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Instagrams Edits is slowly catching up to CapCut

Mashable - 1 hour 15 min ago

Instagram's Edits just got a few much-anticipated features with teleprompters, overlays, and more, the company announced this week on Instagram.

"New on Edits," the Creators' Instagram account posted on Wednesday. "Update your Edits app today to find more insights, overlays and the much requested Teleprompter feature which allows you to read your script while filming and focus on capturing the perfect take. Swipe through to learn more — and comment below to let us know what features you’d like us to add next!"

The most exciting update in the new package of features is probably the teleprompter feature, which makes content creation a whole lot easier. To try it out yourself, start recording a video by clicking the record button at the bottom of the screen in Edits. On the left, you'll see five options: a music symbol, a little guy with a dotted box around them, a timer button, a zoom button, and, at the bottom of that list, a teleprompter button. Simply click the teleprompter, add your script, and change the text size and teleprompter speed with the slides at the bottom left of the script screen.

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Meta launched Edits in late April. Much like TikTok's CapCut, the app is intended to aid in creating Reels, but it's also pretty clearly a CapCut competitor. The only problem is that CapCut is more established in the space and has a ton more features than Reels does, so the app is having to fight to keep up.

Since Edits launched two months ago, it has added additional fonts, filters, and voice effects, more cropping tools, 35 transition effects, alignment guides and beat markers, tracking sensitivity, and more, as Social Media Today reported.

NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for June 14, 2025

Mashable - 2 hours 20 min ago

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 Saturday, June 14, 2025:

AcrossResearch org. that once employed Dr. Fauci
  • The answer is NIH.

Conflict ended on 11/11/1918, for short
  • The answer is WWI.

Garment with an underwire
  • The answer is Bra.

___ Solo of "Star Wars"
  • The answer is Han.

Verify the truth of
  • The answer is Confirm.

Student's request while preparing for a test
  • The answer is Quiz me.

Music player at a '50s-style diner
  • The answer is Jukebox.

"All good to go!"
  • The answer is A OK.

Prefix meaning "bird" or "flight"
  • The answer is Avi.

By way of
  • The answer is Via.

Actor Cage, to fans
  • The answer is Nic.

Flecks from a campfire
  • The answer is Ash.

Nat ___ (TV channel)
  • The answer is Geo.

Down"Saturday Night Live" network
  • The answer is NBC.

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy, by another name
  • The answer is Iroquois.

Eight-day Jewish holiday
  • The answer is Hanukkah.

Sensationally successful, in older slang
  • The answer is Whiz bang.

"Full Metal Jacket" or "Saving Private Ryan"
  • The answer is War movie.

Where Baja California is, as opposed to California
  • The answer is In Mexico.

"Fee, ___, foe, fum"
  • The answer is Fie.

Coding language with a coffee cup logo
  • The answer is Java.

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.

What to look for when buying a TV, as told through this easy TV specs guide

Mashable - 6 hours 28 min ago

Buying a new television can break your brain more than it breaks your budget. If you're not a picky cinephile or longtime gamer, TV specs are one of those Michael Scott "Explain it to me like I'm five" things. (So are laptop specs.)

Lengthy product titles on Amazon TVs definitely aren't helping the confusion. A cluster of nebulous descriptors like "Omni Mini-LED, QLED 4K UHD, Dolby Vision IQ, 144hz, Ambient Experience" isn't exactly accessible to the average person — it's pure chaos.

SEE ALSO: Our favorite expert-tested TV brands include LG, TCL, Hisense, and Samsung

So I'm simplifying that mess in this straightforward TV buyers guide, breaking down specs like QLED and OLED lighting, 4K resolution, brightness, and refresh rate. Recommendations for the best TVs to buy in 2025 are at the bottom of this guide, thanks to intel from CNET's Ty Pendlebury. (CNET and Mashable are both owned by publisher Ziff Davis.)

Lighting explained: LED vs. QLED vs. OLED

The main thing to know: 4K and LED are not talking about the same thing. 4K refers to resolution, and terms containing -LED refer to lighting.

Contrary to the TV-related queries that fill Google's "People also asked" section, you don't have to choose between, say, 4K or QLED. For example, a TV can have 4K resolution with LED, QLED, or OLED lighting. The order listed there also reflects their escalating price points: LED TVs are the most affordable of the types of TV lighting, QLED TVs can be entry-level and affordable or high-end and expensive, and OLED TVs are the most expensive type of TV because their lighting system is the most advanced. You're much more likely to find cheap QLED TVs than you are to find cheap OLED TVs.

What is QLED?

Technical translation: QLED stands for Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diode.

Quantum dots are tiny nanocrystals that can convert the basic spectrum of light into billions of vibrant colors. Measuring no more than 10 nanometers in size, a quantum dot beside even a single piece of human hair would look as small as Earth looks beside massive stars in those 'scale of the universe' videos. Existential dread incoming.

Because they're so small, millions (sometimes billions) of quantum dots can be packed into a quantum dot display. Each has the ability to receive and reflect the light coming from the backlight panel layered behind them. The color of the light reflected depends on the size of each particle.

The color of the light reflected in a quantum dot depends on the size of each particle. Credit: Samsung

The more quantum dots that can be packed into a display, the more vibrant the range of colors and brightness the TV can produce. Color gamut is the official term you'll see denoting the range of colors a TV can produce. A wide color gamut simply means more saturated colors, regardless of where they fall on the rainbow.

Brightness, simply the amount of light that the TV screen produces, is measured in nits. Traditional LED TVs typically hit around 500 nits, while even the cheapest QLEDs out there nowadays will clear 1,000 nits. Nit count continues to ante up as the TVs get more premium — the best TVs of 2025 easily hit 2,000 nits at peak brightness.

SEE ALSO: Thank goodness: Max is changing its name back to HBO Max What is mini LED?

Technical translation: Mini LED is a type of TV lighting that uses more, tinier-than-usual LED bulbs in a TV's LCD panel.

QLED is not synonymous with mini LED — QLED has to do with the nanocrystals that reflect light from bulbs in the panel, while mini LED has to do with the bulbs themselves.

Smaller, more jam-packed LED bulbs across the screen allow for more precise brightness control within small zones (called dimming zones) of the screen. These clusters of bulbs can be dimmed or turned off together to achieve more detailed contrast without muddying things up for the parts of the scene that need to be bright and colorful.

The more local dimming zones a screen has, the more opportunities to fine-tune color and contrast across each inch of each scene, ultimately leading to a sharper, more realistic image on the screen. Budget-friendly mini LED TVs probably won't have more than 200 dimming zones, while solid mid-range picks might up the count to 500. The best mini LED TVs have 1,000+ dimming zones and will get the closest to the OLED experience in terms of contrast (more on that later).

SEE ALSO: Best 55-inch and under TVs for your bedroom, the kids' room, or your apartment

When QLED does its best work: The main advantage of QLED is brightness, which is inherently better at handling glare and reflections in bright rooms. QLED TVs are ideal for people whose TV usage happens mostly in the daytime, especially watching sports. Less than 1,000 nits of brightness, like the low numbers produced by a more basic LED TV, just isn't bright enough for comfortable visibility when it's competing with direct sunlight.

Ideally, QLED technology will be paired with mini LED technology to create the most well-rounded picture — this is what Samsung's Neo QLED TVs do.

When QLED isn't great: The main disadvantage of QLED TVs is dulled contrast, especially when it comes to black levels. QLEDs simply have a hard time reaching as deep of a black tone as OLED pixels do. The combination of these muted black levels with the brightness of light colors can sometimes backfire with what's commonly called blooming or haloing: a ring-shaped glow around bright objects on the screen. The halo effect can mess with the legibility of details on the screen, like captions written in white letters.

What is OLED?

Technical translation: OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode.

The one-letter shift between QLED and OLED doesn't accurately represent how starkly different these two lighting technologies are. While QLED pixels are merely casting light coming from behind them (but making it juicier), OLED pixels emit their own light. These self-lighting pixels can individually turn themselves on and off, which is how light/dark scenes show up.

The OLED TV on the right has one less layer — no backlight. Credit: Samsung Display

When OLED does its best work: The main advantages of OLED TVs are contrast and deep black levels. OLED TVs are ideal for people who do most of their TV watching or gaming in the dark, or watch a lot of dimly-lit content that gets muddied on more basic TVs.

SEE ALSO: How to watch 'Sinners': See the smash horror hit at home

The main disadvantage of OLED is the eventual likelihood of "burn-in," or permanently dimmed OLED pixels that show up as little black dots on the screen. OLED burn-in happens over a span of several years — not quickly enough that it stops many TV experts from generally preferring OLED TVs over QLED, anyway. Most newer OLED screens have built-in protective features that can prolong burn-in, like pixel refresh to shake up a static screen. You can also mitigate burn-in by simply not leaving your TV on all day, every day.

Resolution explained: FHD vs. 4K vs. 8K

Technical translation: Resolution refers to the number of pixels(p) that make up the picture on the screen.

The most common TV resolutions in 2025 are FHD, 4K, and 8K. Resolution technically measures the pixel count horizontally and vertically, but is sometimes shortened to just the vertical number. (For example, FHD is 1920x1080p, but is often represented as just "1080p".) A higher pixel count allows for more details, leading to clearer picture quality.

SEE ALSO: The best Netflix movies of 2025 now streaming

You've probably stumbled across 4K the most, which is a much more self-explanatory term than you may think: 4K is literally just four times the resolution of FHD. (4K measures 3840 x 2160, which is double the horizontal and double the vertical resolution of FHD's 1920 x 1080.) For most consumer buying purposes, 4K and UHD are essentially interchangeable.

For most intents and purposes, 4K and UHD are interchangeable. Credit: LG

The math gets more intense with the switch to 8K: At 7680 x 4320, 8K is four times the resolution of 4K and 16 times the resolution of FHD. But honestly, you probably don't have to worry about 8K right now. While it's the sharpest TV resolution one can get on paper, there's not enough content that can even be watched in 8K right now to make buying an 8K TV worthwhile.

HDR explained

Technical translation: HDR stands for high-dynamic range.

In the most lucid sense, HDR allows certain content to get brighter and more contrasted — as close to seeing the image IRL as possible. HDR is a technology that has the capacity to "understand" color and contrast data about what was originally shot through the camera lens that more basic technology, like SDR (standard dynamic range), just can't translate.

HDR "understands" color and contrast data better than SDR. Credit: LG

Not all TVs can get bright enough to fully take advantage of HDR's brightening capabilities, even if they claim to technically support the technology. Remember that conversation about brightness and nits we had earlier? Any TV toeing 1,000 nits probably won't be able to give you the optimal HDR experience.

On the flip side, a really good TV can't magically turn everything into HDR content — the movie, show, or video game has to be HDR compatible in the first place. For example, Hulu supports HDR for some titles and devices, but not others. Depending on your TV, calibrating HDR could be relatively simple or a pain in the ass, and is often trickier to nail with video games and monitors than with streamed content on a TV.

SEE ALSO: 10 Nintendo Switch 2 launch titles I can't wait to play (besides 'Mario Kart World')

There are a few main types of HDR formats: HDR10 (the most common "generic" one), Dolby Vision (the next most common one), and HDR10+ (Samsung's own version of HDR10). Most streaming services support at least the first two. The main difference between the HDR formats involves some heavy jargon that the average TV buyer probably doesn't need to dissect — but if you're really interested in the comparison between HDR10's use of static metadata versus Dolby Vision and HDR10+'s use of dynamic metadata, CNET breaks down the HDR formats well.

Refresh rate explained

Technical translation: Measured in hertz (Hz), refresh rate refers to the number of times a display refreshes its image per second.

The higher the refresh rate, the smoother and more lifelike the motion on the screen will be. But if your TV watching doesn't really exceed casual streaming service perusing, don't focus too much on refresh rate in your shopping. You'll probably be perfectly fine with 60Hz, which is what's found on most budget 4K TVs, like Amazon's 4-Series Fire TV.

Serious film watchers might find 60Hz too laggy, though, and might consider upping the ante to 120Hz. If you want to play the Switch 2 in all of its glory, a TV that supports at least 120Hz is crucial.

SEE ALSO: What Wes Anderson thinks of social media imitations of his aesthetic

Refresh rate plays the most influential role in video games, especially games that rely heavily on on-screen responsiveness. For gamers, anything under 144Hz will probably just be frustrating. This is the number that separates the good TVs from the best gaming TVs. For instance, LG's B4 OLED is a great midrange OLED option unless you're a hardcore gamer who wants to play at 144 fps — in that case, you'd need to upgrade to the LG C4 OLED, which supports 144Hz.

Final thoughts: How to choose a TV

Visualizing the differences between TV specs based solely on descriptions is hard. I thought my 2019 4K LED looked fine until I tested a high-end Samsung QLED in my apartment on the same TV stand in the same bright living room sunlight. Then I understood the hype.

My point? If you can, go to a store that has a TV aisle and see for yourself in person. Ideally, the TVs lined up in your local Best Buy or Target will be playing the same thing for easy side-by-side comparison of big features like picture quality, brightness, and color accuracy that can't quite be explained.

If you need a starting point for the TVs to hunt down IRL, check out some recommendations for the best televisions of 2025 below. There's a budget-friendly option, a mid-range mini LED option, and a top-of-their-class pick for both QLED and OLED. There's a high chance that one or two of them will be on sale whenever you're reading this — most of them were at the time this story was written.

Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL QM6K QLED Mini LED 4K TV Between $799.99 (55-inch) and $2,999.99 (98-inch) Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense U6 Mini LED QLED 4K TV Between $529.99 (65-inch) and $999.99 (85-inch) Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG C4 OLED 4K TV Between $999.99 (42-inch) and $3,499.99 (83-inch) Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony Bravia 9 QLED Mini LED 4K TV Between $2,999.99 (65-inch) and $4,799.99 (85-inch) Shop Now

Review: Mario Kart World is so much fun its borderline sadistic

Mashable - 6 hours 33 min ago

Mario Kart World, the lone original flagship launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2, is as much defined by what it is as what it is not. 

What it is is a tremendously fun Mario Kart game that hones the franchise’s trademark fun to a hilarious, borderline sadistic, and nearly scientifically perfect degree. What it’s not is a revolutionary open-world epic on par with the Switch 1’s biggest launch title, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, or even other open-world racers like Burnout Paradise and Forza Horizon

Do not create a game in your head that doesn’t exist; this is a kick-ass Mario Kart game that happens to have an open world in it. Whether that’s enough for you to want to buy a Switch 2 at launch or not is your business, not mine. While Mario Kart World doesn’t necessarily live up to the seemingly infinite potential of an open-world Mario Kart game, it lives up to my expectations as a longtime fan of the series who really, really enjoys playing it online, which in turn makes it a great showcase for what makes the Switch 2 awesome.

You can get Mario Kart World for $79 at Walmart (and $79.99 at Nintendo), or you can try to find the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle Check prices at Walmart Shop Now

You can also read my full hands-on deep dive on the Switch 2, but in the meantime, let's get into my Mario Kart World review.

Mario Kart World may not be what you expect Knockout Tour is the real highlight here. Credit: Nintendo

Back in April, when Nintendo first detailed Mario Kart World to the masses, plenty of folks (myself included) became wide-eyed with awe in thinking about what an open-world Mario Kart game could be. Mario Kart World is not quite that.

To be clear, after a week of extensive play, I don’t think that’s a bad thing, but it is disappointing, especially if you tuned out the later marketing that made it explicitly clear that the free roam feature is a goofy little side mode and not the main attraction. It’s an easy way to unlock new costumes for characters, and it’s full of little bespoke challenges to complete, but their rewards pretty much only come in the form of stickers, which don’t actually do anything meaningful. Those challenges are only worth doing for the love of the game, in other words.

Mario Kart World’s biggest surprise, then, is how much that doesn’t really bother me. Once the final game was in my hands, I realized the open world exists to justify the modes you just pick from a menu. Grand prix races ask players to race between tracks, for instance. The new Knockout Tour mode, which is the game’s biggest highlight, takes players on a Cannonball Run-esque (that’s a reference the kids will get) cross-country race, in which those at the back of the pack are gradually eliminated from contention over time. 

There are several Knockout Tour stretches available. Credit: Nintendo SEE ALSO: Switch 2 smashes Nintendo's own record, selling 3.5 million consoles

It’s tempting to call the open world “tacked-on,” but I would argue that's not really appropriate. The idea that all of these tracks are physically connected to one another is baked into the design of the major modes; Knockout Tour wouldn’t exist without the open world, therefore, the existence of the open world is justified. That said, since this is a Mario Kart World review, it’s worth noting that most tracks can be turned into regular three-lap circuits during multiplayer races, if you prefer that.

Still, I don’t want to let Nintendo entirely off the hook here. Free roam should be more rewarding than it is. Stickers are not a good enough incentive to complete P-switch challenges, many of which are genuinely pretty difficult. That being said, Mario Kart World is a ton of fun on its own merits, regardless of what you may or may not wish it was instead.

But the part where it’s Mario Kart might be better than ever The races are great. Credit: Nintendo

Once you process and get over the fact that this isn’t Burnout Paradise with blue shells, Mario Kart World rocks. The sorcerers over at Nintendo have found a bunch of ways to make the races more frenetic, chaotic, and arguably fun than ever.

For starters, there are now 24 competitors per race, rather than the traditional 12. That means the beginning portion of every race is kind of a nightmare, in a great way. There’s just a mass of humanity (and cows, and dolphins, and Goombas, and anything else that’s ever been in a Mario game) all trying to knock each other out. If you’re inclined to get mad at the part of Mario Kart where sometimes you get hit by a shell that you couldn’t do anything about, get ready for twice as much of that.

I’m not inclined to get mad about that because I think it makes Mario Kart more interesting than many other racing games. If I wanted to play a game where mere driving prowess was enough to win on its own, I would play almost any other racing game. I find comfort in the idea that sometimes you can be perfect, and it’s still not good enough because of some nonsense that was out of your control. That’s just life, man. 

Crucially, it’s also very funny to go from first to 20th in about three seconds. Learning to laugh at yourself is key to enjoying Mario Kart.

Donkey Kong rocks. Credit: Nintendo

With that in mind, though, the driving mechanics here are maybe my favorite in any Mario Kart. It still works roughly the same on the surface as it did in Mario Kart 8, in that drifting in order to build up boost is the main thing you have to worry about when you aren’t dodging items. There’s also a new charge jump mechanic on top of that, which enables the player to grind on rails or even ride along walls, two things that also build up boost if you do them right.

I haven’t even really scratched the surface of the kinds of shortcut opportunities that surely exist if you get good enough at those moves, but just knowing that there’s more depth here than before is enough for me. Pulling off a sick wallride feels great, if nothing else. 

All of this works in concert with the true greatness of the Knockout Tour mode to create something I’m going to casually play online for many, many dozens of hours. It’s truly exciting to win a Knockout Tour in a way it’s never been to win in Mario Kart before. Every time I finish in first place in an online Knockout Tour, I feel like I can take on God.

Mario Kart World is an excellent Switch 2 showcase The water is gorgeous. Credit: Nintendo

One very important aspect of Mario Kart World that maybe doesn’t come through until you see it running on a 4K TV with HDR turned on is that it’s one of the best-looking games of 2025 so far. The Switch 2’s big boost in horsepower over its predecessor, combined with Nintendo’s excellent-as-usual art direction, make it an absolute delight to look at pretty much at all times.

Mario Kart World is vibrant, colorful, and full of fun little details. Karts and racers bend and contort in cartoonish ways when they take hits, explosions now have comic book-esque “KABOOM!” text callouts on top of them, and the water, oh my god, the water. I think Mario Kart World might have the best-looking water I’ve seen in a video game. It needs to be seen to be believed.

Aside from World’s prowess as a technical showcase, it’s also a great demonstrator of the Switch 2’s neat online social features. I’ve had a ton of fun doing online races and Knockout Tours against friends while we casually hang out and talk about whatever is happening in our lives via GameChat. World is an incredible hangout game, if nothing else.

But there are some gaps in the online feature set Also gorgeous. Credit: Nintendo

Unfortunately, the online features could be a bit more fleshed out in a couple of ways.

First, free roaming around the open world with friends appears to be limited to driving around while waiting for races or Knockout Tours to start. The P-switch challenges are removed from the open world when playing this way, turning it into a glorified lobby rather than a true, cooperative open world. I wish there was more to do in the open world in general, but I think this sentiment is especially true of the online version of it.

Secondly, I wish you could queue up for online Knockout Tour races against random strangers while partied up with your friends. Instead, to do an online Knockout Tour with friends, you either need to find 23 other people (unlikely) or accept that some of the slots will be filled with NPC characters. I think this is a fantastic online game in many ways, but it’s not always ideal.

Is Mario Kart World worth it?

Look, everyone has their own idea of what a dollar is worth, or in this case, 80 of them. I think Mario Kart World is a great game and I would pay $80 for it if I had to, but I’m also comically irresponsible with money.

Moving past the value proposition of it all, World is just a ton of fun. It’s fun to look at, fun to win at, and even fun to lose at, if your mindset is properly attuned to it.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Mario Kart World - U.S. Version $79 at Walmart
Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle Check prices at Walmart Shop Now

I had to wait 3 months to use the Oura Ring chronotype tool, and Im glad I did

Mashable - 6 hours 38 min ago
Products in this story: Oura Ring 4 $349 at Amazon Get Deal Oura Ring Gen3 Horizon $249 at Amazon (save $50) Get Deal Oura Ring Sizing Kit $10 at Amazon Shop Now

If you can't figure out why you're dead exhausted upon waking or want to track how your body handles the stress of daily life, a smart ring will deliver answers. And my favorite smart ring, the famous Oura ring, starts providing answers quickly. Almost the second I slipped on the ring, I got data on my heart rate, skin temperature, and blood oxygen levels. And within days, the Oura app was collecting and reporting trends on my health biometrics. But for some data, users have to be patient.

The Oura app has three tabs: Today, Vitals, and My Health. 'Today' and 'Vitals' provide data you can immediately access — quick snapshots of your real-time health data. But 'My Health' is a home base for data that takes some time to calculate. And this isn't just one or two weeks of processing; one calculation requires months of patience.

Credit: Oura App / Mashable Photo Composite

'My Health' has three reports: Resilience, Heart Health, and Sleep Health. After about 28 days, data populates in both Resilience and Heart Health, but Sleep Health takes longer. I had to wait three months for my sleep chronotype to calculate. So, after 90 days of daily use, I finally got my chronotype, and it was well worth the wait.

What is a chronotype?

The terms early bird and night owl are more than just an idiom. They refer to chronotypes, aka your natural sleep cycle. Chronotypes were popularized by Dr. Michael Breus, a clinical psychologist specializing in sleep medicine. Dr. Breus described sleepers as either a lion, bear, wolf, or dolphin, adding a couple more animals to the traditional sleep cycle menagerie.

Oura breaks down users into six chronotypes: early morning, morning, late morning, early evening, evening, and late evening. With each chronotype comes a suggested sleep and wake time that works with your natural circadian rhythm, helping you get the best quality of sleep. Plus, it helps you realize when you're most productive so you can stop scheduling early morning meetings when you're most focused and productive in the afternoon or evening anyway.

How does Oura calculate chronotype? Any other 'early evening types' in the crowd? Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Oura rings track an impressive amount of biometrics to calculate your chronotype (hence the months-long wait). Through sleep tracking, activity tracking, and body temperature, Oura coalesces the data to conclude what chronotype category you fall into. And Oura isn't just taking a snapshot of data. Through three months of data collection, it can paint a fuller picture of your habits than you'd get after just 28 days, which might contain an off week or two and sway the data.

Why does Chronotype matter?

If you're trying to follow doctor's orders and get those recommended seven to eight hours of sleep a night, choosing the right sleep and wake times is crucial. If you're working backward, planning your sleep time around when you need to be awake, you may find that your bedtime still doesn't feel right. If you're having a hard time falling asleep or waking up way before your alarm, you might not be embracing your natural circadian rhythm.

Your chronotype gives you the insight to know when your body wants to wake and rest, as well as when it's most productive. While most people don't have the luxury to create their work hours around their sleep schedule, you can still get useful data for optimizing your life.

Why I love Oura's Chronotype feature According to Oura, evening types are innovative (not to brag). Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

My sleep schedule has been a problem since I was a kid. I'd stay up past my bedtime and oversleep early wake times for school. While I once saw this as a discipline problem, the irresponsibility of youth prompting me to stay up late, I've since learned this is just my natural sleep cadence. It's no surprise that I thrived while working restaurant hours post-grad.

Now that I'm working a 9-to-5, working from home, those late nights need to be cut short. For a while, I tried going to sleep at the same time as my partner, who goes to bed early and wakes at dawn, I just ended up tossing and turning in bed, frustrated that I couldn't fall asleep.

After wearing my Oura ring for three months, I finally got some answers. Oura assigned me the chronotype of 'early evening'. While I'm not an extreme night owl, my schedule does stray toward the later side. When Oura provided the suggested bedtime of 12:30 a.m. with an 8:30 a.m. wake time, I realized that was what my body wanted. When I was trying to be an early riser, I was fighting against my chronotype. I've since adjusted my schedule to embrace this routine and found that I fall asleep more easily and wake fully rested.

Oura isn't the only fitness tracker to provide this type of data. Whoop also does a good job at suggesting sleep and wake times; however, Whoop doesn't offer chronotype profiles.

There's a lot of vital information you can get from your Oura ring, but chronotype is my favorite feature. It's given me tangible info that genuinely improved my quality of sleep.

I know that an Oura ring is an expensive investment, and if you're going to splurge, it's reassuring to know you'll receive data that's actually useful.

Who can access chronotypes?

You can access the chronotype feature with the newer Oura Ring 4 and the older Oura Ring Gen3, but you'll need an Oura membership. The Oura app membership costs $5.99 a month or $69.99 a year.

Opens in a new window Credit: Oura Oura Ring 4 $349 at Amazon
Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Oura Oura Ring Gen3 Horizon $249 at Amazon
$299 Save $50 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Oura Oura Ring sizing kit $10 at Amazon
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The Film Library: A Kanopy Podcast shares Pride Month watch picks

Mashable - 6 hours 43 min ago

Pride Month is here, and The Film Library: A Kanopy Podcast is celebrating with an episode that embraces some of the best LGBTQ+ movies now streaming on Kanopy.

With over 30,000 titles to choose from, Kanopy offers a terrific array of movies, TV shows, documentaries, and shorts. The Film Library's co-hosts, Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko and internet film critic Jeff Rauseo, make finding must-watch movies and TV shows even easier by highlighting the best of the batch.

Mashable offers watch guides for plenty of subscription streaming services, from Hulu to Netflix, and more, including the 75 best LGBTQ films to stream right now. But if you're looking for what you can stream with no fee, all you need for Kanopy access is your library card.

On this episode of The Film Library, Kristy and Jeff made their Pride picks, which include a groundbreaking drama, period romance, clever comedies, celebrated indies, and Oscar–nominated classics. Plus, Kristy gets personal with her appreciation of Frank Oz's 1997 comedy In & Out.

The Film Library: A Kanopy Podcast delivers new episodes twice per month, bringing new recommendations of hit films, hidden gems, misunderstood movies, and much, much more. Kanopy's catalog includes titles from BBC, Criterion, NEON, Samuel Goldwyn, HISTORY, A&E, The Great Courses, Kino Lorber, A24, and IFC Films. So, there's plenty to pick from whenever you log in!

How to watch: The Film Library: A Kanopy Podcast is available on Kanopy, YouTube, and wherever you download podcasts.

5 misinformation trends that circulate around mass protests

Mashable - 6 hours 43 min ago

Following days of protest decrying the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and militarized federal forces in Los Angeles, downtown L.A. residents remained under curfew this week while California governor Gavin Newsom went toe-to-toe with President Trump, who sent Marines into the area. Memes, and viral misinformation, were abundant. 

Meanwhile, the "No Kings" organizing coalition has planned thousands more peaceful demonstrations this weekend, specifically orchestrated to overlap with Trump's planned military parade. While the organizations behind the events are gearing up for what they've said will be the "largest single-day, peaceful protest" in the country's history, some worry they may be met with an equal show of state-sanctioned violence — and attempts to undermine news coverage via viral falsehoods. 

SEE ALSO: U.S. government climate website axes staff, may shut down

Peter Adams, senior vice president of research and design for the News Literacy Project, explained that mass demonstrations are rife for online misinformation, patterns which can be spotted before protesters even touch ground. Adams runs the organization's online misinformation newsletter RumorGuard, which collates viral fact-checks and critical literacy tips. 

"Protests generally only happen around events that are highly polarizing and controversial," said Adams. "The more polarizing something is, the more people's political identities are activated and invoked. We know that these identities play a very strong role in how people react to information online. As polarization has increased in American society, this is even more at play."

News and misinformation debunking organizations, such as bipartisan NewsGuard, have reputed dozens of false posts, including those made by conservative commentators alleging Newsom had posted an outdated or AI-generated photo of national guard troops as he criticized Trump's militarized protest response. Such posts were propelled by X chatbot Grok, which told some users that the photos, first published by the San Francisco Chronicle, were outdated — ChatGPT users got similarly confusing responses. 

Others, including representatives of the Trump administration, fanned the flames with misattributed or outrightly false quotes from federal and international leaders, including California congresswoman Maxine Waters and Mexican president Claudia Scheinbaum. Viral posts from partisan voices on both sides of the conflict have attempted to sway, or overtly manipulate, public perception and recast reality in terms that are more favorable to their side, Adams explains. 

"Viral misinformation expresses patterns over time, and we can learn how to recognize those patterns and inoculate ourselves to a whole swath of viral rumors," explained Adams.  

As protests continue, here's what to look out for:

AI chatbot errors and hallucinations

"Chatbots often generate outdated or inaccurate details, and that can be especially true during fast-moving events," explained Adams and other News Literacy Project experts. While users are turning to built-in chatbots to fact-check on platforms that have removed internal fact-checking programs, AI-powered assistants are increasingly unreliable sources for news

Despite its convenience, "AI is really prone to making big errors, and to integrating details from low quality sources alongside high quality sources, sanitizing them and presenting falsehoods alongside facts that makes it harder for people to parse," said Adams. "Don't turn to generative AI to ask whether something is true and take it at its word."

The paid protestor myth

Nearly every mass demonstration is met with accusations that at least some of its participants were hired to be on the ground, according to the News Literacy Project. On June 10, for example, a fake Craigslist ad circulated on social media claiming to seek “the toughest badasses in the city” for a $6,500 to $12,500 payout to attend the L.A. demonstrations.

Online pranks or "troll" behavior may exacerbate the spread of such rumors. It's easier than ever to fake a screenshot from a user or official accounts, said Adams, and the fact that many public officials and agencies have started to lean into ironic posting only exacerbates public confusion about which posts are authentic. 

Featured Video For You How to blur people's faces in protest photos to protect their identities Bricks and other objects used for 'violent' protest

Allegations that protestors have staged piles of bricks or other objects ahead of time to help violent protestors is a "recurring hoax" surrounding mass demonstrations, the organization explains. 

During last week's protests, which led to combative encounters with police and the destruction of property, some online alleged the effort was organized, including placing bricks in strategic areas; the posts misleadingly included images from construction projects in New Jersey and Malaysia.

Recycled footage of looting, arson, or previous protests

Coverage of mass protests is also frequently drowned out by unrelated footage circulated online for virality or to inflame a specific response to the events (the same is often true during severe weather disasters). Videos from the wave of protests following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, for example, made the rounds following the Los Angeles demonstrations on June 8. 

"Sharing out-of-context footage is one of the most common tricks used to spread falsehoods," said the organization.

Video game or movie clips passed off as the real thing 

More recently, hyperrealistic footage from video games have been shared as real world events and news. Generative AI may also complicate an individual's ability to discern reality from fiction.

Individuals may fall victim to fake or ironic posts mistakenly shared as real news, or what Adams calls a "stolen satire" phenomenon, as brands and online trolls take advantage of a confusing information environment. Generally, the rise of news influencers, live streamers, and people claiming to be "citizen journalists"— now more frequently on the ground at protests — feed into ongoing partisan attempts to discredit the intent and veracity of standards-based news sources, says Adams. 

"We get into a territory where no one can agree what is real, and that is an environment in which democracy cannot flourish," he said. "Be aware of your emotions. Be wary of user-generated content and unknown sources. Always stop and verify you're not amplifying anything you're not confident is true."

The Renpho Smart Scale syncs to Apple Health and is $39 for a limited time

Mashable - 6 hours 43 min ago

SAVE $25.01: As of June 13, you can get the Renpho Smart Scale for $39.98 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $64.99. That's a discount of 38%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Renpho Smart Scale $39.98 at Amazon
$64.99 Save $25.01 Get Deal

For better or worse, we've never had more metrics for tracking our health and weight. And with wearables like the Apple Watch and Oura Ring, we can even get real-time feedback on our health 24/7. One thing these fitness trackers can't do? Tell you your weight, which is why so many people invest in a smart scale that can sync with apps like Apple Health, Samsung Health, and MyFitnessPal. The Renpho Smart Scale can do that, and a lot more too.

As of June 13, get the Renpho Smart Scale for $39.98, down from its usual price of $64.99. That's $25.01 off and a discount of 38%.

This smart scale can offer 7 key body metrics, including body mass, bone mass, body fat, weight, water percentage, muscle mass, and metabolic age, all from its larger screen. All you have to do is step on it to get these measurements, which you can also track with the Renpho Health App. Add your body metrics from there to other connected apps from Apple, Samsung, and even MyFitnessPal.

You can create unlimited user profiles to track yourself as well as other members of the household, so you can all keep an eye on your health without having to track data manually or write down who's who when using it.

It can support up to 400 pounds, and it's a sleek, lightweight scale that's easy to pick up and put down if you need to move it. Plus, its compact profile means you can stash it in the bathroom or another small space and it won't be in the way since you'll likely be using it on a regular basis.

If you're ready to transform the way you take care of the information you receive about your body, a smart scale could be for you. And now's the time to pounce so you can get a quality one for a discount.

The suns poles have flipped. A spacecraft is watching what happens next.

Mashable - 6 hours 43 min ago

A spacecraft just got the first look at the bottom of the sun, and what it saw was a hot mess — literally. 

Our host star, about 93 million miles away in space, is in utter turmoil right now, having just reached peak chaos in its solar cycle. Similar to storm seasons on Earth, the sun experiences a weather pattern that repeats every 11 years. At the beginning and end of this stretch, flares and sunspots calm down. But solar activity rises before it falls, and when it climaxes, the sun roils with giant eruptions.

The Solar Orbiter, a collaborative mission between the European Space Agency and NASA, captured detailed images of the sun’s southern region in March, something no other probe has done at close range. While previous spacecraft have taken pictures around the sun's middle, the Solar Orbiter tilted to get the unprecedented southern view. 

What its instruments observed wasn't unexpected, though it remains mysterious: The poles had flipped. While a normal magnet has clear north and south poles, both of the sun's poles occupy the bottom now. This happens only for a short period during "solar maximum" before a single polarity eventually takes over, and the entire magnetic field reorders itself in the reversed configuration.

"How exactly this build-up occurs is still not fully understood," said Sami Solanki, leader of one of the orbiter instrument teams from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, in a statement, "so Solar Orbiter has reached high latitudes at just the right time to follow the whole process from its unique and advantageous perspective."

SEE ALSO: A spacecraft ‘touched’ the sun. Here’s how it survived.

The spacecraft, launched in 2020, used a gravity assist from Venus in February to swing out of the sun’s equatorial plane. That change in trajectory gave its cameras the fresh angle to see the southern region. One previous spacecraft — NASA and ESA's now-defunct Ulysses mission that began in the 1990s — flew over the sun's poles but did not have the ability to take pictures.

The orbiter comes equipped with several instruments that have different purposes. One images the sun in optical light, and another captures ultraviolet light. Two others map the sun's surface magnetic field and capture light from different temperatures of charged gas above the sun's surface.

Though the basis of the solar cycle — our star's internal clock — remains unclear, scientists think the key to understanding it lies at the poles. One of the primary mission objectives for the orbiter is to try to figure it out. Its findings may also improve predictions for space weather events that can disrupt power grids, satellites, and navigation systems.

In the March images, the orbiter viewed the sun from an angle of 17 degrees below the solar equator. Over the coming years, the spacecraft will tilt even farther. In December 2026, the orbit will change to a steeper 23 degrees. By 2029, it may reach 33 degrees to fully map both poles.

Daters: Stop obsessing over height

Mashable - 6 hours 43 min ago

This article contains spoilers for Materialists.

When the internet discovered that Tinder was testing a height preference, it reignited a long-discussed matter: the importance of height, particularly men's height, in dating. The new film Materialists touches on height and romance as well, and now it's the topic du jour once again.

Focusing on appearance seems to be a plague on modern society; see the obsession with plastic surgery broadly and the meme about wanting a "man in finance, trust fund, 6'5", blue eyes" from last year. Yet height has been an issue with partners meeting each other for much longer. The Journal of Social Psychology published an article about height in mate selection back in 1954! The introduction states: "Undoubtedly, body height plays a role in the process of forming an attachment. The norm in our culture is that among lovers and married couples the man is taller than the woman."

SEE ALSO: Logging off helped me orgasm for the first time

Height shouldn't matter. How tall someone is doesn't reflect how thoughtful someone is, how good in bed they are, how they treat their family, or any number of deeper questions one might have when picking a life partner. So why does it matter?

Why height matters in dating

A more recent article (from 2015) published in Evolutionary Psychology presents a few possibilities about why women want taller men: perceived safety (a taller man is seen as more masculine and tougher), potential reproductive benefits (taller kids), and societal norms. Women may even think taller men have a better socioeconomic status than shorter men. 

Beyond evolutionary theory, it's not that surprising to me that it's in vogue to care so much about height right now. Conservative ideals have spread online in the past few years (just look at who's president in the U.S.). The manosphere, a cluster of far-right, misogynistic creators like Andrew Tate, has soared in its influence, especially on men and boys. They present an idea that men need to be dominant and women submissive. 

This movement is coupled with the rise of tradwives, who are anti-feminist and perpetuate the notion that a woman's place is in the home. 

These right-wing influencers promote gender essentialism, the idea that men and women have inherent biological traits and features. Many are also anti-LGBTQ, particularly anti-trans. Their content promotes heterosexual relationships — "traditional" kinds, where the man is the head of the household and the woman follows. 

As such, in the conservative ideal, a man should be bigger than a woman and take up more space. Like I mentioned in an interview on AirTalk about Tinder's height feature, women are taught to be small, especially smaller than their partners. Like the societal ideal of a large penis, this idea stems in patriarchy — and patriarchy hurts men, too. Men are supposed to be bigger and stronger. But what about men who aren't?

Some men are trying to buck genetics, thanks to expensive and painful elective surgery to lengthen their legs. As NBC News reported, the surgery requires cutting into leg bones and inserting rods. Recovery involves intensive physical therapy and eventually removing the rods. 

Materialists takes on this controversial surgery in the context of modern dating.

Height and dating in Materialists

Harry (Pedro Pascal) is a rich, intelligent, and single man who falls for matchmaker Lucy (Dakota Johnson) after meeting at a wedding. In Lucy's work, women are looking for a tall man with a taller salary, while men typically look for thin, attractive, and young women. Lucy herself only cares about a man being rich, though slowly over the course of the film, she realizes her broke ex John (Chris Evans) is the one for her.

Still, before then, Lucy falls for Harry's money and physical attributes. She calls him a 10/10 because he is not only rich and from a rich family but also tall. They start seeing each other, usually at Harry's $12 million home in Manhattan. 

But the relationship doesn't last long. There's a moment in the movie when Lucy discovers scars on Harry's legs. At first, she lets it go, but eventually she must ask: Did you get the surgery?

Yes, it turns out. Harry not only paid hundreds of thousands to have himself surgically made taller, but he apparently added as many inches on him as possible (six). He said he wouldn't have the courage to hit on Lucy at that wedding otherwise. 

When I watched Materialists at its New York premiere, the audience howled at this moment. The scene is meant for laughs, with strategic pauses from the actors, but it highlights a deep-rooted superficiality in our society. 

Lucy breaks up with Harry in this scene — apparently not because he was disingenuous about his height, but simply because she's not in love with him and neither is he in love with her.

SEE ALSO: Social media use may cause depression among young people, new study finds

As a bisexual person, I have a different perspective on height than straight women: I don't get it. I do get it from an internalized patriarchal way of wanting to be smaller than one's partner. Of wanting to be the "damsel," maybe, and a big, strong person coming to your rescue.

But height is something out of one's control, and — in my opinion — not what makes someone attractive. Beyond someone's physical traits, what makes someone hot is their personality, their interests, their empathy and care for others, and so much more.

Beyond someone's physical traits, what makes someone hot is their personality, their interests, their empathy and care for others, and so much more.

Materialists accurately scalps daters' obsession with looks and superficial traits, hence the title. When Harry tries to win Lucy over, he says he's not interested in material assets. Unfortunately, he might be in the minority. But at a time when people are desperate to get off dating apps, they can't seem to overcome the shallowness they perpetuate. This is undoubtedly also a result of social media penetrating every aspect of our lives. We see people who look nothing like the actual human beings in our orbit, having relationships that seem perfect from the 60-second clips they post online. Worse, some of these influencers push misogynistic and archaic ideas about relationships. 

In order to have real connections (and be less lonely as a result), it's time to shed what social media and influencers say we should have and focus on what matters, because someone tall may ultimately come up short.

Materialists is now in theaters.

Store millions of files with a massive lifetime cloud storage deal

Mashable - 6 hours 43 min ago

TL;DR: Secure 20TB of cloud storage for life with Internxt Cloud Storage, now only $399.99 (reg. $4,900) with code STORAGE20 through July 20.

Opens in a new window Credit: Internxt Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription (20TB) $399.99
$4,900 Save $4,500.01 with code STORAGE20 Get Deal

Looking for enough cloud storage space that could last you a lifetime? Most big-name cloud storage providers boast 1TB and lock you into monthly subscription fees. Internxt Cloud Storage sets out to do something different — letting you pay once to enjoy a large amount of storage for life.

Right now, you can secure 20TB with Internxt Cloud Storage for just $399.99 (reg. $4,900) with code STORAGE20 through July 20.

Lock in 20TB of encrypted cloud storage with no monthly fees

Cloud storage subscriptions really add up — just ask anyone paying $30 a month for 6TB of storage from Apple. If you’re looking to end those monthly fees, Internxt Cloud Storage is a great option. This deal provides 20TB of storage, which is enough to hold more than 6.5 million photos, 5 million documents, or thousands of hours of HD video.

Internxt not only offers enough data to hold you for life, it also prioritizes your privacy. You’ll enjoy end-to-end encryption that makes sure nobody, even Internxt itself, can access your data.

Internxt is also GDPR-compliant, so you can rest easy knowing they adhere to strict European laws on user privacy and data security. The competitors can not only access your data, but also monetize it through targeted ads and data sharing.

If you’re already established with another cloud storage platform, Internxt offers easy cross-platform compatibility. That makes it easy to integrate across devices and operating systems.

Secure enough cloud storage for life with this lifetime subscription to Internxt Cloud Storage, now just $399.99 (reg. $4,900) with code STORAGE20 until July 20.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Get lifetime access to ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney, and more with this $40 tool

Mashable - 6 hours 43 min ago

TL;DR: Take advantage of multiple AI models in one spot with this lifetime subscription to 1min.AI, now just $39.99 (reg. $234).

Opens in a new window Credit: 1minAI 1min.AI: Lifetime Subscription $39.99
$234 Save $194.01 Get Deal

There are many AI models on the market, and it can be tough to know which model to use for each task. That’s where 1min.AI comes in, consolidating them all on one convenient platform.

Right now, you can score a lifetime subscription to this handy AI service for just $39.99 (reg. $234).

Save time and money with this all-in-one AI lifetime subscription

Tired of juggling multiple AI tools? 1min.AI brings all your favorite models — like ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney, Mistral, and more — together in one simple, streamlined platform.

1min.AI makes it easy to handle all your AI tasks without second-guessing which model to use. Let it help you tackle AI image generation, optimize your website, or write content. Just make sure to give the results a human once-over when you’re done.

While each individual model would cost you a subscription fee, 1min.AI brings them all to you for a one-time low price with this lifetime subscription. So it not only saves you time by preventing all the tab-hopping, but it also saves you money.

This deal is for the Pro Plan, which gives you access to an unlimited prompt library, unlimited storage, and 1,000,000 credits a month. That amount allows you to generate 805,555 words, 161 images, or 12 videos per month. If you need more, you can earn free credits by visiting the web app daily, referring a friend, or leaving a review.

Enjoy a much-needed productivity boost with this lifetime subscription to 1min.AI, now just $39.99 (reg. $234).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

This MacBook Pro is powerful, portable, and way cheaper than usual

Mashable - 6 hours 43 min ago

TL;DR: Act fast to get your own refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (3.1GHz i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for only $329.97 (reg. $1,499) until July 20 while supplies last.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (3.1GHz i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $329.97
$1,499 Save $1,169.03 Get Deal

Dreaming of a laptop upgrade without a hefty price tag? This summer, you can enjoy top-tier performance at a bargain price with this amazing deal on a refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (3.1GHz i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD). While it would usually set you back $1,499, you can get it now for just $329.97 through July 20 while supplies last.

Who says a MacBook Pro has to break the bank?

See what all the hype is about with this MacBook Pro that doesn’t break the bank. It’s ready to get you through a busy summer, hectic fall, and beyond, with its powerful 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost Technology that boosts speeds up to 3.5GHz.

Weighing in at just 3.02 pounds, this MacBook Pro can tag along anywhere you need it to. Its 13.3-inch Retina display is always ready with a resolution of 2560×1600 pixels and 500 nits brightness.

This model comes with the versatile Apple Touch Bar feature, which gives you quick shortcuts and allows for customization depending on your apps and workflows. There’s also a Force Touch trackpad and a backlit keyboard for precise cursor control and a convenient typing experience.

You’ll enjoy 10 hours of battery life on a single charge. You can also save your important files directly on the device, thanks to the 512GB of flash storage.

You’re saving big because this model has a grade A refurbished rating. That means it will arrive in near-mint condition, with virtually no signs of prior use, while you score the major discount.

Bring home a MacBook Pro for only $329.97 (reg. $1,499) through July 20.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Secure a lifetime of ad-free browsing for just $16

Mashable - 6 hours 43 min ago

TL;DR: Ditch ads on up to 9 devices with this lifetime subscription to the AdGuard Family Plan, now just $15.97 with code FAMPLAN through July 20.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdGuard AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription $15.97
$169.99 Save $154.02 with code FAMPLAN Get Deal

It’s time to upgrade your internet experience. AdGuard lets you experience the online world without the annoyance of ads, helping you save time and browse the web in peace. And right now, you can secure a lifetime subscription to the AdGuard Family Plan for up to nine devices in your home for just $15.97 (reg. $169.99) with code FAMPLAN through July 20.

Enjoy a cleaner, safer internet on up to nine devices

Imagine online shopping without the annoyance of giant pop-ups distracting you. Or think of how nice it could be to watch a YouTube video without having to sit through boring video ads. AdGuard can make those things a reality, offering an easy way to block all those ads for life.

The AdGuard Family Plan lets you protect up to nine devices, so both you and your favorite people can take advantage of ad-free internet. It’s compatible with Android and iOS devices, so it works on smartphones, laptops, and tablets.

AdGuard doesn’t just block ads — it also serves as a privacy protection tool. It helps protect you from cyberattacks, such as malware and phishing sites. And it keeps your information hidden from trackers and activity analyzers.

Parents will also appreciate the parental control feature, which helps restrict children’s access to inappropriate online content.

Browse the web as it was originally intended with this AdGuard Family Plan, now just $15.97 (reg. $169.99) with code FAMPLAN through July 20.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Deliver At All Costs is almost the Simpsons: Hit & Run successor Ive always wanted

Mashable - 6 hours 43 min ago

It's already been a jam-packed year for gaming, and that's why I think Deliver At All Costs won't get nearly as much attention as the other big titles that already launched in 2025 (as well as those to come). Flanked on either side by the releases of Doom: The Dark Ages and Elden Ring Nightreign, it feels like Far Out Games' Konami-published debut is destined to be overshadowed. And while I don't think that Deliver At All Costs is some diamond in the rough that will overcome this summer's stacked release calendar, I do think it's well worth a weekend playthrough.

Deliver At All Costs is messy but undeniable fun.

The setup

Set in a fictional and embellished version of 1950s America, Deliver At All costs puts you in the shoes of Winston Green, a man on the run from his mysterious past and the newest courier at Amazon-adjacent shipping company We Deliver. Through unconventional, quirky cargo deliveries and pickups that leave the game's eccentric open world in disarray (and in some cases, literal shambles), you'll uncover Winston's secrets and a sinister corporate conspiracy.

SEE ALSO: Razer BlackShark V2 Pro review: The best gaming headset I've ever used Chaos, but the good kind

On several occasions, Deliver At All Costs reminded me of playing through classics like The Simpsons: Hit & Run and early Grand Theft Auto when I was a kid, and I mean that as a massive compliment. The game's overall wackiness and dynamism brought me back to those cherished gaming moments, except this time, I got to experience them with a way fresher coat of paint and a modern physics system that provided me with hours of gleeful mayhem.

Over the course of Deliver At All Costs' 20 missions, I encountered a cast of zany characters who all needed my help completing some truly wild tasks. Each one has its own unique mechanic that wildly changes how you approach each delivery. One of my favorites saw me transporting an assortment of balloons to would-be customers, but each time my car hit a small bump in the road, I'd go soaring through the air with no control, Up-style. Another involved hauling a live marlin across the city to the local fish market while the massive sea creature thrashed around in my trunk, throwing the vehicle off course at every turn. Some of these errands fall flat, though — a few are far too easy, while others presented a sharp difficulty spike. It's a shame that the most disappointing ones happen towards the game's conclusion, ending everything on a bit of a sour note. Still, the highs of this collection of missions outweigh the lows.

Uh, everyone out of the way, please. Credit: Far Out Games / Konami

The absolutely ludicrous physics system is another high point that really enhances the fun. Deliver's detailed open world takes you across three distinctive areas, all of them completely destructible down to their last brick. Every home, storefront, and high-rise can be reduced to rubble, sending debris (and sometimes civilians — don't worry, they get back up) flying in the process. The destruction is mostly just for fun — you can go the whole game without intentionally causing any damage — but you'd be robbing yourself of most of the excitement that the game has to offer. There are consequences to toppling too many structures, though, as the police will begin to pursue you if you get too carried away. I think this system could've been cut, though, because it's way too easy to lose the heat once they're on you're tail, making it more of a quick chore than an exhilarating chase.

Each area is also littered with collectibles, secret vehicles, side missions, and challenges to break up the pace, but unfortunately, not many of them are worth going out of your way to experience. The only time I felt that exploration was rewarding was when I hopped out of my vehicle to look at the game's many vista points, which brings you down to Winston's level to admire the carefully crafted environments that the devs worked so hard to bring to life. Sadly, those on-foot sections are a bit dull and stiff-feeling, which isn't helped by the game's dual-angle isometric view — I failed platforming sections over and over again simply because I couldn't get a handle on where my character was facing at a given moment, which became frustrating. The POV works way better while driving, which is why I basically stopped exiting my car.

The on-foot moments are a nice change of pace, at least for a while. Credit: Far Out Games / Konami

I'd also be remiss not to mention the well-realized 1950s aesthetic of the world, from the clothing, to the cars, to the score — I even found myself humming along to a few of the tunes while I wreaked havoc across town. I kind of got Destroy All Humans vibes from the game's world, but overall, I liked this better

A serious case of losing the plot

Deliver At All Costs' most notable weakness is its narrative. It's all over the place, filled with reckless genre hopping and jarring tone switches that left me feeling hollow at the end of it all. Starting as an amusing and lighthearted workplace comedy, the game quickly devolves into a disjointed tale of corporate conspiracy, to... well, I won't spoil it for you, but it goes completely off the rails.

The story's sharp turns create a huge problem for the actual gameplay, too. There are multiple instances within the narrative where the game's characters experience harmful consequences, including violence and, in some cases, even death. Now, on its face, that's not a problem, but in a game where you can comedically ragdoll a pedestrian with a truck, only for them to say "Ow!" and get up and go on with their day, those moments feel pretty dissonant. It's like if a Benny Hill Show sketch was sandwiched between scenes from Michael Clayton. It just doesn't work. Deliver At All Costs is at its best when it's embracing its own absurdity, and I think that Far Out Games made a mistake by not following that wacky spirit all the way through.

Nothing to see here! Everyone go about your day. Credit: Far Out Games / Konami

With Deliver At All Costs, Far Out Games has certainly shown that it has the technical prowess to make a game that's fun and unique. Hopefully, with their next at-bat, they can build on what they've learned in their debut and come up with a narrative, as well as supplementary content, to match their genuinely enjoyable gameplay.

Deliver At All Costs is available now on Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Epic Games, and GOG.

Opens in a new window Credit: Konami 'Deliver At All Costs' $29.99
Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Konami 'Deliver At All Costs' $29.99 at Playstation Store
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Every single Stephen King movie adaptation, ranked

Mashable - 6 hours 43 min ago

Whether you're a Stephen King fan or not, chances are you're familiar with his work.

It's pretty hard not to be. Even if you've never read any of the horror author's stories, you'll almost certainly have stumbled across some of them on screen, particularly considering there are so damn many of them (somewhere around a hundred when you lump in movies, sequels, and TV shows together).

For this list, we've focused solely on ranking every Stephen King movie adaptation, and specifically originals and remakes (no sequels, because frankly the Children of the Corn franchise alone is long enough for its own list).

Some of these films are terrible, some are masterpieces. Some you'll have seen before, some you won't. Some you'll know straight away are Stephen King movies (hello, The Shining), some you may never even have realised were adapted from the author's work.

From forgettable '80s B-movies to films that have left a permanent mark on movie history, here's every single Stephen King film adaptation ever made, from the very worst to the very best — including his latest, The Monkey and The Life of Chuck.

52. Creepshow 2 (1987)  Credit: New World Pictures / Kobal / Shutterstock

Several horror anthology movies have been made from King's work. Yet despite an adapted screenplay by zombie-horror legend George A. Romero, this one sits at the bottom of the barrel. Three King short stories ("Old Chief Wood'nhead," "The Raft," and "The Hitchhiker") are transformed into grisly vignettes by Tales from the Darkside TV director Michael Gornick.

They're garishly gory, which could have made for schlocky fun. Except these stories are more crass than creepy, relishing in racist depictions of indigenous Americans and gleeful misogyny that leers at women's bared breasts before ripping them to shreds. Simply put, this one's a gross stain on both King's and Romero's filmographies. — Kristy Puchko, Deputy Entertainment Editor

51. Thinner (1996)  Credit: Bruce Birmelin / Spelling International / Kobal / Shutterstock

Based on King's 1984 novel of the same name, Thinner follows Billy Halleck (Robert John Burke), a pompous and plump lawyer whose wish to lose weight becomes an actual curse.

This movie has aged incredibly poorly. Beyond the fat-shaming premise, the cursed plotline plays into racist "gypsy" stereotypes, which paint the Romani people as vicious, vengeful, and deceptive. On top of all that, there's a decadent slathering of misogyny, which portrays women as sinister seductresses and hideous crones. Trust us, this one is better off left forgotten. — K.P.

50. Children of the Corn (1984) Credit: New World / Angeles / Cinema Group / Kobal / Shutterstock

King has spawned plenty of "creepy kids" stories, but none have been quite as prolific as Children of the Corn. Despite being based on a short story, this Fritz Kiersch-directed horror film has yielded nine sequels and a straight to DVD remake in 2009.

The first film centers on a city-slicker couple that stumble into a rural town overrun by murderous children, who worship a vengeful god that stalks the cornfields. While John Franklin is memorable as the glowering child-prophet Isaac, Children of the Corn pales in comparison to its King siblings, like Carrie, Firestarter, and Pet Sematary (both versions). Over the decades, its slow-burn feels more stale and boring, despite splashes of blood and religious horror. — K.P.

49. Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990) Credit: Paramount Pictures

Though a better anthology than Creepshow 2, this one is less of a Stephen King movie. Born from the success of George A. Romero's Tales from the Darkside TV series (1983-1988), the film features horror shorts from various writers, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. King's entry, an adaptation of the short story "Cat from Hell," is unnerving fun, focusing on a hitman (David Johansen) hired to kill a vengeful cat. However, the most thrilling segment was penned by Beetlejuice writer Michael McDowell. "Lover's Vow" taps into Japanese folklore for an entry as spooky as it is seductive.

Among the most star-studded of King anthologies, Tales from the Darkside boasts appearances by Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, Rae Dawn Chong, Christian Slater, and Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry. —K.P.

48. Dolan's Cadillac (2009) Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

Not even the presence of a big name like Christian Slater is enough to save this one. Adapted from a short story and very much feeling like an idea stretched awkwardly into a full length movie, Jeff Beesley's screen version of Dolan's Cadillac follows a man intent on revenge after his wife is killed by a human trafficker. The method of vengeance is creative enough to add some originality, but the characters are flat and the tension never really gets there. — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor

47. Mercy (2014) Credit: Blumhouse

Anyone who's read King's short story "Gramma" will know that it's an incredibly creepy and effective tale which may well be up there among the author's scariest works. Peter Cornwall's Mercy adaptation, however, is a bloated mess.

There's nothing wrong with the direction itself, and screenwriter Matt Greenberg has made a valiant effort of expanding the story for the big screen, but unfortunately the whole thing just feels too stretched. The end result loses the creepy immediacy of the original tale, and replaces it with a fairly long-winded (and not particularly scary) movie about a little boy whose grandmother may be possessed. Just watch Hereditary instead. — S.H.

46. The Dark Half (1993) Credit: Orion / Kobal / Shutterstock

Not all Stephen King stories are created equal, and The Dark Half is, in my opinion at least, not one of the horror master's best. So it's perhaps not such a surprise that the movie adaptation falls so far down in this ranking. Following a writer who kills off his pseudonym only to find it coming to life to exact revenge, George A. Romero's The Dark Half has an entertainingly gruesome start before going sharply downhill. You'll find better King adaptations about troubled writers further down this list. — S.H.

SEE ALSO: The best Stephen King books to read depending on your mood 45. The Mangler (1995) Credit: New Line Cinema

Let's be honest: Making a good film about a possessed laundry machine was never going to be easy and, sure enough, Tobe Hooper's adaptation of this silly King short story is about as terrible as you'd expect.

Making a good film about a possessed laundry machine was never going to be easy...

The Mangler sees officer John Hunton (Ted Levine) investigating the strange goings-on in an industrial laundry, following the death of an elderly worker after she gets pulled into the titular machine and crushed. The story is incredibly dumb, the special effects are ropey and dated, and there's a scene in which Hunton shoots through his own coat in order to free himself from the clutches of the Mangler after it almost gets hold of him, which should go some way to giving you a sense of just how ridiculous this one is. — S.H.

44. Needful Things (1993) Credit: New Line Cinema

Needful Things is a long, sprawling novel with multiple characters and a complicated series of inter-locking connections and relationships. It was always going to be difficult to turn into a movie. W.D. Richter's screenplay, in fairness, does a decent job of streamlining the bulky story, which is all about mysterious character Leland Gaunt (played by an undeniably charismatic Max von Sydow), who arrives in a small town and opens up a store that offers people their heart's desire — for a price. It's an intriguing premise, but there's too much going on here with too many underdeveloped characters that are difficult to care about. — S.H.

43. The Night Flier (1997) Credit: New Line Cinema

There are plenty of Stephen King ideas that, when condensed into a single sentence, sound nothing short of ridiculous. The Mangler is one, and The Night Flier — a tale about an ancient vampire that flies about in a tiny plane killing people — slots comfortably into the same category.

Writer/director Mark Pavia has done a decent enough job expanding the original short story into a feature length film, but unfortunately his starting point is so silly there's only really so much he can do. The Night Flier is the kind of movie that you could probably enjoy with a group of friends if you're not taking it too seriously, but otherwise it's one to skip. — S.H.

42. Maximum Overdrive (1986) Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

The first and only movie King directed himself (!) is, somewhat predictably, not all that great. But it's maybe not quite as terrible as the 15 percent Rotten Tomatoes score would suggest, either. Based on the author's short story, Trucks, about people who get trapped in a gas station during a machine-themed apocalypse, Maximum Overdrive sees Emilio Estevez and Laura Harrington attempting to escape a parking lot full of murderous 18-wheelers while an AC/DC-heavy soundtrack thrashes in the background. The movie is predictable, hammy, and dated, but the story doesn't take itself too seriously and there are more than a few fun moments. — S.H.

41. Riding the Bullet (2004) Credit: MPCA

Somewhere in Riding the Bullet, buried not too far below the surface, is a poignant story about grief and coming to terms with the death of a parent. The problem is it gets lost in all the other stuff.

Based on a King short story of the same name, Mick Garris' adaptation follows troubled college student Alan (Jonathan Jackson) as he hitch-hikes home to visit his sick mother (Barbara Hershey) in hospital. David Arquette has a cameo as George Staub, the strange man who picks him up and gives him a disturbing ultimatum. There are some moving moments in the movie, and the final five minutes are particularly powerful, but unfortunately it's not enough to rescue the drawn-out (and not at all scary) plot. — S.H.

SEE ALSO: 13 of the best Stephen King short stories you've never read 40. Firestarter (2022)  Credit: Universal Pictures

Based on King's 1980 novel, Firestarter follows a father-daughter duo on the run because of their extraordinary abilities. He (Zac Efron) has the power to bend people's will with his mind; she (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) can set fires telekinetically. So, naturally, they're viewed as unchecked weapons by a sinister organization.

In short, this tale of coming-of-age carnage has no spark.

Admittedly, the 1984 adaptation, which starred a young Drew Barrymore in the title role, wasn't all that great to begin with, so a remake shouldn't have been such a bad idea. Regrettably, screenwriter Scott Teems and director Keith Thomas don't bring anything explosively new or all that thrilling to their spin on King. In my review for Mashable, I called it "more pointless than perturbing." In short, this tale of coming-of-age carnage has no spark. —K.P.

39. The Dark Tower (2017) Credit: Columbia Pictures

So much wasted potential. The Dark Tower obviously isn't the worst King adaptation out there, but — particularly for anyone familiar with the books — it may be the most frustrating. The thing is, the author's Dark Tower series is his self-proclaimed magnum opus. It makes The Stand look like a short story. The series is eight books and one novella long, telling the tale of a sprawling battle between good and evil that takes place across multiple worlds, with a huge cast of awesome characters, one of the best endings King has ever written, and the mysterious Dark Tower at the very centre of it all.

SEE ALSO: 10 of the best Stephen King book endings

Nikolaj Arcel's movie dips its toe into this world, but that's about all it does. The story feels rushed, and not even the acting might of Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, and a strong turn from young star Tom Taylor can rescue it. The key problem is The Dark Tower tries to work in its own right as a standalone movie. But, like the multiverse at the heart of the novels, it's far too vast for that. — S.H.

38. Graveyard Shift (1990) Credit: Graveyard Linc / Kobal / Shutterstock

For the most part, adapted short stories get a hard time of it on this list. Graveyard Shift is no exception, with John Esposito's screenplay taking a brilliantly gory King tale about workers clearing the basement of a rat-infested textile mill and stretching it awkwardly into a full-length movie. But the film is not without its gruesome charm, and although the set-up feels a tad cluttered and the character development isn't great, the action builds to an impressively unpleasant crescendo as the core group goes exploring in the mill's hidden sub-basement (extra points for a fight that takes place in a literal bone pit, and the awesomely grotesque monster itself). — S.H.

37. Dreamcatcher (2003) Credit: Shutterstock

On paper, this one has all the ingredients of a good King adaptation. Co-written and directed by Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back writer Lawrence Kasdan and starring Morgan Freeman and Damian Lewis, Dreamcatcher is an IT-style story that sees childhood friends reuniting as adults after something strange happened to them in the past. Only this time instead of killer clowns, we have an alien parasite. It should be fun, but somehow the story isn't particularly memorable and the characters all feel a little underdeveloped. — S.H.

36. In the Tall Grass (2019) Credit: Netflix

King co-wrote In the Tall Grass with his son, writer Joe Hill, and it's easy to see why Cube director Vincenzo Natali was keen to work on the adaptation: Set almost entirely in a seemingly endless field of grass that traps passers-by, In the Tall Grass is a fun idea that was presumably relatively easy (and cheap) to shoot. The problem is, a fun idea is about as far as this one goes. Once you get beyond the claustrophobic concept, the movie is a little repetitive. Although there are some creepy and disturbing moments, the ending isn't satisfying enough to excuse the film's other issues. — S.H.

35. 1922 (2017) Credit: Netflix

Set in — you guessed it — 1922, Zak Hilditch's adaptation of King's novella of the same name follows a Nebraskan farmer who convinces his own son to help him murder his wife, with the aim being to stop her selling the farm and moving the family away to the city. Yep, it's a cheerful one. The adaptation captures the same bleakness as the source material, but unfortunately it downplays the creeping presence of rats, one of the story's more disturbing — and intriguing — elements. What's left is a dark, gory tale where the characters are all as difficult to like as they are to care about. — S.H.

34. Cell (2016) Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

OK, so Cell doesn't quite qualify for "hidden gem" status, but you could certainly make a case for it at least being a bit overlooked. Despite its A-list cast (Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusack star) the film has been largely forgotten, most likely due to the wildly bad reception it received from both critics and the public.

But does it really deserve such an awful Rotten Tomatoes score? I would argue no. It's not a great film but it's certainly not terrible by any means, taking the fun idea of a cell phone-induced apocalypse and creating more than a few tense sequences as our main characters struggle to survive the plague's rabid victims. The characters are a little underdeveloped, sure, and the film loses its way in the third act, but for a casual weekend watch you could do far worse. — S.H.

33. The Lawnmower Man (1992) Credit: New Line / Kobal / Shutterstock

There are probably many things people say to Pierce Brosnan when they spot him in the street and ask for a selfie, but "I loved you in the 1992 classic The Lawnmower Man" is most likely not one of them.

Even calling The Lawnmower Man a King adaptation feels like a bit of stretch, because the movie is so far removed from the original short story it barely even feels like they bothered using the source material (King actually won a lawsuit against New Line Cinema to have his name removed from the movie's advertising, arguing it bore little resemblance to his original short story). The thing is, though, despite the author wanting little to do with it, the movie isn't actually as terrible as its reviews might suggest, telling an entertaining enough Frankenstein-style sci-fi story about a scientist who uses virtual reality to expand his subject's intelligence. — S.H.

32. Firestarter (1984) Credit: De Laurentiis / Paramount / Kobal / Shutterstock

In this incendiary escapade, Baby Drew Barrymore is basically Eleven from Stranger Things way before the Netflix show landed. For the 100 percent fine 1984 adaptation of King's Firestarter, she plays eight-year-old Charlie McGee, whose pyrokinetic abilities come from her parents (David Keith and Heather Locklear) — they, in turn, developed their own nosebleed-inducing telepathic abilities after saying yes to a hallucinogenic trial. Of course, a government agency called The Shop gets wind of Charlie’s fiery powers and wants to use them for their own gain. Like Carrie, Charlie just wants to be treated nicely by society, but it seems the world only sees her as a monster.

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It’s an utterly OK narrative helped by clever fire and fan-heavy special effects and a solid cast including tiny Barrymore setting cinder blocks and agents ablaze, Martin Sheen in his second King film after The Dead Zone as the head of The Shop, Shaft's Moses Gunn as Dr. Pynchot, Starsky and Hutch star Antonio Fargas as the taxi driver (!), and George C. Scott as diabolical assassin John Rainbird. If nothing else, it's all about that synth-fuelled Tangerine Dream score. — Shannon Connellan, Mashable UK Editor

31. Cujo (1983) Credit: Taft / Kobal / Shutterstock

Given the fact dogs in Hollywood usually come in the form of happy, waggy-tailed companions that may or may not eventually break your heart (looking at you, Turner and Hooch), you'd think a murderously rabid St. Bernard might have been something of a tough sell.

You'd think a murderously rabid St. Bernard might have been something of a tough sell.

But in Cujo, it works. Or at least, it does up to a point. Centred around Donna (Dee Wallace) and her son Tad (Danny Pintauro), who become trapped in a sweltering hot car while said murder-hound stalks outside it, Cujo the movie borrows from the claustrophobia and tension that made King's novel such a classic. The problem is it doesn't borrow quite enough of it, and the dog – no matter how good a job makeup may have done – just isn't quite as scary onscreen (the movie is almost 40 years old, of course, so it's bound to look a little dated nowadays). Still pretty fun, though. — S.H.

30. Silver Bullet (1985) Credit: De Laurentiis / Kobal / Shutterstock

He may be an excellent prose writer, but it's probably fair to say that King's screenwriting record is somewhat patchier (hello, Maximum Overdrive). For a werewolf flick that gives off strong b-movie vibes, though, Silver Bullet (based on King's novella Cycle of the Werewolf) is actually pretty entertaining.

The story follows a brother and sister (Corey Haim and Megan Follows) on the trail of a small-town monster wreaking havoc through the local community. Gary Busey plays their quirky Uncle Red, Everett McGill and Terry O'Quinn have cameos, and despite the not-so-great-by-2020s-standard special effects, you might have a decent time sitting down to watch this one on a Friday night. — S.H.

29. Cat's Eye (1985) Credit: De Laurentiis / Kobal / Shutterstock

Fun fact: Cat's Eye marks King's first credit as a screenwriter. Tying together the short stories Quitters, Inc., The Ledge, and General, this is one of the better horror anthologies in his filmography, in part because it's darkly bonkers.

Named for a framing device that follows a stray cat through three twisted stories, Cat's Eye begins with James Woods playing a family man who tries to quit smoking through the mafia and their notorious tactics. (Bad news for his unsuspecting wife!) Embracing the very corniest of '80s-era visuals, his internal struggle with addiction is a terrifically nightmarish ride, conducted by a madcap Alan King as a grinning mob boss. The other two stories boast vengeance, more violence, a creepy critter, and Drew Barrymore in her second King role, following 1984's Firestarter. Funky and frightening, this one's a weird, good time. Plus, it's sprinkled with Easter Eggs from the King films that precede it. — K.P.

28. A Good Marriage (2014) Credit: Screen Media Films

Before working on this list I thought that the vast majority of King movie adaptations could be easily grouped into the great or the terrible. But it isn't that binary, and films like A Good Marriage are proof.

Based on one of the author's more unpleasant novellas of the same name, Peter Askin's adaptation follows Darcy (Joan Allen), a wife and mother who one day discovers her husband is hiding a horrible secret. The direction, acting, and script are all solid, but A Good Marriage lacks some of its source material's tension as we don't burrow quite as deep into Darcy's fears and anxieties as the book takes us. There are also other movies out there, like The Clovehitch Killer, that arguably do a better job of telling a similar story. — S.H.

27. IT Chapter Two (2019) Credit: Warner Bros.

The second part of Andy Muschietti's IT revival (more on the first part later) is also the slightly weaker movie, at least in my personal opinion. It may well be subjective though, because the sections of the novel I always enjoyed the most were those set in the past, during the main characters' childhoods, and the two movies split these sections up entirely, with IT Chapter Two focussing solely on what happens to the Losers' Club as adults.

This tale of friends reuniting to combat an old evil is still a lot of fun, though, with some excellent performances from James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and Bill Hader, another disturbing turn from Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise, and an almost show-stealingly grouchy cameo from Stephen King himself. — S.H.

26. Salem's Lot (2024) Credit: New Line Cinema / Max

IT writer Gary Dauberman has a solid take on King's classic vampire novel of the same name, immersing us in a mid '70s world of small towns, drive-in theatres, and the arrival of a vampire hell-bent on turning the population into his personal zombie horde.

"Salem's Lot pays homage to the source material and mini-series (hello, nightmarish window sequence), but it's when the film branches out and does its own thing that it really excels," I wrote in my review for Mashable. "The best example of this is the finale, which — without going into spoiler territory — is a thrillingly chaotic sequence that makes creative use of sunlight and a classic '70s setting to give the movie a fresh and bloody sendoff." — S.H.

25. Christine (1983) Credit: Columbia / Kobal / Shutterstock

If the car in Titane had a less lusty, more murderous origin story, it would probably be Christine. King's 1983 automobile horror novel saw a John Carpenter-directed film version out the same year, and sees a possessed 1958 Plymouth Fury wreaking all sorts of homicidal havoc on its unsuspecting passengers.

The famous "show me" scene in which Christine repairs herself is exceptional, weirdly lascivious, and frankly terrifying screen magic.

The legendary Halloween director’s ability to weave tension and fear from seemingly standard car functions — the radio turning on, the headlights blaring, the engine revving  — is characteristically outstanding, taking King’s wild high-concept premise and scaring the wheels off you. The famous "show me" scene in which Christine repairs herself is exceptional, weirdly lascivious, and frankly terrifying screen magic. — S.C.

24. The Running Man (1987) Credit: Tri-Star / Kobal / Shutterstock

This one is an odd fit among the rest of King’s screen adaptations. It’s based on a novel the author didn’t even publish under his own name, and just about the only thing the movie has in common with the book is that it’s about a guy named Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) trying to escape from a dystopian murder game show.

I don’t really care about the movie’s accuracy to the source material and neither should you. Instead, you have to appreciate it for its defiance of traditional standards, as almost everyone in the cast is famous for something other than acting, including NFL legend Jim Brown, a bunch of pro wrestlers, and '70s game show host Richard Dawson. Every single one of them kills it, thanks to the kind of campy, absurd action filmmaking Schwarzenegger was the face of in the late '80s. Dawson deserves extra credit for turning on his Family Feud energy to schmooze with old women in the audience while being an abusive nightmare to his crew backstage.

The Running Man may not be a cinematic standard-bearer, but it’s still a whole lot of fun to watch Arnold choke a sadistic hockey player out with razor wire before remarking that he was a “pain in the neck.” — Alex Perry, Tech Reporter

SEE ALSO: Books, TV shows and movies recommended by Stephen King 23. Hearts in Atlantis (2001) Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

OK, we're going to go out there and say this one qualifies for "hidden gem" status. It's a long way from being the best King movie adaptation, sure, but Scott Hick's coming-of-age mystery still packs a heavy punch of nostalgia and features some great acting turns from Anthony Hopkins, Hope Davis, and a young Anton Yelchin. The story follows a lonely 11-year-old boy, Bobby (Yelchin), who befriends a man (Hopkins) who moves into the apartment above him — only to learn he has unusual abilities and appears to be on the run from some shadowy figures.

A side note if you were wondering about the title: The filmmakers presumably went with Hearts in Atlantis because it's the title of the book, but the book itself is actually a collection of five linked stories, the second of which is titled Hearts in Atlantis and is all about college students addicted to the card game Hearts. The movie, on the other hand, is a straight adaptation of the first story in the book, which features absolutely no mention of either Hearts or Atlantis whatsoever. Confusing titles aside, though, this one is worth a watch. — S.H.

22. Secret Window (2004) Credit: Columbia Tristar / Kobal / Shutterstock

Featuring an impressively dead-eyed turn from John Turturro as the villain, Secret Window sees writer Mort Rainey (yeah, we know, Johnny Depp is in this) attempting to find solace from his recent divorce in a remote lake house — only for a stranger to show up on his doorstep accusing him of plagiarism. What follows is an unpleasant, escalating cat-and-mouse game which is equal parts horror and psychological thriller, with writer/director David Koepp keeping the tension and dread mounting until the movie's twisty conclusion. — S.H.

21. Apt Pupil (1998) Credit: John Baer / Pheonix / Columbia Tristar / Kobal / Shutterstock

It's difficult to separate Apt Pupil from its own disturbing legacy. The movie was directed by Bryan Singer, who has since faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct including the allegation that he sexually assaulted 13-year-old extra Victor Valdovinos on the film's set in 1997.

As hard as it is to do, I've tried to assess Apt Pupil here solely on the movie's own merits. The film sees high school student Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro) discovering the real identity of an elderly man in his neighborhood, Arthur Denker (Ian McKellen), a Nazi war criminal in hiding, before proceeding to blackmail him with demands to hear his firsthand accounts of the concentration camps. Like the novella it's based on the film is disturbing, and its characters dark and complex, but the central performances from Renfro and McKellen alone make it worth watching, as does the way the tension builds and builds and builds. — S.H.

20. Carrie (2013) Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Carrie is a King novel so enthralling that it's been adapted repeatedly. Director Kimberly Peirce translated King's '70s-set tale of a tormented telekinetic teen to the 2010s, adding cyberbullying to the high school horrors that Carrie endures before her bloody breakdown at prom. Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore bring gravitas to the lead roles of the terrifying mother-daughter duo. Advancements in visual effects allow for a third act filled with carnage, gore, and fire. However, while solidly scary, Peirce's remake still can't hold a candle (much less a flaming gas station) to Brian De Palma's Academy Award–nominated 1976 version. — K.P.

19. Pet Sematary (2019) Credit: Paramount Pictures

Coming out a full 30 years after the first adaption of Pet Sematary (more on that one in a moment), Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer's version of King's early creepfest stars Jason Clarke and Amy Seimetz as Louis and Rachel, a couple who've just made the terrible mistake of relocating to rural Maine only to discover there's something deeply odd about the forest behind their house. If you're looking to be scared and disturbed this one's a good choice, as what it occasionally lacks in character development it more than makes up for in jump-scares and suspense. — S.H.

18. Dolores Claiborne (1995) Credit: Castle Rock Entertainment / Kobal / Shutterstock

Not Kathy Bates' finest outing in a King adaptation (you'll see why shortly), but a fine outing nonetheless. Steering more into psychological thriller territory than horror, Dolores Claiborne follows a widow who's been accused of murdering the elderly woman she was caring for, and her tense relationship with her estranged daughter, Selena (Jennifer Jason Leigh), that's played out via flashbacks.

It's a well-told, well-acted story, but be warned — it's also a dark and disturbing one with monsters that are all too human. — S.H.

17. The Monkey (2025) Tatiana Maslany in "The Monkey," with blood running out of her eyes Credit: NEON

Director Oz Perkins has made his name in horror with twisted thrillers like Longlegs, The Blackcoat's Daughter, and I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House. But he took his scares to the next level with this adaptation of a King short story.

Theo James stars as twin brothers whose family has been cursed by an evil toy monkey. Whenever the mechanized monkey beats its drum, someone dies. And how they die becomes increasingly outrageous. King himself called the movie "batshit insane," which is high praise from this master of menacing murders. But along with bonkers kills, The Monkey also offers some truly dark comedy, along with a cameo from the director that's grimly hilarious. —K.P.

16. Pet Sematary (1989) Credit: Paramount / Kobal / Shutterstock

When we talk Classic King, this is what we're talking about: a quiet small town in Maine, the kind of place that should be peaceful, yet its community end up being ripped asunder by creeping supernatural forces.

When we talk Classic King, this is what we're talking about.

In this case, the Creed family move away from the big city to watch their children grow up happy and healthy. When that dream is shattered, a grief-stricken father (Dale Midkiff) takes to a burial ground steeped in local legend, searching for solace. The results are gutting, sometimes literally. With a creeping camera and nightmarish practical effects, director Mary Lambert brought King's creepy prose to grisly life (and even directed the decently disturbing sequel, Pet Sematary Two). Thanks to her, a generation of King fans clung to this creepy cautionary tale that warns, "Sometimes, dead is better."K.P.

15. Creepshow (1982) Credit: Warner Bros / Kobal / Shutterstock

What do you get when you take a collection of King's short stories and hand them over to the godfather of the modern zombie, George A. Romero, to direct for the big screen? The all-time classic horror anthology, Creepshow.

Horror is made for anthology films and this one is the standard bearer. The five shorts written by King, in what is also his screenwriting debut, are brilliantly woven together throughout the film via animated scenes portraying a comic book that carry the tales on its pages.

Even if you haven't seen Creepshow, there's a good chance you're familiar with iconic scenes from the film: Leslie Nielsen — yes, the Leslie Nielsen of Naked Gun and Airplane! fame — neck deep in sand awaiting his death in Something to Tide You Over. An undead Jon Lormer rises from the grave and surprises his (remaining) family members with a severed head dressed up with candles and presented like a cake as he exclaims "Happy Father's Day!" And, of course, King himself stars as a dull farm boy who sees his farm and eventually his own body overtaken by an alien mosslike lifeform in The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill. — Matt Binder, Tech Reporter

14. The Boogeyman (2023) There's something lurking in the shadows. Credit: 20th Century Studios

Originally published in a 1973 issue of Cavalier magazine, "The Boogeyman" was a King short story that centered on a haunted man, Lester Billings, unfurling a tale of woe, child death, and a titular beast to therapist Dr. Harper. However, for A Quiet Place screenwriters Scott Beck and Bryan Woods along with Black Swan scribe Mark Heyman, this premise served as a jumping-off place, putting the whole of Billings' story in the film's first act. From there, they carve out a sort-of sequel to the short story, focusing on a pair of sisters (Yellowjackets' Sophie Thatcher and Vivien Lyra Blair) who are plagued by a creepy creature that lives in the shadows. Unfortunately for them, this paranormal parasite was brought in by a distressed patient of their father, Dr. Harper (Chris Messina).

While the setup is clever, the execution of this adaptation is even better. Rob Savage, who awed horror lovers with the zoom seance hit Host, creates sequences of scares and suspense that will give you goosebumps and shiver your spine. Part of the film's success comes from Thatcher and Blair playing the Harper sisters, not as precocious or naive, but as brave and pissed off. They fight hard against the dying of the light and the thing that feeds on it, bringing an exhilarating energy through hellish scenarios. But best of all might be a creature design that is absolutely the stuff of nightmares.

While the movie's plot might be thin — and in some major regards, may feel like a Babadook imitator — The Boogeyman is nonetheless a stupendously scary treasure in the ever-expanding King collection. — K.P.

13. Doctor Sleep (2019)  Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

King famously loathed Stanley Kubrick's movie adaptation of The Shining. So, modern horror auteur Mike Flanagan (Hush, The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor) had a lot to prove with a sequel that would integrate the 1980 psycho-thriller and the 1977 novel's follow-up, titled Doctor Sleep. Some fans have bristled at the changes from the book, but others have cheered how Flanagan translated the mood of King — if not the exact story — into an ambitious, bloody, and deeply unnerving next chapter.

SEE ALSO: 'Doctor Sleep' isn't 'The Shining' and that's the highest compliment

Ewan McGregor stars as the grown-up but still haunted Danny Torrance. However, the real stars of this film are Kyliegh Curran, as a brave young girl with "the shining," and Rebecca Ferguson as the evil, sexy, and enviably stylish child-killer, Rose the Hat. — K.P.

12. 1408 (2007) Credit: Dimension Films / Kobal / Shutterstock

Yes, we know there’s another, way more famous haunted hotel movie on King's lineup, but don’t forget to pack your bag for the Dolphin Hotel too. You actually can’t check in any time you like to the titular room number 1408, but if, like haunted hotel reviewer and book author Mike Enslin (a superbly cynical and slowly unhinged John Cusack), you force your way in despite the manager’s warnings (an effortlessly foreboding Samuel L. Jackson), you can never leave.

Director Mikael Håfström does some truly scary things with special effects in this adaptation of King’s short story, and they even shot three different endings, all different to the author’s original. But the real winner of this film is Cusack, whose performance mostly contained to the hotel room itself is unrelentingly compelling. — S.C.

11. IT Chapter One (2017) Credit: Warner Bros.

The IT remake seemed to come at the perfect time, riding high on the coattails of Stranger Things-induced '80s horror nostalgia (Finn Wolfhard even stars) and tapping into the nightmarish memories of a generation who grew up terrified by both the old TV series and the book. As a big fan of the latter, I remember being nervous going into this one, but was pleasantly surprised by how Andy Muschietti's adaptation of this tale of small-town evil turned out.

Muschietti's film taps into the awkward highs and lows of adolescence that King's book expertly portrayed.

The scares are there, yes (helped along by Bill Skarsgård's theatrically creepy take on Pennywise the Clown), but Muschietti's film also taps into the awkward highs and lows of adolescence that King's book expertly portrayed. — S.H.

10. Gerald's Game (2017) Credit: Netflix

How do you turn a story that's set almost entirely in a single room into a watchable film? Well for a long time, with Gerald's Game at least, you didn't.

The novel came out in 1992, and it was only a full 25 years later that Mike Flanagan's adaptation finally made it to Netflix. King himself previously admitted he thought the book was "unfilmable" when he first read it in college, and it's easy to see why: The story follows Jessie (Carla Gugino), who gets trapped in a remote lake house handcuffed to a bed after her husband unexpectedly dies of a heart attack. Much of the story takes place in her head, but Flanagan's direction — which makes use of flashbacks and imaginary conversations — brings Jessie's internal nightmare effortlessly to life. — S.H.

9. The Mist (2007) Credit: Dimension Films / Kobal / Shutterstock

While two of writer/director Frank Darabont's King adaptations have risen to the lofty heights of all-time greatest film lists (more on them later), The Mist has flown largely under the radar. It has a decent enough Rotten Tomatoes audience rating, and positive enough reviews, but it appears to have been mostly lost in the shadow of Darabont's earlier work. It's an ill-deserved legacy.

Following a father and son who get trapped in a gas station store with a group of strangers as a weird fog envelops their town, The Mist takes an intriguing premise and spins out a tense popcorn-muncher of a film that's equal parts fun, jumpy and harrowing. It's not a perfect movie – some of the special effects look a little dated here and there – but it's still leagues ahead of most monster movies, and comes complete with a chilling human antagonist and a convincing analogy of the dangers of fundamental religion. — S.H.

8. The Dead Zone (1983) Credit: Dimension Films / Kobal / Shutterstock

It’s hard to imagine that either Stephen King or David Cronenberg would have known how unsettlingly timely The Dead Zone would feel in 2022. The 1983 adaptation of the author's 1979 novel introduces us to Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken) — a provincial school teacher about to marry his sweetheart. After a car accident that almost kills him, Johnny wakes up with the psychic ability to see people’s past and future. It will take him a while to understand that his powers are not just about seeing the future, but about being able to change it. The psychological thriller becomes political when a Trump-like figure is introduced halfway through the film. Add some nuclear anxiety and seen today, The Dead Zone seems here to tell us that we still haven’t learnt our lessons.

SEE ALSO: This 1979 Stephen King novel is a chilling prediction of Donald Trump's rise

But there’s much to be enjoyed about the film outside its political relevance. Starting with the award-worthy performances by Christopher Walken and Michael Sheen, and adding Mark Irwin’s stunning cinematography, Cronenberg’s adaptation is a cinematic feast. To experience The Dead Zone in all its glory, look for the film’s digital restoration. — Teodosia Dobriyanova, Video Producer

7. The Shining (1980) Credit: Warner Bros / Hawk Films /Kobal / Shutterstock

Stanley Kubrick's The Shining occupies a strange place in movie history. The film has long enjoyed praise from critics, it sits comfortably in the IMDb top 250 movies of all time, and it's probably one of the most famous horror movies ever made. On the other hand, King himself isn't a fan. Yep, really. The author hasn't been shy with his opinions of the movie over the years, describing it as "cold" and calling Shelley Duvall's character Wendy "one of the most misogynistic characters ever put on film."

...the twins in the hallway, the river of blood, "Herrrreeeee's, Johnny!"...

So, does he have a point? Well, you could certainly argue that the characters in Kubrick's adaptation are nowhere near as three dimensional as King's; Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) doesn't unravel like he does in the book (he's already unravelled to begin with), while Duvall's character comes across as far more helpless on screen. But despite this, The Shining remains undeniably quintessential cinema — it's disturbing, genuinely scary, and features imagery (the twins in the hallway; the river of blood; "Herrrreeeee's, Johnny!") that will burn themselves forever into your brain. — S.H.

6. Carrie (1976) Credit: United Artists/Kobal/Shutterstock

The word "iconic" gets thrown around cavalierly, but Brian De Palma's Carrie truly earns this distinguished adjective. Those who shudder at the very idea of watching a scary movie may not have seen Carrie, but they know the image of a girl in a pretty prom dress, draped in pig's blood. They recognize the howl of Margaret White: "They're all gonna laugh at you!"

Sissy Spacek stars as the titular telekinetic teen girl, a sheepish misfit mocked for her awkwardness and her zealot mother (Piper Laurie). But an act of kindness from a popular girl (Amy Irving) could prove a turning point for Carrie — and on prom night no less! Of course, King isn't much for happy endings. And De Palma's adaptation delivers when it comes to chills, screams, and haunting imagery. It's little wonder Spacek and Laurie each earned Academy Award nods for their riveting and unnerving performances, streaked with agony, ecstasy, and resentment. — K.P. 

5. The Green Mile (1999) Credit: Ralph Jr Nelson / Castle Rock / Warner Bros / Kobal / Shutterstock

It's not easy to make a three-hour movie fly by, but Frank Darabont's prison-set thriller is so incredibly tense, emotional, harrowing, and beautiful, that it easily feels half that length.

Taking place in a death row penitentiary in 1935 Louisiana, The Green Mile sees prison guard Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) and his colleagues coming to terms with the miraculous gifts of new inmate John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), a giant of a man who has been sentenced to death for the murder of twin girls. Pretty much every character in The Green Mile is memorable in their own right: there's Paul's towering best friend Brutus (David Morse), their snivellingly sadistic colleague Percy Whitmore (Doug Hutchison), troubled prison warden Hal Moores (James Cromwell), and nightmarish inmate "Wild" Bill Wharton (Sam Rockwell). Saying that a movie is a rollercoaster of emotions feels clichéd, but in this case it fits. The story has the ability to shock, and make you laugh, disturb, and – ultimately – bring a tear to the eye. — S.H.

4. The Life of Chuck (2025) Credit: TIFF

First, he delivered the kinky terror of Gerald's Game, then the child-slaughtering horror of Doctor Sleep. For his third adaptation from King's creepy bibliography, heralded horror auteur Mike Flanagan tackled The Life of Chuck, a 2020 novella with a very different tone than his previous films. Sure, there are scares, death, and even some ghostly business within this curious offering, which won wild praise out of its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024. But at its core, this is a magnificent movie about the joys in living.

Beginning at what seems like the end of the world as we know it, The Life of Chuck follows a school teacher (Chiwetel Ejiofor) as he grapples with an onslaught of worrisome news, including natural disasters, societal breakdown, and the tragedy of the internet going out for good. Yet he is most mystified by the billboards going up around town of a smiling, bespectacled Charles Krantz (Tom Hiddleston), who appears to be retiring after "39 great years." Who is this mystery man? The Life of Chuck will unfurl his story with wonder, whimsy, grief, and a rousing dance number that makes it a total crowd-pleaser. Co-starring Flanagan collaborators like Mark Hamill, Karen Gillan, Jacob Tremblay, Rahul Kohli, and Kate Siegel, this is a deeply poignant film, and one of the very best King adaptations yet.  — K.P.

3. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Credit: ITV / Shutterstock

It was always going to be near the top of the list, wasn't it? Frank Darabont's adaptation of King's novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption has topped so many all-time greatest movie rankings — including its famous number one spot above The Godfather on the IMDb top 250 — that it would've been ridiculous for us not to include it up here. Its place in movie history is well deserved, too. I enjoyed King's novella like I do most of his work, but this is probably one of the rare instances where the film surpasses its source material.

Probably one of the rare instances where the film surpasses its source material.

Tim Robbins is perfect as Andy Dufresne, a man who suddenly finds himself behind bars for a murder he claims not to have committed, while Morgan Freeman gives a legendary performance as his prison mate-turned-friend Red. There's some truly unpleasant supporting roles from Mark Rolston as violent inmate Bogs and Clancy Brown as brutal prison guard Captain Hadley. It's a film that'll be watched and studied for decades to come. — S.H.

2. Misery (1990) Credit: Castle Rock / Columbia / Kobal / Shutterstock

Is Annie Wilkes, played with terrifying (and Oscar–winning) intensity by Kathy Bates, the greatest female movie villain of all time? Very possibly.

Telling the nail-biting tale of best-selling writer Paul Sheldon (the late James Caan), who gets rescued from a car crash by his "number-one fan" only to be held hostage, Misery is a horribly tense film that'll have you sweating every time Wilkes leaves the house and Sheldon embarks on yet another doomed escape attempt. There are truly classic moments of dialogue ("You dirty bird!") and some scenes (you know the one) that will probably never leave your head once you've seen them. All in all, Misery is an excellent thriller, one of two powerhouse King adaptations from Rob Reiner, and one of the greatest suspense movies ever made. — S.H.

1. Stand By Me (1986) Credit: Columbia / Kobal / Shutterstock

Although some of King's lengthier tomes (i.e. IT) have made excellent movies, you could make a pretty convincing case that it's his shorter novels and novellas that work best on screen. Stand By Me is the perfect example of this.

"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12...Jesus, does anyone?"

Screenwriters Raynold Gideon and Bruce A. Evans took the author's novella The Body — a coming-of-age tale about four friends who go hunting for a dead teenager while evading the local bullies — and squeezed out every drop of the story's poignancy and humour. It's a tear-jerking snapshot of the anxieties, friendships, highs, and lows of childhood. The novella packed a powerful punch of nostalgia and Rob Reiner's direction channels this in its own way, placing the boys' friendships front and centre, then considering them through a thoughtful adult lens. "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12," the grown up narrator (Richard Dreyfuss) writes at one point. "Jesus, does anyone?"

SEE ALSO: Every single Stephen King novella, ranked

Keep an eye out for a young Kiefer Sutherland as the brilliantly unpleasant Ace Merrill, Wil Wheaton as budding writer Gordie Lachance, Corey Feldman as the bold Teddy Duchamp, a young Jerry O'Connell as the sweet Vern Tessio, and of course, the exceptional River Phoenix as Gordie's best friend, Chris Chambers. Their performances, like the movie itself, have a well-deserved place in cinematic history. — S.H.

How to unblock ePorner for free

Mashable - 11 hours 43 min ago

TL;DR: Unblock ePorner with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

More than a third of U.S. states have introduced restrictions for online adult content. After the introduction of these age verification laws, some porn sites blocked users from those locations. That means a lot of potential users are now seeking a workaround. Fortunately, you can still access all your favorite porn sites in just a few simple steps.

If you want to unblock porn sites like ePorner for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to unblock ePorner for free

VPNs can hide your real IP address and connect you to a secure server in another location. This simple process tricks porn sites into providing you with access even if there is a block in place over your network.

Unblock ePorner from anywhere in the world by following this simple process:

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

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The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most leading services do offer free trials or money-back guarantees.

By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like ePorner without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it means you can temporarily unblock porn sites like ePorner and then recover your investment.

What is the best VPN for porn?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like ePorner, for a number of reasons:

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A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (including money-back guarantee).

Unblock ePorner for free with ExpressVPN.

Keep your files safe with 2TB of cloud storage — just $70 for life

Mashable - 11 hours 43 min ago

TL;DR: Get lifetime access to 2TB of secure, easy-to-use cloud storage with FileJump for just $69.97 (reg. $467) while supplies last.

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Looking to do some personal spring cleaning and get more organized? Start by tackling your digital clutter with FileJump’s 2TB lifetime cloud storage plan. For just $69.97 (reg. $467), you can back up your files, free up your devices, and ensure your important documents, photos, and videos are always accessible and secure.

FileJump is the ultimate "Goldilocks" of cloud storage, striking the perfect balance between affordability and premium features. Unlike other solutions that lock you into monthly subscriptions, FileJump’s lifetime plan offers peace of mind with a one-time payment. Plus, its intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes organizing files user-friendly.

Need to share large files? FileJump lets you send links or provide access to team members, making collaboration seamless. And with built-in preview support for images, videos, and even Excel spreadsheets, you can quickly view your files without downloading them first.

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FileJump’s 2TB of storage gives you plenty of space to back up your life — from work projects to cherished memories — and access them anytime, anywhere. With support for large files up to 15GB, it’s perfect for creative professionals, families, and anyone juggling multiple devices.

This new year, set yourself up for success by getting organized. FileJump’s lifetime plan ensures you’ll never have to worry about running out of space or paying recurring fees. And if you still need a last-minute gift, this digital subscription doesn't require shipping time. 

Get lifetime access to 2TB of secure cloud storage with FileJump for just $69.97 (reg. $467).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

How to watch Mexico vs. Dominican Republic online for free

Mashable - 11 hours 43 min ago

TL;DR: Live stream Mexico vs. Dominican Republic in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup for free on YouTube. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup kicks off with Mexico vs. Dominican Republic. Mexico will be expected to progress into the knockout rounds and perhaps go all the way, but this opening game is not going to be easy. Mexico looked strong when beating Turkey in their last warm-up game, but they know they'll need to be at their best to secure three points here.

If you want to watch Mexico vs. Dominican Republic in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Mexico vs. Dominican Republic?

Mexico vs. Dominican Republic in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup kicks off at 10:15 p.m. ET on June 14. This fixture takes place at the SoFi Stadium.

How to watch Mexico vs. Dominican Republic for free

Mexico vs. Dominican Republic in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup is available to live stream for free on YouTube.

These free live stream is not available in North or Central America, but fans in excluded territories can still watch this game for free with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in another location, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Concacaf Gold Cup from anywhere in the world.

Live stream the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Subscribe to 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)

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  5. Live stream the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Mexico vs. Dominican Republic (plus the rest of the tournament) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best 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 YouTube?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on YouTube, 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 always 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 generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (including money-back guarantee).

Live stream the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

Hurdle hints and answers for June 14, 2025

Mashable - 11 hours 43 min ago

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Aware.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

ALERT

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A chamber of a home.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 14, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

SUITE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Ghastly.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 14 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 14, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

ASHEN

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To sit upon.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for June 14 Hurdle Word 4 answer

PERCH

Final Hurdle hint

A booth.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

KIOSK

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

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