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One of the things I love about the Christmas holidays is the time they provide to sink into my couch and watch some classic festive comfort flicks. JustWatch has revealed their list of the most rewatched movies of the season, based on the last three holiday periods, and it’s official—viewers crave humor, warmth, and nostalgia.

Le Wand is one of the most well-known names in the wand vibrator market. The company’s known for its luxe, high-performance designs and innovative tech. Of course, premium quality comes with a premium price, but Le Wand’s been doing the most to keep costs down (when tariffs are running rampant).

SEE ALSO: Should I panic buy vibrators right now?

In August, the brand launched its most affordable line yet: the Glow Collection. Each vibrator in the lineup (the Le Wand Flat Top Fusion G, Le Wand Thrust, Le Wand Hither, and Le Wand Lick) is under $100 — this move made the brand’s advanced tech more accessible.

Now, the brand’s serving up its signature design with a twist (and an even better price point) with the launch of its Classique Collection, and every single wand comes with a freebie and a three-year warranty.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new collection:

Le Wand Classique Mini Rechargeable Vibrating Massager, $54.99 Opens in a new window Credit: Le Wand Le Wand Classique Mini Rechargeable Vibrating Massager $54.99 at Le Wand
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The most affordable wand in the Classique lineup is the Le Wand Classique Mini Rechargeable Vibrating Massager. This little guy is super cute (it's the smallest wand in the bunch), travel-friendly, and comes with a free storage bag. In addition to its compact design, which is def a plus (especially with holiday travel coming up for many of us), it has 10 vibration intensities, a travel lock (which is super handy; nothing's worse than pretending your suitcase isn't buzzing when it clearly is), and can run for 90 minutes on a single charge. It's also IPX7 waterproof, so you can take it in the shower. (Sometimes, that's the only place I can get some alone time myself, so I get it.)

SEE ALSO: The Magic Wand Micro is tiny, mighty, and pricey Classique Rechargeable Petite, $84.99 Opens in a new window Credit: Le Wand Le Wand Classique Cordless Petite Rechargeable Vibrating Massager $84.99 at Le Wand
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If you're looking for something that's a little bit bigger but not too big, the Le Wand Classique Cordless Petite Rechargeable Vibrating Massager is the second-most-affordable wand in the Classique Collection. It's $84.99 and comes with a free storage bag and a hands-free massager holder. (This device is ideal for people with mobility issues, arthritis, or for those of you who are ready to experiment with new positions.) Like the Mini, this wand has 10 vibration intensities, and it's rechargeable via a USB-C cable. (Of course, the charging cable comes with it.) You'll get two hours of playtime after a 90-minute charge. It's also IPX7 waterproof and has a travel lock.

Classique Plug-In, $89.99 Opens in a new window Credit: Le Wand Le Wand Classique Plug-In Original Full-Body Vibrating Massager $89.99 at Le Wand
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Next up is the Le Wand Classique Plug-In Original Full-Body Vibrating Massager. This wand vibe is what I like to call a "traditional wand vibe" because it plugs into the wall. It's $89.99 and comes with a free storage bag and a hands-free massager holder. The wand also features 10 vibration intensities and a travel lock. It's plug-and-play with an eight-inch cord, so it'll literally never die as long as it's plugged in. (A pretty nifty feature for anyone interested in edging.)

Classique Rechargeable Original, $139.99 Opens in a new window Credit: Le Wand Le Wand Classique Cordless Original Rechargeable Vibrating Massager $139.99 at Le Wand
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The Le Wand Classique Cordless Original Rechargeable Vibrating Massager is the last vibe in the Classique lineup, and it's also the most expensive, but for good reason. With 8800 RPM power, this wand vibrator was built for deep relaxation. It has a flat, soft head with a flexible neck so you can really reach every spot. And, with this one, you'll get four hours of playtime on a single charge. Just note: this vibe isn't waterproof; it's IPX6 splash-proof, which means you probably shouldn't take it in the bathtub. Like the other wands on this list, it has a travel lock and 10 vibration intensities.

With the price of memory and storage rising rapidly with no hope of relief visible in the near future, it makes more sense than ever to try and get the most out of your old PC hardware instead of buying something new.

A lot has changed in Hawkins since the last installment of Stranger Things aired in 2022, but one familiar touchstone remains in Season 5: the Kate Bush ballad "Running Up That Hill."

It's the song that Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) plays for Max (Sadie Sink) as she lays comatose in a hospital bed. He hopes the tune, which Max played on repeat in Season 4, will somehow bring her back from the physical and mental limbo she's trapped in. She was put there by the villain Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), and it's unclear if she'll ever return.

Season 4 brimmed with gut-punch moments: the humiliation of Eleven by a relentless bully, terrifying encounters with Vecna, and the final reveal of that character's origin story. But arguably the most emotionally powerful scene of the season's first volume arrives in episode 4, when Max is held psychologically captive by Vecna, a serial killer from the Upside Down who entrances and then tortures his victims with their worst fears and experiences before murdering them.

SEE ALSO: Here's how to watch the 'Stranger Things' Season 5 finale in theaters

The showdown between Vecna and Max unfolds to the soundtrack of Bush's '80s hit "Running Up That Hill," a percussion and synth-driven ballad about making a deal with God that happens to be Max's favorite song.

Max's past experience with trauma — namely, watching the Mind Flayer brutally kill her stepbrother Billy (Dacre Montgomery) in Season 3 — makes her a target for Vecna's manipulation. She's become withdrawn and adrift, pulling away from her friends and sinking deeper into what looks like depression. While sitting at Billy's grave, she weeps over the loss, trembling as she says aloud how and why he died, and confessing she can't share those details with anyone else.

When Vecna appears at the gravesite, it's first as Billy, mutilated, bloody, and eager to deepen the emotional wound that is Max's survivor's guilt. Vecna as Billy tells Max: "[L]ate at night, you have sometimes wished to follow me. Follow me into death. That is why I am here, Max, to end your suffering once and for all" — alluding perhaps to suicidal feelings Max hasn't mentioned.

Max tries to outrun Vecna when he materializes as himself, but finds herself in the Upside Down. While caught in Vecna's grip, a tear in the dark dimension reveals her friends on the other side, desperately trying to save her from Vecna's curse. Of course, it's "Running Up That Hill," blasted into Max's headphones that breaks Vecna's hold on her.

As Vecna prepares to take her life, Max closes her eyes and sees joyful memories: laughing with El, dressing up as a Ghostbuster for Halloween, dancing with Lucas (and kissing him). She breaks free, momentarily incapacitates Vecna, and runs with the determination to live toward her friends, dodging debris that Vecna throws in her path. Max hurls herself through the portal, awakes from the trance, and is held by Lucas. "I thought we lost you," he cries. "I'm still here. I'm still here," she says.

SEE ALSO: 11 burning questions we have for 'Stranger Things' Season 5, Volume 2

For some fans who've experienced depression and suicidal thoughts, or attempted suicide, the lengthy scene reads as more than just a classic psychological thriller. Instead, it feels like a metaphor about the difficulty of overcoming suicidal thoughts and feelings. That interpretation resonated with numerous commenters in a Stranger Things subreddit post about Max's escape from Vecna, even though the words "suicide" and "depression" are never uttered in the show.

"This episode hit me hard too, because when I was at my most depressed, I found my favourite band, and that made me cling onto life," one commenter wrote. Another said: "I cried watching this scene because it captured so well what it was like to go through a major depressive episode and convince myself to keep going."

Netflix declined to comment on the scene, but those fans' interpretation might not be far off. The show's music supervisor, Nora Felder, told Variety: "In some ways, this scene can be understood as alluding more broadly to the inner struggles with private demons that many teens wrestle with during troubled times, especially when feeling alone and estranged from others."

From the Upside Down, Max can see her friends trying to save her as "Running Up That Hill" plays on her headphones. Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Brett Wean, director of writing and entertainment outreach for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, felt similarly.

"While I’m not certain what the Duffer Brothers intended with this sequence in terms of it being an allegory for someone facing depression or suicidal thoughts, it certainly tells me something that people are assigning meaning to it in this way," he wrote in an email. "I think viewers' interpretation...speaks to where people are at right now, particularly young people, as many of them face adversity and isolation as a result of the pandemic."

Protective factors against suicide include connections to friends, family, and community support. Isolation and adverse childhood experiences, including verbal and physical abuse of the kind that Vecna's other victims appeared to endure, are among the risk factors.

Vic Welle, a mental health peer support trainer who has planned but not carried out suicide attempts, told Mashable that they found the scene powerful.

"The depiction of what it's like to be at that point of despair is really captured well," Welle said. "The Upside Down as this place of distortion and a place of almost hopelessness where Vecna is saying the worst things, the worst fears you might have about yourself...and what if they're true? That's what it's like to be in that place of feeling completely worthless."

"The depiction of what it's like to be at that point of despair is really captured well." - Vic Welle, mental health peer support trainer

Yet what makes the scene so memorable is not just its portrayal of psychological and emotional crisis, but the swift, heartfelt efforts from Max's friends to save her life. They don't flinch at trying to rescue her. They know which song to play because they've been paying attention, and they don't give up, even as Max is the one who ultimately makes the choice to survive.

"The really hopeful piece is the role of connection to community and reminders of meaning and purpose," said Welle.

While the scene is no blueprint for how to help someone in a mental health crisis — the show is still just a sci-fi/horror series, after all — the spirit of Max's friends' intervention may be worth drawing on in real life.

For those experiencing suicidal thoughts and behavior who also feel like they lack emotional support, Welle said the scene can instead point to finding community elsewhere. In the absence of trusted, close friends and family, Welle recommends Alternatives to Suicide support groups like the Massachusetts-based Wildflower Alliance, which offers virtual meetings and has a directory of support groups people can explore. Welle has participated in peer support groups when they felt unable to talk to their loved ones.

And while the foreboding sense that vulnerable youth are doomed by Vecna works for the show's narrative arc this season, Welle noted that experiencing trauma doesn't always lead to depression or suicidal feelings and behavior.

"If you have something really huge happen to you and you are surrounded with compassion, resources, and the ability to process and make meaning of that and integrate that into your overall life story, I think that's really different from having to carry that in isolation," said Welle, who describes themselves as a trauma and psychiatric survivor.

In the end, Stranger Things didn't need to spell any of this out. Between the profound writing, Sink's masterful performance, and the impeccable song choice, it was all there, waiting for viewers who would understand.

UPDATE: Dec. 10, 2025, 10:28 a.m. PST This story was originally published on June 12, 2022. It has been updated to reflect events from "Stranger Things" Season 5.

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.

Google is dramatically expanding the early access program for its new Gemini for Home voice assistant. This expands availability to millions of users and adds support for third-party speakers. This is great news for anyone who owns a non-Google smart speaker and felt left out of the initial rollout.

The long-awaited foldable iPhone — rumored to be called the iPhone Fold — could be here soon.

Tech enthusiasts and early adopters already love foldable phones — and they have plenty of options — but Apple's been notably absent from the genre. But that's reportedly due to change in 2026, when Apple is expected to release the iPhone Fold. Here's everything we know about the future addition to the iPhone lineup, including the latest rumors and pricing information.

When will the iPhone Fold be released?

We think the iPhone Fold is coming in 2026. Chinese site UDN (via MacRumors) reported last month that the phone was coming next year and that it would, indeed, be called the iPhone Fold. That's far from a guarantee, but as Mashable's Stan Schroeder wrote, it is a bit of comfort for Apple fans who'd seen other reports that it could be pushed to 2027.

That's also in line with new rumors that hit the internet this week, suggesting Apple had purchased about 11 million OLED panels from Samsung Display — a much higher than expected figure — for its new foldable. That bit of rumored news could be misleading, however, because the original report — from a Korean site called ET News — has since been deleted.

SEE ALSO: Apple's iPhone Fold is on track, but it might be pricier than we thought How much will the iPhone Fold cost, and will people buy it?

The iPhone Fold is likely to be expensive. A recent estimate from research analyst Arthur Liao suggested the price tag for the Fold — gulp — could come in around $2,399. That's in line with expectations in a new report from International Data Corporation (IDC). I

Despite the sizable cost (the flagship Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is priced at $1,999.99), sales expectations remain high. The IDC report estimated Apple would siphon one-third of the spending in the foldable market in 2026.

"But the real game-changer for the category comes at year-end when Apple enters the foldable space, projected to capture over 22% unit share and a staggering 34% of the foldables market value in its first year, thanks to an expected average price point of $2,400,” read the report.

What will the iPhone Fold specs look like?

The iPhone Fold remains a mystery to some extent, of course, but we do have a very rough idea of what it could offer. The report from UDN noted the iPhone Fold could be creaseless, which means you wouldn't see that awkward line when it was folded open.

In August, Mashable also reported on predictions from Apple reporter Mark Gurman, who said that the foldable iPhone would be a book-style foldable with four cameras — two on the back, one on the inside, and one front selfie camera. Gurman also predicted it would use Touch ID, even though iPhones typically use Face ID.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported earlier this year that the iPhone Fold would have a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display, and measure in at just 9 to 9.5mm of thickness. We heard another rumor in September, which claimed the iPhone Fold would look like two iPhone Airs put together, with a similar thickness of 5.6mm. Why the discrepancy between the two reports? It could be the difference between the device's thickness when folded and unfolded.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold vs Apple foldable iPhone: Specs and rumors

Mashable's Alex Perry also compared the potential specs of the iPhone Fold with the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold, which we know a lot more about. Obviously, the Samsung trifold will be larger and thicker than the iPhone Fold. Otherwise, we're still waiting on official details. But if recent rumors prove true, the wait shouldn't be too much longer.

Sometimes the right tool for the job is whatever is within arm's reach, like a utility knife that's always in your pocket. While Milwaukee is most known for its wide array of M12 and M18 power tools, the company also makes some great hand tools, including this Milwaukee multi-function utility knife.

One of the downsides of Home Assistant is that, because it can do so much, it's all too easy to completely miss some of the most useful features. You may never have ventured into the "Developer tools" section, for example. If so, you're missing out, as it holds some incredibly useful tools.

TL;DR: Live stream Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns in the NBA Cup for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The NBA Cup quarter finals promise some really interesting matchups, including Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns. The vibes are pretty great with the Suns this season, but vibes won't help you beat the Thunder. This could be a historic season for SGA and co.

If you want to watch Thunder vs. Suns in the NBA Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Thunder vs. Suns?

Thunder vs. Suns in the NBA Cup starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 10. This game takes place at the Paycom Center.

How to watch Thunder vs. Suns for free

Thunder vs. Suns in the NBA Cup is available to live stream for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

This free live stream is geo-restricted to the U.S., but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can access free live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime (if you're not already a member)

2. Subscribe to a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

5. Watch the NBA from anywhere in the world on Prime Video

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Learn More

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select games from the NBA Cup before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing free live streams on platforms like Prime Video, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NBA Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

You may have noticed people discussing GitHub alternatives recently. In particular, several projects have migrated to a competitor called Codeberg. Having investigated further, I’m convinced it’s a solid alternative, and it’s not the only one.

Spotify is rolling out what could be a game-changing feature for new and loyal users after years of waiting. With this new integration, Spotify will be eliminating a major point that has proved an obstacle for users of other music platforms from finally making the switch.

YouTube Rewind may have ended back in 2019, but it seems like YouTube has finally put the nail in the coffin by just unlisting every single one of its annual recap videos.

On Tuesday evening, YouTube users in the r/YouTube community on Reddit noticed something odd. YouTube's official channel had marked every single one of its previous YouTube Rewind videos as "unlisted." This basically means that unless you have the actual link to the specific video, the YouTube Rewind videos are now much harder to find on the YouTube platform. They do not show up on the channel page or in YouTube search results, though we did find a user playlist with links to all of the Rewind videos.

Reddit

Why did YouTube do this? It's unclear, especially given that it's been six years since the last YouTube Rewind. However, YouTube creators have been speculating about the change. 

Spotify reinvented the yearly recap with Spotify Wrapped, which gives each individual user a highly personalized look back at their year on the app. Other apps, like YouTube, have since followed that path and provide users with their own personal year-in-review.

However, way back in 2011, YouTube arguably started the whole social media recap trend with its annual series of highly-produced annual recap videos called YouTube Rewind. The last YouTube Rewind video was in 2019, with the company opting not to make one in 2020. 

From 2011 to 2018, YouTube Rewind videos looked back at the biggest memes, videos, creators, and anything else that defined YouTuber culture that year. The company produced original content for these videos with breakout YouTube stars celebrating the year in YouTube. 

While the videos were popular for a time, the 2018 edition of YouTube Rewind became the most disliked video on the platform at the time after blowback from YouTube users. Many popular and somewhat controversial YouTube creators were not included in the recap, which included more mainstream YouTube stars. 

The company dropped its long-running format in 2019, instead creating a countdown montage of the year's top moments, before dropping YouTube Rewind completely.

In response to a question from Mashable, a YouTube spokesperson provided the following statement regarding the company unlisting its YouTube Rewind videos.

"As our 20th birthday year comes to a close, we've decided to blow out our Rewind candles," YouTube said. "It was a great tradition, but we have new ways to close out the year in style."

But there's also speculation online regarding the timing of YouTube's change.

Former YouTuber turned Twitch streamer Ryan ‘NigaHiga’ Higa recently shared on a stream that YouTube had previously "lied" to him regarding his involvement in a YouTube Rewind video he took part in. He was originally asked to dance in a YouTube Rewind video, which he turned down. YouTube still brought Higa in to film other segments, but then, according to Higa, the company tried to pressure him into performing the dance once he was on set. Higa says he walked out on the shoot at the time. Higa last posted on YouTube in 2020, leaving behind his more than 20.8 million subscribers to stream daily on Twitch to his 860,000 followers.

UPDATE: Dec. 10, 2025, 4:31 p.m. EST This article has been updated with a statement from YouTube.

In a rare piece of good news for streaming subscribers, HBO Max is actually getting cheaper for certain Verizon customers who currently use the service as an add-on perk. Seeing a price cut in the streaming world is almost unheard of these days, but this price cut is rolling out now.

Instagram has begun automatically generating headlines and descriptions for users’ posts that appear in Google Search results — often without users’ knowledge and, in some cases, with misleading or inaccurate framing, according to reporting from 404 Media.

The issue first surfaced after author Jeff VanderMeer noticed that one of his caption-less Instagram posts — a simple video of a bunny eating a banana — appeared in Google search results with a clickbait-style headline that he did not write. Other posts, including one from a Massachusetts public library, were similarly given promotional headlines unrelated to the original content.

Google has included more social media content in its search results over the years. Starting on July 10, Instagram made public posts from professional accounts searchable in Google.

SEE ALSO: Instagram's AI can now Restyle your Stories — text, video, and all

404 Media confirmed that this behavior affects multiple users. In another example, a cosplayer’s video appeared in search results with a headline about discovering cosplay locations in Seattle, despite the user never writing anything resembling that description. Google informed 404 Media that it is not generating these headlines and instead pulls the text directly from Instagram.

Meta, in a statement to the outlet, later confirmed that Instagram has recently started using AI to generate titles for posts shown in search engines, stating that the feature is intended to help people better understand content, while acknowledging that the titles are not always accurate. The company directed users to a Help Center page that explained how to opt out of search engine indexing.

Experts cited by 404 Media say the headlines appear to be generated specifically for search bots and are embedded in the page’s title tags, meaning regular visitors don’t see them on Instagram itself. Users and creators have criticized the practice for stripping their posts of context, misrepresenting their work, and contributing to low-quality, spam-like search results.

The reporting raises broader questions about how AI-generated metadata could distort online content and impact creators' reputations.

BEST PRICE: As of Dec. 10, the Magic: The Gathering deal: Edge of Eternities Commander Deck Bundle is on sale for $132.24 on Amazon. That's the lowest-ever price for this set.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Magic: The Gathering Store Magic: The Gathering Avatar The Last Airbender Play Booster Box $132.24 at Amazon
$179.96 Save $47.72   Get Deal

Another day, another record-low price on trading cards. We're keeping tabs on the trading card market because something new seems to drop every day. We're finding a bunch of deals on Pokémon, but this time, the focus is on Magic: The Gathering.

As of Dec. 10, the Magic: The Gathering deal: Edge of Eternities Commander Deck Bundle is on sale for $132.24 on Amazon. That's the lowest-ever price for this set. The price has been steadily falling since November, but we've never seen anything like this. And it couldn't be better timed, because you can order well ahead of Christmas.

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This bundle includes four items, with two Edge of Eternities World Shaper Commander Decks and two Edge of Eternities Counter Intelligence Commander Decks. Every Edge of Eternities Commander Deck includes two Traditional Foil Legendary Creature cards featuring Borderless art and each deck introduces 12 never-before-seen Commander cards.

Get the best-ever price on the Magic: The Gathering deal: Edge of Eternities Commander Deck Bundle at Amazon.

Picking between the 2025 Kia K4 and K5 can feel like choosing between siblings—same family, but very different personalities.

SAVE $60: As of Dec. 10, get the DJI Neo three-battery combo for $229 at Amazon. That's a discount of 21% and the lowest price we've ever seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon DJI Neo (3-Battery Combo) $229 at Amazon
$289 Save $60   Get Deal

The future may be uncertain for DJI drones, especially with the U.S.'s potential drone ban this month due to trade and security issues. That means it's been tough to find or purchase any DJI drones in the country, with supply that's less than simple to locate. If you're still on the lookout, however, you can nab a DJI model today for an all-time low price.

As of Dec. 10, get the DJI Neo three-battery combo for $229, down from its usual price of $289. That's $60 off and a discount of 21%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: The DJI Power 2000 portable power station is at its lowest price ever — almost half off

The DJI Neo is a portable drone that's perfect for taking on the go and for lightweight, easy excursions. But it's no slouch in the content creation department. It's outfitted with a 4K UHD camera and comes with a three-battery combo so you should be able to stay in the air much longer than usual.

It's feature-rich beyond that as well, with the option for palm takeoffs, stable subject tracking, and voice control, all of which make it great for beginners as well as drone experts.

Of course, none of that is as important as the fact that it's in stock and very affordable right now. You'll want to go ahead and grab it while you can at this price, because you'll want to lock in your drone purchase as soon as possible.

There's an overwhelming number of file managers on the Google Play Store, but a good chunk of those are riddled with ads, proprietary, or both. File managers have access to the entire user file system, so you want to be sure you can trust them with all your data. Here are four open-source, privacy-friendly file managers you can try.

Anyone who uses AI systems knows the frustration: a prompt is given, the response misses the mark, and the cycle repeats. This trial-and-error loop can feel unpredictable and discouraging. To address this, we are excited to introduce Promptions (prompt + options), a UI framework that helps developers build AI interfaces with more precise user control.

Its simple design makes it easy to integrate into any setting that relies on added context, including customer support, education, and medicine. Promptions is available under the MIT license on Microsoft Foundry Labs (opens in new tab) and GitHub.

Background

Promptions builds on our research, “Dynamic Prompt Middleware: Contextual Prompt Refinement Controls for Comprehension Tasks.” This project examined how knowledge workers use generative AI when their goal is to understand rather than create. While much public discussion centers on AI producing text or images, understanding involves asking AI to explain, clarify, or teach—a task that can quickly become complex. Consider a spreadsheet formula: one user may want a simple syntax breakdown, another a debugging guide, and another an explanation suitable for teaching colleagues. The same formula can require entirely different explanations depending on the user’s role, expertise, and goals. 

A great deal of complexity sits beneath these seemingly simple requests. Users often find that the way they phrase a question doesn’t match the level of detail the AI needs. Clarifying what they really want can require long, carefully worded prompts that are tiring to produce. And because the connection between natural language and system behavior isn’t always transparent, it can be difficult to predict how the AI will interpret a given request. In the end, users spend more time managing the interaction itself than understanding the material they hoped to learn.

Identifying how users want to guide AI outputs 

To explore why these challenges persist and how people can better steer AI toward customized results, we conducted two studies with knowledge workers across technical and nontechnical roles. Their experiences highlighted important gaps that guided Promptions’ design.

Our first study involved 38 professionals across engineering, research, marketing, and program management. Participants reviewed design mock-ups that provided static prompt-refinement options—such as length, tone, or start with—for shaping AI responses. 

Although these static options were helpful, they couldn’t adapt to the specific formula, code snippets, or text the participant was trying to understand. Participants also wanted direct ways to customize the tone, detail, or format of the response without having to type instructions.

Why dynamic refinement matters

The second study tested prototypes in a controlled experiment. We compared the static design from the first study, called the “Static Prompt Refinement Control” (Static PRC), against a “Dynamic Prompt Refinement Control” (Dynamic PRC) with features that responded to participants’ feedback. Sixteen technical professionals familiar with generative AI completed six tasks, spanning code explanation, understanding a complex topic, and learning a new skill. Each participant tested both systems, with task assignments balanced to ensure fair comparison.  

Comparing Dynamic PRC to Static PRC revealed key insights into how dynamic prompt-refinement options change users’ sense of control and exploration and how those options help them reflect on their understanding. 

Static prompt refinement

Static PRC offered a set of pre‑selected controls (Figure 1) identified in the initial study. We expected these options to be useful across many types of explanation-seeking prompts.

Figure 1: The static PRC interface  Dynamic prompt refinement

We built the Dynamic PRC system to automatically produce prompt options and refinements based on the user’s input, presenting them in real time so that users could adjust these controls and guide the AI’s responses more precisely (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Interaction flow in the Dynamic PRC system. (1) The user asks the system to explain a long Excel formula. (2) Dynamic PRC generates refinement options: Explanation Detail Level, Focus Areas, and Learning Objectives. (3) The user modifies these options. (4) The AI returns an explanation based on the selected options. (5) In the session chat panel, the user adds a request to control the structure or format of the response. (6) Dynamic PRC generates new option sets based on this input. (7) The AI produces an updated explanation reflecting the newly applied options. 

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Participants consistently reported that dynamic controls made it easier to express the nuances of their tasks without repeatedly rephrasing their prompts. This reduced the effort of prompt engineering and allowed users to focus more on understanding content than managing the mechanics of phrasing.

Figure 3. Comparison of user preferences for Static PRC versus Dynamic PRC across key evaluation criteria. 

Contextual options prompted users to try refinements they might not have considered on their own. This behavior suggests that Dynamic PRC can broaden how users engage with AI explanations, helping them uncover new ways to approach tasks beyond their initial intent. Beyond exploration, the dynamic controls prompted participants to think more deliberately about their goals. Options like “Learning Objective” and “Response Format” helped them clarify what they needed, whether guidance on applying a concept or step-by-step troubleshooting help.

Figure 4. Participant ratings comparing the effectiveness of Static PRC and Dynamic PRC 

While participants valued Dynamic PRC’s adaptability, they also found it more difficult to interpret. Some struggled to anticipate how a selected option would influence the response, noting that the controls seemed opaque because the effect became clear only after the output appeared.

However, the overall positive response to Dynamic PRC showed us that Promptions could be broadly useful, leading us to share it with the developer community.    

Technical design

Promptions works as a lightweight middleware layer that sits between the user and the underlying language model (Figure 5). It has two main components:

Option Module. This module reviews the user’s prompt and conversation history, then generates a set of refinement options. These are presented as interactive UI elements (radio buttons, checkboxes, text fields) that directly shape how the AI interprets the prompt.

Chat Module. This module produces the AI’s response based on the refined prompt. When a user changes an option, the response immediately updates, making the interaction feel more like an evolving conversation than a cycle of repeated prompts. 

Figure 5. Promptions middleware workflow. (1) The Option Module reads the user’s prompt and conversation history and (2) generates prompt options. (3) These options are rendered inline by a dedicated component. (4) The Chat Module incorporates these refined options alongside the original prompt and history to produce a response. (5) When the user adjusts the controls, the refinements update and the Chat Module regenerates the response accordingly. Adding Promptions to an application

Promptions easily integrates into any conversational chat interface. Developers only need to add a component to display the options and connect it to the AI system. There’s no need to store date between sessions, which keeps implementation simple. The Microsoft Foundry Labs (opens in new tab) repository includes two sample applications, a generic chatbot and an image generator, that demonstrate this design in practice.  

Promptions is well-suited for interfaces where users need to provide context but don’t want to write it all out. Instead of typing lengthy explanations, they can adjust the controls that guide the AI’s response to match their preferences.

Questions for further exploration

Promptions raises important questions for future research. Key usability challenges include clarifying how dynamic options affect AI output and managing the complexity of multiple controls. Other questions involve balancing immediate adjustments with persistent settings and enabling users to share options collaboratively.

On the technical side, questions focus on generating more effective options, validating and customizing dynamic interfaces, gathering relevant context automatically, and supporting the ability to save and share option sets across sessions.

 These questions, along with broader considerations of collaboration, ethics, security, and scalability, are guiding our ongoing work on Promptions and related systems.

Tool Explore Promptions on Microsoft Foundry Labs 

By making Promptions open source, we hope to help developers create smarter, more responsive AI experiences.

Explore Promptions on Microsoft Foundry Labs (opens in new tab)

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The post Promptions helps make AI prompting more precise with dynamic UI controls appeared first on Microsoft Research.

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