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A decade ago, staying safe online felt pretty straightforward. You slapped on some antivirus, tried not to click anything promising free smartphones, and hoped your inbox did not explode with weird gift card links. Now the internet feels like the wild west, only with fewer cowboy hats and more AI-generated nonsense. Voice clones, pixel perfect fake stores, scam SMS storms, spoofed calls, and deepfake everything. Antivirus is still important, sure, but it helps protect only part of the field.

That shift is why anti-scam tools have quietly become the gear every Aussie household needs. Maybe you are the family IT help desk. Maybe you are a parent who would really prefer their kid not hand over the family bank details for free ImaginaryGameBux. Or maybe you are just over the constant digital shenanigans. Either way, scams have become the thing most likely to smack you right in the daily life. And unlike malware, scams do not attack your device. They go straight for your judgement.

The rise of scams that look scarily legit

The ACCC keeps pointing out how many billions Aussies lose to scams each year (spoiler: 2.7B in 2023) and the crooks are getting way too good at it. Forget the bad spelling and dodgy logos of the past. Modern scams look sharp and move fast. Some look cleaner than the sites they are copying. Relying on pure gut instinct now feels like trying to fight a bushfire with a water pistol.

This is where real-time scam detection steps up. Instead of waiting for you to click something silly, the smart tools help jump in the moment a dodgy call, message, or website wanders into your general vicinity.

Meet the new guard: Real-time scam defence

Scam Protection Pro inside Norton 360 Advanced is a good example of how the game has changed. It keeps an eye on your calls, texts, emails, and browsing sessions, scanning for the sneaky tells that give modern scams away. And because scam attempts now appear in every corner of your digital life, having something that never clocks off makes more sense than trusting yourself to spot a fake toll payment SMS at 6am before your coffee even hits.

Text message scams are the worst. Safe SMS uses AI to help pick the dodgy ones. Those fake parcel notices are too sharp these days and honestly, a filter is more reliable than your half-awake brain.

Fake websites are another sneaky hazard. Scam sites can pop up and disappear before lunch. Safe Web helps check sites before you hit them and throws a warning if a site is suspicious.

Even phone calls have gone weird. AI-generated voices and spoofed numbers can mimic banks, retailers, or even your mates. Safe Call helps spot the red flags before picking up, using its AI to block scam calls and label incoming ones as scam, spam or a verified business.

Stopping scams is only half the job

A scam is rarely a one hit annoyance. A single convincing phishing page can turn into identity theft, a financial mess, or ongoing headaches that last long after that risky click.

That is why extra layers matter. Dark Web Monitoring helps let you know if your personal information shows up on the dark web. Financial Monitoring can help spot dodgy transactions before they go too far. And if identity theft does happen, having identity restoration specialists on hand to guide you is a lot better than trying to figure out the whole thing solo at the kitchen table with a cold cuppa and a decimated stress ball.

Even normal life chaos can cause problems. Losing your wallet is not just annoying. It can very quickly become an identity theft free for all. Stolen Wallet Assist helps guide you on how to cancel and replace your cards.

Kids and the rest of modern life

Families get a bit of help too with Parental Control features. Being able to set limits, block sketchy content, and see what they are watching gives you a bit of peace without hovering like a drone.

Of course, the basics still come with Norton 360 Advanced. Antivirus, malware protection, Windows PC Cloud Backup, and a VPN for more private browsing on public Wi Fi. And five devices per plan is solid for most Aussie households.

Why antivirus alone is not enough anymore

In 2025, threats do not always smash through the front door. Sometimes they sneak in through your voicemail or a text message that looks perfectly normal until it is not. Antivirus helps protect your system. Anti scam tools help protect you.

And with scammers using AI to copy voices, whip up convincing emails, and throw together fake storefronts in minutes, that extra layer is not a luxury anymore. It is basic survival gear.

Circling back 360 to the point

Antivirus helps keep your devices safe. Anti scam tech helps keep your decisions safe. Both matter in a digital world where trickery is quick, clever, and absolutely everywhere.

Real-time malware protection, identity-theft protection, financial alerts, data backups, and parental controls all sit under the Norton 360 Advanced roof. It helps give Aussie households a proper safety net without turning your online life into homework.

More on Norton 360 Advanced here.

A decade ago, staying safe online felt pretty straightforward. You slapped on some antivirus, tried not to click anything promising free smartphones, and hoped your inbox did not explode with weird gift card links. Now the internet feels like the wild west, only with fewer cowboy hats and more AI-generated nonsense. Voice clones, pixel perfect fake stores, scam SMS storms, spoofed calls, and deepfake everything. Antivirus is still important, sure, but it helps protect only part of the field.

That shift is why anti-scam tools have quietly become the gear every Aussie household needs. Maybe you are the family IT help desk. Maybe you are a parent who would really prefer their kid not hand over the family bank details for free ImaginaryGameBux. Or maybe you are just over the constant digital shenanigans. Either way, scams have become the thing most likely to smack you right in the daily life. And unlike malware, scams do not attack your device. They go straight for your judgement.

The rise of scams that look scarily legit

The ACCC keeps pointing out how many billions Aussies lose to scams each year (spoiler: 2.7B in 2023) and the crooks are getting way too good at it. Forget the bad spelling and dodgy logos of the past. Modern scams look sharp and move fast. Some look cleaner than the sites they are copying. Relying on pure gut instinct now feels like trying to fight a bushfire with a water pistol.

This is where real-time scam detection steps up. Instead of waiting for you to click something silly, the smart tools help jump in the moment a dodgy call, message, or website wanders into your general vicinity.

Meet the new guard: Real-time scam defence

Scam Protection Pro inside Norton 360 Advanced is a good example of how the game has changed. It keeps an eye on your calls, texts, emails, and browsing sessions, scanning for the sneaky tells that give modern scams away. And because scam attempts now appear in every corner of your digital life, having something that never clocks off makes more sense than trusting yourself to spot a fake toll payment SMS at 6am before your coffee even hits.

Text message scams are the worst. Safe SMS uses AI to help pick the dodgy ones. Those fake parcel notices are too sharp these days and honestly, a filter is more reliable than your half-awake brain.

Fake websites are another sneaky hazard. Scam sites can pop up and disappear before lunch. Safe Web helps check sites before you hit them and throws a warning if a site is suspicious.

Even phone calls have gone weird. AI-generated voices and spoofed numbers can mimic banks, retailers, or even your mates. Safe Call helps spot the red flags before picking up, using its AI to block scam calls and label incoming ones as scam, spam or a verified business.

Stopping scams is only half the job

A scam is rarely a one hit annoyance. A single convincing phishing page can turn into identity theft, a financial mess, or ongoing headaches that last long after that risky click.

That is why extra layers matter. Dark Web Monitoring helps let you know if your personal information shows up on the dark web. Financial Monitoring can help spot dodgy transactions before they go too far. And if identity theft does happen, having identity restoration specialists on hand to guide you is a lot better than trying to figure out the whole thing solo at the kitchen table with a cold cuppa and a decimated stress ball.

Even normal life chaos can cause problems. Losing your wallet is not just annoying. It can very quickly become an identity theft free for all. Stolen Wallet Assist helps guide you on how to cancel and replace your cards.

Kids and the rest of modern life

Families get a bit of help too with Parental Control features. Being able to set limits, block sketchy content, and see what they are watching gives you a bit of peace without hovering like a drone.

Of course, the basics still come with Norton 360 Advanced. Antivirus, malware protection, Windows PC Cloud Backup, and a VPN for more private browsing on public Wi Fi. And five devices per plan is solid for most Aussie households.

Why antivirus alone is not enough anymore

In 2025, threats do not always smash through the front door. Sometimes they sneak in through your voicemail or a text message that looks perfectly normal until it is not. Antivirus helps protect your system. Anti scam tools help protect you.

And with scammers using AI to copy voices, whip up convincing emails, and throw together fake storefronts in minutes, that extra layer is not a luxury anymore. It is basic survival gear.

Circling back 360 to the point

Antivirus helps keep your devices safe. Anti scam tech helps keep your decisions safe. Both matter in a digital world where trickery is quick, clever, and absolutely everywhere.

Real-time malware protection, identity-theft protection, financial alerts, data backups, and parental controls all sit under the Norton 360 Advanced roof. It helps give Aussie households a proper safety net without turning your online life into homework.

More on Norton 360 Advanced here.

Tesla has found itself in hot water, and it isn’t due to a recall or cratering sales numbers for a change. On Tuesday, a judge in California issued a ruling that slaps Tesla with a 30-day suspension from doing business in the state over Tesla's use of the term "Autopilot" to market its driver assistance systems. The ruling goes into effect on Jan. 15; however, Tesla will have 60 days to either stop using the term Autopilot or make certain changes to the system.

Tesla, for its part, says sales will continue uninterrupted. Earlier this week, the company also reposted a video on X showing a Tesla robotaxi driving in Austin, Texas with no drivers or passengers present in the vehicle at all, along with the tongue-in-cheek comment, "Just saying."

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

According to court documents, the California DMV believes that the name “Autopilot” and Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving Capability” (FSD) do not accurately describe the level of autonomy with which the car can drive itself. The DMV filed a complaint, which demanded that Tesla change the names of its advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) in order to more accurately describe their capabilities. 

This assertion is based on the NHTSA’s Levels of Automation system, where Level 0 vehicles have no autonomy and Level 5 vehicles are fully autonomous. Autopilot and the Full Self-Driving Capability are both rated at a Level 2, and the court says that they should’ve been at Level 3 or higher to have earned their names, so to speak. The ruling now requires Tesla to either implement changes to bring its driver assistance systems up to Level 3 or stop using the term Autopilot.

Judge Juliet E. Cox, who presided over the complaint, agreed with the DMV, issuing a 30-day stay of business for Tesla. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Tesla responded by openly stating that it intends to ignore the court order.

“This was a ‘consumer protection’ order about the use of the term ‘Autopilot’ in a case where not one single customer came forward to say there’s a problem,” Tesla posted on X.

Per TechCrunch, the judge foresaw this potential pushback and stated that the “DMV’s authority to regulate vehicle advertising does not depend on evidence that any particular advertising has deceived or harmed any person.”

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

If Tesla doesn't take mitigating action within 60 days of the order going into effect, the ban will hold, and Tesla will face additional penalties for continuing to sell cars in the state.

Tesla’s loss in court is the latest in several cases in 2025 that involve crashes or deaths from the use of Autopilot. In July, the family of Naibel Benavides filed suit in Miami, Florida, after the driver died while driving an Autopilot-equipped Tesla. The jury in that suit rather quickly found Tesla to be liable and ordered Tesla to pay over $240 million in damages. This was the first such court case where Tesla was found at least partially liable for an automobile accident involving Autopilot. 

However, emerging evidence suggests that driver-assisted and autonomous vehicles may be safer overall than traditional vehicles.

Tesla has found itself in hot water, and it isn’t due to a recall or cratering sales numbers for a change. On Tuesday, a judge in California issued a ruling that slaps Tesla with a 30-day suspension from doing business in the state over Tesla's use of the term "Autopilot" to market its driver assistance systems. The ruling goes into effect on Jan. 15; however, Tesla will have 60 days to either stop using the term Autopilot or make certain changes to the system.

Tesla, for its part, says sales will continue uninterrupted. Earlier this week, the company also reposted a video on X showing a Tesla robotaxi driving in Austin, Texas with no drivers or passengers present in the vehicle at all, along with the tongue-in-cheek comment, "Just saying."

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

According to court documents, the California DMV believes that the name “Autopilot” and Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving Capability” (FSD) do not accurately describe the level of autonomy with which the car can drive itself. The DMV filed a complaint, which demanded that Tesla change the names of its advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) in order to more accurately describe their capabilities. 

This assertion is based on the NHTSA’s Levels of Automation system, where Level 0 vehicles have no autonomy and Level 5 vehicles are fully autonomous. Autopilot and the Full Self-Driving Capability are both rated at a Level 2, and the court says that they should’ve been at Level 3 or higher to have earned their names, so to speak. The ruling now requires Tesla to either implement changes to bring its driver assistance systems up to Level 3 or stop using the term Autopilot.

Judge Juliet E. Cox, who presided over the complaint, agreed with the DMV, issuing a 30-day stay of business for Tesla. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Tesla responded by openly stating that it intends to ignore the court order.

“This was a ‘consumer protection’ order about the use of the term ‘Autopilot’ in a case where not one single customer came forward to say there’s a problem,” Tesla posted on X.

Per TechCrunch, the judge foresaw this potential pushback and stated that the “DMV’s authority to regulate vehicle advertising does not depend on evidence that any particular advertising has deceived or harmed any person.”

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

If Tesla doesn't take mitigating action within 60 days of the order going into effect, the ban will hold, and Tesla will face additional penalties for continuing to sell cars in the state.

Tesla’s loss in court is the latest in several cases in 2025 that involve crashes or deaths from the use of Autopilot. In July, the family of Naibel Benavides filed suit in Miami, Florida, after the driver died while driving an Autopilot-equipped Tesla. The jury in that suit rather quickly found Tesla to be liable and ordered Tesla to pay over $240 million in damages. This was the first such court case where Tesla was found at least partially liable for an automobile accident involving Autopilot. 

However, emerging evidence suggests that driver-assisted and autonomous vehicles may be safer overall than traditional vehicles.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Nintendo Switch 2 isn't quite a new Mario Maker game, but it'll do until one comes along.

On Jan. 15, the popular Switch version of the real-time town management series will be getting a $4.99 Switch 2 upgrade for those who already own it on Switch. This will coincide with a pretty substantial free update to both the Switch 1 and Switch 2 versions of New Horizons. (Check out our previous coverage of Animal Crossing's first update in years.)

After watching a hands-off demo of the update courtesy of Nintendo, I can confirm everything seems as advertised; The Switch 2 version has sharper visuals and deeper multiplayer features, and the free update provides a bunch of goofy new things to do on your island, like themed hotel rooms for guests.

The thing that stood out the most: how it uses the Switch 2's mouse controls, which have been under-utilized by just about every game on the new console so far.

SEE ALSO: 'Metroid Prime 4: Beyond' is the 'Metroid' you want 90 percent of the time How mouse controls could rejuvenate Animal Crossing on Switch 2

The demo I saw only briefly focused on mouse controls, but that wound up being the most impactful part of the whole presentation for me. I've been waiting for a game to really justify why Nintendo included mouse functionality at all on Switch 2.

Metroid Prime 4 came the closest, but even that is more comfortable to play with a controller, in my experience. Mouse controls, so far, have felt like a gimmick.

The mouse features in Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Switch 2, from what I can tell, work exactly how you'd want them to. The most obvious application is in interior decoration. You can use the mouse cursor to drag and drop objects around rooms as you see fit, rather than having to do so with an analog stick.

This allows for greater precision and more efficiency in the decoration process, and it's a total slam dunk no-brainer once you see it in action.

This is so much better than using a controller. Credit: Nintendo

The mouse is not just for picking up and placing single objects. You can actually drag the cursor over an entire bundle of elements and move them all at once. For example, if you want to take an entire living room set (including both furniture and the carpet underneath the furniture), just drag the mouse over all of those things, and it'll let you move them all at once.

You can also use the mouse controls to draw designs for shirts and whatnot, which could be a massive boon to the creative side of Animal Crossing.

I'm not the biggest Animal Crossing guy (I bounced off of New Horizons after a week or two), but seeing this in action made me want to give it another shot. Being able to quickly and intuitively decorate and design using the Switch 2's mouse could breathe new life into a game that hasn't gotten any substantial feature updates in four years.

More talented folks than me will definitely be able to use it to create awesome-looking houses or fashionable shirt designs, after years of doing so on controllers.

It's a small thing, overall, but it could wind up being the best part of the Switch 2 version of Animal Crossing. It also gives me hope that Nintendo will find smart ways to incorporate it into other future games. Like, say, a game where you make your own Mario levels.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Nintendo Switch 2 isn't quite a new Mario Maker game, but it'll do until one comes along.

On Jan. 15, the popular Switch version of the real-time town management series will be getting a $4.99 Switch 2 upgrade for those who already own it on Switch. This will coincide with a pretty substantial free update to both the Switch 1 and Switch 2 versions of New Horizons. (Check out our previous coverage of Animal Crossing's first update in years.)

After watching a hands-off demo of the update courtesy of Nintendo, I can confirm everything seems as advertised; The Switch 2 version has sharper visuals and deeper multiplayer features, and the free update provides a bunch of goofy new things to do on your island, like themed hotel rooms for guests.

The thing that stood out the most: how it uses the Switch 2's mouse controls, which have been under-utilized by just about every game on the new console so far.

SEE ALSO: 'Metroid Prime 4: Beyond' is the 'Metroid' you want 90 percent of the time How mouse controls could rejuvenate Animal Crossing on Switch 2

The demo I saw only briefly focused on mouse controls, but that wound up being the most impactful part of the whole presentation for me. I've been waiting for a game to really justify why Nintendo included mouse functionality at all on Switch 2.

Metroid Prime 4 came the closest, but even that is more comfortable to play with a controller, in my experience. Mouse controls, so far, have felt like a gimmick.

The mouse features in Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Switch 2, from what I can tell, work exactly how you'd want them to. The most obvious application is in interior decoration. You can use the mouse cursor to drag and drop objects around rooms as you see fit, rather than having to do so with an analog stick.

This allows for greater precision and more efficiency in the decoration process, and it's a total slam dunk no-brainer once you see it in action.

This is so much better than using a controller. Credit: Nintendo

The mouse is not just for picking up and placing single objects. You can actually drag the cursor over an entire bundle of elements and move them all at once. For example, if you want to take an entire living room set (including both furniture and the carpet underneath the furniture), just drag the mouse over all of those things, and it'll let you move them all at once.

You can also use the mouse controls to draw designs for shirts and whatnot, which could be a massive boon to the creative side of Animal Crossing.

I'm not the biggest Animal Crossing guy (I bounced off of New Horizons after a week or two), but seeing this in action made me want to give it another shot. Being able to quickly and intuitively decorate and design using the Switch 2's mouse could breathe new life into a game that hasn't gotten any substantial feature updates in four years.

More talented folks than me will definitely be able to use it to create awesome-looking houses or fashionable shirt designs, after years of doing so on controllers.

It's a small thing, overall, but it could wind up being the best part of the Switch 2 version of Animal Crossing. It also gives me hope that Nintendo will find smart ways to incorporate it into other future games. Like, say, a game where you make your own Mario levels.

I clearly remember getting my first MP3 player, which replaced my aging portable CD player in the mid 2000s. It was some no-name device with the build quality of a wet matchbox, but it was small and sounded just as good to my ear. The only problem was the storage space—it only held 1GB of data. That's still a decent number of MP3s, but a lack of storage was a problem that plagued virtually all MP3 players up to that point—until Apple solved the issue in a novel way: a teeny-tiny hard drive!

We all have a loved one who treats their pet like their literal baby — as it should be. These pet parents would probably be more than happy to receive a gift that doubles as a gift for their pet. (In fact, they might just prefer that.) And with the holidays right around the corner, we know a lot of you are searching for Christmas gifts for pets — and pet parents.

The best gifts for pet owners range from useful pet tech like pet cameras and GPS collars to enrichment toys, unique pet furniture, and enticing scratchers. Anything that introduces a new way to give treats is a guaranteed home run, of course.

SEE ALSO: As an anxious cat mom, I love my robot vacuum with a livestream camera

We've pulled together a really fun list of unique gifts for dog lovers and cat lovers in 2025. You'll find some of the most-recommended pet products on the internet, recommendations from pet owners or foster parents on TiKTok, and several suggestions from Mashable's own pet parents and product reviewers.

As they're trying to absorb news about the impending sale of iconic studio Warner Bros., Hollywood found itself stunned again when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that it would stream the Oscars for free on YouTube beginning in 2029.

The Academy, which has hosted the glittering awards ceremony honoring film achievement since 1929, touted the move as a win for global movie fans.

"YouTube will help make the Oscars accessible to the Academy’s growing global audience through features such as closed captioning and audio tracks available in multiple languages," the Academy announced in a press statement.

SEE ALSO: The Oscars announces new rules for using AI. Sort of.

The Academy Awards will be available for free viewing on YouTube, not just for YouTube TV subscribers in the U.S. Other related Oscar events, like the nominees' luncheon, the technical awards ceremony, and red carpet coverage, will also be available on YouTube. The Academy's partnership with YouTube — owned by Google parent company Alphabet — will also enable digital access to certain exhibitions from AMPAS' brick-and-mortar Los Angeles museum and provide resources to digitize part of the museum's massive collection of celluloid artifacts.

The Oscars currently air on Disney-owned ABC and its streaming channel, Hulu, and will continue until the 100th Academy Awards ceremony in 2028. Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Jan. 22, 2026, with the ceremony taking place in Los Angeles on March 15.

SEE ALSO: The 25 best movies of 2025, and where to stream them

Match Group, the conglomerate that owns dating apps Tinder and Hinge, knew a serial rapist was on those apps — and recommended him as a match to women anyway, a lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges.

Stephen Matthews, a Denver-based cardiologist, was convicted of drugging and/or sexually assaulting 11 women between 2019 and 2023, and sentenced to 158 years to life in prison in October 2024.

A bombshell investigation by The Markup and the Pulitzer Center's AI Accountability Network, reported in February, revealed that women had reported Matthews on apps like Hinge, but that he was still allowed to remain on the app.

SEE ALSO: Report: Match Group dating apps conceal assault cases

"Match Group fails to have effective systems to institute bans not only within its products, but across products when abusers migrate from one product to another," the new complaint says. The action has been brought by six women against IAC, Inc. (which owned Match until 2020), Match Group, Hinge, Tinder, and Matthews himself.

The suit claims that Match Group began receiving complaints about Matthews drugging and raping women via Hinge no later than September 2020, and that Match "knowingly continued to welcome Matthews on its apps" despite learning its products "were facilitating his rape spree."

The six plaintiffs are women whom Match Group apps recommended to Matthews, and vice versa. Five were drugged and raped after Matthews matched with them on Hinge, and one on Tinder, the suit states.

In September 2020, one of the women reported her incident with Matthews on Hinge the day after it occurred. Hinge Trust and Safety confirmed receiving her report — yet in January 2021, Hinge recommended Matthews to the same woman, the suit alleges. She reported him again, and warned Hinge that it was introducing "a potential threat to other women within the Hinge community."

Hinge Trust and Safety confirmed it received her previous report, the suit says. It also assured her Hinge already banned Matthews and that he'd be banned again, and responded by saying it was taking steps to ensure he'd be permanently banned. But Matthews concurrently used Tinder.

"For the three years that followed, Match Group was armed with knowledge that Matthews was raping its members, yet it continued to give Matthews full access to its products and recommended Matthews to other members and other members to him for in-person romantic encounters," the lawsuit states.

It also says Matthews used his real name, the same photographs and descriptions of his job, and the same phone number for his profiles.

Matthews was arrested in March 2023 after one woman reported him to the Denver police. Nine more women came forward to the police with similar allegations dating back to 2019.

A website called matchgrouplawsuit.com has been set up by the plaintiffs' counsel, encouraging other survivors of Matthews to get in touch.

"Any report of sexual assault or violence is heartbreaking and deeply concerning," a Match Group spokesperson told Mashable. "Safety is foundational to the trust our users place in us and is critical to the success of our business, which is why we have a comprehensive suite of safety tools in place and continue to invest heavily in this area."

The spokesperson continued: "We are committed to strengthening our safety efforts, building innovative new technology, and working closely with industry partners to help protect our users. We will always look for ways to improve our systems and help our community stay safe both online and when they connect in real life."

If you have experienced sexual abuse, call the free, confidential National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or access the 24-7 help online by visiting online.rainn.org.

Google Reader was a fantastic way to keep up with your favorite blogs and news sources with RSS feeds, but it was discontinued years ago. Now, Google has remembered that RSS feeds still exist, but this is unfortunately not a return for Reader.

Not long ago, drivers had to choose between everyday luxury and supercar-level thrills. These days, many cars offer both—a smooth, comfortable ride for daily driving and spirited fun on twisty weekend roads.

"Say hi, Dusty Do-gooders!" Brennan Lee Mulligan is back with a new season of Dimension 20 on Dropout. It's called Gladlands.

This time, it seems the inspiration point is Mad Max: Fury Road, where a lack of water has doomed inhabitants to a live in sun-scorched wasteland, full of desperation and feral fashion choices. Witness them!

SEE ALSO: Brennan Lee Mulligan talks 'Dimension 20: Cloudward, Ho!'s breakout NPC

Who will we witness enter the dome for this new season?

Well, Dropout's been teasing the cast with reveals on their Instagram ahead of release. Returning with new characters are Ally Beardsley, Oscar Montoya, Zac Oyama, and Jacob Wysocki. And making their debuts in the dome are Vic Michaelis and Kimia Behpoornia. Together, they'll roll out a new season with seven episodes full of fun, magic, and mayhem.

Dimension 20: Gladlands is set to premiere on Dropout on Jan. 7, with new episodes dropping every Wednesday for six weeks. Each episode will be accompanied by an in-dome Adventuring Party talkback, released the following day on Dropout.

If you only ever use Google Wallet when tapping a payment terminal, there's a good chance you're missing out on a lot of what the app can do. With just a few small tweaks, it can replace almost everything in your physical wallet and make everyday tasks run a lot smoother.

As a commerce editor, I ironically miss out on a lot of deals. It isn't because I didn't see them; it's because after looking at sales for days and hours on end, my eyes sort of glaze over, and I catch the good deals and write about them, but I don't think much about whether I might want the product as well.

I love dark and moody detective thrillers. Throw a psychological (or even supernatural) bend in there, and I'm in. I've devoured prestige series like True Detective, Mindhunter, The Fall, and Broadchurch, to name a few, and I actively seek them out. But every so often, Netflix recommends something so generic you almost scroll right past it.

Films like It's a Wonderful Life, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and Die Hard are undisputed holiday classics. Many people watch them every year to get into the festive spirit, always finding something new to appreciate.

Switching to Linux can be challenging. But once you've overcome the learning curve, you'll find that Linux offers a more efficient and productive workflow than Windows or Mac. From dynamic workspace management to unique desktop tweaks, here's how Linux will make you more productive.

The state of Texas is taking on Chinese tech companies.

This week the office of controversial Texas attorney general Ken Paxton filed lawsuits against TV manufacturers Sony, LG, Samsung, TCL, and Hisense for allegedly using Automated Content Recognition (ACR) technology to covertly screenshot what users are watching for data collection purposes.

According to Paxton's press release, ACR captures a screenshot from TVs every 500 milliseconds, and transmits that data back to the manufacturer without the user's knowledge or consent.

There's no way for us to know if these companies are guilty of what Paxton is accusing them of doing right now. ACR is a real thing that's primarily used to drive targeting advertising or personalized programming recommendations. You can turn it off on just about any smart TV, but that would require you knowing that it's turned on in the first place.

SEE ALSO: If your Samsung TV sounds underwhelming, it’s because you haven’t applied these cool hacks

Paxton is not just concerned about targeted advertising. Three of the five companies his office named in lawsuits are not Chinese, but Paxton emphasized the danger of giving viewing data to Chinese companies.

The AG claimed an "ongoing threat" from the Chinese Communist Party to the safety of Texans — without really saying what that threat was, or why it's more dangerous for Chinese companies to collect data than Japanese or Korean companies like Sony and Samsung, respectively.

“Companies, especially those connected to the Chinese Communist Party, have no business illegally recording Americans’ devices inside their own homes,” Paxton wrote. “This conduct is invasive, deceptive, and unlawful. The fundamental right to privacy will be protected in Texas because owning a television does not mean surrendering your personal information to Big Tech or foreign adversaries.”

Regardless of Paxton's fearmongering approach, you probably should check to see if ACR is enabled on your TV and maybe do something about that if it is.

SAVE $20.10: As of Dec. 17, the CMF Watch 3 Pro by Nothing is down to just $78.90 at Amazon. That's 20% in savings and marks a new best price to date — even beating Black Friday.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nothing Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro $78.90 at Amazon
$99 Save $20.10   Get Deal

When UK-based tech startup Nothing dropped the CMF Watch 3 Pro in July, we were flabbergasted. An AMOLED smartwatch with direct ChatGPT integration, long battery life, and fitness-tracking features for only $99? Unheard of. And now it's down to a bonkers price ahead of the holidays, making it an ideal gift for practically anyone in your life.

As of Dec. 17, you can pick up the CMF Watch 3 Pro in any color at Amazon for just $78.90. That's 20% off its list price and a new best price on record — even beating its Black Friday price by, drumroll please, 10 cents.

When Mashable Contributor Lauren Allain tested the watch for herself, she gave it a near-perfect rating, claiming it "looks, feels, and functions like a smartwatch that costs hundreds more." It is a little bulky for narrow wrists, and the ChatGPT integration only works with a Nothing phone, but other than that, we are gaga for this budget-friendly watch. It lasts for over two weeks on a charge, features blood oxygen monitoring, stress tracking, and precise heart-rate monitoring. Runners will appreciate the custom running coach feature, and athletes of all kinds will appreciate the dual-band GPS tracing, which is precise enough to tell which side of the road you're on. With its slew of bells and whistles, Nothing should be charging a lot more for this watch. But we're so glad they aren't. It's easily one of the best smartwatches of 2025.

Grab the CMF Watch 3 Pro for its lowest price ever in dark gray, ash gray, teal, or orange — and note that the colorways change the strap and the watch’s bezel.