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FREE E-BOOKS: On Jan. 23, hundreds of e-books are completely free on Amazon. Shop these paranormal cozy mystery books for free today.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + 3 Months of Kindle Unlimited $109.99 at AmazonStuff Your Kindle Day is back for its first event this year, and we couldn't be more excited. If this is your first time hearing about it, this is an author-organized event that makes hundreds of e-books free. Yes, you read that right. You can download e-books for absolutely nothing. And once you "purchase" a book, it's yours to keep forever.
Stuff Your Kindle Days cover many genres and subgenres including romance and fantasy, but this latest drop is focused on cozy mystery. Hosted by the Cozy Mystery Book Club, you'll find novels broken down into three subgenres: Contemporary Cozies, Historical Cozies, and Paranormal Cozies.
SEE ALSO: Stock up on hundreds of free mystery e-books on Stuff Your Kindle DayAnd if you love a paranormal cozy mystery novel, there are plenty of books for you to download. Here's a standout selection of just some of the incredible e-books you can download for free.
Best paranormal cozy mystery to shop on Stuff Your Kindle DayLattes and Spirits (Mystic Brews, Book 1) by Alyn Troy — $0 $0.99
Of Mages and Murders (Casino Witch Mysteries, Book 1) by Nikki Haverstock — $0 $3.99
Space Murder (Captain Liz Laika Mysteries, Book 1) by Nikki Haverstock — $0 $4.99
The Guest is a Goner (Sedona Spirit Cozy Mysteries, Book 1) by Carly Winter — $0 $2.99
A Mystical Legacy (The Skye O’Shea Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series) by Rowan Dillon — $0 $0.99
Books & Bribes (A Bookstore Cozy Mystery) by Lucinda Race — $0 $0.99
Falling into Magic (Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic Series, Book 1) by Elizabeth Pantley — $0 $2.99
Bakeries and Buffoonery (Magical Mystery Book Club) by Elizabeth Pantley — $0 $3.99
Murder by Moonlight (Felines of Fairytale Forest, Book 1) by K.L. Montgomery — $0 $2.99
Silver Spells (Midlife Elementals) by Kate Moseman — $0 $4.99
FREE E-BOOKS: On Jan. 23, hundreds of e-books are completely free on Amazon. Shop these historical cozy mystery books for free today.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + 3 Months of Kindle Unlimited $109.99 at AmazonStuff Your Kindle Day is back again, and we couldn't be happier about it. As with previous events, hundreds of e-books are listed at Amazon for free today. Yes, $0. It's an author-organized event that drops the price of hundreds of e-books to nothing. and once you purchase a book, it's yours forever.
Stuff Your Kindle Days cover many genres and subgenres including romance and fantasy, but the latest is focused on cozy mystery. Hosted by the Cozy Mystery Book Club, the hub page lists out exactly what's included, and is broken down into Contemporary Cozies, Historical Cozies, and Paranormal Cozies, so you can find books that are perfect for you.
SEE ALSO: Stuff your Kindle with these free contemporary cozy booksAnd if you are a real fan of historical cozy mystery novels, there are plenty of books for you to download. Here's a pick of just some of the incredible e-books you can download for free.
Best historical cozy mystery to shop on Stuff Your Kindle DayA Death in Devon by Shéa MacLeod — $0 $4.99
Death in Soho (Augusta Peel 1920s Mysteries) by Emily Organ — $0 $2.99
Murder in the Maze (Lottie Sprigg Country House 1920s) by Martha Bond — $0 $4.99
Killing Time in Georgia (The Savannah Time Travel Mysteries) by Susan Kiernan-Lewis — $0 $4.99
Murder By Multiples by Rachel Ford — $0 $4.99
The Case of the Christmas Angel (A Cozy 1930s Jack and Frances Mystery) by Carmen Radtke — $0 $2.99
A Venetian Escapade (The Continental Capers of Melody Chesterton) by Sarah F. Noel — $0 $5.99
Enigma of Lake Falls by Brittany E. Brinegar — $0 $4.99
Paul Madison P.I. by Sharon Michaels — $0 $2.99
The Catalogued Corpse by D.S. Lang — $0 $5.99
FREE E-BOOKS: On Jan. 23, hundreds of e-books are completely free on Amazon. Shop these contemporary cozy mystery books for free today.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + 3 Months of Kindle Unlimited $109.99 at AmazonStuff Your Kindle Day is a book lover's biggest dream. On these days, hundreds of e-books are listed at Amazon for free. Yes, $0.
It's an author-organized event that drops the price of hundreds of e-books to nothing. And better yet, the books you "purchase" during this event are yours to keep forever.
SEE ALSO: Stock up on hundreds of free mystery e-books on Stuff Your Kindle DayStuff Your Kindle Days vary in genre, with recent events covering romance and fantasy, but the latest is focused on cozy mystery. Hosted by the Cozy Mystery Book Club, the hub page lists out exactly what's included, and is broken down into Contemporary Cozies, Historical Cozies, and Paranormal Cozies, so you can find books that are perfect for you.
And if you are a real fan of contemporary cozy mystery novels, there are plenty of books for you to download. Overwhelmed? Here's a pick of some of the best books you can download for free.
Best contemporary cozy mystery to shop on Stuff Your Kindle DayRisky Whiskey (Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries, Book 1) by Lucy Lakestone — $0 $4.99
Just Shoot Me Dead by Anne R. Tan — $0 $4.99
Knifed in Nice (Travel P.I., Book 1) by Zara Keane — $0 $4.99
Dial P For Poison (Movie Club Mysteries, Book 1) by Zara Keane — $0 $4.99
The Corpse in the Cabana by Shéa MacLeod — $0 $4.99
Limoncello Yellow by Traci Andrighetti — $0 $2.99
Bells, Tails & Murder (A Dickens & Christie Mystery) by Kathy Manos Penn — $0 $4.99
The Snowman Killer by Wendy Meadows — $0 $3.99
Fake Death (A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery) by Victoria Tait — $0 $2.99
A Shiver on the River (A Kennedy Reeves Mystery) by MJ Mac — $0 $2.99
The Bride and Doom (A Wedding Crashers Mystery) by Erin Scoggins — $0 $3.99
SAVE $149.99: As of Jan. 23, buy the LG 34-inch UltraWide WQHD HDR curved monitor for $279.99 (normally $349.99) at LG and get a free LG SK1 compact soundbar ($79.99 value) with purchase.
Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 34-inch Ultrawide WQHD HDR Curved Monitor $279.99 at LGLooking to upgrade your home office and home entertainment center? This LG deal might be for you
As of Jan. 23, buy the LG 34-inch UltraWide WQHD HDR curved monitor at LG for $279.99, down from its usual price of $349.99, and get a free LG SK1 Compact Soundbar (a $79.99 value) with your purchase. Simply add both products to your cart and check out, and your discount will automatically be applied. This deal is valid through Feb. 2, so you'll have to act fast if you want to take advantage of it.
This monitor features a massive 34-inch curved screen with a 100Hz refresh rate and HDR10 support. It offers a three-sided, virtually borderless design and a one-click, height and tilt adjustable stand so you can get it exactly where you want it when you're setting it up. It also supports picture by picture and reader mode so you can use it for just about any purpose.
As far as the soundbar goes, it's a compact, small design that supports Bluetooth, so you can place it just about anywhere that makes sense. It offers booming bass and cinematic audio and is compatible with your TV remote control if you decide to use it with your main display. Both options are great additions to your setup, so snag them while you can.
If your Facebook account appears to have automatically followed President Donald Trump this week, you aren't the only one. Even so, Meta claims this isn't as sinister as it appears, and is in fact the result of routine operations.
Facebook and Instagram users have accused Meta of artificially boosting Trump's follower count by forcing people to follow him in the wake of Monday's inauguration. The issue was raised after several people discovered that their accounts were following the president despite them having given no indication that this was something they'd like to do.
As of writing, the POTUS and White House Facebook pages both have 11 million followers each.
SEE ALSO: 8 ways Mark Zuckerberg changed Meta ahead of Trump’s inauguration Tweet may have been deletedWTF. Why is Facebook making me follow Donald Trump on Facebook without my consent?
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It isn't entirely unreasonable for users to be suspicious. Meta has been publicly cosying up to Trump recently, enacting numerous policy changes to better align itself with the new administration's agenda and win the president's favour. Trump has also shown himself to be enamoured with the number of people consuming his social media. The millions of views his TikTok videos have accumulated even seemed to influence his recent delay of the app's U.S. ban.
Further, between Trump's sweeping executive orders and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's policy shifts, it's clear that the typical rules of engagement no longer apply. However, Meta says this isn't what it looks like.
Why is my Facebook account following Trump?Addressing the issue on both Threads and X, Meta communications director Andy Stone stated that the tech giant is not forcing Facebook and Instagram users to automatically follow President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, or First Lady Melania Trump. Rather, the official social media accounts for the White House have simply been transferred to the new administration.
"Those accounts are managed by the White House so with a new administration, the content on those Pages changes," said Stone. "This is the same procedure we followed during the last presidential transition."
As such, anyone who had been following former President Joe Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, or former First Lady Jill Biden would have suddenly found themselves following the Trump administration equivalents in each role.
View on ThreadsNot everyone has been satisfied with Meta's explanation, though. Some claim that they had not been following any political accounts, yet were still drafted by Facebook to follow Trump. Others note that the offending Trump administration accounts had just been created this month. A few have further stated that their follow history indicated they'd just followed Trump this month, rather than been grandfathered in.
Still, Meta public affairs director Nkechi Nneji told CBS News that some of these people may have simply forgotten that they'd followed U.S. government accounts.
"Meta doesn't make anyone follow any account and we never have," said Nneji.
Credit: Screenshot: MashableFormer Facebook public policy director Katie Harbath also weighed in to explain the accounts' suspicious creation dates, as well as the timing on users' follows. It seems that while Meta behaves as though they're simply handing over social media accounts to the next administration, they do technically create entirely new ones. Meta simply gives the new administration's pages the same followers and URL as their predecessor's, so it effectively functions as though it were the same account.
This means that the former administration's accounts can be archived, albeit under a new URL. As such, Biden's presidential Facebook page and his White House's page can both still be viewed as they were up until Trump's inauguration this week.
"[M]y team set up the first ways of having to do this when Trump won in 2016 and we had to transfer the official accounts that President Obama's team created when Facebook pages were first created," Harbath wrote on Threads. "Same was done during the transfer from Trump to Biden. The old ones go to an archived account and the followers remain, but the feed is wiped clean. Most platforms handle it this way."
Unfortunately, clearing your follow list of unwanted intruders isn't as simple as going through and unfollowing any accounts you'd rather not see right now. Some users have expressed frustration after repeatedly attempting to unfollow Trump, only to find themselves involuntarily following him once more.
Stone warns that it may take a little longer than usual to opt out of (or into) Trump's updates "as these accounts change hands." So if you'd rather not see them, you might be happier logging off from Facebook and Instagram for a while.
Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it in the Royal Shakespeare Company's first ever video game.
Announced on Wednesday, the British theatre company has teamed up with New York indie game studio iNK Stories (Revolution: Black Friday) to create Lili, a thriller noir game focused on the damned spot-laden Lady Macbeth.
SEE ALSO: The 10 best video games you may have missed in 2024Set in modern Iran, the interactive story-based game uses cinematic footage with point-and-click functions. Lili stars French-Iranian Holy Spider actor Zar Amir as Lady Macbeth, referred to as "Lili" (Amir's own Alambic Production co-produced the game). Players make decisions for the Scottish play's villainous queen, amid a setting of authoritarian rule and gender oppression in Iran. As for the rest of Macbeth's characters, all we know so far is the all-important witches are realised as hackers.
Lili is currently in development, with a 2025 release date and platforms to be announced.
Zar Amir in "Lili." Credit: Ellie Smith"It pushes the boundaries of storytelling, marking an inflection point in the depth of expression within commercial video games and expanding the creative vision of the RSC into new, interactive territory," Vassiliki Khonsari, co-founder of iNK Stories, said in a statement.
"A video game based on Shakespeare's Macbeth is a thrilling endeavour that transforms one of literature’s darkest and most compelling tales — of gender, ambition, fate, power, and morality into an immersive, interactive experience."
Featured Video For You Grow plants from fantasy games with this IRL initiativeIt's not the first game based on Shakespeare's work but it is the first direct from the Royal Shakespeare Company — an organisation which has staged Macbeth many, many times. To honour Shakespeare's words, iNK Stories worked with leading Oxford Shakespeare academic, RSC board member, and author Emma Smith on the text adaptation.
Long the stuff of narrative legend, Shakespeare's work has most recently found a crossover with cinema and gaming through the lauded Grand Theft Hamlet, a documentary film in which filmmakers Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane, and Mark Oosterveen staged a production of the Shakespearean tragedy within the game Grand Theft Auto Online.
"As a storytelling medium, gaming today is what theatre has always been; a chance to explore worlds, inhabit story, and experience something at once personal and communal," said Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey, RSC co-artistic directors, in a statement. "Centring this tense thriller around Lady Macbeth rather than her husband is radical and transformative. It turns the play’s questions around gender, identity and power inside out."
TL;DR: Get a PDF Expert Premium lifetime subscription for £64.95 (reg. £113.68) and manage your PDFs with seamless editing, organising, and annotation tools.
Opens in a new window Credit: Readdle Limited PDF Expert Premium Plan: Lifetime Subscription (Mac) £64.95 at the Mashable ShopPDFs are great until you need to edit one — then they can feel like an unsolvable puzzle. With PDF Expert Premium, you’ll never have to wrestle with your files again. This powerful £64.95 (reg. £113.68) tool puts you in full control of your PDFs, making edits, annotations, and organisation simple.
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FREE E-BOOKS: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on Jan. 23. Pick up hundreds of mystery e-books for free in the Cozy Mystery eBook Blast.
The wait for the return of Stuff Your Kindle Day has been gruelling. The last event took place on Dec. 27. That's almost a whole month ago. How have we all coped?
Stuff Your Kindle Day provides an awesome opportunity to stock up on hundreds of books for free. We know that it sounds too good to be true, but it's legit. Stuff Your Kindle Day is an author-organized event that drops the price of hundreds of e-books to nothing. And the books that you decide to download are yours to keep, forever.
SEE ALSO: The Kindle Paperwhite made me enjoy reading books againThis latest Stuff Your Kindle Day is focused on cozy mystery e-books. Hosted by the Cozy Mystery Book Club, the hub page lists out exactly what's included, and is broken down into Contemporary Cozies, Historical Cozies, and Paranormal Cozies, so you can find exactly what you're looking for.
Want to make the most of the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day? We've lined up everything you need to know about this popular event.
When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?Bookworms should do everything they can to keep tabs on the Stuff Your Kindle Day calendar. The last couple of events took place in December, with the Indie Author Winter Wonderland Event offering hundreds of indie books for 99 cents or less, followed by the free giveaway from Dark Mode Books.
And now (Jan. 23), the Cozy Mystery Book Club is giving away 170+ free e-book downloads from your preferred retailer.
Who can take part in Stuff Your Kindle Day?Anyone can participate in Stuff Your Kindle Day.
You don't need to own a Kindle to get involved. Kindle, Kobo, and Nook readers can download these free e-books. You can even download these books on your preferred app and read them straight from your phone, as you can also find these free titles on the Google Play and Apple Books apps.
Which e-books are free?Finding all these free cozy mystery e-books is straightforward thanks to the Cozy Mystery Book Club. There's a helpful hub page with Kindle store and other retailer links to Contemporary Cozies, Historical Cozies, and Paranormal Cozies. Following these links, you can see the Amazon links from a bunch of different locations.
Is Stuff Your Kindle Day the same as Amazon Kindle Unlimited?Everything you download on Stuff Your Kindle Day is yours to keep, and there's no limit on the number of books you can download. Stuff Your Kindle Day downloads don't count towards the 20 books per month that Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow, so don't hold back.
Shop Stuff Your Kindle Day deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + 3 Months of Kindle Unlimited $109.99 at AmazonThese portable and lightweight e-readers help you take your entire library on the go. With weeks of battery life and an anti-glare display, you can read anywhere and anytime with the Kindle. They start at $109.99, a great price for those on a budget, but if you want to save even more, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited absolutely free during Stuff Your Kindle Day.
Kindle Unlimited costs $11.99 per month and allows you to borrow up to 20 months per month. For a limited time, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free, saving you $35.97.
Featured Video For You Kindle Paperwhite vs. Kobo Clara Colour: Which one is better?TL;DR: Live stream Keys vs. Swiatek in the 2025 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The big question from the 2025 Australian Open is whether or not anyone can stop Sabalenka? It's not an easy task, but if anyone can do it, it's probably Swiatek. Of course, she hasn't made the final yet. Standing in her way is the impressive Madison Keys.
If you want to watch Keys vs. Swiatek in the 2025 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
How to watch Keys vs. Swiatek for freeThe 2025 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now, including Keys vs. Swiatek.
9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.
Access free live streams of the 2025 Australian Open 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 Australia
Visit 9Now
Watch the 2025 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer incentive deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can live stream Keys vs. Swiatek without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch the Australian Open before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for 9Now?ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Australia
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure
Fast connection speeds
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Keys vs. Swiatek in the 2025 Australian Open for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Sabalenka vs. Badosa in the 2025 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
It is looking like Sabalenka is on her way to winning another Australian Open. We thought Coco Gauff was going to put up a fight, but the American lost to Badosa in the quarter finals. Now the task of defeating the defending champion falls to the Spaniard.
If you want to watch Sabalenka vs. Badosa in the 2025 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
How to watch Sabalenka vs. Badosa for freeThe 2025 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now, including Sabalenka vs. Badosa.
9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.
Access free live streams of the 2025 Australian Open 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 Australia
Visit 9Now
Watch the 2025 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer incentive deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can live stream Sabalenka vs. Badosa without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch the Australian Open before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for 9Now?ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Australia
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure
Fast connection speeds
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Sabalenka vs. Badosa in the 2025 Australian Open for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Hoffenheim vs. Tottenham Hotspur for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Spurs might be struggling in the Premier League, but they've performed pretty well in the Europa League this season. They are firmly in the running to progress to the knockout rounds, but the next game against Hoffenheim will be challenging.
If you want to watch Hoffenheim vs. Tottenham Hotspur for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Hoffenheim vs. Tottenham Hotspur?Hoffenheim vs. Tottenham Hotspur kicks off at 5:45 p.m. GMT on Jan. 23. This fixture takes place at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena.
How to watch Hoffenheim vs. Tottenham Hotspur for freeHoffenheim vs. Tottenham Hotspur is available to live stream for free on ServusTV.
ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access ServusTV from anywhere in the world.
Unblock ServusTV by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Austria
Visit ServusTV
Stream Hoffenheim vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League for free
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to provide free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to ServusTV without committing with your cash. This is not a long-term solution, but it gives you plenty of time to stream Hoffenheim vs. Tottenham Hotspur before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for ServusTV?ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on ServusTV, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Austria
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Stream Hoffenheim vs. Tottenham Hotspur for free with ExpressVPN.
This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.
It's that time of year when we're all looking to get back in shape. And there are two very good reasons to do it via an exercise bike. Exercise bikes provide a great home cardio workout and put much less strain on your joints than running on a treadmill.
If your joints are a concern, or you're just getting started, why not try a recumbent bike? They suit beginners, seniors, or anyone who doesn't want to put much pressure or weight on their knees and hips.
For many of us though, fitness is a whole new world. It's hard to know where to start. Don't worry, we're here to help. Here's all the information you need to ride.
What is a recumbent bike?An upright bike is what you typically think of when you picture a stationary bike. You ride it like a normal bicycle, with your body straight up and down. Think of a Peloton. A recumbent bike is an exercise bike that positions you in a reclined form while pedalling. Think of it sort of like a rowing machine, but your feet pedal instead of your arms pulling back a cord. And unlike a typical stationary bike, the pedals are in front of your body rather than underneath it. Because you are leaning back, a recumbent bike can feel a bit awkward before you master it.
What are the benefits of a recumbent bike?A recumbent bike has a larger seat more like a chair, so you avoid that uncomfortable soreness you'd typically get from a bike seat. The reclined position of the seat is easier on the lower back. Plus, most recumbent bikes have seat backs for more support than you'd find in an upright bike. You won't be hunched over handlebars like you would be on an upright exercise bike.
What features do recumbent bikes have?It really comes down to design and resistance. Look at the design of the bike and think about how it's going to work with your body. If you have a bad back, you'll want a bike with a more supportive seat. While on the topic of seats: Short people, make sure the seat will slide to a position where your feet can reach the pedals comfortably. An exercise bike is worthless if you can't use it properly and safely.
The levels of resistance are also important. They will determine how tough your workout is, using magnetic friction that makes it harder to pedal. If you're new to the world of stationary biking, you can probably stick with lower resistance, but if you're a regular cycler, you're going to want those extra levels of restraint to get the most out of your workout. Other features to know about include preset workout programmes, app and music connectivity, and real-time stats. These features vary model to model.
What is the best recumbent bike?Selecting the right bike for you can be tricky. We've tried to make your life a little easier by lining up a selection of the best models from top brands. There should be something for everyone and every budget in this list.
These are the best recumbent bikes to add to your home gym in 2025.
It's time to get on your bike. Not in the "get out of here" sense, but the "get fit" sense. With the wide range of exercise bikes available right now, there's no need to lug yourself to the gym every single day. You can put in some serious miles from your living room.
And while the humble exercise bike might seem like base level fitness gear — not especially exciting — some brands are racing ahead of the fitness game with advanced, tech-savvy models. Indeed, there's a great range of options for static cyclists.
The question is: Do you know your pedals from your Peloton? Choosing an exercise bike may be easier said than done, but we’ve hit the internet highway and done the research on your behalf. Here’s some information to put you in the right direction.
What are the benefits of using an exercise bike?There are some basic plus points: Firstly, you don't need to risk your life by pedalling away on the roads, thereby avoiding cars, lorries, and potholes. The second is that you can exercise sitting down, which will appeal to anyone who likes to work up a sweat from the comfort of their own home.
There are more specific benefits. An exercise bike is excellent for cardio, which is great for heart health and losing weight. An exercise bike also helps toning, building muscle, and — unlike other cardio, such as running — protects your joints.
What are the most important exercise bike features?This is where it gets tricky, because some bikes are geared for more than just straight pedalling. Bikes may come with a whole range of features or tech-powered add-ons. Here are some worth knowing about:
App Connectivity — Some hi-tech bikes connect with fitness apps, which then provide coaching classes and workouts. Sometimes these classes play out on a screen that’s fixed to the front of the bike.
Pulse Sensors — These are sensors built into the handlebars. They monitor your heart rate as you cycle. Other stats may include speed, distance, calories burned — all displayed in real-time on the bike’s built-in LCD monitor.
Resistance — This means the level of difficulty when doing the work of actual pedalling. Bikes may have multiple levels of resistance, usually controlled by magnets, which make the pedalling increasingly hard.
Keep these features in mind when shopping around for the best exercise bike.
Is Peloton the best exercise bike brand?Peloton is certainly the most fashionable brand. These slick looking bikes have touchscreens that give you streaming access to thousands of live classes, but they’re not the only exercise bike brand in the interactive workout game. NordicTrack offers similar features through the iFit app. The downside is that these types of bikes are generally top-of-the-range and cost a lot of cash. They also involve ongoing subscription costs for access to workouts and online services.
What is the best exercise bike?It’s not really about what's “best”. It’s about what suits you, your lifestyle, and your fitness needs. There are plenty of exercise bikes available for you to consider online, and we can help you find the perfect model for you. We’ve tracked down a selection of exercise bikes that should suit everyone, with models from top fitness brands such as Reebok and Peloton.
These are the best exercise bikes in 2025.
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.
Tweet may have been deletedEach 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.
Tweet may have been deletedPlayers 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 January 23 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: The act of exceeding or surpassing others
Green: Brought for an outdoor meal
Blue: Iconic archaeologist's outfit and gear
Purple: Words that rhyme with former heads of state
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Outdo
Green: Picnic Accessories
Blue: Parts of an Indiana Jones Costume
Purple: Rhymes of U.S. President Names
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 #592 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayOutdo: BETTER, ECLIPSE, SURPASS, TOP
Picnic Accessories: BASKET, BLANKET, COOLER, UTENSILS
Parts of an Indiana Jones Costume: BOMBER, FEDORA, SATCHEL, WHIP
Rhymes of U.S. President Names: PAGAN, SMARTER, VIXEN, WIDEN
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 January 23Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for January 23 Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for January 23, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:Higher or superior.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?The letter P appears twice.
Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter U.
SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
UPPER.
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 23Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.
Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Tweet may have been deletedEach 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.
Tweet may have been deletedPlayers can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Football mascots
Green: How to get in the pool
Blue: Like _______
Purple: Types of races
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: NFL teams in singular form
Green: Diving positions
Blue: Famous Mikes
Purple: ______ race
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 #122 is...
What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition todayNFL teams in singular form - BEAR, BILL, DOPLHIN, PACKER
Diving positions - FREE, PIKE, STRAIGHT, TUCK
Famous Mikes - BOSSY, EVANS, PIAZZA, TROUT
_____ race - HORSE, PENNANT, RELAY, ROAD
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.
Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableBy providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 23 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 23 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Udderly deliciousThese words are not for the lactose-intolerant.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedWords are foods produced by cow by-products.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is DairyProducts.
Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for January 23Milk
Yogurt
Cheese
Butter
Gelato
Custard
DairyProducts
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.
First dates are a near-universally stressful experience, but I can guarantee you've never had as bad of a first date as The White Lotus star Meghann Fahy has in the upcoming horror film Drop.
SEE ALSO: 2025 movie preview: All the films you'll want to know aboutFrom director Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day) and Blumhouse (M3GAN, Five Nights at Freddy's), Drop introduces us to widowed mother Violet (Fahy) as she embarks on her first date in years. Her date in question is Henry (Brandon Sklenar, It Ends With Us), who winds up being lovely and charming. Yet despite Violet's chemistry with him, the date goes south when she begins to receive airdropped memes that threaten the lives of her son (Jacob Robinson) and babysitting sister (Violett Beane). Soon, she learns that a masked intruder is in her house and monitoring the restaurant's security cameras. With the intruder monitoring her every move, the only way Violet can save her family is by killing Henry. Will she go through with the plan? Or is there any way to salvage this date and stop the criminal mastermind engineering everything?
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