Mashable

After closing out a two-and-a-half-year residency in Vegas, most people would take a long, well-deserved break. But Usher is just getting started. The singer wrapped up his Sin City gig in December and is gearing up to release his ninth album (his first in eight years) on Feb. 11, the same day he headlines the Super Bowl Halftime Show for the first time.

When it comes to pop prophesying, our track record is pretty good. Our musings about Rihanna's 2023 Halftime Show setlist correctly clocked 11 of the 14 songs the pop princess performed. But she surprised us by squeezing a whopping 24 of her hits into just 13 minutes, reminding us of just how many chart-toppers she has in her arsenal.

Usher harbors a stockpile of hits himself, and he'll probably want to remind his audience at Allegiant Stadium audience and the millions watching at home of his almost 30 years of pop prowess. We sorted through his discography to craft a setlist that combines his early work, fan favorites, and club bangers.

SEE ALSO: Will Taylor Swift attend the Super Bowl? Tokyo 'Eras Tour' concert will complicate things The club heaters set: OMG, Love in This Club, DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love, and More (RedOne Jimmy Joker Remix)

All Usher has to do is sing the opening words of "OMG" and watch the crowd go wild. The 2010 track was a staple of middle school dances and radio DJ sets alike, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The original features will.i.am, but we think Usher should hold off on bringing out a guest this early and instead move on to another No. 1 hit, 2008's "Love in This Club."

The banger "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" deserves a spot in the set and so does Pitbull, who features on this track. It'd be Mr. Worldwide's first-ever Super Bowl Halftime show appearance, one that's long overdue for the Miami-born hitmaker.

Another club hit, "More" (the RedOne Jimmy Joker Remix, specifically) would be a smart addition to the set. It's bursting with energy and sure to induce dancing, hand-clapping, or toe-tapping from even the most the most curmudgeonly viewer.

The throwback set: My Boo and Confessions Part II (feat. Alicia Keys), There Goes My Baby, Burn, U Got It Bad, Caught Up

Time for Usher to throw it back to his early years. If Pitbull doesn't beat her to it, Alicia Keys can join Usher onstage as the first celeb cameo of the night to perform 2004's "My Boo." Is a "Confessions Part II" duet in the cards? We'd love to see it.

Once Keys exits, a medley of sizzlers commences: 2010's "There Goes My Baby," 2004's "Burn," and 2001's "U Got It Bad."

Time to pick up the tempo ahead of the final set of songs. The chorus of "Caught Up" will do the job.

The megahits: Somebody To Love Remix (feat. Justin Bieber), Yeah! (feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris), Without You

We can't think of a more epic Super Bowl Halftime Show moment than one that reunites Usher and Justin Bieber. We may not see them recreate the dance moves from the Somebody To Love Remix music video (released 13 years ago!), but this cross-generational collab would go a long way in satisfying millennial and Gen Z viewers alike.

There's no question that Usher perform his most popular song, "Yeah!" and it's just as likely that he'll bring collaborators Lil Jon and Ludacris out to help.

Last but not least, "Without You" is a David Guetta song and an Usher hit. The track's simple, soaring chorus is a perfect sonic background for a confetti-filled finale.

UPDATE: Feb. 7, 2024, 5:00 a.m. EST iRobot, Shark, and Ecovacs released new robot vacuums at CES 2024, and we're in the process of testing them. We'll continue to shift our top picks in this story accordingly.

Nearly any robot vacuum can sufficiently clear a hardwood, tile, or laminate floor of the hair and crumbs blowing across it like tumbleweeds. But a robot vacuum working on carpet requires much more meticulousness to uproot the debris that clings to carpet fibers for dear life.

SEE ALSO: A ton of robot vacuums also claim to mop, but these 5 hybrids actually do the job

Buying the cheapest robot vacuum you can find will likely create more of a hassle every time it eats a frilly rug corner or welcomes you home to a living room still taken over by shedding. At that point, you'd probably rather just do the job yourself — but rest assured that that's not simply an inevitable experience with every robot vacuum. Not if you buy one specifically designed to master carpet. The best robot vacuum for carpet will easily clear away pet hair, dust bunnies, and everyday debris, and without letting you down on other floor types.

The Mashable team is on a continuous mission to narrow down those options for you. We've hands-on tested dozens of robot vacuums on several pile lengths of carpets, rugs, and bath mats in a variety of home layouts. Here are our favorites for every carpeted situation in 2024.

Moving to a new city or working at a new job where you don't know anybody can seriously be depressing, especially if you're already introverted as it is. What are you supposed to do? Sit at the bar by yourself? And talk to strangers?

Then comes the lightbulb idea: You can make friends online! If online dating is so popular and successful, there's no way there aren't a few legit sites where you can make adult friends in your area with similar interests. Hmm, AdultFriendFinder.com sounds like the right ballpark.

So you're on your lunch break at work, type in the URL, and the next thing you know, you're frantically closing the tab and hoping nobody walked behind you for that split second.

Our point: AdultFriendFinder is not what it sounds like.

Credit: Screenshot: AdultFriendFinder What is AdultFriendFinder?

AdultFriendFinder is one of the most well-known sites for finding quick sexual encounters, regular hookups, and literally anything else even remotely related to sex. The rowdy feed of matches, jumble of explicit photos, and stimulating calls-to-action offering all types of sex makes it heaven for anyone looking for a good time with no filter — and hell for someone who wouldn't be caught dead clicking on a "There are hot singles in your area" ad.

SEE ALSO: Sexy Valentine's Day gifts guaranteed to spice things up

Even if you're not using it for real sex, it's always nice to have spank bank material in your back pocket. During the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, sexting, nudes, and Pornhub searches all saw a spike thanks to the vast number of people who started social distancing at home. Those who didn't want to risk quarantine sex or weren't finding people on their level of horniness on Tinder were pretty much guaranteed to get their rocks off somehow via AdultFriendFinder.

On AFF, you can find someone to sext via messaging or video chat (and plan to get it on IRL, if that's what you're looking for), watch live streams, or join niche group chat rooms. Is it worth $20-something per month? Depends on how much fishy content you're willing to overlook for a juicy sexting session.

SEE ALSO: Is Tinder Platinum worth it? I tried it for 3 months to find out.

We reached out to Kalyn Sanders, a business development executive at Friend Finder Networks, for updated AFF demographics. Right up there with Tinder's monthly flock, AdultFriendFinder snags the attention of over 55 million visits around the world per month, on average. (To whet your appetite upon signup, the main landing page flashes a few statistics, including "98,897,765 hot photos" and "3,495,277 connections," but we're not exactly sure what that means.) Most traffic originates from the United States, followed by visitors from the United Kingdom and Canada. SimilarWeb ranks the site as the 25th most-visited adult site in the U.S.

Specifics on the demographic that most people care about — the gender ratio — can be hard to track down. Sanders told us that "there's a two to one ratio of single men versus categories like single women, couples, and groups." The split between men and women is an expected one for a lot of hookup-centric sites. At the end of the day, it's a paradise for straight men, hit-or-miss for straight women and LGBTQ men, and likely an actual hellscape for LGBTQ women.

AFF lets you identify as and search for a man, woman, a couple, or trans. Despite trying to be a sex-positive site with blog posts, groups, a sex academy, and more, its language for the LGBTQ community has historically been anything but inclusive or positive. Previously, the AFF sign-up page listed "TG/TV/TS" as the "trans" gender selection — we'll let you infer what those stand for. Though, we will admit, this language has improved recently with more gender options that are appropriately labeled.

SEE ALSO: How to unblock Xnxx porn for free Is AdultFriendFinder worth it?

If you're 100 percent over being grilled with relationship questions and the slow-and-steady pace on traditional dating sites like eharmony or Match, AdultFriendFinder is your golden ticket to instant communication. Registering takes 30 seconds — it requires nothing from you aside from an email address, a username, a password, and an introduction. Your notifications will start pouring in even without adding any juicy info (because people see nothing wrong with hitting up a profile with a gray silhouette as a profile photo, apparently), but it's probably best to add a few photos and a detailed description — both to up your chances of flirtation or finding someone who shares a super-specific fantasy, and also to signal to other users that you're not a bot.

AdultFriendFinder features a personality questionnaire to personalize your profile and up your chances of finding a compatible match. Credit: Screenshot: AdultFriendFinder

After registering, there are a ton of ways to personalize your account (way more than you'd expect for a hookup site, honestly). The more you fill out, the more attractive your profile will be to new viewers. There are the basic physical appearance questions about eye and hair color, and since I identified as a woman, cup size was an option. (If you identify as a man, I'm sure you can guess what question they ask.)

Many self-proclaimed hookup seekers can probably admit that they'd still like to hook up with someone they'd also like to grab a beer with, especially if they plan to see that person multiple times. Those people will appreciate that AFF gives a compatibility score with each user you come across: a metric that rates how well you might mesh with someone in the bedroom based on how you answered questions about what turns you on, whether you're dominant or submissive, and so on.

The site also features a personality test and a "My Kinks" form where you can select whether or not you're "curious about, into, or can't live without" a certain kink (e.g., anal, bondage, role play, etc.). It also lets you choose whether you're a voyeur, the giver, or the receiver.

One weird thing about the Personality Type test is that it asks several questions about whether or not you enjoy shopping at discount stores — not really sure what that's about. It also asks whether or not "a quiet time for prayer should be allowed in school." You can choose "strongly disagree, somewhat disagree, somewhat agree, or strongly agree."

Once you finish the personality test (20 questions), you can opt to have your Personality Type show up on your profile or have it hidden. It will also show you which personality types complement yours.

Credit: Screenshot: AdultFriendFinder Finding a match on AdultFriendFinder

Like a traditional dating site, AdultFriendFinder gives you a collage of potential matches and will let you know who's online or close distance-wise. These will be random right after you sign up, but you can opt to update your preferences to refine your results: Choose your preferred gender(s), age range, location and mile radius, race, sexual orientation, body type, and marital status.

You barely have to scroll before noticing that there's no shortage of nudity. Depending on whether you set your preferences to men, women, or both, you'll see all of that stuff up close, personal, swinging around, in action. You name it, it'll pop up.

AdultFriendFinder is basically like a PornHub that you can interact with. We probably don't have to say this, but AdultFriendFinder is NSFW and not safe to be on while kids are in the room. If you'd rather not see the site's raunchier side, it offers a "no nudity" option, but I still wouldn't trust this filter enough to be online in a family setting or at work. Some videos will be blurred out and read "Naughty video" until you upgrade to a Gold Membership, but trust me — you'll get to see a lot, even with the free version.

The message section is set up similarly to a Gmail account, and you can mark things as read or important just as you would on a real email. You'll receive some crude messages instantly (creeps on Tinder do the same thing), but some will be genuinely friendly.

SEE ALSO: Tinder releases yet another feature to stop inappropriate messages AFF is not all bad

Once you get past the in-your-face sexplosion of naked profile pictures, horny AIM-era profile names, and explicit videos, there are actually an impressive number of resources to help make your experience as satisfying as possible. Some will cost money even outside of the paid subscription, which is kind of dumb.

Aside from the NSFW content, the website is relatively straightforward (albeit ugly). Every feature is advertised in big letters, notifications are displayed clearly with labels, and you don't really have to click around to find anything. This makes it super accessible for users of all ages, even those who aren't tech-savvy and can't even figure out Facebook. Buttons are all over the place, but you figure it out after messing around for a few minutes.

Activities range from direct messaging, sending virtual gifts and tips, watching live videos of people in your feed, joining adult chat rooms that can get very niche, or entering photo contests.

AdultFriendFinder is like a PornHub that you can interact with.

Think of AdultFriendFinder as the dating site version of New York City — it never sleeps. You'll find people who work the regular 9 to 5, people who work the night shift, and people in other time zones, so it's nearly impossible to log on and not have people to talk to. You know, like that booty call who's always awake when you text them.

Or at least that used to be the case... 10 years ago. What was once a hot site that a few Reddit users were quick to hype up is now one of the dating sites that Reddit users can't help but diss — in the few instances that AFF is even being discussed at all. It's notable that, on a site where online dating is such a mammoth topic of discussion, AdultFriendFinder has rarely been mentioned in a positive light since the early 2010s. The Reddit community is diverse and open-minded; if a dating site exists, someone on Reddit has used it and has an opinion. When an innocent soul does ask if it's legit, AFF usually gets dragged for sketchy pricing and being riddled with bots.

However, some Reddit members have praised AFF as a site for men meeting men. Even so, the site's still buggy and isn't exactly great for meeting real people who aren't, as one Reddit user so eloquently put it, "busted and unstable."

SEE ALSO: Is Bumble Premium worth it? I tried it for 2 months to find out. Paid memberships are where things get... interesting

You can do a decent amount of exploring without paying a cent: Limited messaging and emailing, visit and like most profiles, and enter some chat rooms. But just a few clicks on AdultFriendFinder can send you deep down the rabbit hole, and a lot of that juicier hidden content can only be unlocked with a paid membership (called the Gold membership) or by earning points.

Points are AdultFriendFinder's non-monetary currency. If you're a free member, you'll have to earn points through on-site activity to unlock stuff that's exclusive to paying members. It's kind of like a game, with points acting like dollar bills at the strip club.

A Gold membership is pretty much the standard if you're a guy looking for girls. While researching on Reddit, we found a few women who said they wouldn't meet a guy unless he's a Gold member. A Gold membership puts a little bit more credibility behind someone's profile and makes the whole encounter feel a bit safer. It's easier to believe that someone's a real person if they're a paying, active member of the site, and it's nice to know that they're taking it slightly seriously. Plus, if you see a picture or profile that looks like it's 10 years old, it really might be — there are a ton of non-active, non-paying profiles from old members and escorts still lingering.

AdultFriendFinder also gives members the option to confirm their identity with ConfirmID. If you do this, the site promises to give you two weeks of Gold for free. The ConfirmID works by entering your legal first and last name, home address, gender, and date of birth and uploading a copy of your driver's license, passport, or other government-issued ID.

If you spend more quality time on the site than expected, becoming a paid member is definitely something to consider. Once you're paying, you basically become royalty on the site: Your profile will appear way higher in searches, you can use the most advanced searches, unlock profiles with private photo albums, check out video profiles, and message to your heart's content. A general rule is that increased involvement and payment on your end generally equals more success on the website, as your constant activity and heightened searchability make it easier for others to find you.

Prices for a Gold membership fluctuate but generally get cheaper the longer your subscription is: Get one month for $27.95, three months for $20.95 per month, or 12 months for $14.95 per month. The three-month membership is billed quarterly, while the 12-month membership is billed annually. With a Gold membership, free members cannot contact you, but they can still see your profile.

You can also purchase profile highlights designed to make your profile stand out. They're $9.95 per month or $8.95 per month for a three-month run (billed quarterly). Although it's not super clear how these highlights work, the site promises your profile will "get noticed first in search and browse results" and that your emails will appear highlighted. It also notes that highlights are "colorful and attention-grabbing."

Credit: Screenshot: AdultFriendFinder Good for: Very open-minded people looking to blow off steam

Stating the obvious, AdultFriendFinder is a space for people who want to bang with no strings attached, people who are in a sexual rut, people who are tired of porn, and people who find sites like eharmony boring. Getting to know someone for weeks before meeting up can be exhausting, and sometimes, you want to skip the small talk and do the dirty with a random. It's gonna get kinky out there, and that's great for those who are dying to blow off steam and want someone who will respond well to a brusque, sexy message.

People are so active on this site that it's impossible not to feel desired. You'll probably get a flood of message notifications, and once you come across your first legit suitor, you'll start to loosen up. Even if you're left on read a few times, you'll learn which opening lines and flirty comments work and which don't. But since the site is aimed toward casual sex and encounters and not serious relationships, the whole rejection thing isn't nearly as prevalent.

As with all dating sites, catfishing is a big buzzkill. Your chances of being pursued are way higher if you have a lot of pictures of the same person (AKA you), videos, and a genuine profile that lets people know they're not dealing with something sketchy. Even if you've had bad luck with online dating in the past, AdultFriendFinder is the place to be honest.

Bad for: People looking for a real relationship and the entire socially-conscious community

You know those warnings that thrill rides at amusement parks are required to put up that tell people who get dizzy easily or have heart problems to not get on the ride? AdultFriendFinder could use something like that. This site is not for the faint of heart — if you're a cynic, conservative by any means, get sketched out easily, or aren't a fan of dick pics, you'll probably hate it. Similarly, if you appreciate a well-crafted, aesthetically-pleasing website that feels safe — no matter how badly you want to have sex — one glance at the landing page likely signals that it's not for you.

AdultFriendFinder is not the place to be if you're trying to make friends unless "with benefits" is tacked onto the end. Every inch of the site screams "this website is used to have sex," and you should really listen to that.

As illustrated by the recent flood of artsy activism guides on Instagram, it's clear what content appeals to young people on the internet: Something aesthetically-pleasing, sharable, and digestible. The "sharable" part doesn't totally apply to online dating, but apps like Hinge and OkCupid closely follow this design trend by limiting the number of words (and ads) in each tab, steering clear of endless scrolling, and ensuring that important info isn't cluttered with flashing clickbait.

For instance, Pure is a modern, no-strings-attached hookup app that appeals to your horny side with a single, witty statement about sex rather than bombarding you with boobs and "Have sex in NYC now!" claims. Anyone older than a millennial may be totally used to this pop-up-ridden layout, which seemed to be popular in the early 2000s — but for younger folks, AFF's chaotic approach is way too reminiscent of Omegle.

AFF could do so much more to make people take it seriously

The entire website looks like an ad about hot MILFs that pops up when you're illegally streaming a movie. Seriously, it's bad. Even though the website is technically legit, the pictures, word choice, and exclamation points everywhere scream "scam." No, AdultFriendFinder, "98,897,765 Hot Photos" is not the way to make potential new users trust you.

We're not knocking a quick hookup or no-strings-attached relations. This isn't about morals. Genitals are quite literally in your face from the moment you make an account, and that's just not cute. There are chiller ways to go about insinuating that this is a hookup website without feeling like you're trapped in a sex dungeon with strangers.

I could not get past the fact that the entire site looks like it's about to invite five viruses to your computer. We're talking terrible graphics that look like they were made on Microsoft Paint and pictures of women who look like they're from Pornhub in 2007. (That's when AdultFriendFinder was officially sold and rebranded from its original parent company.) Reddit user Snoo53279 summed it up in a comment from July 2020: "The people on AFF are definitely real, but there is a huge smattering of bots that also get in the way so it can be a bit of a PITA to use." If they're not bots, they could be men posing as a couple to seem less threatening.

The parade of women on the landing page is questionable for two reasons. This shouldn't even need to be clarified, but not everyone is looking for a woman. At the least, the advertising isn't inclusive — but this crosses into fetishization territory. The cherry on top is that the women in the photos (unsurprisingly) probably aren't even members of the site, according to a disclaimer at the bottom of the landing page.

AdultFriendFinder's overall outdated vibe goes past an aesthetic annoyance — it's downright problematic at times. The lack of inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community is nearly unforgivable, and we'd be scared to see some of the related rhetoric that AFF users feel comfortable spewing. Without even a dash of social awareness, it's hard to see how anyone who's not an out-of-touch straight cis man would feel comfortable on this site.

Attempting to navigate the shoddy design might be enough to smother your horniness. Three main issues can make the site borderline unusable: It looks shady as hell, an alarming portion of the user base is made up of bots and spam accounts, and the user interface itself is outdated and rife with bugs.

Other Reddit users mention that the desktop web version won't even load for them at random times — an especially frustrating roadblock for people who want to end their membership and stop monthly charges. A solution to the laggy web version might be to clear your cache or use the smartphone app, but your experience probably won't improve. AFF's mobile page doesn't even mention an Android app, and the link to the iPhone app brings up a "not available" pop-up in the App Store. For a site that claims to have over 50 million visitors each month, the lack of accessibility to a smartphone app is just plain odd — especially in 2023.

Adding to the sketchiness, a network hack in 2016 exposed around 412 million accounts, including "deleted" accounts that weren't actually deleted from the database. If this is enough reason for you to fall back on Tinder for finding a friend with benefits, we don't blame you. Signing up with a burner email and avoiding using your real name as a username are wise moves (pick a naughty word and add 69 to the end, IDK), though keeping your personal information private is hard when credit cards are involved.

In 2007, AFF was involved in a lawsuit with the FTC over allegations that the site used malware to send explicit pop-up ads to computers owned by people who hadn't signed up for the service. Though we haven't seen reports like this recently, so we're hoping those ridiculous ads you see are at least confined to people who actually use the site.

The alternatives to AdultFriendFinder

Surprisingly, AdultFriendFinder feels much more legit than its competitors. While other hookup sites have names like FreeSnapMilfs.com, Fuckswipe.com, and Instabang.com, AdultFriendFinder will be the one you'd hate showing up in your Google search history the least. Most have the same general idea: to find sexual partners, have cybersex, etc., but with names like those, the authenticity is way too questionable. AdultFriendFinder boasts a much larger audience and has built credibility in a Tinder-saturated market where these blunt, friskier competitors may have trouble gaining trust.

SEE ALSO: Best hookup apps and dating sites to find casual sex with no strings attached

No matter how in the mood you are, your hungry eyes may not be able to look past AFF's heinous interface. We mentioned Pure earlier. The aesthetically pleasing, hella-millennial UX design is simply more palatable than AFF and the blueprint of what a modern hookup app should be. Kind of like a Snapchat for sex; your uploaded selfies, personal info, and conversations will self-destruct every 60 minutes. The app will send the hookup version of an Uber request to anyone close and ready to rumble, and you can choose what information to disclose from there.

Remember when we said AdultFriendFinder would be a nightmare for gay and bi women? Feeld was our favorite alternative app dedicated to singles and couples looking for threesomes, foursomes, or however many people you want — minus the unicorn hunting and rampant fetishization that many non-hetero, non-monogamous people face on traditional hookup sites and apps. However, as of Dec. 7, we are in the process of reevaluating Feeld's place among our recommendations after the app's recent update arrived with bugs and location-related safety concerns. Feeld has since told Mashable that locations shared were not users' current exact locations, rather the name of the city, town, or borough.

The final verdict: Is AdultFriendFinder worth it?

AdultFriendFinder is a low-pressure way to find a friends-with-benefits situation without insulting anyone. Everyone is pretty much there for the same reason — and though it'll feel pretty unorthodox if you've only ever used Tinder to scope this type of thing out, AFF's blunt advertising at least means you won't have to explain that you're not looking for a relationship. It's niche-friendly, well-populated, and has a ton of interactive outlets to indulge your primal urges.

But that freedom comes with a price — the price is feeling like one of those people who fall for the ads that pop up before a free Pornhub video. It's not that a site dedicated to sex and sexting is inherently scammy — it's that AdultFriendFinder drowns you with explicit photos on profiles that might not even be real people while asking you to pay for a subscription with every click.

Unfortunately, no matter how in the mood you are, some people aren't cut out for the nothing-left-to-the-imagination approach with grammar mistakes all over the place. It wants to be sex-positive so badly, but the language the site has used in reference to the trans community is the furthest thing from that.

The functionality and safety of the site and the mobile app aren't where they need to be in 2023. If security measures were tightened, graphics and photos were cleaned up to feel more relevant, and decision-makers behind the scenes were given a lesson in inclusivity and pronouns/identities, AdultFriendFinder could be a handy tool to find attachment-free hookups and connect with a community that's down for anything.

This isn't a dating or hookup site we would personally use, but if you're feeling brave, you can register for AdultFriendFinder here. Just don't try this at work.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdultFriendFinder AdultFriendFinder Sign up for free See More

ESPN, FOX, and Warner Bros. Discovery are teaming up to create one giant sports streaming service, helping to consolidate your 50 billion different subscriptions.

Set to launch near the end of this year, the as of yet unnamed service will provide subscribers access to an entire slew of linear sports networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, truTV, and ESPN+. If you don't follow sports, just know that this amounts to a lot of sports.

SEE ALSO: Hulu and ESPN+ will crack down on password sharing, following Disney+

"[T]his exciting joint venture [is an] unparalleled combination of marquee sports rights and access to the greatest sporting events in the world," Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said in a joint announcement.

Subscribers will be able to watch a veritable smorgasbord of events across a range of sports, such as the UFC, the US Open, and the UFL. College sporting events such as the NCAA Men’s & Women’s Basketball Tournaments will also be included.

It's good news for anyone who likes pro football, and basketball, and baseball, and hockey, and golf, and tennis, and cycling, and soccer, and combat sports, and motorsports.

The super sports streaming service will be equally owned by ESPN, FOX, and Warner Bros. Discovery, but come under a new brand with an independent management team. It will also be available in a new app, though subscribers will be able to bundle it with Disney+, Hulu, or Max. Pricing is scheduled to be revealed at a later date.

This news doesn't necessarily mean that current sport streaming services are not long for this world. ESPN, FOX, and Warner Bros. Discovery will licence their sports content to the new platform on a non-exclusive basis, so the new streaming Megazord won't be the only place you can catch your favourite sporting events. 

As such, you might end up just sticking with your current subscriptions if all your sporting needs are already met by one service. However, if you're a fan of multiple sports and are tired of juggling multiple subscriptions, the ESPN/FOX/Warner Bros. Discovery Brundlefly sounds like an attractive proposition.

Though certainly a promising announcement, it isn't a done deal. The agreement is only in principle right now, so may still fall through if the three companies can't agree on the details. But if everything works out, your sports streaming subscriptions could soon become much more streamlined.

TL;DR: The Microsoft Office Pro 2019 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro Bundle is on sale for £39.50, saving you 80% on list price.

It can be frustrating if you have a computer that's not running smoothly, doesn't have the productivity apps you need for work or home, or both. If you're considering buying a new one, you might want to hold off. Instead of sinking hundreds of pounds or more into a new computer, you can get a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2019 and Windows 11 Pro for just £39.50.

This version of Office might not be the most recent but it still holds up to be a reliable and valuable suite of apps. You'll gain access to seven of the top apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more, that will allow you to create, collaborate, and communicate with industry-standard tools. And even though you won't get Teams with MS Office, it does come included with Windows 11 Pro.

SEE ALSO: The best laptops for business

The other part of this offer is Windows 11 Pro, which is the most up-to-date Windows OS. Some exciting updates include AI-integrated tools, such as the new AI assistant called Windows Copilot. Users will find support on a variety of everyday tasks to streamline their work, such as summarising and creating content, launching playlists, and more. 

Windows 11 Pro also has enhanced security features, a new, easier-to-use interface, and Windows Studio Effects that allow you to edit images easily. You'll get a Windows 11 Pro activation key to use on two devices.

Don't miss this chance to power up your slower computer with two big names in software. Get a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Pro Plus 2019 and Windows 11 Pro for just £39.50.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Pro Plus 2019 and Windows 11 Pro £39.50 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for Feb. 7's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

The opposite of before.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no letters that appear twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter A.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. What's the answer to Wordle today?

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to Wordle #963 is...

AFTER.

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

Reporting by Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game 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 to the end of this article for February 7's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Animals of the water

• Green: Basic Geometry

• Blue: Boxing moves

• Purple: Fancy things

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Sea Creatures

• Green: Basic Two-Dimensional Shapes

• Blue: Boxing Maneuvers

• Purple: Fancy___

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to Connections #241 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Sea Creatures: CRAB, RAY, SPONGE, SQUID

• Basic Two-Dimensional Shapes: CIRCLE, DIAMOND, SQUARE, TRIANGLE

• Boxing Maneuvers: BOB, CROSS, HOOK, WEAVE

• Fancy___: FEAST, FREE, PANTS, THAT

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

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

What's more important, remembering a coworker of 10 years, or remembering that Uber Eats can deliver everything from flowers to alcohol? That's the conceit for Uber Eats' Super Bowl commercial, which sees celebrities forgetting key parts of their public persona in order to make room for Uber Eats knowledge.

The main example here is Jennifer Aniston forgetting David Schwimmer — or even Friends altogether. But the commercial doesn't stop there: David and Victoria Beckham forget the name of the Spice Girls, Jelly Roll forgets how he got his face tattoos, and Usher forgets he's performing the Super Bowl halftime show.

Which celeb will succumb to Uber Eats forgetfulness next?

SEE ALSO: How to stream Super Bowl LVIII for free, without cable

Still looking for somewhere to take your short, text-based social media posts now that Elon Musk has sculpted the platform formerly known as Twitter in his own image?

Well, if the only thing holding you back from the X-competitor Bluesky was the lack of an invite code, you are in luck. On Tuesday, social media platform Bluesky finally ditched the invite-only system and opened registration to everyone. 

SEE ALSO: On Threads, users say they're flooded with pro-life and transphobic posts

Now, anyone who wants to open a Bluesky account can do so.

Can an open Bluesky compete with Twitter?

Shortly after Elon Musk acquired Twitter, since rebranded as X, many of the social networks users flocked to various competing social media alternatives. Among the many competitors, two basically stood out from the pack: The Meta-backed Instagram-companion app, Threads, and a scrappy new service called Bluesky.

Bluesky may have seemed like an odd contender at the time. The platform faces off against two established giants in the space. Bluesky was brand new at the time too, officially launching as a barebones social media service shortly after Musk acquired Twitter in October 2022. Bluesky for iOS wouldn't even launch until February of last year.

However, Bluesky has a few special things going for it: an ethos based around decentralization and, perhaps the most important, a connection to the Twitter of old. Twitter founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey is a backer of Bluesky. In fact, one of old Twitter's final acts in the months before Musk's takeover was to provide Bluesky with $13 million in funding. Bluesky is also registered as a public benefit corporation setup for the general public unlike other social media platforms.

What was going on with Bluesky when it was invite-only?

During various episodes of Musk-created turmoil over on X, users would seek out Bluesky invite codes hoping to find a new social media home. Bluesky was able to attract more than 3 million users under the old invite-only system. 

Interest in Bluesky has certainly ebbed-and-flowed over the past year, depending on what happened on X. And Bluesky also faced its own growing pains regarding how to deal with content moderation. 

Bluesky CEO Jay Graber told The Verge that the reason it took so long for Bluesky to officially launch to the public was because it wanted to complete certain moderation features and make sure its infrastructure was stable.

Is it too late for Bluesky to be a contender?

But some may view Bluesky's failure to strike while the iron was hot and ditch the invites months ago as a major misstep. There was a time when Bluesky could have possibly been the X competitor, back before Meta launched Threads in July. However, Threads has become the clear number two in the category, recently boasting around 100 million monthly active users.

Nonetheless, Bluesky does have an active user base, growing steadily in popularity among certain niche communities. Now that it's open to the public, it's time to see just how Bluesky fares when openly competing against two social media behemoths.

Your PS5 controller is about to get a little bit better.

Sony updated the PlayStation Blog on Tuesday with a post about the newest beta update, which is only available for select, invited users. However, the post clarified that update will roll out globally in the near future.

3 new features headed to PS5 DualSense

Starting with audio improvements, the DualSense and DualSense Edge controllers have the following upgrades:

• The speakers can now operate at higher volume than before

• A "new AI machine learning model" improved the built-in microphones, so they won't pick up noises like button presses or game audio

SEE ALSO: The most exciting (and underwhelming) reveals from the PlayStation State of Play stream

They're both pretty self-explanatory and seem to only apply to users who prefer to get sound from the controller speakers and use the built-in mics for voice chat. In other words, gaming headset users probably won't even notice these enhancements.

Aside from that, the beta update changes the PS5's screen sharing feature so anyone watching you play a game can send emoji reactions and use a cursor to highlight elements on the screen. (Yeah, that won't get annoying.)

As always, some of these features might be altered or removed entirely by the time the update is ready to roll out globally.

Since the Apple Vision Pro launched on Friday, some who shelled out $3,500 to be among the first with the pricey AR/VR headset have been sharing videos of themselves doing something truly, well, stupid.

These early adopters users have been uploading videos on social media where they are driving while wearing the Apple Vision Pro.

A warning for Apple Vision Pro drivers

The Apple Vision Pro-wearing drivers in most of these viral clips appear to be operating Tesla vehicles, which prompted public concern from at least one government official that users are utilizing Tesla Autopilot — and not paying attention to the road.

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"Reminder—ALL advanced driver assistance systems available today require the human driver to be in control and fully engaged in the driving task at all times," posted U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in a post on X.

Buttigieg's post included a video of a driver wearing Apple Vision Pro, seemingly interacting with the headset while operating a Tesla Cybertruck. The drivers hands should be on the steering wheel, but instead, they're interacting with the headset.

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Another Apple Vision Pro driver, X user @lentinidante, went viral with for driving a Tesla while wearing an Apple Vision Pro, making the same interactive hand gestures. The video ends with police officers supposedly pulling him over. 

However, the driver confirmed to Gizmodo that the whole video was a skit, although he admits to actually driving the vehicle for "30-40 seconds" while wearing the headset for the video.

“Driving while wearing a VR headset is reckless and disregards the safety of everyone on the road,”  a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) spokesperson told Fortune in a statement.

However, as Fortune points out in its own report, AR/VR headsets and smart glasses fall into a grey area when it comes to actual legal ramifications. Many states have laws against texting while driving and similar distracted-driving regulation. However, some states specifically limit this ban to cell phones or television. Some even have carve outs allowing for dashboard monitors.

In fact, when lawmakers looked into passing Google Glass-specific laws after the smart glasses launched, Google lobbied against such bills. A 2013 case involving a driver who was ticketed for wearing Google Glass shows why these specific laws were necessary. Charges against the Google Glass-wearing driver were thrown out when it could not be proven that the driver's Google Glass was on or that the driver was watching a video.

Apple specifically tells users not to to use the Apple Vision Pro while "operating a moving vehicle." 

Taylor Swift, who famously sang, "My baby is fly like a jet stream," threatened legal action against Jack Sweeney, the Florida college student who runs social media accounts dedicated to tracking celebrities' private jet movements, according to The Washington Post.

SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift drops 'The Tortured Poets Department' tracklist and Swifties are theorizing

Sweeney uses publicly available data from the Federal Aviation Administration to track the private jet use of hundreds of celebrities, politicians, billionaires, and other public figures. He makes the information widely available by posting on accounts across social media platforms like X / Twitter.

Swift's legal team sent the University of Central Florida sophomore a cease-and-desist last December, asserting that she would "have no choice but to pursue any and all legal remedies" if he did not stop his "stalking and harassing behavior." The letter also claimed that Sweeney's accounts caused the pop star and her family "direct and irreparable harm, as well as emotional and physical distress." Sweeney shared the letter with The Washington Post.

In the letter, Swift's lawyer, Katie Wright Morrone, went on to write that there is "no legitimate interest in or public need for this information, other than to stalk, harass, and exert dominion and control." The cease-and-desist arrived at the same time Swift was under fire for topping a list of celebrities whose jets emitted the most CO2 emissions. Facebook and Instagram disabled Sweeney's accounts dedicated to Swift last December.

SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift can't stop emitting CO2 with her private plane. The internet can't stop cracking jokes.

In the past couple of weeks, there's been heightened interest in Swift's movements as fans speculate whether she'll make it to the Super Bowl on Feb. 11 after her concert in Tokyo the night before.

This isn't the first time Sweeney has come under fire. In 2022, after Elon Musk slid into Sweeney's DMs to get him to remove his X / Twitter bot dedicated to tracking Musk's jet @ElonJet, the platform banned him and his accounts. Now, his posts tracking both Musk and Swift's jets are published on X / Twitter with a 24-hour delay to abide by their ban on real-time location tracking. However, Sweeney still posts real-time tracking on Swift's jet on other platforms.

Meanwhile, fans are hoping that Swift will take legal action against a more pressing issue: deepfakes.

Parks and Recreation and The White Lotus star Aubrey Plaza is having a blast in Mountain Dew's latest Super Bowl ad. Sorry, I meant to say she's having a Baja Blast.

The ad sees the famously deadpan Plaza having a (Mountain Dew Baja) Blast in a variety of situations, including a birthday party, getting stuck in an elevator, and getting body slammed at a pro wrestling event. Best of all is the ad's last scene, which sees Plaza riding on a massive dragon alongside her Parks and Recreation co-star Nick Offerman. As a special treat, he even unleashes his trademark Offerman giggle!

Ethan Coen, of Coen Brothers fame, and Tricia Cooke, a film editor and his wife, have cooked up an offbeat road trip comedy with Drive-Away Dolls.

Our road trippers in question are Jamie (Sanctuary's Margaret Qualley), a free spirit reeling from a breakup with her latest girlfriend, and Marian (Miracle Workers' Geraldine Viswanathan), Jamie's demure bestie who could stand to loosen up. The two set off on a spontaneous road trip to Tallahassee only to discover that their rental car comes with some strange, possibly illegal cargo. If they have any hope of reaching their destination, they'll have to face off with inept criminals, a corrupt senator (Matt Damon), and the decapitated head of Pedro Pascal. Buckle up!

Drive-Away Dolls opens in theaters Feb. 23.

The buzziest mixed-reality headset now supports the buzziest AI chatbot.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), OpenAI announced that ChatGPT is available on the Apple Vision Pro. The post showed a video of the ChatGPT interface within Apple's "spatial computing" device. Just like how it looks on a desktop, the ChatGPT app for Vision Pro is a simple text box where users enter prompts and receive generative AI responses.

SEE ALSO: A morning with Apple's true believers at the launch of Apple Vision Pro

Like the mobile app and desktop versions of ChatGPT, the visionOS version has ChatGPT Voice, which enables users to gives prompts with their voice instead of typing out a text prompt. Since the Vision Pro experience is built around voice and gesture commands, this will likely be the way most users interact with ChatGPT.

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Last week, Apple launched the Vision Pro to the masses. The cult of Apple has predictably rallied around the device, but it remains to be seen whether there will be widespread adoption — especially given the $3,500 price tag.

Notably, Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify have not built native apps for Vision Pro (but YouTube says it's on its roadmap). It's a reflection of the "hesitancy from developers to go all in, using time and resources to develop applications for an unproven product with a price point that puts the headset out of reach for majority of consumers," as Mashable's Matt Binder explains.

But there's plenty of overlap in the Venn diagram of Apple fans and ChatGPT enthusiasts, so ChatGPT is likely to be a popular application amongst those who venture out in the wild with a multi-thousand-dollar device strapped to their heads.

ChatGPT for Vision Pro is available to download via the visionOS App Store.

SAVE $150: The Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro Bespoke Edition (45mm) is on sale for $299.99 at Amazon as of Feb. 6, down from its original price of $449.99. That's a discount of 33% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro Bespoke Edition (45mm) $299.99 at Amazon (save $150) Get Deal

There are plenty of smartwatches on the market to choose from, but how do you decide on one that you want to spend a few hundred dollars on? Sure, the Apple Watch lineup is excellent, but if you're an Android user, you might be more interested in what Samsung has going on. If you haven't been paying attention, the Galaxy Watch is a great alternative, and it's packed full of health-tracking and fitness features that can easily rival Apple's smartwatch behemoth. Right now, you can save $150 on one of the best in its lineup — if you don't mind skipping back one generation. It's well worth it to save some serious cash.

As of Feb. 6, you can get the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro Bespoke Edition (45mm) for just $299.99 at Amazon. That's $150 off its normal price of $449.99, and a 33% discount. It's also the lowest price we've seen for this particular watch.

SEE ALSO: All the best smartwatches for every wrist and interest

This smartwatch is no slouch by any means, with a variety of fitness tracking options including sleep tracking, body composition data including skeletal and muscle makeup, body water, basal metabolic rate, body mass index percentages and readings, and much more. But one of its main draws is its rugged, tough body that's crafted from titanium, with a circular sapphire glass display and a bioactive sensor for workout tracking. This particular version also offers an improved band as well as stainless steel materials.

If you want to grab a new smartwatch, you could do far worse than last-gen's Galaxy Watch, especially at this price. Snap it up while this sale lasts.

The best deals on Valentine's Day gifts at a glance: BEST BEAUTY DEAL Theraface LED $198 at Amazon (save $101) Get Deal BEST TECH DEAL Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock + free Sengled smart bulb $39.99 at Amazon (save $39.99) Get Deal BEST SENTIMENTAL DEAL Lego Icons Flower Bouquet $47.99 at Amazon (save $12) Get Deal BEST SEX TOY DEAL Lovehoney Wilder Weekend couple's sex toy kit $64.99 at Lovehoney (save $65) Get Deal

With Valentine's Day just a little over a week away, it's time to start thinking about gifts. A box of chocolates or some store-bought flowers are fine, but you can do better. This year, opt for something sweet, spicy, or maybe even practical. Better yet, opt for something on sale.

We've done some of the work for you and rounded up a dozen different products on sale that would make great Valentine's Day gifts. There's something for just about everyone on this list, from the tech-obsessed to the sentimental softie.

A smart speaker bundle

This Echo Dot bundle serves as a simple first step into transforming a home into a smart home. The 5th generation model with the clock feature is a great addition to a bedside table, shelf, or home office. It has a useful LED display, boasts vibrant sound, and motion and temperature sensors that can trigger smart home behaviors. Paired with the free Sengled color smart bulb, it makes setting the mood right for date night even easier. At $39.99, you'll save 50% on the bundle — that's just $5 shy of its lowest price to date.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) with Clock + free Sengled smart bulb $39.99 at Amazon (save $39.99) Get Deal A fancy skincare device

For the self-care junkies, the Theraface Pro combines multiple skincare devices into one compact device for the "ultimate it-girl skincare tool." It earned a Mashable Choice badge of honor and a nearly perfect rating from deputy reviews editor Miller Kern, with the price being one of the only downfalls. The Theraface LED model narrows down the most popular capabilities of the Theraface Pro — percussive massage and LED Light therapy — which also knocks down the price tag quite a bit. Even better: it's on sale for just $198 — a savings of 34%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Therabody Theraface LED $198 at Amazon (save $101) Get Deal A card game that makes you go deep

We're Not Really Strangers is a card game that encourages deeper connections. Whether you're getting to know someone new or you've been together for years, the game helps you reach a new level of depth and self-realization. One reviewer called it "emotional foreplay." It's on sale for just $20 at the We're Not Really Strangers website — that's a 20% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: We're Not Really Strangers We're Not Really Strangers card game $20 at werenotreallystrangers.com (save $5) Get Deal A smartwatch

A smartwatch like the Fitbit Sense 2 serves as a fitness tracker, a means of staying in touch with loved ones throughout the day, and a way to manage stress, sleep better, and live healthier. And that's a gift anyone can appreciate. Save $100 and pick one up at Amazon for only $199.95 for Valentine's Day.

Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Sense 2 $199.95 at Amazon (save $100) Get Deal A blowout brush for date night hair

That perfect blowout look can be achieved at home with the Shark SmoothStyle, which also happens to be on sale for just $79.99. With three preset air temperatures to take hair from wet to dry, plus a heated smoothing setting and ceramic-coated plates, the SmoothStyle makes date night hair achievable in just a few swipes while avoiding damage. Snag it for your long-haired lady and save 20%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark SmoothStyle heated blow dryer brush $79.99 at Amazon (save $20) Get Deal A couple's sex toy kit

Looking for a sexy gift you and your lover can enjoy again and again? Try on the Lovehoney Wilder Weekend kit on for size. It includes all kinds of toys for adventurous bedroom fun: vibrators, plugs, rings, and more. The 10-piece set is typically $129.99, but you can save 50% ahead of Valentine's Day and snag it for only $64.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lovehoney Lovehoney Wilder Weekend couple's sex toy kit $64.99 at Lovehoney (save $65) Get Deal A pair of noise-cancelling headphones

A good pair of noise-cancelling headphones can go a long way — from boosting focus and mindfulness during the day to eliminating annoyances on planes and commutes. Our favorite earbud option, the Beats Studio Buds+, are on sale for just $129.99 — that's about $40 in savings and a couple cents away from their all-time low price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Studio Buds+ $129.99 at Amazon (save $39.96) Get Deal A portable party speaker

Practical and fun? Check and check. The JBL Flip 6 portable speaker can get the party started anywhere, thanks to its bumping sound and its lightweight, portable design. It's a great companion for just about any adventure and it's on sale for just under $100.

Opens in a new window Credit: JBL JBL Flip 6 portable Bluetooth speaker $99 at Amazon (save $30.95) Get Deal A Lego flower bouquet

Real flowers are fine and all, but a bouquet that never dies has much more longevity. Plus, you can build these Lego flowers together for an enjoyable date night. The flower bouquet kit is on sale for just $47.99 — that's 20% in savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Icons Flower Bouquet $47.99 at Amazon (save $12) Get Deal A mini projector

Turn your bedroom or backyard into a personal movie theater with a mini projector for the ultimate Valentine's Day date night. The pocket-sized Kodak Luma allows you to stream content via USB, HDMI, or Bluetooth onto any surface. It's powered by Android, so you can download your favorite apps and stream shows without even needing your phone. It's usually $349.99, but you can snag it on sale ahead of Valentine's Day for only $299.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kodak Kodak Luma 350 Portable Smart Projector $299.99 at Amazon (save $50) Get Deal An instant camera

Make memories with your Valentine this holiday with a Kodak Mini Shot 3 Retro instant camera. Set up a boudoir photoshoot or capture your date night out on the town. An instant camera makes your memories more tangible to delight in for years to come. Save 35% on this bundle which includes the camera and two packs of paper for up to 60 shots.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kodak Kodak Mini Shot 3 Retro instant camera $116.99 at Amazon (save $63) Get Deal A candle with a deeper meaning

Homesick's candles offer a personal touch with scents tied to different locations, events, or ideas. For example, there's Wine Country, Beach Cottage, Road Trip, Love Letters, Be My Galentine, and other fun picks. You can even add a personalized note for further customization. If you have romantic trip planned or just want to get nostalgic about a trip from the past, Homesick candles are the perfect way to say it. Plus, most scents are 25% off for Valentine's Day.

Opens in a new window Credit: Homesick Homesick Candles Valentine's Day sale 25% off almost everything Get Deal

We blindfolded 5 Mashable employees and asked for their honest reactions to Dune: Part 2 sandworm popcorn bucket. They did not disappoint. Dune: Part 2 premieres in theaters March 1st, 2024.

Before Monday night, phrases like "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys" and "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" were just that — phrases. Now, they're seemingly the keys to understanding Taylor Swift's breakup with actor Joe Alwyn. That is to say, Swift released the tracklist for her forthcoming album The Tortured Poets Department, and Swifties immediately started looking for clues.

SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' already has everybody talking

The pop star posted the backside of the physical album to Instagram. It shows Swift in black and white with her hand on her head in anguish, but more importantly, the tracklist is written in tiny gray print, oriented vertically. It's so hard to see that it's already a puzzle for her devoted fan base.

The tracklist is divvied up into four sides and reads:

Side A
Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)
The Tortured Poets Department
My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
Down Bad

Side B
So Long, London
But Daddy I Love Him
Fresh Out the Slammer
Florida!!! (Florence + the Machine)

Side C
Guilty as Sin?
Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
loml

Side D
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
The Alchemy
Clara Bow
Bonus Track: The Manuscript

The 17 titles set X / Twitter ablaze with fan theories, with some tracks generating more discourse than others. "So Long, London" jumped out at fans as the anti "London Boy," a tongue-in-cheek song on Lover associated with Alwyn. It's the album's coveted Track 5, which in Swiftland is traditionally the most devastating song on the album.

Some even speculated that the two will be paired as surprise songs at her London show.

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Others noted the similarity between the image on the back of Lover and The Tortured Poets Department. In response to that observation, one Swiftie wrote, "I just heard a canon go off like in the hunger games and Joe Alywn’s picture should be in the sky shortly."

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Fans immediately began discussing "But Daddy I Love Him," presuming that it's a reference to The Little Mermaid. One fan wrote, "but daddy i love him being an exact reference to the little mermaid because of ariel giving up her voice to be with the love of her life….." Dozens of posts echo the same theory.

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Another title that caught Swifties' attention is "Clara Bow." Fans put their historian caps on and began reading about the life of the silent film star of the same name. They pointed out that, like Swift, she went through a period of seclusion, followed by marriage rumors, and was subjected to endless scrutiny and gossip about her personal life (which Swift's fans participate in).

At least one fan is so invested in understanding the title that she began to read Bow's biography in preparation.

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"Fresh Out the Slammer" is another song that is generating endless discourse online. Fans are speculating that it's a reference to her time spent out of the spotlight — which once again coincides with her relationship with Alwyn — and a callback to the lyric "he can be my jailor" in "...Ready For It?" on Reputation.

Swifties are having a field day comparing the title with her Time Person of the Year interview where she said, "Life is short. Have adventures. Me locking myself away in my house for lots of years — I'll never get that time back."

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There's plenty of time before April 19 for Swifties to go through the entire tracklist with a fine-toothed comb.

From Software's critically acclaimed Elden Ring will be a free-to-play mobile title, according to a report from Reuters on Monday. Chinese tech giant Tencent reportedly acquired the rights to develop the game for smartphones, which will include in-app purchases.

SEE ALSO: You can now play 'Death Stranding' on iPhone. Here’s how to get it.

Elden Ring, a 2022 Game of the Year winner, will be the latest AAA game to be ported to phones. Tencent has invested a considerable amount of money into the space, along with other titles like Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile. The company also owns a 16 percent stake in From Software, so this deal was inevitable.

This doesn't mean things are smooth sailing for Tencent, which faces a tough battle in the mobile/free-to-play space against developers like miHoYo (Genshin Impact) and NetEase (Egg Party). Tencent shelved its Apex Legends mobile game last year, which it developed in collaboration with EA. It also shuttered a game based on the Nier franchise, too. On top of that, the royalty fees taken by Apple can fall anywhere between 15 and 20 percent, alongside a 30 percent commission.

According to Reuters, Tencent plans on introducing in-app purchases into its Elden Ring port "similar to" Genshin Impact. It's an interesting choice since Elden Ring is largely lauded for its masterful and dense single-player experience that may not translate well to the mobile space.

Death Stranding, another critically acclaimed, single-player game with pseudo-multiplayer mechanics, recently launched on iOS devices to mixed reviews due to some significant performance issues.

There's no rumored release date for this port yet.