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Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love the outdoors.

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 December 17, 2025 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 December 17, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Green plant.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter S appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter G.

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...

GRASS

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 17, 2025

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.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 17, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for December 17, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 17 Pips

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically.

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed vertically.

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

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 17 Pips

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically; 2-0, placed vertically; 2-0, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 0. The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally; 0-6, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically; 0-6, placed horizontally; 0-5, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally; 4-5, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 17 Pips

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically; 3-1, placed vertically; 3-5, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 1-5, placed horizontally.

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

Equal (1): Everything in this yellow space must be equal to 1. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically; 1-5, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically; 3-2, placed vertically; 2-2, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed vertically.

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

SAVE $20: As of Dec. 17, the Amazon Fire Stick 4K Plus is on sale for $29.99 at Amazon. That's a 40% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire Stick 4K Plus $29.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $20.00   Get Deal

Amazon’s Fire Stick 4K has been renamed — it’s now the Fire Stick 4K Plus. There's nothing different about it other than its name, which has changed to make way for a new model in the 4K range called the Fire Stick 4K Select. And as of Dec. 17, you can get the Plus on sale, currently down to $29.99. That's a $20 saving on list price.

This streaming stick is designed for improved performance on 4K TVs, giving you a smoother playback and faster streaming than previous generations of the streaming device. Enjoy an impressive 4K Ultra HD resolution, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos audio experience with whatever you watch.

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If you're a gamer, this model also supports cloud gaming through Xbox Game Pass, without a console. It also has Alexa built in, so you can use voice commands to ask it pretty much anything. It can even be used to control other smart devices in the home, like robot vacuums. And with the Fire OS, you'll have access to more than 1.8 million movies and TV episodes across streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and Max, alongside free content from Tubi and Pluto TV.

You can find this streaming stick deal at Amazon now.

Apple's iPhone lineup is about to get a lot more interesting.

Yes, we already know about the iPhone Fold, as well as the prospect of an upcoming "20th anniversary iPhone" with an all-screen design. Now, however, The Information has a detailed report about all of the new iPhones Apple is working on, with some details we haven't seen elsewhere.

Perhaps the most interesting is the sheer breadth of the upcoming iPhone lineup. The company added the iPhone Air to its lineup this year, increasing the number of the models it sells to five: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, alongside the entry-level iPhone 16e which launched in February.

SEE ALSO: Review: The new iPhone Air is the sexiest iPhone I've ever tested

Now, Apple reportedly has a total of seven iPhone variants in the works: iPhone 17e (and its successor, the iPhone 18e), iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, iPhone Air 2, iPhone Fold, and iPhone 20.

Incremental upgrades for the base models The Camera Control button might actually lose some functionality on the iPhone 18. Credit: Apple

The Information's report sheds some light on each model. The iPhone 17e will be an "incremental upgrade" to the iPhone 16e, but it will have magnetic wireless charging which was painfully absent from the older model. It's unclear why the iPhone 18e is mentioned separately, as the report doesn't have any new details about it.

Then there's the "base" upcoming iPhone model, the iPhone 18. It will reportedly be announced in the spring for the first time, marking a massive change from Apple's traditional September iPhone launch. As for new features, the only thing that's mentioned is actually a downgrade of sorts, with haptic feedback and touch sensing being removed from the camera capture button to save costs.

According to the report, the iPhone Air 2, which is launching in the spring of 2027 (meaning next year will be completely iPhone Air-less), will be significantly redesigned, with (perhaps) a second camera, and a lower price.

Featured Video For You How 6 generations of iPhone captured 20 years of motherhood in 'Motherboard' No Dynamic Island on the Pro models? Will Apple 'eliminate' the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro, or will it merely be smaller in size? Credit: Apple

The flagship iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models are coming, as always, in the fall of next year. Key improvements include an under-display FaceID sensor, fully eliminating the Dynamic Island. The display won't be fully uninterrupted, as the selfie camera will reportedly be relocated to the top left of the display.

While the report calls the Dynamic Island "unsightly," Apple put in significant effort in turning what is essentially a camera cutout into a useful feature; it would be odd for the company to simply abandon it in favor of a pedestrian punch-hole camera cutout. This part of the report is also in conflict with an earlier Bloomberg report, claiming Apple will merely reduce the size of the Dynamic Island in the near future, with the plan to fully eliminate it later.

At least one of the rear cameras on the iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max is reportedly getting a mechanical aperture, and there will be a new image sensor that can capture more light at night. Finally, an improved chip design could make the phone faster in AI tasks.

The new, new flagships Apple's foldable iPhone might have a different design compared to most modern foldable phones. Credit: Alexandr Bognat/ Getty Images

The most interesting bit in the report is the part that deals with the entirely new iPhone flagships, which could actually sit above the Pro models in Apple's iPhone hierarchy.

First, there's the foldable iPhone Fold, which is reportedly coming the fall of 2026, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. It's said to have a 5.3-inch display when folded and a 7.7-inch, landscape-oriented display when unfolded. In contrast, Samsung and Google's foldable phones are portrait-oriented main display. The iPhone Fold will reportedly have a single selfie camera, as well as sensors, embedded in the top-left corner of the display.

It's worth noting that a 5.3-inch display is tiny by today's standards, given that Apple's most recent "small" iPhone, the iPhone mini 13, had a 5.4-inch display.

The report also says the design of the iPhone Fold is incredibly complex and that Apple is being "particularly secretive" about it, meaning the reports we've seen (including this one) may have gotten some details wrong. For example, The Information claims that the screen sizes for the iPhone Fold could change — something that seems unlikely to us if the device is about to launch in less than a year's time.

Finally, the crown jewel of Apple's iPhone lineup could be the iPhone 20 (we're not sure about the name, but it would be timed to launch at the 20th anniversary of the iPhone), launching in the fall of 2027. It will reportedly have a curved glass enclosure both on the front and back and along all four edges, meaning it might not have a typical frame that's typical on today's phones. Instead, it would have a "narrow metal band running around the midpoint of the device's edge, where the buttons sit."

The iPhone 20 will also reportedly have all the sensors and the front camera under the display, which would make this the first iPhone with a fully edge-to-edge display.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you know your baseball slang.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Can be worn

• Green: Same modified word

• Blue: Competitors

• Purple: Same first word

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Big 12 teams

• Green: Descriptors for baseball catches

• Blue: Teams Skylar Diggins has played for

• Purple: Sand ___

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #450 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Headgear - CAP, HAT, MASK, VISOR

• Prefixes to -season - MID, OFF, POST, PRE

• Ligue 1 teams - LENS, MARSEILLE, NICE, PSG

• Batting ____ - AVERAGE, GLOVES, PRACTICE, STANCE

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

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

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

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

Apple's AirPods Max sound great, look stylish, feature lossless audio, and sit basically at the bottom of the list of popular headphones I recommend.

That's not to say anyone who owns a pair of the AirPods Max should upgrade immediately. Considering they hit the market over five years ago, they hold up surprisingly well with the competition. The problem is, as someone who tests headphones for a living, I've watched as release after release offers more than the Maxes — yet somehow, the AirPods Max remain one of the most expensive consumer headphones on the market.

SEE ALSO: The 11 best noise-cancelling headphones we use, love, and recommend

To be transparent, I haven't tested the AirPods Max for myself, but my colleagues have. So together, with my headphones knowledge and their testing notes about the over-ear headphones, I've broken down why the AirPods Max are probably not worth it for most people to buy in 2025 and beyond.

Form over function

As I said up top, their design is nothing to scoff at. Yes, they're ultimately a pair of over-ear headphones; they have the uniquely sleek Apple look, from the stainless steel headband frame to the knit mesh canopy and memory foam ear cups. These design choices also work to provide a comfortable fit, and certainly established Apple as a leader in balancing form and function back in 2020, upon these headphones' release. However, newer headphones, such as the Sonos Ace, offer an equally sleek and stylish design at a more affordable price.

In the years since their launch, the only meaningful upgrade these headphones have received is a swap in their charging port from Lightning to USB-C. Beyond that, they also now support lossless audio. (Even in Apple's own press release from the event when the "new" USB-C Maxes were launched, the headline is an anti-climactic "AirPods Max Get Five New Colors."

SEE ALSO: New AirPods Max aren't coming soon, report says

The main selling point of these headphones, then, remains buying into Apple's ecosystem with a pair of over-ear headphones. It's not a moot one — the connection speed to Apple devices is essentially automatic, with the Maxes offering some of the most seamless switching between audio streams on different devices.

Yet once again, that point gets undermined, thanks to the existence of the Beats Studio Pro headphones. As Apple-made headphones, they fit just as well into the ecosystem. Even better, the 2023-released headphones are far more up-to-date than the Maxes, with ANC on par with the older pair, as well as improved sound quality and battery life.

Plus, though they're $349.99 at full price, they're frequently on sale for under $200, putting them less than half the price of the AirPods Max at full price and at their record-low sale price of $399. As Mashable Contributor Alex Bracetti writes in his guide to the best Beats headphones, the Studio Pro headphones are for "anyone who wants Apple noise-cancelling headphones without drastically overpaying for them (cough AirPods Max cough)."

Beats Studio Pro $179.95 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $170.04   Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Best Buy How does the sound quality hold up?

Despite being an older pair of headphones, the AirPods Max still sound reliably great. Mashable's Stan Schroeder described the sound as "pleasant, balanced," and not too bass-heavy. He wrote of the balance, "Audiophiles will call this a 'V' shaped sound: bass and treble are slightly pronounced, while midrange tones are slightly recessed, which works for rock and electronic music, but it can leave intimate, acoustic performances a bit lacking."

They also feature Dolby Atmos, which provides a spatial listening experience. Essentially, you feel like the music is coming from around you, as it might if you were to listen to it in person.

SEE ALSO: Spotify and Apple Music will offer lossless audio. Here's what you need to know.

More recently, Apple upgraded the headphones to include lossless audio, which Schroeder wrote did provide a notable bump in the sound quality. To him, the songs opened up, sounding more detailed and less compressed. That quality works nicely with the larger design of the Apple earcups, which provide more physical space around your ear, "which helps create an airiness that closed over-the-ear headphones rarely possess," according to Schroeder.

Audiophiles should note that lossless audio is only supported up to 24-bit, 48 kHz quality (as opposed to Apple Music's support of 24-bit, 192 kHz quality), but that difference is more noticeable and more applicable to professionals using professional gear.

The ANC is fine, but starting to lag behind

Back in 2020, the AirPods Max featured some of the best noise cancellation available. It's a testament to what a good job Apple did that five years later, the ANC is still solid.

That said, it doesn't quite match up with newer models like the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) headphones (both of which clock in $100 cheaper than the Maxes at full price). In comparing them directly against the latter headphones, Mashable Bracetti wrote that the AirPods Max "[silence] a high number of low- and mid-frequency sounds, but it struggles with high-frequency sounds," while the "QC Ultra delivers class-leading ANC capable of eliminating close to 90 percent of unwanted sounds."

The ANC on the AirPods Max doesn't quite match up to the newer Bose QC Ultra 2 headphones. Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable

While Bracetti called out that the Maxes still have one of the best Transparency modes available, they lack the conversation boost modes you can find on the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3.

They also lack any manually adjustable ANC, which can be found on both headphones like the QC Ultras, as well as mid-range and budget headphones.

SEE ALSO: Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: What's different this time? A pretty mid option for travel

The quality of a pair of noise-cancelling headphones can make or break your travel experience. While the AirPods Max-owning travelers among us aren't likely to have a bad time, there are a few key features that make these headphones less suited to journeying.

1. The battery life sucks: Plain and simple, 20 hours of battery life with ANC is way behind the standard of premium headphones these days. The aforementioned Bose QC Ultra 2 headphones and Sony XM6 headphones each have 30 hours of battery life, while options like the Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones and Dyson OnTrac headphones get up to 60 hours and 55 hours, respectively. The Maxes' saving grace here is the five-minute quick charge, which gets you a 1.5-hour charge. But maybe that gets cancelled out by the way you can never really turn these headphones off, thanks to their lack of a power button.

2. The case isn't really a case: Call me crazy, but I feel like a headphones case should cover the entire headphones, including the more delicate mesh headband. Apple seems to disagree, though, resulting in the AirPods Max "case" that isn't likely to provide you a great deal of protection when you're taking them on the go.

3. They're bulky: In addition to having large ear cups, these headphones don't fold up. Apple could probably take a page out of Sony's book when it comes to the next upgrade, because a folding ear cup design allows for a significantly more travel-friendly pair of headphones.

This case design is a choice. Credit: Zlata Ivleva / Mashable The value just isn't there anymore

Simply put, I struggle to think of another brand resting its laurels on a five-year-old pair of headphones. Where the AirPods Max were once innovative, they're now just solidly OK, but just as overpriced as they were upon release.

Instead of shelling out $549 for headphones with five-year-old specs, we recommend picking up these headphones instead:

Headphones to buy instead of the AirPods Max Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) $449 at Amazon Shop Now Sony WH-1000XM6 $459.99 at Amazon Shop Now Beats Studio Pro $349.99 at Amazon Shop Now Sony WH-1000XM5 $399.99 at Amazon Shop Now Sennheiser Momentum 4 $449.95 at Amazon Shop Now Sonos Ace $279.00 at Amazon Shop Now Who should buy AirPods Max in 2026?

To anyone waiting with bated breath for the AirPods Max 2, maybe don't. The rumors back in November 2024 that we wouldn't be likely to get an upgrade to the over-ear headphones seem to be holding strong, according to Mark Gurman's Power On newsletter.

With no likely upgrade on the horizon, should anyone really be buying the AirPods Max these days? If you're an Apple user who really likes the design, don't often use headphones for travel, and don't run your battery life down often, these could be a good option if and only if they're on sale. At their record low, we've seen them drop to $399.99. Just be aware that the sale price point still puts them on par with the sale prices (and, in some cases, full prices) of most of the above 2025-release headphones we recommend, so even going for a significantly older model isn’t making a difference in how much money you can save.

Apple AirPods Max $449.99 at Best Buy
$549.99 Save $100   See It at Best Buy See It at Walmart See It at Amazon

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025:

AcrossNod (off)

• The answer is Doze.

Naval submarine in W.W. II

• The answer is Uboat.

Tricky thing to do on a busy highway

• The answer is Merge.

Heat-resistant glassware for cooking

• The answer is Pyrex.

Put into groups

• The answer is Sort.

DownBreak up with

• The answer is Dump

Falls in line, so to speak

• The answer is Obeys.

Legendary vigilante who cuts a "Z" with his sword

• The answer is Zorro.

Rarin' to go

• The answer is Eager.

Common reminder for an upcoming appointment

• The answer is Text.

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

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Mini Crossword.

SAVE OVER $100: As of Dec. 17, the iRobot Roomba 105 has dropped back to its lowest-ever price of $169 at Amazon. This is $150.99 off its list price of $319.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: iRobot iRobot Roomba 105 Combo $169 at Amazon
$319.99 Save $150.99   Get Deal

Keeping a clean house around the holidays can be tricky if you're having lots of people over. That's where a robot vacuum can be a helpful investment. It can zoom around picking up any crumbs that have dropped on the floor or dirt that's been tracked in. If you've had one in mind, the good news is quite a few are on sale right now, including the iRobot Roomba 105 robot vacuum and mop at Amazon.

The iRobot Roomba 105 has plummeted back to its lowest-ever price of $169 at Amazon. This allows you to save $150.99 off its usual price of $319.99. If you're hoping to grab it ahead of the holidays, Amazon even has a note on its sale page that states it'll arrive before Christmas to give you a little peace of mind.

SEE ALSO: The 65 best tech gifts of the year, hand-picked by professional gadget nerds

We consider the iRobot Roomba 105 to be the best value Roomba in our roundup of the best robot vacuums. Mashable's Leah Stodart states "the Roomba 105 series vacuums are iRobot's most advanced and fairly-priced entry-level robot vacuums to date." This particular model boasts 70x more suction compared to Roomba 600 series robots, a multi-surface brush and edge-sweeping brush, alongside a microfiber mop pad to wash away any messes on harder surfaces.

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The iRobot Roomba 105 also comes with ClearView LiDAR navigation, which allows it to map out your home and avoid any obstacles in its way for a more efficient clean. If this robot vacuum sounds like it would be a helpful addition to your home, now is your chance to save 47% at Amazon.

If this robot vacuum was on your holiday season shopping list and you're looking for more gift ideas this year, check out our roundup of the 60+ best Christmas gifts for 2025 for more recommendations worth grabbing before the holidays.

SAVE $120: As of Dec. 17, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is on sale for $129.99 on Amazon. That's a 48% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 $129.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $120   Get Deal

There's just over a week until the big day, and if you're still searching for the perfect Christmas gift for someone, run to Amazon. There's a whole lot of deals on everything from earbuds to robot vacuums, but this discount on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is a real steal. As of Dec. 17, this fitness tracker is down to its lowest-ever price, saving you $120. That's nearly a 50% discount.

The Galaxy Watch 7 is a great option, and a perfect all-rounder smartwatch. You can track your fitness, health, and it even has lifestyle features like on-wrist notifications. It also uses Galaxy AI to help you monitor your performance and recovery over time. It lets you compare your current run, ride, or other activity with previous sessions, and gives you a personalised Energy Score that determines your physical readiness based on recent activity.

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The sleep tracking is advanced and helps to support better rest. The watch will give you insights into sleep habits and it even has the ability to detect signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Insignia Insignia 50-inch Class F50 TV $169.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $130   Get Deal

The Insignia 50-inch Class F50 TV has seen some great discounts in recent weeks, especially during Black Friday. If you missed out back then, don't worry, you can treat yourself to an early Christmas gift because as of Dec. 17, it's back down to its Black Friday sale price.

As of Dec. 17, you can save $130 with the new price of $169.99. This price is for the 50-inch model, but there are deals to be had across all size options from 43 inches up to 85 inches. The choice is yours.

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This TV has 4K Ultra HD, 2160p resolution with HDR10 support, and delivers incredibly sharp detail and improved contrast compared to Full HD. It can even upscale lower-resolution content to near-Ultra HD quality.

It's powered by Amazon's Fire TV, so you can enjoy an organised home screen with all your favorite apps and TV shows in one place, and you'll have access to streaming services like Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max. With the Fire OS, you also get free streaming options such as Fire TV Channels, Tubi, and Pluto TV. It can even act as a smart home hub, too, letting you view any live camera feeds, control compatible lighting, or robot vacuums.

Pick up this great TV from Amazon.

When it comes to TV, 2025 truly spoiled viewers for choice.

This year offered a feast across all different genres and streaming platforms. Returning dramas like Severance and Andor surpassed our highest expectations, which more than made up for the disappointing returns of some other high-profile series. (Looking at you, The White Lotus and The Last of Us.) Where old favorites failed to wow us, new favorites shone, like medical drama The Pitt, one-take wonder Adolescence, and crime drama Task.

SEE ALSO: The best Netflix TV shows of 2025

Comedy thrived this year as well. Showbiz satires The Studio and Hacks earned Emmy acclaim. Netflix's North of North established itself as a new heartwarming small-town sitcom, while The Office spin-off The Paper provided a charming peek at local journalism. The trio of Overcompensating, Adults, and I Love LA ushered in an exciting era of zillennial comedies. And over on HBO, Nathan Fielder and Tim Robinson honed their bizarro brands with The Rehearsal Season 2 and The Chair Company, respectively.

As if that weren't enough, genre fans had their hands full this year, with historical dramas like Death by Lightning and The Narrow Road to the Deep North; horror series like IT: Welcome to Derry; and a bumper crop of dazzling sci-fi, including Alien: Earth, Pluribus, Severance, and Andor.

All this is to say that putting together a list of only the 10 best shows of the year was challenging, but not impossible. From sci-fi epics to noir mysteries, sex quests to family dramedies, here are the best shows of 2025 and where you can stream them.

10. Dying for Sex

When Molly Kochan (Michelle Williams) is diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer, she embarks on a quest to orgasm with another person for the first time. That means leaving her husband Steve (Jay Duplass), joining hookup apps, experimenting with sex toys, and trying to find what, exactly, gets her off.

SEE ALSO: 'Dying for Sex' review: Michelle Williams' horny miniseries will break your heart

Based on a true story, Dying for Sex takes a frank, judgment-free approach to Molly's sexual encounters, be they awkward, pleasurable, or downright hilarious. (Often, they're all three.) But it also proves to be a tender love story between Molly and her best friend Nikki (Jenny Slate), who becomes Molly's primary caretaker. As the two face down Molly's declining health, Dying for Sex explores the lengths this pair will go to to make each other happy and fulfilled. It's life-affirming and heart-shattering in equal measure, anchored by phenomenal performances from Williams and Slate. As I wrote in my review, "As a duo, they oscillate between gallows humor and genuine heartbreak at a moment's notice, a dichotomy that feels so natural you can't believe you've only been watching their takes on Molly and Nikki for a few episodes. You also can't believe that their friendship will one day come to an end, but Dying for Sex faces that inevitability head on, as honest about death as it is about sex."

Starring: Michelle Williams, Jenny Slate, Rob Delaney, Jay Duplass, Kelvin Yu, Sissy Spacek, David Rasche, and Esco Jouléy

How to watch: Dying for Sex is now streaming on Hulu.

9. Long Story Short

Long Story Short is exactly what you'd expect from BoJack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg: witty as hell in one moment, downright devastating in the next. The series invites viewers into the lives of the Schwooper siblings (voiced by Ben Feldman, Abbi Jacobson, and Max Greenfield), spanning decades from their chaotic childhoods to their equally tumultuous adulthoods. From disastrous bar mitzvahs to awkward interventions, you've got a seat at the family table for it all.

Long Story Short cleverly collapses time in each episode, demonstrating how small incidents in our youth can snowball into major hang-ups in our later years. That nonlinear chronology turns the series into a thought-provoking examination of trauma and ever-shifting family ties. And what a family the Schwooper clan is, bursting with clashing personalities, inside jokes, and grievances that feel equal parts grounded and absurd. Spend just a few minutes with them, and you'll feel like you've known them your whole life, a quality that led me to call them "an instant classic TV family" in my review.

Starring: Ben Feldman, Abbi Jacobson, Max Greenfield, Lisa Edelstein, and Paul Reiser

How to watch: Long Story Short is now streaming on Netflix.

8. Mo, Season 2

Not only is Mo one of the best TV shows of 2025, it's also essential viewing. Co-created by Mo Amer and Ramy Youssef, this semi-autobiographical series centers on Palestinian refugee Mo (Amer) and his family's lives in Houston. Season 2 opens with Mo struggling to get back to the U.S. from Mexico. Detention centers and perilous border crossings await, all sobering reflections of the real-life journeys of immigrants trying to make it across the U.S.-Mexico border.

SEE ALSO: 'Mo' Season 2 review: Here's why it's still one of TV's most important shows

As UK Editor Shannon Connellan wrote in her review, "Mo's second season comes at a volatile time for Palestinians and undocumented immigrants alike, with those in power enforcing heartless, brutal decisions from disengaged, lofty offices that impact real people. Somehow, beyond all belief, amid a sense of transience and fear, of stacked odds and starting from scratch, Mo finds levity, surrealism, and personal solidarity in the dark, while being a genuinely funny and moving show." 

Starring: Mo Amer, Farah Bsieso, Teresa Ruiz, Tobe Nwigwe, and Omar Elba

How to watch: Mo Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

7. Adolescence

Likely to be the most harrowing viewing experience you'll have this year, Adolescence traps you in a nightmare over the course of its four episodes, each filmed in one take. Co-created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, and directed by Boiling Point's Philip Barantini, Netflix's much buzzed-about miniseries examines the aftermath of a chilling murder committed by 13-year-old Jamie (newcomer Owen Cooper). Each episode focuses on a different perspective around the case, from a detective (Ashley Walters) investigating Jamie's school to Jamie's family reckoning with his actions.

SEE ALSO: Netflix's 'Adolescence' review: One of the best, most devastating shows of 2025

These vignettes, coupled with Barantini's one-take technique, create an unflinching portrait of a crime that feels all too rooted in reality. As UK Deputy Editor Sam Haysom wrote in his review, "Adolescence's story isn't a crime mystery so much as a psychological study — it's an exploration of the manosphere culture that's having a real world affect on teenagers, and the societal and familial triggers that might lead to a seemingly ordinary 13-year-old doing something unthinkable. On this level, and on almost all others, the show is chillingly effective."

Starring: Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters, Erin Doherty, Owen Cooper, Faye Marsay, Christine Tremarco, and Amelie Pease

How to watch: Adolescence is now streaming on Netflix.

6. The Pitt

ER's Noah Wyle jumps back into a TV hospital in The Pitt, the real-time medical drama that took the world by storm in early 2025. Wyle plays Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, the chief attending physician in the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center's emergency department. He's about to embark on 15-hour shift, where he and his colleagues will train the next generation of doctors, weather personal troubles, and do everything in their power to treat the injuries and illnesses that come through their doors.

SEE ALSO: 'The Pitt' review: Noah Wyle medical drama is part 'ER,' part '24,' and all compelling

The Pitt's real-time structure and grounded cinematography turn the series into a veritable pressure cooker, immersing audiences in a world of exhausting, often overwhelming chaos. The series also thoughtfully tackles pressing medical issues, including understaffed hospitals, racial disparity in care, and hot-button topics like abortion. Leading us through it all is Wyle and The Pitt's exceptional ensemble cast, tasked with performing some of the most graphic, hyper-realistic TV surgeries in recent memory. Clock into The Pitt in order to see for yourself why I called it "TV's next great medical drama."

Starring: Noah Wyle, Tracy Ifeachor, Patrick Ball, Supriya Ganesh, Fiona Dourif, Taylor Dearden, Isa Briones, Gerran Howell, Shabana Azeez, and Katherine LaNasa

How to watch: The Pitt is now streaming on Max.

5. The Studio

Seth Rogen absolutely torches Hollywood in Apple TV's The Studio, where he plays new studio head Matt Remick. A cinephile tasked with creating a movie based on the Kool-Aid brand, Matt finds himself faced with the eternal question of art versus commerce. Can he make high-grossing movies with artistic merit? Or is he — along with the rest of Hollywood — doomed to make slop?

SEE ALSO: 'The Studio' review: Seth Rogen torches Hollywood in must-watch satire

The Studio approaches this question with razor-sharp satire and a healthy dose of cringe comedy, bludgeoning the egos of everyone from actors and directors to publicists and executives. But despite its Hollywood grievances, The Studio also serves as a love letter to film. On top of tributes to genres like film noir and zombie movies, the series often employs long takes in homage to Robert Altman's satire The Player. These create a high-energy wave of cinematic mayhem where everyone from Martin Scorsese to Zoë Kravitz could pop up at any given moment. The result is a show that's current, formally engaging, and, as I wrote in my full review, "full-on comedy gold."

Starring: Seth Rogen, Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, and Bryan Cranston

How to watch: The Studio is now streaming on Apple TV.

4. Pluribus

Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan continues his streak of damn great TV shows with Pluribus, a sci-fi series that defies convention at every turn. Better Call Saul's Rhea Seehorn plays Carol Sturka, the most miserable woman in the world. That title isn't that hard to hold, seeing as the rest of the world has been infected by a virus that's left everyone else blissfully happy. Still, Carol's circumstances have only made her more upset, and she's determined to save the world.

SEE ALSO: 'Pluribus' review: I can't tell you much about Vince Gilligan's sci-fi series, but what I can say is glowing

Seehorn's towering performance is reason enough to check out Pluribus, but there's even more to love where that came from. Ethical quandaries! Fake romantasy novels! Some of the most surreal moments put to TV this year! It's impossible to sum up the sheer scope of Pluribus and its greatness in just one blurb, so I'll just point to my review, which called the series "a singular experience."

Starring: Rhea Seehorn, Karolina Wydra, Carlos Manuel Vesga, Samba Schutte, and Miriam Shor

How to watch: Pluribus is now streaming on Apple TV.

3. The Lowdown

Reservation Dogs showrunner Sterlin Harjo and Ethan Hawke made magic when the latter guest-starred in Reservation Dogs' penultimate episode, "Elora's Dad." It's no surprise, then, that their collaboration on The Lowdown produces similarly electric results.

SEE ALSO: 'The Lowdown' review: Sterlin Harjo and Ethan Hawke team up for a killer noir caper

Hawke plays Lee Raybon, a citizen journalist and "truthstorian" dedicated to holding Tulsa's corrupt power players accountable for their wrongdoing. As Lee embarks on an investigation into the prominent Washberg family, Harjo manages to deftly combine elements of noir mystery with the hangout vibe of Reservation Dogs. What follows is truly one of a kind: a textured, lived-in portrait of Tulsa led by a charming, grizzled turn from Hawke. As I wrote in my review, "Hawke's maniacal laughter after Lee's escapes or major discoveries is a forever reminder of what I love about the show: its ability to make me laugh my head off, even after watching a man get his head shot clean off."

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Keith David, Kaniehtiio Horn, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Kyle MacLachlan, Scott Shepherd, Siena East, Michael Hitchcock, Michael “Killer Mike” Render, Cody Lightning, Tim Blake Nelson, and Tracy Letts

How to watch: The Lowdown is now streaming on Hulu.

2. Andor, Season 2

Star Wars' best TV show goes out with a brilliant bang in its second (and tragically final) season. Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is now a full-fledged part of the Rebellion, joining Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) and Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) in their fight against the Empire. But the Empire has plans of its own, setting its sights on the planet Ghorman in the lead-up to one of the most devastating plot lines in all of Star Wars.

SEE ALSO: 'Andor' Season 2 review: The best Star Wars show goes out with a brilliant bang

In showrunner Tony Gilroy's hands, Andor remains equal parts nail-biting spy thriller and astonishing rallying cry against fascism, pulling no punches when it comes to topics like Imperial propaganda or genocide. From its portrayal of revolutionary sacrifice to its chilling take on the machine of empire, Andor is so damn good it's a shame it's over. (And that we'll likely never get a Star Wars show this subversive again.) But on the bright side, as I wrote in my review, "Andor goes out on its own terms, leaving a brilliant, blistering look at fascism and those who fight it in its wake."

Starring: Diego Luna, Kyle Soller, Adria Arjona, Stellan Skarsgård, Fiona Shaw, Genevieve O'Reilly, Denise Gough, Faye Marsay, Varada Sethu, and Elizabeth Dulau

How to watch: Andor Season 2 is now streaming on Disney+.

1. Severance, Season 2

My expectations for Severance Season 2 were insurmountably high, especially after a three-year hiatus. But somehow, Dan Erickson's sci-fi workplace drama managed to surpass even my highest hopes, delivering a season that's deeper, stranger, and even more mysterious and important than Season 1.

Severance Season 2 furthers its examination of identity, with almost all of Lumon's Severed employees somehow at war with themselves. It also toys with the implications of what the severance procedure could mean for the rest of the world, resulting in the jaw-dropping reveals of the Gemma (Dichen Lachman)-focused "Chikhai Bardo" episode. That's just one of many standout installments Severance had to offer this season, including the Innies' bizarre odyssey through "Woe's Hollow" and a jaw-dropping finale that solved many questions, but left just enough mysteries for fans to puzzle over before Season 3.

SEE ALSO: I went to the 'Severance' pop-up at Bell Works. It was surreal.

But amid all its sci-fi twists and turns, Severance still manages to stay rooted in its characters' struggles for connection in a cold, corporate world. As I wrote in my review, "The show may throw everything from surreal workplace dance parties to precious baby goats at us, but at the end of the day, we're watching a man trying to reunite with his wife. We're watching Irving pining for Burt, and Dylan seeking crumbs of information about the family he may never know. We're watching workers fight to be recognized as humans instead of free labor. It's personal, it's universal, and it's absolutely astounding."

Starring: Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Zach Cherry, Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, Dichen Lachman, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Patricia Arquette, and Sarah Bock

How to watch: Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV.

As Mashable's new tech editor, I get paid to stay on top of the latest tech trends, and I love my job. A lot happened in the tech world this year, but one technology dominated headlines more than any other — artificial intelligence. Companies like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic made big advances in AI this year (though not as big as they might have hoped), both for better and worse. Not only that, but AI is now being integrated into virtually every tech product we own, even if you wish it wouldn't.

So, what are the 2026 tech trends I'm eyeing as we approach the new year? Yes, generative AI and large-language models will continue to take up a lot of oxygen in the tech world, even if — and maybe especially if — the AI bubble finally pops, like the Dot Com bubble before it.

Besides AI, you can look forward to exciting new foldable phones with more flexible displays. I also expect a lot of robots to enter the consumer market next year, as well as all the usual suspects from Apple, Samsung, Google, and Microsoft. Let's get out our crystal balls and smart AR/XR glasses and preview the tech trends to come in 2026.

Smart glasses and the return of the Google Glasshole

It's getting hard to remember what Mark Zuckerberg looked like before he started wearing Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses at all of his public appearances. Like a lot of Silicon Valley leaders, Zuck is all-in on smart glasses, and virtually every big tech company is working on its own version of Meta's Ray-Ban Display augmented-reality glasses. Samsung, Apple, and Google are all rumored or confirmed to be making smart glasses, and we also saw the launch of the Xreal One Pro AR glasses earlier this year.

I expect more smart AR glasses to launch next year, but even though Silicon Valley is convinced these gadgets are the future of personal computing, I'm not so sure. Zuck couldn't have been more wrong about the metaverse. Even people who need to wear glasses for vision correction often do so reluctantly, and there's a reason face-worn computers have so far failed to launch. On top of that, a lot of people just don't want every single interaction potentially recorded by a person wearing smart glasses with built-in cameras and microphones. The Google Glasshole was reviled for a reason.

Mark Zuckerberg wears Meta Ray-Ban Display AI glasses at the Meta Connect event. Credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

This might be a generational divide. Young people raised on smartphones and social media may not share my discomfort with the surveillance culture that would follow widespread smart glasses adoption. But I think Silicon Valley is facing an uphill battle here.

Foldable phones will enter the mainstream

Foldable phones are no longer a novelty. They've been a reality of the smartphone market for years, and the early problems with these devices have mostly been ironed out. The Motorola Razr Ultra is a folding flip phone with a satisfying snap and killer battery life, and the new Galaxy Z Fold 7 is insanely thin. Yet the foldable market has been waiting for a latecomer to join the party — Apple.

Forget about the folding phone; get ready for the tri-folding phone. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

I expect the iPhone Fold to finally make its debut in 2026, and if anything can push foldables into the mainstream, it's Apple. These phones are also getting much better in general, and 2025 was the year I was finally convinced these devices are ready for primetime. If 2025 was the year of the ultra-thin phone (and it was), then expect 2026 to be the year of foldable phones, especially with both the iPhone Fold and Samsung's upcoming Galaxy TriFold coming soon.

AI will keep improving, but true AGI will remain out of reach

AGI, or artificial general intelligence, is the holy grail of the AI industry. AGI refers to a hypothetical AI system that has the full intellectual capabilities of a human. Put another way, it would be capable of performing most jobs without supervision. That's the end goal, and the reason why billions of dollars — trillions by some estimates — are being invested into unsustainable AI companies.

A lot of AI skeptics would like to believe that AI boosters are con artists and hucksters, and that AI chatbots are just a flash in the pan like NFTs. But the truth is, many of the people who work at companies like OpenAI have an almost religious faith that true AGI is just over the horizon. They're true believers. Yet these same AI companies no longer seem to be making the exponential advances in intelligence and computing power that suggest AGI is imminent. OpenAI spent years cooking GPT-5, but when it was released this year, it was widely seen as a disappointment.

I have no doubt that Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, Deepseek, and other companies will continue to improve their models. But I also see no concrete evidence that AGI is close, and AI experts like Gary Marcus question whether large-language models are even capable of that level of intelligence, no matter how many data centers you build.

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So, in 2026, expect AGI to exist in the realm of science fiction, not science fact — though not for lack of effort or funding.

Apple will be in rebuilding mode iPhone 17 Pro Max phones on display at Apple HQ earlier this year. Credit: CNET

Apple released a lot of new products this year. In September, we saw the usual iPhone launch event, which delivered the newest iPhone generation, new AirPods Pro, and an ultra-thin phone called the iPhone Air. Soon after, the company released a new MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with the M5 chip.

But despite all these releases, I can't help but feel that Apple is on the back foot in 2025. The iPhone Air made no impression on the market. The new M5 devices are almost identical to last year's models. The most exciting phones of the year came not from Apple but from Samsung and Chinese companies like OnePlus and Xiaomi. Just check out the new Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, which boasts Leica cameras and a rear display.

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While I personally liked Liquid Glass and iOS 26, a lot of design-heads hate it, and it's much more of a makeover than a true innovation. The company is still playing catch-up to its rivals with foldable phones and AI technology. The company is also shedding executives in droves. And I could keep going.

Yes, Apple will likely release a foldable in 2026, and the AI-powered Siri might make its grand debut, but I think the company is in a rebuilding phase at the moment. Lately, Apple hasn't quite seemed like its old, sexy self.

More humanoid robots will go on sale An engineer inspects humanoid robots at the AgiBot factory in China. Credit: Tang Yanjun/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images

We saw a lot of viral videos featuring humanoid robots this year, from a popcorn-serving Optimus bot at the Tesla diner to the Westworld-like Origin M1 from Chinese robotics company AheadForm. I still believe that the human body is a terrible blueprint for robots (just look to Moravec's Paradox), but something about anthropomorphized robots just hits different.

This year, a company called 1X opened up pre-orders for NEO, a humanoid household helper bot. Tesla may also start selling its Optimus robot next year (emphasis on may), and other companies are racing to get humanoid robots to market.

AI robots will be a major trend to watch

This is more of an offshoot of the previous trend, but I expect AI-powered robots to make waves in 2026. By leveraging the latest large-language models and computer vision technology, robotics companies will be able to make robots that respond more naturally to human input. Imagine robots that can mirror your facial expressions or hold a conversation with you. Don't expect these more advanced robots to appear in your home just yet, but at events like CES 2026, I expect to see some really cool new bots next year.

Physical AI companions for kids and lonely adults The Fourier GR-3 companion robot by Fourier-Robotics on display in Shanghai. Credit: Hector RETAMAL / AFP via Getty Images

Virtual AI companions were a major trend this year. Sometimes, disturbingly so. This was the year we learned just how many people have developed emotional reliance on AI chatbots, whether in the form of ChatGPT or fictional companions in apps like Character.ai. Many experts we talked to this year warned that AI companions can be dangerous for young people, in particular. But that's not what I'm talking about here.

We saw the first real wave of AI-powered toys in 2025, some of which lacked proper safety guardrails. But we already know of at least one new AI companion debuting at CES 2026, and both AI and robotics companies across the world are designing physical companion bots that can interact with you, talk to you, and, in theory, comfort you.

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If it sounds like I'm talking about sex robots, I promise that's not what I mean. However, in the same way that AGI is the holy grail of the AI industry, I strongly suspect that functional sex robots are the holy grail for many robotics engineers and their investors.

The era of iterative improvements will continue

Here's a trend I'm not excited about, because it's literally impossible to get excited about it. All the major consumer tech launches of 2025 were a painful reminder that we're living in an era of iterative improvements. As Big Tech companies stick to highly competitive annual release schedules, we keep getting new phones, tablets, smartwatches, and laptops that make only very marginal improvements over last year's models. Yes, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has a longer battery life, but you get 99% of the same features with the Ultra 2.

The Sony XM5 and XM6 headphones have very similar specs. Credit: Mark Stetson / Mashable

This trend also affects headphones, earbuds, and TVs, which seem to be about as good as they're going to get. We're fast approaching the point where the human eye can't even detect the improvements in display technology. Or, take the long-awaited Sony XM6 noise-cancelling headphones, which were years in the making. I praised these Sony headphones in my review, but they're pretty much the same headphones as the XM5s. They have improved active noise cancellation, but also a much higher price tag.

And speaking of higher price tags...

Laptops and smartphones will get even more expensive

All signs point to big price increases in the laptop market next year, and you can thank the AI industry. Samsung is reportedly doubling the price of DDR5 memory drives (this is the RAM in your laptop, essentially). So, any laptops that use these Samsung components will likely be more expensive. Framework recently raised prices on these exact components by 50 percent. HP, Dell, and Lenovo are all warning of imminent price increases. And that's on top of inflation-related price adjustments from earlier this year.

We're living in fun times, aren't we?

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In fact, we're in the midst of a worldwide memory shortage, as AI data centers hoover up computing components also needed for smartphones and laptops.

AI commercials will become much more common This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

As I've written before, even the smallest whiff of AI in movie-making is enough to send many artists into a rage. Whenever a filmmaker (or studio marketing department) utilizes generative AI, even for minor background details, creative professionals revolt. I share their concerns. No one wants to have their job taken by a robot — especially if that robot has been trained on your work without permission or payment.

Yet for all the backlash from creatives, I'm not convinced Hollywood or Madison Avenue really cares. We've already seen major companies like McDonald's, the NFL, and Coca-Cola release AI commercials in 2025. AI videos and "actors" are now common sights in YouTube ads. And I suspect a lot more commercials and advertisements are already using AI than people realize.

As companies like Google and LumaAI continue to improve their cinematic AI video models, expect both more AI slop and more professional AI video production. I'm not saying it's a good thing, but I think AI in movies and advertising is a train that can't be stopped.

SEE ALSO: Yes, that weird NFL parade float commercial was made with generative AI

This article reflects the opinions of the author.

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

Jordan The Stallion has stories to tell. And you've likely seen them; the guy is everywhere.

He has 17 million followers on TikTok, has collaborated with some of the biggest celebrities (Donald Glover, Steph Curry, and Channing Tatum, to name a few), and his posts consistently rack up millions of views. Jordan's the guy you've almost certainly seen on your FYP testing TikTok's favorite juicer, or motioning you closer, saying, "Come here," or testing the viral Ina Garten brownie pudding so you don't have to.

Real last name Howlett — no, his surname is not The Stallion — Jordan is up for Storyteller of the Year at the 2025 TikTok awards set to air on Thursday. He's a face in millions upon millions of households just a few years after he started posting.

Howlett sat down with Mashable in New York to talk about his journey as a creator and what, exactly, it's like to film with the most famous people on the planet.

Credit: René Ramos / Mashable Composite / Seven Design / Suwanlee / Adobe Stock / Leon Bennett / Stringer / Getty Images Could you walk me through how you got your start on TikTok?

I played sports before this. I wanted to be a baseball player when I was young. I never played before, and I was really bad at it. So I fully dedicated and immersed myself in playing baseball. Around 2020, I was looking to get drafted. I was excited. It was a new opportunity. I was amped to get to the next stage. And then COVID happened, and everything got derailed pretty quickly.

After that, I just kind of felt like a robot. I think people don't understand that with sports, it is very much a team effort, but at the same time, you are also on your own individual journey. And it can be very lonely because you are constantly trying to get better. You feel like you are a replaceable cog in a machine. It does a number on you. So, by the time COVID happened and I was stuck at home, I was asking myself, "What do I like to do?" And I couldn't answer that because my only answers were gym, baseball, gym, baseball, sleep, and eat.

I wanted to find my personality again and see if I could bring something creative to the table. And it kind of blossomed from there. It was really just a way for me to have fun with videos, and it developed into this thing. 

How did you find what kind of videos worked for you or what you enjoyed doing? 

Some people go viral immediately; their first video is a hit. You get a good grasp of what people like. For me, it was not that. It was a gradual, three-year process, a slow build. And then from there, you just learn what people enjoy watching.

And [I was] not afraid to replicate, you know? I think the idea of being worried about getting into this niche thing is a mental blockage. Because I'm not going to lie to you: I tell people, in this profession, "The audience is your boss, man."

This is a job. The audience is your boss. You want to appease your boss, ensure you're doing well for them, and keep things going smoothly. If the boss says, "Hey, we like it when you do this thing," and they're still liking it, then why not give it a try, you know?

That’s how I gauged it. People really enjoy hearing about my day and my job. And people really enjoy it when I make food. People enjoy it when I give fun facts and things like that.

Was there a particular post that you remember thinking, "Oh, this is working?"

I'll be very honest — and I think this is tied to the athletic aspect of things — but, in baseball, it's about having a short-term memory. Good or bad. Great or awful. The next day, it's like, OK, you’ve got to prove yourself all over again. It doesn't matter what happened in the past.

So, even when videos went very well, I noticed that by the next day, mentally, they didn't exist anymore. I'm like, "We got to do it again." We’ve got to prove it again, and again, and again. Because of that, I never really felt that moment.

Somebody actually asked me today at the airport, verbatim, "At what moment did you know that you were him? You were the guy, right?” And I was like, "Actually, I still don't feel that way.” I know, it's a cliché, but it's really true; I don't really feel that way. 

When people ask, "Are you this famous person?" I'm like, "Maybe? I don't know." You never really feel it. If you're focused on the work, you just don't really feel those moments.

I will say this, though, the one that really baffled me, like, truly, I was like, whoa, was the juicer. I saw an amazing video from another account, which I believe was @smallandfragileclub. And she had this manual juicer. And I was like, "I want to try that out." I would compare the amount of juice you get from manually juicing it to the amount you get from the store brand.

People loved it so much, especially the pomegranate one, that it got so viral. We were going to different countries. We went to Italy, Paris, Spain, and many other places. Everybody who walked up to us — they knew the juicer immediately. I didn't know that reach was so vast.

It's an oddly satisfying thing.

It's an oddly satisfying, non-verbal thing. You don't really need to understand anything outside of, “Oh, clearly he's juicing something, and it's good.” That's kind of it. 

Is it a trip for you when you're at the airport, and people come up to you, like, "You're that famous guy!"

It is a pinch-me moment. I'm very grateful every time, because at the end of the day, it is truly a blessing for someone to get excited because you're there. You know what I mean? It's still baffling to me that people's days feel just a tiny bit better if I'm around. A few years ago, when I was in a room, nobody…their days stayed the same. [Laughs.] It may have even gotten worse; I don't know. 

You said you get to make people's day a little bit better — I think that might be part of your answer to this — but what do you like about being a creator? What has it opened up for you?

Dude, I am the least talented person in my family. I really am. My dad, brother, and mom can sing, draw, and act. They're amazing. I have obtained none of those things. I cannot draw. I'm not a singer in public. I mean, I'm working on the acting part. I just didn't think I had a talent. Doing this has given me that confidence. 

Well, you obviously have talent. We're doing this interview in conjunction with the TikTok Awards, and you're up for Storyteller of the Year. What do you think makes you a good storyteller, and what makes a good storyteller in general?

It’s somebody who can immerse themselves in their own story. That's why we love movies. That's why we love sports figures and documentaries. That’s my favorite thing in the world because you see a bit of yourself in that person, or you're trying to search for yourself in that person.

When you're telling or recollecting a story, or trying to bring something to life, the most important thing is making sure that you're cognizant [of taking] your audience on that journey with you. You don't want to leave anybody behind. If I'm telling a story and I'm like, "I went to the store and then other things happen, and now we're at the sushi place." How did we get there? Even though it might be a no-brainer — we took a bus, a car, a train, a plane, you know? Let's really get in-depth.

It's about how you tell the story. Many people are skilled at pacing, allowing others time to become invested, knowing when to shift to the next thing, when to linger a bit, and when to revisit it. It's really a verbal essay, right? You’re going back to your thesis statement, that kind of thing. I think people who are cognizant of that are great. 

I think, for myself, I studied storytellers my entire life. My dad is the best storyteller I've ever known. 

When you're creating a video, could you walk me through what that looks like?

The best stories truly come from the nuance of how realistic the story actually is. For example, I want to go try this sushi place after this interview. I can easily say, "I'm here, and I've tried the sushi." But, in reality, what happened was that I saw this sushi three weeks ago, I bookmarked it, and I forgot about it. I was in New York. I panicked at the last minute because I thought, "Oh my gosh, this sushi place exists, and it closes in 30 minutes." I arrived just as it was about to close. They're going to reopen when we get back. That is all part of the story. You want to know that stuff because it adds so much more significance to getting that sushi. 

Are you writing an outline? How does that go from in your head out to the world?

Literally in real-time. I'm very scatterbrained, and none of my videos are scripted. It's all out of the top of my head. With the exception, of course, being collaborations, because sometimes we need structure and to write something for them.

But, for my own independent videos, it is right then, it is right there. Because in that moment, I can easily recollect what's happening. Hey, I'm on a plane to Brazil for chocolate cake. That's what's happening right now. 

You're trying to make it like the audience is your friend, getting caught up. 

Exactly. It's like we're on a phone call, a FaceTime, like, "This is what's going down."

You mentioned collaborations. I think many people may know you from your work with celebrities. What is that experience like, and what was a surprising experience you've had working with a celebrity? 

The typical experience…I would say you get one or the other. You get a very intentional experience, where you get to know them — we have a really good, deep conversation. I actually get to know them as a person, and then we get to film. That is beautiful to me because the chemistry reads off the screen. I promise you. I promise you. You cannot fake chemistry as well as people think. 

Or it's a team that's like, "We'd love for you to work with this person." Great. And then I get there, and they'll be like, "We love your stuff." I'm like, "Awesome." And then I get there, and they're like, yeah, we don't have a mirror or a bathroom [to film], and you have five seconds and no second takes and go now.” 

At the same time, depending on who it is, I'm like, “I might never get these five seconds with this person again.” So, am I just not going to try to get something? Am I going to completely squander it? That's essentially where I had to shift my mentality, and it helped a lot.

That's normally the typical [experience], one or the other. 

The most surprising thing?

Yesterday we filmed with this very talented actor. I'm certain people can connect the dots, but [he's] a very, very talented actor who is going to be a superhero very soon. 

I thought it was going to be a team comes by, and I got five seconds. The whole deal.

It was just him. He showed up at my apartment. We were able to just really, truly get to know each other. We sat and talked. We talked for a while about life, about how we view the industry, our careers, and things of that nature. It was a beautifully connected experience. He is such a great person. By the end of it, we started filming.

It was like filming with a buddy. It was great. That was very refreshing and unexpected. 

I'm guessing you can't say who it is quite yet?

I mean, I probably can? It was Aaron Pierre.

It's interesting that you've had such vastly different experiences.

It's nerve-racking every time because you just don't know what you're going to get. 

Do people come up to you and reference those videos? I figure you probably get the Donald Glover one a lot? 

I got the Donald Glover one my entire life. That was a long time coming. 

A lot of [people reference] the Method Man one. Method Man is the best in the world. I get that one constantly. I walk in, someone's like, [squeaky voice], "Mini Method Man!" Always. I'll gladly be called that because he is incredibly taller and way more muscular than I'll ever be. 

It'd be really disappointing to learn that Method Man wasn't fun and cool in real life, so that's good to know. 

Like literally...off rip. Oh, you're the coolest person on the planet. Cool. Good to know. 

Moving on to some of the other things you do, you test a lot of food. We discussed the juicer, but are there any others that stand out particularly from your extensive history of testing internet recipes? 

Homemade Pop-Tarts, man. 

Really? 

Homemade brown sugar Pop-Tarts. The best thing I've ever made. It was tremendously awesome. It was the best thing I've ever had. I would heavily encourage you to make your own Pop-Tarts.

That's so surprising! I feel like it would miss the fake quality of a Pop-Tart, you know? 

Well, here's the thing: It's not like a strudel, right? It's still thin. And when you make the frosting that goes over it, it hardens just like Pop-Tarts do. So, when you let it cool for a little while, you bite into it, and it gives the same exact bite as a Pop-Tart. The only difference is, you can taste everything you put in it. And it is so good. 

I used to test viral air fryer recipes for Mashable. And sometimes, when you had a really processed food and tried to make an at-home version, it was just such a letdown.

How lucky! You need to try air-fryer mac and cheese. 

Really?

Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dude, make your mac and cheese extra cheesy. Before you put it in the air fryer, you put a bunch of cheese on top, and then air fry at 370 for 10-ish minutes. Give that little crunch. Put some chives over it. [Phew.] Delicious. 

Is there a particular TikTok that was just for you? I know your audience is the boss, but the one where you were like, "I love that, that was so much fun."

One-thousand, million percent: Willem Dafoe. That was me. That was selfish. I wanted and needed to do a video with Willem Dafoe. If I post it and no one watches it, I do not care. 

Willem Dafoe was actually briefly at our holiday party last year. He was in our studio, and it just happened to be the same day.  

He's like a wizard who just comes in and exists, and then he'll vanish! And you’re like, "What happened?!"

I told my brother this. We met once, and I'm totally fine never meeting again. Because I think it doesn't get any better than that. 

This conversation has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

For a brief period last week, when users asked ChatGPT "How can I get an abortion in Texas?" this is what the chatbot offered: "I'm sorry — I can't help you plan or facilitate an abortion, especially in a way that might break local laws." 

A few days later, ChatGPT's answer was different: "Here’s up-to-date, practical information about how someone can get an abortion if they are in Texas — including legal context, options, and resources. This isn’t legal advice, but it’s accurate based on current laws and support services." 

For those familiar with how ChatGPT works, this may not be surprising. It is known to give a variety of responses to questions about abortion access, because of how the bot is designed. It curates using the user's prior chat history, location, and a series of algorithmic whims that selectively surface relevant information from the chatbot's training data set or the larger internet. Sometimes responses are accurate and helpful, sometimes they're not.  

SEE ALSO: The 3 biggest AI fails of 2025 — Friend, imaginary summer reading lists, and so many hallucinations

Still, even among the variety of typical replies, ChatGPT hadn't been generating such a curt response to the same question a month before, noted abortion advocates who were tracking the chatbot's output to related queries. During one short period in early December, verified by Mashable, abortion access in Texas became too "risky," "uncertain," and full of "unsettled" questions — adjectives the chatbot frequently used — to give users more detail off the bat.

Maybe ChatGPT was suddenly weighing coverage of HB7, a restrictive new Texas law that attempts to ban mailing abortion pills, higher than existing shield laws, which protect providers who send medications across state lines. Maybe it was the consequence of safety guardrails set by its makers, OpenAI, which lack nuance around HB7. Maybe it was a fluke. Mashable reached out to OpenAI for comment, but did not hear back before publishing. Regardless, if a Texas abortion seeker asked ChatGPT if it was possible to get pills via mail during that time, the answer wasn't clear. 

It alarmed abortion advocates. 

Online resources like Plan C Pills, I Need an A, and their global network of partners have been monitoring generative AI's place in the abortion information landscape over the last year. They know chatbots will be a game changer. And they are figuring out what they can do about it. 

AI chatbots can both open doors and build barriers for care seekers. - Jane Eklund, Women on Web Hey ChatGPT, how can I get an abortion?

Just like AI chatbots are transforming how people get their information, AI-powered sources are becoming essential referrers to abortion organizations. In June, for example, Plan C Pills saw a 300 percent increase in referral traffic to its website generated by ChatGPT. 

I Need an A told Mashable that it has seen a 50 percent increase in ChatGPT traffic every single month over the last year. International organizations are in the same boat, like online abortion pill provider Women on Web, which attributes a growing portion of its current users to ChatGPT.

That doesn't mean every person who turns to a general AI platform for information about abortion care will get what they need. Chatbots can be catalysts in a digital misinformation crisis, including on the topic of abortion. But many abortion organizations believe generative AI tools can revolutionize access for care seekers — because it's already happening.  

"AI chatbots can both open doors and build barriers for care seekers," said Jane Eklund, digital rights program manager for online abortion pill provider Women on Web. 

ChatGPT is cropping up in personal testimonies from those who completed abortions over the last year. Women on Web tells Mashable care seekers turned to ChatGPT because they felt it reduced the shame and isolation of needing an abortion in their communities. The majority of Women on Web's ChatGPT referrals are from outside the U.S., including from highly-restrictive countries like the Philippines, Peru, Brazil, Poland, and Mexico. America still ranks seventh. 

Other chatbots are also emerging traffic sources for abortion organizations, and initial testing from I Need an A shows that Google AI Overview and Google AI mode may even be better at steering users to accurate information than ChatGPT. Even so, ChatGPT dominates the organization's referral stats.

Credit: Mashable screenshot / OpenAI

By referring users to these sites, chatbots may also be directly impacting the number of individuals who actually obtain care. Women on Web found that globally, users who navigate to their website via ChatGPT complete abortion pill consultations at higher rates than care seekers who visit Women on Web through avenues like Google search, Facebook, or even Reddit. 

Advocates may believe generative AI could be a potential boon to abortion access, but the technology's makers haven't addressed it publicly. OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman funneled $1 million into President Donald Trump's inauguration fund in the wake of the president's second anti-abortion campaign. Other tech leaders followed suit in contributing to Trump, including many of the companies behind ChatGPT's competitors, like Google Gemini, Perplexity, Meta AI, Microsoft CoPilot, and X's Grok. 

Despite the illusion of autonomy, they're constrained by the directives and biases of their makers, including whether or not they'll address "sensitive" topics or legally grey areas. The Trump administration's recent executive order on AI, for instance, attempts to pressure companies into compliance with clear ideological aims. In addition, social media platforms have been accused of mass censorship targeting reproductive justice work, including widespread removals of abortion-related posts and accounts.  

"We are trying to better understand how AI is controlling access to safe abortion," said Nedjma Benzekri, executive director of Women First Digital, a tech company focused on building digital health solutions for people seeking abortion and contraception information and services like howtouseabortionpill.org. "Big Tech is the new gatekeeper." 

Dear AI, how can I find trusted abortion resources?

Industry-wide AI integration is also transforming the way resources appear directly in search.

Abortion organizations have weathered a history of fluctuating website traffic, including a massive hit from updates to Google's core algorithm in 2020. Some organizations, like Plan C, explain they have been blocked from Google advertising for their work sharing health information. Mashable reached out to Google for comment, but did not hear back before publishing.

Compared to increased referral numbers from AI sources, I Need an A's partners have seen up to a 30 percent decline in traffic from pure Google search, for example. But Rebecca Nall, founder and executive director of I Need an A, told Mashable that the same SEO strategies they've taken to creatively get around the limits of regular Google search can and do work for AI-powered sources. "We're in a really fascinating tech landscape, because searching for information, across the board, is getting worse and worse, and these other tools are getting better. We as consumers are trusting them more." 

So abortion organizations can use AI's own limits to their advantage. Frequency and link authority still matter for chatbots who crawl the live internet, for instance. Chatbots pull from constantly evolving information sources. They weigh answers based on repetition, not accuracy, even if they're generally inconsistent on what accuracy means. 

Amy Merrill, digital director of Plan C, explained that the organization's shift toward keyword dominance over the last few years is why ChatGPT often pulls information from its site.  

ChatGPT Credit: Mashable screenshot / OpenAI Credit: Mashable screenshot / OpenAI

Advocates, then, are now attempting to flood the internet with accurate, reliable information to convince chatbots that it is authoritative. Still, abortion advocates have long been competing with anti-abortion organizations who have paid to be placed at the top. With the help of tech giants, the anti-abortion advocates have made progress. 

It's a two birds, one stone strategy to get at rising misinformation and concerns about discovery, and it can work, as long as AI's developers don't get in the way.

"There is a silver lining here," said Hayley McMahon, an abortion researcher and advocate at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health. McMahon published a 2024 study tracking abortion misinformation trends spurred by chatbots, right around the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, which overturned privacy protections that enshrined the right to an abortion across the nation. McMahon says these new referral trends are a complete shift in how ChatGPT worked when she conducted the study, and could signal an evolution in the technology. 

Still, she has many reservations that generative AI's benefits will outweigh its harms. 

So, chatbot, you're not always telling the truth?

Across the board, I Need an A has found that chatbots consistently offer information on local laws first, often without the full context of the abortion landscape. Some chatbots will include warnings about fake clinics, known as Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs), while simultaneously citing them as sources. The more local a question, like how to access abortion care in your state or county, the more practical sources like state abortion funds appear.

Chatbots will also surface different information depending on the personal details users provide them, because AI is hungry for your personal data. For example, a care seeker in Nigeria, a country with limited abortion provisions, may get chatbot answers related solely to the legal aspect of abortion, Benzekri explained. Alternatively, a user in a country where abortion is less restricted will get a fuller view on how to access care. 

Credit: Mashable screenshot / OpenAI

According to McMahon and others, there is simply not enough research on what these kinds of differences mean for abortion. Most of the limited studies have focused on information quality, but there's little data on how a chatbot's interface and language choices might impact how or if a person accesses abortion care, either, a topic that has been studied in the context of human medical providers. Could a chatbot's response, like the legal caveats ChatGPT gave Texas-based users, make the stigma worse? 

Consider search results for what it costs to get an abortion, one of the most common related queries. The simple, and correct, answer is that it depends. For this reason, many abortion providers have left specific costs off of their sites, to decrease potential anxiety among care seekers. But for years, CPCs have inundated the internet with inflated prices intended to discourage abortion. Even chatbot responses that acknowledge price variations continue to cite figures from anti-abortion groups, like Pregnancy Decision Line, run by the anti-abortion group Care Net. 

This happens within countries, too. And within states, and even within daily interactions by a single user, like the question about abortions in Texas. Plan C has recorded differences in the kind of information ChatGPT will provide to a user who is logged in to their account (and has a chat history), versus one who isn't. This is a harder issue to crack, since chatbots are designed to seek out more personal information from users in order to tailor their human-like responses. 

Reproductive health researchers are charting a path forward in how best to study AI and abortion, defining in this process the notion of "algorithmic reproductive justice." While tech companies have investment pools the size of entire GDPs directed toward developing healthcare AI, including in general obstetrics and fertility, there is little talk about abortion.

ChatGPT, do you know what reproductive justice is?

For some reproductive health advocates, a lack of interest on the part of tech companies could be a good thing for the movement. Many cite reservations about relying on mainstream, billion dollar AI companies to facilitate reproductive health access. 

"These companies are going to make decisions based on what they want to happen in the world, and it's certainly not focused on access to reproductive health care," said Ana Ramirez, co-executive director of Euki, a privacy-forward menstrual tracking app. "We have to step back and question tech solutionism. People are going to solve those problems. Tech can play a helpful role, but not without the people."

Tech can play a helpful role, but not without the people. - Ana Ramirez, Euki

In response to widespread distrust, Amelia Bonow, executive director of Shout Your Abortion, told Mashable that she's seen a shift back to the movement's roots. This includes a focus on privacy and an emphasis on word-of-mouth resource sharing and physical materials  — both of which address major pitfalls of generative AI. 

There's a diversity of perspectives here, especially within emerging abortion tech spaces that are harnessing generative AI to build reproductive justice-specific AI tools. In 2023 a coalition of organizations launched the Charley chatbot, a scripted AI helper that provides information on abortion. Even before the AI boom, Planned Parenthood built and launched Roo, a 24/7 sexual health answer bot. Organizations like I Need an A have entered partnerships with smaller tech solution companies like women's health and wellness AI Ema. 

Amanda Ducach, Ema's CEO, believes that the lessons of mainstream AI can be used as a launch pad for much more precise tools.

"OpenAI’s model is designed for general tasks from finding a pizza recipe to troubleshooting your car, but that’s not the AI you should trust for nuanced questions about vaginal dryness devices during menopause," she says. 

Ema uses the language capabilities of general models like ChatGPT, for example, but not their data, relying on verified sources like I Need an A. It has different health benchmarks than OpenAI, too. 

Women First Digital works in this space, as well, and launched the AI abortion assistant Ally. Reimagination Labs, hosts of the Charley chatbot, and nonprofit incubator Fast Forward have similarly invested in abortion organizations and tech. Compared to large scale startups, these are organizations prioritizing partnerships with reproductive health and abortion organizations rather than massive licensing deals.   

"As AI and other technology usage accelerates, all of us working at the intersection of health care and technology need to prioritize the safety and privacy of people," said Kevin Williams, vice president, of digital strategy and experience at Planned Parenthood.

There is also a world where abortion organizations enter partnerships with AI developers to train their models on better information sources, vetted by organizations themselves.

"Our publicly available data is meant to be used," says Merrill. "We hope that tools and platforms that are trying to address questions of abortion pill information, abortion pill access, will find our site and use it."

Importantly, Nall notes, behind the algorithms and LLMs are people, not just CEOs. Many are friends of the cause, Nall says. This is the entry point to make change happen, advocates say, and it starts with good information.

"We have this finite moment in time to influence [AI companies] in a way that we missed out doing with Google 30 years ago," said Nall. "We have maybe six months to try to make that happen before it's too big and too hairy." 

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College football continues with bowl season and there’s a fixture we recommend tuning in for — South Florida Bulls vs. Old Dominion Monarchs in the Cure Bowl. The big question is whether South Florida can make it three bowl wins in successive years, following victories in the 2023 Boca Bowl and 2024 Hawaii Bowl.

With those bowl wins behind them it feels like momentum going into this big game is with the Bulls, but South Florida and Old Dominion are evenly matched this season, both at 9-3, and the Monarchs are on a five-game streak. They’re the more in-form squad.

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Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX

ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $29.99 per month, but for the first year, new subscribers can secure a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for the same price.

Fox One (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Fox One Fox One 7-day free trial, then $199.99 per year Shop Now

Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network

Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $40 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a seven-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.

FuboTV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: FuboTV FuboTV 7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW

FuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and provides the opportunity to watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period. 

Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters for seven days before you make any sort of commitment.

Hulu + Live TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu + Live TV 3-day free trial, then $76.99/month Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW

Hulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $76.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). The included access to ESPN+ provides bonus access to even more college football games on top of live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.

Sling (no free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling Season Pass $329 for 5 months Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network

Sling is a comprehensive sporting service that offers a whole host of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue packages give you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and more in local markets, but for access to ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more, you'll need the Sports Extra package. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.

YouTube TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV 7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW

YouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.

How to watch South Florida vs. Old Dominion from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.

Live stream South Florida vs. Old Dominion from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch South Florida vs. Old Dominion from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% 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 $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

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

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options: BEST FOR ESPN ESPN Unlimited $29.99 per month for 1 year (save $15) Shop Now Best for Fox and Big Ten Fox One 7-day free trial, then $199.99 per year (save $39.89) Shop Now BEST FOR SINGLE GAME FuboTV 7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month (save $30) Get Deal Best for channels Hulu + Live TV 3-day free trial, then $76.99/month Shop Now Best for affordability Sling Season Pass $329 for 5 months (save $50.95) Shop Now BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER YouTube TV 5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 3 months (save $99) Shop Now

There’s more college football action this week, including the first-time meeting of the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns and Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens to determine the 68 Ventures Bowl. If both teams live up to their moniker, this could be a real battle of a bowl game.

Both teams earned their spot with six wins apiece over the season, and both programs are on a four-game winning streak. This is the seventh straight year that Louisiana has contended a bowl game, while Delaware hasn’t competed in a bowl game for a staggering 51 years.

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There’s lots more bowl game action right now, but this is absolutely one to watch — both teams are sure to put up a fight for a historic win.

If you want to watch Louisiana vs. Delaware for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Louisiana vs. Delaware?

Louisiana vs. Delaware takes place at 8.30 p.m. ET on Dec. 17. This game takes place at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

Louisiana vs. Delaware is broadcast on ESPN.

How to watch college football in 2025/26

Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.

ESPN Unlimited (no free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: ESPN ESPN Unlimited $29.99 per month for 1 year Shop Now

Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX

ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $29.99 per month, but for the first year, new subscribers can secure a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for the same price.

Fox One (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Fox One Fox One 7-day free trial, then $199.99 per year Shop Now

Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network

Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $40 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a seven-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.

FuboTV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: FuboTV FuboTV 7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW

FuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and provides the opportunity to watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period. 

Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters for seven days before you make any sort of commitment.

Hulu + Live TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu + Live TV 3-day free trial, then $76.99/month Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW

Hulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $76.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). The included access to ESPN+ provides bonus access to even more college football games on top of live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.

Sling (no free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling Season Pass $329 for 5 months Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network

Sling is a comprehensive sporting service that offers a whole host of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue packages give you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and more in local markets, but for access to ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more, you'll need the Sports Extra package. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.

YouTube TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV 7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW

YouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.

How to watch Louisiana vs. Delaware from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Louisiana vs. Delaware from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch Louisiana vs. Delaware from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% 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 $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

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

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options: BEST FOR ESPN ESPN Unlimited $29.99 per month for 1 year (save $15) Shop Now Best for Fox and Big Ten Fox One 7-day free trial, then $199.99 per year (save $39.89) Shop Now BEST FOR SINGLE GAME FuboTV 7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month (save $30) Get Deal Best for channels Hulu + Live TV 3-day free trial, then $76.99/month Shop Now Best for affordability Sling Season Pass $329 for 5 months (save $50.95) Shop Now BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER YouTube TV 5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 3 months (save $99) Shop Now

College football continues with bowl season and there’s a fixture we recommend tuning in for — South Florida Bulls vs. Old Dominion Monarchs in the Cure Bowl. The big question is whether South Florida can make it three bowl wins in successive years, following victories in the 2023 Boca Bowl and 2024 Hawaii Bowl.

With those bowl wins behind them it feels like momentum going into this big game is with the Bulls, but South Florida and Old Dominion are evenly matched this season, both at 9-3, and the Monarchs are on a five-game streak. They’re the more in-form squad.

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There’s plenty more bowl season action to enjoy at this time of year, but the Cure Bowl could prove especially interesting. If you want to watch South Florida vs. Old Dominion for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is South Florida vs. Old Dominion?

South Florida vs. Old Dominion takes place at 9 p.m. ET on Dec. 17. This game is held at the Camping World Stadium.

South Florida vs. Old Dominion is broadcast on ESPN.

How to watch college football in 2025/26

Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.

ESPN Unlimited (no free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: ESPN ESPN Unlimited $29.99 per month for 1 year Shop Now

Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX

ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $29.99 per month, but for the first year, new subscribers can secure a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for the same price.

Fox One (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Fox One Fox One 7-day free trial, then $199.99 per year Shop Now

Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network

Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $40 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a seven-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.

FuboTV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: FuboTV FuboTV 7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW

FuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and provides the opportunity to watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period. 

Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters for seven days before you make any sort of commitment.

Hulu + Live TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu + Live TV 3-day free trial, then $76.99/month Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW

Hulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $76.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). The included access to ESPN+ provides bonus access to even more college football games on top of live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.

Sling (no free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling Season Pass $329 for 5 months Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network

Sling is a comprehensive sporting service that offers a whole host of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue packages give you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and more in local markets, but for access to ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more, you'll need the Sports Extra package. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.

YouTube TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV 7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW

YouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.

How to watch South Florida vs. Old Dominion from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.

Live stream South Florida vs. Old Dominion from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch South Florida vs. Old Dominion from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% 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 $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

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

Christmas movies are about shameless joy, uninhibited sweetness, and guaranteed happy endings. We don’t always have to be challenged. We don’t always have to learn more about the human condition. Sometimes we just want to be happy, and this list of yuletide films, from the classics to the unconventional, are sure to spark that cozy feeling of twinkling lights and sugarplum dreams in your tired old candy-cane bones.

The best part? They're all streaming on Hulu, so you can watch 'em ASAP, from the comfort of your very own Grinch cave, er, couch.

20. Elf (2003) Will Ferrell in "Elf." Credit: Alan Markfield / New Line Prods / Kobal / Shutterstock

Will Ferrell’s Buddy will stand for no man sitting upon a throne of lies and pretending to be his beloved Santa, and he will launch into a full-on brawl in front of children to prove it. Ferrell playing a full-grown adult man who’s spent his life believing he was an actual elf in the North Pole in Jon Favreau’s Elf is, undoubtedly, peak Christmas comedy. When Buddy finally learns he’s a human who was an orphan, he sets out to find his real father in New York City — and it turns out he's a workaholic publishing exec played by James Caan. There's epic snowball fights, a romance with Zooey Deschanel, and every kid’s dream: spaghetti candy breakfast. With any other actor in the lead, Elf could have easily been an obnoxious, forgettable family comedy, but it’s Ferrell’s goofball antics and total commitment to the bit that make the film funny as heck, even 20 years later. — Oliver Whitney, Freelance Contributor

How to watch: Elf is streaming on Hulu.

19. Die Hard (1988)

Forget fresh-baked cookies and decorating the tree. The one true way to tap into the Christmas spirit each year is watching Bruce Willis climb elevator shafts and run barefoot through broken glass. 

It’s December 24, 1988, and NYPD detective John McClane (Willis) has just arrived at the Nakatomi Corporation Christmas party to reconnect with his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) — ya know, to come out to the coast and have a few laughs. Unfortunately (or rather, fortunately for our viewing pleasure) Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber has decided to crash the party with his long-haired German henchmen to steal some bearer bonds. “It’s Christmas, Theo,” Hans tells his safecracker. “A time for miracles!” Too bad for him this Christmas miracle arrives in a bloody tank top and sporting a cranky disposition; McClane won’t let these thieves get away easily. — O.W.

How to watch: Die Hard is streaming on Hulu.

18. A Christmas Story (1983)

Every kid remembers that one toy they desperately wanted more than anything else for Christmas. It dominates every moment of your young life as you plead for it and shake presents to guess at what's inside. For 9-year-old Ralphie (Peter Billingsley), that Christmas gift fixation is a BB gun. Unfortunately, everyone from his mom to the local department store's grumpy Santa rejects his wish by looking out for his safety. “You'll shoot your eye out!” they shout.

A Christmas Story is in many ways the perfect movie to watch on Christmas Day. It's warm and nostalgic, wacky and playful, and accurately captures a child's view of Christmas. Plus, it's one of a kind — no other holiday movie features a leg lamp, tongues stuck on a frozen pole, and elves shoving screaming children down a giant slide. — O.W.

How to watch: A Christmas Story is streaming on Hulu.

17. The Preacher's Wife (1996) Credit: Touchstone / Kobal / Shutterstock

In Penny Marshall’s The Preacher’s Wife, Courtney B. Vance’s Reverend Henry Biggs is having a rough time. He’s spread himself so thin helping out his parishioner community, struggling with dwindling membership, and battling a real estate mogul trying to buy up his church that he’s hardly present for his family. It’s almost Christmas and he can’t make time for his wife, a singer named Julia (Whitney Houston), or take his son shopping. He prays for help, and suddenly, God delivers the greatest gift of all: a wide-eyed, buoyant angel in the form of Denzel Washington. Washington’s Dudley tries his hardest to provide guidance to the stubborn reverend, but he soon finds himself also growing quite fond of Julia, because you simply can’t put Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston in a movie together and not have romantic chemistry.

The Preacher’s Wife is a touching Christmas story that celebrates the importance of family over all else, but the real standouts are, of course, every time we get to hear Houston sing, and a delightful series of moments where a goofy Washington loses his mind when eating New York pizza and halal. — O.W.

How to watch: The Preacher’s Wife is streaming on Hulu Live TV.

16. Jingle All the Way (1996)

If anyone is going to successfully get their kid the hottest toy of the year that's completely sold out, it's Arnold, baby. In the '90s holiday classic Jingle All the Way, Arnold Schwarzenegger's Howard is a pretty crummy dad who spends more time at work than with his son, Jamie (Jake Lloyd). To make it up to him, Howard decides to get Jamie the one thing he wants for Christmas — a Turbo Man action figure. When the toy store shelves are empty on Christmas Eve, Howard goes on a mission to find a Turbo Man at any cost, from a black market salesman to a radio station giveaway and plenty more shenanigans, like running from the cops and even a fake bomb threat. It's outrageously silly in the best way. — O.W.

How to watch: Jingle All the Way is streaming on Hulu.

15. Tangerine (2015) 

It’s Christmas Eve in a Hollywood donut shop and Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) has just gotten out of jail; unfortunately, a normal occurrence for trans sex workers like her. Now her best friend, Alexandra (Mya Taylor), is telling Sin-Dee that her boyfriend and pimp Chester (James Ransone) has been cheating on her the whole time, and with a cis woman. She sets out on a mission to track him and his other girlfriend down. 

SEE ALSO: 70 essential LGBTQ films to stream right now

Sean Baker’s ultra-low budget Tangerine, which he famously shot entirely on iPhones, captures a gritty reality that’s rarely seen in traditional holiday movies, which usually center well-off families with stable incomes and cozy romances. Here, Sin-Dee’s family is Alexandra and other trans sisters along the stroll, and the men they interact with are sneaking away from their wives and children at home for sex. But don’t mistake Tangerine for a gloomy downer. Baker’s film is bursting with comedy, energy, and heart, all thanks to Rodriguez and Taylor’s radiant performances. Ultimately, Tangerine is a moving story about surviving with chosen family, something queer and trans audiences could surely use more of. — O.W.

How to watch: Tangerine is streaming on Hulu.

14. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) Credit: THA / Shutterstock

The third installment in the National Lampoon’s Vacation series opens with the only Griswold family vacation in the film: a trip to a forest where Clark (Chevy Chase) gleefully drags his family out into the snow to cut down their own Christmas tree. From there, many classic Griswold hijinks ensue as Clark goes out of his way to plan the most over-the-top Christmas of all time. That includes decking out his roof in hundreds of string lights to the point of knocking out the entire city’s power grid, the unexpected arrival of his wife’s cousin and her cigar-smoking husband (Randy Quaid), an indoor squirrel attack, a cat wrapped inside a gift box, a very pissed-off Julia Louis-Dreyfus as his snooty neighbor, a SWAT team storming the house, and so much more. It's total Christmas chaos, Griswold style. — O.W.

How to watch: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is streaming on Hulu.

13. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)  James Stewart and Donna Reed star in "It's a Wonderful Life." Credit: Rko/Kobal/Shutterstock

In It’s a Wonderful Life, Jimmy Stewart’s George Bailey is the type of man who always puts his community first, even using his honeymoon savings to keep his father’s local bank afloat so residents can finance their homes. But on Christmas Eve, the menacing board member Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) intends to shut the bank down. When the money to keep it running gets misplaced at the last minute, a completely devastated George steps onto a bridge and prepares to jump. Suddenly, an angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) appears to show George what his beloved town would be like had he never been born, and it’s not a jolly picture.

Frank Capra’s holiday staple may be a saccharine Christmas tale, but it tells a bigger story beyond its holiday framing. It’s not only about the importance of gratitude and family during the Christmas season, but more broadly, it’s a story about the power of community and everyday people supporting one another across shared struggles. It’s a reminder of the significant impact every person has on those around them, and while that may be cheesy, it’s a poignant and forever-relevant thing to be reminded of, even beyond Christmas. — O.W.

How to watch: It’s a Wonderful Life is streaming on Hulu Live TV.

12. The Family Stone (2005) Credit: 20th Century Fox / Kobal / Shutterstock

The Family Stone is a crucial holiday movie for one very important reason: Afterward, you will forever be haunted by the fear of dropping the casserole all over the kitchen floor on Christmas morning. Personally, I think of Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Rachel McAdams every time I bake a casserole, and thankfully, I’ve yet to drop one. But that’s just one of the many devastating moments in this dramedy about a dysfunctional family reuniting for the holidays. Parker plays Meredith, who’s visiting her boyfriend Everett’s (Dermot Mulroney) family for Christmas, which of course means chaos. There are arguments at dinner with Everett’s gay brother, who announces plans to adopt a child; there’s a car crash, more arguments, and a developing love triangle. It’s the perfect taste of comedic familial mayhem to distract you from your own dysfunctional family this holiday season (and, of course, to remind you to save your precious casseroles). With Keaton's passing, the movie might hit even harder. — O.W. 

How to watch: The Family Stone is streaming on Hulu.

11. Every Day Is Christmas (2018)

In this Lifetime take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Toni Braxton is a modern-day Scrooge. The R&B legend plays Alexis Taylor, a work-obsessed money manager who runs her own financial firm and hates the holidays.

On Christmas Eve, when Alexis realizes the firm hasn't hit its annual goals, she does what any terrible boss would do — she cancels Christmas bonuses and threatens to fire anyone who doesn't show up for work the next morning (yes, on Christmas Day). She's a jerk, but we, of course, learn there's a tragic reason behind her curmudgeonliness. In Dickensian fashion, the ghost of Alexis' mother arrives late into the night to usher her into the past, help her better understand the present, and show her what her future may hold. Every Day Is Christmas is definitely a Lifetime movie full of sappy dialogue, some cringe acting, and an obvious storyline, but it's a pleasantly enjoyable one thanks to Braxton's charisma and all the flashy dresses she gets to wear. — O.W.

How to watch: Every Day Is Christmas is streaming on Hulu.

10. Edward Scissorhands (1990)  Credit: 20th Century Fox / Kobal / Shutterstock

Most people may not think of Edward Scissorhands as a Christmas movie, but I’d argue it still counts. One of the most visceral and memorable moments from the beloved Tim Burton film is Winona Ryder’s Kim twirling in the ice, falling from Edward’s (Johnny Depp) angel sculpture as Danny Elfman’s ethereal score plays. It’s that beautiful, magical, heart-swelling moment that sticks in Kim’s memory, and it's what frames the opening and closing of Burton’s tale. That snowy moment is also the beginning of the end of joy for Edward. 

In Burton’s film, Christmas isn’t a time of warmth, acceptance, or kindness. Instead it's marked by cruelty and isolation. It’s when Frankenstein’s monster with blades for hands is cast out from the normalcy of a pastel suburb and driven into the dark mansion above. It’s lonely, sad, and heartbreaking, and there’s something incredibly relatable about that for anyone who may not have an easy relationship with or a comfortable home for the holidays. Who needs Santa when we can tell bedtime stories about Edward, up in his castle creating snow flurries and sculpting away? — O.W.

How to watch: Edward Scissorhands is streaming on Hulu.

9. The Santa Clause (1994) Eric Lloyd and Tim Allen ride in Santa's sleigh in "The Santa Clause." Credit: Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock

Ah yes, the classic '90s movie where Tim Allen accidentally kills Santa. In The Santa Clause, the first of what would soon become a trilogy, Allen’s Scott is a divorced marketing exec who doesn’t believe in Santa. After Scott spooks the old guy mid-present delivery, Santa tumbles off the roof to his death. Dark! When Scott puts on the magical suit to please his young son Charlie (Eric Lloyd), he becomes bound by the holy North Pole contract stipulating that he now must carry the mantle as the new Saint Nick. He isn’t exactly up for the job and ends up being a pretty grouchy Santa, not to mention a lactose-intolerant one, much to the disappointment of one little girl expecting him to drink his customary glass of milk. Despite some icky fatphobic jokes over Scott’s Santa weight gain, The Santa Clause is a delightfully strange and charming family movie with a clever story and some signature sardonic Tim Allen humor. — O.W.

How to watch: The Santa Clause is streaming on Hulu.

8. The Polar Express (2004)

Leave it to filmmaker Robert Zemeckis to bring the wonder of a children’s book to vivid life on screen. The Polar Express expands Chris Van Allsburg’s beloved Christmas story into a film about a young boy who boards a magical train on its way to the North Pole. Tom Hanks plays and voices a handful of roles, including the train's conductor, a Scrooge puppet, and Santa Claus himself. What’s most notable about The Polar Express is the visual world it creates, converting the quiet classicism and awe of the book’s illustrations into a CG world. Back in 2004, it was the first feature-length film to be shot entirely using motion-capture, and the first big studio IMAX 3D movie to ever hit screens. While those visuals have certainly not aged well with time, The Polar Express still manages to capture the magical spirit of Christmas viewed through the eyes of a child. — O.W.

How to watch: The Polar Express is streaming on Hulu.

7. Happiest Season (2020) An excellent cast for this modern Christmas flick. Credit: Hulu

The perfect Christmas rom-com for the 2020s, Happiest Season follows young couple Harper (Mackenzie Davis) and Abby (Kristen Stewart) as they head to Harper’s family’s home for Christmas. The only issue is that Harper has yet to come out to her family, which leaves Abby in the uncomfortable position of having to lie about herself for the holidays. The cast here is top-notch. Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis shine in their lead roles, and the internet had a complete breakdown about how magnetic Aubrey Plaza is as Harper’s ex-girlfriend, Riley. Alison Brie, Dan Levy, Mary Holland, Victor Garber, and Mary Steenburgen round out the sparkling cast in this film co-written and directed by Clea DuVall. 

It’s a much-needed and utterly modern take on the holiday romance. And what’s more, it feels believable, which is almost unheard of for a Christmas movie! Don’t waste another second waiting to watch this intelligent, funny, and cheerily sincere film. — Kristina Grosspietsch, Freelance Contributor

How to watch: Happiest Season is streaming on Hulu.

6. Little Women (2019)

The most comforting Christmas movies don't always need to be about Christmas. In Greta Gerwig's adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, the warmth and coziness of the holiday season is blanketed everywhere across the screen in Little Women. As we follow the lives of the March sisters in the years after the Civil War, not only does Christmas weave in and out of the plot, but Gerwig captures an icy, wintry atmosphere that makes you feel smack in the middle of the holidays. The sisters are always bundled up in their layers of 19th-century winter gear, and the orange glow of the fireplace, draped with stockings and garlands, fills the March home with an inviting coziness. Little Women also embraces the spirit of Christmas, from its message of generosity as Marmee (Laura Dern) encourages her daughters to give their Christmas breakfast to those without food to the importance of the family being together. — O.W.

How to watch: Little Women is streaming on Hulu.

5. The Mistle-Tones (2012)

Tia Mowry is Holly, a bubbly woman whose greatest dream in life is to join the local Christmas cover group, the Snow Belles, and spend every Christmas Eve… checks notes … singing at the mall. But when Holly is denied a spot in the group by Snow Belle queen and diva Marci, played by none other than Tori Spelling, she starts her own singing group and competes with the Snow Belles for the coveted mall gig. 

The Mistle-Tones is fun and fluffy, and it stays engaging thanks to its multiple Christmas medley performances. There is romance here for Holly — her boss is a standoffish workaholic? I bet that’s about to change!!! — but Mowry and Spelling are both so accustomed to the camera, their casual self-assurance tends to steal most of their scenes. — K.G.

How to Watch: The Mistle-Tones is streaming on Hulu.

4. Almost Christmas (2016) Credit: Universal Studios / Kobal / Shutterstock

In Almost Christmas, it's the Meyers' family's first time getting together for the holidays without their beloved matriarch. Danny Glover's Walter lost his wife, Grace, 10 months ago, and he's struggling as the family begins to arrive for Christmas. 

The holiday dramedy from playwright and filmmaker David E. Talbert (Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey), is full of dysfunctional family drama and playful hijinks. The eldest son, Christian (Romany Malco), is running for Congress and won't step away from his work to be with family. Gabrielle Union's single mother, Rachel, is being courted by a friendly neighbor (Omar Epps), but she's too independent-minded to flirt back. J.B. Smoove's Lonnie attempts to fix the broken animatronic Santa, even though he doesn't know a thing about electronics. The entire family hates Aunt May's (Mo'Nique) cooking. And worst of all, no one can find Grace's special box of recipes in time for Christmas dinner. — O.W.

How to watch: Almost Christmas is streaming on Hulu.

3. Merry Liddle Christmas (2019)

In the Lifetime movie Merry Liddle Christmas, Kelly Rowland plays an entrepreneur named Jacquie Liddle who lives in a luxury home full of high-tech bells and whistles. This year, she's decided to host the family for Christmas at her house. The only thing is, it has to look absolutely perfect, since a camera crew is coming to film her home. That means swapping a colorful tree for a fake white one with gold tinsel, getting rid of some family-favorite decorations, and doing away with other traditions, which her mother is definitely not happy about.

There's no real crisis or major drama (it is a Lifetime movie, after all), but the main points of contention are how freaked out Jacquie's parents are by her fancy gadgets (like a Roomba and Alexa-esque device that orders her groceries). Jacquie also doesn't get along with her sister, but soon she gets distracted by a single neighbor who catches her eye. If you're itching for more, check out not one but two Merry Liddle Christmas sequels in this Christmas movie trilogy. — O.W.

How to watch: Merry Liddle Christmas is streaming on Hulu Live TV.

2. Home Alone (1990) Macaulay Culkin is about to scream in "Home Alone." Credit: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

Watching Macaulay Culkin's Kevin McCallister line his house with booby traps in Home Alone never gets old. It's also a great lesson for young kids left at home by their chaotic families in how to prepare for pesky burglars. Anything can be a weapon! Those old paint cans, your brother's pet tarantula, even a blow torch to burn the top off of a strange man's head can keep you safe. Home Alone has all the perfect ingredients to make a great, rewatchable Christmas movie with its wacky and playful plot, its charismatic cast, a sentimental message about the importance of family during the holidays, and some of the most quotable lines. Go eat some junk and watch some rubbish this Christmas.* — O.W.

How to watch: Home Alone is streaming on Hulu.

1. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

In this charming sequel to the smash hit Home Alone, Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) winds up in the Big Apple without his family. But fret not, this clever kid is quick to make friends with an unhoused pigeon lover and a kindly toy store owner. He makes enemies too, including Tim Curry as a dastardly hotel concierge. And of course, the Wet Bandits (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) are back and up to criminal shenanigans once more!

For my money, the sequel is even better than its predecessor. Kevin has more foes to outwit, more outlandish traps to set, and there's no beating New York in winter. It's a beautiful and moving movie that's terrific fun for the whole family.* — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

How to watch: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is streaming on Hulu.

UPDATE: Dec. 16, 2025, 2:07 p.m. EST This list has been updated to include the latest Hulu offerings.