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Amazon's official Black Friday sale officially kicks off tomorrow, but there's no need to wait. Amazon has been dropping deals for weeks for all you early birds out there. As of Nov. 20, top brands like Apple and Bose are already down to all-time lows. You can hold off on shopping until tomorrow if you want, but rest assured, shopping today will still get you a great deal.
We've rounded up a few of the best Amazon deals of the day below. If you missed our picks from Nov. 18 and Nov. 19, be sure to check those out as well. Many of the deals are still live — including a new all-time low on the Oura Ring 3 Horizon and the JBL Flip 6 Bluetooth speaker.
Our top pick Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort headphones $199.00 at AmazonWhen it comes to headphones that check all the right boxes, including affordability, our minds go straight to the Bose QuietComforts. While not quite as impressive as their more expensive sibling, the QuietComfort Ultras, they definitely won't disappoint. Our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) spent some hands-on time with the headphones and gave them an "excellent" four-star rating, crediting their "top-notch active noise cancellation," rich audio, and comfortable fit. As of Nov. 20, you can snag a pair in any shade (black, white, green, lilac, sandstone, light or dark blue) for only $199 at Amazon. That's 43% in savings and matches its all-time low from October Prime Day.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple 2024 MacBook Air, 13-inch (M3, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $849.00 at AmazonApple deciding to make 16GB RAM the new standard on MacBooks is a total game changer. For the same price as the old base model with 8GB RAM, you now get double the storage. That makes this deal on the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air even better. As of Nov. 20, it's on sale for just $849 instead of $1,099 — that's 23% in savings and technically now a new record-low. Previously, we saw the base model with 8GB reach this low, but this is a first for the new 16GB base model. You'll get 15% more power than the M2, WiFi 6E, and support for up to two 5K, 60Hz external displays. We tested our the larger 15-inch model and were blown away. Mashable Tech Editor Kimberly Gedeon writes: "The M2 MacBook Air continues to blur the line of the Air and Pro models, providing ample 'oomph' for creatives, professionals, and students who need robust performance that can handle their multifaceted workflows."
Read our full review of the M3 MacBook Air.
Opens in a new window Credit: Blink Blink Video Doorbell $29.99 at AmazonThe Blink Video Doorbell is already back down to its all-time low of $29.99 at Amazon — that's 50% off its retail price. While there's a chance it could drop even further during Amazon's Black Friday sale, we wouldn't be surprised if this is the lowest price we'll see. Either way, you can rest assured you're getting a hella good price if you shop early. The Blink Video Doorbell lets you see who's at your door (even when you're not home) at any time of day with a 1080p HD live view, two-way audio, and infrared night vision. It can also be installed in minutes and last for up to two years on two AA batteries when paired with the Sync Module (sold separately).
Opens in a new window Credit: Roku Roku Streambar SE $69.99 at AmazonIf you like your gadgets to multitask, the Roku Streambar SE gives you the gift of two devices in one. It's both a soundbar and a Roku streaming device, so it can boost your audio as you stream all of your favorite shows and movies. It also features a system that can automatically adjust the volume to make voices clearer and commercials quieter. It's usually $99.99, but you can snag it on sale at Amazon for just $69.99 as of Nov. 20. That's 30% in savings and $10 cheaper than it was just a week ago.
None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.
OpenAI has announced its latest nonprofit ChatGPT collaboration, a free online course to bolster teachers' AI literacy.
The one-hour learning program was co-created and published by Common Sense Media, one of OpenAI's nonprofit partners, and designed for K-12 educators. According to Common Sense Media's description of the nine modules, teachers learn the basics and ethical implications of artificial intelligence, generative AI, and ChatGPT, and are then taught how to "safely and effectively" deploy it in classroom settings.
SEE ALSO: New video-watching guidelines for teens just droppedAccording to OpenAI, the course has already been used by educators across “dozens” of schools, including those in Arizona, California, and across the charter school system Challenger Schools. "We're in the early stages of AI adoption in K-12, and it will take all of us — educators, technologists, and organizations — working together to ensure this technology enables teachers and improves learning outcomes for students," said OpenAI general manager of education Leah Belsky.
OpenAI released its first guide for educators in 2023, a hub for educators' FAQs, example classroom prompts, and testimonials to encourage the tech's use to "accelerate student learning."
The latest resource supports the company's push for greater AI applications in classroom settings, following an initial blowback to students' generative AI use after ChatGPT's initial launch. Since then, more tech companies have gotten behind the integration of AI into primary education, including Canva and classroom tech giant Google. In August, Google announced a partnership with nonprofit open education resources publisher OpenStax to train its AI chatbot Google Gemini on peer-reviewed textbooks.
Last month, the Department of Education released its own educators' toolkit designed to help K-12 school districts integrate artificial intelligence in administrative and educational settings.
But many educators and their advocates are still wary of generative AI's widespread use in schools and its data privacy implications, expressing continued concern on its impact on student creativity, reasoning, and mental health. At the same time, generative AI is becoming an increasingly impactful part of adolescence, from the threat of nonconsensual deepfakes to companion chatbots. A recent survey of teens from Common Sense Media found that 70 percent were using generative AI for homework help or to stave off boredom, but only a third had informed their parents that they were using the new tech.
SAVE $205.90: As of Nov. 20, get a pair of refurbished Bose QuietComfort Headphones at Bose for $143.10 with promo code SAVE10. A new pair of these headphones costs $349, so you'll save $205.90 on a like-new product.
Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Headphones (Refurbished) $143.10 at BoseA great pair of headphones can enhance just about any audio-centric experience. Whether you're listening to your favorite songs or enjoying a movie on your own, being able to hear everything clearly and crisply is a boon anyone can appreciate. And while there are tons of great options that you can choose from when it comes to headphones, a few do stand tall above the others, especially if you count Bose's line of quality audio products. Right now, you can save big on one of Bose's best pair of cans — as long as you don't mind that they're refurbished.
As of Nov. 20, get a pair of refurbished Bose QuietComfort Headphones for just $143.10 when you use promo code SAVE10. They're currently discounted to $159 from the normal price of $349 for a new pair, and the promo code knocks some additional bucks off, so you can get these like-new headphones for a great price. You can get the headphones in Black, Cypress Green, and White Smoke.
SEE ALSO: The 9 noise-cancelling headphones that our team recommends picking up during Black FridayThese ultra plush, super comfortable headphones are some of the best the brand has to offer, right behind their souped-up Bose QuietComfort Ultra cousins. They're wireless with excellent noise-cancelling features, so you can block out the world any time you need or want to, or keep aware of what's going on around you with both Quiet and Aware listening modes. Plus, you can customize them to your liking with adjustable EQ settings that let you tweak their sound.
You can listen to them all day thanks to 24 hours of battery per charge, but if you're low on time and need a boost, charging them for 15 minutes gets you 2.5 more hours of listening time. And if you need to connect to multiple devices with the same pair of headphones, this pair can do so easily.
If you don't mind getting a pair of headphones that have been brought back to life with repairs or polishing certified by Bose, this is a fantastic deal. Today is the last day to get them for this price, so get yours quickly.
SAVE $9: As of Nov. 20, you can snag a NASA Lunarscope at Amazon for just $35.99, down from $44.99. That's a 20% discount, or $9 off.
Opens in a new window Credit: Blue Marble Store NASA Lunarscope $35.99 at AmazonIf you’re shopping for kids this holiday season and want to give them something that isn’t screen-based, this NASA Lunarscope tabletop telescope may be the perfect gift. And right now, you can get it at a discounted price.
As of Nov. 20, you can get the NASA Lunarscope tabletop telescope for kids for just $35.99 at Amazon — a 20% discount, or $9 off the listing price. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for this telescope so far.
SEE ALSO: Finding a gift that kids actually like is tricky. This guide will make it easier.Sure, being the relative who gives “educational gifts” is tough, but a telescope is a genuinely cool gift for the kid obsessed with space (or aliens) in your life — and it supports STEM learning. This telescope features a tabletop tripod and smooth mount system, making it easy for kids to set up and use. It also has a finder scope and low-power (18x) and high-power (90x) eyepieces for viewing different planets and stars.
At $35.99, this beginner telescope is ideal for aspiring astronomers who want to start exploring the night sky.
SAVE 57%: The Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven (stainless steel) is down to just $129.95 at Amazon, on sale from its list price at Cuisinart of $299.95. That's a savings of $170 and the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.
Opens in a new window Credit: Cuisinart Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven $129.95 at AmazonEnjoying perfectly crisp pizza with your favorite toppings is something magical that often leaves us wondering why we bother eating anything else. If you're shopping for a pizza-lover this holiday season, check out this great deal at Amazon on an indoor pizza oven ahead of Black Friday.
As of Nov. 20, the Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven is on sale at Amazon for only $129.95, marked down from the list price at Cuisinart of $299.95. That's an impressive savings of $170 and a 57% discount. It's also the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon. To grab this sale price, select the stainless steel model.
SEE ALSO: Amazon's Black Friday sale hasn't officially started, but early deals are floating aroundAchieving the perfect pizza crisp in your home oven is nearly impossible. Many conventional ovens simply don't get hot enough to replicate that great char that comes from visiting the restaurant with a brick oven that's reminiscent of the ones in Italy. The Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven, however, can reach up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit, which the brand mentions is the ideal temp for getting that perfect crisp on the crust.
If you have a friend or family member who loves hosting a homemade pizza night, this oven will seriously up their pizza baking skills. It cooks a 12-inch Neapolitan-style pizza in under five minutes. Or they can use the included deep dish pan to create a savory masterpiece.
The oven takes between 20 and 30 minutes to pre-heat to temperature between 350 and 700 degrees, and the large viewing window with interior lighting helps with knowing just the right moment to take the pizza out.
For the pizza-lover in your life, the Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven is the perfect holiday gift. At 57% off at Amazon, you can grab the oven for just $129.95, instead of the typical price of $299.95. Plus, gifting this to your friend or family member means you'll likely get to enjoy perfectly crisp pizza. It's a win-win situation.
On Tuesday, Apple released a bunch of security fixes, and we suggest you take them seriously.
The company released updates for macOS Sequoia, Ventura, and Sonoma. Fixes were also released for iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS. Apple also issued a separate fix for its Safari browser.
SEE ALSO: Apple shares the most popular podcasts of 2024The fixes mostly revolve around two vulnerabilities: one in JavaScriptCore and the other in WebKit. Both vulnerabilities allowed a hacker to maliciously craft web content that could lead to arbitrary code execution. This type of vulnerability is as critical as it gets; if a hacker can run any program on your system, they can take control of it or infect it with a virus.
The update is available for Mac systems running one of the three affected operating systems, as well as iPhone XS and later, iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 7th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later.
Apple had no prior knowledge of these bugs; the company credits the discovery of these issues to Clément Lecigne and Benoît Sevens of Google's Threat Analysis Group.
Apple says it's aware of a report that both issues have been actively exploited by hackers, albeit only on Intel-based Mac systems. Nevertheless, if your device hasn't automatically updated to the latest version, we suggest you update as soon as possible.
In 2016, Pokemon Go was about as wholesome as video games got, as it largely involved walking around your neighborhood and meeting up with strangers. In 2024, nothing is allowed to be wholesome, apparently.
Based on a blog post by developer Niantic as well as news reports from the likes of 404 Media and Garbage Day, it is now known that Pokemon Go players, whether they knew it or not, have been helping to train a large geospatial artificial intelligence. Tied into something called the Visual Positioning System (or VPS), Niantic's blog post said the idea is to help AI learn about complex three dimensional spaces, in a way that can be used for future augmented reality or even robotic applications.
The technical details may fly over the head of many who read Niantic's blog post, but the easiest way to think of it is that certain player actions in Pokemon Go have been training this geospatial AI in the same way that written internet content trains things like ChatGPT. In particular, a feature called "Pokemon Playgrounds" that allows users to pin a Pokemon to a real-world location that they will persistently stay in for other players to see is apparently tied into these efforts.
Tweet may have been deletedWhile Niantic may be telling the truth about the potential future applications of this technology, it's also worth remembering that AI data can be used for nefarious means, too. As OSINT analyst Elise Thomas pointed out, there's a decent likelihood that this technology also enters military use at some point.
Imagine telling yourself all of this back in 2016.
SAVE OVER $170: As of Nov. 20, the MSI Claw 7-inch Gaming Handheld has dropped to $529 at Target. This is 24% off its $699.99 list price.
Opens in a new window Credit: MSI MSI Claw 7-inch 155Hz Touchscreen Gaming Handheld - Intel Core Ultra - 16GB RAM - 512GB SSD Storage - Windows 11 Home $529.00 at TargetConsidering the number of sales that pop up, Black Friday is a great time of year to invest in more expensive pieces of tech that have caught your eye. Gaming consoles, in particular, usually get some very nice discounts during this time. If you've been hoping to pick up a handheld gaming device this year, Target's here to help with an excellent discount right now on the MSI Claw gaming handheld.
The 7-inch MSI Claw with an Intel Core Ultra 7-155H CPU, 512GB SSD, and 16GB RAM, has dropped from its list price of $699.99 to $529 at Target. This marks a 24% discount on the gaming handheld. Considering how costly these portable gaming PCs run, this is a deal that's well worth jumping on.
SEE ALSO: Score $70 off the Apple Magic Keyboard ahead of Black FridayIn our hands-on with the MSI Claw during CES 2024, Mashable's Alex Perry called it "a viable alternative for those who don't want to be locked into Steam." Perry continues on to say that this is where the device truly shines, as "MSI built a simple and clean custom UI that brings all your different libraries together under one roof."
If you've been looking to make the jump into the world of portable gaming PCs, now's a great time. Don't miss out on this early Black Friday deal on the MSI Claw at Target.
There's plenty more Black Friday deals still to come, too. Target's official Black Friday sale kicks off on Nov. 24, and there are sure to be plenty more exciting deals popping up. Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon are all kicking off sale events towards the end of this week or early next week as well. Have a look at our breakdowns for each to learn more.
A year after launching its handheld gaming device, PlayStation has announced an update to PS Portal.
Announced in a blog post on Wednesday, the company announced a system software update to its remote player, released in Nov. 2023.
The update, which is now available to all users, includes a beta version of cloud streaming support for the Portal. This means if you pay for PlayStation Plus Premium you'll be able to access PS5 games in the catalogue on your Portal device — without having to own a PS5 or lug around your console. (Notably, PS4 and PS3 games are not supported.)
SEE ALSO: The Game Awards 2024 nominations: Which games are up for the gold?Games on PS Portal stream at up to 1080p/60fps, and incorporate features like haptic feedback in the DualSense wireless controllers on either side of the LCD screen. Plus, with the cloud beta, you can save games using PlayStation Plus Cloud storage up to 100GB (which will sync with your PS5 if you have one).
Mashable reviewed the PS Portal when it released last year, with reporter Alex Perry writing of the device: "One thing that is inherently a hindrance with a game streaming device is latency. There’s just no way around the fact that there's a tiny, almost imperceptible gap between you pressing a button and something happening on-screen with PlayStation Portal. The good news is that, for a lot of games, this doesn’t matter at all."
Perry also noted, "While latency is not a huge problem on Portal, visual hiccups are more prevalent. If a game runs at 60 frames per second on a PS5, it’ll also run that way on Portal, but not all the time. I personally noticed lots of little dips here and there, seemingly having more to do with my WiFi connection than anything happening in the games themselves. Again, for a lot of titles, this isn’t a big deal, but shooters and racing games would be hampered by that."
In the blog post, Hiromi Wakai, Sony Interactive Entertainment's VP of product management, noted the company was "in the beginning stages of publicly testing cloud streaming on PS Portal" and specified that "some features will not be available, such as Game Trials, streaming games purchased on PS Store, system features such as Party voice chat and game invites for select games, Create button, 3D audio, and in-game commerce."
The PS Portal update also includes several audio improvements including a speaker audio output adjustment which lets you make the volume lower than the minimum setting. Plus, users will be able to use the settings on the Portal to adjust settings on PlayStation Link USB devices.
I watch TikTok on mute, and I'm not ashamed to say it.
Yes, I actively avoid a primary feature of TikTok, but you know what, I know I'm not alone. So for everyone else like me, you should proudly unmute your dark secret and be your authentic volume-less selves.
Opening TikTok on full volume is a jarring plunge into the icy cold whims of the algorithm. One second, you're subject to a woman crying in her car to sad lo-fi music, the next you're watching a dog making a mess with the obnoxious chipmunk voiceover. Even TikToks without music or sound effects — like the wellness influencers listing the five toxic brands YOU MUST AVOID OR YOU'LL DIE — often seem to be yelling into the microphone as if screaming for my attention like a spoiled toddler. At least this is what my For You page is like.
The short-form video format alone is overstimulating by nature. TikToks have a millisecond to capture your attention. So every time I swipe up, I'm inundated with sensory overload turned up to 11 in a video that's been frontloaded with action to compete with every other TikTok doing the same thing.
It turns out there's a neurochemical reason behind my instinct to make all the noises go away. "The way your brain works, it kind of figures out where it wants to spend its resources," said Dr. Michelle Quist Ryder, a social psychologist and CEO of the American Psychological Foundation.
"When you start introducing the brain to things that are higher stimulus, and you have to go through that kind of adjustment period where all of a sudden you have to process that, and your brain has to realize that it needs to allocate more resources in that direction, that's part of where overstimulation comes from."
And if you're already depleted since you're, say, a tech reporter who spends eight hours a day in front of a screen writing about technical artificial intelligence concepts, mentally sifting through AI hype on X, and scrutinizing the fine print of the latest Big Tech product release, you might exhaust those resources pretty quickly.
"Watching it on mute is kind of a trade-off, where you're still engaging in the behavior that you're associating with dopamine or serotonin but you're reducing the amount of stimulus that you are feeding your brain, and so you're kind of staying away from that overstimulation," said Quist Ryder.
The irony of all of this is that when I take a break, I still find myself reaching for my phone and opening up TikTok, when the obvious solution is to avoid any more brain throttling. Why don't I just quit TikTok?
But as Quist Ryder points out, this behavior makes sense.
"TikTok is a little bit unique in that it makes you change your attention in really quick cuts," she said. "So you can be really excited about this video, and then 30 seconds later be scared about this video, and then 20 seconds after that, feel cuddly."
That's the overwhelming part. But also, Quist Ryder added, "That can get your brain used to that level of stimuli, so when you are not engaging in that level of stimuli, then you kind of miss it."
Tweet may have been deletedTo be clear, my home is not The Quiet Place. I live a sound-filled existence with music, podcasts, and a TV lovingly left on in the background. And when it comes to TikTok, it's not like I never unmute. Instead, I start my browsing on mute and turn on the sound if I come across a particularly appealing TikTok. This method functions as a litmus test to gauge whether something is really worth my full attention and protects my mental resources if it's not.
Quist Ryder compares it to the reason why we love rewatching old shows, which proved especially true during the stressful times of the pandemic.
"I can still have those emotions, but I don't have to worry that it's gonna be something that I can't take, or something that I don't want to, or even just extend those resources of processing a new thing…you can lessen the amount of of investment you have to put into it by turning off the sound," she said.
SEE ALSO: You should delete your drafts.And I'm not the only one who browses TikTok in a blissfully volume-less manner. Anecdotally, several Mashable staffers came out of the woodwork to confess their muted habits, sharing how it's simply a good way to ease into the day or tune out unwanted noise.
There are multiple Reddit posts devoted to how to open TikTok on mute. Amongst several similar posts, one Redditor asked: "Is it common for people to watch social media videos without the volume on, or am I the only one who does this?" They received 150 upvotes and enthusiastic agreement, with one commenting with the "there are dozens of us" Arrested Development GIF.
Statistically speaking, there are more than dozens of us. A study by Verizon found that 92 percent of U.S. consumers watch videos on mobile with the sound off. Another study from ad tech firm Sharethrough said 75 percent of those surveyed "keep their phone on mute even when a video is playing."
Granted, many people watch videos on mute out of respect for the people they live with or because they don't want to blast the subway with the unpredictable choices of their For You page (although some lawless degenerates have no consideration for social norms). Others may also mute videos on other platforms like Instagram or Facebook, but watch TikTok with the sound on because it is an audio-focused app. But I suspect some of it has to do with keeping the auditory siege at bay for their own mental well-being.
As I learned from talking to Quist Ryder, some people are simply more sensitive to sound. See: FoodTok and Misophonia. And she says there is definitely a generational component, where younger generations are natively "more used to high stimulus things like TikTok." But it's worth noting that 74 percent of the 16-24 age group in the Sharethrough study said they watch videos on mute, and half of that same age group watch TV with subtitles. So this isn't just curmudgeonly millennials or Gen Xers we're talking about here.
Now that I've voiced my quiet preferences, it may be time for you to step into your silent power and mute TikTok for all the world to hear. You're not a freak for watching TikTok on mute. Sure, you might be sensitive to noise and mentally overextended, but that's actually pretty normal.
And if this sounds good to you, my parting words are actually a bit of advice: You can easily change your playback settings to automatically open TikTok on mute. Simply open Settings > Playback and toggle on "Open TikTok on mute."
Now take a deep breath and enjoy the sound of silence.
SAVE $70: As of Nov. 20, the Apple Magic Keyboard for the 13-inch iPad Air is on sale for $279.99 at Target. That's 20% off its list price of $349.99.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Air 13‑inch (M2) $279.99 at TargetBlack Friday is right around the corner, but Target is already offering plenty of incredible early deals for shoppers to get a taste of seasonal savings ahead of the big shopping event. In particular, the retailer has had quite a few Apple discounts popping up over the past few weeks. If you've been itching to get an Apple Magic Keyboard to go with your iPad Air, Target's got a great deal for you.
The Apple Magic Keyboard for the 13-inch iPad Air (M2), in colors black and white, has dropped to $279.99 from its list price of $349.99. That saves you 20% overall, which is an excellent deal to upgrade your tablet into a nice little laptop setup.
SEE ALSO: Home Depot is giving away free cordless tools for Black FridayAnd it's an upgrade that's worth it, as the Apple Magic Keyboard sets up your iPad with a backlit keyboard and responsive keys, a trackpad, and a USB-C port to make charging simple and easy. This is all made better by its slim design that can be easily packed up to take on the go whenever you need it.
If you're looking to pick up the iPad to go with this as well, you're in luck. The iPad Air is currently discounted $100 at Target, making it one of our favorite iPad deals ahead of Black Friday. What better time to invest in some new Apple products?
Don't miss out on this Apple Magic Keyboard deal ahead of Black Friday at Target.
This is just the beginning of Target's big deals drop, though. The company's official Black Friday sale kicks off on Nov. 24 and runs until Nov. 30. Several more retailers are also starting up their sale events soon. Have a look at our breakdowns of Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon's Black Friday sale events to learn more.
With the holidays right around the corner, Uber rolled out a new size option called "UberXXL," a new option to share Ubers from the airport, and new features for Uber Reserve — all features aimed at making traveling to and from the airport a little easier.
As you may have guessed, UberXXL accommodates riders with lots of baggage, which can come in handy for people traveling home for the holidays or going on vacation. UberXXL provides bigger cars with access to more trunk space and enough room left over for all of the travelers in your group, so you're not stuck holding your suitcase on your lap. To access UberXXL, riders must be Uber One subscribers, which costs $10 a month. Uber One also eliminates Uber Eats delivery fees and includes other perks. UberXXL is available in 60 airports worldwide, with 40 of those in the U.S.
For when you've got a big family and just as much luggage. Credit: UberThe popular UberX Share now has expanded access to airports. So if you get to your destination late, you can worry less about whether to take public transport or an expensive ride. UberX Share works by matching you with a co-rider with a similar destination and costs less than a fully private ride. Riders can save up to 25 percent of the normal price of an Uber by taking UberX Share. Plus, even if they don't match with a co-rider, users who choose the option still get the savings. UberX Share for airports is launching in the U.S. in Austin, Denver, Newark, Dulles (Washington DC), Miami, New Orleans, Phoenix, San Francisco and internationally in Amsterdam and Madrid, with more airports to come.
Now you can share rides from the airport and share the cost. Credit: UberA critical feature for early morning flights is Uber Reserve, which lets you book rides ahead of time. As of today, riders can add their flight details when reserving a ride, which gives them a recommended best time to leave. Additionally, the feature can track flights and ask riders if they want to update their reservation if a flight is delayed.
Last but not least, you can now book multi-stop rides with Uber Reserve. This might come in handy if you're picking up family members or need to grab something on your way to the airport.
The Daily Mini Crossword is one of the many popular daily word games available on Mashable. Powered by Arkadium, the mini crossword offers a speed round of puzzle fun with clues that are sure to challenge experienced crossword enthusiasts.
But there's no need to let the challenge get in the way of your enjoyment! If moments are turning to minutes after getting stuck on a clue, find the answers you need to progress right here.
And when you're done, check out the many other word games you can play on Mashable, including a full-size crossword.
Also, if you get stuck on any other daily word games, such as Wordle, Connections, or Strands — we have you covered.
SEE ALSO: Hurdle hints and answers for November 20 SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableHere are the clues and answers to Daily Mini Crossword for Wednesday, November 20, 2024:
AcrossOn your smartphoneThe answer is App.
The answer is Lab.
The answer is Larceny.
The answer is Prorate.
The answer is Dad.
The answer is Pluvial.
The answer is License.
The answer is Yet.
The answer is Ski.
The answer is Alp.
The answer is Par.
The answer is Product.
The answer is Leadins.
The answer is Bye.
The answer is Crave.
The answer is Ply.
The answer is Lie.
The answer is Ask.
The answer is Lei.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of GamesAre you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.
BOOK BOGO DEAL: As of Nov. 20, Target's Deal of the Day features a buy one, get one 50% off deal for Target Circle members on books.
Opens in a new window Credit: Target Target Circle Members: Buy One Book, Get One 50% Off Shop NowTarget's been offering up some excellent deals in the lead-up to Black Friday. In particular, the retailer's been dropping discounts as part of its Deal of the Day program throughout this month, which features a selection of sales each day on different items for shoppers and exclusives for its Target Circle members. The latest is worth your time if you've been hoping to pick up some new books ahead of the holidays.
On Nov. 20, Target Circle members can take advantage of a Buy One, Get One 50% off deal on books. This offer applies to a fantastic selection of books as well, whether you're looking to invest in a massive box set like the fancy leather-cloth A Game of Thrones collection or want to pick up a beloved book like The Wild Robot, there are so many different options to choose from.
SEE ALSO: The best early Black Friday laptop deals: Score record lows on the M4 MacBook Pro and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7It's also not the only Target Circle deal available to members right now. The retailer's offering a BOGO deal on board games that's well worth checking out ahead of the holidays, especially if you're planning some big gatherings. And if you've yet to sign up for Target's free Circle program, it's worth it for exclusive discounts like these.
Don't miss out on this one-day-only BOGO deal on books for Target Circle members.
Target's official big Black Friday sale kicks off on Nov. 24, and runs all the way through Nov. 30. If you're curious about what other retailers have planned, it's worth having a look at our breakdowns of Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon's Black Friday events to learn more.
After a year of exploring a mysterious valley on Mars, NASA's intrepid Curiosity rover is headed to a new destination with its own intrigue.
The Mini Cooper-sized robotic lab will study an unusual landscape, called a "boxwork," that likely necessitated warm groundwater to form eons ago on the Red Planet. And where there's water, there's potential for life — at least the kind scientists know about. Researchers wonder if the boxwork could have hosted ancient single-celled microorganisms.
"Early Earth microbes could have survived in a similar environment," said Kirsten Siebach, a rover scientist based in Houston, in a statement. "That makes this an exciting place to explore."
SEE ALSO: NASA's Mars rovers had a gangbusters summer of rocksSince the mission launched in 2011, Curiosity has traveled about 372 million miles: some 352 million whizzing through space and another 20 rumbling over the Martian terrain.
At its most recent site, known as Gediz Vallis, the rover literally stumbled upon pure sulfur, its wheels crushing the material to expose a bed of yellow crystals. It turns out there was a whole beach-like field of these rocks. Curiosity is surrounded by plenty of rubble that contains sulfur combined with other materials, but unadulterated sulfur is something special.
When pure sulfur is made naturally on Earth, the element is usually associated with superheated volcanic gasses and hot springs. Another way it can form is through interactions with bacteria — a.k.a. life.
The Curiosity rover stumbled upon pure sulfur, its wheels crushing the material to expose a bed of yellow crystals. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS"We don't think we're anywhere near a volcano where the rover is," Abigail Fraeman, deputy project scientist on the Curiosity mission, told Mashable in September, "so that is a puzzling feature to find in this particular location."
The next leg of the rover's journey will take a few months to drive. But scientists are eager to investigate the boxwork region at the foot of Mount Sharp because of what clues it could hold about Mars' ancient history.
From Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter images, the land feature looks like a spiderweb of ridges, spanning several miles. Dark sand fills the hollowed spaces among the lattice of ridges.
Before departing for the boxwork region, Curiosity takes a wide-view image of the field of sulfur stones, which appear white on the outside. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSSThere are several kinds of landscapes on Mars that appear as interconnected ridges, though they're not all created in the same way. Near the Red Planet's south pole, for instance, is a labyrinthine feature nicknamed "Inca City," which may have formed after a meteor impact. The collision could have led to fault lines in the ground that were then backfilled with bubbling magma.
"Early Earth microbes could have survived in a similar environment."Scientists believe this particular boxwork in Mount Sharp's foothills may have formed when minerals in the last trickles of water seeped into surface rock cracks and hardened. As the rocks weathered over the ages, minerals that had cemented into those fractures remained, leaving behind the boxwork.
A boxwork has formed on the ceiling of the Elk's Room, part of Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. Credit: National Park Service / Kim AckerBoxwork formations occur on Earth, but they're usually made with groundwater on cliffsides and in caves. The peculiar thing about the example at Mount Sharp is that it must have formed when water was vanishing. Geologists also aren't sure why this Martian feature is so vast, covering an area of six to 12 miles.
The rover team hopes to figure out whether microbes could have lived in that environment long ago.
"These ridges will include minerals that crystallized underground, where it would have been warmer, with salty liquid water flowing through," Siebach said.
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.
SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hintAnother way to describe cash.
SEE ALSO: Mini crossword answers for November 20 Hurdle Word 1 answerMONEY
Hurdle Word 2 hintA way of describing someone as unreliable.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 20 Hurdle Word 2 AnswerFLAKE
Hurdle Word 3 hintA sweetener.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for November 20 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 20 Hurdle Word 3 answerSUGAR
Hurdle Word 4 hintAn alcohol frequently mixed with cranberry.
SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for November 20 Hurdle Word 4 answerVODKA
Final Hurdle hintA space object with a tail.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answerCOMET
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
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