Mashable

"Human vs. Hamster," a very real reality show, premieres November 21 on Max.

SAVE $45.99: The Roku Ultra LT streaming device is on sale for just $34 at Walmart, down from the normal price of $79.99. That's a 57% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Roku Roku Ultra LT streaming device $34.00 at Walmart
$79.99 Save $45.99 Get Deal

Winter weather is coming. Darkness descending at 4 p.m. can feel daunting unless you have something to look forward to during the evening. Sure, you could go to the gym or join a book club or meet friends for dinner. But you could also cozy up on the couch and catch up on all those shows people have said are incredible but you haven't gotten around to. If that sounds ideal for a winter activity, check out this deal at Walmart today.

As of Nov. 12, the Roku Ultra LT streaming device is on sale for just $34 at Walmart as part of the retailer's Black Friday sale, down from the list price of $79.99. That means you'll be getting a 57% discount.

With the included high-speed HDMI cable, the Roku Ultra LT streaming device works as an all-in-one hub for your streaming services. From the Roku, heading into Netflix, Disney+, Max, Hulu, and more to stream your favorite shows and movies. The Roku Ultra LT can connect to your home's WiFi network or get a stable connection with an Ethernet cable.

The Roku Ultra LT comes with a convenient remote control with quick access to your favorite streaming apps while also controlling your TVs power and volume. There's also voice control on the remote which allows you to search, play, or pause for a more hands-off experience.

This Roku model also comes with headphones that plug into the remote which is perfect if anyone in your home prefers to watch TV while others are asleep. If you'd rather, you can also use you own Bluetooth-enabled headphones or earbuds with the Roku mobile app.

If your winter plans involve streaming shows and movies, snag this Black Friday deal at Walmart and get the Roku Ultra LT for just $34 which is an awesome 57% off the normal price.

In the fourth "Bridget Jones" film, Bridget (Renée Zellweger) tries dating again after Mark Darcy's (Colin Firth) death. Trailer.

SAVE $500: As of Nov. 12, get the Garmin Epix Gen 2 GPS Smartwatch for just $399.99, down from its usual price of $899.99, at Walmart. That's 55% off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart Garmin Epix Gen 2 GPS Smartwatch $399.99 at Walmart
$899.99 Save $500.00 Get Deal

We're nearing the beginning of a new year, and you know what that means: it's time to start looking ahead to those health-related resolutions we try to keep every January. What better way to do that than with this early Black Friday deal on one of Garmin's best GPS-based, fitness-focused smartwatches?

As of Nov. 12, you can get the Garmin Epix Gen 2 GPS Smartwatch for just $399.99, down from $899.99, at Walmart. That's $500 off, or a discount of 55%.

SEE ALSO: The best smartwatch for every wrist

This watch boasts a crisp, 1.3-inch always-on AMOLED display on a watch band that looks more like a real timepiece than what we've come to expect from smartwatches. But it doesn't skimp on the features, if that's something you're concerned about. Its sapphire display and titanium bezel go well with the low-profile watch band, and you've got plenty of fitness and normal smartphone-centric options to choose from when wearing this watch.

It offers 24/7 heart rate, stress, respiration, pulse ox, and sleep monitoring options, as well as built-in sports and fitness apps to keep track of your fitness journey. Plus, it uses the Garmin Coach system to offer assistance with training plans, as well as TopoActive mapping and SkiView maps at over 2,000 ski resorts for all kinds of winter activities.

If you prefer to use your normal repertoire of phone apps from your smartwatch, those are supported as well. Take calls, answer texts, and use Garmin Pay for all your contactless payments.

There's plenty to love about this smart timepiece, especially as it's $500 off right now. If you're serious about tracking workouts and the like but want a reliable watch that can handle it all for you, don't miss out on what will likely be a limited-time deal at Walmart ahead of Black Friday.

GET $100.00 OFF: As of Nov. 12, you can get a Hisense 50" Class R6 Series 4K UHD Roku Smart TV for just $138. That's 43% off the original price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 50" Class R6 Series 4K UHD Roku Smart TV $138.00 at Walmart
$238.00 Save $100.00 Get Deal

With long nights and cold days ahead, autumn is a great time to invest in a new TV. Snuggle into a blanket on the couch and stream your favorite show, or dive into your first playthrough of Black Myth: Wukong. You’ll have to make excuses as to why you won’t meet your friends out this weekend, but they’ll understand. You’ve got a new TV — that’s reason enough, right?

Yes. With 50 inches of 4K Ultra HD resolution, the Hisense R6 Series is as affordable as it is good looking. It has a 4000:1 contrast ratio and 8.3 million pixels. How many pixels is that per dollar?

SEE ALSO: Walmart's first Black Friday sale is live: Get $50 off the new Apple Watch, a 50-inch 4K TV for under $150, and more

Built-in Roku brings the smarts, enabling you to cycle between programs and streaming services intuitively.

For game aficionados, this TV delivers 60 HZ screen refresh times — which is pretty decent for a 4K TV at this price point. It also features Game Mode, which prioritizes input, reducing lag. It’s zippy enough for you to be competitive online.

Get the Hisense 50" Class R6 Series now and take advantage of this early Walmart Black Friday sale to save $100 or 43%, for a price of $138.

Entertainment isn’t only about the picture, however. The Hisense 50" Class R6 Series also prioritizes sound, with virtual Surround Sound that brings your right into the action. Pair this with a great audio system or sound bar to immerse yourself completely.

Disney+'s 2025 slate also includes new seasons of 'Andor' and 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians,' and originals like 'Chad Powers.'

Taron Egerton finds himself in a "Speed"-like Christmas Eve in the trailer for Netflix's "Carry On." Trailer.

The new Mac mini, powered by the M4 chipset, was announced last month. Not only is the new M4 Mac mini arguably affordable and powerful, but it also ushered in a complete redesign for the computer. The new Mac mini is now Apple's smallest computer ever.

However, there is one pretty controversial design choice with the new M4 Mac mini: The power button. 

Previously, the Mac mini was designed with the power button located on the back of the device alongside all of the computer's ports. With the redesigned M4 Mac mini, however, Apple placed the power button on the bottom of the device.

That's right. The power button for the new M4 Mac mini line of computers is located underneath the device.

SEE ALSO: M4 Mac mini vs. M2 Mac mini: What are the differences? Apple responds

Now, we have some answers regarding what Apple was thinking with the M4 Mac mini power button.

Credit: Apple

In an interview with IThome, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak and Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering John Ternus addressed the location of the Mac mini's power button.

After being asked about the design choice for the Mac mini, the Apple executives explained that it was the "optimal spot" for the power button due to the redesign. According to Apple, the new location is not inconvenient. Users can just tuck their finger underneath the computer and press the power button.

In addition, the Apple executives brought up how users don't really utilize the power button on the Mac mini all that often. 

Mashable's take

As an owner of both the M1 Mac mini and the new M4 Pro Mac mini, I can attest to what Apple is saying. I've rarely had to use the power button on my old Mac mini. The most regular use for the power button was during the rare occasions where there was an issue with my computer and I had to force restart by holding the power button down. Otherwise, I'd rarely shut the Mac mini off. I just let it drift off into Sleep Mode.

As for the location of the power button on the new redesign M4 Mac minis, that's true, too. The location of the power button is not that big of a deal. It's still accessible for those rare occasions where I'll need to use it.

The location of the power button has garnered so much attention, it's reminiscent of another controversial Apple design: the Magic Mouse. Apple placed the charging port for the Magic Mouse underneath the device, meaning if you need to charge the mouse while using it, well, you're out of luck. You can't.

Unlike the Magic Mouse, though, the location of the power button on the Mac mini does not affect any use case scenario whatsoever.

SAVE $50: As of Nov. 12, a one-year membership to Target Circle 360 is on sale for $49. This is $50 off its usual price of $99, marking a discount of 50%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Target Target Circle 360 (1-Year Subscription) 50% off first year Get Deal

Black Friday is coming up soon with the holidays to follow not long after. If you've been looking for even more ways to save outside of the seasonal sale event, some retailers offer memberships that include exclusive benefits to make shopping during events like this just a little bit easier. Sometimes those memberships will get discounts of their own, which is exactly what Target's offering right now on their paid Target Circle 360 annual membership.

Normally this annual membership costs $99, but for a limited time you can get your first year of Target Circle 360 for just $49. This makes for a whopping $50 off the first year of the annual membership, which is worth jumping on if you're a frequent Target shopper who's been wanting to make use of its perks.

SEE ALSO: Get a 55-inch LG B3 OLED TV for under $1,000 in Walmart's early Black Friday sale

The big features of a Target Circle 360 membership include unlimited same-day delivery on orders over $35, free two-day shipping, and an extra 30 days to return any items you purchase. It also includes the usual perks that come with the free Target Circle membership, such as exclusive access to Target Circle deals.

If you're a frequent shopper at Target, the 360 membership is a nice way to make shopping just a little bit more convenient. And if you still need to track down gifts for the holidays, this is a quick and easy way to get your shopping in ahead of time and hopefully score some nice discounts on top of what you find. This deal only lasts until Dec. 2, so don't miss out on $50 off your first year of Target Circle 360.

Target's got plenty of exciting deals planned for Black Friday which you can learn more about in our breakdown of everything you need to know about Target's Black Friday sales. Walmart and Best Buy are also offering some early discounts that are worth checking out right now, with the former already kicking off its first big Black Friday sale.

SAVE OVER $400: As of Nov. 12, the 55-inch LG B3 OLED TV is on sale for $798 as part of Walmart's early Black Friday sale. That is down $401 from its list price of $1,199.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 55-inch Class 4K UHD OLED Web OS Smart TV $798.00 at Walmart
$1,199.00 Save $401.00 Get Deal

Investing in an OLED TV often comes with a steep price tag. This is especially true when looking at LG's models, which are some of the best on the market right now. Thankfully, Walmart's offering an incredible early Black Friday deal on the 55-inch LG B3 OLED TV, providing a nice opportunity to get set up with a high-quality TV for under $1,000.

The 55-inch LG B3 OLED TV is currently on sale for $798. This is $401 off its list price of $1,199. Considering this model only came out last year, this is a deal that's definitely worth taking advantage of if you've been looking to upgrade your TV and make the jump to OLED. The LG B3 has the features and specs to make it worth the price tag, too.

SEE ALSO: Walmart's first Black Friday sale is live: Get $50 off the new Apple Watch, a 50-inch 4K TV for under $150, and more

The LG B3 OLED offers vibrant colors and contrast alongside 4K resolution, making whatever you throw on the display really shine at its best quality. It's a great budget entry for gamers and movie lovers alike, offering a 120Hz refresh rate alongside features like Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and a Filmmaker Mode.

At this price, there's truly no better time to invest in an OLED TV. Don't miss out on this early Black Friday deal on the 55-inch LG B3 at Walmart.

There are plenty more deals where this one came from as well. Have a look at our breakdown of Walmart's first Black Friday sale to see even more excellent offers available. Best Buy and Target are also jumping in on the Black Friday action early with some sale events of their own. Check out their respective breakdowns to see what else is available right now and what they've got planned over the next few weeks.

Dwayne Johnson's appearance on "The Tonight Show" ended in a pillow fight with Jimmy Fallon.

Jon Stewart spoke about why the Democrats lost the 2024 election during his "Daily Show" monologue.

Baggage lost on your last flight? No worries: Soon you'll be able to share its exact location with the airline.

On Monday, Apple launched a new iOS feature called Share Item Location. It's a new way to share the real-time coordinates of lost or misplaced items with third parties, including airlines. This works on accessories that support Apple's Find My feature, as well as AirTags.

Users can do this by opening Find My and generating a Share Item Location link for a particular item. If you send it to someone, they'll receive a link that will bring up an interactive map showing the item in its current location, and the map will update when the item moves.

SEE ALSO: AirTag odyssey: One woman's lost luggage journey goes viral

"The Find My network and AirTags have proven to be a powerful combination for users while traveling, providing invaluable location information when bags have been misplaced or mishandled. "With Share Item Location, we’re excited to give users a new way to easily share this information directly with third parties like airlines, all while protecting their privacy," said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services.

The feature is available in iOS 18.2 beta, though the update should become widely available "soon."

Once you get your item back, the shared location will be disabled. Credit: Apple

People (including the author of this text) have already started using Apple's AirTags to track misplaced luggage. It helped me locate and expedite its recovery more than once. But with this new feature, Apple is looking to make it a part of airlines' customer service.

According to the company, more than 15 airlines will start accepting Find My item locations as part of their customer service. The list includes Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, United, Virgin Atlantic, and Vueling. Apple says these airlines will be added to the program "in the coming months," with more airlines being added "in the coming months."

Apple says it has taken care to keep this data secure and private. The process of sharing the item's location is end-to-end encrypted and anonymous, the company said. And once the misplaced item is back in your hands, the shared location will automatically be disabled.

SAVE $75: As of Nov. 12, the Apple AirPods 3 are on sale for $94 at Walmart as part of its early Black Friday sale, down from $169.00.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) $94.00 at Walmart
$169.00 Save $75.00 Get Deal

Walmart's kicked off their first Black Friday sale event and it is full of exciting deals to check out. If you've been on the hunt for some new earbuds, you're in luck. Apple AirPods 3 have received a massive discount in their sale that's absolutely worth jumping on if you've been looking to hop on the AirPods bandwagon.

The AirPods 3 are available right now at Walmart for just $94, $75 off their list price of $169. That marks a new low price for the models — as price tracker camelcamelcamel has their lowest-ever price at Amazon listed at $139.99 — giving you an extra $45.99 off. That's a deal worth taking advantage of before it's gone, and the AirPods 3 are worth the investment, too.

SEE ALSO: 4 best robot vacuums and mops to buy on Black Friday, tested

In our review of the AirPods 3, writer Alex Perry said that they're "the best entry-level AirPods yet." And how do they fare against the latest AirPods release this year? In our comparison of Apple AirPods 4 vs. AirPods 3, Mashable's Chance Townsend and Kimberly Gedeon found that "the AirPods 3 — while lacking ANC — still delivers solid sound quality and reliable battery life. So, if you’re all about advanced features and noise cancellation AirPods 4 is the way to go. But if you prefer a simple, proven pair of earbuds, the AirPods 3 will still hold up."

As said before, these are a great investment if you're looking to dip your toes into the world of AirPods. So don't miss out on this early Black Friday deal on the Apple AirPods 3 at Walmart.

Walmart isn't the only retailer jumping on the Black Friday bandwagon right now. Best Buy and Target are also offering some excellent early discounts for shoppers to check out ahead of the big Black Friday shopping event. Have a look at our breakdowns of each to learn more about what they're offering this season.

The Daily Mini Crossword is one of the many popular daily word games available on Mashable. Powered by Arkadium, the mini crossword offers a speed round of puzzle fun with clues that are sure to challenge experienced crossword enthusiasts.

But there's no need to let the challenge get in the way of your enjoyment! If moments are turning to minutes after getting stuck on a clue, find the answers you need to progress right here.

And when you're done, check out the many other word games you can play on Mashable, including a full-size crossword.

Also, if you get stuck on any other daily word games, such as Wordle, Connections, or Strands — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle hints and answers for November 12 SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to Daily Mini Crossword for Wednesday, November 12, 2024:

AcrossBaseball accessory

• The answer is Cap.

Not affected by alcohol

• The answer is Sober.

Seat of power

• The answer is Throne.

In the vicinity

• The answer is Around.

Energizer mascout

• The answer is Bunny.

Severe ongoing anxiety

• The answer is Gad.

DownBeer brand

• The answer is Corona.

Be plentiful

• The answer is Abound.

Lincoln's coin

• The answer is Penny.

Raised shoulders

• The answer is Shrug.

Traffic stopper

• The answer is Red.

Bar bill

• The answer is Tab.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stirring.

SEE ALSO: Mini crossword answers for November 12 Hurdle Word 1 answer

SWIRL

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Cooking in a pan.

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

SAUTE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Used to write on a board.

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

CHALK

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Both a name and an acknowledgment.

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

ROGER

Final Hurdle hint

A type of jazz. Also the name of a TMNT villain.

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

BEBOP

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

TL;DR: Live stream Sinner vs. Fritz in the 2024 ATP Finals for free on RaiPlay. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2024 ATP Finals have started with some really strong tennis from the best players in the world. Sinner and Fritz both won their opening games in straight sets, so we're expecting a real battle between these two tough players.

If you want to watch Sinner vs. Fritz in the 2024 ATP Finals for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Sinner vs. Fritz in the 2024 ATP Finals for free

The 2024 ATP Finals are available to live stream for free on RaiPlay in Italy. RaiPlay is offering coverage of one match per day, including Sinner vs. Fritz.

If you're abroad during this tournament, you might need to use a VPN to unblock RaiPlay. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Italy, meaning you can unblock RaiPlay in a few simple steps.

Access free live streams of the 2024 ATP Finals 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 Italy

4. Visit RaiPlay

5. Watch Sinner vs. Fritz for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer incentive deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can access free live streams of Sinner vs. Fritz without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch select ATP Finals matches before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for RaiPlay?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the ATP Finals for free on RaiPlay, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Italy

• 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 eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Sinner vs. Fritz in the 2024 ATP Finals for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Despite the enthusiasm of actors in Swiffer commercials, few people are smiling at the workout that is manually mopping their floors.

If you experience similar dread when faced with vacuuming, the best robot vacuum and mop combos will cross those two chores off of your list (three, if you count digging your old mop out of the closet as a chore in itself).

Are robot vacuums good at mopping?

I'm not saying you can expect a hybrid robot vacuum to scrub your kitchen grout with the same tenacity you would get with a toothbrush, but robot vacuums have gotten much better at mopping over the past few years.

Since 2020-ish, most robot vacuum companies have added at least one (several, in most cases) hybrid model to their lineup, with prices ranging from $200 to well over $1,000. You can generally expect the mopping technique to get a little more meticulous as price goes up, so the type of mess that your 2-in-1 model will need to conquer becomes a big deciding factor. Are you mostly concerned with wiping up spur-of-the-moment spills, or will you be a stickler about dried-on stains that call for more heavy-duty scrubbing?

SEE ALSO: As a Dyson stan, I wouldn't tell anyone to buy the Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum

Fortunately, both ends of the pricing spectrum provide way more bang for their buck in 2024 than they did in the early 2020s. The mere presence of a cloth and a water tank is far from good enough at this point — now, the best robot vacuums and mops are armed with more mechanics attempting to mimic the elbow grease that a human with a mop or Swiffer would provide, like pressurized and/or spinning mopping pads (rather than lackadaisical, stationary ones). Water tank compatibility with cleaning solution and even automatic detergent

SEE ALSO: Dyson's cheapest laser vacuum made me feel bad about my dirty floors...in a good way

But arguably the most pivotal shift 2-in-1 robot vacuums saw in the past year isn't on the robot vacuums themselves, but in their docks. Past automatically emptying the dust bin, the best robot mop combos also cross post-mopping maintenance off of your list by automatically washing and drying their own mopping pads, then refilling themselves with clean water from the dock. With one of these self-cleaning stations, your robovac will be ready to mop again almost immediately — a clutch change from an older, more basic design that had us all choosing between manually washing a smelly mopping pad after each use, letting it mop with a dirty pad, or just avoiding the mopping feature altogether.

Is Black Friday a good time to buy a robot vacuum?

Yep, robot vacuum deals are a huge deal on Black Friday. This is especially true for more premium robot vacuum hybrids (like the full self-cleaning ones I just mentioned above) — while most 2-in-1 models that wash their own mopping pads usually run you at least $700 (but probably more) any other time, Black Friday is prime time to shave a few hundred dollars off to make the investment a little more digestible.

Aside from one or two straggler models that might be super new or a brand's most premium option, almost every robot vacuum that's worth your time will probably be on sale by the time Black Friday officially starts — maybe even hit a new record low price compared to October Prime Day. Naturally, I'm tracking all of the best Black Friday robot vacuum deals for you in an expertly curated list, including a ton of early deals.

Not sure how fancy of a hybrid robot vacuum you even need at home, or where to start your Black Friday search? I've tested 15+ of the most popular robot vacuum and mop combos on my own floors at home, narrowing down your options to the top four robot vacuums that also wash your floors.

Viruses love to jump between animal species.

In 2023, a highly pathogenic bird flu leapt to seals in South America, killing some 17,000 elephant seal pups (about 97 percent of the vulnerable animals) and an unknown number of adults in a major breeding colony in Península Valdés, Argentina. A new genetic analysis, published in the science journal Nature Communications, determined that once the virus entered this population of marine mammals, it evolved and spread easily between seals, likely stoking a transnational outbreak.

The results underscore the risk of bird flu spread in animals, including us. After all, some 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases in humans come from other animal species. These are known as zoonotic diseases.

"We reflect that H5N1 viruses becoming more evolutionary flexible and adapting to mammals in new ways could have global consequences for wildlife, humans, and/or livestock," the scientists wrote.

FYI: The images below show dead seals and birds.

SEE ALSO: These animals went extinct in 2023

The dramatic, recent consequences for the elephant seals of Península Valdés can be seen in the images below.

"We were totally appalled by the dramatic impact of the epidemic of avian influenza on this population," Valeria Falabella, a study coauthor and the director of coastal and marine conservation at Wildlife Conservation Society Argentina, said in a statement. "It is likely that more than half of the reproductive population died due to the virus. It will take decades before the numbers are back to the 2022 population size."

Before the seals died, researchers observed telltale signs of infection in the pups, including labored breathing, tremors, trouble moving, and nasal discharge.

The carcasses of elephant seal pups documented in Punta Delgada, Argentina, in October 2023. Credit: Marcela Uhart / UC Davis An August 2024 image of skeletal remains of elephant seal pups from the Península Valdés colony. The outbreak occurred in 2023. Credit: Marcela Uhart / UC Davis In foreground: the remains of a dead elephant seal pup in Península Valdés. In background: young elephant seals on the beach. Credit: Ralph Vanstreels / UC Davis Dead elephant seal pups seen on the beach in Punta Delgada, Argentina, in October 2023. Credit: Ralph Vanstreels / UC Davis

Swabbed samples taken from infected seals showed how the H5N1 virus has become increasingly adaptable to new hosts. The viruses found in seals and birds (such as terns) in Argentina formed a distinct clade or group that also spread to seals in Peru, Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay.

This virus isn't going away. While it hasn't been detected in the decimated elephant seal colonies in 2024, it has been "widespread in wild birds and has caused outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows, with recent cases reported among dairy and poultry workers," UC Davis, whose researchers worked on the new study, explained. Fortunately, the virus isn't spreading from humans to other humans — though it is infecting some U.S. dairy and poultry workers (46 people have been reported infected in the U.S. as of Nov. 11, according to the CDC).

Tweet may have been deleted

The researchers will continue monitoring the spread of this virus in the wild and elsewhere, with the aim of understanding how it's evolving.

It's unknown, of course, when or where the next novel viral outbreak in humans will come from. It could be a long time. Or not. It could be another coronavirus. Or another influenza virus — which caused the devastating 1918 flu pandemic (and may have started as an avian flu). But what's certain, although sometimes easy to forget, is that our history is punctuated by pandemics.

TL;DR: Get Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition for $19.97 — a gift of endless creativity, adventure, and pixel-perfect fun.

If you’re looking for a holiday gift that’s as limitless as their imagination, this digital download of Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition is the ultimate choice for just $20 (reg. $29). From snowy village builds to pixelated cabins and forests, Minecraft lets players create their own winter escape — all without stepping into the cold.

Perfect for kids, teens, and any adults who still love a good adventure, this game is a cozy gift that lasts way beyond the holiday season.

With both Java and Bedrock Editions, players can switch between modes, experiment with new updates, and access thousands of mods, texture packs, and mini-games. Whether they’re logging on solo or joining friends, Minecraft’s world-building tools offer countless ways to explore, craft, and conquer. The game’s creative and survival modes let players choose their own journey, whether they’re setting up a bustling winter town or dodging digital characters in survival mode.

Minecraft is also cross-platform, so they can play on different devices without missing a beat. And with regular updates, it’s a gift that keeps on giving — new biomes, mobs, and challenges are always on the horizon.

Priced at $19.97 for a limited time, the Minecraft Java and Bedrock Edition digital download is the perfect blend of nostalgia and adventure, and the only thing they’ll need to bundle up for is a trip to their own pixelated wonderland.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Retail King Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition (Digital Download) $19.97
$29.99 Save $10.02 Get Deal