Tech Boys

In the past years, AI has taken on an unsettling number of new roles, from virtual boyfriends to educational tutors . But what if it became judge, jury, and executioner? That's the premise of the upcoming film Mercy , starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson. SEE ALSO: 2025 fall movie preview: Every upcoming film you ought to know about Pratt plays Chris Raven, a detective who helped champion a new, AI-powered justice system: the Mercy Capital Court. Under Mercy, defendants sit before an AI judge and must plead their case until their guilt falls below a certain threshold. Since Detective Raven was a staunch supporter of the creation of the Mercy program, he's stunned when he winds up facing AI judge Maddox (Ferguson) on charges of murdering his wife. Faced with almost certain execution, Detective Raven has 90 minutes to prove his innocence. From the Mercy Capital Court, he has access to all the video feeds, security footage, and documents he may need to discover the ...

ChatGPT helped authorities zero-in on the alleged arsonist who started the deadly Pacific Palisades Fire, which tore through the Los Angeles area in January. Authorities arrested 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht this week, and ChatGPT provided some of the key evidence in the case. Most notably, authorities pointed out that Rinderknecht had the AI chatbot render a strange, dystopian image that could hint at his potential motivations. The prompt for ChatGPT read, according to court documents published online by Deadline and other outlets: “A dystopian painting divided into distinct parts that blend together seamlessly. On the far left, there is a burning forest. Next to it, a crowd of people is running away from the fire, leading to the middle. In the middle, hundreds of thousands of people in poverty are trying to get past a gigantic gate with a big dollar sign on it. On the other side of the gate and the entire wall is a conglomerate of the richest people. They are chilling, wat...

If Hollywood has taught us anything, it's that a blockbuster that makes bank will get a sequel (or seven). Enter A Minecraft Movie , with its surprisingly effective humor and $957 million box office payday . (Who had "Jack Black will anchor a nearly billion-dollar movie" on their 2025 bingo card?) So, it's no surprise that Warner Bros. has officially greenlit a sequel. Variety reports that Warner Bros. has penciled in the sequel for a July 23, 2027, premiere date. That would place it around two years after the original, which is the second-highest-grossing film of the year so far. (Disney's Lilo & Stitch is in first, with a cool $1.03 billion at the box office.) Warner Bros. / X The sequel will reportedly bring back director Jared Hess. The Napoleon Dynamite creator will also co-write the screenplay with Chris Galletta. Producers are said to include Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Roy Lee, Eric McLeod, Kayleen Walters, Torfi Frans Ólafsson and Jason Momo...

President Donald Trump’s obsession with social media is so notorious that it has its own Wikipedia page . But since his return to the White House, that fixation has seeped into the highest levels of government, with cabinet officials adopting his combative style and reshaping how public servants behave online. Consider Vice President JD Vance, who shrugged off war crime accusations after Trump authorized an extrajudicial strike on a Venezuelan fishing boat by posting on X that, "I don’t give a shit what you call it." Or the official DHS X account, which now floods timelines with seemingly AI-generated 4chan memes and WWII-style recruitment posters for ICE — including one featuring the Statue of Liberty with glowing laser eyes . FCC Chair Brendan Carr recently blasted Democrats on X for "weaponizing government to silence dissent" after a California senator suggested breaking up Sinclair Broadcasting — days after Carr appeared on a podcast threatening Disney , AB...

SAVE $420: As of Oct. 7, The Anker Solix C1000 portable power bank is deeply discounted on Amazon as part of its Prime Big Deal Days promotion. At just $379.99, it's discounted by more than 50% from its $799.99 sticker price. As far as we can tell, it's never been cheaper than this. Opens in a new window Credit: Anker/Amazon Anker Solix C1000 Portable Power Station $379 at Amazon $799 Save $420 Get Deal Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days promotion for October has given us plenty of enticing deals to chew on, but outdoorsy types will want to check out the Anker Solix C1000 portable power station for just $379.99. As of Oct. 7, the first day of the promotion, Prime members can get this portable powerhouse for more than 50% off its $799.99 list price. It's a do-it-all power bank with six three-pronged power outlets, two USB-C ports, two USB Type-A ports, and a car socket for all of your charging needs. It also optionally works with solar panels, so on c...

Getting proper sleep can help improve nearly every aspect of your health , but over a third of adults in the United States don't get enough of it, according to the CDC . If a noisy environment is what's keeping you up at night, you've likely considered foam earplugs, but those are no longer the only option available on the market — reusable earplugs and sleep earbuds offer a more convenient alternative. SEE ALSO: Dodow review: A simple sleep gadget that's best for back sleepers I spent a month and a half trying out earplugs and earbuds ranging from $50 to $349 to find the best of what's out on the market — and to see if getting earbuds just for sleep is actually worth it. With October Prime Day falling on Oct. 7 and 8 , there's a strong potential for our top picks to go on sale, whether you're looking for earplugs or earbuds that can stream audio. Already ahead of the sale, our top pick — the Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds — is on sale for $43 off for ...

Today's Wordle answer features a couple things that might trip people up regardless of their favorite starting word. If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. Today's NYT Wordle puzzle shouldn't be difficult to solve if you love to entertain. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 29, 2025 Where did Wordle come from? Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble , music identification game Heardle , and variations like Dordle...

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle , then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine. There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown. An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle. If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered. SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint Separately. SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBo...

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle , then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine. There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown. An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle. If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered. SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint A slice. SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook ...

Save $45: As of Oct. 4, the Owl edition of Echo Dot Kids with Echo Glow is 50% off, down $45 from its list price of $90 on Amazon. Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Echo Dot Kids with Echo Glow $49 at Amazon $89 Save $40 Get Deal Amazon’s Alexa device built for kids is on sale right now. This is coming on the heels of their recent reveal of their new models of the Echo , Amazon’s Alexa-enabled smart speakers. The Kids Echo Dot with Echo Glow is a smart speaker designed especially for family use. Set timers with different color lights, play music, listen to bedtime stories, or audiobooks on the Echo Dot. This particular bundle comes with a year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which gives you access to tons of stories, games, and educational Alexa features. Parents have complete control of the device through the Amazon Dashboard, which can set limits on use, filter any media, and review the device use history at any time. The Echo Dot and Echo Glow can foster creativ...