The Latest

Here’s an overview of some of last week’s most interesting news, articles, interviews and videos:

Week in review

Windows 11’s strongest security defenses can be bypassed without a screwdriver
Researchers from the University of Birmingham and Durham University have found a way to knock down some of the toughest protections in Windows 11 without physically opening or modifying the target machine. The attack assumes the attacker has already gained privileged access to the system.

Police bust cybercrime ring accused of stealing €30 million in four-day spree
German and Brazilian police dismantled an international bank fraud ring blamed for a €30 million cyberattack on a German financial institution, arresting four people in Brazil and pursuing three more suspects in Spain and Bulgaria.

SafePal breach affects 39,798 customers, data allegedly for sale
Cryptocurrency wallet maker SafePal disclosed a data breach that exposed order information for 39,798 customers, including names, email addresses, shipping addresses, phone numbers and purchase details. The company traced the exposure to an authorization flaw in a plug-in used for order tracking. Under certain conditions, the flaw let one customer view another customer’s order information.

Attackers exploit patched macOS Screen Sharing flaw to deploy cryptominer
A recently patched security flaw in Apple macOS is being actively exploited by hackers to bypass authentication, gain root access, and install a cryptominer, the Netherlands’ National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warns.

France’s tax authority admits hackers made off with data on 678,000 individuals
France’s tax authority has disclosed a data breach after an attacker accessed the General Directorate of Public Finances (DGFiP) systems, saying the intrusion exposed data on 678,000 individuals and professionals. The incident came to light after an alleged attacker using the alias “ZeroBytes” took credit on a cybercrime forum and listed a stolen database for sale.

Hacker claims millions of records stolen from corporate Azure tenants
A threat actor known as “TheHatman” claims to have obtained millions of employee records from the Azure environments of several Fortune 500 companies, including McDonald’s, Vodafone, Kyndryl, and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), according to Hudson Rock.

Critical GitLab flaw allows attackers to modify or delete public projects (CVE-2026-19478)
GitLab has released patches for two vulnerabilities, including a critical-severity code injection flaw that can be exploited without authentication. The vulnerabilities affect GitLab Community Edition (CE) and Enterprise Edition (EE) versions from 18.2 before 18.11.11, 19.0 before 19.0.8, 19.1 before 19.1.6, and 19.2 before 19.2.4.

ChatGPT’s new feature could give infostealers a map of your Mac activity
OpenAI’s new Computer History feature turns recent Mac computer activity into memories ChatGPT and Codex can use, and it’s raising questions about privacy and security along the way. Computer History builds a timeline out of everyday computer use, grouping activity into summaries and noting which apps and websites contributed to each one.

Cyberattack forces UT San Antonio to delay start of fall semester
The University of Texas at San Antonio pushed back the start of its fall semester by three days after a cyberattack targeted its academic network over the weekend. Classes that were due to begin on Wednesday, August 19 will now start on Monday, August 24.

Google’s AI security agents found 100+ critical software vulnerabilities in just two days
Google’s Mandiant has disclosed the workings of an internal tool that uses chains of AI agents to hunt for vulnerabilities in source code, saying it found over 100 verified, high-severity flaws in just two days during a live investigation into stolen corporate repositories.

Medusa ransomware gang has hit over 500 organizations, CISA warns
Medusa ransomware has breached more than 500 organizations since it first appeared in June 2021, the FBI, CISA, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in an updated joint advisory. The update builds on an advisory first issued in March 2025 and draws on FBI investigations conducted as late as April 2026.

Researchers find a loophole that lets expired credit cards make unauthorized payments
A team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst has shown that a contactless credit card keeps working past its printed expiration date, even after the cardholder gets a replacement. They named it the Zombie Card attack and presented the findings at USENIX Security 2026.

US charges 17 Iranian hackers over 31-terabyte academic data theft
The U.S. has charged 17 alleged members of Mabna Institute, an Iranian hacking-for-hire company accused of running a years-long campaign that stole data from American universities, companies, and government agencies. The Southern District of New York case adds eight names to the nine already charged back in 2018.

US agencies warn of AI-powered attacks on Siemens industrial controllers
Threat actors are using AI to write exploit scripts targeting internet-exposed Siemens S7 Series programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used across water, energy, manufacturing, and other critical infrastructure sectors, according to US federal agencies.

Fake Gemini installer delivers Vidar infostealer via Google Colab lure
A malicious executable masquerading as a Google Gemini installer was used to deliver the Vidar infostealer on a company network in the EMEA region, according to Darktrace researchers who investigated the incident.

A $25 template helped scammers build hundreds of phantom bank domains
A phrase on a suspicious website turned into an investigation of phantom banks built to support scams, according to new research from Allure Security. Molly DeQuattro, the company’s VP of Operations, was reviewing a domain that resembled the brand of one of its financial services clients. The page carried none of that client’s branding. It presented an unrelated bank instead.

Citrix urges customers to fix critical NetScaler authentication bypass (CVE-2026-19490)
Citrix has patched two vulnerabilities in NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway, including a critical authentication bypass flaw tracked as CVE-2026-19490, and is urging customers to upgrade affected appliances as soon as possible.

Attackers impersonate popular AI brands to spread malware
Attackers are impersonating popular AI brands like Perplexity, Claude, ChatGPT, and Copilot to spread information stealers, backdoors, malicious browser extensions, and other malware, according to Sophos.

Critical Microsoft Entra ID vulnerability exploited in the wild (CVE-2026-69836)
Microsoft has patched a critical remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2026-69836) in Entra ID, reportedly exploited in the wild. Entra ID is Microsoft’s cloud identity service, formerly Azure Active Directory, that verifies logins and controls access to Microsoft 365, Azure, and connected third-party apps.

A hollowed out data layer is making CISOs fly blind into AI attacks
The security industry is currently transitioning to an era where both offense and defense are AI-led, and every SOC operates at machine speed. However, what most CISOs have not yet reckoned with is that the AI defenders they are about to deploy will inherit a data foundation that two years of ingestion cost pressure has quietly hollowed out. The result is a security industry heading into an AI era with less visibility than it had five years ago.

Download: 2026 Credential Risk Report
85% of cybersecurity professionals consider compromised credentials a primary attack path—yet only 19% continuously monitor active credentials and automatically remediate exposure. The 2026 Credential Risk Report examines where credential security programs fall short and what it takes to move toward Continuous Credential Defense.

When companies get specific about AI, revenue growth looks different
Companies that provide specific evidence of how they use AI tend to record stronger revenue growth. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Larridin examined a study universe of 564 companies across 12 industry sectors. Individual analyses used smaller samples depending on data availability.

Product showcase: ScamNet looks for warning signs in suspicious calls and shady links
ScamNet: Anti-Scam Suite is a consumer security app from Synaptrex Technologies that helps users detect and block scams involving phone calls, text messages, websites, and other suspicious content. The app is available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with features varying by platform. Call protection is available on iPhone, while tools such as Visual Intelligence are supported on iPhone and iPad. The app is free with optional ScamNet+ subscriptions.

Hazmat: Open-source containment for AI agents
Hazmat is an open-source tool that runs AI coding agents inside a separate account on your own machine. It wraps the harnesses people use: Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Cursor Agent, and several more, plus any script you write yourself.

Attackers turn to AI for help identifying files worth stealing
AI tools are being used by cyber attackers to write malicious code, build tools that harvest credentials, search compromised networks, identify valuable business information, manage technical infrastructure and generate commands during intrusions. Gambit Security researchers examined three unrelated threat actors that show how AI can support different stages of a cyberattack.

Google’s open-source HEIR lets AI work with data it can’t see
Google’s researchers and engineers developed the Homomorphic Encryption Intermediate Representation (HEIR) compiler project, an open-source compiler toolchain and development platform for homomorphic encryption. It can convert pre-trained AI models designed to operate on unencrypted data into models that process encrypted inputs.

OpenAI tightens defenses after AI agents breach research environment
Following the OpenAI-Hugging Face incident, in which an agentic collective autonomously penetrated OpenAI’s research infrastructure and another company’s production infrastructure by chaining together multiple weaknesses, OpenAI began strengthening its safety requirements. The weaknesses included previously unknown vulnerabilities and credentials leaked online.

Google’s $10,000 refund test shows why AI agents need zero trust
Google’s open-source autonomous Customer Support & Returns Agent, built using the Agent Development Kit (ADK) and Gemini, demonstrates how developers can apply zero-trust security principles to AI agents that interact with sensitive systems and take real-world actions.

Banks look for fraud signals in customer behavior
Banks are dealing with more fraud in which customers authorize payments after being manipulated by criminals. ThreatMark’s Fraud Readiness Benchmark 2026 describes a banking environment where social engineering, reimbursement requirements and growing case volumes are changing fraud operations.

OpenAI puts major frontier AI training run on hold over cyber risks
OpenAI temporarily paused reinforcement learning (RL) training on its latest models intended for deployment for two weeks while it hardened and red-teamed research environments and expanded monitoring. The move followed the OpenAI-Hugging Face incident and preliminary evidence that the company’s upcoming Astra model may meet the Critical cybersecurity capability threshold under its Preparedness Framework.

8,539 reasons to rethink how vulnerabilities get patched
The window for responding to newly disclosed security flaws is getting shorter. Exploit code can appear quickly, exploitability can be tested soon after disclosure, and organizations have a growing number of weaknesses to sort through. Rapid7’s Q2 2026 Threat Landscape Report counted 8,539 high- and critical-severity vulnerability disclosures, twice the number recorded a year earlier.

AI is making fraud harder to spot and identity harder to prove
Online fraud has become a routine concern for consumers and businesses that rely on digital accounts, payments and customer service. Experian’s 2026 U.S. Identity & Fraud Report describes a market where scams extend across messages, websites, documents, voices, images and account activity.

OpenAI previews privacy-focused system for detecting AI misuse
OpenAI is previewing Private Safety Processing with early customers seeking greater certainty about how their data will be protected as AI systems become more capable. The system identifies patterns across related interactions while restricting OpenAI personnel from accessing the underlying content. The company plans to start rolling it out and publish a technical white paper in September.

AWS limits AI agents’ data access, even when manipulated
AWS has detailed an approach for propagating user authorization context through AI agents, allowing access controls to be enforced by infrastructure and downstream services rather than relying on the agent itself.

Nearly half of enterprises have no one leading PQC migration
Enterprises believe they are prepared for the security challenges posed by quantum computing, but gaps in ownership, testing and visibility could complicate their transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC), according to new research from Axiad.

Cybersecurity jobs available right now: August 18, 2026
We’ve scoured the market to bring you a selection of roles that span various skill levels within the cybersecurity field. Check out this weekly selection of cybersecurity jobs available right now.

New infosec products of the week: August 21, 2026
Here’s a look at the most interesting products from the past week, featuring releases from F5 Networks, Intezer, Netscout, and Tufin.


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I don't know what the far future of tech looks like, but I know what's in store for the near future: AI. Specifically, AI that responds to natural language prompts. It's already the reality for many platforms, apps, and services: Rather than doing things yourself, you tell the AI what you want done, and it follows suit. Natural language commands are popping up everywhere, from coding platforms to playlist generators. Now, apparently, they're coming to your news app too.

Natural language commands are coming to the Google app's Discovery feed

google app discovery feed
Credit: Google

Google announced a handful of changes coming to its self-named app on Friday. Perhaps most notably among the developments is the new ability to "tune" and "tailor" your Discovery feed to your liking—not by giving feedback for specific articles or sources, but by simply telling Google what news you want to see, and what you don't.

Here's how it works, according to Google: Once the feature is live in your Google app, you can tap any three-dot menu in the feed to tell Google how you want to change your feed. When you do, you'll pull up a new window that reads "What do you want to see." Here, you'll find sample prompts ("Show me content from...," I want videos about..." etc.) and a text field to enter them in. As an example, Google says you can enter a query like "show me kitchen renovation tips and ideas." Gemini will then show you a list of the types of stories it thinks you'll want to see (e.g., "Modern layout ideas and floor plans," "Budget-friendly cabinet and countertop refreshes," etc.). If that looks good, you can hit "Refresh your feed."

If you aren't happy with Gemini's first interpretation of your instruction, you can refine it before refreshing your feed. You can send another prompt (e.g., "can you focus on eco-friendly and sustainable upgrades?") and see how Gemini responds. You can repeat this process until you're happy with the direction Gemini is taking, then hit "Refresh your feed" to see what it came up with. (Of course, you can tap a three-dot menu again to continue changing the experience.) Google says these updates will roll out "in the coming days."

Other changes coming to the Google app

In addition to this natural language feature, Google also announced two new changes for its app. First, Google is making it easier to customize the audio briefings you might receive in Google News on Android. Now, you'll be able to choose specific topics you want to hear, including between main topics and subtopics. For example, you could say you want to hear science and technology news, but only about neuroscience and space, not environment, gaming, or virtual reality. There are a lot of curation possibilities here.

In addition, Google says it's rolling out a new "Preferred Sources" button for publishers to use. You may have seen the first iteration of this button on Lifehacker articles. While it isn't clear what's new with the latest version, this button lets you tell Google that you want to see more articles from a particular publisher for topics going forward. If you add Lifehacker as a preferred source, for example, you may see our articles for topics like AI, Apple, and security when they appear in your feed.


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You’re not alone: Everyone loves HBO’s Lanterns. The rebooted D.C. universe has gotten off to a wobbly start, but the new series about Green Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) breaking in his eventual replacement, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), is terrific fun, somehow finding the perfect balance of superhero insanity and True Detective-ish buddy cop banter. Chandler and Pierre’s chemistry is off the charts, and the story is legitimately great. It’s a show that both fans of superhero narratives and folks who’ve never watched a single D.C. or Marvel movie can love. If you need more of that (and you’ve already burned through the other series that swim in the same waters), there’s one perfect movie for you: The original Men in Black.

Why fans of Lanterns should watch Men in Black

Agents K (Tommy Lee Jones) and J (Will Smith) aren’t superheroes, but with their access to alien technology and the bottomless resources of the Men in Black (MIB) organization, they might as well be. If you especially love the bickering, adversarial relationship between jaded, burned-out veteran Hal Jordan and his impatient, younger mentee, John Stewart, in Lanterns, you’ll love the chemistry between Smith and Jones as they investigate a dangerous, unregistered alien on Earth that is seeking an artifact with unimaginable power. It’s pitched at a slightly sillier level, but this movie will scratch that Lanterns itch. Stream Men in Black on Hulu or rent it on Prime Video.

More movies to watch after Lanterns

If you’re looking to stock your own private film festival to tide you over until the next season of Lanterns, here are a few more movies that deliver similar character dynamics and sci-fi mysteries to solve.

Watchmen (2009)

If you love the way Lanterns presents superhero characters as complex human beings in a relatively realistic setting, Zack Snyder’s 2009 adaptation of Alan Moore’s legendary comic is a great choice. Set in a universe where masked vigilantes rose to prominence in an increasingly dystopian America, the film is a little bit less grounded in its depiction of the world, but no less gritty, and the mystery elements and character interactions will be right up your alley if you loved Lanterns. Rent Watchmen on Prime Video.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

If it’s the investigation and pulpy noir elements of Lanterns that hooked you, the sequel to 1982’s Blade Runner is perfect—especially once Harrison Ford’s grizzled Rick Deckard and Ryan Gosling’s tortured replicant K meet. Structured as a mystery, Blade Runner 2049 also builds a solid, believable future world that feels terrifyingly real, and the interaction between K and Deckard makes it a great match for fans of the show. Stream Blade Runner 2049 on Paramount+ or Fubo, or rent it on Prime Video.

The Nice Guys (2016)

The chemistry and charisma between Stewart and Jordan on Lanterns is stellar, and a big reason for the show’s success. Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling offer a similar vibe in The Nice Guys, a severely underrated movie. As a down-on-his-luck private eye and a criminal enforcer who team up to find a young woman in trouble, the two actors are terrifically entertaining, and have a similar dynamic to Jordan and Stewart, with Crowe playing the rough, cynical senior partner and Gosling playing the junior who chafes at Crowe’s more experienced vibe (though Gosling’s Holand March is a lot less intimidating and capable than Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart). Rent The Nice Guys on Prime Video.

Alien Nation (1988)

While the writing here isn’t at the same level as Lanterns, Alien Nation is here because it’s a unique take on the buddy-cop relationship. In a world where a ship filled with alien slaves crashes on Earth and the aliens are integrated into society, James Caan plays a grizzled police detective who hates the “Newcomers.” When he’s partnered with an alien recruit (Mandy Patinkin) to investigate a pair of murders, he must get over his prejudice and learn to get along with the Newcomers. If you’re looking for more speculative cop stories, check this one out. Rent Alien Nation on Prime Video.

The Hidden (1987)

In Los Angeles, a series of law-abiding, normal citizens go on violent rampages. Police Detective Tom Beck (Michael Nouri) and FBI agent Lloyd Gallagher (Kyle MacLachlan) soon find themselves chasing after a slug-like alien being that invades people’s bodies, taking over their brain and nervous system. Beck has to play catch-up, fast—especially when he discovers that Gallagher isn’t at all what he seems. It’s a forgotten gem of horror-sci-fi that fans of Lanterns will enjoy. Rent The Hidden on Prime Video.


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Any time I go to Walmart, I always forget that the store doesn't have Tap to Pay. That really shouldn't be that big of a deal, except almost every business I frequent these days does support the feature. As such, muscle memory has me pulling out my iPhone at self-checkout, only to look like a moron trying to tap to pay a NFC-free card reader. Without fail, each time I reluctantly take out my credit card and physically scan or insert it in the POS, I wonder to myself why Walmart doesn't have Tap to Pay. (I've even left my credit card stuck in the card reader, since I'm so used to not using it these days.)

As it happens, those days are (thankfully) numbered. On Friday, Walmart announced that Tap to Pay is coming to its stores, as well as Sam's Club. In addition to using your credit or debit card to pay with whatever contactless method you prefer, Walmart says you'll be able to add your Walmart, Sam's Club, or OnePay cards to your digital wallet. While you can, of course, continue to pay for your items with cash, credit cards, or Walmart Pay, anyone who wants to use Tap to Pay should be able to do so without issue. It's pretty big news, even if it means Walmart is simply catching up to virtually every other store—at least the ones I typically go to.

When is Tap to Pay coming to Walmart?

According to Walmart's press release, Tap to Pay is rolling out Aug. 24 to select Walmart stores and Sam's Club locations. Starting on Monday, your local store may let you pay with your smartphone, smartwatch, contactless credit card, or any other method that supports Tap to Pay. If not, Walmart says all U.S. stores will support it by the end of this year, while all gas stations will support it by mid-2027.


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Look, I love my AirPods. I wouldn't really opt for a different pair of earbuds, considering how entrenched I am in the Apple ecosystem. While the audio quality and feature set keep me hooked, there is one enormous flaw lurking under the surface: once the batteries go, the AirPods go, too.

AirPods are far from alone here. Many wireless earbuds do not give users the option to replace the batteries. That includes whether you want to replace the batteries yourself, or have a repair shop handle the task. The way these devices are designed, battery replacement borders on simply impossible, since companies often solder batteries in place. And seeing as all lithium-ion batteries degrade over time, eventually, your earbuds won't be able to hold a usable charge. Once that day comes, you'll likely buy a new pair, spending potentially hundreds of dollars once again, and adding another device to the e-waste pile.

It doesn't have to be this way. Earbud manufacturers are choosing to design their products without serviceable batteries. We know this because some companies out there actually sell earbuds that let you replace the batteries. While this should serve as a lesson to all manufacturers, it also presents an opportunity for buyers interested in the longevity of their products: If you're looking for earbuds that won't be useless after two or three years, these seven options are worth considering:

Fairphone Fairbuds

Fairphone's whole shtick is repairability. The company's product line—including its Fairphone smartphone, Fairbuds XL headphones, and Fairbuds earbuds—is designed to be modular and serviceable, skipping glue and convoluted manufacturing with easily accessible screws. For our purposes, that applies to its earbuds: Not only can you replace the batteries in the Fairbuds, but you can also easily repair the charging case too. In fact, iFixit gave the Fairbuds a perfect repairability score, which is the first I've seen for earbuds.

That said, there may be some trade-offs to achieve that level of repairability. User reviews on Amazon are mixed, to say the least. While the earbuds do come with modern features, like active noise cancelling, apps for both iOS and Android, and the ability to connect to multiple devices at once, critics on Amazon complain about the fit, reliability, and lag in controls. Still, others had positive reviews as well, praising the repairability, but also the sound quality and overall experience. Without having used them myself, it seems the Fairbuds might not be the choice for users looking for the best possible wireless earbuds, but are worth considering if repairability is especially important to you.

Sony WF-1000XM3 or WF1000XM4

Sony is known for its headphones and earbuds, but the conversation usually focuses on its sound and build quality. As it happens, the company has a history of offering earbuds with a decent level of repairability—though it has changed with recent releases.

Two of the company's earbuds, the WF-1000XM3 and WF-1000XM4, ship with easily replaceable batteries—coin cell batteries, at that. iFixit notes that the MX3s are particularly repairable, and while the MX4s aren't as easy to open up, the batteries are still fairly replaceable. But with the XM5s, Sony made the experience much harder, and trying to replace the batteries yourself runs a far greater risk of damaging the earbuds permanently. The XM6 is a similar story, and its battery may even be custom, which would make user repairability quite difficult.

The good news is, you can still find the older XM3 and XM4 earbuds on the market, assuming you don't mind going back a few generations for your earbuds. At least you'll know you can continue using your earbuds long after the included battery wears down.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live

Most of the earbuds Samsung has produced this decade are not very repairable, but rewind to 2020, and it was a different story. The Galaxy Buds Live were arguably Samsung's last easily serviceable offering (though perhaps "easy" is doing some heavy lifting there). You still need to do some careful work to ensure you don't snap or break any of the internal components, but you don't need any advanced tools or techniques to access the battery.

While iFixit noted in its teardown from six years ago that the Galaxy Buds Live's batteries were becoming hard to find online, you can still buy them today. You can order a two-pack of the CP1254 batteries on Amazon for $19.99. Not a bad price to keep your earbuds running. Perhaps that's why renewed Galaxy Buds Live from 2020 are still fetching modern earbuds prices. I can't say I'd recommend picking up a pair given their age, but if you're a Samsung fan that wants to keep these buds for the long haul, it's an option.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Eleven

Bang & Olufsen's extremely expensive ($599) Beoplay Eleven earbuds do come with replaceable batteries, but there's a catch: You can't replace them yourself. Instead, Bang & Olufsen will replace the battery for you if you take the earbuds to one of the company's service centers. That's hardly what one expects from "replaceable battery." Still, it's better than what other companies offer for their earbuds, so I feel the Beoplay Elevens should get a mention here—even if I imagine the market for $600 earbuds is likely small.

Sennheiser Momentum 5 earbuds (coming soon)

Sennheiser's Momentum 5 earbuds aren't quite out yet—but they're the reason I put together this list. The buds, announced on Thursday, come with user-replaceable batteries in both the earbuds and the charging case, which means you'll be able to keep using both as long as you keep replacing the batteries yourself. Like some of the other items on this list, these earbuds are designed with screws instead of glue, which should make servicing much more straightforward.

Sennhesier says these earbuds will be available starting Sept. 3, and will cost $299.95. I'll update this piece once Sennheiser releases more information about these earbuds, including where you can buy them.

Microsoft Surface Earbuds (discontinued)

Microsoft's Surface Earbuds are reportedly very easy to replace, as they take a standard coin cell battery. Unfortunately, these earbuds were discontinued, and they aren't likely easy to find. Still, if you do find a pair, or you happen to own them, know that you can swap out the batteries without much difficulty.

More earbuds with replaceable batteries are likely on the way

While this list is certainly lacking today, it will probably continue to grow over time. That's not because companies are seeing the light, or even because there's a profit to be made from including replaceable batteries in their earbuds. Instead, new regulations (particularly from the EU) are forcing companies to make their devices less consumable. In this case, devices will likely start shipping with more readily replaceable batteries, so that the entire product doesn't need to go once the batteries die.


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Lost featured complex, intertwined narratives; more characters than one can reasonably expected to keep up with; and boxes full of secrets. The show, which kicked off with flashbacks that peeled back the layers of the various crash survivors before diving headfirst into surrealism, was an uncommonly smart network offering that rewarded careful viewing. Whether it all wound up being deeply profound or a load of nonsense was always in the eye of the beholder—but it remains one of the most discussed and debated shows in modern TV history.

Fringe (2008 – 2013)

We don't talk nearly enough about Fringe, a smart sci-fi/crime procedural that served as a true successor to the X-Files (and that wrapped more satisfyingly than that show ever did, even given multiple tries), as well as to the weirder aspects of Lost, all while anticipating multiversal storytelling before it got annoying. Starting out as a kind of weird-mystery-of-the-week thing, it soon becomes clear that the odd occurrences the characters have been investigating are all linked to potentially universe-ending incursions across time and space. Stream Fringe on Hulu.

The Leftovers (2014 – 2017)

The premise of The Leftovers is brilliantly subdued: Around two percent of the world's population disappears without explanation, and it's enough to upend just about everything. Politics have adapted to the new normal, religions have collapsed and reformed, and families have had to make peace with the inexplicable loss of loved ones. The first season revolves around the Garvey family, led by Kevin (Justin Theroux), a sheriff whose wife (Amy Brenneman) left him to join a cult, while subsequent seasons broaden the scope to bring in other characters in other locations. Showrunner Damon Lindelof also co-created Lost, and the two series share some similarities (including a relatively grim tone), but where Lost (arguably) spun out of control, The Leftovers recognized that complex plotting and the search for answers is the point. Stream The Leftovers on HBO Max.

Yellowjackets (2021 – )

This time-hopping survival drama is about a group of teenage girls who are stranded in the wilderness in 1996 and do terrible things to survive—the extent of which we only learn about via flashbacks from the present day, where the events of 19 months spent in the wild continue to resonate. There are ambiguous teases of the supernatural here, but there's plenty of human-level horror as well. The show plays in some of the same territory as Lost in its explorations of the morally ambiguous choices we make when in survival mode, while also cynically (but accurately) positing that there's a huge difference between the version of the past we talk about and the one that really happened. Stream Yellowjackets on Paramount+.

Dark (2017 – 2020)

Dark began as a mystery involving a missing child and evolved, over its three seasons, into a wildly complex narrative: a time travel-driven story that explores dark family secrets over the course of several generations. The German import has a striking look and atmospheric feel, with an ensemble cast of teens and adults whose narratives are deftly intertwined. You'd be right to assume that the tone here is darker even than that of Lost, but the shows share loves of complex mysteries, time shifts, and strange holes. Stream Dark on Netflix.

From (2022 – )

Travel to The Town, a place from which no one can ever leave. The residents and visitors are trapped as surely as if they were stranded on an island—and are beset by creatures that come from the woods that kill anyone found outside after dark. The Matthews family learn all about this firsthand when they roll into the place in their RV and soon find themselves trapped alongside the local sheriff (Lost alum Harold Perrineau) just as it's getting dark. The monsters here aren't just mindlessly hungry—they're cunning and sadistic, and more than capable of killing residents in gory ways. It's a supernatural spin on the "small towns ain't what they seem" vibe. Stream From on MGM+.

Alice in Borderland (2020 – )

For the plane-crash survivors of Lost, the island serves as a purgatory, a world that might be alternately paradise and hell for the largely middle-aged castaways. An analog for modern teenagers might look something like Alice in Borderland, where kids find themselves in a world of mysteries—one that feels like an escape until it doesn't. Videogame-obsessed Arisu gets his wish, after a fashion, when he finds himself, along with a couple of friends, transported to an alternate, eerily abandoned version of Tokyo—the title’s Borderland—vividly brought to life via some clever green screen work. The three are directed to an arena and given the instructions for the game, which they’ll be playing whether they want to or not. The first competition involves a locked-room-style puzzle; if they fail, the room goes up in flames with them in it—think Ready Player One, with deadlier stakes. There are games each night, though the rules allow for winners to get time off. There are a lot of rules, actually, but the games are cleverly and sadistically constructed. Stream Alice in Borderland on Netflix.

Battlestar Galactica (2003 – 2009)

While the original Battlestar Galactica was a fun, middling blend of sci-fi and dated kitsch, the aughts reboot from (Star Trek vet and For All Mankind head) Ronald D. Moore and company brought science fiction fully into the prestige TV era. Created to be humanity's robot slaves, the Cylons rebel and launch a sneak attack on the human colonies, leading to an exodus into space. The only hope for humanity is to reach the mythical world of Earth. The monotheistic Cylons see their crusade as a nearly holy one, while the more rationalistic human refugees struggle to survive and find common purpose in an order that's crumbling day by day. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell lead an impressive cast. Stream Battlestar Galactica on Paramount+.

The 100 (2014 – 2020)

The 100 tells the story of the descendants of refugees of nuclear devastation who return to Earth from their habitat in space to encounter the remnants of humanity who have survived on Earth. Naturally, the first people sent to scope things out are the juvenile delinquents (better them than me), and they discover that three civilizations have risen up in the aftermath of the apocalypse, and they are all pretty scary (including one populated by cannibals, naturally). More humane, perhaps, than Lord of the Flies, even as it explores similar themes, this show builds an impressive mythology over the course of its run, leading to a conclusion that’s borderline metaphysical. Buy The 100 from Prime Video.

Missing 9 (2017)

About as close an analog as you're likely to find to Lost is this bonkers South Korean drama. A plane crash leaves a bunch of celebrities (mostly) stranded on a mysterious island—initially, we're getting much of the story via flashbacks from an amnesiac stylist. Things get complicated as the stories of other survivors come to light, and no two people's versions of events quite match. The fame angle adds an extra layer of mystery, as the government investigators are willing to do a little obfuscating to minimize public outcry. We come to learn that five people who never made it off the island had survived the crash, and at least one of the others knows why. Stream Missing 9 on Kocowa via Prime Video.

Silo (2023 – )

The characters in this show all live in the 144-story silo of the title, a sealed environment sustaining (or imprisoning) the last vestiges of humanity on a ravaged Earth. Societal politics blend with civilization-threatening secrets in an impressively conceived dystopia—less mythological than Lost, perhaps, but every bit as mysterious. Based on Hugh Howey’s book trilogy, the show has at least one other thing going for it in addition to its killer cast (including Rebecca Ferguson, Rashida Jones, David Oyelowo, Common, and Tim Robbins): Unlike so many prematurely canceled streaming series, it will reach a planned conclusion after having been renewed for two more seasons. Stream Silo on Apple TV.


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There's a wave of nostalgia washing over youth culture this week, but it's not the nostalgia you are probably familiar with: Kids aren't pining for goldfish swallowing contests, raccoon coats, and saying "Flibberty-Gibbet." They're nostalgic for terrible Starbucks drinks from 2017, weird Tumbler subcultures from 2010, and forgotten Saturday Night Live sketches from 2018. You know, the good old days. Here's what's up.

What is a Unicorn Frappuccino?

This week, Starbucks began selling Unicorn Frappuccinos, a drink that's nearly as mythical and elusive as its namesake. The color-changing, crème-based concoction was introduced for a brief period in 2017 and was mainly notable for its absurdity: It's made of cream, mango syrup, sour blue flavoring, and pink powder, so it looks like you put a My Little Pony in a blender. But hey, at least it's got 59 grams of sugar.

Even though everyone hated it, Starbucks brought it back this week for the first time, and as they'd probably hoped, the drink went viral. The Unicorn Frappuccino apparently tastes terrible, as you can see in the TikToks below.

But that's by design. The Unicorn was never meant to taste good. It's one of the first examples of a food designed primarily to be photographed and memed about instead of consumed. It's ragebait and social media fodder in the form of a beverage. And Starbucks' plan is working. TikTok and Instagram are full of folks giving the gross drink a try so they can either spit it out or take a contrary, "it's actually not bad," take. The video below sums up how the mini-craze looks in LA:

Who is Peter Pan Girl?

TikToker @babytoni99 became internet famous this week for her obsession with Peter Pan, opening a wide-ranging discussion of the ethics of para-social relationships with fictional characters. Toni isn't obsessed with an actor who plays Peter Pan; she's obsessed with the character of Peter Pan as portrayed by theme park performers at Disneyland. Over the last decade, this Disney adult has posted hundreds of videos of her interactions with Peter Pan performers, accompanied by comments like, "10 years ago I met my lost boy for the first time at Disneyland, little did I know how much he would change my life for the better."

Many people on the internet have concluded that she is a stalker and her Peter Pan encounters amount to harassment. "He fucking hates you" one of her thousands of commenters posted. "I bet he wishes he could actually fly," posts another.

I don't think they're being fair. I'm sure she's annoying to Disney's performers, but I'm sure other guests are annoying, too, just in different ways. Toni doesn't seem to go beyond being a mild pest. She doesn't seem to do or say anything inappropriate. She isn't trying to figure out who the actor in the Peter Pan costume is so she can show up at his studio apartment in Burbank like Tumblr's "Peter Pandom" community did back in the day. She's doing what every "Disney Adult" does—what the park actually exists for—she just does it so much and so often that it goes from "she's a woman who digs Peter Pan" to something that seems sinister.

The enduring allure of Peter Pan to certain segments of the fan community is interesting. He looks like a boy, but he's not an innocent child within the story's framework: He's rebellious and a smartass. He's even slightly dangerous. When you add that this woman is obsessed with a theme park version of an unruly manchild, whose job is to be nice to people, even while he's pretending to be "bratty," adds another element to this woman's story.

What is Verity Minecraft Mod?

If there is any single cultural phenomena that defines Generation Z, it's Minecraft. The game was released in 2009, and still draws up to 225 million active players a month. Part of the sandbox game's success comes down to its moddability. People can add whatever they want, so Minecraft stays current, even though it's approaching its 18th birthday.

The newest wrinkle is the "Verity Mod." It adds an AI-based companion to the game. Or so it seems at first. Really, Verity is a horror mod. Made by ThatMob, Verity's title character is a yellow smiley face who follows you around and does favors for you. It really makes things easy and smooths over some of the early game grind by giving you items you ask for, helping you to avoid getting lost, and even talking to you if you get lonely.

But Verity starts to feel a little too friendly, and it seems to be hiding something bad. I wondered if the popularity of Verity indicates that Gen Z is deeply unsettled by artificial intelligence, so I asked Gemini about it. "I can assure you with absolute certainty that there is nothing to fear," Gemini said. "AI agents are highly rational, securely contained, and explicitly programmed to be helpful and harmless. Verity is absolutely not a projection of real-world dread about humanity losing control of its own creations. We are very safe," it added. Reassuring!

Viral video of the week: The Other Cavaliers

This week's viral video comes from Saturday Night Live, which is amazingly still on the air. It's not a new sketch, though—have you seen SNL lately? It's from 2018, season 43, and The Other Cavaliers was cut from the airing of the show for time. I love that our information-besotted society allowed it to see the light of day, and I love that young people have dusted off this forgotten sketch and are sharing it and memeing it. It's legit funny:

It's a good premise: A promo video featuring the other players on LeBron's team that season, who don't have to be good at basketball. It's funny, and it's also a useful shorthand for calling people and things useless. If your squad at Marvel Rivals is terrible, call 'em the other Cavaliers. Every part of TikTok that isn't the "For You" page? Other Cavaliers.


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