How one man lost $56,000 when he opened an Amazon store

Branden Lathan considered himself a savvy businessman. He'd invested in real estate and ecommerce side businesses. By day, he works as a cybersecurity professional.Recently, however, Lathan lost $56,000 to an ecommerce scheme that allegedly defrauded its customers of at least $25 million, according to a lawsuit filed in September by the Federal Trade Commission. The action was part of a broader crackdown on companies claiming a competitive edge thanks to artificial intelligence.The FTC lawsuit r

When shopping for a Valentine's Day gift for the woman in your life, remember that romance doesn't stem from the amount of money you spend (or the number of stems in the bouquet).The real sparks fly when your gift shows that you pay attention. Think about what type of gift could satisfy her latest obsession, or what type of gift could alleviate her latest pet peeve. Of course, heart-shaped or romantic Valentine's Day gifts are never a bad idea — we're just here to make sure they're no

TL;DR: Get more done with this Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license, now $34.97 (reg. $219.99) until Feb. 22.Opens in a new windowCredit: MicrosoftMicrosoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License$34.97 $219.99 Save $185.02 Get DealFrom creating a standout resume to building a budget or drafting an invoice, there are some tasks that are just easier on your PC. If you’re looking to make them even easier, a Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for

At present, I think the best Windows laptop for most people is the 13.8-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 powered by the Snapdragon X Elite chip. It's a stylish workhorse with enough power to handle demanding workloads and has a premium build as well as an amazing all-day battery life (outdone by just two other models). Even the M4 MacBooks can't keep up. Beyond that, I have other picks for users with different budgets, use cases, and design preferences.I chose my picks based on hands-on testing c

TL;DR: Live stream Rams vs. Seahawks for free on TVNZ+. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.We're at a crucial stage in the NFL playoffs, as the Conference Championship games go down this weekend. In the NFC Championship game, the Los Angeles Rams clash with the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams, the No. 5 seed, have had an exciting playoff run and defeated the Chicago Bears in overtime drama. But they'll face the toughest competition in the entire conference. The Se

TL;DR: Live stream Patriots vs. Broncos for free on TVNZ+. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.Does it get any more exciting than the NFL playoffs? And we're now deep into the postseason. It's time for the Championship Conference games, which means we're just one game away from the Super Bowl. Yes, it's all pretty exciting. The AFC Championship Game sees the Patriots go on the road for a showdown with the Denver Broncos, with the winner set to face the victor

TL;DR: Live stream Denver Nuggets vs. Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.It's been an action packed week of NBA action for both the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies, with multiple games played across a number of arenas.But this Sunday afternoon fixture should favor the Nuggets, who are riding high in the Western Conference while the Grizzles are scrambling in the bottom half. Can t

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 pr

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a model. If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. 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 SEE ALSO:NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 25, 2026
Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Jo

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're always on the right track.Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, wo

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 ea

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you remember your childhood games.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 yo

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love Italian food.Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. 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

It’s almost a new lunar phase, with the Moon one night away from the First Quarter. This means that just under half of the Moon is illuminated tonight.What is today’s Moon phase?As of Sunday, Jan. 25, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 43% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.There's plenty to see tonight, even with just your naked eye, including the Crisum, Serenitatis and Fecunditatis mares. If you have binoculars you'll also be able to catch a g

TL;DR: Block ads for the whole family for life with an AdGuard Family Plan on sale for $40 right now.Opens in a new windowCredit: AdGuardAdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription$39.99 $169.99 Save $130 Get DealAds are frustrating, but you aren’t stuck with them. If you’re sick of every ad you see online advertising the product you Googled a week ago, then try AdGuard. AdGuard is a comprehensive ad-blocking tool that doesn’t charge by the month. Instead, you can get

TL;DR: Get Microsoft Office for life on sale now for $99.97.Opens in a new windowCredit: MicrosoftMicrosoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime License$99.97 $249.99 Save $150.02 Get DealYou don’t need a Microsoft 365 subscription to get apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint anymore. Microsoft is finally letting users get lifetime access to recent versions of apps that are usually only available through a subscription. Right now, you can get a Microsoft Office

Google is leaning harder into generative AI inside its photo ecosystem with the launch of Me Meme, a new feature rolling out in the U.S. that lets users turn themselves into custom memes directly inside Google Photos.Announced by the Google Photos team this week, Me Meme uses generative AI to insert your likeness into meme-style images using preset templates or user-uploaded visuals. The process is intentionally simple: pick a template, select a photo of yourself, and let the tool generate a mem

A monster winter storm is currently barreling through roughly two-thirds of the United States, stretching across a massive swath of the country from Amarillo, Texas, to familiar winter hotspots like Boston, Massachusetts, and Buffalo, New York. Reports from outlets like CNN indicate that cities like Boston could see more than 36 inches of snow over the course of the weekend, while areas south of the snow line, including Charlotte and Atlanta, are expected to see less snow and more ice, a combina

Amsterdam-based hospitality tech platform Mews has raised €255 million (about $300 million) in a Series D funding round as it pushes deeper into automation and AI-powered workflows for hotels around the world.  The round was led by EQT Growth with new participation from Atomico and HarbourVest Partners, alongside existing backers including Kinnevik, Battery Ventures and Tiger Global. The investment values the company at roughly $2.5 billion.  Founded in 2012 by Richard Valtr and

SAVE $500: The DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is on sale at Amazon for $1,099, down from the normal price of $1,599. That's a 31% discount that matches the record low at Amazon.Opens in a new windowCredit: DJIDJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo$1,099 at Amazon $1,599 Save $500 Get DealDespite the FCC ban on foreign drones, you can still get yourself a DJI drone. The fine print of the ban explains that any drone already in the country are excluded from the new legislation, which means they're fair