IT General

SAVE $34.01: As of Nov. 4, get the Apple AirTags (4-Pack) for $64.99 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $99. That's a discount of 34%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple AirTags (4-Pack) $64.99 at Amazon
$99 Save $34.01   Get Deal

Holiday travel season is officially here, and if you're planning any trips this year, it's a good idea to make sure you know how to find any missing items. Smart trackers are a great way to add a little extra insurance in that regard, and AirTags are one of the best products to help do that. If you want to grab a pack to prepare for your big trips to round out 2025, they're on sale over at Amazon.

As of Nov. 4, get the Apple AirTags (4-Pack) for $64.99 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $99. That's $34.01 off and a discount of 34%.

SEE ALSO: 6 Android Bluetooth trackers that work just as well as AirTags

AirTags work via the Find My app on iOS, so you'll want to grab these only if you're using the Apple ecosystem. Attach your AirTag to your device by holding it near, and you can name it and assign it. Once done, you can drop it in a purse, attach it to a keychain, or even put it on a pet collar. It's particularly useful for luggage that might be lost in transit.

From there, you can use the Find My app to track your item down. You can see it wherever it happens to be in real time, then use sound to locate it or even get step by step directions on how to find it. That's Ultra Wideband technology at work, so if that luggage you were worried about checking gets lost, you won't have to rely on the airport to find it for you anymore, you can lead them straight to it.

You never know what will happen when it comes to your belongings, so be prepared and save a little money while you're at it this season. No doubt it will come in handy at some point.

I don’t like it when a streamer removes a ton of content, but I understand it’s necessary to make room for all the new stuff that will redirect my attention. This month, HBO Max has plenty of titles disappearing, and many are movies you should watch while you still can, even if you’ve already seen them. There’s even a riveting documentary about a case from 1971 that is largely regarded as the greatest unsolved heist in American history.

On Nov. 14, the world will recieve the best Pokémon TCG beatdown from Phantasmal Flames, the first expansion for the recently released Mega Evolution era of Pokémon. Now that Pokémon Legends: Z-A has dropped on Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, it makes Phantasmal Flames that bit more special, too. Having a Mega Charizard X and Mega Gengar in-game then pulling their ex cards just adds a boatload of fun. It does for me, anyway.

Credit: Mashable Photo Composite / The Pokémon Company

I'm not going to give you a dry review that tells you how pretty some of these cards are and why you should buy it. I've got pull rates based off what I've pulled from advanced samples from The Pokémon Company, and some of the best deck build ideas using cards only from Phantasmal Flames and Mega Evolution. So let's get into it, if you have the mega stones for it?

What's new in Phantasmal Flames? Credit: Mashable Photo Composite / The Pokémon Company

With Mega Evolution introducing the new gameplay mechanic of the same name, this expansion doesn't represent a massive shake up, but more of the same awesome Pokémon. Mega Charizard X is front and center for this set and comes in standard ex, Alt Art ex, Secret Art Rare, and Gold Hyper Rare.

Other highlights from a gameplay perspective include Mega Gengar ex, Reshiram, Mega Sharpedo ex, and Toxtricity. But more on why later. All in all it's a great set for players to get stuck into, especially with new trainer cards such as Fire Breather to start stacking fire energies and Dawn for evolution deck searches.

Which products are releasing for Phantasmal Flames and how to get them

There's a good lineup of sealed product for Phantasmal Flames right now, but it's still a challenge grabbing preorders from big box retailers and local stores. If you want to go over MSRP and into the realm of market value, TCGplayer is a great way to get the right price without paying over the odds. Here's what's available right now:

• Phantasmal Flames Booster Box

• Mega Charizard X ex Ultra Premium Collection

• Phantasmal Flames Elite Trainer Box (Pokémon Center Exclusive)

• Phantasmal Flames Elite Trainer Box

• Phantasmal Flames Booster Bundle

• Phantasmal Flames Build & Battle Box

• Phantasmal Flames Sleeved Booster Pack

• Phantasmal Flames Booster Pack

The good news is with this review, I've managed to open most of these products so I can give you a proper insight into what buying a bunch of sealed product gets you. Everything bar the Mega Charizard X UPC, Pokémon Center ETB, and the sleeved boosters have been opened by yours truly.

My favorite pulls and pull rates from Phantasmal Flames Credit: Mashable Photo Composite / The Pokémon Company

That means I've opened 54 booster packs across Phantasmal Flames sealed product samples, and I pulled six Illustration Rares, 12 standard exs, two Full Art exs, one Full Art Trainer, and one Secret Art Rare. Here's the pull rates I got with my spread:

• Double Rares (ex): 22.2% chance (1 in every 4.5 packs)

• Ultra Rares (Full Arts): 3.70% chance (1 in every 27 packs)

• Illustration Rares: 11.1% chance (1 in every 9 packs)

• Special Illustration Rares: 1.85% chance (1 in every 54 packs)

Here's my favorite chase cards from Phantasmal Flames, none of which I actually pulled from my samples, but product I'll be buying as single cards or tracking as the new Mega Evolution expansion releases:

• Mega Charizard X ex 130/094 (Gold Hyper Rare)

• Mega Charizard X ex 125/094 (Secret Art Rare)

• Mega Lopunny ex 128/094 (Secret Art Rare)

• Mega Sharpedo ex 127/094 (Secret Art Rare)

• Rotom ex 126/094 (Secret Art Rare)

• Mega Lopunny ex 115/094 (Full Art Rare)

• Mega Charizard X ex 109/094 (Full Art Rare)

• Mega Heracross ex 109/096 (Full Art Rare)

Something to note is that I came across quite a few doubles of standard ex cards. Three Mega Charizard X ex's in one sitting is fantastic if you wanted to build a new Zard deck, but quite frustrating for collectors. The same happened with Mega Sharpedo ex, Mismagius ex, and Ludicolo Illustration Rare.

SEE ALSO: Where to buy Pokémon cards in 2025 — avoid overpaying or missing out on new sets

I'm not complaining, they all make for good entries in my trade binder, but when you're spending decent money on sealed product it's nice to have more variation. This is a small set, so perhaps this is just how it's going to be for anyone ripping open 50+ boosters in one sitting?

My favorite deck strategies

For me, the stars of Phantasmal Flames are Mega Charizard X ex and Mega Gengar ex, so I had a good think about the best decks I could make for them just from Phantasmal Flames and Mega Evolution cards. Here's what I came up with:

Mega Charizard X ex build Credit: Mashable Photo Composite / The Pokémon Company

This deck is all focused around building up Mega Charizard X ex quickly and one hit KOs, which is pretty standard for a Zard deck. Moltres and Reshiram are going to do the heavy lifting whilst you bench Charmander and evolve up to Mega Charizard X ex via Rare Candy or Charmeleon.

The Battle Colloseum protects the bench, so there's added protection against opponents trying to knock out Charmander or Charmeleon early. In the meantime, use Oricorio ex and Firebreather to build up Fire Energy quickly on Charizard, using its Inferno X move and discarding three to four fire energy for those beautiful instant knock outs.

Here's where to buy all of these cards:

Pokémon (17)

• 3 × Mega Charizard X ex (Phantasmal Flames #013)

• 3 × Charmeleon (Phantasmal Flames #012)

• 3 × Charmander (Phantasmal Flames #011)

• 2 × Oricorio ex (Phantasmal Flames #018) — energy acceleration engine

• 1 × Reshiram (Phantasmal Flames #017) — big basic hitter

• 2 × Moltres (Phantasmal Flames #014) — early-game pressure vs. ex

• 2 × Litleo (Mega Evolutions #023) — backup attacker or filler

• 1 × Pyroar (Mega Evolutions #024) — pairs with Litleo

Trainers and Energy (43)

• 3 × Firebreather (Phantasmal Flames #087) — grab Fire energy

• 3 × Dawn (Phantasmal Flames #086) — evolution search

• 2 × Heat Burner (Phantasmal Flames #089) — utility removal

• 2 × Jumbo Ice (Phantasmal Flames #090) — healing support

• 2 × Sacred Charm (Phantasmal Flames #092) — tanking support

• 2 × Battle Colosseum (Phantasmal Flames #085) — protect bench

• 2 × Dizzying Valley (Phantasmal Flames #093) — disruption

• 2 × Rare Candy (Mega Evolutions #125) — evolve faster to Mega Charizard X ex

• 2 × Switch (Mega Evolutions #130) — mobility

• 2 × Ultra Ball (Mega Evolutions #131) — search

• 2 × Wally’s Compassion (Mega Evolutions #132) — support recovery

• 3 × Boss’s Orders (Mega Evolutions #114)

• 14 × Basic Fire Energy

Mega Gengar ex build Credit: Mashable Photo Composite / The Pokémon Company

The aim with this deck is to reduce the amount of prize cards opponents take thanks to Mega Gengars Shadowy Concealment ability, then using Mega Sharpedo ex's Hungry Jaw attack after it takes damage for a massive 270 damage. Toxtricity is perfect for this strategy as it accelerates Dark energy to benched Pokémon whilst damaging them.

Mystery Garden allows trainers to discard one darkness energy to draw cards equal to the amount on the bench, which is a great way to get the cards needed quickly. Punk Helmet deals 4 damage counters onto an opponents Pokémon whilst attacking and Sacred Charm negates 30 damage from any Pokémon with an ability.

Here's where to buy all of these cards:

Pokémon (18)

• 3 × Mega Gengar ex (Phantasmal Flames #056) — prize control and hard hitter

• 2 × Haunter (Phantasmal Flames #055)

• 3 × Gastly (Phantasmal Flames #054)

• 2 × Mega Sharpedo ex (Phantasmal Flames #061) — aggressive backup attacker

• 2 × Carvanha (Phantasmal Flames #060)

• 2 × Toxtricity (Phantasmal Flames #068) — Dark energy acceleration

• 2 × Toxel (Phantasmal Flames #067)

• 1 × Spiritomb (Mega Evolutions #087) — early game defense vs. abilities

• 1 × Sableye (Phantasmal Flames #059) — tech attacker

Trainers and Energy (42)

• 3 × Grimsley’s Move (Phantasmal Flames #088) — Dark-type Pokémon search

• 3 × Dawn (Phantasmal Flames #086) — evolution search

• 2 × Heat Burner (Phantasmal Flames #089) — utility removal

• 2 × Punk Helmet (Phantasmal Flames #091) — punish attacks vs. Gengar or Sharpedo

• 2 × Sacred Charm (Phantasmal Flames #092) — damage reduction

• 2 × Dizzying Valley (Phantasmal Flames #093) — confusion lock synergy with Gengar

• 2 × Mystery Garden (Mega Evolutions #122) — Quickly pull cards you need once bench is full

• 3 × Ultra Ball (Mega Evolutions #131) — search

• 2 × Switch (Mega Evolutions #130) — mobility

• 2 × Rare Candy (Mega Evolutions #125) — evolve faster to Mega Gengar ex

• 2 × Lt. Surge’s Bargain (Mega Evolutions #120) — multi-supporter plays

• 3 × Boss’s Orders (Mega Evolutions #114)

• 14 × Basic Darkness Energy

Should you get Pokémon TCG: Phantasmal Flames?

If you're into the Mega Evolution mechanic and want to build on your Mega Evolution decks, it's 100% worth it. The cards all look beautiful, with a special shout out to the SIRs and IRs of Phantasmal Flames, but collectors might get a bit frustratred with how many doubles and triples they end up pulling of lower end cards. Of course it is a smaller set with more chance of pulling doubles, but it's stopping players and collectors getting more cards. Make of that what you will, but there's plenty of fun to be had with Phantasmal Flames.

November's full moon is here, and it’s another supermoon. It's the second of three consecutive supermoons, so December's will the last. They appear bigger and brighter in the sky than usual, perfect for late-night stargazing. Keep reading to find out more, and what November's full moon means in the lunar calendar.

When is the November full moon?

November's full moon will occur on Wednesday, Nov. 5. Time and Date estimates it will peak at 8:19 a.m. ET.

What is the November full moon called?

Full moons all have their own names, a custom from early cultures that used the lunar cycle to follow time and seasonal shifts. November's full moon is called the Beaver Moon. The meaning behind this name causes some disagreement. According to Royal Museums Greenwich, some say it comes from Native Americans setting beaver traps during this month. However, there are also opinions that it comes from the activity of beavers building their winter dams.

November's full moon is also a supermoon, meaning it appears larger and brighter in the sky because it's closer to Earth during its orbit. This one occurs when the moon reaches its full phase near its closest point to Earth, called lunar perigee, making it look up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than a full moon at its farthest point, Royal Museums Greenwich tells us.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon is predicted to occur on Dec. 4, 2025, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

What are the lunar phases?

A full moon is just one stage in the moon’s 29.5-day orbit around Earth. The phases show how much of the moon’s surface is lit up from our perspective. We always see the same side, but as it moves around us, the sunlight hitting it changes. That’s why sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and other times it seems to vanish from view.

There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:

• New Moon — The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

• Waxing Crescent — A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

• First Quarter — Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

• Waxing Gibbous — More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

• Full Moon — The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

• Waning Gibbous — The moon starts losing light on the right side.

• Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) — Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

• Waning Crescent — A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Is your Linux system slowing you down? Regular maintenance checks can help identify issues and keep your system running optimally. Fortunately, there are many Linux commands to help you.

TL;DR: Score a free Lego Snowman at Barnes & Noble from Nov. 7-9. Call or visit your local Barnes & Noble to reserve a spot.

We absolutely love Lego (who doesn't?). But you know what we love more than Lego? Free Lego.

The opportunities to get your hands on Lego without dropping a considerable amount of cash are few and far between, so we always want to make some noise about free giveaways. We've been lucky enough to experience a number of make and take events in 2025. These are usually run in actual Lego stores, but that's not always the case.

SEE ALSO: The 24 best new Lego sets: If you love Wicked, Back to the Future, or Star Wars, prepare to geek out

Barnes & Noble is joining the party by offering a free Lego Snowman make and take event in stores on Nov. 7–9. This cute model comes complete with festive accessories to customize. The event is designed for ages 10+, but everyone is welcome to come along for free.

The really important thing to note is that you need to call or visit your local Barnes & Noble to reserve a spot. The Lego store events are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis, but you'll need to sign up for a spot in this giveaway. One free Lego kit is provided per registered child, so please don't turn up without booking your place first. We don't want any disappointment over the festive season.

Mazda has really stepped up its reliability game in recent years, with most of its lineup scoring near the front of the pack. The MX-5 Miata is a shining example that consistently earns praise for its trouble-free performance.

While there's been some disappointment online with the Nintendo Switch 2's early lineup, I think history will mostly exonerate it. Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza are both a step above what you normally get in the first six months of a new platform's existence, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a good time, too.

Unfortunately, it's just a fact of gaming life that there will always be at least one relative disappointment in any console's launch window, and this time it's Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. It's nothing personal, but this is how it always goes. The latest Nintendo-fied spinoff of the long-running Dynasty Warriors franchise builds up some goodwill in its opening hours with substantially better visuals and performance than any of its predecessors, as well as the general novelty of seeing Princess Zelda murder like 10,000 identical enemies with one attack.

But that's kind of all it has going for it. Age of Imprisonment's mechanical foundation fails to meaningfully evolve over the 20-30 hours it takes to finish the story, leaving us with a game that plateaus in quality way too early.

SEE ALSO: Is Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 actually worth getting on Switch 2? Maybe Age of Imprisonment's story didn't need to be told Remember all these guys from 'Tears of the Kingdom'? I kind of don't either. Credit: Nintendo

Age of Imprisonment carries the torch from 2020's Age of Calamity, in that it serves as a prequel to the most recent mainline The Legend of Zelda title. While Age of Calamity was set 100 years before Breath of the Wild, this game brings players to an ancient version of Hyrule, millennia before Tears of the Kingdom. Princess Zelda has unwillingly spirited away to the distant past and has to help the leaders of ancient Hyrule fend off the demon king Ganondorf, all of which is covered vaguely in flashbacks in Tears of the Kingdom.

The point of Age of Imprisonment, I guess, is to give us a deeper and more nuanced look at the events of the frame story in Tears. This is somewhat interesting in theory, but in practice, there just isn't much to chew on. I'll keep this as vague as I possibly can, but most of the characters besides Zelda herself are paper-thin and don't really feel like they're going to become series mainstays anytime soon. Its premise is also, simply, that there's a war to be fought, so you gotta go fight the war.

Age of Imprisonment never really manages to find much of a hook to keep things interesting. I will give it points for the introduction of a playable Korok (the little plant guys you find dotted all over the last two Zelda games), as well as one or two other characters that I can't really talk about. But overall, the tone of the cutscenes is so dry (and the things occurring in them so uninteresting) that it's hard not to grab your phone while they're happening. Even as a guy who cares about Zelda lore, I didn't find much to care about here.

Speaking of tone, I have a real gripe with this game and Age of Calamity: They're way too buttoned-up. Other Warriors-branded games like Dynasty Warriors proper, or even the Fire Emblem ones, are full of shredding electric guitar and other stylistic flair that make up for fairly basic narratives. That's not really the case here. Aside from a handful of fun finishing move animations, Age of Imprisonment could really stand to loosen its tie and have a little more fun with itself. At least give me some shredding, guys. Come on.

The part where you play Age of Imprisonment can be enjoyable Some of the attacks look very cool. Credit: Nintendo

Like every other Warriors game, Age of Imprisonment starts with the premise that it's fun to kill literal hundreds of enemies with one combo and goes from there. For the most part, that stuff works.

In case you've never played one of these, here's a bit more context. You get access to a large, varied cast of playable characters, and you use them to defeat massive hordes of enemies across sprawling levels that include outposts to capture, hidden treasures to find, and bosses to kill. Combat is as simple as alternating between light and heavy attack buttons to take down waves of cannon fodder enemies, while occasionally sparring with a bigger miniboss-style enemy that usually requires that you deplete a stun meter in order to deploy a big finisher on it to end the fight.

The folks at Koei Tecmo (stewards of the Warriors franchise and credited co-developers on this game) have honed this down to a science. It's innately satisfying and fun to use ludicrous-looking attacks to mow down scores of bokoblins, for a while, at least. Age of Imprisonment seems like a pretty good game for the first five to 10 hours, but after about that long, I started to realize that everything I just described is basically all this game has going for it. Yes, there's a between-mission map screen where you can invest items and money you've amassed to upgrade characters and weapons, as well as dozens of incredibly dull optional missions to assist in collecting said items and money, but that's about it, outside of the main story missions.

Using Zonai devices in combat is sorta fun. Credit: Nintendo

Even those story missions rarely offer anything beyond running to the next objective marker and killing whatever miniboss happens to be there. As a bonus, it's probably something you've already fought 50 times, and the 51st time isn't going to be much more engaging or challenging than the first time. One of the popular knocks on Dynasty Warriors and its spinoffs by detractors has always been that the games are repetitious and simple, but plenty of them offer at least some tactical depth or between-mission nuance that just feel missing here. You technically can order your allies around on the map, but there's rarely any reason to do so. I'd also contrast it with Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, which had an entire base you could run around between missions, complete with allies to hang out with and a bunch of layered upgrade systems that fed into the action more satisfyingly than anything does here.

Age of Imprisonment simply lacks meat on the bone compared to some of its contemporaries. I kept waiting for it to expand and become a more difficult game that required just a tiny bit more brainpower, but it never did. What you do in hour 20 feels almost exactly the same as what you were doing in hour two.

At least it runs well Most of the game looks like this. Credit: Nintendo

While Age of Imprisonment never fulfills its narrative or mechanical potential, it is a fairly compelling showpiece for the Switch 2. I don't normally like to factor technical performance too much when evaluating a game, as games are art and not products, but this is worth talking about. Age of Calamity on the OG Nintendo Switch was a nightmare from a performance standpoint, frequently running well below 30 frames per second anytime the action got too hot. It didn't run at a very high resolution either, creating a blurry, jerky experience.

By contrast, Age of Imprisonment runs at something resembling a real HD resolution with nearly flawless 60 frames per second performance. I wasn't playing with a frame counter on or anything, so I can only go by what my eyes told me. But I never noticed anything more than a very mild, momentary drop when there were hundreds of guys on screen with combat effects going off all over the place. There are certainly no performance problems that impact playability here, and given the history of the Hyrule Warriors sub-series in this regard, I think that's worth commendation. The load times are snappy, too, as a nice bonus.

I just wish there were more to discuss here. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment feels like someone built a decent foundation for a house and then forgot to build the rest of it. It's fun in short doses, and certain levels and sequences are outright good, but the experience is just too thin overall. It might be time to try this formula out with a different Nintendo series.

Donald Trump often rants about various late night hosts he doesn't like, with Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert being two of his favorite targets. But recently on his own Truth Social, the U.S. president turned his attention to Seth Meyers, calling him "the least talented person to 'perform' live in the history of television." (Meyers does not broadcast live, but tapes Late Night in the afternoons and early evenings.)

On Monday, Meyers host responded to Trump's targeted post during his show.

"The president jeopardising food assistance for tens of millions of Americans matters. What matters far less is when the president posts about me, which he did over the weekend, saying, among other things, that I may be 'the least talented person to 'perform' live in the history of television,' calling me a 'deranged lunatic,' and commenting that I 'talked endlessly about electric catapults in aircraft carriers,'" he says in the clip above.

"And look, in general I try to live by the New Yorkers' creed: When someone is ranting and raving about you, ignore them, chances are they're just going to move on and rant about something else. But there is one thing that I simply have to address: You can say I'm untalented, you can say I'm deranged, but I'm not the one who talks endlessly about catapults on aircraft carriers! You're the one who talks endlessly about catapults on aircraft carriers!"

Meyers then played a montage of Trump talking incessantly about catapults.

"Until you said something, I didn't even know that aircraft carriers had catapults! I'm not the talk-about-catapult guy. Just ask my friends. Oh, er, friends are, how would I describe this to you? OK, so they're like people who enjoy spending time with you independent of financial or legal favors you can grant them."

Coca-Cola has an indelible connection to the holidays here in the United States. The company's 1930s portraits of Santa Claus helped popularize the character as we know him today, and Coca-Cola commercials are a staple of the holiday season. Now, Coke is creating a new holiday tradition, even if AI critics really, really wish they wouldn't.

For the second year in a row, Coca-Cola has partnered with AI studio Secret Level to create a holiday ad using generative AI. The new "Holidays Are Coming" ad features Coke's classic Christmas motifs (polar bears, Santa Claus, red delivery trucks), as well as a menagerie of animated animals, all rendered using generative AI.

SEE ALSO: AI actors and deepfakes aren't coming to YouTube ads. They're already here.

But for AI haters, no amount of cute and cuddly cartoon bears, bunnies, koalas, otters, and capybaras can distract from the AI of it all.

On social media, AI video critics are fuming. But "Holidays Are Coming" is another clear sign that AI in advertising is a train that can't be stopped, especially considering the backlash to Coke's first AI video ad.

Last year, Coke released a similar "Holidays Are Coming" Christmas commercial with the help of Secret Level, the Los Angeles-based AI studio. The ad blended animation and photorealistic AI actors, which resulted in an uncanny valley effect. As Mashable wrote last November, the backlash turned Coca-Cola into the villain of the week online. Undeterred, the company is back with another AI video, which it hopes will inspire holiday cheer instead of holiday hate.

"The evolution of this kind of technology has allowed us to enhance our films and fine-tune our storytelling to create a piece of content that our customers are receptive to and that they will engage with," Pratik Thakar, Global Vice President & Head of Generative AI at The Coca-Cola Company, told Mashable by email. "Last year’s film performed exceptionally well and was a success with customers, which is what matters most to us."

Why AI in advertising entices brands despite backlash

Coca-Cola's original 1995 "Holidays Are Coming" commercial used three real 40-foot trucks decorated with 30,000 light bulbs, according to The Independent, and the commercial's earworm of a jingle was an instant hit. Primetime national commercials like this are usually expensive and time-consuming productions. But Jason Zada, the founder of Secret Level, says "it took about a month" to create this 90-second ad with a team of 20 people.

Generative AI promises to reduce the cost of animation by up to 90 percent, as the New York Times reported this year, and savings like that are simply too tempting to ignore.

"Last year, when they tested the ad with consumers and there was no mention of AI, it was one of the best testing ads in a very, very long time," Zada said. "So I think that the average consumer, the average person, will look at this, and it'll put a smile on their face, and it'll hopefully make them happy. Hopefully, they'll walk away and say, 'This is a great ad.'"

But for many artists, creative professionals, and filmmakers, generative AI is problematic, full stop. They say it's a bastardization of creative expression that relies on stolen intellectual property, wastes energy, and eliminates jobs. (One critic said of last year's ad: "[Coca-Cola] is 'red' because it’s made from the blood of out-of-work artists! #HolidayFactz.") As a result, many AI critics object to AI video in totality, not based on the merits of any particular effort. Even the smallest whiff of generative AI in filmmaking provokes a backlash. Yet despite the angry reaction online — and despite pushback from writers and actors' unions — Hollywood and Madison Avenue are forging ahead.

The NFL released an AI ad earlier this year, and how many other brands are using AI without disclosing it? I suspect far more than people realize.

AI video has evolved dramatically in the past year. Thanks to video models like Google's Veo 3 and LumaAI's Ray3, AI video can be largely indistinguishable from human-made content, for better or worse.

Zada emphasized that AI studios employ artists, too. A behind-the-scenes video released alongside the new ad shows some of the human effort that went into creating the campaign, he said.

"I think the misconception is that it's one person in their basement making these things. And I think that there's a lot of human artistry that went into this," Zada said in an interview with Mashable. "From hand drawing the original characters to, you know, a lot of the frame-by-frame animation in certain parts and even in the visual effects side of it...A lot of sketches went into creating all the original characters and trying to craft an original style that felt ownable." He also said Secret Level artists "prompt very ethically" to avoid borrowing any specific artists' style.

The ad is unlikely to do anything to sway AI boosters and critics from their positions.

While that battle plays out in agencies, boardrooms, and pitch meetings, expect to see more AI video ads on your TV in the years ahead.

Editor's note: The quotes in this article have been lightly edited for clarity and grammar.

This article reflects the opinion of the author.

Google Maps turn-by-turn navigation has made leaps and bounds since its humble beginnings back in 2009, but one thing was still missing: the ability to tell when you're in the wrong lane.

Now, thanks to AI, Google has apparently solved that problem. On Tuesday, the company announced it will be launching live lane guidance in Google Maps soon, though with quite a few caveats.

SEE ALSO: Google Photos and Maps logos are reportedly changing. See the new icons.

The feature will launch in Polestar 4 EVs in the U.S. and Sweden "in the coming months," Google said in a press release.

The system uses AI smarts to analyze lane markings captured by the car's front-facing cameras, and then integrates that with Google Maps' navigation. In practice, the system will detect when you're in the wrong lane relative to where you want to go, and notify you to switch lanes via audio and video cues.

It will only work on highways at first, though support for other road types is coming later. The company also said it will launch the feature in more cars in "partnership with key automakers," which probably means companies which have integrated Google UI into their cars, such as Polestar, Volvo, Honda, Nissan, and Ford, among others.

Featured Video For You Alef's flying car is taking the fiction out of sci-fi

SAVE OVER $10: As of Nov. 4, the Lego Art Mona Lisa set is on sale for $80.99 at Amazon. This is 19% off its list price of $99.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Art Mona Lisa Building Set $80.99 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $19   Get Deal

We're just a few weeks away from Black Friday, but some retailers are starting celebrations early with a wide range of discounts to explore. For Lego fans, there have been some nice deals popping up lately, including a discount at Amazon right now on the Lego Art Mona Lisa set.

The Lego Art Mona Lisa set usually comes with a price tag of $99.99, but it's currently marked down 19% to $80.99. This allows you to save $19. It's also incredibly close to its lowest-ever price of $79.95 according to price tracker camelcamelcamel, so now is as good a time as any to add it to your virtual shopping cart.

SEE ALSO: Score a free Lego Snowman at Barnes & Noble from Nov. 7-9 — how to reserve your spot

The Lego art sets look like truly delightful builds. The Lego Art Mona Lisa set, in particular, is for adults aged 18 and older and comes with 1,503 pieces. These all come together to recreate the iconic Leonardo da Vinci piece in a brick-built format, complete with a gold colored frame and two sets of eyes that you can swap between. This piece is also designed to be hung on a wall, so you can show off your creation once you're finished.

Don't miss out on this Lego Art Mona Lisa set deal at Amazon ahead of Black Friday sales. And if you're looking for even more sets to pick up this holiday season, check out our roundup of the 24 best new Lego sets.

TL;DR: Get lifetime access to 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan for $74.97 (reg. $540) — your all-in-one AI platform for writing, design, audio, and more, powered by names like GPT, Claude, Gemini, and Llama.

Opens in a new window Credit: 1minAI 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription $74.97
$540 Save $465.03   Get Deal

There are so many AI apps out there, but who has time (or budget) to juggle them all? That’s why 1min.AI can be a super helpful tool to help you cut through all the noise and streamline the way you use AI.

For a one-time payment of $74.97, you get lifetime access to dozens of powerful tools powered by today’s top AI models, including GPT-4o, Claude 3, Gemini Pro, and Llama 3.

SEE ALSO: Some AI browsers can bypass publisher paywalls, report says

Think of it as your complete creative and productivity hub. Need to write a blog post, summarize a report, or generate marketing copy in seconds? You can. Want to edit images, remove backgrounds, or enhance videos without opening five different programs? Easy-peasy with AI’s help.

You can even translate, summarize, interact with PDFs, or convert speech to text for quick content creation.

For entrepreneurs, marketers, and creators, 1min.AI solves a simple problem — too many tools, not enough time or resources. With weekly updates, unlimited creativity, and no recurring fees, it’s a platform built for anyone who wants to get more done with AI — efficiently and affordably.

Don’t miss lifetime access to 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan for $74.97 (reg. $540).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

SAVE 38%: The Samsung 65-inch Class OLED S95F 4K TV is on sale for $2,297.99 at Amazon. That's the lowest-ever price for this model.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 65-Inch Class OLED S95F 4K TV $2,297.99 at Amazon
$2,997.99 Save $700   Get Deal

If there was one category that we'd really like to see blow up over Black Friday, it would be TVs. There are so many incredible ranges out there right now from top brands like Samsung, Hisense, and LG, and recent Prime Days have suggested that record-low prices are very much in the conversation.

In fact, we're already seeing some new models drop down to never-before-seen prices.

As of Nov. 4, the Samsung 65-inch Class OLED S95F 4K TV is on sale for $2,297.99 at Amazon. That's the lowest-ever price for this model according to price tracker camelcamelcamel. We don't need to tell you that this is a good deal. The numbers don't lie.

SEE ALSO: It's only October and Best Buy is already beating 2024's Black Friday prices — get a 50-inch 4K TV for $129.99

This stunning TV is powered by 128 neural networks to deliver AI-enhanced picture and optimized sound, meaning you get an exceptional 4K experience for streaming, gaming, live sports, and everything else. Samsung also claims that this TV delivers their brightest OLED with pixel-level pitch-blacks to provide dramatic contrast for vibrantly detailed picture.

There's a lot to watch right now. Stanger Things is fast approaching, the NFL and NBA seasons are in full swing, and festive movies are not far away. So why not upgrade your TV so you can enjoy everything you watch in the best way possible?

Get this record-low TV deal ahead of Black Friday.

Cafes, restaurants, and even towns have been banning influencers over the years. And while not actually prohibiting creators, London's famous Borough Market does require them to have filming permits, an existing policy that has recently gained attention through two online food reviewers' experience.

First reported by The Times on Tuesday, creators Gerry del Guercio and Paul Delany, who run food reviews on TikTok and Instagram as Bite Twice, were escorted from the food market by security while filming a review on their phones.

SEE ALSO: The Mashable 101: These are the creators shaping the internet in 2025

In a video posted to Instagram on Monday but filmed in May, the pair are in the middle of reviewing an apple crumble from TikTok-famous vendor Humble Crumble, which has a stand in Borough Market. Del Guercio and Delany are transparent on their page about paying for meals reviewed and turning up unannounced to venues, which is what they did for the Humble Crumble review. As they film each other's disappointed reactions to the hyped £9 dessert, they're interrupted by Borough Market security and escorted out of the venue.

"We were doing an 'Is viral food any good?' series and had been filming there on our phones and literally at the end when we had found a quiet corner a security guard came up and said 'no filming, can you leave,'" del Guercio and Delany told Mashable via email.

"We asked why and they said 'no filming.' It was all very vague. No info was given but we did look at the rules online and it does say just we didn’t know."

Meet The Mashable 101: the creators keeping the internet interesting. From meme-makers to movement-starters, these are the people powering our timelines today.

Borough Market has an existing policy which requires anyone filming or taking photographs "for professional purposes" to apply through an online form and wait for approval by email. The market also does not allow filming between 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays or at any time during the weekend.

In a statement, a Borough Market spokesperson told Mashable these rules have been in place for a time, but the venue is "in the process of reviewing our policy."

"We have a long history of working closely with the wider food community including chefs, established food writers and food influencers, and often feature their content on our website and digital channels," the spokesperson said.

"We value the role that food reviewers play in showcasing Borough Market and its traders. Our filming policy is designed to ensure that activity doesn’t cause disruption to stallholders or visitors and our security team is trained to ask for the relevant permission from anyone filming in the market.

"Our number one priority is to ensure that visitors are comfortable and at times we do need to alleviate the congestion which can happen around particularly popular sites within our market. This occasionally means we ask food reviewers to stop filming if they are causing congestion or haven't got the relevant permission."

Featured Video For You How Tini Younger perfected her viral mac 'n cheese and found a culinary career

Filming and photography policies within hospitality venues aren't new, they've just received increasing attention with the rise of online video reviews and the ever-rising wave of foodie creator content. As Meera Navlakha writes for Mashable, "It's true that no-camera rules are not a new phenomenon: as early as 2013, major restaurants began to enforce stricter regulations for those intent on documenting meals. The New York Times described these diners as the 'legions of amateur iPhone-wielding food lovers, who say what they do is a tribute — not to mention free advertising for the restaurants.' Over a decade later, the act of taking food pics has evolved into full-fledged careers for many."

Venues are increasingly specifying filming policies to include the words "influencer" and the like. For example, The National Trust, the UK's heritage charity, stipulates that "any influencer, social media auditor or citizen journalist who wishes to create paid-for or gifted content on social media must pre-book through the Filming and Locations Office." (Notably, this policy is specifically for paid content.)

As for Bite Twice? They're back to work and have already posted more food reviews on their socials, while being inundated with media requests. "Hasn’t stopped for last 24 hrs," they told us. "We all get our 5 mins I guess, already planning the next big story so it turns into 10 mins."

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage and meet the Mashable 101 to discover the internet’s most exciting voices.

SAVE $25: As of Nov. 4, the Echo Spot is on sale for $54.99 at Amazon. This is 31% off its list price of $79.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Spot $54.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $25.00   Get Deal

Black Friday sales are on the horizon, but the good news is select retailers are already offering some early deals to check out before everything officially kicks off. A few Amazon devices have seen some price drops, including the Echo Spot which is down to $54.99 right now.

This makes for 31% off its usual retail price of $79.99, allowing you to save $25. If you've had this smart alarm clock on your shopping list, now's a great time to grab it before Black Friday begins for real. All available colors are on sale, so you can choose between glacier white, black, and ocean blue.

SEE ALSO: Target's Black Friday sale is starting three weeks early on Nov. 6

This sleek little smart alarm clock can help you out with a lot throughout the day. The Echo Spot allows you to keep an eye on the time, but can also show you the weather for the day, check reminders you've set, and even show you song titles for when you're playing music through it. With Alexa, you can handle a lot of these by just using your voice.

No need to wait for Black Friday, score a sweet deal on the Echo Spot right now at Amazon. And while we wait for more deals to pop up, check out our breakdown of Black Friday deals we hope to see for another pick we're keeping an eye on.

President Donald Trump's decision to throw a Great Gatsby-themed Halloween party on the same day that SNAP benefits — a source of help for Americans on low incomes — expired has not gone down particularly well, and Jimmy Kimmel was quick to put it in the bluntest terms possible.

"What do you do when you have a terrible approval rating? You throw the most ill-timed, tone deaf Halloween party imaginable. Hours before millions of low income Americans are set to lose their SNAP benefits, Trump flew to Mar-a-Lago for a big Halloween bash with a Great Gatsby theme, which is a theme you would select only if you've never read The Great Gatsby," the host says in the clip above.

"You know throwing a party at your private golf club where the theme is rich white people hours before millions of Americans are set to lose their food assistance might be the Trumpiest Trump move of all time. It felt like the last big bash before the Epstein files come out."

Elsewhere Jon Stewart was similarly disgusted by the party, making his feelings clear on The Daily Show.

FREE BITCOIN: Fold and Steak ’n Shake have teamed up to offer $5 in Bitcoin when customers order the new Bitcoin Steakburger or Bitcoin Meal.

Opens in a new window Credit: Steak 'n Shake Steak 'n Shake: $5 in Bitcoin with Bitcoin Steakburger or Bitcoin Meal   Learn More

Steak ’n Shake is not afraid to get a little weird. Not long ago, the American fast food chain was offering free Labubu in a bid to get customers through the door. Now, Bitcoin is on the menu.

Fold, the Bitcoin consumer financial services company, and Steak ’n Shake have come together to launch a limited-time promotion that pays customers $5 in Bitcoin with any order of the new Bitcoin Steakburger or Bitcoin Meal. This campaign is live across Steak ’n Shake locations nationwide (check out participating locations here).

SEE ALSO: Lego is giving away a free Boombox model. Here’s how to get yours.

So how does it work? Customers pick up a Bitcoin Meal, upload their receipt at bitcoinmealdeal.com, and get a code for $5 in Bitcoin redeemable through the Fold app. Steak ’n Shake will even stamp the Bitcoin logo on your burger bun.

The catch is that you're limited to one redemption of this special promotion per Fold account, but that's not really a catch is it? This isn't a magic Bitcoin tree from which you can pluck free cryptocurrency whenever you fancy a burger. That's not how the world works.

Grab your burger and 0.000048 Bitcoin from Steak ’n Shake.

While AR/XR glasses often do more, their primary use case is as a wearable, private monitor. The RayNeo Air 3s Pro provides exactly that, with a vibrant 201-inch virtual display. Although it has fewer features than other such glasses, its quality, and low price, still stand out.

SNAP benefits, which help people on low incomes in the U.S. buy groceries, expired last Friday on the same night that President Donald Trump hosted a lavish Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago themed around The Great Gatsby — and Jon Stewart was as disgusted as you'd expect.

"That's what he was doing this weekend. He wasn't working for the American people. That was just some Hollywood Babylon shit that once and for all shows that Donald Trump doesn't give a f*** about even looking like he gives a f***," says Stewart in The Daily Show clip above. "On the very night SNAP benefits ended, Trump threw a Great Gatsby-themed ode to decadence and hedonism that even Jeffrey Epstein would have thought was a little over the top.

"There were dancers, costumes, champagne, a wonderful celebration where the theme was apparently gross income inequality. The slogan of the party, as people were losing their food benefits was, I shit you not, 'A little party never killed nobody.' Did you even read The Great Gatsby?!"