This digest compiles the latest from Mashable.
Today’s Mashable Roundup
NASA aims for March Artemis 2 launch after test ends early
NASA will forego a February launch for its Artemis II mission after engineers ran into leaks, cold-weather delays, and equipment problems during a key fueling test that ended early Tuesday morning.
The fuel-loading problems were reminiscent of the challenges the space agency faced in 2022 when it attempted to launch Artemis I, the uncrewed maiden voyage of the program.
The decision pushes the earliest possible launch to March and underscores the technical challenges facing Artemis II, NASA’s first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years and a critical step in the effort to return humans to the moon and possibly Mars. The mission will send four astronauts — Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch, and Jeremy Hansen — on a 10-day journey around the moon without landing, testing the Orion spaceship’s life-support systems. It’s a key test flight before NASA puts boots on the lunar surface in Artemis III.
NASA concluded a so-called wet dress rehearsal that simulated launch countdown operations by loading 700,000 gallons of super-cold fuel into the 322-foot Space Launch System rocket, sending a team to the pad to complete closeout work on the capsule, and then safely draining propellant out of the rocket. The test is designed to expose problems before liftoff.
“Safety remains our top priority, for our astronauts, our workforce, our systems, and the public,” said NASA administrator Jared Isaacman in a post on X. “We will only launch when we believe we are ready to undertake this historic mission.”
Engineers encountered several issues over the two-day countdown simulation that began Jan. 31 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, NASA said. The agency will review data from the rehearsal and conduct another fueling test before setting an official launch date.
Passing on the February launch window means the Artemis II astronauts will leave quarantine and not travel to Kennedy Space Center this week as planned. The crew has been waiting in Houston at Johnson Space Center since Jan. 21.
Credit: NASA / Aubrey Gemignani
NASA said the astronauts will return for quarantine about two weeks before the next targeted launch opportunity. With February ruled out, the next window opens March 6 and continues through March 9, with one extra opportunity on March 11.
Cold weather at the launchpad slowed operations almost immediately, delaying the start of propellant loading while teams worked to warm hardware connections.
During tanking on Feb. 2, engineers spent several hours troubleshooting a liquid hydrogen leak where propellant feeds into the rocket’s core stage. Teams paused the flow of hydrogen, allowed the hardware to warm up to refit the seal, and adjusted flow rates.
Despite the delay, engineers ultimately filled all the tanks. A five-person team then went to the launchpad to complete Orion closeout operations as if the astronauts were there and boarding the ship.
The test ended prematurely with about five minutes remaining in the countdown. The ground launch sequencer automatically stopped after sensors detected a spike in the hydrogen leak.
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Why hydrogen leaks plague rocket launches
Liquid hydrogen has been NASA’s fuel of choice for decades because it has the lowest molecular weight. That’s ideal for keeping the tanks as light as possible. It also helps that hydrogen burns with extreme intensity.
But the reason why hydrogen leaks seem to always stymie launches is that those little molecules are hard to wrangle, seeping out of any tiny crevice or crack. The super-cold temperature of the fuel can cause the rocket materials to contract and shrink, leaving minuscule gaps for the propellant to escape.
NASA reported several other problems during the test. A valve linked to pressurization of the Orion hatch required retightening after a recent replacement. Final checkouts took longer than expected. Cold temperatures disrupted multiple cameras and other equipment, which would have required extra attention if that had happened on launch day.
Engineers also experienced intermittent audio communication dropouts across ground teams, an issue they have been working on for weeks apparently.
“Getting this mission right means returning to the Moon to stay,” Isaacman said, “and a future to Artemis 100 and beyond.”
Grab an iPad mini for $100 off for on-the-go gaming and videos
SAVE $99.01: As of Feb. 3, get the iPad mini (A17 Pro) for $399.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $499. That’s a discount of 20%.
Looking for a new tablet, but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on one? The iPad mini is a great choice. And thanks to this deal from Amazon, you can get significant savings on your purchase, so now’s the time to go ahead and invest.
As of Feb. 3, get the iPad mini (A17 Pro) for $399.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $499. That’s a discount of 20%.
This iPad mini boasts the powerful A17 Pro chip, so it’s capable of zippy performance and running multiple apps at once, if that’s what you want to do. Its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display gives you more screen real estate to work with than your phone, too. So you get more space to play around with, which is a big draw to tablets in general.
It has a 12MP Ultra wide front camera with Center Stage, USB-C connecivity, WiFi 6E support, and it’s compatible with Apple Pencil Pro. That means it’s good for play, but it’s especially useful for taking notes, doodling, or working on presentations. You can draw pictures with all the art tools iPad has.
If you’re ready to go ahead and pick up an iPad mini, be sure you catch it at this price. You’ll be glad you have the miniature form factor of the iPad that can still handle many of the same tasks.
Snag the Kobo Clara Colour while its on sale for the lowest price ever at Amazon
SAVE $20: The Kobo Clara Colour e-reader is on sale for $139.99 at Amazon, down from the standard price of $159.99. That’s a 13% discount that matches the lowest we’ve ever seen at Amazon.
Tis the season for reading non-stop. February tends to be a month marked by chilly temps and hibernation vibes. Instead of fighting those feelings, why not use this month to catch up on book titles you’ve been putting off for a later time? If you’ve been contemplating upgrading to an e-reader, one of Mashable’s favorite models is on a great sale today.
As of Feb. 3, the Kobo Clara Colour is on sale for $139.99 at Amazon, marked down from the list price of $159.99. That’s a 13% discount that takes $20 off the price. It also matches the record-low at Amazon.
On Mashable’s list of the best e-readers, the Kobo Clara Colour earns the honor of our favorite Kobo model. Recently launched in white, the Kobo Clara Colour is an excellent e-reader if you’re looking for a color-capable model in a compact size.
Mashable’s review of the Kobo Clara Colour gives it points for having a matte, glare-free display with the perfect screen size. The Clara’s six-inch display is smaller than the Paperwhite which means it might fit better in your hand. Mashable Shopping Reporter Samantha Mangino wrote, “In testing the Kobo Clara Colour, I put away my Kindle Paperwhite for a few weeks and was surprised but how much I didn’t miss it. It was refreshing to use a smaller e-reader that truly felt handheld,” she wrote. “The six-inch screen is smaller than the Paperwhite’s, but I didn’t miss the extra real estate. In fact, it was a worthy sacrifice for how comfortable it felt to hold.”
The smaller size means this is also more travel friendly compared to the Amazon models. Plus, Kobo recently launched the Kobo remote, which makes it the only e-reader with a native remote. From personal experience, I can tell you it’s ultra convenient to use the remote with the Clara Colour. Plus, it’s only $29.99.
While it’s on sale for Valentine’s Day, grab the Kobo Clara Colour e-reader and take off on a reading journey for the rest of winter. Load it up with free books from Libby and you’ll be set for months.
A third of Gen Z admit to texting during sex
You’ve heard of sexting, but what about actually texting while in the middle of the act? It’s apparently not so uncommon for young adults: 35 percent of Gen Z adults have admitted to texting or checking social media during sex, according to a survey of 100,000 students from the anonymous college app Yik Yak. (Twenty-four students actually said they’ve picked up Mom’s call while in bed, too.)
The statistic comes at a time when more people are talking about addictive behavior on social media sites, combined with how Gen Z is having less sex than their older counterparts did when they were younger. It’s undeniable that the internet impacts Gen Z’s lives — even their sex lives — when 81 percent use social media every day, and half say they spend more than three hours on it per day.
As Mashable reported last year, the internet shaped Gen Z’s relationship to sex, in some more positive ways (such as the ability to see sex education materials if they weren’t taught it in school or at home), and others more negative, such as anxiety about the way they’re perceived.
Now, as it turns out, connectivity literally impacts a third of Gen Z while having sex. They can’t seem to stay present, though if you’re interested in being more mindful during sex, Mashable has a story for you.
The survey also found that 23 percent of Gen Z said they had sex while their roommate was in the room, and eight percent didn’t care that their roommate was wide awake.
I tried Dysons new PencilVac, a stick vacuum with half the weight, double the lasers. No, I will not chill.
We’ve been introduced to quite a few promising new vacuum cleaners over the past few months, including a handful of cordless stick vacuums snuck in with the big CES robot vacuum announcements. None of them could have prepared you for what the new Dyson PencilVac looks like.
The Feb. 3 release of the $599.99 PencilVac kicks off a string of long-awaited new Dyson vacuums slated for 2026. This launch is pretty huge news — prior to this, Dyson hadn’t released a new cordless vacuum since 2023, and even those weren’t overly groundbreaking. (We’ve seen what happens when a once-prestige brand gives up on innovating, à la The Fall of the House of iRobot.) So I jumped at the opportunity to test the PencilVac at home for a few days before launch. Considering that the PencilVac is somewhat a successor to my absolute favorite cordless vacuum of the past three years, you can imagine that the initial thoughts and early comparisons are already flowing.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
Since 2022, I’ve been recommending the Dyson V12 Detect Slim nonstop for two main reasons: It’s incredibly lightweight, and the dust-illuminating laser completely changed the way I clean. The Dyson PencilVac weighs even less and has two lasers instead of one. Is unseating the GOAT really that simple?
Setting up the vacuum itself is incredibly easy because the PencilVac design is the definition of minimal. The box is compact and flat, and since it only comes with one attachment, you don’t have to dig around through a ton of packaging. Just click the motor, wand, and cleaning head together and find a spot near an outlet for the charging stand. It actually took longer to connect the PencilVac to WiFi and the Dyson app.
OK, I’m not a huge fan of being forced to use an app with an appliance just for the sake of using an app. But since the PencilVac’s screen is so tiny, I’m sure the app will come in handy for notifications about clogged airways or filter replacement.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
What’s special about the Dyson PencilVac?
The Dyson PencilVac is a stick vacuum in the most literal sense of the term. It’s legitimately shaped like a pencil and measures less than 1.5 inches around. The battery, motor, and dustbin are built into the wand, lying completely flush. There’s no main body with a handle or a trigger or anything. All controls can be found halfway down the wand. There’s one on/off button and one button to switch between three suction power modes on the screen. The screen also displays battery life with a countdown timer.
Without a big cylindrical dustbin or heavy battery pack, the PencilVac weighs in at less than four pounds. That’s more than a pound lighter than the V12 Detect Slim (that I already find incredibly ergonomic), and less than half of the weight of the heaviest Dyson stick vacuum.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
One of my first orders of business with the PencilVac was to vacuum the ceiling corners and any cobwebs that I’d previously been pretending weren’t there. Without the top-heaviness from a clunky dustbin, the PencilVac was comfortable to hold above my head with one hand. (I certainly can’t say the same for the 8.6-pound Dyson Gen5outsize that my mom has.)
The wand doesn’t bend, so you’ll have to be awkwardly far away from certain nooks and crannies while you’re detailing them. But the long wand also makes it easy to keep up with dusty baseboards without kneeling down, and that’s huge news for my allergies and my back.
I’m definitely being normal about the double laser situation
The PencilVac also has two of my favorite Dyson feature ever, the dust-illuminating laser: One that lights the cleaning path ahead and one that lights the trail directly behind the cleaning head.
I’ve been religiously laser vacuuming since I got my V12 Detect Slim in 2023, so the concept of dual lasers is monumental to someone who can barely remember life B.L. (Before Laser). You truly have no concept of how much dust, dander, and hair accumulate on your floors within the span of a day. Barring any egregiously huge obvious crumbs, hardwood and tile always look pretty spotless to the naked eye… until the laser enlightens you. You can never go back after that.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
I love that the double-headed laser provides a 360-degree view of the floor before and after you sweep it. After making a pass with my V12 Detect Slim, I’d often turn around to shine the laser where I just cleaned to make sure no minuscule stragglers would get stuck to my bare feet later. The double-headed laser shows you where the dirty spots are, then provides real-time proof of its debris pickup in the path behind it. The first PencilVac clean under my dresser and nightstand is going to be an all-timer — I can’t wait to meet what’s been living under there for months.
And cleaning gets even more granular from there. The PencilVac fluffy brush head can swivel the entire way around to hit the specific angle you need for any super niche spot, like between furniture and the wall.
Features I’m keeping an eye on: Dustbin practicality and carpet use
Emptying the PencilVac is slightly trickier than emptying a classic point-and-empty dustbin. You still hold it over the trash and click a button to release debris. But any veteran stick vacuum user knows that a piece of the dust bunny will inevitably need to be pulled out by hand. Since it’s so damn thin, I can already tell that the PencilVac dustbin and suction airway are going to be harder to keep clear. I realized that a water bottle sponge (one we will NOT be using to wash dishes) fits well enough to wipe out any fine hairs or dust stuck to the sides, but I’m not sure what to do when a wad of hair gets wrapped around up there.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
At this point, it’s also hard to tell how worthwhile the PencilVac will be in homes that have a lot of carpeting. Dyson officially says that the four conical brush bars were designed to detangle hair, but will four fully fluffy brushrolls really work well on similarly fluffy carpet that’s covered in pet hair? Can a motor small enough to fit in the handle even generate enough power for sufficient carpet cleaning? I have two cats and a ton of rugs, so that’s what I’ll be investigating in the coming weeks.
The PencilVac is also one of the only Dyson stick vacuums in recent memory that doesn’t come with a mini motorized pet hair tool. It’s possible that thick influxes of fur could simply be too much for the small dustbin and filter to handle. Still, that’s another consideration for shoppers who are centering their vacuum purchase around pet hair pickup.
Similarly, since the battery has to be small enough to fit in a 1.5-inch diameter handle, it’s not that surprising that the PencilVac’s battery life isn’t great. It’s advertised as 30 minutes on one charge, and I definitely noticed it draining quickly in my first few days. Most of us probably don’t often vacuum nonstop for a full half hour anyway, but still something to keep in mind for larger homes.
The Dyson PencilVac is available to buy now for $599.99.
McDonalds is dropping free McNugget Caviar kits for Valentines Day — heres how to get one
Eating fast food may not be the fanciest way to spend date night, but McDonald’s is upping the ante for Valentine’s Day.
In a first-of-its-kind luxury collab, McDonald’s is teaming up with Paramount Caviar to offer customers McNugget Caviar kits for the most romantic weekend of the year. Each kit includes a one-ounce tin of Baerii Sturgeon caviar, a $25 McDonald’s gift card (to buy plenty of McNuggets), creme fraiche, and a Mother of Pearl caviar spoon, according to a press release. And the best part is it’s completely free.
Why McNugget Caviar?
While it might feel incredibly random to some folks (including me), the chicken nugget and caviar combo is actually a fine dining trend. Korean-inspired fried chicken restaurant COQODAQ served up a dish of nuggets topped with Petrossian caviar, creme fraiche, and chives at the U.S. Open last year in New York City. Despite the outlandish cost ($100 for chicken nuggets!), it was a hit. The combo has been an ironic luxury treat for years, though. Trendsetter Rihanna even posted about it back in December 2024.
“What makes this pairing so iconic? The crispy, golden goodness of our signature McNuggets and the salty, savory, black pearls of Paramount’s Baerii Sturgeon caviar make for a true match made in heaven for the special occasions in life,” the fast food chain said in the announcement.
How to get the McDonald’s McNugget Caviar kit
Credit: McDonald’s
McDonald’s McNugget Caviar kits will be available exclusively at McNuggetCaviar.com (not available in stores) starting Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 11 a.m. ET. Mark your calendars. The company has not said how many kits will be available, only that supplies are limited. So you’ll want to act quickly.
As noted above, the kits are completely free of charge. Considering a single ounce of Paramount’s Baerii Sturgeon caviar typically costs $95, this is one helluva deal. Looks like fast food can be fancy after all.
Apple TV Event: Trailers, season premiere dates and more
Apple TV is offering up sneak peeks at its 2026 TV and film slate, and Mashable has all the details for you.
At its 2026 Press Day, the streaming service behind Emmy-winning hits like Pluribus, Severance, The Studio, and Ted Lasso is unveiling first looks at what could become your next TV obsessions. New titles include the Elle Fanning-led adaptation of Rufi Thorpe’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles and Anya Taylor-Joy’s heist thriller Lucky, while returning shows include MonsterVerse series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and Jon Hamm’s meme-spawning Your Friends and Neighbors. On the film side, keep an eye out for Keanu Reeves and Jonah Hill’s team-up Outcome and Jake Johnson and Mary Steenburgen’s pickleball comedy The Dink.
We’ll be updating this live blog all day to give you the latest updates on the event, including release dates, teasers, and any other surprises that may come our way.
Snag a pair of discounted Apple AirPods 4 and level up your listening
SAVE $29.01: As of Feb. 3, get the Apple AirPods 4 for $99.99, down from their usual price of $129. That’s a discount of 22%.
If you’re ready for a serious earbud upgrade, you can’t go wrong with a pair of AirPods, specifically the affordable but great-sounding Apple AirPods 4. You can get them for a discount today at Amazon, so be sure to snag yours while they’re available.
As of Feb. 3, get the Apple AirPods 4 for $99.99, down from their usual price of $129. That’s $29.01 off and a discount of 22%.
These wireless earbuds offer easy Bluetooth connectivity and are especially simple to connect with via iPhone. They’re sweat and water-resistant, and come with a USB-C charging case, so you can get up to 30 additional hours of battery life when you deplete what the earbuds have in them.
Most impressive is the personalized spatial audio they offer, so you can feel like you’re right in the middle of your favorite music. It’s important to note that this more affordable model doesn’t offer noise cancellation, so if you’re looking for that, you’ll have to go up in price a bit. But for a simple pair of headphones with excellent audio, these AirPods are a great choice that you’ll be satisfied with.
Just be sure to get yours quickly, since Apple discounts usually end up going fast.
Amazon has the Bluetti Elite 100 V2 portable power station on sale for over half off — save over $400
SAVE $404.02: The Bluetti Elite 100 V2 portable power station is on sale for $394.98, down from the list price of $799. That’s a 51% discount that matches the record low price at Amazon.
The storms keep rolling it. It feels like every week, there’s another winter weather warning that threatens to knock out power. While it sounds cozy to curl up on the couch under every blanket in the house with an e-reader, it’s not convenient when your phone goes dead or you consider the food spoiling. Stay equipped with a portable power station. If you don’t have one yet, check out this deal at Amazon.
As of Feb. 3, the Bluetti Elite 100 V2 portable power station is on sale for $394.98, down from the list price of $799. That works out to a savings of $404.02 from a 51% discount. It also matches the record low price at Amazon.
During the next power outage, the Bluetti Elite 100 V2 will keep your gadgets charged up and the lights on. It comes with 1,024Wh of battery capacity while only weighing 25 pounds. In real-world terms, that power can keep a light on for over 51 hours, a phone recharged 52 times, or a WiFi router online for over 45 hours.
The Bluetti Elite 100 V2 also recharges in a whizzingly quick time. Plug it into standard wall AC power and it can go from dead to 80% power in just 45 minutes. You can also connect it to up to 1,000W of solar panel which will get the power station back to 100% with 70 minutes of charging time.
More highlight features include an under 30 decibel noise level when powering up under 600W. That’ll be useful if you plan to use the power station to keep a CPAP machine going. There’s also an under 10 millisecond switching time should grid power cut out. That’s also important for CPAP wearers or if you’ll be using the power station to keep your desktop setup up online.
While the Bluetti Elite 100 V2 is on a massive 51% discount, make your life much more enjoyable during the next power outage. You’ll be able to keep your phone charged, a lamp on, and even keep the refrigerator cooling.
Clawdbot users are snapping up the Mac Mini — buy right now for under $550 at Amazon
SAVE $50: The M4 Mac Mini is on sale at Amazon for $549, down from the normal price of $599.
Silicon Valley is going wild for the 2024 M4 Mac Mini, but it’s not for the reason you might think. No, it’s not being used as a traditional desktop computer in the way we assume. People are using it to run the latest AI assistant, Clawdbot. With a cute lobster mascot, the Clawdbot hype is driving up sales and snatching up stock of the Mac Mini with an M4 chip. Before it becomes impossible to find in-stock, check out this sale price.
As of Jan. 31, the M4 Mac Mini is on sale at Amazon for $549, marked down from the standard price of $599.
Why use a Mac Mini for running Clawdbot? The answers are pretty similar to why you’d want a Mac Mini in the first place. Like the name implies, it’s a tiny beast that has 16GB of unified memory and 256GB SSD. Plus, you can leave it running at all times with no issue. If you live in the Apple ecosystem and plan to adopt Clawdbot, a dedicated Mac Mini could be an awesome sidekick.
This 2024 version of the Mac Mini comes with Apple’s powerful M4 chip, two USB-C ports, a headphone jack, ethernet, HDMI, and Thunderbolt 4 ports. All of that is housed in the compact five inch by five inch Mac Mini housing. This size makes it simple to add to your current desktop setup or take along on the next work trip.
If you’re looking for the smallest possible personal assistant, running Clawdbot on a Mac Mini might be your best option. Before demand reaches even higher levels, snag the M4 Mac Mini from Amazon while it’s on sale for $549. That’s $50 off the normal price.
What were getting wrong about dating, according to a Kinsey scientist
In 2026, it’s difficult to detangle love with tech, given the rise of dating apps and now AI. But an evolutionary biologist doesn’t think it’s changed the fabric of how relationships form.
“I think that these technologies are becoming more popular and more pervasive and more advanced, but they’re still not at a place where they’re overturning four million years of evolution in terms of our desire to form intense bonds,” said Dr. Justin Garcia, executive director of the Kinsey Institute, in an interview with Mashable.
Garcia is the author of the just-released book The Intimate Animal, all about the science behind sex and love. He sat down with Mashable to discuss AI, dating apps, and Gen Z daters — just in time for Valentine’s Day.
AI relationships as ‘training wheels’
Singles are using AI in different ways to date. Some use it to optimize their photos and bios, while others skip over human relationships entirely and date AI. In a survey last year, AI companion company Joi found that eight out of 10 Gen Zers would “marry” an AI.
Garcia sees AI as somewhat helpful if you think of it as “training wheels” — if you want a bit of advice or want to build confidence and practice.
“The thing about training wheels is the best case, you take them off at some point,” he said.
There are elements of a relationship that aren’t replicated in chatting with an LLM (as of this publication, anyway — who knows what advances can be made). One that Garcia identified is the reciprocal nature of relationships. “Part of what we want in a relationship is ‘I want to do good things for you. I want you to do good things for me,'” he said.
The psychology of a couple’s relationship includes the dyadic (consisting of two parts) process of whether you’re growing together and making each other’s lives better. For example, waking up early when you don’t want to and making breakfast for you and your partner.
Three elements of a relationship are me, you, and us, Garcia explained. “I’m not convinced at current that people interacting with these AIs think there’s an ‘us.'”
AI relationships seem more transactional. “If I have a relationship with AI, yeah, it’s going to tell me every day that I’m smart and I’m handsome…there’s something nice about that,” he said, “but do I really think I’m making its life better?” Part of a happy, satisfying relationship is making your partner’s life better.
Pluses and minuses of dating apps
Garcia has worked with Match as a scientific adviser since 2010, but he’s not afraid to be critical of the apps.
“The challenge with the apps is they’re divorced from how we’ve engaged in courtship for millions of years,” he said. When we meet a potential partner, we want to hear their voice, see their body language, smell them, feel them, know their social network — you can’t get that from an app (OK, maybe their voice if you’re using Hinge’s voice note feature).
That’s not to say apps haven’t been a boon to different groups of people, such as those who are neurodivergent or daters who want something very particular, whether it’s a certain religion or fetish. You can find someone with an app. “That’s so incredible to me, that we have that ability,” he said.
But its positives don’t erase the negatives of dating apps, like distraction, attention, and overoptimization. Ghosting and bad user behavior are other gripes.
And dating app burnout doesn’t exist in a vacuum. People have reported burnout in other areas of life, not just dating, and Garcia sees that as adaptive in some ways to our current political, financial, and environmental climates.
But even with these challenges, courtship has always been a competition, Garcia said, and it wasn’t any more fun 100 or 200 years ago. So the real question of dating apps is, how do we use them better?
“We can think about being more intentional. We can think about filling out our own profiles, thinking about engaging with a profile,” he said. And remember that dating is also a dyadic process, meaning between two people, so more intentional choices are not going through 1,000 people swiping, going on second dates, even though there are other options on your phone.
“Similar to AI, [apps are] tools that we can use. When we let them run the show, we get ourselves into trouble,” Garcia said.
Gen Z daters need to stop self-optimizing
There are other challenges that don’t have to do with dating apps, but might be the fault of technology. Newly published research from Match Group and the Kinsey Institute suggests that young adults want love, but believe they’re not ready for it. Only 55 percent of 18-29 year-olds feel prepared to pursue a romantic relationship, while 80 percent believe they’ll find true love. (This is according to a survey of 2,500 U.S. singles conducted by The Harris Poll between September and October 2025.)
“We’re seeing a generation of people who are too focused on self-actualization.”
“We’re seeing a generation of people who are too focused on self-actualization,” Garcia told Mashable, such as the belief that you have to work on yourself before you enter a relationship.
“You think our ancestors ‘worked on themselves’?” he joked. We, young adults in particular, are focused on the idea that we have to “work on ourselves” in isolation, then show up to a potential date ready. And some self-improvement can happen on one’s own, but Garcia said, “working on yourself happens in the context of a relationship.”
“That relationship is the container for making mistakes and finding yourself and having a trusted co-pilot to pick you up and to support each other,” he said.
Young people might have too much emphasis on “I need to be perfect, and you need to be perfect, and we have to go figure out what we want in a corner,” he said. “I don’t think it’s helpful.”
Match Group’s Human Connections Lab researcher Amelia Miller believes tech plays a role in these feelings among young adults.
“Social media and AI companions are teaching Gen Z that the messiness of human relationships is something to be tamed, not embraced, but vulnerability and friction are essential ingredients of intimacy,” Miller said in the press release for the data. “The self-actualization that Gen Z is seeking out solo is actually unlocked through relationships with others.”
So maybe in 2026, we don’t need more tech to optimize ourselves; we don’t need to optimize at all. Maybe to find love, we need to be a bit more human.
The new Nintendo Switch Virtual Boy has the same problem it did in 1995. Thats a good thing
In September 2025, Nintendo announced something I never thought I would see: The triumphant return of the Virtual Boy. This was easily the biggest and most embarrassing hardware failure in the company’s history.
Thirty years is apparently long enough to get over the shame, though, because Nintendo is bringing Virtual Boy games to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service on Feb. 17. You won’t be able to play them on your TV. Instead, you’ll need a $99 add-on that recreates the console’s two-legged original form factor, which you shove your Switch or Switch 2’s handheld screen into. There’s also a $24.99 cardboard alternative, in case $99 is too much for you.
I got hands-on time with the more expensive Virtual Boy accessory at a Nintendo preview event, and I’m pleased to report that all of the cornerstones of the Virtual Boy experience are present … for better and worse.
What matters is that it’s faithful
Nintendo launched the Virtual Boy in 1995, when the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was in its twilight and the next-generation Nintendo 64 still a year away.
The Virtual Boy sat between a home console and a fully portable handheld device like the Game Boy; it didn’t plug into a TV, but it stood on two legs and needed a flat surface to play on, as well as several batteries or a power adapter. It promised stereoscopic 3D gaming, at a time when the mere notion of a third dimension was relatively novel.
And yet, few bought it. Those who did complained of neck and eye strain, because you had to shove your face into the module to play games on it. Games were only displayed in red and black, which was not the most pleasing aesthetic. Only 22 Virtual Boy games were ever released, and few were memorable. Nintendo withdrew the product in 1996.
Fast forward to 2026, and the Virtual Boy is back on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. Even a few minutes with the peripheral told me basically everything I needed to know. I got to sample the Feb. 17 launch lineup, which includes Wario Land (generally considered the best game on the platform), Teleroboxer, 3-D Tetris, and a game called The Mansion of Innsmouth that was previously only released in Japan.
Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable
The Virtual Boy add-on for Switch works exactly like it should. You set it on a table in front of you, grab a controller, and stick your face into the machine. By default, games are displayed faithfully in red and black (though there are some new options that let you adjust that) and the stereoscopic 3D effect that defined the original hardware is in full force.
I suspect that’s the reason why you can’t just play these games on a TV — and after seeing them in action, I get it. These games were designed to only be seen in 3D, and as much as it sucks to charge $99 for the ability to play them correctly, I don’t think the novelty would exist to the same extent on a flat display.
Wario Land definitely seemed neat, especially with 3D background elements being relevant to gameplay sometimes, while The Mansion of Innsmouth was completely inscrutable.
The most vital aspect of all of this: after just a few minutes, my eyes and neck began to hurt and I had to back away. I got the same feeling of being disconnected from the physical world around me and needing to re-integrate with it as soon as I was done that I normally get from using modern VR headsets.
We’ve come so far in terms of VR tech, but for me that sense of dislocation hasn’t changed at all.
Playing a Virtual Boy after decades of just hearing about it was fascinating, if nothing else. I love that Nintendo is doing this, though I’m not sure $99 is worth it for the full experience, or that most of those games are worth playing for longer than five minutes.
There’s genuine historical value to Nintendo’s biggest gaming failure, and we should take it as a victory that Nintendo isn’t running away from it anymore.
French police raids Xs Paris offices
French prosecutors have raided the Paris officers of Elon Musk‘s X (formerly Twitter) as part of a preliminary investigation into child abuse images and deepfakes proliferating on the platform.
The investigation was opened in January 2025, with charges including “complicity” in “in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity and manipulation of an automated data processing system as part of an organized group,” the AP reported Tuesday.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed the news via its own X account on Tuesday.
“A search is carried out at X’s French premises by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor’s office, with @CyberGEND and @Europol as part of the investigation opened in January 2025.”
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Paris prosecutor’s office also said it would be leaving X, inviting followers to find it on LinkedIn an Instagram.
Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino, which served as X CEO from May 2023 to July 2025, are summoned for “voluntary interviews,” on April 20, the Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
“At this stage, the conduct of the investigation is based on a constructive approach, with the aim of ultimately ensuring that the X platform complies with French law, as it operates on the national territory,” said the statement.
In a message posted in July 2025, X called the investigation “politically motivated,” and said it would not cooperate.
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Grok, xAI’s AI assistant which has a prominent place on X, has recently come under scrutiny as it was being used to produce millions of sexualized images of adults and children. Grok later took measures to address these concerns, primarily via limiting image generation to paid subscribers, though several regulators and governments called the move insufficient.
Alex Honnold casually describes his live Netflix free solo of Taipei 101 to Jimmy Kimmel
There are few things more casual than professional climber Alex Honnold calmly describing his latest life-or-death escapades in interviews, and the footage above with Jimmy Kimmel is no exception.
Following his live Netflix free solo ascent of Taipei 101, the 11th tallest structure in the world, Honnold sits down on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to describe the experience, including the reason why the climber hung by his legs no-handed near the top of the building.
“Style points. You have to play around just a little bit,” says Honnold. “I mean that was near the top of the building, so I’d already done most of the really hard stuff, and you’re kind of having a good time, you’re enjoying the view. It’s like, you’ve got to play around a little bit.”
Kimmel’s reaction says it all.
The Pokémon TCG: Phantasmal Flames Elite Trainer Box is $15 off at Amazon
TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Phantasmal Flames Elite Trainer Box is now just $91.80 at Amazon. That’s $15 off its usual $106.89 list price.
at Amazon
$106.89
Save $15.09
Elite Trainer Boxes tied to high-demand Pokémon TCG expansions don’t tend to hang around at discounted prices for long, and Phantasmal Flames has been no exception. As of Feb. 3, the Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Phantasmal Flames Elite Trainer Box is down to $91.80 at Amazon. That’s $15 off its usual $106.89 list price.
Currently undercutting the cheapest listings available at TCGplayer by over $52, a Phantasmal Flames ETB at this price — compared to current market demand — is offering solid value for Pokémon trading card collectors and players alike.
Like other Elite Trainer Boxes, this contains nine Phantasmal Flames booster packs, along with a full-art foil Charcadet promo card. You’ll also get 65 themed card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, a player’s guide to the expansion, six damage-counter dice, a competition-legal coin-flip die, and a sturdy collector’s box with dividers to keep everything organized.
Considering that individual Phantasmal Flames booster packs on Amazon currently cost $9.87, you’re essentially getting the Charcadet promo card and all the other bonuses from the ETB for only an extra $2.97 — a great deal if you’re both aiming to get caught up on the expansion and be equipped for real-life play at the same time.
While shopping for Pokemon TCG deals, you can still get the Mega Venusaur ex Premium Collection Box for almost $22 off at Amazon. For multiple packs, eight-pack lots of Pokémon TCG: Journey Together boosters are on sale at Amazon.
Sony WH-CH520 headphones are down to under $50 at Amazon — save over $20 right now
SAVE OVER $20: As of Feb. 3, the Sony WH-CH520 headphones are on sale for $48 at Amazon. This is $21.99 off their list price of $69.99.
If you’ve had a new pair of headphones on your shopping list this year, but don’t want to drop a lot of cash on something fancy, there are plenty of great budget options to consider. The Sony WH-CH520 headphones are included in that bunch — we even consider them the best on-ear budget headphones — and they’re on sale right now at Amazon.
As of Feb. 3, every available color of the Sony WH-CH520 headphones is discounted to $48 at Amazon. Considering they’re usually listed for $69.99, this deal allows you to save just over $20. On top of that, some colors are even back at their lowest-ever prices right now, such as the blue and white models.
The Sony WH-CH520s boast solid sound quality and a battery life that can last up to 50 hours on a single charge. Our review from writer Alex Bracetti said they’re the “best headphones under $50 — period.” He continued on to say that they “surpass expectations by delivering broad connectivity, energetic sound, and longer playtimes than most luxury models.”
While they don’t come with noise-canceling features, and our roundup of the best budget headphones notes they feel “quite flimsy”, they are worth grabbing for their sound alone. In that regard, the roundup states that the “the audio quality of this Sony pair certainly packed a punch.”
If you’re looking for headphones that offer great sound with a lighter price tag, this deal on the Sony WH-CH520 headphones is worth a look.
Seth Meyers has a blunt response to Elon Musks email to Epstein
The latest batch of Epstein files have caused some uncomfortable questions to be asked of Elon Musk, who — despite asserting on X that he “always declined” invitations to the convicted sex offender’s island, reportedly also emailed Epstein about a potential visit, writing in one message: “What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?”
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“You know sometimes I think Elon Musk is a lump with no charisma, but then he writes a line of poetry like ‘What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?’ and I stand corrected,” says Seth Meyers in the Late Night clip above. ‘What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?’ is not a question you should ever ask anyone, but especially not a guy who, at that point, was already a registered sex offender.”
Elsewhere, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert also unpacked the latest Epstein files.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX acquires Elon Musks xAI, including social media platform X
Elon Musk’s AI company xAI, which includes Elon Musk’s social media platform X, has just been acquired by Elon Musk’s space company SpaceX.
The merging of all of Elon Musk’s “X” companies has now created a single entity with a valuation of $1.25 trillion. SpaceX has reportedly been planning to hold an initial public offering (IPO) later this year. The news of SpaceX’s acquisition of xAI was first reported by Bloomberg and then confirmed by SpaceX with a statement posted on its website on Monday.
“SpaceX has acquired xAI to form the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world’s foremost real-time information and free speech platform,” reads SpaceX’s statement. “This marks not just the next chapter, but the next book in SpaceX and xAI’s mission: scaling to make a sentient sun to understand the Universe and extend the light of consciousness to the stars!”
The statement makes reference to all of the products now under the SpaceX umbrella, including its satellite internet service Starlink.
Musk’s AI company xAI acquired the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, in an all-stock transaction last March. The deal valued X at $33 billion, or $11 billion less than what Musk paid for then-Twitter in 2022.
As Bloomberg points out, xAI, alongside its chatbot product Grok, spends around $1 billion each month in operation costs. The SpaceX merger helps pool each company’s resources.
In addition, the combination of SpaceX and xAI may also help move along Musk’s intent to put AI data centers in space. SpaceX made a filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last week seeking permission to launch “a million satellites” for the endeavor.
In the statement posted on the SpaceX website, Musk specifically made mention of the project when discussing the merger.
“In the long term, space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale,” Musk said. “To harness even a millionth of our Sun’s energy would require over a million times more energy than our civilization currently uses! The only logical solution therefore is to transport these resource-intensive efforts to a location with vast power and space. I mean, space is called ‘space’ for a reason.”
Musk ended that statement with a cry laughing emoji.
Waymo to expand to 20+ cities after $16 billion financing round
Alphabet’s Waymo just raised a ton of cash to finance massive expansion of its self-driving taxi fleet to over 20 more cities.
In a blog post Monday, Waymo said it raised a $16 billion investment, valuing the company at $126 billion. The round was led by Dragoneer Investment Group, DST Global, and Sequoia Capital, and included a who’s who of investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Mubadala Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Silver Lake, Tiger Global, and T. Rowe Price.
The new capital will be used to scale Waymo to a “commercial reality,” which includes expansion to more than 20 additional cities in 2026, including Tokyo and London.
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Incidentally, a Waymo was recently spotted testing the waters in London, anecdotally annoying drivers as it was one of the few vehicles actually obeying speed limits.
The company recently kicked off its robotaxi operation in Miami and expanded San Francisco coverage to include the San Francisco International Airport.
While Waymo has been slowly rolling out its self-driving taxis in a small number of U.S. cities for years, it’s been expanding far more rapidly in recent months. This probably has something to do with Tesla, which launched its own robotaxi service in several U.S. cities, prompting CEO Elon Musk to proclaim that Waymo “never really had a chance” in the robotaxi race. Whether that’s true remains to be seen, but at least now Waymo has a big pile of cash it can use to increase its chances.
The Logitech G305 wireless gaming mouse is under $35 at Amazon — save over $10
TL;DR: The Logitech G305 wireless gaming mouse is down to $34.99 at Amazon. That’s 30% off its usual $49.99 list price.
If you’ve been eyeing a dependable wireless gaming mouse to upgrade your setup without overspending, Logitech has a reputation for being one of the most affordable brands in the tech space. As of Feb. 3, the Logitech G305 wireless gaming mouse is down to just $34.99 at Amazon.
This is a safe bet for competitive PC gamers. By keeping things lightweight at just 99 grams, the G305 is easy to handle during fast-paced matches and longer gaming sessions.
Under the hood, Logitech’s Hero 12K optical sensor delivers up to 12,000 DPI with reliable, pixel-precise tracking — more than enough for shooters like Fortnite, MOBAs along the lines of League of Legends, and everyday play alike. The Lightspeed wireless technology should keep latency to a minimum, as well: offering a 1ms report rate that feels comparable to a wired connection.
Battery life is another standout feature, as the G305 can run for up to 250 hours on a single AA battery, meaning you can go months without thinking about recharging. It also includes six programmable buttons and onboard memory, letting you save settings directly to the mouse.
For more gaming mouse deals, you can still get the Razer Orochi V2 for around half price. Meanwhile, you can snag the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro gaming mouse near its lowest-ever price.
NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for February 3, 2026
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.
Here are the clues and answers to NYT’s The Mini for Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026:
Across
“That’s incredible!”
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The answer is Wow.
Makes a mistake
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The answer is Errs.
“Piece of cake” or “spill the beans”
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The answer is Idiom.
Cool in a throwback kind of way
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The answer is Retro.
See 1-Down
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The answer is Dream.
Down
With 9-Across, something you might wake up from and go “Huh?!”
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The answer is Weird.
What’s spoken into a fast-food intercom
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The answer is Order.
Pen
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The answer is Write.
OpenAI product that creates video clips based on prompts
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The answer is Sora.
1-Across, flipped upside down
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The answer is Mom.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Mini Crossword.
Stephen Colbert mocks Elon Musk over Epstein files email
There’s been another bulk release of Epstein files, and one of the prominent names to pop up is Elon Musk.
In the monologue above, Late Show host Stephen Colbert mocks the world’s richest man, who has previously said he “always declined” Epstein’s invitations to visit his island.
“He’s publicly bragged that Mr Epstein ‘tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED,’ says Colbert. “But really. Did you?”
The host goes on to read an email reportedly sent from Musk to Epstein in 2012, asking if he had “any parties planned” and saying he wanted to “let loose.”
“An email which was sent at 6:07 a.m. on Christmas morning,” says Colbert. “Hey, say what you want, but he’s a high achiever.”
Elsewhere, Jon Stewart and Jimmy Kimmel also dug into the latest Epstein files release.
Act fast to score $90 off our favorite Samsung smartwatch right now at Amazon
SAVE OVER $50: As of Feb. 3, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is on sale for $259.99 at Amazon. This saves you $90 off the list price of $349.99.
Looking to make the jump to owning a smartwatch? If you’re a Samsung phone user, you can’t go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, which we consider to be our favorite Samsung smartwatch. And it’s on sale at Amazon at the moment.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is usually priced at $349.99, but Amazon has dropped it down to $259.99 for a limited time. This deal allows you to save $90 on the smartwatch, but that’s not all: both the graphite and silver models are down to this price, so you can have your pick of whichever style you like.
The fact that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 “has a well-rounded feature set that offers everything you need in a smartwatch, fitness tracker, and sleep tracker” helped earned it the title of ‘Best Samsung Smartwatch’ in our roundup of the best smartwatches. Some of the features include an activity tracker, step tracking, a heart rate monitor, Advanced Sleep Coaching, Vascular Load monitoring for tracking your stress levels, and much more.
At the time of its release, our review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 from writer Adam Doud had high praise, even if the battery life was a bit of a letdown. In regard to this, he said “There’s no question this watch can last you a full day on a charge. It definitely won’t last you two days.” However, ultimately, he said “I really like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, despite the battery life. I love the classy look, the software is really tight, and the Google Gemini integration is a big perk.”
Don’t wait, now is as good a time as any to grab the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 for $259.99 at Amazon.
How to unblock Pornhub for free in Kansas
TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub from Kansas with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.
More than a third of U.S. states still have restrictions in place for online adult content after the introduction of age verification laws, meaning millions of potential users are locked out of sites like Pornhub and YouPorn. That number looks set to grow over the next few years, so a solution is desperately needed.
Fortunately, the workaround is straightforward. If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from Kansas, we have all the information you need.
How to unblock Pornhub for free in Kansas
VPNs are useful tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.
Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:
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Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)
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Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
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Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to Pornhub
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Visit Pornhub
The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to sites like Pornhub, you’ll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing content restrictions is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for Pornhub?
ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:
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Servers in 105 countries
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Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
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Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure
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Fast streaming speeds free from throttling
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Up to 10 simultaneous connections
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30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Unblock Pornhub for free in Kansas with ExpressVPN.
This Acer Nitro WQHD gaming monitor is at a record-low price at Amazon — save $100 right now
TL;DR: The Acer Nitro 27-inch WQHD gaming monitor is now down to just $199.99 at Amazon. That’s 33% knocked off its usual $299.99 list price.
If you’ve been waiting to upgrade from a basic 1080p screen, Acer has just dropped a solid deal that makes a compelling case for jumping to QHD without blowing your budget. As of Feb. 3, the 27-inch Acer Nitro WQHD gaming monitor (XV272U model) has dropped to $199.99 at Amazon, marking a $100 discount off its $299.99 list price. That’s a 33% price cut on a high-refresh 1440p gaming display.
It’s not only the best price we’ve seen for this particular monitor yet (confirmed by price tracker camelcamelcamel), but it also undercuts many competing high-refresh monitors by a wide margin — making it a great go-to if you’re open to brands outside of LG and Samsung.
At the core of the appeal is its 2560×1440 resolution, which will deliver noticeably sharper detail than Full HD while still being easier to drive than 4K. The IPS panel covers 99% of the sRGB color space, so it’s not just a gaming upgrade; it’s also well-suited for everyday work, streaming, and light creative tasks.
Where this monitor really flexes is speed. A blistering 300Hz refresh rate paired with up to a 0.5ms response time should also help keep fast-paced games — like Fortnite, Arc Raiders, and the new Highguard — looking smooth and responsive. AMD FreeSync Premium support works to reduce screen tearing and stutter, while DisplayHDR 400 adds a modest boost to highlights and contrast.
If you’re willing to spend a bit more on full 4K, the LG UltraGear 27-inch gaming monitor has also just hit a record-low price. For more from Acer, the 49-inch Acer Nitro curved gaming monitor is also at its lowest-ever price on Amazon.
The 41 best Apple TV shows, ranked
We’re officially overloaded with streaming services by 2025, with each costing a pretty penny of your pay packet to keep. Whether you decide to shell out for a service typically comes down to the shows and movies on offer, whether you’re looking for buzzy Netflix series or Sunday night HBO heavyweights. But there’s an underrated competitor in the mix, especially for TV shows.
Apple TV+, Apple’s own streaming service, has become better and better over the years, hitting it out of the park with sci-fi smashes like Severance, Silo, and Pluribus, along with comedy wins like Shrinking, Bad Sisters, and Ted Lasso — plus a few curveballs mixed in here and there.
One important thing to know? Apple TV is not the same thing as an Apple TV. As Mashable’s Stan Schroeder explains it, “Apple TV is both the name for the set-top-box hardware device that you buy and connect to your TV, as well as the app that’s available on Apple TV (the set-top-box), as well as Macs, iPhones, and other TV operating systems. And then there’s Apple TV, which is Apple’s streaming service and a competitor to Netflix, HBO Max, and others.”
Got it? So, what are the best TV shows on Apple TV? Here are our picks of the streaming service’s original series, ranked.
41. The Shrink Next Door
Credit: Apple TV
Inspired by true events, The Shrink Next Door sends Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell into a complicated web of manipulation, power plays, and mic-drop moments. The series hinges on unethical psychiatrist Dr. Ike Herschkopf (Paul Rudd) and his patient, Marty Markowitz (Will Ferrell), who have a dysfunctional relationship that becomes more and more imbalanced and twisted as Ike weasels his way into Marty’s life. Kathryn Hahn stars as Marty’s younger sister Phyllis, and Casey Wilson plays Bonnie, Ike’s wife. — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor
Starring: Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Kathryn Hahn, Casey Wilson, Cornell Womack, Sarayu Blue, Robin Bartlett, and Gable Swanlund
How to watch: The Shrink Next Door is now streaming on Apple TV.
40. Time Bandits
Credit: Apple TV
Time Bandits, Terry Gilliam’s classic ’80s fantasy adventure, got the TV adaptation treatment by Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, and Iain Morris. And despite the show being sadly cancelled after one season, it’s still worth your while to watch.
Over 10 episodes, Time Bandits sees a group of thieves in a fantasy world who are suddenly joined by Kevin (Kal-El Tuck), an 11-year-old history aficionado. Kevin’s parents find themselves in peril across time and space, so his knowledge of historical events — and his new group of friends — might be their only hope. Across the Stone Age, Ice Age, many other Ages, across major moments in the history books, Kevin and the gang time-travel every episode, meeting a few famous historic faces. — S.C.
Starring: Kal-El Tuck, Lisa Kudrow, Tadhg Murphy, Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, Rune Temte, Charlyne Yi, Rachel House, Kiera Thompson, James Dryden, Felicity Ward, Francesca Mills, and Imaan Hadchiti.
How to watch: Time Bandits is now streaming on Apple TV.
39. Defending Jacob
Credit: Apple TV
Given its grim subject matter, Mark Bomback’s crime drama won’t be for everyone. Defending Jacob follows Assistant DA Andy Barber (Chris Evans), whose life is thrown into turmoil after his son Jacob (a haunted Jaeden Martell) is charged with the murder of a classmate. The show immediately chucks us in at the deep end, with the question of Jacob’s innocence hanging over the Barber family like a storm cloud that threatens to badly damage or even break them altogether. It’s tense, well-written, and the acting — including a disturbingly memorable turn from Michelle Dockery as Jacob’s struggling mother, Laurie — is excellent across the board.
Some have argued that the show doesn’t do enough to justify its dark storyline, but I found it to be a horribly suspenseful exploration of how far familial bonds will stretch before they snap altogether. Can you ever fully know anyone? Can you trust your closest family members no matter what? Love them no matter what? These are the questions Defending Jacob asks, and, as the Barber family wrestle with each new piece of evidence that comes to light, the answers don’t come easy. — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor
How to watch: Defending Jacob is now streaming now on Apple TV.
38. Palm Royale
Credit: Apple TV
Kristen Wiig infiltrates the world’s most exclusive country club in Emmy–nominated comedy Palm Royale. The year is 1969, and underdog Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons (Wiig) wants nothing more to be a part of high society in Palm Beach, Florida. That means crashing the lavish Palm Royale club, where she’ll be met with snobbery and disdain at every turn. While Palm Royale is far from Apple TV+’s best comedy offering, it does boast an all-star cast of comedy greats over two seasons, including a fabulous Carol Burnett. And you just can’t beat those costumes. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Ricky Martin, Laura Dern, Carol Burnett, Allison Janney, Leslie Bibb, Amber Chardae, and Josh Lucas
How to watch: Palm Royale is now streaming on Apple TV.
37. Government Cheese
Credit: Apple TV
Set in 1969, Aeysha Carr and Paul Hunter’s series Government Cheese didn’t get the buzz it deserved, with sharp writing and excellent performances. David Oyelowo (Selma, Silo) stars as Hampton Chambers, an engineer newly out of prison and adjusting to life back home with his family in Chatsworth, in the San Fernando Valley. It’s not an easy landing by any means, with his wife Astoria (Simone Missick), pole vaulting brainiac son Einstein (Evan Ellison), and vexed teen son Harrison (Di’Allo Winston), having very differing reactions to Hampton’s return. But despite his awkward reception, Hampton has spent his time planning a potentially (and literally) groundbreaking invention: the Bit Magician. But leaving his past behind is harder than it seems, with the series itself flashing back and forth between Hampton’s present and previous experiences. — S.C.
Starring: David Oyelowo, Simone Missick, Jahi Di’Allo Winston, Evan Ellison, Bokeem Woodbine, Jeremy Bobb, Louis Cancelmi, Julien Heron, Thomas Beaudoin, Kyle Mac, and Adam Beach
How to watch: Government Cheese is now streaming on Apple TV.
36. Sunny
Credit: Apple TV
A robot and a grieving woman make for an unlikely crime-solving duo in soft sci-fi mystery Sunny. Rashida Jones stars as Suzie, an American expat living in Kyoto, whose husband Masa (Hidetoshi Nishijima) and son Zen (Fares Belkheir) go missing in a plane crash. Following their disappearance, she receives Sunny, a companion robot Masa developed for her at work. Despite hating robots, Suzie decides to work with the ever-cheerful Sunny to uncover the truth about Masa’s work and his and Zen’s accident. The ensuing journey takes this odd couple pairing deep into a criminal underworld of gang showdowns and robot fighting rings. While occasionally bloated, Sunny‘s central duo and sci-fi world-building make it well worth the watch. — B.E.
Starring: Rashida Jones, Joanna Sotomura, annie the clumsy, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Jun Kunimura, Judy Ongg, and You
How to watch: Sunny is now streaming on Apple TV.
35. Shining Girls
Credit: Apple TV
Imagine the ghoulish love child of Sliding Doors and Zodiac, and you’ll get the gist of this mini-series adaptation of Lauren Beukes’ 2013 crime novel. Created by Silka Luisa, Shining Girls centers on Kirby Mazrachi (Elisabeth Moss), an archivist whose reality has been shifting without warning ever since she was viciously attacked and left for dead in 1980s Chicago. One moment she’s living with her mom, and the next she’s married to a co-worker she barely knows. She doesn’t understand why this is happening but is certain it connects to a stalking serial killer (Jamie Bell), who’s been targeting fantastic women across decades.
Featuring graphic violence, time-travel twists, and harrowing revelations, Shining Girls can be a tough watch. But its finale episode makes it all worthwhile. Luisa smartly buttons up the mysteries of these murders, their un-aging perpetrator, and what it means to become disentangled on a molecular level. More than answers, however, this finale gives poetic justice to its villain and a hard-won empowerment to its harried heroine. Which, considering how Kirby’s quest to be believed plays like the most extreme version of a domestic violence survivor’s experiences coming forward, is darkly and deeply satisfying. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Phillipa Soo, Wagner Moura, Jamie Bell, Erika Alexander, Amy Brenneman, Chris Chalk, and Madeline Brewer
How to watch: Shining Girls is now streaming on Apple TV.
34. Masters of the Air
Credit: Apple TV
If you loved Band of Brothers and The Pacific, you need to watch Masters of the Air. Based on Donald L. Miller’s book, John Shiban and John Orloff’s Emmy–winning World War II series follows the 100th Bomb Group (known as “The Bloody Hundredth” due to heavy losses), the U.S. Army Air Force bomber and fighter battalion deployed to England in 1943 as part of the Allied war effort against Germany. Austin Butler and Callum Turner lead the charge as the real Major Gale “Buck” Cleven and Major John “Bucky” Egan, and the series moves through the missions, downtime, tragedies, and sense of camaraderie within the unit. Yes, the series takes some creative liberties, but producers Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman threw 10 years and $250 million at the show — so when you’re experiencing a live-or-die tactical manoeuvre, you’re in the pilot’s seat. — S.C.
Starring: Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Barry Keoghan, and Anthony Boyle
How to watch: Masters of the Air is now streaming on Apple TV.
33. Hijack
Credit: Apple TV
Set over seven real-time hours, Hijack is something you could finish on a flight but should absolutely not watch on one. With Jim Field Smith and Mo Ali directing, and Idris Elba in the lead, this Apple TV+ series is about a plane hijacked on its way to London. Elba plays Sam Nelson, a corporate negotiator who tries to bargain with flight KA29’s villains all the way to the final humdinger of an episode. As Mashable’s Belen Edwards writes in her review, “Hijack is the perfect show to watch if you want to get sucked into a mildly ridiculous, yet totally engrossing scenario. You’ll squeal as our heroes brave danger, swoon at Elba’s charisma, and even chuckle at some choice one-liners.”* — S.C.
Starring: Idris Elba, Neil Maskell, Archie Panjabi, Max Beesley, Christine Adams, Jude Cudjoe, and Eve Myles
How to watch: Hijack is now streaming on Apple TV.
32. Central Park
Credit: Apple TV
It’s a show central in our hearts. Loren Bouchard, Josh Gad, and Nora Smith’s sharply scripted animated musical comedy Central Park hinges on New York family the Tillermans: park manager Owen (Leslie Odom Jr.) and journalist Paige (Kathryn Hahn), their son Cole (Tituss Burgess), and daughter Molly (Kristen Bell in Season 1, Emmy Raver-Lampman in Season 2). They’re the custodians of Manhattan’s beloved green space, which comes under threat by bespectacled wealthy villain Bitsy Brandenham (Stanley Tucci), accompanied by her assistant Helen (Daveed Diggs). It’s a plight all hilariously narrated by Gad as park busker Birdie — the show’s absolutely brimming with songs.
“Whether it’s throwaway jokes or spotlight solos, the cast both elevate and benefit from Central Park‘s tight, confident writing,” writes Proma Khosla in her review for Mashable. “Central Park is a show that easily wears all hats. The storylines are simple, but it’s [their] style and sensibility that make them so enjoyable. It’s a show that can soothe you by being on in the background but offers nonstop punchlines and Easter eggs if you give it your full (deserved) attention.” — S.C.
Starring: Leslie Odom Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess, Kristen Bell, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Stanley Tucci, Daveed Diggs, and Josh Gad
How to watch: Central Park is now streaming on Apple TV.
31. The Buccaneers
Credit: Apple TV
If you’re yearning for the next season of Bridgerton, The Buccaneers will satiate your Regency thirst. Based on Edith Wharton’s final novel and created by Katherine Jakeways, The Buccaneers is a 19th-century romantic drama with diabolical narrative twists and long-simmering romantic leads, as well as that requisite anachronistic modern soundtrack and the lavish design of our society ball dreams.
The story sees a group of young American ladies — Nan St. George (Kristine Frøseth), Jinny St. George (Imogen Waterhouse), Lizzy Elmsworth (Aubri Ibrag), Mabel Elmsworth (Josie Totah) — who are drawn to England after their friend Conchita Closson’s (Alisha Boe) high-society wedding to an English lord. Arriving in London, the newcomers face deep social scorn while channelling their own. But there’s also a rugged array of suitors taking a turn about the landscape, including a forlorn duke who enjoys standing on clifftops — and who must be in want of a wife. — S.C.
Starring: Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Kristine Frøseth, Aubri Ibrag, and Imogen Waterhouse
How to watch: The Buccaneers is now streaming on Apple TV.
30. Mythic Quest
Credit: Apple TV
Whether you’re into gaming or not, you should check out Mythic Quest. From the crew behind It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia comes four seasons (and a spinoff show Side Quest) of ups and downs inside the video game industry, specifically within the offices of a game studio responsible for the show’s titular MMORPG. The cast — including Rob McElhenney, Charlotte Nicdao, Jessie Ennis, Ashly Burch, Danny Pudi, and more — are superb, the commentary on gaming is bang on, and the show’s standalone episode, “Dark Quiet Death,” has to be one of the best of all time. — S.C.
Starring: Rob McElhenney, Charlotte Nicdao, Jessie Ennis, Ashly Burch, and Danny Pudi
How to watch: Mythic Quest is now streaming on Apple TV.
29. The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin
Credit: Apple TV
If you don’t mind your history a little revisionist and plenty ridiculous, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is for you.
Based on the exploits of Essex brigand Dick Turpin (Noel Fielding in full Vince Noir mode), the series seizes on the fact that Turpin’s life was wildly romanticised after his death at 33 (by hanging, for horse theft) — then amps it up to 11. Rolling about the woods with his Essex Gang of misfits, Turpin takes on a peril of the week in Monty Python meets Our Flag Means Death meets The Mighty Boosh–fashion. Throw in some cameos from Britain’s biggest comedians, with standout appearances by Tamsin Greig, Greg Davies, and Sex Education‘s Connor Swindells, and you’ve got a surreal, satisfying, history-adjacent adventure on your hands.* — S.C.
Starring: Noel Fielding, Tamsin Greig, Greg Davies, Connor Swindells, Michael Fielding, Mark Heap, Ellie White, Duayne Boachie, Marc Wootton, Dolly Wells, Asim Chaudhry, Sindhu Vee, and Simon Farnaby
How to watch: The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is now streaming on Apple TV.
28. The Morning Show
Credit: Apple TV
With Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell leading the first season, The Morning Show starts the day right — in the most unsettling way. Created by Jay Carson and inspired by Brian Stelter’s 2013 book, the series is set in the world of morning news broadcasting, examining the power dynamics within it — especially amid the #MeToo movement and the COVID-19 pandemic. Over increasingly high-drama seasons, The Morning Show examines the ethics of news and the people who report it, all dealing with personal and professional hurdles under an extremely bright, incessant daily spotlight. — S.C.
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Steve Carell, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Néstor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Bel Powley, Desean Terry, Greta Lee, Julianna Margulies, and Jon Hamm
How to watch: The Morning Show is now streaming on Apple TV.
27. Dark Matter
Credit: Apple TV
Sometimes the idea behind a story is so good it’s practically begging to be watched. Taking his own novel of the same name and adapting it for the screen, Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter follows physicist Jason (Joel Edgerton) as he’s kidnapped by an alternative version of himself and trapped in a parallel universe. The way these worlds are linked? A box that gives you access to all the infinite lives you could have led. Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson, Dayo Okeniyi, and Oakes Fegley also star in this sci-fi thriller that’s popular with viewers and critics. — S.H.
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, Amanda Brugel, Dayo Okeniyi, Jimmi Simpson, and Oakes Fegley
How to watch: Dark Matter is now streaming on Apple TV.
26. Platonic
Credit: Apple TV
Answering the age-old When Harry Met Sally question of whether heterosexual men and women can be just friends, Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller’s Platonic is a brilliantly written, authentically performed, and genuinely compelling examination of modern friendship. “This isn’t a prolonged remake retreading a tale of opposites-attract romance,” writes Mashable’s Kristy Puchko in her review. “Instead, this show takes that kinetic dynamic and the odd-couple concept and spins it into a series of misadventures that are thrillingly outrageous and freshly entertaining. This isn’t just a story about friendship; it’s the hang-out series you may well be aching for.”
Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen are hilariously relatable as full-time mum Sylvia and brewery owner Will, former best mates out of touch until their mid-40s when Will goes through a divorce. Awkwardly reconnecting means facing a few things about their relationship and getting older, but it also means dynamite banter between Byrne and Rogen. — S.C.
Starring: Rose Byrne, Seth Rogen, Tre Hale, Luke Macfarlane, Andrew Lopez, and Carla Gallo
How to watch: Platonic is now streaming on Apple TV.
25. Presumed Innocent
Credit: Apple TV
If you’re in the market for a tense and well-made legal thriller with strong performances, you could do a lot worse than Presumed Innocent. Based on Scott Turow’s 1987 novel, Big Little Lies creator David E. Kelley’s adaptation follows a prosecutor (Jake Gyllenhaal) under suspicion for the murder of his colleague.
“This new mini-series is a fairly stock legal drama that’s not necessarily all that new in terms of what it offers,” I wrote in my Mashable review. “But the story itself feels contemporary, with its themes of sexual power dynamics and legal corruption. What it does, it does very well, with a fast-paced story, well-written script, and excellent performances across the board.” — S.H.
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ruth Negga, Peter Sarsgaard, O-T Fagbenle, Bill Camp, Lily Rabe, Nana Mensah, Chase Infiniti, Kingston Rumi Southwick, and Rosanna Arquette
How to watch: Presumed Innocent is now streaming on Apple TV.
24. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Credit: Apple TV
Legendary’s MonsterVerse movies (Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla vs. Kong) make their first stomp into live-action TV with Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, a series with its reptilian eye fixed on the establishment of Monarch, the secret monster-studying organisation. The show bounces around time periods, between the 1950s and 2010s, and has more than its fair share of monstrous creatures to behold. As Mashable’s Belen Edwards writes, “The richness of Monarch‘s world — and its glorious, glorious monsters — keeps the show intriguing even when it gets bogged down in the MonsterVerse’s oft-maligned human affairs.” — S.C.
Starring: Anna Sawai, Kurt Russell, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Wyatt Russell, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Elisa Lasowski, and Joe Tippett
How to watch: Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is now streaming on Apple TV.
23. Loot
Credit: Apple TV
Apple TV comedies are strong stuff, and Maya Rudolph’s Loot is one of the best. The comedy star leads as billionaire Molly Novak, who’s recently received a hefty settlement in her divorce but is at loose ends as to what’s next. Picked up off the glossy floor of her sprawling home by her assistant Nicholas (Joel Kim Booster), she realises she has a charity foundation run by Sofia Salinas (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez) and so she starts on a fresh new journey, with accountant Arthur (Nat Faxon) and cousin Howard (Ron Funches) in tow. But there’ll be more than a few life lessons and perspective shifts in store.
Season 2 meets up with Molly in a new chapter, and adds an ample dash of Benjamin Bratt, and Season 3 dropping in guest stars including D’Arcy Carden, Zane Phillips, and Henry Winkler. — S.C.
Starring: Maya Rudolph, Joel Kim Booster, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Adam Scott, Nat Faxon, Ron Funches, Meagen Fay, Stephanie Styles, Benjamin Bratt, D’Arcy Carden, Zane Phillips, and Henry Winkler.
How to watch: Loot is now streaming on Apple TV.
22. Your Friends and Neighbors
Credit: Apple TV
Jon Hamm enters his robber era in Your Friends and Neighbors. The Emmy-winning Mad Men star plays Andrew “Coop” Cooper, a disgraced hedge fund manager who finds himself totally broke after a surprise firing. How will he keep up his affluent lifestyle? By stealing from his neighbors in his wealthy community of Westmont Village, of course!
Coop’s descent into burglary leads him to discover his neighbors’ deepest, darkest secrets, a premise that’s juicy enough to get you hooked immediately. However, your mileage on Your Friends and Neighbors may vary depending on how much more TV you want to watch about the woes of the uber-rich — a market that’s already saturated thanks to shows like The White Lotus and Nine Perfect Strangers. — B.E.
Starring: Jon Hamm, Amanda Peet, Olivia Munn, Hoon Lee, Mark Tallman, Lena Hall, Aimee Carrero, Eunice Bae, Isabel Marie Gravitt, and Donovan Colan
How to watch: Your Friends and Neighbors is now streaming on Apple TV.
21. Stick
Credit: Apple TV
Want to scratch your Ted Lasso itch while still watching something new? Then check out Stick, which is basically Ted Lasso: Golf Edition. Owen Wilson stars as Pryce Cahill, a washed-up pro golfer who decides to mentor prodigy Santi Wheeler (Peter Dager). The pair hit the tournament circuit, along with Santi’s mother Elena (Mariana Treviño), Pryce’s former caddy Mitts (Marc Maron), and Santi’s new caddy Zero (Lilli Kay).
Created by Jason Keller, Stick occasionally takes one too many pages from the book of Ted Lasso, from its focus on mental health and grief to coining its own “be the goldfish”-type slogan. Still, there’s no denying its many charms, including its ability to make even a golf skeptic like me get invested in every round. Like I wrote in my review, “As familiar as these [Ted Lasso] beats are, there’s no denying they make a solid base for any feel-good comedy. And with Wilson capably leading such a likable ensemble, Stick feels pretty darn good.” — B.E.
Starring: Owen Wilson, Peter Dager, Marc Maron, Mariana Treviño, Lilli Kay, and Judy Greer
How to watch: Stick is now streaming on Apple TV.
20. The Afterparty
Credit: Apple TV
If you’re a fiend for a whodunnit, consider yourself a bit of a Miss Marple, and regularly declare “J’accuse!” at your unsuspecting pals, follow the clues to The Afterparty. A star-studded comedy that twists and turns through various genres in one perplexing mystery, the series hinges around the untimely death of a rich pop star after a high school reunion. After Season 1’s deeply rewarding finale, jump right into the second season, where another murder lurks the morning after a big wedding — and no genre is safe. — S.C.
Starring: Sam Richardson, Zoë Chao, Ben Schwartz, Ilana Glazer, Tiffany Haddish, John Early, Ike Barinholtz, Jamie Demetriou, Dave Franco, John Cho, Ken Jeong, Anna Konkle, Zach Woods, Poppy Liu, Jack Whitehall, Vivian Wu, Elizabeth Perkins, and Paul Walter Hauser
How to watch: The Afterparty is now streaming on Apple TV.
19. Down Cemetery Road
Credit: Apple TV
Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson are the dynamic duo of my dreams in Apple TV’s Oxford-set mystery crime thriller from Slow Horses‘ screenwriter Morwenna Banks. But it’s not the buddy cop set-up you’re thinking.
Based on Mick Herron’s novel, Down Cemetery Road sees Thompson as hard-edged private investigator Zoë Boehm, whose marriage to her business partner Joe (Adam Godley) is as threadbare as their bank balance. Across town, Wilson plays Sarah Trafford, an art conservationist who is dragged into hosting a dinner party for her husband Mark’s (Tom Riley) schmuck of a client. Before dessert, there’s an explosion next door, leading to the disappearance of a young girl named Dinah (Ivy Quoi). The event sends Sarah into an obsessive hunt for the truth — and it leads her to Zoë and Joe’s door.* — S.C.
Starring: Emma Thompson, Ruth Wilson, Adeel Akhtar, Tom Goodman-Hill, Fehinti Balogun, Darren Boyd, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Tom Riley, Adam Godley, Sinead Matthews, Ken Nwosu, and Aiysha Hart
How to watch: Down Cemetery Road is now streaming on Apple TV.
18. Disclaimer
Credit: Apple TV
Five-time Academy Award–winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón teams with two-time Academy Award–winning actress Cate Blanchett for a seven-part thriller sure to get your blood pumping. Written and directed by Cuarón, Disclaimer stars Blanchett as Catherine Ravenscroft, a revered journalist who has built her career on unearthing the sordid secrets of others. However, her life is thrown into turmoil when an unsolicited novel shows up on her doorstep, its pages spilling out the skeletons within her own closet.
In her review for Mashable, Entertainment Reporter Belen Edwards writes, “The overall effect of Disclaimer is one of intrigue and of questioning the layers of narrative you see before you. With its commitment to formal changeups and a brutal knockout of a finale, Disclaimer is a puzzle that gets under your skin and refuses to leave.”* — K.P.
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Lesley Manville, Louis Partridge, Leila George, and Hoyeon
How to watch: Disclaimer is now streaming on Apple TV.
17. Schmigadoon!
Credit: Apple TV
A show for musical lovers, by musical lovers, Season 1 of Schmigadoon! is a loving tribute to Golden Age musicals. Think Oklahoma!, The Music Man, and The Sound of Music. In a Brigadoon-esque plot, a couple (played by Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key) whose relationship is going through a rough patch stumbles upon a magical village where life is a musical. From there, it’s a nonstop parade of joyful musical numbers, delivered by a cast of Broadway mainstays like Kristin Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Alan Cumming, and Ariana DeBose. Theaters kids, eat your heart out. Schmigadoon! is a treat. And Season 2 brings more fun, but with a darker edge.* — B.E.
Starring: Cecily Strong, Keegan-Michael Key, Dove Cameron, Fred Armisen, Kristin Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Alan Cumming, and Ariana DeBose
How to watch: Schmigadoon! is now streaming on Apple TV.
16. For All Mankind
Credit: Apple TV
It’s Apple’s big “what-if” series, which hypothesizes an alternate timeline of the global space race. Created by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi, For All Mankind kicks off Season 1 with the Soviet Union landing the first human on the moon in June 1969, leaving NASA scrambling to catch up. Season 2 picks up in the Cold War, Season 3 jumps into the ’90s with the race to land on Mars, and Season 4 is all about the establishment of a self-sustaining colony on the red planet.
“If you’re here because you’re a fan of For All Mankind creator Ronald D. Moore’s earlier work, check your expectations,” writes Adam Rosenberg in his review for Mashable. “This isn’t science fiction. There’s science in the NASA stuff and a layer of grounded fantasy in the alternate timeline premise, but there’s no secret alien invasion twist here or anything. For All Mankind plays it straight instead.” And for what it’s worth, Stephen King bloody loves it. — S.C.
Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Toby Kebbell, Shantel VanSanten, Jodi Balfour, and Krys Marshall
How to watch: For All Mankind is now streaming on Apple TV.
15. Trying
Credit: Apple TV
In Andy Wolton’s charming, heartfelt series, London couple Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall) want to start a family of their own. As the series’ title suggests, they go up and down a few roads, and ultimately pursue adoption — with all the complications and trials that come with it. Over three seasons, Nikki and Jason’s friends and family help them through it all, and you’ll chuckle as much as tear up through each moment. Smith and Spall are superb rom-com leads, navigating the highs and lows that come with becoming parents with delightful insights and poignant realism. — S.C.
Starring: Esther Smith, Rafe Spall, Siân Brooke, Darren Boyd, Imelda Staunton, Paula Wilcox, Phil Davis, Jim Broadbent, Oliver Chris, Robyn Cara, Scarlett Rayner, Navin Chowdhry, Roderick Smith, and Marian McLoughlin
How to watch: Trying is now streaming on Apple TV.
14. Chief of War
Credit: Apple TV
Created by Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, Chief of War is a vast history epic detailing the unification of Hawaii by Kamehameha (Kaina Makua), amid constant war between the islands and the impending encroachment of colonial powers. Momoa plays Maui warrior Ka’iana, who is summoned home to make the choice of whether to join his King Kahekili (Temuera Morrison) in war.
With events told from an Indigenous perspective, the show marks a landmark moment for Polynesian representation on screen. As Mashable’s Belen Edwards explains in her review, “The show’s primarily Polynesian cast, led by Momoa, spends the vast majority of the series speaking in Hawaiian, while an army of cultural consultants worked behind the scenes to ensure cultural and historical authenticity. Their efforts, along with those of Chief of War’s entire production team, create an immersive, stunning look back through time, as the series transports viewers to the Hawaiian Islands at the end of the 18th century.”
Starring: Jason Momoa, Luciane Buchanan, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Kaina Makua, Temuera Morrison, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Brandon Finn, Siua Ikaleʻo, Mainei Kinimaka, Keala Kahuanui-Paleka, Roimata Fox, Moses Goods, James Udom
How to watch: Chief of War is now streaming on Apple TV.
13. Dope Thief
Credit: Apple TV
Ready for a crime drama full of twists, heralded actors, and character-driven humor? Based on the Dennis Tafoya novel, Dope Thief has all that and more.
Created by Peter Craig (The Town), the series stars Brian Tyree Henry as Ray Driscoll, a Philly entrepreneur with a unique business plan. Alongside his simple-minded bestie Manny (Wagner Moura), Ray impersonates a DEA agent to ambush low-level drug dealers, stealing their ill-gotten gains and illegal substances for profit. The money, they’ll split. The drugs will go to a bigger dealer, who’s a sort of father-figure to Ray. But when one of these raids goes sideways, there’s fire, death, and a wounded survivor hellbent on revenge. Can Ray and Manny survive once they’ve got a vicious kingpin and the actual DEA on his trail? You’ll have to tune in to find out!* — K.P.
Starring: Brian Tyree Henry, Wagner Moura, Marin Ireland, and Kate Mulgrew
How to watch: Dope Thief is now streaming on Apple TV.
12. Murderbot
Credit: Apple TV
Martha Wells’ beloved Murderbot Diaries series comes to the small screen, and boy, is it fun. The series stars Alexander Skarsgård as Murderbot, a security android who’s gone rogue and hacked its governor module. With its newfound freedom, it could murder all the “asshole” humans around it. Instead, it chooses to binge hours and hours of TV. (Relatable icon.)
Boasting a withering internal monologue and boatloads of social awkwardness, Murderbot is a cyborg unlike any you’ve ever seen, and that buoys Murderbot to be a fresh addition to Apple TV+’s extensive slate of sci-fi shows. Right up until its finale, the series also isn’t afraid to get weird, incorporating scenes from Murderbot’s favorite space-set soap opera and introducing a crew of goofy, lovable scientists for it to watch over. As I wrote in my review, “At the end of the day, Murderbot isn’t just a sci-fi adventure — it’s a fun hang.” — B.E.
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Noma Dumezweni, David Dastmalchian, Sabrina Wu, Akshay Khanna, Tattiawna Jones, and Tamara Podemski
How to watch: Murderbot is now streaming on Apple TV.
11. Foundation
Credit: Apple TV
It’s one of Apple’s most lavish productions and worth every penny. Based on Isaac Asimov’s iconic sci-fi novels and now sitting at three seasons, Foundation follows a group exiled from the doomed Galactic Empire and on a mission to save it. Jared Harris is superb as mathematician and psychohistorian Hari Seldon, whose predictions of future probability lead to his exile by Brother Day (played to perfection by Lee Pace), one of a series of clones who rule the Galactic Empire as Emperor. Seldon is joined by his protégée, Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell) from the planet Synnax. And folks, it’s a truly opulent series, with stunning visuals, world-building, and action sequences over two seasons. “If you’ve ever wondered where all that iPhone money went, just watch Foundation,” writes Adam Rosenberg for Mashable in his Season 1 review. — S.C.
Starring: Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Lou Llobell, Leah Harvey, Laura Birn, Terrence Mann, Alfred Enoch, Alexander Siddig, Troy Kotsur, and Daniel MacPherson
How to watch: Foundation is now streaming on Apple TV.
10. Bad Sisters
Credit: Apple TV
Sharon Horgan’s dark dramedy about a group of sisters teaming up to kill their abusive brother-in-law is as much a howdunnit as it is a whodunnit. We start off Bad Sisters knowing that John Paul (Claes Bang), truly one of the most unpleasant TV characters of the year, is dead. But it’s only through a series of flashbacks that we find out what happened to him, learning the ways he wronged each of the Garvey sisters and their various misjudged attempts to take him out of the picture. The characters are well drawn and amusing, the show is incredibly tense, and Horgan seamlessly weaves together comedy and tragedy. And if you’re worried about the ending of a show that’s already revealed some of its cards, don’t be. Bad Sisters holds back some of its biggest shocks and secrets to the very end — and into a second season.* — S.H.
Starring: Anne-Marie Duff, Saise Quinn, Sharon Horgan, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Greene, Eve Hewson, and Claes Bang
How to watch: Bad Sisters is streaming now on Apple TV.
9. Ted Lasso
Credit: Apple TV
You’d better believe Ted Lasso is one of the best shows on this list. Created by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly, the comedy follows the titular American football coach (Sudeikis) who is recruited with his 2IC Coach Beard (Hunt) to coach English Premier League team AFC Richmond by the club’s owner, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham). But that’s just the set-up, forming the foundation for three seasons of wholesome, hilarious, and moving fish-out-of-water comedy. The show brims with optimism, Easter eggs, and Roy Kent’s perfect swearing. Ted Lasso, like football, is life. — S.C.
Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Nick Mohammed, Juno Temple, Brendan Hunt, Jeremy Swift, Phil Dunster, Toheeb Jimoh, Cristo Fernández, Kola Bokinni, Anthony Head, Billy Harris, and James Lance
How to watch: Ted Lasso is now streaming on Apple TV.
8. Little America
Credit: Apple TV
Kumail Nanjiani, Alan Yang, and Emily V. Gordon’s anthology series Little America is essential viewing. A masterclass in storytelling, each episode of the series is a self-contained tale in which we get to know immigrants in America on a personal level — a far cry from the dehumanised picture politicians like to paint. Each story is compelling, unique, and deeply moving, from Nigerian college student Iwegbuna (Conphidance) exploring identity through cowboy culture in Oklahoma to baker Beatrice (Kemiyondo Coutinho) embracing her Ugandan heritage in Kentucky. There’s undocumented high schooler Marisol (Jearnest Corchado) reclaiming a sense of power through squash, and Kabir (played by Suraj Sharma, Eshan Inamdar, and Ishan Gandhi at different ages), a 12-year old boy whose hotel-owner parents are deported to India. Each story examines the complexity of identity and scrutinises the American Dream, while reminding us to actually make the effort to get to know someone. — S.C.
Starring: Suraj Sharma, Jearnest Corchado, Conphidance, Kemiyondo Coutinho, Mélanie Laurent, Angela Lin, Shaun Toub, Haaz Sleiman, and Isuri Wijesundara
How to watch: Little America is now streaming on Apple TV.
7. Shrinking
Credit: Apple TV
Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence teams up with Ted Lasso‘s Brett Goldstein and How I Met Your Mother‘s Jason Segel for a show about breaking down and breaking through. As Mashable’s Shannon Connellan writes in her review, “Shrinking, one of TV’s best-written comedies, cuts to the deep shit among the regular shit, without judgment and with a lot of laughs. Consider us prescribed.”
Segel stars as a cognitive behavioral therapist struggling in the wake of his wife’s death. Despite this grief-stricken setup, Shrinking is a defiantly joyful comedy that finds humor in coping as this harried hero breaks rules to push him and his clients out of their comfort zones to new emotional terrain. With 30-minute episodes over three seasons, it’s an easy binge — and the cast is absolutely outstanding.* — K.P.
Starring: Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Christa Miller, and Lukita Maxwell
How to watch: Shrinking is now streaming on Apple TV.
6. Slow Horses
Credit: Apple TV
If you haven’t had every last one of your mates telling you to watch Slow Horses, consider yourself in the minority. Based on Mick Herron’s Slough House novels, the series has long provoked hands-in-the-air “you’ve got to watch Slow Horses” rants at many a London pub in my life, and they’re not wrong. Throw yourself without delay into the realm of MI5 outcasts, spies who’ve fucked up but somehow have remained employed by the UK’s domestic counter-intelligence agency. However, that doesn’t mean there’s not plenty to investigate, all under the surly, greasy, and notably farty watch of Slough House head Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman). Over five seasons, showrunner Will Smith makes the most out of his terrific cast, which includes Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, Rosalind Eleazar, Saskia Reeves, Olivia Cooke, and more, sending the MI5 misfits into many a danger across London trying valiantly to defend Britain. — S.C.
Starring: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, Olivia Cooke, Rosalind Eleazar, Saskia Reeves, Jonathan Pryce, Christopher Chung, Kadiff Kirwan, and Dustin Demri-Burns
How to watch: Slow Horses is now streaming on Apple TV.
5. Pluribus
Credit: Apple TV
How do you explain Pluribus without giving away everything? It’s tricky, so we’ll just say if you’re into global apocalypse hypotheticals, this is your show. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan returns with a colossal sci-fi conundrum, one that particularly affects fantasy author Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn). Why? She appears to be the only human on Earth not affected by a virus that makes everyone extremely happy and connected. But it’s not just Gilligan’s thrilling narrative set-up that makes Pluribus exceptional — it’s Seehorn. “The Gilligan-Seehorn partnership that kicked off in Better Call Saul continues to pay off big time with Pluribus,” writes Mashable’s Belen Edwards in her review. “Gilligan wrote the role of Carol specifically for Seehorn, and it’s not hard to see why. She is a force.”
Starring: Rhea Seehorn, Karolina Wydra, Carlos Manuel Vesga, Miriam Shor, Sharon Gee, Darinka Arones, Amarburen Sanjid, and Menik Gooneratne, Samba Schutte
How to watch: Pluribus is now streaming on Apple TV.
4. Silo
Credit: Apple TV
If you’re not watching Silo, we suggest you bunker down and watch both seasons. Created by Graham Yost and directed by Morten Tyldum, this a dystopian sci-fi thriller series is on based on Hugh Howey’s trilogy of novels (Wool, Shift, and Dust). Silo delivers impeccable performances, intricate set design, and satisfying narrative twists. Mashable’s Belen Edwards describes Silo in her review as “an engrossing and rewarding watch, one that devoted fans of dystopia and sci-fi will relish.”
You’re sent deep into the subterranean society where the last 10,000 people on Earth live, sheltered from the toxic world outside. The inhabitants, ranked in class by floor, put immense trust in their overlords: Mayor Ruth Jahns (Geraldine James), head of the IT Department (Tim Robbins), and the silo’s sheriffs, including Sheriff Holston (David Oyelowo) and Deputy Sam Marnes (Will Patton). But when suspicious events occur, an engineer from the silo’s lower levels (Rebecca Ferguson) races to figure out the truth. — S.C.
Starring: Rebecca Ferguson, David Oyelowo, Rashida Jones, Tim Robbins, Common, Harriet Walter, Iain Glen, Tanya Moodie, Geraldine James, Avi Nash, Chinaza Uche, Steve Zahn, Shane McRae, Remmie Milner, Alexandria Riley, Clare Perkins, Billy Postlethwaite, Ashley Zukerman, Olatunji Ayofe, and Ferdinand Kingsley
How to watch: Silo is now streaming on Apple TV.
3. Pachinko
Credit: Apple TV
Based on Min Jin Lee’s best-selling novel, Pachinko spans not only decades but also generations, following a family line from an impoverished community in 1915 Korea to a prosperous Japan in 1989. The center of this moving saga is matriarch Kim Sunja, who grows from an intrepid child (Yu-na Jeon) to a pregnant, unwed teen (Kim Min-ha), to a grandmother (Academy Award–winning star of Minari, Youn Yuh-jung) too often patronized by her doting son (Soji Arai) and hotshot banker grandson Solomon (Jin Ha).
Created by Soo Hugh, this sensational two-season drama series slides back and forth across its timeline, paralleling Sunja’s journey with Solomon’s. Though she was raised in poverty and he in prosperity, both face challenges of racism, weighty family expectations, and impossible loves. Incredibly, though Pachinko hits on many dark elements, it’s resiliently hopeful, delivering on the promise of its exhilarating opening title sequence. If you’re looking for a series to grab you heart and soul, Pachinko is a safe bet for satisfaction, a series Mashable’s Belen Edwards dubbed “one of the most stunningly crafted shows on TV.”* — K.P.
Starring: Jeon Yu-na, Kim Min-ha, Youn Yuh-jung, Soji Arai, Jin Ha, Lee Min-ho, Kwon Eun-seong, Jung Eun-chae, and Yoshio Maki
How to watch: Pachinko is now streaming on Apple TV.
2. The Studio
Credit: Apple TV+
Seth Rogen and a jaw-dropping cast of big stars give Hollywood the takedown it so richly deserves with The Studio.
The battle of art versus commerce takes center stage as Rogen plays a newly minted studio exec, who has to make an endless series of wild decisions. If you ever wonder how the blockbuster sausage gets made, the first episode of this stellar comedy series gives you a juicy and revolting taste.
The writing on this satirical series is so sharp that Rogen practically bleeds as he plays the fool across an array of comical conflicts. And he’s bolstered by a supporting cast that is blisteringly funny, spitting barbs, allusions, and one-liners with a dizzying intensity.* — K.P.
Starring: Seth Rogen, Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, and Bryan Cranston
How to watch: The Studio is now streaming on Apple TV.
1. Severance
Credit: Apple TV
It’s not only the best show on Apple TV+, it’s one of our favourite shows of all time. Dan Erickson’s “anti-capitalist fable” Severance centres around the enigmatic Lumon Industries, a company that offers employees the option of “severing” their work self from their regular lives. Primarily directed by Ben Stiller, Severance sees impeccable performances from Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman, Christopher Walken, and more, with the cast tasked with playing both their “Innies” and “Outies” — and all the loaded nuance that comes with it.
Exactly what Lumon does and how the severance program began are just two of the mysteries within Severance, a show that explores fascinating questions of consent, exploitation, alienation, and humanity within a highly stylistic production. What’s not in question? Over two sublime seasons, Severance doesn’t miss. — S.C.
Starring: Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman, Christopher Walken, Jen Tullock, Dichen Lachman, Michael Chernus, and Sarah Bock
How to watch: Severance is now streaming on Apple TV.
UPDATE: Dec. 3, 2025, 10:50 a.m. UTC This article was first published on March 21, 2025. It has been updated to reflect current streaming titles.
Jimmy Kimmel slams Trump and Musk over latest Epstein files release
After a long wait, the DOJ has finally released thousands more Epstein files — and there’s a lot of disturbing stuff in there.
In the monologue above, Jimmy Kimmel unpacks mentions of Donald Trump and Elon Musk, leading in to the latter with a reminder of Musk’s post on X last year, accusing the president of being in the files.
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“What [Musk] neglected to mention is he is in there too,” says Kimmel. “His name comes up more than a thousand times, including in 2012 when he and Epstein were planning a visit to the island. Elon claims he never went to Epstein island, he says his correspondence is being deliberately misinterpreted by his enemies. For example, when he wrote Jeffrey Epstein — a registered sex offender, by the way — to ask ‘What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?’, he was asking so he could avoid that night. He had a lot of work to do, he didn’t want to be distracted by wild parties, you understand?”
Elsewhere, Kimmel responds to Trump saying there’s “nothing on me” in the Epstein files.
“I’m almost surprised he’s not bragging about how much he’s mentioned in the Epstein files,” says Kimmel, launching into a Trump impression. “I’m in there more than any other pr…more than Abraham Lincoln!“
How to watch The Housemaid: When is Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfrieds thriller streaming?
Rent or buy ‘The Housemaid’ on Prime Video
Rent or buy ‘The Housemaid’ on Fandango at Home
Rent or buy ‘The Housemaid’ at Apple TV
Starz annual plan
(save $34)
Starz monthly plan
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Starz (Prime Video add-on)
If you love a twisty popcorn thriller, Paul Feig’s adaptation of The Housemaid is a wild ride. The Lionsgate box office hit stars Sydney Sweeney (Christy) and Amanda Seyfried (The Testament of Ann Lee), who go head-to-head in a tense battle of wits. It also features Brandon Sklenar (Drop), Indiana Elle, Elizabeth Perkins, and Michele Morrone in supporting roles.
While it’s still floating around in theaters, you can officially watch the over-the-top domestic thriller at home. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is The Housemaid about?
Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Freida McFadden, The Housemaid follows a young woman named Millie (Sweeney) with a criminal past who is hired as the live-in maid for Nina and Andrew Winchester (Seyfried and Sklenar), a wealthy, picture-perfect couple. Of course, their “perfect” life is far from what it seems behind closed doors. Prepare for a ton of twists and turns, in true Freida McFadden fashion.
Check out the trailer to get a taste:
Is The Housemaid worth watching?
The Housemaid took theaters by storm and became a smash hit for Lionsgate, crossing the $300 million milestone at the global box office and becoming Sweeney’s highest-grossing film to date. Audiences and critics are mostly loving it; it currently holds a 92 percent audience rating and 74 percent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Is it over the top? Yes, but in the best way. If you’ve read The Housemaid, or any Freida McFadden book for that matter, then you know the fast-paced, twisty, borderline ridiculous popcorn thriller-style story you’re in for. If not, buckle up. It certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea — in fact, Mashable’s own entertainment editor was not a fan — but I personally think it’s a blast.
Read Mashable’s review of The Housemaid.
How to watch The Housemaid
Credit: Lionsgate
The Housemaid hit theaters on Dec. 19, 2025, and is making its at-home debut about a month and a half later via digital-on-demand platforms. It will also be streaming at a later date. See the details below.
Rent or buy on digital
Lionsgate released The Housemaid on video-on-demand platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV on Feb. 3. You can purchase the film for $24.99 or rent it for $19.99, which gives you 30 days to watch and just 48 hours to finish once you begin.
Quick links to rent or purchase The Housemaid:
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Apple TV — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy
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Fandango at Home — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy
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Prime Video — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy
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YouTube — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy
Stream it on Starz (at a later date)
As a Lionsgate film, we’re expecting The Housemaid to make its streaming debut on the Starz streaming platform. Based on the streaming trajectory of previous Lionsgate films (The Long Walk, The Strangers: Chapter 2), we expect an April 2026 streaming date. We’ll keep you updated when we know more, but in the meantime, you can sign up for Starz for as low as $2.99 per month with the deals below.
The best Starz streaming deals
Best long-term deal: Save $34 on first year
While Starz typically costs $10.99 per month, you can knock that cost down to only $2.99 per month by committing to an annual plan. You’ll pay $35.99 upfront for your first year. After the year is up, the price will jump back up to full cost, which is still a pretty solid offer at just $69.99 per year. New and previous subscribers are eligible to secure this offer for a limited time.
Best short-term deal: Save 54% on three months of Starz
If you’d rather not commit to a full year, you can sign up for three months of Starz for just $4.99 per month for a limited time. That’s a total of just $14.97 — a savings of 54%. The price will jump back up to the full $10.99 per month after three months, so be sure to cancel before that to avoid charges.
Best trial: free 7-day Starz trial via Prime Video add-on
If you’re a Prime member or Prime Video subscriber, you can sign up for Starz as an add-on subscription and secure a free seven-day trial. If you align your trial period to the official streaming release for The Housemaid (once announced), you’ll be able to watch for free. Just remember to cancel before the week is up, or you’ll automatically be charged the full $10.99 per month.
The Shark AV2501S AI Ultra robot vacuum is on sale for under $300 at Amazon — save $250
SAVE OVER $200: As of Feb. 3, the Shark AV2501S AI Ultra robot vacuum is on sale for $299.99 at Amazon. This 45% discount saves you $250.
After a long week, the last thing you want to think about is vacuuming your house. That’s what makes a robot vacuum so helpful. It automatically moves around your home, gathering up any dirt, dust, crumbs, and more on the floor, so you have one less thing to worry about. If you’ve been thinking about buying one, a few are on sale right now at Amazon, including the Shark AV2501S AI Ultra.
As of Feb. 3, the Shark AV2501S AI Ultra robot vacuum is on sale for $299.99 at Amazon. This is a huge $250 discount off its usual price of $549.99.
This Shark AV2501S AI Ultra robot vacuum boasts a powerful suction that can handle a variety of messes on your floors, including pet hair. It features a self-cleaning brushroll and HEPA filtration system that can capture it all as it moves around. And it works hard to get a deep clean with the help of Matrix Clean Navigation. With this, it cleans in a grid that takes multiple passes over dirty areas to make sure everything is covered.
On top of all that, its base can hold up to 30 days of dirt and debris, so you can go a whole month without emptying it. Keep in mind that since it’s marked as a limited-time deal, it may not stay on sale for long. Now is your chance to save 45% on the Shark AV2501S AI Ultra robot vacuum.
If you’re still shopping around and curious what other robot vacuums are worth checking out, our roundup of the best cheap robot vacuums can point you towards other options we recommend that won’t break the bank.
Upgrade your streaming setup with the Google TV Streamer 4K — save $20 right now
SAVE $20: As of Feb. 3, the Google TV Streamer 4K is on sale for $79.99 at Amazon. That’s a 20% discount on the list price.
The streaming device market is overflowing with great products. We’ve got streaming sticks, cubes, and set-top boxes, so there’s no shortage of options when it comes to getting your favorite shows and apps on demand. And as of Feb. 3, the Google TV Streamer 4K is currently on sale at Amazon. This device made it into our ranking of the best streaming devices of 2025, so any discount is worth your time.
Right now you can take it home for $79.99, $20 off the usual price of $99.99. It comes in two colors, porcelain and haze, so you can choose the right one for your home design.
Despite its small, nifty size, it’s powerful, and supports up to 4K HDR with Dolby Vision for true-to-life picture. The home screen puts all your shows and content in one place, and it even gives you personalized recommendations.
The redesigned remote has voice control and a customizable button for your favorite app. And if you’re a habitual remote loser, don’t worry. You can make the remote ring when it’s missing, helping you locate it down the side of the couch, or wherever it may end up. You can also use the home panel to control smart home devices like lights and robot vacuums.
Get the Google TV Streamer 4K at Amazon now.
End of today’s Mashable roundup.
