Connect with us

Entertainment

Disney Saved The Best Kid Movie Of The 80s Stream It For The First Time Ever

By Jonathan Klotz
| Updated

Nearly 40 years after it debuted, The Brave Little Toaster is available to stream on Disney+. For generations, the animated classic was lost media. The last time it was released for home media was in 2003, with a bare-bones DVD release, but before you congratulate Disney on restoring a lost classic, you should know, it’s their fault that it was locked away for decades. In 1987, most kids first came across the film on Disney VHS or on the Disney channel, but it’s not actually a Disney movie. Well it is, but … it gets complicated.

Millennials Can Rejoice: The Brave Little Toaster Is On Streaming

The Brave Little Toaster follows a group of appliances, a toaster, a blanket, a radio, a lamp, and a vacuum cleaner, as they leave a summer cabin to find their young master, Rob, who hasn’t come by in years. Going through forests, down a waterfall, and since it was the 80s, into swampy quicksand, they risk life, limb, and low battery to reach their master. What they don’t know is that it’s been so long that the now college-bound Rob and his girlfriend are trying to find them. 

If it had been made 10 years later, The Brave Little Toaster wouldn’t be as traumatic a story as it is. Other appliances come across as deranged, starting with the air conditioner, voiced by Phil Hartman, that sets itself on fire, and culminating with a repair shop of old, busted appliances. A literal nightmare sequence of the Toaster includes insane clown firefighters and a giant tub of water. Not even the catchy musical numbers can fully offset the deranged nightmare visuals. Even then, it’s a favorite of Millennials for a reason, and you will have to wipe off a tear at the ending. 

Disney Kept The Toaster In The Vault For Decades

Which raises the question, if The Brave Little Toaster is such a great, beloved film, why has Disney kept it trapped in the vault for decades? John Lasseter, the man who helped create Toy Story, wanted to turn the film into the first fully 3D CGI animated feature, over a decade before Buzz and Woody. The pitch was received so well by Disney executives that they fired Lasseter. 

That gave an opening for two Disney employees, Tom Wilhite and Willard Carroll, to take over the film at their new company, Hyperion Pictures. Disney owned the rights to the film, and co-financed it alongside CBS and TDK (an electronics company), with a total budget of only $5.6 million, which was very, very low for a full animated feature. 

Traumatize A New Generation

Disney had the home video and television rights, which is why they purposely moved the Disney Channel debut of the Brave Little Toaster to before its opening weekend in theaters. You think the movie release window is small now in the age of streaming, this was simply unheard of. If Disney wasn’t going to see any money from theaters, it wasn’t going to let anyone get money from a wide release. 

On May 26, 2026, Disney finally released The Brave Little Toaster onto Disney+, and immediately, it landed in the top ten on the service. Those who were raised on Toaster and friends can now share the adventure with their own kids, or, and this is truly painful to type, grandkids. It’s one of the best animated films of the 80s and once you see it, you’ll know exactly where John Lasseter got the idea for Toy Story

The Brave Little Toaster is finally streaming on Disney+.

The sequels have been streaming for years, but we don’t talk about those.


source

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Entertainment

Microsoft Office is finally a one-time purchase, and it’s only $30

TL;DR: Instead of paying for Microsoft 365 every month, get a Microsoft Office lifetime license while they’re on sale for $29.97. Sale ends July 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT.


$29.97

$219.99
Save $190.02

 

You might not want to keep paying for Microsoft 365 anymore. At its absolute cheapest, Microsoft 365 is $99.99 per year, and that’s if you pay for the full year up front, but it’s also not your only option anymore. Instead of paying for the same software year after year, now you can get a lifetime license for Microsoft Office installed directly onto your PC, and it’s only $29.97 (reg. $219.99) on sale.

You don’t have to pay a monthly fee to get the core Microsoft apps anymore.

This version of Microsoft Office comes with

  • Word

  • Excel

  • PowerPoint

  • Outlook

  • Publisher

  • Access

  • OneNote

  • Teams (free version)

Just keep in mind that Microsoft is ending support for Publisher in October, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to use it. It just means it won’t be changing anymore, which may actually be a good thing if you like your apps to look the same tomorrow as they were yesterday.

This license is a little different from Microsoft 365. It doesn’t come with extras like cloud storage, or the new AI integrations, but for many users, that’s actually a good thing. The AI integrations are still being worked out, so sudden updates can totally change your workflow. If you want a simple, reliable set of tools to work with, this is an excellent option for a great price.

Through July 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT, it’s only $29.97 to get a Microsoft Office lifetime license.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

source

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Hands-on with Tiny Vinyls new tiny record player

Table of Contents

The miniature record maker Tiny Vinyl has announced some tiny accessories for its pocket-sized singles, including a new Tiny Vinyl Player ($49.99), crate ($19.99), and display frame ($14.99). The lineup is available exclusively at Target starting today, July 12.

Tiny Vinyl debuted last August as a new way for music lovers to enjoy some of their favorite artists’ singles in physical format. (For my fellow Millennials out there, they’re basically a new take on HitClips.) Each four-inch, fully functional Tiny Vinyl record has one song per side and is numbered, making them highly collectible. The current Tiny Vinyl catalog features releases from several dozen artists, including BTS, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Kid Cudi, Noah Kahan, and Zara Larsson.

In a press release, Tiny Vinyl co-founder Neil Kohler said the company’s new accessories are a direct response to fan requests. Co-founder Jesse Mann added: “These new products give music fans and collectors everything they need to build out their own little Tiny Vinyl universe, a setup as fun and personal as the music they love.”

Hands-on with Tiny Vinyl’s new player and accessories

the tiny vinyl player, crate, and display stand on a white media console

Tiny Viny’s new accessories range in price from $15 to $50.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Tiny Vinyl records are playable on many standard turntables at 33 RPM, making the Tiny Vinyl Player an inessential novelty purchase for most adults who are already into the vinyl-collecting hobby. I think it has much more appeal as a “baby’s first record player” that parents buy for their kids. My younger self would’ve had her American Girl Dolls DJing with it. (American Girl actually sells a toy turntable for the same price already, but it’s not functional.)

The player is a manual belt-drive turntable in a box with a faux leather exterior. Inside, there’s a small storage pocket, a simple control panel, and built-in speakers. It has Bluetooth support if you’d prefer to pair it with a nicer wireless speaker or headphones instead. You can also plug in a wired speaker on the back.

The storage pocket can comfortably fit about six Tiny Vinyl records — preferably, ones you’re not precious about. When the player’s lid is shut, it hits the corners of their gatefolds unless they’re pushed to the back of the pocket.

a close-up of a woman's hand holding three tiny vinyl records in front of the tiny vinyl player

They are, indeed, tiny vinyl.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The player’s control panel features a power button, an audio output selector with an LED indicator light, and a volume slider. When it’s on, its silicon platter doesn’t start spinning until you unlock its plastic tonearm, raise it with its cue lever, and move it over the platter. The tonearm and its lock are a little delicate; those are the only parts I’d be worried about a child accidentally breaking.

Tiny Vinyl sent me three different mini-records to test on the player. It offers the kind of audio quality you’d expect for $50: pretty tinny, muffled, and a little distorted. (I also played the records on my regular turntable for comparison’s sake, and they sounded 10 times better.) On the upside, I couldn’t hear the player’s interior mechanisms at all when it was on — it runs really quietly.

a close-up of the tiny vinyl player

The Tiny Vinyl Player supports Bluetooth and wired speakers. (That blue indicator light means it’s paired with my JBL Charge 5.)
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Tiny Vinyl Player comes with a USB cord and power adapter. A company representative told me that it should only be plugged into an outlet, as hooking it up to a laptop or another device with a USB port won’t give it enough juice to work.

The Tiny Vinyl Storage Crate can hold up to 30 Tiny Vinyl records. It has the same pebbled pleather finish as the player and is designed to sit beneath it. There are four indents on its surface where the player’s feet are supposed to go.

the tiny vinyl player on top of the tiny vinyl crate

The Tiny Vinyl Storage Crate can hold up to 30 mini-records. (I only had three on hand.)
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Tiny Vinyl’s new 2×2 Display Frame is meant to showcase your four favorite Tiny Vinyl covers. Its build quality is also on par for the price: It’s made with MDF (medium-density fiberboard) and an acrylic pane. Right out of the box, my initial review unit was splitting in several spots and had dried adhesive on some of its corners. (Tiny Vinyl had a replacement in the mail at the time of writing, and I’ll update this story if it’s any different.)

The display frame comes with four clear plastic sleeves bearing the Tiny Vinyl logo. The company rep confirmed that these are made from polypropylene, which won’t damage your records with off-gassing over time like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sleeves.

Vinyl is back in a not-tiny way

a tiny vinyl record on a standard turntable

Tiny Vinyl records work on many standard turntables.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The press release noted that Tiny Vinyl’s inception was motivated by two recent trends: miniature collecting and vinyl collecting. The former gained popularity amid the COVID-19 pandemic, largely thanks to videos of miniature builds on social media. They tap into viewers’ desire for control, fascination with craft, and penchant for the adorable, experts told NPR last spring.

The vinyl revival, meanwhile, has been brewing for nearly two decades now. According to a report from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), U.S. vinyl sales have seen 19 years of consecutive growth. Last year, they hit $1 billion in revenue for the first time. (That’s not even counting pre-owned vinyl.) Call it the Taylor Swift effect: The singer-songwriter’s 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, sold over 1.6 million copies on vinyl last year, per a report from Luminate, an entertainment industry analytics company. That’s 5.5 times as many units as the second-bestselling vinyl release of 2025, Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend, which sold 292,000 copies.

There are several factors behind the vinyl resurgence, two being mere nostalgia and consumers’ growing interest in owning physical media. Another is because popular artists like Swift (and their labels) are embracing the format alongside their fans.

In recent years, this has increasingly involved a strategy of releasing multiple vinyl variants of the same album as a means of driving sales, according to another Luminate report. These special, often limited-edition pressings boost the collectible factor and fuel fan FOMO. (For her part, Swift released 11 different vinyl variants of TLOAS, including nine webstore exclusives that were only available for a short time.) Tiny Vinyl records, which are chart-eligible with the RIAA and Billboard, are yet more variants to hunt down.

source

Continue Reading

Entertainment

FIFA World Cup schedule today: Games, kickoff times, livestream info for July 11

Table of Contents

The 2026 World Cup quarter-final stage comes to a close with two major clashes today. First up is England vs. Norway, a match that sees familiar opponents and teammates from the Premir League do their duty for their respective countries — all with an eye on the spot in the semi finals.

Then it’s Argentina vs. Switzerland. Argentina are defending champions and have a certain Lionel Messi, a player many fans consider the GOAT. Switzerland are playing in this stage of the competition for the first time in 70 years.

It all kicks off at 5 p.m. ET today. Here’s all the information you need to watch these quarter-final showdowns.

FIFA World Cup schedule today: July 11

How to watch FIFA World Cup games today

Watch England vs. Norway

The England players are no stranger to Norway goal-machine Erling Haaland. He’s near unstoppable in the Premier League, where he plays for Manchester City alongside England players Marc Guéhi, John Stones, and Nico O’Reilly. His Manchester City teammates know full well what he’s capable of — but they might also know how to stop him.

There’s a similar battle of teammates-turned-opponents in the midfield. Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard won the Premier League title this year with Arsenal — now they go head-to-head. And don’t forget that England have their own star striker in Harry Kane. They’re both nipping at the heels of Mbappé and Messi for the Golden Boot.

Live coverage will be on Fox and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.

Watch Argentina vs. Switzerland

Argentina enter the quarter-final stage following a dramatic win over Egypt. The defending champs were losing 2-0 but scored three goals in the last 15 minutes to clinch the victory. Switzerland, on the other hand, had to slug it out with Colombia in a match that came down to nail-biting penalties.

You can never count Argentina out — particularly with Messi on the pitch — but they’ve looked vulnerable at times during this tournament. Can Switzerland cause a major upset and punch their ticket to the semi finals for the first time in World Cup history?

Live coverage will be on Fox and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.

More live streaming options

Live TV cable replacement

Not interested in signing up for a standalone streaming service like Fox One or Peacock? You can sign up for a live TV cable replacement service, like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV.

These services carry over 100 live channels, but run off a WiFi connection. You’ll get live access to Fox and FS1, plus a whole lot more. Here are some options to consider:

Watch the World Cup for free with a VPN

It’s possible to watch the World Cup for free on international services like ITVX, BBC iPlayer, NOS, or RTÉ. Our global World Cup watch guide can walk you through the process.

You will need a VPN to live stream the World Cup on these free streaming services. We recommend ExpressVPN — a Mashable-tested service and an Official Tournament Supporter of the FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Europe — as our VPN of choice for sport. It offers servers in 105 countries, a user-friendly app available on all major devices, a speedy connection, and up to 10 simultaneous connections.

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN

source

Continue Reading