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Snag a pair of Bose Ultra Open Earbuds for their lowest price yet at Woot

Mashable - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 10:38

SAVE $119.01: As of Jan. 28, get the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds for just $179.99. That's 43% off and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Woot Bose Ultra Open Earbuds $179.99 at Woot
$299.00 Save $119.01 Get Deal

Ready to upgrade your current pair of earbuds? Or maybe you don't have a pair and want to snag some for a great deal. Whatever the case may be, if you're in the market, you can't go wrong with earbuds from Bose. And thanks to a deal that's going on today from Woot, you can score an affordable model that you'll want to use everywhere from the gym to relaxing in bed at night.

As of Jan. 28, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are $179.99 at Woot, down from their usual price of $299. That's a discount of 43% and the lowest price we've seen.

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are a little different than some of the others on the market. They rest on the outside of your ears instead of giving you a perfect seal. That lets them direct sound toward your inner ear so you can still enjoy music and podcasts without blocking out all the sounds you need to hear.

This design makes the Ultra Open Earbuds excellent for working out, running, or taking a walk — they're perfect for activity. They're also water-resistant in the event you sweat or take a short dip in the pool (but don't dunk your head under the water). All this, and they still sound excellent. They might take a little getting used to, but they're very much worth it, especially at this price.

A Kindle alternative is finally here — and it supports local bookstores

Mashable - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 10:35

SHOP E-BOOKS AT BOOKSHOP.ORG: Bookshop.org launched its e-book store, and every purchase supports local, independent bookstores.

Shop ebooks on Bookshop.org 'Onyx Storm' by Rebecca Yarros $14.99 at Bookshop.org Shop Now 'We Do Not Part' by Han Kang $13.99 at Bookshop.org Shop Now 'Intermezzo' by Sally Rooney $14.99 at Bookshop.org Shop Now

Launched in 2020, Bookshop.org's mission has always been supporting local bookstores. Every purchase directly supports the local bookstore of your choice (even if you're across the country from your favorite hometown shop) while still allowing you the freedom to shop online. Today, the platform has a new way for you to shop local online — as of Jan. 28, Bookshop.org has launched its e-book platform, empowering independent bookstores to sell digital copies.

If you've been looking for a Kindle Store alternative, Bookshop.org is offering you just that. Now you can buy e-books on Bookshop.org's digital platform to read on your smartphone or tablet. You can purchase e-books directly from the Bookshop.org or the Bookshop.org e-book app and read them on the app or directly on your web browser (not on Kindle).

SEE ALSO: 1,000 romance books are available for free in the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day

Bookshop.org's e-book platform is now live. You can purchase new releases like the much anticipated Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros or bestsellers like Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. There's also a selection of $3 e-books. Make sure you select a bookstore of your choice to support; otherwise, your purchase profits will go toward a split pool for all bookstore participants.

Take 35% off the 40-ounce Hydro Flask Travel Tumbler in perfectly pink shades for Valentines Day gifting

Mashable - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 10:25

SAVE $13.98: The 40-ounce Hydro Flask Travel Tumbler in pink Valentine's Day shades like Zinnia, Camilla, and Bayberry Ombre are on sale at Amazon for just $25.97, down from the normal price of $39.95. That's a 35% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hydro Flask Hydro Flask Travel Tumbler (40-ounce, select colorways) $25.97 at Amazon
$39.95 Save $13.98 Get Deal

We're about two weeks away from Valentine's Day on Feb. 14 which means it's time to start shopping. To avoid any stress of shipping delays or missed package delivery, we're in an ideal week to snag all those pretty pink gifts, for all of the Valentine's in your life. If your partner, mom, sister, or best friend could use some hydration motivation, check out this great gifting option at Amazon that's on a stellar discount.

As of Jan. 28, the 40-ounce Hydro Flask Travel Tumbler in fun Valentine's Day colorways like Zinnia, Camilla, and Bayberry Ombre are on sale at Amazon for only $25.97, marked down from the standard price of $39.95. That's a 35% discount that'll save you $13.98 on the stainless steel bottle.

Hydration is one of life's simple success hacks. It's oh so simple to drink water, but it's also impossible to stay hydrated. Somehow, almost all of us tend to forget that we need water (and plenty of it) to thrive. If your Valentine tends to always be parched, gifting a stylish Hydro Flask is a thoughtful present.

SEE ALSO: Lego just dropped a Twilight-inspired build that'll arrive in time for Valentine's Day

Today's deal extends to colorways that are sure to satisfy the pink-themed holiday. And we love the large, 40-ounce capacity.

The Hyrdro Flask comes with an ergonomically-designed handle and a leak-resistant lid with flexible straw. It's also safe to clean in the dishwasher. Plus, the double-wall vacuum insulation means your chilled drinks will stay cold longer.

If you've been browsing for a thoughtful Valentine's Day gift that your sweetheart will use everyday, the Hydro Flash Travel Tumbler is perfect. And thanks to the sale price at Amazon, you'll be saving 35% off the normal price. A sweet deal for everyone involved.

How DeepSeek Went From Stock Trader to A.I. Star

NYT Technology - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 10:07
The little-known artificial intelligence firm has emphasized research, even as it emerged as the brainchild of a hedge fund.

DeepSeek collects keystroke data and more, storing it in Chinese servers

Mashable - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 08:50

U.S. tech companies are known to stockpile as much user data as they can, but DeepSeek's privacy policy makes Meta, Google, and OpenAI look tame. 

Over the past few days, China-based AI startup DeepSeek has catapulted into tech consciousness with an open-source model that many claim is just as good, if not better, than OpenAI models and API costs for a fraction of the price. DeepSeek R1 might be significantly cheaper to run, but your privacy and security are the actual cost.

Looking through the fine print of DeepSeek's Privacy Policy, numerous red flags worth examining before you sign up.

SEE ALSO: DeepSeek AI: What you need to know about the ChatGPT rival DeepSeek's collected data is subject to local Chinese laws

"The personal information we collect from you may be stored on a server located outside of the country where you live. We store the information we collect in secure servers located in the People's Republic of China," the privacy policy reads.

In another section about how DeepSeek shares user data, the company states that it may share user information to "comply with applicable law, legal process, or government requests."

Tweet may have been deleted

As with the ongoing TikTok ban — initially enacted due to concerns about privacy, national security, surveillance, and propaganda — DeepSeek's privacy policy raises concerns about a U.S. foreign adversary's ability to access U.S. user data. Users are familiar with the massive amounts of data U.S. tech companies collect, but China's cybersecurity laws make it much easier for the government to demand data from its tech companies. Additionally, DeepSeek users have reported instances of censorship, when it comes to criticizing the Chinese government or asking about Tiananmen Square.

DeepSeek collects extensive data, including keystrokes

Not only does DeepSeek collect "text or audio input, prompt, uploaded files, feedback, chat history, or other content that [the user] provide[s] to our model and Services," but it also collects information from your device, including "device model, operating system, keystroke patterns or rhythms, IP address, and system language."

Tweet may have been deleted

Companies with AI models like Google, Meta, and OpenAI collect similar troves of information, but their privacy policies do not mention collecting keystrokes. There's also the added issue that DeepSeek sends your user data straight to Chinese servers.

Tweet may have been deleted DeepSeek retains user information for as long as they want

DeepSeek's privacy policy states that the company retains user information "for as long as necessary to provide our Services and for the other purposes set out in this Privacy Policy." 

For context, Google Gemini could can retain your data for up to three years, so, not great. OpenAI saves your deleted data for 30 days or 90 days for Operator. However, Meta also has an indefinite data retention period in the U.S.

If knowing that Meta saves your data indefinitely makes you uneasy, DeepSeek's policy is even more of a cybersecurity red flag because of China's governmental authority over its private sector. An undefined retention period exposes user data to even more risk to security breaches.

Other DeepSeek privacy and security questions left unanswered

In DeepSeek's privacy policy, there's no mention of the security of its servers. There's nothing about whether data is encrypted, either stored or in transmission, and zero information about safeguards to prevent unauthorized access.

DeepSeek also doesn't say whether users can opt out of sharing their data to train its models. Although Google and Meta have this in common with the LLM, which is to say it's not completely unfounded, it's always worth mentioning: Whatever you share with the chatbot, you share with the internet — and maybe the Chinese government in this instance.

Mashable has reached out to DeepSeek for further clarification about its policies and will update this story with a response.

Chevron Wants to Tap Into A.I. Boom by Selling Electricity to Data Centers

NYT Technology - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 08:00
The oil company plans to build natural gas power plants that will be directly connected to data centers used by technology companies for artificial intelligence and other services.

Visible from space, a mega iceberg could be on a collision course

Mashable - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 07:52

Visible from space, the world’s largest iceberg is headed towards a remote Antarctic island, threatening local animals.

A23a, the trillion-ton megaberg, which is 40 meters tall, twice as broad as London, and viewable through satellites, could either collide with the island of South Georgia, or get trapped in ocean currents revolving around it. Past iceberg collisions on the island, which is home to King penguins and about half of the world’s population of Southern elephant seals, have led to mass animal deaths due to starvation.

A23a first broke off from Antarctica’s Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986, when it measured around 3,900 square kilometers, and some of its sides extended up to 400 meters tall. The warming of waters near Antarctica have been shrinking it slowly, and scientists expect it to eventually break into multiple vast pieces.

G.M. Has Plans Ready for Trump’s Canada and Mexico Tariffs

NYT Technology - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 06:30
General Motors, the largest producer of cars in Mexico, won’t provide details on how it would react if President Trump imposes 25 percent tariffs from the two countries.

The Apple iPad Mini is back down to its lowest-ever price

Mashable - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 06:21

SAVE $100: As of Jan. 28, the Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro, 128GB, WiFi) is on sale for $399 at Amazon. That's 20% off its list price of $499.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro) $399.00 at Amazon
$499.00 Save $100.00 Get Deal

It doesn't need to be a big sale event for an exciting deal to drop. There have been quite a few deals appearing at numerous retailers that have been well worth jumping on after the holidays, and this discount on an Apple iPad Mini is no different.

The Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro, 128GB, WiFi) has dropped to $399 at Amazon. This is $100 off its list price of $499 and marks a return to its lowest-ever price, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel. If you've had your eye on this tablet and have been waiting for the best time to grab it, now's a great time to do so.

SEE ALSO: Rate your favorite smart home gear for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card

Alongside its portable design, this tablet boasts a Liquid Retina display that makes images pop on its 8.3-inch screen and the new A17 Pro chip for powerful performance. In our review, Mashable's Stan Schroeder says, "If you're new to the iPad, and you want the most compact one around (or any compact tablet), the new iPad mini 7 is the best choice."

This deal likely won't stick around for long, so don't miss out on the Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro, 128GB, WiFi) back at its lowest-ever price at Amazon.

If you're curious to see even more Apple deals that are available right now, have a look at this discount on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in Best Buy's 48-hour flash sale. Outside of that flash sale, you can also save on an Apple Watch Series 10 right now at Best Buy.

Jon Stewart weighs in on DeepSeek AI hammering the U.S. stock market

Mashable - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 05:56

Move over ChatGPT, there's a new contender to the throne. Chinese startup DeepSeek AI blasted its way to the top of Apple's App Store this week, hammering U.S. tech stocks in the process — and reacting to the news on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart was shocked and appalled.

"I was promised a new era of American prosperity and greatness!" says the host in the clip above. "DeepSeek? DeepSeek? We're getting our asses kicked by DeepSeek? Who names an AI company after the thing it actually does? Where are your random letters? Where's your GPT, your Grok? DeepSeek sounds like what you might use it for — China's even beating us at naming shit."

Luckily, Stewart is able to find some light at the end of the tunnel. "I do know this is bad news financially, but is anyone else somewhat excited that AI had its job replaced by AI?"

If you're interested in why DeepSeek is getting so much attention, here's what it does better than OpenAI's ChatGPT.

Best Buy has knocked $1,000 off this huge 83-inch Samsung S85D OLED 4K TV

Mashable - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 05:55

SAVE $1,000: As of Jan. 28, Samsung's 83-inch S85D OLED 4K Smart TV is on sale for $2,499.99 at Best Buy. This is $1,000 off its list price of $3,499.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 83-Inch Class S85D Series OLED 4K Smart Tizen TV (2024) $2,499.99 at Best Buy
$3,499.99 Save $1,000.00 Get Deal

If you've been on the hunt for a bigger TV, Best Buy's a great place to look right now. The retailer has some excellent deals on a wide range of TVs, including some gigantic options. The 83-inch Samsung S85D OLED 4K Smart Tizen TV is one of these picks on sale right now with a massive discount of $1,000 on list price.

This has dropped the price tag of this TV from $3,499.99 to $2,499.99, which is a deal that's well worth taking advantage of. Not to mention, it also comes with a one month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, so gamers can jump into the Game Pass library right after getting the TV set up.

SEE ALSO: Rate your favorite smart home gear for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card

Alongside its massive size, which makes this TV an excellent pick for movie nights, its 4K OLED display offers a crisp, vibrant picture that brings every detail to life no matter what you're watching. It also has built-in Dolby Atmos that's a treat for your ears, immersing you in the sounds of your favorite shows and films. And speaking of shows and films, it's also a smart TV, so your favorite streaming apps are just a click away.

Don't miss out on $1,000 off the 83-inch Samsung S85D OLED 4K Smart Tizen TV at Best Buy.

If you want to see some more TVs on sale right now, Best Buy's also offering discounts on the similarly huge 100-inch Hisense U76 Series 4K QLED TV and the 75-inch Samsung DU6950 4K Smart TV. Outside of Best Buy, Amazon also has a very nice deal on the Hisense U8 Series 85-inch 4K Smart TV that's worth checking out.

Trump calls DeepSeek a wake-up call for U.S. tech companies

Mashable - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 05:52

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has captured the tech world's attention in a way we haven't seen since ChatGPT and now, Donald Trump's got something to say about it, too.

"The release of DeepSeek, AI from a Chinese company should be a wake-up call for our industries that we need to be laser-focused on competing to win," said the president, addressing House Republicans in Miami on Monday.

The comments come after a red day in the U.S. stock market, in which Nvidia shed more than $500 billion in market cap on fears that DeepSeek's optimized approach to AI will reduced demand for Nvidia hardware.

DeepSeek R1 is the latest LLM from Chinese AI company DeepSeek. It wins over competitors, including OpenAI's most powerful models, in benchmarks, while requiring less computing power for training. It's cheaper to use than OpenAI's models, and it's open-source, making it easy for any tech company to use, repurpose, and modify as they see feet. Read our detailed overview of DeepSeek R1 on Mashable.

SEE ALSO: DeepSeek could dethrone OpenAI's ChatGPT. Here's why

While there are still a lot of unknowns about DeepSeek R1 and the company that built it, numerous U.S. tech leaders praised its efficiency and the fact that it's open-source. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Microsoft's Satya Nadella called DeepSeek R1 "super impressive," while investor Marc Andreessen called DeepSeek "one of the most amazing and impressive breakthroughs" he'd ever seen.

UPDATE: Jan. 28, 2025, 3:02 p.m. CET OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also chimed in with his opinion on DeepSeek early on Tuesday. "deepseek's r1 is an impressive model, particularly around what they're able to deliver for the price. we will obviously deliver much better models and also it's legit invigorating to have a new competitor! we will pull up some releases," he wrote on X.

The impact that DeepSeek had on the U.S. stock market immediately raised question on how the Trump administration will handle the news, including the possibility of outright banning it in the U.S.

Tweet may have been deleted

So far, however, it appears that Trump is seeing it as healthy competition rather than a threat to U.S. companies.

Super Bowl LIX is set: When to watch, halftime show, commercials, and more

Mashable - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 05:50

The Super Bowl LIX matchup is set and it's one that should feel familiar: The Kansas City Chiefs will face-off with the Philadelphia Eagles. It's a rematch of the Super Bowl from two years ago.

The Chiefs won that first matchup, 38-35, and this go-round they'll be looking to win their third Super Bowl in a row — a feat accomplished by no other NFL team. The Eagles, of course, will be looking for redemption.

We've got all the details ahead of the big game.

When to watch

Sure, you might be excited for the game — but you're going to have to wait a while to watch it. The Super Bowl is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 9 in New Orleans. It's set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET. Once it gets going, a typical broadcast of the big game lasts somewhere around four hours.

What about the halftime show?

It is a very highly anticipated halftime show this year, to say the last. Kendrick Lamar is slated to perform, fresh off a yearlong beef with Drake. It's already confirmed that SZA will perform alongside Lamar and it has been rumored that others could show up as well.

Tweet may have been deleted

Typically speaking, the halftime show will begin about 90 minutes after kickoff — but that is far from guaranteed. Football games don't last a uniform amount of time.

Do we know the best Super Bowl commercials yet?

We don't know every commercial that'll air during the big game, but a number of commercials have debuted or been teased already.

Budweiser has dropped its usual clydesdale commercial.

Uber Eats has teased an ad with Martha Stewart and Charli XCX.

Stella Artois has teased an ad with David Beckham.

Adam Brody has been part of a teaser for Pringles.

And a couple of personal favorites, Detroiters Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson, are slated to appear in a Totino's ad.

There will obviously be developments and news to come — but for now all we can do is wait for the game.

If I Had Legs, Id Kick You review: Rose Byrne stuns in nauseating thrill ride about motherhood

Mashable - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 05:19

In If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You, Rose Byrne’s face becomes the close-up canvas for a wildly unsettling comedy-drama. Written and directed by Mary Bronstein — her first feature in 17 years following Yeast— the film follows Byrne as Linda, a mother hanging on by a thread during what appears to be a prolonged nervous spiral. Mirroring her experience, it’s a deeply anxiety-inducing work, whose high-strung energy is owed to a daring audio-visual approach that ought not to be sustainable, but ends up hair-raising and hilarious in the long run. The result, in a word, is excellent.

Through their deft command of drama, Byrne and Bronstein make a formidable pair, as they present the slow demolition of one the most alluringly unpleasant protagonists in modern cinema (alongside Marianne Jean-Baptiste's Pansy in Mike Leigh’s recent Hard Truths).

SEE ALSO: 2025 movie preview: All the films you'll want to know about

The film is as illuminating as it is upsetting, presenting new cinematic dimensions to facets of motherhood rarely touched upon in Hollywood (prior to Nightbitch last year, the most prominent example was arguably Tully back in 2018). At a glance, If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You is Uncut Gems for postpartum depression (it was notably produced by Josh Safdie and longtime Safdie brothers writer/editor Ronald Bronstein). However, its narrative and aesthetic language is entirely its own, from its occasional hypnotic flourishes, to its distressing psychological portrait of a mother on the verge of a nervous breakdown, told almost entirely in close up.

What is If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You about?

You can trace the film’s fantastic dramatic setup across its first four scenes — three of which are therapy sessions of different kinds. Normally, it isn’t worth breaking down a festival release so numerically, but If I Had Legs is so dramatically fine-tuned that each moment feels like an escalation. It begins on a tight close-up of Byrne’s Linda, and stays there for longer than is comfortable. In fact, it gets increasingly claustrophobic, as an off-screen doctor (Bronstein herself) discusses Linda’s care options for her preschool-aged daughter (Delaney Quinn), who eats partially through a feeding tube in her stomach, which Linda insists is unnecessary.

Right from the word go, Linda’s judgement as a mother is in question. However, it’s hard to keep casting aspersions on the character (or at least, to keep them at the forefront of one’s mind) when Byrne delivers such a captivatingly troubled, melancholy, exhausted performance — and from which Bronstein refuses to avert the camera's gaze. However, when Linda leaves the appointment — a moment that might usually portend a calming interlude — the camera remains fixed on her at an uncomfortable proximity, as her daughter remains beyond the frame, asking repetitive questions, as children do. When they arrive home, there's still no peace for Linda, with her ongoing domestic cacophony crowned with the chaotic collapse of her bedroom ceiling, forcing her to relocate everyone to a cheap motel.

Featured Video For You Amy Adams on how she transformed into a dog in 'Nightbitch'

Linda's second session, held with her amusingly stone-faced therapist (Conan O’Brien) the next day, clues us into some of her self-destructive tendencies. However, her third and most surprising session is the most revealing. She walks right out of her therapist's office and down the hall to her own; she's also a therapist, setting up cycles of advice and therapy-speak that she either gives, or is given, but never adheres to herself. She has the right language, and the right emotional tools in theory, to thrive, but between a traveling husband who berates her over the phone, a doctor who thinks she’s a bad mother, and a daughter who she loves but who needs constant care, she doesn’t have a moment to implement these changes or methods for self-care. 

This desperation is something Bronstein deftly aestheticizes, in ways that feel both prolonged and hyper-active, making Linda’s anguish downright difficult to watch. The movie confronts a woman’s unspoken uncertainties of motherhood in ways that are sometimes repulsive, but deftly-navigated, with tremendous empathy for the movie’s irascible subject.

If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You is an audio-visual gut punch

In a strange but considered flourish, we almost never see Linda’s daughter throughout the film, even though she exists off-screen. Anyone who enters Linda’s orbit onscreen becomes the immediate object of her ire and fed-up tirades: her doctor, her therapist, a nagging hospital parking attendant, and even the motel's kindly superintendent James (a rare screen role for A$AP Rocky). Some of Linda's rants are even laced with subtle racial animus; this is hardly an angel to whom Bronstein is trying to endear us.

By not seeing her young daughter quite as completely as these other characters (even the ones she despises), and by speaking to her dismissively, Linda creates a coping mechanism of sorts — a disconnected, passive façade that prevents her from placing her vulnerable child in the same category as these other irritants. She enacts motherhood — as the fulfilment of a social contract — on autopilot, conversing with her kid with the same repetitiveness with which she changes her mechanical feeding bag overnight (a process accompanied by drone-like beeping that weighs Linda down).

It's hard to shake the sense that not fully engaging with motherhood might not just be a need for Linda, or a survival mechanism, but a secret want she represses. In society’s eyes, the worst thing a mother can do is fail at the Sisyphean trials of parenthood. Perhaps this is something Linda has internalized. It certainly goes hand-in-hand with the guilt she does fully express, over her child’s physical condition and sickness, which only adds to her reasons for not meeting her daughter’s gaze.

SEE ALSO: How 6 generations of iPhone captured 20 years of motherhood in 'Motherboard'

However, actually observing other people around her doesn’t mean Linda fully connects with them either. At one point, when she picks up a baby that isn’t hers, the infant’s close up is accompanied by shrill and piercing sound design (by Filipe Messeder) that lasts an eternity. Everyone is, to some degree, an annoying abstraction to her, whether by intent, or by the mere happenstance of her state of mind. This also applies to one of her unstable patients, Caroline (Danielle Macdonald), a new mother who seems on the verge of psychosis, and yet lucidly expresses the same feelings of postpartum doubt with which Linda has been living for so long — but refuses to see (or accept).

As Linda visits her apartment each night to check on the hole in her ceiling, it takes on unexpected physical properties that yield strange visions. This turns the literal and symbolic chasm into something practically metaphysical. Maybe it’s caused by Linda’s lack of sleep, or maybe it’s something deep within her subconscious lashing against the walls of her mind. Either way, the resultant drama is thrilling, hilarious, and upsetting all at once, and it’s largely owed to Byrne’s fearless, fully-embodied commitment to the part.

Rose Byrne delivers a monumental performance

Bronstein knows exactly how to capture Byrne’s nervous energy. The constant close ups keep the character on-edge, as though her motherhood (and her womanhood) were being interrogated, à la Carl Theodor Dreyer’s close up-heavy silent classic The Passion of Joan of Arc.

Just when the camera starts to pull back from Linda’s close ups, promising the briefest of respite, it becomes just as stressful in other ways, with Byrne’s fidgety body language conveying a burgeoning unease. Before long, relentless tight shots become a more desirable alternative, as if the best that we — and that Linda — could hope for is a moment of familiar discomfort, rather than a novel one with unexpected results. 

Where Byrne begins her journey is the kind of fragile emotional place most great screen performances have to carefully build toward. But in If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You, the precipice of total breakdown is the character’s baseline. Touch her and she might shatter — while cutting you in the process.

Things never stop getting worse for Linda, and Byrne’s depiction only grows more frayed. The character’s difficulties build in completely absurd ways, resulting in moments that are as jaw-droppingly funny as they are physically cringe-worthy. It’s the kind of film that’ll make you squirm in your seat while laughing till you almost break a rib. But it’ll also make you want to call your mom, owing to the depths of agony Byrne reaches into, playing a woman who speaks over everyone, and yet, wants desperately to be heard. 

Whether or not she deserves this particular hell is the kind of moral judgement the film practically never allows you to consider. The plot leaps forward with reckless abandon, just as mounting absurdities reach fever pitch, but the movie never breaks away from Byrne’s gradual self-immolation. Her conception of Linda — as a person doing her best, driven to short-tempered cruelty and selfishness by her circumstances — is too multidimensional, and too lifelike, to ever truly be disliked. 

Just like Jean-Baptiste in Hard Truths, there isn’t a single moment during which the torment driving Byrne’s character to lash out isn’t visible behind her eyes, begging to be recognized. It’s a plea made all the more urgent by the fact that If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You feels in a constant state of hair-raising climax. And so, it grabs you by the collar and pulls you along for its harrowing plunge, forcing you to witness — and to understand — the worst yet most deeply human impulses a mother can have.

If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You was reviewed out of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Why DeepSeek Could Change What Silicon Valley Believe About A.I.

NYT Technology - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 05:02
A new A.I. model, released by a scrappy Chinese upstart, has rocked Silicon Valley and upended several fundamental assumptions about A.I. progress.

Why DeepSeek Could Change What Silicon Valley Believe About A.I.

NYT Technology - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 05:02
A new A.I. model, released by a scrappy Chinese upstart, has rocked Silicon Valley and upended several fundamental assumptions about A.I. progress.

NASAs about to fly its powerful X-plane. It could make history.

Mashable - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 05:00

Planes that fly faster than the speed of sound create thunderous supersonic booms.

But with NASA's X-59 plane, that could change.

The space agency plans for the aircraft's first flight in 2025, an endeavor that seeks to turn the booms to "barely audible" thumps and make supersonic flight possible over land. Over a half-century ago, the U.S. banned commercial planes from flying at supersonic speeds over the nation, but NASA's Quiet SuperSonic Technology mission, or QueSST, seeks to change that.

"Kudos to NASA for working on this. For trying to find a real solution," Bob van der Linden, an aviation expert and supervisory curator at the Aeronautics Department of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, told Mashable when NASA revealed the sleek plane last year.

SEE ALSO: How Oppenheimer built an atomic bomb before the Nazis

Though the economic case and demand for future supersonic flights remains uncertain — flying at such high speeds burns bounties of fuel and drives higher ticket prices — it would revolutionize flight. A passenger could speed from Los Angeles to New York City in just two and a half hours. (Seats on the 1,300 mph Concorde plane, retired in 2003, were too expensive for most passengers, at some five times the cost of flying on a 747, which is largely why the plane commercially failed. It also couldn't legally fly over land, which limited the Concorde's routes.)

NASA awarded the aerospace company Lockheed Martin, which also makes U.S. fighter jets, a $247.5 million contract to build the X-59 craft, and as the images below show, the plane is in its final testing stages before taking flight over the California desert. Lockheed posted the image below on Jan. 24, showing burning gases shooting out the back of the engine. NASA noted in December that it was now running afterburner engine tests, which gives an aircraft the thrust it needs to reach supersonic speeds of over some 767 mph.

The X-59 aircraft will zoom at 925 mph some 55,000 feet above several U.S. communities to gauge the 100-foot-long experimental craft's ability to quell the unsettling supersonic booms.

Tweet may have been deleted Afterburner tests on the X-59 plane performed at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California. Credit: Lockheed Martin Corporation / Garry Tice How to tame a sonic boom

To quell the booms an aircraft makes when breaking the sound barrier, engineers employed a number of design innovations on the X-59:

  • Overall Shape: The X-59's sleek, elongated structure, with a particularly long nose, is designed to "spread out" the shockwaves made when the craft collides with atmospheric molecules. If it works, the plane won't send out violent shockwaves. "Instead, all people will hear is a quiet 'sonic thump' — if they hear anything at all," NASA explained.

  • Engine: The plane's single, powerful engine is on top of the craft, where the rumble won't be directed toward Earth's surface.

  • Cockpit / Windscreen: The X-59 is extremely skinny, so narrow that the cockpit, located over halfway back on the plane, has a constricted view of what lies ahead. There's not a forward-facing window. Fortunately, there's a solution: NASA's eXternal Vision System (XVS) provides a high-definition display of the world beyond. "A 4K-monitor serves as the central 'window' allowing the pilot to safely see traffic in their flight path," NASA said.

  • Wings: Engineers built the aircraft with "swept back" wings, a design meant to reduce drag.

After the first test flights in 2025, Lockheed Martin will transfer the plane to NASA. Then, after acoustic testing over California's Edwards Air Force Base and Armstrong Flight Research Center, NASA will fly the X-plane over select U.S. cities in 2026 and 2027.

Stay tuned. The X-59 might fly above you.

Always wanted a drone? This one is $110 off.

Mashable - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: The Ninja Dragon Phantom dual-camera smart drone is only $90 while supplies last (55% off) — less than 50 are left in stock.

Forget the stress of work, tax season, and other adult things for a minute. What does your inner child want today? We have a guess since you’re here: a drone that can take pictures

Now that you have adult money, your parents can’t stop you. Except you’ll hardly need to set aside much cash when this affordable drone is only $90 (reg. $199.99). Why are they 55% off? Because we want you to pick up a new hobby this year that excites you. But we’re selling out of these quick, so order yours ASAP.

The drone’s best features

This is a beginner-friendly drone, not one of those thousand-dollar models with a steep learning curve. Control it using the remote, pair it with your smartphone to draw flight paths with your finger, or get in front of one of the cameras to make gesture controls.

As you get used to flying, you’ll appreciate that the remote control has automatic takeoff and landing, so you don’t need to take Tom Cruise’s Top Gun flight classes. The drone also has obstacle avoidance, so you can worry less about hitting trees, walls, people, and other things that get in your way.

Ready to take some pictures? Good — the drone has two cameras, one on the front and one on the bottom. Capture aerial drone shots of nature, sporting events, or an artsy overview of your home.

Your drone’s pictures and videos won’t even look shaky with a built-in image stabilization system that enhances clarity and stability in flight. You’ll want to share everything on Facebook or TikTok (while you still can, anyway).

Order your dual-camera drone for $90 (reg. $199.99) before we’re sold out. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Dragon Ninja Dragon Phantom 15PRO Dual Camera Smart Drone $89.99
$199.99 Save $110.00 Get Deal

This app makes editing PDFs as easy as texting your friends

Mashable - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: Take $40 off a PDF Expert Premium Plan 1-year subscription for iOS while codes last — inventory is running low.

Think about the last time someone emailed you a PDF to sign or fill out, and all you had on hand was your iPhone. You probably looked into an invisible camera like you were on an episode of The Office since you couldn’t do anything with it. But we live in the digital age where having a PDF editing app is practically essential.

You don’t have to overpay for an app like Adobe Acrobat, though. An equally effective alternative is PDF Expert for iOS. They offer a 1-year subscription for $39.99, compared to Adobe, which costs upwards of $19.99 monthly to unlock premium features. 

Essential tools in your back pocket

Next time someone emails you a PDF, you’ll have a full mobile PDF editor that does basically anything you need:

PDF Expert also has an AI-powered chat feature. Imagine your boss sends you a 50-page document, and they want you to summarize it in the next team meeting. Instead of having to read the whole thing, PDF Expert can give you an AI summary.

Or, maybe you’d prefer a list of main points, keywords, or the ability to have a conversation with the PDF. That’s useful if you don’t understand something included because you can ask questions about the material and get instant answers.

You can get a 1-year subscription to this AI-powered PDF editor for $39.99 (reg. $79.99). You won’t find a better price anywhere else.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Readdle Limited PDF Expert Premium Plan $39.99
$79.99 Save $40.00 Get Deal

This new adapter means you may not need an aux cable anymore

Mashable - Tue, 01/28/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: Your iPhone or Android can connect wirelessly to your car with the PlayAIBox, on sale now for $89.99 (reg. $129). 

Time to lose the aux cable. If your car can't wirelessly connect to your phone, use PlayAIBox to bridge the gap. These wireless car adapters work with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and they're on sale for $89.99, down from $129. 

How does it work?

These adaptors work for cars that are compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto but can't connect wirelessly. You can use it in 98% of car models made from 2016 on, so unless your vehicle is a certified classic, it probably works. 

Installation is simple. Just plug it into your car with either of the USB cables that come in the box, then pair your phone. The first pairing may take around 30 seconds, but that's the case with most Bluetooth devices. Every connection after should be automatic and much faster. 

Once your PlayAIBox is installed, you can use your phone's navigation, play music, or even stream shows for your passenger. Road trips just got a whole lot better. 

Like to take your lunch break in your car? Pull up YouTube or a game on Android Auto and relax hands-free. 

Even if your phone doesn't have a connection, you may be able to watch movies and listen to music. Load your PlayAIBox up with an SD Card full of your favorites. It supports external storage up to 128GB. 

There's still time to get a PlayAIBox on sale for $89.99, but there aren't many left. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Opens in a new window Credit: RochasDivineMart PlayAIBox Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Wireless Adapter with Streaming Service Support $89.99
$129.99 Save $40.00 Get Deal

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