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YouTube may have significantly intensified its ad blocker war, which is leading to many users reporting that the platform is completely failing to load. Although the spike on DownDetector made it look exactly like a major partial outage, the problem isn’t with YouTube’s servers.

AI slop has entered your cart on TikTok Shop.

According to Business Insider, TikTok Shop and other ecommerce platforms, like Amazon, have an AI problem. Fraudsters are reportedly using generative AI tools to create fake brands, dupes, and products, tricking users into paying for things that are not real and do not exist.

"It's organized crime, to be honest," Nicolas Waldmann, who leads TikTok Shop's governance and experience external affairs team, told Business Insider. "They're trying to basically go through and sell, and of course, never deliver anything, and then run with the money."

SEE ALSO: This 20-year-old earns $50K a month from TikTok Shop. Here's how she did it.

This type of fraud is not a new phenomenon. Scammers are fond of scamming, and they will find a way, but AI has made it increasingly more difficult to catch them. Amazon, for its part, is using AI to track scammers who use AI. TikTok also employs AI to prevent this kind of malicious seller, but it also utilizes human moderation. Waldmann told Business Insider that the company uses "AI to basically deal with AI." What a fun little cycle.

In a report published on Thursday, TikTok said that in the first six months of 2025, it "rejected more than 70 [million] products before being listed, a 40 [percent] increase from the previous six months."

"As our seller and creator community grows globally, and our ability to detect prohibited products improves, the number of violative products we prevent from landing on our platform has increased," TikTok said.

This is not a brand new problem. In August, PC Mag reported that scammers were conducting a "widespread, ongoing, malicious campaign" that allowed them to steal cryptocurrency and users' personal data.

Infrared photography is a technique that involves capturing infrared light by blocking out all or some frequencies of visible light. The results are unique and otherworldly, and it’s fun to see what the world around you looks like when you capture it in this way.

Roblox has just been hit with another lawsuit over its child safety issues.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on social media on Thursday that the state was suing Roblox for "putting pixel pedophiles and profits over the safety of Texas children."

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This is the third U.S. state AG to file a lawsuit against Roblox in just the past few months. In August, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a lawsuit against the online gaming platform over a "lack of safety protocols" that "endangers the safety of the children of Louisiana." In October, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman filed a lawsuit against Roblox over those same child safety issues, saying that "Roblox has ignored this crisis so it could continue turning a profit."

Now, Texas has filed its own lawsuit against Roblox, claiming the company has been "flagrantly ignoring federal and state online safety laws while deceiving parents about the dangers of its platform."

“We cannot allow platforms like Roblox to continue operating as digital playgrounds for predators where the well-being of our kids is sacrificed on the altar of corporate greed,” said Attorney General Paxton in a statement. “Roblox must do more to protect kids from sick and twisted freaks hiding behind a screen."

Roblox also faces a slew of lawsuits recently filed by the firm Dolman Law Group on behalf of parents and their underage children.

Roblox is an online gaming platform where users can explore a digital universe, interact with other users, and play user-created games. Roblox has become extremely popular in recent years, with half of U.S. kids under the age of 16 reportedly playing games on the platform. As a result, predators have flocked to the online game in order to take advantage of its young user base. While Roblox does have child safety settings and parental controls, clearly these haven't been enough to stop child exploitation from occurring on the platform, or as a result of initial contact being made on the platform.

With multiple state Attorney Generals now suing the company, Roblox seems likely to find itself in a position similar to Big Tech and social media companies: Either regulate itself and deal with the safety issues head-on, or the government will come do it for them.

We're calling it now, the hottest gift of the season is the Lego U.S.S. Enterprise. This set is massive and designed for the true nerd, someone willing to where no man has ever gone before. This replica of the U.S.S. Enterprise is a 3,600 piece set, surely not for the faint of heart, but the true Star Trek and Lego enthusiast. And as if we didn't need to add any more chaos to the holiday season, it's arriving on Black Friday.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego U.S.S. Enterprise set $399.99 at Lego
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This gift is perfect for the most expert Lego builder who happens to be a major Star Trek fan. Specifically, this set is branded for Star Trek: The Next Generation, as it features beloved characters from the series. Among its 3,600 pieces are 9 mini-figurines depicting Jean-Luc Picard, William Riker, Worf, Data, Beverly Crusher, Geordi La Forge, Deanna Troi, Guinan and Wesley Crusher.

Among the 9 mini-figures are included accessories such as a teacup, trombone with a stand, a phaser, tricorder, engineering case, PADD, bottle, portable tractor beam generator and a cat figure. Credit: Lego

But the main draw, is this fantastic replica of the U.S.S. Enterprise, the Starfleet's legendary flagship. It has a detachable command saucer alongside a secondary hull, warp nacelles with distinctive red and blue detailing, an opening shuttlebay, 2 mini shuttlepods and an angled display stand with a schematic and ship statistics.

If you know someone who's a massive Star Trek fan but might be intimidated by just how big this set is, Lego had extremely helpful and comprehensive instructions in the app with 3D digital version available. Including the display stand, fully constructed the set will measure 10.5 inches tall by 23.5 inches long, and 18.5 inches wide.

command saucer on the U.S.S. Enterprise is even detachable. Credit: Lego

As expected, such a big set is going to come with a steep price tag. It costs $399.99 and will be available for sale on Nov. 28. If that date sounds familiar, it's because it's Black Friday. However, don't expect savings on it. This set is sure to be in high demand, making it an unlikely candidate for a discount upon its relief. But we've been wrong before, and just maybe, we'll get a holiday miracle of a deal on the Lego U.S.S. Enterprise set.

Luxury car ownership doesn’t always have to come with a luxury price tag, and this sedan proves it. Known as one of Lexus’ most reliable models, it offers the refinement, comfort, and long-term dependability the brand is famous for, all at a price that rivals a brand-new Toyota Camry. For buyers looking to move upmarket without breaking the bank, it’s a rare opportunity.

Pebblebee just revealed the Clip 5 and Card 5—a cute set of Bluetooth trackers with enhanced safety functionality and rechargeable batteries. They're almost perfect, and I'd probably buy them if not for the lack of UWB precision finding.

SAVE 28%: As of Nov. 7, the Segway Portable Power Station Cube 1000 is on sale for $359.99 at Amazon, down from its list price of $499.99. That's a 28% discount and $140 in savings.

Segway Portable Power Station Cube 1000 $359.99 at Amazon
$499.99 Save $140   Get Deal at Amazon

I'm always that person who forgets to charge their power banks before a big storm, and then I'm left rationing my laptop battery for 12 hours. I've been looking for a serious home backup station for exactly that reason (I live in a storm-prone area on the East Coast, so the power goes out pretty often), and this Segway deal is a really good one.

SEE ALSO: Target Black Friday ad: The best early deals you can buy online

As of Nov. 7, the Segway Portable Power Station Cube 1000 is on sale for $359.99 at Amazon, down from its list price of $499.99. That's a 28% discount and $140 in savings. According to CamelCamelCamel, our trusty third-party price tracker, this is an all-time low (which it just hit yesterday).

This portable cube uses a LiFePO4 battery, which is the standard you want for durability — it's rated for over 4,000 cycles. It has a 1024Wh capacity and a high 2200W output, more than enough to run heavy-duty appliances during an outage. But its best feature, full stop, is the recharge time: it can go from 0 to 100 percent in just 1.2 hours.

There are a couple of things to know, though. First, it's listed as a "solar generator" and "expandable." While this is true, the solar panels and the additional battery packs (to reach 5kWh) are sold separately. It's also a heavy-duty unit (36 pounds), so it’s better suited for home backup or car camping, not for hiking.

Still, for under $360, this is a solid price for a 1kWh LiFePO4 station. It's durable (IP56-rated ), has 12 total outlets, including two 100W USB-C ports, and offers serious peace of mind for power outages.

Blockbuster popcorn movies with high-caliber Hollywood acting talent are great, but sometimes nothing beats the jaw-dropping weirdness and compelling real-life stories that only a good documentary or docuseries can deliver. And lucky for us, Netflix has them in spades.

LibreOffice and other office suites are built around the Open Document Format, or ODF for short, which has a few important advantages over Microsoft Office files and other formats. That includes the ability to open your files years or decades after they were created, as the LibreOffice folks just pointed out.

Best early Black Friday Lego deals at Target: Best advent calendar deal Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2025 $26.99 (save $18) Get Deal Best holiday-themed Lego deal Lego Christmas Tree building set $26.99 (save $18) Get Deal Best Harry Potter lego deal Lego Harry Potter Ollivanders & Madam Malkin's Robes Harry Potter Toy Set $53.99 (save $36) Get Deal Best Lego Disney deal Lego Disney Encanto The Magical Madrigal House $76.79 (save $51.20) Get Deal

Whether you're looking for a creative way to kill some time this holiday season or a fun gift for practically anyone in your life (kid or adult), you really can't go wrong with a Lego set. We're big fans of Legos at Mashable and our shopping team is constantly sourcing the best deals on these building kits — because, let's face it, they're normally expensive as heck.

While checking out some of the best early Black Friday deals at Target, one of our shopping reporters spotted Lego deals that are truly some of the best we've seen this year. No need to way until Black Friday, these prices are already doorbuster-worthy at 40% off. But the deals are disappearing fast; most of the advent calendar and Star Wars deals are already sold out. In other words, if you're in the market for a Lego set for yourself or someone else, add these to your cart ASAP. The sale ends tomorrow, Nov. 8.

Note: if you see a deal that's sold out online, you can get the same deal at your local Target store if it's in stock.

Best Lego advent calendar deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2025 $26.99 at Target
$44.99 Save $18.00   Get Deal Why we like it

The Lego Star Wars advent calendar is the only Lego advent calendar deal still in stock online at Target. We expect this will also sell out soon, so jump on it as soon as you can. It features 24 galactic surprises for anyone 6 years old and up, including all the iconic Star Wars characters. Some are even dressed in holiday garb. Usually $44.99, it's down to just $26.99, which is easily the best price we've seen. It's currently chilling at the same price at Amazon, so if it sells out at Target, you have another option.

Best holiday themed Lego deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Christmas Tree building set $26.99 at Target
$44.99 Save $18.00   Get Deal Why we like it

We love Lego sets that double as decor — especially for the holidays. This Christmas tree building set includes nearly 800 pieces and can be built into one large tree or two smaller ones. Each tree features ornaments and candles, as well as a yellow star on top. The set usually goes for $44.99, but you can grab the early Black Friday deal for only $26.99 at Target. And unlike the advent calendar deal, the same price cannot be found at Amazon.

More Lego deals at Target

• Lego Star Wars Captain Rex Y-Wing Microfighter — $6.59 $10.99 (save $4.40)

• Lego Star Wars PloKoon's Jedi Starfighter Microfighter — $8.99 $14.99 (save $6)

• Lego Creator 3 in 1 Record Player with Flowers — $17.99 $29.99 (save $12)

• Lego Friends Hair Salon and Accessories Store — $21.59 $35.99 (save $14.40)

• Lego City Space Science Lab — $27.59 $45.99 (save $18.40)

• Lego Harry Potter Mandrake Magical Plant — $33.59 $55.99 (save $22.40)

• Lego Botanicals Evergreen Collector’s Set — $35.99 $59.99 (save $24)

• Lego Friends Beekeepers' House and Flower Garden — $43.19 $71.99 (save $28.80)

• Lego Ideas Family Tree Home Décor Building Set — $47.99 $79.99 (save $32)

• Lego City Modular Space Station — $52.79 $87.99 (save $35.20)

• Lego Harry Potter Ollivanders & Madam Malkin's Robes Harry Potter Toy Set — $53.99 $89.99 (save $36)

• Lego Icons Wreath-Making Kit and Holiday Garland — $59.99 $99.99 (save $40)

• Lego Icons Over the Moon with Pharrell Williams — $65.99 $109.99 (save $44)

• Lego Disney Encanto The Magical Madrigal House — $76.79 $127.99 (save $51.20)

Apple has fresh new software betas out for iPhones, iPads, and Mac devices, and you can try them now.

Earlier this week, Apple released developer betas for iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. Now, there are public betas for both, per MacRumors. On top of that, the first developer (meaning technically not public yet) beta for macOS Tahoe 26.2 is also here, according to 9to5Mac. There's a lot to dig into here, in other words.

It doesn't seem like there are a huge number of amazing new features in these updates just yet, though Apple generally adds to these betas over time. Still, if you want to hop in and test them out, here's how to do that.

SEE ALSO: Apple is reportedly working on a Chromebook-style laptop, but we've heard that before How to download iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 public betas

First up are iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, the two betas that are available in public form, meaning you don't need to sign up for a developer account to access them. That said, you do need to sign up for Apple's beta program on its website, which is simple enough to do with your Apple Account (formerly known as Apple ID).

Once you've done that, you should be able to download the beta by simply going to the Software Update portion of the Settings app on each device. If you're signed up for beta updates, it should be available for you to download. Easy, right?

Featured Video For You I spent a month with the iPhone Air, and my priorities have shifted How to download macOS Tahoe 26.2 developer beta

Things are slightly more complicated on the macOS side of things because that beta isn't available in public form yet. However, even regular folks can download it as long as they know what to do.

First, you need to enroll in the free version of Apple's developer program. You can register on Apple's website. Then you go to Apple's developer website, log in with your Apple Account, and enroll in the beta program. After you've done all of that, you can download the beta by following these steps:

1. Create a backup for your Mac

2. Go to Settings, then General, then Software Update

3. Click the "i" icon next to Beta Updates

4. Select "macOS Tahoe Developer Beta" from the drop-down menu

5. Select "Done"

You should be all set after that.

If you’re in your 30s, there’s a good chance you remember HitClips — those tiny, little plastic cassette-like devices that played snippets of popular “hit” songs by all the greats (Britney Spears, *NSYNC, Avril Lavigne, et cetera). You could “clip” them to your jeans and be coveted for your collection every time you switched classes. (What a time to be alive.)

Well, now, there’s Tiny Vinyl: teeny, tiny (as the name implies) records that, despite their four-inch size, are fully functional and can be played on traditional 33rpm turntables (Note: Tiny Vinyl might not be compatible with auto-stop or auto-return turntables). These miniature LPs hold exactly four minutes of audio per side: just enough for a single on each side (HitClips only gave us part of the song!).

The new Target-exclusive line includes holiday-themed Tiny Vinyls like "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and Frank Sinatra's "Jingle Bells / Silent Night." Credit: Tiny Vinyl | Nathan Zucker

You can buy Tiny Vinyls online, and as the website states, “wherever the artists choose to sell them.” Target also just launched a special “Target-exclusive” line featuring artists like Chappell Roan (Pink Pony Club is obvs on one side), Ariana Grande, Rihanna, The Rolling Stones, Mötley Crüe, and more. Since these are “Target exclusives,” you won’t be able to buy them anywhere else.

Each Tiny Vinyl has a unique “TV number” on its package. It’ll look something like “TV#0000.” This tells you which Tiny Vinyl printing run it came from. (Could be a collector’s item in the future!) And because these little LPs are so small, they’re actually more environmentally-friendly. According to the Tiny Vinyl site, these records weigh 15 grams each (a standard LP weighs 140g) and are made of 100 percent bio-attributed vinyl.

You could soon be able to use WhatsApp to message people who use other messaging platforms — but there's a catch. And a big catch, at that.

Tech-site Android Police (via WABetaInfo) reported on Thursday that WhatsApp is beta-testing support for third-party messaging apps, but that it would eventually roll out to limited regions only.

SEE ALSO: WhatsApp's AI can now turn your messages into awkward dad jokes

The site noted that the reason behind the impending shift was because of the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which often requires tech companies to follow stricter rules to operate on the continent. The DMA is the same law that led to tech giants Apple and Meta facing hundreds of millions of dollars in fines earlier this year.

WhatsApp's cross-platform messaging is reportedly still quite limited, with the beta supporting only BirdyChat at the moment. But, eventually, folks in Europe could potentially message whomever via WhatsApp. As for the rest of us? We're stuck in the past, at least for the time being.

Featured Video For You 3 simple tips to optimise your ChatGPT search

SAVE $175.99: As of Nov. 7, get the DJI Osmo 360 Camera Adventure Combo for $524 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $699.99. That's a discount of 25% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon DJI Osmo 360 Camera Adventure Combo $524 at Amazon
$699.99 Save $175.99   Get Deal

There may be very little of 2025 left, but that doesn't mean you can't spend it getting in a few last hurrahs with the fall weather. Winter will be here before you know it, but that doesn't mean there aren't any opportunities to head out and get some active time outdoors in. This year, however, you can capture all your memories with an affordable action camera that can get everything around you. And it's on sale at Amazon now for the lowest price we've seen.

As of Nov. 7, get the DJI Osmo 360 Camera Adventure Combo for $524 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $699.99. That's $175.99 off and a discount of 25%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: DJI's new Osmo Mobile 8 gimbal launches today, but not for you

The Osmo 360 can film at 8K 50fps with up to 100 minutes of continuous 8K 30fps recording. It comes with a 2-inch display with a 314x556 resolution, and 105GB of built-in storage.

It has two 1/1.1-inch square HDR CMOS sensors that allow for dynamic range with 13.5 stops., an f/1.9 aperture, and an ISO range of 100-51,200. It can also shoot 4K video alternatively at up to 100fps with single-lens video at up to 5K 60fps or 4K 120fp.

For still shooting, the camera can also captre 30.72MP 4:3 images with one lens or 120MP panoramic shots with both lenses. That's thanks to HorizonSteady and RockSteady 3.0 that offer advanced image stabilization.

This bundle also nets you some extras: 3 batteries and a battery case as well as a protective pouch, cleaning cloth, invisible selfie stick, and a lens protector. That means it's ready for any adventure you want to tackle, so be sure to get yours before it's back to its normal price.

Just days ago — and before shareholders approved his enormous pay package — Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the next-generation Tesla Roadster will "hopefully" be unveiled "before the end of the year."

Well, that's probably not happening. On Thursday, during Tesla's Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk said that the product unveil of the Roadster 2 will be on "April 1 of next year."

"I have some deniability because I can say I was just kidding," he said. "We are actually tentatively aiming for April 1, for what I think will be the most exciting, whether it works or not, demo of any product."

Yes, what Musk means here is any product ever, in the history of mankind.

SEE ALSO: Sam Altman ridicules Tesla over his Roadster refund, Musk responds

While that's a pretty hefty delay, the news is even worse when it comes to production of the Roadster, as Musk said it's probably happening "about 12-18 months after that," so sometime in mid-to-late 2027.

Despite not having been launched yet, Tesla's second generation Roadster is one of Tesla's most unusual products. Originally announced in November 2017, the vehicle kept being delayed into the future (despite numerous people pre-ordering it with a $50,000 down payment), with Musk setting increasingly grandiose goals for it. Speaking with Joe Rogan recently, Musk said, "If you took all the James Bond cars and combined them, it's crazier than that," — and hinted that it may actually be able to fly.

Musk and Tesla keep referring to the car as the "second-generation Roadster," even though it's probably not have a lot in common with the original second-generation Roadster which was announced eight years ago. That one was shown as prototype in November 2017, with an alleged 0-60mph time of 2.1 seconds. Later, Musk said it might get an (optional) cold gas thruster which would make it even faster. Most recently, Musk said the car would be able to accelerate from 0-60mph in under one second. Hopefully, the saga will end next April, before Musk starts claiming the car can go back in time.

SAVE $160: As of Nov. 7 save $160 on the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3. That brings it down to $389.99, knocking 29% off its $549.99 price tag.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lenovo Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 $389.99 at Lenovo
$549.99 Save $160   Get Deal

When you think of tablets, you think of iPads, but that's not your only option out there. While testing a new batch for our guide on the best tablets, we got to try some new Android options that totally impressed us. One of which was the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3, a compact gaming tablet with some surprising power. Since testing, we've been watching the price on the tablet, trying to find a good deal. Luckily, one just dropped.

As of Nov. 7, the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 is down to $389.99. That saves you $160 off its usual MSRP of $549.99, for 29% savings.

The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 is an impressive little tablet. It has a 8.8-inch screen with 2.5K resolution for a brilliant display. It's designed for gaming, with impressive refresh rates so you don't miss a second in your game or stream. But we liked this tablet even for non-gamers. It has 12GB of RAM and scored higher than the standard iPad on the Geekbench 6 score.

Shop this doorbuster deal at Lenovo and get the Legion Tab Gen 3 for just $389.99 and save $160.

SAVE $500: As of Nov. 7, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) is on sale for just $899 at Amazon. Not only is that a savings of 36% or $500, but it's the best price we've ever seen on this model.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)   Get Deal

We're officially in peak season for buying a new laptop and this Microsoft Surface deal is living proof.

As of Nov. 7, the 13.8-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 with the Snapdragon X Elite chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage is on sale at Amazon for only $899 instead of its usual $1,399. That's $500 in savings, which brings it down to a new record low. Mashable's resident laptop expert Haley Henschel calls it a "crazy good deal" that's worthy of the Black Friday doorbuster label. Even the Microsoft Store and Best Buy (famous for excellent laptop deals) haven't matched this price drop.

The Surface Laptop 7 earned the title of Mashable's favorite Windows laptop for most people, thanks to its premium performance, ultra-long battery life, and stylish and sturdy aluminum design. "Apple must be sweating through its armpits with the launch of the Surface Laptop 7 because — holy cow — this is one hell of a laptop," wrote former Mashable Tech Editor Kim Gedeon.

The Snapdragon X Elite chip is faster than 83 percent of the laptops in our testing database in Best Performance mode and is right on par with Apple's M4 MacBook Air in a Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark. It also outlasts most other laptops with a 23-hour battery life. Gedeon added, "From 'Paint' to 'Photos,' the jam-packed AI capabilities in the Surface Laptop 7 make Windows fun again.

It's not perfect, as certain specialty apps aren't compatible with the Surface Laptop 7. Just double-check before you commit that it works with your favorite apps and you'll be good to go. The premium price tag is usually hard to stomach, but at $500 off, we recommend adding it to your cart ASAP.

"Really, everyone is a creator," Amrapali (Ami) Gan, former CEO of OnlyFans, told Mashable in an interview. Think about how every audience member films the concert they're watching — or how everyone at a restaurant films their food. 

Gan and her co-founder, Kailey Magder, hope to harness our modern creator economy with Vylit, an upcoming 18+ platform where, apparently, anyone can build an audience and monetize their posts, including topless content.

SEE ALSO: 'We're all sinners': the Conservative tradwife who does OnlyFans

"Vylit is where sharing and earning collide, as thirst traps and everyday moments live side by side," Vylit's website claims. "Why? Because you're hot."

Gan, who was CEO of the adult platform OnlyFans from December 2021 to July 2023, said that we're just at the beginning of the creator economy, and it's going to become more and more normalized for anyone to sell content, subscriptions, and the like based on their personal interests.

"That's truly the future," she said.

Vylit launches in beta next month, with the goal of having a broader launch in March or April 2026. But while Vylit will allow bare breasts, don't expect it to be exactly like OnlyFans. 

Topless, but no nudes on Vylit

After Gan left OnlyFans, she started a marketing company called Hoxton Projects. She and Magder worked with other brands there — but they were both entrepreneurial-minded, Gan said, and they ideated on what their own business could look like. 

Left: Ami Gan. Right: Kailey Magder Credit: Vylit

They had other ideas, like a dog treat company or holistic cleaning products, but between people frequently reaching out to them with ideas for "the next OnlyFans" and their own frustrations with modern social media, the idea for Vylit formed.

"It truly addresses this white space that sits between traditional platforms like Instagram and TikTok, and these adult creator platforms," Gan said. "And that's where we see the opportunity to have an 18 and over platform where anyone can monetize content, build a community, and have true freedom of expression."

That freedom has its limits, though. "As we say, we're going to free the nipple, but not the rest," Gan said. Meaning, only the top half will be allowed Vylit. No genitalia, no explicit content. (Gan led marketing at OnlyFans at the time when it tried to ban explicit content in August 2021; the platform soon reversed course after a horde of backlash.)

While X and Bluesky allow adult content, Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram) and TikTok don't.

The reason behind Vylit's line, Gan explained, is to appeal to a mass market audience. "These days you can turn on HBO or whatever and see all kinds of stuff, so we feel that it's a lot more acceptable while still keeping that broader appeal to anyone who wants that safe space to share content," she said, while not opening an app first thing in the morning and seeing nudes.

18+ in the age of age verification

"To us, the future of social media is very much 18 and over," Gan said.

It seems that more and more legislatures believe this, too, with the increased adoption of age-verification laws, which require personal data like a government ID or biometric scans to prove you're of age. This goes for explicit sites, but more and more non-explicit sites are installing age-verification measures like Spotify and YouTube. Free speech and internet experts told Mashable earlier this year that increased age verification would fundamentally change the internet, including curtailing minors' access. 

At Vylit, the team had these conversations earlier on, Gan said. All users will go through an age verification process in the form of a facial age check. If you want to upload content onto Vylit, you'll have to submit an ID as well. 

All content will be reviewed by AI before it's published on Vylit — including text. (Vylit is partnering with Unitary AI around content moderation). Everything that gets flagged will be reviewed by a human, Gan said. 

Tools for creators — beyond what OnlyFans has

AI also shapes the tools for creators on the platform. One is image-generation, Magder said. Vylit can create an "AI twin," so creators can input images of themselves and it will generate content with that "twin."

Then there's AI chat, created in the likeness of the creator. Fans (or "members") will be able to speak either with the creator themselves or their AI, and there will be transparency around that. (Meanwhile, on OnlyFans, creators are using controversial messaging tools, where fans think they're speaking to creators when actually they're chatting with AI bots — or other humans called "chatters.")

The Vylit team is also developing stronger search and discovery tools to easily find creators you're interested in. Not just based on aesthetic preferences but hobbies and interests, Gan said. This will help foster community as well as engagement, as fans will have connection with a creator beyond what they look like. 

While OnlyFans didn't come up, the platform is known for its lack of search function, so much so that users have taken to creating their own.

How Vylit is different than other creator platforms

Gan and Magder made these features, and Vylit as a whole, with creators in mind. Creator jobs grew 7x in recent years, according to a study released earlier this year, and Goldman Sachs estimated that the creator economy could hit $480 billion by 2027. 

But with platforms like FanHouse — and let's face it, OnlyFans — already out there, where does Vylit fit in?

Gan said that Vylit is a platform that's made for everyone, whether you want to monetize content or build a community. She claimed that users will be able to build a community on Vylit, whereas other platforms are typically for those who had an existing audience. 

Magder concurred, saying, "These existing platforms are really focused on the top one percent of creators, and expecting those creators to do marketing in order to build their following." But the marketing has to happen on other platforms — whereas you can join Vylit and create an audience. 

"We really think about what's stopping people from becoming creators, and it's like, well, they don't feel like they have a big enough following to monetize," she continued. So, they're building Vylit to allow creators of any size to thrive.

And there will be monetization tools. Vylit creators will be able to offer subscriptions, content pay-per-view, and tips. Magder said they thought about creator pain points and how they can reverse engineer the platform to support everyday creators — whether they're small and trying to become a creator or they're a big creator who's been in the space a long time.

This month, though, most creators will have to watch Vylit develop from afar, as it's invite-only.

Manny Jacinto broke through as dopey and lovable Jason Mendoza on The Good Place. Then he took that expectation to Star Wars: The Acolyte, playing a curious apothecary called Qimir. But midway through this gone-before-its time spinoff, a reveal flipped fans' expectations and thrust a new Sith icon into the galaxy far, far away. So, how do you follow that up? By walking in the dance shoes of Patrick Swayze in the much-anticipated and nostalgia-rich sequel Freakier Friday.

A trained dancer who turned his passion for performing to acting, Jacinto makes these leaps look easy. He visited Mashable's Say More couch to reveal what it was like for him behind the scenes. Sitting down with Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko, Jacinto delves into what it felt like to take big swings on The Good Place, the skill of combining dance and character, and the unexpected challenges on Freakier Friday's homage to Dirty Dancing. Plus, he shares his secret to doing justice to the role of the himbo.

"I've always gravitated toward those dummies," Jacinto said, looking back on classic TV himbos like Matt LeBlanc on Friends and Chris Pratt on Parks and Recreation. "I just found these guys so funny. But in the back of my head, I'm like, 'These guys must be incredibly smart, because you play a dumb character and you play it to be dumb ... you really got to find this nonconformist viewpoint of why this character would be this way.'"

For more from Jacinto on his time on The Acolyte, Star Wars fans, and what he hopes for the future — even if the series was canceled — check out the full Say More interview on YouTube.

Freakier Friday comes to Disney+ on Nov. 12.