Feed aggregator

50% OFF: As of May 6, get 50% off a year-long MasterClass subscription for Mother's Day through May 11. That's just $60 annually, down from $120.

Opens in a new window Credit: MasterClass MasterClass Membership $60 at MasterClass
$120 Save $60 Get Deal

Still trying to figure out something to give Mom for Mother's Day this year? A digital gift is always a great idea, and one of the most interesting out there is a MasterClass subscription. Mom can learn a variety of new skills from the pros, like comedy from Steve Martin, personal branding with Kris Jenner, or even basketball tips from Stephen Curry. And right now, you can get a huge discount just in time for Mother's Day.

As of May 6, you can get a yearlong MasterClass subscription for 50% off. That's just $60 for a year instead of the $120 it would normally cost. The deal is available through May 11, which should give you a few more days to make sure Mom is squared away.

SEE ALSO: Ban.do's $30 Mother's Day gifts are giving Kate Spade meets Andy Warhol

Choose from over 180 classes in 11 unique categories, with extensive courses and even original series on offer. There are more being added all the time. From picking up cooking tips from Gordon Ramsay to expanding your stage presence with Kevin Hart, there's a little something for everyone. Along with video classes with celebrity instructors, there are offline learning materials, course discussions, and regular Q&As to participate in, too.

If your mom loves learning new skills, or she just wants to satisfy her curiosity, a MasterClass subscription is a great idea. You can have it delivered digitally, and you can even watch the classes together. Everyone knows moms love spending time with their kids, so that might be the part of the gift she likes the most.

SAVE $20: As a special Mother's Day offer, you can get a free bouquet of Good Little Garden flowers for your mom (or yourself) when you sign up for a Target Circle 360 membership between May 5 and 10. The flowers are then redeemable through May 11.

Opens in a new window Credit: Target Get free flowers when you sign up for Target Circle 360 Get Deal

Whether you're searching for a last-minute gift idea or want to add a little something extra to your Mother's Day haul this year, you can never go wrong with a bouquet of flowers — especially when they're free.

As a Mother's Day special, Target is offering anyone who signs up for a Target Circle 360 annual membership between May 5 and 10 a free bouquet of Good Little Garden flowers. You can then have the flowers delivered right to your mom's door (or your own — treat yourself) through same-day delivery with an order over $35.

An annual membership costs $99 and unlocks access to free two-day shipping, extended return windows, same-day delivery from stores, access to a curated marketplace of other retailers and grocers via Shipt.com, and freebies on the first of every month, among other exclusive benefits and experiences.

Once you sign up, you'll have to redeem your free bouquet by Mother's Day on May 11. And just note, the deal is only valid at participating locations while supplies last.

Good Little Garden is Target's brand-new fresh floral brand, launched just last month. The brand includes over 60 options across seasonal and everyday assortments of fresh, colorful blooms, including fresh-cut roses, tulips, carnations, and mixed flowers. This deal is a good way for Target to spread the word about its new offering and for you to show mom a little extra love this holiday. Not to mention, you'll get to enjoy the perks of your Circle 360 membership all year long.

Parenting a sleep-resistant child is a thankless task that can drive even the most mature, loving adults to desperation.

There are only so many times a night that you can be woken from a peaceful slumber to rub a child's back, adjust their blankets, or walk them back to bed.

Or maybe your struggles take place before anyone has actually gone to sleep, as your anxious child springs from their bed like a Jack In the Box and requires a sip of water, a snack, another song — basically anything that will forestall the inevitable. Let's not even speak of the exhausting tantrums that happen when bedtime becomes a power struggle.

SEE ALSO: How to wean your toddler off a tablet

There's no shortage of internet advice about fool-proof sleep solutions, but parents might be particularly interested in gadgets that leverage tech in service of improving their child's sleep. After all, adults can monitor their own sleep with wearables and use smart mattresses to optimize their rest.

The options for kids, however, are much more tailored to creating a calm bedtime routine or ritual. New entrants to the category include the audio player Tonies' expanded Sleepy Friends series, and Moonbird's moonbuddy, a handheld "breathing companion" designed specifically for kids.

But will gadgets geared toward kids — or their parents — lead to a transformational change in how easily and happily children go to sleep, and stay there?

To find out, Mashable interviewed pediatric sleep experts about how to tackle typical bedtime challenges, and personally tested the new Tonies and Moonbird products. What we learned may lead you to reconsider using tech gadgets for a better night's sleep.

Why children's sleep goes haywire

First, let's establish one rule: This is a judgement-free zone. We're not here to cast blame on parents who haven't been able to implement or keep a consistent bedtime routine.

"Life is hard as it is, and life for two working parents can be very difficult," says Dr. David Gozal, a pediatric sleep expert and dean of medicine and vice president for health affairs at Marshall University.

Yet Gozal also knows that everyone in a household, and especially children, need a dependable bedtime schedule. This means having time to wind down as well as going to sleep and waking at approximately the same time every day. So without this routine in place, a gadget that plays soothing white noise may have little to no effect on a toddler who'd rather stay up to watch a movie or play with a sibling, if that's what happens most nights.

For parents of children who don't want them to leave the room at bedtime, Gozal says it's possible to gradually transition away from the practice of remaining present until they've fallen asleep. Parents may start at their bedside and progressively increase their distance until they're standing at the door. Eventually, the child should be able to drift off and self-soothe if they wake overnight.

"Life is hard as it is, and life for two working parents can be very difficult." - Dr. David Gozal, pediatric sleep expert

Gozal also says that many parents unintentionally send their children the wrong message when they treat sleep as a burden rather than a blessing. In his experience, children pick up on this messaging very quickly, particularly if they see their parents skipping sleep or lamenting about losing time to rest.

If this sounds familiar, it's time to rethink your relationship with sleep so that you can present it to your child as something essential for physical growth, emotional well-being, and overall happiness. There's not a screen-free audio player in the world capable of doing that for you.

These dynamics can help explain why some children fight bedtime. But parents should also be aware of medical conditions like obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, and allergies that can rouse them from sleep, says Dr. Sanaz Vaziri, a pediatric pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco.

A child who's been woken up by an obstructed airway, for example, may have no clue why they're suddenly awake, but they still might ask for handholding to fall back asleep. A parent might become frustrated by such regular wake-ups. What's less obvious, though, is that untreated or poorly controlled asthma and allergies can lead to disrupted sleep thanks to airway inflammation and congestion.

Vaziri says parents should follow up with a physician if they notice that their child is consistently groggy or tired after what should have been a full night's sleep. Other red flags that may indicate an underlying medical problem include snoring, pauses in breathing, and restless sleeping. Technology, of course, will not solve sleep struggles if they stem from a medical condition, she says.

In general, Vaziri does not recommend a specific tech device to parents to help with sleeping challenges at home, partly because what works for one child may not work for another. When parents are evaluating a product, she suggests clarifying its purpose and ensuring that it's developmentally appropriate.

Most importantly, it should help a child relax and not pose any risk to them. Still, she discourages parents from relying on it solely.

"It shouldn't ever be a standalone solution," she says.

What to know about Tonies Sleepy Friends and Moonbird's moonbuddy

Tonies, the popular screen-free audio player, recently expanded its Sleepy Friends series with an ocean-themed collection. The player works by placing an adorably crafted figurine on top of the speaker, which prompts the content to play. (The player itself, known as a Toniebox, retails for $99.99. Each Sleepy Friends Ocean Collection Tonie is $19.99.)

The latest collection includes a pastel-hued miniature octopus and whale. The former cues up more than 40 minutes of bedtime stories while the latter offers more than two hours of instrumental lullabies.

Whether or not the Tonies Sleepy Friend content calms your child will be impossible to know until you've listened to it firsthand. You might have a sense based on past experiences with audiobooks and recorded songs at bedtime. If your child has scoffed at these in the past, it's unlikely this particular collection will change their mind.

The Sleepy Friends Tonies collection aims to help your child drift peacefully off to sleep. Credit: Tonies

Children who struggle to stay in bed instead of play with toys might also be tempted to handle their Tonies figurines, especially if more than one is available to them in their room.

For parents, the real downside to the Tonies audio player is that it cannot be controlled remotely from an adult's phone. The Tonies competitor Yoto has this functionality, which means that parents can remotely turn on or off audio content and white noise.

But if you want to stop a Toniebox before it's completed all the tracks or put a new Tonies figurine on it, you must sneak into your child's room to physically make the change. Depending on your child, that may require Mission Impossible-level stealthiness.

A similar strategy may be required of parents who decide to use Moonbird's moonbuddy for sleep, too.

Billed as "your child's new best friend in relaxation," the moonbuddy is a handheld, screenfree silicone device that gently inflates and deflates to help encourage calm breathing. With the help of removable sleeves, it can be styled to look like a bird or bear. It costs $89.

Moonbird's moonbuddy is a handheld device for kids designed to encourage calm breathing. Credit: Moonbird

A button on the back of the device can change the breathing rhythm to one of four settings, ranging from 6 to 10.5 breaths per minute. Each exercise is 4 minutes long, after which the moonbuddy shuts off automatically.

Testing in this reporter's household yielded positive reviews from a younger child who used the device prior to falling asleep, but it also prompted that child to call out for parental help to find their moonbuddy in the middle of the night.

Dear reader, it was lost somewhere in the sheets and wasn't discovered until the morning. Anticipating such a scenario, this reporter's husband tried to find it after the child had fallen asleep in order to place it in a prominent location to avoid middle-of-the-night discontent. Alas, upon stealthily entering the child's bedroom after they'd nodded off, this reporter's husband didn't see it, and also didn't dare to dig around for it, for fear of waking up the child.

The child wanted it the next night but their request was not granted, for hopefully obvious reasons, and they forgot all about it within a day.

This is but one anecdotal experience, but Dr. Gozal does question whether children need tech gadgets to help them sleep, if they have the other necessary conditions for sleep. Simpler interventions may make bedtime much easier than any device, he adds.

A warm bath, for example, raises body temperature, which can be conducive to sleepiness.

Still, parents may choose to add a calming tech product to their bedtime routine and find success. If they do, Gozal says just to avoid outsourcing bedtime stories or songs, or other nurturing aspects of the child-parent relationship, to any product.

"That bond cannot be replaced or supplanted by an electronic device," he says.

SAVE 44%: The Eufy Auto-Empty C10 robot vacuum is on sale for $269.99 at Amazon, discounted from the normal price of $479.99. That's a savings of $210 that matches the lowest price we've ever seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Eufy Eufy Auto-Empty C10 robot vacuum $269.99 at Amazon
$479.99 Save $210 Get Deal

It's been a few years since you perfected that sourdough loaf recipe. While it's always amazing, there's one issue: crumbs. Instead of adding "vacuum the kitchen" to your to-do list, hand the task off to a robot vacuum. If you don't yet own a cleaning buddy, there's a great deal at Amazon today.

As of May 6, the Eufy Auto-Empty C10 robot vacuum is just $269.99, marked down from the standard list price of $479.99. That's a 44% discount that takes $210 off the price. It also matches the lowest price we've seen.

In the past decade, the brains on robot vacuums have gotten significantly smarter. Instead of worrying if the robot will get stuck under the couch, you can relax, since the Eufy uses Lidar navigation and smart mapping. Combined, these mean the robot vacuum can take off on an independent cleaning adventure. You're able to set the cleaning schedule for the Eufy C10, and you can create no-go zones, so the robot never tries to vacuum up the dog's food. Plus, the self-emptying station contains a 3-liter dust bag, which only needs to be replaced about once every two months.

SEE ALSO: The Eufy Omni C20 robot vacuum and mop is still on sale for its lowest-ever price

This model operates with 4,000Pa suction power, which is ideal for homes with pets, as it can easily rid the carpets and floors of hair and dander. The slim design is convenient for cleaning under furniture to capture the dust bunnies that love to hang out under the bed and below the couch.

Instead of going out of your way to sweep up those crumbs on the kitchen floor, enlist the help of the Eufy Auto-Empty C10. Since it's back down to the lowest price we've seen of $269.99, your home will be in good hands for a good price.

Just a few days ago, we got word that Grand Theft Auto VI wouldn't make it out for 2025 after all. It's been delayed to May 2026, sadly.

That probably made a lot of people sad, but this won't. Rockstar dropped the second trailer for the hotly anticipated open-world crime game as a surprise on Tuesday morning. It's got nearly three minutes of footage, including some story setup for Jason and Lucia, the Bonnie & Clyde-esque crime couple at the center of the narrative. On top of that, you see some of the more colorful characters who inhabit modern-day Vice City, as well as plenty of goofy cultural satire stuff and explosions.

Yeah, this looks like GTA, alright.

OpenAI is buying AI startup Windsurf for the tidy sum of $3 billion.

This is according to a Bloomberg report Tuesday, which claims that the two companies have reached an agreement but that the deal "has not yet closed," with Bloomberg citing people familiar with the matter. If accurate, this would be OpenAI's largest acquisition to date.

Windsurf is an artificial intelligence app that focuses on coding. Formerly known as Codeium, Windsurf is self-described as "the future of software development."

Notably, the news arrived just a day after the OpenAI — the $300 billion company, that is — announced it would remain under control of OpenAI, the nonprofit.

Perhaps even more notably, OpenAI's reported acquisition of Windsurf comes just after Anysphere, which makes the AI coding tool Cursor, reportedly raised $900 million, at a valuation of $9 billion.

What does this mean for ChatGPT?

OpenAI's signature AI chatbot ChatGPT is already a useful tool for coding in its own right. The Pro version offers a few features aimed specifically for developers, including a code interpreter and a live editing, collaborative coding tool called Canvas.

The competition, however, is strong. Anthropic, which makes AI assistant Claude, Microsoft, which owns Github, as well as Anysphere's Cursor, all offer a few of their own AI tools or features that aid programmers.

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

Windsurf, in particular, offers Cascade, a chat-based tool that monitors your project's progress, offers suggestions, and detects issues with your code. The company also offers Windsurf Previews, which can run a preview of a website you're building, allowing you to make changes on the fly.

Given that OpenAI and Windsurf declined to comment on Bloomberg's story, it's too early to tell how OpenAI plans to integrate Windsurf's capabilities, should the deal go through. We wouldn't be too surprised if tools such as Cascade and Previews make way into ChatGPT in the future, though.

The Unitree B2 robot is now being adapted for fire rescue operations. In this video we break down the robot’s mobility, firefighting tools, and how it's being used in real-world emergency scenarios. The video also highlights its role in reconnaissance and post-fire monitoring.

Opens in a new window Credit: Backbone Backbone Pro $169.99 at Backbone
Shop Now

Backbone has just announced the latest addition to their lineup of popular mobile gaming controllers: The Backbone Pro.

The Pro is designed from the ground up to be your one-stop shop for mobile and cloud gaming, allowing you to play on any screen with one single device. Like earlier Backbone iterations, the controller includes a handheld mode that can connect to your mobile device via USB-C for zero-latency gaming, and doesn't need to be charged. Where the Pro changes things is in its wireless mode, which will allow you to connect to various devices via Bluetooth, like smartphones, tablets, laptops, VR headsets, and smart TVs. Thanks to the controller's FlowState technology, it'll recognize previously connected devices, letting you switch seamlessly between them at a moment's notice.

The physical design of the controller is different, too, employing a more ergonomic fit with full-size joysticks and remappable back buttons. This time, all of the device's other buttons are remappable using the Backbone app, which lets you create multiple profiles tailored to specific games you're playing.

SEE ALSO: The best PlayStation 5 controllers to pair with your new-gen console

Also within the updated Backbone app is a universal hub for all your games, whether you downloaded them from the App Store, Xbox Remote Play, Steam Link, or a cloud gaming platform like Nvidia GeForce Now. The App even has a built-in emulator now, which will give you the opportunity to play retro games. If you're subscribed to Backbone's premium service, Backbone+, you'll get access to a rotating library of free games that you can play at your leisure, some of them including enhanced features exclusively for the Backbone Pro.

The Backbone Pro is available to buy now on Backbone's website for $169.99.

SAVE $300: As of May 6, get the Eufy Omni C20 robot vacuum and mop for $399.99 at Amazon. That's a discount of 43% on list price, and the lowest it has ever been priced at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Eufy Omni C20 Robot Vacuum and Mop $399.99 at Amazon
$699.99 Save $300 Get Deal

Are you fed up of doing all the chores around the house? It might be time to upgrade to something that can handle the workload without complaint.

As of May 6, get the Eufy Omni C20 robot vacuum and mop for $399.99 at Amazon. This deal saves you $300 on list price, and marks the lowest-ever price on Amazon according to tracker camelcamelcamel.

SEE ALSO: The 3 best robot vacuums for apartments, condos, and other small spaces

This popular robot vacuum and mop combo can do (almost) everything you need without your input. It automatically empties its reservoir after cleaning, washes and dries the mop with room-temperature air, and shows how much water is left in its tank thanks to the clear reservoir. It also has dual sweeping and mopping modules so it can clean more efficiently. It offers 7,000 Pa of suction with a rolling brush and side brush, handling pet hair like a pro.

Get the Eufy Omni C20 robot vacuum and mop for its lowest-ever price on Amazon.

Today, Microsoft confirmed some long-standing rumors and unveiled two new compact Surface devices, its second batch of Qualcomm-powered Copilot+ PCs.

The devices include a more portable 13-inch Surface Laptop and a 12-inch Surface Pro, which are pared-down versions of Microsoft's flagship laptop and convertible. Both Surface devices feature an eight-core Snapdragon X Plus processor with an NPU rated at 45 trillion AI operations per second (TOPS), which supports the latest Copilot+ experiences.

The new Surface Laptop and Surface Pro will come with 16GB of RAM, 256GB or 512GB of UFS storage, and three finishes: Ocean, Violet, and Platinum. They're set for release on Tuesday, May 20 starting at $899.99 and $799.99, respectively. Preorders are now available from the Microsoft Store and Best Buy.

The new 13-inch Surface Laptop: No more 'Go'? Credit: Microsoft

Measuring in at 11.25 x 8.43 x 0.61 inches and 2.7 pounds, the new 13-inch Surface Laptop is the "thinnest and lightest Surface Laptop yet," according to a company blog post. It joins the Surface Laptop 7th Edition, Mashable's current favorite Windows laptop, which debuted in June 2024 in two sizes: 13.8 inches and 15 inches.

Compared to last year's model, the new Surface Laptop has a downgraded 60Hz touchscreen display with a lower resolution and contrast ratio. It's also a tad less powerful, as the existing Surface Laptop 7 is configurable with 10-core Snapdragon X Plus and 12-core Snapdragon X Elite CPUs with up to 64GB of RAM. It should still be plenty peppy, though: Microsoft's announcement claims it "outpaces the MacBook Air M3," Apple's previous-generation notebook.

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

The 13-inch Surface Laptop might have one leg up over the flagship model in the stamina department. It's rated at 23 hours of local video playback per charge, whereas the Surface Laptop 7 is rated at 20 hours. That said, the latter lasted nearly 23 hours in Mashable's hands-on testing, so they could be equals in practice.

At $899.99, the new Surface Laptop is $100 cheaper than the entry-level Surface Laptop 7, and even cheaper than Apple MacBook Air laptops.

The launch of the 13-inch Surface Laptop seems to mark the end of Microsoft's Surface Laptop Go line of budget portable laptops, which was last updated in 2023 (we've reached out to a company rep to confirm this). It's also a sign that the tech giant is committed to Windows on ARM over x86-based processors (for its consumer-oriented products, at least). The most recent Surface Laptop Go 3, a 12.4-incher, was powered by a 12th-gen Intel Core CPU.

The new 12-inch Surface Pro: A tinier hybrid Credit: Microsoft

The 12-inch Surface Pro measures 10.8 x 7.47 x 0.3 inches and weighs in at only 1.5 pounds, making it "the thinnest and lightest Copilot+ PC yet" across all brands, per Microsoft's announcement. That was a title previously held by the Asus ZenBook A14.

A hybrid device with a built-in adjustable kickstand, the new Surface Pro is a smaller alternative to last year's 13-inch Surface Pro 11th Edition, which came in two different configurations: a 10-core Snapdragon X Plus variant with a LCD touchscreen display, and a 12-core Snapdragon X Elite model with an OLED touchscreen display, both with up to 64GB of memory. Its own touchscreen has a worse refresh rate, resolution, and contrast ratio than both of the flagship options, but a better rated battery life of 16 hours of local video playback per charge (compared to 14 on WiFi-only models and nine with those sporting cellular connectivity). As with the new Surface Laptop, we'll see how that translates to real-world usage.

SEE ALSO: As tariffs come for tech, these are the best cheap laptops under $1,000

A new Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard will turn the Surface Pro into a laptop, while Microsoft's Surface Slim Pen will allow the user to draw or take notes on its display. (It can magnetically attach to the back of the new Surface Pro for safekeeping.) Both accessories are sold separately.

The new Surface Pro will start at $799.99, making it $200 cheaper than the base Surface Pro 11.

New Windows Copilot+ experiences

Microsoft introduced several new and updated Copilot+ experiences alongside its new Surface devices Tuesday, including a dynamic lighting feature in Microsoft Photos, a custom sticker generator in Paint, image description-reading capabilities for Narrator, and more Click to Do actions. They'll roll out to members of its Windows Insiders feature preview program over the course of the next month.

Copilot+ PC users will also soon have the option to enable an AI agent that can automate and execute tasks within their Settings menu. Users will be able to describe what they need help with in plain English, such as "my mouse pointer is too small," and the AI agent will take care of it.

Head over to the Microsoft Blog to check out the full list of new Copilot features.

On May 6, Oura Ring announced that it is bringing two new features to its smart ring app — AI-powered meal tracking and glucose monitoring.

Oura Ring is the best smart ring on the market (according to Mashable's tests, at least), and its holistic approach to health tracking helps users make decisions to improve their wellbeing. Now, the company is launching two new metabolic health tools in its app.

Best Oura Ring offers Oura Ring 4 $349 Shop Now Oura Ring App $5.99 Shop Now Oura Ring Sizing Kit $10 Shop Now Oura Ring and Dexcom Glucose Monitoring

Oura's glucose monitoring is a result of the brand's Dexcom partnership. Dexcom, a healthcare company specializing in round-the-clock glucose monitoring, usually specializes in diabetes management, but their Stelo Glucose Biosensor is made for individuals with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes who are not on insulin. However, it's also suitable for anyone curious about monitoring their blood sugar levels.

Alongside all your daily Oura Ring data, Stelo users can now track their Glucose levels. Credit: Oura

Glucose feedback is available 24/7 in the Oura app, though you will need the Stelo biosensor. Working with the glucose sensor, the app breaks down how glucose levels might be affected by sleep, activity, stress, and nutrition. It also delivers a "Time Above Range" metric, which tells users how much time they've spent above the optimal glucose level and what changes can be made to stay in range. But to incorporate nutrition into the glucose equation, Oura is also introducing another new feature.

Oura Ring Meals Tracking Just by taking a photo, Oura's AI will analyze your meals and their nutritional value. Credit: Oura

The Oura Rings Meals tool allows users to log their meals and get feedback from Oura's AI on their overall nutritional value. While meal tracking tools often recall the calorie-tracking stress of diet culture, the company wants to avoid this trap. To track meals, users upload photos of their meals to the Oura app. The photos are analyzed through AI to produce an overview of their nutritional content and provide feedback.

Meals is about more than just counting calories, Oura Ring says. The nutritional breakdowns focus on protein, fiber, fats, sugars, and carbs. And the insights that Oura provides aren't going to be scolding, like a parent nagging you to eat all your vegetables. Instead, the Oura Advisor gives non-judgmental feedback based on users' own goals. Meals is a permanent feature in the Oura app, and both features are available now to all United States-based Oura members.

In addition to the price of an Oura Ring, Oura memberships costs $5.99 a month or $69.99 annually. The Stelo Glucose Biosensor is available to purchase directly from Oura's website or via Amazon for $99.

A good night's sleep is the best gift you can give yourself, but with the constant cycle of bad news and increased stress of daily life, it's no surprise that many of us are tossing and turning at night rather than catching some z's. A 2023 study out of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that just 31 percent of people are getting the recommended seven or more hours of sleep a night. If you're part of the other 69 percent, then consider a sleep tracker.

Sleep trackers — wearable devices that monitor all your vitals — provide detailed summaries of your sleep cycle so you know how many hours of REM, deep, and light sleep you're getting. Most fitness trackers come equipped with sleep tracking these days, but choosing the best from that bunch is not relatively as straightforward. These days, sleep trackers come in all shapes and sizes, and luckily, our experts here at Mashable have tested all of them.

If your sleepmaxxing routine of magnesium supplements and pillow sprays isn't cutting it, here are the best sleep trackers of 2025.

The Dodow is an unassuming object: About three inches in diameter, it sort of resembles a coaster. But it's a sleep device that's pretty well beloved, albeit pricey, and very simple to use.

Armed with a blue light and three AAA batteries, the Dodow sits on your nightstand and helps guide your breathing as you try to drift to sleep. The device has two "breathing modes," one eight-minute exercise and one 20-minute exercise. If you change your mind midway through the eight-minute mode, you can also switch to the 20-minute mode without restarting the whole sequence, which I thought was a nice touch. 

Once you select your mode, you'll notice that a circle of blue light will be projected onto the ceiling above your bed. The beam of light will expand and contract rhythmically: Your job is to lie on your back, inhale when the light expands, and exhale when the light contracts. Before long, Dodow promises, "sleep will come."

What works

Adding light of any kind to a sleep routine feels like a dangerous game: There's plenty of research confirming light's adverse effects on sleep. But the Dodow's blue light at least felt soft and unobtrusive, bright enough to show up on the ceiling but not so bright that it prevented me from falling asleep. 

The breathing exercises were pleasant and calming, although I'm not sure they ever caused me to slumber. Still, I often don't have much decompression time before hitting the hay, so it was nice to concentrate on something other than my own mile-a-minute thoughts. Meditative indeed! 

I could see the Dodow working especially well for travel: it's lightweight and easy to pack, and it would be handy for nights when it's hard to fall asleep in a new place. (Plus, you can buy a cute round carrying case for it.) Further evidence: the company has a partnership with Air France, which provides the devices to its flight staff.

What doesn't quite work

Again, it's hard for me to say whether the Dodow actually caused me to fall asleep. While I enjoy using the device, its effects still feel a bit mysterious.

In addition, the Dodow is probably not a great choice if you hate sleeping on your back. Fortunately, I don't mind sleeping on my back — it tends to soothe my sciatica — so this wasn't an issue for me. If you're a side or stomach sleeper, though, you'll have no way of watching the blue light. (I suppose there might be some kind of creative workaround for side sleepers, but that seems like a lot of work to figure out.) 

I also struggled with the Dodow's battery cover falling off frequently, though this may have been an issue confined to my unit.

Is the Dodow worth it?

Let's be honest: $60 is pretty expensive for a device with pretty one-note functionality. If it's just meditation or breathing exercises you're after, you'd do just as well with a meditation app. And if you want a white noise or other sound component, Dodow isn't the fix for you.

Dodow's big advantage, in my view, is that it's completely untethered to other devices. It doesn't connect to your phone or smart home hub, so you can leave all your other tech in another room (as is recommended) for bedtime.

What softens the cost is the company's 100-day free trial, which lets you try the Dodow for 100 nights before determining whether it's right for you. If it's not your thing, you can return it for a full refund.

So you've finally nailed your sleep routine. Congratulations! Lights dimmed, white noise on, alarm set for the wake-up time that gives you five perfect REM cycles — you're about to be well-rested to the max. 

But there's a way to streamline your sleep setup even more: by creating a routine using your Alexa device. This will ready your room for bedtime with a single voice command. Here's how to do it, in just four easy steps.

Step 1: Make sure your devices are connected to Alexa

First, you'll want to make sure all the devices involved in your bedtime routine are connected to your Alexa app, so they'll be available options when you're constructing your routine. Just head to "Devices" in the Alexa app, select the plus sign, and click "Add device." 

From there, you can choose the type and brand of the device you want to connect and add it to your Alexa-compatible lineup.

SEE ALSO: I tested sleep earbuds for over a month: Here are the 3 best pairs Step 2: Create a routine in the Alexa app

Next, you'll create your routine. Open the Alexa app and select "More," then select "Routines." From there, press the plus sign. You'll be directed to start a new routine.

Step 3: Set your voice command "event"

This part's fun: Click on "When this happens" and you'll be directed to select the voice command to trigger your bedtime routine. This could be as simple as "Start my night routine," or you can get a little creative. 

For example, if you're creating a bedtime routine for a child, consider picking something they'll have fun saying themselves. Getting to shout "night night!" every evening could make bedtime a little more enjoyable, right?

Choosing a quirky or unusual command is also helpful because you're less likely to accidentally say it at other points during the day. (Simply using the word "sleep," for example, might be too much of a hazard.) You don't want to set off your bedtime routine when it is not, in fact, bedtime.

Step 4: Design your routine

Finally, you'll select "Add action" and choose the components of your routine. This could be:

• Turning the temperature on your Nest thermostat to 65 degrees Fahrenheit (an optimal sleep temperature)

• Playing a white noise playlist or a relaxing bedtime song

• Dimming or switching off the lights (you'll need smart bulbs for this one) or fading lamps to 0 percent brightness over time as you doze off

• Starting up a relaxing scent diffuser, like the Pura Mini

• Setting your alarm for the next morning

• Firing up an Alexa-compatible sleep tracker, like Amazon's Halo Rise or one of our picks for the best sleep trackers.

Good night! We hope you're ready for the sweetest dreams ever.

SAVE $20: As of May 6, the Fitbit Inspire 3 fitness tracker is on sale for $79.95 at Amazon. That's 20% off its list price of $99.95.

Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Inspire 3 $79.95 at Amazon
$99.95 Save $20 Get Deal

Investing in a fitness tracker doesn't need to break the bank. If you're looking for a more affordable option to aid you in staying on top of your health and fitness goals, there are plenty to choose from. Our favorite budget fitness tracker, the Fitbit Inspire 3, is currently on sale.

The Fitbit Inspire 3 is marked down to $79.95 at Amazon, a 20% discount from its list price of $99.95. It's currently listed as a limited-time deal, so it's best to jump on this deal now if it has caught your eye.

SEE ALSO: Score the Fitbit Sense 2 for under $200 for a limited time

This little band comes with all-day activity tracking, 24/7 heart rate tracking, 20+ exercise modes, and it even features a daily Stress Management Score to help you stay calm and focused on your health and fitness goals. As mentioned before, we consider it the best budget fitness tracker and our review had high praise for it upon release, with writer Sam Stone saying, "For just under $100, the Fitbit Inspire 3 packs so many great health metrics and fitness tracking into a small wearable."

Don't miss out on 20% off the Fitbit Inspire 3 at Amazon.

If you're curious to see some more fitness tracker deals, you can also save on the Fitbit Versa 4 right now at Amazon.

SAVE $100: As of May 6, the Beats Solo 4 headphones are on sale for $99.95 at Amazon. That's 50% off their list price of $199.95.

Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Solo 4 $99.95 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $100.00 Get Deal

Summer is coming up fast, and if you've got travel plans this year, it's nice to have a pair of headphones to keep you occupied on any long journeys. Thankfully, there are some great deals available right now on top brands.

The Beats Solo 4 headphones are 50% off right now at Amazon. This has dropped the price of the Beats Solo 4 from $199.95 to $99.95, saving you $100 on list price. This also marks a return to their lowest-ever price, so if they've caught your eye there's no better time to pick them up.

SEE ALSO: The 9 best headphones of 2025

With a comfortable design and up to 50 hours of battery life, the Beats Solo 4 can keep you busy with good music, audiobooks, podcasts, and more for hours. Whatever you choose to listen to will sound great, and with features like Personalized Spatial Audio, you'll always feel fully immersed.

There's no better time than now to upgrade your headphones, so don't miss out on 50% off the Beats Solo 4 at Amazon.

If you'd prefer to pick up earbuds instead, the AirPods 4 (without ANC) are also discounted at Amazon. And if you're on the lookout for headphones for working out, the SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 are also on sale there right now.

SNL has a massive following in the U.S., but how would that popularity translate to the UK?

Appearing on Late Night on Monday, John Oliver gives host Seth Meyers his thoughts on the very real possibility of a UK spin-off — and he doesn't beat around the bush.

"It sounds like a terrible idea," says Oliver. "We have had sketch comedy before, and it just feels like Saturday Night Live is a unique group...it's a cult. I don't know how you're going to impose that cult onto the UK."

For what it's worth, he's equally (if not more) sceptical about Universal opening up a theme park in Bedford.

The Last of Us Season 2 has already been packed with brutal moments, but there's been some beauty in there too. Ellie (Bella Ramsey) playing a cover of A-ha's "Take On Me" to Dina (Isabela Merced) after finding a working guitar in episode 4 has got to be one of the most moving scenes so far — and now you can rewatch it to your heart's content on YouTube.

For an explanation of why Ellie plays that song in particular, we've got you covered.

The Last of Us Season 2 is now streaming on Max. New episodes air weekly on Sundays 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

Donald Trump's social media team has been playing around with AI again, this time posting an image of the president holding a lightsaber on the official White House X account to mark Star Wars Day (May the Fourth...) over the weekend.

As Jon Stewart points out in the Daily Show monologue above, though, there's a fairly key detail they overlooked.

"I know I'm not meant to get distracted, but he's not a fucking Jedi in that picture!" yells Stewart. "Do you understand? Trump is presenting himself as a Jedi, but his lightsaber is red. The only way you can have a red lightsaber is by infusing its kyber crystal with the power of your rage and hate, thereby corrupting it into a vessel for the Dark Side.

"Therefore, every one of those photos that Trump is putting out there, he's admitting he's not a Jedi but in fact a Sith Lord!"

SAVE $100: As of May 6, the iPad Mini with A17 chip is down to $399 on Amazon. That's $100 off the list price, and the lowest-ever price on Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Mini 2024 (A17 chip, 128GB, WiFi) $399 at Amazon
$499 Save $100 Get Deal

What a year for iPads! First we got new versions of the iPad Air and iPad Pro, and then the iPad Mini got a much-needed upgrade to be compatible with Apple Intelligence. And if all of that wasn't enough, we've been treated to a number of deals on these new models lately.

As of May 6, the iPad Mini with A17 chip is on sale for $399 on Amazon. That's $100 off the list price, and the lowest-ever price on Amazon. We haven't seen a price drop on the iPad Mini for some time, so if you've been waiting for the right moment to strike, this could be it.

SEE ALSO: The app that turns your iPhone into a scanner, and it lasts for life

The iPad Mini is the smallest of Apple's tablets with an 8.3-inch display, making it a great option for reading. Plus, with the A17 chip, the iPad Mini is ready for Apple Intelligence — helping you edit photos, summarize articles, write emails, and much more.

Get $100 off the iPad Mini for a limited time at Amazon.