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Mini Kindle Pods are trending on TikTok, but these devices arent what they seem

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Among passionate TikTok communities, BookTok, may be the most influential.

BookTok is where book lovers and e-reader obsessives to come together to discuss their favorite books and device hacks. For readers who use e-readers, Kindle, Kobo, and Boox lead the charge as the most popular devices, so it's notable when a new device goes viral. "Mini Kindles" appear to be the latest device to cause a stir on BookTok, with hundreds of videos showcasing the tiny e-readers.

On TikTok, searching for "mini Kindle" (or "mini Kindle pods") brings up dozens of user videos showing someone walking into a Barnes & Noble or Target and then cutting to an unboxing of a so-called "mini Kindle". As someone who tests e-readers for a living, this confused me.

I have no reason to believe these e-readers are actually being purchased at Barnes & Noble, nor do they have any apparent affiliation with Amazon Kindles.

In fact, the devices being hyped in these videos appear to be sold by the users who post them.

In a since-deleted video, user @aurealeaf directs viewers to the website NovaLeaf, where the "NovaLeaf Mini Kindle" is listed. (Editor's note: As of this writing, the @aurealeaf account is no longer available.) Another user, @hydro_scope, directs viewers to their website with a listing for a NOVA Mini Pink Kindle. Both devices claim to be pocket-sized e-readers under the Kindle name, despite no affiliation with Amazon.

We reached out to both @aurealeaf and @hydro_scope, and we'll update this post if we receive a response.

Are mini Kindle pods actually Kindles?

These mini Kindles do not seem to be actual Kindle e-readers or associated with Amazon at all, nor does Amazon sell any mini version of the Kindle e-readers. We reached out for comment from Amazon and have not heard back at the time of publication.

By performing reverse image searches on Nova and NovaLeaf websites, I found that the "mini Kindles" listed for sale there are visual matches for devices manufactured by a company called Oilsky. They appear to be 4-inch touchscreen MP3 and 1080p video players. With built-in access to the Google Play store, the Kindle app is available to download onto the device; however, that appears to be the only connection to Amazon.

The Oilsky MP3 player and copycat versions are currently listed on Amazon. These TikTok-based sellers have their mini Kindles listed for $79.99, about $10 more than the direct Oilsky listing on Amazon. Oilsky MP3 players are not listed for sale at Barnes & Noble or Target.

In short, the viral TikTok videos are using the word "Kindle" to refer to any e-reader-like device and may be at risk of legal action from Amazon.

As of this writing, the @aurealeaf TikTok account is no longer available.

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FCC challenges gender identity themes on kids TV

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A young girl watches TV with remote in her hand.

The Federal Communications Commission is using the presence of "controversial gender identity issues" in children's television programming as a pretense for questioning how TV ratings are developed and enforced, according to a notice published Wednesday by the federal agency.

The notice generally assesses TV ratings, but specifically points out that these industry guidelines have rated shows featuring "transgender and gender non-binary programming" as appropriate for children. It argues that parents aren't provided this information, "thereby undermining the ability of parents to make informed choices for their families."

In the document, the FCC poses a series of open-ended questions about TV ratings development, including whether the board responsible for the guidelines is "sufficiently balanced" with viewpoints outside of the entertainment industry and if faith-based organizations should be represented in the body.

"What more could the board do to include family-oriented perspectives — which are not well represented in the media industry — in its ratings process?" the notice asks.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced the public notice on X, explaining that "parents have raised concerns with the industry's approach." He added that these parents believe "New York & Hollywood programmers" promote objectionable content in kids programming without disclosing that to parents. Carr didn't mention gender identity in his X post.

TV parents guidelines can include both a rating as well as descriptors for content that includes crude language, sexual situations, and violence.

LGBTQ+ advocates criticized the public notice, arguing that it amounted to discrimination and censorship.

"Trump's FCC is trying to turn transgender people into a warning label," Tyler Hack, executive director of the transgender rights advocacy group Christopher Street Project, said in a statement. "It is dehumanizing, and it is part of a broader political strategy to stigmatize LGBTQ+ people in every corner of public life."

Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, described the notice as government overreach.

"Media companies must be allowed to create and broadcast stories that reflect one-quarter of their audience without interference from a government agency with its own anti-transgender political agenda," Ellis said in a statement.

This isn't the first time Carr has been accused of censorship. Carr has claimed broadcasters air "hoaxes" and "news distortions" that also happen to be unfavorable to President Trump. Carr has suggested the licenses of such broadcasters won't be renewed.

In March, dozens of free speech experts argued in an open letter to Carr that his threats against broadcasters are "unlawful jawboning" and his vague characterization of "fake news" violates the First Amendment. The authors called on Carr to "withdraw" his threats.

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See Spotifys most-streamed artists, songs, and albums of the past 20 years

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Taylor Swift greets fans at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards

To celebrate 20 years of streaming, Spotify just released lists of the most-streamed artists, albums, songs, podcasts, and audiobooks on the app. Popular artists, rappers, and bands like Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, and Coldplay appear repeatedly on the "Spotify at 20" lists, with Swift nabbing the title of most-streamed Spotify artist of all time.

In a blog post, Spotify said it was the first time they had ever revealed the all-time top performers on the platform.

While the top artists are mostly what you'd expect, there are a handful of surprises on the lists. Britney Spears appears once, but only in the audiobooks section. And neither Jay-Z nor Beyoncé appears on the lists at all.

You can find the complete "Spotify at 20" lists at the Spotify website, or keep scrolling to see the top results.

Top 20 most-streamed artists on Spotify

  • Taylor Swift

  • Bad Bunny

  • Drake

  • The Weeknd

  • Ariana Grande

  • Ed Sheeran

  • Justin Bieber

  • Billie Eilish

  • Eminem

  • Kanye West

  • Travis Scott

  • BTS

  • Post Malone

  • Bruno Mars

  • J Balvin

  • Rihanna

  • Coldplay

  • Kendrick Lamar

  • Future

  • Juice WRLD

Most-streamed albums on Spotify

  • Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny

  • Starboy by The Weeknd

  • ÷ (Deluxe) by Ed Sheeran

  • SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo

  • After Hours by The Weeknd

  • SOS by SZA

  • Hollywood’s Bleeding by Post Malone

  • Lover by Taylor Swift

  • AM by Arctic Monkeys

  • WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? by Billie Eilish

Most-streamed songs on Spotify

  • “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd

  • “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran

  • “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood

  • “Starboy” by The Weeknd and Daft Punk

  • “As It Was” by Harry Styles

  • “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi

  • “Sunflower – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” by Post Malone and Swae Lee

  • “One Dance” by Drake, Wizkid, and Kyla

  • “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran

  • “STAY (with Justin Bieber)” by The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber

Most-streamed podcasts on Spotify

  • The Joe Rogan Experience

  • Gemischtes Hack

  • Crime Junkie

  • Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

  • Last Podcast On The Left

  • The Daily

  • Fest & Flauschig

  • Morbid

  • My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

  • Relatos de la Noche

Most-streamed audiobooks in Premium on Spotify

  • A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

  • Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

  • I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

  • A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

  • Lights Out by Ted Koppel

  • A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

  • The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

  • The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

  • Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

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Samsung is selling refurbished Galaxy Z Fold 7 phones for more than new ones

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 in folded form

The good news is that Samsung is now selling cheaper versions of last year's foldables. The bad news is that "cheaper" is relative.

The Korean tech giant announced on Wednesday that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, two phones we at Mashable really liked a year ago, are now available in refurbished form via the company's "Re-Newed" program. You can check out refurbished Fold and Flip phones on Samsung's websites, with the former starting at $1,699 and the latter at $939. In a vacuum, if you go by the phones' suggested retail prices, those are discounts of $300 and $160, respectively.

The only problem, as 9to5Google pointed out, is that you can currently get a brand-new Galaxy Z Fold 7 on Samsung's website for $1,599, which is less than the refurbished model with the same specs. The same goes for the brand new Flip 7, which Samsung is selling for $899, a slight discount from the refurbished model. Of course, the discounted prices of the new phones could just be temporary, while the refurbished prices might stay the same over time, but it still feels a little bit backward that the new phone costs less than the refurbished one right now.

That said, either way, you're getting a deal compared to the devices' launch prices. And, for what it's worth, both phones are very good foldable devices. If you want one, this might be the time to get one.

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