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An Amazon Echo smart speaker is an easy and affordable way to upgrade your home — and there are a bunch of deals on Amazon's signature speakers today. Here are our top picks of Amazon Echo deals as of March 30:

Best Amazon Echo deals Best overall Amazon Echo deal Amazon Echo (4th gen) $64.99 (save $35) Get Deal Best Echo Dot deal Echo Dot (5th gen) $34.99 (save $15) Get Deal Best Echo bundle Amazon Echo Pop with Amazon Basics Smart Color Bulb $22.99 (save $29.99) Get Deal

If you're ready to go hands-free at home, an Amazon Echo smart speaker can be an affordable way to put a decent speaker in every room of your home. As of March 30, there are deals on several Amazon Echo devices so you can make the best choice for your needs.

If you're between an Amazon Echo and an Echo Dot, we've got a guide to which Amazon device you should buy — but the good news is the newest versions of both are on sale today.

Check out our picks for the best Amazon Echo deals on sale at Amazon today:

Best overall Amazon Echo deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo (4th gen) $64.99 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $35.00 Get Deal Why we like it

If you care about better audio quality, this is the Amazon smart speaker for you. The newest Echo comes with an upgraded audio system, including Dolby Audio and lossless HD audio through Amazon Music HD. You can ask Alexa to play music for whatever vibe you're in (and play the same music on multiple speakers throughout your home) as well as make hands-free commands to turn on and off smart lights, check the weather, call your loved ones, or start your morning routine. Plus, the Echo comes with a year warranty so you can feel more secure in your choice.

Best Echo Dot Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen) $34.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $15.00 Get Deal Why we like it

The newest Echo Dot is a more budget-friendly smart speaker that still does everything you need it to. It plays music, controls your smart devices, and acts as your personal assistant (thanks Alexa!). At this price, you can set up your entire home with speakers for under $150. Note that the Dot only comes with a 90-day warranty.

Best Echo bundle Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Pop with Amazon Basics Smart Color Bulb $22.99 at Amazon
$52.98 Save $29.99 Get Deal Why we like it

"As of March 30, you can get the Echo Pop speaker paired with an Amazon Basics smart light bulb for only $22.99. That's the same price as the Echo Pop on its own at the current sale price (regularly $39.99). The Amazon Basics smart bulb regularly costs $12.99, so you'll be pocketing that amount by snagging the bundle. The Echo Pop is a 'good budget-friendly option in the Echo lineup,' according to Mashable's reviewer, SaVanna Shoemaker, and makes a good addition to the homes of folks 'who like to keep music playing, and who also use Alexa as a home assistant.'" — Christina Buff, Mashable Deals writer

OpenAI launched voice capabilities in ChatGPT last September. Now, the company is previewing a model called Voice Engine, which can use a single 15-second audio clip and text prompt to generate longer audio. OpenAI boasts that Voice Engine produces life-like voices with inflection and tone, rather than a robotic drone.

According to OpenAI's blog post, Voice Engine was first developed in 2022 to power ChatGPT's Read Aloud feature as well as text-to-speech. Since then, OpenAI has tested Voice Engine in a number of different scenarios: for children and non-readers; for non-verbal people and people who have otherwise lost their voice; and translation. For each of these cases, OpenAI has partnered with companies in these respective spaces.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI is pitching Sora to Hollywood. Creatives are fighting back.

OpenAI spends a chunk of the blog post assuring that Voice Engine is built safely — and while it doesn't mention the infamous robocall of Joe Biden explicitly, it's implied: "We recognize that generating speech that resembles people's voices has serious risks, which are especially top of mind in an election year," the post states. "We are engaging with U.S. and international partners from across government, media, entertainment, education, civil society and beyond to ensure we are incorporating their feedback as we build."

The Biden robocall was likely made with software by ElevenLabs, not an OpenAI product, but Voice Engine might hold the same capabilities. At the end of the post, OpenAI states that due to its "approach to AI safety and [their] voluntary commitments" (committing to safety, security, and trust), it's not releasing Voice Engine widely right now.

"We hope this preview of Voice Engine both underscores its potential and also motivates the need to bolster societal resilience against the challenges brought by ever more convincing generative models," the post states. OpenAI then calls for a phase-out of voice-authentication as a security measure; policies to protect the use of people's voices in AI; education; and more technology to identify inauthentic voices — all because of its own technology.

Read more and listen to examples of Voice Engine in OpenAI's blog post, Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities of Synthetic Voices.

Since Beyoncé announced a new album during her Super Bowl commercial — in pink cat ear headphones, no less — fans have been anticipating Cowboy Carter. Part II of the singer's trilogy that started with 2022's Renaissance finally dropped yesterday, and social media's reactions didn't disappoint.

SEE ALSO: We found the pink cat ear headphones Beyoncé wore in her viral Verizon commercial

First, let's take it from the album's roots. In Beyoncé's Instagram post about Cowboy Carter, she mentioned the album "was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn't." Fans have guessed that she's referring to the 2016 Country Music Association Awards, where her performance of "Daddy's Lessons" with The Chicks received racist and sexist backlash.

People said Beyoncé "isn't country" — but this album proves them wrong:

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Some fans still played the two singles released on Super Bowl night, "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages":

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Other songs on the album, like "Bodyguard," "Levii's Jeans" with Post Malone, and the cover of "Jolene" sparked reactions as well:

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Let's not forget Beyoncé's tribute to Ireland (jk), "Riiverdance":

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Even Vice President Harris posted about Cowboy Carter, saying Beyoncé inspires us all:

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Fans who aren't in the White House are inspired as well:

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And some picked up on the very end of the album, when the music seemed to rev up for a moment before ending on a final, ringing note.

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What is Beyoncé up to? We'll just have to stay tuned and find out. For now, we're jamming to Cowboy Carter.

If you're an avid reader or love to take notes while you're studying, there's an Amazon Kindle e-reader on sale today that could be a great fit for you — and save you up to $100. Check out our favorite Kindles on sale for adults and kids alike:

The best Kindle deals at Amazon Best Kindle deal for kids Kindle Paperwhite Kids 134.99 (169.99) Get Deal Best Kindle deal for most people Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16 GB) 129.99 (149.99) Get Deal Best Kindle deal for note-takers Amazon Kindle Scribe (64 GB) with Premium Pen 319.99 (419.99) Get Deal

As of March 30, there's a Kindle on sale for readers, doodlers, and note-takers of all ages. Whether you want to take 30 books with you on your next vacation, mark up documents on the go, or keep your kid entertained on long travel days, we've got a Kindle deal for you.

Check out our favorite Kindle deals for kids and adults below, and note that if you buy two Kindle Scribes today you'll save an additional $40 thanks to this limited-time deal.

Best Kindle deal for kids Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids (16GB) $134.86 at Amazon
$169.99 Save $35.13 Get Deal Why we like it

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids is made for young readers. It comes with 16GB of storage to hold all their favorite books and a year of Amazon Kids+, which gives your kid access to thousands of ad-free books, plus games, videos, and apps they can access on other devices (the Kindle is made for reading only). It has 10 weeks of battery life from a single charge plus a two-year worry-free warranty. The cherry on top? Your kid can choose their own cover with scenes of Emerald Forest, Robot Dreams, or Warrior Cats.

Best Kindle deal for most people Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16 GB) $129.99 at Amazon
$149.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal Why we like it

The newest model of the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite comes with a larger screen of 6.8 inches and thinner borders for easier, more book-like reading, plus up to ten weeks of reading from a single charge and 20% faster page turn. The 300 ppi glare-free display is meant to mimic the page of a book, and the brightness automatically shifts so you can comfortably read whether you're out on the sunny beach or in bed at midnight. Take all your books with you in one easy-to-carry Kindle, plus plug in your headphones to listen to audiobooks.

Best Kindle deal for note-takers Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle Scribe (64 GB) with Premium Pen $319.99 at Amazon
$419.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Why we like it

For those who love to take notes, highlight, and even doodle while they read, an Amazon Kindle Scribe with a large screen of 10l.2 inches could make your life a lot simpler. Use the included Premium Pen to mark up whatever you're reading with your thoughts easily, then convert your handwritten notes to text through the Kindle app. You can import and mark up documents for work, journal, and even sketch with different brush types, from fountain pen to pencil. With 64GB of storage, you'll have to work hard to run out of space for all your books on this device. Plus, this Kindle has the longest battery of all Kindle devices and should last you months.

Don't forget: If you're ready to buy two Kindle Scribes today you'll save an additional $40 thanks to this limited-time deal.

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 March 30 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for March 30

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Saturday, March 30, 2024:

AcrossFill-in teachers

• The answer is Subs.

Pad Thai ingredient, often

• The answer is Shrimp.

Person who helps in buying a home

• The answer is Realtor.

"That's gross!"

• The answer is Eww.

___-Magnon man

• The answer is Cro.

Paid back through an app

• The answer is Venmoed.

"I would be ___ if I didn't mention ..."

• The answer is Remiss.

Connery who played Bond

• The answer is Sean.

DownIndigenous group once led by Tecumseh

The answer is Shawnee.

Safari destination?

• The answer is URL.

Most-valued cryptocurrency

• The answer is Bitcoin.

Snacks made on sticks

• The answer is Smores.

Channels that stink

• The answer is Sewers.

Eggs on

• The answer is Prod.

Excite, with "up"

• The answer is Rev.

Combat sport, for short

• The answer is MMA.

What an extraterrestrial view.

The long-lived Mars Express Orbiter — a European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft that has flown around Mars for over two decades and recently eclipsed 25,000 orbits — captured a highly detailed image of the Red Planet. And among the giant Martian volcanoes is a surprise.

"The stunning view shows volcanoes, valleys, craters, clouds, and even a flying visit from Mars's largest moon, Phobos," the ESA wrote.

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

Here's what you're seeing in the outer-space vista below:

- Olympus Mons: The largest bulge near the top left is Olympus Mons, the biggest volcano in our solar system. It's about the same size as Arizona, and reaches a whopping 16 miles (25 kilometers) high. (Mount Everest is 5.5 miles high.)

- Volcanic trio: Below Olympus Mons is a line of three similarly colossal volcanoes: Ascraeus Mons, Pavonis Mons, and Arsia Mons. They are shield volcanoes, which tend not to be explosive. Instead, lava oozes out of vents, gradually layering over eons and creating a gentle slope. Ultimately, they produce a landform similar to a shield laid on its back.

- Countless craters: Mars is absolutely blanketed in craters. Just scan the surface. The Red Planet is close to our solar system's asteroid belt, a region teeming with millions of asteroids. When they do collide with Mars, the Martian atmosphere is just 1 percent the density of Earth's, meaning these space rocks are less likely to heat up and disintegrate. What's more, Mars isn't quite geologically dead — marsquakes frequently occur there — but there's not enough geologic activity and volcanism to wash away, or cover up, new craters (like on Earth).

- Martian clouds: At both poles, atop and below the image, you can spy large regions of cloud cover. On Mars, clouds are made of water ice and carbon-dioxide ice.

- The moon Phobos: You can see Mars' dark, misshapen moon Phobos on bottom left orbiting above the Red Planet. It's relatively small and not too massive, with its longest side measuring just 17 miles (27 kilometers) long. "Phobos is too light for gravity to make it spherical," the European Space Agency explains. What's more, it's been hit time and time again by potent space rocks. "Phobos was nearly shattered by a giant impact, and has gouges from thousands of meteorite impacts," NASA noted.

The Mars Express view of Mars, with colossal volcanoes, clouds, craters, and a photobomb from a moon. Credit: ESA / DLR / FU Berlin A close-up view of Phobos as it orbits Mars. Credit: ESA / DLR / FU Berlin

Today, this great Martian desert is irradiated and profoundly dry — Mars has largely lost its atmosphere, leaving it an intensely dry, desert world. Mars is 1,000 times drier than the driest desert on Earth.

Yet Mars was once a wet planet, with gushing floods and expansive lakes. The now-desert planet could have once hosted primitive life. NASA's car-sized rovers are sleuthing for hints of past organisms — though there's still no evidence life ever evolved on the Martian surface.

For all the digital tools and AI-guided apps that can help us navigate our mental health and wellbeing, you can't get there without spending time away from screens. Or, in the more succinct language of online arguments: go touch grass.

But maybe touching a sticker somewhere close to your screens can help ground you too.

That's the claim of Calm Strips, reusable "sensory stickers" you may have seen popping up in ads or suggested posts on TikTok and Instagram. These colorful tactile stickers aren't just cashing in on trendy Danish pastel aesthetics, they're tapping into broad demand for neurodivergent support tools. 

SEE ALSO: Gwyneth Paltrow is doing 'eyes open' meditation. Will you?

The original line of rectangular stickers, about the size of a finger, feature bright designs like rainbows, flowers, and landscapes. Newer variants add text: instructions to "ground yourself" or to remember that "you are not your intrusive thoughts."

And then there's the all-important tactility — the brand's big selling point. Calm Strips feature various levels of textured surface, from bumpy "river rock" to "smooth satin." They're designed as an antidote to anxiety, sensory overstimulation, or other emotional states that can use a physical intervention.

Ironically, Calm Strips co-founders Michael Malkin and Luce Fuller got the idea for this analog product while working in the temple of high-tech screens, the arbiter of some of society's biggest screen-focused troubles: An Apple store.

Malkin needed a subtle fidget, but couldn't whip out a spinner, tangle toy, or Pop-It (some of the internet's most popular fidget tools) in front of customers. So he calmed his anxiety by wrapping a piece of tape around his fingers.

It's more of a tool than a toy. - Luce Fuller

A self-proclaimed "40-year-old anxious guy," Malkin solicited more low-tech fidget concepts. At first, he thought the strips would be mainly for adults like him, but post-launch feedback — especially from the Autism community, which his son was diagnosed with — opened the opportunity to expand to an all-ages audience.

"A lot of brands that were talking about mental health, were talking at people, telling them what they needed, rather than listening to them," Fuller told Mashable. "So that was one big, directional marker that we put in place and have continued to follow."

The result was a spot on ABC's business incubator show Shark Tank, where the pair nabbed a partnership with Canadian businessman Robert Herjavec. The Calm Strips mission, to get more people to embrace sensory tools, was on.

Stickers and somatics 

Calm Strips, and other tactile fidgets, embody a self-care practice and field of study known as somatics. A term coined in 1976 by professor Thomas Hanna, somatics focuses on movement, bodywork, and regulating your nervous system. A lot of its basic concepts — body scans, conscious breathing, tactile activations — are also found in mindfulness practice.

"Sensory regulation is about stabilizing the nervous system, getting familiar with your own nervous system," says Thérèse Cator, a trauma resolution practitioner and the founder of Embodied Black Girl. Shifting emotional states through sensory regulation is, for many, the first step toward a greater personal transformation through trauma healing or other therapies.

"In trauma resolution, you always do stabilization first," Cator explained to Mashable. "If the person is feeling anxious, you're trying to move them to calm."

Fuller claims Calm Strips immediately resonated with people experiencing body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRB), or self grooming compulsions like nail biting, skin and cuticle picking, or hair pulling. Customers with these needs reached out with positive stories and even product and texture requests. "To have somewhere to redirect that energy is really powerful," Fuller says.

The products also appeal to people with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Fuller, a mom of five, knows this firsthand as a mother of a child with Autism. "The Autistic community is not only one of the coolest communities ever, but they're also always searching for a good tool, as opposed to maybe a toy, that can be used anywhere," Fuller says. Calm strips, she argues, are "more of a tool than a toy." 

View this post on Instagram

You can find plenty of Calm Strips tips and opinions on Reddit forums such as r/AutismInWomen. Some users like them for stimming (self-stimulating behaviors often associated with Autism), or curbing BFRB. Others had the stickers recommended as coping devices by their therapists. Some teachers give them to students. A post on r/Kindle shows someone putting Calm Strips stickers on their device to fidget with as they read.

But some of the online conversation wonders whether the stickers are a scam. A subset of Shark Tank fans were shocked that the investors didn't call out Fuller and Malkin for supposedly "deceiving" their customers, the panel's custom for many more novelty items that grace the screen.

Such opinions are shared openly online, like among users on r/FidgetToys. "Only in America can you sell textured stickers for a profit," laughed one user. "I much prefer worry stones, or any other handheld fidget," said another. "That said, their infinity ones are better because tracing a figure eight is somehow more relaxing. I am a teacher and I put those under kids' desks to calm them."

Fuller and Malkin understand the urge to scoff at the simple stickers, part of a larger stigma against mental health tools.

"It is only four textures," Fuller says. "But if you have Calm Strips right on the back of your phone, on your keys, it's something you will always have with you. Nothing against your Fitbit, phone, Apple Watch, whatever, but [a Calm Strip] is not gonna nudge you while you're in the middle of something. It's at your own discretion, your own time."

Inside the box

Far from being content with the original stickers, the Calm Strips brand is still expanding. Hence the Calm Breathing line: palm-sized stickers that guide you through basic breathwork techniques. 

One turns box breathing, a four-part technique, into a literal box shape. Spending an equal amount of time on each of the four sides, you inhale deeply on one, hold on the second, exhale on the third, hold again on the fourth.

Another sticker in the shape of an infinity symbol introduces users to loop or "Lazy 8" breathing, a common practice used to treat childhood anxiety. A pie chart shaped-sticker represents the 54321 method, a grounding technique where you note five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste.

Fuller says the breathing stickers boosted Calm Strips sales, and remain extremely popular, most likely because they are both aesthetically appealing and straightforward. "People liked that call to action," Fuller says. "Every pack that comes in an order will have an instruction card. It's got a little bit of information, a quote, and how to use it."  

Nothing against your phone, but a Calm Strip is not gonna nudge you while you're in the middle of something. - Luce Fuller Emotional regulation at your desk

While beneficial for all ages, mass market fidget toys are mostly geared toward younger users. That may explain why teachers appear as one of the largest purchasers of the less distracting Calm Strips. The brand even offers classroom packs and bulk ordering for educational institutions, with more than 5,000 schools nationwide using them desk-side.

"It is something that helps to teach not only mindfulness, but emotional intelligence and emotional regulation," says Fuller. "To give these kids the ability to have something in front of them that can teach them emotional regulation at such a young age… I don't know about you, but they didn't teach that in my school."

SEE ALSO: How to get your kid into mindfulness

Before starting her career in trauma healing and coaching, Cator was a substitute and public school teacher. She's a mother, too, and sees why kids might gravitate toward an eye-catching item like Calm Strips. "Any tool that's helpful for children — that's helpful for families —I am always going to be a supporter of," she says. Many of us also need these tools, even the neurotypical, "because we have been in turbulent times for many, many years," she explains.

"We've made Calm Strips beautiful as well as sensory," Fuller says. In the call with Mashable, she proudly showed off her own sticker-plastered desk to prove the point. And this is exactly how she wants them to be used: a self-regulation tool designed to be open and public, rather than stowed away. That's because manu people seeking sensory regulation tools are made to feel ashamed about needing self-soothing tools, she says.

"We don't hide anything. We want the fact that it's a tool to be used out in the open. It's cool that it's out there. They are cool designs. But they're also discreet enough that if you don't want to tell anybody, then you just got a cool sticker."

Taping over our shame

"Shame is also something that happens within the body," says Cator. But while being open about coping tools like Calm Strips might be a good first step to acceptance, it "doesn't necessarily reconcile the shame, or deeper impacts of shame, that may be underneath."

That's where community collaborations with up and coming brands and trending items can fill a gap. "I definitely don't believe in gatekeeping," Cator says of mismatched resources and knowledge within the mental health space. She sees the demand for useful tools like these as a stop-gap for a greater societal need, but wants to make sure people know there's still more work to do.

"We're talking about stickers," Cator says. "Someone may reach for it, and it might work one day, and then it might not work another day, or there might be one sticker that's particularly activating for one person. It's important to give context."

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Cator believes brands like Calm Strips should build out referral networks, connecting mental health organizations and community groups in this field, so they feel less pressure to be a one-size-fits-all solution. And a little support goes a long way.

Calm Strips is doing some of tthis work already. It's collaborated with groups like LGBTQ+ therapist group QueerWell, childhood mindfulness organization BeWell in School, Black woman-led Sistas with ADHD, and, most recently, a line of emotional intelligence-building childrens' books (now paired with their own line of Calm Strips) called FeelLinks.

The company has also teamed up with more unconventional partners, like the Broadway show How to Dance in Ohio, which stars a cast of autistic actors.

"We are so much more than just an item," Fuller says. "I think a lot of what we do comes from the heart, and we really just want to help people."

Politicians, at least in the U.S., are often criticized for being out of touch with basic technology. However, what happens when things go too far in the other direction? What happens when a politician attempts to over-rely on unproven tech to solve their problems? 

New technology, correctly deployed, can obviously be a boon to any city, but in New York City, Mayor Eric Adams is on a long streak of tech missteps, showcasing what debacles can unfold when leaders don’t understand what can go wrong.

NYC's AI chatbot for businesses

On Friday, three nonprofit news organizations – The Markup, Documented, and The City – copublished a scathing report by reporter Colin Lecher about the AI chatbot that has been deployed by Mayor Adams and the NYC government.

When Mayor Eric Adams announced the "New York City Artificial Intelligence Action Plan" in October of last year, the city touted it as a "first-of-its-kind plan for responsible artificial intelligence use In NYC government." The announcement spotlighted a very specific part of the plan, the "first citywide AI chatbot" which would be deployed on official NYC government business websites in order to help business owners "access trusted information." The chatbot is powered by Microsoft’s Azure AI service.

SEE ALSO: TikTok is banned from city-owned devices in NYC

However, Lecher discovered that the AI chatbot is instead telling NYC business owners to break the law.

Lecher's report provided example after example of the AI chatbot giving the wrong advice to very basic questions. For example, when prompted with relevant questions, the chatbot told Lecher that business owners can take a cut of their service worker's tips — which they legally cannot — that landlords can discriminate against tenants based on income — which is against the law — and that you can run a cashless store in NYC — which is also illegal.

Robot subway surveillance

Late last year, Mayor Adams announced a pilot program for a new 400-pound, security camera-equipped, egg-shaped robot named K5 that would patrol the Times Square subway station. 

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K5 was described as a "fully autonomous outdoor security robot" by its creators, a company called Knightscope. However, as the New York Daily News reports, the robot was accompanied by two human NYPD police officers at all times. Adams expressed concerns that K5 would be vandalized, but meanwhile, civil rights groups expressed very different concerns regarding privacy for everyday New Yorkers, and wondered whether controversial facial recognition technology would be deployed in K5 eventually.

As the New York Times reported last year, legal experts also believed that the surveillance robot violated the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology Act, "a city law requiring the department to publish details about how new technology is being used and the data it collects."

But, how did the K5 pilot go? Well, K5 patrolled the Times Square subway station for two months and then was put away in a city storage facility by the end of 2023 – even though NYC was paying Knightscope for a 6-month long contract.

Robot police dogs

Speaking of robotics, K5 wasn't the first time NYC experimented with the technology for policing.

In 2021, the NYPD canceled a nearly six-figure contract with the robotics company Boston Dynamics for robot police "Digidogs" after public outcry against the technology. Then-Mayor Bill de Blasio agreed with the move, calling the robot dogs "creepy" and "alienating."

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At the time, Mashable published a report detailing the emergency stop procedure to power-down the robot dog in the event of a scenario where it would need to be deployed. 

However, it appears Mayor Adams doesn't share his predecessor de Blasio's sentiments on the Digidog. Last year, Mayor Adams announced that the NYPD would be bringing back the robot police dogs, and that the city acquired two "Spot" models for $75,000 each.

Civil rights groups and privacy advocates have shared the same concerns regarding the robot dogs that they did about K5.

Subway weapons detectors

The latest example of Mayor Adams' questionable reliance on new, unproven technology comes in the form of the recently announced initiative to use weapons detectors at subway stations.

This week, Mayor Adams announced that they would deploy AI-powered metal detectors that can scan for weapons. These scanners are created by a Massachusetts-based company called Evolv.

Tweet may have been deleted

These devices are an interesting choice for the NYC subway system because Evolv's CEO himself said earlier this month, before the Mayor's announcement, that these scanners would not work well in the subway system.

During an investor call, Evolv CEO Peter George was specifically asked about using these scanners in NYC subway stations, according to a report by the New York Daily News.

“Subways in particular are not a place that we think is a good use-case for us,” the Evolv CEO said. “Both for the [concept of operations], and being below ground and interference with the railways — [subways are] not a great use-case."

Furthermore, Evolv has just recently been sued by its shareholders for overstating the effectiveness of its scanning technology. The SEC also launched an investigation into the company last month. In addition, the FTC is looking into Evolv due to its marketing practices. And the company has been forced to retract claims it made about testing its technology in the UK.

Other apparent lapses in tech judgment

Mayor Adams has taken other risky bets too, like with cryptocurrency. He's been a fairly outspoken advocate for the technology. Adams converted his first mayoral paychecks into cryptocurrency, touted how he would look into blockchain technology as solutions to the city's problems, and even dined with FTX founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.

While Mayor Adams' cryptocurrency portfolio may be up now assuming he held onto his holdings, any hard-up constituent who followed his lead and needed to sell during last year's "crypto winter" would be down big. As for Sam Bankman-Fried, the FTX head was just sentenced to 25 years in federal prison on conspiracy and fraud charges related to his now-failed crypto exchange.

As these examples show, Mayor Adams has repeatedly relied on unproven, sometimes risky technology as solutions to the city's issues. Time after time, these tax-payer funded programs haven't panned out, and the 8 million people living in the city have to deal with the consequences.

Mashable has reached out to Mayor Adams' office for comment, but did not immediately hear back. We will update if we receive a reply.

About seven years ago, photographers grabbed their cameras for the rare chance to shoot a total solar eclipse, with the sun's wispy atmosphere revealed against the dark sky. 

But perhaps the most memorable photos taken during 2017's Great American Eclipse were not of the corona but of former President Donald Trump stepping out on the White House portico to experience the space event for himself.

In an intriguing twist, the famed Trump eclipse photos may have served as one of the farthest-reaching, albeit unintended, public service campaigns about the dangers of staring at the sun. NASA and several medical associations have tried to spread the word that there's nothing fake news about solar retinopathy, (although, OK, not in those words).

SEE ALSO: A solar eclipse can cook your eyes. Here's when to put the glasses on. President Donald Trump squinted and pointed up at the exposed sun on Aug. 21, 2017. Credit: NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP via Getty Images

On Aug. 21, 2017, Trump stole a couple of glances at the exposed sun, seemingly unperturbed by the warnings from ophthalmologists and his political handlers. With a grimace tugging at the corners of his mouth, he squinted skyward. His protective glasses, which he later put on, were nestled in his jacket pocket. 

"Don't look," an aide shouted from below. 

Too late. A meme was born. 

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Here's what added fuel to the fire: Hours before the president even stepped outside, a user on the social platform X, then known as Twitter, posted a pair of fake, satirical New York Times news alerts claiming that Trump had "suffered permanent eye damage" after staring at the solar eclipse, according to KnowYourMeme.com, a company that collects and researches internet phenomena. Within 24 hours, that tweet, by @leyawn, received tens of thousands of likes and retweets.

"It was kind of like a Nostradamus pre-meme about something that would later become a meme," said Don Caldwell, Know Your Meme's editor-in-chief. 

And in true meme fashion, it spawned a life of its own. The front page of the New York Daily News the next day featured one of the photos with the headline "Not Too Bright!" 

A Twitter user seemed to predict this would happen, adding fuel to the internet meme. Credit: Mark Wilson / Getty Images

Now the country is in deja vu. It's "decision 2024," and the experts believe Americans will be inclined to make a good choice, thanks in part to these famous images: We're talking, of course, about the decision to wear solar shades or not on April 8, when a swath of the United States will experience yet another total eclipse. 

At first, the 2017 Trump photos and video footage made Dr. Ralph Chou unhappy. Chou is a Canadian who led the international charge to make safety standards for solar eclipse glasses. But looking at the sun during an eclipse is actually a common foible, he said, and sometimes a temptation too strong to veto. 

"The Donald was no different from anybody else in that respect," Chou told Mashable. 

And added: "It just underscores that nobody who is standing under the sun is immune to these kinds of things." 

President Donald Trump, alongside first lady Melania Trump, shows the crowd he indeed has solar eclipse shades. Credit: NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP via Getty Images

In the vast political genre of memes, most are wielded by the detractors, intending to paint their opponent as incompetent or unfit. But on the web, one viral photo can immortalize a moment — and its impact can be more than a punchline. It can even unify a population under a shared idea. 

Like, say, looking directly at a partial eclipse is unwise? 

"Memes are very powerful tools for spreading messages, sentiments, tribal bonding," Caldwell said. "There's all kinds of things that memes can do, and I think this one likely had many of those things going on." 

Tweet may have been deleted

The moon will sweep its shadow over the continent as it crosses in front of the sun on April 8, starting on Mexico's western coast, arcing from Texas to Maine, entering Canada through Ontario, and exiting the continent from Newfoundland. Major U.S. cities in this corridor, known as the "path of totality," will include Dallas, Indianapolis, and Cleveland.

When — and only when — the moon completely conceals the surface of the sun can people in the path remove their protective eyewear without risk of visual impairment or blindness. 

The retina's job is to convert light into electrical signals for the brain. When a person looks at the sun without protective solar filters, the radiation can easily overtax the retinas. As a consequence, cells start to suffer chemical attacks and heat up to the point of frying the tissue.

"It just underscores that nobody who is standing under the sun is immune to these kinds of things."

Some people think as long as they just make quick glances, they'll be fine. But experts say several little peeks during the day can be as harmful as a long stare. Some folks also believe if their eyes don't hurt, they haven't caused any damage. But retinas don't have pain receptors. 

And the protective eyewear goes on. Credit: Mark Wilson / Getty Images

However people are getting the message about potential solar eye injuries, it seems to be working, based on how White House onlookers reacted to Trump's momentary slip, Chou said. 

"I also heard a lot of people reminding him right away, as soon as they saw what he was doing, 'Get your glasses on, get your glasses on,' and he did," Chou said. "For once, he actually listened." 

The question now is whether he'll don the protective glasses from the campaign trail on April 8.

"It should be on one of those betting websites: Is he going to look at the eclipse again?" Caldwell said. "I wonder what the over-under would be." 

The first U.S. transcontinental railroad, completed with a spike hammered into the track in 1869, transformed the nation. Perhaps the same will happen on the moon.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA — an ambitious federal innovations division — has begun collaborating with over a dozen companies on potential future lunar technologies, including a moon railroad. It's called the 10-Year Lunar Architecture Capability Study, or LunA-10, and its mission is to find technologies that will catalyze a self-perpetuating lunar economy. It's a salient time; already the new space race is on.

LunA-10 is an endeavor that seeks to avoid a go-at-it-alone approach, wherein diverse nations and industries struggle to communicate, travel, and do business on the moon. The NASA Apollo missions from over 50 years ago were an extraordinary exploration and engineering marvel, but those billions in spending never established growth or a lasting presence on the moon.

"One of the critiques about Apollo is we put in all this effort, and then it ended," Michael Nayak, a program manager in DARPA’s Strategic Technology Office, told Mashable.

SEE ALSO: Why landing a spaceship on the moon is still so challenging

Now as NASA, global space agencies, and companies return to the moon with robotic spacecraft, the future Nayak sees is one that must be able to progress. It might be mining helium-3 (an extremely rare resource on Earth that could be used in medical imaging, computing, and even energy), harvesting water ice to create rocket fuel for deep space missions, and beyond.

"How do we make it valuable to life on Earth?" Nayak, a former space shuttle engineer and NASA planetary scientist overseeing LunA-10, emphasized.

The project is called LunA-10 because it's focused on what lunar technology would realistically look like in the 10 years after NASA's Artemis III mission, wherein astronauts will land in the moon's coveted south pole, a region where planetary scientists suspect there's water ice and other resources lodged in dark, shadowy craters. As of March 2024, NASA expects astronauts to step foot on the moon in late 2026.

"How do we make it valuable to life on Earth?"

DARPA is exploring six areas needed for future moon growth: generating power; communications and navigation; construction and robotics (in a near future where robots can build roads and infrastructure); mining resources; transportation; and market research — to determine what industries are viable on the moon.

The rocketry and spacecraft that blasted astronauts to the moon over a half-century ago no longer exist. Everything going to the moon, and establishing a lunar presence, will be new. "It's just a blank sheet of paper," Nayak said. Other conceptual ideas include towering lighthouses that can illuminate dark, resource-rich craters and provide communications across the barren lunar surface.

DARPA recently chose the aerospace and defense giant Northrup Grumman to create the concept for the railroad. "The envisioned lunar railroad network could transport humans, supplies, and resources for commercial ventures across the lunar surface — contributing to a space economy for the United States and international partners," the company wrote. They'll aim to develop a railway that limits the human footprint on the largely still pristine lunar surface, and design a system that anyone could ride or load cargo on (such as with standardized, moon-worthy equipment that can withstand huge temperature swings).

Tweet may have been deleted A conception of astronauts working in a crater in the moon's coveted south pole. Credit: NASA

Transportation is a critical part of any future moon ambitions. When a large rocket, perhaps SpaceX's Starship, ferries several tons of cargo to the moon, those supplies — building materials, food, or mining equipment — can't sit around. Life on the moon will be expensive. "Every minute it spends sitting there is revenue lost," Nayak emphasized.

"The railroad was America's first technology corridor."

Ultimately, the LunA-10 project will scrutinize different moon concepts developed in 2024, like a lunar railroad or power plant. Some technologies will make the cut — meaning DARPA will help accelerate these concepts — and some won't. The hope is to graduate from the current age of moon exploration to a foundational age wherein countries and industries try out and set the stage for potential lunar endeavors (like a mining project). Those successful endeavors will then, if all go as planned, reach an industrial age, where real goods and services are made or provided on our natural satellite, some 238,855 miles away. The moon, for instance, could be a fuel depot for deeper space missions to scientifically fascinating Mars or resource-rich asteroids.

Over 150 years ago, the transcontinental railroad flipped an economic switch. "Just as it opened the markets of the West Coast and Asia to the East, it brought products of Eastern industry to the growing populace beyond the Mississippi," the Public Broadcasting Service explained. "The railroad ensured a production boom, as industry mined the vast resources of the middle and Western continent for use in production. The railroad was America's first technology corridor."

A lunar world designed to facilitate transportation, communication, and progress might allow today's nascent ideas to one day bloom beyond Earth. Who knows what the coming lunar decades will bring in the 2040s and beyond?

"There's an idea in someone's head right now that will be the next big thing," Nayak said.

Sometimes you just need to start over. For a MacBook, starting over would be a factory reset. A factory reset is exactly what it sounds like: erasing everything in order to restore a MacBook to how it would have been leaving the factory.

If you need to factory reset a MacBook — perhaps you're gifting it to someone, or you are trading it in, or you're selling it — it's not very difficult at all. Just remember, if you want to keep anything, make sure to back up your computer with Time Machine.

SEE ALSO: How to stack emojis in iMessage

Luckily, Apple has a page dedicated to a factory reset, also known as erasing a Mac. Apple even has a whole tool called Erase Assistant aimed at helping you carry out a factory reset.

Here are the five easy steps for a factory reset, via Apple:

Total Time

• 10 minutes

What You Need

• MacBook

Step 1: Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click General in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)

You're navigating to the Erase Assistant that'll help you delete everything. For older OS systems, you may need to click on System Preferences instead of System Settings. Don't worry, this is all explained in the story.

Credit: Screenshot: MacBook / Mashable

Step 2: Click Transfer or Reset on the right, then click Erase All Contents and Settings.

Step 3: In Erase Assistant, enter your administrator information and click Unlock.

This will allow you to access the Erase features.

Step 4: Review items that will be removed in addition to your content and settings. If your Mac has multiple user accounts, click the arrow next to your account name to review the items.

This is the step that will ensure you actually get rid of everything during the reset.

Step 5: Click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions.

Apple will walk you through everything you need to get rid of to do a full reset.

Now, these steps could vary depending on the software your MacBook is running. And older operating system will likely be a bit different.

Fortunately, the factory reset page on Apple's website will let you switch the instructions for different operating systems, but they are all pretty similar. For instance, if you're running Monterey 12, an older OS, you need to navigate to the menu bar, choose System Preferences, then choose Erase All Content and Settings, instead of navigating to System Settings. From there, pretty much everything is the same.

A factory reset should prove pretty simple to do but again, save anything you need because once it's gone, it is gone for good.

TL;DR: Through April 2, Microsoft Project Professional 2021 for Windows is on sale for just $24.97 (reg. $249).

Project managers know how to get things done. Juggling multiple tasks on multiple projects is just part of the job. However, there are tools to help them manage any project of any size more efficiently. Software like Microsoft Project Professional 2021 is on sale for just $24.97 (reg. $249) through April 2 and can help even the most seasoned PM fine-tune their processes.

It features tools to streamline the management of your tasks, budgets, and timelines. Built-in reports are designed to help you reduce possible redundancies and inefficiencies, as well as timesheets to help you keep track of time spent on projects. It also gives you templates to get your project moving right out of the gate.

Project allows you to run what-if scenarios, auto-populate start/end dates, and represent complex schedules visually. It can also sync with Project Online and Project Server. Project Pro 2021 is compatible with Office LTSC and Office 2021.

This offer is available to new users only, and it includes updates. You'll get instant download and lifetime access on one device.

Manage your projects more efficiently and have nearly everything you need to plan, execute, and track projects with precision. 

Order Microsoft Project Professional 2021 for $24.97 by April 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT and take the first step toward project success.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: SmartTrainingLab Microsoft Project Professional 2021 for Windows $24.97 at the Mashable Shop
$249.99 Save $225.02 Get Deal

TL;DR: Through April 2, ditch the recurring fees with these lifetime licenses to Microsoft Office 2019 for Windows or Mac for just $29.97 (reg.$229).

Most of us have busy lives. Between work and family obligations, it's not easy to find time every day to relax. If you're not yet working with a reliable productivity tool, this 2019 Microsoft Office offer could help get you there for a very low price. Through April 2, you can get MS Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows or MS Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac for just $29.97 (reg. $229).

These 2019 Microsoft suites of apps are not the latest in the company's office, but they can play a lot of the same roles in helping you be more productive and work more efficiently, whether you're using it to manage a household, team of employees, or your school work.

Microsoft Office 2019 for Windows includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Publisher. Notably absent from this list is Microsoft Teams, which is not included in this Windows version. You will need Windows 10 or 11 to run this.

The Mac version of Office 2019 includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Teams Classic. It is supported on the following operating systems: Monetery (12), Ventura (13), and Sonoma (14). 

Each of these versions gives you instant download on one computer and does not require any additional fees. Updates are also included.

This is a great opportunity to get a drastically reduced price on a big name in productivity software.

Order by April 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get one of the following lifetime versions of Office 2019 on sale:

• Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows for just $29.97 (reg. $229)

• Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac for just $29.97 (reg. $229)

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: SmartTrainingLab Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac $29.97 at the Mashable Shop
$229.00 Save $199.03 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: SmartTrainingLab Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows $29.97 at the Mashable Shop
$229.00 Save $199.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Through April 2, this price drop gets you a lifetime subscription to all 14 Babbel languages for just $139.97 (reg. $599).

There are many reasons one might want to learn a new language. For starters, it helps you communicate while traveling and can boost your marketability as a professional. If you have been thinking about learning another language, this lifetime all-language subscription to Babbel Language Learning is on sale for just $139.97 (reg. $599), so it might be a good time to take the plunge.

Not only can learning a new language open the door to new opportunities, but it's also terrific for your brain health. According to an article in Real Simple magazine, learning a new language has a host of cognitive benefits.

Babbel was created with over 100 linguistic experts to help learners see success quickly. Designed for all levels, Babbel uses smaller lessons that take only around fifteen minutes to finish, which allows even the busiest professionals to get their lessons in.

Built with a conversational focus that steers clear of tedious drills, Babbel teaches you about things you'd need in the real world, like dining, directions, family, and weather. It also uses speech-recognition software to ensure you're speaking correctly, which can be a big confidence booster for a new language speaker.

You get lifetime access to study all fourteen languages, from English, French, and Spanish to Portuguese, Russian, and Indonesian. This platform can be used to study anywhere, with lessons and progress synced across all of your devices. You can even download lessons to study offline if you have a long flight on the horizon.

Feed your brain and lean into growth with all-language lifetime access to Babbel Language Learning for just $139.97 (reg. $599) until April 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Babbel Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $139.97 at the Mashable Shop
$599.00 Save $459.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Save 15% on this grade “B” refurbished MacBook Pro 15.4-inch with an Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and Monterey macOS.

When you’re browsing for laptop upgrades, you usually have two choices: One, splurge on name-brand models or, two, grab an affordable option that falls short of your performance and aesthetic expectations. But, the way we see it, you can actually get both with refurbished models.

Take this MacBook Pro 15.4-inch as an example. It has Apple’s signature look, powerful performance, and it’s only $373.99 (reg. $441) right here. That’s less than Amazon’s current price.

Save $1,000+ compared to shopping brand-new MacBook Pros

A grade “B” refurbished rating makes this MacBook Pro so affordable. While you might notice wear like light scuffs, scratches, or dents on the body, typically, a hard-shell case would conceal them nicely while protecting your purchase. Minor cosmetic flaws also don’t inhibit the laptop’s internal performance.

This MacBook Pro has a powerful Intel Core i7 and 16GB of RAM, packing in more power than most other laptops sold at this price point. Pro models are also known for strong battery life and, even after considering diminished battery health with a refurbished model, you can still expect up to nine hours of use on a full charge.

The laptop also features Intel Iris Pro graphics for high-quality streaming and video editing, 256GB SSD storage for adding apps and storing files, and an HD FaceTime webcam for video chats and conference calls.

As far as macOS, this MacBook Pro can upgrade up to Monterey. This version shares a similar look to the latest in Sonoma, and it just received a security update from Apple in early March of 2024.

Just like all of the refurbished deals we share, this one comes with a 30-day aftermarket parts and labor warranty. This gives you added peace of mind as you receive and start testing out your new-to-you MacBook Pro.

An eco-friendly and wallet-friendly deal

Grab a 15.4-inch MacBook Pro that’s still got it for $373.99 (reg. $441) with this refurbished model.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro (2015) 15.4" i7 2.2GHz 16GB RAM (Refurbished) $373.99 at the Mashable Shop
$441.00 Save $67.01 Get Deal

Terry Virts peered down from the International Space Station in March 2015. The NASA astronaut saw a massive, unusual shadow cast upon Earth.

"It was this big, dark thing that wasn't natural," Virts, a retired astronaut and former International Space Station commander, told Mashable.

He watched a shadow created by the cosmic dance of the moon, Earth, and sun — specifically the moon traveling between our planet and the sun. It was a total solar eclipse, an event that's technically natural, though a spectacle so rare and eerie that it certainly doesn't feel so — either on Earth or in space.

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

Looking out of space station windows, Virts took in the great shadow with another astronaut. It traversed the north Atlantic Ocean. Fortunately, astronomers can predict eclipses — based on the mechanics and gravities of the sun, moon, and Earth — hundreds of years into the future, so these events aren't a surprise. If so, that would have made for some truly unsettling observations from space.

"You'd be like, 'What is happening on Earth?'" Virts said.

Here's what the eclipse shadow looks like from some 250 miles up in the space station. It's a rare sight for a small group of people: There are typically around seven astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the orbiting habitat at once.

The 2017 total solar eclipse as viewed from the space station. Credit: NASA The moon casting a shadow across southern Turkey, northern Cyprus, and the Mediterranean Sea in March 2006. Credit: NASA

For Earthlings in the center of that shadow, or what's called the "path of totality," the event is striking. "In my experience you can't overhype it," Richard Fienberg, an astronomer and senior advisor at the American Astronomical Society, told Mashable earlier this year. The moon, by temporarily blocking the sun's blinding surface for some three to over four minutes (depending where you are), reveals our star's ghostly atmosphere, or corona. In the moon's shadow, the temperature drops, and light fades to deep twilight. Animals start acting strange.

"It was this big, dark thing that wasn't natural."

On April 8, 2024, the path of totality is about 115 miles wide. Virts emphasizes that you must be in this path to experience a total solar eclipse. Outside that path, you'll witness a partial eclipse. A partial eclipse is interesting, but simply pales compared to totality.

"On a scale of one to ten, a partial eclipse is a seven," said Virts, who experienced his first total eclipse from Earth in 2017. "And a total eclipse is a million."

Terry Virts on a spacewalk in 2015. Credit: NASA

Following his days as commander of the space station, Virts continues his passion for space as an aerospace consultant, author, podcast host, and beyond. To promote the looming total solar eclipse, the ex-astronaut has partnered with Sonic Drive-In — yes, the burger stop — a place he says has some 400 locations in the path of totality. (This eclipse passes over some major metropolitan areas, including Indianapolis, Dayton, Dallas, and Cleveland.) If you still need safe eclipse-viewing glasses, Virts said you can get a free pair with Sonic's Blackout Slush Float.

"If it is possible, make the effort and go see this thing," the former astronaut said. After all, the U.S. won't see another total solar eclipse until 2044.

"If it is possible, make the effort and go see this thing."

(Importantly, the only time you can look at the sun without approved eclipse viewers is during a few minutes or so of totality; all other times you must wear eye protection.)

From the space station, the view of the moon's shadow was "unnatural," Virts underscored, but there were no clear, accessible views of the actual eclipsed sun. Yet weather-permitting, you and millions of others will have the rare chance to witness a view of our blackened star on April 8. It's not just a view — the total solar eclipse is an experience. You'll even get to see some radiant planets.

"It blew me away," said Virts. "It's an amazing, amazing experience."

Best deals on Bluetooth speakers this week

• Bose SoundLink Revolve Series II Portable Bluetooth Speaker — $219.00
• Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore Portable Bluetooth Speaker — $188.05 (List Price 249.00)
• JBL Charge 4 Portable Bluetooth Speaker — $109.95 (List Price 149.95)
• Echo Dot 5th Gen Smart Speaker (2022 Release, Charcoal) — $49.99
• Bose SoundLink Micro Portable Bluetooth Speaker — $119.00

In the year 2024, you can't rely on your device's built-in speakers for much. Even if you're on a tight budget, a Bluetooth speaker will significantly up the quality of your listening experience, whether you're hosting a party or listening to a podcast while cooking dinner. And because the best Bluetooth speakers are easy to lug around, they're also great for outdoor hang sessions or listening to your tunes on the go while traveling.

SEE ALSO: The best headphones for 2024 (and why they made our list)

You might be wondering if it's worth splurging on an expensive speaker, buying a durable outdoor speaker, or if there's a smart speaker that works well within the existing sound system in your home. Whatever your needs may be, we've researched and tested the most popular Bluetooth speakers to come up with our recommendations.

Which brand makes the best Bluetooth speakers?

Bose, JBL, Ultimate Ears, Sony, and Sonos tend to be the most popular Bluetooth speaker brands. It's hard to say one brand's speakers are definitively the best, especially because there can be a variety in performance within a brand's lineup. Obviously, you shouldn't expect a $40 speaker to sound the same as the $180 JBL Charge 5, but that doesn't mean you have to blow out your budget to get high-quality sound. What we can say is that these brands tend to be popular for a reason.

For our guide, we put together the standouts from each brand. All of the speakers we chose offer good value, portability, smart home compatibility, and durability. Most importantly, they sound fantastic, with deep bass and high fidelity.

Keep reading for our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers available in 2024.

Watch 'Wish' at home with these quick links: BEST FOR MOST PEOPLE Disney+ Basic monthly subscription $7.99 per month Get Deal BEST BUNDLE DEAL Disney Duo Basic Bundle: Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) $9.99 per month (save 37%) Get Deal BEST FOR VERIZON FIOS CUSTOMERS Disney+ Premium (no ads) Free for 6 or 12 months with eligible Fios internet accounts (save up to $109.99) Get Deal BEST FOR TOTAL BY VERIZON CUSTOMERS Disney+ Premium (no ads) Free with the Total by Verizon $60 plan (save $13.99 per month) Get Deal BEST FOR VERIZON WIRELESS CUSTOMERS Disney Bundle: Disney+ Premium (no ads), Hulu, and ESPN (with ads) $10 per month for Verizon customers with myPlan (save $8.99 per month) Get Deal BEST NON-STREAMING OPTION Purchase 'Wish' on Prime Video $7.74 for Prime members, $9.99 for non-Prime members Get Deal

Disney's got a new leading lady, and now she's headed to the small screen. Wish originally hit theaters back in November, and now it's officially making its streaming debut. While it was available to watch at home via digital video-on-demand services back in January, the 100th anniversary film is now coming to Disney+.

Here's what you need to have your very own Wish watch party.

What is Wish about?

Set in the kingdom of Rosas, Wish tells the tale of a young girl named Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose), who makes a wish upon a star that unexpectedly comes true. With the fallen star's help, and with some backup from a newly articulate goat named Valentino, Asha must set wrongs right and save Rosas from King Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine), its devious ruler.

Get a sneak peek at the story in the trailer below.

Is Wish worth watching?

Wish is meant to celebrate Walt Disney Animation Studios' 100th anniversary. So, for Disney devotees, it's worth watching for that alone. However, as Mashable's Belen Edwards noted in her review, it "fails to make a strong showing in the studio's most distinctive areas, like songs or animation."

Edwards writes that Wish's potential is largely wasted on self-referential nods. "The focus on Disney's other works also holds Wish back from its potential, leaving us with a jumble of forced IP references that doesn't let up even as the credits roll. The only wish you'll make after seeing this film is that Disney had stopped riding high on its own legacy long enough to craft an original, cohesive story."

Other critics mostly agree, with Wish coming in at 48% on the Tomatometer via Rotten Tomatoes. Fans, however, are far more generous, giving the film an 81% rating. If you're a diehard Disney fan, the constant references may hit you with the perfect dose of nostalgia, but it certainly won't wow you like the films of your childhood.

When is Wish coming to Disney+?

Wish hit video-on-demand services (like Prime Video and Apple TV) for purchase back in January, and we suspected a late February streaming date. That obviously didn't come to fruition. Instead, after a long wait, Wish is finally set to make its streaming debut on Disney+ on April 3, 2024.

If you're not yet a Disney+ subscriber, we've rounded up the best ways for you to sign up and save some money below.

How to watch Wish: the best Disney+ streaming dealsBest Disney+ deal for most people Opens in a new window Credit: Disney+ Disney+ monthly subscription $7.99 per month (with ads) or $13.99 per month (ad-free) Watch Now

The best way to watch Wish and be on your way is to sign up for a single month of Disney+. Technically, you won't save any money, but you also won't continuously waste money either — so long as you remember to cancel your subscription immediately after watching. Disney+ will only cost you $7.99 for a single month if you don't mind sitting through a few ads. Otherwise, the ad-free option is $13.99/month.

Best Disney+ bundle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu / Disney+ Disney Bundle Duo Basic (Hulu + Disney+) $9.99 per month (with ads) Watch Now

The Disney+ Duo Basic bundle is too good of a deal to pass up — especially if you're already a Hulu subscriber. You can bundle Disney+ with Hulu for just $2 more per month, bringing your grand total to just $9.99/month for both. That saves you 37% compared to paying for each separately. If you're into sports, you can also add ESPN+ into the mix and pay just $14.99/month for all three. You'll have to deal with ads, but at this price, it's hard to complain. To watch without ads, you'll have to pay an extra $10 per month.

Best Disney+ trial Opens in a new window Credit: Verizon Disney+ Premium (no ads) Free for 6 or 12 months with eligible Fios internet accounts (save up to $109.99) Watch Now

Verizon Fios home internet users on either the 2 Gig Streaming or 2 Gig Complete package can score a free year of Disney+ Premium (no ads), while those on the 1 Gig Streaming or 1 Gig Complete package can sign up for six free months. Check your plan and read about eligibility terms over on the Verizon website to activate the offer.

Best Disney+ deal for Verizon Wireless customers Opens in a new window Credit: Verizon / Disney+ Disney Bundle: Disney+ Premium (no ads), Hulu, and ESPN (with ads) $10 per month for Verizon customers with myPlan (save $8.99 per month) Watch Now

Verizon Wireless customers have a couple different ways to access Disney+ for free or at an impressive discount. However, there are a few terms and eligibility details, so listen up.

Verizon previously offered a handful of Unlimited plans (that are no longer available) that included six free months of Disney+. If you never took advantage of that offer and are on one of these eligible plans, you can still secure your free trial through May 2024. The following plans are included: 5G Do More, 5G Start, Welcome Unlimited, One Unlimited for iPhone, Get More Unlimited, Do More Unlimited, and Play More Unlimited. If you're on the 5G Get More or 5G Play More plan, you're also eligible for the Disney Bundle for free. Check your plan and read more about eligibility and terms on the Verizon promo page.

Don't have access to the now-obsolete trial? You can still get a stellar deal on Disney+ through Verizon myPlan. Just add a Disney Bundle to your account through myPlan, which includes Disney+ Premium (no ads), Hulu (with ads), and ESPN (with ads). All three would usually cost you $18.99 per month, but by signing up through this myPlan deal, you'll only pay $10 per month.

Best way to get Disney+ for free Opens in a new window Credit: Total by Verizon Disney+ Premium (no ads) Free with the Total by Verizon $60 plan (save $13.99 per month) Watch Now

If you're a Total by Verizon customer on the $60/month prepaid unlimited plan, congrats. You get Disney+ Premium (no ads) for free. No terms or trial periods. Just keep your account in good standing and you get Disney+ included with your account. If you cancel or switch your plan, your subscription will end as well. If you're on the $50/month prepaid unlimited plan, you can also score six free months of Disney+, which is plenty of time to watch Wish. If you want to extend that six months, you can also switch over to the $60/month plan instead.

Other ways to watch Wish

Don't want to sign up for Disney+? You can still watch Wish and celebrate Disney's 100th anniversary by adding the film to your digital library. This is the best option for Disney devotees, since you'll also get access to exclusive bonus content, including an all-new documentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, a deleted song, and a sing-along version with on-screen lyrics. Not to mention, you'll own it.

Here are the best digital platforms for purchasing the film.

• Buy in UHD on Prime Video — $7.74 for Prime members, $9.99 for non-Prime members

• Buy in 4K UHD on Fandango at Home — $9.99

• Buy in 4K on Apple TV+ — $9.99

• Buy in 4K on YouTube — $9.99

When you're on the hunt for the best laptop under $500, there are two important words to keep in mind: "Buyer beware."

Many popular gadgets have wildly inflated prices, but in the highly competitive laptop market, you get what you pay for. And that means it can be very dangerous to buy cheap laptops. Choose wrongly, and you'll be stuck with a slow, outdated computer that causes more problems than it solves.

The Mashable shopping team is here to make your lives easier, which is why we're bringing you our picks for the best laptops under $500. We've previously tested some of the best cheap laptops overall, but if $500 is your upper limit, then you're going to be priced out of some popular budget models. Even so, there are some great computers inside your budget.

Testing the Samsung Chromebook 4. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable A quick guide to laptop pricing

Our favorite cheap Chromebook can be yours for just $159, while our favorite gaming laptop will set you back $2,099. And in our guide to the best laptops in general, you'll find machines for every budget. So, how much should you plan on spending?

Typically, laptops fall into one of the following categories:

• Chromebooks ($150-$650): These computers have minimal storage and are designed to run web applications. They're light, portable, and very affordable.

• Budget laptops ($250-$750): Even the best cheap laptops won't have the most impressive specs, but they should have enough RAM and storage for everyday use at school or work.

• MacBooks ($750-$3,500): The cheapest MacBook worth buying (the always-popular M1 MacBook Air) will set you back $750, while a fully specced-out MacBook Pro can cost as much as $3,500.

• Ultrabooks ($1,000-$3,500): These high-end laptops have enough processing power to handle tasks like photo and video editing. They typically have a sleek and modern aesthetic, too. MacBook laptops also fall into this category.

What is the best laptop under $500 in 2024?

Below, we've put together a detailed guide to our top budget laptop recommendations. The right laptop will vary depending on your needs and budget, but our overall top pick is the Acer Aspire 5. We've also gathered computers that are great options for school, work, and personal use.

Nothing feels as good as a deep, genuine laugh. It's an expression of joy! It's a workout. It's a sign that you're having a good time.

Netflix has a dazzling selection of comedy movies that put that good-time feeling on demand. Whether you're craving action-spiked shenanigans, quirky coming-of-age adventures, awkward humor, stranger-than-fiction silliness, madcap musical numbers, or crime with a spree of laughs, there's a perfect pick for you. And we've made singling it out all the easier by highlighting the most hilarious below.

Here, in no particular order, are the 20 funniest movies now streaming on Netflix.

20. Everything Everywhere All at Once Michelle Yeoh kicks butt in "Everything Everywhere All at Once." Credit: A24

Want a movie with a little bit of everything? Then you can't beat the 2023 Oscar winner for Best Picture. Academy Award–winner Michelle Yeoh stars as a disgruntled Laundromat owner who's at her wit's end between her obligations as a boss, wife, mother, and daughter. And just as she's braced to deal with a tax auditor with a surly attitude (Academy Award–winner Jamie Lee Curtis), a dashing version of her husband (Academy Award–winner Ke Huy Quan) bursts onto the scene from a parallel universe to loop her into a quest to save all existence. Packed with absolutely bonkers action, outrageous jokes, dizzying style, and performances as silly as they are deeply poignant, The Daniels' Everything Everywhere All at Once is the kind of movie that'll have you laughing, crying, gasping, and maybe even reconsidering your life up to now. — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor

How to watch: Everything Everywhere All at Once is now streaming on Netflix.

SEE ALSO: How a one-hit wonder became absolutely crucial to 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' 19. My Best Friend's Wedding Credit: Tri-Star / Kobal / Shutterstock

P.J. Hogan's 1997 offering blew up the traditional rom-com standards. Forget the tale of boy meets girl that ends in a happily-ever-after wedding between the two. America's Sweetheart Julia Roberts playfully torched her casting niche as the masterfully (and hilariously) manipulative Jules, who's hellbent on getting her bestie (Dermot Mulroney) to fall for her before he can marry a much younger woman (Cameron Diaz). Cultures clash as this city girl invades the bride's Southern-charmed family. Plus, there are dangerous flirtations, outrageous jokes, an infectious sing-along, and Rupert Everett as the gay bff who proves to be the movie's MVP. — K.P.

How to watch: My Best Friend's Wedding is now streaming on Netflix.

18. The Holiday

There’s no better balm for heartbreak and loneliness than ditching your life to fly to another country for a cute solo vacation. That is, until the loneliness and heartbreak follow you there. In The Holiday, Kate Winslet’s depressed British journalist Iris decides to do a house swap with Cameron Diaz’s newly single Amanda, a Hollywood trailer editor (the least believable part of the film, but we’ll take it). Amanda heads to a dreamy cottage in the English countryside where she meets a charming single father played by Jude Law, while Iris gets a taste of L.A. glamour living in Amanda’s modern Hollywood Hills home. Mind you, this is a Nancy Meyers film, so every set is a magazine-worthy dream house. Plus, there's a Jack Black musical interlude!

As much as The Holiday is a perfectly cozy rom-com, it’s also an excellent comedy about Hollywood itself. If you love movies that humorously wink at the industry, complete with fabulous cameos, this one hits the spot. — Oliver Whitney, Contributing Writer

How to watch: The Holiday is now streaming on Netflix.

SEE ALSO: Jack Black’s totally brill video store scene in 'The Holiday' is prime flirting that died with Blockbuster 17. Bodies Bodies Bodies Credit: Erik Chakeen / A24

Like your comedy with a side of murder? Directed by Halina Reijn, this A24 thriller boasts a playful premise and a bevy of hot stars. Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha'la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Rachel Sennott, Lee Pace, and Pete Davidson play a motley crew of friends who plan for a wild weekend in a remote mansion. But when a childish game of pretend murder leads to real bloodshed, these friends turn suspicious of each other faster than you can say party foul. Cleverly constructed, wickedly funny, and weirdly hot, Bodies Bodies Bodies is a demented delight. —K.P.

How to watch: Bodies Bodies Bodies is now streaming on Netflix.

SEE ALSO: Let's talk about that shocking 'Bodies Bodies Bodies' ending, with director Halina Reijn 16. Bullet Train

If you like your comedy with in-your-face action, you should race to check out this 2022 romp from Deadpool 2 director David Leitch. It's a high-octane film that asks the classic question: "What happens if you pile a bunch of assassins onto one bullet train through Japan?" The answer is delightfully daffy carnage.

Brad Pitt leads a star-studded cast as a merc who's lost his bloodlust. What's supposed to be a simple snatch-and-go job turns dangerously complicated as he crosses paths with a cavalcade of curious characters, all of whom are rocking code names like Tangerine, Lemon, Wolf, The Prince, The Hornet, and White Death. Rapid-fire wit is wielded by the likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Shannon, Bad Bunny, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Joey King, Zazie Beetz, and Sandra Bullock. Also wielded? Every form of weapon you can imagine, from guns and knives to poison, wild animals, and even a well-traveled water bottle. Sound cool? Catch it while you can. — K.P.

How to watch: Bullet Train is now streaming on Netflix.

15. Between Two Ferns: The Movie Credit: Adam Rose / Netflix

Zach Galifianakis' awkward celebrity interview web series Between Two Ferns might not seem like fodder for a full-length movie, but Between Two Ferns: The Movie goes double meta by presenting his success on Funny or Die as an insult to the actor's intention to host a "serious" interview show. Galifianakis the character sets off to correct the assumption that his original show is a joke by interviewing even more celebrities, like John Cho, Keanu Reeves, Gal Gadot, Tiffany Haddish, and more. — Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Between Two Ferns: The Movie is now streaming on Netflix.

14. Do Revenge Credit: Netflix

Looking for a revenge flick that pays tribute to teen classics like Mean Girls, Heathers, Cruel Intentions, and more? Then check out Do Revenge, a dark comedy sure to join the canon of iconic high school movies. Students Drea (Camila Mendes) and Eleanor (Maya Hawke) couldn't be more different... apart from the fact that both have major bones to pick with people who ruined their reputations. They decide to team up and execute one another's revenge plans, which leads down a winding road of morally dubious choices, snappy one-liners, and excellent outfits.

Mendes and Hawke have great chemistry, but it's Sophie Turner who damn near steals the show in a bit part that simply must be seen to be believed.* — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Do Revenge is now streaming on Netflix.

SEE ALSO: Sophie Turner steals Netflix's 'Do Revenge' in 5 outrageous minutes 13. Hunt for the Wilderpeople Credit: Piki Films / Kobal / Shutterstock

This 2016 adventure about bad egg Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) and his curmudgeonly foster father Hec (Sam Neill) is the kind of eccentric delight that writer/director Taika Waititi specializes in (this time co-writing with Barry Crump, who wrote the original book).

After losing his foster mother, Ricky flees into the forests of New Zealand; Hec pursues him, only to realize he doesn't feel the need to return to civilization either. Together, they become the wilderpeople, living off the land and evading capture from authorities, including Thor: Ragnarok's Rachel House. Wilderpeople is equal parts stirring, hilarious, and absurd — a silly yet sentimental story of found family and adventure that can be loved by all. — Proma Khosla, Senior Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Hunt for the Wilderpeople is now streaming on Netflix.

12. Always Be My Maybe Credit: Netflix

What if the one who got away got a second chance? Back in the day, Sasha and Marcus were tight as a slap bracelet. But one fumbled night in a sweaty backseat seemed to shatter their future together.

Fifteen years later, she's a world-renowned chef and he's — well — he's working for his dad's HVAC business and playing with his band on the side. Still, fate arranges for them to reconnect, which could mean Marcus (Randall Park) has a shot to show Sasha (Ali Wong) how he feels. Comedy ensues as the stakes get high when Keanu Reeves crashes the party, being all weird and hot and having the audacity to be Keanu Reeves! This Nahnatchka Khan–helmed laffer also boasts appearances by James Saito, Charlyne Yi, Karan Soni, Daniel Dae Kim, and Michelle Buteau.* — K.P.

How to watch: Always Be My Maybe is now streaming on Netflix.

SEE ALSO: 20 best romantic comedies to fall in love with on Netflix 11. The 'Burbs

If you've ever wondered what the hell your weirdo neighbors have been getting up to over there, then director Joe Dante has got just the comedy for you. 

Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher star as Ray and Carol Peterson – normal folks, leading normal suburban lives — until a family moves in next door that Ray becomes convinced are part of a Satanic cult practicing ritualized human sacrifice. 

Spurred on by his pushy best friends, Art (Rick Ducommun) and Mark (Bruce Dern), Ray's investigation goes off the deep end fast. And Dante, whose oeuvre ranges from Piranha to The Howling and Gremlins, ramps up the outrageousness with wild abandon. The 'Burbs is a cult classic in the sense that it got bad reviews when it first came out but became beloved over the years, thanks to its endless rewatchability on home video and cable. Treat yourself to the spooky comedy that's a great watch year-round.* — Jason Adams, Contributing Writer

How to watch: The ‘Burbs is now streaming on Netflix.

10. Dolemite Is My Name Credit: François Duhamel / Netflix

Chronicling the true story of late comedian Rudy Ray Moore — also known as Dolemite — this Eddie Murphy vehicle is worth every minute of viewing.

An outrageous showbiz comedy, Dolemite Is My Name is at once a poignant look at the life of an underdog and an unbelievably good time. With supporting performances by Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Wesley Snipes, Craig Robinson, and more, this biopic offers more beat-for-beat joy than many of its fictional counterparts. Sensational, aspirational, and electric: You'll love it. — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Dolemite Is My Name is now streaming on Netflix.

9. The Polka King Credit: Netflix

Sometimes true crime can lead to some pitch-perfect dark comedy. This is the case for this outrageous offering, which stars Jack Black as infamous scammer/local celebrity Jan Lewan. Black brings all the rock star panache you need to understand how Lewan could be so beguiling to the Pennsylvanian retirees who surrendered their savings to the self-proclaimed Polka King.

Screenwriters Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky gave this story of fraud and showmanship shape. But they wisely trusted in the local flair of the terrific 2009 documentary The Man Who Would Be Polka King to provide some of the wildest lines of dialogue. Plucking directly from interviews with the friends, family, and victims of Jan Lewan, this comedy feels stranger than fiction but is jaw-droppingly real. Salty supporting turns from Jenny Slate, Jacki Weaver, and Jason Schwartzman bring added fun.* — K.P.

How to watch: The Polka King is now streaming on Netflix.

SEE ALSO: Love me like a Polka King 8. The Mitchells vs. The Machines Credit: Netflix

Sony Pictures Animation has given audiences such daring and dynamic animated movies as Surf's Up, Hotel Transylvania, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This zany 2021 release centers on a family who's battling back the robo-apocalypse with togetherness, internet savviness, and a wall-eyed pug named Monchi (voiced by social media icon Doug the Pug).

The Mitchells' adventure into chaos begins when daughter Katie (Abbi Jacobson) is poised to go off to college. Desperate for one last family-unifying road trip, her dad (Danny McBride) piles the whole family into his beater of a vehicle, unknowingly charting a fateful route into heroics. Director Mike Rianda infuses Katie's excitable perspective throughout the film by working in internet memes, social media-style reactions, and blitz of bonkers visuals. It’s a bold move that might alienate some viewers but has largely won the acclaim of critics and kiddos.* — K.P.

How to watch: The Mitchells vs. The Machines is now streaming on Netflix.

7. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Credit: Netflix

Writer/director Rian Johnson follows up his critically heralded whodunnit with a sequel that's even more explosive than Knives Out. Southern gentleman/detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back, drawling deductions and whipping out witticisms, much to the chagrin of a group of wealthy and conniving friends.

It was supposed to be a murder mystery weekend where homicide was just a game. But when tech scion Miles Bron (Edward Norton) brings together his closest friends and worst enemy, real blood will be spilled, and the game is afoot! Joining in on the comically chaotic fun are Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., and Jessica Henwick. — K.P.

How to watch: Glass Onion is now streaming on Netflix.

SEE ALSO: All those 'Glass Onion' cameos, ranked 6. The Forty-Year-Old Version Credit: Jeong Park / Netflix © 2020

The Forty-Year-Old Version isn’t just any film about a struggling New York artist, but one about a Black female playwright who’s continually held back from creating something authentic to her perspective. Radha Blank’s autobiographical directorial debut, which she also wrote, produced, and stars in, is a searing, funny, and unabashedly honest look at the compromises Black creatives are pushed to make in a world dominated by whiteness.

A teacher approaching her 40th birthday, Radha (Blank) gets the chance to produce one of her plays — only after she refuses to write a slave musical. But forced to change her vision to appease white audiences, Radha considers a totally different medium to express herself: becoming a rapper. The Forty-Year-Old Version may be one of the most slept-on Netflix originals, and it’s a shame we’ve yet to see another film from Blank since, itself an indictment of an industry that fails to continually platform raw and honest Black storytelling.* — Oliver Whitney, Freelance Contributor

How to watch: The Forty-Year-Old Version is now streaming on Netflix.

5. Vampires vs. the Bronx Credit: Netflix

Want a movie that's got excitement, comedy, a scorching message about the evils of gentrification, and is a kid-friendly romp? Then take a bite out of Vampires vs. the Bronx.

Oz Perkins's PG-13 horror-comedy centers on Afro-Latino teens who recognize that a flurry of missing person posters and an influx of rich white folks with tote bags means bad news for the neighborhood. Together, they team up Monster Squad-style to take down the bloodsuckers and save their community. With a sharp wit, a warm heart, a rich sense of atmosphere, and an equal appreciation for the Blade movies and '80s Amblin, Vampires vs. the Bronx is an easy watch full of rewards.* — K.P.

How to watch: Vampires vs. the Bronx is now streaming on Netflix.

4. The Boxtrolls

Laika Studios has made a name for itself in animation by creating whimsical stop-motion adventures like Coraline, ParaNorman, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Missing Link. But the funniest of the bunch is their quirky adaptation of Alan Snow's novel Here Be Monsters! Set in a town where wealthy men wear tall white hats and dine on rare cheeses, The Boxtrolls swiftly ushers audiences into the sewers below, where the eponymous critters live peacefully, building gadgets from garbage and wearing abandoned cardboard boxes as clothing. Living among them is a human child called Eggs. Why? Well that's at the heart of this wacky tale of prejudice to unbox. The key thing you'll want to know is this film is funky, fun, and family-friendly while be absolutely hilarious, stuffed with visual gags, kooky music, and comical twists you won't see coming. — K.P.

How to watch: The Boxtrolls is now streaming on Netflix.

3. The Breaker Upperers

This hidden gem comes from New Zealand, the fertile comedy ground that gave us Taika Waititi, Flight of the Conchords, and What We Do in the Shadows. Waititi collaborators Jackie van Beek, James Rolleston, and Jemaine Clement team up for a deeply quirky buddy comedy about two long-time besties with a bonkers — but brilliant — business model.

Need someone to dump your partner so you can avoid a messy confrontation? Call on Jen and Mel (co-writers/co-directors/co-leads van Beek and Madeleine Sami). For a reasonable fee, these fearless Breaker Upperers will impersonate police officers, play pregnant, or even fake your death to help you ghost an ex. Whatever the shenanigans, van Beek and Sami sparkle. Booming with wild humor and big heart, this comedy is guaranteed to leave you cackling.* — K.P.

Where to watch: The Breaker Upperers is now streaming on Netflix.

2. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga Credit: John Wilson / Netflix

With its reputation for wacky musical numbers, the Eurovision Song Contest is ripe for parody. Luckily for Eurovision lovers, the contest gets the send-up it deserves in this gloriously goofy flick starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams. They play the Icelandic musical duo Fire Saga, who find themselves in the Eurovision spotlight. There, they discover that the famed competition is a world of cutthroat competitors, glitzy costumes, and many, many bops.

Eurovision Song Contest is full of larger-than-life characters and ridiculous humor, but it's also teeming with Eurovision references that will have fans laughing and cheering. For every "Jaja Ding Dong," there's a joyful Song-A-Long — and both are great! Pair all that with pitch-perfect comedic performances from Ferrell and McAdams, and you have a comedy that will both have you in stitches and win your heart. (Best of all, if you weren't a Eurovision fanatic before seeing this movie, you'll definitely be one by the time it ends.)* — B.E.

How to watch: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is now streaming on Netflix.

1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail Credit: FilmPublicityArchive / United Arch

Made up of Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam, the comedy troupe Monty Python are the uncontested kings of comedy. So it's only fitting that we raise a glass to their most popular film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Sure, Life of Brian has iconoclastic fun with Bible stories — and a toe-tapping sound number to boot! But many of the crew's most memorable characters tumble forth in this parody of Arthurian lore.

From the knights Who Say "Ni!" to the dreaded Rabbit of Caerbannog to a taunting Frenchman to the Black Knight who'll never say die, Holy Grail is overflowing with madcap comedy. It's endlessly quotable, stupidly funny, and captures everything that made this comedy team spectacular. Not to mention, it forever changed how we see coconuts, swallows, hamsters, and elderberries. — K.P. & A.F.

How to watch: Monty Python and the Holy Grail is now streaming on Netflix.

Opens in a new window Credit: Netflix Netflix Get Deal

* denotes that this blurb appeared in a previous Mashable list. 

UPDATE: Mar. 27, 2024, 2:21 p.m. EDT This story has been updated to reflect the current selection on Netflix.