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There are plenty of plot holes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Some of them are small in scale, like Thor destroying the Bifrost, Stephen Strange being a Project Insight target years before he became the Sorcerer Supreme, and the strong possibility that Sebastian Stan the actor exists in the same universe as Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). 

Other plot holes are substantially larger to the point that resolving them would change the storytelling makeup of the entire MCU. Thanos could have doubled the universe’s resources instead of halving the population, but that would have negated the entire Infinity Saga. Nick Fury  had contact with Captain Marvel for decades and didn’t bring her in for any of the series’ variety of extinction-level threats. If he had, the Avengers would have been too mighty against Loki and Ultron, and we wouldn’t have made it to the third act. After the events on Iron Man 3, Tony Stark conveniently forgets the culmination of his own character arc and keeps making suits. Had he remained suitless, he wouldn’t have been present to save the universe in Avengers: Endgame. 

With the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, we can add another huge plot hole to the MCU’s Swiss Cheese Hall of Fame: the fact that nearly every event in the movie didn’t have to happen. At all. 

• A refresher on the villains in Spider-Man: No Way Home

• The best No Way Home surprise had nothing to do with Spider-Man

• Spider-Man: No Way Home is too much, and I’m not mad at it

Spider-Man: No Way Home has a beautiful, poignant ending. Doctor Strange’s final spell wipes Peter Parker from everyone’s memories in a move that lets Peter sacrifice his own identity to preserve the structure of the multiverse. He starts his life over without his friends, who don’t remember him. His educational record no longer exists, and he’s lost the support that came with being Tony Stark’s hero protege. Peter’s ending is bittersweet, wholly earned, and it’s a potential spinoff goldmine for both Disney and Sony. So, it definitely had to happen from a storytelling standpoint. From a logical standpoint, it’s a mess.

For example, If the spell wiped Peter’s high school record, it probably also wiped his birth certificate, passport, and other identifying documents. He couldn’t open a bank account, apply for a credit card, or otherwise function as a documented citizen of Earth. And yet in the final scene of No Way Home, he’s managed to rent an apartment in midtown Manhattan. Even if we assume he’s renting from a slumlord, it doesn’t make sense. 

The unintentional effects of the spell are another issue, since the point of the spell was to wipe Peter Parker from the memories of all who know him — regardless of their multiversal origins. If that spell works as it is spoken, then people who know the other two Peters Parker will forget them too. Thus all of them are doomed to the stateless fate that MCU Peter intended only for himself. Not great! 

Those two plot holes stem from No Way Home‘s first and biggest lapse in logic, which occurs fairly early in the movie. Peter initially asks Doctor Strange to make people forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Then, he course-corrects to make sure the people he loves retain their memories. He didn’t have to do that. There was already a precise and alterable point in time that, if removed from Peter’s universe, would have solved all of his problems. He could have asked Doctor Strange to make everyone forget Mysterio. 

One cannot go around un-spidering alternate universe men without facing consequences. 

If a Strange spell to erase Mysterio worked the same way as the one he used to erase Peter, then no one would remember the bubble-headed villain or anything he ever said. No memory of Mysterio, no common public memory that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Bam, problem solved. It’s even a victimless erasure since Mysterio is already dead. If there’s anything that real-life identity theft has taught us, it’s that dead people aren’t using their social security numbers.

Admittedly, Peter’s overdeveloped sense of personal responsibility might have kept him from thinking clearly when he asked for the first spell. It’s entirely possible and plot compliant that he wouldn’t think of this solution. Doctor Strange, however, is an adult wizard/brain surgeon, who really ought to have known better. A standout line from the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer says that Strange’s “crimes against reality will not go unpunished.” Quite frankly they shouldn’t! One cannot go around un-spidering alternate universe men without facing consequences. 

As huge as this multiverse-sized plothole is, there is a simple fix that would sew the No Way Home Mysterio plot hole up nice and tight and therefore eliminate the cascade of issues that come from it. Magic is nebulous enough that the MCU can make up whatever rules they want for it. So a throwaway line about this spell not working on dead people is all No Way Home needed. Without it, MCU Peter Parker’s new life as a butt-kicking identity criminal is an unnecessary and unforced choice instead of a noble and unique sacrifice. Thanks for nothing, Stephen. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home is now in theaters. 

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens in theaters May 6. 

Remote based storage is nothing new, but there’s never been a busier time for cloud-based services. With the growing trend for more and more businesses working remotely and more individuals than ever storing increasingly large amounts of essential files, it’s vital that you have some form of backup and the ability to work collaboratively via the internet courtesy of a suitable cloud storage service.

There are dozens of different cloud services out there, so how do you know what’s best for you or your business? We’ve taken a look at seven of the best cloud storage options, evaluating the services they offer, and finding the best solution for every scenario, no matter your budget.

Why should I store my files in the cloud?

In a word, security. Your personal PC or Mac likely contains a lot of valuable files. These might be photos of loved ones, important documents relating to your studies, or vital tax documents that you don’t want to lose. Whatever the files may be, they’re essential to you, so it makes sense to have copies in multiple locations. That’s even more crucial for businesses, given that losing vital files could cost them a lot of money as well as credibility amongst their customers. It’s undoubtedly essential to back up data on other physical hard drives, but a cloud-based storage solution means that someone else is keeping them secure and safe. A cloud backup can make a world of difference if something awful happens at your physical location, such as a fire or burglary.

What should I look for in cloud storage solutions?

Cloud storage options can be confusing. When it comes to maintaining stored files, what do you need? Do you simply need a secure place to leave your files, or do you require collaboration tools so that other users can make adjustments?

Collaboration tools might sound like something only a business needs when editing documents, but it can be useful for families to be able to join together to add photos to a folder for a special event. If you’re planning on storing multiple media files, consider file size limits and storage space requirements. For personal use, free cloud storage can be the best option too, giving you many of the benefits and none of the bills. We’ve covered all the main reasons why you might want to use cloud storage below, and have outlined our top picks for the best cloud storage services.

What’s in a name? A lot…for sardines. Join us as we explore the weird mixup likely happening all the time when you reference sardines.

UPDATE: Feb. 16, 2022, 2:15 p.m. EST This story has been updated to reflect current sale prices and availability.

We’ve compiled the best deals on robot vacuums from brands like iRobot, Shark, and Ecovacs. Here are the ones to grab as of Feb. 16:

• BUDGET PICK: The Eufy 30C Max covers a lot of ground, gets up to 100 minutes of battery life, and comes with boundary strips— $196.99 $299.99 (save $103)

• BUDGET SELF-EMPTYING PICK: This Shark AI vacuum has an XL bin that holds two months of dust — $549.99 $649.99 (save $100)

• BEST ROBOT VACUUM/MOP DEAL: The Ecovacs Deebot N8+ uses LiDAR to vacuum and mop, then empties the mess on its own — $429.99 $599.99 (save $170)

Only three things are certain in life: Death, taxes, and a few days each month when you need to vacuum but just don’t have time. Whether you detest the chore or get a little bummed when you can’t have that satisfying dance with your Dyson, a robot vacuum is a lifesaver. Shop models on sale below.

Robot vacuums under $200:

Why we like it

You won’t get smart mapping at this price point, but the Eufy 30C Max navigates better than the 15C Max thanks to its included boundary strips. It manages to squeeze out a robust floor cleaning in 100 minutes (or over an hour on Max mode), and has suction more than strong enough for hard floors and light carpet upkeep.

More robot vacuums under $200

• ILIFE V3s Pro — $129.99 $159.99 (save $30)

• Ecovacs Deebot 710 — $129.99 $162.99 (save $33)

• Eufy 15C Max — $159.99 $249.99 (save $90)

• iRobot Roomba 670 — $174 $329.99 (save $155.99)

• ILIFE A9 — $189.99 $299.99 (save $110)

• Roborock E4 — $199.99 $299.99 (save $100)

• Shark ION RV761 — $199.99 $259.99 (save $60)

Robot vacuums under $500

Why we like it

Opting for a robot vacuum with LiDAR mapping is a smart move for floor plans more complicated than a one or two bedroom apartment. For barely over $300, the Roborock S4 Max solves bumbling navigation woes by remembering the layout of each floor of your home and steering clear of the virtual boundaries you set.

More robot vacuums under $500

• Yeedi Vac — $217.99 $299.99 (save $82)

• Shark EZ RV912S —  $399.99 $549.99 (save $150)

• Shark IQ XL — $408.98 $599.99 (save $191.01)

• Neato Robotics D9 — $449.99 $699.99 (save $250)

• Eufy RoboVac X8 — $499.99 $599.99 (save $100)

Robot vacuums under $800

Why we like it

Shark’s latest self-emptier swaps a clunky XL dock with a handle for a more compact one. The vacuum maps out your home, then follows that map with methodical row-by-row sweeping. In the Shark app, you can select specific rooms to clean or areas to avoid.

More robot vacuums under $800

• Neato Robotics D10 — $599.99 $799.99 (save $200)

Robot vacuum and mop hybrids and dedicated robot mops

Why we like it:

The Deebot N8+ includes fundamental smart upgrades like LiDAR mapping and virtual boundaries for customizing its cleaning path down to specific rooms or areas. It also has sensors that avoid carpets while mopping.

More hybrids and robot mops on sale

• Roborock E4 — $239.99 $379.99 (save $140)

• Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N7 — $299.99 $499.99 (save $200) 

• Neabot N2 with Self Empty — $339.99 $599.99 (save $260)

• Shark VacMop AV2001WD — $395.99 $479.99 (save $84)

• Roborock S5 Max — $399.99 $549.99 (save $150)

• Roborock S6 MaxV — $459.99 $749.99 (save $290)

• Dreametech Z10 Pro — $509.98 $598.98 (save $90)

• Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid — $549.95 $649.95 (save $100)

Are robot vacuums worth it?

The control of an upright vacuum comes with its own type of satisfaction. But if you’re not one to classify cleaning as cathartic, a robot vacuum could erase that huge, agonizing task from of your chore list. (And did we mention the joy of having “first day clean” floors all the time?)

But whether robot vacuums are worth it or not comes with a caveat: It can’t be just any robot vacuum. A cheap robovac that doesn’t do the job right — scattering dust, bumping into walls, getting stuck on area rugs — might actually create more work for you.

What to consider when buying a robot vacuum

• Suction power: A vacuum is the one purchase that you hope sucks a lot. Suction power is typically measured in Pascals (Pa), ranging between 600 Pa to 2,500 Pa. Stronger sucking will be needed to pick up heavier pieces of debris (be sure to set up a barrier around Legos) and to pull matted-down pet hair from rugs.

• Floor type: Carpeting and high pile rugs will probably require stronger suction than hard floors, as well as special features like an extra-wide or self-cleaning brush roll to prevent hair from wrapping and clogging. Folks in homes with multiple floor types might consider a bigger, sturdier robot vacuum that can hurl itself and its wheels over mats, rugs, and transitions from carpet to hard floors.

• Home layout: Every robot vacuum is equipped with sensors and drop detection. But if your home has lots of rooms, lots of turns, or lots of close-together furniture, you’ll have fewer navigation issues with an advanced model that uses intelligent mapping to remember exactly how your home is laid out, including labeling of specific rooms, mental notes of staircases, and ability to deploy zone cleaning.

• Low-profile furniture: No one should have to be scared about what’s accumulated under their couch over the past year. A robot vacuum measuring three inches or less in height should be able to scoot under most low-hanging couches and beds.

• Battery life and square footage: One of the main complaints people have about their robot vacuum is that it craps out in the middle of the floor. Larger spaces require more time to clean, and it all depends on how annoyed you’ll be if it only finishes a few rooms at a time. Average run times for the list below range between 90 and 150 minutes, which translate to about 500 and 2,600 square feet covered on one charge.

• App control: WiFi-enabled robot vacuums can be synced with a smartphone app to control scheduling, manual start, cleaning settings, as well as telling your vac to make its rounds when you’re not home. Low-end models that don’t connect to WiFi will usually come with a separate remote. If you’re used to asking Alexa or Google to turn off the lights or tell you the weather, a model with voice integration will blend in nicely.

Explore related content:

• The best robot vacuums for every budget

• Samsung’s Jet Bot AI+ robot vacuum is a must-have for pet owners

• The ILIFE V3s Pro is a cheap robot vacuum for hands-off spot cleaning

We live in an age rife with nonconsensual surveillance. There’s always the chance that someone has an eye or ear on you. Perhaps the scariest part of this is how complacent we’ve become about what not so long ago was a dystopian nightmare.

And yet, in Steven Soderbergh’s latest thriller, Kimi, the setup that someone’s listening is not just a frightening hook but also a strange ray of hope.  

Sure, playing high-end PC games on the go is cool, but it turns out repairability might actually be the best thing about the Steam Deck.

The tech wizards over at iFixIt released their official teardown of Valve’s new handheld PC. The two biggest takeaways are that folks who are familiar with building their own gaming PCs shouldn’t have too hard a time prying it open and switching out parts if needed, and that fixing the stick drift (where one thumbstick constantly moves in one direction even when you’re not touching it) that plagues so many modern controllers should be super easy.

Generally, accessing the guts of the Steam Deck looks pretty easy. Simply dispatch eight screws and some plastic clips and you’re in, without dealing with any exotic parts or glue, per iFixIt. All the internals are clearly labeled, so even PC repair novices should be able to navigate their way around the device with careful observation. The Framework Laptop was one of the coolest devices of 2021 because of how friendly it was, with clear labels and easy disassembly, to repair newcomers. So it’s good to see Valve going that route with Steam Deck.

But let’s talk about the analog sticks. Stick drift has been one of the worst things about gaming hardware for the last several years. There are DIY solutions like using a slip of paper on a Nintendo Switch Joy-Con, but as iFixIt points out, the only true solution is to replace the stick itself. With the Steam Deck, you can pop the old stick out and jam a new one in there, and iFixIt said Valve may sell replacement parts to users to facilitate that process.

Considering that almost everyone I know with a Switch has experienced stick drift on their Joy-Cons (I’ve been mercifully spared, mostly because I favor the Pro Controller), this is a pleasant development. I personally just bought my third DualSense PS5 controller (the console has only been out for a little more than a year, folks) because of drift, so I’m more than a little jealous of Steam Deck owners right now.

It’s tough to say right now whether Steam Deck will truly make a splash in the handheld gaming market or if it’s a little too expensive and niche, starting at $400, to compete with the Switch ($250 to start), but it’s definitely got Nintendo beat on the stick drift front. Maybe Valve can shuttle us into a world where my guy in Apex Legends isn’t annoyingly, slowly, turning right all the time.

Donald Trump has published his very first post on his new social media platform. How do we know this? Because his son shared a screenshot of it on Twitter.

On Tuesday night, the former president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., share a screenshot of his father’s very first post on Truth Social on his Twitter. The platform has not launched publicly.

Tweet may have been deleted

“Get Ready! Your favorite President will see you soon!” read the post on Truth Social.

“Time for some Truth!!!” tweeted Trump Jr., sharing the screenshot on the website that banned his dad after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021 in an attempt to overturn the official election results.

A few others in the Trump orbit have also shared screenshots of their own debut Truth Social posts. The video service Rumble, which has pivoted into a “free speech” conservative media platform following those events at the Capitol, tweeted out a screenshot promoting how its company will power video on Truth Social.

Tweet may have been deleted

Tweet may have been deleted

The screenshot-sharing campaign was clearly an endeavor to promote the upcoming launch of Truth Social. However, from a marketing perspective, it seems like a missed opportunity, primarily because there was nothing to promote.

Truth Social has still not launched. There is no officially launch date for when the social network will go live. A pre-order page on Apple’s App Store for the Truth Social iOS app lists a Feb. 21 release date. However, according to a recent report from TIME, that date has since been pushed back to “late March.”

One thing that is clear, though, is that Truth Social looks like an exact replica of Twitter. The posts all look like tweets, complete with similar looking reply, retweet, share, and like buttons. The profile page looks like you’re viewing a user’s account on Twitter. Perhaps the biggest difference is the dystopian renaming of “tweets” as “truths.”

For a platform that’s not even publicly available yet, Truth Social has already experienced its fair share of issues. A horde of trolls descended on an unreleased test version of the website on the day it was announced last October. These trolls registered fake Donald Trump accounts and filled the website with memes, such as “Pig Poop Balls.”

Then Truth Social had to deal with licensing issues. The conservative social network is powered by open-source software, Mastodon. However, Trump’s platform broke the software’s policy by removing any credits pointing back to Mastodon. Truth Social quietly fixed those issues late last year.

It’ll certainly be interesting to see how the conservative online media landscape changes when Truth Social finally launches. The social network Parler became a right-wing darling shortly after the 2020 presidential election, even peaking on the App Store’s top charts. Not long after, Gettr was launched by former Trump advisor Jason Miller. That platform seems to have replaced Parler in popularity amongst Trump supporters.

It seems likely that a pro-Trump platform that actually features Trump himself as a user will become the defacto right-wing social network. We’ll find out on Feb. 21, or late March, or whenever Truth Social ends up actually launching.

The Boys Presents: Diabolical is almost here, ready to satisfy any cravings you may have for The Boys Season 3.

Diabolical is an animated anthology series that takes place within the screwed-up (yet scarily relevant) world of The Boys. If its trailer is any indication, it’s going to be a wild ride, complete with bizarro superpowers and tons of gore. Get ready to witness Homelander’s first mission, Butcher and Hughie’s adventures animated in the style of the original comics, and so much more.

Seth Rogen, Awkwafina, Andy Samberg, Aisha Tyler, Justin Roiland, and more lend their voices.

The Boys Presents: Diabolical is streaming Mar. 4 on Prime Video.

If you’re like me, you’re always on the hunt for new apps for content creation. But if app-hunting isn’t your pastime, no need to worry because I’ll share some of my discoveries right here with you.

As a video creator myself, I’m often playing around with interesting apps I come across. I usually deal with longform content, so you won’t find any mobile apps on this particular list. All the recommended software and web apps here are for desktop computers.

Here are a few apps you may not have heard of, which could help big time if you’re a YouTuber, TikTok creator, or really doing anything with video.

Eagle

Marie Kondo would probably look at me as a challenge. I am usually not a very well organized person. There’s some method to my organization madness that may generally work for me, but condolences to anyone collaborating with me who needs to find files or assets for an edit.

Here’s where Eagle comes in handy. This organizational app is made for content creators who need to visualize their designs or assets in one place.

Eagle can help organize your creative assets.
Credit: Screenshot: Eagle

Eagle allows you to save photos, illustrations, movies, audio, fonts, and more into your own personal digital library. Users can organize their files further with folders, tags, color filters, ratings, notes, and more. There’s also a browser extension to easily save images you come across online to your Eagle library.

The app feels very much like a mood or inspiration board for content creators, but with the added utility that comes from actually bringing the file you’re looking for into an organized hub, rather than just being a collection of images. If you’re a filmmaker capturing and logging footage you shot, you’ll probably continue with your editing workflow. But, if you’re, say, a YouTube essayist constantly working with screenshots or images and videos from the internet, Eagle will definitely help organize your asset collection.

The app costs $29.99 and there’s both a Mac and Windows version.

TimeBolt

One of the biggest challenges with online video is keeping your audience’s attention. Throw in video length limits on platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts, and you’ll often have to fit a lot of information into very short timespans.

There’s no time to breathe, literally. (No, I’m not telling you to stop breathing, but there’s no extra time in your video for the pauses caused by those pesky gasps of air you require to “stay alive.”)

Enter TimeBolt. This desktop app has one main purpose: automatically removing the dead air from your videos.

Timebolt detects dead air on your videos and automatically removes it and creates jumpcuts.
Credit: Screenshot: Timebolt

If you’re someone who prefers recording one long take when recording your vlogs, you’re probably going to want to check this out. Simply upload your video to TimeBolt and the app does all the work in removing complete silence, along with your breathing. Users can even manually adjust the setting to remove (or keep) sound at a certain decibel to fine tune the removal process.

Anyone who edits video knows how tedious it is to go through hours of footage, clip out dead space, and create jump cuts. This saves you from all that tedium.

TimeBolt works on both Mac and PC. Prices start at $17 per month, $97 per year, or a one-time payment option of $247.

Trend Watchers

Some days, our creative juices aren’t flowing as well as others.

If you’re ever feeling stuck, it’s good to get inspiration from others and check out what the big topics of conversation are online.

Trend Watchers is an app that will help you do that by tracking topics that are blowing up in a slew of different niches. There are a few platforms that have popped up in recent years that track internet trends. Most of them, however, focus on hot products or other upcoming business ideas. Trend Watchers specifically focuses on creatives and serves up growing trends for the purpose of creating videos on YouTube or TikTok.

Trend Watchers will help creators find trending topics in order to inspire content ideas.
Credit: Screenshot: Trend Watchers

The app is a bit of a work-in-progress design wise, but it provides very helpful data if your content revolves around the latest trends or hashtags. One thing I especially like is the “Discover” feature that shows you the specific keywords trending within a topic. For example, as I write this, NFTs are a trending topic on Trend Watchers. But, the discover tab tells me that people are searching mostly to find out what the hell an NFT is as opposed to information on the next Bored Apes or Cryptopunks.

The service offers a free plan as well as paid monthly options starting at $15.

Spoke

There’s a shockingly significant number of people consuming online video content with the audio on mute. Burned in subtitles have become a huge must-have, especially for content creators making video specifically for a social media audience.

There are a number of apps out there that do this really well, but Spoke combines a crucial timesaving feature that makes it stand out.

Unlike most of these other apps, Spoke can also record your video and transcribe the clip in real time.

Get your clips up on social media fast with Spoke.
Credit: Screenshot: Spoke

So, let’s say you’re having a livestreaming conversation with a guest. If there’s a particular moment that you think would be great as a standout clip, you can highlight the transcription while the conversation is going on. When you’re done, you can just export those highlights from Spoke and get your clips up fast with burned in subtitles. Users can even fine-tune the video by editing the transcript. Whatever is deleted from the transcript will be removed from the final video.

Spoke offers a free plan as well as paid options starting at $17 a month.

Snapchat users might soon start noticing advertisements in between their favorite creators’ Snaps.

According to a Snapchat announcement on Monday, the company is starting to beta test mid-roll ads in Snap Star Stories. While users may not like the advertisements, creators might not mind them. Snapchat will be paying out “a share of the revenue generated from the ads” to creators.

The monetization program is just for Snap Stars, which is the platform’s name for its verified creators. The mid-roll ads will be inserted between Snaps on these creators’ Snap Stories.

It’s always good when online platforms provide creators with additional ways to monetize their content. Snapchat has experimented with various creator revenue streams over the years, such as with its TikTok-competitor Spotlight, which pays users for particularly viral videos. However, this is the first time the company has tested an ad revenue sharing model.

The current beta test is being run with “an early set of U.S. Snap Stars.” Snapchat says it plans to roll the monetization feature out to more creators later this year.