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Despite how new it appears, it already feels like the metaverse is everywhere.

Facebook’s, I mean, Meta’s recent rebrand and investments, triggered a new wave of interest in the metaverse. It’s all over headlines, corporate news, memes, gaming platforms, and social media. The word’s increased ubiquity is creating an impending sense of doom, as if, at any moment, our physical lives will be engulfed in corporate pixels and paywalled interactions. But Fortnite and Roblox have also been hyping up the metaverse for some time now and the term itself is actually decades old.

So what exactly is the metaverse?

Mark Zuckerburg’s version conjures an image of virtual everything: You attend work meetings as an avatar using the Quest VR headset and use a device on your wrist to secretly text friends.When you go outside, you’ll wear smart glasses that offer an augmented reality as well as record what you see and hear. The metaverse will be accessible through phones, computers, wearable tech, and headsets (or a combination of these) and it will be where you work, shop, exercise, socialize, watch movies, and game.

SEE ALSO: 10 best gaming headsets for PC gaming, PS4, and Xbox One

But the term long predates many of the technologies that could actually make it possible. The suffix meta- means “behind or beyond,” it can also mean “more comprehensive” and even “transformative” (like metamorphosis). The second half of the word, –verse, derives from the word “universe” and describes either a specific sphere or area (like Twitterverse) or a fictional world, like the omegaverse (sorry!), a speculative alternative universe literary genre known to organize characters into alphas, betas, and omegas. As a whole, the word “metaverse” generally refers to a virtual world that lies beyond, on top of, or is an extension of the physical world.

The word was coined in a 1992 dystopian sci-fi novel, Snow Crash, written by Neal Stephenson. In the book, the Metaverse is the sum of virtual and augmented realities concentrated on a super long “Street” through which people walk as avatars and can access using goggles and plugging into terminals. Public terminal users are rendered as blurry black and white avatars while those who pay for private terminals are rendered in full color and detail. Since then, the word “metaverse” has been used to describe all kinds of initiatives focused on creating a more permanent virtual reality that bleeds into our physical lives.

People have been trying to create immersive virtual worlds as early as the 1960s, a pursuit powered by the world-building efforts of both the film and video game industries. One of the most-cited examples of metaverse is Second Life, an alt-reality computer game where you play through an avatar and could do just about anything — like build a house or get married — was created in 2003. It was such a real world it had a thriving kink scene – it doesn’t get more real than that. By 2006, there were enough serious metaverse enthusiasts to gather them for a summit.

‘Second Life’ on a computer screen from 2005.
Credit: Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

That summit created the Metaverse Roadmap, a project that mapped the path to completing the metaverse. The Metaverse Roadmap defines the metaverse as, “the convergence of virtually-enhanced physical reality and [a] physically persistent virtual space.” In other words, it could look like a second world layered over the one we know through the use of augmented reality in addition to a virtual space we can come in-and-out-of, like the video game in Spy Kids 3. Think Snapchat filters or that Google feature that lets you see life-size 3D models of animals. The Metaverse Roadmap explains that, “the Metaverse wouldn’t be the entirety of the Internet–but like the Web, it would be seen by many as the most important part.”

We’ve seen a few rounds of metaverse hype throughout the years, but many of today’s evangelists will insist that for the first time ever, we have the technology, protocols, and infrastructure to step on the gas and make it real. They say it’s the next step after the mobile internet. The metaverse asks the big “what if” about combining virtual reality, augmented reality, Zoom meetings, social networks, crypto, NFT’s, online shopping, and wearable tech, artificial intelligence, 5G, and more. They say it’s the future! The future is inevitable, so it has to be good, right?

For the most part, many of the people exalting the virtues of the metaverse and insisting it’s the logical next step, are Silicone Valley voices, futurists (the Metaverse Roadmap’s John Smart) and all kinds of actors with financial stakes in the fruition of the metaverse. Mark Zuckerberg is definitely one of them, and so is Matthew Ball, a venture capitalist –and prolific writer– who has given us one of the more useful definitions of the metaverse and will soon publish a book on the topic.

…an expansive network of persistent, real-time rendered 3D worlds and simulations.”

According to Ball, the metaverse is “an expansive network of persistent, real-time rendered 3D worlds and simulations.” Ball’s metaverse should be able to maintain the continuity of identity, objects, history, payments, and can be experienced by an unlimited number of people at the same time, in which everyone will have their own sense of presence. Here, the metaverse is an immersive virtual reality that allows users to be present, it’s a persistent space where blockchain technology could be used to pay for items we can bring with us through different experiences: Imagine being able to wear the Sandy Liang fleece you got in Animal Crossing on your Twitter and Instagram profile pictures. Ball’s metaverse is constantly expanding and learning.

An avatar of Mark Zuckerberg in his version of the metaverse.
Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images

Zuckerberg’s metaverse is very much influenced by Ball’s. In his Facebook Connect presentation, Zuckerberg’s avatar moved from platform to platform, wearing the same black t-shirt demonstrating a “continuity of identity and objects.” With nearly 3 billion Facebook users, Zuckerberg’s metaverse is well on its way to hosting an unlimited number of people. And during his presentation, Zuckerberg repeatedly assured us how each feature of the metaverse would establish a “sense of presence.”

Today, Roblox and Epic Games’ Fortnite are often roped into metaverse conversations and some say are way closer to making the metaverse happen than Zuckerberg’s Meta. Both games meet the criteria of being persistent virtual worlds, they each have millions of players that gather to both play and socialize, where there is some persistence in objects (clothes and skins) and payment (Robux and V-Bucks). Fortnite‘s Ariana Grande concert event was attended by millions and along with customizable avatars and emotes, these events are fostering some sense of “presence.”

The most important thing to know is that the metaverse is not real.

The most important thing to know is that the metaverse is not real. Zuckerberg has made it very clear that for him, the metaverse is a goal and for many investors, engineers, academics, and futurists, it’s been a long-time goal. But Zuckerberg’s plan was not well-received, people hate it, and there is zero faith in Meta’s metaverse’s potential to do anything but immeasurable damage to the point of calling it a dystopian mess. The metaverse is an idea – for some an exciting one and for others a very scary one.

Rhizome, a nonprofit art organization leading efforts to archive digital art and culture, held a conference called Welcome to the Metaverse, in which artist David Rudnick noted that, “the notion of the metaverse is the ultimate centralization” something that runs in stark counter to so many of the hopes of democratization we once had for the internet. Rudnick notes, “when you hear people talk about the dream of the emergent metaverse, they’re really talking about a space where you’ll be able to do everything [in a virtual world],” a commercial public space, “that can derive value or some sort of ownership from all the interactions that take place on the platform.”

At their core, fears and concerns about the metaverse are ultimately concerns about scale. Any expansion of the virtual world is liable to amplify its more harmful attributes. What would it mean for so many essential interactions to be mediated by a handful of for-profit companies? If Meta’s current dominance over social media is any indication, it doesn’t inspire much hope.

Historically, governments are notoriously slow at understanding much less regulating technological developments. Can a government that’s embarrassingly confused about what a finsta is be counted on to make the metaverse safe, ethical, and sustainable? What would be the human and environmental costs of pursuing this and what are the benefits?

For now, the metaverse is mostly the hope of a few, a speculation, a fantasy with many gaps to let the chill winds of the unknown to blow through.

Michelle Santiago Cortés is an internet culture reporter and critic. You can follow her on Twitter.

If you’re considering an upgrade to one of Apple’s new 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pros with its M1 Pro chip inside, Mashable’s deputy tech editor Joseph Volpe has one question: How “Pro” are you?

Pop singer Billie Eilish dropped by Sesame Street to perform a numerically-themed lyrical reworking of her melancholy song “Happier Than Ever,” accompanied by resident number aficionado The Count. Substituting lyrics about a failed relationship with new ones concerned with the joy of counting with a friend, it’s a gentler, more wholesome and soothing version of Eilish’s 2021 single.

“When I’m counting with you, I’m happier than ever,” Eilish and The Count croon together. “Numbers sound so much better / Now let’s count me and you.”

The duo never get above the number two, but happily that seems to be enough for them.

Facebook’s algorithm sucks, and Congress wants to do something about it.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing forward what it’s titled the “Filter Bubble Transparency Act.” Axios got a copy of the proposed legislation, which would require companies like Meta (yes, Facebook) to, simply put, provide users with an option to opt out of algorithmic content feeds (like Facebook’s News Feed or Instagram’s feed) based on personal data.

In other words, the bill is aimed at the heart of what makes Facebook and Instagram so addictive — and, lawmakers argued in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol building, deadly.

“The algorithms Facebook uses to maximize user engagement on its platform undermine our shared sense of objective reality, intensify fringe political beliefs, facilitate connections between extremist users, and, tragically, lead some of them to commit real-world physical violence, such as what we experienced firsthand on January 6th,” Representatives Anna G. Eshoo of California and Tom Malinowski of New Jersey wrote in a January letter addressed to Mark Zuckerberg.

The Filter Bubble Transparency Act, introduced by Representatives Ken Buck of Colorado, David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Lori Trahan of Massachusetts, and Burgess Owens of Utah, would require a subset of online content providers (the big ones) to offer users what it terms an “input-transparent algorithm.”

“The term ‘input-transparent algorithm means an algorithmic ranking-system that does not use user-specific data to determine the order or manner that information is furnished to any given user on a covered internet platform, unless the user-specific data is expressly provided to the platform by the user for such purpose.”

What this means, in layman’s terms, is that a company like Meta (aka Facebook) would need to provide Instagram users with a feed option that wasn’t based on data it collected on them from across the web. For example, Facebook tracks users’ shopping habits across the web. If this bill were to become law, then Instagram would need to offer users a version of its feed that wasn’t affected by that data.

Notably, the bill would not just apply to Facebook — other large tech companies like Twitter would likely fall under the legislation as well (though Twitter already offers users a reverse-chronological timeline). The legislation also carves out numerous exceptions for companies that employ less than 500 people, or possess data on less than 1,000,000 people, for example.

SEE ALSO: People are fighting algorithms for a more just and equitable future. You can, too.

We reached out to Facebook for comment, and asked if it believed it is being specifically targeted with this legislation. We also asked if Instagram would offer users a reverse chronological feed were the Filter Bubble Transparency Act to become law. We received no immediate response.

Maybe, in time, our email will sort its way to the top of Facebook’s internal press feed.

TL;DR: Until midnight on Nov. 8, you can save 20% on a wide range of sex toys on Lovehoney with the code SEXTOYDAY.

We’re officially entering the busiest shopping season of the year, and that means deals on everything from toys to smart technology. Every type of product gets a moment in the spotlight, even sex toys.

Until midnight on Nov. 8, you can save 20% on a wide range of sex toys on Lovehoney with the code SEXTOYDAY. Absolutely loads of pleasure products are included in this promotion, so there should be something for everyone. We’re not saying you should stuff everyone’s stockings with sex toys, but there might be someone on your list who would benefit.

There are plenty of reasons to shop at Lovehoney (besides the voucher code). Shoppers get free delivery on orders over £40, free returns, around the clock customer care, and expert advice. If you’re not sure about a particular product, you can check out over 287,000 sex toy reviews on the site.

Save 20% on top sex toys from Lovehoney with the code SEXTOYDAY.

TL;DR: Amazon Prime Video is hosting 17 of this autumn’s 20 rugby internationals, and you can watch for free with a 30-day trial.

Gather round sports fans, because there is a simple trick you can employ to watch the remaining autumn rugby internationals for free on Prime Video.

Amazon Prime Video is hosting 17 of this autumn’s 20 rugby internationals, and you can watch for free with a 30-day trial. Normally, Amazon Prime costs £7.99 per month or £5.99 per month if you opt for an Amazon Prime Video-only plan. If you aren’t already subscribed, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial of the service. This trick will provide free access to Prime Video’s fixtures until Nov. 20.

What’s the catch? Your subscription will automatically renew at full price at the end of the trial period, so if you’re just signing up to watch the rugby, you’ll need to remember to cancel before this kicks in. It’s something that’s easy to forget, so maybe leave yourself a note.

Watch all the action on Prime Video for free with a 30-day trial.

TL;DR: Amazon’s Toy Week sale is running until Nov. 7, with deals on Lego, Mattel, and much more.

We don’t want you to panic, but you really don’t have that long to prepare for Christmas. We know it feels like a lifetime away, but these things can creep up on you, so it’s best to be prepared.

Fortunately, we’re starting to see some impressive deals and sales dropping in the build up to Black Friday. The latest promotion to launch is Amazon’s Toy Week sale, with deals on all the top brands until Nov. 7. You can find discounted Lego sets, action figures, educational sets, and so much more. It’s the perfect opportunity to get started on your Christmas shopping.

We’re not going to list out all the best deals because there is so much to consider, but here’s a flavour of what’s on offer:

• Lego 75979 Harry Potter Hedwig the Owl — £27.99 (save 20%)

• Osmo Super Studio Disney Frozen 2 Starter Kit — £29.99 (save 25%)

• Barbie Dreamhouse Dollhouse — £192.59 (save 38%)

With this promotion ending on Nov. 7, you will need to act fairly swiftly to secure the best deals. You’ve been warned.

Glossy magazines, sex and relationship blogs, and hacky tabloids constantly tell us that, if we want to spice up our sex lives — to be and remain good in the sack — we need to try out new and exciting sex positions. Conveniently, they just so happen to offer seemingly endless lists of positions to try. Some of the positions on these lists — and in the sexy shows and porn we often draw ideas from — are simply but meaningful modifications of common staple positions, like missionary. (Think prop the prone partner’s hips up with a pillow.) But most are fantastical configurations, often with arcane and intriguing names, that range from moderately acrobatic to bewilderingly contortionist.

In truth, while experimenting with new positions can unlock new levels of comfort, pleasure, and perspective within sex, many of the most eye-catching and widely touted bodily arrangements on advice lists and in the media actually just suck for most folks. Notably, positions that look great in a diagram or on screen often sacrifice sensation for style. And the most novel positions usually involve acts of human pretzling, subtle or explicit, that can easily lead to injury for the unprepared.

It’s relatively easy to grok that perhaps we shouldn’t put too much stock in lifestyle listicles and sex scenes. But it can be tricky for the average person to parse exactly which of the sex positions embedded within them are overrated, and which may actually be worth trying. To help sort the pleasurable what from the impractical chaff, Mashable reached out to a group of people with more hands-on experience with the full gamut of possible positions than almost anyone else: porn stars.

Below, more than a dozen adult performers share their thoughts on which positions are all hype and hot air, and which are underrated relative to their intense potential for pleasure, or their eminent practicality. (Since no one set of positions will work for every body or preference, many also offered thoughts on how to figure out which positions might work best for you specifically.) Given their films, and all the options out there, you may be surprised by how vanilla most of their top picks are.

Within porn and pop culture alike, what are some of the most overhyped sex positions?

Nova Sky: Reverse cowgirl deserves none of the hype. It involves all the same work of cowgirl, with none of the clitoral stimulation. It’s also really difficult to see my partner’s face, and the way they react to pleasure — which I really love — in reverse cowgirl.

Charlie Forde: It angles the cock away from the G spot, too.

Sabien Demonia (aka Sabrina Night): Reverse cowgirl is uncomfortable, dangerous for both sides, and totally doesn’t give enough pleasure to make up for the effort involved.

Alison Rey: Even a girl with the most muscular quads and glutes is going to have a hard time sustaining that position for a long time. Very little kissing or touching can happen in it. It doesn’t even allow a woman on top to control the penetration much. Which is the point of being on top.

Avery Jane: I think reverse cowgirl is underrated outside of porn. It’s difficult for the average person; it requires specific body placement that isn’t always comfortable, and strength. But once you figure it out, it allows for deeper penetration, for the penetrated partner to see the penetration, and for the person on top and on the bottom to alternate between who is actively fucking.

Charlie Forde: It’s good for an ass view for the person on the bottom — and that’s about it.

Misha Montana: As for traditional cowgirl, I’m an athlete, but I get tired too, and I think there’s nothing less attractive than someone who’s physically exhausted and just panting and grinding. There are plenty of other power positions that let you take control and make yourself cum.

Sheena Rose: Doggy style. Every time you ask someone what their favorite position is, they say doggy. It can be excellent, don’t get me wrong. But it would never be my favorite position.

Dante Colle: Doggy definitely serves its purpose, and I like it. But it feels overdone, and you’re missing out on a lot of the good aspects sex can offer by doing it.

Joshua Lewis: Depending on the shape of your dick, it actually doesn’t feel the best for your partner. And not every single person wants to be pounded like that all the time.

Brenna Sparks: Doggy is actually one of my favorite positions. However, if the penis is long, then doggy style can actually be extremely painful for most people.

Joslyn Jane: 69ing. It can be really hot for a few minutes, but it’s not the easiest for many people to climax in. It’s also difficult to concentrate on giving head when I am close to climaxing.

Joshua Lewis: It’s entirely impractical. It’s hard to focus on getting your partner off when you’re distracted by them going down on you. I’d rather give my full attention to my partner.

Kate Kennedy: No normal person even needs to attempt a pile driver. Even porn stars hate it. Attempting positions that are too advanced or physically taxing not only won’t make sex better, it will almost definitely make it worse, and you could seriously injure yourself trying.

Which positions are criminally underrated? And what is there to love about them?

Joslyn Jane: Missionary is always labeled as boring. It isn’t done a lot in porn.

Jade Kush: Yes, it’s used a lot in mainstream media — I think because it’s easy to censor — and everybody knows it. But it doesn’t get the cred it deserves.

Joshua Lewis: It’s often overlooked because it’s the most basic position you can be in.

Joslyn Jane: But it’s an extremely intimate position.

Marica Hase: Sex is conversational. Looking at your partner is very important.

Jade Kush: People may not like it because it is very intimate, so if they’re with someone they’re not especially intimate with then it can feel…off. That makes sense… But if you give it a chance with the right person, well, who wouldn’t want to get lost in a lover’s eyes?

Joslyn Jane: It’s also great for a man to get very deep, which can feel amazing for both partners.

Charlie Forde: And it gives women the ability to adjust where they receive stimulation by the amount of pelvic tilt they do. You can really relax into it, enjoying the sensations without being contorted into a weird position. It caters to most physical capabilities as well.

Kate Kennedy: You can explore variations on classic positions like this: I love throwing my legs over my partner’s shoulders during missionary for great deep penetration.

Joshua Lewis: There’s so much room for versatility. You can go slow, or you can be rough.

Nova Sky: Side-to-side spooning doesn’t get enough love. It’s got all of the sensation of doggy, but it gives you more freedom to interact with your partner.

Sara St. Clair: You get to hold each other close. You get deep penetration. It’s great for hitting all the spots you don’t get with missionary. And, if it’s morning sex, you dodge morning breath.

Sheena Rose: It can be really erotic. You can cuddle and kiss and be passionate. I especially love when we’re done and my partner falls asleep while his penis is still inside of me in that position.

Misha Montana: Spooning isn’t a physically demanding position. Almost anyone can do it. And it’s easy for both partners to climax. I’ve even experienced mutual climax in this position.

Joshua Lewis: It’s usually a lazy position. Yet you have access to your partner’s hair and throat [if you are both into hair-pulling or choking], and you can speed it up.

Lindsey Leigh: If I put my leg up in this position, and a male partner plows into me and stimulates my clit, I squirt every time

Why is it that we overhype some impractical positions while undervaluing great ones?

Sheena Rose: Because sex education sucks and most people get their ideas from porn tube sites when they’re young, dumb, and impressionable — and porn is not educational.

Marica Hase: We do more acrobatic positions in scenes because they look wild on camera. And we don’t do a lot of things like missionary because they look boring.

“I don’t even look like I do in a porno when I’m having sex in my personal life.”

Charlie Forde: You see people fucking in an impractical position and you think, ‘oh my god… maybe that feels great.’ But in my experience, it’s difficult to translate those visually captivating positions into a really fun erotic time — although not impossible.

Kate Kennedy: We’re professionals, creating a product that’s visually stimulating, but that does not correlate to actual pleasure or stimulation. We’re doing a job that we are physically and mentally trained to do. I don’t watch the Olympics and then try to copy Simone Biles in my own life. I would literally die! Same thing goes for any really rough positions you see in porn. I don’t even look like I do in a porno when I’m having sex in my personal life. It wouldn’t feel good.

Jade Kush: The availability of on-demand XXX content has normalized uncomfortable, and even impractical, positions. It’s like, who can do the craziest thing?

Alison Rey: I think the people making Hollywood sex scenes try to depict what they view as good sex, which is often the fantastical, wild, animalistic sex they see [normalized] in hardcore porn.

Dante Colle: Sex is often advertised, or portrayed, as this thing that’s all about power and ego, rather than about intimacy and adventure. [So people focus on seeming impressive.]

Alison Rey: A lot of people are insecure about their sexual prowess, and afraid to explore what they might like themselves for fear of judgment or rejection by their partners. So, they try to fit into the mold of what they see in the media in order to be hot enough in their partner’s eyes.

Misha Montana: People think they need to fuck the absolute piss out of partners to satisfy them. They don’t.

How can people figure out which positions work best for their bodies and partners?

Kate Kennedy: There is no one magical position that works for everybody.

Avery Jane: Every body is different, feels sensations in a different way. Some people may find easier sex positions unpleasurable, and harder to physically achieve positions more pleasurable.

Nova Sky: Every set of partners is going to fit uniquely, too — and you can’t know what positions work best for two people until you’ve experimented with them. So, try them all!

Kate Kennedy: It really is all just trial and error.

Joshua Lewis: It’s also fun to switch it up. Personally, I get tired of having normal sex — missionary, doggy style, and cowgirl — every time I have sex.

Sabien Demonia: Obviously, do your research about preparation before trying things to avoid unpleasant surprises. And don’t expect miracles the first time. Some positions need practice.

Brenna Sparks: And don’t just sneak your experiments into sex. That’ll be awkward, and your partners won’t even know what the heck you’re trying to do. Let them know.

Misha Montana: Communication with your partner is key to every aspect of a sexual relationship, so communicate your interest in and willingness to explore new positions with your partner.

Alina Ali: And tell your partner what feels good and what isn’t working. Don’t be shy.

“Try not to judge yourself if things go wrong. It’s completely normal, and OK, to laugh during sex.”

Charlie Forde: If you know what you want — whether it’s clit stimulation, deep penetration, or something else — you can go through things like Kama Sutra-type books and figure out which positions in them might fit the bill for you. You can experiment, and have some laughs on the way.

Alison Rey: Try not to judge yourself if things go wrong. It’s completely normal, and OK, to laugh during sex — to make fun of ourselves when we try new things and it doesn’t totally work.

Amazing sex doesn’t come from pretending to be amazing. It happens when you and your partner can communicate, and find ways moving your bodies together that create waves of pleasure.

Brenna Sparks: If you want to get good at sex, treat it like a science, not a primal instinct. Angle, depth, and speed are your units of measure. The strategies you adopt will also depend on things like the size of the penis involved, and how well you handle size. You can make adjustments to all of these factors with every position you try when you’re experimenting with them. I’d say limit yourself to experimenting with one new position per session. You need time to try adjusting each position in different ways to figure out how these units of measure work within it.

Penny Barber: Just shift your body while in a position. See what feels best.

Avery Jane: Make a mental list of what feels good and what doesn’t as you try things.

Alison Rey: Sometimes, a slightly different angle is all it takes to bring sex from meh to my god!

Lindsey Leigh: It takes a millisecond to adjust your body, or your partners, during sex.

Avery Jane: You can also try creating new angles using pillows.

Sara St. Clair: Remember to incorporate other things you like into positions, too! If your vibrator makes you cum, you can use it on yourself in most positions.

See Also: Best sex toys for couples looking to switch things up between the sheets

Penny Barber: And remember to use your hands! Get close. Lick. Hold your partner down, if they’re into that. Grab his pretty face and make him say your name. Remember that you can change the energy of an encounter, as well as the physicality.

Misha Montana: Have fun with sex. And don’t take it too seriously!

Keep reading

• The best alternatives to Pornhub and Xvideos

• How to watch VR porn: Everything you need to know

• Can’t figure out what kind of porn to consume? This handy infographic can help.

• What can — or should — we learn from porn?

• A beginner’s guide to the best porn games: What to play and what you should know

Yes, sex toys go on sale for Black Friday, and yes, it is awesome as it sounds. Here are a few of favorite finds as of Nov. 5 to get your shopping started:

• Lelo Ina Wave 2, a rabbit vibrator that might just have the power to give you on that elusive G-spot orgasm — $159.00 $199.00 (save $40)

• Adam & Eve Blue Swirl Glass 4-Way ‘G’, a glass dildo with a little something extra — $24.95 $34.95 (save $10)

• Womanizer Premium Clitoral Stimulator, aka the suction toy to have, and for good reason — $167.89 $198.00 (save $31) with code FALL60

• Luna Silicone Rechargeable Vibrator, a rechargeable, waterproof vibe at a very nice price — $21.08 $67.99 (save $46.91)

• MysteryVibe Crescendo, a vibrator with a little flex that adds a lot of fun — $149.00 $190.00 (save $50)

National Sex Toy Day may have come (ahem) and gone, but that doesn’t mean you missed out on finally catching that expensive vibrator on sale.

Like any other product under the sun, sex toys get significant markdowns come Black Friday. And like every other retailer out there trying to combat supply chain shortages, the makers and sellers of your favorite dildos, sleeves, vibrators, and suction toys have started their sales nice and early this year.

If you already own sex toys, we doubt you need much more encouragement to scroll down and check out the deals below. If you’re new to the game though, first of all, welcome, and second of all, do you have a moment to talk about why sex toys are the best?

For one, they can really help you learn more about what you like and being able to pleasure yourself is empowering as hell. Thanks to their powers of vibration and pulsation, sex toys can give you feelings during masturbation that are literally impossible to feel otherwise. And once you learn more about what you like, bringing sex toys into the bedroom can allow you to explore with a partner. (By the way, if you’re nervous about approaching that convo with a partner, you’re not alone — we have a handy guide for you).

So to recap, they can make sex with yourself feel better, sex with others feel better, and generally just be a really sweet way of exploring your desire. That’s why we’re trying to find you the best deals possible on all sorts of toys, and why we’ll be updating this post through the shopping season as more sales crop up.

Lovehoney sex toy deals

Why we like it

A bullet vibe is a nice addition to any sex toy collection. They’re easy to stash, easy to use, and they don’t get in the way during intercourse. Though this Lovehoney one seems fairly standard, it does come with 20 different vibration speeds and patterns, all controlled by one button. When the battery’s running low, just plug in its USB charger — no batteries necessary.

More sex toy deals at Lovehoney

• Red Hot Rechargeable Silicone Flickering Tongue Vibrator — $35.99 $59.99 (save $24)

• Lovehoney Bigs Bunny Girthy Rechargeable Rabbit Vibrator — $44.99 $89.99 (save $45)

• Svakom Ella App Controlled Rechargeable Textured Love Egg Vibrator — $69.99 $99.99 (save $30)

• Dual Power Vibrating Masturbation Sleeve — $12.49 $24.99 (save $12)

Adam & Eve sex toy deals

Why we like it

A dildo is a classic sex toy, but don’t be fooled — the bumps, ridges, and textures of this glass one allow for a bunch of creative uses. Since it is glass (shatter-resistant, hypoallergenic) you can heat it up or cool it down for some fun temperature play, plus both its tips provide different types of stimulation to the G-spot or prostate. It’s a decent amount of versatility for one dildo.

More sex toy deals at Adam & Eve:

• Super Head Honcho Masturbator — $19.95 $29.95 (save $10)

• Big O Multi-Stage Vibrating Penis Ring — $14.95 $19.95 (save $5)

• Fingo Nubby Finger Vibrator — $14.98 $29.95 (save $15)

• Adam & Eve Three Hearts Gem Anal Plug Set — $39.94 $49.95 (save $10)

• Adam & Eve Rechargeable Vibrating Anal Trainer Kit — $49.95 $59.95 (save $10)

Ella Paradis sex toy deals

Why we like it

If you’re a fan of suction toys, this pick is likely no surprise to you — Womanizer is at the top of the list when it comes to the toy that uses air pressure to deliver targeted pleasure. So what makes it so great? When it’s fully charged, you get two full hours of playing with 12 different intensity levels. The controls are simple, it’s comfortable to hold, it’s completely waterproof, and it comes with a travel pouch. It costs a bit more, but it certainly does deliver. Make sure to use the coupon code FALL60 on the Womanizer or any other toys from Ella Paradis to get your discount.

More sex toy deals at Ella Paradis:

• Satisfyer Pro 2 Next Generation — $49.95 $74.99 (save $25)

• Hitachi Original Magic Wand — $64.99 $89.99 (save $25)

• Better Love G-Spot Hero Vibrator — $54.09 $183.99 (save $130)

• We-Vibe Chorus Couples Vibrator — $168.70 $199.95 (save $31.25)

Babeland sex toy deals

Why we like it

Every person deserves a waterproof, rechargeable vibrator without having to pay waterproof, rechargeable vibrator prices. Enter this sale on the Luna Silicone Rechargeable Vibrator. With one button to adjust the three intensity levels and seven vibration patterns, the Luna isn’t reinventing the wheel, but it is giving you a pretty solid vibrator for an impressive price point. The one downside is that a 2.5 hour charge only yields 30 minutes of use on high and 1.5 hours on low, but hey — find your preferred pattern and intensity, and you might not need very long at all.

More sex toy deals at Babeland:

• Mystique Wand — $38.75 $124.99 (save $86)

• Rookie Vibrating Silicone Dildo — $29.45 $94.99 (save $65)

• Ahoy Cock Ring — $3.10 $10.00 (save $7)

• Electra vibrator — $9.30 $29.99 (save $20.69)

Lelo sex toy deals

Why we like it

This isn’t your average rabbit vibe. In fact, our culture reporter Jess Joho calls it “the best that rabbit vibrators have to offer.” What makes the difference? The Ina’s WaveMotion technology makes the internal part of this vibe do that oh-so-good “come hither” motion that’s pretty sweet when it comes to G-spot stimulation. Pair that with the external vibrations, and you’ve got yourself a pretty satisfying O.

Check out Mashable’s official review of the Lelo Ina Wave 2.

More sex toy deals at Lelo:

• Lelo Ina Wave 2 — $159.00 $199.00 (save $40)

• Lelo Siri 2 — $95.00 $159.00 (save $64)

• Lelo Beads Mini — $41.50 $59.00 (save $7.50)

• Lelo Sila — $135.00 $169.00 (save $24)

• Lelo Smart Wand Medium — $112.00 $149.00 (save $37)

MysteryVibe sex toy deals

Why we like it

It’s a bendable vibrator — what more can we say? Whatever way you’re thinking of experimenting with it, the answer is yes. It’s waterproof, Bluetooth-enabled, has six different vibrating motors, and can run for up to two hours. Have fun!

More sex toy deals at MysteryVibe:

• MysteryVibe Tenuto — $199.00 $229.00 (save $30)

• MysteryVibe Poco — $97.00 $129.00 (save $32)

• MysteryVibe Crescendo and Tenuto Set — $348.00 $428.00 (save $80)

• MysteryVibe Complete Gift Set — $517.97 $629.97 (save $112)

As a left coast urbanite, I’m not exactly what you would call a truck guy. (Fifteen to 20 mpg when the world is warming and gas is pushing $5 a gallon? No thank you.) But I’m definitely an electric vehicle guy (most recently while testing the Lucid Air) and a self-sufficient camping out in the elements kind of guy (including at a dozen Burning Mans). So while I was wary about my first ever truck drive being an off-road test of the Rivian R1T — an electric truck now shipping to early customers in its $73,000 launch edition and garnering great reviews along the way — I also seized the opportunity like it was an oversized steering wheel.

Good thing I did, because the R1T just shot to the top of my list of dream vehicles. Turns out that trucks are a blast to drive, especially when they’re studded with 10 cameras feeding to a 16-inch screen that can help you navigate even the muddiest downhill furrows. Turns out that when you take mpg worries and range anxiety out of the equation (the R1T launch edition gets 314 miles to a charge, which puts it in the same range as a Tesla Model 3; the company is promising a 400+ mile version in 2022), off-roading and camping become much more doable for the eco-conscious urbanite.

As many of the reviews have noted, Rivian seems to be selling its launch vehicle as a kind of “Patagonia” or an “REI” truck. But that’s not just marketing bluster. It really is supremely easy, if not cheap, to pop up a tent on top of the truck, either on the flatbed or the roof, with a couple of crossbars at $450 each. Just add some well-staked-down shade, and you’ve got the perfect Burning Man truck camping setup.

The Rivian R1T in full tent camping and cooking mode.
Credit: chris taylor / mashable

The $5,000 “camp kitchen” attachment is also optional, but Rivian has done its level best to make it desirable. All of the plates, bowls, cutlery, and equipment you need for a cookout — including the essential coffee pot — are secreted in well-designed drawers. A couple of induction stoves can cook for hours and still not deplete the car battery by more than a single mile of range. And the whole thing slides into a kind of donut hole storage area in the middle of the vehicle that’s also accessible from the rear of the cabin. Which, together with the frunk and the flatbed itself, give the R1T an impressive 68 cubic feet of storage.

To make sure I wasn’t just being dazzled by my intro to truck camping world, I brought along my friend Larry, who is a truck guy. (He once went to Colorado o get a particular options package on his Ford F-150 even though he’d have to drive it back to California — that kind of truck guy.) Moreover, Larry is thinking of replacing that F-150, the most popular gas vehicle in America, with an electric truck. He’s prime Rivian demographic, and has been eyeing the R1T for some time — but also might hold out for the F-150 Lightning, the Ford EV set to launch in 2022. Would the R1T turn his head?

When it came to off-roading, the answer was a very clear yes. The word Larry kept returning to was “nimble.” The R1T, smaller and lighter and with better suspension than the F-150, was simply more fun to navigate around curves (including at some roller-coaster-like 20-degree angles) and up and down hills.

Meanwhile, the surround sound system was able to handle an entirely appropriate Queen soundtrack without smothering us in too much bass.

Eat our dust: The Rivian R1T after a zero-to-60 uphill test.
Credit: larry edelstein / mashable

Larry did note that the cabin of the R1T was simply not as comfortable as its Ford counterpart. Having just driven an hour with the F-150 seats massaging our backs and butts, I was inclined to agree. It’s not that it felt smaller; if anything, the flat tinted glass roof made the cabin feel more spacious than it is (just as the more curved glass roof in the Lucid Air does). But the comfort of the seating, dinged by some reviewers for not standing up to the demands of long-distance driving, reminded me more of the flimsy Chevy Bolt than the well-designed Lucid seating experience.

SEE ALSO: Best heads-up displays for your car

However, that wasn’t the feature that turned Larry off the R1T for now. It’s the fact that Rivian doesn’t provide Apple CarPlay, which has become indispensable to him thanks to its inclusion on the F-150. It also doesn’t offer Android Auto. That’s almost certainly because Amazon is an investor, and the R1T comes with Alexa integration. The truck’s software interface is a little on the confusing side, though company reps were anxious to remind us that it would be rapidly updated over the air. But not shipping with the two most popular car systems for the two most popular types of smartphone seems like an unforced error.

Regardless, the R1T should turn a lot of heads among urbanites looking to unleash their inner adventurer. With the F-150 Lightning and Tesla’s Cybertruck going on sale in 2022 (allegedly starting at $42K and $40K, respectively), we may be about to enter a golden age of blue-state truck enthusiasts, and intense competition between the three models that can only benefit the consumer. But if you just can’t wait to get your camp on, the cookout-friendly and nimble Rivian truck is your best bet yet.