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SAVE OVER $40: As of June 25, the Sony ULT Field 1 portable speaker is on sale for $88 at Amazon. This is 32% off its list price of $129.99 and marks a return to its lowest-ever price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony ULT Field 1 $88 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $41.99 Get Deal

If you're spending more time outside this summer, a portable speaker is worth picking up so you can listen to your favorite songs outdoors. If you've been looking for something, Amazon has quite a few on sale at the moment ahead of Prime Day. One of the best deals we've come across is on the Sony ULT Field 1, which has dropped back to its lowest-ever price.

The Sony ULT Field 1 portable speaker is currently on sale for $88 at Amazon. This is a 32% discount from its list price of $129.99, allowing you to save over $40. Multiple color options are on sale at this price as well, so you can choose between orange, off white, forest gray, or black.

SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Day 2025: Dates and deals

If you're a big fan of bass, the Sony ULT Field 1 is an excellent fit for you. With the help of its ULT button, you can bump up the bass in your favorite songs. Alongside great sound quality, this portable speaker is built to handle many of your outdoor adventures this summer. It's waterproof, rustproof, dustproof, and shockproof with a compact size that can fit right into a bag. It even offers up to 12 hours of battery to keep the party going for hours.

The Sony ULT Field 1 may not stay at this low price for long, so act fast to pick it up on sale at Amazon.

If you're not a subscriber but want to enjoy some of the Prime Day deals this year, check out our guide on how to sign up for Amazon Prime ahead of Prime Day to get started before the sale event starts on July 8.

The best early Prime Day deals, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $74.99 (List Price $99.00)

• Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (Wi-Fi, 40mm, S/M Green) — $199.99 (List Price $299.99)

• Dyson V15 Detect Plus Cordless Vacuum Cleaner (Yellow/Nickel) — $649.99 (List Price $749.99)

• Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop — $849.00 (List Price $999.00)

• Hisense 55" Class QD6 Series (2025 Model) QLED 4K UHD TV — $259.99 (List Price $379.99)

It's been a while since we've had an iPhone Pro in black (we're talking pitch black, not the iPhone 16 Pro's Black Titanium), and it might be time to bring that color back again.

Leaker Majin Bu posted a few shots of the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Air in Black, and the phones look really elegant in that color. The new, super-wide camera bump, which is envisioned here as black glass on the iPhone's matte black surface, further accentuates that elegance. In short, if James Bond had an iPhone 17, this is the color he'd choose.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. SEE ALSO: iPhone 17 could reportedly get one of these two new base colors

These, of course, are not actual phones; they're probably dummy units based on previous leaks and rumors on what the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Air might look like. In fact, Bu already shared a video of him holding a dummy model of the iPhone 17 Pro Max in white.

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Does this mean the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Air will come in this new, all-black color? We're not sure. In April, Bu claimed that a new color for the iPhone 17 Pro will be the Sky Blue, and while black and white always seem like a good choice, it's unclear whether Bu's dummy models are based on actual leaks or are just someone's idea of what the new iPhones should look like.

All of this is still one hundred percent unofficial, and the iPhone 17 Pro (as well as the rumored iPhone 17 Air) might end up looking completely different than these dummies. We'll know for sure in September, when Apple typically launches new iPhones.

SAVE $12: As of June 25, the Soundcore V40i by Anker open-ear earbuds are on sale for $67.99 at Amazon. That's down from $79.99 — a 15% discount and their first-ever price drop since launching in early June 2025.

Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore Soundcore V40i by Anker $67.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $12 Get Deal

With Prime Day just around the corner, Amazon is already dropping early deals. If you’ve been eyeing the latest open-ear headphone tech, this one’s worth a closer listen. The Soundcore V40i by Anker earbuds bring a sleek, next-gen design, breathable comfort, and surprisingly powerful audio into one lightweight package — now for $67.99.

Soundcore has also made the P30i earbuds available for under $30, but the V40i earbuds have some added features if you’re willing to spend a bit more — with the $67.99 deal applied to both the black and white-coloured models.

SEE ALSO: Early Prime Day wireless earbuds deals are slowly rolling in at Amazon

Unlike traditional earbuds that press into your ear canal, the V40i’s open-ear design rests comfortably outside your ear, keeping you aware of your surroundings while eliminating in-ear pressure. The adjustable four-level ear hooks are designed to fit over 99% of ear shapes, meaning you’ll likely find a secure, personalised fit without fuss.

And for such a tiny device, these seem to pack some serious audio punch. With 16 × 13mm drivers, a high-elastic diaphragm, and a unique hourglass acoustic chamber, the V40i promises to deliver bass-heavy sound that holds up even in noisy environments. The adjustable fit helps bring the audio closer to your ear as well, boosting bass by up to 7.5dB over fixed designs.

If call quality matters, the V40i earbuds also come with four microphones and AI noise reduction, so your voice can stay crisp and clear no matter where you’re talking from.

With 21 hours of total battery life, IP55 water resistance, Bluetooth 5.4, and custom app control, the V40i aims to be more than just a stylish audio accessory — more of a full-featured listening companion altogether.

There’s no ‘limited-time deal’ label on this one, so we’re assuming the deal is available while stocks last. So, if you’ve been waiting to try open-ear tech without breaking the bank, now’s your chance.

For anyone planning on putting these extra savings toward a new phone, the Samsung Galaxy S25+ has hit its lowest-ever price ahead of Prime Day. In the event you plan on using the Soundcore V40i earbuds to adventure outside, the fitness-friendly Garmin vívoactive 5 watch is now $100 off — making for another high-quality Prime Day upgrade. 

The best early Prime Day deals, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $74.99 (List Price $99.00)

• Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (Wi-Fi, 40mm, S/M Green) — $199.99 (List Price $299.99)

• Dyson V15 Detect Plus Cordless Vacuum Cleaner (Yellow/Nickel) — $649.99 (List Price $749.99)

• Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop — $849.00 (List Price $999.00)

• Hisense 55" Class QD6 Series (2025 Model) QLED 4K UHD TV — $259.99 (List Price $379.99)

SAVE OVER $100: As of June 25, the Dyson V11 Origin cordless vacuum is on sale for $468.40 at Amazon. This is 18% off its list price of $569.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson V11 Origin Cordless Vacuum $468.40 at Amazon
$569.99 Save $101.59 Get Deal

Shopping events provide a great opportunity to pick up discounted cleaning equipment, including vacuums. Ahead of Prime Day, we've already seen some excellent early deals on robot vacuums, but what about stick vacuums? Thankfully, Amazon already has some nice discounts live. One of our favorite stick vacuum deals at the moment is on the Dyson V11 Origin, which is over $100 off right now.

The Dyson V11 Origin cordless vacuum usually retails for $569.99, but it's currently on sale for $468.40 at Amazon. It's marked as a limited-time deal right now, so if you've had your eye on it to help out with cleaning, now is your chance to pick it up and save.

SEE ALSO: Are you 18-24? Get 6 months of Amazon Prime for free ahead of Prime Day.

Alongside its sleek design, which makes storing nice and easy, the Dyson V11 Origin boasts plenty of power to keep your home looking tidy. It offers three power modes depending on the amount of cleaning you'd like to get done — Auto mode, Eco mode, and Boost mode — and can last for up to 60 minutes of cleaning. With its cordless design, you can move through various rooms in your house a lot easier, too.

The Dyson V11 Origin also comes with four different attachments to clean smaller areas: a Motorbar cleaner head, hair screw tool, dusting brush, and crevice tool.

Don't miss out on over $100 off the Dyson V11 Origin cordless vacuum at Amazon.

Amazon Prime Day is coming up soon — July 8 through July 11, to be exact — and if you're hoping to check out more deals from the sale event, have a look at our breakdown of everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Day 2025 to plan ahead.

The best early Prime Day deals, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $74.99 (List Price $99.00)

• Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (Wi-Fi, 40mm, S/M Green) — $199.99 (List Price $299.99)

• Dyson V15 Detect Plus Cordless Vacuum Cleaner (Yellow/Nickel) — $649.99 (List Price $749.99)

• Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop — $849.00 (List Price $999.00)

• Hisense 55" Class QD6 Series (2025 Model) QLED 4K UHD TV — $259.99 (List Price $379.99)

Diego Luna's guest-hosting run on Jimmy Kimmel Live! is already off to a flying start, with the Andor star starting the week with a powerful monologue criticising Donald Trump's immigration policies.

Then, on Tuesday, the Mexican actor hit it out of the park again with another excellent late night monologue, this time responding to the overwhelming reaction to Monday night's show.

"Last night, I spoke from the heart and gave a monologue about immigration and the policies of this administration, and I got some very positive comments online," Luna says in the video above. He then proceeds to read out examples like, "This guy is eloquent! He ought to be in Congress!"

"No way, no, no, no, I’m too productive for that," Luna quips.

The host then reads out the more creative negative online comments, then moves onto press coverage and, in particular, Fox News' story on his monologue, of which Luna reads out the headline: "Narcos: Mexico star trashes Trump immigration policies while guest-hosting ‘Kimmel."

"I’ve done more than 70 movies and shows. I wonder why they chose the one where I play a drug dealer," Luna says.

Notably, Fox News now appears to have changed the story headline to read "Andor star…" though you can see the original headline on the site with a quick Google.

President Donald Trump dropped a hard F-bomb on the White House lawn talking to press this week, and it's a viral moment that had all the late night show hosts reacting, from Stephen Colbert to Seth Meyers.

In this video above from his segment "A Closer Look," Meyers unpacked the events leading up to Trump telling media that Israel and Iran "don't know what the fuck they're doing."

"I gotta say, even having zero standards of expectations for Trump, it's still surprising to see the president drop an F-bomb on the White House grounds," said Meyers. "From now on, we're going to use the Trump clip as our bleep."

SAVE $400: As of June 25, the 49-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 curved gaming monitor is now just $899.99 at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 Curved Gaming Monitor $899.99 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $400 Get Deal

As of June 25, the 49-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 curved gaming monitor is on sale at Amazon for $899.99 ahead of the retailer’s Prime Day sale — that’s 31% off its regular price of $1,299.99. This is a limited-time deal, so don’t wait around if it’s on your wishlist.

If your current gaming setup is starting to feel lacking in the display department, now’s a solid time to upgrade with a deal like this floating around. The 2024 edition of Samsung’s Odyssey OLED G9 is a full-on command centre disguised as a monitor. 

SEE ALSO: Amazon is dropping way better early Prime Day TV deals than years prior

With a super-ultra-wide 49-inch curved screen, it wraps around your vision for an immersive experience that’s hard to beat — especially for serious gamers and multitaskers.

This latest model uses QD-OLED technology, combining deep, true blacks with vivid colour thanks to quantum dot enhancements. Its Dual QHD resolution (5120 x 1440) offers crisp detail across an expansive 32:9 screen, while the 144Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time make motion feel buttery smooth. If you play fast-paced titles, you’ll appreciate how the G-Sync compatibility and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro reduce lag, screen tearing, and stutter.

Samsung didn’t stop at picture quality. There are thoughtful features built in, like thermal modulation to manage heat, burn-in protection, and even a Picture-in-Picture mode that makes multitasking a breeze. If you want to tilt or adjust your screen for max comfort, the ergonomic stand has you covered.

Whether you're playing a quick match of Counter-Strike 2, streaming on Twitch, or even running multiple apps at once, the Odyssey G9 is said to handle it all — and right now, it’s doing it for a lot less. 

Just remember: this is a limited-time deal and could disappear without warning. So, if you’re on the fence about adding this impressive piece of kit to your gaming arsenal, we’d recommend pulling the trigger whilst you can. 

If you're on the hunt for a new TV to complete your entertainment space as well as your gaming setup, the Amazon Fire TV 2-Series just got a huge early Prime Day discount as well. For those who might be after a new watch too, you can also save $100 on the Garmin vívoactive 5 ahead of Prime Day.

The best early Prime Day deals, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $74.99 (List Price $99.00)

• Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (Wi-Fi, 40mm, S/M Green) — $199.99 (List Price $299.99)

• Dyson V15 Detect Plus Cordless Vacuum Cleaner (Yellow/Nickel) — $649.99 (List Price $749.99)

• Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop — $849.00 (List Price $999.00)

• Hisense 55" Class QD6 Series (2025 Model) QLED 4K UHD TV — $259.99 (List Price $379.99)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for June 25 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Types of dairy products

• Green: Found by a fountain drink machine

• Blue: Found in a woodshop

• Purple: Flying animals

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Kinds of cheeses

• Green: Beverage self-service items

• Blue: Woodworking hand tools

• Purple: Birds minus last letter

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 #745 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Kinds of cheeses: BLUE, GOAT, JACK, SWISS

• Beverage self-service items: CUP, LID, NAPKIN, STRAW

• Woodworking hand tools: CHISEL, PLANE, RASP, SAW

• Birds minus last letter: CRAN, FLAMING, HERO, RAVE

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 25

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.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 25 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 25 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Worth the splurge

The words are wealth-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are expensive things.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Luxury Goods

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for June 25

• Jewelry

• Perfume

• Handbag

• Luxury Goods

• Watch

• Convertible

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

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

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

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

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 today: Hints and answers for June 25 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's The Mini crossword answers for June 25, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Cozy.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter C.

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...

COMFY.

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 June 25

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.

SAVE $200: As of June 25, the Samsung Galaxy S25+ (256GB) is on sale for $799.99 at Amazon. This is 20% off its list price of $999.99 and marks its lowest price yet.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S25+ (256GB) $799.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $200 Get Deal

If you've been looking to invest in a new phone, we come with good news: the unlocked Samsung Galaxy S25+ (256GB) has dropped to a new low price at Amazon.

The Samsung Galaxy S25+ (256GB) is normally listed for $999.99, but it's currently marked down 20% to $799.99. According to price tracker camelcamelcamel, its previous lowest-ever price was $847.99, so this marks a new all-time low for the phone. Multiple color options are down to this price as well, so you can choose between navy, silver shadow, mint, and icyblue.

SEE ALSO: Are you 18-24? Get 6 months of Amazon Prime for free ahead of Prime Day.

Boasting a sleek design, 6.7-inch screen size, and 256GB of storage to hold all of your favorite apps, photos, and more, the Samsung Galaxy S25+ is a worthy upgrade. It's powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor, which makes things run faster and smoother on the Galaxy S25+, and offers a stellar battery life that can last up to 30 hours while watching videos.

Why wait for Prime Day to upgrade? Now is as good a time as any to score the Samsung Galaxy S25+ (256GB) at its lowest-ever price.

If you're hoping to join in on the Prime Day fun this year, check out our breakdown of how to sign up for Amazon Prime ahead of Prime Day so you're good to go when the event starts.

The best early Prime Day deals, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $74.99 (List Price $99.00)

• Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (Wi-Fi, 40mm, S/M Green) — $199.99 (List Price $299.99)

• Dyson V15 Detect Plus Cordless Vacuum Cleaner (Yellow/Nickel) — $649.99 (List Price $749.99)

• Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop — $849.00 (List Price $999.00)

• Hisense 55" Class QD6 Series (2025 Model) QLED 4K UHD TV — $259.99 (List Price $379.99)

I can't responsibly compare YouTube and Nebula without giving some sort of disclosure that these video platforms aren't exactly as comparable as two mid-range noise-cancelling earbuds. Where the earbuds might be intended for exactly the same audience while having some performance differences, YouTube Premium and Nebula ultimately cater to different target audiences. There's overlap in the Venn Diagram, but not so much that they lend themselves to one-to-one comparisons all the way down.

All this to say, I'll be giving a lot of stipulations on my rulings below. With that in mind, let's begin the comparisons.

YouTube Premium vs. Nebula: Price

As I mentioned up top, YouTube Premium isn't exactly cheap — the individual monthly plan costs more than an Apple TV+ subscription or an ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle. Granted, YouTube is a very different platform than those streaming services, and no payment is required to use YouTube. However, if it's one of your primary forms of entertainment, it's worth comparing to traditional streaming services.

YouTube Premium pricing tiers:

• YouTube Premium (individual): $13.99 per month

• YouTube Premium (individual, annual): $139.99 ($11.66 per month)

• YouTube Premium Family: $22.99 per month (up to six people)

• YouTube Premium Lite: $7.99 per month

• YouTube Premium Student: $7.99 per month

As you'll notice from the pricing tiers, there are ways to bring down your monthly cost. If you can pay for a year upfront, that helps. Even better is grabbing a YouTube Family subscription — for most of my time as a Premium member, I've split mine with my boyfriend and a friend, bringing our monthly cost down to $7.66. Just make sure you sign up through YouTube directly to get the best cost. The Apple app store, for instance, raises the Premium Family subscription price to $29.99 per month.

If you're interested in just getting rid of ads and don't have anyone to split the cost with, YouTube Lite is a newer alternative for the brand. But for $8 a month, it's priced a little steep for the lack of additional features offered — and the fact that you'll still get served ads on select videos and YouTube Music.

SEE ALSO: YouTube will show ads at 'peak points' of videos

Unlike YouTube, you do have to pay to use Nebula. The pricing breaks down as follows:

Nebula pricing tiers:

• Nebula (monthly): $6 per month

• Nebula (annual): $60 per year ($5 per month)

• Nebula (lifetime): $300

While it's noticeably cheaper than YouTube (and comes with a lifetime price), the pricing does reflect the more limited features and content pool available. You also get one guest pass per month.

To assess the value throughout this comparison, I'll be operating with the assumption of monthly individual pricing for both services, unless otherwise stated.

Winner: Nebula

YouTube Premium vs. Nebula: Content

If YouTube is the modern-day Library of Alexandria, Nebula is the attached Library of Alexandria bookstore for people who really like video essays.

I'm learning in real time how vulnerable it can be to share your YouTube home page. Credit: Screenshot: YouTube

YouTube's entire video catalog is free and includes pretty much anything you can think of. So while Premium doesn't necessarily change what content is available, it allows you to change the way you watch content, whether that be skipping out on ads or playing a video in the background on mobile while your phone is locked or you're using other apps. For me, this comes in handy if I'm using YouTube as a Pomodoro timer for work, listening to a livestream or interview like a podcast, or listening to an actual podcast. Next to ad-blocking, this is my favorite feature of Premium.

The background player allows me to indulge my ever-dwindling attention span (and have some flexibility in how I enjoy YouTube videos). Credit: Screenshot: YouTube

Back in the days when Premium was called YouTube Red, the service also produced original content, but stopped doing so back in 2022. Alongside videos, a Premium membership also includes ad-free access to YouTube Music. While I haven't used it on my own time, clicking around it, I imagined myself being drawn to it if I wasn't already in so deep in the Spotify ecosystem (our sister site PC Mag, also owned by Ziff Davis, gives YouTube Music a four out of five rating in their review).

If there was a discounted version of YouTube Premium just for background play and ad-blocking, I'd probably be paying for it. Credit: YouTube / Screenshot

Nebula, on the other hand, has a much smaller content library — it takes just a few minutes to count the number of creators hosted on the site — but its goal isn't to be the video sharing platform for anyone and everyone. Instead, the service aims to feature highly produced, well-researched content from creators who have already made a name for themselves on YouTube (you might recognize names like Lindsay Ellis, Legal Eagle, Not Just Bikes, and Philosophy Tube, just to name a few). While that does mean you'll see a lot less content and have to pay to access any of it, what you will encounter feels vetted.

The Explore page on Nebula lets you look at every video that's been uploaded, sorted by newest to oldest (or vice versa). Credit: Screenshot: Nebula

Trace Dominguez is a science content creator who's been posting on Nebula since day one in 2019 — but he also has two YouTube channels with about 664,000 and 87,400 subscribers respectively, and a podcast he co-hosts called That's Absurd Please Elaborate that he posts on YouTube and Nebula (in addition to the other places you'll find podcasts). In an email to me, he put it like this: "I find when I pick a video to watch on Nebula, I’ll stick with it and watch the whole thing. On YouTube, there’s no guarantee that videos will be good, that the audio won’t be grating, or the story won’t meander."

SEE ALSO: Live from space! Watch Earth live streamed on Mashable.

Generally, Nebula's content falls into the buckets of media criticism, news analysis, science explainers, history reflections, podcasts, and short films. If you're looking for streamers' VODs (videos on demand), casual day-in-my-life vlogs, beauty tutorials, or food content, you're better off sticking to YouTube.

That's not to say that Nebula is the definitively better service for the types of content it specializes in. For instance, after finishing the latest season of Andor, I discovered a ton of smaller video essay channels creating YouTube content around the show, while the same search for videos on Nebula yielded fewer results. That's not necessarily a knock against Nebula so much as a fact of its model — and a testament to how it's not a service that encourages algorithm chasing in the same way YouTube does. While this can be nice for curating your content pool, if you like casting the widest net possible and are frequently looking to discover new creators, you might prefer YouTube generally.

SEE ALSO: 'Andor' no more: Your burning questions, answered

In many cases, creators on Nebula mirror their videos on YouTube as well. However, Nebula users get the advantage of generally having earlier access to those videos, as well as videos that are exclusively uploaded to Nebula. (On the site, you'll see those branded as Nebula First and Nebula Original videos, respectively). Like the early days of YouTube Red, Nebula also funds original scripted series (which also fall under the Nebula Originals tag). Most recently, they've announced a Broadway-studded cast for a new Twilight Zone-esque series.

I took this screenshot of Jared Henderson's YouTube channel on May 29. His most recent video on the literacy crisis went live on May 27. Credit: Screenshot: YouTube On Nebula, the same video went live on April 28, while an entirely different video went live on May 27. Credit: Screenshot: Nebula

Additionally, Nebula offers Masterclass-style classes taught by the creators on the platform. Though the selection is relatively small, it's diverse: You can watch courses on video editing, producing pop music, research practices, and dealing with anxiety. Like YouTube, Nebula also hosts podcasts, but takes a slightly different approach in the interface, which I'll get into below.

A Nebula subscription includes a selection of classes with high production value. Credit: Screenshot: Nebula

Winner: YouTube for generalized content, Nebula for video essays and educational content

YouTube Premium vs. Nebula: App and desktop interface

Now that we know what types of videos each platform offers, let's get into how they present that content.

As I mentioned above, YouTube Premium's features don't have any content behind the paywall, so the main benefit of the service is in how it changes your viewing experience. Here's the breakdown of what you get with YouTube Premium, feature-wise:

• Ad-free videos and YouTube Music

• Downloadable videos and music for offline viewing and listening

• Background play while device is locked or while using other apps

Less exclusive to the Premium experience is simply that of using YouTube, which can be excellent on a good day and frustrating on a bad one. As it's not necessarily a Premium-specific issue, and I won't get into too much detail, but YouTube's discoverability is very much defined by what the algorithm chooses to present to you. And it can present some great stuff, but it can also overly represent its suggestions based on what you watched most recently. The YouTube search function is also notoriously bad, often showing limited results that quickly become unrelated to a search query entirely, making looking beyond the algorithm for new content challenging.

YouTube, I'm actually not looking to watch Shane Gillis standout 10 results down for my search from another comedian (especially after being shown three completely unrelated videos from my watch history). Credit: Screenshot: YouTube

Ultimately, YouTube's algorithm feels like it's trying to hook you by serving videos with high view counts from popular channels. It's not a crime, but it does lead to some pretty abysmal search results and recommendations.

Nebula, on the other hand, takes a different approach. Take a look at its home page — notice anything?

Something's missing here. Credit: Screenshot: Nebula

Not a single video on Nebula displays a view count. Channels don't display subscriber counts, and videos themselves don't feature any comments or options to leave one. In that sense, the site feels truly content-oriented. Don't get me wrong — I like scrolling through comments as much as the next person, but I find that sometimes I can actually lose focus on what I'm watching. This gives YouTube a definitive edge when it comes to engaging in a more community-oriented experience, but it also feels like it communicates the different intentions of the sites.

SEE ALSO: How 'cozy gaming' is taking mindfulness mainstream

YouTube seems intent on keeping users engaged no matter what, but Nebula offers its videos as the sole form of entertainment, giving more of an opportunity to get bored and actually log off. Again, one's not necessarily better than the other, but as someone who can struggle with self-control around screen time, this difference felt stark. (And not for nothing, I came across several videos on Nebula that had links to Reddit discussion posts about them.)

As for the app experience, I find YouTube's app easier to navigate, but I appreciate that Nebula's home page is more organized than the endless scroll of video suggestions you'll find on YouTube.

The YouTube app's home page. Credit: Screenshot: YouTube Versus Nebula's. Credit: Screenshot: Nebula

Beyond their layouts, each platform has smaller features for watching videos that ultimately keep the playing field relatively even. For instance, you can queue videos in the YouTube mobile app or desktop site.

The queue feature allows me to set up the perfect playlist for my daily watching. Credit: YouTube: Screenshot

You can't queue on Nebula beyond the "Watch Later" playlist, but Nebula allows you to use Chromecast when using Chrome on desktop.

Nebula's Chromecast feature means you can pause and play videos, no matter what tab you're on. Credit: Screenshot: Nebula / Mashable

Nebula's picture-in-picture mode (the small pop-out window) stays on your desktop whether you're in another tab or using apps separate from your internet browser entirely. On YouTube, the small window only follows you around the site.

SEE ALSO: How to create a viral video, according to creators

Ultimately, neither's quality-of-life features in this area are better enough to push one over the edge. Generally, I prefer the organization of Nebula's interface, but I appreciate YouTube's setup when I want to read comments and search more generally for videos.

Winner: YouTube for community, Nebula for general ease

YouTube Premium vs. Nebula: Creator support

Chances are, if you've heard of Nebula, you're either a creator yourself or follow someone who's mentioned it in their videos.

Without getting too much into the lore, Nebula was founded by creators with the purpose of allowing creators a place to make what they wanted to, without feeling beholden to YouTube's algorithm. Because Nebula is owned by the creators on it and the company that founded it (Standard, a creator-run development agency), it gives creators a way to earn a living different from the model of YouTube's sponsorships and AdSense program.

SEE ALSO: How Aden Wang makes viral DIY content without quitting his day job

According to Nebula's FAQ, Nebula profits are split 50/50 between creators and Standard, with the creator pool paid out by watch time and, as Dominguez informed me, listen time for podcasts.

So, how does that impact a creator's paycheck? Dominguez wrote that while AdSense could go a long way when videos resonated well with audiences on YouTube, "there is no certainty in that success." With Nebula, he found more stability: "I knew if I made a video every week, I could pull in enough to pay rent thanks to the ad partners Nebula was securing for me. That predictability was hugely important and uncommon in the creator economy. The fact that creators (like me) who are fairly small relative to the big players can pay bills with the revenue from Nebula is huge."

SEE ALSO: 4 big mistakes creators made — and what they did to fix them

In other words, your subscription cost as an audience member isn't feeding a huge corporation like Google. Instead, it's being funneled back to giving creators a reliable paycheck, which, as Dominguez wrote, is all too uncommon in the creator economy.

Winner: Nebula

Our winner: YouTube Premium Family for the super fans, Nebula for the super super fans

Nebula isn't going to be for everyone. But if you're already a fan of several of the creators on Nebula, paying for it feels like grabbing the ultimate Patreon combo subscription. In that sense, it's a tremendously good value, and one that has the added bonus of putting consistent money in creators' pockets.

However, if you don't fall into that category, you might find yourself more drawn to a YouTube Premium subscription. It's honestly too expensive to earnestly recommend at the individual monthly price, but if you can grab a Family subscription with at least a couple of other people, it cuts costs way down (and saves you from a whole lot of ads).

For both services, you have to be at least verging on power user status to find that you're getting the bang for your buck. On the flip side, the most super of fans might enjoy subscribing to both services — or at least alternating between the two.

Get Nebula or YouTube Premium YouTube Premium Starting at $7.99 per month Learn More Nebula Starting at $6 per month Learn More

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

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Wednesday, June 25, 2025:

AcrossGuitar effect that mimics a voice

• The answer is Wawa.

Red carpet figure, informally

• The answer is Celeb.

Robert De Niro's "You talkin’ to me?” line was one

• The answer is Ad lib.

JCPenney or Family Dollar

• The answer is Store.

"Hey there!"

• The answer is Howdy.

DownDead set on, as an idea

• The answer is Wed to.

Permit

• The answer is Allow.

A little bit off

• The answer is Weird.

Home for monks

• The answer is Abbey.

Successfully win, in sports betting lingo

• The answer is Cash.

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

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

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 today's Mini Crossword.

Donald Trump's recent F-bomb on live TV caught not only the internet's attention, but also that of late show hosts including Late Night's Seth Meyers and Late Show host Stephen Colbert.

In the monologue above, Colbert plays the clip — during which Trump growls to the cameras that Israel and Iran "don't know what the fuck they're doing" — before throwing in his opinion on what the president was really thinking.

"Wow, he is so mad. And/or so projecting," says the Late Show host, before launching into his trademark Trump impression. "They don't know what the fuck they're doing. They're starting to wonder, I tell you folks, they're starting to wonder if they even wanted all of this. Sure they like the attention, but the job itself f***ing sucks. All they want to do is eat f***ing chicken and watch f***ing TV. And play a little f***ing golf."

A private Japanese space company said its moon-landing crash earlier this month happened for a different reason than that of its first spacecraft two years prior. 

A faulty altitude sensor doomed its second Hakuto-R mission attempt to land on the moon on June 5, according to Tokyo-based ispace. Now it’s bringing in outsiders to make sure it doesn’t occur again.

In a post-flight analysis announced Tuesday, the company determined its Resilience lander smashed into the lunar surface because its laser range finder failed during descent. The hardware glitch meant the spacecraft didn’t know how close it was to the ground until it was too late to slow down. Everything else — engines, software, power — checked out fine.

NASA, for its part, had already spotted the wreckage. About a week after the crash, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter passed about 50 miles above the landing site, Mare Frigoris — and snapped a photo of a fresh dark smudge surrounded by a dusty halo: the telltale signature of a spacecraft impact.

"Since the moment of landing, we have remained committed to moving forward and identifying the root causes," said ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada in a statement. "For the past 18 days, every employee has worked tirelessly to be able to transparently share the results of the technical cause analysis."

SEE ALSO: Rubin Observatory's first images flaunt millions of galaxies. Take a look. Ispace's Resilience spacecraft circled the moon many times before its landing attempt on June 5, 2025. Credit: ispace

The company now plans to convene a task force to review the mishap with third-party experts. This panel is expected to help investigate the sensor failure independently and make recommendations for improvements. Ispace also said it will tighten its relationship with Japan’s space agency JAXA and expand testing for future landers.

It’s a costly next step. The added work is expected to bump development expenses up by 1.5 billion yen, or about $9.4 million, for ispace’s next two missions, scheduled to launch in 2027. But ispace says its financial outlook and timelines remain intact.

Resilience had carried a tiny European rover. If the landing had worked, that rover, dubbed Tenacious, would’ve become the first from Europe to explore the moon’s surface. The lander was also supposed to put a decorative red Swedish dollhouse on the moon in the name of art. 

As for the little Moonhouse, artist Mikael Genberg said he wants to try again.

"We are very proud of our completion of getting the house to the moon," he told Mashable, then joked, "Perhaps the house fell out and landed as intended."

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

Engineers ruled out improper installation of the laser system or any unusual tilt in the lander's orientation, suggesting instead that the device itself was the problem. That's a departure from the cause of ispace's first moon-landing failure in 2023, when the spacecraft ran out of fuel during descent. 

Resilience was targeting a northern location on the moon's surface, a less-forboding site than the dark, heavily cratered south pole, where many other countries and companies want to go. The area is known as Mare Frigoris, aka the "Sea of Cold," which stretches across the near side's top. It's a volcanic region interspersed with large faults known as wrinkle ridges.

Still, ispace says it will push forward with its missions 3 and 4. The upcoming missions are part of a growing wave of private lunar efforts, many of which support NASA’s broader Artemis program. Ispace is working with Draper Technologies in Massachusetts on one of those U.S.-led missions, which could help lay the groundwork for delivering cargo — and eventually astronauts — on the moon.

An ispace engineer in the mission control room clasps his hands awaiting confirmation from the Resilience lander as CEO Takeshi Hakamada looks on in the bottom right inset photo on June 5, 2025. Credit: ispace livestream screenshot

Landing on the moon remains one of spaceflight's most unforgiving challenges. Unlike Earth, its closest space neighbor has almost no atmosphere to slow a spacecraft as it approaches the ground. What's more, there’s no GPS system to help guide it around obstacles. 

That leaves engineers 239,000 miles away relying on sensors, preprogrammed maneuvers, and maybe a few prayers to safely complete the journey. Recent U.S.-based commercial missions have seen mixed results: One spacecraft from Firefly Aerospace landed successfully in March, while another from Intuitive Machines tipped over on arrival.

But this spacefaring company isn’t backing off. Its new mission: prove it can stick that landing.

"Ispace will not let this be a setback," Hakamada said. "We will not stop here, but as determined pioneers of the cislunar economy, we will strive to regain the trust of all stakeholders and embark on the next mission."

Public WiFi networks are a normal part of life, but that doesn't mean we need to accept privacy violations, too.

That's why Android's private DNS mode is important. In case you don't know, DNS (or Domain Name System) is the system that links domain names to IP addresses. In other words, it turns those words you type into your address bar into a viable internet destination. Without it, you'd be typing in random bursts of numbers to visit websites. It's great.

But nothing is perfect. By default, DNS queries aren't encrypted, so someone using the same network as you could theoretically figure out how to see what you're doing online. Nobody wants that, so if you're an Android user, here's how you can prevent it.

SEE ALSO: Android 16 is here, and I already love these 6 new features How to turn on private DNS on Android

Android's private DNS feature is a bit unusual in that turning it on differs greatly depending on the version of Android you're running.

For anyone using Android 11 or newer (and that's likely most of you), it's as easy as downloading an app and pressing a button, per our friends at ZDNet. Download the app "1.1.1.1 + WARP" from CloudFlare on the Google Play Store. Once it's installed, open the app and simply toggle the button to enable private DNS. Done. Easy!

There is one caveat to all of this, which is that apparently the app doesn't live in your app library like a normal app would. In order to re-enable private DNS if it gets turned off, you'll have to search for the app by name in the Play Store and open it from there. Weird.

If anyone out there is still running Android 10 or older, there's another way to enable private DNS in the Android settings menu:

1. Open Settings

2. Go to Network & Internet (or More Connection Settings on a Samsung device)

3. Scroll down and enable private DNS

At this point, you'll have to manually provide a DNS provider, which the CloudFlare app does for you automatically. ZDNet suggested several, such as "dns.google," which should work.

Congrats! Your internet searches should now have an added layer of privacy.

Marvel's Ironheart is a lot of things: a superhero show, a love letter to Chicago, and a tech-fueled examination of grief. But is it also a sneaky dig at Elon Musk?

The show follows genius inventor Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), who joins up with a band of Chicago criminals in order to get extra cash for building her Iron Man-style armored suit. Led by Parker "Hood" Robbins (Anthony Ramos), this crew steals from the rich and disrupts their Chicago-based ventures.

SEE ALSO: 'Ironheart' review: Grief and AI collide in Ryan Coogler's Marvel series

In Ironheart's second episode, that venture is TNNL, an underground transit system headed up by TNNL CEO Sheila Zarate (Zhaleh).

"We transformed Chicago's historic freight tunnels into a private highway, offering travelers a shorter and safer commute," Zarate says in a video for TNNL investors.

With its underground tunnels and promise of shorter Chicago commutes, TNNL bears a resemblance to a now-abandoned project from Elon Musk's Boring Company: the Chicago Express Loop.

The Chicago Express Loop was proposed as an underground high-speed rail line from O'Hare International Airport to downtown Chicago. Passengers would ride on self-driving vehicles modeled after Tesla's Model X SUV and able to travel up to 150 miles per hour. The Express Loop would theoretically cut commute times down to 12 minutes. (The same journey on the Chicago Transit Authority's Blue Line usually takes a little under an hour.)

While the Boring Company won a bid to build the Chicago Express Loop in 2018, the plan never came to fruition. A similar project, Boring's Las Vegas Convention Center Loop, is currently operating, with plans to expand the tunnels further into the city. However, the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop is a far cry from the Chicago Express Loop's promise of high-speed rail and vehicles able to carry up to 16 people. Instead, passengers in Las Vegas are driven through narrow underground tunnels in Teslas.

Ironheart's TNNL feels like a combination of these two projects. Obviously, it shares a location with the Chicago Express Loop, along with the general conceit of speeding up Chicago commutes with the help of underground tunnels. Its execution is more similar to the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop, swapping high-speed rail for individual cars. In Ironheart, though, the tunnel system is far more expansive, complete with a series of car elevators and tracks to speed things along. That's the power of sci-fi!

Still, Ironheart takes a beat to criticize TNNL's project, with Parker's explosives expert Clown (Sonia Denis) pointing out that Zarate doesn't care if her tunnels destroy entire Chicago communities as long as it makes her rich. While Zarate's wrongdoings and the impacted communities definitely could have used more development, the point still stands. Ironheart isn't impressed with rich people who think tunnels full of cars are the future of public transit. Go use Chicago's L instead!

The first three episodes of Ironheart are now streaming on Disney+. The final three premiere July 1 at 9 p.m. ET.

This article contains spoilers for Materialists.

In Celine Song's latest movie Materialists, matchmaker Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is cynical about love. She sees love as a numbers game and a business transaction, both for her clients and herself. 

In fact, matchmaker and CEO of Agape Matchmaking Maria Avgitidis told Mashable that if Lucy were her client, she'd tell her to be single. "I think Lucy's character has a lot of work to do as a person," she said.

SEE ALSO: Daters: Stop obsessing over height

Avgitidis, author of Ask a Matchmaker, was initially excited when the Materialists trailer came out. "I remember thinking, 'Oh my god, they're finally showing that matchmakers are in an office with other people, and like everyone else, we have Excel sheets," she said. It seemed that Materialists was going to portray the validity of her profession and show how matchmakers build community.

Then she, like the other matchmakers Mashable spoke to, saw Materialists at an early screening. 

"When I left the movie, I was just like, 'Oh shit,'" she said. Materialists got some parts of matchmaking extremely accurate, but others so wrong. Two other matchmakers told Mashable much of the same. 

What Materialists got right

Let's start with the positives — if you could call a superficial society a positive. "Certain parts were quite accurate, especially when you're first sitting down with someone, when they're just barking numbers at you," Avgitidis said. 

Several montages in Materialists feature daters specifying height and incomes they want (women looking for men), along with ages and even BMI (men looking for women). 

"The very demanding client is true," said Adam Cohen-Aslatei, CEO of matchmaking service Three Day Rule.

"A lot of people come to matchmakers, and I think that their perception is, 'Well, I'm paying, I'm going to get exactly what I want.' It's sort of the Build-A-Bear model. And humans aren't objects. We're not material. And so we have emotions, we have personality, complexity, layers." 

Featured Video For You Chris Evans and Dakota Johnson weigh in on 'Materialists' big street fight and their cocktails of choice

Another accuracy, as cynical as it is: Dating is a market, like Lucy says.

Cohen-Aslatei said Lucy oversimplifies the process, but dating is indeed a market. "If you think about buyers and sellers, there's singles, single guys, single girls, LGBTQ, everything. So it truly is a marketplace," he said.

"What [Materialists] got right was this…there are 'high-value men' and 'high-value women' that exist in the market, because it ultimately is a dating marketplace," said Nandini Mullaji, founder of AI matchmaking app Sitch. "High value" less than in a manosphere way and more of a "man in finance, trust fund, 6'5", blue eyes" type of way.

"Height and hairline are two things that women really care about," Mullaji said. Materialists puts a big emphasis on men's height in dating, as does online dating in general. 

"Dating apps have become all about filtering," Mullaji said, but daters don't realize that narrows their dating pool. If women set filters for six feet and over while average men's height in the U.S. is 5'9", they're losing out on a lot of potential matches.

The "Tinderfication of dating" (as Avgitidis called it) has resulted in people filtering out people based on genetics that they don't have control over — unless they have hundreds of thousands of dollars for surgery, Mullaji continued.

Another thing Materialists gets right is that people are very open and vulnerable with their matchmakers, said Mullaji. Since Sitch uses AI, she said users are "200 percent" honest about what they want because they're not speaking to another human.

A more wholesome aspect that Materialists got right, according to Cohen-Aslatei, is celebrating client wins. In the movie, Lucy's office celebrates when clients get engaged and married. 

"What was cool about the movie is in the office, all those matchmakers truly were so excited when their clients found a person, got engaged, got married, had a milestone in their relationship," he said. "That is exactly what happens in our company."

What Materialists got wrong

While "barking numbers" is accurate with clients first coming to matchmakers, Avgitidis said the movie didn't take it to the next step, which is the conversation she has with clients afterwards.

"When someone says to you, 'He has to be at least six feet when they're five foot two, it's like, 'Well, why is that important to you? And what if you met someone at a friend's wedding and they were five foot seven? Would you not talk to them?'" Avgitidis explained. "And then you break down a little bit of the social expectation barriers that are given to these people. So I thought that's what it was like missing [from Materialists] in a big way."

She also said that good matchmakers are inherently community builders. What hurts the industry, she said, is not showing that, and not showing how they move clients away from their wish lists and back to the reality check. 

Another issue matchmakers had in the film is the plotline of one of Lucy's clients getting assaulted.

"It sort of seems like this is an everyday occurrence, and…at least in our case, that's in our case, that's in my experience in the industry, has not been the case," said Cohen-Aslatei. 

Three Day Rule has a vetting process, including video calls and background checks. "Of course, you can never completely know who a person is, but we do our best to weed out people who we feel like can be in any way, shape, or form, seen as abusive, harassing, etc.," he said. "I just don't think that's as prevalent in their industry as the movie suggests."

Avgitidis argued the same about the crisis in the movie. A crisis like setting up a singles event and not knowing enough straight men would be more realistic, she said, as she's been in that situation many times before. Now "the phones have not stopped ringing, and some of them, most of the calls, are [liability] lawyers…I'm used to people who are single call me. Now, [it's] people who want to sell me services," she said.

SEE ALSO: We asked daters what dating in 2025 is like so far

And what Materialists got half right and half wrong, Mullaji said, is that love has to be part of the equation. In the film, Lucy says relationships are a math problem, but eventually learns love needs to be part of it too. 

"It's not just a checklist of being like, anyone XYZ, and the other person wants A, B, and C, and since you both have those things, therefore it's a perfect match," Mullaji said. "We have multiple people who meet our criteria, but who you ultimately pick is because you feel some real degree of love."

Dating apps vs. matchmakers

Avgitidis said Celine Song showed the commodification of dating, but she portrayed it through the prism of matchmaking rather than dating apps. 

"It's not like you can show someone just swiping away," she said. "We've seen that, right?" 

Daters may choose apps over matchmakers because the latter isn't cheap. Three Day Rule packages start at $5,900 for three months of matchmaking, and the company has a million-dollar package as well. It is launching an AI matchmaker this fall, which will run on a freemium model. 

Sitch, on the other hand, charges for packs of setups ($90 for three, $125 for five, and $160 for eight). 

But daters are growing increasingly tired of the apps — which, in recent years, have begun charging more for features that used to be free. 

Despite the movie's flaws, Cohen-Aslatei said it's an important movie for people to see, because it shows an alternative to dating apps. 

"Younger people have no concept of matchmaking," he said. It's not a tradition in America like it is in other community-based cultures, like in Indian or Jewish culture. In the U.S., which is a more individualistic society, daters think they know what they want and they're on the journey on their own.

Some apps have even tried to bake in this form of community, like Tinder with its Matchmaker feature and new Double Date feature. That may be because, as Avgitidis said, "Dating was never meant to be done alone." 

"You were never meant to do it on your couch with your phone in your pocket." She advocates for a more communal approach.

As matchmakers, all of these people obviously want more people to use their services. But there's something to be said for a more community-based form of dating. Whether Materialists will help or hurt the matchmaking industry, only time will tell. Everyone seems to agree, though: the apps continue to suck. 

Materialists is now in theaters.

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The Hestia is the first ever smartphone-based telescope, letting you capture stunning views of the sun, moon, and beyond, day or night. And right now, you can get one for the best price online: just $259.99.

Your smartphone just became a space explorer

The Hestia is a Kickstarter- and Indiegogo-funded invention that pairs with your smartphone to let you explore the universe. Simply attach it to the included tripod and align your smartphone’s camera with the ocular using the Gravity app. Then pick your destination, and the app will help you find it.

Enjoy 5x sharpness and resolution, with crisp, detailed images of lunar craters and sunspots, and a massive 25x magnification that allows you to see the universe up close. The companion Gravity app even features a day and night mode, allowing you to check things out at any time of day.

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