A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
Alex Cooper using Camera Coach for Pixel 10 at the Made by Google event

There's a TikTok trend where creators show the photo before they yelled at the photographer (bad) and after they yelled at the photographer (good). It looks like Google made a new feature for that.

At Google's Made by Google event on Wednesday, the company introduced a new feature for the Pixel 10 phones called Camera Coach, with help from Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper.

"The goal is always to catch the perfect shot," Cooper said, before introducing Camera Coach. Then she made the event's host, Jimmy Fallon, get on a couch and "give [a] sexy model pose."

She clicks the Camera Coach button at the top of the camera app, chooses the pose she wants to execute with Fallon, and then follows the instructions from the AI-generated coach.

Alex Cooper using Camera Coach for Pixel 10 at the Made by Google event
Alex Cooper using Camera Coach for Pixel 10 at the Made by Google event Credit: Made by Google screenshot
Alex Cooper using Camera Coach for Pixel 10 at the Made by Google event with Jimmy Fallon
Alex Cooper using Camera Coach for Pixel 10 at the Made by Google event with Jimmy Fallon Credit: Made by Google screenshot
Alex Cooper using Camera Coach for Pixel 10 at the Made by Google event with Jimmy Fallon
Alex Cooper using Camera Coach for Pixel 10 at the Made by Google event with Jimmy Fallon Credit: Made by Google screenshot

"Money, baby, money!" Cooper said.

Camera Coach uses Google’s Gemini AI to guide the photographer in real-time, offering ideas and step-by-step direction on things like lighting, composition, and positioning. According to a Google blog post, it doesn’t just help capture better photos — it also teaches "foundational photography skills" so users can level up their shots permanently.

As Cooper put it: "What I will say, though, to all the girls that are watching: I personally know how hard it is to train your boyfriend or your husband to get that perfect shot, and now Camera Coach can just train all the boys for us."



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Sony WH-1000XM4, Sony WH-CH520, and Sony WF-1000XM5 headphones with colorful background illustration
The best Sony headphones deals at a glance:

Sony WH-1000XM4
$198 (save $151.99)
Sony Wh-1000xm4 headphones in blue

Best noise-cancellers on a budget
Sony WH-CH720N
$98 (save $81.99)
Sony WH-CH720N headphones in black

Best on a budget
Sony WH-CH520 headphones in yellow

Best for bass lovers
Sony ULT Wear headphones in white

Best earbuds deal
Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds

It's no secret that we're big Sony fans. The audio brand's speakers, earbuds, and headphones regularly top our list of favorites. But the list of Sony headphones on its own is pretty comprehensive, with a model sitting at just about every price point.

So, which Sony headphones are the best of the best? Glad you asked. Mashable's team of experts tested just about every pair of headphones and earbuds in Sony's lineup to help you choose which ones are right for you.

We've gathered some of our top picks below to help you on your buying journey — and they all happen to be on sale. Whether you want the best of the best or something budget-friendly you can throw in your backpack without worry, we've got you covered.

Best splurge: Sony WH-1000XM6 or Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony WH-1000XM6 noise-cancelling headphones
$428 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $21.99
Sony WH-1000XM5 noise-cancelling headphones
$328 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $71.99

Why we like it

There's no denying that Sony's latest flagship headphones, the WH-1000XM6s, are wildly impressive. They're our top pick for sound quality amongst all brands of headphones, and our reviewer said they "elevate wireless audio to heights that no other rival has yet to match." But they cost over $400, even on sale. If you don't want to drop that much money on a pair of headphones, the previous generation WH-1000XM5s are extremely similar. "The WH-1000XM5s retain many series hallmarks, including ANC, battery life, sound, and special features," our reviewer noted. The biggest downfall? They don't fold up.

Read our full review of the Sony WH-1000xM6 headphones.

Read our full review of the Sony WH-1000xM5 headphones.

Best deal: Sony WH-1000XM4

Sony WH-1000XM4 noise-cancelling headphones
$198 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $151.99

Why we like it

If you're not pressed on getting the latest and greatest Sony tech, we still highly recommend the WH-1000XM4 noise-cancelling headphones — especially while they're on sale for less than $200 (only a few bucks away from their record-low). Overall, the upgrades generation-over-generation have been pretty minor. They still offer top-notch noise cancellation, impressive sound quality, customizable EQ, a comfy fit, and foldable cups that make them great for travel (unlike the XM5s).

Best noise-cancellers on a budget: Sony WH-CH720N

Sony WH-CH720N noise-cancelling headphones
$98 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $81.99

Why we like it

More budget-conscious shoppers seeking noise-cancelling Sony headphones should look toward the WH-CH720Ns. While they don't look quite as snazzy as the flagship headphones and lack some of Sony's key features like LDAC and Quick Attention, our reviewer said the noise cancellation and sound make up for those shortcomings. Other perks are user-friendly controls, reliable multipoint connection, and a battery life of up to 50 hours. While their list price is $180, you can regularly find these babies on sale for under $100 — including now.

Best basic headphones on a budget: Sony WH-CH520

Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones
$38 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $31.99

Why we like it

If noise cancellation isn't a must-have for you, you can keep a whole lot of money in your pocket by opting for the basic Sony WH-CH520s. You'll still get Sony audio quality, multipoint connection, hands-free calling, a comfortable and lightweight design, customizable EQ, and a battery life of up to 50 hours. Plus, they come in fun colors like butter yellow and pastel pink. At only $38, they're a few bucks away from their lowest price on record and an incredible value.

Best for bass lovers: Sony ULT Wear noise-cancelling headphones

Sony ULT Wear noise-cancelling headphones
$148 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $101.99

Why we like it

With comparable sound to Sony's flagship headphones and heavy bass, the Sony ULT Wear noise-cancellers are a force to be reckoned with. Mashable's Miller Kern reviewed the headphones when they dropped last year and was "genuinely shocked" by how great they were for the price. "True audiophiles who are picky about sound will probably still prefer the XM5s," she wrote, "But to the average person, I’d say the ULT Wears are the winners — especially for those who prioritize bass and fullness in their audio." On sale, they're less than half the price of the XM5s.

Read our full review of the Sony ULT Wear headphones.

Best earbuds: Sony WF-1000XM5 noise-cancelling earbuds

Sony WF-1000XM5 noise-cancelling earbuds
$213 at Amazon
$329.99 Save $116.99

Why we like it

Prefer earbuds to over-ears? The Sony WF-1000XM5s offer unbeatable sound quality, outstanding noise-cancellation, a gorgeous design, and a longer battery life than the second-gen AirPods Pro. They're essentially the XM5 flagship headphones, but in a more portable earbud form. They feature up to 12 hours of battery life, but the wireless charging case holds another 36 and comes with effective quick charging. They are pricey at 329.99, but you can find them on sale often for under $250.



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Door with Google logo on it

The wait is nearly over, as we finally have a confirmed reveal date for the Google Pixel 10 lineup of smartphones. Google will host the Made by Google Pixel 10 launch event at 1 p.m. ET on Aug. 20. And to lend some star power to the livestream, the company has tapped celebrities like Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Curry, and Lando Norris.

Google has all but confirmed that we'll see the new Pixel 10 series of phones (and more) tomorrow. You can watch the event live as it happens, and we fully expect to see the following Pixel devices launched:

  • Pixel 10

  • Pixel 10 Pro

  • Pixel 10 Pro XL

  • Pixel 10 Pro Fold

  • Pixel Watch 4

  • Pixel Buds 2a

We've got the full download on all the devices and news we expect from the Made by Google 2025 event, and we'll also be covering it live. After the event wraps, Mashable will be participating in a live CNET roundtable on YouTube to recap the event — don't miss it.

All the new Pixel devices we expect at Made by Google 2025

As always, this will probably be a phone-centric show, but that likely won't be all we see. Keep an eye out for a long-rumored series of magnetic charging accessories, dubbed the PixelSnap series. Plus, you know Google never misses a chance to show off new artificial intelligence features — whether they're worth showing off or not.

Pixel 10

We have a full roundup of Pixel 10 lineup rumors and leaks for your perusal, but I'll also summarize the key findings here.

Starting with the base Pixel 10, it seems like the basic design of the phones won't change all that much from the Pixel 9 series. In other words, the Pixel 9a wasn't a template for the Pixel 10. Under the hood, expect all Pixel 10 phones to use the new in-house Tensor 5 chip, which ideally will deliver better performance than the Tensor 4 in last year's Pixel phones.

Screen brightness might also be improved, while the biggest change is undoubtedly in the rear camera array. This year's base Pixel model will allegedly have a third lens, bringing it more in line with previous Pixel Pro models. It might have a 50MP main lens with a 12MP ultrawide lens and a new 10.8MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. That would certainly give the Pixel 10 a leg up on other base model flagships, which typically only have two rear camera lenses.

As we reported in July (via Android Headlines), we expect the Pixel 10 lineup to be thicker and heavier than the Pixel 9, likely to make them compatible with Qi2 wireless charging. The differences are slight, fortunately.

Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL

the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL phones.
From left to right: the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

It sounds like this year's Pro models will be incremental improvements over the versions Google launched a year ago.

Per Android Central, their display specs might be unchanged from last year, while they might get bumps in battery size. The Pixel 10 Pro XL, in particular, could have a 5,200mAh battery, which is enormous by contemporary smartphone standards. Google might also drop the 128GB storage option from the 10 Pro XL and bump the starting price of the unit up by $100 accordingly.

Aside from that, it doesn't seem like much will change in the Pro lineup, including the camera specs, which are rumored to be the same as a year ago. Google could prove us wrong here, of course, but we can only go by what's been leaked ahead of time.

Pixel 10 Pro Fold

close up of the pixel 9 fold pro
We expect the new foldable Pixel to look a lot like the old one, pictured here. Credit: Josh Edelson / AFP via Getty Images

Last year's Pixel 9 Pro Fold was my favorite foldable yet. However, Samsung brought the heat with the Galaxy Fold 7 in July, so the competition is a little stiffer this year. (We should also get a foldable iPhone in the near future.)

It doesn't seem like there will be major design changes to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which might be disappointing for those who wished for something as razor-thin as the new Galaxy Fold 7. It'll have three rear camera lenses, just as it did a year ago, though the specs are rumored to be very similar to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Google is said to have bumped the battery size up to at least 5,000mAh, which should hopefully give it some more endurance, as that's been a regular complaint from Pixel users.

The two biggest rumored changes are less flashy, but not any less important than big, sweeping design overhauls would be. For starters, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold might be the first foldable with a full IP68 waterproof rating. Beyond that, Google is apparently dropping the starting price by $200, down to $1,600. It's still expensive, but that would make it cheaper than the competition.

Lastly, solid leaks point to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold weighing more than its predecessor, which could be explained by the presence of magnets. That would make the new Pixel foldable fully compatible with the Qi 2 wireless charging standard.

Unfortunately, some rumors say this phone won't be released until October. We'll find out soon enough.

Pixel Watch 4

Much of what we know about the Pixel Watch 4 seems to be based on leaked renders from back in April, courtesy of OnLeaks.

Judging from the renders (which are not official, of course), the new Pixel Watch could have thinner bezels while sharing the same rounded look as before. It also appears to lack traditional charging pins, which means Google may be emphasizing wireless charging this time around. There's also the possibility of new buttons on the unit itself, though we have no idea what they would be for at this time, if they even exist.

As usual, the most important changes to the Pixel Watch 4 will largely involve what it can do in terms of health tracking, and it's hard to get an idea of any of those features based purely on leaked renders.

Finally, the latest rumors point to improvements in battery life and brightness with the Pixel Watch 4, which will be running Wear OS 6. Per leaker Evan Blass, the Pixel Watch 4 will be a whopping 1,000 nits brighter than its predecessor, with 3,000 nits compared to the Pixel Watch 3's 2,000.

We'll wait until after the launch to decide if it's a worthy alternative to Samsung's Galaxy Watch 8.

Pixel Buds 2a

If you hated how vague the Pixel Watch 4 section was, you might want to scroll past this part.

Earlier this year, leaker Arsene Lupin published a list of possible colors for the device on X. And according to a more recent leak on X from Evan Blass, the new Pixel Buds 2a will only come in two colors — a lilac and classic black. According to that same leak, the new Pixel Buds will offer active noise cancellation (duh) and 7 hours of battery life. They will potentially lack the "Silent Seal" of the Pixel Buds Pro, which offers improved noise cancellation.

Anything else?

As always, leave some room in your mind for surprises. While Made by Google will almost certainly focus on the products listed above, there could be other teases, too.

Namely, Google could follow up on two of its biggest teases from Google I/O earlier this year. The company debuted a new pair of XR smart glasses at the event, and we could hear more about those at Made by Google. Google also gave time for Samsung's Project Moohan headset at I/O, and it was weirdly absent from Samsung's Unpacked event last week. Could we see more of Moohan at Made by Google? Maybe, but I wouldn't call it a certainty.

All will be revealed soon...



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Nelly Korda of the United States tees off on the 17th hole during the third round of the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open 2025

As it turns out, she’s just not that into you. Not because of who you are — but because she doesn’t exist.

That’s the grim reality facing women in professional golf right now. As The Athletic reports in its “Stalking in Sports” series, LPGA athletes are increasingly being impersonated in catfishing scams that prey on older men, leaving players to deal with the fallout — harassment at tournaments, threats at home, and genuine fear for their safety.

The scam itself is nothing new: fake accounts posing as women golfers on Instagram lure men, often in their 60s or 70s, into private messaging apps like Telegram. Soon, the scammers are convincing them to send money in the form of crypto or gift cards in exchange for promises of VIP tournament access or even private dinners. LPGA athletes have been sounding the alarm about catfishing since at least 2022, but The Athletic's investigation reveals just how widespread the problem has become in women's golf. Multiple golfers have been forced to post public warnings about fake accounts.

And the consequences are no longer confined to lost money. The Athletic reports that a Pennsylvania man in his 70s sent $70,000 to a scammer he believed was 22-year-old LPGA star Rose Zhang, before showing up at her tournament expecting hotel reservations and VIP passes. One man was in the process of selling his home to a scammer, and in an even more chilling incident, a man who lost $50,000 to an account impersonating golf influencer Hailey Ostrom appeared at her home, the report details.

It’s the same tired playbook as other pig butchering and romance scams built on celebrity and perceived wealth, but for LPGA athletes, the stakes are far higher. It’s not just reputational damage or financial exploitation — it’s disgruntled men arriving in real life, angry about a relationship that never existed.

The AI of it all

What makes these LPGA scams even more chilling is the use of deepfake AI to sell the lie. As part of its investigation, The Athletic created a fake account named “Rodney” to interact with one of the scammers. When “Rodney” pushed back on the impersonator posing as two-time major champion Nelly Korda, the scammer escalated — sending an AI-altered video of Korda speaking directly to “Rodney” by name.

The use of AI-generated images and videos to lend credibility to scams is becoming disturbingly common. We’ve covered similar incidents before, including cases where an OnlyFans model’s public photos were digitally altered and used to deceive users on Reddit. The ease of spinning up new fake accounts on dating apps and social platforms only makes the problem worse.

“The current U.S. laws on the use of another person’s likeness are, at best, outdated and were not designed for the age of generative AI,” UC Berkeley professor Hany Farid told Mashable earlier this year. Farid also said that with just "20 seconds of a person’s voice and a single photograph of them," scammers can easily create convincing deepfake videos.

Tracing these scams is nearly impossible, since they rarely originate in the U.S. According to the Global Anti-Scam Org, many operate out of compounds in South Asia and are fueled by organized crime and human trafficking networks. Meanwhile, the FBI is already overwhelmed with identity theft cases. Unless the fraud crosses a certain financial threshold, the agency often won’t intervene, a source told The Athletic. That leaves athletes and their fans to face the fallout largely on their own.



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An external portable SSD drive connected to a laptop on a white background

Word is circulating around the Internet that the latest Windows 11 update may be causing some potentially serious problems for SSD owners. More specifically, some users in Japan have reported that their SSDs were corrupted, making it impossible to read files or even mount the drive properly. Users also reported losing out on SMART features, which allow SSDs to self-monitor and report issues. 

The update in question is KB5063878, which Microsoft launched to the public on Aug. 12. It’s a Windows Secure Boot update that resets certification for devices that are set to expire in June 2026. There doesn’t appear to be anything about the update that might cause concern, but some scattered user reports indicate differently.

Mashable has not been able to independently verify these reports, so at this point, we would classify this news as a rumor.

Per Wccftech (and as spotted by Tech Radar), users began reporting the issue on social media in the days following the update.

Here’s what they reported: The user writes a large amount of data to the drive. Once done, the drive vanishes from the OS, becoming completely inaccessible to the user. After a reboot, Windows is unable to read the partition, and the drive’s SMART features become inaccessible. According to Japanese PC enthusiast Necoru_cat, there is also a high likelihood of system file corruption. 

In order to cause the issue consistently, Necoru_cat says that a write needs to be approximately 50GB on an SSD that is at least 60 percent full, with some SSDs causing more problems than others. Japanese blog NichePCGamer has compiled a list of potentially problematic SSDs based on user tests, along with links to where they were reported. Users have reported problems with SSD drives from Corsair, Phison, Fikwot, Maxio, and others.

According to Wccftech, it's possible the Windows 11 update caused a bug that “mishandles long sequential writes,” causing the drive to be lost to the OS. 

Should I be concerned?

Yes and no. There are a handful of reports of the update causing SSD problems on X, but the overwhelming majority of these users seem to be in Japan, which may indicate a region-specific issue. We were able to find some additional reports from folks on Reddit, but could not verify their location. 

If the issue were easy to trigger, we’re sure more reports would exist, as the update has already been out for six days. Thus, it doesn’t appear to be a widespread problem, and it’s likely not something you’ll run into with day-to-day use. With that said, we recommend being careful with any large data writes, just in case. 

And if you want to avoid any potential risk, here are some tips to keep your drives safe: 

  1. Back up your data as soon as possible. The bug appears to hit at random, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

  2. If you don’t have KB5063878 installed, pause Windows updates. You can do this by opening Windows Settings, navigating to Windows Update, and the option should be there. Unpause once the next set of Windows updates comes out. 

  3. If you do have KB5063878 installed, leave Windows updates enabled. You’ll want to get the fix as soon as possible. 

Should you run into the issue, collect as much data as you can and report it directly to Microsoft via the Feedback Hub.



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Starlink is displayed on a mobile phone in front of spacex banner

Thousands of people reported an outage with their Starlink internet service, starting around 1:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 18.

The service Down Detector reported a large spike in user error reports at this time, which peaked just before 2 p.m. The majority of these users reported either a "total blackout" of Starlink services or problems with their satellite internet. (Disclosure: Down Detector is owned by Ziff Davis, the same company that owns Mashable.)

Starlink is a satellite internet service, and the company operates the world's largest constellation of satellites, with more than 6,750 satellites in orbit simultaneously. This allows the company to provide high-speed internet to remote locations or regions of the world that lack traditional internet service. The company is a subsidiary of SpaceX, and both companies are owned by Elon Musk.

Starlink suffered a global satellite internet outage in July 2025. The company confirmed the July outage on X; however, as of this writing, the SpaceX and Starlink X accounts have not provided any updates or confirmation related to an outage.

On Down Detector, users across the United States reported problems connecting to the internet, with some users saying the service was quickly restored.

Mashable attempted to contact SpaceX for more information, and we'll update this story if we receive a response.

This is a developing story...



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Wordle game on a smartphone

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A problem.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter S appears twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter I.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

ISSUE.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.



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