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Score $50 off the Garmin Forerunner 265S ahead of the Amazon Big Spring Sale

Mashable - 1 hour 21 min ago

SAVE $50: As of March 19, the Garmin Forerunner 265S smartwatch is on sale at Amazon for $399.99. That's 11% off its list price of $449.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Forerunner 265S $399.99 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $50 Get Deal

Amazon's Big Spring Sale is coming up soon, but if you simply can't wait to look through deals, we've got good news. There are still some nice discounts on Amazon ahead of the sale event to check out. If you've had your eye on a smartwatch to stay on top of your workout routines, this deal on the Garmin Forerunner 265S is worth a look, especially if you're a runner.

The Garmin Forerunner 265S has had an 11% discount at Amazon, dropping its price from $449.99 to $399.99. A number of colors are discounted, so you can pick out the option that best suits your personal preference.

SEE ALSO: Refresh your home with these early home deals ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale

The Garmin Forerunner 265S boasts a bright AMOLED display that makes every detail on the screen look crisp and clear, alongside an excellent battery life that'll last you up to 15 days when you're using it in smartwatch mode. And when it comes to fitness features, this smartwatch is ready to help you tackle your goals with personalized workouts, over 30 built-in sports apps, and a readiness score that shows how prepared you are for the day's activities.

Save some cash and stay on top of your health and fitness goals with this discount on the Garmin Forerunner 265S at Amazon.

Looking for more fitness-focused smartwatch and tracker deals? There are quite a few worth looking at right now ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale. Have a look at our roundup of the best fitness tracker deals ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale to see some that have caught our eye.

Save over $70 on the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones ahead of the Amazon Big Spring Sale

Mashable - 1 hour 26 min ago

SAVE $71.99: As of March 19, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are on sale at Amazon for $328. That's 18% off their list price of $399.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones $328 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $71.99 Get Deal

As we wait for Amazon's Big Spring Sale to officially kick off, there are some great deals floating around that are worth a look. For those who have been looking for new headphones, you're in luck: Amazon's offering a very nice deal at the moment on one of our favorite headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM5s.

These headphones have had an 18% price drop from their list price of $399.99 to $328. All of the available colors are on sale as well, so you can choose between the midnight blue, black, silver, and smoky pink models. We think very highly of these headphones, so they're absolutely worth picking up while discounted to a price like this.

SEE ALSO: The best deals on noise-cancelling headphones ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale

The Sony WH-1000XM5s rank on our lists of the best noise-canceling headphones and our overall list of the best headphones. In the latter, we note that this is because they, "deliver top-notch ANC and audiophile-level sound quality, with a hefty 30-hour battery life. Their design offers a less expensive alternative to the AirPods Max, for those who like their headphones to sound and look good."

Our review had plenty of praise for them as well, with Mashable's Miller Kern calling them, "an excellent pair of headphones for first-time buyers and those upgrading from old models."

If you've been looking to upgrade your headphones, look no further than Amazon at this deal on the Sony WH-1000XM5s.

With Amazon's Big Spring Sale right around the corner, there are plenty more headphone deals to check out alongside these ahead of the sale event. Have a look through our roundup of headphones and speaker deals live ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale to see even more of our favorite discounted picks.

The best gaming deals ahead of Amazons Big Spring Sale — shop PlayStation, Nintendo, and more

Mashable - 1 hour 43 min ago

2025 is going to be a huge year for gaming. That's fantastic news, but it also means that you're probably going to be spending a lot of money on gaming-related things over the next few months, whether it's individual titles, accessories, or even new consoles. You know what we're going to say next: That's why it's a good idea to keep your eyes open for a big sale to give your bank account a break.

SEE ALSO: Gaming starter kit: All the gear you need to play like a real gamer

Thankfully, Amazon is swooping in to save the day with yet another Big Spring Sale. Taking place from March 25 to 31, the Prime-Day-esque event will feature tons of deals on mostly spring essentials and outdoor products, but gaming discounts are also making an appearance in a big way.

Read on to find our favorite gaming deals from the days leading up to Amazon's Big Spring Sale below, including price cuts on consoles, games, accessories, and plenty more.

PlayStation game dealsPlayStation hardware deals

Headsets

Accessories

Xbox game dealsXbox hardware deals

Consoles

Controllers

Headsets

Best Nintendo Switch game dealsNintendo Switch hardware deals

Controllers and accessories

Memory cards

The best deals on tablets ahead of Amazons Big Spring Sale 2025

Mashable - 1 hour 45 min ago

Get ready, because Amazon's Big Spring Sale is just a few days away. Running from March 25 to 31, the event will mostly feature deals on spring essentials and outdoor items, but that doesn't mean it'll be completely devoid of tech deals. Case in point: A bunch of tablets are on sale ahead of the event, and we foresee them getting even better over the course of the next few days.

So far, we're finding some pretty decent discounts on iPads, Amazon Fire Tablets, and others that we think are worth giving a look. Like we said though, you may want to hold off on buying anything until the official start of the sale, because we have a feeling that these prices are going to drop even more.

SEE ALSO: Amazon has a lot of Apple Watch deals ahead of its Big Spring Sale, but shoppers should still wait to buy

If you (or your kid) are in need of a new tablet, check out our favorite early deals from Amazon's Big Spring Sale below. And stay tuned to our coverage throughout the event, because we'll be updating you on all the best deals as soon as they pop up.

iPad dealsAmazon Fire tablet dealsMore tablet deals

Get a $15 credit when you spend $50 on select household items at Amazon

Mashable - 1 hour 50 min ago

SPEND $50, GET $15 CREDIT: As of March 19, spend $50 on select household items at Amazon and get a $15 credit when using the promo code STOCKUPSAVE.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Spend $50 On Select Household Items, Get a $15 Amazon Credit Get Deal

Amazon's Big Spring Sale is right around the corner, and there are already plenty of great deals to check out ahead of this popular sale event. If you're looking to score some household items to get a head start on spring cleaning, Amazon's here with an offer to help make your springtime shopping just a little bit easier.

If you spend $50 on a selection of household items at Amazon right now, you'll get a $15 credit added to your account after using the promo code STOCKUPSAVE at checkout. This is a great deal to take advantage of so you can pick up some necessities for your home while also getting a little bonus cash to spend on something else at Amazon. There's a wide variety of items included with this offer, too.

SEE ALSO: All the best deals under $25 ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale

If you're in need of some new cleaning supplies, items like all-purpose cleaners, cleaning supplies for your bathroom, sponges, and so much more to pick up. Other items available with this offer include batteries, trash bags, paper towels, and air fresheners, so you can truly stock up on a variety of items for your home.

Don't miss out on this $15 credit when you spend $50 on household items at Amazon.

There's plenty more to check out at Amazon right now ahead of the Big Spring Sale. Looking to save on tech? Check out our roundup of the best laptop deals ahead of the Amazon Big Spring Sale. Or if you're curious to see more items outside of tech, check out our roundup of the best outdoor deals to shop ahead of the Amazon Big Spring Sale.

Watch Adolescence stars breaking down their own performances in episode 3

Mashable - 2 hours 49 min ago

Netflix drama Adolescence – a four episode mini-series where each episode was filmed in one shot – is provoking some emotional reactions online.

In the clip above Owen Cooper and Erin Doherty, the two main actors from episode 3 – which takes places almost entirely in one room – watch back their performances and give an inside into what was going on behind-the-scenes and in their heads while the camera was rolling.

Cooper probably sums it up best after one pivotal moment: "That was tense."

Adolescence is streaming now on Netflix.

The best fitness tracker deals ahead of Amazons Big Spring Sale

Mashable - 3 hours 23 min ago

Spring has sprung, which can only mean one thing: Another Amazon sale event is upon us.

No, it's not time for Prime Day quite yet, but it is time for yet another Big Spring Sale from the retail giant. Running from March 25 to 31, the sale will serve as a mini Prime Day of sorts, but with a focus on spring essentials, outdoor products, and much more. So, if you've been amping yourself to throw a big ol' BBQ once the weather allows for it, you're going to want to keep an eye on this sale.

SEE ALSO: Best non-watch heart rate monitors — keep your wrist free without sacrificing the data you need

That also goes for our fitness fans who are looking to get in better shape before summer comes along. Amazon already has a pretty decent selection of fitness trackers on sale ahead of the event's official start date from brands like Garmin, Apple, and even Oura Ring (with more to come). Read on to find our favorite fitness tracker deals ahead of the Amazon Big Spring sale so far, and stay tuned to this page as the event kicks off — we'll be updating our list as new deals go live.

Let's start tackling our fitness goals we made at beginning of the year, but at a discount.

Best fitness tracker dealsBest smartwatch fitness tracker dealsBest kids fitness tracker deals

Yes, you can buy a car on Amazon now — get $2,300 in gift cards with your purchase

Mashable - 3 hours 25 min ago

FREE GIFT CARD: As of March 19, Prime members can get $2,300 in Amazon gift cards with the purchase of a car.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Autos: $2,300 in Amazon Gift Cards Learn More

Amazon sells kitchen equipment, designer clothing, audio gear, books, and everything in between. So why shouldn't Amazon sell cars? Sure, it feels a little weird to purchase something so massive (literally and figuratively) on Amazon, but when you really think about it, the whole thing actually makes a lot of sense.

Amazon Autos lets you browse online at your leisure with upfront pricing and vehicle-specific features, and you even get customized financing during checkout (or you can opt to pay in cash, if you're feeling flush). You can add optional products and services that protect you on the open road, including extended warranties, gap insurance, and maintenance plans.

SEE ALSO: How to check or reload your Amazon gift card balance

When you're happy with your decision, you can schedule a pickup time online. As the final price is already settled, pick up is straightforward. Simply show up, wrap up, and drive home with your brand-new ride.

And for a limited time, Prime members can get $2,300 in Amazon gift cards through this service. Here's how it works:

  1. Begin a purchase on any car at Amazon Autos

  2. Finish checkout and submit your order

  3. Schedule a pickup appointment and sign required documents from the dealer

  4. Complete your car purchase at the dealer

  5. Within two weeks, you will receive two emails from Amazon, each containing an Amazon gift card ($2,300 credit is split between the two gift cards)

So what are you waiting for? We know buying a car on Amazon sounds weird, but it's the future. Amazon is set to launch this service in more locations, with more car brands and dealerships planned in the near future.

Apple M4 MacBook Air review: A really good deal

Mashable - 3 hours 56 min ago

The new MacBook Air made me wonder why do I keep buying the MacBook Pro.

I keep telling myself that the laptop is the most powerful tool I use daily, and that I should get the best one. But honestly, the new 15-inch MacBook Air, which Apple lent me for a few weeks, has put my 16-inch MacBook Pro to shame in so many ways that I'm wondering if I should just switch to the Air the next time around.

Apple M4 MacBook Air: Price and specs

Let's start with the most pleasant surprise: The new MacBook Air is cheaper than before. The 13-inch variant starts at $999, while the 15-inch variant starts at $1,199 – a hundred bucks down from last year's price. Apple doesn't do this often, so enjoy it while you can.

It's blue, I swear. Note the Silver MacBook Pro on the left. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

As for specs, the most important changes on the new MacBook Air are the new M4 chip with a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU (the 13-inch version starts with an 8-core GPU), 16GB of starting memory (the last year's version started at 8GB), the new, 12-megapixel webcam, and the new, Sky Blue color. The new Air also supports up to two external displays, even when you're using its own display. The Air still starts with 256GB of storage.

The softest of blues

Despite its size, the 15-inch MacBook Air is reasonably light and thin, making it a lot more portable than my 16-inch Pro. The new Sky Blue color is incredibly subtle, and can only be appreciated in a certain light. I'd like it to be more vibrant, especially given all the other colors are also some variant of grey (Starlight, Silver, and Midnight), but it's the Apple way. The MagSafe charging port is matching the Sky Blue color, so everything is good with the universe.

Just the headphone jack on the right side. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

I haven't had any time with the new 13-inch MacBook Air, but it's a very similar machine, only smaller and lighter (it weighs 2.7 pounds vs. the 15-inch Air's 3.3 pounds).

SEE ALSO: The best Apple deals ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale: New iPads and M4 MacBook Airs are already on sale

I'm the type of guy who'd gladly lug a larger, heavier laptop around for the increased screen real estate, but some folks may opt for the smaller Air for the extra portability.

Silent power

Outside, the new Air is pretty much the same as the last one. Inside, there are a couple of important changes.

First, the new Air has Apple's M4 chip inside. Apple's M-series of chips aren't huge upgrades year-over-year (which is why Apple often compares new chips against much older variants in marketing materials), but the first one, the M1, was so good, that most users probably wouldn't notice the difference between that chip and the latest one.

Still, the new M4 MacBook Air is impressively powerful. I put it through GeekBench's CPU test and got great results: a 3,778 single-core score, and a 14,992 multi-core score. That's considerably faster than any earlier Mac when it comes to single-core operation, and roughly on par with an M2 Max when it comes to multi-core operation.

This kind of performance is impressive given the Air is dead silent. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

To illustrate just how good this is, let's put it into context. This M4 MacBook Air only has passive cooling, so it emits nearly no noise. Of course, if you push it hard, it will get hot; it only took 20 minutes of Dota 2 at the highest settings for the Air to get pretty hot to the touch above the keyboard. The laptop's bottom also got warm, but not so much that it felt unbearable in my lap.

This is not a gaming laptop, by the way, but it will do for games that aren't very demanding. For example, Dota 2 was glitchy at the highest settings, but when I pushed the visuals slider away from "best looking" it did fine, maintaining FPS count above 60 most of the time.

One thing I worry about is whether the MacBook Air will be able to handle extreme heat which is common during the summer on the Adriatic coast where I live (100 degrees Fahrenheit or more). I guess playing a game in a non-air-conditioned room would cause some throttling, but I can't test that right now.

The MagSafe cable connector is also Sky Blue. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The device Apple sent me had 16GB of RAM, which is the starting amount, and I never felt like I needed more (you can also get the Air with 24GB or 32 GB of RAM, for $200 or $400 extra). As for storage, the Air starts at 256GB but it can also be had with 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage (for $200, $400, and $800 extra, respectively). My unit had 1TB which was obviously more than enough for a week of use. The extra memory and storage could be cheaper, but given that the Air used to start with 8GB of RAM, it's hard to complain here.

Display, keyboard, trackpad

This is the easy part, because the display, the keyboard, and the trackpad on the new M4 MacBook Air haven't changed since the last generation.

The keyboard is still excellent, though I do prefer the depth and the feeling I get on my MacBook Pro's keys. Apple's trackpads are near-perfect and have been for a while. And the display is plenty bright and gorgeous...when it displays a still image. Grab a window and start moving it around on the screen, and you'll notice the shortcomings of the display's refresh rate, which only goes to 60Hz. If you're a gamer or if you just want a silky smooth 120Hz display, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Webcam, ports, and surprisingly good sound

The new MacBook Air has a new, 12-megapixel front camera, and it's a big upgrade. Compared to the old, 1080p webcam on my MacBook Pro, the image is sharper, a bit brighter, and more detailed. You still won't get selfies nearly as good as you would on a newer phone, but you'll look a lot better in video calls.

The 15-inch MacBook Air is not the lightest laptop out there, but it's still a lot lighter and thinner than my 16-inch MacBook Pro. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

As for the ports you get...it's the same as last year, which means – not great. You get a MagSafe port for charging, two Thunderbolt ports on one side, and a solitary headphone jack on the other. Given that this machine can support two external displays, it'd be nice if additional ports existed as an option, at least.

SEE ALSO: I've found 2025 MacBook Air M4 discounts already — here are all the best live deals

Sound on the 15-inch Air is pretty good, loud without too much distortion, bright and clear. Compared to the sound coming out of the 16-inc MacBook Pro, it's a bit brighter and thinner, with less bass, but it's still pretty great. Note that the 13-inch only has 4 speakers compared to the 15-incher's 6-speaker configuration, so it likely won't sound as good.

Battery life

The 15-inch M4 MacBook Air is rated by Apple as capable for up to 18 hours of video streaming, and up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing. We've put the new MacBook Air to our standard test of streaming a looped 1080p video (Tears of Steel), and got just over 10 hours of battery life which is in line with what we've got from the M3 MacBook Air using the same test. As for my personal experience, I felt that this machine could easily last me through a full day of work.

Is the new, 15-inch, M4 MacBook Air worth it? Need a laptop? Buy the MacBook Air. You'll most probably love it. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Yes. Absolutely. The new MacBook Air is cheaper than before, and runs Apple's most powerful chip (well, its basic variant) while being dead silent. The webcam is better, the battery life is great, and just about the only negatives we can think is low number of ports and the fact that the display's refresh rate only goes to 60Hz.

Ive found 2025 MacBook Air M4 discounts already — here are all the best live deals

Mashable - 3 hours 57 min ago

SAVE UP TO $50: As of March 19, you can already save on the brand-new 2025 MacBook Air with M4 chip at Amazon and Best Buy:

The 2025 MacBook Air with M4 chip just launched, and it’s already getting some solid discounts. I love when a brand-new Apple product doesn’t make me cry at the checkout. If you’re looking to upgrade your laptop, these early deals at Amazon at Best Buy are worth checking out especially since some configurations are dipping under $1,000.

The best deal on 13-inch 2025 Macbook Air M4 Opens in a new window Credit: Apple 2025 Macbook Air M4 (13-inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $949 at Amazon
$982.62 Save $33.62 Get Deal

At Amazon, you can grab the 13-inch MacBook Air with 16GB RAM and 256GB storage for $949, knocking $33.62 off at checkout. Want a performance boost? The 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD model is $1,349 ($41.38 off).

The best deal on 15-inch 2025 Macbook Air M4 Opens in a new window Credit: Apple 15-inch MacBook Air M4 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD $1,149 at Best Buy
$1,199 Save $50 Get Deal

At Best Buy, the 15-inch MacBook Air M4 starts at $1,149 with 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD, but only if you have a My Best Buy Total membership. That membership costs $179.99 per year, but it includes AppleCare+ and exclusive discounts, so it might be worth it if you’re deep in the Apple ecosystem.

SEE ALSO: The best Apple deals ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale: New iPads and M4 MacBook Airs are already on sale What is the best MacBook Air M4 deal?

If you don’t have a My Best Buy Total membership, the Amazon deals are better — no extra fees, just straight discounts. But if you do have the membership (or want AppleCare+ included), the Best Buy discount is bigger at $50 off.

Personally? The Amazon $949 deal for the base 13-inch model is the winner if you’re just looking for an affordable upgrade. But if you want a bigger screen and more storage, the Best Buy $1,349 deal for the 15-inch, 512GB version is decent, especially if you’re already in the My Best Buy Total membership.

Either way, these prices might not stick around for long. If you’ve been eyeing the new MacBook Air M4, now’s the time to grab one before Apple remembers that it can charge full price forever.

The Baby Tech That One Parent Found Helped the Most

NYT Technology - 4 hours 30 min ago
The Snoo. The Nanit. The Hatch Rest. Many lists of baby gear mandate certain items, but our columnist wondered if it would be better to chuck those lists out.

Reddit Becomes a Lifeline for Federal Workers Scared of Losing Their Jobs

NYT Technology - 4 hours 32 min ago
The online forum’s pseudonymity lets them vent, share information and find solace. Unpaid moderators, like David Carson, are working overtime to keep up.

Amazon Alexa alternatives with better privacy options

Mashable - 4 hours 33 min ago

Amazon recently confirmed that Alexa users will no longer have the ability to process requests locally, meaning your voice recordings will be stored in Amazon's servers, no matter what you think about it. That's...not great.

The good news is there are a couple of major alternatives you can use that have better privacy settings. The settings aren't necessarily ideal in every case, as you're still talking into a microphone that's connected to the internet. But they're still better than what Amazon is doing. Here are your options.

SEE ALSO: Google's new AI model is being used to remove image watermarks Apple

Apple's HomePod line of smart devices work similarly to Amazon Echo devices. You can ask questions and Siri will answer them, among other things. There's good news and bad news regarding how all of this works, privacy-wise.

According to Apple, some requests will be processed on-device, while others will be sent to Apple's servers, with a visual indicator letting you know which one is which. If you want to keep away from Apple's servers at all times and do everything locally, it doesn't seem like that's an option here. However, the privacy policy does promise that your audio data is not stored by Apple unless you specifically opt into that, which is the main thing we're looking for here.

If you want to feel even better, Apple doesn't associate any of your request data (be it text transcripts or voice recordings) with your name. It uses a random identifier instead, and your requests are decoupled from that identifier after six months.

Google

Google Nest devices also give users a decent amount of control in this regard. You can go into your activity settings and choose what is and isn't saved to your Google account, and that includes voice activity. It should be noted that Google does not retain audio recordings on its servers by default. There are also auto-delete options in Google's privacy suite, in case you want to keep things around temporarily.

If you use a voice-based smart home device, there are inherent security risks that can't really be avoided. But, at least in the specific case of having a company hoard your audio requests against your will, Apple and Google are both a better bet than Amazon at this point.

Why do we become obsessed with our partners exes?

Mashable - 4 hours 33 min ago

One evening, Holly,* then 22, was sitting on the sofa with her boyfriend, Harvey, 22, in his family home, when he mentioned that his ex, Harmony, had an OnlyFans account. Holly joked that she was going to subscribe to Harmony's page, and they both laughed. 

Holly, however, wasn't joking. Back home, she found Harmony's page and subscribed. She'd already looked at Harmony's Instagram, flicking through old photos of her and Harvey at prom, in school uniform, on holiday together. But scrolling through her OnlyFans account felt like she'd unlocked something else, like she was "meeting a different character altogether."

SEE ALSO: How to protect your mental health while using dating apps

"I would study photos of her boobs, bum, vagina, etc., and tally up where I stood in relation," Holly told me. "I just wanted to see her nipples compared to mine."

In our digitally mediated worlds, we have our partners' entire romantic histories at our fingertips. For the curious (or forensically-obsessed) among us, the proximity to all this information is intoxicating. We find ourselves lying in bed, alone, stroking our iPhones, scouring our partners' ex-flings' LinkedIn credentials, Substacks, and sepia-tinged selfies from 2011. Obsessing over a partner's ex feels dirty and salacious, shameful and delicious. Like scratching an inflamed mosquito bite, the sensation is sweet and stinging, always leaving us wanting more. So why do we do it?

A gendered problem?

"A lot of information on this subject is really poor," said psychotherapist Toby Ingham, who has written a book about "retroactive jealousy" (a term used to describe fixating on a partner's romantic history). While there has been little written on the subject, Ingham makes the case that retroactive jealousy is an "obsessional problem" fueled by "old injuries, things that really predate any kind of dating history by a long time." In other words, the compulsive feeling is less about our partner's ex or even our partner but "attachment type problems" from our childhoods.

When I floated my (anecdotally-driven) theory with Ingham — that retroactive jealousy was more common in women than men — he pushed back. "It seems to me that it's more typically men who become obsessed about their partner's previous partners," he said, explaining that he'd seen more male clients about this issue. 

This surprised me: I'd come to think of the compulsive feeling as a distinctly female one (the way I've masochistically compared every inch of my body to my friends' bodies since I was 11). When I asked my male friends how often they thought about their partners' exes, they seemed baffled by the question. They might take interest in who their ex dates after them, they told me, but not who they dated before.

"I have not found a man who has experienced this," Camille Sojit Pejcha, a New York City-based writer who runs the Substack Pleasure Seeking, told me. Sojit Pejcha has written about creeping on her ex's exes in Document Journal. "Women are so socialized to be so sensitive about their appearance and the appearance of others."

In 2006, a psychoanalyst named Dr Darian Leader used the term "Rebecca Syndrome" to describe the act of obsessing over a partner's ex. "It is a genuine question of feminine identity," he told The Independent. "It's as if the woman who came before holds the key." He'd coined the term from Daphne du Maurier's 1938 Gothic novel, Rebecca, in which the protagonist becomes fixated on her lover's widow. "I thought of Rebecca, lively and beautiful, arranging everything," she says towards the start of the novel, "What must people think about me?" 

While no published studies have specifically focused on whether "Rebecca Syndrome" is more common in women or men, research indicates that women are more likely to compare themselves with others on social media and are more likely to engage in "upward comparison." This is hardly surprising — my Instagram Explore page is filled with ads for rhinoplasty, face lifts, lip fillers, and Botox while my (straight) male friends tell me theirs are filled with women with big breasts. 

Being fascinated by our partner's exes didn't begin in the 21st century, but it's likely that profit-driven social media apps have added fuel to the fire. Capitalism feeds off insecurity, instilling us with the belief that something about us is suboptimal but fixable, that there is a better version of ourselves in reach. Social media, programmed to suck our attention, turbocharges this Sisyphean striving: the more time we spend on the apps, the more we scrutinize our appearance, the more we hate ourselves, the more time we spend on the apps.

The ex as a mirror

Across interviews with self-professed "ex fanatics," women described imagining their partner's exes as if seeing them through their partners' eyes. What made him fall in love with her? They'd wonder, tracing the bump on their nose, the gap between their front teeth. What does he love about me? 

Sarah, a 24-year-old writer, told me that she set up a burner account to survey her boyfriend's ex, and the more she looked at her profile, the more she felt uneasy. She began noticing eerie similarities between the ex and herself: their ethnicity, their music taste, even the topics of their undergrad thesis. "I was just a little bit scared that I am just a rebound because the similarity was very jarring."

This male-centric perspective reminded me of art critic John Berger's (albeit heteronormative) description of what it means to be a woman in a patriarchal world: disembodied "by a sense of being appreciated as herself by another." He wrote, "Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at." In a world in which our attention is constantly being monetized, these acts of being and being perceived take on new meaning. We linger and lurk on the profiles of other women with an internalized male gaze, and the more we look, the more the tech overlords profit.

In a world in which our attention is constantly being monetized, these acts of being and being perceived take on new meaning.

For Sojit Pejcha, spending years looking at her partner's ex through a quasi-male gaze led her somewhere unexpected. When her ex's ex revealed that she'd had a crush on her, she realized that she'd misinterpreted her own compulsive behavior. "For me, the motivation was gay," she told me. "It manifested as a perceived comparison thing but really it was about a sapphic pull that I felt toward these women… It was like I was able to hide behind the dynamic of triangulation with a man."

Holly was also jolted into a confrontation when her boyfriend's ex contacted her on OnlyFans, asking if she wanted personalized content. It made her feel guilty, like she'd taken it all too far. Obsessing over Harmony's virtual self was "a false sense of control," she now realized. "You learn more about what you hate about yourself than what they're like." 

As is so often the case with obsession, the feeling is more about the subject than the object: less about the person you are obsessed with and more about what they evoke in you and why. "It becomes far more an exercise in holding a mirror up to your own insecurities," Holly said.

* Names have been changed.

Learn to ethically hack for just $35

Mashable - 4 hours 33 min ago

TL;DR: Get hands-on hacking practice in the All-in-One Super-Sized Ethical Hacking Bundle on sale for $34.97 through March 30. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Aleksa Tamburkovski The All-in-One Super-Sized Ethical Hacking Bundle $34.97
Get Deal

How do you learn to hack? As useful as it is for cybersecurity jobs, hacking is kind of hard to practice without an instructor and a controlled lab where you can test out what you've learned.

If you want a structured, hands-on approach to the practicalities of hacking in the industry, then check out the All-in-One Super-Sized Ethical Hacking Bundle while it's on sale for $34.97 (reg. $1,098). 

What's on the menu

This bundle has 18 courses and a lot to show you. There's no set progression path, so you pick where you want to start. If you're a total beginner, you can start with entry-level courses like the Complete Python 3 Ethical Hacking Course. That one has a full eight hours of lessons showing you everything from how to hack Windows machines to setting up an email scraper. 

Other courses take a more focused approach. Website Hacking in Practice and Server Security with BitNinja both teach you new skills and tools that are common in the industry. 

If you want a little hands-on experience, check out Hacking Wireless Networks. That's where you learn how to prepare your own training environment so you can actually practice safely and legally. There's even a 180-page course handbook to study. 

There's a lot to learn, but no rush to study. All course material is yours for life, so take your time. 

The only rush is to get access before the price goes up. 

You have until March 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get the All-in-One Super-Sized Ethical Hacking Bundle on sale for $34.97. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Your next movie night deserves a bigger screen — grab a mini projector on sale for $130

Mashable - 4 hours 33 min ago

TL;DR: Ditch the tiny screens — project your favorite content anywhere with the CinéMini HD Portable Projector while it's only $129.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: CinéMini CinéMini 720P HD Portable Mini Projector with Speaker $129.99
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Who says you need a massive budget (or even a TV) to enjoy cinema-quality entertainment at home? The CinéMini 720P HD Portable Mini Projector transforms any room, backyard, or blank wall into a full-on big-screen experience — and it's on sale now for $129.99.

Whether you’re streaming the latest blockbuster, binge-watching your favorite show, or giving a work presentation, this compact powerhouse has you covered. With a bright 160 ANSI lumen display and 720P HD resolution, the CinéMini delivers sharp, vibrant visuals on a screen up to 200 inches. Its built-in speaker provides room-filling sound, so you don’t need extra gear for an immersive viewing experience.

Tired of dealing with cables and clunky setups? The CinéMini makes streaming ridiculously easy. Built on Android 11, it comes with popular apps like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, and Disney+ preloaded, so you can start watching right away once you log in. You can also mirror your phone or tablet using AirPlay or Miracast for quick screen sharing.

If you’re a fan of wired connections, no problem. The CinéMini supports HDMI, USB, and Bluetooth — you can quickly hook up a laptop or gaming console.

At just 2.78 lbs, the CinéMini is made for easy transport. Set it up in your living room, backyard, office, or classroom — wherever you need a big screen on demand. It’s also plug-and-play, so there’s no complicated installation — just plug it in, adjust the focus wheel, and you’re good to go.

Whether you're hosting an outdoor movie night, gaming with friends, or leading a meeting, this mini projector (which was featured at CES 2025) delivers serious performance in a small package.

What’s included:

  • CinéMini 720P HD Portable Mini Projector

  • AC power cable (runs on outlet, no internal battery)

  • HDMI cable

  • USB-C to HDMI adapter

  • Remote control

If you’re still huddled around a laptop screen for movie nights, squinting at tiny presentations, or stuck without a TV in your dorm or Airbnb, it’s time for an upgrade. 

Get the CinéMini Portable Projector for just $129.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Your phone is making you dumber — fix that for $47.99 with Headway

Mashable - 4 hours 33 min ago

TL;DR: Stop wasting time doomscrolling — use Headway Premium to unlock quick, digestible insights from the world’s top nonfiction books for just $47.99 (reg. $299.95) with code LEVELUP20.

It happens daily. You have a few free minutes between meetings, waiting in line, or winding down before bed, and somehow, you end up on your phone — scrolling through another depressing news cycle or watching a 10-minute video about a dog that learned to surf. We can all agree it's a waste of our precious time.

You don't have to get up and clean the bathroom or garage to feel productive. Headway Premium is the app that replaces mindless scrolling with bite-sized, actionable learning in just 15 minutes a day.

For a limited time, you can get lifetime access for just $47.99 with code LEVELUP20 through March 30 — no subscriptions, no recurring fees, just unlimited knowledge at your fingertips.

Headway distills the best nonfiction books into engaging, easy-to-digest summaries that you can read or listen to anywhere. Whether you want to master productivity, improve your leadership skills, level up your finances, or just win more trivia nights, Headway has you covered. This means you can keep learning without setting aside hours for full-length books.

Headway curates content based on your interests and goals — so you get the most relevant insights without the fluff. Plus, with gamification elements like streak tracking, challenges, and progress badges, staying motivated is easy.

What You Get

  • Unlimited access to thousands of 15-minute nonfiction summaries.

  • Personalized recommendations tailored to your interests.

  • Audio summaries so you can learn while commuting, exercising, or cleaning.

  • Offline mode for learning on the go, no Wi-Fi needed.

  • New summaries added every month, keeping your knowledge fresh.

  • A gamified experience to help you stay motivated and keep learning.

Stop telling yourself you’ll read more and start actually learning — but on your schedule, at your pace.

This lifetime subscription to Headway Premium for just $47.99 (with code LEVELUP20) ends after March 30, so grab it before it’s gone.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Headwa Headway Premium: Lifetime Subscription $47.99
$299.95 Save $251.96 Get Deal


This $40 BJs Club+ Card offer might make you love grocery stores again

Mashable - 4 hours 33 min ago

TL;DR: For a limited time, grab a 1-year BJ’s Club+ Membership for just $40 (reg. $65) and start saving on groceries, gas, and everyday essentials.

Opens in a new window Credit: BJ's Wholesale 1-year The Club+ Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal $40
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If grocery bills are getting out of hand, this offer may be your ticket to serious savings.

You can now score a 1-year BJ’s Club+ Membership for just $40 (regularly $65), but only through May 3. That’s a whole year of discounts, rewards, and perks to help you stock up and spend less without cutting corners on quality.

BJ’s doesn’t just offer big savings — it also works hard to bring you more ways to save, shop, and stock up without stress. Their everyday prices beat grocery stores by up to 25 percent on national brands, and they’re the only wholesale club that accepts manufacturer’s coupons on top of their own discounts. 

Your Club+ Membership also unlocks 2 percent cash back on most purchases, $.05 off per gallon at BJ’s Gas, and up to 3x rewards during special events. Whether shopping for weekly essentials, throwing a big party, or just trying to keep up with a hungry household, BJ’s aims to help you spend less while getting more.

Forget the stress of crowded checkouts and endless grocery trips. BJ’s offers ExpressPay, which lets you scan and pay right from the mobile app (so you can skip the checkout line). Plus, curbside pickup, online ordering, and same-day delivery mean you can shop your way without the hassle.

With fresh produce, premium meats, deli selections, and bakery items, you’ll find top brands at wholesale prices and everything you need to feed the whole family for less. And there are always other finds like clothing, electronics, and seasonal items (hello, holiday shopping) to peruse while in the store.

Don't miss spending $40 (reg. $65) for a year of BJ's Club+ Card savings while it's available through May 3.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Target Circle Week is going head to head with Amazons Big Spring Sale

Mashable - 4 hours 47 min ago

It's almost been a year since Target launched its Target Circle 360 membership. What better way to celebrate than with a sale?

Unsurprisingly, this one-year anniversary celebration happens to fall alongside Amazon's Big Spring Sale. Coincidence? Never. We knew the mega-retailer wouldn't pass up the chance to compete with Mr. Bezos. Enter: Target Circle Week.

"We are thrilled to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Target Circle 360 with our best Target Circle Week yet," said Cara Sylvester, Target's executive vice president and chief guest experience officer, in a press release. "Target Circle members will receive the biggest deals on thousands of items from the latest in spring style to everyday favorites that are always on the checklist."

Target Circle Week is an exclusive savings event for Target Circle members, held multiple times a year. Non-coincidentally, it tends to occur at the same times as major shopping events at Amazon, like Prime Day and Black Friday. Here's everything you need to know about the competing spring sale at Target.

When is Target Circle Week?

As a shock to nobody, Target Circle Week will overlap with the Amazon Big Spring Sale (which runs March 25 to 31). Circle Week officially kicks off on March 23 at 3:00 a.m. ET and runs through March 29, delivering seven days of exclusive deals. The discounts will be available to Target Circle members on the Target app and website, as well as in stores.

How to sign up for Target Circle

Target Circle Week requires a membership to shop, but unlike Prime or Walmart Plus, Target Circle is free to join. Here's how:

  1. Head to Target.com/circle and choose "Create account."

  2. Enter your full name, email address, and phone number.

  3. Choose whether to use a password or passkey (fingerprint, face ID, or pin) to sign in.

  4. Select "Create account." You are now a Target Circle member and are free to shop the savings event when it goes live.

Early access for Target Circle 360 members

For the first time, Target Circle 360 members will get early access to select deals 24 hours before they open to all Target Circle members.

Target Circle 360 members can shop the following deals before anyone else: 

Target Circle 360 is a paid membership that offers unlimited same-day delivery from Target, access to a curated marketplace of other retailers and grocers via Shipt.com, free two-day shipping on eligible items, and other exclusive benefits and experiences. Typically $99 for the year, memberships are on sale for just $49 from March 16 through 29. That's 50% in savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Target Target Circle 360 one-year membership $49
$99 Save $50 Get Deal Best deals to look out for during Target Circle Week 2025

Target Circle Week will feature deals on "must-have spring items," which coincidentally encompasses just about everything from home essentials and beauty products to books and toys. Here's a sneak peek at some of the best featured deals to look out for.

Peacock Premium deal

Another first for Target Circle Week: three free months of Peacock Premium. Thanks to a special, limited-time partner perk, new and returning Peacock subscribers can sign up for the ad-supported tier at no cost from March 9 through March 29. Conveniently, Wicked starts streaming on March 21 on Peacock — just saying.

Of course, once the three-month promotional period expires, you'll be charged full price (currently $7.99 per month), and your subscription will auto-renew monthly. You can cancel anytime to avoid further charges.

Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock Premium Get 3 free months free with Target Circle Get Deal Target's Deal of the Day

As stated in the press release, Target Circle Week will bring back the customer-favorite "Deal of the Day." Limited-time unique deals will pop up (and then disappear) for members to shop. Similar to Amazon's Lightning deals, they'll only stick around for 24 hours. In previous Circle Week events we saw Acer laptops under $300 and 15% off an assortment of gift cards as Deals of the Day. Keep an eye out for these exclusive discounts once the event is live.

Gift card rewards

There are several opportunities to score Target gift cards during the Circle Week event. Here are a few to look out for:

  • Spend $50 on household essentials and get a $15 Target gift card

  • Spend $40 on select beauty and self-care items and get a $10 Target gift card 

  • Spend $30 on select Ulta Beauty at Target products and get a $5 Target gift card 

Mashable's shopping team will be following the Target Circle Week sale closely and updating this list with new deals that drop once the event officially kicks off on March 23. However, here's a preview of the biggest savings expected.

  • 30% off tees, tanks, shorts, and dresses for the family 

  • 30% off patio furniture and accessories 

  • 25% off select Pillowfort, teen bedding and decor 

  • 25% off Threshold and Casaluna bedding 

  • 20% off Brightroom plastic storage bins and closet organization 

  • Up to 40% off kitchen and floorcare essentials, including Instant Pot, Ninja, and Shark appliances 

  • Up to 30% off select Lego 

  • Save up to $200 on select Apple devices

  • Buy two, get one free on books, movies, and music 

DOGE damage is just getting started, IT experts warn

Mashable - 5 hours 13 min ago

Elon Musk loves wearing his TECH SUPPORT T-shirt in the White House. He wore it to his Oval Office interview; he wore it to his first Cabinet meeting. "I actually just call myself Humble Tech Support here," Musk told heads of departments whose computer systems he'd already accessed.

Acting like the IT guy: this wasn't really Musk trying to be cute, or somehow downplaying all the chaos his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had unleashed in its first month of existence. It's a stark reminder of how he had secured, so fast, enough power to terrorize the federal government from within: literally, using nothing but the access provided by the White House's IT department.

Which, in all probability like your company's tech team, has a "god mode" level of access to many key computer systems. The kind of access that could do a lot of damage at any organization anywhere in our hyperconnected world, let alone inside the two million employee-strong U.S. government.

SEE ALSO: What Elon Musk could do with the digital keys to the kingdom

If we learn anything from what DOGE has done and what DOGE still has the power to do, experts say, it's this: If the IT department wants to unleash hell and the CEO doesn't want to stop them, the IT department unleashes hell — no matter how humble they claim to be.

"The best analogy might be Nick Burns the computer guy, but make him evil," says Kurtis Minder, founder of GroupSense, a threat intelligence business. Minder specializes in cyber espionage and ransom negotiations with corporate cybercriminals.

Burns, played by Jimmy Fallon on SNL, was an obnoxious tech support guy who bellowed at employees to move away from their computers — a character who may seem much less funny in the age of Musk.

The IT guy 'could sort of disappear them'

For example, "an IT person with any kind of administrative computer privileges would absolutely be able to mess with payroll in any number of ways," Minder says — such as going into payment system software and, uh, zeroing out your paycheck. It would be "trivial" for an IT guy to install keylogger software that literally let him spy on everything employees typed on a company machine.

And if an IT guy wanted to effectively "shadow fire" someone, perhaps forcing them out by cutting access to any internal software or system that let them their job? "Absolutely," Minder says. The IT guy could "sort of disappear them."

What is DOGE doing next?

As concerned as he is by DOGE flexing its IT muscle, Minder is — like all the experts we spoke to for this article — far more concerned with what could happen now because of its rampage through a patchwork of government computer systems.

"Going in and saying we're going to re-architect all these systems when we haven't bothered to to assess and secure the ones that exist ... is bad," Minder says, struggling for words. And that's about as far as he goes with speculation.

"What should be a priority: let's digitally secure the country. Then let's talk about how we can make things more efficient!" The mild-mannered Minder takes note of his own tone, but he means it: "This is the stuff I live every day, and it makes me angry."

SEE ALSO: Crypto scammers are using Elon Musk's DOGE to defraud people

So if the country is less digitally secure under DOGE — and to be clear, with foreign actors now able to hack the U.S. government via the insecure laptops of Musk's Humble Tech Support team such as the 19-year-old known as Big Balls, that's what experts agrees it is — what's the worst that can happen?

After all, as Minder says, he sees bad actors "on the dark web selling stolen U.S. government classified information every day, so we're already losing that battle."

But the "neutering" of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), where Musk has embedded another of his 19-year-old IT guys, who is also a graduate of a cybercriminal social network known as the Corn, according to this veteran reporter's expose — this, for Minder, accelerates the whole crisis.

"The most terrifying [outcome] is that we regress even further, that we don't pay attention to what I believe is a major national security issue," Minder says. Instead of working to plug existing leaks, in other words, the DOGE-riddled government becomes a sieve — a very lucrative one for the Rivages of the world.

Can anything be done to stop the work of a leaky IT guy? Minder is pessimistic. Musk has his team firmly in control of computer systems at the Office of Personnel and Management, which in corporate terms would mean that the IT department basically runs the HR department. "I don't know if any guardrails are left" inside the U.S. government, Minder says. Musk's DOGE "tested the fences, and they found out nobody cares about them."

How DOGE can wreck U.S. cybersecurity

Well, not nobody, exactly — but those that do care are demoralized and heading for the exits, says Dr. Richard Forno, Assistant Director of the UMBC Cybersecurity Institute. Forno is as much of a Washington D.C. veteran as you'll find in this area; his 20-year career includes building the first cybersecurity programs for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Among his friends and contractors in the government, "There is panic about the security of federal systems," Forno says. "People are basically saying, well, why am I even bothering with this any more? What's the point in fighting the good fight? They're starting to look for other jobs. They're fed up."

This is one sense in which DOGE is worse than the average company IT department — because your IT guys probably have more cybersecurity training than Musk's team. "They may be brilliant engineers and programmers, but they don't have a lot of experience in the workplace, let alone the government," Forno says.

"Some of [Musk's team] would not pass a government security clearance, and yet they've been given administrator access to both read data and update software."

Ideally, the IT guy has to understand and respect the software in the first place. The arrogant Silicon Valley mantra of "move fast and break things" — which was coined at Facebook, but which even founder Mark Zuckerberg abandoned in favor of the less destructive "move fast with stable infra[structure]" — is a recipe for disaster in a government setting.

"I mean, this isn't like a single server in your basement," Forno says. "These federal systems, whether it's Social Security or Medicare, they've been built over 30 and 40 years" — often using COBOL, a programming language from the 1950s that isn't even taught in schools any more.

"There are workflows, there are processes, there's patchwork stuff that DOGE doesn't know about. And if that breaks, there will be ramifications."

SEE ALSO: DOGE tech employees jointly resign in protest of Elon Musk

Experts like Forno don't even know what systems DOGE has accessed, and to what degree. The "god mode" of IT access has two levels: one where you can read and write data, another known as "read only." But even the latter isn't as safe as it sounds.

Reportedly, DOGE has read-only access to the government's HR department, the OPM. Those computers don't just contain payroll, salary and tax-withholding information for U.S. government employees, but their insurance plans, whether they've paid for counselling, and what their security clearance is.

"If I'm a Russian or Chinese hacker, I would want to target the people at DOGE inside OPM," says Forno. IT experts like him have literally spent a decade trying to shore up OPM computers that were hacked in 2015, exposing the social security numbers of nearly 20 million applicants for security clearances.

And then there's the payroll department, a.k.a. the U.S. Treasury, whose computers contain the bank details, social security numbers, and tax payment history for most Americans. Read-only access, which is what the Treasury secretary has assured us DOGE has, is bad enough.

"I don't think it's a conspiracy, I think it's stupidity," Forno concludes. "These people are shooting first, and they're not giving people fair warning about dramatic changes, and one false move could crash the economy."

How DOGE could hurt the U.S. economy

According to the January 20 executive order that renamed the U.S. Digital Service after Musk's favorite meme, DOGE's job was "modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity." That hardly sounded like the most dangerous-sounding weapon in history.

But given that government in the 21st century relies entirely on software and technology, that mandate allowed DOGE to became in effect the most powerful U.S. agency overnight. And now experts are struggling to find metaphors to explain just how bad the reign of tech support could be.

"This is like Revenge of the Nerds meets Animal House meets War Games." That's the movie-based metaphor favored by Emerson Tan, Chief Innovation Officer at Financial Empowerment Partners, which builds payment technologies for emerging markets — and saw DOGE's destruction of USAID up close.

A decade ago, as the research head of a company that made cyberwarfare tools for the U.S. intelligence community, Tan's job was to figure out, as he puts it, "how to implode a government." His strategy papers are still secret, but their conclusion? "You do what DOGE is doing," Tan says. "You do it through the IT systems" — especially those of the country's payroll department.

"If a company's IT department doesn't function for a day, you can shrug that off," Tan says. "Government in general, especially financial functions like the Treasury, cannot do that ... if you interrupt the system, the system will have a heart attack."

Treasury is especially vulnerable because it services the U.S. government debt, a constant process where bonds are always maturing and investors must be paid precisely on time. If this move-fast-and-break-things IT department were to try to fix the ancient COBOL code at the Treasury — and so far as we know, there has been no oversight that would prevent Musk pushing out a fix — they can induce a technical default.

Should the U.S. default on its debt, that would have a knock-on effect throughout the financial world. "If the overnight interbank lending market blows up," Tan says, "you wake up in the morning and ATMs have stopped working."

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk killing USAID would hurt America's future. Here's why.

This is one IT team that has opted "to basically smash stuff up," Tan adds," but at a rate where they don't understand what they're blowing up. So, the odds are pretty good that at some stage they're going to step on a landmine and blow something important. I mean, the consequences could be everything from milk prices going up to a coup."

Even DOGE's meddling so far constitutes "a system administrator's end-run around the Constitution," Tan believes. When USAID was folded into the State Department, its computer systems were put in the hands of tech teams who don't know how to run it.

The Supreme Court agreed with a lower court judge who ordered the government to restore $2 billion in USAID funding, but whether that is even possible is an open question.

"The systems have all been disintegrated," he says. "Even if the courts says they have to restart it, if you've turned the system off to actually administer it, you can't restart it. The end. the Constitution doesn't matter anymore."

Not to mention all the other potential knock-on effects. Tan predicts famine in South Sudan, at the very least, will result from the end of USAID — and worse, a general breakdown in the international order. Tan's company, Financial Empowerment Partners, is looking to abandon its Washington D.C. HQ for "somewhere more trustworthy," likely in Europe.

"The developing world has heard the message loud and clear, and that is America is our enemy," Tan says. "Not our friend, not a development partner, our enemy."

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