Mashable

Substack is giving writers expanded control over their comments sections.

The paid newsletter website announced in a blog post on Wednesday that it is introducing a new system called Reply Rules. With Reply Rules, individual writers who open up comments underneath their posts can write out a quick summary of what they'd like to see from said comments. Anyone who wants to write a comment underneath a post, or in response to a Note or in Chat, will see these rules. Examples given included "no AI slop" or "stay on topic," but theoretically, you could also ask people to exclusively reply in limerick form or something, if you felt like it.

SEE ALSO: 3 burning questions we still have before WWDC 2026 Some examples. Credit: Substack

Compliance is not based on an honor system, however. Substack says this new system will learn from whenever you hide any replies that don't abide by the rules, and will automatically hide other replies it thinks you would have hidden before you get to them. The Substack blog post was not highly specific on how this system works, but if it actually is capable of automatic moderation based on natural language prompts, that could be very useful to popular writers on the platform.

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is soaring on Broadway. As we head into the 79th annual Tony Awards, the show boasts 12 nominations, including Best Musical. But the journey to critical acclaim and packed houses roaring with excitement was far from guaranteed when director and co-lighting designer Michael Arden, who is nominated in both Tony categories, got involved. 

In an interview with Mashable, the two-time Tony Award–winning director (Maybe Happy Ending, Parade) recalled how his involvement with The Lost Boys began. He was approached by producers James Carpinello, Marcus Chait, and Patrick Wilson, when the proposed musical had no script and no songs — just the idea that Joel Schumacher's 1987 cult classic about leather-bound teen vampires could be a thrilling theatrical production. 

"It was just, 'We want to do this on stage," Arden recalled,  "That was literally all we knew when we started."

They started in 2021, a time when theaters across the country were shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the future of theater was uncertain, Arden and his collaborators dared to dream of what it could be. "I was like, 'Well, what else am I doing?' But it felt like a real opportunity to have fun — sure, let's make a vampire musical."

How The Lost Boys went from screen to stage Ali Louis Bourzgui hovers over LJ Benet in "The Lost Boys: A New Musical." Credit: Matthew Murphy

Though a millennial, Arden hadn't grown up with The Lost Boys. But when he watched the movie after being offered the opportunity to adapt it for the stage, he immediately saw its potential.

"I knew that there were these certain moments that were iconic tentpole things we needed to deliver on," he said, adding, "We have a responsibility, when we go to create a piece of theater, to do something a bit more elevated. And so we were chasing themes that were in the movie and expanding [on them], making them more operatic. It was great, because we had these tentpoles to play with, but we really got to build in a more complex story." 

As noted in my review of The Lost Boys, among those changes to flesh out the story was an abusive father for the Emerson family — this unseen force prompted their recent move to Santa Clara, home of the vampire David (Tony nominee Ali Louis Bourzgui) and his blood-sucking lost boys. Speaking of mother Lucy (Shoshana Bean) and her teen sons Michael and Sam, Arden said, "It's a mom and her two kids, and they don't talk about Dad. So we were like, well, that's clearly something. Maybe when we go to the theater, we want to know about Dad." 

Building in this domestic violence element not only gives a sharper understanding of why the Emersons are moving to Lucy's hometown, but also why she and her eldest son are so at odds. Michael (LJ Benet) harbors anger about her failure to protect him from his abusive father. This disconnect urges him to find a new family with David and the beguiling Star (Maria Wirries). Plus, David's fear of his own potential for violence is given a deeper root, as he hallucinates his abusive father beckoning him. 

Exploring the women of The Lost Boys  Shoshana Bean is Lucy Emerson in "The Lost Boys: A New Musical." Credit: Matthew Murphy

The book — by David Hornsby and Chris Hoch — also added depth to the female characters, such as Star and Lucy. "All hail Dianne Wiest," Arden said of the rightly acclaimed actress's performance in the movie The Lost Boys, before noting that her character was "not on the page; it's definitely in the performance." 

"Watching the movie, I was like, 'Oh, these ladies are, like, glorified costumes,' you know what I mean?" In his production, "Lucy is certainly at the center of our story. We knew that family had to be the key there." 

First suggested by Arden, the L.A. rock band The Rescues wrote The Lost Boys' original music and lyrics, including songs focused on the perspectives of Lucy and Star. Within their Tony–nominated score, "Wild" allows Lucy to sing about her youth and being a hippie, and how she wishes to embraces that free side of herself outside of her role as mother. Sung by Star, "War" offers her a space to express how it feels to have your life's path determined by power-hungry men. Arden called this "one of my favorite songs in the show," adding, "It's not lost on me that if you just look at those lyrics outside of the context of Lost Boys, it is about the moment we are living in right now."

Maria Wirries and LJ Benet play Star and Michael in "The Lost Boys: A New Musical." Credit: Matthew Murphy

The director continued, "We are in a never-ending war, and she has this unbelievable lyric that [The Rescues] wrote: 'Again, the violence of men is what rules us in the end, because in the end, you're either predator or prey.' This idea that these men are deciding things for us all, who lives and who dies, and without a thought of the humanity. Star gets to voice that as a character who is at the mercy of these men. We really wanted to highlight that."

Recalling what he requested from The Rescues, he said, "When we were looking for a song for Star in Act Two, I remember saying to The Rescues, 'If you could say anything, get up in front of a crowd [in] this country, and talk about what it feels like to be an American right now, what would you say?' And they delivered that unbelievable banger, which I think will probably... I hope enters the canon of, like, great songs. What the best musical theater songs can do is they can exist on two planes — one for the story and one for, like, the time we're in."

Expanding the LGBTQ+ representation in The Lost Boys Benjamin Pajak, Jennifer Duka, and Miguel Gil as Sam Emerson, Alan Frog, and Edgar Frog in "The Lost Boys: A New Musical." Credit: Matthew Murphy

Before there was Challengers and the three-way kiss, there was The Lost Boys. Coming out during the AIDS crisis, Schumacher's movie dealt with a hot teenage vampire love triangle and repressed desires being deadly. So, fans of the film didn't have to work hard to see queer undertones. Arden and his team expanded on this in their musical, making subtext text. 

Sam Emerson, who had a Rob Lowe poster on his wall in the movie, is more directly identified as queer in this musical, culminating in the song "Superpower." In this number, he is flanked by superheroes in spandex costumes that collectively form a rainbow, as he sings about recognizing that what makes him "queer" makes him great. Arden noted the double meaning of "queer" to mean "different" or "gay," depending on its context. Then, he said of Sam's arc, "This isn't about Sam realizing his homosexuality. That might be part of it, but it's not all of it. 'Superpower' is actually an anthem for anyone who has felt like they didn't belong. That is a mirror to Michael's experience. They both [feel like] outsiders... They have that to bond over, that they both have felt like they couldn't quite be themselves. And what's interesting about those characters, it isn't because the world is telling them they're wrong. It's because they themselves think they don't belong. It's actually [a] self-obstacle, which I love... It's a pretty fun journey to go on with those brothers."

Beyond the Emerson brothers, there's also the Frog Brothers. In the movie, both Alan and Edgar Frog were male-presenting boys. In The Lost Boys: A New Musical, Alan Frog is played by Jennifer Duka. Arden spoke on this casting choice, saying, "Well, why do the Frog Brothers both need to be dudes?"

In development, the team discussed what it meant for Alan to be played by a woman. For instance, "How do we deal with the name the Frog Brothers?" He shared, "And I was like, 'Well, why doesn't she just want to be a brother with somebody, because that would allow her to do things that girls [in 1987] don't get to do, and be involved in situations that girls don't get to be involved in?"

He noted the language on gender identity wasn't as developed in the '80s as it is now. So, while he declined to outright describe Alan as a trans or non-binary character, he noted that in the '80s setting, she'd be considered "a tomboy," adding, "She likes to be a Frog Brother, and in the army, you go by your last name. And her last name is Alan."

So, in the play, Alan introduces herself as Alan Frog, and when Sam questions it, she says, "Jessica Alan. But I go by Alan." This change might seem small, but it underscores the aforementioned themes of understanding yourself and found family. As Sam declares in the climax, they are all family. ("Did I stutter?") 

How The Lost Boys took flight LJ Benet, Ali Louis Bourzgui, Brian Flores, Dean Maupin, and Sean Grandillo fly in "The Lost Boys: A New Musical." Credit: Matthew Murphy

Last but not least, Arden and I talked about the mesmerizing flying sequences in The Lost Boys: A New Musical.

In translating Schumacher's vision from screen to stage, Arden was sure to include such iconic elements as the oiled-up, muscle-bound saxophone player, the '80s rock attitude — complete with David's signature bleach blonde mullet — and the train track sequence, where the lost boys fly. Flight becomes a major element of the spectacle of The Lost Boys as Bourzgui and his fellow vampires (Brian Flores, Sean Grandillo, and Dean Maupin) ascend to menace or awe their prey. Arden explained how he wanted to make The Lost Boys' flight style specific to their story and distinctive from the many Peter Pans who've whimsically flown through theater history. 

When I mentioned my own childlike wonder at the near-invisible wirework, he said, "That's awesome. That's what we want. We want to go to the theater to be fully with the imagination and belief system of a child. In fact, it's called The Lost Boys. We want to stay kids, because we don't want to lose our ability to believe in things that are seemingly impossible."

Arden knew it was crucial that the flight be astounding to the audience. But how to suspend disbelief if the audience can see the wires from which the actors hang? After all, theater doesn't have a visual effects team that can paint out the wires in post-production, as there is no post-production. "How are we gonna make this seem like they are really flying?" He recalled, "We talked about, like, 'Oh, should they  always fly on chains so that we see them? Because it's really going to be impossible to hide the wires.'" However, Arden, who has a background in lighting, decided, "We just gotta fucking figure it out."

This process meant creating a flying rig that Arden told Deadline was tested in Las Vegas a year before the show opened. From there, the custom rig was sent to SUNY Purchase, where the cast would rehearse before moving into the Palace Theatre. But before they even got to that point, the auditions for The Lost Boys demanded performers for certain roles not only be able to sing and dance, but also prove they could learn to fly. The training required the actors discover how to hold their bodies, move around the wires smoothly, and fly not just convincingly but with an awe-striking grace. 

"We did have one flight [in the show] that was kind of funny," Arden recalls of the development, "But we ended up cutting very early on, because it wasn't right. [Flight] needed to be emotional. We did tell the cast, 'This is spiritual.' This is the grandest, most beautiful thing a vampire can do." 

Arden explained how the flight was a necessary foil to the killing the vampires do. "They are the darkness and the light, if you will, of their power," He explained. "It's like flight, because it is the thing that is venerable for everyone. So, it needed to be beautiful enough that you would really consider killing someone to get that power."

Of this masterfully choreographed collision of performance, lighting, and staging, he said, "To be able to achieve that was really difficult, and really has been really rewarding, because people are just — there's something about it. It ignites your inner child, and that's why we knew that the flying needed to be beautiful and needed to represent joy." 

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is now on Broadway. 

Amazon loves to keep us on our toes. We've been covering Prime Day for years, and even though the dates vary slightly, we expect Prime Day to fall in July. So it was quite surprising when the retailer dropped the 2026 dates for Prime Day. Amazon's biggest sale of the year is upon us, and it's sooner than you think.

We're here to lay out all the details because, surprise — the early deals have started.

When is the next Prime Day?

While it may seem like Amazon is holding sales every other month, Prime Day technically only happens once a year in the summer. Prime Day will run from June 23 to 26, 2026. For the second year in a row, the sale will last for four days, up from its original two-day sale.

In addition to Prime Day, Amazon hosts a fall Prime event called Prime Big Deal Days. For all intents and purposes, it's colloquially known as Prime Day 2 or October Prime Day. Amazon has also held a week-long shopping event in the spring, dubbed Amazon's Big Spring Sale, for the past three years. The deals aren't quite at the level of Prime Day, but it is considered Amazon's first major savings event of the year.

Are Prime Day deals worth it?

Prime Day is notoriously full of great deals. Besides Black Friday, it's probably the best time of year to buy Amazon devices, Apple products, robot vacuums, everyday essentials, smartwatches, headphones, and more. If you're in the market for tech, it's certainly worth perusing. Mashable already has a running list of the best Prime Day deals that can give you more in-depth analysis on what products are worth grabbing and which ones are worth passing on.

Summer movies are back! Audiences are turning out in droves to see Obsession and Backrooms. But if your cinematic tastes favor action over terror, you may well relish director Travis Knight's playful He-Man movie, Masters of the Universe.

Nicholas Galitzine stars as Adam Glenn, who comes from the sword-and-sandals land of Eternia, where he was once a prince. But after the villainous Skeletor (Jared Leto) invades Earth, Adam is sent to help out, and while there, he grows big, strong, and empathetic, thanks in part to working in human resources. However, rediscovering the Sword of Power leads him back to his homeland and enables him to become a brawnier, bolder hero known as He-Man.

In my review of the film, I cheered, "Masters of the Universe is a wonderfully entertaining adventure that dodges the pitfalls that makes so much IP adaptations tedious. Knight delivers a colorful film with a point of view, not just a sales pitch."

Nicholas Galitzine in "Masters of the Universe." Credit: Amazon MGM Studios

But as you're ready to see Masters of the Universe in theaters, you might be wondering if this souped-up action movie will take a cue from Marvel films, offering mid-credits scenes or post-credits scenes that might enhance the theatergoing experience. So let's get into it, one at a time.

Does Masters of the Universe have a mid-credits scene?

Yes. Two, in fact. So, hold off the rush to the restroom, lest you miss out on more from the He-Man universe.

Does Masters of the Universe have a post-credits scene?

Yes! So, stay through the credits unless you are fine missing out on the most Masters of the Universe can give you. And hey, bonus — sitting through the credits is a great way to take in the vast amount of human effort that goes into making movies as big and wild as this.

Masters of the Universe opens in theaters on June 5.

Nvidia just announced the RTX Spark, a brand-new ARM-based Windows chip that could finally be the "Apple Silicon moment" PC users have been waiting for. In this video, we break down everything you need to know about this powerhouse processor. We explore what this means for AI power users, creators and gamers.

Best early Prime Day deals Best headphone deal Sony WH-CH720N $88.58 at Amazon (Save $91.41) Get Deal Best speaker deal Sonos Era 300 $379 at Amazon (Save $100) Get Deal Best portable power station deal Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station $749 at Amazon (Save $750) Get Deal Best TV deal Hisense 55-inch U6 4K Smart TV $397.99 at Amazon (Save $150) Get Deal

No matter what type of shopper you are, whether you use sales to stock up on household essentials like dish soap and paper towels or as a time to splurge, the time is nigh because Prime Day is coming.

Usually taking place in early July, Amazon has decided to shake things up this year and run the sale in June. Amazon's Prime Day runs from June 23 to 26, and while the timing may have changed, we're still expecting the same great savings.

Even though we still have a few weeks until the official start of Prime, the deals kicked off as soon as the sale was announced. While we're not seeing the sheer abundance of deals that we will during Prime Day proper, it's not a bad start.

So if you're eager to start saving, we rounded up the best early Prime Day deals to start shopping now.

Best early Prime Day headphone deal Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-CH720N $88.58 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $91.41   Get Deal

When Prime Day actually starts, our attention is going to be on the big names in headphones: the Sony WH-1000XM6s and the Bose QuietComfort Ultras. But leading up to it, those big brands still have lots of savings to give. Right now, the best deal on headphones is on the Sony WH-CH720N, an affordable pair of over-ear noise-cancelling headphones. Normally $179.99, the WH-CH720N just dropped under $100 ahead of Prime Day. Snag them now for as low as $88.58 and save $91.41.

Early Prime Day headphone deals

• Sony WH-CH520 — $38 $69.99 (save $31.99)

• Logitech G735 — $141.53 $259.99 (save $118.46)

• Sennheiser Momentum 4 — $219 $299.99 (save $80.99)

• Sony WH-1000XM5 — $278 $399.99 (save $121.99)

• Sonos Ace — $299 $399 (save $100)

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra — $329 $429 (save $100)

• Sony WH-1000XM6 — $398 $459.99 (save $61.99)

• Apple AirPods Max 2 — $499.99 $549 (save $49.01)

Early Prime Day earbud deals

• Soundcore V20i Open-Ear Headphones — $26.99 $49.99 (save $23)

• Technics AZ100-K Earbuds — $247.99 $299.99 (save $52)

Best early Prime Day speaker deal Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Era 300 $379 at Amazon
$479 Save $100   Get Deal

Whether you're hosting summer movie nights or dinner parties, if you want to upgrade your home's audio, early Prime Day deals are coming in clutch. The advanced Sonos Era 300 is equipped with Dolby Atmos and powered by six drivers for surround sound. Right now, grab it for just $379, saving you $100 off its $479 price tag.

More early Prime Day speaker deals

• Bose Soundlink Flex — $119.99 $139 (save $19.01)

• Sonos Roam 2 — $134 $179 (save $45)

• Sonos Era 100 SL — $169 $189 (save $20)

• Sonos Era 100 — $189 $219 (save $30)

• Sonos Move 2 — $399 $499 (save $100)

Best early Prime Day portable power station deal Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station $749 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $750   Get Deal

Ready for summer adventures? If you're gearing up to pack the car and head into nature, don't forget to invest in a portable power station to keep your campsite powered. Plus, it can serve as an at-home power backup in an emergency.

Right now, there's an outstanding deal on the Anker Solix C2000, which is 50% off. That takes it from $1,499 all the way down to $749. Ahead of Prime Day, that saves you $750.

More early Prime Day portable power station deals

• Jackery Explorer 1000 — $449 $799 (save $350)

• Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 — $499 $799 (save $300)

• Bluetti Elite 200 V2 — $799 $1,070 (save $271)

• Anker Solix F3800 Plus — $2,499.99 $2,699.99 (save $200)

Best early Prime Day TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 55-inch U6 4K Smart TV $397.99 at Amazon
$547.99 Save $150   Get Deal

Getting ready for the World Cup? If you want to watch every heart-racing moment in 4K and have realized that your TV isn't up to par, then you need to shop the early Prime Day deal on the Hisense 55-inch U6 4K Smart TV. Normally $547.99, it's down to $397.99, saving you $150. It's an exceptionally bright TV (good for summertime viewing) with Dolby Atmos sound and Alexa built in.

More early Prime Day TV deals

• Roku 65-inch QLED 4K Smart TV — $379.99 $449.99 (save $70)

• TCL 75-inch T7 QLED 4K Google TV — $739.99 $899.99 (save $150)

• Hisense 65-inch U7 ULED 4K Google TV — $948.99 $1,499.99 (save $551)

• Samsung 65-inch S90F OLED 4K Smart TV — $1,397.99 $1,697.99 (save $300)

Every year, Apple reveals a big new iOS update at WWDC that brings tons of new features to your iPhone, and we're fully expecting to learn about iOS 27 at WWDC 2026. However, this year, we're expecting big news. Not only is it the final Apple developers conference of the Tim Cook era, but the Gemini-powered AI Siri should finally make its grand debut.

When the iPhone 18 launches in September, we expect it to ship alongside iOS 27, as is usually the case with every new iPhone and every new iOS iteration. Apple still hasn't officially shown off its mobile OS update, but there have been plenty of reports and leaks about iOS 27 in advance of WWDC on Monday, June 8.

Here's everything you need to know about iOS 27 right now.

SEE ALSO: The latest iPhone 18 news, leaks, and rumors iOS 27: All about AI Siri

Easily the biggest feature coming to iOS 27 that we know of right now is the long-awaited AI-powered overhaul of Siri, Apple's iconic voice assistant. It was supposed to happen two years and several class-action lawsuits ago, but internal delays have pushed its debut timeline.

On a basic level, what's changing here is that Siri is going to be turned into an AI chatbot with its own standalone app (we think) and the ability to incorporate both what's on the screen and personal context into responses. The new Siri should also have the ability to perform actions in other apps and widgets. It'll be powered primarily by Google's Gemini model, though rumor has it that users will be able to use third-party models for Siri and other Apple Intelligence features, too, if they so desire.

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While Siri is getting its own app, that doesn't mean the way you interface with Siri will change that much, necessarily.

A report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the source of most iOS 27 and iPhone 18 leaks and rumors, indicated that Siri in iOS 27 can still be activated by a wake word or by holding down the power button, same as ever, but there will also be a new interface built into the iPhone's Dynamic Island. You'll be able to make queries by swiping down from the top of the screen, and an additional swipe will bring you straight to the new chatbot interface for Siri.

What's more, Gurman reported that the glowing, neon artwork used to promote WWDC is actually a preview of Siri's new look. Apple has also used a dove motif in promoting WWDC, which could be a hint to the Siri app logo.

Credit: Apple Credit: Apple

Gurman's report also included some tidbits about how Siri will play with the Photos and Camera apps, too. For instance, iPhone users may finally get some of the AI photo editing tools that have become standard on Android phones.

Users will also be able to snap a photo in Camera and instantly reverse image search it on Google. There will also be a Siri mode in the Camera app that incorporates Visual Intelligence directly into that app, so you'll allegedly be able to do things like scan nutritional labels to log your diet into the Health app, for example.

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In summary, Apple is looking to catch up to the competition when it comes to having a sophisticated AI chatbot that lives in your phone, and it sounds like iOS 27 might finally bring us to that point.

iOS 27: Other AI features

Apple's new iOS revision might focus largely on integrating Siri into the Apple Intelligence ecosystem, but what about the already existing Apple Intelligence features in iOS? It turns out some of those will be improved with iOS 27, too.

For example, a separate Mark Gurman report claimed that Image Playground and Genmoji will both get significant boosts to image quality in iOS 27. There will even be a new feature allowing users to generate custom phone wallpapers with AI. Outside of image generation, it sounds like there will also be a way for users to create custom app shortcuts using natural language prompts with Siri.

Beyond that, Writing Tools will apparently be infused with more AI juice. It'll supposedly be better at offering feedback for things like syntax errors, not just basic spelling mistakes. We'll need to see this in action to truly judge how well it works, though.

iOS 27: What about Liquid Glass?

Last year, the Liquid Glass design language introduced in iOS 26 really ruffled some feathers. That said, you should probably not expect any major changes on that front.

This information comes, once again, from Gurman at Bloomberg. He says Apple is not planning on making any sweeping changes to Liquid Glass, which isn't terribly surprising. While plenty of folks may not be huge fans of the design language, that fact doesn't appear to be driving people away from iPhones to any significant degree. In fact, the opposite is happening; iPhone sales are better than ever right now.

All of that is to say that Apple might add some more customization options to Liquid Glass, but don't expect to be able to turn it off or anything like that.

iOS 27: App changes

As always, iOS 27 is certainly going to bring some other miscellaneous changes to various first-party apps. We don't yet have a comprehensive list of every change to expect, but there are a couple of intriguing reports out there.

For instance, users will apparently be able to create custom widgets within the Camera app, giving them more fine control over which buttons appear on screen by default when opening the app. Weather is also getting a "Conditions" panel when looking at a page for a specific location. You'll be able to flip between information panels on things like wind and rain there.

The Wallet app is also reportedly getting a pretty interesting new feature that will allow users to create custom passes. It's called "Create a Pass," and it will allegedly be able to scan photos of things like movie tickets and gym memberships in order to create a digital pass that lives in the Wallet app. While lots of services have built-in support for the Wallet app, there are also plenty that don't, and this feature could help bridge that gap.

Splitting bills with Apple pay

Speaking of Wallet, Apple is also reportedly cooking up an extremely useful-sounding feature that will let users easily split bills. If you go out to dinner with friends, you'll be able to take a photo of the receipt and assign different things on the receipt to different people. After that, you can send payment requests to people via Apple Cash, with taxes and tips factored in. That sounds a lot easier than doing Venmo math on a napkin...as long as everyone involved uses Apple Cash, anyway.

iOS 27: Which iPhones will support it?

To start, we should establish which iPhones will actually be able to run iOS 27. Every year, Apple phases out an older generation of devices, and a recent leak suggested that the following phones will be phased out this year:

• iPhone 11

• iPhone 11 Pro

• iPhone 11 Pro Max

• iPhone SE (second generation)

That means anything older than an iPhone 12 is probably not going to be able to run iOS 27. It's a tough business, but that's just how it works. Apple can't keep everyone happy forever.

In addition, iOS 27 is sure to bring updates to Apple Intelligence, including a new AI Siri. Keep in mind that not all iPhones support Apple Intelligence, which is only compatible with the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, and newer Apple smartphones.

iOS 27: Don't forget about the iPhone Fold

Lastly, we'd be remiss not to mention the iPhone Fold. There isn't a lot of concrete information yet about how iOS will adapt to the long-rumored device, but one has to assume that iOS 27 will, to some extent, work a little differently on the foldable iPhone. Actions like app multi-tasking, for example, will probably be possible on the iPhone Fold, meaning iOS 27 will need to natively support that sort of thing.

The good news is Apple is reportedly working on exactly that.

A recent leak from Weibo suggests that iOS 27 will support "Parallel View" in landscape mode on normal iPhones, meaning you might be able to have two windows open onscreen at the same time. This extremely vague leak doesn't specifically call out the iPhone Fold, perhaps suggesting it'll be a standard feature across the iOS 27 ecosystem, but it's hard not to associate split-screen app views with a foldable display. This is speculation on our part, but it seems likely that this is, at least in some way, related to the foldable device.

Not every iOS revision is a big overhaul, but if nothing else, it sounds like iOS 27 will drastically change how users interact with Siri and pave the way for the first foldable iPhone. In that sense, this could be one of the biggest iOS updates in a while.

"Welp, that happened faster than I predicted."

That's what Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince had to say as his company released data finding that there's now more traffic from bots than humans on the internet.

"Thought it would be end of 2027, then early 2027 but agentic traffic growing so fast that bots have now passed human traffic online for the first time in the Internet's history," said Prince.

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Cloudflare is perhaps one of the most integral companies on the web, providing services like CDN (Content Delivery Network) and DDoS mitigation for some of the biggest sites on the internet. Cloudflare basically helps popular sites handle all the traffic they receive, so the company is certainly an expert in this realm.

Cloudflare's data shows that at any given point during a day, between 52 percent and 62 percent of traffic on the internet comes from bots. Over the past seven days, Cloudflare says roughly 57.4 percent of traffic has been the result of bots, which includes search crawlers from companies like Google and AI bots from other AI companies. Around 42.5 percent of internet traffic has been from humans.

Cloudflare's data also breaks down which countries have the most bot-related traffic, which provides even more interesting insight. The island of Gibraltar ranks first in bot traffic with a whopping 92.1 percent. Singapore comes in second with 76.3 percent, closely followed by Iran with 76.2 percent. Rounding out the top five countries in bot traffic are Ireland, with 72.8 percent, and the Netherlands, with 68.8 percent.

Bots such as website crawlers and search indexers have been around since the early days of the internet. But there hasn't been a sudden surge in those types of bots. Cloudflare's data shows that the uptick has been the result of AI agents or agentic AI bots scouring the web to both scrape content for data training and acting on behalf of human users utilizing AI assistants and chatbots.

But, as the tech outlet Tom's Hardware points out, Cloudflare's data only tracks website visits and not what the visitor, bot or human, is actually doing on the page. Humans actually consume the content on the webpages. Humans watch videos and read articles. They don't just scrape or index and move on to the next page as bots do. As a result, AI agents load more web pages than a human visitor, which helps explain the rising bot traffic.

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There's something special about a Polaroid photo. We've all come to rely on snapping pictures with our phones to store in the cloud, but we never seem to get around to printing out any physical memories. And that's where Polaroid shines. The new Polaroid Go gen 3 is a mini instant-film camera that turns any moment into a mini printed photo.

Opens in a new window Credit: Polaroid Polaroid Go gen 3 $89.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now What makes the Polaroid Go Gen 3 great

Polaroid says that the Go Gen 3 is the world's smallest instant analog camera. It weighs just 8.9 ounces without film, which is about half a pound. Its dimensions are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. There's also the impressive range of colorway options with the latest model.

What if we want one of each? Credit: Polaroid

The photos themselves are also tiny, measuring 2.6 inches in height and 2.1 inches wide. The included wrist strap makes it easy to carry the camera on outings, and it comes with some upgraded functions from Polaroid.

The Gen 3 has a selfie timer as well as a built-in selfie mirror for getting the best group shots possible. There's also a double exposure mode for getting creative. A stronger flash is helpful for taking low-light photos.

The small size makes the Polaroid Go gen 3 great for any adventure. Credit: Polaroid

In the brand's press release, Stine Bauer Dahlberg, the chief product officer, said, "We focused on perfecting the optical system, integrating a genuinely powerful flash, and optimizing the camera for great, close-up selfies of you and your friends. Every decision supports how people actually use a camera this small, while delivering strong performance across different lighting conditions."

While the camera itself is analog and perfect for spending less time attached to a phone, you can still use the Polaroid app for more benefits. From the app, scan your Polaroid to share the image with friends.

Keep in mind you'll need to use Polaroid Go film with the new Go camera. A pack of 16 photos sells for $21.99, which means each photo costs $1.32.

With a price of $89.99, the new Polaroid Go Gen 3 makes for a great gift or party accessory. It's already available at both Amazon and Polaroid.

SAVE $9 PER MONTH: Today only, Prime members and Prime Video subscribers can score the Starz streaming add-on for just $2.99 per month for two months. That's $9 per month in savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Starz Starz (Prime Video add-on) $2.99/month for two months (save $9/month) Get Deal

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Starz is an underrated streaming service. If you've exhausted the streaming catalog on Netflix and Hulu and need to diversify your movie and TV lineup this season, it's a great time to give it a shot. Today only, the Starz add-on for Prime Video is just $2.99 per month.

Through June 4 only, Prime members and Prime Video subscribers can add the Starz streaming app to their library for $2.99 per month for two months. A quiet price hike will go into effect for the streaming service on June 8, bumping its monthly cost from $10.99 to $11.99. So you'll be saving $9 per month, or a total of $18, by grabbing this deal.

Starz is home to Lionsgate theatrical releases, so you'll be able to watch recent hits like The Housemaid, Now You See Me: Now You Don't, and Greenland 2: Migration. Not to mention, it has its own original series that are pretty epic, including a TV adaptation of Lisa Taddeo's book Three Women, a comedy about a female serial killer called Sweetpea, and the historical fantasy show Outlander, which just wrapped its final season.

Switch up your streaming lineup for the summer and save some money by snagging a two-month subscription to Starz for a grand total of $5.98. That's pretty hard to beat in this economy.

Apple will reportedly lean on Nvidia to fuel the next generation of Siri.

The Information reported that Apple will "tap into Google’s fleet of Nvidia’s Blackwell B200 data center chips" to power requests from the new AI-enhanced Siri, which will allegedly go online with the launch of iOS 27 later this year. It's already been established that the new Siri will be based on Google's Gemini AI model, so Apple utilizing a Google fleet of Nvidia data center chips makes sense.

SEE ALSO: Siri’s Google brain: What to expect at WWDC 2026

In layman's terms, the main thing to know about this is that Nvidia's Blackwell architecture allows for large-scale AI usage with high degrees of memory bandwidth and other important things you need to make a popular chatbot work. These chips also have the ability to encrypt data that comes through them, which would help maintain Apple's high privacy standards as it attempts to catch up to the rest of the tech industry with AI features on its devices.

The new Siri hasn't officially been shown off yet, but it's widely expected that it will exist in the form of a chatbot with its own dedicated app once iOS 27 launches. It will be able to remember personal context for the user as well as read anything that's on screen, giving it capabilities far beyond what Siri has been able to do previously.

We should find out come Monday, when Apple hosts its annual developer conference, WWDC 2026.

BUY 4, GET $5: Through 2:59 a.m. ET on June 7, when you purchase four select personal care items at Target, you'll be awarded a free $5 Target gift card.

Opens in a new window Credit: Target Get a $5 Target gift card when you buy 4 select personal care items   Get Deal

Target's anti-Prime Day sale, called Target Circle Deal Days for 2026, is just a few weeks away. But if you're running low on personal care items — think body wash, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. — and can't wait until June 23 to stock up, Target's running a promo to help you out.

Ahead of its Deal Days event, you can get a free $5 Target gift card by grabbing four personal care items you were probably going to buy anyway. Select personal care items in the promo include shampoo and conditioner, body wash, deodorant, toothpaste, electric toothbrushes, razor blades, mouthwash, teeth whitening supplies, bar soap, and more from popular brands like Native, Olay, Dove, OGX, Megababe, Goodfellow, Carpe, Dr. Squatch, and Colgate. There's no price limit or constraint for the deal, and you can mix and match however you see fit. Just grab four products, and you'll receive a free $5 gift card.

The offer expires at 2:59 a.m. ET on June 7, so be sure to do your shopping before Sunday morning if you want a free gift card. You can shop in stores or online, but I recommend referring to the online listings to ensure the four products you choose are included in the promo.

Once you complete your purchase (and qualifying items ship), your gift card will automatically be applied to your Target account. Then you'll have a free $5 to spend on anything you want during Target Circle Deal Days at the end of the month.

Psst: if you want to shop all the best deals during the Deal Days event, you'll want to sign up for Target Circle (it's free) starting on June 14 to save even more.

SAVE $116: The Ninja Slushi is on sale for $233.99 with code SLUSH, marked down from the list price of $349.99. That's a 33% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Slushi $233.99 at Ninja
$349.99 Save $116 use code SLUSH at checkout Get Deal

It's getting toasty out there, and it's not even summer yet, according to the calendar. If you're looking for ways to stay cool this summer, a window A/C unit could do the trick. But if you're in the market for a refreshingly cool treat, there's a special deal in store at Ninja.

Use code SLUSH at checkout to get the Ninja Slushi on sale for $233.99, marked down from the standard price of $349.99. That works out to a 33% discount for a savings of $116. If you prefer to shop at Amazon, it's on sale for $239.99.

If you have summer hydration goals but don't feel like downing water bottle after water bottle, consider the options the Ninja Slushi brings to the table. With it, you can kick back with a slushy version of nearly any beverage.

Mashable Senior Shopping Reporter Leah Stodart reviewed the Ninja Slushi and found it to be an ideal way to enjoy a frozen treat. Instead of running to the local convenience store or ordering a spendy frosé during dinner out, whip up your own favorites at home.

SEE ALSO: There's a new final boss of frozen drink makers: The Ninja Slushi Twist can mix 2 flavors, still no ice needed

"The Slushi achieves that chef's kiss chilled consistency via Ninja's RapidChill Technology, which involves an auger spinning around a cooling cylinder," explained Stodart in the review. "This approach can take room temperature ingredients from liquid to, well, slushy, in under an hour."

Stodart tested out the Slushi by Slushi-ing White Claws plus simple syrup, Pepsi, a blueberry vanilla protein milkshake, and electrolyte drink powder. "Past this week of testing, I could totally see the Slushi getting weekly use in my household," she wrote.

If you're looking for a way to jazz up summer beverages, the Ninja Slushi is ready to bring on the fun treats. Remember to use code SLUSH at checkout to score your new favorite kitchen appliance for $233.99.

Motorola released a new Razr Ultra, and it's a lot like last year's model, which earned a CNET Editors' Choice award. But do minimal upgrades, and a $200 price hike make the 2026 Razr Ultra a worthy buy? We tested it to find out.

TL;DR: Amazon has chopped a whole $100 off the ASUS ROG Strix 27-inch 1440P HDR gaming monitor (XG27ACMS), now only $249. With that 29% cut, you’re getting this monitor’s lowest price yet for 320Hz QHD and a speedy 0.3ms response time.

Opens in a new window Credit: ASUS ASUS ROG Strix 27-inch 1440P USB-C HDR Gaming Monitor (XG27ACMS) $249 at Amazon
$349 Save $100 Get Deal

A great gaming monitor doesn’t need to take up your entire desk, and Amazon has just knocked a seriously speedy ASUS ROG Strix display down to its best price yet. 

As of June 4, the ASUS ROG Strix 27-inch 1440P USB-C HDR gaming monitor (XG27ACMS) is on sale at Amazon for $249, down from its typical $349 price. This 29% discount means $100 off the 27-inch Fast IPS model, with the listing currently shipped and sold by Amazon itself, free returns included, and faster delivery available for Prime members.

This cut has also taken the monitor to its lowest price ever (as seen on price tracker camelcamelcamel), not hitting a price point this low since December last year.

Along with a 2560 x 1440 QHD display, you’re getting a refresh rate as high as 320Hz when overclocked. This is exactly the kind of spec you want for shooters like Marathon, racing games like Forza Horizon 6, and even single-player games like 007: First Light, where smooth motion can make the gaming experience even better. 

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If all those Hz during high-octane titles make you worry about screen-tearing, though, ASUS’ added Extreme Low Motion Blur Sync works to keep that to a minimum — along with ghosting. 

The model in the ROG Strix range also comes with G-SYNC compatibility, DisplayHDR 400 support, USB-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode, and ASUS’ DisplayWidget Center software, so you can tweak monitor settings with a mouse instead of going through trial and error with on-screen buttons.

If you’re open to a monitor that’s a bit bigger, Samsung's 32-inch Odyssey G5 QHD gaming monitor has dropped to a record low price on Amazon, too. 

On the off-chance you may want to make the jump to QD-OLED, you can also save $350 on this 34-inch ASUS ROG Strix Ultrawide QD-OLED gaming monitor.

If you’re also a Pokémon TCG fan, although currently not available on Amazon, the newly announced Pitch Black expansion — Booster Packs, ETBs, Display Boxes, and Booster Bundles — is available to preorder at TCGplayer.

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SAVE OVER $20: As of June 4, the Lego Art Mona Lisa set (#31213) has returned to its lowest price yet at Amazon, at $79.95. This is $20.04 off its full price of $99.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego LEGO Art Mona Lisa Building Set (#31213) $79.95 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $20.04   Get Deal

This year's Prime Day sale is a few weeks away, but Amazon isn't stopping its deals until then. If you've been searching for discounted Lego sets in particular, the retailer has quite a few to look through right now. Some are even sitting at their lowest prices. The Lego Art Mona Lisa set (#31213) is back at its lowest price at the retailer, making now an excellent time to buy.

While the Lego Art Mona Lisa set usually costs $99.99, Amazon's knocked just over $20 off, bringing it down to $79.95. Again, this marks a return to its lowest-ever price at the retailer, so now is an excellent time to swoop in and grab it pre-Prime Day.

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If you enjoy Leonardo da Vinci’s original work, this brick-built version of the Mona Lisa looks like a fun project to build and display in your home. Recommended for ages 18 and up, it comes with 1,503 pieces to create the Mona Lisa, along with a gold frame for displaying it once you're done. It also comes with blank pieces you can swap the eyes out for if you want a more abstract design.

Who knows how long this Lego Art Mona Lisa set will stay on sale at this price, though. Act fast to take advantage of this Amazon deal while it's still available.

If you're curious about what's new from Lego right now instead, check out our rundown of the best new Lego sets to see what's available.

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Despite being massively unpopular even with Republicans, there's one part of Trump's anti-weaponization fund – a deal Trump struck with the DOJ that would have set up a $1.8 billion slush fund for people claiming political persecution – that he's still fighting to keep: an immunity deal that would protect him and his family from IRS audits.

"I'm sorry, what? He gets permanent immunity from tax crimes?" asks a shocked Seth Meyers in the Late Night clip above. "I've never heard of that. Even if you're acquitted in a murder trial, the jury doesn't say, 'You're free to go, and you'll never be tried again for any murder!

"It's especially insane when you consider what we already know," Meyers continues. "For years Trump did not pay any federal income taxes; in 2016 and 2017 he paid only $750 in income tax; and according to a 2024 report he may owe more than $100 million in back taxes. Now, you might be wondering why Trump owes $100 million in back taxes. The answer is actually very complex. You see, it has to do with long-term depreciation of assets and capital expenditures carried over multiple fiscal years, and itemized deductions from adjusted gross income, and I'm just f***ing with you, he cheated. He cheated on his taxes."

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TL;DR: Amazon has listed the Magic: The Gathering Reality Fracture Play Booster Box to preorder at a new sale price of $154.99, knocking $9.71 off the original $9.71. That’s an immediate 6% discount on the 30-pack box ahead of the set’s Oct. 2 release.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering Reality Fracture Play Booster Box $154.99 at Amazon
$164.70 Save $9.71 Get Deal

MTG’s Reality Fracture expansion isn’t even out until after the summer; you can already get a deal on securing your new box of trading cards right now by ordering through Amazon. 

As of June 4, Amazon has the Magic: The Gathering Reality Fracture Play Booster Box up for preorder at $154.99, a 6% discount from the $164.70 price it had when listed. A 30-pack box, which means you’ll only be paying $5.16 per pack before tax. 

Better still, this listing is shipped and sold by Amazon directly, with delivery currently listed for Oct. 5 (slight after the expansion’s Oct. 2 release date). It also includes Amazon’s preorder price guarantee, so if the retailer drops the price again before release, you should pay the lowest price Amazon offers between checkout and launch. 

As an expansion, Reality Fracture is already being teased as one of Magic’s bigger story shifts for 2026. For its theme, Jace’s Echoverse is an alternate Multiverse full of twisted versions of familiar characters and spells, with echoed pairs, shattered mirror cards, facet foils, and other collector-friendly treatments. 

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Inside the Play Booster Box, you’re getting 30 Reality Fracture Play Boosters, each with 14 Magic cards. Every pack includes a Legendary card and its Echoverse alternative, along with one to five cards of Rare rarity or higher and at least one Traditional Foil card. Traditional Foil Lands can also appear in 20% of packs. 

As for other upcoming expansions, the upcoming Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box had a $50 price cut to just under $140. Meanwhile, the newly released Magic: The Gathering Secrets of Strixhaven - Play Booster Box is now only $135, too. 

If you’re also a Pokémon TCG fan, although currently not available on Amazon, the newly announced Pitch Black expansion — Booster Packs, ETBs, Display Boxes, and Booster Bundles — is available to preorder at TCGplayer.

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Google-owned robotaxi company Waymo is giving a new life to its old electric vehicle batteries — by using them to fill energy gaps in local grids.

Instead of recycling the retired batteries, Waymo's initiative will squeeze the last drops of electricity from them, and dispatch that power where it's most needed.

B2U Storage Solutions, which Waymo has partnered with on the initiative, says its EV battery storage systems "act as a vital reservoir." They absorb surplus solar power during midday peaks then send it back to the grid during high-demand periods, typically in the late afternoon. 

SEE ALSO: Can Waymo and Waze fix cities' potholes?

To begin with, that extra energy will benefit California and Texas, two states in which the company already does plenty of business. Cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio are all serviced by Waymo. The Waymo/B2U partnership will deploy hundreds of megawatts of storage capacity across the grids, the companies say.

That's not a huge amount — the greater Los Angeles region receives about 8,100 megawatts of electric capacity from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation’s largest municipal utility — but it can replace the dirty energy often used to support the grid during periods of high demand, from gas turbines to burning trash.

"Our shared fleet of EVs provide a massive opportunity to support the growth of clean energy on the electricity grid while expanding the circular economy," Adam Lenz, Waymo's Head of Sustainability & Environment, said in a statement. 

SAVE $100: As of June 4, the Sonos Era 300 is on sale for $379 at Amazon. Compared to its full price of $479, this deal saves you $100.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Era 300 $379 at Amazon
$479 Save $100   Get Deal

Whether it's for playing your favorite tunes or as part of your TV's surround-sound setup, a high-quality speaker can go a long way. The Sonos Era 300 is one we praised as having "Absolutely huge sound" back in its original review, and if you've been hoping to pick it up, the good news is Amazon's knocked $100 off its price tag right now.

Usually, the Sonos Era 300 speaker is listed for $479, but both the black and white models of it are marked down to $379 at Amazon as of June 4. Sure, its lowest-ever price is a bit lower at $359, but it's just a $20 difference between the two. Ahead of Prime Day, it's still a deal worthy of jumping on while it's still available.

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Whether you're already part of the Sonos ecosystem or this is your first jump into it, the Sonos Era 300 delivers big, clear sound. In our review, Mashable's Stan Schroeder said of its sound quality that, "Most smart speakers are built from compromises, and I typically want to equalize the sound this or that way, depending on what's playing. Not the Sonos Era 300; it sounds great no matter what you play."

However, he noted that "its design is a little lackluster," but if you care more about what comes out of it than how it looks, it can certainly deliver. Plus, if you already have other Sonos speakers like the Sonos Beam Gen 2 or Sonos Arc Ultra, you can pair them up for one incredible surround sound setup at home.

This discount on the Sonos Era 300 is a great one to jump on before Prime Day. Don't miss out on it at Amazon.

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