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Fans of Ryobi and its bright-colored power tools know that the company has a huge ecosystem of 18V ONE+ and 40V tools, from regular drills and drivers to obscure items for around the house. And while Ryobi has an excellent reputation for delivering quality tools at affordable prices, there are a few slightly more expensive models that are absolutely worth saving up for.

For years, Orïsha existed only in readers' imaginations.

Ever since Nigerian-American author Tomi Adeyemi introduced readers to the West African-inspired fantasy kingdom in Children of Blood and Bone, fans have imagined its palaces, debated its heroes, and envisioned its magic through BookTok, fan art, and fancasts. On Monday night at New York's Brooklyn Academy of Music, audiences finally got their first glimpse of Hollywood's vision of Orïsha as director Gina Prince-Bythewood and members of the cast — including Thuso Mbedu, Regina King, Lashana Lynch, Tosin Cole, and Zackary Momoh — unveiled the film's first trailer.

SEE ALSO: Tomi Adeyemi: "'Children of Blood and Bone' is an allegory for the modern black experience"

Ahead of the trailer's public release on Tuesday, Prince-Bythewood and the Children of Blood and Bone cast pulled back the curtain on adapting one of BookTok's defining fantasy novels. Set in Orïsha, the story follows Zélie Adebola (Mbedu), a young divîner determined to restore magic to the kingdom after a brutal king wipes out the maji and outlaws their powers.

During a wide-ranging conversation moderated by writer and actor Lena Waithe, who joked onstage about once serving as Prince-Bythewood's assistant, the director offered a glimpse at the years of research, collaboration, and intention that went into translating that story to the screen. She discussed everything from grounding the film's magic in African history and spirituality to training actors for months of combat and recruiting Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems to shape the soundtrack.

Gina Prince-Bythewood says she had to be ready for Children of Blood and Bone Gina Prince-Bythewood, director of "Children of Blood and Bone." Credit: Lephatse Motshana courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

One of the biggest revelations of the evening was that Prince-Bythewood almost never directed Children of Blood and Bone at all.

The filmmaker revealed she'd been approached to direct the adaptation three separate times over the last seven years. Twice, she turned it down.

Looking back, she said the timing simply wasn't right. "I was not emotionally ready," Prince-Bythewood told Waithe. "And I think actually I didn't know how to make this yet."

It wasn't until after directing Netflix's The Old Guard and the critically acclaimed historical epic The Woman King that she felt she had developed both the technical confidence and emotional perspective to take on Adeyemi's sprawling fantasy universe. "There was something about this third time," she said. "It happened when it was supposed to happen."

Thuso Mbedu plays Zélie in "Children of Blood and Bone." Credit: Lephatse Motshana courtesy of Paramount Pictures. "When I read it, I just felt so connected to this young hero who's fighting to find her purpose."

The connection, Prince-Bythewood explained, wasn't just about scale. She found herself deeply identifying with Zélie, the young heroine fighting to reclaim magic in a world that has tried to erase it.

"When I read it, I just felt so connected to this young hero who's fighting to find her purpose," Prince-Bythewood said. At a moment when "so much is going on in the world right now," she added, the novel's themes felt newly urgent. Like her previous films, she hopes audiences leave Children of Blood and Bone understanding what she's trying to say but also "leave with hope."

That sense of purpose also shaped the way Prince-Bythewood viewed the adaptation itself. Rather than simply translating a bestselling novel to the screen, the director saw an opportunity to push fantasy somewhere Hollywood has rarely gone before. "I couldn't say no," she said. "It was something even bigger in a space that we hadn't got to see ourselves in, which is fantasy and big, epic fantasy."

Building Orïsha meant looking beyond Hollywood fantasy Damson Idris plays Inan and Cynthia Erivo plays Commander Kaea in "Children of Blood and Bone." Credit: Lephatse Motshana courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

Prince-Bythewood said one of the biggest challenges wasn't simply designing Orïsha. It was deciding what its magic should look and feel like.

The filmmaker never wanted the core kingdom of Children of Blood and Bone to feel like a familiar fantasy world with African influences layered on afterward. Instead, she and Academy Award-winning production designer Hannah Beachler (Black Panther) began with what Prince-Bythewood called a deceptively simple question: "How do we make magic feel cultural?"

The answer led them in unexpected directions. Beachler researched Ethiopian palaces and ancient African civilizations that Prince-Bythewood said have too often been erased from mainstream history. "The beauty of so much of our history is erased," Prince-Bythewood said. "Nobody knows that we had these great civilizations."

"How do we make magic feel cultural?"

Together, they envisioned Orïsha as a fantasy kingdom rooted in Nigeria and Yoruba mythology while embracing cultures from across the African diaspora — a world where, as Prince-Bythewood put it, "all of us" could see ourselves reflected.

That philosophy extended into every department.

Costume designer Charlese Antoinette Jones (Judas and the Black Messiah) brought not only her design experience but also her perspective as an Orisha priestess, helping shape colors and symbolism throughout the film. Hair designer Andrea Mona Bowman (The Piano Lesson) spent months testing how to create Zélie's signature white hair while showcasing a wide range of braids, textures, and styles across the cast. Dialect coach Yetunde Felix-Ukwu (Sinners) developed the film's Orïshan language while ensuring its Yoruba pronunciation remained authentic. Makeup, tattoos, title design, choreography, and even the mythology surrounding the gods of Children of Blood and Bone were approached with the same level of cultural specificity.

Bukky Bakray plays Binta, Amandla Stenberg plays Amari, Regina King plays Queen Nehanda, and Chiwetel Ejiofor plays King Saran. Credit: Lephatse Motshana courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

Even the film's magic system grew out of unexpected research. When developing the film's production design, Beachler came across studies suggesting that human skin naturally emits tiny amounts of light. For Prince-Bythewood, the discovery sparked an idea.

"When I'm trying to figure out what our magic is going to feel like, the fact that that's a real thing was fascinating," she said. The filmmakers paired that concept with scarification traditions that Prince-Bythewood wanted audiences to see "not as something villainized," but as something beautiful.

That commitment to authenticity also shaped where the movie was filmed. Rather than surrounding actors with digital environments, Prince-Bythewood insisted on shooting "on the continent" in South Africa and building practical sets that performers could physically inhabit. She described the approach as "grounded fantasy," providing actors with complete environments rather than green screens whenever possible. Some locations required three- and four-hour drives followed by steep hikes to remote waterfalls and landscapes millions of years old, experiences Prince-Bythewood believes ultimately found their way onto the screen.

"You want things to feel real," she said. "I wanted to give the actors this 360 world to play in."

Fantasy storytelling begins with people Amandla Stenberg plays Amari, Thuso Mbedu plays Zélie, and Tosin Cole plays Tzain. Credit: Lephatse Motshana courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

For all of Children of Blood and Bone's sweeping landscapes, elaborate costumes, and sizable battle sequences, Prince-Bythewood insisted the film could only succeed if audiences first cared about the people at its center.

"The big set pieces, the great action scenes, don't mean anything if you don't care about the characters," she said. "If there's no stakes."

That idea shaped everything from casting to combat training. Prince-Bythewood said she prefers to "turn your actors into athletes," putting performers through months of intensive stunt training so they can perform much of the action themselves rather than relying on doubles. Mbedu, who plays protagonist Zélie, began training six months before filming. Tosin Cole, who plays Zélie's brother Tzain, trained for four months to master his character's axe-fighting — and, according to him, it was one "heavy-ass axe."

"The big set pieces, the great action scenes, don't mean anything if you don't care about the characters."

But the emotional work proved just as important. Cast members described Prince-Bythewood not simply as a director, but as a collaborator, someone who encouraged difficult conversations in pursuit of emotional truth.

Cole recalled spending nearly an hour discussing a single line of dialogue between Tzain and his father, Baba, played by Momoh. Rather than simply having them say "I love you" to one another, the actors questioned whether those words felt true to the relationship they were building. Together with Prince-Bythewood, they ultimately found another way to communicate the emotion.

"It was a little line," Cole said. "But it meant so much in a deeper way... just being true to that world." Those conversations, he added, made the cast feel "free and safe to give everything that we got."

Momoh said the discussion reflected Prince-Bythewood's larger commitment to intentional storytelling. "Regardless of how it went down, I think what we got was beautiful," he said. "We need to see Black men showing love to each other. If it's the thing of saying 'I love you,' or if it's any other way." The fact that the team spent time on this single exchange, he added, spoke to the care Prince-Bythewood brought to every scene. "We see you," Momoh added, addressing Prince-Bythewood directly. "Because you are for us, by us."

The maji, born with white hair as a sign of their magical heritage. Credit: Lephatse Motshana courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

Lashana Lynch, who plays Zélie's and Tzain's mother Jumoke, described the director's instincts as "guttural." The actor, who previously worked with Prince-Bythewood on The Woman King, said she trusted the filmmaker to push actors beyond what they believed they were capable of while creating an environment where they felt safe doing so. "We became whole other people off the back of this experience," Lynch said.

Mbedu laughed as she recalled how the director would sometimes remove her own jacket during cold shoots, so the cast wouldn't feel they were suffering alone. "She will never ask us to do something she wouldn't do," Mbedu said.

When Waithe asked the cast how making Children of Blood and Bone had changed them, none of them talked about the scale of the production or the marvel of bringing Orïsha to life. Instead, they spoke about what the story had awakened in themselves.

Lashana Lynch plays Jumoke. Credit: Lephatse Motshana courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

Cole described rediscovering a deeper sense of purpose through his character. Momoh said portraying a Yoruba father while becoming a father himself reconnected him to his Nigerian ancestry and spirituality. Lynch said the story reminded her that "the magic isn't rooted in fantasy. It's rooted in us," describing the film as a reminder that the magic Black people have carried "since the beginning of time" has endured despite generations of brutality and erasure.

King, meanwhile, who plays Queen Nehanda, zoomed out from the personal to the cultural. She predicted Children of Blood and Bone would become a landmark for fantasy filmmaking.

"I believe there's going to be storytelling on film that was before Children of Blood and Bone and after," she said.

Tems helped shape Orïsha before cameras ever rolled

Before revealing the trailer, Prince-Bythewood saved one final surprise for the audience. Long before cameras rolled, she explained, she'd been writing the screenplay while listening to two songs on repeat: Tems' "Try Me" and Burna Boy's "Alone."

"They were so intrinsic to my writing," she said. And that connection ultimately evolved into one of the night's biggest announcements.

Prince-Bythewood revealed that Tems served as executive producer of the film's soundtrack, calling her the first woman to do so at this scale. Burna Boy joined the project as executive music consultant, while the soundtrack also features three new songs from Tems alongside contributions from Nigerian artists Fireboy DML, BNXN (formerly known as Buju), and Ayra Starr.

Whether this version of Orïsha matches the one readers have carried in their heads remains to be seen when the film arrives in theaters next January. What is clear, however, is the care with which Prince-Bythewood and her collaborators approached the adaptation. More than an exercise in world-building, Children of Blood and Bone became an act of world-believing.

Children of Blood and Bone hits theaters on Jan. 15, 2027.

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The time has arrived for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the next chapter for the MCU's Peter Parker (Tom Holland), directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings).

Perhaps more than other iconic superheroes, Spider-Man's potential seems absolutely limitless. Parker's story has been explored through three separate franchises: Sam Raimi's 2000s Spider-Man trilogy with Tobey Maguire, the pair of Amazing Spider-Man movies from the 2010s starring Andrew Garfield, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version, with Holland at the center.

Beyond that, Sony launched the Miles Morales Spider-Verse movies, bringing a fresh perspective and dozens (maybe hundreds) of multiverse Spider-folk into the fold, including Spider-Gwen, Spider-Noir, and Spider-Ham. There's also a handful of Spider-Man spinoffs (Morbius, Venom, Madame Web, and Kraven The Hunter), which mostly proved Spidey's rogues' gallery just doesn't work without him.

SEE ALSO: 'Kraven the Hunter' is bad. But what if I love it?

When the focus is on our friendly neighborhood Spider-Person, we rally for his homespun heroism, goofy witticisms, and undeniable charm. But don't we also hope for something we haven't seen before onscreen?

With Raimi's trilogy, the bones of the modern superhero movie were being built through spectacular action sequences, balanced with critically acclaimed actors sinking their teeth into villainous roles. With Garfield's swing, Peter's love interest, Mary Jane, was swapped for Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), who was brilliant and doomed. To director Jon Watts' trilogy, which began with Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter was re-imagined as a hero in the vein of a classic American coming-of-age comedy, bringing into the fold his nervy and nerdy bestie Ned (Jacob Batalon) and his smirking, anti-social yet charismatic crush MJ (Zendaya).

While all of these movies have their merits, Watts' were thrilling not only because of their Marvel connections (including Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man cameos), but chiefly because they had a different energy from the rest of the MCU. Where other heroes were shown in their awkward learning how to use their powers stage, Holland's Spidey swung into action without an origin story and into an Avengers movie. From there, the MCU skipped the Uncle Ben beat (well, for two movies anyway), and embraced the youth and joie de vivre of its stars. While Peter faced life-or-death scenarios again and again, these films were rebelliously joyous, until the third act of 2021's No Way Home.

SEE ALSO: 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' is too much, and I'm not mad at it

There, this Peter Parker lost his version of Uncle Ben, the cool (and hot) Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), who died in her pursuit to save classic Spidey villains from their pre-established fates. Then, as Peter looks to set the multiverses right, he must surrender being known. By movie's end, no one in his universe remembers him, including Ned, MJ, and all his Avengers colleagues.

So where does that leave Brand New Day? Well, I'm sad to say in some frustratingly familiar territory.

This review will proceed with no major spoilers. If you've seen the trailers, you're fine.

What's Spider-Man: Brand New Day about? Spider-Man swings to the rescue. Credit: Sony Pictures

Set roughly four years after the events of No Way Home, Spider-Man: Brand New Day begins with Peter Parker living a resolutely isolated life. Sure, he's out thwipping around New York City, fighting crime by webbing up bad guys and snatching would-be bystanders out of the path of carnage. However, because of his grief and guilt over the death of May, Peter won't allow himself to get close to anyone.

Through social media, he watches Ned's posts from four years of MIT, but he never comments. When a girl in his apartment building attempts to flirt, he essentially moves to the attic in self-exile. Where the end of the last film had him living in squalor, he somehow has enough cash to fill his apartment with expensive tech, including multiple computer displays and a 3D printer, while Spider-Manning full-time. The closest thing he has to a friend is NYPD inspector Jean DeWolff (The Bear's Liza Colón-Zayas), who urges him to address his lack of a work/life balance.

Featured Video For You Andy Serkis teases 'The Hunt for Gollum': 'It's not just a nostalgia film'

Totally, totally. But Peter has bigger issues to deal with. First and foremost, his body is changing — well, mutating. The organic webs that he once marveled over coming out of Peter 2's wrists are now coming out his own. He's also suffering migraines, blackouts, and states of rage that turn his eyes black. (Think Aang going into the Avatar state, but the emo version.)

But that's not all! Peter also must face off against a new threat to New York City. A mysterious person (Sadie Sink) is attacking Damage Control buildings in search of — what? Peter's not sure. But what he has figured out is that whoever this curious foe is, she's able to "possess" strangers as if they are puppets. (Think the Denzel Washington thriller Fallen.) Who can he trust when anyone can turn against him at the whim of this villain? Bruce "The Hulk" Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Frank "The Punisher" Castle (Jon Bernthal), because sure, why not?

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is rehashing superhero standards. Weary is the head that wears the Spidey mask. Credit: Sony Pictures

With the mutation plot point, Peter is once more faced with having to figure out how to superhero. This was something we saw in Homecoming as he unlocked the training wheels protocols, and all of a sudden had access to a bunch of Stark-designed deadly artillery. Later in that movie, and in Far From Home, and in No Way Home, something happens that strips away his tools, forcing him to trust in himself and his friends to save the day.

This Spider-Man's arc has been all about rebuilding with a little help from his friends. In Brand New Day, this dynamic is marred because Peter hasn't reconnected with Ned or MJ yet. So, his figuring out his new natural web shooting solo feels like a pretty blatant ripoff of the same sequence from Raimi's Spider-Man. Which is odd tonally, because this movie is not remotely as wilfully silly as Raimi's films.

Despite its optimistic title, Brand New Day is a recurring bummer. Peter is thrust into the brooding sadsack role that we've seen in heroes like Captain America, Iron Man, Superman, and Batman. Weary is the head that wears the Spidey mask and all that. And yes, story-wise this makes sense. Peter's lost the only parent figures he's ever known, between May and Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame. Now, his only friends don't know who he is. But Marvel movies post-snap being unending meditations on grief and trauma has been exhausting. To make the whole of Peter's arc this retread is tiresome, especially since it leads to near re-enactments of past big moments (a kiss, a fall) rather than making interesting new ones.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is more a puzzle piece than a film. Tom Holland is Spider-Man. Credit: Sony Pictures

Further frustrating, Spider-Man: Brand New Day doesn't feel like a weird little corner of the MCU, like the past three Watts' films did. The screenplay by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers (who wrote Far From Home and No Way Home) feels like a web of IP, more than a cohesive creative vision. Sure, the last movie tied in heroes and villains from past Spider-Man film series,' as well as other MCU characters like Daredevil. But those felt like fan service towards the narrative's purpose of exploring cycles of violence. It was fun and surprising and interesting.

Brand New Day is none of the above. There's nothing here as gleefully surprising as the reveal that Vulture was the dad of Peter's homecoming date, as fun as the Night Monkey shenanigans, or as interesting as giving all of the past Spider-Man's big bads a second chance to get it right. Instead, Hulk is back to smash like we've seen before ("puny god"). And then, there's Bernthal's Punisher and the impressive, martial arts-fighting gang known as The Hand, with their rough edges smoothed off to fit into a PG-13 movie, where no one murders dozens of people with guns or casually sneers "motherfucker." (When Frank tries, Spidey webs his mouth shut along with his guns.)

Naturally, there are other MCU characters too, new and old, who appear. But to save you what little surprises this film does offer, I'll not identify them. Instead, I'll say this: It's not that these characters or these actors in the roles aren't entertaining. It's that they feel shoved in toward some mysterious purpose aimed at setting up Avengers: Doomsday. And so, Brand New Day becomes less about Spider-Man than about the future of the phase.

Brand New Day gets some core Spider-Man details dead on. Tom Holland is Spider-Man. Credit: Sony Pictures

For all my gripes, there were things Cretton got right. Like the past three Spider-Man movies, and Raimi's as well, Brand New Day shows a deep understanding/appreciation for New York City. I love this place, and I love it when a Spider-Man anything reflects that love. In Brand New Day, you see it in the web-slinging around the city, the setting of key scenes at gorgeous urban landmarks, like the top of Silvercup Studios in Queens, and the casting of fleets of background actors and under-five players, who burst with character even in brief moments. And you hear it in Holland's accent, which has definitely gotten more New York as this franchise has gone on.

And look, he's still a terrific Spider-Man. While I was disappointed that mopey Peter quips way less, Holland still has that twinkle in his eye, and a gift for the physical comedy of social embarrassment that makes this kid from Queens feel real even as his powers are unreal. The whole of the cast is impressive, buying into the reality of Brand New Day, meeting its weird mix of humor and heartache.

To circle back to the web-slinging, Cretton's version is extraordinary. Some scenes do feel inspired by Marvel's Spider-Man 2 video game, which had an expansive map that allowed players to thwip into the outer boroughs beyond Manhattan and across bridges. That very thing happens in Brand New Day, and it's so sensational that I could practically feel the breeze I imagined hitting my face in such moments of gameplay.

Cretton's cinematographer and VFX team also offer some exciting shot variations in these sequences. Occasionally, we get a POV shot — allowing us to briefly imagine the rush of leaping off a building with no fear of falling. Other times, an over-the-shoulder shot of Spidey swinging makes us a part of the action as essentially a passenger, as if we're hanging on behind him. And sometimes, Brand New Day cuts inside the mask, to a close-up of Peter's eye. This is initially jarring, but in context creates a moment of calm and intense focus before the next battle. It's almost as close as you can get to the inside of Peter's head. Almost.

In the end, yes, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is entertaining, but it falls short of the last three films in terms of imagination, surprises, and joy. Instead, this sequel feels bogged down by IP connections and brooding, which have been the albatross of too many other superhero movies to count.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens in theaters on July 31.

Updated on July 28 at 7:48 a.m. ET — T-Mobile informed Mashable that it had fully restored service by 10:53 p.m. The company provided Mashable with the following statement:

"We have fully restored service for all customers and sincerely apologize for the difficulties. We know that customers rely on us to stay connected to what matters most, and we appreciate their understanding as we prioritized resolution."

Updated on July 27 at 10 p.m. ET — Beyond its initial statement, T-Mobile had no update on the outage.

"Our teams are actively working the reports of technical challenges impacting some customers," the company said in a statement to Mashable. "Any service impacts are in the process of being resolved and are our highest priority. We know how critical it is to stay connected, and every available resource is focused on resolving this as quickly as possible."

In the meantime, many T-Mobile users are going to X and Reddit to complain.

A post on Reddit about the outage already has more than 5,500 comments, and users are trading rumors about the possible cause of the T-Mobile outage, as well as potential fixes. We'll continue to update this post as this story develops.

As of this writing, Downdetector shows that thousands of users are still actively submitting error reports. In addition, Status Gator reports that the outage is nationwide, with T-Mobile-connected providers like Mint Mobile and Boost Mobile also experiencing problems.

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

Updated on July 27 at 5:47 p.m. ET — Users on X are still complaining about a T-Mobile outage, and the topic is currently trending. However, user error reports on Downdetector have slowed since reaching a peak at 4:58 p.m. ET.

T-Mobile users appear to be experiencing disrupted mobile service on Monday afternoon.

More than 64,000 users reported problems as of 5:15 p.m. ET, according to Downdetector. User error reports started to spike at 3:48 p.m. ET, and as of this writing, they're continuing to climb. The majority of users either listed the problem as "no signal," or simply "mobile phone."

Credit: Screenshout courtesy of Downdetector SEE ALSO: T-Mobile is giving away the Apple iPhone 17 for free — how to qualify

Shortly after the issues were reported on Downdetector, searches surged on Google for SOS mode, which can appear on devices when service is disrupted. SOS mode means your phone should still be able to make emergency calls via satellite if needed.

On X, dozens of users complained of an outage, with some users specifically complaining about SOS mode.

A Mashable editor provided this screenshot of their phone stuck in "SOS Mode." Credit: Mashable

New Lego Pokémon sets available to pre-order now: Lego Pokémon Arcanine $109.99 at Lego (ships from Aug. 1) Pre-Order Here Lego Pokémon Munchlax $69.99 at Lego (ships from Aug. 1) Pre-Order Here Lego Pokémon Rayquaza $129.99 at Lego (ships from Aug. 1) Pre-Order Here Lego Pokémon Iconic Trainer Moments Poké Ball $299.99 at Lego (ships from Oct. 1) Pre-Order Here Lego Pokémon Up-Scaled Red Minifigure $79.99 at Lego (ships from Oct. 1) Pre-Order Here

Lego has been on a roll with Pokémon, and the company recently announced more products are gearing up to drop in August and October.

Arcanine, Munchlax, and Rayquaza are all getting their own brick builds coming on Aug. 1, but that's not all. There's also an awesome Iconic Trainer Moments Poké Ball build joining the fun alongside an Up-Scaled Red Minifigure, both set to drop on Oct. 1.

Each of these sets has quite a lot to offer, so to help you decide which one you want to buy, we've lined up everything you need to know before pre-ordering. Alongside breaking down their individual price points, we've also detailed their piece counts, age recommendations, and what they include so you can have a better idea of what you're getting.

Lego Pokémon Arcanine Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Pokémon Arcanine (72160) $109.99 at Lego
  Pre-order Here

The Lego Arcanine build, which is set to release on Aug. 1, looks like an absolute delight to piece together. It's a 1,190-piece set that creates the popular Pokémon with a movable tail, legs, feet, head, and mouth.

This set is aimed at adults (18+). This is likely due to the higher piece count and more detailed assembly, but if you know someone under that age who's interested in it, just make sure they have someone around who can help with the build to make it a bit easier.

Lego Pokémon Munchlax Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Pokémon Munchlax (72150) $69.99 at Lego
  Pre-order Here

Similar to Arcanine, the Lego Munchlax set is aimed at adult builders and is also set to release on Aug. 1, though it comes with a slightly lower piece count at 757. With all of these bricks, you'll assemble an adorable Munchlax sitting on a tree stump with some apples around for snacking.

Munchlax is also posable, just like Arcanine. You can move its head, arms, and legs to give it a little personality when you have it on display.

Lego Pokémon Rayquaza Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Pokémon Rayquaza (72168) $129.99 at Lego
  Pre-order Here

Lego says this cool set is also coming soon on Aug. 1. Packaged with 1,083 pieces, and also recommended for adults, this set sees you putting together Rayquaza alongside Zinnia, a Draconid Trainer minifigure, who's holding a Mega Stone. Similar to the models above, Rayquaza is posable with a reconfigurable tail and body, and movable head and arms, but it also offers two different display options. If you want, you can have Rayquaza on the base of the Sky Pillar or as a stand-alone model.

Lego Pokémon Iconic Trainer Moments Poké Ball Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Pokémon Iconic Trainer Moments Poké Ball (72154) $299.99 at Lego
  Pre-order Here

The Iconic Trainer Moments Poké Ball comes with a whopping 2,386 pieces. Similar to the above, it's also geared towards adult builders with an age recommendation of 18+, but it's releasing a little bit later than the others on Oct. 1.

This big Poké Ball set is full of exciting details. Open it up, and you'll see a display of a battle scene at the bottom and a recreation of Professor Oak's lab at the top. The latter even includes a library, computers, 3 molded Poké Balls, and 2 Pokédex tiles to bring the whole scene together. It also comes with minifigures of Red, Picnicker, and Professor Oak alongside adorable little figures of Pikachu and Eevee.

Lego Pokémon Up-Scaled Red Minifigure Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Pokémon Up-Scaled Red Minifigure (40868) $79.99 at Lego
  Pre-order Here

The Up-Scaled Red Minifigure is another build releasing on Oct. 1 and is recommended for builders aged 10 and up.

In total, it comes with 930 bricks that create a larger minifigure of the Trainer, Red, complete with a red hat, blue pants, a backpack, a red vest with a pin attached, and a Poké Ball. This figure's arms, legs, hands, and head all move as well, so you can find the best pose for displaying after you've pieced it all together.

Every era of computing produces at least one CPU that has a spectacular failure. Sometimes, if you're especially unlucky, you'll get multiple.

I run Home Assistant in Proxmox on my mini PC, along with multiple other services. I use local LLMs running in Ollama, but they're very slow on my local hardware. I've always wanted to use a local LLM to make my local voice assistant smarter, but until now, it's always been far too slow or inaccurate to be of any use.

The beauty of ESP32 boards is that you can add additional hardware to them to make them even more versatile. An ESP32 board that includes an NFC reader opens up a whole world of possibilities. You can use one in combination with smart home software such as Home Assistant to replace a wide range of smart home devices, often for a fraction of the price.

I've been using the Raycast beta for Windows as my main way to launch apps, find files, and move around my PC. It handles most of my search needs, so I rarely have a reason to use Windows' built-in search anymore.

The Slow Mo Guys' giant water balloon series is the gift that keeps on giving.

There have been many, many iterations of this format over the years, but the ingredients remains the same in each: Dan, who is one half of the YouTube duo, plus a six foot water balloon. This time a ramp is added into the mix too and Dan climbs inside the balloon before rolling down its slope and bursting forth at the bottom.

The slow motion results speak for themselves.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage and meet the Mashable 101 to discover the internet’s most exciting voices.

Donald Trump may not have got many laughs during his White House Correspondents' Dinner speech, but he did provide the late night hosts with a good amount of material.

Jon Stewart already had a wonderful time breaking the event down on The Daily Show, and in the clip above Seth Meyers has just as much fun — drawing attention to the long, empty silence that met Trump waffling about his controversial $400 million White House ballroom.

"Oh my God, that room is so quiet," says Meyers. "Is the audience sitting behind four-inch glass? Until they showed a shot of the crowd I just assumed everybody had left to go take a closer look at the ballroom. You could both hear a pin drop and see people who looked like they'd just sat on a pin."

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SAVE OVER $800: As of July 28, the Hisense 85-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV is on sale for $1,698 at Amazon. That's $801.99 off its full price of $2,499.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 85-Inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K UHD TV $1,698 at Amazon
$2,499.99 Save $801.99   Get Deal

Big TVs come with equally big price tags, which is why we're always on the lookout for good deals. As of July 28, Amazon has dropped an offer on the Hisense 85-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV that's caught our eye, with just over $800 slashed off its list price for a limited time.

Usually, this massive screen comes with a hefty price tag of $2,499.99, but you can grab it for $1,698 right now at Amazon. Overall, it's a great 32% discount. Plus, Hisense is a TV brand we think very highly of, so it's well worth dropping cash on.

SEE ALSO: Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 from Amazon and get a free $100 gift card

Thanks to 4K resolution and Hi-QLED technology, this Hisense TV's display makes movies and shows you've put on shine with sharp clarity and stunning colors. Its huge 85-inch screen size will help you feel even more immersed in what you're watching, too. According to the store page, it also boasts a native 165Hz refresh rate. This prevents blur or lag from slowing down on-screen action, which is great news for everything from gaming to watching sports.

On top of all that, it's also a smart TV with Google TV. With this, you can organize all your favorite streaming apps on the home screen so you can jump into them right away.

Treat yourself to a TV upgrade with this discount on the Hisense 85-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV at Amazon.

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FREE GIFT: Until July 31, buy Lego's The Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter and get The Darksaber ($29.99 value) for free.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego The Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter $249.99 at Lego
Get a free Darksaber set ($29.99 value) through July 31, while supplies last. Shop Now

If you're a Star Wars fan, Lego is running a solid freebie deal right now.

Buy the Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter, and Lego will throw in The Darksaber for free — a $29.99 value. The offer runs until July 31, while supplies last, and is available exclusively at Lego.

The N-1 Starfighter build uses special silver-colored bricks to capture the ship's detail, and it comes with The Mandalorian and Grogu figurines, so it's a solid centerpiece for a Star Wars display, even before the freebie comes in play. The Darksaber set recreates the black-handled lightsaber associated with ruling Mandalore, and it's built specifically as an adult collector's piece — it comes with a display stand and nameplate and has 278 pieces in total.

What you need to know before ordering

Your purchase must include the N-1 Starfighter set (75442) to qualify, and Pick a Brick (Standard) orders don't count toward the promo. You're also limited to one Darksaber per account.

Some fine print worth flagging — if you return the N-1 Starfighter for a refund, Lego says the Darksaber must be returned with it, and you can't swap the freebie for another item or cash. It's also an online-only deal, so it won't work at Legoland Parks, Legoland Discovery Centers, or Lego Certified Stores.

If you've had your eye on the N-1 Starfighter already, this is a good time to grab it — you get a bonus Mandalorian set at no extra cost, and deals like this disappear once supplies run out.

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A heart-shaped Samsung phone is going viral online, with video of the device racking up thousands of likes and shares on both X and Instagram. Don't get too excited about it, though. The video is AI-generated, and the phone doesn't exist.

SEE ALSO: Samsung unveils Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: Everything you need to know about the flagship foldable

Video of a Samsung-branded, heart-shaped phone has been spreading on social media, depicting a person pulling protective plastic off the device inside a store. While many savvy social media users quickly deduced that the phone was an AI-generated fake, a few wondered if it was real or expressed excitement to buy it.

Unfortunately for lovers of whimsy, the heart phone is most definitely not real. The clip was originally posted to Instagram by @tanu_mobile, an account filled with AI-generated clips of fantastical tech products, and has accumulated 49.2 million views at time of writing. In addition to posting the fake heart-shaped Samsung phone, @tanu_mobile has also posted other AI-generated heart-shaped phones with Apple and Vivo branding within the last few days. 

Featured Video For You Samsung Z Fold 8 Ultra Vs iPhone 17 Pro Max

Though none of these videos explicitly disclose that they were made with AI, the descriptions for some do say that the phones are "fanmade." @tanu_mobile also acknowledged that a previous video of a Samsung-branded heart phone which they'd posted weeks ago was AI generated. The use of generative AI is particularly clear in the video of the heart-shaped Vivo phone, in which a woman's clothes suddenly morph into an entirely different outfit.

The currently viral Samsung heart phone video has a few tells as well. Specifically, the Samsung signage in the reflection on the phone is misspelled, and its app names are garbled. Some of the app icons are giveaways too, as the device appears to have iOS' Phone, Notes, and Calendar apps installed. Samsung uses the Android operating system, so does not use these specific Apple apps.

Samsung has gotten slightly more creative with its phones' form factor recently with the new Galaxy Z Fold 8, a foldable with a shorter body than is typical of modern smartphones. Even so, there have been no reports that it's venturing into more novel shapes such as hearts at present.

While the Samsung heart phone may not exist, the video is a good reminder to be sceptical when scrolling, especially considering the prevalence of AI-generated videos. Question unusual and exciting new products before being swept up in the hype — particularly if there weren't even any rumours about them before they showed up on your For You feed.

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

It's 2026 and times are good for low-effort consumers. Yes, you can get pretty much anything you want by just tapping and swiping of your smartphone: Your shopping, your favourite takeaway, your high-ticket tech, even — our personal favourite — a hot date. And why shouldn't you? Online dating is nothing new. Apps and websites have dominated the dating world for the best part of 20 years. In fact, some sites go all the way back to the mid-1990s. But things are constantly evolving in the world of app-based dating.

According to our favourite sex-perts at Lovehoney — the progressive sex toy brand that sells everything from lingerie to lubricants and dildos — we're living in horny-but-wholesome times. Lovehoney has named 2026 "The Year of Pleasure."

That doesn’t mean quick-and-easy pleasure from one-night stands and flings. It may come as some surprise, but research says that one-night stands are on the out. Would-be daters are now cruising for "purposeful pleasure" and "meaningful connections." That means hookups with substance — flings that mean something. Yes, we're still hooking up, but we're getting more selective about who we hookup with and why. So, it's important to get the right dating app because each app offers something a little different. And you need the right tools to find the right date.

To help you get started, we’ve looked at the top apps and taken advice from sex and relationship experts.

What to know before you swipe

Before you start downloading apps, it’s good know just how to approach online dating. Our advice is to be 100 percent honest about who and what you’re up for. And maybe give a pass to the mainstream dating apps that are more about romance and happily ever afters (the likes of eharmony, in other words). The best hookup apps make chatting quick and easy (messaging, video calls, all that good stuff), and even the best free options will have features like profile verification to keep you safe.

Our main advice though is to stick to apps which are purpose-built for hookups, casual fun, and satisfying your kink (whatever that kink might be). It can be freeing, not to mention productive, to be open about specific desires. The ways in which we understand sex and relationships are changing all the time — just looking at fast-growing "heteroflexible" sexuality — and hookup apps allow you to explore curiosities with no judgement or social anxiety.

SEE ALSO: The best sexting apps for discreet NSFW chats

It doesn’t matter what you’re looking for, whether it's the chance to explore a new sexual frontier, a friends-with-benefits situation on the reg, or an old school one-night stand (the one-night stand might be going out of fashion, but it’s still hella fun as long as it’s safe and on your terms).

Whatever your desire, we’re here to help make it happen. This guide to the best hookups apps is based on Mashable’s own real-world testing, expert input, and general experience. We’ve broken down each of the best hookup apps available right now, with an option for every type of dater and every dating desire.

These are the best hookup apps for 2026.

TL;DR: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on July 18. Romance Book Blast, hosted by Romance Booklovers, offers free romance books in a variety of subgenres.

Rejoice, because another Stuff Your Kindle Day is going live on July 28.

Romance Book Blast, hosted by Romance Booklovers, is offering free romance books from a variety of subgenres. The chance to bolster your reserve of reading material for free is special, but it actually gets better: Everything that you download is yours to keep forever. That means you can stock up without a care in the world.

SEE ALSO: T-Mobile is giving away the new Motorola Razr for free — how to get yours

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?

Romance Book Blast takes place on July 28. This 24-hour giveaway is a little more stressful than some of the events that drag on for multiple days. With this free event, you will need to act fairly quickly to secure everything on your list.

Which books are free?

Romance Book Blast is a (you guessed it) romance book giveaway with everything listed for free. There's a helpful hub page with everything organized by subgenre. Take some time to properly peruse your options, or head directly to the sub-category that works best for you:

• Steamy Romance 1

• Steamy Romance 2

• Sweet and No Spice

• Romantic Comedy

• Small Town Romance

• Sports Romance

• Fantasy Romance

• Dark Romance and Romantic Suspense

• Paranormal Romance

• Young and New Adult

• Later in Life

• Historical Romance

• Science Fiction

• Short Read Romance

• Erotica and Erotic Romance

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.

The best Stuff Your Kindle Day deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + Kindle Unlimited (3 Months) $109.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now Why we like it

These popular e-readers let 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. Plus, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free with your purchase for a limited time.

Jon Stewart offered a live commentary on Donald Trump's speech during the White House Correspondents' Dinner, which was packed full of attempted jokes and awkward silence aplenty.

In the Daily Show monologue above Stewart goes through line by line, playing everything from a clip of the U.S. president deciding halfway through a sentence to change the target of his joke — "Oh my God, don't tell us you're changing the target of your roast joke halfway through the joke!" yells Stewart. "We don't know the target, just change it!" — to footage of Trump blaming his speech writer for a joke not landing ("Who the hell wrote that line?" repeats Stewart. "Um, it sounds like you? It sounds exactly like something you would say.").

Ultimately, one of Stewart's lines near the start probably sums things up best.

"You know, normally I'd say don't quit your day job, but in this case I will make an exception."

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TL;DR: YouTube and NBCUniversal have struck a deal that will bundle Peacock Premium into YouTube Premium's $15.99 per month subscription starting early next year, adding access to live sports (NFL, NBA, MLB) and shows like Law & Order, SNL, and Love Island — no separate Peacock subscription required.

Starting early next year, YouTube Premium is about to become much more valuable.

YouTube and NBCUniversal have announced a deal that folds Peacock Premium directly into the $15.99 per month YouTube Premium subscription — meaning if you're already paying for YouTube Premium, you won't need a separate Peacock subscription to access its content.

The bundle brings a big chunk of NBCUniversal's content into the mix:

• Live sports, including NFL, NBA, and MLB games

• Entertainment staples like Law & Order, Saturday Night Live, and Love Island

• Peacock's broader library of movies and originals

If you've been paying for Peacock separately, or skipping it because it felt like one subscription too many, this changes that math pretty significantly.

Peacock has struggled to compete with the bigger streaming players — it currently sits at 48 million subscribers, compared to YouTube Premium and YouTube Music's combined 125 million. By folding into YouTube Premium rather than selling it as an add-on, NBCUniversal is essentially betting that YouTube's scale can do what Peacock hasn't managed on its own.

SEE ALSO: Alert the group chat: You can stream Lollapalooza live from your couch

YouTube Premium already has multiple tiers — an $8.99 per month Premium Lite plan and a $26.99 per month family plan. If this partnership works out, YouTube could end up bundling in more streaming services down the line, rather than staying as a video platform with a premium tier.

Worth noting too: Peacock just turned a profit for the first time last quarter, and this deal is the latest in a string of partnerships it has struck recently, including bundles with Apple TV, Prime Video, and Roku — all part of the same push to get more eyes on Peacock.

Either way, this deal shows just how far streaming platforms are willing to go to keep up — and Peacock finally has a real shot at the audience it's been chasing.

TL;DR: AT&T is giving away the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 for free when you trade in an eligible device and sign up for a qualifying unlimited plan.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung AT&T: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 for free   Get Deal

At Samsung Unpacked last week, the tech giant announced a whole range of new tech, from smartphones to smartwatches. If the Galaxy Z Fold 8 caught your eye, you may not have to pay full price, as AT&T is offering eligible customers the chance to get it for free.

Yes, you read that right. This is thanks to a new trade-in offer. The promotion is available to both new and existing customers who activate a new line or upgrade an existing one, with the biggest savings reserved for those on the carrier's Premium 2.0 unlimited plan.

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To qualify for the maximum discount, you'll need to purchase the Galaxy Z Fold 8 on a 36-month, 0% APR installment plan, sign up for (or already have) an eligible AT&T Premium 2.0 plan, and trade in a qualifying smartphone worth at least $290. If you meet all of these requirements, you'll receive up to $1,900 in bill credits over the course of the installment plan. Since that's enough to cover the Galaxy Z Fold 8's starting price, it effectively means you can get the phone for free.

Eligible trade-in devices to receive the full $1,900 credit include the Apple iPhone 15, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17; Samsung's Galaxy S24, S25, and S26 lineups; the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Fold7; and Google's latest Pixel 10 devices.

It's worth noting that if you pay off the phone early, upgrade before the agreement ends, cancel your service, or move to a lower-tier plan, this could reduce or end the remaining credits, meaning you'll be responsible for any outstanding balance.

Head to AT&T to get this preorder promotion while it's still available.

With just three episodes out, Elizabeth Meriwether's Furious is shaping up to be a mesmerizing crime drama. Episode 1 introduced a mysterious female serial killer (Lola Petticrew) who targets men in their own homes. Episode 2 showed her whole process, which involves manipulation, drugging, and a deadly hostage situation.

SEE ALSO: 'Furious' review: Hulu's new crime drama is savage, smart, and addictive

However, Mira, the hapless daughter that wandered in the crime scene didn't meet the murderous wrath of Jinny/Vanessa/Catherine. But Becky, the social worker played by Chloe Troast, does in episode 3.

Becky works at the domestic violence shelter where Catherine is hiding as Jinny — the name stolen from the girl she mugged in episode 1. Catherine realizes she can seduce Becky in the shelter to get her to bend some rules, and from there, Catherine goes into full-on blackmail.

Chloe Troast and Lola Petticrew in "Furious." Credit: Disney / Sarah Shatz

While initially resistant, Becky meets Catherine's terms, delivering a bag of goods, including cleaning products and a new wig. Then, Becky insists she's done with her. But with the promise of weed — and the suggestion of another hook-up — Catherine lures her into a thicket of Central Park, where Becky's corpse will later be found.

In an interview with Mashable, Petticrew spelled out Catherine's reasoning.

"Even though we know Catherine is who Catherine is," they said, referring to the audience understanding this killer's capabilities, "Becky doesn't know that when she works at the shelter. And [as far as she knows], she takes advantage of a vulnerable person. And so, for Catherine, you gotta go. Becky, in a sense, is just as bad as any man."

The first three episodes of Furious are now streaming on Hulu, with new episodes every Monday through Aug. 31.