A New Garmin Update Will Give You This Popular Feature for Free on the Cirqa Band

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This week Garmin launched the Cirqa, its first screenless smart band, for $199.99. Right out of the gate, Garmin leaned into marketing the Cirqa as a Whoop alternative that does not require a subscription. However, that "subscription-free" promise is already under fire.

Within these first few days of the Cirqa's long-awaited launch, users have begun voicing concerns that some very basic workout features require a Garmin Connect+ subscription—namely, live heart rate displays. Luckily, Garmin has already responded to the outcry, confirming that an update should fix this issue within the next couple of days. Here's what we know so far.

Garmin CIRQA™ Smart Band

at Garmin

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Garmin will roll out Cirqa updates in the next few days

Hands-on testing this week revealed that if you want to see your current heart rate during a workout, you'd need to sign up for a Garmin Connect+ subscription for $6.99 per month. Without paying, you could only see your average heart rate after finishing a workout—not a live reading, which is extremely useful during the exercise itself.

Others have pointed out that the change appears to be a direct response to the backlash the Cirqa received in its first days on the market. When I asked Garmin for comment, a rep told me: "We'll be rolling out live heart rate during activities in the next Garmin Connect Mobile build. This subscription-free feature will be available in the next few days to Cirqa Smart Band customers."

Even still, it's important to note that not all features are available without a subscription. Garmin Connect locks a whole range of advanced features behind a subscription paywall, from Garmin Coach (which can create personalized training plans), to nutrition tracking, meditation, and breathing exercises.

To Garmin's credit, the reversal came fast. Still, Cirqa's entire pitch is built around not needing a monthly fee, so locking something as fundamental as a live heart rate reading behind Connect+ was always going to look bad. It's worth noting that competing screenless trackers like the Polar Loop and Amazfit Helio Strap show it for free, too.

What this means for you

The bigger story here is Garmin's (and other fitness trackers') ominous pattern of paywalling things. With this week's live heart rate outcry, it looks like plenty of Cirqa users instinctively interpreted what could have been a software bug as some sort of corporate ploy. Garmin has spent the last couple of years steadily moving more functionality into Connect+, and each time it does, longtime users brace for the next basic feature to disappear behind that wall.

I asked a rep directly about whether "subscription-free" promises could change down the line. With standard disclaimers about not speaking to any future roadmap, Garmin says it won't suddenly wall off features that are free today. Any future paid tier would be additive, with new features available behind a subscription, rather than existing stuff pulled behind a paywall. None of this is confirmed, but it's a fairly predictable shape a future paywall would take, so I'll be keeping an eye on it for you.

10 Hacks Every AirTag User Should Know

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AirTags can be exceptionally useful trackers. These tiny devices passively beam their locations to any passing iPhone, iPad, or Find My-enabled device, which makes it possible to track items like keys and bags when they go missing. They're not difficult to set up and use: Once they're in place, they're good to go—until their batteries die about a year later.

But while AirTags are simple, there's a lot you can do with them. You can locate missing tags in futuristic ways; use them as NFC tags to run automations with a scan of your iPhone; and you can share their locations with airlines to help locate your luggage when it goes missing. Whether you own one AirTag or many, you need to know about these 10 hacks to make the most of your trackers.

AirTag 2nd-Generation (4-Pack)

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$89.00 at Amazon

$99.00 Save $10.00

Use your Apple Watch to find your AirTags

AirTags are meant to find things you've lost, but there are many ways to find them. You can use Precision Finding on your iPhone to see guided directions to your missing AirTag, assuming it's within Bluetooth range. However, if you have the right kind of Apple Watch and the right kind of AirTag, you can use your watch to track down your tracker via Precision Finding, too.

To use Precision Finding, you need an Apple Watch Series 9 or newer, or an Ultra 2 or newer, as well as a second-generation AirTag. To set it up, open Control Center on your watch, then scroll to the bottom and choose "Edit." Here, tap (+), choose "Find Items," then choose "Find AirTag." Tap Choose, then tap an item from your existing AirTags. Tap "Done." Now, you're set to find that item in the future. When you need to, return to Control Center, then tap the "Find AirTag" button. If the AirTag is somewhere within range, you'll see guided directions on your Apple Watch.

Ask Siri where your AirTag is to quickly locate it

Depending on your situation, your fastest location method might be via Siri. If you're sure the AirTag you're missing is nearby, just pull out your iPhone (or your Apple Watch) and ask Siri where your item is. (e.g. "Hey Siri, where is my backpack?" or "Where are my keys?" Siri will "think" for a moment, and, if it can find them, will start pinging your AirTag, so you can follow the sound to locate them.

Whitelist locations to cut down on “left behind” alerts

Apple's "Left Behind" alerts can be useful. If you leave your house without your keys, for example, you might appreciate that notification letting you know. But if you have an AirTag in something you don't take with you every day—perhaps a suitcase or a backpack—you don't need your iPhone buzzing every time you step out your door. Then again, should you leave your hotel room without your suitcase, you may want that heads up before hopping in the Uber to the airport.

As such, you should whitelist specific locations where your AirTags can stay behind without triggering one of these alerts. That way, you can keep the notifications on in general, but spare your sanity whenever leaving items behind in a known location. Your iPhone may even do this for you automatically, depending on the locations it thinks you don't need the alerts from. However, you can add or remove any locations manually to your liking.

To set this up, open Find My on your iPhone, tap "Items," then choose the AirTag you want to adjust settings for. Here, scroll down, then choose "Notify When Left Behind." If the feature isn't on, enable it, then look down to "Notify me, except at:" Here, you can remove any automatically added locations, or add new ones by hitting "New Location."

Use this hack to make AirTags easier to open

When your AirTags' batteries are low (or, let's face it, dead), you can replace them yourself—assuming you bought the proper batteries. But they're not the easiest to open up: You have to press down on the silver back of your AirTag and rotate it counterclockwise until the cover comes loose. If you're having trouble getting it to work, you're not alone. But there's a simple hack to make it a bit easier.

I stumbled upon this via MacGeekGab on YouTube. The idea is, take a small amount of tape on the back, then use that as a grip to help with the twist. MacGeekGab also recommends using rubber thimbles, like the kind you use to count money, to achieve the same effect. The next time your AirTag's battery bites the dust, give this trick a shot.

Share AirTags with your airline to find your lost luggage

AirTags are great for luggage: You can pop one in your bag and track it down if it goes missing or gets left behind. That includes if your airline loses your bag. Not only can you show them the Find My app on your iPhone, but you can share your AirTag with your airline directly, so they can help pinpoint its location.

To do so, head to the "Items" tab in Find My, then tap the AirTag for the missing luggage. Under "Lost AirTag," tap "Share Item Location." (This will only work if the AirTag is not within range.) From here, you can follow the on-screen instructions to share the AirTag with your airline, and hope that they'll be able to find it on their end.

Share your AirTag with others to keep tabs on important items

In a similar vein, you can share your AirTag with a contact. That way, not only can they keep tabs on the AirTag's location, they won't receive tracking notifications for the item. (In other words, their iPhone won't assume your AirTag is silently tracking them, and will not alert them as such.) To share an AirTag, open it in your Find My app, then, under "Share AirTag," choose "Add Person." Tap "Continue," then choose a contact or contacts to share your AirTag with. When finished, tap the check mark in the top right.

Use an AirTag as an NFC tag

Your AirTag isn't just a tracker; it's also an NFC tag. This technology is what makes tap-to-pay work: You wave your iPhone over the tag, which triggers some pre-planned action. In this case, you can set up your AirTag to run any automation you want in Apple Shortcuts. For example, this Redditor uses it to remind themselves to take their medication; if they don't scan their AirTag, which they've stuck underneath the lid of their medication bottle, they'll receive a reminder.

To start setting up your AirTag as an NFC tag, open Shortcuts on your iPhone, then choose the "Automations" tab. Here, tap the (+) in the top right, then scroll down and choose "NFC." Tap "NFC Tag — Scan," then wave your iPhone over your AirTag. This can be a bit tricky, just as it can be difficult to get tap-to-pay to work. But I've found pointing the top of my iPhone at the AirTag to work best. Once it takes, name the tag whatever you want, then hit "OK." From here, the world is your oyster; you can choose any app or shortcut to run when you scan your AirTag.

Tap your iPhone against an AirTag to find its owner's info

As it happens, your AirTag has a default NFC function as-is: to pull up the contact info for an owner's AirTag after it goes missing. As such, you could be on both sides of this problem. If your AirTag goes missing, you should activate Lost Mode so that someone can scan it with their iPhone. But if you find one in the wild, you shouldn't just pick it up and ask if it belongs to anyone nearby. You can tap it with your iPhone like you would when paying at a POS, and, if it's in Lost Mode, you should see the owner's info.

To set this up on your end, open the AirTag in your Find My app, then, under Lost Mode, choose "Show Contact Info." Tap "Continue," then follow the on-screen prompts. (Again, this only works if your AirTag is not with you.)

Perform a factory reset if your AirTag is acting up

If your AirTag isn't working properly, but its battery still has plenty of juice left in it, you can try a factory reset to get things working again. This will reset the AirTag to its original settings, which means it will unpair with your Apple Account. As such, not only is it an option if things aren't working as they should, but it's also an easy way to give your AirTag to someone else if you no longer want or need it.

To reset your AirTag, first identify whether it is a first-gen or second-gen AirTag. The instructions are slightly different depending on which you have. You can do so by identifying the serial number on the inside of your AirTag. Once you do, follow Apple's instructions here depending on your AirTag generation.

Remove the battery to extend its life when your item sits idle

AirTags are designed to run for about a year before their batteries die. That's not a bad battery life for a piece of tech. However, not all AirTags are used the same. While the AirTag on your keys is used all the time, the one in your suitcase might not be. If you only take your luggage out every few months or so, your AirTag is slowly burning through a battery it doesn't actually need to be using.

Unfortunately, you can't put an AirTag into standby mode, or enable something like a Low Power Mode. Instead, consider removing the battery for any AirTags that aren't frequent fliers. That's what YouTuber HotshotTek does with his, and, in fact, tapes the battery to the front of their AirTag to keep it ready to go when they need it.

Here's What's New in the iOS 27 and MacOS 27 Second Public Betas

Apple just released the second public betas of both iOS 27 and macOS 27—only a week after the launch of public beta 1—so anyone signed up for the beta program can now test the latest public version of the software on their compatible iPhones and Macs.

The biggest features coming to iOS 27 and macOS 27 are related to Siri AI, Apple Intelligence tools, and Liquid Glass customizations, as well as performance upgrades; so if you don't want to wait until the full release in the fall to try these out, you can install the public betas as they become available.

iOS 27 and macOS 27 public beta 2 updates

Last week, Apple released iOS 27 and macOS beta 4 for developers, which 9to5Mac notes are the same build as public beta 2. While the macOS 27 update seems to be mostly bug fixes and small improvements to performance and stability, the latest developer release for iOS 27 did introduce some more substantive changes.

For example, Siri has several additional voice options, and there's a new splash screen for Siri AI that explains its features when users open it for the first time. There's an adaptive mode slider for AirPods Pro in the Control Center, and the TV app will automatically download upcoming episodes for shows you are watching and remove downloads to manage storage space. You can also adjust how much text is previewed in chat lists, and "Zoom Photos to Fill" allows images to automatically fill your device's display.

How to try the iOS 27 and macOS 27 public betas

Anyone with a compatible device can try Apple's public betas—you'll just need to enroll your Apple Account in Apple's beta program. We've covered the process for both iOS 27 and macOS 27, including which devices can run the update and the potential risks involved with installing a public beta. While public betas are typically safer than developer betas, they're not perfect, and it's always possible that bugs will slip through. At the very least, you'll want to make sure you have a backup of your data, just in case.

10 Shows Like 'Gilmore Girls' You Should Watch Next

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A cozy, nearly idyllic small town full of an ensemble of quirky characters, grounded in the loving but frequently spiky relationship between single mom Lorelei (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel). I doubt that Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino was trying to create a formula, but there are elements here that other creators have tried to recapture for a couple of decades now, to greater and lesser effect. The sharp, fast-paced dialogue, chemistry, and complex relationship between mother and daughter balance the charming, cutesy appeal of the Stars Hollow setting. At its best, the show balances its coziness with a sharp wit that keeps it from ever feeling cloying—as is the case with all of these shows that put complicated women in the lead.

Jane the Virgin (2014 – 2019)

Wild setup here in this telenovela-inspired romcom, but that's part of the fun. Gina Rodriguez is the title's Jane Gloriana Villanueva, a religious-ish waitress with dreams of becoming a romance novelist. She'd promised her grandmother that she'd maintain her virginity until marriage, a vow thoroughly complicated when she's artificially inseminated by mistake. The show has fun blending wild, telenovela-inspired, plot twists with more grounded character relationships, including among the three generations of women at the show's heart. Creator Jennie Snyder Urman was a co-producer on Gilmore Girls, and much of that influence is felt here, including in the ways that the show makes Miami feel like a small town. Buy Jane the Virgin from Prime Video.

Jane the Virgin (2014 – 2019)

at Prime Video

at Prime Video

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Derry Girls (2018 – 2022)

A legitimate sitcom that just happens to be set in Northern Ireland during the violent Troubles of the 1990s, when clashes between nationalists and unionists frequently resulted in violence. It’s a fascinating contrast, brought to life by a writer and creator (Lisa McGee) who lived it. It’s also laugh-out-loud funny—though doesn’t make any allowances for audiences unaccustomed to Irish accents, so don’t feel bad if you need subtitles until you get the hang of it. Erin, Orla, Clare, and Michelle are joined by James, the only male student at their Catholic girls' school, dealing with normal growing-up stuff in absurd times. This world is a far cry from that of Stars Hollow, but there's the feel of a tight-knit community of quick-talking, quick-witted women (and one boy!) that strongly connects both shows. Stream Derry Girls on Netflix.

Derry Girls (2018 – 2022)

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at Netflix

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The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017 – 2023)

Amy Sherman-Palladino followed up Gilmore Girls in a big way with Mrs. Maisel, one of Prime’s first and buzziest original series. It's a comedy-drama about the title’s Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan), a New York housewife of the late 1950s who discovers a talent for stand-up comedy. Inspired by the real-life careers of comedians like Totie Fields and Joan Rivers, the show is both warm and funny, with great performances and dialogue; it also achieves something rare in being a show about comedy that’s actually funny. Mrs. Maisel and her '50s New York milieu are far from Stars Hollow, but there's a similar wit and quippiness to the dialogue, albeit with references that are more appropriately tailored to the era. And, as with Lorelei, our lead is a funny, complicated woman who's not afraid to dream (and mess up) big. Stream The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime Video.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017 – 2023)

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at Prime Video

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Ginny & Georgia (2021 – )

There's a moment in the first episode of this show when single mom Georgia describes herself and daughter Ginny as "...like the Gilmore Girls, but with bigger boobs!" So there you have it. Brianne Howey plays Georgia, who became a mom at 15 and who's been fleeing for much of that time, escaping from more than one abusive relationship and going to whatever lengths have been necessary (including possibly murder) in order to protect her two kids. As Ginny (Antonia Gentry) comes of age, she's forced to come to terms with her mom's actions (Ginny generally gets bits of backstory alongside us, the audience) and to try to understand the reasons behind them. Their relationship is close, but also complicated and sometimes antagonistic. Stream Ginny & Georgia on Netflix.

Ginny & Georgia (2021 – )

at Netflix

at Netflix

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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015 – 2019)

Inexplicably underrated, the sitcom Crazy Ex-Girlfriend staged wildly ambitious, and consistently hilarious, musical numbers throughout its four season run. The show stars Rachel Bloom as Rebecca Bunch, a a Yale- and Harvard-educated lawyer who works for a major NYC firm, and who throws it all away to chase a crush from her teenage years to a small town in California. Most impressively, the show dives into real-life issues around mental illness and treatment with humor, but also genuine compassion and frankness, doing a way better job than most other shows. The connective thread here is a lead, like Lorelei, who gets to be a believable, fully realized character while making some very, very questionable decisions on her way toward a more authentic life. Buy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on Prime Video.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015 – 2019)

at Prime Video

at Prime Video

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Étoile (2025)

Amy Sherman-Palladino and David Palladino returned to TV, and to the ballet world (following Bunheads), for this series about two world-renowned ballet companies (one in NYC and one in Paris) that decide to spice things up by swapping their most talented dancers. Each company is on the brink of financial disaster, and so Jack McMillan (Luke Kirby), director of the Metropolitan Ballet, and Geneviève Lavigne (Charlotte Gainsbourg), director of of Le Ballet National, come up with the plan, and recruit an eccentric billionaire (Simon Callow) to pay for it. Much of the comedy comes from the mismatched natures of their swapped dancers, and there's a tangible love of ballet that keeps things light, despite the fancy title. Stream Étoile on Prime Video.

Étoile (2025)

at Prime Video

at Prime Video

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Hart of Dixie (2011 – 2015)

A little more schmaltzy than Gilmore Girls, perhaps, but if you're in the market for some more Gilmore-esque cutesy/quirky/townie vibes, then this one will fit the bill, all the more so because it's kinda the same town. Rachel Bilson plays Zoe Hart, who moves from New York to the small town of Bluebell, Alabama, to take over part of her father's medical practice—she didn't have much choice, given that her poor bedside manner made her virtually unemployable. So now she has to rebuild a life among three generations of family in a town full of eccentrics who love to hold festivals and hang out at the gazebo—the exit same gazebo from Stars Hollow, it happens, as both shows were filmed on the same Warner Bros. lot, making Bluebell a very good vibe match. Stream Hart of Dixie on Prime Video.

Hart of Dixie (2011 – 2015)

at Prime Video

at Prime Video

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Parenthood (2010 – 2015)

Following Gilmore Girls, Lauren Graham traded in her role as single mother Lorelei for the role of single mother Sarah, at the head of a large intergenerational ensemble. Craig T. Nelson plays the Braverman family patriarch with Graham, Peter Krause, Dax Shepard, and Erika Christensen as the four kids with families of their own. As with Gilmore, the comedy-drama revels in its distinctive characters and (relatively) low stakes. Stream Parenthood on Paramount+.

Parenthood (2010 – 2015)

at Paramount+

at Paramount+

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The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022 – 2025)

The emphasis here is less on a mother-daughter relationship than in most of these other shows, but Summer still feels like a bit of a match for Gilmore Girls in its universe of flawed and quirky characters. Adapted from the trilogy of YA bestsellers by Jenny Han, this series focuses on the coming-of-age of teenager Belly Conklin (Lola Tung), who is 16 as the series starts. Belly and her family spend every summer at Cousins Beach with the Fisher family, a tradition that's all well and good until she starts to develop a romantic attraction for first one Fisher brother (Christopher Briney), then the other (Gavin Casalegno), planting the seeds for a love triangle that unfolds over the course of several summers, and that sees Belly grow into young adulthood to a soundtrack made up largely of Taylor Swift tunes. They're not identical, but Belly feels a bit like an updated take on Rory, and Cousins Beach has cozy Stars Hollow vibes. The three-season run is over, but there's a continuation movie on the way. Stream The Summer I Turned Pretty on Prime Video.

The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022 – 2025)

at Prime Video

at Prime Video

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The Café (2011 – 2013)

An intergenerational trio of women with quippy, fast-paced dialogue in a sleepy community full of quirky characters? Let's head off to the town of to the seaside town of Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, England, where Londoner Sara (Michelle Terry) has returned home following job and romantic disappointments. She helps her mom, Carol (Ellie Haddington), to run the little café that she owns, while mom's just hoping to get her married off and grandma Mary (June Ellis) is full of stories that people only occasionally want to hear. It's dry in that British way and as cozy as they come, as long as you don't mind a more leisurely pace. While only running for two seasons, the show wraps up nicely. Stream The Café on Peacock and Britbox.

The Café (2011 – 2013)

at Peacock

at Peacock

Google Is Rolling Out a Video-Selfie Option If You Get Locked Out of Your Account

Finding yourself locked out of your Google account for whatever reason is a stressful situation to be in—what with all your emails, documents, photos, and other data suddenly out of bounds—but there's now a new way to prove your identity and regain access: a simple selfie video.

It's always wise to have multiple sign-in methods set up, beyond the basic password and email address, as each additional one gives you a better chance of getting your account back if something goes wrong. The recovery contacts feature is a good example, where Google uses verified, trusted contacts of yours to prove your identity.

Now you can also use a selfie video. By following this link you can see if the feature is live for your account, and record your selfie via a webcam or phone camera. If you're having trouble logging in, you'll be able to record a new selfie, which will be compared against the original saved in your account.

At the moment, the selfie video option for my account isn't available, so I couldn't test it out. It seems this will be rolled out gradually to users, though Google hasn't said anything specific about availability or a schedule—just that users can now check if their account is eligible.

"Your selfie video is yours and you're in control," says Google in its announcement blog post. "It is recorded and securely stored with your consent, and you can delete it at any time in your Google Account. It's used only for helping you sign in, unless you opt to share it for additional purposes. Your selfie video is encrypted at rest, meaning it's securely stored even when it's not being used."

Those "additional purposes" mean that Google will use your "video and related data to help ongoing efforts to develop and improve facial recognition, age estimation, and other verification methods that may use your physical features or movement" (the specter of age verification looms large again).

There's also the rather obvious issue of deepfakes. Google says there are "multiple layers of security" to guard against fake photos and videos, including getting you to go through several simple movements when recording the selfie—movements that are hard to predict and mimic with a deepfake.

All of the usual Google account checks will be in force too, so (for example) you might find additional security questions pop up if you're suddenly trying to log in from the other side of the world from where your usual login attempts are.

Given the accuracy of technologies like Face ID these days, video selfie sign-in should prove to be a useful backup method of accessing your account. There's nothing extra for you to remember—you just have to bring your face—and it appears at the moment to be difficult to get around.

The Out-of-Touch Adults' Guide to Kid Culture: What Does 'Quiet on the Creek' Mean?

The Out-of-Touch Adults' Guide is your roadmap to what the younger people are up to. This week, discussions of what "quiet on the creek" means, why kids are calling each other "Tylenol babies," and what "corny on the bob, off the bob" means take us into some surprisingly choppy water. Because just like all of us, young people are wrestling with cultural appropriation, questionable health advisories, and issues of race and identity. But they're doing it with memes.

What does "quiet on the creek" mean?

Kids are exhorting one another to be "quiet on the creek" this week, usually in a stage whisper. The phrase's definition should be familiar to any angler: You have to be quiet on the creek so you don't scare the fish away. Extend that a bit and you have a colorful way of saying "keep it on the down low" or "be cool."

But there's a second more more charged meaning of "quiet on the creek." When it originally took off online, clueless people asked "what does it mean?" and the response from many was to not explain it, to gatekeep the definition, first because it was regarded as AAVE and people are understandably tired of AAVE being co-opted, but also because when slang is explained, the fizz disappears and you end up with the verbal equivalent of flat champagne.

Among those exhorting people to not talk about quiet on the creek is the rapper who popularized the phrase, Saucy Santana. Saucy posted this video exhorting others to be more quiet on the creek about quiet on the creek:

All respect to Santana, but it's not hard to suss out the definition of "quiet on the creek" if your dad ever took you fishing. I understand the impulse to protect slang from being watered down, but the internet is relentless: Once a phrase goes viral, no matter where it came from, the original context is stripped away, and people are going to say what they say, regardless of the politics behind it. Anyway, you should check out Santana's song and support their career because they are good at this shizz.

Controversy aside, the phrase has become popular enough that it's being used in a ton of online videos of people in movies and TV being quiet on the creek, like this:

and this:

What's up with the controversial "that's just the way it is" videos?

Since we're on the subject of over-exposure watering down Black people's slang and culture online, let's talk about the strange case of "That's Just the Way It Is." Early in the week, the hashtag thatsjustthewayitis was combined with the chorus of Tupac's "Changes" and used to comment on racism in videos like these:

Soon after "that's just the way it is" took off, people predicted how it would be coopted, posting videos like these that are basically parodies of how white people would make the meme about them, substituting legit concerns for mistaken Starbucks orders and whatnot:

Depressingly, this kind of co-optation happens all the time, but in this case, I'm having trouble finding many actual examples of videos of the phrase/meme being co-opted by white people. There are a few out there, but they seem to be getting way fewer views than the commentary on them.

I have no doubt this phrase would have been more widely misunderstood and misused as it became more popular, but there doesn't seem to have been enough time. So the "that's just the way it is" meme has become about the predictable adoption of Black culture, while skipping "the middleman" of the actual co-opting, almost like a preemptive defense against cultural gentrification. And that's without even mentioning that Tupac's song is built around the chorus to Bruce Hornsby's "The Way it is," which is one of whitest songs ever.

What is a "Tylenol baby"?

In September 2025, President Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held a press conference announcing a scientifically dubious link between the use of acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) by pregnant women and autism. Kids immediately weaponized "Tylenol baby" and have used it ever since to roast their pals.

Middle schoolers tend to care more about finding new ways to insult each other than they do about FDA research, so the phrase generally isn't meant to suggest anyone actually has autism. It's a way for people who don't know any better (yet, hopefully) to use the societal stigma of autism to say, "you're a dope" or "you're acting foolish."

Viral video of the week: Corny on the Bob

The final slang phrase in this week's dive into youth and race relations is "corny on the bob," it means "corn on the cob," and has not been co-opted or stolen from AAVE, nor does it insult anyone with a disability. Instead, it's a catchphrase of Patty Miller, an unexpected online star whose cooking and eating videos regularly rack up millions of views based on her unique personal presentation and her colorful way of pronouncing words. In this video, she shows off the "liver and engines" she made and her "corny on the bob, off the bob."

Look, I wouldn't eat that slop with your mouth, but that doesn't mean I don't have a place in my heart for the internet's new meemaw.

Samsung Just Announced Five New Products at Galaxy Unpacked

Samsung's July Unpacked event is officially underway. Unlike its February event, which focused on Samsung's flagship smartphones, this event highlights the company's new foldables and smartwatches. As it happens, Samsung announced a total of five new products today, including one new Galaxy Z Flip, two new Galaxy Z Folds, and two new Galaxy watches. Here's everything the company revealed today at Unpacked:

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 introduces a new form factor

Credit: Sachin Bahal

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a new form factor this year. Instead of the usual tall book-style folding phone (which is now the Fold 8 Ultra), this foldable has a wider design that makes it feel like you're holding a small tablet when unfolded. The Z Fold 8 is just 9.7mm thick when folded and 4.5mm thick when unfolded. The phone is fairly light, and weighs 7.09 ounces (201g); for comparison, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is 7.54 ounces (214g). It's also IP48 water and dust-resistant.

The Z Fold 8 opens up into a 7.6-inch display, while the cover screen is 5.5 inches. Both displays use Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology, similar to the Galaxy S26 series. Powering the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 for Galaxy chip with 12GB or 16GB of RAM depending on storage capacity. Storage options include 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The battery in the Z Fold 8 is 4,800 mAh, which supports 45W Super Fast Wired charging and 20W wireless charging.

Unfortunately, the Fold 8 does not support Qi2, a faster wireless charging standard than Qi. There is a workaround, however, if you buy one of Samsung's official cases with Qi2 magnets built in. On top of that, just like the Fold 7, the Fold 8 has no S Pen support. For cameras, the Z Fold 8 has a dual-lens setup with a 50MP primary wide lens and a 50MP Ultra Wide lens. The front-facing cameras are 10MP.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 will be available in a few colors including Lavender, Graphite, and Cream. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is available to order today from Samsung's website.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra succeeds the Z Fold 7

Credit: Sachin Bahal

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is Samsung's successor to the Z Fold 7. Samsung made this foldable even thinner than before: It's now 4.1mm when unfolded, though it's still 8.9mm thick when folded up. The Z Fold 8 Ultra is also a tad lighter at 7.58 ounces (215g) compared to the Fold 7's 7.62 ounces (216g).

The Z Fold 8 Ultra has an 8-inch main folding screen and 6.5-inch cover screen, both of which are Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays. The phone is also IP48 water and dust-resistant. Like the Z Fold 8, the Z Fold 8 Ultra comes with the Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 for Galaxy chip with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM. Similarly, you can choose from 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB models. The battery gets a bump this year, as it is now 5,000 mAh and supports both 45W Super Fast Wired charging and 25W wireless charging. Like the Fold 8, the Z Fold 8 Ultra also does not support Qi2, unless you buy an official Samsung case with magnets built in. It also doesn't support the S Pen.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra retains the 200MP wide lens and 10MP telephoto from the Fold 7, but the Ultra Wide gets upgraded to 50MP. Both selfie cameras are 10MP, so not much changes there. You can get your Z Fold 8 Ultra in a few colors, including Violet Shadow, Graphite, and Cream. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is available to order today from Samsung's website.

Samsung keeps things mostly the same with the Galaxy Z Flip 8

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If you're into compact foldables, there's the Galaxy Z Flip 8, which gets some minor updates from last year's model. Samsung flipped back to a Qualcomm chip this year, as the Z Flip 8 also gets the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip with 12GB of RAM.

The screens on the Galaxy Z Flip 8 haven't changed; the FlexWindow cover screen is still 4.1 inches, but Samsung did reduce the bezels around the display. Samsung also added support for 16 different apps you can use on the FlexWindow, so you can check in with them without opening up the phone.

Samsung didn't change the battery here, shipping the same 4,300 mAh unit as last year. The Z Flip 8 supports 25W wired and 15W wireless charging, and is IP48-rated for water and dust resistance. For cameras, there's a 50MP primary wide lens, a 12MP Ultra Wide, and a 10MP selfie camera. Storage options are limited to 256GB and 512GB. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is available to order today from Samsung's website.

Samsung introduces the Galaxy Watch 9 series

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Alongside the new foldables, Samsung also unveiled the Galaxy Watch 9 series. The Galaxy Watch 9 comes in two sizes: a 40mm model with a 1.3-inch screen, and a 44mm model with a 1.5-inch screen. Each has a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.

Powering the watches is the Qualcomm SW6100 chip with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The watches are IP68 water and dust-resistant and can withstand 5ATM (five atmospheres of pressure). The smaller model comes with a 390 mAh battery, while the larger has a 445 mAh battery, and both models support fast charging. The 40mm comes in Cream and Graphite colors, and the 44mm will be available in Silver and Graphite. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 series is available to order today from Samsung's website

Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is here

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If you're looking for a bit more from your smartwatch, there's the new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. This device has a 1.52-inch display with a peak brightness of 5000 nits. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has a rating of IP69K, and can survive up to 10ATM. Samsung says it can be used for ocean swimming and diving. Powering the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is the Qualcomm SW6100 chip with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The watch features an 800 mAh battery with fast charging support. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is available to order today from Samsung's website.