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The White House announces an executive order on AI regulation — how ChatGPT and its ilk are affected

Posted on: October 30, 2023

The White House just announced an executive order on AI regulation, which means major players like Open AI, Google, Microsoft and other prominent AI players must abide by the new legislation.
President Biden speaking at a podium

The White House just announced a thunderous executive order tackling AI regulation. These directives are the “strongest set of actions any government in the world has ever taken” to protect how AI affects American citizens, according to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed.

The Biden administration has been working on plans to regulate the untethered AI industry. The order builds on the Biden-Harris blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights as well as voluntary commitments from 15 leading tech companies to work with the government for safe and responsible AI development.

Instead of waiting for Congress to pass its own legislation, the White House is storming ahead with an executive order to mitigate AI risks while capitalizing on its potential. With the widespread use of generative AI like ChatGPT, the urgency to harness AI is real.

White House AI executive order: 10 key provisions you need to know

What does the executive order look like? And how will it affect AI companies? Here’s what you need to know.

1. Developers of powerful AI systems (e.g., OpenAI, Google and Microsoft) must share the results of their safety tests with the federal government

In other words, while a prominent AI company is training its model, it is required to share the results of red-team safety tests before they are released to the public. (A red team is a group of people that test the security and safety of a digital entity by posing as malicious actors.)

According to a senior administration official, the order focuses on future generations of AI models, not current consumer-facing tools like ChatGPT. Furthermore, companies that would be required to share safety results are those that meet the highest threshold of computing performance. “[The threshold] is not going to catch AI systems trained by graduate students or even professors. This is really catching the most powerful systems in the world,” said the official.

2. Red-team testing will be held to high standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Homeland Security and the Departments of Energy will also work together to determine whether AI systems pose certain risks in the realm of cybersecurity as well as our chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear infrastructure.

3. Address the safety of AI players using models for science and biology-related projects

New standards for “biosynthesis screening” are in the works to protect against “dangerous biological materials” engineered by AI.

4. AI-generated content must be watermarked

The Department of Commerce will roll out guidance for ensuring all AI-generated content — audio, imagery, video, and text — is labeled as such. This will allow Americans to determine which content is created by a non-human entity, making it easier to identify deceptive deepfakes.

5. Continue building upon the ‘AI Cyber Challenge’

For the uninitiated, the AI Cyber Challenge is a Biden administration initiative that seeks to establish a high-level cybersecurity program that strengthens the security of AI tools, ensuring that vulnerabilities are fixed.

6. Lean on Congress to pass “bipartisan data privacy legislation”

The executive order is a message to Congress to speed things up. Biden is calling on lawmakers to ensure that Americans’ privacy is protected while prominent AI players train their models. Children’s privacy will be a primary focus.

7. Dig into companies’ data policies.

The White House says that it will evaluate how agencies and third-party data brokers collect and use “commercially available” information, meaning public datasets. Some “personally identifiable” data is available to the public, but that doesn’t mean AI players have free rein to use this information.

8. Tamp down on discrimination exacerbated by AI

Guidance will be rolled out to landlords, federal contractors, and more to reduce the possibility of bias. On top of that, the government will introduce best practices to address discrimination in AI algorithms. Plus, the Biden administration will address the usage of AI in sentencing regarding the criminal justice system.

9. Attract top global talent

As of today, the ai.gov site has a portal for applicants seeking AI fellowships and job opportunities in the U.S. government. The order also seeks to update visa criteria for immigrants with AI expertise.

10. Support workers vulnerable to AI developments

The Biden administration will support workers’ collective bargaining influence by developing principles and best practices to protect workers against potential harms like surveillance, job replacement, and discrimination. The order also announced plans to produce a report on AI’s potential for disrupting labor markets.

Mashable will be down in D.C. to get more information about how the new AI executive order will affect major players like Open AI, Google, and Microsoft as well as the average American citizen. Stay tuned for our coverage on this matter.

Tech / Technology

12 of the best romantic comedies streaming on Hulu in 2023

Posted on: October 30, 2023

“Fire Island,” “Palm Springs,” “Brown Sugar,” and “Sleepless in Seattle” are among the best romantic comedies now streaming on Hulu.

There’s nothing like a feature-length chance to fall in love. And there’s no better time to see it than right now.

Whether you’re preparing a cozy evening for two, having a long-distance hang with friends, or embarking on a private, solo cry over love lost/love won/the state of the planet/etc., romantic comedies are one of our greatest resources for emotional catharsis. Roll into the romance and humor of it all with abandon (and our help). Mashable has combed through every rom-com on Hulu to assess the best of the best for your streaming buck.

Here are the 10 best romantic comedies now on Hulu.

1. Palm Springs

Credit: Hulu

In one of the best movies of 2020, Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti play nihilistic wedding guests who become stuck in a time loop à la Groundhog Day. Stupidly funny and surprisingly sweet, this sci-fi nightmare-meets-rom-com explores a been-there-done-that premise with a fresh approach and two leads you’ll fall for instantly. (Fair warning: If you’re in the middle of an existential crisis, maybe hold off on this one. Palm Springs isn’t your average meet-cute.) — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Palm Springs is streaming on Hulu .

2. Brown Sugar

Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs in "Brown Sugar."

Credit: K C Bailey / Fox Searchlight / Kobal / Shutterstock

Forget enemies to lovers, can you handle traveling the rocky road from friends to lovers? Rick Famuyiwa’s 2002 rom-com follows a pair of childhood friends on their journey to grown-up lust and commitment. Their story begins on a street corner, where listening to hip hop spurred big career dreams for a boy and girl. Years later, Dre (Taye Diggs) is a successful record exec, while Syd (Sanaa Lathan) is a powerful magazine editor. But despite their natural chemistry, other could-be loves keep getting in the way. Can they get “the best of both worlds…the buddy and the booty?” Interweaving a passion for music with desire for each other, Brown Sugar lays down a sweet and smooth story you can’t help but fall for. Nicole Ari Parker, Boris Kodjoe, and Queen Latifah co-star. — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor

How to watch: Brown Sugar is streaming on Hulu through Starz.

3. Fire Island

A group of friends hang out in the sun on "Fire Island."

Credit: Hulu

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice gets a modern makeover with Fire Island. Joel Kim Booster reimagines the rom-com of manners as a gay love story set in the eponymous vacation spot. There, a chosen family of gay men and their lesbian den mother (Margaret Cho) revel with sunshine, champagne, and karaoke. But an unexpected buzzkill arrives in the form of a pretentious and posh lawyer (Conrad Ricamora), who seems to sneer at the group’s idea of a good time. Despite an awkward introduction, the lawyer and the group’s main character (Booster) kick off a promising romance. But can it be more than a summer fling? — K.P.

How to watch: Fire Island is streaming on Hulu.

4. Sleepless in Seattle

It might get frequently confused with You’ve Got Mail, but Sleepless in Seattle is in solid company in the niche but excellent Tom-Hanks-and-Meg-Ryan-fall-in-love-without-meeting genre. Hanks plays widower Sam, whose son (Ross Malinger) convinces him to talk about his late wife on the radio. This story captivates listeners around the country, including Annie (Ryan), who writes to Sam and asks him to meet her at the Empire State Building on Valentine’s Day. As the day ticks closer, life mostly goes on, but chance encounters and missed connections pile up until the fateful meeting.

We know what you’re thinking: Do they go to the Empire State Building? Do they live happily ever after?? Who knows!!* — Proma Khosla, Senior Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Sleepless in Seattle is now streaming on Hulu.

5. Crush

Three teens stand gawking in a high school hallway.

Credit: Hulu

The most refreshing thing about Hulu’s latest queer rom-com is that all the characters are super queer. This isn’t a coming-out story about the one queer girl at her high school or the shy lesbian who’s secretly crushing on the cool, unattainable straight girl — relatable, yes, but we’ve done it. Crush follows a playful (if predictable) love triangle in which very-out Paige (Rowan Blanchard) desperately tries to lock down her longtime crush Gabriella (Isabella Ferreira), the popular girl (guess what, she’s queer!), while drumming up a sweet connection with Gabi’s twin sister (Auli’i Cravalho), an introverted bi skater-girl type. The flirting is a little elementary at times, but the short-and-sweet Crush excels at showing young queer people being themselves and getting a sappy love story to call their own.* — Oliver Whitney, Freelance Contributor

How to watch: Crush is streaming on Hulu.

6. 50 First Dates

50 First Dates is one of those rom-coms you never remember loving quite as much as you do. (See what I did there?) Adam Sandler stars as a laid-back womanizer who falls head over heels for a woman with short-term memory loss, played by Drew Barrymore. This classically funny premise offers a framework for some killer comedic acting by the movie’s entire cast, as well as a surprisingly sensitive reflection on what it means to love unconditionally. Plus, it’s got penguins! And a walrus! —A.F.

How to watch: 50 First Dates is streaming on Hulu.

7. I’m Your Man

Maren Eggert and Dan Stevens in "I'm Your Man."

Credit: Bleecker Street

Want an edge of sci-fi to your romance? Then you’ve got to watch this 2021 gem, which was German’s entry for the Best International Feature Oscar. Maren Eggert stars as a scientist tasked with testing out a robot companion to see how convincingly human it might be. Tom (Dan Stevens) is handsome, attentive, and loves to dance. He’s designed to say the right thing and anticipate every need. The idea is seductive, but this deeply rational (and a bit cynical) woman isn’t so eager to fall for a robo-boy toy whose beating heart is an aim-to-please algorithm. Can real love bloom between (wo)man and machine? And what would that even mean!? Find out with I’m Your Man. — K.P.

How to watch: I’m Your Man is streaming on Hulu.

8. Rye Lane

David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah play on a seesaw in "Rye Lane."

Credit: Searchlight Pictures

Among the most winsome movies of Sundance 2023 is this South London-set romantic comedy. Directed by Raine Allen Miller, Rye Lane stars David Jonsson (Industry) and Vivian Oparah (Class) as heartbroken twenty-somethings who fatefully cross paths and might just tumble into new love. A humbling beginning with a bathroom meet-not-so-cute swiftly spins into a happenstance first date full of fun, banter, surprises, and a wee bit of breaking and entering. (Hey, breakups get messy.)

Painted in saturated colors, paced like a dance party, and brought to life by a kinetic ensemble cast, Rye Lane is a pure pleasure to watch. But it’s Jonsson and Oparah, with their killer comedic timing and off-the-charts chemistry, that make this movie soar.* — K.P.

How to watch: Rye Lane is now streaming on Hulu.

9. Notting Hill

English screenwriter Richard Curtis is the luminary of rom-coms, having contributed to such delights as Love Actually, Bridget Jones’s Diary, About Time, and Four Weddings and a Funeral. Among his most beguiling romances is this tale of boy meets movie star. Hugh Grant headlines as a humble bookshop owner whose simple life is thrown into spin — and the spotlight — when he falls for an ultra-famous American actress (Julia Roberts). Their flirtations are an alluring collision of British charm and American candor. The supporting cast boasts a scene-stealing Rhys Ifans, and the finale will make you cheer and swoon. — K.P

How to watch: Notting Hill is streaming on Hulu.

10. Sliding Doors

If you can handle a dash of drama in your rom-com, you’ll love writer/director Peter Howitt’s 1998 head-spinner. Offering two tales of love for one subway ticket, Sliding Doors follows Londoner Helen Quilley (Gwyneth Paltrow) on a splintered story of what happens to her if she catches her train or misses it. In one scenario, she catches her philandering boyfriend (John Lynch) in bed with another woman (a deliciously devilish Jeanne Tripplehorn). In the other, she arrives too late to expose his infidelity, so their relationship rumbles along while her other persona pursues passion with a charming stranger (John Hannah). Peppered with whimsy, warmth, and some shocking turns, this one will have you gasping, but leave you grinning.* — K.P

How to watch: Sliding Doors is now streaming on Hulu.

11. Happiest Season

Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis star in this sapphic rom-com co-written and directed by Clea DuVall. But rather than it being a charming tale of falling in love, this is a rocking Christmas-set comedy about the drama of meeting the parents. When metropolitan Abby (Stewart) accompanies her girlfriend Harper (Davis) home for the holidays, she not only meets kooky family members, and a smoking hot ex (Aubrey Plaza), but also discovers her lover is closeted. Can this couple have a happy holiday under these conditions? Hijinks, drag queens, and Dan Levy will ensue. —K.P.

How to watch: Happiest Season is now streaming on Hulu.

12. Easy A

Want a raunchy teen comedy that’s surprisingly smart? Then revisit 2010’s winsome rom-com Easy A. Emma Stone stars as Olive, a modern-day Hester Prynne, which in this context means a high school girl who’s trading fictional sexcapades for gift cards. The boys get high fives for their sexual prowess, while — double standards being what they are — Olive get slut-shamed as a pariah. But don’t worry, she’s got a plan.

Will Gluck directs a star-studded cast that includes You‘s Penn Badgley as a lovable crush, Amanda Bynes as a judgmental mean girl, Thomas Haden Church as a confounded mentor, and Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci as Olive’s parents, who are funny, outrageous, and the definition of couple goals. They’ve got a pocketful (pocketful, pocketful) of sunshine, and all you have to do to enjoy is hit play.* — K.P.

How to watch: Easy A is now streaming on Hulu.

UPDATE: Oct. 27, 2023, 11:28 a.m. EDT This post has been updated to reflect the current selection available on Hulu.

Credit: Hulu

Hulu

Tech / Technology

‘Quordle’ today: See each ‘Quordle’ answer and hints for October 30, 2023

Posted on: October 29, 2023

A strategy guide for the October 30 ‘Quordle,’ a puzzle game similar to ‘Wordle,’ but which gives the user nine guesses to figure out four different words.
A woman's hands holding a mobile phone playing 'Quordle'

If Quordle is a little too challenging today, you’ve come to the right place for hints. There aren’t just hints here, but the whole Quordle solution. Scroll to the bottom of this page, and there it is. But are you sure you need all four answers? Maybe you just need a strategy guide. Either way, scroll down, and you’ll get what you need.

What is Quordle?

Quordle is a five-letter word guessing game similar to Wordle, except each guess applies letters to four words at the same time. You get nine guesses instead of six to correctly guess all four words. It looks like playing four Wordle games at the same time, and that is essentially what it is. But it’s not nearly as intimidating as it sounds.

Is Quordle harder than Wordle?

Yes, though not diabolically so.

Where did Quordle come from?

Amid the Wordle boom of late 2021 and early 2022, when everyone was learning to love free, in-browser, once-a-day word guessing games, creator Freddie Meyer says he took inspiration from one of the first big Wordle variations, Dordle — the one where you essentially play two Wordles at once. He took things up a notch, and released Quordle on January 30. Meyer’s creation was covered in The Guardian six days later, and now, according to Meyer, it attracts millions of daily users. Today, Meyer earns modest revenue from Patreon, where dedicated Quordle fans can donate to keep their favorite puzzle game running.

How is Quordle pronounced?

“Kwordle.” It should rhyme with “Wordle,” and definitely should not be pronounced exactly like “curdle.”

Is Quordle strategy different from Wordle?

Yes and no.

Your starting strategy should be the same as with Wordle. In fact, if you have a favorite Wordle opening word, there’s no reason to change that here. We suggest something rich in vowels, featuring common letters like C, R, and N. But you do you.

After your first guess, however, you’ll notice things getting out of control if you play Quordle exactly like Wordle.

What should I do in Quordle that I don’t do in Wordle?

Solving a Wordle puzzle can famously come down to a series of single letter-change variations. If you’ve narrowed it down to “-IGHT,” you could guess “MIGHT” “NIGHT” “LIGHT” and “SIGHT” and one of those will probably be the solution — though this is also a famous way to end up losing in Wordle, particularly if you play on “hard mode.” In Quordle, however, this sort of single-letter winnowing is a deadly trap, and it hints at the important strategic difference between Wordle and Quordle: In Quordle, you can’t afford to waste guesses unless you’re eliminating as many letters as possible at all times.

Guessing a completely random word that you already know isn’t the solution, just to eliminate three or four possible letters you haven’t tried yet, is thought of as a desperate, latch-ditch move in Wordle. In Quordle, however, it’s a normal part of the player’s strategic toolset.

Is there a way to get the answer faster?

In our experience Quordle can be a slow game, sometimes dragging out longer than it would take to play Wordle four times. But a sort of blunt-force guessing approach can speed things up. The following strategy also works with Wordle if you only want the solution, and don’t care about having the fewest possible guesses:

Try starting with a series of words that puts all the vowels (including Y) on the board, along with some other common letters. We’ve had good luck with the three words: “NOTES,” “ACRID,” and “LUMPY.” YouTuber DougMansLand suggests four words: “CANOE,” “SKIRT,” “PLUMB,” and “FUDGY.”

Most of the alphabet is now eliminated, and you’ll only have the ability to make one or two wrong guesses if you use this strategy. But in most cases, you’ll have all the information you need to guess the remaining words without any wrong guesses.

If strategy isn’t helping, and you’re still stumped, here are some hints:

Are there any double or triple letters in today’s Quordle words?

There are two words with twice-occurring letters.

Are any rare letters being used in today’s Quordle like Q or Z?

No.

What do today’s Quordle words start with?

C, E, G, and G

What are the answers for today’s Quordle?

Are you sure you want to know?

There’s still time to turn back.

OK, you asked for it. The answers are:

CHESS
EASEL
GLOOM
GLEAN

Tech / Technology

See the newly discovered 1000-year-old deep-sea coral reefs in full color

Posted on: October 29, 2023

New, 1000-year-old reefs were discovered in the Galápagos Islands Marine Reserve, a rare discovery of deep-sea coral reefs, with pictures in full color.
A multi-colored coral reef sways in the dark ocean.

The deep sea still holds many mysteries for humans, and that may be a good thing — at least for the growth and preservation of at-risk marine life.

Scientists have discovered two new deep-sea coral reefs located in the Galápagos Marine Reserve that have remained pristine and untouched by human explorers. These reefs are the second discovery in the region this year, following a similar one in April.

The scientists are on a 30-day ocean exploration using remotely controlled deepwater robots, with the team led by Stuart Banks, an oceanographer from the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos.

The Schmidt Ocean Institute, a nonprofit operating the expedition’s underwater robot SuBastian, explained in a press release that the cold water reefs are situated at depths ranging from 370 to 420 meters and measure 800 meters in length and 250 meters in length. For context: 800 meters is the equivalent of eight football fields. That amount of living coral in one area is a rare discovery, researchers say.

“They exhibit a rich diversity of stony coral species, suggesting that they have likely been forming and supporting marine biodiversity for thousands of years,” the institute wrote.

Dubbed Cacho De Coral, the area’s dim light and cold waters — different from the more shallow, warm water reefs many might be familiar with — may explain why the reefs are in such great condition, as global temperatures continue to rise.

The discovery and mapping of these reefs “is not only valuable from a scientific perspective,” said Danny Rueda Córdova, director of the Galápagos National Park Directorate, in a press release. “It also provides a solid foundation for decision-making that effectively protects these ecosystems, safeguarding the biological diversity they harbor and ensuring their resilience in a constantly changing environment.

“The geological dynamics of the region play a fundamental role in the deep-sea ecosystems. Research and mapping are essential tools to ensure that the Galápagos continue to be an iconic example of the beauty and importance of nature,” Córdova said.

A small shrimp rests in a yellow and orange coral.

Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute

Orange brittle stars wrap around a green coral structure on a rock.

Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute

A variety of multicolored coral attached to an outcropping of rocks.

Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute

The exploration is also testing innovative technology that could make underwater mapping more robust and reliable, the Schmidt Ocean Institute explains. The team deployed new laser scanning technology that creates extremely high-resolution maps of reefs, including the ability to identify animals living on the sea floor, which is not possible with most underwater mapping technology. The team uncovered and mapped two uncharted seamounts, previously only surmised to exist using satellite data.

“It’s like coming into your house and realizing that you’ve got a basement that you never knew was there,” Banks said to Science News. “And it’s full of really cool stuff.”

Tech / Technology

Best docking station deal: 13-port dual-HDMI for $50

Posted on: October 29, 2023

This computer docking station has two HDMI ports, three USB-C ports plus 8 more for SD cards and other cords your desktop needs.
docking station with cords plugged in

TL;DR: As of October 29, get this 13-in-1 Docking Station with Dual HDMI for only $49.99 — a 28% discount.

As a society, we have grown accustomed to having multiple devices, from laptops to smartphones, tablets to gaming consoles. Keeping those handy devices charged and ready to use can be challenging, especially when traveling. A power station is a good way to manage your charging situation efficiently and with less stress. This 13-in-1 Power Station is currently on sale for just $49.99 (reg. $70).

This hub can offer faster charging times in a sleek, portable design. It measures just 0.6 inches x 5.2 inches x 1.7 inches and weighs only 2.99 ounces with a maximum power of up to 100W, so you can connect your phones, tablets, laptops, and more.

Here’s the breakdown of the ports included:

• Two HDMI
• Three USB 3.0
• USB 2.0
• USB-C PD charging
• USB-C data
• SD card
• TF card
• VGA port
• A gigabit Ethernet port
• A 3.5mm AUX port

The addition of HDMI and VGA ports transforms this station into a hub for your home entertainment needs. Connect your TV, gaming console, or streaming device easily.

Don’t let charging challenges or forgotten cables slow you down. This power station is your ticket to a more efficient, organized, and connected digital life. Simplify your setup and condense all of your wires and chargers onto this one hub. Not only will it be an added convenience, but reducing the desktop clutter could help clear your mind.

Grab a 13-in-1 docking station with dual HDMIs for yourself or as a gift for just $49.99 (reg. $70) while it’s still on sale.

Prices subject to change.

Credit: Tech Zebra

13-in-1 Docking Station with Dual HDMI

$49.99 at the Mashable Shop

Tech / Technology

‘Quordle’ today: See each ‘Quordle’ answer and hints for October 29, 2023

Posted on: October 28, 2023

A strategy guide for the October 29 ‘Quordle,’ a puzzle game similar to ‘Wordle,’ but which gives the user nine guesses to figure out four different words.
A woman's hands holding a mobile phone playing 'Quordle'

What is Quordle?

Is Quordle harder than Wordle?

Yes, though not diabolically so.

Where did Quordle come from?

How is Quordle pronounced?

“Kwordle.” It should rhyme with “Wordle,” and definitely should not be pronounced exactly like “curdle.”

Is Quordle strategy different from Wordle?

Yes and no.

After your first guess, however, you’ll notice things getting out of control if you play Quordle exactly like Wordle.

What should I do in Quordle that I don’t do in Wordle?

Is there a way to get the answer faster?

If strategy isn’t helping, and you’re still stumped, here are some hints:

Are there any double or triple letters in today’s Quordle words?

There are no words with twice-occurring letters.

Are any rare letters being used in today’s Quordle like Q or Z?

No.

What do today’s Quordle words start with?

A, F, H, and T

What are the answers for today’s Quordle?

Are you sure you want to know?

There’s still time to turn back.

OK, you asked for it. The answers are:

AGATE
FELON
HATER
THREW

Tech / Technology

Apple Pencil USB-C hands-on review

Posted on: October 28, 2023

We got a chance to experience the Apple Pencil USB-C hands-on, and it was quite a ride.

The new Apple Pencil USB-C is the long-awaited refresh for the stylus and follows the iPhone 15‘s footsteps in acquiring a brand-spankin’-new port.

This is the first time since 2018 that the Apple Pencil has received an update, and with this new variant out on the market, I had a lot of questions. How does it differ from the second-generation Apple Pencil? Which iPads is it compatible with? Are there any benefits to using the Apple Pencil USB-C over any other model?

Like many of you, my mind was spinning with questions, but thanks to a recent hands-on experience with Apple Pencil USB-C, I’ve got some clarity about it now.

I tried out the Apple Pencil USB-C with the 10th-gen iPad.
Credit: Apple

Which iPads does the new Apple Pencil USB-C support?

When I tried the Apple Pencil (USB-C) for the first time, I took it for a spin with the 10th-gen iPad, so that answers your question about at least one of the models the new stylus supports. But what about the other tablets?

With the new USB-C stylus, 10th-gen iPad owners have two Apple Pencils they can choose from.
Credit: Apple

For your information, the Apple Pencil (USB-C) is compatible with the following:

12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd to 6th gen)
11-inch iPad Pro (1st to 4th gen)
iPad Air (4th and 5th gen)
iPad (10th gen)
iPad mini (6th gen)

Before the Apple Pencil (USB-C)’s debut, 10th-gen iPad users could only use the first-generation Apple Pencil. Now, with the new USB-C stylus, 10th-gen iPad owners have two Apple Pencils they can choose from. Win!

Why get the USB-C Apple Pencil when you can buy the wireless-charging Apple Pencil 2?

While wandering around social media, I noticed many folks questioning why one would opt for the USB-C Apple Pencil when its predecessor, the Apple Pencil 2, offers wireless charging.

The Apple Pencil USB-C has a specific target audience: budget-conscious users who simply want to take notes, make annotations, journal, and draft up digital plans. After all, the USB-C Apple Pencil is only $79. The second-gen Apple Pencil, on the other hand, will set you back $129.

The Apple Pencil USB-C made for a smooth write.
Credit: Apple

The Apple Pencil 2 gives you the luxury of charging the stylus by attaching it to the edge of a supported iPad, which is why it’s pricier.

And unlike the Apple Pencil USB-C, the Apple Pencil 2 has pressure sensitivity, making it ideal for creators who want to make digital masterpieces, calligraphy, and pro-level artwork. The Apple Pencil USB-C, on the other hand, is ideal for users — students, for example — who don’t need a sophisticated stylus.

Still, when I used the new Apple Pencil USB-C across several iPadOS apps, from Goodnotes to Animatic, I found the Apple Pencil to be as seamless as putting pen to paper. Hell, I’d argue that’s even smoother than that — like a figure skater gliding on ice — thanks to its tilt sensitivity and low latency.

For less than $80, it’s a good, affordable option.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Plus, it’s nice that the iPad I was using had excellent palm rejection, so I could comfortably sketch and draw without my hands getting in the way.

Yes, it’s more convenient to opt for the second-gen Apple Pencil, but the loss of that luxury nets you a more affordable Apple Pencil for less than $80. On the plus side, you can still magnetically attach the Apple Pencil USB-C to your iPad, but it won’t charge wirelessly.

How does the USB-C Apple Pencil’s port work?

If you remember, the first-gen Apple Pencil charges via a lighting cable. To access the port, you need to twist open the top cap, which was super easy to lose. Now, the new Apple Pencil USB-C has a sliding cap, which I kept playing with over and over again — it’s like the new fidget spinner.

You can magnetically attach the Apple Pencil USB-C to your iPad, but it won’t charge wirelessly.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

That cap isn’t going any damn where. So if you plan on gifting this Apple Pencil to a young whippersnapper, you needn’t worry about them losing the cap and running around with a headless stylus.

The European Union (EU) mandate requiring that all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras sold in the EU have USB-C ports likely played a part in this update, but it’s a welcome refresh for iPad owners who don’t want to splurge nearly $200 on an Apple pen.

Final thoughts

What was even more intriguing during my hands-on experience was how well apps like Animatic, an incredible platform that made me feel like a pro animator in seconds, worked seamlessly with the Apple Pencil. I thought it was pretty cool that I could upload my animated creations to Freeform, too.

Freeform iPad app and USB-C Apple Pencil

The USB-C Apple Pencil worked seamlessly with a variety of apps.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Goodnotes is another gem of an app, which has a new “Tidy Up” feature that lets you lasso your messily handwritten notes to organize them in a neater, more organized fashion. Any of you known for having awful handwriting should be using “Tidy Up” before subjecting others to your chicken scratch.

I look forward to experimenting with the Apple Pencil USB-C thoroughly. Stay tuned for the full review!

The Apple Pencil USB-C will be available some time in early November.

Credit: Amazon

Apple Pencil (2nd Generation)

$89 (down from $129)

Tech / Technology

NASA solar spacecraft keeps on going faster and faster and faster

Posted on: October 28, 2023

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe spacecraft is speeding up as it orbits the sun. By late 2024, it will reach a whopping 430,000 miles per hour. The probe is capturing unprecedented data about our star.
An artist's conception of NASA's Parker Solar Probe passing through the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona.

Over the past couple years, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has continually smashed its own speed records. And in the next year, it will continue to break more records.

The agency’s well-fortified spacecraft is swooping progressively closer to the sun, and during each pass, picks up more speed. In 2018, soon after its launch, the probe became the fastest human-made object ever built, and by 2024 it will reach a whopping 430,000 miles per hour.

At such a speed, one could travel from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., in 20 seconds.

The spacecraft recently reached 394,736 mph. “It’s very fast,” Nour Raouafi, an astrophysicist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and project scientist for the mission, told Mashable.

The spacecraft, fitted with a thick heat shield, has been making passes through the sun’s outer atmosphere, also known as its corona. It’s the first mission to reach the corona, and the unprecedented data collected will help scientists forecast how eruptions from the sun’s surface will impact Earth, and answer research quandaries about the solar wind — the stream of particles and radiation constantly emitted by the sun.

“It’s like opening a new book that we’ve never read before,” Raouafi said.

An artist’s conception of the Parker Solar Probe, with its heat shield facing the sun.
Credit: NASA / Johns Hopkins APL / Steve Gribben

How the solar probe goes so fast

Parker’s exceptional, increasing speed is an inevitable part of orbiting the sun, a sphere of hot gas 333,000 times as massive as our dense planet. For another perspective, 1.3 million Earths could fit inside the sun. Crucially, when you swing by such a massive and gravitationally powerful object, you pick up a lot of speed.

The spacecraft is now flying its 17th orbit around the sun, allowing the craft to boost its speed by over 240,000 mph since 2018. And out in space, there’s nothing to stop this motion. “Once it’s going, it’s going,” Raouafi said. (The probe strategically passes by Venus for “gravity assists” that propel it closer to the sun; these Venusian flybys minimally slow the craft, but ultimately result in it picking up even more speed as it zips nearer to the massive star.)

At such a torrid pace, the craft begins a new orbit every three months, allowing its instruments to collect a wealth of information about the solar environment. “Every three months we have a new load of new data,” marveled Raouafi. “It will take years and years to study.”

How the probe will unravel solar mysteries

Space weather researchers have some weighty questions. They want to know why the solar wind accelerates after it leaves the sun, reaching up to 2 million mph. They want to grasp why the corona (which reaches 2 million degrees Fahrenheit) is so much hotter than the sun’s surface (it’s 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit). And they want to understand how extreme space weather, caused by different types of solar explosions, can behave and ultimately impact Earth.

A particularly threatening solar eruption is called a coronal mass ejection, or CME. These occur when the sun ejects a mass of super hot gas (plasma). “It’s like scooping up a piece of the sun and ejecting it into space,” NOAA space weather scientist Mark Miesch told Mashable earlier this year.

These events can wreak havoc on our power grids and communication networks. Infamously, a potent CME in 1989 knocked out power to millions in Québec, Canada. The CME hit Earth’s magnetic field on March 12 of that year, and then, wrote NASA astronomer Sten Odenwald, “Just after 2:44 a.m. on March 13, the currents found a weakness in the electrical power grid of Quebec. In less than two minutes, the entire Quebec power grid lost power. During the 12-hour blackout that followed, millions of people suddenly found themselves in dark office buildings and underground pedestrian tunnels, and in stalled elevators.”

Two views of a coronal mass ejection, or CME, ejected from the sun in February 2000.
Credit: SOHO / ESA / NASA

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The Parker solar probe’s researchers expect the spacecraft, fitted with instruments to measure and image the solar wind, will enable us to better forecast when and where a potent CME may hit. For example, when a CME erupts from the sun’s surface, it must travel over 92 million miles to reach Earth, but along the way this hot gas will “pile up” the solar wind ahead of it. “That will affect its arrival time to Earth,” Raouafi said. Knowledge about these space dynamics is critical: A good space weather forecast would allow power utilities to temporarily shut off power to avoid conducting a power surge from a CME, and potentially blowing out power to millions.

On the outskirts of the corona, the spacecraft is relentlessly exposed to brutal heat and radiation, and in September 2022 it flew through “one of the most powerful coronal mass ejections (CMEs) ever recorded,” NASA said. Yet the craft remains in great shape. That’s largely thanks to a 4.5-inch-thick carbon heat shield that’s pointed at the sun. The shield itself heats up to some 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, but just a couple of feet behind the shield, the environs are surprisingly pleasant.

“Most of the instruments are working at room temperatures,” Raouafi said.

Tech / Technology

Best Apple deal: iPhone accessories bundle for $50

Posted on: October 28, 2023

Save 50% on these Apple iPhone accessories: A case, power bank, USB-C wireless charger and adapter all for $50.
Apple accessories with iPhone

TL;DR: As of October 28, get this 5-Piece Apple Compatible Accessory Bundle for $49.99 — a 61% discount.

Apple enthusiasts may have differing opinions on whether the iPhone 15 is worth the splurge, but they can all likely agree that Apple’s gadgets are getting more expensive each year. If you’re here, you’re probably looking for more affordable alternatives to Apple-branded accessories and we have just the bundle for you.

For $49.99, you can get a MagSafe-compatible case, a 20W charging head, wireless charger, a 5,000mAh power bank, and a USB-C cable — normally $129.99. There are options available for the iPhone 13 all the way through to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Keep your iPhone protected and charged

Let’s do an unboxing of everything included in this accessory bundle:

MagSafe-compatible case. The clear design is aesthetically pleasing and raised edges protect your screen and back cameras from drops.
20W Charging head with USB-C output. Power delivery technology could charge your phone battery up to 50% in as little as 30 minutes.
15W Wireless charger with USB-C input. It works with 360º rotation and the cord can bend up to 60º.
5,000mAh power bank that’s MagSafe-compatible. A LED indicator light displays remaining battery life.
USB-C to USB-C charging cable, compatible with iPhone 15 models and MacBooks.

No need to splurge on name-brand Apple accessories

Purchasing the name-brand version of each of these accessories would cost you hundreds. Instead, you’re getting them all here for what a clear case from Apple costs: $49.99. Completely accessorize your new iPhone 15, dress up your iPhone 13 or 14, or give the bundle as a thoughtful holiday gift this season.

Snatch this five-piece set of Apple-compatible accessories for $49.99 (reg. $129.99). Select the iPhone model between iPhone 13 and iPhone 15 Pro Max before adding it to your cart.

Prices subject to change.

Credit: Rochas Divine Mart

5-Piece Apple Compatible Accessory Bundle

$49.99 at the Mashable Shop

Tech / Technology

10 best religious horror movies you can stream for free

Posted on: October 28, 2023

A roundup of the best religious horror movies that are free to stream right now, including “The Witch,” “The Conjuring,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” and more.
A woman in a dark room looks at the camera.

Some of the all-time creepiest films (hello The Exorcist) fall under the category of religious horror.

Whether it’s strange symbols, creepy cults, or repressed guilt, there’s something about various elements of religion and lore that just seem ripe for terror — and many, many movies have played into that.

From the incredibly sinister Saint Maud to terrifying Taiwanese TikTok trend-starter Incantation, we’ve scoured the streaming sites for the best religious horror movies you can watch for free right now…

1. The Witch

A woman covered in blood stands in front of an old thatched building.

17th century New England at its creepiest.
Credit: A24

Writer/director Robert Eggers’s haunting folk horror flick follows an isolated family living in 1630 New England as paranoia and religious fervor brew after an infant goes missing. Rebellious teen Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) bears the brunt of the blame from her Puritan parents, but her eerie twin siblings (is there any other kind?) and their friendship with a goat they’ve nicknamed Black Phillip lets the viewer know something far stranger is afoot.

“What really sets this movie apart from its horror peers […] is its sheer beauty,” wrote Yohana Desta in her review for Mashable. “Every scene is meticulously styled. The costumes have a quiet beauty. Every frame could be a painting, or a macabre Vogue editorial. The score (and scenes with lack thereof) is a perfect accompaniment, rattling and haunting.” — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor

How to watch: The Witch is now streaming on Max.

2. The Queen of Black Magic

A person with a curved blade walks towards a woman screaming.

Well, this doesn’t look good.
Credit: Shudder

It’s a rare thing for a remake to outdo the original. Yet Kimo Stamboel’s gruesome 2019 offering does just that by upping the ante on body horror with frightfully realistic gore. Deep in rural Indonesia, a humble orphanage is supposed to be the site of a warm reunion between three friends (Ario Bayu, Tanta Ginting, and Miller Khan), who long ago spent their boyhoods there. But in the past and in this place, they buried a terrible secret. Now, something horrid has risen to claim vengeance on them and their families. With creeping dread, stomach-churning scares, and ruthless supernatural twists, this one is not for the faint of heart.* — Kristy Puchko, Deputy Entertainment Editor

How to watch: The Queen of Black Magic is now streaming on Shudder.

3. Saint Maud

A woman stands in front of a cross staring in the direction of the camera.

Morfydd Clark on ominous form.
Credit: A24

The unnervingly sinister directorial debut from Rose Glass, Saint Maud will get under your skin, and we really mean that. This truly frightening, erotic, psychological horror is led by the terrifyingly talented Morfydd Clark, who brings a dark and disturbing level of care to her role as deeply pious hospice nurse Maud.

A masterpiece of maddeningly precise sound editing and lighting — Glass wields chiaroscuro and close framing with the same level of suffocating, sensual control as its protagonist — Saint Maud is unrelentingly threatening as Maud takes her role as her patient’s “saviour” to horrifying lengths. We’re already living in a constant state of unease this year, and Glass’s brilliant film, with Adam Janota Bzowski’s haunting score, will plunge you deeper into it.* — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor

How to watch: Saint Maud is now streaming on Prime Video.

4. The Conjuring

A man with a cross around his neck stands next to a woman in a basement, looking scared.

Whatever they’ve just seen, it’s probably not good.
Credit: New Line/Kobal/Shutterstock

The Conjuring director James Wan took John Carpenter’s art of fake-out jump scares to a new level in this 2013 supernatural horror smash. When it was released, Wan already had Saw and Insidious under his belt, but he raised his horror game with the film that would kickstart its own Conjuring Universe with two sequels, the Annabelle films, The Nun and its sequel, and more. This first film, written by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes, has scared the crap out of sleepovers the world over ever since. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, investigating the spooky goings-on of the Perron family in Rhode Island in 1971. You’ll never look at wardrobes the same again. — S.C.

How to watch: The Conjuring is now streaming on Max.

5. The Omen

A woman holding a small child looks terrified.

Creepy child alert.
Credit: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

Director Richard Donner’s The Omen is a classic case of the original film in a franchise being leagues better than any sequel or remake to follow it. Starring classic Hollywood icons Gregory Peck and Lee Remick, this story of suspected possession follows parents and their troubled son through a bone-chilling encounter with demonic forces. Harvey Stephens role as creepy kid Damien Thorn rightly earned him a Golden Globe nod and a permanent spot in horror history. Everyone should see it once.* — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: The Omen is now streaming on Hulu and Prime Video, both with the Cinemax add-on.

6. Rosemary’s Baby

A man and a woman sit on the floor of a new apartment.

A fresh start.
Credit: Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock

Helplessness is a key element of a lot of horror movies, and classic Rosemary’s Baby hits that from a few different angles (if you watch it, know it’s a Roman Polanski film and everything that goes with that). When young couple Guy and Rosemary Woodhouse move into a New York apartment building, their lives rapidly begin to change in unusual ways. They decide to have a baby, and that’s when things really start getting weird. Turns out the residents of the building are all members of a Satanic cult looking to bring the Antichrist into the world using Rosemary’s womb as the host. This flick ratchets up the terror as it goes, and it’s widely considered one of the best in the genre.*

How to watch: Rosemary’s Baby is now streaming on AMC+.

7. God Told Me To

A man in in a suit speaks into a microphone.

Disturbing motives.
Credit: New World Pictures

Larry Cohen is one of the most iconoclastic exploitation film directors of all time, a dude who followed his impulses to create some all-time cult classics. His 1976 masterpiece God Told Me To is a claustrophobic, panic-inducing story of a Catholic NYPD detective who discovers a murder wave where every perpetrator claims God instructed them to slaughter innocents. Things get weirder and weirder from there – and once the flick starts bringing in Chariots of the Gods-style Ancient Aliens stuff it’s arguably a little silly, but the gritty intensity carries it through.*

How to watch: God Told Me To is now streaming on Pluto.

8. Incantation

A woman closes her eyes in the darkness and links her fingers together.

The film that terrified TikTok.
Credit: Netflix

Kevin Ko’s Taiwanese horror freaked people out so much that it even started a TikTok challenge and managed to become the all-time highest-grossing horror film in Taiwan. “When one imagines horror movies, it’s almost impossible to not associate them with jump scares, monsters, or slashers,” wrote Rizwana Zafer for Mashable. “Incantation does not rely on any of those typical horror movie factors, so it’s not really ‘scary’ in the traditional sense. Instead, Ko manages to terrify us using suspense and dread, built on the intimacy and psychological terror of the heroine. He plays on our deepest fears to scare us, incorporating elements of gore, trypophobia, and the eeriness of the unknown, that something evil is always lurking in the background.” — S.H.

How to watch: Incantation is now streaming on Netflix.

9. The Sacrament

A man hiding under a bed presses his finger to his lips.

Found footage fear.
Credit: Magnolia Pictures

Ti West is one of our favorite modern horror directors, and his 2013 found footage flick The Sacrament turns the lens on the cult lifestyle. Two journalists accompany a man as he travels to the community of Eden Parish to visit his sister. When they get there, they quickly discover that things are spiralling wildly out of control as the group’s leader, known only as Father, has let his paranoia take over. With strong parallels to the 1978 Jonestown massacre, this one moves a little slowly but really cuts into what makes people put their trust in cults, and Gene Jones gives a great, conflicted performance as Father.*

How to watch: The Sacrament is now streaming on Pluto.

10. Martyrs

A woman with blood on her face runs while looking back over her shoulder.

Don’t go into this one lightly.
Credit: Canal Horizons/Canal +/Kobal/Shutterstock

Pascal Laugier’s 2008 horror film uses the many abuse scandals of the church as a springboard for a deeply unsettling story of revenge. As a young girl, Lucie Jurin was horrifically and systematically tortured by a group of people looking to discover what happens after death. She escapes but is haunted by the memories, some aspects of which her best friend Anna (Morjana Alaoui) is secretly somewhat skeptical of. Years later, Lucie brings Anna with her on a terrible quest for revenge, kicking off one of the most intense and infamous French New Extremity films ever. This one’s not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, as it’s got some vicious gore sequences leading up to the shocking climax. Don’t bother with the 2015 American remake.*

How to watch: Martyrs is now streaming on Tubi.

*This blurb appeared on a previous Mashable list.

UPDATE: Oct. 25, 2023, 1:28 p.m. EDT Updated to include what’s currently available on streaming.