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Im a college writing professor. Heres what AI still cant do

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 11:36

In the past few years, AI has wreaked havoc on the education sector. It’s quickly become a multi-billion dollar industry, hailed by some administrators as the future of learning while other faculty scramble to address the fallout, including the rampant cheating that AI chatbots enabled almost overnight. It has felt particularly threatening to the subject I teach—writing—where many students struggle, and the temptation to turn to AI is irresistible.

But paradoxically, the AI invasion hasn’t convinced me that learning to write will is about to become obsolete. I recognize in many of my students the impulse that led me to become a writer: the human need to express oneself and, in so doing, to relate to others. In fact, confronting the possibilities and limits of AI for writing lets me explore with my students why we write in the first place, and to consider what technological tools can and can’t do to help us.

The arrival of ChatGPT in November 2022 reminds me of a quote from High Fidelity, the 1995 Nick Hornby novel that later became a movie starring John Cusack and a limited series starring Zoë Kravitz. “One moment they weren’t there, not in any form that interested us, anyway, and the next you couldn’t miss them; they were everywhere, all over the place.” The quote is about how 13-year-old boys suddenly started noticing girls who, up to that point, had just been other boys’ sisters. Now they were girls, and the boys wanted… “actually, we didn’t know what we wanted,” writes Hornby.

For me, this quote could just as easily apply to the arrival of AI chatbots. Suddenly, they were everywhere — in every news article I read, in conversations with fellow faculty and other writers, and, before long, in my students’ writing. Midway through the semester, I noticed that students who had previously written clunky, awkward prose were suddenly turning in polished, if generic, five-part essays. AI was everywhere, all over the place.

You can't stop students from using AI

Right on the heels of the chatbots came tools to help teachers detect their use. First, there was GPTZero, a winter break project by Princeton University senior Edward Tian that received significant media coverage. Tian was hailed as a hero by educators, a model student who put his coding skills to use to protect academic integrity. Other copycat tools followed, like the unimaginatively-named ZeroGPT, all promising greater levels of accuracy and reliability.

TurnItIn, a widely used plagiarism detector built into many universities’ learning management systems, even had its own AI checker. It came with all kinds of disclaimers indicating that its assessment may not always be accurate, so it shouldn’t be used as the sole evidence against a student accused of cheating. In short, TurnItIn, and all the others like it, were not reliable. It turns out detecting AI is no easy task, and just as quickly as new detectors came out, new ways to get around them appeared. 

What’s worse is that the AI detectors never seem to agree with one another. Pop in a bit of text from a student essay and one website will assure you that the text was human-written (“Zero percent AI!”). But input the same text into a different site and it might tell you it is most likely AI. Both will provide convincing reasons. How can a teacher approach a student with an accusation of AI plagiarism without concrete evidence, or really any way to get that evidence?

There's also the questionable legality of feeding student writing — if that’s what it was — into a third-party website. And while many of us who teach writing defaulted to protective policing tactics at first, our colleagues in other disciplines and departments heralded the arrival of AI, encouraging students to use it and singing its praises openly in faculty meetings. Mixed messages were rampant.

A collaborative approach to AI literacy

Around this same time, I had my sights set on a new teaching position that was specifically geared toward teaching professional writing, more firmly in my wheelhouse. After I was offered the job, I openly worried to my wife about the wisdom of taking a job teaching professional writing when some commentators and pundits were announcing the end of such trivial and time-consuming pursuits as writing.

When I took the job, I approached it from the beginning as a challenge. Professional writing would change, and I could help students think through what its future might look like. Rather than dictate rules while I was still trying to understand the impacts myself, I wanted to give students a stake in their own relationship to the technology. Many of my students are English majors; like me, they feel the need to write. So what role did they want AI to play in their future careers?

In the first week of my first semester, I worked with students to create an AI policy we could all agree on. Using AI for brainstorming and pre-writing was okay. Putting assignment prompts into a chatbot and asking for a completed essay was not. I stress that college writing has never been about a finished product; writing is thinking, and I want to see them think on the page. We agreed that students should disclose if and how they used AI. This ensured that if there was AI use, my first response wouldn’t be punitive, but constructive. We could talk about how AI helped, or didn’t. This also allowed me to get a better sense of how students were fitting AI into their workflow and to determine where it could actually be helpful.

This semester, a student turned in an essay that was full of great ideas and well-crafted sentences, though, as I was grading it, I commented in the margin that it seemed to jump around a bit. So, I actually laughed out loud when I got to the AI disclosure at the end of the essay and read that the student had only used AI to help with the order of the ideas. 

What’s human about writing?

The process of figuring out AI together has led to some amazing, even existential, conversations, the kind I thought we could no longer have in an era where college education is often seen as little more than career training. It turns out that one of the best ways to begin a conversation with students about the role of AI in writing is to simply ask: why do we write?

Now we have class discussions about how writing allows us to share experiences, alter perspectives, and engender empathy. It quickly becomes clear that in all kinds of writing, a human consciousness is assumed — and desired. I ask students to imagine a scenario in which I present them a poem so moving it brings them to tears, and then I reveal that it was written by AI. How would that make them feel? Some say they’d be okay with it, but most say they’d feel cheated. They cried, in the imagined scenario, because they empathized with the experience of the human writer behind the words. No writer, no empathy.

Another discussion takeaway that assures me AI won't make writing obsolete is the surprising connections only human minds can make. It's a delight to get to know my students through their writing.

I have always found it funny that I have a difficult time memorizing students’ names until I read their first essays. I come to know my students by seeing the interesting connections their minds make. Writing is thinking, and by getting a sense of how they think, they come more fully alive.

The same goes for me. When I try to remember the early days of ChatGPT, why am I reminded of a line from a novel that was published 30 years ago, lodged in my memory by a movie released 25 years ago? I don’t know why my mind makes that connection, but I love that it does. I’m reminded that my own writing has the ability to surprise me, that writing really is thinking, and I often don’t know my own opinions until I set them down in words. AI can write, but it’s not really thinking, so teaching students to think remains as important as ever.

AI job interviewers are going viral on TikTok

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 11:35

Finding a job is already frustrating enough — the endless applications, cover letters, and long bouts of waiting for responses that might never arrive. Now it seems jobseekers will increasingly be forced to debase themselves even further by interviewing with glitchy, inhuman AI bots.

TikToks of folks interviewing with artificial intelligence-powered "interviewers" have gone viral recently. Now, before we go any further, it's important to acknowledge that some of these TikToks are fake or labeled as some version of satire. But there are others that appear to be very real.

A detailed report from Slate over the weekend, for instance, talked with folks who said they'd been forced to interview with an AI bot. One such example was Kendiana Colin, who posted a viral TikTok showing an AI bot that couldn't stop saying "vertical-bar pilates" during an interview for a job at a stretching studio. It is genuinely creepy and darkly funny.

“It was very disrespectful and a waste of time,” Colin told Slate.

She's hardly alone in her experience. Another viral video appears to show an interview bot getting stuck in a loop of saying "when, when, when" and "let's circle back." There is something fitting about the bot getting stuck in a loop of corporate speak. That TikTokker told Newsweek this was an actual interview for a real job and not satire.

If you peruse around TikTok you'll see lots of other AI interviews of unclear veracity. But it's interesting that AI interviews have become such a thing online that now they're being parodied or faked to draw eyeballs.

This video, for instance, went viral despite being posted by an account clearly labeled as satire.

The thing is, the satire isn't far from the real thing. Despite that viral TikTok being fake, it's pretty much the same as the real pilates interview. And there are companies out there selling AI bots as hiring solutions. The Slate report noted the pilates "interviewer" was from a start-up called Apriora.

So next time you apply for a job, just know you might have to suffer through a glitchy AI bot to earn that offer.

Murder, mayhem, and a crown: ‘Fear Street’ makes prom a killer affair

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 11:35

Fear Street: Prom Queen, Netflix’s latest installment in the Fear Street film franchise, promises more slashery goodness for fans of Leigh Janiak's highly successful trilogy that kicked things off in 2021 with Fear Street Part One: 1994, Part Two: 1978, and Part Three: 1666. The new horror entry, adapted from R.L. Stine's 1992 novel,  finds the Class of 1988 in danger as a hooded killer stalks prom queen candidates throughout the halls of Shadyside High. 

The movie (premiering on Netflix on May 23) is based on the 1992 R.L. Stine novel of the same name, and judging by the trailer, images, and character posters, co-writer and director Matt Palmer may have taken some liberties with the material. Which, as a die-hard fan (the photo above is from my own collection of all 100 Fear Street books), I’m not entirely mad at. 

So, as an OG fan deeply connected to the book series that dominated shelves in the ‘90s, I have certain expectations for Prom Queen and look forward to the potential Netflix can further squeeze out of this budding horror franchise. Here’s what I’m anticipating:

Bloodiest. Prom. Ever.

Compared to 1980’s Prom Night movie — the granddaddy of prom-themed slashers that starred Jamie Lee Curtis and unrelated to R.L. Stine’s novel — Fear Street: Prom Queen is poised to take the crown when it comes to a kill count. Actually, make that: a kill count that doesn’t involve any telekinesis (gotta give Carrie her flowers). I’m expecting literal murder on the dance floor. Lots of it. 

We haven’t heard the last from Camp Nightwing

In Fear Street Part Two: 1978, we saw campers and counselors alike get brutally butchered at the doomed sleepaway camp (again, thanks to the Shadyside curse), and according to the trailer for the 1988-set Fear Street; Prom Queen, we get a shot of a bulletin board memorializing the massacre that took place 10 years earlier. Could one of the Camp Nightwing survivors make a cameo in the new movie? Is there a connection between our killers, separated by a decade?

There’s something about the faculty at Shadyside High

While the cast of Prom Queen is filled with fresh talent and rising stars, it also features a who’s who of veteran actors we’ve loved for years. Chris Klein (the American Pie franchise) and Lili Taylor (Mystic Pizza, The Conjuring) play faculty members interacting with the Class of 1988, while Katherine Waterston (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) brings a parent's perspective to the growing horror as the student body count piles up. Casting these familiar faces could be reason enough to assume that some of these adults have a more peculiar role to play in the prom night mayhem. 

No matter the decade, mean girls are timeless

R.L. Stine’s book may have come out in 1992, but it tapped into the competitive nature of teen girls that still exists today, especially when it comes to winning the crown on prom night. Whatever the decade, there will always be rivalry, and Fear: Street: Prom Queen seems to demonstrate plenty of it. Why set it in 1988, though? Easy: the music and fashion were just more iconic, and the wilder the hair, the meaner the girl. Plus, back then, no one had smartphones to help them elude a serial killer. Slashing teens is just easier this way. 

Prom Queen’s killer could easily be supernatural 

As we’ve learned from Fear Street Part Three: 1666, Sarah Fier was used as a scapegoat for the curse on Shadyside, which was really a result of the Goode family’s deal with the Devil, turning residents into mass murderers throughout the centuries. So, it makes sense that the slasher stalking our teens in Fear Street: Prom Queen could be another everyday citizen possessed by the evil forces that have plagued this town. 

A playlist to die for

Speaking of the trailer, the inclusion of Belinda Carlisle’s highly repeatable “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” is a shining example of music supervision brilliance. And if Fear Street Part One: 1994 taught us anything, it’s that producers like Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping know how to set the tone of an era, even with a new creative team behind the camera. So, expect a giant wave of nostalgia in the form of a soundtrack filled with mid-to-late-80s pop hits. I’m thinking “Need You Tonight” by INXS, “Together Forever” by Rick Astley, and “Tell It To My Heart” by Taylor Dayne,  just to name a few.

After the prom ends…

With Fear Street being one of the biggest YA series in publishing history, Netflix currently has its hands on a franchise ripe with possibilities. There’s so much more material to adapt for future films. For instance, R.L. Stine’s much-beloved Cheerleaders trilogy follows a pair of sisters on Shadyside High’s cheer squad battling an evil spirit that possesses their pom-pom-shaking BFFs. And let’s not forget Fear Street’s holiday-themed horrors: Silent Night turned Christmas cheer into fear (spawning two sequels), Halloween Party trapped costumed guests inside a mansion with a killer, and long before Heart Eyes sliced and diced couples, Broken Hearts gave us a memorable Valentine’s Day slasher.

As Fear Street continues to make its mark on pop culture, there’s a special thrill in knowing the fandom is alive and well. I still keep the original paperbacks in mint condition, proudly displayed. A framed collage of my favorite cover art by Bill Schmidt hangs in my hallway, alongside a note from R.L. Stine himself — one I received after my very first fan letter. (I recently had him re-sign and personalize it when I met him for the first time at an event earlier this month.) This is my small shrine to a series that shaped my love for reading, writing, and all things horror.

Fear Street: Prom Queen premieres on Netflix May 23.

Ive been a DJ at legendary clubs for years. Heres the gear I use to create

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 11:34

While playing music is my favorite part of what I do, you need more than just a soundtrack in today's world to tell an engaging story and build an audience. 

Music was my first passion. Growing up on 90’s hip hop, I’d listen to Hot 97 radio and make mixtapes for my friends with tracks by Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., A Tribe Called Quest, Snoop Dogg and others. Shortly after moving to NYC for college, I quickly found myself engulfed in club culture and started DJing, eventually playing at legendary clubs like Bungalow 8, Gold Bar, Lotus, PM, Suede, Hudson Terrace and more.

Little did I know that this love for sharing music would take me around the world. Today I own and operate my own DJ and creative consultancy businesses. Technology allows me to tell my stories in beautiful and inventive ways, which is a crucial part of what I do.

I use a variety of tools to help me create content. For shooting video & photo, I use an iPhone, Canon EOS R5 Mark II and Fuji X100VI mirrorless cameras, a GoPro Hero 7 action camera, an Insta 360 camera, and sometimes a DJI Mavic Pro 2 for some epic b-roll. For clean audio, you gotta have the Rode Wireless Pro. I also find myself using various 35mm film and point-and-shoot digital cameras for fun nostalgia vibes.

For editing, I use editing apps like Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Adobe Premiere Pro interchangeably between my Macbook Pro and my Windows PC. Using apps like Stemverter and Logic Pro to help me quickly make remixes and edits for when I’m DJing live with Serato DJ or Rekordbox. And Adobe Photoshop’s generative fill feature has been an incredible creative tool eliminating boundaries for photo touch ups and canvas expansion.

Familiarity with these tools helps me collaborate with other creators effortlessly and allow me to tell more engaging stories. These tools allow me to not only create engaging content efficiently, but to also collaborate with other creators to help visually communicate the story of what I love most: sharing music with the world.

Ive made $27,000 walking dogs. How you can, too

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 11:33

Since 2019, I have made $17,000 through the Rover app and an additional $10,000 in earnings by doing freelance pet-sitting. My lifelong love of animals has transformed into a sustainable way to supplement my income, and has helped me pay off debt, save money, and fund my goals.

Pet adoption boomed in 2020 due to higher levels of social isolation and increased time spent at home. In 2024, 66% of U.S. households owned a pet, and that year the U.S. pet industry market brought in $152 billion, according to the American Pet Products Association. With $13 billion reportedly allocated to pet boarding and walking, now is the perfect time to explore whether this side hustle is right for you.

The good news? Making money as a pet sitter or walker has never been easier.

I got started on Rover

Rover, the world's largest online booking service for pet care, was my first step into making this side gig a reality. Founded in 2011, Rover is operational in 17 countries and is used by over two million pet parents, according to their website. I found that using Rover as an independent contractor was the quickest way to build my clientele and get my services shown to a network of people in my local area.

When you sign up for Rover, you pay $25-35 for your background check, wait a few days for it to clear, then set up your profile.

Your Rover profile is the first thing potential clients see, so how you craft it matters. Use a clear, well-lit, professional picture as your profile picture and create a concise, engaging bio showcasing your skills, experience, and personality. Your profile is about making a good first impression and sharing with potential clients why they should hire you.

The author's Rover profile. Credit: Vee Weir

In my bio, I share my history as an animal lover and pet sitter, my availability, my medical experience, and a little blurb showcasing my quirky, relatable humor. Look at other sitter profiles in your area and try to make yours stand out.

The author's bio on Rover. Credit: Vee Weir Important things to remember

Set competitive pricing. Do this by analyzing your competition. If you're just getting started, lowering your prices is a great way to gain new customers.

Testimonials are gold. The more of them you have on your Rover profile, the more likely potential clients are to trust you. Always ask for a testimonial after a job. If you don't have any testimonials from past clients, you can email friends and family members to get your first reviews on your page.

Keep your services accurate. Nothing is worse than when a potential client tries to book a service or time and you have to tell them you're unavailable. Keeping your availability accurate creates a seamless experience for you and your clients.

Your Rover calendar matters

On apps like Rover and Wag, everything runs on an algorithm. Because of this, keeping your services, communication, and calendar up-to-date is rewarded by being shown to a larger group of potential clients in your area.

My success on Rover has been due in part to being a remote worker with wide availability. While other sitters may not be able to take jobs in the middle of the work week, I can. This flexibility gives me an edge over the multiple sitters in my area. Update your calendar daily, and respond to inquiries as quickly as possible. These statistics can penalize you or reward you.

Be realistic about how much you will be able to make. I live in an area of the country where spending money on pets is not only accepted but encouraged and expected. You may not live in the same demographic. Your geographic location and availability are heavy factors in the success of Rover and pet sitting in general.

Pet care non-negotiables

While ensuring a positive client experience should be a top priority, your own safety and security are paramount. Scheduling a meet and greet or brief meeting where you meet your potential client and their pet is a non-negotiable. During this meeting, you can assess the reactiveness of an animal, communicate with the owner about their quirks and needs, learn about the pet's details, and decide if you want to take on the job. I never skip meet and greets; I advise anyone in this job to make them a standard operating procedure.

A second non-negotiable is sending clients photos and/or videos during your stay with their pets. Communication is key for Rover, and this action will result in higher rates of testimonials and rebookings. An extra I like to throw in for new clients is a handwritten note and a treat for their pet. Always ask about allergies or restrictions before gifting!

The pros of using Rover

I prefer Rover to other pet care booking services for a few reasons. Rover offers a 24/7 support line, which I've used before and found very helpful in an emergency. They also provide insurance for pet owners who book through them.

Through Rover, you are eligible for up to $25,000 reimbursement in vet care with a claim related to injury to either the pet owner's or sitter's pets, property damage to the pet owner's home caused by a sitter or dog walker, and certain out-of-pocket medical costs for third-party injuries.

On the marketing side of things, using Rover means you have a built-in customer base without doing any marketing or paying for exposure. It's a ready-made network to tap into and start making money immediately.

Rover also offers a slew of services that aren't just limited to dog walking. You can board dogs in your home, house-sit in someone else's, do drop-in visits, and do dog training and grooming if you're qualified. If staying overnight in other people's homes isn't your thing, you can focus on building a drop-in-based business.

Remember that gigs and side hustles are easier to maintain if you like what you're doing. If you are burnt out on house-sitting because you're away from your bed, take a break. Don't run yourself into the ground when there are options for you to make money in other ways on one app.

The cons of using Rover

While there are plenty of pros to Rover, there are a few concerns to be aware of. First, the market is often saturated with other dog sitters. It may take time to book a job initially, even if you have several verified reviews. As I mentioned earlier, the pet industry is in a sustained boom, and people are jumping on the opportunity.

Since Rover is popular and has a built-in network, the app charges pet sitters 20% for each pet care job. This is a fee I gladly pay because of the benefits I reap from booking through Rover; it's just the cost of participating in this industry when you're just getting started. As you become more reputable, you might start getting referrals outside of the app as well, or can offer your services in other community forums.

Speaking of costs, keep in mind that Rover does not automatically set aside any money for taxes. I am not a tax expert, but over the last six years I've saved 30% of my dog-walking profits in an Ally high-yield savings account, and I've never had an issue paying my independent contractor bill come tax time. No matter what side gig you decide to try out, always save money for taxes. The IRS wants a piece of that income, too.

Pet sitting has been one of the most rewarding jobs I've done

Having a side hustle or learning a trade outside of your primary profession has many benefits, including pursuing a different skill while getting paid for it. While the last few years of my professional life have been unpredictable, pet care has been a constant. Being a Rover sitter has provided me with money to pay my bills and continue my standard of living throughout turbulent economic times.

Give dog sitting a try if you want to make extra money and get paid to hang out with animals you love.

How a Threads post helped me find community and beat loneliness

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 11:32

During the pandemic, human connection was distant and hazardous. Closeness became life-threatening, gathering felt like it became illegal, and Zoom calls were the only link to other people. What was meant to be a “see you later” in two weeks became months of isolation, which turned into years of disconnection for some.

A report from the Surgeon General found that half of adults experience loneliness, and many Americans are still feeling the ramifications of quarantines, distancing protocols, and unlimited screen time some five years later. What’s worse is that loneliness is not just a feeling; it’s an epidemic that correlates to cognitive decline, hypertension, mental health disorders, diabetes, infectious diseases, and more.

I was one of these lonely people. So I decided to do something about it this year. I found an in-person hobby that has quickly become an important part of my life in the unlikeliest of places: Threads.

A trip to Denver changed my life

For this story to make sense, we first have to go back to June 26, 2022. If you live in Colorado and are a sports fan, you may recognize this date as the day the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup against the Tampa Bay Lighting. 

That day also happened to be Pride in Denver, so my partner and I decided to make the trek from Boulder to Denver to take in the sights and activities. We weren’t completely unaware of the “big game” happening, but we weren’t traveling for that purpose. We ended up at a bar with an interesting mixture of rainbow boas and Avalanche jerseys.

I will never forget becoming mesmerized by the high-intensity skating, the fans, and the energy I felt in downtown Denver that day. It was like returning to the “before times” while simultaneously stumbling upon something new that I couldn’t explain.

When Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen scored the tie-breaking goal, I was hooked. Hockey was about to become my new personality.

I attended my first Avalanche game at Ball Arena with my partner a few months later, which only made us fall more in love with the sport and the organization. Player jerseys were ordered, commemorative game pucks began magically showing up at my house thanks to FedEx, and shows like Letterkenny were on repeat. 

Credit: Vee Weir

I realized that it wasn’t just the aesthetics of being a hockey fan in a hockey state or the game of hockey itself that was addicting; it was the community that pulled me further in. 

Knowing the inside jokes of the home broadcasting team, making trade predictions with other hockey enthusiasts on Facebook, and following players' careers across the NHL became a ritual that deepened my connection to the sport and other people. This new world was immersive, welcoming, and strangely wholesome for a sport with blades, clubs, and in-game brawls.

The author and her partner at Ball Arena on Dec. 12, in which the ticket promo included a photoshoot on the ice after the game. Credit: Vee Weir

I quickly expanded my interest from just Avalanche hockey when the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) announced its inaugural season in 2023. Women’s hockey exploded, and that’s when I started thinking, “If Taylor Heise can do it, why can’t I?" 

Have I played hockey before? No. Have I skated in hockey skates before? No. Did I want to try it anyway? Absolutely.

So I posted on Threads

As a neurodivergent woman who hadn’t made friends in years, I knew that trying a new sport with new people in new places would be a big step for me. So, like any decent millennial, I turned to the internet first. Perhaps someone would advise me on how to start playing a new sport at age 32.

I did not expect the response I received when I posted on Threads.

Credit: Vee Weir

Through this single post, I was instantly connected with people who not only loved hockey like me, but played hockey and had found friends doing it. I was lucky to befriend Sarah Speights, a WACH (Women’s Association of Colorado Hockey) board member, who directed me to the Denver Women’s Hockey League (DWHL). 

Credit: Vee Weir Credit: Vee Weir

From there, I signed up for the DWHL’s free hockey 101 clinic, and I began my hockey player journey with skates Sarah gave me and gear that was loaned out to me by the DWHL. 

Credit: Vee Weir

I began skating lessons, attended the hockey clinic, and signed up for the league immediately. 

Credit: Vee Weir

I also attended the Denver PWHL Takeover Tour in January, and experienced over 14,000 women’s hockey fans (many of them also players) in one building. The community reaffirmed that I had to get on the ice.

A month later, I convinced my partner to sign up for a second, co-ed league. Now we’re either playing or practicing at ice rinks one to two times a week.

Don't give up on social media

People give social media a lot of flak, but in 2025 there’s still a glimmer of its original purpose: creating community. 

If you’re struggling with finding a chosen family or community, like so many of us are, I suggest digging into your current interests. Is there a way you can become more involved in what already sparks joy for you? Can you research within online communities and find local gatherings? Are there reduced cost or free options to begin with?

I asked myself those questions and discovered a hobby I love, people who share that interest, and more community connection. It all started with a post on Threads and old, free gear. Stop worrying about looking good, give this a try for yourself, and see what happens.

This 1800W portable power station from Anker is $350 off

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 11:21

GET $350 OFF: May 19th, the Anker SOLIX C1000 Portable Power Station is currently on sale for $448.99, down from a price of $799.00, for a savings of $350, or 44% off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker SOLIX C1000 Portable Power Station $448.99 at Anker
$799 Save $350.01 Get Deal

Pack a solar panel, or just charge it at home and bring it along — this portable power station from Anker is meant to ensure you've got access to a charge wherever you need it.

Right now, get the Anker SOLIX C1000 Portable Power Station on sale for $448.99 and save $350.

SEE ALSO: The Garmin Venu 3S is down to its lowest-ever price at Amazon The best tech deals of right now

The Anker SOLIX C1000 Portable Power Station has 1800W capacity with 2400W peak and 1056 Watt hours. It can achieve a full charge in just 58 minutes when set to "ultra fast" charging mode in the app.

The battery bank connects to solar panels as well as outlets. With a 600W panel, the battery can charge to full in just 1.8 hours. It has 11 ports, including AC and USB.

As of May 19th, the Anker SOLIX C1000 Portable Power Station is on sale for $448.99 for a savings of $350 off.

This battery bank isn't just for camping. Set it up as a backup system and it can run a refrigerator for up to 14 hours. When connected to a home as a UPS, it has a 20ms switchover time, kicking in almost instantaneously.

Get $70 off a Corsair keyboard thats made to game.

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 11:07

GET $70 OFF: As of May 19th, the Corsair K70 RGB Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is on sale for $99.99, down from $169.99, for a savings of 41%, or $70 off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Corsair Corsair K70 RGB Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard $99.99 at Amazon
$169.99 Save $70.00 Get Deal

In competitive gaming, interface matters. Alongside your mouse and screen, your keyboard is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. The Corsair K70 capitalizes on this, with 8,000hz polling, connectivity with consoles and computers, and LEDs that sync with your game world.

Right now, get the Corsair K70 RGB Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard on sale for $99.99 and save $70.

SEE ALSO: The best gaming laptops of 2025: Our top picks for PC gamers

The Corsair has tactile brown key switches, with 100 million keystrokes guaranteed. The keys offer tight feedback, which Corsair claims yields responses eight times as quickly as basic gaming keyboards.

As far as LEDs go, this keyboard has 20 layers of lighting. It works with iCue to sync the keyboards RGB with the game. It has a tournament switch that alters available macros.

The best laptops and tablets

As of May 19th, get the Corsair K70 RGB Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard for $99.99 and save 41%.

The keyboard features PBT Double-Shot, sculpted keys. An attachable wrist rest ensures you're comfortable for long gaming sessions, or time spent at your day job.

Julia Ducournaus Alpha trailer will leave you unsettled

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 11:07

Julia Ducournau has no interest in leaving you comfortable, with the Raw and Titane director returning to unnerve audiences again with Alpha.

The Palme d'Or-winning writer-director's latest film sees Mélissa Boros as the titular 13-year old protagonist who lives with her mother (Golshifteh Farahani). Beyond the erratic, foreboding trailer out today, the only other clues we get for Alpha's narrative come from production company Neon: "Their world collapses the day she returns from school with a tattoo on her arm."

Ahead of the Festival de Cannes, where Alpha is premiering in official competition, Ducournau told Vanity Fair the film's themes are inspired by the AIDS epidemic in the '80s and '90s.

Tahar Rahim, Emma Mackey, Finnegan Oldfield, Louai El Amrousy, Jean-Charles Clichet, and Christophe Perez also star.

Alpha is set to hit cinemas in autumn.

The Bluetti AC300 portable power station with expansion battery is back to its lowest price ever at Amazon

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 10:54

SAVE $1,000: The Bluetti AC300 portable power station with B300K battery expansion is on sale at Amazon for $1,499, down from the list price of $2,499. That's a 40% discount that matches the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bluetti Bluetti AC300 portable power station and B300K Expansion Battery $1,499 at Amazon
$2,499 Save $1,000 Get Deal

Twenty years ago, we used to prepare for a storm by making sure we had a flashlight handy and a few candles throughout the house. These days, we have the ability to keep the refrigerator chilling food and our smartphones topped up on battery power. If you've yet to gain to reassurance that a power outage won't take your offline, there's a great deal in store at Amazon on a portable power station.

As of May 19, the Bluetti AC300 portable power station with B300K battery expansion is on sale at Amazon for $1,499, marked down from the standard list price of $2,499. That's a 40% discount that matches the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon. In total, you'll be saving $1,000 with today's sale.

Holding 3,000W of AC power, you'll be in great shape for keeping appliances connected to power on the Bluetti AC300. The power system is designed to work as either reliable home backup or serve all your power needs for off-grid life in a van or an RV.

The best home and kitchen deals to shop this week

Bluetti mentions this model with the battery expansion can keep your refrigerator cooling for 15 hours, a microwave operating for four hours, or keep a lightbulb on for 150 hours which is nearly one week.

If your home's work shed doesn't have a power source, stop running massive extension cords and instead employ the help of the Bluetti AC300 with B300K. You'll be able to keep the electric drill going for 3.5 hours or use a corded lawn mower for two hours. That tree way out at the back of the yard can finally get the trim it deserves thanks to the Bluetti system which will keep the electric chainsaw going for over an hour.

SEE ALSO: The EcoFlow River 2 Max portable power station just dropped to a record-low price at Amazon

The Bluetti AC300 comes with six AC output ports, two USB-A options, and one USB-C port. If one B300K battery expansion leaves you wanting more, you're free to connect up to four B300Ks to the AC300 portable power station.

Instead of buying extra flashlights for the upcoming storm season, keep your home powered up thanks to the Bluetti AC300 portable power station with B300K expansion battery. The home power system is back at its lowest price ever at Amazon of $1,499 which means you'll be saving a massive $1,000 compared to the normal price of $2,499.

Save up to $63 on the entry-level Sony WH-C720N headphones at Amazon

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 10:44

SAVE UP TO $62.51: As of May 19, the Sony WH-CH720N headphones are as low as $87.48 at Amazon in the black colorway. That's 42% off the list price of $149.99. Other color varieties are also on sale for $98 or 35% off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-CH720N headphones $87.48 at Amazon
$149.99 Save $62.51 Get Deal

Despite their specs mostly justifying the price tag, not everyone is ready to drop $450 on Sony's latest and greatest WH-1000XM6 headphones. That's alright, though. The brand has plenty more to offer that won't break the bank. If you want a budget pair of headphones in the Sony ecosystem, the WH-CH720s are on sale for as low as $87.48 at Amazon.

As of May 19, you can pick up a pair of Sony WH-CH720N headphones in black for $87.48, or 42% off the list price, or in pink and white for $98, about 35% off their list price.

Obviously you're not going to get the same quality headphones at a fraction of the price, but if you aren't an audiophile or music snob, the entry-level CH720N headphones will likely be just fine. We haven't tested them for ourselves, but our friends at CNET (also owned by Ziff Davis) called them "a good alternative for those who can't afford Sony's flagship WH-1000XM5" and highlighted their lightweight, comfortable design, solid sound quality, very good noise cancellation, and impressive 35-hour battery life.

The CH720Ns are a direct replacement for the Sony WH-CH710N and are significantly better. They've upgraded the sound and noise-cancellation, boosting sensitivity in the drivers and increasing the dynamic range, while keeping their top-notch battery performance. While they may not be the fanciest headphones in Sony's lineup, they're stylish, reliable, and most importantly, easy on the wallet — especially since they're up to 42% off.

Get $120 off the Dyson V8 Plus cordless vacuum at Amazon

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 10:40

SAVE 26%: As of May 19, you can get the Dyson V8 Plus cordless vacuum for just $349.99, down from $469.99, at Amazon. That's a 26% discount and a $120 savings.

Dyson V8 Plus Cordless Vacuum (Silver/Nickel) $349.99 at Amazon
$469.99 Save $120 See It

Whether you’re a pet owner, a parent, or just someone who likes to keep a tidy house, a good vacuum cleaner is a must-have. But good doesn’t always equal bulky or expensive.

Right now, you can get the Dyson V8 Plus cordless vacuum for just $349.99, down from $469.99, at Amazon. That's a 26% discount and a $120 savings.

SEE ALSO: Best vacuum cleaners 2025, from cordless stick vacuums to robot vacuums

The Dyson V8 Plus cordless vacuum cleaner is lightweight, maneuverable, and can run for a full 40 minutes without losing suction power. It features two cleaning modes and comes with four Dyson-engineered accessories to help you clean your home top to bottom, including a hair screw tool. And, whenever you want to switch to handheld mode (for cleaning upholstery, stairs, or even your car), you can do so with the click of a button.

You’ll also get a two-year warranty and lifetime Dyson support with your purchase. Just be sure to register your device using the MyDyson app.

The best home and kitchen deals to shop this week

Volonauts Airbike is like a Star Wars speeder bike IRL

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 09:11

Here's everything we know about the Airbike from Volonaut, a startup that just recently came out of stealth mode.

What the Future is your futurism destination, brought to you by the CNET Group. It delivers expert insight and front-row seats to the most innovative, futuristic and cutting-edge technology. From humanoid robots to fantastical flying machines, if it makes sci-fi feel less like fiction, you're likely to find it on What the Future

Sony XM6 headphones too pricey? Save over $100 on XM5 headphones at Amazon.

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 07:50

SAVE OVER $100: Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are on sale for $298 at Amazon. This deal saves you over $100 on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones $298 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $101.99 Get Deal

In Mashable's review of the new Sony XM6 headphones, Timothy Werth writes that "The sound, noise cancellation, and design are all improved, though we expected bigger changes after three years of waiting." So the new headphones are great, but are they really worth the $450 price tag?

If that seems a little steep to you, it might be time to invest in the older model. As of May 19, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are on sale for $298 at Amazon. This deal saves you over $100 on list price.

SEE ALSO: Review: I compared Sony’s new XM6 headphones to the competition

These popular headphones offer clear sound quality, an attractive design, great noise cancellation, customizable sound, and good call quality. They do just about everything really well, so if you're undecided about investing in the latest model, you can save some serious cash by opting for the XM5s.

Save over $100 on the Sony XM5 headphones at Amazon.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

Forget about the new Sony XM6 headphones and save over $100 on XM5 earbuds instead

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 07:22

SAVE OVER $100: Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds are on sale for $198 at Amazon. This deal saves you over $100 on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds $198 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $101.99 Get Deal

We know that the release of the new Sony XM6 headphones is dominating the news cycle right now in the audio world, but it's important to remember that a new product launch usually means discounts elsewhere. And that's the window of opportunity when you can really shine.

Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds are on sale for $198 at Amazon. This deal saves you over $100 on list price. These earbuds haven't actually been replaced just yet, so you're getting a low price on current-gen technology thanks to all the XM6 fuss.

SEE ALSO: Review: I compared Sony’s new XM6 headphones to the competition

These earbuds offer that elusive mix of powerful noise cancellation, rich sound, and decent call quality. You’ll also get up to eight hours of battery on a single charge, and the case stretches that to 24 hours. Plus, a three-minute charge gives you a full hour of listening time.

We get that some people out there will be prioritizing the XM6 headphones, but if you don't need something brand new, we think this deal is a no-brainer. Looking for a pair of high-end earbuds that won’t absolutely destroy your bank account? Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds have your name on them.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

The Last of Us Season 2, episode 6: Did you notice the watch?

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 07:09

The Last of Us Season 2, episode 6 broke our hearts in myriad ways both overt and subtle.

Spotted by Redditor Unwept_Skate_8829, there's a costume inclusion in the episode's opening scene that includes a deeply important object to the series: Joel's watch. However, it's initially not worn by Joel himself (Pedro Pascal), but by his father, a character we've never met before now.

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 6 reminds us what the show's been missing

In episode 6, before the credits, we see a flashback scene to 1983 in Austin, Texas, featuring a young Joel (Andrew Diaz) and Tommy (David Miranda), terrified of their violent, police officer father, Javier (Tony Dalton). There's a tense conversation at the kitchen table between Joel and his dad, in which Joel protectively takes the blame for Tommy's troubles, knowing what harm Javier is likely to inflict upon his younger brother. Unexpectedly, Javier cracks two beers open and speaks to "doing better" than his own abusive father, attempting to excuse his violence toward his sons. And during the scene, he's wearing a very familiar watch.

The watch takes on a new importance for Joel as an adult and, in contrast, a caring, loving father. Having inherited his father's watch, Joel now embodies the type of father he and Tommy deserved as a child. In the very first episode of Season 1, Joel's daughter Sarah (Nico Parker) gets the watch fixed for her dad's birthday — whether Joel wanted Javier's watch fixed is ambiguous. However, on the same day, Sarah is tragically shot during the chaos of the outbreak of the cordyceps pandemic, and the watch is broken during this horrific event. Subsequently, Joel never gets his watch fixed, his smashed timepiece remaining a testament to his daughter.

Featured Video For You 'The Last of Us' stars Bella Ramsey and Kaitlyn Dever break down Ellie and Abby's quests for revenge

In episode 3, after Joel's brutal murder by Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), the watch finds its way to its fitting new owner, Joel's found daughter, Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Back in the settlement of Jackson, a now grown up Tommy (Gabriel Luna) removes Joel's watch as he's cleaning his brother's body for burial. "Give Sarah my love," Tommy says in the scene paying tribute to his late niece. Later, Ellie finds it in a red box on Joel's bed along with his pistol, a moving gift from Tommy to his found niece.

By including this detail in the HBO series, we see Joel's watch has passed through generations of trauma, opposing modes of fatherhood, and variations on what family means. It's a reminder of loss and past trauma for Joel and for Ellie, and a literal representation of time stolen, of future days gone in a world of violence and death.

New episodes of The Last of Us Season 2 premiere on HBO and Max Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.

Watching The Last of Us and want to play the games? Here's how.

Yes, the new M4 MacBook Air is still available at its lowest-ever price — but theres a catch

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 07:03

SAVE $150: As of May 19, the 13-inch Apple M4 MacBook Air is still on sale for $849 at Amazon. That's $150 off the list price and the lowest-ever price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $849 at Amazon
$999 Save $150 Get Deal

It is baffling that the new Apple M4 MacBook Air is still sporting a $150 discount. We were surprised to see the price drop so low not long after release, but the fact that you can still secure this low price weeks later is truly shocking.

As of May 19, the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air (with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage) is still on sale for $849 at Amazon. That's 15% off the list price and its lowest price on record according to camelcamelcamel.

SEE ALSO: Best Windows laptops for 2025: Our top pick lasts longer than the M4 MacBook Pros

There is a catch. Unsurprisingly at this price, these MacBooks have been selling extremely well. At this late stage, the sky blue model is your only option at this record-low price. That will matter to some people out there, but we don't really see the issue. It's a good looking laptop at a great price. What's not to love?

Mashable's reviewer Stan Schroeder said the M4 MacBook Air is so powerful it's almost overkill. It's 24 percent faster than the already fast M3 Air and in the top five speediest laptops we've tested at Mashable. It's not only our top pick for a MacBook, but one of our top picks for a laptop in general in 2025.

Get the new Apple M4 MacBook Air for its lowest-ever price before stock disappears.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

NYT Strands hints, answers for May 19

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 06:49

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferrined pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 19 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 19 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Riding the wind

The words are water-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are things used to travel on water.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Sailboat

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for May 19

  • Mast

  • Rigging

  • Helm

  • Sailboat

  • Keel

  • Hull

  • Rudder

  • Stern

  • Tiller

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Save $250 on the Google Pixel 9 at Amazon

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 05:46

SAVE $250: As of May 19, the Google Pixel 9 is on sale for $649.99 at Amazon. That's a 28% saving on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Google Google Pixel 9 $649.99 at Amazon
$799 Save $149.01 Get Deal

On the hunt for a new smartphone? Look no further than Amazon. As of May 19, you can find a great deal on the Google Pixel 9, currently priced at $649.99. It's a great all-rounder, but don't just take my word for it, check out our full review.

This deal is for the 256GB option and is available across all colorways: obsidian, winter green, peony, and porcelain.

SEE ALSO: The battle of the mid-range phones: Google Pixel 9a vs. iPhone 16e

So what are you getting with this $250 discount? The Pixel 9 includes a 6.3-inch OLED display with vibrant colors as well as the latest Google Tensor chip for fast, lag-free performance. If picture quality matters to you, this phone has dual rear cameras to take incredible pictures.

This model also features Gemini, Google's next-generation AI technology. It offers assistance with tools, including advanced photo editing such as Magic Eraser and Face Unblur, enhanced voice recognition for dictation, and Google Assistant capabilities. It also uses real-time translation to allow for language support in messaging or live conversations.

Ready to upgrade? Head to Amazon now and snag this great Google deal.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

The Garmin Venu 3S is down to its lowest-ever price at Amazon

Mashable - Mon, 05/19/2025 - 05:42

SAVE $100: As of May 19, the Garmin Venu 3S is on sale for $349.99 at Amazon. That's a 22% saving on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Venu 3S $349.99 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $100 Get Deal

Garmin has a huge range of great smartwatches. Whether you're a runner, triathlete, total beginner, or simply looking to track some data — there's something for every price point. And if you're in the market for a new, all-rounder smartwatch, look no further than the Garmin Venu 3S.

It's a top fitness and lifestyle tracker from Garmin, and as of May 19, you can save $100 at its reduced price of $349.99. This price is for the 41mm screen available in all colorways. And it has never been priced lower than this, so you know you're getting a good deal.

SEE ALSO: The best Garmin in 2025

The Venu 3S is the perfect tracker for someone who enjoys a range of fitness activities as well as lifestyle tracking, and it looks good, too.

Health tracking features include heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and even stress level feedback. It also has built-in GPS, so you can track your outdoor activities without needing to carry your phone with you. The Venu 3S also comes with music capabilities. Download hundreds of songs to your watch, including playlists from Spotify, Amazon Music, or Deezer, and connect with wireless headphones. Another reason to leave your phone at home.

It benefits from an AMOLED display, so has an incredibly colorful and bright screen. And if battery life is important to you, the Venu 3S is impressive. With a single charge, it can last up to 10 days in smartwatch mode and up to seven hours in GPS mode with music.

This is a limited-time deal at Amazon, so don't miss out.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

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