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Tell Us: How Are You Using A.I. at Work?

NYT Technology - 1 hour 53 min ago
Has A.I. become a part of your daily work routines? We want to know.

This budget-friendly TV hit a record-low price ahead of Prime Day

Mashable - 3 hours 7 min ago

GET $120 OFF: As of June 17th, the Insignia 50-inch F50 LED Fire TV is on sale for $179.99 ahead of Prime Day, down from its regular price of $299.99. Get it now and save $120, or 40% off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Insignia Insignia 50-inch F50 LED Fire TV $179.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $120 Get Deal

Prime Day is almost here and it's a great time to refresh your home's entertainment tech with a new TV. The budget-friendly Insignia 50-inch F50 LED Fire TV is a great option, with smarts that make it simple to find whatever show or media you're looking for (and plenty of new suggestions).

The Insignia 50-inch F50 LED Fire TV is already down to its lowest price yet ahead of Prime Day. Act now and get it for $179.99, saving you $120.

SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime ahead of Prime Day The best TV deals we're watching now

It's pretty amazing that you can get a 50-inch 4K TV for under $200, but that's the reality now. This Insignia sports an LED screen with a 2160p resolution. HDR content is also part of the deal, with rich darks and brights that pop.

While this TV isn't made for gaming, it will certainly be fast enough for casual gamers, with a 60Hz refresh rate.

Currently, the Insignia 50-inch F50 LED Fire TV is on sale for $179.99, saving you 40%, or $120. This is the TV's lowest price yet.

With Fire TV built in, this smart TV comes loaded with content. Talk to it via Alexa or control it with a smart phone or the built in controller. It connects to major streaming services simply and comes with a massive library of free ad-supported content.

Ahead of Prime Day, get a 65-inch Toshiba 4K TV for under $300 at Amazon—back down to its lowest price ever

Mashable - 3 hours 21 min ago

SAVE $120: The 65-inch Toshiba Class C350 Series LED 4K TV is on sale at Amazon for $299.99, down from the list price of $419.99. That's a 29% discount that matches the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Toshiba 65-inch Toshiba Class C350 Series LED 4K TV $299.99 at Amazon
$419.99 Save $120 Get Deal

Prime Day is coming, which means over the next handful of weeks, we'll see a flurry of epic sales—and that'll include TV deals. Shopping for a new TV, however, means a lot more than looking for the lowest price. Thanks to our modern society, buying a new TV now comes with some serious homework to decode the endless amount of jargon. Instead of learning a new language, opt for today's sale on a solid model.

As of June 17, the 65-inch Toshiba Class C350 Series LED 4K TV is on sale for just $299.99 at Amazon, marked down from the standard price of $419.99. That works out to 29% discount which shaves $120 off the price. It also matches the lowest price on record at Amazon.

Right off the bat, we'll admit this is not a newest model top-of-the-line TV. This 2023 Toshiba shines when it comes to offering a large size at a budget-friendly price. It'll be great for the rec room when the kids want to watch Lilo and Stitch for the 5,098th time or for the garage to watch non-stop sports.

SEE ALSO: Amazon quietly has the 42-inch LG C4 OLED TV over 50% off, weeks ahead of Prime Day

The bezel-less design on the Toshiba Class C350 gives it a modern look, and the 4K UHD display will work great for streaming your favorite shows and movies this summer. It'll also work great for following along with that YouTube fitness routine you plan to stick to this summer. Plus, it comes with built-in Fire TV so you won't need to worry about upgrading your streaming stick come Prime Day sales.

Instead of waiting for the chaos of Prime Day, snag the 65-inch Toshiba Class C350 Series LED 4K TV while it's on sale for under $300 at Amazon. It's nearly impossible to beat that price for a 65-inch TV.

The best TV deals to shop this week

Elio review: Pixars cosmic tale of friendship will cure your loneliness

Mashable - 3 hours 22 min ago

Is humanity alone in the universe?

In Pixar's Elio, that's the question that keeps 11-year-old orphan Elio Solís (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) up at night. Not because the idea of aliens worries him, but because he desperately wants them to abduct him from his unhappy life on Earth.

SEE ALSO: A complete ranking of every Pixar movie ever

Thankfully for Elio, aliens do come calling, whisking him off to the colorful, imaginative "Communiverse" that fits right at home alongside other memorable Pixar worlds, like Coco's Land of the Dead, Riley's brain in Inside Out, or Soul's Great Beyond. It's a cosmic wonderland you can't help but get lost in, but what astounds the most about Elio is its examination of its lead's loneliness. Directors Domee Shi (Turning Red) and Madeline Sharafian (who directed the short Burrow) — taking over from original director Adrian Molina (Coco) — parallel humanity's search for extraterrestrial life with Elio's search for friendship. What follows is a sweet, empathetic look at how to find connection in the unlikeliest of places. That idea isn't exactly new to Pixar — see: Up, WALL-E, and many more — but Elio's inventive setting and lovable main character help cast these eternal themes in a weird and wonderful new light.

What's Elio about? Credit: Pixar

Following the sudden loss of his parents, Elio lives on an Air Force base with his aunt, Major Olga (voiced by Zoe Saldaña). He spends his days seeking alien signals on his ham radio and lying in elaborate mini crop circles of his own design, each bearing the message, "Aliens! Abduct Me!" For Elio, getting abducted is an easier way to make friends than talking to anyone on Earth, especially since his peers don't understand his fervent belief aliens are coming to get him.

Neither does Olga, who wasn't prepared to raise a child, let alone one who'd rather spend his life in the stars. For Elio, space may offer the promise of friendship, but for Olga, space represents a dream deferred. While her supervisors want her to take on the astronaut training program, she doesn't know how to juggle that with taking care of Elio. Instead, she monitors space debris and insists that aliens don't exist.

SEE ALSO: Summer Movie Preview: What's coming to theaters and streaming?

However, when a strange signal pings Olga's base, Elio takes it as proof of alien contact and signals back, begging the aliens to come and get him. (In a precious move, he signs off humanity's first contact with, "Bye, love you.") It's not long before the aliens beam him up to the Communiverse, a gathering of the finest ambassadors from all across space. These ambassadors believe Elio to be Earth's leader, and who is he to tell them otherwise? Unfortunately, he's joining up during a fraught time: The ultra-violent Lord Grigon (voiced by Brad Garrett) is bearing down on the Communiverse. In order to prove himself to the rest of the ambassadors, Elio decides to take on the responsibility of negotiator — a choice that kicks off a sweet friendship with Grigon's son Glordon (voiced by Remy Edgerly), who wants nothing to do with his people's warring ways.

Elio is a precious tale of friendship and family ties. Credit: Pixar

Elio and Glordon's blooming friendship becomes Elio's bedrock. With Glordon, Elio finds someone who doesn't judge or pity him. And in Elio, Glordon finds someone who encourages him not to follow in his family's warmongering footsteps. Their first meeting, initially framed as a frightening alien encounter, quickly gives way to the wonder of discovering a friend who sees you for who you truly are — not just for your tragic past or your family's bloody conquests. Even when Elio decides Glordon could be a bargaining chip in his negotiations with Grigon, he loops him in on the plan instead of using him without his knowledge. That decision cements the two as a pair on equal footing, one whose dynamic comes with all the cheer and wonder of discovering a dear friend.

If Elio and Glordon's story is one of a human and an alien finding instant connection, then Elio and Olga's story is its mirror: that of two humans who have trouble connecting, but are working hard to find common ground. A lesser film could have made Olga a spiteful, reluctant guardian, but here, she puts in a lot of legwork to try to help her nephew. She speeds through parenting books in the hope of understanding him, and even her most "antagonistic" choice — sending him to a nearby military summer camp — comes from a place of what she thinks will help. Ultimately, though, in a touching tale of family reconciliation, Elio guides Olga to meet Elio on his level and vice versa.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best movies of 2025 (so far), and where to watch them

Elio enriches these parallel stories of Elio finding his people with its focus on space exploration and humanity's hunt for alien life. In the film's first minutes, Elio learns about the Golden Record, a record on Voyager 1 and 2 that carries images and sounds from Earth. The hope for the Golden Record is that an alien civilization will play it and contact Earth, which is exactly what happens in the film! But even beyond plot relevance, the very act of reaching out into the vast loneliness of space recalls Elio's own attempts to find a friend, as well as Olga's attempts to bridge the gap between her and her nephew. In the end, whether you're looking to the stars or your own family, Elio wants you to know that you can and will find your people — you just need to be open with them.

Pixar gets wonderfully weird in Elio. Credit: Pixar

Shi and Sharafian take full advantage of Elio's sci-fi nature to deliver an extremely memorable crop of aliens. The members of the Communiverse are as varied as they come, from the diaphanous pink Ambassador Questa (voiced by Jameela Jamil) to the blocky boulder Ambassador Tegmen (voiced by Matthias Schweighöfer). Glordon is a star in his own right: a slug-like creature with spines, no eyes, and rings of teeth who still manages to be downright cute. (Think of him as a cousin to Mickey 17's scene-stealing creepers from earlier this year.)

That alien variety extends to the Communiverse itself, which, like its members, is a hodgepodge of different worlds across the universe. Highly advanced science labs, glowing forests, and majestic waterfalls (that double as restrooms) all come together to form an interstellar playground for Elio, Glordon, and the audience. That utopia contrasts nicely with Grigon's warship, a hulking behemoth full of darkened halls and fallen alien species frozen in amber. No wonder Glordon wants out!

Pixar has tackled sci-fi before in films like WALL-E and Lightyear, but Shi and Sharafian dive further into alien hijinks in Elio. The highlight here is the addition of "cloning clay," which triggers a plotline that recalls Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Thing — and isn't afraid to get a bit frightening either! Take the third act, which features a touch of legitimate (albeit comedic) body horror that's the most Pixar has surprised me since Turning Red candidly tackled periods. A sequence like Elio's foray into body horror could be risky, but at a time when Pixar continues to release sequels to its classics (see: the upcoming Toy Story 5 and Coco 2), these risks are exactly what the studio needs.

In the end, these risks also help Elio live up to its namesake, with a film that's imaginative, playful, and the perfect amount of strange.

Elio hits theaters June 20.

PSA: Pokémon fans need to do this before transferring data to the Nintendo Switch 2

Mashable - 3 hours 26 min ago

The recent launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 went off shockingly smoothly, especially for anyone who has gone through big console launches before. That said, it hasn't been without its hitches.

Perhaps most notably, there are problems with the process of transferring data from one Switch to another, especially as it relates to recent Pokémon games. Some fans are finding (via IGN) that performing a data transfer from their old Switch to their Switch 2 results in lost Pokémon game saves, which is particularly galling for one of the only Nintendo series that doesn't support cloud saves.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo Switch 2 restock tracker (June 16): Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, Costco, and more

In case you aren't aware, a unique feature of the Pokémon RPG series is that you can transfer your favorite pocket monsters from game to game, with limited exceptions here and there. According to one Reddit post (that has since been deleted), a user lost 1,000 hours of gameplay and two decades' worth of Pokémon when the Switch 2 data transfer wiped their save file. This is, obviously, a tragedy. However, there is a way to make sure your favorite little weirdos stick around, even if your save gets lost.

For any Pokémon fans who are afraid of losing anything, the "Pokémon Home" service is a failsafe you can use. It's a nominally free cloud save service specifically for keeping creatures around between the Pokémon games. Free users can only store 30 Pokémon at a time, but for $2.99/mo, you can store up to 6,000, among other perks. If you deposit your beloved Pokémon in the Home service, they shouldn't be lost even if there's a mishap during the Switch transfer process.

It's a shame some people are losing their Pokémon game saves, but at least there's a way to guarantee your favorite little guys stay safe. If you do lose everything, well...at least Mario Kart World is really good.

Prime Gaming is adding 6 free games today ahead of Prime Day

Mashable - 3 hours 36 min ago

GET FREE GAMES: As of June 17th, Amazon is adding six new free games to its list of gaming freebies ahead of the upcoming Prime Day, including Saints Row IV: Re-Elected, Tomb Raider I-III, and Dungeon of the Endless. Get Amazon Prime to secure the deal.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Six new free games Get Amazon Prime to download these new games free Get Deal

Amazon is rolling out six more free games on Prime Gaming today. They'll be available through the upcoming four day Amazon Prime sales event. The new games include Tomb Raider I-III, Saints Row 2, Toem, and Star Wars: Rebellion.

Right now, sign up for Amazon Prime to take advantage of Prime Gaming and download the new titles plus a whole library of others.

SEE ALSO: Are you 18-24? Get 6 months of Amazon Prime for free ahead of Prime Day. The best tech deals

If you're not familiar, Prime Gaming is a portal of free games just for Prime members. Members are able to claim free games as Amazon rolls them out. These aren't just cloud games (though they have those too)... they're ownable, meaning you can claim them all and save the others for a rainy day.

The new drops are: Star Wars: Rebellion, Toem, Saints Row IV: Re-Elected, Saints Row 2, Tomb Raider I-III, and Dungeon of the Endless. Many of these games will download via GOG, though Dungeon of the Endless downloads from Amazon.

Get Amazon Prime to take advantage of this deal and claim 6 new free games ahead of Amazon Prime Day, as well as the preexisting library of free games.

The library of free games doesn't stop with the six new ones. Amazon also offers games like Gloomhaven, Fate, and Liberte.

AI adoption has reached 40% among U.S. workers

Mashable - 3 hours 53 min ago

Be careful to double-check your colleagues' work — large swaths of the U.S. workforce admits to using AI to get their job done.

A new Gallup poll found 40 percent of U.S. employees said they used artificial intelligence in their role "a few times a year or more." Eight percent used it daily, while 19 percent said they used a few times per week or more.

With all the hype around AI lately, 40 percent almost feels low. But it represents a nearly 100 percent increase from just two years ago. The poll found, perhaps predictably, that white collar workers were far more likely to use AI in their job when compared with blue collar works — 27 percent to 9 percent. The survey also noted that the folks highest-up in a given organization were more likely to utilize AI to do their job. Thirty-three percent of what Gallup called "leaders" — managers who manage managers — used AI a few times per week or more.

SEE ALSO: Google AI Overviews still struggles to answer basic questions and count

AI companies have placed a focus on work-centric products and have shown some promise in being able to help workers. It has become commonplace for workplaces to integrate AI into their everyday tasks.

However, using AI in your work can also prove to be a dangerous proposition. As we've covered at Mashable, while AI is interesting, it still struggles with basic accuracy. Google's AI, for instance, can't reliably tell you the year or date, let alone perform a complicated task.

New research from Apple found that AI can perform well at some straightforward tasks like coding and math but really struggles with complex problems. The researchers called AI's output in these cases "the illusion of thinking."

So if you are using AI in your job, just make sure to double-check the work.

Audibles Prime Day deal is live: Get 3 months of Audible Premium Plus for free

Mashable - 3 hours 59 min ago

SAVE $44.85: Prime members new to Audible can score their first three months for free when they sign up for Audible Premium Plus through July 31. Usually $14.95 per month, that saves you $44.85 in total.

Opens in a new window Credit: Audible Audible Premium Plus Get three months free (save $14.95/month) Get Deal

It's officially the best time of year to be a Prime member. Yes, I'm talking about Prime Day, the official shopping holiday of the summer. This year, it's four days long and runs from July 8 through 11. But in true Amazon fashion, deals are already popping up weeks in advance. That includes one of our favorite annual deals: free Audible Premium Plus.

Through July 31, Prime members that are new to Audible can get their first three months of Audible Premium Plus for free. Typically $14.95 per month, that's a total savings of $44.85.

SEE ALSO: Amazon announces Prime Day 2025 dates, and the 4-day rumors are true

A Premium Plus membership unlocks access to hundreds of Audible Original audiobooks, exclusive access to members-only sales, and a credit you can use each month to purchase premium titles (regardless of the price). At the very least, you'll be able to enjoy three premium titles (including new releases and bestsellers), plus an abundance of included titles and Audible Originals, without spending a cent. And that's a big deal, as books are not cheap. Once the three-month promotional period runs out, you'll automatically be charged the full price of $14.95 per month unless you cancel.

If you've ever been the slightest bit curious about whether audiobooks are for you, this deal is a great opportunity to test the waters. I actually fell down the rabbit hole myself thanks to a similar three-month deal last year, and I've never looked back. I've read two dozen books so far this year, and I owe a great deal of that to Audible's Premium Plus membership. And truly, what do you have to lose? It's free (as long as you're a Prime member).

Not yet a Prime member? You can sign up for a free 30-day trial and take advantage of this three-month Audible Premium Plus deal, as well as all the Prime Day perks.

Best tech deals

Order in tonight with $10 off Grubhub+ deliveries over $20 for Prime members

Mashable - 4 hours 8 min ago

SAVE $10: As of June 17, Amazon Prime members can save $10 on Grubhub+ deliveries over $20 with promo code PRIME10.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Save $10 on a Grubhub+ delivery order over $20 Promo Code: PRIME10 Get Deal

The dog days of summer are here. Who wants to make dinner and heat up the kitchen? It's too hot to move off of the couch, so why not order takeout tonight? Chinese food sounds delicious. Or maybe a nice, cheesy pizza. Whatever you decide to munch on, do it with Grubhub and this particularly appetizing early Prime Day deal.

As of June 17, Amazon Prime members can save $10 on Grubhub+ deliveries over $20 with promo code PRIME10. All you need to do to claim your discount is head to Grubhub via your connected Grubhub+ and Amazon Prime account and add the code in upon checkout Your discount will automatically be applied. This offer is only available through July 7.

There's no restrictions on which restaurant you can buy from or what type of food is eligible. Go wild, but make sure the total items in your cart add up to $20 before taxes and delivery fees to qualify. You'll also only be able to use this, again, if you're an Amazon Prime member. If not, you can sign up for a free trial or as a new member and still remain eligible for this discount.

Why dirty some dishes when you can have dinner brought to your door? No matter how you slice it, $10 off your base price for dinner through Grubhub is a good deal.

Amazon quietly has the 42-inch LG C4 OLED TV over 50% off, weeks ahead of Prime Day

Mashable - 4 hours 14 min ago

SAVE $800: As of June 17, the 42-inch LG C4 OLED TV is on sale for $699.99 at Amazon — a record low price. The listing says that's only a 19% discount, but compared to the TV's original MSRP of of $1,499.99, that's more than 50% off.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 42-inch C4 OLED 4K TV $699.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $800 Get Deal

There are living room people and there are bedroom people. If you're a bedroom person, much of your TV watching or gaming is probably done in there — which is reason enough to not settle for a cheap, dull TV, even if it needs to be small. The 42-inch version of LG's beloved C4 OLED TV would be an awesome bedroom TV, and it's on sale for a record-low price of $699.99 at Amazon. This is a Prime Day-level price point, despite the iconic summer event still being three weeks away.

But there's one huge piece of this deal that Amazon's not telling you: The 42-inch C4 originally debuted at $1,499.99 when it came out in March 2024, not the $866.99 MSRP that Amazon's listing. LG's own website still has it priced at $1,499.99 with no discount. Deflated sticker prices that make deals look worse than they actually are is typically a Walmart thing, but OK.

SEE ALSO: What's new to streaming this week? (June 13, 2025)

Even though it's technically not LG's newest flagship OLED anymore, the C4 is still one of the best OLED TVs you can get. Its self-lit pixels simultaneously achieve vivid 100% color volume and deep, pure blacks, achieving excellent contrast that holds up even in bright rooms. (And typically, bright rooms are the one area where QLEDs beat OLEDs.) Gamers who are choosing between the C3 and C4 should definitely take this opportunity to opt for the C4. It bumps the refresh rate up to 144Hz compared to the C3's 120. If you have your hands on a Switch 2 (or plan to eventually), a high-end gaming TV like the C4 will be necessary to do it justice.

The 55-inch Hisense Class U6 4K TV is at its lowest price ever ahead of Amazon Prime Day

Mashable - 4 hours 15 min ago

SAVE $301: The 55-inch Hisense Class U6 QLED 4K TV is on sale at Amazon for $498.99, down from the usual price of $799.99. That's a 38% discount and the lowest price we've ever seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense 55-inch Hisense Class U6 QLED 4K TV $498.99 at Amazon
$799.99 Save $301 Get Deal

We now know that Amazon is treating us the biggest Prime Day ever this year, spanning an entire four days. That means we'll have plenty of time to shop the best deals between July 8 and 11. But if you're in the mood for a great deal right now, and you happen to need a new TV, Amazon already has you covered.

As of June 17, the 55-inch Hisense Class U6 QLED 4K TV is on sale for just $498.99 at Amazon, marked down from the normal price of $799.99. That's a 38% discount that takes $301 off the typical price. It's also the lowest price we've ever seen.

Buying a new TV is no easy feat thanks to unlimited jargon the market has forced upon us. But rest assured that Hisense is one of our favorite TV brands, making some of the best budget-friendly TVs on the market. They lean on the more affordable side without skimping on display quality. The Hisense Class U6 QLED comes with some noteworthy features that make it a great option, especially if you're looking for an affordable, gaming-ready TV.

For starters, the 55-inch size makes it perfect for a bedroom, small living room, or the garage. It's also great if you'll be watching daytime TV in bright rooms. The QLED screen can reach up to 1,000 nits of peak brightness while focusing on bright colors.

The native refresh rate of 144Hz means this is also a great option if you'll be using it for gaming. If you were lucky enough to snag the new Nintendo Switch 2, your summer could be sorted with the console and a fresh TV.

SEE ALSO: Review: 'Mario Kart World' is chaotic, hilarious fun

The Hisense Class U6 QLED also comes with Fire TV, which means you won't need an external streaming stick. Instead, the boot-up screen will whisk you to the Fire TV page where all your favorite streaming platforms will be ready for use.

Upgrade to the 55-inch Hisense Class U6 QLED 4K TV, on sale for its lowest price ever of just $498.99 at Amazon. Instead of waiting for the chaos of Prime Day, you'll be in good hands with one of the best budget-friendly TV brands.

The best TV deals to shop this week

Save $100 on a 262-piece Craftsman Mechanics Tool Set at Amazon

Mashable - 4 hours 36 min ago

SAVE $100: As of June 17, the Craftsman 262-Piece Mechanic Tool Set with 3-Drawer Versastack Tool Box is on sale for $149.00, down from its regular price of $249.00. That's a savings of $100, or 40% off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Craftsman Craftsman 262-Piece Mechanic Tool Set with 3-Drawer VERSASTACK Tool Box $149 at Amazon
$249 Save $100 Get Deal

A good socket wrench set is crucial for working on bikes, motorcycles, cars, and much more. The Craftsman brand is known for quality tools at value prices, and there's a set that comes with everything you need on sale now at Amazon ahead of Prime Day.

As of June 17, the Craftsman 262-Piece Mechanic Tool Set is on sale at Amazon for $149, down from $249. Get it now and save $100, or 40%.

SEE ALSO: Amazon announces Prime Day 2025 dates, and the 4-day rumors are true

This wrench set has plenty of options for your work, with ratchet wrenches, open wrenches, drivers, hex keys, and more. It's compatible with both metric and SAE, so you'll be able to use it with modern bike gear as well as legacy appliances and American car parts.

The ratchets come in three sizes: 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, and 1/2 inch. They are 72 tooth ratchets with a 5-degree arc swing. With a huge array of sockets, extenders, and bits, the set is highly adaptive.

With a Versastack case (aka a flexible storage system) included in the set, organization comes naturally. With so much included in one case, this set covers the fundamentals that a new mechanic needs.

The best home and kitchen deals

Best Buy will host a weeklong Black Friday in July sale. Can it compete with Prime Day?

Mashable - 4 hours 41 min ago

Best Buy has announced its plans to host a weeklong 'Black Friday in July' sale from July 7-13. The event will directly overlap with Amazon's members-only Prime Day event, which will run from July 8 through 11.

A representative for Best Buy told Mashable via email that its 'Black Friday in July' sale will usher in "deals on TVs, laptops, headphones, video games, electric bikes, and more." The retailer will also offer "Doorbusters — some of the hottest deals on top tech" for the first time during the event, cribbing from its Black Friday programming last fall.

SEE ALSO: Amazon announces Prime Day 2025 dates, and the 4-day rumors are true

Best Buy will drop new 'Black Friday in July' deals every day of the sale, which will be available in stores, on its website, and in the Best Buy mobile app. Mashable has reached out to Best Buy's rep to confirm whether any offers will be exclusive to shoppers who have joined its My Best Buy membership program, and we'll update this story when we hear back.

Best Buy has traditionally held anti-Prime Day sales in the summer, but it had more of an advantage over Amazon back when Prime Day was only two days long. This year, the retail giant has extended it to four full days for the first time ever.

Target and Walmart have also run summer sales that compete with Prime Day in years past, but neither retailer has confirmed its plans to do so in 2025 yet.

The best tech deals right now, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts Products available for purchase through affiliate links. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.

TikTok trend features women protecting soft-spoken boyfriends showing off their special interests

Mashable - 4 hours 43 min ago

As a relatively meek dude with special interests, I'm aware of how I can be. What I'm saying is, perhaps it best not to engage me in conversations about cooking, America's greatest bar band, or, yes, the Roman Empire. I will talk too much.

But my wife — bless her heart — has listened intently so often to fun facts about The Hold Steady. Because when you love someone, you find their quirks and interests, well, interesting. TikTok's latest trend involves strong women protecting the pure, soft-spoken men in their lives as they show off their interests. In general, the women participating in this trend dole out faux-menacing threats before the man shows off their thing, urging the viewers to be nice.

As best I can tell, the trend began with @yearningyardies on TikTok. A woman tells the viewers they better tell her boyfriend his plants are cool. Then the boyfriend comes and gently shows off his plants.

That TikTok seems to have inspired other couples to show off everything from a painted turtle, to golf clubs, to even more plants. Oftentimes the women in the background mime that they're watching you or indicate you better be excited. The comments often feign fear at the woman's threats while also admiring the work of the meek guy. It's good, sweet fun.

These posts are sort of a nicer version of the years-old trend where (typically) women would post TikToks showing how they know their partners wouldn't cheat. Oftentimes, these TikToks would feature men doing stereotypically nerdy or uncool hobbies. The implication being, this guy is too nerdy (or, in the less-common, meaner versions of the trend, too much of a loser) to cheat.

Instead of poking fun at these hobbies, the new trend celebrates and protects these guys' right to a fun little interest. It also reverses society's expected gender roles — the man as the protector — in a lighthearted way.

So if you're a dude like me with some uncool interests, now might just be the time to share them — so long as you've got a tough woman to back you up.

Track your fitness goals with 26% off this Renpho smart scale ahead of Prime Day

Mashable - 4 hours 50 min ago

SAVE $12: As of June 17, get the Renpho Smart Scale for $22.99, down from its usual price of $34.99, at Amazon with the on-page coupon. That's a discount of 26%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Renpho Smart Scale $22.99 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $12.00 Get Deal

If you're thinking about setting off on a fitness journey or you're already on one and need a little help keeping track of your goals, a smart scale is a good investment. While you might usually need several tools to visualize progress or body measurements, a smart scale can do it all for you as soon as you step on it. If you want to give one a try, now's the perfect time, especially with this pre-Prime Day deal at Amazon that you can snag.

As of June 17, get the Renpho Smart Scale for $22.99, down from its usual price of $34.99, at Amazon with the on-page coupon. That's $12 off and a discount of 26%.

This scale can track 13 different body composition metrics: weight, BMI, body fat, protein, subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, body water, skeletal muscle, muscle mass, bone mass, fat-free mass, BMR, and metabolic age. All you have to do is step on the scale and connect it to your favorite health-tracking app.

You can create multiple profiles to track different measurements across different members of your household, and the scale supports up to 400 lbs' capacity. It's also small and compact, so it'll fit in your bathroom or wherever you choose to put it without impeding your daily routines.

If it's time to keep a closer eye on your bodily metrics or you're just curious about them in general, this is a great price for a piece of tech that can do it all, especially ahead of Prime Day proper.

Our favorite budget earbuds are less than $20 at Amazon

Mashable - 5 hours 2 min ago

SAVE $20.03: As of June 17, the Anker Soundcore P20i earbuds are on sale for only $19.97 at Amazon. That's 50% off their list price of $39.99 and their lowest price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Soundcore P20i earbuds $19.97 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $20.02 Get Deal

Need to replace your lost or broken earbuds, but don't want to drain your bank account? Our favorite budget earbuds are getting the deal treatment ahead of Prime Day, which is officially a four-day affair running from July 8-11. No need to wait until the big day(s).

As of June 17, the Anker Soundcore P20i earbuds are on sale for only $19.97 at Amazon. That's half off their usual cost of $39.99 and a new record-low price by a few cents (seriously, every cent counts).

SEE ALSO: The 9 best earbuds to buy in 2025, selected by Mashable experts

We tested out the Soundcore P20is and were shocked at how well they performed — especially for the price. Thanks to equalizer presets on the companion app, the P20is are able to produce the kind of well-rounded sound you'd expect from earbuds three times the price. They offer a battery life of about 10 hours of playback per charge, which outshines the AirPods. Plus, the case holds an extra 30 hours for extended listening.

The downside of these buds is that they don't offer noise cancellation or multipoint pairing, but that's to be expected at this price point. They more than make up for it, though, with extra perks like a "find device" feature and the ability to set up to three personalized touch controls on each earbud.

As our reviewer put it, "If you don't want to be too precious about your earbuds (there's nothing wrong with being accident-prone) the Anker Soundcore P20i earbuds will be the kindest to your wallet, while still delivering an all-around decent listening experience." No need to wait until Prime Day — they're already chilling at their lowest price to date.

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The Soundcore V40i open-ear headphones just dropped to a record-low price as an early Amazon Prime Day treat

Mashable - 5 hours 3 min ago

SAVE $7.99: The Soundcore V40i open-ear headphones are on sale at Amazon with an on-page coupon for $72, down from the standard price of $79.99. That's a 10% discount and the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore Soundcore V40i open-ear headphones $72 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $7.99 Get Deal

Soundcore has been upping their headphone game recently. The soon-to-be-released Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds are the first in the sleep earbuds market to come with active noise cancellation. The brand also makes our favorite budget-friendly earbuds, the Soundcore P20i earbuds, which can drop to less than $20 when they go on sale. But today, we're thrilled to see a first-ever discount on a unique pair that might be exactly what you're looking for in new headphones.

As of June 17, the Soundcore V40i open-ear headphones are on sale at Amazon for $72 with the on-page coupon, marked down from the normal price of $79.99. That's a 10% discount and the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon. It's also the first discount we've spotted on the relatively new V40i headphones.

You don't have to wait until Prime Day next month to score a great deal and that's especially true with today's first-ever sale price on the V40i open-ear headphones. These are perfect if you don't love the feel of an earbud nestling into your ear canal but don't want a bulky pair of headphones over your ears. Especially in warm summer months, those can get sweaty. Instead, the Soundcore V40i headphones have a comfortable fit that sits outside of your ear. The adjustable ear hooks ensure a secure fit while staying comfortable.

SEE ALSO: Soundcore's Space A40 earbuds have never been cheaper than they are right now

The design of the V40i headphones make for a great listening experience, even in loud environments. The hourglass-shaped chamber is designed to deliver powerful listening without compromising on comfort. Plus, they're water, sweat, and dust resistant so you'll be able to wear these at the gym.

The included charging case uses a magnetic closure system so you're less likely to lose a headphone. With the included charging case, expect to get up to 21 hours of playtime before you'll need to recharge. A 10-minute recharge gives you an additional 1.5 hours of listening time thanks to the headphones fast-charging abilities.

Not only does the case make these travel-worthy headphones, they weigh a total of 10.1 grams which works out to 0.022 pounds. The V40i headphones will surely not put your bag over the airline weight limit.

While they're hanging out at their lowest price ever, grab the Soundcore V40i open-ear headphones and ditch sweaty headphones for the summer. Clip the on-page coupon at Amazon to take 10% off the V40i which brings the grand total to $72. Not only is this the lowest price we've ever seen, it's a first-time discount.

The best headphones and speaker deals to shop this week

Americans now use social media as their primary news source, research shows

Mashable - 5 hours 5 min ago

The top source of news for Americans is no longer TV; it's social media.

This is according to new research by Oxford’s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) (via NiemanLab), which found that 54 percent of people in the U.S. get news via social media and video networks, overtaking TV broadcast news and news websites and apps for the first time ever.

SEE ALSO: Good news for aspiring influencers: Creator jobs grew 7x in recent years

The global study was conducted via an online questionnaire from market research firm YouGov from mid-January to the end of February 2025, meaning it's likely skewed towards a younger population and people who are into social media. The authors of the study acknowledge this.

"Online samples will tend to under-represent the news consumption habits of people who are older and less affluent, meaning online use is typically over-represented and traditional offline use under-represented. In this sense, it is sometimes better to think of results as representative of the online population," the authors say.

Social media and video up, everything else down. Credit: Reuters Institute

Still, the study shows the sharp rise of social media and online video as news sources in the U.S. According to the study, back in 2013 social media and video were a source of news for just 27 percent of the U.S. population. Now, 54 percent turn to social media as source of news; in comparison, 50 percent of people get news from TV, 48 percent get news via online news sites, and just 14 percent get news from print.

Notably, the study, which has been conducted worldwide, reveals that not all countries are the same with this regard. For example, the trends are similar in the U.S., many Latin American countries including Brazil, a number of African countries, as well as Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. On the flip side, in many European countries, as well as in Japan, social media has far less of an influence.

Not all countries show the same trends. Credit: Reuters Institute

In terms of how folks in the U.S. access the news, they primarily (57 percent) use their phones, and they prefer watching the news to reading it, with 72 percent watching online news videos on a weekly basis.

As expected, these shifts towards social media and video happen faster among younger groups, particularly those aged 18-24. But the overall findings show what many folks working in newsrooms already understand: The way people consume the news is changing quickly, and there's probably no turning back.

China’s Spy Agencies Are Investing Heavily in A.I., Researchers Say

NYT Technology - 5 hours 22 min ago
A new report comes amid rising concern about how China will use new tools to power covert actions, as Western intelligence services also embrace the technology.

Are you 18-24? Get 6 months of Amazon Prime for free ahead of Prime Day.

Mashable - 6 hours 56 min ago

TL;DR: Young people can sign up for Prime for Young Adults at no cost for six months — just in time for Prime Day.

Starting Tuesday, June 17, Amazon is relaunching its Prime for Young Adults program, and effective immediately, young people ages 18-24 can sign up for a six-month Prime trial for free. After the trial is complete, young folks can access all the perks of Prime membership for 50% off the usual cost.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Prime for Young Adults $0 at Amazon
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After six months, Prime for Young Adults will cost $7.49/month or $69/year.

The program is essentially a rebrand of Prime Student, timed carefully to drive new memberships ahead of Prime Day, which takes place in mid-July. This isn't the first time we've heard of Prime for Young Adults, either. On November 25, 2024, an Amazon blog post announced the launch of Prime for Young Adults, with the same six-month trial offer and 50% price discount. Coincidentally, that November announcement came just four days before the start of Black Friday.

Amazon Prime is the shopping behemoth's hugely successful membership program, and it comes with perks such as free delivery and returns and access to Prime Video. Prime for Young Adults is slightly more inclusive than Prime Student, as not all young people will go to college or other educational programs after they turn 18.

Both Prime Student and Prime for Young Adults provide a number of perks for young people:

  • A six-month trial for $0

  • All the benefits of Prime membership for 50% off (after trial period ends)

  • Access to reduced pricing of $7.49/month or $69/year

  • Free Grubhub+ and $0 delivery fees

  • 5% cash back on beauty, apparel, electronics, and personal care products

  • During Prime Day, earn 10% cash back on select beauty, apparel, electronics, and personal care products

  • Special deals throughout the year, double or triple cash back boosters on popular brands, and "exclusive surprise and delight experiences," per Amazon

  • Free Amazon Photos cloud storage

You can sign up for Prime for Young Adults now — if you're young enough.

The best tech deals right now, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts Products available for purchase through affiliate links. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.

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