Blogroll

Every homeowner or trade worker has their preferred power tool brand, and whether you're team Ryobi, love everything Milwaukee, or something else, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the nearly identical options at big-box retail stores. Each brand makes a few unique items catering to certain professions or tasks, and here are five useful Ryobi tools that Milwaukee doesn't make.

This was another big week in tech news, with the long-awaited release of Samsung and Google's XR headset, some exciting updates in the Linux ecosystem, a disappointing change to Windows Paint, and much more. Here are the biggest stories you might have missed.

During the early hours of Tuesday, Oct. 21, AWS went down. You'd think that would simply mean we couldn't shop on Amazon or Woot in the middle of the night, but this is highly incorrect, as we all now know. The AWS outage took down what felt like half of the internet. WhatsApp, Snapchat, Venmo, Slack, banks, airlines, shipping networks, and trading platforms like Robinhood all went offline on a global scale.

Some folks were impacted by the AWS outage to the point of losing sleep. Yes, the spendy Eight Sleep Pod system operates via a WiFi connection only, and the brand uses Amazon's cloud network to make that happen. Once AWS crashed, the Eight Sleep Pods lost connection to the mothership.

I'm in the process of testing the Eight Sleep Pod 5 for Mashable, the latest version of the Eight Sleep system. My full review isn't out yet, but I was certainly one of the sad people who slept poorly due to the outage. While the experience was much better than other nights I've had (like sleeping on an airport floor), it wasn't a great night, and getting my bed back online once AWS was back online took me hours.

The Eight Sleep Pod's (former?) WiFi addiction

The Eight Sleep Pod is a pricey smart bed with several components. First, there's the Eight Sleep Pod's cover, which slips over your mattress like a fitted sheet. This cover contains small water channels that connect to the Pod's Hub, or the brains of the bed. The Hub connects to the Eight Sleep Pod app, and from there, users can set temperature preferences, schedules, and a wake-up alarm.

Should users add the Eight Sleep Pod Blanket to the Cover, the Hub can also control it. The Blanket essentially works in the same way as the Cover. It's laced with small water channels that either cool or heat the sleeper to their preferred settings. The Eight Sleep Pod also uses AI with an automatic mode that makes small temperature adjustments throughout the night to optimize sleep.

People are paying big money to equip their mattress with the Eight Sleep Pod system. In a queen-size, the current model, the Eight Sleep Pod 5 with Hub and Cover, is selling for $3,348. Add the blanket to this setup, and you're at a total of $4,348. For those who want to further upgrade the sleep experience, Eight Sleep also sells an adjustable base with fancy features like a built-in speaker, the ability to set an alarm with vibration, and snoring mitigation. Add the base to the setup and it's a grand total of $6,398.

Credit: Eight Sleep Pod

Every element of the Eight Sleep Pod requires a WiFi connection to work, so when AWS crashed, so did the Sleep Pod. The temperature regulation stopped working, the base's elevation and vibration functions went offline, alarms went dead, and the app did not function except to give an error message after a few minutes.

Some sleepers were stuck in a real pickle

My bedroom is chilly by design. I love a cold room with a warm, cozy bed. I keep the Eight Sleep Pod's Cover and Blanket, keeping me toasty but not sweating. I woke up sometime around 1 a.m. PT on Oct. 21 to a cold bed. Since the water in the cover and blanket was no longer warming, and my bedroom was probably about 55 degrees Fahrenheit, my bed was cold to the touch. The water had more or less taken on the ambient temperature in my room.

I dove into the app to fix my chills, and while waiting for it to load (it was not loading), I noticed I was lying totally flat, not the standard sleep position with head and legs slightly elevated the base typically adjusts to at night.

It took me maybe an hour to figure out my bed was offline because of the AWS outage. I found out by reinstalling X on my phone and then locating the EightSleepApp account, which had posted about the outage to its 38 followers. At the time, the outage information wasn't posted to the brand's main X account, EightSleepPod.

I put on warmer pajamas and socks and added more blankets to my bed, and eventually, my body heat seemed to heat up the water chambers well enough that I could sleep again.

Other users were not so lucky and took to the internet to explain they were way too cold or sweating thanks to a hot bed. Others said their bases were stuck in an elevated position. Since the app wouldn't load, there was no way to make temperature or elevation adjustments. People also said they didn't wake up on time since the alarm function on the Eight Sleep Pod was also offline.

Changes coming to the Eight Sleep Pod

Eight Sleep has since acknowledged the bed's reliance on WiFi, and the AWS is not ideal. The brand's CEO, Matteo Franceschetti, announced Backup Mode on Oct. 22 via his X account. This new function allows users to alter the Pod's temperature and elevation when either the WiFi is out or the cloud network is down. Features vary slightly depending on which outage users are battling with, but the main problem of having no control over the temperature could be solved with this upgrade. Eight Sleep says the rollout is "gradual," and doesn't mention when all users will be in line for this new Bluetooth support.

This upgrade is great news for Eight Sleep Pod users who were left concerned about the expensive Pod's functionality during future outages. This is especially relevant as we head into stormy winter weather, which could turn WiFi routers off, unless you use a portable power station.

When all is said and done, we all gained a bit more knowledge this week. We now know AWS is one powerful beast that can legitimately ruin your slumber.

Oh, how the seasons are flying by! Can you believe the year is almost over? There has been a metric ton of killer shows and movies that have gone to and from Netflix over the past 10 months, and November is no different, with the streaming giant releasing the month's newest recruits.

Back when physical keyboards were common on smartphones, most companies had settled on slide-out designs. Motorola, however, had a different idea. What if the keyboard swiveled out? And what if the phone was a square instead of a rectangle?

TL;DR: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on Oct. 24-26. Spook Your Kindle, hosted by Dark Romance Team, is offering free dark romance books for your e-reader.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dark Romance Team Spook Your Kindle (Oct. 24-26)   Learn More

The Stuff Your Kindle Day schedule has lost all sense of reason. Fresh from the Stuff Your Kindle: Crime Edition and Cozy Mystery eBook Blast, we've got another event running through the weekend. And this isn't even the last event in October. We've got another two events lined up before the end of the month. This is great news for bookworms but terrible news for anyone who writes about the events.

Spook Your Kindle, hosted by Dark Romance Team, is offering you the chance to download free dark romance books on Oct. 24-26. And better yet, the books that you download are yours to keep forever. Lusting after dark romance? This is your chance to stock up and save big.

SEE ALSO: The best Kindle accessories for reading in luxury

Looking to make the most of the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day? We've lined up everything you need to know about this popular event.

When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?

Spook Your Kindle takes place on Oct. 24-26. Recent events have taken place over a single day, which puts a lot of pressure on participants to find exactly what they want and download before time is up. This event is a little more generous and takes place over a few days. So relax, take your time, and peruse your options.

Who can take part in Stuff Your Kindle Day?

Arguably the best thing about Stuff Your Kindle Day (besides the free books, obviously) is that anyone can participate. Kindle, Kobo, and Nook readers can download these books for free. You can even download these books on your preferred app and read them directly from your phone. Everyone is invited.

Which e-books are free?

Dark Romance Team are hosting the Spook Your Kindle event. They state that "not all books are discounted for the entire length of the event, and we have noted that for each book based on our most recent update from the author." You can find every available title by following the link on the hub page to a helpful document. In that document, the author, book title, genre, tropes, and social links are all listed out so you can find something that ticks all your boxes.

Is Stuff Your Kindle Day the same as Amazon Kindle Unlimited?

Everything you download on Stuff Your Kindle Day is yours to keep forever, and there's no limit on the number of books you can download. Stuff Your Kindle Day downloads don't count towards the 20 books that Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow at the same time. There's no reason to hold back.

The best Stuff Your Kindle Day deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite + Kindle Unlimited (3-Month Plan)   Get Deal Why we like it

These popular e-readers help you take your entire library on the go. With weeks of battery life and an anti-glare display, you can read anywhere and anytime with the Kindle Paperwhite. Prices start at $159.99, but you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free with your purchase.

Samsung's Galaxy XR Headset is official! Plus, the OnePlus 15 is going to have a massive 7,300 mAh battery, Google Maps on Android Auto gets an important safety upgrade, and the classic Pebble app is back for old Pebble watches. And much more!

Ed Gein’s name is on the tip of everyone’s tongue right now, thanks to Netflix’s newest installment of its hit crime anthology series Monster, which I warn you is a squeamish watch that will, at times, have you peering through your fingers.

In this episode of How To Do It All, learn how to easily create AI-generated videos using Sora by OpenAI. From downloading the app on iOS to crafting your own prompts and appearances, we cover everything you need to know to start making your own AI generated content today.

It’s been 45 years since The Shining came out, we’ve had countless horror movies since with insanely high kill counts and absolutely shocking imagery, I should be numb to a story where  — spoilers for a cinematic classic — only two people die, and one because the doofus couldn’t find his way out of a hedge maze. And yet this movie is frightening in a way that’s really hard to pin down…how did Stanley Kubrick manage to make shots of a hallway creepy? Well, by making those hallways feel not just scary, but more specifically, Uncanny.

These days, “Uncanny” is a concept used most often in discourse about robots and computer animation. The Uncanny Valley, I know you’ve heard of it, or at least you know the feeling it evokes — The abject horror of this kid from The Polar Express, good god, get him off the screen. The Uncanny — capital T, Capital U, speaks to the fear of something that isn’t fully unknown…it’s unfamiliar, while retaining the elements of familiarity, and that tension causes a deep sense of unease. Returning to the Valley, think of those robots that move in a way that’s slightly wrong, and suddenly, you feel unsafe, in danger, but you’re not even sure exactly why. And this isn’t confined to robots and animation, of course, lots of stuff can be described as Uncanny, including ghosts, doppelgängers and mirrors, and can even be used to describe a human face.

Breaking it down, there’s a throughline, here — we’re being confronted with human or humanoid bodies not quite lining up with what we’re expecting, pulling at fears of loss of identity, fears about mortality, fears of childhood nightmares suddenly becoming true…but let’s take one step further, over the threshold from uncanny bodies to uncanny places. For example, have you ever been in a dead mall before? There should be people there. It’s built for foot traffic and to allow noise to carry, but it’s empty, silent, falling apart. There’s nothing dangerous there, but it feels terrible to be there, it feels off.

Kubrick leaned all the way in on this feeling with The Shining, which is set in a hotel that’s closed for the season. The halls and sitting rooms are empty — too empty. It’s disquieting from the jump because this just isn’t what a hotel is supposed to look like, to feel like. But sure, lots of movies are set in creepy old houses, but The Overlook Hotel isn’t creepy, at least on its face. There aren’t cobwebs and creaky floorboards and disjointed architecture that distinguish the classic haunted house. Instead, Kubrick decided to make the Overlook as real as possible, by sending out photographers to capture hundreds of pictures of real hotel halls and rooms and elevators, then picking the ones he found most interesting or evocative to build his sets from, replicating them down to the inch. Literally, they photographed the spaces with rulers in frame to make sure they were fully to scale. The Red Bathroom where Jack meets Grady: that was a real bathroom, created one-to-one on a soundstage in England. The fact that all of these spaces are clean, mundane, and downright normal just makes the discomfort all the more pronounced, because they feel like spaces we are familiar with. But something is clearly wrong in this hotel, and we just can’t put our finger on what that wrongness is.

It’s been 45 years, but the vibes of The Overlook are still a phenomenon. So sure, the lady in the tub is pretty scary, as are the twins. But at least for us, the most memorable bits of this movie are the long shots tracking through the hallways, the echoing emptiness of the Colorado Lounge, the unshakeable feeling of wrongness that The Overlook Hotel brings by simply being normal, and not, all at once.

What do you think? Does The Shining still give you nightmares, or has it gotten dated, at least as an entry in the horror genre? Let us know in the comments!

If you're new to Linux and the terminal, I can appreciate how difficult it is to learn. Learning Linux was not an easy task. Fortunately, I have three tools for you that will make learning and using the Linux terminal long-term significantly easier.

Looking to reset your Netflix watch list after a spooky run for Halloween? The streaming platform has a string of exclusive releases slated for the upcoming month that you don't want to miss out on.

While the iPhone 16 Pro launched with 25W wireless charging capabilities, it took manufacturers an entire year to climb aboard that new standard. The Ugreen MagFlow 2-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger is one such offering that finally realizes this potential, though it’s also a slightly poor fit for newer Apple kits.

Samsung's long-awaited "Project Moohan" headset finally arrived earlier this week. The virtual reality headset dropped the codename and is now officially known as the Samsung Galaxy XR.

If you're in the market for a VR headset, you might have noticed that it's starting to get pretty crowded now. Meta Quest 3 has so far managed to dominate the space and is the toughest competitor to beat, thanks to a somewhat reasonable price tag. However, the Apple Vision Pro has carved out its own mixed-reality niche, despite the AR/VR headset's well-documented struggles.

Now, there's a new option: The Samsung Galaxy XR. How does it stack up? Mashable already pitted it against Meta's headset. Now, let's look at how Samsung's new VR headset compares to the Apple Vision Pro specifications, pricing, and feature set.

Samsung Galaxy XR vs. Apple Vision Pro: Price The Apple Vision Pro on display in an Apple Store. Credit: Bob Henry/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Samsung Galaxy XR looked like the premium option when stacked up against the $499 starting price of the Meta Quest 3. Coming in at $1,799.99, the Samsung Galaxy XR is certainly not cheap.

However, when compared to the Apple Vision Pro, the Samsung Galaxy XR swaps positions and looks like the budget option. The Apple Vision Pro starts at a whopping $3,499, making it nearly double the price of the Samsung Galaxy XR.

Again, neither are cheap. The Meta Quest 3's price point makes it much more accessible to most consumers, though its specs pale in comparison to the Galaxy XR and Vision Pro. However, the Samsung Galaxy XR fits in pretty neatly right between the massive price gap that exists between Meta's headset and Apple's headset.

Samsung Galaxy XR vs. Apple Vision Pro: Specs

Both the Vnew M5 Vision Pro and Samsung Galaxy XR are premium products, but Samsung wins out in some key ways. It actually has superior displays, with 4,032 pixels per inch, compared to Apple's 3,386 PPI. On top of that, Samsung's headset is lighter.

Of course, the Vision Pro has something else — that signature Apple design and the visionOS interface.

Here are the basic specs for the Samsung Galaxy XR: 

• Two 4K micro-OLED displays with 3552x3840 resolution per eye, 29 million pixels, and up to 90Hz refresh rate 

• Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset 

• 109-degree horizontal, 100-degree vertical field of view 

• Eye tracking and iris recognition included 

• 256GB storage 

• 16GB RAM 

• 545g weight

Apple just released the latest version of the Apple Vision Pro with the M5 chip. Here are the specs for its basic model:

• Dual Micro-OLED displays with 23 million pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate

• M5 chip (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine) and the R1 chip for low latency

• Stereoscopic 3D main camera system with multiple world-facing and eye-tracking cameras

• 256GB storage

• 16GB RAM

• 600g weight

Breaking this down a bit further, display-wise the Apple Vision Pro has the better refresh rate but the Samsung Galaxy XR provides a clearer picture with more pixels.

Operating systems will also come into play here when comparing the two. The Samsung Galaxy XR is the first headset to utilize Google’s Android XR operating system. If you're an Android user already, that familiarity may be a welcome addition to a VR headset. However, the Android XR won't be unique to the Samsung Galaxy XR. Other headset manufacturers will also use Google's new operating system. On the flip side, much like Apple's other products and their respective operating systems, the Apple Vision Pro's visionOS will only be found on Apple's headset.

But, perhaps the most distinctive spec comes to what's powering the devices. While the Samsung Galaxy XR's Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset is very powerful, it is made for mobile. When it comes to the Apple Vision Pro, regardless of whether you have the M2 version or the more powerful M5, you're still using a headset with a chipset made for Apple's Mac computers. Either the M2 or M5 will provide significantly more processing power to the Apple Vision Pro than what the Galaxy XR's Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 can.

Samsung Galaxy XR vs. Apple Vision Pro: Controls The Galaxy XR controllers. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Both the Apple Vision Pro and Samsung Galaxy XR use a tracking system built into the headset that tracks both the user's eyes and hands. This allows the user to control the device without the need for a controller, which is often required for other headsets such as the Meta Quest 3.

However, the Samsung Galaxy XR also has a dual controller option, which the Apple Vision Pro lacks. This might be preferable for gamers who are used to utilizing controllers.

Samsung Galaxy XR vs. Apple Vision Pro: Battery

Neither Apple nor Samsung has managed to figure out something new and revolutionary with what to do about a VR headset's battery pack.

Both offer a battery that's separate from the headset itself. This is likely due to how uncomfortable it would be to wear either company's headset for significant periods of time with the battery adding extra weight. So, both the Samsung Galaxy XR and Apple Vision Pro require users to lug the extra equipment around.

Battery life for both devices is also quite similar. Samsung says that the Galaxy XR headset can be used for up to 2 hours of general use. As much as an extra 30 minutes can be added to the battery life if the device is just used for video playback. The Apple Vision Pro with the M2 chip also has a battery that can support up to 2 hours of general use and 2.5 hours of video playback.

However, there is a small difference with the Apple Vision Pro with the M5 chip. The latest version of the Vision Pro extends battery life so that it supports up to 2.5 hours of general use and up to 3 hours of video playback.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy XR $1,799.99 at Samsung
  Shop Now Apple Vision Pro (2025 $3,499 at Apple.com
  Shop Now at Apple.com

If you've chatted with any single friend lately or scrolled through social media, you know the general consensus: People are exhausted by online dating. The "app fatigue" is real, and it makes finding a genuine connection online feel impossible. As someone who's been testing and reviewing dating apps for years, I get asked one question constantly: Which apps actually work?

My answer is always the same: The only "hack" that works is choosing the right app for what you actually want. Someone on eharmony is looking for something different than a user on Tinder. That's why I've put in the hours, the swipes, and the subscription fees to find the best options for every kind of single person.

Remember: A 2023 Pew Research Center report found that one in 10 partnered adults met their significant other on a dating app, and the numbers are even higher for young people. More recently, the 2025 SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus found that 65 percent of people aged 18-29 have used a dating app. Countless connections truly have been sparked online, so to help you find your match, these are the best dating apps worth downloading in 2025.

If you need even more personalized advice, check out our guides to the best dating apps for men, women, and the LGBTQ community.

The dating apps I'd skip (and why)

You'll probably notice a few popular apps are missing from my list. That’s intentional. Part of my job is to filter out the platforms that aren't worth your time, money, or sanity. An app doesn't get my recommendation just because it's well-known — it has to be effective and safe.

Here are a few popular dating apps I'd skip:

• Plenty of Fish (POF): I know this one shows up on a lot of lists, but in my opinion, it's a dating app ghost town. POF launched as a dating site back in 2003, and it shows. In my experience (and based on widespread user feedback), the platform is filled with bots and scams, and the odds of finding a quality connection are stacked against you. Unless you enjoy sifting through fake profiles, I think your time is better spent elsewhere.

• Raya: Raya is basically the Soho House of dating apps. It's exclusive, expensive, and not for the average person. You have to fill out an application to use it, and the vetting process can take anywhere from a few days to a few years. While it might be great for networking or bagging an influencer, it's just not a practical recommendation for most people who are simply looking for a date. (See also: The League.)

• Niche "hookup" sites (like BeNaughty, Fling, etc.): There's a chance you've seen ads for sites like these, which promise quick, no-strings-attached fun. Based on my research and countless user reviews, I'd advise you to steer clear. These platforms are notorious for being overrun with bots and having questionable billing practices, with users reporting unexpected and hard-to-cancel subscription charges.

Without Jupiter, primitive Earth might have drifted too close to the sun, rendering it incapable of hosting life, a study from Rice University in Houston reveals. 

That's one potential interpretation from new research that started with another curiosity: Scientists have long wondered why the earliest solid objects in the solar system didn't all form at the same time. Evidence from meteorites, the rocky space debris that falls to Earth, shows two distinct generations of these planet-building supplies. Though the first group formed quickly, within the first million years, the second group, which produced the rocky blocks closer to Earth, Mars, and Venus, didn’t form until 2 or 3 million years later. How enough dust remained to make this second wave of material, though, has been a mystery.  

To find out, researchers ran detailed computer simulations of the young solar system. The results, which appear in the journal Science Advances, point to Jupiter — whose mass today is more than double that of all the other planets combined — as the key player. Prior to this study, a model didn't exist that could fully account for the age gap in the ancient planet-building material. This research may be the first to combine how Jupiter grew, dust moved, and asteroids formed into one explanation.

Not only did the gas giant play a pivotal role in keeping Earth and its neighbors from migrating more inward, but it probably stunted their growth, too, cutting off their access to material from the outer part of the solar system, said Baibhav Srivastava, a planetary scientist and one of the study's authors.

"Our Earth might have become a 'super-Earth,'" Srivastava told Mashable. "This may have significant implications for the potential habitability of Earth as well, since it may have left the 'Goldilocks' zone of the solar system."

SEE ALSO: The corpse of a long-dead star surprises astronomers by eating a planet

The so-called Goldilocks zone refers to the region in space around a host star that isn't too hot or cold, allowing liquid water to exist on a planet's surface.

Many scientists call Jupiter the architect of the solar system because its immense gravity influenced the orbits of other planets and carved up the gas and dust from which they all emerged. This celestial neighborhood is about 4.5 billion years old. 

New research may be the first to combine how Jupiter grew, dust moved, and asteroids formed into one explanation. Credit: Rice University infographic

As the giant planet grew, it reshaped the sun's surroundings, according to the study. It drained gas from the inner region and created ridges of higher pressure that effectively fenced in dust and formed ring-like clumps of material. These "dust traps" allowed new solid objects to form long after the original ones, naturally explaining the age gap of the rocky space material. The timing of this second wave matches that of ordinary chondrites, the most commonly found type of stony meteorite on Earth. 

Scientists have estimated the ages of meteorites' parent bodies by measuring tiny amounts of isotopes, particular forms of elements, inside them. Because some isotopes are radioactive, they slowly change into other elements at a predictable rate. By comparing how much of the original isotope remains to how much has decayed, researchers can calculate when the rock solidified. It's similar to carbon dating ancient bones or wood on Earth, but with heavier elements, such as lead, rubidium, and strontium, Srivastava explained.

By the time the second generation of rocky material solidified, Earth was already forming, so they likely didn't contribute much to the planet.

Many scientists call Jupiter the architect of the solar system because its immense gravity influenced the orbits of other planets and carved up the gas and dust from which they all emerged. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech illustration

But the model supports the idea that Jupiter's birth must have come extremely early, within the first 2 million years of the solar system. That gave the young planet time to shape and structure the rest of the available gas and dust around the sun.

The findings mirror what astronomers now observe with powerful telescopes in other emerging star systems, said André Izidoro, a Rice assistant professor and author of the study.

"Looking at those young disks, we see the beginning of giant planets forming and reshaping their birth environment," Izidoro said in a statement. "Our own solar system was no different. Jupiter’s early growth left a signature we can still read today, locked inside meteorites that fall to Earth."

TL;DR: Scan, OCR, edit, sign, and share from your phone forever with a lifetime subscription to iScanner for $24.99 with promo code SCAN through Nov. 2.

Opens in a new window Credit: iScanner iScanner App: Lifetime Subscription $24.99
$199.90 Save $174.91   Get Deal

If your “scanner” is a dimly lit photo of a crumpled receipt, it’s time for an upgrade that lives in your pocket. iScanner is a US-based scanning and document management app that turns your iPhone, iPad, or Android device into a clean, reliable PDF machine. For new users, this lifetime subscription to iScanner is $24.99 with promo code SCAN until November 2, giving you a full, ad-free toolkit you’ll actually use.

Open the app, point your camera, and let the AI do the heavy lifting — it detects edges, straightens pages, flattens curves, and removes noise automatically. Need to search or copy text? Built-in OCR recognizes 20+ languages so scans become searchable, editable PDFs instead of static images. From there, you can mark up, redact, add watermarks, merge or split files, fill forms, and sign — then export to PDF, JPG, DOC, XLS, PPT, or TXT.

SEE ALSO: Save over $20 on this creator-approved wireless microphone bundle from Hollyland

It’s built for real-world chaos: multipage documents, IDs and passports, receipts, tickets, handwritten notes, and classroom handouts. Extra modes handle math problems and measurements, while a QR reader keeps utility scans simple. A full PDF editor and tidy file manager help you organize with folders, drag and drop, and PIN locks for sensitive documents. You even get 200 MB of included cloud storage for quick syncs between devices.

Because this is a lifetime plan for new users, there are no monthly fees and no ads, just a straightforward tool that makes paper painless.

Clean up your paperwork pipeline the smart way.

Grab lifetime access to the iScanner App for $24.99 with code SCAN by Nov. 2 and make pro-grade scans from your phone whenever, wherever.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

By no means a fast-paced film but one rich with detail and strong performances, Train Dreams weaves one man's life through a rapidly changing American West in the early 20th century.

Based on Denis Johnson’s 2011 novella of the same name, it's a steady, meditative, and at times devastating journey with many a conversation around the fire. Train Dreams sees Sing Sing collaborators Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley reunite — this time with Bentley in the director's chair — to explore delicate themes of love and loss amid this fading frontier, sitting on the cusp of industrialisation. It's a slow-going, sombre film at times, an historical essay at others, and it won't be everyone's cup of sarsaparilla.

SEE ALSO: 'Hamnet' review: Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley burn in William Shakespeare tragedy

However, the true heart of this moving film is a subtle, sensitive performance by Joel Edgerton, one immersed in Bryce Dessner's meticulous score and Adolpho Veloso's lush cinematography, and concluded with the unmistakable spirit of Nick Cave.

What is Train Dreams about? Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones in "Train Dreams." Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Beginning in 1917 and running through to 1968, Train Dreams follows a man's search for meaning as the 20th century arrives. The Wild West days are over. The American frontier is transforming. And Edgerton leads as devoted family man and stoic railroad worker Robert Grainier, who works for the Spokane International Railway in Idaho. He builds transient bonds with his fellow lumberjacks and pines for home. He's also a man riddled by guilt for his complicity watching the racist murder of a Chinese immigrant worker during a railroad job, perpetually haunted by the memory. Here, the script diverges from the novella: In the latter, Robert physically helps in hauling the worker to a tall bridge, but in the film, Robert simply doesn't intervene.

Despite this shockingly casual event, the film spends most of its time tracing Robert's life. After a brief courtship with his soon-to-be wife Gladys Olding (Felicity Jones), in the small village of Meadow Creek, Robert builds a simple, idyllic home with her among fields of wildflowers and beside a babbling brook. The pair map out their single-room cabin with river boulders and soon welcome the arrival of their daughter Kate. It's an almost overwhelmingly romantic existence, hammered home in near-saccharine montages and Dessner's tender score, and one Robert yearns for when torn away for months on dangerous railroad-building projects. The job's perils are emphasised in both Johnson's novella and Bentley's film, with injury or death from the felling of colossal trees a common workplace risk for 20th-century lumberjacks. Veloso's POV shots of these ancient giants falling prove the point, and several scenes show how risky this business of pillaging the natural landscape was.

Featured Video For You NYCC Recap, Good Boy's Oscar Plea, and Best Book Adaptations from BFI LFF

At one tragic point, in a devastatingly shot and enacted sequence, Robert's world is upturned forever. He's left desperately searching for meaning in it all, feeling obsolete and expecting "a great revelation to arrive about his life." Edgerton delivers a solemn, raw performance — and with everything that happens, we're not mad that he's surrounded by fluffy stray puppies for a large chunk of the film. Giving Edgerton's character room for deep conversation and reflection, Bentley and Kwedar expand characters from Johnson's book, including Robert's friend Ignatius Jack (a wonderful Nathaniel Arcand), a Kootenai store owner who helps him rebuild, and forest service worker Claire (Kerry Condon), who bonds with Robert down the track.

Train Dreams is a journey of solitude and American history. Joel Edgerton in "Train Dreams." Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Though it's not necessarily a history lesson, Train Dreams subtly meanders through stories of the American West and where these unsung railroad workers fit within it. Through an omniscient narrator (voiced by Will Patton) and conversations between characters, the script pieces together fragments of the past. As in Johnson's novella, mentions of the American Civil War, American Indian Wars, and World War I arise organically. In particular here, William H. Macy is a highlight as Arn Peeples, a harmonica-playing explosives expert and "gadabout of unknown origin" who befriends Robert. As in the novella, Arn's the character most reflective on American history, lamenting his younger peers' disconnection to it.

Like Arn, Patton's narration lends a certain grandfatherly energy, describing locomotive mechanics, the construction of the Robinson Gorge Bridge, and "the cost of progress" in the same tone as he describes Robert's existential crisis. Nonetheless, it gives the film a steadfast emotional consistency. Additionally, his narration gives the film's present an awareness of the future, as we learn what will become of things.

William H. Macy in "Train Dreams." Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Train Dreams also takes pains to capture a specific tension between tradition and modernity through the work of production designer Alexandra Schaller. From the handcrafted elements of the Graniers' cabin to the changing technology of the logging sites from rudimentary tools to machinery, Schaller's team craft a detailed picture of life in the American West from early to mid century. But there's one crucial element that pulls all the elements of Train Dreams together.

The simmering engine of Train Dreams is Bryce Dessner's score. Joel Edgerton and Kerry Condon in "Train Dreams." Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Adding to his lauded catalogue of modern film scores from The Revenant to We Live In Time, The National's Bryce Dessner once again flexes his atmospheric composer skills in Train Dreams. At once a whimsical, romantic ode to potential and a hypnotic, reflective accompaniment to loss, Dessner's score drives the emotional engine of Train Dreams. Edgerton's Robert is characteristically stoic and interior in his emotions, allowing Dessner to draw out the brilliant subtleties of his performance. Meanwhile, it's the perfect partner to Veloso's gorgeous shots of Robert engulfed by the Idaho landscape, immersed in the beauty and history of the American wilderness.

Worth staying through the film's end credits for, Dessner teams up with the ever-iconic Nick Cave (no stranger to a lyrical exploration of love and loss) for the haunting original song "Train Dreams." This brooding ballad essentially encapsulates the film's narrative and emotional tone in a few minutes, marking a sublime conclusion to the film.

Train Dreams takes its time, relishing in conversations about grief, loss, feeling obsolete and overwhelmed by both nature and modernity. This slower pace can feel a little engulfing at times, but Edgerton's performance, Dessner's score, and Veloso's balance of handheld and static photography kept me hitched on the ride.

Train Dreams was reviewed out of BFI London Film Festival. The film will hit select U.S. cinemas on Nov. 7 before streaming on Netflix worldwide on Nov. 21.

I spend way too much time staring at screens. When I wake up, I reach for my phone first. In addition to the eight hours a day I spend typing away at my computer, my phone is always there, tempting me to open it and scroll through Instagram rather than getting my work done. When I'm unwinding with a TV show in the evening, my phone is there again, pulling my attention away from the screen. And before falling asleep, I'm once again scrolling through TikTok when I could be reading.

I'm not particularly proud of my screen time numbers or my need to be constantly stimulated. I've created time limits on my most distracting apps and set designated downtime schedules. But honestly, it still hasn't been enough — getting around those limits is as easy as hitting the snooze button.

Ironically, as I tried to lower my screen time, I was targeted with Instagram ads for The Brick, which promises stricter screen time controls to actually curb my phone usage. After testing the Brick for several months, I'm thrilled to say that it helped curb my screen time — cutting it in half — and finally taught me to be bored again.

Opens in a new window Credit: Brick The Brick $59 at Brick
  Shop Now How does The Brick work? The Brick app before, during and after Bricking your phone. Credit: Samantha Mangino

Screen time management apps can be great for ensuring you only spend a certain amount of time on social media a day, but there's a big issue — they're easy to bypass. Using my iPhone's built-in app limits, I quickly fell into the habit of sneaking in one more minute of TikTok, which then became another hour. Brick is also an app, but it adds a physical component, too, which takes away the easy bypass.

The Brick works by locking certain apps when you tap your phone to the Brick. To unlock your phone, you have to tap it against the Brick again. However, if you're in a pinch and really need to access your blocked apps without getting up to tap your phone, the Brick app has five emergency un-Bricks available in total. A word of caution, though, once you've used up these emergency un-Bricks, you have to factory reset your device to make them available again, so use them sparingly.

Previously, the Brick was only available on iOS devices; however, it's now also available on Android smartphones. Multiple devices can be used per Brick, too. My wife and I use the same Brick, keeping it on our refrigerator for easy access.

It's the only thing to truly get my screen time down I keep The Brick on our refrigerator, forcing me to get out of bed or off the couch if I want to un-Brick my phone. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Having the physical component of the Brick means that if you want to access your blocked apps, you can't just press a button. You have to get up and go to your Brick to tap your phone.

And let me tell you, that small physical element makes a world of difference. When I'm lounging on the couch in the evening and want to scroll through Instagram, even though I'm already watching a show, knowing I'd have to get up to un-Brick my phone is enough to deter me from scrolling. My favorite use of Bricking my phone is before bed, as it ensures social media isn't the first thing I see when I wake up and forces me to get out of bed if I do want to look at it.

Plus, the Brick has given me my attention back. When I Brick my phone, it takes away the distraction so I'm not watching my phone when I should be watching TV. But the Brick is even great when I'm not trying to focus on something else. With all my most distracting apps blocked, I'm finally bored again. When I have some downtime, rather than defaulting to scrolling, it motivates me to spend more time reading or finally tackle those errands I've been putting off.

It cut my screen time in half What my screen time looks like when I'm not using Brick. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable What my screen time looks like using Brick. Credit: Samantha Mangino

So what was the result of my using the Brick? It cut my screen time in half.

The best way to quantify the effectiveness of the Brick is through numbers. Before using the Brick, I was averaging about six hours of phone screen time a day. I didn't set out to limit my screen time by a certain number or percentage; I just wanted it to be less. So I was shocked when using the Brick cut my screen time down to an average of three hours a day. Yup, a whole 50 percent less.

Additionally, my whole household has adopted the Brick to limit screen time. I work from home, so I have to exercise a little discipline when I don't have in-person coworkers around. But even my wife, who teaches every day, Bricks their phone before heading to school every morning.

You can create different modes All the different modes I've created for Bricking my phone. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Bricking your phone isn't an all-or-nothing decision. The default setting allows you to block all apps — including your texts and video calls — making it essentially a dumb phone that only allows you to make standard phone calls. However, that's not your only option. You can create different modes, hand-selecting which apps to allow or which to block.

I've created some modes that make my phone similar to a dumb phone — except I do allow for video calls and texts. However, other modes I've created just block the apps that are my biggest distractions: Instagram, TikTok, X, Pinterest, and even Chrome. I also have a light version of this, which helps me stay distraction-free during work but still allows me access to Chrome in case I need to look something up.

Be careful about what apps you select

My only word of caution regarding the Brick is to check which apps get blocked. If you select the option to block all apps, that can end up preventing you access to apps that you might actually need. One time, I Bricked my phone before heading to the gym, only to realize that it was blocking my gym's app, which has my membership card. Another time, my Brick was blocking the Amazon app, which I needed to scan at Whole Foods to get extra savings.

Luckily, that's where Brick's emergency un-Bricking feature helps. Unfortunately, I've already used up two of the allotted five.

I wish it set app limits You can even keep track of how much time you've spent in Brick mode on the activity tab. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

One thing I do like about Apple's built-in screen time is that you can set app limits. Unfortunately, you can't set app limits with Brick. Instead, you just block all apps to try and cut back on your overall screen time. While I quickly adapted to Brick's system, I occasionally missed the app limits that would give me a cue that it was time to ditch social media for the evening.

It's a bit of an investment

Going from using a free screen time feature on my iPhone to paying $59 for The Brick is a little tough to stomach. That being said, it really works. It's the only system that's been able to effectively decrease my screen time. Plus, it's a one-time price to pay.

Other popular screen time apps, like Opal, have free versions, but to access all features, you'll need to pay $99.99 per year.

Is the Brick worth it? Opens in a new window Credit: Brick The Brick $59 at Brick
  Get Deal

The Brick is absolutely worth it. I've been raving about The Brick for months, ever since I started using it and recommending it to everyone I know. If you've been looking for a system to reduce your screen time and have found that built-in app limits aren't enough, the Brick is my favorite option.

The physical limitation of the Brick adds an extra barrier, making it especially effective at preventing you from overriding your screen time and staying truly distraction-free.

Back in March 2025, OpenAI rolled out image generation to all free users. This gives everyone a chance to sit down and make and edit images using AI. In fact, when we sat down to compare the best AI image generators, ChatGPT came out on top (though Google's Nano Banana is giving it a run for its money lately). And if you want to get started making fun photos with ChatGPT, you just need to know the right ChatGPT photo prompts.

Image generation in ChatGPT — and most other AI models — falls into three categories. You can create images out of nothing using natural language (known as text-to-image generation), you can upload an image and have the AI transform it in some way, or you can upload an image and have the AI edit the photo to your specifications. 

There are a lot of permutations of each option, and it can sometimes be difficult to know where to start. So, here are some of our favorite ChatGPT image prompts you can use to create neat stuff. You can also check out Mashable's guide to the best Nano Banana and Gemini photo prompts for more inspiration.

Blend pictures together An AI-generated image of the author and his dog. Credit: Joe Hindy/ChatGPT

One of the best examples of AI image generation at work is to blend pictures together. To make it work, simply upload two images to the ChatGPT chat with instructions on what you want to do. For this example, I took a headshot of myself and a picture of my dog with his nose on the table, and asked ChatGPT to put my head in the image with the dog. The goal was as you see above, to have a picture of my dog and I together. 

The first time I tried it, it took my head and not my shoulders, so I had a real Futurama thing going where I was just a head floating there, so I had ChatGPT rerun the generation with specific instructions to also include my shoulders. The above popped out, and while it doesn’t look exactly like me (and the dog doesn’t look exactly like my dog), it’s close enough to call a success. 

Turn yourself (or your pets) into trading cards ChatGPT added fun details to Luna's playing card (AI-generated image). Credit: Joe Hindy / ChatGPT

This one was really fun to do. I used a picture of my dog Luna, who sadly passed away last year. I had ChatGPT create this playing card for an imaginary fantasy role-playing game, which I’ll use as a cute social media post eventually. I uploaded a photo of my dog and used a prompt detailing what I wanted.

"This is a good dog named Luna. Please create a playing card featuring Luna for an imaginary fantasy role-playing game. The card should feature details on HP, attack name and effect, weaknesses (tennis balls, peanut butter), and a very brief description of Luna's abilities. Before completing the card, double-check that all words, text, and numbers appear correctly without any mistakes or typos."

These make for delightful little images that you can share, and my wife got a giggle out of it. There are a ton of variations to this prompt. You can also have ChatGPT create sports trading cards or whatever your heart desires.

Add details to existing images ChatGPT added details of the aurora borealis into an existing picture (AI generated image) Credit: Joe Hindy/ChatGPT

ChatGPT can also add stuff to images to make them pop more. Google Gemini can do this with Nano Banana as well, as Mashable editor Timothy Werth added some dolphins to an image of him on a boat. So, I thought I’d try it out. Last year, the U.S. saw a crazy week where the aurora borealis reached as far as Texas. I caught a picture from my front yard, but as I was in the suburbs, and I wasn’t able to get those cool details that others did. 

So, I sent the picture to ChatGPT and asked it to add in some of those aurora details. In the image above, ChatGPT added basically all the green parts to the sky. The more subtle green notes right above the trees and houses are perfect, but I thought the more obvious green waves were a bit much considering the lighting and color tones of the rest of the photograph. Either way, it still looks good, and it illustrates the effect. 

For prompts like this, be as specific as possible. Remember, with ChatGPT image prompts, specificity is key!

Claymation, building blocks, and puppets, oh my! My guitars and amps but in the style of toy building blocks (AI-generated image) Credit: Joe Hindy/ChatGPT

Claymation was a big trend a while back, and ChatGPT users have even created custom tools in the chatbot to help you make your own claymation images. So, if you’ve ever wanted to turn yourself into a Robot Chicken-like character, this is your chance. Upload an image of yourself and ask ChatGPT to do the rest.

"Use this picture and create a clay animation photograph. The subject should be sitting in a cozy living room with comfy furniture. Vivid lighting enhances the happy scene. HD quality, vivid style, bright colors."

Ask ChatGPT to help you fine-tune your prompt if you don't like the initial results:

Claymation isn’t the only transformation effect that ChatGPT can do, of course. Users have also had a lot of fun turning themselves into Lego-style characters and puppets.

Turn your pets into people

The ability to turn pets into people exists somewhere between super cool and weirdly unsettling. We covered this ChatGPT photo trend when it first went viral, and it's still a lot of fun. The process is simple enough. Upload an image of your pet to ChatGPT and then ask it to imagine your pet as a human. You can add additional prompts like clothing choice, facial expression, background imagery, and all of that. ChatGPT will then turn your pet into a human. However, it's also fun to keep this prompt extremely simple and see how ChatGPT interprets it: "Turn my pet into a human."

Do not, under any circumstances, ask ChatGPT to show you what your dog would look like as a human. It will haunt you and permanently alter your relationship with your pet.

[image or embed]

— Thomas Frampton (@tframpton.bsky.social) April 10, 2025 at 8:46 AM

Lmao I asked #chatgpt to make a human version of my dog. Not only did it deliver but turns out he’s a pup either way 😁 #aiart #funny #pet

[image or embed]

— Sindel Sloan | Siren Switch of the South (@sindelsloan.bsky.social) April 14, 2025 at 10:45 AM

In most examples, the change isn’t too dramatic, but some of them can be a little unsettling to look at. You can have ChatGPT create images that are realistic or in whatever art style you choose, which can change the output substantially. This trended on social media for a while, so you can find tons of examples on Reddit, Instagram, Threads, BlueSky, and other places. 

Have ChatGPT replicate an image 100 times The original image... Credit: Timothy Beck Werth/ChatGPT ...and the final result (AI-generated image) Credit: Joe Hindy/ChatGPT

When Mashable's tech editor asked ChatGPT to replicate an image of himself 100 times, the results were... bizarre. For this trend, most people stick with a very simple prompt: "Create an exact replica of this image, don't change a thing."

You would think it would just spit out the same image 100 times, but you would be wrong. Every time you run an image through ChatGPT, it changes slightly, even if you tell it not to change anything. Repeat this a bunch of times, and you can get some really interesting end results. Word of warning: This one does require a bit more know-how, as the easiest and fastest way is to it is by using OpenAI’s API. The everyday AI chatbot may even refuse to participate in a replication request.

Reddit

One of the most famous examples of this ChatGPT image trend is one where a Redditor ran Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson's picture through the chatbot 101 times. The Rock slowly morphs from himself into someone who looks totally different, and ends up looking like something out of Picasso’s nightmares.

Turn yourself (or anything else) into an action figure

Remember the ChatGPT action figure trend? Earlier this year, ChatGPT users were using the chatbot to turn themselves or their favorite characters into action figures, complete with packaging, plastic wrap, and accessories. For best results, add some details to your prompt about the packaging details and the sort of accessories you'd like to see to further customize the final result.

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

If you need some help, check out the examples generated by X users Artedeingenio and Seinfeldism1. As per usual, the better your prompt, the better your final product will be.

Turn your Reddit username into a picture This is what ChatGPT came up with for the username "beachedwhitemale" (AI-generated image). Credit: Reddit / beachedwhitemale

I’ve been on Reddit for about 12 years now, and I’ve seen some wacky usernames. Some of them would be fun to see in image format, and ChatGPT can do just that. In the above example, Redditor beachedwhitemale generated an image of a beached white male. Kudos for accuracy, ChatGPT. 

Like the others, you can change how this presents by tweaking your prompts. For instance, one Redditor opted for a more artsy look rather than realistic, and some folks even asked ChatGPT to make the opposite of what their username would be, with interesting results. How absurd or cool this is totally depends on your Reddit username, so hopefully you picked an interesting one. 

Check out the Trend Image tool A ChatGPT Trend Image relating to some science news (AI-generated image). Credit: Joe Hindy/ChatGPT

If you want to create images or cartoons based on trending news, one ChatGPT-er has built the Trend Image function, which mines the headlines of the day for image prompt ideas. For example, you can create a webcomic based on the latest tech news or animate an interesting science story for your kids.

My own attempt at this trend is... fine. (Why are the quantum scientists arguing with a coffee maker?) With some fine-tuning and dialogue suggestions, I think you could create something a lot better.

Have ChatGPT image prompt ideas of your own?

ChatGPT is still one of the best AI image makers (though Google's Nano Banana is probably the best image editor at the moment), so if you have a weird or quirky idea, you might as well give it a shot. Feel free to drop your own ChatGPT prompt ideas into the comments, or share them with Mashable on social media.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.