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SAVE OVER $700: As of Nov. 13, the LG 34-inch UltraGear OLED curved gaming monitor is on sale for $679.73 at Amazon. That's over $700 off the list price ahead of Black Friday.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 34-inch UltraGear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor $679.73 at Amazon
$1,399.99 Save $720.26   Get Deal

Amazon's Black Friday sale doesn't officially start until Nov. 20, but someone should tell Amazon because we're seeing some stunning deals dropping on a wide range of products. And there's a lot for gamers to consider right now, with price drops on controllers, games, and monitors.

In fact, we've already flagged the low price on the LG 34-inch UltraGear OLED curved gaming monitor. We were a fan of that low price, so you can imagine how thrilled we were to see a further price reduction on this stunning monitor. As of Nov. 13, the LG 34-inch UltraGear OLED curved gaming monitor is on sale for $679.73 at Amazon. That's over $700 off the list price ahead of Black Friday.

SEE ALSO: The Samsung Odyssey QD-OLED G8 gaming monitor is down to its lowest price — save $300 ahead of Black Friday

The ultra-wide curved display of the LG UltraGear features a steep 800R curvature and a 21:9 aspect ratio, which feels like the action is taking place all around you. It's a level of immersion that regular gamers are not familiar with. This monitor also offers a very impressive 240Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time, and Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium compatibility. Gamers will look at that lineup and think "yep, that will do."

To get all of that for under $700 is the sort of deal that stands out over Black Friday, and we're still a couple of weeks away from the main event. Could we see something even better drop? It's not impossible, but we would honestly be surprised to see something significantly better. The only time this monitor was cheaper was over October Prime Day, and that price was only live for a short period of time.

If you're interested in upgrading, this could be your moment. Score over $700 off the LG 34-inch UltraGear OLED curved gaming monitor.

Despite attempts to get people to move on, Donald Trump's relationship with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein remains firmly in the news, with new developments this week. In a series of emails from Epstein's estate released by the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, as CNN reports, the president is named multiple times in emails reportedly written by the late billionaire. In one reported instance, Epstein alleges the president "knew about the girls," and in another reportedly sent to his accomplice Ghislaine Maxell, Epstein alleges of Trump that "[victim] spent hours at my house with him."

On Wednesday night, Seth Meyers used his "A Closer Look" segment to examine Trump's White House redesign but also the Epstein emails, which multiple media outlets have reported that Democrats say "raise new questions" about Trump's ties to Epstein.

"They raise new questions? To me it sounds like they answer old questions. I'm no detective but if one of the questions was 'Did Trump know about the girls?' and you find an email from Jeffrey Epstein that says Trump 'knew about the girls' that sounds pretty damning," said Meyers.

"That's like if you're investigating a murder suspect and you search their house and in the closet they have a shoebox labelled 'murder weapon inside' on the top and on the side it says 'yes, that murder.'

There are many strings to Running Man star Glen Powell's bow, and apparently dance is one of them.

In the SNL promo clip above, Powell — who is hosting the show this weekend — spends a minute dancing through the studio in the style of Christopher Walken in Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" video, complete with plenty of smouldering looks to camera.

11/10 for effort.

On Wednesday Democrats released new, damning emails from Epstein's estate which reportedly feature mentions of Donald Trump — and Stephen Colbert isn't surprised at all.

In the Late Show clip above the host breaks down some of those emails, including one reportedly sent from Epstein to journalist Michael Wolff the year he died.

"In 2019, when Donald Trump was president, Epstein emailed Wolff, writing, 'Of course [Trump] knew about the girls.'" said Colbert on Wednesday night's show. "Of course he did! They were best pals, and underage girls was Epstein's whole thing. 'Yes, the Hamburgler was my best friend, but I always assumed he was getting the burgers legitimately.'"

Colbert goes on to talk about Republicans accusing Democrats of "cherry-picking" the emails they release, and releasing 20,000 pages of documents in response.

"That doesn't prove anything!" says Colbert. "'Your honor, to definitely prove his innocence, I would like to call to the stand all the people my client did not murder.'"

Magic fans, get ready. Now You See Me: Now You Don't returns us to the world of the Horsemen, brilliant magicians whose illusions not only wow audiences but also con corrupt billionaires out of their ill-gotten gains. But this third installment in the franchise also welcomes new cast members to the fold.

Ariana Greenblatt, Dominic Sessa, and Justice Smith play a trio of Bushwick-based magicians who join forces with the Horsemen against a villainous diamond industrialist played by Rosamund Pike. In interviews with all of these new castmates, as well as returning stars Jesse Eisenberg and Isla Fisher, Mashable staffer Lily Kartiganer delved into what makes this sequel magic.

Asked what it's like to return to the role of J. Daniel "Danny" Atlas, Eisenberg revealed, "It's my favorite thing to do in the world. I love it."

For her part, Fisher revealed one idea for the script would have had her escape artist, Henley Reeves, come back — but as the movie's villain. "I've been up for either or any or all versions," she said. "But it was nice to play such a substantial part in the end... It was good to be back."

Speaking of the villain, Pike admitted a hesitancy to take on the responsibility of such a part, noting, "I needed to know I could do something that would give audiences a fun time with this villain." She added, "It can take me a while to jump in, but when I do, you get me 100%."

The ensemble also discussed what tricks they picked up from playing magicians and their favorite illusions from the Horsemen and their new protégés.

Now You See Me: Now You Don't opens in theaters on Nov. 14.

SAVE $500: As of Nov. 13, the Peloton Cross Training Tread is on sale for $2,795 at Amazon. That's a 15% saving on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Peloton Peloton Cross Training Tread $2,795 at Amazon
$3,295 Save $500   Get Deal

Black Friday is the perfect excuse to make the jump and purchase a big ticket item. Whether it's a portable power station or a new TV, these discounts make all the difference. Amazon's Black Friday sale officially kicks off on Nov. 20, but the standard Daily Deals have been more than impressive lately, with deals on everything from earbuds to gaming monitors. And if you've been eyeing up something from Peloton, there's a stunning new deal that just dropped.

As of Nov. 13, the Peloton Cross Training Tread is on sale for $2,795 at Amazon. That's a saving of over $500 on list price, and the lowest-ever price according to camelcamelcamel.

SEE ALSO: The 7 best Peloton alternatives for crushing those New Year's resolutions

With this treadmill, you're getting more than just a standard running device. It has a swivel touchscreen that moves 360°, letting you switch easily between more than 15 types of workouts like strength, yoga, barre, and Pilates. You can watch instructor-guided classes on the screen and follow along at home. It even has personalized weekly plans to keep you motivated, as well as performance estimates to track your progress.

In terms of space, it's compact, but not so much so that you're struggling for room with your workouts. At just five and a half feet by two and three-quarters feet, it won't take up much room, but the textured running belt comes with fifty-nine inches of space.

This Peloton deal is available for a limited time only, so get it from Amazon while you still can.

What do you call a trifold phone that's made by Samsung and has flagship, Galaxy-level performance? Exactly!

According to leaker Evan Blass, Samsung's upcoming trifold phone will be called the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold. At least there will be no confusion about which one it is, given that the company already has several "Fold" phones.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. SEE ALSO: Samsung plans to sell a ton of foldable phones next year

Blass also shared what he claims are the official specs for the device: a 6.5-inch cover display, a 10-inch inner display (with peak brightness of 2,600 and 1,600 nits, respectively), a 200-megapixel main camera, and a 5,437mAh battery.

The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold will reportedly have a 6.5-inch cover display, and a 10-inch inner display. Credit: Samsung

Finally, Blass said that the three "leaves" of the TriFold will vary in thickness: 3.9 vs. 4.0 vs. 4.2 millimeters. He also said the phone will be "powered by SD," by which he likely means a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip (likely the Snapdragon 8 Elite).

The Samsung TriFold hasn't been officially announced yet, but an unveiling will reportedly happen on Dec. 5. However, we have seen the phone (or a prototype), as Samsung recently gave us a behind-the-glass sneak peak.

SAVE £15: Norton Standard VPN is on sale for £24.99 per year for Black Friday. This limited-time offer saves you £15 on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Norton Norton Standard VPN (1-Year Subscription) £24.99 at Amazon
£39.99 Save £15.00   Get Deal

Black Friday is right around the corner, and it feels like there’s a deal on just about everything right now. From earbuds to portable power stations, if it's on your wishlist, chances are it's getting a discount of some kind.

And VPNs are very much in the mix, because Norton Standard VPN is on sale for £24.99 per year for Black Friday. This limited-time offer saves you £15 on list price. Your plan will automatically renew at £39.99 per year, but you can cancel this automatic function at anytime. This special offer also comes with a generous 60-day money-back guarantee, so if you don't like the service, you can opt out with your cash.

SEE ALSO: Prioritize your cybersecurity this holiday season with a VPN for less than $2 a month

A VPN acts like a privacy shield for your internet connection. It hides your location, encrypts your data, and keeps your browsing secure. It’s particularly useful for getting around geo-restrictions so you can stream bonus content from around the world. Norton VPN does this job without hassle thanks to over 100 server locations around the world.

With the Norton Standard plan, you get a solid mix of privacy and security features designed to keep your browsing protected. The discounted plan includes IP masking to hide your online activity and a no-log policy to ensure your data stays private. You can browse without annoying ad breaks thanks to the built-in ad blocker, and rely on the Kill Switch to prevent exposure if your connection drops. For extra peace of mind, IP rotation and Double VPN add an extra layer of privacy to every session.

Get the best Black Friday VPN deal from Norton VPN.

I'm sorry, did someone order an outrageously cute Pokémon game that lets you farm crops, take long naps, and build little houses, one that might drag me out of the perpetual hellscape that is the 24-hour news cycle?

Well, it's coming.

Enjoying the success of the newly released Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Nintendo has announced the coming of Pokémon Pokopia, an adorable-looking cosy game that allows you to build a nice little existence for yourself among your Pokémon neighbours. Developed by Koei Tecmo, Pokémon’s first life simulator game is set for release on Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026.

SEE ALSO: How 'cozy gaming' is taking mindfulness mainstream

But what exactly is Pokémon Pokopia? Here's everything we know.

What type of game is Pokémon Pokopia? Credit: Nintendo

A life and farming simulator game akin to Animal Crossing, Immortal Life, Grow A Garden, Stardew Valley, and many others, Pokémon Pokopia sees you playing as loveable amorphous blob Ditto, who has assumed the appearance of a human being (yes, Ditto can shake up their cellular structure and appear as whatever the hell they want, stay focused).

Your task, as in all farming sims, is to collect materials like wood and rocks, farm crops according to a ranger of weather conditions, and build a home for yourself and your Pokémon neighbours — but you'll apparently have a much easier time of it if you befriend other Pokémon and absorb their sweet, sweet skills.

"For example," Nintendo said in its announcement, "Ditto can use Bulbasaur’s Leafage to add greenery to the landscape or Squirtle’s Water Gun to hydrate plants."

The more you tend to said landscape, the more Pokémon will appear, the more homes you can build for them — and establish your own little glorious empire town of Pokémon neighbours. In the trailer, the game's world seems like a Minecraft land-shaping situation, one where you can add little Animal Crossing-style features like waterfalls, outdoor dining spaces, windmills, and more.

Credit: Screenshot: Nintendo / YouTube

Like other life sims, the game mimics real-time day and night times, and your energy is paramount, drained by activities and restored by napping.

Nintendo showed a trailer for the game as part of Nintendo Direct in September:

The game will be available in English, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Korean, and both Simplified and Traditional Chinese.

Will Pokémon Pokopia be online? Credit: Nintendo

According to Nintendo, you'll be able to connect with other players online providing you pay for a Nintendo Switch Online membership. In its announcement, Nintendo said you'll be able to "invite Pokémon and even other players to visit and hang out with you."

When can I play Pokémon Pokopia and how much will it cost? Credit: Nintendo

Pokémon Pokopia will be released on the Nintendo Switch 2 on March 5, 2026.

The game will cost $69.99 through Nintendo's website and preorders are now open. That's the same price as Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

There's been a bit of controversy around the release, as IGN reports, fans were caught off-guard with the game's announcement that Pokémon Pokopia will be the first Nintendo-published game offered on a Game-Key Card (which you'll need to download the game's full data) — despite Nintendo saying in May that it had "no plans to use Game-Key Cards for Nintendo-developed titles."

The publisher (and Ziff Davis-owned sister site of Mashable) noted that this game has been developed by Koei Tecmo, not Nintendo, and that it's only Nintendo's Japan site that is currently showing the game as a Game-Key Card release. So, we'll see what happens.

Featured Video For You Grow plants from fantasy games with this IRL initiative

No matter what Donald Trump does, the Epstein story refuses to go away. The latest development is a series of emails released by the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee from convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's estate. One of these emails — reportedly sent by Epstein to his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell — makes a reference to the president in relation to a victim. "I want you to realize that that dog that hasn't barked is trump," it reads, per CNN. "[Victim] spent hours at my house with him."

Daily Show host Josh Johnson reacted to the release on Wednesday night's show, breaking down all the email exchanges that mention Trump, before offering the following, damning conclusion: "All I know is that every detail that comes out makes him look more and more suspicious."

"I'm an American living in America," says Johnson in the clip above. "And no matter what party you're in, or who you voted for, it would be better for all of us, as a general matter, if we do not have a sexual predator as president."

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025:

AcrossPartner of ready and willing

• The answer is Able.

Sound from a delighted crowd

• The answer is Roar.

Title that shares its first two letters with "Mamdani"

• The answer is Mayor.

Second chance

• The answer is Redo.

Played Pictionary, perhaps

• The answer is Drew.

DownSleeve filler

• The answer is Arm.

Component of a chess set

• The answer is Board.

Extra bit of clothing for warmth

• The answer is Layer.

Wear away

• The answer is Erode.

Orderly arrangement of ducks, in a saying

• The answer is Row.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Mini Crossword.

Charlie Kirk's image has begun appearing across a wide range of internet memes

Photoshopped and deepfaked clips of the recently killed conservative media influencer have flooded social media, his face pasted onto some of the internet's most recognizable memes. It's as if the web collectively decided to resurrect him through morbid irony.

According to Know Your Meme, the first major instance appeared Sept. 23 on X — just two weeks after Kirk’s death — when a user swapped his face with streamer iShowSpeed's in a clip of Speed trying not to laugh. The post racked up more than 96,000 likes and spawned dozens of viral quote-tweets.

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

But things really snowballed in late October. One TikTok montage stitched together obscure reaction memes — all with Kirk’s face edited on — captioned, "RIP Kirk, your sacrifice meant something."

That post alone garnered over 65,000 likes, and many others have achieved similar numbers.

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. 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.

Why this happened is harder to pin down. The simplest answer: This is what the internet does. Meme culture often thrives on transgression, and nothing spreads faster than a joke that crosses a line — especially when it involves someone like Kirk, whose death has been mythologized in right-wing media for weeks.

Folks online have joked about and memeified the assassination of JFK, 9/11, and George Floyd's murder. To the internet, Charlie Kirk is simply the latest entry in that long, dark tradition.

A supermassive black hole tearing apart a star has set a new record for creating the brightest and most distant flare, shining with the light of 10 trillion suns at its peak. 

The flare came from an active black hole at the center of a galaxy some 10 billion light-years away in space. Called J2245+3743, the outburst's light began reaching Earth in 2018, when the Zwicky Transient Facility in California and the Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey in Arizona first detected it. Over just a few months, the flare’s brightness increased by a factor of 40, making it 30 times stronger than any previous black hole flare observed.

The black hole is roughly 500 million times more massive than the sun. Astronomers believe the flare is the result of a so-called tidal disruption event, when a star ventures too close and is torn apart by a black hole’s gravity. In this case, the doomed star is also enormous — at least 30 times more massive than the sun. As its gas spirals inward like water circling a drain, the black hole consumes it, releasing an unfathomable burst of energy.

That the flare is ongoing suggests the black hole hasn't finished its meal yet, said Matthew Graham, a Caltech astronomy professor and first author of the study, likening the star's situation to "a fish only halfway down the whale's gullet" in a statement.

A paper describing the discovered superflare appears in the journal Nature Astronomy.

SEE ALSO: NASA has a broken giant antenna that could upend its 2026 plans

Black holes are some of the oddest curiosities in the cosmos. They are regions where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. About a half-century ago, astronomers weren't even sure they were real. Today, black holes aren't just accepted science, they're getting glamor shots. The Event Horizon Telescope achieved the first image of a black hole, located 53 million light-years away in the Messier 87 galaxy, in 2019.

A black hole generates a flare when gas, dust, or, in this case, a star gets too close and gravity rips it apart. As the material falls inward, it gets hotter, glowing brightly before disappearing. 

Most events of this kind have been observed happening around quiet black holes. But this one is an active galactic nucleus, meaning it has already been feeding on surrounding gas. That perpetual glow has the potential to mask flares, but the immense power of this event made it easier to detect.

The previous record holder, ZTF20abrbeie, is estimated to have come from a star just three to 10 times the mass of the sun. 

Follow-up observations confirmed the flare’s brightness. Data from NASA’s WISE mission helped eliminate other possible explanations, such as supernovas or a cosmic optical illusion known as gravitational lensing. The flare appeared in visible and infrared light but not in X-rays, radio waves, or neutrinos, ghostly particles that pass through almost everything without interacting, ruling out other types of explosions.

Still, the idea that the doomed star was 30 times more massive than the sun made this interpretation of the data a little hard to believe. 

The Zwicky Transient Facility team installs the wide-field camera at the prime focus of the 48-inch Samuel Oschin Telescope at Palomar Observatory in California. Credit: Caltech Optical Observatories

"Stars this massive are rare," said coauthor K. E. Saavik Ford, a CUNY professor, in a statement, "but we think stars within the disk of an (active galactic nucleus) can grow larger. The matter from the disk is dumped onto stars, causing them to grow in mass."

Because the galaxy lies so far away, astronomers are seeing the event as it happened long ago, when the universe was less than a third of its current age. The flare is still fading, slowed by the effects of cosmic expansion, which stretches both space and time.

Researchers say the finding hints that many more supersized flares may be awaiting discovery as next-generation sky surveys, including the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, come online.

TL;DR: Get a SwifDoo PDF Pro Perpetual Lifetime License for Windows for just $29.97 (reg. $129) with code PRO through Nov. 20 at 11:59 p.m. PT — a one-time payment for endless PDF power.

Opens in a new window Credit: SwifDoo SwifDoo PDF Pro: Perpetual Lifetime License for Windows $29.97
$129 Save $99.03   Get Deal

If you’ve ever stared at an uneditable PDF, silently negotiating with it like a hostage-taker, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why tools like SwifDoo PDF Pro exist — to turn hours of frustration into minutes of simple, click-and-done productivity.

For a one-time $29.97 payment (use code PRO through Nov. 20), you’ll get lifetime access to SwifDoo PDF Pro’s full suite of features for Windows.

SEE ALSO: The 8 best Windows laptops of 2025: See how our top-tested picks compare

That includes editing, merging, splitting, converting, annotating, encrypting, signing, and even translating PDFs. Basically, if there’s a PDF task you can think of, SwifDoo can probably do it faster and cleaner than whatever workaround you’re currently using.

Whether you’re a business professional organizing contracts, a student wrangling research papers, or just someone who’s tired of hopping between “free” PDF tools that limit functionality, this is the kind of software that simplifies your workflow instantly.

Standout tools like OCR text recognition turn scanned documents into editable, searchable files, while batch processing lets you convert or compress multiple PDFs at once — ideal for those crunch-time moments.

It’s fast and intuitive, designed to keep up with how people actually work. And since it’s a lifetime license, you’ll never have to deal with renewal reminders or subscription fees again.

Get lifetime access to SwifDoo PDF Pro for $29.97 (reg. $129) with code PRO through Nov. 20.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!

Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand-new (or just new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.

Mashable's entertainment team has scoured the streaming services to highlight the most buzzed-about releases of the week and ranked them from worst to best — or least worth your time to most watchable. Whether you're looking for animated adventures, sensational indies, thought-provoking documentaries, splashy reality TV, lovable Muppets, lush dramas, or notorious flops, we've got something just for you.

21. Playdate

Craving an action comedy that looks totally bonkers? Then check out Kevin James' Playdate. Here he plays a stay-at-home stepdad, eager to connect to his boy. But an average day in the park turns wild when they meet a father-and-son team that will change their lives forever. One playdate pulls them all into a swirl of car chases, fight sequences, and uncomfortable conversations.

While trailers look goofy, the reviews are brutal. So mindless fun, maybe! Or maybe just mindless. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

Starring: Kevin James, Alan Ritchson, Sarah Chalke, Alan Tudyk, Stephen Root, and Isla Fisher

How to watch: Playdate debuts on Prime Video on Nov. 12.

20. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Season 3

In the mood for some #MomTok mess? Then you're in luck, because The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is back for what's bound to be an extra juicy third season. The biggest story to look out for is that of Taylor Frankie Paul, who will be the next star of the Bachelorette franchise. Expect the series to dive into her final breakup with ex Dakota Mortensen, along with more chaos involving alleged affairs, lie detector tests, and more. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 3 debuts on Hulu on Nov. 13.

19. Roofman

Starring Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst, this crime-centered romantic comedy might seem like a feel-good movie. But you should probably know it comes from Blue Valentine writer/director Derek Cianfrance.

Roofman is based on the true story of a serial cat burglar who used an alias to befriend a single mom and her church friends while on the run from a heist gone wrong. So, naturally, he squats in a toy store. The resulting film is pretty confounding. As I wrote in my review, "Roofman is a frustrating watch, refusing to fit into the genre expectations. But that might be precisely the point." — K.P.

Starring: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Peter Dinklage, Ben Mendelsohn, Melonie Diaz, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, and Jimmy O. Yang

How to watch: Roofman is now available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

18. Malice

Jack Whitehall usually plays comedic characters, but in Prime Video's Malice, he's got a chilling dark side. We meet yet another affluent family on screen, the Tanners, headed up by Jamie and Nat (David Duchovny and Carice van Houten). They're joined on vacation in their opulent villa by friends Jules and Damien (Christine Adams and Raza Jaffrey), who decide to bring along their kids' tutor Adam (Whitehall) — and it's the new addition who ruffles a few feathers. But Adam's got secrets up the wazoo, with no intention of keeping them to himself. — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor

Starring: Jack Whitehall, David Duchovny, Carice van Houten, and Gloria Garcia

How to watch: Malice begins streaming on Prime Video on Nov. 14.

17. Selling the OC, Season 4

Moving drama and epic genre productions are all very well and good, but sometimes you just want to watch people arguing in nice houses.

Selling the OC always delivers in this regard. Following a group of agents working for the Oppenheim Group in the Orange County office, the Selling Sunset spin-off is possibly even more dramatic than the original. Season 4 looks like it'll be more of the same, only with a few familiar faces from Season 3 gone and three new agents introduced to the mix. Let the gossiping commence! — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor

How to watch: Selling the OC Season 4 debuts on Netflix on Nov. 12.

16. Nobody 2

In 2021, Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk became an action hero in Nobody, a dark comedy about a former assassin turned office worker who falls back into that violent life — whether he likes it or not. Well, one good turn (at the box office) deserves another, so Odenkirk is reprising his role as Hutch Mansell, former contract killer.

Much of the old gang is back, including Connie Nielsen as Hutch's wife, Becca, and RZA as his brother, Harry. New to the team is The Shadow Strays director Timo Tjahjanto, who's taken up the helm. Anticipate action that is jaw-dropping, if not downright jaw-breaking.* — K.P.

Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, RZA, Christopher Lloyd, Sharon Stone, Colin Hanks, and John Ortiz

How to watch: Nobody 2 debuts on Peacock on Nov. 14.

15. Madame Web

Madame Web took a lot of heat in 2024, as it proved to be a spectacular flop (ahead of the even bigger Spider-verse bomb that was Kraven the Hunter.) Dakota Johnson starred as a paramedic turned superhero/mentor for three super-powered spidey teens on the run from a barefooted villain. And yeah, it was a confounding movie. But hey, there were some parts of Madame Web that were pretty hilarious.

Hear me out:

And hey, at least it was better than Morbius. — K.P.

SEE ALSO: 'Madame Web' review: Is it at least better than 'Morbius?'

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O'Connor, Tahar Rahim, Mike Epps, Emma Roberts, and Adam Scott

How to watch: Madame Web debuts on Disney+ on Nov. 14.

14. Eddington

Writer/director Ari Aster had horror fans screaming with Hereditary and Midsommar. However, his latest, a Western called Eddington, had critics divided over its critiques of COVID-19 politics.

Aster reteams with Beau Is Afraid leading man Joaquin Phoenix, who plays a sheriff who hates masking almost has much as he does Eddington's beloved mayor, played by Pedro Pascal. The two men will face off over all sorts of issues, sucking other townsfolk into their drama. While this leads to an explosive climax, it's far from satisfying or thrilling. As I wrote in my review, "Eddington is a cynical dark comedy that mistakes empathy for weakness, offering plenty to react to but little to provoke thought." — K.P.

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Luke Grimes, Austin Butler, Deirdre O’Connell, Micheal Ward, Clifton Collins Jr., William Belleau, Cameron Mann, Matt Gomez Hidaka, and Amélie Hoeferle

How to watch: Eddington begins streaming on HBO Max on Nov. 14.

13. Last Samurai Standing

We apparently can't get enough of the battle royale in pop culture, as Netflix's new series sees warriors fighting to the death in 19th-century Japan. Directed by Michihito Fujii, Kento Yamaguchi, and Toru Yamamoto, Last Samurai Standing presents exactly that. It's the story of swordsman Shujiro Saga (Junichi Okada), who competes in a bloodbath competition against 291 other samurai starting at Kyoto's Tenryu-ji temple — and there can be only one winner. It's basically a murderous game of tag night after night, where players must steal the wooden tags of their opponents and reach Tokyo to win 100 billion yen. Expect epic fight scenes, plenty of swordplay, and a hero who just won't quit. — S.C.

Starring: Junichi Okada, Yumia Fujisaki, and Kaya Kiyohara

How to watch: Last Samurai Standing debuts on Netflix Nov. 13.

12. Are We Good?

After 16 years and about 1,700 episodes, Marc Maron ended his podcast WTF with Marc Maron with final guest Barack Obama in October. But it's not the only milestone for the comedian this year, with the release of documentary Are We Good?, which follows Maron through a deeply challenging time.

SEE ALSO: 'Are We Good?' review: Marc Maron becomes the face of pandemic-era grief

As Siddhant Adlakha writes for Mashable, "An uneven chronicle of grief, Steven Feinartz's Are We Good? follows comedian and podcast host Marc Maron during and after the isolation of COVID lockdown, during which he lost his partner, the filmmaker Lynn Shelton. It's a documentary of immense detail and a vast number of opinions on Maron's personality, and how he deals with loss through stand-up comedy. However, this context pales in comparison to his actual art and artistic process — the brief glimpses of which are more enticing than the film surrounding it." — S.C.

Starring: Marc Maron, Nate Bargatze, John Mulaney, David Cross, W. Kamau Bell, Laurie Kilmartin, Brendan McDonald, Sam Lipsyte, Caroline Rhea, Michaela Watkins, Jessica Kirson, and Gary Gulman

How to watch: Are We Good? is available for pre-order on Apple TV. It will be available to rent on Nov. 14.

11. Kiss of the Spider Woman

A tale of love, rebellion, and cinema, Kiss of the Spider Woman is tricky to explain but easy to fall for. Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) adapts the Tony Award–winning Broadway musical about a political prisoner who is sucked into the storytelling of a cellmate, who is utterly obsessed with a musical called Kiss of the Spider Woman. Held captive in squalid conditions, the two prisoners named Valentin and Molina (Diego Luna and Tonatiuh) share stories about their lives, but also talk about this (fictional) movie and its ravishing leading lady, Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez). Contrasting their horrid circumstances with the glamor of Hollywood movies, the film explores how art can shape its audience, inspiring both Valentina and Molina to bold moves, like falling in love in a hopeless place and fighting for a better tomorrow.

SEE ALSO: 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' review: Jennifer Lopez dazzles, but is that enough?

While critics have been mixed on Condon's take on the material, most have cheered the lead performances. In his review out of Sundance, Siddhant Adlakha wrote, "Lopez’s Luna is a dazzling presence... Tonatiuh is just as impressive as Lopez," but noted, "Their attempts to imbue their character with a sense of physical struggle, within four walls inching ever closer, is often undone by a haphazard edit." — K.P.

Starring: Diego Luna, Tonatiuh, and Jennifer Lopez

How to watch: Kiss of the Spider Woman is now available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

10. Palm Royale, Season 2

In Palm Royale's first season, Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons (Kristen Wiig) infiltrated the high society of Palm Beach, Florida, barely surviving the scandal. Enemies were cemented, affairs exposed, secrets unveiled, Ricky Martins placed in peril. But it's a new season at the titular Palm Royale country club, and the snobbery, backstabbing, and luxurious costuming lives on. And with a new season comes famous arrivals, with none other than Patti LuPone and John Stamos joining the chaos. — S.C.

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas, Leslie Bibb, Amber Chardae Robinson, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, and Carol Burnett

How to watch: Palm Royale Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV.

9. The Seduction

HBO brings viewers into a world of dangerous decadence in The Seduction, a French series from Jessica Palud. A loose prequel to Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, The Seduction tells the story of the rise of Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil, along with that of her eventual rival, Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont.

Taking its title seriously, The Seduction is all about the weaponization of desire, as Isabelle goes from ingénue to skilled manipulator of men. Full of backstabbing, social maneuvering, and sex, The Seduction is a sumptuous treat. — B.E.

Starring: Noée Abita, Diane Kruger, Anamaria Vartolomei, Lucas Bravo, and Vincent Lacoste

How to watch: The Seduction debuts on HBO Max on Nov. 14.

8. Freakier Friday

Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis return for the fun sequel to 2003's hit body-swapping comedy Freaky Friday. Reprising their roles as mother and daughter, they double the zany shenanigans by swapping into the teen bodies of two soon-to-be-stepsisters. See, Anna (Lohan) is poised to marry a hot and loving chef (Manny Jacinto), giving her daughter Harper (Julia Butters) a stepsister (Sophia Hammons). But the two girls loathe each other.

So, while body-swapped Anna and Tess (Curtis) race to undo this magical mayhem, the girls — in the bodies of Anna and Tess — set about to derail the wedding before it can happen. Along the way, there will be silliness, nostalgia, and swoon-worthy moments involving Jacinto and Freaky Friday's hunk Chad Michael Murray. —K.P.

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Manny Jacinto, Chad Michael Murray, and Mark Harmon

How to watch: Freakier Friday is now streaming on Disney+.

7. The Beast in Me

Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys square off in this twisty Netflix miniseries. Danes plays Pulitzer Prize–winning author Aggie Wiggs, who finds herself locked in a strange game with her new neighbor, Nile Jarvis (Rhys). He's the scion of a wealthy family, a real estate mogul… and he may have murdered his wife. Now, Aggie's on the hunt for the truth, but the mind of an (alleged) killer proves a dangerous one to crack.

The Beast in Me offers up thrills aplenty, but it's the interplay between Danes and Rhys that really makes it soar. Danes shines as a woman spiraling through grief, while Rhys is the perfect amount of despicable and intriguing. They make a damn fine cat and mouse pairing, and The Beast in Me is all the better for it. — B.E.

Starring: Claire Danes, Matthew Rhys, Brittany Snow, and Natalie Morales

How to watch: The Beast in Me premieres on Netflix on Nov. 13.

6. Great Performances: Twelfth Night

A grand tradition of New York theater is coming to streaming, as PBS brings a recorded performance of this year's Shakespeare in the Park to audiences nationwide.

William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night tells the tale of a pair of shipwrecked siblings who, after being separated by fate, find new friends, lovers, and many comic misunderstandings in Illyria. Fittingly, Lupita Nyong'o and her brother Junior Nyong'o star. The Academy Award–winning ingenue plays Viola, a young maiden who poses as a young man named Cesario to make her way in this brave new world. Little might she expect to fall for a duke and accidentally woo his crush (Sandra Oh), becoming a rival to her besotted servant (Peter Dinklage).

It's a whimsically silly time at the theater. And you can enjoy it from your couch. — K.P.

Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Sandra Oh, Peter Dinklage, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Junior Nyong'o, and Daphne Rubin-Vega

How to watch: Great Performances: Twelfth Night premiers on PBS, the PBS app, and pbs.org/gperf on Nov. 14 at 9 p.m./8 p.m. Central.

5. Krampus

An underrated treasure of holiday horror is Michael Dougherty's festive follow-up to Trick 'r Treat, Krampus. As teased by the title. this creature feature focuses on a family terrorized by St. Nick's less generous counterpart, who delivers punishments instead of presents. So, when one modern family loses sight of the purpose for the Christmas holiday, Krampus and a cavalcade of menacing minions come calling for attacks that are ghoulish and sometimes hilarious. We're talking killer toys, stabby gingerbread men, and ominous snowmen.

This kooky killer concept paired with a sensational cast that boasts Hereditary's Toni Collette and The Monkey's Adam Scott is sure alternately warm you heart and give you chills. 'Tis the season. — K.P.

Starring: Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, Emjay Anthony, Stefania LaVie Owen, Krista Stadler, Lolo Owen, Queenie Samuel, Maverick Flack, and Sage Hunefeld

How to watch: Krampus comes to Shudder on Nov. 15.

4. Sesame Street, Season 56

Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away! Sesame Street is back, and now it's on Netflix. Your favorite fluffy and furry Sesame Street residents are ready to teach kids about the alphabet, good nutrition, and much more with a new host of celebrity guests, cartoons, and much, much more.

And for grown-ups, Sesame Street is a reliably great kids show that's educational and entertaining. How do you get to Sesame Street? Tune into Netflix. — K.P.

Starring: Elmo, Bert, Ernie, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, Grover, Rosita, and more

How to watch: Sesame Street Season 56 is now streaming on Netflix.

3. Nouvelle Vague

Richard Linklater goes full French New Wave in Nouvelle Vague, an homage to director Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless. The film chronicles the making of Breathless, from Godard's (Guillaume Marbeck) first pleas to direct a film to the casting of Jean Seberg (Zoey Deutch) and Jean-Paul Belmondo (Aubry Dullin). It also taps into the chaos of the shoot, much of which was improvised over a 20-day period.

SEE ALSO: 'Nouvelle Vague' review: Richard Linklater's tribute to Jean-Luc Godard and 'Breathless' is good vibes only

Nouvelle Vague is as loving a tribute to Breathless as can be, with Linklater shooting in black and white and a 4:3 aspect ratio to emphasize the French New Wave feel. Occasionally, Linklater's reverence can get in Nouvelle Vague's own way, as it feels like he's checking off film history boxes. Where Nouvelle Vague really excels is the downtime between shooting, which is thankfully most of the movie. As I wrote in my review, "Nouvelle Vague proves a sweet tribute to an influential film movement, one that doesn't take itself too seriously. If you're a French New Wave fan, come for the Breathless tributes, but stay for the hangout vibes." — B.E.

Starring: Guillaume Marbeck, Zoey Deutch, and Aubry Dullin

How to watch: Nouvelle Vague debuts on Netflix on Nov. 14.

2. Bunny

After Hours. Do the Right Thing. In the Heights. When Harry Met Sally. They're movies with very different plots and vibes, and yet all are definitively New York. Now the canon of exceptionally New York movies has grown, thanks to Bunny. 

SEE ALSO: 'Bunny' review: Hilarious and heartfelt, this love letter to New York is a must-see

The directorial debut of Ben Jacobson, Bunny centers on an East Village tenement resident (Mo Stark) whose very bad birthday is a tapestry of chaos, community, and characters that are undeniably the fabric of New York City. Like the iconic cinema listed above, Bunny channels the energy of this great city, while also embracing its funkier elements. This fantastic, funny, and surprising indie is also an unapologetic and unsentimental love letter to New York.* — K.P.

Starring: Mo Stark, Ben Jacobson, Liza Colby, Anthony Drazan, Linda Rong Mei Chen, Genevieve Hudson-Price, Eleonore Hendricks, Kia Warren, Richard Price, and Henry Czerny

How to watch: Bunny opens in theaters and will be available to purchase on Apple TV on Nov. 14.

1. In Your Dreams

Netflix goes to dreamland in In Your Dreams, a charming animated adventure directed by Pixar alum Alex Woo. The film introduces siblings Stevie (voiced by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and Elliot (voiced by Elias Janssen), who go on a quest through their dreams to find the Sandman (voiced by Omid Djalili). Legend has it that he can grant a wish, and Stevie and Elliot's is that he can fix their parents' (voiced by Simu Liu and Cristin Milioti) strained marriage so they can be a happy family again.

SEE ALSO: 'In Your Dreams' review: Kids fight to save their parents' marriage in thoughtful animated adventure

In Your Dreams is chock-full of playful creations, from the delectable landscape of Breakfast Town to Elliot's riotous stuffed animal companion Baloney Tony (voiced by Craig Robinson). But it's the focus on parental conflict — and Stevie and Elliot's reaction to it — that truly makes In Your Dreams special. As I wrote in my review, "None of In Your Dreams' dreamland chaos would mean anything if it wasn't rooted in Stevie and Elliot's anxieties about their parents' marriage, which the film portrays with unflinching honesty... It's a thoughtful, mature portrayal of how parents can grow distant yet still love each other." — B.E.

Starring: Craig Robinson, Simu Liu, Cristin Milioti, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Elias Janssen, Gia Carides, Omid Djalili, and SungWon Cho

How to watch: In Your Dreams debuts on Netflix on Nov. 14.

(*) denotes a blurb comes from a previous list.

OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, recently estimated how many of its 800 million users engage in emotionally reliant conversations with the chatbot every week. As a vanishingly small .15 percentage, the figure seems deceptively small.

But the math tells a different story: A sliver of 800 million is still 1.2 million people. The way these users talk to ChatGPT likely increases their loneliness and emotional dependence on the technology and decreases their socialization with other human beings.

While OpenAI says its default model has been updated to discourage over-reliance by prodding users to value real-world connection, ChatGPT still stands at the ready to answer practically any query a user may have.

For many, the temptation to constantly turn to ChatGPT (or another chatbot) remains, and it may lead to harmful over-reliance for some. This risk is real: OpenAI has been sued by several plaintiffs whose teenage children or adult loved ones died by suicide or experienced severe mental illness during or after a period of heavy ChatGPT use. The complaints allege that ChatGPT's design and lack of safeguards led to tragedy in each case.

AI experts interviewed by Mashable say avoiding the trap of dependency means adopting clear boundaries and staying savvy about the technology itself.

Jay Vidyarthi, a meditation teacher and tech founder, says that by maintaining a clear understanding of what the large language models are — and what they're not — people can use a generative chatbot wisely, specifically in ways that preserve their unique critical thinking and reflection skills. 

"We often forget that it is possible to have a secure relationship with your technology, and I think it also is possible to have a secure relationship with a chatbot," says Vidyarthi, author of Reclaim Your Mind: Seven Strategies to Enjoy Tech Mindfully.

Here are five strategies for making that a reality:

1. Truly understand AI chatbot technology.

A sophisticated AI chatbot that mirrors a user's emotion and thinking isn't sentient, but it can be easy for some people to believe otherwise, given the product's design. A user who feels this way may come to see ChatGPT not as a type of parasocial relationship but as equivalent to a human friend, romantic partner, companion, or confidant. This deceptive dynamic can lead to problematic use or dependency.

Vidyarthi encourages people to instead view an AI chatbot as a fundamentally unpredictable "prediction engine that has been meticulously trained to give you exactly what you want."

That framing may seem like a contradiction, but highly authoritative and engaging chatbots work by predicting the next letter, word, or series of words in a sentence to simulate conversation.

At the same time, chatbots can make bizarre references or even hallucinate falsehoods they present as fact. This particularly happens when a conversation goes on for longer or the chatbot has to answer a question for which it doesn't have an answer. Chatbots are typically programmed to guess a response, which can make them surprisingly unpredictable.

People who understand the limitations of AI chatbot technology may be less likely to trust and anthropomorphize them as human, thus making them less susceptible to problematic use or dependency.

2. Outsource tasks to AI, not thinking.

Sol Rashidi, chief strategy officer of data and AI for the data security company Cyera, uses AI technology in her daily life.

Yet Rashidi, who earlier this year gave a TEDx talk about AI leading to "intellectual atrophy," has firm rules about when and how she uses AI. Instead of offloading her thinking to chatbots, she uses AI for "dull" and "difficult" tasks.

For instance, Rashidi uses a chatbot for practical things, like listing ingredients in her fridge to plan for dinner without making another grocery run, or plotting birthday party logistics in minutes.

At work, she'll input her own frameworks and models based on years of experience, and use AI to translate that content into short videos or simplified explainers.

"I don't use it to do the thinking for me," she says of AI. "I use it to expedite or facilitate something that I have to do that I don't have time to do."

3. Form your own opinion first

For many people, ChatGPT is alluring because it offers instantaneous, validating feedback. Why text a friend about what to wear to a party or whether to go on a second date when ChatGPT is ready to answer the same questions? Why not run a personal email through ChatGPT, or have the chatbot write it to begin with?

AI expert Dr. Renée Richardson Gosline, a research scientist and senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, warns against falling into this dynamic with a chatbot.

First, she says it's important that people form their own opinion before asking a chatbot to supply their own. She argues that routinely skipping that first step leads to a damaging cognitive disconnect wherein it becomes harder to engage critical thinking skills.

"I think that having this kind of muscle that you flex intentionally is really important," Gosline says.

4. Seek out friction, not validation.

Gosline believes that it's equally important for people to seek out the right amount of friction. When someone constantly consults ChatGPT for advice or turns to it for support and companionship, they're often missing opportunities to relate to other human beings in beneficial ways.

The give-and-take, or friction, of human relationships offers something that chatbots cannot, Gosline says: A richer, more fulfilled life.

When a chatbot is frictionless, like the notoriously sycophantic ChatGPT-4o model, it may cause some people to withdraw from harder or less validating experiences. Gosline likens the dynamic to a slide. The ride may be fun, but without guardrails it can end in a crash landing.

5. Stay present when talking to an AI chatbot.

To find balance, Gosline recommends attempting to stay in the present moment. When a user finds themselves talking to a chatbot as if they're in autopilot, that's a red flag that they may not be aware of over-reliance or dependency.

Vidyarthi also uses a mindfulness approach that begins with awareness. This can include simply noticing emotional responses to the chatbot. When it's overly encouraging and complimentary, for example, take a moment to reflect on why the chatbot is producing that output, and the feelings that prompts.

Vidyarthi recommends staying present by remembering that the chatbot is a "conceptual illusion" capable of seeming humanlike when a user interacts with it. Instead, Vidyarthi treats AI chatbots like a smart journal. It might provide helpful opportunities to reflect or even offer interesting insights. Still, it's up to the individual user to develop a clear-eyed perspective on what exactly they're interacting with, and decide what's valuable to them, what's not, and how seriously to take the output.

Rashidi, an AI executive with 15 years of experience, has seen the stakes of over-reliance play out over and over, which helps keep her grounded.

"I can see what happens when you develop a codependency," she says. "You actually stop thinking on your own."

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.

Disability tech accelerator Remarkable held its 2025 Disability Tech Summit at Sydney Town Hall this week, bringing the event to Australia for the first time.

Founded as an initiative of Australia's Cerebral Palsy Alliance in 2016, Remarkable has since spread to the U.S., holding its previous three Disability Tech Summits in San Francisco and San Diego. The organisation now runs two disability tech accelerator programs annually: One focused on US-based startups, and the other for startups in Australia and the rest of the world.

"In Australia, the federal government currently commits around about a $100 billion per year to disability and aging. And we know that we're only just scratching the surface of what is way in excess of a $13 trillion global opportunity around innovation in this space," said Remarkable founder Pete Horsley.

"We really do believe that with Australia's world leading research design capability, and lived experience in leadership, we have the chance to make the disability sector the next wave of innovative industry that flourishes right here in Australia but also in other pockets around the world as well."

Here are nine startups innovating in assistive tech at Remarkable’s 2025 Disability Tech Summit.

ByStorm Beauty, makeup tools for people with disabilities Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

ByStorm Beauty's founder Storm Menzies has mild cerebral palsy and worked in the disability industry for years. Even so, it wasn't until she broke her dominant hand that she realised how inaccessible makeup is to many people with disabilities. 

"When I couldn’t open a tube of mascara, and I couldn't find the accessible beauty products that I needed, I googled. And even Google was confused," said Menzies. "So I called one of my friends, and I asked her how she did her makeup. And she said, 'Storm, makeup isn't made for people like me. No one sees me as beautiful.'"

This prompted Menzies to create tools which snap on to makeup products, enabling people with disabilities to hold and use them.

"I learned that my community doesn’t actually want accessible makeup," Menzies explained. "What they want is to be able to use the same makeup and beauty products as everyone else, the same products that are trending and viral on TikTok."

ByStorm Beauty's makeup attachments come in two models. The round Betty grip is suited to people with wrist or hand pain, while the paddle-shaped Margie helps people who can't curl their fingers. Both are made of medical-grade silicone, and can be used across different product types and brands. Based in Australia, ByStorm Beauty also currently ships to Canada, the UK, and New Zealand.

"While everyone else is chasing these high-tech, AI solutions, we are focused on simplicity," said Menzies. "Accessibility is not charity. It’s innovation. It is sustainability. And it is the future of beauty."

Possibility Neurotechnologies' Think2Switch, a brain-computer interface Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

Possibility Neurotechnologies' co-founder and CEO Dion Kelly describes its brain-computer interface Think2Switch as "like Siri for your thoughts." Designed for ease of use, the Think2Switch software enables people to operate up to four separate electrical devices using off-the-shelf brain sensing headsets.

"For people who experience challenges with mobility and communication,... none of [the potential options] are accessible, affordable, or usable by the average person," said Kelly. "With Think2Switch, anyone can go online right now, and they can purchase a Muse headset for $500, they can download our app, and start using it right away."

Equipped with EEG electrodes, Muse's headsets are intended to be meditation wearables. Possibility Neurotechnologies' Think2Switch reappropriates their ability to detect brain activity to turn it into an accessibility device.

"Imagine being told that your child will never talk, they'll never walk, they'll never be able to do anything independently," said Kelly. "Now imagine learning that there's a technology that can help your child interact with the world, a fundamental human right. So you get on wait lists. You do months and months of assessments trying to prove that your child is disabled enough to warrant this technology, in hopes that maybe insurance will cover it. If not, it's $15,000 out of pocket. That's the reality for 60 million people… where only two percent ever get access."

Based in Canada, Kelly states that Think2Switch has already been used by over a 100 families across 20 clinics. Of course, its ambitions stretch far beyond this. While Possibility Neurotechnologies is currently focused on people with disabilities, the startup hopes to eventually introduce Think2Switch to the kids' consumer tech and toy market as well.

"We're building this for all children, because the desire to control your world is not limited by disability," said Kelly. "With Think2Switch, interaction feels like magic, and what child doesn't want to experience that?"

Field of Vision, enabling people with limited vision to follow live sports Credit: Composite image: Amanda Yeo / Mashable; Field of Vision

Established in 2020, Field of Vision was inspired by a viral video of a blind football fan celebrating a goal in a crowded stadium. The Irish startup's handheld haptic devices enable people with low vision to follow live sports, letting them feel engraved high-contrast field lines as well as the movement of the ball.

"I like to describe it a bit like a football Ouija board," explained co-founder David Deneher. "So you let the magnet guide your hand around the field, rather than the other way around, and then that can tell you where the ball is. And then there's vibrations for key events within the sports games, such as tackles or behinds goals, and there's different vibrations for each of them."

Around the size of an iPad, Field of Vision's device has interchangeable plates allowing it to be used for different sports. Deneher stated that it can be used for soccer, rugby, AFL, and NFL, with the startup planning to expand to baseball and tennis. 

"We get our data from either AI cameras that are installed in the stadium that can bring it to the device in less than half a second, or we can manually track the data," said Deneher. "We can work in any size stadium, with big stadiums such as [Melbourne's] Marvel Stadium, all the way to our local ones….

"That's one of the big things we work on, is making sure the data gets to our device in less than half a second. Because the idea is we want the fans to be able to experience this sport at the same time as everyone else, rather than always asking what's going on."

Earlier this year, Marvel Stadium announced that AFL audiences will be able to rent Field of Vision's devices for free in 2026, in collaboration with Australian telecom Telstra. While Field of Vision's devices are currently loaned out by stadiums, Deneher hopes that sports enthusiasts will eventually own their own which they can take with them to games.

Understanding Zoe, an app for tracking neurodivergent children's health Credit: Composite image: Amanda Yeo / Mashable; Understanding Zoe

Named for co-founder and CEO Laetitia Andrac's daughter, Understanding Zoe is an AI-assisted app which allows parents, teachers, and therapists to track their neurodivergent child's progress by logging their behaviours. The app's AI coach Pip then offers insights based on the information provided, helping adults identify a child's meltdown triggers and the calming techniques which work for them. 

"The whole idea of Understanding Zoe was to support [neurodivergent children who] are misunderstood and hidden and invisible," said Andrac. "To make sure that, from now on, we don't repeat the biases and the trauma from the past, and we support them."

Though the app is focused on children, Andrac noted that they hope to expand beyond this in the future.

"Understanding Zoe was born out of our own lived experience facing [a] broken system," Andrac said. "We are embracing ethical AI, we are correcting biases, and we are embracing strength-based neuro affirming care. We collaborate with researchers from University of Sydney, Oxford University, but we also collaborate with lots of clinicians and lived experience experts to really build this platform."

Understanding Zoe is available on both iOS and Android, and offers a free 30-day trial. After that, the app will set you back $AU10 per month per family, with multiple children and caregivers supported.

Rampey, an autonomous AI-powered robot ramp Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

As the name suggests, Rampey is a ramp. Of course, this is far from all there is to it. Introduced by founder and CEO Jay Davey, Rampey is a robotic, self-deploying ramp which uses AI to autonomously position itself in front of train doors. This means people with disabilities don't have to rely on station staff to help them, enabling them to get in and out of the carriage with greater ease.

"No staff needed, no waiting for heavy ramps, no arriving early," said Davey, who boasts over 20 years of experience in robotics. "Our autonomous ramps position themselves before the doors open. And what took minutes now takes seconds….

"The robot is safe around people, thanks to its hybrid LiDAR and computer vision sensor suite. Platforms with large gaps and curve geometries are no challenge. We turn in place to match the angle of the train, and we adjust the height of the ramp to the perfect height every time."

While Rampey is targeted at wheelchair users, Davey also acknowledged the need to consider how it impacts other people with disabilities.

"We want to put lights and sounds and audio cues to give some kind of indication of what the robot wants to do," said Davey. "But those lights and sounds — if they're not carefully monitored and carefully implemented — they can be challenges for people with neuro divergence or things like that. So that realisation, that awareness [of] what you're putting on the robot, matters a lot."

Though based in Australia and primarily focused on trains, Davey noted that Rampey could also be used for other modes of transport such as autonomous cars, and could eventually be deployed globally. The startup is currently looking to raise pre-seed capital.

Umps, a personal alarm exploring AI integration Credit: Composite image: Umps; Amanda Yeo / Mashable

Umps is named after co-founder and CEO Adam Jahnke's title for his grandfather, whose dangerous falls inspired the personal alarm startup. Jahnke's grandfather wasn't wearing his alarm when he fell, so Umps started out by developing a smart home system which could detect abnormal movements via sensors placed around users' homes. However, potential users were deterred by the feeling of being surveilled.

"We were creating really great opportunities for intervention," explained Jahnke. "We were particularly good at detecting things like infections, breakdowns in people's everyday routine, disruptions to sleep, more sedentary behaviour…. [but] people felt a loss of autonomy and a loss of agency when something passive was monitoring them."

As such, Umps ultimately returned to personal alarms, offering pendants and watches connected to a home hub. However, the startup is now looking at how to offer more services and greater functionality on its devices, integrating various wireless network protocols such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, Thread, and WiFi.

"We've got a whole bunch of technology in here that would enable us to integrate other sensors and medical devices," said Jahnke. "What we ended up building was a range of voice applications that can be delivered over the personal alarm, [with voice commands] not just going to an emergency centre, but also to be delivered to care. 

"So with [Australian Christian community care organisation] Anglicare now, people can press this button, they can talk to the device, the device will transcribe what that person's request is and send it directly to their care team. Their care team can type back a response, send it back, and push it directly to the device."

Umps also plans to launch AI wellbeing checks next year, which will have its hub prompt users to gather information from them.

Hailo, an app helping people with disabilities catch public buses Credit: Composite image: Hailo; Amanda Yeo / Mashable

In 2018, Hailo co-founder and CTO Santiago Velasquez missed a university exam after multiple buses failed to stop for him that morning. Though he'd arrived early, was wearing a high-visibility vest, and held up the route number, he wasn't able to see the bus to hail it. As a result, he missed his exam and had to spend an additional six months on his electrical engineering degree.

"It wasn't the driver's fault," said Velasquez. "They are focused on the road [and] traffic, and without a clear signal at the appropriate time, the decision to stop can pass in a blink… People with disabilities experience isolation daily because public transport is not for everyone. This means living smaller lives, fewer outings and having limited employment opportunities."

The Hailo app aims to address this problem, and make public transport more accessible for everyone. Commuters use the app to send alerts to drivers' dashboards, letting them know that there are passengers to pick up as they approach a stop. They can also plan trips and see live vehicle information in the app. Meanwhile, drivers will receive information such as how many passengers there are, whether they need to deploy a ramp, and if the bus' suspension needs to be lowered.

"Both drivers and travelers get alerts at pickup, during the trip, and while approaching the stop," Velasquez explained. "Hailo works with existing technology on vehicles, so we are ready to roll out across New South Wales, Australia, and the world."

Hailo conducted a trial across 400 buses in New South Wales last year, and is preparing to launch in Melbourne and expand globally. While Hailo was initially designed for people with disabilities, Velasquez noted that it could be useful to everyone who takes public transport.

"[Text messaging] was to help people who couldn't hear," said Velasquez. "Now everybody says, 'Don't call me. Text.' It's the same thing with Hailo."

Rove, lightweight customisable wheelchairs Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

Rove offers lightweight yet durable wheelchairs made of 3D-printed titanium and wound carbon fibre. Weighing approximately 4kg (9lbs) without wheels and capable of being customised down to the millimetre, Rove's assistive devices are for experienced wheelchair users who know what they like.

"Your chair has to match your aesthetic, but also get you around," said Rove's national sales manager Alex Jones. "It needs to go to weddings, to funerals, to appointments. And just day to day in your life, in everything you do, you are most likely going to be dependent on that chair for — depending on the use case — either one thing or everything you do in your entire life.

"So here at Rove, we try and use cutting edge technology… to take the pros of both [titanium and carbon fibre] and cut out as much of the cons as we can to make the best, most functional wheelchair that we can. 

"And then we really care about the aesthetics of it. So we do colours, we do all sorts of different things, because a wheelchair isn't just a thing that you have inside of your house. For a lot of people, it's something that they're going to use every day and be dependent on for their whole mobility…. We make them look cool….

"The look on someone's face when they see that chair that they actually want to be seen in public, that catches me by surprise every time."

Rove doesn't yet have any dealers outside of Australia and New Zealand, with Jones telling Mashable that it's currently going through the approval processes in the U.S. and Europe. As such, it will likely be a while before it makes it to dealers stateside. However, you can still order a wheelchair directly from their website, with Rove selling to customers across the globe.

Marco Polo, a housemate matching platform for people with disabilities Credit: Composite image: Marco Polo; Amanda Yeo / Mashable

While Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) helps people with disabilities find housing, they typically don't get to choose their housemates. Marco Polo is a housemate matching platform which gives NDIS participants the power to select who they live with. 

"Across Australia, more than 700,000 people rely on the NDIS, and too many of them are being placed into shared homes with strangers," said Marco Polo co-founder Amy Connelly. "This leads to outcomes that range from conflict and distress to failed placements, and in some cases, violence and neglect….

"What the system needs is the ability to prioritise connection, choice, and compatibility first. But the system isn't designed for that, so we built the technology that makes it possible…. Think [Australian share accommodation website] Flatmates meets Tinder, custom built for people with disability."

People who receive NDIS housing assistance simply tell Marco Polo how much funding they receive and the location they prefer to live in. The platform will then show them potential housemates who match their individual circumstances and preferences.

Marco Polo is free for participants and support coordinators, while there are paid subscriptions for care providers, who can use the platform to list and manage vacancies. Connelly states that Marco Polo currently has over 600 users.

"Often people [using the NDIS housing model] have no choice in who they're living with," said co-founder Aaron Cotton. "It's, 'Here's three people, in you get, just deal with it and be happy that you've got somewhere to live.' We are changing that, and making sure that people with a disability and their families and whoever supports them have the ability to select who they're living with and who supports them."

The Vivaldi web browser is already a compelling alternative to Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox, and now it's getting even better with upgraded tab synchronization. There are also some helpful changes to the new tab page, performance controls, and the built-in mail client.

If you’re a woman stepping into senior leadership during midlife, menopause symptoms like hot flashes or brain fog can feel like professional roadblocks—but they don’t have to be. Here are some research-backed strategies to lead through menopause with strength and clarity. Advocate for your health. Don’t settle for vague answers or inadequate treatment. Take initiative: […]

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SAVE UP TO $60: On Nov 13. Whoop launched the details of its Cyber Week sale. The sale will launch on Nov. 20 and run through Dec. 2, and includes $60 off Whoop MG plans and $40 off Whoop 5.0 plans.

Shop Whoop plans Shop Life Plan Whoop MG $359 Shop Now Shop Peak Plan Whoop 5.0 $239 Shop Now Shop One Plan Whoop 5.0 $149 (Save $50) Get Deal

While we're still two weeks out from Black Friday, the sales are already here. Big retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart already have some early Black Friday savings live, but many individual brands are waiting until Nov. 20, a week before Thanksgiving, to launch their sales. Plus, the sales are running through what is now known as Cyber Week, aka the week that encompasses Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The latest brand to announce its Cyber Week deals is Whoop.

On Nov. 20, Whoop kicks off its Cyber Week sale, which will bring discounts to the Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG trackers. The brand operates a little differently from other trackers; instead of buying the device, you pay for a membership, which includes the device — and those memberships are going on sale. The sale will run through Dec. 2.

SEE ALSO: I tested the top fitness trackers for running a marathon (by running the NYC marathon)

During Cyber Week, the Life Plan, which includes Whoop's most advanced tracker, the Whoop MG, will be $60 off. This deal applies to both 12- and 24-month plans. That brings the price of the 12-month plan down to $299 from $359, and the 24-month plan down to $539 from $599. The Peak Plan, which included the Whoop 5.0, will be $40 off on 12- and 24-month plans. The 12-month plan will be down to $199 from $239, and the 24-month plan will be down to $359 from $399.

In addition to the devices, Whoop will offer up to 20% off Whoop 5.0 accessories and Whoop Body, as well as up to 70% off Whoop 4.0 accessories.

You can swap out bands on your Whoop wearable, and those accessories are also on sale during Cyber Week. Credit: Whoop

What's notably missing from Whoop's Cyber Week sale is a discount on the Whoop One subscription, the most basic membership tier that comes with the Whoop 5.0. Oddly enough, ahead of Cyber Week, One memberships are currently on sale. You can get a 12-month membership to Whoop One for $149, saving you $50 off its normal $199 price.

We love Whoop's fitness trackers here at Mashable. They're a round-the-clock device, as you never need to take them off. Whoop wearables are waterproof, and you can even charge the device while wearing it. We think it's the best sleep tracker too, easily the most comfortable with the most extensive data. Mashable's Christianna Silva determined it's the best health tracker to use while marathon training.

Whoop's Cyber Week sale begins on Nov. 20 and runs through Dec. 2. However, if you want to grab a Whoop One membership on sale, you can grab that now for just $149.

Opens in a new window Credit: Whoop Whoop 5.0 $149 at Whoop
$199 Save $50 Get the Whoop 5.0 with a 12- or 24-month One membership. Get Deal