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I have a lot of smart home automations that can sometimes feel like magic. I still get a small thrill when I sit down in the reading chair in the living room, and the lamp next to the chair turns on automatically. While some automations can feel like magic, there are plenty of Home Assistant projects that can replicate actual magic.

My relationship with to-do apps usually follows a predictable course. I install one, spend an unreasonable amount of time choosing colors and categories, enter every task I can remember, and then stop opening it after three days. The task list survives somewhere in the cloud, quietly preserving plans that even I have forgotten.

SAVE $900: As of July 16, the Samsung 77-inch S85F OLED 4K TV is down to a new record low of $1,297.99 at Amazon, Samsung, and Best Buy. That's a massive 41% in savings from its latest list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 77-inch S85F OLED 4K TV $1,297.99 at Amazon
$2,197.99 Save $900.00   Get Deal

If your requirements for a new TV include a big screen and a brilliant picture, this Samsung 77-inch S85F OLED TV will be right up your alley. And since it's a 2025 model, it's down to an astoundingly low price.

Since OLED TVs offer the most advanced lighting on the market, they're typically the most expensive. This is Samsung's entry-level OLED model, and it originally carried a $2,999.99 price tag, for instance. However, its list price has dropped significantly to $2,197.99 now that 2026 models have hit shelves. And as of July 16, it's reached a new record low of just $1,297.99 at Amazon, and $1,299.99 at Best Buy and Samsung itself. That's a 41% discount from its latest list price.

The star of the show with Samsung's 2025 OLED TVs is AI (shocker). The S85F features AI tools like Click to Search, Live Translate, Adaptive Sound Pro, and Real Depth Enhancer to enhance your viewing experience. Of course, it will also deliver tons of content recommendations. It's equipped with Samsung's Tizen 9.0 smart TV platform, which offers smooth and speedy navigation. Plus, its massive 77-inch screen offers brilliant picture quality with vivid colors and deep contrast.

As far as gaming goes, it's pretty basic. You'll get a 120Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1, and FreeSync Premium. For casual gamers, this will do just fine, but more advanced players will likely want to upgrade to a better refresh rate.

It's no longer the newest TV in Samsung's OLED lineup, but the S85F is still a strong contender and an excellent value — particularly now that the price is the lowest it's ever been.

Whether you studied the Great Uprising of 1381, sometimes referred to as the Peasant's Revolt, at school or not, the trailer for Andrew Garfield's new historical action-drama will have you geared up for a lesson.

Directed by Paul Greengrass, The Uprising follows one of the defining moments of English radicalism in history, when the commoners staged a rebellion against the tyranny of 14-year-old King Richard II. The Black Death had halved the population of England. The Hundred Years' War was draining the country's coffers. And the monarchy leaned on an already lean feudal system, heavily taxing common folk to pay for a war in a country far away. They'd had enough.

In the film, Garfield plays a farmer who becomes a key figure in the Uprising, alongside real legendary leaders Wat Tyler (Cosmo Jarvis) and John Ball (Jamie Bell). We don't have many screen depictions of the revolt, aside from a 1969 film starring Anthony Hopkins. So Greengrass' The Uprising is a rare insight into a pivotal moment for social resistance in British history, of the common people finding their voice. But it didn't come without cost.

Stephen Dillane, Tom Hollander, Thomasin McKenzie, Jonny Lee Miller, Woody Norman, Katherine Waterston, and Sky Yang also star.

The Uprising hits cinemas Sept. 11.

For the past couple of years, I’ve had a brief but passionate love affair with Samsung foldables. That changed with the release of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which disappointed me so much that I now own a Motorola Razr Fold instead. I’ve since discovered a surprising number of ways in which Motorola phones are simply better.

In 2002, the production version of the Hummer H2 debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show, becoming an immediate symbol of American excess. It had a thirst for gasoline that was punchline-worthy, but a flashy shade of yellow paint that turned it into an eye-catching status symbol.

TL;DR: July 16 is Free Tea Day at participating McAlister's Deli locations. No purchase is necessary, and you can order online, in the app, or drop by a location to get free tea.

Opens in a new window Credit: McAlister's Deli Free Tea Day at McAlister's Deli   Learn More

It's hot outside, some of the nation is trapped in smokey air, and we only have two World Cup matches left. If you're feeling a touch of the summer blues, McAlister's Deli is offering a free cheer-me-up.

For all of July 16, stop by participating McAlister's locations to take part in Free Tea Day. Yes, you read that right. Today only, you can get a free tea with no purchase necessary.

With a desire to bring people together, McAlister's Free Tea Day started back in 2009. This year, Free Tea Day takes place on July 16, and the timing couldn't be better with heat and poor air quality in some of the nation.

SEE ALSO: Upgrade your morning brew: The Breville Barista Express espresso machine is over $100 off at Amazon

The free tea deal applies to Big Tea only, including sweet tea, unsweetened, tea/lemonade, flavored teas, and one flavor shot per tea. If you stop by a participating McAlister's Deli location, the deal is valid for one free tea per customer. You can also order online on the the McAlister's Deli app with a limit of four free teas.

While sipping your free tea, consider how you'll celebrate National Ice Cream Day coming up on Sunday, July 19.

Streaming services have made watching movies almost frictionless. However, most people don't think much about what they're giving up for it. Every time you open Netflix or Hulu, you're not just watching something; you're being watched in return. The platform logs what you pause, what you skip, how long you hover over a thumbnail, and that data feeds into profiles that eventually get sold. If you've ever felt vaguely uneasy about how well an algorithm seems to know you, there's a reason for that, and buying used DVDs with cash is one of the few remaining ways to actually opt out.

SAVE $654: The 45-inch LG Ultragear OLED curved gaming monitor is on sale for $1,345.99, down from the standard price of $1,999.99. That's a 33% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG 45-inch LG Ultragear OLED Gaming Monitor $1,345.99 at Amazon
$1,999.99 Save $654   Get Deal

When it comes to tech that involves spending a big chunk of money, it's best if that tech has multiple purposes. For those who spend time gaming, watching movies, and working from home, a high-quality monitor is well worth the investment. If you fall into any or all of those categories, check out this deal.

As of July 16, the 45-inch LG Ultragear OLED curved gaming monitor is on sale at Amazon for $1,345.99, marked down from the usual price of $1,999.99. That's a 33% discount that takes a major $654 off the price.

With a stunningly crisp OLED display, the LG Ultragear is the upgrade we all deserve for gaming. The curved display brings on an immersive in-game feel, and the 45-inch display is a great size, as long as your desk can accommodate the upgrade.

SEE ALSO: The ASUS ROG gaming monitor is down to a record-low price at Amazon — buy it now for under $900

LG says this is the world's first 5K2K OLED gaming monitor. The 125 pixels-per-inch will give a great gaming experience, as well as prove worthwhile when streaming movies and sports. The display can reach up to 1,300 nits and there's a 0.03 millisecond response time.

Adding to its gaming stats are the dual HDMI 2.1 ports and a USB-C. Of course, it also has AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility. The curve is rated at 800R, and LG took the extra steps to add anti-glare, flicker-free, and low-blue light performance.

If you've been considering a gaming monitor upgrade, consider today's sale price on the 45-inch LG Ultragear OLED curved monitor. You'll be saving over $650 thanks to Amazon.

SAVE UP TO $90: As of July 16, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 and Sennheiser Accentum noise-cancelling headphones are on sale at Amazon for $217.33 (down from $299.99) and $99.95 (down from $189.95) respectively.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sennheiser Sennheiser Accentum $99.95 at Amazon
$189.95 Save $90.00   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Sennheiser Sennheiser Momentum 4 $217.33 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $82.66   Get Deal

Sennheiser is known for its premium audio products, which tend to be accompanied by premium price tags. But today, Amazon has slashed the price of two of the brand's best-selling headphone offerings. If you've been searching for high-quality noise-cancelling headphones that won't wreck your bank account, your search is over.

As of July 16, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 noise-cancelling headphones are down to just $217.33 from $299.99. That's a savings of 28%. Still too pricey? The Sennheiser Accentum headphones are also on sale for just $99.95, down an impressive 47% from their list price of $189.95.

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The Momentum 4s are a Mashable favorite. They've earned a spot on our list of the best noise-cancelling headphones for flying and the best headphones overall for 2026, mostly due to their outstanding battery life. Fully charged, these babies will last you 60 hours with ANC turned on. For comparison, the Sony XM6 headphones (another favorite) last for only half of that time. The Momentum 4s also sound excellent right out of the box, but do offer EQ adjustments in the app if you desire. The noise-cancellation isn't the best on the market, but it's fair for the price point.

The Accentum headphones are significantly cheaper at under $100, but still offer a massive 50-hour battery life, hybrid noise cancellation, rich and well-balanced HD stereo sound, and an in-app EQ to fine-tune your music to match your preferences. They're a little less impressive than their more expensive sibling, but honestly, you can't go wrong with either one.

If you're looking for audiophile-approved sound, long lasting battery life, decent noise cancellation, and an affordable price tag, these headphones practically sell themselves.

Samsung Unpacked is right around the corner, and with it, we'll be getting new Samsung Galaxy Watches. The pressure is on with this generation for Samsung, so here's what we know, what we expect and what we want from the company's latest wearables.

TL;DR: iClever’s Q950 Kids Headphones are now on Amazon for $69.99. They pack hybrid ANC, an 80dBA volume limit, 60-hour battery life, and a kid-proof design.

Opens in a new window Credit: iClever iClever Q950 Kids Headphones $69.99 at Amazon
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iClever has launched the Q950 Kids Headphones, a new pair of wireless over-ear headphones designed to make listening safer for younger users. Available in the U.S. from iClever and Amazon for $69.99, the Q950 comes in two colors: blue and purple.

The headphones are built around iClever’s SafeSound technology, which keeps volume capped at 80dBA while adding noise cancellation to help kids hear clearly without needing to turn the volume all the way up.

What makes the Q950 stand out is its TÜV Rheinland Hearing Care certification, a third-party certification that recognizes the headphones’ focus on safer listening and hearing-friendly design. For parents, that adds an extra layer of confidence that their kids are using headphones designed with hearing health in mind.

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Beyond hearing protection, the Q950 packs features you’d usually expect from adult headphones. Wear Detection automatically pauses audio when the headphones are removed, Transparency Mode lets kids hear what’s happening around them without taking the headphones off, and Bluetooth Audio Sharing allows two headphones to connect to the same device for shared listening.

Battery life reaches up to 60 hours on a single charge, while ANC still works when using the included wired AUX connection. Built for everyday use, the Q950 includes an adjustable headband, soft ear cushions, and rotating ear cups for a comfortable fit as kids grow.

Grab the iClever Q950 Kids Headphones on Amazon for safer listening on the go.

ESP32 boards are popular for home projects because they're small, versatile, and, most of all, cheap. Not only are ESP32 boards affordable, but if you use them for the right projects, they can also help you save money. Here's how.

For a long time, Pi-hole was the go-to option for anyone that wanted to use DNS filtering on their home network. It is easy enough to set up on any old laptop, PC, or even a low-power Pi and then connect it to your network.

OnePlus is officially exiting the U.S. and Europe after months of shrinking its presence. Parent company Oppo has confirmed that OnePlus will no longer release new products in North America or Europe, although it will continue to provide support.

TL;DR: Spotify's Managed Accounts are now free for more families. Parents can create kid-friendly Spotify accounts with parental controls, private profiles, and personalized music recommendations without needing a Premium Family subscription.

Spotify is making it easier for parents to give younger listeners their own music experience without handing over the keys to the entire app. Previously available only with a Premium Family subscription, Managed Accounts are now free for parents on any Spotify plan in the U.S., UK, Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and several other supported regions.

Spotify says more countries, including Canada, New Zealand, and much of Europe and Latin America, are already live or will be added soon.

What is a Spotify Managed Account?

A Managed Account is a kid-friendly version of Spotify designed for listeners under 13. It gives children their own Spotify profile while letting parents stay in control through built-in parental settings.

Instead of opening up the full Spotify experience, Managed Accounts focus on music. Kids can listen to Spotify's music catalog, create playlists, and discover new artists, but podcasts, audiobooks, video content, and Canvas visuals aren't included by default.

Kids still get personalized recommendations through features like Discover Weekly, Daylist, and Made for You mixes. They'll also get their own Spotify Wrapped, so the whole family doesn’t end up with one giant mashup of music tastes.

Every new account starts with explicit content filtering turned on automatically, and parents can also block specific artists or songs through Spotify's Parental Controls Hub. Profiles are private and can't be searched by other users, messaging features are disabled, and kids use preset avatars instead of uploading profile pictures.

The idea is to give younger listeners a more independent way to enjoy music while still keeping parents in the driver's seat.

How to create a Spotify Managed Account

Parents can set up a Managed Account directly from the Spotify app in just a few steps:

1. Open Spotify and tap "add account" from the app's side menu

2. Select "add a child"

3. Select "create a managed account"

4. Complete the parental consent process

5. Choose your child's settings and parental controls

As children get older, Spotify also lets them transition from a Managed Account to a standard Spotify account, giving families a smoother way to grow with the service over time.

Ready to set it up? Learn more about Spotify Managed Accounts here.

The explicit tube site Pornhub is now blocked in 25 U.S. states — half of the country.

This is due to age-verification laws. These laws vary state by state, but typically require visitors to a site with over a third of explicit content to submit a government ID or other form of age authentication. Louisiana was the first state to enact such a bill a couple of years ago, and now others have followed suit. In June 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that Texas's age-verification law was constitutional, setting a precedent for similar bills that came before and after.

The best VPNs for Pornhub: Best for Porn ExpressVPN 30-day money-back guarantee Shop Now Best for security Proton VPN 30-day money-back guarantee Shop Now Best for beginners TunnelBear 30-day money-back guarantee Shop Now

According to one preliminary study, age verification won't work to keep minors off porn sites. This is because of software like VPNs that allow someone to appear to be in a different location, and because of non-compliant websites. (The Florida attorney general is suing foreign-based porn sites for not instituting age verification.) Yet, these laws keep getting passed — and are encroaching on non-explicit websites as well, experts told Mashable.

While Pornhub is not blocked in Louisiana, it is blocked in these states as of July 2026:

• Alabama

• Arizona

• Arkansas

• Florida

• Georgia

• Idaho

• Indiana

• Iowa

• Kansas

• Kentucky

• Mississippi

• Missouri

• Montana

• Nebraska

• North Carolina

• North Dakota

• Oklahoma

• South Carolina

• South Dakota

• Tennessee

• Texas

• Utah

• Virginia

• West Virginia

• Wyoming

Pornhub isn't blocked in Ohio despite the state's age-verification law, due to a clause stating that establishing age verification methods doesn't apply to a provider of an interactive computer service (Aylo considers itself one).

In Louisiana, where users must submit ID to view Pornhub, the site has seen traffic decline by around 80 percent, Aylo (Pornhub's parent company) told Mashable.

"These people did not stop looking for porn. They just migrated to darker corners of the internet that don't ask users to verify age, that don't follow the law, that don't take user safety seriously, and that often don't even moderate content. In practice, the laws have just made the internet more dangerous for adults and children," Aylo stated when asked for comment by Mashable back in Jan. 2025.

In a statement to Mashable, Aylo continued:

First, to be clear, Aylo has publicly supported age verification of users for years, but we believe that any law to this effect must preserve user safety and privacy, and must effectively protect children from accessing content intended for adults.

Unfortunately, the way many jurisdictions worldwide have chosen to implement age verification is ineffective, haphazard, and dangerous. Any regulations that require hundreds of thousands of adult sites to collect significant amounts of highly sensitive personal information is putting user safety in jeopardy. Moreover, as experience has demonstrated, unless properly enforced, users will simply access non-compliant sites or find other methods of evading these laws.

Industry experts say that, in addition to not working for their intended purpose, age verification laws also raise concerns about privacy protection and safety since websites now have to host (even more of) people's personal information. It will be harder to be anonymous online, which experts warn is dangerous to free speech. Adult industry experts Mashable spoke to in an explainer on age-verification laws advocated for device-level filters, as did Aylo in its statement.

SEE ALSO: YouTube will begin using AI for age verification next week

Some in the adult industry worry about what Trump's second presidential term will bring due to the conservative policy outline, Project 2025, and its measures to ban porn. One of Project 2025's authors, Russell Vought, was caught on a secret recording stating that age-verification laws are the "back door" to a broader porn ban.

This article was first published in 2025 and updated in July 2026.

Home Depot Halloween 2026 lineup: 5-foot Wicked Woods Wishing Well $149 at Home Depot Shop Now 3.5-foot Wicked Woods Hell Hound $159 at Home Depot Shop Now 4-foot Animated Flying Monkey $199 at Home Depot Shop Now 11-foot Giant-Sized LED Mummy $299 at Home Depot Shop Now 8-foot Wicked Woods LED Perilous Plant Monster $299 at Home Depot Shop Now 8-foot Grave & Bones Zombie Velociraptor $299 at Home Depot Shop Now 12-foot App Controlled Skelly with LCD LifeEyes $379 at Home Depot Shop Now 8.5-foot LED Knight Frostbane $399 at Home Depot Shop Now

July may not scream Halloween, but Home Depot clearly didn’t get the memo.

The retailer’s 2026 Halloween collection is here, with nearly 30 new decorations and animatronics landing online and in the Home Depot app — including a new app-controlled 12-foot Skelly that takes the iconic lawn skeleton to a whole new level.

The spooky drop is live from July 16, with products available while supplies last. Some decorations will arrive in stores in August, though the most popular animatronics could disappear much sooner.

11-foot Giant-Sized LED Mummy Opens in a new window Credit: The Home Depot 11-foot Giant-Sized LED Mummy $299 at The Home Depot
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If Skelly feels a little too mainstream for your haunted yard, this 11-foot mummy brings a different kind of creepy energy. The towering Grave & Bones Giant-Sized LED Mummy lights up with glowing eyes and a decayed, illuminated chest, while its adjustable shoulders let you adjust its zombie-like stance. Motion activation triggers three spooky sound effects and includes cloth strips that add a worn, just-escaped-from-the-tomb look. It’s rated for both indoor and outdoor use, so it can guard your front yard, entryway, or Halloween party setup all season long.

8-foot Grave & Bones Zombie Velociraptor Opens in a new window Credit: The Home Depot 8-foot Grave & Bones Zombie Velociraptor $299 at The Home Depot
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Forget skeletons and ghosts — this year, Home Depot is bringing a prehistoric monster to the lawn. The 8-foot Grave & Bones Zombie Velociraptor adds a creepy fossil-inspired twist to your Halloween setup with glowing LED eyes and a lit-up mouth, plus a moving jaw and sound effect triggered by motion. It comes with adjustable volume, a built-in timer that can run on a 6-hour on/18-hour off schedule, and ground stakes to keep this oversized predator planted. It takes just one person and about 15 minutes to assemble, so you can spend less time building and more time scaring the neighborhood.

12-foot App-Controlled Skelly Opens in a new window Credit: The Home Depot 12-foot App-Controlled Skelly $379 at The Home Depot
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If you’re only buying one giant Halloween decoration this year, this is the one to check out. This 12-foot Skelly is built to do more than just stand around. Using the Decor Pro app, you can pick from 20 different LCD eye effects, record up to 30 custom voice lines, or talk through Skelly live with built-in voice-changing effects.

Its head moves, its mouth matches your audio, and it can help make your yard the Halloween stop everyone remembers. Designed for indoor and outdoor use, Skelly takes about 60 minutes to put together with two people.

8.5-foot LED Knight Frostbane Opens in a new window Credit: The Home Depot 8.5-foot LED Knight Frostbane $399 at The Home Depot
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The 8.5-foot skeletal knight arrives on a ghostly horse, complete with glowing eyes, a lit-up chest, and three synchronized movements that bring the whole scene to life. The knight’s arm moves, its jaw drops while it speaks five spooky phrases, and the horse’s head sweeps back and forth for a dramatic entrance. Motion-activated and ready to haunt, Frostbane plugs in for power and can be assembled by one person in about 30 minutes.

Not every Halloween setup needs a 12-foot skeleton. Here are all the other new decorations joining Home Depot’s 2026 lineup:

• 2-Piece Grave & Bones Animated LED 'Til Death Duo — $99

• 2-Piece Wicked Woods Animated LED Burlap Twins — $99

• 3.5-Foot Wicked Woods Animated LED Baby Troll — $119

• 3.5-Foot Wicked Woods Animated LED Plague Rat — $129

• 5.5-Foot Grave & Bones LED Gargoyle — $129

• 3.5-Foot Wicked Woods Animated LED Hell Hound — $159

• 7-Foot Wicked Woods Animated LED Macabre Witch — $159

• 6.5-Foot Wicked Woods Animated LED Stalking Scarecrow — $159

• 5-Foot Dead Water Animated LED Rotwing Parrot — $179

• 6-Foot Grave & Bones Animated LED John the Last Call Mixologist — $179

• 6-Foot Wicked Woods Color Changing LED Scowling Sapling — $179

• 3.5-Foot Animated LED Mohawk — $179

• 7.5-Foot Grave & Bones Animated LED Soul Stealing Reaper — $199

• 3-Foot Animated LED Stitch — $199

• 5.5-Foot Wicked Woods Animated LED Evil Pixie — $199

• 2-Piece Dead Water Animated LED Duo — $199

• 6.5-Foot Grave & Bones Animated LED Grave Robber — $199

• 4.5-Foot Grave & Bones Color Changing LED Groundbreaker — $199

• 6-Foot Wicked Woods Animated LED Creeping Spider — $249

• Animated LED Gremlins 3-Piece — $249

• 7-Foot Wicked Woods Animated LED App-Controlled Lethal Lily — $299

• 9-Foot Wicked Woods Giant-Sized LED Dry Rot Dennis — $299

The scares don’t stop here — explore the full Home Depot Halloween 2026 lineup before popular picks sell out.

Earlier this week, Apple launched the first public beta of iOS 27. With it comes the new, smarter Siri, which is now both a standalone app, and a set of features embedded into various apps across the operating system.

The new Siri truly is smarter, but the name confusion (Siri is now called Siri AI) as well as the fact that some features are baked into other Apple apps can make things overwhelming for users. Let's check out which new Siri AI features are truly worth trying out.

SEE ALSO: How to try the Siri AI beta: Join the waitlist

Before we start, one caveat: Almost none of these features are available in China and Europe due to issues with regulators. While it appears that the problems in China have been resolved, Apple still doesn't have a timeline for Siri AI launch in Europe.

Also, for instruction on how to install the public beta and get your hands on the new features, Mashable's published a guide.

Siri, the app

For the longest time (since 2011 actually, when Siri was first introduced) Apple refused to give Siri a proper body. The idea is that it's the invisible helper, the voice you interact with, but not something you want to tap and chat with.

Then came the OpenAI ChatGPT era, and everything changed. It took Apple a few years, but the company relented, and with iOS 27, the company launched Siri as a standalone app.

Featured Video For You Is ChatGPT Changing the Way We Write?

So what's the experience like? Well, think ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. You start the app, and you're welcomed by a grid of your previous convos with Siri. Start a new one, either by voice or by typing, and Siri will answer. Since this is a smarter Siri, you needn't be afraid of asking something more complex than "what's the weather like tomorrow." And it's not just general purpose queries such as "will the yellow cards in the World Cup semifinal carry over to the final" — you can also ask personal questions, including mentioning the content from your past emails, notes, and events.

Visual Intelligence This is, indeed, a traditional cricket ball. Credit: Apple

This is a really useful one, because it ties to the way you use your iPhone in ways that weren't possible before. Say you're on YouTube, and a video showing a moment from a famous TV show pops up; the problem is, you just can't remember the show's name. No problem; invoke Siri by long-pressing the side button on your phone, and ask it about the content you're watching on the display right now. Pretty cool, right?

You can do that in various contexts; whatever's on your screen at the moment, Siri can tell you something about it.

Same goes for the stuff that's in front of you, in real life. The new Siri mode in the Camera app lets you point your lens at anything and get Siri to provide some information on what you're seeing.

Image Playground

This feature has been here before but it's been...well, maybe not a complete joke, but definitely a cartoon version of the real thing; that is, the only type of images it could generate were cartoon-looking ones.

With Siri AI, this has changed. You can now get realistic photos such as futuristic cityscapes and beautiful landscapes, or combos such as a bear dancing on a massive block of cheese.

Even better, once an image has been generated, you can tweak it with additional prompt. If you want a sign saying CHEESE above that image you've just created, tell Siri to add it and it'll show up in the next iteration.

It's not the most advanced AI-based image generation out there, but it does the job and for many users, it'll be the quickest and most convenient option.

Photo editing The image is good, I just need more space around the subject. Credit: Apple

Open a photo, tap the edit button, and you'll see an option on the bottom right called Tools. Tap that, and you'll see three options. The Clean Up lets you tap or circle an unwanted object to make it disappear. That feature already existed (it might work a little better now), but the other two are new.

Extend will use Siri AI to make the picture bigger. Pinch to zoom out, and the AI will analyze the photo and add more stuff at the edges to make the photo larger. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it does feel a little magical.

The other new option is Reframe, which lets you change the perspective of the photo after you've taken it. Don't expect miracles here (I'd only use this on photos that desperately need it) but again, when it does work it's pretty cool.

Writing with Siri

Siri AI is now baked into various writing and communication tools across iOS. For example, in the Notes app, just above the keyboard, you'll see an option called "Write with Siri." Tap that, and write by using a prompt instead of actually entering text.

This can be pretty powerful. Let's say you want to sum up an entire trip itinerary, or write a movie plot (without spoilers!), but you don't actually want to type all that. Well, instead, just tell Siri what you want and it'll generate the text for you.

You can also highlight a chunk of text and tell Siri to generate an image that relates to it, or use it to solve math problems.

Smarter Calendar and Reminders entries Sometimes you'll need to tap on things and provide additional context, but the new Calendar is way better than before. Credit: Apple

Siri is baked into Apple's Calendar app, too, allowing for natural language recognition. For example, you can create a new event and describe what you want to do (dinner with wife at Joe's tomorrow at 7 p.m.), and the Calendar app will automagically recognize the right people from your Contacts, and create the event at the right time.

Same goes for Reminders, which is an app I feel I should use more but it just never clicked for me. Once again, describe what you need to be reminded of, and details such as location, time, and date will be picked up automatically.

Shortcuts that you'll actually want to use

Let's face it: Shortcuts is the best iOS feature that almost no one uses, simply because the idea of turning a chain of events/commands into a single command sounds too intimidating for a lot of people.

Now, thanks to Siri AI, you can just describe the shortcut and have it created automatically. To access this feature, open Shortcuts, tap New Shortcut, and describe what you want the Shortcut to do. Want the iPhone to audibly tell you that it's been charged to 90 percent? Just type that down into the Shortcuts app, and you're done.

Want to get started? Here's how to get try the Siri AI beta.

TL;DR: The Samsung 27-inch Odyssey G5 G53F QHD gaming monitor is on sale for $169.99 at Amazon, down from its $249.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 27-Inch Odyssey G5 (G53F) $169.99 at Amazon
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A decent QHD gaming monitor no longer has to push your setup close to premium OLED price brackets, and Amazon has now dropped one of Samsung’s faster Odyssey G5 models well below $200.

As of July 16, the Samsung 27-inch Odyssey G5 (G53F) gaming monitor is on sale at Amazon for $169.99. With $80 removed from the $249.99 list price, that’s 32% off the display price — the lowest price we've seen since April (confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel).

The listing is shipped and sold directly by Amazon, with free delivery currently set for July 21. Prime members can get it sooner, with delivery showing for July 17 at the time of writing. Thankfully, Amazon is also including its standard 30-day return or replacement window, which is ideal if anything goes wrong with your order. 

This Samsung monitor’s 27-inch IPS panel with 2560 x 1440 resolution gives you a stunning jump above standard 1080p. It’s a nice middle ground since it doesn’t push your PC’s graphics card nearly as hard as when trying to hit full 4K. 

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These types of monitors are best in rigs where you’re trying to prioritize the smooth gameplay that comes with higher FPS, and the G5’s 200Hz refresh rate will more than have you covered for high-speed games like League of Legends, Rocket League, Marvel Rivals, Overwatch, and of course — Fortnite. 

If you’re a single-player gamer who’s catching up on Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced or you’re looking for a new monitor for Grand Theft Auto VI, the G5’s HDR10 will make these games look amazing — courtesy of the feature adding brighter highlights and more detailed shadows, while the IPS panel offers a wide 178-degree viewing angle and more consistent color across the screen. 

Samsung has also added a few practical gaming tools. Black Equalizer can brighten darker areas to make enemies easier to spot, Virtual Aim Point puts an adjustable crosshair on-screen, and Auto Source Switch+ automatically changes inputs when a newly-connected device turns on.