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I swear by the Garmin Forerunner 955. Now its more than $100 off

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 08:40

SAVE $132: As of May 29, the Garmin Forerunner 955 is on sale for $369.99 at Amazon. That's a saving of 26% on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Forerunner 955 $369.99 at Amazon
$491 Save $121.01 Get Deal

Garmin is one of the most recognizable names in the fitness tracker game. With watches built for everyday life, as well as beginner athletes, serious endurance athletes, and everything in between, you can find a product for everyone. And for runners of all abilities, there's the Forerunner range. This selection of smartwatches varies in both price and ability, but I can't help but share my love for the Forerunner 955, easily my favorite Garmin of all time. And it's now on sale at Amazon.

As of May 29, the Garmin Forerunner 955 is reduced to $369.99 at Amazon. That's a saving of $130. This deal is for the black colored watch.

The 955 has a whole lot of fancy tools, tracking features, and training tips to make your runs and workouts more advanced. My favorite features are the training readiness, training load, HRV, and sleep monitoring, so you can schedule your training according to your recovery and body readiness. If you love data like me, you'll love this watch.

The battery life is also seriously impressive, and a godsend for those of us who regularly forget to charge our devices. It can last up to 15 days in smartwatch mode and up to 42 hours in GPS mode, so it's also great for endurance sports.

The 955 also supports full GPS tracking, which makes runs, rides, and even open-water swims incredibly accurate. And for swimming, it has 5 ATM water resistance.

Unlike some of the newer models, including the Forerunner 965, you won't have an AMOLED display. However, I've found that the colors are still vibrant and bright enough, and brighter than older MIP watches.

Get this great deal from the Amazon website.

The Garmin Lily 2 is still at its best price at Amazon - Dont miss out on $50 off

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 08:14

SAVE $50: As of May 29, the Garmin Lily 2 smartwatch is on sale at Amazon for $249.99, 17% off its list price of $299.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Lily 2 $249.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $50 Get Deal

Smartwatches aren't just for athletic individuals. If you've been looking for an option that's both stylish and includes health and fitness features, the Garmin Lily 2 is worth a look. Thankfully, it's on sale at Amazon right now as well.

The Garmin Lily 2 has received a 17% discount from its list price of $299.99 to $249.99. According to camelcamelcamel, this is its lowest-ever price, so there's no better time to grab it. It's worth noting that it's listed as a limited-time deal at Amazon right now, though, so be quick to secure it at this great price before it goes back up.

SEE ALSO: The Garmin Forerunner 165 is still at its best price at Amazon, even after Memorial Day sales

There are plenty of great features within the Garmin Lily 2 that make it a worthy investment alongside its fashionable design. Some of these include sleep score, respiration tracking, Body Battery energy monitoring, all-day stress tracking, and heart rate monitoring, just to name a few. It even boasts up to nine days of battery life so you can spend more time focused on your progress and less on recharges.

And for more athletic individuals, it even offers tracking for steps, calories burned, intensity minutes, and more so you can stay on top of your fitness goals throughout the day.

If you've been looking for a smartwatch upgrade, the Garmin Lily 2 is definitely worth checking out. Don't miss out on this limited-time deal at Amazon.

It's not the only Garmin deal that's crossed our radar, either. If you don't mind spending a little bit extra, the Garmin Venu 3S is still discounted at Amazon as well after the Memorial Day sale event.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

Never lose your stuff again, thanks to this AirTag deal

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 08:07

SAVE $4.01: As of May 29, the Apple AirTag is on sale at Amazon for $24.99. This deal saves you 14% on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirTag $24.99 at Amazon
$29 Save $4.01 Get Deal

If you're constantly misplacing your favorite items — keys, passport, even luggage — you need to check out this deal on the Apple AirTag at Amazon. As of May 29, this Apple AirTag is reduced to just $24.99, a savings of 14%.

The setup for these couldn't be easier. Just attach it to your item of choice and track it in the Find My app. It even has a small built-in speaker, so you can trigger a sound from the Find My app on your Apple device, making it easier to find the AirTag if it's nearby but out of sight.

According to Apple, all AirTags are designed to have a one-year battery life, and that's with regular use. They use a standard CR2032 coin cell battery, which is user-replaceable. When the battery is eventually starting to run low, you’ll receive a notification on your iPhone, giving you plenty of time to replace it.

It also has an IP67 water resistance rating, meaning it can cope with a maximum depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes. But let's hope your items doesn't end up underwater, especially you're phone...

Head to Amazon now to grab this deal, thank us later.

The Sonos Era 100 is one of my favorite purchases, save $20 on it right now at Amazon

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 07:43

SAVE $20: As of May 29, the Sonos Era 100 speaker is on sale at Amazon for $179, 10% off its list price of $199.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Era 100 $179 at Amazon
$199 Save $20 Get Deal

A high-quality speaker is worth investing in for your home, whether you want it for playing music or to create a surround sound system for your next movie night. If you've been on the hunt for something new, the Sonos Era 100 is worth a look. I'm a very big fan of this speaker, and it's currently on sale at Amazon.

The Sonos Era 100 has been marked down to $179 at Amazon for a limited time. This is a 10% discount from its list price of $199. It applies to both color options as well, so you can choose between the black or white speaker to find the best fit for your home.

SEE ALSO: The JBL Xtreme 4 is still at its lowest-ever price at Amazon

Alongside offering excellent sound quality, the Sonos Era 100 has a great compact design that allows it to fit in a variety of places, from a table or desk to a bookshelf. It pairs really well with a Sonos soundbar too, so you can set up surround sound in your home to make your next movie night or TV show binge-watch into an unforgettably immersive one. I recently re-watched Jurassic Park and it was completely elevated with the surround sound from this speaker.

This limited-time deal may not stick around for long, though, so act fast to save on the Sonos Era 100 at Amazon.

If you're looking to pick up a portable speaker instead, Amazon's offering some more great Sonos deals on the Sonos Roam 2 and Sonos Move 2 as well.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by Mashable's team of experts

The Fire Stick HD is on sale for under $20

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 07:32

SAVE $15: As of May 29, the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD is on sale for $19.99 at Amazon. That's a savings of 43% on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire Stick HD $19.99 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $15.00 Get Deal

An older TV doesn't need to be replaced in favour of a new, smart TV. Why spend hundreds of dollars to replace something that still works? Especially when you can upgrade your current TV for under $20.

That's where Amazon's HD Fire Stick comes in. This streaming device plugs into your TV (or laptop) and lets you access platforms including Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, and even more. No need to upgrade to a fancy smart TV, all you need is an HDMI port.

And as of May 29, the Fire Stick HD is back on sale, now priced at just $19.99.

The Fire TV Stick also comes with a remote with Alexa built in. Use this voice control to search for TV shows, search questions online, or even use it to talk to your other smart home devices.

With this particular Fire Stick, you'll be able to enjoy all your favorite shows in beautiful HD quality. And the setup really couldn't be easier. All you need to do is pop the device into your TV's HDMI port, and that's it. You have instant access to a range of streaming platforms and many live channels.

This deal is only around for a limited time, so head to Amazon so you don't miss out.

How to watch Monfils vs. Draper online for free

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 07:16

TL;DR: Live stream Monfils vs. Draper in the 2025 French Open for free on 9Now, France TV, or Servus TV. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are a number of fascinating second-round matchups in the 2025 French Open, including Monfils vs. Draper. The crowd will be firmly behind Monfils, but Draper has been looking really strong on clay this season. It's going to be a real battle.

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

How to watch Monfils vs. Draper for free

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

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

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

  1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

  3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia, Austria, or France

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

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

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

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

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

What is the best VPN for sport?

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

  • Servers in 105 countries

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

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds

  • Up to eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream Monfils vs. Draper in the 2025 French Open for free with ExpressVPN.

How to watch Moutet vs. Djokovic online for free

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 07:12

TL;DR: Live stream Moutet vs. Djokovic in the 2025 French Open for free on 9Now, France TV, or Servus TV. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are a number of really interesting second-round matchups in the 2025 French Open, including Moutet vs. Djokovic. Can the Serbian legend progress to the next round? You can follow all the action without spending anything at all.

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

How to watch Moutet vs. Djokovic for free

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

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

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

  1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

  3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia, Austria, or France

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

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

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

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

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

What is the best VPN for sport?

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

  • Servers in 105 countries

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

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds

  • Up to eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream Moutet vs. Djokovic in the 2025 French Open for free with ExpressVPN.

X puts encrypted DMs on ice

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 06:42

Encrypted direct messages on X will no longer be available for users, according to a company post on the Elon Musk-owned platform.

Announcing the change on Wednesday, X's engineering team posted, "Starting today, we will be pausing the encrypted DMs feature while we work on making some improvements."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The company noted users "will still be able to access your encrypted DMs, but won't be able to send new ones."

Until now, encrypted DMs were available on X for verified users providing "the recipient follows sender, or has sent a message to sender previously, or has accepted a Direct Message request from the sender before." You can tell whether a message is encrypted if it has a lock icon badge on the avatar of the person you're messaging in the DMs tab of X.

SEE ALSO: Report: X's DM feature is getting rebranded as 'XChat'

The move comes amid reports and rumours that X's direct messages may soon be replaced with a tab called XChat. As Mashable's Matt Binder reports, "Based on screenshot leaks from another X user, it seems XChat is being positioned as a full-fledged WhatsApp competitor — complete with encrypted messaging, file sharing (including PDFs), disappearing messages, unread status toggles, message deletion for everyone (not just you), and voice messages (sometime after launch)."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

X's encrypted DMs feature was added in 2023 following Musk's acquisition, in a move meant to rival messaging on platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal. However, the feature came with many, many caveats — Mashable's Stan Schroeder and Caitlin Welsh read X's updated privacy policy and found "X may collect information on the 'metadata related to Encrypted Messages.' Ideally, the company should collect as little of such metadata as possible, though collecting some of it is sometimes unavoidable."

Apple plans a big rebrand of iOS and macOS, report says

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 05:49

This year, Apple might launch iOS 26 instead of the widely expected iOS 19.

This is according to a new report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who claims that Apple is working on a major rebrand across all of its operating systems, which will be identified by year instead of version number.

This means that, in 2025, Apple might launch iOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26.

It's a pretty big deal for Apple, who only changed the branding of iOS once — the first three versions were called iPhone OS, with Apple switching to iOS in 2010. The company kept the naming scheme until 2024.

Older tech nerds will also remember that Microsoft used to identify its Windows operating systems by year in 1995, 1998, and 2000, though it later switched to version numbers (the latest version being Windows 11).

For Apple, the change does make sense. The company's operating systems currently don't have a consistent naming scheme — the current version of Apple's mobile operating system is iOS 18, in contrast to macOS 15 and visionOS 2.

If the report is accurate, though, Apple will use the next year for its operating system, meaning that the versions that launch in 2025 will be called "26," and so on.

SEE ALSO: Apple launches a self-repair program for iPads

According to Gurman, Apple will announce this change at its Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off on June 9.

It's not just about the name, though. Apple will reportedly introduce a new look across its operating systems — something we've heard in previous reports.

Trump, stockholders, algorithms all coming for nonprofit kids TV, incl. Sesame Street

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 05:00

On the set of Sesame Street in early May, as the show was deep in filming for its upcoming season, the team was still in lock-step — clearly experts after nearly six decades of producing the program. Some things still stood out: set monitors showed mock animations on screen as the puppeteers filmed an upcoming Cookie Monster-centered episode, and Sesame Workshop representatives explained that portions of the new season may include entirely animated backgrounds, harkening back to the old "Elmo's World" green screen set. 

Not long after, it became clear that this was part of the PBS program's new distribution plan, as it was announced Sesame Street's residents would be packing up and moving to Netflix. The company was bringing back old things, including "Elmo's World," and introducing new animation segments and interactive options to "freshen" up the format.

SEE ALSO: Trump administration detonates expansion of rural broadband access

Users online rejoiced that the streaming giant was "saving" the show from Trump's cost-cutting axe — just a week earlier, the administration announced the termination of the Department of Education Ready To Learn grant, a funding stream that has kept PBS, the home of Sesame Street, up and running for 30 years. But that wasn't the only incentive for the streaming giant to take on the beloved muppets.

Finding a new cash cow

Before Netflix, Sesame was an HBO darling, with the company acquiring rights to air episodes in 2015 — as part of the deal, Sesame Street episodes aired exclusively to Max first, then went to PBS for free. 

Adjusting the program's priority to streamers was a necessary move to keep it afloat and in front of kid's eyes. A 2023 Nielsen report found that streaming services made up more than a third of TV watching for children, with broadcast dropping to 20 percent. Linear television, AKA broadcast channels with set programming schedules, have cratered over the years, as younger kids flock to the vast options of streaming platforms and content created by online influencers. Kids are looking at smaller screens, and wider content options. 

According to Netflix, kids and family entertainment makes up 15 percent of the platform's total viewing, with a lot of their new offerings being offshoots of large-budget IP, existing franchises, or even content creators, like popular TikTok and YouTube star Ms. Rachel. 

"The truth of the matter is, doing what's best for kids isn't always going to drive a lot of revenue." - Sara DeWitt, PBS KIDS

Still, not even streaming services present a stable home for children's content amid the profit demands of the entertainment industry. The Sesame-Max partnership ended in December, with Max saying it was part of a new corporate strategy of investing less in children's programming. "Based on consumer usage and feedback, we’ve had to prioritize our focus on stories for adults and families. And so new episodes from Sesame Street, at this time, are not as core to our strategy," said a spokesperson. 

"The media industry has shifted its focus," DeWitt explained. "There was a lot of retraction in the commercial industry around kids' content, because kids' content wasn't driving subscribers to streaming. The big companies who had been putting a lot of investment into children's content, which was great for everybody, suddenly started to really pull back." 

Streaming services can offer a myriad of benefits for children's content, without as many constraints as the broadcast model, DeWitt said. Instead, they're increasingly unreliable, focusing mainly on leveraging children's media, including video games, that can be translated into dollar signs, said Rachel Franz, early childhood advocacy program director at nonprofit Fairplay. Fairplay works to build commercial-free time and space for children, focused on developmentally appropriate screen time beyond big brands.

Franz asks: "What's the reason for creating this media and what role does profit have?"

Demand for digital content is a 'chicken or the egg' question

Streaming and entertainment giants say they're meeting viewer demand with new viewing experiences and multimedia activities. Video watching still makes up the majority of screen time for children from the time they are born to around eight years old, Franz explained. According to a recent report by nonprofit Common Sense Media, 60 percent of daily screen time for a child under the age of eight is devoted to videos. Video games, meanwhile, have steadily taken over the second spot. 

Entertainment companies have nurtured the shift. Disney, for example, bought a $1.5 billion stake in Fortnite-maker Epic Games with the goal of creating an "expansive, open, persistent, and social universe" for fans of its various IP. Netflix has begun replacing its other interactive video options, like its brief choose-your-own-adventure entries, with more games content, including its new Sesame Street partnership. "They are using the license of Sesame Street to create a game version of Sesame Street, which is completely unnecessary," argued Franz. 

These companies' highly-popular games apps, paired with large wallets and algorithmic dominance in the streaming world, are a recipe for exploitation, Franz says. "When there isn't public funding, and entities like Sesame have to go and cut deals with Netflix, young children get exposed to manipulative design tactics like auto play and personal content that's driven by data collection, not by children's real likes and dislikes — platforms that are designed to exploit kids by maximizing engagement instead of educating them," said Franz. "Licensing of branded games is part of what they're pushed toward when they don't have funding."

Early childhood development experts like Franz fear that these shifts lead to a loss of autonomy among children and parents, who are desperately seeking ways to entertain and educate their kids. Personalized algorithms and widespread data collection aren't inherent risks with broadcast TV. They are with streaming. "We don't see it as an accident that that's where kids are [being forced to access content]," Franz says. "It's the result of a powerful business model that lures kids and families in."

Advocates argue that business — and a federal government trying to operate like one —  is interfering with the possibility of a positive childhood relationship with screens and media. And as tech and the entertainment industry speed up, the slower pace of developing age appropriate games and television is less enticing to major companies. 

"The truth of the matter is, doing what's best for kids isn't always going to drive a lot of revenue," said DeWitt. 

The free PBS KIDS Games app, for example, averages 3.6 million visitors per month, and has become a lifeline for parents who can let their children download content to be viewed later, and play games in an ad-free environment. PBS KIDS has been producing educational games content for years, but, unlike many of the games offered by billion dollar businesses, they are intentionally sandboxed. The app features no ads, no in-app purchases, no outside access — no direct way to get kids hooked or to make money.

"It's the result of a powerful business model that lures kids and families in. - Rachel Franz, Fairplay

Simultaneously, more kids are gravitating toward social media content, including child content creators and "kidfluencers" — something marketing agencies and entertainment giants are picking up on. According to that same Common Sense Media report, children are watching less live television and cable, while increasing their time spent watching short videos on apps like TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts. The nonprofit found that average daily time on such apps rose from one minute to 14 minutes between 2020 and 2024. 

"A lot of content that kids are seeing right now is being created by people who don't have a background in children's media," said DeWitt. "Who have not gone through the gatekeeper of a network or a producer to get an idea approved, but are really just looking at what can drive the most advertising revenue, what can drive subscriptions. They're posting it on platforms that are not in any way regulated for kids. It's this perfect storm."

More than just Sesame Street

The federal government is leaving no stone unturned in its hunt for supposed corruption, hitting entities like the Environmental Protection Agency, humanitarian agency USAID, and — in what some congressional leaders are likening to a Muppet Red Scare — the residents of Sesame Street.

First, there was the Trump administration's executive order to divest the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)'s funding away from NPR and PBS, allegedly for promoting "biased" news. Next came sweeping orders to excise funding for DEI-related contracts, and a still ongoing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigation into public broadcast channels. What followed was the Ready to Learn grant termination, and Trump's attempt to oust three members of the CPB board.

"We are right now trying to untangle what it means to stop work on a grant of this size," Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager of PBS KIDS, told Mashable days after the May 2 announcement. She was lamentably preparing to furlough swaths of employees as other publicly funded stations readied to sue the Trump administration. "This is hitting us really hard at this moment — and I think it's going to have a big impact on access to high quality content for kids."

Losing Ready to Learn grants is an immediate blow to public media programs and shows, money that went to creating classics like Reading Rainbow and Arthur, as well as new offerings like Lyla in the Loop.

But, even more of a problem, it effectively ended crucial PBS initiatives beyond TV, including an ongoing effort to build libraries of accessible ASL-interpreted content and on-the-ground programming for low-income communities with dozens of member stations. Federal funding stoppages may have far-reaching effects on early childhood research, as well. A week earlier, the Trump administration ordered a freeze on National Science Foundation grants under the guise of anti-woke cost-cutting, the same funding stream used by PBS researchers over decades to explore things like social emotional learning games and new AI-powered shows.

"The Ready to Learn grant has been a significant funder of the research that has helped us improve these services and helped the children's media industry better understand how kids can learn from media," said DeWitt, who worries that a prolonged lapse in funding may have longterm effects on the industry. "It's really coming at us from all sides."

The lack of investment is not just a Trump issue, and it's not just about publicly-funded media, although that is crucial to support and retain. Behind the scenes, research-backed children's media has been fighting within this new, brutally money-hungry entertainment environment — a powder keg reality that turns any threat to federal funding into a lit match.

Seeding a better relationship with TV

But there's movement in a positive direction, too. 

Online, parents are beginning to participate in what is being called the "slow" or "gentle" TV movement, said DeWitt. Responding to the highly-stimulating web content popular among children during the early 2020s — e.g., the dancing anthropomorphic fruits of CocoMelon — families are resetting their children's viewing habits with calming, traditional TV, such as Franklin, Bear in the Big Blue House, and dozens of PBS originals. "What these traditional programs offer is a slow pace throughout and a clear starting and stopping point," Franz said, noting the trend is backed by plenty of science.

As a nonprofit, DeWitt explained, PBS KIDS has been able to leverage federal funding to make appropriate kids content more accessible and remain free, including higher-quality experiences for kids who have disabilities or who live in communities where they don't have great access to broadband or devices.

And PBS content is also a crucial resource for schools, primarily because of the fact that it is noncommercial — that means both games and visual media can be accessed for little to no cost, and is vetted as a safe, learning-focused option for educators. 

DeWitt explained the middle ground, as broadcast loses even more dominance over streaming, may well be linear streaming channels, hubs within a larger streaming service that play just a single form of content. "We have recently been in a time where everyone has been focused on video-on-demand, choosing the show that you want to watch immediately. We are seeing many, many more channels appear again on streaming services, including the PBS KIDS 24/7 app," she said. It's a way to possibly build sandboxes on less-than-stellar platforms.

Franz argues it's more important than ever to pressure companies to invest in safer tech design and appropriate media. There's clearly demand from parents, who are seeking out appropriate and less-stimulating media, as well as the general public, who ardently support the existence of nonprofits like PBS.

"We've always had such a clear mission, and that mission hasn't changed," said DeWitt. "It hasn't changed since it was set up. It's been the same through Republican and Democratic administrations. It is to provide a service to America's children, all of America's children, where they can learn from media, where we can open up worlds of possibilities to them, where we can help them feel seen, and also show them the lives of others."

How to watch New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers (Game 5) online for free

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: Live stream New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers (Game 5) in the 2025 NBA playoffs for free on YouTube. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2025 NBA playoffs have been so entertaining this season, and we're not done yet. Next up is the small matter of Game 5 between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers. The action returns to Madison Square Garden for this huge game.

If you want to watch New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers (Game 5) in the 2025 NBA playoffs for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers (Game 5)?

New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers (Game 5) starts at 8 p.m. ET on May 29. This game takes place at Madison Square Garden.

How to watch New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers (Game 5) for free

New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers (Game 5) in the 2025 NBA playoffs is available to live stream for free on YouTube..

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

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

  4. Visit YouTube.

  5. Watch New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers (Game 5) for free

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

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

What is the best VPN for YouTube?

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

  • Servers in 105 countries including India

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AI is helping rescue a nearly extinct bird species

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 05:00

The Colossal Foundation has developed an AI algorithm that can detect the critically endangered tooth-billed pigeon's calls, helping conservationists locate the lost species. 

Partnering with the Samoa Conservation Society (SCS), Colossal Biosciences' nonprofit arm hopes that this technology will lead to more sightings of this lost bird — and eventually assist in saving other endangered species as well.

Saving the tooth-billed pigeon, Samoa's national bird A tooth-billed pigeon and Samoa, its natural habitat. Credit: Ulf Beichle / Colossal; Kasper Berg / Colossal

The tooth-billed pigeon is a large bird native to Samoa's rainforests, and which has only been found within this one country. Also called the manumea or "little dodo," Samoa's national bird is one of the closest living relatives to the famously extinct dodo. 

Unfortunately, genetics isn't the only aspect in which the two species are similar. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers the tooth-billed pigeon to be critically endangered with fewer than 250 birds left, while the last known photograph of the species was taken in 2012.

It currently tops the list of priority species maintained by the IUCN's Pigeon and Dove Specialist Group (PDSG), with co-chair Joe Wood telling Mashable this is due to the pigeon's "lack of close relatives, extraordinary appearance, and genetic proximity to the dodo," as well it being "extremely rare and little-known."

Hopefully this won't be the case for much longer. Colossal's new bioacoustics AI algorithm aims to help conservationists identify the tooth-billed pigeon's calls, assisting them in locating and protecting the few birds that remain. Though the organisation has most frequently made headlines due to de-extinction efforts such as its genetically modified "dire wolves" or its woolly mammoth mice, Colossal considers such work to go hand-in-hand with conservation projects such as this

"[Saving] lost species is one of the core conservation strategies," Colossal Foundation's executive director Matt James told Mashable. "We had this idea that, can you search for and find species that haven't been seen in 10 or more years? It is almost, in its own way, its own form of de-extinction."

Searching Samoa with AI and sound Members of the most recent tooth-billed pigeon expedition. On the left, a team member sets up a trail camera. Credit: Kapser Berg / Colossal

Colossal's tooth-billed pigeon bioacoustics project was first sparked in 2023. While the PDSG and SCS had been working to save the tooth-billed pigeon for years, they were struggling to secure funding for a new expedition. Extensive searches had not only come up empty, but uncovered evidence of high feral cat populations likely to prey on the bird.

"There was a real concern that, faced with an undeniably bleak situation, our donors would conclude that their funds were better invested elsewhere and we would be unable to continue," Wood told Mashable.

Fortunately, Colossal offered the funds to continue the search, and March 2024 saw the first clear, unambiguous sighting of a tooth-billed pigeon in years obtained by field team member Vilikesa Masibalavu. 

Significantly, Colossal also suggested that they could use bioacoustics to help ease some of the search's technical challenges, which would hopefully make such sightings more common. One of their biggest hurdles is the similarity of the tooth-billed pigeon's calls to the more common pacific imperial pigeon, an issue that machine learning could assist with.

Having bioacoustics for, specifically, the search and classification of birds is probably one of the best use cases for the technology. - Ben Lamm, Colossal Biosciences' co-founder and CEO

"Specifically with things like birds, bioacoustics is just a great [tool]," Colossal Biosciences' co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm told Mashable. "When you've got small animals that can traverse large distances very, very quickly — and also not the easiest to find because they're in trees or bushes with leaves and whatnot — having bioacoustics for, specifically, the search and classification of birds is probably one of the best use cases for the technology."

"Bioacoustics has been used by a few researchers to search for the manumea in recent years," SCS conservation officer Moeumu Uili told Mashable. Uili was the last person to photograph a tooth-billed pigeon, capturing the image in 2013. "However, this method has not been widely adopted in Samoa for wildlife monitoring and was only recently introduced by SCS in our field surveys… [A] significant gap remained in data analysis skills, limiting our ability to process results efficiently and inform decision-making."

Colossal helped fill this gap. Developed specifically for this project, Colossal's AI algorithm has been used to analyse audio recorded in locations where the tooth-billed pigeon could historically be found, identifying 47 potential calls from the bird earlier this month. Considering the species hasn't been seen in over a decade, this is an invaluable signal that it hasn't yet gone extinct.

"Now that we can definitively say that we've identified calls of the tooth-billed pigeon, we've seen funding return to this effort," said James. "Now there's a new excitement."

"And it's a better use of the funding," added Lamm. "Because now they can say, 'Oh, here's four pockets we can go to,' versus searching everywhere and we know… they still exist and they're not extinct, versus we don't know if they even exist and we're searching everywhere."

How does Colossal's bioacoustics algorithm work? Colossal's algorithm processing raw audio data and subsequent cleaned audio. Credit: Colossal Foundation

Colossal had an extremely limited dataset to train its tooth-billed pigeon call classifier on. Researchers only had a five-minute audio clip containing just three tooth-billed pigeon calls to work with, which was recorded from a captive bird in Germany's Berlin Zoo during the '80s.

Despite this limitation, Colossal was able to use the audio sample to create a machine learning algorithm that could distinguish tooth-billed pigeon calls from more general sounds of birdlife in Samoa. This was done by taking audio from the adjacent American Samoa where the tooth-billed pigeon is not found, and using it as a control to filter out irrelevant noise.

Developed in parallel to its wolf bioacoustics program, Colossal states that its tooth-billed pigeon classification algorithm took just two weeks to create and can identify the bird's calls with 95 percent accuracy.

"There are only a few data points that the algorithm knows, and then it's able to sort of extrapolate from that, and say, number one, I don't think that's anything that you've told me is from American Samoa, and that's part of the de-noising process," James explained. "And then it can say, with relative confidence, this sounds very similar to the other project, the other calls you have given me [that belong to the tooth-billed pigeon]. And then as we have labelled that data set as we go, yes, that's a correct assumption, it's strengthened until we've got to this 95 percent mark."

Initially, the SCS' conservationists would download audio data from microphones located around the tooth-billed pigeon's potential habitat. They'd then transfer it to Colossal, which would run the audio through their AI classifier to identify potential tooth-billed pigeon calls. The location of the microphones which picked up calls would thus inform where the SCS should focus their search efforts.

Desktop UI of app developed by Colossal’s AI team to process raw audio data, denoise it, and classify manumea calls. Credit: Colossal Foundation

Colossal is still collecting data to improve the algorithm's accuracy. However, it has now put the classifier into an app as well, enabling conservationists to upload audio and immediately analyse it on their phones within minutes.

"With immediate feedback, our team can quickly plan site visits and follow up on potential detections, improving our chances of locating and protecting the manumea in the wild," Uili told Mashable.

James further told Mashable that Colossal's wolf bioacoustics program helped develop a 360 camera with spatial audio which can remotely upload footage in real time, and is talking to SCS about how this might be used to find the tooth-billed pigeon as well.

"The moonshot is potentially we could even capture a few of the remaining wild [tooth-billed pigeons] to help put them into a human care setting where we could help make sure they don't go extinct, propagate the animal, and begin to re-release it back into the wild once we can address some of the invasive species and habitat loss issues that are occurring in Samoa," said James.

In addition to capturing live specimens, Wood stated that biobanking has become a new priority with Colossal's help. Biobanking is the collection and storage of biological samples for research and conservation.

"Given the rate of progress currently being made in the fields of genetic engineering and reproductive technology, [biobanking] seems like a crucial way of preserving future options," said Wood. "For the manumea, and indeed for many other species, it may well be that conventional conservation techniques are simply inadequate. These pioneering approaches could offer the only glimmer of hope."     

[I]t may well be that conventional conservation techniques are simply inadequate. These pioneering approaches could offer the only glimmer of hope. - Joe Wood, IUCN Pigeon and Dove Specialist Group co-chair

The ability of Colossal's bioacoustics algorithm to help locate Samoa's tooth-billed pigeon is a boon to conservationists. Even so, using AI to save an endangered species may seem ironic. Habitat loss is a significant issue contributing to such endangerment, and artificial intelligence is infamous for producing high greenhouse gas emissions

Speaking to this point, Lamm noted that Colossal's bioacoustics algorithm is distinct from generative AI models in that it works with much less data and is far more targeted, requiring fewer resources.

"We have very small sample sets of this," said Lamm. "And we're also deploying in apps, we're also deploying locally. So we don't have to have a system where we're using a massive amount of distributed cloud infrastructure. We don't have to go out and cleanse and train all these different models."

Citizen scientists could help find lost species with an app Members of the August 2024 tooth-billed pigeon expedition. Moeumu Uili is pictured on the bottom right. Credit: Kasper Berg / Colossal

Though Colossal's AI model is specifically targeted at the tooth-billed pigeon, it has significant potential beyond this. In time it could be used to find other species as well, with Colossal having released the algorithm as open-source so that more conservationists can benefit from it.

"The tooth-billed pigeon has some of the most limited data on their calls in the world of any bird species," said James. "So we could begin to upload additional data of other critically endangered species, or really mostly birds, that we could then use to help identify other lost species."

"I think maybe over time you'll see more and more of these acoustic monitoring projects come out of it now that we've built this core AI system," said Lamm, noting that Colossal is "doubling down" on AI resources. "We're now layering in different classifiers on it which is pretty powerful, and all that's open-source for the world."

Such tools might not be restricted to researchers, either. In the future, Colossal hopes to enable citizen scientists to download its bioacoustics app themselves, so they too can help locate lost species by their calls. 

"That's the dream," said Lamm. "While we have 48 conservation partners, Colossal can't save every species, right? Even if we had a trillion dollars, like, we just can't do that. And not even all of our partners can, not even all the conservation partners... we need citizen science."

There's still a significant way to go until a publicly available app such as this becomes a reality. Colossal's AI algorithm is still effectively in beta testing, with the SCS continuing to put it through its paces. Even so, Colossal's bioacoustics model holds exciting potential for the future of conservation.

Save $20 on a lifetime subscription to Microsoft Office 2024 Home

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: You can now get Microsoft Office 2024 Home for Mac or PC as a one-time purchase for just $129.97 (reg. $149.99).

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office 2024 Home for Mac or PC: One-Time Purchase $129.97
$149.99 Save $20.02 Get Deal

If your productivity toolkit still relies on a patchwork of outdated software, or you’re tired of being tethered to a monthly subscription, it might be time to simplify things.

Microsoft Office 2024 Home offers exactly that — a clean, one-time purchase of the essential apps you already know and trust: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. And it's on sale now for just $129.97.

The 2024 version introduces updated tools and thoughtful design enhancements that make everyday tasks, such as writing papers, building spreadsheets, designing presentations, or organizing notes, more intuitive and efficient. For example, Word now includes AI-powered Smart Compose to help polish your writing, and Excel’s dynamic arrays let you analyze data with fewer formulas and more automation. PowerPoint even lets you record full presentations with video and closed captions, perfect for online classes or remote work.

And yes, all of these upgrades come with a one-time payment. No recurring charges. No upgrade nags. Just install it once on your Mac or PC, and you’re good to go.

Even better, Office 2024 is designed with collaboration and accessibility in mind. Features like real-time co-authoring, version history, and an improved accessibility checker make it easier for families, students, and remote teams to work together across devices.

Whether you’re helping your kids with schoolwork, managing the family budget, or putting together a sleek presentation for a community group or side hustle, Office 2024 gives you the tools to get it done, without locking you into another subscription.

Jump on this chance to get MS Office 2024 Home for life while it’s just $129.97 (reg. $149.99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

This dreamy tech duo can help you fall asleep naturally

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: This two-piece sleep system pairs calming audio with a guided breathing light to help you fall asleep naturally. No pills, no subscriptions — just a one-time payment of $116.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: HoomBand HoomBand & Dodow Sleep Better Bundle $116.99
$138.90 Save $21.91 Get Deal

If your brain treats bedtime like a brainstorming session, you’re not alone—and you’re definitely not stuck with it.

The HoomBand & Dodow Sleep Better Bundle is a pair of smart, science-backed sleep tools designed to calm your mind and ease you into a good night’s rest, without meds or monthly fees. Get it now for just $116.99.

Let’s start with the HoomBand: a Bluetooth sleep headband made for side sleepers (finally!). It’s soft, adjustable, and houses ultra-flat speakers that won’t dig into your ears. Paired with the companion app, it gives you access to 100+ hours of soothing sleep content; think guided meditations, dreamy soundscapes, and hypnotic stories written by sleep experts. It’s a library of bedtime rituals built to ease anxiety, quiet racing thoughts, and trigger natural drowsiness.

Now layer on the Dodow, a compact, cordless device that projects a soft blue light onto your ceiling. That light expands and contracts in a steady rhythm, guiding your breathing in a way that taps into cardiac coherence and yoga-based techniques. It’s a simple, screen-free way to help your body wind down. Just breathe with the light, and in eight to twenty minutes, Dodow shuts off, ideally after you’ve already nodded off.

Together, they create a gentle, tech-enhanced sleep environment perfect for travelers, anxious minds, shift workers, or anyone tired of tossing and turning.

At $116.99 (reg. $138.90), the HoomBand & Dodow Sleep Better Bundle is a one-time investment in better sleep, minus the subscriptions or side effects.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Let AI fix your stock portfolio (and your anxiety)

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: Sterling Stock Picker gives you AI-powered investment advice, a portfolio builder, and plain-English explanations for a lifetime — now just $55.19 with code SAVE20.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sterling Sterling Stock Picker: Lifetime Subscription $55.19
$486 Save $430.81 with code SAVE20 Get Deal

I was watching the first of the month’s market crashes and wondered, "Does it make sense to invest right now?" I’d always been curious about the stock market, at least in terms of how people actually got rich by practically gambling, but I didn’t have a single clue where to begin — let alone how to even buy a stock.

Once I saw a TikTok calling this period a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (take that with a grain of salt), I decided to take my chance. But I needed help researching everything, like what stocks to choose and how to track them. That’s when I found Sterling Stock Picker, and made my first investment. Get their $55.19 lifetime subscription (reg. $486) now with code SAVE20.

How I invested my first dollar

My biggest concern was that I would choose ‘bad’ stocks due to my lack of experience. Sterling Stock Picker helped me feel calm with the 5-minute questionnaire covering my wants and ability to handle risk.

Then, I started researching stocks with help from AI. I also learned about something called exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which are like groups of stocks. I didn’t know what these were at first, so I consulted the AI assistant, Finley AI, and it told me that it’s like putting a stake into a huge nest of companies at once rather than individually.

Once I selected a few ETFs to invest in, I opened a free brokerage account (sadly, you can’t directly invest through Sterling Stock Picker). I purchased my shares and put the information into Sterling Stock Picker so I could view my portfolio with fun graphs and charts and get alerts when prices change — which may help me determine when to sell.

How it’s going

Well, it’s only been a few days since I’ve made my investments and, if you’ve been keeping up with the news, things have been up and down. One day, my $1,000 portfolio was up $100, and the next, it was down $20. 

As a total beginner, I won’t offer any formal advice to you other than to do your research and be well-informed, and Sterling Stock Picker is a great tool to do just that.

Get a Sterling Stock Picker lifetime subscription for $55.19 (reg. $486) with code SAVE20.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Instantly share photos to this digital frame, now $50 off

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: Relive your best memories from anywhere with this easy-to-use Sungale digital photo frame, now just $109.99 (reg. $169.99) with free shipping.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sungale Sungale HD Cloud Digital Frame $109.99
$169.99 Save $60.00 Get Deal

There’s no shame in admitting that your camera roll is overflowing with amazing moments that rarely leave your phone. But what if those snapshots could bring daily joy to the people you love most, without tech hurdles, endless printing, or group texts that go ignored?

The Sungale HD Cloud Digital Frame is the frame to make it happen. And it’s on sale for just $109.99 (reg. $169.99) with free shipping.

It’s the perfect blend of modern tech and heartwarming connection, letting you beam your favorite photos straight to a sleek, auto-rotating frame; no cables or confusing apps needed. Whether you’re a new parent, a faraway sibling, or the favorite grandchild (you know who you are), this cloud frame makes sharing life’s best bits easier than ever.

Set it up in minutes using the intuitive touchscreen, app, or web portal, and invite the whole family to contribute their own photo albums. Want to show off your latest vacation, your dog’s Halloween costume, or your kid’s first soccer goal? Just tap and share. It even displays time and weather if you’re into multitasking decor.

With 16GB of built-in storage (plus support for SD cards and USB drives), the frame works offline, too. Translation: It’s great for grandparents who may not always have reliable WiFi but still want to stay connected.

And unlike most tech gifts, this one’s elegant design fits right into your home, whether it’s on the kitchen counter or the fireplace mantle.

Don’t miss this Sungale HD Cloud Digital Frame while it’s $109.99 (reg. $169.99) with free shipping.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Whats new to streaming this week? (May 30, 2025)

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 05:00

Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each one!

Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand-new (or just new-to-streaming), we've got you covered there, too.

Mashable's entertainment team has scoured the streaming services to highlight the most buzzed-about releases of this week and ranked them from worst to best — or least worth your time to most-watchable. Whether you're in the mood for twisted true crime tales, romantic misadventures, a tech bro drama, a twenty-something buddy comedy, or superhero action, we've got something just for you.

Here's what's new on streaming, from worst to best.

10. Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders

Cold Case is an ongoing true crime franchise focusing on unsolved mysteries, like the JonBenét Ramsey murder. The latest iteration focuses on the Tylenol murders, the name given to the bizarre incident when seven people in Chicago died from cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules.

In this three-part documentary, directors Yotam Guendelman and Ari Pines speak to family members of the victims, giving a fuller understanding of the losses from this strange crime. Archival footage traces how the media covered the story, chasing down suspects. Amid the breadth of this doc's story, there will also be graphic images of a dead body, so brace yourself.

While the content is disturbing and heart-breaking, the series itself is frustratingly slow. Netflix has been accused of stretching out such shocking stories over multiple episodes to keep viewers logged on. And Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders feels like it's stalling for time more than probing the topic. —Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

How to watch: Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders is now streaming on Netflix.

9. The Mortician

A more successful true crime mini-series is The Mortician, which perhaps is no surprise as HBO has a history of producing great true crime docs, like The Jinx, Mind Over Murder, and I'll Be Gone in the Dark.

SEE ALSO: The 30 best true crime documentaries on Max right now

Told over three episodes, The Mortician focus on the horrific tale of David Sconce, whose work at his family's funeral home in the Los Angeles area made him infamous. Sconce did not do his duty to the dead or their grieving families. One particularly egregious example of Sconce's unethical behavior? He cremated bodies simultaneously, meaning their ashes would be mixed together; loved ones were presented with urns most likely holding a mixture of strangers' cremains.

In The Mortician's first episode, Sconce defends himself to director Joshua Rofé, and you get a taste of his argument in the trailer. It won't make this doc any easier to stomach, and some of the footage of remains are gut-wrenching on their own. Be warned, the story gets wilder each episode, as do Sconce's excuses. — K.P.

How to watch: The Mortician debuts on HBO Max on June 1, with new episodes premiering June 8 and 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

8. The Better Sister

Alafair Burke's crime novel The Better Sister gets the TV treatment with Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks in the lead. In the new eight-part series from Prime Video, the pair play estranged sisters Chloe (Biel) and Nicky (Banks), whose reunion comes after Chloe's husband, Adam (Corey Stoll), is brutally murdered.

But there's more going on under the surface here, as Adam is actually also Nicky's ex, who married her sister and lived with her along with Nicky's teen son Ethan (Maxwell Acee Donovan). Bit awkward. Suffice to say tensions are high. Chloe and Nicky must wade into family secrets as detectives Nancy Guidry (Kim Dickens) and Matt Bowen (Bobby Naderi) investigate his death, and the sisters try to keep the press off their lawn.*Shannon Connellan, UK Editor

Starring: Jessica Biel, Elizabeth Banks, Corey Stoll, Kim Dickens, Maxwell Acee Donovan, Bobby Naderi, Gabriel Sloyer, Gloria Reuben, Matthew Modine, and Lorraine Toussaint

How to watch: The Better Sister premieres May 29 on Prime Video.

7. And Just Like That…, Season 3

And just like that... there's a third season of the Sex and the City reboot. After those major cameos, anti-Android sentiments, strangely minimal use of Carrie Bradshaw's (Sarah Jessica Parker) voiceover, and big moments of the finale, And Just Like That... Season 2 threw a lot at us. Season 3 picks up in the summer, with Carrie enjoying her new place in Gramercy Park — and narrating again! Things between her and Aidan (John Corbett) remain fairly undefined, but anything's possible in New York in the summer, right?*S.C.

Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Mario Cantone, Sarita Choudhury, Evan Handler, David Eigenberg, Nicole Ari Parker, John Corbett, Sebastiano Pigazzi, Dolly Wells, Mehcad Brooks, Jonathan Cake, and Logan Marshall-Green

How to watch: And Just Like That... Season 3 premieres May 29 on HBO Max.

6. Mountainhead

Succession creator Jesse Armstrong makes his feature directorial debut with Mountainhead, which he also wrote. In a plot that seems ripped from the headlines, Mountainhead follows four wealthy tech bros — played by Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef, and Cory Michael Smith — who are on a snowy mountain retreat. In the middle of crowing about their net worths and playing poker, they learn about worldwide catastrophes occurring as a result of new AI technology. Will they, as tech pioneers, take accountability for their role in the disaster? Or will they take advantage of the chaos for their own gain?

In classic Succession style, Mountainhead is full of devastating one-liners and loathable wealthy characters. Yet Armstrong's dialogue, usually so fine-tuned, gets frustratingly clunky at times here, losing any subtlety as the movie tries to stay current. Thankfully, things pick up in the film's third act, which becomes a much darker, more personal crime caper. That switch-up brings Mountainhead a few inches out of Succession's shadow, but it still can't quite match that show's highs. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef, and Cory Michael Smith

How to watch: Mountainhead premieres May 31 at 8 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

5. Dept. Q

The Queen's Gambit creator Scott Frank is back with another thriller, this time swapping chess for cold case crime. Dept. Q follows DCI Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), a troubled detective given his own department and tasked with investigating the old disappearance of a missing woman. From the looks of the trailer, this one will be equal parts crime, thriller and drama, with a dash of comedy thrown in too. —Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor

Starring: Matthew Goode, Kelly Macdonald,  Kate Dickie, Alexej Manvelov, and Leah Byrne

How to watch: Dept. Q debuts on Netflix May 29.

4. Captain America: Brave New World

The latest Captain America movie stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, who not only carries the iconic shield but also the responsibility to fight the American president (Harrison Ford) when he goes Red Hulk.

Pulling from the threads of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and The Incredible Hulk, this complicated sequel is overstuffed with story, and plagued by an underwhelming supervillain (Tim Blake Nelson). But critics — including myself — were more bothered by how the MCU seemed to go out of their way to make a Captain America movie that has nothing to say.

SEE ALSO: All the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, ranked worst to best

As I wrote in my review of Captain America: Brave New World, "The MCU could have given Sam Wilson a movie that boldly explored what it means to be a Captain America right now, especially to a Black man... Rather than a provocative political discussion as seen in Black Panther, Captain America: Brave New World limply pursues concepts of redemption and honor. It's safe and frankly boring." — K.P.

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Xosha Roquemore, Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford

How to watch: Captain America: Brave New World debuts on Disney+ on May 28.

3. Dog Man

When a police officer and his faithful canine companion are spliced together, crime-fighting hero Dog Man is the inevitable (and deeply silly) result. Based on Dav Pilkey's children's graphic novel series of the same name, Dog Man brings together a big name cast to tell the story of our titular hero attempting to catch a supervillain (yep, it's a cat) hellbent on terrorising the city. Written and directed by Peter Hastings, Dog Man is a spinoff of Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. — S.H.

.Starring: Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery, Isla Fisher, and Ricky Gervais

How to watch: Dog Man debuts on Peacock on May 30.

2. Vampire Hunter D

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, anime classic Vampire Hunter D is returning to streaming.

Based on the first novel in Hideyuki Kikuchi's long-running novel series, the movie follows Doris Lang (Michie Tomizawa), the daughter of a werewolf hunter who gets bitten by an ancient vampire. She hires a hunter known as D (Kaneto Shiozawa) to track the thing down and kill it in order to stop herself from turning into one as well. — S.H.

Starring: Kaneto Shiozawa, Michie Tomizawa, and Yûsaku Yara

How to watch: Vampire Hunter D debuts on Shudder on May 30.

1. Adults

In the mood for a fun hangout sitcom? Then check out Adults, FX's latest comedy offering. Created by Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), the series centers on a group of five twenty-somethings living together in Queens, where they weather the perils of early adulthood. Everything from health insurance scares to career trouble is on the table, along with the occasional touch of absurdity that makes Adults more Broad City than Friends.

By putting a Gen-Z twist on the hangout sitcom formula, Adults embraces the mess of modern-day young adulthood, and the result, as I wrote in my review for Mashable, is "chaotic, heartfelt, and current." The show also boasts an incredible ensemble — Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer, Amita Rao, Owen Thiele, and Jack Innanen — who gel instantly. Come for Adults' many cringe comedy hijinks, stay for the cast's superb chemistry. — B.E.

Starring: Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer, Amita Rao, Owen Thiele, and Jack Innanen

How to watch: All episodes of Adults are now streaming on Hulu.

(*) denotes that a blurb has been repurposed from a previous list.

NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for May 29, 2025

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 04:54

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 Thursday, May 29, 2025:

AcrossLanguage heard in Bangkok
  • The answer is Thai.

Major brand of athletic shoes
  • The answer is Asics.

Language family that includes Swahili
  • The answer is Bantu.

Language from which we get "pajama" and "khaki"
  • The answer is Urdu.

Small amount of Manhattan?
  • The answer is Sip.

DownOld Russian rulers
  • The answer is Tsars.

Language that's third in number of worldwide speakers, after English and Mandarin
  • The answer is Hindi.

Misbehave
  • The answer is Act up (no space).

Sch. not far from Des Moines
  • The answer is ISU.

___ Dhabi
  • The answer is Abu.

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.

Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers launch brutal attack ads on each other

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 04:09

In the run-up to the Emmy nominations being announced, Seth Meyers and Jimmy Kimmel are doing everything they can to get their shows nominated — including releasing a slew of attack ads against each other.

In the Jimmy Kimmel Live! clip above the two late night show hosts take turns presenting an escalating series of ads, slamming the character of their rival before getting various family members involved to further denigrate them — there's Meyers' brother Josh ("Jimmy Kimmel: More of a brother to me than my own") and Kimmel's wife Molly ("Seth Meyers drinks his coffee black, just like Jimmy's soul"), before a final video in which all their children band together to slam both of them at the same time.

More of this on the Emmy campaign trail, please.

NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 29, 2025

Mashable - Thu, 05/29/2025 - 02:59

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Yellow: Roles on a baseball field

  • Green: A yearly women's baseball tournament

  • Blue: Teams that play in "America's Finest City"

  • Purple: Involves a guard

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

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

  • Yellow: Baseball/Softball Positions, Abbreviated

  • Green: WCWS

  • Blue: San Diego Teams

  • Purple: ___Guard

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #248 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today
  • Baseball/Softball Positions, Abbreviated - 2B, CF, P, SS

  • WCWS - COLLEGE, SERIES, WOMEN'S, WORLD

  • San Diego Teams - AZTECS, FC, PADRES, WAVE

  • ___Guard - MOUTH, POINT, SHIN, SHOOTING

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

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

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

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

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