — $109 $119 (save $10)

• One Piece Card Game Final Battle OP-16 Booster Box (Japanese) — $122.60 $136.98 (save $14.38)

KPop Demon Hunters Collectible Trading Cards

• KPop Demon Hunters Collectible Trading Cards Energy Edition — $49.95 $53.99 (save $4.04)

• KPop Demon Hunters card-Energy Edition-001-NA-Series 1-A — $49.99 $53.88 (save $3.89)

Disney Lorcana TCG

• Disney Lorcana TCG Archazia’s Island Ruby & Sapphire Starter Deck — $9.95 $16.99 (save $7.04)

• Disney Lorcana TCG Azurite Sea Emerald & Sapphire Starter Deck — $9.95 $16.99 (save $7.04)

• Disney Lorcana TCG Illumineer’s Quest: Palace Heist — $23.99 $59.99 (save $36)

• Disney Lorcana TCG 2-Player Starter Deck — $29.95 $34.75 (save $4.80)

• Disney Lorcana TCG Azurite Sea Stitch Collector’s Gift Set — $39.90 $49.99 (save $10.09)

TL;DR: As of Sept. 23, Apple AirPods Pro 3 are available for $199 at Amazon. That's a 20% discount from the regular list price of $249.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro 3 $199 at Amazon
$249 Save $50   Get Deal

For Apple-loving bargain hunters, things don't get much better than a major sale event such as Amazon's Prime Day. This is the time when you can find significant discounts on the very best Apple devices.

October Prime Day is very nearly here, with the two-day event set for Oct. 6-7, and we're already seeing some deals worth knowing about.

That includes a generous 20% markdown on the Apple AirPods Pro 3. As of Sept. 23, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 are priced at $199, representing a $50 saving on the list price of $249.

This is a deal not to miss. But what makes them Apple's earbuds? It's not just the sound quality, access to Siri, and synchronicity across Apple devices — it's also the active noise cancellation, some of the very best ANC technology around, and spatial audio. They also have built-in heart rate sensing, which works with Apple Health to track your heart rate and calories burned with up to 50 types of workouts.

With $50 off, they're an absolute must-have for dedicated Apple users. Pick up the Apple AirPods Pro 3 for just £199 as part of the early October Prime Day deals.

Qualcomm announces its most powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip built for aganetic AI computing on mobile phones. See all the highlights and announcements from the annual Snapdragon Summit 2026. 

Read more about Qualcomm chips and Snapdragon laptops: Microsoft unveils new Surface Laptop 8 and Surface Pro 12 with Snapdragon X2 chips
This is the first Snapdragon C laptop ever shown

Timecode chapters
0:00 Introduction and the age of agentic AI
2:34 Introducing Snapdragon 8 Elite and extreme Gen 6
3:33 Xiaomi 18 Pro series announcement
5:08 Qualcomm Oryon CPU and flex cache architecture
6:13 Sensing hub and personal scribe context
7:38 Hexagon NPU and agentic AI acceleration
9:26 AI ISP architecture and intelligent Pixel control
10:53 Adreno neural fusion and mobile gaming tech
12:05 Sanctuary Unreal Engine 5 real-time demo
13:08 Motorola Signature 27 first look

Video credits
Video editor: Stephen Beacham
Thumbnail designer: Stephen Beacham

SAVE $200: As of Sept. 23, the TCL 85-inch QM6K Mini LED QLED 4K TV is down to its lowest-ever price of $897.99 at Amazon. That's $200 off its full price of $1,097.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 85-Inch Class QM6K Series Mini LED QLED 4K HDR TV $897.99 at Amazon
$1,097.99 Save $200   Get Deal

Ahead of its Prime Big Deal Days sale, Amazon has been dropping some fantastic early TV deals.

If you've been shopping around for an upgrade, this discount on the TCL 85-inch QM6K Mini LED QLED 4K TV is worth checking out. It's currently down to its lowest-ever price. As of Sept. 23, this TCL TV has received a $200 price cut, bringing it down to $897.99.

SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime in time for the next Prime Day

With the colder fall and winter months ahead, this is prime time to grab a new TV for binge-watching shows and movies in the warmth and comfort of your home, and this TCL model looks like an excellent upgrade. In addition to its huge 85-inch screen size, which turns your home into a mini movie theater, the display's 4K resolution and QD-Mini LED technology deliver stunning picture quality with sharp details, vivid colors, and deep contrast.

Pair that with a native 144Hz refresh rate, and the action on screen will look clear and smooth. This is especially nice if you're someone who loves watching live sports or playing games, as it means you won't have to deal with motion blur on screen. Plus, it's a Google TV, so getting back into your favorite shows and movies on streaming services is quick and easy.

Don't wait for Prime Big Deal Days. Score $200 off the TCL 85-inch QM6K Mini LED QLED 4K TV right now at Amazon.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by our shopping experts

• Apple iPhone 18 Pro — free at T-Mobile 

• Paramount+ — $0.99 for 2 months with code p2mcs26prem

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)

• Apple iPad Pro — $1,899 $2,099 (save $200)

• TCL 85-Inch Class QM8L Series TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)

TL;DR: As of Sept. 23, the Apple iPad Pro (M4) 13-inch is available for $1,299 at Amazon. That's a $200 saving on the regular list price of $1,499.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro (M4) 13-inch $1,299 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $200   Get Deal

The future of Apple is the M6 chip, which was recently announced and will now power the latest Apple devices. As part of that exciting news, we're now seeing competitive discounts on previous-gen models, such as M4-powered iPads. And don't forget, just over a year ago, the M4 was the latest and greatest processor Apple had to offer.

It still stands up as the brains behind some very impressive iPads, including the Apple iPad Pro (M4) 13-inch, currently marked down as part of the early October Prime Day deals. As of Sept. 23, the Apple iPad Pro (M4) 13-inch is marked down to $1,299 at Amazon. That’s a $200 saving on the regular list price of $1,499.

Our expert picked out this deal in a roundup of the best Apple deals to drop ahead of October Prime Day.

October Prime Day officially runs Oct. 6-7, with early deals — such as this one — expected to drop between now and then. That doesn't mean you should wait until Prime Day itself to pick this up. We anticipate high demand for these iPads while they're listed at this price.

This iPad has Apple Intelligence and Face ID and offers all the slick fluidity you expect from the Apple user experience — particularly when you pair it with other Apple devices. Its Ultra Retina XDR display looks stunning, and it boasts 512GB of storage, WiFi 6E support, and an all-day battery.

Don't miss the chance to grab the Apple iPad Pro (M4) 13-inch with $200 off — before they all get snapped up.

If you can afford a little more, it's also worth checking out a deal on the Apple iPad Pro (M4) 11-inch, which takes things to the next level with Nano Texture Glass and almost quadruples the storage space. It's also discounted by $200.

TL;DR: As of Sept. 23, the Pokémon 30th Celebration Greninja ex Box is available for $89.49 at Amazon. That's $10.50 off the list price of $99.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon 30th Celebration Greninja ex Box $89.49 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $10.50   Shop Now

Gotta catch 'em all, as the Pokémon saying goes. That doesn't just mean the Pokémon themselves, but all the Pokémon deals as and when they drop on Amazon. And with Amazon now releasing super-early deals ahead of October Prime Day, there are some trading card deals worth checking out.

As of Sept. 23, the Pokémon 30th Celebration Greninja ex Box is available on Amazon for just $89.49. That's a $10.50 discount from the regular list price of $99.99.

SEE ALSO: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Sylveon ex Tin is under market price at Walmart — buy for under $60 while stocks last

This box includes four Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration booster packs, along with a foil Greninja ex promo trading card and an oversize foil version for display.

Each booster contains five foil cards, including one of 30 Pikachu illustrations, and a foil Basic Energy card. You might even find some of the 30th Celebration’s most valuable Pokémon chase cards — including the $170+ SIR Mew ex, $130+ Gengar ex, and $100+ Futuristic Rare Mew ex.

Don't miss the chance to pick up the Pokémon 30th Celebration Greninja ex Box at $89.99 and save $10.50.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Booster Bundle is available to preorder for $99.99 at Walmart, more than $23 below its current market price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Booster Bundle $99.99 at Walmart
  Pre-order Here

The Pokémon TCG’s 30th Celebration rollout isn’t finished yet, with the Booster Bundle due to join the anniversary range on Oct. 2. Amazon and TCGplayer sellers already have stock lined up, but it’s actually Walmart that’s the place to buy right now.

As of Sept. 23, the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Booster Bundle is $99.99 at Walmart. The preorder is sold and shipped by marketplace seller Cataclysm Games, with free shipping and an estimated Oct. 10 arrival at the time of writing. Walmart also offers its preorder price guarantee, meaning you’ll pay the lower price if the price drops again before release. 

That is a much better deal than the $135.97 Amazon listings. What’s more, this is $23.04 lower than the estimated market price estimated by trading card selling platform TCGplayer. 

SEE ALSO: Shop the best early Prime Day deals on Pokémon, including 30th Celebration trading cards for under market price

Inside are six Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration booster packs, with six cards in each pack. Every booster contains six holographic cards, including one of 30 different Pikachu rare variations, with other cards in the expansion featuring Pokémon such as Mewtwo ex, Mew ex, Umbreon ex, Salamence ex, and Greninja ex. 

At $99.99, that works out to around $16.67 per pack — saving you $1.26 per pack compared to the lowest legit price currently available on TCGplayer.

In an unsettlingly Orwellian move, the White House has launched what it's calling "Trump TV" amid the president's press ban.

On Monday night, the White House's official YouTube channel added a rebranded livestream with the tagline "The Essentials Station." The government-run stream runs a 24/7 reel of "the Trump Administration's biggest moments all in one place," including Donald Trump's speeches and public addresses during his presidency.

The stream is also embedded in the official White House website and app.

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

In an X post, Kaelen Dorr, Trump's deputy assistant and head of digital strategy at the White House, called Trump TV "a 24/7 livestream of the Administration’s greatest hits, unfiltered." It reportedly opened with Trump's speech at Mt. Rushmore on July 3, and at the time of writing, the channel is streaming Trump's May 2025 address to graduating cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

The timing here is crucial. The move comes days after Trump revoked White House access for journalists from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW. On Friday, the president posted on his own Truth Social the ban was a "a result of their constant 'reporting' FAKE NEWS!"

SEE ALSO: Jon Stewart responds to Trump banning CNN from the White House

Press, commentators, and the White House Correspondents' Association have declared the ban a violation of the First Amendment, specifically the freedom of the press. All three outlets have filed a lawsuit against Trump and his administration, demanding White House press access be restored.

Several networks, including FOX News Media, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News, have boycotted coverage of White House events usually covered by the press pool, on grounds of a free press. "The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting," a joint statement reads.

Gavin Newsom, Governor of California and potential Democratic 2028 presidential election contender described Trump TV in an X post as "quite literally state-run TV" and "truly autocratic behavior" from Trump.

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

Stephanie Grisham, Trump's first term White House press secretary after Sarah Huckabee Sanders, also dubbed the White House's livestream "state-run media."

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

While Trump TV seems like just another YouTube livestream, the launch certainly speaks to something more alarming within the context of the president's latest attack on the media. A 24/7 online showreel of Trump's "greatest hits" curated by the executive arm of the federal government added days after journalists are banned from the White House for reporting on the president? The writing's on the wall.

Featured Video For You How prediction markets got people betting on nuclear war

TL;DR: Signify has launched the Philips Skylight ceiling panel on Amazon. Designed to mimic natural daylight indoors, it features auto-adjusting circadian tones and an IP44 rating for damp spaces.

Opens in a new window Credit: Signify Philips Skylight $399.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now

Windowless bedrooms, dingy basements, and gloomy home offices finally have a fix. Signify just dropped the Philips Skylight, a flat ceiling panel that mimics the exact look, depth, and color shifts of actual daylight so you can trick your brain into thinking you have a real skylight installed.

It’s officially available on Amazon now, with a wider rollout coming later this fall.

Instead of throwing harsh, artificial glare like an LED panel, the Philips Skylight uses NatureConnect tech to copy how real sunlight behaves from dawn to dusk. The 17.7 x 25.6-inch panel runs an "Auto Day Rhythm" mode that shifts its tone automatically throughout the day. You get bright, energy-boosting blue light in the morning to wake you up, which slowly fades into cozy, warm amber tones by the time you're ready to wind down at night.

Prefer to take control yourself? You can bypass the automatic schedule using the included remote. It lets you cycle through five preset lighting scenes to instantly match whatever you're up to. Signify is rolling out the panel in two different versions:

• Philips Skylight Medium — The standard model

• Philips Skylight VitaUp Medium (available on Home Depot from November) — The upgraded option that adds a built-in UV-B module to help support your body's natural vitamin D production indoors.

Both versions mount flush against your ceiling just like a standard light fixture — so no special tools, complex wiring, or structural drywall cutting is required. They’re also IP44 rated to handle humidity and splashes, so you can safely mount one in a dark kitchen or a windowless bathroom.

You can grab the Philips Skylight Medium on Amazon today. If you want the extra boost from the VitaUp Medium model, it will hit select Home Depot shelves starting in early November.

Conan O'Brien has a strong track record when it comes to slightly chaotic late night appearances, and his latest interview on The Tonight Show is no exception.

In the clip above O'Brien talks to Jimmy Fallon about the host interrupting his conversation with Paul McCartney at a party to do a bit ("Why is it when you're talking to someone of that calibre every comedian comes over and does a bit that they think is really funny, and meanwhile if you're stuck talking to Elon Musk, no-one comes over?!"), before going on to explain his flat hairstyle that made the news a couple of months back.

It's an entertaining 16 minutes, and O'Brien's McCartney impression deserves its own praise.

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

TL;DR: Therabody just launched the Theragun Mini Y2K Collection ($229.99), giving its portable Mini 3 massage gun a translucent, jelly-tinted makeover straight out of '99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Theragun Theragun Mini Y2K Collection $229.99 at Theragun
  Shop Now

If you’ve ever looked at a modern muscle massager and thought, “This would look way better in translucent fruit-flavored plastic,” Therabody agrees.

The wellness tech leader is rewinding the clock back to 1999 with its new Theragun Mini Y2K Collection, priced at $229.99. The collection taps Boy Meets World icon Danielle Fishel (aka Topanga Lawrence) to front the ultimate throwback drop.

Therabody’s smallest, lightest massage gun comes with the translucent, candy-colored jelly aesthetic that defined late-’90s tech. It’s the same portable Theragun Mini 3 underneath, but wrapped in a nostalgia-heavy, translucent jelly shell inspired by the classic iMac G3 aesthetic.

Credit: Theragun

The Y2K lineup swaps out boring matte finishes for five translucent colorways inspired directly by the iconic iMac G3 era: blue raspberry, grape blast, orange crush, strawberry splash, and green ppple. Despite looking like a vintage prize from a 1999 arcade, it packs solid power. The Mini 3 delivers three percussive speeds (1,750, 2,100, and 2,400 PPM) with a built-in LED speed indicator to track your intensity.

Credit: Theragun

Designed to increase circulation, ease deep muscle tension, and speed up post-workout recovery, it comes with three scientifically designed attachments. You get a Dampener for tender areas or a gentler full-body treatment, a Standard Ball for overall muscle-group work, and a Thumb attachment for targeting deep-tissue trigger points.

Engineered for life on the move, the ultra-portable frame features USB-C charging, up to 150 minutes of continuous battery life, and a dedicated travel lock to prevent the device from buzzing endlessly inside your gym bag.

Credit: Theragun

It also pairs with the Therabody app to eliminate guesswork in recovery. By connecting directly with wearables like Apple Watch, Garmin, Strava, or Google Health Connect, the app’s AI-driven Coach reads your fitness data in real-time and automatically builds customized, step-by-step recovery routines — telling you precisely which muscle groups to hit, which attachments to click on, and what speed settings to run.

The Theragun Mini Y2K Collection is available to order now exclusively at Therabody, with broader retail availability rolling out soon.

TL;DR: The UEFA Nations League is available to live stream for free on a number of geo-restricted streaming platforms. Access these free livestreams from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There will be some people out there who desperately need a break from all the football. We've only just made it through a busy summer and jumped straight into domestic campaigns, so we get where they are coming from. But there is another group out there who think very differently.

This band of dedicated football followers quite simply can't get enough, so the UEFA Nations League will be welcomed with open arms.

If you want to watch the UEFA Nations League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the UEFA Nations League?

The UEFA Nations League is a biennial international football competition played by the senior men's national teams of UEFA member associations. The defending champions are Portugal.

When is the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League?

The 2026–27 UEFA Nations League will be the fifth season of the competition. The league phase of the latest edition will be held from September to November 2026. Nations League Finals will take place in June 2027.

How to watch the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League for free

Fans can live stream the UEFA Nations League for free on these platforms:

• France — L'Equipe / TF1+

• Germany — ARD / ZDF / RTL

• Italy — Rai

• Netherlands — NOS / NPO

• UK — BBC iPlayer / ITVX

These streaming services are geo-blocked, but anyone can access these sites with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, meaning you can unblock free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the UEFA Nations League by following these simple steps:

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

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage of the UEFA Nations League

4. Visit your favorite free streaming platform

5. Watch the UEFA Nations League 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 leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch select UEFA Nations League fixtures before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the UEFA Nations League?

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

• Servers in 105 countries

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

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

• Fast 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 — 80% 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 a money-back guarantee).

Live stream the UEFA Nations League for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Donald Trump's allies are always quick to defend him, even when the president is banning press outlets from the White House — but Jimmy Kimmel may have a cure.

"It has become increasingly difficult for these hand-puppets of Trump's to explain the unexplainable — the nonsensical, unconstitutional, knee-jerk reactions he has to everything," says Kimmel in the clip above. "But fortunately the American pharmaceutical industry has been working on this, and help, as they say, is on the way."

Cue a parody commercial for "Lie Vitra", a "once-a-day pill that will keep you lying more than ever before," with "side effects that include depression, self-loathing, and the feeling of your soul leaving your body as you realise just what you've become."

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Donald Trump was inaudible during a White House-livestreamed ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday — and it shouldn't have been a surprise. No press pool? No audio.

The president recently revoked White House access for journalists from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW, with press, commentators, and the White House Correspondents' Association declaring it a violation of the First Amendment, specifically the freedom of the press. All three media outlets have filed a lawsuit against Trump, demanding press access be restored. Now, several networks have boycotted coverage of White House events usually covered by the press pool.

During Late Night with Seth Meyers on Tuesday, the host reflected on Trump's silent moment on the White House lawn.

"Apparently he forgot the press pool is also who brings the microphones. If you're going to ban news organisations from the White House, you really need to learn how to project," said Meyers.

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The best early October Prime Day headphones and earbuds deals: Best headphones deal Beats Studio Pro $169.95 (save $130.04) Get Deal Best earbuds deal Apple AirPods Pro 3 $199 (save $50) Get Deal

Just like that, fall is here and so is the holiday shopping season — well, almost.

The unofficial kick-off comes with Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, otherwise known as October Prime Day. The sitewide sale runs from Oct. 6-7, but already, deals on headphones are popping up. While none of the deals so far are exceptional, they are worth checking out, especially if you want to avoid the chaos of the sale or simply can't wait.

SEE ALSO: Amazon announces dates for Prime Big Deal Days, its 48-hour 'October Prime Day' sale

Standouts include Beats markdowns on everything from their Studio Pro headphones (following the release of new over-ear headphones) and their fitness-oriented earbuds, the Powerbeats Pro 2. Prices of AirPods are starting to dip too, with the AirPods Max 2 down $70 and the AirPods Pro 3 down $50.

Below, check out the 12 best headphones and earbuds deals live ahead of October Prime Day, according to someone who tests them.

Best headphones deal Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Studio Pro $169.95 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $130.04   Get Deal Why we like it

While there may be a new pair of Beats over-ear headphones in town, 2023's Studio Pro are still worth a second look, especially at the price of $169.95.

When testing out the best Beats headphones, Mashable contributor Alex Bracetti found the Studio Pro were actually superior in most cases to the far more expensive AirPods Max. They have better battery life, internal engineering more suited to richer sound quality, customizable equalizer options, and ANC that holds its own with Apple's headphones. For under $175, that's not a bad deal.

Read Mashable's full review on the Beats Studio Pro.

More headphones and earbuds deals

• CMF BY Nothing Headphone Pro — $69 $79 (save $10)

• Nothing Ear (3a) — $79 $99 (save $20)

• Nothing Ear (Open) — $89 $99 (save $10)

• Beats Solo 4 — $129.95 $199.95 (save $70)

• Sony ULT headphones — $132.95 $249.99 (save $117.04)

• Beats Powerbeats Fit — $169.95 $199.99 (save $30.04)

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)

• Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — $199.95 $249.99 (save $50.04)

• Nothing Headphone (1) — $219 $299 (save $80)

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) — $399.99 $449 (save $49.01)

• Apple AirPods Max 2 — $479 $549 (save $70)

AI "could kill us all by the end of the decade" according to former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon. But the President of the United States has a strategy: rebranding.

Donald Trump continued his bizarre quest to rename artificial intelligence, proclaiming his crusade to *checks notes* the United Nations on Tuesday.

Following the president's speech, The Daily Show's Desi Lydic called out Trump's "weird obsession with rebranding things" and his haphazard aim to make "super intelligence" happen.

"That's a relief. Here, I was scared of artificial intelligence, but now I'd be honoured to be murdered by super intelligence. Problem solved," said Lydic on Tuesday night's show.

SEE ALSO: Jon Stewart responds to Trump banning CNN from the White House

During his U.N. speech, Trump declared, "Welcome to the new world of super intelligence dash SI."

"Did you just say 'dash SI?'" responded Lydic. "Speaking of super intelligence, congrats on reading the punctuation on the prompter. Also, nobody's gonna say 'SI.' That's already what we call Sports Illustrated. It's taken. You of all people should respect Sports Illustrated. The swimsuit issue is your favorite book.

"This is so embarrassing for America. We're all used to Trump's weird obsession with rebranding things, but this is in front of the world. It's the geopolitical version of your dad walking around in his underwear when your friends are over. Oh my god, Dad, Trinidad and Tobago can see your butt crack!"

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Online privacy comes at a premium — your personal information and internet habits are more valuable and more important than ever before. Everyone wants to know what you get up to, and where you're doing it online, whether it's businesses looking to target you with ads and mailing junk, or scammers who want to exploit you. That's why we recommend you do everything possible to protect yourself online. And if you watch porn, as so many of us do, you should be especially vigilant.

We're going to take a wild guess that you'd prefer to be protected from the prying eyes of advertisers, your internet service provider (ISP), and your roommates when you're engaged in the intimate business of visiting porn sites. If sounds right then we recommend investing in a VPN. These cybersecurity services provide everything you need to unblock porn sites and then stream anonymously.

What is a VPN?

VPNs offer a robust defense for both your data and identity on the internet. VPNs do this by creating a private network that can hide your IP address and connecting you to servers in other countries, which prevents unwanted eyes from spying on your digital and real world location. This ensures that all of your online activity is untraceable and secure.

SEE ALSO: AdultFriendFinder is a borderline-porn hookup site that's stuck in the past

If it sounds complicated, it's helpful to think of all your online traffic travelling through an encrypted tunnel. Nobody can see into the tunnel, and everything inside the tunnel is protected by an impenetrable wall, which holds back online threats such as viruses, hackers, malware, and scammers.

Do you need a VPN for porn?

There are two key reasons to get yourself a VPN for porn: Anonymity and access.

The first reason is perhaps the most important. If you're concerned about your ISP, housemates, landlord, or a more nefarious individual accessing your data, a VPN is a sensible choice. Any sort of activity on an unsecured WiFi network leaves your private information and browsing habits exposed to anyone who knows how to access them.

Even a porn site can track your activity if you're unprotected, and bombard you with targeted ads and content. Pornhub tracks IP addresses for example, which means it can collect information about your site usage — something you might not want tracked and fired back at you. But a VPN will prevent that by keeping your IP address hidden.

Maintaining your privacy and anonymity is the primary reason for signing up to a VPN, but if you're in a location that blocks porn sites a VPN can also help access your favorite sites. A VPN can bypass these restrictions by connecting you to a server in another location, allowing you to circumnavigate firewalls and stream porn sites from anywhere in the world.

What features should you consider when selecting a VPN?

There are a number of different factors to consider before you pick a VPN for porn. Here are some of the VPN features and functions to know about:

• Connection speed — VPNs generally produce a drop in your connection speed, but you shouldn't accept any service that sees a major drop. Don't choose a VPN that impacts your connection speed to the point that you can't stream porn without disruption.

• Encryption — There are different levels of encryption, and while it's important to take note of the grade provided by your VPN, the best services will all offer powerful protection for your data. This is obviously vital when navigating porn sites because you need to know that your data is secure.

• Number of connections — Some VPNs let you connect an unlimited number of devices with the same account, while others limit you to a certain number or just a single device. Look for services that offer multiple simultaneous connections so you can stay secure on all your devices at the same time. You may wish to stream porn on a number of devices, so it's best to secure everything with the same account.

• Privacy policy — This is something that some users might take for granted, but you need to pay special attention to the data-handling, storage, and usage practices of a VPN. These practices should be clearly laid out in a privacy policy, and if they aren't, you should not subscribe. Most VPNs require access to your IP address, online transactions, and browsing history, plus your personal details when you sign up. Your chosen VPN should not store these details under any circumstances, as that would negate the whole principle of anonymity.

• Server network — The top VPNs provide access to literally thousands of geographically diverse servers. This is useful because you should always be able to find a stable and speedy connection for streaming porn.

SEE ALSO: Lawsuit says Meta pirated and distributed porn to train its AI

You also need to consider things like price and subscription plans, but these features are a good place to start when selecting a particular VPN service. Once you've picked a VPN, look at its selection of subscription plans.

Should you use free VPNs?

As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Cybersecurity is no different. There are plenty of free versions of popular VPNs, and free trials of VPNs with full access to premium features. The catch is that free versions usually come with limited data usage, meaning you can't do much in the way of streaming or downloading — and the free trials don't last very long. But trials allow you to get a feel for a VPN service before you committing your cash. Overall, a paid subscription is your best option for porn. Sorry about that.

What is the best VPN for porn?

There are lots of services offering similar packages, which makes it difficult to choose the best VPN for you and your specific internet needs. We've made things easier by researching all the best offers and lining up the below selection of VPNs for porn. We have found something for everyone and every budget, with popular services such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and CyberGhost VPN in this list.

These are the best VPNs for porn in 2026.

The best early Prime Day iPad deals: Best iPad Deal Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M4, 128GB, WiFi) $649 (save $100) Get Deal Best budget iPad deal Apple iPad (A16, 128GB, WiFi) $399 (save $50) Get Deal Best iPad Pro deal Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M5, 256GB, WiFi) $1,139 (save $60) Get Deal

Fall has just begun, and the holiday shopping season is already heating up. No longer do things kick off on Black Friday. With Amazon's annual Prime Big Deal Days running Oct. 6-7, it's your first chance to start shopping and saving this holiday season.

Leading up to Amazon's October Prime Day event, we're tracking all the early deals on the biggest brands. We've already spotted savings on Apple products, including iPads. The deals are nowhere near the best we've ever seen. There are some minor savings to enjoy ahead of the event. But considering Apple products (including iPads) have all seen price hikes in the past year, even the meager savings now are something to celebrate.

Here are the best iPad deals to shop ahead of Amazon's October Prime Day.

Best iPad Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M4, 128GB, WiFi) $649 at Amazon
$749 Save $100   Get Deal Why we like it

Luckily, the best deal on iPads is on our favorite iPad. The Apple iPad Air comes with an M4 chip, making it as capable as any laptop. It has stellar performance and extensive battery life, plus with upgraded iPadOS, you can now navigate multiple windows at once.

Normally $749, the Apple iPad Air is marked down $100. That brings it down to $649, for 13% off its list price. While it's not the cheapest it's ever been, these savings bring it closer to its pre-price-hike rate.

More iPad deals

• Apple iPad (A16, 128GB, WiFi) — $399 $449 (save $50)

• Apple iPad (A16, 256GB, WiFi) — $499 $549 (save $50)

• Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M4, 128GB, WiFi) — $849 $949 (save $100)

• Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M5, 256GB, WiFi) — $1,139 $1,199 (save $60)

• Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M5, 256GB, WiFi) — $1,424 $1,499 (save $75)