Feed aggregator

There is currently no better video game series to be a fan of than Sega’s Like a Dragon, formerly known (and still colloquially known to my friends and I) as Yakuza in the west.

Aside from perhaps train simulators on Steam that release 2,000 expansions per year, you just don’t get more juice from the squeeze with any other series in gaming right now. You never have to wait more than a year or two to play a new one, and developer Ryo Ga Gotoku Studio is constantly experimenting with the formula in fascinating ways. The latest experiment, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, is not only one of the most literally named video games of all time; it’s also a lot of fun.

“Let’s make a pirate game starring the one guy in the series who wears an eyepatch” is such a stupid idea that wouldn’t work in any other context, but for Yakuza, it’s totally cool. Thanks to excellent combat and an even-by-series-standards ridiculous and irreverent tone, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is almost guaranteed to put a smile on your face for the 20 hours or so it takes to finish it.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo Switch 2: Every new feature and game spotted in the announcement This mad dog can swim Handsome fella. Credit: Sega/RGG Studio/Steam

Warning: This section contains minor spoilers for the early parts of the story

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a game about a Japanese Yakuza member who travels to Hawaii and becomes a pirate. The title isn’t some clever metaphor, it’s just what the game is about. The Yakuza in this case is Goro Majima, who I imagine most fans would rank roughly among the top three Yakuza characters, but is rarely actually a playable protagonist outside of 2017’s Yakuza 0.

In the rest of the series, Majima is known as the “Mad Dog of Shimano,” an unpredictable wild card who loves knives and being shirtless. In Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, he awakes on an island near Hawaii with amnesia, befriends a young English-speaking boy named Noah who badly wants to go on nautical adventures, and goes from there. Before long, Majima, Noah, and a ragtag group of lovable, sweaty morons are performing a Disney-style musical number about the joys of adventure on the deck of an old-school, wooden pirate ship. 

SEE ALSO: The best gaming laptops of 2025 no matter your budget

None of that is an exaggeration, and it’s a good example of what makes Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii stand out from the (relatively) self-serious mainline games. There isn’t a great deal of melodrama about real estate disputes or anxiety about the death of organized crime in Japan to be found here. Majima breaks the fourth wall within the first five minutes to tell you not to even worry about the fact that all of these people speak different languages.  For the most part, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a silly game about fighting silly pirates in silly places. 

Madlantis kicks ass. Credit: Sega/RGG Studio/Steam

It can occasionally be a bit much even for a seasoned Yakuza player like myself, but if you just give yourself over to what RGG Studio is cooking, you’ll find a lot to like. I have a real fondness for the notion that this series, which is known for painstakingly realistic depictions of contemporary Japanese neighborhoods, can also accommodate a fictional pirate city called “Madlantis” full of guys who have wooden pirate ships in the year 2024 for some reason. Also, it’s run by All Elite Wrestling’s Samoa Joe, or at least a guy played by Samoa Joe.

Having said that, I do think there’s a bit of a missed opportunity here. As tedious as stories about amnesia can be, they can also act as an easy springboard for a character study as the person in question slowly regains their memories. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii gestures at this at times, but never really commits to it. It’s not until the end of the game that you get any new insight into Majima’s emotional state. That moment did hit me as a fan of the series, but don’t expect the rest of the story to do that.

That’s all to say that even though Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes place after the last mainline game, Infinite Wealth, it is not a sequel to that game in any meaningful sense. It gets by purely on vibes, which is fine by me. It doesn’t hurt that the soundtrack is full of stone-cold heaters everywhere you listen.

Mad Dog and Sea Dog…the duality of man Mad Dog style rocks. Credit: Sega/RGG Studio/Steam

After the first couple of linear and cutscene-heavy hours, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii opens up into a familiar structure for the series. You’ll spend a great deal of time running around a shockingly realistic depiction of Honolulu (the same one from Infinite Wealth), fighting thugs, doing side stories, and recruiting new crew members for your ship, the Goromaru. 

This is no better or worse than it has been in any other Yakuza game, aside from the notable lack of a business mini-game. I guess those are only for the mainline entries. Anyway, the side stories are as charming and funny as ever, all the crew members you can recruit are certified weirdos and freaks, and you can do karaoke. RGG Studio has gotten this part of every game down to a science.

SEE ALSO: Best Windows laptops for 2025: Our top pick lasts longer than the M4 MacBook Pro

Majima’s new on-foot combat mechanics are what make it all work. Just like 2023’s Like a Dragon Gaiden, this is a spin-off game with action combat that should satisfy people who maybe aren’t as into the turn-based fights in the newer mainline entries. Majima has two combat styles you can switch between at any time, Mad Dog and Sea Dog. The former is typical Majima stuff, revolving around punches, kicks, and slashes with his tantō blade. It’s a ton of fun, but is mostly suited for one-on-one battles.

Sea Dog style also rocks. Credit: Sega/RGG Studio/Steam

For big groups of idiots (and you’ll be fighting a lot of idiots bunched together in groups), Mad Dog is the flavor of the week. In this style, Majima dual wields cutlasses while also having access to an old-school pistol and a grappling hook. He can throw his swords like boomerangs, take out as many as five dudes at once with a charged pistol shot, and fly across the arena with his grappling hook.

This is probably the most I’ve ever enjoyed action combat in any Yakuza game. Fluid, stylish animations, punchy feedback, and exciting camera angles on finishing moves make every fight as fun to watch as they are to play. Later in the game, Majma gets access to magical musical instruments, like an electric guitar that summons spectral sharks to gobble up everyone on the battlefield. 

Does any of it make sense within the context of the larger Yakuza series? Hell no. Why are there cursed musical instruments scattered around the Pacific Ocean? More importantly, who cares? There might eventually be a time when RGG Studio jumps the shark, but it skillfully avoided doing so in the game that has literal sharks in it, so I trust that it isn’t coming soon.

Assassin’s Creed with laser cannons The ship combat left a little to be desired for me. Credit: Sega/RGG Studio/Steam

The Goromaru isn’t just a plot device, it’s a fully controllable and customizable pirate ship that you use to navigate the high seas around Hawaii. 

This is, admittedly, the weaker side of Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, but also thankfully the part you have to do the least. Ship combat isn’t bad whatsoever, but after Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag more than a decade ago, nautical pirate combat in games has become a little samey. Fights largely involve getting in position to fire your powerful broadside cannons or ramming at full speed, with not much else in the way of tactics or special weaponry.

Occasionally, your crew members will be incapacitated and you’ll have to relinquish the helm to help them recover, which does add some much-needed tension to sea battles. Still, I never found anything I had to do in either the main story or the secondary pirate sub-story all that difficult. 

I do want to commend RGG Studio for letting me put laser cannons on a wooden pirate ship, though. That’s pretty neat. I just wish this part of the game was a bit deeper or more challenging. Repetitive side missions where you go to generic island stages and beat up a few waves of bad guys in order to find treasure are just about the only other thing to do out in the ocean. It feels just a tiny bit half-baked.

Is Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii worth getting?

Anyone who has any affection whatsoever for Goro Majima doesn’t need me to recommend this game to them. They’ve probably already pre-ordered it. 

Still, I feel the need to reassure you that it’s a fun time on the high seas. I wish there was just a bit more interiority given to Majima as a character, like what RGG Studio has done with longtime series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in recent games, but I’m not going to complain about a pirate action game with multiple extremely sincere musical/dance numbers in it. 

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii launches on Feb. 21 for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series consoles.

Some tech companies are delaying or pulling their listing plans as the Trump administration’s tariff announcements and other changes cause market volatility and uncertainty.

Some tech companies are delaying or pulling their listing plans as the Trump administration’s tariff announcements and other changes cause market volatility and uncertainty.

SAVE $70: As of Feb. 18, the Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm, LTE) is on sale at Best Buy for $379.99. That's 15% off its list price of $449.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Google Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm) $379.99 at Best Buy
$449.99 Save $70.00 Get Deal

The Presidents' Day sale events are starting to slow down, but that doesn't mean there aren't any deals still around to check out. Best Buy has quite a few offers available right now, including some great smartwatch deals. If you've had your eye on the Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm, LTE), you can save $70 on it right now at the retailer.

This has dropped its price from $449.99 to $379.99, which is a very nice discount to take advantage of while it's still live. This deal applies to all of the available colors as well so you can save on the polished silver with a rose quartz active band, matte black with an obsidian active band, polished silver with a hazel active band, and polished silver with a porcelain active band.

SEE ALSO: The best smartwatch for every wrist

This smartwatch boasts a large, bright display and a variety of health and fitness features, including enhanced running features, a Morning Brief, and more. In our hands-on review, Mashable's Kimberly Gedeon highlights the Morning Brief feature, saying "Each morning, Morning Brief delivers a summary based on your health and workout metrics. For example, you'll get a daily digest of how you slept, your readiness score (how prepared your body is for physical exercise), weekly exercise progress, heart-rate variability, breathing rate, and blood-oxygen level."

This deal may not stick around for long past Presidents' Day, so act fast to save on the Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm, LTE) at Best Buy.

There are a few more smartwatch and fitness tracker deals to check out right now as well. Also discounted at Best Buy is the Garmin Lily 2 and the 40mm Samsung Galaxy Watch7, while the Fitbit Charge 6 is still discounted at Amazon.

Elon Musk took time away from infiltrating the White House on Tuesday to launch the latest edition of xAI's artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok 3.

The tech billionaire and "special government employee" unveiled his AI company's latest model during a demo livestreamed on Musk-owned X.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's DOGE.gov website can apparently be edited by anyone

Musk was joined by xAI co-founders Jimmy Ba and Yuhuai "Tony” Wu, and lead engineer Igor Babuschkin, who all went into detail about Grok 3's advanced reasoning, speed, and increased training.

Tweet may have been deleted

“We’re very excited to present Grok 3, which is, we think, an order of magnitude more capable than Grok 2 in a very short period of time," Musk said. "Our team’s been working extremely hard over the last few months to improve Grok as much as we can, so we can give all of you access to it."

The new model, which follows Grok-2, is now available for all paying subscribers with a Premium+ X account.

In the demo, Ba said xAI said Grok 3 had been tested under the codename "chocolate" on the LMSYS leaderboard— a system for testing large language models (LLMs) — and claimed even early versions of Grok 3 were outperforming rivals like Gemini-2 Pro, DeepSeek-V3, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and GPT-4o.

Featured Video For You Using ChatGPT this robot formed a unique sense of self-awareness

The third iteration of Grok comes after the release of a standalone iOS app for the chatbot in January.

Grok launched in December 2023 after Musk launched xAI in July 2023. The AI chatbot hasn't been without controversy, including the generation of fake headlines promoted on X's Explore trending news section.

What Grok 3 can do Credit: Mashable screenshot: xAI

To demonstrate Grok 3's reasoning capabilities in physics, Babuschkin asked the AI chatbot to "generate code for an animated 3d plot of a launch from earth landing on mars and then back to earth at the next launch window." You can watch the "unscripted" result around 30 minutes into the video above.

The team also had Grok 3 write code to fuse Tetris and Bejeweled into a new game that works on its own, which Musk praised as "the beginning of creativity." 

During the demo, Ba also announced that X was adding a new "Deep Search” tool as a "next generation search engine" powered by Grok. The product, he said, is one that "not just helps the engineers and research and scientists to do coding, but actually helps everyone answer questions that you have day to day."

Credit: Mashable screenshot: xAI

Ba searched "when is the next Starship launch?" using Deep Search, to which it generated the answer Feb. 24 — notably, Wikipedia was one of the first sources it used. "It might be sooner," Musk commentated.

SAVE $50: As of Feb. 18, the Garmin Lily 2 smartwatch is on sale for $199.99 at Best Buy. That's 20% off its list price of $249.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Lily 2 $199.99 at Best Buy
$249.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal

Most of the major Presidents' Day deals may be behind us, but there are still some discounts hanging around that are worth taking advantage of while they're still live. If you've had a new smartwatch in mind, Best Buy has a deal right now on the Garmin Lily 2 that's worth jumping on if you're looking for a fashionable tracker to keep up with your day-to-day routine.

The Garmin Lily 2 is currently on sale for $199.99, $50 off its list price of $249.99. There are two color options on sale as well: cream gold with a coconut silicone band and metallic lilac with a lilac silicone band. If this sleek smartwatch has caught your eye, it's worth it to jump on this deal now as it may not stick around much longer past Presidents' Day.

SEE ALSO: The best smartwatch for every wrist

Alongside its stylish design that makes it more of a fashion-forward smartwatch, we found the Garmin Lily 2 to have "great tracking for the casual user" in our review. Writer RJ Andersen says that, "If you’re looking for a small, beautiful watch with some simple everyday health-tracking functionality, the Lily 2 might be the perfect smartwatch for you." With this watch, you can track energy levels throughout the day, get a sleep score, track your steps, and more, making it a great fit for those who just want the basics of a smartwatch.

As mentioned before, this deal may not last for long, so act fast to save on the Garmin Lily 2 at Best Buy.

It's not the only smartwatch and fitness tracker deal available right now, though. You can also still save on the 40mm Samsung Galaxy Watch7 at Best Buy and the Fitbit Charge 6 is still on sale at Amazon.

SAVE $100: As of Feb. 18, the 11-inch iPad Air (M2, WiFi, 128GB) has been discounted to $499 at Best Buy. This is 16% off its list price of $599.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple 11-inch iPad Air $499.00 at Best Buy
$599.00 Save $100.00 Get Deal

The deals from the Presidents' Day sale event are slowly starting to disappear, but a few retailers still have some great discounts available that are worth a look. Best Buy has a few nice deals leftover, including on select Apple products. If you've had your eye on a new iPad, you can still save on the Apple iPad Air there right now.

The 11-inch iPad Air (M2, WiFi, 128GB) is marked down to $499, $100 off its list price of $599. Your purchase also comes with Apple Fitness+ for free for three months, Apple Music for free for up to three months, up to three months free of Apple Arcade, and Apple TV+ for free for two months. This deal may not stick around much longer beyond Presidents' Day, so act fast to pick it up at this price.

SEE ALSO: Every foldable iPhone and iPad rumor we've heard so far

We consider this iPad Air to be the best option for most people in our roundup of the best iPads. This is because it's, "Equipped with the M2 chip, first introduced in the MacBook Air, it delivers the same processing power as a laptop. In our Geekbench 6 tests, it scored on par with the M2 MacBook Air, offering a high-performance experience at a fraction of the cost." Our review also praised its M2 chip, saying it brings "sweet energy efficiency and a performance uptick."

As mentioned earlier, this deal may not last long. Don't miss out on $100 off the 11-inch iPad Air (M2, WiFi, 128GB) at Best Buy.

If you're looking for even more Apple deals right now, you can still save on the AirPods Max headphones at Amazon and the Apple Pencil Pro is discounted there as well.

SAVE $400: As of Feb. 18, the Hisense 75U6N 75-inch Mini-LED 4K Smart TV is on sale for $598 at Amazon. That is $400 off its usual $997.99 price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 75U6N 75-inch Mini-LED 4K Smart TV $598.00 at Amazon
$997.99 Save $399.99 Get Deal

I have tested plenty of budget TVs, but the Hisense U6 Series 75U6N has no business being this cheap. You're getting Mini-LED backlighting, QLED Quantum Dot color, and Dolby Vision HDR, all for under $600. That is ridiculous. Amazon just dropped the price by 40%, making this one of the best big-screen TV deals right now.

At 75 inches, this TV is made for home theaters. Mini-LED tech means better brightness and deeper contrast, while Full Array Local Dimming keeps the picture sharp, even in dark scenes. Hisense cranked the peak brightness up to 600 nits, which is solid for this price range. Combine that with Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and you get an image that looks way more expensive than its sale price tag.

SEE ALSO: I can’t believe this 85-inch Hisense U7 4K TV is $900 off

Game Mode Plus pushes Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) for smoother gameplay. It maxes out at 60Hz, so if you are looking for 144Hz for high-speed gaming, this is not the one. But for console gaming or casual play, Motion Rate 240 keeps things sharp during fast action.

The Hi-View Engine inside this TV does some heavy lifting, using AI processing to enhance details and adjust HDR dynamically. It even has Wi-Fi 6, which means faster, more stable streaming when you are watching Netflix, YouTube, or gaming in the cloud. Google TV is built-in, so you have access to all the major streaming apps without needing a separate device.

At $598 on Amazon, this is a serious bargain for a Mini-LED QLED TV with Dolby Vision. If you have been waiting for a big-screen upgrade, this is one of the best-value 75-inch TVs out there. Deals like this do not last, so if you want it, grab it while the price is this low.

SAVE $550: As of Feb. 18, the Garmin tactix Delta is on sale for $549.99 at Woot. That is $550 off its usual $1,099.99 price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin tactix Delta (Solar Edition) $549.99 at Woot
$1,099.99 Save $550.00 Get Deal

I've tested my fair share of rugged smartwatches, but Garmin tactix Delta takes things to another level. This thing is military-grade tough, built to MIL-STD-810 durability standards, and packed with tactical features like stealth mode, night vision compatibility, and advanced navigation tools. Woot is selling it for $549.99, slashing $550 off the regular price. That is an insane deal for a smartwatch that can handle extreme conditions without breaking a sweat.

One of the biggest selling points is solar charging, which extends battery life well beyond what you would expect from a typical smartwatch. Garmin claims you can get up to 24 days in smartwatch mode, even more if you spend a lot of time outdoors during the day. If you rely on GPS for hiking, training, or fieldwork, this watch has you covered with multi-GNSS support, topographic maps, and even a barometer and three-axis compass for extra accuracy.

SEE ALSO: The best Walmart Presidents' Day deals live now

For fitness and training, the PacePro feature helps keep your pace steady based on elevation changes, and there are advanced performance metrics that let you track your endurance, stamina, and recovery time. Sleep tracking is also built-in, and the watch gives detailed insights into your body’s stress levels, heart rate, and oxygen saturation.

If you want to go full tactical, this watch has a kill switch that wipes all data, a stealth mode that disables GPS tracking, and night vision compatibility, so it works with NVG goggles. It is the kind of tech you would expect to see on special forces ops, not just your average smartwatch.

At $549.99 at Woot, this is a serious bargain. You are getting solar-powered endurance, military-grade toughness, and cutting-edge GPS tracking in one package. Woot deals do not last long, so if you have been eyeing a high-end Garmin for training, outdoor adventures, or tactical use, now is the time to grab one before it is gone.

On Monday's Late Show, host Stephen Colbert said people have referred to him as their "TV Dad." So, with everything going on right now, he called a "Family Meeting" to unpack any stressful feelings you're experiencing. Joining him was guest John Oliver, or rather, "Uncle John from across the pond."

"We know that you've felt overwhelmed and depressed like you're powerless to help all of the chaotic things going on around you," said Oliver, sitting with Colbert on the couch.

"Well, we just want to say: you should," said Colbert.

The pair then pivoted to bullies, speaking about no one in particular...

"Do not under any circumstances bully your classmates," said Oliver.

"That just encourages them to start tech companies," added Colbert.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, February 18, 2025:

AcrossUrban green space

• The answer is Park.

Place to store computer files

• The answer is Drive.

"Inside Out" girl

• The answer is Riley.

The "E" of E.M.T.: Abbr.

• The answer is Emer.

Word that can follow 1- and 5-Across to make locales for cars

• The answer is Way.

Down___ donna

• The answer is Prima.

Alvin of dance

• The answer is Ailey.

One going cross-country in a camper, for short

• The answer is RVer.

Escape room item

• The answer is Key.

Played a round of Pictionary

• The answer is Drew.

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

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.

SAVE $900: As of Feb. 18, the Hisense U7 85-inch 4K TV is on sale for $1,299.99 at Amazon, down from $2,199.99. That’s a $900 discount on one of the best Mini-LED TVs you can get right now.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense U7 85-inch 4K TV $1,299.99 at Amazon
$2,199.99 Save $900.00 Get Deal

I have tested enough 4K TVs to know that not all of them live up to the hype, but the 85-inch Hisense U7 is solid. It's loaded with mini-LED backlighting, full-array local dimming, and Dolby Vision, which means your movies, games, and shows look ridiculously good. Right now, Amazon has it for $1,299.99, knocking $900 off its usual price. That is a steal for a TV that brings premium-level brightness and contrast at this size.

What makes this set stand out is the QLED Quantum Dot technology, which delivers over a billion shades of color. If you have ever seen a Hisense ULED TV in action, you know they punch way above their price range. With 1500 nits of peak brightness, HDR content looks the way it should. Deep blacks, vibrant highlights, and no washed-out mess. It is IMAX Enhanced and comes with Filmmaker Mode, so movies play exactly as intended without weird motion smoothing ruining the experience.

SEE ALSO: The best Walmart Presidents' Day deals live now

Its 144Hz refresh rate with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro is a game-changer for, well, gamers! Motion looks buttery smooth, and input lag is kept to a minimum thanks to the low-latency Game Mode Pro. Hisense even threw in a new Game Bar, so you can tweak your settings from the TV without digging through endless menus. Whether you are on PS5, Xbox Series X, or a high-end gaming PC, this TV is built to keep up.

Sound is another big win here. Unlike most built-in TV speakers that sound like a tin can, the U7 has 2.1-channel audio with Dolby Atmos. There is a built-in subwoofer for actual bass, and the 40W speaker setup is designed to give a more immersive sound experience without needing a soundbar.

If you are after a massive TV that delivers premium performance without a premium price tag, this is the deal to jump on. $1,299.99 for an 85-inch mini-LED QLED TV with 144Hz and Dolby Vision? That is almost criminal. Amazon's discounts do not last forever, so grab this before the price shoots back up.

TL;DR: Live stream Colorado Rapids vs. LAFC in the Concacaf Champions Cup for free on Tubi. Access this free streaming service from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The first round of the Concacaf Champions Cup showcases some really interesting matchups, including Colorado Rapids vs. LAFC. This all-American fixture is difficult to call. Both teams will fancy their chances of progressing, but that's not how knockout football works.

If you want to watch Colorado Rapids vs. LAFC in the Concacaf Champions Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Colorado Rapids vs. LAFC?

Colorado Rapids vs. LAFC in the Concacaf Champions Cup kicks off at 10 p.m. ET on Feb. 18. This fixture takes place at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

How to watch Colorado Rapids vs. LAFC for free

Colorado Rapids vs. LAFC in the Concacaf Champions Cup is available to live stream for free on Tubi.

Tubi is the exclusive home of the Concacaf Champions Cup in Mexico, but anyone can access these free live streams with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Mexico, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Concacaf Champions Cup from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Colorado Rapids vs. LAFC by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Mexico

4. Visit Tubi

5. Live stream Colorado Rapids vs. LAFC for free

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Colorado Rapids vs. LAFC in the Concacaf Champions Cup without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select Concacaf Champions Cup fixtures before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Tubi?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Tubi, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Mexico

• 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.

Live stream Colorado Rapids vs. LAFC in the Concacaf Champions Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

Noise-canceling headphones with a mic to talk to your gaming buddies? Check. A sick gaming joystick with RGB lighting? Check. You might have almost everything you need to start duking it out on Fortnite. But is your gaming monitor taking your weekend (or nightly) gaming sessions up a level?

If not, it may be time to ditch it for this curved monitor. It sounds a little intense, but once you add this 45-inch, ergonomic gaming monitor — which was featured at CES 2025 — to your setup, you may question why you kept your old one around for so long. This one not only has expansive screen real estate, but also 16:9 QHD pixel space, a 165Hz refresh rate, and multiple ports for $999.99 (reg. $1,1999).

Just imagine playing Grand Theft Auto V or Mario Kart with this curved gaming monitor— you might just feel like you're actually zooming through Rainbow Road or committing an exciting bank heist. Characters like Mario and Luigi and gaming scenes like Fortnite's Weeping Woods will look incredibly crisp and vibrant, thanks to this monitor's 100% sRGB and HDR400.

With a 165Hz refresh rate, you can jump away from your enemies, speed away from the scene of a bank heist, or zoom past Bowser without experiencing any pesky blurs or lag. Playing Call of Duty? You won't worry about letting any targets slink away since its FPS mode provides easy target tracking in first-person shooter games.

Check out what else this curved monitor offers to level up your gaming sessions:

• Dual integrated 2.1-channel speakers with 10W bass.

• 90W USB-C reverse charging so you can power your laptop and enjoy speedy data, audio, and video transfer speeds.

• Two HDMI 2.1 ports, DisplayPort 1.4, USB Type-C, 3.5mm Audio out, and RJ45 Ethernet for improved connectivity.

• Simple height, tilt, and swivel adjustment for a more ergonomic viewing position.

Enjoy your most immersive gaming experience yet.

Upgrade your gaming setup with this ergonomic 45-inch curved gaming monitor for $999.99 (reg. $1,199.99) while supplies last. You'll save nearly $200 if you act now.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mobile Pixels 45" Dual QHD HDR 165Hz Ultrawide Curved Gaming Monitor $999.99
$1,199.99 Save $200.00 Get Deal

TL;DR: Get lifetime access to My Notes AI for $39.99 and let AI handle your transcriptions and summaries for effortless note-taking.

Keeping up with meetings, lectures, or brainstorming sessions can feel like a losing battle. My Notes AI makes sure you never miss a detail by automatically transcribing, summarizing, and organizing your notes for you.

For $39.99, you get a lifetime subscription to an AI-powered note-taking tool that works seamlessly across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

With unlimited transcriptions, you can record live audio or upload files and let AI do the rest. Need a quick recap? The built-in summarizer condenses long conversations into clear, actionable insights. If you're using a Mac, you can even record meetings directly from Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams — no extra software or bots required.

Everything stays organized with custom folders, making it easy to find notes by topic, date, or project. When you’re ready to share, simply export your notes in a few taps. Whether you're a student, professional, or someone who just hates typing, My Notes AI saves you time and effort.

Ditch manual note-taking and let AI do the heavy lifting.

Grab a lifetime subscription to this My Notes AI Pro Plan for $39.99 and make every meeting, lecture, or idea count.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: With Bytes My Notes AI Pro Plan: Lifetime Subscription - AI Note Transcriber & Summarizer $39.99
$299.00 Save $259.01 Get Deal

TL;DR: Get a lifetime license to PDF Converter Pro for $23.99 with code TAKE30 through February 23 and alleviate your PDF headaches.

If you’re tired of clunky online converters and endless subscription fees, PDF Converter Pro is your one-stop solution for all things PDF. For just $23.99 with code TAKE30 (until February 23), you’ll get a lifetime license to this powerful desktop software that lets you convert, edit, and protect your PDFs without relying on the internet.

Need to convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or even JPG and PNG images? Easy. Want to create PDFs from other file formats? You can do that, too. Thanks to built-in OCR technology, you can even extract text from scanned PDFs while preserving the original layout and graphics.

PDF Converter Pro doesn’t stop at simple conversions. You can merge multiple PDFs into one document, split files into individual pages, or compress large PDFs to free up space. Need to protect sensitive information? Add password protection with a click — or unlock PDFs just as easily. Plus, you can extract images from any PDF in a single step.

Designed for both Windows and macOS, the software offers batch processing for handling multiple documents at once, and it’s been updated with editing features like annotations, text changes, and image adjustments (editing features available on Windows only).

Stop relying on slow online tools. 

Manage your PDFs with ease with a lifetime license to PDF Converter Pro for just $23.99 with code TAKE30 until February 23 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Acethinker PDF Converter Pro: Lifetime License $29.99
$99.99 Save $70.00 Get Deal

TL;DR: Through February 23, grab a lifetime virtual phone number from Hushed for $19.99 with code SAVE20 — and keep your personal number private for good.

Your personal number doesn’t need to be everyone’s business. Whether you’re juggling side hustles, navigating the dating scene, or selling some old stuff on Craigslist, Hushed gives you a lifetime private number to keep your real one under wraps — all for just $19.99 with code SAVE20 until February 23.

With Hushed, you can call and text from a virtual number without signing up for another pricey phone contract. You even get to choose your area code from hundreds across the US and Canada, so your new number feels like home (or not — we won’t judge). Use Wi-Fi or data to avoid service charges, and when people call back, they’ll hit your custom voicemail instead of your personal inbox.

Perfect for entrepreneurs, freelancers, or anyone who likes to keep things compartmentalized, Hushed lets you send up to 6,000 texts or make 1,000 minutes of calls per year — without any monthly fees. Plus, you can forward calls, manage everything from one app, and add more credits whenever you need.

Whether you’re making deals, planning dates, or just don’t feel like giving out your real digits, Hushed has your back.

Get lifetime access to your own private number with a lifetime subscription to Hushed Private Phone Line for $19.99 with promo code SAVE20 before February 23.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Affinity Click Hushed Private Phone Line: Lifetime Virtual Number Subscription $24.99
$150.00 Save $125.01 Get Deal

SAVE $100: As of Feb. 18, the Sonos Ace headphones are on sale for $349 at Amazon. That's 22% off their list price of $449.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Ace Headphones $349.00 at Amazon
$449.00 Save $100.00 Get Deal

Even though a lot of Presidents' Day deals are winding down, there are still some nice discounts floating around at various retailers. If you've been hoping to get new headphones, Amazon's offering a great deal on the Sonos Ace right now that's worth a look. For a limited time, you can score them at their lowest price yet.

The Sonos Ace headphones are currently down to $349, 22% off their list price of $449. This also marks a return to their lowest-ever price, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel. Amazon has them listed as a limited-time deal, so you'll want to act fast to get them at this price.

SEE ALSO: For gym rats and picky audiophiles alike, these are the 7 best headphones of 2025

Alongside a sleek design, these headphones boast excellent sound quality and noise-canceling features that allow you to feel fully immersed in what you're listening to. We had high praise for them in our review, with Mashable's Miller Kern saying "Audio quality is Sonos’s wheelhouse and where the Ace headphones rise above competitors." And when it comes to noise-cancelation, she says that "The Sonos Ace’s aware mode is probably the best transparency mode I’ve experienced on a pair of headphones. It let me hear what was going on around me without making that all I could hear."

Another bonus to the Sonos Ace headphones is that they can be paired with Sonos soundbars to create an individual home theater experience. In regard to this function, our review says that, "This means you get Dolby Atmos spatial audio and head tracking, which create a surround sound-like experience in the headphones."

This limited-time deal won't last for long, so don't miss out on $100 off the Sonos Ace headphones at Amazon.

If you're looking for even more headphone and earbud deals, you can also save on the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones at Amazon and the AirPods Max are still on sale there, too.

SAVE $30: As of Feb. 18, the Apple AirTag four-pack bundle is on sale for $69.99 at Amazon. This deal saves you 29% on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirTag (4-Pack) $69.99 at Amazon
$99.00 Save $29.01 Get Deal

The Apple AirTag is back on sale at Amazon, and we can't skip an opportunity to stock up. These little tracking devices can be attached to almost anything: keys, luggage, passports. Basically, anything you find yourself frequently losing. And as of Feb. 18, this Apple AirTag four-pack is reduced to just $69.99, saving you $30 on list price.

And the setup for these couldn't be easier. Just attach it to your item of choice and track it in the Find My app. It even has a small built-in speaker, so you can trigger a sound from the Find My app on your Apple device, making it easier to find the AirTag if it's nearby but out of sight.

SEE ALSO: Upgrade to the Apple Pencil Pro for less at Amazon

And don't worry about it running out of battery. According to Apple, all AirTags are designed to have a one-year battery life, if used regularly. They use a standard CR2032 coin cell battery, which is user-replaceable. When the battery is running low, you’ll receive a notification on your iPhone, giving you plenty of time to replace it. So with this four-back bundle, you'll always have active tracking.

It also has an IP67 water resistance rating, meaning it can cope with a maximum depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes.

Head over to Amazon to grab this great deal.

SAVE $30: As of Feb. 18, the Apple Pencil Pro is on sale for $99 at Amazon. That's a saving of 23% on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Pencil Pro $99.00 at Amazon
$129.00 Save $30.00 Get Deal

The Apple Pencil Pro is the latest in Apple's lineup of stylus pens. Released in 2024, the new and improved pencil features a whole host of impressive upgrades and new features to shout about. And as of Feb. 18, you can get it for $30 cheaper at Amazon, now just $99.

But why upgrade to this new model? Well, this model has much more advanced control than previous Apple Pencils. By just rotating the pencil you can change the brush or pen tool settings mid-drawing. The squeeze interaction is also new and allows users to change modes or activate tools simply by squeezing the pencil.

SEE ALSO: Save $50 on Beats Studio Buds at Amazon

The Pencil Pro also includes haptic feedback. This clever feature essentially mimics the feeling of writing or drawing on real paper, delivering subtle vibrations to match the activity being performed on the iPad.

Similar to the Apple Pencil 2, the Pro can be charged wirelessly by magnetically attaching to the side of compatible iPads. According to Apple, the Apple Pencil Pro is compatible with the iPad Pro 13-inch (M4), iPad Pro 11-inch (M4), iPad Air 13-inch (M2), and iPad Air 11-inch (M2).

Head to Amazon to snag this great deal.