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Going on a road trip? There’s an app for that!

Planning a road trip can be stressful because there are so many moving parts, but we’ve collected the 11 most helpful road trip apps that address all aspects of hitting the open road.

Whether you’re looking to book a campsite or trying to find the cheapest gas or picking out the perfect mid-drive hike, these apps have got you covered. These apps will even help you find offbeat attractions on the road. If you’re looking to plan out a family road trip, or just looking to explore with friends, here are 11 road trip apps that will make road tripping a lot easier.

1. Waze

Waze is a must-have for any road trip. It’s a navigation app that’s known for its live traffic updates. One if its best features is that it shows where cops are hiding, so you can avoid getting a speeding ticket. Nothing kills the mood of a road trip more than a speeding ticket!

Waze is powered by Google Maps, and is far superior to its owner Google as well as Apple Maps. It show you your current speed, as well as alert you of other possible dangers on the road. Treat it like a game and report things along the way, such as wildlife and road hazards like cars parked on the shoulder.

You can download Waze in for iOS in the Apple App Store or for Android in the Google Play Store.

Waze “does not sell, rent or lease your personal information to third parties,” but it may share your “unique identifier for advertising.” You can read its full privacy policy here.

Waze is the elite navigation app.
Credit: screenshot: waze

2. GasBuddy

GasBuddy compares gas prices for you, so you don’t fill up your tank only to pass a cheaper gas station a couple miles down the road. You can add your destination and GasBuddy will show you all the gas stations on your route as well as their prices and distance out of your way.

You can download GasBuddy in for iOS in the Apple App Store or for Android in the Google Play Store.

GasBuddy collects user data to improve user experience and shares your mobile data, driving data, and location data with their business partners. You can read its full privacy policy here.

GasBuddy relies on users reporting gas prices.
Credit: screenshot: gasbuddy

3. Venmo

Speaking of gas prices, Venmo is the perfect app for splitting the price of gas and other expenses on your road trip. The free app allows you to transfer money to and from your fellow roadtrippers.

You can download Venmo in for iOS in the Apple App Store or for Android in the Google Play Store.

Venmo does not sell user data and only collects data to improve user experience, you can read its full privacy policy here.

Download Venmo for easy money transfers.
Credit: screenshot: venmo

4. Spotify

No road trip is complete without the perfect soundtrack, or podcast if that’s more your speed. Spotify is a music streaming platform that has it all, it even has a “Classic Road Trip Songs” playlist.

You can download Spotify in for iOS in the Apple App Store or for Android in the Google Play Store.

Spotify collects user, usage, and plan verification data. You can also choose to share voice data, payment and purchase data, and contests, surveys, and sweepstakes data with Spotify. Spotify also collects data from third party sources which include authentication partners, technical services partners, payment partners, and advertisers. Spotify uses user data to improve user experience and “for marketing, promotion, and advertising purposes.” Spotify “may process certain personal data to help Spotify understand your interests or preferences so that we can deliver advertisements that are more relevant to you.” You can read its full privacy policy here.

Spotify has a playlist for every road trip mood.
Credit: screenshot: spotify

5. Guides by Lonely Planet

If you’re planning on hitting multiple cities on your road trip Guides by Lonely Planet is for you. Rather than buying a guide book for every city you’re going to, you can pay $4.99 for one month of the app which saves time and space. The app has curated collections like top experiences, free stuff, and museums for over 8,000 cities across the world. You can also search for things like food and coffee in a city on the app for recommendations.

You can download Guides by Lonely Planet in for iOS in the Apple App Store or for Android in the Google Play Store.

Guides by Lonely Planet does not sell user data and only collects data to improve user experience. It only shares user data to third parties for commercial purposes with your permission. You can read its full privacy policy here.

Use Guides by Lonely Planet to explore all the cities on your road trip.
Credit: screenshot: guides by lonely planet

6. AllTrails

AllTrails will address all your leg stretching needs. AllTrails shows all the nearby hiking trails with detailed ratings, descriptions, and directions.

You can download AllTrails in for iOS in the Apple App Store or for Android in the Google Play Store.

AllTrails does not sell user data and only collects user data to improve user experience, you can read its full privacy policy here.

Taking a hike is the perfect way to break up a day of driving on a road trip.
Credit: screenshot: alltrails

7. National Park Service

No road trip is complete without a stop at a National Park. The National Park Service App allows you to search any National Park and tells you the basic information of the park as well as what to see, things to do, where to stay, and where visitor centers are. There are also self guided tours on the app.

You can download National Park Service in for iOS in the Apple App Store or for Android in the Google Play Store.

National Parks Service does not sell user data and only collects anonymized user data to improve user experience, you can read its full privacy policy here.

National Park Service has guides for all of the US National Parks.
Credit: screenshot: national park service

8. Roadside America

Roadside America is an app that costs $2.99 and shows offbeat attractions like the Bolo Tie Museum in Arizona. Just enter your route into the app and it will show you all the weirdest attractions along the way. The attractions are ranked from the best to mildly interesting and you can choose which rankings appear on your map.

Roadside America is only available on iPhone, and you can download it for iOS in the Apple App Store.

Roadside America does not sell user data and only collects anonymized user data to improve user experience, you can read its full privacy policy here.

9. The Dyrt

Doing a bit of camping on your road trip? The Dyrt shows you all the campgrounds and RV parks in an area and streamlines the booking process. It’s perfect for planning your accommodations on your road trip. The pro version costs $2.99 a month.

You can download The Dyrt in for iOS in the Apple App Store or for Android in the Google Play Store.

The Dyrt collects user data to improve user experience and relies on partners to provide most of their services. You can read its full privacy policy and the privacy policy’s of its partners here.

Just enter the location you want to camp and the Dyrt will show you all the campsites in that area.
Credit: screenshot: the dyrt

10. Roadtrippers

Roadtrippers is an all in one road trip app. You enter your route and can see hotels, attractions, recreation, places to camp, landmarks, and more on your route and create an itinerary. You can also access pre-made road trip guides. The pro version costs $29.99 annually.

You can download Roadtrippers in for iOS in the Apple App Store or for Android in the Google Play Store.

Roadtrippers collects user data and shares it with third party advertisers, you can opt out by emailing privacy@togogroup.io. You can read its full privacy policy here.

A must-have app for any road trip.
Credit: Screenshot:ROADTRIPPERS 

11. AAA Mobile

The final app is perhaps the most useful for your road trip, AAA Mobile. AAA members can book roadside assistance and accommodations that have a discount for members through the app. It also shows nearby gas stations.

You can download AAA Mobile in for iOS in the Apple App Store or for Android in the Google Play Store.

AAA Mobile does not sell user data and only collects data to improve user experience, you can read its full privacy policy here.

Book roadside assistance through the app.
Credit: screenshot: Aaa Mobile

Snapchat got closer to turning its camera into a full-fledged visual search engine on Thursday by putting its Scan feature front and center.

Launched two years ago, Scan analyzes what the camera sees and suggests actions.

For example, scanning a person’s body will pull up suggestions for full-body lenses. Through app partnerships, scanning a plant or a bottle of wine will display details about the object. As of Thursday, you can also get shoppable search results for clothing.

Snapchat has been steadily increasing its Scan capabilities, but you sort of had to already know about them to access the feature. Similar to how users had to activate face lenses, scanning required pressing and holding on the object in the camera screen. Now Snapchat is putting the Scan button right underneath the camera button.

Via Giphy

When you Scan, you’ll be able to pull up a menu from the bottom of the screen. Say you’re scanning a dog: You’ll see suggested ways to play with your photo or image in AR, find options to get more information about the dog, and see other things you can do with Scan.

The first menu result is “shortcuts,” a new feature that takes users to a screen with multiple lens and multimedia options. When scanning a dog, a shortcut lets you turn your dog into a cartoon through a combination of lenses and effects. While shortcuts contain multiple AR effects, the Scan menu also features suggested lenses based on what your camera is looking at.

Next, the Scan menu shows actions you can take to identify the object. Snap has partnered with a variety of identification apps, such as PlantSnap, Shazam, and, yes, Dog Scanner, that show information about what you’re focusing your camera on (or what song you’re hearing). These app integrations won’t surface unless the object fits into one of those categories, and Snapchat has continued adding partnerships over the years.

The identifications aren’t always accurate: Dog Scanner thinks my 100 percent mutt is a Shiba Inu, and the product scanner got no results when I pointed it at a common bottle of an over-the-counter pain killer.

Finally, there’s a menu section to “Discover more with Scan,” which lists other things you can do with Scan, including “identify a product.” Soon, Snap says users will be able to scan photos from the camera roll just as they would from the camera’s live view.

Snapchat gives me a bunch of options when I “scan” my dog.

Credit: screenshot: Snapchat

A menu of capabilities in Scan.

Credit: screenshot: snapchat

It’s easy to see how Snap could monetize Scan. Like Google does, why not let brands pay to prominently surface (ad-labeled) visual search results? What if Snap eventually takes a cut of Snap-enabled purchases? Snap already has sponsored lenses: Why not feature them in Scan results?

Scan’s potential makes it ripe for other platforms to copy.

Instagram feebly tried to imitate the earliest iteration of Snap’s Scan, called Snapcodes. They are scannable QR codes that take users to a Snapchat profile or external website. Instagram’s version is Nametags, which link to Instagram’s profiles.

While Instagram doesn’t have the best track record of keeping up with Snap’s AR innovations, we’re sure it’s at least looking over Snapchat’s shoulder.

It takes a very specific type of person to steal nearly 50 million people’s data and then brag about it under your real name in a major international newspaper. John Binns, according to the Wall Street Journal, is exactly that type of person.

The paper reports that the 21-year-old American is behind the August T-Mobile hack. He pilfered an assortment of past, present, and prospective T-Mobile users’ info including full names, birthdays, Social Security numbers, driver’s license and other ID information, and, in some cases, account PINs. And he’s apparently not shy about sharing that fact.

“Generating noise was one goal,” he told the Journal. Well, goal accomplished.

Binns claims the hack took him about a week, and that he was able to locate a cache of stored T-Mobile credentials.

“Their security is awful,” he told the Journal.

We reached out to T-Mobile in an attempt to determine if it disagrees with Binns’ assessment, but received no immediate response.

While the Journal says Binns spoke with the paper via an account that “discussed details of the hack before they were widely known,” it’s not clear how trustworthy Binns’ claims are. He told the paper he’d been kidnapped in Germany and held in some sort of pretend mental hospital, and that part of his motivation for discussing the T-Mobile hack so openly was so that “someone within the FBI leaks information about that.”

SEE ALSO: You’re a T-Mobile customer? Here’s what to do after that massive hack.

With that being said, if past security incidents involving T-Mobile are any indication, Binns’ description of the company’s digital security can’t be that far off. An assortment of data breaches and hacks in 2018, 2019, and 2020 suggest that T-Mobile customers are, by now, unfortunately used to this sort of thing.

Randonautica videos continue to flourish online, and so are the conspiracy theories the adventure app has spawned.

The urban exploring app created a genre of YouTube and TikTok videos that marry the supernatural with the internet’s obsession with mystery and true crime. Randonautica, which coincidentally led a group of Seattle teenagers to an actual suitcase full of human remains last year, describes itself as “somewhere in the middle between a game, science, art, and spirituality.” Thrilling content keeps audiences engaged, but conspiracy theorists are using viral Randonautica videos to justify harassing real people.

Randonautica sends users on a local adventure by generating random GPS coordinates within a certain radius of the user’s location. The app encourages users to mentally set an intention for their journey, and its founders believe that the user will find something related to their intention at this location.

Randonautica co-founder Joshua Lengfelder compares the app to other online adventures that take participants into the real world, like geocaching and games such as Pokémon Go.

Taking a step into the world with fresh eyes and escaping your day-to-day routine can be a highly beneficial experience.

“Randonauts have realized they were in love, dealt with grief and remorse, had ‘signs’ that led them to a new, better path in life, and so much more,” Lengfelder said in an email to Mashable, adding that studies suggest that spending time outdoors is good for health. “Taking a step into the world with fresh eyes and escaping your day-to-day routine can be a highly beneficial experience.”

Enthusiasts known as Randonauts believe that positive intentions yield positive outcomes, and negative intentions yield negative ones. Randonauts who used the app intending to find something evil regale followers with stories of supernatural encounters.

The fact that the app led those teenagers to the bodies, which was used as evidence to convict the victims’ killer of second degree murder, added to the belief from some that Randonautica can have metaphysical properties.

An unproven conspiracy theory circulating on TikTok alleges that multiple businesses near a non-commercial airport in California are complicit in a child trafficking ring. The clips have since racked up millions of views.

It all started with a Randonautica video.

The birth of a conspiracy theory

A dedicated community of self-proclaimed Randonauts have used Reddit to share their experiences since 2019. The app Randonautica, which was released in February 2020, sparked newfound interest in the hobby since exploring outdoors was one of the few COVID-safe activities to do during lockdown.

TikTok creator and musician Reve Kalell, who posts under the handle r33vo.wav, claimed that the app led him to a “suspicious” industrial area the first time he used it. He set his intention to going “deeper in the mystery of life” in an effort to “glitch out the matrix.” The app, he said, brought him to a cabinet store coincidentally named Matrix.

In the first video, posted in July 2020, Kalell said he was suspicious of the porn-viewing booth manufacturer and Star Trek toy company that neighbored Matrix. He posited that the adult film industry shouldn’t be operating so close to a business making children’s products, and then noted random inconsistencies in another nearby business’s Google listing. It mistakenly listed the business as “Sales Multi Child,” and described it as a children’s clothing company. Anyone can create a business listing on Google, and even if owners claim it, anyone can suggest edits. The listing has been corrected since Kalell posted about it last year, but he continued leading viewers down what would turn into an extensive multi-video rabbit hole.

Through a series of wild conjectures also naming other businesses in the area — including a local hospice care center, a company that makes garage door operating systems, and nearby hotel participating in a program to shelter high-risk unhoused populations during the pandemic — TikTok viewers convinced themselves that the businesses were involved in a human trafficking ring.

A November 2020 police chase that ended at a nearby non-commercial airport further raised his suspicions that the area was host to criminal activity; in a January 2021 TikTok, Kalell used the suspect’s rambling about being followed by the government as justification for his theory. The suspect underwent a mental health evaluation upon arrest, according to police.

TikTok users are running with it. There isn’t much of a unified theory, and like how most conspiracy theories play out, Kalell and his followers are making any connection they can to justify their belief in this human trafficking ring.

The conspiracy spins out of control

Some believe the porn booths — euphemistically referred to as “adult arcades” — are a front for auctioning underaged girls. Kalell posted a video of an apparently defunct ambulance parked in front of the nearby hospice care center, and commenters jumped to assumptions that the center is part of the black market human organ trade. One viewer was alarmed by the Star Trek toy company’s online description for its products, which cheekily describe the plush recreations of the show’s Tribbles as “guaranteed not to reproduce.” In the show, the purring, fluffy alien species does nothing but eat and breed, and its exponentially reproducing population comically threatens the ship’s food stores.

It’s a Star Trek reference, goobers.

“It’s a Star Trek reference, goobers,” another TikTok user responded to the alarmist Tribble comment.

TIkTok users convinced themselves that a cluster of businesses near Los Angeles are part of a trafficking ring.

Credit: screenshot via tiktok

Kalell named a toy company, which makes recreations of the ever-reproducing Tribbles from Star Trek, in his videos.

Credit: screenshot via tiktok

The original conspiracy theory claimed that businesses in the are involved in trafficking children.

Credit: screenshot via tiktok

Now other users believe that the businesses are part of a black market organ trade.

Credit: screenshot via tiktok

The comments could be jokes riffing on the fringe conspiracy theories that bubble up online every day, but they could also be serious enough to inspire viewers to harass the employees of the businesses Kalell named. Evidently, enough were.

He posted the most recent video in the 14-video series titled “Detective Randonaut” on Monday. The series has nearly 5 million views collectively, which is modest for TikTok standards, but overwhelming for the businesses named. Kalell posted videos “investigating” these places in person this month, and emboldened by his visits, viewers flooded the businesses with calls accusing them of human trafficking.

“It’s real businesses, they need to do more research,” one employee, who did not want to be named due to privacy concerns, told Mashable. “That’s the messed up part.”

In later videos, Kalell clarified that he wasn’t making “any direct accusations,” but wanted to point out “red flags in the area.” He believes that Randonautica led him to the cabinet store for a reason, he told Mashable in Instagram DMs, and posted the videos to alert viewers to what he thought was a sketchy place.

“It’s just people putting two and two together and getting eight.”

“Including the Seattle case, Randonautica shows us that areas with low foot traffic are often hot spots for criminal activity,” Kalell added, referencing the teenagers who stumbled upon the bodies.

Kalell said he tipped off local law enforcement about what he believed was a shady industrial area, and will take another break from posting about it because, he admits, the conspiracy theories are spinning out of control. In his last video posted Monday, he retracted claims that residents of the hotel participating in the COVID-safe shelter program for the unhoused were forced into solitary confinement, and clarified that residents only had to isolate if they were exposed to COVID or were displaying symptoms of it. He also asked viewers to stop harassing the businesses he named in his series.

“The hospice company was getting calls asking if they sell organs. I never even mentioned anything like that,” Kalell continued. “It’s just people putting two and two together and getting eight.”

Why people believe in Randonautica

Randonauting isn’t meant to be so sinister. But the app’s use of quantum physics, a trending interest in the metaphysical, and anecdotal reports of what Randonauts find further cement the community’s belief that the random coordinates are part of something deeper. It’s fodder for conspiracy theories.

The coordinates Randonautica provide are determined by a quantum random number generator, a tool also also used in cybersecurity, since the numbers are less predictable than numbers generated by a traditional encryption algorithm. Randonautica uses the Australian National University’s generator, which produces numbers by measuring fluctuations of particles in a vacuum.

The app encourages users to explore the world around them.

Credit: courtesy of Randonautica

It does, however, discourage trespassing and instructs users to explore with safety in mind.

Credit: courtesy of randonautica

Lengfelder believes that the coordinates generated by the app’s quantum random number generator are inextricably linked to a person’s intentions. “Experimenting with mind-machine interaction,” he told Wired UK, is as much part of the game as exploring. Randonauting revolves around “the hypothesis that consciousness can influence the distribution of random numbers.”

Why do so many people who use Randonautica believe in its metaphysical traits? Because it happened to them.

“Even the foremost experts in mind matter interaction have limited working theories,” Lengfelder explained in an email to Mashable. “So why do so many people who use Randoanutica believe in its metaphysical traits? Because it happened to them.”

Many enjoy randonauting for the experience of visiting somewhere truly random. Others who align with trending mysticism genuinely think that the coordinates are a manifestation of the user’s intention.

Setting your intention as “something romantic,” like one couple who shared their adventure on Reddit did, may take you to the church where your parents first met. Another Redditor chose to “find some vibrancy,” and the app led them to a group of elderly ladies dancing together during sunset. One Redditor, who said their intention was to find something magical, followed Randonautica’s directions to a bunny snacking on a dandelion.

Not all Randonautica adventures are this wholesome, and a morbid story makes for better content. Randonauts who set their intentions to phrases like “death” and “evil” claim to have unsettling, paranormal experiences. The most popular videos emulate The Blair Witch Project‘s shaky, adrenaline-pumping footage, encapsulated in a one to three minute TikTok. YouTube is ripe with Randonautica compilations of adventurers claiming to encounter crop circles, occult rituals, and otherworldly entities. Many are staged jump scares, with creators building suspense as they travel to remote areas and then spooking the viewer with clowns and demonic figures. Theatrics tend to be obvious, but for horror fans, Randonautica videos are still a fun watch.

Most take these horror clips with a grain of salt. But hard evidence like the bodies located in Seattle, combined with the internet’s ability to spread unverified claims, feed conspiracy theories like the one born from Kalell’s videos. Conspiracy theories are often rooted in some shred of truth: a fact is taken out of context, twisted beyond recognition, and spread across social media. The misinformation spreading on TikTok puts the people who live and work in the area Kalell is “investigating” at risk of harassment and violence from conspiracy believers.

Based on leaked emails between a donor and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, extremists on 4chan claimed that plans to potentially organize a fundraiser were code for criminal activity, which evolved into the conspiracy known as “PizzaGate.” The phrase “Epstein didn’t kill himself” tore through fringe forums and circulated on mainstream social media. Last year, viral social media posts claimed that Wayfair was trafficking children based on high-priced listings that shared the same name as some missing children. The fact that Wayfair had supplied furniture to a detention center for migrant children in 2019 fueled the conspiracy further.

These conspiracy theories overshadowed the actual truths they were born from, and the fantastical claims made by extremists took attention from the very real problems exposed in these examples.

Kalell is still convinced that something is off about the area he shows in his videos, and that the conspiracies spun from his series shouldn’t detract from that.

“Before you know it some lunatic is approaching the place,” Kalell said, in reference to the PizzaGate conspiracy theorist who fired an AR-15 rifle in the restaurant mentioned in the leaked DNC emails. “But does that negate the content of the emails?”

He does appear to regret catalyzing the harassment toward these businesses. Kalell said he wants to continue making “Detective Randonaut” content, but not until he takes measures to protect “any potential innocent businesses that are shown.”

“I don’t want to be a contributing factor to that misinformation,” Kalell said. “I also want to preserve my freedom to explore and speak my opinion. Unfortunately, those two concepts seem to oppose each other in ways that are out of my control.”

Lengfelder understands the righteous drive that Randonautica users like Kalell may have when using the app. He also cautions against believing the viral tales of stumbling upon evil that self-proclaimed Randonauts share online. Upon completing their journey, Randonautica users can record their experience in a trip report, which includes a location pinpoint, photos, a description of the user’s intention, and a description of their experience with tags. Then, users can save it for their personal records or publish it online for other Randonauts to read. Less than 1 percent of Randonautica user reports are tagged for negative outcomes, he said, and “many stories are often overdramatized by thrill seeking audiences and content creators.”

The ultimate purpose of the app isn’t to uncover some deeper truth, despite what conspiracy theorists and horror seekers may hope. Pseudoscience or not, Randonautica gives users a chance to break out from their routines and shift their relationship to the world around them. Shaking up their day-to-day could involve investigating a great mystery (or completely unfounded conspiracy theory) but not every Randonaut trip needs to be so intense. Just taking a walk around your neighborhood is enough.

“When asked if negative intentions are OK, the response is simple,” Lengfelder said. “Why seek out the negative where there could be so many beautiful things that come from exploring with a positive outlook and sincere curiosity for the world around you?”

Save $103: Get the LG 34-inch 34WP65G-B UltraWide FHD monitor with AMD FreeSync on sale for $296.99 at Amazon as of Aug. 26. That’s a savings of 26%.

Thanks to countless back-to-school deals, late summer is just about the best time of year to grab a brand new laptop . But while a new laptop is great for mobile work, you still need to create a devoted workspace to really focus on any task. A giant monitor can help with that.

Consider the LG 34-inch UltraWide FHD monitor with HDR, which is on sale for $296.99 at Amazon. That’s 26% off, which means this model is back at its all-time lowest price.

Listed as the LG 34WP65G-B model, this monitor offers both a big screen and a host of features, including a UltraWide 34-inch Full HD display that immerses you in the action with a 21:9 aspect ratio. (Most widescreen monitors only offer a 16:9 ratio.) It also has an IPS display panel, which allows for better color accuracy and wider viewing angles.

That extra width is great for anyone who likes to multitask while they work with multiple applications. Gamers will also like the fast response times and HDR 400.

Explore related content:

• Dipping your toes into PC gaming? Here are 6 laptop options for under $1,000.

• Become Twitch’s next streaming superstar with this mic on sale

• Best 2-in-1 laptops for the best of both worlds

Disillusioned or not, the world may never overcome its fascination with the British royal family. In the teaser for Spencer about the titular royal better known as Princess Diana, Kristen Stewart gives us a glimpse into the private and public torment of one of the monarchy’s most beloved figures.

Jackie director Pablo Larraín helms the feature, written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. The film takes place over several days during the Christmas holidays as the royal family celebrate and reflect in private. Timothy Spall, Jack Farthing, Sean Harris, and Sally Hawkins costar.

Spencer arrives in theaters Nov. 5.

The following content is brought to you by Mashable partners. If you buy a product featured here, we may earn an affiliate commission or other compensation.

If the most action your yoga pants are seeing these days is your daily dog walk around the block, we get it. It’s been a hard year, and finding the motivation to work out has been even harder. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had someone to help push us back into some sort of a fitness routine? Future has an app for that.

While most fitness apps create streaming workouts for the masses, Future is different because it assigns you an actual human trainer who builds a personalized workout based on your exercise habits and goals. Your trainer messages you throughout the day to keep you inspired and make sure you stick with it, which is a much-needed perk for many of us. Future also sends you an Apple Watch so that your trainer can track your activity and make sure that you’re really doing the exercises and not just saying that you are. Whether that last idea excites you or scares you — it works.

Join now and you’ll get your first month for just $19, and then it’s $149 a month after that. Considering just one session with a personal trainer can cost the same amount as an entire month with your Future trainer, that’s a pretty sweet deal. Here’s a rundown of what to expect.

Pick an expert coach

Credit: Future

After you sign up, you’ll answer some questions about your fitness goals and pick from a list of expert trainers matched to your needs. You’ll do a 15-minute video chat with your trainer to make sure they’re “the one” and hammer out the details of your workout plan.

Sweat on your time

Credit: future

After you get your Apple Watch with your refundable deposit, your trainer will send you a week’s worth of personalized daily routines and voice-cued video instructions. Work out when you want. Your trainer gets your data and pushes you — or gives you kudos.

Track your progress, tweak, repeat

Credit: future

You’ll be prompted to give feedback so that you’re more apt to like your workouts, see results, and stay motivated. This level of personalization — and prodding — might be just what we all need right about now.

SAVE $30: As of Aug. 26, the Elgato Wave 3 is 19% off the original price at Amazon for a limited time. You’ll pay $129.99.

If you want to start a podcast (godspeed) or become Twitch’s next streaming superstar, you’ll need a solid microphone to start yourself on the right foot.

The Elgato Wave 3 is one of the most popular podcasting and streaming microphones out there, and it’s currently on sale at Amazon for $30 off.

This is a very affordable microphone for what you get. It’s sleek and compact, so it won’t take up too much of your precious desk real estate, and it’s powered by a simple USB connection, so you don’t have to fuss around with a complicated setup process.

Many users report that it produces fantastic sound quality. Plus, the mic’s Clipguard feature keeps you from accidentally distorting your audio if you happen to get a little too loud.

Pick up an Elgato Wave 3 at Amazon and save $30 for a limited time.

Explore related content:

• Now is the time to start your politics podcast. Here’s how to get started.

• Level up: 7 of the best laptops to net you a great gaming experience

• Nintendo’s Switch ‘OLED model’ probably isn’t the ‘Switch Pro’ you wanted

Have you ever tried to find something by searching Instagram?

It is, plainly, a nightmare.

Instead of being fed with actual search results, Instagram gives you accounts, places, and hashtags. So, for instance, if you want to see how someone styles a disco ball in their living room, you have to search for either a disco ball account, the location Disco Ball in Greece, or the hashtag #discoball.

Now, that’s finally changing. In a Wednesday blog post, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said the platform will be “launching a series of improvements designed for inspiration and discovery” with regard to search on the app.

“We’re moving towards a full search results page experience that makes it even easier to go deep on your interests,” Mosseri said.

The new update will mean that when you search disco ball on Instagram you’ll also be shown disco ball-related photos, videos, and stories, instead of just hashtags, accounts, and locations. This is particularly helpful when you don’t know exactly what username or hashtag you want to see. The platform will also expand the keywords you can use to search. They’re starting in English and will expand to other languages in the future.

“We design all of our features to help you find the things you love,” Mosseri said. “We are constantly working on improvements to help you discover entertaining things to share with your friends, and we look forward to showing you more about how Instagram works in upcoming posts.”

Save $104: The eufy RoboVac 15C MAX is on sale for $175.99 as of Aug. 26. That’s a 37% savings on its original price of $279.99.

Some people doubt whether robot vacuums are really all they’re cracked up to be. Other people have become used to dirt-free floors on the daily without barely lifting a finger. If you’ve been thinking about living life on the wildly clean side, wait no longer.

As of Aug. 26, the eufy RoboVac 15C MAX is on sale for only $175.99 at Amazon. Don’t let its low price fool you — this vac has features that rival those of higher-end models. Once it’s set up, you can control your vacuum with the EufyHome app or by voice via Alexa or Google Assistant.

The app also allows you to schedule cleanings in your house for the entire week, so you can minimize the mental space vacuuming occupies in your brain. If, however, you’re a little more old school or have unreliable WiFi, this vac also comes with a remote control.

Most importantly, this eufy RoboVac does a really good job of, well, vacuuming, both on hardwood floor and medium-pile carpets. After 100 minutes of cleaning in standard mode, it’ll even head back to the dock to charge. The only time you’ll really have to think about it is when you empty the dustbin.

This model also comes with boundary strips, which you can use to keep it from venturing into off-limits areas.

Snag the eufy RoboVac 15C MAX while it’s on sale at Amazon and show the world that you can be the proud owner of a quality robot vacuum without breaking the bank.

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