IT General

While I have a 60TB server sitting next to my desk, I actually keep my backups in the cloud. I know that might sound counterintuitive, but let me explain why I choose cloud-based backups instead of local-first approaches.

Time flies when there’s so much good stuff to binge. I mean, can you believe it’s almost the end of January? I can’t. I blinked, and it was here, and that’s largely due to my obsessive binges with some of Amazon Prime Video’s best TV shows. This weekend, I've got some must-see recommendations for you.

Do you have any old, outdated gas-powered tools you'd like to give a new lease on life? If so, Makita has a neat new product you'll absolutely love. Makita is launching a 40V max XGT electric motor unit, which is a 25 to 50cc gas engine replacement electric motor you can drop in, bolt on, and go.

So you’ve decided to take your first steps towards building a smart home. The biggest hurdle ahead of you is deciding which platform you should use, and this likely depends on a few factors, like which ecosystems you’re already familiar with and comfortable using.

Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet service, has changed a lot since it launched, including introducing the Starlink Mini alongside more affordable options. However, it looks like one of its best plans, the $10 Roam 10GB, is being discontinued.

German SUVs are often praised for luxury and performance, but reliability isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind, especially for smaller models. That makes this compact German SUV’s track record all the more surprising. Despite its premium badge and spirited driving dynamics, it consistently delivers dependable performance and lower-than-expected maintenance costs, setting it apart in a segment where reliability varies widely.

Once upon a time, there was an online video platform called Vimeo that internet users knew as the high-brow alternative to YouTube. If YouTube was known for its vloggers and amateur comedy skits, Vimeo was known as the place for well-produced short films by actual indie filmmakers. It had its own version of YouTube Premium, produced its own originals, and even received an Emmy nomination.

While Vimeo still technically exists, that version of Vimeo no longer does. Last September, Vimeo was acquired by the Italian tech company Bending Spoons. And now Bending Spoons has just laid off a significant number of Vimeo's employees.

Bending Spoons has confirmed the layoffs to TechCrunch but did not disclose just how many employees would lose their job. However, a former senior Vimeo engineer who left the company last month after 13 years, according to his LinkedIn, says the layoffs have nearly cleared out Vimeo entirely.

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"Reviving this account to say: Almost everyone at Vimeo was laid off yesterday, including the entire video team," Derek Buitenhuis posted to his account on social media platform X. "If you're looking for talented engineers, there are a few on the market."

"Sucks to see something I built killed by private equity in a technology company skin suit," Buitenhuis continued.

Vimeo’s now-former VP of Global Brand and Creative, Dave Brown, also confirmed on LinkedIn that they were part of the layoffs and a "large portion of the company" was impacted.

Vimeo was founded in 2004, and while it never quite reached YouTube's levels of success, it carved out a respectable position as the number two video platform by focusing on artists and the art of filmmaking. However, as TechCrunch points out, in recent years, Vimeo attempted to pivot into artificial intelligence, offering new AI tools to screenwriters and video editors.

In September 2025, Vimeo announced that it was being acquired by Bending Spoons for $1.38 billion.

The name Bending Spoons may sound familiar to you. In 2024, a Bloomberg article described the company as "private equity hipsters" for the app store generation. The company has been on a buying spree over the past few years, acquiring legacy tech brands like AOL, Evernote, MeetUp, and WeTransfer. The company has also acquired other video platforms like StreamYard and Brightcover, too. By now, Bending Spoons is known in the tech industry for buying up underperforming legacy brands, firing employees, hiring cheaper labor, and raising prices, a familiar private equity playbook.

Vimeo as a service continues to exist, providing paid video hosting subscriptions for ad-free uploads. As of now, it's unclear what changes Bending Spoons has in store for the platform.

Raspberry Pi devices are popular among retro enthusiasts looking to emulate old computers and consoles, but this usually only goes as far as software. What you might not have considered is that the Raspberry Pi can also play a role in reviving old hardware.

You might have a dangerous browser extension monitoring your browser history and not even know it.

As the good folks at Lifehacker reported, cybersecurity researchers with LayerX identified 17 malicious browser extensions across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, with some active for up to five years. (Disclosure: Lifehacker is owned by Ziff Davis, the same parent company as Mashable.) These malware-infected browser extensions are part of the GhostPoster campaign, first identified in December by Koi Security.

The Koi Security researchers originally identified 17 malicious browser add-ons, for a total of 34 dangerous extensions. The extensions are no longer available, but if you've already downloaded them, they remain active and must be manually deleted as soon as possible.

As Koi Security found, the extensions hide "a multi-stage malware payload that monitors everything you browse, strips away your browser's security protections, and opens a backdoor for remote code execution." LaxerX further reports that the malware can weaken websites’ security measures, hijack affiliate traffic, inject iframes and scripts that track users, and inject malicious scripts onto a user’s device.

Here's the full list of extensions, via LayerX and Lifehacker:

• Google Translate in Right Click

• Translate Selected Text with Google

• Ads Block Ultimate

• Floating Player – PiP Mode

• Convert Everything

• Youtube Download

• One Key Translate

• AdBlocker

• Save Image to Pinterest on Right Click

• Instagram Downloader

• RSS Feed

• Cool Cursor

• Full Page Screenshot

• Amazon Price History

• Color Enhancer

• Translate Selected Text with Right Click

• Page Screenshot Clipper

Some of these were quite popular extensions. Google Translate in Right Click, for instance, had more than half a million installs, according to LayerX researchers.

The malware in the extensions is known as GhostPoster, which hides malicious code in the extension's PNG logo. The researchers say the malware campaign relied on sophisticated methods that let it evade detection for years. So if you've downloaded any of these extensions, it's best to delete them right away.

Read more about the GhostPoster campaign at Lifehacker.

"Isn't it wonderful to be back in the theater and giving people what they truly want: moi?" So asks Miss Piggy in the trailer for The Muppet Show, which returns for a special episode on Disney+ and ABC this February.

SEE ALSO: 'The Muppet Show' teaser: Kermit returns to the Muppet Theatre for new Disney special

The one-night event revives the beloved Muppets variety series, which originally ran for five seasons from 1976 to 1981. All your favorites are back, from Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear to Gonzo and Statler and Waldorf. Plus, they'll be greeting new guests like Maya Rudolph, Seth Rogen (who also executive produces), and Sabrina Carpenter.

Carpenter already has history with the Muppets — specifically, with Miss Piggy herself. On the final stop of her Short n' Sweet tour, Miss Piggy was the Grammy winner's "Juno" arrest, which means that Carpenter was arresting her for being "too hot." We're sure that was music to Miss Piggy's ears.

You know what's not music to Miss Piggy's ears? What Carpenter tells her in the trailer: that her grandparents used to watch The Muppet Show. Maybe just stick to telling her she's hot!

For more of Carpenter and Miss Piggy's glamorous get-together (as well as more general Muppet chaos), check out the full trailer above.

The Muppet Show will also see the return of veteran Muppet performers Bill Barretta, Dave Goelz, Eric Jacobson, Peter Linz, David Rudman, and Matt Vogel.

The Muppet Show premieres Feb. 4 on Disney+ and ABC.

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That (probably) familiar connector you see up there is known as a "Molex" connector, and modern power supplies and computer peripherals rarely of ever still have this type of power connector—and for good reason.

SAVE $1,500: As of Jan. 23, the 65-inch TCL QM9K Mini LED QLED TV is on sale for $1,499.99 at Best Buy — a full 50% drop from its usual $2,999.99. All other sizes have significant discounts as well.

Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 65-inch QM9K Mini LED QLED 4K TV $1,499.99 at Best Buy
$2,999.99 Save $1,500.00   Get Deal

TCL has already generated some serious buzz in 2026. The TCL X11L was one of the most talked about CES 2026 TVs, and as of Jan. 20, Sony has handed its TV business to TCL. But there was one big TCL announcement from the fall that may have slipped under your radar: TCL quietly released a new mini LED flagship TV, the QM9K, in Sept. 2025. Every single size is at least 40% off at Best Buy now, including a full 50% discount on the 65-inch TCL QM9K. That $1,499.99 price tag looks so much better than the original $2,999.99.

SEE ALSO: What's new to streaming this week? (Jan. 23, 2026)

The QM9K is a slight step up from the TCL QM8K, which is also seeing a jaw-dropping discount (60% off) at Best Buy. As our current pick for the best QLED TV for most people, the QM8K clearly gets plenty bright enough for most situations. Yet the QM9K manages to outshine even that, with peak brightness beaming up to 6,500 nits compared to the QM8K's 5,000.

The other big jump happens between the number of dimming zones: The QM9K packs up to 6,000 dimming zones (depending on how big the screen is), while even the largest QM8K maxes out at 3,800 dimming zones. The QM9K also features Bang & Olufsen audio. All of these tweaks add up to quite the immersive HDR and graphically-demanding gaming experience.

The other QM9K sizes on sale include 75, 85, and 98 inches.

SAVE $723: As of Jan. 23, get the LG 39GX90SA-W 39-inch Ultragear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor for $876.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,599.99. That's a discount of 45%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon LG 39GX90SA-W 39-inch Ultragear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor $876.99 at Amazon
$1,599.99 Save $723   Get Deal

The right gaming monitor can completely change the way you experience your favorite games. So if you can splurge on one that rocks your world, you very well should. Thanks to this deal from Amazon, it's the perfect time to treat yourself and save some money while you're at it.

As of Jan. 23, get the LG 39GX90SA-W 39-inch Ultragear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor for $876.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,599.99. That's $723 off and a discount of 45%.

SEE ALSO: Shop the best Samsung deals this week: monitors, smartphones, and more

This immersive 39-inch curved OLED panel is all about keeping you in the middle of the action. It boasts a 3440 x 1440 resolution with deep, satisfying darker hues and eye-popping colors. It has a 240Hz refresh rate that promises smooth motion as well as a 0.02ms response time. Plus, it's compatible with NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, both of which combat screen tearing.

Additionally, the monitor has a built-in WebOS platform that lets you skip the additional streaming device. You can use apps like Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, and more straight from the screen, so if you prefer simply to watch content on this big boss of a monitor, you can do that with no strings attached.

Whatever you use it for, this is an excellent price for the monitor and you should lock yours in now if you're ready to spend on a gaming monitor that delivers.

Google is making a significant change to how you manage your email accounts. The company announced it will be ending support for two long-standing features, Gmailify and the traditional POP fetching method, starting this month.

SAVE 17%: As of Jan. 23, the Apple Mac mini (M4) is on sale for $499, down from $599, at Amazon. That’s a 17% discount or $100 in savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Mac mini (M4) $499 at Amazon
$599 Save $100   Get Deal

If you want the power of Apple’s latest silicon without the MacBook Pro price tag, the redesigned Mac mini is arguably the best bang for your buck right now. It’s super tiny, surprisingly powerful, and currently on sale. (What more could you want?)

As of Jan. 23, the Apple Mac mini (M4) is on sale for $499 at Amazon, down from $599. That’s a 17% discount or $100 in savings.

SEE ALSO: Apple's new, super powerful MacBook Pro might arrive soon

The new chassis is incredibly small. At just 5x5 inches, it’s roughly the size of an Apple TV box, making it easy to hide on any desk. Inside, it runs on the M4 chip with a 10-core CPU and GPU. Bonus: It now starts with 16GB of unified memory (double the previous generation's 8GB base), so it's fully capable of handling Apple Intelligence features and heavier multitasking.

Apple also finally added ports to the front for convenience. Just remember that this is a BYOD (Bring Your Own Display) situation — you get the computer, but you'll need to supply the monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

SAVE $29: As Jan. 23, get a like-new Kindle Paperwhite at a major discount. Shop a like-new Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon for just $114.99. That saves you $29 off its $143.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle Paperwhite $114.99 at Amazon
$143.99 Save $29.00   Get Deal

How are your reading goals going this year? We're just a few weeks into 2026 and if you're finding it hard to fit in reading time, maybe you need a little extra help. A Kindle Paperwhite is an extraordinary device as it basically puts an entire library in your pocket. We love Kindles for their small lightweight design, always easy to carry on the go. And right now, you can get a like-new Kindle Paperwhite at a discount.

As of Jan. 23, like-new Kindle Paperwhites are down to $114.99. That saves you $29 off the usual price of $143.99. A brand new Kindle Paperwhite costs $159.99 so this refurbished model is nearly $50 cheaper. While this isn't the lowest price we've ever spotted, it's still a decent savings of 20% off.

But why go for a refurbished model? These models are basically brand new. They're the latest generation of Kindle Paperwhite, but they that may have previously been returned. However, Amazon's verified their efficacy. Each device has been tested for functionality, battery tested, charged, and software updated.

The Kindle Paperwhite is not only our favorite Kindle, but our favorite e-reader. It's quick, user-friendly. With 16GB of storage, that's enough space to store not just hundreds of books but thousands of them

Shop the like-new Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon for $114.99 and save $29.

The Moon is getting brighter each night as it works its way through the lunar cycle. It'll keep getting brighter and bigger until the Full Moon, on Feb. 1.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, Jan. 23, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 22% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

You don't need any visual aids tonight, without you'll be able to see the Crisum and Fecunditatis mares. If you have binoculars you'll also be able to catch a glimpse of the Endymion Crater, and with a telescope you can also see the Apollo 17 landing spot.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon’s phases are part of a repeating lunar cycle that lasts roughly 29 and a half days, according to NASA. This is the length of time it takes the Moon to orbit Earth once. During this time, the Moon moves through eight separate stages. Although the same face of the Moon is always turned toward Earth, how much of it we see lit up changes as its position shifts around the planet. This changing angle of sunlight is what causes the Moon to look fully illuminated, partly lit, or nearly invisible at different times. The eight phases in the lunar cycle are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

A talent.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

KNACK

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A book.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 23, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

NOVEL

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A small brass instrument.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 23 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 23, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

BUGLE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Typically found atop a church tower.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

SPIRE

Final Hurdle hint

To be inundated.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

DROWN

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

Verizon recently suffered a significant outage that left millions across the US without calls, texts, or internet for an entire day. This was a huge hit, restricting friends’ and families’ ability to communicate and forcing some businesses to shut down for the day. What can you do to protect yourself from the next time a mobile network goes down?

I've been using computers since before they had hard drives, and over the last thirty-odd years things have advanced at a breakneck speed. These days almost everything works as intended, but that has been very far from the reality for most of my personal computing history. Here's some of the weird stuff I used to do with my computers.