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TL;DR: Skip the monthly fees and get lifetime access to Microsoft Office Pro Plus 2019 for Windows for just £28.12 (reg. £184.16) at the Mashable Shop.
Opens in a new window Credit: Retail King Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows £28.12 at the Mashable ShopReady to level up your work life? Mashable readers can get lifetime access to Microsoft Office Pro Plus 2019 for Windows for just £28.12 (reg. £184.16).
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Who would benefit most from this 2019 license?It’s great for students, remote workers, and home users who need reliable, offline access to essential Office apps without the hassle of recurring payments.
How many devices can I install Office on?This package allows you to install Microsoft Office on one device and is compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems.
Ready to own your Office tools for life? For £28.12 (reg. £184.16), you can skip the subscriptions and enjoy a lifetime of productivity with Microsoft Office 2019.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
TL;DR: Unblock porn sites with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.
The online world is not as open as you might think. It seems like you can navigate this world with total freedom, but there are actually content restrictions and blockades all over the place. This doesn't usually get in the way, but from time to time, the ability to bypass online restrictions would be really helpful.
Take porn sites, for example. Your access to your favorite porn sites is not always guaranteed. There's probably a good reason for this, but when the time is right, there's nothing wrong with visiting sites like Xnxx. Fortunately, there is a simple hack that can bypass geo-restrictions to unblock porn sites like Xnxx from anywhere in the world.
If you're looking for the best way to Xnxx for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
How to unblock Xnxx for freeVPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions to access porn sites like Xnxx from anywhere in the world.
Unblock porn sites like Xnxx by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to Xnxx
Visit Xnxx
The best VPNs for bypassing content restrictions are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Xnxx without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can retain access to porn sites when temporarily away from home.
What is the best VPN for porn?ExpressVPN is the best service for fast and reliable unblocking of porn sites like Xnxx, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy
Fast streaming speeds free from throttling
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.
Unblock Xnxx for free with ExpressVPN.
This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.
It's a parental debate for the 21st Century: How much screen time should we allow our kids to have? But because this is the 21st Century, it would be almost impossible to fight screen use entirely, so why not put it to good use by buying the kids a tablet that's good for both entertainment and education?
The good news is that there are tablets made especially for kids, or regular tablets that have great kid-specific features. It's a happy medium between giving your kids the access to tech that they want, without turning them into screen zombies.
With so many tablets on the market, it's hard to know which device is right for you and your kids — you want a tablet that will play to their interests, no matter how young they are, and will serve their specific educational needs. If you're unsure about how to choose a tablet for your kids, here's a quick guide.
Should kids have limited screen time?Screen learning and screen time restrictions are increasingly significant points of study. Parents' questions often boil down to "how much is too much?" The general advice, as offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics, is that kids between 2-5 should be limited to one hour of quality content a day. Beyond that, it’s about setting a plan that suits your child and family. Routines are always good and sensible limits will help tackle reported problems that may come from excessive screen use, such as obesity, behavioural problems, and impact on learning or sleep patterns.
How do tablets help kids learn?Tablets just feel more like playing, and it's not surprising that kids may be more willing to learn when it doesn't feel forced. One study found that students who used tablets saw higher exam scores than those who didn't use tablets, and they were able to recognise 20% more words due to an improved ability to recognise sounds and represent sounds as letters. A 2018 meta-analysis also found that touchscreens are beneficial for some learning, such as science and technology, because apps or games can create a memorable interactive experience (in contrast to simply reading about a science experiment, for instance, and not retaining the information).
What's important to remember is that tablets are a great learning tool as long as they're not a kid's only source of learning. Kids will always need to be comfortable reading print books and doing maths by hand. Sure. But the opportunities for self-sufficient and interactive learning on a tablet can't be understated.
How features do you need in a talblet for kids?Most tablets made specifically for kids will already be equipped with built-in parent accounts, timers, and pre-selected websites or apps that are strictly for kids. Easy enough. General purpose tablets aren't a bad choice at all — many sites name the iPad as one of the best tablets for kids even though it's technically for everyone. The most important things to keep in mind when shopping for a tablet for kids are as follows:
Screen Resolution — The required screen resolution will depend on the amount of movie watching and gaming your kids will be doing. If the answer is "not a lot," you won't need anything special.
Storage — They'll probably have more apps than you do, and may need space for downloads like offline Disney+ movies, music, or some books for school.
Parental controls — For obvious reasons, you are going to want to pay attention to the level of control you will be able to have over usage.
Rugged-ness — Because kids are basically adorable destruction machines and you'll probably feel better with a protective case.
Focus on these features and you can't got wrong.
What is the best tablet for kids?To help you make the best decision for you, your kid, and your life, we have shortlisted a selection of standout tablets for kids. There is something for everyone and every budget in this list, and all you need to do is pick a favourite. You have the choice of impressive tablets from the likes of Amazon, Apple, and more.
These are the best tablets for kids in 2025.
Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for February 4 Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for February 3, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:A Bone structure found in the mouth.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?The letters O and T appear twice.
Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter T.
SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
TOOTH.
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for February 4Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Tweet may have been deletedEach puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Tweet may have been deletedPlayers can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for February 3 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Keeping things safe for later
Green: Used for refining surfaces
Blue: Betting-related language
Purple: Descriptive food terms
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Conserve
Green: Smooth Using Friction
Blue: Sports Gambling Terms
Purple: Words Before "Fingers"
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections #604 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayConserve: KEEP, PRESERVE, SAVE, STORE
Smooth Using Friction: BUFF, FILE, GRIND, SAND
Sports Gambling Terms: FAVORITE, PARLAY, SPREAD, UNDER
Words Before "Fingers": BUTTER, CHICKEN, LADY, STICKY
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for February 4Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Tweet may have been deletedEach puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Tweet may have been deletedPlayers can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Nimble.
Green: Athletic group name
Blue: Southern state teams
Purple: Same suffix.
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Agile
Green: NWSL
Blue: Louisiana sports teams
Purple: ____ DOME
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #134 is...
What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition todayAgile - ATHLETIC, LIMBER, LITHE, SPRIGHTLY
NWSL - LEAGUE, NATIONAL, SOCCER, WOMEN'S
Louisiana sports teams - GREEN WAVE, PELICANS, SAINTS, TIGERS
____ DOME - ASTRO, KING, METRO, SUPER
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.
Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableBy providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 4 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 4 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Elf-centeredThese words are different mythical creatures.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedWords are mischievous, elf-like beings.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Impish.
Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for February 4Gremlin
Hobgoblin
Leprechaun
Fairy
Pixie
Sprite
Impish
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.
During the early morning of Monday, Feb. 3, protesters flooded the Washington, D.C. street that marks the entrance to the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The group wasn't trying to enter the federal premises in a violent takeover, but rather act as a wall of defense between the government agency and a directive to cease the organization's work as a matter of fiduciary foresight. Later that afternoon, the USAID office shut down. The official USAID website is no longer available.
SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's DOGE takeover is reportedly being spearheaded by young college gradsThe decisions came after Elon Musk — newly-appointed leader of DOGE, a non-government agency with no official government powers or legal precedent for intervening in federal spending — declared he would be cutting off USAID, halting tens of billion in foreign aid spending. Musk, incentivized by President Trump's commitment to "cut federal spending" set his sights on what he called an "evil" "criminal organization," and a "viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America."
Federal employees were then barred from entering the D.C. premises, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared he would step in as de-facto USAID administrator, calling the humanitarian organization "a completely unresponsive agency" that needed to be "aligned" with U.S. foreign policy.
Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted What is USAID?The U.S. Agency for International Development operates the federal government's global aid budget and associated programs, serving as "the principal U.S. agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms," according to the agency's archived website (accessible on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine).
USAID was established in the 1960s under an executive order by President John F. Kennedy, a result of the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act intended to streamline foreign aid and efficiently administer humanitarian aid on behalf of the U.S. government. USAID is overseen by the president, secretary of state, and the National Security Council, and seeks to invest in longterm economic assistance abroad as part of the country's larger foreign policy.
USAID operates through dozens of international field missions in more than 60 countries, each with a different focus area, including disaster and poverty relief, socio-economic development, and assistance with global issues — USAID frequently administers programs globally through collaborations with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Why did Elon Musk target USAID?To put it simply, the agency oversees a lot of crucial spending. As of 2023, USAID was allocated around half of the U.S. government's total budget for international aid, a sum of about $68 billion.
Following Trump's order, and then reversal, of a government-wide federal spending freeze, Musk took aim at USAID as part of his mandate to rid the U.S. government of so-called corruption and superfluous spending. And while both Trump and Rubio had declared humanitarian aid would be waived under the auditing process spearheaded by DOGE, Musk moved forward with an attempt to eliminate USAID as a singular entity. Trump had recently made references to removing and replacing the "radical lunatics" overseeing USAID, as well. On Feb. 3, USAID Director for Security John Vorhees and Deputy Director for Security Brian McGill were fired.
Tweet may have been deletedSimultaneously, Musk has been pushing for greater access and control over federal systems and their offices. After requesting and being denied access to internal systems through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on Feb. 2, Musk reportedly pushed to oust administrators who had refused his requests, with two anonymous OPM officials losing access to the system shortly after. Musk and his allies later gained control of internal U.S. Treasury databases.
According to the BBC, USAID's activities will be rolled into the workings of the State Department with a significant reduction in funding and workforce. It's unclear how this will effect ongoing programs, including charity contributions, abroad.
What can DOGE actually do?DOGE, otherwise known as the Department of Government Efficiency, was announced by Trump in November, shortly after he won the 2024 presidential election. The department's mandate, at the time, was described as modernizing federal systems and slashing inefficiency — Trump called it a new "Manhattan Project" set to overhaul the government's IT systems.
But DOGE is not a government agency with the same powers as the offices it's trying to eliminate. Instead, DOGE was established as an advising body under the United States Digital Service (now the U.S. DOGE SERVICE) and the Office for Personnel Management. Under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, it should only be able to exercise advisory powers to federal spending, while Congress retains oversight and decision-making for large budgetary actions, despite the promises of Trump and Musk.
In practice, however, DOGE and its leader are exercising power they may not legally have a right to, and operating on a path that some refer to as a forcible takeover of government.
As DOGE head Elon Musk works to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID's official website has gone dark.
Following Musk's threats to kill the office in charge of distributing foreign aid — including humanitarian allotments — Musk officially announced on Monday that President Trump had signed off on his so-called cost-cutting measures involving the agency, immediately shutting down the office and reportedly instructing security officers to stop federal employees from entering the premises.
SEE ALSO: [Update] Elon Musk shuts down USAID, calls it a 'ball of worms'Not long before USAID's end, and in what appears to be the new strategy of the Trump administration, the agency's website was pulled. It now serves visitors with a notice that the server is unable to load. At the time, government employees and Democratic lawmakers expressed concern, as individuals were redirected to a State Department webpage merely summarizing USAID's work.
Previously, the administration pulled websites for the shelved Office for Gun Violence Prevention and multiple pages making referencing to LGBTQ (specifically transgender) resources and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
Credit: ScreenshotNearly one million Discord users just had their account details – including usernames, IP addresses, and Discord IDs – exposed in a hacking forum.
However, Discord, the popular chat room service, doesn't appear to have suffered from a data breach directly. Instead, a third-party backup solution known as RestoreCord has been breached.
As first noticed by cybersecurity website Leakd, a file containing a massive leak of Discord user data was posted freely on a popular hacking forum called BreachForums. The data, which includes users' Discord IDs, IP addresses, and usernames, was posted by a BreachForums user with the handle "Sythe."
RestoreCord is a service used by some Discord users to backup their servers on the platform. RestoreCord says on its website that it is "the only Discord Bot that you will ever need to protect and recover your server from raids, nukes, and more." RestoreCord boasts that it serves 99 million members, including 100,000 paying customers, and backs up 55,000 Discord servers.
The FBI seized BreachForums last year after the site became a well-known haven for buying and selling stolen data. However, one of BreachForums' domains popped back up just a few weeks after the May 2024 takedown.
BreachForums' founder Conor Fitzpatrick was arrested in 2023 on a range of charges connected to the site. However, Fitzpatrick just recently made news a few weeks ago after a U.S. appeals court overturned the lenient sentence he originally received.
It is unclear as of publishing as to how the data was obtained or if there has been any malicious activity connected to what's included in the leak. Mashable has reached out to RestoreCord for more information and will update this piece when we hear back.
SAVE $50: The Sonos Era 100 smart speaker is on sale at Amazon for $199, down from the typical price of $249. That's a 20% discount.
Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Era 100 $199.00 at AmazonYour movies, TV shows, and playlists deserve something better than your TVs built-in speakers. Those are notoriously not so great (for starters, most face backward) and we have a new White Lotus theme song to look forward to in just a few weeks. Before the new episodes drop, make sure your TVs sound system is ready thanks to today's deal at Amazon.
As of Feb. 3, the Sonos Era 100 smart speaker is on sale at Amazon for $199, marked down from the standard price of $249. That's a 20% discount that'll save you $50. You're free to snag the white or black colorway options to score this sale price.
The Bluetooth enabled Sonos Era 100 is ready to play your favorite tunes with a dual-tweeter acoustic architecture and 25% bigger midwoofer. Boiled down, that means you'll be hearing better sound quality with deep base that comes from an impressively compact speaker.
Use it to play your podcasts while you clean or a pump-up workout mix. You could also add it to your home's speaker setup and connect it to your TV with the Bluetooth connection. Plus, it can also connect to a computer and even a turntable thanks to the line-in adapter.
If your home is in need of a more powerful Bluetooth speaker, today's sale price on the Sonos Era 100 means this is a great time to upgrade. Your playlists will thank you.
Save 31%: The 10-ounce Ember Mug 2 typically goes for $129.95, but as of Feb. 3, you can grab it for just $89.99 on Amazon, saving you $39.96.
Opens in a new window Credit: Ember Ember Mug 2 (10 ounces) $89.99 at AmazonYou and your loved ones deserve better than room temperature coffee.
Granted, upwards of $100 may seem an exorbitant price to pay for that, but I'm writing as someone who once subsisted most mornings on a glorious single sip of hot coffee, before inevitably getting wrapped up in starting my day, and ultimately resigning myself to a mug of lukewarm to outright cold coffee — I deserved better. Thankfully, I had a partner who saw that, and gifted me the heated Ember mug, and two years later, I can confidently say it was one of best gifts I've ever received.
SEE ALSO: 32 Valentine's Day gift ideas for menWith Valentine's Day around the corner, it's a great time to show your partner, your friends, or yourself that love, and thanks to a deal at Amazon, it won't cost quite as much. As of Feb. 3, you can grab the 10-ounce Ember Mug 2 for $89.99, down nearly $40 from its $129.95 list price.
I will acknowledge that even on sale, you're paying nearly $100 for a mug. However, that's part of what makes this mug a great gift — not that it's expensive, but that it feels just fancy and frivolous enough that most people will likely talk themselves out of getting it. That's one half of the good gift Venn Diagram — things the person would likely never get for themselves. The other half is, of course, something that the recipient will actually use, and if the recipient loves cozying up with a hot drink (again, I encourage including yourself in this category), I promise this mug will get plenty of use.
Beyond the price, there are a couple of setbacks for this mug. For one, its battery life maxes out at an hour and 20 minutes — it helps, don't get me wrong, but the Platonic ideal of the Ember Mug would last at least through the entire morning. That said, you can get around this by keeping it on its charging coaster after you fill it up — it won't recharge while it has liquid in it, but it will hold the battery life. The other downside is that it is hand wash only, so be aware if you plan on giving this to a dishwasher power user.
SAVE 54%: As of Feb. 3, you can get 27 preserved roses for just $59.94 at Amazon (54% off!). These stunning blooms last up to three years.
Opens in a new window Credit: Glamour Boutique 27 Preserved Roses in a Heart Box $59.94 at AmazonWe don’t usually write about non-Amazon sellers (aka third-party sellers), but this deal looks legit.
Right now, you can get a heart-shaped box of 27 preserved roses for only $59.94 from an online retailer called Glamour Boutique. Sure, the name isn’t super sophisticated, but these roses have more than 2K reviews and a 4.6-star average rating. (We also peeked at the photos to make sure they’d be worth showing off on the 'gram.)
SEE ALSO: Sexy Valentine's Day gifts guaranteed to spice things upSo, if you’ve always wanted to gift your SO a Venus et Fleur box for Valentine's Day but couldn't stomach the $399 price tag, this could be the perfect affordable alternative. If you wanted to make it look more luxe, you could pop it into a black Parisian hat box or get a crystal vase to display it in.
These roses come in sets of seven, 16, 27, and 50, and you can choose from colors like pink, yellow, red, etc. (The white looks especially chic.) And here’s the selling point: they're reportedly supposed to last for up to three years, so it's basically like getting three years’ worth of fresh roses for $60.
GET TWO FREE E-BOOKS WITH PRIME: As of Feb. 3, Amazon Prime members can snag two free Amazon First Reads books. Not a Prime member? You can still grab two e-books for just $1.99 each.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon First Reads Prime members get two free e-books. Non-Prime members pay $1.99 for the first two. Get DealIf you’re trying to read more this year (first of all, good on you!), Amazon's First Reads program is a great way to add new books to your library without breaking the bank or taking up too much physical space on your shelves.
Each month, Amazon First Reads gives Prime members early access to new books and popular reads, and in February, Prime members can choose one Kindle book and one bonus short read for free. Non-Prime members will have to pay $1.99 (each) to add these books to their collections, but it's still a great deal compared to the usual retail prices.
SEE ALSO: 'Severance's 'The You You Are' is now a real book. Here are 4 things we learned from it.This month’s lineup includes a mix of genres, from psychological thrillers to romance novels, so there’s a little bit of something for everyone. Find titles like The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez, Mr. Whispher by Andrew Mayne, and Not Quite by the Book by Julie Hatcher.
First Reads is free to join, and when you sign up, you’ll get a monthly email with the new selections of the month.
On the heels of its o3 mini release, OpenAI announced a new ChatGPT agent for handling in-depth research. Appropriately, it's called "deep research."
Using a yet-to-be-released version of OpenAI's reasoning model o3, deep research "conducts multi-step research on the internet for complex tasks," said the announcement. Deep research on ChatGPT essentially functions as your very own research assistant. It's designed to help users "who do intensive knowledge work in areas like finance, science, policy, and engineering," but can be used for any kind of thorough research needs, like shopping for a new car.
Tweet may have been deleted ChatGPT's deep research report on the best snowboards for freestyle riders, complete with sources. Credit: OpenAIIf OpenAI's deep research tool sounds familiar, that's because Google Gemini released the same thing with the same name in early December. The two companies have continued to compete for AI dominance, taking that rivalry into the next phase of AI development, which is building models with more complex reasoning abilities and agents that can perform tasks on the user's behalf. Then there's the China-based DeepSeek, which exploded onto the scene last week with its cost-efficient R1 model, throttling tech stocks and spooking the AI industry.
SEE ALSO: OpenAI, Microsoft, Trump admin claim DeepSeek trained AI off stolen dataWhile R1 certainly made waves for being a fully capable LLM made for a fraction of the cost of ChatGPT, OpenAI seems to be flexing its muscles with the release of o3 mini, an agent called Operator for browsing the web and performing computer tasks, and now the deep research feature. "Deepseek's r1 is an impressive model, particularly around what they're able to deliver for the price," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted on X last Monday. "We will obviously deliver much better models and also it's legit invigorating to have a new competitor! we will pull up some releases."
Tweet may have been deletedAltman went on to say, "we are excited to continue to execute on our research roadmap and believe more compute is more important now than ever before to succeed at our mission," in a follow up post referencing the company's plans for AGI and the billions of dollars raised to ostensibly achieve this mission. So, OpenAI is at least publicly staying the course, but we can also expect some product releases to keep the masses happy and engaged.
Tweet may have been deletedCompared to other models like GPT-4o, which is best for real-time conversations, deep research is best for specific and in-depth tasks, which can take anyway from five to 30 minutes to complete. As the announcement notes, you can step away from your computer while deep research does its thing, and you'll get a notification of a final report within the chat when its done.
The responses include detailed outputs and summaries of its thinking, so you can see how deep research came to its conclusions. The report also includes citations and links to its sources.
Given the large compute power per query, OpenAI is first making deep research available to ChatGPT Pro users with 100 queries a month. Then Plus and Team users, then Enterprise users. Deep research is currently only available on the web, with mobile and desktop app access coming by the end of February. Sorry to users in the UK and EU, but OpenAI is "still working on bringing access" to you.
Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow (Conclave) face off in The Rule of Jenny Pen, a terrifying new horror film from director James Ashcroft (Coming Home in the Dark).
SEE ALSO: 2025 movie preview: All the films you'll want to know aboutAdapted from Owen Marshall's short story of the same name, The Rule of Jenny Pen follows arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen (Rush), who experiences a near-fatal stroke and is sent to live in a retirement home. There, he meets fellow resident Dave Crealy (Lithgow). Crealy may seem mild-mannered during the day, but at night, he roams the home's halls and terrorizes residents with his doll, the terrifying Jenny Pen. With no help from the retirement home staff, it's up to Mortensen to take Crealy (and Jenny) down.
You can watch Jenny in all her frightening glory in the trailer above. And if she's not enough to convince you to check out The Rule of Jenny Pen, maybe you'll listen to Stephen King, who said in 2024 that The Rule of Jenny Pen is "one of the best movies I've seen this year."
SAVE UP TO 64%: Select SEGA games are discounted at Best Buy by as much as 64%. Sale prices start at just $19.99 and include Xbox, PS5, and Nintendo Switch titles.
Best SEGA game deals at Best Buy Best PS5 SEGA game deal "Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth" $24.99 (save $45) Get Deal Best Xbox SEGA game deal "Sonic Origins Plus" $19.99 (save $20) Get Deal Best SEGA Nintendo Switch game deal "Unicorn Overlord" $29.99 (save $30) Get DealSearching for some new entertainment to finish out the winter season? Look no further than Best Buy's sale on SEGA games. While the sale doesn't cover the newest titles, the selection is perfect for picking up a few titles you may have missed out on in the last few years.
The sale includes SEGA games fit to play on the Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, and Xbox One, to name a handful. Since some titles are up to 64% off, it's worth browsing the selection to find your new favorites.
Best SEGA PS5 game Opens in a new window Credit: SEGA "Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth" $24.99 at Best BuyFrom Japan to Hawaii, dive into the RPG adventures of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth on the PS5. With Best Buy's SEGA sale, the game costs only $24.99, instead of the list price of $69.99.
Look forward to the often funny side quests and minigames whether you've played along with all Like a Dragon games or this'll be your first.
Best SEGA Xbox game Opens in a new window Credit: SEGA "sonic Origins Plus" $19.99 at Best BuyWhat's better than one game? How about 16 classic titles all rolled into one game. That's what you'll get with Sonic Origins Plus and thanks to Best Buy, the game can be your to play on Xbox One and Xbox Series X for the low price of $19.99, down from the normal price of $39.99.
With old classics come new characters, modes, challenges , and extra scenes.
Best SEGA Nintendo Switch game Opens in a new window Credit: SEGA "Unicorn Overlord" $29.99 at Best BuyIf you're scanning the Best Buy SEGA sale and play on the Nintendo Switch check out Unicorn Overlord. While the game usually costs $59.99, Best Buy has it discounted to just $29.99. Explore the fantasy world with animated battles through five nations in Unicorn Overlord which lets you choose from over 60 characters including humans, angels, beasts, and elves.
With impressive graphics and a compelling story, the game will have you happily busy until the sun returns this spring.
A new month brings a new slew of deals at Amazon. While the daily deals pages at the mega retailer can often be filled with inflated prices and items sitting at the same "sale" price for weeks on end, today's deals are actually pretty impressive. We've handpicked a few we think are worth grabbing on Feb. 3
Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day. If these aren't getting the job done, check back tomorrow for a brand new batch.
Our top pick: Apple AirPods 4 Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 $99.99 at AmazonNow's a great time to upgrade your listening experience with a new pair of AirPods. The fourth-generation earbuds (without ANC) are on sale for just under $100 at Amazon as of Feb. 3. That's 22% in savings and the biggest discount to date. With personalized spatial audio, Siri interactions, voice isolation, a surprisingly snug fit, and up to five hours of listening time, the AirPods 4 are a solid daily driver. Want noise cancellation? It'll cost you a bit more, although the buds with ANC are also on sale for 17% off.
Check out our review of the AirPods 4.
Fitbit Inspire 3 Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Inspire 3 $79.95 at Amazon"For anyone new to fitness or any dedicated gym rat, the Fitbit Inspire 3 gets you more than you pay for," Mashable's reviewer writes. If you're making health and wellness a priority in 2025, the Fitbit Inspire 3 offers a huge suite of tracking features — from sleep and stress to steps and blood oxygen levels. It also has an intuitive, low-profile design, easy-to-navigate user interface, impressive app suite, workout insights, and decent battery life. As of Feb. 3, it's back on sale for only $79.95 at Amazon — that's 20% in savings — making it a total steal.
Check out our review of the Fitbit Inspire 3.
Beats Solo 4 Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Solo 4 $99.99 at AmazonThe Beats Solo 4s improve upon the previous generation with upgraded drivers, rebalanced acoustics, and an improved frequency response. Translation: they have much more dynamic sound. They also have better battery life, clocking in at around 50 hours (10 more hours than their predecessor). They lack noise-cancelling technology, which is kind of a bummer, but we're willing to overlook that since they're down to just $99.99. That's 50% off their typical cost and their best price on record.
Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 10 $94.99 at Amazon"The Fire HD 10 shines as a budget tablet designed for streaming and gaming," Mashable reviewer SaVanna Shoemaker writes. It's over 30 grams lighter than the previous generation and 25 percent faster. Plus, it features an upgraded front-facing camera (5MP vs. 2MP) for better pictures and video calls. It's not the fanciest tablet on the market by any means, but the no-frills design is ideal for watching movies, answering emails, or even reading on the go. It's usually $139.99, but you can slash 32% off as of Feb. 3 and grab it for just $94.99 at Amazon.
Check out our full review of the Amazon Fire HD 10.
Blink Video Doorbell Opens in a new window Credit: Blink Blink Video Doorbell $32.99 at AmazonThe Blink Video Doorbell gives you an extra set of eyes to see who (or what) is outside your door, whether you're at home or out and about. It features a 1080p HD live view, two-way audio, infrared night vision, and can be installed in minutes. Plus, it'll last for up to two years on two AA batteries when paired with the Sync Module (sold separately). Slash 45% off as of Feb. 3 and pick it up for only $32.99 at Amazon. That's just $3 away from its best price ever.
None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.
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