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We have a president who calls himself a king, TikTok fashion creators are teaching their followers how to DIY chainmail bonnets, actors are stepping onto red carpets adorned in silver motifs reminiscent of medieval armor, and Pinterest has predicted a new trend for 2025: "castlecore."

Good enough: Welcome back, the Middle Ages.

The rise of castlecore

It's clear to anyone paying attention that one of the dominant aesthetics of early 2025 is "castlecore." Castlecore, also called medieval modern or future medieval, is a design trend — influencing typography, fashion, home design, and more — that combines medieval aesthetics like chainmail and stone architecture with modern comforts like air conditioning and vaccines.

We saw hints of this trend in 2018 when Zendaya wore a Joan of Arc-inspired armor look at the Met Gala. But now, castlecore is everywhere. A notable example of its resurgence is Chappell Roan’s "Roan of Arc" performance at the MTV VMAs, which brought medieval-inspired visuals back into the spotlight. 

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If you search for “chainmail” on TikTok or Instagram, you'll find thousands of DIY tutorials where users are showing how to create their own wearable chainmail — from tops and bonnets to accessories. According to Pinterest, "medieval" is having a "major moment" this year — searches for "Antique ruby ring" increased by 50 percent, for "castle house plans" by 45 percent, for "chainmail necklaces" by 45 percent, and, most telling, for "medieval core" by 110 percent. In its annual trends report, the platform noted, "In 2025, Gen Z and Millennials will take home decor inspiration from ancient castles, while fashion and accessories will be gothic-inspired. It’s a comeback of the highest order."

"My favorite part about this trend is that it spans across categories, so we’re going to see it primarily show up in home and fashion," Sydney Stanback, the global trends and insights lead at Pinterest, told Mashable. "We’re seeing things like vintage tapestries, rich dark tones, and natural materials in homes, while medieval silhouettes, chainmail, and antique jewelry are taking over in fashion."

This resurgence isn’t surprising, as fashion has long drawn inspiration from different historical periods. “But this aesthetic taps into the medieval period with its dark, gothic, and brooding visual language," Mia Jacobs, a youth fashion strategist at WGSN, a consumer trend forecasting company, told Mashable. "However, this resurgence isn’t bound by historical accuracy; instead, we’re seeing a convergence of references from multiple time periods reinterpreted through a contemporary lens."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Technofeudalism, neo-medievalism, and our harsh political reality

At first glance, this trend may seem like another sign of humanity’s crow-like fascination with shiny silver objects. But its rise comes at a unique time politically. As castlecore's popularity grows, so does the idea that we may be living in the age of technofeudalism and neo-medievalism. Technofeudalism is the idea that the lords and kings aren't politicians or members of a monarchy but are, instead, tech companies — and neo-medievalism describes a time in which societies are fragmenting, economies are unbalanced, and threats seem always present. Seem familiar?

Kathy Pham, a creator who made a video detailing the connections between neo-medievalism and castlecore, told Mashable that "it's interesting to see this version of medieval revival happening simultaneously with the decentralization of nations and states," Pham said, referring to Great Britain leaving the EU in 2020 and President Donald Trump's isolationist policies.

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In his book Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis argues that we are actually already living in a technofeudal state — and capitalism is a thing of the past. He says tech companies like Apple, Meta, and Amazon have changed the economy so much that we no longer exist in a capitalist society but have already begun transitioning into one that looks more like Europe’s medieval feudal system. If we combine his line of thinking with the rise of castlecore aesthetics, we aren't using medieval aesthetics to escape a capitalistic society; we're using it to escape a technofeudal one.

In an interview with Wired, Varoufakis argued that profit drives capitalism while rent drives feudalism — and we've moved from the former to the latter.

"My argument is that we have progressed forward to a new system, which has many of the characteristics of feudalism, but it is one step ahead of capitalism. To signal that, I added the word techno," he told the news outlet.

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While castlecore might seem like a fashion or pop culture trend, its timing is hard to ignore. Of course, we've seen medieval revivals in the 1970s and 1990s, but with the rise of social media as a tool for fashion and politics, it's much less colorful and, frankly, much more metal. And, as Pham recognizes, we're just "seeing a lot more chainmail, silver, armored accessories," at fashion shows, on red carpets, and online than previous revivals. We tend to romanticize the past when we crave escapism, but it also reflects our broader political and cultural climate.

Living in a neo-medieval world

In a video posted to Instagram Reels that’s garnered more than 50,000 likes, Pham points to a 2023 paper published by the RAND Corporation titled “U.S.-China Rivalry in a Neomedieval World,” which defines the neo-medieval era as "a historical period beginning around 2000 characterized by weakening states, fragmenting societies, unbalanced economies, pervasive threats, and the informalization of warfare."

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Timothy Heath, a co-author of the paper, told Vox, "The last 200 years in many ways stand out as an incredible anomaly in human history, and that the situation we’re in now actually has a lot more features in common with the pre-1800 world than the recent past.”

The wealth gap continues to widen, the racial wealth divide remains strong, the cost of living surges, wages stagnate, and American politics grow increasingly polarized, with little room for cooperation. Research from the Carnegie Endowment underscores that Americans are emotionally divided, not just ideologically. The rise of this romanticized medieval aesthetic could be our collective attempt to escape this reality. 

"For Gen Z, this aesthetic offers a sense of escapism from the ongoing polycrisis and the anxieties of the modern world as they find solace in historical fantasies," Jacobs said. Stanback also says the trend hinges on the younger generation, saying they've driven trend which "speaks to its online staying power."

Escapism, fantasy, and feudalism in pop culture

We see this with the historic rise of the romantasy genre, too. According to The Guardian, sales of science fiction and fantasy books increased by 41.3 percent between 2023 and 2024. These books are typically set in mystical times that resemble the medieval era. We're talking castles, armor, and kings and queens. (Of course, we are also talking dragons and fantasy). 

It's not just fantasy books. The enduring success of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon "continues to embed these aesthetics into mainstream culture," Jacobs said. “At a time when AI and hyper-futuristic aesthetics are accelerating at pace, there’s also a growing counter-movement where individuals are seeking out what’s real."

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Yet it coincides with another paradox: we are living under the thumb of royalty, be it President Donald Trump’s self-declared kingship on Truth Social or Jeff Bezos’s management of Amazon, which bears more resemblance to technofeudalism than capitalism, and his attempts to dismantle the efforts of the free press.

Neo-medievalism and technofeudalism don't exist in a vacuum, and soon after these economic and political systems re-entered our cultural consciousness, so did armored rings and chainmail bonnets.

"There's that quote that history doesn't repeat, but it rhymes," Pham said. "So there is this sense of rhythm and pattern recognition that I'm seeing across pop culture, but also within our social-political climate. I'm not confident in saying that they're directly connected, but it's interesting to see those two parallels."

We likely won't be building stone castles any time soon, but it seems we are recognizing that our world is becoming more unpredictable and unstable—and our attachments to this aesthetic suggest a longing for permanence.

Politics and aesthetics have long been inseparable. While Chappell Roan may not have worn her iconic chainmail look as a direct response to technofeudalism or neo-medievalism, can we really say that one exists without the other? Is the rise of medieval aesthetics simply escapism, or is it a product of our current political moment?

Castlecore may just be another fleeting trend, something to match our escapist fantasies. But whether we’re donning chainmail accessories or escaping into romantasy novels, aesthetics are never separate from politics. And in a world that increasingly resembles the Middle Ages, perhaps it’s no surprise that we’re dressing for the occasion.

The lunar eclipse is coming, and it's going to be a big one. The so-called blood moon on Thursday evening or Friday morning (depending on your time zone) will see the moon illuminated in a dusty red hue during a total lunar eclipse. While it'll be a sight to behold, it'll also be a sight to capture in photos. Thankfully, phone cameras have gotten really good over the years – and there's no reason you can't capture a solid photo with a decently modern phone.

But capturing something like a lunar eclipse involves a little more than just opening the camera app and hitting the capture button – at least if you want reasonably high-quality pictures. Here are some tips and tricks to help you take the best lunar eclipse photos you can, both in general, and with your specific phone.

General advice for taking lunar eclipse photos with your phone

There are a few things you can do to ensure that you capture great lunar eclipse photos with your phone no matter which model you have. Some things are very simple – clean your camera lens, and if your phone has one, shoot in RAW mode. This allows the device to capture more data than typical shooting modes. That means you can edit the photos more easily down the line without losing any image quality. If you're comfortable with camera settings and post-processing, it's worth leveraging the RAW mode. 

SEE ALSO: The good and bad news about total lunar eclipse viewing in the U.S.

Some things are slightly less simple but still worth doing to get the best shot. Perhaps the most important thing to do when capturing a lunar eclipse photo is to use a tripod, or at the very least, place your phone on a stable surface of some kind. Even minor movements and shakes will disrupt the photo, making it blurry, especially in the low-light conditions in which you'll be shooting. Movement and shaking are so disruptive that it's even worth placing your phone on a timed capture mode that can allow you to take your hands off the device, and for it to stop shaking, before the photo is captured.

Other things you can do might depend on your phone model a little. For example, it's worth using a telephoto lens if your phone has one built in, but don't use digital zoom as it will degrade the photo. Instead, consider using a telephoto lens attachment for your phone, which will allow you to zoom further in optically, ensuring that you get the best quality photo without losing any detail. Additionally, make sure that when you take the photo, you focus on the moon itself. On most phones, you'll be able to do this by simple tapping on the screen. You'll want to focus on the edge of the moon, which will direct the camera towards a crisp line that it can focus on.

SEE ALSO: An astronomer gave us tips for watching the imminent total lunar eclipse

Last but not least, you'll want to experiment with exposure settings, ensuring that the image isn't too dark and that the moon isn't so bright as to remove any color.

Some of these tricks will vary a little depending on your phone model – so here are some more specific tips for taking the best lunar eclipse photos with your phone. 

Taking lunar eclipse photos with an iPhone

If you have an iPhone, you have a series of great tools available to you for capturing awesome photos. That's especially true if you have a "Pro" phone, which has a telephoto camera that you can and should use to take photos of the lunar eclipse.

On an iPhone, it's very easy to take photos of the lunar eclipse. If you have an iPhone 12 Pro or a later Pro model, you can switch to capturing in Apple's ProRAW format by heading to Settings > Camera > Formats. Make sure ProRAW is toggled on. Depending on your iPhone model, you'll then be able to select the resolution. Then, when you're in the camera app, simply hit the "RAW," "ProRAW" or "ProRAW Max" button on the top right-hand corner.

Other settings are slightly easier to use. On an iPhone, simply tap on the area you want to focus on, and to adjust exposure, tap on that area then slide the little sun icon up or down. It's worth experimenting a little to get the right settings and the perfect photo. 

Taking lunar eclipse photos with a Samsung phone

Samsung phones, especially flagship models like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, come with powerful camera features that can help you get a great shot of the lunar eclipse. If your Samsung phone has a telephoto lens, make sure to use it rather than relying on digital zoom, which can reduce image quality. The highest-end Samsung phones these days have two telephoto cameras. Use the one with the furthest zoom when capturing the lunar eclipse. On the S25 Ultra, this is the 5x zoom telephoto camera.

If you want to keep things simple, open the Samsung camera app, hit the "5x" button to switch to the telephoto camera, and make sure the moon is in focus – then take the photo.

If you want a little more control, however, it might be worth using Samsung Expert RAW. To enable it, open the Camera app, tap “More,” then select “Expert RAW.” The first time you do this, the device will install the Expert Raw app, and it will appear as a separate app on your phone, but you'll still be able to open that app from the main camera app. In Expert RAW, you can experiment with slower shutter speeds and lower ISO, which might make for brighter and more detailed shots without overexposing. 

Taking total lunar eclipse photos with a Google Pixel

Google Pixel phones are known for their excellent computational photography, and they can handle lunar eclipse shots well with the right settings. If you have a recent Pixel model, Night Sight mode will be your best friend. Open the Camera app, swipe to Night Sight, and frame your shot.

Pixel phones actually go further than basic Night Sight, with Astrophotography mode – which should activate automatically when the phone is steady on a tripod, and Night Sight is on. You can also manually enable it if it doesn't seem to be working by heading to Night Sight mode (one of the main camera modes), and tapping on the little moon icon on the bottom right. This mode will capture a long exposure image with more detail and color. Just make sure to keep your phone completely still while the photo is being taken, as even small movements can cause blur.

To fine-tune the shot, tap on the moon to lock focus and adjust the exposure slider to avoid over-brightening. And you can enable RAW capture by hitting the camera settings button on the bottom left of the screen, tapping on the Pro tab, and toggling on RAW. Enabling it will allow for better post-processing down the line. 

Other phones

Many other Android phones also offer excellent tools for capturing a lunar eclipse. Most modern Android devices come with a dedicated Night Mode, which you can typically access by swiping through the camera modes or selecting it from a menu. Night Mode helps enhance low-light shots by increasing exposure time and reducing noise. Thankfully, on many phones, any built-in Night Mode will activate automatically when low lighting is detected. 

Many Android phones also feature a RAW shooting mode, allowing you to capture more image data and edit your photos without sacrificing quality. You can usually enable RAW mode in the camera settings under an 'Advanced' or 'Pro' section. If your phone includes a Pro Mode, it’s worth experimenting with manual settings like ISO and shutter speed to fine-tune your eclipse photos for the best possible results.

Even without RAW modes, however, the simple rules apply – use a tripod, make sure the phone has focused properly on the moon, and set the right exposure.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed but don’t quite have the willpower to curb your online habit, your phone can help you manage your time online.

In the world of Severance — whether it's stories about Dieter Eagan or objects in the childhood home of Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) — nothing is accidental.

The same can likely be said for Apple TV+'s short teaser for Season 2, episode 9, which shows a person cutting a boiled egg on a plate.

SEE ALSO: What is Cold Harbor? Everything we know about 'Severance's biggest mystery.

Here's a reminder of the clip:

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Seems fairly innocuous, right? Maybe some parallels between the egg cutting and Lumon's severance procedure?

Well, as @zoeonfilm pointed out on X, the clue may actually lie in the plate the egg is being placed on.

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"two women, in red and blue, grabbing the same man," they wrote. "two versions of the same person going after one man. i wonder where i’ve seen this before…"

Once you've seen it, it's difficult to unsee it. The design on the plate appears to show two identical women grabbing the same man. A reference to Mark S (Adam Scott) and his complicated relationship with Helly (Britt Lower)? It seems likely.

Is this just a throwaway Easter egg, though, or foreshadowing? Helena Eagan, Helly's Outie, already tricked Mark into having sex with her in episode 4, before "bumping into" his Outie at a restaurant in episode 6. What was her motivation for doing that? And what else might she have in store?

Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.

With Tesla stocks plunging, owners rushing to sell their vehicles, and protests against Elon Musk's car company growing, it's been a bad time for Tesla and its Trump-supporting CEO. And on Tuesday, The Late Show host Stephen Colbert used his monologue to break it all down.

"Here's the thing. This downturn didn't just start yesterday, because Tesla stock has plummeted 50 percent since December," said Colbert. "And there's a good reason for that. It's a phenomenon economists call 'Everyone Fucking Hates This Guy.'"

On Monday, Trump hit his own social media platform Truth Social to defend "Elon's 'baby'" and claim that people were trying to "illegally and collusively boycott Tesla."

"How do you illegally boycott something?" said Colbert on The Late Show. "Buying things is optional. That's why when you walk into a West Elm they don't lock the door and say, 'You want out? Then buy a fat candle with three wicks in it.'"

But the latest publicity stunt on Tuesday saw the U.S. president and Musk running a Tesla ad at the White House at which the president bought a $90,000 Tesla Model S Plaid — a model Trump marvelled over because "everything is computer."

"Of course all of this was to shore up Elon's fading brand and Trump almost got the name right," said Colbert, before showing a clip of the president declaring, "I love Teslerr."

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 Wednesday, March 12, 2025:

AcrossDrops on a putting green, say

• The answer is Dew.

Change that a Spaniard or German might request?

• The answer is Euros.

Beat handily, in slang

• The answer is Spank.

Annoying, as a younger sibling

• The answer is Pesky.

Blue expanse

• The answer is Sea.

DownPulls a fast one on

• The answer is Dupes.

Clear, as a blackboard

• The answer is Erase.

Speaker of the line "You know, no other factory in the world mixes its chocolate by waterfall"

• The answer is Wonka.

Paranormal gift, for short

• The answer is ESP.

Blue expanse

• The answer is Sky.

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.

Millie Bobby Brown's appearances on The Tonight Show often have a musical edge, and Tuesday's was no exception.

In the clip above The Electric State star and Jimmy Fallon play a karaoke game where they take turns singing '90s songs, finishing a famous lyric without seeing it on the screen. If they get it right, their opponent gets blasted with water. If they get it wrong, they do.

Both put in a valiant effort, but nobody escapes the spray by the end.

Barnard's Star, just some 6 light-years away, has intrigued astronomers for over a century.

Does the second-closest stellar system to us host any planets?

Though this system has hoodwinked astronomers with planetary signals before, researchers say they're confident they have detected three new planets and confirmed another. After peering at Barnard's Star over 112 nights, scientists using a powerful telescope in Chile found compelling evidence of four particularly small exoplanets, each just some 20 to 30 percent the size of Earth. That makes them considerably smaller than Mars, which is about half Earth's size.

"It’s a really exciting find — Barnard’s Star is our cosmic neighbor, and yet we know so little about it," Ritvik Basant, an exoplanet researcher at the University of Chicago who led the research, said in a statement. "It’s signaling a breakthrough with the precision of these new instruments from previous generations."

SEE ALSO: A dramatic total lunar eclipse is coming. You don't want to miss it.

The new research has been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Each of these worlds is probably rocky, as opposed to a gas giant planet like Jupiter, but they almost certainly aren't habitable. That's because they're searing hot, as they zip closely around Barnard's Star in just a matter of days. Even so, their discovery shows new ways that astronomers can find such small, nearly imperceptible worlds, known as "sub-Earths."

It was tremendously challenging to detect these planets. For one, they're located right next to their luminous star, making them daunting to see. And from our perch on Earth, we don't see these worlds transiting in front of their star, which is a common way planets beyond our solar system, or exoplanets, are found.

A conception of the surface of a hot world orbiting Barnard's Star. Credit: ESO / M. Kornmesser

To find these worlds, the astronomers used something called the radial velocity technique, wherein a specialized instrument on a telescope looks for a star exhibiting extremely slight wobbles. These wobbles are caused by the gravitational influence, however small, orbiting planets have on their star, which subtly alters the star's emitted light. (In this case, a high resolution instrument called MAROON-X was mounted on the over 26-foot-wide Gemini North telescope, located at 8,930 feet in the profoundly dark Chilean desert.)

"The powerful instrument measures these small shifts in light so precisely that it can even tease apart the number and masses of the planets that must be circling the star to have the observed effect," the National Science Foundation's NOIRLab — which runs big telescopes across the U.S. and globally — said in a statement.

Astronomers are keenly interested in understanding planets around stars like Barnard's, which is a red dwarf. These are small stars, but the most common in the universe. Importantly, red dwarfs are cooler than more massive stars, meaning they can host habitable zones (regions of a solar system that are temperate enough for worlds to harbor liquid water) close to themselves, where planets often form. Scientists are also using the James Webb Space Telescope to discern if such rocky worlds around red dwarfs could host atmospheres, like Venus or Earth.

If Barnard's Star was hiding four rocky sub-Earths, what else is hiding out there in the cosmos?

The last time NASA collected data on the heat emerging from the moon's interior was when the space agency still sent astronauts on Apollo missions. 

The lunar heat-flow study had seemingly ended. Because the data can't be obtained with orbiters, no further measurements were taken after just two were made in the 1970s. But all that has changed since Texas-based company Firefly Aerospace successfully landed Blue Ghost on the moon on March 2. 

The uncrewed spacecraft, carrying 10 NASA experiments, has just achieved the first collection of heat-flow data without humans, solely using robotic technology. Called the Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity, or LISTER, the instrument has been drilling into the lunar soil. Mission controllers have watched it digging underground through a video transmission beamed back to Earth. 

"By making similar measurements at multiple locations on the lunar surface, we can reconstruct the thermal evolution of the Moon," said Seiichi Nagihara, a geophysics professor at Texas Tech University and LISTER's principal investigator, in a statement. 

The findings from the experiment will help to reveal the geological processes that shaped the moon over its 4.5 billion-year history, from its start as a mere ball of molten rock. Over time, it cooled by releasing its inner heat into space.

SEE ALSO: A NASA test just proved GPS signals can be picked up on the moon

Firefly Aerospace's mission control watches NASA’s Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity, or LISTER, drill into the lunar surface on March 3, 2025 in the above video. 

Firefly is the first company to get its lander to the moon upright and in one piece. The difficulty of that feat was underscored last week when Intuitive Machines, the first company to land on the moon last year (albeit tilted), was not able to even duplicate its partial success on its return. Intuitive Machines' Athena lander seemingly toppled in a crater, with its solar panels not pointing toward the sun. With the spacecraft unable to generate and replenish power, the company already announced the mission was over. 

Firefly's Blue Ghost lander, named after an exotic type of firefly, is now sitting in Mare Crisium, a lunar plain made from an ancient hardened lava flow. It's next to a volcanic feature, Mons Latreille, in the northeast quadrant on the near side. 

NASA paid Firefly $101.5 million to build the spacecraft and deliver LISTER and nine other payloads to the moon through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The space agency wants to see a regular cadence of moon missions to prepare for astronaut-led Artemis expeditions in 2027 or later.

Called the Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity, or LISTER, the instrument has been drilling into the lunar soil. Credit: Firefly Aerospace

LISTER, mounted below Blue Ghost’s lower deck, measures the flow of heat from the moon's interior with a sophisticated pneumatic drill, developed by Texas Tech and Honeybee Robotics. The tool, essentially a jackhammer that uses compressed gas to power the drilling action, has a needle sensor on the end to take temperature readings. 

Related Stories:

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• The best telescopes for gazing at stars and solar eclipses in 2024

• Intrepid moon lander witnesses truly breathtaking lunar sunrise

• NASA finds Earth's moon didn't need hundreds of years to form. Try hours.

About every 1.5 feet, the drill stops to extend the thermal probe into the surrounding rocks, dust, and pebbles. The instrument then measures two things: thermal gradient, or the temperature changes at various depths, and thermal conductivity, which is the soil's ability to let heat pass through it. The drill can plunge to an ultimate depth of nearly 10 feet underground. 

"Instruments such as LISTER help us to learn more about the surface of the moon and how we can be there for a longer period of time and take advantage of resources available to us," said Mike Selby, LISTER manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, in a video about the payload. 

Firefly's mission is a little more than halfway complete, expected to come to an end shortly after lunar nightfall.

A Bluetooth speaker is one of those devices that, once you find one you like, you won't be able to imagine how you lived without it.

Since both Bluetooth and speakers aren't exactly new technology, you'll find that this is one of the more expansive product categories (admittedly, this feels like the case for almost anything you buy these days).

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

Enter: the Mashable tech and shopping teams. We stay on top of the latest Bluetooth speaker releases but also use our audio and product testing expertise to determine when old favorites are the better choice. We spend time testing the speakers in our own homes, evaluating the balance in their sound, portability, and of course, their prices. (To learn more about how we choose these Bluetooth speakers, check out the "How we tested" section).

Testing the JBL Charge 5 side by side with the Charge 3. Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable Mashable reviewed the Sonos Move 2 after its release in 2023. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

As of March 2025, our top picks include the smart home sound system the Sonos Move 2, the waterproof JBL Charge 5, and the charmingly retro (but brand new) Marshall Emberton III. You'll find these speakers below, along with our latest favorites from brands like Bose, Sony, and JBL.

SEE ALSO: The best video games of 2024

In the age of on-demand everything, hookup apps are the go-to for casual dating. After all, if we can stream movies (thank you, Netflix) and order takeout (hello, DoorDash) with a few taps, why can't we find a potential partner the same way?

SEE ALSO: How avoidant attachment shapes your dating app behaviour What makes a good hookup app?

There's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to hookup apps. What works for your friends might not work for you. Your best bet is to download a handful of options and see which one clicks with your vibe.

Skip the apps that are all about romance and happily ever afters (we're looking at you, eharmony). Instead, keep an eye out for apps that get straight to the point. No longer does this limit you to a handful of apps — due to the feature-copying that's become more popular over the years, pretty much all the major apps offer some form of indication that you're only looking for a fling. The best hookup apps make chatting quick and easy (messaging, video calls, all that good stuff), and even the free ones should have features like profile verification to help keep you safe.

SEE ALSO: Halina Reijn explains 'Babygirl’s' trojan horse of sexual tension

If you want to pay for a premium membership, that's up to you. But we recommend starting with the free versions of cult faves like Tinder, Grindr, and Hinge. These popular dating apps give you just enough functionality to connect with potential partners for casual encounters — all without spending a dime.

The best hookup apps of 2025

Whether you're looking to have a one-night stand, exchange nudes with strangers, or are looking for a more long-term friends with benefits arrangement, we've rounded up the most reliable hookup apps for every type of single. You can download them via Google Play or the App Store and start swiping in minutes.

The coming March 13-14 total lunar eclipse promises to be spectacular — if the weather permits.

This "blood moon" — the first to grace Earth's skies since 2022 — will be visible to people in the lower 48 states and greater Americas unless clouds get in the way. Now just days away, meteorologists have a good grasp of what regions will likely have good viewing opportunities during the night. Such a forecast can help you plan, or at least set expectations.

Unlike a total solar eclipse — which lasts for mere minutes and occurs over a narrow band of Earth — a lunar eclipse lasts for a long time and is visible to potentially hundreds of millions of people. During this coming eclipse, totality, wherein the entirety of the moon will turn reddish and rusty colors, will last for 65 minutes.

"It's a wider window. The whole country gets to see it, weather permitting," Bob Larson, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, told Mashable.

SEE ALSO: An astronomer gave us tips for watching the imminent total lunar eclipse

Who has good odds of clear skies? There's a lot of good news, but not for everyone.

"A good portion of the country will not experience stormy weather," Larson noted.

"A good portion of the country will not experience stormy weather."

A storm will center around the Rocky Mountains and Intermountain West over Thursday and Friday, making for a higher likelihood of poor viewing in that region, parts of the Northern Plains, and parts of the West Coast. But much of the nation is expected to have either fair or good sky viewing, particularly large swathes of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, and other parts of the South and Midwest. The AccuWeather cloud cover map below paints the looming weather picture.

A map showing sky visibility during the March 13-14, 2025 total lunar eclipse. Credit: AccuWeather This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Totality — meaning when the moon is totally within Earth's shadow — will begin at 11:26 p.m. PDT on March 13, 2025 / 2:26 a.m. EDT on March 14 / 06:26 UTC, lasting for over an hour. And the reddening progresses over hours, as the moon gradually moves into the Earth's shadow. (Technically, the eclipse starts with slight dimming on March 13 at 8:57 p.m. PDT / 11:57 p.m. EDT / 03:57 UTC.) So, weather permitting, you'll have ample opportunity to see the bloody colors in action.

These unique events happen when the sun, Earth, and moon are in alignment, allowing Earth to cast a shadow on the moon and block most sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. But our planet's atmosphere still allows red wavelengths of light to squeeze through and travel through space, illuminating the moon in reddish, rusty, orangish, or crimson colors.

Importantly, the forecast provides a good idea of what to expect, but isn't perfect. And don't be discouraged by some cloud cover. While you won't see the moon through thick, lower-altitude clouds, the moon is still often visible through a lofty high-altitude haze. You might still be able to peer at an eerie crimson moon.

And, don't forget, you have time. You'll have 65 minutes of totality for cloud cover to evolve. It's worth waking up to check out, or at least gauge the clouds. Dress warm.

"Given the timing, it takes a commitment," Larson said.

TL;DR: This week only, save 25% on the KeySmart SmartCard for your wallet and get free shipping.

I lost it last week. After searching every crevice of my house, I found it. There it was, next to my milk and eggs, my wallet…inside my fridge. I realized then that my beloved AirTags are amazing for my briefcase and luggage, but not for tracking my cash, ID, and credit cards. 

I needed a wallet tracking card: Something that worked like an AirTag but would fit inside my wallet without leaving an awkward bulge. I found the KeySmart SmartCard and thought I’d give it a try, especially since they were $10 off — now $29.97 with free shipping (reg. $39.99).

Does this wallet tracker hold up to the AirTag?

The SmartCards work with the exact same app as the AirTag, Apple Find My. This allows me to see all my tracked items in one place, view live locations on a map, play sounds to locate, and enter lost mode if they disappear in public areas.

Since it’s only 2mm thick, I slipped it into one of the slots of my wallet as if it were just a new credit card. These would also fit nicely into passport books.

I love how the SmartCard is basically an AirTag, just in a far slimmer format. However, there is one huge difference: the SmartCard is Qi-wireless rechargeable. I have to buy my AirTags new batteries about every year, and that cost adds up, but I can just toss this tracker card onto my wireless charging pad every five months to fill its battery.

Get your AirTag alternative while they’re still on sale for $29.97 with free shipping (reg. $39.99). No coupon is needed to get this price.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: KeySmart KeySmart® SmartCard - Thinnest Card Tracker & Works with Apple Find My $29.98
$39.99 Save $10.01 Get Deal

TL;DR: This week only, save $70 on 10TB of lifetime cloud storage with Internxt using code STORAGE20 at checkout (reg. $349.99).

There are few things more annoying than getting hit with ‘Storage Full. Upgrade now.’ notifications when you’re just trying to upload a few more files. Sure, you could pay for more space, but then you’re getting sucked even deeper into the subscription world. Here’s a new option: lifetime cloud storage.

Not only will you never have to worry about monthly or yearly subscription costs, but you can purchase storage plans from Internxt so high, you’ll probably never fill them up. How does 10TB of cloud space sound? Secure it for life using code STORAGE20 at checkout, dropping the price from $349.99 to $279.99 this week.

(Almost) unlimited storage

With 10TB of cloud storage, you can fit about two million photos, 100,000 videos, or 20 million documents (depending on their exact size, of course). That amount of space would be a challenge to fill up on your own, so it’s a good thing you can share it with an unlimited number of devices.

More about Internxt

Internxt may not be as popular as a name like Dropbox, but that’s not a reason to write off this deal. Your photos and files are end-to-end encrypted, meaning they’re broken up into tiny pieces so they can’t be read by peeping eyes. 

The company also makes its source code open to the public, so programmers and tech nerds can analyze it and ensure there are no vulnerabilities. That’s a lot more honesty than you’ll get from big-name brands.

Use code STORAGE20 at checkout to get an Internxt 10TB cloud storage lifetime subscription for $279.99 (reg. $349.99) this week only. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Internxt Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 10TB Plan $279.99
$349.99 Save $70 Get Deal

TL;DR: You can save $1,074 when you opt for a refurbished model of this MacBook Pro in near-mint condition, but we have fewer than 40 left in stock.

Have you always wanted a MacBook? Maybe it’s because they sync with your other Apple devices, or that they’ve become somewhat of a status symbol, but the $1,000+ price tag is probably what kept you away. But savvy shoppers are turning to refurbished MacBook deals to save hundreds while getting high-quality devices.

We have plenty of refurbished deals in our shop, but today, we want to show you one on a 2019 MacBook Pro 13.3-inch. While these originally retailed for $1,499, you can grab one for only $425 while supplies last — and these could go fast. Your new-to-you laptop arrives in grade “A” condition with a 30-day warranty.

2019 MacBook Pro specs

Beyond saving four figures, shoppers find more perks of buying refurbished laptops. For example, this MacBook Pro has the now-discontinued Touch Bar that you cannot get from the Apple Store. 

This touchscreen interface lives above your number keys, replacing the usual function row, and changes tools depending on which apps you have open. When typing, you’ll find text exiting tools, when designing, there could be a color grabber, and it’s even rumored to be able to skip YouTube ads.

But enough about that, here’s what else this MacBook Pro features:

• 13.3-inch Retina display

• Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM

• 256GB SSD storage

• Up to ten hours of battery life

Grab one of these affordable MacBook Pros for $425 (reg. $1,499) before they’re sold out. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro 13.3" (2019) Touchbar - Space Gray (Refurbished) Get Deal

TL;DR: Save $24 on an AdGuard Family Plan lifetime subscription with code FAMPLAN at checkout for a limited time (reg. $39.99).

You just want to read an article (thanks, by the way), and suddenly, your screen is filled with pop-ups, banners, or autoplay videos. Even YouTube forces you to suffer through ads just to watch a short clip. But things don’t have to be this way if you grab AdGuard, a lifetime ad blocker that works on desktop and mobile devices.

We’re running a short sale so you can banish these annoyances from your life. When you use code FAMPLAN at checkout, AdGuard’s price drops from $39.99 to $15.97. You can use it on nine of your devices for life.

How does AdGuard work?

You’ll receive your unique redemption code immediately after purchase, and this is what gets you the lifetime discount on the iOS, Android, Windows, or Mac apps. Use the apps to set your own filters, or dive right into ad-free browsing, blocking any that may be missed so the app can learn and improve.

AdGuard has over 1,400 positive ratings, and reviewers report that the tool does block YouTube ads when you’re using a browser. Finally, no more sitting through unskippable nonsense before videos or rude interruptions during your binges.

What else is included?

Within the app settings, you’ll also find that you can enact custom parental controls. You could restrict access to types of content or outright block specific websites to know your kids are protected online.

Use code FAMPLAN at checkout to get this mobile and desktop ad blocker for $15.97 for a limited time (reg. $39.99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdGuard Software AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription $39.99
Get Deal

U.S. president Donald Trump has hosted a Tesla advertisement on the White House lawn alongside CEO Elon Musk. He also erroneously called the boycott against the electric vehicle company "illegal."

On Monday night, Trump announced that he would buy a new Tesla the next day "as a show of confidence" in his close ally Musk, responding to the company's cratering stock prices. On Tuesday morning, Tesla parked five of its vehicles in front of White House to create a personal showroom for the president. 

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Accompanied by Musk and his son X, Trump promoted Tesla's cars while continuing to praise its billionaire CEO. The president also revealed that he'd previously purchased a Tesla Cybertruck for his teenage granddaughter Kai. 

"I have a lot of information [about Tesla's cars], including the price," said Trump, wielding a few pages of notes he said were given to him about Tesla's offerings. "I want to make a good deal here."

Despite this, Trump stated he would be paying full price for his new car. He ultimately selected a red Tesla Model S Plaid which retails for approximately $90,000 after Musk said that it was the model he himself drove.

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Trump further addressed recent protests which have taken place outside Tesla showrooms across the U.S., some of which have resulted in vandalism and property damage, saying that he will label violence against the dealerships as "domestic terrorism."

"They're harming a great American company," said Trump, calling such protesters "garbage." "Those people are going to go through a big problem when we catch them… You do it to Tesla and you do it to any company, we're going to catch you and you're going to go through hell."

There's a Tesla showroom at the White House

In addition to promoting Tesla, Trump also lavished praise onto Musk himself, calling him an "incredible patriot" and celebrating his work at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

"In the time I've known him, he has never asked me for a favour," Trump claimed.

This is a stark contrast to Trump's previous statements about Musk in 2022, when he called the billionaire a "bullshit artist" and alleged that he asked for help "on all of his many subsidized projects, whether it’s electric cars that don’t drive long enough, driverless cars that crash, or rocketships to nowhere."

"I could have said, 'drop to your knees and beg,' and he would have done it," Trump posted to Truth Social at the time, stating that Musk would be "worthless" without government subsidies.

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There appears to be much less animosity between Musk and Trump now, despite the latter's history as a vocal detractor of electric vehicles. Speaking to the press on Tuesday, Trump reiterated his incorrect claim that he "ended the electric [vehicle] mandate," and praised Musk for not calling him to complain about it.

The U.S. has never had any law mandating that drivers switch to electric cars. However, it did have incentives to encourage adoption, which is what Trump eliminated. Trump also paused $3 billion in funding for a U.S. electrical vehicle charging network early last month.

Keeping Trump's new Tesla charged up won't be his problem, though. Trump won’t actually be driving the car himself, as U.S. presidents aren't permitted to drive on public roads for security reasons. Instead, the president stated that he would be leaving the Tesla at the White House for his staff to use.

Tesla stock has been falling since Trump's inauguration Credit: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

Tesla had its worst day of trading since September 2020 on Monday, its stock falling by over 15 percent to close at $222.15. In response, Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social that night to declare his support for Musk, as well as his intention to buy a Tesla.

"[T]he Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World's great automakers, and Elon's 'baby,' in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for," Trump claimed on Truth Social.

It is not illegal in the U.S. for consumers to boycott companies. While boycotts can be illegal if a group of competitors collectively agrees not to do business with a company, such restrictions do not apply to individuals. Under U.S. law, people are allowed to choose whether or not to patronise a business, and can decide against doing so as an act of protest. This is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.

Tuesday saw Tesla's stock regain almost four percent after Monday's drop, however the overall trend of the company's share price continues to spiral down. Though Tesla enjoyed a surge following Trump's election win, its shares have continued to fall since the inauguration and wiped out all those gains.

Tesla's profits dropped by 70 percent in Q4 2024 and its sales have slumped across the globe. Even the price of used Teslas are falling as drivers reportedly reject the cars due to their association with Musk. Even so, Musk stated on Tuesday that Tesla intends to double its U.S. production within the next two years.

TL;DR: Watch the 2025 Australian Grand Prix for free on 10Play. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2025 Australian Grand Prix is almost here, kickstarting a fascinating new season of F1 action. There are so many interesting storylines to follow closely this year, and although you can never really trust pre-season testing, fans are hoping for some really competitive racing.

If you're interested in watching the 2025 Australian Grand Prix for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the 2025 Australian Grand Prix?

The 2025 Australian Grand Prix takes place at the 5,278 km Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne. The full schedule can be found here:

• Practice 1 — 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. AEDT on March 14

• Practice 2 — 4 to 5 p.m. AEDT on March 14

• Practice 3 — 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. AEDT on March 15

• Qualifying — 4 to 5 p.m. AEDT on March 15

• Race — 3 p.m. AEDT on March 16

The good news for fans is that it's possible to live stream the 2025 Australian Grand Prix without spending anything.

How to watch the 2025 Australian Grand Prix for free

The 2025 Australian Grand Prix is available to live stream for free on 10Play.

10Play is geo-restricted to Australia, 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 Australia, meaning you can access free live streams of F1 from anywhere in the world.

Unblock 10Play from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 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 Australia

4. Connect to 10Play

5. Watch the 2025 Australian Grand Prix from anywhere in the world

Please be aware that Formula 1 take the view that the use of a VPN to watch content from another territory may be a breach of the relevant broadcasters’ terms of service and may constitute copyright infringement. It is your responsibility to ensure that your use of a VPN is legal and Mashable does not encourage any illegal use of a VPN.

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 leading services do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch F1 live streams without actually spending anything. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it does mean you can stream the2025 Australian Grand Prix before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming F1 live is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for F1?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for live streaming F1 for free, 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 protected

• Fast streaming 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 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch the 2025 Australian Grand Prix for free with ExpressVPN.

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

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

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

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

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

A faith.

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

CREED

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A fruit with a stone.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 12, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

PEACH

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Opposite of giver.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 12 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 12, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

TAKER

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A shine.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for March 12 Hurdle Word 4 answer

GLINT

Final Hurdle hint

A lovely drink or a violent act.

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

PUNCH

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

TL;DR: The best eSIM for Ireland is Saily. Save 5% on Saily eSIM data plans with the exclusive coupon code MASHABLE5.

Saint Patrick’s Day takes place on March 17, with festivities running from March 14-17. The popular event is expected to bring in at least 500,000 visitors to Ireland, making it one of the biggest annual celebrations in the country. You can expect dozens of parades, live performances, and cultural events nationwide.

The festival atmosphere over this period means large crowds and busy streets, meaning reliable mobile data is a must. Whether you're navigating the city, sharing your experiences with loved ones back home, or staying connected with travel buddies, you absolutely need reliable and affordable internet access on your trip.

If you're looking for the best eSIM for Ireland in 2025, we have all the information you need.

What is an eSIM?

An eSIM is a digital product that allows users to activate a data plan without needing a physical SIM card. Users can switch service providers via software settings, meaning you don't need to swap SIM cards when attempting to avoid roaming charges.

What is the best eSIM for Ireland?

The best eSIM for Ireland is Saily, a product from Nord Security.

Saily covers over 200 countries and territories, including Ireland. When traveling in Ireland, you can choose between five Saily plans (1GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, or 20GB) for a period of one week or 30 days. Users get 24/7 customer support, straightforward installation, and automatical activation upon arrival. And if you run out of data, users can easily top up their plan and continue using the services without interruption.

Saily's best eSIM deals for Ireland are as follows:

• 1GB (1 Week) — $4.27 $4.49 (save 5%)

• 3GB (30 Days) — $7.59 $7.99 (save 5%)

• 5GB (30 Days) — $10.44 $10.99 (save 5%)

• 10GB (30 Days) — $18.04 $18.99 (save 5%)

• 20GB (30 Days) — $26.59 $27.99 (save 5%)

Something to note is that all plans have a 30-day activation period. If you purchase a plan and don't activate it, it will be activated automatically after 30 days.

Opens in a new window Credit: Saily Saily: eSIM for Ireland 5% off with exclusive coupon code MASHABLE5 Get Deal