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How to preorder the new Amazon Fire TV Stick HD

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Amazon Fire TV Stick HD on green and lime green abstract background

PRE-ORDER NOW: As of April 15, pre-order the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD, Amazon's newest and slimmest ever streaming device, for $34.90 at Amazon now.



Amazon Fire TV Stick HD on white background

Credit: Amazon

Streaming your favorite shows and movies just got a little easier, and a little more affordable. Hot on the heels of its newly-released 4K Fire TV Stick Select last year, Amazon has debuted its newest HD streaming peripheral: the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD. It's available to preorder today, and begins shipping at the end of this month for $34.99.

This new model is about 30% slimmer, according to Amazon, than its previous model. It comes with a USB-C cable and USB-A connector that you can use to connect to your TV in lieu of a wall adapter. That's its "Direct Power" consumption, according to Amazon, so you can fit it flush behind your TV without a bulky wall brick. If you don't have a dedicated USB port, you can always use a USB-C cable and adapter, however, so there's no issues there if you're working with a different setup.

In terms of performance, Amazon claims it's "more than 30% faster on average" in comparison to the older model, so it can spring open apps and bring you your favorite shows faster. It'll also feature Alexa+ supprt if you have a subscription or Prime membership.

Beyond that, you can look forward to a new Adaptive Display setting that will help make the onscreen menu and elements pop as well as improve accessibility for users, while scaling artwork and making text and menus larger.

If you're ready for a new Amazon Fire TV experience, this might be the next model you pick up. You can get your hands on a preorder slot right now and start watching by the beginning of May for all your summer indoor binge-watching.

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Survey: This is the most distracting app for teens

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Teen boy looks at a phone.

For U.S. teens who use TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, one of the apps stands out as more of a distraction than the others, according to a new survey from Pew Research Center.

More than a quarter of teens shared that they spend too much time on TikTok, while more than a third said the app negatively affects their sleep. Twenty-nine percent of respondents said TikTok hurts their productivity. Smaller shares of teens reported similar feelings about Instagram and Snapchat.

Still, eight in 10 teens said they turned to TikTok specifically for entertainment. While respondents also considered Instagram and Snapchat reliably entertaining, teens were more likely to use those apps to keep up with friends and family, compared to TikTok.

Despite acknowledging TikTok's negative impact on their sleep and productivity, 71 percent of teens said the app neither hurt or helped their mental health. Three-quarters of teens said the same of Instagram and Snapchat. Nineteen percent of respondents shared that TikTok actually improved their mental health.

In general, about seven in 10 teens said their experiences on TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are mostly positive. Only three percent reported largely negative experiences. The remaining teens characterize their engagement on the platforms as a mix of both good and bad.

The findings are based on Pew Research Center's survey of 1,458 U.S. teens and their parents last fall.

Critics have argued that social media companies are facing a "Big Tobacco moment" following a landmark court case against Meta and YouTube, which alleged that both platforms were negligently designed in ways that harmed a young user's mental health. TikTok and Snapchat settled with the plaintiff prior to the jury trial. A separate trial against Meta found the company liable for misleading consumers about child safety.

The Pew Research Center survey, which was conducted well before the trials ended, suggests that teens may feel less negative about TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat than expected.

Regardless, a quarter of parents surveyed by Pew Research Center said that social media hurt their teen's mental health while only eight percent of the teens said the same. Parents were also more likely to say their teen spent too much time on social media.

When it came to TikTok, only 28 percent of teens characterized their use in this way, but that figure increased to 44 percent when parents answered the same question.

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Vylit, the next app from ex-OnlyFans CEO, is here

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screenshots of vylit app

The self-proclaimed "HBO of social media" is here.

Vylit, the web-based app from ex-OnlyFans CEO Amrapali (Ami) Gan, is publicly launching today following beta testing last year. While Vylit doesn't allow explicit content like OnlyFans, it does allow topless photos, like a version of Instagram that allows softcore. The app is built for both creators and fans, its founders told Mashable, with multiple ways for the former to monetize content (such as subscriptions or tiers like "premium" and "VIP"), and different ways the latter can access creators, like through chats.

"I spent years watching creators build audiences on one platform and monetize on another. That fragmentation doesn't work. Vylit brings both together," Gan said in a press release shared with Mashable. Gan was the CEO of OnlyFans between Dec. 2021 and July 2023.

Scrolling Vylit does feel a bit like scrolling Instagram, with a twist. In an interview with Mashable, Gan and her cofounder, Kailey Magder (also COO), said that they didn't want to change what users are used to, such as left-hand navigation, but they wanted to give the app a unique Vylit feel. There's a photo-based feed complete with "Glimpses," or its version of Stories, at the top, but Vylit also has distinct features neither Instagram nor OnlyFans has.

"We created Vylit because we were frustrated with how social media works today," said Magder in the press release.

One element that Magder and Gan were frustrated with on other platforms is search and discovery. Famously, OnlyFans has basically no search function, and creators need to market themselves on other platforms. But Gan and Madger want fans and creators to find each other easily on Vylit, so you can search by aesthetics you're into or shared interests with "Vybe Match."

"Platforms are cluttered with ads, political content, and algorithm-driven noise. We wanted to build something that focuses on people, content, and real communities — not engagement at all costs," Magder continued.

There are also AI elements (of course, it being 2026 and all). Creators can generate "AI twins" of themselves, and fans can chat with an AI version of creators. AI chats can be trained on someone's unique personality traits, and they can range from friendly to flirty to "frisky." AI images, meanwhile, can be made topless, but no further nudity.

screenshot from vylit app asking user to make their own AI twin

Credit: Vylit

screenshot from vylit app showing AI chat conversation

Credit: Vylit

For the sake of transparency, a sparkle-like icon is placed on all AI-generated images. Chats between a real-life creator and their AI persona are explicitly distinguished, too.

As Vylit allows for topless photos, it's an adults-only platform. All users, creators or otherwise, need to be verified. When Mashable tried out Vylit ahead of launch, this was done through the third-party service Verifymy with an email address. The Vylit launch comes at a time of increasing age-verification laws, which require age checks beyond clicking "yes or no." When Mashable interviewed Gan in Nov. 2025, she said, "To us, the future of social media is very much 18 and over."

Vylit won't be on the App Store, as it takes 30 percent of earnings, the founders told Mashable. But you can sign up for Vylit on its website, and use the web-based app on either your phone or desktop.

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How to watch Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid online for free

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Harry Kane of FC Bayern Munich celebrates

TL;DR: Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


The Champions League showcased some thrilling quarter-final first legs last week, but Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid was probably the best of the bunch. Bayern hold a 2-1 advantage coming into the second leg in Munich, but nothing is decided in this battle to advance to the next round.

Expect big performances from star names like Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Kylian Mbappé. It's going to be a really spectacle at the Allianz Arena, so clear your schedule this evening.

If you want to watch Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid?

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on April 15. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Arena.

How to watch Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid for free

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.

RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

  3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

  4. Visit RTÉ Player

  5. Watch Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid for free from anywhere in the world


ExpressVPN logo

Credit: ExpressVPN

$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPn for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:

  • Servers in 105 countries including Ireland

  • Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds free from throttling

  • Up to 10 simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

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