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The era of the boombox as we knew it in the 90s might be over, but if you still want an audio powerhouse that’ll give you better sound than your average portable speaker, there are several options that fit the bill, along with modern features like the ability to float in water and lighting effects. The popular Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus Bluetooth speaker is one of them—and right now, it’s 32% off ($169.98, originally $249.99).

This speaker gets seriously loud thanks to two 50W woofers and two 20W tweeters, delivering up to 140W. This is enough to create immersive sound during a backyard or pool party, camping trips, and beach get-togethers. PCMag, which gives it an Editors’ Choice Award, says it has a “powerful low-frequency response” and gives “serious thump” with plenty of bass. When BassUp 2.0 mode is activated (it’s on by default), the sound gets even bassier. Battery life lasts up to 20 hours with BassUp off and volume at 50%. 

The Soundcore Boom 2 Plus has an IPX7 rating that lets the speaker be submerged up to a meter for 30 minutes, and it even floats. Despite being mostly plastic, the speaker still has a rugged build. While it clocks in at 8.4 pounds, a removable, adjustable strap and built-in handle make it easy to carry around. The standout feature that sets it apart from similar speakers in its class is the bright, customizable LED lights that pulse with the beat of the music. The app controls both the sound and the lights, allowing you to further customize colors. 

If you’re craving robust audio that can hold its own outdoors, a rugged build, and fun lighting effects to set the vibe, the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus has the right combination of features, making it a go-to for indoor and outdoor use. At its lowest price yet, this portable party starter should be on your radar.

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Based on Hugh Howey’s books, Silo is the perfect sci-fi show for the moment: Pessimistic about government, optimistic about the potential for individual courage and heroism, and crammed full of dark mysteries. Every episode peels back a tiny bit of the curtain obscuring the truth from both the audience and the residents of Silo 18, the huge underground bunker hosting part of what’s left of humanity after a global cataclysm, and it’s a thrill to find out just how awful the secrets actually are. If you’re looking for more of that in your life, and you’ve already watched all the other grim sci-fi series scratching that itch, there’s one movie you should check out: 2013’s Snowpiercer.

Why you should watch Snowpiercer after Silo

We also suggested the TV series as a streamalike, but it’s well worth it for Silo fans to dive into the theatrical film as well. The movie is tighter and darker than the series, and Chris Evans’ performance as Curtis is ferocious—he’s a man haunted by his own secrets and willing to burn everything down to discover the bigger ones that drove him to desperation.

Like Silo, Snowpiercer is set in an enclosed, self-sustaining environment that might support the last remnants of humanity. After an attempt to reverse climate change accidentally ushers in a new ice age, a small group of survivors exists on a huge bullet train, the Snowpiercer, that continuously circles the globe. Like the Silo, the train is divided into sections that represent strata of society: In the rear, packed in tightly and living in squalor, are the poor, and as you advance closer to the engine, everyone gets richer and more comfortable. And like Silo, a rebellion stirs up the dark secrets behind everything on the train, leading to one of the darkest revelations ever uncovered.

Snowpiercer matches Silo’s tone, look, and feel so closely you might wonder if the train exists in the same universe, if Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) is going to pop out of a manhole at some point and stare incredulously at the train speeding by. And at the core of both the series and the movie is a firm belief that while human beings may accept levels of conformity and control in exchange for perceived security for a while, they will always ultimately demand their freedom—and the truth. Stream Snowpiercer on Kanopy, Hoopla, Tubi, or Hulu, or rent it on Prime Video.

More movies to watch after Silo

Need more movies that will convince you the future might be worth saving, but won’t be any fun? You’re in luck: There are lots. Here are some of the best alternatives after you’ve watched Snowpiercer.

I Am Mother (2019)

Want more apocalypse mystery box? Watch I Am Mother. In a sleek, modern bunker, a young girl is raised from an embryo by a sentient robot called Mother. Named Daughter, the girl is drilled in lessons centered on morality and ethics in preparation for an upcoming exam and is forbidden to leave the bunker because of supposed “contamination” outside. When she hears a woman pleading for assistance through the airlock, Daughter lets the stranger in—setting in motion a chain of events that reveal the truth to her. Just like Silo, Daughter soon learns that her life isn’t what she thought it was, and that she has fewer choices than she’d hoped. Stream I Am Mother on Netflix.

The Platform (2019)

If it’s the extended metaphor about existence and society that you love about Silo, this Spanish horror film is the perfect choice. A man named Goreng wakes up in cell 48 in a mysterious vertical prison. He soon learns that every day, a platform in the center of the cell descends from above, laden with enormous amounts of food. The platform stays for two minutes, and the occupants of each cell can eat as much as they can during that time but will be killed if they try to hoard any food. Each month, the prisoners are randomly reassigned to a new level—and the lower you are, the less likely there will be enough food left to survive on. It’s grim, but as Goreng tries to find ways to fight back, the secrets of another vertical sci-fi puzzle are slowly discovered. Stream The Platform on Netflix.

High Rise (2016)

Silo explores, in part, the nature of civilization and the necessity of control—can people be trusted to govern themselves, or must they be lied to and manipulated to ensure survival? High Rise, based on the classic novel by J.G. Ballard, follows Dr. Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston), who moves into a luxury London apartment building in 1975. The building is the epitome of modern convenience, and is stratified by class—the wealthy live on the upper floors, and the poorer tenants down below. Over the next few months, the mini society in the building breaks down as services stop, the power becomes unreliable, and violence breaks out, seemingly without any intervention from outside. It’s a paranoid story set in a shelter that’s actually a trap, a setup that will be familiar to Silo fans. Stream High Rise on Kanopy, Hoopla, or Tubi, or rent it on Prime Video.

Logan’s Run (1976)

Population is a big concern for Silo—controlling it, limiting it, planning for it. Logan’s Run (based on the novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson) is the goofy 1970s sci-fi answer to that, set in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity lives in a sealed city run by a computer. Resource scarcity and overpopulation are solved by the ritualistic execution of every citizen at age 30. Citizens are told they will be reincarnated after this, and it’s enforced by “Sandmen” who hunt anyone who resists their fate. Sandman Logan 5 (Michael York) is ordered to find and destroy a secret place where “runners” are hiding, and finds himself designated for execution as a grim bit of motivation, and decides that he’ll take his chances as a Runner, seeking to find out what’s really outside the city’s dome. Stream Logan’s Run on Hoopla, Plex, or Tubi, or rent it on Prime Video.

Soylent Green (1973)

Even if you’ve never seen it, you probably already know what Soylent Green is made of. Another classic 1970s sci-fi movie concerned with overpopulation, Soylent Green (based on Harry Harrison’s 1966 novel) doesn’t have the dark, constricted setting of Silo, but it has all of its sense of building, violent pressure in a desperate population that’s being lied to. In the 21st century, overpopulation and climate collapse have left society barely functioning, with the elites living in fortified mansions sustained by slaves and the teeming millions surviving on ultraprocessed foods from the Soylent Corporation. Just like in Silo, it falls to a committed cop, NYPD Detective Robert Thorn (Charlton Heston being the most Charlton Heston he’d ever been), to investigate the horrifying truth. Rent Soylent Green on Prime Video.


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If you use ChatGPT on your Mac, and you have the right type of account, you'll soon be able to start asking your bot questions about how you use your computer. As highlighted by 9to5Mac, OpenAI announced "Computer History" on Thursday, a new feature that lets ChatGPT keep a history of actions you take on your Mac.

As OpenAI pitches it, you'll be able to ask ChatGPT about projects you recently worked on, request details about your work "patterns," and turn frequently used tasks into automations. For example, you could ask ChatGPT "What was I working on before I took a break?" and, with Computer History enabled, it can look through your recent activity to deliver your answer. You could also ask about files you remember looking at, but can't find, e.g., "Where is that planning document I was looking at this morning?"

How ChatGPT's Computer History works

Unlike something like Windows Recall, Computer History doesn't actually take screenshots of your Mac's display to work. It also doesn't record your screen or tap into microphones or system audio. Instead, the feature collects data from the sources you allow it to see. Every time you click, type, use a keyboard shortcut, and switch an app, Computer History takes note. It even watches out for "context" from macOS accessibility processes to inform its records. OpenAI says that Computer History will occasionally save this data as both text summaries and local memory files.

The good news for the privacy-minded is that Computer History is opt-in by default. That means it won't work until you manually enable the feature. Even when you do, Computer History won't track everything you do out of the box: You'll be able to choose which apps and sites ChatGPT keeps tabs on, and you can pause "collection" from the menu bar at any time. Private or incognito browsing is never recorded either. There are separate controls for workspace access, personal opt-in, memories, and apps and sites, and you can adjust all of these settings at any time.

In addition to asking ChatGPT directly about your history, you can manually review the data the feature collects yourself. Under Settings > Computer history > History, you'll find the local memory file for summaries, options to delete individual items, and the ability to clear a specific timeframe of history, similar to how clearing your history works in a web browser.

Is ChatGPT's Computer History secure?

The short answer? No. While OpenAI is adamant that the feature stores your data in secure locations away from other apps, it acknowledges that the feature can and does store sensitive information without encryption. As such, programs running as your macOS user may be able to access these files. What's more, the company is open about the fact that Computer History increases your risk of prompt injection attacks, as ChatGPT may follow malicious instructions it sees on the apps and websites it's tracking.

OpenAI also processes some of these files on its server in order to generate memories. The company says it doesn't save those files after processing unless required by law, and claims it doesn't use them for training. That said, OpenAI may scrape chat content that uses one of these processed memories in a future chat for training, if you allow the company to train its models off your ChatGPT data.

As with AI browsers, there are likely steps you can take to limit your risk exposure while using Computer History, but as it stands, it seems those risks far outweigh the benefits. You might like a feature like this if you frequently forget what you were working on earlier in the day, or if you're looking for an objective analysis of how you use your Mac. But I think there are other systems you can use to stay on task that don't expose you to a privacy invasion or, even worse, a cyberattack.

How to turn on Computer History in ChatGPT

If you're interested in trying this feature out, it's easy to enable—assuming you're under the right ChatGPT plan. OpenAI says that Business or Enterprise workspace users will need administrator approval first. If you're a personal ChatGPT user, you'll need to subscribe to ChatGPT Pro for access.

Assuming you meet one of the above qualifications, you can get started by opening ChatGPT's Mac app, then, in Settings, head to Integrations > Computer history. Here, choose "Turn on," then review all permissions and settings. You will need to turn on "Memories" if it isn't enabled already, as the app uses the feature for context as you move through chats and tasks. Finally, choose the apps and websites Computer History will track, and enable any macOS permissions required.

Under Settings > Computer history > Permissions, you'll find options for "Exclude these apps," "Exclude these websites," "Include only these apps," and "Include only these websites" that will let you fine-tune Computer History's tracking to a degree. You can also pause or stop Computer History at any time from your Mac's menu bar.


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This is a current list of where and when I am scheduled to speak:

  • I’m speaking, signing books, and participating in panel discussions at LAcon V in Anaheim, California, USA. My full schedule is here.
  • I’m speaking online (via Zoom) at a League of Women Voters event on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 5 PM ET.
  • I’m speaking at Elevate Festival in Toronto, Canada. The conference runs September 22–24, 2026; my talk is on Wednesday, September 23.
  • I’m speaking at CanSecWest 2026 in Vancouver, Canada. The conference runs September 30–October 1, 2026; the time of my talk is TBD.
  • I’m speaking at ATTENTION: Democracy, Rebuilt in Montreal, Canada. The event runs October 21–23, 2026, and my talk is on Wednesday, October 21.

The list is maintained on this page.


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If you work from home or just travel a lot for work and dread being forced to use a single screen to do your job, the solution could cost you less than $100. Right now, Amazon has discounted the Asus ZenScreen MB16AHV portable monitor by 37%, taking it down to $95—the lowest price it has ever reached, according to price tracking tools.

Asus reliably produces some of the best affordable productivity portable displays, and the MB16AHV, which came out in 2023, is a solid option. It has a matte anti-glare 15.6-inch 1080p display with 250 nits of brightness, a dual USB-C port, and a Mini-HDMI port. There is a built-in foldable kickstand so it doesn't need any other accessories to do its job, and it comes with a protective sleeve that you can use to carry it or prop it up.

It's easy to use, with a plug-and-play setup: You just need a single USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, which will provide both image connectivity and power. There is a 1/4" threaded hole in the back for a tripod accessory if you want to prop it up. It will also automatically rotate from landscape to portrait if you turn the screen, which is helpful for reading long documents or doomscrolling (there is no touchscreen support, however).

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If you're seeing pop-ups in Chrome pushing you to download an update in order to continue browsing or avoid losing access to your data, you may be a target for malware. As Android Authority reports, compromised browser extensions appear to be distributing malicious scripts disguised as "critical" security updates.

Hackers are using malicious extensions to spread fake security updates

Some Google Chrome users have noticed aggressive pop-ups alerting them to required updates and prompting them to download the latest version of the browser. One version states that "access to websites is temporarily blocked" until the update is installed. The other is even more urgent, stating that Chrome will stop working after a certain date and require a "complete reinstallation," in which users may lose access to bookmarks, history, and saved passwords. If you click "Update Chrome," it'll download a suspicious .vbs or .exe script to your device.

The issue seems to be traceable to a handful of extensions, which are fetching malicious scripts and serving fake prompts inside the browser. In Chrome, one such add-on is “Enable Right Click & Copy Smart Unlock + OCR," which has a "Featured" tag and 70,000 downloads (though other utility tools may be culprits as well). Users on Brave and Opera, both Chromium browsers, have reported identical pop-ups. For the former, the compromised extension, called "QuickLens – Search Screen with Google Lens," was removed from the Web Store.

While some malicious add-ons do find their way onto the Chrome Web Store, it's not uncommon for threat actors to weaponize otherwise benign extensions after gaining platform approval and user trust. In campaigns identified across Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox, hackers have built extensions posing as crypto wallet and productivity apps, let them operate legitimately to rack up downloads and reviews, and then pushed updates that turned them into malware.

This is an effective strategy because malicious extensions can evade detection by antivirus software and system scans. The browser itself isn't compromised—rather, the add-on is pulling malicious scripts from a remote server, and the threat isn't picked up until you actually download and execute them on your device.

Don't download security updates from pop-ups

If you start seeing pop-ups for critical security updates in your browser, don't click on them, and don't copy or install anything from them. The alerts in this campaign have fairly convincing Chrome branding and elements like a copyright and links to a privacy policy and terms of service, but beware the sense of urgency. You can check whether your browser actually needs to be updated in the settings menu (on Chrome, click the three vertical dots or go to Settings > About Chrome).

You should also regularly check the extensions you've added to your browser and delete any that aren't essential. Click the extensions icon > Manage Extensions to see what's active and review permissions granted. If you're still getting sketchy pop-ups, try removing utility apps to see if you can identify the culprit.


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Under James Gunn's tenure, the DC Universe has promised us variety, and in that spirit, we're soon getting Lanterns, a show that stars Kyle Chandler as veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as new recruit John Stewart fighting evil...in Nebraska. The two superheroes find themselves investigating a murder in a tiny town, a far cry from the typical intergalactic adventures of the Green Lantern Corps, space cops who can create just about anything with their fancy-schmancy rings. (Though it's not without precedent, as the 1970s comics saw Hal team up with Green Arrow to travel the country and see how we live here on the ground.)

It's obviously early days for the new HBO Max series, and it is as yet unclear whether it will be viewed as a clever genre twist or a too-constrained waste of potential. Either way, Lanterns won't be the first show to push the boundaries of the sci-fi and superhero genres. Here are 10 others that have arguably pulled it off.

Watchmen (2019)

A standalone sequel to the groundbreaking Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and John Higgins graphic novel from the '80s, this series plays in the sandbox of that book (arguably the wellspring of all modern superhero deconstruction), with a little help from Lanterns co-creator Damon Lindelof. In an alternate Tulsa, Oklahoma, in a world where super-powered vigilantes exist and have been outlawed, the series starts with a depiction of the real-life massacre and destruction of Tulsa's Black Wall Street by white residents in 1921. Regina King plays Angela Abar, a modern cop whose grandparents were killed during those attacks, events that echo throughout the series, which focuses on the fallout from the plot of the original comic and the conspiracies that grew out of it. Like Lanterns, this show's focus is on life on the ground in a world where gods fly above. Stream Watchmen on HBO Max or buy episodes from Prime Video.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series (2011 – 2013)

Almost certainly the best adaptation of Green Lantern to date, this show, from some of the people behind Batman: The Animated Series, doesn't take a grounded approach in the least, instead going in quite the opposite direction. Instead, it mines decades of comics' lore to send GL and company into deep space for some of the biggest adventures imaginable. Hal Jordan (Josh Keaton) is one of the finest Lanterns in the Corps, but his reputation for recklessness has led his superiors to distrust him. When he learns that rage-fueled Red Lanterns are murdering his compatriots in deep space, he defies orders and steals a prototype ship to help. Things get complicated on the frontier, as the show balances individual adventures with a longer storyline about the nature of the Red Lanterns, and whether their green counterparts are entirely the good guys. Buy Green Lantern: The Animated Series from Prime Video.

The Penguin (2024)

There's nothing new about going grim-and-gritty with stories set in Gotham City, so this is perhaps slightly less of a departure than Lanterns—still, a prestige crime drama in a superhero world was new-ish territory way back in 2024. A spin-off of the latest Batman movie (the Robert Pattinson one), the show stars Colin Farrell as the up-and-coming mobster of the title. In the wake of the killing of boss Carmine Falcone. the Penguin and the absolutely unhinged Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti, who won an Emmy for the role) are vying for control of the underworld. After decades of live-action Batman tales, it's kind of refreshing to see what's going on in Gotham City when the Caped Crusader has his back turned. Stream The Penguin on HBO Max.

Superman & Lois (2021 – 2024)

It's saying quite a bit to suggest that Elizabeth Tulloch and Tyler Hoechlin are among the finest live-action Lois and Clark pairings ever, but here we are. Skipping over the will-they/won't-they of earlier takes, the show jumps ahead to find the two married and with two teenage children, Jonathan and Jordan. The couple has just moved back to Smallville to give the kids a semblance of a normal life. Good luck with that! The show balances small-town drama with big superhero stakes, never more so than in the later seasons, when community-minded crime boss Bruno Mannheim (Chad L. Coleman) uses a Bizarro-style clone to put Superman out of his way while their wives both battle cancer. Stream Superman & Lois on HBO Max.

Doom Patrol (2019 – 2023)

Here's an uncharacteristically bold and indescribably freaky entry in the superhero canon, including characters like the non-binary Danny the Street (a literal street), paranormal investigators the Sex Men, Imaginary Jesus, and orgasm-generating bodybuilder Flex Mentallo. All the weirdness is grounded in excellent, frequently emotional character work from the entire cast, including Brendan Fraser, Matt Bomer, April Bowlby, Diane Guerrero, Joivan Wade, Michelle Gomez, and Timothy Dalton. It’s queer and sex-positive, making it a standout among the usually chaste, straight world of superheroes on TV. Stream Doom Patrol on HBO Max.

Batman: Caped Crusader (2024 – )

There's a lot of Batman out there, but this one's got real style, harkening back to Batman: The Animated Series from the 1990s (no surprise, given that Bruce Timm developed this one too). With a 1940s-esque setting, the show dodges some of the more outlandish superhero tropes to focus on a Gotham City rife with crime, corrupt cops, and gang warfare. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, exactly, but it's a strong enough reimagining that it feels fresh, particularly given that every other superhero show seems to require a deep investment in crossovers and spin-offs. Stream Batman: Caped Crusader Prime Video.

Creature Commandos (2024 – )

This animated show sees Amanda Waller (Viola Davis, reprising the role from the live-action DC movies) assembling a black-ops team to protect a foreign nation from the Amazonian sorceress Circe. Waller can't be trusted with actual humans, so her team is made up entirely of literal monsters: The Bride (Indira Varma), Doctor Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), Eric Frankenstein (David Harbour), and aquatic mutant Nina Mazursky (Zoë Chao), alongside Nazi-obsessed G.I. Robot and the rodent-like Weasel (both Sean Gunn). Extremely violent and with a dark sense of humor, this show from James Gunn and company also brings an impressive amount of heart to the mix. Plus, it's set in the same relatively young universe as Lanterns, so you won't be behind on your homework. Stream Creature Commandos on HBO Max.

Echo (2024)

Alaqua Cox returns to her Hawkeye role of Maya Lopez, a deaf assassin who once worked for Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk. She's now on the run from the mob boss, returning to her hometown in Oklahoma to come to terms with her past and to reconnect with her family and roots in the Choctaw Nation. The personal stakes mark a welcome shift toward the personal and away from the multiversal scale of the most recent Marvel—even as the show's scope encompasses centuries of Choctaw history. Stream Echo on Disney+.

Andor (2022 – 2025)

They might be galaxies apart, but if you're looking for a grounded show born from a sci-fi premise, look no further than Andor. Just when I felt like I was done with Star Wars, along came this prequel series, the morally complex story of thief-turned-rebel spy Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) being radicalized and setting out on the road to becoming the heart and soul of the Rebellion. We witness the slow march of the Empire, as citizens of the galaxy become acclimated to rising fascism, and delve into the conflicts between various rebel factions: Genevieve O'Reilly's Mon Mothma fights from within the Galactic Senate, while Stellan Skarsgård's Luthen Rael, Andor's handler, favors dark deeds done under cover of darkness. Forest Whitaker's Saw Gerrera is content to burn the Galaxy down rather than allow it to become what he hates. The scope is grand, but the focus is very much on the people at the bottom of the ladder, and what they do or don't do in the face of tyranny. There's also a lot of dust. Stream Andor on Disney+.

True Detective (2014 – )

There's been a lot of talk about Lanterns being the DC universe's explicit answer to True Detective, so here we are. This crime anthology started out by taking us to Oklahoma, with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson investigating a murder that led to a broader mystery that bordered on the cosmic. The most recent season similarly sees veteran Chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Trooper Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) face their complicated pasts while searching for missing scientists at a research station in a remote Alaskan town. Stream True Detective on HBO Max.


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