Blogroll

We've reached the point in the summer when all anyone can talk about is The Odyssey or Christopher Nolan's best movies. However, the streaming services have been releasing new shows to serve as counterprogramming for Nolan's epic movie. For me, the top show this week is a new Apple TV crime thriller starring Anya Taylor-Joy.

While it's convenient to pay for things with a tap of your phone, there's still a bit of a dance that you have to go through before the actual payment happens. If you use Google Wallet, there are a few tweaks you can make to save a few seconds every time you have to pay. Depending on your spending patterns, that can end up saving you quite a bit of time, and the person in line behind you will certainly appreciate it.

OpenAI now wants a place in your browser, on your desk, in your closet, and, for $70, on your local basketball court.

The company behind ChatGPT is selling a branded basketball through Supply Co., its expanding online shop for clothing, collectibles, desk accessories, and limited-edition hardware.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

On its own, the product is an unusual piece of tech-company merchandise. Alongside OpenAI’s growing catalog, it is easier to understand as part of the company’s effort to build recognizable physical products around ChatGPT, Codex, and its research culture.

The $70 ChatGPT basketball is part of “Pause. Play. Prompt.,” a campaign that argues creativity need not remain on a screen. OpenAI describes the ball as a reminder to step away from technology and suggests that good ideas can arrive between pickup games.

But it's also just a functional basketball. The standard Size 7 ball is made entirely of rubber and contains no artificial intelligence, sensors, an internet connection, or any other technology.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The question on most people's minds — according to social media, at least — is: why is OpenAI selling this in the first place?

OpenAI is building a lifestyle shop This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The answer begins with Supply Co., which, according to its home page, "documents the visual culture surrounding intelligent systems."

The brand started as a small merchandise operation for OpenAI employees. According to the company, workers became unusually enthusiastic about collectible cards, graphic hoodies, and blue folding chairs. OpenAI says those objects eventually became “material embodiments of company culture.”

Supply Co.'s next phase is described as a mix of “collaborations, experiments, and physical expressions of research energy,” broad language that leaves room for more than just shirts bearing a corporate logo. The online reaction to the product line is mixed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The current shop includes a $40 "Good Research" T-shirt, a $50 ChatGPT long-sleeve shirt, a $100 Codex hoodie, a $40 Blossom hat, and matching $15 socks. Customers can also buy a $45 embroidered tote featuring Bloop, one of OpenAI’s cartoon characters, and a $25 Nalgene bottle covered in pixelated graphics.

For anyone hoping to dress like an especially well-funded graduate student, there is the $175 Research Half Zip. The Portuguese cotton fleece sweater has the word “research” embroidered across its chest and a crisp collar that OpenAI says "reminisces on our days in academia." It lands somewhere between university apparel and a startup office uniform.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The current selection is relatively restrained compared with its archive. OpenAI has previously produced a rice cooker, dinner plates, a wooden checkerboard, a tape measure, earplugs, a hair claw, a Raspberry Pi kit, a soccer jersey, active shorts, flying discs, folding chairs, and an earlier basketball featuring its Blossom design.

Codex gets its own physical controller

Elsewhere in the same shop, OpenAI is selling a device that links to its actual software.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Codex Micro is a $230 desktop controller created with Work Louder, a boutique hardware company known for customizable mechanical keyboards and shortcut devices. OpenAI describes it as a “command center for agentic work.”

The controller is built for people using Codex, OpenAI’s coding agent, to manage several tasks at once. Its illuminated Agent Keys indicate whether an agent is thinking, running, waiting, or finished, while a joystick launches common workflows such as reviewing pull requests, debugging errors, and refactoring code.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Other controls let users accept or reject changes, start a new chat, record spoken instructions, and adjust the amount of reasoning Codex applies to a task. The device connects through Bluetooth or USB-C, works with Mac and Windows computers, and was offered with either clicky or silent mechanical switches before selling out.

Codex Micro is unlikely to become a mainstream consumer product. It is aimed at people who already use AI agents heavily enough to benefit from dedicated physical controls.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Still, it provides a more concrete example of how OpenAI wants its software to extend beyond an app.

OpenAI also wants to bring ChatGPT into the home

According to a July 14 Bloomberg report, OpenAI is also developing a portable device that reportedly looks like a smart speaker but has no screen. It could answer questions, play media, respond to messages, and control smart-home devices using ChatGPT.

Cameras and sensors would help it understand what is happening around the user, rather than relying only on spoken commands. That would make it similar to an Amazon Echo, Google Home, or Apple HomePod, but with more awareness of its surroundings.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

OpenAI has spent heavily on the project. In 2025, it acquired Jony Ive's device startup, io, for about $6.5 billion, and Ive’s design studio, LoveFrom, is helping build the product alongside OpenAI researchers, engineers, and former Apple employees.

Those Apple ties are now part of a lawsuit. Apple claims OpenAI used confidential information to speed up its hardware plans, while OpenAI says it has no interest in Apple’s trade secrets. The allegations have not been proven, and the device still has no announced design, price, or release date.

What's clear is that while the company may still live mostly on screens, its products are starting to show up just about everywhere else.

AI promises to make tedious work easier, but I wanted to know whether it could deliver in real Excel projects. Rather than asking Claude for formulas or snippets of code, I tested whether it could handle three types of automation: creating a workbook from scratch, building a reusable reporting system, and developing a tool that analyzes existing spreadsheets. The goal was to see how much of the work Claude could handle and where I would still need to step in.

No one likes a phone that's starting to lag, glitch, or slow down, especially when it's a fancy high-end Samsung Galaxy. No matter which phone you have, the way we use these devices all day, every day, can eventually slow things down. Fortunately, there's one easily overlooked setting that'll keep your Galaxy feeling fast and new.

It's not an overstatement to say that BookTok revolutionized the book industry, including everything from the publishing process to marketing and book sales.

And while a huge part of the online community involves creators and audience members sharing their favorite reads, books aren't the only thing BookTokkers are buying. Yes, there are e-readers, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

SEE ALSO: BookTok made reading cool again — but it also turned authors into content creators

That's why we caught up with BookTok creators and book lovers at VidCon's 2026 BookTok Meetup last month to ask about the products they can't read without. They shared everything from speed-reading apps and e-reader accessories to their favorite places to discover their next great read. Check out the full list of BookTok-approved essentials below.

A place to source their next read

BookTokker Ashley Duke immediately called out GoodReads as her favorite place to get a little more information on potential next reads. "You can look at any type of reviews so that you can become a better buyer and not just like what most of us do, where we absolutely judge a book by its cover," she shared. "We're like, 'It looks cool, I'm going to buy it!' And then it's like, 'That was the worst book I've ever read.'"

SEE ALSO: The 15 most popular books of 2026, determined by Goodreads members

Goodreads isn't the only site for finding reviews and keeping track of your books. Kobo owners, in particular, may want to check out Storygraph, which recently launched an integration with the e-reader brand.

Opens in a new window Credit: Goodreads Goodreads   Learn More An ergonomic Kindle upgrade

E-reader users know that, as convenient as the device can be, it can also be more dangerous than you'd expect. "One time, I really thought I broke my nose by the way that it came down," creator Marijose said, the classic experience of dropping your e-reader while reading in bed.

Her favorite solution? The Strapsicle (it's one of our favorites, too). She called out the crossed straps on the back, saying it's basically impossible to drop your e-reader while your hand is strapped in.

Opens in a new window Credit: Strapsicle Strapsicle $19.99
  Shop Now For speed readers

Patrick Khanna is neither a BookTok creator nor a viewer — he simply loves to read, which is why he stopped by the meetup. It showed with his favorite reading tool: Accelareader. Accelareader is a free online tool that lets users copy and paste text from the site using a feature called "Rapid Serial Visual Presentation." Users can adjust how many words per minute they're aiming to read. Khanna shared that it legitimately helps him read faster.

Opens in a new window Credit: Accelareader Accelareader   Learn More A bookmark with personality

Isaiah, who posts under the handle Zayintune, appreciates a little personality when marking the pages in his books. "Instead of bookmarks, I like to use little crocheted thongs on the book," he said, adding with a laugh, "I only use them for my smut books."

Though you can find these bookmarks on Etsy or Amazon, Isaiah grabs the bookmarks from Downtowne Bookstore in Riverside, California, saying of the store, "They're very POC and LGBT-friendly. They're kind of hidden, as in not a lot of people know about them, so I always like to shout them out."

Opens in a new window Credit: Tifairy Crochet Thong Bookmark $17 at Etsy
  Shop Now Some sort of e-reader

Naturally, e-readers came up when I talked to the group of BookTokkers. Many used Kindle, some shouting out the affordability of the base model, while others preferred the Kindle Paperwhite for its light adjustment and storage (the Paperwhite is also Mashable's favorite Kindle overall). A couple of folks even use the Kindle app on their phone instead of a dedicated e-reader.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle Paperwhite $159.99 at Amazon
  Get Deal A Kindle remote

Marijose made sure I didn't miss out on one of her most-used accessories: a page-turning remote. "I swear by this," she said, deadly serious. The model she showed me costs less than $20, comes in seven different colors, and can even be used with iPhones and iPads. Kobo users: the Mashable team loves the bespoke Kobo Bluetooth remote.

Opens in a new window Credit: HIGHGO HIGHGO Remote page turner $15.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now Convenience in a booklight

E-reader accessories get a lot of love on BookTok, but one of the most OG companions for bookish people is a good book light. Isaiah shared his favorite book light with me: it's a clip-on, less than $10, and rechargeable, so you don't have to mess around with batteries. "It's nice, cheap, easy, and it does the job," he said. And at the end of the day, that's all you need — and a good book, of course.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hionxmga Hionxmga Rechargeable Book Light $9.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now

I'm still a novice Linux user, but the more time I spend with it, the more I like it. What started as a way to keep an older PC useful has turned into something I genuinely enjoy using. Linux feels faster, more flexible, and far less intimidating than I expected, especially now that I've found applications that make the desktop experience feel more complete.

Did you have Ninja releasing a whole ass microwave on your 2026 product release bingo card?

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if you actually did. Nearly every countertop appliance you could think of has already gotten the Ninja treatment by now — since Ninja has already cemented itself as a household name for air fryers, it feels correct to finally extend those crisping skills to the humble microwave. Released July 16, the Ninja Crispi Microwave combines these two staple time-saving appliances into one 14-in-1 oven.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Crispi Microwave $449.99 at SharkNinja
Comes in silver or black Shop Now

The Ninja Crispi Microwave's FusionCrisp technology aims to solve the texture issues that come with microwaving. Right after regular reheating concludes, automatic air frying kicks in to leave food crispy rather than soggy. With 1700 Watt power and up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit of circulated airflow, Ninja claims that you'll be able to take food from frozen to crispy in 10 minutes. That's up to 60 percent faster than a conventional oven, no agonizing preheating window required.

The inside of the Crispi Microwave is glass, not plastic. Credit: Ninja The included 5.5-quart glass basket can feed up to 10 people. Credit: Ninja

There's little that can't be cooked in the Crispi Microwave. There are eight microwave presets: popcorn, potato, defrost, beverage, soup, frozen dinner, frozen vegetables, and soften butter. The five air fry presets are similar to what you'd see in an air fryer toaster oven: max crisp and normal crisp, air roast, air bake, and air broil.

The Crispi Microwave features a PFAS-free glass cooking cavity with up to 40 percent more usable cooking space than your average turntable microwave. Instead of having to transfer fridge leftovers into an air fryer basket, the flatbed design can hold several containers or bowls. You're even getting a nice new baking dish out of it: a 5.5-quart PFAS-free glass basket that can hold an 8-pound chicken, four slices of pizza, or a 9 x 11 casserole. A stainless steel crisper basket is also included.

The best cars aren't always the ones that wow you in the showroom. They're the ones that still feel like a smart buy years after the excitement has worn off.

Updated on Thursday, July 16 at 12:30 p.m. ET — OnePlus has confirmed that it will cease operations in the West, according to our colleagues at CNET. That means the OnePlus 15 will be the final OnePlus phone released in the U.S. or Europe. Existing OnePlus devices in those markets will continue to receive software support for as long as was promised at launch, but users will be shifted from Oxygen OS to parent company Oppo's Color OS.

Moving forward, OnePlus will merge operations with its parent company Oppo, which makes consumer electronics and smartphones for the global market.

Keep scrolling for our original story on this news.

We may need to pour one out for OnePlus in the very near future.

German news outlet WinFuture (via PCMag) reports that OnePlus, which has carved out a niche by offering more affordable phones with flagship specs over the years, will soon cease operations in the U.S. and Europe.

The announcement is reportedly expected from Chinese parent company Oppo as soon as this week.

SEE ALSO: Samsung users report bizarre Galaxy S26 Ultra defect

No reason for the cessation of OnePlus has been mentioned. However, messaging around OnePlus, in reporting and in official company statements, has been moving in this direction for months now.

AndroidHeadlines first reported the surprising news back in January, before OnePlus told PCMag back in April it was "evaluating its regional roadmap and product strategy" in North America.

Now it seems that evaluation has concluded.

For Android enthusiasts in the west, this is a real bummer. While the likes of Google and Samsung still produce quality handsets, OnePlus would regularly swoop in and offer phones of a similar quality for under $1,000, with last year's OnePlus 15 being a good example.

Perhaps the brand just never found footing in such a competitive market, and surely RAMageddon didn't help OnePlus's quest to offer semi-affordable devices, but taking away one of the best Android alternatives in the west isn't going to help anybody.

If this is the end, it's been good, OnePlus. Perhaps Oppo can find another way to sell its wares in the U.S. and Europe soon.

Long-haul flights are where sanity goes to die. Six to twelve hours can feel like an eternity, especially when the in-flight entertainment (if there is any) promises 400 titles, but somehow has nothing good. On my last transatlantic haul, my mental health survived on one thing–the movies I'd downloaded from before takeoff.

It appears that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 will look very similar to its predecessor. So, if these leaks prove accurate, don't expect any radical changes to the Galaxy Z Flip 7.

We expect Samsung's new foldables to debut on July 22 at a Galaxy Unpacked event in London. Mashable will be attending that event live, so check back to hear about all the announcements.

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 shell design, display, camera, as well as the vast majority of its other specs, are pretty much the same as the generation that came before it, according to new leaks from WinFuture (as reported by 9to5Google).

What is upgraded? The Galaxy Z Flip 8 will have a more powerful processor. 

The upcoming Flip 8 model is powered by the Samsung Exynos 2600 whereas the current generation is powered by the Exynos 2500. While a more powerful processor is always a welcome upgrade, as 9to5Google points out, consumers were hoping for a much more substantive upgrade to a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip for the Flip 8. According to WinFuture, that's not the case.

Other than that, the leaked specs state that the Flip 8 will add 45W wired support for charging and will be 8 grams lighter than its predecessor. However, it does appear to be slightly thicker, also according to the leak.

Not every generation of a device needs to be game-changing. Sometimes these iterative upgrades are a nice draw for new buyers, and existing users can wait until next year's offerings. However, this news can be disappointing for those who were looking to upgrade from the Flip 7 — especially considering the speculation that Samsung may have to raise its prices with the Galaxy Z8 series.

Of course, none of this is official yet. Samsung Galaxy Unpacked will likely make the Flip 8 and its specs official next week, along with a slew of other new mobile products.

Linux users love to talk about how much faster their systems are compared to Windows, and you might wonder what kind of performance boosts they're actually talking about. I decided to do a few of my own tests to get some answers.

SAVE $200: The Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 robot vacuum and mop is on sale for $799.99, down from the list price of $999.99. That's a 20% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Roborock Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 robot vacuum and mop $799.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $200   Get Deal

Back-to-school season is upon us. It's always a busy time mixed with trips to Target, checking supplies lists, and keeping up with classroom announcements. At the same time, we're trying to squeeze the last bits of enjoyment out of summer gatherings. If there's no time left for keeping the floors clean at home, this robot is happy to take over, and it's on sale.

As of July 16, the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 robot vacuum and mop is on sale for $799.99 at Amazon, marked down from the normal price of $999.99. That's a 20% discount and a savings of $200.

Ideal for busy households, the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 is ready to take over the tasks of vacuuming and mopping the house. The robot vacuum and mop has a unique roller mop, and Mashable's expert robot vacuum reviewer, Leah Stodart, has ranked this as the best model under $1,000. Thanks to today's deal at Amazon, it's now under $800.

SEE ALSO: Roborock's premium RockMow X120H lawn mower has launched with a huge discount — save $700 at Amazon

"The Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow is a solid roller mop option for busy households that see a lot of liquid spills," according to Stodart. "Its impeccable small obstacle avoidance makes it similarly well-suited for busy folks who don't have time to tidy up the floor before vacuuming."

In technical terms, it has 20,000 Pa suction power. In Stodart's testing of the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2, it worked well on removing debris from medium and thick-pile rugs. It also avoided sucking up a USB-C cable Stodart left on the floor as an intentional obstacle.

Since Amazon's sale price brings this combo model under $800, it could be a great gift for college students moving into their first apartment.

Before we see the sale vanish, gift your home the capable Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 robot vacuum and mop. You'll be able to save time, effort, and hassle by letting the robot take over floor cleaning.

You no longer have to launch Gemini to have Google's AI handle some tasks. Google is rolling out connections between AI Mode in search and multiple popular services, making it possible to complete some tasks with little more than a prompt.

At the end of the 1990s, IBM took the same basic machinery found inside regular HDDs and squeezed it into a package barely larger than a quarter. The Microdrive contained a tiny spinning platter, a motor, and a moving read/write head.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Uprising hits cinemas Sept. 11.