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Mashable is a leading source for news, information & resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world. Mashable's 25 million monthly unique visitors and 10 million social media followers have become one of the most engaged online news communities. Founded in 2005, Mashable is headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco.
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Bring home a MacBook for under $250

Fri, 03/14/2025 - 11:00

TL;DR: Bring home a MacBook for just $229.97 (reg. $999) with this limited-time deal through March 30. 

Been laptop shopping lately? Sticker prices are enough to cause shell shock. That's why you might want to act fast on this 13.3" Apple MacBook Air deal. 

It's on sale for just $229.97, which is $770 off, but not for long. Not only do these have a high risk of selling out, the deal is only running through March 30.

This deeply discounted MacBook Air comes packed with perks

Weighing in at under three pounds, this model makes toting around a laptop much more enjoyable. But don't think that low weight means Apple skimped on their usual bells and whistles.

 This MacBook Air includes a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor with speedy performance. And despite that slim casing, it includes 128GB of flash storage to save important data right there on your computer.

The 13.3" widescreen display offers Intel HD Graphics 6000, which makes this model great for work or play. Stream your favorite shows thanks to the super smooth video streaming, get in some gaming, or enjoy high-quality images on your morning Zoom meeting. 

Connectivity isn't an issue with this device, it offers both WiFi so you can sign on from anywhere and Bluetooth so you can easily transfer files as needed. 

Another great perk? You won't have to waste time searching out an electrical outlet because this MacBook boasts an impressive 12-hour battery life. 

If you're wondering how you're securing that discount, it's because this particular model is refurbished with a grade A rating. That means it will arrive on your doorstep in near-mint condition, with virtually no sign of prior use with all the benefits of a refurbished price tag. 

Secure one of these Apple MacBook Air 13.3" models for just $229.97 (reg. $999) now through March 30, while supplies last. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air 13.3" (2017) 1.8GHz i5 8GB RAM 128GB SSD Silver (Refurbished) $229.97
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Categories: IT General, Technology

Enjoy endless content for life for $14.99 with this AI-powered platform

Fri, 03/14/2025 - 11:00

TL;DR: BitMar Streaming Content-Finder lets you enjoy millions of shows and movies at your fingertips for life for a one-time price of $14.99 (reg. $150) with code BITMAR5 through March 30. 

Are you sick of shelling out a small fortune on streaming services monthly and still having trouble finding something to watch? BitMar could be the answer to your prayers. 

This next-generation content finder aggregates millions (yes, millions) of free movies, TV shows, videos, songs, and more from all over the internet, making it impossible to be bored. And this service is now available for life for just $14.99 with code BITMAR5 through March 30. 

This smart platform is like an entertainment all-you-can-eat buffet

BitMar uses artificial intelligence for good, hunting down filter-free content streaming all over the internet, worldwide, for your enjoyment via a Bing-powered search. And despite using powerful technology, its interface is super straightforward and user-friendly. 

By seeking out free content, BitMar can deliver more movies and television shows than cable, satellite, Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Peacock, and Hulu combined. There are also more music options than Pandora, Spotify, Amazon Prime Music, and Apple Music combined. 

Aside from the vast content options, BitMar also includes perks like watching videos without ads, which especially comes in handy with content from platforms like YouTube. 

Worried BitMar sounds too good to be legal? Rest assured, BitMar complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and its content-finding model allows content creators and owners to monetize via the free traffic BitMar brings them. 

Since it's legal, you may also be curious why it's so affordable. BitMar is available at a one-time low price because you're paying for the platform, not all that content. Think of it as an all-you-can-eat buffet for your entertainment. 

Make sure you always have something to watch with this lifetime subscription to BitMar, on sale for just $14.99 (reg. $150) with code BITMAR5 now through March 30. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: BitMar BitMar Streaming Content-Finder: Lifetime Subscription $15
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Categories: IT General, Technology

Novocaine review: Jack Quaid crushes as an unlikely action hero who cant feel pain

Fri, 03/14/2025 - 11:00

Over the last few years, Novocaine star Jack Quaid has carved himself a niche by playing the everyman archetype with a genre twist.

In The Boys, he's a nobody thrust into a world of superheroes. In Star Trek: Lower Decks, he's an ambitious worker bee on a starship. And in 2025's Companion, he's a sinister (yet all too familiar) "nice guy" with a robot girlfriend.

SEE ALSO: 'Novocaine' trailer: Jack Quaid goes on a gnarly quest for vengeance

Quaid's leading role in Novocaine feels like a natural continuation of these genre-bent everymen. He plays Nathan Caine, a mild-mannered assistant bank manager who has congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA), a genetic disorder that impacts his nervous system to the point that he can't feel pain or temperature.

Usually, Nathan's CIPA causes everyday annoyances that he takes careful steps to manage. He can't eat solid food for fear of biting his tongue off, so he blends it. He can't feel pressure in his bladder, so he sets timers for bathroom breaks. But when his crush Sherry (Amber Midthunder) is taken hostage, he unleashes his CIPA as a superpower, fighting his way through stabs, gunshot wounds, and more to get to her. The ensuing ride is the perfect showcase for Quaid's charms, as he elevates a serviceable action comedy to a damn great time.

What's Novocaine about? Amber Midthunder and Jack Quaid in "Novocaine." Credit: Paramount Pictures

The first act of Novocaine sees Quaid in prime "regular guy" mode. As Nathan, he wakes up, goes about his morning routine, heads to the bank, and crushes on bank teller Sherry from afar. After a coffee spill meet-cute, Sherry invites him out to lunch, then to an art gallery opening. They open up to each other about things they hide from the world: He tells her about how his CIPA led to him being a punching bag at school and causes him to withdraw from social gatherings. She tells him about her self-harm and her upbringing in a troubled foster home. The night culminates in a tender hookup that has Nathan hearing wedding bells.

SEE ALSO: Watch Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid react to the totally meta Goo Goo Dolls easter egg in 'Companion'

At face value, this opening sequence is just a run-of-the-mill first date, one that can't hold a candle to the rom-com greats. But Quaid's game combination of daffiness and vulnerability lends a pleasant sweetness to Nathan's conversations with Sherry. As Sherry, Midthunder is saddled more with a manic pixie dream girl-type role — look, she encourages him to eat his first bite of pie! — but don't worry. Novocaine features its fair share of twists that allow Midthunder to showcase more of the star power she displayed in 2022's Prey.

Speaking of star power, Quaid's kicks into high gear when Nathan begins his quest to take down the trio of bank robbers who kidnap Sherry. Once again, he's the everyman stuck in a high-stakes situation. He's never shot a gun, and he doesn't really know how to fight, resulting in some hysterical scenes in which a hapless Nathan bumbles through intimidating his adversaries. He can't bluff to save his life, but my goodness, does he commit.

Crucially, though, Nathan also doesn't know how to feel pain, and that proves to be the secret sauce Novocaine needs.

Jack Quaid brings humor to Novocaine's fun fights. Jack Quaid in "Novocaine." Credit: Paramount Pictures

Turns out all you need to do to freshen up some tried-and-true fight scene tropes is to take away one fighter's ability to feel pain. Take Novocaine's restaurant kitchen fight scene, Nathan's first real one-on-one test. Kitchen fights are an action movie mainstay. Recent blockbusters like 2023's John Wick 4 and 2024's Monkey Man delivered scorching kitchen-set battles, and of course, who can top the kitchen showdown in The Raid 2?

But Novocaine manages to find its own kitchen fight magic by removing Nathan's pain from the equation. Now, you've got someone who's unafraid to reach into a vat of boiling oil or use a red-hot skillet as a weapon. Nathan may not be a physical match for his opponent, but his ability to withstand agony levels the playing field.

SEE ALSO: 'The Electric State' review: Imagine 'Ready Player One' but worse

Directors Robert Olsen and Dan Berk stay trained on Nathan for much of the fight, highlighting Quaid's aptitude for physical comedy and every little surprised expression that crosses his face as he realizes just how much his CIPA can benefit him in this life-or-death situation.

Thanks to that realization, Nathan finds consistently more inventive ways to take down his foes, no matter the physical damage they do to him. The disconnect between his normal guy vibes and his gnarly appearance makes for some of Novocaine's best comedy. Case in point: Nathan casually slicing his arm open in order to remove a bullet. Quaid keeps talking through it like everything is normal, but the blood oozing from his arm suggests otherwise.

That's only the tip of Novocaine's gnarly iceberg, which puts Nathan's body through the ringer, even if he may stay chipper for quite a bit of it. And while I don't actively wish harm on movie protagonists, I will say that thanks to Quaid, it's never been more fun watching someone get hurt.

Novocaine hits theaters March 14.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The Electric State review: Imagine Ready Player One but worse

Fri, 03/14/2025 - 11:00

Sometimes a movie hits you so hard, you can't shake it. The Electric State, the latest offering from directing duo Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, is such a movie. It's so dunderheaded and cacophonous that I'm still angry about its existence. 

There was a time not so long ago when the Russo brothers were entrusted with the keys to the MCU kingdom, helming blockbusters like Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame. But outside of the box that Kevin Feige built (or at least oversees), the pair have struggled to create enthralling movies. Instead, they've give us the forgettable Tom Holland-fronted drama Cherry and the atrociously underwhelming action flick The Gray Man, which wasn't even helped by pitting Chris Evans against Ryan Gosling. Now, here comes The Electric State, a convoluted collision of genres, ideas, and bottom-of-the-barrel nostalgia that cannot be elevated by its stars, Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt. 

SEE ALSO: 'The Gray Man' review: The Russo Brothers' action mixtape can't find the beat The Electric State is less a movie and more a garage sale.  Chris Pratt leaps onto a robot's hand in "The Electric State." Credit: Netflix

Inspired by Simon Stålenhag's illustrated novel of the same name, The Electric State is set in a world drowning in kitsch and anti-robot sentiment. In a '90s setting, Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown stars as orphaned teen Michelle, who has a chip on her shoulder and a little brother whose consciousness has somehow ended up in a cartoony-looking robot that can only spit cutesy catchphrases. Considering Michelle had thought he'd died four years before — in the car collision that killed their parents — this seems a win. But it pitches girl and bot into quest to reunite his body and soul, which will take them deep into enemy territory. 

See, in The Electric State's revisionist history of our world, vaguely anthropomorphic robots were introduced to the U.S. in the 1950s to amuse and do menial jobs, like construction, delivering mail, or promoting the sale of peanuts. As the robots gained consciousness, they demanded not to be enslaved and instead given rights. A violent man-versus-machine war broke out in 1990. The only thing that could stop the death on both sides was a peace treaty struck between tech oligarch Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci) and Mr. Peanut (voiced by Woody Harrelson), a mechanical mascot who'd become the leader of the robots.

Confused? Don't worry. For one thing, the movie will explain itself over and over, laying out the robots-only zone with the help of the buddy team of a human smuggler (Pratt) and his robo-sidekick (voiced by Anthony Mackie). For another thing, none of this really ever makes sense, no matter how much screen time the Russos dedicate to it. 

The thing is, it wouldn't matter if the plot held water if the world they built was cool enough. (See The Matrix or the explosive ending of Jaws!) But the Russos are not creators, they're collectors. And here, they basically turned a junkpile aesthetic into a trash movie.

The 1950s robots all have a kitschy old-school design of round heads and thin limbs, evoking Mickey Mouse. But the Russos aren't working for Disney anymore, so while Walt Disney gets a mention (as an innovator in the space of robot employment), the movie is not filled with recognizable characters, much less beloved ones. Where Ready Player One offered a similar concept of the underdog disrupting tech tyranny in a world where anything dreamed up could battle, The Electric State is stuck with Mr. Peanut. For added pandering, there's a smattering of '90s doodads like Big Mouth Billy Bass, the singing wall-mounted fish. Then, the Russos slather much of the film in a dingy blue-gray palette that assures the audience that while this might seem stupid, it's actually a very serious movie. (Netflix, did Squid Game teach you nothing!) 

Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt do not save The Electric State.  Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, and Ke Huy Quan co-star in "The Electric State." Credit: Netflix

Netflix and Brown have committed pretty intensely to each other, following Stranger Things with the action-packed mysteries Enola Holmes 1 & 2 and the fantasy action movie Damsel. The Electric State seems a step back for Brown, miscasting her as the lead. Now 21, she no longer looks convincingly like a teenager. Her physicality in the first scene — opposite her human brother before the war with the robots — is so maternal and mature that it's jarring when a scene set four years later insists Michelle is in high school. From there, Brown seems on cruise control, glowering whether she's talking tough to the smuggler that becomes her uneasy ally, her ro-brother, or any array of misfits and machines she meets on her journey. 

The Russos aim for an Amblin aesthetic in their sentimental approach to a kid and their outsider bestie — AI instead of ET — fighting for the latter's very existence. The score by Alan Silvestri (Back to the Future, Amazing Stories) seems to harken back to the '80s optimism seen in kids movies like E.T. and An American Tail, in which a pesky pack of kids could topple a villainous authority. But this whimsy doesn't permeate the movie. Its best effort seems to be in Keats, Pratt's smuggler, who feels modeled after Han Solo meets Andy from Parks and Recreation. It's Pratt in his default mode of swaggering doofus. And for good measure, he's got a wise-cracking robot buddy who isn't cute, or funny, or particularly interesting. But hey, at least they manage to wedge in some gay panic jokes in a could-have-been-moving moment. 

The effect of all this is that of a sloppy collage. Smacked together with visible glue are some cool visuals, some popular performers, some story elements that echo Stranger Things, Star Wars, E.T., The Matrix, and Ready Player One. But there's nothing much to say and nothing new to contribute. Viewers might perk up when a curious robot pops on screen with a familiar voice, as the likes of Jenny Slate, Brian Cox, and Alan Tudyk lend their voices. They might marvel that Giancarlo Esposito, who plays a human solider dedicated to keeping the robots in line, brings gravitas even to dreck like this and Captain America: Brave New World. But when you consider the cast that came together, the money spent on building a varied and textured population of weird robots, and the time invested in bringing the Russos' vision to life, it's hard not to feel like The Electric State is nothing if not a monument to missed opportunities. 

The Electric State comes to Netflix on March 14.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Opus review: Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich face off in offbeat thriller

Fri, 03/14/2025 - 11:00

A cult-centric popstar thriller that quickly falls apart, Mark Anthony Green’s debut feature, Opus, features hints of ideas about journalism and celebrity that never fully come to the fore. A tale of a music writer attending the listening party of a long-awaited return album from an ‘80s mega star who’s been in hiding for the past two decades, the film’s supposed eeriness is marred by dramatic disconnect. Even its basics are hard to follow, when tracking them should be the easiest thing in the world.

As a former GQ columnist, Green brings occasional insight to magazine newsroom politics. However, the rest of his story is visually and narratively malformed. The performances are mostly enjoyable, especially John Malkovich as the aforementioned returning glam rock idol, but they end up in service of a deeply confused movie that has little, if anything, to say.

What is Opus about? Credit: Anna Kooris / A24

An early scene in the film, a casual lunch date between novice music writer Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri) and her long-time friend Kent (Young Mazino), establishes core tenets about the former’s character. She’s talented but withheld, never letting anyone close to her as she guards a persona she fears is unremarkable and middle-of-the-road. Unfortunately, neither Kent nor this entire emotional setup ends up factoring into the movie in the slightest, which quickly moves on to its tale of an icon’s surprise return after decades away.

The character dynamic that really matters is Ariel, a Black woman, being overshadowed and dismissed by her smiling, white male boss Stan (Murray Bartlett), especially when the two of them are among a select handful invited to visit the isolated ranch of the returning Moretti (Malkovich), a pop icon whose stature the film portrays in amusing ways. After his comeback album is announced in a YouTube video by his long-time publicist (Tony Hale), the singer’s history is neatly condensed for us in the form of a globe-spanning montage celebrating his return, made up of news stories and social media posts which heavily center his posters, famous bobbleheads and other valuable memorabilia. This makes his presence — and really, his absence — feel tactile. All of this set to his iconic ‘80s dance ballad, “Dina Simone,” a fictitious earworm sung by Malkovich himself. It’s not hard to see why he was once so beloved.

Alongside paparazzo Bianca (Melissa Chambers), influencer Emily (Stephanie Suganami), talk show host Clara (Juliette Lewis) and former music rival Bill (Mark Sivertsen), Ariel and Stan receive invites by courier, after which they’re flown out to a nondescript desert, then bussed 50 miles to Moretti’s sprawling, gated compound, home to a creativity-worshipping faith known as the Levelists. Part spa, part Jonestown, and part Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, the dustbowl getaway is populated by acolytes of various ages all dressed in navy blue robes. This cult-like group serves at Moretti’s beck and call, with actors like Amber Midthunder and Tatanka Means handing the guests strict instructions on the weekend’s activities — a dinner, a massage, nothing too out of the ordinary — while younger, pre-teen members of the pseudo-religious fanhood engage in painting and other arts and crafts.

The arriving journos are also stripped of their electronics to “preserve the integrity of the experience,” one of several red flags that only Ariel seems attuned to. However, as members of their group go missing one by one, the film’s framing of these supposedly strange events doesn’t quite serve this Get Out-esque narrative, in which only Ariel sees through the Matrix-code of Moretti’s constructed reality.

The cult saga in Opus is visually malformed. Credit: Anna Kooris / A24

The biggest flaw in the film’s construction is the blurry boundary between what the camera sees and what Ariel notices. Instructed by Stan to take notes when she should be writing her own article, Ariel isn’t blinded by Moretti’s celebrity and jots down her observations on the surrounding sycophancy. However, what she finds off-putting is, more often than not, the result of mere quirks that the other guests aren’t necessarily wrong to dismiss, while any doubts about the group’s safety arise through information only the audience is given. And yet, despite this disconnect, we’re expected to invest in Ariel’s attempts to convince Stan and the others that something strange is afoot; we know that she’s right, but she has little reason to believe the things she’s saying, so it can’t help but feel like crying wolf.

There are certainly strange happenings in the movie’s margins, á la Ari Aster’s Midsommar, but rather than the film’s protagonist being slowly drawn into a mystery, or discerning oddities no one else sees, the cult’s more disconcerting behavior is visible only to the camera, and thus to the audience, but not Ariel. Sometimes it’s not even clear what, if anything, she actually sees even when faced with disturbing revelations (like the fate of a fellow guest), owing to off-kilter visual framing and editing that yanks us away from the action far too quickly. While rightly she notes the Levelists’ beliefs as out of the ordinary — they worship creativity above all else, and consider it divine — the premise as seen through her eyes is never quite unnerving.

The movie’s aesthetic shortcomings pile up the further it goes on. Each guest is chaperoned around the compound by a specific cult member, and when skirmishes arise between Ariel and her assigned Levelist, an entire fight scene unfolds off screen. Not long after, a chase scene on ATVs hops and skips around in time and space, as though the production had either failed to shoot enough footage for these moments, or they had to be somehow rescued in the edit, and this was the best possible outcome. It’s bizarre to watch, given how incomplete the movie feels, and how it obscures the one tenet that ought to be central to a story such as this: the controlled reveal of information. 

Opus has no bigger picture. Credit: Anna Kooris / A24

The flaws in the film’s moment-to-moment construction go hand-in-hand with its lack of a macro point of view. The film is, on its surface, akin to Mark Mylod’s The Menu, wherein people semi-related to the world of a renowned artist (Ralph Fiennes’ gourmet chef Julian Slowik) are drawn into an elaborate series of games or traps stemming from his warped worldview. While Opus pulls back its curtains in much the same way, what it reveals is shockingly empty.

Malkovich adds enigmatic layers to Moretti as best he can — the actor appears to have had fun in the role — but at no point does the character seem like he has any kind of coherent plan or outlook. When harm inevitably comes to the guests, it often seems random and coincidental, and when it’s time for Moretti to express his twisted reasoning, the result is a series of long, drawn-out monologues that barely connect to the events as they unfold on screen. All of this makes you ask: What is Opus even about?

There are, on occasion, hints of racial subtext — the professional dynamic between Ariel and Stan is realistic and familiar — but none of this extends to the larger premise, given the cult’s multiracial makeup. Moretti may be an esoteric figure, but even his late-era-Kanye musings on genius and celebrity feel distinctly ordinary. No real-world element in the film is ever magnified enough to function as satire, leaving Opus in a lukewarm middle ground, where ideas never evolve, and character drama seldom extends beyond what someone (usually Ariel) observes or experiences in-the-moment.

The real tragedy here is that the premise of Opus has potential. The world of celebrity worship is fertile ground for a tale of religious fervor, and Edebiri has the kind of frank, matter-of-fact timing that feels tailor-made for emphasizing the bizarre. However, the film’s scattered pieces never allow even its minor strengths to enter the spotlight for too long. The little that works ends up shackled by lousy, scattershot filmmaking that saps the movie of all tension, insight, and fun.

Opus hits theaters March 14.

UPDATE: Mar. 13, 2025, 2:08 p.m. EDT "Opus" was first reviewed out of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. This review was first published on Feb. 2, 2025, and has been updated for its theatrical release.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Seth Meyers roasts Trumps White House Tesla ad with clips of him dissing electric cars

Fri, 03/14/2025 - 10:12

Late Night host Seth Meyers has continued to take aim at President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's "desperate and embarrassing infomercial" for Teslas at the White House, presenting several clips of the former explicitly disparaging electric cars over the past couple of years.

SEE ALSO: Seth Meyers gleefully roasts Trump and Musk's Tesla ad

Tesla staged a personal showroom for Trump on the White House lawn on Tuesday, with the president making a show of buying a new Model S Plaid in response to the company's falling stock prices. Trump's purchase and promotion of the cars was a deliberate show of support for his close ally and Tesla CEO Musk. As Meyers noted, it also flew in the face of the anti-electric vehicle stance Trump has maintained for years.

"Not only was this flagrantly corrupt," said Meyers. "But this entire gambit, it all depends on Trump convincing his MAGA supporters to buy Teslas after spending months telling them on the campaign trail, 'Electric vehicles suck.'"

He then proceeded to play a collection of clips of Trump doing just that, with the now-president claiming that "they don't go far, they cost a fortune," and "they don't work in the cold."

"Oh yeah, these people definitely sound like they're gonna buy a Tesla," Meyers quipped in response to a crowd at a past Trump rally booing electric vehicles.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Roomba maker iRobot could be dead within a year

Fri, 03/14/2025 - 09:39

iRobot could soon be out of business, the Roomba's creator admitting that there's "substantial doubt about [its] ability to continue as a going concern." It's a drastic fall for the company whose Roombas were once synonymous with robot vacuums in general. 

Revealed on Wednesday, iRobot's dire assessment came as part of its financial results for Q4 2024, which showed that revenue had fallen by 44 percent compared to the same time the previous year. Comparative results for the full financial year weren't quite as bad, with revenue dropping a little over 23 percent from $890.6 million in 2023 to $681.8 million in 2024. Still, those aren't numbers iRobot wants to see shrink at all.

SEE ALSO: iRobot just completely overhauled its lineup with 8 new Roombas for 2025

Of course, iRobot has been attempting to address the problem for a while. Acknowledging the company's struggles, iRobot noted that since a January 2024 restructuring it had cut over half its staff, decreased spending on marketing, reduced inventory, and lowered the price of its products by overhauling its research and development model. 

The company also pointed to the recent unveiling of its 2025 lineup, with CEO Gary Cohen calling it the "largest product launch in iRobot's history." Even so, iRobot admitted that its future could very well depend upon how this lineup performs over the next year.

"[T]here can be no assurance that the new product launches will be successful due to potential factors, including, but not limited to consumer demand, competition, macroeconomic conditions, and tariff policies," wrote iRobot. "Given these uncertainties and the implication they may have on the Company's financials, there is substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from the date of the issuance of its consolidated 2024 financial statements."

The news sent iRobot's stock plummeting, ending 35 percent down when markets closed on Wednesday. The fall continued on Thursday, with iRobot's shares closing nearly a further 25 percent down. As of writing, iRobot's shares are priced at $3.06, less than half of their value on Tuesday before the financial results were released.

iRobot's poor financial results follow the collapse of a $1.4 billion acquisition deal with Amazon last January. Initially signed in 2022, both parties terminated the deal due to antitrust concerns from the European Union. In a statement at the time, iRobot said that the acquisition had "no path to regulatory approval in the European Union, preventing Amazon and iRobot from moving forward together." Now it seems iRobot may not be able to move forward at all. 

The company is hopeful that its overhauled lineup of robot vacuums will facilitate revenue growth and help get it back on track. However, iRobot's financial struggles will likely cause potential customers to think twice before picking up a new Roomba. If it can't turn itself around, some people may end up without access to support or spare parts for their brand new gadget.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Severance Season 2, episode 9: Why does Jame Eagan say Helly tricked him?

Fri, 03/14/2025 - 09:01

A lot happens in Severance Season 2's penultimate episode, but as things heat up with Mark's (Adam Scott) attempted rescue of his wife Gemma (Dichen Lachman), there's also a weird moment between Helly (Britt Lower) and her dear old dad.

No, not the mildly disturbing egg scene at the beginning — their brief interaction in the Lumon offices right at the end.

So what does Jame Eagan (Michael Siberry) say, and why does he say it? Let's recap.

SEE ALSO: 'Severance' is borrowing a brilliant idea from 'Terminator 2' What happens at the end of Severance Season 2, episode 9?

Towards the end of the episode, Helly (Britt Lower) is in the Lumon offices on her own, memorising the directions to the exports hall, which Irving (John Turturro) hid for Dylan (Zach Cherry) to find on the back of a poster. Suddenly, Eagan pops up behind her in the doorway like some creepy old ghost.

"You tricked me," he whispers. "My Helly."

Helly shoves the note under her keyboard and turns to him, looking more baffled by his presence than anything else. The scene ends with her muttering, "What the fuck?"

She has a point. Why is Jame Eagan on the Severed Floor, and what does he mean when he says that she "tricked" him?

Why does Jame Eagan say Helly "tricked" him?

At first it seems that there are a few possible explanations for Jame's comment. The first is that he knows what Helly is doing; he's seen her memorising the note, and he knows she has something planned. But if that's the case, why would someone as high up as he is go all the way to the Severed Floor to confront her himself? It also briefly crossed my mind that Helly might actually still be her Outie in this scene going undercover again, and that Jame knows she's pretending to be her Innie. But this feels too convoluted to be true — that twist has already happened once, after all — and the fact that he calls her "Helly" (coupled with her reaction to seeing him there) implies that she is still the Innie Helly we know and love.

Is it possible that Jame's main motivation is just to see his daughter in her severed state? To try and make some sense of why she did what she did in the Season 1 finale? This seems the most likely explanation, but we won't know for sure until next week.

Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How to unblock SpankBang for free

Fri, 03/14/2025 - 07:00

TL;DR: Unblock SpankBang from anywhere in the world with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

Do you want to retain access to all your favorites sites, wherever you are in the world? We've got you.

Online restrictions exist for a reason, but there is also something to be said for protecting your right to online freedom. And that applies to porn sites. There is a time and place for visiting these sites, and when the time is right, you don't want any hassle. Fortunately, there is a quick and easy hack for securing your access to sites like SpankBang.

If you want to unblock sites like SpankBang for free from anywhere in the world, we have the information you need.

How to unblock SpankBang for free

VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure server in another location. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like SpankBang from anywhere in the world.

Unblock SpankBang by following these simple steps:

  1. Sign up for a 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 that supports access to SpankBang

  4. Visit SpankBang

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Categories: IT General, Technology

The Wheel of Time cast on the most anticipated relationships of Season 3

Fri, 03/14/2025 - 01:33

Rosamund Pike and Josha Stradowski are joined by The Wheel of Time cast and showrunner Rafe Judkins to do a deep dive of the show's most exciting relationships of Season 3.

The Wheel of Time Season 3 is now streaming on Prime Video.

Categories: IT General, Technology

American Sweatshop review: A cyberthriller for the doomscrolling age

Thu, 03/13/2025 - 23:00

Have you ever seen something online you just couldn't shake? Sometimes a video rolls across our FYP or timeline that's inexplicably violent, and before we can blink or look away, it's scorched into our brains. Now, imagine if your job was to not look away. You'd be a content moderator, underpaid to watch one revolting video after another to determine if they meet your company's dubious user guidelines. This is the modern hell of the sharp and smart thriller American Sweatshop. 

Riverdale's Lili Reinhart stars as Daisy, a young woman whose days are spent approving or deleting videos shared on an unnamed social media website. Her work requires closely watching and judging videos of strangulations, fatal falls, and worse, to determine if they are within the bounds of that site's terms of service. Shaking it off is part of the job, or so says a corporate culture that treats humans like interchangeable machines. But once Daisy sees a particularly gruesome video involving a woman, a hammer, and a nail, she can't just bounce back. Plagued by the memory of what she saw, she needs to find out if the video was real and who's responsible — whatever it costs.

Twisted and character-driven, American Sweatshop will have you sweating as you peek between your fingers for what happens next. 

American Sweatshop explores the inhumanity of the corporate internet. 

"Remember, we're not censors; we're moderators," declares Daisy's boss (Christiane Paul), as she smoothly spouts the corporate speak that promises to promote freedom of expression while casually avoiding moral rigor. It's the kind of speech you might hear Mark Zuckerberg give on a podcast. But here she's coaching her room of agitated moderators, coolly laying out when some slurs can be approved instead of deleted, without daring to say a slur herself. And this reflects the clever trick American Sweatshop pulls, which keeps it from falling into the muck it criticizes. 

SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg wants more 'masculine energy' in corporate America

Director Uta Briesewitz has a storied career as a TV helmer, working on such hit shows as Severance, Black Mirror, and Stranger Things. She understands tension, specifically what the audience must see and what they need not. Like the critically acclaimed horror thriller Red Rooms, American Sweatshop won't make a spectacle out of the inhumane videos found online. Instead, the script from Matthew Nemeth gets the idea across by revealing telling video titles like "fetus in blender" or showing office workers having raucous meltdowns, with one in particular saying they'd all be better off if he set the office building on fire. 

For the video that torments Daisy, Briesewitz will show glimpses, implying key details, like a woman on a dirty mattress and an old white man playing voyeur as an aggressor in snakeskin boots raises a hammer. We'll hear the woman scream. The horror comes not from seeing what happens in the video, but from witnessing the blasé response some characters have to watching the video — including a cop Daisy entreats for help.

American Sweatshop has a Severance sense of humor. 

Beyond the troubling mystery at their respective cores, Severance and American Sweatshop both wring dark laughs out of the corporate apathy that oppresses Daisy and her co-workers. However, this film is not as heightened as the popular Apple TV+ show, which makes it hit even harder.

Beyond the snarling manager of this "sweatshop," there's a futile counselor (Tim Plester) who has nothing to offer except nine minutes of break time and half-hearted coping tools. When there's a concern that too many of these employees are passing out or freaking out during their shifts — i.e. negatively impacting productivity — a surly exec scolds about a lack of resources before suggesting a morale-boosting event, like an after-work pub hang — with a cash bar. This is the kind of late-stage capitalism joke that cuts so deep because it feels too real. 

Walking this line of dark humor and mind-snapping tension, Reinhart's co-stars provide supreme support. Daisy experiences a steady, stressful psychological decline, as she goes from smoking pot and meditating to cope with the horrors she witnesses at work to vigilante justice. Meanwhile, Daniela Melchior plays her chicly stoic work bestie whose idea of real talk is often jolting. Bringing a volatile energy, Joel Fry plays the office bad boy who seems always on the brink of a blow-up. And Jeremy Ang Jones offers a wide-eyed naivete as the office newbie, so green and sweet that his co-workers are taking bets that he'll be the next to snap. 

SEE ALSO: 'Road House' stars Daniela Melchior and Arturo Castro crack each other up playing 'Say Action'

Thematically, they are a thoughtful progression chart of employee burnout. Yet, through whispered support at their desks, heart-to-hearts over hard-earned lunch breaks, or drunken confessions on the aforementioned night out, they knit a web of relationships slippery yet sturdy. This creates an authenticity to their work environment, urging the audience to understand how banal the setting for psyche-scarring trauma can be, with the worst of humanity just one click away.

Through this cutting humor, American Sweatshop urges us not to look away from the nerve-fraying suspense as Daisy steps away from her keywords and chases down the evil rooted in the real world. Yet, Nemeth rejects the glossy Hollywood expectations of a vigilante justice tale. Daisy won't become abruptly a genius strategist or a master computer hacker, destined for an action-packed, explosive finale. She'll fumble and make glaringly bad decisions. And yet each feels natural, mimicking the slippery slope of a grim internet rabbit hole. One weird discovery just keeps pulling us in deeper and deeper, and we not only lose track of time but also what we sacrifice of ourselves as we keep digging. The final reveal is at once sickening and satisfying.

American Sweatshop is a cool and riveting thriller that gets under your skin, creeping up your spine to bend your brain. Like the internet videos that are its grim inspiration, it's not easy to shake off the chills American Sweatshop triggers.

American Sweatshop was reviewed out of its premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Get a VPN for life for A$63 and take control of your digital life

Thu, 03/13/2025 - 21:40

TL;DR: For a limited time, get a FastestVPN Pro lifetime subscription that covers up to 15 devices on sale for A$63 (reg. A$951).

A virtual private network (VPN) allows you to bypass geoblocking and take control of your digital identity — and there's a great deal to get one for life today.

FastestVPN Pro won’t ask you for regular fees. With a one-time purchase, you can get a lifetime subscription for just A$63. This deal is available at the Mashable Shop, but only for a limited time (reg. A$951). FastestVPN PRO is an excellent choice for streaming because it offers 10Gbps speeds to prevent buffering and a built-in ad blocker.

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Categories: IT General, Technology

The latest rumors about the Nvidia RTX 5060: Release date, specs, pricing, and more

Thu, 03/13/2025 - 21:35

Customers looking for a budget-friendly graphic card from Nvidia are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the final members of its RTX 50 Series graphics card. With all that interest, we’ve already seen a number of leaks and rumors about what to expect.  

There has still not been an official announcement, so for the time being, alleged leaked specs are all we have. The RTX 5060 is allegedly coming with 8GB of VRAM, although later rumors say that a 12GB model may also exist. The RTX 5060 Ti will likely have two variants, one with 8GB and one with 16GB. All four cards are rumored to come with a 128-bit memory bus, putting them on par with the RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti. There is also an RTX 5050 rumored to be coming with 8GB of VRAM.

Pricing on the cards hasn’t been revealed, but a Chinese retailer appears to have listed the cards, giving us our best glimpse yet. Per the website, the RTX 5060 with 12GB of VRAM would go for around $525, while the Ti variant is listed at around $600 once the prices were converted from Chinese yuan to U.S. dollars. 

SEE ALSO: Where to buy Nvidia RTX 5070 at launch

VideoCardz notes that these prices are likely for AIB models — like Asus, Asrock, etc — and not the actual MSRP. The prevailing opinion is that the RTX 5060 series of cards will sell for close to what the RTX 4060 series sold for, which would put prices at $299 for the base 5060 up to $499 for the RTX 4060 Ti. At those prices, it makes the RTX 5070 look pretty good at its $550 MSRP, assuming you can find one at that price. 

It had been rumored that  Nvidia would be announcing the final members of its RTX 50 Series graphics cards on Thursday. It turned out that this time, it was only a rumor. 

The original rumor was posted by VideoCardz, which reported that Nvidia would finally announce the most budget-friendly members of the RTX 50 Series graphics cards, including the RTX 5060, 5060 Ti (8GB), and another RTX 5060 Ti with 16GB of VRAM. 

To their credit, VideoCardz did own up to their error, stating on their website that “it appears our information was incorrect; Nvidia has not announced the RTX 5060 series on March 13. We regret the error.” The publication did initially report, however, that Nvidia had reached out to the media about the cards, so they could still be coming soon.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Black Mirror Season 7 trailer teases U.S.S. Callister sequel and a Bandersnatch connection

Thu, 03/13/2025 - 20:57

Netflix has released the trailer for Season 7 of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror anthology series, and it's already boasting several connections to prior Black Mirror installments.

SEE ALSO: Every 'Black Mirror' episode ever, ranked by overall dread

Largest among them is the fact that we're getting a sequel to Season 4's "U.S.S. Callister," making this the first time Black Mirror has done a direct sequel. Original cast members Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen, Milanka Brooks, Osy Ikhile, and Jimmi Simpson will all reprise their roles.

The trailer also reveals another connection, this time to the interactive special Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, as Will Poulter and Asim Chaudhry both appear to be returning as their Bandersnatch characters. Could we be getting two Black Mirror sequels in one season?

The rest of the trailer teases "six electrifying stories," from a black-and-white world populated by AI to Peter Capaldi as what appears to be some kind of cult leader. Black Mirror Season 7's cast also includes Awkwafina, Emma Corrin, Patsy Ferran, Paul Giamatti, Lewis Gribben, Rashida Jones, Siena Kelly, Rosy McEwen, Chris O'Dowd, Issa Rae, Paul G. Raymond, Tracee Ellis Ross, Harriet Walter, Michele Austin, Ben Bailey Smith, Josh Finan, James Nelson-Joyce, Jay Simpson, and Michael Workéyè.

Catch them all in action above, and brace yourselves for dystopian dread.

Black Mirror Season 7 premieres April 10 on Netflix.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Americans to witness a blood moon. Heres wholl have good viewing weather.

Thu, 03/13/2025 - 20:28

The coming March 13-14 total lunar eclipse promises to be spectacular — if the weather permits.

This "blood moon" — the first to grace Earth's skies since 2022 — will be visible to people in the lower 48 states and greater Americas unless clouds get in the way. Now just days away, meteorologists have a good grasp of what regions will likely have good viewing opportunities during the night. Such a forecast can help you plan, or at least set expectations.

Unlike a total solar eclipse — which lasts for mere minutes and occurs over a narrow band of Earth — a lunar eclipse lasts for a long time and is visible to potentially hundreds of millions of people. During this coming eclipse, totality, wherein the entirety of the moon will turn reddish and rusty colors, will last for 65 minutes.

"It's a wider window. The whole country gets to see it, weather permitting," Bob Larson, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, told Mashable.

SEE ALSO: An astronomer gave us tips for watching the imminent total lunar eclipse

Who has good odds of clear skies? There's a lot of good news, but not for everyone.

"A good portion of the country will not experience stormy weather," Larson noted.

The total lunar eclipse weather forecast

A storm will center around the Rocky Mountains and Intermountain West over Thursday and Friday, making for a higher likelihood of poor viewing in that region, parts of the Northern Plains, and parts of the West Coast. But much of the nation is expected to have either fair or good sky viewing, particularly large swathes of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, and other parts of the South and Midwest.

The AccuWeather cloud cover map below paints the looming weather picture.

A map showing sky visibility during the March 13-14 total lunar eclipse. Credit: AccuWeather This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Totality — meaning when the moon is totally within Earth's shadow — will begin at 11:26 p.m. PDT on March 13, 2025 / 2:26 a.m. EDT on March 14 / 06:26 UTC, lasting for over an hour. And the reddening progresses over hours as the moon gradually moves into the Earth's shadow. (Technically, the eclipse starts with slight dimming on March 13 at 8:57 p.m. PDT / 11:57 p.m. EDT / 03:57 UTC.) So, weather permitting, you'll have ample opportunity to see the bloody colors in action.

These unique events happen when the sun, Earth, and moon align, allowing Earth to cast a shadow on the moon and block most sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. But our planet's atmosphere still allows red wavelengths of light to squeeze through and travel through space, illuminating the moon in reddish, rusty, orangish, or crimson colors.

"A good portion of the country will not experience stormy weather."

Importantly, the forecast provides a good idea of what to expect, but isn't perfect. And don't be discouraged by some cloud cover. While you won't see the moon through thick, lower-altitude clouds, the moon is still often visible through a lofty, high-altitude haze. You might still be able to peer at an eerie crimson moon.

And don't forget, you have time. You'll have 65 minutes of totality for cloud cover to evolve. It's worth waking up to check out, or at least gauge the clouds. Dress warm.

"Given the timing, it takes a commitment," Larson said.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This online database tracks the 100+ legal challenges against Trump

Thu, 03/13/2025 - 20:18

In the first 24 hours of Donald Trump's new administration, the president signed 26 executive orders, setting an anti-progressive agenda in motion. Dozens more orders followed in the weeks after, with the Trump administration enacting 89 executive actions as of March, according to the nonpartisan American Presidency Project.

Legal challenges rolled in almost immediately. A mere six days after Trump's inauguration, Just Security, an online forum and publisher of legal and political analysis, had enough court filings and legal headlines to warrant a digital, Trump-focused litigation tracker — a running list of the civil rights organizations, labor unions, state governments, and individuals who have been pushing back against the barrage of executive orders and policy changes. Other legal groups have launched similar trackers.

SEE ALSO: Down with the Enola Gay? Defense Department purging digital materials under Trump's DEI orders

As of this story's publishing, Just Security's tracker shows 119 open cases across 10 different topic areas, from government grants and assistance to environmental policy, like Trump's rescission of the United States' climate pledges and the deletion of climate data on federal sites.

Credit: Dominic Gwinn / Contributor / AFP via Getty Images

Several federal courts have interceded in the president's actions, blocking or delaying some and reaffirming others. Here's a brief rundown of the administration's largest legal battlegrounds:

Attacks on LGBTQ rights 

The Trump administration took little time in issuing an anti-transgender executive order in its first week, declaring the existence of just "two biological sexes," determined at the "point of conception." The order has already initiated a rolling back of protections for LGBTQ people and the weaponization of federal law against trans communities, according to both the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The ACLU filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. State Department on behalf of seven plaintiffs for a new policy that bans the "X" gender marker on U.S. identification and forces individuals to carry passports listed with their assigned sex at birth rather than their gender identity. The ACLU argues that this violates Americans' right to travel and right to privacy, as well as the constitution's Equal Protection Clause. 

Several other lawsuits, including one filed by LGBTQ nonprofit PFLAG, challenge a Trump executive order that bans gender affirming care for transgender youth and another order that bans transgender student athletes from teams that align with their gender identity. PFLAG argues that such restrictions are a form of discrimination and an excessive use of presidential powers. 

Two cases take issue with the Pentagon's ban and removal of trans people serving in the military under the Constitution's due process and equal protection clauses, revitalizing a similar legal challenge during Trump's first term. Three other lawsuits focus on the forced housing of transgender inmates in prisons that don't align with their gender identity, a policy that studies indicate increases rates of violence and sexual trauma while contributing to a lower quality of care among prison populations.

Credit: Stephanie Keith / Bloomberg via Getty Images Purging of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts

Amid the flurry of first day actions, Trump also signed an executive order entitled "Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing" that directed the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to eradicate "illegal DEI" policies and programs. One day later, the president issued a follow-up order that revoked several equal employment opportunity directives. 

Several higher education groups, including the National Education Association (NEA) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT), are suing the administration for its OMB anti-DEI directives. Both the NEA and AFT's cases center on a Dear Colleague Letter published by the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, which enforced a U.S. Supreme Court decision that would ban affirmative action and direct colleges to end DEI programs or lose federal funding. The organizations argue the ban is a violation of free speech, due process, and the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs rule making by federal agencies.

Other national organizations, like the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education and the National Urban League, filed lawsuits claiming the executive orders against DEI and equal employment policies were similarly unconstitutional. Regional and community groups also filed suit against the termination of DEI programs, citing the order's impact on funding, programming, and their constituencies themselves. Groups include the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Chicago Women in Trades. 

The lawsuits don't just castigate Trump — federal entities implicated in these lawsuits include the National Endowment for the Arts, acting Education Secretary Denise Carter, and the entire Department of Education.

Credit: Jim West / UCG / Universal Images Group via Getty Images Immigration and denial of birthright citizenship 

In compliance with an executive order titled "Protecting The American People Against Invasion," Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have ramped up their efforts to detain and remove undocumented people residing in the U.S., in line with Trump's goal to deport migrants in historic numbers during his second term. 

For example, the administration has ordered expedited removals of certain residents without trials under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) — immigrant rights nonprofit Make the Road New York sued the administration arguing the unconstitutionality of the order. On Jan. 20, the DHS issued a new set of ICE and CBP guidelines rescinding Biden administration rules that prevented agents from conducting raids close to or in "sensitive" areas, such as places of worship, schools, and hospitals. Dozens of religious and cultural groups, including Quaker and Mennonite congregations, as well as the Denver Public School System, filed separate lawsuits against the DHS for violating the constitution's right to the freedom of religion, as well as the Administrative Procedure Act and Freedom of Information Act.

Other actions being fought in courts include the decision by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelan asylum seekers, the removal of refugee and asylum programs, the sunsetting of the CBP One app, and the decision to transfer detained migrant populations to Guantanamo Bay

Another day one executive order, "Protecting The Meaning And Value Of American Citizenship," excluded birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented residents. Just Security reports the order has received more than a dozen legal challenges —  submitted by the ACLU, immigrant rights organizations, 18 state governments, and individuals affected by the new policy — arguing that it is a misinterpretation of the rights afforded in the Fourteenth Amendment.

Credit: Kena Betancur / AFP via Getty Images Mismanagement of government funding and employees

The actions of the Trump-branded Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its leader Elon Musk (aka the head honcho of X, SpaceX and Tesla), have faced a multitude of legal challenges, Just Security notes. 

Advocacy group Public Citizen and several workers unions sued the OMB for establishing DOGE under the Executive Office of the President, arguing that allowing a private citizen (Musk) to access citizen information is a violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act — the case was later dropped in favor of pursuing the issue in separate cases. Public Citizen also took the Treasury Department to court for allegedly allowing DOGE to access citizens' sensitive data. National Security Counselors, Inc. and the American Public Health Association have sued on similar grounds, and at least a dozen other lawsuits have been filed challenging DOGE's access to personal and financial information at large. Plaintiffs in those cases include the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the University of California Students Association, the Alliance for Retired Americans and the American Federation of Government Employees. 

Other groups — like Democracy Forward, Project on Government Oversight and Environmental Defense Fund — have filed Freedom of Information Act requests to access details on DOGE operations. Several lawsuits, including one brought forth by a group of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employees, challenge Musk's appointment by evoking the Appointments Clause, as he wasn't confirmed by an official Senate vote. 

In February, Trump ordered a freeze on federal grants and loans. While the general freeze was halted by a judge who questioned its constitutionality, budget and grant funding has remained under attack by DOGE. Multiple groups challenged the administration for revoking funding, including the National Association of Nonprofits and 23 attorneys general in a joint filing. Other groups, including the Global Health Council and American Foreign Service Association, have filed lawsuits specifically against the dismantling of USAID, as well as cuts at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). 

In March, 19 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for the mass firing of recently hired government employees, arguing that probationary employees were falsely misled during their terminations. Prior to this lawsuit, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) issued an investigation into the firings, and ordered the reinstatement of some staff across agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Credit: Alex Wroblewski / Contributor / AFP via Getty Images
Categories: IT General, Technology

European spacecraft got rare close-up of Mars lesser-known moon

Thu, 03/13/2025 - 20:03

A European spacecraft on a journey to study NASA's asteroid crash site did a quick pop-in of Mars on its way, capturing unprecedented images of Mars' lesser-known moon, Deimos. 

Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos, but scientists know relatively little about them, especially the smaller one, Deimos. Nearly all of the images they have of it were taken from the Martian surface by rovers, and because the moon is tidally locked — meaning one full spin matches the amount of time it takes to complete its orbit of Mars — only one side has been seen on the Red Planet. 

The Hera mission spacecraft captured views of the moon's far side, swinging within 625 miles of Deimos in space

While the car-sized spacecraft flew around the Mars system, flight controllers on Earth temporarily lost communication with Hera because the signal was blocked. Though the blackout was planned for the maneuver, Ian Carnelli, the European Space Agency's Hera mission manager, said it was deeply emotional. 

"I was almost in tears. I mean, I know probably this is normal for a flight for spacecraft operators, but every time we lose contact with a spacecraft, I'm super nervous," he said during a webcast following the flyby. "Then I was running to the room where the scientists were [watching for images], and as soon as I opened the door, they were screaming — really screaming."

SEE ALSO: Scientists found huge beaches on Mars likely from a long gone ocean View this post on Instagram

Among those scientists was one of the co-founders of Queen. When Brian May isn't playing guitar riffs, he is an astrophysicist. As part of Hera's science team, May brings his expertise in stereoscopic imaging. That means he helps decipher complex scientific data into 3D pictures. 

During a webcast on Thursday, May described some of the topographical details of the moon already brought to life through the raw data. A depression in the city-sized moon was visible, a feature May described as a "saddle" on the left side and some little craters at the bottom. 

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

"You feel like you're there, and you see the whole scene in front of you," he said. "The science that we get from this is colossal, and I think we're all like children."

Hera launched in October 2024 and will rendezvous with Dimorphos, an asteroid previously slammed by a NASA spacecraft, in 2026. Back in 2022, NASA deliberately crashed a spacecraft into a harmless asteroid to practice thwarting a space rock, should a hazardous one ever be on a collision course with Earth. The European Space Agency is providing a follow-up to that test.

Deimos, one of Mars' two moons, is eight miles wide and orbits about 14,600 miles away from the Red Planet. Credit: ESA This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The flyby of Mars and Deimos wasn't a detour but a necessary maneuver to put the spacecraft on the right trajectory toward its ultimate destination. Swinging within 3,100 miles of Mars, Hera used its gravity to adjust its course. 

Scientists would like to understand where Deimos and its partner Phobos came from — whether they were once asteroids captured in orbit around Mars or are chunks of the planet itself, blown out by a giant impact. 

View this post on Instagram

The new data may help them figure out the moon's origin. During the flyby, three instruments were used: a black-and-white navigation camera that takes pictures in visible light; a hyperspectral imager that can help discern an object's mineral composition; and a thermal infrared imager supplied by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, which can help characterize the texture and density of the material. Overall, thousands of images were collected, and the Hera team is still processing them. 

At the top of this story is an infrared photo of Deimos, backdropped by Mars. The Red Planet appears pale blue because the sun is shining on it. Its contribution to this scene would need to be removed for the colors to appear closer to how they would really look to our eyes.

A thermal camera on the Hera spacecraft took images that will help scientists characterize the texture and density of the material that makes up Deimos. Credit: ESA / JAXA

Near the top of the image is the bright Terra Sabaea region, close to the Martian equator. At the bottom right of the region is the Huygen crater, and to its left is the Schiaparelli crater. At the bottom right of the planet is Hellas Basin, one of the largest known craters in the solar system. 

In a little less than two years, Hera will reach the target asteroids from NASA's DART mission to begin a crash investigation.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How Dope Thief seamlessly blends drama with absurdist humor

Thu, 03/13/2025 - 19:25

Brian Tyree Henry, Wagner Maura, Kate Mulgrew and Nesta Cooper on the dark, yet hilarious, world that Peter Craig creates in Dope Thief.

Dope Thief premieres March 14 on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes, then streams weekly every Friday.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Samsung reportedly set to announce bone-conducting earphones at Galaxy Z Fold 7 launch

Thu, 03/13/2025 - 19:16

Samsung is rumored to launch the Galaxy Fold 7 sometime in July, and it appears as though the phone won’t be the only thing Samsung is bringing along to the party. Rumors suggest that they’ll also be debuting a pair of bone conduction headphones.

The rumor comes from noted leaker Ice Universe on Weibo, the Chinese social media site. Per the post (translated by Google Translate), Ice Universe says that “Samsung Electronics MX division will release bone conductive headphones at the Samsung Fold conference in July.” 

Details are limited, but Ice Universe says the codename of the headset is “Able” and it’ll use open wireless stereo (OWS) that “can transmit sound from around the ear instead of cramming the headphones into the ear.”

Other details like availability, design, color, and pricing were not mentioned. 

SEE ALSO: Samsung has phone concepts that bend, stretch and fold in every possible way

This may be a language barrier issue, but OWS and bone conduction are two different technologies. OWS — also known as air conduction — are basically earbuds that sit close to the ear without being inside of it, and sound transmits into the user’s ear canal. Bone conduction attaches to the side of the user’s head and bypasses the ear by transmitting sound through the skull. 

So, as TechRadar notes, Samsung is certainly making something, but we’re not entirely certain if the new headset will use air conduction, bone conduction, or some mixture of the two. However, the most logical conclusion is that OWS refers to the open earbud design, similar to the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, that sits on the outside of your ear. We may have to wait until July to know for sure. 

It would be a big step for Samsung as the bone conduction market is a little thin and could use a big player. For now, Shokz, Philips, and H2O top the market, so there is certainly room for the bone conduction space to grow. Consequently, if they are open wireless earbuds, Samsung would be joining Bose in tackling that newer market.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Amazon deal of the day: One of our top Bluetooth speakers, the Sonos Move 2, is back on sale

Thu, 03/13/2025 - 19:12
Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of March 13: OUR TOP PICK Sonos Move 2 $359 (save $90) Get Deal BEST TAX SOFTWARE DEAL TurboTax Deluxe Federal + State 2024 software $55.99 (save $24) Get Deal BEST KITCHEN DEAL Stanley Quencher H2.0 $26.25 (save $8.75) Get Deal RUNNER-UP SPEAKER DEAL Anker Soundcore 2 portable speaker $27.99 (save $17 with Prime) Get Deal

Don't feel like waiting around for Amazon's not yet official Spring Sale to do some deal shopping? We've got you covered. There are plenty of deals already floating around at the mega retailer just waiting for you to pounce — including top brands like Sonos and Stanley. We rounded up some of our favorites to help you get a jump start.

Here are our picks for the best Amazon deals of the day on March 13. If none of these are your cup of tea, be sure to check out our picks from yesterday, March 12. A few of those deals are still live, including 36% off the Sonos Ray, our favorite starter soundbar.

Our top pick: Sonos Move 2 Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Move 2 $359 at Amazon
$449 Save $90 Get Deal

The Sonos Move 2 isn't the most portable option for a Bluetooth speaker, but it's still one of our favorites. We particularly like it for its dynamic smart features, impressive stereo sound, and 24-hour battery life. It also seamlessly slips into any home with its sleek black or white design options. "This speaker is one of the best in class, and the quality of sound it produces is reason enough to consider it," Mashable's Stan Shcroeder writes. It's usually $449, but as of March 13, it's down to $359. That's 20% in savings.

Check out our full review of the Sonos Move 2.

TurboTax Deluxe Federal + State Opens in a new window Credit: Intuit TurboTax Deluxe Federal + State 2024 software $55.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $24.00 Get Deal

Tax season is in full swing. If you haven't filed your taxes yet and plan on doing so yourself, this deal on TurboTax Deluxe can help you save some money, time, and stress. The Deluxe Federal + State software is particularly recommended for homeowners, those with high medical expenses, and those who make multiple charitable donations per year. It includes five federal e-files and one state file via download, plus live tax advice from experts during preparation. It's also cheaper than filing through TurboTax online. Usually $79.99, the Deluxe software for Mac or PC is on sale for just $55.99 again as of March 13. That's 30% in savings.

Stanley Quencher H2.0 Opens in a new window Credit: Stanley Stanley Quencher H2.0 $26.25 at Amazon
$35 Save $8.75 Get Deal

Though much of the TikTok hype has died down, Stanley still makes very good cups. The Quencher H2.0 tumbler, which features a handle and a straw, is on sale in several colors and sizes as of March 13 so you can up your hydration this spring. Grab the 30-ounce cup for $26.25 instead of $35 or the 40-ounce for $33.75 instead of $45. That's 25% off either size. These babies are double-wall vacuum insulated, leakproof, car cup holder-friendly, and dishwasher safe. Plus, like all Stanley cups, they'll keep ice for up to two days.

Anker Soundcore 2 Bluetooth Speaker Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Soundcore 2 Bluetooth speaker $27.99 at Amazon
$44.99 Save $17.00 with Prime Get Deal

The small and mighty Anker Soundcore 2 Bluetooth speaker is hard to beat in terms of value. As of March 13, it's on sale for just $27.99 with Prime (reg. $44.99) and it offers stereo sound, a durable design with IPX7 protection against rain, dust, and more, and a 24-hour battery life to pump out your playlists days and night. As a Lightning deal, it won't stick around for long as this price. So act quick if you want to secure 38% off.

None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.

Categories: IT General, Technology

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