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TL;DR: As of January 26, get this Complete Godot Stack Development Bundle of game development courses for just $24.99 — a 93% discount.

If you've ever played Animal Crossing or Call of Duty and thought it would be great to create your own game, it's now more possible than ever thanks to modern technology and open-source (aka free) programs like Godot. With some time and this 16-course online learning bundle for $24.99 (reg. $399), you could learn Godot and develop your own games.

From beginner to developer

No coding experience? No problem. ZENVA has used self-paced courses to prepare more than one million developers for successful coding careers or hobby ventures, even when learners start as a total beginner. Just download Godot for free and buy these online courses to start building your game.

Create your dream video game

Begin with an introduction to game development and design, and get some hands-on experience with Godot through mini-projects. You’ll learn how to create and customize a 3D player and other assets, animate models with realistic flow, construct loops for repeated code, and more.

Now, let’s talk about how you can bring your game idea to life. This 16-course bundle covers the following types:

• Platformers: players jump and navigate through levels, like Super Mario Bros.

• Role-playing games (RPGs): players take on the role of a character while following a story (for example, Final Fantasy).

• Strategy games: players make tactical decisions, like in StarCraft.

• First-person shooter (FPS), where players use a first-person perspective in action-packed environments, such as Call of Duty.

If your idea fits into one of the above categories, these courses cover the steps of game development and creation to help you turn your dream into a 2D or 3D reality.

Learn how to create your own game with this 16-course 2024 Complete Godot Stack Development Bundle, currently $24.99 (reg. $399).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: ZENVA 2024 Complete Godot Stack Development Bundle $24.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal

TL;DR: As of January 26, get this bundle of SEO and marketing courses from Education Cloud for only $39.99 — an 89% discount.

While some aspects of marketing rely on tried-and-true methods, it's an industry that is always growing and implementing new ways of working, as well as new tech. If you're in the marketing field, you should be following suit and growing alongside the industry. One way to stay refreshed and in the know is to continue learning. And since we live in the digital age, there are some robust online learning options out there. 

For instance, this offer from Education Cloud by Squirrly gets you over 40 marketing and SEO courses. And right now, it's just $39.99 (reg. $399). These courses are run by industry experts and cover things like using SEO, marketing on social media, content marketing, and more to help you reach your career goals and become a more confident marketer. You'll even be educated on hacks and given real-world examples.

Peruse over 504 learning materials that are ready whenever, wherever. And if you want a more personalized experience, you can even take quizzes to get custom course suggestions via short quizzes or get course recommendations from others in the marketing world. Save your favorites to turn to time and again and track the progress of your learning plan.

If you're a content creator, entrepreneur, or marketing professional who is tired of spending hours online looking for marketing strategies that will help you succeed, this is a low-commitment option that puts a variety of skills at your fingertips. You can filter by media type (audio or video) and use this learning platform across your different devices.

To top it off, you'll have access to this marketing learning platform's future courses as well.

Get lifetime access to over 40 premium digital marketing courses with Education Cloud Plus by Squirrly while it's on sale for just $39.99 (reg. $399).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Squirrly Limited 40+ SEO & Digital Marketing Lifetime Courses $39.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal

You may have heard that a really cool total solar eclipse is happening soon — and that you shouldn't miss it, because they're rare.

But just how rare?

A total solar eclipse — when the moon passes in between the sun and Earth and completely blocks the sun for a few minutes or so — is on average visible somewhere on our planet every 18 months. But over 70 percent of our planet's surface is ocean, so being in an accessible viewing place (on land) is much rarer. And rarer yet is living in a place where this event is happening — meaning you don't need to travel hundreds of miles or perhaps even to another continent to see it.

"It's rare for it to come to you."

"It's rare for it to come to you," Richard Fienberg, an astronomer and senior advisor at the American Astronomical Society, told Mashable.

SEE ALSO: NASA will land daring spacecraft on a world 800 million miles away How often does a total solar eclipse happen?

When the moon completely blocks out the sun, it casts a shadow on Earth. As this shadow moves, it creates a "path of totality," which is a relatively narrow band that sweeps across the surface. Anyone standing inside this path will see a total solar eclipse (weather and clouds permitting). On April 8, 2024, this eclipse band will be 115 miles wide.

Crucially, it's rare for any specific location on Earth to experience a total solar eclipse.

"On the average, about 375 years elapse between the appearance of two total eclipses from the same place. But the interval can sometimes be much longer!" NASA explains.

(There are other types of solar eclipses that happen, like a partial or an annular eclipse, but these are nothing like a total solar eclipse, wherein the sun's ghostly corona is revealed. "Seeing a partial eclipse bears the same relation to seeing a total eclipse as kissing a man does to marrying him," the author Annie Dillard wrote in her essay "Total Eclipse," a poignant tale about experiencing totality in Washington state.)

The path of the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Credit: NASA Science Visualization Studio A total solar eclipse seen from the International Space Station. Credit: CNES

For this reason, avid eclipse viewers (sometimes called "eclipse chasers") chase total eclipse shadows wherever they may fall, which is often at sea. Total solar eclipses happen somewhere around every year or two.

"That's why most of the eclipses I have seen have been on cruise ships," Fienberg, whose journey to see the imminent eclipse on April 8, 2024, will be his 15th experience.

So if there's one on land, and in an accessible place, it's an exciting opportunity. It's almost certainly the only chance millions will have to experience totality from home. For example, after the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 — which crosses a long northeastern path across the U.S. — the lower 48 states won't experience another such eclipse for over 20 years, until Aug. 23, 2044. And that event will sweep just across a small portion of the U.S. before crossing north through Canada and into the Arctic. (But another one will sweep across a wide expanse of the nation in 2045.)

"It's not just something you see. It's something that you feel."

Experiencing totality, when you can see the sun's corona, the world darkens, and animals begin to act strange, is a poignant experience. That's why Fienberg certainly encourages anyone living in the path or near it to see it. And from personal experience, if you have the opportunity, it's also worth even traveling longer distances for the unique space spectacle. Make it a trip.

"It's not just something you see. It's something that you feel," Fienberg said.

Familiarity in horror isn’t always a bad thing.

The genre is filled with so many tropes that some of them act as a handy shortcut for terror. Gloomy basements, ancient curses, and ways to contact the dead are just a few of these, and they all crop up in Alberto Corredor's Baghead. There’s plenty in the film that feels creepily familiar. The problem is the other stuff in the movie — all the things that wrap around those old tropes — aren’t nearly compelling enough. Instead of using those foundational horror blocks to tell a tense new story, the whole thing just feels stale and unexciting.

SEE ALSO: The 13 best horror movies of 2023, and where to watch them What's Baghead about?

The starting idea isn’t a bad one.

After the sudden death of her estranged father (Peter Mullan), unemployed Iris (Freya Allan) discovers she's inherited his old pub: a dusty and dilapidated property that just so happens to come with a permanent basement-dwelling tenant. The bad news? As her dad's pre-death VHS tape informs her, Iris will now be bound to this subterranean creature forever and must follow a set of rules in order to stop it escaping. The good news? It's got some cool abilities that she might be able to profit from!

Iris' father's estate comes with certain...conditions. Credit: Studio Canal

If you're thinking that story sounds original enough, just wait until you hear what the monster — a lurching human-shaped figure (Anne Müller) with the titular sack over its head — can do: when it comes face-to-face with someone, it can embody their dead loved one in order to have a conversation from beyond the grave. You just have to set a timer for two minutes, or things start to go wrong.

It's very reminiscent of Danny and Michael Philippou's Talk to Me – one of Mashable's favourite horror movies of 2023 – but unfortunately it doesn't have the tension, stakes, or shock-factor that made that movie hold you in its grip.

The stakes in Baghead aren't high enough.

The characters are a big part of the problem. Although the acting in the film is solid all-round, it's hard to care about Iris, her friend Katie (Ruby Barker), or Neil (Jeremy Irvine), the stranger who turns up desperate to speak to his dead wife. The movie is 94 minutes of mainly plot, and aside from having a strained relationship with her dad, we don't really learn too much else about Iris. She's hard up for money, which is her motivation for staying in the property and trying to profit from Baghead, but that's about it. Katie is a dependable friend for Iris but little else, meanwhile, and Iris' dad is a fairly two-dimensional recluse.

The characters are all in a life-or-death situation, but it's hard to get too emotionally invested in people we don't know, and aren't given the chance to know.

The acting is solid, but it's difficult to care about these characters. Credit: Studio Canal Is Baghead all bad?

Despite the lack of tension, Baghead does still manage an effective jump scare or two. Corredor's direction is solid, utilising a few unexpected tricks to keep us on our toes and making the most of the material at hand. Christina Pamies and Bryce McGuire's script, despite the movie's overall deficiencies, comes with a few twists and turns to catch us off guard.

Unfortunately it's not enough to rescue Baghead. The story feels mostly flat, and the modern-day setting clashes awkwardly with the gothic atmosphere the film is shooting for. (Iris uses a smartphone, for instance, but the characters talk to each other as if they're living in the Victorian era. It's likely this is intentional — in going back to her dad's pub, Iris is setting foot into something that's so old it almost stands outside of time — but the result is still a little jarring.) The final nail in the coffin is the movie's ending, which trips over itself by trying to throw in one too many twists. There's some kind of revelation in there, but it's bogged down in layers of convolution.

Ultimately Baghead has a few promising threads, but the end result is misshapen sack. Watch Talk To Me instead.

How to watch: Baghead is coming to theatres in the UK and Ireland on Jan. 26.

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: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for January 26 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for January 26

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, Jan. 26, 2024:

AcrossSudden desire

• The answer is whim.

Painter's stand

• The answer is easel.

It can precede Joel and goat

• The answer is billy.

Ecosystem that rivals only the rainforest in biodiversity

• The answer is reef.

Unit for a comedian or weightlifter

• The answer is set.

DownInternet, with "the"

• The answer is web.

___ and makeup

• The answer is hair.

Parts of an archipelago

• The answer is isles.

All-out brawl

• The answer is melee.

Uber alternative

• The answer is Lyft.

TL;DR: Stream Senegal vs. Ivory Coast in AFCON for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The knockout rounds of the Africa Cup of Nations are set to deliver quality, energy, and moments of drama. There are some massive matchups in this first round of knockout games, but it doesn't get any bigger than Senegal vs. Ivory Coast.

If you want to watch Senegal vs. Ivory Coast for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Senegal vs. Ivory Coast?

Senegal vs. Ivory Coast kicks off at 8 p.m. GMT on Jan. 29. This fixture takes place at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast.

How to watch Senegal vs. Ivory Coast for free

The match between Senegal and Ivory Coast will be broadcast live on BBC Three, with coverage starting from 7:50 p.m. GMT on Jan. 29. You can also live stream this fixture for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These powerful tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can access BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Access BBC iPlayer to stream AFCON 2023 by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Stream Senegal vs. Ivory Coast for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch key AFCON knockout games before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 94 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to five simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch Senegal vs. Ivory Coast for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

When you're sheltering alone in your creepy cabin during a massive storm, there's only one thing to do when a knock comes at the door: ignore it. Unfortunately the man in the trailer for You'll Never Find Me, Patrick (Brendan Rock), picks the other option — and everything goes downhill from there.

Written by Indianna Bell and directed by Bell and Josiah Allen, Shudder's latest horror follows a strange woman (Jordan Cowan) who asks to shelter inside Patrick's cabin during the storm. But have they met each other before? And what's she really doing there?

How to watch: You'll Never Find Me is streaming on Shudder from March 22.

TL;DR: Stream Newport Country vs. Manchester United in the FA Cup for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming service from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The fourth-round of the FA Cup is delivering a lot of matchups between Premier League sides and smaller clubs with big dreams and nothing to lose. It's what makes the competition so special. The chance of a giant killing is always exciting, and there aren't many bigger giants than Manchester United.

If you want to watch Newport Country vs. Manchester United for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Newport Country vs. Manchester United?

Newport Country and Manchester United will kick off at 4:30 p.m. GMT on Jan. 28 at Rodney Parade.

How to watch Newport Country vs. Manchester United for free

The FA Cup fixture between Newport Country and Manchester United is live on BBC One, with coverage starting from 4 p.m. GMT on Jan. 28. You can also live stream this fixture for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, 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 the UK, meaning you can connect to BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Unblock BBC iPlayer by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Stream Newport Country vs. Manchester United for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to BBC iPlayer without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it gives you time to stream games like Newport Country vs. Manchester United before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 94 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to five simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch Newport Country vs. Manchester United for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Stream Liverpool vs. Norwich City in the FA Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming service from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The FA Cup is at its best when the biggest clubs in the country take on sides from outside the Premier League. Everyone wants to see a surprise result. Everyone except Liverpool fans that is, because Liverpool are hosting Norwich City in the fourth round of the competition.

If you want to watch Liverpool vs. Norwich City for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Liverpool vs. Norwich City?

Liverpool and Norwich City will kick off at 2:30 p.m. GMT on Jan. 28 at Anfield.

How to watch Liverpool vs. Norwich City for free

You can watch the FA Cup fixture between Liverpool and Norwich City live on ITV1, with coverage starting from 1:55 p.m. GMT on Jan. 28. You can also live stream this fixture for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, 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 the UK, meaning you can connect to ITVX from anywhere in the world.

Unblock ITVX by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit ITVX

5. Stream Liverpool vs. Norwich City for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By capitalising on these offers, you can gain access to ITVX without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it gives you time to stream Liverpool vs. Norwich City for free.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 94 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to five simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch Liverpool vs. Norwich City for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to Write Bot AI Content Creation is on sale for £31.42, saving you 92% on list price.

Writing may sound easy on paper, but chipping away at writer's block one word at a time can be tough and time-consuming. When you have a ton of other things you need to get done, you might not have time to do the job justice. 

Generative AI writing tools may be able to speed things up. While its no replacement for your own human brain, an AI content generator could help you quickly get the bulk of the work done so you can focus on fine-tuning. With Write Bot, that means you can use AI to quickly come up with ideas, outlines, drafts, and more, and a lifetime subscription is £31.42 for a limited time.

Write Bot is an AI-powered content generator that could help you craft quality content magnitudes faster. This Generative AI lets you choose from various use cases like blog ideas, business proposals, social media ads, product descriptions, and more when you're ready to craft a new text. Then you just fill in some information and let the AI do the rest. It may only take seconds for the AI to generate what could have taken hours otherwise. You can even edit and polish the final document right there. 

The Premium plan lets you generate up to 1,000,000 words per month across 12+ use cases. You also get access to priority email and chat support. Plus, you can access Write Bot from all your devices, so you can use it at work, at home, or on the go. It's accessible through any modern browser on desktop or mobile devices. This subscription is only available to new users. 

Don't miss your chance to get your own AI writer for life for a limited-time low price. Get a lifetime subscription to Write Bot for £31.42. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Write Bot Write Bot AI Content Creation (Lifetime Subscription) £31.42 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal

Question: Is there anything better than a chilled, fresh, relaxing, tasty, proper pint of beer in the pub? Answer (as if we actually need an answer): Absolutely not.  

We all like a beer at home too — a bag of cans or a few bottles are all well and good — but it’s not the same as a pub-pulled pint. That’s why home dispensers are increasingly popular. For beer enthusiasts, a dispenser should go alongside the coffee machine or kettle — an essential appliance that every kitchen needs.

But where to start? Different drinks for different needs, and that’s also true of beer dispensers. So we’ve rounded up a selection of machines to suit all kinds of beer lovers.

How does a beer dispenser work?

This really depends on the beer dispenser you buy. Some take kegs, some use their own technology, and others allow you to pour the beer straight in. We’ve even included one dispenser that sucks the beer straight from the can and turns into it a draught-style pint. Most models use kegs, or a variation on the keg.

How much beer does a beer dispenser hold?

While it would be easier for brands to list keg and dispenser capacities in pints — that’s how we like to drink it, after all — they’re measured in litres. Most dispensers hold kegs of around 5 litres (and there’s 1.76 pints in a litre), though some will hold a little more or less.

What types of beer do dispensers use?

Being limited to kegs doesn’t mean you’re limited with choice of beer brands. There’s actually a wide, ever-growing range of kegs available, with brands that include Budweiser, Stella Artois, Beck’s, Brewdog, Leffe, Goose Island, Corona, and Camden Hells. The Krups machine we’ve included in this roundup uses its own style kegs — oversized cans called “torps” — which include some alternative breweries and brands. That range includes the likes of Amstel, Moretti, Tiger, Lagunitas, and Brixton. Or you can get a home-brewing dispenser that allows you to brew all kinds of beer.

How much does a beer dispenser cost?

Luckily, this roundup of home beer dispensers includes a range of prices, from well under £100 to almost £400. There are cheaper options available, but if you want good quality, be prepared to spend at least a few hundred pounds. Remember there are ongoing costs with kegs, too. A 6 litre keg will cost somewhere between £30 and £45, depending on which brand you like to drink.

What is the best home beer dispenser?

Much like the beer itself, it all comes down to personal taste. Maybe you need something to keep the beer flowing at a party, or maybe you’re a serious beer connoisseur who wants the absolute best machine and best-tasting tipple that money can buy. Either way, there’s something for you on this list. We’ve taste-tested the reviews and scoured the internet for a good selection to suit every kind of beer lover.

There are the best beer dispensers in 2024.