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“Gang’Nem” is featured on the Top Dawg Entertainment rapper’s first full-length since 2016View the full article

We've rounded up all of the best deals on Nov. 18 — here are our top picks: BEST STREAMING DEAL: One year of Paramount+ — starting at $24.99 (save 50%) BEST COMPUTER DEAL: 2020 Apple 27-inch iMac (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $1,199.99 $1,799 (save $599.01) BEST AMAZON DEVICE DEAL: Echo Dot (3rd Gen) 2-Pack — $14.99 $79.98 (save $64.99 with code FREEDOT22) The countdown is on — Black Friday is a mere seven days away, dear friends. That means the deals are truly popping off. Amazon officially dropped its device deals and they are epic. Most devices are even cheaper than they were during last month's Prime Day 2 — and that's saying something. You can get the brand-new Echo Dot (5th Gen) for half-off or the new Fire 7 tablet for 33% off. And that's just the jumping off point. There's plenty more deals worth adding to your cart on Nov. 18. From half-priced Paramount+ subscriptions to the lowest prices ever on Mac devices and Ninja Foodis, you don't need to wait until Black Friday proper to score the best deals. Start checking off your list today — we've rounded up all the deals worth shopping on Nov. 18. Best streaming deal Opens in a new tab Credit: Paramount+ One year of Paramount+ (opens in a new tab) starting at $24.99 (save 50%) Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Why we like itWhether you're looking to get in on the Tulsa King hype, watch your local team crush its opponents via NFL ON CBS, or set yourself up to watch Criminal Minds: Evolution the day it premieres, you're going to need a Paramount+ subscription. And lucky for you, now's a great time to get on the train, since annual subscriptions are 50% off for both new and returning subscribers. You can join as an Essential member for only $24.99 (reg. $49.99) with limited ads or cut ads out all together (and get even more content) with a Premium subscription for $49.99 (reg. $99.99). After the year is up, your membership will renew at full price — so be sure to cancel ahead of time if you don't want to be charged. Hurry, as this deal is only live until Nov. 19. More streaming device and subscription dealsFour months of Amazon Music Unlimited — free with select purchases at Best Buy (save $39.96) One year of Grubhub+ — free for Prime members $119.88 (save $119.88) First month of Xbox Game Pass — $1 $14.99 (save $13.99) Four months of Audible Premium Plus — $5.95/month $14.95/month (save $36) Paramount+ Essential — free with Walmart+ membership ($12.95/month or $98/year) Chromecast with Google TV (HD) Streaming Device — $18 $29.99 (save $11.99) Roku Streaming Stick 4K Streaming Device — $24.98 $49 (save $24.02) Roku Ultra LT Streaming Device 4K/HDR/Dolby Vision — $30 $80 (save $50) Apple TV HD 32GB (2nd Generation) — $59 $149.99 (save $90.99) Best computer deal Opens in a new tab Credit: Apple 2020 Apple 27-inch iMac (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) (opens in a new tab) $1,199.99 at Amazon (save $599.01) Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Why we like itA device for creators or a family computer? Why not both? The 27-inch iMac from 2020 wasn't a major game-changer, but does include a more powerful processor, more storage options, and a high-quality webcam (finally). The base model — which houses a 3.1GHz six-core 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor and 256GB of SSD storage — is a solid choice as "your family computer for schoolwork, Zoom calls, and streaming movies," Mashable's Brenda Stolyar wrote in her review. She also noted that there's not much to complain nor rave about with this computer. But with the $1,199.99 price tag ($599 off its usual cost), we're definitely raving now. More computer, tablet, and monitor dealsHP 11.6-inch Chromebook (AMD A4, 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC) — $79 $98 (save $19) Lenovo Tab M8 (3rd Gen) 8-inch Tablet (MediaTek Helio P22T, 3GB RAM, 32GB eMCP) — $79 $119 (save $40) Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite 8.7-inch Tablet (WiFi, 32GB) — $99.99 $159.99 (save $60) Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 10.5-inch Tablet (WiFi, 32GB) — $139 $199 (save $60) HP 14-inch Touch Chromebook (Intel Celeron N4120, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC) — $179 $299 (save $120) Lenovo 10.1-inch IdeaPad Duet Chromebook Touch 2-in-1 Tablet (MediaTek P60T, 4G RAM, 128G eMCP4x) — $189 $299 (save $110) LG 32-inch UltraGear QHD (2560x1440)165Hz HDR 10 Monitor with FreeSync — $200 $399 (save $199) 2022 Apple 11-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi, 128GB) — $729 $799 (save $70) Microsoft Surface Pro 8 2-in-1 (Intel Evo Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $899.99 $1,349.99 (save $450) 2021 Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro (M1 Pro chip, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,999.99 $2,499 (save $499.01) 2021 Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro (Apple M1 Pro chip, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,199.99 $2,699 (save $499.01) Amazon device deal Opens in a new tab Credit: Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) 2-Pack (opens in a new tab) $14.99 at Amazon (save $64.99 with code FREEDOT22) Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Why we like itNot only is the third-generation Echo Dot at its lowest price ever, but you can also grab a second one for free when you enter the code FREEDOT22 at checkout. That means you get two Echo Dot smart speakers for just $15 — a $65 discount — and create a stereo sound experience in your home. Or, of course, you can gift one to someone else this holiday season without spending a dime. While the 2018 Echo Dot doesn't have the most advanced sound on the market, former Mashable tech editor Pete Pachal found that it "turns its entry-level Alexa product from a merely passable audio experience into something much more pleasing to the ear." More Amazon device dealsFire TV Stick Lite — $14.99 $29.99 (save $15) Fire TV Stick (3rd Gen)— $19.99 $39.99 (save $20) Fire TV Stick 4K — $24.99 $49.99 (save $25) Echo Dot (5th Gen) — $24.99 $49.99 (save $25) Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen, 2021 release) — $34.99 $84.99 (save $50) Fire TV Stick 4K Max — $34.99 $54.99 (save $20) Fire 7 Tablet — $39.99 $59.99 (save $20) Echo Show 5 Kids (2nd Gen) — $39.99 $94.99 (save $55) Echo Dot (5th Gen) with clock — $39.99 $59.99 (save $20) Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen, 2021 release) with Blink Mini — $49.99 $119.98 (save $69.99) Echo (4th Gen) — $49.99 $99.99 (save $50) Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) Kids with Echo Glow — $50.99 $124.98 (save $73.99) Fire HD 8 Tablet — $54.99 $99.99 (save $45) Ring Video Doorbell — $59.99 $99.99 (save $40) Fire TV Cube — $59.99 $119.99 (save $60) Blink Floodlight Camera — $64.98 $129.98 (save $65) Fire HD 8 Plus Tablet — $64.99 $119.99 (save $55) Ring Video Doorbell with Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) — $69.99 $184.98 (save $114.99) Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen, 2021 release) — $69.99 $129.99 (save $60) Echo Buds (2nd Gen) With Wired Charging Case — $69.99 $119.99 (save $50) Fire HD 8 Kids Tablet — $79.99 $149.99 (save $70) Fire HD 8 Kids Pro Tablet — $79.99 $149.99 (save $70) Echo Buds (2nd Gen) With Wireless Charging Case — $89.99 $139.99 (save $50) Ring Spotlight Cam Plus — $139.99 $199.99 (save $60) Echo Show 15 — $169.99 $249.99 (save $80) Amazon Fire TV 43-inch 4-Series 4K UHD Smart TV — $229.99 $369.99 (save $140) Amazon Fire TV 50-inch 4-Series 4K UHD Smart TV — $249.99 $469.99 (save $220) Amazon Fire TV 55-inch 4-Series 4K UHD Smart TV — $299.99 $519.99 (save $220) Audio dealsGoogle Nest Mini (2nd Generation) — $18 $49 (save $31) JBL Flip 4 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker — $59 $99 (save $40) Google Pixel Buds A-Series — $64 $99 (save $35) Samsung Galaxy Buds Live — $69 $169.99 (save $100.99) Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) — $89.99 $159 (save $69.01) VIZIO V-Series 5.1 Home Theater Sound Bar — $148 $199.99 (save $51.99) Google Pixel Buds Pro — $149.99 $199.99 (save $50) Klipsch Reference Series 5-1/4-inch Passive 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers — $199.98 $399.98 (save $200) Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) — $229.99 $249 (save $19.01) Home dealsKitchen deals Instant Pot Duo (6-Quart) — $50 $99.99 (save $49.99) Ooni Fyra 12 Wood Fired Outdoor Pizza Oven — $75 $349 (save $274) Ninja Foodi 4-in-1 2-Basket Air Fryer (8-Quart) — $99 $199.99 (save $100.99) Ninja Supra Kitchen System 72-ounce Blender and Food Processor — $99 $149 (save $50) Nespresso Coffee and Espresso Machines — starting at $118.30 (save up to 30%) Blackstone Adventure Ready 22-inch Propane Griddle Gift Bundle — $127 $279 (save $152) Ninja OL501 Foodi XL 14-in-1 Pressure Cooker (6.5-Quart) — $129.99 $279.99 (save $150) Ninja OL601 Foodi XL 14-in-1 Pressure Cooker (8-Quart) — $149.99 $329.99 (save $180) Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Toaster Oven — $279.95 $349.95 (save $70) Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro — $319.95 $499.95 (save $180) Floor care deals Hoover MAXLife PowerDrive Swivel XL Bagless Upright Vacuum — $59 $119 (save 60) Shark Navigator Lift-Away Upright Vacuum — $98 $199 (save $101) eufy Clean by Anker RoboVac G32 Pro Robot Vacuum — $119 $299 (save $180) Shark Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum — $144 $259 (save $115) iRobot Roomba 676 Robot Vacuum — $174.99 $269 (save $92) Shark EZ Robot Vacuum with Self-Empty Base — $258 $449 (save $191) iRobot Roomba i1+ (1552) Wi-Fi Connected Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum — $288 $529.99 (save $241.99) eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid Robot Vacuum and Mop — $319.99 $649.99 (save $330 with clipped coupon) Dyson V10 Absolute Cordless Vacuum — $399.99 $599.99 (save $200) View the full article

UPDATE: Nov. 4, 2022, 12:00 p.m. EDT This story has been updated to include the best of the best early Black Friday deals for the 2022 shopping season. It's Black Friday shopping season, which means it's the perfect time to finally make those big tech purchases through Cyber Monday (and let's face it, all the way into December.) Technically, Cyber Monday doesn't fall until Nov. 28, but in a return to last year's form, most big-box retailers have started their Black Friday sales nice and early. Target kicked things off the first week of October (we know) with their Deal Days event to beat Amazon's Prime Early Access Sale on Oct. 13, which was the earliest Amazon had ever started their holiday deals. Naturally, Walmart and Best Buy also got in on the fun. With all this competitive spirit in the air, we've seen plenty of pretty impressive price cuts already. SEE ALSO: The Black Friday deals are already starting and these ones are the best Some of the very best deals are likely to come during the big day itself, but you can already find great sales on everything from 4K TVs to Apple devices, plus laptops, tablets, and headphones. Scoring savings is great any time, but going into a shopping season in a year defined by inflation, snagging deals where you can feels especially worth the effort. Below, we've rounded up the best early Black Friday deals on our top tech picks across several retailers. We'll be updating this post constantly, so check back often for the latest deals. 4K TV deals Amazon Fire TV 43-inch 4-Series 4K Smart TV — $249.99 $369.99 (save $120) Insignia 50-inch F30 Series 4K Fire TV — $249.99 $399.99 (save $150) Amazon Fire TV 50-inch 4-Series 4K Smart TV — $289.99 $469.99 (save $180) Vizio 55-inch M7 Series QLED 4K TV — $298 $428 (save $130) Amazon Fire TV 43-inch Omni Series 4K Smart TV — $329.99 $409.99 (save $80) Amazon Fire TV 55-inch 4-Series 4K Smart TV — $329.99 $519.99 (save $190) Amazon Fire TV 50-inch Omni Series 4K Smart TV — $399.99 $509.99 (save $110) Toshiba 65-inch C350 Series 4K Fire TV — $429.99 $599.99 (save $170) Amazon Fire TV 55-inch Omni Series 4K Smart TV — $449.99 $559.99 (save $110) Samsung 60-inch TU7000 4K TV — $477.99 $598 (save $150.01) LG 48-inch Class A2 Series OLED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV — $569.99 $1,299.99 (save $730) + free 3-month Apple TV+ subscription Samsung 75-inch Class TU690T Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV — $579.99 $849.99 (save $270) LG 70-inch Class NanoCell 75UQA Series LED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV — $699.99 $899.99 (save $200) + free 3-month Apple TV+ and 30-day fuboTV Pro subscriptions Samsung 50-inch Class Frame Series QLED 4K TV — $897.99 $1,299.99 (save $402) Samsung 55-inch Class Frame Series QLED 4K TV — $997.99 $1,499.99 (save $502) LG 65-inch Class 83 Series QNED Mini-LED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV — $999.99 $1,699.99 (save $700) Samsung 65-inch Class QN90B Neo QLED 4K Smart TV — $1,599.99 $1,999.99 (save $400) + free Xbox Wireless Controller Sony 85-inch X85K OLED TV — $1,698 $2,799.99 (save $1,101.99) LG 65-inch C1 Series OLED TV — $1,496.99 $2,499.99 (save $1,003) LG 65-inch G2 Series OLED TV — $2,196.99 $2,999.99 (save $803) Laptop deals Note: For MacBook deals, scroll to Apple deals section. HP Laptop 15 bundle — $269 $299 (save $30) Acer Spin 3 (Intel Core i5-1035G1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $399.99 $699.99 (save $300) Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 (Ryzen 5 5600H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $549.99 $899.99 (save $350) + free 6-month Webroot Internet Security Plus with Antivirus subscription Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ (Intel Core i3, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) with Black Type Cover) — $699.99 $929.99 (save $230) + free 6-month Trend Micro Internet Security subscription Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 (Intel Evo Core i7, 16GB DDR5, 512GB SSD) — $999.99 $1,499.99 (save $500) + free 6-month Webroot Internet Security Plus with Antivirus subscription Tablet deals Note: For Fire tablets and iPads, scroll to the "Amazon device" or "Apple" deals sections. Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite — $109 $159 (save $50) Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 (32GB) — $179.99 $229.99 (save $50) + free 3-month YouTube Premium, 3-month Google One, and 6-month Norton 360 Deluxe subscriptions Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE — $429 $529 (save $100) Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (WiFi, 128GB) — $563 $699.99 (save $136.99) Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus — $649 $849 (save $200) Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ (WiFi, 128GB) — $755.83 $899.99 (save $144.16) Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra (WiFi, 128GB) — $899 $1,099.99 (save $200 ) + free 3-month YouTube Premium, 3-month Google One, and 6-month Norton 360 Deluxe subscriptions Chromebook deals Asus C403 — $89 $279 (save $190) Lenovo Flex 3 Chromebook — $99 $179 (save $80) ASUS Chromebook Flip C433 (Intel Core M3-8100Y, 8GB RAM, 64GB eMMC) — $179 $379 (save $200) + free 3-month YouTube Premium and 6-month Webroot Internet Security Plus with Antivirus subscriptions Asus 2-in-114-inch Chromebook (8GB RAM, 64GB eMMC) — $179 $379 (save $200) Lenovo IdeaPad Duet — $199 $299 (save $100) Lenovo IdeaPad 16-inch Gaming Chromebook (Intel Core i3, 8GB RAM, 128GB eMMC) — $399 $679.99 (save $280.99) Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 — $599.99 $699.99 (save $100) Smartwatch and fitness tracker deals Note: For Apple Watch deals, scroll to the Apple deals section. Amazon Halo View — $59.99 $79.99 Fitbit Luxe — $79.95 $148.95 (save $69) Garmin Forerunner 45 (42mm) — $118 $169.99 (save $51.99) Fitbit Versa 2 — $148.95 $179.95 (save $31) Fitbit Charge 5 — $148.95 $179.95 (save $31) Fitbit Versa 3 — $149.99 $184.95 (save $34.96) Fitbit Sense 2 — $199.95 $299.95 (save $100) Headphone deals JLab JBuds Air Pro True Wireless Earbuds — $29.99 $59.99 (save $30) + free 4-month Amazon Music Unlimited subscription Sony WF-C500 earbuds — $58 $99.99 (save $41.99) Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 — $89.99 $149.99 (save $60) Beats Studio Buds — $99.95 $149.95 (save $50) Sony WH-XB910N — $123 $249.99 (save $126.99) Bose Sport Earbuds — $129 $179 (save $50) Google Pixel Buds Pro — $149.99 $199.99 (save $50) + free 3-month YouTube Premium and Google One subscriptions Sony WF-1000XM4 Noise Canceling Truly Wireless Earbuds — $179.95 $279 (save $99.05) Powerbeats Pro — $179.95 $249.95 (save $70) Sony WH-1000XM4 over ear headphones — $228 $349.99 (save $121.99) Bose QuietComfort 45 — $249 $329 (save $80) Sony WH-1000XM5 over ear headphones — $348 $399 (save $51) Apple deals AirPods AirPods (second gen) — $89.99 $129 (save $39.01) AirPods Pro (first gen) — $169.99 $249 (save $79.01) iPad 2021 iPad Mini (WiFi, 64GB) — $399.99 $499 (save $99.01) 2022 iPad Air (WiFi, 64GB) — $519.99 $599 (save $79.01) 2022 11-inch iPad Pro (WiFi, 128GB) — $749 $799 (save $50) MacBook 2020 MacBook Air (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $799.99 $999 (save $199.01) 2022 MacBook Air (M2, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,349 $1,499 (save $150) 2021 14-inch Apple MacBook Pro (M1 Pro chip, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,599 $1,999 (save $400) + free 4-month Apple Music, 3-month Apple TV+, and 3-month iCloud+ subscriptions 2021 14-inch Apple MacBook Pro (M1 Pro chip, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,099 $2,499 (save $400) + free 4-month Apple Music, 3-month Apple TV+, and 3-month iCloud+ subscriptions Apple Watch Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS, second gen) — $239.99 $279 (save $39.01) Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS + cellular, second gen) — $289.99 $329 (save $39.01) Apple Watch Series 7 (45mm, GPS) — $309 $379 (save $70) Apple Watch Series 8 (41mm, GPS) — $389 $399 (save $10) Apple TV 2021 Apple TV 4K (32GB) — $99.99 $179 at Amazon (save $79.01) Amazon device dealseero 6+ Mesh WiFi system — $155 $239 (save $84) Echo device deals Echo Dot (3rd Gen) — $19.99 $39.99 (save $20) Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) — $34.99 $84.99 (save $50) Echo Show 5 Kids (2nd Gen) — $39.99 $94.99 (save $55) Echo (4th Gen) — $49.99 $99.99 (save $50) Echo Show 8 (1st Gen) — $54.99 $109.99 (save $55) Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) — $169.99 $249.99 (save $80) Echo Show 15 — $169.99 $249.99 (save $80) Fire tablet deals Fire 7 Tablet (2022 release) — $41.99 $59.99 (save $18) Fire HD 8 Tablet — $44.99 $89.99 (save $45) Fire HD 8 Plus Tablet — $54.99 $109.99 (save $55) Fire 7 Kids Tablet — $54.99 $109.99 (save $55) Fire HD 8 Kids Tablet — $69.99 $139.99 (save $70) Fire HD 8 Kids Pro Tablet — $69.99 $139.99 (save $70) Fire HD 10 Tablet — $74.99 $149.99 (save $75) Fire HD 10 Plus Tablet — $104.99 $179.99 (save $75) Fire HD 10 Kids Tablet — $119.99 $199.99 (save $80) Fire HD 10 Kids Pro Tablet — $119.99 $199.99 (save $80) Fire TV deals Fire TV Stick Lite — $19.99 $29.99 (save $10) Fire TV Stick 4K — $24.99 $49.99 (save $25) Fire TV Stick 4K Max — $39.99 $54.99 (save $15) Fire TV Stick 4K and Luna Controller — $87.98 $119.98 (save $32) Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Luna Controller — $99.98 $124.98 (save $25) Smart home deals Google Nest Mini — $19.99 $49.99 (save $30) + free 3-month Google One, 3-month YouTube Premium, and 4-month SiriusXM Platinum subscriptions Google Nest Audio — $49.99 $99.99 (save $50) + free 3-month Google One, 3-month YouTube Premium, and 4-month SiriusXM Platinum subscriptions Google Nest Hub — $49.99 $99.99 (save $50) + free 3-month Google One, 3-month YouTube Premium, and 4-month SiriusXM Platinum subscriptions Google WiFi — $69.99 $99.99 (save $30) + free 3-month Google One and YouTube Premium subscriptions ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced — $159.99 $189.99 (save $30) Google Nest Hub Max — $163.99 $229.99 (save $66) + free 3-month Google One, 3-month YouTube Premium, and 4-month SiriusXM Platinum subscriptions Google Nest Cam (battery, 2-pack) — $239.99 $329.99 (save $90) View the full article

Save $50: The Apple Watch Series 8 (45mm) is down to $379 from its regular listing price of $429 at Walmart and Amazon through Nov. 18. That's a discount of nearly 12% Apple offers regular deals on its pricey smartwatches to keep up in the smartwatch race with competitors such as Garmin and Fitbit. If you are looking to add a sturdy watch with an array of features to your list of Apple products, look no further than the Apple Watch Series 8. Through Nov. 18, the 45mm Series 8 smartwatch is available at Walmart and Amazon for $379, which is its lowest-ever price. This discount is one of the best deals on Apple watches this week. The Series 8 watch integrates seamlessly with other products in the Apple ecosystem, locating your other Apple devices easily and the ability to unlock your Mac. Apart from regular features such as SpO2, heart rate tracking, and multiple exercise modes, this Apple Watch also offers ECG tracking, which can trace any cardiac disturbances and can be a great tool for heart patients. Moreover, you can keep a check on your ovulation cycles, thanks to the temperature sensor, which can also indicate if you are down with a fever or severe fatigue. An underrated aspect of this watch is its crash and fall detection feature which can track accidents more accurately thanks to the updated gyroscope and accelerometer sensors. Moreover, an essential service such as the emergency SOS feature can be life-saving in an untimely crisis. A downer is that the Series 8 Watch has the same battery life of 18 hours as its predecessor. But if you are looking for equipment with a wider range of health tracking features, or for an upgrade to your existing Apple smartwatch, then this watch fits the bill. Opens in a new tab Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 8, GPS 45mm (Midnight, Red, Silver, Starlight) (opens in a new tab) $379 at Walmart and Amazon (Save $50) Get Deal (opens in a new tab) View the full article

UPDATE: Nov. 14, 2022, 4:45 p.m. EST This story has been updated to include the latest mattress price drops ahead of Black Friday. BEST FOAM MATTRESS DEAL: The Bear Original mattress is an affordable gel-infused memory foam option that contours to keep your spine aligned — $487 - $1,055 (save up to $567) BEST HYBRID MATTRESS DEAL: The Casper Wave Hybrid creates comfy zoned support with an innovative mix of foam, springs, and gel pods — $1,915 - $2,795 (save up to $700) Black Friday may be a seasonal event, but sleep is year-round. Getting quality shut-eye should be a priority for all of us — it contributes to both our mental and physical health. Also, sleeping just rocks. If you haven't allowed yourself to indulge in regular midday naps, we recommend making it a part of your routine. Because we need to sleep and do it nightly, having a good mattress is a must. It's one of the best investments you can make, so don't be shy about splurging if you're in the position to. Luckily, you might not have to splurge too much, because the Black Friday mattress sales are great (and extra early) this year. SEE ALSO: The best Black Friday deals, all in one place We've put together a list of the best Black Friday mattress deals already live from Leesa, Casper, and plenty more. (Bonus: plenty of them come with free stuff, like pillows.) We see a good night's sleep in your future. Black Friday foam mattress deals Opens in a new tab Credit: Bear Our pick: Bear Original Mattress (opens in a new tab) $487 - $1,055 at Bear (save up to $567) Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Why we like itBear's Original foam mattress is an affordable option for those getting their first "bed in a box," now under $1,000 for any size (other than the Split King) with Bear's generous 35% off sale. The gel-infused memory foam gently contours to keep your spine in check while drawing away body heat to keep you cool. Your purchase also comes with free sheets, two Cloud pillows, and a mattress protector — a $325 value. Black Friday hybrid mattress deals Opens in a new tab Credit: Casper Our pick: Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress (opens in a new tab) $1,915 - $2,795 at Casper (save up to $700) Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Why we like itIf you've decided that you're down to ball out on a mattress, go with Casper's Wave Hybrid. Casper nailed the balance of firmness and softness with an innovative concoction of memory foam, latex, springs, and gel pods, all strategically layered to create zoned support under your waist and lower back. Mashable reviewer RJ Andersen was sold after one night. More mattress deals by brandAmerisleep $450 off any mattress with code AS450 30% off adjustable bed bundles 40% off upholstered bed frames Avocado 10% off sitewide Birch Birch Natural Mattress — $999 - $1,749 (save $400 plus two free pillows) Birch Luxe Natural Mattress — $1,449 - 2,849 (save $400 plus two free pillows) Brooklyn Bedding Save 25% sitewide Casper Casper Original Hybrid mattress — $1,100 - $1,770 (save up to $325) Casper Nova Hybrid mattress — $1,525 - $2,470 (save up to $425) DreamCloud 25% off sitewide plus $599 in sheets, pillows, and a mattress protector included Emma Sleep Emma CliMax mattress — $499 $999 (save $500) Helix Save up to $350 sitewide plus get two free pillows Layla Sleep Layla Memory Foam mattress — $599 - $949 (save $150 plus two free pillows) Layla Hybrid mattress — $1,099 - $1,699 (save $200 plus two free pillows) Leesa Leesa Original mattress — $749 to $1,399 (save up to $200) Leesa Original Hybrid mattress — $949 - $1,599 (save up to $200) Leesa Sapira Hybrid mattress — $1,199 - $1,899 (save up to $400) Leesa Legend Hybrid mattress — $1,599 - $2,299 (save up to $700) Nectar 33% off sitewide Nest Bedding The Sparrow mattress — $919.50 - $1,839 (save up to $460) The Owl mattress — $1,119 - 1,999.50 (save up to $666.50) The Quail mattress — $679.20 - $1,199.20 (save up to $299.80) Up to 50% off sheets and duvets Pillow Cube Side Sleeper Pro pillow — $97.99 $129.99 (save $32) Purple Purple Hybrid Premier 3 mattress — $2,199 - $4,698 (save $300) Purple Hybrid Premier 4 mattress — $2,899 - $6,098 (save $300) Saatva $225 off $900 - $2,199 $250 off $2,200 - $2,999 $300 off $3,000 - $3,499 $350 off $3,500 - $3,999 $400 off $4,000 - $4,499 $525 off $4,500 or more Sealy Sealy CopperChill mattress — $369.99 - 649.99 (save up to $649.01) Sealy Cocoon Chill memory foam mattress — $499 - $999 (save up to $540, get free pillows and sheets) Tuft & Needle Tuft & Needle Original Refresh mattress — $596 - $1,116 (save up to $279) Tuft & Needle Hybrid mattress — $976.50 - $1,816.50 (save up to 778.50) Tuft & Needle Mint mattress — $821.25 - $1,571.25 (save up to $523.75) Vaya Vaya mattress — $449 - 899 (save up to $300) Zoma Zoma Start mattress — $449 - $898 (save up to $150) Zoma Hybrid mattress — $499 - $1198 (save up to $150) View the full article

TL;DR: Save up to $50: Through Nov. 19, new and returning Paramount+ subscribers can get 50% off an annual subscription. It's been a long year, hasn't it? But it's almost over, and for most of us, that means time to rest, relax, and recharge. What better way to accomplish that than by plopping down in front of the TV and catching up on your favorite shows? Any new or returning Paramount+ subscriber can save 50% off an Essential or Premium annual subscription ($24.99 or $49.99/year after the discount, respectively). Usually, Essential plans for Paramount+ cost $4.99 monthly or $49.99 a year, and Premium costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year. Paramount+ is one of the best streaming services if you're interested in live sports. Any Paramount+ subscription you choose will let you tune in to every match from the UEFA Champions League and Europa League. Don't care about sports? There's plenty of other content to sift through. Get caught up on reality shows like RuPaul's Drag Race or catch buzzy hits like Yellowjackets. Kids can get some screen time in too with series like SpongeBob SquarePants and Paw Patrol. And if it's movies you're into, the creepy Smile just hit the service as well as the original thriller Significant Other. Plus, all those classic Nicktoons you've been missing? They're here, too. Not quite ready to commit to a full year? If you're a new subscriber, you can test the service with a seven-day free trial with a valid credit card. You'll be charged the current rate after 30 days. If you find it's not for you before those 30 days are up, just cancel and you won't be charged. Opens in a new tab Credit: Paramount Paramount+ (opens in a new tab) Save 50% on Essential or Premium annual subscriptions Get Deal (opens in a new tab) View the full article

UPDATE: Nov. 16, 2022, 2:30 p.m. EST This story has been updated to reflect the latest Apple Watch pricing and availability as early Black Friday sales begin. BEST OVERALL DEAL: The Apple Watch Series 7 (45mm, GPS) offers a very similar experience to the Series 8 at a more affordable price — $309 $379 at Best Buy (save $70) BEST NEW GEN DEAL: The Apple Watch Series 8 (41mm, GPS) may not reinvent the wheel, but keeps a good thing going and adds temperature sensors and crash detection into the mix — $349 $399 at Amazon and Walmart (save $50) BEST BASIC DEAL: The Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS) is down to an all-time low that makes it the same price as its 40mm counterpart — $239.99 $279 at Amazon (save $29.01) As a gift or as a little treat for yourself, the Apple Watch is a popular wearable for a reason. Though this demand means it can be tricky to snag one at a discount, there are times when a significant portion of the price gets shaved off. And with Black Friday fast approaching, those times are coming back. We'd be remiss not to acknowledge that Apple Watches have already seen some pretty hefty discounts this fall shopping season. The Series 8 was on sale for $50 off during the Prime Early Access Sale at Amazon and Walmart, just one month after it was officially released. The Series 7 has taken some deep price dips over the year, too (though it might get harder to find as the Series 8 takes hold as its replacement). SEE ALSO: The Black Friday deals are already starting and these ones are the best Sales are just beginning to ramp up for Black Friday, but we're confident that as Nov. 25 nears closer, we'll see watch prices drop even lower. Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target have already started releasing some early Black Friday savings, so we'll be keeping this page updated with all the Apple Watch markdowns worth knowing about. Note: All newly added deals have been marked with a . Anything with a strikeout was either sold out or no longer available at the sale price as of this writing, and anything marked with a has dropped to an all-time low price. Be sure to check back often — we're updating this page constantly. Apple Watch Series 8 deals Opens in a new tab Credit: Apple Our pick: Apple Watch Series 8 (41mm, GPS) (opens in a new tab) $349 at Amazon (save $10) Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Why we like itThe Series 8 has returned to its all-time Prime Early Access Sale low, a whole two weeks before Black Friday. That'll save you $50 on one of Apple's latest smartwatches that comes loaded with a brand new temperature sensor and crash detection (in addition to the ECG sensor, blood oxygen monitor, and always-on display you know and love). More Apple Watch Series 8 deals Apple Watch Series 8 (41mm, GPS) — $349 $399 at Walmart (save $50) Apple Watch Series 8 (45mm, GPS) — $379 $429 at Amazon (save $50) Apple Watch Series 8 (45mm, GPS) — $379 $429 at Walmart (save $50) Apple Watch Series 7 deals Opens in a new tab Credit: Apple Our pick: Apple Watch Series 7 (45mm, GPS) (opens in a new tab) $309 at Best Buy (save $70) Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Why we like it If you're not dying to have the crash detection or temperature sensors of the Series 8 (we wouldn't blame you in the latter case), the Series 7 offers nearly identical features, with the same battery life, ECG sensors, and blood oxygen monitoring. Though you're slightly limited on color options, that means you can also grab a larger 45mm screen for a much lower price. More Apple Watch Series 7 dealsApple Watch Series 7 (41mm, GPS + cellular) — $339 $429 at Walmart (save $90) Apple Watch Series 7 (45mm, GPS + cellular) — $349 $529 at Amazon (save $180) Apple Watch SE deals Opens in a new tab Credit: Apple 2022 Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS) (opens in a new tab) $239.99 at Amazon (save $29.01) Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Why we like itIf you're looking at the SE because you don't want to shell out for fitness features you'll never use, we have excellent news for you — the value of this budget-friendly smartwatch just got even friendlier. At $29 off, the 44mm SE is at a new record low price and at the exact same price as the 40mm model. In addition to the larger watch face, the second-gen SE comes with the same processing chip as the Series 8, making it 20% faster than the first-gen model. More Apple Watch SE deals Second Gen Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS) — $239.99 $249 at Amazon (save $9.01) Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS + cellular) — $319.98 $329 at Amazon (save $9.02) First Gen Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS) — $199 $249 at Walmart (save $50) Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS + cellular) with tornado/gray sport loop — $209 $359 at Best Buy (save $150) View the full article

The South African artist’s Leading Lines includes collaborations with Perfume Genius and Nile RodgersView the full article

UPDATE: Nov. 3, 2022, 3:00 p.m. EDT This list has been updated to reflect pricing and availability as of Nov. 3. BEST DNA KIT DEAL: The Wisdom Panel Premium is a comprehensive health and breed dog DNA kit — $127.99 $159.99 (save $32) BEST PET BED DEAL: Save up to 50% on stylish pet beds at Paw.com's Black Friday sale BEST PET TOY DEAL: The Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound Interactive Puzzle Game is a challenging brain game for smart pups — $13.99 $27.49 (save $17) Holiday shopping is all about buying gifts for your loved ones, and if your loved ones happen to be cats or dogs, you're in luck. This upcoming Black Friday, we plan on seeing tons of great pet deals, so you'll be able to spoil your furry friend for a bargain this year. SEE ALSO: The Black Friday deals are already starting and these ones are the best We've already spotted some solid discounts on smart collars, DNA kits, and more, so expect to see lots more pet tech deals as the Black Friday season ramps up. Find all those deals and more below, and be sure to check back on this page often — we'll be updating it regularly with new discounts. Please note: All newly added deals have been marked with a . Anything with a strikeout was either sold out or no longer available at the sale price as of this writing, but check back often — we're updating this page constantly. Pet tech deals Opens in a new tab Credit: Whistle Our pick: Whistle Switch (opens in a new tab) $147.02 at Amazon (save $52.93) Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Why we love itWhistle's smart collars all pack in a ton of helpful features, and the Switch is no different. You'll get access to Whistle Health, which allows you to track your pet's health stats and behaviors, as well as accurate GPS services with the ability to mark safe zones. Rest easy knowing that your four-legged bestie is in safe hands. More pet tech on salePetcube Bites 2 Lite — $109.95 $149 (save $39.05) Petlibro Automatic Cat Feeder — $59.99 $79.99 (save $20) Petcube camera — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10) Wopet Smart Pet Camera Treat Dispenser — $119.99 $159.99 (save $40) PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed Programmable Dog and Cat Feeder — $89.95 $119.99 (save $30.04) Owlet Home Pet Camera with Treat Dispenser — $99.99 $159.99 (save $60) Eufy Pet Dog Camera — $199.99 $249.99 (save $50) Pet DNA kit deals Opens in a new tab Credit: Wisdom Panel Our pick: Wisdom Panel Premium (opens in a new tab) $127.99 at Amazon (save $32) Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Why we love itIf you want to be more connected to your pet, a DNA kit is a great way to do just that. The Wisdom Panel Premium kit will give you accurate breed testing across over 350 breeds, 210 health tests for genetic risks, and can even help you find your pup's biological family. More pet DNA kits on saleEmbark Breed + Health Dog DNA Test — $139 $199 (save $60) Embark dog DNA test — $109 $129 (save $10) Pet bed deals Opens in a new tab Credit: Paws.com Our pick: Paw.com Pet Beds (opens in a new tab) Save up to 50% at paw.com Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Why we love itLet's say you want your dog to be cozy, but you also want their bed to match your stylish home decor. Checking both boxes might sound like a far-off dream, but Paw.com's rug beds actually fit the bill. With a removable, washable cover, memory foam inner, and a design that's meant to look like a decorative rug, these beds are the all-in-one pet product you've been looking for. You can also score up to 50% off nearly every bed on the site ahead of Black Friday. More pet beds on saleBest Friends by Sheri Jumbo Cuddler bed — $36.98 $39.99 (save $3.01) Double Stack Cat Window Perch — $35.99 $74.99 (save $39) Bedsure Orthopedic Dog Bed — 44.99 $49.99 (save $5) Deals on pet toys and accessories Opens in a new tab Credit: Outward Hound Our pick: Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound Interactive Puzzle Game (opens in a new tab) $13.99 at Amazon (save $17) Get Deal (opens in a new tab) Why we love itIf you have a genius dog on your hands, a puzzle toy is one of the best ways to release some of that mental energy. This well-rated Nina Ottosson toy has multiple compartments that hold treats, and your pup will learn to flip, slide, and lift the pieces to reveal their snacks. It's sure to keep boredom at bay, so you can get some work done while your dog plays. More pet toys and accessories on saleChuckIt! — $8.72 $14.99 (save $6.27) Sign up for a multi-month BarkBox subscription and double your first box Outward Hound Hide-A-Squirrel Squeaky Puzzle Plush Dog Toy — $22.99 $29.99 (save $7) Petstages Cat Tracks Interactive Cat Toy — $12.57 $27.49 (save $14.92) View the full article

Russian producer, DJ and composer Blind Mutation continues to flourish as a composer and DJ while releasing music/videos. She’s released a variety of long mixes on Soundcloud capturing different styles and sounds within techno and experimental electronic music. Her biggest influences are Aphex Twin, Arca, Clams Casino, Hans Zimmer, I Hate Models, Jon Hopkins, Clint Mansell and Svarog, which explains her impressively wide array of musical talents. She’s truly an exciting artist to watch who’s creativity seems limitless. She recently released a hypnotic, ambient techno track called “Shadows” accompanied by an equally stunning video – mining her creative depths to shine a welcome light on mental health issues and related struggles. Blind Mutation shares that she has dealt with these struggles since childhood, but now uses them to inspire her own creative path within music, as well as inspiring others with her work. The song encompasses a beauty of its own, backed by a driving beat and uplifting rhythms that cut through the initial darkness of the track, offering glimmers of hope. The video is visually compelling and stands on its own, expressing the confusing inner journey of a person who feels trapped within their own mental prison. It’s extremely unnerving and utterly captivating at the same time. Created in collaboration with long-time Ukrainian creative partner All Around, the video recently won Best Experimental video at the Indie Online Film Festival and continues to impress as it gains traction. Here’s what Blind Mutation had to say about it: “‘Shadows’ is a dark ambient techno track with a horrifying yet melancholic ambience. I wrote it in a state of extreme despair, numbness and emptiness. It represents the conflict of feeling desensitized and dissociated from the world around you while feeling extreme pain and misery at the same time. The prevalence of cold horror-like sounds and a repetitive drum pattern portrays the disintegrating inner state of the artist. The video attempts to translate a close interrelation between reality and illusion that blend into each other in the darkest corners of our minds. The music video allows the audience to observe the main character’s inner world and dive deep into the character’s consciousness.” Watch below! This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Blind Mutation Drops Hypnotic Single, “Shadows” View the full article

As one of Italy’s finest DJs, Tommy Mambretti is a renowned veteran in the music industry. At just 15 years old, he started mixing at the most prominent Italian clubs, such as Covo Di Nord-Est in Santa Marghertia Ligure. Fueled by his passion for music, Tommy ended up living and working in Miami for 15 years, taking in all the new trends and styles of house music. He recently returned to Italy, deciding to launch an artistic project of his own. Tommy went big for his debut, teaming up with esteemed American singer Lisa Kekaula, famous for her collab with Basement Jaxx on the hit single “Good Luck”, for their song, “Tell The World”. It’s a jackin’ house affair that feels like an instant club classic. Embodying soul and old school house elements, along with invigorating lyrics, Tommy and Lisa prove just how dynamic of a team they are. We’re excited to hear more! Listen below. This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Tommy Mambretti Makes Debut With House-Centric Single ‘Tell The World’ Ft. Lisa Kekaula View the full article

Stream new releases from Weyes Blood, Roddy Ricch, Fousheé, Pulse Emitter, $ilkmoney, Thaiboy Digital, Meekz, and Isomonstrosity & International Contemporary EnsembleView the full article

Following a summer of sold-out shows and one viral press tour, Harry Styles is back on our small screens with My Policeman now streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Don't Worry Darling streaming on HBO Max. The question at the top of everyone's minds has been, "Can Harry Styles act?" We propose a second, much more important question: "Should Harry Styles be an actor?" Our answer might disappoint the Harries, Stylers, Directioners, and cinephiles who are emotionally invested in his Hollywood career, since we argue that the only acting he should be doing is the silent variety. SEE ALSO: How to watch 'Don't Worry Darling In order to explain, Mashable tech reporter Elena Cavender and Mashable social good reporter Chase DiBenedetto — proud Directioners and resident British boyfriend aficionados — discuss the rise of the award-winning musician, wannabe actor, and internet obsession. Everyone's talking about Harry Styles… stillElena: Some of us have been talking about Harry Styles every single day for 10 years, but now that the mainstream news cycle has caught on, it’s impossible to escape Styles discourse. We'll give you a rundown of why his name is on everyone's lips. Chase: To start, no one could avoid the ongoing on- and off-set drama surrounding Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling. Did our guy really spit on Chris Pine at an international film festival? (He has denied the allegations, and whether he did or didn’t isn’t really the point.) Last year, he caught the eye of Marvel fans and film critics with his surprise appearance in a post credits scene after Eternals. He won a Grammy (and we both cried). Not to mention, he's been a constant Twitter and TikTok trending topic thanks to his massively successful worldwide Love On Tour (which is reaching a ridiculous number of shows). Now, as Styles' latest on screen performances in My Policeman and Don't Worry Darling hit streaming platforms, he's back on the general public's radar for his acting chops. Elena: At the same time, he's been solidifying himself as a huge global brand, Harry Styles™, with the launch of his 2021 venture, a beauty brand called Pleasing and his collaboration with Gucci, HA HA HA. TL;DR: Styles is everything, everywhere all at once. Chase: Essentially, Styles has reached his peak saturation point, and it's hindering his attempt at being a leading man. His name on marquees is also a product of a decade-long career, something that a lot of new fans and onlookers might not understand. But don't worry: We're diving into the history of Styles' industry and fanmade personas. Harry Styles the Actor™ One Direction's music video museElena: In order to get to the root of Styles' attempt at becoming an actor, let's dive into his public relationship with cinema. During the One Direction days, Styles was hopelessly devoted to being a rom-com lover, often citing either The Notebook or Love Actually as his favorite movies throughout the years. On his first solo project, Harry Styles, he maintained that stance with the iconic intro to the song "Woman": "Should we just search romantic comedies on Netflix and see what we find?" Chase: The best song he's ever written… But beyond these remarks (and as far as his fan-facing identity went), Styles was never really aligned with cinema as an art form. He seemed solidly a music guy, clearly the industry's favorite member of 1D, and any acting was done to serve those purposes. One Direction's music videos and commercials convey that explicitly. He's the heartthrob who gets the girl in their first music video, "What Makes You Beautiful," and again in "Gotta Be You." He was the group’s unofficial center, often taking the coveted middle spot in the group’s “choreography,” and he was the main focus of every commercial, from perfume ads to car promotions. In their 2012 primetime TV debut for the XLVI Super Bowl, Styles took the acting lead in fighting Drew Brees for a Pepsi — giving the athlete a run for his money with an army of fangirls. Unfortunately for us Louis girls, the other boys were just kind of there. This photo is dedicated to touching. Credit: Kevin Mazur / WireImage Elena: Shout out to that Pepsi commercial for giving me and my dad something to talk about. In Styles' first role on the silver screen with the boys, he also had the spotlight. I am, of course, referring to One Direction’s cameo on Nickelodeon's hit show iCarly in 2012. He had the most important guest role in the episode and did more acting than the other boybanders, as a diva version of himself where he pretended to be sick to get doted on by Carly. He's not exactly flexing his acting chops, but the episode was a fever dream and cultural moment made possible by Styles goofily leaning into his Harry Styles persona. Chase: The music video for "Best Song Ever," which came out only a year later, finally shows off a bit of acting skill. His character, Marcel, was perhaps the perfect blend of Harry's band persona, his goofy personality, and a glimmer of some kind of acting talent. Elena: Completely agree. It was the first time he was playing a character completely removed from his public-facing persona, and it worked! He was the least costumed character, but simultaneously the most convincing. Styles was so effective as this character that there is a separate genre of One Direction fanfiction devoted not to Styles, but to Marcel. Chase: The fan response was genuinely impressive at the time! One figure that's been behind a lot of Styles' onscreen moments is director Ben Winston. He not only directed several of the band's iconic music videos, like "Best Song Ever" (with, it must be said, the help of James Corden), but he also became the pop star’s really close friend. Winston and Styles even went on to produce a single season of an autobiographical TV show called Happy Together in 2018, based on their own relationship. Styles commits to the bit... even when that bit is being friends with James Corden. Credit: Terence Patrick / CBS via Getty Images It was these post-band ventures that showed Styles might have an interest in things other than music, but only his core fans were interested in his post-1D career at the time. Elena: Strangely enough, neither of us have watched Happy Together. It is our singular blindspot. Dunkirk era, the actor that could have beenElena: The stars were really aligned for Styles' success in Dunkirk. His role in Dunkirk was the first thing we saw him do after One Direction. He literally disappeared and reemerged in a WWII movie?! Chase: I was absolutely shocked when I heard Styles would be in a Christopher Nolan film. What a bold choice for his first out-of-the-band project. Elena: He was in the process of reinventing himself post-One Direction. His persona was really malleable, which made the career move really exciting, unlike with Don't Worry Darling, My Policeman, and his potential Marvel projects because he’s so overexposed right now. But in 2017, Styles was earnestly trying to make a name for himself outside of the boy band he was known for. His debut album, which came out two months before Dunkirk, saw Styles experimenting with different rock sounds. The promo cycle was very introspective and complimentary toward his fans, who, at that point in time, were still largely the One Direction fans that had stuck by him. Chase: And that fed into the fans' desire to get more content out of him, but without the same oversaturation the band faced in its final days (and which Styles would later also contend with). He certainly wasn't the star of Dunkirk, so he took a backseat in interviews and on red carpets that was both charming and at a scale proportional to his expertise. He appeared to have genuinely bonded with his castmates, and he talked frequently about learning from the greats alongside his young co-stars. Lad time on the red carpet! Credit: Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images Elena: We can't talk about Dunkirk without talking about The Haircut. Dunkirk required Styles to chop off his characteristic long hair, which ushered in a new era of Styles. Chase: The rebrand and potential career move away from music was also way more palatable to fans at this time. Post-band hiatus, solo music projects were a terrifying reality, a kind of death knell in the band's reunion, but an acting career didn't seem like as big of a threat. I think a lot of fans would agree that this is one of their favorite Styles "eras." And he actually did well with the limited lines he had in the film! But somehow, the Nolan of it all got to his head. Elena: It helped that the premise of his role was looking incredibly English. Late Night Talk… ShowChase: OK Saturday Night Live double-duty time. Elena: Some of his best work, for real. All of his charm and charisma is on full-display. It goes to show that Styles' greatest strength is being a good sport. Styles leaves it all on the SNL stage. Credit: Rosalind O'Connor / NBC / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Chase: This is what we deem the tipping point in Styles' public appeal and acting future. While not his first time on the show (he even botched one of his earlier appearances), this was hands-down his most impactful late-night appearance, and it won him points in the public eye. Elena: Finally, everyone caught on! (The 1D girls always knew.) Blockbuster movie centralElena: Dare I say Dunkirk and smashing SNL made Styles a little too confident in his acting abilities? Chase: You can and should say that. Post SNL, Styles released his second album Fine Line, and the rest of the world shut down. The pandemic really catalyzed his non-music endeavors — he openly said he was struggling during that time, and we think he was battling life without copious amounts of onstage attention. It eventually leads to his end credit "surprise" appearance in Chloe Zhao's 2021 film Eternals. Was he even acting in that clip? I don't think so! The line delivery was… how do I say this succinctly… lacking. Elena: The conversation around Styles being in Eternals confused me. Zhao had him in mind for the role, which is mind-boggling because he's not an actor. But she also wants him to essentially play himself in the role, which is not where he's shined previously. He's shined playing really hammy characters like Marcel and in parodies on SNL. Chase: Simultaneously, Styles was rumored to be in the running for multiple other movies (mind you, he had ONE acting credit to his name at this point), including Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid and Elvis in the Baz Luhrmann biopic. Elena: Why was his name even in the hat for those roles? He's literally not an actor. I guess at least in those parts he would be singing. He's the spitting image of a movie star. Credit: Andreas Rentz / Getty Images Chase: Then we get The Announcement: Styles landed the lead role in Don't Worry Darling opposite Florence Pugh, followed closely by a second lead role in My Policeman. It's where the general public starts to get a little wary. Elena: Some fans, like us, were wary as well because we love him for his music and want more music, not movies and nail polish. Chase: I think it's clear that Styles wasn't taking this time to hone his acting craft. He was taking advantage of his rising fame to get his name attached to blockbuster films. And each film also acts as a way to expand his audience beyond the core fans that had followed him into Dunkirk. A Marvel franchise ushers him into a male-dominated space that also has broad general audience appeal (his Coachella appearances around the same time also solidified this). Don't Worry Darling pushes his identity into an explicitly "sexy" and dramatic role — completely disregarding the public distaste of that marketing — that appeals to old and new thriller fans, and maybe even to a generation of older women. And My Policeman is his attempt at being a serious actor, playing an introspective LGBTQ character in a movie that is also a meta take on his public relationships and accusations of queerbaiting. SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift's 'Midnights' promo was weird, right? Elena: It's giving mastermind, but his strategy has partially backfired because both Don't Worry Darling and My Policeman were shrouded in controversy. Directors and production companies don't mind that because there is the guarantee that Styles' devoted fanbase will show up for their king. I mean, we did. Don’t Worry Darling has made over $86 million at the worldwide box office, which is pretty good for a non-Marvel movie. Chase: And the fact that he doesn't see any repercussions for a bad role just reinforces that he should be considered for even bigger roles. Harry Styles the Character™Chase: The conversation surrounding Styles' acting performances isn't happening in isolation; it's prompted by our perception of him as a teenage heartthrob and global pop star. Elena: Weirdly, the most interesting part of this whole thing is that Styles is playing characters that fans have already written for him. Just scroll through the fanfiction sites, and you’ll see that two popular fan-created versions of "Harry Styles" are referred to as "Dark Harry" and "Larry Harry." [Mild Don't Worry Darling and My Policeman spoilers ahead.] In "Dark Harry" fanfiction, Styles is written as dramatic and abusive, and an early trope found in fics at the time was female characters (sometimes original characters, known as OCs, or self-inserts, known as Y/N or "your name") being sold to or kidnapped by One Direction. This is eerily similar to what happens in Don't Worry Darling. On the other end of the spectrum is the way he’s often depicted in Larry Stylinson (a portmanteau of Harry Styles and bandmate Louis Tomlinson) fanfiction. There, Styles is portrayed by fic writers as closeted, hiding behind his heartthrob image, similar to the plot of My Policeman. There are still fans who believe this depiction of their relationship to be real, a contentious faction of the fandom which Tomlinson has spoken out against. Someone is writing about luscious locks and green orbs as we speak. Credit: Kevin Winter / BMA2015 / Getty Images for DCP Chase: Those are essential characterizations of Styles within the fandom and their cultural resonance might be one reason why fans are quick to dismiss actual film criticism or broader industry context when discussing Styles in these roles. He's not unaware of these identities, either, and he's gotten ample criticism for feeding into those stereotypes. Elena: And it’s important to note that fans often have to reckon with these fictional identities whenever they see him. That’s more than 10 years worth of context. For goodness sake, there have been not one, but two movie adaptations of Harry Styles fanfic. The latest is The Idea of You, starring Anne Hathaway. I just don't see him overcoming that as an actor. But I'm all for him taking on goofy comedic roles moving forward. Chase: The Harry Styles™ brand is also a character in itself — the way he has become a face of Gucci, a "business owner" with brands like Pleasing, his investment in various music venues, and his identity as one of the so-called kindest men in the industry also feed into another version of Styles. His attractiveness is plastered everywhere in such recognizable ways. Elena: The line about "ordinary faces being the best to paint" in reference to Styles' character in My Policeman completely lost me. So the question is: Should he continue acting?Chase: Based on the burden of his own musical, acting, and fan-dictated history… no. Elena: As a fan, it already takes a lot of brain power to sit in the theater and not think about Styles and who he is. It's exhausting to then have to follow the actual plot of the movie as well. Chase: He was set up to fail with this recent film cycle, following incredibly prominent music and business ventures (and a very public relationship) that made him already oversaturated. If he is really dead set on acting, he should stick to comedies, maybe even musical theater, and understand that he's not an auteur of film or acting. He shines when you can see that he's having fun or not taking himself too seriously. Because in all of these roles there's an obvious elephant in the room — him! Elena: Better yet, let him star in a silent film! Chase: Absolutely agree. Those moments without dialogue, where he's relying on his physical acting both seriously and comedically, are where he succeeds. Just picture a silent movie era renaissance helmed by Harry Styles… His music video for the Fine Line song "Treat People With Kindness" was actually a perfect example of that! No more blockbusters, no more indies, but maybe he can do some "regular" roles first to get his movie legs? Elena: He's no Timothée Chalamet or Josh O'Connor! Honestly, if he wants to expand outside of singing, he would make a good variety show host. Too bad he's addicted to touring. Our own Tinker Bell, Harry thrives with a live audience. Credit: Terence Patrick / CBS via Getty Images Chase: If you're reading this Harry Styles, go on a vacation and practice self-care. You can't do it all! Elena: Please don't bring the pop to the cinema . View the full article

Years ago, Mastodon appeared in the midst of the many social media networks out there. But it's really gaining recognition now as it basks in the light of Twitter's dumpster fire. In recent weeks, since Elon Musk's Twitter became increasingly submerged in confusion and chaos, many people decided to migrate platforms. Mastodon became one such perceived alternative to Twitter, gaining a flurry of new users. The federated network, which is a collection of thousands of servers, operates differently to Twitter but it's easy enough to switch over. One primary difference? Verification. That concept alone has caused mayhem in the Twitterverse, mostly thanks to Musk completely derailing the original purpose of verification. Twitter's new CEO decided to do away with the known verification process, instead "democratizing" the blue tick by offering it up for $8 with a Twitter Blue subscription. SEE ALSO: Bye, Twitter. All the cool kids are migrating to Mastodon. Mastodon, however, does not have this relationship with verification or any such process. Mashable wrote about verification on Mastodon back in 2017, and while some things on Mastodon have changed, it remains true that "there's no official verification process" here. So, what can you get verified on Mastodon if not a profile?In fact, there is no official verification process for profiles at all, as Mastodon says, "Document-based verification and blue ticks are not possible without a central authority." The company can, however, verify links — Mastodon cross-references links on people's profiles to confirm they're the owner. According to the platform, this "can serve as the next-best-thing to identity verification." So, if you put a link in your Mastodon profile, the company "checks if the linked page links back to your Mastodon profile. If so, you get a verification checkmark next to that link, since you are confirmed as the owner." The company does this by checking the rel="me" attribute — a standard way to check whether or not linked website belongs to a user on a third party site. Sounds confusing, as does a lot with Mastodon, but essentially you will bag a verification checkmark for your link — though not necessarily your profile. Featured Video For You Revisiting the website that shaped the internet Some tips Mastodon offers to pass verification are making sure the link you're adding is served securely (over HTTPS) and to host Mastodon on your own domain. Alternatively, as Mashable did a few years ago (see below our DIY steps), simply add a checkmark emoji next to your name. Tumblr would be proud — after all, it's currently offering two useless blue checks for any user willing to dish out $7.99. - MN How to get 'verified' on Mastodon without actually being verifiedIt takes certain credentials to become a verified human in this world — unless you're on Mastodon, that is. While Twitter makes its little birdies fly through hoops (read: pay) to earn that verification tick beside their names, Mastodon — the open-source version of Twitter — makes the coveted symbol much more accessible. Seriously. Like Twitter, Eugen Rochko's platform, Mastodon, allows users to create accounts, interact with others, and post status updates. But rest assured, the two sites have several key differences. Aside from updates being called "toots" instead of tweets one key difference is that Mastodon lacks the ability to officially verify its users, at least right now. That hasn't stopped users from "verifying" themselves, though. Curious and slightly skeptical that something in life could be so simple, I made an account to see for myself, and much to my surprise, within the first five minutes of my Mastodon life, I too, was verified. Toot toot! Here's my name and official-looking tick for proof: I'm official, baby!!! Credit: Screenshot: Mastodon So, if there's no official verification process, how are all these users are getting verified? It's as easy as a simple copy-and-paste job. No, really. All you need is this green check mark emoji and a belief that you have what it takes to become verified, or at least give others the illusion that you are. Simply click "edit profile" and copy and paste the emoji next to your name to make the magic happen. Me not "verified." Credit: Screenshot: Mastodon Me "verified." Credit: Screenshot: Mastodon Mastodon's fake verification process gives you options. If you want to be a little rebellious while still maintaining the appearance of a "verified user," you can swap out these other check mark emoji instead to fit your desired mood: or . - NG Credit: Screenshot: Mastodon Credit: Screenshot: Mastodon View the full article

There may be no better interview format for revealing a person's inner vulnerabilities than First We Feast's Hot Ones — and it turns out Ramy creator Ramy Youssef, as well as being very funny, is also more than capable of being impressively philosophical under pressure. "If we make this poetic it'll hurt less," says Youssef at one point, after using a retirement analogy to describe why he's saving his milk for the final spicy wings rather than drinking it early. "Maybe that's what all poetry is, just to not feel pain. That could be the meaning of poetry! I've never understood poetry until I had sauce number seven." Elsewhere Youssef also chats about his childhood, his experience of pitching TV shows, and his Netflix show Mo. View the full article

Setting aside two hours to watch a movie can be a luxury these days, especially when the busiest among us claim they can guzzle 200 TikTok videos in much less than that. So-called ‘Fast Movie’ channels appear to offer some middle ground. Popular mainstream movies lasting a couple of hours are edited down to around 10 minutes and then uploaded to YouTube. The aim is to keep the storyline more or less intact yet despite obvious drawbacks, millions of people enjoy watching them. Fast Movie Crackdown Signs that movie companies were about to send a message trickled through last year. Japan does not recognize fair use and even if it did, experts predicted that ‘Fast Movies’ would still cross red lines. People generating advertising revenue from ‘Fast Movies’ certainly wouldn’t improve things either. In June 2021, three ‘Fast Movie’ YouTubers were arrested in Japan following criminal complaints from several media companies. All three faced potential prison sentences plus fines for crimes allegedly committed in 2020. In the face of overwhelming evidence, the defendants entered guilty pleas and received prison sentences of between 18 and 24 months, suspended for up to four years, plus total fines of around $25,000, payable to the state. But it didn’t end there. 13 Media Companies Seek Damages in Civil Lawsuit In May 2022, 13 member companies of the Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) and Japan Video Software Association (JVA) followed up their win in the criminal matter by filing a civil lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court. Listing 54 copyrighted works including ‘I Am a Hero’ and ‘Shin Godzilla’, Asmik Ace, Kadokawa, Gaga, Shochiku, TBS Television, Toei, Toei Video, Toho, Nikkatsu, Nippon Television Network, Happinet Phantom Studio, Fuji Television, and WOWOW, said that the defendants’ ‘Fast Movies’ had been viewed 10 million times on YouTube, causing two billion yen ($14.2 million) in overall damages. For the purposes of their civil damages lawsuit, however, the plaintiffs entered a partial claim of ‘just’ 500 million yen ($3.56 million) against the defendants collectively. Tokyo District Court Decision In a decision handed down yesterday at the Tokyo District Court, Judge Masaki Sugiura acknowledged that the two defendants responsible for uploading the ‘Fast Movie’ edits without permission should compensate the rightsholders for the damages caused. In line with the media companies’ reduced claim, the defendants were ordered to pay 500 million yen, roughly $3.56 million. Having sent the clearest possible message, the plaintiffs followed up with a joint statement delivered by their partner anti-piracy groups. “This is a ruling that fully upholds our allegations, and we believe that it should be a great deterrent against copyright infringement in the future,” a joint CODA and JVA statement reads. “Compared to other copyright infringement cases in recent years, the amount of compensation awarded in this case is large. The 13 plaintiffs acted in unity so as not to allow the criminals to get away with impunity whilst profiting from copyright infringement, and the significance of this judgment is immeasurable.” More Work To Be Done Another key goal of media companies worldwide is to prevent pirate sites from generating revenue from advertising. After receiving a request from Shueisha, one of Japan’s largest manga publishers, anti-piracy group CODA sought action from an advertising company in Spain. “CODA confirmed placement of advertisements on 27 pirated manga sites in Japan and Hiroyuki NAKAJIMA, Legal Director of CBEP ‘Cross-Border Enforcement Project’) run by CODA in association with Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, requested in writing, thorough a Spanish law firm, to stop placing ads on these sites on 17th October 2022,” CODA says. “The Ad Agency responded on 30th October pointing out that although it is impossible to grasp the contents of all the websites that it renders services, it had canceled the contracts with the sites in question and had stopped providing services to all the 27 sites, and promised to ensure that it would not provide services, nor would it enter into contracts with those who infringe intellectual property rights in the future.” CODA says that it has continued to monitor the 27 sites and can now confirm that 26 carry no ads provided by the unnamed agency. The remaining site is under investigation. From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more. View the full article

I've had the chipper earworm "That's How You Know" bopping about my brain for the past few days, ever since I rewatched Enchanted. That zippy fairy-tale rom-com from 2007 brilliantly cast Amy Adams as an animated Disney princess who haplessly plummets into the real world — specifically Times Square — where her idealized visions of love are challenged by a cynical but dashing divorce attorney (Patrick Dempsey). It still holds up 15 years later, proving a winsome yet slyly subversive spin on fairy-tale expectations and rom-com tropes. This is good news, as the long-awaited sequel Disenchanted can't recapture the magic of the original. Picking up roughly 15 years after the first film's finale, Disenchanted begins with Giselle (Adams) and Robert (Dempsey) trading their sky-high Manhattan apartment for a "fixer-upper" house in suburbia. While the move means more room for their growing family, it also pitches teen daughter Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino) into an angsty spiral firmly aimed at her stepmother. Meanwhile, Giselle's arts-and-crafts gumption riles local queen bee Malvina, an intense PTA mom played by Maya Rudolph. This super-mom rivalry and the brewing tensions between mother and daughter come to a head thanks to a hasty wish that turns this New York suburb into a new Andalasia. Amy Adams and Maya Rudolph shine in Disenchanted. Credit: Walt Disney Studios Longing for the simpler times of happily ever after, Giselle wishes this town could be a place where fairy tales come true. Overnight, her live-action surroundings are transformed. Animals can talk. Hovering neighbors become fairy godmothers. Malvina becomes a literal queen. Morgan goes from sulking teen to lilting Cinderella, and you know what that makes Giselle? Yup, slowly and steadily, the former almost-princess is turning into an evil stepmother. SEE ALSO: Amy Adams embraces her inner evil stepmother in 'Disenchanted' trailer Adams, who has played ditzy cheerleaders and slick con artists with aplomb, clearly relishes the opportunity to play naughty and nice, often in the same breath. Her goody Giselle is a familiar friend, warm and blithely oblivious to the absurdity of breaking into song and dance while workmen are in the throes of renovations nearby. But there's a fresh thrill in watching the doe-eyed light leave her eyes and that broad smile turn to a sultry smirk as Giselle switches to a selfish, sensual diva who dreams of power at any cost! Rudolph is a sensational scene partner as the pair face off, first with passive aggression, then with thinly veiled threats, and finally with an all-out musical throwdown. Rudolph's SNL chops give her the base for leaning into the arch of it all, and she's got singing skills too. Their snarling song has the energy of a great Disney villain bop, but unfortunately the writing lets them down across the board. Disenchanted lacks the wit of the Enchanted. Credit: Walt Disney Studios Screenwriter Bill Kelly's clever concept for the first film had a thrilling spikiness because of the culture clash of ardent Andalasia and gruff New York City. On paper, the concept of turning Giselle from heroine to villain is an intriguing one. But Disenchanted's scribe Brigitte Hales loses tension by plunking the plot in a vague suburban setting. The specificity of the city — from its surly construction workers to the rapturous range of visitors to Central Park who might be inclined to join a charming tourist's sing-along — is lost, as is the visual splendor of iconic location shoots. This suburb is established hastily through archetypes of a queen bee and her yipping yes woman and nosy neighbors. Then, the whole place gets a glow-up that includes radioactive overlighting, which director Adam Shankman may have intended to make the colors pop but actually makes everything appear flat and cheap. SEE ALSO: 20 best romantic comedies to fall in love with on Netflix When the residents of this place burst into song and dance, they wear Andalusian costumes that look like costumes. They sing and dance with showmanship but no depth. Even though Alan Menken is back with new songs, none grab hold the way Enchanted's best did. Actually, I can't recall a single line of Disenchanted's songs, though I will confess gratitude that this sequel makes up for the overwhelming oversight of never letting Broadway legend Idina Menzel sing in the original. Post-"Let It Go," Disney knows better. Regrettably, the song they've given her here is underwhelming and forces her to belt the phrase "love power" over and over, which makes less sense the more you hear it. Senselessness also erodes the story's logic, thin as it is. New mythos for magic is wedged in, along with a wacky talking scroll, slippery rules about the world-changing spell, and even how powerful the movie's battling sorceresses are. The rom-com origins are utterly abandoned, as Robert is cast off on a side quest with no importance. Meanwhile, James Marsden, who is once again a devastatingly entertaining himbo prince, is criminally underused, cast aside like so many of Enchanted's riches. Disenchanted is playing to kids — and talking down to them. Credit: Walt Disney Studios Though Enchanted was a PG movie, grown-ups could enjoy the romp too. Not only was it a sparklingly charming adventure with colorful characters but also a dulcet rom-com with just enough edge to keep it from being sickeningly sweet. Disenchanted does away with the rom-com and the edge, shoving its core characters into a cookie-cutter mold that its predecessor's playfully shattered. Within this, there's some fun to be had, like Adam's lighting-quick turns of character, Rudolph's comically wicked queen, and every single frame of Marsden in heroic doof mode. But the songs are so-so. The story is wobbly in logic and garishly festooned with life lessons. And the production value is less awe-inspiring and more, "Ah, right. This is a straight-to-TV sequel." Will it be satisfying for a family night at home? Probably. But will it be treasured likes the original? Probably not. Disenchanted is now streaming on Disney+. View the full article

Well, as Jen would say, fuck. If you've just finished Beaches the series finale of Dead to Me, bring it in. The final episode of Season 3 of Liz Feldman's Netflix comedy drama brings all the criminal chaos to a close, and offers a deeply moving farewell for Jen (Christina Applegate) and Judy (Linda Cardellini) in more ways than one. I was hardly able to swallow my raisin-stuffed Mexican lasagne. Judy and Jen have been saturating their secrets in giant glasses of wine for three gloriously addictive seasons, all of which are set over just one year in the narrative — when characters refer to it as "one shitty year," they're completely right. Having spent the final episode of the series on quality time with Judy "Judy Five Fingers" Hale and Jen "Bitch Cassidy" Harding in Mexico, seeing everything sort itself out crime-wise, and saying an extremely devastating farewell, Dead to Me brought things full circle. However, it not only presents a deeply moving re-creation of Season 3's first scene in Jen's mind, but includes heartfelt references to the series' very first chapter. SEE ALSO: 'Dead To Me' ends in another jaw-dropping finale and we wouldn't have it any other way In fact, rewatching the pilot immediately after you've watched the finale is a cathartic experience, especially as the series begins with Jen and Judy's first-ever meeting. Here's some of the Easter eggs and references from Dead to Me's very first episode we spied in the finale. The grief circle When Jen met Judy. Credit: Netflix Dead to Me basically begins and ends with the grief circle. In the first episode of Season 1, Jen attends the group for the first time following Ted's death and encounters Judy in a sweet meet-cute over crappy coffee. Judy asks Jen for a hug — Jen strongly declines. In the scene, group leader Pastor Wayne (Keong Sim) talks of forgiveness, which forms the core of the friendship between Judy and Jen over the series. But Jen declares during the pilot, "How do you forgive someone who hits your husband with their car and then drives away, leaving him to bleed to death on the side of the road?" Turns out, you can. In the finale, Jen sits in the same seat she picked in the beginning, now grieving Judy. But Jen has brought support, her new baby girl, Joey. In this scene, the writers even added another reference to the pilot, with the grief circle member Linda. Where Linda gets a "fuck yeah" from Jen in the pilot, she gets a little less allegiance in the finale. The song "Get Happy"Judy Garland's song "Get Happy" appears in both the first and last episodes of Dead to Me. In the pilot, the song is the very first piece of non-diegetic music heard as the camera flies over Laguna Beach, California, and is cut short as Jen slams her car door and makes her way to the grief circle. In the finale, Jen's son Henry is performing the song with the Holy Harmonies, the church choir dance group. Despite the cheesiness of the situation, it's one of the most moving scenes in the whole series, as Jen walks into the church, absolutely covered in the paper cranes Judy folded during her chemotherapy, and reunites with her family. Featured Video For You ‘The Fallout’ is a coming of age story that explores grief in all its complexities The car: The '66 MustangIt's the car that started this whole thing. Steve and Judy's Ford 1966 Mustang, the car that killed Ted, the car Jen (along with Detective Ana Perez, played by Diana-Maria Riva) spends much of Season 1 trying to find, and the car Jen eventually drives back to Laguna Beach from Mexico in — sadly, without Judy. In the pilot, while we're watching Jen painstakingly document "every time I see a person-sized dent in the front bumper of a car," Judy goes to her storage facility to pick up some clothes to move into Jen's guest house. In the final moments of the episode, she rolls up the garage door to reveal the '66 Mustang, with a very Ted-sized dent in the bumper. In an almost identical shot in the finale, Judy and Jen head out to the garage in the Mexico house and pull up the rolling door to reveal the very same Mustang, discretely restored by Steve. This explains why Judy found a random key hidden by Steve in one of her paintings earlier in Season 3. Though Jen is visibly rattled, and Judy offers her the chance to smash it up with a golf club (like Jen smashed up the car in Season 1), she offers up the ultimate response of forgiveness: "How could I hate it? It brought you to me," says Jen. I'm done. I'm out. Facts of Life "Do you wanna watch our show?" Credit: Netflix OK, back. The TV show Jen and Judy spend their last night together cuddled up watching in Mexico is the same show they began watching together when forming their friendship: '80s sitcom Facts of Life. On their final night together, to emotionally recover after Judy reveals to Jen she won't be returning with her home to Laguna, Jen asks, "Do you wanna watch our show?" wanting to do anything but talk more about it. Facts of Life has marked Jen and Judy's friendship from day one. In the debut episode, during an early phone call, Judy says the show is on, and Jen quickly switches over. Later, when watching it at Jen's house, they discuss which character they both resemble the most. "Has anyone ever told you you're kind of a Blair?" Judy tells Jen. "What? Fuck you," Jen retorts. "I'm a fucking Jo…I'm a piece of work." Meanwhile, Judy identifies herself as Tootie, explaining, "It's layered." Later, when Jen is watching the show alone, she mutters aloud, "Fuckin' Tootie," a line repeated by Judy in the series finale — it's technically her final line in the show, apart from Jen's vision of Judy in the car. Jen and Judy are also seen watching Facts of Life in Season 2, episode 1, as a means for the two of them to connect while figuring out their way forward after Steve's murder. There you have it: TV solves everything. Jen's guest houseIn the pilot, Jen invites Judy to come and stay in the guest house, Ted's old music studio, as she's living in the assisted care facility where she works. It's this gesture of kindness that unlocks the truths, events, and core friendship of the entire series. In the finale, Sammy, the stray cat Jen and Judy found lurking in the Mexico house, is pawing at the door of Jen's guest house. It's in this final moment, literally the last few seconds of the series, that Jen appears to decide to confess to Ben (also James Marsden) that she killed his twin brother Steve — yeah, he drowned right in the pool you were just frolicking in, dude. "If you ever want to the possibility of a real life with him, you have to be honest about everything," Judy says earlier in the episode. Who can say how this landed? Dead to Me is now streaming on Netflix. View the full article

TL;DR: As of Nov. 18, you can get the Alpha Z PRO 4K + Flying Fox 4K Wide Angle Dual Camera Drones Bundle for just $129.99 instead of $398 — that's a 67% discount. Shop for a gift that’ll get your giftee to see the world in a new way, literally. If a quadcopter is on the wish list this year, then we’ve got two to offer for the price of one. The Alpha Z Pro and the Flying Fox are two 4K drones that are fun to fly and give users a live view from the perspective of their drone. Usually, you’d have to pay $398 for this two-pack of drones, but Black Friday is coming early this year. Get the Alpha Z Pro and the Flying Fox on sale for $129.99 while they are in stock. No code needed. Two drones for the price of one Explore the sky with either of these awesome HD drones. The Alpha Z is a sleek black quadcopter with a 4K front camera that can be adjusted 90 degrees. It’s even more like having eyes in the sky because you can hover in the air with altitude hold mode, then adjust your camera view. All of this is visible through a connected smartphone. Snap photos or capture stunning videos from above as you fly. Maneuver through the air with controls for ascending, descending, and moving forward, back, left, and right. There’s also a button to do a 360-degree roll in case you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to ride a rollercoaster in the sky. The Flying Fox is another impressive drone, this time in silver. Enjoy the same maneuverability in the air along with a follow function that keeps the distance between the controller and the drone consistent. Fly for up to nine minutes on a single charge; it may only take an hour before your next stint in the sky is ready. Both drones have keys for automatic return, so once your flight is done, they’ll come home at the push of a button. The sky's the limit at your next holiday gift exchange Connect your giftee to nature and send them exploring the sky when you get the Alpha Z PRO and the Flying Fox drones during the Every Friday is Black Friday event for the early-released price of just $129.99 (reg. $398) while supplies last. Prices subject to change. Opens in a new tab Credit: Ninja Alpha Z PRO 4K and Flying Fox 4K Wide Angle Dual Camera Drones Bundle (opens in a new tab) $129.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) View the full article

TL;DR: As of Nov. 18, you can get the Watch from Anywhere Bundle: Wemax Go Projector and 40" Portable Screen for just $199.99 instead of $679.97 — that's a 70% discount. Memories of getting the family together for a holiday movie marathon are priceless. If you want to take your holiday movie nights up a notch, you may want to try a projector. With the right screen, you could take your movie night almost anywhere, whether it’s the comfort of the den or out in the yard with plenty of blankets and hot cocoa. The Watch from Anywhere Bundle gives you practically everything you need to make that happen, including a portable projector and a free-standing screen. Normally, you’d have to wait for Black Friday to get this set on sale, but Black Friday came early this year during the Every Friday is Black Friday event. Get the Watch from Anywhere Bundle for just $199.99. No code needed. A movie night you can take anywhere Pick a movie and get set up in minutes with this movie night setup. The bundle includes the Wemax Go Projector and a 40-inch Wemax portable screen. The whole thing is about the size of an iPhone 13 Pro Max, so you could probably carry your projector in your pocket if you wanted to. Turn this projector on and you might forget how small it is. Stream directly to screens up to 100 inches with full connectivity using an HDMI cable, WiFi, or a USB port. This cinema-grade laser produces 300 Ansi Lumens, so get ready for a clear, cinema-style movie night. The other half of the home cinema experience is the screen, and the Wemax Pull Up Portable Projector screen is a great way of making that theater experience fit in your home. This retractable screen rolls out from its aluminum case in seconds and can sit on a table or any other stable flat surface. Get more from your projector with a screen made from Max white multi-layer fabric. The unique design gives the audience a wider viewing angle, and it’s actually known to be better for your eyes than a television. TVs produce which can influence your sleep patterns and even damage your eyes over time. Make the next holiday movie night one to remember Whether you’re watching seasonal favorites or streaming the big game, a projector and screen may enhance the experience for you and everyone watching. Don’t wait until Black Friday to get the Watch from Anywhere Bundle as this projector and screen duo may be gone by then. Get them for their early Black Friday price of $199.99 (reg. $679). No code needed. Prices subject to change. Opens in a new tab Credit: Wemax Watch from Anywhere Bundle: Wemax Go Projector and 40" Portable Screen (opens in a new tab) $199.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) View the full article

TL;DR: As of Nov. 18, you can get the Draft Top 3.0 Easy Can Opener for just $15.99 instead of $29.99 — that's a 47% discount. Whether hosting a TV viewing party, celebrating a milestone, or just wanting to unwind after a long day at work, cracking open a cold one is always a good idea. The only downside to drinking at home is you don't have access to the unlimited tap your local dive bar affords you, so you have to make do with the six-pack cans you can get from the supermarket. But what if you can replicate that experience? The Draft Top 3.0 is a can opener designed to completely remove the top of almost any can. It turns your beer can into a pseudo cup, so you can taste all the flavors of your favorite malty beverage without being impeded by the metal lid. We've already raved about it before, but now, it's available on sale during the Every Friday is Black Friday event, during which Black Friday prices are being leaked early. This patent-pending bar tool, which is also Kickstarter-funded, has four rotational blades built in that split and fold the lid as it turns. The result? A topless can or pseudo cup with an incredibly smooth rim void of sharp edges, improving your chugging experience altogether. It can accommodate 8 to 16-oz. aluminum beverage cans and some 19-oz. cans with standard tops. Unlike the previous versions, the Draft Top 3.0 boasts an all-new pressure-regulated handle that makes it easy to manage, a fully embedded magnet that sticks to your fridge, a lanyard hole for on-the-go access, and a 50 percent stronger construction for better durability. It also has a textured grip on the handles for improved traction and more natural hand placement. With the Draft Top 3.0 in tow, you can get away with not doing the dishes as you have an instant beer glass in hand. Normally retailing for $29, you can grab the Draft Top 3.0 Easy Can Opener at the early Black Friday price of only $15.99 — but act fast, as there is a limited inventory on this deal. With this price, it makes for a great stocking stuffer, too. Prices subject to change. Opens in a new tab Credit: Draft Top Draft Top 3.0 Easy Can Opener (opens in a new tab) $15.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) View the full article

TL;DR: As of Nov. 18, you can get a pair of JBL Live Free Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds for just $49.99 instead of $149.95 — that's a 66% discount. Gift-giving for a music lover can be a little intense. A new, trendy pair of wireless earbuds may sound great to you, but pop them on a seasoned audiophile and they might notice something off with the bass or the noise-canceling feature. JBL has been in the sound business for over 70 years, and they have some fantastic wireless earbuds that you may have a chance to score for a super low price during the Every Day is Black Friday event. These JBL Live Free Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds would normally cost $149, but you can get them for their Black Friday price early. That’s 66% off, but there’s no telling how long they’ll be in stock. An affordable gift for music lovers Immerse yourself in JBL’s signature sound that’s only enhanced by the active noise-canceling that helps cut through the sounds of the day, whether you’re walking through the city or hitting the gym. Listen for up to seven hours on a single charge, then add up to 14 more when you recharge with the case. If the case runs out of power, power it back up with any Qi-compatible wireless charger. Lightweight with a heavy sound, these wireless earbuds are great for casual and lifelong music lovers alike. Wear them in sunshine or rain. JBL Live Free earbuds are designed to be waterproof and sweat-proof, so wearing them at the gym won't be an issue. Total noise-canceling is great for falling into your music and maybe hearing layers to it you’ve never noticed, but it isn’t always the best idea if you want to keep up your situational awareness. Navigate smart ambient noise to hear natural conversation and keep your situational awareness. Wireless earbuds for a great price This is your chance to get a pair of JBL Live Free Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds for their Black Friday price ahead of time. Get them for just $49.99 (reg. $149) while supplies last. That's the best price we've seen for these 'buds. Prices subject to change. Opens in a new tab Credit: JBL JBL Live Free Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds (opens in a new tab) $49.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal (opens in a new tab) View the full article

Has enough time passed for us to reflect on the immensity of the Harvey Weinstein story? It's been five years since New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor uncovered the tip of the iceberg that was the heralded Hollywood producer's long list of alleged crimes, which included sexual harassment, assault, and rape. Weinstein has since been convicted on some charges, and awaits trial on others. In the months and years that followed the Times expose, the discourse around sexual misconduct was reignited, and many shared their stories of surviving abuse with the resurrected hashtag #MeToo. But this is a moment that we're still in, navigating the concepts of consent, redemption, and so-called cancel culture. So, is it too soon for She Said? SEE ALSO: 'She Said' trailer recreates the 'New York Times' investigation into Harvey Weinstein Screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Disobedience, Ida) and director Maria Schrader (Unorthodox) translate Twohey and Kantor's earth-shaking 2017 article into a docudrama in the vein of Spotlight, the Oscar-winning drama about the Boston reporters who broke the Catholic Church sex abuse conspiracy. As its title suggests, the focus of She Said is not on Weinstein but on the women he victimized and how they used their voices to bring him down. Starring as Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor respectively, Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman) and Zoe Kazan (The Big Sick) are our polished guides, ushering us through whispered phone calls, fraught interviews, and intense confrontations with victims, enablers, and the abuser himself. This is an inspiring story with harrowing content, which Lenkiewicz and Schrader are delicate and respectful in unfolding. But are they perhaps too respectful? How does She Said handle scenes of Weinstein's assaults? Credit: Universal Studios In this regard, Lenkiewicz and Schrader get respect right. Sexual assault and harassment are not made a spectacle in She Said, as it was in the Fox News-centered docudrama Bombshell. Instead, the details of the allegations are shared, not shown. Sometimes, these retellings play over flashbacks of younger versions of the women speaking, but in none of these flashbacks will violence be shown. Instead, Schrader gives us eerie insert shots of the setting: an abandoned robe alongside a script on a hotel bed, a purse toppled over on a table, feminine clothing in a pile on the floor. Other times, she'll make us witness to the moments after: a young white woman in tears running down a street, a young Asian woman trembling in a hallway of a hotel. Schrader trusts we don't need to see what happened to believe these women's stories. SEE ALSO: The Harvey Weinstein saga proves yet again why women don't come forward about sexual abuse This restraint is a virtue of She Said, acknowledging an audience perspective that can understand the weight of Weinstein's actions without having to witness a re-enactment of them — which may well be triggering to survivors of abuse. Similar restraint is present in depicting Weinstein, a large and bombastic man who used his power and persona to trample people and stories that rose up against his bullying and abuse. His face is never shown in the film. He blusters over a speakerphone, and though at one point an actor appears on screen to play him, only the back of his head is shown. The focus of this scene is how Megan handles being hit with the full force of Harvey's intimidation. What he actually says is omitted; somber music plays over his bloviating, and the camera pushes past that back of his head to focus fully on Mulligan's face, resolute and stern. Meanwhile, his victims are presented in a variety of ways. Many of the recreated interviews within the film happen over the phone. While names like Rose McGowan and Gwyneth Paltrow are dropped, other actresses provide over-the-phone audio performances for these silence-breakers. Several former Miramax staffers are portrayed by celebrated actresses, including Jennifer Ehle and Samantha Morton. But most impactful is Ashely Judd, appearing as herself in a frank and moving video-call interview, in which she speaks to Weinstein's behavior and its lasting detriment to her. Lenkiewicz's script aims to present each woman within a broader context than her Weinstein connection. We're welcomed into their homes, we meet their children, we follow them on pivotal doctor visits, and we see them crumble as the worst day of their lives comes barreling back. Schrader trusts in the performances of her cast to ground how horrid Weinstein's actions were, and her trust is rewarded with portrayals that are righteous in their wrath and heartbreak. Still, I wish she'd made room for mess. She Said is more a prestige biopic than a newspaper pic. Credit: Universal Studios In biopics, there's a Hollywood tendency to glamorize the subject, glossing over their problematic bits in search of a portrayal that is grand and crowd-pleasing. In newspaper pics — from The Front Page and All The President's Men to The Paper and Spotlight — the hero journalists are noble but also undeniably quirky. There's a haphazardness to their appearance or a thrilling frankness to how they talk. In Spotlight, Mark Ruffalo's journo spoke as if he might die any moment, and so every syllable had to hit hard and fast. In Zodiac, Robert Downey Jr.'s reporter had an unrepentant swagger that might have gotten him killed but won our hearts for its manic moxie. In The Paper, Michael Keaton seemed Kermit-like in being ever on the verge of a breakdown, and that gave us an enveloping sense of exhilaration of being a part of that newsroom. She Said has no interest in such theatrics, and so there's a gnawing remoteness that distances us from the thrall of the newsroom. Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor are both presented as a very specific brand of New York sophisticate femininity: intellectual, unflappable, brunette, preppy but not overly posh. Despite some minor differences (number of children, height, tote bag versus backpack), they are cut from the same cloth. The film even makes a half-hearted joke about this when the two accidentally dress alike (twinsies!) to ambush a source. Sure, Megan is a bit more prone to anger — lashing out at a pestering pick-up artist — while Jodi is more likely to emotionally overshare. But these brief outbursts are the closest thing She Said presents as far as personality flaws. And frankly, both anger and oversharing are pretty reasonable considering the high-stress circumstances. She Said could benefit from some real-life grubbiness and mess. Credit: Universal Studios Perhaps the real Twohey and Kantor are exactly as portrayed here, but frankly, I don't care. Movies — even docudramas and biopics — are not about truth or accuracy. They're about telling a compelling story. Where She Said trips up is in its ardent need to play like a prestige biopic, wallowing in the heroes' noble intentions and important contributions to the world but forgetting that these characters should also be exciting to watch. The subject is important. Their story is historic. But this doesn't mean its heroes need to be glossy. She Said could benefit from some messiness. We see these women impressively juggling this around-the-clock investigation that invades their lives, interrupting time with their children, derailing private time with their spouses, waking them in the night with phone calls, but it all lacks the compelling chaos of the newspaper movie. As the film smoothly slides along in crisp gray hallways of the New York Times offices, where adroit editors (Andre Braugher and Patricia Clarkson) are as calm as they are classy, I longed for some texture. She Said suffers from a lack of pressure or tension, and while that could be because we know how this story ends, I think it's because Megan and Jodi feel too polished to feel real. SEE ALSO: Harvey Weinstein reportedly hired private investigators to discredit accusers Is the problem that it's too soon to reimagine Twohey and Kantor as characters? Is the movie's respect for their accomplishments blinding its makers to the quirks that might make them seem human and not fantasies of high-functioning female wrath? Or is it that they are women? Must She Said also do battle with the sexist underpinnings of Hollywood, which allows for an endless variety of heroes who are lovable hot messes but cringes when a heroine is less than perfect? I don't have the answer, just a lingering disappointment. To their credit, Schrader and Lenkiewicz mindfully usher audiences into the hallowed halls of journalism and the harrowing horrors of Weinstein's allegations without treating the dark bits like tabloid spectacle. They focus on the stories of the women and their lives that exist beyond this wretched man. Schrader has assembled a star-studded cast who gives grounded performances that grasp at trauma and resilience. This is all laudable. But within these noble intentions and deep respect, She Said feels a bit bloodless. We're in these rooms, but the cool attitudes of reporters and editors alike don't invite us into the stakes of getting the story right — or the ticking clock to it being undermined or derailed. Between so many phone calls and antiseptic workspaces — which may well be accurate at the Gray Lady, after all — there's a coldness that stifles She Said. Because no matter the unflappable atmosphere this story might have been borne from, what boiled under the surface was a reckoning that was raw, rage-filled, and unrelenting. That mess is a crucial part of the story, not only inviting us into the frantic pressure of the vocation itself but also the incredible stakes when so many lives will be impacted by when the publish button is pressed. In short, She Said is good. But grubbiness could have made it great. She Said is now in theaters. View the full article

Award season is rushing toward us, and with it comes a string of semi-autobiographical dramas inspired by their director's lives and trials. Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans reimagines his post-WWII childhood with warm nostalgia, mother-son melodrama, and a giddy love of cinema. Meanwhile, James Gray's boyhood story, Armageddon Time, pitches us into chilly Reagan-era America while tangling with regret and white guilt. But Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths breaks from the pack, focusing not on a youthful doppelganger but an aged analog who looks back on his life with a dizzying blend of pleasure, anxiety, and intellectual posturing. All of these films are — perhaps — unavoidably indulgent, probing into a storied filmmaker's soul with the thin mask of fiction to allow them to be as honest as they dare. Indulgence is a wickedly subjective device. If you have a sweet tooth, there's no such thing as death by chocolate. But if you favor the savory, layering on the saccharine might make your teeth ache. So, it's not a question if Iñárritu’s latest is indulgent but if that indulgence works. And honestly, I still can't decide. What is Bardo about? Credit: Netflix Directed and co-written by Alejandro González Iñárritu, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths centers on a Mexican journalist who, like Iñárritu, saw his career flourish in America. On the verge of accepting a major award for his work, Silverio (Daniel Giménez Cacho) returns to Mexico and reflects on his career, life choices, and where he fits in his homeland and his adopted home. As Iñárritu has earned Oscar acclaim with movies like Babel, Birdman, and The Revenant, the comparison is clear. But his internal war of identity plays out in a slippery and surreal journey that is equal parts fascinating and frustrating. Receiving a sort of lifetime achievement award, Silverio is forced to look back on the path that led him here. Mirroring the way our brains might slide through thoughts and up and down our own timeline, the screenplay by Iñárritu and Nicolás Giacobone (who shares an Oscar for his work on Birdman) slips from Silverio gently tucking in his young son to, moments later, confronting the same son, now a rebellious teen. Likewise, a lecture on Mexican history comes to life with vivid re-enactments, as if the soldiers sprung full-bodied and colorfully costumed from Silverio's thoughts. Elsewhere, settings bleed into one another: A subway car blinks to become a humble house, with only a staring passenger and a dropped parcel to connect them. It'll be literally hours before Iñárritu fully reveals what all this slipperiness in the narrative means. But a keen-eared audience will be clued in early on. And frankly, once you know, waiting for narrative to unfurl over the two-hour, 39-minute runtime can feel occasionally torturous. It's not that Bardo is all about its third-act reveal. But realizing the device at play, I found it difficult to emotionally engage in the cerebral battle playing out across neon-lit rooftops, sun-splashed resorts, and scorching deserts. With this framework, Iñárritu creates a distance his execution can't broach. Bardo is visually stunning but emotionally numbing. Credit: Netflix The visuals are rapturous, complimented by Darius Khondji's kinetic cinematography, which sweeps us through a carefully choreographed long take reminiscent of Iñárritu's sharply frenetic Birdman. This throws us into the thrall of Silverio's inner turmoil, extrapolated with dancing girls and crushing reunions. However, there's a chilly remoteness to the film. As Silverio jaunts from one dreamlike scenario to another, we might well gape at their oddness, like when Iñárritu pulls an Aline, showcasing a full-grown man shrunk down to child-size as Silverio confronts his dad (and his daddy issues). We might well swoon at a musical number, where all the guests of a party move meaningfully to a David Bowie song, reflecting the hero's hard-earned but brief bliss. But the coolness of this doesn't let us get close. Within this syrupy strangeness, Iñárritu injects a dark bemusement that scours for humor in scenes of death, defeat, and even genocide. One striking example is at the movie's start, when Silverio and his wife (Griselda Siciliani) face the death of their newborn child. Rather than a grim sequence of heart-wrenching drama, uncomfortable comedy is borne from a graphic birthing sequence where a CGI baby whispers that "the world is too fucked up" and politely requests to be returned to his mother's womb. The doctors oblige, making for some gynecological physical comedy that is first shocking and silly but then lurches into a gross-out gag as the befuddled mother wanders down a hospital hallway with the umbilical cord trailing her, a bloody, meaty bother. Bardo has a dark and daring sense of comedy. Credit: Netflix The humor here is impressively uneasy, seeming to suggest that faced with such darkness, what are we to do but laugh? And there are moments throughout Bardo where we might laugh in defiance of the absurdity of life, our own mortality, and the petty battles we pick as our time in this fucked-up world races by us. But for every sequence that clicks, either by being thrillingly humorous or softly haunting, there are another three or five that lumber by with big ideas but diminishing returns. For their part, the cast dives in without fear of drowning in the metaphors. The family, which includes Ximena Lamadrid and Íker Sánchez Solano as Silverio's grown children, bickers with authenticity but slides into the absurd just as easily. Cacho shoulders the film with cool confidence, which makes him a compelling guide through this cerebral crisis. However, the film's ardent slipperiness kept me from being able to grab hold and feel rather than just see his trauma. In the end, Bardo is more mind-bending than heart-wrenching. It's psychologically interesting but not satisfyingly gripping. It's a trippy exploration of a man at war with himself. But in the end, Iñárritu doesn't seem sure what it means to win or lose that battle. So, perhaps the destination is not the point; maybe it's all about the journey. And if that's the case, Bardo is a rocky road, made up of moments of tenderness and outrageousness, as well as great swaths of ponderous conversations and tedious ennui. Your mileage may vary. Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths opened in theaters Nov. 4 with an expansion on Nov. 18. The movie will come to Netflix Dec. 16. View the full article

Qurodle is a reliable, daily activity in an otherwise unpredictable world. So what happens when Quordle is harder than you predicted? It can throw your life into disarray! 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?One words has a letter 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?S, A, S, and R. 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: STOKE APART STEAD ROUGH View the full article