Blogroll

iPhone 18 Pro and Duo colors reportedly revealed

Mashable - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 17:38

Apple's iPhone 18 event is almost upon us, and we're still hearing new rumors about the devices just hours before the big show.

Bloomberg reporter and well-connected Apple insider Mark Gurman shared news on X on Wednesday morning about the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo devices, specifically, which colors will be available. Gurman's latest report matches months of rumors, and he says the traditional iPhone 18 Pro will be available in light blue, black, burgundy, and silver. The foldable iPhone Duo, on the other hand, will only available in dark blue and white varieties.

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Gurman is also responsible for breaking the iPhone Duo's name, which we had been calling the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra in the months leading up to the event on Wednesday. He's usually right about these things, so these colors seem like very safe bets.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

Want more tech news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today, and see what our readers guessed would happen at today's Apple event in our Big Guessing Game.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Starbucks just announced a Snoopy cup for fall, and yes, Im taking the bait

Mashable - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 17:34

Starbucks just announced a new collab: Starbucks x Peanuts, which, rationally, could only mean one thing — a Snoopy Glass Cold Cup.

The full 10-piece collection will be available to purchase on Sept. 15, just days before fall officially starts on Tuesday, September 22. Normally, I'm not a fan of premature pumpkin-spicing, but I'm letting this slide. I WILL be standing in line at 4 a.m. for this one. (I have two beagles, and if this isn't the cutest damn thing.)

SEE ALSO: Get ready to fight for your life: Starbucks is dropping a new Pink Drink Bearista Cup

Inspired by the 60th anniversary of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, the limited-edition drop includes drinkware (obvs), a plush, and accessories. And because Starbucks knows exactly how this is going to go (as do we all), they're enforcing a strict two-item purchase limit per customer on the Snoopy Glass Cold Cup.

The Snoopy Glass Cold Cup Credit: Starbucks Everything in the Starbucks x Peanuts 'Great Pumpkin' collection
  • Snoopy Glass Cold Cup ($39.95): The star of the collection is obvs the Snoopy Glass Cold Cup. He's wearing a pumpkin-colored beanie, a green scarf, and is adorned with a Woodstock straw topper.

  • Snoopy Plush ($34.95): If you can't get your hands on the Cold Cup, you can get a cute Snoopy plush. He's wearing Starbucks green and holding what I could only assume is a PSL.

  • 16-ounce Stainless Steel Tumbler ($32.95): Need another tumbler? The 16-ounce Stainless Steel Tumbler is super cute and features a Woodstock charm and a dancing Snoopy.

  • Stainless Steel Cold Cup ($32.95): The Stainless Steel Cold Cup includes a straw and shows an illustration of Lucy and Snoopy sharing coffee.

  • The Great Pumpkin Tumbler ($32.95): This cute coffee tumbler features Snoopy and Woodstock artwork inspired by the movie.

  • 14-ounce Ceramic Mug ($29.95): If you want a collectible that includes the whole gang, you should get the 14-ounce Ceramic Mug. It also "reveals a surprise Snoopy with every sip," which maybe means that there's a Snoopy at the bottom of the mug?

  • 24-ounce Cold Cup ($27.95): The 24-ounce Cold Cup is a clear, plastic cold cup covered in Snoopy and The Great Pumpkin fall imagery.

  • Accessories: The drop also includes a Mini Tote ($29.95), a Bag Charm ($16.95), and an Enamel Pin Set ($14.95).

Peanuts + Starbucks collection launches Sept. 15. Credit: Starbucks
Categories: IT General, Technology

What is JSONC and is it any better than JSON?

How-To Geek - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 17:30

JSON has become a near-ubiquitous data format, used in API responses, save game files, and configuration. But many people feel it can be better, and various attempts have been made to expand or improve it. JSONC is one of those attempts.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your NAS will eventually fail—here are 5 cheap ways to protect your data

How-To Geek - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 17:30

A NAS is one of the cheapest and most convenient ways to keep your data backed up. It’s also fairly reliable, but while HDDs and SSDs can last for years, they will fail eventually. When they do, you could lose everything stored on them, so here are some cheap ways to back up your NAS before that happens.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Anticipating new book releases this fall? Pre-order at Barnes & Noble for 25% off.

Mashable - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 17:03

SAVE 25%: Through Sept. 11, rewards members can take 25% off pre-order books at Barnes & Noble with the code PREORDER25. Paid Premium members save an extra 10%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Barnes & Noble Save 25% on pre-order books at Barnes & Noble with code PREORDER25 Get Deal

2026 has already been an excellent year for new books, from the satirical influencer-inspired Yesteryear, to the new Dungeon Crawler Carl book A Parade of Horribles, to the supernatural horror The Caretaker. But the year is far from over and we still have plenty of new releases to add to our shelves. Why not save a little cash on those highly anticipated titles?

From Sept. 9 through 11, Barnes & Noble is giving rewards members 25% off pre-order books with the code PREORDER25. The offer is for online pre-orders only on the most anticipated nonfiction and fiction titles and you must be a rewards member to redeem the code at checkout. Fortunately, if you're not yet a member, it's free to join. There's also a paid Premium membership option available ($39.99/year), which will save you an additional 10% on pre-orders if you choose to sign up.

There are hundreds of books available for pre-order on the Barnes & Noble website, but a few standouts include I'll Believe in Anything: The Making of Heated Rivalry Season 1 by Jacob Tierney, Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel, Off the Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones, Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult, Hollywood Ending by John Green, and The Witch by Freida McFadden. Be sure to get your pre-orders in by 2:59 a.m. ET on the morning of Sept. 12 to score the 25% off discount. And don't forget the code PREORDER25.

Looking to score some deals on existing titles? Here are a few discounts I spotted on Amazon worth adding to your cart.

Best book deals at Amazon
Categories: IT General, Technology

NSFW clip of daddy Andrew Scott has internet in a chokehold

Mashable - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 17:01

Everyone who misses Andrew Scott's Priest from Fleabag better prepare themselves for the upcoming series, It Gets Worse.

Created by UK comedian Leo Reich, It Gets Worse is about three university friends in London. A clip of the show recently dropped, and it already has the internet in a (figurative? literal?) chokehold.

The two-minute snippet features Reich as an adrift 24-year-old and Scott as a therapist and apparent hookup app match. Reich's character, though, uses the opportunity to speak to the therapist and laments that he feels like his life is over. But his woes are curtailed pretty quickly when the therapist kisses him.

It gets worse better: The therapist holds the 20-something by the neck and tells him, "You're just a hole for daddy." After telling him he's fine mentally, valid, and enough, he spits in his mouth.

As expected, the internet is extremely horny about this:

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The UK recently banned strangulation porn in its Crime and Policing Bill (as well as incest porn). It's now an offense to possess or publish images of strangulation and suffocation if the image is pornographic. The law states that the image is banned if it "portrays, in an explicit and realistic way, a person strangling," but doesn't go into detail about what, exactly, this means, or whether what Scott is doing in the clip would be allowed if the parties were naked.

Obviously, a UK sitcom isn't the same as pornography, but it's notable that a famed star can hold his costar by the neck and be shown at the BFI London Film Festival, while adult performers can't do the same.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your dashcam is probably in the wrong spot — here's where it belongs

How-To Geek - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 17:00

A dashcam can be one of the most useful gadgets you add to your car, but simply sticking one onto the windshield doesn't guarantee that you're getting the protection you expect. Where you put the camera can affect everything from how much of the road it captures to whether it interferes with your own visibility, and a poorly planned installation can create problems you probably didn't consider.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Watch Anne Hathaway in Verity at any Regal Theater and get free candy with your purchase

Mashable - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 16:49

FREE MARS CANDY WITH TICKET PURCHASE: As of Sep. 9, get a free Mars candy when you purchase a ticket to see Verity starring Anne Hathaway at a Regal Theater on opening weekend.

Opens in a new window Credit: Regal Theaters Free Mars Candy with Verity Ticket at Regal   Get Deal

Can't wait to see Anne Hathaway's latest movie in theaters? Make sure you head to Regal to get your money's worth. After starring in a string of hits like The Odyssey, Mother Mary, The Devil Wears Prada 2, and The End of Oak Street, the actress is appearing in a new theatrical adaptation of the Colleen Hoover bestseller Verity, and you have a chance to get a nice little freebie for checking the movie out as soon as it hits theaters.

As of Sep. 9, get a free Mars candy when you purchase a ticket to see Verity starring Anne Hathaway at a Regal Theater on opening weekend. That means you must purchase a ticket between Oct. 1 and Oct. 4, and you'll get one free eligible Mars candy per ticket. The movie officially hits theaters on Oct. 2, so you can preorder your tickets if you like, as long as you buy them at a Regal theater, while supplies last. This offer is only available to Regal Crown Club members as an exclusive.

SEE ALSO: 'Mother Mary' review: Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel are rapturous

Verity follows writer Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), who's hired to ghostwrite for author Verity Crawford (Hathaway). She's given all the notes and reference materials she needs when she heads to the Crawford residence to get started, but there's something not quite right about the situation, and it all comes to light when she happens upon an extremely dark confession about Verity's husband Jeremy (Josh Hartnett).

It's always good to get a freebie when you head to the movies given how expensive everything is, so if you're headed out to see this one anyway, might as well get something sweet for your trouble!

Categories: IT General, Technology

New Apple CEO John Ternus shares mystery teaser video on X as Apple Event looms

Mashable - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 16:30

With hours to go before Apple's "Surprise and shine" event on Wednesday, new Apple CEO John Ternus took to X/Twitter to share a short teaser video.

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Within an hour, the video had already been viewed more than 1.1 million times by X users, and Apple fans are speculating wildly about what it could mean. We'll know for sure later today, as the September Apple event livestream is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. ET later today.

The short video clip shows a bright beam of light shining down on what appears to be a camera lens. That could point to the rumored iPhone 18 Pro Max camera upgrades, which include a variable aperture.

However, considering that the tagline for the event is literally "Surprise and shine," it's always possible that Ternus is teasing something totally unexpected, like a Vision Pro 2 or Apple's long-rumored smart glasses.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park

Categories: IT General, Technology

I canceled 3 paid subscriptions with these free, open-source apps — and don’t miss a thing

How-To Geek - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 16:30

I know I can’t be the only one who hates how almost everything has become a subscription now. Fortunately, the issue is primarily isolated to popular mainstream software — there’s still a lot of niche software that’s just as good, if not better, that hasn’t moved to the subscription model. This is particularly true in the open-source space, which is filled with genuinely excellent apps that can help you ditch many of your paid subscriptions without losing most of the benefits. Here are three such FOSS apps that I personally used to replace some of my paid subscriptions.

Categories: IT General, Technology

What price hike? The Dell XPS 13 is on sale for only $600 at Best Buy — save $200

Mashable - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 16:30

SAVE $200: As of Sept. 9, the Dell XPS 13 (Intel Core 5 320, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) is on sale at Best Buy for only $599.99. That's 25% off its $799.99 MSRP.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dell Dell XPS 13 (Intel Core 5 320, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $599.99 at Best Buy
$799.99 Save $200   Get Deal

Best Buy is offering a steep discount on Dell's premium budget laptop in the wake of its recent price increase. An entry-level Dell XPS 13 with 8GB of memory and 512GB of storage is currently on sale there for just $599.99, or $200 off its newly higher MSRP. That nullifies its price bump and then some.

The global memory crisis is making all laptops more expensive, and budget models like the XPS 13 are no exception: Dell just raised the price of its MacBook Neo competitor by $100 and introduced a new base model with half the storage as before. This 512GB variant, which used to be the starting configuration, went from $699.99 to $799.99. (Note that Best Buy is still showing its original list price — this deal is better than advertised.)

The Dell XPS 13's "sky" colorway is a subtle light blue hue. Credit: Dell

Like the mega-popular MacBook Neo, the XPS 13 has a luxe all-aluminum build that makes it look and feel much more expensive than it really is. Unlike the Neo, it has a backlit keyboard and a touchscreen display with a slightly sharper resolution, thinner bezels, and a much smoother 120Hz refresh rate. It's also half a pound lighter than the Neo, weighing only 2.2 pounds.

This XPS 13 runs on a low-end Intel Core 5 320 chip that's best for basic tasks like sending emails and surfing the web. If you're a tab-happy user who likes to multitask, consider upgrading its RAM from 8GB to 16GB. (Windows 11 eats up a big chunk of its memory.) Best Buy is still selling a 16GB RAM variant at its original price of $899.99; it's now going for $999.99 on Dell's website.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Here's what happens to your power tool batteries when you leave them in a hot (or cold) garage

How-To Geek - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 16:00

Battery-powered tools are now powerful enough to tackle most jobs, with an ever-growing range of options from impact drivers to nail guns and everything in between. These live in your shed or garage when you’re not using them—but this could be a big mistake.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Meet the foldable iPhone Duo: The devices name and cost reportedly revealed

Mashable - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 16:00

Updated on Sept. 9 at 2:00 p.m. ET — Apple finally unveiled the iPhone Duo, ending months (years, really) of speculation. Read our full story on the launch of the foldable iPhone Duo.

The foldable iPhone Ultra is finally here. Wait. Scratch that. Apple's first folding iPhone is apparently not going by that name anymore. And along with a new name, the foldable will apparently be more affordable than expected, too.

On the eve of the Apple iPhone launch event, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman dropped some big news about Apple's foldable iPhone. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 18 line, along with the foldable smartphone, at the big "Surprise and Shine" event later today.

Want more tech news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Apple has reportedly decided to call the foldable the "iPhone Duo."

The foldable device has been referred to by Apple insiders, analysts, and leakers for months as the iPhone Ultra, so this is a bit of a surprise. The iPhone Duo does seem to fit a bit better as a name, as it's not technically a premium iPhone 18 experience as "Ultra" tends to convey. It's a whole new product line for Apple.

If you really liked the iPhone Ultra name and are disappointed by the news, Gurman reported some additional updates that may act as a consolation for the name change.

The iPhone Duo is expected to launch with a retail price of $2,000. That's several hundred dollars less than most analysts expected. The launch price was recently pegged at around $2,300 with an average cost of $2,550.

We will know more about the iPhone Duo very shortly when Apple officially announces the foldable device at the event.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park. See what our readers guessed would happen at today's Apple event in our Big Guessing Game.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Apple Store is down ahead of the Apple Event

Mashable - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 15:54

In what's become a regular Bat-Signal for tech enthusiasts, the Apple Store was down Wednesday morning.

Hours ahead of the tech giant's big Apple Event, where the new iPhone 18 lineup is expected to be unveiled, the retail section of Apple's website was showing an error.

SEE ALSO: Apple Event 2026: Live updates on iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch 12, and new AirPods

It's not a crash, however, instead it's become an annual occurrence when new iPhones wait in the wings. And with Apple's first-ever foldable iPhone expected to emerge today, you know that storefront is getting an overhaul.

Today, Apple will hold its "Surprise and Shine" event at 10 a.m. PT at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. However, you can watch the keynote live on YouTube and follow Mashable's live updates on the ground.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

Featured Video For You What would really 'surprise' at Apple’s iPhone event
Categories: IT General, Technology

6 last-minute Apple event rumors: iPhone price hikes, AirPods with cameras

Mashable - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 15:53

In a handful of hours, Apple is holding its big annual September event. You'd think the rumor mill would slow down at some point, but it hasn't.

Everyone expects to see new iPhones and some other fun stuff as well. Those details are more or less set in stone. There are little things in the margins, though, such as device prices, colors, and specs, that are still leaking out ahead of time. Here are some last-minute rumors to catch up on before the show at 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

SEE ALSO: What would really 'surprise' at Apple’s iPhone event We may have a name and price for the foldable iPhone

In a last-second report for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman revealed that the foldable iPhone will be called the iPhone Duo and will launch at $2,000 for 256GB of storage. That's quite a bit less than expected, and Gurman said that Apple will be eating some of the higher memory costs.

He also says the two colors for the device are white and a dark blue, and that shipments will come "as early as October." It should also have Apple Pencil support, per Gurman.

Leaked iPhone 18 Pro and Ultra cases, with one device notably missing This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Last week, a handful of third-party phone accessory makers posted renders of cases for the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and Ultra phones. While the renders are almost certainly not real photos of the phones, they do give us an idea of what to expect in terms of size and shape, especially for the foldable Ultra. As has been rumored for months, it appears to be a short, wide foldable with two cameras on the rear.

These iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max case leaks included four colors: deep burgundy, light gray, black, and misty blue, all of which have been previously reported as colors for those devices. The only slightly weird thing here is that there are no renders of the base-model iPhone 18. It's becoming more and more expected around the tech world that Apple will wait until next spring to launch the base iPhone 18, giving the Pro and Ultra models more time to shine this fall.

No AirPods with cameras at "Surprise and Shine" event

In the same report where he revealed the foldable iPhone's name and price, Gurman also predicted that the rumored AirPods with cameras will not be released at today's event. Instead, Gurman said the new AirPods 5 will be revealed, with the camera-equipped AirPods Pro Ultra coming soon after.

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A video of the new AirPods with cameras leaked back in August, suggesting a release is indeed imminent, even if it doesn't happen today.

Late-coming foldable iPhone specs

An earlier Gurman interview also contained some basic specs for the device, which line up with what we've been hearing for a while now. Gurman said to expect a 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.8-inch inner display. He also said the phone will have MagSafe support, which had been a big question mark prior to this interview. He compared the hinge to those on recent Samsung foldables, which means it likely won't be completely invisible, but it will be close enough.

Price hikes may not be as big as we thought

Following reports that the iPhone Duo could have an average price of over $2,500, and rumors that the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could see $200 to $300 price increases, the latest report from Gurman predicted softer price increases of around $100.

That would definitely be good news amid the global memory crisis, though Apple has been preparing us for iPhone price increases for months.

No major Apple Watch updates

We already reported that the new Apple Watch Series 12 (not to mention a new SE and Ultra) won't see major changes this year. However, we do have some tidbits, including the existence of a new health app designed to help the Apple Watch compete with trendy screen-free wearables like the Whoop and Oura ring.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Gauth is solving the biggest problem with AI homework helpers

How-To Geek - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 15:47

A Calc II volume of revolution problem is a decent stress test for any study app. It has several moving parts: setting up the integral, choosing the right method, sketching the region being rotated, and labeling each stage clearly enough that a student can follow the logic back to the original question. Type that problem into a general chatbot, and you tend to get a wall of text. Somewhere in the middle is the right answer, but the steps blur together, and there's nothing to look at.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Carrie trailer teases Mike Flanagans modern spin on Stephen Kings classic novel

Mashable - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 15:44

What would have happened to Carrie if she'd gone to school in the age of smartphones and the internet?

The trailer above for Mike Flanagan's Prime Video adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel sets out to answer that question, placing Carrie White (Summer H. Howell) into a present-day version of King's nightmarish story about a bullied girl with telekinetic powers.

Judging by the trailer, the key moments from the book have been kept. But the forever nature of the internet looks set to make Carrie's suffering all the more painfully relatable.

Following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next week, Carrie debuts on streaming on Prime Video Oct. 7.

Categories: IT General, Technology

MapQuest almost made me abandon Google Maps—until I started to drive

How-To Geek - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 15:00

For a long time, the navigation app debate has fallen into two main camps: Waze and Google Maps. Recent events have brought MapQuest back to public attention, so I decided to see if it could genuinely replace Google Maps.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The Uprising review: Andrew Garfields no kings drama lacks courage

Mashable - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 15:00

Blame the American school system for my rubbish knowledge of England's Peasants' Revolt in 1381 prior to seeing The Uprising. Blame writer/director Paul Greengrass for making a movie about a "no kings" rebellion joltingly boring.

Aside from a string of Bourne Identity sequels (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, Jason Bourne), the English journalist-turned-filmmaker has favored adapting true stories into films such as Bloody Sunday, United 93, Green Zone, The Lost Bus, and now The Uprising.

His latest stars Andrew Garfield as an impoverished farmer whose whole family has died from plague. This humble everyman trusted in his king. But surrounded by power-hungry yes-men, the ruler of the land ignores the needs of his people and bleeds them dry with taxes that could literally starve them. The modern-day relevance is hard to miss even before Garfield hisses, "No kings!"

So, why does this story feel less like a protest shout and more like a shrug?

The Uprising lacks the guts of its heroes. Thomasin McKenzie, Jamie Bell, and Andrew Garfield in "The Uprising." Credit: Focus Features

As a critic, I wish I thought less often of Blues Traveler's "Runaround." As songs go, it still slaps. But often when I'm bored by a movie, I hear John Popper in my head as if he's sitting beside me, whispering, "A bad play where the heroes are right / And nobody thinks or expects too much / And Hollywood's calling for the movie rights / Singing, 'Hey babe, let's keep in touch.'" (Hey babe, let's keep in touch.)

Which is all to say that Greengrass wants to make the Peasants' Revolt as black-and-white as possible. So, he casts a handsome, affable, and respected actor as its hero, an everyman who is defined not by his name or his family but by his job: Ploughman.

The Uprising begins with Garfield at the plough, enacting back-breaking toil within view of three modest graves, marked by hand-rigged crosses. The quiet sequence sets up that this is a hard-working family man who has nothing left to lose.

Then, this simple man faces the king's representatives, who brutally demand taxes in the form of harvests from the village that's scraping by in the wake of so much death. Ploughman himself is snagged in brutal bureaucracy as the taxman argues essentially that if the widower didn't pay the "death tax" on his wife and kids, he must pay the increased fee now, as if they were alive. But that's not the real focus of this sequence. That would be a string of sexual assaults conducted by the king's soldiers in the background.

See, if a girl is "of age," her family will be taxed more. And how the soldiers determine if she's old enough to qualify is by reaching up her skirt. Doing this once isn't enough to get the point across, or so thinks Greengrass. So nameless, weeping girls cry out one after another before crumbling into defeat, as Ploughman looks distraught and argues with a taxman. Then he snaps, declaring, "Enough!" and leaping on a soldier. The rest of the village follows, chasing the king's men away, save for the soldier that Ploughman has beaten to death. But who could blame him, right?

While some might balk at the Ploughman's violent response, The Uprising will soon introduce more radical characters, like the pro-fighting priest John Ball (Jamie Bell), the warrior Wat Tyler (Cosmo Jarvis), and a cynical nun named Alyce (Thomasin McKenzie). Their push for violence makes the Ploughman uneasy, as he again and again pushes for diplomacy, haunted by his own past violence. So, by contrast to those who seek a fight, he's almost saintly in his restraint. But more than that, he seems bored by it. Or maybe that's just me.

Andrew Garfield can't save The Uprising. Director Paul Greengrass and actor Cosmo Jarvis during the production of "The Uprising." Credit: Betina La Plante / Focus Features

Garfield is a great actor. But Greengrass' style is is typically one of restraint, which makes little sense in a time of such political upheaval. These people are fighting for their survival on no uncertain terms, yet that primal urge to live is lost in The Uprising. Garfield's shining eyes, paired with a tense jaw, speak of his character's inner agony. It's up to Bell and McKenzie to sell us festered rage, as neither is new to the fight. Their scenes offer brief flickers of life. She seethes with a monologue about religious corruption that is stirring, albeit brief.

Bell ignites onscreen. He is Garfield's foil. Where Ploughman's brush with violence makes him yearn for peace, Bell's Ball craves the bloodshed that might scare the upper class into actual, meaningful change. Theirs is a compelling dynamic I craved more of, but Greengrass has his grim battle scenes to get to. Oh, then there's the sympathetic but useless queen mother's subplot. Katherine Waterston plays Joan of Kent, mother of Richard II (Woody Norman), a boy royal who rules with the impetuousness of youth and the cruelty of privilege. Her horror at her son's actions is, I don't know, there. But in terms of what it means in the movie? A whole lot of nothing. Greengrass also looped in the likes of Stephen Dillane, Jonny Lee Miller, and Tom Hollander for thankless supporting roles.

Tom Hollander, Woody Norman, and Katherine Waterston in "The Uprising." Credit: Betina La Plante / Focus Features

The whole of the film is draped in a bleak tone that regards revolution as inevitable yet regrettable. This maudlin perspective is reflected in a low-contrast palette, often with a faint yellow tint. It has the effect of treating The Uprising like a forgotten photograph, bleached by age. However, cinematographer Pål Ulvik Rokseth's handheld camerawork conflicts with this antiqued look. These shots, jostled by his body's motion, the breath in his lungs, the blood in his veins, give life to the film in a way that doesn't fit the rest of Greengrass' approach. And that's probably why I responded to it so much. I yearned for the energy Rokseth's cameras gave, which Greengrass' writing and direction lacked.

In shooting a story of rebellion that's hundreds of years old, Rokseth reflects the modern language of not just journalists in war zones but also average citizens recording atrocities on their phones. The "shaky cam" look reminds us that we are witnesses, not just an audience. And in that, The Uprising's cinematography asks what we will do with what we know. It's a visual call to action.

What a shame that the rest of the movie can't commit to such boldness. Instead, Greengrass gives us a bland, muddy slog with a black-and-white hero and villain, and an ending that is sure to satisfy no one.

The Uprising opens in theaters in the U.S. on Sept. 10; a UK release will follow on Oct. 9.

Categories: IT General, Technology

JBL’s 7.1-channel Dolby Atmos soundbar just crashed to a record-low price — grab it for under $550

Mashable - Wed, 09/09/2026 - 14:45

SAVE $350: As of Sept. 9, the JBL Bar 700MK2 Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer is down to its lowest price ever. Snag one from Amazon for $549.95, down from $899.95 — a 39% discount.

Amazon dropped the price on the JBL Bar 700MK2 Soundbar System down to $549.95 — a 39% discount off its $899.95 list price. That cuts $350 off the retail cost and marks the absolute best price ever for this heavy-hitting home theater setup.

The coolest feature of this soundbar is its detachable, battery-powered rear speakers. When you want full surround sound for movies or sports, you simply lift the end caps off the main bar and place them behind your couch. There are no speaker wires to string across your floor and no extra wall outlets needed. Once you're done watching, you snap them back onto the main unit to recharge automatically for your next viewing session.

SEE ALSO: The 7 best expert-tested soundbars to upgrade your TV setup

Delivering 780 watts of total system power, this setup packs plenty of punch. The included 10-inch wireless subwoofer handles the deep low end, giving action scenes and music basslines a heavy, physical rumble in your living room. 

Opens in a new window Credit: JBL JBL Bar 700MK2 Soundbar $549.95 at Amazon
$899.95 Save $350   Get Deal

Built-in Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X bounce sound off your walls and ceiling to simulate overhead audio, while wide-dispersion tech spreads the sound evenly across the room so everyone on the couch gets a great seat.

To keep quiet conversations from getting buried during loud action scenes, the built-in voice-enhancement tech analyzes scene volume on the fly to keep speech crisp and easy to hear. When the TV is off, the system works as a standalone home speaker with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, making it easy to stream music or podcasts straight from your phone or laptop.

Score the JBL Bar 700MK2 for $549.95 at Amazon and never ask "what did they say?" again.

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