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In time for the Oscars, Mashable Entertainment Editor, Kristy Puchko, goes in on what makes The Substance truly special during the 2025 awards season. The main reason, the legendary Demi Moore.

The Substance is now streaming on MUBI.

Amazon is aiming to catch up in generative artificial intelligence and to reboot its virtual assistant, which has been leapfrogged by powerful chatbots.

SAVE $80: Want a smart, travel-ready guitar? As of Feb. 26, the Enya NOVA Go SP1 (carbon fiber, AcousticPlus) is only $199.99 on Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Enya Enya NOVA Go SP1 acoustic electric guitar with Smart AcousticPlus $199.99 at Amazon
$279.99 Save $80.00 Get Deal

If you’re looking for a lightweight guitar you can travel with, the Enya NOVA Go SP1 carbon fiber acoustic electric guitar might be worth considering. If you’re a guitar snob, you can probably pass on this one, but if you're looking for an affordable and portable option, it's worth a closer look.

The Enya NOVA Go SP1 is only $199.99, down from $279.99, at Amazon. That's $80 off for a discount of 29% And that’s a damn good deal for a guitar that you can just pack up and go. It also comes with a case, strap, strings (we’ll talk about that in a minute), and charging cable, so you don't have to spend more money on accessories.

SEE ALSO: Learn to jam out with 12 expert-led guitar courses you can do at home for $15

Here’s the deal: this is a budget guitar. It’s ideal for beginner players or anyone who just wants to have a little fun while traveling. It won’t sound like a Taylor or a Martin, but it's not bad, either. The description says it’s made of carbon fiber composite material, which keeps it lightweight and durable. (You can have it in direct sunlight, and it won't warp or crack like a wooden guitar.)

The built-in SP1 pickup system gives you reverb, delay, and fusion effects — unplugged, no amp needed. There’s also a little speaker inside the guitar's body, so you can use it almost like a portable amp. What’s even cooler is that you can plug it into your phone or PC with the included USB cable and record yourself playing.

This guitar is never going to be a professional's main instrument, but it could be a good option for a secondary guitar or something to take on trips. The strings may need to be upgraded if you want a nicer sound. I recommend Elixirs or similar coated strings — that’s what I use on my Alvarez.

If you're in the mood for watching Nicolas Cage waging war on hostile Australian surfers who stole his board, ride this wave all the way to the trailer above.

The Surfer, directed by Lorcan Finnegan (Nocebo, Vivarium) and written by Thomas Martin, is a psychological thriller and coastal Western that's more than it appears on the surface. Set in the fictional beachside suburb of Luna Bay, Western Australia, the film sees Cage slowly melting into his signature brand of unhinged rage as he attempts to retrieve his board from a threatening gang of boardriders led by Julian McMahon.

As I wrote in my review for the film, "Everything about The Surfer's one-line pitch sounds ridiculous (Nicolas Cage versus mean Australian surfers), but the film itself is a haunting set piece about localism, repressed memory, and toxic masculinity, boasting the wild ride we've come to associate with Cage. It's as far from a wipeout as you can get."

The Surfer hits cinemas May 2.

SAVE $230: As of Feb. 26, get the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Bespoke Edition for $419.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $649.99. That's a 35% discount and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Bespoke Edition $419.99 at Amazon
$649.99 Save $230.00 Get Deal

Looking to lock in a new smartwatch? Need something that can keep up with you and your active lifestyle? You might want to see what Samsung has to offer, particularly with one of its most popular models that's on sale right now.

As of Feb. 26, get the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Bespoke Edition at Amazon for $419.99, down from its usual price of $649.99. That's $230 off and a discount of 35%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 could be super thin, leak reveals

The Bespoke Edition of the Galaxy Watch Ultra is an Amazon exclusive that has a different watch face and watch band than what's typically on offer at Samsung, so you're getting a slick-looking smartwatch for a great price. Beyond that, it's a feature-rich piece of tech that you can track your heart rate, sleep, and fitness for the day thanks to daily Energy Score reports. It's built tough to withstand whatever you get up to on a day-to-day basis, with support for hot and cold environments and even deep sea diving.

But beyond all that, like the Apple Watch Ultra, it's also perfect for regular communication activities like texting, making calls, and using your favorite apps. You don't have to miss out on regular smartwatch functionality just because you want fitness options, and that's part of what makes this such a great buy. Just be sure you snag it while it's discounted so heavily, as this limited time deal likely won't last on Amazon very long.

Slack, the popular messaging platform for workplaces, appeared to be down for a number of users on Wednesday.

Numerous employees at Mashable, including this writer, weren't able to access Slack on desktop, instead receiving a server error message.

Credit: Screenshot: Slack

The issue appeared to be pretty widespread. Slack's own status website showed issues with messaging and connectivity, among other features. Down Detector showed a sharp spike in reports of problems with Slack, starting after 10:10 a.m. ET. (Full disclosure: Down Detector is owned by the same parent company as Mashable.)

SEE ALSO: Slack security crack: Its AI feature can breach your private conversations, according to report

There were also lots of posts online about Slack being down.

Slack down; work is canceled

— Leif Hancox-Li, PhD (@struthious.bsky.social) February 26, 2025 at 11:26 AM

Slack is down. What a blessing to us all

— Steph Marie (@imstephtacular.bsky.social) February 26, 2025 at 11:25 AM

slack outage means everyone gets to go outside

— emily 🩷 (@bbghost.bsky.social) February 26, 2025 at 11:33 AM

It's not clear when Slack will be back in working order.

This story is developing and will be updated...

Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of Feb. 26: OUR TOP PICK Amazon 43-inch 4-Series Fire TV $209.99 (save $160) Get Deal BEST TABLET DEAL Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids $89.99 (save $90) Get Deal BEST BLUETOOTH TRACKER DEAL Eufy Security SmartTrack Card $16.88 (save $13.11) Get Deal BEST EARBUDS DEAL Soundcore P20i earbuds $19.99 (save $20) Get Deal BEST APPLE DEAL Apple Pencil (USB-C) $69 (save $10) Get Deal

We love stumbling across impressive deals outside of major shopping events. Finding record-low prices on gadgets from big-name brands — like an Amazon Fire TV — feels like Christmas. If you're looking to do some retail therapy on a budget, or you're just a sucker for a sweet deal, we've handpicked some truly great discounts at Amazon today.

Here are our picks for the best Amazon deals of the day on Feb. 26. If none of these are your cup of tea, be sure to check out our selections from Feb. 24 and Feb. 25. A few of those deals are still live, including $150 off the Samsung ViewFinity S7 monitor and a four-pack of Apple AirTags for their best price ever.

Our top pick: Amazon 43-inch 4-Series Fire TV Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon 43-inch 4-Series Fire TV $209.99 at Amazon
$369.99 Save $160.00 Get Deal

Amazon's introductory 4K TV, the 4-Series Fire TV, was recently replaced with a newer model. But if you don't mind the slightly thicker bezel, you can save a good chunk of change by sticking with the older model. Besides the bezel, it's largely the same TV. It's equipped with 4K Ultra HD entertainment with HDR 10, on-board Alexa, and four HDMI inputs for connectivity. If you're already using a Fire TV Stick, it'll even have your custom-arranged apps waiting for you when you log in to your Amazon account. Usually $369.99, the 43-inch model is on sale for just $209.99 at Amazon as of Feb. 26. That's 43% off and matches its best price ever.

Eufy Security SmartTrack Card Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Eufy Security SmartTrack Card $16.88 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $13.11 Get Deal

While we haven't had an opportunity to test out the Eufy Security SmartTrack Card, our friends at PCMag (also owned by Mashable's publisher, Ziff Davis) have. They dubbed it "a good AirTag alternative if you own an iPhone." Not only does it utilize Bluetooth to help you find your stuff, but also Apple's Find My network. In other words, it functions basically the same as an AirTag. Unlike the AirTag's puck-style design, however, the SmartTrack Card is about the size and shape of a credit card. Slip it inside your wallet, luggage, backpack, and more. As of Feb. 26, it's on sale for just $16.88 instead of $29.99. That's 44% off and matches its lowest price on record.

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids $89.99 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $90.00 Get Deal

A newer version of the Fire HD 8 Kids dropped last fall, but honestly, your toddler probably won't know the difference. And by snagging the older version, you'll save a hefty amount of money. The Fire HD 8 Kids comes in a durable case built specifically for destructive little hands. It's equipped with the Amazon Kids+ catalog of apps and games, detailed parental controls, and a surprisingly long battery life. Usually $179.99, it's on sale for $89.99 at Amazon as of Feb. 26. That's 50% in savings. For what it's worth, the newer version is currently $149.99.

Read our full review of the Fire HD 8 Kids.

Anker Soundcore P20i earbuds Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Soundcore P20i earbuds $19.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal

Our favorite budget earbuds, the Soundcore P20i buds from Anker, are on sale again for just $19.99. That's 50% off and matches their best price ever. We were shocked at how impressive these earbuds were for the price. They offer a better-than-AirPods battery life of up to 10 hours of playback per charge, well-rounded sound with equalizer presets on the companion app, three customizable touch controls on each earbud, and a "find device" feature.

Apple Pencil (USB-C) Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Pencil (USB-C) $69.00 at Amazon
$79.00 Save $10.00 Get Deal

If an Apple Pencil is on your wishlist, and you want to spend the least amount of money possible, the USB-C version is your best bet. As of Feb. 26, it's back on sale for just $69 (down from $79). That's just a few bucks away from its lowest price ever. It can't charge wirelessly, but it can magnetically attach to your tablet. Like the Apple Pencil 2, it can be used with the iPad Air, Pro, mini, and 10th generation iPad. While it's not as fancy as the Apple Pencil 2 or Pro, it's not supposed to be. As our reviewer noted, the Apple Pencil USB-C is made for "budget-conscious users who simply want to take notes, make annotations, journal, and draft up digital plans."

Read our full review of the Apple Pencil USB-C.

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

OpenAI's GPT-4.5 is coming soon, according to some eagle-eyed users.

Per BleepingComputer, several users have received a notification on the ChatGPT app inviting them to "try the GPT-4.5 research preview." The second line of the notification says "Pro users now have access to our newest, largest model." According to the outlet, clicking the notification doesn't do anything, but it's definitely a confirmation that GPT-4.5 is imminent.

Tweet may have been deleted

Software engineer Tibor Blaho corroborated this showing what looks to be a screenshot of code for the ChatGPT beta app on Android.

Tweet may have been deleted What we know about GPT-4.5

We already knew GPT-4.5 was on the way, since OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman shared an update on X saying, "we want to do a better job of sharing our intended roadmap, and a much better job simplifying our product offerings." Altman said that GPT-4.5 would ship in a matter of weeks, and GPT-5 would ship in a matter of months, so the impending arrival of GPT-4.5 lines up with his promises.

Tweet may have been deleted

Altman also said that GPT-4.5, internally codenamed "Orion," would be OpenAI's "last non-chain-of-thought model." This means that future models will have reasoning capabilities. Reasoning models are considered more advanced LLMs, because they can break down prompts into multi-step tasks, often allowing them to give a more thorough and precise response.

After GPT-4.5, subsequent models updates will incorporate OpenAI's o-series reasoning capabilities into one simplified experience for ChatGPT. This is a change from the confusing word salad OpenAI's offerings have become like GPT-4o, GPT-40 with scheduled tasks, o1, o3-mini, and o3-mini-high.

Based on the alert, we know that GPT-4.5 will be offered to ChatGPT Pro users who shell out $200 a month for early access to new features. But it's unclear whether ChatGPT Plus subscribers who have been usurped by Pro subscribers as the new VIPs will also get access.

Altman did say in his X post that the free ChatGPT will get access to GPT-5 when it comes out, so maybe this is an indication that OpenAI will extend the same generosity for GPT-4.5, which might be in their favor as well since the company suddenly faces steep competition with xAI's Grok 3 and DeepSeek models nipping at its heels.

Grab a martini and settle in for some glamorous revenge, because the trailer for Another Simple Favor is here.

Directed by Paul Feig, the sequel to 2018's sensational comedy-thriller A Simple Favor reunites the cheerful Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick, Woman of the Hour) and the elegant Emily Nelson (Blake Lively, It Ends With Us) years after the events of the first film, which ended with Emily in jail for murder and Stephanie's embracing a life of mom vlogs and mystery solving.

Since then, Stephanie has written a true crime book about her harrowing experience with the missing person case turned narrowly escaping her own murder. Meanwhile, despite being sentenced to 20 years, Emily is out of jail and has another favor for her former friend.

Swanning into one of Stephanie's book events, Emily boldly asks her to be the maid of honor for a glamorous destination wedding. Sure, what could possibly go wrong?

So it's off to the island of Capri for Emily's nuptials, where we'll catch up with Sean (Henry Golding) and meet her fiancé (Michele Morrone). All manner of chaos is sure to follow. Don't believe me? Check out the full trailer, which grants a sneak peek at Emily's extra long (and possibly bloodied) wedding dress.

Also staring in this much-anticipated sequel are Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Elizabeth Perkins, Alex Newell, Elena Sofia Ricci, and Allison Janney.

Another Simple Favor premieres Opening Night at SXSW on March 7. The film's debut on Prime Video will follow on May 1.

A Simple Favor is now available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

PRE-ORDER NOW: As of Feb. 26, you can pre-order the Razer Blade 18 gaming laptop for $3,199.99 at Razer and receive a free Razer laptop stand and exclusive skin.

Opens in a new window Credit: Razer 18-inch Razer Blade 18 (Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, 32GB 500 MHz RAM, 1 TB SSD) $3,199.99 at Razer
Pre-Order Here

The wait’s finally over: You can snag Razer’s latest high-performance gaming laptop, the Razer Blade 18 (Intel Core Ultra 9275HX, 32GB 5600 MHz RAM, 1TB SSD) for $3,199.99. You’ll also get a Razer laptop stand and a Razer skin with your purchase.

This laptop features an 18-inch Dual UHD+ 240 Hz display, Windows 11 Home, and WiFi 7 connectivity. The base model includes an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, 32 GB 5600 MHz RAM, and a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card. You can also upgrade the graphics card, storage, and memory, but additional costs will apply.

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

The Razer Blade 18 also includes a precision glass touchpad, a 99 WHr rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery, and a CNC-milled aluminum chassis. The laptop supports Razer Synapse 4 for customizable settings and features a Windows Hello IR webcam.

Preorders are expected to ship on April 30.

SAVE UP TO $120: Ulta Beauty Rewards members can save 20% on all hairstyling tools with code TOOLS20 through March 1.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ulta Save 20% on all hair tools with code TOOLS20 Ulta Beauty Rewards membership required Shop Now

It's somehow only still February, but Ulta is treating its Beauty Rewards members to some of the best deals on hair tools we expect to see all year. Now through March 1, members can save 20% on its full lineup of hair dryers, straighteners, multi-stylers, curling irons, hot brushes, and hair rolls — including popular picks like the Dyson Airwrap ($120 off), the Shark FlexStyle ($60 off), the limited-edition Strawberry Bronze/Blush Pink Dyson Supersonic ($100 off), and the newer Dyson Supersonic Nural ($100 off).

Online shoppers just need to enter the promo code TOOLS20 in their shopping cart to apply the 20% discount, while in-store shoppers have to get a coupon bar code to scan at checkout. If you haven't signed up for an Ulta Beauty Rewards membership yet, the program is completely free to join.

SEE ALSO: I tried 5 Dyson Supersonic dupes that are actually worth the hype

The sale is an especially good opportunity for shoppers interested in Dyson's famously pricey tools in particular: The Mashable Shopping team tracks deals on them year-round, and 20% off is the highest discount we see them get at most retailers. (It's also the same offer Dyson doles out during its Owner Rewards events.) For its part, the Airwrap was only $100 off last Black Friday and during Amazon's fall Prime event.

It's possible to find Dyson tools on sale for even cheaper if you go the refurbished route, but their warranties take a hit.

As for the FlexStyle, our favorite Airwrap dupe: While $239.99 isn't its lowest price ever — we've caught it at $199.99 before — Ulta's deal does bring it to its lowest price anywhere at present. The Shark website was selling it at MSRP, for comparison's sake.

SAVE $346.89: As of Feb. 26, get the WD Black 8TB Internal Gaming SSD for $533.10 at Amazon. That's a 39% discount and its lowest price yet.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon WD Black 8TB Internal Gaming SSD $533.10 at Amazon
$879.99 Save $346.89 Get Deal

If you're a PC gamer, you're likely familiar with the fact that you need more hard drive space to handle all the latest games. Some of them require well over 100 GB, and those amounts seem to rise with all the new games coming to store shelves all the time. It can get old deleting and reinstalling things all the time, so what do you do? You get a new internal SSD, improve your loading times, and have plenty of storage space for all the titles you want to play regularly.

As of Feb. 26, get the WD Black 8TB Internal Gaming SSD for $533.10, down from its usual price of $879.99, at Amazon. That's $346.89 off and a discount of 39%. It's also the lowest price we've seen on this SSD.

SEE ALSO: Looking for great value gaming TV? Get the Hisense 55-inch U7N QLED 4K TV for under $500.

This lightning-fast SSD packs 8TB of space, so you've got more than enough storage for all the games you want to play and more. It also features speeds of up to 7,200 MB/s, so its performance is top-tier, and you won't have to be stuck waiting around as long for installs or even loading times. It's everything you need to install and play more games and ensure you can even get to them faster.

You can customize your drive even further thanks to the WD Black Dashboard software, which lets you monitor its health, customize the RBG lighting on versions with a heat sink, and even set it to automatically detect games when you run them to turn on Game Mode 2.0 on your PC. It also has features like predictive loading to give you even faster speeds, so you'll be covered no matter what it is you want to store or play.

If you need more storage space, this is the best time to go ahead and pick up this SSD. Just make sure you get it while it's still in stock.

After a lengthy delay, Amazon has finally jumped on the same AI chatbot bandwagon as everyone else. At an event in New York on Wednesday, Amazon lifted the veil off of the new AI-enhanced version of its Alexa voice assistant, called Alexa+.

Rumors about an AI enhancement to Alexa have been swirling around for a couple of years, but the rollout faced a severe setback in 2024. Beta testing at the time revealed that the new version of Alexa had trouble executing basic commands that the old version never had a problem with.

SEE ALSO: Looking for a new TV? The 43-inch Fire TV 4-Series is at its lowest-ever price at Amazon.

Evidently, Amazon has made enough progress on that front to reintroduce Alexa to the world.

This updated version of Alexa can theoretically do all of the same things as it could before, like control smart home devices with voice prompts, but it can also take in more conversational prompts to do a variety of other things. According to Amazon Devices & Services Senior VP Panos Panay, the new and improved Alexa+ can "plan a date, book the restaurant, and be your babysitter."

It seems like the upgraded assistant is designed to offer a more seamless, context-aware experience. It remembers past interactions so users can effortlessly pick up conversations where they left off, no matter which device they’re using. Amazon says its next-gen Alexa model will work with Echo devices (like your Ring camera), the Alexa mobile app, and an "all-new web browser experience."

Credit: Amazon

On larger-screen Echo devices, Amazon has introduced a redesigned user interface with an adaptive display. From a distance, it showcases your photos and personalized content, but as you approach, it transitions into a customized Home screen with quick access to your family calendar, music recommendations, a new “For You” panel with personalized updates, and advanced smart home controls.

Based on the demo at Amazon’s event, asking "Alexa, what happened around the house today?" triggers a highlight reel of activity detected by your Ring cameras. It’s clear that a full suite of Amazon smart home products is almost a necessity to unlock Alexa's new capabilities fully.

Alexa+ brings its AI capabilities to Amazon Kids+ subscribers with two new features: Stories with Alexa and Explore with Alexa. Both offer AI-generated storytelling and creative experiences designed for kids to "engage with and explore their imagination."

If you're eager to try the new Alexa+ experience, early access kicks off sometime in March. The AI-powered assistant will cost $19.99 per month, but Prime members get it for free.

SAVE 50%: The Anker P20i earbuds are just $19.99 at Amazon, down from the normal price of $39.99. That's a savings of $20 that matches the lowest price we've ever seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker P20i earbuds $19.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $20.00 White, Blue, Black Get Deal

Earbuds are a game-changer when it comes to working, commuting, working out, walking the dog, or hanging out at the café. Pop them in and your world fades away into a cheery showtune, a vibey pop song, or your comfort podcast. If you could use a new pair of earbuds, check out today's incredibly budget-friendly deal at Amazon.

As of Feb. 26, the Anker P20i earbuds are on sale for just $19.99, down from the usual price of $39.99, at Amazon. That's a 50% discount that saves you $20 on a pair of reliable earbuds. This sale price also matches the lowest we've ever spotted at Amazon. Grab the white, blue, or black colorway options to score this sale price.

SEE ALSO: Beats Studio Pro headphones are down by $150 at Best Buy

On the list of Mashable's favorite earbuds, the Anker P20i are the best budget-friendly option. Now that they're 50% off, it's a great opportunity to snag a pair for your gym bag, your office desk, and a pair for your nightstand.

Keep in mind that these affordable earbuds don't have active noise cancellation, so you might want to pack another pair along for that spring break flight. But using the P20is while on public transportation or while hanging out at the pool is a pro move.

The Anker P20i earbuds are excellent when it comes to battery life, getting 10 hours on a single charge (that bumps up to 30 hours with the included carrying case). The case comes equipped with a convenient carrying lanyard, so you can clip the case onto your bag or keys for safekeeping.

If you're in the market for a new pair of earbuds, or you could use a spare pair, there's no beating today's $19.99 sale price on the Anker P20i earbuds. It's even worth considering these for December stocking stuffers at this discount.

SAVE $20.99: As of Feb. 26, you can score a wireless Xbox controller in carbon black for just $39 at Walmart. That's a $20.99 discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Wireless Xbox Controller (carbon black) $39.00 at Walmart
$59.99 Save $20.99 Get Deal

If you’ve been wanting to add a second controller to your Xbox setup, or need to replace a worn-out one, but didn’t want to shell out $60 to do it, today's your lucky day.

As of Feb. 26, you can get a wireless Xbox controller in carbon black for $39, down from $60, at Walmart. That's a $20.99 discount. They have other colors, too, but those are a bit pricier, ranging from $44 to $64.

SEE ALSO: This magnetic controller makes your phone feel like a console

The controller has all the standard features you'd expect, including dual analog sticks (with textured grip) and a hybrid D-pad. You can also customize button mapping through the Xbox Accessories app. It takes AA batteries, but you can always get a rechargeable battery pack to avoid constantly swapping them out.

This model is compatible with Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Windows 10 PCs, and Android devices.

Apple is on the defense after iPhone users noticed something weird with Apple's AI-powered dictation tool.

Over the past 24 hours, videos started to spread across the internet showing iPhone users trying to use Apple's voice-to-text dictation tool to transcribe the word "racist." The iPhone would temporarily transcribe "racist" as "Trump" before quickly overwriting the word with the correct dictation.

Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

As to be expected, President Donald Trump's supporters were not happy with Apple over the transcription, with conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones suggesting a conspiracy against Trump.

Trump's supporters are not likely to accept Apple's explanation either.

Apple says the transcription issue was a phonetic one, a flaw in iPhone's dictation feature where the tool has trouble with similar sounding words with the letter "R."

SEE ALSO: That C1 chip in the new iPhone 16e? It's a big deal for future iPhones, too

"We are aware of an issue with the speech recognition model that powers Dictation and we are rolling out a fix today," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement.

Bug or prank?

However, experts and insiders aren't convinced with Apple's explanation.

In BBC's report, speech technology professor Peter Bell said that Apple's version of what happened was "just not plausible." The New York Times spoke to a former Apple employee who had worked on the company's AI voice assistant Siri who said it seemed more like a "serious prank." 

While the prank explanation seems plausible, this wouldn't be the first time that Apple's AI has gone rogue. Recently, the company had to pull its AI news summaries from the iPhone after the Apple Intelligence-powered feature was providing users with completely false AI-generated headlines.

Mashable attempted to recreate the dictation issue, but it appears Apple has already rolled out its fix.

Following the heartbreaking/heartwarming holiday special, Doctor Who is coming back with a fresh season of sci-fi thrills and time-wimey goodness. Disney+ and the BBC have officially announced Ncuti Gatwa's second season as the Doctor will premiere April 12. And joining in on this season's shenanigans will be The Traitors' host with the most, Alan Cumming.

SEE ALSO: 'Doctor Who' showrunners on how 'Ode to Joy' paves the way for next season

As revealed earlier, the Fifteenth Doctor will find a new companion called Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu, who previously appeared in the explosive episode "Boom." For his part, Cumming has previously played King James I in the 2018 episode "The Witchfinders." This time around, he'll be lending his voice to Mr. Ring-a-Ding, described in Disney+'s press release as "a happy, funny, singalong cartoon, who lives in Sunny Town with his friend Sunshine Sally." However, in episode two of this new season. Mr. Ring-a-Ding — as teased in the official still below — escapes his show and makes it into the real world. And he's not a fan of what he sees.

Mr. Ring-a-Ding enters the Whoniverse. Credit: Disney+ / BBC

In a statement, Doctor Who showrunner, executive producer, and writer Russell T Davies said, "Only Alan Cumming could give a runaway cartoon so much wit, malice, danger and fun. He makes the whole universe of Doctor Who wilder and madder than ever, and it's an absolute honour to welcome him on board the TARDIS."

We can't wait. And yet we must.

Doctor Who Season 2 debuts on Disney+ and BBC on April 12.

Google has redesigned its Results About You feature, a tool that lets users have more control over the personal information that shows up in Search.

The new proactive monitoring hub streamlines the company's existing feature, which notifies users of flagged search results containing their personal information, such as phone numbers and addresses, and lets them request removal — all in one place. Directly in Search itself, users can now immediately choose from expanded removal options by simply clicking on the three dots next to any result.

SEE ALSO: How trans people use technology to fight back against aggression

Additionally, users have the option to request an update to an outdated Search result — such as a Search summary that still lists old information for a since-refreshed website — that prompts Google's systems to re-crawl the page for relevant information. To request an update, users can click on those same three dots and select "I want to request a refresh."

Credit: Google

Google launched Results About You in 2023, a tool designed to enhance users' online privacy and potentially prevent digital doxxing. At the time, the company released new features to address revenge porn and options to blur explicit images in Search alongside the new monitoring tool, as well.

Amid a flurry of Search updates (included those powered by generative AI) in 2024, Google announced additional initiatives to tackle misinformation and non-consensual personal imagery in Search, including new policies to curb the proliferation of explicit deepfakes and the prevalence of AI-enhanced misinformation. In December, the company came under fire for updating its platform programing and advertising policies to seemingly allow for "digital fingerprinting" of its users.

Today, dating app Hinge launches Match Note, a feature for users to privately share details about themselves with matches before starting a conversation.

Match Notes are for aspects of oneself you might not want to share on your public profile, but you do want potential dates to know. For example, if you're non-monogamous, sober, or recently out.

SEE ALSO: Comparing AI features for Bumble, Hinge, and Tinder

Hinge users can now add a Match Note when updating their settings. If someone has a Match Note, another user must acknowledge it in order to match (or they can decide not to match). Then, the note is automatically shared when two people Like each other.

How to try Match Note in the Hinge app. Credit: Hinge

Match Note was inspired by conversations the app had with organizations TransTech Social and Disability:IN, according to information shared with Mashable. Daters want a way to tell matches important life details without revealing them on their public profile.

In a survey of over 2,000 users who participated in a Match Note test, 68 percent said the feature improves their ability to determine compatibility with matches. Sixty-six percent said the feature improves their ability to "show up as their authentic self" on Hinge.

Match Note is preceded by Prompt Feedback, an AI-generated feature to help users write more unique answers to Hinge Prompts. This also follows an investigation into Match Group, the conglomerate that owns Hinge, about its failures to properly report bad actors on its dating apps.

Moo Deng might not be the internet's main animal attraction anymore, but there's clearly still a lot of love out there for the pygmy hippo.

In the deeply wholesome video above, The White Lotus Season 3 stars Sarah Catherine Hook and Sam Nivola (aka the two youngest siblings in the troubled Ratliff family) pay Moo Deng and her family a visit at Thailand's Khao Kheow Open Zoo.

It's as adorable as you'd expect, and they even round the meeting off with a quick game of hippo-based trivia.