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My TikTok FYP is full of viral products that are worth the hype (here’s looking at you, Solawave), but there are also a lot of viral products that are…less exciting. Deciphering between the two can be difficult, especially when it comes to products that don’t show “visible” results, like skin or haircare gadgets or the latest kitchen must-have. 

With that in mind, when I first heard about the Renpho Eyeris 3, I was a little skeptical. It’s a Bluetooth-enabled electronic eye massager that’s all over TikTok, and it’s easy to see why. The Eyeris 3 is a futuristic, voice-controlled device that provides multiple modes of massage pressure, heating, and an optional gel cooling mask — all while claiming to help you destress, treat eye fatigue, and even help with dry eyes.

But does it actually work? I spent a month with the Renpho Eyeris 3 to find out.

First thoughts: I wasn’t super excited to try the Renpho Eyeris 3

As someone who has always struggled with intense seasonal allergies and chronic dry eyes, I was both excited and nervous about trying the Eyeris 3. I’ve used various eye masks before, like microwaveable heat masks and cold compresses, and they all came with varying results. I’ve also learned to be more careful with my eye health in recent years, so I was nervous about using a device on such a sensitive area, despite seeing a few rave reviews of the Renpho Eyeris 3.

SEE ALSO: We tried Therabody's SmartGoggles designed to improve sleep, focus, and stress

After consulting with an eye doctor to make sure it was safe to use, I plucked up the courage to delve into my first session with the Eyeris 3, and I was pleased with how it went. Built similarly to a VR mask, the Eyeris 3 fits snuggly over your head — with an adjustable strap to find a comfortable fit — and it features both button control and a voice-activated assistant to navigate the various modes on the device. There are quite a few options to choose from, including the session length, heat level, air pressure intensity, vibration, massage area, and audio. It's also pretty easy to play around with these settings.

After a few minutes of experimenting, I settled into a 10-minute massage session with low heat, soft pressure, and binaural beats playing via Bluetooth to see if it was worth the hype.

Is the Renpho Eyeris 3 comfortable?

After a few sessions, I was happy to discover it was consistently comfortable. A lot of other at-home massage tools fluctuate wildly between not enough pressure and way too much, but I didn’t experience that with the Eyeris 3. To hit this “sweet spot,” the device uses air pressure to apply varying degrees of compression around your eye and temple area, not a physical massage tool, giving it a gentle touch that’s appropriate for the sensitive eye area.

The interior of the plastic mask features soft PU leather, as well as an adjustable strap, and I didn’t have any issues fitting it on my face. Even the weight of the mask didn’t bother me too much when I was lying flat, although I did find that I preferred to use it while sitting up in bed or on the couch.

In our testing, the Eyeris 3 was comfortable to wear. Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable The massager also folds up for storage. Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable

It was also easy to switch between no heat, low heat, medium heat, or high heat (with temperatures ranging from 104 degrees Fahrenheit to 113 degrees), and I loved that it was a gentle heat, even in high heat mode. I toggled between soft and strong pressure depending on the day, and I generally enjoyed all three of the massage area modes: tension relief (eye and temple massage), retinal protection mode (eyes only), and regeneration mode (temples only). I kept it on tension relief most of the time, but I occasionally used it without any massage pressure when I wanted to just apply heat.

I will say that the vibration mode was probably my least favorite feature, as it felt way too intense for my taste — and not at all comfortable. However, it was easy to toggle vibration on and off, so I skipped it entirely.

Does the Renpho Eyeris 3 actually work?

The Eyeris 3 is a decent relaxation tool. I reached for it most when I had a mild headache, but I also used it when my eyes felt fatigued after a long day of working at my computer. It was nice to take a few minutes to myself, and the option to add the cooling gel mask made it a little more versatile.

The heat functionality is definitely my favorite, and I did notice an improvement in my dry eye symptoms after using the mask. My eyes were a bit blurry for a few minutes after some sessions with the Eyeris 3, but a quick trip to Google told me this was fairly normal for dry eye sufferers — apparently, the heat can help open up oil glands — and it went away quickly.

I also found that the massage functionality gave me mild headache relief, but it wasn’t enough to really wow me, especially on a day when I suffered a nasty migraine. It felt nice to wear the mask, but it didn’t do much more than a hot or cold compress.

SEE ALSO: Hands-on with Therabody’s TheraFace Mask

As far as some of the other purported benefits, like using vibration mode to boost skin elasticity and brighten dull skin? These felt more like gimmicks than actual benefits, and I certainly never noticed any changes or improvements in my under-eye area. I also didn’t notice improvement to my insomnia or sleep quality. Yes, it was relaxing to use, but it didn’t give me “more” than meditation or breathing exercises at bedtime.

Is it safe to use?

A research review conducted in 2022 determined that eye warming devices are generally safe and effective for those with dry eyes, but I wanted to talk to an expert before trying the Eyeris 3 for myself. Thankfully, I discovered that they are OK to use, but there are a few things you should watch out for with at-home eye massagers.

“Not everyone’s anatomy is the same,” explained Dr. Carly Rose, an optometrist and dry eye specialist. “[So] where it hit you, that’s going to be different than where it hits someone else...so it’s not going to be nearly as customized as if you just do it yourself.”

While hot compresses are generally recognized as part of good eye health, she warned that devices that get too hot, especially in combination with intense pressure on the eye, can cause corneal warping.

This shouldn’t be an issue as long as the temperature isn’t too intense, but Dr. Rose recommends skipping the heat entirely if you have ocular rosacea or intense allergies (since the heat can sometimes make your eyes itchier). If you rubbed your eyes a lot as a kid, or if you have glaucoma or keratoconus, you’ll probably want to skip using the massage feature as well.

If you want to make sure you’re using it safely, she recommends starting low and slow with no more than 20 minutes a day. Just make sure to talk to your doctor if you notice any vision changes that persist, avoid putting direct pressure on the eyeball itself, and — if you’re experiencing regular eye discomfort — always talk to your doctor.

“Your eyes should feel comfortable on a regular basis,” she adds. “So if they don’t, then figure out why.”

This eye massager boasts a decent battery life and voice controls. Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable Using voice commands

Aside from enjoying some of the benefits of the Eyeris 3 — like using it as a hot compress — I was also impressed with the device’s voice-activated controls. It was far more sensitive than I thought it would be, and it made switching between various modes easy. I didn’t need to worry about guessing which button I was pushing or taking the mask off to make an adjustment.

Renpho Eyeris 3 battery life

The 90-minute charging time was a little slower than I would’ve liked, but the 90-minute battery life served me well. Because I was only using the device in 10-minute sessions, I didn’t feel like I was constantly charging it, and I never ran out of power mid-session.

What I didn’t like about the Eyeris 3: Vibration and speakers

While the Eyeris 3 didn’t have any major dealbreakers, I did find some issues while using the mask. The vibration feature was definitely the biggest drawback. It was loud, jolting, and almost unsettling. This might vary based on personal preference, but it felt more like a marketing gimmick than a genuine benefit.

I also didn’t love the Bluetooth functionality or the built-in speakers. In theory, it was nice to pair the Eyeris 3 to my iPhone to listen to music, but the speaker quality was so terrible that I didn't use them. I also didn’t like the additional built-in sound options — like birds chirping and water sounds — because they were pretty “harsh” sounds that looped far too quickly. Most of the time, I used the Eyeris 3 in silence or opted for my own earbuds.

And, while the Renpho Eyeris 3 does boast an improved, quieter built-in motor than previous models, it still felt pretty loud. It wasn’t a huge deal if I was wearing earbuds, but I could see it bothering headache sufferers who are particularly sound-sensitive.

Is the Renpho Eyeris 3 worth the hype?

Honestly, not really. I hate to say it, but the Renpho Eyeris 3 just feels “meh” as a relaxation tool. Does it feel relaxing? Sure. But could you feel equally relaxed by spending 10 minutes with a warm towel over your eyes? Probably.

At $129.99 (or $89 when it's on sale) the Renpho Eyeris 3 is pretty expensive, and it wasn’t much better than non-electric warm and cold eye masks available for $10 on Amazon. Yes, the heat lasts longer, but is it worth the extra splurge? For some people, maybe. For me, not so much.

While the massage function was decently comfortable, it's not something I’ll use long-term. For the average user, I think it's likely to collect dust in the corner of your closet.

That being said, it might be worth trying if you have regular headaches or eye fatigue and regular compresses aren't doing the trick. If you’re operating on a budget, maybe try a DIY eye compress, self-massage, or low-cost option first.

Renpho Eyeris 3 $89.99 at Amazon
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Amy Winehouse burned bright and fast in the cruel firmament of fame. Her voice, slick with whiskey and pain, sang of heartbreak and addiction with an intoxicating honesty. Her lyrics, inspired by her real and rough life, were celebrated and memorized, even as she fell to pieces before our eyes. The paparazzi and late-night comedians flocked like vultures, picking her apart from her beehive to her bloody ballet flats. And now, a new biopic has come to pillage her very bones. 

Named for her Emmy-winning album, Back to Black centers on Winehouse's rise to fame, her romance with toxic muse Blake Fielder-Civil, and her struggles with bulimia and substance abuse. For good measure, screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh, who scripted the John Lennon-inspired Nowhere Boy, also wedges in a mawkish thread about thwarted motherhood and a depiction of Winehouse's father that is damn near saintly. 

SEE ALSO: 'Back to Black' international teaser trailer gives first glimpse of Amy Winehouse biopic

Shoved within a frustratingly conventional musician biopic framework by director Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy, Fifty Shades of Grey), the result is a film that is most shocking how bland it is. Yet there's a sly slant that feels downright insulting. Not only does Back to Black fail to capture the spirit of Amy Winehouse, it crassly presents her story as a cringeworthy cautionary tale. 

Back to Black plays like a funhouse mirror to Amy.  Credit: Dean Rogers / Focus Features

In 2015, Asif Kapadia unveiled Amy, a celebrated documentary about Winehouse that featured interviews with her close friends and musical colleagues, ex-husband Fielder-Civil, and parents Mitch and Janis Winehouse. Using a slew of home movies intercut with archival footage of Winehouse's performances, TV appearances, and talk show interviews, Amy offered audiences a look at who the English star was on stage and behind the scenes. The voices of her friends filled in the gaps left by her absence, painting a portrait of a young woman who dedicated herself to her music but loathed fame. 

SEE ALSO: The 20 best documentaries on YouTube to entertain and teach you

The documentary also paints Fielder-Civil as a bad influence who toyed with Winehouse's affections, got her hooked on hard drugs, and was an obstacle to her getting clean. Meanwhile, her friends depict her father as a louse who exploited her success and gave her bad advice, like that she didn't need to go to rehab ahead of recording her second studio album, Back to Black. As her song "Rehab" goes, "I ain't got the time, and if my daddy thinks I'm fine." 

In the movie Back to Black, both men are given a far more sympathetic portrayal, one that practically exonerates them for their roles in Amy's troubles and early demise. As for the friends who (per Amy and paparazzi reports) begged her to get help for her addiction issues, they are relegated to barely there supporting players, chiefly popping up at performances to cheer or look concerned. This script choice means the onscreen Amy — played by a determined Marisa Abela — is a lonely figure, leaning hard on these two men, as well as a beloved grandmother (Lesley Manville) who is crudely employed as a plot point. 

Jack O'Connell and Eddie Marsan give Blake Fielder-Civil and Mitch Winehouse movie makeovers.  Credit: Dean Rogers / Focus Features

Jack O'Connell, the English actor who first won praise for the prison drama Starred Up, brings a movie star swagger to the role of Blake. Greenhalgh's script is achingly stodgy in its storytelling, lumbering from one cliched moment to another: Musician has a bad night, but inspiration strikes and out comes the guitar. However, the meet-cute between Blake and Amy — while prolonged — is undeniably charming. 

It's a seedy bar. She's underage. He rolls in, flaunting gambling money won at the track. A drink leads to a game of pool, which leads to him coaxing her to sing. The chemistry between O'Connell and Abela sizzles like a freshly lit cigarette. You can tell it's no good for either of them, but oh, the burn feels so good! To Taylor-Johnson's credit, this introduction to their love is so enveloping that it invites us to understand how these two came together. Subsequent scenes, however, become a sloppy tumble of red flags involving hard drugs, domestic violence (committed by her), and devastating jealousy. 

Juxtaposed against all the tumult of Blake, Mitch seems to offer an eternal calm. Played by Eddie Marsan with a proud poppa grin, Mitch is presented as a father who believes in the occasional tough love advice, but who is also (tragically) blind to the peril his daughter is in until it's too late. For instance, the infamous moment where Mitch urges Amy away from rehab is played as an honest mistake by a protective dad who doesn't know how bad things have gotten. 

If you believe Amy, this is an egregiously generous portrait of the father/manager who pushed Winehouse to tour when she was at a breaking point — and hired a camera crew to follow them on a family vacation when she was in recovery. (Neither of these events is featured in Back to Black.)  While Taylor-Johnson insists the Winehouse family had "no involvement" in the execution of the film, Back to Black was approved by the Winehouse estate, which — per Billboard — is administered by Mitch Winehouse.

Going into the film, I didn't know all this. And yet the fingerprints all over Amy's story make it feel so greasily managed that it is hard to stomach. 

Back to Black reduces Amy Winehouse to a sexist cliche.  Credit: Dean Rogers / Focus Features

The most interesting element of Back to Black is Amy's relationship with her grandmother Cynthia, whom the real-life Winehouse idolized so much she had her tattooed as a pin-up on her left arm. The two connected over a love of jazz and fashion. In the movie, it's Cynthia who first gives Amy her signature beehive in a tender bonding moment. These scenes are enriching, giving a sense of who Amy aspired to be outside of Blake's wifey and "Daddy's Girl" (as another Winehouse tattoo reads). But from the moment Cynthia is introduced, you can tell she's doomed to die soon, just as you can when a World War II soldier mentions he's got a swell girl back home. 

Manville brings a brassy warmth to Cynthia, a doting grandma but also a badass broad who knows the power of wearing cheetah print and a bold red lip. The film undercuts her by scripting every scene like it's her last, complete with mournful stares and haunting life advice. We all know granny is going to die, and so we feel sorry for poor Amy who can't see it coming. Using Cynthia's death to create dramatic tension and as a low point for Amy might be sensible scripting, but it also reduces this complex woman to something that happened to her granddaughter. Then, incredibly, Amy is reduced as well, by the film's insidious motherhood thread. 

Amy Winehouse deserves better than the baby subplot.  Credit: Dean Rogers / Focus Features

In the movie, Amy repeatedly longs for a baby. She tells this to Blake, who scoffs. She says it to a random child in a convenience store. She moons over a baby before finally telling her dad, "Please take me to rehab." 

Implied within this is the idea that it is more tragic Winehouse died so young because she could have been a mother. It's not tragic enough that she was an incredibly talented woman who should have had years ahead of her to figure out her love life, boundaries, and identity beyond being a celebrity. Back to Black urges audiences to mourn for the theoretical babies that could have been. Because on top of being a wife, daughter, granddaughter, Grammy-winner, singer, and songwriter, Amy Winehouse could have been a vessel for a baby. As Amy looks sweetly at the chubby-cheeked infant she'll never have, we're meant to weep for that lost option alongside her. And frankly, I find that twisted. 

At best, the maternity thread is aiming to suggest Winehouse had simple — yet unattainable —desires, despite her worldwide fame and acclaim. Perhaps it's intended to make her more relatable or likable. But, god, what could be more insulting to Winehouse's memory than trying to make her either?

Amy Winehouse was famous because of her singularity. She sang like no other. She shined on stage and lashed out off it. She had a fashion sense that was trashy and classy, classic and modern. She was an original who brought something raw, moving, and beautiful to her songs. Why does she have to also be relatable? Why does she have to be softened with a tedious script, a baby subplot, and countless shots of Abela staring off morosely into the mid-distance? Winehouse was already fascinating, and her life story had plenty of dramatic events to choose from without a manufactured maternal angle.

To her credit, Abela's performance is sincere, channeling yearning into her dialogue and the solid covers she performs of Winehouse's songs. In the end, the overall portrait is sweet but shallow. The mischievousness of Winehouse is absent, as is the roaring heat of her rage. The film will fleetingly remind audiences of her eating disorder, domestic violence, and drug abuse, but the balance Back to Black strives for is a cuddliness that feels flimsy at best and condescending to the audience at worse.

This papering over of Winehouse and her story isn't just bland and boring — it's offensive. Rather than a warts-and-all portrayal of her and her inner circle, Back to Black offers garish sentimentality over complexity, smoothing away rough edges until all that is left of Winehouse are the broad shapes of her life and loss. In the end, the film suggests history isn't only written by the winners, but also those losers looking to make a buck off exploiting the memory of the dead. 

Back to Black opens in theaters across the U.S. on May 17.

One of the best things about Shudder is that it's custom-made for horror lovers. The streaming service is a library of harrowing horror, spooky comedies, and hidden gems, including not only programming from the early stages of the medium but also entries from all around the world. Still, subscribers might be a bit perplexed when they see the promos for Shudder's latest acquisition: Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever. What is this movie's deal?

Maybe the name is familiar. Perhaps the premise strikes a chord, echoing some long ago serial killer thriller. Well, that's because Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever is a sequel, released 30 years after the freaky film that inspired it. But if you're an American, you might be more familiar with the Hollywood remake that hit a few short years later. (Though, considering how it tanked, that too might be a hazy memory!)

Let's whisk away the cobwebs of foggy memories and banish confusion, so you can revisit the Nightwatch franchise with ease. Or better yet, let this be the launchpad for a murder movie marathon.

SEE ALSO: The best movies on Shudder that you can't stream anywhere else Nightwatch (aka Nattevagten, 1994)

Written and directed by Danish filmmaker Ole Bornedal, Nightwatch stars a pre-Game of Thrones Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Martin Bork, a law student who moonlights as a night guard at the Forensic Medicine Institute. He hopes this job will give him a quiet place to study or screw around, as he's essentially guarding corpses. It's an eerie gig, complete with cavernous hallways, flickering lights, and a workflow tutorial that includes being warned about how the smell of the dead is contagious. But things go from creepy to catastrophic once the remains of a sex worker who's been killed and scalped turn up in his morgue. Strange events around the institute not only have Martin freaked out, but also suggest the mysterious murderer is framing him for his crimes.

But there's more to Nightwatch than horror. Amid these nighttime scenes of terror, Bornedal spins a darkly funny tale of friendship. The film begins with Martin on a double date with his cheerful girlfriend, Kalinka (Sofie Gråbøl), his mischievous bro-friend, Jen (Kim Bodnia), and Jen's vicar-in-training girlfriend, Lotte (Lotte Anderson). As both couples are coming to the end of their college educations, Martin and Jen feel threatened by the expectation to settle down into a boring married life. So begins a series of juvenile bets. 

Jen and Martin will subject each other to dares, and whoever turns one down will be forced to get married. Martin is at first a willing participant, even pushing Jen to publicly humiliate Lotte in a sacrilegious prank. But then one of Martin's dares involves a skittish sex worker named Joyce (Rikke Louise Andersson), who later turns up dead. This spurs Martin to suspect his acerbic friend could be the scalping killer. Potentially paranoid and definitely afraid, Martin the twentysomething thrill-seeker is forced to face off with a merciless murderer while he tries to save his own name and his doting girlfriend, who could be the next target. 

Nightwatch screened as part of Critic's Week at the Cannes Film Festival in 1994. Both Coster-Waldau and Andersson scored acting nominations for Denmark's Bodil Awards, with Andersson winning Best Supporting Actress. So, perhaps it's little surprise that American film producers sought to find success with an English-language remake. 

How to watch: Nightwatch (1994) debuts on Shudder on May 17.

Nightwatch (1997)

In the mid-1990s, the distributor Dimension Films was making a name for itself with gleefully twisted movies, releasing the cult-adored revenge thriller The Crow, Robert Rodriguez's vampire slaughter fest From Dusk Till Dawn, and 1996's iconic slasher stunner Scream. A star-studded reimagining of Nightwatch seemed a no-brainer. (Be sure to watch the trailer above for Dimension Films' very 1990s voiceover!) 

Bornedal returned to helm, and collaborated on the remake's screenplay with Steven Soderberg, who would go on to direct such hit movies as Out of Sight, Erin Brockovich, and Ocean's Eleven. At this point, however, Soderberg was best known for his Palme D'or winning directorial debut, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, a drama where sex and secrets made for scorching cinema. In short, the pair seemed like a natural fit.

The English-language version of Nightwatch recast its central crew. Post-Trainspotting, Ewan McGregor starred as Martin, opposite Patricia Arquette as his girlfriend; Josh Brolin as his best friend, James; and Lauren Graham as James' girlfriend, Marie. The films were very similar, save for three key differences. The opening sequence of the American version dives straight into a murder scene, followed then by the double date seen in the original's opening. The comedy born from social awkwardness in the perturbing pranks was largely clipped from this American release, including chopping off the first film's double-wedding finale. And in a curious lateral move in gore, this Nightwatch killer didn't scalp his victims. He cuts out their eyes instead. 

This thriller should have been a win for Dimension Films. Not only did it fit with their brand for provocative and scary thrillers, but also it brandished hot stars and a rising American filmmaker. But the film was a flop, trashed by critics and raking in only $1.3 million in the U.S., far below its reported $10 million budget.

Some of the actors involved in the remake blamed the producers. Nick Nolte, who plays a cop investigating the murders, said to Entertainment Weekly in 1999, "I had seen the original and it was slow, European, psychological. It was one of the scariest films I’ve ever seen. I said to Ole, ‘Why do you want to remake this?’ As the studio got it, they realized that they had a European-paced film, and they kept hacking at it and hacking at it.”

McGregor specifically blamed Dimension Films producer Harvey Weinstein for the failure, telling WHO Magazine in 2021, "He ruined that film. That was a remake of a Danish movie with all these interesting elements to it. Weinstein made us reshoot everyhing — everything that was interesting about that film, he replaced."

How to watch: Nightwatch (1997) is now streaming on Pluto TV.

Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever (2024)

Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever picks up 30 years after the events of the original Nightwatch. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau reprises the role of Martin, who is now a father to college student Emma (Fanny Leander Bornedal). Like her dad did decades ago, Emma takes the very same night watch job at the very same institute and the very same desk post. Bornedal, who scripted and helms this sequel, even repeats some of the same shots in the recurring location of the Forensic Medicine Institute. But with the original killer long ago caught, where could this story go? 

Well, Nightwatch: Generational Trauma might have been a more accurate title for this movie. (This franchise isn't supernatural, so the "demons" in the title are more of the metaphorical "inner demons" variety.) While Martin and Kalinka (and Lotte and Jen) did marry, they couldn't find happily ever after — not after all they endured on the night the killer came calling.

In Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever, audiences learn that the foursome of friends are far-flung. Kalinka has long ago died by suicide, and while Lotte is still a vicar, she hasn't seen Martin and Emma since her friend's funeral. As for Jen, he bailed on Lotte long ago and went abroad to Thailand, chasing down fleeting pleasures to run from the trauma of it all. As for her father, he takes tranquilizers and refuses to move on, lost in a world of his own loss.

Emma's father and his friends refuse to talk about exactly what went down, but she needs answers about why their lives fell apart. So Emma becomes fixated on talking to the incarcerated killer, sparking a fresh series of violent crimes (including a scalping!) — and pulling her foursome of friends into the murderous mix. (Nina Rask as the fiery Maria is a standout). Meanwhile, some of the original cast — including Bodna as Jen — returns, bringing together old school and new school much like the relaunched Scream franchise did with its fifth and sixth installments. 

Will Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever be a one-off sequel? Or are the scares and characters here so rich and compelling that Nightwatch might successfully relaunch a serial killer franchise of its own? You be the judge when you give this one (or all three) a watch. 

How to watch: Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever debuts on Shudder on May 17. 

When it comes to great comedies about female friendship, there's a range in tone, running from the bubbly fun of Clueless and Romy and Michele's High School Reunion to the raunchy joys of For a Good Time, Call... and Booksmart to the great gross-out gags of Girls Trip and Bridesmaids. Now, Babes has come to join their ranks, folding in all of the above, plus maternity mayhem. 

Before we even get to the premise, Babes is led by a trio of badass comediennes. Better Things' Pamela Adlon makes her feature directorial debut. Survival of the Thickest's Michelle Buteau co-stars with Broad City's Ilana Glazer, who also co-wrote the screenplay. Together, they tell a story of friendship that feels personal, poignant, bonkers, and distinctly New York. 

What's Babes about? 

Besties since they were kids, Dawn (Buteau) and Eden (Glazer) have a bond that even a husband can't compete with. When Dawn's water breaks for baby number two, Eden's not only the one taking a peek beneath her skirt to see how dilated she is, she's also the one urging this Manhattan mama to enjoy one last big brunch before that baby wrecks their planned hang. With an opening sequence involving much splashing of amniotic fluid, Babes makes its mark as a movie that gives no fucks about a squeamish audience, dealing in several kinds of bodily fluids and poop to boot.

The script by Glazer and Broad City scribe Josh Rabinowitz establishes these two women friends as on different adulting tracks. Dawn has a grown-up job as a dentist, a doting husband (Hasan Minhaj), a brownstone on the Upper West Side, and a pair of young kids, while Eden is a single yoga instructor whose one-bedroom apartment in hip but quirky Astoria is also her studio for classes. ("It's called fourth-floor walk-up yoga.") Where Dawn is balancing demands from kids, professional advancement, and struggles with breastfeeding, Eden's happily getting high and hooking up with a dashing aspiring actor (Stephan James) she met on the subway. 

OK, admittedly, that meet-cute sounds sketchy. Remarkably, Adlon makes New York's skunky public transit system a place of enchantment as the two strangers enjoy overpriced sushi, winding conversation, and an undeniable connection. But fate throws Eden a detour when this romantic tryst leaves her knocked up. As she grapples with what motherhood for her might look like, she turns to Dawn. However, the overworked mom worries her free-spirited pal might become another obligation in her already strained schedule. Can their friendship survive this pregnancy? 

Babes embraces the weirder aspects of female friendship. 

As hinted by the casualness with which Eden will take a peek at Dawn's vaginal canal, this is a friendship that is deeply intimate and largely judgment-free. When a stressed-out Dawn wants to get high on shrooms and pronounces she wants to be a cow (successfully delivering milk), Eden hands her the drugs and cheers her on. Like the lovable odd couple in Apple TV+'s Platonic, the daffy duo works because one of them can get wild while the other has her back. 

This makes for sequences that are laugh-out-loud funny, in part because of Buteau and Glazer's candor and blinding charisma. It's not so much yes and as YES QUEEN AND! When it comes to body humor, bawdy humor, or potty humor, neither flinches. Their bold embrace of all of Babes' raunchiest jokes makes for punchlines and visual gags that hit like Mike Tyson. 

Glazer's Broad City energy lives on as she plays another adult who refuses to be defined by society's demands of boring decorum. So, when Eden comes up with a birth plan, of course it has a campy theme to which everyone — even a humorless doula — must commit without question. Even when she's at her most extra, it's easy to see why Dawn is drawn to Eden, who is optimistic and loving.

Buteau, who has been dynamic in comedy since she was stealing scenes in Key & Peele, brings a "don't fuck with me, fellas" energy to her no-nonsense New Yorker. But she brightens when the chance comes to cut loose. Together, the two bring out the best in each other, and it's hilarious. For instance, in a maternity photoshoot for Eden, they're on the same wacky wavelength, embracing their inner Beyoncé — even if they're in a teeny backyard that by standards outside of NYC would read less glamorous and more grungy. 

Babes is a proudly New York comedy. 

Hot on the heels of Julio Torres' Problemista, Babes showcases a version of New York that blends its possibilities with its problems. Where many comedies set in New York revel in the city's skyscrapers and picturesque landmarks, Babes celebrates the less romantic elements. Absurdly convoluted subway transfers, antiquated plumbing in high-cost homes, and eccentric doctors (played with panache by John Carroll Lynch and twin comedians Keith Lucas and Kenny Lucas) are not just plot points but world-building, creating an urban landscape where excitement and anxiety scatter like cockroaches, plentiful and alarming! 

The distinction between Dawn's neighborhood and Eden's makes for a crisp visual picture of where they are in their lives, while the literal river between them warns of a distance that's getting harder and harder to overcome. Yet there's a clear affection for the city, not just from the characters, who relish in an annual tradition of a Thanksgiving movie in a near-empty theater, but also from the lead actresses, who stomp and skip down the sidewalk like they own it. The supporting cast, which also includes Sandra Bernhard and Oliver Platt, deepens this authenticity, with the actors playing friends and family who are naturally bursting with personality —  whether it's exhaustion, neuroses, or ardent empathy — the moment they appear onscreen. All the bit parts in this comedy come alive, down to a chatty plumber with a big heart. 

Everyone who crosses the paths of these two are memorable and amusing, and in this weird way, Babes pays tribute to New York and its weirdos, and all the rules they refuse to follow. Among them, Dawn and Eden are queens who, despite their hardships, see each other as they do the city: more fabulous than fucked up.

In the end, Babes is a comedy that is unabashedly outrageous and rambunctiously heartfelt. While you may howl with laughter and gasp at a gross-out gag, you'll also walk away with a big smile — and maybe a bit more appreciation for your own quirks.

Babes was reviewed out of SXSW 2024 and is now in theaters. 

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for May 17 SEE ALSO: 'Wordle' today: Here's the answer hints for May 17

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, May 17, 2024:

AcrossPiece on an abacus

• The answer is bead.

Q: Why was the mushroom invited to parties? A: He was a real ___!

• The answer is fungi.

Comedian Murphy

• The answer is eddie.

Full-price ticket category, as opposed to "child," "student" or "senior"

• The answer is adult.

Use a keyboard

• The answer is type.

DownStereotypical dog's name

• The answer is Buddy.

Eventually become

• The answer is endup.

Light on one's feet

• The answer is agile.

A panda's is 99% bamboo

• The answer is diet.

No mean ___ (quite an accomplishment)

• The answer is feat.

Leaving a company that’s been your professional home for years, even decades, can feel both thrilling and daunting. Here’s how to handle some of the common psychological challenges you might encounter as you consider making the leap. Resist rumination. Instead, test your new career interests using small experiments. Whether it’s deepening a hobby or launching a […]

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TL;DR: Through May 22, you can get the OfficeSuite Lifetime License personal plan for only £19.70 for life. Family access plans are also on sale for £35.49 — 75% off the usual price.

We’re living in a subscription-based world. From streaming services to cloud storage memberships, it’s painful to see each charge deducted from our paychecks. Especially when those hefty Microsoft 365 and Google Drive storage fees come through.

You might be able to ditch both of those recurring costs with a lifetime subscription to OfficeSuite, a Microsoft and Google Suite alternative. Right here, you can sign up for their personal plan (one user) for just £19.70 (reg. £94.67) or the family plan (six users) for £35.49 (reg. £142.02) — a significant price drop since the last time this software went on sale.

Fully compatible and versatile

Each OfficeSuite app packs in a variety of tools for day-to-day tasks and larger projects. Enjoy a familiar user interface and full compatibility with most major file types. Here’s a closer look at the apps you’re getting:

• Documents for word processing, writing, and collaboration. 

• Sheets to create spreadsheets for budgeting, calculations, and data filtering.

• Slides to throw together stunning presentations with templates.

• Mail and Calendar to manage all of your email accounts in one central place.

• PDF packs in a PDF reader and converter in one.

Lifetime deals for single or family users

OfficeSuite aims to simplify your school, professional, or creative tasks with seamless access across devices. This all comes with 50GB of included cloud storage, all for a one-time fee.

Currently, OfficeSuite supports Windows PC, iOS, and Android mobile devices. With the personal plan, one user can access apps on up to three devices, and with the family plan, six users can each use three devices.

Choose the best plan for your needs with the lowest prices:

• OfficeSuite: Lifetime Subscription (Personal Plan), on sale for £19.70 (reg. £94.67)

• OfficeSuite: Lifetime Subscription (Family Plan), on sale for £35.49 (reg. £142.02)

Prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: MobiSystems OfficeSuite One-Time Purchase: Lifetime License (Personal Plan) £19.70
£94.67 Save £74.97 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: MobiSystems OfficeSuite One-Time Purchase: Lifetime License (Family Plan) £35.49
£142.02 Save £106.53 Get Deal

TL;DR: Watch Mumbai Indians vs. Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL for free on JioCinema. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Cricket lovers have been well and truly hooked by this year's IPL, and it's not over yet.

We've only got a few games left of the regular season, and the next fixture sees the Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians take to the field. The two teams went head-to-head at the end of April, with the Lucknow Super Giants taking the victory by four wickets.

If you want to watch the latest IPL fixture for free from anywhere in the world, here's all you need to know.

When is Mumbai Indians vs. Lucknow Super Giants?

Mumbai Indians vs. Lucknow Super Giants starts at 3 p.m. BST on May 17. This fixture will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India.

How to watch Mumbai Indians vs. Lucknow Super Giants for free

You can find this match, and others from the IPL on JioCinema. The streaming service is providing free live streams of every IPL cricket match this season in 4K resolution on its app.

You'll need to bypass some restrictions, however, as JioCinema is geo-restricted to India. But don't worry, anyone can unblock this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in India, meaning you can access JioCinema from anywhere in the world.

Unblock JioCinema to stream the IPL 2024 by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit JioCinema (you will need an Indian phone number to subscribe)

5. Watch Mumbai Indians vs. Lucknow Super Giants for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

Most of the best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these offers, you can watch IPL live streams without parting with any of your cash. While not a long-term solution, it does mean you can watch select IPL fixtures for free.

What is the best VPN for JioCinema?

ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking JioCinema, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including India

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream the IPL for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix for free on ORF, ServusTV, or RTBF. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2023 edition of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was cancelled due to heavy rainfall and floods, but we're back this year and expectations are high for an entertaining weekend of racing. Sure, Max Verstappen will probably win. But we continue to believe that this season of F1 will magically become more competitive.

If you're interested in watching the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, we've got all the information you need.

When is the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?

The 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix takes place over 63 laps of the 4,909-kilometre Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, commonly known as Imola. The full schedule can be found here:

• Practice 1 — 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. ET on May 17

• Practice 2 — 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET on May 17

• Practice 3 — 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. ET on May 18

• Qualifying — 10 to 11 a.m. ET on May 18

• Race — 11 a.m. ET on May 19

It is possible to stream the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix without spending anything.

How to watch the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix for free

You can live stream the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix for free on these streaming platforms:

• Austria — ORF or ServusTV (12 races each)

• Belgium — RTBF (every race)

ORF, ServusTV, and RTBF are geo-restricted, meaning you'll be blocked if you attempt to connect from outside Austria and Belgium. Fortunately, you can bypass these restrictions with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, meaning you can access these streaming services to watch F1 for free from anywhere in the world.

Unblock free streaming services by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Austria or Belgium

4. Connect to ORF, ServusTV, or RTBF

5. Watch the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch F1 live streams for free. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it does mean you can stream the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix without actually spending anything.

What is the best VPN for F1?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for live streaming F1 for free, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Austria and Belgium

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is protected

• Fast streaming speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Grand Prix for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Through May 22, gain a whole new perspective with these mini digital night vision binoculars, on sale for $89.97 (reg. $159).

There's just something relaxing about getting outside and enjoying nature. Whether you're hiking, camping, cycling, boating, or whatever else you enjoy, there are tools that can elevate your time outside and help make it memorable. These mini HD digital night vision binoculars can help you appreciate and save the view, and they are on sale for just $89.97 (reg. $159) through May 22.

Get a closer look at a beautiful landscape, sunset, or subject with the binocular's 10x magnification, which is made to let you see the finer details. It also has 4x digital zoom on the 2.4-inch HD screen and 1080p quality for recording videos. And if you like to experience nature's finest at dusk or night, these binoculars can show you what's going on in complete darkness up to 328 yards away.

With its high-def night or day recording capabilities, you can capture clear shots and videos of your favorite moments to share with family and friends, day or night. Plus, it has seven brightness levels and offers color effects like black and white and luminous red. 

One of the big advantages of these binoculars is that they are designed with portability in mind. Pocket-sized at less than half a pound, you can easily keep them in your bag, backpack, camper, tent, or even coat pocket so you have them ready to go when you're out.

These modern binoculars come with a 32GB memory card and can help elevate any day or night outdoors enjoying Mother Nature.

Pick up these mini HD digital night vision binoculars with 1080p recording while they're on sale for $89.97 (reg. $159) through May 22 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mesay Mini Dual Tube Digital Night Vision Binoculars with 1080p HD Recording $89.97 at the Mashable Shop
$159.99 Save $70.02 Get Deal

TL;DR: Through May 22, get alerts to savings on international and domestic flights with this subscription to Matt's Flights Premium Plan for just $79.97 (reg. $1,800).

Travel enthusiasts, take note. For those looking to explore the world without breaking the bank or adding to their credit debt, Matt's Flights Premium Plan offers an opportunity to save on airfare as a flight alert service. Now, through May 22, you can secure a lifetime subscription for just $79.97, which is a significant reduction from its usual price.

When you sign up for Matt's Flights, you'll pick your preferred departure airports. The service then looks everywhere for the most affordable prices and mistake fares and sends them to you to check out. 

You will have access to both domestic and international flights in a variety of seat classes. You also get one-on-one flight planning help from Matt himself. All you need to do is email him where and when to get planning support twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. 

More than just automated alerts, Matt's Flights offers a personalized touch, allowing subscribers to request searches for specific destinations. 

One of the benefits of subscribing is its easy-to-use model. There is no complex interface to navigate or tedious forms to fill out. Subscribers receive straightforward emails with details of the best deals, including instructions on how to book directly with the airlines. This hassle-free approach means that most of the hard work is done for you.

Matt’s Flights Premium Plan can be a game-changer for anyone passionate about travel but cautious about spending. 

Access lifetime savings on international and domestic flights with this lifetime subscription to Matt's Flights Premium Plan for just $79.97 (reg. $1,800) until May 22 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Matt's Flights Matt's Flights Premium Plan (Lifetime Subscription) - Save up to 90% on Domestic & International flights $79.97 at the Mashable Shop
$1,800.00 Save $1,720.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Through May 22, save some money and get this refurbished MacBook Air on sale for $247.99 (reg. ($700).

Anyone looking for a laptop has difficulty finding a balance between performance and price. This can be especially true for those who enjoy Apple's design and reliability but don't love the typical hefty price tag. Getting a refurbished device could be a way to get the best of both worlds. For example, this MacBook Air is on sale for $247.99 (reg. ($700).

Those who need an everyday work or personal computer to get them through most standard tasks could find this Air ideal. While it may be older and have a little less modern tech, it has been cleaned and inspected to work well. The grade "B" refurbished rating means it might have some light cosmetic blemishes, but that's part of the reason you are able to get it at a steeply reduced price.

It has 128GB of storage and 4GB RAM, which is probably enough for multitasking. However, if your job requires you to work with huge files, this might not be an ideal fit. 

The Intel Core i5 processor and Intel HD Graphics 6000 allow for a smooth performance, whether you're creating work spreadsheets, browsing the web, or streaming your favorite shows on the 11.6-inch LED-backlit active-matrix glossy display. The Turbo Boost 2.0 tech even allows you to get up to 2.7GHz.

This Air has Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi capability and a battery that's built to last up to nine hours on a charge. It offers two USB 3.0 ports and a Thunderbolt 2 port, and also comes with a black protective case.

Whether you're a student looking for a reliable laptop for school, a professional needing a secondary computer for travel, or just someone wanting to try out macOS without the hefty initial investment, this MacBook Air refurb is worth a longer look.

Get this refurbished 11" Apple MacBook Air on sale for $247.99 (reg. ($700) for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air 11.6-inch 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 128GB - Black (Refurbished) $247.99 at the Mashable Shop
$700.00 Save $452.01 Get Deal

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for May 17's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Study helper.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter T appears twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter T.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to Wordle #1063 is...

TUTOR.

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

Reporting by Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for May 17's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Dishonest

• Green: Extend a hand to

• Blue: Inanimate art subjects

• Purple: Types of beer

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

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

• Yellow: Corrupt

• Green: Reach Out To

• Blue: Classic Still Life Components

• Purple: Beer___

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to Connections #341 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Corrupt: BASE, DIRTY, LOW, VILE

• Reach Out To: CONTACT, MESSAGE, PING, TEXT

• Classic Still Life Components: FRUIT, PITCHER, SKULL, TABLECLOTH

• Beer___: BATTER, CAN, GARDEN, PONG

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

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

Do you think you can wait a year and a half to play GTA 6? Sorry, but it seems like you don't have a choice.

In an interview with IGN, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick said pretty explicitly that we should expect the next entry in the GTA series to launch late next year. Previously, the game was announced with a vague release window of just "2025," so Zelnick's comments should help narrow things down for those who simply need GTA VI in their lives.

"We do feel highly confident that we'll deliver [Grand Theft Auto VI] in fall of 2025," Zelnick said, per IGN.

This news will surely disappoint those who were holding out hope that it might come out earlier in 2025, but what's another few months when you've been waiting for the next GTA since 2013?

GTA VI has, obviously, been a magnet for rumor-mongering and discussion online for more than a decade at this point. After years of speculation (and leaks), Rockstar confirmed the game in December with a Tom Petty-set trailer. It's a modern take on previous series setting Vice City, which is a not-especially-subtle pastiche of Miami.

At this point, you probably already know if you're excited for GTA VI or not. Now, the waiting game begins. Or continues, I guess.

I'll get straight to the point: there's no "off" button for Google's new AI Overviews feature. There is instead a "Web" button, buried in the "More" section of Google's familiar row of buttons that look sort of like folder tabs, along side things like "Images" and "News."

Credit: Mashable screenshot of a Google search results page

Searching the new "Web" tab will get you the sort of results page you're used to, with no AI-written summary of Google's finding — just some links.

Credit: Mashable screenshot of a Google search results page

There's a more elaborate, but much more complete solution to your problem as well, and I'll go into that below. Using the Web option, however, is the simplest way out of the mess you've found yourself in.

Why is Google like this?

To back up a bit, Google is an AI company now, and as such, it fire-hosed new AI features out into the world earlier this week at its developer conference, Google I/O. This was just one of those.

AI overviews aren't quite new. They've been available as an opt-in for the AI-curious for months, but Google apparently liked what it was seeing, and turned them into the default for hundreds of millions of users across the U.S., with a planned expansion to over a billion users around the world in the works.

SEE ALSO: Google is lowering deepfake porn in search rankings

Broadly speaking, users who don't like this feature must choose the Web option — manually — for each search. Though it's also worth noting that as of my tests on Thursday, May 16, 2024, the AI Overview feature was not on by default in the Safari or Microsoft Edge browsers. Of my browsers, only Chrome brought up Overviews automatically. So for the time being, not using Chrome might be one way to escape from the feature.

But if a) you're a dedicated Chrome user, b) you use the url bar to search, and c) you have two minutes to mess with your Chrome, settings, there is an easy way to stop seeing AI Overviews by default without changing the way you search. Credit where credit is due, I got this from an article at Tom's Hardware. I tested it, and it works.

How to turn off AI Overview in your Chrome settings Total Time

• 2 minutes

What You Need

• Chrome

Step 1: Navigate to your search engine settings

Enter "chrome://settings/searchEngines" into your url bar and press return.

Credit: Mashable screenshot of Chrome

Step 2: Below your list of search engines, click the Add button to the right of Site Search

Credit: Mashable screenshot from Chrome

Step 3: Enter "{google:baseURL}/search?udm=14&q=%s" under "URL with %s in place of query"

You'll also need to enter "Google" under shortcut, and give this search engine a name, such as "Google (Web)."

Credit: Mashable screenshot from Chrome

Step 4: Once that's created, hit the hamburger button and click "Make default"

Credit: Mashable screenshot from Chrome

As long as you're using the browser where you tweaked this setting, you'll be able to live in the world before the AI revolution. But only time will tell how long you can really blind yourself to this new reality.

Anyway, good luck!

The cast of The Big Cigar discuss the lesser-known history of Huey Newton and his unexpected connection to Hollywood.

Actor, Michael Emerson, goes into detail (maybe too much?) describing the process of making his prosthetic, decapitated head in 'Fallout'.

Just when you've thought you've seen everything when it comes to cryptocurrency theft, two brothers attending MIT have uncovered a brand new way to steal millions.

According to a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announcement on Wednesday, Anton Peraire-Bueno and James Peraire-Bueno have both been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The brothers allegedly found a way to exploit the Ethereum blockchain and stole $25 million in cryptocurrency as a result.

“As we allege, the defendants’ scheme calls the very integrity of the blockchain into question," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York said in a statement. "The brothers, who studied computer science and math at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, allegedly used their specialized skills and education to tamper with and manipulate the protocols relied upon by millions of Ethereum users across the globe." 

"Once they put their plan into action, their heist only took 12 seconds to complete," Williams continued. "This alleged scheme was novel and has never before been charged."

How two MIT students exploited the Ethereum blockchain

While one part of the brothers' scheme may have taken only 12 seconds, the DOJ indictment makes it clear that they meticulously planned and prepared for months in order to successfully exploit the Ethereum blockchain.

On the Ethereum blockchain, transactions aren't verified in chronological order, but by "maximum extractable value" or MEV, essentially how much value can be earned by validators from the transaction. Validators verify transactions, and in turn, add new blocks to the blockchain. 

According to the DOJ, the two MIT students exploited a flaw in MEV-Boost, an open-source software used by 90 percent of Ethereum validators. Upon discovering the exploit, Anton and James Peraire-Bueno set up a series of validators using shell companies in order to conceal their identities. The DOJ alleges it took "several months" for the two to prepare for their scheme.

The Peraire-Bueno brothers set their plot in motion by creating "bait transactions" in order to trick "victim traders" into revealing their trading behaviors.

In April 2023, the two pulled off their $25 million crypto heist by "luring" in the victim traders' MEV bots with eight transactions containing "illiquid cryptocurrency" to frontrun and then transfer into stablecoins and other liquid cryptocurrencies. These bundled "Lure Transactions" from the brothers were timed to be verified by one of their own validators.

From there, the brothers further exploited the system by forging signatures to deceive the blockchain relay into releasing the transaction information, which they then manipulated. As a result, Anton and James Peraire-Bueno walked away with $25 million and proceeded to take further steps to conceal their alleged crime.

“These brothers allegedly committed a first-of-its-kind manipulation of the Ethereum blockchain by fraudulently gaining access to pending transactions, altering the movement of the electronic currency, and ultimately stealing $25 million in cryptocurrency from their victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas Fattorusso of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) New York Field Office in a statement. “In this case, IRS-CI New York’s Cyber Unit simply followed the money."

According to the DOJ, the two left a trail of incriminating evidence, including a document laying out the exploit in full detail, breaking their scheme into "four stages:" The Bait, Unblinding the Block, The Search, and The Propagation.

In addition, in the weeks and months following the exploit, the brothers search history unveiled queries for terms such as "top crypto lawyers," "wire fraud statute of limitations," "money laundering," "fraudulent Ethereum addresses database," and searches related to which countries the U.S. has extradition agreements with.

The two face up to twenty years in prison for each charge.