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Amazon deals of the day at a glance: OUR TOP PICK Google Pixel 8a (128GB) $499 at Amazon + free $100 Amazon gift card Get Deal BEST KINDLE DEAL Kindle Scribe Essentials Bundle $339.97 at Amazon (save $150) Get Deal BEST IPAD DEAL Apple 11-inch M4 iPad Pro (256GB, WiFi) $949.99 at Amazon (save $49.01) Get Deal BEST TV DEAL Amazon 32-inch 2-Series Fire TV $99.99 with code PRIME32 (save $100) Get Deal

We're midway through the week and the month of May and what better way to celebrate than with deals on some of your favorite brands? We've been scouring the deal pages at Amazon and a few standouts have caught our eye on May 15. We're seeing particularly good deals on top brands like Google, Apple, Kindle, and Amazon's own Fire TVs.

Here are the best Amazon deals of the day. Be sure to check back at our deals from May 13 and May 14 as well — most of those deals are still live.

Our top pick Opens in a new window Credit: Google Amazon deal of the day: Google Pixel 8a (128GB) at Amazon
free $100 gift card with purchase Get Deal Why we like it

Just released on May 14, the Google Pixel 8a is already a deal with its low $499 price tag. But it's even more tempting of a purchase as of May 15 because it comes with a free $100 Amazon gift card. This deal is similar to the pre-order deal offered at the Google Store. Essentially a lite version of the Pixel 8, the 8a shares many of the same specs, including the Tensor G3 chip, over 24-hour battery life, Magic Editor and Magic Take camera tools, 128 and 256GB storage options, 8GB RAM, and up to 120Hz refresh rate (up from 90Hz on Pixel 7a). Where it mainly differs is the size (it's just 0.1 inches taller and wider with a slightly smaller display) audio (no spatial audio, one less microphone), and camera. Basically, the Pixel 8a gets you a very similar product to the Pixel 8, but for $200 less — plus a free gift card. Mashable's Alex Perry called it "the best deal in Android-land."

Read our full review of the Google Pixel 8a.

Best iPad deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple 11-inch M4 iPad Pro (256GB, WiFi) $949.99 at Amazon
$999.00 Save $49.01 Get Deal Why we like it

The brand-new M4 iPad Pro just came out today, May 15, and it's already temporarily out of stock. But that shouldn't stop you from snagging it on sale. You can still purchase the 11-inch base model (256GB, WiFi) for just $949.99 (reg. $999) and save $49.01, but you'll have to wait just a little longer for delivery. Amazon will shoot you an email when it ships (once they get more in stock). As the first iPad Pro refresh since 2022, the M4 iPad Pro "blew us away with its power efficiency, striking display, and breakneck performance." It's just 0.21 inches thick and weighs just under a pound, making it sleeker and lighter than any previous version. Plus, it's the first Apple product to carry the M4 chip, bypassing the M3 generation that powers current Mac and MacBook lineups.

Read our full review of the M4 iPad Pro.

Best Kindle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Kindle Kindle Scribe Essentials Bundle $339.97 at Amazon
$489.97 Save $150.00 includes Kindle Scribe (32GB), premium pen, black leather folio cover, and power adapter Get Deal Why we like it

As part of Amazon's Book Sale, the Kindle Scribe Essentials Bundle is on sale for just $339.97 — that's a savings of $150 or 30% and just $6 away from its lowest price on record (from Black Friday). The bundle includes the Kindle Scribe (32GB), premium pen, a black leather folio cover, and a power adapter. As Mashable's Alex Perry noted in his review, the Kindle Scribe is not a perfect device. However, it does manage to bridge the gap between traditional reading and e-reading by including a stylus to mark up books to your heart's content. The premium pen includes a virtual eraser on the back and a customizable shortcut button on the side to make scribbling notes, doodling, or marking up books a breeze.

Read our full review of the Kindle Scribe.

Best TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon 32-inch 2-Series Fire TV $99.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $100.00 with code PRIME32 Get Deal Why we like it

If you're looking for a no-frills smart TV on a tight budget, this 32-inch 2-Series Fire TV should fit the bill. After sitting at $119.99 for months — down from its usual $199.99 — it's now on sale for just $99.99 with an on-page coupon as of May 15. That drops its price to its lowest on record. There's just one catch: you have to be a Prime member to get the deal. While this TV doesn't support 4K resolution (check out the 4-Series for that feature), it does offer all of the smart capabilities from the Fire TV experience, hands-free control via on-board Alexa, and support for HDR 10, HLG, and Dolby Digital Audio.

None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.

Glinda the Good Witch (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) belt it out in the "Wicked" trailer. Watch.

SAVE $16.24: As of May 15, get the physical Special Collector's Edition of Colleen Hoover's It Ends with Us for $12.76, down from its normal price of $29. That's a discount of 56%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon "It Ends with Us" Special Collector's Edition $12.76 at Amazon
$29.00 Save $16.24 Get Deal

Romance buffs love Colleen Hoover. BookTok loves Colleen Hoover. Hollywood loves Colleen Hoover too, as her 2016 novel It Ends with Us is headed to theaters this summer with a movie adaptation starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. And now you can see what all the fuss is about for less, thanks to the Amazon Book Sale.

As of May 15, get the physical hardcover Special Collector's Edition of It Ends with Us for just $12.76 at Amazon. That's $16.24 off its regular price of $29 and a discount of 56%. This edition comes with a Q&A between Hoover and her mother, a special foil cover, and new endpaper designs. Alternatively, you can get the standard paperback version for just $8.49, which is 50% off its normal price of $16.99 right now.

SEE ALSO: Dive into the works of BookTok darling Sarah J. Maas with this affordable bundle

This tumultuous romance follows a college student named Lily Bloom with dreams of opening her own flower shop. She carries the weight of resentment for her parents on her shoulders as she moves to Boston from Maine and starts a new life. She's waiting for her childhood love Atlas Corrigan to return to her, but things get muddy when she meets neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid. What starts as a fleeting casual relationship soon turns into something more, but there's far more than a fairytale ending at stake in what Hoover calls "the hardest book I've ever written."

This BookTok favorite has been the subject of several videos from fans falling for Ryle as well as the tearful reactions from those who have completed the book and weathered its rocky, emotional plot points. In fact, it has over a billion tags on the platform, with oodles of videos and a thriving community to this day. It's a twisty romance that you can experience before the movie hits theaters on June 21st, so if you're ready to join BookTok in collectively screaming about this novel, grab it while it's on sale now.

Apple's accessibility offerings continue to expand, as new features like device eye tracking, touch enhanced music listening, and settings for those with atypical speech come to on-the-go devices.

Announced in the midst of a month-long recognition of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (May 16), the lineup of customizability options to help users with physical disabilities better control and interact with their iPad or iPhone.

SEE ALSO: Google I/O: Google announces new safety framework for responsible AI

"These new features will make an impact in the lives of a wide range of users, providing new ways to communicate, control their devices, and move through the world," wrote Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s senior director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives.

Eye Tracking capitalizes on machine learning

Apple's new eye tracking controls are, unsurprisingly, powered by AI, which turns the device's front-facing camera into a calibrating device to scan and track facial movements. "With Eye Tracking, users can navigate through the elements of an app and use Dwell Control to activate each element, accessing additional functions such as physical buttons, swipes, and other gestures solely with their eyes," Apple explains.

While eye-tracking systems for computers are a long established technology, mobile devices are slowly catching up. Apple — and other tech companies cashing in on quickly evolving AI technologies — capitalizes on the integrated nature of internal machine learning to process facial movements and migrate the tech into a hardware and accessory-free offering.

Music Haptics adds touch to songs

A feature that feels long overdue for the technically advanced Apple Music streaming service, Music Haptics allow for users who are Deaf or hard of hearing to experience music on their device via touch, by turning the iPhone's Taptic Engine into a conveyer of beats and vibrations. When turned on, the setting adds "taps, textures, and refined vibrations" to the music.

The feature will only be available on Apple Music's catalogue of songs, for now.

Featured Video For You Apple Vision Pro has an app that can help manage anxiety Vocal Shortcuts allows more people to simplify their life

Acknowledging a range of varied speech ability and atypical speech patterns among people with disabilities, Vocal Shortcuts allow users to assign actions to custom utterances, not just phrases. The setting is paired with the new Listen for Atypical Speech setting, which uses on-device machine learning to recognize a user's unique speech, targeted to those with conditions that affect speech, such as cerebral palsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or stroke, Apple explains.

VisionOS, CarPlay, and more get upgrades

Apple also introduced improvements to its range of accessibility tools, including a Reader Mode for the app's vision assistant Magnifier, a new option of Hover Typing for those with low vision, a Virtual Trackpad for those using AssistiveTouch with limited range, and new customizations for VoiceOver and VoiceControl.

The company will be adding systemwide Live Captions to VisionOS, as well tools like Reduce Transparency, Smart Invert, and Dim Flashing Lights "for users who have low vision, or those who want to avoid bright lights and frequent flashing."

And, rounding out the additions, CarPlay users can now access Voice Control, Color Filters, and Sound Recognition, helping individuals access controls with just their voice, view color blind friendly screens, and be alerted to outside sounds.

SAVE $49.01: The new 11-inch Apple iPad Pro (256GB, WiFi) is on sale at Amazon for $949.99, down from the list price of $999. That's a 5% discount on the tablet.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro (11 inch, 256GB, WiFi) $949.99 at Amazon
$999.00 Save $49.01 Get Deal

Now that pre-orders are over and you can finally get your hands on the latest Apple iPad, Amazon has gone ahead and impressed us. Since a discounted price on new Apple products isn't the norm, today's deal is worth cashing in on.

As of May 15, the 11-inch Apple iPad Pro (256GB, WiFi) is $949.99 at Amazon, down from the list price of $999. At the time of writing, the tablet is currently listed as out of stock, but you can still order at the sale price and Amazon will notify you of the estimated delivery date. You also won't be charged until the tablet ships.

SEE ALSO: Apple iPad Air 2024 (13-inch) review: More space for the 'I use it as a laptop' folks

Apple's latest and most advanced iPad is finally here. Last week, we saw Best Buy offering a preorder deal to grab the iPad Pro for just $949, but the deal required a paid My Best Buy Plus membership, which costs $49.99 per year. This means today's sale price at Amazon is the first true discount we've seen on the 11-inch model of the Apple iPad Pro.

Apple designed the iPad Pro to be a powerhouse of a tablet while also being built for portability. With a slim profile, the iPad Pro's lightweight design means it's travel-ready, whether you're traveling to your living room, the office, or on a European summer vacation.

The Ultra Retina XDR display paired with OLED technology spells exceptional contrast which can be great for your streaming or work activities. There's also the Apple M4 chip, the latest and strongest CPU from Apple, making for a speedy and reliable iPad experience.

If you've been waiting for the latest iPad release, the wait is over — kind of. Order the iPad Pro (256GB, WiFi) from Amazon at the discounted price of $949.99 and Amazon will ship it over to your doorstep as soon as the model is back in stock. Amazon will email you with a heads-up of an estimated delivery date so you won't be left hanging.

Thinking about canceling your Amazon Prime membership? We can't say we blame you: There are plenty of good reasons to stop giving the retail giant your money, whether you're trying to save on subscription fees or align your spending more closely with your values.

Of course, some shoppers use Amazon's 30-day free trial to gain access to Prime Day sales. Those folks will also need to cancel their membership before it's up for renewal to avoid the hefty price tag of a paid plan. Amazon's Prime cancellation process can be convoluted, so here's a step-by-step guide on how to bid Bezos goodbye.

How to cancel your Amazon Prime membership in the Amazon app

The process for canceling your Prime subscription via the Amazon app is the same on both iOS and Android.

Total Time

• 2 min

What You Need

• Smartphone
• Amazon app

Step 1: Open the app and tap the middle button at the bottom (it should look like a person).

Credit: Screenshot via Amazon app

Step 2: Tap "Your Account."

Credit: Screenshot via Amazon app

Step 3: Scroll down through the list of options to "Manage Prime Membership."

Credit: Screenshot via Amazon app

Step 4: Hit "Manage membership" at the top of the page.

Credit: Screenshot via Amazon app

Step 5: Hit "Manage Membership (Update, cancel and more)"

Credit: Screenshot via Amazon app

Step 6: Click "End membership"

Credit: Screenshot via Amazon app

Step 7: Scroll to "Continue to cancel."

Credit: Screenshot via Amazon app

Step 8: Confirm your cancellation by clicking the yellow button that says "End on [date]."

Your membership will officially end once your current billing cycle is over.

Credit: Screenshot via Amazon app How to cancel your Amazon Prime membership on desktop Total Time

• 2 min

What You Need

• Laptop or PC
• Internet access

Step 1: Log in to your Amazon account on your browser. Hover over "Accounts & Lists" in the upper right hand corner. In the menu of options, click "Prime Membership."

Pull up your personal Prime membership page with a collection of plan benefits and options.

Credit: Screenshot via Amazon

Step 2: Click "Manage Membership" in the top right-hand corner. Click "End Membership."

Credit: Screenshot via Amazon

Step 3: Review how many days are left in your current Prime billing cycle. Click the yellow button on the lower-right side of the page that says "Continue to cancel."

Credit: Screenshot via Amazon

Step 4: Scroll down to "Continue to cancel."

Credit: Screenshot via Amazon

Set 10,000 years before Paul Atreides was born, 'Dune: Prophecy' follows the two Harkonnen sisters who found the Bene Gesserit order. The 'Dune' prequel is coming soon.

GET A $100 AMAZON GIFT CARD: As of May 15, you can snag the Google Pixel 8a for only $499 at Amazon (normally $599) and receive a bonus $100 Amazon gift card with your purchase.

Opens in a new window Credit: Google Google Pixel 8a + $100 Amazon gift card $499.00 at Amazon
$599.00 Save $100.00 Receive a bonus $100 Amazon gift card with your purchase. Get Deal

Looking to upgrade your phone? The all-new Google Pixel 8a is finally available for purchase, and Amazon is offering a $100 gift card to sweeten the deal.

As of May 15, you can get the Google Pixel 8a (128 GB) for just $499, down from $599, at Amazon and a $100 Amazon gift card. (Need more space? The 256 GB model is also available for $559 with the same gift card offer). That's basically like getting the phone for $200 off since you get $100 back to spend at Amazon on whatever essentials (or nonessentials) you'd like.

SEE ALSO: Google Pixel 8a vs. Pixel 7a: What are the differences?

The Google Pixel 8a is an interesting mid-range smartphone that packs a punch with its Google Tensor G3 chip and impressive camera capabilities. This phone isn't just about specs, though. Thanks to Google's AI magic, your photos and videos will be Insta-ready with features like Magic Editor and Magic Take.

But that’s not all the AI can do. Need a quick summary of a long email? Want to brainstorm ideas without switching apps? The Pixel 8a's got you covered. With a durable build, long-lasting battery, and top-notch security, it's designed to handle whatever life throws your way. Plus, it's an unlocked phone, so you can choose the carrier and plan that fits your budget.

Just a heads up: If you decide the Pixel 8a isn't for you and return it, you'll be responsible for the cost of the $100 gift card. So make sure you're confident in your purchase before checking out.

Amazon Prime Day has yet to be announced, but we expect dates to come soon. Last year, the Prime Day sale took place in July and was followed by a new savings event called Prime Big Deal Days in October.

Prime members can expect some steep markdowns sitewide during Prime Day, from TVs and electronics to pet supplies and home goods. It's an exciting time for savvy shoppers, but it can also be overwhelming to research the best deals and make sure you're getting the best bang for your buck. Here are some tools and tricks to guide you on your Prime Day journey.

Take advantage of price-tracking tools

Check out dedicated sites and browser extensions that do the work of tracking prices for you.

• Camelcamelcamel is a website that gives you price history charts on Amazon products and even sends you alerts when a price has dropped. To up your price-monitoring game, you can install its browser extension called "The Camelizer," which gives you instant access to price history while you're shopping.

• Keepa is a price monitoring site and browser extension that is dedicated to Amazon products. You can also use it to compare prices on other retailer sites like eBay.

• Other tools that can crawl the web for good deals and notify you about price drops are Honey and Slickdeals. These sites are particularly useful because "the Prime Day effect" usually causes other retailers to host competing sales.

Ask Alexa for help

If you have a newer Echo device, you can enable Alexa's advanced deal alerts feature to find and keep track of deals on products you want. The smart assistant will notify you up to 24 hours in advance of a deal you've added to your shopping cart, saved for later, or added to your Wish List. To turn on this setting, go to the Alexa app and open Notifications under Settings. From here, tap Amazon Shopping and scroll down to toggle Deal Recommendations. Your Echo device will flash a yellow ring to indicate this setting is live.

Check curated lists

Finding the best Prime Day price is one thing, but how do you even know what deals are being offered elsewhere? It's safe to assume that most products on Amazon have some kind of discount, but some deals are better than others, meaning it's important to know what to buy and what not to buy on Prime Day.

Mashable's shopping team is already doing the legwork of scouring Amazon's vast inventory to highlight the best deals out there, and we'll be on it through the sale. We're expecting Prime Day to be a good time to pick up tech like Apple devices, noise-canceling headphones, and robot vacuums.

Don't forget about other retailers

During October's Big Deal Days event, we saw other retailers capitalize on the fervor by hosting their own sales. While retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Target have not announced their own events yet this year, we expect to see them roll out sales during or around Prime Day.

Competition can be a great way to drive prices down, but certain retailers have specialties with these sales. Best Buy is usually good for big ticket tech like high-end TVs or laptops as well as gaming deals, Walmart is ideal for more budget-friendly TVs and home tech, and Target is best for everyday essentials.

Shop invite-only deals to avoid the chaos

During last year's Prime Day, Amazon introduced its invite-only deals. You can request invitations for high-demand products; last year a 50-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni Series TV and a Blink Outdoor security camera system were available for 60% off. Lucky shoppers who are chosen for access to these deals will receive an email with a unique link to buy them at some point when the sale is live.

Amazon dishes out thousands of doorbusters every year during its flagship summer Prime Day sale — but as it turns out, not every "deal" is actually a deal. And not every deal is actually worth your money. (Shocker, I know.)

It can be difficult to decipher what's worth your hard-earned cash and what's better to pass on. So we've rounded up a list of what not to buy on Prime Day to help you shop wisely.

Avoid products sold and shipped by third parties

It's safest to stick to stuff that's sold and shipped by Amazon, rather than an obscure third-party seller. While many third-party sellers are legitimate, you put yourself at risk buying from an unverified seller or a merchant with little to no history.

You can check the seller by navigating to the product page and scrolling just below the "add to cart" button. If it's sold and shipped by Amazon, you're good to go — these are backed by Amazon's policies, making them a safe bet.

SEE ALSO: Prime Day 2024: When it's happening and everything else we know so far

If a product is sold by a third-party seller, but fulfilled by Amazon, you may want to check the reviews of the seller before purchasing. While these "fulfilled by Amazon" merchants go through a more rigorous vetting process, some can slip through the cracks, so just be cautious.

If a product is sold and shipped by a third-party seller, it may be best to avoid it altogether. Amazon doesn't oversee third-party products, so consumers may be out of luck if something goes wrong with an order.

Here's an example of a laptop sold and shipped by Amazon. Credit: Amazon Here's an example of a laptop sold by a third-party seller, but fulfilled by Amazon. Credit: Amazon Stay away from Ring deals

We always see a monstrous collection of Ring deals on and leading up to Prime Day, but we don't recommend buying any of the Amazon-owned brand's home security equipment if you like your privacy and your neighbors. The company's recent history is mottled with security and data handling issues, including sketchy law enforcement partnerships. (It finally shut down the tool that let police publicly request footage without a warrant earlier this year, but we're still skeptical.) To quote the great Randy Jackson, "It's a no from me, dawg."

Anything that seems too good to be true...probably is

Prime Day always generates some great deals — particularly on Amazon-branded products and services — but if you see a deal that appears too good to be true, chances are it is.

How can you tell if a deal is legitimate? Compare prices on other retail sites like Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. Aside from Amazon-specific products, you'll likely be able to find most products on other sites and get an idea of what the regular retail price is.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Prime Days is just around the corner — here's how to find the best deals

You can also cross-check prices of Amazon listings by plugging their URL into the price-tracking site camelcamelcamel. You'll be able to see the product's going rate over the past weeks/months/years and get a good idea of whether or not a discount you see is actually as impressive as it seems.

Take this Rockland Melbourne luggage set for example. In the lead-up to Prime Day 2023, it was listed at $105.91 with a $340 MSRP, making it appear to be on sale at a 69% discount.

At first glance, a 69% discount seems like a total steal. Credit: Amazon

However, when we entered the luggage set's URL into camelcamelcamel at the time, we saw that the MSRP was inflated and that the sale price wasn't actually as good as it seemed. In fact, in the months leading up to Prime Day 2023, the price generally hovered around the $100 to $150 point and dropped all the way down to $69.24. That put more perspective on the $105.91 price tag.

This is what an inflated MSRP will look like when you plug the URL into camelcamelcamel. Credit: camelcamelcamel

Aside from inflated MSRPs, some deals may seem like stellar discounts but have actually been hovering at the same price point for weeks — months, even.

Check out this discounted iPad mini, for example. At $399.99 with an on-page coupon (regularly $499), it seems like a great deal, right?

Note the coupon. Credit: Amazon

While that is a pretty good buy, camelcamelcamel tells us that it's regularly discounted to this price, so there's no need to jump the gun. In fact, it's probably worth waiting a few more weeks to see if it returns to its all-time low from Prime Day 2023.

$399.99 is a nice price, but it's nothing we technically haven't seen before. If you can wait, wait. Credit: camelcamelcamel Beware of impulse buys

Just because something is on sale doesn't mean you need to buy it. Seriously. Yes, those dirt-cheap Echo Dots are pretty dang tempting, but do you really need another Alexa-enabled speaker?

Sure, FOMO is real, but so is buyer's remorse. In fact, nine out of 10 say they experience buyer's remorse from impulse purchases, according to this Google survey from May — while 42 percent say they've bought something because it was on sale, then later regretted it. Be careful out there, folks.

SAVE $17.11: As of May 15, get the Sarah J. Maas starter bundle — including the Kindle Editions of A Court of Thorns and Roses, House of Earth and Blood, and Throne of Glass — at Amazon for $28.49. That's a discount of 38%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon The Sarah J. Maas starter bundle $28.49 at Amazon
$45.60 Save $17.11 Get Deal

If you've been thinking about reading some of the BookTok-favorite fantasy novels from author Sarah J. Maas, now is officially the time to dive in. Or, as you might have seen in the comment section, it's ACOTAR go time, baby.

The Amazon Book Sale officially kicked off today, May 15th, and runs through May 20th, with a wide variety of deals on physical books, e-books, audiobooks, Kindles, and much more. There are plenty of great deals to scoop up, including book bundles with titles you'll want to revisit again and again.

Case in point: the Sarah J. Maas starter bundle. As of May 15, get this three-book Kindle Edition collection of A Court of Thorns and Roses, House of Earth and Blood, and Throne of Glass for just $28.49. That's $17.11 off its normal price of $45.60, and a discount of 38%.

SEE ALSO: The Amazon Book Sale is now live with great deals on Kindles and books for all readers

Each book in this e-book bundle is the first of each of the author's popular series. A Court of Thorns and Roses kicks off the series of the same name, which explores the world of the Fae with Feyre Archeron. House of Earth and Blood introduced Bryce Quinlan, who sets off on a journey to solve her best friend's murder in the Crescent City series. Finally, Celaena Sardothien is an assassin who's out to change an entire kingdom in Throne of Glass, which begins the series of the same name.

If you've been waiting for the perfect time to start these series, now's the time to pounce. Grab this bundle and you can start reading on your Kindle or other device immediately.

Remember meme stocks?

In early 2021, the stock price of video game retailer GameStop pumped immensely after a Reddit community of traders, led by a trader known as Roaring Kitty (or DeepFuckingValue on Reddit), started buying en masse. This in turn caused the demise of hedge fund Melvin Capital that was shorting GameStop stock (shorting, in the simplest of terms, is betting on the stock price declining). It also marked the beginning of a trend in which communities of smaller traders were able to substantially move the prices of certain stocks, often opposing the directional bets of larger entities such as hedge funds. That was the dawn of the meme stock era.

While the trend was short lived, largely dying down in late 2021, it now appears to be back. On Monday, after nearly three years of dormancy, Roaring Kitty's account on X started posting a series of memes and crypto video excerpts. While it's hard to discern what, exactly, each of them means, the consensus is that Roaring Kitty is back in business, and stock traders have taken notice.

Tweet may have been deleted

After lingering in the $10 to $18 region for nearly the entirety of 2024 so far, the price of GameStop (whose stock ticker is $GME) soared to $80 in the past two days, before settling down at the current (premarket) price of $51.31. The price of another meme stock, AMC Entertainment, more than doubled at one point, following Roaring Kitty's return.

For those who were shorting $GME and $AMC, the news was not good. According to Predictive Analytics' Ihor Dusaniwsky, shorters are down well over $2 billion this week.

Tweet may have been deleted

How can one man's tweets move stock prices so violently? Keith Gill, Roaring Kitty's real name, achieved fame by holding a long position (essentially, betting on the price rising) in GameStop for years, turning a relatively meager $53,000 position into tens of millions of dollars and gaining a cult following in the process.

The question on every trader's mind, however, is whether the trend of meme stocks pumping is sustainable, or if it's a one-off event spurred by Roaring Kitty's return (some have pointed out that Roaring Kitty hasn't been active on other social channels such as YouTube, indicating someone else may have been tweeting from his account).

SEE ALSO: That iconic Trump meme may save eyes this solar eclipse

Right now, there's no definitive answer. Roaring Kitty's Twitter account is still posting riddles, with some Reddit traders capitalizing on the stock price moves. The ranking of Robinhood on Apple's App Store has gone sharply up in the past couple of days, which is another indicator that retail investors are back (in early 2021, Robinhood soared to the top of Apple's app store as numerous investors joined in to trade meme stocks). The trend could fizzle out or it could once again wreak havoc in investing circles. One thing is certain: This time around, the professionals are taking notice.

Dearest gentle reader, it's almost time to return to the Ton for another simmering season of courting, crushes, and conniving in Netflix's Bridgerton.

Having spent the last two seasons pursuing the romantic, deeply horny long-games of the Duke of Hastings and Daphne Bridgerton, then Kate Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton, and a spinoff season on Queen Charlotte and her beloved King George, Season 3 shifts attention to another leading pair.

This time, based on the fourth book in Julia Quinn's novel series, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Shondaland and new showrunner Jess Brownell focus on the covert heart of the series, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), and her longtime crush Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).

SEE ALSO: All your 'Bridgerton' Season 2 crushes, ranked

But before we get there, what happened again last season and where did everyone end up? We've done a quick rundown of everything you need to remember from Season 2 of Bridgerton before you watch Season 3, from the enemies-to-lovers tale of the Viscount and Viscountess to the worst friendship fallout in the Ton, all of which culminated in the gilded Featherington Ball.

Penelope and Eloise's friendship sits in ruins BFFs no more. Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

At the end of Season 1, Penelope Featherington was revealed as the secret identity of the Ton's prolific scandal sheet publisher, Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews). But while we're allowed in on it as viewers, there's only a few people within the series who know, and by the end of Season 2, unfortunately one is now her best friend Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie).

Eloise has been hunting Lady Whistledown's identity for two seasons, but in Season 2 her enthusiasm made her a target of Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) as her number one suspect. If you remember, the Queen despises the author's influence and recruited Eloise to find out who they really were in Season 1. In Season 2, Eloise followed the trail to the printing shop used by Whistledown, where she met young printer and covert women's rights campaigner Theo Sharpe (Calam Lynch), and their romance blossomed. Unfortunately for Eloise, her visits (along with her outspokenness on society) drew the Queen's suspicions. Eloise swore her innocence to the monarch, but it was no use, as the Queen threatened Eloise and her family with social ruin unless she confessed to being Lady Whistledown.

SEE ALSO: It's time for 'Bridgerton' to say gay

With Eloise about to falsely confess with a counterfeit society paper, Penelope took matters into her own hands, writing a scathing blast about her best friend's visits with Theo — "unchaperoned, with improper company, political radicals in fact" — to disprove Eloise's guilt. The pamphlet diverted the Queen's wrath but socially ruined Eloise. Suffice to say her romance with Theo crumbled too.

Following this, Penelope rested her pen after being "done ruining the lives of others" through gossip. However, in the Season 2 finale, Eloise figured out her friend's secret identity when Penelope flexed her keen powers of observation at the Featherington Ball. While Pen danced with Colin, Eloise stole into her friend's room and discovered her secret stash of money hidden beneath the floorboards (the profits made from her publications) and confronted Penelope, running through the juicy details only Pen would have known about. It's a horrible fight, with Eloise feeling deeply betrayed, and the two parted on non-speaking terms.

However, Penelope's fight with Eloise did not obliterate her penchant for writing, as we saw her return to her writing desk at the end of Season 2.

Colin scorned Penelope romantically in public Pen heard what you said, Colin! Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

It's one of the biggest moments in Bridgerton Season 2 that will be important for Season 3, and honestly, we're still reeling from it. Penelope has long yearned for the affections of her friend Colin, though has remained firmly in the Regency friend zone — including through Colin's engagement to Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker) in Season 1. But things seemed slightly flirty in Season 2.

Channelling big "I've just returned from my gap year" energy after returning from Greece, Colin strolled around Season 2 with suddenly mature pep in his step. Though he danced often with Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen), he sent Penelope mixed signals, praising her "constant and loyal" personality throughout the season. Penelope's hopes were high at the Featherington Ball, and when Colin asked Pen to dance, he dropped some big words: "I will always look after you, Penelope. You are special to me." 

However, after her fight with Eloise, Penelope stumbled upon Colin speaking about his dance to a group of young men on the terrace. When they questioned him on his intentions with Pen, he scoffed, "Are you mad? I would never dream of courting Penelope Featherington. Not in your wildest dreams."

NO! NOOOOO. NO. We were all crushed right there with Pen in this scene, and this is where Season 3 will pick up. Perhaps, if there's forgiveness elsewhere on the horizon, we can still hope for a Peneloise romance?

Kate and Anthony are happily married These two. Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

After the steamy enemies-to-lovers romance between Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) and Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), the pair were finally married at the end of Season 2. Remember the Viscount was engaged to Kate's sister, Edwina (Charithra Chandran), but she absconded from the altar the minute she realised her sister and Anthony were very obviously in love. This pissed off Queen Charlotte for a moment, as she does not like to be wrong about things, and she'd chosen Edwina as her "diamond" of the season.

The Bridgertons and Sharmas were publicly ruined by the scandal, but not for long — and MVP Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) never abandoned them, despite being socially ostracised by association.

At the end of the season, after Anthony and Kate had sex in the garden, Kate galloped off into a storm, fell off her horse, and was badly injured. Anthony was riddled with guilt. However, his mother Viola, Dowager Viscountess Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), helped him embrace his true feelings, speaking to their shared unprocessed grief over Lord Bridgerton's sudden death years earlier. Anthony proposed at Kate's bedside, a move she assumed was a "misguided obligation of duty". Deciding to return to India, she sent him away. 

"Be the sister I know that you are" 😭 Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

Edwina and Kate's sisterly relationship was rattled after the wedding fail, however Edwina's wisdom and forgiveness helped them through Kate's guilt. After Edwina gave her sister the major "be the sister I know that you are" pep talk at the Featherington Ball, Anthony and Kate danced together in full view to a string version of "Wrecking Ball", despite the judgmental stares of the Ton. But Queen Charlotte stepped in to quiet the haters, with Edwina giving her blessing. Both the Bridgertons and the Sharmas are saved from ruin, hurrah!

In the garden, Anthony declared his love for Kate, and she the same, and we left them in newlywed bliss playing croquet on the lawn with the rest of the Bridgertons.

The Featheringtons almost lost it all — again Lord Jack Featherington almost got away with passing off glass as gemstones. Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

While the Bridgertons and the Sharmas spent much of the end of Season 2 in social ruin, the Featheringtons had clawed their way back from financial destitution after Lord Featherington's gambling debts saw him murdered in Season 1. Their troubles seemed solved with the arrival of the family's smarmy cousin Jack (Rupert Young), whose engagement to Prudence Featherington (Bessie Carter) proved one of the ickier pairings in the Ton. The season crescendoed with the family's opulent Featherington Ball, a grand show of stability and wealth. With the Queen herself in attendance, the Featheringtons were back in the game.

In the season finale, however, at the Featherington Ball, Colin Bridgerton exposed Jack as a charlatan selling fake glass jewels as gemstones. Having previously been interested in investing in the gems, Colin demonstrated the scam by smashing Cressida's "ruby" necklace into smithereens in front of Penelope, Lady Featherington (Polly Walker), and Jack himself. Out of respect for the Featheringtons, Colin did this dramatic exposé in private, telling Jack to return the money he'd spent on this crooked scheme and to leave town — a move that made Pen fall even harder for her crush.

J'accuse! Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

Jack tried to convince Lady Featherington to leave town with him for America, suggesting a romantic future for the two of them despite his engagement to her daughter (the two had kind of been in cahoots the whole season). But if there's one thing you shouldn't come between, it's Portia and her daughters. Lady Featherington sent Jack packing without a penny and the forged signature promise that once one of her daughters has a son the Featherington estate will transfer to him. Byeeee.

Will had a tough start opening his gentlemen's club Colin had to eat some humble pie after Will told him so about Jack. Credit: Liam Daniel / Netflix

What of Will Mondrich (Martins Imhangbe), the best mate of the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page)? In Season 2, Jack Featherington had also blackmailed his way into holding court in Will's new bar, after convincing the boxer to throw a match to split the winnings — Will wanted to provide for his wife Alice (Emma Naomi) and their children. Will had opened a gentlemen's club that aimed to be a more inclusive alternative to the posh White's club (IRL it's the oldest gentlemen's club in London, founded in 1693). But business was slow and he was indebted to Jack, who wielded it over him.

When Colin got wrapped up in Jack's dealings, taking a meeting at the bar, Mondrich tried to warn him of Jack's shady side, but Colin defended him as the head of the Featheringtons. So, at the end of the season, after Jack's corruption was exposed, Colin ate humble pie with Mondrich and brought all his mates back to his bar, apologising. But as you've already read, it's not all Colin needs to apologise for.

How to watch: Bridgerton Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Netflix. Season 3 will drop in two halves, with Part 1 streaming on May 16 and Part 2 on June 13.

Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) head for Hollywood in Season 4 of "Only Murders in the Building" Season 4. Watch the teaser.

Eight TikTok creators are suing the U.S. government in order to prevent a law that would ban the app unless its parent company divests.

First reported by the Washington Post, the 33-page complaint was filed Tuesday, arguing that the law violates First Amendment rights by "[promising] to shutter a discrete medium of communication that has become part of American life", calling the law an "extraordinary restraint on speech."

"In supporting the Act, lawmakers claimed that TikTok 'manipulate[s]' American minds and disseminates 'propaganda' that would 'use our country’s free marketplace to undermine our love for liberty.' But it is the Act that undermines the nation’s founding principles and free marketplace of ideas," reads the complaint.

SEE ALSO: Is the White House being hypocritical about TikTok?

The case, filed in the the federal Court of Appeals in DC, is asking for the court to declare the law unconstitutional and ultimately prevent it from being enforced.

The creators, who also expressed in the complaint how TikTok has changed their lives and livelihoods, range across home states, age, and occupations. The list is as follows: cattle rancher Brian Firebaugh (@cattleguy), baker Chloe Joy Sexton (@chloebluffcakes), activist and creator Kiera Spann (@famousblonde), rapper Topher Townsend (@tophertownmusic), lifestyle creator Talia Cadet (@taliacadet), footballer Timothy Marin (@timbosliceoflife12), Love & Pebble co-founder Paul Tran (@loveandpebble), and beauty and comedy influencer Steven King (@btypep).

Some of the petitioners, including Townsend, Spann, and Firebaugh, have posted on TikTok about their decision to take up the suit. Townsend explained, "No platform is perfect and TikTok is the closest I've found to this day," adding in the video that he is "forever grateful" to the app. According to the Washington Post, each of the creators explained that TikTok is an invaluable instrument for self-expression, speech, and connection.

The suit also stated that TikTok has a "profound effect on American life", and expressed how the app changed the lives of the petitioners: "They have found their voices, amassed significant audiences, made new friends, and encountered new and different ways of thinking—all because of TikTok’s novel way of hosting, curating, and disseminating."

King, one of the petitioners, told the Post, "On TikTok, we’re able to consume and receive information that is not filtered, that hasn’t had a narrative driven by politicians. We have direct access to find out what is happening around the world at our fingertips."

The creators are represented by Seattle-based firm Davis Wright Tremaine, which specializes in cases involving the First Amendment and previously represented five TikTok creators in Montana when they fought last year's proposed state ban (which was also passed into law).

TikTok itself is covering the creators' attorney fees for this suit. The app is currently suing the government, too, having filed a lawsuit on May 7, shortly after President Biden signed the bill into law. TikTok's suit called the ban "unconstitutional".

The teaser for "You're Cordially Invited", a wedding mix-up comedy starring Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon, has dropped.

"The Daily Show" host Desi Lydic poked fun at GPT-4o.

If there's anything that undoubtedly unites everyone, it's that we all had terrible sex education in school. Yet, some members of parliament in the United Kingdom are under the impression kids are learning too much. 

In May 2024, reports emerged that the government plans to ban schools in England from teaching sex education to children under age 9.

In March 2024, Conservative member of parliament Andrea Jenkyns said during a parliamentary discussion that she supported a complete ban on sex education in schools. "As a mother of a primary school age child myself, I do not want him or other children to learn about sex full stop, whether that's straight or gay," she said. "I also don't want to see children at primary school being taught about changing gender – we need to be protecting the innocence of children and their childhood, especially at primary school age." 

SEE ALSO: What teachers and parents wish they could tell kids about porn

On social media, Jenkyns' comments have resulted in a mixture of support, opposition, and general concern, with some agreeing with her that sex education is a danger to innocence, and others believing the opposite. Her comments have not occurred in a vacuum. Rather, it's a small part of a widespread moral panic towards sex education that's been brewing in the political arena for the last few years, and the ongoing "trans debate" in the British media is intrinsically linked, often used as the key reasoning to ban sex education in the first place. 

Many members of the government have shared worries for what's being taught in sex education, expressing that there's too much LGBTQ+ content and sexual content, though there's little evidence pointing to a real issue. 

As concern continues to grow for the sex education's future, Mashable analysed the key comments about sex education from the political arena over the last year and spoke to experts to understand the current state of sex education, which improvements really need to be made, and why a lot of the concern over these lessons is misplaced. 

What's inappropriate about sex education?

Concern over what is being taught in sex education has been expressed by politicians and parents alike. It's hard to pinpoint exactly when and why this all started, but it's important to consider the backdrop on which these conversations are happening. 

In 2018, the bill FOSTA-SESTA was passed in the United States, which was designed to help stop trafficking but regrettably doesn't distinguish consensual sex work from trafficking which causes problems for all sexual content on the internet.. And because the bill focuses on the internet, it has impacted users across the world. Though this bill is designed to stop trafficking on the internet, it affects those who are consenting to sex work too, and that loops in just about everyone who talks about sex on the internet. That includes, of course, online sex education.The result: sex information of all kinds is regularly flagged by social media algorithms as sexual solicitation, and sex education online is getting harder to find. 

What's more, "Don't Say Gay" bills have been passed in multiple states in America from Florida to Louisiana which mirror Section 28, prohibiting LGBTQ+ people from expressing themselves fully, and being able to access the education they need in schools. 

It's possible these moves are influencing conversations in the UK. Here, concerns about sex education are less focused on trafficking, though, and instead appear to boil down to a few sensationalised myths: 

• Children are encouraged to be transgender in their sex education classes.

• Children are being sexualised by sex education.

• Learning about sex causes children to lose their innocence.  

Most of these myths were reinforced in Jenkyn's speech, but she's not the only politician to take a stand against sex education in some way. One of the most prominent voices in this debate is member of parliament Miriam Cates. Back in March 2023, she claimed during a parliamentary debate that, during RSE classes, British schools were teaching "graphic lessons on oral sex", lessons in "how to choke your partner safely" and that there are "72 genders". 

Cates then claimed those classes were "age inappropriate, sexualising and undermining of parents" and called for a review of RSE materials in secondary schools, which prime minister Rishi Sunak committed to delivering by the end of 2023. 

The politician didn't provide any direct sources for these claims, and in response, James Bowen, director of policy for the NAHT, the organisation for school administrators, stated they "have found [no proof that] suggests students [are] being exposed to materials that are inappropriate for their age is a widespread issue – if it were, we would anticipate that it would have been addressed on a case-by-case basis." 

Notably, the report also doesn't detail any specific sources for the claim that "safe choking" is being taught in schools. Rather, it includes content from Cliterally the Best, a blog and popular sex positive Instagram account, which isn't currently being used as education content as part of the British RSE curriculum. 

Andrew Hampton, education expert and author of Working with Boys, Creating Cultures of Mutual Respect in Schools believes that, sadly, some of this moral panic could stem from typical classroom strategies for teaching sex education more openly and non-judgmentally, and that this well-meaning practice is being misinterpreted by some politicians. For instance, Cates alleges that children are being taught how to safely choke each other. But Hampton thinks it’s more likely that children are asking about choking unprompted, especially as the sex act becomes more popular in porn and in bedrooms, and that teachers are simply doing their jobs by explaining what it means.

He tells Mashable: "A common strategy in teaching sex education in schools is to have kids shout out words they've heard relating to sex or anything they want to know more about, and then the teacher will write those words on the board and offer further explanation." 

Hampton explains that because there's been a recent rise documented in choking in pornography, on TikTok, and in popular media, it's likely children are asking about it in their sex education classrooms. "So a teacher might explain it, and explain the risks too, if a child asks about it. But it won't be that choking is actually part of the lessons," he says.

SEE ALSO: KinkTok is rife with misinformation. Here's why that's dangerous.

But, doubling down on this supposed need to change up RSE, the Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan said last October that she had written to schools in England ordering them to make the materials used in children's sex education available to be seen by parents. She warned headteachers there can be "no ifs, no buts, no more excuses" about it. 

The report Sunak organised is not yet complete (or, at least, not available to the public), so there is still no evidence available to suggest any of these accusations are true, while evidence of a moral panic piles up. So, where is this idea that kids are learning too much coming from? Are they learning too much?

Sex education is still falling short 

The short answer is no. It's an odd sentiment to suggest kids could be learning too much beyond their years as relationships and sex education (RSE) as a mandatory subject in schools has only been part of UK legislation as recently as September 2020. 

It's especially inaccurate to suggest children could be learning too much about queer topics, as Cates and Jenkyns seem to believe, since it only became legal for teachers to share advice and learnings for homosexual students in 2003, thanks to Section 28.

Sex education is really only just getting started The same year that sex education became mandatory in the United Kingdom, 58 percent of young people reported not learning enough about certain subjects they found to be important, such as information about pornography, and a survey from 2023 proved students want more their sex education at school to include more 'open discussions' and more information about 'real life sexual scenarios.' 

As for the allegations that sex ed leans too far towards LGBTQ+ topics, a  Terrence Higgins Trust survey of young people aged between 16 and 24 further found that one in seven had not received any sex and relationships education (SRE) during their time at secondary school, with almost two thirds given lessons a maximum of only once a year.

SEE ALSO: Top 5 NSFW sites to learn what porn didn't teach you

Data from Safe Lives also says LGBTQ+ students feel significantly less comfortable, less confident about where to go for support about relationship or sexual abuse; and a notably smaller proportion have a strong understanding of toxic and healthy relationships. The majority of LGBTQ+ students (61 percent) disagree that LGBT+ relationships are being threaded throughout RSE, even though it's legally required. 

Despite all the evidence that sex education is paramount and needs development, not reduction, Sunak announced Conservative Party's press conference in October that they would work to allow parents to oversee their children's sex education at school, and be able to pull them out of those lessons if they saw fit. While that might seem fair enough to some people, there are myriad reasons why giving parents this kind of control over their children's sexual knowledge is a very bad idea. 

Why parents shouldn't veto their children's sex ed 

Allowing parents to control their children's sex education comes up a lot in the sex education debate, but it comes with a lot of dangers. 

Research from Planned Parenthood found that over 20 percent of parents are not talking to their children about sex at home, and the ones that do speak about it are likely to skip important conversations like consent. So, if children are to be pulled out of school sex education, they're unlikely to get it anywhere else. 

Missing out on RSE has a significant effect on sexual development. Anabelle Knight, certified sex educator at sex toy company Lovehoney, tells Mashable that a lack of sex education in school has a direct consequence of poor sexual behaviour and understanding in adults, particularly in groups that are underrepresented in the teachings. 

She's right — Harvard Medical School found that comprehensive RSE helps to prevent sexual violence, for instance, while another study from the Council of Europe found it generally forms safer and more inclusive communities for children. If that wasn't enough, one study from The Journal of Adolescent Health examined sex education and its effects on children as they develop into adults for an entire three decades, and linked thorough sex education to a better understanding and appreciation of "sexual diversity, dating and intimate partner violence prevention, development of healthy relationships, prevention of child sex abuse and improved social/emotional learning". The study also notes that for the best chances of these social developments occurring, children need to start learning RSE in elementary school (primary school in the UK) and those lessons need to be LGBTQ+ inclusive. 

For example, she explains the LGBTQ+ community has to look elsewhere for the sex information they should have learned in school. "One of the most common – and easily accessible – places to learn about sex is in pornography, which portrays an unrealistic, often male-centric view of sex and intimacy." In short, not being offered sex education in school has drastic consequences on our relationships, including that with ourselves, in later life." 

Knight explains that consent is one of the most important things that people of any age can learn, and arguably the younger the better. "Not only is it important for children to learn that they have autonomy over their own bodies, but also that they must respect others' boundaries," she explains. 

SEE ALSO: Is Instagram shadowbanning LGBTQ and sex ed accounts?

"Teaching children about consent and sexual relationships before they experience them means that they are much better prepared for when they do. In order for anyone to make an informed decision they must first be… informed," she adds.   

Some parents also don't have their children's best interests in mind. Some parents will prioritise their political beliefs over the safety of their children. Some parents are homophobic, and wouldn't be okay with their children being queer of any kind, and may block their children from sex education to stop them from learning about it due to their own ulterior motives. 

It's a difficult reality to reckon with, but some parents also abuse their children. 37 percent of children who undergo child sex abuse experience this from a family member, or a family friend according to the Office of National Statistics.

With all this in mind, Knight says it's vital for children to learn about sex from a professional, regulated, and safe source. Parents are clearly not the right option for this. 

While panic over sex education contents increases, journalist Sophia Smith Galer found in a VICE report that the UK government has only spent half of the £6 million it promised in 2019 to spend on compulsory sex education in schools. This is demonstrative of a lacking sex education, not an overbearing one. Perhaps, instead of focusing on rumours without evidence, we should instead consider the glaring improvements left to be made, what the science says about supporting young people's safe sexual development, and the misplacement of funds in this space. 

UPDATE: May. 15, 2024, 11:15 a.m. CEST Added new government plans to ban sex education for under 9s in schools in England.

Ilya Sutskever is leaving OpenAI, and we have questions. One in particular.

Announcing the move on X on Tuesday night, the company's chief scientist said he made the decision to leave himself.

"The company's trajectory has been nothing short of miraculous, and I’m confident that OpenAI will build AGI that is both safe and beneficial under the leadership of @sama, @gdb, @miramurati and now, under the excellent research leadership of @merettm. It was an honor and a privilege to have worked together, and I will miss everyone dearly," Sutskever wrote, adding that his next endeavour is a project "that is very personally meaningful" to him, with details coming "in due time."

Tweet may have been deleted

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted about the move as well, calling Sutskever "easily one of the greatest minds of our generation."

"OpenAI would not be what it is without him. Although he has something personally meaningful he is going to go work on, I am forever grateful for what he did here and committed to finishing the mission we started together. I am happy that for so long I got to be close to such genuinely remarkable genius, and someone so focused on getting to the best future for humanity," he wrote.

Altman also noted that Jakub Pachocki, OpenAI's director of research, is going to be OpenAI's next chief scientist.

While both Altman and Sutskever indicated that Sutskever's departure has to do with his ambition to do a personally meaningful project (both using this exact same phrase), it's hard not to relate the move to OpenAI's recent leadership crisis, in which Altman was temporarily ousted from the company, with Sutskever leading the move (before backpedaling and saying he deeply regretted Altman's firing).

Tweet may have been deleted

That something was amiss was so obvious that the internet turned the situation into a meme. "What did Ilya see," once referenced by OpenAI once-investor, now-critic Elon Musk, refers to the (conspiracy?) theory that Sutskever saw something alarming in Altman's leadership, prompting him to initially support Altman's ousting. The question was, jokingly or not, immediately asked as a reply to both Sutskever and Altman's posts on X.

It's not just Sutskever that's left; Jan Leike, the researcher that was co-leading OpenAI's Superalignment team which worked on the problems of "steering and controlling" AI that's much smarter than humans, also left the company. Early on Wednesday, he simply tweeted "I resigned."

Tweet may have been deleted

Musk elaborated on his concerns about OpenAI in a lawsuit against the company in which he had once invested. In the filing, he demands OpenAI to become a nonprofit again, arguing that the company's latest AI model is too powerful to be (essentially) owned by Microsoft, which has a large stake in OpenAI. It's unclear where, exactly, Sutskever stands on the matter.

Given the tone of Sutskever and Altman's post, it's unlikely we'll (soon) find out the intricacies of Sutskever's departure from OpenAI. It'll nevertheless be interesting to see what Sutskever's "personally meaningful" new project will be.

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Not content to just let us sit with the news of AI Overviews coming to search, Google has launched a new "Web" filter in search that will show you only text-based links in results. Looks like there's still room for a little old school internet within the AI of it all.

Launched on Tuesday to coincide with the tech giant's I/O event, the additional filter will let you switch between Google's refined results tabs as you would with Images, News, Videos etc. The "Web" tab was launched in the U.S. yesterday and will roll out globally Wednesday.

SEE ALSO: Everything announced at Google I/O, including AI Agents, Ask Photos, and more

Google's Public Liaison for Search, Danny Sullivan, posted a thread about the new filter on X, formerly Twitter.

"We've added this after hearing from some that there are times when they’d prefer to just see links to web pages in their search results, such as if they’re looking for longer-form text documents, using a device with limited internet access, or those who just prefer text-based," a post read.

Tweet may have been deleted

It's one of a flurry of announcements made at Google's I/O developer-focused event, particularly around Search, The company also announced the rollout of AI Overviews in the U.S. (worldwide soon) that will show AI-generated summaries atop results, as well as Search by Video, Planning with Search, and Contextual Search — Mashable's Chance Townsend has more detail on these.

The I/O event also saw the company drop plenty of AI announcements centred around Gemini 1.5 Pro and Gemini 1.5 Flash, including DJ mode for Google's Music FX, an Ask Photos feature, AI personal assistants known as AI Agents, a video generator like OpenAI's Sora called Veo, and plenty more.

Mashable's Tim Marcin has a guide to I/O for you, check out everything Google announced.