Technology

If you’ve looked at other people’s desktop setups online, you’ve probably seen some people set up their secondary monitors vertically. I’d never tried it myself, but when I got my new secondary monitor and arm, I went for it immediately, and it turned out to be quite the experience.

When a fan recently posted on X, "bbno$ is my favorite rapper why does he have to be so mean to AI artists? 🥺🥺," the Canadian musician didn't offer a gentle explanation. Instead, he fired back with a simple, unambiguous response: "FUCK AI."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

It's the kind of blunt sincerity that defines bbno$ (pronounced "baby no money") — the viral rapper known as much for his absurdist humor as his meticulous approach to independent artistry. But behind the all-caps expletive is a clear philosophy: In an era when algorithms can churn out songs, images, and videos faster than any human hand, he’s choosing to bet on people.

That choice is on full display in his recent video for "ADD," a hyper-colorful, kinetic collage built entirely from fan-made animation. Instead of outsourcing to a studio or feeding prompts into generative software, bbno$ tapped over 20 independent artists — many of whom had already created fan art of him online — to bring the visual to life. The result is a whirlwind of distinct animation styles stitched together, each segment a small love letter from one creator to another.

“There's two things to it," he told Mashable at TwitchCon 2025, on the day of the release of his self-titled ninth studio album. "One, when people spend their whole life getting good at something, it kind of sucks when you can click a button and make something that’s more impactful. So I just wanted to give back to the community that's shown me so much love."

The other reason is even simpler: bbno$ feels better supporting people and human-made art. "It kind of makes me feel good when I'm supporting other artists, because I’m an artist too," he explains. "I remember when I wasn't making money — it's such an exhilarating feeling when you finally can. So if I can help other artists get that, I want to."

The "ADD" project took six months to complete, which is a herculean effort for a three-minute song. But the payoff was both a visual spectacle and a creative statement: proof that collaboration across 23 different minds, each bringing their own idiosyncrasies and artistic POVs, could create something no machine could replicate.

"I don't know if I'll ever get another piece of visual content that's that stimulating ever again," he admits. "Because it was 20 different people, twenty different minds.”

SEE ALSO: Meet the indie musicians who are making a living on TikTok

That kind of enthusiasm has long been part of bbno$'s appeal. His catalog, which spans goofy hits like "Lalala" with Y2K and more experimental cuts, thrives on a sense of human chaos that algorithms can't quite fake. Even when he leans into internet virality, there’s a pulse of self-awareness. He's in on the joke, but he’s also dead serious about the craft.

His distrust of AI isn't rooted in fear of change so much as empathy for working artists. In an age when tech companies are pouring billions into AI music and video tools, and when artists' work is being scraped to train those systems, bbno$ is thinking about the people behind the art.

"Massive organizations are starting to utilize AI and software to take people's jobs away," he says. "One of my best friends works at Amazon, and he was like, 'I have a call with India. I’m presenting something that’s unfortunately going to take a lot of people's jobs.' He knows it sucks, but he also needs to make a living. That's just where things are progressing. I’m just trying to do my part as much as I possibly can."

It's not a crusade against technology — bbno$ built his career on the internet, after all — but rather a push to preserve a kind of creative integrity that's becoming increasingly endangered. These days, art is data, and he's trying to keep the human part alive. "To keep people going, to keep the train on the other side," he says, "you have to fund them. That's the only way."

There’s also a philosophical throughline here: bbno$ has always thrived on collaboration. His early success came from meme-driven partnerships with producers like Y2K and Diamond Pistols, and more recently, his output has ramped up to near-weekly releases that rely on a global web of creators, artists, editors, and fans. His entire career is a case study in the creative possibilities of the digital age, where art is built by people, not programs.

"I've never really been one to put a lot of effects in my videos," he says. "If I do, it’s got to be something that took a year to make, not just something you plug in." That ethos extends beyond visuals; it's in the way he approaches songwriting, content creation, and even his signature humor. Everything feels a little rough around the edges, but that's what makes it human.

The irony, of course, is that AI could easily imitate bbno$'s more surface-level quirks and offbeat flow, but it can't replicate the sincerity that drives them. Creativity, for him, is an act of care.

On YouTube, the comments under "ADD" read like a digital roll call of collaboration. Fans and animators tagged their timestamps, celebrating each other's work. "I animated 0:00–0:09! Everyone did such a fantastic job

Over on X, an animator named Kenzie shared a clip of bbno$ commissioning them for a project after they'd been "unemployed in the animation industry for two years because of AI." The post has since racked up more than 350,000 likes — a glimpse at how deeply the gesture resonated.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

For a video that could’ve been made by a single generative model, "ADD" instead became a showcase of community. It's the kind of messy, vibrant collaboration that only humans could pull off.

"I just wanted to give back," he repeats. "That’s really it."

The Rich-Communication Standard, known as RCS, was originally promised as a replacement for SMS that offered all the perks of modern chat platforms without being locked down. But so far, its walls are nearly as steep as in any other walled garden.

What do Pinterest, Microsoft Edge, TikTok, and Instagram have in common? They all try to access your contacts. In fact, many games and apps available on the Google Play Store request the same permission, even when they seemingly have no reason to. Here’s why you should be careful when granting this permission.

I like chatting with my friends on WhatsApp. To make launching chats with them easier, I have created and added their WhatsApp chat shortcuts to my Android phone’s homescreen. Here’s how you can do that, too.

SAVE $50: As of Oct. 19th, Amazon has this yellow 11-inch Apple iPad on sale for $299, down from its list price of $349.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad 11-inch with A16 chip in Yellow $299 at Amazon
$349 Save $50   Get Deal

Being team iPad isn't just a trend — it's a lifestyle. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it's no secret that having an iPad waiting for you at home, full of games, books, and movies, is so great. If you've been wanting to join team iPad, this weekend might be your chance to get an excellent model for an even better price. To break it down: Amazon has this 11-inch iPad with an A16 chip, Liquid Retina Display, 128GB on sale right now for $300. It also features a 12MP front and back camera, which is the same quality of camera that comes on some MacBooks.

The A16 chip in this particular model supports brightly colored and highly detailed games. This model is also a great tool for content creators or photographers to edit photo and video content.

Watch your favorite shows and movies from any streaming service app in a crisp, vibrant color thanks to the Liquid Retina Display. This model of iPad is also fully compatible with Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard, if you're interested in expanding the capabilities of your device.

This particular model comes in bright yellow, pink, or blue. Amazon also has models with 256GB or 512 GB storage at a higher price.

We live in an era where the lines between our physical and digital lives are increasingly blurred. Smartphones are indispensable companions, seamlessly integrating into nearly every facet of our daily existence. However, that comes with a significant trade-off in the form of location tracking. Many of us operate under the assumption that we control our digital footprint, especially when it comes to our whereabouts, but that’s not very accurate.

SAVE $200: As of October 19, Amazon has a 2025 Sky Blue MacBook Air with an M4 chip on sale for $999 down from its list price of $1199.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M4 chip $999
$1,199 Save $200   Get Deal

If you’ve been on the fence about investing in a new laptop or computer, this Amazon sale on a 2025 Sky Blue MacBook with an M4 chip might just be the deal you’ve been waiting for. This model on sale right now has a 13-inch Liquid Retina Display, 16GB of Unified Memory, and 512 GB of SSD storage. This deal is particularly nice because it is situated in the categories of excellent price and some of the most modern accouterments Apple has to offer.

The M4 chip in this particular computer is essentially the brain of the computer. Apple’s cutting-edge system on a chip (SoC) is what powers the ultra-rich and crisp Liquid Retina Display. It’s also the reason this MacBook and MacBook Pro can be so slim and lightweight and work hard without getting so hot they could cook an egg. This 2025 Sky Blue MacBook with an M4 chip is also built to handle and work with Apple Intelligence.

This model also offers a 12MP Center Stage camera and touch ID for better ease of use and higher quality images on your Zoom calls. Spring for this particular deal could definitely level up your productivity this fall.

Thanks to the built-in Recorder app, my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL takes better notes than I could ever do in my meetings. It gives me full transcripts for all my meetings, and all it requires is just a tap of a button. Here’s how you can do that, too.

Toyota’s built more underrated cars than just about anyone—which makes sense when you’re the world’s biggest automaker. Between the everyday Toyotas and the posh Lexuses, they’ve cranked out everything from bulletproof commuters to sneaky-quick performance machines.

SAVE $350: As of Sunday, Oct. 19, the Shark AV2501AE is 54% off, coming in at $300, down from the list price of $649.99 on Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark AV2501AE Robot Vacuum $300 at Amazon
$649.99 Save $349.99   Get Deal

There are a lot of robot vacuums on the market. It can be hard to know what is right for your home and sanitary needs. This particular model from Shark (the Shark AV2501AE AI Robot Vacuum) has a few key features that make it particularly suited for pet parents. Now, you can totally snag this Shark AV2501AE deal even without a furry friend taking up residence in your home.

This might be attractive to pet parents (especially if allergies are a concern) because it is a bag-free, hands-free, self-emptying base equipped with HEPA filtration. The HEPA filtration in this Shark AV2501AE is said to trap up to 99.7% of dust and dander particles down to the size of .3 microns.

This powerful robot vacuum is designed with intense suction for all surfaces of your home. It cleans with Shark’s proprietary Matrix Clean Navigation, which involves cleaning your floors in a precise grid pattern. The vacuum has up to 120 minutes of run time and can return to its dock and recharge on its own.

This model also has a self-cleaning brush roll suited to catching as much pet hair as possible. Save yourself the allergy-inducing explosion of dander and dirt that comes with constantly emptying your vacuum's dirt chamber straight into the trash. 

Are you looking for an alternative to Docker that’s fully open source and doesn’t have any vendor-lock in? Well, there are four tools that you can use which are completely free of Docker’s influence.

It’s not Saturday Night Live without Weekend Update, hosted as always by Colin Jost and Michael Che.

This week’s desk segment tackled a grab bag of headlines from the past few days, including the presidential pardon of former Republican representative George Santos, Politico’s report on a leaked racist Young Republicans group chat, and — of course — the latest bizarre comments and antics from President Trump.

"Trump told reporters, ‘I don’t think there’s anything that will get me into heaven,’" Jost joked. "Then he paused for ten full minutes waiting for someone to say, ‘That’s not true.’" He added, "Because Trump can’t go to heaven. He’s too busy here running hell."

The segment also gave a nod to Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who led his team to a series-clinching NLCS win over the Milwaukee Brewers by hitting three home runs and pitching six scoreless innings with ten strikeouts.

"It’s a feat previously only accomplished by George Santos," Jost quipped.

As TV technology has improved over the years, Mini-LED TVs, once considered a premium product, have become much more affordable. You can buy some budget Mini-LED TVs from brands such as Hisense and TCL for under $500.

Saturday Night Live kicked off its latest episode with something rare these days — a non-political cold open. Sabrina Carpenter pulled double duty as both host and musical guest, and instead of skewering President Trump or one of his cabinet members, the show dusted off something else: the Domingo sketch.

The original bit aired a little over a year ago and centered on a chaotic bridesmaid speech that casually reveals the bride’s been cheating on her new husband with a man named Domingo. The confession unfolds through a performance set to Sabrina Carpenter’s "Espresso," with the whole joke being that Ariana Grande, that week's host, is singing really badly.

SNL struck gold with that sketch — but maybe a little too much. In the past year, it’s been revived three separate times, including this sketch.

This time, the setup moves from a wedding to an Olive Garden birthday dinner, where the "happy" husband (Andrew Dismukes) is blindsided by his wife (Chloe Fineman) and her friends (Carpenter, Sarah Sherman, Ashley Padilla, and Veronika Slowikowska) performing a medley to Taylor Swift’s "The Fate of Ophelia" and Lady Gaga's "Abracadabra."

Naturally, both songs turn out to be about — you guessed it — Domingo (Marcello Hernández).

You probably have used Spotify's "Add to Queue" feature countless times. While a bit clumsy, it gets the job done. But did you know that the app also supports a much faster queue feature, allowing you to add songs to the queue with just one swipe? Here's how it works and why you should start using it.

Pop star Sabrina Carpenter pulled double duty on Saturday Night Live this weekend, serving as both host and musical guest — and yes, she joined in on one of the show’s most chaotic recurring bits: the Shop TV sketch.

In this episode, hosts Rhett and Beth (played by Mikey Day and Ashley Padilla) are once again hawking bizarre products ahead of Halloween — including a questionable Jesus-themed trick-or-treat bucket. But that’s all background noise once they introduce young luxury designer Virginia Duffy, played by Carpenter, who’s on set to sell some stylish neck pillows.

The only problem? When snapped together and hung up, the pillow looks... suggestive, to say the least. That’s the entire gag, and the cast leans all the way in.

"It’s available in ten different colors," Carpenter’s character proudly declares.
"Why would you bring the pink one?" Day shoots back.

In just a few short months, George R.R. Martin fans will find themselves back in Westeros with HBO’s new, highly anticipated series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The upcoming show marks the third installment set in the author’s beloved land of fire and ice, following the mainline Game of Thrones series and its successor, House of the Dragon. So, will this new series bring more magic, dragons, and drama? Let's find out!

Your computer stores the time in a hardware clock on its motherboard. The clock keeps track of time, even when the computer is off. By default, Windows assumes the time is stored in local time, while Linux assumes the time is stored in UTC time and applies an offset. This leads to one of your operating systems showing the wrong time in a dual boot situation.

In iOS 26, Apple finally introduced custom iMessage background wallpapers. Not only are these fun and almost infinitely customizable, they serve a practical purpose in helping you quickly identify who you’re currently chatting with.