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SAVE OVER $20: As of Feb. 25, the Soundcore V20i open-ear headphones are on sale for $28.49 at Amazon. That's 43% off their list price of $49.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore Soundcore V20i by Anker Open-Ear Headphones $28.49 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $21.50 Get Deal

When looking for new headphones and earbuds, sometimes you just want a reliable pair to get you through the day that won't make a massive dent in your wallet to purchase. If that's what you're currently after, Amazon's offering a nice deal on the Soundcore V20i open-ear headphones that's worth checking out.

These headphones are down to $28.49 at the moment, 43% off their list price of $49.99. It's also their lowest-ever price, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel, which makes the deal even more worth it to jump on. While the black headphones are down to $28.49, you can also score the blue and white pair for a touch more at $29.99 a piece, if they catch your eye. They're marked as a limited-time deal, though, so act fast to get them at this price.

SEE ALSO: For gym rats and picky audiophiles alike, these are the 7 best headphones of 2025

Whether you want them for workouts or just hanging out, the Soundcore V20i open-ear headphones offer a comfortable fit that hooks around your ear instead of going in it. Their design allows you to be more aware of the world around you while you're wearing them, too, while still offering punchy sound with Soundcore's BassUp technology.

If you're in need of some new headphones, this deal on the Soundcore V20i open-ear headphones at Amazon is one you definitely don't want to miss.

If you're looking for even more headphone and earbud deals and don't mind spending a little extra cash, Best Buy's offering a $50 discount on the AirPods Max (USB-C) right now. You can also save on the Sennheiser Accentum earbuds there.

SAVE $100: As of Feb. 25, the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds are on sale at Best Buy for $99.99. This is 50% off their list price of $199.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sennheiser Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless Earbuds $99.99 at Best Buy
$199.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal

If you've had new earbuds on the brain, there are plenty of great deals floating around at the moment. Over at Best Buy, you can score some nice discounts on a variety of earbuds right now, including from big brands like Sennheiser. The Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds, in particular, are on sale at an excellent price that's worth jumping on.

The Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds are discounted to $99.99 at Best Buy, $100 off their list price of $199.99. Not to mention, purchasing these earbuds also comes with YouTube Premium for free for three months if you're a new subscriber, so you can kickstart your audio journey with these buds by listening to some music and videos right away on the service.

SEE ALSO: The best noise-cancelling earbuds include the most comfortable buds I've ever tested

Alongside that fun bonus offer of YouTube Premium, these earbuds provide excellent sound quality (as one would expect from Sennheiser) with TrueResponse acoustic technology. They also offer Hybrid Active Noise Cancelation so you can feel fully immersed in what you're listening to, no matter where you are. All of this is on top of the fact that these earbuds have a comfortable design and offer up to eight hours of playtime.

Don't miss out on $100 off the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds at Best Buy.

If you're curious to see even more earbud and headphone deals, there are a couple more that are worth looking at right now. Also at Best Buy are the Apple AirPods Max (USB-C), which are discounted $50, and if you want to see more from Sennheiser you can also save on the Sennheiser HD 599 headphones at the moment at Amazon.

Jon Stewart gets so animated while monologuing about Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts that he actually smashes his prop mug on his desk.

The Daily Show host is near the end breaking down everything DOGE has been doing so far. He argues they're focusing on things like cuts to research studies when they could be looking at the "$3 billion we give to oil and gas companies that already turned billions in profit" or the "$2 trillion we've given defence contractors to build a fighter jet that blows, when everybody knows that the next war is gonna be fought with drones and blockchain, whatever that is."

"Capitalism is by definition exploitative. That's how it operates. That's fine. But then government's role should be to ease the negative effects on Americans of that exploitation. Not subsidise that treachery with our money," says Stewart. "I want DOGE to work. I want better efficiencies, I want to get rid of the alphabet agencies that don't do enough, make the Pentagon pass an audit, but we are DOGE'ing in the wrong place if we want to really change the system."

The case is this: An Australian driver is accused of using a mobile phone while driving, a violation of Road Rules 2014 (NSW) Reg 300. Their defence: It was not a phone in their hand, but a misidentified juice box. Acting for them is Jeanette Merjane, a senior associate at law firm Lander & Rogers.

Also acting for them is an AI trained on legal documents.

In a bright lecture hall at the University of Technology, Sydney, SXSW Sydney session "Can AI Win a Court Case?" compares a human lawyer to NexLaw's Legal AI Trial Copilot by having both argue the same case. While Merjane has prepared her arguments the traditional way, Copilot (not to be confused with Microsoft's generative AI chatbot) will be prompted to generate a defence live, which is to be read by a volunteer as though they are representing themselves in court.

SEE ALSO: 5 vital questions to ask yourself before using AI at work

From a show of hands before the showdown, around two thirds of the audience believe Marjane will make a more convincing argument. Still, there are a few that think the legal AI tool might surprise us.

AI is already changing the practice of law Credit: J. Hazelwood / Mashable Composite; gorodenkoff, iStock / Getty

On the face of it, the legal profession seems like an area where widespread adoption of AI should be enthusiastically embraced. 

Legal work is infamous for involving long hours, extensive research, and complicated jargon. Having an AI algorithm automate some of this arduous work would theoretically lower costs and make the legal system more accessible, as well as save lawyers a lot of pain. What's more, legal arguments typically make extensive references to legislation and past cases, all of which could be used to train an AI algorithm.

As such, legal AI may appear to be a promising field. In fact, AI technology is already changing the practice of law across the globe. In November 2023, AI company Luminance automated a contract negotiation "without human intervention" in a demonstration of its legal large language model Autopilot. One month later, a Brazilian lawmaker revealed he had used OpenAI's ChatGPT to write tax legislation which had since passed. Massachusetts State Sen. Barry Finegold even used ChatGPT to help write a bill regulating generative AI, while the American Bar Association has noted that AI can be useful for predicting outcomes and informing legal strategy.

Featured Video For You 4 ways AI can boost your productivity at work

Even so, such application of AI is not without issues. Perhaps one of the most high-profile instances of AI meeting law is DoNotPay, a U.S. company which offers online legal services and chatbots, and has claimed to be "the world's first robot lawyer." In 2023, DoNotPay announced plans to use its AI to argue a speeding case, having the chatbot listen to the proceedings via a smartphone and instruct the defendant through an earpiece. The stunt was cancelled after state bar prosecutors warned that CEO Joshua Browder could potentially be charged with unauthorised practice of law were it to go ahead. 

Despite the experiment's cancellation, DoNotPay still found itself in hot water amidst the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) crackdown on AI technology last September. Though, according to the FTC, DoNotPay allegedly claimed it would "replace the $200-billion-dollar legal industry with artificial intelligence," the FTC found that its services failed to deliver what they promised, and its outputs could not be substituted for the work of a human lawyer.

"[I]f a client were to interact directly with a generative AI tool that 'gave legal advice,' then the legal entity behind that tool would be purporting to give legal advice," Brenda Tronson told Mashable, speaking generally on the issue of AI and the law. A senior lecturer in Law and Justice at the University of New South Wales as well as a barrister at Level 22 Chambers, Sydney, Tronson specialises in legal ethics and public law.

"If that legal entity was not qualified to give advice, then, in my view, they would be engaging in unqualified legal practice and would be liable for that conduct."

Generative AI chatbots are trying to answer legal questions

LawConnect CEO Christian Beck hadn't heard of DoNotPay when Mashable spoke to him in October. Even so, he didn't seem to be concerned that the company's legal AI chatbot for laypeople would run into the same issues.

"Obviously there's laws that stop non-lawyers claiming to be lawyers giving legal advice," Beck told Mashable. "But if you look at something like ChatGPT, it's answering all the legal questions, right? And they're not bound by that. So what we're doing is we're combining the AI answers with verifications from lawyers that are qualified."

Unveiled last October, LawConnect's AI chatbot aims to answer users' legal questions. Though the AI will provide immediate responses, users can choose to send their inquiries to real human lawyers for verification and potential further action. The chatbot uses OpenAI's API and is trained on publicly available information from the internet, however Beck stressed that lawyers' verified answers are fed back into the AI to make it more likely to provide correct responses to similar questions in the future.

"Just describe your legal issue, and you'll receive a personalised report created by AI with the option to have it reviewed and verified," states LawConnect's website.

SEE ALSO: How to prepare to thrive professionally in an AI-integrated workforce

Beck did note that as LawConnect is being made available globally across all areas of law, using OpenAI's AI models for translation when necessary, though the company is "working through all of the issues" surrounding this. Still, he wasn't daunted by this massive and complicated undertaking.

"We're certainly not out there telling [people] we're lawyers when we're not," said Beck. "We are telling them that these are AI answers like they could get from another AI source, but what we are saying is that we're verifying them with lawyers, and we always use qualified lawyers to verify the questions."

A disclaimer at the bottom of LawConnect's website states that its content "is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal advice." Even so, the tool is a glimpse at what an AI-assisted legal system could look like as companies continue to explore the area.

Hallucinating AI lawyers

While AI chatbots' instant answers appear to offer convenience, problems such as hallucinations currently limit such tools' usefulness in making the legal system more accessible. A hallucination is false AI-generated content which the algorithm presents as true — a common issue considering that these tools do not actually understand what they generate.

"If a person who is seeking legal assistance uses those tools and does not assess or verify the output, then they might end up in a worse position than if they did not use those tools," Tronson told Mashable.

Yet even seasoned lawyers who should perform such verification have fallen victim to false AI-generated information. There have already been multiple well-publicised cases where lawyers have inappropriately applied generative AI after failing to understand the technology.

Credit: J. Hazelwood / Mashable Composite; gorodenkoff, iStock / Getty

In June 2023, two attorneys were handed $5,000 fines after filing submissions which cited non-existent legal cases. The lawyers admitted to using ChatGPT to do their research, relying on sources that had been completely invented by the AI tool. Judge P. Kevin Castel criticised the pair for continuing to stand by the fabricated cases even after their veracity had been called into question, accusing the lawyers of acting in bad faith.

"[W]e made a good faith mistake in failing to believe that a piece of technology could be making up cases out of whole cloth," their law firm Levidow, Levidow & Oberman said in a statement refuting Castel's characterisation at the time.

Such statements demonstrate a clear misunderstanding of the nature of generative AI, a tool which is specifically designed to create content and is incapable of effectively fact-checking itself.

While AI chatbots' instant answers appear to offer convenience, problems such as hallucinations currently limit such tools' usefulness...

Despite examples such as this, lawyers continue to over rely on AI to their own detriment. Later in 2023, another lawyer was reportedly citing fake cases which his client, disbarred former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, had generated using Google Bard. This February, U.S. law firm Morgan & Morgan cautioned its employees against blindly trusting AI after one of its lead attorneys also appeared to cite cases invented by ChatGPT.

"Some legal practitioners are very knowledgeable and are using [AI tools] well, while others still have very limited understanding or awareness of the tools, with most falling somewhere in between," Tronson told Mashable. 

While Tronson had not tried out LawConnect or NexLaw's Copilot herself, she did note that such specialised AI systems may already be of more use than tools like ChatGPT.

"The publishers' tools that I have seen demonstrated are trained on a more confined set of information and they do provide sources and links," Tronson told Mashable. "Any tool where those two features apply is generally more useful than ChatGPT, as this limits hallucinations and makes it easier to verify the information. At that point, the tool effectively becomes a search engine which provides text about the results (where that text might not be correct) rather than just a list of results."

This limited benefit calls into question the usefulness of legal AI tools, especially considering the technology's prohibitive environmental cost as well as the potentially dire consequences for erring in law. However, Tronson did acknowledge that such tools may eventually improve to a point where they offer more utility.

"It is possible that we will see an improvement in the tools, or in the reliability or quality of output from the current tools," said Tronson. "If that occurs, and subject to the questions of liability…, then they might contribute to better accessibility. Similarly, if generative AI tools are developed to assist organisations such as Legal Aid and community legal centres, it is possible that those organisations can help a larger number of people, which would also assist with accessibility."

AI as a tool for legal professionals

SXSW Sydney's battle between NexLaw's Copilot and Merjane made no effort to hide who had authored the arguments. Still, it was plainly obvious which defence against the allegations of driving while using a mobile phone had been crafted by a human, and which was from an AI.

Even aside from its stiff language, Copilot made obvious stumbles such as citing incorrect legislation, even referencing laws in the wrong state. Its defence also focused upon the testimony of the defendant's spouse and the type of car they drove, alleging that their Mercedes Benz's Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay capabilities meant they'd have no need to interact with their phone manually.

In contrast, Merjane presented a photograph of the alleged offence, emphasising the inability to positively identify the item in the driver's hand. She also pulled up the defendant's phone records to show that no calls were active at the time the photo was taken, and cited his clean driving record. Merjane was significantly quicker to answer the judge's questions as well.

It was plainly obvious which defence...had been crafted by a human, and which was from an AI.

Fortunately, NexLaw's Legal AI Trial Copilot doesn't intend to replace lawyers. As its website states, "Copilot is designed to complement and augment the work of human legal professionals, not replace them."

"I think it's clear that, given the costs of legal representation, there's great potential for AI to assist with improving access to justice," said Professor David Lindsay from UTS’ Faculty of Law, who acted as judge in the exercise. 

"But at this stage, and in some respects, this afternoon's presentation presents a false dichotomy. The immediate future will involve trained lawyers working alongside AI systems. So as in almost all contexts, to frame the question as 'humans versus AI' is a distraction from the more important issues involving people working alongside AI systems, and the legal and ethical implications of that."

The ethical implications of legal AI and dehumanising law

Aside from the quality of information legal AI algorithms might dispense, such tools also raise ethical issues. Liability and confidentiality are significant concerns surrounding the integration of AI into legal practice.

There are two primary confidentiality concerns with legal AI, according to Tronson. The first is whether the AI system keeps information which is inputted into it (as well as the legal jurisdiction its servers fall under). The second is to what extent such inputs are used in training the AI algorithm, particularly where confidential information may be inadvertently disclosed.

"The first concern can be controlled," Tronson stated, noting that the AI tools' contractual terms are key. "The likelihood of the latter concern arising should be lower, but without knowledge of how a particular system works, this can be difficult or impossible to assess."

The leadership of the courts and professional bodies will be vital in building legal practitioners' understanding of AI tools, Tronson noted. Even so, she believes there are some situations where using AI is likely to be unethical in every circumstance, such as in writing witness statements.

The leadership of the courts and professional bodies will be vital in building legal practitioners' understanding of AI tools.

Last October, a New York judge reprimanded an expert witness who used Microsoft's Copilot to generate an assessment of damages in a real estate case.

Understanding of nuance and the limitations of AI is vital to its effective, fair application. Similarly, understanding of nuance in human behaviour and law are vital to the effective, fair application of the legal system. Though AI does have potential to "democratise" the law, the technology carries an equally enormous risk of dehumanising it as well.

"For those who cannot afford a lawyer, AI can help," U.S. Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. acknowledged in the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary. "It drives new, highly accessible tools that provide answers to basic questions, including where to find templates and court forms, how to fill them out, and where to bring them for presentation to the judge… 

"But any use of AI requires caution and humility," he continued. "[L]egal determinations often involve gray areas that still require application of human judgment."

Could an AI chatbot replace your lawyer? Credit: J. Hazelwood / Mashable Composite; gorodenkoff, iStock / Getty

The experiment at SXSW Sydney clearly demonstrated that legal AI chatbots still have some way to go before they can compete with human lawyers. As NexLaw asserts, these tools are currently intended to assist human legal professionals rather than supplant them. Yet even as AI advances, completely replacing lawyers will continue to remain a dangerous prospect. 

A widely circulated quote attributed to a 1979 IBM presentation declared: "A computer can never be held accountable, therefore a computer must never make a management decision." Similarly, replacing lawyers with AI raises issues of who might be accountable when things go wrong. Considering the state of generative AI as well as the widespread misunderstanding of the technology, things are bound to go wrong.

"From my point of view, the most important thing is for lawyers to remember that the tools do not 'think,' and that a practitioner must always exercise their own judgment and critical thinking in relation to how they use any output," said Tronson. "As long as a practitioner applies critical thinking and their own judgment, there are appropriate uses for generative AI."

Unlike creatives such as artists, writers, and musicians, fewer people are likely to mourn lawyers should the profession fall to automation. Even so, such a death would fundamentally change the legal system, impacting not only those who work within it, but anyone who has any cause to interact with it — which is everyone.

SAVE $70: As of Feb. 25, the Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 46mm) is on sale at Amazon for $359. That's 16% off its list price of $429.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 10 $359.00 at Amazon
$429.00 Save $70.00 Get Deal

If you're an Apple user who has been looking to jump into its world of smartwatches, you're in luck. Amazon's offering a very nice discount on the Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 46mm) today — dropping it back down to its lowest-ever price, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel — making now a great time to scoop it up for less.

The Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 46mm) is currently down to $359, 16% off its list price of $429. This lets you pocket $70, which is a very nice deal to take advantage of while it's still live. The Apple Watch Series 10 boasts plenty of great features that make it worth the investment, too.

SEE ALSO: The best smartwatch for every wrist

Alongside a bigger display than its predecessors and a comfortable fit, the Apple Watch Series 10 has a variety of health and safety features to give you a helpful look into your lifestyle and activities. This includes a heart rate monitor, sleep tracker (including the ability to detect for signs of sleep apnea), activity rings for your workouts, Fall Detection, Crash Detection, Emergency SOS, and more. In our review, Mashable's Stan Schroeder came to the conclusion that, "if you've never owned an Apple Watch and want to dive in now, the Series 10 is a good place to start."

Don't miss out on the Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 46mm) at its lowest-ever price at Amazon.

This isn't the only Apple deal floating around right now, though. At the moment, you can also save on the Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) at Best Buy and the AirPods Pro 2 are discounted at Amazon.

Getting your finances in order can be challenging. There are bills to pay, taxes to do, and the utter confusion of figuring out how and where to invest.

But spend enough time scrolling online, and you're bound to come across finance influencers. TikTok creators are covering nearly every financial topic you can think of.

SEE ALSO: As TikTok faces a ban, creators brace for an uncertain future

TikTok can be a valuable resource for your financial goals, but it comes with a caveat. As you might expect, many people online promote get-rich-quick schemes, bad advice, scams, or some combination of the three. Known as FinTok, finance TikTok attracts all kinds of voices — both well-meaning and not-so-reliable.

With that in mind, we've rounded up four finance influencers who seem to offer solid advice and useful information. Just remember, not every influencer or piece of advice will apply to your specific situation. Always do your own research before making any major financial decisions.

1. @BreakYourBudget

Michela Allocca posts mostly about ways to save money and different methods for doing so. Her account might work for folks who want to reconsider their relationship with money and their saving efforts.

Allocca told USA Today in a 2023 interview that she tries to guide folks to be responsible with money but not guide them toward specific investments, which seems like a healthy way to offer online finance advice.

"I generally ebb away from talking too much in-depth about investments," she told the paper. "I don't know your life, so for me to say, you should go invest in this or that ETF, I can't really do that in good conscience."

2. @YourRichBFF

Vivian Tu is a well-known finance creator on TikTok who typically posts about "wealth hacks" — aka money facts you might not have known. Tu, who used to work on Wall Street, has racked up nearly 3 million followers with short videos about finance, taxes, and other money issues.

3. @humphreytalk

Humphrey Yang is a TikTok creator who focuses on investing and personal finance, and he seems to have his followers' best financial interests in mind. The Australian Financial Review (AFR) noted he was a good FinTok personality to follow. You might've seen his viral videos explaining just how much a billion dollars is.

Yang provides some stock-related content but also offers extensive information about retirement accounts and how to make them work for you. It's intel many regular folks could use that.

4. @herfirst100k

Tori Dunlap runs Her First 100k, a financial TikTok account and company that helps young women navigate their finances. She focuses on helping people manage their money and build wealth.

Dunlap has taken off, with more than 2 million followers on TikTok, a successful podcast, and a book deal. AFR also recommended her. 

Once you start looking around, you'll notice plenty of other creators on FinTok, but remember to always be careful with your money.

TL;DR: Play golf at home with your own clubs using the advanced Phigolf Golf Simulator, now only $89.97 (reg. $199.99) until March 30 at the Mashable Shop. 

Love golf? You might be surprised how easy it is to take your favorite game home with you. Quality golf simulators used to be pretty expensive and take up a whole room in your house, but now you can hit 18 holes on your own TV with Phigolf. 

This home golf simulator has more than 38,000 courses to play, and you never have to worry about bad weather cancelling your tee time. You even have the option to play with your own clubs or the retractable Swing Stick. It feels like the real thing and even simulates the feeling of hitting a real ball. Instead of dropping $199 for this home golf similator, you can get Phigolf for just $89.97 for a limited time. 

A golf simulator everyone can enjoy

Phigolf World Tour Edition is part game, part training tool. The Smart Motion Sensor and 3D Data-Analysis System capture every detail of your swing, from tempo to club path, and provide real-time feedback. Whether you're practicing your drive, chipping onto the green, or fine-tuning your putts, this simulator could really help you improve. You can even analyze your swing with slow-motion playback to spot areas for adjustment.

If you’re feeling competitive, Phigolf lets you take on golfers from around the world. Play solo or go head-to-head in online matches and tournaments. You might even recognize some of the courses you get to play on. 

March 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT is the deadline to get a Phigolf Home Golf Simulator on sale for $89.97 (reg. $199.99) — a 55% discount for Mashable readers. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Phigolf Phigolf Home Golf Game Simulator Sensor & Generic Swing Stick Set (Open Box) $89.97
$199.99 Save $110.02 Free Shipping Get Deal

It seems like everything you see online these days is a recession indicator. A new White Chicks movie? An addition to the Scary Movie franchise? Blondes going brunette? Screenshots with "fail" stamped on top? According to the internet, these are all recession indicators.

But are we actually in a recession? And can an increase in Y2K content predict one? Or are we just doomposting?

Tweet may have been deleted Real recession indicators

There are actual, measurable recession indicators, of course. According to Morningstar, an investment research and management services firm, these include:

• Inflation

• Stock market decline

• Credit spreads

• An inverted yield curve

• A decrease in real GDP

• High unemployment

• A decline in business spending

• Investors flocking to gold

• Decreased home sales and housing prices

But then there are the internet-defined recession indicators — things that feel like a throwback to another era of economic distress:

• Men posting their partners on Valentine’s Day

• Zooey Deschanel with a Bumpit

• The popularization of content focused on becoming skinny

• That outfit

• Taylor Lautner

• Good pop music

• Anti-tattoo sentiment

• The revival of twee ukulele music

Tweet may have been deleted What do these have in common?

They all hark back to the early aughts — the last time the U.S. faced a full economic recession. This trend of linking any Y2K revival to a recession makes sense. After all, it's easier for us to see the connection of Zooey Deschanel with a Bumpit to economic hardship than it is to fully understand how real GDP affects us. These comparisons may seem reminiscent from the so-called lipstick index — the theory that, during an economic crisis, consumers are more likely to splurge on inexpensive luxury items, like lipstick, rather than big-ticket items, like diamond necklaces. Sounds reasonable enough, right?

But as The Economist pointed out in 2009, there’s no clear correlation between lipstick sales and economic distress. Take another popular theory, the "stripper index" — which suggests that a dip in stripper tips or fewer high-income visitors signals a recession. The validity of that indicator is also up for debate. So, while these nostalgic trends may seem to point to economic downturns, they may not necessarily be a sign of one.

Waiting for a recession

Every year, it seems like we’re anxiously anticipating a recession, since economic downturns tend to occur every decade or so. But we didn’t get one in 2023, and we didn't see one in 2024 — and if JP Morgan's 35 percent recession probability is rooted in truth, we might not see one this year either.

"Even with the pace of growth slowing, the economy remains fairly robust, and it still looks like companies are positioned to grow earnings at double-digit levels in 2025 and 2026," Rob Haworth, a senior investment strategy director with U.S. Bank Asset Management, said in a press release dated Jan. 31, 2025.

So, while the return of Lady Gaga's dance-pop music or models eating burgers in bikinis in Super Bowl ads might not indicate that we're ushering in a recession, they do reflect a collective anxiety about the economy. Cultural trends like these appear out of nowhere; they're often shaped by our current economic and political realities.

As creator Caitlyn Clark explained in a TikTok video, which has garnered more than 13,000 views, there's a connection between the resurgence of dance music in 2024 (think: Charli XCX's culture-shifting album Brat) and the collective dissociation people felt after the pandemic's economic impact. It's an interesting correlation that highlights how our cultural output via memes and trends often mirrors economic and social shifts.

While we aren't currently in a recession, that doesn't mean it doesn't feel like it. The wealth gap is widening and racial wealth divide remains. The cost of living has surged while wages have remained stagnant. Over the past 30 years, the wealthiest Americans have seen their net worth soar, while the poorest have plunged into "negative wealth" — where their debts outweigh their assets, according to data from the National Bureau of Economic Research. As NBC reports, the average age of homebuyers in 2024 was 56 years old — a record high.

We might not be in a recession, and most of the recession indicator jokes are just that — jokes. But we still can't afford to buy eggs. It's no wonder we're all posting through it.

TL;DR: Raise your monitor and augment your workspace with the Mobile Pixels Aluminum Monitor Riser and 8-Port Docking Hub on sale for $129.99 with code POWER20.

It's hard to pay attention to your posture when you're focused on work, but it's important. The only problem is it's kind of hard to sit up straight when your monitor sits so low on your desk. The solution isn't to get a taller desk. Mobile Pixels makes an aluminum Monitor Riser with a built-in 8-port docking hub. And instead of paying $149.99, Mashable readers can get one of these Monitor Risers on sale for $129.99, but supply is limited. 

Level up your workspace, literally

The Mobile Pixels Monitor Riser lifts your display to a more comfortable viewing height, reducing neck strain and helping you maintain better posture throughout the day. No more turtling down into your shoulders just to look at your screen.

The raised monitor is nice, but that's just the beginning of what this monitor stand brings to the table. Instead of letting your mouse, monitor, and keyboard compete for port real estate, just plug them into the 8-port docking hub built into your monitor stand.

The Mobile Pixels stand has three USB-A 3.0 ports for quick data transfers, a USB-C port, a mini HDMI port that supports 4K resolution, and an Ethernet port for a stable wired connection. There’s even a PD port with up to 100W power delivery, so you can keep your devices charged while you work.

Use code POWER20 at the Mashable Shop by March 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get this Aluminum Monitor Riser Docking Hub on sale for $129.99. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Mobile Pixels Aluminum Monitor Riser with 8-Port Docking Hub $129.99
$149.99 Save $20.00 Use code 'POWER20' Get Deal

The Blue Ghost spacecraft is on track for the big show.

The 6.6-foot-tall lander will attempt to touch down in Mare Crisium, a lava-covered basin on the moon's near side, on March 2. Mission controllers at Texas-based Firefly Aerospace have successfully fired thrusters to enter a lower orbit around the moon, in preparation for the much-anticipated landing event. The company released footage Blue Ghost captured during one of these recent orbital maneuvers.

What's more, you can catch two glimpses of shadowed Earth at the beginning and end of the time-lapse video.

SEE ALSO: Why landing a spaceship on the moon is still so challenging

"Earth rise, Earth set, repeat! Blue Ghost's third and final lunar orbit maneuver is complete!" Firefly Aerospace posted on X. "Early this morning, our #GhostRiders performed a 16-second burn with our RCS thrusters to enter a near-circular low lunar orbit. Up next, we'll perform a 19-second Descent Orbit Insertion at our 100-km perilune to begin our descent to Blue Ghost's final destination, Mare Crisium, on March 2."

Tweet may have been deleted

The mission, funded by NASA as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, is carrying a suite of instruments and experiments for the space agency as NASA prepares to establish a permanent presence on the moon. This includes radiation-tolerant computing tests and sampling of the lunar regolith.

But landing on the moon, a world with virtually no atmosphere to slow spacecraft down, remains daunting. Although Chinese and Indian craft have had recent landing successes, the U.S. commercial spacecraft Odysseus sustained damage while landing awkwardly in 2024. The same year, a Japanese craft landed upside down, on its head.

In the coming years, NASA intends to land astronauts on the moon, too. The agency currently expects to bring astronauts to the moon in mid-2027, wherein they'll spend a week exploring the dark, shadowy craters of the moon's south pole. It's home to a vitally important resource: lunar water.

TL;DR: Live stream LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids in the Concacaf Champions Cup for free on Tubi. Access this free streaming service from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The first round of the Concacaf Champions Cup has showcased some really interesting matchups, but LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids might be the most difficult to call. The Rapids won the first leg 2-1, but they've got to defend that lead away from home in the second leg.

If you want to watch LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids in the Concacaf Champions Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids?

LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids in the Concacaf Champions Cup kicks off at 10 p.m. ET on Feb. 25. This fixture takes place at BMO Stadium.

How to watch LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids for free

LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids in the Concacaf Champions Cup is available to live stream for free on Tubi.

Tubi is the exclusive home of the Concacaf Champions Cup in Mexico, but anyone can access these free live streams with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Mexico, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Concacaf Champions Cup from anywhere in the world.

Live stream LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids 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 Mexico

4. Visit Tubi

5. Live stream LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids for free

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 most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids in the Concacaf Champions Cup without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select Concacaf Champions Cup fixtures before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Tubi?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Tubi, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Mexico

• 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 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.

Live stream LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids in the Concacaf Champions Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Inter Miami vs. Sporting KC in the Concacaf Champions Cup for free on Tubi. Access this free streaming service from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Lionel Messi marked his first Concacaf Champions Cup game with a goal, securing a 1-0 victory over Sporting KC in the opening leg of their first-round matchup. Now the action heads to Miami for the second leg, with everything hanging in the balance.

If you want to watch Inter Miami vs. Sporting KC in the Concacaf Champions Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Inter Miami vs. Sporting KC?

Inter Miami vs. Sporting KC in the Concacaf Champions Cup kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Feb. 25. This fixture takes place at Chase Stadium.

How to watch Inter Miami vs. Sporting KC for free

Inter Miami vs. Sporting KC in the Concacaf Champions Cup is available to live stream for free on Tubi.

Tubi is the exclusive home of the Concacaf Champions Cup in Mexico, but anyone can access these free live streams with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Mexico, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Concacaf Champions Cup from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Inter Miami vs. Sporting KC 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 Mexico

4. Visit Tubi

5. Live stream Inter Miami vs. Sporting KC for free

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 most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Inter Miami vs. Sporting KC in the Concacaf Champions Cup without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select Concacaf Champions Cup fixtures before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Tubi?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Tubi, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Mexico

• 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 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.

Live stream Inter Miami vs. Sporting KC in the Concacaf Champions Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: You can get seven online Excel training courses for $34.99 (reg. $140) — that’s only $5 per course.

Struggling with spreadsheets might seem like a small problem until you realize just how much time you’re wasting clicking around and hoping for the best. Whether you’re budgeting, tracking inventory, or organizing schedules, learning how to use Excel can simplify it all.

Right now, you’re probably Googling how to navigate every problem that comes up — instead, take these online Excel courses to fully understand the tool. Most of these tips apply to Google Sheets, too. Not only will you finally memorize those formulas, but you’ll discover tricks that feel like magic. Save 75% on lifetime access here: $34.99 for seven courses and eight hours of lessons.

Here’s what’s included

Most people think of Excel as a tool they only use for handling boring data at work, but these courses show you a whole other world of possibilities:

• Study Excel formulas and functions, including VLOOKUP and IF, to breeze through tax prep and filing

• Create a spreadsheet of your plants and their special care needs, then AutoFilter data to create watering and fertilization schedules

• Log your books in a sheet, then use PivotTables to generate summaries of your ratings

• Learn how to use Excel with ChatGPT for faster data analysis and decision-making

Grow your Excel skills with this $34.99 online training bundle (reg. $140).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apex Learning The Complete Microsoft Excel Training Bundle $34.99
$140.00 Save $105.01 Get Deal

TL;DR: Get 18 bottles of red, white, or mixed wines shipped to your door from Swirl Wine Shop for $69.97. Sale ends March 30. 

Wine lovers, this one's for you. 

Swirl Wine Shop just dropped the price for a one-time shipment of 18 bottles of red, white, or mixed wines. Usually, it'd be $270, but now it's only $69.97 (that's not going to last much longer). Details below. 

18 bottles of wine delivered to your doorstep

First things first, this isn't a subscription. It's a one-time shipment, and there aren't any hidden recurring fees of any kind. Here's how it works. 

You'll get the chance to choose from three different wine collections. There's 18 bottles of red, 18 bottles of white, or 18 bottles of mixed red, white, and rosé. You can also learn more about what's in each collection. The red has bottles all the way from Spain, South Africa, and beyond. The white collection has crisp blends and some bold Chardonnay. 

Bottles are all the standard 750ml size. 

When you place your order, keep in mind that shipping isn't included with this offer. Customers normally pay $39.95 for shipping, and there are a few states Swirl Wine Shop won't ship to. 

You have to be 21 years old or older to make your purchase and to accept your delivery. Orders usually take about three days to ship after you make your purchase. That's just enough time to find the perfect cheese, meat, or chocolate to pair with. 

Grab your corkscrew. 

March 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT is the deadline to get Swirl Wine Shop's one-time shipment of 18 bottles of red, white, and mixed wines for $69.97. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Swirl Swirl Wine Shop - 18 Bottles of Red, White or Mixed Wines (Shipping Not Included) $69.97
$270.00 Save $200.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Recharge on the go with a three-pack of Snap-N-Charge 10W Universal Power Banks, on sale for $64.99 (reg. $89). 

A dead battery at the wrong time can ruin your day. If you have a cable with you, you might be able to track down an outlet, but then you have to park there until you have enough power to leave. A simpler alternative is to get a portable power bank that works with all of your devices. 

The Snap-N-Charge is a 3,000mAh 10W universal power bank that can connect with almost any smart device. You can also get three of them on sale for only $64.99 (reg. $89). 

Why this power bank?

Here's how it works.

This power bank uses magnetic connectors to make charging easier. It comes with three interchangeable tips (USB-C, Lightning, and Micro-USB) that you plug into your device’s charging port. Once the tip is in place, you can simply snap the Snap-N-Charge onto it whenever you need power. The strong magnetic connection keeps the power bank securely attached while delivering a charge, so there are no tangled cables or bulky battery packs to deal with.

At just 60 grams, this ultra-light power bank is small enough to fit in your pocket but powerful enough to keep your phone, tablet, or even gaming controller running. With a 3,000mAh battery, it can refill up to a 75% to 100% charge for most devices, so it's perfect for travel, the gym, or even just a busy day when you can’t stop to find an outlet. The magnetic design also helps keep your charging port free of dust and wear since you don’t have to keep plugging and unplugging cables.

Keep your batteries full wherever you go. 

Get a three-pack of Snap-N-Charge 3,000mAh Universal Power Banks for $64.99. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Statik Snap-N-Charge 3000mAh 10W Universal Magnetic Power Bank (3-Pack) $64.99
$89.97 Save $24.98 Get Deal

TL;DR: Get a Lenovo 10E Chromebook Tablet on sale for $49.99 (reg. $199). 

Tablets are great for kids who are old enough to use them, but do you remember how you treated your toys when you were a kid? How long until that expensive iPad gets used as a pickleball paddle? No, of course, the tablet had gum in the charging port when you gave it to them. 

When you're giving kids technology like tablets, it's nice to start off with something cheap enough to replace but powerful enough to enjoy. This Lenovo 10E Chromebook Tablet fits the bill. It's great for streaming, browsing, or doing schoolwork, and it's also on sale for $49.99. 

A tablet cheaper than dinner 

This tablet is tough enough to handle life in the hands of a kid. The 10-inch HD touchscreen is reinforced with Dragontrail Pro glass, which means it’s less likely to crack if (or when) it takes a tumble. It runs on a MediaTek processor with 4GB of RAM, so kids can watch videos, do homework, and play educational games without the thing freezing up every two seconds. Plus, with ChromeOS, they’ll have access to tons of learning tools and apps.

Battery life is another big win here. This tablet can last up to 16.5 hours on a single charge, so you don’t have to worry about it dying in the middle of a school day or a long car ride. It’s also super lightweight at just over a pound. That means it’s easy for little hands to carry around, and it won't be too much extra weight when your kids inevitably ask you to carry it. And if they ever need to type up an assignment, there’s an optional keyboard attachment (though it’s not included).

So why is it so cheap? This is technically a refurbished tablet, but you'd never know from looking at it. The grade "A" rating means it's in near-mint condition. There are virtually no signs of wear, and it even comes with a charger and cable. 

Limited stock

There's still time to get a Lenovo 10E Chromebook Tablet on sale for $49.99. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Lenovo Lenovo 10E 10.1" Chromebook Tablet (2021) 2GHz MT8183 4GB RAM 32GB (Refurbished) $49.99
$199.99 Save $150.00 Get Deal

"Technology is anything that extends your agency," posits Allucquére Rosanne "Sandy" Stone, a foundational trans studies pioneer and digital performance artist included in Trans Technologies, a new book from MIT Press written by trans academic Oliver Haimson. Technology, then, is a near boundless way to intervene in the challenges of every day life, to make it better. But what happens when those in power try to dictate those terms, and attempt to use technology to strip individual agency?

As an expert in trans studies, social computing and social media, and what is known as human-computer interaction, Haimson poses the concept of "technological trans care," or the act of trans communities and allies "creating innovative technological mechanisms to help address the needs and challenges that they and their communities face." And if this sounds more relevant to our current political reality than ever before, you'd be right on the money.

Haimson is an assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Information, director of the Community Research on Identity and Technology (CRIT) Lab, and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Applied Transgender Studies. The genesis of Trans Technologies came from the intersection of these scholarly and lived experiences: The repurposed and self-constructed online worlds that trans communities fashion for themselves in order to navigate a hostile social reality. Forums, Tumblr blogs, Discord servers, and even wholly original platforms present the complexities and ambiguities of the trans experience in a digital environment often fixated on strict gender binaries. 

SEE ALSO: How Gen Z uses the internet to self diagnose and get help

But, in trying to document these digital environments, Haimson quickly realized the term "trans tech" could extend far beyond these networking tools. In their research, for example, Haimson's team found that the majority of trans technologies were created for resource gathering and the sharing of community knowledge — consider digital services like anti-trans legislation trackers, databases of LGBTQ-inclusive healthcare providers, or maps of queer-friendly businesses and job boards. Other examples expanded to hotlines, peer support networks, plug-ins, and even video games. There's also technology that isn't exactly "transed," as the academic explains, but that inherently affects trans people, like biometric tools (Face ID and filters), ride-sharing apps, and online credit platforms. 

"Most technology responds to fairly mundane problems," writes Haimson. "Problems that are rarely critically related to their creators’ identities and life chances. With trans technology, though, technological innovations are frequently created in direct response to the oppressive conditions trans people face in the social, legal, and medical spheres: transphobia, violence, antitrans legislation, difficulty identifying supportive resources, and lack of access to medical care."

Haimson describes trans tech as encompassing both technology designed with trans people at the center, as well as advances that respond to an increasingly bigoted use of technology's power (e.g., the current iteration of X as a locus of transphobic sentiment). With its earliest definition conceived of in 2019, an extension of decades-long queer theory and practice, trans technology is bearing added importance in 2025, when the world seems to be taking a rightward shift and misinformation is more weaponized than ever.

Central to the book's introduction, Haimson lays out this politically life-threatening reality: In 2023, the period that defined the tail-end of his team's research, 420 trans people were reportedly murdered amid growing violence, economic instability, and health precarity — keep in mind, these numbers are often vastly undercounted. In the year between the book's final edits and its upcoming release, those statistics haven't much improved. In 2024, 350 trans and gender-expansive individuals were murdered globally and 533 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced in U.S. state legislatures, alone. President Donald Trump regularly takes aim at "gender ideology extremism" and is moving to erase LGBTQ resources, information, and history from federal websites.

Trump's technological allies have offered little resistance; more often, assistance. Elon Musk, multi-billionaire and now leader of DOGE, has taken over federal technologies in the name of an anti-woke, anti-fraud agenda. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, repealed his company's DEI commitments and hateful conduct policies — a move that will certainly lead to a rise in online hate and harassment. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has funneled cash into Trump's push for power.

Mashable spoke to Haimson in the weeks before Trans Technologies' debut, as the federal government slashed gender-affirming care and inclusive hiring practices  — including a devastating pause on federal academic funding via the National Science Foundation, of which Haimson's team receives assistance — and just as federal courts began slowing down the new administrations' anti-trans orders. 

Could trans tech be another tool to fight back?

Mashable: You began your research and the extensive interviewing process that makes up the bulk of this book in 2021, following a surge of anti-trans legislation. How did that influence this work and what has changed?

Haimson: When I was first writing the book as all of this anti-trans legislation was happening across the country, starting in Texas and Florida and Idaho, trans people were angry. I was able to talk about all of these trans technologies that came about in response to that climate.

We're in this new moment, where people are feeling very scared, very angry. I think that a lot of the things I found that were happening a couple years ago, where people were creating these really important technologies to respond to that moment, we're going to see again. The one thing that is quite different now is that we've always thought about how we can improve mainstream platforms, like Instagram (owned by Meta). 'How can we make that more inclusive?' 

Meta seemed on board with that for most of the years I've been doing research in this space, and then it was just recently that Zuckerberg came out and changed his orientation entirely. So that's not a priority for mainstream platforms — they have no intention really of including trans people anymore. That makes me feel like this moment for trans technology is so important. It's so vital to have these alternative technologies, because we can't rely on mainstream platforms, and we can't even try to make them better because they are not on board with inclusion anymore. 

The book defines two ways of looking at the design of trans tech: technological inclusionism, or the process of marginalized groups attempting to fit into and improve existing tech, and technological separatism, or tech designed outside of the mainstream for trans communities, specifically. 

There are so many cases where people are creating these trans technologies, taking this separatist approach where they're creating it specifically for a marginalized group, but then it connects to a mainstream platform. For instance, I talked to a lot of people who are creating browser extensions. For example, [extensions] that would take any instance of your dead name that you're not using anymore and you don't want to see, and it would change it in the HTML code in a browser, so you would only see your current name. That's something that's fitting in with, usually, Chrome, which is a very mainstream platform. It's a way that we can adjust something like Google Chrome to be more inclusive, but at the same time it's its own technology that's really just designed for this group. 

Credit: C.D. Rom / Kat Brewster / MIT Press One premise of this book is that trans-exclusionism is baked into many mainstream platforms — but that is because of human intervention, not the natural outcome of technological progress. Can you explain more?

Toward the end of the book, I quote from Stone's [The War of Desire and Technology at the Close of the Mechanical Age] where she said it's natural to be trans in digital spaces. She was writing this in the 1990s and talking about how digital spaces were often so much more comfortable for trans people or for people who are exploring their identity in different ways.

[Editor's note: The full quote is "Transness is natural online, while physical spaces can feel unnatural. Technology is like water to us — we need it to survive; we can breathe here."]

I don't think that Mark Zuckerberg would really think about [his technology] like that at all. Zuckerberg famously said that each person only has one identity, and so that is why Facebook wants you to use your real name and why you shouldn't have multiple accounts. All of that stems from his fundamental belief that each person only has the one identity. These types of values are embedded in and baked into these mainstream platforms because of someone like Zuckerberg — who has a relatively simple identity, who doesn't experience intersectionality in the way that a lot of people who are using his platforms do. 

Coming from his own perspective, he has created this giant company that billions of people across the world are using that has this fundamentally flawed assumption. 

They want to position it as tech is neutral. Those of us who think about technology in a more critical way definitely consider tech not to be neutral. It's really influenced by the people who are creating it and the values that are embedded.

Now, the industry's favored phrase is "tech for good," or, most common these days, "AI for good." I feel like this has a completely different meaning for designers of trans technologies, versus huge tech giants like OpenAI. 

Before AI, we had 'data science for good.' I've done work in that space, too. And the challenge here is that, even if your intention is to do good with this emerging technology, a lot of times people are just sitting at their computer, or with a small group of also very highly educated, very technical people, and deciding what 'good' means, what the problems that need to be solved are. One of the big things that I'm arguing in the book is that it really needs to start more with communities.  

It appears to me then that Big Tech's leaders are taking a very narrow view of what technology means and how it can serve people. How does that fit into other changes in the industry, like Musk's reimagining of the federal government as a tech startup via DOGE?

Musk has always taken a very individualist approach. 'What is my good idea?' "What do I want to see with this technology?' He wants a rocket to go into space, so that's what he's going to do. It's the opposite of taking a community- based or needs-based approach, which I argue is so important. He would never go out and try to see what people in the U.S. actually want and need. He's really just interested in two things: What he wants, and what's going to make money — or "efficiency." 

We've seen what happened to Twitter when he turned it into X. He made it very, very efficient by firing pretty much their whole content moderation staff, who were trying to make it a more safe and positive platform for a lot of people. A lot of marginalized groups have gone elsewhere. And so, if we take that as a metaphor for what's going on in the U.S. more broadly right now, I don't think it's going to have very good outcomes.

Fundamentally, do you believe that the creation of trans technology can be a form of resistance as the state directly attacks trans communities?

Trans technology is huge for being able to resist what's going on politically. Think about the language of the executive order that said there's only two genders. They're trying to impose that across all of the federal government and anyone who's funded by the federal government. That covers a wide range of organizations and technological systems in the U.S. But what they can't touch is people's own identities and the language that people are using to think about themselves, to think about their own genders and the people around them. That's something that nobody can take away.

As long as we're building technologies outside of mainstream systems, [the U.S. government] also can't touch that. 

People are frustrated and scared and everything is so chaotic. But there is a really optimistic side of me that sees that all of these people's anger and frustration is going to lead to really incredible outcomes that can actually help their communities. 

"Trans Technologies" was a collaborative project, with additional support from researchers Kai Nham, Hibby Thach, Aloe DeGuia, Samuel Mayworm, Denny Starks, Kat Brewster, F. Ria Khan, and Mel Monier. The book is available on February 25, 2025. 

SAVE $24: As of Feb. 25, the Tile Mate Bluetooth Tracker four-pack is on sale for $55.99 at Amazon, down from $79.99. If you are always misplacing your keys, bags, or even your phone, this deal will save you some serious frustration.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Tile Mate (4-Pack) $55.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $24.00 Get Deal

I have spent too much time searching for my keys, wallet, and TV remote, so I have learned the hard way that Bluetooth trackers are a must-have. Right now, you can grab a four-pack of Tile Mate trackers for $55.99 on Amazon, which is 30% off the usual price of $79.99. That is a solid deal if you want to keep track of your essentials without tearing your house apart every time something goes missing.

Each Tile Mate attaches to things like keys, bags, or even a water bottle, making them easy to find if they ever disappear. You can ring the tracker from your phone if you misplace something nearby. If your phone is the thing that has gone missing, you can press a button on the Tile Mate to make it ring, even when it is on silent.

SEE ALSO: Live your Kawaii gamer dreams with this discounted Logitech POP ICON keyboard and mouse combo

These trackers have a 350-foot Bluetooth range and are IP68 water-resistant, which means they can handle rain or the occasional accidental drop in the sink. The built-in battery lasts up to three years, so you will not have to worry about recharging them.

The Tile Mate also works with Life360, so you can see your Tiles on the same map as your family members. If you are using it for personal safety, the SOS feature lets you discreetly send an alert to loved ones when you are in an unsafe situation.

This deal is for the black four-pack, but other colors and pack sizes are available if you prefer something different. If you constantly lose your things, do yourself a favor and grab this Amazon deal while they are on sale. It will save you from a lot of stress later.

SAVE OVER $14: As of Feb. 25, the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 is on sale for $15.96 at Amazon, down from $29.99. If you’re always misplacing your keys, wallet, or luggage, this tiny Bluetooth tracker will save you some serious stress.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 $15.96 at Amazon
$26.99 Save $11.03 Get Deal

I have a bad habit of losing literally everything, so when Bluetooth trackers first hit the market, they felt like they were designed specifically for me. Now, Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag2 is on sale for just $15.96 on Amazon, which is the lowest price in the past 30 days. This deal is a no-brainer if you’re on Team Android and need a reliable way to track your stuff.

The SmartTag2 works with Samsung’s SmartThings Find, making it easy to track down your keys, wallet, or pet if you attach it to their collar. If you’ve misplaced something nearby, you can use Search Nearby mode to get a Compass View on your phone, giving you directions to its exact location. If you still can’t find it, ring the tag to make it beep like a lost phone.

SEE ALSO: I never see Pokémon TCG Obsidian Flames in stock, but Best Buy has them right now

Battery life lasts up to 500 days out of the box, which is ridiculous. Switching to Power Saving Mode can stretch that to nearly two years before replacing the battery. It’s also IP67-rated for water and dust resistance, so it won’t die on you if it gets a little wet.

Unlike some other trackers, the SmartTag2 also works as a remote for Samsung SmartThings devices. That means you can use it to turn on lights, activate smart home routines, or even control appliances with a press of a button. It’s a small bonus feature that makes it even more useful if you’re in the Samsung ecosystem.

This deal is on the white SmartTag2, but you can also grab the black one for $22.69 on Amazon too. If you constantly lose your stuff or want security while traveling, this is the cheapest way to prevent your things from disappearing.

AVAILABLE TODAY: As of Feb. 25, Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet — Obsidian Flames six-pack booster bundle is available for $26.94 at Best Buy. This set includes some of the most sought-after Charizard ex cards, and it’s typically hard to find in stock.

Opens in a new window Credit: Pokémon Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet — Obsidian Flames 6-Pack Booster Bundle Shop Now

I don’t know about you, but trying to find Obsidian Flames packs at retail price has been a nightmare. Best Buy is making it a little easier today by restocking this six-pack booster bundle for $26.94, but there’s a catch (get it?). You’ll need to grab it through the Best Buy app. It’s part of Best Buy Drops, which is their way of fighting off scalpers and bots that wipe out stock in seconds. As long as you have the app and notifications turned on, you’ll get access to the drop before it’s gone again.

If you’re into Charizard, this set is stacked. The Special Illustration Rare Charizard ex has been sitting at over $70 on the secondary market, making it the top chase card of the set. And then there’s the Hyper Rare Charizard ex, which is basically the same card but dipped in gold foil for extra bragging rights. Even the regular Ultra Rare Charizard ex holds value because, well, it’s Charizard.

SEE ALSO: Live your Kawaii gamer dreams with this discounted Logitech POP ICON keyboard and mouse combo

Pidgeot ex is also popular for being super playable. Its Quick Search Ability lets you pull any card from your deck every turn, which is ridiculously good in competitive play. This is why Pidgeot ex keeps creeping up in price and why collectors and players are after it.

And let’s talk about Illustration Rares because this set has some absolute gems. The Scizor Illustration Rare is easily one of the best-looking Scizor cards ever printed, drenched in deep red that makes it look straight-up deadly. The Ninetales Illustration Rare has this surreal, glowing forest background that makes it feel almost mythical. And for the first time ever, Gloom gets a full-art card, and it’s actually a masterpiece. The explosion of colors and nature surrounding it make it feel alive in a way that most Pokémon cards don’t.

The thing about Obsidian Flames is that it doesn’t have a ton of Secret Rares, so your odds of pulling something good are way better compared to sets like Paldea Evolved. If you’re looking for a shot at Charizard ex, this is one of the best ways to get your hands on some packs at retail price. But these Best Buy Drops go fast, so if you want in, make sure you’re set up in the app before it disappears again.