Mashable

TL;DR: Walmart has dropped the Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Play Booster Box to $174.99, beating Amazon’s current $222.19 listing. That gets you 30 Play Boosters packed with cards inspired by all 16 mainline Final Fantasy games.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Play Booster Box $174.99 at Walmart
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Deals on MTG’s Final Fantasy expansion haven’t been appearing as often as before, but Walmart is still offering some of the best prices in trading cards when compared with competitors. 

As of March 6, Walmart has the Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Play Booster Box down to $174.99, with free shipping. That puts it $47.20 below Amazon’s current $222.19 price for the same English-version Play Booster Box, making Walmart the better place to buy if you’ve been waiting for this set to cool off a little before jumping in.

This not only knocks it down to TCGplayer’s market price, but the Walmart deal even beats Amazon’s best-ever price of $183.32 for this Play Booster Box, as confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel.

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This is the 30-pack Play Booster display, which means you’re getting a full box intended for cracking packs, building decks, or running Limited games with friends. Each Play Booster includes 14 Magic cards, with 1 to 4 rares or better, 3 to 6 uncommons, 6 to 9 commons, and one land card. Every booster also includes one traditional foil card, while traditional foil lands show up in 20% of boosters. What’s more, a full display box can support an eight-player Draft pod with a few packs left over for prize support.

The set pulls from all 16 mainline Final Fantasy games, with familiar characters, summons, spells, and locations woven into Magic card form. It’s a great way to revisit the series’s biggest moments while still getting a booster format built for actual play.

For more MTG deals, you can still buy the Magic: The Gathering Tarkir Dragonstorm Play Booster Box for below $110 at Walmart. You can also buy the Magic: The Gathering Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Draft Night for a new low price of $86.99 at Amazon. 

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, March 6, 2026:

AcrossMountains on an Evian bottle

• The answer is Alps.

Sound effect for a pogo stick

• The answer is Boing.

Bert's buddy

• The answer is Ernie.

"Bruhhh!"

• The answer is Dude.

Candy with collectible dispensers

• The answer is Pez.

DownPresidential nickname of the 1860s

• The answer is Abe.

"My Sweet ___" (George Harrison song)

• The answer is Lord.

Affix with a thumbtack

• The answer is Pinup.

Like an unpleasant, mocking comment

• The answer is Snide.

"Good grief!"

• The answer is Geez.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Mini Crossword.

Where to buy the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Box Best Walmart Deal Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Box $102.95 at Walmart Shop Now Best Amazon Deal Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Box $109.88 at Amazon Shop Now

Walmart is continuing its streak of being the best retailer to grab readily available Pokémon TCG products at prices that are closer to "budget-friendly."

As of March 6, Walmart has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Box listed for $102.95, down from $149.99. That’s a notable drop not just against Amazon’s current $109.88 price (also its lowest price according to price tracker camelcamelcamel), but also against TCGplayer’s market price.

After a new expansion comes out, just above $100 is usually the sweet spot for ETBs. With Ascended Heroes’ most valuable SIR cards still well in the high hundreds, like Mega Gengar ex and Mega Dragonite ex — we expect this to be the standard for a long while, and $102.95 is the best deal we’ve seen by far.  

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That may only be a small edge vs. TCGplayer’s tracked $104.23 market value, but it matters more once you look at the actual listings. TCGplayer currently shows the Ascended Heroes ETB at $120 from its only listed seller, and that listing also comes with a shipping charge. The listed median is $119.43, which makes Walmart’s price look especially strong.

The Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Box includes nine booster packs of trading cards, a full-art foil promo card featuring N’s Zekrom, 65 card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, a player’s guide, damage-counter dice, a coin-flip die, a plastic coin, six dividers, a collector’s box, and a code card for Pokémon TCG Live.

For new expansions, you can still preorder the Pokémon TCG’s Perfect Order Booster Box for a low price of $219.99 at Walmart. Meanwhile, you can also preorder Pokémon TCG Perfect Order Booster Bundles for just under $50. 

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 6, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for March 6, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for March 6 Pips

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically; 4-4, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed vertically; 4-6 placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 4-6 placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for March 6 Pips

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically; 4-2, placed vertically.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically; 3-6, placed horizontally.

Less Than (6): Everything in this space must be less than 6. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this red space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this dark blue space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this green space must be equal to 1. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for March 6 Pips

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically; 6-0, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this dark blue space must be equal to 0. The answer is 6-0, placed vertically; 0-4, placed vertically; 3-0, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically.

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 3-6, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this red space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 3-6, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically; 0-0, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically; 1-3, placed horizontally.

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 5-5 placed vertically.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 5-5 placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

TL;DR: Live stream Japan vs. Chinese Taipei in the 2026 World Baseball Classic for free on Tele Rebelde, Tubi, or Venevision. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is bringing together the best international sides in the world to compete over the next few weeks. Baseball fans are patiently waiting for the new MLB season to get underway, so the timing of this top-quality competition really helps.

Shohei Ohtani led Japan to a stunning victory over USA in the final of the last edition of this tournament. Can Japan go all the way again? They start their campaign against Chinese Taipei at the Tokyo Dome.

If you want to watch the 2026 World Baseball Classic for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Japan vs. Chinese Taipei?

Japan vs. Chinese Taipei in the 2026 World Baseball Classic starts at 5 a.m. ET on March 6. This fixture will take place at the Tokyo Dome.

How to watch Japan vs. Chinese Taipei for free

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is available to live stream for free on a number of platforms:

• Cuba — Tele Rebelde

• USA — Tubi (six games from the pool stage)

• Venezuela — Venevision

These streaming platforms are geo-restricted, but anyone can access for free with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in another location, meaning you can unblock free streaming sites from anywhere in the world.

Access free World Baseball Classic live streams 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 a location with access

4. Visit Tele Rebelde, Tubi, or Venevision

5. Live stream the 2026 World Baseball Classic for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch every game from the 2026 World Baseball Classic before recovering your investment.

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

What is the best VPN for live sport?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• 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).

Watch Japan vs. Chinese Taipei in the 2026 World Baseball Classic for free with ExpressVPN.

Nothing leaked just about everything about its Nothing Phone 4a prior to its big March 5 unveiling, but the company was almost completely silent about the Pro variant. As it turns out, it's the most interesting device in the bunch.

Just like last year's Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro, the 4a and the 4a Pro are both mid-rangers in spirit, but the Pro isn't the same phone with slightly stronger specs. Instead, it has a completely different design and some unique features that are new to the brand.

Starting with the Nothing Phone 4a, which we've seen (abundantly) at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, it has a 6.78-inch, 120Hz, AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chip, 8/12GB of RAM, and 128/256GB of storage. On the back, there's a triple camera system with a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom, and an ultrawide camera (for some reason, the company does not provide details about it), coupled with a 32-megapixel selfie camera on the front.

It's not a very strong pink, but it's pink: The Nothing Phone 4a. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

It has a 5,080mAh battery with 50W charging, comes in Pink, White, Black, and Blue. On the back, there's a vertical Glyph Bar, a Nothing-specific feature which can signal incoming calls or text, be a progress bar tracking stuff like food delivery, or a battery charge indicator.

The Nothing Phone 4a will start at about 350 euros in Europe; it will not be available in the U.S.

The Nothing Phone 4a Pro shares the same battery, memory and storage sizes. But it has a slightly larger display (6.83 inches), a more advanced chip (Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4), and a more powerful camera system, with a larger sensor on the main camera (again, we don't know the specs for the ultrawide, but it appears to be the same as the one on the Nothing Phone 4a).

You have to hand it to Nothing, its phones always look very fresh. Credit: Nothing

The Nothing Phone 4a Pro also has a very different design. Instead of a plastic chassis, it has a metal unibody, which probably allowed Nothing to reduce its thickness to 7.95mm (this makes it the thinnest Nothing phone ever). It also has a different camera arrangement on the back, and a Glyph Matrix instead of bar, a circular arrangement of 137 mini-LEDs that is now basically a tiny display on the phone's back. It's not new: We've seen it on the last year's flagship, the Nothing Phone 3, but it's nice to see the company bring it to its mid-range phone.

It's easy to reduce a phone to a list of specs, but what sets both of these phones apart from the crowd is their semi-naked design. Not only is it different from anything else on the market, but it also completely changes from one Nothing iteration to the next.

The Nothing Phone 4a Pro comes in Pink, Silver, and Black. Credit: Nothing

The Nothing Phone 4a Pro will be available in Black, Silver, and Pink.

As for pricing, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro will start at $499, and unlike its brother, it will actually arrive in the U.S. later in March.

Finally, the company also launched new over-ear headphones with an unreal battery life.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition is for anyone who played a stick-based sport.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Stick

• Green: Cinderella

• Blue: European champions

• Purple: Sounds like an MLB team

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Used to Hit a Ball

• Green: Unlikely Winner

• Blue: Last Four Men's Clubs To Win The Champions League

• Purple: Homophones of MLB Teams

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #529 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Used to Hit a Ball - BAT, MALLET, PADDLE, RACKET

• Unlikely Winner - DARK HORSE, LONG SHOT, MINNOW, UNDERDOG

• Last Four Men's Clubs To Win The Champions League - CHELSEA, MANCHESTER CITY, PSG, REAL MADRID

• Homophones of MLB Teams - FILLIES, RAISE, READ SOCKS, ROILS

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Broken.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

FRITZ

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To bother.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 6, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ANNOY

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Hot food.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 6 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 6, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SPICY

Hurdle Word 4 hint

After eighth.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

NINTH

Final Hurdle hint

A film star.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

ACTOR

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

The Moon doesn’t look the same every night, and there’s a reason for that. As it moves through the lunar cycle, the amount of light we see changes slightly day by day, creating different phases visible from Earth. So, what's tonight's phase, and what does it mean?

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, March 6, the Moon phase is Waning Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 92% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

The Moon is appearing less visible each night, but for now there's still so much you can see when you look up. With no visual aids, just craning your neck up and looking, you can see the Aristarchus Plateau, Mare Tranquillitatis, and the Tycho Crater. If you have binoculars, you should also catch a glimpse of the Mare Nectaris, Mare Frigoris and the Clavius Crater. A telescope will let you see even more, with standouts including the Linne Crater, Apollo 11 landing spot, and the Caucasus Mountains.

When is the next Full Moon?

In North America, the next Full Moon is predicted to take place on April 1.

What are Moon phases?

NASA says the Moon takes around 29.5 days to circle Earth, moving through a set of eight distinct phases along the way. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the portion lit by the Sun changes as it travels, which is why it can look full, half-lit, or barely visible at different points in the cycle. These changing views are what we call the lunar phases, and there are eight in total:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Amazon went down on Thursday, effectively slowing the U.S. capitalist machine for at least a few hours. Thousands of bereft shoppers reported issues with the online retail giant starting just before 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT, which left them temporarily unable to complete their purchases.

SEE ALSO: The FCC wants to hear your Verizon outage experience

Crowdsourced outage tracker Downdetector received nearly 160,000 error reports for Amazon within 15 minutes, with checkout issues accounting for 38 percent. (Disclosure: Mashable and Downdetector share the same parent company, Ziff Davis.) Users also reported problems with Amazon's mobile app, as well as with its product page. Downdetector reports that the disruption does not appear to be limited to any particular network provider.

Amazon's official customer service X account acknowledged complaints about the problem, though has not yet provided any explanation as to what might be causing it. Complaints on Downdetector began to drop significantly two hours after they first began to spike, and some users report that Amazon had resumed working for them. As of writing, Mashable is not encountering any issues accessing Amazon's website in the U.S. or Australia. However, others still claim that they are having problems.

"We’re sorry that some customers may be experiencing issues," Amazon Help responded to multiple disgruntled customers. "We appreciate your patience as we work to resolve the issue."

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Drone strikes by the Iranian military recently damaged three Amazon data centres in the Middle East, disrupting some of its services in the region. However, these strikes only appear to have impacted local operations, meaning the U.S. outage is likely unrelated despite online speculation to the contrary.

After a big shakeup at Microsoft's gaming division, the new Xbox head had a big announcement to make on Thursday.

The new CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Asha Sharma, blew the lid off the next-generation Xbox gaming console in an X post. Sharma confirmed that the new Xbox gaming console is codenamed Project Helix.

"Great start to the morning with Team Xbox, where we talked about our commitment to the return of Xbox including Project Helix, the code name for our next generation console," Sharma posted along with a picture showing the words "Project Helix" on a black background.

That sort of looks like an X? Credit: Microsoft

Project Helix would be the fifth-generation Xbox.

While she didn't dive too deeply into the details yet, Sharma did share one important feature for the next-gen console: gamers will be able to play both Xbox and PC games on the Project Helix console. This confirms some long-standing rumors about the console.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

"Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games," she said. "Looking forward to chatting about this more with partners and studios at my first GDC next week!"

When Mashable spoke to then-Xbox President Sarah Bond last year, Bond hinted that the Xbox console of the future would be more like a high-end gaming PC than a traditional gaming console. Bond also emphasized the importance of cross-platform games to the Xbox brand.

Ever since Bond's surprise departure, rumors have been swirling around what's next for Xbox.

While much is still unknown about Project Helix, a public confirmation of its existence from Sharma is big news for gamers.

TL;DR: Use code PLAY through March 22 to get a lifetime of Pok Pok for a one-time payment of $44.97 (reg. $250) — a Montessori-inspired, ad-free learning app for kids 2–8.

Opens in a new window Credit: Pok Pok Pok Pok: Lifetime Subscription $44.97
$250 Save $205.03   Get Deal

Not all screen time has to feel like a compromise. If you’ve been looking for something that keeps your child engaged without the noise, ads, or overstimulation, a Pok Pok lifetime subscription is $44.97 (reg. $250) through March 22 with code PLAY — and it’s built very differently from most kids’ apps.

Pok Pok is designed around Montessori principles: child-led exploration, hands-on learning, and open-ended play. There are no levels to beat, no points to chase, and no flashy distractions. Kids tap a toy and simply start exploring. That’s it.

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The experience is calm and thoughtfully crafted, with hand-drawn animations and gentle sound design. It works offline, which makes it especially helpful for travel days or long car rides. And because it’s ad-free and COPPA-certified, parents don’t have to worry about surprise pop-ups or in-app purchase pressure.

The app supports foundational skills in STEM, counting, cause and effect, language, and problem-solving — all through play. Whether your child is mixing outfits in Dress-Up, building worlds in World Puzzle, exploring Space, or tapping through Number Journey, the focus stays on curiosity, not competition.

Family access across devices is included, and new content rolls out regularly to keep things fresh.

For parents who want screen time to feel intentional instead of chaotic, Pok Pok offers a refreshingly thoughtful alternative.

Get a lifetime of Pok Pok for the one-time payment of $44.97 (reg. $250) through March 22 with code PLAY.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Elon Musk's X is reinventing its Creator Subscriptions, dubbing the new offering — wait for it — Creator Subscriptions 2.0.

Creator Subscriptions, in effect, allow people to pay their favorite influencers for exclusive offerings. That's right, some major changes are coming to the website formerly known as Twitter (and not just a continued lurch toward the far right). So, what's new? A few things. Here's what you need to know.

SEE ALSO: Snapchat is testing creator subscriptions, giving top creators a new direct revenue stream Exclusive threads

X rolled out the ability for creators to hide a thread for subscribers only. So regular people will see the first post, while only subscribers will see the follow-up. It's a paywall of sorts on a thread.

"Instead of sending followers to external websites or newsletters—and risking drop-off along the way—audiences can now subscribe directly from the conversation," wrote X in a press release. "This approach allows creators to maximize both distribution and conversion: reach everyone with the initial post, while rewarding subscribers with deeper, exclusive content."

Think of it as a tease that creators can use to attract more subscribers.

Subscriber-only content in the main feed

Instead of being hidden on a separate tab, the subscriber-only content will now appear in a creator's main feed. That should make it easier for followers to keep up with all the content.

Back-end changes for creators

X highlighted several changes for creators, including a new dashboard and a shareable subscription card to promote their work.

"We are doubling down on creators, the platform's most influential experts, thought leaders, and voices, by investing in tools that enable sustainable incomes and deeper connections with their audiences," said Allegra Jacchia, Creators Product at X, in a press release.

United Airlines flyers will experience a little more peace in the air as the company steps up enforcement of its noise rules.

In a recent change to the air travel giant's Contract of Carriage — essentially United's Terms and Conditions for ticket holders — the airline reserves the right to remove, and even ban, passengers who do not use headphones to listen to their music, movies, and social media feeds.

SEE ALSO: Disinformation on U.S.-Iran war takes over the internet

According to the United contract's Refusal of Transport rule, the company has the "right to refuse transport on a permanent or temporary basis or shall have the right to remove from the aircraft at any point, any passenger for the following reasons." Buried in the rule's safety provisions, which outline other reasons for removal such as inappropriate dress or carrying weapons on board, the list now includes "passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content."

"We’ve always encouraged customers to use headphones when listening to audio content — and our Wi-Fi rules already remind customers to use headphones. It seemed like a good time to make that even clearer by adding it to the contract of carriage," said United spokesman Josh Freed in a statement to the press.

SEE ALSO: Rate your favorite audio brands for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card

Most carriers have policies that urge fliers to use headphones during flights. Southwest, for instance, lists headphones as a requirement on its website FAQ. Frontier also includes headphone requirements in its baggage policy, MSN reported. United appears to be the first to include headphone wearing in its passenger contract with explicit means to enforce the policy.

Across the industry, more and more air travelers are reporting passenger disruptions on flights, including violent altercations with fellow flyers and airline staff.

Fantasy author Sarah J. Maas has big plans for the future of A Court of Thorns and Roses. In an appearance on the March 4 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, Maas revealed that not one but two new ACOTAR books are on the way — and they'll be arriving just a few months apart.

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The sixth book in the ACOTAR series will hit shelves on Oct. 27 of this year, followed by the seventh on Jan. 12, 2027. (Insert 67 joke here.) Speaking with host Alex Cooper, Maas said the upcoming releases are part of a "really, really, really big" story she has been waiting to tell.

Opens in a new window Credit: Barnes & Noble A Court of Thorns and Roses 6 $32 at Barnes & Noble
  Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Barnes & Noble A Court of Thorns and Roses 7 $38 at Barnes & Noble
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"It's meant to be read ideally as one massive, massive story as opposed to like in a trilogy," Maas said. "It's not a trilogy. Arcs aren't wrapped up. It's like if you expanded all of part one, all of part two — all the parts — it would be huge like that. I've never told a story that way. This is how it wants to come out."

Few fantasy series of the past decade have built an online fandom quite like A Court of Thorns and Roses, Maas' bestselling saga about a young woman drawn into the dangerous and seductive world of the fae courts. Part of the blockbuster fantasy empire that has sold more than 75 million copies worldwide, the series has become a defining force of the BookTok era, helping popularize the romantasy genre. Posts dissecting Maas' sprawling fantasy world regularly generate millions of views, from elaborate character theories about Rhysand, Feyre, and the rest of the Night Court to heated ship debates and deep dives into every corner of Prythian.

Unsurprisingly, news of two new books arriving within just a few months immediately sent fans into speculation mode across TikTok, Reddit, and X, where readers began theorizing about the story's direction and which characters might take center stage next.

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The announcement’s debut on the Call Her Daddy podcast also reflects a broader shift in how major cultural news spreads. In recent years, podcasts have become a place where celebrities and creators reveal major projects directly to fans and occasionally drop the kind of headline-making news once reserved for traditional news outlets.

For ACOTAR fans, however, the biggest takeaway was simple: The next trip to Velaris is finally on the horizon.

The White House is using clips from popular video game Call of Duty in official posts about the war with Iran, just days after the U.S. entered an armed conflict in the Middle East.

The footage is seen amid a compilation of images of U.S. warfare posted to the official White House X account. The clip begins with gameplay from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, a scene depicting a kill streak animation in which a user unlocks the ability to launch a nuclear arsenal. The video is accompanied by the text "Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue."

SEE ALSO: Disinformation on U.S.-Iran war takes over the internet

To many, the post was an unsettling portrayal of a military strike that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Iranians, according to reports. A girl's elementary school in Minab was hit in an attack, killing dozens of children, and it's not clear if the school was an intended target by U.S. or Israeli forces.

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In a reply to the White House's post, Chance Glasco, founding developer of the Call of Duty franchise, said: "This doesn't surprise me. I remember after Activision took over post-Respawn formation there was a very awkward pressure from Activision for us to make the next CoD about Iran attacking Israel. Luckily the vast majority of our devs were disgusted by the idea and it got shot down."

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The internet has been rife with misinformation surrounding military operations and counterattacks in Iran, including posts intending to exaggerate or mislead users about the country's response to American and Israeli strikes.

Known political bots began posting decontextualized images and videos, including video game and flight simulator screenshots, just hours after news broke of the coordinated attacks. AI-manipulated images and videos had garnered millions of impressions on X, Instagram, and Facebook in a handful of days, according to researchers. With no sign that the posts would slow down as strikes continued, X announced it would be suspending users from its monetized Creator Revenue Sharing program if they posted AI-generated content depicting armed conflict without proper labeling. 

Video game footage has become a tool for U.S. propaganda, and has been used repeatedly by agencies of the Trump administration.

Last year, the Department of Homeland Security used images from Xbox game Halo in social media posts, emblazoned with the phrase "Destroy The Flood" and a link to an ICE recruitment page. The department had previously posted videos of immigration raids with the Pokemon tagline "Gotta catch 'em all." The posts came amid escalating operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including Minnesota-based "Operation Metro Surge," which would result in the killings of Minneapolis residents Rene Good and Alex Pretti, and Los Angeles resident Keith Porter. All three were U.S. citizens.

Anthropic, the AI company behind the popular Claude AI chatbot, received praise last week for standing up to the Trump administration over the U.S. military's use of its AI tools.

However, the company may be reversing course.

According to a new report from the Financial Times, Anthropic and the U.S. Department of Defense have reopened negotiations on how the government can leverage Anthropic tech for military purposes.

The breakdown between Anthropic and the U.S. government began after the AI company received a $200 million contract from the U.S. Defense Department.

However, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei later wanted guarantees that the U.S. government would not utilize its Claude AI models for domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons. The Trump administration refused this request, saying it would use AI technology for any "lawful" purpose.

SEE ALSO: 'The AI Doc' trailer: Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and more discuss the precarious future of AI

As talks between Anthropic and the U.S. government broke down, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth even threatened to designate the company as a supply chain risk to national security.

President Trump called Anthropic a "radical left, woke company" in a post on Truth Social and ordered the federal government to cease using Anthropic's technology over the following six months.

The Financial Times reports that Amodei has now re-entered negotiations in hopes of avoiding the supply chain risk designation. Amodei is now discussing terms of a potential deal with Undersecretary of Defense Emil Michael, who called the Anthropic CEO "a liar" with a "God-complex" in a social media post just last week.

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“Near the end of the negotiation the [department] offered to accept our current terms if we deleted a specific phrase about ‘analysis of bulk acquired data’ which was the single line in the contract that exactly matched this scenario we were most worried about," Amodei said in an internal memo to Anthropic employees as reported by The Information. "We found that very suspicious."

Days after talks between Anthropic and the DoD fell apart, OpenAI announced that it had secured a deal with the U.S. government for the use of its AI tools for military use in "classified environments."

OpenAI quickly received blowback from users, forcing CEO Sam Altman to attempt to address concerns. Just days later, an internal memo from Altman leaked, where the OpenAI CEO told employees that it would be amending its agreement with the federal government, as the deal was rushed. Altman stated that the U.S. government assured OpenAI it would not use its technology for domestic surveillance.

Amodei's internal memo reportedly knocked Altman, calling OpenAI and the Pentagon's statements about the issues with Anthropic “just straight up lies." Amodei accused Altman of partaking in “safety theater” regarding his presentation of the deal and stated that OpenAI employees who believed the company were “sort of a gullible bunch.”

If Amodei is successful in securing a new agreement with the federal government, the U.S. military would continue to use the technology, which is reportedly already being used to launch strikes in Iran.

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Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Google is doing away with its 30 percent fee in the Android App Store, which could potentially ease costs for everyday users.

The news dropped this week that Google planned to revamp its app store's inner workings amid a settlement with Epic, the gaming company that makes Fortnite. (Google and Epic have been involved in a years-long legal feud, which ended in Epic's favor.)

Now, the tech giant has announced it's cutting service fees to 20 percent and, in some cases, 15 percent. It also cut its subscription fee to 10 percent. Note that these savings are for developers and companies that make apps and not, necessarily, for the end user.

The cuts were announced a host of other changes within the Android App Store. It's not entirely clear what those changes will mean for everyday users, but we have an idea.

First of all: With Google cutting the service fee, you'd hope the companies on the other end would pass those newfound savings back to users. I wouldn't hold my breath, but it is a possibility.

But Google also noted that developers will be allowed to guide users away from their app store, which could end up creating savings for users in other ways. Cutting out the middleman entirely could allow app developers to offer lower prices via direct sales.

Wrote Google in a blog post:

"Mobile developers will have the option to use their own billing systems in their app alongside Google Play’s billing, or they can guide users outside of their app to their own websites for purchases. Our goal is to offer this flexibility in a way that maximizes choice and safety for users."

So, in short, nothing really changes too much for you, the user, yet. At best, you might be able to save a bit of cash down the line.

“Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.” 

Pre-order new Apple products at Amazon: MacBook Neo (256GB) $599 at Amazon Pre-Order Here M5 MacBook Air (13-inch, 16GB, 512GB) $1,099 at Amazon Pre-Order Here M5 MacBook Air (15-inch, 16GB, 512GB) $1,299 at Amazon Pre-Order Here M5 MacBook Pro (14-inch, 24GB, 1TB) $2,199 at Amazon Pre-Order Here M5 MacBook Pro (16-inch, 24GB, 1TB) $2,699 at Amazon Pre-Order Here Apple Studio Display $1,599 at Amazon Pre-Order Here Apple Studio Display XDR $3,599 at Amazon Pre-Order Here M4 Apple iPad Air (11 inch, WiFi, 128GB) $599 at Amazon Pre-Order Here M4 Apple iPad Air (13 inch, WiFi, 128GB) $799 at Amazon Pre-Order Here

What a week for Apple. We have new MacBooks, iPads, a new budget-friendly iPhone, and fresh Apple Studio Display models. We all have to wait until next Wednesday, March 11 to get these new Apple devices in our hands, but preorders are live.

You have retailer options when to comes to preorders, but if Amazon is your preferred shopping site, you can snag nearly every new Apple product with one-click at Amazon. Here's a quick guide to pre-order new Apple devices from Amazon.

Pre-order the MacBook Neo at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Apple MacBook Neo (256GB) $599 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here

If you're in the market for a MacBook but don't want to spend major dollars, the new MacBook Neo might appeal. With prices starting at $599, it's the least expensive MacBook on the market.

"The MacBook Neo marks Apple's first dedicated entry in the low-cost laptop space. It replaces the M1 MacBook Air that Apple started selling through Walmart for $699 in March 2024, then eventually discounted to $649. That model has been out of stock in new condition since early 2026, fueling reports of the MacBook Neo's arrival," wrote Mashable Senior Shopping Reporter Haley Henschel.

The MacBook Neo comes with a 13-inch display and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. Amazon is listing a delivery date of March 12 for preorders.

Pre-order the MacBook Air at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Apple M5 MacBook Air (13-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB) $1,099 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Apple M5 MacBook Air (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB) $1,299 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here

This year, the MacBook Air got the zippy M5 chip upgrade. Apple also ditched the 256GB storage option, so the base MacBook Air now comes with 512GB of storage.

Mashable Senior Shopping Reporter Haley Henschel explained one of the biggest shocks with the M5 MacBook Air is the pricing. "The 512GB base models will retail for $1,099 and $1,299, respectively, which is the biggest news here. Those prices represent $100 discounts compared to the M4 MacBook Airs with the same amount of storage. They started with 256GB at $999; that configuration option is no longer available," she wrote.

Pre-order the MacBook Pro at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Apple MacBook Pro (M5 Pro, 14-inch, 24GB, 1TB) $2,199 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Apple MacBook Pro (M5 Pro, 16-inch, 24GB, 1TB) $2,699 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here

More power and quicker processing is essential for professions. The new MacBook Pro line, as expected, brings both of these elements to the party. "Mashable gave the MacBook Pro M5 a stellar review, and these long-awaited MacBook Pros with the M5 Pro and M5 Max are basically just more powerful versions of that device for professional users with advanced computing needs," wrote Mashable contributor Matt Binder.

Pre-order the Apple Studio at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Studio Display (27 inch) $1,599 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Studio Display XDR $3,599 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here

Apple's fresh 2026 lineup didn't ignore those of us who love monitors. We got an update to the Apple Studio Display and got a brand new Apple Studio Display XDR. "Studio Displays are premium monitors designed for creative professionals such as video editors and 3D artists. Apple says the more advanced Studio Display XDR features the 'world’s best pro display,' and it has a 27-inch 5K mini-LED backlight display," explained Mashable Associate Editor Tim Marcin.

Pre-order the Apple iPad Air at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Apple M4 Apple iPad Air (11 inch, WiFi, 128GB) $599 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Apple M4 Apple iPad Air (13 inch, WiFi, 128GB) $799 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here

Starting at just $599, the new iPad Air comes with the M4 chip in an 11 and 13-inch size. Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beth Werth noted, "The M4 processor and enhanced wireless/cellular connectivity will undoubtedly deliver performance upgrades. Apple promises the new iPad Air will be 30 percent faster than the M3 model, with '50 percent more unified system memory.'"

The previous iPad Air with M3 chip is listed as Mashable's favorite iPad. While we haven't tested the new model just yet, we expect to remain a favorite with snappier performance from the updated chip

Between projects like Ted Lasso and Shrinking, showrunner Bill Lawrence has cornered the market on feel-good coming-of-middle-age comedies. His new HBO comedy Rooster, created with Matt Tarses (Scrubs), is the latest entry into that subgenre. It's also the most literal on the "coming-of-age" front, with its college setting evoking ideas of students discovering themselves and their independence.

However, the focus here is not really on the students but on the faculty, including new writer-in-residence Greg Russo (Steve Carell) and his daughter, art history professor Katie (Charly Clive). Just like their pupils, these teachers have a lot of soul-searching to do. Their ensuing stories of college reinvention prove sweetly warm, even if they tread familiar ground by Lawrence standards.

SEE ALSO: Everything we know about 'Ted Lasso' Season 4 What's Rooster about? Credit: Patrick Wymore / HBO

A best-selling author of gripping beach reads, Greg never expected to teach. The only reason he visited New England's quaint Ludlow College in the first place was to check in on Katie. Her husband, fellow professor Archie (Phil Dunster), has left her for grad student Sunny (Lauren Tsai)... and everyone on campus knows it. Faced with all this humiliation and scrutiny, Katie has a perfectly reasonable crash out and burns Archie's house down. OK, maybe it's not that reasonable, but it was an accident!

With Katie about to lose her job, college president Walter Mann (John C. McGinley) offers Greg a deal: He'll let Katie keep teaching if Greg teaches a creative writing course for the semester. This way, Ludlow gets a boost from having a best-seller in its classrooms, and Katie's life doesn't implode any further. Greg accepts, hoping to get more involved in Katie's life, while also unknowingly launching himself into the trials and tribulations of modern academia.

SEE ALSO: 'Vladimir' review: Rachel Weisz goes full 'Fleabag' Rooster is a sweet father-daughter comedy. Steve Carell and Charly Clive in "Rooster." Credit: Katrina Marcinowski / HBO

Rooster marks a journey of self-discovery for both Katie and Greg.

Katie has to reckon with the trauma of Archie's betrayal, which tanked her self-esteem and sense of place on campus. Her father's new, consistent presence at Ludlow is both a comfort and a claustrophobic reminder of why he came to see her in the first place, resulting in a push-and-pull between exasperation and genuine thankfulness. Clive walks that line perfectly, acting as the slightly prickly foil to Carell's overeager father figure.

Similarly to Jason Sudeikis in Ted Lasso and Jason Segel in Shrinking, Carell's Greg is often enthusiastic to the point of overbearing. Yet his meddling in Katie's life is tempered with just enough sweetness to turn those overbearing qualities endearing, and Carell's performance bursts with warmth and self-effacing charm.

In addition to helping Katie through the roughest of rough patches, Greg also realizes that his new role at Ludlow could be a fresh start for him. He didn't go to college as a young adult, but as Rooster proves, it's never too late to embrace college's transformative power. For Greg, that means a chance to step out of his meeker shell and become more like Rooster, the suave hero of his books. So begins his party era, complete with beer pong with students, hookups with Walter's assistant Cristle (a delightful Annie Mumolo), and a pair of cool guy shades.

SEE ALSO: 'Shrinking' Season 3 review: My heart can't take it

While it's fun to watch Carell cut loose, he and Rooster are at their best when they zero in on Katie and Greg's complicated relationship and Ludlow's departmental shenanigans, brought to life by an incredible ensemble cast. McGinley's gossip-loving Walter is a hoot, taking most of his meetings in a sauna so hot that his colleagues have no choice but to sweat out their emotional hang-ups. Danielle Deadwyler shines as poetry professor Dylan, whose dry wit and experience at Ludlow make her the perfect guide for Greg's first semester. And Dunster exudes nauseating pretentiousness as Archie, the one character who can truly turn Greg venomous. ("You're a bad person, and I hate you," Greg spits at him, recalling Michael Scott's pure hatred of Toby in The Office.)

Elsewhere, Rooster and Tsai focus in on Sunny's aspirations to make her more than just the Other Woman in Katie and Archie's marriage. (While she was not Archie's actual student, I still think he deserves jail time for being the worst to both women!) Even minor characters like Sunny's roommate (Robby Hoffman) and a local cop (Rory Scovel) become instant scene-stealers, and the students we encounter at Ludlow, while often archetypal try-hards or slackers, still feel real enough to give the campus a lived-in feel.

Rooster tackles intergenerational divides on college campuses. Danielle Deadwyler and Steve Carell in "Rooster." Credit: Katrina Marcinowski / HBO

Greg has a tough time adjusting to life on a small liberal arts campus, as students are a lot more vigilant than he is about what is appropriate to do or say. Greg calling a stubborn student his "white whale" as a Moby Dick reference won't fly here. Nor will performing the "Walk Like an Egyptian" dance in an awkward attempt to salvage an embarrassing fall.

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Both these instances result in behavioral write-ups for insensitivity. Yet somehow, Rooster manages to play off this divide between Greg and Ludlow's students in a way that's neither patronizing of the students' social consciousness, nor scolding of Greg's lack of awareness. It lightly ribs all parties involved, while still finding validity in their positions. The students can be too much, but they're also eager to change the world for the better. And Rooster highlights that Greg is coming from a good place of wanting to listen and learn, something he shares with Lawrence's other recent heroes.

To that end, it's hard not to think of Ted Lasso and Shrinking throughout Rooster. Workplace patter-turned-therapy sessions abound, and the often-cheerful Greg is, like Ted and Jimmy, harboring a deeper hurt. His close relationship with troubled student Tommy (Maximo Salas) also feels reminiscent of Jimmy's dynamic with patient Sean (Luke Tennie) in Shrinking.

That familiarity risks feeling cloying at times, but the college satire element gives Rooster just enough bite to set itself apart. It's a charming tale of finding yourself again and helping others along the way, and that's certainly worth crowing about.

Rooster premieres March 8 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.