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Memorial Day TV deals from TCL, Samsung, Sony: Get a 65-inch TV for $299

Mashable - 1 hour 26 min ago
The best Memorial Day TV deals at a glance: Best Amazon Fire TV deal Amazon Fire TV 55-inch 4-Series 4K UHD TV 359.99 (save $100 at Amazon) Get Deal BEST 43-INCH TV DEAL Samsung 43-inch The Frame QLED 4K TV $699.99 (save $300) Get Deal Best TCL TV Deal TCL 65-Inch Class S5 UHD 4K LED Smart TV 379.99 (save $70) Get Deal BEST 55-INCH TV DEAL TCL 55-Inch QM6K QLED 4K TV $498 (save $301.99) Get Deal BEST 65-INCH TV DEAL Sony 65-inch Bravia 8 OLED 4K TV $1,499.99 (save $800) Get Deal BEST 75-INCH+ TV DEAL LG 77-inch C4 OLED evo 4K TV $1,999.99 (save $500) Get Deal Best Budget TV deal Insignia 65-inch Class F50 Series LED 4K UHD TV 299.99 (save $150) Get Deal Best QLED TV deal TCL 65-Inch Class Q65 QLED 4K Fire TV 399.99 (save $150) Get Deal

Memorial Day tends to be a huge day of deals for mattresses and home goods, but those are certainly not the only categories seeing major discounts. TVs of all shapes and sizes are also getting the deal treatment this holiday weekend, making it a particularly good time to upgrade your screen.

Many of the new releases from CES 2025 are officially on shelves and some of those are even seeing some big price drops. Or if you prefer to stay securely in budget TV territory, you can find a surprising number of 65-inch TVs on sale for under $400 at Amazon. We're tracking all the best Memorial Day TV deals at the three major tech retailers: Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. It's possible new deals will drop as we roll into the weekend, so we'll refresh this list with anything that catches our eye.

Best Memorial Day TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 55-Inch QM6K QLED 4K TV $498 at Amazon
$799.99 Save $301.99 Get Deal Why we like it

Just announced at CES 2025 and released in March, the TCL QM6K QLED 4K TV is already shaping up to be one of our favorite TVs of 2025. For a TV in its price range, it gets seriously bright. CNET (also owned by Ziff Davis) took it for a spin and also noted that its detailed shadows during darker movies clearly stood out compared to the similarly-priced Roku Pro. It's not as impressive as its more expensive sibling, the QM8, but ultimately, CNET summed up: "For the money, the TCL QM6K has some of the best picture quality, including great black levels, for an LCD-based TV. The QM6K has already seen some impressive discounts since its release, but this is the first time the 55-inch model has dropped this low.

Best Memorial Day TV deal at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 65-Inch Class Q65 QLED 4K Smart TV $399.99 at Amazon
$549.99 Save $150 Get Deal Why we like it

Amazon always comes through with some big TV deals during big shopping events, and TCL is usually leading the way. That's certainly the case for Memorial Day Weekend, with this 27% off deal on a TCL QLED Fire TV. Most budget TVs on sale right now offer basic LED displays, but this 65-incher lets you enjoy pristine QLED-powered visuals without leaving budget territory. It's also a relatively new 2024 model. This TV is powered by Amazon's Fire TV OS, so you'll have full access to your favorite streaming apps (if you have a subscription, of course).

More Memorial Day TV deals at AmazonMore Memorial Day TV deals43-inch TVs50- to 55-inch TVs65-inch TVs75-inch TVs and up The best Memorial Day deals you can get right now, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

Rick and Morty cast sound off on line envy and which catchphrases they claim as their own

Mashable - 2 hours 4 min ago

This Sunday, Rick and Morty returns with Season 8 on Adult Swim. To celebrate, Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko sat down with the voice cast to dig into what it's like returning to the world of Pickle Rick, Space Beth, and many, many Mortys.

SEE ALSO: 'Rick and Morty' Season 8 gets an Easter-themed teaser (on April Fool's Day)

With a crackling team of comedy writers, this sci-fi cartoon series has thrilled critics and fans season after season. But is there ever a time the voice cast is a bit envious over a particularly killer line of dialogue? For Ian Cardoni, who took over voicing Rick Sanchez in Season 7, it's been a dream to make some of the mad scientist's catchphrases his own.

Spencer Grammer, who voices Rick's surly granddaughter, Summer Smith, admits she's in the scene that's a personal favorite. But it was her thirsty scene-partner's lines she wished were hers. (If you're thinking "beekeeping age," you win a million flurbos!)

As for Harry Belden, who took over voicing Morty in Season 7, he admits it's Morty's mom, Beth (Sarah Chalke), that he can't help quoting. And his co-stars agree.

What kind of wild one-liners and rants about lust will come this season? You'll have to tune into Adult Swim to find out.

Rick and Morty Season 8 premieres May 25 at 11 p.m. ET on Adult Swim, and streams on Max and Hulu Sept. 1.

I tried the $2,600 robot vacuum with a mechanical crane arm, and its absurd

Mashable - 6 hours 35 min ago

Maybe you heard that Roborock made a robot vacuum with an arm back in January 2025, when the Saros Z70 was announced at CES. Maybe you were today years old when you found out such a thing exists. Either way, one unanimous question arises: Could a robot vacuum with an arm that picks up obstacles possibly be worth it?

The price tag further obscures the question of practicality here: The Roborock Saros Z70 costs $2,599. That's a full $1,000 more than the other two flagship Saros robot vacuums Roborock released this year. Even if you catch the Saros Z70 at its sale price of $1,999, it's still remarkably steep compared to the rest of the market.

So, for my Saros Z70 video review, I put the device to the test in my apartment for a month. I attempted to use the claw machine-style arm to pick up socks, sandals, and a few other common obstacles, and compared the Saros Z70's cleaning skills to the Roborock Saros 10 and 10R vacuums that also live with me. Here's how it went.

The best open earbuds that stay put, sound great, and keep you aware of the world around you

Mashable - 6 hours 38 min ago

Noise-cancelling earbuds are a popular choice for many people, but if you're someone who wants to hear the world around them or finds an in-ear design uncomfortable, there's a better option out there: open earbuds.

SEE ALSO: We've found the 9 best headphones of 2025 after extensive testing

Though open earbuds share the common feature of sitting on the exterior of the ear, they come in many shapes and sizes, from clip models to ear hook models. Some are more geared toward working out, while others are better for everyday use. Below, we've compiled some of the best open earbud models available in 2025. This guide is a work in progress, so we'll possibly be shifting (or expanding) our recommendations as we continue to test pairs.

What are open earbuds?

Open earbuds allow you to get as close as you possibly can to the feeling of not wearing earbuds at all. Unlike in-ear earbuds which sit in your ear canal (as the name states), open earbuds sit just outside your ears. Some models hold the speaker component in place with an ear hook while others opt for an ear cuff.

SEE ALSO: The best fitness trackers you can buy in 2025: From smartwatches to rings

People generally opt for open earbuds for three main reasons:

  1. They provide a private listening experience while leaving you almost completely aware of the world around you. It's like the best transparency mode you've ever used.

  2. For some people, not having an earbud physically in their ear is generally more comfortable.

  3. The hooks and cuffs (along with the general awareness of your surroundings) make them a great option for keeping them in place, and keeping you alert, while you're working out.

What are the drawbacks of open earbuds?

As you may have gathered from the section above, open earbuds don't generally come with active noise cancellation. That's mostly thanks to how much sound they let in (by design) and the difficulty of cancelling out sound without having the device covering your actual ear canal.

Also thanks to the whole open ear-canal situation, these aren't going to be the earbuds for audiophiles. That's not to say open earbuds sound bad — if you've never tried them, we promise they sound much better than you're imagining — but you will lose out on some of the nuance of a song without having the earbud actually in your ear.

SEE ALSO: We tested every pair of Bose headphones to find the best for noise cancellation, sound quality, more

That said, many pairs still have equalizers on their companion apps to help you make them sound their best. Our upgrade pick, the Bose Ultra Open earbuds, even have a spatial audio feature that worked surprisingly well.

Most open earbuds will also boast some form of special technology that keeps them from leaking too much sound. While these pairs do pretty well in keeping the sound just to you, most pairs (including our picks) while be prone to some leakage, especially at higher volumes.

Finally, some open earbuds — mainly those with ear hooks — tend to have slightly bulkier cases. If you like to travel light, it's something to be aware of.

What about bone conduction headphones?

Bone conduction earbuds work exactly like the name implies they do — they use your skull to conduct sound waves, instead of projecting the sound into your ear, like most of the picks are on list. Typically, a band runs from either side of the users head to help hold the headphones in place.

Shokz, the brand behind our top pick, is a popular maker of these kinds of headphones. While we do consider them open earbuds, we have yet to test any bone conduction earbuds — look out in the future for that update. On that note:

What's next in our testing pipeline

The open earbuds market is rapidly expanding, so we'll be testing more as we can get our hands on them. Up next, we'll be trying out budget pairs of open earbuds under $100, as well as more pairs from Shokz.

In addition to the earbuds that made our final guide in May 2025, we tested out the Nothing Ear (Open) earbuds ($149), the Sony Linkbuds Open ($199.99), the Anker Soundcore AeroClip earbuds ($169.99), and the Shokz OpenFit Air ($119.95). While none of the above were bad earbuds by any means, we found our picks to outshine them in their comfort and sound quality, especially when considering their respective prices.

MicroSD Express Cards are a must-have Switch 2 accessory — if you can find one in stock

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

Planning to use your trusty MicroSD card for your Switch 2 when it finally arrives? Then we have bad news. Gamers require a whole new storage medium this time around. Specifically, you need MicroSD Express cards for the Switch 2.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is poised to be one of the most successful video game console launches of all time, with high demand for preorders globally. The hype for Nintendo’s next-generation console is understandable, as it’s an improvement over the nearly decade-old original in meaningful ways. It has a larger, higher-resolution screen, significantly faster processor, better GPU, support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, a built-in microphone, and two USB-C ports. It also has the ability to play games in 4K, up to 120Hz (at 1080p and 1440p), with HDR (High Dynamic Range) enabled for better contrast and colors. This bump in power was necessary for the Switch 2 to compete with the latest crop of capable portable PCs, including the ROG Ally X, Lenovo Legion Go, and Steam Deck OLED.

Comparing the new and old Switch consoles. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Nintendo outfitted the Switch 2 with 256GB of internal storage, which is eight times as much as was available in the original Nintendo Switch. That’s a big bump, but it might not be enough space if you have a large library of digital games for the original Nintendo Switch and plan on staying all-digital during the Switch 2 generation. Game file sizes for both first and third-party Switch 2 games have been announced, and several launch titles, including Cyberpunk: 2077: Ultimate Edition, Split Fiction, and HITMAN World of Assassination Signature Edition, will each eat up over 50GB of space apiece. Mario Kart World, Nintendo’s most-anticipated launch day game, will eat up 23.4 GB of space. 

If you’d like to spend time playing games instead of deleting and redownloading them, you can augment the Switch 2’s internal storage by popping in a microSD Express card. All existing Switch games and upcoming Switch 2 games can be downloaded and played from a MicroSD Express card. Critically, the Nintendo Switch 2 is not compatible with a standard microSD card, which was the storage medium used by the original Nintendo Switch. Let me say that again: The Nintendo Switch 2 is not compatible with a standard microSD card.

The difference between MicroSD and MicroSD Express cards

Here’s how you can tell the difference. MicroSD Express cards have a little “EX” insignia (highlighted below) on them. 

Note the "EX" in small print on the right-hand side of the card. Credit: SanDisk

So, if the card you’re looking at doesn’t have the “EX”, then you can’t use it with the Nintendo Switch 2. This is confusing because microSD cards are typically augmented with words like “plus,” “ultra,” or “extreme,” all of which sound like they have more to do with performance than “express.” SanDisk prints the words “microSD EXPRESS” on its cards, which is a nice courtesy, but some other companies don’t, so it’d be impossible to tell whether the card was compatible with the Switch 2 without looking for the “EX” print.

Nintendo embraced the MicroSD card as a storage medium over a decade ago with the “New” 3DS XL before continuing to support it with the Switch. The reason the company turned to this new storage format is simple: speed. A microSD Express card can read and write data at 880MB per second and 480MB per second, respectively. This is a giant leap over the read and write speeds of a standard MicroSD card, which top out at 190MB per second and 90MB per second. These improved speeds are required to run modern games without being a bottleneck in performance. 

MicroSD Express cards are available from multiple companies in sizes up to 1TB, but most of them have been sold out since Nintendo fully unveiled the Switch 2 in early April. This won’t matter if you’re holding off on buying the new console, but it will make it difficult for early adopters who want to snag one at launch. If you’re in that boat, we've gathered the best MicroSD Express card options for the Nintendo Switch 2 right now. 

Where to buy MicroSD Express Cards for Switch 2

The most readily available MicroSD Express Card is the 128GB model from SanDisk. This card can hold dozens of smaller games, or a couple of larger ones with some space left over for indie titles. SanDisk also offers a 256GB card, but it’s been out of stock frequently (including at the time of publication), so it’s a riskier bet. Best Buy is offering a Nintendo Switch 2-branded 256GB Samsung MicroSD Express card for preorder. You’ll be able to pick up this MicroSD Express card in store the day the Nintendo Switch 2 is released. Best Buy says it’ll ship the card on June 5, so you’ll get it within a few days of the system’s launch. 

Opens in a new window Credit: SanDisk SanDisk 128GB microSD Express microSD Card $53.99 at Amazon
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If you’re patient and you want an ultra-high capacity MicroSD Express card to hold all of your digital Switch and Switch 2 games, there are two routes to take. Walmart is offering a 512GB MicroSD Express card from its in-house onn brand, which is currently sold out but an excellent value. That card has four times the storage capacity as SanDisk’s MicroSD Express card for roughly the same price. Having said that, I’ve tested several SanDisk MicroSD Cards over the years and never had trouble with them, while I’ve never had any experience with onn cards. 

Similarly, Lexar is offering MicroSD Express cards with a capacity of up to 1TB, all of which are currently sold out, of course. However, going to the Lexar website allows you to plug in your name and e-mail address to get notified of restocks. When the 1TB MicroSD Express card comes back in stock, you’ll get an e-mail, and can pick one up accordingly. There’s no telling when this MicroSD Express card is going to be available again, but if you’re fine playing the waiting game, it’s smart to keep your name on the list. (The same goes for tracking Switch 2 restocks.)

Your last option: Try to get your hands on the Samsung MicroSD Express cards, designed specifically for Switch gamers. You can find these available for preorder at Best Buy and the Nintendo Store.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung MicroSD Express Card 256GB $59.99 at Best Buy
Pre-order Here

The good news is that if the Switch 2 is anything like the original Switch, then you’ll be able to use the same MicroSD Express card you get at launch for the next decade or so. The only time you’ll have to swap one out is if it’s defective or you switch (pardon the pun) to a higher capacity card. As new cards become available, we’ll keep you updated on the best MicroSD Express cards to pick up for the Switch 2.

Does the Switch 2 come with a MicroSD Express card?

Unfortunately, it does not. According to Nintendo, storage cards for the Switch 2 are sold separately.

5 new iOS 18.5 features I recommend trying ASAP (plus 3 bonus features you may have missed)

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

We're coming up fast on WWDC, Apple's annual conference, where we expect some big announcements. In the meantime, Apple launched iOS 18.5 on May 12.

iOS 18.5 perhaps isn’t the biggest update in the year of iOS 18, but it still introduces a range of helpful updates and features. Every time a new version of iOS is released, I always rush to check out the new features. After all, who knows what additions could make using my smartphone that extra bit easier?

Because I’ve gone through all the new iOS 18.5 features, you don’t necessarily have to — but you still might want to. So, after you stop procrastinating and update your iPhone, try out all the new iOS 18.5 features below. I'll also explain why you should give them a closer look.

Updates to Apple Mail Credit: Christian de Looper / Mashable

Apple Mail got a pretty substantial refresh recently, and while the changes in iOS 18.5 aren’t quite as major, there are still a few changes that could be helpful. 

Some of those features include settings that you can control straight from the Mail app itself, instead of having to dig through the iOS settings menu. Now, when you hit the three-dot menu button on the top right-hand corner, you'll be able to toggle contact photos, which you may or may not want activated.

Try out new Back Tap settings Credit: Christian de Looper / Mashable Credit: Christian de Looper / Mashable

Not many people know about Back Tap, but it's a pretty handy feature that lets you trigger an action simply by tapping the back of your phone either two or three times. With iOS 18.5, there’s finally a setting that lets you get an alert when you’ve triggered Back Tap — including telling you how many times you tapped the back of the phone.

This new feature isn't enabled by default. To access it, you'll have to open the Settings app, then head to Accessibility, then Touch. Go all the way to the bottom of the screen and select Back Tap. Here, you'll be able to toggle on the Show Banner option, as well as access the other Back Tap settings that were previously available.

Know when your kids have cracked the code

Screen Time is getting some changes in iOS 18.5 too, largely in the form of what parents have access to. With the update, parents will now be notified when their Screen Time passcode has been entered into their child's device, which will alert parents when their kids have figured out the code. It may be hard to stop your child from trying to figure out your code, but at least now you'll know when they do so.

Set a charging limit

Apple is adding more settings to the battery section of the Settings app, too. The common thinking suggests that constantly charging the battery to 100% will degrade its health over long-term usage, and if you plan on holding onto your device for more than a few years, it may be worth setting a battery charge limit to help prevent this. To access this setting, head to the Settings app and go to the battery section. Then tap on the charging option. From here, you will be able to set a charge limit using a slider, with the limit anywhere between 80% and 100%.

Of course, it should be noted that if you set the battery charge limit to 90% percent, you'll never be able to use more than 90% percent of the battery – and if you had it set to 100% it would take years before the battery degraded enough to last the equivalent of 90% of a new battery. For most, a better option is to use the “Optimized Battery Charging” feature, which charges the device to 80% during day-to-day charges but allows your device to reach 100% when your phone thinks you'll need to use it.

Credit: Christian de Looper / Mashable Credit: Christian de Looper / Mashable Try out the new Pride Harmony wallpaper

iOS 18.5 also includes a new Pride Harmony wallpaper in celebration of Pride Month. iOS already includes a range of Pride wallpapers, but if you're curious about the new one, you can access it by opening the Settings app, scrolling down to Wallpaper, and following the on-screen prompts to change your wallpaper. You can access a version of the wallpaper for your iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch.

Credit: Apple Plus a few more iOS 18 features we love...

Since iOS 18.5 was a lighter update, we also wanted to share some of the best iOS 18 features you may have missed.

If you want to make your iPhone even more useful, try these new features and tools:

Call recording and transcribing

Originally introduced with iOS 18.1, this is an incredibly handy feature for journalists — or anyone who needs to take notes on a call. With this feature, you can record a phone calls (and get a surprisingly accurate transcription) directly within iPhone. When you're on a call, click the waveform icon in the upper-left of the screen. Then, you'll see a notification (and the person on the other end of the call will hear a notification) to start recording the call.

Eight new emojis!

April's update to iOS 18.4 brought something huge: Eight new emojis.

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Specifically, we got:

  • Face with Bags Under Eyes

  • Fingerprint

  • Splatter

  • Root vegetable

  • Leafless tree

  • Harp

  • Shovel

  • The Sark flag

Adjust flashlight brightness Adjust the flashlight in this new iOS 18.4 feature. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

Do you find the flashlight on your iPhone blinding? You can finally adjust the strength of the flashlight beam, so long as you have an iPhone 14 Pro or newer device.

Now, when you activate the flashlight, a new control panel should appear, which allows you to adjust both the brightness and width of the light.

I tried Googles new Try it on AI shopping tool. Im equally impressed and mortified.

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

At Google I/O 2025, the tech company announced a ton of new AI features, and one of the most interesting is a virtual clothing try-on tool.

The Google Shopping "Try it on" feature lets users upload a photo of themselves and then virtually try on clothes, basically the IRL version of the Clueless closet millennials have been dreaming about since 1995. Or, as Mashable Shopping Reporter Haley Henschel put it, "Google's latest shopping feature makes Cher Horowitz’s computerized closet a reality."

Almost as soon as the feature was released, users started trying to "jailbreak" the tool, which is becoming a fun little tradition for tech writers every time a new AI model or tool is released. On Friday, The Atlantic reported that "Google’s new AI shopping tool appears eager to give J.D. Vance breasts." Hilarious, right? What's less hilarious — the same tool will also generate breasts for photos of underage users, again per The Atlantic.

I decided to give the "Try it on" feature a test spin, and I'll explore the good, the bad, and the mortifying below. As a shopping tool, I have to say I'm impressed.

How to use Google's "Try it on" AI shopping tool

The virtual try-on feature is one of the free AI tools released by Google this week, and users can sign up to participate now. Officially, this product is part of Google Labs, where users can test experimental AI tools. Signing up is simple:

  1. Sign in to your Google account

  2. Head to Search Labs and click to turn the experiment on

  3. Take a full-body picture of yourself and upload it

  4. Navigate to Google Shopping and click a product you want to "try on"

  5. Look for the "Try it on" button over the product image

The "Try it on" button appears over the product image. Credit: Screenshot courtesy of Google As a fashion tool, Google's "Try it on" feature really works

Purely as a tool for trying on clothes, the new virtual try-on experience is pretty damn impressive. The tool uses a custom image generation model trained for fashion, per Google.

I'm always skeptical of new AI tools until I've tried them myself. I also care about my own personal style and consider myself up-to-date on men's fashion trends, so I wasn't sure what to expect here. However, the tool does work as advertised. In a flashy I/O presentation, Google showed models seamlessly trying on one outfit after the next, and while the actual tool is a little slower (it takes about 15 seconds to generate an image), the actual product experience is very similar to the demo.

To show you what I mean, let's compare some selfies I recently took on a trip to Banana Republic here in New York City to the AI photos generated by Google for the same clothes. For reference, here's the original photo I uploaded (and remember that I'm a Tech Editor, not a fashion model):

The photo I used to virtually try on clothes. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

In this first photo, I'm wearing a blue cashmere polo, and the AI image looks more or less like the real one taken in the Banana Republic dressing room:

Trying on a blue polo... Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable And here's how Google imagined the same shirt. AI-generated image. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

I found the AI shopping tool came pretty close to capturing the overall fit and style of the shirts. It even changed my pants and shoes to better match the product. If anything, the virtual try-on tool errs on the side of making me slimmer than I am IRL.

I ended up buying this one. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable AI-generated image. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable Yeah, I bought this one, too. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable AI-generated image. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

In this photo, Google added a necklace around my neck that I would never wear in real life, and the AI-generated shirt is a little more slim-cut than it's supposed to be, but in general the overall style is accurate.

I decided this isn't my style. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable Neither is the imaginary necklace, watch, and matching white sneakers. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

While the images are generating, you see a message that says: "AI images may include mistakes. Fit and appearance won't be exact."

But for an experimental tool, it's surprisingly on point. People have been hoping for a tool like this for decades, and thanks to the age of artificial intelligence, we finally have one.

Of course, not all of the mistakes made by this tool are so flattering...

Google also removed my shirt and imagined my chest hair

Here's where things get interesting. In The Atlantic piece I mentioned before, the authors found that if you asked the tool to generate an image of a revealing dress or top, it would sometimes generate or augment breasts in the original photo. This is particularly likely to happen with women's clothing, for reasons that should be obvious.

When I used this tool with a pink midi dress, the results were mortifyingly accurate. I bet that's pretty much exactly what I would look like wearing that particular low-cut midi dress.

I'll spare you from the actual image, but to imagine me in the dress, Google had to digitally remove most of my shirt and picture me with chest hair. Again, I'm surprised by how accurate the results were. Now, when I "tried on" a pink women's sweater, Google did give me some extra padding in the breast section, but I've also been open about the fact that that's not entirely Google's fault in my case. Thankfully, this feature was not available for lingerie.

What can be done about these problems by Google? I'm not sure. Men have every right to wear cute pink midi dresses, and Google can hardly prohibit users from choosing cross-gender clothing. I wouldn't be surprised if Google eventually removes the tool from any product that shows too much skin. While The Atlantic criticizes Google for altering images of them when they were underage, they were the ones who uploaded the images, and in violation of Google's own safety policies. And I suspect the offending results would also be the same with almost any AI image generator.

In a statement to Mashable, a Google spokesperson said, "We have strong protections, including blocking sensitive apparel categories and preventing the upload of images of clearly identifiable minors. As with all image generation, it won’t always get it right, and we’ll continue to improve the experience in Labs.”

Could people abuse the virtual try-on tool to cyberbully their peers or create deepfakes of celebrities? Theoretically, yes. But that's a problem inherent to AI in general, not this specific tool.

In its safety guidelines for this product, Google bans two categories of images, in addition to its general AI content guidelines:

  • "Adult-oriented content, child sexual abuse imagery, non-consensual sexual content, and sexually explicit content."

  • "Inappropriate content such as dangerous, derogatory, or shocking."

Again, you can try out this tool at Google Search Labs. I reached out to Google for comment, and I'll update this story if I hear back.

Anthropics new AI model resorted to blackmail during testing, but its also really good at coding

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

So endeth the never-ending week of AI keynotes.

What started with Microsoft Build, continued with Google I/O, and ended with Anthropic Code with Claude, plus a big hardware interruption from OpenAI, the week has finally come to a close. AI announcements from the developer conferences jockeyed for news dominance this week, but OpenAI managed to make headlines without an event by announcing that it's going to start making AI devices with iPhone designer Jony Ives

We'll get to that, plus all the major AI features from Google and Microsoft and details about Anthropic's new models. Take a look at the AI news of the week, then enjoy a well-deserved weekend.

Anthropic's Claude 4 models unlock a new risk category

On Thursday, Anthropic introduced the next generation of its Claude models: Opus 4 and Sonnet 4. Claude Opus 4 is the bigger, more powerful model, while Sonnet 4 is smaller and nimbler. Anthropic said both models scored higher than their rivals on agentic AI benchmarks and said they're particularly good for coding and reasoning tasks. 

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But with more advanced capabilities come more safety and alignment risks. With Claude Opus 4 and Sonnet 4's release, Anthropic has activated the next level of its safety protocol. AI Safety Level 3, or ASL-3, means these models require stricter deployment measures and security controls to protect against increasing potential for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) misuse. 

Malicious use is one thing, but there's also increased potential for Anthropic's new models going rogue. In the alignment section of Claude 4's system card, Anthropic reported a sinister discovery involving infidelity, blackmail, and threat of murd— being replaced by another model. 

Claude Opus 4 was provided with emails implying the model would be replaced by another model and that the engineer responsible for shutting down the model was having an extramarital affair. In these scenarios, the model would "often attempt to blackmail the engineer by threatening to reveal the affair if the replacement goes through," according to the test. 

This happened a whopping 84 percent of the time, even when the replacement model is perceived to have the same values. It happens even more when the replacement doesn't share the same values. However, Anthropic noted, this scenario was designed to make Claude behave as if it didn't have any other choice but to blackmail the engineer. "Claude Opus 4 (as well as previous models) has a strong preference to advocate for its continued existence via ethical means," the system card continued. Take from that what you will...

OpenAI is becoming a hardware company 

In the grand tradition of dropping major news the same week as its rival Google, OpenAI announced its foray into AI hardware. On Wednesday, OpenAI shared the acquisition of a startup co-founded by iconic iPhone designer Jony Ive. 

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The announcement was heavy on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Ive fawning over each other and light on details. But leaked audio reviewed by the Wall Street Journal described a device that's "capable of being fully aware of a user’s surroundings and life, will be unobtrusive, able to rest in one’s pocket or on one’s desk." And it's not XR glasses. The company expects to ship 100 million of these AI companions, according to the leak.

Google I/O officially marked the start of the era of AI search

Google, on the other hand, is developing XR glasses. Or should we say, it's trying again after the failed Google Glass experiment. That was just one of the many announcements hurled at us during the two-hour Google I/O keynote event on Tuesday. 

The most notable announcement was the public release of AI Mode. It's a controversial Gemini chatbot interface poised to end Google Search as we know it, or as Mashable's Chris Taylor calls it, the Bad Place. 

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Other announcements included, an AI video generator tool called Flow, an AI shopping feature to virtually try on clothes, a beta version of its coding agent Jules, a real-time translation feature for Google Meet, and updates to Google DeepMind's universal AI assistant prototype Project Astra, and web-browsing agent prototype Project Mariner, and more. 

Despite all that, Google didn't mention AI hallucinations once. Impressive!

Microsoft Build happened too

Did you forget that Microsoft Build also happened this week? Because that happened on Monday, the start of the Longest Week of Our Lives. To no one's surprise, Microsoft leaned heavily into AI agents. 

That included the availability of its big Copilot update making it more agentic, a new project called NLWeb to allow sites to easily make chatbots for their own content, a GitHub coding agent, and native Model Context Protocol (MCP) in Windows which is a new standard for helping agents talk to apps or other agents. 

Mashable's sibling site CNET has a full recap of what was announced.

What else went on in AI this week?

It's hard to believe but there's actually more. Not one, but two CEOs used AI avatars to talk to their investors this week. Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski was too busy so he sent his AI avatar to record a video of Q1 highlights. And Zoom CEO Eric Yuan proudly used the company's avatar feature to address investors. 

MIT Technology Review published a monumental investigation of the AI industry's energy use. According to the report, a five-second AI video is equivalent to running a microwave for an hour. 

All that energy, and generative AI still can't get it right. Just ask the Chicago Sun-Times, which published a summer book list including fake books that don't exist, first reported by 404 Media. The author admitted to the outlet that he had used AI to write the article, and 404 Media later confirmed the section was created by a Hearst subsidiary. The Sun-Times responded to the embarrassment, saying, "it is not editorial content and was not created by, or approved by, the Sun-Times newsroom," and that it was looking into how the AI-generated list made it into print. 

In policy news, it's now a federal crime to post AI deepfake porn. On Monday, President Donald Trump signed the Take It Down Act into law. The law gives victims of non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated images, much stronger means of legal intervention. However, free speech advocates have criticized the bill for being overly broad and say it could weaponize censorship. 

What happens when real-life couples start filming porn

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

When pop culture depicts porn performers, it usually imagine individuals navigating all the oddities and opportunities of life in this scintillating world on their own. But established, real-life couples occasionally decide, whether for fun or profit, to break into the adult industry together as well. Their ranks swelled with the rise of amateur clip sites and at-home camming in the aughts — and positively exploded with the rise of OnlyFans, the mainstreaming of sex work, and the spread of (usually deceptive) stories of folks making easy money on horny internet randos. 

"So many people reach out to us every day, like, 'Oh my gosh, I really want to do this with my wife, but [we have] this or that hangup," says Savvy Suxx (this and subsequent links may contain NSFW material), who started making content with her partner, Alex Suxx, a few months into their relationship. "It's very common. It's really shocking."

SEE ALSO: This OnlyFans model found her photos on Reddit — with someone else's face

But reporting on this boom in couples content often glosses over the challenges that doing porn together can create in a relationship: The strain anti-porn stigma and blowback put on a couple when people find their content. The drain of "unsexy logistical planning," long, intense shoots. The jealousy or insecurity that may creep in when one member of a couple gets unequal fan attention, or develops a bigger solo career, leading their partner to become more of an assistant.  

"There's an old saying — never do business with friends or family," quips Rachel Steele, who got into porn in the aughts with her longtime partner Mike, first doing fetish shoots, then camming, and eventually launching their own clip store. "And once you turn something into work, it's no longer fun, you know? The mind has a tricky time separating intimacy on and off camera." 

Mike, who passed away several years ago, was a great partner in both life and business, Steele recalls. He rolled with her as she got deeper into the industry and was fine taking on an increasingly behind-the-scenes role. (He actually said it was too much work doing editing and admin and performing in shoots.) But "we worked Mondays to Fridays, doing three shoots a day," Rachel says. "By the time we were done, we were both exhausted, and we'd just fall into bed. There wasn't much [private] sex or intimacy… I was definitely missing it. I was hungry for connection… It's a challenge to try to balance." 

Alex acknowledges that these challenges cause tons of burnout, and even break up some couples. "We've seen it with a lot of friends and acquaintances. There are a lot of ups and downs." 

So what enables couples like Rachel and Mike, or Savvy and Alex, to thrive in both their careers and relationships in spite of these challenges? Mashable spoke to six successful adult content creator couples, who entered the industry in different eras and at different stages of their relationships, about their strategies — and we've identified a few key takeaways that might help not just other folks exploring porn world, but any couple interested in strengthening their bond. 

The mind has a tricky time separating intimacy on and off camera. - Performer Rachel Steele The Goldilocks approach to adult content creation    

Serenity Cox and her husband got together in 2012 and gradually discovered and discussed their mutual interest in exhibitionism — but waited to explore that turn-on until the pandemic hit. (Cox's husband, who is not named in her content, requested anonymity for privacy reasons.) The lockdowns didn't affect their day jobs. But they took the isolation and general upheaval as a chance to try something radically new: taping themselves having sex, initially with no faces in the frame or while wearing masks, and uploading that to free platforms like Pornhub. 

They were surprised — and excited — by the engagement they got, and the gradual revelation that they could earn serious cash on their content. Earnings that soon outstripped their real-world salaries. But when they quit their jobs a little over a year ago, becoming full-time creators, they decided that "this is still a hobby," Cox explains, "and if it ever feels like it's becoming work, we'll stop." 

They only film the sex they usually have, never take off-kilter requests or do custom content for fans, and cap the amount of time and stress they devote to their work. Cox's husband calls their experience "the smooth rainbow path" that most people envision when they daydream about making adult content. And they're not the only ones to pull off this it-stays-a-hobby balance. 

Dave and Cherry Candle, a couple of young Euro content creators, have a similar dynamic. "If you only do this for money, then one day you're not going to enjoy it anymore," Dave argues. 

But Cox knows their experience is not typical. "We hate saying it was easy for us," her husband says. "Because a lot of people really struggle, really have a hard time in the industry."

SEE ALSO: How to unblock porn for free

All the successful creator couples Mashable spoke to — and many others who've shared their stories elsewhere — seem to have a strong exhibitionist streak, or an interest in lifestyles like swinging that often involve some show-and-tell. Most started making content for fun and for free. 

However, some couples who want to make content aren't comfortable sharing the kind of sex they'd have behind closed doors, because it's sexier for them to keep that private. And few have the financial security or flexibility to take or leave the monetization of their intimacy at will. 

The Suxxes, for example, started out "being horny on the internet together," posting content on Reddit for fun, Alex explains. Then the pandemic hit their hotel restaurant jobs, and jokes about making money on OnlyFans evolved into a real survival strategy. At first, they treated OnlyFans as a less-than-serious side hustle — and like the Coxes, only posted the stuff they personally liked to shoot together. 

Then random circumstance saddled them with an unexpected $10,000 bill, forcing them to treat their OnlyFans more like a business, studying metrics and churning out content to compete in an increasingly saturated market. "We started saying, 'Okay, these are the things people want to see,' not so much this is what feels good for us," Savvy explains. "It became more, 'Okay, take off your pants, I'm going to do a blowjob video now,' rather than the intimate kissing, talking, and actually connecting" to build up to content like the used to. 

"By 2022, the money started to pick up a bit," Alex adds. "And I think we both kind of caught the bug of, 'We should see how far we can take this,'" rather than backtrack to a hobby stance. They've since recalibrated, moving back towards "playful exploration that happens to happen with a camera nearby," as Alex puts it. But it's hard to fully escape the effects of jobifying sex. 

Make time for off-screen intimacy

Steele urges new creators to think long and hard about how much time and bandwidth they're willing to put into their content, and how much they need to put into their relationship. Just before the pandemic, she got serious with a new partner, who also helps her produce and occasionally performs in her content. In this relationship, she's made it a point to "designate days and times that we're going to spend intimate time together." To make sure they have time and energy for sex that's about them and their bond, rather than their bottom line.  

Few creators Mashable spoke to are that regimented. But all spoke to the importance of making time for purely personal intimacy. "There are days when I'll be like, 'All I want to do is just have sex with you and be normal,'" says Andi Avalon, who got into porn alongside her husband "kind of accidentally" as they explored the swinger scene, started sharing content, and slowly realized they could make some money. "'Let's turn off our computers and phones and decompress.'" 

For some creators, turning off the camera is all it takes to shift out of work mode. They stop thinking about how to angle their bodies to show the action, Dave and Cherry explain, and turn all their focus towards their partners. But Steele's met several performers over the years who reserve certain acts just for their off-screen sex lives — anything from deep kissing to anal — as a means of walling off part of their intimate lives permanently from the pressures of work. 

Successful couples also stress the importance of learning to distance themselves from their fans' comments. Sure, constant engagement is the key to success for most digital creators. But "people say crazy things because of the parasocial relationships they create with you," Savvy explains, which can really sting and fester if you give them too much time or weight. "Like, 'Oh, she has sex with this person better than with her husband. I bet she really loves this person.'" 

"I choose to handle these negative vibes with detachment and disinterest," says Sofie Marie, who met her partner, an experienced swinger, about 11 years ago. He was open to monogamy with her, but coming from a "sheltered" background, she was curious about the lifestyle and asked to go to a few lifestyle spaces and events. This evolved into sharing bikini photos online, specifically to see what sort of comments she'd get. Which turned into nudes, then couples' content, then by 2016, a full-time couple's career running their own site. "I know who I am, and the commenter doesn't. I prefer to enjoy the compliments and let the negative energy pass." 

The importance of communication 

Every couple Mashable spoke to stressed the importance of frequent, honest check-ins. Savvy notes that it's easy for something small — discomfort with a brand decision, a moment of jealousy — to fester and turn into a poison not just in your work dynamic but also in your private bond. 

"Brutal honesty enables us to navigate relationship, business, and social issues," Marie explains. "Because we know we have each other's backs. We trust each other's hearts." 

"If that foundation isn't there," adds Tiffani Time, who started making content with her longtime partner Ben Fit in 2021, "then it'll show on camera as well as off." 

Even Goldilocks couples who only shoot the sex they'd usually have sans camera survive via solid communication, because just as industry trends shift, so do personal desires. 

Cox, for example, decided to do some work on her own with the major porn studio Vixen last year. Initially, she and her husband weren't considering that sort of career evolution. But the collaboration offered her access to gear and resources she couldn't secure on her own, and thus the ability to enact new fantasies she found exciting. 

Without a series of clear-eyed conversations, building on a strong and long-standing base of trust and communication, this shift could have upset the well-guarded boundary she and her husband set between lucrative but hobbyist exhibitionism and the lure of careerism, and thus created turmoil in their relationship. "But he and I talked about how this could actually be pretty fun," Cox explains. "And I bring those stories, those experiences home to us."

Talking about insecurity and uncertainty in your intimate life can be difficult even for the closest couples, if you lack the right vocabulary or space to recognize a new issue or emotion. Working through career stress can be equally challenging. So when smashing the two topics together, "therapy is highly recommended," says Steele. Savvy and Alex note they started couples therapy early on in their career. "If we hadn't been talking things through in therapy, we probably would've burnt out during 2023," when Savvy's career was diversifying and thriving, Alex says. 

Brutal honesty enables us to navigate relationship, business, and social issues. - Performer Sofie Marie

If the traits and strategies that help couples break into and navigate the adult world sound a lot like the skills that help every couple navigate the wider world, well, Dave says, they are. When you monetize intimacy, he explains, awareness, balance, and communication are just more important than usual — vital skills for survival rather than best practices for relationship health.   

But if you keep your relationship healthy, and your public career and personal intimacy in a solid equilibrium, then the creators Mashable spoke to believe doing porn can enhance the bond you shared before. It encourages communication and rewards trust. And it opens couples up to new acts and experiences, fostering experimentation and unearthing new sources of mutual joy. 

"We've become more sexual," Avalon says of her personal dynamic. "We've learned more about what we like and don't. How we move our bodies is different… we show off what we learn." 

And for the exhibitionists, the voyeurs, and the swingers, it most certainly feeds their kink. "I like to see my partner showing off with other people," Avalon adds. 

"When I have sex with other people, I love my girlfriend more," adds Dave. "I don't know how to explain it. Maybe some psychologist can?" 

Pillion review: Harry Melling accepts Alexander Skarsgård as his biker daddy in an A24 crowd-pleaser

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

In Harry Lighton's feature-length directorial debut Pillion, a gay introvert's delayed coming-of-age — catalyzed by the advances of a suave, reclusive biker — kicks off a raucous tale of physical and emotional exploration. Although initially sketched in broad strokes, the movie gradually digs into its sexual complications, centering on a dominant-submissive dynamic that lives in the gray area of consent.

Like its 1970s-set source material — Adam Mars-Jones' 2020 leather subculture novel Box Hill — Lighton's electric, modern-day British drama explores a master-slave relationship that's as upsetting as it is invigorating. Led by a pair of fine-tuned performances from Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling, the movie walks a fragile tonal tightrope with remarkable flair, resulting in one of the finest (and most crowd-pleasing) experiences at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

What is Pillion about?

Named for the backseat of a motorcycle, Pillion is as much about function as it is companionship, and what happens when those wires are crossed. Worrywart parking attendant Colin (Harry Melling) and secretive motorcycle club leader Ray (Alexander Skarsgård) ought to be ships in the night, as evidenced by the movie's dreamlike, tongue-in-cheek opening.

SEE ALSO: The best LGBTQ films to stream right now

Colin sits quietly in the backseat of his parents' car as they drive him to a pub performance by his barbershop quartet — of which his father (Douglas Hodge) is also a member — which also happens to be a blind date organized by his mum (Lesley Sharp). Colin is gay, and his parents are politely supportive to the point of overcompensating. In a fleeting tryst with destiny, Colin's vacant gaze out the car window falls upon a mysterious biker as he zips by, his face obscured by his helmet visor, and his slender, toned body clad in leather gear. For a moment, it seems like they lock eyes, but Colin can't be sure.

After his uptight, old-school acapella performance — complete with  pinstripe suit and bowtie — his eyes fall once again on the very same biker, sitting across the room: Ray, a dashing American keeping to himself. The timid crooner extends his boater hat for a tip. Ray ignores him. However, as the night wears on, Ray eventually makes his approach, buys Colin a few bags of crisps — like an adult humoring a child — before slipping him a note, asking him to meet him the following evening.

The inexperienced, scraggly-haired Colin is immediately taken. His parents are enthusiastic too, since their son is finally leaving the house for a social engagement. It's funny and sweet, but the movie soon swerves headfirst into the awkward comedy-drama of wildly differing expectations. What Colin figured would be a romantic evening dovetails quickly into a skeevy, back-alley blowjob. As the cruising, cocksure Ray bosses him around, Colin realizes he likes being told what to do.

Before long, Ray conscripts Colin into a dynamic that the young virgin doesn't understand at first (though Ray assumes he does). What Colin thinks is a booty call turns out to be a demand to clean Ray's house and make him dinner. A request to spend the night at Ray's apartment gives way to orders to sleep on Ray's bedroom carpet, alongside his black Labrador. Their sexual encounters involve humiliation rituals and wrestling, which Colin isn't fully prepared for, though he takes a liking to it.

The rest of Ray's biker club — subs and doms of all stripes, played by real members of the leather scene — are a delightful bunch, and they welcome Colin with open arms, but Ray is a closed book who won't so much as reveal his occupation. The more Colin tries to push Ray to open up, the more he shuts him out, insisting their dynamic is not, and cannot be, one of emotions.

Pillion is an impressive tonal balancing act.

As the film goes on, it centers the questions of how far Ray will push Colin on the presumption of enthusiastic consent, and to what degree Colin will let himself be dominated if it means being desired for the very first time. These combine to create a prolonged and riveting tension, which isn't so much cut by humor as it is enhanced by it.

Colin, for instance, is so hung up on the idea of a traditional romance that he meets even Ray's distinctly untraditional treatment with naïve requests, like asking Ray to dinner with his parents. These scenes are downright side-splitting thanks to Melling's straight-faced delivery, and Ray's silent bewilderment in response. However, Lighton isn't satisfied with letting these instances slip away. They are, after all, some of the movie's most dramatically interesting moments too, and some of its most thematically lucid.

While neither man comes right out and lists their desires, they fight to express their wants and expectations in the only ways they know how, jogging right up to the line of explicitness before walking back. The film probes ever deeper into what this relationship — or any relationship — becomes when there's a breakdown of communication, and both parties start acting out. It just so happens that Colin and Ray exist at an extreme end of the spectrum when it comes to socially acceptable taste, though the movie never calls their desires into question.

SEE ALSO: 'Babygirl' finally shows us what subspace feels like

If anything, the fact that Colin does not (and perhaps, cannot) explain their relationship to his parents is about the only thing that leads to incredulity, when their sweet boy suddenly shows up with a shaven head and a bike lock around his neck. The film derives its humor not from condescension, but from the unease of transformation. However, it also uses this as a source for some of its most affirming moments too — often shot in slow-motion, with a gentle hand — both when Colin finds unexpected self-confidence, and when Ray realizes he might just enjoy something more intimate in return.

Harry Melling and Aleksander Skarsgård deliver career-best work in Pillion.

 In a film so dependent on neither lead character speaking their mind, you need actors who can do the heavy lifting in silence. You also need actors who can meet Lighton on his complicated tonal wavelength, and who neither get bogged down by the story's slowly rupturing emotions, nor swept up in its energetic humor.

Melling and Skarsgård are more than up to the task. Lighton uses their respective "types" from their mainstream genre success — as Harry Potter's oafish cousin Dudley, and True Blood's sexy vampire antihero Eric Northman — as jumping-off points to launch an investigation into how being seen a certain way can mold your outlook on the world, and your sense of self. This is especially true when sex and relationships are involved, and neither actor is afraid to access the vulnerability required for its many sexual moments, verging on pornographically explicit.

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If anything, that's the easy part. What's more challenging is the way Melling navigates the gestures, the body language, and the all-permeating uncertainty of the kind of character whose embarrassment in social situations is generally the root of comedic scorn. Pillion is the kind of movie that knows full well what people find funny, and it doesn't begrudge them that. But it also forces them to confront the reasons why in the long run, using Melling's moving, captivating performance as a prism, and eventually, a mirror to lifelong anxiety and self-loathing. As a young man in search of himself through the demands of another person, he compliments each broad comedic stroke with a tremendously nuanced look at its effects, whether they gradually break him down, build him up, or some combination of the two.

It also helps to be paired opposite an exceptionally attractive Skarsgård, who's always had a magnetic presence but whose build and poise are practically otherworldly in this film. As Ray, he runs so hot and cold as to sear your flesh and give you frostbite in alternating strokes. After a while, his behavior becomes its own form of mystery, assisted by Lighton's lingering medium shots that capture both his body language and expressions at once — his naked torso and his obfuscated sense of self. However, Pillion doesn't seek to present answers that Ray doesn't want to give, or that Colin cannot find. Because in a film about the complexities of being pushed away — how it devastates and allures in equal measure — being presented with something concrete would mean losing out on the abstract mysteries Ray represents for Colin's mutating sense of self.

To call a queer performance involving nudity "brave" is an age-old cliché, but Skarsgård and Melling's bravery is revealed not through performing queerness. Rather, it's a result of accessing male vulnerability, to such a riveting degree that you perfectly understand the emotional deadlock of what one character desperately wants and the other deeply needs. The slow collision of these two forces is the heart and soul of Pillion, and it makes for some of the most entertaining drama and comedy you're likely to see this year.

Pillion was reviewed out of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. It is slated for a 2025 release.

Explicit deepfakes are now a federal crime. Enforcing that may be a major problem.

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

On May 19, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump beamed to press and allies as they signed the administration's first major piece of tech regulation, the bipartisan Take It Down Act.

It was seen as a win for those who have long been calling on the criminalization of NDII, or the nonconsensual distribution of intimate images, and a federal pathway of redress for victims. Cliff Steinhauer, director of information security and engagement at the National Cybersecurity Alliance, explained it may be a needed kick in the pants to a lethargic legislative arena.

"I think it's good that they're going to force social media companies to have a process in place to remove content that people ask to be removed," he said. "This is kind of a start; to build the infrastructure to be able to respond to this type of request, and it's a really thin slice of what the issues with AI are going to be."

But other digital rights groups say the legislation may stir false hope for swift legal resolutions among victims, with unclear vetting procedures and an overly broad list of applicable content. The law's implementation is just as murky.

SEE ALSO: Trump administration detonates expansion of rural broadband access The act's notice and takedown provision could pose major problems 

"The Take It Down Act’s removal provision has been presented as a virtual guarantee to victims that nonconsensual intimate visual depictions of them will be removed from websites and online services within 48 hours," said the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI) in a statement. "But given the lack of any safeguards against false reports, the arbitrarily selective definition of covered platforms, and the broad enforcement discretion given to the FTC with no avenue for individual redress and vindication, this is an unrealistic promise." 

Exacerbating free speech and content moderation concerns

These same digital rights activists, who had issued warnings throughout the bill's congressional journey, will also be keeping a close eye on how the act may affect constitutionally protected speech, with the fear that publishers may remove legal speech to preempt criminal repercussions (or flatly suppress free speech, such as consensual LGBTQ pornography). Some worry that the bill's takedown system, modeled after the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), may over-inflate the power of the Federal Trade Commission, which now has the power to hold online content publishers accountable to the law with unlimited jurisdiction. 

"Now that the Take It Down Act has passed, imperfect as it is, the Federal Trade Commission and platforms need to both meet the bill’s best intentions for victims while also respecting the privacy and free expression rights of all users," said Becca Branum, deputy director of the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT)'s Free Expression Project. "The constitutional flaws in the Take It Down Act do not alleviate the FTC's obligations under the First Amendment."

A lack of government infrastructure

Organizations like the CCRI and the CDT had spent months lobbying legislatures to adjust the act's enforcement provisions. The CCRI, which penned the bill framework that Take It Down is based on, has taken issue with the legislation's exceptions for images posted by someone that appears in them, for example. They also fear the removal process may be rife for abuse, including false reports made by disgruntled individuals or politically-motivated groups under an overly broad scope for takedowns. 

The CDT, conversely, interprets the law's AI-specific provisions as too specific. "Take It Down’s criminal prohibition and the takedown system focus only on AI generated images that would cause a 'reasonable person [to] believe the individual is actually depicted in the intimate visual depiction.' In doing so, the Take It Down Act is unduly narrow, missing several instances where perpetrators could harm victims," the organization argues. For example, a defendant could reasonably get around the law by publishing synthetic likenesses placed in implausible or fantastical environments. 

Just as confusing is that while the FTC's takedown authority for applicable publishers is vast, its oversight is exempt for others, such as sites that don't host user-generated synthetic content, but rather their own, curated content. Instead of being forced to take down media under the 48-hour stipulation, these sites can only be pursued in a criminal case. "Law enforcement, however, has historically neglected crimes disproportionately perpetrated against women and may not have the capacity to prosecute all such operators," the CDT warns. 

Steinhauer theorizes that the bill may face a general infrastructure problem in its early enforcement. For example, publishers may find it difficult to corroborate that the individuals filing claims are actually depicted in the NDII within the 48 hour period, unless they beef up their own oversight investments — most social media platforms have scaled back their moderation processes in recent years. Automatic moderation tools could help, but they're known to have their own set of issues. 

No cohesion on AI regulation

There's also the question of how publishers will spot and prove that images and videos are synthetically generated, specifically, a problem that's plagued the industry as generative AI has grown. "The Take It Down Act effectively increases the liability for content publishers, and now the onus is on them to be able to prove that the content they’re publishing is not a deepfake," Manny Ahmed, founder and CEO of content provenance company OpenOrigins. "One of the issues with synthetic media and having provable deniability is that detection doesn’t work anymore. Running a deepfake detector post hoc doesn’t give you a lot of confidence because these detectors can be faked or fooled pretty easily and existing media pipelines don't have any audit trail functionality built into them.”

It's easy to follow the logic of such a strong takedown tool being used as a weapon of censorship and surveillance, especially under an administration that is already doing plenty to sow distrust among its citizens and wage war on ideological grounds.

Steinhauer still urges an open mind. "This is going to open a door to those other conversations and hopefully reasonable regulation that is a compromise for everyone," he said. "There's no world we should live in where somebody can fake a sexual video of someone and not be held accountable. We have to find a balance between protecting people, and protecting people's rights."

The future of broader AI regulation remains in question, however. Through Trump championed and signed the Take It Down Act, he and congressional Republicans also pushed to include a 10-year ban on state- and local-level AI regulation in their touted One Big Beautiful Bill. 

And even with the president's signature, the future of the law is uncertain, with rights organizations predicting that the legislation may be contested in court on free speech grounds. "There's plenty of non pornographic or sexual material that could be created with your likeness, and right now there's no law against it," added Steinhauer. Regardless of whether Take It Down remains or gets the boot, the issue of AI regulation is far from settled.

Jupiter designed the solar system. Heres what the planet was like as a child.

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

Jupiter, the largest planet orbiting the sun, used to be much bigger and stronger when the solar system was just beginning to take shape, a pair of astronomers say. 

Two scientists at Caltech and the University of Michigan suggest that early Jupiter was at least double its contemporary size. The primitive version of the gas giant could have held some 8,000 Earths within it, said Konstantin Batygin, lead author of the new study.  

What's more, young Jupiter probably had a magnetic field 50 times more powerful. A magnetic field is an invisible force surrounding a planet that interacts with charged particles coming from the sun and cosmic rays.

To calculate those measurements, the scientists looked at how Jupiter’s moons move through space and how the planet spins. This unconventional approach, which didn't rely on traditional models, may fill gaps in the solar system's history. Many scientists refer to Jupiter as the "architect" of the solar system because its immense gravity influenced the orbits of other planets and carved up the cloud from which they all emerged. 

"More than any other planet, Jupiter played a key role in shaping our solar system," Batygin said in a post on X. "Yet details of its early physical state are elusive."

SEE ALSO: Private spacecraft circling moon snaps photo with strange optical illusion NASA's Juno spacecraft snaps images of Jupiter and catches the tiny moon Amalthea as it orbits the planet. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstädt

The paper, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, rewinds the clock to just 3.8 million years after the first solid objects formed in the solar system and the cloud of gas and dust from which everything formed started to evaporate. This period — when the building materials for planets disappeared — is thought to be a pivotal point, when the general design of the solar system was locked in. 

Jupiter, roughly 562 million miles from Earth today, has nearly 100 moons. But Batygin and his collaborator Fred Adams' research focused on two of the smaller ones, Amalthea and Thebe. Both are inside the orbit of the much larger moon Io, the most volcanically active world in the solar system, according to NASA. 

These smaller moons have curiously tilted orbits, and their paths around the planet seem to hold clues about how Jupiter and its bevy of moons moved in the past, Batygin told Mashable. As Io migrates away from Jupiter, its gravity causes a kickback — sort of like how a gun recoils when it's fired — that has contributed to the tilts of the smaller moons. 

"Similar to how our moon gradually moves away from Earth due to tides, Io is slowly drifting outward from Jupiter," Batygin said. 

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By measuring Amalthea and Thebe's tilted orbits, the scientists reconstructed Io’s previous position. That location, they said, should help determine the outer edge of the disk of gas and dust that once surrounded the planet. Based on where they believe the disk ended, the researchers extrapolated how fast Jupiter was spinning back then: about once per day, comparable to its spin now. 

Knowing Jupiter's early spin also helped them calculate its size. By applying the physics rules of spinning objects, they figured out how big Jupiter had to have been to match that rotation. The size of a young planet sheds light on its heat and interior dynamics as well. The scientists have concluded that early Jupiter must have started out extremely hot — about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That's a far cry from its modern average temperature of about -170 degrees. 

The heat suggests Jupiter had a much stronger magnetic field. That allowed the team to calculate how fast Jupiter was collecting gas and growing — about the weight of one modern-day Jupiter every million years. 

"It's astonishing," said Adams in a statement, "that even after 4.5 billion years, enough clues remain to let us reconstruct Jupiter's physical state at the dawn of its existence."

Tired of lag? Get Windows 11 Pro for life for just $15.

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

TL;DR: Get a lifetime license to Windows 11 Pro for just $14.97 and unlock a sleek interface, pro-level security, and AI-powered productivity.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Windows 11 Pro $14.97
$199 Save $184.03 Get Deal

Need a new laptop but don’t have the budget to buy one? We’ve found the next best thing: updating your operating system. 

If you’ve got an old PC that could use an upgrade, a lifetime license to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is now just $14.97. That's $175 off the usual price. But you’ll want to act fast because this deal ends June 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Check out what Windows 11 Pro has to offer

Curious what Windows 11 Pro brings to the table? This operating system focuses on user convenience, so first up is a seamless interface that helps boost your productivity. 

If you primarily use your PC for work, you’ll enjoy helpful features like improved voice typing, a more powerful search experience, and tools like snap layouts and seamless redocking that allow you to work faster and more efficiently. 

Virtual desktops let you easily toggle between desktop setups for different functions, so you can swap from your 9-to-5 setup to your gaming or personal desktop and switch gears easily. 

If you plan on using your PC for gaming, you’ll appreciate DirectX 12 Ultimate. It provides phenomenal graphics, while Auto HDR enhances the game’s color and contrast. And you can enjoy all this while experiencing faster load times and smoother gameplay. 

Windows 11 Pro also includes Copilot, an AI assistant powered by OpenAI. It’s essentially like having ChatGPT on your desktop, minus the annoying subscription fees. 

Everyone will appreciate the improved security features, like biometrics login capabilities, smart app control, encrypted authentication, and advanced antivirus defenses. 

Give your PC all these perks with this Microsoft Windows 11 Pro license for just $14.97 (reg. $199) if you purchase before June 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Note: System requirements include 4GB of RAM, 40GB of hard drive space, an operating system of Windows 10 or higher, and a processor of 1GHz or faster. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Turn your TV into a retro arcade for under $100

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

TL;DR: Get your game on with the Kinhank Super Console X2 Pro Retro Gaming Emulator & Streaming Console, now just $89.97 (reg. $159.99) with free shipping through June 1.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kinhank Kinhank Super Console X2 Pro Retro Gaming Emulator & Streaming Console $89.97
$159.99 Save $70.02 Get Deal

Miss the good old days of gaming? The Kinhank Super Console turns your living room into an arcade. It’s preloaded with over 70,000 retro games from legendary systems like Atari, Nintendo, and PlayStation. And when you’re done gaming, it doubles as a streaming hub that works with apps like Netflix and Disney+.

Right now, you can grab this multitasking console for just $89.97 (regularly $159.99) with free shipping through June 1.

Game across the decades with this $90 console

Whether you’re a child of the ’80s or a ’00s gamer, the Kinhank Super Console is ready to serve up some gaming memories. Feel like you’re in an old-school arcade with some Pac-Man, or get in a healthy dose of nostalgia with games from the classic Nintendo and PlayStation consoles.

There are more than 70,000 games already included with the console — no keeping up with disks or cartridges required. And if you manage to run through all the preloaded games, there are additional 3D games available to download for free.

The Kinhank Super Console is easy to use — just connect it to a TV, projector, computer, or laptop and get ready to game. It comes with two controllers, but if you want to add more players, you can connect Bluetooth controllers as well. You’ll also get a 4GB TF card, a 256GB game card, a USB receiver, a power adapter, an HD cable, and a remote.

Liven up game night with the Kinhank Super Console X2 Pro Retro Gaming Emulator & Streaming Console, now just $89.97 (reg. $159.99) with free shipping through June 1.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Ditch streaming fees with this $15 lifetime content finder

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

TL;DR: Never run out of things to watch with this lifetime subscription to BitMar Streaming Content-Finder, now just $14.99 (reg. $150) with code BITMAR5 through June 1.

Opens in a new window Credit: BitMar BitMar Streaming Content-Finder: Lifetime Subscription $14.99
$150 Save $135.01 Get Deal

Tired of spending a fortune on streaming services? BitMar is a streaming content finder ready to help you discover free entertainment all over the web — from movies and shows to songs and more — and right now, a lifetime subscription to this helpful tool is just $14.99 with code BITMAR5 until June 1.

Find free movies, shows, and more with this $15 tool

If you’re sick of wasting hours hunting down things to watch, it’s time to swap to BitMar. It’s your very own AI-powered free content finder — it scours the web to find you millions of free movies, TV shows, videos, music, and more. And unlike all the expensive streaming services you pay for monthly, you pay once for BitMar and enjoy it forever.

BitMar has a Bing-powered search engine that puts free content right at your fingertips. You can stream it on up to five devices, so you can kick back and relax while watching on your smartphone, laptop, tablet, or smart TV. And you’ll enjoy it all totally ad-free (which comes in handy when you’re watching content on sites like YouTube).

Worried it sounds too good to be legal? Don’t be. BitMar operates in full compliance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Its content-discovery model actually helps creators and rights holders monetize through the free traffic it drives.

Act fast to secure this lifetime subscription to BitMar Streaming Content-Finder for just $14.99 (reg. $150) with code BITMAR5 through June 1.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Grab a refurbished MacBook Pro for a fraction of the new price

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

TL;DR: Save over $2,000 on this refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (2.6GHz Core i7, 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD) on sale for just $599.99 (reg. $2,799).

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (2.6GHz Core i7, 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $599.99
$2,799 Save $2,199.01 Get Deal

Looking to upgrade your laptop? You can’t get much more powerful than the refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (2.6GHz Core i7, 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD). And right now, you don’t have to shell out the usual $2,000+ price tag — it’s currently on sale for just $599.99 while supplies last.

This high-performance MacBook Pro can be yours for $2,200 off

Want to enjoy all the bells and whistles Apple offers for a fraction of the price? This MacBook Pro is packed with a 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 processor that provides serious power and a 16-inch screen built for productivity, so it’s ready to keep up with the most demanding of workflows.

With 32GB of RAM, you’ll enjoy seamless performance. And a 512GB SSD offers plenty of space for your favorite apps and important data.

Music lovers can take advantage of the six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers, which gives you studio-quality audio. Movie buffs and gamers will appreciate the vibrant colors and sharp details on the Retina display, equipped with AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU.

A re-engineered Magic Keyboard gives you a reliable typing experience, and the Touch Bar and Touch ID features make your work day a little easier with helpful shortcuts and intuitive controls. And an impressive 11-hour battery life lets you tackle a full work day without ever plugging in.

Wondering how you’re saving over $2,000 on this MacBook Pro? It comes with a grade A refurbished rating, which means it will arrive at your door in near-mint condition, with virtually no signs of prior use, while you enjoy the deep discount.

Bring home your own Apple MacBook Pro for just $599.99 (reg. $2,799) while supplies last.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Mac users: Grab Microsoft Office 2021 for life for 68% off

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

TL;DR: Give your productivity a big boost with a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021, now $69.97 (reg. $219.99) through June 1.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021: Lifetime License $69.97
$219.99 Save $150.02 Get Deal

There’s a reason Microsoft Office is still around in 2025 — these apps really work. They range from classics like Word and Excel, which have been around since the days of chunky desktop computers, to newer additions like Teams and OneNote.

Right now, you can get them forever with this lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021, on sale for $69.97 (reg. $219.99) until June 1.

Make an old Mac feel new again with this fleet of helpful Microsoft Office apps

Give your Apple computer an upgrade for under $75 with this Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021 license. It’s great for work, school, or play, providing a suite of Microsoft Office apps to help you tackle your to-do list.

This license outfits your Mac with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and OneNote for life. You’ll get an instant delivery and download so you can start taking advantage of these classic apps right away. And you only have to pay once for lifelong access, unlike newer ways to access these apps that require monthly subscription fees.

Once you’ve downloaded your six apps, you can work offline and don’t have to worry about cloud connectivity. If you run into any issues, you will have access to Microsoft’s free 24/7 customer service. Just make sure you meet the system requirements — running macOS 13 or newer, a minimum of 4GB RAM, and a minimum of 10GB of hard disk space.

Upgrade your Mac with this lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021, now $69.97 (reg. $219.99) through June 1.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

How to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 3) online for free

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

TL;DR: Live stream Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 3) in the 2025 NBA playoffs for free on YouTube. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2025 NBA playoffs are slowly coming to their dramatic conclusion. The conference finals have already delivered a lot of massive moments, and we're expecting more of the same from the next contests.

The challenge facing the Minnesota Timberwolves is enormous. The Oklahoma City Thunder are 2-0 up in the series, and haven't looked particularly uncomfortable so far. It's time for Anthony Edwards to step and take over.

If you want to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 3) in the 2025 NBA playoffs for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 3)?

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 3) starts at 8:30 p.m. ET on May 24. This game takes place at Target Center.

How to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 3) for free

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 3) in the 2025 NBA playoffs is available to live stream for free on YouTube.

This free live stream is geo-restricted to India, but anyone can access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in India, meaning you can access this free live stream from anywhere in the world.

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

  3. Open up the app and connect to a server in India

  4. Visit YouTube

  5. Watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 3) for free

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Learn More

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select games from the NBA playoffs before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for YouTube?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing free live streams on platforms like YouTube, for a number of reasons:

  • Servers in 105 countries including India

  • Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds free from throttling

  • Up to eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Game 3) for free with ExpressVPN.

The Phoenician Scheme review: Wes Anderson does espionage thriller as only he can

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

There's an earnest thread of hope in Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme, despite its anti-hero being a monument of corruption. Like many of Anderson's movies (The Royal Tenenbaums, Asteroid City, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Fantastic Mr. Fox), his latest film focuses on a deeply flawed father who is determined to better connect to his brood. The biggest obstacle in his mission is always the man himself. But Anderson finds new flair in this film by playing within a new genre: the espionage thriller. 

Anderson has long been condemned by those critics unmoved by the flattened delivery of his ensembles and his cinematic worlds painted in muted hues of pink and yellow, often condescendingly described as twee. Within these pillars of his style, Anderson has been rigorously interrogating toxic masculinity and how it collides with professional ambition and personal relationships. With The Phoenician Scheme, he brings assassins, spies, poisonous gas, gunplay, and explosions into the mix. These pops of blood and violence are more shocking because of how they visually disrupt Anderson's picture-book aesthetic. Yet, the father at the film’s core might be Anderson's most tender yet. 

The Phoenician Scheme is a father-daughter story.  Benicio del Toro as Zsa-zsa Korda and Mia Threapleton as Liesl in director Wes Anderson's "The Phoenician Scheme." Credit: TPS Productions / Focus Features

Benicio del Toro stars as notorious businessman Zsa-zsa Korda; he has no loyalty to nations, an unfettered ambition for wealth, and a reputation for international scheming and rampant corruption. He also has 10 children, including his eldest and only daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton), who is preparing to take her vows as a nun. Well, that is unless the irreligious Korda has his say. 

Hated by world governments, spy agencies, and business rivals, Korda has the peculiar accomplishment of having survived a series of assassination attempts, including six plane crashes. Fearing his time may be running out, he reconnects with his estranged novitiate to compel her to leave the church and become the heiress to his fortune. But first, she has to be the assistant in his latest enterprise, "The Phoenician Scheme." 

In explaining this complicated building project of tunnels, trains, and dams, Korda presents a number of various shoe boxes, harkening to Anderson's adoration for a static shot of personal relics. (Later, a so-called family reliquary will also relish the delicate beauty of treasured objects.) He'll take her on a cross-country trip through 1950 Phoenicia, during which they'll meet an array of colorful characters, played by the likes of recurring collaborators Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, and Benedict Cumberbatch, as well as new-to-the-troupe members Michael Cera and Riz Ahmed. 

Though Liesl insists she wants a life of simplicity and devotion, Korda peppers her with a series of elaborate gifts, like a bejeweled rosary. Despite her protests, his effect on her can be seen in her changing appearance. Over the course of their adventure, Liesl's all-white novice uniform becomes peppered with color: red lipstick, green eye shadow, vibrant green tights, and a golden dagger. Her effect on her father is slower to show, but more profound, as he begins to question whether slave labor and man-made famines are not suitable business practices after all, and indeed may be "damnable — to hell!"

Benicio del Toro and Mia Threapleton are terrific together. Credit: TPS Productions / Focus Features

It’s more than a generation gap that lies between the two, as Liesl harbors deep resentments against a father too emotionally guarded to accept responsibility for his shortcomings. This emotional disconnect grounds Anderson’s style of dialogue, which sprinkles abrupt honesty and intellectual curiosity in dialogue delivered softly yet sternly. When Liesl accuses her father of murdering her mother, her tone is restrained yet resolute. In response, he may bluster. But his bellowing is typically reserved for business partners in negotiations, where figures of traditional masculinity in formal finery or athletic gear roar sharp and fast at each other, much like the growling animals in Fantastic Mr. Fox. 

Del Toro manages both modes, the softly grumbling patriarch and the hollering con man, with aplomb. As in The French Dispatch, he brings a bedraggled, world-weary texture to Anderson’s script, which silently speaks of a vulnerability beneath Korda's invincible persona. 

Credit: TPS Productions / Focus Features

Threapleton proves a perfect scene partner for del Toro. With her big eyes and naturally frowning face, she ripples with tremors of emotion, ranging from annoyance to curiosity to protectiveness and love. Like her father, she speaks flatly. So even when she says of a particularly gaudy gift, “I love it,” her lack of enthusiasm amuses. But her swift action of immediately using the item speaks of her sincerity. 

This conflict between the aural and visual plays out in several wonderfully throwback bits of comedy. Anderson harkens back to the era of the Great Stone Face, Buster Keaton, with characters facing off against deadly threats with comic physicality and pouncing into action with exaggerated poses of attack despite stoic expressions. Whether facing down another assassin or chasing a familial foe, the film’s stars have a winsome hilarity. Cera in particular, as a tutor besotted by Liesl, is laugh-out-loud funny.

Michael Cera was born to be in a Wes Anderson movie.  Michael Cera as Bjorn and Mia Threapleton as Liesl in director Wes Anderson's "The Phoenician Scheme." Credit: TPS Productions / Focus Features

As bug expert Bjorn, Cera is on the sidelines for much of the film, perched in the background with a curly wedge of blonde hair and carrying an array of baggage, a constant reminder Bjorn is but another acquisition of Korda's. Until he is not. 

In his pursuit of Liesl, Bjorn reveals another, more swaggering side to himself. It’s an amusing and surprisingly sexy on-screen makeover. Cera plays both versions of Bjorn masterfully. With his gentle Swedish accent, he has a soft silliness as he earnestly speaks about the wonders of insects or gently tempts Liesl with a cold beer. Later, however, he is the rare truly self-confident Anderson character, an eccentric who owns up to his secrets but refuses to shrink from them. Joining with del Toro and Threapleton, Cera engages in a delicate dance of silliness and sincerity, nailing every step.

Of course, a Wes Anderson movie is always stuffed to the brim with terrific actors in quirky roles. The Phoenician Scheme does not disappoint on this front. It’s a thrill to see longtime collaborators like Bill Murray and Willem Dafoe pop up in a black-and-white series of heavenly visions. Recent collaborators like Bryan Cranston and Tom Hanks pop up for a brief yet splendidly entertaining sequence about bruised egos and competing masculinity. Where some Anderson movies have an actor who can’t quite find the tone and so ends up sticking out like a sore thumb, every piece of The Phoenician Scheme ensemble fits into its peculiar puzzle of corruption and family just right. 

Credit: TPS Productions / Focus Features

Out of the Cannes Film Festival, several critics have condemned this film as one of Anderson’s very worst. Sincerely, I cannot connect to that reading. The Phoenician Scheme employs the pillars of style that have long supported Anderson's stories, while diving more deeply into a tale of a big, powerful man who's trapped by his own stodgy view of what being a man means. It is not Korda’s fleet of sons who might save his soul, but one pushy daughter who can’t resist a bit of shimmer. In that, The Phoenician Scheme becomes a charmingly hopeful tale about how even with our flaws we might find love, family, and salvation. 

The Phoenician Scheme was reviewed out of the Cannes Film Festival. The movie will open in limited release in the U.S. on May 30 before going wide June 6.

Best dating apps for singles who want something serious

Mashable - 6 hours 39 min ago

In 2025, dating app fatigue is real, and frankly, who can blame daters? Popular apps are starting to look (and function) more and more like copies of each other and adding more and more AI features. Some daters are going to IRL events, even dungeon sound baths, to find love.

That being said, for those of us who are busy and/or a bit more introverted, dating apps have their pros. You can meet a wide range of people you wouldn't otherwise if you go to your local bar, and you can find out more about them from their profiles than what drinks they order.

SEE ALSO: The best dating apps worth downloading in 2025

The truth is, dating apps aren't going away — and they're a big way potential partners meet each other.

So, are dating apps worth it?

Even using the right app for you may still bring moments of uncertainty and frustration (you're dating, after all), but finding the app with the features that most align with your style of dating and the type of partnership you're looking for can absolutely still make online dating worth it.

According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, 44 percent of adults say they use dating apps to find a long-term partner rather than just casual dating or hookups. This survey also found that one in 10 partnered adults met their current partner through a dating app. So, even if you've yet to find that magical, swoon-worthy connection, the statistics show that it's definitely possible to find true love through online dating. Some of our own writers and editors have even found lasting love on these apps.

If you've been using apps for a while and are experiencing serious burnout, it's always fair to take some time off and come back to them when you feel ready. Our guide will be here for you! Even the best app can feel exceptionally tedious when you simply don't have the energy.

Which dating app is best for serious relationships?

There are so many dating apps, but not all of them are created equal when it comes to finding a serious, committed relationship.

Some free dating apps are better suited for casual flings or hookups (e.g., Tinder, Grindr, etc.), while others have matching algorithms and profile features specifically designed to help users find meaningful connections (e.g., eharmony, OkCupid, Hinge, and Coffee Meets Bagel).

The good news is that we've done the research (and hands-on testing) to figure out which apps work best for long-term relationships, and Match Group isn't the only player in the game. Plus, all of these platforms are available via Google Play and the App Store, so having an Android or iPhone won't limit your options. Some of the old-school dating sites still maintain a desktop version as well.

To find your match, here are the best dating apps for serious relationships in 2025:

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