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I want to share something personal with you. It’s about my mom, who is my best friend, my biggest cheerleader, and my safe place.

She passed away this past May. And every day since, I’ve found myself reaching for the things she left behind. Not jewelry, or clothes, or designer bags. But her voice. Her laugh. Her smile.

Growing up, our bond was unshakable. The holidays were our time. We had this holiday tradition where we would head to Fifth Avenue. We’d shop until our arms ached, bags swinging from our wrists, before heading to Bergdorf Goodman for dinner. It was our little luxury, sitting across from each other, tired but happy. Sharing food. Swapping stories. Telling each other "I love you," like it was breathing.

Credit: Ty Cole

Here’s the thing: the most important piece of her I carry with me today almost didn't happen.

Two or three years ago, I didn’t even have my voicemail set up. As a millennial, it just felt… unnecessary. My Aunt Tanya called one day and asked me why it wasn’t on. I shrugged it off. 

"Tyler, turn it on," she said. "People want to leave you a message."

So I did. And this year, since my mother passed, one of my most treasured possessions has become my saved voicemails of her saying "happy birthday" and "I love you." I can hear her any time I need her.

I have our final text thread with her telling me she will love me forever. And I believe her.

We took photos together. We made videos. Silly little clips while she lays in her bed. Selfies and photos in the middle of crowded stores. Random snaps of her laughing at something I said. Those moments… they’re everything now. They’re proof that she was here, that we were here, that love like ours existed.

Credit: Ty Cole

She taught me strength. She taught me resilience. She taught me how to keep going when the world feels like it’s stopped. And in the moments when I feel lost, her voice and our memories are the map that leads me back to myself. They remind me: everything will be okay.

That’s why I’m telling you to use every tool you have to make memories. Take the picture, even if your hair’s not done. Record the video, even if it’s only ten seconds. Save the voicemail. Keep the texts. Don’t wait for the perfect moment; make it perfect because you’re in it together.

The holidays are a time to rejoice in your own way. For some of us, that’s loud celebrations. For others, it’s quiet reflection. But for all of us, it should be about savoring the people we love while we can.

So the next time you’re with the ones who matter most, capture it, because one day those images, videos, and voicemails might be the lifeline that pulls you through your hardest days.

For me, they’re the reason I can still hear my mom say, "I love you." And that’s something I’ll hold onto forever.

Credit: Ty Cole

This story is part of Holidays With Heart, a series in which Mashable and other CNET Group Perspectives contributors share personal stories involving technology.

While chastity reigned as 2025's fetish of the year, the explicit site Clips4Sale has a new frontrunner — and it's practically the opposite: gooning. It's the act of edging for hours or even days while watching porn, so much so that participants enter a hypnotic state (aptly called the "goon state").

Sales of gooning videos have spiked 151 percent since November 2023 on Clips4Sale, according to a blog post shared with Mashable — and 49 percent in the past six months alone. It's the fastest-growing fetish on the site.

SEE ALSO: 10 fastest-growing fetishes of 2025 so far Credit: Clips4Sale

The phenomenon has entered our cultural lexicon in recent years, as seen by a similar trajectory on Google Search. "Gooning" accounted for nearly one million searches in the past month, and since 2023, it has soared in search rankings.

Credit: Glimpse / Google Trends

"Gooning isn't JUST about masturbation! It involves overstimulation of the senses, bright color, exposure to stimuli (porn) at an excessive amount and exaggeration in visuals, demands, etc," performer Master Celestress, who's been creating gooning content since 2019, stated in a press release shared with Mashable.

"There's a psychological aspect to gooning that I feel is overlooked. It became a buzzword where jerking off equals gooning and nope, it's not!" she continued. "Gooning is more of a state of mind than anything else!"

The rise of gooning has occurred at the same time as an increased scrutiny of the porn industry and online speech. Age-verification laws, which typically require personal data like a government ID or a facial scan to view such content, have been enacted in half of U.S. states and other countries like the UK and France. And in the U.S., several bills have been introduced this year to ban porn (though none have been passed). Despite widespread disapproval of porn, gooning — which takes porn viewing and masturbation to another level — has prevailed.

"Gooning is the perfect fetish for our sex-and-tech obsessed culture," Clips4Sale spokesperson Avery Martin said in the press release. "It's an embrace of radical pleasure at a time of reactionary sexual politics. In the midst of moral panics about porn and technology, gooners have reclaimed both to turn the narrative on its head, embracing an almost religious pursuit of pleasure. In the past year, creators have seized on the moment and are creating incredible, and incredibly creative, content to feed this large and voracious audience."

Meanwhile, giantess, which was Clips4Sale's 2024 fetish of the year, was the most searched for fetish in the U.S. in 2025. Wrestling, tickling, vore, and ballbusting followed it in the top five.

SAVE $250: As of Dec. 12, the 13-inch Apple M4 MacBook Air base model (with 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD) is back down to its Black Friday price of $749 at Amazon and Best Buy. That's 25% off its list price and its best price on record. If you purchase from Best Buy, you'll also get a free $25 e-gift card.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $749 at Best Buy
$999 Save $250 + get a free $25 e-gift card Get Deal

While Black Friday, one of the absolute best time of the year to buy a laptop, is technically long over, one of our favorite deals from the shopping event has resurfaced. Long live the $749 MacBook Air deal.

As of Dec. 12, the 13-inch Apple M4 MacBook Air with the M4 chip, 16GB RAM and 256GBG of storage is back down to just $749 at Amazon and Best Buy. That's $250 or 25% off its list price of $999 and its lowest price on record. It's hardly the first time it's dropped to this record-low price, but we still consider it one of the best deals you can get on an Apple laptop. Better yet, if you purchase from Best Buy, you'll also get a $25 e-gift card to spend on a future Best Buy purchase.

While the 15-inch version is our top pick for most people, the 13-inch version still holds a high ranking on our list of the best MacBooks — particularly for students looking for a laptop with longevity. Besides the ultra-low cost, we love the M4 MacBook Air for its processing power, improved 12MP FaceTime camera, and open-lid support for two external displays, which still allows you to use its own screen even when it's hooked up to monitors. So long as you don't need the more advanced specs of the MacBook Pro for demanding tasks like video editing or graphic design work, the M4 Air will treat you wonderfully.

Other than more screen real estate, the larger 15-inch model adds two extra speakers and a slightly better GPU. But it'll also cost you an extra $250. If the lowest priced MacBook is what you're after, the 13-inch M4 Air is a no-brainer.

It's been well over three years since Euphoria aired its season 2 finale, but we finally have our first look at footage from Season 3.

The clips are part of HBO Max's sizzle reel for their 2026 slate, which also includes Westeros-set series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and House of the Dragon, DC series Lanterns, and the return of Emmy-winning medical drama The Pitt.

SEE ALSO: Netflix and Paramount's bidding war over Warner Bros, explained

In the Euphoria trailer, narration from Rue (Zendaya) reveals that it's been several years since high school. "I don't know if life was exactly what I wished," she says.

Cue snapshots of where Euphoria's cast — many of whom have been minted as movie stars since Season 2 ended — are now. At an event in London, Euphoria creator Sam Levinson revealed key plot points following the show's five year time jump. Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Nate (Jacob Elordi) are engaged and living in the suburbs, which fails to explain why she's dressed as a dog in the teaser. Jules (Hunter Schafer) is in art school, while Maddy (Alexa Demie) and Lexi (Maude Apatow) are climbing the ranks in Hollywood.

As for Rue herself, she's in a lot of trouble. Still in debt to drug trafficker Laurie (Martha Kelly) from Season 2, she's headed to Mexico to pay off what she owes. Based on the snippets from the sizzle reel, she's in for a bumpy ride.

Check out the full trailer above to brace yourself for whatever Euphoria throws at us next. Plus, catch glimpses of other upcoming HBO series, like Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd's new show Half-Man and Steve Carell comedy Rooster.

SAVE $20: As of Dec. 12, get the Lego Christmas Table Decoration building set for $19.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $39.99. That's a discount of 50% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Lego Christmas Table Decoration $19.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $20.00   Get Deal

Looking for an easy gift that any Lego fan will love this holiday season? We've found one that not only fits the holiday theme, but one that can be used as a functional part of decorating for this time of year. And better yet, it's on sale for its lowest price ever. In fact, the deal is so good and the kit is so festive, you may even want to keep it for yourself.

As of Dec. 12, get the Lego Christmas Table Decoration building set for $19.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $39.99. That's $20 off and a discount of 50%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: The Lego Botanicals Flower Arrangement has hit its lowest-ever price at Amazon — act fast to save over $40

This building set is a 433-piece wonder that, when finished, looks like a gorgeous holiday centerpiece with a red candle, green foliage, red berries, golden stars, and sprays of small white flowers. It doesn't look much like a traditional Lego project, but that's part of why it looks so amazing.

The project, when completed, will look just like a spray of gorgeous holiday flowers and a candle complete with a small brick flame. Finished, it measures over 7 inches tall, 8 inches wide, and 9 inches deep.

This is a great option for Lego fans or crafty giftees who like things fun and functional. Or just get one and keep it for yourself so you can put it out year after year and get into the holiday season. Either way, it's definitely a worthy pick at this price.

Most people assume that deleting files and emptying the Recycle Bin permanently removes them—but that’s not true. Those “deleted” files still sit on your drive and can be restored with recovery tools. So how do you securely erase sensitive data? You can use sDelete, Microsoft’s tool to wipe data.

SAVE 30%: As of Dec. 12, you can get the Samsung 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 (G60SF) gaming monitor for $697.49, down from $999.99, at Amazon. That's a 30% discount and $302.5 in savings.

Samsung 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 (G60SF) gaming monitor $697.49 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $302.50   Get Deal at Amazon

If you're looking for a gaming monitor that has an OLED display and a competitive refresh rate, stop what you're doing because we just found one of the fastest OLEDs ever made for under $700.

Right now, you can grab the Samsung 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 (G60SF) gaming monitor for $697.49, down from $999.99, at Amazon. That's a 30% discount or a $302.5 price cut.

SEE ALSO: Samsung launches One UI 8.5 public beta. How to download it.

Samsung claims it's the "world's first" OLED monitor to feature a 500Hz refresh rate and a near-instant reaction of 0.03ms GtG response time. That's borderline outrageous speed. Plus, the QD-OLED display is stunning; you'll get enhanced brightness, vibrant scenes in QHD resolution, and VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 500 certification for ultra-deep blacks. It also features glare-free technology to keep your screen clear of reflections, even in bright rooms.

If you want top-tier performance for competitive games, you'd better hurry. This deal runs out in 10 hours.

Android has matured into a pretty great operating system over the years. However, it’s far from perfect. I’ve used every modern mobile operating system as a daily driver, from webOS to Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Android, and iPhone. Here are the things that I think Android needs to copy from mobile operating systems of yesteryear.

Apple's AirTag tracking device is pretty easy to find when it's standing still, but it might soon become easier to track when on the move, too.

Macworld has inspected a leaked version of internal iOS 26 code and found several references related to a new version of the AirTag.

Nearly all of the upgrades are related to AirTag's key trait: the owner's ability to find exactly where it is.

SEE ALSO: Apple 'HomePad' specs revealed in new leak

A new feature reportedly called Improved Moving indicates that it might get easier to track an AirTag when it's on the move. Another unnamed feature could improve tracking the AirTag in crowded places.

The leaked code also indicates Apple is planning to improve Precision Finding, a feature that lets you exactly pinpoint the AirTag's location when in close proximity.

Other improvements include better pairing, and detailed battery level reporting.

It's unclear whether all of these improvements are coming to existing AirTags via a software update (likely in the first half of next year), or whether they're related to an entirely new version of AirTag. A new AirTag with a new ultra-wideband chip has been rumored for a while, so we're betting on the latter.

Featured Video For You Why this e-reader won me over (and I hate e-readers)

Are you ready for more homelab projects to do? Because I know I am! This weekend, set your sights on saving money by canceling subscriptions, supercharging your coding experience, and overhauling your automation workflows.

Are you still using the built-in password manager from Google or Apple? If so, it’s time to leave your old password manager behind and move to something more universal and cross-platform.

If you ever wish that reading the system logs, optimizing music metadata, and checking battery health were easier on Linux, I've got recommendations. With your spare time this weekend, you may find an app that makes your Linux PC just a little bit more powerful.

Bryan Fuller is a master of blending weirdness and whimsy, having created shows like Pushing Daisies and Dead Like Me. Fitting, then, that his feature directorial debut, Dust Bunny, brings together Amblin inspirations and Hannibal's menacing leading man, Mads Mikkelsen.

SEE ALSO: 'Dust Bunny' review: Mads Mikkelsen and Sigourney Weaver team up for gnarly fairy tale

Dust Bunny centers on young Aurora (Sophie Sloan), who is plagued by a monstrous, 12-foot-tall dust bunny that she insists has eaten her parents. So, naturally, she asks for the help of her neighbor, a mysterious man that she has discerned is a hitman. And naturally, he is played by Mikkelsen.

In Mashable's Say More interview, Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko spoke with Fuller and Mikkelsen about the road from Hannibal to Dust Bunny, what it was like working together again, and about the prospect of a Pushing Daisies resurrection. Fuller also had the opportunity to take credit for introducing the world to Lee Pace, as he first cast him on 2004's Wonderfalls, then as the lead of 2007's Pushing Daisies.

Be sure to check out the full interview on YouTube for more, including Mikkelsen's experience working with Sigourney Weaver, the film's deep-cut allusions, and whether or not this R-rated movie is appropriate for kids. (Spoiler: Both Fuller and Mikkelsen disagree with the MPAA rating!)

Dust Bunny is now in theaters.

This weekend on Paramount+ I've decided to mix together three totally different genres in the hopes that at least one of them will spark your interest for a good weekend binge.

If something breaks on a Windows PC in my family or circle of friends, I am usually the one who gets the call. Over the years I have become the default tech support guy, and that means I spend a lot of time hunting down strange errors, slowdowns, and the kind of odd behavior that rarely shows up in Microsoft’s help docs. I have written before about the tools I rely on to fix Windows, including a few standouts from the Sysinternals Suite that have saved me more times than I can count.

I love the array of fresh available content on Amazon Prime Video. This week, I bring you some personally verified gems in a very witty historical comedy, a modern-day dramedy set in Bristol, and one of television’s most bingeable psychological thrillers of this century—you know, the kind that creates the obsession where you’d rather finish a season than stop to sleep.

SAVE OVER $40: As of Dec. 12, the Lego Botanicals Flower Arrangement set has dropped to its lowest-ever price of $65.99 at Amazon. This is $44 off its list price of $109.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Botanicals Flower Arrangement Artificial Flowers $65.99 at Amazon
$109.99 Save $44   Get Deal

The weather outside is getting a little bit colder, making it thea perfect time to work on projects indoors. If you're a Lego fan looking for your next build, there were some great discounts to take advantage of during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, but they didn't end there. Amazon still has a few lingering around, including a new all-time low price on the Lego Botanicals Flower Arrangement.

As of Dec. 12, the Lego Botanicals Flower Arrangement has dropped to $65.99, over $40 off its list price of $109.99. That's a 40% discount overall, and considering it's the lowest-ever price, there's truly no better time to pick it up. Amazon even has a note above the 'Add to Cart' button saying it'll arrive before Christmas, which is great news if you're getting some last-minute shopping done.

SEE ALSO: The 65 best tech gifts of the year, hand-picked by professional gadget nerds

The Lego Botanicals Flower Arrangement is quite the display piece, especially if you want to put it at the center of a table during the holiday festivities. It comes with 1,161 pieces in total that create 14 flowers — including camellias, peonies, hydrangeas, baby’s breath, ranunculus, bouvardia, and lilies — that are placed in a white vase. You can even customize it by adding flowers from other sets in the Botanicals collection to the vase, which is a fun touch.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

Keep in mind this lovely little display is made with adults in mind, though younger builders can piece it together with an adult's help. This deal may not be around much longer, so act fast to save on the Lego Botanicals Flower Arrangement set at Amazon.

If you're looking for more Lego sets to pick up for the holidays this year, our roundup of the 60+ best Christmas gifts for 2025 features some more excellent options we highly recommend gifting this year.

SAVE OVER $100: As of Dec. 12, the Sonos Ace headphones have returned to their lowest-ever price of $279 at Amazon. This is $120 off their list price of $399.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Ace Headphones $279 at Amazon
$399 Save $120   Get Deal

If a new pair of headphones have been on your holiday wishlist this year, or something you've been hoping to grab for someone else, Amazon has quite a few discounts on select models to check out. At the moment, that includes the Sonos Ace headphones, which have returned to their lowest-ever price of $279.

This deal saves you $120 on the Sonos Ace's usual list price of $399, which is a pretty nice discount. Since they're listed as a limited-time deal right now, it means they may not stay at this price for very long. Act fast to score them at this price before it goes back up.

SEE ALSO: The 60+ best Christmas gifts for 2025: Find unique gift ideas you'd never think of on your own

While the Sonos Ace headphones boast Active Noise Cancellation, for those who love to be fully immersed in what they're listening to, sound quality is where they really shine. Our review from Mashable's Miller Kern said, "Audio quality is Sonos’s wheelhouse and where the Ace headphones rise above competitors." They also boast Dolby Atmos and spatial audio, which Kern says of the latter is "immersive in a way I haven’t experienced from other headphones." On top of that, they offer up to 30 hours of battery with Active Noise Cancellation on.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

There's only a limited amount of time to take advantage of this offer, so act fast to save on the Sonos Ace headphones at Amazon

If you're still getting some shopping done ahead of the holidays, check out our breakdown of the 65 best tech gifts of the year to see more items we'd recommend gifting this year.

One usually visits a graveyard or cemetery to pay your respects, but also to remember the good times before you lost something special. That's me visiting the Google graveyard of dead products and services. When it's time to lay some flowers at the headstone of Google Reader, all I can remember is that the web used to be a much better place.

Writer-director Rian Johnson hits the books to craft the locked room mystery of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and so does the Spring Book Club of the film's church. And if you're quick, you'll spy an entire whodunnit reading list onscreen to add to your TBR pile.

There's a scene crucial to debonair detective Benoit Blanc's (Daniel Craig) investigation into the "stuff of detective fiction" murder at Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude, in which accused priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor) helps him rifle through the parish office for clues. They find one, a simple piece of paper.

SEE ALSO: Why 'The Hollow Man' novel is crucial to 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery'

On the page, the priest and the detective find a list of the church's book club titles, and the parishioners seem to be having quite the classic whodunnit mystery binge. Not only does the list include the key "syllabus of how to commit the perfect crime," John Dickson Carr's The Hollow Man, but there's also enough Agatha Christie and Edgar Allan Poe to make an impossible crime seem possible.

Here's everything on the Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude book club list — and there's some pretty major ties to the murder at the heart of Wake Up Dead Man (but no spoilers).

The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr Credit: Mashable / Orion

American author John Dickson Carr's 1935 mystery novel, The Hollow Man, featuring his recurring investigator protagonist Gideon Fell, has become synonymous with determining the elements of an impossible crime. In Chapter 17, the detective gives his famous "locked room lecture" directly to the reader, detailing "the general mechanics" of how a murder — like, say, that of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin) — could be committed in seemingly impossible circumstances. In fact, Blanc himself uses this book to solve the case in Wake Up Dead Man, dubbing it "a syllabus of how to commit the perfect crime."

Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers Credit: Mashable / Warber Classics

Published in 1923, the spectacularly named Whose Body? is the first of English crime novelist Dorothy L. Sayers' 14-book detective series. It introduces the iconic Lord Peter Wimsey, Sayers' aristocratic amateur detective. His first case? A London financier is murdered and left in a bathtub, naked but for a golden pince-nez. Hear that Wake Up Dead Man viewers? A bathtub.

The Murders In The Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe Credit: Mashable / Vintage Classics

Netflix titles love a bit of Edgar Allan Poe, from Wednesday to The Fall of the House of Usher. In Wake Up Dead Man, there's a famous title from the American writer on the list, 1841 short story The Murders in the Rue Morgue. The tale features the first appearance of the character regarded as the first fictional detective, Poe's great C. Auguste Dupin, who had immeasurable impact on one Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his own detective, Sherlock Holmes. The investigator is faced with a locked-door mystery, a brutal and grisly double murder with the last killer you'd ever suspect.

Featured Video For You 'The Thursday Murder Club's Helen Mirren reveals the word she hates to be called The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie Credit: Mashable / HarperCollins

Who among you crime fiction fiends doesn't know Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie's famous Belgian, moustachioed detective or Miss Marple, her famous elderly, English, amateur detective. The British writer has two titles on the Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude book club list, starring her leading investigators. Published in 1926, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is an absolute masterpiece of a twisty crime novel, with Poirot pulled away from his vegetable garden to solve the murder of a wealthy widower. There's blackmail, clandestine meetings, mysterious footprints, and yes, the crime scene is a locked room.

The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie Credit: Mashable / HarperCollins

Miss Marple's first appearance was in Christie's 1930 novel The Murder at the Vicarage, a murder mystery set in the small English town parish of St Mary Mead — big Wake Up Dead Man vibes. In this whodunnit, the town's local magistrate and churchwarden is widely hated by everyone in the village — and then he turns up dead in his study. Everyone has a motive, and no one is safe from the watchful eye of Miss Marple.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is streaming on Netflix Dec. 12.