NelsonG

They sang “All Night Long (All Night),” “Easy,” and more songs in the style of dueling pianosView the full article

Sunday Quordles are, all things considered, the most relaxing Quordles of all. For most of us, Sunday is when we're furthest from the workweek, and Sunday comes with a rich tradition of lounging around the house, reading the paper slowly and doing puzzles. An extra hard puzzle can be an added bonus, but it can also add frustration to an otherwise enjoyable day. If Quordle is a little too challenging today, you've come to the right place for hints. There aren't just hints here, but the whole Quordle solution. Scroll to the bottom of this page, and there it is. But are you sure you need all four answers? Maybe you just need a strategy guide. Either way, scroll down, and you'll get what you need. What is Quordle?Quordle is a five-letter word guessing game similar to Wordle, except each guess applies letters to four words at the same time. You get nine guesses instead of six to correctly guess all four words. It looks like playing four Wordle games at the same time, and that is essentially what it is. But it's not nearly as intimidating as it sounds. Is Quordle harder than Wordle?Yes, though not diabolically so. Where did Quordle come from?Amid the Wordle boom of late 2021 and early 2022, when everyone was learning to love free, in-browser, once-a-day word guessing games, creator Freddie Meyer says he took inspiration from one of the first big Wordle variations, Dordle — the one where you essentially play two Wordles at once. He took things up a notch, and released Quordle on January 30. Meyer's creation was covered in The Guardian six days later, and now, according to Meyer, it attracts millions of daily users. Today, Meyer earns modest revenue from Patreon, where dedicated Quordle fans can donate to keep their favorite puzzle game running. How is Quordle pronounced?“Kwordle.” It should rhyme with “Wordle,” and definitely should not be pronounced exactly like "curdle.” Is Quordle strategy different from Wordle?Yes and no. Your starting strategy should be the same as with Wordle. In fact, if you have a favorite Wordle opening word, there’s no reason to change that here. We suggest something rich in vowels, featuring common letters like C, R, and N. But you do you. After your first guess, however, you’ll notice things getting out of control if you play Quordle exactly like Wordle. What should I do in Quordle that I don’t do in Wordle?Solving a Wordle puzzle can famously come down to a series of single letter-change variations. If you’ve narrowed it down to “-IGHT,” you could guess “MIGHT” “NIGHT” “LIGHT” and “SIGHT” and one of those will probably be the solution — though this is also a famous way to end up losing in Wordle, particularly if you play on “hard mode.” In Quordle, however, this sort of single-letter winnowing is a deadly trap, and it hints at the important strategic difference between Wordle and Quordle: In Quordle, you can't afford to waste guesses unless you're eliminating as many letters as possible at all times. Guessing a completely random word that you already know isn't the solution, just to eliminate three or four possible letters you haven’t tried yet, is thought of as a desperate, latch-ditch move in Wordle. In Quordle, however, it's a normal part of the player's strategic toolset. Is there a way to get the answer faster?In my experience Quordle can be a slow game, sometimes dragging out longer than it would take to play Wordle four times. But a sort of blunt-force guessing approach can speed things up. The following strategy also works with Wordle if you only want the solution, and don’t care about having the fewest possible guesses: Try starting with a series of words that puts all the vowels (including Y) on the board, along with some other common letters. We've had good luck with the three words: “NOTES,” “ACRID,” and “LUMPY.” YouTuber DougMansLand suggests four words: “CANOE,” “SKIRT,” “PLUMB,” and “FUDGY.” Most of the alphabet is now eliminated, and you’ll only have the ability to make one or two wrong guesses if you use this strategy. But in most cases, you’ll have all the information you need to guess the remaining words without any wrong guesses. If strategy isn't helping, and you're still stumped, here are some hints: Are there any double or triple letters in today’s Quordle words?Two words have letters occurring twice. Are any rare letters being used in today’s Quordle like Q or Z?No. What do today’s Quordle words start with?W, F, C, and B. What are the answers for today’s Quordle?Are you sure you want to know? There’s still time to turn back. OK, you asked for it. The answers are: WHOOP CELLO FIEND BULKY View the full article

From her new Anyways, Life’s Great… EPView the full article

Eric Anders and Mark O’Bitz are a prolific indie folk/Americana duo who have produced some of the most interesting and beautiful work the genre has seen in the last four years. With the harmoizing aptitude of Fleet Foxes and the like but the post-punk grit of Tom Waits, these two artists are well-known by those of us at YEDM who follow such circles, but we never thought they’d end up featured on YEDM. We should never underestimate the innovation of a good artist, and the newly remixed versions of their haunting 2020 album American Bardo show Anders and O’Bitz as the latest artists to prove that point. Now that we hear them, the remixes of American Bardo, retitled for the occasion as Bardo Hauntings and split into two parts, sound like they were made to be electronic all along. So much so, in fact, that the original songs almost sound a bit minimal now. Quite often with folk and Americana work that’s been re-written or remixed into electronica or pop, there’s a moment of, “hmm, that’s weird,” in one’s head, followed by either a yay or nay vote. Ths is very much not the case with Bardo Hauntings, and the reason for these remixes gelling so well is definitely the remixers, Mike Butler and Steven Jess Borth II (CHLLNGR). Bardo Hauntings I, the Butler Hauntings, contains remixes from half of American Bardo done by engineer and producer Mike Butler. Aside from his engineering creds with Phoebe Bridgers, Norah Jones, The Shins and The Predenders (among countless others), Butler has been working with Anders and O’Bitz for a long time. Intimate knowledge of an artist’s body of work obviously helps with a project like this, and Butler probably has the most intimate knowledge of these artist aside from the artists themselves. He produced and mixed American Bardo itself, along with every Anders/O’Bitz release since, save for 2021’s True September Songs, including the Bardo Hauntings EPs. For those EDM fans who are also aware of the jazz, folk and ska worlds, Steve Borth may already be a familiar name. Part of a musical dynasty began by his father Steven Jess Borth I, Borth II had an early aptitude for music and was already recognized as a saxopohone prodigy by age 10. Borth has been all over the world utsilizing his multi-instrumental talents in ensembles and ska bands, but EDMers may know him better by his ska/reggae/soul/electronica crossover project, CHLLNGR. Fusing all those genres with breaks, future bass, dubstep, house and techno, Borth’s CHLLNGR project garnered him quite a bit of attention from the EDM world in in the early 2010s. His aptitude for such fusion also made him a perfect choice for Bardo Hauntings. The 12 remixes on American Bardo are split evenly between Butler and Borth to make the two Bardo Hauntings, but it seems the two artists picked which ones they wanted, as the track order doesn’t follow the original LP. In this way, each producer was able to tell his own story with the tracks they chose. It seems Anders and O’Bitz gave them carte blanche. The title, ‘Bardo Hauntings,’ is based on the idea that remixes haunt the original songs. In this case, the original songs are those of American Bardo, so these remixes are “bardo hauntings.” As with ghosts, the original is present and absent at the same time Butler flexed some composition muscles few other than his laundry list of famous clients have heard before. Ranging from the startling yet emotive industrial/ambient blend of the “Won’t Live It Down” remix to the heady, theatrical and largely analog remix of “Matterbloomlight” (this is now a third version of this achingly beautiful song, by the way) to the minimal hour mix of “Holding Will,” Butler incorporates a range of styles and genres without overdoing it. This is key with such a delicate sound pallette as is in Anders and O’Bitz’s original discography. Borth’s remixes are both more grassroots and more ravey than Butler’s approach. In most of the tracks he remixes, Borth keeps almost all of the original stems, including the instrumentals and general pop/rock structure, as more and more electronica creeps in progressively to the tunes as both they and the EP roll on. The first track “Haunting Abraham,” for example, starts off almost completely acoustic and then grows in production complexity ad Borth adds in a house beat subtly masked as analog. By the end, the track has a full compliment of strings and can no be easily recognizable as a pop or folk EDM track. Talk about delicate treatment; it’s almost like we’re duped into rave tracks on Borth’s EP, and each track is a surprise as to how it will unveil itself. Butler and Borth had very different approaches to this remixing project, but they both brought out the best of Anders and O’Bitz’s work, and hopefully exposed it to a whole new range of fans. The idea that these are electronic “hauntings” of American Bardo is a brilliant one, as it ties in the Bardo Hauntings not only to the original album but to the 2017 Pulitzer-winning book by George Saunders, Lincoln In the Bardo upon which American Bardo was based. It’s an illustration of how great art begets great art begets great art and it can spread across media, generations and genres. Now the only thing left to do is go full on Bardo inception and have Butler and Borth remix each other’s remixes. In the meantime, a beautiful body of work is now here for folk, literature and EDM fans alike to enjoy the “hauntings.” Bardo Hauntings I and II are both out now and can be streamed on Spotify or purchased on Bandcamp. Check the links in this article to learn more about Mike Butler and Stebe Borth II (CHLLNGR). This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Indie Folk Remixed Into EDM? It Works, thanks for Eric Anders, Mark O’Bitz and Their Collaborators View the full article

It's Monday again, but at least the start of a new work week also means there's a new Wordle puzzle for you to test your brain on. And as always, we're here to offer some tips and tricks to guide you to the solution. Our first tip: Keep in mind that the New York Times recently added a new word list and updated the rules, so plurals ending in S or ES will never be the solution. If you don't have the time to find the solution and just want to be told today's answer, you can skip to the end of this article for November 21's Wordle solution revealed. If you'd rather do the working yourself, keep reading for a few tips, tricks, and hints to help you out. SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for November 20 Where did Wordle come from?Engineer Josh Wardle originally created Wordle as a gift for his partner. It soon exploded in popularity and became an international phenomenon, with thousands of players around the globe playing it every day. Some Wordle fans even created alternate versions of the daily word puzzle game, such as battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations such as Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. TikTok creators have even live streamed themselves playing Wordle, and the puzzle game eventually grew so big that the New York Times bought it earlier this year. What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that sparks joy for you. However, if your joy is sparked by being strategic, we have a few ideas to help you optimise your first move. This includes choosing a word that has at least two different vowels in it, and ensuring there are a few common consonants such as S, T, R, or N mixed in. What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles used to be available for anyone to delve into whenever they wished. Unfortunately this treasure trove has since disappeared, with the website's creator saying its removal was at the New York Times' request. SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Is Wordle getting harder?Though it may feel as though solving Wordle's puzzles is more of a struggle than it used to be, the game isn't getting any harder. You are able to make it more difficult though, as Wordle has a Hard Mode you can enable. Why are there two different Wordle answers some days?Though Wordle usually only has one correct solution per day, the word puzzle game does occasionally accept two different answers. This is because the New York Times made changes to Wordle after acquiring it, swapping out some answers for new ones. The Times has since added its own updated word list, so this should happen even less frequently than before. To avoid any confusion, it's a good idea to refresh your browser before getting stuck into a new puzzle. Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:Today's puzzle solution relates to logic and truth, and includes a relatively uncommon letter. Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?No, there aren't any double letters today. Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter A, as in "All In" by Stray Kids. What's the answer to Wordle today?It's time to reveal today's Wordle solution, so get your final guesses in now! Last call to lock in your answer! The solution to Wordle #520 is... AXIOM. An axiom is a statement that is widely accepted and self-evident as true. Don't be disheartened if you couldn't puzzle it out! There will be a new Wordle puzzle for you to try tomorrow, and we'll be back again with more tips and tricks to help you out. View the full article

Cracks are starting to show on Twitter as users have begun to post entire movies on the platform, with many yet to be taken down. A sign that the social media giant's copyright violation policy is not properly being enforced. One Twitter user went viral this weekend after posting the entirety of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in 2-min long chunks, totaling over 50 tweets. As reported by Forbes, the account has been suspended, however, the media itself did not go down with it for quite some time. Other users posted the 1995 film Hackers and the 2009 film Avatar, both of which have also been taken down. SEE ALSO: Elon Musk now publicly feuding with a sitting U.S. Senator on Twitter While the more notable movie threads have gone viral, leading to their takedown, some films like Need for Speed, and Japanese superhero film Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Forever are still available to view on Twitter, as of the time of this writing. Even TV shows are being posted, like this episode of Spongebob Squarepants that was shared. "Twitter will respond to reports of alleged copyright infringement, such as allegations concerning the unauthorized use of a copyrighted image as a profile or header photo, allegations concerning the unauthorized use of a copyrighted video or image uploaded through our media hosting services, or Tweets containing links to allegedly infringing materials," it says on its website. It shouldn't be surprising to know that the sharing of full movies, is in fact, a violation of Twitter's copyright policy. However given recent events within the company, it seems the platform is running with a skeleton crew at the moment. One of Musk's ideas after taking over was to introduce long, 40+ min videos for Twitter Blue subscribers, but that might have to be put on the back burner for now if the site's automated copyright enforcement system can't be fixed. As another headache in the mounting amount of problems for Twitter, the broken copyright system opens up the site to even more potential legal action. As of this writing, Twitter is currently facing several class action lawsuits along with potential legal action from the FTC. On the bright side, users can enjoy some episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation before Twitter goes belly up. View the full article

MindGeek is one of the leading players in the adult entertainment industry. Formerly known as Manwin, MindGeek conquered the online adult market over the past decade by offering free porn to the masses. The Copyright Switch With help from user-uploaded videos, the company created massive databases of adult entertainment, much to the frustration of incumbent adult industry companies that often found pirated copies of their content on the site. This bold business model paid off with billions of visits that provided a sizable revenue stream through sites such as Pornhub, YouPorn, Redtube, Tube8, Xtube, and dozens of others. And as MindGeek’s stature rose, it also transformed into a major rightsholder itself. This imperium also includes a lot of copyrighted content. MindGeek subsidiary MG Premium, for example, owns brands including Brazzers and has more than 10,000 works registered at the US copyright office which it actively protects. MindGeek’s subsidiary regularly files lawsuits against ‘pirate’ tube sites and users of peer-to-peer netoworks. The most impressive numbers come from its DMCA takedown campaign, which has been ramping up for over a decade. 121 Million URLs Since January At the time of writing, MG Premium is the most prolific sender of DMCA notices to Google, according to the search giant’s transparency report. Since January this year, the adult company asked the search engine to remove more than 121 million allegedly infringing URLs. MindGeek’s subsidiary officially began sending takedown notices in 2014 and since then has submitted well over half a billion links; 561,222,215 to be precise. These numbers make MG Premium the copyright holder behind most DMCA notices to Google overall. The company reported nearly twice as many notices as the runner-up, anime publisher Viz Media. Music Group BPI reported slightly more URLs but it represents multiple rightsholders. ~60% Removal Rate Not all reported URLs were removed from Google’s search results. The totals also include duplicates and URLs that were not indexed. For 1.6% of the links, Google decided not to take action, which suggests that no infringing content was found. This remaining 60.% was indeed removed, which translates to 327 million URLs MindGeek also received DMCA notices for its own platforms. However, on PornHub, this number went down dramatically after the site started to verify uploaders. All in all, it’s intriguing to see how MindGeek managed to transform itself from a company that was scolded for copyright infringement to one that protects (its own) copyrights at all costs. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article

Jason David Frank, the beloved actor who played Tommy Oliver in the Power Rangers franchise, passed away at 49 years old on Saturday. The news of Frank's passing was confirmed by his talent rep via Instagram. Frank was most well-known for his role in the original run of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in 1993, as the Green Ranger Tommy Oliver. Despite appearing in only 14 episodes during that first season, he went on to become one of the most recognized figures in the franchise appearing in 10 series and four movies. Beyond his role in Power Rangers, Frank was a professionally trained mixed-martial artist, highly versed in Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and others. Fans and friends of Frank are currently sharing tributes on social media to an icon whose work will not be forgotten. Fellow Rangers Walter E. Jones and Blake Foster, both shared their condolences on Frank's passing. “RIP Jason David Frank," Jones wrote on Instagram. "My heart is sad to have lost another member of our special family.” At this time, no statement has been released by Frank's family on his death. "Please respect the privacy of his family and friends during this horrible time as we come to terms with the loss of such a wonderful human being," a rep told TMZ. He loved his family, friends, and fans very much. He will truly be missed." If you want to talk to someone or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, Crisis Text Line provides free, confidential support 24/7. Text CRISIS to 741741 to be connected to a crisis counselor. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET, or email [email protected]. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Here is a list of international resources. View the full article

“Using his music to promote yourself and your despicable cause is revolting and antithetical to everything that Tom and his music stand for and mean to millions of people”View the full article

The average person can study just about anything on YouTube, but that doesn't mean they'll get accurate information from real experts. As a Native professor of Indigenous and American Indian Studies, I would say this is especially true of YouTube content devoted to Native culture and history. When I search for educational resources to share with my students to generate class discussions, I inevitably come across channels that have no business speaking on Native socio-cultural issues. Without giving these channels more recognition than they deserve, I'll simply describe their content as annoying, irresponsible, and reckless. Apparently, many YouTubers think Native people are nothing more than side characters in a make-believe world of aliens, unexplained mysteries, and outlandish conspiracy theories. Or if content is grounded in reality, Native people are ignored in favor of non-Native "authorities." It's alarming to see how much misinformation can be shared without any accountability — given that portraying Native people like this doesn't appear to violate YouTube's misinformation policies or its community guidelines — especially when our communities are already so frequently misunderstood. (Mashable asked YouTube for clarity about how its misinformation policies and community guidelines relate to content about Native people, but didn't receive an answer.) Fortunately, there are channels run by actual Native people, with credible connections to their community, who speak the language and know a lot about the traditions. You just have to know where to look. However, there are also more than 500 different tribal nations within the colonial borders of the United States, and I can't cover them all. Indeed, many of them may not even have a YouTube channel. That's why I'm recommending the five YouTube accounts below as credible channels that give people a reliable starting point for learning more about Native culture, philosophy, and traditional outlooks. SEE ALSO: Spiritual hustlers are all over social media. Don't let them scam you. 1. Navajo Traditional TeachingsIn 2017, Shane Brown filmed his father Wally Brown, a Navajo elder and historian, discussing their traditional interpretations of the solar eclipse that year. Shane posted the video to his Facebook page; by the following day, it had gone viral, with hundreds of thousands of views. The father-and-son duo realized the importance of creating educational resources for younger Navajo people interested in learning about their culture. So Shane created the YouTube channel Navajo Traditional Teachings and uploaded their first video, "Wally talks about what the eclipse means to Navajo people." Today, the channel has 184,000 subscribers. The Browns believed their efforts could help repair language and culture loss, which are consequences of so-called Indian boarding schools where Native children were forcibly assimilated into white American culture during the 19th and 20th centuries. They also hoped to correct half-truths shared about the Navajo worldview by non-Native anthropologists over the years. Wally Brown does a good job of this when he discusses Navajo perspectives on corn pollen, Navajo sweat lodges, traditional Navajo marriage, and the composition of the stars. In one video titled "Kokopelli," the elder Brown corrects misconceptions about the popular Navajo figure who plays a prominent role in Navajo ceremonies. Kokopelli over the years has become a misunderstood figure, incorrectly called a "fertility god," who is also exploited as a fashion logo for T-shirts, hoodies, jewelry, and rugs. Thank goodness Wally is setting the record straight. Explanatory videos like "Kokopelli" among many others make Navajo Traditional Teachings one of the best and most reliable channels on Native culture. 2. Osiyo TVBring up "Indians" in any social gathering, and everyone will miraculously have a Cherokee grandma — but they "never learned" the culture. I say a good place to start learning is from the OsiyoTV YouTube channel, which is a part of the regional Emmy-winning website OsiyoTV Voice of the Cherokee People. Even if you don't have a rumored Cherokee princess in your bloodline, you can still enjoy short, well-made documentary style films that showcase authentic Cherokee history, people, and culture. Osiyo also means "hello" in Cherokee, so it's not just a cool-sounding catchphrase! OsiyoTV has a five-member production team led by Jennifer Loren, the director of the Cherokee Nation Film Office. She is also an enrolled Cherokee Nation citizen. Shows are funded through the tribe's business office, and every episode is well researched with historical documents and oral history from culture bearers, which is just another way of saying old folks who know a lot. In one 5-minute video that has 1.6 million views, Cherokee Bowmaker Richard Fields discusses how he learned to make traditional bows from his cousin. He says it's important that Cherokee bows are made the correct way, and if he doesn't share the knowledge, it will be lost, much like the "old words from the Cherokee language." Speaking of language, if you feel the need to expand your second-language skills, the Cherokee Nation also has a free language app, so you can say more than just "hello." All seven seasons of OsiyoTV are uploaded to their YouTube Channel. 3. SinteGleskaUtube Not many people know that numerous tribal nations have their own accredited universities and colleges. Chartered back in 1970, Sinte Gleska University is one of them. To expand access to Lakota knowledge, SinteGleskaUtube was created in 2008 as the official YouTube channel for the school. There are nearly 300 videos, but a modest 12,500 subscribers. This means people are missing out on the teachings of Lakota philosophy and language captured on film from the late Albert White Hat Sr., a renowned leader of the Lakota community. Although there are other noteworthy Lakota on the channel, White Hat stands out, having brought nearly 40 years of teaching experience to younger generations and writing many books on reading and writing in the Lakota language. You can see him in action as he discusses Lakota philosophy and the deeper meaning of Lakota words in "Teachings and Health Class/ Lakota Creation Story." Sinte Gleska Tube is a valuable resource for those wanting to know more about the tribe that took part in annihilating the 7th Cavalry and General Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. I should also mention that "Sinte Gleska" means "Spotted Tail" in Lakota, which refers to Chief Spotted Tail, a major figure in the Plains Wars of the 1800s. There is still a battle brewing, however, as the Lakota language, along with many other Native languages, is on the brink of extinction. Hopefully, SinteGleskaUtube can help in the war against ignorance and misunderstanding. 4. Wo Lakota Am I recommending another Lakota-based YouTube channel? Yes, yes I am. Wo Lakota takes you outside the classroom of Sinte Gleska and puts you directly in a room with elders like Duane Hollow Horn Bear and Marie Randall. It's almost like you're sitting in their living room while they pass along knowledge in segments called Essential Understandings. These teachings focus more on the Oceti Sakowin Oyate, a combined community commonly referred to as the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota. These names are roughly translated into "allies." Topics discussed include the meaning of life, the importance of water, and even some legal discourse concerning the problems with American laws. You know, those pesky precedents that called for Native extermination and the stealing of land. Speaking of tricksters, Hollow Horn Bear offers a good dose of storytelling about Iktomi the spider. In many videos, he speaks both Lakota and English. In others he speaks only in Lakota. "Wolakota" means balance and coming together, which is a prevailing theme in many Native communities all over Turtle Island. The Wo Lakota YouTube channel is one part of the broader WoLakota Project, which was created to help Native and non-Native educators alike implement culturally responsive practices in schools. So if you're an educator, simply curious, or seeking balance, tune in. 5. Patrick is a NavajoOne important part of Native culture is our humor. So to round out the list, I want to include the YouTube channel Patrick is a Navajo, where Patrick Willie shares video reactions to trending topics on social media. He is from — you guessed it — the Navajo tribe. Willie is also a Hoop Dancer. If you want to know more about what that is and witness Willie doing the Hoop Dance, check out this video. The main point of his channel is to "spread humor and good feelings." The most popular videos are from a series called Natives React, where Willie and his friends share their reactions to memes and videos on different social media platforms. Many of the videos are specific to Native culture, and the channel may come off to non-Native viewers as a big inside joke — honestly, it kind of is. However, that's arguably more reason to watch, as it's a great way to break the "stoic Indian" stereotype that has permeated popular media. An unfiltered look at Native humor, like "Man speaks Indigenous language and Bear responds!" or "Why Do Native American Men Have Long Hair?", is just as important as content related to other aspects of Native culture. These channels are only a small fraction of the information out there, but I believe they are a good starting point to navigate content claiming to share cultural knowledge, not to mention the racist landfill that is the comment section of so many videos purportedly about Native culture. With this insight, you can become a better informed relative to Native communities and help challenge misconceptions. Or if you are Native, you can watch and be inspired to further reconnect to your own culture. Jimmy Lee Beason II is a member of the Osage Nation and a professor in the Indigenous & American Indian Studies department at Haskell Indian Nations University. View the full article

The chances for another big Apple event before the New Year are pretty much nil. That's because head honcho Tim Cook has indicated as much, saying on a recent investor's call that the product line is "set" for the year. So, we'll have to wait until early 2023 for any upgrades to the Mac lineup and whatever other surprises (hint: it could be a headset) Apple has up its sleeve. But that won't stop us from speculating on what's to come from Apple Park in the new year. In years past, Apple has typically hosted three fall events, but this year was different. Per usual, Apple hosted a September event to announce the new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, Apple Watch Series 8, and Apple Watch Ultra. But then a month later, Cook broke tradition and pulled a surprise move by sparing us the livestream extravaganza and opting instead for a low-key series of press releases announcing an M2 iPad Pro, colorful entry-level iPads, and Apple TV in 4K. November is typically when Apple unveils new Macs, but that announcement has now reportedly been pushed back. SEE ALSO: Apple XR headset might have 'Face ID' tech for paying with your eyes With new iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches crossed off our end-of-year Apple launch bingo card, all that's left of the company's tentpole products are the new Macs and that elusive XR headset. We don't know the exact timing of these leftover anticipated announcements, but we do know what details to expect. M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook ProsAccording to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman and Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo, we can expect Apple to launch new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros powered by the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips in the new year. The current 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros come with M1 Pro and M1 Max configuration options, so upgrading these laptops with Apple's second-generation silicon would be a natural progression. Currently, there are two Apple laptops on the market with the standard version of the M2 chip: the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air, both of which were announced at WWDC 2022 last June. SEE ALSO: Apple's M2 MacBook Air is a super-fast WFH companion with a dreamy keyboard M2 Mac miniA new version of the Mac mini is also reportedly on the way, and it seems like it's getting that M2 glow-up, too. The Mac mini, Apple's most affordable device (starting at $650), is a small-but-mighty desktop computer that's popular for its compact design and performance. This will be the first upgrade in two years for the product line which currently runs on an M1 chip. A headset and a different kind of iPadWill this finally be the year Apple steps into the metaverse? A mixed-reality headset from Apple has long been in the works and experts say 2023 might be the year that Apple's XR headset becomes a reality. The headset was originally expected this year, but was reportedly delayed due to overheating and software issues, as well as supply chain constraints. That said, Gurman reported back in May that its development was at "an advanced stage." Now that Apple's product lineup is locked for the year, the device — considered to be a "game-changer for the headset industry" per Kuo — might come to light early next year. SEE ALSO: One of Apple's rivals thinks we'll see a foldable iPad in 2024 Given Apple's notorious secrecy on major product developments like this, it's mostly speculation at this point. But a report from The Information revealed that Apple's headset might have iris-scanning technology for identity verification and payments, and could ship with a "ski-goggle" design that's markedly different from Meta's Quest 2 and Quest Pro headsets. Last but not least, will the Apple embrace the fold? Reports from The Elec and CNBC predict the tech giant getting into the foldable game in 2024. Reportedly, Apple will test out folding technology with the iPad line. This would be in contrast to its rival Samsung which is all in on foldable smartphones. It's uncommon for Apple to jump on any kind of trendy bandwagon, but the foldable form factor appears to be gaining in popularity and now might be the perfect time for the company to try its hand. Will 2023 be the year we finally see Apple get back to its innovative roots? Only time will tell. Here's hoping it's all worth the wait. View the full article

The dramatic and sudden collapse of FTX, one of the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, was major headline news in its own right. But a case of bad timing involving the U.S. midterm elections and international aide for Ukraine has turned the underpinnings of this tech-world cautionary tale into perfect fodder for right-wing conspiracy theorists. So how did we get here? Back in 2019 FTX's founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, also known as SBF, created his crypto empire and cemented himself in the following years as one of the biggest figures in the industry. Then, in just one week this November, the entire SBF empire crumbled, forcing FTX to file for bankruptcy after billions of dollars were withdrawn from the exchange in light of reports that found its trading firm, Alameda Research, was actually insolvent. That same week happened to see the Democrats exceed expectations in the elections, squashing the narrative of a "red wave." Looking for answers to how they underperformed, some conservative pundits and media figures discovered an interesting connection: The failing crypto exchange FTX was a major Democratic donor. It also had partnered with Ukraine for its crypto donation program. Throw in the fact that the Biden administration has increasingly sent more aide to the country in its war with Russia and you have the perfect storm for a right-wing conspiracy theory. The right's current thingIt's not hard to see how this "FTX laundered money through Ukraine to the Democrats" narrative came together: President Joe Biden is a Democrat. The Biden administration has sent billions of dollars in aide to Ukraine in order to assist the country in the ongoing war that Russian president Vladimir Putin started in February. Ukraine has been a global leader when it comes to crypto adoption. The Ukrainian government accepted crypto donations when the war started and later launched the Aid for Ukraine program, partnering with a few crypto companies including FTX in order to facilitate the monetary transfers. FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried spent a lot of money on the midterms, mainly donating to Democratic politicians. Thus, a conspiracy theory is born claiming the money Biden sent to Ukraine was actually then funneled through FTX to Democratic candidates. SEE ALSO: FTX files for bankruptcy There's no evidence to support these claims. But that hasn't stopped right-wing media figures, such as Fox News' Tucker Carlson, as well as U.S. Congresspeople like Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) from spreading the conspiracy theory. What was the FTX - Aid for Ukraine connection really about?To understand Ukraine's partnership with FTX, I spoke with Sergey Vasylchuk, CEO of Ukrainian-based blockchain company, Everstake. Vasylchuk is also the co-initiator of the Aid for Ukraine program, helping put it together since it launched in March. He is also one of five people authorized to sign off on the transfer of donated funds from the DAO, or decentralized autonomous organization, that was set up for Aid for Ukraine. Vasylchuk explained how when Russia's war in Ukraine first started, he immediately looked into finding ways to help. "Due to the Martial Law, the banking system in Ukraine was frozen," he said. "Banks were not able to transact in USD or transact outside the country. So...crypto became one of the tools in order to pay the suppliers to buy all the necessities to support our business." Not long after, Vasylchuk and a few others in the Ukrainian crypto industry reached out to Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation, a fairly new government agency that looks to modernize the country with upstart technologies. Shortly after Russia invaded, the Ukrainian government shared its crypto wallet addresses online in order to fundraise for supplies. Tens of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency tokens soon flowed in. "You should understand: The Ministry of Digital Transformation is an experiment," Vasylchuk said. "It's not like an agency which sits [atop] a big building. It's just a few tech guys, like a dozen, right? They were working 25 hours per day without any breaks or weekends." And that's where Aid for Ukraine came in: A crypto initiative started by Ukrainian companies like Vasylchuk's Everstake and the crypto exchange Kuna. Between the start of the war and April, around $60 million had been donated to Ukraine in cryptocurrencies. A screenshot of the Aid for Ukraine homepage displaying the FTX logo in March 2022. Credit: Mashable Screenshot While some suppliers accepted crypto, Vasylchuk shared, others who were skeptical of crypto wanted fiat currency. And at the time there were hurdles that they needed to go through to transfer large amounts of crypto into fiat currency and then to the National Bank of Ukraine for the government's use. "Cross-border payments in Ukraine were restricted or limited due to the martial law," said Vasylchuk. "FTX had a good reputation, and their legal team developed the entire process, reaching an agreement with the National Bank [of Ukraine], and eventually made the transfer of the donations to Ukraine legally possible." "Back in the day, FTX was a major exchange assessed at $32 billion," Vasylchuk continued. "But most importantly, they were the first to come to our aid." The conspiracy theory doesn't make any senseNow that the actual connection between FTX and Ukraine has been established, let's look at the numbers and the transactions. Because, once you do, the conspiracy theory quickly falls apart. Remember: The claims from the conspiracy theorists are that billions of dollars were laundered. This would mean money was transferred from the Biden administration to Ukraine, and then transferred again — through FTX — to the Democratic Party. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet at the White House in September 2021, just months before Russia's invasion. Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images However, the Ukrainian government evidently never sent any money to FTX — partly because the program didn’t even require Ukraine to send any money. Crypto donations via the Aid for Ukraine program were sent to FTX so that the now-defunct crypto company could exchange it for U.S. dollars. FTX did this and then immediately transferred the money to the National Bank of Ukraine. Vasylchuk provided Mashable with copies of the bank transfer statements. The National Bank of Ukraine received two deposits, one on March 7 and another on March 18, from North Dimension Inc., a subsidiary of FTX. The total amount was a little more than $1.5 million. These numbers were confirmed by the National Bank of Ukraine back in March, months before there was any controversy surrounding FTX's involvement. The March 11 tweet corresponds with the transfers shown on the bank statements that were shared. $1.5 million is far from the billions or even hundreds of millions of dollars that the conspiracies allege were laundered. Vasylchuk explained that once payment limitations in Ukraine were lifted, FTX was no longer integral to the program. "Afterward, we used [Ukrainian crypto exchange] KUNA and other tools for settlements or fiat conversion," he said. According to Vasylchuk, even in his role as "contact person for Aid for Ukraine," he's not even sure if he ever even interacted with FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried himself as things were coordinated in a text messaging app. "We had a Signal group," Vasylchuk said. "There were a lot of people, mostly compliance people, in this group. One of them probably was Sam. I didn't interact with him directly." The collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire has become part of a political conspiracy theory. Credit: Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images Did any donations to Ukraine get lost when FTX collapsed? Vasylchuk said there were some memecoins that had been donated to the wallets that weren't worth cashing out. In addition, there were some low-valued NFTs that were donated, for which they just never had time to find a buyer. He believes that if anything, no more than a few thousand dollars worth of assets could have possibly been lost. The Everstake founder also shared that he was an FTX customer as well, a victim of its collapse, having lost $40,000 of his own personal money on the exchange when it went bankrupt. Blockchains and domain namesOne major problem with this conspiracy theory is that those behind it seem unaware of how crypto works. Every transaction on the blockchain is recorded and viewable by the public. This means that any sketchy crypto transactions, of course, would be discoverable on the blockchain. Yet, there has been no proof or evidence offered up by the individuals sharing these conspiracies to back up their claims. Billions of dollars in crypto being moved around would have caught at least a few eyeballs. There are websites and social media accounts dedicated to tracking crypto transfers from "whales" or those hoarding large amounts of cryptocurrency. However, even the few attempts to prove the conspiracy fall flat. On the night of Nov. 11, the same day FTX filed for bankruptcy, the crypto exchange was hacked. The details behind the hack and who was responsible are still unclear. Some did catch a few interesting transactions from the hacker's account, which has now been labeled "FTX Account Drainer" on the Ethereum network. A few days after the hack, the FTX Account Drainer sent hundreds of thousands of crypto tokens to the official Ukraine Crypto Donation wallet. For some, that was proof of Ukraine's involvement with Ukraine. If you actually look at the transactions though, you'll see the tokens sent to Ukraine weren't highly-valued Bitcoin or Ether, the tokens sent were of a completely worthless memecoin called "FTX Sucks." Sending those tokens is the equivalent of trolling. Another event that conspiracy theorists have focused on involves the Aid for Ukraine domain name. On Nov. 1, Aid for Ukraine changed its official website URL for the program from "donate.thedigital.gov.ua" to "aid-to-ukraine.io." Conspiracies quickly spread that there was more than something to this than a simple domain change. "It was bad timing," Vasylchuk said of the domain name switch and its proximity to FTX's fall. "It really was bad timing." But still the allegations make no sense. The timing was certainly inconvenient, but the reports that led to FTX's quick and sudden demise didn't drop until later that week. And, the Aid for Ukraine website, even with its new domain name, continued to include FTX's partnership on all of its branding up until just days ago. If the domain switch was some sort of attempt to distance the Ukrainian government from FTX based on insider knowledge of what was about to happen...they didn't do a very good job. The domain extension ".gov.ua" at the end of the URL is controlled by the Ukrainian government, which had been a headache for the aid program. "In order to shift DNS or to have some protection, it was a nightmare," Vasylchuk said. "We've had unprecedented attacks on the website, probably from the Russian side, in order to take it down. So we said, 'hey guys, let's move to a separate domain, let's get control of the domain.' It's more flexible to protect the site from attacks." Mashable reached out to Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation, but have not yet heard back. However, the agency's Deputy Minister Alex Bornyakov has shared Everstake and Aid for Ukraine's joint statement on the conspiracy theories on his Twitter account. And of course there's the speculation that FTX and SBF will not be investigated due to these connections with the Democratic Party. Twitter owner Elon Musk has repeatedly spread these theories as well. "SBF was a major Dem donor, so no investigation," Musk tweeted. But Congressional hearings and criminal investigations into FTX are already underway. The FBI has reportedly been in talks with officials in the Bahamas, where SBF resides, to extradite the FTX founder to the U.S. And some Democratic lawmakers who received donations from FTX and SBF have already donated the amount they received to various charities. FTX's political donationsFTX did make political donations. Before his company collapsed, SBF was making moves to become the crypto industry's biggest figure. He had already created a name for himself as the crypto bailout king, swooping in to buy up cryptocurrency companies when they were dying. His next big project, which was already well underway when FTX failed, was to have a hand in crafting crypto policy that would go before U.S. Congress. To do so, SBF started to invest heavily in political contributions. SEE ALSO: The biggest crypto scams of 2022 (so far) Much has been made of SBF's initial claim that he was going to donate $1 billion to political races up to the 2024 elections. He later walked that back. (Partly because he actually didn't have the money.) In all, SBF and his Super PACs donated around $40 million for the 2022 midterm elections. The majority of that money did go to supporting Democratic candidates, as SBF became the Dems' number two donor. But, even with all of these facts, the right-wing conspiracy falls apart. SBF didn't just donate to Democrats. He also donated some of that money to Republicans, including Trump-supporting Peter Thiel-backed candidates like JD Vance in Ohio and Blake Masters in Arizona. Furthermore, a large chunk of SBF's political donations actually went into the Democratic primaries. And as Forbes points out, one House candidate in Oregon, Carrick Flynn, received a lot of that money, $10.5 million from SBF's Protect Our Future PAC. Flynn went on to lose his primary race. And the conspiracy theories never make mention of FTX executive Ryan Salame, who also donated big to campaigns for the midterms — $23.9 million to be exact — and mostly to Republican candidates. That's not to say all of this is fine. But the issue isn't some false Democratic money-laundering conspiracy. It's that politicians are beholden to industries who play both sides in order to have an outsized say in our government. Right-wing politics as usualSo why is this conspiracy spreading? Well, the Republican Party basically just blew an easy layup. The 2022 midterms were supposed to usher in a red wave. A "red tsunami," some were even calling it. Congressional Democratic incumbents and candidates were supposed to lose across the board in a shellacking that was supposed to be a referendum on the Biden administration. Instead, Democrats actually expanded their hold in the Senate and Republicans barely eked out a majority in the House with only a handful of seats. In state houses, Democrats won majorities that haven't been seen in decades. Much like with their 2020 election fraud claims, it seems Republicans have decided to respond to their losses by crying foul, claiming FTX somehow funneled billions of dollars through Ukraine to the Democratic Party. But according to Aid for Ukraine, FTX never had more than $1.5 million in crypto donations to Ukraine, all of which they exchanged into fiat currency and sent to the Ukrainian government. "I want to thank every American because without the support, Ukraine would probably not be able to resist or even to exist," Everstake's Vasylchuk said as we ended our call. But his experience dealing with these conspiracy theories left him clearly rattled. "I just don't understand American politics. I'm kind of really shocked that this could even happen." View the full article

TL;DR: Through Nov. 23, you can get the EZ Tagg Anti-Lost Device for just $29.99 instead of $59.95 — that's a 49% discount. There’s nothing like dropping your keys in the snow and feeling like you’ll have to wait until spring to find them. In the chaos of getting ready for the holidays, you might misplace your keys, wallet, phone, backpack, or other belongings. It’s frustrating, but there’s something you can do. EZ Tagg is a bite-sized tracker that you can attach to your essentials so you can search for them when they’re lost. This season, we’re thankful for deals that improve the little things in life. Get two EZ Taggs on sale for just $29.99 until November 23, 11:59 PM Pacific. No code needed. Track that lost luggageThere have been plenty of stories about lost luggage or belongings being tracked down with AirTags, but those only work with select iPhones. If you want an affordable AirTag alternative, try EZ Tagg. These ultra-durable silicone tags are small enough to fit in a wallet and can attach to keyring in a snap. If a tagged object is lost, just press the remote transmitter and listen for the loud beeping sound. As long as you’re within 82 feet of your Tagg, you can click to listen for it. Searching in the dark? EZ Tagg has an LED indicator light that could help you track it down. EZ Taggs are the quintessential set-it-and-forget-it device. This durable sweat and scratchproof tracker’s battery claims to last up to a year on a single charge. The charging cable is included. Just don’t forget to take it out for its annual refill. Try this affordable AirTag alternative Turn your aimless searching into finding when you activate your EZ Tagg attached to your phone, wallet, keys, bag, or other essentials. Until November 23, 11:59 pm Pacific, get a pair of EZ Taggs in black, white, blue, orange, or pink for $29.99 (reg. $59). Prices subject to change. Opens in a new tab Credit: Vista Shops EZ Tagg Anti-Lost Device 2-pack (opens in a new tab) $29.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) View the full article

Gift shopping was a bit simpler before the internet. You went to the store, and if you didn’t find something, you went to a different store. Now, the options are virtually endless, but how do you sift through it all and find the really good stuff? If you’re feeling overwhelmed with gift ideas, then take a deep breath because we went through and narrowed it down for you. Here are 20 fun, useful, and just plain cool gifts to help you get your holiday shopping done on time. Apple Watch Wireless Charger KeychainPop your Apple Watch onto this convenient 950mAh keychain charger whenever you see the battery getting low. Pocket-sized with protections for overheating, over-current, over-voltage, and short-circuiting, this charger works with any Apple Watch and is only $18.99 (reg. $49). Opens in a new tab Credit: Go Gadgets Apple Watch Wireless Charger Keychain (opens in a new tab) $18.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Wicked Ball: Interactive Pet ToyKeep your dog engaged and active while you’re not at home using this automatic dog toy. Set it to gentle, normal, or active depending on your dog’s comfort, and it’ll bounce, roll, and avoid getting caught in the furniture. You can even set it to go through cycles of rest and activity so you don’t wear your best friend out. Get it for $39.99 (reg. $49). Opens in a new tab Credit: Cheerble Wicked Ball: Interactive Pet Toy (opens in a new tab) $39.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) WonderCube Pro: All-In-One Mobile Keyring (2-Pack)Skip the cable web and carry a charger that’s compatible with all Android and Apple devices. Use the one-inch expandable foldout cable for quick charging, or set up the phone stand for a quick way to stream comfortably on the go. It even has an LED light built-in, and you can get two of them for $79.95 (reg. $118). Opens in a new tab Credit: WonderCube WonderCube Pro: All-In-One Mobile Keyring (2-Pack) (opens in a new tab) $79.95 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Apple Watch Portable USB ChargerAvoid the hassle of a clunky Apple Watch charger and plug this one in almost anywhere. Compact, magnetic, and sturdy, this charger can go anywhere you’d take your Apple Watch, and it’s on sale for $14.99 (reg. $39). Opens in a new tab Credit: Electronic Avenue Apple Watch Portable USB Charger (opens in a new tab) $14.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) EP Light Sunrise LampAdd some ambiance to your space with this unique LED bulb. Each bulb is handcrafted from drop-resistant resin and is one-of-a-kind. A Sunrise Lamp could last for up to 50,000 hours of illumination, and they’re only $28.99 (reg. $39). Opens in a new tab Credit: EP Light EP Light Sunrise Lamp (opens in a new tab) $28.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) MagStack Foldable 3-in-1 Wireless Charging StationCut the cable clutter with this foldable wireless charger that’s compatible with wireless compatible smartphones, Apple Watch series one through six, and Qi-enabled Bluetooth earbuds. Great for travel or home, this portable charger is on sale for $44.99 ($69). Opens in a new tab Credit: WonderCube MagStack Foldable 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station (opens in a new tab) $44.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) AquaSonic Black Series Toothbrush and Travel CaseNurture those pearly whites with a toothbrush that packs a 40,000 VPM motor and brushing motions that whiten, massage, and clean your teeth. Electric toothbrushes have been proven to remove more plaque than manual ones, and you can get this one while it’s $39.99 (reg. $189). Opens in a new tab Credit: AquaSonic AquaSonic Black Series Toothbrush and Travel Case (opens in a new tab) $39.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Allergy Test My Pet KitCaught your dog in another sneezing fit? This pet allergy test kit takes a quick, painless saliva sample and checks if your dog is allergic or sensitive to 100 common factors you could have around the house or in the yard. See if there’s a reason your dog should avoid a certain brand of food when you get three of these Pet Allergy Test Kits on sale for $69.99 (reg. $107). Opens in a new tab Credit: At My Pet Allergy Test My Pet Kit (opens in a new tab) $69.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) MEAZOR 6-in-1 Multifunction Digital Laser Measure ToolDitch the tape and use lasers to measure a room. This Indiegogo-funded measurement tool could help you create a full 2D floor plan scan, measure curves and distances up to 82 feet, and it works as a bubble level and protractor. The MEAZOR is compact, super portable, made from durable aluminum, and is on sale for $199.99 (reg. $229). Opens in a new tab Credit: Hozo Design MEAZOR 6-in-1 Multifunction Digital Laser Measure Tool (opens in a new tab) $199.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Petoi Bittle: Palm-Sized Robot Dog for STEM and Fun!Get a dog that can teach your child or teen to code. Petoi Bittle is a fully-programmable STEM and robotics kit that you can teach to walk, run, and do all sorts of tricks. Learn Scratch, C++, or Python and start coding with this Kickstarter-funded educational toy that’s been marked down to $259 (reg. $329). Opens in a new tab Credit: Petoi Petoi Bittle: Palm-Sized Robot Dog for STEM and Fun! (opens in a new tab) $259 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) PICO Planter Herb GardenMake gardening easier with a Kickstarter-funded kit that waters itself, provides its own grow lights, and can be mounted almost anywhere. Grow anything that can fit in the pot or rest under the telescopic grow light. You can even daisy chain multiple PICOs together, and each of them is only $39.99 (reg. $49). Opens in a new tab Credit: PICO PICO Planter Herb Garden (opens in a new tab) $39.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Chronowatch C-Max Call Time SmartwatchSnap on an Apple Watch alternative that packs 14 fun features under one changeable watch face. Get the basic smartwatch functions like controlling calls and getting message alerts, and do more with fitness tracking and health monitoring. This watch is IP67-rated and on sale for $49.99 (reg. $159). Opens in a new tab Credit: Chronowatch Chronowatch C-Max Call Time Smartwatch (opens in a new tab) $49.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Fenne Hair DryerTake your salon-quality hair dryer with you almost anywhere. This compact hairdryer is lightweight but still packs three speed settings and two attachments for concentrated drying and diffusing. No more bad hair days while you travel for the holidays when you get the Fenne Hair Dryer for $29.99 (reg. $350). Opens in a new tab Credit: Fenne Fenne Hair Dryer (opens in a new tab) $29.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) JBL Live Free True Wireless in-Ear Noise Canceling Bluetooth EarbudsWhether you want to immerse yourself in music and nothing else or let some of the sounds of the world through, these earbuds are a great choice for a low price. Get up to seven hours of battery life from one charge, boost that with the case that holds up to 14 additional hours, and get them for just $49.99 (reg. $149). Opens in a new tab Credit: JBL JBL Live Free True Wireless in-Ear Noise Canceling Bluetooth Earbuds (opens in a new tab) $49.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Flux 7 TWS Earbuds with Wireless Charging Case and Power BankListen to music and charge your phone because these earbuds have a case that doubles as a 2,000mAh power bank. Enjoy intelligent noise reduction and a pair of earbuds that are resistant to water and sweat when you get this pair for $19.99 (reg. $99). Opens in a new tab Credit: VYSN Flux 7 TWS Earbuds with Wireless Charging Case and Power Bank (opens in a new tab) $19.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) MILANO Stovetop Espresso Maker and EZ Latte Milk Frother SetBring your visiting family a cup of fresh espresso with this easy-to-use espresso maker, or make it fancy with the stainless steel frother. Both are easy to clean, totally portable, and you can get the pair on sale for $58.50 (reg. $65). Opens in a new tab Credit: Grosche MILANO Stovetop Espresso Maker and EZ Latte Milk Frother Set (opens in a new tab) $58.50 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) 8-in-1 Maglight Mini Super Bright Utility FlashlightUse this pocket-sized flashlight almost anywhere using the magnetic backing, carabiner, and kickstand. Shine up to 800 lumens with a flashlight that also comes with a built-in bottle opener. Rechargeable, waterproof, and dustproof, this utility flashlight is only $21.99 (reg. $29). Opens in a new tab Credit: WonderCube 8-in-1 Maglight Mini Super Bright Utility Flashlight (opens in a new tab) $21.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Mobile Pixels Mini MouseWork at your desk or present in front of a crowd with this multi-purpose mouse. Use it as a comfortable mouse at your work computer or switch on the laser pointer during presentation mode. The Mini Mouse even has a soft click to limit disturbances, and you can get it for $49.99 (reg. $59). Opens in a new tab Credit: Mobile Pixels Mobile Pixels Mini Mouse (opens in a new tab) $49.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Smile Idol™ X7 Sonic Toothbrush With 4 Brush HeadsThis electric toothbrush has six sonic functions to help remove the maximum amount of plaque, and a four-hour charge could last for up to 120 uses. Get cues every 30 seconds signaling it's time to move onto the next area of your mouth, and use any of the four replacement brush heads when one gets worn out. This toothbrush could make it easier to keep up your oral hygiene, and you can get it for $19.99 (reg. $89). Opens in a new tab Credit: Plus 8 Group Smile Idol™ X7 Sonic Toothbrush With 4 Brush Heads (opens in a new tab) $19.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) 3-in-1 360⁰ Self Videographer with Bluetooth Speaker and Remote ControlMake video chatting or vlogging feel more natural with a motion tracker that lets you walk and talk. Just mount your phone and this rechargeable videographer will follow your face and body wherever you go whether you’re talking over Facebook, Zoom, live-streaming, snapping a photo, or shooting a video. You don’t even need an app, and it’s only $59.99 (reg. $149). Opens in a new tab Credit: Mobile Pixels 3-in-1 360⁰ Self Videographer with Bluetooth Speaker and Remote Control (opens in a new tab) $59.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Prices subject to change. View the full article

TL;DR: Through Nov. 23, you can get the 7-Piece Basque Enameled Cast Iron Cookware Set for just $199.99 instead of $349 — that's a 42% discount. The holiday visitors are coming, and they’re probably hungry. You could throw something together and spend all your time in the kitchen, or you could use some enameled cast iron to prep dinner and make the cooking a treat of its own. This seven-piece set of Basque Enameled Cast Iron looks as good as it cooks. In the spirit of the season, you have the chance to get this enamel set for just $199.99 (reg. $349). No code needed. The sale ends November 23, 11:59 PM Pacific. A seven-piece enameled cast iron set for your holiday feast Get a gift everyone can share by cooking up something delicious. This enamel set includes a 10.25-inch skillet, a saucepan, and two dutch ovens. The saucepan and dutch ovens also have their own lids. Whether you’re an experienced chef or this is your first time hosting a family feast, an enamel set like this could level up your cooking. Enamel dutch ovens are great for slow cooking, so you could prepare your main dish before the family even arrives. Each piece in the set is oven safe and has a 500ºF heating capacity, so toast some rolls or bake some beautiful sides for your visitors. Each piece in the set has oversized handles to improve balance and leverage and allow for a comfortable grip while you’re wearing oven mitts. They may look cool in Biscay blue, but cast iron gets hot, so make sure to wear your mitts when you take your next delicious creation out of the oven. Get cooking in style This season, we’re celebrating with dropped prices on some beautiful and highly useful products. That’s how you can get this seven-piece Basque Enameled Cast Iron Set for just $199 (reg. $349). No code needed, but sale ends November 23, 11:59 PM Pacific. Prices subject to change. Opens in a new tab Credit: Basque 7-Piece Basque Enameled Cast Iron Cookware Set (opens in a new tab) $199.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) View the full article

TL;DR: Through Nov. 23, you can get the Face To Feet Laser Hair Remover for just $49.99 instead of $189.99 — that's a 74% discount. Between the time it takes and the potential for painful nicks, shaving is just plain exhausting. If you want to limit how often you have to shave, you could try this at-home laser hair treatment. Normally, this laser hair remover would cost $189, but this sale is celebrating the holidays by dropping the price early. Until November 23, 11:59 PM Pacific, you can get the Face to Feet Laser Hair Remover for just $49.99. No need to shave during winter Stop trading the feeling of smooth skin for the hassle of shaving. If you want to reduce the amount of hair almost anywhere on your body, an at-home laser hair removal gets you out of a hairy situation. Even at a salon, laser hair removal may not be permanent. What it can do is reduce the amount of hair in a given area over several treatments. This handheld device takes about 45 seconds to heat up and start safely removing hair. You may feel a light pain, but a few uncomfortable sessions isn’t much when you consider the average woman spends 72 full days shaving over the course of her life. Laser hair removal works by zapping the hair right at the follicle. After a few treatments, the hair could stop growing without causing any damage to the skin. This laser device even has a 360-degree rotating handle to make it easier to hit those hard-to-reach areas like the armpits. Just make sure not to overdo it. Most salons recommend a laser treatment every four weeks until the area is bare. Ready for bikini season, even in sweater weatherSave time shaving by getting it all done at once. For a limited time, get the Face To Feet Laser Hair Remover on sale for $49.99 (reg. $189). No code needed. Sale ends November 23, 11:59 PM Pacific. Prices subject to change. Opens in a new tab Credit: Vista Shops Face To Feet Laser Hair Remover (opens in a new tab) $49.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) View the full article

TL;DR: Through Nov. 23, you can get the FARA Classic Heater for just $79.99 instead of $99 — that's a 19% discount. The holidays may be chilly, but you could treat your friends and family to more than the warmth of good company. This season, we’re thankful for some truly incredible deals, including a 19% discount on the FARA Classic heater in blue or emerald green. Keep the family happy and cozy for just $79.99 with this versatile heater. No code needed. A portable, safe heater to keep your guests warm You may want to give your holiday guests the best experience you can, but heating a whole home is expensive. You could save money while keeping your friends and family comfortable by heating the room they’re in with a compact space heater like the FARA. And by compact, we mean the FARA is a little over eight inches tall and weighs 1.76 pounds. Hide a few around the room for the heating equivalent of surround sound. This small but powerful heater packs a 1,200W heating capacity. The manufacturers claim that’s enough to warm a 215-foot room, but it also has an 800W low power mode for steady warmth over a long period of time. Cranking up the heat before bed may feel nice, but sleeping through the night in affordable comfort is great too. It even has a hidden handle in case you want to move it a little closer to the bed. The FARA comes with protection from tipping over and overheating, and the whole thing is made from flame-retardant materials. Keep yourself warm and your heating bill low Heating individual rooms with space heaters is a time-tested method of keeping your heating bill lower through the cold season. Place a FARA heater in a strategic location and bask in the warmth. Now until November 23 at 11:59 pm Pacific, get the FARA Classic Heater in blue or emerald green for just $79.99 (reg. $99). Prices subject to change. Opens in a new tab Credit: BOLDR FARA Classic Heater (opens in a new tab) $79.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) View the full article

Like any good mystery, my endless journey began innocently enough. Neo taking a phone call. Lebowski and a piss-soaked rug. Alice falling down the rabbit-hole. I was watching TV, and I tweeted. (Both things I do too much.) That simple tweet would lead me to years of messages, random Reddit threads, and Instagram DMs with a costume warehouse. The mystery in question? A Hawaiian shirt that I simply needed to find. But not just any Hawaiian shirt. Michael Scott's Hawaiian shirt from The Office's Season 3 episode "The Convention." It's orange and floral, a resplendent piece of Microsoft Office merchandise. Here's the tweet I sent all the way back in 2019. See, I am a connoisseur of Hawaiian shirts — long before they back in fashion — and a somewhat obsessive fan of The Office. OK "somewhat" is an understatement: I basically wrote a book while ranking every episode for Mashable. This shirt was my white whale. But I didn't realize a screenshot, plus "my kingdom to anyone who can locate," would take years to (kinda sorta) resolve. SEE ALSO: All 185 episodes of 'The Office,' ranked When the tweet got a few likes, I decided to actually look for it. It started simple. I messaged the Microsoft Office and Microsoft company store accounts on Facebook. No dice. Not even a response. Now, to be clear, at this point I wasn't even reporting a story. I just really wanted that beautiful shirt and was doing my best to locate it. This was a personal journey. Over the next few days, I began reaching out to my network, until a friend of mine, similarly obsessed with my quest, suggested I get in touch with the show's costume designer. Carey Bennett, who worked on The Office for its first four seasons, gave me some good clues about the origin of the shirt. At the time, it had been more than a decade since the episode had been shot, but Bennett believed it was either something they created custom or, more likely, a free shirt gifted to the show's costume department from Microsoft. "Oftentimes a piece is created from scratch or is a piece that’s been altered or enhanced, which is what I originally thought was the case with this shirt," Bennett wrote in an email in 2019. "The more I thought about it though ([it's] been many years since I designed that show!) I think I remember that it had been given to us by Microsoft. We had a ton of promotional products given to us by various companies for that episode. After trying many choices we decided that Michael would definitely choose to wear the free 'schwag.'" That's the thing, Bennett said, every single stitch of clothing on a show is purposeful. "Each scene is like a painting and has to be composed with color and texture," they said. I threaded this bit of news under my original tweets about the shirt and moved on with my life. I loved the shirt but felt like I had hit a bit of a dead end. Even though I stopped my search, I thought a lot about why I even loved the shirt in the first place. That 2006 episode, titled "The Convention," is what I deemed the show's 28th best half-hour in my Office opus. And it's also one of my favorite episodes to rewatch. In it, Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) twists into a pretzel of anxiety in some corporate Philly hotel that's hosting an office supplies convention. Michael is trying his best to play it cool around Jim, who transferred to the competing Stamford branch after his big swing to win over Pam failed. So Michael puts up a front around Jim, wearing this wonderfully cheesy convention swag while blasting awful techno music and sipping a cosmo in his hotel room. It's a great scene — funny at first, then heartfelt as Jim reaches out to Michael, who's hurting and perpetually lonely. That's all well and good, but my love for the shirt comes down to Carell's 'fit. The Dad Jeans with the floppy Hawaiian shirt tucked in: The man was ahead of his time. And I want to copy that exact outfit. It is the perfect mix of my fashion sense and my favorite show. But at this point in time, it didn't seem possible to find. Then a funny thing happened. I kept receiving tweets — like at least once a week — about this damn shirt. I'm talking a tweet a week for years. Somehow, my tweet appears at the top of Google when you search for the shirt, alongside a few Reddit threads. People asked me if I had found it. No, I'd say. Another person would ask. Nope. Rinse and repeat. Clearly, I was not alone. The DMs never stopped. I stopped replying, but I didn't forget. As more time passed, and the tweets kept coming, live moved on. I joined Mashable, the pandemic started, I got married, adopted a dog, and moved twice. Yet, the shirt remained in the back of my head the entire time. So, a years later, I rededicated myself to finding it — for content, yes, but also for my own peace of mind. First, I asked Bennett if they remembered anything else about the shirt's origins. No luck. Then, I turned to Universal. The show filmed on the Universal Studios lot throughout its run, and Universal was also involved in the production and distribution of The Office. Bennett had suggested that if the shirt lived anywhere, it was "most likely lost in the enormous costume warehouse" at Universal Studios. I found an Instagram account associated with the costume department, sent a message in July, and hoped for the best. The account hardly posts, so I didn't think they'd respond. However, after about a month, they got back to me and promised to search their archives. Holy shit, I thought, while pondering the journalist ethics of asking to buy the shirt if they found it. I also checked my bank account to see how much I'd willingly spend. As it turns out, I should have been preparing for heartbreak. "We checked with our Archives team and unfortunately that is not a shirt we have in our inventory," the account wrote back. Undeterred, I immediately checked in with Microsoft. A representative got back to me quickly, saying, "We’re looking into it! It might be tricky to track down." After a few follow-ups, they told me it was a busy time for the company and to check back in a few weeks later. (Honestly, that's kind of a fair, considering this was a rather silly quest.) Before we go any further, a point of order: There are knockoffs out there for purchase. Nothing against the knockoffs, but this offering from Vinco is a clear replica. It's not the correct material, the design is a bit off, and it's sold on a website I wouldn't immediately trust. My hope was to find the shirt, or at least its origins. If this was a bit of free gear for Microsoft employees, for instance, I'd want one from a Microsoft worker's attic. If it was a one-off for the show... at least I'd have an answer of some sort. Well, I have good news and bad news. I have arrived, years later, at about half of an answer. Microsoft did get back to me with some notes from its archives team. "The Microsoft Office shirt featured in the Office TV show appears to be custom for the episode and character," a representative wrote in an email. In other words, they believe it was a one-off creation for the show. The team linked out to a post on the subreddit r/DunderMifflin from about a year ago. It wasn't a super popular post but the user, u/dontthroworanges, seemed to have found an unaltered version of the shirt. The Reddit user wrote: I found the shirt with a bit of info and a cool story. So I too had been looking for this shirt for years. Dead end after dead end. Until... I came across some high resolution photos posted on Getty from this episode in where you could barely make our [sic] the brand and logo of the manufacturer of the shirt. So I stared at it for a while and made the discovery it's an "Eagle Dry Goods Signature Series" shirt. In doing some basic searching of the brand they primarily dealt I'm [sic] promotional products hence why Microsoft used them for this swag. So, then I hopped on eBay and bang! There it was in all it's glory. The shirt I had been looking for for so long. A few clicks later and the shirt was mine. There it was. Just like that. Someone had gotten to it before me. I fired up Getty Images, and this appears to be the image in question. If you zoom in and focus, you can just barely make out the brand name. God, I want this shirt. Credit: Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images When you Google "Eagle Dry Goods Signature Series," you don't get much. It appears to be either a brand within the company Uniforms USA or a brand sold by the company back in the day. Uniforms USA makes workwear. Online, I found a digital copy of the 2008 Eagle Dry Goods catalogue through Uniforms USA, which on Page 39 has a very, very familiar looking shirt. Familiar, no? Credit: Uniforms USA The design, called the "seaside camp shirt," appears to be the exact same as Michael's Hawaiian shirt in the episode. It's tough to tell if the color matches exactly. It's worth noting this catalogue came out well after "The Convention" would've filmed, so Michael's shirt might've been an outdated colorway by 2008. I've reached out to both Reddit user dontthroworanges, as well as Uniform USA, for further details but have yet to receive a response. I'll update down the line if I hear back. But at this point, there's not too much else to uncover. It's clear the shirt in The Office was made by Eagle Dry Goods. Unfortunately, if there are any more of the camp shirts floating around out in the ether, they're not for sale on eBay or elsewhere. This all seems to suggest that Microsoft's theory was correct. Maybe someone found a Hawaiian shirt that Michael would wear, plastered it with a Microsoft Office logo, and off they went. It also seems possible Microsoft PR made a few of these and sent them out. The exact origin remains a bit unclear. In short: I still don't have the shirt. Disappointing, I know. Now, the good news: I do have a knockoff. After years of searching, my brother bit the bullet for me and bought a replica off a questionable site. Close, but not 100 percent. Credit: Mashable The material is polyester and spandex. It feels sort of like a swimsuit but it is light, which will be nice in the summer. The color seems similar to Michael's shirt, as does the design. But it's just not the same. All in all, not a bad knockoff. It would make a great Halloween costume or a summer 'fit at the beach in late August. To be clear, I'm not giving up my search just because I have a knockoff. I emailed the Office Ladies podcast asking for help — hosts Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer, who played Angela and Pam, respectively, love investigating these sorts of weird things from their show. I'd also love to hear from anyone and everyone who might have a clue. (Here's looking at you, Steve Carell.) That's what I've got for now: a knockoff and half an answer. Even after years of looking and sending countless messages, I still cannot escape Michael Scott's Hawaiian shirt. View the full article

What makes the perfect family movie? It needs to be smart enough to keep the parents engaged but wacky enough to make the little ones laugh. It needs to have warmth and hope as much as it has stakes and danger — but not too much fear, 'cause we still gotta get these kids to bed tonight. Below are some of the best family movies streaming on Hulu. They'll make you laugh, they'll take you to outer space and underground and back again, and they'll have you seriously consider buying a zoo. In general, get ready to enjoy a nice dose of fuzzy feelings no matter your age. 1. The Bob's Burgers Movie Credit: 20th Century Studios Your favorite burger-flipping family, now on the big screen? Dreams do come true! The Bob's Burgers Movie, written by series creators Loren Bouchard and Nora Smith, has all the charm of the beloved Emmy-winning series with an extra helping of wacky, burger-related hijinks. When a massive sinkhole opens up directly outside their restaurant, Bob and Linda must try new and creative ways to bring in business and make rent, while the kids launch a Hardy Boys-esque investigation into a skeleton they found in the sinkhole. There's danger, there's intrigue, and there are laughs to spare in this warm musical comedy that will win over longtime Bob's Burgers fans and newbies alike. How to Watch: The Bob's Burgers Movie is streaming on Hulu. SEE ALSO: 8 essential 'Bob's Burgers' episodes to watch before you see 'The Bob's Burgers Movie' 2. Muppets from Space Credit: James Bridges/Jim Henson Prods/Kobal/Shutterstock Nothing hits quite like a Muppets movie, and Muppets from Space, following fan favorite Gonzo, is a great pick from the storied Jim Henson crew. Gonzo is having a crisis of identity, tired of not knowing what he is or where he comes from. So when he begins to receive strange messages seemingly from outer space, he does everything he can to learn about their origins, and in turn, his own. Unfortunately for Gonzo, there are other, more nefarious agents out there on their own search for alien life. Packed with slapstick shenanigans, visual gags, and punchy one-liners, Muppets from Space is both a smart and silly pick that will make the whole family smile. How to Watch: Muppets from Space is streaming on Hulu. 3. Mary and the Witch's Flower Credit: GKids Mary is an eager young girl with bright red hair who can't seem to get anything right. When a friendly cat leads her to a mysterious flower that grants her temporary magical powers, Mary discovers a hidden world of adventure where all is not as it seems. Mary and the Witch's Flower is an exuberant, lovable story from Hiromasa Yonebayashi, a former Studio Ghibli animator. Brimming with heart and excitement, this beautifully animated film (whose English dub features the voice talents of Kate Winslet and Jim Broadbent) will soon become a family favorite. How to Watch: Mary and the Witch’s Flower is streaming on Hulu. 4. Big Credit: Moviestore/Shutterstock Is there a movie featuring a more charming Tom Hanks than Big? Well, maybe — Tom Hanks is very charming. But Big is certainly at the top of the list! When 12-year-old Josh Baskin makes a wish to be big, he's shocked to find the next morning that his wish has actually come true. With the help of his best friend, who is still a kid, Josh starts experimenting with being an adult for a change and learns that being "big" isn’t as easy as he thought. Big, written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg and directed by the GOAT Penny Marshall, is a classic for a reason — it's funny, well-paced, deeply endearing, and makes us all feel a little bit like kids again. How to Watch: Big is streaming on Hulu. 5. Ernest and CelestineYou probably haven't seen Ernest & Celestine. The film was released in France in 2012, and though it received an English dub in 2014, it was overshadowed by other animation movies — like Frozen — which was still riding high off of its success at the time. Want more about the latest in entertainment? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter today. However, just because Ernest & Celestine is not a grand CGI animation doesn't mean it's worth skipping over. Because with storybook-like visuals and a friendship-filled story, the movie gives off the feelings of an old-fashioned film you'll want to cozy up to. The comedy-drama sees a world in which, separated by fear, the rodents live underground and the bears live aboveground. However, instead of eating Celestine (Mackenzie Foy) after stumbling into her, musician bear Ernest (Forest Whitaker) teams up with the mouse to complete their varying agendas. Unfortunately, this also forces them to run from the police together. - * Brooke Bajgrowicz, Entertainment Fellow How to Watch: Ernest and Celestine is streaming on Hulu. 6. We Bought A Zoo Credit: Twentieth Century Fox Film/Kobal/Shutterstock The movie that launched a thousand memes, We Bought a Zoo tells the true story of Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) and his two children struggling to find a new normal after the death of their mother and Benjamin’s wife. Looking for a fresh start, Benjamin looks for a new house and ends up — look, it’s right there in the title — buying a dang zoo! Based on a best-selling memoir of the same name, We Bought a Zoo is a heartfelt tale of love, grief, and rebuilding, with the added bonus of pretty animals! How to Watch: We Bought a Zoo is streaming on Hulu. 7. Monster House Credit: Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock Craving something creepy but kid-friendly? Then step on up to this sensational 2006 film, in which the Big Bad is a towering, sentient, old house that gobbles up toys as well as trespassing children. While the premise might sound perturbing, children will relish the tale of three spirited kids who not only discover the Monster House's horrors but also its hidden heart. A surprisingly poignant finale follows a bunch of frights and fun, making this a great pick for family movie night. Using motion-capture animation, director Gil Kenan taps into Amblin Entertainment's established aesthetic, where grounded drama meets freaky fantasy. Adding oomph — and some grown-up curb appeal — is a voice cast that includes celebrated actors, like Steve Buscemi, Fred Willard, Catherine O'Hara, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kathleen Turner, Jon Heder, and Jason Lee. Trick or treat? Why not both! - * Kristy Puchko, Film Editor How to Watch: Monster House is streaming on Hulu. 8. Spider-Man Credit: Moviestore/Shutterstock Before Tom Holland was out here charming the pants off the world, or Andrew Garfield was breaking all of our hearts, there was only one Spiderman, and that was Tobey Maguire. Sam Raimi's 2002 Spider-Man is the seminal spidey-guy origin story that absolutely holds up to today's exacting superhero movie standards, in no small part thanks to its stellar cast (Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson, and Rosemary Harris). Spider-Man will always be a fun watch. After all, this is the movie that taught us that with great power comes great responsibility, that high schoolers can be 35-year-olds if you want, and that the best way to make out is upside down and in the rain. How to Watch: Spider-Man is streaming on Hulu. SEE ALSO: The Spider-Man rumors are true, and we're ecstatic 9. RobotsFor a throwback watch that will entertain the kiddos, look no further than 2005's Robots. Ewan McGregor, Robin Williams, Halle Berry, Stanley Tucci, Dianne Wiest, Mel Brooks, Jennifer Coolidge, Jim Broadbent, Amanda Bynes, and more — we can't list names forever! — star in this high-energy animated sci-fi adventure about, you guessed it, robots. Rodney Copperbottom (McGregor) is an idealistic young inventor who becomes a local hero when he uses his skills to repair damaged or outmoded robots. The company that was trying to sell upgrades to these busted robots at a major premium? Well, suffice it to say, they're pissed. The movie's strength comes from its imaginative depiction of a robotic world (its transportation system is basically a Rube Goldberg Machine), making Robots an enchanting pick for family movie night. * How to Watch: Robots is streaming on Hulu. 10. Father of the Bride Credit: Touchstone/Kobal/Shutterstock The movie that made a generation of women look at Steve Martin as a father figure, Father of the Bride is a lovely family comedy that will likely make you clutch your kids or call your parents, depending on where you're at in life. A remake of the 1950 classic of the same name, Father of the Bride tells the story of a dad surprised by his daughter's sudden engagement and having trouble letting go. For very little reason, he disapproves of his future son-in-law and is an absolute curmudgeon throughout the wedding planning process. It's a relatable, endearing romp written by rom-com queen Nancy Meyers, and also starring Diane Keaton, Martin Short, BD Wong, Kieran Culkin, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and George Newbern. How to Watch: Father of the Bride is streaming on Hulu. UPDATE: Oct. 21, 2022, 4:07 p.m. EDT This list was originally published on November 13, 2021. It has been updated to reflect the current highlights available on Hulu. View the full article

Qatar will take on Senegal in a group-stage FIFA World Cup clash at the Al Thumama Stadium. Kickoff time for the Qatar vs. Senegal match is set for 8a.m. ET on November 25 at the 40,000-seat venue in Doha. The hosts will be hoping to secure three points after a clash with Ecuador on Nov. 20. Meanwhile, the Lions of Teranga will be coming from a match with Netherlands. How to watch Qatar vs. Senegal on streaming or TVWorld Cup 2022 fans in the U.S. have a choice of options when it comes to livestreaming games at the tournament. You can watch every game on the FOX Sports family of networks, which are the official English-language broadcast partner in the United States. The Qatar vs. Senegal match will be shown on FS1, with broadcasters Telemundo and Universo also showing the game. Fans who prefer to use live TV streaming services have options including FuboTV, Sling TV, YouTube TV. Those looking to stream the games online in English can use the Fox Sports App for $19.99 per month. Spanish speakers can use Peacock Premium, which is $4.99 per month – however it will contain ads. Ad-free Premium Plus costs $9.99 monthly. When are the other Group A games?Teams will be hoping to get enough points in their three group-stage games to secure a spot in the knockout stages. SEE ALSO: FIFA World Cup 2022 schedule including how to watch The winner of Group A will play the runners-up in Group B, whereas the team that comes second place will play its winners. Group B contains Iran, Wales, USA and England. Sunday, Nov. 20: Qatar vs. Ecuador Monday, Nov. 21: Senegal vs. Netherlands Friday, Nov. 25: Qatar vs. Senegal Friday, Nov. 25: Netherlands vs. Ecuador Tuesday, Nov. 29: Ecuador vs. Senegal Tuesday, Nov. 29: Netherlands vs. Qatar View the full article

Portugal will take on Ghana in a group-stage FIFA World Cup clash at the Stadium 974. Kickoff time for the Portugal vs. Ghana Group H match is set for 11 a.m. ET on Nov. 24. Both the Portuguese and the Ghanaians will be hoping to get their campaign off to a good start at the 40,000-seat venue in Doha. How to watch Portugal vs. Ghana on streaming or TVWorld Cup 2022 fans in the U.S. have a choice of options when it comes to livestreaming games at the tournament. You can watch every game on the FOX Sports family of networks, which are the official English-language broadcast partner in the United States. The Portugal vs. Ghana match will be shown on FOX, with broadcasters Telemundo and Universo also showing the game. Fans who prefer to use live TV streaming services have options including FuboTV, Sling TV, YouTube TV. Those looking to stream the games online in English can use the Fox Sports App for $19.99 per month. Spanish speakers can use Peacock Premium, which is $4.99 per month – however it will contain ads. Ad-free Premium Plus costs $9.99 monthly. When are the other Group H games?Teams will be hoping to get enough points in their three group-stage games to secure a spot in the knockout stages. SEE ALSO: FIFA World Cup 2022 schedule including how to watch The winner of Group H will play the runners-up in Group G, whereas the team that comes second place will play its winners. Group G contains Cameroon, Serbia, Switzerland and Brazil. Thursday, Nov. 24: Uruguay vs. South Korea Thursday, Nov. 24: Portugal vs. Ghana Monday, Nov. 28: South Korea vs. Ghana Monday, Nov. 28: Portugal vs. Uruguay Friday, Dec. 2: Ghana vs. Uruguay Friday, Dec. 2: South Korea vs. Portugal View the full article

Sunday Quordles are, all things considered, the most relaxing Quordles of all. For most of us, Sunday is when we're furthest from the workweek, and Sunday comes with a rich tradition of lounging around the house, reading the paper slowly and doing puzzles. An extra hard puzzle can be an added bonus, but it can also add frustration to an otherwise enjoyable day. If Quordle is a little too challenging today, you've come to the right place for hints. There aren't just hints here, but the whole Quordle solution. Scroll to the bottom of this page, and there it is. But are you sure you need all four answers? Maybe you just need a strategy guide. Either way, scroll down, and you'll get what you need. What is Quordle?Quordle is a five-letter word guessing game similar to Wordle, except each guess applies letters to four words at the same time. You get nine guesses instead of six to correctly guess all four words. It looks like playing four Wordle games at the same time, and that is essentially what it is. But it's not nearly as intimidating as it sounds. Is Quordle harder than Wordle?Yes, though not diabolically so. Where did Quordle come from?Amid the Wordle boom of late 2021 and early 2022, when everyone was learning to love free, in-browser, once-a-day word guessing games, creator Freddie Meyer says he took inspiration from one of the first big Wordle variations, Dordle — the one where you essentially play two Wordles at once. He took things up a notch, and released Quordle on January 30. Meyer's creation was covered in The Guardian six days later, and now, according to Meyer, it attracts millions of daily users. Today, Meyer earns modest revenue from Patreon, where dedicated Quordle fans can donate to keep their favorite puzzle game running. How is Quordle pronounced?“Kwordle.” It should rhyme with “Wordle,” and definitely should not be pronounced exactly like "curdle.” Is Quordle strategy different from Wordle?Yes and no. Your starting strategy should be the same as with Wordle. In fact, if you have a favorite Wordle opening word, there’s no reason to change that here. We suggest something rich in vowels, featuring common letters like C, R, and N. But you do you. After your first guess, however, you’ll notice things getting out of control if you play Quordle exactly like Wordle. What should I do in Quordle that I don’t do in Wordle?Solving a Wordle puzzle can famously come down to a series of single letter-change variations. If you’ve narrowed it down to “-IGHT,” you could guess “MIGHT” “NIGHT” “LIGHT” and “SIGHT” and one of those will probably be the solution — though this is also a famous way to end up losing in Wordle, particularly if you play on “hard mode.” In Quordle, however, this sort of single-letter winnowing is a deadly trap, and it hints at the important strategic difference between Wordle and Quordle: In Quordle, you can't afford to waste guesses unless you're eliminating as many letters as possible at all times. Guessing a completely random word that you already know isn't the solution, just to eliminate three or four possible letters you haven’t tried yet, is thought of as a desperate, latch-ditch move in Wordle. In Quordle, however, it's a normal part of the player's strategic toolset. Is there a way to get the answer faster?In my experience Quordle can be a slow game, sometimes dragging out longer than it would take to play Wordle four times. But a sort of blunt-force guessing approach can speed things up. The following strategy also works with Wordle if you only want the solution, and don’t care about having the fewest possible guesses: Try starting with a series of words that puts all the vowels (including Y) on the board, along with some other common letters. We've had good luck with the three words: “NOTES,” “ACRID,” and “LUMPY.” YouTuber DougMansLand suggests four words: “CANOE,” “SKIRT,” “PLUMB,” and “FUDGY.” Most of the alphabet is now eliminated, and you’ll only have the ability to make one or two wrong guesses if you use this strategy. But in most cases you’ll have all the information you need to guess the remaining words without any wrong guesses. If strategy isn't helping, and you're still stumped, here are some hints: Are there any double or triple letters in today’s Quordle words?Two words have letters occurring twice. Are any rare letters being used in today’s Quordle like Q or Z?Z. What do today’s Quordle words start with?B, A, S, and S. What are the answers for today’s Quordle?Are you sure you want to know? There’s still time to turn back. OK, you asked for it. The answers are: BALER AMAZE SPICY SEGUE View the full article

SAVE £22: The Fire TV Stick 4K is on sale for £27.99 this Black Friday, saving you 44% on list price. The days of fighting other shoppers over giant TVs on Black Friday are well and truly over. That’s not to say there aren’t still sensational bargains to be had on big screen entertainment every Black Friday. But now you can simply place an Amazon order from the comfort of your own home, and all the entertainment you’ll ever need arrives in the form of the Fire TV Stick 4K — a small smart stick that plugs directly into your TV. And there’s never been a better time to add the Fire TV Stick 4K to your home cinema setup. It has been reduced to just £27.99 for Black Friday — that’s an incredible saving of 44%. The Fire TV Stick 4K comes equipped with countless hours of entertainment from the top streaming services, including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney, and YouTube. Plus, it provides access to live TV channels and subscription services such as BT Sport. As the names suggests, it all comes in glorious 4K, with an Alexa-powered remote control. Just tell Alexa what you want to watch. There's no better time to pick up this stick for yourself or buy it as a gift, with families huddled together around the TV for the holiday season. This Black Friday deal runs until Nov. 28, so there’s still time to nab the Fire TV Stick 4K even after Black Friday has come and gone. Opens in a new tab Credit: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (opens in a new tab) £27.99 at Amazon Get Deal (opens in a new tab) View the full article

TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to a Mindfulness.com Plus Plan is on sale for £61.43, saving you 82% on list price. At times, there may be ample reasons to be stressed, but there’s also a lot you may be able to do to alleviate some of that stress. Mindfulness.com is an app filled with exercises and tools to help you manage your self-care, and a lifetime subscription is on sale for £61.43. The world may give you a buffet of things to be anxious about, but Mindfulness has a menu of over 2,000 practices that could help you deal with it all. Get access to new meditations every day of the year and hundreds of living practices that you may be able to fit into your daily routines. Some of them only take a minute, but they may be able to help ground you in a positive mindset. If you have trouble sleeping, you’re not alone. Around 70 million Americans experience sleep-related problems. It may help to try the sleep tools that Mindfulness puts at your disposal. Those include rainy night playlists, sleep stories, and more. If you want a relaxing way to fall asleep while viewing or listening to something pleasant and in your control, it could just be a click or tap away. You can even get guidance from experts, whether you’re an expert in meditation and self-care or a total beginner. Money can be stressful, especially if you’re trying to spend it to take care of yourself. Mindfulness has a 30-day guarantee to give you your money back if you aren’t happy with their service. Give your mental health a chance to flourish. For a limited time, get a lifetime subscription to Mindfulness.com on sale for £61.43. Opens in a new tab Credit: Mindfulness.com Mindfulness.com Plus Plan (Lifetime Subscription) (opens in a new tab) £61.43 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) View the full article

SAVE 81%: Private Internet Access is an advanced service with premium features for protecting your data. A two-year subscription to Private Internet Access is on sale for £43.94, and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. Here we go. It's Black Friday shopping season, and that means deals on absolutely everthing including VPNs. We've already been treated to impressive deals on NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and CyberGhost VPN, and now Private Internet Access has clearly got FOMO. A two-year subscription to Private Internet Access is on sale for £43.94 this Black Friday, saving you 81% on list price for a limited time. This heavily discounted plan also includes an extra four months of coverage for free, and is fully refundable for 30 days. If you're not totally satisfied with the service, you can recover your investment without a hassle. What that guarantee should tell you is that Private Internet Access has a lot of faith in its offering. Private Internet Access provides powerful levels of encryption to ensure that your data and identity remain protected from hackers, viruses, and other online threats. All users also get antivirus software scans and malware removal, with fast connection speeds, around the clock customer support, and access to secure servers in 84 countries. There are probably better services out there for unblocking top streaming sites, but Private Internet Access still does the job without sacrificing security. You can still access more movies and shows on leading sites like Netflix and Disney+ by connecting to secure servers in other countries. Bag the best Black Friday deal on Private Internet Access. Opens in a new tab Credit: PIA Private Internet Access (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) (opens in a new tab) £43.94 only at Private Internet Access Get Deal (opens in a new tab) View the full article