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Enjoy secure cloud storage for life — save 82% on 2TB lifetime plans

Mashable - Thu, 03/20/2025 - 00:00

TL;DR: Give the gift of digital organisation and pay just £54.12 (reg. £361.21) for lifetime access to FileJump's 2TB cloud storage plan.

Opens in a new window Credit: FileJump FileJump 2TB Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription £54.12 at the Mashable Shop
£361.21 Save £307.09 Get Deal

Looking to make an impression with your gifts? During this spring sale, you can give the gift of peace of mind with the FileJump 2TB Cloud Storage lifetime subscription for just £62.72 (reg. £366.26).

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At £62.72 (reg. £366.26) for lifetime access to 2TB of storage, an 82% discount for the holidays, FileJump delivers premium features at an incredible value. Competitors charge monthly fees for similar services, but with FileJump, you pay once and own it forever. This offer isn’t just practical and useful — it’s economical, too.

For a limited time, you'll pay just £62.72 (reg. £366.26) for lifetime access to 2TB of FileJump storage.

FileJump 2TB Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription - £62.72 | Get It Here

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Hurdle hints and answers for March 20, 2025

Mashable - Thu, 03/20/2025 - 00:00

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

The human heart has four of these.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

VALVE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A pig.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 20, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

SWINE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To fend off.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 20 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 20, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

PARRY

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To ponder.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for March 20 Hurdle Word 4 answer

THINK

Final Hurdle hint

To try hard.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

EXERT

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 20

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 22:00

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 categories

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

  • Yellow: Scoring 2 in basketball

  • Green: Forecasted team names

  • Blue: Longshot mascots to make NCAA tournament runs

  • Purple: In Florida, but not Miami

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

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

  • Yellow: Shots scored around the rim

  • Green: Weather-themed teams

  • Blue: Notable NCAA tournament cinderellas

  • Purple: Orlando __________

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 #178 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today
  • Shots scored around the rim - ALLEY-OOP, DUNK, LAYUP, PUTBACK

  • Weather-themed teams - HURRICANES, LIGHTNING, STORM, THUNDER

  • Notable NCAA tournaments Cinderella's - OWLS, PEACOCKS, RAMBLERS, RETRIEVERS

  • Orlando ________ - CITY, MAGIC, PACE, PRIDE

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.

NYT Strands hints, answers for March 20

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 22:00

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 Mashable

By 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 20 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 20 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Wetland patrol

The words are feathered friends.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words long-legged, which is good for wading through wetlands.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is WadingBird.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for March 20
  • Bittern

  • Flamingo

  • Spoonbill

  • Stork

  • Egert

  • Ibis

  • Wadingbird

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.

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 20, 2025

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 22:00

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 20 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

  • Yellow: Forthright

  • Green: Waterways

  • Blue: Types of wires

  • Purple: Items in a carafe

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

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

  • Yellow: Outspoken

  • Green: Bodies of water

  • Blue: Kinds of cords

  • Purple: Things in bottles

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 #648 is...

What is the answer to Connections today
  • Outspoken: DIRECT, FRANK, LOUD, VOCAL

  • Bodies of water: BAY, CHANNEL, SOUND, STRAIT

  • Kinds of cords: BUNGEE, EXTENSION, SPINAL, UMBILICAL

  • Things in bottles: GENIE, LIGHTNING, MESSAGE, SHIP

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 20

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.

SoftBank to Buy Silicon Valley Chip Start-Up Ampere for $6.5 Billion

NYT Technology - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 19:41
The move is a bet that Ampere’s chips can begin playing a significant role in data centers for creating artificial intelligence.

Elio trailer introduces an adorable new Pixar alien

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 16:00

Pixar is no stranger to aliens. Toy Story's green, claw-worshipping alien toys are among the animation giant's most iconic creations, while Lightyear featured hostile alien lifeforms aplenty. But Pixar's upcoming film Elio promises the most Pixar aliens yet.

SEE ALSO: A complete ranking of every Pixar movie ever

Directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina, the film centers on a young boy named Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), who wants nothing more than to be abducted by aliens. He gets his wish and is transported to the alien collective known as the Communiverse, where he mistakenly becomes ambassador for the entire human race.

Along the way, he also makes his first friend: an alien named Glordon (voiced by Remy Edgerly). An intergalactic mix between a slug and a lobster, Glordon seems like an absolute sweetheart of an alien. He even offers to let Elio stay in his (very toothy) mouth in order to escape a lava flow! There's just one problem: Glordon's dad is the bloodthirsty Lord Grigon (voiced by Brad Garrett), who, from the looks of the trailer, is on the warpath to take down the Communiverse. Can Elio, Glordon, and the rest of the universe team up to stop him?

Elio also stars Academy Award winner Zoe Saldaña as Elio's Aunt Olga, Jameela Jamil as Ambassador Questa, and Shirley Henderson as OOOOO.

Elio hits theaters June 20.

Get flight deals to your inbox with a year of Dollar Flight Club Premium for just A$15

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 15:24

TL;DR: Save on flights with a 1-year Dollar Flight Club Premium membership for A$15. Get personalized deal alerts and book your dream trips for less.

Picture this: You’re sipping a cocktail on a beach in Cancun, strolling the streets of Paris, or hiking through the mountains of Japan — and you paid way less than everyone else on the plane. That’s the magic of Dollar Flight Club.

This A$15 annual subscription to the Dollar Flight Club Premium Plan does the hard work of finding cheap flights for you. Just set your departure airports, and you’ll get email alerts when prices drop on domestic and international flights.

Recent deals have included roundtrip flights to Hawaii for A$254, Spain for A$471, and France for A$450. These aren’t just random discounts — they’re curated deals designed to help you travel more while spending less.

The Premium Plan lets you track deals from up to four departure airports, so you never miss out on an opportunity to jet off somewhere incredible. Whether you're planning a weekend getaway or a bucket-list adventure, this membership makes it possible without blowing your budget.

Redeem your code within 30 days, start planning, and let the cheap flights roll in.

For just A$15, you’ll get a full year of deal alerts from this Dollar Flight Club subscription, giving you more reasons to pack your bags.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dollar Flight Club Dollar Flight Club Premium Plan: 1-Year Subscription AU$15
AU$109 Save AU$94 Get Deal

Disneys Snow White review: Better than it has any right to be

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 15:00

Screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson had an unenviable task ahead of her when she signed on to adapt 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs into a live-action re-imaging that'd appeal to contemporary audiences. After all, the eponymous heroine has little in common with the more modern, spirited Disney princesses who have fought for love, legs, freedom, or the whole of China. Snow White was less a self-rescuing princess and more a pretty damsel in distress who ran away from home, died by a poisoned apple, and was revived by a kiss from a prince she barely knew. But in Disney's Snow White, Wilson smartly translates the classic iconography of the original film while rejiggering its flimsy framework into a solid and charming coming-of-age story.

In Disney's Snow White, the princess (Rachel Zegler) is less fragile, named not for the pale color of her skin but for the winter storm that raged the night she was born. When she is called fair, it's not meant like pretty (though she is), but as in just. For instance, she's the kind of princess who picks apples alongside her people, and then happily bakes apple pies to share in a big community feast. These little shifts in context make a profound difference, painting Snow White as resilient, capable, and caring. Of course, the tone of this kingdom shifts dramatically when the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot) takes over. 

Wilson's take on Snow White is surprisingly winsome. It delivers a familiar story with a fresh perspective and some unexpected sources of nostalgia. 

Rachel Zegler shines as Snow White.  Credit: Giles Keyte / 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc

The star of Steven Spielberg's West Side Story and the action-packed prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Zegler has an undeniable star power from her first frames. With her open-hearted expression, earnestness, and warm singing voice, she is through and through a live-action Disney princess. Swanning around in her gold skirts and Snow White's signature bob, Zegler is sure to thrill countless Disney princess devotees. But where things get really interesting is when she confronts conflict. 

Sure, like the Snow White who came before her, she will fearfully flee into a ferocious woods, staggered by grabby trees branches. But props to director Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man 1 & 2), who flips the color palette of muted regal hues abruptly to slick black forestry and neon red mist, all of which read as a nightmarish threat for the princess fleeing her wicked stepmother's huntsman. But before this dramatic escape, Snow White also stands up to her queen, begging for mercy for a handsome bandit (Andrew Burnap) who was caught robbing the royal pantry. Here, Snow White embraces bravery, even as her voice trembles. Through her steady assertions, she creates a path all her own to love and political activism. 

The romance in Snow White is genuinely endearing. 

Forget the nameless prince. This time, Snow White falls for a bandit with a heart of gold. He meets her in the castle's kitchen and assumes — based on her humble demeanor and clothes — that she is a servant, not the princess. He has a compelling cockiness to him, and to children of the '90s, a familiar appeal; his costume includes a plaid shirt with a hood, a striped poncho, and a floppy hairstyle with a center part that feels deeply of a time not so long ago. The character's name is Jonathan, but he's giving Jonathan Taylor Thomas circa Home Improvement. And I'm not mad at it! 

On top of his vintage charms, Jonathan flirts through talk of political rebellion, proclaiming that this greedy, vain queen shouldn't be in charge, nor should she be hoarding all the goods of the kingdom for her own pleasures. It's an eye-opening moment for Snow White, who is both attracted to and appalled by this brash young man. Their conversations spark within her a desire not only to survive but to fight for her kingdom, to bring back a sense of community and revelry over military might and isolation. These politics and young love blossom in the woods, no matter how many dwarfs are looking on. 

Good God, Snow White's dwarfs are a disaster.  Credit: Giles Keyte / 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc

This remake has faced backlash over the decision to make Snow White's dwarf friends CGI characters, rather than casting performers with dwarfism for the roles of Sneezy, Sleepy, Happy, Bashful, Dopey, and Doc. Notably, Martin Klebba of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise lends his voice to Grumpy. However, it's hard to argue CGI was the way to go when these once lovable cartoons now look like lawn gnomes with worrisome skin conditions. 

Where Zegler and Gadot are made up to have flawless faces, worthy of the cover of romantic fantasy novels, the dwarfs live in an uncanny valley. They are walking, squawking bobbleheads, mottled with blemishes that make them look somehow less real and more ghastly. Dopey — who doesn't have facial hair to hide any of his features — is the most uncanny, being downright difficult to look at, on par with Scuttle from the 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid

Perhaps this was a demand of Disney execs, hoping to keep fans happy, but their antics feel disjointed from the personal and political thrust of Wilson's script. So, the dwarf shenanigans in the middle of the movie are a bit of a slog. After all, these characters never get any deeper than their nicknames suggest. In fact, a modified version of their "Heigh Ho," triples down on their silly monikers, with lyrics like "I'm Sleepy! / Yeah, we KNOW!" 

These eyesores of fan service are the worst bit of Snow White, unable to be elevated by the voicework of Klebba, Andrew Barth Feldman, Tituss Burgess, Jason Kravits, George Salazar, Andy Grotelueschen, and Jeremy Swift. However, the bigger disappointment is in the formerly fairest of them all. 

Gal Gadot falls short of evil diva greatness in Snow White.  Credit: Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Love her or loathe her, there's no denying the Evil Queen is an epic villainess. Gadot isn't able to bring dimension to this iconic queen, though she looks devastatingly fierce in the incredible costumes by three-time Academy Award–winning designer Sandy Powell. The dark sequins that cover her head to toe not only sparkle in a slick black and purple glory, but they have a sound to them. 

Kudos to the entire sound team, because the noise around the mean queen builds an atmosphere before she even speaks. The soft clatter of sequins on sequins as she swaggers sounds almost like the scurry of spiders. The squish of caviar as she greedily plunges in her fork gives an ick while drawing attention to her luxuries, while her people are risking dungeon time for stealing potatoes. The crack of shellfish under her bejeweled fingers brings home her ruthlessness as she stares down Snow White. 

With a black-stained lip, hard brow, and a smoky eye that could start a fire, Gadot is picture-perfect in this goth villainy. She clearly enjoys the grandly repugnant proclamations of her queen, like in a song where she declares, "Ambitious girls must be vicious girls!" Yet there's something missing behind her posturing. 

It's hard not to compare her to Angelina Jolie in Maleficent or Cate Blanchett as the resplendent wicked stepmother in 2015's Cinderella. The Evil Queen is the kind of role that harkens back to the snarling femme fatales of film noir, the shrieking matriarchs of melodramas, or the animated villainesses themselves, whose self-satisfied cackles have rung out across decades. There should be a juicy liberation in playing such an unapologetically mad woman, but Gadot can't seem to tap into that rich wrath or rage. While her queen looks the part, the effect is ultimately underwhelming. 

However, for a movie that I expected to be achingly predictable, Disney's Snow White is both surprising and entertaining. Zegler is stellar as Snow White, and Burnap is terrific as her challenging beau. The dwarfs are a nightmare, and Gadot is insubstantial, but the charms of the colorful production design, the details of the CGI forest animals, and the richly enchanting costumes lure us into a fantasy world that's familiar but offers new discoveries to be uncovered. New songs give fresh verve to this antique tale. So in the end, Disney's Snow White is a magical cinematic experience. 

Snow White opens in theaters March 21.

LeBron James song edits are taking over TikTok

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 14:36

LeBron James — the most famous basketball player in the world — has become one of TikTok's latest genres of music. Yes, genre.

People are editing popular songs to be about the NBA star, and those remixes are everywhere on TikTok. And they are so. Freaking. Catchy. The songs are endless, with remixes of "I Kissed a Girl" ("I Kissed LeBron"), "Talking to the Moon" ("Thinking 'bout LeBron"), and "Somebody That I Used to Know" ("The LeBron That I Used to Know"), among so many others.

SEE ALSO: Iowa vs. LSU delivered memes, jokes, and a great game from Caitlin Clark

In my personal opinion — which seems to be backed by its prevalence — one remix outdoes them all. It's a play on Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" that tells the story of the Los Angeles Lakers adding superstar Luka Doncic to play alongside James. And it's so damn good.

Over the past few days, I've detached from my corporeal frame, instead existing in the ether, wandering the halls and musically muttering: His name is leBRON JAMES! I'm talkin' 'bout the man on the LAKERS! LeeeeeBRON.

It jangles about in my mind like a ping-pong ditty. It is my internal soundtrack. In other words, it's catchy as all hell.

In all seriousness, remixing LeBron songs has become a TikTok trend in and of itself—not a single LeBron song, but the idea that any song can and should be a LeBron song. There are so many remixes that people are ranking their Top 5.

Like any other trend, folks put their own spin on it. Some folks use a song to post a meme. Some use them to post in-game highlights — oftentimes hiding the fact that it's a LeBron edit until the TikTok suddenly transfers to NBA action. Others just post the song itself.

Or there's something like this post, which isn't a song edit but a massively viral (43 million views) LeBron edit.

There are so many reasons why LeBron's songs are going viral. To name a few:

  • The Lakers were just on the winning end of the most shocking trade in NBA history.

  • People are using LeBron songs to argue the GOAT debate — James vs. Michael Jordan — and that argument is endlessly engaging for sports fans.

  • We've escaped critical velocity where everyone feels like they have to post a LeBron edit.

  • LeBron's name is really fun to sing.

If the songs are already getting on your nerves, brace yourself: The NBA playoffs don't start until mid-April, and the Lakers could be poised to make a deep run.

Risking Trump’s Ire, E.U. Accuses Apple and Google of Unfair Practices

NYT Technology - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 14:27
European Union regulators said the tech giants likely violated the law by unfairly boxing out smaller competitors, adding to tensions between Europe and the United States

Buy the Roborock robot vacuum with a grabby arm, get a second vacuum for free

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 13:21

BOGO FREE: As of March 19, the famous Roborock Saros Z70 robot vacuum with a robotic arm is available to preorder for $1,899. A special promo from Roborock turns your preorder into a bundle that includes a second Roborock vacuum for free — a value of up to $800.

Opens in a new window Credit: Roborock Roborock Saros Z70 $1,899 at Roborock
BOGO bundle Pre-order Here

Approximately no one had a robot vacuum with an arm on their CES 2025 bingo card. Roborock made one anyway, and the Roborock Saros Z70 is officially available to preorder (with shipping beginning in May). The Saros Z70 will cost $1,899 — slightly less than the $2,000 we originally expected. And if you buy your Saros Z70 during this initial release window, that $1,899 actually covers a bundle that includes a second Roborock vacuum of your choice.

The eligible bonus models span from robot vacuums to upright vacuums, including the popular Roborock Dyad Pro Combo 5-in-1 wet and dry vacuum (a $659.99 value) or the Roborock Qrevo S5V (a $799.99 value). No end date for the BOGO promo has been given, but quantities for the free vacuums are limited.

Though there's no question that a robotic arm for picking up obstacles is cool, it's the practicality that I was questioning. If you were on the fence about spending that much on a vacuum, the cost-effectiveness gets a serious boost when you get two nice vacuums for the same price.

What's so special about the Roborock Z70?

The Roborock Z70 goes past the small obstacle avoidance technology that has become a navigational staple in recent years and topples into obstacle removal technology. It performs such with a robotic OmniGrip arm that unfolds out of the top of the robot vacuum to grab the obstacle claw machine-style, and drops it in a nearby designated area. (The live demo at CES 2025 showcased the Z70 putting socks into a basket.) The arm's pickup capabilities cover four different types of obstacles and must weigh under 300 grams: socks, paper, small towels, and lightweight shoes. I'd personally benefit the most from the arm being able to grab pet toys.

People more swayed by practicality than a hit-or-miss high-tech feature might find the bigger grab here to be the Z70's incredible 22,000 Pa of suction power. That's 12,000 Pa more powerful than the Roborock Qrevo Master, my favorite overall robot vacuum of 2024 that cleans with 10,000 Pa, and 3,500 Pa more powerful than the Roborock Qrevo Curv that has sold out several times.

The Saros Z70 isn't the only new Roborock in 2025

The Saros line also includes two other new flagship models that don't feature the robotic arm: The $1,599.99 Saros 10 and Saros 10R. Both are the same super slim 3.14-inch height as the Saros S70, but both feature a mixed assortment of features from the Z70.

The Saros 10 cleans with the same 22,000 Pa as the Saros Z70, while the Saros 10R takes a negligible cut to 20,000 Pa. The Saros 10 uses the same Reactive AI technology to avoid small obstacles that most of the 2024 Qrevo models did, while the Saros Z70 and 10R have been upgraded to Roborock's StarSight 2.0 technology. StarSight, a combination of dual-light 3D Time-of-Flight technology and AI-powered RGB cameras, is said to lead to more precise mapping and obstacle avoidance, but I didn't find the Saros 10R's obstacle dodging to be particularly better than any obstacle avoidance I've tested out before.

Both the Saros Z70 and Saros 10R mop with dual spinning mopping pads (that's my preference) compared to the Saros 10's singular flat mopping pad.

Check out my full Saros 10R review for more nitty-gritty cleaning results, and stay tuned for hands-on coverage of the Saros 10 and Saros Z70 in the coming months.

Get Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones for their lowest price ever at Amazon

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 12:47

SAVE $21.99: As of March 19, you can get a pair of Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones for just $38 at Amazon. That's a $21.99 discount and the lowest price we've seen on these headphones yet.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones $38 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $21.99 Get Deal

If you need a new set of headphones and aren’t dead set on getting active noise cancellation, the Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones are currently at their lowest price ever on Amazon.

As of March 19, you can get the white, blue, or cappuccino Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones for just $38, down from $59.99, at Amazon. That’s a $21.90 price cut and a really good deal on a solid pair of wireless over-ear headphones from a reputable brand like Sony. The black pair is even lower, at $35.95.

SEE ALSO: The best headphones in 2025

You’ll get up to 50 hours of listening time on a single charge, and up to 90 minutes of playback from a quick three-minute charge. There’s also an EQ Custom feature that lets you tailor your sound through the Sony Headphones Connect App. And, of course, you get the convenience and freedom of wireless listening and hands-free calls with Bluetooth connectivity.

Risking Trump’s Ire, E.U. Accuses Apple and Google of Unfair Practices

NYT Technology - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 12:44
European Union regulators said the tech giants likely violated the law by unfairly boxing out smaller competitors, adding to tensions between Europe and the United States

Get a Google Nest thermostat for $40 off and take control of your energy bill

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 12:41

SAVE $40: As of March 19, get the Google Nest Learning Thermostat for $239.99, down from its usual price of $279.99. That's a discount of 14%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Google Nest Learning Thermostat $239.99 at Amazon
$279.99 Save $40 Get Deal

These weird transitional days from winter to spring are a doozy in many parts of the country. If you live in a part of the country where it's freezing cold one day and 86 degrees the next (hi, me, thanks) you're probably spending a lot of time at your thermostat trying to figure out what to set it to. Who knows? When the weather changes at the drop of a hat, it's difficult to figure out. Make things a little easier for yourself with a smart thermostat, which you can pick up on sale right now.

As of March 19, the Google Nest Learning Thermostat is $239.99, down from its usual price of $279.99 at Amazon. That's $40 off and a discount of 14%. This price applies to all colorways: Polished Silver, Polished Gold, and Polished Obsidian.

SEE ALSO: Refresh your home with these early home deals ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale

This learning thermostat helps keep your home at a temperature that works for you as it adjusts itself automatically based on your preferences. It tackles both heating and cooling, and helps you save energy in the long run. It works with most systems, and it doesn't need a C-wire for most homes, so it's pretty simple to set up.

With its temperature sensor (included with this package) it can help to tackle hot and cold spots as well, so if you deal with those in your home, it's got a way to tackle that specific issue.

It has a large display (60% bigger than the last model) and a setting that makes it simple to see from across the room that will automatically adjust its brightness for the best readability. It'll ask for permission to make changes to your schedule in the Google Home app, and you can connect it to Alexa-enabled or Google Assistant devices for voice control, should you prefer.

If you need a little help making your home more comfortable and can't predict the weather outside, this is the assistance you need. Grab it while it's on sale.

Sign up for Target Circle 360 for half price ahead of Circle Week

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 12:36

SAVE $50: Through March 29, Target Circle 360 annual membership subscriptions are on sale for just $49, down from $99. That's 50% off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Target Target Circle 360 annual membership $49
$99 Save $50 Get Deal

For the first time, Target is giving its Target Circle 360 members first dibs at deals during Circle Week. Officially running March 23 through 29, Target Circle Week will overlap with Amazon's Big Spring Sale (shocker). It's open to all Target Circle members, but paid members will get to shop the deals 24 hours ahead of time.

Not a Circle 360 member, but want early access? Through March 29, you can sign up for half price. Usually $99 for the year, annual memberships are on sale for just $49. Aside from early Circle Week access, Target Circle 360 memberships offer unlimited same-day delivery from stores, access to a curated marketplace of other retailers and grocers via Shipt.com, free two-day shipping on eligible items, extended return windows, and other exclusive benefits and experiences.

For the upcoming Circle Week sale, Circle 360 members will get first dibs on the following deals:

Even better: With your new membership, you can have your Circle Week deal purchases delivered to your doorstep on the same day (on orders over $35). No need to head to the store.

Take note that this 50% off deal is only open to new annual Circle 360 members. Once the 12-month promotional period expires, Target will charge you automatically for the next year at full price ($99). In other words, be sure to cancel before the year is up if you want to avoid that charge.

Google delayed the Pixel 9A slightly, right after announcing it

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 12:35

On Wednesday, Google announced the Pixel 9A. Just a couple of hours later, we found out there's been a minor delay in actually getting the phone into people's hands.

The Verge reported that pre-orders have not been opened for Pixel 9A yet, despite Google usually doing so right as a device is announced, due to an unspecified hardware problem with the phones. In a statement to The Verge, Google confirmed that there is a "component quality issue" affecting a "small number" of Pixel 9A devices, which means the phone will not be on shelves until sometime in April.

SEE ALSO: Google Pixel 9a announced: Specs, price, release date, preorder details

This certainly explains a couple of odd things about the Pixel 9A rollout. The lack of pre-order availability was the biggest sign that something was wrong, but as The Verge noted (and Mashable can confirm), nobody in the media has gotten a review unit, either. As to what the actual problem is, all anyone can do is speculate. Maybe it's the battery, maybe it's the display, or maybe it's something else entirely.

SEE ALSO: Google Pixel 9a kills the camera bump

It's a shame because the Pixel 9A is one of the more interesting Google hardware launches in a minute. Unlike most of the Pixel A-series phones, it's a fairly radical redesign of the Pixel 9 that it's based on, as it removes the rear camera bump that has defined the Pixel aesthetic for years. At just $499 with a Tensor G4 chip and a 120Hz refresh rate, one could argue the Pixel 9A is a substantially better value than the $599 iPhone 16e, which is still stuck with a 60Hz refresh rate.

Keep an eye out for more info on this in the next few weeks.

Ballerina trailer: Ana de Armas and Keanu Reeves battle in John Wick spin-off

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 12:15

Ana de Armas is on the hunt for vengeance in the John Wick franchise spin-off Ballerina. And according to the film's latest trailer, John Wick himself (Keanu Reeves) is hot on her heels.

SEE ALSO: 2025 movie preview: All the films you'll want to know about

The film, which takes place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, introduces Eve Macarro (de Armas). She's training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma in order to take down the people who killed her family. But her quest won't be without its challenges — chiefest among them, the Baba Yaga himself.

The trailer above reveals that the crime lord known as the Director (Anjelica Huston, reprising her role from Parabellum) calls on John Wick to stop Eve's rampage. The pair face off in a snowy showdown.

"She sent you here to kill me?" Eve asks.

"Or you can leave," John replies.

Eve certainly isn't leaving, so cue the gunfights! Check out the trailer above for more of Eve and John in action, as well as Eve's very liberal use of a flamethrower and the return of John Wick mainstays like Winston (Ian McShane) and Charon (the late, great Lance Reddick).

Ballerina hits theaters June 6.

Walmarts Super Savings Week is set to drop prices during the Amazon Big Spring Sale

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 12:12

Get ready for a week of sales everywhere. It's like Black Friday, but make it spring, with flowers, pastels, and great deals for the upcoming summer season.

On the heels of Amazon announcing the Big Spring Sale, which officially starts on March 25, Walmart is coming in hot with the deals too. And we also can't forget that Target is getting on the savings with Target Circle Week that also overlaps the majority of the sale dates.

Boiled down, we're all in for some great sale prices next week. If you're a Walmart fan or are shopping for great discounts this spring, here's everything to know about the Walmart Super Savings Week.

When is Walmart Super Savings Week?

Officially, the Walmart Super Savings Week spans Monday, March 24 though Tuesday, April 1. Sale prices are exclusively available online at walmart.com and in the Walmart app, which means you can leisurely scan the Walmart sale aisles from the comfort of home.

Best deals to look out for during Walmart Super Savings Week 2025

Catering to the spring and summer season, the Walmart sale promises discounts on spring cleaning items, patio furniture, barbecues, and much more. Expect to see discounts that take up to 55% off normal prices. Here's a sneak peek of some deals to expect at the Walmart Super Savings Week 2025.

Last year's Super Savings Week brought impressive discounts on Apple products like AirPods, AirTags, and Apple Watches, and we wouldn't be surprised if this year follows suit.

We also spotted great spring cleaning deals last year, including Dyson and Bissell vacuums. Compared to last year's Amazon Big Spring Sale, Walmart's offerings served the same or even better discounts on Apple Watches, Fitbit trackers, and video games, so we'll be keeping an eye out for those this year.

Already-live deals to shop during the Walmart Super Savings Week 2025

Just like Amazon, which already has over 200 deals worth shopping ahead of the Big Spring Sale, Walmart is already dropping prices. We expect to see hundreds of deals drop at Walmart on March 24, but you don't have to wait until next week to get some nice discounts. Here are a few deals that are already live at Walmart.

The Alto Knights review: Double Robert De Niro deserves better than the speedrun treatment

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 12:02

The promise of Robert De Niro playing not one but two infamous gangsters might enough to tempt fans of Goodfellas or the Godfather trilogy into seeing The Alto Knights. But be warned. While the promise of double De Niro is tempting, the movie itself is inexplicable. 

On paper, The Alto Knights sounds terrific. The real-life story of Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, two childhood friends turned rival Mob bosses, is peppered with the classic elements of gangster movies, from macho face-offs, sharp-tongued wives, vicious betrayals, a criminal conspiracy, and merciless, violent murder. Who better to draft such an adapted screenplay than Nicholas Pileggi, the author and co-screenwriter behind Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas and Casino? And who better to headline than recurring Scorsese collaborator/iconic tough guy Robert De Niro? 

However, director Barry Levinson (Sleepers, Dope Thief) makes some absolutely befuddling choices in The Alto Knights. The potential promised by its talent is squandered in a completely confounding gangster flick. 

Why is Robert De Niro playing two characters in The Alto Knights

From the start, Vito Genovese and Frank Costello are depicted as very different kinds of gangsters, though they share a similar origin. These Italian immigrants became friends as young men, hanging around the Alto Knights Social Club in 1910s New York City. Associates of the notorious Lucky Luciano, both made their way in the city through criminal enterprises. However, by the 1930s, it was Genovese who was chosen to run the Family — that is, until a double-homicide investigation chased him back to Italy. Before he left, Genovese handed the reigns to his trusted friend, Costello, expecting to resume control upon his return.  

However, in the intervening decades, Costello's leadership of the Mob was so successful that on top of becoming obscenely rich, he'd made enough political connections to achieve a sheen of respectability. In The Alto Knights, Frank is a suave philanthropist who attends glamorous charity balls with his wife Bobbie (Debra Messing), a chic Jewish socialite, on his arm. Meanwhile, Vito is a more Scorsese kind of gangster — close to the streets, gnawing on a cigar, spitting out threats and curse words with equal ease. His wife is a sultry Italian divorcée (Kathrine Narducci) that runs her nightclub with passion and a big mouth. 

Frank is the kind of smooth criminal De Niro has played before in films like Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, where his affluence and polite veneer hide an ocean of sins. Vito is more mercurial, the kind of primed-for-eruption character De Niro played in Taxi Driver or Goodfellas. So there's a curious experiment in having the octogenarian actor attempt to straddle this range of representation that he's managed across decades, all in one film.

Masterfully applied prosthetics distinguish Frank from Vito, as do the voices De Niro uses for them. Frank is more traditionally De Niro, with a low, husky, alert but world-weary delivery. Vito is higher pitched and sharper in cadence; frankly, it feels like a Joe Pesci impersonation. But there are enough shared physicalities in both stride and facial expressions — especially in a couple of scenes where the characters face off — that this double-casting feels like a stunt that doesn't pay off. It's just obvious it's the same guy, but why is less clear.

Perhaps Levinson couldn't decide which role his Wag the Dog collaborator would be best in and so went for both. Maybe he thought this dual-casting would build a message about these mafiosos, something along the lines of how far they grew apart from their common past — sort of a "there but for the grace of God go I" kind of a thing. However, if that were the case, you'd think Levinson would do the same for the flashbacks, casting the same actor to play both Young Frank and Young Vito. Instead, Luke Stanton Eddy and Antonio Cipriano play these roles, respectively, but even calling them roles feels like a stretch considering their screen time. Astonishingly, The Alto Knights engages less with flashbacks than it does with black-and-white staged photographs intercut with archival B-roll and egregious voiceover that barrels over everything.

The Alto Knights feels like a gangster movie with zero patience for its own story. 

It is a truth universally accepted that gangster movies are allowed to be long. Goodfellas is two hours and 26 minutes. Casino is two hours and 58 minutes. The Godfather Part II is three hours and 22 minutes. Sure, some might grouse, but overall it's understood: That time is required not only to properly unravel the secretive lives and complicated criminal conspiracies of its anti-heroes, but also to allow audiences to experience the intoxicating confidence of being a mobster. For instance, the Goodfellas' long take winding through the Copacabana on Henry and Karen's first date allows us to walk in the gait of a gangster, experiencing the access, the power, and the thrill. Filmmakers need pace and time to build the intoxicating atmosphere that makes murder feel like an understandable trade-off.

By sharp contrast, The Alto Knights races through its story with a cluttered and haphazard structure that seems to predict audience restlessness, and instead causes it. For instance, the movie opens in media res, with the 1957 attempted hit on Frank Costello. Then, a voiceover from a calm Frank begins to explain what happened next and why the attempted murder happened at all. While you might be wondering if Frank is telling his story from beyond the grave, Levinson leaps to setting up who Frank and Vito are to each other through boring montages of the aforementioned B-roll and uninspired black-and-white flashbacks. It's a dizzying and dull structure that talks down to the audience instead of welcoming them in.

Voiceover can be compelling in a gangster movie, as Goodfellas proved. But here, it seems De Niro is given a third role — not so much as narrator but as a spackler trying earnestly to patch together the broken bits of this story into something sensible. Levinson's gratuitous use of voiceover papers over decades of important events and grisly homicides with little in the passing visuals to land their gravity.

Worse yet, Levinson — or perhaps Pileggi — becomes fixated on cross-cutting sequences, however unmotivated. Ideally, cutting from one situation to the other and back again would increase tension, showing how one incident will impact the other or paralleling how two characters have a shared point of impending threat. But in The Alto Knights, these crosscuts feel less about their relationships and more like the editor was told to trim 20 minutes from the film, whatever it took. So, gone are breaths, beats, and atmosphere. What's left is a gangster movie that feels forcefully sped up, causing little of its blows to land successfully. Which, considering the failed hit on Frank at the film's start, might be darkly fitting! 

To Pileggi's credit, he crafts monologues that harken back to the greatness of Goodfellas and Casino, elucidating from Frank and Vito's perspectives the self-preservation aspect of the Italian Mafia in America. Surrounded by bigotry and rejection, the Mob was built to protect their own. However, while this argument's weak points has room to be explored in his previous films, The Alto Knights gives little more lip service to these ideas, leaning hard on De Niro's performance as the movie's structure crumbles around him. He is bolstered by a strong supporting cast, including Messing as Frank's shrewd wife, Narducci as Vito's volatile lover, The Sopranos' Matt Servitto as a frustrated Mob lawyer, Death to Smoochy's Michael Rispoli as a fired-up Frank loyalist, and Shōgun's Cosmo Jarvis as an easily flustered minion of Vito's. However, these engaging performances can't save The Alto Knights from sinking under the weight of Levinson's confounding direction. 

In the long run, The Alto Knights will likely be remembered fondly as a bold risk for its central casting gambit. But considering the masterful storytellers involved here and the muddle of a Mafia movie that came from them, it's impossible to imagine The Alto Knights will be known for much more than its big swing and a bigger miss. 

The Alto Knights opens in theaters March 21. 

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