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Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Design and comfort You won't be surprised to hear that an Apple Watch fits like any old watch. Credit: Samantha Mangino The Oura Ring is easily the most low-profile fitness tracker. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Apple Watch takes the route of a standard smartwatch. In its over 10 iterations, it's kept its signature OLED display and assortment of wristband options, but it's gotten smaller and thinner over the years.

Meanwhile, the Oura Ring is the newest type of fitness tracker: the smart ring. The Oura Ring 4 looks like a classic band, just maybe a little thicker than your average wedding band. It comes in six finishes: silver, black, brushed silver, stealth, gold, and rose gold. It also comes in a wide range of ring sizes, from four to 15.

As you might guess, the Apple Watch feels like a standard watch model. It's lightweight; the latest Series 10 model ranges from 29.3 to 36.4 grams in weight, and rather than a classic watch face, it has either a 42 or 46-mm OLED watch face. That leaves plenty of room to check and reply to texts or view your health metrics. It's a slim fit that doesn't get in the way, so you can wear it all day. The wristband tends to make the watch feel stiff while you're trying to sleep, however. And it's not the most aesthetically pleasing device — don't ask the internet about wearing an Apple Watch to a wedding unless you want an earful.

Meanwhile, the Oura Ring has a far more unobtrusive design. It's 2.88mm thick and 7.9mm tall, so it's certainly not a slim fit, but in my experience, it doesn't interfere with your grip either. It looks like any old ring at a distance, but it packs a lot of biometric sensing in a small package, so if you want an inconspicuous tracker, go for Oura.

Both devices are waterproof, so you can wear them around the clock, even if you go swimming or take a shower. I should note that the Apple Watch is only for iOS users, while the Oura Ring can work with iOS and Android.

Winner: Oura Ring

Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Fitness tracking

The real priority with both of these devices is fitness tracking—that's why you're investing in this gadget after all. Both will monitor your activity, letting you log your type of activity and tracking your heart rate, steps, and distance, but they each do it in different ways.

With the Apple Watch, the primary sensor under the watch face sits on the wrist to gather biometric data. The smartwatch has two apps, Workout and Fitness. Workout is where you start and end workouts, and you can see your distance, pacing, and heart rate right on your wrist. The Fitness app shows you the total calories burned, hours of standing, and minutes of exercise, all of which you can check directly on the watch. Plus, if you forget to start a workout, the Apple Watch is good at sensing activity and can remind you to start a workout.

Since the Oura Ring takes a screenless approach, to see all of your health data, you need to open your smartphone and go into the Oura app. Within the app, you can start workouts and see your step count, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels. Like the Apple Watch, Oura's sensors are smart at detecting activity. If you forget to log a workout beforehand, Oura will give you a list of activities to review in hindsight.

Based on ease of access to health data and phone-free approach, the Apple Watch wins for me. Plus, when used together, you can track your workouts on an Apple Watch and import that data into the Oura app.

Winner: Apple Watch

Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Sleep tracking

As mentioned, the Apple Watch isn't my preferred sleep tracker based on comfort alone. The silicone and metal bands tend to be stiff, causing wrist discomfort overnight. Apple Watches struggle to last 24 hours on battery life, and constant charging can be a pain.

On the flip side, the Oura Ring is the perfect sleep tracker. If you already wear rings on your fingers around the clock, then the Oura Ring feels no different. You might feel discomfort if your hand swells at night, but that's all.

The Oura Ring is also exceptionally good at detecting sleep. Not only does it track how long your sleep, but also the different cycles you go through, such as REM and deep sleep. Plus, the Oura Ring makes long-term calculations. After 90 days of wear, the Oura Ring will calculate your chronotype so you can learn when your body naturally wants to rest.

Winner: Oura Ring

Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Battery life While the Apple Watch lasts 24 hours, the Oura Ring goes for days. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

When it comes to battery life, it's a no-brainer which device takes the cake. The Oura Ring's battery life lasts nearly a week, while the Apple Watch lasts up to 24 hours max. Both charge fairly quickly and can charge within an hour. So, if you want a device with superb battery life, allowing you to track every waking and sleeping moment of your day, the Oura Ring is the only option.

Winner: Oura Ring

Oura Ring vs Apple Watch: Smart features

The Oura Ring offers a ton of health tracking perks — it even connects to other health apps like Clue or Natural Cycles. However, it's just a fitness tracker, albeit a very good one.

The Apple Watch provides much more than fitness tracking. iOS users receive iPhone notifications on their watch and can even take calls or reply to texts. Plus, you can connect to Spotify and other apps, all without pulling out your phone. So, if you want more bang for your buck, it's the Apple Watch.

Winner: Apple Watch

Apple Watch vs Oura Ring: Cost

Regarding cost, the Oura Ring and Apple Watch are fairly aligned. The Oura Ring starts at $349 but ranges to $499 based on your color choice. The Apple Watch is slightly more expensive, starting at $399 and going up to $1,049 if you splurge on titanium and stainless steel models (we don't think that's necessary; the aluminum models are great).

The biggest hiccup in cost comes with the Oura Ring. In addition to the upfront cost, you must pay a monthly subscription to access the full range of Oura's features. Monthly membership costs $5.99 a month or $69.99 annually.

Winner: Apple Watch

Our winner: Use the Oura Ring and Apple Watch together An Apple Watch and Oura Ring work better together. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

In my mind, the Oura Ring and Apple Watch are both winners; it just depends on what you need. If you're already on the iOS system and want a fitness tracker, the Apple Watch is a no-brainer. It provides detailed workout summaries and monitors your health data in an easy-to-access package. Just a few taps on the wrist show your step count and daily calories burned.

If you don't like the look of an Apple Watch and prefer the discreet design of a smart ring, then the Oura Ring is the ideal choice. It's the best smart ring we've tested, and it provides more comfortable sleep tracking than the Apple Watch. Not to mention its nearly week-long battery life.

But what if you want easy access to smartwatch features on your wrist and the 24/7 monitoring of a smart ring? Then get both. In comparing these devices and wearing them simultaneously, I found that they work better together than apart. I like being able to start my workouts on my watch and have them automatically uploaded to the Oura app. But the Oura Ring provides overnight sleep tracking, so my Apple Watch doesn't have to.

Get the Oura Ring and Apple Watch If you know your ring size Oura Ring 4 in silver $399 Shop Now If you don't know your ring size Oura Ring sizing kit $10 Shop Now Best Apple watch for most people Apple Watch Series 10 $299 (save $100) Get Deal Best budget Apple Watch Apple Watch SE $169 (save $80) Get Deal

Still can't decide? Dive into our reviews of the Oura Ring 4 and the Apple Watch Series 10.

Despite its global prominence, and years of investment from the tech industry's loudest voices and biggest pocketbooks, AI still has a diversity problem.

Filling an increasingly worrisome gap created by the tech's creators and evangelists, diversity-based organizations have been trying to tackle that issue on their own. Black Girls Code for example — which offers tech skill building for Black girls and other historically underrecognized groups — has been leaning more heavily into AI as part of its tech preparedness and training curriculum, including creating the brand new position of AI Expert-in-Residence to oversee a more thoughtful approach to teaching about AI.

"Most AI is built in environments that prioritize profit over people, which means bias gets baked in and the same communities left out of past tech waves are now at risk of being harmed again. It’s not enough to teach people to use AI, we have to teach them to be thoughtful about the tools that they use," Black Girls Code CEO Cristina Mancini tells Mashable. "Who built it? What data shaped it? What values does it reflect? Especially in community spaces, AI education must encourage people to think, not just click."

SEE ALSO: Character.AI opens a back door to free speech rights for chatbots

The first to fill the newly created position is Dr. Avriel Epps, a computational social scientist and co-founder of AI4Abolition, a community organizer dedicated to building AI literacy and open source tools for Black and Indigenous women, queer, and youth leaders. She is also the author of A Kids Book About AI Bias, a tool for teaching young people about the complex, sometimes problematic, nature of artificial intelligence.

Mashable spoke to Mancini in February about the need for more diverse technologists and the growing interest in AI. "As AI and other emerging technologies reshape our world, we are constantly evolving and expanding our curriculum to position our girls to be not just participants, but leaders in this technological revolution," Mancini told Mashable. "What happens when entire demographics are missing from rooms where these technologies are being funded, legislated, and created?"

A month prior, the organization announced a new collaboration with Latimer.AI, billed as the first inclusive Large Language Model (LLM) designed with "deep inclusion" datasets. Black Girls Code students have unlimited access to the Latimer.AI model in an effort to get more hands-on AI training for underrepresented communities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) students.

Looking forward, Mancini said that the organization will be exploring more ways to integrate AI into its work, including centering AI preparedness in its nationwide Summer Camp curriculum and finding partnerships with tech companies committed to inclusive and ethical innovation standards.

Now is the time to get a dependable portable SSD with fast speeds. The SK hynix Beetle X31 1TB portable solid-state drive is back at its lowest price ever on Amazon, selling for $64.99. This is a big discount from its original price of $88.90 and follows a similar price drop that happened briefly last month.

Video games are an expensive hobby, and we're already seeing higher prices from Nintendo and Xbox. Now, we have bad news for PlayStation gamers.

In its latest earnings call, Sony CFO Lin Tao confirmed that the company is exploring raising prices as a result of the Trump administration's new tariffs. And while Tao didn't name the PS5 directly, the gaming division is Sony's most profitable, and the company just raised prices on PS5 hardware in several regions outside the U.S. a month ago. Sony already sells a variant of the PS5 for $700 in the U.S., so the company is no stranger to high prices for gaming hardware.

Just how big of a hit will Sony take because of tariffs? The company revealed in an earnings report that it's facing a $700 million impact from tariffs, according to Bloomberg. Fellow Japanese company Toyota is facing a $1.2-billion tariff bill.

However, the news isn't all bad for Sony. The company expects to sell 15 million PS5 consoles in the next year, almost exactly the same number of Switch 2 units that Nintendo forecasts it will sell in the same time.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo forecasts a huge first year for Switch 2 sales

While a potential price hike for the PS5 could be coming in the near future, the extremely fluid tariff situation also makes the situation very unpredictable.

As part of the earnings call, Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki also said the PS5 could theoretically be manufactured in the U.S. to circumvent tariffs, per The Verge. That's probably a lot easier said than done, though. Most PS5s are manufactured in China, which, at the time of publication, is currently subject to at least a 30 percent tariff.

Trump's tariffs have only been in effect for about a month, and the console gaming space is already reeling. Xbox games and consoles just got across-the-board price hikes for U.S. gamers, a very surprising move considering that we're five years into that console generation. Nintendo recently delayed preorders for its upcoming Switch 2 console in the U.S. for a couple of weeks, as Trump's tariffs were announced on the same day that Nintendo announced the $450 price point for the Switch 2. Nintendo eventually reopened preorders without changing the console's price, though some hardware accessories got price hikes.

Needless to say, these price increases probably won't end until the tariffs do.

UPDATE: May. 14, 2025, 3:23 p.m. EDT This article has been updated with additional information from Sony's earnings call.

The best deals to watch 'Snow White' at a glance: WATCH NOW Rent or buy 'Snow White' on Prime Video $24.99 or $29.99 Get Deal WATCH NOW Rent or buy 'Snow White' on Apple TV $24.99 or $29.99 Get Deal WATCH LATER Disney+ Premium annual subscription (no ads) $159.99 per year (save $31.89 per year) Get Deal WATCH LATER Disney Bundle Duo Basic (Hulu and Disney+ with ads) $10.99 per month (save $8.99 per month) Get Deal WATCH LATER Disney+ Premium (no ads) Free for 6 or 12 months with eligible Fios internet accounts (save up to $159.99) Learn More WATCH LATER Disney Bundle: Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN (with ads) $10 per month for Verizon customers with myPlan (save $6.99 per month) Get Deal WATCH LATER Disney+ Premium (no ads) Free with the Total by Verizon $60 plan (save $15.99 per month) Get Deal

Snow White, the latest live-action reimagining of a classic Disney animated movie, is now available to watch at home after a theatrical flop. If you didn't catch it in theaters, but are curious what all the squabble surrounding it is about, now's your chance to catch up from your couch.

The live-action Disney princess tale stars Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) in the titular role and Gal Gadot (Heart of Stone, Wonder Woman 1984) as the Evil Queen. And beyond simply replacing animated characters with real actors, Screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson also went back to the drawing board to modernize the storyline.

"Wilson's take on Snow White is surprisingly winsome. It delivers a familiar story with a fresh perspective and some unexpected sources of nostalgia," Mashable Film Editor Kristy Puchko writes.

Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Disney's Snow White at home.

Is Snow White worth watching?

The live-action reimagining of Snow White has been riddled with controversy since its cast was announced. Not to mention Peter Dinklage's criticism of the portrayal of dwarves in the film, which resulted in a switch from actual actors to CGI monstrosities. Despite all of this, Mashable's film editor writes that it is "both surprising and entertaining" and "a magical cinematic experience."

Audiences didn't exactly flock to the theater, which is unsurprising given the controversy, but Snow White currently holds a 72 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of the digital release. Unfortunately, most critics did not find it as enjoyable, giving the film a less-than-stellar 40 percent rating.

Still, we recommend you make up your own mind on the adaptation of 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and see it yourself.

Read our full review of Snow White.

How to watch Snow White at home Credit: Disney

Although it's still in select theaters across the nation, Snow White has officially made its at-home debut on digital. It will also be available to stream at a later date. That means you'll eventually have three different options for watching the live-action remake at home.

Buy or rent it on digital

Disney's Snow White became available to watch at home via video-on-demand on May 14, 2025, two months shy of its theatrical release. You can now purchase the film for your digital library on apps like Prime Video and Apple TV or rent it for 30 days. Just keep in mind that when you rent the film, you'll only have 48 hours to finish watching once you begin.

You can rent or purchase the film at the following retailers:

• Prime Video — buy for $29.99, rent for $24.99

• Apple TV — buy for $29.99, rent for $24.99

• Fandango at Home (Vudu) — buy for $29.99, rent for $24.99

• Google Play — buy for $29.99, rent for $24.99

Stream it on Disney+

Disney+ is the streaming home of all Disney films. Thus, the live-action Snow White will certainly be making its streaming debut on the service. The question is when. Based on the digital-to-streaming trajectory of other recent Disney theatrical releases — Moana 2, Mufasa: The Lion King, Inside Out 2 — we can predict that Snow White will hit Disney+ in mid-to-late June. Keep your eyes peeled and we'll update you when the official streaming debut date is announced.

Not yet a Disney+ subscriber? Subscriptions start at $9.99 after a price hike last year, but we've rounded up a few of the best ways you can save some money on the streamer below.

The best Disney+ streaming dealsBest Disney+ deal: save 17% on an annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Disney+ Disney+ Premium annual subscription (no ads) $159.99/year (save 17%) Get Deal

You can save some money on a Disney+ subscription on its own by signing up for an annual plan upfront. The yearly plan without ads will cost you $159.99 per year, which breaks down to just $13.33 per month instead of the usual $15.99 per month. That's 17% or a total of $31.89 in savings. When you check out, be sure to select Disney+ Premium, then "annual" to secure the discount for the year.

Best Disney+ bundle deal: save 44% on Hulu and Disney+ Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu / Disney+ Disney Bundle Duo Basic (Hulu and Disney+ with ads) $10.99 per month (save 44%) Get Deal

Want more bang for your buck? Disney's bundle deals are hard to beat. You can bundle Disney+ and Hulu for just $10.99 per month with ads, which basically gets you Disney+ for $1 per month (44% in savings). Or you could add Max (with ads) or ESPN+ into the mix for a three-part bundle that'll cost you $16.99 per month. Despite dealing with ads, you'll save a ton. To watch without ads, you'll have to pay an extra $9 per month for the Disney+ and Hulu bundle and an extra $13 per month for the trio bundle.

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Verizon Fios home internet users on the 2 Gig Streaming or 2 Gig Complete package can score a free year of Disney+ Premium (no ads), while those on the 1 Gig Streaming or 1 Gig Complete package can get six free months. Check the eligibility terms on the Verizon website to learn more and activate the offer. Either way, your trial will give you plenty of time to watch Snow White and other Disney favorites.

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Verizon Wireless customers can save $6.99/month on the Disney Bundle through Verizon myPlan. Just add a Disney Bundle to your account through myPlan, which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ (all with ads). The trio bundle would regularly cost you $16.99 per month, but by signing up through this myPlan deal, you'll only pay $10 per month. That's practically unheard of in the streaming world.

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Total Wireless customers on the $60 per month prepaid unlimited plan are eligible to get Disney+ Premium (no ads) for free. No terms or trial periods. That's a $15.99 per month value. Just keep your account in good standing, and your Disney+ account will remain active. If you're on the $50 per month plan, you're also eligible for six free months of Disney+. You can extend your trial by upgrading to the $60 per month plan.

As someone who lived through the fastest-shrinking period for technology in history, I love things getting smaller. Our first computer at home took up a whole desk, which I believe is why they called it a "desktop." Now, I have a tiny supercomputer in my pocket, which I use to doomscroll nonsensical Instagram videos at 4am.

TL;DR: Through June 1, Koofr’s lifetime cloud storage deal is at an all-time low price with code KOOFR at checkout: A$187 (reg. A$250).

You know that quiet dread when the monthly cloud storage fee hits your card — again? It’s not huge, but it adds up. And for what? A few PDFs, some photos you forgot to organize, and maybe that video project you swear you’ll finish someday. 

If you're tired of renting space in the digital void, here’s your chance to escape. Rather than paying each month, Koofr will give you 1TB of cloud storage for a one-time fee. You also caught this deal at just the right time, because you can use code KOOFR at checkout to take the price from A$250 to A$187 for a limited time.

Here’s why we love this deal

Koofr takes your privacy seriously with top-notch encryption for your files, both when they're being transferred and while they're stored. They also don’t track your activity, so you can rest easy knowing your data is secure and private.

What really stands out about Koofr’s cloud storage is how flexible and user-friendly it is. Whether you're on your smartphone, desktop, or using WebDAV, you can easily access and manage your files from anywhere. The interface is straightforward, so even if you're new to cloud storage, you’ll find it easy to use.

Plus, if you’re already using other cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon, or OneDrive, Koofr integrates smoothly, letting you handle everything from one place.

And for keeping your digital space in order, Koofr has some neat features. The duplicate file finder helps you eliminate unnecessary repeats, while advanced renaming options let you customize file links. This way, you can keep your files organized and your digital space clutter-free.

Keep your files safe and sound with a Koofr 1TB Cloud Storage lifetime subscription for A$187 with promo code KOOFR until June 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Did Elon Musk try, and fail, to take over the Library of Congress so he could feed the nation's intellectual property into training fuel for his AI company?

That's what some U.S. Congress members — and even some fierce supporters of President Donald Trump — are saying.

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.

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump fired the head of the U.S. Copyright Office, Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter. The timing of the firing was notable as the office had just released a report on AI, and under some unusual circumstances. The Copyright Office's report concluded that training AI models on copyrighted material may not be protected by the fair use legal doctrine — a major blow to AI companies.

Big Tech companies and their executives have gone out of their way to curry favor with Trump since the 2024 election, and none more so than Elon Musk, who donated hundreds of millions of dollars to help elect President Trump and other Republicans.

So, when Trump fired the heads of the Library of Congress and the U.S. Copyright Office, some copyright lawyers grew concerned. The fear: That Elon Musk was committing an end-run around copyright law and getting the motherlode of AI training material directly from the source.

“Donald Trump’s termination of Register of Copyrights, Shira Perlmutter, is a brazen, unprecedented power grab with no legal basis," said Democratic Rep. Joe Morelle (NY-25) in a statement. "It is surely no coincidence he acted less than a day after she refused to rubber-stamp Elon Musk’s efforts to mine troves of copyrighted works to train AI models."

It seems, however, that this concern was well-founded. 

According to a new report from The Verge, the Big Tech critics within Trump's own circles are "convinced" that Musk and White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks were behind the firings. Specifically, they believed Musk and Sacks were attempting a copyright takeover for Big Tech.

“We're not going to let every copyright work in America, every creator's hard-earned work get stolen by the tech bros so they can make billions of dollars off of other people's work," said Mike Davis, founder of the Internet Accountability Project and an antitrust advisor to Trump, in a recent interview with right-wing podcast host Steve Bannon.

So, when Trump officials showed up at the Copyright Office this week with a letter from the president, critics feared Musk had sent members of his special project DOGE to take over. However, The Verge reports the men are actually anti-Big Tech officials from within Trump's orbit.

The White House has reportedly named Paul Perkins as the acting Register of Copyrights and Brian Nieves as the acting deputy librarian, although it's not clear if he has the authority to make these appointments. (The Librarian of Congress is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.) Todd Blanche is now working as their boss in the role of Acting Librarian of Congress after President Trump fired his predecessor, Dr. Carla Hayden, last week. All three men are staunch Big Tech critics. In fact, one source told The Verge that Blanche is there specifically to "stick it to tech.”

A few weeks ago, I said the Google Pixel 9a is one of the budget phones to buy this year. Now, a popular tech YouTuber is recommending the opposite, and I see his point.

JerryRigEverything, a tech YouTube account with more than 9 million followers, posted a new video this week where the host stress tests the new mid-range Pixel phone and performs a teardown to look at its internal components. The host finds some minor things to dislike about the external materials as well as the water and dust resistance, but for home repair enthusiasts, there's one major, major problem: The battery is nearly impossible to remove.

SEE ALSO: Google's AI Mode reportedly replacing iconic 'I'm feeling lucky' button

It seems Google has glued the Pixel 9a's 5,100mAh battery (which performed very well for us in testing) such that home removal is extremely difficult, at best. According to JerryRigEverything, most other major smartphone manufacturers, including Apple and Samsung, have stopped doing this, but Google persists.

In general, the Big Tech companies have become much more repair-friendly in the past five or six years, and there are even manufacturers like Framework who make devices with the express purpose of being repair-friendly, so it feels a bit like Google is out of step with the rest of the industry here. Clearly, Google hasn't gotten the Right To Repair memo yet.

Overall, the Pixel 9a has gotten good-to-great reviews for a budget smartphone (including from me).

And let's be honest: This is hardly a dealbreaker for a typical mobile customer. The average person wouldn't even know how to disassemble their phone in the first place. But if you want to maintain the possibility of one day replacing your Pixel's battery, this development is worth knowing about.

There have been rumors about a large-scale data breach impacting nearly 90 million Steam accounts. However, the original source was debunked, so you probably don't have anything to worry about.

TikTok is making it a lot easier for its creators to use AI.

TikTok AI Alive, a feature the app launched on Tuesday, helps users turn static photos into "captivating, short-form videos enhanced with movement, atmospheric and creative effects" when they use the TikTok Story Camera.

"We all know a photo can say a thousand words, and TikTok aims to take this new form of visual storytelling even further," TikTok said in a blog post. "With AI Alive, creators can now easily animate their photos and tell richer, more visually engaging stories for their communities."

How to use AI Alive on TikTok

To use the tool, users must first navigate to the Story Camera by tapping the blue plus sign on their profile image at the top left of the Inbox page and in the center of their profile.

Turn "Alive" on by clicking the button on the top right of your screen, and then choose a single photo and type in how you want the photo to change. You can also choose a photo first, and then click the AI Alive icon on the right sidebar and type in how you want the photo to change.

For instance, if it's a static photo of yourself, you can prompt AI Alive to make your photo dance, wink, or lean in. The tool will count down how long it will take for the effect to work, and once you're done waiting, you have an AI version of your photo.

It looks pretty darn realistic for AI, and might be difficult for people to catch. TikTok said in its blog post that "moderation technology reviews the uploaded photo and written AI generation prompt as well as the AI Alive video before it's shown to the creator."

SEE ALSO: Trump says he may delay TikTok ban once again

"A final safety check happens once a creator decides to post to their Story," TikTok's blog post reads. "Just like other content, people can report videos they think may break our rules. In addition, AI Alive stories will have an AI-generated label to bring transparency to how the content was created, and have C2PA metadata embedded — a kind of technology that helps others identify that it’s AI-generated, even if it’s downloaded and shared off platform."

While this is one of the first in-app image-to-video generators using AI, this isn't the first time TikTok — or any social media platform, for that matter — has introduced AI. You can use AI on Instagram and Snapchat to turn text into images, and Snapchat says it's working on what sounds like a similar AI tool to generate videos from images.

All the while, TikTok is allegedly working on a feature that would allow users to send photos and voice messages via direct messages, according to The Information. Most new features like this are aimed at keeping users on a platform for longer and increasing engagement. Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook already allow users to share photos over DM, but TikTok users can only share videos, stickers, and text over DM, and they have to be over 16 years old.

NASA's Perseverance rover has captured an aurora in the night sky for the first time from the Martian ground. 

Scientists have known for two decades that Mars' skies have auroras, too, but these curtains of undulating light had only been detected in ultraviolet — light that is invisible to the naked eye — until now. All previous Martian auroras were observed from orbiters in space. 

The result is a grainy portrait, shown farther down in this story, reminiscent of the snow one might remember seeing on an old television when it lost a signal. But it represents a monumental achievement, said Elise Wright Knutsen, first author of the research from the University of Oslo in Norway. A paper on the unprecedented observation was published in the journal Science Advances on May 14. 

"The photo was taken with an instrument not necessarily optimized for nighttime imagery, and so it isn't like the spectacular aurora images we have from Earth," Knutsen told Mashable. "But hopefully people will appreciate the softly glowing green sky, regardless of the image being rather pixelated." 

SEE ALSO: Watch how an old Venus spacecraft tumbled before crashing to Earth The actual images taken by Perseverance, whose instruments are not optimized for nighttime viewing, were not as glamorous as this artist's depiction, but the detection was a monumental achievement, researchers said. Credit: Alex McDougall-Page illustration

When the sun releases radiation during a solar storm, charged particles travel along a planet's invisible magnetic field lines. When these particles strike gases in the atmosphere, they heat up and glow. The side effects are colorful light displays known as auroras.

On Earth, the colors differ depending on the type of atmospheric gas and its altitude. Oxygen glows red or blue, while nitrogen can create green, blue, or pink. The recent strong solar storm conditions — a by-product of the sun being at solar maximum — are causing auroras around the North Pole, known as the Northern Lights, to sprawl, allowing people who live farther south to see them. 

Mars' magnetic field is different from Earth’s, and so the auroras are quite exotic. They aren't tethered to the polar regions of the planet. Instead, the Red Planet's auroras can be found in a hodgepodge of places and come in at least four varieties: localized discreet auroras, global diffuse auroras, proton auroras on the side facing the sun, and a large wormlike aurora stretching to the nightside of the planet. Some of the auroras sprout from the ground, thought to form around what's left of the ancient magnetic field in the planet's crust. 

Perseverance, which is exploring Jezero crater, where a river once emptied into a delta, spotted the aurora on March 18, 2024. The sun had blasted a torrent of energy expected to reach Mars, said UC Berkeley's Rob Lillis, who isn't an author on the new paper, in a 2024 Mashable interview. 

NASA's Perseverance rover took the first image of an aurora, left, from the surface of Mars on March 18, 2024. The image, right, is the sky without an aurora for comparison. Credit: Knutsen et al. / Sci. Adv. 11 / eads1563 (2025)

But no one was sure of what exactly the rover would see, given there were so many variables, including timing and weather: Getting one of these night sky displays would be like catching lightning in a bottle.

"We actually told the rover team to point their camera upwards and see if they could see an aurora," he said, "and they got the word just barely in time to send the command to go and look up."

Perseverance used a special camera, called Mastcam-Z, and a laser tool, known as SuperCam, to observe the faint green haze. Though the glow was dim, the detection suggests that, under better viewing conditions, astronauts could one day see such a light display with their own eyes. 

In fact, that's one crucial reason why scientists bother studying these extraterrestrial auroras. In order for astronauts to land on Mars and explore one day, they'll need navigation and communication systems that pass signals through the planet's upper atmosphere. The more accurate scientists' models are of Mars' ionosphere, the layer of charged particles surrounding the planet, the better those technologies will work. 

Twin orbiters built for the Escapade mission will attempt to take the first global images of Martian auroras in visible light. Credit: Rocket Lab

Scientists are planning more ways to capture Martian auroras. A NASA-funded robotic mission, called Escapade, will seek to get to the bottom of how solar radiation strips away the tattered Martian atmosphere. The mission will involve two orbiters built by Rocket Lab, said Lillis, the principal investigator. Though the United Arab Emirates' orbiter Hope has already obtained global images in ultraviolet light, with any luck, the Escapade probes will take the first global snapshots of Martian auroras in visible light.

After several previous failed attempts, the rover's detection last year was a boon, said Knutsen, who personally longs to explore space. She even applied to the European Space Agency's astronaut program a few years ago. 

"I would give my left foot to have been there to see it myself," she said, "but I hope one day I can retire under a softly glowing green Martian sky."

SAVE $200: As of May 14, Best Buy has the Acer Chromebook 516 GE (Intel Core 5 120U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) on sale for just $449. That's 31% off its $649 MSRP, its biggest discount ever.

Opens in a new window Credit: Acer Acer Chromebook 516 GE (Intel Core 5 120U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $449 at Best Buy
$649 Save $200 Get Deal

Chromebooks aren't the sort of laptops most people associate with great PC gaming experiences, but for cash-strapped shoppers, we consider the 16-inch Acer Chromebook 516 GE a fantastic pick. Mashable's Alex Perry called it "an incredible value" at $649, commending its long battery life, comfortable RGB keyboard, ample port selection, and "excellent" 120Hz display.

That $649 number is the Chromebook 516 GE's usual going rate, by the way — right now, it's on sale for way less at Best Buy. A 31% discount from the electronics retailer brings it down to a mere $449, which is its best price to date.

The best laptop and tablet deals to shop this week

• Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet — $89.99 (List Price $139.99)

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ Android Tablet — $199.99 (List Price $269.99)

• Amazon Kindle Colorsoft — $224.99 (List Price $279.99)

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $999.00

• Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (2025, M4) — $1,049.00 (List Price $1199.00)

The Chromebook 516 GE comes with an Intel Core 5 120U processor, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of storage. Those probably sound like underwhelming specs, but they're perfectly fine for a machine that's meant to stream titles from kitted-out servers instead of playing them locally. If you mainly play games through cloud services like Xbox Game Pass and Nvidia GeForce Now, the Chromebook 516 GE is a stellar alternative to other entry-level gaming laptops.

Perry noticed some input latency when he played certain games on the Chromebook 516 GE, but was otherwise "fairly impressed" with its overall gaming performance: "I started a new game in Control, jacked the settings up all the way, turned on ray tracing, and was a little blown away," he said. In our Geekbench 6 benchmark, it earned the highest multi-core score out of all the Chromebooks we've tested by a wide margin. It's zippy for what it is.

Finally, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the Chromebook 516 GE's battery life: It held out for more than 10 hours on a single charge. That makes it the longest-lasting Chromebook we've tried and the longest-lasting gaming laptop in our database. (In testing standard gaming laptops, we're content if we can get over an hour of use per charging cycle.) To quote Perry again: "That’s just good stuff, folks."

SAVE $300: The Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser portable projector is on sale for $1,699.99 at Amazon as of May 14, which is a 15% discount and drops it down to its best price ever.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser portable projector $1,699.99 at Amazon
$1,999.99 Save $300 Get Deal

Projectors have come a long way in recent years — to the point where some rival big screen 4K TVs. The Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser series, released last fall, is one of those rivals. Of course, that groundbreaking cinematic experience doesn't come cheap.

The C2 TriChroma Laser series includes three models, with the most affordable of the trio costing $1,999.99. As of May 14, however, the standard Hisense C2 portable projector is on sale for $1,699.99. That's 15% off and its lowest price on record. Sure, that's still pretty steep, but it's $300 less than you'd spend at full retail price.

All three models — including the standard C2 projector — are equipped with Hisense's Tri-Chroma triple color laser, which ensures color accuracy with a massive color spectrum. They also support 3D viewing, adding another dimension to your viewing experience. Projection size ranges from 65 to 300 inches and thanks to 360-degree horizontal rotation and 135-degree vertical adjustment, you'll have unparalleled viewing flexibility. You can watch movies on the ceiling, set up a massive outdoor screen, or stream workout videos on the wall of your home gym. Each model also offers auto keystone correction and auto focus, smart wall color adaptation, and obstacle avoidance, ensuring a top-notch viewing experience instantly.

The standard C2 model, as a relatively budget-friendly option, only boasts 2,000 lumens of brightness (versus the 3,000 lumens of the C2 Ultra). That's still plenty bright, though, unless you're in an extremely sunny atmosphere. Just dim the lights and close the curtains and you should be fine. It also lacks some of the higher-end features, like a built-in subwoofer and IMAX Enhanced certification. However, it still offers key technologies like Dolby Vision and HDR10+, as well as JBL 2.0 channel audio.

If you prefer a portable and flexible TV experience, it's hard to beat the cinematic capabilities of the Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser projector — particularly when it's on sale.

SAVE $45: As of May 14, get the Spigen 65W GaN III USB-C Charger for $24.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $69.99. That's a discount of 64% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Spigen 65W GaN III USB-C Charger $24.99 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $45 Get Deal

How many chargers do you have? One for your phone, one for your tablet, one for whatever else you keep on your nightstand? If you have multiple bricks when you could be consolidating down to one, it might be time to spend a little money and change up your habits. And you can do that today thanks to an excellent price on a charging brick that can cover two devices at once, which depending on what you need for the day, can save you a little space and time.

As of May 14, get the Spigen 65W GaN III USB-C Charger for $24.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $69.99. That's $45 off and a discount of 64%. It's also the lowest price we've seen. This price applies to all three colors: Midnight Black, Sierra Blue, and White.

This Spigen charger is great for charging up your phone, tablet, or whatever else you need to make sure is fully topped up for the day. It has two USB-C ports with 65W output, which is shared across both outlets when they're in use simultaneously. Thanks to its GaN technology, however, you don't have to worry about anything overheating. And the unit itself is nice and compact, so if you want to take it with you on the go, it can be easily tossed in your luggage or bag.

For the price, you can grab a couple of the chargers and keep one at home and one ready to go wherever you do. It'll help you make sure you have a full battery whenever you need it in a pretty short amount of time, and you can keep more cash in your pocket too.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... a full-length trailer for James Gunn's Superman!

Gunn is no stranger to DC Comics. The director found success with DCEU projects like The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. However, his reboot of the Superman franchise is the first feature film from DC Studios, co-led by Gunn and Peter Safran, meaning it's our best look yet at what to expect from future DC Comics adaptations.

SEE ALSO: Summer Movie Preview: Every film you oughta know

David Corenswet stars as Clark Kent/Superman, donning the iconic suit and cape and soaring off to fight for truth, justice, and the American way. But not everyone seems to agree with Superman's methods. His actions in stopping a war lead to a tense interview with reporter — and love interest — Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). Elsewhere, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult, very bald and very sinister) plots to take down the Man of Steel.

The trailer showcases several other key Superman characters, including Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), and the Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría). But you know who really steals the show? Krypto the Superdog, seen here jumping into action in the Fortress of Solitude, and later flopping down on Superman. Apologies to Clark, but those tail wags may just be the most super thing in this trailer.

Superman hits theaters July 11.

Dominique Thorne is back as the MCU's Riri Williams — and she's ready to build something truly iconic.

The Ryan Coogler-produced Ironheart series, set after the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, can't come soon enough — and we've had our first look today at the teaser trailer.

The new Marvel TV series sees Thorne returning as the inventor and MIT student with a penchant for building next-level iron suits high tech enough to kick Iron Man's ass. Back in her hometown of Chicago, Riri meets Parker Robbins aka "The Hood" (Anthony Ramos) through one hell of a job interview, and he's promising the opportunity of a lifetime. But what exactly is he up to? And what does Riri have in mind to build?

With Chinaka Hodge as head writer and Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes directing episodes, we're absolutely in for Ironheart.

Ironheart premieres on Disney+ June 24.

SAVE 18%: As of May 14, you can get the Narwal Freo Z10 Robot Vacuum and Mop for $899.99, down from $1,099.99, at Amazon. That's an 18% discount and a savings of $200. It's also the lowest price we've seen for this model yet.

Narwal Freo Z10 Robot Vacuum and Mop $1,099.99 at Amazon
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Paying over a grand for a robot vacuum is a little ridiculous, if you can get one with all the bells and whistles for less.

The Narwal Freo Z10 Robot Vacuum and Mop (one of Narwal’s newest releases) is currently on sale for $899.99 (with an on-screen coupon), down from $1,099.99. That’s an 18% discount and a savings of $200. It’s also the lowest price we’ve ever seen for this model.

If you haven't heard of it, Narwal is known for its AI-powered cleaning robots. The company presented a ton of new products at CES 2025, including the Freo Pro, Narwal S30, and Freo Z10, and its Narwal Freo Z Ultra was a CES Innovation Award 2025 Honoree and sold out within the first three months of its launch (according to a press release).

The Narwal Freo Z10 Robot Vacuum and Mop has some pretty high-end features, like an advanced DualFlow tangle-free system, an AI-powered base station, MopExtend and EdgeSwing technology, and more. It’s a lot of buzzwords, but basically, it means this thing has some sophisticated tech.

It’s built to mop and vacuum with ease, and can tackle pretty much any hard surface or carpet. It has 15,000 Pa hyper suction (with 99% particle removal rate on hardwood floors) and uses dual spinning and scrubbing mops to remove tough stains. The AI-powered base station has an auto-clean, dry, and empty system, and it can hold up to 120 days’ worth of dust and debris before you have to empty it out.

And, yes, you can control it via an app or through voice commands.

The best home and kitchen deals to shop this week

• Ninja BN701 Professional Plus Blender — $89.99 (List Price $119.99)

• Skylight Frame 10-inch Digital Picture Frame — $99.90 (List Price $159.00)

• Skylight Calendar 15-inch Digital Calendar & Chore Chart — $319.99

• Ninja Crispi Air Fryer — $159.99 (List Price $179.99)

• Birdfy AI Smart Solar Powered Bird Feeder with Camera — $179.99 (List Price $249.99)

• KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer — $349.95 (List Price $449.99)

• Eufy Omni C20 Robot Vacuum and Mop With Self-Emptying Base — $399.99 (List Price $699.99)

SAVE 37%: The Philips H8506 headphones are on sale at Amazon for just $81.92, down from the normal price of $129.99. That's a savings of $48.07.

Opens in a new window Credit: Philips Philips H8506 headphones $81.92 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $48.07 Get Deal

Summer travel season is creeping closer. You have flights and accommodations booked, but have you considered how you'll entertain yourself during those in-flight hours? If you prefer to chill out with music, podcasts, or by catching up on movies, you'll need a comfortable pair of headphones. Luckily, there's a sweet deal at Amazon today.

As of May 14, the Philips H8506 over-the-ear headphones are on sale for just $81.92, marked down from the normal price of $129.99. That's a 37% discount that ends up saving you $48.07.

With foldable earcups, a comfortable design, and up to 60 hours of playtime, the Philips H8506 are the perfect summer travel companion. Philips designed the headphones with advanced noise cancellation, so they'll be perfect for the long plane ride and train trips between cities.

The best headphones and speaker deals to shop this week

• Soundcore by Anker P20i True Wireless Earbuds — $19.99 (List Price $39.99)

• Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Headphones — $38.00 (List Price $59.99)

• JBL Flip 6 Portable Bluetooth Speaker — $99.95 (List Price $129.95)

• Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker — $148.00 (List Price $149.00)

• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds — $179.00

• Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones — $298.00 (List Price $348.00)

• JBL Bar 300 5.0ch Compact Soundbar — $299.00 (List Price $399.95)

The headphones fully recharge in just two hours, but if you're in a hurry, a 15-minute charge will get you another eight hours of listening time. Plus, you can connect two Bluetooth devices at once, so you can listen to music on your phone while still being connected to work on your laptop.

Philips made it easy to control the headphones with one touch to answer calls or pause the music. Once connected to the Philips app, you can adjust the sound to match your perfect style.

If you're searching for affordable and comfortable headphones for summer vacation, the Philips H8506 are on sale today at Amazon for just $81.92. You'll be scoring a 37% discount off the normal price of $129.99 and you'll be set with noise-canceLling headphones that come with massive battery life.

SAVE $50: As of May 14, get the Google Pixel Watch 3 for $349.99, down from its usual price of $299.99. That's a discount of 14% and $20 away from its lowest price ever.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Google Pixel Watch 3 $299.99 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $50 Get Deal

It's warm outside across the country, and if summer feels like it's near where you are, you might think about getting out and spending some time in the sun. That means considering a way to track what you get up to, like maybe a run, or keeping a way to stay in touch with your friends and family while not being on your phone 24/7. A smartwatch is the way to go here, and you can get a great one right now on sale at Amazon.

As of May 14, get the Google Pixel Watch 3 for $349.99, down from its usual price of $299.99. That's $50 off and a discount of 14%. It's also just $20 away from its lowest price ever.

The Google Pixel Watch 3 has a wide range of options when it comes to keeping track of your runs, how well you sleep, and it can even measure your heart rate. It allows for custom run tracking and offers commentary on your form when working out as well, almost like a personal fitness coach on your wrist, so you can stay focused on what really matters: staying in shape and doing what feels good for your body.

Of course, it's more than just a fitness tracker. It can be used to make calls, text, and focus on what you're doing for the day. It supports several apps as well, so if there's a favorite you use that you lilke to keep up with, you can do that with your watch as well. It's worth picking up at this price too, so if you're ready to take the plunge with a new watch, grab one while it's on sale.