Blogroll

Hypervigilance—your brain’s alarm system—keeps you alert to threats. It’s useful in emergencies, but in everyday leadership, it can lead to defensiveness, missed connections, and burnout. Here’s how to channel that awareness into a more regulated, effective approach. Practice curiosity over confrontation. When you feel triggered by something a colleague says or does, pause. Instead of […]

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TL;DR: Give your files a forever home with a 2TB FileJump Lifetime Cloud Storage Subscription, now on sale for 80% off at just £69.82 (reg. £366.34). 

With everyone working, studying, and collaborating online, having secure, accessible cloud storage is no longer optional — it’s essential. But not all storage solutions offer the same level of reliability, ease, and cost savings. FileJump delivers on all three counts with its lifetime 2TB cloud storage plan, and it's only £69.82 at the Mashable Shop. 

A lifetime of cloud storage for a one-time fee

Some cloud storage services have the space, but the UI is so frustrating that it's hardly worth it. FileJump’s drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to upload files directly from your computer or phone. Whether it’s high-resolution photos, videos, or large presentations, the platform can handle it all with a 15GB limit per file.

Built-in previews for images, videos, and PDFs allow you to view your content without needing to download anything, saving you time when working on the go.

Security is a must, especially if all your files are under one roof. With FileJump, your data is encrypted with AES technology, meaning only you and the people you trust can access your files. Whether you’re using the service for personal photo backups or professional projects, your files remain protected. Plus, with its lifetime access plan, you won’t need to worry about running out of storage space or losing access when your subscription ends.

FileJump platform supports mobile, too. So you can upload or manage files from your smartphone or tablet with no problem.

No subscription fees ever

One place and one purchase is all it takes to store your files for life. There's still time to get a FileJump 2TB Lifetime Subscription for £69.82 (reg. £366.34). 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Opens in a new window Credit: FileJump FileJump 2TB Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription £69.82 at the Mashable Shop
£366.34 Save £296.52 Get Deal

SAVE 70%: A two-year subscription to Proton VPN is on sale for $76.18. This Black Friday deal saves you 70% on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Proton VPN Proton VPN (2-Year Subscription) $76.18 at Proton VPN (with 30-day money-back guarantee) Get Deal

Black Friday is the best time of the year to secure savings on just about everything on your shopping list. And that very much includes VPNs.

The best VPNs tend to drop Black Friday deals a few weeks ahead of the main event, and that's exactly what we're seeing this year. We've already seen the likes of NordVPN and Surfshark release impressive deals, and now it's the turn of Proton VPN. A two-year subscription to Proton VPN is on sale for $76.18, saving you 70% on list price.

SEE ALSO: Get Surfshark VPN for 3 years for just $68 and take your digital privacy global

Proton VPN offers access to over 8,600 servers in over 100 countries around the world, so you should always be able to find a speedy and stable connection for gaming, streaming, or online shopping. Connection speeds are really strong, and you can connect up to 10 devices at the same time.

Save 70% on Proton VPN this Black Friday. And if you're not totally convinced, you can always rely on Proton VPN's generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

TL;DR: Watch 2024 MotoGP live streams for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

F1 gets most of the media attention in the world of things-that-move-fast. But it also comes with a lot of pit stops, yellow flags, and predictable finishes. Yeah, we said it.

If you're looking for thrilling and unpredictable racing with two wheels instead of four, you should check out MotoGP. And thanks to a simple hack, you can watch MotoGP without actually spending anything.

Interested in watching MotoGP for free? You've come to the right place.

What is MotoGP?

Grand Prix motorcycle racing (MotoGP) is the oldest established motorsport world championship, with the inaugural season taking place in 1949. Races last approximately 45 minutes, without pitting for fuel or fresh tires.

The likes of Ducati, Honda, and Yamaha do battle for the constructors' championship. Francesco Bagnaia is the reigning champion, sealing his second consecutive MotoGP world title in 2023.

2024 MotoGP calendar

The 2024 MotoGP season features 21 races held all over the world between March and November:

1. Qatar GP — March 10

2. Portugal GP — March 24

3. Americas GP — April 14

4. Spain GP — April 28

5. France GP — May 12

6. Catalunya GP — May 26

7. Italy GP — June 2

8. Netherlands GP — June 30

9. Germany GP — July 7

10. Great Britain GP — Aug. 4

11. Austria GP — Aug. 18

12. Aragon GP — Sep. 1

13. San Marino GP — Sep. 8

14. Emilia Romagna — Sep. 22

15. Indonesia GP — Sep. 29

16. Japan GP — Oct. 6

17. Australia GP — Oct. 20

18. Thailand GP — Oct. 27

19. Malaysia GP — Nov. 3

20. Valencia GP — Nov. 17

A wide range of streaming services are offering coverage of this MotoGP season, but there is actually no need to pay anything to follow all the action. You can watch MotoGP for free with the help of a VPN.

How to livestream MotoGP for free

You can stream every MotoGP 2024 race for free on ServusTV.

ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can access ServusTV from anywhere in the world.

Unblock ServusTV by following this quick and easy process:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Austria

4. Connect to ServusTV

5. Watch MotoGP for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees. By using these money-back guarantees, you can watch MotoGP live streams without fully committing with your cash. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch individual races without actually spending anything.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for MotoGP?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking streaming sites, and it offers a generous money-back guarantee. That means you can effectively live stream MotoGP for free with ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN is tough to beat when it comes to streaming MotoGP, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Austria

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Impressive streaming speeds without buffering

• Up to five simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can sign up to watch MotoGP and then recover your investment when the race weekend is over.

Stream MotoGP 2024 for free with ExpressVPN.

Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn'tConnections categories can be almost anything, and they're usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we've got you covered.

Christmas movies can be a balm to the soul during dark, dark times. At their best, they remind us of the kindness that lies in the hearts of humankind. And at their worst, they're still pretty unflappably joyous. Now, I won't promise you Hot Frosty — a new Netflix release about a snowman who becomes a real, human man — is on par with holiday classics like A Christmas Story, Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, or even Gremlins. However, I will assure you it's a delightful treat that's sure to enchant for 90 minutes of seasonal bliss. 

Yes, yes, there are hordes of Hallmark movies to choose from, and Netflix has their own panoply of Yuletide viewing — including footage of a cozy fireplace. But trust me, Hot Frosty should be your go-to when you need a break from the worry, stress, and general panic of being alive in this very intense moment in time. Just let this be the mental massage of silliness and sweetness to work out those knots in your muscles and wrinkles in your brain. 

SEE ALSO: Everything Christmas-y coming to Netflix in 2024

So, if you could use a break from your brain or the world, give yourself over to Hot Frosty.

Yes, Hot Frosty is about a hunky snowman come to life.  Meet Jack the snowman. And his nipples. Credit: Screenshot / YouTube

Written by Russell Hainline, Hot Frosty plays to the holiday rom-com cliches that fans have come to hold dear. Having scripted a slew of festive films (In Merry Measure andThe Santa Summit, plus the upcoming movies Three Wiser Men and a Baby, The Santa Class, and Christmas Under The Lights), Hainline is no stranger to these traditions, and he honors them with both a keen awareness and a sense of playfulness. As such, Hot Frosty is set in a picturesque small town called Hope Springs, the kind of place where everyone knows the kind-hearted widow, Kathy (Mean Girls' Lacey Chabert), a diner owner who does her best to feed and care for her neighbors — and bare-chested snowmen. 

Amid a festive holiday fair festooned with red-and-green decorations and alive with holiday R&B, an unconventional snowman is carved with long locks of hair, a bare chest, pert nipples, and chiseled abs. Of course, caring Kathy bestows on him a long red scarf, to buffer him from the cold and give him some sense of dignity from the waist down. Well, there must have been some magic in that long red scarf she found, for when she placed it on his neck, he began to turn... into a flesh-and-blood man named Jack (Schitt's Creek's beloved vet Dustin Milligan). 

Naturally, after some comic misunderstandings, he finds his way to Kathy and, soon enough, into her heart, mending her mourning through plenty of Golden Retriever energy. He is hunky, handy, and hot: masculine in a strictly non-toxic sense. For Jack, being a real man means helping others, like the gaggle of older ladies who could use a handyman (and a cheap thrill) courtesy of a handsome, giving stranger. Jack's caring nature, along with his willingness to share his loving feelings — not to mention those ripped arms — make him a great pick for cuffing season. Also, he revels in making Christmas cookies, understands the joys of cold pizza, gives her a place to express her grief, and is often shirtless! What's not to love?

Terminator is the source of Hot Frosty's central conflict.  Credit: Netflix

Props to Hainline and director Jerry Ciccoritti for making the most of Jack's transformation scene. It's not that the visual effects are awe-inspiring so much as the kookiness that follows, which is a mix of Austin Powers humor and Terminator plot points. When Jack comes to life, he's wearing only that long red scarf, making for a scene that's a bit spicy as that generous knitwear conveniently covers his crotch no matter how he moves. Much like the newly arrived Terminator in James Cameron's 1984 sci-fi classic (which has influenced untold holiday tales), Jack arrives naked in this world, and in urgent need of clothes. So he turns to crime!

After accidentally streaking in front of a surprised elderly couple, he doesn't beat up a biker for attire. Instead, Jack breaks into the local thrift shop, Reclaimed Rags, to snatch some duds. Specifically, he takes some boots and a denim jumpsuit missing its sleeves, a perfect showcase for Jack's buff biceps. So, public indecency, breaking and entering, and theft — this is the closest thing this charming town has ever had to a crime spree. The Office's Craig Robinson brings an amusing intensity as the sheriff on the case, while Joe Lo Truglio hearkens back to his Brooklyn Nine-Nine days as the bumbling partner/sidekick, who, of course, gives Jack love advice. But whether it's getting close to Kathy or getting locked up in the local jail, Jack is at risk, as he melts when things get hot. 

Yes! The only downside of this guileless guy is he's cold to the touch and melts in warm weather. (Look, the song warned us.) This means Jack must frequently frolic in snow to maintain his physique, and that sex with this snowman would be at best chilly for Kathy and at worst deadly for Jack. But don't dwell on that. For one thing, these Yuletide lovers aren't moving fast enough for that to matter just yet, and for another, this is a Netflix movie. Such questions are better suited to our own horny musings than to Hainline's cheerful holiday script. 

Hot Frosty is a himbo story that's good for you.  Credit: Netflix

This Netflix Christmas movie presents the pillars audiences expect: festive setting, charming could-be lovers, seasonal music, holiday hijinks, and a happy ending. But Hainline puts a bow on his gift of goofy joy by peopling Hope Springs with lovable weirdos who are all too willing to believe the inexplicably hot snowman from the town square Christmas display is a real live man, now offering to help them fix their homes, put up glass paneling, or save the lovely young widow from her grief. 

For instance, there's sassy doctor Dottie, who after taking his temperature (30 degrees!), is quick to say, "Look, everything about Christmas: Santa, elves, flying reindeer — the scientist in me knows they shouldn't exist. But wouldn't the world be a little bit better if they did?" She then argues that Jack being a snowman come to life is the "simplest explanation" to why he is a hot guy whose skin is ice cold. It's just science, the film suggests; just go with it. And yes, do that. There's a sincere pleasure in slipping down the ludicrous slide that is Hot Frosty's premise, in which a hot, naive, but very sweet man is the perfect Christmas wish — for Kathy and for any of us who may need a bit of comfort from a cold, cold world. 

How to watch: Hot Frosty is now streaming on Netflix.

The Social Security Administration announced last month that it’s implementing Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA) for the agency’s 72.5 million beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income recipients. With the 2.5% bump expected in January and informational letters going out next month, scammers are already trying to take advantage of the change, according to SSA officials.

"Be wary of any communication that asks you to take extra steps or provide personal details for this increase, as it’s likely a scammer attempting to steal your identity or financial assets," said Acting Inspector General for the Social Security Administration Hannibal "Mike" Ware, in a statement. "Our office is dedicated to protecting the public and deterring these criminals from exploiting honest, hardworking people."

SEE ALSO: Guarding against fraud: Practical tips for recognising and avoiding scams

The COLA will automatically hit bank accounts, and be reflected in mailed checks, with no action needed by recipients. 

However, Ware had warned that you should not hand over personal information to anyone claiming they’re a representative of the SSA who needs your social security number or bank account to move forward with the COLA. Report any suspected fraud to the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General via their website (https://oig.ssa.gov/report/).

SSA officials warn all recipients to be on the lookout for "fake calls, texts, emails, websites, messages on social media, or letters in the mail."

While the agency typically contacts people via mail regarding updates and questions, they will call people on occasion, according to the SSA anti-scam site, especially if they "recently applied for a Social Security benefit, are already receiving payments and require an update to their record, or have requested a phone call from the agency."

The agency produced a video about SSA agency imposters who will call recipients and tell them of armed marshals or sheriffs’ deputies on their way to arrest them for some supposed malfeasance. One SSA recipient described being told by scammers to purchase Google Play cards to avoid arrest. When receiving a call purportedly from the SSA where threats or demands of money are made — or prizes offered — get off the phone, talk to someone you trust, and do a search on the internet.

“SSA will not threaten you, demand your personal information or instant payment, email or text you pictures or documents, or use a real government official’s name to gain your trust,” according to another anti-scam video from the agency. “Social Security does not accept payments by gift card, pre-paid debit card, internet currency, or by mailing cash.”

See more information on SSA-related scams here and check out other online resources here.

I recently tried to do some basic chores on my Meta Quest while watching football, and soon learned that just about everything I tried was either not possible, or only possible for someone used to operating half-blind. That has to change!

Vi is a powerful text editor included with most Linux systems, even embedded ones. Sometimes you'll have to edit a text file on a system that doesn't include a friendlier text editor, so knowing Vi is essential.

AI PCs have jumped to the top of holiday wishlists, and it’s no shock to learn why. For efficient productivity and access to new frontiers of creativity, these computers — powered by an Intel Core Ultra chip — offer a major leap forward in nearly all categories. They’re even more secure, with smart defense against data cyberthieves among the many functions enabled by an NPU (neural processing unit).

But which one to choose? Here’s a closer look at what you can expect from a top machine at varying price points, all equipped with Intel’s powerful chip:

Under $1,000  Opens in a new window Credit: ASUS ASUS Vivobook S 14 $749.99 at Best Buy
$949.99 Save $200.00 Get Deal

Even at the modest end of the scale, an AI PC should pack a processor that’s ready for serious usage. With the ability to hit 40 TOPS (that’s trillions of operations per second, an important AI metric), ASUS Vivobook S 14’s Intel Core Ultra 5 Series 2 processor provides strong performance in a sleek, lightweight package. Microsoft’s Copilot AI can be summoned with the press of a button, so web searches and creative tasks get an AI boost.

From $1,000 to $1,500 Opens in a new window Credit: ASUS ASUS Zenbook S 14 $1,149.99 at Best Buy
$1,399.99 Save $250.00 Get Deal

In the midrange, higher expectations deserve expanded possibilities. Here, the ASUS Zenbook S 14, which boasts an Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 processor capable of up to 47 TOPS, stands out even before users see additional features like Harmon/Kardon speakers and an OLED touchscreen. Power users will appreciate this Zenbook’s all-day 72Wh battery, plus the onboard Copilot AI helps with complex tasks, image and text generation, and a multitude of other creative endeavors. 

$1,500 and above Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 $1,699.99 at Best Buy
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At the most premium tier, you’ll find maximal features that deliver on every need — even some you didn’t know you had. In the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360, an Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 processor powers a multitude of AI experiences such as Microsoft Copilot and Samsung Galaxy AI. 

Creatives will appreciate a folding screen that lets the laptop function like a tablet, so AI-infused work can get done using the included S Pen on the AMOLED touchscreen. Plus, Galaxy phone and tablet users will find added value in connective features like Quick Share and Multi Control that allow multiple devices to easily function as one.

Microsoft's November 2024 Patch Tuesday addressed 91 vulnerabilities. This includes four zero-days, two of which were actively exploited in attacks.

Apple's iPadOS 18.2 and macOS Sequoia 15.2 operating systems enhance the built-inTV app with new features, including the ability to customize the tab bar on your iPad.

T-Mobile customers were in for an unwelcome surprise on Tuesday afternoon as the carrier experienced a widespread service outage, leaving many unable to make calls, send texts, or access data.

According to DownDetector (a sister site of Mashable), the blackout has affected major cities across the U.S., sparking a wave of complaints on social media from frustrated users, including customers of Mint Mobile, T-Mobile’s prepaid subsidiary.

SEE ALSO: Is T-Mobile down? Users report widespread outages

Mint Mobile customers in Utah were hit particularly hard according to outage maps, so here's a look at the states hit hardest by the outage, according to DownDetector:

Outage map: States affected by T-Mobile / Mint Mobile network issues T-Mobile outage map Credit: DownDetector.com T-Mobile:

• Arizona

• California

• Florida

• Georgia

• Illinois

• Indiana

• Kentucky

• Lousiana

• Maryland

• Massachusetts

• Michigan

• Minnesota

• Missouri

• Mississippi

• New Jersey

• New Mexico

• New York

• North Carolina

• Ohio

• Pennsylvania

• Texas

• Virginia

• Washington

Mint Mobile Mint Mobile outage map Credit: DownDetector

• Arizona

• California

• Colorado (minor activity visible)

• Florida

• Georgia

• Idaho (small activity visible)

• Illinois

• Indiana (minor activity visible)

• Kansas (small activity visible)

• Maryland

• Massachusetts

• Michigan

• Minnesota

• Missouri

• Montana (small activity visible)

• Nebraska (small activity visible)

• Nevada

• New Jersey

• New York

• North Carolina

• Ohio (minor activity visible)

• Pennsylvania

• South Carolina

• Texas

• Utah

• Virginia

• Washington

• Wisconsin

As of this writing, however, reports of the T-Mobile and Mint outage appear to be dissipating.

Editorial Disclaimer: Ziff Davis, the parent company of Mashable, owns DownDetector

If streaming music is just not cutting it for you, physical media is a great way to both enjoy music and create a hobby of it. Collecting records and CDs are both great to get into, but chances are you're going to want to lean into one more than the other.

Typically, after a presidential election in the U.S., search queries about leaving the country spike as supporters of the losing candidate consider what to do next.

While physically moving out of the country may be a bit complicated, finding a new social media home is a much simpler task. And it appears that hundreds of thousands of people have decided to flee Elon Musk's X in the wake of the U.S. election results.

According to Bsky Stats, a website that tracks Bluesky signups, posts, and other analytics, the platform now has more than 14.6 million users. Bluesky user Jaz, who runs the stats website, says that Bluesky has seen more than 100,000 new user signups every day since the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5th.

If you're wondering how things have been going at the Posting Factory Over 100k new users per day since November 5th and no sign of slowing. ~10M follows per day (+400%) ~18M likes per day (+46%) ~3M posts per day (+30%) Firehose traffic regularly over 500 evt/sec for most of the day now.

[image or embed]

— Jaz (@jaz.bsky.social) November 10, 2024 at 3:08 PM

Bluesky has officially confirmed to outlets like The Guardian and The Verge that the platform has seen more than 700,000 new signups in the past week.

Bluesky continues to grow

Bluesky has quickly become the alternative social media platform of choice for users looking to flee Elon Musk's X. While Meta’s Threads still leads among X alternatives with 275 million users, much of that user base is due to the platform’s close integration with Instagram. Bluesky isn’t backed by any Big Tech company, yet it has managed to grow organically. It currently ranks as the third most popular microblogging platform, following X and Threads.

Bluesky's growth spurts seems directly linked tied to decisions Musk has made regarding X.

In September, millions of users in Brazil flocked to Bluesky after the country's Supreme Court banned X due to Musk's refusal to follow Brazilian law. X has since played ball and paid a hefty fine, resulting in the platform being unbanned. However, Bluesky was able to enjoy a 50 percent growth in its user base as a result of the ordeal.

Just last month, Bluesky saw another surge in user growth after X officially announced it was changing how the block function worked on its platform. Within 24 hours of X's announcement, more than 500,000 new users joined Bluesky.

Social media researcher Axel Bruns speculates that Bluesky's user growth is sparked by X users seeking refuge in a new social media platform "without all the far-right activism, the misinformation, the hate speech, the bots and everything else." He added that the liberal side of the Twitter community have escaped and moved "en masse" to Bluesky.

Musk was a significant supporter and financial backer of Donald Trump’s campaign. While Bluesky’s recent user boost is smaller than past surges — like when Brazil banned X or when X changed its blocking feature — the platform may continue to grow as Musk is expected to be an influential figure in Trump’s administration.

Tuesday afternoon wasn't a great time to be a T-Mobile customer.

Users of the self-proclaimed "un-carrier" reported widespread outages for both the main T-Mobile network and Mint Mobile, its subsidiary that focuses primarily on prepaid phones. According to DownDetector (a sister site of Mashable), both T-Mobile and Mint started malfunctioning for customers at around 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

SEE ALSO: 'iPhone 17 Air' plans may be on thin ice — here's why

That said, at the time of writing, the number of reports had decreased dramatically on the T-Mobile side of things, roughly 90 minutes after users started reporting the outage. According to DownDetector, at its peak, the outage was at its most potent in places like Chicago and Atlanta. Strangely, both T-Mobile and Mint had big outages specifically in Utah.

As of 3:50 p.m. ET, the reports are continuing to decline. This parabolic drop reveals that reports are still coming in, but they’re not as frequent as they were earlier in the day.

T-Mobile outage graph within last 24 hours Credit: DownDetector

You can call yourself the "un-carrier," but blackouts come for us all eventually.

This story is developing ...

Apple Intelligence has officially launched with the latest updates for iPhones, iPads, and Macs. While the AI-powered features on iPhone with the iOS 18 update is getting the most buzz because — let's be real — new smartphone features are arguably one of the most impactful in our daily lives,

However, Apple Intelligence on Mac deserves some attention, too. With the macOS Sequoia 15.1 update, Macs with an M1 chip or higher got a bunch of AI-powered features you can try out today.

SEE ALSO: What is Apple Intelligence? Apple Intelligence on Mac: 5 features you can use now

Some of the flashier features won't be available until the macOS Sequoia 15.2 update or later, but here are meaningful updates worth looking into.

1. Writing Tools to clean up Notes (and Messages, Mail, and Pages)

If you're a Notes app devotee like me, you might find Writing Tools worth playing around with. With Apple Intelligence, you can proofread, rewrite, summarize, and organize text into lists and tables by clicking the Apple Intelligence icon in the toolbar at the top of the app.

How does Apple Intelligence do summarizing the Apple Intelligence announcement? Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / Apple If you need a TL;DR for a big block of text, Apple Intelligence is your friend. Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / Apple

This is helpful for organizing a haphazard to-do list or reworking the draft of a message or email. Speaking of texts and emails, you can also use Writing Tools in Messages, Mail, and Pages for editing documents.

2. Transcribe audio in the Notes app 

Another useful Notes feature with Apple Intelligence is automated audio transcriptions. You do this by importing an audio file or recording directly within Notes. Note: if you import the file, I've found that you have to play the file in order to get the transcription, so it's best used for recording directly. Once you have your recording, you can tap the Apple Intelligence icon to summarize the text.

The Notes can automatically transcribe audio and give you a summary of the transcript. Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / Apple 3. Siri on Mac is marginally better

The big announcement with the Apple Intelligence launch is a new-and-improved Siri. Poor Siri languished for years without much attention, making it the subject of ridicule for not being very useful. But with a generative AI boost, Apple says Siri will be more conversational, intelligent, and better able to understand context. Unfortunately, Siri on macOS Sequoia 15.1 is only marginally improved.

The latest update shows a new interface with the Apple Intelligence icon in the Menu bar, which invokes Siri. You can type with Siri or use audio. Siri is slightly better with surfacing information and is more responsive to changes as you type. It can answer basic questions like "what to make for a dinner party for eight people" by providing web search results.

But some users have noted that it fails at more complex tasks like briefing a person on their daily schedule.

Reddit

But we weren't expecting any mind-blowing improvements to Siri just yet. Major Siri updates aren't slated until sometime next year.

4. Clean Up tool in Photos to remove unwanted objects 

Removing unwanted objects in photos has been around for a while as a feature for Google devices and apps, but Apple finally launched this for the Photos app with the Clean Up tool.

The Clean Up tool in Photos removes unwanted objects... Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / Apple ... but it sometimes leaves weird shadows and artifacts behind. Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / Apple

You can access this by opening edit mode on a photo and choosing Clean Up from the options above the photo. From here you can click, circle, or brush over the object you want to remove and within a few seconds, it's gone. This is a useful tool, but be warned, it sometimes leaves weird shadows or artifacts. You can brush over the area with the Clean Up tool to fix it, but hopefully this is something that will be improved with future updates.

5. Email summaries in Mail

For Mail users, Apple Intelligence can help you parse through your inbox by providing brief summaries of what each email is about without having to click on it.

My inbox doesn't currently contain the most exciting batch up emails, but it helps to see which emails are worth reading versus ignoring. Credit: Screenshot: Mashable / Apple

Enabling Show Priority in the View menu allows Apple Intelligence to highlight emails it deems important, providing a quick one-liner summary of each. Admittedly, I'm not a big Mail user, but could see this as a useful tool for working your way through your inbox.

Signal, an open-source messaging app known for its focus on privacy, has made a great improvement to its group calls. You can finally make a group call with a simple share link.

"Nutcrackers," starring Ben Stiller and Linda Cardellini, hits Hulu Nov. 29.

Every day, tech and fast food push us into stranger territory. Pizza Hut’s latest creation — the PIZZAWRMR — might just be the most absurd yet.

The PIZZAWRMR is a 3D-printed add-on that harnesses the heat exhaust of Sony’s PlayStation 5 to keep your pizza and cheese sticks warm. Yes, really.

SEE ALSO: There's a new Deadpool Xbox controller — and it has butt cheeks

This is not a retail product; you won’t find it in stores. Instead, the blueprints for this novelty contraption are available on Pizza Hut Canada's website, where pizza and gaming enthusiasts can download the specs and print their own.

View this post on Instagram

The PIZZAWRMR works by covering the PS5's vent, which, on an already notoriously heat-sensitive console, only amps up the risk of overheating. It’s clear that the PIZZAWRMR is riffing off the PS5’s reputation for running hot, but let’s face it — this design seems like a serious oversight.

Pizza Hut isn’t the first food brand to try some weird marketing in the video game space to go viral. There’s the infamous KFConsole — KFC’s custom gaming PC with a built-in “Chicken Chamber” to keep fried chicken warm using the heat from its components. Or, if you go back a little further, the Coca-Cola Game Gear: a limited edition Sega handheld console from the ‘90s bundled with Coca-Cola Kid, a platformer featuring the brand’s Japanese mascot.