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If you're planning to upgrade your computer's memory or buy a new device soon, now may be the time to do it.

That's according to tech analysts who are sounding the alarm: RAM prices are about to rise by nearly 50 percent in the coming weeks.

According to a report from Jefferies Equity Research analysts, memory chip pricing is expected to rise between 40 and 50 percent in the third quarter of 2026 — between July 1 and September 30, in other words.

SEE ALSO: Thank the AI industry for tech price increases: See the full list

Hoping that relief is on the horizon, in the form of increased supply to meet the demand? Alas, that doesn't seem likely anytime soon either. 

Memory prices are expected to rise even further, between 30 and 40 percent more, in the fourth quarter (October through December). And it only gets worse next year; analysts project memory price hikes will continue with a year-on-year increase of 40 to 45 percent in 2027.

Memory chip manufacturers, like Samsung and Micron, have already sold a good portion of their output to companies building out AI data centers. That means fewer chips for consumers in the form of PCs, smartphones, and video game consoles. Demand from AI companies is skyrocketing, going far and beyond what the manufacturers can keep up with. 

As Mashable previously reported, Micron has warned that RAM shortages could last into 2028. In February, hard drive manufacturer Western Digital shared that its "top 7 customers" had bought out all of its storage supply for the year. In addition, the company said that these companies were already buying up its supply into 2028.

As a result of AI-driven shortages, consumer products have skyrocketed in price. Apple recently raised the price of its MacBooks by as much as $500. Gaming companies have also struggled with the shortages. Microsoft recently raised Xbox gaming console prices by as much as $150.

Recent leaks suggest that Sony will either have to sell its upcoming PlayStation 6 console at a minimum of $960 or push the launch date back into 2028 or even beyond that.

In short, RAMaggedon is well and truly here.

Love Island USA has become one of the internet's biggest reality TV obsessions over the past couple of summers, and its fans are doing a lot more than watching hot twenty-somethings couple up.

The reality dating show, which airs every night except Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock, gives viewers a near-daily stream of developments to analyze, from bombshell arrivals and public votes to recouplings, shifting loyalties, and the small villa moments that can turn one Islander into a fan favorite or send another into the internet's crosshairs. Fans track, post, and debate every change in the villa like it is a sport (with better swimwear).

So maybe it was only a matter of time before someone tried to put a market around all that forecasting.

Kalshi, the prediction market platform, has been offering Love Island USA contracts this season, giving users a way to trade on outcomes connected to the show, including which couple will win, which Islanders might be eliminated next, and which couples could finish in second or third place. They have also partnered with creators to launch a breadth of TikTok and Instagram ads.

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"Because the fandom around Love Island is so popular, we knew our traders would be excited about getting in on the action," Kalshi spokesperson Clarissa Bronfman tells Mashable. "Trading on the outcome of shows like Love Island allows fans to feel like they're part of these moments."

According to Kalshi, Love Island USA markets brought in more than $20 million in trading volume across the first two weeks of the season, a major figure for an entertainment market. For comparison, the most recent Oscars race for Best Picture, one of the biggest awards-season betting events, drew about $25 million in volume. Kalshi’s Week 2 elimination market closed with $3.3 million traded, more than the $2.8 million traded on the winning couple market at the time.

The demand was not limited to an early burst of curiosity. Bronfman said trading has been "exceptionally popular," with total trading volume for Love Island U.S. and UK markets reaching nearly $40 million as of Monday, June 29. She said trades crossed $1 million in cumulative volume within the first week around the premieres and reached a single-day peak of nearly $3 million traded on June 11.

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Currently, Kalshi's winning couple market has Trinity Tatum and Bryce Dettloff as heavy favorites, with an 80 percent chance of winning (both Melanie and Sincere and Zach and Kayda have a 33 percent chance of landing in the top three). There are also weekly elimination contracts — Amora and Kenzie were both priced around 56 and 37 percent in the Week 5 market.

Kalshi is not the only prediction market platform turning Love Island USA into something tradable. On Polymarket, users have also been able to trade on Season 8 outcomes, down to even what might be said during a specific episode (for example, the word "red flag"). A spokesperson from Polymarket declined to comment on their Love Island trading platform.

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Love Island is different from a traditional awards show or sporting event, though, because fans are not only watching from the outside. Sometimes, they shape what happens next.

Often, the producers prompt fans to vote for their favorite (or least favorite) cast members on the Love Island app, and each time, the fandom certainly mobilizes: The Love Island USA app crashed during both a June 9 and June 16 vote and later climbed to the top of the App Store.

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When asked about the ethics and integrity of markets where users can influence outcomes through public voting, Bronfman says, "We draw a hard line against insider trading — it's prohibited on Kalshi."

She also says it has safeguards in place to detect suspicious activity on its platform. Kalshi uses Know Your Customer checks for everyone who trades on the platform, which Bronfman describes as "very similar (and more extensive) than signing up for a bank."

"When people trade, we use advanced AI surveillance technology that tracks for any irregular trading and investigates suspicious trading activity," Bronfman adds. "We go beyond looking at individual households and look at people’s social connections as well."

Prediction markets are expanding just as sports betting has become a massive part of American digital life. Americans legally wagered nearly $167 billion on sports in 2025, according to the American Gaming Association, and online betting has transformed how many fans experience games. Some states — like Illinois, Nevada, and most recently Michigan (as of June 29) — have placed bans or taxes on prediction markets as state governments debate whether to classify them as financial exchanges, gambling platforms, or something in between.

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The sports gambling world has been built, for the most part, around men. Men are nearly twice as likely as women to report gambling-related problems, and sports betting has become one of the clearest examples of how quickly gambling products can move from occasional entertainment to an everyday phone habit.

So when prediction market companies start using pop culture, influencers, and reality TV to reach more women, it raises a question: Is this just another way for fans to engage with the shows they love, or is it opening a new pathway to betting addiction for an untapped market?

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According to Bronfman, there are "3x more female traders" in Love Island markets compared with other Kalshi markets, and "2/3 of new Love Island traders are women."

Kalshi and Polymarket have both experimented with pop-culture contracts and social media strategies that look different from a sportsbook ad during a football game, setting wagers on — for example — Taylor Swift's wedding venue, Dancing with the Stars cast members, or the Bachelor drama.

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It doesn't mean every fan trading on these outcomes is treating Kalshi and Polymarket like a sportsbook. Prediction markets differ from betting platforms; their contracts are described as "event-based trading," where users buy and sell positions against each other rather than placing bets against the house. In that framing, a Love Island contract is less like a traditional sportsbook wager and more like a stock price fluctuating around a future event.

But for users, the actual experience can still feel familiar, potentially hooking a new prediction-market audience one recoupling at a time.

Beatbot's Sora 70 robot pool cleaner is a high-tech way to clean your swimming pool. CNET Video Producer, Stephen Beacham, tested it out for a week and shares his thoughts on what it's like to use the app-connected cleaning device. 

Timothée Chalamet has caught the sci-fi bug. Following the release of Dune: Part Three, the Oscar nominee will remain in the realm of space and aliens with Illumination's upcoming Not Alone.

SEE ALSO: 'Werwulf' trailer: Robert Eggers and Aaron Taylor-Johnson unleash the beast within

The film, out in April of 2027, marks Chalamet's animation debut. He stars alongside Selena Gomez, herself no stranger to animation thanks to roles in the Hotel Transylvania movies. The pair voice Joe and Fran, employees at Space Burst, a company working on a revolutionary rocket launch.

Not Alone's first teaser trailer highlights the budding romance between the two, complete with flirting, blushing, and the promise of a dinner date. However, Joe and Fran's love story gets derailed when Space Burst's rocket collides with an unknown object and begins hurtling back to Earth — and it's bringing aliens with it.

Up until this point, Not Alone's teaser is quietly sweet, with even a hint of melancholy at the threat of the rocket colliding with Earth. With the aliens' introduction, though, the trailer reminds us that this is an Illumination movie. And Illumination loves nothing more than its weird little guys. (See: the entire Minions franchise.)

Not Alone's weird little guys are a crew of Gumby-looking aliens. Unlike the Minions, they speak English — and they're all voiced by UK comedy royalty. Named Dunk (voiced by Rob Brydon), Welly (voiced by Diane Morgan), and Shirm (voiced by Jamie Demetriou), this alien trio is on the run from their home planet's zealous Officer Zandro (voiced by Brett Goldstein). They wind up hiding out in Joe's home. Will their presence help or hinder his chances with Fran? And how will this first contact end up impacting the rest of Earth?

Not Alone hits theaters in April of 2027.

At a glance

• AI agents often fail because their instructions, or skills, are manually modified with no guarantee of improvement. SkillOpt turns skill editing into a training process, making agent behavior more reliable without changing model weights.
• SkillOpt treats an agent skill file as a trainable parameter outside a frozen target model, turning skill writing from one-shot prompting into a controlled optimization process.
• Across six benchmarks, seven target models, and three execution modes, SkillOpt is the best or tied-best method in all 52 evaluation cells, improving performance without updating model weights.
• SkillOpt keeps skills compact and auditable through bounded text edits, validation gating, rejected-edit feedback, and slow/meta updates, avoiding uncontrolled prompt drift.
• The optimized skills transfer across model scales, agent harnesses, and related tasks, suggesting that they capture reusable workflow knowledge rather than benchmark-specific instructions.

Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly deployed as agents that gather evidence, call tools, and execute multi-step tasks. For these agents, the hard problem is no longer whether they can call a tool, but whether they can complete tasks reliably and consistently. Today, agent skills typically come from three sources: experts write them by hand, a frontier model generates them one-shot, or the agent loosely revises them after execution. None of these approaches behaves like a deep-learning optimizer. They lack step-size control, held-out validation, and any memory of revisions that failed. As a result, skills tend to grow longer and drift with each rewrite, and a revision that seems perfectly reasonable can quietly degrade real task performance. This uncontrolled skill evolution has become a major obstacle on the path from agent prototype to dependable, production-grade deployment.

In our recent paper, SkillOpt: Executive Strategy for Self-Evolving Agent Skills, we reframe the question from “how do we write a better prompt?” to “how do we train the skill?” SkillOpt treats the skill file as a trainable parameter living outside a frozen target model, bringing a training-style optimization loop, consistent gains across 52 evaluation cells, and a compact skill file that stays readable, auditable, and transferable.

Figure 1. A frozen target model executes tasks while a separate optimizer model trains the skill layer from trajectory feedback, exporting the reusable skill file best_ skill.md through validation gating. How SkillOpt works Video 1. SkillOpt’s optimization loop, from trajectory collection to the exported skill file.

SkillOpt organizes skill editing as a forward–backward–update cycle in text space. In the forward pass, the frozen target model executes a batch of training tasks with the current skill; the rollout batch size controls how much evidence each update receives. In the backward pass, a separate optimizer model reads the resulting trajectories in reflection minibatches, distilling patterns to preserve from successful trajectories and patterns to correct from failures.

In the update step, the optimizer proposes small add, delete, and replace edits; candidate edits are merged, deduplicated, ranked, and clipped by a textual learning rate—a per-step edit budget. Every candidate skill must then pass a strict validation gate: it is adopted only if it scores strictly higher than the current skill on the held-out validation split. Rejected edits are not discarded; they enter a rejected-edit buffer that serves as negative feedback for later optimizer calls in the same epoch. On a slower cadence, an epoch-wise slow/meta update consolidates longer-horizon lessons that single batches cannot reveal (Figure 2). Together, bounded edits, validation gating, and best-version selection keep skill optimization controllable and auditable, so the skill converges instead of drifting.

Figure 2. The SkillOpt pipeline: trajectory collection, minibatch reflection, bounded text updates, validation gating, and epoch-wise slow/meta updates jointly constrain skill training. Consistent gains across benchmarks, models, and execution modes

We evaluated SkillOpt across six benchmarks (SearchQA, SpreadsheetBench, OfficeQA, DocVQA, LiveMathematicianBench, and ALFWorld), seven target models from frontier-scale GPT-5.5 to the small open-weight Qwen3.5-4B, and three execution modes (direct chat, Codex, and Claude Code). Counting each combination as one evaluation cell, When measured against human-written skills, one-shot LLM skills, Trace2Skill, TextGrad, GEPA, and EvoSkill, SkillOpt delivered the best or tied for -best results on all 52 cells. These performance improvements are unusually large for a method that updates no model weights. With GPT-5.5 in direct chat, SkillOpt raises the six-benchmark average from 58.8 to 82.3, a +23.5-point absolute improvement—and +5.4 points above an oracle that picks the single best competing method per cell. The largest gains appear on procedural benchmarks: SpreadsheetBench rises from 41.8 to 80.7, OfficeQA from 33.1 to 72.1, and LiveMathematicianBench from 37.6 to 66.9. The same interface carries over to agentic loops, lifting GPT-5.5 by +24.8 points inside Codex and +19.1 inside Claude Code over no skill.

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Start now Opens in a new tab A small model plus a skill file

Approaching the next model tier SkillOpt also narrows the gap between small or open-weight models and frontier models—without changing any weights or adding any extra model calls at inference. After optimization, GPT-5.4-mini’s six-benchmark average (64.3) exceeds the no-skill baseline of the larger GPT-5.4 (59.7), and GPT-5.4-nano (57.4) exceeds the no-skill baseline of GPT-5.2 (51.3). Qwen3.5-4B, a 4-billion-parameter open-weight model, surpasses GPT-5.2’s no-skill baseline as well. Gains that once required a larger model can now be approximated by one optimized skill file.

Skills that transfer: train once, reuse everywhere

The optimized skill file captures reusable task-solving procedures rather than instructions overfit to a single model, benchmark, or execution environment. This is why the same skill can still improve performance when transferred across model scales, agent harnesses, and related tasks. In our transfer experiments, skills continued to deliver gains when moved across model scales, across execution harnesses, and to a nearby math benchmark. The clearest example is cross-harness transfer: a spreadsheet skill trained inside Codex, dropped into Claude Code with no further optimization, lifts the no-skill baseline from 22.1 to 81.8 (+59.7)—slightly above the 80.4 achieved by training directly inside Claude Code. Because the two harnesses expose different tool surfaces, this suggests SkillOpt learns general workflow logic, not just harness-specific recipes.

Compact, readable, and built from very few accepted edits

The deployed artifact, best_ skill.md , is neither an opaque parameter blob nor an ever-growing log. Across six case studies, the median final skill length is roughly 920 tokens, and because the validation gate rejects most proposals, only one to four edits are accepted into the final file. OfficeQA’s +39.0-point gain comes from a single accepted edit. The learned rules read like a seasoned practitioner’s advice. Component ablations confirm that the controls do the work: removing the rejected-edit buffer lowers scores on all three ablation benchmarks, and removing both the meta skill and the slow update drops SpreadsheetBench from 77.5 to 55.0. A new adaptation layer for the agent era SkillOpt points to a lighter-weight path for domain-adapting agents: instead of fine-tuning weights, hard-coding task logic, or hand-tuning prompts, teams can train a small, versionable, auditable natural-language skill layer—wherever automatic evaluation or a reliable verifier exists.

By bringing learning rates, schedules, validation splits, rejected samples, and slow updates to agent skills, SkillOpt suggests that training need not be limited to model weights. Procedural knowledge outside the model can also be optimized.

When that process is controlled, validated, and recorded, a natural-language skill becomes a stable, transferable, and reversible adapter between frontier-model capability and real-world workloads. Read the full paper, visit the project page at aka.ms/skillopt (opens in new tab), or explore the SkillOpt GitHub repository at github.com/microsoft/SkillOpt (opens in new tab). Teams building agentic workflows can use SkillOpt as a foundation for training reusable skills against their own tasks and verifiers. See also our companion project, SkillLens.

Paper GitHub SkillLens Project Page Opens in a new tab

The post SkillOpt: Agent skills as trainable parameters appeared first on Microsoft Research.

FREE PHONE: As of June 30, get a free Samsung Galaxy S26+ from T-Mobile when you activate a new line or trade in an eligible phone on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung Galaxy S26: Free with T-Mobile   Get Deal

If you're in the market for a new smartphone, your best bet right now is T-Mobile.

Whether you're looking to trade in your old device or want to start fresh with a new carrier, you can snag 2026's Samsung Galaxy S26+ for free. There are a couple of ways you can go about taking advantage of the deal, but either way you slice it, you're getting a phone that's normally $1,099.99 without having to nickel and dime yourself to death.

As of June 30, get a free Samsung Galaxy S26+ from T-Mobile when you activate a new line or trade in an eligible phone on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan. That means you can take your old device and trade it in (after consulting the list of eligible trade-in devices, of course) or simply opt to start up a new phone plan on either eligible option. Additionally, if you're already on Go5G Next or Go5G plans at T-Mobile, you'll qualify for the free phone.

SEE ALSO: The 5 best smartphones of 2026 so far: See if yours made the cut

But you don't just walk in and get a free phone or place a $0 order for the device. There are some fees that will apply. You'll receive 24 monthly bill credits for the device when adding a line or trading in an eligible phone on the qualifying plan of your choice. The only catch is, you'll need to pay taxes and a $35 device connection charge to complete the deal.

You can complete the deal online or in-store, so if you want the phone sooner rather than later, that's an option. Just be advised that you will need to pay a bit of cash in return for the spoils. If that sounds like a great deal to you (and really, it is), you can sign up right now and have your phone ASAP. And who doesn't want a free phone this summer?

Best REI 4th of July deals at a glance: Best camping deal REI Half Dome 2 Tent with Footprint $246.69 (save $82.31) Get Deal Best Yeti deal Yeti Tundra 45 Cooler $260 (save $65) Get Deal Best water sports deal Bote Aero Inflatable Paddle Board $399.99 (save $179.01) Get Deal

Prime Day ended last week, but we have plentiful 4th of July sales on the agenda this week. One of the most shoppable sales right now is the REI 4th of July sale. This annual event marks one of the retailers best sales of the year, and the timing couldn't be better now that we've realized what gear doesn't deserve to come along on this summer's camping adventures.

REI is a membership co-op that specializes in outdoor gear, but unlike retailers like Amazon, there's only a one-time lifetime membership fee of $30. Plus, if you sign up for a membership now, you'll get a free $30 member bonus card to spend on a purchase of $50 or more. The membership comes with great benefits like exclusive discounts, free shipping, and access to local events.

SEE ALSO: Shop for a new mattress during 4th of July sales when you can take up to 60% off

As someone who spends as much time as possible outside, I've scrolled the endless pages of REI's 4th of July sale to find the best deals I'd buy myself. Here are my top recommendations to shop during the sale. Keep in mind prices jump back to normal after July 6, so shop early to get the best selection.

Best camping deal Opens in a new window Credit: REI REI Half Dome 2 Tent with Footprint $246.99 at REI
$329 Save $82.01   Get Deal Why we like it

Every great camping adventure needs a great tent. With over 45 years of design, the REI Half Dome tent proves its worth in the outdoor. This model is designed to sleep two people during three seasons. It weighs a bit over five pounds packed, and it comes with an included rainfly and footprint. Durability includes using 7000-series aluminum poles, ripstop nylon for the rainfly, and breathable 75-denier polyester taffeta for the upper walls.

More camping deals

• Sawyer Squeeze Water Filtration System — $48.69 $64.95 (save $16.26)

• Dometic GO Hydration Water Jug (11 Liters) — $55.99 $70 (save $14.01)

• Marmot Sawtooth Sleeping Bag (Regular) — $144.73 $299 (save $154.27)

• Hest Foamy Sleeping Pad (Regular) — $263.19 $329 (save $65.81)

• Nemo Dragonfly Bikepack OSMO 1P Tent — $362.73 $519.95 (save $157.22)

• Big Agnes Wyoming Trail 4 Tent — $499.93 $999.95 (save $500.06)

Best Yeti deal Opens in a new window Credit: Yeti Yeti Tundra 45 Cooler $260
$325 Save $65   Get Deal Why we like it

As a special deal for REI members, the 4th of July sale gives you access to 20% off any one Yeti item. Personally, I'm a big fan of the Yeti Tundra 45 Cooler. With the REI member discount, the cooler drops to just $260 in your choice of nine colorways. Yeti is well known for their durable coolers, and the Tundra 45 is large enough to hold 54 cans without ice or up to 37 pounds of ice. Plus, it has one removable dry goods basket.

If you're not in need of a large hard cooler, check out the rest of the Yeti selection that's also eligible for a one-item 20% discount during the sale.

Best water sports deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bote Bote Aero Inflatable Paddle Board $399.99
$579 Save $179.01   Get Deal Why we like it

It's hard to match the serenity of a calm summer evening spent out on the water. The Bote Wulf Aero inflatable paddle board with a paddle is on sale during the REI sale for $399.99, down from the standard price of $579 for a great 30% discount. At over 11 feet long, this SUP is great for beginners, and it's suitable for anyone who weighs up to 315 pounds.

When you're finished with chilling out on the water, the Bote deflates and easily stores in the included carrying backpack. That's great news for easy storage during the off season.

More REI 4th of July deals

• Fjallraven Pocket Bag — $30.93 $45 (save $14.07)

• Thermacell E65 Rechargeable Mosquito Repeller — $37.39 $49.95 (save $12.56)

• Helinox HeliDrop Game — $59.89 $79.95 (save $20.06)

• Osprey Zealot 30 Pack — $83.73 $130 (save $46.27)

• Nemo Vantage 20 L Endless Promise Everyday Adventure Daypack — $97.73 $179.95 (save $82.22)

• Chaco Rapid Pro Sandals — $97.49 $130 (save $32.51)

• Coleman Snap 'N Go 55-Quart Collapsible Hard Cooler — $179.99 $240 (save $60.01)

• Cannondale Quick CX 3 Bike — $679.19 $849 (save $169.81)

Meccha Chameleon has become one of the breakout indie hits of the summer, racking up over 10 million copies sold since launching on Steam earlier this month, according to the developer lemorion_1224.

The newest and hottest friendslop game on the block sees players tackle a hide-and-seek party game that tasks "Hiders" with painting their bodies to blend into colorful stage backgrounds while "Seekers" race to find them before time runs out — a simple premise that's proven to be a hit for friend groups looking for chaotic multiplayer fun.

Meccha Chameleon is currently only available on PC via Steam. There is no confirmed release on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, or mobile devices.

Is Meccha Chameleon on Xbox?

No. Meccha Chameleon is not available on Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One, and it is not part of Xbox Game Pass. No release date or porting plans have been announced.

Is Meccha Chameleon on mobile (iOS/Android)?

No. There is currently no mobile version of Meccha Chameleon, and no announcement has been made regarding a future release on iOS or Android.

Nvidia has reintroduced some old hardware to the market, but not at an especially agreeable price.

Tom's Hardware reported that Nvidia has quietly begun restocking the RTX 3060 graphics card series at some online retailers, such as Newegg. The 12GB card first launched in 2021 but had been off the shelves for some time as the company shifted its priorities to the newer 50-series cards. The only problem? This five-year-old card costs $339.99, which is not much less than a newer, more powerful RTX 5060.

SEE ALSO: Nvidia's RTX Spark is big news, but it's not for everyone

This is obviously meant to reduce the strain on the GPU market a bit by offering a PC component that, while not capable of supporting all the latest technical bells and whistles, would still be plenty good for playing most PC video games. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the company would consider doing this back at CES earlier this year, and it has apparently made good on that promise. It just hasn't done so in a way that will save gamers very much money.

That is, unfortunately, just how things will go for the foreseeable future, as we suffer the consequences of RAMageddon.

TL;DR: Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Norway in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN, an Official Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage rolls on with another action-packed day from the Round of 32. First up is Ivory Coast vs. Norway, a fixture that's tough to predict.

Ivory Coast showed real guts in the group stage, taking a fight to Germany and beating both Curacao and Ecuador. Norway had two impressive performances in the group stage against Iraq and Senegal largely thanks to Erling Haaland, who netted four across those games. But Haaland was benched for their last group game against France and Norway took a 4-1 loss. He'll be back for this all-important clash.

If you want to watch Ivory Coast vs. Norway in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Ivory Coast vs. Norway?

Ivory Coast vs. Norway in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on June 30. This fixture takes place at Dallas Stadium.

How to watch Ivory Coast vs. Norway for free

Ivory Coast vs. Norway in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, 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 the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Norway for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend 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 the UK

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Watch Ivory Coast vs. Norway for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Ivory Coast vs. Norway (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

ExpressVPN's regular 30-day money-back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the FIFA World Cup between June 10 and July 11. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sport, but you will need to pay the monthly rate. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• 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

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99. That covers you for the duration of the World Cup.

Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Norway in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free.

Serena Williams is back at Wimbledon, which is not exactly a normal sentence to read in 2026.

The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion returns to Centre Court on Tuesday, June 30, for her first professional singles match since the 2022 U.S. Open. Williams, 44, will face 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint in the first round, marking one of the biggest early moments of this year’s tournament before she has even played a point.

Williams last played a Wimbledon singles match in 2022, when she lost in the first round to Harmony Tan. A few months later, she stepped away from tennis after the U.S. Open, describing the move as “evolving” away from the sport rather than retiring in the traditional sense.

Now, after easing back into competition through doubles earlier this month, she is returning to the singles draw at the All England Club. And this time, she has made it clear that the goal is not to recreate the pressure of her prime.

“As of now, I’m not nervous,” Williams said ahead of the match, adding that her expectation is to stay calm, take it easy, and have fun.

Read below for how to watch, match timing, and what to know about Williams’ Wimbledon return.

Where to watch Serena Williams at Wimbledon

Serena Williams’ first-round match against Maya Joint is airing on ESPN in the United States.

Viewers can also stream Wimbledon coverage through the ESPN app, with individual court streams available through ESPN Unlimited. ESPN coverage is also available through select live TV streaming services that carry the network.

Outside the U.S., Wimbledon coverage varies by country. In the U.K., matches are available across the BBC, including BBC One, BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, and BBC Sport. International viewers can check Wimbledon’s official TV coverage guide for the broadcaster in their region.

What time does Serena Williams play at Wimbledon?

Williams is scheduled to play Maya Joint on Tuesday, June 30, as the third match on Centre Court.

Centre Court play begins at 8:30 a.m. ET with Taylor Townsend vs. Iga Świątek, followed by Alexander Blockx vs. Alexander Zverev. Williams vs. Joint will begin after those two matches are finished, so the exact start time depends on how long the earlier matches run.

As of now, the match is expected around midday ET, but Wimbledon scheduling can shift quickly.

Who is Serena Williams playing?

Williams will face Maya Joint, a 20-year-old Australian player who turned pro in 2021.

Joint is part of the younger generation that grew up watching Williams dominate tennis, which adds an obvious layer to the matchup. For Williams, it is a return to a court where she has made history. For Joint, it is a first-round match that suddenly became one of the most-watched of the tournament. No pressure.

When was Serena Williams’ last singles match?

Williams’ last professional singles match came at the 2022 U.S. Open, where she lost to Ajla Tomljanović in the third round.

Her last Wimbledon singles match came earlier that same year, when she lost to Harmony Tan in the first round. Since then, Williams has had a second child, expanded her business life, and largely moved into a post-tennis chapter before this comeback.

How many times has Serena Williams won Wimbledon?

Williams has won seven Wimbledon singles titles, with victories in 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2016.

She has also won six Wimbledon women’s doubles titles with her sister Venus Williams. The sisters are expected to reunite in doubles at Wimbledon later this week.

SAVE UP TO 40%: As of June 30, get the Bose SoundLink Max and Bose SoundLink Micro portable speakers at Amazon for their lowest-ever prices.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Bose SoundLink Max $279 at Amazon
$399 Save $120   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Bose SoundLink Micro $79 at Amazon
$129 Save $50   Get Deal

Looking for a portable speaker to carry around to all your favorite places this summer? Here's the good news: you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to get a great one. In fact, you're in luck even now that we're post-Prime Day. You can get some incredible prices on a couple of Bose's best portable speakers, with two options up for grabs at the lowest prices we've seen, in fact.

As of June 30, get the Bose SoundLink Max for $279 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $399. That's a discount of 30% and $120 off. Alternatively, you can snag the Bose SoundLink Micro for $79, down from its usual price of $129. That's a discount of 39% and $50 off.

SEE ALSO: Don't wait — Bose QuietComfort headphones are just $179 after Prime Day

These are two speakers in two different sizes for your convenience, essentially. The Max is the larger option with bigger, more satisfying sound that's perfect for larger areas where you need rich bass and music to project. It has 20 hours of battery life and it's waterproof and dustproof as well, so whether you're heading to the beach or just someone's house, you don't have to worry about ruining it. It's large and rugged, with bombastic audio and a built-in AUX input to play tunes from a variety of sources.

Alternatively, the smaller SoundLink Micro is for taking to smaller areas, and it's ultra portable. It has a utility strap that you can use to slip into a pocket, play it straight from your hand, or attach it to a bag. It has 12 hours of battery life and a rugged, durable design that's also waterproof and dustproof, so it's also great for taking on the go. Plus, it has an extended Bluetooth range of up to 30 feet.

No matter which option you choose, there's a lot of audio power here for on-the-go listening, so be sure to grab one before the sales end.

Of the four single women Mashable spoke to about dating in 2026, three had one thing in common: They're not on dating apps.

Or, at least, they're not active on them.

"I have Hinge," Kayleigh, a 23-year-old dancer living in Brooklyn, told me. "Do I use it, though? No." Kayleigh, like some other daters, opted to go by their first name only for privacy reasons.

SEE ALSO: The best dating apps for serious relationships

"I went on one Hinge date, and I was like, 'You're the most boring person I think I've ever met,'" she said. "Haven't been on one since."

None of the four daters I spoke to is thrilled about dating apps, including the one who is active on them. Daters, especially those looking for a long-term partner, are frustrated with the dating apps. That's nothing new, said dating coach Erika Ettin. But it seems the more technology meddles in our love lives, the more disconnected people feel. 

"There's never been more apps than we have today. There's never been more choices than today. We're so connected, but so disconnected," Mehak, host of the Love-ly podcast, told me. Love-ly is a podcast about dating, relationships, identity, and culture through the lens of immigrant identity.

Despite the obvious burnout, though, there is hope for dating — including on apps.

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The great opt-out of dating

In recent years, relationship and online dating expert Dr. Jess Carbino has seen more people "solomaxxing" or "self-partnering" — aka, staying single.

"This is consistent with larger trends related to loneliness, as well as relational cutoffs altogether," said Carbino, a PhD in sociology, who used to work as a sociologist for Tinder and Bumble. Americans have been reporting increased loneliness since before the COVID lockdowns, and the isolation and change in daily life afterward didn't help. Estrangement from family has also risen in recent years.

SEE ALSO: I haven't had a boyfriend for a decade. Here's what I've learned.

Carbino attributes opting out of dating to skepticism and cynicism. Men and women are wary of each other, she says. There's also a trend towards moralization, or the classification of certain behaviors as right or wrong. 

But why are young daters skeptical and cynical? Carbino believes that Gen Z hasn't dated before, doesn't know how to do it, and isn't dating as a result of their anxieties, preoccupations with technology, and the precarious financial position they find themselves in.

The socioeconomic status of young people (and older people) definitely hinders dating. Last month, WIRED declared that people can't afford to date, and the New York Times recently reported that rising costs are stopping people from having children, too.

"They're not perceiving themselves or others as being viable options."

Young adults are bowing out of marriage and partnership at a younger age "because they don't feel like they have the capacity to do that," Carbino explained. "They're not perceiving themselves or others as being viable options, and I think that's really consistent with demographic data we see in terms of the increased age at first marriage and childbearing."

Between 1980 and 2023, the median age of an American woman when she first marries has increased by 29 percent from 22.0 to 28.4, according to Bowling Green State University.

And then there are the cultural reasons behind going solo. Having a boyfriend has been deemed "embarrassing"; heterosexual women are pessimistic about their options, and they're not afraid to say so on social media. And that doesn't even touch growing political polarization between young men and women.

And daters continue to be frustrated by dating apps — and now AI is added into the mix. For several years now, the most popular dating apps (Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble) have been adding more AI features, such as Tinder's AI matchmaker, Chemistry.

"Nobody is for it," Ettin said of AI. "With it being so hard to make a connection in general these days, the last thing people want is more AI intervention to make it less personal, to make it less human."

Then there are the daters using chatbots to come up with messages for them (if not dating a bot itself). If someone is using AI to swipe and chat for them, "it doesn't bode well for a good partnership if someone's not putting in the work up front," she said.

26-year-old dater Moena, a PR professional, said AI in dating "kind of kills authenticity." As a Bumble user, she's curious about what the app plans on doing with AI in the coming months as it removes the swipe feature. But plenty of users have expressed their discontent with the move to AI online.

Even without AI, though, the disdain towards dating apps has been growing steadily. Looking at financial performance, Hinge has consistently increased direct revenue and paying users, but the same can't be said for Tinder and Bumble. The latter is considering even apparently considering a sale amid declining downloads. 

Overwhelm and underwhelm

For Mehak, who's not on apps right now, dating is simultaneously overwhelming and underwhelming.

Dating is simultaneously overwhelming and underwhelming.

It's "overwhelming because you know the apps never stop, you're constantly swiping, you're having the same conversation, you're going on first dates that do go somewhere," she explained, "but then they don't go somewhere, but it's also underwhelming, right?"

After awhile, dating all starts to feel the same. She enjoys dating — she loves people and is curious about them — but she's burnt out by the process.

Mehak, who's in her early 30s, said the difference between dating now and ten years ago is the amount of choice. She's also struggling with ambivalence: She wants to find her person, but she can't rush the process. 

"I've spent a lot of time trying to answer six-month questions on date two," she said. She asks herself questions like, Do I see a future with them? Is this my person? "As I'm saying this, I just laugh at myself, because I'm like, how would I possibly know?"

And while she sometimes goes out with friends to meet new people, she doesn't enjoy speed dating events, as they feel manufactured.

Kate Sime, who's in her early 50s, said dating apps have removed the human element of dating, and they foster an environment where everyone's disposable. Before she met her ex-husband at 27, she met her boyfriends through friends, at work, or by locking eyes with someone across a bar. But dating doesn't seem to work like that anymore. 

Sime also said a lot of singles events in London consist of throwing people in a room and giving them alcohol, so she wants to do something different. 

She's launching a business this autumn, Kasalyst, for heterosexual singles 35 and older in London. Kasalyst will host events with activities, be it wine tasting or a dinner party, and pair it with talks to help people through different elements of relationships, such as emotions or finances. She also plans on vetting people to weed out catfishes. 

Just looking for hookups

"Even at our age, people just want to hook up," Sime said. She and her friends have been on Hinge and Bumble, and when they share stories, they realize they've seen the same men on and off those apps over the past three years. 

"They're not actually seriously looking for relationships," she said. What she and her friends discovered is that the men brave enough to hit on them in bars tend to be married, and they're open about the fact that they're having affairs and have no intention of leaving their partners. And when they do leave — or get left — they download the apps right away.

"Women do the work, we do the therapy, we hang out with our girlfriends, we take time out, we heal, we go it alone, we grieve, we do things the right way, whereas men don't bother with that, and they just jump straight into the next relationship," she explained.

What's missing from these conversations? Tinder.

Moena said she's not currently on Tinder (she's on Bumble, Hinge, and Raya instead), due to its hookup reputation — which is exactly what its current CEO, Spencer Rascoff, wants to move away from. The other three aren't on Tinder, either. Tinder does have the largest market share among popular U.S. dating apps, though, according to Business of Apps. Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower also found that Tinder's mobile user base is on average 2.5 times the size of Bumble's.

Is there hope for daters?

Despite some young people solomaxxing for now, Carbino believes it's temporary. They're not resigned to being single forever. She'd like people to be more optimistic, "because there are many people out there who are looking and who are eager to meet someone."

And Mehak told Mashable she is optimistic — but she's noticed she gets fulfillment and confidence from her life, not from men's attention. She tries to make sure she pours into other aspects of her life so "dating takes up a very normal amount of space in my brain."

Kayleigh, the dancer, said she often meets people through the dance projects she does. She then knows she has shared interests, and finds it easier to start being friends with someone and seeing where it takes her.

And despite the ire toward dating apps, Ettin believed people would complain if they went away. Meeting someone isn't easy, she said — it takes a lot of time, energy, and sometimes money. A dater's attitude makes a difference.

"The apps aren't keeping people single," she said. "It's how people use them."

Some of Ettin's dating app tips include:

• Don't exchange phone numbers until you plan a date, so you don't fall into the pen pal trap.

• Treat your initial conversation like a funnel: Start broad and go more narrow. No "how's your day going?" That's boring.

• Meeting up sooner rather than later, in case they're a catfish or just a dud.

Carbino also encourages daters not to just drop someone due to imperfections, as "dump him" social media culture might suggest. Never tolerate abusive behavior, but there's a wide gap between a pet peeve or an ick and something truly harmful. 

"Many people who have been in romantic partnerships, whether they're heterosexual or not, know that people act in ways that are unattractive at times," she said. "Sometimes your partners are going to do things that you don't like and that are not pleasing to you, but that doesn't mean that they're a bad person."

"Honestly, the imperfections are what's really nice, because that's where you know the growth and introspection happens," she continued.

And if you really don't want to deal with another person's faults — or your own, let's be real — then maybe you should take a break from dating. You can always come back when you're ready. When asked if she had anything else to say about dating in 2026, Kayleigh said, "It's OK to be single."

You've heard of the popular smart home automations: automatic lights, security systems, robot vacuums.. But there are plenty of niche gadgets out there that can streamline your setup and create the ultimate smart home dream—think Tony Stark's house.

Where to buy Lego Editions Olivia Rodrigo collection sets: Olivia Rodrigo’s Vinyl $34.99 at Lego Pre-Order Here Olivia Rodrigo's Concert Moon $49.99 at Lego Pre-Order Here Olivia Rodrigo’s Secret Storage $79.99 at Lego Pre-Order Here Olivia Rodrigo's Dual Guitar $119.99 at Lego Pre-Order Here Olivia Rodrigo's Flower Bouquet $49.99 at Lego Pre-Order Here

Lego is basically handing Livies a whole new way to experience Olivia Rodrigo’s universe, brick by brick.

The brand-new Lego Editions Olivia Rodrigo collection delivers five collectible sets inspired by her "Sour," "Guts," and "You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love" eras. The three-time Grammy Award winner is the first musician to receive multiple dedicated Lego sets and the first partner to collaborate on a personalized Lego Botanicals set.

The full Lego Editions Olivia Rodrigo collection officially launches globally on Aug. 1, but fans don’t have to wait to order. Preorders are already live, including Olivia Rodrigo’s Dual Guitar, Olivia Rodrigo’s Concert Moon, and the Lego Botanicals x Olivia Rodrigo Flower Bouquet.

Olivia Rodrigo isn’t just fronting another celebrity merch collaboration here. Rodrigo also played an active role in refining the designs. The collection is filled with details pulled from her world — from red megaphones and handwritten lyric notebooks to iconic performance moments and nods to her Filipino heritage.

If you're ready to get your hands on the new collection, here are all the details you need.

Olivia Rodrigo’s Vinyl Opens in a new window Credit: The Lego Group, Olivia Rodrigo x Lego Editions Olivia Rodrigo’s Vinyl $34.99 at Lego
  Pre-order Here

The Lego Editions Olivia Rodrigo’s Vinyl turns Olivia’s music world into a collectible build with details fans will recognize right away. The 360-piece set includes signature symbols like her red megaphone, red lips, and butterfly motifs, along with an Olivia Rodrigo minifigure wearing a silver outfit inspired by her "Sour" tour look. There are also hidden references and little callbacks sprinkled throughout the build, and fans can spin the center of the vinyl to reveal extra stars and butterflies.

Olivia Rodrigo’s Concert Moon Opens in a new window Credit: The Lego Group, Olivia Rodrigo x Lego® Editions Olivia Rodrigo's Concert Moon $49.99 at Lego
  Pre-order Here

The Lego Editions Olivia Rodrigo’s Concert Moon recreates one of the most memorable moments from Olivia’s "Guts" World Tour — the viral scene where she floats above the crowd on a giant moon. The 670-piece set includes a purple record player, spinning vinyl, and a brick-built crescent moon inspired by the live show.

Fans can turn a handle to make the vinyl and moon rotate, open hidden drawers for small keepsakes, and use a built-in holder to display things like concert tickets or Polaroids. It also comes with an Olivia Rodrigo minifigure wearing a glittery black outfit inspired by her stage style, making it feel like a mini concert display for your shelf.

Olivia Rodrigo’s Secret Storage Opens in a new window Credit: The Lego Group, Olivia Rodrigo x Lego® Editions Olivia Rodrigo’s Secret Storage $79.99 at Lego
  Pre-order Here

The Lego Editions Olivia Rodrigo’s Secret Storage gathers some of Olivia’s most recognizable symbols in one display-packed build. The 1,085-piece set is designed like a concert touring case and opens to reveal hidden compartments with items tied to her career, including a red guitar, a lyric notebook, a microphone, vinyl, and the signature red megaphone from her "Guts" era.

Fans will also spot a fun reference to the "Good 4 U" music video, with an Olivia Rodrigo minifigure in her iconic cheerleader outfit appearing inside a TV screen. Between the hidden Easter eggs and display-friendly design, this one feels like a mini scrapbook of Olivia moments in Lego form.

Olivia Rodrigo’s Dual Guitar Opens in a new window Credit: The Lego Group, Olivia Rodrigo x Lego® Editions Olivia Rodrigo's Dual Guitar $119.99 at Lego
  Pre-order Here

The Lego Editions Olivia Rodrigo’s Dual Guitar turns Olivia’s music into a bold split design that reflects her softer and edgier sides in one build. The 1,228-piece set is shaped like a combined acoustic and electric guitar, inspired by her GUTS world tour and festival performances. It opens up to reveal hidden stage moments, backstage spaces, secret compartments, and Easter eggs tucked throughout the build for fans to find. Inside, there are two detailed Olivia Rodrigo minifigures complete with mini guitars, tour-inspired outfits, and new hair pieces.

Olivia Rodrigo’s Flower Bouquet Opens in a new window Credit: The Lego Group, Olivia Rodrigo x Lego® Editions Olivia Rodrigo's Flower Bouquet $49.99 at Lego
  Pre-order Here

The Lego Botanicals x Olivia Rodrigo Flower Bouquet turns the singer’s music and visual identity into a buildable floral display. The 400-piece set includes 11 Lego flowers, such as a purple rose, daisy, hellebore, and verbena, all built in her signature purple color palette.

Scattered throughout are small Easter eggs tied to her songs, visuals, and stage moments, including guitar-shaped petals, red cherries, butterflies, stars, and black heart details.

Preorders are now live. Waiting until Aug. 1? Bad idea, right?

In celebration of the 4th of July and while summer is in full swing, now is the perfect time to hit Home Depot and grab some new power tools for DIY projects and home repairs. While select DeWALT and Ryobi tools are up to 40% off and battery deals are available, there are a few even better deals you won't want to miss.

Over 16 years ago, Google released the Nexus One, and it's considered one of the most important phones in Android history. I still own mine. And while a lot has changed since it arrived in January 2010, and the latest Pixel 10 Pro XL is better than ever, Google could still learn a thing or two from those older models.

When most people look at an Ethernet cable, their first thought would be that this is how you transport data. However, you've probably seen devices like security cameras or network switches that aren't only sending data over Ethernet, but also receiving power using that one cable.

SAVE $133: As of June 30, get the Samsung 1TB 9100 PRO SSD for $206.99 at Amazon. That's down from its usual price of $339.99, saving you over $100.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung 1TB 9100 PRO SSD $206.99 at Amazon
$339.99 Save $133   Get Deal

Storage is expensive. You can add that to a veritable treasure trove of other pricey PC parts and components that cost too much, especially RAM.

And it's only getting pricier, so the best time to get a hard drive, especially if you plan on playing some of the year's biggest video games, is now. Though Prime Day may be over, we still found a great deal on an SSD you can use to make sure you're ready for any game that comes your way, as well as photos, videos, or whatever you like to store on your computer.

As of June 30, get the Samsung 1TB 9100 PRO SSD for $206.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $339.99. That's $133 off and a discount of 39%.

SEE ALSO: Prime Day is over: We found 10+ deals still live on microSD, portable SSDs, and hard drives to beat RAMageddon

This internal SSD is a whopping 1TB, so it offers plenty of storage space for gaming, photos, videos, files, or backups. It boasts read speeds of up to 14,700MB/s as well as random read/write speeds of up to 1,850K/2,600K IOPS, which means it's zippy enough to recall files and help load content that'll serve you better than an external hard drive, if that's what you're in the market for.

The only downside here is, if you aren't as savvy with computers as you wish you were, you do have to install this SSD. So if you're uncomfortable with popping your case open and putting it in yourself, you may want to opt for an external hard drive instead. If that doesn't bother you though, this is an excellent offer for an SSD that will serve you well, especially if you're planning on future-proofing your setup.

Despite what some people might think, computers run on electricity and not magic fairy dust. Electricity costs money, and generating it usually has some sort of environmental cost too.