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SAVE UP TO 64%: Select SEGA games are discounted at Best Buy by as much as 64%. Sale prices start at just $19.99 and include Xbox, PS5, and Nintendo Switch titles.
Best SEGA game deals at Best Buy Best PS5 SEGA game deal "Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth" $24.99 (save $45) Get Deal Best Xbox SEGA game deal "Sonic Origins Plus" $19.99 (save $20) Get Deal Best SEGA Nintendo Switch game deal "Unicorn Overlord" $29.99 (save $30) Get DealSearching for some new entertainment to finish out the winter season? Look no further than Best Buy's sale on SEGA games. While the sale doesn't cover the newest titles, the selection is perfect for picking up a few titles you may have missed out on in the last few years.
The sale includes SEGA games fit to play on the Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, and Xbox One, to name a handful. Since some titles are up to 64% off, it's worth browsing the selection to find your new favorites.
Best SEGA PS5 game Opens in a new window Credit: SEGA "Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth" $24.99 at Best BuyFrom Japan to Hawaii, dive into the RPG adventures of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth on the PS5. With Best Buy's SEGA sale, the game costs only $24.99, instead of the list price of $69.99.
Look forward to the often funny side quests and minigames whether you've played along with all Like a Dragon games or this'll be your first.
Best SEGA Xbox game Opens in a new window Credit: SEGA "sonic Origins Plus" $19.99 at Best BuyWhat's better than one game? How about 16 classic titles all rolled into one game. That's what you'll get with Sonic Origins Plus and thanks to Best Buy, the game can be your to play on Xbox One and Xbox Series X for the low price of $19.99, down from the normal price of $39.99.
With old classics come new characters, modes, challenges , and extra scenes.
Best SEGA Nintendo Switch game Opens in a new window Credit: SEGA "Unicorn Overlord" $29.99 at Best BuyIf you're scanning the Best Buy SEGA sale and play on the Nintendo Switch check out Unicorn Overlord. While the game usually costs $59.99, Best Buy has it discounted to just $29.99. Explore the fantasy world with animated battles through five nations in Unicorn Overlord which lets you choose from over 60 characters including humans, angels, beasts, and elves.
With impressive graphics and a compelling story, the game will have you happily busy until the sun returns this spring.
A new month brings a new slew of deals at Amazon. While the daily deals pages at the mega retailer can often be filled with inflated prices and items sitting at the same "sale" price for weeks on end, today's deals are actually pretty impressive. We've handpicked a few we think are worth grabbing on Feb. 3
Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day. If these aren't getting the job done, check back tomorrow for a brand new batch.
Our top pick: Apple AirPods 4 Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 $99.99 at AmazonNow's a great time to upgrade your listening experience with a new pair of AirPods. The fourth-generation earbuds (without ANC) are on sale for just under $100 at Amazon as of Feb. 3. That's 22% in savings and the biggest discount to date. With personalized spatial audio, Siri interactions, voice isolation, a surprisingly snug fit, and up to five hours of listening time, the AirPods 4 are a solid daily driver. Want noise cancellation? It'll cost you a bit more, although the buds with ANC are also on sale for 17% off.
Check out our review of the AirPods 4.
Fitbit Inspire 3 Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Inspire 3 $79.95 at Amazon"For anyone new to fitness or any dedicated gym rat, the Fitbit Inspire 3 gets you more than you pay for," Mashable's reviewer writes. If you're making health and wellness a priority in 2025, the Fitbit Inspire 3 offers a huge suite of tracking features — from sleep and stress to steps and blood oxygen levels. It also has an intuitive, low-profile design, easy-to-navigate user interface, impressive app suite, workout insights, and decent battery life. As of Feb. 3, it's back on sale for only $79.95 at Amazon — that's 20% in savings — making it a total steal.
Check out our review of the Fitbit Inspire 3.
Beats Solo 4 Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Solo 4 $99.99 at AmazonThe Beats Solo 4s improve upon the previous generation with upgraded drivers, rebalanced acoustics, and an improved frequency response. Translation: they have much more dynamic sound. They also have better battery life, clocking in at around 50 hours (10 more hours than their predecessor). They lack noise-cancelling technology, which is kind of a bummer, but we're willing to overlook that since they're down to just $99.99. That's 50% off their typical cost and their best price on record.
Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 10 $94.99 at Amazon"The Fire HD 10 shines as a budget tablet designed for streaming and gaming," Mashable reviewer SaVanna Shoemaker writes. It's over 30 grams lighter than the previous generation and 25 percent faster. Plus, it features an upgraded front-facing camera (5MP vs. 2MP) for better pictures and video calls. It's not the fanciest tablet on the market by any means, but the no-frills design is ideal for watching movies, answering emails, or even reading on the go. It's usually $139.99, but you can slash 32% off as of Feb. 3 and grab it for just $94.99 at Amazon.
Check out our full review of the Amazon Fire HD 10.
Blink Video Doorbell Opens in a new window Credit: Blink Blink Video Doorbell $32.99 at AmazonThe Blink Video Doorbell gives you an extra set of eyes to see who (or what) is outside your door, whether you're at home or out and about. It features a 1080p HD live view, two-way audio, infrared night vision, and can be installed in minutes. Plus, it'll last for up to two years on two AA batteries when paired with the Sync Module (sold separately). Slash 45% off as of Feb. 3 and pick it up for only $32.99 at Amazon. That's just $3 away from its best price ever.
None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.
The European Union is planning to crack down on foreign goods shipped by e-commerce marketplaces like Shein, Temu, and even Amazon, according to a draft proposal reviewed by the Financial Times.
New customs guidelines would require these companies to provide information on products — even those sold by third parties — to EU officials prior to their receipt, so that agents can track and inspect packages more efficiently. In an even more significant shift, they would also place the liability of products deemed dangerous or illegal on the shopping platforms themselves, rather than importers, and load additional onus on marketplaces to ensure their products comply with EU rules.
Currently, any EU resident purchasing foreign goods online is considered an "importer" in the eyes of customs enforcement.
SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's DOGE team attempt takeover of USAIDIn 2024, more than 90 percent of "lower-value" goods making their way into the EU were imported from China through online marketplaces, the Financial Times reported. Under the new rules, the EU intends could potentially disrupt this flow by subjecting such packages to duties that they are currently exempt from. The EU is also considering applying additional handling fees to such imports, and will establish a new EU customs authority (EUCA) to handle their oversight.
"The surging volume of products that are unsafe, counterfeit or otherwise non-compliant leads to serious safety and health risks for consumers, has an unsustainable impact on the environment, and fuels unfair competition for legitimate businesses, with a significant impact on competitiveness in different sectors," the proposal draft reads. "The EUCA would be able to screen the goods based on this information and to identify potential risks, even prior to the loading of the goods for transport or their physical arrival in the EU."
The EU has launched multiple investigations into online marketplaces under its Digital Markets Act (DMA), including several antitrust audits levied at Amazon. In late 2024, regulatory insiders told Reuters that Amazon would be facing another battle with the bloc's antitrust body this year, allegedly for favoring its own products over other vendors on Amazon platforms.
In addition, the EU recently renewed a 6-month period of economic sanctions on Russia in response to its continued invasion of Ukraine, and announced they were exploring widened sanctions on imported goods like video game consoles and controllers.
Save 17%: The Dyson Airwrap Complete and Complete Long Diffuse in the special edition Strawberry Bronze colorway are both on sale as of Feb. 3. You have your pick of retailer: the absolute cheapest price is on the straight hair Complete at Amazon for $499, saving you $100.99 off the multi-styler's $599.99 list price. You can also pay just 99 cents more at Dyson for the straight or curly version of the Airwrap or Best Buy for the straight version.
Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Airwrap Complete $499.00 at AmazonAs Mashable's shopping reporter on the beauty beat, I've tested the Dyson Airwrap, the Shark FlexStyle, and many Airwrap dupes and while I remain skeptical to the claim the Airwrap is worth the hefty investment for everyone, I do think that those who've been dying to try it should grab it on sale.
SEE ALSO: Dyson Airwrap vs. Shark FlexStyle: Here's which hot air tool is worth your moneyIt's not exactly rare to see the Airwrap go on sale — if you keep an eye out, you'll find that every few months or so, it'll drop about $100 from its $599.99 list price. That said, it can be harder to find the more unique colorways, like the Strawberry Bronze and Blush Pink version of the tool, getting the same treatment, especially in both the straight hair and curly hair models (the latter comes with a diffuser and wide tooth comb to better dry naturally textured hair). But as of Feb. 3, you'll have your pick of the pink Dyson Airwraps on sale, with the absolute lowest price being Amazon's deal for the straight Complete at $499. Right behind it, Amazon priced the Complete Long Diffuse at $499.99, with Dyson and Best Buy following the same $499.99 deal.
Even on sale $500 is a steep price, and though you can save even more money by opting for a dupe that's $300 or less, there are a few areas where the Airwrap has the edge. For starters, its the only multi-styler on the market that doesn't require two different curling barrels to change the direction of your curls, which does streamline the styling experience. (As an aside, the curls on the Airwrap, and every other styler for that matter, are designed to and work much better at creating a bouncy blowout than curling iron curls — this holds especially true if your hair already has trouble holding a curl).
SEE ALSO: I tried 5 Dyson Supersonic dupes that are actually worth the hypeIt also has the most attachments of any multi-styler, so if you (or your Valentine) are particularly interested in having a lot of options, the Airwrap might be worth the investment. Plus, unlike most other multi-stylers out there, this Airwrap will come with a case, which is especially handy as these hair tools are large and difficult to store without one. Finally, while the Airwrap may not give $300-better blowouts, the experience of using it does admittedly feel luxe — if all these factors combined points to an Airwrap for you, I recommend grabbing one while it's on sale.
SAVE $20: As of Feb. 3, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is available at Amazon for $79.95, making it an almost record-breaking deal. It's just $10 shy of its lowest price ever.
Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Inspire 3 $79.95 at AmazonIf you’re looking for a reliable and affordable fitness tracker that won’t expose you to potentially harmful chemicals (we’re looking at you, Apple), the Fitbit Inspire 3 is our favorite budget-friendly pick.
As of Feb. 3, you can get it for just $79.95 at Amazon. That’s 20% off the list price and just $10 more than its all-time low price.
The Fitbit Inspire 3 does everything you’d need a basic fitness tracker to do — it tracks your steps, heart rate, sleep patterns, and more. It also has menstrual health tracking and includes a six-month Premium Fitbit membership, which gives you access to additional health metrics and personalized insights.
SEE ALSO: The Fitbit Inspire 3 is the budget-friendly fitness tracker of our dreamsWhile more expensive fitness trackers have additional features like built-in GPS and color displays, the Inspire 3 provides the core functionality most people need. It’s also water-resistant up to 50 meters and has a battery life of 10 days on a single charge.
Plus, studies show that less pricey trackers can be surprisingly good at measuring steps and tracking what really matters. A 2020 study published by JMIR mHealth and uHealth tested a bunch of lower-budget fitness trackers and found they were actually pretty decent at tracking steps and estimating sleep, which is usually what most new fitness tracker owners care about the most.
TAKE UP TO 44% OFF: TurboTax 2024 software is marked down at Amazon by up to 44% including options for businesses, self-employed people, and rental property.
Best TurboTax deals at Amazon Best overall deal TurboTax Deluxe $44.99 (save $35) Get Deal Best tax deal for business owners TurboTax Business 2024 $113.99 (save $76) Get Deal Best tax deal for self-employed people TurboTax Home & Business 2024 $75.99 (save $54) Get Deal Best tax deal for investments and rental property TurboTax Premier 2024 $64.99 (save $50) Get DealWe're now into the month of February which means your tax forms will be arriving any day. Sure, we're still months away from the tax filing deadline on April 15, but the IRS has already started processing tax returns. That means if you're in line for a refund, there's no reason to wait around.
Filing online with software like TurboTax decodes the jargon, making it possible to file from home without hiring help. You can even do it while wearing pajamas.
TurboTax offers several versions, and most people are likely well suited to TurboTax Deluxe option which focuses on maximizing your deductions. Thanks to today's sale at Amazon, the TurboTax Deluxe software is on sale for $44.99, down from the usual price of $79.99. That's a 44% discount that'll save you $35 on the software, with the potential of saving you plenty more with your 2024 tax return.
Taxes get a bit more complicated if you're self-employed or you own a business. But TurboTax still has you covered. TurboTax Business 2024 is designed to help corporations, LLCs, trusts, estates, and partnerships navigate tax returns. At full price the software comes in at $189.99 but Amazon has it on sale today for just $113.99 which is a sweet 40% discount.
Self-employed folks can snag TurboTax Home & Business 2024 for just $75.99, instead of the list price of $129.99, which is a savings of $54.
The 2024 tax deadline is a bit more than two months away, but investing in the filing software today is the ideal motivation needed to file those taxes early this year. No one needs last-minute stress.
SAVE $170: As of Feb. 3, you can score a pair of Beats Studio Pro headphones for just $179.99 at Amazon and Best Buy. That's a 49% discount or $170 off the list price.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Beats Studio Pro $179.99 at AmazonIt’s not every day that a Mashable Choice Award winner goes on sale, but we’ve been pretty lucky lately.
This week, you can snag the Beats Studio Pro headphones for just $179.99 — that’s a 49% discount or $170 off the list price (and no, it’s not inflated!). Buy 'em at Amazon or Best Buy.
The Beats Studio Pro headphones are a top-notch over-ear pair that delivers impressive noise-canceling technology, detailed audio, and a super-modern, Kim K-approved aesthetic (depending on the color you choose). What’s even more impressive is that these Apple-owned cans work with both Android and iOS devices, so they’re a great pick for anyone, regardless of smartphone brand.
SEE ALSO: The Beats Solo 4 are back down to their lowest-ever price at Amazon“Beats Studio Pro can pair instantly via one-touch pairing on iOS and Fast Pair on Android, negating the need to fuss with a Bluetooth connection menu when you bring these bad boys out of the box,” Mashable’s Alex Perry writes in his review. “Apple’s and Google’s Find My features work natively with these headphones, too, adding a layer of security.”
You’ll also get up to 40 hours of battery life on a single charge and up to four hours of additional playback after a 10-minute quick charge — more than enough to get you through a long flight or road trip.
You might think you know Osgood Perkins, but The Monkey is about to prove you wrong.
The horror helmer has built a reputation for atmospheric spookiness and psychological tension with twisted thrillers like Longlegs, The Blackcoat's Daughter, and I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House. Yet his adaptation of a Stephen King short story is anything but ambiguous. From its first gnarly scene of deadly violence, its premise and threat is crystal clear: This cursed vintage toy — a mechanized monkey banging a drum — kills without mercy anytime his crank is turned.
The Monkey abandons subtlety and seriousness in favor of gonzo and gory displays of ultra-violent death. Perkins' vibe has always been a bit throwback, pulling influence from gothic ghost stories or the grisly tension of '90s thrillers like Silence of the Lambs. This holds true with The Monkey, but his influences here are far less highbrow, as this King adaptation — which King himself called "batshit insane" — has more in common with the madcap mayhem of Tales From The Crypt.
The result is a movie that feels refreshingly new for Perkins, yet is knowingly familiar with this gleefully ghoulish and grubby brand of horror. Reveling in kills that are senseless, aggressive, and increasingly imaginative and nightmarish, The Monkey is not just a stomach-churning treat for horror fans. It also feels like a challenge, as if the monkey — be it his unblinking gaze or the truly outrageous gore he unfurls — dares you to look away.
What is The Monkey about? Credit: NEONLike King's short story, The Monkey centers on a put-upon dad named Hal (Theo James), who teams up with his young son to defeat the evil toy that has been wreaking havoc since his own childhood. However, Perkins' screenplay works in a lot more death scenes, a custody battle subplot, and a seething twin. In his version, Hal and Bill (also played by James) were just boys when the monkey found them, a hidden gift from their absent father. A morbid experiment leads them to realize the power of the thing: Turning its crank spurs an unpredictable and outlandish accidental death to occur. So, they bury it deep, where it can never hurt another soul. Years later, Hal and Bill are estranged, when the former realizes — through a splashy slaughter scene — that the monkey is back.
With Bill having become a mysterious recluse, it's up to Hal and his son Petey (Colin O'Brien) to stop the menacing monkey for good. Along the way, they'll have to deal with Petey's overreaching and obnoxiously chipper stepfather (Elijah Wood), a young tough with more ammo than sense, and a string of accidental deaths that are jaw-droppingly gruesome.
The Monkey gets off to a pitch-perfect start, thanks to Adam Scott. Credit: NEONThe Severance star is no stranger to horror-comedy, having appeared in movies like The Omen parody Little Evil, the gem of a Christmas slasher Krampus, and the over-the-top creature feature Piranha 3D. Yet it's Scott's broader range, which includes chipper sitcoms like Parks and Recreations and raw indie dramas like The Vicious Kind — that make him such a savagely smart choice for The Monkey. He opens the film dressed as a pilot whose uniform is flecked with blood. Immediately, his distress is urgent and contagious. Charging into a pawn shop, he presents the eponymous toy. ("Don't call it a toy," he warns the unimpressed shopkeeper.) But his attempt to offload the gift intended for his twin boys goes horridly awry.
The kill that follows plays as a calling card for Perkins to take on bigger, more commercial horror projects. It's not just that the violence is uniquely horrific, or the razor-sharp humor cutting through the scene, or even the masterful timing of this cut (props to editors Graham Fortin and Greg Ng), which teases out the tension of what hell might rain down when the monkey's hand beats that damned drum. It's all of this in conjunction with Scott's performance. All at once, Scott is able to come across as an average guy, but also as a man who has seen some really unreal shit. So the fear in his eyes, the tension around his mouth, the quake of his body is a perfect setup even before we see the Rube Goldberg machine-like method to The Monkey's first on-screen murder. With one short and sick opening scene (and a blowtorch), Perkins sets up his audience for what to expect: rip-roaring fun, splashed with blood and gallows humor. And then he delivers, again and again.
The Monkey is sicko shit. Credit: NEONAnd I mean that as a compliment. Where plenty of horror filmmakers can unleash gore or deliver kills that are radically ruthless, few can do it with the panache and wit that Perkins shows here. Yes, on one level, he's offering the base thrill of seeing heinous violence in the safe space of a fictional story. But beyond that, there's a cutting humor that urges the audience to recognize our own absurdity of casually ignoring our mortality, when death is dumb, relentless, and coming for us all.
Perkins weaves this theme in through Hal and Bill's mom, Lois (Tatiana Maslany), who urges her boys to face death without fear. "Everybody dies," she says coolly after a funeral, then dances defiantly, still in her mourning attire. She tries to teach her sons the power of rebellious joy, or laughing in the face of death. And that's what The Monkey is all about.
Through his alarmingly graphic depictions of death, bloody yet hilarious, Perkins urges us to follow Lois' lead. We don't laugh because these characters on-screen — many existing without names or personalities, only to be slain — are a buffet of Face of Death-style carnage. We laugh in the shock and absurdity that one moment, we're here, minding our own business, tending our lawns, going for a swim or out for a hibachi dinner, and the next, we're dead meat. Not even Perkins (who cameos) is safe from death's sick sense of humor. And that's the weirdly liberating pleasure of The Monkey.
All in all, it’s a vicious and hysterical spectacle of blood and brain matter that’ll make you laugh, gasp, gag, and even think.
History is on the line in Super Bowl LIX, and you can watch it without paying a cent this year.
The two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Philadelphia Eagles in this year's edition of the big game, which kicks off at 6:30pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 9 on Fox. If the Chiefs win, it will be the first time in the history of the NFL that a team has won three championships in a row. In fact, no two-time defending champion has ever even made it to a third straight Super Bowl, so we're already in uncharted territory. If that wasn't enough of a reason to tune in, the Chiefs and Eagles played one of the best Super Bowls of all time just two years ago.
In other words, this will probably be a pretty good football game on top of the menagerie of commercials and Kendrick Lamar's highly anticipated halftime performance.
But, if you don't pay for cable, you might be wondering how you can watch the game without shelling out for a month of an expensive streaming service. The good news is you don't have to do that at all. Here is how to watch Super Bowl LIX without taking a hammer to your piggy bank.
SEE ALSO: Super Bowl LIX is set: When to watch, halftime show, commercials, and more How to watch Super Bowl LIX without cable for freeThis year's game is broadcast on Fox, which means color commentary will be provided by some new guy they just hired named Tom Brady. I hear he's been to a few Super Bowls before. Anyway, in previous years when Fox has broadcast the game, it was available for free via the Fox Sports app. That is not the case this year. Instead, the game will stream for free on the streaming service Tubi, and that should include all pregame and postgame coverage, all the same commercials people who are watching on regular TV would see, and yes, Kendrick's halftime show.
SEE ALSO: Will Kendrick Lamar diss Drake during the Super Bowl halftime show? Why and why not.You'll need to make a Tubi account to watch the game, but fortunately, Tubi is a free streaming service by nature. Tubi will be by far the simplest way for most people who don't pay for cable to watch the game.
Other ways to watch the gameI can't think of any obvious reasons why you wouldn't just use Tubi to watch Super Bowl LIX, but in case that's not an option, there are other ways to see the game without having a guy come over to install a cable box.
For instance, you can choose from one of the many cable-alternative streaming services out there. Pretty much all of the major ones should carry your local Fox affiliate. Here's a list of services that will definitely let you watch Super Bowl LIX:
YouTube TV
Hulu with Live TV
Sling TV
DirecTV Stream
Fubo
If, for some reason, none of those work for you, there's one more option: a digital TV antenna. You can get one that plugs directly into your TV and doesn't need to be outdoors to work for as little as $20. It'll probably only pick up a handful of local channels, but your Fox affiliate is almost certain to be one of them. As a bonus, this will most likely also grant you access to future Super Bowls, as well.
Kendrick Lamar isn't afraid of a little controversy — but the NFL is. So how might that play out during the halftime show on Super Bowl Sunday?
Part of the excitement of a live show like the NFL Halftime Show is that we don't know what will happen until it does, like Usher's 2024 surprise guests or Rihanna's pregnancy announcement. But Kendrick's fight comes in the middle of an ongoing rap beef between him and rival Drake.
If we are to believe rumors, it seems like Kendrick might play his biggest Drake diss "Not Like Us," his fifth installment in a series of diss tracks against the Canadian rapper. The song, which alleges Drake's pedophilia and sexual misconduct, solidified his victory against Drake and broke several Spotify records. On Sunday, the track won Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
But the song, and beef as a whole, also resulted in multiple lawsuits. Drake sued Universal Music Group and Spotify claiming they worked together to inflate the songs popularity and accused UMG of violating the RICO act. He later filed another lawsuit against UMG for defamation and funneling payments to iHeartRadio.
Whatever ends up happening, it will likely be a surprise to us, but not to anyone at the NFL, Andrew Mall, an associate professor of music at Northeastern University, told the Northeastern Global News. And the idea that the NFL would agree to something they could get sued for — like allowing Kendrick to allege Drake is a pedophile — would be pretty unlikely, he argues.
"He won’t do that in part because the scale and the choreography and the production of the Super Bowl halftime show has to be set in stone," Mall said. "So, he can’t just tease and be like, 'I know you said I can’t do this, but here I am dancing around the edges.' … My guess is there’s no chance for him to surprise at least anyone who is in a decision-making position with what’s going to be on stage or on the field."
We'll find out during Kendrick's Super Bowl LIX performance on February 9, where the Chiefs will face off against the Eagles.
Apple has reportedly canceled its plans to build augmented reality smart glasses.
This is according to Bloomberg, which cites people with knowledge of the move.
In November, the same outlet reported that Apple had launched the project under the codename "Atlas," with the goal to build a pair of advanced, AR smart glasses, perhaps in order to compete with Meta's promising "Orion" prototype.
SEE ALSO: Apple Intelligence is getting more languagesThe report was very thin on details, but now that the project has been canceled, however, we know a little more about what these glasses were supposed to look like. Apple reportedly first wanted glasses that could pair with the iPhone, but the drain on the smartphone's battery life was too big. Additionally, the iPhone wasn't able to provide the necessary processing power.
Apple's engineers then moved to glasses that would pair with a Mac, but that version was reported to have performed poorly during internal reviews among Apple's executives.
Apple still plans to build a followup to its Vision Pro mixed reality handset. The AR glasses were a different project, far lighter and similar to traditional glasses, perhaps akin to Ray-Ban's Meta smart glasses.
Still, it's another setback for the company whose CEO Tim Cook sounded very enthusiastic about augmented reality as early as 2016.
Apple doesn't share its internal plans with the public. But the company reportedly canceled its plans to build an electric, self-driving car in early 2024, and reports in June 2024 said that Apple has also given up on Vision Pro 2, focusing on a cheaper model instead.
"There is a specific type of alienation that comes with using an app that was not made with you or your community in mind, and most dating apps have initially been created with straight people in mind."
It's a truth uncomfortably acknowledged that every dating app in possession of a database of potential daters must be primarily in want of straight people. The quote above is one of the many insights into the modern dating landscape covered by Mashable's own features editor Rachel Thompson, in her second book The Love Fix, out now via Square Peg, following her debut, Rough. And we've got an excerpt on this complex, undeniably prevalent topic for you below.
SEE ALSO: Mashable's Rachel Thompson investigates sexual violence (and what we can do about it) in 'Rough'Now, full disclosure, I'm biased — that much is obvious. I've been lucky enough to edit and read Rachel's (it feels weird to call you Thompson, I won't do it) brilliant work for years, covering every angle, trend, and buzzword of sex, dating, and relationships in contemporary life — before the rest of us really know what's happening right in front of us. But The Love Fix is a deeper dive than ever into dating app fatigue, and a truly hopeful means to understand how we can reconnect with authenticity and intimacy in a world increasingly disengaged and automated.
Rachel's thorough analysis of how orientation affects the app experience, how dating apps are not designed with queer people at the forefront, and that "our social scripts for dating are also designed for straight couples," is just one of the important threads she pulls.
Featured Video For You 'I was cloaked.' What it's like to be blocked and stood up by your Hinge date.The Love Fix delves into questions of dating app culture and design, what "limerence" is and how to deal with it, the trickiness of DTR (defining the relationship), how to reframe rejection, why ghosting hurts, the increased use of therapy speak in dating, the online attention economy (and how to take a break from it), getting over someone you never dated, how your attachment style impacts sex and relationships, breaking up in the online age and post-breakup etiquette, and the absence of commitment amid so much choice — amid so many other questions.
Really, it's for those with a book-long answer to the question: "How's your love life?"
So, we've got a sneak peek for you, an excerpt from The Love Fix about the lack of queer representation in dating apps beyond those specifically labelled as appealing to LGBTQ daters. Get into it.
The Love Fix by Rachel ThompsonFrom Chapter 4: Just My TypeHow does orientation affect the app experience?The Pew Research Center found that lesbian, gay and bisexual adults are around twice as likely as straight adults to have used a dating app or site, but now that so much of dating has moved online, it’s important to examine how we make online dating inclusive. There is a specific type of alienation that comes with using an app that was not made with you or your community in mind, and most dating apps have initially been created with straight people in mind.
"Nothing in this world is made for marginalised people," says Melissa A. Fabello PhD, a US-based sex and relationships educator. ‘"As a queer woman, I talk to so many other queer women that are like “the apps suck!” And it’s like, yeah, because the apps weren’t made for us, so even though we can use them, they weren’t made for us, and that is impactful."
There is a specific type of alienation that comes with using an app that was not made with you or your community in mind.This feeling that the apps are not designed with queer people in mind is echoed by scholars too. "Structures of power are visible also in the social and cultural genealogy of dating apps," writes Dr Carolina Bandinelli. "Most apps (dating and nondating) were funded in Silicon Valley, in a socio-economic environment marked by a culture that, despite the promotional claims of democracy, is in fact based on strict mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion which benefit certain categories, mostly white middle-class males, while marginalising others, notably women and ethnic minorities."
Queer dating apps, which have been conceived and built by queer people, are a response to oppression, says Fabello. "The queer dating apps only exist because other dating apps are not useful, particularly to queer people, so we create our own," she says. "Even if you’re trying to create something that’s less oppressive, you’re doing it in response to oppression, oppression takes up a lot of space in our lives."
The dynamics these platforms expect of us don’t always work, as on top of that our social scripts for dating are also designed for straight couples. As Lucy says, "Women aren’t taught to flirt with other women, so even if someone feels attracted to another woman, they may not know how to express that." Our culture teaches straight women that men should make the first move, but doesn’t have an answer for what happens when both parties are women. In practice, this can mean that if both WLW women in a conversation expect the other person to make the first move, that move might not happen at all.
SEE ALSO: I got stood up. I refuse to let dating app culture break my spirit.Journalist Siân Bradley wrote about the hurdle of learning to flirt after coming out as bisexual, saying, "I had had enough of secretly admiring women, nonbinary people, and AFAB people from a distance. Now I wanted to actually act on my attraction. But how?" Acting on your queer desire is scary, Bradley added, particularly when many WLW have absorbed heteronormative dating scripts. "When you’ve only been with cis men, like I had, dating women feels like a whole other ball game: one where you don’t know the rules, let alone who’s playing or whether you’re allowed on the pitch." Not only is it difficult to know how to flirt, there’s also a hypervigilance that comes with hitting on queer women and femmes because when queer women aren’t being treated by straight women as experimentation fodder or a means to attract the male gaze they’re contending with the fetishisation of WLW in mainstream culture.
Our social scripts for dating are also designed for straight couples."We are seen as something for men’s pleasure only, and not our own entity," says Lucy. "It feels shameful sometimes admitting I’m a lesbian to men and seeing the turned-on look in their eyes." They’re always aware that the response they get might be more than a simple rejection. "We’re hyper vigilant about who we can hit on and when," says Riley. "A lot of us have really extreme emotional scarring and we really don’t trust a lot of questioning women."
Once the flirting stage has been overcome, there’s also the question of how to behave within that relationship. "Before I started dating women I found it a struggle to imagine how I would behave when it was just me and another woman in a romantic relationship," says Cassie, a 27-year-old bisexual woman who, for years, only dated men. "This stopped me pursuing women for the longest time. I think this was because heterosexuality was all I knew. It was shown to us on the TV, in books, in films, on the street. I guess you could say I’m a visual learner, and with no queer representation in sight, I was lost!"
Compulsory heterosexuality – a term coined by feminist scholar Adrienne Rich in 1980 – is society’s imposition of heterosexuality as the norm, the false assumption that relationships are between men and women only. Cassie feels there is toxic masculinity at play with some queer cis women. "Sometimes we feel the need to behave in a certain way in order to fit the roles we’ve been shown our entire lives," she says. "At times it feels like even the people around me, who are supposedly allies, are only happy with me dating a woman as long as one of us is “the woman” and one of us is “the man”."
Extracted from 'The Love Fix' by Rachel Thompson, out now via Square Peg for £18.99.
TL;DR: Live stream Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA with FuboTV, Sling TV, or YouTube TV.
The Phoenix Suns head to Moda Center to face the Portland Trail Blazers in a Western Conference matchup. The Suns are 25-23, which puts the team in eighth place. The Blazers are 20-29, which puts the team in 13th place.
The Suns have won three of their last five games, but are coming off a loss to the Blazers. The Blazers have won four of their last five games, and are coming off three consecutive wins over the Suns, Orlando Magic, and Milwaukee Bucks.
These two teams have faced off three times this season already. The Suns have won two of those matchups.
When is Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trail Blazers?Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA starts at 10 p.m. ET on Feb. 3. This game takes place at Moda Center in Portland.
How to watch Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trail BlazersYou need to choose a streaming service to watch the NBA without cable or satellite TV. We've found some of the best streaming services to consider for the Suns vs. Blazers basketball game.
Best for single game: FuboTV Opens in a new window Credit: Fubo TV FuboTV Pro Plan Get DealFuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period.
FuboTV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, FOX, FS1, FS2, Golf Network, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.
Most live sports: YouTube TV Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV $49.99/month for your first two months (save $46) Get DealYouTube TV's base plan is $49.99 per month for two months for new subscribers ($72.99 per month regularly). The base plan includes over 100 live TV channels, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and NBA TV.
Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling TV Sling Orange Plan Get DealSling TV suggests the streamer's Orange Plan for the game, which costs $20 for the first month and $40 monthly after that.
Sling TV’s sports channels feature ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBA TV, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.
How to watch Suns vs. Blazers from anywhere in the worldIf you're traveling outside of the U.S. during this game, you might need to use a VPN to unblock this live stream. VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server, meaning you can unblock live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trail Blazers for free 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 the U.S.
Sign in to your favorite streaming app
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to live streams of the NBA without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream LA Clippers vs. Toronto Raptors before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for the NBA?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries
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 includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Orlando Magic vs. Golden State Warriors in the NBA with FuboTV, Sling TV, or YouTube TV.
The Orlando Magic head to Chase Center to face the Golden State Warriors in a non-conference matchup. The Magic are 24-26, which puts the team in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Warriors are 24-24, which puts the team in 11th place in the Western Conference.
The Magic have lost four of their last five games, and are coming off three consecutive losses to the Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, and Miami Heat. The Warriors have won three of their last five games, but are coming off a loss to the Phoenix Suns.
When is Orlando Magic vs. Golden State Warriors?Orlando Magic vs. Golden State Warriors in the NBA starts at 10 p.m. ET on Feb. 3. This game takes place at Chase Center in San Francisco.
This game will air on NBA TV.
How to watch Orlando Magic vs. Golden State WarriorsYou need to choose a streaming service to watch the NBA without cable or satellite TV. We've found some of the best streaming services to consider for the Magic vs. Warriors basketball game.
Best for single game: FuboTV Opens in a new window Credit: Fubo TV FuboTV Pro Plan Get DealFuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period.
FuboTV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, FOX, FS1, FS2, Golf Network, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.
Most live sports: YouTube TV Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV $49.99/month for your first two months (save $46) Get DealYouTube TV's base plan is $49.99 per month for two months for new subscribers ($72.99 per month regularly). The base plan includes over 100 live TV channels, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and NBA TV.
Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling TV Sling Orange Plan Get DealSling TV suggests the streamer's Orange Plan for the game, which costs $20 for the first month and $40 monthly after that.
Sling TV’s sports channels feature ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBA TV, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.
How to watch Magic vs. Warriors from anywhere in the worldIf you're traveling outside of the U.S. during this game, you might need to use a VPN to unblock this live stream. VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server, meaning you can unblock live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Orlando Magic vs. Golden State Warriors for free 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 the U.S.
Sign in to your favorite streaming app
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to live streams of the NBA without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream Orlando Magic vs. Golden State Warriors before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for the NBA?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries
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 includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Orlando Magic vs. Golden State Warriors in the NBA with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks in the NBA with FuboTV, Sling TV, or YouTube TV.
The Houston Rockets head to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks in a non-conference matchup. The Rockets are 32-16, which puts the team in second place in the Western Conference. The Knicks are 32-17, which puts the team in third place in the Eastern Conference.
The Rockets have won three of their last five games, but are coming off back-to-back losses to the Brooklyn Nets and Memphis Grizzlies. The Knicks have won four of their last five games, but are coming off a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
When is Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks?Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks in the NBA starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 3. This game takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York.
This game will air on NBA TV.
How to watch Houston Rockets vs. New York KnicksYou need to choose a streaming service to watch the NBA without cable or satellite TV. We've found some of the best streaming services to consider for the Rockets vs. Knicks basketball game.
Best for single game: FuboTV Opens in a new window Credit: Fubo TV FuboTV Pro Plan Get DealFuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period.
FuboTV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, FOX, FS1, FS2, Golf Network, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.
Most live sports: YouTube TV Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV $49.99/month for your first two months (save $46) Get DealYouTube TV's base plan is $49.99 per month for two months for new subscribers ($72.99 per month regularly). The base plan includes over 100 live TV channels, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and NBA TV.
Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling TV Sling Orange Plan Get DealSling TV suggests the streamer's Orange Plan for the game, which costs $20 for the first month and $40 monthly after that.
Sling TV’s sports channels feature ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBA TV, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.
How to watch Rockets vs. Knicks from anywhere in the worldIf you're traveling outside of the U.S. during this game, you might need to use a VPN to unblock this live stream. VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server, meaning you can unblock live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks for free 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 the U.S.
Sign in to your favorite streaming app
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to live streams of the NBA without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for the NBA?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries
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 includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks in the NBA with ExpressVPN.
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.
With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.
So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableHere are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Monday, February 3, 2025:
AcrossUnit of toilet paperThe answer is Roll.
The answer is Oreo.
The answer is Watch.
The answer is LMAO.
The answer is Belt.
The answer is Row.
The answer is OralB.
The answer is LeMe.
The answer is Local.
The answer is Hot.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of GamesAre you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.
Lady Gaga used her Best Pop Duo acceptance speech at the 2025 Grammys to lend her voice to the trans community.
"Trans people are not invisible," says Lady Gaga in the clip above, standing on stage alongisde her fellow "Die With a Smile" winner Bruno Mars. "Trans people deserve love, the queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love. Thank you."
Lady Gaga's comments come in the wake of President Donald Trump passing an executive order stating that the U.S. government now only recognises two sexes —the wording of which may have inadvertently made everyone in the country female.
After years of totally transparent snubs, Beyoncé has taken home the Grammy for Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter. If that ain't country, tell me, what is?
At the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Beyoncé's speech was short and meaningful, not only thanking the Los Angeles fire department, who presented the award, for their efforts, but also thanking every songwriter, collaborator and producer who worked on Cowboy Carter.
"I just feel very full and very honoured," said Beyoncé. "It's been many, many years."
Beyoncé is the most awarded and nominated artist in Grammys history, with 32 wins and 99 nominations. Despite that, she's never won Album of the Year — though she's been nominated four times (I Am … Sasha Fierce in 2008, Beyoncé in 2013, Lemonade in 2016, and Renaissance in 2023). Even Adele said the quiet part out loud. With her fifth nomination for the award for Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé finally took the stage to accept Album of the Year on Sunday.
Now, go and turn up Cowboy Carter and stare in a loaded fashion at the Grammys.
SAVE $100: As of Feb. 3, the Fire TV 55-inch 4-Series is on sale for $359.99 at Amazon. That's a 22% discount on the list price.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV 55-inch 4-Series $359.99 at AmazonIf it's time for a TV upgrade, why not check out this latest Amazon deal on the Fire TV 55-inch 4-Series?
As of Feb. 3, this TV is at its lowest price in over a year, now priced at $359.99. That's a $100 saving on the list price. And we're not exaggerating when we say there's a lot to brag about this TV. It has 4K Ultra HD, HDR 10, HLG, and Dolby Digital Plus, all creating incredible clarity, brighter colors, and vivid detail in your favorite movies and shows.
SEE ALSO: Apple AirPods Pro 2 are $80 off at Amazon. Get premium noise cancellation for under $170.Like most Amazon devices, it has Alexa built-in, so you can easily search for your favorite movies, launch apps, and control content. An impressive smart TV, you can enjoy shows from all the major streaming services including Netflix, Disney+, and of course, Prime Video.
This TV can also connect with your smart home Alexa devices, including doorbells, lightbulbs, and speakers. For example, pair up your TV with your Echo speakers to create an immersive home theater atmosphere for your next movie night. Plus, there are four HDMI inputs to connect gaming devices, sound accessories, cables, and other equipment seamlessly.
This deal is only available for a limited time, so head to Amazon now to save big.
SAVE $340: As of Feb. 3, the eero Max 7 mesh WiFi system is on sale at Amazon for $1,359.99. That's a 20% saving on the list price.
Opens in a new window Credit: eero eero Max 7 mesh WiFi system $1,359.99 at AmaznIt's a new year, it's time to leave patchy, unreliable WiFi in 2024. Yes, let's talk upgrading. You shouldn't have to suffer with laggy video calls, buffering shows, or devices that just won't connect. If you work from home regularly, have a lot of WiFi-connected devices, need a solid connection for your workplace, or just want to stop screaming at your router... we've found a setup that you'll love.
As of Feb. 3, you can find incredible deals on mesh router systems at Amazon. This includes a great deal on the eero Max 7 mesh WiFi system Currently, this product is reduced to $1359.99, saving you 20% on the list price. This discount is specific to the three-pack option, but you can find deals across all bundles.
SEE ALSO: Apple AirPods 4 are down to under $100 — now is the perfect time to upgradeA mesh WiFi system includes a main router and two nodes (satellites) placed around your home. They work together to eliminate dead zones, providing reliable WiFi coverage all over your home.
And this model is one of the best. It boasts WiFi 7 technology and an extra boost from the 329 MHz radio channel, so the router ensures fast and reliable connectivity for the entire household. The TrueMesh technology reduces dead spots and dropped signals, keeping your smart home running smoothly even when you’re away.
For coverage, enjoy an incredible 7,500 square feet of buffer-free connectivity, and the capability to connect more than 200 devices.
Convinced yet? We don't blame you. Head to Amazon to grab this limited-time deal.
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