Blogroll
4 Netflix movies you're going to love this week (January 26-February 1)
The verdict is in: The Rip is a hit. People have been loving the cop thriller starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The movie is still occupying the top spot on the streamer as we speak.
My biggest smart home regret is not doing this from the start
I only started creating a smart home last year, so nearly all of my devices communicate via Matter. For the most part, things have just worked. As I try out different smart home hubs and troubleshoot the occasional issue, there’s only one simple thing I wish I did from the beginning that would have saved me a lot of frustration—write down my Matter pairing codes.
This could be our first look at Android 17's new glassy design
After more than a decade of flat, solid blocks of color, Android may be on the verge of yet another major design shift. According to a growing number of reports and leaks, a translucent, blurry look is coming with Android 17—and we have our first look at it.
Things you can 3D print at home (but shouldn't)
Having a 3D printer is great! You can make just about anything you can imagine, as long as it's made from something that comes in the form of a filament. However, there are limits to what you should bring into the world from your imagination. For example, it's probably a bad idea to print any of these.
Stop buying 1TB SSDs: They are a rip-off in 2026
At a time when SSD prices are completely wild and almost guaranteed to get even worse, it's hard to shop for PC storage. There used to be a sweet spot for cost per terabyte, but that sweet spot is now long gone.
The cheapest new luxury car you can get in 2026
Luxury cars used to feel off-limits—flashy badges, confusing options, and prices that climbed fast. In 2026, that idea feels outdated.
The TikTok outage cause revealed
UPDATE: Jan. 26, 2026, 1:01 p.m. EST TikTok has shared more details about the cause of the outage that affected U.S. users over the past 24 hours.
TikTok has new U.S. owners (finally), but the app had a rough opening weekend, with many U.S. users unable to access the app, upload new videos, or refresh their feed. Now, TikTok has explained what went wrong.
According to TikTok, a power outage was the source of downtime on the app.
"Since yesterday we’ve been working to restore our services following a power outage at a U.S. data center impacting TikTok and other apps we operate," said an official statement from TikTok posted on X. "We're working with our data center partner to stabilize our service. We're sorry for this disruption and hope to resolve it soon."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.TikTok appears to be working normally at the moment.
SEE ALSO: Why everyone on TikTok is using punch cards to hit their goalsOver the weekend, the social media app was hit with thousands of user outage reports, with Downdetector showing spikes in users reporting problems in accessing the platform. (Disclosure: Downdetector is owned by Ziff Davis, the same parent company as Mashable.)
Credit: Down DetectorIt's worth noting that TikTok has had a very busy week, however. On Thursday, the Chinese-owned platform announced that it had reached a deal to continue operating in the U.S. after years of pressure from politicians, creating the catchily named, majority U.S.-owned TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. Following the announcement, U.S. users were greeted with a pop-up asking them to read and agree to the app's new Terms of Service, causing confusion and alarm among some users.
Is it possible that the transfer in ownership, and whatever that entails behind the scenes, led to the issues users experienced on Sunday? It's difficult to say without any official word from TikTok, but the timing certainly seems notable.
Matt Binder contributed additional reporting to this story.
Raspberry Pi OS alternative DietPi just got a big update
DietPi is a popular Linux distribution for Raspberry Pi computers and other single-board computers. There's a new major release out this week, though it comes with some bad news for systems that can't be updated to Debian 12 or later versions.
The Bose QuietComfort headphones are just $130, thanks to a refurbished deal at Woot
Save 63%: As of Jan. 26, the Bose QuietComfort headphones are available for $129.99 at Woot. These headphones are certified refurbished by Bose, and come with a one year manufacturer warranty. They also cost $229.01 less than QC headphones brand new, at full price.
Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort headphones $129.99 at Woot$359 Save $229.01 Get Deal
Despite what many recent flagship releases will have you believe, you actually don't have to pay $400+ to get some really great noise cancelling headphones.
In fact, you can spend as little as $129.99 for the Bose QuietComfort headphones at Woot as of Jan. 26. These headphones are certified refurbished, but according to Woot, have been restored by Bose's experts and are in "pristine condition." They also come with a one year manufacturer warranty. Oh, and they cost a good deal less than the $359 headphones at full price — $229.01 less, to be exact.
The Bose QuietComfort headphones may sit in the higher end of mid-range territory at full price, but there's a reason why they're one of Mashable's favorite pairs of Bose headphones. According to Shopping Reporter Sam Mangino, they rival both the comfort and noise cancellation ability of their much more expensive counterpart, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones. She also appreciated how easy their on-ear controls were to use, as well as their all-day battery life.
SEE ALSO: The 11 best headphones of 2026 — see the top contenders from Sony, Apple, Bose, and BeatsThe main drawback of these headphones is that they don't come with spatial audio, but if that's not a feature you plan on using anyway, they're a much better value than the Ultra headphones. While it's not uncommon to see the new model on sale — they often drop down to $199.99, reaching an all time low of $159.99 over Black Friday — this $129.99 refurbished price is the lowest we've caught on the QuietComfort headphones.
This deal applies only to the black colorway of these headphones, and runs for the next five days, or until supplies last.
The Bose QuietComfort headphones are just $130, thanks to a refurbished deal at Woot
Save 63%: As of Jan. 26, the Bose QuietComfort headphones are available for $129.99 at Woot. These headphones are certified refurbished by Bose, and come with a one year manufacturer warranty. They also cost $229.01 less than QC headphones brand new, at full price.
Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort headphones $129.99 at Woot$359 Save $229.01 Get Deal
Despite what many recent flagship releases will have you believe, you actually don't have to pay $400+ to get some really great noise cancelling headphones.
In fact, you can spend as little as $129.99 for the Bose QuietComfort headphones at Woot as of Jan. 26. These headphones are certified refurbished, but according to Woot, have been restored by Bose's experts and are in "pristine condition." They also come with a one year manufacturer warranty. Oh, and they cost a good deal less than the $359 headphones at full price — $229.01 less, to be exact.
The Bose QuietComfort headphones may sit in the higher end of mid-range territory at full price, but there's a reason why they're one of Mashable's favorite pairs of Bose headphones. According to Shopping Reporter Sam Mangino, they rival both the comfort and noise cancellation ability of their much more expensive counterpart, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones. She also appreciated how easy their on-ear controls were to use, as well as their all-day battery life.
SEE ALSO: The 11 best headphones of 2026 — see the top contenders from Sony, Apple, Bose, and BeatsThe main drawback of these headphones is that they don't come with spatial audio, but if that's not a feature you plan on using anyway, they're a much better value than the Ultra headphones. While it's not uncommon to see the new model on sale — they often drop down to $199.99, reaching an all time low of $159.99 over Black Friday — this $129.99 refurbished price is the lowest we've caught on the QuietComfort headphones.
This deal applies only to the black colorway of these headphones, and runs for the next five days, or until supplies last.
Clawdbot is a viral AI assistant: What it is, how to try it
Interest in Clawdbot, an open-source AI personal assistant, has been building from a simmer to a roar. Over the weekend, online chatter about the tool reached viral status — at least, as viral as an open-source AI tool can be.
Clawdbot has developed a cult following in the early adopter community, and AI nerds in Silicon Valley are obsessively sharing best practices and showing off their DIY Clawdbot setups. The free, open-source AI assistant is commonly run on a dedicated Mac Mini (though other setups are possible), with users giving it access to their ChatGPT or Claude accounts, as well as email, calendars, and messaging apps.
Clawdbot has gone so viral on X that it's reached meme status, with developers sharing tongue-in-cheek memes about their Clawdbot setups.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.So, what is Clawdbot 🦞, how can you try it, and why is it suddenly the talk of the town in Silicon Valley?
Clawdbot is an AI personal assistantAs previously mentioned, Clawdbot is an open-source AI assistant that runs locally on your device. The tool was built by developer and entrepreneur Peter Steinberger, best known for creating and selling PSPDFKit. The tool is often associated with the lobster emoji, for reasons that should be obvious.
Clawdbot is an impressive example of agentic AI, meaning it's a tool that can act autonomously and complete multi-step actions on behalf of the user. The year 2025 was supposed to be the year of AI agents; instead, many high-profile agentic AI implementations failed to deliver results, and there's a growing sense that AI agents are hitting a wall.
However, Clawdbot users say that the tool delivers where previous assistants have failed. The personal AI assistant remembers everything you've ever told it, and users can also grant it access to their email, calendar, and docs. On top of that, Clawdbot can proactively take personalized action. So, not only does Clawdbot check your email, but it can send you a message the moment a high-priority email arrives.
Based on its viral success, I'd be shocked if Steinberger isn't being courted by AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. Mashable reached out to Steinberger to ask about Clawdbot, and we'll update this post if we receive a response.
How to try ClawdbotSteinberger has uploaded the source code for Clawdbot to Github, and you can download, install, and start experimenting with Clawdbot right away. (Find Clawdbot on Github.)
That said, downloading and setting up Clawdbot isn't as simple as downloading a typical app or piece of software. You'll need some technical know-how to get Clawdbot running on your device. There are also some serious security and privacy concerns to consider. More on that in a moment.
You can run Clawdbot on Mac, Windows, and Linux devices, and the Clawdbot website has installation instructions, system requirements, and tips.
Don't try Clawdbot without understanding the risksPart of the reason that Clawdbot succeeds where other AI agents have failed is that it has full system access to your device. That means it can read and write files, run commands, execute scripts, and control your browser.
Steinberger is clear about the fact that running Clawdbot carries certain risks.
Running an AI agent with shell access on your machine is… spicy," an FAQ reads. "Clawdbot is both a product and an experiment: you’re wiring frontier-model behavior into real messaging surfaces and real tools. There is no 'perfectly secure' setup." (Emphasis in original.)
Users can access a security audit tool for Clawdbot on Github, and the Clawdbot FAQ also has a useful security section. A sub-section titled "The Threat Model" notes that bad actors could "Try to trick your AI into doing bad things" and "Social engineer access to your data."
Clawdbot is a viral AI assistant: What it is, how to try it
Interest in Clawdbot, an open-source AI personal assistant, has been building from a simmer to a roar. Over the weekend, online chatter about the tool reached viral status — at least, as viral as an open-source AI tool can be.
Clawdbot has developed a cult following in the early adopter community, and AI nerds in Silicon Valley are obsessively sharing best practices and showing off their DIY Clawdbot setups. The free, open-source AI assistant is commonly run on a dedicated Mac Mini (though other setups are possible), with users giving it access to their ChatGPT or Claude accounts, as well as email, calendars, and messaging apps.
Clawdbot has gone so viral on X that it's reached meme status, with developers sharing tongue-in-cheek memes about their Clawdbot setups.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.So, what is Clawdbot 🦞, how can you try it, and why is it suddenly the talk of the town in Silicon Valley?
Clawdbot is an AI personal assistantAs previously mentioned, Clawdbot is an open-source AI assistant that runs locally on your device. The tool was built by developer and entrepreneur Peter Steinberger, best known for creating and selling PSPDFKit. The tool is often associated with the lobster emoji, for reasons that should be obvious.
Clawdbot is an impressive example of agentic AI, meaning it's a tool that can act autonomously and complete multi-step actions on behalf of the user. The year 2025 was supposed to be the year of AI agents; instead, many high-profile agentic AI implementations failed to deliver results, and there's a growing sense that AI agents are hitting a wall.
However, Clawdbot users say that the tool delivers where previous assistants have failed. The personal AI assistant remembers everything you've ever told it, and users can also grant it access to their email, calendar, and docs. On top of that, Clawdbot can proactively take personalized action. So, not only does Clawdbot check your email, but it can send you a message the moment a high-priority email arrives.
Based on its viral success, I'd be shocked if Steinberger isn't being courted by AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. Mashable reached out to Steinberger to ask about Clawdbot, and we'll update this post if we receive a response.
How to try ClawdbotSteinberger has uploaded the source code for Clawdbot to Github, and you can download, install, and start experimenting with Clawdbot right away. (Find Clawdbot on Github.)
That said, downloading and setting up Clawdbot isn't as simple as downloading a typical app or piece of software. You'll need some technical know-how to get Clawdbot running on your device. There are also some serious security and privacy concerns to consider. More on that in a moment.
You can run Clawdbot on Mac, Windows, and Linux devices, and the Clawdbot website has installation instructions, system requirements, and tips.
Don't try Clawdbot without understanding the risksPart of the reason that Clawdbot succeeds where other AI agents have failed is that it has full system access to your device. That means it can read and write files, run commands, execute scripts, and control your browser.
Steinberger is clear about the fact that running Clawdbot carries certain risks.
Running an AI agent with shell access on your machine is… spicy," an FAQ reads. "Clawdbot is both a product and an experiment: you’re wiring frontier-model behavior into real messaging surfaces and real tools. There is no 'perfectly secure' setup." (Emphasis in original.)
Users can access a security audit tool for Clawdbot on Github, and the Clawdbot FAQ also has a useful security section. A sub-section titled "The Threat Model" notes that bad actors could "Try to trick your AI into doing bad things" and "Social engineer access to your data."
Duolingo launches Bad Bunny 101 ahead of Super Bowl LX halftime show
Tití me preguntó if we were ready for Super Bowl LX, and the answer is sí. With Bad Bunny set to take over the halftime show, the hype is already hitting reggaetón levels of excitement, and brands are racing to keep up.
Enter Duolingo. The language-learning app has launched a cheeky "Bad Bunny 101" campaign designed to help fans pick up just enough Spanish to keep up with the Puerto Rican rapper's lyrics. One prompt in the ads asks users to translate the title of his hit single "Tití me preguntó," while Duolingo's famously unhinged owl mascot gets a full Bad Bunny makeover — pava hat and all.
"Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the US, and it’s already part of how culture shows up," Duolingo chief marketing officer Manu Orssaud said in a statement via the San Francisco Chronicle, underscoring the app's pitch that learning the language isn't just practical, it's pop-cultural.
This isn't Duolingo’s first time tapping into Benito's orbit. Back in 2023, the brand published a blog post encouraging fans to discover the "lots of Spanish lessons hidden in Bad Bunny lyrics," positioning the artist’s catalog as both a vibe and a learning tool.
As part of the larger push for Bad Bunny 101, Duolingo's owl mascot has been doing what it does best: escalating. Over on X, Duo has been counting down the days until Super Bowl Sunday, reminding fans exactly how much time they have left to learn Spanish before Bad Bunny hits the stage. And in case anyone missed the point, the owl has also been spotted in the wild, recently turning up in New York City (sorry, NUEVAYoL) dressed as Benito himself.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Not everyone, however, is ready to sing along. President Donald Trump has once again voiced complaints about the Super Bowl's musical lineup, taking aim at Bad Bunny's halftime slot and Green Day's pre-game performance alike.
The internet, unsurprisingly, seems far more on board. Estamos ready para bailar.
Can you finally read a Kindle book on your Kobo? Amazon launches DRM-free ebooks.
As of Jan. 20, 2026, Amazon is changing its policy on DRM e-books sold in the Kindle store. Now, you could read a book purchased in the Kindle store on a non-Kindle e-reader.
The biggest issue with e-books is the topic of digital rights management. When you purchase a book in the Kindle or Kobo store, these books have some form of digital rights management (DRM) on them, meaning that e-books are encrypted and can only be read on a certain type of e-reader. So when you buy an e-book in the Kindle store, you can only read it on a Kindle. This means that if you switch from a Kindle to a Kobo, you can't move books you've purchased in the Kindle store to your new e-reader.
However, Amazon is making it easier to access DRM-free files. The news arrived on the Kindle Direct Publishing platform, used typically by self-published authors and independent presses. The Digital Rights Management page on Kindle Direct Publishing states that as of Jan. 20, 2026, authors and publishers now have the choice to make files DRM-free.
As noted, the changes will only effect new files, not previously downloaded books. Credit: Screenshot: AmazonIf authors select DRM files, users can only read Kindle e-books on Kindle devices. If they select DRM-free, the file can be read on Kindle devices, but it can also be downloaded as an EPUB or PDF file, transferred to a non-Kindle device, and read on any kind of e-reader.
Does this mean that you can now download all of your Kindle books to a different e-reader? Not quite. According to the Kindle Direct Publishing site, the DRM changes only apply to future EPUB/PDF download access and don't affect files already downloaded.
SEE ALSO: Ready to read in color? These are the 3 best color e-readers Authors and publishers need to opt in to DRM-free filesThis change in digital rights management won't be automatic; a key piece is that authors and publishers must opt in to DRM-free books. So while we're hopeful that it means a wave of DRM-free books is coming, there's no guarantee.
How to check for DRM-free booksSo how do you check for a DRM-free file? Amazon makes it harder than Kobo, as the latter has a whole page dedicated to DRM-free files. As the change on Amazon is so recent, they've yet to signify which books are DRM-free. Currently, the only way to tell is after you download a book.
When a title says 'Download available in additional formats', you've got a DRM-free book. Credit: Screenshot: AmazonWhen you view a book in your Content Library on Amazon, a book may say 'Download available in additional formats'. From there, under 'More Actions' select 'Download EPUB/PDF' to access the DRM-free file. From there, you can download an EPUB/PDF to your computer and transfer it to other devices.
Your SSD backups might vanish in 1 year: Set this reminder now
If you are using external drives for backups, archival, or any other infrequent use, you should set up periodic reminders to check them for failures. You should do that right now, before you forget. Seriously. Now.
The Roborock Q7 M5+ is down to $249.99 at Amazon
SAVE 24%: As of Jan. 26, the Roborock Q7 M5+ Robot Vacuum and Mop is on sale for $249.99 at Amazon. That's a 24% discount or $80 in savings.
Roborock Q7 M5+ Robot Vacuum and Mop $249.99 at Amazon$329.99 Save $80 Get Deal at Amazon
If you're tired of babysitting your robot vacuum (or just vacuuming in general), this Roborock deal is worth a look.
As of Jan. 26, the Roborock Q7 M5+ Robot Vacuum and Mop is on sale for $249.99 at Amazon. That's 24% off the usual $329.99 price tag. Full disclosure: We've seen this model go for about $30 less in the past, but given the specs you're getting here, it's still a solid price if you need something right now.
SEE ALSO: I found the best robot vacuums for every floor, budget, and level of laziness (after testing 30+ models)Its best feature is the RockDock Plus, which automatically empties the robot’s dustbin and holds up to seven weeks of debris, so you can literally ignore it for almost two months. It delivers 10,000Pa of suction power (which is overkill in the best way) and uses a Dual Anti-Tangle system to handle pet hair without getting clogged.
Clawdbot users are snapping up the Mac Mini — and it’s under $500 at Amazon
SAVE $100: The M4 Mac Mini is on sale at Amazon for $499, down from the normal price of $599. That's a 17% discount.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple M4 Mac Mini (2024, 256GB) $499 at Amazon$599 Save $100 Get Deal
Silicon Valley is going wild for the 2024 M4 Mac Mini, but it's not for the reason you might think. No, it's not being used as a traditional desktop computer in the way we assume. People are using it to run the latest AI assistant, Clawdbot. With a cute lobster mascot, the Clawdbot hype is driving up sales and snatching up stock of the Mac Mini with an M4 chip. Before it becomes impossible to find in-stock, check out this sale price.
As of Jan. 26, the M4 Mac Mini is on sale at Amazon for $499, marked down from the standard price of $599. That's a 17% discount that takes a hefty $100 off the normal price.
Why use a Mac Mini for running Clawdbot? The answers are pretty similar to why you'd want a Mac Mini in the first place. Like the name implies, it's a tiny beast that has 16GB of unified memory and 256GB SSD. Plus, you can leave it running at all times with no issue. If you live in the Apple ecosystem and plan to adopt Clawdbot, a dedicated Mac Mini could be an awesome sidekick.
SEE ALSO: Clawdbot is a viral AI assistant: What it is, how to try itThis 2024 version of the Mac Mini comes with Apple's powerful M4 chip, two USB-C ports, a headphone jack, ethernet, HDMI, and Thunderbolt 4 ports. All of that is housed in the compact five inch by five inch Mac Mini housing. This size makes it simple to add to your current desktop setup or take along on the next work trip.
If you're looking for the smallest possible personal assistant, running Clawdbot on a Mac Mini might be your best option. Before demand reaches even higher levels, snag the M4 Mac Mini from Amazon while it's on sale for $499. That's $100 off the normal price.
Milwaukee’s new 4-battery dock makes charging fast and easy
If you have a wide array of Milwaukee tools, you understand the struggle of constantly keeping all your battery packs charged up during a project. And if you use a combination of M12 and M18 tools, things are even worse. Thankfully, Milwaukee just announced a 4-bay simultaneous fast charger you'll love.
I've been attending work calls as a virtual avatar, and I haven't gotten fired (yet)
I’ve owned a Samsung Galaxy XR headset for a few months now, and I enjoy most things about it. But my experience joining video calls in particular has called into question not only whether we can place video calls from such a device, but should we?
The 3 best logical functions I always use in Excel
Excel's logical functions test whether a statement or data is true or false, before enabling the program to carry out an action based on the result. They are useful for analyzing data, automating certain tasks or calculations, and, ultimately, making decisions.


