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Meta has obtained an emergency ruling blocking whistleblower and former employee Sarah Wynn-Williams from promoting her memoir Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism. In other news, have you seen Barbra Streisand's house?
The International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) handed down the emergency arbitration ruling on Wednesday, finding that Meta was likely to succeed in its case against Wynn-Williams for breach of contract. Specifically, Meta alleges that Wynn-Williams violated the non-disparagement agreement she signed as an employee.
SEE ALSO: Meta built content censorship system to break into China, report says"The Emergency Arbitrator finds that, after reviewing the briefs and hearing oral argument, [Meta] has established a likelihood of success on the merits of its contractual non-disparagement claim against Respondent Wynn-Williams, and that immediate and irreparable loss will result in the absence of emergency relief," the arbitrator wrote in his ruling.
As such, the ICDR ruled that Wynn-Williams is temporarily prohibited from promoting Careless People or further distributing audio and electronic versions of it. She is also temporarily barred from making any "disparaging, critical, or otherwise detrimental comments" about Meta, and has been instructed to retract any such comments she has previously made.
This does not mean that Wynn-Williams' claims in Careless People are false, nor that they are true. It simply means that the ICDR considers it likely that she violated her contract by sharing them.
Wynn-Williams was previously Meta's director of global public policy, with Careless People covering her time at the company from 2011 to 2017. The memoir paints a grossly unflattering picture of the tech giant, including allegations of sexual harassment and claims that Facebook ignored internal concerns about its impact on democracy and human rights.
In its review of the book, The New York Times called Careless People an "insider account of a company that she says was run by status-hungry and self-absorbed leaders… even as Facebook became a vector for disinformation campaigns and cozied up to authoritarian regimes."
This week it was reported that Wynn-Williams also filed a whistleblower complaint to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in April, alleging that Facebook (now Meta) misled investors about its efforts to enter China. According to the complaint, in 2015 Facebook developed a censorship system intended for use by the Chinese government in an effort to enter the Chinese market.
Meta ultimately fired Wynn-Williams in 2017, which she claims was retaliation for her sexual harassment complaints. Meta maintains that it fired Wynn-Williams for "poor performance and toxic behavior" and that while it had been interested in operating in China, they ultimately did not come to any agreement with the country's government. Still, this doesn't mean that Meta didn't try.
"[Careless People] is a mix of out-of-date and previously reported claims about the company and false accusations about our executives," Meta said in a statement shared with several publications.
Mashable has reached out to Meta for comment.
Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism was published this week by Macmillan.
TL;DR: A wide range of free AI courses are available to take on Udemy.
It's possible that AI is going to eventually take over the world, but we should have a few years before we get to the point of no return. So how should we approach those years? We may as well learn how to make the most out of AI before it deems that we're all obsolete.
A wide range of online courses on AI can be found on Udemy. And better yet, some of the best examples can be taken for free. We've checked out everything on offer and lined up a selection of standout courses to get you started.
These are the best online AI courses you can take for free this month:
AI for Business and Personal Productivity: A Practical Guide
How To Make YouTube Automation Videos in 20 Minutes Using AI
Midjourney and ChatGPT: Unleash AI for Unique Image Generation
These free online courses don't include certificates of completion or direct instructor messaging, but you still get unrestricted access to all the video content. You can learn at a pace that suits you, so what's stopping you from enrolling?
Find the best free AI courses on Udemy.
Opens in a new window Credit: Udemy AI Courses Free at Udemy Get DealTL;DR: Watch the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Marc Márquez started the new MotoGP season with a victory at the Grand Prix of Thailand, but there is a queue of talented riders behind him in the standings looking to take the top spot off the experienced Spaniard. This weekend the action heads to Argentina.
If you're interested in watching the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.
When is the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina?The MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina takes place at Chang International Circuit. The 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina race starts at 2 p.m. ET on March 16.
How to watch the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina for freeEvery 2025 MotoGP race is available to live stream for free on ServusTV.
ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access ServusTV from anywhere in the world.
Unblock ServusTV by following this simple process:
Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Austria
Connect to ServusTV
Watch MotoGP for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access MotoGP live streams without fully committing with your cash. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for live streaming is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for MotoGP?ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking ServusTV, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Austria
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is protected
Fast streaming speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Watch the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Manchester United vs. Real Sociedad for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Things are not exactly going well for Manchester United in the Premier League right now, so the Europa League has been a welcome distraction. They face Real Sociedad in the last 16, with the score tied at 1-1 after the first leg. Everything is still to play for as the action heads to Manchester.
If you want to watch Manchester United vs. Real Sociedad for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Manchester United vs. Real Sociedad?Manchester United vs. Real Sociedad kicks off at 8 p.m. GMT on March 13. This fixture takes place at Old Trafford.
How to watch Manchester United vs. Real Sociedad for freeManchester United vs. Real Sociedad is available to live stream for free on ServusTV.
ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access ServusTV from anywhere in the world.
Unblock ServusTV by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Austria
Visit ServusTV
Stream Manchester United vs. Real Sociedad in the Europa League for free
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to provide free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to ServusTV without committing with your cash. This is not a long-term solution, but it gives you plenty of time to stream Manchester United vs. Real Sociedad before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for ServusTV?ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on ServusTV, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Austria
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Stream Manchester United vs. Real Sociedad for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Get a lifetime subscription to 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan for £77.11 and access AI-powered writing, image creation, video editing, and more.
Opens in a new window Credit: 1min.AI 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription £77.11 at the Mashable ShopNeed an AI companion that can do it all? Get a lifetime subscription to 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan for £77.11 and access AI-powered writing, image creation, video editing, and more. No more switching between apps. With 1min.AI, you can access multiple AI tools in one platform.
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Converts speech to text, generates voiceovers, and even translates audio with AI
Manages PDF documents with AI-driven summarisation, translations, and Q&A tools
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Business Plan includes 4,000,000 credits per month with options to earn free credits daily — no ongoing fees
Skip the monthly AI tool subscriptions and get lifetime access to a 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan for just £77.11 for a limited time.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
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 to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?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.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for March 13 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: To show favoritism
Green: Ways to get a driver's attention
Blue: Parts of a popular poker game
Purple: Old English words
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Partiality
Green: Signal down, as a taxi
Blue: Cards in Texas Hold 'Em
Purple: Shakespearean Words
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections #641 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayPartiality: ANGLE, BIAS, SLANT, SPIN
Signal down, as a taxi: FLAG, HAIL, WAVE, WHISTLE
Cards in Texas Hold 'Em: FLOP, HOLE, RIVER, TURN
Shakespearean Words: ANON, ART, THOU, WILT
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.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 13Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
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 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 today: Hints and answers for March 13 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.
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 was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
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.
SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for March 13, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:To pursue.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?There are no reoccurring letters.
Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter C.
SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...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 today's Wordle is...
CHASE.
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.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 13Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.
Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: How to earn points on the green
Green: _________ race
Blue: Women's college basketball teams
Purple: Teams that fired their coach
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Golf scoring terms
Green: Types of racing
Blue: Last year's women's NCAA tournament final four
Purple: NFL teams to change coaches this offseason
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #171 is...
What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition todayGolf scoring terms - ALBATROSS, BIRDIE, BOGEY, EAGLE
Types of racing - BMX, DRAG, HORSE, STOCK CAR
Last year's women's NCAA tournament final four - GAMECOCKS, HAWKEYES, HUSKIES, WOLFPACK
NFL teams to change coaches this offseason - BEARS, JAGUARS, JETS, SAINTS
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.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.
Strands 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, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableBy providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 13 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 13 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: What goes around comes aroundThese words have nothing to do with karma.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThe words are related to motion.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is NiceComeBack.
Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for March 13Rebound
Boomerang
Ricochet
Bounce
Return
NiceComeBack
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.
Most people know the theory that an asteroid smashed into Earth — hitting what is now the Yucatán Peninsula — and killed off many of the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago.
But that was not the only mass extinction for the planet — just the most well-known. Scientists believe at least five mass extinctions have occurred in the past 500 million years, and not all of them were caused by menacing space rocks. Perhaps two of them, one 372 million years ago and another 445 million years ago, were ice ages.
A new study, based on a census of stars in the Milky Way, suggests those periods of severely cold climates may have begun with stars dying light-years away.
"If a massive star were to explode as a supernova close to the Earth, the results would be devastating for life on Earth," said Nick Wright, an astrophysicist at Keele University in the United Kingdom, in a statement. "This research suggests that this may have already happened."
SEE ALSO: Hubble sees mini galaxies surrounding Andromeda are pretty wild A fossil of a type of brachiopod, Floweria chemungensis, went extinct in the late Devonian period. Credit: Andrew Bush / National Science FoundationPrevious research has yet to determine the cause for either the late Devonian or Ordovician mass extinctions, which occurred 372 and 445 million years ago, respectively. The Ordovician extinction is thought to have killed off about 60 percent of the invertebrate sea creatures at a time when most of Earth's species lived in the ocean; the late Devonian event eliminated 70 percent of all creatures and influenced sweeping changes in the kinds of fish that survived.
Scientists have suspected these ice ages followed damage to the ozone layer. Crucially, the team working on the census says supernovas could have triggered the catastrophic changes in Earth's protective atmosphere. The rate of supernovas near Earth is consistent with the timing of both mass extinctions. The team's findings appear in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
A supernova is a cataclysmic stellar death that leaves behind a black hole or neutron star. It is the biggest, brightest, and most violent type of explosion scientists have observed in the universe.
These cosmic blasts are element factories, NASA says: They create carbon, for instance, the same chemical on which humans and much of life on Earth are based. They spread calcium and iron, the same stuff found in bones and blood, across interstellar space. This dispersal seeds new generations of stars and planets.
This is what astronomer Carl Sagan meant when he said we're made of "star stuff." The same substances composing our bodies were literally forged within the cores of stars, then flung through the cosmos when they died.
It's a great paradox then that supernovas could be both creators and destroyers of life, the authors observed.
"Supernova explosions bring heavy chemical elements into the interstellar medium, which are then used to form new stars and planets," said Alexis Quintana, lead author, in a statement. "But if a planet, including the Earth, is located too close to this kind of event, this can have devastating effects."
A nearby supernova's blast of various forms of radiation could strip away the ozone layer. By "near," the experts mean within 65 light-years or so. Without the ozone, Earth would be exposed to harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun and acid rain.
Betelgeuse, about 650 light-years away from Earth, is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Credit: Alan Dyer / VWPics / Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesUsing models that estimate how stars evolve and emit light at different wavelengths, the team analyzed data from large sky surveys, including data from the European Space Agency's recently retired Gaia mission. The census involved nearly 25,000 so-called "OB stars" — very hot, massive stars — within 1,000 parsecs, or roughly 3,260 light-years, of the sun. These stars are so hot, they're at least double the sun's surface temperature.
This census allowed the scientists to calculate the rate of supernovas in the local region of the galaxy and throughout the Milky Way as a whole. According to the team's calculations, about one supernova happens every 400 million years within close enough vicinity to Earth that its radiation could impact the atmosphere.
The nearest stars that could blow within the next million years are thought to be Antares and Betelgeuse. If that gives you chills, don't worry: Both stars are more than 500 light-years away — far enough that their blasts wouldn't likely trigger an ice age.
In the seminal 1984 film Footloose, Kevin Bacon's character Ren delivers a stirring speech about how it's finally the town's time to dance. If you're West Virginia football coach Rich Rodriguez, however, the time to dance is never.
In perhaps one of the silliest examples of football guys being football guys, Rodriguez has banned his players from dancing on TikTok. Not from using or even posting on TikTok, mind you. Just dancing.
"They're going to be on it, so I'm not banning them from it," Rodriguez said Monday, via ESPN. "I'm just banning them from dancing on it. It's like, look, we try to have a hard edge or whatever, and you're in there in your tights dancing on TikTok, ain't quite the image of our program that I want."
SEE ALSO: The Trump campaign's take on Tim Walz's coaching days proves they don't know footballLet's just set aside how silly this is. (Very.) And how it's clearly based around Rodriguez's specific beliefs on what's "tough" or "manly." It's also probably bad for the team's success in an era where college athletes get paid and move from universities as they see fit. Because do you know which football players dance on TikTok? The best ones!
Travis Hunter, last year's Heisman Trophy winner — the prestigious award for the best player in college football — regularly dances on TikTok. Runner-up Ashton Jeanty? Ditto. Do you think good players will want to play at a place where something as simple as dancing on TikTok is banned? Obviously, it's not the biggest deal but it might be something that turns players off from the program — at least the really good ones who can play anywhere.
Rodriguez is free to make rules as he sees fit, and he said as much to reporters. But he's back at West Virginia nearly two decades after previously leading the Mountaineers to some of their best years. But banning TikTok dancing, of all things, might be a sign that he's stuck in the past.
Late last year, a YouTube video uncovering the shady affiliate tactics of PayPal's coupon Chrome extension, Honey, went viral.
The 23-minute video by YouTube creator MegaLag received more than 17 million views and spurred lawsuits against PayPal from YouTubers like Legal Eagle and GamersNexus.
As a result of the Honey expose, Google has now changed its Chrome extension policies concerning affiliate ads and marketing.
What is Honey?First, as a refresher, Honey is a Chrome extension from PayPal that alerts users when it detects a coupon code relevant to their current e-commerce shopping cart. In exchange for providing the user with this coupon code, Honey enables PayPal's affiliate link on the user's computer so that PayPal receives credit for the customer's purchase. PayPal receives monetary compensation for every purchase made through their affiliate link from the e-commerce store.
SEE ALSO: YouTuber Marques Brownlee explains his part in the alleged Honey 'scam'However, it appears that many Honey users were unaware of how the Chrome extension worked. MegaLag's video also highlighted that Honey inserted its affiliate link even if it had not discovered a relevant active coupon code. In addition, Honey would also replace an existing affiliate link, or where the shopper's purchase actually originated from, with its own in order to be credited for the sale.
While Honey users were incensed over Honey's affiliate link tactics, the move actually hurt content creators. YouTubers and other creators often recommend products, and their fans make their purchase through the creator's affiliate link to help support them. Affiliate sales can often make up a substantial portion of a creator's revenue. Honey was essentially stealing those sales from creators.
Google Chrome's new extension policiesHoney's tactics resulted in Google rolling out brand new affiliate ads policies for Chrome extensions.
According to the new policy, which is available on the Chrome for Developers website, "Affiliate links, codes, or cookies must only be included when the extension provides a direct and transparent user benefit related to the extension's core functionality. It is not permitted to inject affiliate links without related user action and without providing a tangible benefit to users."
To make it absolutely clear, Google even provided some examples that would be in violation of this policy, such as inserting an affiliate link when no coupon, cashback, or other discount is provided. In addition, Google says a user must take action for an extension to inject an affiliate code. The extension can't just insert the affiliate code without being manually prompted to do so by the user.
"Related user action is required before the inclusion of each affiliate code, link, or cookie," reads the next section of the policy.
This section clearly states that a Chrome extension must notify the user if it is replacing an existing affiliate link with its own. Any Chrome extension replacing an affiliate link without a user's knowledge violates Google's policies.
Looking through the policy, it appears to be a pretty targeted response to Honey's affiliate tactics. It also doesn't appear to affect the legitimate utility that Honey and other coupon — and cashback-related Chrome extensions — provide users.
SAVE $31.99: As of March 12, get the Sony Inzone wireless gaming earbuds for $168, down from their usual price of $199.99, That's a discount of 16% and their lowest price yet.
Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony Inzone wireless gaming earbuds $168 at AmazonNot all gaming audio accessories have to be bulky over-ear headsets. Sony has a pair of earbuds specifically for gaming, and they're on sale for their lowest price ever.
As of March 12, get the Sony Inzone wireless gaming earbuds for $168 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $199.99. That's a discount of 16% and the lowest price we've tracked so far. This sale applies to both the black and white colors.
These buds offer active noise cancellation and 360 spatial audio, and you can use them on both PlayStation 5 and PC. They have onboard controls for volume, game/chat balance, mute, and music playback, all of which should make gaming with friends or just chatting a much more immersive affair. Plus, they have an AI-assisted microphone that helps extract noise from around you so everyone can hear you better.
These buds also last quite a while, with 12 hours of battery life and 24 hours with their included charging case. So you can get your game on without having to stop and switch to a different pair or juice them back up.
Ever since the Tesla Cybertruck launched, people have been putting the truck through its paces with hilarious, and often catastrophic, results. Tech YouTuber JerryRigEverything — mostly known for his smartphone durability test — put a Cybertruck through a different kind of test by loading the truck’s hitch up to its 11,000-pound tow limit to see if the truck could handle it.
We won’t spoil the ending entirely, but based on the headline, you can probably guess how the test is going to go. In the video, Jerry has an excavator put 10,000 pounds of weight directly on the hitch of the Tesla to see if the Tesla can handle an improperly loaded trailer or the variances in weight that can happen when towing a trailer. The Tesla does not fare well.
After the Tesla, Jerry performs an identical test on a Ram 1500. Not only does the Ram 1500 pass the test, but the excavator bounces the truck while keeping it under a 10,000-pound load to intentionally try and break the vehicle. Spoiler alert: It didn’t work.
Jerry concludes that the gigacasting method for making car frames is great for Tesla’s other cars but may not be the best idea for the Cybertruck.
Apple has released update 18.3.2 for iOS and iPadOS, and it should be rolling out to compatible iPhones and iPads starting Wednesday.
The latest update isn’t too big, so let’s get right into it.
For the most part, Apple is going with the boilerplate update description. Cupertino says that the update “provides important bug fixes, security updates, and addresses an issue that may prevent playback of some streaming content.” Apple has a habit of not disclosing or discussing security issues until they’ve properly investigated and patched the issue, so whatever security updates were added are a mystery for now.
With that said, the update does bring a couple things of note. It adds a supplemental patch for a WebKit exploit that was originally fixed back in iOS 17.2. The bug allowed a specifically crafted website to break out of the Web Content sandbox and wreak havoc on devices.
SEE ALSO: iOS 18.3 is here. 3 major changes to knowThe other thing of note is that the update is turning Apple Intelligence back on by default, so users who don’t want to use it will have to go back into the settings and disable it again. This is a minor annoyance but one that iPhone and iPad owners will likely have to get used to with every update as users reported the same thing occurring after updating to iOS 18.3.1.
Other than that, this is a pretty simple update. It’s still important to make sure your iPhone is updated to the latest OS to prevent any issues.
In addition to iOS 18.3.2, Apple also released updates for Safari, along with macOS Sequoia 15.3.2 for Macs, visionOS 2.3.2 for the Apple Vision Pro, and tVOS 18.3.1 for Apple TV devices.
Which iPhones and iPads are getting iOS 18.3.2?Per Apple, the following devices should be receiving the update:
Every iPhone from the iPhone XS generation to the latest iPhone 16
iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later
iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later
iPad Air 3rd generation and later
iPad 7th generation and later
iPad mini 5th generation and later
It should be the same as any other update. If you don’t want to do it manually, you should receive a notification to update your phone or iPad and you just need to start the update from there.
If you want to do it manually, hop into the Settings, then General. From there, tap Software Update and the update should appear. Tap the Update Now button to install the update. The device will reboot when it’s finished.
Electric vehicles (EVs) have had a weird year so far. Thanks to Elon Musk, Tesla fell from grace. As the brand synonymous with EVs, that would seem to indicate that EVs are in trouble. As it turns out, nothing could be further from the truth.
Ars Technica, citing analysts at Rho Motion, reported that global EV sales had jumped up 30 percent compared to this time last year. Even in the U.S., sales were reportedly up 28 percent compared with this point last year. That might actually be because folks are trying to get ahead of an anti-EV administration.
"American drivers bought 30 percent more electric vehicles than they had by this time last year, making use of the final months of IRA tax breaks before the incentives are expected to be pulled later this year," Charles Lester, Rho Motion data manager, told Ars Technica.
It’s a continuation of an already hot start to 2025 for EVs. Rho Motion noted in a previous report that sales in January 2025 were higher than they were in January 2024 by about 18 percent overall. Europe and the U.S. saw the largest gains at 21 percent and 22 percent, respectively, with China continuing to put up decent growth as well.
There are some blips here and there. For example, France saw a 15 percent decrease in EV sales in January 2025 versus the same time last year. Rho Motion suggests that it’s due to a newly implemented weight tax on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that started this year. This likely led to a lot of people buying EVs in December before the tax went into effect. Meanwhile, Germany saw the biggest jump with a 40 percent growth in January 2025 versus the same time a year ago.
SEE ALSO: Trump and Musk hosted a Tesla ad at the White HouseIn terms of brands, Rho Motion didn’t mention which automakers were the big winners and big losers in their data. For 2024, Tesla led the way in EV sales in the U.S. and most of the rest of the world. BYD had the most sales globally, however, thanks to its success in China.
Tesla remains one of the biggest players in the EV game despite all of the controversy surrounding the brand.
There have been signs, however, that the company has been adversely affected by Musk’s prominent role in the U.S. government and right-wing politics. Early signs have shown Tesla sales falling precipitously. Used Teslas, meanwhile, are dropping in price alongside the company’s shares.
EVs may be selling overall, but Tesla could still be in trouble.
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