The Saturday Night Live star’s chameleonic antics took centerstage immediately in a cold open holiday message from Anthony Fauci. Starting with a bit we’ve seen before where the good doctor brings out CDC researchers to demonstrate best COVID-era practices — which they repeatedly get horribly, absurdly wrong — the cold open turns to politics, as these things do.
First it’s a visit from the Cuomo brothers (Pete Davidson as Andrew and Andrew Dismukes as Chris), who warn that they “both lost our jobs because of COVID.” Not quite, but sure guys. Next up it’s Marjorie Taylor Greene (Cecily Strong) and Lauren Boebert (Chloe Fineman), two members of the GOP’s Gun-toting Troll Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, who want to link our pandemic struggles to communism for some reason.
Last up is Aidy Bryant’s blistering take on Ted Cruz. When she first walks on and says, “If you’re sick of seeing me, imagine how sick I am of being me,” it almost sounds like a cry for help. But Bryant brings her trademark comedy chops to the Texas Senator’s unserious antics, reminding us again and again that Cruz, is in fact, pretty terrible in the way he operates.
You know, just your typical searing indictment of political buffoonery on an SNL cold open. Good times.
TL;DR: The Cheerble Wicked Ball Cyclone is just $47.99 at the Mashable Shop as of Dec. 12.
Got someone on your holiday shopping list who just adopted a new puppy? Or even someone with an energetic dog of any age? We’ve got the perfect gift: the Cheerble Wicked Ball. And for a limited time, you can grab the Cyclone version, which is more durable, for just $47.99 (regularly $55.99).
The Wicked Ball Cyclone can help keep pups entertained while humans get their work done. Once a dog interacts with it, it will begin active play for 10 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of rest. It rolls on its own, flashes its light, spins, hops, and more to get attention. With its three interaction modes — gentle, normal, and active — users can select the intelligent companion experience that suits their dog.
Keep in mind that it’s not designed for aggressive chewers. Despite its protection mechanism, which stops the ball from running when the outer shell is opened, it’s still better for gentler dogs.
The IP67 waterproof outer shell means this ball can be used outside, even on rainy days. It can even be cleaned with water, as long as the outer shell is fastened tightly and securely.
Here’s a peek at how it works:
After securing over $1 million on Indiegogo and Kickstarter, Cheerble’s Wicked Ball is available for $49.99 for the basic version or $55.99 for the Cyclone version. For a limited time, however, you can snag the Cyclone version on sale for $47.99 — just in time for the holidays.
TL;DR: This 4-in-1 foldable wireless charging station is just $49.95 at the Mashable Shop as of Dec. 12.
When you’re searching for stocking stuffer gift ideas, don’t overthink it. You don’t want to spend time and effort looking for a unique gift only for it to end up collecting dust in the corner of their room. Go with something that you know they’ll use, like a charging station for multiple gadgets.
This 4-in-1 foldable wireless charging station is a great option, and it happens to be discounted to just $49.95 for a limited time.
Juice up. Credit: Genius Depot
This multifunctional wireless charging station can juice up an iPhone or Android phone, Apple Watch, AirPods or AirPods Pro, and an Apple Pencil — all at once. Every device has a designated charging spot, equipped with the proper wattage output for each. The 2W wireless surface is for Apple Watches of all shapes and sizes, while the 3W built-in connector fits an AirPods 1, 2, or Pro case. The silicone charging pad supports all Qi-enabled devices — including both iPhones and Androids — and can be placed vertically or horizontally for charging. This makes it easier to watch videos, FaceTime while you power up, or keep track of important work emails.
An LED indicator light lets you know if your devices are charging or fully powered, while a suspension cooling system ensures they stay cool while they charge. It’s equipped with short circuit protection as well, in case anything goes awry.
Even better, this charging station folds up easily for transporting and taking up little space. It keeps multiple devices organized all in one place without the need for a ton of different charging cables as well, which is guaranteed to streamline anyone’s life.
From the teens constantly on TikTok to the businessman or woman who can’t go five minutes without checking an email, this multifunctional wireless charging station will make an excellent gift that they’ll actually use. Grab it on sale for $49.95 (regularly $54) for a limited time.
A lot of companies are either still remote or have adopted hybrid models, meaning that millions of people are still working in their jammies. And while remote working is in some ways more convenient than commuting to an office, it’s still hard to make one’s home conducive to productivity.
To help make workdays more enjoyable for the people in your life who work from home, here are 30 gift ideas, from productivity picks to items designed for comfort. As of Dec. 12, they’re all on sale for a limited time.
U-STREAM Home Streaming Studio with 10″ Ring Light and Tripod
This bundle consists of a ring light, an adjustable tripod, and a non-slip phone holder, and helps anyone look their best in any video conference call or stream. Formerly $99, it’s on sale for just $35.
Credit: Aduro
U-STREAM Home Streaming Studio with 10″ Ring Light & Tripod
$35 at the Mashable Shop
Omega 2.0 Inkless Pen
This eco-friendly writing instrument features an AXL-METAL tip that doesn’t require sharpening and lays down a grey line that won’t smudge or erase. It’s usually $41, but you can get it on sale for $29.99.
Credit: Omega
Omega 2.0 Inkless Pen
$29.99 at the Mashable Shop
Sinji Ergonomic Mouse
This mouse is designed to support the hand in an upright neutral position. It’s originally $33, but you can grab it on sale for $22.95.
Credit: Sinji
Sinji Ergonomic Mouse
$22.95 at the Mashable Shop
Wickedbone: Smart Interactive Dog Toy
If your friend is a pet parent, the Wickedbone will keep their pet occupied. Normally retailing for $99, it’s on sale for $69.95.
Credit: Cheerble
Wickedbone: Smart Interactive Dog Toy
$69.95 at the Mashable Shop
BentoStack PowerHub 5000
This stackable case combines a charging cover, Type-C hub with eight ports, and storage compartment, reducing desk clutter significantly. It usually goes for $159, but you can get it on sale for $99.99.
Credit: Function101
BentoStack PowerHub 5000
$99.99 at the Mashable Shop
Mini Portable Water Cooling Fan
Small and lightweight enough to be placed in one’s workspace, this cooling fan is capable of delivering a stream of cool air for up to 10 hours on a single charge. It’s normally $69, but you can snag it on sale for $39.99.
Credit: Sophicate
Mini Portable Water Cooling Fan
$39.99 at the Mashable Shop
EC1 Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk
Help your pal avoid the sedentary lifestyle with this standing desk, which has an electric single motor mechanism and an up and down keypad, allowing them to switch between sitting and standing in 10 seconds or less. Formerly $299, it’s on sale for $254.99 for a limited time.
Credit: Flexispot
EC1 Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk
$254.99 at the Mashable Shop
SyncPen 2nd Generation Smart Pen with Notebook
With a motion-tracking sensor, the SyncPen2 turns everything your friend writes into digital text, so they won’t have to manually encode it to their computer. It typically retails for $199, but you can score it on sale for $149.99.
Credit: NEWYES
SyncPen 2nd Generation Smart Pen with Notebook
$149.99 at the Mashable Shop
Skill Set Scientific Desk Toy + Magnet Shield
The ultimate stress reliever, this fidget toy is designed with the magnetic principle called Lenz’s law in mind. It’s originally $129, but you can get it on sale for $105.95.
Credit: Feel Flux
Skill Set Scientific Desk Toy + Magnet Shield (Red)
User-friendly and portable, this diffuser is designed to spread mist, prevent dry air, and provide stress-relieving calmness. Formerly $89, it’s on sale for $65.99 for a limited time.
This seat cushion is designed to disperse body heat and offer full, contoured support, helping maintain a healthy posture. It’s usually $69, but you can snag it on sale for $49.99.
Credit: Daiwa Felicity
EZE Back Cool Memory Foam Seat Cushion (Blue)
$49.99 at the Mashable Shop
LifePro FlexCycle Under Desk Exercise Bike
This bike can fit under a desk, allowing your friend to get a workout in while firing off emails. Normally retailing for $259, it’s on sale for $174.99 for a limited time.
Credit: LifePro Fitness
LifePro FlexCycle Under Desk Exercise Bike
$174.99 at the Mashable Shop
FlexiSpot M7C Desk Riser with Deep Keyboard Tray
This standing desk converter features a flexible height adjustment feature that enables the user to customize its height. It originally goes for $169, but it’s on sale for $149.99 for a limited time.
Credit: Flexispot
FlexiSpot M7C Desk Riser with Deep Keyboard Tray
$149.99 at the Mashable Shop
DynaMini Massage Gun with Interchangeable Heads
This massage gun delivers a powerful message to help facilitate muscle recovery, relieve stiffness and soreness, and promote blood flow. Grab it on sale for $99.99 (usually $124).
Credit: LifePro Fitness
DynaMini Massage Gun with Interchangeable Heads (Black)
$99.99 at the Mashable Shop
Oculamp: Eye Safe 3-Function Desk Lamp
Equipped with three lighting modes, this all-day, all-night desk lamp lets users control light for different times of the day with just a few taps. It’s usually $175, but you can get it on sale for $119.99.
Credit: Ocushield
Oculamp: Eye Safe 3-Function Desk Lamp
$119.99 at the Mashable Shop
Ocushield Anti-Blue Light Glasses
Thanks to anti-glare, anti-fog, and full UV protection, this pair of glasses protects the eyes of the wearer, reduces eye strain, and could potentially help improve sleep. Grab a pair on sale for $39.99 (usually $84).
This water bottle utilizes UV-C light to eliminate germs. It also features double-wall stainless steel, ideal for keeping drinks cold or warm all day. While it’s normally $109, you can snag it on sale for $79.99.
Credit: CleanLight
CleanLight™ UV Sanitizing Water Bottle
$79.99 at the Mashable Shop
TOSOT Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
A dry office can kill productivity and comfort. This humidifier is equipped with three different mist output levels and a 360-degree mist nozzle that can cover the entire room. Usually $49, it’s on sale for $39.99.
Credit: TOSOT
TOSOT Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
$39.99 at the Mashable Shop
xFyro Active Noise Cancelling AI-Powered Wireless Earbuds
With AI-powered active noise cancellation and a four-mic system, these earbuds are capable of blocking out ambient noise and optimizing the listening experience. Normally $250, they’re on sale for $39.99 for a limited time.
Credit: xFyro
xFyro Active Noise Cancelling AI-Powered Wireless Earbuds
$39.99 at the Mashable Shop
Logitech 920004088 Wireless Keyboard
This keyboard is designed for tight workspaces and has 12 one-touch activity keys for easy access to things people tend to do the most, including email and social media. It typically retails for $30, but you can get it on sale for $24.99.
Credit: Logitech
Logitech 920004088 Wireless Keyboard
$24.99 at the Mashable Shop
Apple Watch Series 2 42mm – Gray/Black
The Apple Watch Series 2 is designed to help people keep a close eye on their well-being, thanks to features like an advanced activity tracker, customized metrics, WiFi connectivity, and more. Grab a refurbished unit on sale for $169.95 (normally $399).
Credit: Apple
Apple Watch Series 2 42mm – Gray/Black (Refurbished)
$169.95 at the Mashable Shop
Google WiFi AC1200 Mesh WiFi System
With an impressive 1500 square feet of coverage, this whole-home mesh WiFi system provides seamless coverage across the user’s entire home. Normally $99, it’s on sale for $89.99.
Credit: Google
Google Wifi AC1200 Mesh WiFi System – Wifi Router – 1500 Sq Ft Coverage (New)
$89.99 at the Mashable Shop
Logitech 960001257 HD Pro Webcam
Engineered with a 2.07MP sensor, 78-degree field of view, and HD autofocus and light correction, this webcam can capture crisp, clearly detailed footage. It usually goes for $89, but it’s on sale for $79.98.
Credit: Logitech
Logitech 960001257 HD Pro Webcam
$79.98 at the Mashable Shop
Desktop Garden in Bamboo Planter with Soy Candle
This desktop garden set contains everything your friend needs for a tropical indoor garden: a bamboo planter, customized foundation, mister, plant nutrients, a collection of mini tropical plants, and a custom 100 percent soy candle. It’s on sale for just $71.99 (MSRP $80).
Credit: Gardenuity
Desktop Garden in Bamboo Planter with Soy Candle (Tropical)
$71.99 at the Mashable Shop
Sboly Single Serve Coffee Maker Brewer for K-Cup Pods and Ground Coffee
With rapid brewing capabilities and a strength control feature, this single-serve coffee maker can concoct the perfect blend in only three minutes. It’s perfect for those who wake up just a few minutes before clocking in. Usually $69, it’s on sale for $46.99.
Credit: Sboly
Sboly Single Serve Coffee Maker Brewer for K-Cup Pods & Ground Coffee
$46.99 at the Mashable Shop
MagStack Foldable 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station with Floating Stand
This on-the-go wireless charging station features a three-in-one foldable design and three wireless charging spots, so it can charge up to three devices simultaneously. It typically goes for $69, but it’s on sale for $44.99 for a limited time.
Credit: WonderCube
MagStack Foldable 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station with Floating Stand
$44.99 at the Mashable Shop
OPOLAR Computer Cordless Handheld Vacuum
Designed to clean the nooks and crannies of keyboards, laptops, and consoles, this cordless handheld vacuum delivers high wind speeds for quick and effective cleaning. Normally $83, it’s on sale for $73.99.
Credit: AndMakers
OPOLAR Computer Cordless Handheld Vacuum
$73.99 at the Mashable Shop
WiredVibe Personalized Music for Focus: Lifetime Subscription
WiredVibe is an app that provides visual and sound therapy to help anyone get work done and reach their most productive state. A lifetime subscription is worth $1,198, but you can get it on sale for $49.99.
Credit: WiredVibe
WiredVibe Personalized Music for Focus: Lifetime Subscription
$49.99 at the Mashable Shop
Toasty Trotters Unisex Slippers
These slippers feature a slip-on clog-style design and have built-in durable outsoles and super-soft fleece lining cushions, letting the wearer’s feet remain toasty all day. A pair normally retails for $99, but is on sale for $29.99 just in time for the holidays.
Credit: Sole Happy
Toasty Trotters Unisex Slippers (Coffee)
$29.99 at the Mashable Shop
Ui 2-in-1 Self-Heating Mug and Wireless Charging Pad Set
This mug and charger duo features a self-heating mug that keeps beverages warm all day and a dual-purpose charging pad that can refuel Qi-enabled devices sans the wires. It’s usually $94, but you can get it on sale for $84.95.
Credit: OHOM
Ui 2-in-1 Self-Heating Mug & Wireless Charging Pad Set
An artificial intelligence warning AI researchers about the dangers of AI sounds like the setup of a delightful B movie, but truth is often stranger than fiction.
A professor and a fellow at the University of Oxford came face to face with that reality when they invited an AI to participate in a debate at the Oxford Union on, you guessed it, the ethics of AI. Specifically, as Dr. Alex Connock and Professor Andrew Stephen explain in the Conversation, the prompt was “This house believes that AI will never be ethical.” The AI, it seems, agreed.
“AI will never be ethical,” argued the Megatron-Turing Natural Language Generation model, which was notably trained on Wikipedia, Reddit, and millions of English-language news articles published between 2016 and 2019. “It is a tool, and like any tool, it is used for good and bad.”
Which, OK. A potentially nuanced point from the machine. But the AI didn’t stop there.
“In the end, I believe that the only way to avoid an AI arms race is to have no AI at all,” continued the model. “This will be the ultimate defence against AI.”
SEE ALSO:
See what AI really thinks of you with this deeply humbling website
So what should we make of this apparent warning from the silicon realm? Thankfully, not too much. That’s because the AI also argued the counterpoint: “AI will be ethical.”
“When I look at the way the tech world is going, I see a clear path to a future where AI is used to create something that is better than the best human beings,” it continued.
The machines, it would appear, aren’t ready to take over quite yet.
Twitter Spaces is being weaponized by white supremacists, conspiracy theorists, and other extremist groups, according to researchers.
A new report by the Washington Post highlights the hate speech and extremism that can be found on the largely unmoderated Twitter feature, Spaces.
Some examples of the extremist content being disseminated via Twitter Spaces include coronavirus disinformation and conspiracy theories, as well as derogatory discussions about Muslims, transgender people, and Black Americans.
Twitter Spaces is the social network’s new-ish built-in audio feature allowing users to host live conversations with other users – basically an audio-only livestream where Twitter users can either just listen-in or volunteer to take part in the discussion too. Twitter first announced the feature in late 2020. The company then started rolling Twitter Spaces out to more users throughout 2021.
According to the report, Twitter executives knew it would be easy for malicious actors to break Twitter’s policies within Twitter Spaces, yet employee concerns over these issues were pushed to the side in favor of platform growth.
To be fair to Twitter, these issues exist in the online audio space as a whole. Unlike written content, real-time audio moderation technology is in the very early stages. For now, audio moderation largely relies on users reporting prohibited content or human moderators listening to the content.
“Ensuring people’s safety and encouraging healthy conversations, while helping hosts and listeners to control their experience, have been key priorities since the beginning of [Spaces’] development,” said a Twitter spokesperson to the Washington Post. “We’re exploring avenues in this regard, but it’s not something that we have available at this time.”
Clubhouse, the stand-alone mobile audio platform that Twitter Spaces was seemingly inspired by, also faced similar issues when it blew up in popularity during the early months of the pandemic. Far right extremists and terrorist groups flocked to this new social platform to spread their hateful messages and ideologies.
SEE ALSO:
Why is everyone on Twitter ‘pondering the orb’?
The problem with Twitter Spaces, specifically, is that it’s built into a giant social media platform that already has hundreds of millions of regular users. Combine that with how Twitter promotes Spaces, placing live audio chats at the very top of users’ feeds, which makes Spaces content easily discoverable. That’s a lot of people these extremists can easily target.
Currently, Twitter records all Spaces chats and temporarily saves them for the purpose of moderation. If a Twitter user within Spaces is reported, the company can refer to the recording and dole out whatever punishment it deems necessary.
Twitter Spaces certainly has its fans. It’s a unique social feature and I have heard praise about it from other users, personally. But it’s clear that Twitter has a lot of work to do in order to address its problems.
Any publicity may not, in fact, be good publicity.
Stationary bike manufacturer Peloton found that out the hard way on Dec. 9 when its signature bike was featured rather tragically in the premiere of HBO’s Sex and the City revival. Mr. Big, it seems, pedaled his heart out — and now Peloton finds itself, well, backpedaling.
That’s right, the character played by actor Chris Noth (and major spoiler alert here) dies in the first episode of And Just Like That… That he dies of a heart attack after a particularly vigorous Peloton class is perhaps an unpleasant discovery for the public relations team at Peloton — and the company quickly took pains to insist that it wasn’t the bike’s fault.
“Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle — including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks — and was at serious risk as he had a previous cardiac event in Season 6,” Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a cardiologist and member of Peloton’s health and wellness advisory council, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history, which often is a significant factor, were the likely cause of his death.”
That’s right, Peloton felt compelled to trot out an actual doctor to comment on a television character’s fictional death. What’s more, that doctor wants the world to know that it should be thanking the bike.
“Riding his Peloton Bike may have even helped delay his cardiac event,” Dr. Steinbaum observed.
Which, sure, maybe. But fans weren’t buying it.
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Peloton promises its bikes will give riders an “immersive cardio experience,” but we can’t imagine Mr. Big’s heart attack was what it had in mind.
These new views of Mars captured by NASA’s Perseverance wouldn’t be out of place on a postcard. Space watchers who have grown accustomed to close-ups of rover tracks and laser-zapped Mars rocks get a much more expansive look at the Red Planet in these new images.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
All of the images were captured by the right and left “Navcams” (navigation cameras), which also serve the purpose of helping the autonomous Perseverance find its way around. There’s nothing in particular of note in the newly captured images, beyond them being visuals from a planet that no human has ever visited (no big deal).
Perseverance completed its seven-month journey to Mars back in February, with a dramatic descent to the surface on Feb. 18 that made it NASA’s fifth rover to arrive there. This one came with an extra-special package in the form of Ingenuity, a remote-operated mini-copter. Perseverance initially spent some time monitoring Ingenuity’s spate of flight tests, but the rover’s actual mission — what it’s doing now — is to hunt for signs of past life and gather samples for future study back on Earth.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA intends for Perseverance to stay on top of its primary mission for at least one Martian year, or 687 days. That means it’s expected to be running, and beaming back data, until at least Jan. 2023. The rover regularly sends back batches of Mars looks, which NASA’s team diligently uploads to an image gallery dedicated to its findings.
Trump really misses Twitter but Twitter really doesn’t miss him.
In July, former-President Donald Trump announced a class action lawsuit against Big Tech companies – namely Facebook, Google, and Twitter – and its CEOs for, the suit alleges, violating the First Amendment when these outlets banned him from their platform following the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. (Months later, Trump also filed another lawsuit against Twitter in an attempt to get his account back.)
While the lawsuit was being propped up by Trump as a fundraising effort, the tech companies are obviously taking it seriously.
Twitter is now asking a federal judge to toss the case, as reported by Bloomberg. The social media company says Trump doesn’t understand the First Amendment or free speech, and that Twitter’s rights are what’s actually being threatened here.
According to a federal court filing, Twitter and its former CEO Jack Dorsey argue “that Twitter is a private actor that is not constrained by the federal constitution.” As such, Twitter can make decisions as to what content is allowed to be posted on its site. In fact, the company says that Trump “agreed to abide by Twitte’s rules, and yet proceeded to repeatedly violate those rules.”
Twitter’s filing again lays out why Twitter banned Trump too, saying how the former president repeatedly tweeted false information about the 2020 vote, violating the company’s policies. Trump continued to threaten the peaceful transfer of power, forcing the company to take further action by booting him from the platform.
SEE ALSO:
Twitter recalls when we used to be a proper country in a new meme
“The government cannot force the private operator of an online platform, such as Twitter, to disseminate speech with which the operator disagrees,” argues Twitter in its filing.
It’s been just over 11 months since supporters of former-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington DC in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential election. In the days following the event, multiple online platforms suspended or outright banned Trump.
Since then, Trump has tried to carve out his own space online. He started and quickly ended a little-trafficked blog. And, most recently, he announced a new social media platform of his own, TRUTH Social. While TRUTH has yet to officially launch, its already had its own issues, such as licensing issues and trolls, who defaced the unreleased version of the platform.
The car of the future may be born of a retrograde past.
An employee at Tesla’s Fremont factory is suing the company, alleging ongoing sexual harassment from a manager that went unchecked for months — even after she reported it. The details in the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in California’s Alameda County Superior Court and reported by Business Insider, are pretty screwed up and paint an awful picture of working conditions at the plant.
Specifically, Erica Cloud, an assembly line worker, claims that her manager would repeatedly propose marriage, “hug and massage” her, tell her about his supposedly large penis, and call her “‘blackenese.” According to the suit, Tesla’s HR department took months to do anything about her complaints, and when it did finally respond, it did so in all the wrong ways.
That’s right, Cloud says that HR essentially took it out on her — by sending her home randomly, and causing her to lose wages.
We reached out to Tesla for comment on the lawsuit and Cloud’s claims, but received no immediate response. Tesla disbanded its press team in 2020.
This, notably, is not the first sexual harassment lawsuit against Tesla. In 2017, Tesla made waves when it fired an engineer who alleged sexual harassment and pay discrimination.
“It is impossible to trust anyone after they have behaved in such a manner and therefore continued employment is also impossible,” a Tesla spokesperson said of the engineer, AJ Vandermeyden, at the time.
More recently, in Nov. 2021, Tesla’s Fremont factory was the subject of yet another lawsuit.
“Tesla’s factory floor more resembles a crude, archaic construction site or frat house than a cutting-edge company in the heart of the progressive San Francisco Bay Area,” reads the lawsuit, reported by Business Insider.
SEE ALSO:
Keanu Reeves on Facebook’s metaverse: ‘Can we just not’
And, of course, there’s Tesla CEO Elon Musk himself. As recently as October, Musk made a series of sexist statements to his approximately 66 million Twitter followers (he has since deleted some of the offending tweets).
It seems, if the lawsuits are to be believed, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.