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IGN’s two-day mega event was pure nerdy chaos in the best way possible. Following up on Summer Games Fest, IGN Live served up a packed slate of exclusives and fan-favorite reveals.

From a first-look clip at Marvel’s Ironheart to a brand-new trailer for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, and a celebration marking 10 years of Critical Role, the event delivered something for every corner of the fandom multiverse.

First clip of Ironheart

The first exclusive clip from Ironheart kicks off with a classic clash of egos, as brilliant teen inventor Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) is reluctantly roped into teaming up with Parker Robbins, a.k.a. The Hood (Anthony Ramos), who offers her a way to build her soon-to-be iconic suit.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Trailer

IGN Live dropped an exclusive first look at Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, teasing the crew’s high-stakes return following their showdown with the Gorn.

According to the official synopsis, the new season promises fresh alien encounters, a formidable new villain, and a genre-blending mix of faith, duty, romance, comedy, and mystery

Nyaight of the Living Cat Anime Exclusive Clip

Can you resist the urge to pet a cat? That’s the twistedly cute dilemma at the heart of Nyaight of the Living Cat, an upcoming Crunchyroll anime where a mysterious virus turns anyone who rubs up against a feline into one themselves.

IGN Live premiered an exclusive two-minute clip from the series, showcasing three survivors desperately fleeing a fluffy swarm of dangerously adorable cats, with some unexpectedly “deadly” consequences.

It's ridiculous, it's charming, and it’s probably going to haunt every cat lover’s dreams.

Critical Role 10th anniversary

Critical Role marked its 10-year milestone at IGN Live with a warm, often hilarious panel moderated by Amelia Emberwing featuring much of the beloved cast, including Matthew Mercer, Laura Bailey, Travis Willingham, and more.

The real bombshell, though, was the glimpse into the future. Fans got a sneak peek at Mighty Nein, Critical Role’s next animated series, which promises a very different energy from The Legend of Vox Machina—think strangers trying to vibe, with mixed results. On top of that, they teased upcoming video game projects with the first one dropping later this year.

Revival exclusive clip

In SyFy's upcoming original series, Revival, the dearly departed of a quiet Wyoming town rise again. However, they aren’t bloodthirsty zombies; they just want to pick up where they left off. Of course, things don’t go quite that smoothly.

Wynonna Earp’s Melanie Scrofano stars as a local cop and mom caught in the middle of the eerie resurgence, trying to keep the peace as the town descends into supernatural chaos. Oh, and WWE’s own CM Punk shows up, because why not?

If you're into campy murder mysteries with a spooky twist, or still mourning the end of iZombie, this one should be firmly on your radar.

Clair Obscure Expedition 33 documentary first look

It’s easy to see why Expedition 33 has taken the gaming world by storm in the short time since its release. Sandfall Interactive’s stylish, turn-based RPG — equal parts French elegance and Japanese inspiration — has quickly become one of our favorite titles of the year, and for good reason.

To thank the fans who helped turn Expedition 33 into a breakout hit, Sandfall gave us a sneak peek at the first 10 minutes of its upcoming behind-the-scenes documentary

Disclosure: IGN Entertainment is a subsidiary of ZiffDavis Inc., which is the parent company of Mashable.

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Like the popular cloud storage options, Internxt offers cross-platform compatibility and easy integration across devices and operating systems. And unlike the competitors with monthly or yearly subscriptions, this lifetime subscription won't cost you a penny more after purchase. 

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Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Rivalry

• Green: NFL field generals

• Blue: Journey of NBA superstar

• Purple: Teams in Missouri

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Competition

• Green: Names of NFL QBs

• Blue: Teams of Tyrese Haliburton Has Played For

• Purple: Kansas City____

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #258 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Competition - BOUT, CONTEST, EVENT, MATCH

• Names of NFL QBs - BAKER, BO, DAK, TUA

• Teams of Tyrese Haliburton Has Played For - IOWA STATE, KINGS, PACERS, USA

• Kansas City____ - CHEIFS, CURRENT, MONARCHS, ROYALS

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

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

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Sunday, June 8, 2025:

AcrossOrg. with shooting stars

• The answer is NBA.

Buildings with weather vanes, stereotypically

• The answer is Barns.

Swiss watch brand

• The answer is Omega

What Santa, Gandalf and Dumbledore each have

• The answer is Beard.

Pie in the ___

• The answer is Sky.

Down"I'm bad with ___" (party excuse)

• The answer is Names.

Start of a billiards game

• The answer is Break.

Seeing red

• The answer is Angry.

Timothée's role in "A Complete Unknown"

• The answer is Bob.

Feeling blue

• The answer is Sad.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

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

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The best self-emptying robot vacuums have one huge perk past the obvious act of vacuuming the floor for you. (Spoiler alert: It's in the name.)

When you outsource vacuuming to a robotic cleaner, your floors get cleaned way more often, right? There's just one little downside to that extra attention: More debris pulled off the floor means a dust bin that fills up faster, especially if you have pets. You could either empty that dust bin manually multiple times a week, or you could just get a robot vacuum that empties itself.

SEE ALSO: Roborock Saros Z70 review: If you think you need the robot vacuum with an arm, no you don't

These vacuum cleaners do the vacuuming and bin emptying for you, storing the debris collected on each trip in a larger compartment that's located in the charging dock. While you'd typically have to empty a standalone robot vacuum as often as every day or two, self-emptying robot vacuum cleaners are self-sufficient for several weeks. Most brands claim to have capacities averaging between six to eight weeks, but almost every self-emptying dock I've tested in my three-bed, three-bath apartment has stretched much longer than that.

The feature is so core to the hands-off cleaning experience nowadays that it's rare for any new robot vacuum release to arrive to market without a self-emptying dock. (Unless you're the Dyson robot vacuum, in which case you're not a robot vacuum that mops nor self-empties — but you still cost over $1,000.)

I've been testing the latest and greatest self-emptying robot vacuums from 2025 against the top vacs from years prior. Halfway through 2025, these top five picks offered the most efficient automated cleaning experience in my home.

Are self-emptying robot vacuums worth it?

A robot vacuum that can empty its own dust bin is for sure worth it in just about every home. If vacuuming every day is something you don't feel like doing manually, you probably also don't feel like manually dumping a vac's dustbin into the trash every day. Such is the natural pipeline of being spoiled with technology.

Automatic emptying is particularly valuable in homes with pets. Daily pet hair pickup could easily fill up a vacuum's tiny onboard dustbin after just a few rooms, but that capacity is significantly expanded when there's a large alternate dustbin on the dock. If they get full mid-cleaning session, self-emptying vacuums know to head back to the dock to unload, then finish the rest of the session with a clean slate.

SEE ALSO: Shark vs. Roomba: Comparing top-rated robot vacuum lineups

Not for nothing, even the most ergonomic upright vacuums are a pain to wrestle out of the closet sometimes. In a pinch, it's inarguably worthwhile to have the option to start sweeping with a click on an app.

For people with allergies, auto-emptying also spares you from inhaling the inevitable puff of dust that emerges when dumping a dustbin into the trash. Speaking of avoiding the grosser parts of the job, if you're specifically seeking a robot vacuum that mops, many self-emptying docks also take it upon themselves to wash and dry the dirty mopping pads after the job is done.

Testing updates

I'm currently testing the Roomba 105, Eufy L60, and 3i G10+. If any of these contenders impress me, I'll update this guide accordingly.

There's definitely something to be said for the crisp handheld control of a powerful cordless Dyson. But if you're not one to classify cleaning as cathartic, why not outsource that tedious task? The best robot vacuums patrol your home to clear away dust, crumbs, pet hair, and sometimes even spills or stains on hard floors — no elbow grease required.

And after testing 20+ robot vacuums on my own personal floors (my apartment is very clean), I can confidently call out the top robotic vacuum cleaners that'll make your life easier.

Are Roombas the best robot vacuums?

Though some Roombas are really good robot vacuums, they're far from the only good robot vacuums.

iRobot dominated the robot vacuum realm from the early 2000s up until a few years ago, so it's no surprise that much of the general public forgets that "Roomba" isn't simply a generic term for any robotic vacuum.

But Roombas just aren't in a league of their own anymore. I mean, you can't even Google "Roomba" without a question comparing Roombas to Shark robot vacuums popping up. I'm also here to put some respect on names like Roborock and Eufy — they're continuously releasing new contenders that are often a better value than Roombas in the same price range.

SEE ALSO: Roborock Saros 10 vs. 10R: I narrowly crowned a winner after head-to-head testing at home

I'm regularly testing the top robot vacuums at multiple price points and comparing them to top performers from previous years, with all my evaluations taking place in my own home on various rugs, tile, and hardwood floors. As I test each robot vacuum, I keep notes on their overall suction power, scrubbing efficacy (if it's a robot vacuum that mops), pet hair pickup, self-emptying docks and self-washing mopping pads, smart mapping and navigation, obstacle avoidance, and the overall user experience. All of that is considered through the lens of cost efficiency. I'll be the first one to point out when a budget vacuum cleaner is solid for the price, or when a premium robot vacuum is actually worth the splurge — or not worth the splurge, in the case of Roborock's $2,599.99 robot vacuum with an arm.

After all that testing, I've narrowed down your shopping list to six options. Here are the best robot vacuums for every home and budget so far in 2025.

Other robot vacuums I've tested recently

I tested several other top robot vacuums in the past that didn't make the most recent cut for this list. Some, like the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, Roborock Qrevo Master, Narwal Freo X Ultra were my top recommendations at one point, but have since been overshadowed by newer, more powerful models that are a better bang for your buck.

I've also tested some 2025 robot vacuum releases that were OK, but ultimately aren't a top pick for me. The Dreame X50 Ultra grabbed attention during its CES 2025 debut for its ability to "climb," though the fine print is that it can't scale thresholds taller than 6 millimeters (about 2.36 inches). The Roborock Saros 10 and 10R were able to hoist over the few thick doorway thresholds in my apartment just as well as the X50 Ultra. Its mopping and vacuuming capabilities are better than most mid-range robot vacuums, of course, but they weren't impressive enough for me to suggest the X50 Ultra in this list over either Saros 10 model.

I'm also in the process of getting my hands on the new Roombas for 2025 and am currently working with the Roomba 105. The first model I tested was the Roomba Combo 205 DustCompactor, which wouldn't be a bad pick if you absolutely can't spare floor space for a self-empty dock. But it was too much of a bumbling navigator to beat out other vacuums in its price range. I'll see how it compares to my experience with the 3i G10+: another newly-released robot vacuum with debris compression instead of a self-empty dock.

April 2025 came and went without new Halloween decorations from the Home Depot. For fans of the home improvement retailer's iconic 12-foot skeleton and other seasonal yard props, the hiatus wasn't just disappointing — it was cause for concern. Did the specter of tariffs spook the Home Depot?

I know what you're probably thinking: Come on, we're still months away from Halloween. But a late April launch of its 2025 Halloween collection would've been right on schedule for the Home Depot, which has hosted a "Halfway to Halloween" event a few weeks after Easter since 2022. The drop typically features "Skelly" and several new props made available online in limited quantities, functioning as a teaser to the retailer's full Halloween kickoff later in the summer.

Skelly and other Home Depot Halloween decor have garnered a dedicated fanbase since the 12-footer debuted in 2020, making this Halfway to Halloween event an incredibly popular affair. Last year's drop went live around 6:30 a.m. ET, and some products sold out within an hour. So when the retailer didn't host its usual sale this spring, people noticed.

SEE ALSO: Live, laugh, LifeEyes™️: How the 12-foot Home Depot skeleton became a perennial hit

"For me personally, if I spend the money in April, it doesn't count as Halloween," said Jennifer Penelope Corcoran, of Nashville, Tenn.

Corcoran is the founder and co-admin of the Facebook group 12 Ft Skeleton Halloween Club, the heart of Skelly's enduring online fandom. The group has grown to more than 64,000 members and spawned several popular spin-off communities since Corcoran started it in September 2020, right after Skelly first hit the market. The Home Depot Halloween Haunters Club is the largest such group that Corcoran runs, with over 170,000 members to date.

Members of Corcoran's groups keep each other abreast of annual restocks with "Code Orange" alerts and eagerly await the Halfway to Halloween events. "They've done them the past couple years, and it got delayed, which obviously people have been disappointed about," said Corcoran.

Why the delay? Perhaps the only thing scarier than a giant skeleton is a giant tariff bill. While much of the discussion surrounding President Donald Trump's tariffs has focused on electronics like iPhones, manufacturers of plastic products — including, say, a lawn ornament made of oversized bones — have faced some significant pricing challenges in 2025, according to The Atlantic. And while the Home Depot wouldn't confirm that tariffs directly impacted Skelly's spring launch, a Mashable investigation reveals tariffs have had a ripple effect on the Halloween industry.

The case of the missing Halloween sale

Mashable can confirm that the Home Depot was planning a 2025 Halfway to Halloween event this spring. A press release sent to a reporter on March 21 signaled an on-time launch "in late April" for Skelly and friends. The information was not subject to an embargo.

"The Home Depot is gearing up for its highly anticipated Halfway to Halloween sale, giving fans exclusive early access to select pieces from the 2025 lineup — months before the full reveal. Perfect for those getting ready to celebrate Summerween!" the release read. "This spring, Halloween enthusiasts and thrill-seekers alike can get a head start on the season with select products available on HomeDepot.com, all part of the upcoming Halfway to Halloween celebration in late April (date coming soon!)."

The Home Depot's 2024 Halfway to Halloween sale featured Skelly, its new seven-foot "Dawg," and several other giants. Credit: The Home Depot

The release referred to the Halfway to Halloween drop as a "tradition" the Home Depot was "excited to continue," a descriptor the retailer has since abandoned. In a June 4 interview with Mashable, Tyler Pelfrey, manager of brand communications at the Home Depot, said the event was meant to serve as a "surprise and delight moment" for its Halloween superfans and that "it's not necessarily a core part of our strategy."

"It's not really something that we held onto and made a decision about until we really looked at the landscape and said, let's try and focus a little bit more on our core audience," said Pelfrey. "And, you know, things are a little different this year. We looked at [it] from our competitive lens as well and said, let's focus on the coming months and later in the year, whenever we decide to launch for the more general Halloween consumer, because that's really where the majority of the excitement for the program really kicks in."

Pelfrey couldn't share exactly when that launch would happen — it's usually in mid-July — but he encouraged fans to follow the Home Depot on social media to stay up to date on its future announcements.

'There'll be some things that ... just end up going away'

While most Home Depot products are sourced in North America, Skelly and other Halloween decorations are made in China by a California company called Seasonal Visions International (SVI). Imported Chinese goods have been subject to fluctuating tariffs from the Trump administration since early this year. In April, they soared to a high of 145 percent and remained at that rate for four-and-a-half weeks. At the time of publication, the U.S. tariff rate on Chinese imports sat at 30 percent.

In addition to making props and animatronics for retailers like the Home Depot, SVI sells replacement parts on its own website. On June 3, the company emailed previous customers regarding "some upcoming changes" to its business this summer, citing the fallout from "increased tariffs." Mashable obtained a copy of the email and reached out to SVI for comment.

"Due to the increased tariffs and their impact on the global supply chain, we will be making adjustments to our parts availability, pricing, and support policy on July 1," SVI wrote in the email. More details will be shared on the company's website "soon," it added.

SEE ALSO: Target and Walmart tariff price hikes leak online from an unlikely source

When asked about SVI's email and tariffs' role in the Home Depot's decision to cancel its Halfway to Halloween drop, Pelfrey acknowledged the state of the market but said the retailer didn't make its call for a singular reason.

"Tariffs are definitely something that the company has a good team rallying around, and our merchants and our relationships with suppliers are so good that they're always trying to look for the best way to keep value at the forefront for customers. And that's one of the things, I think, that stays true for Halloween as well," said Pelfrey.

He added: "We looked at a lot of different competitive lenses and that's kind of really where we made our [Halfway to Halloween] decision. I wouldn't say one sole factor made our mind up on that."

The Home Depot has sold Skelly for $299 since 2020. Credit: The Home Depot

Tariffs have certainly been top of mind for Home Depot leadership. On April 21, CNBC reported that CEO Ted Decker joined Target and Walmart's CEOs in a meeting with Trump to discuss tariffs' impact on their businesses. "We had an informative and constructive meeting with the President and look forward to continuing the dialogue," the Home Depot reportedly said in a statement.

A month later, the Home Depot would swear off sweeping price hikes because of tariffs — a rare move among major retailers. "We don't see broad-based price increases for our customers at all going forward," said executive vice president of merchandising Billy Bastek, speaking on a May 20 investor call about the company's Q1 earnings report, per NPR. However, the company isn't ruling out changes to individual product pricing and availability down the road.

"There's items that we have that could potentially be impacted from a tariff that, candidly, we won't have going forward," said Bastek. "There'll be some things that don't make sense that just end up going away."

Pelfrey did confirm that Skelly will return at some point in 2025, referring to the 12-footer as "the rockstar out of all of our Halloween decor." But when Mashable asked him in a follow-up email whether it will still be sold for $299, its sticker price since 2020, he couldn't say. "We don't share pricing of products before the official launch," Pelfrey wrote.

Tariffs come for the Halloween industry

Halloween has become a big business over the last decade, but especially in the last five years. According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) latest Halloween Spending Survey, U.S. consumers were expected to drop $11.6 billion on Halloween items in 2024, up from $8.8 billion in 2019 and $7.4 billion in 2014. (Last year's figure wasn't finalized at the time of publication, but would be a slight drop from 2023's record-setting $12.2 billion.)

This surge in Halloween spending has correlated with a rise in early shopping. Forty-seven percent of respondents in the NRF's survey said they bought Halloween items before October in 2024, compared to 37 percent in 2019 and 32 percent in 2014.

Yet 2025 could alter these trends as consumers' sourcing options dwindle. All Joann Fabrics stores and most Party City locations closed in recent months after both retailers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy around the new year. At Home, a Texas-based home decor chain that sells Halloween items, could soon do the same after missing a mid-May interest payment and entering a forbearance deal with its lenders, Bloomberg reported.

Among surviving retailers, the Home Depot wouldn't be the only store to shelve a spring Halloween drop because of economic turmoil. On May 1, HalloweenCostumes.com announced on Instagram that it was delaying the usual May launch of its decor and animatronics "due to rising tariffs." The company declined an interview request.

View this post on Instagram

"For now, everything is postponed," said HalloweenCostumes.com Tom Fallenstein in the accompanying reel. "We know that's very disappointing, but with the tariffs, we are trying to figure out what products we're bringing in, what costs might look like, and ultimately how do we get the product here and have the best experience for our customers."

On May 22, Spirit Halloween credited "international disruptions and supply chain challenges" as the factors that led it to cancel this year's grand opening event at its flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., according to a statement on its Instagram page. The retailer said its 1,500 stores are still slated to begin opening in mid-August, and that it plans to revive the Egg Harbor Township event in 2026. A representative for Spirit didn't respond to a request for comment.

Reddit

Home Depot rival Lowe's ran its own limited Halloween sale in late April, but it may not have been totally immune from current market conditions. A Reddit user pointed out that a 12-foot Bone Collector animatronic was listed for $599 on the Lowe's website this spring. It debuted last year at $399, according to the parenting website GeekDad, footage of its in-store display, and Halloween YouTubers' unboxing videos.

On April 22, a user named "MadPotentialCustomer" complained about the Bone Collector's $200 price increase in the Community Q&A section of its product page. An account that appears to be run by Tekky Design, its manufacturer, responded two days later. "Tekky has no control over retails," it wrote. "Please reach out to Lowe's directly regarding any issues with pricing." Mashable reached out to Tekky and Lowes for comment, and we'll update this article if we hear back.

This screenshot was taken on the product listing page for Lowe's 12-foot Bone Collector on June 3, 2025. Credit: Lowe's

Lowe's had the Bone Collector in stock for $499 the last time Mashable checked.

The Skelly fandom stands by their man

Members of Skelly's Facebook fandom who were hoping for a Halfway to Halloween drop haven't shied away from tariff discussions, for better or worse. Corcoran had to make a dedicated tariff thread in Home Depot Halloween Haunters Club because its members kept submitting posts about the topic. She and her co-admins took turns monitoring it closely so it didn't spiral into political arguments, she told Mashable.

Corcoran has a professional sales background that includes shipping and logistics, and she recognizes that the Home Depot is in a tough position when it comes to balancing tariffs with consumer expectations, as most retailers are right now. "They're not a nonprofit," she said. But Corcoran thinks Halloween enthusiasts remain loyal to the Home Depot because its decor prices have always been reasonable and consistent, pointing to the fact that Skelly's $299 MSRP has stuck despite insatiably high demand and several upgrades. (The Home Depot gave Skelly a plug-in power adapter and new eye features in 2021 and 2024, respectively.)

"That 12-foot skeleton does not ship in a shoebox, and with the prices of plastics, components, everything like that ... it's one of the only things I can think of, between 2020 and 2024, that did not go up in price," Corcoran said.

Corcoran stays in close touch with the Home Depot's team and expects them to provide a heads-up once the 2025 Halloween drop is set in stone, she said. In the meantime, members of her groups are temporarily distracted by the recent arrival of a new 170-gallon Husky tote, the long-awaited answer to many 12-foot skeleton owners' storage woes. (Right on its label: "Fits 12ft Skelly.") Some have jokingly floated the idea of decorating the totes if new animatronics don't arrive soon.

For her part, Corcoran has her eye on a new 6.5-foot, app-controlled "Ultra Skelly" that popped up in March at the Home Depot's Store Managers Meeting, an annual employee convention that features an upcoming product showcase. Corcoran didn't buy any Halloween items from the Home Depot last year because she had vet bills to pay, and she's excited to make up for it when the time comes.

"I'm telling everybody to stay calm," said Corcoran. "Meanwhile, I'm texting my friends, 'If I don't get that app skeleton, the world will feel my wrath.'"

ChatGPT has completely changed the tech landscape in some massive and irreversible ways. ChatGPT was the first AI chatbot that really made an impact in wider society, and since then, it has evolved and improved a fair bit.

Did you know that there are lots of settings and features that you can leverage to get even more out of your ChatGPT experience? ChatGPT offers a range of features that help make it more personal and, as a result, more helpful in certain use cases. So, here are all the settings and features I recommend changing or customizing to get the most out of the service.

Data controls and privacy

Before trying to make ChatGPT more personal, it's worth taking a look at your data controls to ensure that they're set up in a way that you're comfortable with. Like most tech services and software services these days, OpenAI relies on user data to improve ChatGPT. If you're anything like me, then you don't really want OpenAI to be doing so and would prefer that your personal data remain as private as possible.

To tweak your data controls on the web, log in to ChatGPT, then tap on your profile picture in the top right-hand corner. Then click on “Settings” and choose the “Data Controls” option from the settings menu. From here, you can toggle the “Improve the model for everyone” option to off.  Alternatively, if you don't mind OpenAI having access to your text chat data, you can individually toggle off audio and video recordings. Note that if you turn off model improvement as a whole, audio and video recordings are automatically off and cannot be enabled on their own.

Customize your ChatGPT

While ChatGPT can learn about you as it goes, which we'll get into later, you can give it information about you that can help tailor its responses to you specifically, through the Customize ChatGPT feature. This is also how you can tailor responses to your preferences, so for example, if you prefer that ChatGPT is a little less overly positive, you can tell it so. 

To customize ChatGPT, head to the ChatGPT website, then tap on your profile picture in the top right-hand corner, then click on the “Customize ChatGPT” option. From here, you'll be able to tell the service what you prefer to be called and your occupation, for example. You'll also be able to detail what kind of traits you want ChatGPT to have, or you can choose one or multiple preset options. Lastly, there's a box that lets you basically tell ChatGPT whatever you want it to know about you apart from your name and occupation, so you could give it information about your family, where you live, your interests, and so on.

Memory

Even if you don't explicitly tell ChatGPT things about you through the customization options, you can have it learn about you as you chat with it, through the Memory feature. Memory is basically what it sounds like: a list of things that ChatGPT will “remember” about you. It also includes your past prompts and questions.

With the Memory feature turned on, the so-called memories that ChatGPT stores will evolve and expand over time. Not only that, but the feature will allow ChatGPT to refer back to previous conversations so that you don't have to spell out everything about yourself each time you start a new chat. This is also helpful if you often ask questions about the same topic.

To customize the Memory feature, head to the website and tap on your profile picture, then click on “Settings.” Choose the “Personalization” option from the settings menu. From here you can toggle on the reference saved memories feature and manage the memories that the service has saved, including deleting individual memories if you want to. Recently, OpenAI also added a new Memory feature that essentially allows ChatGPT to refer back to all your previous conversations. It's an expanded version of memories that makes the feature even more powerful, and you can toggle it on or off here.

SEE ALSO: All your ChatGPT conversations to be saved as part of ongoing lawsuits – even deleted ones Voice Mode

Voice mode essentially allows you to have a conversation with ChatGPT through voice instead of chat. It's helpful for when you're not in a position to be able to type things out or you simply want to have a quicker conversation. 

There aren't a ton of settings to tweak for voice mode, but you can choose which voice you want ChatGPT to have. To do this, head to the “Settings” menu, then click on the “Speech” option. From here, you can choose from a number of different voices and play a clip of those voices speaking as you choose.

Connectors

Connectors allow ChatGPT to access information that would otherwise be locked behind a password. In other words, you can connect your Google account to ChatGPT so that it can read your emails, which allows it to answer questions about emails, create a summary of any unread emails, and so on. There are actually a number of different connectors that you can choose from. On top of your Gmail account, you can also connect to Google Drive and Google Calendar, Dropbox, Outlook email, Microsoft Teams, and more.

To log into these accounts through connectors, head to the settings menu, then click on the “Connectors” option. From here you can log into any accounts you want ChatGPT to have access to.

Tools

ChatGPT can make use of different features and tools on a chat-by-chat basis, and it's worth familiarizing yourself with these tools so that you can select the best ones for the specific situation. The most basic option to choose from is the large language model that you want to use. Unfortunately, choosing the right model is pretty confusing, so unless you're familiar with the different models and the advantages and disadvantages that they have, it's probably best to just read the OpenAI recommendations below each model and do your best to choose the best one. You can choose from the different models in a new chat by tapping on the drop-down menu on the top left of the screen, which is labeled with whatever model you're currently using.

The other tools that you can make use of are available straight from the chat window. When you tap on the little tools button, you can choose for ChatGPT to do things like create an image, search the web, write, or conduct deep research, which tells the service to go through multiple steps to research a particular topic. Also available in the chat window is an option to record your prompt using voice, which will then transcribe the prompt text or enter advanced voice mode.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

The New York Times studied videos of addresses posted online, including those by President Trump, Kermit the Frog and a slew of celebrity speakers. Here is a look at key themes that emerged.

Mr. Musk’s Starlink has brought the internet to some of South America’s most remote places. But Bolivia is shunning it, even as many there are desperate for better service.

Leo Goldsmith, an assistant professor of screen studies at the New School, can tell when you use AI to cheat on an assignment. There's just no good way for him to prove it.

"I know a lot of examples where educators, and I've had this experience too, where they receive an assignment from a student, they're like, 'This is gotta be AI,' and then they don't have" any simple way of proving that, Goldsmith told me. "This is true with all kinds of cheating: The process itself is quite a lot of work, and if the goal of that process is to get an undergraduate, for example, kicked out of school, very few people want to do this."

This is the underlying hum AI has created in academia: my students are using AI to cheat, and there's not much I can do about it. When I asked one professor, who asked to be anonymous, how he catches students using AI to cheat, he said, "I don't. I'm not a cop." Another replied that it's the students' choice if they want to learn in class or not.

AI is a relatively new problem in academia — and not one that educators are particularly armed to combat. Despite the rapid rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, most professors and academic institutions are still resoundingly unequipped, technically and culturally, to detect AI-assisted cheating, while students are increasingly incentivized to use it.

Patty Machelor, a journalism and writing professor at the University of Arizona, didn't expect her students to use AI to cheat on assignments. She teaches advanced reporting and writing classes in the honors college — courses intended for students who are interested in developing their writing skills. So when a student turned in a piece clearly written by AI, she didn't realize it right away; she just knew it wasn't the student's work.

"I looked at it and I thought, oh my gosh, is this plagiarism?" she told Mashable.

The work clearly wasn't written by the student, whose work she had gotten to know well. And it didn't follow the journalistic guidelines of the course, either; instead, it sounded more like a research paper. Then, she read it out loud to her husband.

"And my husband immediately said, 'That's artificial intelligence,'" she said. "I was like, 'Of course.'"

So, she told the student to try again. She gave them an extension. And then the second draft came in, still littered with AI. The student even left in some of the prompts.

"[AI] was not on my radar," Machelor said, especially for the types of advanced writing courses she teaches. Though this was a first in her experience, it rocked her. "The students who use that tool are using it for a few reasons," she guessed. "One is, I think they're just overwhelmed. Two is it's become familiar. And three is they haven't gotten on fire about their lives and their own minds and their own creativity. If you want to be a journalist, this is the heart and soul of it."

Machelor is hardly the only writing professor dealing with assignments written by AI. Irene McKisson, an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona, teaches one online class about social media and another in-person class about editing. Because of the nature of the in-person course, she hasn't had a significant issue with AI use — but her online course is rampant with it.

SEE ALSO: I'm a college writing professor. Here's what AI still can't do

"It felt like a disease," McKisson told Mashable. "Where you see a couple cases and then all of a sudden there's an outbreak. That's what it felt like."

So, what would McKisson tell students using AI to cheat?

"First of all, you signed up for the class," McKisson said. "Second of all, you're paying for the class. And third of all, this is stuff that you're actually going to need to know to be able to do a job. If you're just outsourcing the work, what is the value to you?"

It felt like a disease, where you see a couple cases and then all of a sudden there's an outbreak. That's what it felt like. - Irene Mckisson Why is it so hard for professors to catch AI cheating?

While AI detectors exist, they are unreliable, leaving professors with few tools to definitively identify AI-generated writing.

The technology is new, which means the detectors are new, too, and we don't have much research available on their efficacy. That said, one paper in the International Journal for Educational Integrity shows that "the tools exhibited inconsistencies, producing false positives and uncertain classifications." And, as with most tech, the results change depending on so many variables. For instance, a study in Computation and Language noted in the University of Kansas' Center for Teaching Excellence shows that AI detectors are more likely to flag the work of non-native English speakers than the work of native speakers. The authors argued "against the use of GPT detectors in evaluative or educational settings, particularly when assessing the work of non-native English speakers."

Like Goldsmith said, you can usually tell if something is written by AI — it's just really tough to prove it.

Of course, tech could be both the problem and the solution — tech fighting tech. After AI cheating startup Cluely went viral, other startups started racing to create a tool that could reliably catch Cluely, like Truely and Proctaroo. 

Paul Vann, the cofounder of Truely, told Mashable that "resoundingly, people are worried" about AI and cheating. "People don't know how to deal with this type of thing because it's so new, it's built to be hidden, and frankly, it does do a good job at hiding itself." Truely, he claims, catches it. 

Both Truely and Proctaroo can tell if an AI system is running in the background, but even the creators admit that these tools aren’t silver bullets. What if the AI assignment is an essay, turned in by hard copy? That's a bit tougher.

As AI gets better, detection may always be a step behind — the real answer might lie in rethinking how we produce assessments, not just the kind of surveillance we have to put on students.

Blurred boundaries: When is using AI considered cheating? Credit: Gabby Jones / Bloomberg via Getty Images

There are definitely students who want to use AI specifically to cheat. But because the use of generative AI in school is so new, it's also hard to know what counts as "cheating." Is it cheating to use spellcheck? Is it cheating to use AI to brainstorm? Where is the line?

"Professors have started to include statements about AI use in their syllabi, I have noticed in the past year," Sarina Alavi, a psychology PhD student and content creator at @psychandeducation, told Mashable. "Some are completely against it while others kind of say, 'Well, it’s fine to use, but just know the output is usually poor quality and remember plagiarism policies.'"

But institutions are behind the curve. There are often no standardized policies or training for professors. 

For instance, Harvard's guidelines on the intersection of generative AI and academic integrity say only that specific schools should develop and update their policies "as we better understand the implications of using generative AI tools."

"In the meantime, faculty should be clear with students they’re teaching and advising about their policies on permitted uses, if any, of generative AI in classes and on academic work. Students are also encouraged to ask their instructors for clarification about these policies as needed," the guideline reads.

Yale's AI guidelines and the University of Arizona's guidelines, for example, say basically the same thing, leaving teachers with the tough job of deciding what to do with AI in their own classrooms.

"It's an academic freedom thing," McKisson said. "Your professor is free to teach their class however it needs to be taught. That's baked into the culture of academia, which I think is great."

It's helpful to have guidance, she said, and the schools give some of that. But what the schools don't provide is the practical guidance for how to effectively catch and combat AI cheating. McKisson, Machelor, and Goldsmith have all added lines into their respective syllabi telling students they can't use AI to complete assignments for them, but they all had to find that language on their own. McKisson, for her part, discovered the right language on a "Reddit thread of professors from all over the country who were talking about this issue."

"There was a whole discussion about rubrics, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh! That's it. That's the way to curb some of this, is to use the rubric to give people [who use AI] zeros,'" she said. "[Students are] going to keep doing it unless there's a negative consequence."

The result of all this ambiguity has led some educators to panic over a student cheating epidemic with no clear cure. Tech is advancing faster than policy, and it's hard for schools to keep up with the AI tools students are using. It's confusing for students and professors alike. Like U of A's guidelines read, "Students may not be aware that AI policies can and will vary between courses, sections, instructors, and departments, so take time to support them in understanding and abiding by different policies."

Alavi says that she uses AI for some class readings by uploading the PDF and asking AI for summaries, key takeaways, and talking points, which saves her "a lot of time because I can quickly read articles and not have to re-read them before class to have solid points to bring to class discussions." For writing, she might use AI for inspiration or if she's stuck on a transition sentence. "Of course, if I use anything generated, I’d put it in my own words because I find the output to sound robotic and generic," she said.

For some professors, it's even more clear-cut.

"If you're using it to write a paper for you, then of course I would consider that cheating," Goldsmith said. "But cheating is a mild word. It's just pointless. It's a waste of a huge amount of money that the students are paying or incurring as debt, in some cases lifelong debt. But it also just doesn't get you anywhere. And it's been very easy to spot as an educator."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Why do students use AI? Credit: JHU Sheridan Libraries/Gado/Getty Images

It's finals week, and you're staring down the barrel of despair. Over the next two days, you'll have to write three essays, take one test online, and take one multiple-choice final in person. You have a project to do. You have makeup assignments to turn in. You have to maintain your GPA or you'll go on academic probation. There aren't enough hours in the week to both succeed and sleep, but generative AI could write your three essays, take that online test, and make flashcards for your multiple-choice final faster than you could make dinner. And you know your professors can't catch you because there's no simple way to prove ChatGPT wrote your essay.

For students facing academic and financial pressure, AI can seem more like a productivity tool than cheating. And, of course, everyone else is using it.

Would you be able to avoid the pull?

Writing is a pain in the ass. Nobody likes to write. - Leo Goldsmith

Alavi can, for the most part. She likes the subjects she's studying, and she wants to actually learn, and she knows AI can't replicate that. All the while, she says she understands the impulse for "students who are introduced to AI in high school or college" to use AI or rely on it. She says, thankfully, she's gone through a decade of academic training without it.

"I also really respect the time and intention my professors are putting into creating assignments with the purpose of promoting student learning, and I think relying on AI would not honor their hard work and also take away from my learning," Alavi said. 

As Goldsmith says, "the whole purpose" of going to school "is to learn." If using AI is getting in the way of your ability to learn, there are other questions to ask.

"The hard work of writing and the hard work of reading and discussing is what the whole purpose of education is," Goldsmith said. "It's not to learn facts."

Goldsmith, who teaches screen studies, admits that his students, for the most part, hate the use of AI in art. But that doesn't stop them from using it for assignments. Why? "Because writing is hard."

"Writing is a pain in the ass," he said. "Nobody likes to write. You are a writer. I am a writer. We hate writing."

What could actually stop AI cheating?

For some college professors, a greater focus on pedagogy is the way to move forward. More in-class writing, more oral work, more iterative drafts, more pencil-and-paper tests, and maybe even promoting the use of AI for specific aspects of assignments.

Ironically, the most effective way McKisson has found to curb the use of AI is to, well, use AI.

"I actually fed every single one of my sets of discussion questions for the whole semester into ChatGPT and I asked it to help me AI proof it as much as I could," McKisson said. And it worked. Now her students have to send screenshots of social media posts and submit works cited and other work that ChatGPT can't necessarily do particularly well. After she implemented those changes, fewer students blatantly used AI, and she was left less frustrated.

Or, perhaps, we think about what the true value of education is. Goldsmith points out that if it is truly just "valued now as a piece of paper that you spend a lot of money on," perhaps we should all do a bit of reflection.

"It's inevitable that AI will be used and used productively in lots of fields," Goldsmith said. "But the push is something that may need to be resisted. Who's benefiting from it? And why?"

And, as McKisson said, the answers can't be purely to punish students who use AI and pretend it isn't going to be here for the long haul. She approaches teaching like a "partnership" between educator and student, and AI is forcing educators to "rethink how we teach and what the partnership agreements are like."

"My bigger question is how do you redesign higher education?" McKisson said. "We're not gonna solve it today… But the way we have designed a large chunk of higher education, especially the online-only stuff, is not going to work because it's so easy and cheap and rewarding to use AI tools."

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

TL;DR: Live stream Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers (Game 2) in the 2025 NBA Finals for free on YouTube. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

At what point are we going to stop underestimating the Indiana Pacers? At almost every stage of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, we have expecting them to fall short. But after another miraculous comeback in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, are fans finally starting to believe?

If you want to watch Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers (Game 2) in the 2025 NBA Finals for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

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Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers (Game 2) starts at 8 p.m. ET on June 8. This game takes place at the Paycom Center.

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BookTok still runs the publishing industry.

Many of the books you might hear about most on TikTok aren't exactly recent. Readers get pulled into the community by watching re-reads of Harry Potter or first reads of A Court of Thorns and Roses, the gripping young adult fantasy series by Sarah J. Maas. But when a new novel comes out, BookTok can turn contemporary.

Here are the top 12 books published in 2025 so far, according to BookTok, organized alphabetically by author. How many have you read?

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Joe Abercrombie, the author behind The First Law and The Age of Madness trilogies, among other fantasy novels, brought something new to life with The Devils. Elves — a far cry from the kind you might remember from Lord Of The Rings — threaten to eat all of the flesh in Europe, so a special team of monsters is recruited to save the world.

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If you're on BookTok at all, you know about the Legendborn series. It's the third book in the series that combines the legend of King Arthur, secret societies, and the mythos of the American South.

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This novel is a feminist retelling of Carmilla, the 1872 Gothic novella that inspired Dracula.

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The newest novel from the queen of contemporary romantic fiction features her classic blend of depth, wit, and humor. You might see it referred to as BGGL on TikTok.

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This novel follows Grady Green, whose wife goes missing. He ends up moving to a small Scottish island, as one does following the disappearance of their wife, and sees someone who looks remarkably similar to his missing partner.

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As Ali Hazelwood is known to do, she wrote another of her classic romantic comedies with two leads who might be too smart for their own good.

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With Hendrix's classic mix of dark humor and supernatural chaos, this book follows a group of teens at a home for pregnant girls as witchcraft enters the fold.

Wild Side by Elsie Silver Opens in a new window Credit: Barnes & Noble Wild Side by Elsie Silver $15.99 at Barnes & Noble
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This small-town, western, enemy-to-lovers romance features two people who hate each other and get married just to take custody of a nephew.

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar Opens in a new window Credit: Barnes & Noble The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar $24.99 at Barnes & Noble
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Amal El-Mohtar is one of the bestselling authors of This is How You Lose the Time War, which sailed to the top of bestseller lists and TikTok For You Pages. This novel, at just under 150 pages, follows two sisters who cannot be apart.

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor Opens in a new window Credit: Barnes & Noble Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor $25 at Barnes & Noble
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This novel follows a disabled Nigerian American woman who writes a successful sci-fi novel, and then has to deal with the outcome of rising fame.

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For anyone who loves a book that you can binge, it should come as no surprise that BookTok is obsessed with the newest addition to The Hunger Games. This novel, a prequel to the original trilogy, follows Haymitch during the 50th Hunger Games.

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros Opens in a new window Credit: Barnes & Noble Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros $26.99 at Barnes & Noble
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The highly anticipated third book of Yarros' adult romantic fantasy series, the Empyrean series, after Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, came out at the beginning of the year and set BookTok up for some spicy conversations. Dragons. Romance. Rebellion. It's got it all.

TL;DR: Scan anything, anywhere, with this lifetime subscription to iScanner, now £18.78 (reg. £149.56) with code SCAN.

Opens in a new window Credit: BP Mobile iScanner App: Lifetime Subscription £18.78
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TL;DR: Live stream Alcaraz vs. Sinner in the 2025 French Open final for free on 9Now, France TV, or Servus TV. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2025 French Open has been a tournament to remember. We've seen some huge performances from the best players in the world, and now all that's left is Alcaraz against Sinner in the men's final. It's the final that fans really wanted — it's going to be an awesome spectacle.

If you want to watch Alcaraz vs. Sinner in the 2025 French Open final for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Alcaraz vs. Sinner for free

Alcaraz vs. Sinner in the 2025 French Open final is available to live stream for free on a number of platforms:

• Australia — 9now

• Austria — ServusTV

• France — France TV

These services are geo-restricted, but anyone can access these free streaming platforms with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in another country, meaning you can stream the 2025 French Open for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream the 2025 French Open for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly 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 Australia, Austria, or France

4. Connect to 9Now, Servus TV, France TV

5. Watch the 2025 French Open for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer pretty generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Roland-Garros without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to live stream Alcaraz vs. Sinner (plus the rest of the 2025 French Open) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for sport?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• 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

• 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 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month subscription for just $12.95 (including money-back guarantee).

Live stream Alcaraz vs. Sinner in the 2025 French Open final for free with ExpressVPN.