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The best stick vacuum deals in the Amazon Big Spring Sale

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:39
A peek at the best stick vacuum deals in Amazon's Big Spring Sale: Best under $200 Dreame R10 149.99 at Amazon (save $50) Get Deal Best self-emptying deal Shark Clean & Empty $299.99 at Amazon (save $100) Get Deal

There are two types of spring cleaners in the world: The ones who wish they could unwind while the job is done for them, or the ones who classify a deep clean as their ideal unwinding activity. In terms of floor care, the latter group is probably eyeing up a manual vacuum over a robot vacuum, and Amazon's Big Spring Sale is a great time to get one on sale.

SEE ALSO: The Roborock Saros 10R aces one thing that most other robot vacuums can't

Amazon's selection of stick vacuum deals exemplifies the diversity of solid, affordable options in between the rinky-dink Dyson dupes on TikTok and pricey Dysons themselves. Amazon actually isn't a great place to find Dyson vacuums on sale — Walmart or Dyson's own website are way better bets for Dyson, while brands like Shark, Samsung, and Tineco flood Amazon.

Below, I'm tracking the best cordless stick vacuum deals through the end of the Big Spring Sale, which runs March 25 to 31. (Though if you're open to automating this chore, I'd recommend considering the robot vacuum deals at Amazon, too.) Note: Deals with a 🔥 next to them have dropped to record-low prices.

Best stick vacuum deal from Amazon's Spring Sale Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark Clean & Empty cordless vacuum with auto-empty system $299.99 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $100 Get Deal Why we like it

Self-emptying robot vacuums are way more common than self-emptying stick vacuums, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. After all, you shouldn't be saddled with the task of manual dustbin emptying just because you happen to prefer manual sweeping. Shark gets that, even if Dyson still doesn't.

This Shark Clean & Empty is like a diet version of the Shark PowerDetect and Shark Detect Pro cordless vacuums that I've tested. Like those slightly pricier models, it automatically adjusts suction power based on floor type and automatically empties its debris into the docking station where it charges. It also comes with a motorized hand tool — a crucial addition if you'll also be cleaning pet hair off of furniture.

More stick vacuums on sale

The best Kindle deals in the Amazon Big Spring Sale 2025

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:38
Best early Kindle deals Best Kindle deal Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition $224.99 (Save $55) Get Deal Best Scribe Deal Amazon Kindle Scribe $364.99 (Save $85) Get Deal Best kids deal Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids $139.99 (Save $40) Get Deal Best Kindle Scribe bundle deal Amazon Kindle Scribe Essentials Bundle $449.97 (save $60) Get Deal Best Kindle Colorsoft bundle deal Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition Essentials Bundle $327.97 (save $35) Get Deal

After weeks of anticipation, Amazon's Big Spring Sale is finally here, running from March 25-31. This seasonal sale brings deals on springtime favorites for a little refresh as we exit winter.

As expected, this sale is bringing discounts on Amazon's flagship devices. Our favorites, as always, are Amazon's Kindles. Having tried nearly every model in the line-up, we can safely say that Kindles are fantastic e-readers, well suited for anyone, whether you're an avid annotator or shopping on a budget.

But let's temper your expectations. The deals are good but unexpected. We're seeing no deals on our preferred Kindles, the basic model, Paperwhite, and Paperwhite Signature Edition. Instead, Amazon has marked down its Kindles with a little more flair, like the Colorsoft and Scribe. And while the sale is more limited than expected on Kindles, we can say that the deals are great. Like lowest price ever great.

Here are the best deals on Kindles to shop during Amazon's Big Spring Sale.

Best Kindle Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition $224.99 at Amazon
$279.99 Save $55 Get Deal Why we like it

If you're looking to buy a Kindle during Amazon's Big Spring Sale, the best savings are on the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition. This is the first color Kindle, which debuted in late 2024. While we've yet to test this e-reader, we have high hopes for the device as the rest of the Kindle line-up is stellar.

This will be a particularly good e-reader for graphic novel readers, who want the convenience and portability of the device, but still want to enjoy every detail in color. It has some great specs, including 32GB of storage, auto-adjusting warmth and brightness, and wireless charging, in the same vein as the Paperwhite Signature Edition.

The Colorsoft is 20% off during the spring sale, bringing it down to $224.99. That's the lowest price the Kindle Colorsoft has reached, saving you $55.

More Kindle bundle deals

The best live deals on tablets in the Amazon Big Spring Sale 2025

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:36

Get ready, because Amazon's Big Spring Sale is finally here. 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 during the event, including some fan favorites. So far, we're finding some pretty decent discounts on iPads, Amazon Fire Tablets, and others that we think are worth giving a look.

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 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

The best gaming deals in the Amazon Big Spring Sale 2025 — shop PlayStation, Nintendo, and more

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:35

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 sale features tons of deals on mostly spring essentials and outdoor products, but gaming discounts are also making an appearance in a big way.

Read on for a list of our favorite gaming deals from 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

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Best Nintendo Switch game dealsNintendo Switch hardware deals

Controllers and accessories

Memory cards

The best MacBook deals in Amazons Big Spring Sale: The new M4 Airs are $50 off

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:33
The best Macbook deals from Amazon's Big Spring Sale at a glance: Best MacBook Air deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $949 (save $50) Get Deal Best MacBook Pro deal Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M4 Pro, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $2,199 (save $300) Get Deal

Amazon doesn't offer a ton of great discounts on a huge selection of laptops year-round, but shoppers can always count on it for MacBook deals. It's never difficult to find a current or recent-gen configuration on sale there at any given time, at prices that often give Best Buy a run for its money. (That's usually where you'll see the best laptop deals across all categories — Windows, Chromebooks, gaming laptops, etc.)

Amazon's MacBook deals tend to get especially good during its major sitewide sales, and with its second-ever Big Spring Sale now live from March 25 to 31, we're not surprised to see discounts of up to $400 popping up across the Air and Pro lines. That includes $50 price cuts for the brand-new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Airs, which launched just a few weeks ago on March 12.

SEE ALSO: 350+ of the best live deals in the Amazon Big Spring Sale, selected by Mashable's team of experts

Shoppers interested in a beefed-up MacBook Pro will be happy to hear that two 16-inch configurations have gotten $30 cheaper since the Big Spring Sale started Tuesday: The starting M4 Pro and M4 Max configurations have fallen to their lowest-ever prices of $2,199 and $3,099, respectively. If they're out of budget, hold tight in case lesser variants get the same treatment later in the week. (The cheapest 14-inch M4 model was chilling at its all-time low of $1,395 earlier this month; it's now $4 pricier. C'mon, Amazon!)

Whether you decide to buy now or hold off for a few days, bookmark this page: Mashable's Shopping team is keeping track of the best MacBook deals on Amazon all throughout the Big Spring Sale. You can check out our current picks below. Note: Deals with a 🔥 next to them have dropped to record-low prices.

Best MacBook Air dealsBest MacBook Pro deals

The best Apple deals in the Amazon Big Spring Sale: MacBooks, iPads, and Apple Watches at lowest-ever prices

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:30
The best Apple deals from Amazon's Big Spring Sale Best MacBook deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $949 (Save $50) Get Deal Best AirPods deal Apple AirPods Pro $169.99 (Save $79.01) Get Deal Best iPad deal Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M3, WiFi, 128GB) $549 (Save $50) Get Deal Best Apple Watch deal Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm) $299 (Save $100) Get Deal

If you're looking for discounted Apple products, Amazon is a reliable place to grab them year-round.

However, during its Big Spring Sale, running from March 25 to 31, we're keeping our eyes peeled as even more deals go live. While the sale focuses primarily on "springtime favorites" like outdoor furniture and garden supplies, last year's inaugural BSS did bring some tech deals. Best of all, exempting a few exclusive offers, most deals are available to all customers, regardless of their Prime membership status.

SEE ALSO: 15+ robot vacuums on sale ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale

So far, we have spotted deals on new releases like the M3 iPad Air, 11-inch iPad, and M4 MacBook Airs. In addition to iPads, we also found a $400 markdown on the M3 13-inch MacBook Air and $170 price cut on the Beats Studio Pro. Again, while these deals aren't officially tied to the spring sale and can be found at other times of the year, these are still solid prices for any of these items.

We'll continue updating this post as the sale progresses, so check back if you're looking for the best Apple deals from Amazon's Big Spring Sale.

Note: Deals with a 🔥 next to them have dropped to record-low prices.

Best MacBook deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)🔥 $949 at Amazon
$999 Save $50 Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the M4 MacBook Air.

Apple just dropped the M4 MacBook Air, and even at full price, we think it's a really good deal. In a divergence from last year's Air pricing, Apple started its 13-inch model at just $999 — with an M4 chip and the RAM upgrades Apple gave all its laptops last fall, this is the best value we've ever seen on an Apple laptop. Amazon slashed another $50 off the price, which, while admittedly not a jaw-dropping discount, helps make a great value even better. The biggest downside to this laptop is that it might be a little short on ports for some users, and then it tops out at a 60Hz refresh rate, but if you can work with that, the M4 Air is an excellent deal.

More MacBook and Mac dealsMacBook AirMacBook ProMacBest AirPods deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro $169.99 at Amazon
$249 Save $79.01 Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the AirPods Pro.

For Apple users, the AirPods Pro are an excellent pair of noise-cancelling earbuds, with some of the best noise cancellation and sound quality in the game. As the USB-C Pros near their second year anniversary, we can't say they're without a doubt the best on the market — their battery life could be better, for instance — but their age works in their favor for this price drop down to $169.99, which certainly makes some of their flaws easier to look past. We have seen these earbuds drop to $154 during Black Friday season, but we haven't seen that deal return since, making $170 the next best deal to grab them at.

More AirPods dealsBest iPad deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M3, WiFi, 128GB)🔥 $549 at Amazon
$599 Save $50 Get Deal Why we like it

The M3 iPad Air just hit the market earlier this month, but you can already grab it for $50 off. At the time of writing, the previous generation Air costs even more on Amazon at $599 (though you can grab it on sale for $499 at Best Buy). Beyond the chip upgrade, this iPad features plenty of Apple Intelligence integration, from the Photos and Notes apps, to the Writing Tools feature that uses ChatGPT. Though we've yet to test this tablet hands-on for ourselves, the M2 Air is our favorite iPad for most people — we imagine the M3 Air will follow suit.

More iPad dealsiPadiPad AiriPad miniBest Apple Watch deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm)🔥 $299 at Amazon
$399 Save $100 Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the Apple Watch Series 10.

The Apple Watch Series 10 only came out this past fall, making this $100 off deal especially impressive. Along with its larger wide-angle OLED display, Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder found this smartwatch to be lighter than its predecessors, with an ultra-fast charge time. This watch generation introduced fitness features like a depth gauge, sleep apnea detection, and a Vitals app, but it's worth noting those features aren't exclusive to the Series 10. However, if your Series 6 has been on the fritz for a while, or you've never owned an Apple Watch, $299 is a solid price to grab Apple's latest smartwatch.

More Apple Watch dealsEven more Apple deals

The closest potentially Earth-like exoplanet probably cant host life

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:30

Only a few years ago, astronomers heralded the discovery of a rocky world circling the sun's closest space neighbor, Proxima Centauri. 

The star, just four light-years away, is known as a red dwarf, or M-type, and is quite different from Earth's own. Although the exoplanet, Proxima b, orbits extremely close — a year there is only 11 Earth-days — its star's relatively smaller size and lower temperature could mean this world has the right conditions for liquid water to pool on its surface. 

But a new study may have dashed scientists' hopes that the alien world could support life. The star’s flares are much more violent than previously thought, the researchers say, potentially obliterating the planet’s air. Not having an atmosphere, which traps important gases like oxygen and water vapor, may render a planet uninhabitable, even if it were otherwise an Earth doppelganger.

"Our Sun’s activity doesn’t remove Earth’s atmosphere and instead causes beautiful auroras because we have a thick atmosphere and a strong magnetic field to protect our planet," said Meredith MacGregor of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, one of the authors, in a statement. "But Proxima Centauri’s flares are much more powerful."

SEE ALSO: Webb telescope captures weird auroras on Neptune for the first time The sun's nearest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centauri, likely clobers any orbiting exoplanets with radiation, a new study finds. Credit: ESO / M. Kornmesser illustration

The study relied on the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, or ALMA, a telescope in Chile that can detect light at radio and millimeter wavelengths. During 50 hours of observations, the team saw 463 flares, which occur when a star's magnetic field tangles, compresses, and causes an explosion. Such a blast releases a torrent of radiation. 

Some of the flares only lasted a handful of seconds, but the strongest ones were so powerful that they could destroy a planet's atmosphere over time, according to the research. The paper was published in The Astrophysical Journal.

The study suggests Proxima Centauri's flares are much more frequent and extreme, likely because it is fully convective. That means unlike the sun, which has layers that behave differently, Proxima Centauri's entire structure moves like a boiling cauldron of water. The result is a magnetic field that is always jumbling and snapping, releasing enormous bursts of energy. 

If the researchers had only studied the star's activity in visible light wavelengths, they wouldn't have gotten a complete picture of the high-energy particles Proxima Centauri releases, MacGregor said. 

Scientists will continue to study the habitability of worlds orbiting red dwarf stars through a major James Webb Space Telescope campaign. Credit: ESO / L. Calçada illustration

"When we see the flares with ALMA, what we’re seeing is the electromagnetic radiation — the light in various wavelengths," she said in a statement. "But looking deeper, this radio wavelength flaring is also giving us a way to trace the properties of those particles."

Though Proxima b may be nothing more than an irradiated rock, scientists are continuing to look at rocky worlds outside the solar system, specifically those closely orbiting small red stars, to determine whether they can hold onto atmospheres. Despite red dwarfs being the most common stars in the Milky Way, nobody knows whether these planets can host air. 

A massive James Webb Space Telescope campaign will home in on a dozen nearby-ish planets over the next two years to try to answer that question. The program, first reported by Mashable, budgets about 500 hours of observations on Webb, along with about 250 orbits of ultraviolet observations with the Hubble Space Telescope, to help characterize the host stars' activity. 

Néstor Espinoza, an astronomer heading up the campaign's implementation, said it's a high-risk, high-reward program. 

"If you found out that none of them have atmospheres, that would be pretty sad, but also pretty interesting," he told Mashable last year. "It would mean that our planetary system is actually really, really special."

350+ of the best live deals from the Amazon Big Spring Sale, picked by Mashables team of experts

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:27

UPDATE: Mar. 28, 2025, 5:00 a.m. EDT This story has been updated with the latest deals from Amazon's Big Spring Sale.

The best Amazon Big Spring Sale deals at a glance: Best Kindle deal Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (32GB) $224.99 (save $55) Get Deal Best Apple deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $949 (save $50) Get Deal Best headphones/earbuds deal Beats Studio Pro $179.95 (save $170.04) Get Deal Best robot vacuum deal Roborock Qrevo Master $799.99 (save $600) Get Deal Best smart home deal TP-Link Tapo Smart Light Bulbs (2-pack) $14.98 (save $10.01) Get Deal Best kitchen deal Vitamix Propel 510 $499.95 (save $152) Get Deal Best outdoor deal Coleman Montana Camping Tent (8-person) $143.58 (save $126.41) Get Deal Best book deal "Sunrise on the Reaping" by Suzanne Collins $19.59 (save $8.49) Get Deal

Amazon is springing a bunch of seasonal deals on shoppers. The retail giant is hosting its second-ever Big Spring Sale from Tuesday, March 25, through Monday, March 31, ushering in discounts on "end-of-season winter items" and "springtime favorites" across more than 35 categories, per its press release. Each day of the weeklong sale features "themed daily drops" on top of new limited-time offers.

The Big Spring Sale is Amazon's first major savings event of the year — and unlike its flagship summer Prime Day sale, the deals aren't exclusive to Prime members. Most of them, anyway: Prime members get access to a handful of special offers, which are identified with a "Prime Spring Deal" badge.

SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about Amazon's Big Spring Sale: Dates, deals, and much more

Need help sifting through the noise? Mashable's shopping experts are keeping track of the best deals available at Amazon throughout the Big Spring Sale. (Our sister site CNET has extensive coverage of Amazon's Big Spring Sale, too.) With eight years of experience covering Amazon's sales under our belts, we've developed a tried-and-true deal-hunting methodology to find hidden gems among the retailer's myriad listings. We cross-check prices with Amazon's competitors, track pricing trends, and vet products' value based on our hands-on testing, and we only recommend what's most worth buying. You can read more about our deals coverage here.

Below, we've got a running list of Amazon's best Big Spring Sale deals on smart home devices, Apple gadgets, robot vacuums, outdoor gear, kitchen appliances, books, and much more. Check back daily to see what else we find.

Best Kindle dealsBundlesBest Apple dealsAirPodsApple Watches

Apple Watch Series 10

Apple Watch SE deals

Apple Watch Ultra deals

iPads

iPad

iPad Air

iPad Pro

MacBooks

MacBook Air

MacBook Pro

MacsApple accessoriesBest TV deals43-inch to 50-inch TVs55-inch TVs65-inch TVs75-inch and 77-inch TVs85-inch TVs and upBest laptop deals

For deals on MacBooks, scroll back up to the "Apple deals" section.

Windows laptops2-in-1 laptopsGaming laptopsBest tablet deals

For deals on iPads, scroll back up to the "Apple deals" section.

Amazon Fire tabletsAndroid tabletsBest headphone and earbud dealsHeadphonesBest earbuds dealsBest unlocked phone deals Samsung Galaxy phonesGoogle Pixel phonesMotorola phonesBest vacuum dealsRobot vacuumsRobot vacuum mop combosStick vacuumsBest home dealsAir purifiersBedding and mattressesRugs

  • Ruggable — save up to 21% on machine washable rugs

Echo smart home devicesHome security equipmentSmart bulbsSmart light switchesSmart plugsBest cleaning supplies dealsBest kitchen dealsAir fryers and countertop ovensBlenders and food processorsCoffee makersDrinkwareInstant Pots and multi-cookersRice cookersStand mixersBest fitness tracker dealsBest beauty tech dealsHair dryersHot toolsMulti-stylersSkincare techBest pet dealsAutomatic litter boxesAutomatic pet feedersBest outdoor dealsBest power tool dealsBest gaming dealsPlayStation gamesPlayStation hardware

Headsets

Accessories

Xbox gamesXbox hardware

Consoles

Controllers

Headsets

Nintendo Switch gamesNintendo Switch hardware

Controllers and accessories

Memory cards

Best Lego dealsBest book dealsFictionNon-fictionBest Pokémon dealsBest digital deals

  • Amazon Music Unlimited — get three months for free

  • Grubhub — save $5 on two $20+ food orders with $0 delivery fees with code HOOP5

  • Starz — add it to Prime Video for $1.99/month for three months (save $9/month)

Trump’s Tariffs Leave Automakers With Tough, Expensive Choices

NYT Technology - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:04
Carmakers are likely to face higher costs regardless of how they respond to President Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on cars and auto parts.

Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega and the Death of a Unicorn cast reveal when their minds were utterly blown

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:00

Death of a Unicorn's Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Téa Leoni, Will Poulter, and Richard E. Grant describe the moments in their life when their lives changed forever.

Death of a Unicorn is now in theaters.

Webb telescopes new photo isnt just rare. Its psychedelic.

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:00

Space is phantasmagorical.

Astronomers using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope to survey distant galaxies spotted an unusual, chance phenomenon called an "Einstein ring." It's not an actual object, but a warped, mind-bending optical illusion.

"The picture features a rare cosmic phenomenon — an Einstein ring. What appears to be a single, strangely shaped galaxy is actually two galaxies far apart," the European Space Agency explained online.

SEE ALSO: NASA dropped a new report. It's a wake-up call.

The effect, created by "gravitational lensing" and theorized to exist by Albert Einstein over a century ago, occurs when the mass of a foreground galaxy warps space and time, like a bowling ball sitting on a mattress, causing light emanating from the galaxy located in near-perfect alignment beyond it (from Webb's view in the cosmos) to become warped. The closer galaxy, in effect, creates a lens. In the image below, the foreground object is a massive, egg-shaped elliptical galaxy, and in the background is a spiral galaxy (like the Milky Way) that appears wrapped around the elliptical galaxy.

Amazingly, even though the spiral galaxy has been profoundly contorted, you can still see bright star clusters in the galaxy's stretched spiral arms.

An Einstein ring recently captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: ESA / Webb / NASA / CSA / G. Mahler // Acknowledgement: M. A. McDonald This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Einstein rings created by gravitational lensing are not just cosmic eye candy. This ring was captured during the Strong Lensing and Cluster Evolution (SLICE) survey, which seeks to identify such distant galaxies that have been naturally magnified by massive foreground galaxies, or clusters of galaxies.

"Objects like these are the ideal laboratory in which to research galaxies too faint and distant to otherwise see," ESA explained.

It's a clever way to combine the capability of the most powerful space telescope ever built with the natural magnifying power of the universe.

The Webb telescope's powerful abilities

The Webb telescope — a scientific collaboration between NASA, ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency — is designed to peer into the deepest cosmos and reveal new insights about the early universe. It's also examining intriguing planets in our galaxy, along with the planets and moons in our solar system.

Here's how Webb is achieving unparalleled feats, and may for years to come:

- Giant mirror: Webb's mirror, which captures light, is over 21 feet across. That's over two-and-a-half times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope's mirror, meaning Webb has six times the light-collecting area. Capturing more light allows Webb to see more distant, ancient objects. The telescope is peering at stars and galaxies that formed over 13 billion years ago, just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. "We're going to see the very first stars and galaxies that ever formed," Jean Creighton, an astronomer and the director of the Manfred Olson Planetarium at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, told Mashable in 2021.

- Infrared view: Unlike Hubble, which largely views light that's visible to us, Webb is primarily an infrared space telescope, meaning it views light in the infrared spectrum. This allows us to see far more of the universe. Infrared has longer wavelengths than visible light, so the light waves more efficiently slip through cosmic clouds; the light doesn't as often collide with and get scattered by these densely packed particles. Ultimately, Webb's infrared eyesight can penetrate places Hubble can't.

"It lifts the veil," said Creighton.

- Peering into distant exoplanets: The Webb telescope carries specialized equipment called spectrographs that will revolutionize our understanding of these far-off worlds. The instruments can decipher what molecules (such as water, carbon dioxide, and methane) exist in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets — be they gas giants or smaller rocky worlds. Webb looks at exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. Who knows what we'll find?

"We might learn things we never thought about," Mercedes López-Morales, an exoplanet researcher and astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics-Harvard & Smithsonian, previously told Mashable.

When the urge to gamble strikes, try mindfulness

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:00

Here's an experiment to try at home: Listen to a sports podcast, scroll social media, or use an app with native ads, and see how many times you encounter an ad for online gambling.

The double dare version of the experiment is to attempt it during March Madness, a weeks-long college basketball tournament in the U.S. during which people are expected to gamble a whopping $3.1 billion. That's up from $2.7 billion last year, according to the American Gaming Association.

While the ad trackers and algorithms curating any individual digital experience might not expose them to gambling-related marketing, the level of ad spending across the industry has skyrocketed in recent years.

SEE ALSO: Legal gambling has kind of ruined sports

Sports betting effectively became legal in the U.S. following a 2018 Supreme Court decision. Online sports better advertising units jumped from just under 250,000 that year to around 2.5 million in 2023.

Meanwhile, there's evidence that problem gambling may be on the rise. A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found there were 23 percent more Google searches in the U.S. for terms related to gambling addiction help-seeking between January 2016 and June 2024.

In an accompanying editorial, two experts wrote that "gambling must be recognized as a public health problem," and that sports betting is specifically more harmful than other types of gambling products, like lotteries. The house, as they say, always wins.

So how could someone who's exposed to gambling marketing, or is developing a gambling addiction, acknowledge the urge to make a bet but let it pass? Experts say mindfulness, the practice of observing your thoughts with curiosity but without judgement, can be a helpful tool.

"With mindfulness, you learn to disassociate yourself with those impulses and just appreciate that they're impulses and they're not something you have to do," says Dr. Nigel Turner, an addiction expert with the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. "You learn to let it go."

Can mindfulness help with gambling?

Turner, who co-authored a 2021 report on mindfulness-based prevention to problem gambling, describes this strategy as "urge surfing." You imagine an impulse as a wave that may seem strong, but will ultimately pass.

Turner says it's important to remember that people gamble for a variety of reasons that make sense to them. A mindfulness approach encourages curiosity and self-compassion — instead of feeling shame or frustration because you struggled with the urge.

Gambling urges may manifest in a variety of sensible-sounding ways. Someone may enjoy the mechanics of a certain game. They might view betting as a form of problem-solving: if they win enough, the proceeds could pay for their education or a down payment on a new home. And for some, gambling provides an escape from painful feelings and experiences.

But as the brain habituates to gambling, it can become a maladaptive routine. Mindfulness can address that, too, by helping someone challenge the "automatic thinking" that characterizes addiction. For problem gamblers, that might sound like, "If I keep losing, I'm due to win."

Turner says that often people experience such a thought, then place a bet without pausing to evaluate why or how it occurred to them in the first place. It's tricky, he adds, because the brain is "terrible" at understanding random chance, and gamblers typically have a "strong illusion of control."

"It's very easy to fool yourself into believing that you have figured out the odds, that you know somehow more than all the other people betting on it," Turner says.

Why 'mindful gambling' is a deception

Research on gambling and mindfulness is limited. Still, Turner points to a general consensus in the field of addiction that mindfulness practices have a positive effect on people's coping skills and recovery. He's even advocated for players to learn about mindfulness.

One major brand has given gamblers its own version of that education. In 2023, the online casino BetMGM created an explainer on how to mindfully gamble, including tips for staying in the present moment and remaining calm regardless of whether you win or lose.

It also suggested that mindful gambling can help players better focus and learn their games of choice by analyzing "patterns, trends, and probabilities more effectively." Turner, who reviewed the content when Mashable shared it with him, said this statement was a "misrepresentation of what mindfulness is about."

Turner said that the content seemed more like an "advertising gimmick" that could actually encourage people to gamble. While some of the suggestions were good, others felt deceptive, Turner added.

SEE ALSO: This is why mindfulness isn't working for you

In their problem gambling report, Turner and his co-authors included breathing and meditation practices, exercises to develop emotional awareness, and worksheets designed to help people identify triggers and high-risk situations.

There are, however, limits to relying on mindfulness to resist gambling advertising and combat urges. The gold standard for addiction treatment, including for problem gambling, is cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of intervention that helps patients better assess and manage their thoughts.

Turner also acknowledges that some people — particularly those with a history of trauma — don't find mindfulness to be an effective solution.

Turner says that people experiencing problem gambling should seek mental health care, and consider mindfulness as complementary to that treatment. Signs that indicate you need help include spending more money than you can afford and believing that you'll win and get rich.

Young adults, problem gambling, and mindfulness

Young adults may be particularly at risk of problem gambling, says Amaura Kemmerer, a licensed clinical social worker and director of clinical affairs for the college mental health and wellness company Uwill.

If you're young and experimenting with newfound freedoms, then have direct access to gambling on your phone, or if you're exposed to the industry's wave of advertising, you may be more vulnerable for high-risk behaviors. Research also suggests that sports books in particular appeal to young audiences, who consider betting a leisure activity.

The issue has become pronounced on college campuses. Kemmerer says that some students experience consequences related to betting on major sports events like March Madness. Within that period, demand for mental health services often increases.

Typically, college students might feel anxious, depressed, or stressed, or they're experiencing related academic problems. Problem gambling can emerge as an issue in sessions with a counselor or therapist.

When a mindfulness practice positively affects other aspects of well-being, like improving sleep and decreasing anxiety and depression symptoms, Kemmerer believes it can also help reduce high-risk behaviors.

"You're getting to students before there's really any kind of identified problem, or when that problem is very early on and it's easier for a young person to make small adjustments so it doesn't become more problematic," Kemmerer says.

If you experience gambling problems, call the 24/7 National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 for free, confidential support. You can also access the National Council on Problem Gambling's website for more help and information, as well as a list of international resources.

AI-powered piano lessons are now 50% off for life

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: Skoove Premium Piano Lessons uses advanced AI to give you curated virtual piano lessons, and right now a lifetime subscription can be yours for just $149.99 (reg. $299). 

Opens in a new window Credit: Skoove Skoove Premium Piano Lessons: Lifetime Subscription $149.99
$299.99 Save $150 Get Deal

Whether you've dabbled in lessons as a kid or never sat on a piano bench, Skoove Premium Piano Lessons can help you master the keys from the comfort of home. All you'll need is a tablet, a keyboard, and this AI-powered app. 

Right now, you can save 50% on a lifetime subscription and keep honing your craft for life for just $149.99 (reg. $299). 

Learn piano on your lunch break

Skoove offers AI-powered piano lessons that let you tickle the ivories in your spare time. That means even people with the busiest schedules can pencil in time to pound the keys and elevate their skills, with Skoove providing curated feedback and useful resources as you learn. 

These virtual piano lessons only require a piano or keyboard and your tablet, so you don't need to buy anything else to get started. And this lifetime subscription lets you work at your own pace.

You'll get access to 400 lessons and thousands of instructional videos, but don't think you'll just be sitting back and repeating after the video. Thanks to AI, you play and Skoove listens, recognizing your notes and offering real-time feedback so you can continuously improve. 

Learn what you love, thanks to Skoove's wide range of genres. Practice playing with tunes from Adele or John Legend, or go old school and work on some Bach or Beethoven. Monthly updates bring new song choices, so you never have to worry about running out of material. 

While learning from the AI is interactive, there's also backup if needed. If you ever get stumped, Skoove's music instructors are available for one-on-one support. 

Ready to join over one million people already mastering piano with Skoove?

Get a lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium Piano Lessons for just $149.99 (reg. $299) right here. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Learn a new language (or 25) for life with Rosetta Stone

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: Learn the native language before your next trip abroad with this lifetime subscription to all languages with Rosetta Stone for just $179.99 (reg. $399).

Opens in a new window Credit: Rosetta Stone Rosetta Stone: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $179.99
$399 Save $219.01 Get Deal

With spring break just around the corner, vacation season is about to commence. If you've got big plans for the summer or beyond, you can make your trip even more memorable by learning the local language. It's easier than ever with Rosetta Stone. 

A lifetime subscription to all 25 languages offered on Rosetta Stone is available now for just $179.99 (reg. $399) right here for a limited time. 

Learn languages for life with Rosetta Stone

What do NASA, Calvin Klein, and TripAdvisor have in common? They all have trusted Rosetta Stone with language learning for the past 27 years.

Rosetta Stone has a trusted, immersive training method that teaches you new languages the way you learned your native one as a kid — starting out with matching words and pictures. 

After working with images, you'll gradually move on to their interactive lessons that use Rosetta Stone's proprietary speech-recognition technology. It analyzes the words you say 100 times a second and offers instant feedback so you can improve your pronunciation as you go. 

Hoping to use your new skills on a trip? Rosetta Stone starts you out with basic conversational skills on topics like shopping, ordering, or taking a taxi, so you should have a good foundation by the time the plane touches down. 

This award-winning interactive software is yours for life, so you can learn languages one at a time forever... and even conquer all 25 offered if that's your goal. 

Secure your lifetime subscription to all 25 languages on Rosetta Stone for only $179.99 here for a limited time. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Enjoy Microsoft Office staples for less than $5 an app for life

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: Outfit your PC with a license for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows for just $29.97 (reg. $229) through March 30. 

When something has serious staying power, you know it's good. And what's been around longer in the computer world than Microsoft Office? These go-to programs got us through school in the '90s and '00s, and they're still helping us tackle our 9-to-5s today. 

Rediscover the power of these beloved apps with this Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows license. It's just $29.97, $200 off the usual price, now through March 30. 

These Microsoft Office apps have always been there for us

If you've been living without Microsoft Office staples, you're in luck. You can rekindle your love for these classics with this Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 license for less than $5 an app.

You'll get lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher and Access on your PC with this deal. It's an instant delivery and download, so right after purchase, you'll have your software license keys and download links to get started.

Wondering why you would want to go vintage with this 2019 version? Though it's not the newest, it's the most cost-effective. By owning your license, you avoid monthly subscription fees that Office 365 requires.

You can also easily work offline, a great option for those who spend a lot of time traveling. And there's no reliance on the cloud, offering better security and more control over your data.

Despite being an older version, all documents made with Office 19 are fully compatible with Office 365 and Office 2021. 

This Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 license is compatible with Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019, so it's a great option if you haven't yet moved to Windows 11. 

Secure your own license for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows for just $29.97 now through March 30. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows $29.97
$229 Save $199.03 Get Deal

Pay $120 once, enjoy a lifetime of top-rated cloud storage for life

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:00

TL;DR: Get access to 1TB of secure and private data storage with this lifetime subscription to Koofr Cloud Storage, now $119.97 with code KOOFR through April 27. 

Trying to consolidate your monthly subscription expenses? If you're tired of shelling out a small fortune on your cloud storage solution, a swap to Koofr Cloud Storage can help. 

Keep 1TB of your important data safe for life with this deal on Koofr Cloud Storage, now just $119.97 (reg. $810) with code KOOFR through April 27.

Stop the madness of monthly cloud storage fees

Koofr is a trusted cloud storage option that's been around since 2013. And though it may not have the same brand recognition as the big names, there's another thing it doesn't have — monthly storage fees.

With Koofr, you can secure a lifetime subscription for 1TB and pay once. That's enough room for 250,000 12MP photos, 500 hours of HD video, or 6.5 million PDF files.

There are other great perks to swapping to Koofr, like their unique Koofr Duplicate Finder feature. It finds and removes duplicate files, helping save you time and freeing up space. And you don't have to worry about data tracking — your files will be encrypted both during transfer and rest. 

They even make moving your files from your former storage provider a breeze. Koofr features convenient integration with other external cloud accounts so that you can connect and access your files from Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon, and OneDrive easily. 

Store 1TB for life for the one-time low price of $119.97 (reg. $810) with code KOOFR through April 27 with this Koofr Cloud Storage lifetime subscription deal. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Koofr Koofr Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription (1TB) $119.97
$810 Save $690.03 Get Deal

How to watch A24s Queer: The Golden Globe nominee is now streaming

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:00
The best ways to watch 'Queer' at a glance: BEST NON-STREAMING OPTION Rent or buy 'Queer on Prime Video $5.99 or $19.99 Get Deal BEST DEAL OVERALL Max (With Ads) annual subscription $99.99 per year (save $19.89) Get Deal BEST AD-FREE DEAL Max Ad-Free annual subscription $169.99/year (save $33.89) Get Deal BEST FOR STUDENTS Max Student $4.99 per month for 12 months (save $5 per month) Get Deal BEST BUNDLE DEAL Disney+, Hulu, and Max with ads $16.99 per month (save $8.98 per month) Get Deal GET MAX FOR FREE Max (With Ads) Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month unlimited plan (save $9.99 per month) Learn More GET MAX FOR FREE Max (With Ads) Free for DashPass annual plan subscribers (save $9.99 per month) Get Deal

Challengers' titillating sexual tension made for a major hit in early 2024, and Luca Guadagnino and Justin Kuritzkes teamed up once again for Queer. An adaptation of the 1985 novel by William S. Burroughs, the A24 film is yet another sexually explosive and emotionally infuriating tale from the duo.

"Queer is a languid journey that meanders through flirtations, fucking, dream sequences, and willfully anachronistic music to chart a passionate but also baffling tale of unrequited love," writes Mashable Film Editor Kristy Puchko in her review of the A24 period drama.

Starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey, Queer made its theatrical debut in November 2024 — just seven months after Challengers. Though it may have earned less hype from the internet, it still nabbed a handful of award nominations. For those who missed it in the theaters, it's now available to watch at home. Here's everything you need to know.

What is Queer about?

Based on William S. Burroughs’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, Queer is a scintillating and steamy tale set in 1950s Mexico City. It follows William Lee (Daniel Craig), an American expat in his late forties who fuels his sense of loneliness with booze, bravado, and loveable loser pal Joe (Jason Schwartzman). When he meets Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), a young student visiting the city, it's a stirring and intoxicating connection that forces him to come to grips with his own sexuality.

Check out the official trailer:

Is Queer worth watching?

"Queer is both visually lush, sexually explosive, and emotionally infuriating. It is not a journey that leaves our hearts full, but open and aching," Puchko writes. However, it's certainly worth watching. The film holds a 77 percent critic rating and 65 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Plus, it earned Daniel Craig Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and SAG Award nominations. Sadly, his performance was snubbed at the Oscars, which is a shame because Puchko says, "Craig is mesmerizing as Lee, swanning from catty gossip sessions to carnal encounters to body-rattling withdrawals and psychedelic splendors. It's easy to be beguiled by his charms, including a suave sex appeal made less intimidating by his tendency toward silliness."

Read our full review of Queer.

How to watch Queer at home Credit: A24

Queer made its theatrical debut on Nov. 27, 2024, and just a month and a half later, it hit digital retailers. You can buy or rent the film from on-demand sites like Prime Video or Apple TV+ for $19.99 or $5.99. Note: rentals give you 30 days to watch the film and just 48 hours to finish once started.

Here are some quick links to purchase or rent Queer:

Opens in a new window Credit: Prime Video Buy or rent 'Queer' on digital $19.99 or $5.99 Get Deal Is Queer streaming?

Queer made its streaming debut on Max on March 28. Thanks to a multi-year output deal between A24 and Warner Bros. Discovery, all of A24's recent theatrical releases have landed on the streamer. There, you'll also find recent films like We Live in Time, Heretic, A Different Man, and soon enough, Y2K and The Brutalist.

Max subscriptions start at $9.99 per month, but there are a few ways to save money on your plan. We've rounded up the best Max streaming deals for you below.

The best Max streaming dealsBest for most people: Save 16% on Max with ads annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max (with ads) yearly subscription $99.99 per year (save 16%) Get Deal

A Max with ads subscription costs $9.99 per month, but you can knock the price down to $8.33 per month by paying for a year in advance. If you're in it for the long haul, the annual subscription goes for $99.99, which ends up saving you about 16%. Of course, you can also just sign up for a single month at $9.99 and cancel once you've watched Queer.

Best Max deal with no ads: Save 16% on a Max Ad-Free annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max (No Ads) annual subscription $169.99 per year (save 16%) Get Deal

Hate dealing with ads? The same annual deal applies: save 16% by committing to a yearly plan of one of the Max ad-free tiers. You can choose either the Max Ad-Free or Max Ultimate Ad-Free plan. The basic ad-free tier costs either $16.99 per month or $169.99 per year (about $14.17 per month), while the Ultimate tier costs either $20.99 per month or $209.99 per year (about $17.50 per month). Both tiers offer an ad-free viewing experience, but the Ultimate tier comes with 4K Ultra HD video quality and Dolby Atmos immersive audio.

Best Max deal for Cricket customers: Free Max with ads for customers on the $60/month unlimited plan Opens in a new window Credit: Cricket / Max Max (with ads) Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month plan Get Deal

The best way to score Max for free is by switching your phone plan to Cricket's $60 per month unlimited plan. Max with ads — a $9.99 per month value — is included for no extra charge on this plan. Once you sign up, just head over to the Max app, choose Cricket as your provider, then enter your Cricket credentials to log in. Boom — you're free to watch whatever you want, whenever you want, including Queer and any other A24 film on Max. Check out the terms and conditions on Cricket's website to learn more.

Best Max deal for DoorDash users: Free Max with ads with DashPass annual plan Opens in a new window Credit: DoorDash / Max Max (with ads) Free with DashPass annual plan ($8/month) Get Deal

With a DashPass annual plan for $96 per year ($8 per month), you'll unlock Max with ads for free — along with $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on DoorDash orders. That's a $9.99 per month value for $0. Eligible Subscribers must activate their Max subscription in their DoorDash account. Don't want ads? You can upgrade for a discounted rate.

Best Max deal for students: Save 50% on Max with ads Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max Student $4.99 per month for 12 months Get Deal

College students can get an entire year of Max with ads for just $4.99 per month instead of $9.99. That's 50% in savings. Just verify your student status with UNiDAYS to retrieve the unique discount code that will drop the price. And don't share your code, as each unique code can only be used once.

Best bundle deal: Get Max, Disney+, and Hulu for up to 38% off Opens in a new window Credit: Disney / Hulu / Max Disney+, Hulu, and Max $16.99 per month (with ads), $29.99 per month (no ads) Get Deal

It may not be the cheapest way to get Max, but you can get more bang for your buck if you choose a streaming bundle deal instead of a single service. For only $16.99 per month (reg. $25.97), you can sign up for Max, Hulu, and Disney+ with ads or $29.99 per month (reg. $48.97) without ads. That's up to 38% in savings for access to three full streaming libraries.

Queer review: Daniel Craig tackles William S. Burroughs in hot, heart-wrenching romance

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 05:00

It's outrageous that in the same year that Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino gave audiences the high-tension love triangle of Challengers, he's also served up a Daniel Craig-fronted adaptation of William S. Burroughs' novella Queer. Both films were written by Justin Kuritzkes, and both offer bold explorations of love, lust, and longing, with steamy sex scenes that serve as punctuation. And yet, they are wildly unalike.

Challengers is a propulsive love story that zings back and forth its timeline, keeping the audience on their toes, just like its tennis-playing trio. Queer is a languid journey that meanders through flirtations, fucking, dream sequences, and willfully anachronistic music to chart a passionate but also baffling tale of unrequited love.

It's a marvel of a movie that feels as if it is precisely what it intends to be, and yet it's ultimately unsatisfying. Perhaps that's intended too?

Daniel Craig is a dynamic thrill-seeker in Queer.  Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis

Echoing elements of Burroughs' own life, Queer ushers audiences into 1950s Mexico City, where a band of American expats — many of whom are gay men — lounge about cafes, bars, and cheap motels looking for illicit thrills, be it booze, hard drugs, or casual sex. Wearing a white linen suit, a crisp fedora, and a crooked smile, William Lee (Craig) has a breezy American swagger with a hint of comic buffoonery that beckons to the English actor's acclaimed portrayals of Southern gentleman detective Benoit Blanc in Knives Out and roguish bomb-maker Joe Bang in Logan Lucky. Yet his Lee is distinctive, with an unapologetic sleaziness that's edged with gawping insecurity, which urges him toward playing the fool more often than not. 

Craig is mesmerizing as Lee, swanning from catty gossip sessions to carnal encounters to body-rattling withdrawals and psychedelic splendors. It's easy to be beguiled by his charms, including a suave sex appeal made less intimidating by his tendency toward silliness. He smoothly seduces local trade and amuses scene queens like the chic John Dumé (Drew Droege, who became internet famous with his cheeky impersonations of Chloë Sevigny), and lovable loser/rousing raconteur Joe (Jason Schwartzman). And yet, Lee cannot firmly claim the love of his crush, a young discharged American Navy serviceman named Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). 

The romantic interest of Queer proves its central mystery.  Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis

Lee throws himself at his could-be paramour ardently, plying him with affection, booze, and even a flashy getaway when all else fails. Maybe a journey into the jungle to try the mind-altering psychedelic ayahuasca will unlock the gate that seems to stand between them. 

The first act is an intoxicating portrait of Lee's Mexico City, rich in color, music, and romantic possibilities — or at least enthralling ones. In tender moments, Lee's dream of being intricately partnered with Eugene is expressed beautifully through simple dissolves. Footage of what is — the two sitting side by side in a movie theater — is overlaid faintly with what Lee wishes: to stroke Eugene's face, softly and publicly. More vivid dream sequences use jarringly bright red sets and stark female nudity to express Lee's doubts about Eugene's interest in the older man. But as his desperation to keep Eugene close intensifies, the audience might wonder what it is Lee is even fighting for. 

Defined chiefly by his wandering eye and an interest in playing chess with a red-headed female acquaintance, Eugene is not a fleshed-out character but a sketch, unknowable between the slight lines that are his only details. Is he into Lee? Is he even queer? These are questions that might seem answered by the torrid love scenes between the two. But for every moment approaching intimacy, Eugene offers a follow-up that is at best casual, and at worst cruel.

Tall, white, preppy, and neatly pressed even when wearing a T-shirt, Eugene is presented visually as a tidier, younger version of Lee. Perhaps this is meant to echo that what Lee is chasing is not this man but his past, or a version of himself that was less ravaged by drugs, trauma, and heartache. Or perhaps the supremely unrumpled persona is all Lee can understand of this mysterious man.

Queer's third act is its biggest risk.  Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis

In any case, as Lee drags a reluctant (and infuriatingly stoic) Eugene into the jungle to find a mythic medicine woman (Lesley Manville), Guadagnino's movie asks more patience of its audience than his most heralded offerings. In I Am Love, it's easy to see why Tilda Swinton could be seduced by such photogenic food. Call Me by Your Name captured the heat and sweetness of young love through a well-placed peach. Bones and All masterfully turned a tale of teenage cannibals into a sizzling subtextual queer romance, not despite of its gore but because of it. Then, Challengers sold the electrifying love triangle between its players through the breath-taking onscreen chemistry of Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor. Queer, on the other hand, asks us to follow Lee to fight for a love that feels like an illusion.

Since the film's world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, critics have jeered Queer's turn from its vivacious first act to its lumbering third. Yet there's something in the film's aesthetic that gently warns of this change.

In the beginning, production design by Stefano Baisi paints Lee's Mexico City as a quaint yet deliciously seedy paradise, where towering windows in cafes and warm street lights allow for layers of lives to unfurl all at once, without feeling cluttered or claustrophobic. The palette of yellows, reds, and sickly greens favored by cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom as tracking shots follow Lee in slow motion down lively streets evoke the faded colors of pulp novels, promising decadent delights around every corner. Queer's soundtrack boasts smooth, smokey songs like Nirvana's "Come as You Are," Sinead O'Connor's cover of Nirvana's "All Apologies," and Radiohead's haunting "Talk Show Host." Through the jarring anachronism of this collection of songs, Guadagnino knowingly blends the nostalgic sentimentality of the film's visuals with the sharper-edged sounds of '90s pop disillusionment. Essentially, the visual and audio are thematically at war, reflecting Lee's inner doubts about his life and his lover. 

Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis

At two hours and 15 minutes, Queer is a movie that indulges its protagonist more than its audience, following him through meandering mental exercises to an unfulfilling epiphany. Viewers may grow restless as Craig's charms are swallowed by Lee's raw need and his ruthless vices. Undeniably, the experience of living vicariously through Lee shifts from pleasurable to uneasy as the glamor is stripped away from this expat holiday, revealing crude realities like the decidedly unromantic subterfuge required to cop drugs in a new locale, or the subsequent toll of withdrawals on Lee's body — and Eugene's patience. That certainly seems to be Guadagnino's goal: not to tell a story of formative first love or world-altering romance, but the ugly truth of unrequited love. It's not easy to experience, but it is undeniably masterfully made. So, in the end, Queer is both visually lush, sexually explosive, and emotionally infuriating. It is not a journey that leaves our hearts full, but open and aching.

Queer is now streaming on Max.

UPDATE: Mar. 26, 2025, 9:46 a.m. Queer was reviewed for its theatrical release on November 27, 2024. This article has been updated to reflect its current streaming accessibility.

U.S. officials in Signal chat left their Venmo data exposed online

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 03:24

Data from several U.S. officials' Venmo accounts has been found exposed online, including their contacts and even transaction histories for some. This follows Signalgate earlier this week, and the subsequent revelation that involved officials' private contact information and passwords could be found online.

If I had a nickel for every time a breach of tech security by the Trump administration was revealed this week, I'd now have three nickels. 

SEE ALSO: U.S. security officials' passwords found online, including people in Signal chat

On Wednesday, WIRED reported that it had discovered a public Venmo account ostensibly belonging to national security advisor and Signal chat participant Michael Waltz, showing a list of over 300 of his associates. Now the publication is reporting the discovery of further Venmo data belonging to several more U.S. officials, at least three of whom were also members of the infamous Yemen bombing Signal group chat. 

Specifically, WIRED reporters found Venmo data belonging to Department of Treasury chief of staff Dan Katz, Counselor and Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State Mike Needham, and President Donald Trump's nominee for director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent. Venmo data was also located for National Security Council staffer Brian McCormack, who is suspected of being on the Signal chat, and Morgan Ortagus, deputy to Trump's special envoy for the Middle East and Signal chat participant Steve Witkoff.

All of these individuals' Venmo contact lists were viewable, while Katz, McCormack, and Ortagus had also left their transaction histories exposed.

U.S. officials' contact lists and transaction histories may not seem like something to worry about on the fact of it (though we do have questions about Katz' 2018 payment reportedly annotated solely with an eggplant emoji). However, such information could theoretically be used for nefarious purposes if individuals attempted to reach or influence officials via their associates or frequent haunts. It also revealed connections such as Kent's payments to a far-right 2020 election conspiracy theorist.

It's been a bad week in security scandals for the Trump administration, but this is one that could have easily been avoided. Last July, WIRED reported that Signal chat participant and then-vice presidential nominee JD Vance had also left his Venmo friends list public. Yet despite this cautionary tale, U.S. officials such as McCormack only recently set their Venmo accounts to private after WIRED reached out to them.

In a statement to WIRED, a Venmo spokesperson said, "We take our customers’ privacy seriously, which is why we let customers choose their privacy settings on Venmo for both their individual payments and friends lists — and we make it incredibly simple for customers to make these private if they choose to do so."

The revelation of exposed Venmo data is just the latest dancer in a conga line of U.S. officials' tech security breaches recently. On Monday, The Atlantic's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg reported that Waltz had mistakenly added him to a Signal group chat in which officials shared seemingly classified information. Days later, German publication DER SPIEGEL reported that passwords for some of the officials involved were found online, stating that it was "conceivable that foreign agents were privy to the Signal chat group."

Now with WIRED's reports added to the growing list, it seems that the Trump administration is in dire need of a data security training course at minimum.

NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 28

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 01:49

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

  • Yellow: Good try at the plate

  • Green: Bad moves on the ice

  • Blue: Mascots in the City of Brotherly Love

  • Purple: Characters in a 90s basketball movie

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

  • Yellow: Attempt to hit a baseball

  • Green: Hockey penalties

  • Blue: Philadelphia mascots

  • Purple: NBA players whose talents were stolen in "Space Jam"

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #185 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

  • Attempt to hit a baseball - CUT, HACK, RIP, SWING

  • Hockey penalties - BOARDING, KNEEING, SLASHING, TRIPPING

  • Philadelphia mascots - FRANKLIN, GRITTY, PHILLIE PHANATIC, SWOOP

  • NBA players whose talents were stolen in "Space Jam" - BARKLEY, BOGUES, BRADLEY, EWING

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

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

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

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

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