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Before you buy a new laptop, try this $10 Windows 11 Pro upgrade

TL;DR: Give a PC a major upgrade with a Microsoft Windows 11 Pro license, on sale now for just $9.97 (reg. $199) until July 19.


Before you start shopping for a laptop, make sure your current one doesn’t just need a little tune-up. A Microsoft Windows 11 Pro license breathes new life into an old computer, offering new tools and enhanced security features to bring your device up to speed.

Right now, you can do this retooling for just $9.97 if you snag it before July 19.

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How often do you find a $10 solution to a problem these days? You can currently upgrade your PC for less than the cost of lunch with this Microsoft Windows 11 Pro deal.

When it comes to old PCs, sometimes a fresh operating system is all it needs to shine again. Windows 11 Pro was designed with today’s professional in mind, so you can rest easy knowing there are plenty of upgrades to make your life run a little more smoothly.

An easy-to-use interface lets you hop in and get to work quickly, and features like a more powerful search experience, easy redocking, and snap layouts can boost your productivity.

Your Windows 11 Pro license includes Microsoft Teams, an app that makes it much easier to stay connected with friends, family, and coworkers. It also includes Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant, available right on your desktop. Let Copilot answer your questions, help with your tasks, change settings, summarize web pages, and even open apps.

Cybersecurity gets a major boost with new features with your privacy in mind. Take advantage of biometric logins, encrypted authentication, and enhanced antivirus protection that keep your data safer.

Lock in your own Microsoft Windows 11 Pro license for just $9.97 now until July 19.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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

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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

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Dyson Hushjet Mini Cool review: I tested this portable fan during 2 heatwaves to find out if its worth $100

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It’s so hot (it’s the heat). I’ve already sweltered my way through two severe heatwaves so far this summer: first a record-breaking scorcher during a trip to London, then a good old-fashioned corn-sweater in my homeland of Chicago. What better time to be trying out the new Dyson HushJet Mini Cool?

Dyson launched its first-ever bladeless portable fan in April, positioning it as a more powerful and thoughtfully designed alternative to the trendy handheld fans sold for $10ish on Amazon, Shein, Temu, and TikTok Shop. It’s not that cheap, as to be expected with a Dyson gadget, coming in at a crisp $99.99. Yet it’s much less expensive than the $149.99 Shark ChillPill, another premium portable fan that beat it to the market by a month. (The Shark vs. Dyson rivalry abides.)

My colleague Samantha Mangino previously reviewed the ChillPill and really liked it, but ultimately decided it’s not worth buying at full price. After months of testing, I’ve got a verdict for the HushJet Mini Cool.

It’s super lightweight… and lampreian

the dyson hushjet mini cool in a woman's hand

The HushJet Mini Cool comes in three colorways, including stone/blush (pictured here), ink/cobalt, and carnelian/sky.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The HushJet Mini Cool has a tubular body that hides a brushless DC motor. It funnels air from a cluster of small intake holes up through a starburst-shaped nozzle. There’s a clear plastic shell around this nozzle and a honeycomb-shaped grill over the top. You can twist the plastic shell to point the nozzle upwards. Dyson throws in a lanyard so you can wear it around your neck, plus a stand and a velvet travel pouch.

On an aesthetic level, it’s a little off-putting. A visit to London’s Natural History Museum made me realize that the HushJet Mini Cool looks exactly like a beheaded sea lamprey. I’ve seen some folks accuse it of doing a Dune sandworm impression. Still others have deemed it “the Dyson butthole fan” and likened it to a sex toy. (The fleshy stone/blush colorway doesn’t help its case there; I’d go for the ink/cobalt or carnelian/sky finishes instead.)

the head of a dead sea lamprey

Look, if I had to see it, so did you.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

the dyson hushjet mini cool in a woman's hand

The resemblance is uncanny.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

But there’s actually a lot of merit to the HushJet Mini Cool’s strange design. Without the bulk of blades and a wired guard, it fits easily in small bags and doesn’t get caught on things. Plus, it only weighs 0.46 pounds, or just five ounces more than my iPhone 15 Pro. One day, I put it in my purse before leaving for errands and forgot it was there until hours later, when I reached for my wallet at a coffee shop. (It fits perfectly inside a one-liter belt bag, FWIW.)

I can also attest to the HushJet Mini Cool’s durability. I pulled an “Australian guy unboxing his new iPhone 6” with my review unit, and the only evidence is a barely visible scuff on its nozzle’s shell.

a close-up of dirt trapped in the dyson hushjet mini cool's nozzle

Out, damned spots! Out, I say!
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

While its design is sleek and sturdy, it’s not flawless. Holding the HushJet Mini Cool naturally means your palm inevitably covers a patch of its intake holes, blocking some airflow. Additionally, specks of dirt can get trapped between the nozzle and its shell, and they’re very hard to clean out. A Q-tip is too big — you’ll probably need an air compressor (or a second HushJet Mini Cool).

So anyway, I started blasting

a man wearing the dyson hushjet mini cool around his neck

The HushJet Mini Cool comes with a strap so you can wear it around your neck. It’s very lightweight, so you won’t strain a muscle.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The best thing about the HushJet Mini Cool is how powerful it is. There are five standard airflow speed settings to choose from, plus a Boost mode that you can enable by holding the top of its speed control button. Its lowest setting is relatively tame but still produces a nice, concentrated breeze if you hold it close to your skin. (This is the only setting you can use while it’s charging, FYI.) At settings two and up, it gusts.

Dyson says the HushJet Mini Cool can hit airflow speeds of up to 80 feet per second, or 55mph. I didn’t have an anemometer on hand to verify that, but I believe it. The upper speed settings cooled me off in seconds, and the Boost mode turned it into a handheld jet engine — you can still feel its blowing from five feet away. Dyson’s engineers crammed an astounding amount of wind into this little guy.

the dyson hushjet mini cool with its accessories on a wooden surface

The HushJet Mini Cool includes a neck strap, a travel pouch, a stand, and a charging cable. Dyson will start selling a grip clip and universal mount later this summer. (They’ll cost extra.)
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The trade-off is that it’s loud and annoying. The lowest speed setting produces a conspicuous motorized whir, while the stronger ones make a vrooming sound with a high-pitched tone, almost like a dog whistle. It sounds just like a vacuum or hair dryer. (Hey, Dyson should make those!) My colleague Leah Stodart thought Dyson’s HushJet air purifier lived up to the “Hush” part of its name, but I can’t say the same for this fan.

There was one particularly blistering day in London when I walked several blocks with the HushJet Mini Cool on the fifth setting. I might as well have been holding a sign that said “TOURIST!!!” in big red letters. Though its cooling relief was welcome, I felt bad for subjecting passersby to its racket.

Battery life is decent for how powerful it is

the battery indicator light on the back of the dyson hushjet mini cool

A red indicator light on the back of the HushJet Mini Cool tells you when its battery is getting low.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The HushJet Mini Cool has a 5,000 mAh battery capacity and charges via USB-C. In my testing, it lasted six hours and 29 minutes on the lowest speed setting — a hair longer than Dyson’s advertised six hours — and at the highest (non-Boost) setting, it held out for 50 minutes. That’s not bad when you consider how hard its motor works. It won’t go all day, but it’ll at least get you through the hottest part of an afternoon.

When the HushJet Mini Cool is running low on juice, you’ll see a teeny-tiny red indicator light on the back of its base (right above the charging port). My review unit reached a full charge in about two and a half hours, which is slightly faster than Dyson’s rated charging time of three hours.

Is the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool worth it?

a woman's hand holding the dyson hushjet mini cool

Holding the HushJet Mini Cool *without* blocking its intake holes means holding it kind of awkwardly.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The HushJet Mini Cool’s compact design and super-strong airflow make a persuasive case for it, but I think most people will deem it overkill — both in terms of power and price. Much cheaper portable fans we’ve tried here at Mashable suit the average person’s cooling-down needs just fine, and they don’t sound as obnoxious.

I’d really only recommend buying a HushJet Mini Cool if you find it on sale, and you plan on using it mainly in outdoor settings (or a loud bar) where it won’t be a nuisance. (I’m thinking golf, picnics, and music festivals — definitely not weddings.) Maybe pick up a pair of earplugs while you’re at it.

Without having tried the Shark ChillPill myself, it seems like a better buy if you’ve decided to splurge on your next portable fan. While it’s slightly heavier and even more expensive, it lasts almost twice as long and has a fun party trick with its swappable misting and cooling attachments. Mashable’s Mangino told me that it’s also loud, but not shrill.

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The Most Misunderstood Sci-Fi Movie On Netflix

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published

Be honest: Have you ever been in a job interview, and when asked what your biggest weakness is, you want to say, “I just work too hard?” It’s the kind of thing that makes an interviewer want to kill you, but in Hollywood, veteran director Paul Verhoeven can get away with such a wild claim. That’s because he worked incredibly hard to create the stone-faced satire that transformed Starship Troopers into history’s most misunderstood sci-fi movie, and it’s available to stream on Netflix for audiences who are finally ready to get in on the joke.

Verhoeven Is A Master Of Satire

Before you start watching Starship Troopers, though, you might need a bit of context about its director. He’s made plenty of great films over the years, including Total Recall and Basic Instinct, but he is arguably best known for RoboCop.

That movie (which featured a corporate-controlled police department as a statement on the militarization of cops and the dangers of exploitative executives) was once considered the finest film satire ever made, and fittingly enough, the film that took its satirical crown away was Verhoeven’s own Starship Troopers.

Structured Like A Propaganda Video

Starship Troopers 1997

What is Starship Troopers about, though, and where does the satire come into play with this sci-fi blockbuster? On paper, this is a pretty straightforward tale of teenagers who enthusiastically join humanity’s war effort against the alien “Arachnids,” leading to one cool action scene after another.

Look closely, though, and you’ll see the seams tearing in this easy narrative … humanity is deeply racist, and frequent propaganda spots help harness that racism into jingoistic praise of a military that can do no wrong, despite the implication that Earth actually started this devastating war. 

Starship Troopers 1997

Interestingly, even the casting emphasized this satire: for example, Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, and Neil Patrick Harris are all good-looking young actors, so nobody thinks twice about their casting as carefree teens turned into bloodthirsty soldiers. However, the movie itself is presented like a propaganda film … the kind of thing that would be shown in-universe to help recruit more kids into the military.

The more you see the creeping fascism of our main characters and this universe as a whole, the more you realize these are the exact kinds of pretty people you’d cast to make evil stop looking so banal and start looking so sexy.

Appreciated Today As Smart Satire

Starship Troopers 1997

Now that audiences are generally more media-literate, it’s easy enough to appreciate how smart Starship Troopers really is. But when it was first released, many editors of mainstream publications didn’t clock the satire and were extremely angry at Verhoeven for releasing a film celebrating fascism. 

Other critics thought the satire was functionally indistinguishable from an endorsement of these ideas, and countless fans didn’t care about these themes at all … they just wanted to see some “hoo-RAH” humans killing some evil aliens. There’s no wrong way to enjoy this cult hit, of course, but being able to appreciate the great action and fierce satire helps you get the most out of a movie that is always firing on all cylinders.

Destined To Be A Cult Classic

Starship Troopers 1997

When Starship Troopers was first released in 1997, it wasn’t exactly a bomb, but not exactly a hit either … the movie had a budget between $100-110 million and earned $121 million worldwide which, after marketing, means it was likely a loss for the studio.

It resonated more with critics, though: on Rotten Tomatoes, it currently has a critical rating of 72 percent. Critics called the movie “fun” but complained about “the excessive gore and wooden acting,” both of which are part and parcel of the satire (though in a world where every other movie is Marvel-style slop, satire is increasingly hard to notice).

Starship Troopers 1997

As for me, I contended that Starship Troopers is the rare literary adaptation that is far superior to the book it was based on. Robert Heinlein’s novel of the same name is a genuine sci-fi classic, but the author was so close to this universe that he never seemed to notice or care how fash-friendly slogans like “service guarantees citizenship” really are.

By contrast, Verhoeven’s adaptation serves as a commentary on the author and his work, all while delivering a killer action film that manages to be much smarter than most people watching it.

Starship Troopers 1997

Now, I’m not saying that Starship Troopers is smarter than you, but I am saying you won’t know until you stream it on Netflix. Will you enjoy all of the knife-sharp (watch that hand, Jake Busey!) satire or just enjoy quoting great lines like “the only good bug is a dead bug?” Either way, this is one misunderstood sci-fi movie that you’ll never forget.


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