A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
Atmosphere at the Comic-Con International 2026 Preview Day at the San Diego Convention Center on July 22, 2026 in San Diego, California

Comic-Con International: San Diego has always been a barometer for where the entertainment industry is placing its biggest bets, and this year's lineup made that clearer than ever. Over the course of a single weekend, Marvel Studios, Prime Video, Apple TV, and AMC all used the convention floor to unveil casting reveals and first-look footage for some of their most closely watched projects, spanning superhero blockbusters, prestige sci-fi, and small-screen horror alike.

Long-simmering rumors finally became official announcements, decades-old franchises got new leads and new timelines, and fans packed into panels for a glimpse of what's coming to theaters and streaming over the next two years.

Here's a rundown of the biggest reveals to come out of Comic-Con 2026.

MCU's Ghost Rider

Ryan Gosling in red shirt standing under Ghost Rider logo
Credit: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

Ryan Gosling was confirmed as Johnny Blaze in a new Ghost Rider film directed by Shawn Levy, ending years of speculation about the actor joining the MCU. This film is set to release in 2028.

Black Panther 3 release date reveal

David Jonsson is announced as the new Black Panther at the Marvel Studios panel at the 2026 Comic-Con
Credit: Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images

The same Marvel panel brought news of another long-rumored casting: David Jonsson was announced as the new Black Panther, playing the son of Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, in a film directed by Ryan Coogler and set for release on December 15, 2028.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Season 3's trailer teased Sauron's completion of the One Ring and the outbreak of full-scale war across Middle-earth. New cast additions include Simon Pegg voicing the Balrog, Eddie Marsan as Dwarven royal Thrain, and Andrew Richardson as the future King of Gondor, Anárion. Season 3 premieres November 11.

Blade Runner 2099

Prime Video debuted the first trailer for its Blade Runner series, set decades after Blade Runner 2049. Michelle Yeoh stars as Olwen, a replicant confronting the end of her life, opposite Hunter Schafer as a human fugitive on the run from Blade Runners. Ridley Scott executive produces, with Silka Luisa serving as showrunner. The series arrives November 25.

Carrie

Mike Flanagan's Carrie series got its first trailer, dragging Stephen King's telekinetic teen into the smartphone era ahead of an October 7 premiere on Prime Video. The eight-episode miniseries follows Carrie White as she endures bullying at school and abuse at home from her fanatically religious mother, Margaret — all while discovering she has telekinetic powers.

Summer H. Howell leads the new cast as Carrie White, alongside Samantha Sloyan as Margaret, Siena Agudong as Sue Snell, and Matthew Lillard as Principal Grayle, with Alison Thornton, Thalia Dudek, Amber Midthunder, Josie Totah, Arthur Conti, and Joel Oulette rounding out the ensemble.

Yaga

AMC+ and Crave released a teaser for this Canadian supernatural mystery series, starring Noah Reid as a detective investigating the disappearance of Henry Park, an heir to a commercial fishery, in a small coastal town. Park is played by Hudson Williams, known to fans of the queer romance series Heated Rivalry.

The cast also includes Carrie-Anne Moss and Clark Backo, with the series created by Kat Sandler based on her own 2019 stage play of the same name.

Neuromancer

Apple TV entered the fray outside Marvel and Prime's orbit, releasing its first trailer for an adaptation of William Gibson's cyberpunk classic, starring Callum Turner as hacker Case.

This article will continue to be updated....



from Mashable https://ift.tt/lYjdktT
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
Wordle game on a smartphone

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a healthy eater.

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 tiny fruit.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter G.

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...

GRAPE

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.



from Mashable https://ift.tt/Kc18DSj
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
AFF logo appearing through microscope on phone

There's always an anxiety around signing up for a new dating site, particularly one of the spicier variety like AdultFriendFinder. Signing up for any paid-for service leaves a digital paper trail — one that could be pretty embarrassing if it involves sex, kinks, and hookups. This kind of thing is personal, and everyone deserves their privacy when it comes to online fun.

There are lots of reasons to feel cagey about the digital paper trail. For starters, you could be married or in a relationship. Or perhaps you and your ex haven’t got round to dividing your financial lives yet. Maybe you just don’t like the idea of your bank teller or financial advisor knowing what you get up to online, which is totally fair enough. Whatever the reason, it’s your prerogative — and it's your right to keep it all hush-hush.

It's perfectly natural to worry about what your dating app subscription will look like on your bank statement, especially if that subscription service contains loaded words such as “adult” — folks can be super judgy and conservative about this kind of thing.

Thankfully, AdultFriendFinder has anticipated this exact issue. So, if you do decide to upgrade from a free membership to a paid one — whether you opt for their Gold or VIP subscription tiers, which boast their own features and benefits — your monthly billing statement will only show up as FFNHelp.com*FRIENDF.

It's a relatively cryptic and innocuous name that won’t arouse undue suspicion or unfair judgment (not that you should have to worry about that anyway — what you get up on consenting dating sites is your business).

Be aware that AdultFriendFinder subscriptions default to “auto-renew,” so if you purchase a membership and want to cancel, you’ll need to disable auto-renew. Otherwise, you risk having the mysterious FFNHelp.com*FRIENDF pop up on your statement month after month — and you'll continue paying, of course.

But what if even that isn’t good enough for you?

If you’re super cautious — or super paranoid — you can actually bypass bank statements entirely by paying with a gift card or a cash, check, or money order (available only to users in the U.S.). You can even use an e-wallet option like AirTM. Residents of the UK can opt to pay by SMS. AFF really has thought of everything with this particular issue.

If avoiding a digital paper trail is your top priority and privacy is paramount, you’re much better off using these payment options and not handing over your credit card details in the first place. Whatever you choose, AFF is safeguarding your anonymity.



from Mashable https://ift.tt/osrt2Me
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
Qualcomm logo on phone screen

The general perception of RAMageddon has been, for a while now, that it will get worse before it gets better. Qualcomm is seemingly confirming that.

Bloomberg reported on Friday that the chip maker, whose chips can be found in all of Samsung's new foldables, Windows laptops, and smartwatches, has reportedly told clients to expect a price increase on its products for anything shipped after Sept. 1. The specific size of the price increase is not known at this time, but Bloomberg said it will be a percentage in the double digits, so it's not a small one.

All of this, of course, was attributed to rising memory component costs due to the AI spending spree. AI companies are in the midst of a huge data center construction boom, and the industry requires massive amounts of memory. This phenomenon, commonly called RAMageddon, has contributed to a wave of price increases across the tech industry, and it doesn't show any signs of slowing down.

In our previous reporting on the global memory crisis, experts have told Mashable the situation will likely get worse before it gets better. International Data Corporation research manager Jitesh Ubrani told Mashable earlier this year that relief will likely not happen until at least 2028, and even then, don't expect much.

"The memory supply will remain tight from a device's perspective for the remainder of 2026 and well into 2027," Ubrani told Mashable in May. "We will see some alleviation in 2028, but keep in mind that prices will continue to rise throughout. And even in 2028, assuming this new [memory] capacity comes online and is able to provide some alleviation, we don't see device prices dropping significantly."

In other words: Ouch. Not good.



from Mashable https://ift.tt/M4fQR5p
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
PlayStation logo against white background

In a sea of bad headlines for PlayStation, a big network outage probably isn't going to help.

PS5 owners logged into their consoles on Friday to find that PlayStation Network, the online infrastructure that makes everything from game purchases to online matches work, was experiencing an outage. Multiple sources, both primary and secondary, confirm this, as DownDetector shows a steady stream of complaints starting on Friday morning and continuing into the afternoon. On top of that, PlayStation's own server status page showed that all services were experiencing issues at the time of publication.

screenshot of playstation status page showing outage on july 24
Credit: Screenshot courtesy of PlayStation

Mashable has reached out to Sony for comment and will update this article if we receive a response. As of early Friday afternoon, the PlayStation support account on X had not acknowledged the outage at all.

All of this comes amidst a very, very rough time for PlayStation's public relations.

PS5 consoles recently saw price increases nearly six years after the initial launch, and word is that the next PlayStation console might cost north of $1,000 whenever it launches. If that wasn't bad enough, every single PlayStation social media account has been hounded by angry comments from players who are aghast at Sony's recent decision to stop manufacturing games on physical discs in 2028.

Needless to say, this is not the best time for a major, unexplained network outage.

This is a developing story...



from Mashable https://ift.tt/psNFSBn
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
iphone 17 pro on display at apple park

The iPhone 18 is about to launch, along with the final version of its operating system, iOS 27, most likely in September. But a new report says it may arrive with a feature that lets Apple, and third-party lenders, remotely deactivate phones if customers fall behind on payments.

With the iOS 27 beta now widely available, 9to5Mac found code that would let Apple place delinquent iPhones in "Restricted Mode." This would limit users to a short list of widgets and apps, including the App Store, Clock, Settings, Wallet, and Passwords, according to the report.

In theory, 9to5Mac says the system could work like this: Authorized financing partners who lease iPhones to customers get to perform regular status checks to see if the contract is still valid. If a customer falls behind, Restricted Mode would be activated.

The feature is "unequivocally present" in the iOS 27 beta, according to 9to5Mac — and a future update to iOS 26 could bring this feature to older iPhones as well.

The era of internet-connected "smart" devices has had plenty of benefits for consumers, but as consumer advocates have long warned, it also allows brands to remotely turn off devices.

Why might Apple be testing a tool like this right now? Let's dive in.

the iphone 17e on display
Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

If you've bought any new tech products recently, you've probably noticed: New devices are getting really expensive. Just this month Apple raised prices on a variety of its products. iPhone prices haven't risen just yet, but Tim Cook has prepared the ground for an "unavoidable" iPhone price hike.

Thanks to the ongoing global memory chip crisis known as RAMageddon, new phones now require a serious investment. The new foldable phones released by Samsung this week were preceded by a new Galaxy credit card program.

Apple is believed to be readying a new leasing program of its own. Bloomberg's Apple oracle, Mark Gurman, says Apple will launch the "Apple Upgrade" leasing program later this month.

Gurman calls it "one of the biggest-ever changes to how the company sells" new devices — and says Apple Upgrade will be part of a partnership with the online lender Klarna, giving buyers a lease-to-buy option. iPhone customers who qualify could make monthly payments over two years.

The code discovered by 9to5Mac also reportedly includes another type of locking mechanism called "Partner Finance Lock," which would stop users from trying to resell a financed device.

Clearly, Apple and Klarna can't let customers who miss payments continue to use leased iPhones indefinitely. But it's also an uncomfortable reminder of how much control Big Tech has over our devices.

Mashable reached out to Apple for comment about Restricted Mode; we'll update this story if this famously taciturn tech giant provides new information.



from Mashable https://ift.tt/cOy6qno
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
Percy Jackson holding the sky in

For the first time ever, Percy Jackson and the Olympians book fans will get to the see the events of The Titan's Curse, the third book in Rick Riordan's series, play out in live action.

While the first two seasons of Percy Jackson and the Olympians covered books that had already been adapted into films, The Titan's Curse has yet to come to life onscreen. That changes with Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3, and, based on the teaser released at San Diego Comic Con, the show will be pulling no punches.

The teaser cuts right to the chase with a pivotal moment from late in The Titan's Curse, when Percy (Walker Scobell) shoulders the Titan Atlas' burden of holding up the entire sky. (It is, quite literally, the Titan's Curse.)

"It was my choice to hold the weight. The Titan's Curse," Percy thinks in the teaser. "I knew the risk, but if I needed to sacrifice myself to save the world, to save my friends... Was it really a choice?"

Between the talk of self-sacrifice and Percy's anguished screams, it looks like we're in for a dark season. But don't worry: In an interview with Mashable, Scobell confirmed that we would be getting the fan-favorite dam jokes from the book.

He also confirmed that Season 3 is "even better than I imagined," so the hype is real. Bring on the dam jokes, the Titan's Curse, and the arrival of beloved demigods Bianca and Nico di Angelo (Olive Abercrombie and Levi Chrisopulos) in their live-action debut.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3 premieres Nov. 20 on Disney+.



from Mashable https://ift.tt/WZgFp0S