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Did Elon Musk try, and fail, to take over the Library of Congress so he could feed the nation's intellectual property into training fuel for his AI company?

That's what some U.S. Congress members — and even some fierce supporters of President Donald Trump — are saying.

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Over the weekend, President Donald Trump fired the head of the U.S. Copyright Office, Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter. The timing of the firing was notable as the office had just released a report on AI, and under some unusual circumstances. The Copyright Office's report concluded that training AI models on copyrighted material may not be protected by the fair use legal doctrine — a major blow to AI companies.

Big Tech companies and their executives have gone out of their way to curry favor with Trump since the 2024 election, and none more so than Elon Musk, who donated hundreds of millions of dollars to help elect President Trump and other Republicans.

So, when Trump fired the heads of the Library of Congress and the U.S. Copyright Office, some copyright lawyers grew concerned. The fear: That Elon Musk was committing an end-run around copyright law and getting the motherlode of AI training material directly from the source.

“Donald Trump’s termination of Register of Copyrights, Shira Perlmutter, is a brazen, unprecedented power grab with no legal basis," said Democratic Rep. Joe Morelle (NY-25) in a statement. "It is surely no coincidence he acted less than a day after she refused to rubber-stamp Elon Musk’s efforts to mine troves of copyrighted works to train AI models."

It seems, however, that this concern was well-founded. 

According to a new report from The Verge, the Big Tech critics within Trump's own circles are "convinced" that Musk and White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks were behind the firings. Specifically, they believed Musk and Sacks were attempting a copyright takeover for Big Tech.

“We're not going to let every copyright work in America, every creator's hard-earned work get stolen by the tech bros so they can make billions of dollars off of other people's work," said Mike Davis, founder of the Internet Accountability Project and an antitrust advisor to Trump, in a recent interview with right-wing podcast host Steve Bannon.

So, when Trump officials showed up at the Copyright Office this week with a letter from the president, critics feared Musk had sent members of his special project DOGE to take over. However, The Verge reports the men are actually anti-Big Tech officials from within Trump's orbit.

The White House has reportedly named Paul Perkins as the acting Register of Copyrights and Brian Nieves as the acting deputy librarian, although it's not clear if he has the authority to make these appointments. (The Librarian of Congress is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.) Todd Blanche is now working as their boss in the role of Acting Librarian of Congress after President Trump fired his predecessor, Dr. Carla Hayden, last week. All three men are staunch Big Tech critics. In fact, one source told The Verge that Blanche is there specifically to "stick it to tech.”

A few weeks ago, I said the Google Pixel 9a is one of the budget phones to buy this year. Now, a popular tech YouTuber is recommending the opposite, and I see his point.

JerryRigEverything, a tech YouTube account with more than 9 million followers, posted a new video this week where the host stress tests the new mid-range Pixel phone and performs a teardown to look at its internal components. The host finds some minor things to dislike about the external materials as well as the water and dust resistance, but for home repair enthusiasts, there's one major, major problem: The battery is nearly impossible to remove.

SEE ALSO: Google's AI Mode reportedly replacing iconic 'I'm feeling lucky' button

It seems Google has glued the Pixel 9a's 5,100mAh battery (which performed very well for us in testing) such that home removal is extremely difficult, at best. According to JerryRigEverything, most other major smartphone manufacturers, including Apple and Samsung, have stopped doing this, but Google persists.

In general, the Big Tech companies have become much more repair-friendly in the past five or six years, and there are even manufacturers like Framework who make devices with the express purpose of being repair-friendly, so it feels a bit like Google is out of step with the rest of the industry here. Clearly, Google hasn't gotten the Right To Repair memo yet.

Overall, the Pixel 9a has gotten good-to-great reviews for a budget smartphone (including from me).

And let's be honest: This is hardly a dealbreaker for a typical mobile customer. The average person wouldn't even know how to disassemble their phone in the first place. But if you want to maintain the possibility of one day replacing your Pixel's battery, this development is worth knowing about.

TikTok is making it a lot easier for its creators to use AI.

TikTok AI Alive, a feature the app launched on Tuesday, helps users turn static photos into "captivating, short-form videos enhanced with movement, atmospheric and creative effects" when they use the TikTok Story Camera.

"We all know a photo can say a thousand words, and TikTok aims to take this new form of visual storytelling even further," TikTok said in a blog post. "With AI Alive, creators can now easily animate their photos and tell richer, more visually engaging stories for their communities."

How to use AI Alive on TikTok

To use the tool, users must first navigate to the Story Camera by tapping the blue plus sign on their profile image at the top left of the Inbox page and in the center of their profile.

Turn "Alive" on by clicking the button on the top right of your screen, and then choose a single photo and type in how you want the photo to change. You can also choose a photo first, and then click the AI Alive icon on the right sidebar and type in how you want the photo to change.

For instance, if it's a static photo of yourself, you can prompt AI Alive to make your photo dance, wink, or lean in. The tool will count down how long it will take for the effect to work, and once you're done waiting, you have an AI version of your photo.

It looks pretty darn realistic for AI, and might be difficult for people to catch. TikTok said in its blog post that "moderation technology reviews the uploaded photo and written AI generation prompt as well as the AI Alive video before it's shown to the creator."

SEE ALSO: Trump says he may delay TikTok ban once again

"A final safety check happens once a creator decides to post to their Story," TikTok's blog post reads. "Just like other content, people can report videos they think may break our rules. In addition, AI Alive stories will have an AI-generated label to bring transparency to how the content was created, and have C2PA metadata embedded — a kind of technology that helps others identify that it’s AI-generated, even if it’s downloaded and shared off platform."

While this is one of the first in-app image-to-video generators using AI, this isn't the first time TikTok — or any social media platform, for that matter — has introduced AI. You can use AI on Instagram and Snapchat to turn text into images, and Snapchat says it's working on what sounds like a similar AI tool to generate videos from images.

All the while, TikTok is allegedly working on a feature that would allow users to send photos and voice messages via direct messages, according to The Information. Most new features like this are aimed at keeping users on a platform for longer and increasing engagement. Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook already allow users to share photos over DM, but TikTok users can only share videos, stickers, and text over DM, and they have to be over 16 years old.

NASA's Perseverance rover has captured an aurora in the night sky for the first time from the Martian ground. 

Scientists have known for two decades that Mars' skies have auroras, too, but these curtains of undulating light had only been detected in ultraviolet — light that is invisible to the naked eye — until now. All previous Martian auroras were observed from orbiters in space. 

The result is a grainy portrait, shown farther down in this story, reminiscent of the snow one might remember seeing on an old television when it lost a signal. But it represents a monumental achievement, said Elise Wright Knutsen, first author of the research from the University of Oslo in Norway. A paper on the unprecedented observation was published in the journal Science Advances on May 14. 

"The photo was taken with an instrument not necessarily optimized for nighttime imagery, and so it isn't like the spectacular aurora images we have from Earth," Knutsen told Mashable. "But hopefully people will appreciate the softly glowing green sky, regardless of the image being rather pixelated." 

SEE ALSO: Watch how an old Venus spacecraft tumbled before crashing to Earth The actual images taken by Perseverance, whose instruments are not optimized for nighttime viewing, were not as glamorous as this artist's depiction, but the detection was a monumental achievement, researchers said. Credit: Alex McDougall-Page illustration

When the sun releases radiation during a solar storm, charged particles travel along a planet's invisible magnetic field lines. When these particles strike gases in the atmosphere, they heat up and glow. The side effects are colorful light displays known as auroras.

On Earth, the colors differ depending on the type of atmospheric gas and its altitude. Oxygen glows red or blue, while nitrogen can create green, blue, or pink. The recent strong solar storm conditions — a by-product of the sun being at solar maximum — are causing auroras around the North Pole, known as the Northern Lights, to sprawl, allowing people who live farther south to see them. 

Mars' magnetic field is different from Earth’s, and so the auroras are quite exotic. They aren't tethered to the polar regions of the planet. Instead, the Red Planet's auroras can be found in a hodgepodge of places and come in at least four varieties: localized discreet auroras, global diffuse auroras, proton auroras on the side facing the sun, and a large wormlike aurora stretching to the nightside of the planet. Some of the auroras sprout from the ground, thought to form around what's left of the ancient magnetic field in the planet's crust. 

Perseverance, which is exploring Jezero crater, where a river once emptied into a delta, spotted the aurora on March 18, 2024. The sun had blasted a torrent of energy expected to reach Mars, said UC Berkeley's Rob Lillis, who isn't an author on the new paper, in a 2024 Mashable interview. 

NASA's Perseverance rover took the first image of an aurora, left, from the surface of Mars on March 18, 2024. The image, right, is the sky without an aurora for comparison. Credit: Knutsen et al. / Sci. Adv. 11 / eads1563 (2025)

But no one was sure of what exactly the rover would see, given there were so many variables, including timing and weather: Getting one of these night sky displays would be like catching lightning in a bottle.

"We actually told the rover team to point their camera upwards and see if they could see an aurora," he said, "and they got the word just barely in time to send the command to go and look up."

Perseverance used a special camera, called Mastcam-Z, and a laser tool, known as SuperCam, to observe the faint green haze. Though the glow was dim, the detection suggests that, under better viewing conditions, astronauts could one day see such a light display with their own eyes. 

In fact, that's one crucial reason why scientists bother studying these extraterrestrial auroras. In order for astronauts to land on Mars and explore one day, they'll need navigation and communication systems that pass signals through the planet's upper atmosphere. The more accurate scientists' models are of Mars' ionosphere, the layer of charged particles surrounding the planet, the better those technologies will work. 

Twin orbiters built for the Escapade mission will attempt to take the first global images of Martian auroras in visible light. Credit: Rocket Lab

Scientists are planning more ways to capture Martian auroras. A NASA-funded robotic mission, called Escapade, will seek to get to the bottom of how solar radiation strips away the tattered Martian atmosphere. The mission will involve two orbiters built by Rocket Lab, said Lillis, the principal investigator. Though the United Arab Emirates' orbiter Hope has already obtained global images in ultraviolet light, with any luck, the Escapade probes will take the first global snapshots of Martian auroras in visible light.

After several previous failed attempts, the rover's detection last year was a boon, said Knutsen, who personally longs to explore space. She even applied to the European Space Agency's astronaut program a few years ago. 

"I would give my left foot to have been there to see it myself," she said, "but I hope one day I can retire under a softly glowing green Martian sky."

SAVE $200: As of May 14, Best Buy has the Acer Chromebook 516 GE (Intel Core 5 120U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) on sale for just $449. That's 31% off its $649 MSRP, its biggest discount ever.

Opens in a new window Credit: Acer Acer Chromebook 516 GE (Intel Core 5 120U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $449 at Best Buy
$649 Save $200 Get Deal

Chromebooks aren't the sort of laptops most people associate with great PC gaming experiences, but for cash-strapped shoppers, we consider the 16-inch Acer Chromebook 516 GE a fantastic pick. Mashable's Alex Perry called it "an incredible value" at $649, commending its long battery life, comfortable RGB keyboard, ample port selection, and "excellent" 120Hz display.

That $649 number is the Chromebook 516 GE's usual going rate, by the way — right now, it's on sale for way less at Best Buy. A 31% discount from the electronics retailer brings it down to a mere $449, which is its best price to date.

The best laptop and tablet deals to shop this week

• Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet — $89.99 (List Price $139.99)

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ Android Tablet — $199.99 (List Price $269.99)

• Amazon Kindle Colorsoft — $224.99 (List Price $279.99)

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $999.00

• Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (2025, M4) — $1,049.00 (List Price $1199.00)

The Chromebook 516 GE comes with an Intel Core 5 120U processor, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of storage. Those probably sound like underwhelming specs, but they're perfectly fine for a machine that's meant to stream titles from kitted-out servers instead of playing them locally. If you mainly play games through cloud services like Xbox Game Pass and Nvidia GeForce Now, the Chromebook 516 GE is a stellar alternative to other entry-level gaming laptops.

Perry noticed some input latency when he played certain games on the Chromebook 516 GE, but was otherwise "fairly impressed" with its overall gaming performance: "I started a new game in Control, jacked the settings up all the way, turned on ray tracing, and was a little blown away," he said. In our Geekbench 6 benchmark, it earned the highest multi-core score out of all the Chromebooks we've tested by a wide margin. It's zippy for what it is.

Finally, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the Chromebook 516 GE's battery life: It held out for more than 10 hours on a single charge. That makes it the longest-lasting Chromebook we've tried and the longest-lasting gaming laptop in our database. (In testing standard gaming laptops, we're content if we can get over an hour of use per charging cycle.) To quote Perry again: "That’s just good stuff, folks."

SAVE $300: The Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser portable projector is on sale for $1,699.99 at Amazon as of May 14, which is a 15% discount and drops it down to its best price ever.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser portable projector $1,699.99 at Amazon
$1,999.99 Save $300 Get Deal

Projectors have come a long way in recent years — to the point where some rival big screen 4K TVs. The Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser series, released last fall, is one of those rivals. Of course, that groundbreaking cinematic experience doesn't come cheap.

The C2 TriChroma Laser series includes three models, with the most affordable of the trio costing $1,999.99. As of May 14, however, the standard Hisense C2 portable projector is on sale for $1,699.99. That's 15% off and its lowest price on record. Sure, that's still pretty steep, but it's $300 less than you'd spend at full retail price.

All three models — including the standard C2 projector — are equipped with Hisense's Tri-Chroma triple color laser, which ensures color accuracy with a massive color spectrum. They also support 3D viewing, adding another dimension to your viewing experience. Projection size ranges from 65 to 300 inches and thanks to 360-degree horizontal rotation and 135-degree vertical adjustment, you'll have unparalleled viewing flexibility. You can watch movies on the ceiling, set up a massive outdoor screen, or stream workout videos on the wall of your home gym. Each model also offers auto keystone correction and auto focus, smart wall color adaptation, and obstacle avoidance, ensuring a top-notch viewing experience instantly.

The standard C2 model, as a relatively budget-friendly option, only boasts 2,000 lumens of brightness (versus the 3,000 lumens of the C2 Ultra). That's still plenty bright, though, unless you're in an extremely sunny atmosphere. Just dim the lights and close the curtains and you should be fine. It also lacks some of the higher-end features, like a built-in subwoofer and IMAX Enhanced certification. However, it still offers key technologies like Dolby Vision and HDR10+, as well as JBL 2.0 channel audio.

If you prefer a portable and flexible TV experience, it's hard to beat the cinematic capabilities of the Hisense C2 TriChroma Laser projector — particularly when it's on sale.

SAVE $45: As of May 14, get the Spigen 65W GaN III USB-C Charger for $24.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $69.99. That's a discount of 64% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Spigen 65W GaN III USB-C Charger $24.99 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $45 Get Deal

How many chargers do you have? One for your phone, one for your tablet, one for whatever else you keep on your nightstand? If you have multiple bricks when you could be consolidating down to one, it might be time to spend a little money and change up your habits. And you can do that today thanks to an excellent price on a charging brick that can cover two devices at once, which depending on what you need for the day, can save you a little space and time.

As of May 14, get the Spigen 65W GaN III USB-C Charger for $24.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $69.99. That's $45 off and a discount of 64%. It's also the lowest price we've seen. This price applies to all three colors: Midnight Black, Sierra Blue, and White.

This Spigen charger is great for charging up your phone, tablet, or whatever else you need to make sure is fully topped up for the day. It has two USB-C ports with 65W output, which is shared across both outlets when they're in use simultaneously. Thanks to its GaN technology, however, you don't have to worry about anything overheating. And the unit itself is nice and compact, so if you want to take it with you on the go, it can be easily tossed in your luggage or bag.

For the price, you can grab a couple of the chargers and keep one at home and one ready to go wherever you do. It'll help you make sure you have a full battery whenever you need it in a pretty short amount of time, and you can keep more cash in your pocket too.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... a full-length trailer for James Gunn's Superman!

Gunn is no stranger to DC Comics. The director found success with DCEU projects like The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. However, his reboot of the Superman franchise is the first feature film from DC Studios, co-led by Gunn and Peter Safran, meaning it's our best look yet at what to expect from future DC Comics adaptations.

SEE ALSO: Summer Movie Preview: Every film you oughta know

David Corenswet stars as Clark Kent/Superman, donning the iconic suit and cape and soaring off to fight for truth, justice, and the American way. But not everyone seems to agree with Superman's methods. His actions in stopping a war lead to a tense interview with reporter — and love interest — Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). Elsewhere, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult, very bald and very sinister) plots to take down the Man of Steel.

The trailer showcases several other key Superman characters, including Green Lantern Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), and the Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría). But you know who really steals the show? Krypto the Superdog, seen here jumping into action in the Fortress of Solitude, and later flopping down on Superman. Apologies to Clark, but those tail wags may just be the most super thing in this trailer.

Superman hits theaters July 11.

Video games are an expensive hobby, and that might soon get a lot worse.

In its latest earnings call, Sony CFO Lin Tao confirmed that the company is looking into passing on the cost of the Trump administration's new tariffs to consumers, in turn raising prices on Sony products, per The Verge. While Tao didn't name the PS5 directly, the gaming division is Sony's most profitable, and the company just raised prices on PS5 hardware in several regions outside the United States a month ago.

It should be noted that Sony already sells a variant of the PS5 for $700 in the U.S., so the company is no stranger to high prices for gaming hardware.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo forecasts a huge first year for Switch 2 sales

As part of this call, CEO Hiroki Totoki also said the PS5 could theoretically be manufactured in the U.S. to circumvent tariffs. That's probably a lot easier said than done, though. Most PS5s are manufactured in China, which, at the time of publication, is currently subject to at least a 30 percent tariff, but the situation is fluid.

Trump's tariffs have only been in effect for about a month, and the console gaming space is already reeling. Xbox games and consoles just got across-the-board price hikes in the U.S., and it needs to be emphasized that this is the opposite of how hardware pricing typically moves nearly five years into a console generation. Nintendo recently delayed preorders for its upcoming Switch 2 console in the U.S. for a couple of weeks, as Trump's tariffs were announced on the same day that Nintendo announced the $450 price point for Switch 2. Nintendo eventually reopened preorders without changing the console's price, though some hardware accessories got price hikes.

Needless to say, these price increases probably won't end until the tariffs do.

Many scientists contributed to the final result, but he was the one who, as a young physicist, designed the world’s deadliest weapon. He went on to advise a dozen presidents.

Dominique Thorne is back as the MCU's Riri Williams — and she's ready to build something truly iconic.

The Ryan Coogler-produced Ironheart series, set after the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, can't come soon enough — and we've had our first look today at the teaser trailer.

The new Marvel TV series sees Thorne returning as the inventor and MIT student with a penchant for building next-level iron suits high tech enough to kick Iron Man's ass. Back in her hometown of Chicago, Riri meets Parker Robbins aka "The Hood" (Anthony Ramos) through one hell of a job interview, and he's promising the opportunity of a lifetime. But what exactly is he up to? And what does Riri have in mind to build?

With Chinaka Hodge as head writer and Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes directing episodes, we're absolutely in for Ironheart.

Ironheart premieres on Disney+ June 24.

SAVE 18%: As of May 14, you can get the Narwal Freo Z10 Robot Vacuum and Mop for $899.99, down from $1,099.99, at Amazon. That's an 18% discount and a savings of $200. It's also the lowest price we've seen for this model yet.

Narwal Freo Z10 Robot Vacuum and Mop $1,099.99 at Amazon
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Paying over a grand for a robot vacuum is a little ridiculous, if you can get one with all the bells and whistles for less.

The Narwal Freo Z10 Robot Vacuum and Mop (one of Narwal’s newest releases) is currently on sale for $899.99 (with an on-screen coupon), down from $1,099.99. That’s an 18% discount and a savings of $200. It’s also the lowest price we’ve ever seen for this model.

If you haven't heard of it, Narwal is known for its AI-powered cleaning robots. The company presented a ton of new products at CES 2025, including the Freo Pro, Narwal S30, and Freo Z10, and its Narwal Freo Z Ultra was a CES Innovation Award 2025 Honoree and sold out within the first three months of its launch (according to a press release).

The Narwal Freo Z10 Robot Vacuum and Mop has some pretty high-end features, like an advanced DualFlow tangle-free system, an AI-powered base station, MopExtend and EdgeSwing technology, and more. It’s a lot of buzzwords, but basically, it means this thing has some sophisticated tech.

It’s built to mop and vacuum with ease, and can tackle pretty much any hard surface or carpet. It has 15,000 Pa hyper suction (with 99% particle removal rate on hardwood floors) and uses dual spinning and scrubbing mops to remove tough stains. The AI-powered base station has an auto-clean, dry, and empty system, and it can hold up to 120 days’ worth of dust and debris before you have to empty it out.

And, yes, you can control it via an app or through voice commands.

The best home and kitchen deals to shop this week

• Ninja BN701 Professional Plus Blender — $89.99 (List Price $119.99)

• Skylight Frame 10-inch Digital Picture Frame — $99.90 (List Price $159.00)

• Skylight Calendar 15-inch Digital Calendar & Chore Chart — $319.99

• Ninja Crispi Air Fryer — $159.99 (List Price $179.99)

• Birdfy AI Smart Solar Powered Bird Feeder with Camera — $179.99 (List Price $249.99)

• KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer — $349.95 (List Price $449.99)

• Eufy Omni C20 Robot Vacuum and Mop With Self-Emptying Base — $399.99 (List Price $699.99)

SAVE 37%: The Philips H8506 headphones are on sale at Amazon for just $81.92, down from the normal price of $129.99. That's a savings of $48.07.

Opens in a new window Credit: Philips Philips H8506 headphones $81.92 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $48.07 Get Deal

Summer travel season is creeping closer. You have flights and accommodations booked, but have you considered how you'll entertain yourself during those in-flight hours? If you prefer to chill out with music, podcasts, or by catching up on movies, you'll need a comfortable pair of headphones. Luckily, there's a sweet deal at Amazon today.

As of May 14, the Philips H8506 over-the-ear headphones are on sale for just $81.92, marked down from the normal price of $129.99. That's a 37% discount that ends up saving you $48.07.

With foldable earcups, a comfortable design, and up to 60 hours of playtime, the Philips H8506 are the perfect summer travel companion. Philips designed the headphones with advanced noise cancellation, so they'll be perfect for the long plane ride and train trips between cities.

The best headphones and speaker deals to shop this week

• Soundcore by Anker P20i True Wireless Earbuds — $19.99 (List Price $39.99)

• Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Headphones — $38.00 (List Price $59.99)

• JBL Flip 6 Portable Bluetooth Speaker — $99.95 (List Price $129.95)

• Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker — $148.00 (List Price $149.00)

• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds — $179.00

• Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones — $298.00 (List Price $348.00)

• JBL Bar 300 5.0ch Compact Soundbar — $299.00 (List Price $399.95)

The headphones fully recharge in just two hours, but if you're in a hurry, a 15-minute charge will get you another eight hours of listening time. Plus, you can connect two Bluetooth devices at once, so you can listen to music on your phone while still being connected to work on your laptop.

Philips made it easy to control the headphones with one touch to answer calls or pause the music. Once connected to the Philips app, you can adjust the sound to match your perfect style.

If you're searching for affordable and comfortable headphones for summer vacation, the Philips H8506 are on sale today at Amazon for just $81.92. You'll be scoring a 37% discount off the normal price of $129.99 and you'll be set with noise-canceLling headphones that come with massive battery life.

SAVE $50: As of May 14, get the Google Pixel Watch 3 for $349.99, down from its usual price of $299.99. That's a discount of 14% and $20 away from its lowest price ever.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Google Pixel Watch 3 $299.99 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $50 Get Deal

It's warm outside across the country, and if summer feels like it's near where you are, you might think about getting out and spending some time in the sun. That means considering a way to track what you get up to, like maybe a run, or keeping a way to stay in touch with your friends and family while not being on your phone 24/7. A smartwatch is the way to go here, and you can get a great one right now on sale at Amazon.

As of May 14, get the Google Pixel Watch 3 for $349.99, down from its usual price of $299.99. That's $50 off and a discount of 14%. It's also just $20 away from its lowest price ever.

The Google Pixel Watch 3 has a wide range of options when it comes to keeping track of your runs, how well you sleep, and it can even measure your heart rate. It allows for custom run tracking and offers commentary on your form when working out as well, almost like a personal fitness coach on your wrist, so you can stay focused on what really matters: staying in shape and doing what feels good for your body.

Of course, it's more than just a fitness tracker. It can be used to make calls, text, and focus on what you're doing for the day. It supports several apps as well, so if there's a favorite you use that you lilke to keep up with, you can do that with your watch as well. It's worth picking up at this price too, so if you're ready to take the plunge with a new watch, grab one while it's on sale.

This week, Google announced a host of new tools included in Android 16 aimed at protecting users from scams.

The tech giant detailed the new features at its Android I/O presentation on Tuesday, which Mashable covered in detail. Android 16's protections seem to focus on the common scams we're seeing more and more — things like fake EZ-Pass bills and scammers posing as real banks. Here's what's new in Android 16's security tools.

Protection against phone call scams

Google detailed all its updated scam tools in a blog post. New in-call protections prevent users from taking risky actions, such as granting accessibility permissions, since many scams rely on bad actors getting control of the device.

"And if you’re screen sharing during a phone call, Android will now automatically prompt you to stop sharing at the end of a call," Google further wrote in its blog. "These protections help safeguard you against scammers that attempt to gain access to sensitive information to conduct fraud."

In other words, these new in-call protections seemed to be aimed at protecting you from yourself. People make mistakes or get overwhelmed by scammers pressing them for information—these tools look to curb those impulses. In fact, it's piloting a program in the U.K. that'll help stop folks from sharing their screens while looking at banking apps.

"When you launch a participating banking app while screen sharing with an unknown contact, your Android device will warn you about the potential dangers and give you the option to end the call and to stop screen sharing with one tap," the blog reads.

Stopping text scams

Google said Android 16 has improved its scam detection in texts via an AI-powered tool dubbed, what else, Scam Detection.

Google wrote, "When Scam Detection discovers a suspicious conversation pattern, it warns you in real time so you can react before falling victim to a costly scam."

The company also noted it has focused especially on a bevy of common scams, including:

• Toll road and other billing fee scams

• Crypto scams

• Financial impersonation scams

• Gift card and prize scams

• Technical support scams.

Helping you spot imposters

Android 16 features a new tool called Key Verifier, which will help users ensure they're talking to the right person. It "allows you and the person you’re messaging to verify the identity of the other party through public encryption keys," Google wrote.

This could prove helpful in a scam where someone swaps SIMs, for instance.

Android 16 has certainly expanded its scam protections, but as always, be careful out there. Scammers never stop.

Have a story to share about a scam or security breach that impacted you? Tell us about it. Email submissions@mashable.com with the subject line "Safety Net" or use this form. Someone from Mashable will get in touch.

The best Asus gaming keyboard deals Best Asus Keyboard Deal Asus ROG Azoth 75 $200 (Save $74.99) Get Deal Best Compact Asus Keyboard Deal Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 $178.99 (Save $31) Get Deal Best Sound-Dampening Asus Keyboard Asus ROG Falchion Ace HFX $148.99 (Save $51) Get Deal

A great keyboard can make or break your gaming setup. You want to use something that feels good ergonomically but can also give you quick response times and keystrokes that actually feel meaty and satisfying. Unfortunately, some keyboards can be a bit pricey, so much so that they seem out of reach for some setups.

That's why, if you're looking to pick one up, you should head to Amazon to grab one for a significant discount. The retailer has several Asus keyboards on sale right now, which you can save up to $75 on. Whether you want a compact option or a more full-featured peripheral that you can use as a regular keyboard, there's something for you on sale now.

Below, find our picks for some of the best Asus gaming keyboards you can snap up today at Amazon.

Best Asus keyboard deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Asus ROG Azoth 75 $200 at Amazon
$274.99 Save $74.99 Get Deal Why we like it

The Asus ROG Azoth 75 wireless keyboard boasts OLED lighting, three-layer dampening to quiet the keys, and hot-swappable switches that you can change out depending on what kind of typing experience you're looking for. Plus, its gasket mount design helps dampen the noise while giving you a springier typing experience. This is the kind of keyboard you want to choose if you're into customizing how it feels or changing out keycaps, all of which can give you a more unique typing situation.

Best compact Asus keyboard deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 $178.99 at Amazon
$209.99 Save $31 Get Deal Why we like it

This customizable keyboard comes with a wrist rest to complement its set of features that include sound-dampening foam with switch-dampening pads that make it a great option for quieting keystrokes. It's a compact layout with a numpad as well, so if you don't want to use it as a gaming keyboard, it fits in with work setups with a 96% layout that you'd see in regular hardware. Plus, you can connect it to up to three devices via Bluetooth simultaneously if needed.

Best sound-dampening Asus keyboard deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Asus ROG Falchion Ace HFX $148.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $51 Get Deal Why we like it

This gaming keyboard features an 0.125 ms response time, which is up to 8x faster than others in this category. It has three-layer dampening foam and a silicone gasket mount to better absorb noise and give your typing a more cushioned feel. It also includes ROG HFX magnetic switches that you can customize to your liking, with controls you can change straight from the keyboard itself to adjust volume, play or pause media, and change the RGB settings.

It might be time to say your goodbyes to the iconic “I’m Feeling Lucky” button below the Google Search bar.

In its place will be AI Mode, a feature that’s been quietly rolling out to users this week, according to The Verge. It’s part of Google’s ongoing push to merge its core search engine with Gemini, its flagship AI model. First announced in March, AI Mode started as an experimental opt-in via Google Labs. Earlier this May, it became available to all Labs users. Now it’s reportedly breaking out onto the main stage: the Google homepage.

Google has replaced "I'm feeling lucky" with "AI Mode" on its homepage. #NewGoogle

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— Chris Messina (@chrismessina.me) May 12, 2025 at 5:31 PM

Giving AI Mode such prominent real estate suggests Google is accelerating its vision for what search should become. That’s bad news if you’re nostalgic for the playful nature of “I’m Feeling Lucky," which has appeared on Google's homepage since its launch. The button, which once whisked users to the top search result (or something randomly delightful), is potentially being nudged out for good in favor of something Google sees as far more ambitious.

SEE ALSO: 89 million Steam accounts reportedly leaked. Change your password now.

It’s worth noting: AI Mode is not the same thing as AI Overviews. The latter summarizes search results using generative AI. AI Mode goes a step further. Instead, it lets Gemini do the searching for you, and then you can dive deeper with follow-up questions. Think of it as Google’s version of ChatGPT Search, OpenAI’s own attempt to reimagine the search engine as a conversational assistant.

Google almost never touches its homepage. But the timing here isn’t random. I/O kicks off next week on May 20, and AI will be the star of the show. Meanwhile, last week in court, an Apple executive casually dropped a bombshell: for the first time ever, Google searches on Safari declined last month. That adds a layer of urgency to Google’s rollout.

The best Memorial Day mattress deals live now: Best mattress deal overall DreamCloud Premier Hybrid Mattress $949 (save $1,381) Get Deal Best luxury mattress deal Purple Restore Hybrid Mattress $2,099 (save $300) Get Deal

Memorial Day signifies the unofficial start of summer. Just a few weeks left in the school year, warmer temperatures, and weekend barbecues on the calendar mean we've made it out of winter's hibernation. But that doesn't mean sleep should get put on the backburner.

Sleep is one of life's basic pillars, and it impacts our mood, health, brain function, and much more. If you've ever had a terrible month of sleep, you know how detrimental a sleep deficit can be on pretty much every aspect of waking hours.

Instead of putting the milk in the cupboard on account of a sleepy brain, prioritize sleep this summer by snagging a luxurious new mattress while it's on sale. Memorial Day sales tend to come with some of the best discounts in the mattress world, so this is an ideal time to upgrade your sleep set-up. And best of all, tons of sales are already live, even though Memorial Day weekend is still a few weeks away. Here are some of our top picks.

Best overall mattress deal Opens in a new window Credit: DreamCloud DreamCloud Premier Hybrid Mattress (queen) $949 at DreamCloud
$2,330 Save $1,381 Get Deal Why we like it

With a quilted Euro Top, the DreamCloud Premier Hybrid mattress starts off with a comfortable but supportive feel that'll help lull you into sleep. The other four layers are comprised of memory foams for pressure relief and individually wrapped innerspring coils for great support. DreamCloud considers the Premier Hybrid to have a medium-firm feel, and the coils are designed to help minimize motion transfer which can be great if you share the bed with a partner or the dog.

In a queen size, the DreamCloud Premier Hybrid usually sells for $2,330 but thanks to the brand's Memorial Day sale, you can snag it for just $949.

Best luxury mattress deal Opens in a new window Credit: Purple Purple Restore Hybrid Mattress $2,099 at Purple
$2,399 Save $300 Get Deal Why we like it

Purple makes some of the most unique bedding options thank to the brand's GelFlex Grid. It's made from a hyper elastic polymer that's incredible when it comes to pressure relief and comfort. As a bonus, it's super breathable. The Purple Restore Hybrid mattress uses a two-inch layer of the GelFlex Grid that can work great for all sleeping positions. Two layers of foam sit below the initial grid layer followed by supportive and responsive coils. Lastly, Purple uses an antimicrobial cover so you can sleep better knowing your bed is clean.

Instead of paying the normal $2,399 for a queen-size Purple Restore Hybrid, shop during this Memorial Day sale to get it for just $2,099. You'll save even more if you pair it with the Purple Premier Plus Smart Base which gives your sleeping set-up another major upgrade.

Memorial day mattress deals that are already live:

• Amerisleep — save up to $1,000 on mattresses

• Avocado — take 10% off sitewide

• Birch — save 25% sitewide and get two free pillows with a new mattress with code MEMDAY25

• Brooklyn Bedding — take 25% off sitewide

• DreamCloud — save up to 60% on mattresses

• Layla — get free pillows with ever mattress and take up to $1,018 off bundles

• Mattress Firm — take up to 60% off and get a free adjustable base with select mattresses

• Naturepedic — take up to 20% off organic mattresses

• Nectar — save up to 50% on mattresses and 65% on bundles

• Nest — save up to $1,321 on new mattresses and get a free bundle

• Saatva — save up to $600 on mattresses

Memorial Day bedding deals that are already live:

• Brooklinen — take up to 78% off sheets and pillowcase sets

• Eli & Elm — save up to 40%

• Naturepedic — take up to 20% off organic bedding

• Nest — take up to 60% off bedding

• Puffy — save 15% on all mattress accessories including sheets and pillows

• Silk & Snow — save up to 32% on bedding bundles

Warner Bros. Discovery is changing the name of its streaming service Max back to HBO Max, and TV lovers everywhere cheered.

SEE ALSO: Summer TV preview: All the TV shows you need to know, and where to stream them

The decision, announced during WBD's 2025 upfront presentation on Wednesday, comes two years after the company dropped the (iconic, recognizable, respected) HBO branding from its streaming platform, leaving us with only...Max. You know, the place where you can watch HBO shows, but why advertise that?

The 2023 Max rebrand was a result of the platform's merge with reality TV-focused streaming service Discovery+, but WBD appears to be backtracking on that decision as well, purging hundreds of seasons of those shows from the platform.

Instead of throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks (Max certainly didn't), WBD is vowing for more of a "quality over quantity" approach in the future. In a press release about the Max name change, HBO's parent company said, "No consumer today is saying they want more content, but most consumers are saying they want better content."

The HBO Max rebrand goes into effect this summer, but people online are already laughing at WBD's backtrack.

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— Alex Zalben (@azalben.bsky.social) May 14, 2025 at 10:39 AM

does the guy who came up with the name HBO MAX get paid again

— darth™️ (@darthbluesky.bsky.social) May 14, 2025 at 10:32 AM

HBO Max, the company producing J.K. Rowling's new project, wants you to respect its second name change in as many years.

— Charlotte Clymer (@charlotteclymer.bsky.social) May 14, 2025 at 10:38 AM

HBO Max would be a beautiful name for a baby girl

— Gretchen Leigh (@gretchenleigh.zone) May 14, 2025 at 10:52 AM

You know what they say: If it ain't broke, don't rename it.

SAVE 49%: As of May 14, you can get the Lego Classic Creative Brick Box 10696 for just $17.99, down from $34.99. That's a 49% discount and a $17 savings.

Lego 10696 Classic Medium Creative Brick Box $17.99 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $17.00 Get Deal

If you’re looking for some hands-on fun that doesn’t require batteries or WiFi, we found a great deal on a starter Lego set that’s sure to entertain (both you and your kid).

Right now, you can get the Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick Box (10696) for just $17.99, down from $34.99, at Amazon. That’s a 49% discount and a savings of $17. It’s also the lowest price we’ve ever seen for this Lego set.

This set includes 484 pieces, a green baseplate (around three inches long and six inches wide), windows, eyes, and 18 tires and toy wheel rims for creating models. The container also doubles as Lego storage.

Considering how much Legos usually cost (and how long they last), this is a deal worth considering, so get it while you can.

The best tech deals to shop this week

• Energizer AA Batteries (24 Count), Double A Max Alkaline Battery — $13.31 (List Price $21.98)

• Roku Ultra 4K Ultimate Streaming Player (2024 Release) — $79.99 (List Price $99.99)

• Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker — $99.95 (List Price $149.00)

• Roborock Qrevo Master Robot Vacuum and Mop — $799.99 (List Price $1599.99)

• Peloton Bike — $1,145.00 (List Price $1445.00)

• New Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro): Apple Intelligence, 8.3-inch Liquid Retina Display, 128GB, Wi-Fi 6E, 12MP Front/12MP Back Camera, Touch ID, All-Day Battery Life — Purple — $399.00 (List Price $499.00)