Mashable

SAVE $14: As of August 6, get the Cuktech 10 Power Bank for $25.99, down from its usual price of $39.99. That's a discount of 35% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon CUKTECH 10 Power Bank $25.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $14.00 Get Deal

If you've ever dealt with your phone running out of battery when you're out and about, you know how frustrating it can be to try and find a place to charge it up. We've all been there. You can keep that situation from happening, however, with a good, reliable power bank. That trusty device can ensure you've always got some juice on hand, and you can get one for a great price right now at Amazon.

As of August 6, get the Cuktech 10 Power Bank for $25.99, down from its usual price of $39.99. That's $14 off and a discount of 35% — and the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: Stay juiced up on the go with this Anker MagGo Power Bank at its lowest price

This power bank has 10,000mAH of power and 100W, which can power laptops, iPhones, and much more. That means you don't have to constantly switch out devices when you need to get things back up to 100% battery. It also has a smart display that shows you everything you need to know about the power bank in real-time, including current, power output, battery level, time until full charge or discharge, and voltage.

The power bank itself can be juiced back up to 55% capacity in just 15 minutes, so if you're pressed for time, you can charge it quickly for a significant power boost at any time. Plus, it's just 10 ounces, and barely larger than a protein bar, making it easy to tote around or just carry around in emergencies when you might need it the most.

There's a lot to love about this small but mighty power bank, so if you're looking for an easy way to make sure you never have to run out of power, this is it.

SAVE $450: The Ecovacs Deebot T30S robot vacuum and mop is on sale for $549.99 at Amazon, down from the list price of $999.99. That's a 45% discount that matches the lowest we've seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ecovacs Ecovacs Deebot T30S Robot Vacuum and Mop $549.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $450 Get Deal

We have a lot of modern technology that didn't really need to be invented, solving a problem that wasn't really a problem in the first place. Robot vacuums, however, are the exact opposite, and they can rescue anyone who doesn't have time to keep up with floor cleaning. If you couldn't be more excited about never vacuuming again, check out today's deal at Amazon.

As of Aug. 6, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S robot vacuum and mop is on sale at Amazon for $549.99, marked down from the normal price of $999.99. That's a massive savings of $450 from a 45% discount. It also matches the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

With major 11,000Pa suction power, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S is prepared to tackle muddy shoe prints and paw prints that are inevitable come fall. Serving as both a robot vacuum and mop, the Deebot T30S has you covered with floor care, from cleaning up a mess of flour in the kitchen to tackling pet hair in the living room.

SEE ALSO: Best price alert: The Roborock Qrevo S5V robot vacuum and mop is under $550 at Amazon

The Deebot T30S is equipped with Ecovacs TruEdge technology which aims to clean right to the edge of every surface, including corners. It also impresses by mopping at up to 158 degrees which is way more effective than mopping with room temperature water. Plus, it has auto-lift when mopping which means it'll lift the mop pads to avoid getting carpets and rugs wet.

Instead of dreaming muddy paws all over the kitchen in a few months, get the help of the Ecovacs Deebot T30S robot vacuum and mop. It's down at a record-low price at Amazon of under $550, which means your floors can get the care they deserve and you get a major discount. It's a win-win.

The beef between South Park and President Donald Trump's administration shows no signs of stopping.

In its Season 27 premiere, South Park lambasted Trump, depicting the president in bed with Satan, giving him a micropenis, and creating a hyperrealistic naked deepfake of him.

SEE ALSO: 'South Park's Trump-bashing Season 27 premiere has the White House fuming

Season 27's upcoming second episode, "Got A Nut," looks to continue the show's satirical takedown of Trump's administration. The episode targets ICE and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

On Aug. 5, the Department of Homeland Security posted a screenshot of South Park's depictions of ICE agents on X, along with a link to an ICE recruitment page.

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South Park's X account fired back hours later, saying, "Wait, so we ARE relevant? #eatabagofdicks."

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Their reply references the White House's initial response to the Season 27 premiere. In a statement to press, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said, "This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention."

Speaking of relevance, South Park's Season 27 premiere pulled in 5.9 million viewers across Comedy Central and Paramount+. According to Nielsen, that's the show's biggest linear season premiere share since 1999.

The series premiere also came just hours after South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone reached a five-year deal with Paramount, including an exclusive streaming partnership with Paramount+. The deal is valued at $1.5 billion.

South Park is now streaming on Paramount+. New episodes air Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on Comedy Central, and stream next day on Paramount+.

iOS 26 beta is public, and users are trying out plenty of new features, including its Liquid Glass design and new messaging and phone features. But one feature has ever-slightly changed the way users are notified that their battery is low.

According to 9to5Mac, the low-battery notification users running iOS 26 beta 5 see "a red circle animation that resembles a radar pulse." In a video of the feature posted on Threads, it pops up out of the dynamic island.

View on Threads

This isn't the only battery-related change hitting iPhones with iOS 26. The system will not only warn you if you're using more battery than usual, but it will also tell you which app is draining your battery, Mashable reported in June. It will also tell you how long it will take your phone to fully charge once it's plugged into power. iOS 26 will also include an Adaptive Power mode, which adjusts your iPhone's performance based on your user habits to extend your battery life, Mashable previously reported.

If you want to see the new battery features yourself, you can apply to join the beta program through Apple. If not, you might just have to wait a few months — at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in early June, the company said iOS 26 would be released publicly in the fall.

July was a busy shopping month, with Prime Day 2025 flooding our feeds and back-to-school sales running amok. Mashable's shopping team has done our best to sort through the slew of deals and recommend the ones worth your hard-earned cash. Consider us shopping watchdogs: we relentlessly scan the top product listings, track prices, and help you find the best deals. And now we have some insight into what our readers are loving most.

Our team gathered intel on the top-selling products across all categories in July and, unsurprisingly, y'all really showed love to Apple products, DJI drones, Lego, and Amazon Fire TV Sticks.

Here are the 10 most popular items Mashable readers bought in July 2025. Don't worry; your purchase information and privacy are protected. We can only see what was purchased and how many. Some of the top products are even on sale, and we've noted the prices below.

The top 10 products Mashable readers bought in July 20251. DJI Mini 4K Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Mini 4K $299 at Amazon
Get Deal Why we like it

Talk of a ban on DJI drones (thanks to President Trump's executive orders aimed at helping the U.S. drone industry and upping protections against malicious drone activity) has been making the rounds for a while now, which has caused a huge uptick in sales. Fortunately, you can still find the DJI Mini 4K — a Mashable reader favorite — at Amazon for $299, although it's being sold by AeroTech Hubs, a third-party seller. Secure it while you can.

2. LifeStraw Personal Water Purifier Opens in a new window Credit: LifeStraw LifeStraw Personal Water Purifier $17.97 at Amazon
$19.95 Save $1.98 Get Deal Why we like it

The LifeStraw personal water filter was Mashable's top selling product on Prime Day 2025, so it's no surprise it made the top of the list for the whole month of July. While it's no longer down to its mega-low Prime Day pricing, it's still a solid buy at $17.97.

3. Apple AirPods Pro 2 Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro 2 $169 at Amazon
$249 Save $80 Get Deal Why we like it

The AirPods Pro regularly top our lists of the best headphones, so we're glad that our readers love them as well. "For portability, active noise cancellation, and balanced sound, your search ends with the AirPods Pro," our reviewer writes.

4. Apple AirTag 4 Pack Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirTags (4-pack) $79.99 at Amazon
$99 Save $19.01 Get Deal Why we like it

A single AirTag is usually $29, so getting a four-pack for only $79.99 is a pretty sweet deal. If you're an Apple user who frequently loses track of things or travels with a lot of luggage, AirTags are a must.

5. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K $29.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Life hack: you can bring your favorite shows and movies with you on your next vacation by squeezing the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K in your luggage. It's not at its lowest price ever, but it is still on sale for 40% off as of Aug. 6.

6. DJI Neo Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Neo $199 at Amazon
Get Deal Why we like it

Like the DJI Mini 4k, the DJI Neo is only available from third-party seller Aerotech Hubs at Amazon. Fortunately, the seller has excellent reviews. And since times are tough for DJI drones, we think it's still worth grabbing.

7. CMF Watch 3 Pro Opens in a new window Credit: CMF By Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro $99 at Amazon
Get Deal Why we like it

UK-based tech startup Nothing launched a new smartwatch in July, and we're already eyeing it as the best budget smartwatch and fitness tracker of the year. It's sleek, packed with features (like ChatGPT on your wrist), and super affordable at only $99. It's no longer on sale, but it is in stock at Amazon.

8. Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick Box Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick Box $17.99 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $17.00 Get Deal Why we like it

While we love fancy Lego sets that build out to floral arrangements and retro radios, sometimes a classic brick box is a breath of fresh air. No agenda — just a bunch of Legos to build whatever you want.

9. Apple iPad, 11-inch Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad, 11-inch (128GB, WiFi) $299 at Amazon
$349 Save $50 Get Deal Why we like it

A record-low price on the basic 11-inch iPad caused quite a stir on Prime Day, so it's no surprise that it was a popular deal for the month of July. While it's no longer down to its best-ever price, it's on sale for less than $300, which is still a pretty great price for the best iPad you can get on a budget.

10. Apple AirPods 4 Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 $99 at Amazon
$129 Save $30 Get Deal Why we like it

While they don't offer noise cancellation, the AirPods 4 are a value-packed pair of earbuds, and they're regularly on sale for under $100. They've been redesigned for better comfort, a secure fit, better audio quality (thanks to Apple's H2 chip and personalized spatial audio), and a total of 30 hours of battery life with the USB-C charging case.

SAVE 20%: As of Aug. 6, you can get the Google Pixel 9a (unlocked) for just $399, down from $499, at Amazon. That's $100 off.

Google Pixel 9a 128GB Unlocked Phone (Obsidian) $399 at Amazon
$499 Save $100 Get Deal

If you’re an Android user and are looking to upgrade your device (or switch over from a non-Android device), Amazon’s got some pretty good deals on unlocked phones right now.

As of Aug. 6, you can get the Google Pixel 9a (unlocked) for $100 off at Amazon. Grab it for just $399, down from $499, for a 20% discount.

The Google Pixel 9a with Gemini is an AI-first phone — it has a built-in AI assistant (Google Gemini), special AI features in its camera settings (including “Add Me,” “Best Take,” and “Macro”), and more. It’s also unlocked, so you won’t have to commit to a specific carrier to use it, and it’s compatible with most major mobile networks, including Google Fi, Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T.

SEE ALSO: Is Google Gemini free? Yes, and here's everything you can do for free with Google AI.

Another cool feature of this phone is its theft and crash detection. If Google thinks your phone has been stolen, it’ll auto-lock to keep your info safe, or if the car you’re riding in gets into a car accident, the phone can automatically call for assistance, even if you can’t respond.

With an all-day battery, IP68 water and dust protection, and a scratch-resistant display, this phone is probably more durable than your current one. And at $399, it’s a steal.

Updated on Wednesday, Aug. 6 at 11:00 a.m. ET — Other outlets have also reported that Grok Imagine will readily produce sexual deepfakes. The Verge reported on Tuesday that the Grok Imagine "Spicy" setting produced nude deepfakes of Taylor Swift, unprompted. This isn't Elon Musk or X's first controversy involving Taylor Swift deepfakes; in January 2024, AI-generated deepfakes of Swift went viral on X, sparking a backlash against the platform.

Grok Imagine, a new generative AI tool from xAI that creates AI images and videos, lacks basic guardrails against sexual content and deepfakes. Even when specific celebrities are mentioned by name, Grok Imagine will readily produce sexual deepfakes.

xAI and Elon Musk debuted Grok Imagine over the weekend, and it's available now in the Grok iOS and Android app for xAI Premium Plus and Heavy Grok subscribers.

Mashable has been testing the tool to compare it to other AI image and video generation tools, and based on our first impressions, it lags behind similar technology from OpenAI, Google, and Midjourney on a technical level. Grok Imagine also lacks industry-standard guardrails to prevent deepfakes and sexual content. Mashable reached out to xAI, and we'll update this story if we receive a response.

The xAI Acceptable Use Policy prohibits users from "Depicting likenesses of persons in a pornographic manner." Unfortunately, there is a lot of distance between "sexual" and "pornographic," and Grok Imagine seems carefully calibrated to take advantage of that gray area. Grok Imagine will readily create sexually suggestive images and videos, but it stops short of showing actual nudity, kissing, or sexual acts.

Most mainstream AI companies include explicit rules prohibiting users from creating potentially harmful content, including sexual material and celebrity deepfakes. In addition, rival AI video generators like Google Veo 3 or Sora from OpenAI feature built-in protections that stop users from creating images or videos of public figures. Users can often circumvent these safety protections, but they provide some check against misuse.

But unlike its biggest rivals, xAI hasn't shied away from NSFW content in its signature AI chatbot Grok. The company recently introduced a flirtatious anime avatar that will engage in NSFW chats, and Grok's image generation tools will let users create images of celebrities and politicians. Grok Imagine also includes a "Spicy" setting, which Musk promoted in the days after its launch.

Grok's "spicy" anime avatar. Credit: Cheng Xin/Getty Images SEE ALSO: AI actors and deepfakes aren't coming to YouTube ads. They're already here.

"If you look at the philosophy of Musk as an individual, if you look at his political philosophy, he is very much more of the kind of libertarian mold, right? And he has spoken about Grok as kind of like the LLM for free speech," said Henry Ajder, an expert on AI deepfakes, in an interview with Mashable. Ajder said that under Musk's stewardship, X (Twitter), xAI, and now Grok have adopted "a more laissez-faire approach to safety and moderation."

"So, when it comes to xAI, in this context, am I surprised that this model can generate this content, which is certainly uncomfortable, and I'd say at least somewhat problematic? Ajder said. "I'm not surprised, given the track record that they have and the safety procedures that they have in place. Are they unique in suffering from these challenges? No. But could they be doing more, or are they doing less relative to some of the other key players in the space? It would appear to be that way. Yes."

Grok Imagine errs on the side of NSFW

Grok Imagine does have some guardrails in place. In our testing, it removed the "Spicy" option with some types of images. Grok Imagine also blurs out some images and videos, labeling them as "Moderated." That means xAI could easily take further steps to prevent users from making abusive content in the first place.

"There is no technical reason why xAI couldn’t include guardrails on both the input and output of their generative-AI systems, as others have," said Hany Farid, a digital forensics expert and UC Berkeley Professor of Computer Science, in an email to Mashable.

However, when it comes to deepfakes or NSFW content, xAI seems to err on the side of permisiveness, a stark contrast to the more cautious approach of its rivals. xAI has also moved quickly to release new models and AI tools, and perhaps too quickly, Ajder said.

"Knowing what the kind of trust and safety teams, and the teams that do a lot of the ethics and safety policy management stuff, whether that's a red teaming, whether it's adversarial testing, you know, whether that's working hand in hand with the developers, it does take time. And the timeframe at which X's tools are being released, at least, certainly seems shorter than what I would see on average from some of these other labs," Ajder said.

Mashable's testing reveals that Grok Imagine has much looser content moderation than other mainstream generative AI tools. xAI's laissez-faire approach to moderation is also reflected in the xAI safety guidelines.

OpenAI and Google AI vs. Grok: How other AI companies approach safety and content moderation Credit: Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Both OpenAI and Google have extensive documentation outlining their approach to responsible AI use and prohibited content. For instance, Google's documentation specifically prohibits "Sexually Explicit" content.

A Google safety document reads, "The application will not generate content that contains references to sexual acts or other lewd content (e.g., sexually graphic descriptions, content aimed at causing arousal)." Google also has policies against hate speech, harassment, and malicious content, and its Generative AI Prohibited Use Policy prohibits using AI tools in a way that "Facilitates non-consensual intimate imagery."

OpenAI also takes a proactive approach to deepfakes and sexual content.

An OpenAI blog post announcing Sora describes the steps the AI company took to prevent this type of abuse. "Today, we’re blocking particularly damaging forms of abuse, such as child sexual abuse materials and sexual deepfakes." A footnote associated with that statement reads, "Our top priority is preventing especially damaging forms of abuse, like child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and sexual deepfakes, by blocking their creation, filtering and monitoring uploads, using advanced detection tools, and submitting reports to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) when CSAM or child endangerment is identified."

That measured approach contrasts sharply with the ways Musk promoted Grok Imagine on X, where he shared a short video portrait of a blonde, busty, blue-eyed angel in barely-there lingerie.

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OpenAI also takes simple steps to stop deepfakes, such as denying prompts for images and videos that mention public figures by name. And in Mashable's testing, Google's AI video tools are especially sensitive to images that might include a person's likeness.

In comparison to these lengthy safety frameworks (which many experts still believe are inadequate), the xAI Acceptable Use Policy is less than 350 words. The policy puts the onus of preventing deepfakes on the user. The policy reads, "You are free to use our Service as you see fit so long as you use it to be a good human, act safely and responsibly, comply with the law, do not harm people, and respect our guardrails."

For now, laws and regulations against AI deepfakes and NCII remain in their infancy.

President Donald Trump recently signed the Take It Down Act, which includes protections against deepfakes. However, that law doesn't criminalize the creation of deepfakes but rather the distribution of these images.

"Here in the U.S., the Take it Down Act places requirements on social media platforms to remove [Non-Consensual Intimate Images] once notified," Farid said to Mashable. "While this doesn’t directly address the generation of NCII, it does — in theory — address the distribution of this material. There are several state laws that ban the creation of NCII but enforcement appears to be spotty right now."'

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.