Tech Boys

TL;DR: Get one of Apple’s most powerful laptops, the MacBook Pro , for only $399.97 (reg. $1,580) while you can. Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro 2020 (Refurbished) $399.97 $1,580 Save $1,180.03   Get Deal This is an expensive time of year. If you’re in need of a laptop , you’re likely not looking to shell out thousands of dollars on a MacBook Pro . But fortunately, these powerful devices occasionally go on a massive sale — like this 13-inch space gray model, currently on sale for just $399.97 (reg. $1,580) while supplies last. There’s a reason the MacBook Pro is beloved by Apple users and typically comes with a hefty price tag. This powerful device offers all the bells and whistles we’ve come to know from Apple, all in a sleek casing that is easy to bring along anywhere. Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Lo...

Google seems to be cracking down on the use of Disney characters in AI-generated videos on YouTube after it was hit with a cease and desist letter. According to reports by Variety and Deadline , the company removed dozens of videos featuring Deadpool, Moana, Mickey Mouse, Star Wars characters and other Disney IP as of Friday, just days after Disney accused it of "infringing Disney’s copyrights on a massive scale." The letter, seen by both publications earlier this week, called out Google not just for hosting these videos on YouTube, but also for using copyrighted works to train models including Veo and Nano Banana. Prior to this, Disney has come after Character.AI as well as Hailuo and Midjourney — both of which it's suing — over AI-related copyright infringement. But, that doesn't mean it's shunning AI-generated content altogether. The company on Friday announced a deal with OpenAI that will bring Disney characters to Sora and ChatGPT, and bring AI-gene...

In the same month that Grok opted for a second Holocaust over vaporizing Elon Musk's brain, the AI chatbot is on the fritz again. Following the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia during a festival to mark the start of Hanukkah, Grok is responding to user requests with inaccurate or completely unrelated info, as first spotted by Gizmodo . Grok's confusion seems to be most apparent with a viral video that shows a 43-year-old bystander, identified as Ahmed al Ahmed , wrestling a gun away from an attacker during the incident, which has left at least 16 dead, according to the latest news reports . Grok's responses show it repeatedly misidentifying the individual who stopped one of the gunmen. In other cases, Grok responds to the same image about the Bondi Beach shooting with irrelevant details about allegations of targeted civilian shootings in Palestine. The latest replies still show Grok's confusion with the Bondi Beach shooting, even providing information about th...

SAVE $220: As of December 13th, the Roborock Q10 S5+ robot vacuum is $329 at Amazon, down 40% from its list price of $549. Opens in a new window Credit: Roborock Roborock Q10 S5+ robot vacuum $549.99 at Amazon   Get Deal This weekend, Roborock is offering the Q10 S5+ robot vacuum at 40% off. This model is one of the lowest-cost vacuum-and-mop combo robot vacuums on the market. Roborock boasts 70 days of hands-free cleaning with its large dust bag situated neatly in its fairly small, self-emptying dock station.  This dual mop and vacuum robot cleaner comes equipped with many features, including Smart Carpet Care, which detects carpet and automatically lifts mopping modules to protect your carpet. "This Roborock robot vacuum is ideal for those who don't want to spend much more than $500, but who also don't want to settle for the most basic cleaning possible," says senior shopping reporter Leah Stoddart , in her roundup of the best robot vacuum...

Google just made whatever pair of headphones you own a bit more useful. As part of a broader expansion of Google Translate, the company is rolling out a beta for live language translation using headphones, Google announced in a blog post . Google says the feature supports more than 70 languages and, most importantly, works with "any pair of headphones," presumably provided that they have a microphone on them in some capacity. "We’re bringing Gemini’s most powerful translation capabilities to Google Translate for text, launching a beta experience for live speech-to-speech translations with headphones, and adding new languages to the app for practice and skill building," the blog post reads. And according to Google VP of product and search Rose Yao, Gemini doesn't just translate each word you hear; it provides meaningful translation to capture the meaning and intent of the speaker. "Say you’re trying to translate an English idiom like ' stealing my ...

Amazon has responded to viewers catching errors in its AI-generated season recaps by apparently pulling them from Prime Video. The company announced its new Video Recaps feature in November as a way to make it easier to jump into a new season of a show, but the feature had issues: A recap created for Fallout included factual errors about the plot and the setting of the show. On Prime Video, recaps can be played in the "Extras" section if you're watching on the web, or via a dedicated "recap button" on the show's page, according to Amazon's original Video Recaps announcement . If you head to the Fallout s eason two page now, the erroneous recap has been removed. In fact, at least on the web, there are currently no video recaps available on the show's Amazon was testing the feature on, which includes Fallout, Bosch, Upload, The Rig and Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan . Engadget has contacted Amazon for more information on why the recaps were removed. W...

The Emmy–winning medical drama The Pitt returns to HBO Max on Jan. 8, but you can watch its opening scene right now. SEE ALSO: 'Euphoria' Season 3 gets first look in HBO Max's 2026 trailer HBO Max has released the first 90 seconds of Season 2, which returns viewers to the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. Like in Season 1, every episode represents one hour in a 15-hour shift. This time, though, the shift takes place on July 4, so you can bet you'll see grill burns, firework accidents, and more making their way through the Pitt's doors. None of that chaos is on display in The Pitt Season 2's opening scene, though. Instead, these 90 seconds showcase Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch's (Noah Wyle) commute to work. It's a beautiful sunny morning as he rides his motorcycle across Pittsburgh's bridges, and — wait a second, sorry, Dr. Robby, who works in an emergency department , is riding a motorcycle ? Without a helmet ? Has this man n...

It looks like Disney wasted no time delivering on CEO Bob Iger’s promise to bring AI-generated content to Disney+. On Thursday, the company announced the start of a three-year licensing agreement with OpenAI to bring more than 200 of its beloved characters, including those from Star Wars and Pixar, to the Sora app and ChatGPT. With the deal in place, OpenAI users will be able to prompt ChatGPT to generate images that tap into Disney’s intellectual property, with costumes, props, vehicles and environments covered. The agreement does not include voices or “talent likenesses,” meaning Sora users won’t be able prompt the app to make a video with Black Widow and get something with Scarlett Johansson in it. Instead, both Sora and ChatGPT will only have access to animated and illustrated versions of Marvel and Star Wars characters like Black Panther, Captain America, Han Solo, Darth Vader and others. Disney will stream “curated selections” of Sora-generated fan videos on Disney+. Sora and...

New York is taking steps to regulate the use of AI in the state's entertainment industry. NY State Governor Kathy Hochul passed two pieces of legislation on Thursday that forces certain productions to disclose the use of AI-generated performers, and defines rules around how someone's likeness can be used after their death. Assembly Bill A8887B, now known as S.8420-A, specifically covers the use of AI performers in advertisements. Per Hochul's announcement, the law "requires persons who produce or create an advertisement to identify if it includes AI generated synthetic performers." S.8391, meanwhile, "requires consent from heirs or executors if a person wishes to use the name, image, or likeness of an individual for commercial purposes after their death." “By signing these bills today, we are enacting common sense laws that will ensure we are fully transparent when using images generated by artificial intelligence and also prevent the unauthorized com...

OpenAI has announced its launching GPT-5.2 effective immediately, with access rolling out in phases starting Dec. 11. This is the second major update to GPT-5, the long-awaited OpenAI model that launched on Aug. 7. In a blog post announcing the new series of ChatGPT models, the company called GPT-5.2 the "most capable model series yet for professional knowledge work." This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. GPT-5.2 is actually a series of models; the series itself is part of the larger GPT-5 series. Here's what we're looking at: GPT-5.2 Instant GPT-5.2 Thinking GPT-5.2 Pro When can you start using GPT-5.2? With a Dec. 11 release date, GPT-5.2 is available now — though not all users will see it listed as an available model in ChatGPT. As with previous model rollouts, OpenAI will first deploy the model to paid users on Plus, Pro, Go, Business, and Enterprise plans. Even for paying customers, OpenAI tends to mak...