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In the age of on-demand everything, it’s no surprise that we can get "dates" (and I use that term loosely) with the tap of a button. Thanks to classic hookup apps like Tinder and newcomers like Pure, finding a sexy new friend can be as straightforward as ordering a pizza. As for the quality? That’s about the same as your pizza — hit or miss, depending on the time of day, where you're located, and how hungry you are.

SEE ALSO: What's dating in 2026 like? Single women tell all.

Fortunately, you’ve got me, your resident dating app expert (though I prefer modern-day Carrie Bradshaw), to guide you to the promised land, aka the best hookup apps.

I’ve spent the past three years (yes, years) researching, downloading, and testing dozens of the top dating apps to find the best ones for all kinds of daters, including the one-night-stand crowd. From discreet sexting apps to dating sites for serious relationships, I've swiped through them all. I also consulted a helpful panel of sex and relationship experts to make sure my picks are solid.

How to get the most out of hookup apps

My number one rule is to be brutally honest about what you want. Are you here for a good time? Own it. That means staying in your lane; don't go looking for a one-night stand on an app like eharmony.

"Hookup apps help prevent situations where people are on mainstream dating sites with the intention of having a casual hookup but are unclear about these intentions," Suzannah Weiss, resident sexologist for Biird and author of Subjectified: Becoming a Sexual Subject, tells Mashable. "They also give women a space to be openly sexual creatures without judgment."

And here's a little secret I picked up from Alexander Liebisch, the CEO and founder of TinderProfile.ai: Timing is everything. He found that people messaging on Tinder's "free tonight" feature after 10 p.m. on a weekend had a 45 percent higher chance of hooking up.

So, whether you're looking for a one-night stand, a regular FWB situation, or just a space to explore your sexuality, I've got you covered. Based on all my hands-on testing and expert consultations, I’ve broken down the best hookup app for every type of person and mood.

Recent updates to this guide

• Hinge: Hinge just keeps getting better, so I’ve bumped it up higher on my list as of October 2025. In our most recent update in July 2026, it still earns the top spot. Its user base is growing, and my own recent tests on the app have been surprisingly positive.

• Sniffies (added September 2025): I've added Sniffies, the map-based app for queer men, because it's been gaining a lot of traction. (It got a little too spicy for Apple and was pulled from the App Store, so it's now technically a dating site.) Don't say I didn't warn you about the NSFW content.

• FetLife (added September 2025): FetLife is my new favorite "Honorable Mention." It's not your typical hookup app; it's more of a social network for the kink community (and, oddly enough, the best hookup app for gamers). Just remember: it's a community, so don't treat it like Tinder.

• Plenty of Fish (removed January 2025): POF went through a rebrand recently, and honestly, I'm not impressed. My latest tests showed they got rid of key features like free messaging for non-matches, and I kept running into the same old profiles.

• Match (removed August 2025): I know some people say they've found casual hookups on Match, but that's not what it's for. Match is where you go to find a serious, long-term relationship, and I still recommend it for that. But for a hookup? You're just fishing in the wrong pond.

Why some popular hookup apps didn't make the cut

You might notice a few apps that pop up in ads or other lists are missing here. That’s intentional. I swipe through the good, the bad, and the downright sketchy so you don’t have to. For an app to make my list, it has to be effective, safe, and worth your time.

Here's a shortlist of apps that didn't make the cut this year:

• Wild: You’ve probably seen ads for this one. On paper, Wild sounds like the perfect casual dating app. In practice, the paywalls are aggressive, the distance filter doesn't work, and you have to pay for anything that's even remotely useful. Unless you're willing to spend serious cash upfront (and hope for the best), the experience feels limited compared to more open apps like Tinder.

• DOWN: This app (formerly "Bang With Friends") is known for its simple "Get Down" vs. "Get Date" feature. It sounds clever, but in reality, the experience is messy at best. Many users report feeling scammed by subscriptions that don't deliver matches, or finding that the few real people on there are... let's say "odd." It’s hard to recommend an app when the main user complaint is "Is anyone real?" Hard pass.

• Facebook Dating: Yes, Facebook has a dating section, and it’s surprisingly massive (and completely free, which is huge). While it's a decent option for casual dating, the vibe tends to be a bit more "friends of friends" and "relationship-focused" than the anonymous, no-strings energy you get from apps like Pure or Feeld. (For Mashable's Chance Townsend, signing up was "the most uneventful dating experience" of his life.) It's worth a shot if you're already on Facebook, but it didn't quite crack my top tier for hookups specifically.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 + $350 Gift Card   Get Deal

Samsung's Unpacked event didn't hold back — new Samsung phones, new watches, and even Samsung Galaxy Glasses all landed within the same event. With that much new hardware announced at once, it can take some digging to figure out which deal on which device is actually worth your money.

Amazon is currently bundling the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 with a free $350 gift card, no trade-in or discount code needed — just the phone at $1,899.99 with the gift card tacked on.

SEE ALSO: How to skip the $1,800 price tag and score a free Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 at AT&T

Unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 turns into a mini tablet for watching movies and reading books. Whatever you're watching looks immersive on the big screen, and Samsung claims it's the lightest fold they've made yet, so you're not lugging around a brick to get there.

Folded back up, it handles texting and everyday use just like a normal phone. The display also claims the title of the brightest screen on any Galaxy phone, so glare from being outside won't ruin your movie or your doomscrolling session.

On the camera side, you get a 50-megapixel dual camera setup paired with the screen, so you can see your shot clearly before and after you take it. If you're filming something chaotic, Super Steady Video with Horizontal Lock keeps the shot leveled even if you're not.

However, the gift card isn't instant here — you'll get an email once it's available after the phone ships. The offer runs through Aug. 6, so pre-ordering sooner gets you in before the window closes.

Grab the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (256GB, unlocked) at Amazon to claim your bonus.

The Moon is now well into its waning phase, gradually appearing less full as it moves closer to the New Moon. Here's what you can still see on its surface tonight.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Aug. 1, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waning Gibbous phase, with 93% of its surface visible.

Without visual aids, tonight you should still be able to see the Mare Tranquillitatis, Copernicus Crater, and the Tycho Crater. If you have binoculars will help you see the Alphonsus Crater, Endymion Crater, and the Clavius Crater. Pull out your telescope (if you have one) to see see all clearer, plus the Apollo 14 landing spot, the Rupes Altai, and the Linne Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on August 28.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon goes through a complete cycle of eight phases roughly every 29.5 days. As it travels around Earth, the angle between the Sun, Earth and Moon constantly changes, meaning we see different amounts of the Moon's sunlit side. This is what causes the familiar progression from a thin crescent to a half Moon, then a Full Moon, before the cycle repeats.

The eight phases are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a baker.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

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

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for August 1, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Hit the sack

• Green: Iconic movie stars

• Blue: Dig deep

• Purple: Carb-loaded

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Bedding

• Green: Oscar-winning actors since 2010

• Blue: Perform some hole-machining operations

• Purple: Starting with bread shapes

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1147 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Bedding: COMFORTER, SHAM, SHEET, THROW

• Oscar-winning actors since 2010: BALE, JORDAN, PHOENIX, WALTZ

• Perform some hole-machining operations: BORE, COUNTERSINK, DRILL, REAM

• Starting with bread shapes: BOULEVARD, BUNDLE, LOAFER, ROLLS-ROYCE

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 1, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you can laugh it off.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 1, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: "As if!"

The words are related to ridiculousness.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe being unreasonable.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is diagonal.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Get Real.

NYT Strands word list for August 1

• Absurd

• Laughable

• Get Real

• Preposterous

• Ludicrous

• Silly

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

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

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love a cold treat.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 1, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for August 1, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Mush.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter S appears twice.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

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

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

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

SLUSH

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

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

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

Quickness.

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

SPEED

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Duck sound.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 1, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

QUACK

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Deadly.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 1 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 1, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

FATAL

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Not before.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

AFTER

Final Hurdle hint

A red bird.

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

ROBIN

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

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Nara Smith would like the internet to know that she does not wash the dishes.

That detail may surprise anyone who has spent the past several years watching the 24-year-old creator get called one of TikTok’s most recognizable "tradwives" (she has over 12 million followers as of this writing). On the July 29 episode of Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, Smith pulled out her phone and found one definition: “a woman who embraces or promotes a traditional model of marriage and family life” by prioritizing homemaking and caregiving while supporting her husband as the primary breadwinner.

She argued that the label has never accurately described her.

SEE ALSO: Kesha, the internet's tooth fairy, wants your teeth

Smith’s elaborate cooking videos have made her a fixture in the tradwife conversation, even though she has repeatedly rejected the term. This time, she went through the assumptions about her work, marriage, and household one by one.

The interview quickly restarted a familiar argument. Some viewers accepted Smith’s explanation. Others maintained that even if she does not live as a tradwife, her videos helped popularize the aesthetic.

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The debate raises a more basic question: What actually makes someone a tradwife, and why has the term become such a loaded label?

Nara Smith breaks down the tradwife definition

The title of Smith’s Call Her Daddy episode, "Stop Calling Me a Tradwife," didn’t leave much room for interpretation.

"They [the internet] kind of used me as the poster child for the tradwife movement," Smith told Cooper, calling the association “very bizarre.”

The term "tradwife," as Mashable associate features editor Anna Iovine defined it in 2022, refers to a woman who "denounces feminism in turn for the ‘more fulfilling’ life of submitting to a man." The husband typically serves as the breadwinner, while the wife focuses on homemaking, childcare, cooking, and cleaning. According to Smith, that description doesn’t fit. "I don’t prioritize being a homemaker," she said. "I’m a working mom."

Smith has modeled since she was 14 and now runs a lucrative content business; Forbes estimates she earned $7.5 million over the previous year. She was featured on the 2025 "Mashable 101" creator list, dubbed as "TikTok’s reigning domestic goddess."

At home, Smith told Cooper, she and her husband, Lucky Blue Smith, divide childcare based on who is working. She cooks because she enjoys it, and because severe eczema and a lupus diagnosis after her first pregnancy prompted her to reevaluate what she ate and begin making more food from scratch. Smith also rejected the suggestion that her husband is the family’s sole breadwinner, explaining that they both work and provide for their household.

"Yeah, I like to cook. Sue me," she said.

Smith acknowledges that her videos contain many of the cues viewers associate with tradwife content. She prepares labor-intensive food from scratch, wears feminine outfits, and builds recipes around what her husband and kids want. She married Lucky when she was 18, and welcomed their first child shortly after turning 19. Her family has also spent time with Hannah Neeleman, the creator behind Ballerina Farm, who is known as the "queen of tradwives." (Neeleman inspired the 2026 novel Yesteryear, but more on that below.)

As clips from the interview circulated, critics argued that Smith’s private household arrangement doesn't erase the image she has presented online. Many find her to have profited from making that domestic fantasy part of her public persona, "selling a dangerous product that young girls are taking note of." In some commenters' views, Smith knowingly used tradwife imagery to build a profitable brand and seems to now be distancing herself from the label without addressing what that content may have communicated.

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On the other hand, some defenders argue that Smith’s videos are "calming and enjoyable," and that her content aims for views rather than an accurate depiction of her household. Others point out that Smith has never publicly promoted female submission or suggested women should leave the workforce, and they see using that term to describe her as a "microaggression." As one X user put it, "The girl just wanted to make her kids candy from scratch."

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. This isn't the first time Smith has rejected the label

Smith has been answering versions of the tradwife question long before Call Her Daddy.

In a 2024 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Smith described her videos as a combination of her interests in cooking and fashion. She also explained that her famously hushed voiceovers were recorded inside a closet to avoid disturbing her children.

"It’s really not that deep," she said of her cooking content.

In July 2025, Smith told Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast that people continued treating her as a symbol of traditional marriage despite her attempts to show that she was a full-time working mother.

She added that Lucky regularly cares for their children while she travels and handles tasks that viewers might not associate with a "traditional" husband, including doing dishes, getting the children dressed, and styling their hair.

Smith made the distinction again in April 2026 while announcing her first cookbook, Homemade. She told Vanity Fair that she considers cooking both a hobby and a job and described her marriage as modern. She also said she plans to expand her platform into a larger culinary lifestyle business.

Still, the label has persisted.

Why is the tradwife label so controversial?

Choosing to cook, raise children, or leave paid employment is only one part of the debate. The controversy grows when that personal arrangement is promoted as the "natural" or "preferable" role for women, particularly when it includes a husband leading the household and a wife becoming financially dependent on him.

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Those ideas are not simply being projected onto the movement by its critics. A 2025 University of Hawaiʻi study analyzing posts tagged #tradwife and #tradelife found recurring messages that portrayed feminism as incompatible with femininity, blamed feminism for women’s dissatisfaction, and promoted traditional gender roles as biologically or religiously determined. Some of the content also included exclusionary messaging about transgender and gender-fluid people.

"Life for actual 1950s housewives was lonely and boring — if you were 'lucky,'" Iovine wrote back in 2022. She noted that domestic violence was widely treated as a private family matter, marital rape was not illegal in every state until 1993, and many homemakers experienced isolation, anxiety, and depression. Those realities are considerably less soothing than the vintage dresses and homemade bread that appear online.

The rise of the tradwife online has also come in tandem with the stripping of reproductive rights for women in the U.S., like the reversal of Roe v. Wade and attacks on the birth control pill, showcasing real-life consequences to the backlash of feminism.

Supporters, however, describe the lifestyle as a freely made choice and an alternative to the strain of balancing employment with motherhood.

"I believe working is good for many women, but [working outside the home] is also the cause of burnout for mothers," self-described tradwife Estee Williams told Business Insider in 2022. Williams said she promotes homemaking to show the fulfillment she finds in it. Alena Kate Pettitt, another early tradwife creator, has similarly called traditional housewifery "a choice" that "shouldn’t be mocked."

Despite the controversy, the content still appeals to viewers who have little interest in its traditional division of power. A 2025 survey of 1,000 British women ages 18 to 34 found that 79 percent were attracted to the calm, relaxed lives depicted in tradwife videos, while 62 percent were drawn to the luxury. Only 7 percent were interested in men serving as household decision-makers, though, and fewer than 8 percent said they would adopt the lifestyle themselves.

The highly polished videos also bear little resemblance to the circumstances of many stay-at-home mothers. As The Atlantic reported, many American mothers leave the workforce because childcare would cost as much as or more than they could earn — 75 percent of surveyed families with stay-at-home mothers had household incomes below $50,000, and more than two-thirds struggled to pay their bills.

Prominent tradwife influencers occupy a different economic reality, earning money through the very content that depicts them retreating from paid work. Researchers have identified the influencer business model as one of the movement’s central paradoxes: creators monetize sponsorships, products, and audiences while promoting a lifestyle centered on women leaving the workforce.

The fascination surrounding Caro Claire Burke’s 2026 novel Yesteryear offers a clear example of how contentious the subject remains. The book follows a wealthy tradwife influencer who wakes up in 1855 and must recreate the domestic life she promoted online without her modern kitchen, nannies, or production team. It became a bestseller, and Amazon MGM acquired the film rights, with Anne Hathaway attached to star and produce.

The book divided reviewers, too. Some viewed it as a broader examination of power, while others called it a "dissatisfying take" that failed to fully examine the religion, politics, and economic conditions behind the movement.

Its success nevertheless offered another sign of the public’s continued interest in tradwives, including among readers who strongly disapprove of the movement.

Smith’s latest interview has given them one more version of the debate. For now, Smith is still cooking. Lucky, apparently, is still on dish duty.

Google Maps recently launched its biggest upgrade in years, filled to the brim with Gemini-powered features like Ask Maps and immersive, 3D navigation — it can recommend the best parking spots and suggest the top spots to check out while you travel around the world.

But even with all of AI's help, the digital map still lacks in one area: Outdoor navigation.

SEE ALSO: FTC lawsuit: Hims & Hers shared customer data with Meta, Snap

A group of teenagers hiking Canada's Howe Sound Crest Trail in British Columbia recently found that out the hard way. The group, made up of 17-year-old novice hikers, was evacuated by local search-and-rescue teams after trusting a five-hour walk estimate from Google Maps.

Experienced hikers would have caught the app's mistake and come more prepared than the teens — Howe Sound Crest is an 18-mile hike with a 6,000-foot elevation gain, and is considered a two-day trip for beginners. But the novice hiker, relying solely on the map estimate, may not know its limitations.

Why is Google Maps not recommended for hiking?

On city roads, Google Maps combines live traffic estimates with historic averages, posted speed limits, tolls, and other street data to generate the most accurate travel time for a standard vehicle. With integrations across the transportation landscape, it's fairly accurate. For walking, the process is a little more complex — humans and natural landscapes, obviously, are hard to standardize into an algorithm. The app uses an average human walking speed that might not match your own, and while it will adjust that time based on elevation, it won't account for important things like trail terrain or type.

Satellite imagery and machine learning come in handy for urban areas, but labyrinthine trails cutting through woods and forests are often left out, and an area's topography is usually only shown with basic details and minimalist renderings.

In 2024, competitor Apple Maps launched a new hiking upgrade in iOS 18, providing access to U.S. national park hike information and topographical maps to help plan custom hiking routes. But many seasoned hikers still discourage using mainstream navigation platforms, especially if you're climbing in the mountains or traversing potentially hazardous routes.

What can I use instead of Google or Apple maps?

Instead of Google or Apple, try hobby-specific apps. Users on Reddit recommend resources such as Mapy and komoot. The free Open Street Map app and AllTrails have been popular among the adventurous set for years. A recent review by The Great Outdoors named Hiiker its number one hiking app. And hikers can get topographical data directly from local surveying agencies online.

Ultimately, each map offers different information, and most hikers use a combination of them for inspiration, topography, and safety planning.

It also never hurts to have analog resources as a backup. Keep a guide to local hiking trails and a recent topographical map of the area on hand (and know how to read it). Brush up on your compass skills, and connect with fellow experienced hikers to find the safest — but still awe-inspiring — routes beyond your phone.

SAVE $200: As of July 31, shop the Samsung 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 gaming monitor for just $399.99. That's a massive price cut, saving you $200 on the monitor.

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If you're treating yourself to an OLED TV, why aren't you treating yourself to an OLED gaming monitor? Organic light-emitting diodes create some of the best, high contrast pictures in the game, so you can enjoy bright, high resolution picture. Samsung has brought this technology to its gaming monitors.

The Samsung 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 gaming monitor is an exceptional model with QHD resolution, designed for bright, wide-ranging color displays. Burn-in is a concern with OLED screens, and luckily, this monitor has safeguards that actively prevent it. It's no surprise that such an elite model carries a steep $599.99 price tag, but if you act fast, you can get it for 33% off.

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As of July 31, the Samsung 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 gaming monitor is just $399.99. That saves $200 off its list price, and brings it just $15 away from its lowest price ever.

In addition to its high-resolution OLED display, it has a Pantone Validated screen that reproduces more than 2,100 colors and over 110 shades of skin tone. It has HDR10 and a 240Hz refresh rate, which, with AMD FreeSync Premium, reduces choppiness, screen lag, and image tearing.

Shop the Samsung 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 gaming monitor at Amazon for $399.99 and save $200.

If you thought K-pop comeback promotions had reached their limit, Hearts2Hearts would like a word.

Ahead of the release of its second mini album, Lemon Tang, the rookie SM Entertainment girl group introduced fans to Tangy, an adorable lemon mascot who quickly became the unlikely face of the comeback. What started as a series of mysterious social media posts asking fans to keep an eye out for the citrus character soon evolved into one of the strangest album promotions in recent memory: Tangy was launched more than 30 kilometers above Earth aboard a custom-built high-altitude balloon.

Yes, really.

Tangy in near space. Credit: Courtesy of Sent Into Space

The launch served as the grand finale of Hearts2Hearts' "Missing Tangy" campaign, a weeks-long social media mystery that treated the smiling citrus like a missing celebrity. Fans were encouraged to report sightings, piece together clues, and speculate about Tangy's whereabouts before the group finally revealed the mascot's improbable destination.

According to aerospace marketing company Sent Into Space, which partnered on the campaign, the mission required considerably more planning than simply tying a lemon to a weather balloon.

The engineering team designed a custom-molded flight seat built specifically for Tangy's "lemon-shaped posterior," complete with a concealed safety harness to keep the mascot secure during the journey. They also 3D-printed a miniature pair of heart-shaped sunglasses so Tangy could travel in style.

Tangy traveling in style. Credit: Courtesy of Sent Into Space

On launch day, the hydrogen-filled balloon carried Tangy into what Sent Into Space describes as near space, ascending for roughly 90 minutes to an altitude of more than 33 kilometers — above 99.5 percent of Earth's atmosphere. At that height, the curvature of the Earth becomes visible while the sky fades into the deep black associated with space.

The balloon itself expanded to nearly 30 meters in diameter — roughly the height of the White House — before bursting as planned. Tangy's spacecraft then descended beneath a parachute, completing a flight that lasted about three hours from launch to landing.

"Collaborating with Hearts2Hearts to celebrate their latest album release was an absolute pleasure, and the entire Sent Into Space team had a fantastic time launching everyone's favourite lemon to over 30km above the Earth," Dr. Chris Rose, head of project at Sent Into Space, said in a statement shared with Mashable. "Tangy did prove to be a bit of a slippery customer, though, managing to escape before we could bring him in for a post-flight debrief…"

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A post shared by Hearts2Hearts H2H (@hearts2hearts)

The joke fit neatly into the campaign itself. Rather than ending with the launch, the story continued with Tangy's playful "escape," extending the mascot's narrative beyond the mission and giving fans one last chapter in the adventure.

The entire journey was documented on video, including exclusive behind-the-scenes footage shared with Mashable that shows engineers preparing Tangy's tiny spacecraft, fitting the mascot with its custom sunglasses, and completing final checks before liftoff.

It's the kind of rollout that's becoming increasingly common in K-pop, where comeback promotions have evolved into multimedia experiences designed to fuel fan conversation long before an album arrives. Whether it's alternate reality games, fictional universes, interactive websites, or elaborate real-world stunts, agencies are increasingly treating album campaigns as immersive stories rather than traditional marketing.

Sending a lemon 33 kilometers above Earth may be one of the more delightfully absurd examples.

But that's precisely why it worked. Fans weren't just anticipating "Lemon Tang" — they were following a little lemon's journey from internet mystery to near-space traveler.

Updated on July 31 at 7:15 p.m. ET — T-Mobile has confirmed to Mashable that some users who spoke with customer service regarding the outage have since received a credit. A company spokesperson provided a statement:

"We understand our service is critical to the lives and businesses of our customers, and we deeply regret the difficulties some customers experienced earlier this week. We restored service as quickly as possible, addressed and resolved the technical challenges, and remain committed to providing the reliable experience our customers expect from us."

If your T-Mobile service was disrupted on Monday, you may be able to get some compensation for your troubles.

Multiple outlets, including KTLA in Los Angeles, have reported that some T-Mobile customers have been able to get at least $20 off their next bill because of the outage. One Reddit user said they were able to save as much as $80 (spread out over multiple billing cycles) by telling customer service that they missed out on a work opportunity because of the outage.

SEE ALSO: T-Mobile is giving away the Apple iPhone 17 for free — how to qualify

Generally, it seems that these credits are not automatic, and you may have to personally contact T-Mobile customer service to be compensated for your troubles.

After a major Verizon mobile outage in January, Verizon offered all affected customers a $20 credit.

Millions of T-Mobile users found their phones stuck in SOS mode on Monday afternoon, which led to plenty of criticism of the brand on social media. T-Mobile did acknowledge and apologize for the outage, though it has not explained what happened.

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Mashable contacted T-Mobile repeatedly to ask about the outage and its causes, but so far, the company has been silent. The most recent post at the T-Mobile news page is the company's Q2 2026 earnings report, in which the company saw growing revenue and profits, with total revenue for the quarter of $22.7 billion.

If you've ever used a handheld gimbal camera and wished it could just float into the air to grab a wide shot, HOVERAir built something specifically for you. The company just announced the VERSA, a pocket camera designed to work both on the ground and in the air.

SEE ALSO: The best cameras for vlogging

Most of the time, it functions as a standard handheld camera with a 3-axis gimbal to keep your video steady. It uses an AI framing feature to analyze your shot, suggest where to place the camera, and automatically crop the frame. HOVERAir also says it handles low-light and high-contrast scenes without blowing out the highlights or losing shadow detail.

HOVERAir is introducing VERSA, a pocket camera that can fly. Credit: HOVERAir

When you want an overhead perspective, you snap on a set of lightweight propeller wings. You don't need a controller or piloting experience — you launch it right out of your hand and let the AI tracking follow you around. It comes with more than 10 automatic flight modes, including a "3D Worlds" setting that flies a 360-degree circle around you to create a three-dimensional image.

The VERSA is set to launch on Indiegogo in mid-August. The official site is live with these initial details, but HOVERAir hasn't shared pricing or the full spec sheet yet.

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SAVE $404: As of July 31, the DJI Mavic 4 Pro Fly More Combo — which includes the drone, DJI RC 2, three batteries, charging hub, shoulder bag, and more — is on sale for $2,495 at Amazon. That's 14% or over $400 in savings.

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If you're looking to elevate your travel content, vlogs, real estate videos, home movies, or commercial projects, DJI drones are the way to go. And if you really want top-tier aerial footage, the Mavic 4 Pro is hard to beat, particularly if you can find it on sale.

The DJI Mavic 4 Pro is a lofty purchase at $2,899, which puts it out of reach for those who just want to dabble in drone content. Instead, it's built for video professionals looking to up their cinematic footage. The Fly More Combo, which includes the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, the DJI RC 2, three batteries, a charging hub, and more, is on sale on Amazon for $2,495. Yes, that's still pricey, but it's over $400 cheaper than usual.

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The Mavic 4 includes a 100MP Hasselblad camera paired with a 48MP medium telephoto at 70mm and a 50MP far-reach telephoto at 168mm. It can shoot 6K/60fps HDR video on the main camera and 4K/120fps HDR video across the three cameras combined. Another added bonus is the infinity gimbal, which offers 360 degrees of rotation for magical shots from virtually any angle.

You'll get about 51 minutes of flight time with the Mavic 4 Pro's battery, but you can swap it for one of the extra batteries included for longer sessions. You'll also get a fast-charging hub with the Fly More Combo, helping you get back up in the air faster.

While it's certainly a major investment, our friends at CNET (also owned by Mashable's publisher, Ziff Davis) raved about it. "The Mavic 4 Pro is a superb option for video professionals who want to add some truly cinematic drone footage to their image-making arsenal."

It's worth that $2,495 sale price for the right creators.

SAVE 48%: As of July 31, you can get the Kingston Fury Renegade G5 SSD (2048GB) for $379.99 at Amazon. That's a 48% discount or $353 in savings.

Kingston Fury Renegade G5 SSD (2048GB) $379.99 at Amazon
$732.99 Save $353   Get Deal at Amazon

If you're tired of deleting old games just to make room for a single new update, it might be time to look into upgrading your internal storage.

Right now, you can get the Kingston Fury Renegade G5 SSD (2048GB) for $379.99 at Amazon, down from $732.99. That's a 48% discount or $353 in savings.

SEE ALSO: RAMageddon is making it harder to find the best Windows laptops. These 10 are actually worth it.

It’s still a spendy upgrade, but this is one of the fastest drives on the market. It delivers read speeds up to 14,800 MB/s and write speeds up to 14,000 MB/s, so game load times and large file transfers happen almost instantly. And because Gen 5 drives are known for running hot when pushed, Kingston designed this one with a specialized thermal layout (a 6nm controller and a 12-layer PCB) to help manage heat and prevent the drive from throttling under heavy workloads.

That said, there is one thing you should know before buying: it uses the standard M.2 2280 form factor and works with older Gen 3 and Gen 4 systems, but you need a motherboard that supports PCIe 5.0 to reach the advertised 14,000 MB/s speeds.

SAVE 44%: As of July 31, you can get a 27-inch LG Ultragear OLED gaming monitor (27GS93QE) for $499.99 at Amazon. That's a 44% discount or $400 in savings.

27-inch LG Ultragear OLED Gaming Monitor $499.99 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $400   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Best Buy

If you've been wanting an OLED monitor but refuse to pay OLED prices, today is your day. Amazon just knocked 44% off the 27-inch LG UltraGear OLED gaming monitor, bringing it down to $499.99. That's a record-low price.

SEE ALSO: The best TVs of 2026 so far: RGB TVs were the talk of CES, but they're not the only exciting releases

OLED screens are notorious for being expensive, but they're also genuinely worth it if you care about picture quality. Because this monitor features VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400, the blacks actually look black, not that washed-out dark gray you get on standard screens. It also has a 240Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms response time, which is just a fancy way of saying your games will run super fast without tearing or lag.

A few other nice-to-have features: the screen is anti-glare, and the stand lets you adjust the height, tilt, and pivot to match your setup. Plus, LG includes a two-year warranty that covers the OLED panel itself.

SAVE $30: As of July 31, get the Apple AirPods 4 for just $99 at Amazon. That saves you $30 off its $129 price tag.

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$129 Save $30   Get Deal

If you're an iPhone user, you can't deny the convenience of Apple's AirPods. The earbuds are perfectly pocket-sized and automatically connect to your iPhone, which means no unnecessary fussing with Bluetooth controls. The biggest downside to AirPods is the price.

When you're used to the days of Apple providing a pair of EarPods with every phone, it's a tough pill to swallow when you see AirPods $129 price tag. Luckily, you don't have to spend that much on them.

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As of July 31, get the Apple AirPods 4 for just $99. That saves you $30 off the earbuds' list price for 23% savings.

Apple AirPods 4 debuted in 2024. They're outfitted with the H2 chip and spatial audio. This pair doesn't have active noise cancellation, but it is sweat- and water-resistant for your workouts. Plus, with the included charging case enjoy up to 30 hours of battery life.

Shop the Apple AirPods 4 at Amazon for $99 now and save $30.

SAVE $162: As of July 31, the Samsung 55-inch M80H Mini LED 4K TV is on sale at Amazon for only $537.99. That's 23% in savings and its lowest price on record.

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$699.99 Save $162   Get Deal

Traditionally, it may not be the best time to buy a new TV, but logically, it certainly is. Not only is the 2026 NFL season right around the corner, but plenty of new movies and TV shows will also hit the airwaves in the coming months (Mother Mary, Ted Lasso Season 4, Reacher Season 4, Survivor Season 51, more than likely Disclosure Day, etc.). Plus, this Samsung Mini LED model is down to its best price ever.

As of July 31, the Samsung 55-inch M80H Mini LED 4K TV is just $537.99, down from $699.99. That's a saving of over $160, marking its lowest price on record according to our favorite price-tracking tool.

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The M80H is a step up from your basic LED TV, featuring a Mini LED display that uses loads of tiny LEDs for brighter, more accurate colors and more cinematic contrast. It's not as impressive as an OLED TV, but it's definitely more preferable if you're on a budget. It also includes an NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor, which has companion features like Samsung Vision AI and the AI Sound Controller. These added perks let you elevate specific parts of the sound or add more depth to certain scenes.

For gamers, the M80H is a solid pick, as it features the Motion Xcelerator 144Hz for supporting PC gaming, DLG 240Hz for smoother motion and response times, AMD FreeSync Premium, and an in-game menu that lets you control FPS, input lag, and more.

If your old TV has seen its final days, there's never been a better time to grab Samsung's 55-inch M80H Mini LED TV.

It's only been a few months since Logan Paul's $16 million Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card sale set a record, but he's already on the hunt for something more valuable.

The controversial YouTuber-turned-WWE star released a one-hour mini-documentary on YouTube on Friday, chronicling his quest to acquire a card that doesn't exist yet.

So what exactly is he trying to do, and why is the Pokémon card he's trying to acquire potentially so valuable? Let's break it down.

SEE ALSO: I tried to buy my son some Pokémon cards at retail price. It was almost impossible. Which Pokémon card is Logan Paul trying to acquire?

In a nutshell, the origin of Pokémon cards can be dated back to 1996. Rather than being sold in packs, the first trading cards were available to peel from sheets found in a Japanese comic called CoroCoro. Pairs of cards were released over a number of issues, with the first – issue 223 – containing Pikachu and Jigglypuff cards.

The catch? Although there are many of these cards in circulation, there is apparently still no Pikachu that's been graded a perfect 10 by the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) body.

The video above chronicles Paul's attempt to secure one, following him as he buys copies of CoroCoro 223 along with pre-production sheets of the cards that came with the issue, hoping to peel a Pikachu card that's high enough quality to make the grade of Gem Mint 10 (categorised on PSA's website as a "virtually perfect card").

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. When will we know if Logan Paul has acquired the PSA 10 Pikachu?

This is the big question. Normally getting cards graded with PSA takes time (from five to 25 business days), but in the documentary we see Paul getting two cards graded far more quickly after dropping them off at one of the PSA offices himself.

At the end of the video, he announces a live streaming event where he will peel the Pikachu card that he hopes to get graded a 10. What we don't know is what will happen next. Will the event end with Paul showing the card off and getting ready to take it to PSA? Or does he have the kind of relationship with the authenticator where he'll be able to organise for one of its graders to attend the event, and do the grading in person?

We'll have to wait for the stream, which is happening July 30 at 9:30 p.m. EST on Paul's YouTube channel, to find out.

Featured Video For You Boys on the internet are telling me nicotine is a productivity hack

UPDATE: Jul. 31, 2026, 2:45 p.m. Logan Paul completed his livestream on Thursday, peeling the Pikachu on YouTue — but based on the card's centering, he doesn't think it'll achieve the PSA 10 grade needed to complete his mission.