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NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for February 7

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 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.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

  • Yellow: Parts of the big game you might want to watch

  • Green: Ways your 'turn' might end in football

  • Blue: Involves a receiver

  • Purple: What you get when you're the last team standing

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: Parts of a Super Bowl broadcast

  • Green: How football drives end

  • Blue: Types of catches

  • Purple: Rewards for winning a championship

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 #137 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today
  • Parts of a Super Bowl broadcast - COMMERCIALS, HALFTIME SHOW, POSTGAME, PREGAME

  • How football drives end - DOWNS, PUNT, SCORE, TURNOVER

  • Types of catches - CIRCUS, CONTESTED, DIVING, FAIR

  • Rewards for winning a championship - BONUS, PARADE, RING, TROPHY

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 February 7

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 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 February 7 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 7 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: A flair for fashion

These words are used to describe fashions more in-depth.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

Words add flair to clothing to give it a specific, potentially fashionable look.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is ClothingAccents.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for February 7
  • Sequins

  • Tassel

  • Fringe

  • Lace

  • Embroidery

  • ClothingAccents

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.

C. Richard Kramlich, Early Investor in Silicon Valley, Dies at 89

NYT Technology - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 17:00
He was among the first backers of Apple Computer and 3Com, earning windfalls, but it was his humaneness that distinguished him from other venture capitalists.

Amazon Reports 88% Rise in Profits but Says Growth Could Slow

NYT Technology - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 16:55
The company’s cloud computing business showed strong growth, while a forecast for the current quarter disappointed investors.

Launch a coding career with Microsoft Visual Studio and 15 courses for just A$88

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 16:00

TL;DR: This offer includes Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 and a 15-course learn-to-code bundle for just A$88.

Give the gift of code this month! Whether you’re shopping for an experienced developer or an aspiring coder ready to take on the tech world, this deal has it all. For just A$88, unlock Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 plus The 2025 Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle with 15 courses covering Python, JavaScript, C++, OpenAI, and more.

Visual Studio — the Developer’s Ultimate Tool

Visual Studio is a powerhouse IDE that enables developers to craft mobile, desktop, and web apps with efficiency and precision. With IntelliCode for smarter suggestions and CodeLens for better insights, this 64-bit IDE is perfect for tackling big projects while boosting productivity. From cross-platform builds with .NET MAUI to responsive Web UIs with Blazor, Visual Studio can be your partner in innovation.

Comprehensive Courses for Every Skill Level

Want to master Python? Build interactive web projects with JavaScript? Explore OpenAI fundamentals? This bundle has it all. Hands-on projects and real-world applications make these courses practical, whether you’re a total beginner or looking to sharpen your skills.

Python for Beginners helps you get started with one of the most in-demand languages. And the CHATGPT Series: OPENAI Fundamentals 2025 course explores the cutting edge of AI-powered coding.

This bundle doesn’t just save you money—it opens doors to endless possibilities. Whether you’re helping a friend launch their career or you’re diving into coding for the first time, this duo gives you the tools you need to succeed.

Grab the Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 + Learn-to-Code bundle for just A$88 during this sale.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 + The 2025 Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle A$88.00
A$3,177.00 Save A$3,089.00 Get Deal

Amy Schumer and the Kinda Pregnant cast allow a Paper Magic 8 Ball to interview them

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 15:00

Amy Schumer is joined by the Kinda Pregnant cast (Jillian Bell, Brianne Howey, Urzila Carlson, and Lizze Broadway) in playing around with a Paper Magic 8 Ball, which prompts them into talking about their favorite moments from the shooting their new film.

Kinda Pregnant is now streaming on Netflix.

Researchers created an AI reasoning model on par with OpenAIs o1 for less than $50

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 14:21

The floodgates have opened for building AI reasoning models on the cheap.

Researchers at Stanford and the University of Washington have developed a model that performs comparably to OpenAI o1 and DeepSeek R1 models in math and coding — for less than $50 of cloud compute credits.

What's more, the model was trained on only 1,000 questions, and took just 26 minutes and 16 Nvidia H100 GPUs. Stanford researcher Niklas Muennighoff said in a email to Mashable that the cost is an estimate based on the GPU runtime and number of H100 GPUs used.

SEE ALSO: Meet Alibaba's Qwen 2.5, an AI model claiming to beat both DeepSeek and OpenAI's ChatGPT

The AI industry of late is all about how new approaches to the pre and post training process can massively save computing costs, as evidenced by DeepSeek's disruptive impact. On top of that, developers are now able to build on top of existing AI models at little or no cost, through APIs, open-source access, and even closed-source models by distilling their data, bringing the costs down even more.

According to the team's research paper which was published last Friday, s1 was trained on a dataset consisting of "1,000 carefully curated questions paired with reasoning traces and answers distilled from Gemini Thinking Experimental." Google's Gemini Thinking Experimental model is accessible with daily limits through AI Studio. While it's a closed-source model, that clearly hasn't stopped researchers from making use of its responses.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI launches 'deep research' AI agent for ChatGPT

Next, the researchers used an "off the shelf" pretrained model from Alibaba-owned lab, Qwen, and performed supervised fine-tuning of its curated dataset. Then, the team created a token budget to control the amount of compute time for testing the model. If s1 went over budget on thinking tokens, it was cut off and forced to generate whatever answer it came up with. If the researchers wanted the model to spend more "test-time compute" on a problem, they would simply tell the model to "wait," which extended its thinking time and led to more accurate results.

By controlling the amount of time and compute spent on a problem, the researchers were able to show how increased thinking team leads to improved performance.

S1 is one example of open-source reasoning models that have been developed for a fraction of the cost of flagship models from Google and OpenAI. In January, UC Berkeley researchers released an open-source reasoning model called Sky-T1 that cost $450, "demonstrating that it is possible to replicate high-level reasoning capabilities affordably and efficiently," per its blog post. There's also the open-source rStar-Math reasoning model from Microsoft Asia researchers, Tulu 3 from non profit research institute Ai2, and HuggingFace has its own initiative to replicate DeepSeek's R1.

As high-quality models become more accessible and cheaper, we're starting to see a power shift from the few AI heavy hitters, to the many.

Tinder now allows you to search by what youre looking for

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 14:16

Tinder has rolled out relationship goals and relationship types in the last few years, and now — right ahead of Valentine's Day — it's letting users search for matches based on what they're looking for.

SEE ALSO: 10 free dating apps worth trying in 2025

Daters can go to the Explore page on the app, which evokes a more Instagram or TikTok look. Explore already gave users options to search others by shared interests, like whether they're nature lovers or looking for a coffee date.

Now, you can select a tile of what type of relationship you're looking for, and you can see singles in your area who are seeking the same. Here are the tiles you can choose from:

  • Serious Dater

  • Long-Term Partner

  • Short-Term Fun

  • Non-Monogamy

  • New Friends

In order to enter the Serious Dater tile, users must have a bio and at least four photos and set their relationship goals to one of the long-term partner options, Tinder announced in its press release. Tinder predicts this will be a top tile; in a recent survey of active daters, 41 percent were looking for marriage material, 39 percent for the "long game," and 27 percent for an "intentionship." (The survey of 4,000 18-30 year-old active daters in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia was conducted last fall).

In December, Tinder CMO Melissa Hobley said in the app's Year in Swipe announcement, "Singles are embracing intentionality in their dating lives — being upfront about what they want and refusing to settle."

Meanwhile, 14 percent of Tinder users who use relationship types choose options that fall under non-monogamy (like ethical non-monogamy, open relationships, and polyamory), and 22 percent are open to exploring, according to global internal Tinder data from January.

No matter what type of relationship you're into, Tinder is rolling out this feature globally.

Trump wants a TikTok deal, but China still might let it die

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 13:57

President Donald Trump boasted that he would save the popular social media platform TikTok from a ban in the U.S. And that still could happen. However, according to those close to the talks, negotiations between the U.S. and TikTok's parent company, the China-based ByteDance, have stalled.

In a new report from the Washington Post, sources involved in the deal discussions say that it appears the Chinese government may still let it die unless it receives "larger concessions" from the Trump administration on other policies, such as trade. ByteDance requires approval from China's government before signing off on any sale, and Trump's new tariffs certainly haven't done a potential deal any favors.

SEE ALSO: Trump says U.S. government could buy TikTok

During his first term, Trump initiated the push to ban TikTok in the U.S., citing national security concerns. However, Trump left office without taking any action to shut TikTok down in the States. Congress later took up the mantle, passing legislation that then-President Joe Biden later signed into law. This required ByteDance to sell off TikTok in 90 days or face a ban in the U.S., which would mean those in the U.S. wouldn't be able to download or update the app, and it wouldn't appear in U.S. app stores.

That deadline came during Trump's inauguration weekend last month. TikTok temporarily blocked U.S. users from the platform. After discussions with Trump, during which Trump posed the issue of him "saving TikTok," TikTok opened its doors back to U.S. users less than a day later. A pop-up prompt in the app thanked Trump by name when users returned to the platform. TikTok even hosted an inauguration party for Trump, and CEO Shou Chew personally attended Trump's inauguration ceremony.

However, ByteDance is still being required to sell TikTok. Trump has been involved in negotiations with potential U.S. buyers and has even floated the idea of the U.S. government buying a stake in the company.

SEE ALSO: As TikTok faces a ban, creators brace for an uncertain future

While TikTok technically can continue to run in the U.S. right now, app stores like those run by Apple and Google face fines if they list its app. Despite assurances from Trump that ByteDance's deadline to sell TikTok has been extended, TikTok remains MIA on the major mobile app stores in the U.S.

According to one analyst that the Washington Post spoke with, ByteDance is far from desperate to sell as the company makes billions of dollars. For China, the successful homegrown IP and algorithm may be worth more than whatever price ByteDance would get for TikTok. China could also sign off on the sale of TikTok, the app, but not the company's recommendation algorithm that powers the platform.

Will Trump make the necessary concessions to sweeten the deal? Will China even approve of any acquisition? Will TikTok be banned once again? Things can still go either way, but as of now, they're not moving in the direction needed to sell TikTok before the new looming ban deadline.

ICE is gaming Google searches regarding mass deportations, report suggests

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 12:34

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is allegedly altering publication dates on old press releases in order to skew Google results for mass deportations, according to an investigation by the Guardian.

First documented by an immigration lawyer who spoke to the publication under anonymity, first page Google results for state specific deportation searches have been surfacing outdated press releases from the immigration agency, exacerbating an environment of fear as federal officials threaten ICE incursions in spaces like schools and workplaces. Later confirmed by the Guardian, thousands of ICE press releases describing deportation operations across the 50 states have been manipulated with new publication timestamps, with the earliest going as far back as 2008.

While most of them are labeled as "archived content" on the ICE website itself, all of the press releases now bear the date of Jan. 24, 2025, implying, on first glance, a much broader immigration sweep touted by the Trump administration in its first 100 days.

SEE ALSO: Google scraps diverse hiring targets following Trump's crusade against DEI

"When people do these searches on Google, they’ll find a range of sources and information, including recent news articles" a Googles spokesperson told the Guardian when asked about the apparent SEO workaround. The company added that the search engine's results "reflect the last time a page was updated" and that its "systems are not designed to boost a page’s ranking simply because they update their timestamp."

Similar search results also appeared on Bing, according to a tech expert who evaluated the claim. "These are old articles that are now appearing at the top of the Google and Bing search results as recent headlines, where no other government agency is doing this. As someone in tech, I would interpret that as an intentional play to get more clicks, essentially on these misleading headlines," the expert told the Guardian.

President Donald Trump has pledged to crack down on immigration in what he hopes will be the "largest domestic deportation operation in the nation's history," including relocating migrant detainees to controversial military detention camp Guantanamo Bay.

Big Tech, meanwhile, has been bowing to many of Trump's demands, including the removal of content and policies related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Trump's new righthand man and leader of DOGE, Elon Musk, has forcibly taken over several government databases, laid off employees, and shut down entire agencies in the last week.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk killing USAID would hurt America's future. Here's why.

Score Amazon Echo Buds for 61% off and get your groove on

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 12:22

SAVE $85: As of Feb. 6, get the Amazon Echo Buds for $54.99, down from their usual price of $139.99, at Amazon. That's a discount of 61%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Buds $54.99 at Amazon
$139.99 Save $85.00 Get Deal

A good pair of earbuds doesn't have to cost an exorbitant amount of money. In fact, you can get a whole selection of great options for around $50 to $60 these days, and they'll do your ears a wealth of good. Amazon has its own lineup of great earbuds, and you can save big on one of its newest pairs right now.

As of Feb. 6, you can get a pair of Amazon Echo Buds for just $54.99, down from their usual price of $139.99. That's a discount of $85 and 61% off.

SEE ALSO: The best headphones in 2025

These earbuds may be affordable, but that doesn't make them anything less than great at what they do. They come with 12mm drivers for crystal clear sound, crispy treble, and booming bass. They also fit snugly in your ear so you can use them while out and about without having to worry about them falling out.

They also boast Alexa compatibility, so you can use them with your Alexa-enabled devices to stream music, make calls, add items to your shopping list, and more. You can even use them to swap between multiple devices thanks to their multipoint pairing. And with up to 15 hours of battery per charge with their charging case, they're down to play as long as you are.

This is an excellent price for a pair of earbuds that typically go for over $130, so if you're wanting to snag a pair of your own, now's a good time to do it.

The muscle-restoring TheraGun Prime massage gun is $70 off at Amazon and Best Buy

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 12:02

SAVE $70: The TheraGun Prime massage gun is on sale for $229 at Amazon (Black) and Best Buy (Adventure Green), down from the usual price of $299. That's a 23% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: TheraGun TheraGun Prime (Black) $229.00 at Amazon
$299.00 Save $70.00 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: TheraGun TheraGun Prime (Adventure Green) $229.00 at Best Buy
$299.00 Save $70.00 Get Deal

If you made 2025 goals to work out more often, you're probably very familiar with muscle pain that can take days to mend. There's something uniquely humbling about doing 60 squats at the gym and then being unable to walk down stairs the following day. If that sounds like something you deal with, check out this deal on a muscle-soothing massage gun.

As of Feb. 6, the TheraGun Prime massage gun is on sale for $229 Amazon in a Black colorway and Best Buy in Adventure Green, discounted from the standard price of $299, which means both offer a 23% discount.

SEE ALSO: Amazon deal of the day: Save $50 on Fitbit's fanciest smartwatch

The TheraGun Prime utilizes the power of percussive massage to help give muscles the best shot at quick recovery. Through deep-tissue massage, the Prime aims to help soothe tightness and discomfort, helping you get back into working out quicker.

Choose between five speed ranges to select the desired intensity, getting targeted muscle massage. The Prime also comes with several attachment options to help you get the best massage possible depending on the muscle group. The Thumb is said to work best on the lower back and trigger points, while the standard ball is great for all over the body.

If you're new to using a massage gun, you can connect to the TheraGun app, which is packed with guided routines you can follow step-by-step. It even has specific routines for common ailments like plantar fasciitis, arthritis, and sciatica.

The TheraGun Prime also comes with its own travel bag, which makes packing this along on your next trip much easier. That'll come in handy for sore necks after trying to sleep while sitting upright on that trans-Pacific flight.

For anyone who often considers if they should schedule a massage, investing in the TheraGun Prime will pay for itself in pain relief in no time. Take advantage of the $229 sale price at Amazon if you prefer a Black colorway, or go with Best Buy for the Adventure Green option.

Love Hurts review: Proof the Oscar curse is thriving?

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 12:00

Winning an Academy Award may be the peak of an actor's career, not only because they are honored by an iconic gold statue in front of their gussied-up peers and a worldwide TV audience, but because the Oscar curse might come for them soon after. This bit of Hollywood superstition declares that after the heady high of an Oscar win, many an actor will suffer either a personal scandal, a box office bomb, or an inexplicable dry spell in casting. Now, you might well scoff at the idea of an Oscar curse, but Love Hurts, which co-stars recent Oscar winners Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All At Once) and Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) could make you believe.

On its surface, Quan's casting in Love Hurts seems a no-brainer, as it capitalizes on what the child star turned leading man brought to the Best Picture–winning Everything Everywhere All At Once: the superb ability to perform character and comedy through stunt scenes. That DeBose, who dazzled as the passionate Anita in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, was cast as his co-star, should have been gravy. However, this action-comedy set on Valentine's Day is a catastrophic mess of fight scenes, quirky characters, and an aggravating lack of vision from first-time director Jonathan Eusebio. 

Good action isn't enough to make Love Hurts work.  Credit: Universal Pictures

Quan stars as Marvin Gable, a real estate agent with a gleeful determination to find the perfect home for his client. However, before he was regional realtor of the year (a certificated honor of which he is comically proud), Marvin was a hitman for his suave but merciless boba tea-swigging brother Knuckles (American Born Chinese's Daniel Wu). The past he happily left behind comes back to bite him in the foxy form of Rose Carlisle (DeBose), the one that got away. And by that, I mean she is both the love of his life and the hit he faked to save her life. Back with a vengeance, Rose wants Knuckles and his crew to pay for trying to off her, but Marvin just wants to keep his cozy life — and his co-workers and clients — safe from his brother's wrath. Much violence ensues.

To the credit of stunt coordinator turned director Eusebio, Love Hurts' fight scenes are varied and amusing. There's hand-to-hand combat, knife throwing, gunfights, and domestic improvisational weapons like cookie cutters and a set of wall ornaments shaped like a giant fork and spoon. Further whimsy is woven in through motivation. While the assassins sent after Rose and Marvin are out for blood, Marvin just wants to get away — ideally with his crush and his treasured certificate intact. Props to the stunt team led by Can Aydin, the shift between actors and stunt doubles is pretty seamless. The actors' faces embrace the film's wacky tone with big expressions of shock, pain, and excitement as they battle, which is mirrored in the physicality throughout. 

Featured Video For You 'The Fall Guy' stunt team's favorite stunts from the film

The blows hit convincingly, and gruesomely. Coming from Nobody and Violent Night's producer David Leitch, Love Hurts shares those action offerings' thirst for blood. And just as I found the broad comedy and gore jarring in those movies, it hits oddly here. One moment, you've got Sean Astin (in a charming Goonies reunion) delivering a heart-warming speech about the power of second chances, and in the next, Eusebio hits audiences with a grisly murder in close-up, with a visual gag that is gag-worthy. After the spirited dildo fight and overall embrace of weirdness and warmth of Everything Everywhere All At Once, this kind of violence feels a bit like a sucker punch. 

Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose deserve better.  Credit: Universal Pictures

As he did in Everything Everywhere All At Once, Quan is given the chance to play different iterations of Marvin. The foremost is the redeemed realtor, who is full of good advice and love for his fellow man. But in flashbacks, we see a mustachioed Marvin, whose physicality is not loose and light but hard and intimidating. There's a thrill in seeing Quan transform, as he did in the swooning alley-set scene in Everything Everywhere All At Once. But the script by Matthew Murray, Josh Stoddard, and Luke Passmore only offers us a taste of this enticing transformation. So much of Love Hurts feels like a thin variant on the role that won Quan the Oscar. Why watch this when a better version of this movie is already streaming?

As for DeBose, this is the latest in a string of post-Oscar win duds, which includes Disney's cringingly synergizing Wish, the dunderheaded spy comedy Argylle, and Sony's latest Spider-Man spinoff flop Kraven: The Hunter. (No shade to the indie horror thriller House of Spoilsit slaps.) In Love Hurts, as in Kraven and Argylle, she plays a stylish badass, who has incredible skills but remains a sidekick to the hero. To DeBose's credit in Love Hurts, she tries to make the most out of a character who is a clumsy amalgamation of clichés pulled from film noir, blaxploitation flicks, and gangster movies. As Rose, she has a convincing swagger and a mischievous glint in her eye. But neither Quan nor DeBose can elevate a script that feels achingly like an early draft, peppered with too many paper-thin characters, obvious twists, and a final reveal that's so out of nowhere one might assume a whole subplot got sloppily scrapped.

SEE ALSO: Ariana DeBose and the 'House of Spoils' cast on why they call it a "haunted fairytale."

The film moves at a relentless pace, but not in terms of generating tension. Loaded with voiceover — from both Marvin and Rose — there's barely a moment without exposition-dumping, dialogue, or fight sounds. It's as if the filmmakers so fear the audience will lose interest that they can't allow any emotional beats the space to actually land. This undercuts not only the headliners but also a supporting cast that shines with promise. Among them, Lio Tipton thrills as a millennial realtor going through a hilarious existential crisis, while Mustafa Shakir proves swoon-worthy as a poetic hitman called the Raven. Astin brings a reliable warmth and aforementioned speeches as a cowboy-hatted friend of Marvin's. Drew Scott kicks into action as a rival realtor with a hero complex, and Marshawn Lynch brings back that wild card Bottoms energy as another determined hitman. But you can feel the desperation of the filmmakers when he screams out his real life nickname — "Beast Mode" — while barreling into action.

Indeed, the whole third act feels like it was written in post-production. Much of the finale dialogue between the warring brothers happens when the person speaking is not facing the camera, suggesting an aggressive use of ADR (additional dialogue recording). This a big red flag that Love Hurts lost its way in the making, and little wonder that tonally the movie is all over the place, scene to scene, moment to moment. Even at 83 minutes, it's a slog due to the aching lack of cohesion. Still, any good actor can make a bad movie. So why bring the Oscar curse into it? Well, because there's an element of the Oscar curse that's too often overlooked. 

Hollywood still doesn't know what to do with actors of color. 

DeBose, who is Afro-Latina, went from playing arguably the most iconic Latina role in Hollywood cinema (shout out to the first Oscar–winning Anita, Rita Moreno) to playing a string of "strong female" sidekicks. The moxie she showed in West Wide Story, the passion displayed in her Oscar acceptance speech, and the whimsy she delivered in her infamous BAFTA rap, should have opened a floodgate of leading roles for her, as her range was clear. But instead we get Kraven and Love Hurts. 

With his Everything Everywhere All At Once promotional campaign, Quan reclaimed the hearts of movie fans, some of whom saw him first as the dynamic kid sidekick Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. We cheered for his rousing comeback, thrilled when he got cast on Loki. But for his first leading man turn post-Oscar, it's deeply disappointing that this is all he gets. Sure, it could have been capitalizing on what we loved about that role. Here he gets to do comedy, action, and romance. But for all their charms, Quan and DeBose have zero sexual chemistry, so their characters' insistence that they are madly in love always rings hollow.

The whole film works this way, offering spectacle but no depth. So while Love Hurts delivers bursts of thrills and fun, it is overall a mind-numbing miss. 

Love Hurts opens in theaters Feb. 7.

Get an at-home blowout for under $33 with this Revlon One-Step deal

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 11:55

SAVE 53%: Shop the Revlon One-Step hair dryer at Amazon for 53% off. It's down to $32.99, down from $69.99, saving you $37.

Opens in a new window Credit: Revlon Revlon One-Step hair dryer $32.99 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $37.00 Get Deal

Too late to make an appointment at the salon for Valentine's Day? If you want a blowout but don't have the time or energy to learn how to do it like the professionals, there's a one-step styler to help you get the look.

Right now, you can find the Revlon One-Step hair dryer for just $32.99, down from the list price of $69.99. That saves you $37 for 53% off. While this isn't the lowest price the Revlon has ever dipped down to, it's pretty dang close; it's less than $2 away from its all-time low.

SEE ALSO: Amazon deal of the day: Save $50 on Fitbit's fanciest smartwatch

The Revlon One-Step hair dryer is an all-in-one styler that makes at-home blowouts easy. This hot air styler, brushes hair out while adding volume, creating styles that look like you just walked out of the salon. Among all of the hair stylers we've tested, it's our favorite for an at-home blowout.

Compared to the Dyson Airwrap or even the Shark FlexStyle, it's already a budget-friendly styler at $69.99. However, with this deal at Amazon, it's currently over 50% off. Shop the Revlon One-Step at Amazon now.

Google had to change its Super Bowl commercial because AI got something wrong

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 11:55

We're expecting to see multiple AI-related commercials during Super Bowl LIX this weekend, but at least one of them had to be edited before the game because of basic, factual wrongness.

As initially spotted by X user Nate Hake, Google had to edit its Wisconsin cheese-themed Super Bowl ad (in which the Gemini chatbot dispenses "useful" information about cheese) because Gemini got something wrong. In the original version of the ad, Gemini's response claimed gouda constitutes up to 60 percent of global cheese consumption. Despite Google's president of cloud applications Jerry Dischler claiming on X that it wasn't a hallucination, Google quietly altered the ad so that statement no longer appears in it.

SEE ALSO: 6 Super Bowl halftime shows that were better than the big game Tweet may have been deleted

A Cornell professor confirmed to The Verge that gouda is almost certainly not the most widely consumed cheese in the world. In case you're wondering, Gemini appears to have plucked that stat about gouda from a website called Cheese.com, and as The Verge noted, there's literally a decade-old Reddit thread full of people disputing the stat in question.

As Elon Musk Attacks DEI, Tesla Quietly Addresses Racism Complaints

NYT Technology - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 11:52
The company’s board pledged to investors that it would pay closer attention to how the company managed workers.

Amazon deal of the day: Save $50 on Fitbits fanciest smartwatch

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 11:31
Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of Feb. 6: OUR TOP PICK Fitbit Sense 2 $199.95 (save $50) Get Deal BEST TABLET DEAL Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro $139.99 (save $50) Get Deal BEST BEAUTY TECH DEAL Revlon One Step Plus $32.99 (save $37) Get Deal BEST SMART HOME DEAL Amazon Smart Plug $19.99 (save $5) Get Deal BEST HEADPHONES DEAL Beats Flex wireless earbuds $39 (save $30.95) Get Deal

Before you head off into your weekend shenanigans, you might want to check out some of these deals we found at Amazon. From Fitbit to Beats, many of our favorite brands have significant discounts up to 53% off and we've rounded up a few we think are particularly worth grabbing on Feb. 6.

Here are our picks for the best Amazon deals of the day. If these aren't getting the job done, take a look at our picks from Feb. 4 and Feb. 5. Many of those discounts are still live, including $100 off the Sonos Ace headphones and a 13-inch iPad Air at its lowest price ever.

Our top pick: Fitbit Sense 2 Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Sense 2 $199.95 at Amazon
$249.95 Save $50.00 Get Deal

The most advanced smartwatch in the Fitbit lineup, the Sense 2 is a whole lot more than just a step counter. Its design is a bit Apple-esque and packed with features. It can track things like sleep, blood oxygen levels, ECG, altitude changes, skin temperature, and more. Plus, there's over 40 exercise modes built in, so you can keep up with your training whether you're a runner, skier, cyclist, paddle-boarder, or practically anything else. You can also take calls, follow Google Maps directions, tap-to-pay, and more. It's regularly $249.95, but you can snag it on sale for just under $200 as of Feb. 6.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro $139.99 at Amazon
$189.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal

Our favorite tablet for kids, the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro features a 10.1-inch 1080p full HD display, a lighter design, 3GB of RAM, up to 13 hours of battery life, and is 25 percent faster than the previous generation. And of course, its durable case (with a built-in kickstand) can handle all kinds of kid-friendly adventures. It also includes a year of Amazon Kids+, which offers a massive library of books, games, and educational apps for kids. Usually $189.99, you can grab it at Amazon for $139.99 as of Feb. 6. That's 26% in savings. For kids under age 6, the regular Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids is also on sale for the same price.

Revlon One Step Plus Opens in a new window Credit: Revlon Revlon One Step Plus $32.99 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $37.00 Get Deal

We dubbed the Revlon One Step one of the best Dyson Airwrap dupes when we first tested it back in 2022. Since then, we've found a few others that took away its title, but we still have love for the One Step — mostly because of its crazy low price. Typically only $69.99, the One Step Volumizer Plus 2.0 is down to only $32.99 at Amazon as of Feb. 6. That's 53% in savings. The newer Plus 2.0 model features an additional medium heat setting, a detachable head for travel and storage, a 2.4-inch oval head barrel for more volume, and a longer lasting motor.

Beats Flex wireless earbuds Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Flex wireless earbuds $39.00 at Amazon
$69.95 Save $30.95 Get Deal

The Beats Flex are a unique earbud pick in an oversaturated market. The neckband style ensures they won't fall out or go missing while you're wearing them. They're even magnetic, so you can keep them secure around your neck when you're not listening. They'll last 12 hours without needing a power boost and once they do, a 10-minute fast charge will get you another 1.5 hours. While that's not quite as good as over-ear headphones, it's definitely competitive in the earbud realm (for comparison, the AirPods Pro only last for six hours). Our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) gave them 4 out of 5 stars and noted "there's plenty to like for the price." As of Feb. 6, you can grab a pair for only $39. That's 44% in savings.

Amazon smart plug Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon smart plug $19.99 at Amazon
$24.99 Save $5.00 Get Deal

An easy and affordable way to make your home a little smarter, the Amazon Smart Plug seamlessly slips into your existing outlet to add Alexa voice commands to anything you plug in. Use it to schedule the coffee maker, grow lights, or anything else you don't want running 24/7 to turn on and off at specific times. It's usually $24.99, but you can save 20% as of Feb. 6.

None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.

Grab a new Google Pixel 8 for $300 off at Best Buy

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 11:13

SAVE $300: As of Feb. 6, get the Google Pixel 8 for $399 at Best Buy, down from its usual price of $699. That's a discount of 43%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Best Buy Google Pixel 8 $399.00 at Best Buy
$699.00 Save $300.00 Get Deal

If you've been thinking about upgrading your smartphone lately, here's your sign: a sale that knocks some serious cash off of the Google Pixel 8. This flagship phone is one of Google's best and brightest, and you can get it for a great price right now thanks to Amazon.

As of Feb. 6, get the Google Pixel 8 for $399, which is $300 off its normal price of $699 at Amazon. That's 43% off its normal price.

SEE ALSO: Get 20% off your Casetify purchase when you buy two items or more — safeguard your phone, tablet, and more

Mashable's Alex Perry praised the Google Pixel 8 smartphone for its 120Hz display, "great cameras", "good battery life," and array of features. It boasts a 6.2-inch screen with 1400 nits of brightness and a 1080 x 2400 resolution. It's powered by the Google Tensor G3 under the hood, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

As Perry mentioned, it's an incremental upgrade from the Google Pixel 7, but that doesn't mean it's a slouch of any kind. It comes packed with useful AI features and truly shines if you have photo editing needs, and plenty of other smart options that you'll want to use on a regular basis. Most of all, it's a crisp new smartphone that you don't have to spend an entire paycheck on.

If you're ready to go ahead and make the jump, you could absolutely do worse in terms of functionality and pricing, so grab this phone while it's still in stock, as it's already out of stock at Amazon.

The Amazon Echo Glow is on sale for $25 — a great Valentines Day gift idea for kids

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 10:59

SAVE 17%: The Amazon Echo Glow smart lamp is on sale for $24.99 at Amazon, down from the list price of $29.99. That's a $5 discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Glow smart lamp $24.99 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $5.00 Get Deal

Looking for a Valentine's Day gift for small humans that doesn't involve copious amounts of sugar? Giving them something thoughtful they can use every day to build independent routines while also adding a colorful element to their room is a great option. And a gift that fits the bill is currently on sale at Amazon.

As of Feb. 6, the Amazon Echo Glow smart lamp is on sale for $24.99, marked down from the usual price of $29.99. That's a 17% discount that takes $5 off the list price.

SEE ALSO: Lego is giving away a Valentine's Day Heart for free. Here’s how to get yours.

The Amazon Echo family is always expanding with new ways to make your smart home even better. But only a few stand out as great products for kids, and the Amazon Echo Glow is certainly one of them. The multicolored smart lamp is a great addition to a kids' bedroom. Use it as a calming and reassuring nightlight during bedtime, and set it as a wake-up light come morning. Kids can also use the Echo Glow as a timer, setting it to change color after the specified amount of time. Kids (and adults) can ask Alexa to start one of the Echo Glow's dynamic modes like campfire, firetruck, Valentine's Day, or Night Owl lighting modes.

The Echo Glow also works nicely with other Echo devices, like the adorable Echo Dot Kids. And given its small size, it's perfect for placing on a nightstand on a kids' dresser.

If you're looking to minimize sugary treats this Valentine's Day, consider something that'll add fun to any daily routine, like the Amazon Echo Glow. Not only is it a fun way for kids to add color to their bedrooms, it can help kids learn independence when it comes to their schedule.

Score the picturesque Hisense Canvas TV for $300 off at Amazon

Mashable - Thu, 02/06/2025 - 10:52

SAVE $302: As of Feb. 6, get the Hisense Canvas TV at Amazon for $697.99, down from its usual price of $999.99. That's a discount of 30%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon 55-inch Hisense Canvas TV $697.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $302.00 Get Deal

When it comes to TVs that double as art displays, Samsung's Frame TV lineup is one of our favorites. But that doesn't mean you should skip out on its competitors, especially when they do the job so well. And you can get one today for a great price, which means you can upgrade your living room with one of these TVs and give it a much-needed facelift with the option to display some high-class art in your home.

As of Feb. 6, get the 55-inch Hisense Canvas TV for $697.99 at Amazon. That's $302 off its normal price of $999.99 and a 30% discount.

SEE ALSO: Try out YouTube TV for 21 days for the low, low price of free

This 4K OLED TV is capable of delivering some seriously sharp and vivid colors, and it offers a fantastic picture for normal viewing. But where it truly shines is its ability to be used as a digital art gallery of sorts. It can show off a single image or shuffle through a collection of your own curated photos or artwork. Its high-matte display makes it look like a real canvas, as its name implies, so it'll look static, until the photos change.

If you want something a little more affordable that's still multi-use like Samsung's The Frame lineup, Hisense's option is a great pick. Plus, saving this much on this particular model makes it an even more attractive deal. Grab it while it's still live and see how you can upgrade your space with a little high culture in your life.

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