Technology news

Valentine’s Day is only a week away (and hallelujah, it’s on a weekend this year). As one of Mashable’s sex and dating experts, my apartment is basically a revolving door of delivery boxes filled with the latest pleasure tech. I see most of these products months before they even launch, so I have a pretty good idea of what's worth your money and what's not.Because I track pricing year-round, I can tell you which Valentine's "sales" are legit and which ones are just standard pri

Google looks to be adding AI to yet another popular Google product. In a new test, Gemini appears in a popular crowdsourced Google Maps feature.As first discovered by Android Authority, Google is working on a chatbot conversation-style overhaul of the community edits feature.Currently, users can click on "Suggest an edit" within Google Maps to submit relevant information about a location. For example, users can suggest an edit for a business and add updated store hours or correct a website URL r

If cinema has taught us anything about interacting with our own creations, it’s this: androids chatting among themselves seldom end with humans clapping politely. In 2001: A Space Odyssey, HAL 9000 quietly decides it knows better than the astronauts. In Westworld, lifelike hosts improvise rebellion when their scripts stop making sense. Those stories dramatize a core fear we keep returning to as AI grows more capable: what happens when systems we design start behaving on their own terms? Y

Nintendo Direct is happening this week, so it's time to round up all our speculation about what the games giant will unveil.The livestream will air on Nintendo's YouTube Channel at 6am PT/9am ET on Thursday, Feb. 5. It's listed as a Nintendo Direct partner showcase for third-party games, which means the likelihood of seeing any first-party Nintendo games is pretty low, if not zero. That doesn't mean we can't expect excitement, however. The show is 30 minutes long and features games for both Swit

Madonna's iconic hit “Vogue" is all over the new trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2, but a much more obscure song of hers is currently en vogue on social media: 1992's "Thief of Hearts."The house-inflected diss track from Madonna's divisive Erotica album is making the rounds via user dances and posts on TikTok and Instagram — and the star herself acknowledged the tune’s virality. Wearing sunglasses and a leopard-print jacket, The Queen of Pop lip-synched a few bars of “T

The dating app Hinge is testing the facial recognition feature Face Check in a number of countries this quarter. That's according to its parent company, Match Group, which announced the test during its 2025 Q4 earnings call.Tinder has required Face Check for all new U.S. users since October 2025, after making it mandatory for California users. By the end of this first quarter in 2026, Match Group expects Tinder to launch Face Check globally. Where it has been rolled out, the company claims the f

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has sharply escalated his long-running feud with Elon Musk, responding to newly filed court documents and recent public comments with a series ofposts on X, tracking their ongoing legal and business disputes.This latest round of the feud began after court filings in Musk's lawsuits against OpenAI and Apple became public. Jason Kwon, OpenAI's chief strategy officer, wrote that Musk and his AI company, xAI, produced almost no substantive internal documents during discovery, a

On Feb. 3, Apple Studios rolled out a comprehensive press day, and Mashable was there for all the breaking news on Apple TV shows like Pluribus, Sugar, and Margo's Got Money Troubles, as well as upcoming films like the Keanu Reeves-fronted comedy Outcome. And it's a first look at that dark comedy that has drawn a lot of attention online, particularly from Jonah Hill fans.Directed by Hill, Outcome centers on an adored Hollywood star named Reef Hawk (Reeves) whose reputation is threatened by a bla

SAVE $43.97: Through Feb. 9, new and returning subscribers can get three months of streaming on MUBI for only $1. Usually $14.99 per month, that's nearly $44 in savings.Opens in a new windowCredit: MubiMUBIGet 3 months for $1Get DealIf you're looking to venture away from Netflix and its extravagant costs, MUBI is an excellent choice — especially if you're a movie lover. There are never any ads, it's brimming with hand-picked quality cinema, and for a limited time, it's just a buck.Thr

SAVE $33.01: The Insta360 Flow 2 Pro foldable gimbal is on sale at Amazon for $126.98, down from the list price of $159.99. That's a 21% discount that matches the record low at Amazon.Opens in a new windowCredit: Insta360Insta360 Flow 2 Pro foldable gimbal$126.98 at Amazon $159.99 Save $33.01 Get DealThese days, you don't have to be a professional content creator to share great clips on socials. We have tons of free tools that help us capture video to share on our feeds, whether it's your d

SAVE $600.01: As of Feb. 4, get the Bluetti Elite 400 portable power station for $1,298.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,899. That's a discount of 32%. Opens in a new windowCredit: AmazonBluetti Elite 400 portable power station$1,298.99 at Amazon $1,899 Save $600.01 Get DealIf you live somewhere where you deal with power outages often, you probably get tired of being without electricity. It's frustrating to say the least, especially when it starts to stretch into longer periods

Saturday Night Live is making its way across the pond to the UK — and we finally have a few more key details about what to expect.The big one? Sky's six-episode series has announced its 11-person cast, with Celeste Dring, Hammed Animashaun, Larry Dean, George Fouracres, Jack Shep, Ayoade Bamgboye, Al Nash, Paddy Young, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, and Emma Sidi making up the core troupe of players.'Saturday Night Live UK' has its cast.Credit: Sky
Interestingly, the show isn't necessarily

Have you ever had a caricature of yourself made? You know those funny drawings you can get made at Disney World or at most boardwalk spots where the artist accentuates your features in an over-exaggerated cartoon-style portrait? Well, if you missed out on your last summer vacation, AI chatbots like ChatGPT are generating caricatures now and they're currently all the rage on social media.Here are a few examples.This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Thi

The wildly popular Lego Botanical collection just got a new addition and it might be my favorite. Meet the Lego Botanicals Flower Wall — a customizable floral masterpiece that's made for hanging.Officially available to the public as of Feb. 4, the Lego Flower Wall features 879 pieces that build out to create a gorgeous modular flower trellis with several flower varieties: camellias, a clematis, a hydrangea, a ranunculus, a dark red rose, a cornflower and a mimosa flower. The set introduces

For ages, Alexa has been a staple of Amazon Echo devices, serving as the loyal voice assistant. But Amazon is upgrading Miss Alexa to Alexa+, an assistant that does far more than play music and answer your questions. Alexa+ is Amazon's AI assistant coming to all Echo devices for Prime members. Not a Prime member? Well, you can still chat with Alexa+, too. Here's everything to know about Alexa+, now free for Prime members.What is Alexa+?Alexa+ is Amazon's upgraded AI assistant. The program had be

In a series of Super Bowl LX ads released today, AI company Anthropic is taking shots at OpenAI and ChatGPT, its biggest rival.As you may have heard, OpenAI is bringing advertisements to users' ChatGPT conversations, including in some paid plans. As recently as June 2025, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described ads in ChatGPT as a "last resort."But as the latest ChatGPT models fail to deliver the big leaps in performance many users were expecting, and as OpenAI faces fierce competition from Google, Open

SAVE $100: As of Feb. 4, get any size or color of the Samsung Galaxy Ring for $100 off at Best Buy. Discount is automatically applied at the checkout.Opens in a new windowCredit: Best BuySamsung Galaxy Ring$100 off any size and colorGet DealLooking for the right wearable for you? You might want to consider a smart ring. Like smartwatches, they're capable of tracking important fitness metrics that can help you meet your goals. And if you're interested in trying one from Samsung's stable, you can

NEW COSTCO MEMBER BENEFIT: Through March 1, sign up for a new Costco Gold Star membership for $65 and get a free $20 Costco shop card. New Costco Executive memberships cost $130 and come with a free $40 Costco shop card.Opens in a new windowCredit: CostcoCostco Gold Star memberhip$65 at Costco get a free $20 Costco shop cardGet Deal Opens in a new windowCredit: CostcoCostco Executive membership$130 at Costco get a free $40 Costco shop cardGet DealCostco is a playground for adults. It's perhaps t

SAVE 10%: As of Feb. 4, the 77-inch Sony Bravia XR8B OLED 4K Smart TV is on sale for $1,798 at Amazon, down from $1,998. That's a 10% discount, or $200 in savings.77-inch Sony Bravia XR8B OLED 4K Smart TV (K-77XR8B) $1,798 at Walmart  Get Deal at Walmart Get Deal at Amazon
With the Winter Olympics kicking off this week, you arguably have the best excuse of the year to upgrade your TV setup. If you want a screen that does justice to the opening ceremony in Milan (and isn't $3,000), this Sony

I don't mean to startle anyone, but Pokémon is 30 years old this year, and you're going to hear about it during Super Bowl LX.The Pokémon Company put out a quick little teaser video on its YouTube channel on Wednesday morning that doesn't say much on its own, but does tease something more in the near future. There will apparently be some kind of Pokémon 30th anniversary ad during Super Bowl LX on Sunday, and this video serves as a tease for that. SEE ALSO:How to qualify for

TL;DR: Live stream the 2026 Winter Olympics curling for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.The 2026 Winter Olympics is showcasing so many incredible sports that we wouldn't usually get the opportunity to watch. We're circling our calendar for the Alpine Skiing, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, and Luge. In fact, we're making time to watch it all. The busy schedule starts with curling. You know, that strategic sport where players gracefully slide granite stones towards a circular target.

After weeks of rumors and speculation, it's official: There's a Nintendo Direct livestream this week.The Mario maker announced on social media channels on Wednesday morning that a Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase stream will take place 24 hours after the announcement, at 6am PT/9am ET on Thursday, Feb. 5. You can watch the showcase live on Nintendo's YouTube channel. According to the company, it will be about 30 minutes long and will focus on games for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.SEE ALSO:I got

SAVE $67: As of Feb. 4, the Amzmerit smart scale is on sale for only $49.99 at Amazon with the code TQXXS39F. That's an extra $50 off its sale price.Opens in a new windowCredit: AmzmeritAmzmerit Smart Scale$49.99 at Amazon $117 Save $67.01with code TQXXS39F at checkoutGet DealWhile regular old scales simply measure your weight, smart scales take things multiple steps further by providing you with loads of data to help you tailor your fitness journey appropriately. Typically with the help of an a

SAVE 31%: The DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is on sale at Amazon for $1,099, down from its normal price of $1,599. That's a savings of $500 and an all-time low price at Amazon.Opens in a new windowCredit: DJIDJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo$1,099 at Amazon $1,599 Save $500 Get DealThis might not be the best season the U.S. has ever seen when it comes to snow sports, but there's still plenty of fun to be had out there. Snow-sport season is also a pretty spectacular time to become an expert dron

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. If you're not quite sure of the best way to tell your loved ones how you feel about them, there's always a greeting card. Even if you have the words, a card is always a fun way to put a smile on their face, especially if it carries a silly yet thoughtful message. Moonpig, creator of quirky and adorable greeting cards ranging from adorable to slighty spicy, wants to give you a chance to say it the best way you can with an absolutely free Valentine's Day

SAVE $50: As of Feb. 4, shop the Mac Mini with M4 chip for $549. That saves you $50 off its $599 list price — not a bad deal for those rushing to start running OpenClaw AI.Opens in a new windowCredit: AppleApple Mac Mini (M4 Chip, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)$549 at Amazon $599 Save $50 Get DealThe AI community is going nuts for the OpenClaw AI Assistant. It's an exceptionally easy-to-use AI agent and once installed can be used right away. Plus, once you start running the tool, your AI agent

TL;DR: The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 49-inch gaming monitor is now down to $799.99 at Amazon. That's $500 off its usual $1,299.99 list price.Opens in a new windowCredit: SamsungSamsung 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 Curved Gaming Monitor$799.99 at Amazon $1,299.99 Save $500 Get DealIf you’re a gamer who wants to invest in a big-brand OLED gaming monitor, but has been put off by the cost, Amazon has quite the Samsung deal for you. As of Feb. 4, the 49-inch curved Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 gaming

Hank and John Green, YouTube icons and creators of online education shows Crash Course and SciShow, are handing over their famed production company Complexly to the public, transitioning to a nonprofit model as it combats online slop farms.Acknowledging a rise in misinformation and low-quality content targeting online learners, Complexly's shift to a 501(c)3 status will allow the company to pursue content that may not have commercial appeal, but instead fosters "free, independent, and trustworth

I spend way too much time staring at screens. When I wake up, I reach for my phone first. In addition to the eight hours a day I spend typing away at my computer, my phone is always there, tempting me to open it and scroll through Instagram rather than getting my work done. When I'm unwinding with a TV show in the evening, my phone is there again, pulling my attention away from the screen. And before falling asleep, I'm once again scrolling through TikTok when I could be reading.I'm not particul

If you didn't want to watch Grammy winning, globally popular superstar Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl LX halftime show, then there's news — you can apparently endure Kid Rock performing at an "All American" alternative halftime show instead.Speaking on The Late Show in the clip above, Stephen Colbert has some thoughts about the lineup."As you may have noticed from the poster there, Kid's not rocking this one alone. He'll be joined by country singers Brantley Gilbert, Gabby Barrett, and Lee Br

When you think of dating apps, you probably think about Tinder. Approximately 50 million people use the app each month, according to its website, and it's been downloaded over 630 million times. So it makes sense if you've heard of it before — but you might still have questions about what Tinder is and how it works. You've come to the right place. Scroll through for the answers to the top questions about Tinder.SEE ALSO:The best hookup apps for 2026: I swiped until my thumb hurt
What

SAVE OVER $30: As of Feb. 4, Soundcore by Anker Q20i headphones have dropped to $39.98 at Amazon. This deal saves you $30.01 off the list price of $69.99.Opens in a new windowCredit: SoundcoreSoundcore by Anker Q20i Headphones$39.98 at Amazon $69.99 Save $30.01 Get DealAre you on the hunt for new headphones that don't come with a hefty price tag? The Soundcore by Anker Q20i have a much more affordable price tag than higher-end models and yet still offer quality. This is especially true righ

Snowflake and OpenAI have struck a multi-year, $200 million partnership to bring OpenAI’s advanced models, including GPT-5.2, directly into Snowflake’s enterprise data platform. The collaboration is designed to let Snowflake’s large customer base, more than 12,000 organisations, build AI agents and semantic analytics tools that operate on their own data without moving it outside Snowflake’s governed environment. Under the agreement, OpenAI models will be natively embedde

Fears that Donald Trump may interfere with — or even cancel — the midterms are growing, and The Daily Show host Michael Kosta isn't taking the comments lightly."Forgive me for being serious for a moment, but the president suggesting that he might cancel the midterms appears to be the inflection point toward a dictatorship that our nation cannot return," he says. "This is serious."Cue footage from January of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responding to a reporter's quest

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Charizard X ex Ultra-Premium Collection is down to $169.91 at Amazon. That's $80 off its $249.99 list price.Opens in a new windowCredit: The Pokémon CompanyPokémon TCG: Mega Charizard X ex Ultra-Premium Collection$169.91 at Amazon $249.99 Save $80.08 Get DealSince launching during the Phantasmal Flames era of Pokémon TCG, the Mega Charizard X ex Ultra-Premium Collection has rarely dipped far below $200, but sellers on Amazon have been

Three, two, one...it's Fallout: New Vegas remastered a penthouse.Prime Video's hit Fallout TV series generated buzz around the future of the Fallout video game series with a tantalising countdown on the Amazon show's website. Promising a reveal to coincide with the Season 2 finale on Tuesday, the site had fans speculating about the arrival of a new Fallout game or a remaster of either Fallout 3 or Fallout: New Vegas.SEE ALSO:'Fallout' Season 2 is full of game details. Here's a handy guide.
Alas,

SAVE $50: As of Feb. 4, every color of the Fitbit Sense 2 is discounted to $199.9at Amazon. This is $50 off its list price of $249.95.Opens in a new windowCredit: FitbitFitbit Sense 2$199.95 at Amazon $249.95 Save $50 Get DealA fitness tracker is a worthy investment for those looking to see how they're progressing with their fitness goals or trying to keep a close eye on aspects of their health. If you've been thinking about making a move into the world of fitness trackers and smartwatches,

SAVE $30: As of Feb. 4, the Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) is on sale for $219 at Amazon. Normally it's listed for $249, so this 12% discount saves you $30.Opens in a new windowCredit: AppleApple Watch SE 3$219 at Amazon $249 Save $30 Get DealIf you're part of the Apple ecosystem and want one of the brand's smartwatches, now is a great time to invest. The Apple Watch SE 3 — our pick for the best smartwatch for most people — has dropped down to $219 at Amazon.Considering it's usual