Blogroll

Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI, the entertainment giant announced on Thursday. As part of the deal, OpenAI users will be able to create AI images and videos featuring some of Disney's copyrighted characters.

OpenAI recently launched Sora, an AI video generation app powered by the Sora 2 video model, which allows users to create short videos by typing in a text prompt. When the app first launched, it freely used copyrighted characters from companies like Disney, before OpenAI ultimately cracked down. Now, users will be able to create content on Sora using characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars universes.

The deal also extends to ChatGPT, where users will be able to create images with these characters just by entering a text prompt.

“The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI, we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement.

"Bringing together Disney’s iconic stories and characters with OpenAI’s groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we’ve never seen before," he said.

Disney also said that it will now become a "major customer" of OpenAI, and that it will be using its API to "build new products, tools, and experiences," as well as deploy ChatGPT for its employees.

SEE ALSO: The best Disney+ deals and bundles in December 2025

While Disney has cozied up with OpenAI, the company has taken a very different approach with other AI companies. In June 2025, Disney and Universal filed a lawsuit against AI company Midjourney, calling the AI image generator a "bottomless pit of plagiarism."

Sora ruffled some feathers when it launched this September, too, with the Motion Picture Association urging OpenAI to take action against copyright infringement on the platform.

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.

SAVE $55.99: As of Dec. 11, get the Apple AirPods 4 for $74 at Walmart, down from their usual price of $129.99. That's a discount of 43%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart Apple AirPods 4 $74 at Walmart
$129.99 Save $55.99   Get Deal

If you're still shopping around for holiday gifts or just want a new pair of earbuds, you can't go wrong with AirPods. Whether it's your first pair or your fifth, they're a great, go-to buy for anyone that appreciates great value and sound alike. And thanks to this deal at Walmart, they're well worth picking up at this deeply discounted price.

As of Dec. 11, get the Apple AirPods 4 for $74 at Walmart, down from their usual price of $129.99. That's $55.99 off and a discount of 43%.

SEE ALSO: The 11 best headphones of 2025 — see the top contenders from Sony, Apple, Bose, and Beats

While this model doesn't feature active noise cancellation, you'll still be set with excellent sound thanks to personalized spatial audio with improved sound and call quality over the AirPods 3 model. They're hardy, easy to clean, and reliable, so you don't have to worry about dropping and ruining them or getting them too dirty to function with regular use.

In addition to making your music sound great, they're the perfect pick for calls. They offer voice isolation, interaction with Siri, and an updated fit from the previous model that make them more than adequate and comfortable for long listening periods, whether you're on long meeting calls or catching up with friends.

They have a lengthy battery life thanks to their included charging case as well, so you can rest assured they'll be ready to go when you are. And with easy connectivity to your iOS device, they're super simple to set up.

Grab these AirPods 4 fast while they're still available at this price, because this deal likely won't be up for long.

Running a homelab is one of the most rewarding hobbyist things I’ve ever done. I’m able to self-host all sorts of things, from my media collection to game servers, services, files, and much more. There are five things I hate to admit about my homelab though—and you need to admit them too.

Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal have dazzled audiences in big-budget MCU titles like Thor: Ragnarok and Punisher, as well as earned critical acclaim for their turns in projects like Hedda and The Bear. Now, the pair unite for a Netflix limited crime series His & Hers.

SEE ALSO: The best Netflix TV shows of 2025

Based on the novel by Alice Feeney, the series stars Thompson as reclusive news anchor Anna Andrews and Bernthal as small-town detective Jack Harper. When a brutal murder rocks their small hometown of Dahlonega, Georgia, the pair find themselves drawn to the case from different sides. Oh, and one more thing: They're married.

Anna and Jack's marriage is a complicated one. The pair are estranged, and tension simmers between them in every scene they share in His & Hers' first trailer. Anna is coming at the case from a journalistic angle, hoping to catch the killer and spin a compelling news story. Her investigations cause trouble for Jack, and the couple soon begins to suspect one another of being involved in this heinous crime. They both claim not to be involved in the trailer, but that's just what a killer would say, right?

So whose side of the story will prove to be right in His & Hers? Check out the full trailer above to choose your allegiance.

His & Hers also stars Pablo Schreiber, Crystal Fox, Sunita Mani, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Marin Ireland, and Poppy Liu.

His & Hers premieres Jan. 8 on Netflix.

RECORD-LOW PRICE: As of Dec. 11, the Magic: The Gathering Marvel’s Spider-Man Play Booster Box is on sale for $113.95 on Amazon. That's over $90 off and the lowest-ever price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Store Magic: The Gathering Marvel's Spider-Man Play Booster Box $113.95 at Amazon
$209.70 Save $95.75   Get Deal

We haven't been tracking deals on trading cards for that long. Robot vacuums, AirPods, speakers, and headphones. That's Mashable's territory. We've left Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering to our friends at our sister site IGN. But we can no longer what is going on in the trading card market. Interest has spiked to never-before-seen levels, so we feel the need to do our bit and track down the best deals.

As of Dec. 11, the Magic: The Gathering Marvel’s Spider-Man Play Booster Box is on sale for $113.95 on Amazon. That's over $90 off and the lowest-ever price for this popular set. Amazon's prices are usually inflated for this sort of thing, but it's near market value compared to listings on TCGplayer.

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

So what are you getting for $113.95? This set contains 30 Play Boosters, each with 14 cards and at least one rare or mythic rare plus a foil card. You're also getting cards featuring your favorite Spider-Man characters, villains, and thematic new game mechanics. For fans of everything Spider-Man, this set is a no-brainer.

Get the new record-low price on the Magic: The Gathering Marvel’s Spider-Man Play Booster Box at Amazon.

SAVE $143: As of Dec. 11, the LG 34-inch UltraGear WQHD curved gaming monitor is on sale for $356.99. That's 29% or $143 off its list price — the lowest price on record at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 34-Inch Ultragear WQHD Curved Gaming Monitor $356.99 at Amazon
$499.99 Save $143   Get Deal

Even if you missed the impressive discounts on gaming monitors on Black Friday, you can still score a great deal before the holidays.

As of Dec. 11, the LG 34-inch UltraGear WQHD curved gaming monitor is down to just $356.99 — nearly 30% off its list price of $499.99. That's its lowest price on record at Amazon and $3 cheaper than it was on Black Friday.

The ultra-wide curved display of the LG UltraGear WQHD takes you from just playing games to being submerged in them. The 34-inch display features a steep 1500R curvature and a 21:9 aspect ratio, so the screen will essentially wrap the action around you as you play. If you've never had a curved monitor before, it does take a bit of getting used to. But everyone from gamers to artists to multitaskers can benefit from the beauty of a wrap-around monitor. They do take up a bit more desk real estate than a typical monitor, so be sure you have to space available before you snag one.

As far as gaming specs go, it offers a 240Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time (which could certainly be speedier), and AMD FreeSync Premium compatibility. It also features Dynamic Action Sync, an FPS counter, a black stabilizer, and plenty of ports for your peripherals. It's not the most premium gaming monitor on the market, but it'll suit most casual gamers just fine. It also does pretty well as a regular monitor for work and everyday scrolling and streaming. A premium OLED monitor can cost you over $1,000, so the LG 34-inch UltraGear WQHD is quite the steal at $356.99.

SAVE $61.99: As of Dec. 11, get the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones for $398, down from their usual price of $459.99. That's a discount of 13% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Sony WH-1000XM6 Headphones $398 at Amazon
$459.99 Save $61.99   Get Deal

The holidays are here, and if you're looking for a great pair of headphones either for yourself or to gift someone else, you've got tons of options. But if you want some of the best of the best, you won't want to pass up this Amazon find, as we've tracked down a rare deal on one of our favorites: Mashable Choice award-winning headphones that represent some of the best of what Sony has to offer.

As of Dec. 11, get the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones for $398, down from their usual price of $459.99. That's $61.99 off and a discount of 13%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: Bose QuietComfort headphones are now 50% off in a better-than-Black Friday deal

These noise-cancelling headphones are one of our favorite pairs, with immersive listening developed by mastering audio engineers. They come with a special driver housed in a carbon fiber dome to deliver fantastic sound. Their HD noise cancelling processor is also 7x as fast as the QN1 model from Sony as well, with 12 microphonoes that work in real time to give you better noise cancellation, sound quality, and clearer calls.

Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth praised these headphones for having "close" to the best sound he's ever heard, and that their "elite noise cancellation, comfortable fit, and travel-friendly design" do justify their usually high price tag.

"They're not an instant upgrade if you already own the XM5 headphones," he wrote. "But if you have an older pair, want LDAC support, or just like the Sony product ecosystem, they're a worthy purchase, no doubt." Grab them while they're still on sale to get them for the lowest price we've found to date.

Netflix's hit show, Stranger Things, is drawing to an end this month, with the final episodes releasing during Christmas and New Year's Eve. This gives you plenty of time to binge-watch theory videos, play Netflix's Stranger Things game, and find Easter Eggs on other platforms.

SAVE $50: The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are on sale at Walmart for $199, down from the list price of $249. That's a 20% discount that beats the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro 3 $199 at Walmart
$249 Save $50   Get Deal

If you missed out on Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, there's no reason to be upset. Plenty of great deals are still lingering around and many will still arrive before Christmas. If you're in the market for top-of-the-line AirPods, there's a special deal on offer today that'll save you more than if you purchased during the post-Thanksgiving shopping weekend.

As of Dec. 11, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 are on sale at Walmart for $199, down from the list price of $249. That's a 20% discount that shaves $50 off the price. It also beats the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale price. It's no surprise that this low price has now been matched by Amazon.

Freshly launched in October, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 come with improved battery life and heart rate monitoring, and they might just be the most impressive AirPods for working out. All that with a record-low sale price on a brand new model has us feeling shocked, in a good way.

SEE ALSO: The 2025 MacBook Air M4 is still $250 off at Amazon, but there's a catch

Mashable's review of the Apple AirPods Pro 3 from Adam Doud notes they are "a remarkable upgrade in functionality over their predecessors, with better battery life and ANC, as well as a new heart rate sensor. If you need a new set of AirPods, this is an easy buy."

In a full analysis of the AirPods Pro 3 versus the AirPods Pro 2, Mashable Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard noted the new AirPods Pro 3 have twice the ANC of the AirPods Pro 2, have better battery life, more ear tips so you can find the perfect fit, and a live translation function.

Thanks to today's sale price at Walmart, you can snag a $50 discount on the new Apple AirPods Pro 3, grabbing them for just $199. Since we've never spotted them this low before, it's best to hop on this deal quickly.

SAVE $105: As of Dec. 11, get the DJI Osmo 360 camera for $479.99 at Amazon and save $105 off its $584.99 list price. Stock is limited, shop now and get 18% off.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Osmo 360 Handlebar POV Combo $479.99 at Amazon
$584.99 Save $105   Get Deal

Looking to capture your adventures in vivid detail? DJI is the favorite camera among influencers and even novices, for filming on the go. A fan favorite is the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, a hero when it comes to vlogging and a camera we spotted in the hands of influencers all over VidCon. But for your more rugged escapades, you need a more rugged camera. That's where the DJI Osmo 360 comes in.

The DJI Osmo 360 camera captures moments in native 8K panoramic recording. It has extended battery life, supporting 100 minutes of recording time in 8K. But when you need to recharge, it'll do so quickly, charging to 50% battery in just 12 minutes. And most important, a DJI Osmo 360 combo kit just reached its lowest price ever.

As of Dec. 11, get the DJI Osmo 360 Handlebar POV Combo for just $479.99 at Amazon. That saves $105 off its $584.99 list price, bringing it down to its lowest price ever. Stock is limited on this combo which includes a handlebar mount so grab it while you can for 18% off.

In a move that, well, certainly feels unexpected, you can now play Fortnite as Kim Kardashian. The game announced limited-edition skins of the reality star. They also released an emote harkening back to that famous "break the internet" cover of Paper magazine from 2014.

Here's a video from the game announcing the skins.

Kardashian herself posted about it on X.

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

The game is hosting the Kim Kardashian Cup on Dec. 12 with winners earning early access to the skins (for free). Otherwise, you'll have to pony up 1,500 V-Bucks.

To be fair, Kardashian is far from the only celeb to have Fortnite skin — it's a pretty regular occurrence. Still, it's only a matter of time before we see clips of Kim Kardashian in Fortnite, which is certainly quite the sentence.

On Friday, December 5, Netflix announced that it would be acquiring Warner Bros. in a deal worth $82.7 billion. That made them the winners of a bidding war that kicked off in September, when Paramount just out of nowhere went, "hey, Warner Bros., mind if I buy you?" But Paramount's not quitting just yet. On Monday, December 8, Paramount launched its own hostile takeover bid of Warner Bros. with an offer worth $108.4 billion. 

What is going on? Why is everyone going after Warner Bros.? And how is this going to impact TV and film going forward? Let's break it down.

When it comes to variety on the road, few options rival sedans and SUVs. Almost every brand makes an SUV of some size, and sedans—from budget-friendly to luxury—still dominate the market.

I've never been too fond of social media. I had a MySpace like everyone, but I didn't really know what to do with it. I opened a Facebook account because everyone else seemed to be doing it, and I only tackled LinkedIn and Twitter because it seemed important for my career and networking.

WiiM is releasing the WiiM Sound Lite, a minimalist, high-resolution smart speaker built specifically for whole-home audio integration. This is excellent news for anyone already invested in the WiiM ecosystem, or for those looking for a compact speaker that doesn’t skimp on sound quality.

Google has released one major version of Android each year since 2012, but the release of Android 16 introduced a change with two updates. Google released Android 16 in June, and Samsung followed with One UI 8 (based on Android 16) in September. And now that Google's delivering more features, Samsung's preparing something similar with One UI 8.5, and here's what you need to know.

The terminal looks like an unassuming (sometimes intimidating) black box and feels like it’s only meant for pros or experts. It’s not as inscrutable as it seems though. Anybody can learn to use it and get stuff done. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll often find yourself launching a terminal instead of opening a new browser tab. That’s because the terminal is faster, reliable, and never shows ads.

Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) is one of the greatest ideas ever conceived, and we all rely on and benefit from it every day of our lives. Whether you're using a FOSS app for your own benefit directly or using a service that's built on FOSS, it affects us all.

The Daily Show's Desi Lydic took aim at Donald Trump's treatment of female reporters, calling out the president's repeated misogynist insults on Wednesday night's show.

Trump has a long history of verbally attacking women journalists, but recently the president has made more than one recent headline with his offensive, childish, and degrading comments — despite the White House insisting "this has nothing to do with gender."

On The Daily Show, Lydic showed a montage of Trump's comments, before responding:

"Mr. Trump, just a quick follow up. What the f*** is your problem?"

"God, this guy is exhausting. It's like he won't stop until he gives every woman in the country resting Melania face. Can you just try being nice to a woman just once?"

Speaking of things the president has said...

Routers and modems can be unreliable. The best course of action is to replace any weak links in the network chain, but it’s also a good idea to have a backup plan for when things go pear-shaped.