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When team members sidestep established processes and the chain of command, it’s more than an inconvenience—it can erode trust, disrupt communication, and harm your credibility as a leader. When employees go around you, address the root causes of their bypassing behavior while fostering a culture of collaboration. Here’s how. Clarify roles and processes. Adopt tools […]

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Collecting all your favourite snacks and drinks, surrounding yourself with comfortable cushions and blankets, and then spending hours in front of a screen can be a truly therapeutic experience. Unfortunately, there is one big problem with this hobby: There is a limited amount of content out there to keep you entertained.

We're a greedy bunch, and regular streamers can easily get to a point where it feels like there's nothing left to watch. What are you supposed to do then? Don't panic, because there is a simple solution to this frustrating issue.

If you've reached this point of streaming shortage, you should consider investing in a VPN. It will likely unlock a lot of shows and movies on services to which you're already subscribed.

What is a VPN?

VPNs are security tools that provide protection for your information by creating a private network that hides your real IP address (digital location). All of your activity is untraceable and secure, because all of your online traffic passes through an encrypted tunnel. Nobody can see into the tunnel, and everything inside the tunnel is protected against online threats like hackers, viruses, and malware.

SEE ALSO: 30 best movies on Netflix to stream right now

The act of hiding your real IP address is what can trick leading streaming sites into thinking you are based in another country.

Do you need a VPN?

VPNs are used to provide protection for your sensitive information, which is obviously super important. This isn't the only reason VPNs are so popular though, because these tools can be also be used to watch content that is normally blocked in your location.

By hiding your real IP address and connecting you to a server in another country, you can watch all your favourite content from that location. For example, you could watch all the extra films and shows on American Netflix that are not usually accessible outside of the U.S. There is so much content out there that can be accessed with the help of a VPN.

Everyone is in need of something that can bypass geo-restrictions to access all of this blocked entertainment, and that something is a VPN. These services are keys to the online world, granting you access to more of the shows and films you love.

How to unblock U.S. Netflix

If you think accessing American Netflix is going to be difficult with a VPN, think again. It's actually a really simple process that absolutely everyone can understand:

1. Sign up to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit Netflix to watch movies and shows from the U.S. content library

If you're worried that this whole thing sounds a bit illegal, then maybe we can reassure you. It's currently legal to watch Netflix while using a VPN, although we should point out that Netflix states in its terms of service that it may restrict your account without compensation or notice if you are engaged in "improper" use. We're not entirely sure what that means, but consider yourself warned.

We should make it very clear that you still need to be subscribed to Netflix for this trick to work. A VPN is not going to grant access to the streaming site for free. A VPN provides access to more libraries from around the world, once you're subscribed.

Should you use free VPNs?

There are plenty of free versions and free trials of VPNs, so why would you ever consider paying for a service? As with most things in life, you get what you pay for with VPNs.

There is always a catch with free versions, and it's normally in the form of limited data usage. These plans will be just fine if you're just an occasional user, but if you're going to be streaming or downloading anything, this isn't going to work. Free trials are different as come with everything you get in a paid plan, but obviously they don't tend to last very long. Trials are great for testing out a service before committing, but this isn't a long-term solution.

To gain access to advanced security features without limitations on usage, you generally need to pay up. That being said, services like ProtonVPN offer an impressive set of features for free. However, you might have trouble streaming Netflix with this free version.

What is the best VPN for Netflix?

There are a lot of VPN services out there that can effectively unblock American Netflix, but which is the best? There are plenty of strong options for you to consider, but we wouldn't want you wasting your time checking everything out. To save you time, we've handpicked your best options. Each service has a different set of features that will suit some users better than others, and it's all about finding something that works for you.

ExpressVPN is at the top of this list because it combines essential features with impressive results, but it isn’t the only option available to you. We have lined up all the best VPNs for unblocking Netflix, with something for everyone on this list. We've highlighted the best deals on the likes of Surfshark, PureVPN, CyberGhost VPN, and NordVPN.

These are the best VPNs for Netflix in 2024.

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

If you've got the money to spend, a robot vacuum is always a good purchase. Here are some basic questions to help you decide whether you should buy or not: do you like cleaning the house? No, we thought not. Do you like relaxing and putting your feet up? Yes, of course you do. In that case, you absolutely need a robot vacuum in your life.

Unless you're tech-savvy, choosing a robot vacuum cleaner to whizz around your home can be easier said that done. There are dozens of models out there, all offering variations on the same thing. And there are other questions that need answering: Is a robot vacuum worth the money? How do they work? And which is the best brand?

If all that's got your head spinning, don't worry: We're here to help. We're looked around and done some research on your behalf, which means even more time to put your feet up. Here's a quick guide on robot vacuums — and our pick for the best models you can buy right now.

Are robot vacuums worth buying?

The crisp control of a regular, upright vacuum is its own particular pleasure. But if you're someone who finds cleaning stressful, a robot vacuum could cut a major task off your to-do list. Whether robot vacuums are worth it or not comes with a caveat: It can't be just any robot vacuum. A cheap robovac that acts drunk — scattering dust rather than sucking, bumping into walls, getting stuck on rugs — defies the point. Robot vacuums are made to be convenient — so get one that makes life easier.

What are the most important robot vacuum features?

Here's a rundown of essential features to consider when buying a robot vacuum:

• App control — WiFi-enabled robot vacuums can be synced with a smartphone app to control scheduling and other features. If you're used to asking Alexa or Google to turn off the lights or tell you the weather, a model with voice integration will blend in nicely.

• Battery life — Larger spaces require more time to clean, which means you'll want a battery that lasts. Run times for the list below range between 115 and 240 minutes.

• Docking station — Many robot vacuums have a multipurpose docking station. The robovac will return to the dock automatically and self-empty its bin while also charging the battery. The docking station may double up as a bin that can hold debris.

• Floor types & mopping — Depending on the floors you have at home, look out for models that have features for both carpet and hard floors. This may include the ability to climb up on higher pile rugs. There are also hybrid models that mop hard floors. 

• Low-profile cleaning — No one should have to be scared about what's accumulated under their sofa over the past year. A robot vacuum measuring three inches or less in height should be able to scoot under most low-hanging sofas and beds.

• Navigation & mapping — Every robot vacuum is equipped with sensors and drop detection. But if your home has lots of rooms, lots of turns, or lots of close-together furniture, you'll have fewer navigation issues with an advanced model that uses intelligent mapping to remember exactly how your home is laid out.

• Pet hair cleaning — Pet owners should consider a model with an anti-tangling roller brush, which will make it easier to pick up cat and dog hair and will prevent the robot vacuum from clogging up.

• Suction power — A vacuum is the one purchase that you hope sucks a lot. Suction power is typically measured in Pascals (Pa), ranging between 2,500 and 8,000 Pa in the ones on this list. Stronger sucking will be needed to pick up heavier pieces of debris and to pull patted-down pet hair from rugs.

Keep these features in mind when shopping around for a robot vacuum.

What is the best robot vacuum?

It's not a one-size-fits-all situation. "Best" to someone with four dogs and lots of carpet may not mean "best" to someone with a huge house filled with wooden floors. To help make sense of this confusing situation, we have highlighted a selection of the very best robot vacuums for everyone.

These are the best robot vacuums in 2024.

TL;DR: Give the gift of digital organisation and pay just £62.72 (reg. £366.26) for lifetime access to FileJump's 2TB cloud storage plan.

Opens in a new window Credit: FileJump FileJump 2TB Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription £62.72
£366.26 Save £303.54 Get Deal

Looking to make an impression with your gifts? During this winter sale, you can give the gift of peace of mind with the FileJump 2TB Cloud Storage lifetime subscription for just £62.72 (reg. £366.26).

FileJump offers an easy, secure, and affordable way to store files across devices, ideal for students, professionals, or anyone who hates running out of storage space.

Whether backing up family photos, collaborating on projects, or simply saving space on their devices, FileJump is the perfect solution. With 2TB of storage, end-to-end encryption, and no recurring fees, this gift will keep on giving— no subscription needed.

With FileJump's drag-and-drop interface, you don’t need to be a tech wizard to upload files, while the built-in media preview makes viewing photos, videos, and documents a breeze.

Sharing and collaborating are seamless, too. Share files via custom links or create free accounts for clients and team members to access shared folders. With AES 256-bit encryption, your files are not only accessible but also secure.

What really sets FileJump apart? There are no limits on download speeds or transfer rates, meaning you’ll never wait longer than necessary to access your data. 

At £62.72 (reg. £366.26) for lifetime access to 2TB of storage, an 82% discount for the holidays, FileJump delivers premium features at an incredible value. Competitors charge monthly fees for similar services, but with FileJump, you pay once and own it forever. This offer isn’t just practical and useful — it’s economical, too.

For a limited time, you'll pay just £62.72 (reg. £366.26) for lifetime access to 2TB of FileJump storage.

FileJump 2TB Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription - £62.72 | Get It Here

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get Microsoft Office 2021 and Windows 11 Pro together for £43.11 (reg. £343.52) at the Mashable Shop.

Did your PC or laptop struggle to get through the semester? Then it’s time to get serious about those grades. Whether you’re hitting the books for revision or looking to help your student, check out this ultimate productivity bundle: Microsoft Office and Windows 11 Pro together for just £43.11.

Separately, this office suite and OS cost hundreds, but they’re on sale for a limited time at the Mashable Shop. Best of all, these device licenses never expire, so they'll last as long as the device they're installed on.

Microsoft Office 2021 apps

Every student needs reliable productivity apps for those dreaded assignments and presentations. Lean on tools like Microsoft Word and PowerPoint for homework, OneNote for note-taking, and Outlook and Teams to stay connected to peers and teachers. 

Microsoft Office for Windows also comes with Access and Publisher. You might use Excel and Publisher for math and data science courses and Publisher if you’re designing materials for clubs or art classes.

Windows 11 Pro + Copilot AI

Upgrading your OS isn’t just for the new user design; you’ll also get the new AI assistant, Copilot. Microsoft calls it “the ultimate AI study buddy.”

Copilot uses a custom version of ChatGPT, so it’s like getting the chatbot's premium version without having to pay for it. You could use it to:

• Have it explain complex class concepts in simpler terms

• Make custom flashcards for revision

• Create practice questions

• Simulate conversations in a new language you’re learning

You’ll also enjoy how Windows 11 Pro boosts your PC’s load times, gives you new productivity tools, and adds new security features like BitLocker device encryption. It’s like an internal makeover for your computer.

Take advantage of this Microsoft app bundle with Office 2021 and Windows 11 Pro at £43.11 (reg. £343.52). No coupon is needed for this discount.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Retail King The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License + Windows 11 Pro Bundle £43.11 at the Mashable Shop
£343.52 Save £300.41 Get Deal

TL;DR: Live stream Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers for free with a 30-day free trial of Prime Video.

Thursday Night Football returns with Week 15 action, which kicks off with an NFC West showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. The Rams are 7-6 overall, looking to overtake the Seattle Seahawks (8-5) in the division. The 49ers are technically at the bottom of the division with a 6-7 record. The NFC West is the closest division race in either conference and with three weeks left to go, it really could be anyone.

The Rams have won three of their last five games and head to San Francisco with back-to-back wins under their belt. The 49ers have won only two of their last five games, but are coming off a decisive win over the Chicago Bears last week. With a 4-3 record at home, and the Rams having a .500 record on the road, the 49ers are the betting favorite.

When is Rams vs. 49ers?

Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers takes place at 8:15 p.m. ET on Dec. 12. The two teams will face off at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Al Michaels is expected to do the play-by-play, Kirk Herbstreit will join him in the booth as the analyst. Kaylee Hartung will report from the sidelines.

How to stream Rams vs. 49ers for free

Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers is available to live stream on Prime Video in the U.S., but anyone can watch this game for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime (not to mention other Thursday Night Football fixtures).

If you're already a member, or have already used the 30-day trial, Prime Video subscriptions start at $8.99 per month.

Best streaming services for Rams vs. 49ers

Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers will be aired locally in both Los Angeles and San Francisco. It may be available in some other markets, but NFL games are subject to local blackouts.

If you do not have a cable package in those markets, you have options. We've found some of the best streaming services to consider for the Rams vs. 49ers on local networks.

Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling TV Sports Plan Get Deal

Sling TV offers its Orange & Blue package of 48 channels at $55 per month that would serve your needs for locally available NFL games. Sign up to enjoy a first-month discounted rate of $27.50.

Sling TV’s sports channels feature ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.

For in-market games: FuboTV Opens in a new window Credit: FuboTV FuboTV Pro plan Get Deal

FuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period. 

FuboTV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, FOX, FS1, FS2, Golf Network, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network. 

Again, Rams vs. 49ers is subject to local blackouts. It is available nationally on Prime Video.

How to watch Rams vs. 49ers from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of the NFL from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Rams vs. 49ers from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch Rams vs. 49ers from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

TL;DR: Unblock your favorite porn sites with a VPN. The best service for unblocking free porn sites is ExpressVPN.

Your access to porn sites is not always guaranteed. There are many locations that will restrict your access to certain sites, and that's probably a good thing. But online freedom is also nice. And when the time is right, you should be able to access all your favorite sites without a hassle.

Want to bypass online restrictions and access everything the online world has to offer? We have all the information you need to unblock porn sites for free from anywhere in the world.

How to unblock porn for free

VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This quick and easy process means you can bypass geo-restrictions to access your favorite porn sites from anywhere in the world. It sounds complicated, but it's really not.

Follow these simple steps to unblock porn sites:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to porn

4. Watch porn from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for bypassing content restrictions are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can retain access to porn sites when traveling or temporarily away from home.

If you want to retain permanent access to blocked sites, you might benefit from a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing online restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for porn?

ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking porn sites, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Unblock porn for free with ExpressVPN.

Your small children being on YouTube is inevitable at this point. From experience, I know kids master how to swipe and scroll on touchscreens at just months old. This is why YouTube launched a YouTube Kids app for iPhone and Android devices back in 2015.

Now, for the first time since that launch, YouTube Kids has received a complete redesign. With that update, YouTube Kids looks a lot more like YouTube.

"As part of YouTube's design modernization efforts, we’re happy to announce that we’re bringing a new look and feel to the YouTube Kids mobile app!" reads a new update posted by YouTube earlier this week on the official YouTube Kids community site.

Here's what's new in the YouTube Kids app

The biggest update to the YouTube Kids app is obvious: The redesign.

Previously, YouTube Kids (as seen above) looked like an app for children. It barely resembled the current YouTube design at all. 

The old YouTube Kids app design Credit: YouTube

The new YouTube Kids (as seen below) looks like YouTube, but with a kids-oriented twist. The design is more colorful and visual, but it still distinctly like YouTube. The previous design was geared toward toddler-aged children, whereas this one looks like it's meant to be enjoyed throughout childhood.

The new YouTube Kids app design Credit: YouTube

The redesign also brings a more YouTube-like user interface to YouTube Kids as well. YouTube Kids now displays video categories at the top of the homescreen just like YouTube does. The new navigation bar at the bottom of the page is basically straight from the main YouTube app as well.

Another big change is that YouTube Kids can now be used both horizontally and vertically just like the main YouTube app. Previously, YouTube Kids had to be used in landscape mode. But, now that shortform video is popular on the platform thanks to YouTube Shorts, that no longer makes sense.

The new update to the YouTube Kids app allows users to view content vertically for the first time. Credit: YouTube

Aside from the redesign, everything else in YouTube Kids is basically the same. The app remains the best way for kids to safely watch age-appropriate YouTube content. YouTube has greatly improved the content moderation issues that plagued the app years ago.

A few comments on YouTube's update announcement have generated a negative response to the redesign. However, like it or not, the redesigned app should be preferable to what YouTube did to its smart TV kids app. Earlier this year, YouTube completely shut down its standalone kids app for TVs and integrated it into the main YouTube app for smart TVs.

Today’s AI chatbots are far more than simple question-and-answer machines. They can transform how you approach all sorts of work, helping you tackle difficult tasks through the use of simple language. Here's how to harness their power to supercharge your productivity.

There's a story from the earliest days of cinema that seems applicable to Sora, the text-to-video creation tool launched by OpenAI this week. And given that Sora's servers are struggling with demand, with many OpenAI subscribers still waiting to try it out, we've got time for stories.

You probably know of Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station (1896) by the Lumiere brothers, even if you've never seen it. Like Sora, the Lumieres created very short movies that showcased the latest tech. We're talking cinematograph rather than AI rendering, and a luxurious 50 seconds of film rather than the maximum 20 seconds allowed in Sora videos.

Still, it's the same principle: This was an early peek at a shockingly new form of entertainment. According to legend — a legend cemented in Martin Scorcese's charming movie about a boy in the Lumiere era, Hugo (2011) — Arrival of a Train audiences ran in terror from a steam engine that appeared to be heading straight for them.

A similar sense of panic clings to Sora — specifically, panic about what AI videos might do to further crack up our "post-truth" media landscape. The average viewer is already having a hard time judging what is real and what isn't, and the problem is worse if they're depressed. We're living in a golden age of conspiracy theories. The world's richest man already shared an AI deepfake video in order to help swing an election.

SEE ALSO: Could an AI chatbot talk you out of believing a conspiracy theory?

What happens when Sora can make any prompt look as real as something you might see on the evening news — ready-made to spread on social media?

OpenAI seems to think its watermarks, both visible and invisible, would prevent any shenanigans. But having downloaded dozens of Sora videos now, I can attest that the visible watermark is tiny, illegible, and fades into the background more often than not. It would be child's play for video editing software to clip it out altogether.

So a world of deliberate disinformation, either from bad political actors or influencers trying to gin up their engagement, is barreling down on us like a train. Right?

Wrong. Because as the actual story of the Lumiere movie tells us, humans are actually a lot smarter about new video entertainment than we give them credit for.

Here's the thing about Arrival of a Train: the legend is almost certainly wrong. We have zero first-hand evidence that audiences fled the cinema, or even flinched when they saw a train approaching in a 50-second clip.

Media studies professor Martin Loiperdinger calls the panic tale "cinema's founding myth," and notes it can be traced back to books written in the second half of the 20th century. It's possible that authors conflated it with the Lumieres' later experimental 3-D version of Arrival of a Train, which screened a handful of times in 1934 and was — like a lot of 3-D movies to come — a novelty, and a commercial failure.

So no, early audiences likely did not confuse a moving image of a train with a real train. Rather, they seem to have adapted to the whole concept of movies very quickly. Contemporary accounts of the Lumiere shorts (of which there were dozens; Arrival of a Train was not seen as a stand-out) are filled with excitement at the possibilities now unlocked.

"Why, if this continues," wrote one newspaper, Le Courier de Paris, in 1896, "we could almost overcome memory loss, almost put an end to separation, almost abolish death itself." (Spoiler alert: we did not, although that sounds like a great premise for a 19th century Black Mirror episode.)

Another periodical, La Science Francais, enthused about the "most unbelievably wonderful sorcery" that had created the cinematograph's "hallucinatory phantasmagoria." Even today's most tech-happy AI boosters would have a hard time endorsing Sora in the same terms.

Because like most AI, Sora is often "hallucinatory" — and not in a good way.

SEE ALSO: 7 wild Sora videos blowing up social media after its launch

As I discovered in the moments that OpenAI servers weren't slammed, almost every Sora-generated video has some detail that looks wrong to human eyes. I typed a prompt for "journalist slams desk in frustration at not being able to access AI videos," then noticed a pen that appears and disappears in the journalist's hand.

The mistakes went on and on. The novelty factor diminished fast. Friends were amused and a little freaked out by the realness of the swag in "hip-hop artist models a cozy Christmas sweater" — until we spotted that the rapper's gold chain had become a gold pony tail at the back, and the reindeer on the sweater had eight legs.

Sora's response to "a funeral mass with circus clowns" pretty much nailed the prompt ... except that the colorful-wigged, red-nosed figure in the casket was missing his body.

That's not to say Sora won't have an immediate impact on the moving image industry. Given less outlandish prompts, it could certainly replace a lot of the generic B-roll often seen in YouTube explainers and corporate training videos. (That's assuming OpenAI isn't going to be forced to cease and desist training Sora on internet video footage without the makers' permission.)

It is to say that there's a significant barrier to entry when it comes to creating videos featuring anything unusual, anything you're trying to lie about, anything that Sora hasn't been specifically trained on. Rooting out all those mistakes, to the point where we won't immediately notice, can be an exercise in frustration.

And perhaps these early mistake-filled AI videos will serve as a kind of mass inoculation — a small dose of the post-truth disease, one that effectively gives our brains AI-resistant antibodies that can better prepare us for a future epidemic of visual fakes.

AI video needs to board the clue train

I'm certainly less impressed with AI after I prompted Sora for a new take on the Lumieres' Arrival of a Train. I asked for a video where a locomotive does actually break through the projection screen at the end, crushing the cinematograph audience.

But Sora couldn't even access the original 50-second short, which is way out of copyright and widely available online (including a version already upscaled by AI). It hallucinated a movie called "Arrival of a tal [sic] train," apparently released in the year "18965."

As for breaking a literal fourth wall, forget about it: despite multiple prompt-rewording attempts, Sora simply couldn't grok what I was asking. The projection screen remained intact.

Still, this version of Sora may still be a harbinger of some terrifying visual fakery to come — perhaps when more robust AI video tech falls into the hands of a future D.W. Griffith.

Two decades passed between Arrival of a Train and Griffith's infamous movieThe Birth of a Nation (1915)— the first real blockbuster, a landmark in the history of cinema, which also happened to be a skewed take on recent American history stuffed with racist lies.

Griffith's movie, protested at the time by the NAACP, was hugely influential in perpetuating segregation and reviving the Ku Klux Klan.

So yes, perhaps Sora's release is slowly nudging us further in the direction of a fragmented post-truth world. But even in an AI-dominated future, bad actors are going to have to work overtime if they want to do more damage to society than the cinematograph's most dangerous prompts.

Trends among teen girls are an ever-changing hellscape. Even millennials — people who are not that old, thank you very much — can have trouble navigating the world that's ruled by TikTok trends and whatever else high-school-aged girls can't seem to stop raving about.

Funneling those trends into a gift that she’ll like and use for longer than a month seems nearly impossible. But you know who does get teenage girls? Other teenage girls. We asked our families, polled our staff, and scoured the internet to find out exactly what teenage girls actually want. 

The same items popping up over and over again each year is a constant reminder that, though the VSCO girl lifestyle meme may have ended in 2019, a few overarching concepts remain alive and well. Gen Z girls are loyal to a defined handful of brands and have very specific aesthetic goals. They don't just want workout gear, they want Lululemon yoga pants. They don't just want skincare products, they want serums from The Ordinary. They don't just want a reusable water bottle, they want the (weirdly specific) Stanley Quencher H2.0 tumbler. You get it.

To make it easier for you to shop for a teen girl — when you're not a teen girl yourself (we get it, it's hard) — we've rounded up the very best gifts for the demographic in this easy-to-browse gift guide that's in the process of being updated for 2024.

Imagine a storage technology that could safely preserve your data for 100 years, was immune to ransomware, and could store petabytes of data—yet most people have never heard of it. Sony's Optical Disk Archive could do all that, but it never took off.

Smartwatches and activity trackers are a dime a dozen these days, but there are a few brands that stand out. Apple Watch has cultivated a stellar reputation in the smartwatch category — and the new Series 10 comes with some cool new upgrades — while brands like Fitbit have dominated the fitness tracking space. Since Google acquired Fitbit back in 2019, competition between the two brands has been fierce, especially now that the Google Pixel Watches utilize Fitbit’s health and wellness tracking.

While there are certainly some stark differences between Apple Watches and Fitbits — and comparing certain models might seem like comparing apples and oranges — Google’s push into the smartwatch category, as well as Apple’s increasing dedication to health tracking features, means there’s more crossover between these brands than ever before.

So, is it better to get an Apple Watch or a Fitbit? I put them both to the test — here’s everything you need to know.

Left: Google Pixel Watch 2 (with Fitbit integration) Right: Apple Watch Series 4 Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable Sizes and screens

When it comes to display quality and screen size, there’s quite a bit of variety to choose from, especially when it comes to Fitbit. Because the brand offers both activity trackers and smartwatches, their trackers tend to be a bit smaller, simpler, and more discreet — the 1.45-inch Charge 6 touts a full-color AMOLED display with a maximum brightness of 450 nits — while their smartwatches offer larger, higher-quality displays. The Google Pixel Watch 2, for example, boasts a 41mm AMOLED display with a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits, making it a much better option for those interested in a brighter, clearer display.

SEE ALSO: Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Google Pixel Watch 2: How are they different?

While Apple doesn’t offer traditional fitness trackers, it does offer a solid range of smartwatch sizes — which is definitely a win compared to Fitbit’s single-size smartwatch offerings. The Series 9 is available in 41mm or 45mm (with the SE available in 40mm or 44mm, as well as the Ultra 2 in 49mm), and it has an unmatched Retina LTPO OLED display with a maximum brightness of 2,000 nits. 

Winner: Apple

Internal hardware

While Fitbit boasts a broader product range, which means a wider variety of internal hardware, I decided to pit smartwatch against smartwatch to see which has the most impressive specs in this category. I was pleased to discover the Google Pixel Watch 2 utilizes a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 chip, as well as 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, but the Apple Watch Series 9’s specs are equally impressive with Apple’s S9 chip, 1GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. Performance-wise, it would be pretty hard to distinguish between the two without rigorous side-by-side testing.

Winner: Tie

Health and fitness tracking

Both Apple Watch and Fitbit offer access to user-friendly health and fitness tracking, which means both brands allow you to track various metrics like steps, heart rate, workout duration, calories burned, sleep, and more. However, the best fitness tracker ultimately depends on what data you’re interested in tracking, as this varies from brand to brand and from product to product.

Fitbit offers a wider range of activity trackers. Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable

For example, both Fitbit and Apple Watch offer sleep tracking, so you can track things like sleep duration and sleep stages, but both the Series 9 and the Google Pixel Watch 2 have relatively shorter battery lives (18 hours versus 24 hours, respectively). This makes them less-than-ideal for 24/7 wear, especially since they’re a bit bigger than other sleep trackers like the Oura Ring. However, Fitbit’s other activity trackers — including the Luxe, Charge 6, and Inspire 3 — all boast five days of battery life (or more), making them better options for those interested in sleep data.

If you want to track GPS on your runs, both Apple Watch and Fitbit offer built-in GPS on most of their products (aside from the Fitbit Luxe and Inspire 3). Heart Rate Zone training is also possible with both the Pixel Watch 2 and the Series 9, so you can get notifications mid-workout while changing zones, which isn’t available on other Fitbit products. 

Even though Fitbit does some pretty cool health tracking insights — including skin temperature, heart rate variability, and oxygen saturation — none of these are measured using the Google Pixel Watch 2 unless you wear it overnight. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch supports all of these measurements (aside from the since-removed blood oxygen feature) without needing to wear the watch overnight. 

Winner: Tie

Smartwatch functionality

If you’re looking for the best smartwatch between Apple Watch and Fitbit, the answer is pretty clear: choose whatever is compatible with your phone. Apple does seem to have the better smartwatch overall, but that doesn’t really matter much if you aren’t an iPhone user.

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If you’re an Android user, the Pixel Watch 2 does stand out over other Fitbit smartwatches. It’s sleek, easy to use, and packed full of useful apps and features — including Google Assistant, Safety Check, and the Google Play Store — making it a more robust smartwatch than other models from Fitbit. Is it the best Android smartwatch on the market? It’s hard to say, especially since the Samsung Galaxy 6 has a pretty solid reputation, but it’s worth watching to see what Google does with Fitbit next. 

If you’re an iPhone user, however, stick with an Apple Watch over a Fitbit smartwatch. Technically, Fitbit’s other smartwatches — the Versa 4 and Sense 2 — are compatible with both Android and iOS, but some of the features (like smartphone notifications) only work with Android phones…and it’s hard to beat Apple’s smartwatch experience.

Winner: Apple Watch

Battery life

As far as battery life, Fitbit takes the crown. The Apple Watch Series 9 does offer an 18-hour battery life (36 hours in low power mode), but the Google Pixel Watch 2 slightly outperforms it with an advertised 24-hour battery life. Other Fitbit products are even more impressive, with a six+ day battery life for Fitbit’s other smartwatches Versa 4 and Sense 2, as well as a five-day battery life for the Fitbit Luxe, seven-day for the Charge 6, and a whopping 10-day charge for the Inspire 3. 

Winner: Fitbit

Durability and longevity

If you’re looking for a fitness tracker that can handle all kinds of wear and tear, both Apple Watch and Fitbit are pretty reliable options. All of Fitbit’s products are water resistant up to 50 meters, and the Pixel Watch 2 holds a water-protection rating of 5 ATM (up to 50 meters), as well as an additional IP68 dust and water-protection rating. Apple Watches are also water resistant up to 50 meters — with the Series 9 holding an additional IP6X10 dust resistance rating (the SE does not) — while the Ultra 2 takes the cake with water resistance up to 100 meters, IP6X dust resistance, and an additional EN13319 rating for recreational scuba diving up to 40 meters. 

As far as longevity, it’s hard to make a straight comparison between the brands due to the variety of options available. Some Reddit users say that their Fitbit trackers tend to last around two years, while other Redditors report that their Apple Watch typically lasts four to six years. This is pretty on par with my experience, as I’ve been using a Series 4 Apple Watch since January 2019 with no issues. Will the Google Pixel Watch 2 hold up quite as long? It’s a little too soon to tell. 

Winner: Apple Watch

Smartphone compatibility

You might be wondering, “Is Fitbit compatible with iPhone?” Honestly, it depends.

The Fitbit app is compatible with most popular smartphones — including iOS and Android devices — and all of Fitbit’s products are technically compatible with iPhone, aside from the Google Pixel Watch and the Pixel Watch 2. However, it’s important to note that Fitbit’s other smartwatches (the Versa 4 and the Sense 2) are technically compatible with iPhones, but that doesn’t include many of the additional features like smartphone notifications. 

That being said, the best option for you depends on your phone. If you use an iPhone, stick with an Apple Watch or one of Fitbit’s activity trackers. If you use an Android device, you can use any of Fitbit’s products, which technically makes Fitbit the winner of this category.

Winner: Fitbit

Price range

Fitbit’s wider product range means it has a better price range, too. If you’re operating on a budget, that means Fitbit is the way to go. Its activity trackers are quite a bit cheaper than its smartwatches, with the Inspire 3 starting at $99, and its most popular tracker, the Charge 6, clocks in at $159. 

If you’re looking for a smartwatch, however, the prices are a little more comparable between brands. The Google Pixel Watch 2 starts at $349, making it slightly cheaper than the Apple Watch Series 9 (starts at $399) and slightly more expensive than the Apple Watch SE (starts at $249). 

Yes, technically, there are more smartwatch options available from Fitbit — the Versa 4 ($199) and the Sense 2 ($249) — but considering they lack app stores, it doesn’t really feel right to put them on the same tier as the Pixel Watch 2 or the Series 9. Fitbit also offers a kid-friendly smartwatch, the Ace LTE ($299), but it requires an additional $9.99 per month data plan.

Winner: Fitbit

Other features

While I enjoyed using Fitbit’s products, there weren’t many standout features that made me love one more than the other. The Pixel Watch 2 is a solid smartwatch, but so is the Series 9, so — again — it really depends on what phone you’re using. 

As far as activity trackers go, Fitbit had one semi-critical feature missing, at least for fellow gym rats: most of its lineup isn’t compatible with exercise equipment, aside from the Charge 6. This means you can’t connect any of your Fitbit devices — including the Google Pixel Watch 2 — to gym equipment (treadmills, stationary bikes, etc.) to view/sync data like heart rate, calories burned, and distance. Meanwhile, this is a baseline feature in Apple Watches — even my old Series 4 connects to compatible equipment at the gym using NFC functionality — which made it all the more surprising to discover that Fitbit skipped that feature.

Is it a dealbreaker? Probably not for most people, but it’s a feature I’ve really loved using on my Apple Watch, so not having it felt weird.

Winner: Apple Watch

Apple Watch vs. Fitbit: The verdict

It’s not exactly the flashiest answer, but the clear winner between Apple Watch and Fitbit depends on you. If you’re looking for a simple fitness tracker, the best Fitbit watch is likely the Charge 6. It packs a powerful punch into a tiny device — including health and fitness tracking, sleep tracking, built-in GPS, and more — while boasting a great battery life and a solid price tag.

If you’re more interested in a quality smartwatch, then get whatever works with your phone. The Apple Watch is a fantastic choice that’s both functional and durable, but the Google Pixel Watch 2 is shaping up to be a decent competitor.

Opens in a new window Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable Shop Apple Watches at Amazon Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable Shop Fitbits at Amazon Shop Now

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Buying gifts for the special women in your life can be tricky. What do you buy a person who has everything? What should you gift to someone who's picky about their products? Our advice is to curate a gift according to her interests and personality. A gift for the lady in your life should be just that: A gift for her. Part of our bigger series on the Best Gifts For Everyone, we’ve put together this comprehensive list to guide you on your important mission. And if it happens to be a teen girl you're shopping for, then we have a list for that too.

On Monday, 26-year-old tech worker Luigi Mangione was charged as the sole suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. In an era where social media is a repository of personal narratives, the suspect's digital footprint offers a glimpse into his online life.

SEE ALSO: Why is the internet thirsty for the alleged CEO shooting suspect?

His social media activity spans several platforms; some posts suggest a level of self-awareness (a five-star review of The Lorax, for instance), while others appear to be typical artifacts of a digital life shared by many young Americans.

While not explicitly linked via a unified profile like LinkTree — though, the suspect had an account with a bio of "💻🤓 - 🥷🏃‍♂️🧘‍♂️🏋️ - 📚🤓 - 🦍🧠 - 🍄🧠 - 🐄👨‍⚖️ - ☯️" — his socials have been unearthed through public searches on Goodreads, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn.

GoodReads

His GoodReads, confirmed by The Cut, reflects a varied reading list, including self-improvement books like Atomic Habits and The 4-Hour Work Week and more contentious selections. (And, again, The Lorax.) One of his reviews, four stars for Ted Kaczynski's Industrial Society and Its Future, drew particular attention:

"Clearly written by a mathematics prodigy. Reads like a series of lemmas on the question of 21st century quality of life. It's easy to quickly and thoughless [sic] write this off as the manifesto of a lunatic, in order to avoid facing some of the uncomfortable problems it identifies. but it's simply impossible to ignore how prescient many of his predictions about modern society turned out. He was a violent individual — rightfully imprisoned — who maimed innocent people. While these actions tend to be characterized as those of a crazy luddite, however, they are more accurately seen as those of an extreme political revolutionary."

His "Want to Read" list included Infinite Jest, Atlas Shrugged, and American Prometheus, completing the trifecta of "books I don't want to see on a man's shelf." His favorites included Sapiens, a biography of Elon Musk, and The Lorax. He gave J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy three stars. Crooked: Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting on the Road to Recovery, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, and Back Mechanic also appeared.

Instagram

The suspect's Instagram account, @luigi.from.fiji, reportedly experienced an influx in followers after his name was released to the public, and subsequently, Meta removed the account, according to The Standard.

SEE ALSO: As some on the internet celebrate a CEO's murder, content moderators are at a crossroads

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Mashable, but if the media reports are accurate, his last post was from 2021. He appeared to be an outdoorsy guy, with photos of him hiking around volcanoes, swimming, and drinking in bars in places like Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. His account also included references to a University of Pennsylvania fraternity.

Twitter/X

The suspect's X account was recently verified by the platform, so, as far as we know, that's just about as confirmed as you can get. His pinned post on X is from December 2022. It's a quote-post of a photo in a thread about AI and human progress, and he wrote:

"7 years ago, I gave my hs senior speech on this topic: 'Today, I will be talking to you about the future, about topics ranging from conscious artificial intelligence to human immortality. Likely, you’ll dismiss all this pretty quickly as interesting, but just science fiction…'"

He reposted posts by Andrew Huberman, talks by Peter Thiel, a summary of The Anxious Generation, and a post that compares coffee to cocaine. His tweets also touched on cellular agriculture, religion, failing birthrates in Japan, and math.

His posts don't reflect the man many leftist users on X thought he was before he was caught, but he was, instead, a 26-year-old man with the politics of one. As one Reddit user stated about the suspect's X account in a sub, "He had to be slightly revolutionary, slightly lefty, with just a sprinkling of chudiness. A touch of the chud. Chud adjacent."

LinkedIn

On LinkedIn, the suspect presented a polished professional image detailing his academic achievements at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a Master of Science in engineering with a major in computer and information science and a Bachelor of Science in engineering, majoring in computer science with a minor in mathematics, according to CBS News. Most recently, he worked as a data engineer for TrueCar, according to his profile.

Remember: The best gifts for men should make the guy you're buying for feel seen. They should make him feel like you truly get him.

No two guys are the same, and not every man spends their days dreaming of whiskey stones. (In fact, we'd guess that very few of them do.) Traditional male stereotypes are a thing of the past, y'all, and it's time we started embracing that fact when we're looking for gifts.

Before you click “buy” on something that will definitely require a gift receipt, let us take the wheel and show you some gifts for him that are sure to make an impression on your lucky guy. And if you need more specific gift ideas, check out this gift guide for the father figure in your life, or this one if you’re shopping for your boyfriend.

Whether he’s into kitchen accessories, fashion-forward athleisure, self-care products, or something more eccentric, we’re confident that he'll love the picks on this list. For Father's Day birthdays, holidays, and any random occasion, we've got you covered.

When I was growing up, I didn’t realize I had dyslexia. I just knew I wasn’t keeping up with other kids. I’d struggle with reading and math, but didn’t think much of it until my mom told me I’d be switching schools to get extra help. 

At the time, I was just a kindergartener, confused about why I had to leave my friends behind and go to a place called the Julie Billiard School in Lyndhurst, Ohio.

At Julie Billiard, I began to realize that my brain simply processed things differently. I could learn, but it took me longer to master things than everyone around me. What took my classmates two weeks might take me six. I remember my pulse increasing and my muscles growing tense, frustration storming throughout my body. 

But over time, I recognized a pattern emerging; I was slower to start, but once I grasped something, I would soar past others. I could also keep learning long after my peers had moved on, and my understanding of a topic would often go much deeper. This realization was a game-changer. 

Rather than viewing dyslexia as a limitation, I started to see it as an advantage. Dyslexia taught me patience and discipline. I learned not to compare myself to others because I realized my learning curve was simply different.

This approach has been critical in my career as the founder and CEO of LANDE, a digital marketing agency. In the tech world, where systems, coding, and problem-solving are prerequisites, the ability to break things down and understand the process separate the swimmers from the sinkers.

Coding, for instance, requires giving a computer precise instructions — an "ingredient list," if you will. You have to think about every step.

Take something simple, like making toast. Most people would say, "Grab the bread, put it in the toaster, and hit the button." But for me, my brain immediately goes into process mode. I think about opening the cupboard with my right hand, grabbing the bread, and if there’s no bread, I’ll plan a trip to the store. And that involves grabbing my keys with my right hand, opening the door, going into the garage, walking toward the car, and well … you get the idea. 

Dyslexia has also made me a better teacher. I’ve had to learn everything so thoroughly that when I explain it to others, I can break it down into easily digestible pieces. 

Whether it’s coding, paid advertising, or even accounting, I know how to guide someone through the process because I’ve had to master each step myself. This skill has been crucial in scaling LANDE, where creating systems and standard operating procedures (SOPs) is crucial for growth.

As dyslexics, we can solve problems better because we can see all the steps from start to finish and from finish to start. It helps me with being able to forward think and calculate different scenarios. It’s just how my brain works. And if you have dyslexia or know someone who does, it’s an important aspect to understand. Because, after all, many people with my condition are underestimated.

But you have to ignore the naysayers. I remember my high school guidance counselor looking at my grades and suggesting I avoid a career in tech. If I had taken her advice, I wouldn’t be where I am today. 

My advice to anyone with dyslexia is simple: Be patient with yourself. Learning might take longer, but when it clicks, it clicks. And once you understand something, your ability to build on that knowledge can outpace those around you. 

LANDE CEO Ben Herbert Credit: Courtesy LANDE

Ben Herbert is the founder and CEO of LANDE, a digital marketing agency in Columbus, Ohio. With over a decade of experience, Ben has helped businesses grow through innovative, tech-driven marketing strategies.

He began his career working in customer success and website development, implementing content management systems for school districts nationwide. At FinalForms, he served as technical sales lead and marketing director, overseeing large-scale software implementations and introducing CRM systems to streamline sales operations.

Ben’s technical expertise includes HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Node.js, C#, ASP.NET, and custom web apps. He excels at integrating software to help businesses scale and improve efficiency.

Beyond his tech career, Ben is passionate about coaching, having contributed to multiple state appearances at Kenston High School and a Big Ten Championship at The Ohio State University.