IT General

Every weekend, I'm on the lookout for a solid binge that I can while away the hours with. Netflix is never at a loss for these, but at the end of each month (before the next month's titles take root), it takes a bit more digging to find a hit.

TL;DR: Live stream the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It feels like we're inundated with tennis tournaments over the summer months, and then nothing. After the US Open, tennis fans have a painful wait for the next Grand Slam.

But thankfully, the 2026 Australian Open has come to the rescue to deliver epic contests between the best players in the world. It's the first chance to see the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Aryna Sabalenka on the biggest stage. And better yet, it's possible to follow all the action from this showpiece event without spending anything.

If you want to watch the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the Australian Open?

The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. It's the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, followed by the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open.

The current singles champions are Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys.

When is the 2026 Australian Open?

The 2026 Australian Open is the 114th edition of the tournament. This year's event takes place from Jan. 18 to Feb. 1.

How to watch the 2026 Australian Open for free

The 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2026 Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $78.18 and includes an extra four months for free — 78% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

SAVE $15: As of Jan. 30, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is on sale for $34.99 at Amazon. That's a 30% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Roku Roku Streaming Stick 4K $34.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $15   Get Deal

Streaming sticks are a great way to upgrade your current TV without actually upgrading your TV. These products allow you to transform how you find your favorite apps and movies. And as of Jan. 30, one of the most popular models, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, is on sale at Amazon. If you buy now, you'll be saving $15 with the new price of $34.99.

One of the best things about the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is how easy it is to set up. Just plug it into your TV's HDMI port and connect the cable to a wall outlet, then use the included remote to turn on your TV and you're all set. This remote will now be the only control for your TV, so there's no need to have two or more lying around.

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After this, Roku will give you all the top apps in one place, plus over 500 free live TV channels. And the home screen makes it easy to pick up where you left off. You'll also get Roku voice control. Just use the button on the remote to search through different streaming platforms or even adjust the volume using just your voice.

Get this streaming stick deal from Amazon.

Every time you reach for your mouse to right-click in Excel, you're paying a productivity tax. It feels like a shortcut, but it actually breaks your flow. These five essential keystrokes replaced my right-click habit and turned my sluggish spreadsheet sessions into a sprint.

SAVE OVER $100: As of Jan. 30, Amazon has marked the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 robot vacuum and mop down to $499.99 for Prime members. This 23% discount saves you $150 off its list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dreame Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 Robot Vacuum and Mop $499.99 at Amazon
$649.99 Save $150   Get Deal

If you're feeling overwhelmed by cleaning at home, a robot vacuum can make the job feel a little easier. And there have been some great discounts popping up lately, so now is the perfect time to shop for something special. Among the options on sale at the moment is the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 robot vacuum and mop, which is down to its lowest-ever price at Amazon (for Prime members).

As of Jan. 30, the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 robot vacuum and mop is on sale for $499.99 at Amazon for Prime members. Compared to its list price of $649.99, this deal saves you $150.

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Dirt, dust, and pet hair are no match for the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2's 25,000Pa suction, and its DuoScrub mopping system helps tackle stains for an all-around deeper clean on your floors. It doesn't forget about corners either, as it can extend its brush and mop to reach tighter spaces or underneath furniture.

There's no need to worry about items on your floor disrupting the clean, as it uses Smart Pathfinder and 3DAdapt technologies to map out your home and avoid any shoes or pet toys that might get in its way.

If it's caught your eye, now is your chance to grab the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 robot vacuum and mop on sale now for $499.99. And if you're curious what other robot vacuums we think are worth your time and money, have a look at our roundup of the best robot vacuums to see our favorite picks.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG: Paldean Fates Great Tusk ex & Iron Treads ex Premium Collection is down to $174.90 at Amazon. That's $45 off its usual list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG: Paldean Fates Great Tusk ex & Iron Treads ex Premium Collection $174.90 at Amazon
$219.99 Save $45.09   Get Deal

Premium Pokémon TCG boxes don’t often see massive price drops once they’ve settled into the market, which makes this Paldean Fates deal especially eye-catching. As of Jan. 30, the Pokémon TCG: Paldean Fates Great Tusk ex & Iron Treads ex Premium Collection has dropped to $174.90 at Amazon, knocking a full $45 off its $219.99 list price. 

For a collection that’s been steadily going up in value over the last couple of years, that’s a serious discount. 

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This Premium Collection is built around Paldea’s Paradox Pokémon theme shown in the Pokémon Scarlet & Violet games, pairing Great Tusk ex and Iron Treads ex in their Shiny forms. Inside the box, you’ll find 11 Scarlet & Violet: Paldean Fates booster packs, giving you plenty of shots at the set’s highly sought-after Shiny Pokémon. 

On top of that, the collection includes two foil Shiny Pokémon ex trading cards, two additional Great Tusk and Iron Treads cards, and an oversized foil card featuring Shiny Great Tusk ex, plus a code card for Pokémon TCG Live.

What really makes this deal stand out is how it compares to the wider market. Released in January 2024, Paldean Fates is one of those expansions that has moved further into obscurity overtime, with single packs on Amazon now costing around $20-$25 each. All listings on TCGplayer are completely sold out. 

For more Pokémon TCG deals, the Mega Evolution Booster Bundle is down to around $52 on Amazon. What’s more, booster packs of Prismatic Evolutions, another in-demand expansion, are below market value on Amazon.

Super Bowl LX is set to take place on Feb. 8. The New England Patriots will face off against the Seattle Seahawks for a chance at glory. There's also the small matter of performances from Bad Bunny, Green Day, Charlie Puth, and more top stars. What a glorious day.

We're sure you've already got plans in place for this special occasion, but if not, you should be aware that a long list of restaurants are offering free food promotions for the big game. Football, loads of live performances, and free food? It really doesn't get much better than that.

We've checked out everything on offer from big names like Applebee's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Denny’s, Fazoli’s, and more. We'll be updating this list with any new free food deals that drop as we approach Feb. 8.

Super Bowl 2026 food dealsApplebee's

Applebee's is offering 20 free boneless wings with any $40 online or in-app order on Feb. 8. This deal is available when you use the promo code SBWINGS26.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s

Get 50 traditional or boneless wings for $50 on Feb. 8. This deal is available for dine-in and takeout orders.

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse

Until Feb. 8, get a Big Game Pizza and Wings Bundle — including 30 bone-in wings or 3 lbs of boneless wings — for $55.

Buffalo’s Cafe

Get 10% off the Buffalo’s Cafe party platter when you make an order online of $50 or more. You need to use the promo code SB2026 at the checkout, place your order by Feb. 6, and pick up on Feb. 8.

Buffalo Wild Wings

If Super Bowl LX goes into overtime, Buffalo Wild Wings will give you six free wings. This offer is available to redeem on Feb. 23 from 2-5 p.m. local time, for dine-in and takeout.

Denny’s

Get 10% off any online order of $30 or more with the promo code CHAMP10N at checkout. This code is valid from Feb. 6-8.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

Get $10 off your order of $55 or more with the promo code BIGGAME85 at checkout. This code is valid until Feb. 2 and can only be redeemed once per transaction and per person.

Fazoli’s

Rewards members can get a free Fazoli’s whole pizza with the purchase of a Family Meal on Feb. 8.

Giordano’s

Get one free pizza when you buy three pizzas with the promo code SUPER26 at checkout. All orders come with free shipping.

Hurricane Grill & Wings

Get 10% off a party platter when you place an online order of $50 or more with the promo code SB2026. Orders must be made on Feb. 6 for pickup on Feb. 8.

Matchbox Restaurants

Get a free pizza when you spend $20 or more on Feb. 8. This offer is only valid in-store.

Native Grill & Wings

Get $10 off your order of $75 or more. Orders must be made on Feb. 6 for pickup on Feb. 8.

Noodles & Company

Through Feb. 9, get a catering dessert tray when you buy one catering pan with promo code NOODSWIN26.

Portillo’s

Perks members get $25 off catering orders of $100 or more on Feb. 8. There is a limit of one redemption per account.

White Castle

Save $2 on a case of Sliders with this coupon from Feb. 6-8. One code is valid per person.

Corsair tried something new with their latest Vanguard Pro 96 keyboard, and I can’t say that I’m a fan. The built-in screen feels useless and like a value-add that doesn’t add any extra value. The rest of the keyboard though? I love it, and I think you will too.

The Melania documentary has had its premiere, and like Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert has thoughts — particularly about how much money Amazon spent on it.

"This film did not come cheap, y'all. To produce and distribute it Jeff Bezos paid $75 million. Now obviously he's one of richest men in the world, that's chump change to Bezos himself, but it might have helped the 16,000 people that Amazon announced they were firing yesterday," says Colbert in the Late Show monologue above.

"You know what? I have had it. I say we storm the castle!" the host adds, taking out his phone. "Let's see, er, Amazon has pitchforks, that's good, and let's see, they also have torches, that's good. And let's see, on Prime let's order that, and... the revolution will start in two business days."

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 30, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for January 30, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 30 Pips

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically; 1-3, placed vertically.

Less Than (1): Everything in this space must be less than 1. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 1-2, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically; 3-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 1-2, placed vertically; 2-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 30 Pips

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically; 5-3, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically; 3-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed vertically.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically; 3-3, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed vertically; 1-1, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 30 Pips

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 6. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically; 6-3, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this yellow space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed vertically; 3-5, placed vertically; 6-3, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally.

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically; 2-2, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 3-5, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (6): Everything in this dark blue space must be equal to 6. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically; 6-0, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 0. The answer is 6-0, placed vertically; 5-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this red space must be equal to 5. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically; 5-0, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically.

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

Bumble is one of the most well-known dating apps out there. Founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd started Bumble in 2014 after founding Tinder years prior. Bumble was, for many years, women's answer to Tinder. That's because it utilizes the same "swipe left or right" model to either pass or seek to match with someone else, but there is a key difference between the two: on Bumble, only women can message first ("make the first move") in heterosexual matches. 

Bumble has changed since 2014, though, and in case you're seeking answers on how Bumble works, look no further.

SEE ALSO: How to use Bumble, and is it better than Tinder? How does Bumble work?

In Bumble's early years, if you were a man matching with a woman, you had to wait until she messaged you first. But in April 2024, Bumble switched that up with Opening Moves, a way for anyone to message anyone else first. (In gay matches, or with nonbinary users, that was typically the case before this.)

With Opening Move, any user could respond to a prompt on someone's Bumble profile for matches to respond to. (If you think this is similar to Hinge, you're right. Recently, major dating apps have added features that other apps already have.)

Then, in October 2024, Bumble expanded Opening Moves so users could add up to three prompts for matches to reply.

Any user can set an Opening Move. 

How to use Bumble

First, you must create a profile on Bumble. Upload photos of yourself (Bumble recommends four to six), fill out your personal details — such as your age and gender — and set your dating intentions and filters for what you're looking for. The more information you give, the likelier it is that the algorithm will serve profiles that fit what you want.

Once you create your Bumble profile, you can find potential matches in the People tab, located squarely in the center of the navigation panel at the bottom of the screen. Swipe right if you want to match, left if you don't. Once you match with someone, you can go to the Chat tab to start the conversation. (If you have a Premium account, you can also check out who's liked you first.)

Then there's the Discover tab, which is to the left of People. Bumble highlights four profiles it thinks you'll really like (or at least, its algorithm does). You can either Like these profiles or tell Bumble they're not for you. This selection of four refreshes daily at 9 a.m.

Unlike some other dating apps, matches on Bumble expire after 24 hours of matching unless someone messages. Free users can "extend" one match per day, but you have to pay for the app for more chances to extend matches.

As mentioned above, you can also set an Opening Move to give a match a chance to message once you match. With Opening Moves, both people have to send a message, otherwise the chat will expire.

Featured Video For You 'I was cloaked.' What it's like to be blocked and stood up by your Hinge date. Is Bumble free?

Bumble does have a free tier, and you don't have to pay anything to match and message people. But if you want extra perks, you'll have to pay.

As of late 2025, Bumble has three paid tiers: Boost, Premium, and Premium+.

"We are committed to delivering the best possible value for our members with our products and as a result pricing can vary by location," a spokesperson said. "There are a number of different subscription options, you can do a week, a month, or even a year. Prices for Bumble Premium start from $32.99 for a week."

Here are the perks of each Bumble subscription, according to its blog.

Boost

• Unlimited swipes

• Rematch with expired connections

• Extend matches by 24 hours

• Backtrack accidental left swipes

• Spotlight your profile (temporarily bring it to the front of people's queues)

• Five SuperSwipes (Bumble's version of a SuperLike) each week 

Premium 

All the features of Boost, and:

• See who Liked you first

• Unlimited Advanced Filters

• Travel mode, so you can change your location when you go on a trip

• Incognito mode 

• One Spotlight per week

Premium+

All the benefits of Premium, plus (get it?):

• 10 SuperSwipes per week

• Two Compliments per week

• Two Spotlights per week

• Profile insights to see how your profile is performing 

How to cancel your Bumble subscription

Mashable has a guide all about how to cancel your Bumble subscription if you're a paid user and would rather downgrade.

Does Bumble have read receipts?

Rest assured, Bumble doesn't have read receipts, so you can view your messages without wondering if your match thinks you left them on read.

The best ways to watch the Grammys at a glance: Paramount+ Premium $13.99 per month or $139.99 per year Learn More YouTube TV free 7-day trial, then $59.99 per month for your first 2 months Get Deal Fubo TV free 1-day trial, then $45.99 for your first month Get Deal Hulu + Live TV free 3-day trial, then $89.99 per month Get Deal

Music's biggest night is rapidly approaching: The 68th annual Grammy Awards are happening this weekend at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Comedian Trevor Noah will return as master of ceremonies for his *checks notes* sixth and final year.

Kendrick Lamar leads the pack this year with a surprising nine nominations, while Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff, and Cirkut each have seven. Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, and Leon Thomas also have six nominations each.

From heartfelt tributes to artists like D'Angelo and Ozzy Osbourne to epic performances from Best New Artist nominees to, of course, the award winners themselves, it's sure to be a talent-filled evening full of surprises. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the Grammys in 2026.

When are the Grammys?

The 2026 Grammy Awards will take place Sunday, Feb. 1 at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. So long as the acceptance speeches don't run over, the ceremony is expected to last about three-and-a-half hours, concluding around 11:30 p.m. ET.

Prior to the main broadcast, the 2026 Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony will take place at 3:30 p.m. ET. This is when the majority of the Grammys will be awarded.

What channel are the Grammys on?

Since 1973, CBS has been the home of the Grammy Awards. Now in its 68th year, this will be the 53rd year of the Grammys on CBS. Because most people no longer have cable, CBS's streaming sibling Paramount+ will also simulcast the awards show live via its Premium tier only.

Note: The Paramount+ Essential plan will only get you access to the on-demand broadcast the next day after the awards air.

The Grammys Premiere Ceremony, prior to the main broadcast, will stream live for free on YouTube.

How to watch the Grammys live without cable

For those who no longer have cable or access to their local CBS network, you'll technically have a few different options for tuning in live (and maybe even for free). The easiest way is to sign up for a month of Paramount+ Premium, but since Paramount+ recently ditched its free trials, it'll cost you $13.99.

A potentially cheaper option would be to sign up for a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV or Fubo and score a free trial offer. Here's a breakdown of the best options:

Watch live on Paramount+ Premium

As noted above, the most direct way to watch live without cable is by signing up for a month of Paramount+ Premium for $13.99. You can save a bit of money long-term if you sign up for an annual plan rather than a monthly plan. At $139.99 per year, that drops the monthly cost down to just $11.67. You'll have to pay for the whole year upfront, but ultimately, you'll save about 17% overall.

If you can manage to avoid spoilers in this day and age, a Paramount+ Essential subscription will get you access to the broadcast on demand the day following the live ceremony. It'll only cost you $8.99 per month or $89.99 per year.

Opens in a new window Credit: Paramount+ Paramount+ Premium $13.99 per month or $139.99 per year Learn More Watch live with a YouTube TV free trial

YouTube TV will give you live access to local channels, including CBS, so you can catch the Grammys as they're happening. More importantly, you'll get a free trial if you've never signed up previously. That means you could potentially watch the Grammy Awards for free on CBS through YouTube TV. Trials are typically a week long, so be sure to check your status and cancel your subscription before the week ends, or you'll be hit with a $59.99 blow to your bank account.

Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV Free trial, then $59.99 per month for 2 months Learn More Watch live with a Fubo free trial

Like YouTube TV, Fubo will grant you access to local channels, including CBS, so you can watch the Grammy Awards live in 2026. All three of Fubo's main plans come with a free trial for one day if you've never signed up before. If you're strategic, you can watch the Grammys for free during this trial and cancel before you're charged the full amount. Plans start at $45.99 for your first month.

Opens in a new window Credit: Fubo Fubo Sports + News free 1-day trial, then $45.99 for your first month Learn More Watch live with a Hulu + Live TV free trial

Hulu's live TV subscription is another option similar to YouTube TV and Fubo, which offers a large selection of live channels — including your local CBS network. With a three-day free trial, you'll be able to tune into the Grammy Awards for free. Just be warned: once the trial is up, you'll be charged $89.99 unless you cancel before that.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu + Live TV free 3-day trial, then $89.99 per month Learn More

Influencers are increasingly burying anti-ICE sentiments just beyond the first swipe of their carousel posts on Instagram. This practice — let's call it "swipefishing," for lack of a better term — appears to be a way to dodge perceived platform suppression or lure in otherwise disengaged followers.

It’s a bait-and-switch: a post framed as one thing that ultimately reveals itself to be about ICE.

Former Bravo star Ariana Madix offers a clear example, teasing gossip before abruptly pivoting to an anti-ICE message.

View this post on Instagram

Or another similar post from nail artist Ameya Okamoto.

View this post on Instagram

It's become a common practice these days among influencers and others with sizable followings.

View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram

The idea is simple: hook the audience — or trick the algorithm — with something light or apolitical, then pivot to ICE-related content starting on slide two. From there, the carousel typically delivers information about ICE: how to spot officers, allegations against the agency, ways to support protesters, which companies work with ICE, and how to contact local lawmakers. The trend functions as a kind of Trojan horse, smuggling political messaging into the familiar format of Instagram social-justice slideshows.

This isn't the first time activists have used growth hacks or engagement bait to spread their message online. Pro-Palestinian activists, for instance, have flooded TikTok comment sections with political messages in hopes of landing the coveted blue comment, which effectively serves as a hyperlink that can drive massive traffic.

Activists are becoming increasingly savvy about navigating online platforms and amplifying their causes. So the next time you swipe through an Instagram carousel, don't be surprised if the next slide isn’t what you expected.

AI agents can perform tasks on behalf of the user, and this often involves controlling a web browser, sorting through emails, and interacting with the internet at large. And since there are lots of places on the internet that can steal your personal data or otherwise cause harm, it's important that these agents know what they're doing.

So, as users migrate away from web browsers and Google Search to AI browsers and agents, AI companies like OpenAI need to make sure these tools don't fall straight into a phishing attempt or click on malicious links.

In a new blog post, OpenAI explains exactly how its AI agents protect users.

One possible solution to this problem would be for OpenAI to simply adopt a curated list of trusted websites its agents are allowed to access. However, as the company explained in the blog post, that would probably be too limiting and would harm the user experience. Instead, OpenAI uses something called an independent web index, which records public URLs that are already known to exist on the internet, independent of any user data.

So, if a URL is on the index, then the AI agent can open it without a problem. If not, the user will see a warning asking for their permission to move forward.

You might see this if the agent tries to access something it shouldn't. Credit: OpenAI SEE ALSO: OpenAI launches age prediction for teen safety

As OpenAI explains in its blog post, "This shifts the safety question from 'Do we trust this site?' to 'Has this specific address appeared publicly on the open web in a way that doesn’t depend on user data?'"

You can see a more technical explainer in a lengthy research paper OpenAI published last year, but the main thing to know is that it's possible for web pages to manipulate AI agents into doing things they shouldn't do. A common form of this is prompt injection, which gives clandestine instructions to the AI model, asking it to retrieve sensitive data or otherwise compromise your cybersecurity.

To be clear, as OpenAI states in the blog post, this is just one layer of security that doesn't necessarily guarantee that what you're about to click on is entirely safe. Websites can contain social engineering or other bad-faith constructs that an AI agent wouldn't necessarily be able to notice.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Every company involved in your online spending gets a vote in how you spend your money. For years now, adult content creators have been sounding the alarm about financial discrimination and debanking. Debanking is the practice of banks terminating a person's accounts and refusing to do business with them, an increasingly common occurrence as institutions continue to shut out individuals and businesses.

"I don't know what could happen next or when it might happen," Adult VTuber, journalist, and activist Ana Valens tells Mashable. Over the course of two weeks in November, Valens had content removed or her entire account suspended from nearly every online platform where she makes a living. "While my Patreon and Ko-fi were reinstated, I've spent the past two months waiting for the other shoe to drop — another Patreon ban, my PayPal deactivated, and so on." Valens reached out to the various platforms, and they were often unable to specify how her content violated their terms. Ko-fi remained unresponsive until multiple messages led to reinstatement.

SEE ALSO: OnlyFans 'baits and switches' customers with false promises, lawsuit claims

"Deplatforming and debanking are an occupational hazard for any adult content creator," says Gina, a co-founder of PeepMe, a startup that intended to create a worker-owned creator marketplace. PeepMe was built as an alternative to platforms like OnlyFans and Patreon, so creators could be stakeholders in the business, form a democratic board, and receive quarterly profit-sharing dividends. 

Gina requested that Mashable use a pseudonym due to her continued work adjacent to the adult industry and the increasing risks of businesses losing relationships with financial institutions. "Even still, I've never seen someone banned on so many sites before [as Ana has been]," Gina says.

In addition to discrimination aimed towards the adult industry, companies in sectors such as oil and gas, cryptocurrency, tobacco, and firearms are also actively calling out politically motivated debanking, resulting in a recent series of regulatory actions in the United States, intending to rein in financial discrimination. 

Who's blocking my buying?

When you make a purchase online, your money passes through many hands. The pipeline of financial institutions your money goes through might look something like this:

1. Platform (merchant) websites: sites where creators earn income, like YouTube, Patreon, Etsy, DoorDash, and Steam

2. Payment processors: the companies that communicate the transaction between your card network, the sending bank, and the receiving bank (ex. PayPal, Stripe)

3. Card networks: Visa, American Express, Mastercard, etc. These companies standardize the relationship between banks, sellers, and buyers to allow them to do business.

4. Your bank and the seller's bank: Wells Fargo, Bank of America

Beyond their responsibility to prevent illegal activity, restrictions on the money any individual financial institution is willing to handle are at the institution's sole discretion.

"The rules set by card networks are sometimes vague," says Dr. Val Webber, a postdoctoral researcher at the Sexual Health and Gender Research Lab at Dalhousie University, who studies online platform regulations of the adult industry. According to Mastercard's rules document from June 2025, Mastercard restricts "any Transaction that [...] in the sole discretion of [Mastercard], may damage the goodwill of [Mastercard] or reflect negatively on the [brand]."

"Deplatforming and debanking are an occupational hazard for any adult content creator." - Gina, a co-founder of the startup PeepMe

In July 2025, Valens wrote about video game storefronts Steam and itch.io removing and deindexing games with adult content due to pressure from payment processors and card networks. Steam cited pressure from Mastercard, communicated through payment processors like Stripe, as a reason for these changes. In a statement to itch.io, Stripe said, "Stripe is currently unable to support sexually explicit content due to restrictions placed on them by their banking partners, despite card networks generally supporting adult content." Stripe's prohibited business list includes sales of "pornography and other mature audience content (including literature, imagery, and other media) designed for the purpose of sexual gratification."

In a brief statement released in August 2025, Mastercard refuted any connection to these policy changes, stating that "Mastercard has not evaluated any game or required restrictions of any activity on game creator sites and platforms, contrary to media reports and allegations." 

Valens' articles were removed from Vice. "My suspicion is that it was easy for a financial company to flag me as high risk as a punitive measure for my content, or my activism work," says Valens. Mashable attempted to contact Vice for comment, but Vice's press email is no longer functional, and a former editor declined to comment.

Who can get debanked?

"We have lots of data to show that people in the adult industry face financial discrimination in the form of their accounts being closed, being denied mortgages, business loans, and other banking services — despite banks often not being able to substantiate legal reasons related to these individual accounts," says Maggie MacDonald, a PhD researcher at the University of Toronto who studies the impact of technology and commerce on the adult industry.

In December 2020, Visa and Mastercard refused to work with Pornhub, citing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) hosted on the website. "Our adult content standards allow for legal adult activity created by consenting individuals or studios," said Mastercard in a statement to Mashable. "Merchants must have controls to monitor, block and remove unlawful content from being posted." In a statement to Reuters at the time, Pornhub denied hosting any illegal content on its website and noted the disappointing impact on "the hundreds of thousands of models who rely on [their] platform for their livelihoods." 

Despite their cautious policies regarding platforms that host adult content, card networks and banks have not yet made similar moves against X, where CSAM and non-consensual deepfake nudes are becoming increasingly common.

Seeing major platforms like Pornhub, Steam, and itch.io lose their relationships with payment processors and card networks causes smaller platforms to move cautiously. "We just can't afford to lose our ability to do business with these financial companies," says Gina, from her experience starting up PeepMe. "Stripe takes only 2.9 percent from businesses they're willing to work with, while high-risk processors willing to take on adult content can charge up to 15 percent." 

SEE ALSO: Is watching porn with a VPN safer?

"Losing a relationship with card networks is a risk payment processors can't afford, and losing relationships with payment processors is a risk that platform websites can't afford," explains Webber. "In the end, the responsibility of ensuring their content stays within the lines of these oftentimes unclear rules trickles down to each individual creator. Because ultimately, content creators are more expendable to platforms than payment processors and card networks."

One reason often cited by payment processors for not banking the adult industry is that it experiences a high rate of customer chargebacks, Gina explains. A chargeback is when a customer requests a reversal of a credit card transaction.

"Locking out entire industries makes less and less sense as fraud detection technology advances," adds Gina. "Payment processors and card networks already have processes to step in when an individual business has a high rate of chargebacks, there's no reason to block out a whole industry." Last year, Mastercard publicly announced its generative AI fraud-detection technology, which is just the next step in a system that is already highly sophisticated and collaborative, monitoring financial activity in the United States.

"We also haven't seen the claim of high-chargebacks in adult content substantiated anywhere in terms of measured data," says MacDonald. "As a researcher, that makes me suspicious of the criteria these companies are using behind the scenes."

The evolving landscape of banking regulations

The Free Speech Coalition, a trade association representing the legal adult industry, filed a statement for the record in February 2025 with the United States House Committee on Financial Services. The FSC's statement calls for due process protections, objective risk assessments, and to explicitly affirm that lawful adult industry businesses do not present an inherent financial crime risk. It echoes other regulatory initiatives underway, pointing out that blocking out entire industries without measurable, individualized risk evaluation is an overreach by financial institutions and has dire implications for free speech.

"Card networks and payment processors began by blocking pornography, but they've moved into other online industries as well." - Dr. Val Webber, a postdoctoral researcher at the Sexual Health and Gender Research Lab at Dalhousie University

In the United States right now, there are multiple efforts to regulate financial institutions from blocking customers for reasons other than violation of the law, including an August 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump. The order directs multiple financial regulatory bodies in the United States to investigate, identify, and reverse any cases of politically-motivated debanking. The order follows steps taken by U.S. Bank Regulators to remove criteria of "reputational risk" in their evaluation of bank compliance, and Senate legislation proposing civil fines for banks and card networks for avoiding entire categories of customers.

"Card networks and payment processors began by blocking pornography, but they've moved into other online industries as well," says Webber. "The line in the sand continues to shift, and it has recently expanded to video game creators and streamers as well. We don't know how these rules might evolve, and what type of online content might be next."

Valens has spent the last several months advocating against financial censorship, urging concerned customers to call Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, and Stripe to question and challenge purchase and account-limiting practices. (Visa directed Mashable to a page on how it combats illegal activity; PayPal stated that adult materials need pre-approval to accept payments, as it does with tobacco and other products; and Stripe told Mashable it doesn't support adult content.)

"Private companies have been deputized to decide how we can earn and spend our money," says MacDonald, referring to banks, payment processors, and card networks. "Anyone who is ideologically misaligned with any of these companies faces the risk of losing their livelihood."

NASA's next trip around the moon will push four astronauts into the most demanding flight of their lives, a mission defined by enormous speeds, vast distances, and little margin for retreat.

Artemis II, the agency’s first crewed lunar flight in more than a half-century, will also be the first time humans test the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule together. The 10-day flight, which could launch as early as Feb. 6, is designed to send astronauts far beyond Earth's orbit before hurtling them home at blistering speed.

How well Artemis II manages its risks — untested hardware, deep-space distance, and limited escape options — will shape NASA's plans for future lunar landings and, potentially, human missions to Mars. A serious failure could revive long-standing questions about whether the dangers of deep space still justify sending people there.

"When we get off the planet, we might come right back home. We might spend three or four days around Earth. We might go to the moon," said Commander Reid Wiseman. "It is a test mission, and we are ready for every scenario."

SEE ALSO: Artemis 2 mission timeline: An itinerary for the historic 10-day flight Speed and distance

The numbers alone stretch human comprehension. The crew — Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen — are expected to travel farther than any astronauts before them, reaching about 4,600 nautical miles beyond the moon.

At the end of the mission, Orion — which the astronauts have named Integrity — will slam into Earth’s upper atmosphere at roughly 25,000 mph, dozens of times the speed of sound. That would match the re-entry velocity of Apollo 10, whose crew returned at 24,791 mph in 1969.

The above video captures Orion during Artemis I, re-entering Earth's atmosphere and descending, from the perspective of a camera pointed out a spacecraft window.

"When you see numbers like Mach 39 at entry, when you see numbers like 38,000 miles, 250,000 miles," Wiseman said, "those are just insane. Numbers like those are just not numbers that humans generally think about."

Abort options and exit plans

NASA has built into the mission ways to bring the crew home if something goes wrong, from the first seconds of launch through the journey to the moon.

During ascent, flight controllers can change course based on how the mega moon rocket behaves. If an engine fails immediately after liftoff, NASA can still guide the capsule to a safe splashdown. A few minutes into the flight, they could skip the burn that sends Orion toward the moon and instead take another lap around Earth to troubleshoot.

If problems persist, the crew could opt out of the destination altogether and splash down off the coast of Baja California, Mexico.

"We would lose the lunar mission," said Judd Frieling, the Artemis II ascent flight director, "but we'd still make a mission and be able to check out all of the life-support systems."

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Beyond Earth orbit, the mission’s main safety net lies in its trajectory. The burn that sends Orion toward the moon is designed to place the spacecraft on a free-return trajectory, allowing Earth’s and the moon’s gravity to swing it back home even if later engine burns fail. Smaller thrusters can correct a short burn or bend the spacecraft’s path back to Earth, without having to reach the moon at all.

Radiation and solar storms

Radiation poses one of the greatest dangers to the Artemis II crew as they travel beyond Earth's magnetic field.

Once Orion leaves low-Earth orbit, the astronauts will no longer benefit from the natural shielding that protects the International Space Station. Outside the Van Allen belts — two rings of intense radiation thousands of miles above Earth — space becomes far more hostile to both people and electronics, said Mark Clampin, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for science.

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"You’re also at the mercy of coronal mass ejections, which fire lots of high-energy particles into space from the sun," he said.

The risk is heightened because the sun is nearing the peak of its 11-year activity cycle. Engineers have outfitted Orion with radiation sensors, and the astronauts will wear measurement devices in their suits.

The Artemis II astronauts will build an emergency radiation shelter in a stowage compartment of the Orion spaceship as a practice drill during the mission. Credit: NASA

If the sun erupts, the crew can shelter in a compartment beneath the capsule's floor, surrounded by stowage bags that add shielding. NASA will rely on solar-monitoring satellites for early warnings. The astronauts will practice building the radiation shelter during the mission regardless of whether an emergency arises.

Communication blackouts

Distance introduces another challenge. During Orion’s closest pass around the moon, the spacecraft will slip behind the lunar far side, cutting off radio contact with Earth for about 45 minutes.

"I would love it if the entire world could come together and just be hoping and praying for us to get that acquisition of signal," said Glover, the mission’s pilot.

Planned blackouts are one thing; unexpected ones are another. During the uncrewed Artemis I mission, NASA lost contact with Orion for 4.5 hours because of failures at the Goldstone Complex in California, part of the agency’s Deep Space Network. The problems stemmed from aging hard drives, outdated software, and warning systems that failed.

NASA's largest antenna at Goldstone has been offline since an accident four months ago, but officials say the dish was never required for Artemis II and will not affect communications.

After NASA recovered the Orion spaceship following Artemis I, engineers stripped the heat shield off the crew module to inspect the charring damage. Credit: NASA A heat shield under scrutiny

For many mission managers, the riskiest moment remains the return to Earth. During Artemis I, pieces of charred material flaked off Orion's heat shield as it endured the extreme temperatures of reentry.

An investigation found that while the shield performed its job — slowly burning away to carry off heat — gases in some areas built up faster than they could escape. Though alarming, NASA officials said in 2024 that the damage would not have harmed a crew.

"They would have not sensed any disturbance inside the vehicle, there would not have been any excessive heating on the structure, and the guidance would have put them exactly where the Navy needed to recover them," said Amit Kshatriya, a senior NASA official.

Still, NASA has modified Artemis II’s re-entry plan to reduce stress on the heat shield. By targeting a splashdown closer to San Diego, Calif., instead of Baja California, engineers can shorten the hottest portion of the descent.

Even with those changes, the final plunge carries risk — an unavoidable reality of human spaceflight, said John Honeycutt, who leads NASA’s mission management team.

"From an overall perspective," he said, "that’s just part of cheating gravity."

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After weeks of electric competition, we've reached the 2026 Australian Open finals. Sabalenka takes on Rybakina in the showpiece event of the women's draw. Neither player has dropped a single set making it to this huge matchup, so this final is a mouth-watering prospect for fans.

Top seed Sabalenka has won this Grand Slam twice before, but she was beaten in last year's final. Fifth seed Rybakina was Wimbledon champion back in 2022, but that's her only Grand Slam triumph. She was beaten by Sabalenka in the 2023 Australian Open final. Will history repeat itself in Melbourne? Or can Rybakina deliver something special to overcome the dominant Sabalenka?

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The NHL action continues this weekend with a number of interesting matchups. The Blackhawks and Blue Jackets are both knocking around the middle of the standings at this stage in the season, but a run of positive results could change the feeling around the arena. Columbus Blue Jackets have shown some promising form recently, but they'll need to be at their best to secure a win in Chicago.

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Hot off its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, The Moment is rolling into theaters. But what can fans of Charli XCX expect from this comedy that's masquerading as a documentary?

First off, let's not flat-out call this a "mockumentary." While that's not the wrong term for writer/director Aidan Zamiri's film, the popularity of the term typically used for Christopher Guest parodies and The Office might have moviegoers expecting a comedic romp. The Moment is far more dry and cutting than wacky. But make no mistake, it's awesome. 

The British singer/songwriter who redefined "brat" plays herself in a compelling, often unvarnished look at what it means to achieve massive fame at breakneck speed. Beginning in September 2024, The Moment kicks off at the tail end of "brat summer." 

With her sixth studio album becoming a massive hit that inspires memes, TikTok dances, and controversy, Charli XCX has her first arena tour ahead of her, pinned to brat. An eye-jittering montage of news clips and internet videos is intercut with flashing neon-colored production company logos, and Charli thrashing around in a feral dance under strobe lights. Right off, Zamiri captures the non-stop energy that is this 365 party girl's image. But once the montage stops, The Moment pauses on Charli, who practically collapses from her dance when "Cut!" is called. Just like that, she goes from fantasy to reality, and she's utterly exhausted. 

What's The Moment about?  Charli XCX and Alexander Skarsgård star in "The Moment." Credit: A24

Charli XCX is credited with the original story behind Zamiri and Bertie Brandes' screenplay, which follows the pop star through business deals, meet-and-greets, and tour rehearsals, to a last-minute retreat to Ibiza, and onto the stage. Now, plenty of musicians have allowed camera crews behind the scenes for concert docs that reveal the human frailty behind the epic shows. But The Moment has more in common with St. Vincent's The Nowhere Inn, a 2020 mockumentary/psychological thriller that blended fact and fiction to explore the strangeness of being famous for your music. 

The plot of The Moment is Charli prepping for the tour, initially eager to collaborate with her trusted creative director, Celeste (Hailey Benton Gates), who envisions each show turning the arenas into a nightclub, complete with strobe lights and flashing graphics that include the word "cunt." However, this hard party energy clashes with the vision of documentarian Johannes (Alexander Skarsgård), who's been hired by a snarling record exec (Rosanna Arquette) to make the brat moment last forever with a concert doc that'll appeal to the mainstream and "dads."

This battle for creative control seems simple at first. Everyone from those above to Charli's timid manager Tim (Jamie Demetriou), her make-up artist Molly (Kate Berlant), and her famous friends, like Rachel Sennott (playing a comically shallow version of herself) insist Charli has the final say. But as pressure from the record company grows more intense, Charli realizes how little power she actually has, and struggles to make sense of what's best for her and brat. 

Far from finger-wagging or self-pitying, The Moment is electrifying.  Charli XCX takes a call in "The Moment." Credit: A24

The faux documentary Zamiri has made is not presented as Johannes' concert doc. That faux documentarian is an antagonist to Charli, pushing her to change her image, her signature green color, and even "brat" itself, daring to capitalize the B. 

Yet within the film's logic, it's unclear whose movie we're watching. The camera crew and director stay out of frame. However, through the persistent strobe effects — which mirror the opening title cards and Celeste's vision for the brat tour — it seems the film is from Charli's perspective, even as she is intruded upon. The cameras invade squabbles with Charli's team, doing cocaine in a nightclub bathroom, and an emotional breakdown in a private resort. And whereas in a narrative film people would ignore the camera, those around Charli look right into the lens, audibly alarmed. The pop star doesn't look, implying that Charli has gotten so used to being watched that she doesn't even notice them anymore. 

This reflects the message at the core of The Moment. In a tearful phone message, Charli recounts how she made brat the way she wanted to. It was hers, and now everyone else acts as if it is theirs, as if she is theirs, and as if they are entitled to tell her what to do next. 

Rather than enjoying the success she dreamed of, she's being relentlessly pushed to make big decisions. Will brat define her for life? Will she cling to it or let it go to look for something new? Will it be destroyed by capitalism's insistence on making all art into a commercial opportunity? 

And yet, Charli is not painted as a pitiable victim of her own success or a noble heroine for creative freedom. The portrait she and Zamiri offer is more complicated and refreshing. She shares personal insecurities about her hair and body, showing herself flushed and without make-up next to a meticulously made-up Kylie Jenner, who is in a bikini to boot. Beyond creating space for the venting of her frustrations, The Moment also shines a light on the bad calls made when caving to studio pressure. Thus, Charli demystifies the glory of being a pop star by uncovering some unflattering truths about commercial compromise, even when you are the moment.

The Moment has a dry, razor-sharp wit.  Rachel Sennott plays herself in "The Moment." Credit: A24

Not a romp or a laugh fest, this is the kind of movie where a laugh escapes you like a gasp or a scream, booming and deliciously surprising. There's cringe humor, like Sennott's scene, which plays like her HBO Max satire, I Love L.A., probing a particularly venal element of self-promotion. There are inside jokes that will only hit for Charli's fans, like a brief but biting appearance from Julia Fox as herself. For his part, Skarsgård is frightfully convincing as a faux-feminist douchebag. Then, there's Gates, whose bristled creative director is wickedly funny in her rage. Her delivery of the phrase "metaphorical cocaine" is sublimely absurd. 

Rather than broadly skewering the rich and famous, The Moment shrewdly targets the corporate side of making art for a living. Through celebrity cameos, a succinct yet riveting story, earnest emotion, and biting humor, Charli XCX's mockumentary captures something real about the battle of art versus commerce. How does one hold onto themselves when hit by an avalanche of more, more, more, for better or worse? The Moment shows one answer, urging audiences to find their own.

The Moment was reviewed out of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, and opens in theaters on Jan. 30.