Blogroll

ChatGPT has new voice models that make conversations feel much more natural

How-To Geek - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 21:52

ChatGPT just became a much closer rival to Google's Gemini Live. OpenAI has released a major ChatGPT Voice update that brings far more natural conversations with AI, not to mention better answers.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The Odyssey sails into rave reviews and online backlash

Mashable - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 21:43

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has finally completed its first voyage in front of critics, and the early reaction is basically: find the biggest screen near you.

The first social reactions to Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic arrived after the film's London world premiere and early press screenings. The movie, shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, opens in theaters July 17.

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That last part is not just marketing copy. The Odyssey is the first feature film shot entirely with IMAX cameras, and Nolan's commitment to scale appears to be a major part of the early conversation. The nearly three-hour film was shot across six countries, including Morocco, Greece, and Iceland, with real ships, practical effects, and large-scale crowd scenes. Matt Damon, who stars as Odysseus, called the experience "much harder than anything I've ever done."

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The movie follows Odysseus after the Trojan War as he tries to return home to Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and their son, Telemachus (Tom Holland). Along the way, because this is The Odyssey, there are gods, monsters, witches, temptation, punishment, and the kind of journey that has been tormenting high school English students for generations.

Zendaya plays Athena, while the stacked ensemble also includes Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, Jon Bernthal, Samantha Morton, Himesh Patel, Elliot Page, and Benny Safdie.

Early reactions suggest Nolan has leaned fully into both the myth and the machinery needed to make it feel enormous, with the cast matching the scale around them. Holland, Damon, Hathaway, Leguizamo, Pattinson, and Nyong’o have all received praise for their performances.

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For movie lovers online, the first reactions are exactly what they were hoping to hear.

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Not every reaction around The Odyssey has been glowing. Before the first critical reactions arrived, Nolan's film had already become the latest blockbuster pulled into an online fight over casting, historical accuracy, and what counts as loyalty to a centuries-old text.

Some of the backlash has focused on the film's ensemble, including Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy, Elliot Page as Sinon, Himesh Patel as Eurylochus, and Travis Scott as a bard. Right-wing commentators have accused Nolan of modernizing the story too aggressively, with Elon Musk repeatedly criticizing the film's casting and claiming Nolan had "desecrated" Homer's epic to appeal to awards voters, prompting a response from Tom Holland (the historian, not the actor).

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Other complaints have been about the film's look and language, including costumes some viewers called anachronistic, American accents, and Holland's Telemachus referring to Odysseus as his "dad." Nyong'o, for her part, has defended Nolan's approach, stating she supports "the version of this story that he is telling" and that the cast is "representative of the world" in a recent interview. Notably, Nolan has cited Emily Wilson's more modern 2017 translation of the Greek epic as one of his many inspirations.

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All of this buzz, both good and bad, arrives with unusually high expectations. The Odyssey is Nolan's follow-up to Oppenheimer, the 2023 blockbuster that won Best Picture and turned a talky, three-hour biographical drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer into a genuine pop-cultural event (with a little help from Barbie). The Odyssey cost $250 million to make, and box office forecasters expect it to open between $80 million and $130 million in the U.S. and Canada.

The hype has been building for a while. Select IMAX tickets went on sale a year in advance and were snapped up quickly. Now that the first reactions are out, the message from critics and film journalists is fairly consistent: This is not the movie to casually half-watch later on a laptop while answering emails.

Odysseus may be trying to get home, but we'll be trekking toward the nearest IMAX.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Erling Haaland is somehow a Love and Deepspace star now

Mashable - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 21:39

Erling Haaland has become one of the 2026 World Cup’s biggest characters in China, and not just because he keeps scoring.

The Norwegian striker has spent the past few weeks dominating the field, terrifying defenders, and helping push Norway deep into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But online, especially on Chinese social media, he has become many other things: a “Nordic Cyborg,” Majin Buu, a goofy giant, a Viking warrior, and, somehow, the romantic lead on Love and Deepspace.

The fixation has been building for weeks. In early June, Haaland became a global brand ambassador for Walovi, the international arm of Wang Lao Ji, a popular Chinese herbal drink brand. The campaign featured Haaland speaking Mandarin in scenes built around football, summer heat, and a jingle that plays on the sound of his name.

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Chinese fans quickly ran with it.

Since joining Weibo, China’s major microblogging platform, and Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, a month ago, Haaland has amassed over 1 million followers on Weibo and more than 5 million on Douyin. Hashtags related to the striker have also generated hundreds of millions of views on Weibo, where fans have been clipping his ads, remixing his image, and turning him into a running joke.

A lot of the appeal comes from how different Haaland is on the field versus online. On the field, he’s a 6-foot-5 Manchester City forward with a mechanical scoring record. Online, Chinese fans have nicknamed these two personalities: “Nordic Cyborg” on the pitch, and “Habao” or “Baby Ha” off of it.

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One of the most unexpected versions of Halaand has been...a digital love interest? The popular Chinese sci-fi romance mobile game Love and Deepspace lets players form relationships with fictional male characters, and fan-made Haaland posts have styled him like a collectible love interest and comparing him to the characters players already know.

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The romance-game jokes are only one corner of the larger Haaland meme boom in China. Fans have also turned him into a Viking, an anime hero, and the subject of song edits built around his name. One popular fan song, “Haaland (Ha Ha Ha),” is set to the tune of “Moskau,” the 1979 track by German Eurodisco group Dschinghis Khan.

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These aren't the only versions of Haaland circulating online.

Last week, a video circulated on X appearing to show Haaland sitting in a restaurant, eating, then flinching at his own reflection. One post sharing the clip racked up more than 31 million views in a matter of days. The video was debunked — fact checkers traced the original footage to a slapstick skit by Chinese comedian Jin Long, posted to TikTok in mid-June, with Haaland’s face later swapped in using AI.

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But, Haaland himself makes these digital depictions easier to believe. His own social media presence is famously unpolished, especially on Snapchat, where he posts casual selfies, filters, jokes, Q&As, and strange little updates that give fans more material to work with.

He also engages in many of the memes, leaving comments on edits and AI footage.

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He is not the only footballer getting AI treatment. Videos have reimagined Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, and David Beckham as K-pop idols, complete with idol styling and choreography.

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There is plenty more content that has kept the internet entertained during the past few weeks of back-to-back World Cup programming, some with full scripts.

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At this point, the World Cup has a knockout bracket and a fan-edit bracket. Haaland seems to be doing pretty well in both.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Meta Ray-Ban glasses brick the camera if you mess with recording light

Mashable - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 21:31

Meta smart glasses automatically disable recording if users attempt to disable the devices' recording indicator light, the company has revealed in the wake of mounting privacy concerns.

Announced in a blog post on July 7, the safety feature detects when a user has tampered with or covered the wearable's capture LED, a blinking white light on the edge of the frame that alerts others the wearer is using the glasses' camera.

If the light is no longer visible, Meta says, the glasses will disable use of the camera until the device detects the light is visible again.

SEE ALSO: Meta’s smart glasses have a new look and the same privacy problem

The safety feature is available immediately on second generation devices. It will roll out across the line of wearables — including the new Meta Glasses by Kylie line — and is mandatory for all device users.

Mark Zuckerberg's company is also going after third-party sellers who advertise devices with disabled LEDs, including banning accounts on Meta platforms.

Meta's line of sleek smart glasses have sparked online debate about the ethics of filming others in public without their express consent. On the one hand, the glasses' hands-free video has revolutionized content creation, making it easier than ever to film yourself on the go. But on the other, they have led to a sub-genre of content featuring rampant harassment of people, mainly women, in public spaces.

Critics note the easy-to-miss LED is a key problem, and have urged Meta to update its devices with more explicit indicators.

But in the blog post, Meta explained its rationale for the small white light — which offers the "best combination of visibility and [user] experience" during both day and night filming.

As for why the device couldn't make a recording sound audible to anyone in the vicinity of a recording? "It’s simply not practical to make that sound be heard at a distance," claims the company.

SEE ALSO: Enter the Mashable Big Guessing Game to win a new Apple Watch
Categories: IT General, Technology

The 4 most useful Samsung Galaxy features that aren't available by default

How-To Geek - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 21:30

For some reason, the very best Samsung tools and customization settings aren't shipped enabled by default. Instead, some of the best are hidden away in an app you have to download separately.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This is the only hybrid SUV that delivers over 50 MPG—and it costs less than $30K

How-To Geek - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 21:01

If your goal is to spend as little as possible on fuel, the obvious choices usually come from Toyota or Honda. Those brands dominate the hybrid conversation, but they don't actually build the most efficient SUV on sale today. That honor belongs to a smaller, often-overlooked crossover that quietly outperforms them all at the pump.

Categories: IT General, Technology

New Meta AI tool lets users alter photos on public Instagram accounts

Mashable - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 20:58

Meta is facing a fresh wave of criticism over a new AI image generator — which encourages users to generate AI images using other people's public photos.

On Tuesday, Facebook and Instagram's parent company, Meta, introduced an AI tool called Muse Image, created by its AI division, Superintelligence Labs.

Muse Image is available via Meta's AI app, as well as WhatsApp and Instagram Stories. According to Meta, Muse Image "uses advanced reasoning to understand complex prompts, seamlessly blending multiple photos into high-quality creations you can download and share anywhere."

So far, so normal — but the AI image generator also lets users @ mention a specific Instagram account within the Meta AI app in order to add that Instagram account to the Muse Image creator.

In other words, Muse Image can add an Instagram user to their AI creations without the Instagram user's awareness. 

"Tagging a username lets Meta AI use public photos to build a visual that’s ready to post," Meta says. Any public Instagram profile can be used by Muse Image, unless that user explicitly opts-out.

Not surprisingly, privacy experts and watchdog groups are criticizing Meta over the feature. The nonprofit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen called the feature "an egregious invasion of user privacy."

"Meta has once again chosen the creepiest possible path," said J.B. Branch, the Public Citizen's director of federal AI governance and technology policy, in a statement. "People should not wake up to discover their face has become raw material for someone else's AI experiment.

"This is another invasion of consumers' privacy. Instead of asking for meaningful consent, Meta quietly defaults users into the system and buries the opt-out in account settings. It’s a playbook we've come to expect from a company with a long history of putting its business interests ahead of the public."

How to opt-out of Meta's Muse Image

Speaking of opting-out, there are two ways to make sure your public Instagram images and likeness aren't used by the @ mention Muse Image feature.

If your Instagram profile is set to private, Instagram respects that privacy setting as Muse Image requires access to Instagram account's public photos in order for the tool to generate AI images. Muse Image will inform a user that they cannot use your Instagram account likeness if they try to @ mention your account to generate an image.

If you have a public Instagram profile, however, you do now need to opt-out in your account settings.

Open the Instagram app on your phone. Head to your Profile. From there, tap the menu button in the top-right hand corner and then tap on Sharing and Reuse. On that page, scroll down to the "Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta" section.

There are two settings, Posts and Reels, each with their own toggle. Turn both of them off if you don't want Meta's AI tools to use either your Posts, which include images, or your Reels, in order to generate content for Muse Image.

Categories: IT General, Technology

4 new Netflix documentaries to watch in July

How-To Geek - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 20:30

If your Netflix My List, like mine, is usually refreshed with documentaries as new monthly schedules roll around, July's schedule has plenty to offer. The streaming platform is releasing a mix of true crime, disaster, and historical documentaries that revisit shocking events and cases.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Emmy snubs: Dropout gets overlooked for legacy and mediocrity

Mashable - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 20:25

When it comes to Emmy snubs, the Mashable team is most dismayed by Dropout walking away with nothing in this morning's nominations.

Game Changer isn't just a program on Dropout; it's also a fitting description of the platform itself. CEO and game show host Sam Reich has been rewriting the rules of Hollywood with labor practices that include paying for auditions and profit-sharing. Plus, with his comedy collaborators, he's launched inventive TV shows like Game Changer, Dimension 20, and Very Important People.

And yet the Television Academy has recognized none of the above.

SEE ALSO: Dropout is a game-changer for comedy and creators

Earlier this year, for Mashable 101, I interviewed Dropout stars, including Reich, Brennan Lee Mulligan, and Vic Michaelis. As Michaelis said of the indie streamer's Emmy nomination potential, "It does really feel like we are at a tipping point right now."

Michaelis, who performs across several Dropout shows and hosts the comedy show Very Important People, noted, "The Oscars are moving to YouTube," and "There's a podcast category now for the Golden Globes. Things are starting to change." 

So, what happened?

Why did Dropout get snubbed at the Emmys?

Last April, Variety reported that Dropout had submitted for 11 categories for the Emmy Awards. Very Important People was submitted for Outstanding Variety Series, and Michaelis for Lead Comedy Actress. Meanwhile, Game Changer pitched for Outstanding Game Show and Outstanding Host for a Game Show, for Reich. Other submissions were in the creative Emmys categories, including direction, costumes, make-up, and picture editing.

For Dropout fans, this seemed like a strong strategy. On Very Important People, Michaelis plays a version of themself who is a desperate journalist, seeking to impress at all costs. Each week, as they welcome a new surprise guest — a prosthetics-covered comedian who improvises a character "on the spot" — Michaels is challenged to create an arc with her collaborator, while keeping in character and going off the rails for comedy greatness wherever possible.

Who did get nominated for the Emmys Dropout was aiming for?

The make-up accomplishments alone should have made Very Important People a lock. But instead, the nominations for Outstanding Makeup For A Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Program went to Dancing with the Stars, the Oscars, and Saturday Night Live. This hints at an issue critics of the Emmys have pointed to over and over: The Emmys favor legacy over innovation.

This year, the Emmy nominations for Outstanding Variety Series went to The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week with John Oliver, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Saturday Night Live. Each is an institution for comedy, leaving no room for the new voices that are cracking up audiences.

Outstanding Game Show nominees include Celebrity Family Feud, Jeopardy!, The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Once more, all legacy shows.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series nominees are Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary, Ayo Edebiri for The Bear, Elle Fanning for Margo's Got Money Troubles, Lisa Kudrow for The Comeback, and Jean Smart for Hacks. None are underserving of this honor. But all are in more traditional comedy shows than what Michaelis creates with the VIP team.

Outstanding Host for a Game Show nominees include Steve Harvey for Celebrity Family Feud, Ken Jennings for Jeopardy!, Colin Jost for Pop Culture Jeopardy!, Jimmy Kimmel for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and Martin Short for Match Game. No real surprises, but also in this bunch, no one who hosted a different game every week and then unexpectedly became a contestant when his collaborators turned the tables. (See the epic "Samalamadingdong," and tell me Jost could pull that off.)

SEE ALSO: Dropout's Brennan Lee Mulligan knows he can't win. But could that be about to change? Dropout defies easy categorization.

In an interview with Mashable, Reich spoke about the challenge of picking episodes for submission that would get across what makes Game Changer special.

At the time, he said, "'Rulette' is a pretty good bet. It's very funny, [a] very well-celebrated episode. It's very in the spirit of our show, despite even feeling a little bit basic for the show. It's like a great introduction to our show, and it's almost traditional enough that your average Emmy voter could look at it and go like, 'Oh, I understand how this is a game show like the game shows I'm used to, and how it's different.'"

A similar debate went into where to submit Very Important People, a parody talk show. As Michaelis put it, "Do [our shows] fit perfectly into those boxes? No."

But as Dropout grows, it seems the Emmys are an almost inevitable next step. And some progress has been made for creator representation, as fellow Mash 101 honoree Kareem Rahma’s "Subway Takes" earned an nomination in "Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama Or Variety Series."

It took years for the Emmys to acknowledge the excellent shows coming out of streaming studios like Netflix over traditional broadcast programs. Now, indie streamers like Dropout are facing that same uphill climb. How will it take for the Television Academy to recognize the incredible craftsmanship, creativity, and comedy that's coming out of Dropout? At least one more year.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The smallest desktop OS you’ve never heard of

How-To Geek - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 20:03

KolibriOS is an open-source project that brings you an entire operating system in just over a megabyte. The operating system has a graphical interface and lots of neat utilities and games. Let's boot into it.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Glorious Dune: Part Three trailer teases Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya at war

Mashable - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 20:00

Craving desert power with a side of devastation? Then you're in luck, because Warner Bros. has released a new trailer for Dune: Part Three.

SEE ALSO: 'Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender' trailer: The Gaang is all grown up, and there's a new airbender in the mix

The film concludes director Denis Villeneuve's acclaimed sci-fi trilogy, which took Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) from young duke to Emperor of the universe. His ascent was paved with bloodshed, and by the looks of the trailer, his reign is no less bloody. (Dune Messiah readers know that Paul and his followers' jihad claims a whopping 61 billion lives.)

Dune: Part Three takes place 17 years after the end of Dune: Part Two, which saw Paul become Emperor, meet his future wife Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), and lose his lover Chani (Zendaya). In a huge deviation from Frank Herbert's novels, Chani fled into the desert after witnessing Paul's brutality, setting up a major rift between the two.

In addition to focusing on Paul and Chani's evolving relationship, Dune: Part Three brings several key new characters into the fold.

Irulan will take on a much more prominent role, as will Paul's sister Alia (Anya Taylor-Joy). Now an adult, Alia must reckon with the extraordinary powers she gained when her mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) drank the water of life while pregnant. Also joining the cast of characters is Face Dancer Scytale, who can shape-shift thanks to genetic alterations from the Bene Tleilax order, and who's apparently got a plan to kill Paul and usher in a regime change.

Finally, Jason Momoa returns, but not as the late Duncan Idaho. Instead, he's Hayt, an artificial human, or ghola, also created by the Bene Tleilax.

To witness these characters in action and witness what's next for Paul and Chani, check out the full trailer above.

Dune: Part Three hits theaters Dec. 18.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I added a second ethernet port for $10—and it solved 5 networking problems I didn't know I had

How-To Geek - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 20:00

Most PCs ship with just one Ethernet port, and for most people, that's plenty. But, even though my own computer only had one such port, I decided to add a second one with a USB-to-Ethernet adapter. It cost me about $10, and it was a shockingly good little upgrade.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Connor Storries Emmy nod delights Heated Rivalry fans

Mashable - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 19:41

Connor Storrie just earned his first Emmy nomination — but not for the role that turned him into one of the internet's newest heartthrobs.

The 26-year-old actor received the nod Wednesday for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. That was for hosting Saturday Night Live earlier this year.

While many fans had hoped to see Storrie recognized for his breakout performance as Ilya Rozanov in Heated Rivalry, the queer hockey drama wasn't actually eligible for the Primetime Emmys — because it was entirely financed in Canada.

SEE ALSO: 'Heated Rivalry' star Connor Storrie embraces childhood YouTube videos as 'self-acceptance'

Still, the nomination felt like a victory to fans, many of whom celebrated it as overdue recognition for an actor whose career has skyrocketed since Heated Rivalry premiered. Over the past year, Storrie has gone from breakout star to awards-season regular, appearing at the Golden Globes, making his Met Gala debut alongside co-star Hudson Williams, landing luxury campaigns with Saint Laurent and Tiffany & Co., and preparing for the show's anticipated second season.

While Heated Rivalry couldn't compete at the Emmys, it dominated Canada's awards season, taking home 16 Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Drama Series. Because Storrie is American, he wasn't eligible for an individual acting prize there either, making Wednesday's nomination his first major acting nomination tied to the Heated Rivalry era, even if it came through an unexpected role.

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Fans were quick to celebrate the news, with many joking that the universe had found a loophole to honor the actor after Heated Rivalry was shut out of eligibility. They also declared they couldn't wait to watch "Emmy-nominated Connor Storrie" return for Heated Rivalry Season 2.

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The excitement also reignited calls for broader recognition of Heated Rivalry, with fans lamenting that one of the year's most talked-about new dramas couldn't compete at the Emmys because of eligibility rules rather than a lack of acclaim.

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The moment also seemed like a full circle for the actor, who spent his adolescent years uploading videos to YouTube under the name "Actorboy222," chronicling his ambitions of making it in Hollywood. On Wednesday, many pointed out that the younger version of Storrie had finally gotten the recognition he'd always dreamed about.

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Whether or not Storrie takes home the trophy, the nomination marks another milestone in what's been a meteoric rise. With Heated Rivalry already renewed for a second season and production expected to begin soon — not to mention an A24 project in the works — fans won't have to wait long to see him back on screen, Emmy nominee status included.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Google Keep is the only app I can’t replace with self-hosting

How-To Geek - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 19:30

Earlier this year, I discovered the many joys of self-hosting. Since then, I've canceled countless subscriptions and replaced my favorite cloud services with apps running on my own hardware. Yet, I can't seem to stop using a note-taking app that isn't the most powerful and lacks many features techies look for. Of course, I'm talking about Google Keep.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Capture all the action this summer with 40% off the GoPro MAX2 Action Camera

Mashable - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 19:09

SAVE $200.99: As of July 8, get the GoPro MAX2 Action Camera for $299 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $499.99. That's a discount of 40%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon GoPro MAX2 Action Camera $299 at Amazon
$499.99 Save $200.99   Get Deal

If you've been trying to figure out the best way to capture all your action-oriented footage this summer, your phone is a great option, but a GoPro is an even better one. There are several models out there, but we've found one that's on sale that you won't want to pass up.

As of July 8, get the GoPro MAX2 Action Camera for $299 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $499.99. That's $200.99 off and a discount of 40%.

SEE ALSO: GoPro unveils new action cameras with 360-degree video and inbuilt light

No matter what you're getting up to throughout the rest of the summer, the GoPro MAX2 can be your constant companion. Not only can it film a 360-degree view in 8K resolution, but it's small enough to travel anywhere you do. Whether you're surfing, swimming, jogging, or climbing throughout the rest of the year, you can take it with you to capture every single feat you pull off.

Use the accompanying app to get the best possible footage, edit within the app, and put together a highlight reel of your perfect, active summer. And if you're planning on being by the water all season long, don't worry about getting it wet. It's durable and waterproof up to 5 meters, so you're covered.

This is a great way to share everything you're doing throughout the season, with a durable and perfectly portable camera that's built for an active lifestyle. You can use it long after summer has come and gone, so splurge on one now and see how you can capture some positively sweet footage all year round with it.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Everywhere you can get free french fries this week: McDonalds, Five Guys, Sheetz, Chick-Fil-A, and more

Mashable - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 19:05

If you're not eating free fries this week, you're doing life wrong. Just kidding (kind of).

Friday, July 10, is National French Fry Day, which means a bunch of your favorite fast food chains are giving away free fries. While some require a minimum purchase of some kind or a (free) rewards membership, others require nothing but your will to face the crowds at a local establishment. Regardless, this is a made up holiday I, for one, can get behind.

If you're curious which fast food chains are participating in the free fry celebration, we have a running list below. Just be sure to check the details before rushing out to the restaurant of your choice.

Arby's

Arby's Rewards members can get a free fry of any size on July 10 with the purchase of a Cheesesteak online or in app.

Checkers & Rally’s

Celebrate National French Fry Day at Checkers & Rally’s from July 10 through 12 with BOGO free Famous Seasoned Fries of any size and $1 sauce trios.

Chick-Fil-A

From July 7 through 13, Chick-Fil-A is giving out free medium-size Waffle Fries as a reward in the restaurant's app. Just play the in-app "Spot the Cow" game to get the deal. It's limited to one fry reward per person.

Del Taco

July 10 through 13, you can score a free regular fry at Del Taco with with a $3 minimum purchase.

Five Guys

From July 8 through 10, customers who buy a burger, hot dog, or sandwich through the Five Guys app or Five Guys.com will get one free Little Fry. Sign in or create a Five Guys account and enter promo code FRYDAY26 at checkout to get the freebie.

Jack in the Box

Sign up to be a Jack Pack Rewards member if you're not already and you'll be able to grab a free fry of any size on July 10 with a minimum purchase of $1.

McDonald's

On July 10th, National French Fry Day proper, McDonald's is giving out free medium-sized French Fries to Rewards members. Just make a purchase of at least $1 through the McDonald's app to get the deal.

Sheetz

From July 10 through 16, Sheetz is giving away one free bag of fries with any purchase of $10 or more through the Sheetz app (under the OFFERZ tab). The freebie is limited to one per My Sheetz Rewardz member.

Wendy's

Are you a Wendy's Rewards member? Head to the app and make a purchase of at least $5 and you'll get a free fry in any size on National French Fry Day, July 10.

Whataburger

Whataburger rewards members can score a free medium fry with no purchase required on July 10. The offer is valid online or in the app.

White Castle

Head to White Castle on July 10 and pick up free Cheese Fries by using the promo code CHEESY when you place an online or in-app order.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Netflix's new strategy proves it wants to be more like YouTube

How-To Geek - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 18:50

For years, Netflix had a clear goal — get subscribers to come back for the next season or blockbuster. Now, it is no longer competing with other streamers. It’s coming for YouTube’s turf, too. On August 3, Netflix will add videos from popular digital publishers, letting you watch home tours, recipe clips, and celebrity profiles without ever leaving the platform. None of these videos are produced or funded by the streaming service itself. Instead, Netflix is licensing existing series that millions of people already watch elsewhere.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The Honda CR-V has outsold the RAV4—three reasons why Toyota handed it the win

How-To Geek - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 18:45

The Toyota RAV4 closed out 2025 as the third-best-selling vehicle in the United States, making it the best-selling vehicle that wasn't a pickup, with almost half a million units sold. The RAV4 has topped the compact SUV segment every year since 2017, thanks to its reputation for reliability, fuel-sipping powertrain options, and a lineup wide enough to cover nearly any budget.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Skullcandys Crusher Evo headphones are down to $99.99 right now

Mashable - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 18:31

SAVE 52%: As of July 8, you can get the Skullcandy Crusher Evo wireless Bluetooth headphones at Amazon for $99.99, down from $209.99.

Skullcandy Crusher Evo Wireless Over-Ear Headphone $99.99 at Amazon
$209.99 Save $110.00   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Walmart

If you're looking for a pair of budget headphones that don't sound like budget headphones, you should check out Skullcandy. While I don't think everyone wants to physically feel their music vibrating against their head (especially if you're easily overstimulated), there's definitely a market for it.

SEE ALSO: The 12 best headphones of 2026 — we tested the top contenders from Sony, Apple, Bose, and Beats

Right now, you can get the Skullcandy Crusher Evo wireless Bluetooth headphones at Amazon for $99.99, down from $209.99. That's a 52% discount or $110 savings. It's also just a few bucks above their all-time low of $94.99.

These over-ear headphones feature patented "Multi-Sensory Crusher Bass Technology," which is just a fancy way of saying that they have extra dual bass drivers that let you physically feel your music and movies. If the idea of skull-rattling bass sounds a bit too intense, you can use the Skullcandy app to run a quick hearing analysis to auto-adjust the sound profile specifically for your ears.

The Crusher Evo are also built for travel; just fold them in half and throw them in your bag. You'll get up to 40 hours of battery life on a single charge, plus an additional four hours of listening time from a quick 10-minute charge. They also feature a built-in microphone and on-device buttons, so you can answer calls, adjust the volume, or skip tracks without pulling out your phone.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The Segway Navimow i110N robot lawn mower just dropped to a record-low price at Amazon — save over $500

Mashable - Wed, 07/08/2026 - 18:26

SAVE $510: The Segway Navimow i110N robot lawn mower is on sale at Amazon for $789, down from the list price of $1,299. That's a 39% discount and the lowest price we've seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Segway Segway Navimow i110N robot lawn mower $789 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $510   Get Deal

Life is short. Unless you get joy from mowing the lawn, it's a tedious task that genuinely never ends. In the same way that we've employed robot vacuums to keep the floors clean inside, a robot lawn mower can take care of keeping the grass well maintained outside. Check out this Amazon deal on a robot lawn mower.

As of July 8, the Segway Navimow i110N robot lawn mower is on sale at Amazon for $789, marked down from the list price of $1,299. That's a 39% discount that takes $510 off the normal price. It's the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

SEE ALSO: Combat power outages this summer with $200 off the Bluetti Apex 300 portable power station

Without requiring a perimeter wire fence, the Segway Navimow will tackle mowing lawns of up to a quarter of an acre. It uses RTK+ vision to navigate its way around your yard, mowing to your desired height between 2 and 3.6 inches. Its cutting width measures 7.1 inches, and it'll mow for up to 120 minutes per charge.

From the app, you'll be able to set a mowing schedule, as well as monitor recharging status, and set up zones within your yard. Tell the Navimow to mow the backyard once a week and the side lawn once every 10 days. Plus, Segway mentions the maximum sound from the robot mower is just 58 decibels. For comparison, Segway says some push-style mowers reach 90 decibels.

Spend the rest of summer enjoying a well manicured lawn instead of working away on keeping it mowed. Since the Segway Navimow i110N robot lawn mower is on sale at Amazon for the lowest price we've ever seen, now is a great time to make the upgrade.

Categories: IT General, Technology
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