IT General

Paul Thomas Anderson's new film One Battle After Another is gearing up to be one of the most talked-about movies of the year. Inspired by Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland, it is already garnering much excitement leading up to its theatrical release on Sept. 26. Part of the excitement is that it marks Anderson's first time working with both Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio del Toro; most of the stellar cast are also working with Anderson for the first time. In fact, One Battle marks Chase Infiniti's feature film debut.

Mashable reporter Ty Cole had the opportunity to sit down with most of the cast — DiCaprio and del Toro, as well as Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and the scene-stealing Infiniti — to discuss the making of One Battle After Another.

DiCaprio took Ty through the premise of the film: "Just the sheer premise of an unexpected, flawed protagonist, that his past comes back to haunt him as he's trying to raise a daughter. He's trying to connect with her... You come into this slice of life of him getting stoned, watching TV, getting into an argument with his daughter, and then his sort of political ideology and his past comes back to haunt him, but he can't remember the password to save his only child."

When asked what it was like firing a huge machine gun while wearing a massive pregnant belly, Taylor exclaimed, "I was able to rest my gun up on the belly and feel like Tony Montana!" She also went on to describe how the belly itself was actually quite high-tech. "[Paul] wanted me to really feel like I was pregnant, so the belly was heavy... We had to scan my whole body to get that belly. The stomach was high-tech, for sure."

Infiniti shared the biggest lesson she has learned from working with such an experienced cast: "More than anything, the film taught me how to trust myself more. As an actor, you have to trust yourself and trust that the people around you who are leading you and supporting you throughout everything, they've got you. Throughout filming, I learned that I could trust myself more and I could push myself in ways that I never even imagined."

When asked what is the one battle he is tired of fighting, DiCaprio responded, "Our inability to communicate with one another."

One Battle After Another will be in theaters on VistaVision, 70mm film and IMAX nationwide on Sept. 26, 2025.

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No, your friends have not joined the Marvel superhero squad, nor have they become professional footballers. The images they are uploading on their social media handles are all AI-generated.

SAVE $700: As of Sept. 26, the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus portable power station is on sale for $1,499 at Amazon. This is $700 off its list price of $2,199.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus $1,499 at Amazon
$2,199 Save $700 Get Deal

Whether you want it for your next camping trip or as backup power around the house, a portable power station is worth picking up. Ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon is offering some excellent discounts on quite a few models. The Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus has even dropped by $700.

This discount has dropped the price of the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus to $1,499. If this offer has caught your eye, you'll want to be quick to jump on it as Amazon currently has it marked as a limited-time deal. It may not stick around at this price for long.

SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime ahead of Prime Big Deal Days

The Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus features up to 3,000W capacity that can power a wide variety of devices. 10, in fact. It comes with five AC outlets, one car port, two 100W PD USB-C ports, and two QC3.0 USB-A ports. On top of that, it has a perfectly portable design with a little handle and wheels to help you move it around.

Act fast to score $700 off the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus at Amazon. And as mentioned before, there are plenty of other portable power station deals to explore right now at the retailer. This offer on the Jackery HomePower 3000 portable power station is another that's definitely worth a look.

While the move to flat-panel TVs has mostly been great (though tube TVs still have some advantages), one area where things have taken a nosedive is in sound quality. Most flatscreen TVs today have tinny, weak sound that's frankly unusable.

TL;DR: India vs. Sri Lanka in the 2025 Asia Cup is available to live stream for free on Tamasha. Access this free streaming service from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2025 Asia Cup final is looming large on the horizon, but first we've got the final Super Four fixture between India and Sri lanka. India are looking in fine form as they aim to defend their title — can Sri Lanka produce a big performance and topple the champions before the main event?

If you want to watch India vs. Sri Lanka in the 2025 Asia Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is India vs. Sri Lanka?

India vs. Sri Lanka in the 2025 Asia Cup starts at 10:30 a.m. ET on Sept. 26. This game takes place at the Dubai International Stadium.

How to watch India vs. Sri Lanka for free

India vs. Sri Lanka in the 2025 Asia Cup is available to live stream for free on Tamasha.

Tamasha is geo-restricted to Pakistan, 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 Pakistan, meaning you can unblock Tamasha from anywhere in the world.

Live stream India vs. Sri Lanka in the 2025 Asia Cup for free 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 Pakistan

4. Visit Tamasha

5. Live stream India vs. Sri Lanka 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 most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these offers, you can watch the 2025 Asia Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you plenty of time to watch the tournament for free.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for live streaming is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Tamasha?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for live streaming on free sites like Tamasha, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Pakistan

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also 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 $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the 2025 Asia Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

SAVE $1,070: The Segway Cube 2000 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for $629.99, down from the list price of $1,699.99. That's a 63% discount and a record-low price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Segway Segway Cube 2000 portable power station $629.99 at Amazon
$1,699.99 Save $1,070 Get Deal

In case you haven't kept up on consumer trends, a portable power station is the "must-have" item for fall. They're incredibly useful during a power outage to keep your phone charged, refrigerator cooling, and the WiFi router operational. The market is becoming pretty crowded with brands offering portable power stations but there's a unique offering today that's a ridiculously good deal.

As of Sept. 25, the Segway Cube 2000 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for $629.99, down from the list price of $1,699.99. That's a major 63% discount that takes $1,070 off the list price. As you might imagine, that's a record-low price.

Like the name suggests, the Segway Cube 2000 offers 2,048Wh of power with plenty of charging port options. It packs in three AC ports, two 100W USB-C, and four USB-A ports. It might seem odd move for a scooter company to make a portable power station, but it makes a lot of sense. Scooters require solid batteries, and at the core, that's exactly what a portable power station is.

SEE ALSO: The Jackery HomePower 3000 portable power station with two 200W solar panels is $1,400 off at Amazon and it comes with a free Jackery Explorer 550

Segway is using a modern FLP battery which should last for at least 4,000 cycles. That's over 10 years of draining the battery every single day. In real life terms, 2,000Wh can recharge a phone about 175 times, keep a coffee maker on for almost two hours, or a hair dryer running for about 3.6 hours.

Those stats mean the Segway Cube 2000 is great to use during power outages or packing along on camping adventures. It also come with a IP56 rating and it's made with a multi-layered waterproof design. It's worth noting a 2,000Wh portable power station is not exactly lightweight, and the Segway Cube 2000 weighs about 60 pounds. The built-in handles will make it easier to carry around.

For a price comparison, the DJI Power 2000 comes with fairly similar specs and it's currently on sale for $969 at Amazon.

If you've been considering a portable power station but have been waiting for a great deal, it might not get any better than this. The price to power ratio of today's sale price on the Segway Cube 2000 is damn impressive. Snag it before this limited-time deal ends.

While modern SUVs often prioritize tech and comfort, one classic off-roader proves timeless engineering still matters. This 2020 model delivers rugged durability and a proven platform, making it a standout for drivers who value capability over the latest gadgets. Its reputation for reliability ensures it remains a smart buy even years after leaving the showroom.

Stephen Colbert unpacked President Donald Trump's "campaign of vengeance against his enemies" on Thursday night's Late Show, including "the one foe who refuses to take him up," the United Nations escalator.

On Tuesday, ahead of his speech at the U.N. General Assembly, the president found his ascent literally foiled by a stopped escalator, then by technical issues including a failed teleprompter. Days later, Trump accused the U.N. of "triple sabotage," hitting his social media platform Truth Social with a lengthy post claiming "three very sinister events! This wasn't a coincidence..."

The White House opened an investigation with the Secret Service and demanded the U.N. do the same, with U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric reporting that the escalator "had stopped after a built-in safety mechanism on the comb step was triggered at the top of the escalator," likely caused by Trump's own videographer. And the teleprompter? Dujarric said in a statement for the U.N., "We have no comment since the teleprompter for the U.S. president is operated by the White House."

As for the alleged "third sabotage," Trump claimed attendees "couldn't hear a thing" if using the U.N. Interpretation System. A U.N. official responded in a statement: "The sound system was designed to allow people at their seats to hear speeches being translated into six different languages through earpieces."

It's a lot to unpack, dissect, and examine. It would require a person wearing many hats to investigate. At least three hats.

So, on The Late Show, Colbert donned three Sherlock Holmes hats and three Sherlock Holmes pipes as the characters of "Escalator Investigator," "Teleprompter Investigompter," and "Ineffective Acoustics Detective Sleuth-Fix" to get to the truth of the matter.

SAVE OVER $100: As of Sept. 26, the Holy Stone HS600D drone is on sale for $399.98 at Amazon. That's 20% off its list price of $499.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Holy Stone Holy Stone HS600D Drone $399.98 at Amazon
$499.99 Save $100.01 Get Deal

There are already some great deals to shop on Amazon, even a couple of weeks ahead of the Prime Big Deal Days event. If you've been looking to jump on the drone bandwagon, the retailer has a few standout options on sale at the moment, including a great discount on the Holy Stone HS600D drone.

The Holy Stone HS600D drone normally retails for $499.99, but for a limited time shoppers can scoop it up for $399.98. This makes for $100.01 in savings, which is a very nice offer to take advantage of ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. Limited-time deals don't usually last for long, so you'll want to act fast to grab it at this low price.

SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime ahead of Prime Big Deal Days

If you're looking to capture high-quality images from high up in the sky, the Holy Stone HS600D drone features a three-axis brushless 4k EIS camera that can help get the job done. Its powered by two batteries that can provide a total flight time of up to 80 minutes, so you can spend plenty of time roaming around capturing 8K images, 48MP photos, or 4K/30FPS videos.

The HS600D comes as part of a nice bundle that sets you up with everything you need to start flying right away. It comes with the drone, a controller, two batteries, a type-C charging cable, spare propellers, a gimbal protector, a propeller holder, and three more connection cables: Lightning, Micro-USB, and Type-C.

Grab the Holy Stone HS600D drone for $399.98 while the offer is still available at Amazon. If you're curious what other drones are on sale at Amazon, you can also save on the DJI Mini 4K drone there right now.

Comedian, actor, and author Kate McKinnon hit the seitan wings on Hot Ones this week, and reader, "The wings, they are hot."

Running through hot vegan wings of steadily increasing spice level, The Roses star unpacked host Sean Evans' staggeringly well-researched questions about her career on Saturday Night Live, playing screwball protagonists, finding the essence of comedic characters through juxtaposition, doing impressions as a kid, and her book series The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science.

"I can feel it on my tongue, mentally," McKinnon says. "You're ruining my mind through pepper and it's working."

The highlight? McKinnon explaining angler fish mating rituals and their "dangling sacks of gonads" in detail holding a toothpick like a cigarette. It's frankly superb.

Vacuuming and mopping are household chores that few people enjoy, especially since they need to be done on a regular basis. Luckily for all of us, robot vacuums are here to save us from the job, and few do it better than the Narwal Flow.

SAVE $550: As of Sept. 26, the Roborock S8 Max Ultra is on sale for $749.99 at Amazon. That's a 42% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: roborock Roborock S8 Max Ultra $749.99 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $550 Get Deal

October's Prime Day is just around the corner, but thanks to Amazon's Daily Deals, you don't need to wait to score a great deal on a robot vacuum. As of Sept. 26, the Roborock S8 Max Ultra is on sale for $749.99, a $550 discount and its lowest-ever price. Who can argue with that?

This is a perfect robot vacuum for deep cleaning, thanks to its 8000Pa suction and dual vibration mop modules that scrub up to 4,000 times per minute. It even has fancy cleaning features like the Advanced FlexiArm side brush that reaches into awkward corners and hard-to-reach spaces under furniture, as well as the Extra Edge Mopping System that delivers impressive edge cleaning.

SEE ALSO: iRobot is early to the party — shop October Prime Day Roomba deals now

The dock for this model is fantastic and reduces your chores even more. From automatic hot water mop washing (up to 140°F) and hot air drying to detergent dispensing, dust collection, and water replenishment, it makes maintenance almost effortless.

The vacuum also benefits from smart navigation, using 3D obstacle avoidance and PreciSense LiDAR mapping to create detailed maps of your home. Carpets stay protected thanks to the automatic mop lifting. And it couldn't be easier to use, the Roborock app gives you full control, letting you adjust cleaning intensity, set temporary cleaning zones, or focus on certain areas.

Get this robot vacuum deal from Amazon while it's at its best-ever price.

Last month, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was accused of creating a live cloud copy of every U.S. citizens' Social Security information, one without appropriate security oversight or tracking to determine who accessed the data. A concerning new report from the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) has now echoed these allegations, finding that DOGE created an environment of "serious cybersecurity vulnerabilities, privacy violations, and risk of corruption." 

Led by ranking member Sen. Gary Peters, HSGAC's six-month investigation concluded that DOGE's mishandling of data has put U.S. citizens at high risk from malicious actors, including but not limited to "foreign adversaries" such as China, Russia, and Iran. An internal risk assessment by the Social Security Administration (SSA) reportedly found a 35 to 65 percent chance of a "catastrophic adverse effect" due to a data breach. In a worst case scenario, this could potentially require every single U.S. Social Security number to be reissued. 

SEE ALSO: Did Elon Musk's DOGE copy the entire Social Security database to an insecure cloud system? A whistleblower says it did.

"The potential breach of this sensitive data, and its potential misuse, significantly increase the urgency for DOGE to stop any high-risk projects and disclose its work to Congress and the public," read the report.

DOGE's inadequately secured cloud database of U.S. citizen's data would be alarming enough. However, HSGAC also raised serious concerns about the "layer of secrecy" surrounding the organisation's operations. Such secrecy, the report says, "shields [DOGE] from meaningful oversight and accountability," with SSA officials "unable to provide specific details on what their DOGE team was working on, and to whom they were accountable at the agency beyond other DOGE-affiliated officials."

In fact, HSGAC staff reported seeing DOGE workspaces cordoned off within agencies by armed guards. Employees of these other agencies were not provided clear, specific reasons why such excessive and unusual methods were warranted, according to the report.

"[DOGE] operates outside of, and even counter to, federal law and their purported efficiency and transparency goals," read the report. "DOGE, initially led by billionaire Elon Musk, consists primarily of workers with no policy or government experience and significant conflicts of interest, raising questions about both the effectiveness of and the motivations behind their work."

Other agencies were also unable to identify who was actually in charge at DOGE or provide "a clear chain of command," revealing an unclear leadership structure, the report says. While White House official Amy Gleason is officially DOGE's administrator, whistleblowers described her to HSGAC as "a figurehead with no real power over DOGE staff at agencies." This allegation seems supported by the fact that Gleason was technically in the role even while Musk was still acting as DOGE's de facto head.

Featured Video For You Humans could soon live underwater, in these deep sea habitats

The HSGAC report further alleged that U.S. citizens' data could potentially be misused to "benefit DOGE employees and the private companies with which many maintain strong ties." This appears to be a clear allusion to Musk's companies such as Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI. Musk announced his departure from DOGE in May, though the organisation still remained staffed by the billionaire's loyalists. 

DOGE was staffed by recent college graduates, many of whom had no prior government experience. These included Edward "Big Balls" Coristine, a 19-year-old who had allegedly provided support for a cybercrime group known for stealing cryptocurrency and hacking into law enforcement's email accounts.

"Even as DOGE personnel begin to leave government, it remains unclear what these individuals have done with the sensitive data they have had access to, including whether they have copied it to non-government devices for personal use or whether they have inappropriately manipulated or erroneously removed data," read the report. 

"The data these individuals have accessed would be valuable not only to foreign adversaries and bad actors, but also to private companies looking to gain an edge on competitors. DOGE’s actions not only put every American’s most sensitive information at risk, they also make our government and financial institutions vulnerable to large-scale disruption."

Established by President Donald Trump at the beginning of 2025, DOGE was ostensibly tasked with improving government efficiency by cutting costs. However, while Musk initially claimed DOGE would reduce government spending by a minimum of $2 trillion, he'd significantly revised this goal down to $150 billion by April. In the meantime, DOGE threw multiple government agencies into turmoil, laying off over 280,000 workers and dismantling several agencies entirely. Hundreds of these fired employees were asked to return to their previous jobs this week.

30% OFF: As of Sept. 26, Nomad eSIM plans (not counting those already on sale) are 30% off with the discount code MASH30. This discount code is valid until the end of 2025.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nomad 30% Off Nomad eSIM Plans With Code MASH30 Shop Now

Are you a frequent traveler who's tired of picking up pay-as-you-go SIM cards? An eSIM is a digital alternative that can set you up with data without any hassle. Nomad offers a range of eSIM plans for travelers, and Mashable readers can get 30% off Nomad plans right now with the code MASH30.

This offer is valid until the last day of 2025, so you have plenty of time to take advantage of this exclusive deal. It's worth noting that this offer does not apply to plans that are already on sale.

SEE ALSO: The fastest mobile services have been ranked, and there’s a clear winner

With Nomad's eSIM plans, you can stay connected in over 200 locations around the world. You can choose to shop between Local eSIMs, Regional eSIMS, or Global eSIMs, depending on which plan you think best fits your travel plans. They also list eSIM-compatible devices, so you can double-check if your phone is good-to-go before getting started.

What is an eSIM?

An eSIM is a digital version of the traditional SIM card that can be slotted into your phone — an eSIM is applied through digital activation. An eSIM allows you to swap between carriers without having to physically switch out the card, providing a much smoother and more flexible cellular experience when traveling. That way, you can focus on your adventures and not your data.

eSIMs support multiple phone numbers, whereas physical SIMs typically only support one. eSIMs can also store multiple carrier profiles on a single device, unlike physical SIMs that can only support one profile per card. Nomad offers a more detailed breakdown of the difference between a physical SIM card and an eSIM, which you can check out here.

Make travel a breeze with the help of an eSIM from Nomad. And don't miss out on your chance to get 30% off with code MASH30.

SAVE $1,100: As of Sept. 26, the EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 is on sale for $2,599 at Amazon. That's a 30% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: ECOFLOWECOFLOW DELTA Pro 3 EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 $2,599 at Amazon
$3,699 Save $1,100 Get Deal

If you live in a storm-prone area, a portable power station isn't just a "nice to have"; it can be an essential. In the case of a blackout, they can do anything from keeping your phone and devices charged to powering your refrigerator. Of course, prices range widely depending on what your needs are, but thankfully, more often than not, you can find a great deal on a top model.

And as of Sept. 26, EcoFlow Delta Pro 3 is on sale for $2,599 at Amazon, saving you $1,100 on list price. If you're looking for a power station that can give you reliable home backup, this is a great choice. With a 4,000W output (scalable up to 12,000W) and 120V/240V support, it can handle nearly everything, from major appliances like central AC units to water pumps. Its 4,096Wh battery capacity can even be expanded to a massive 48kWh with extra batteries or smart generators, giving you as much as 2–4 days of whole-home backup power.

SEE ALSO: The Segway Cube 2000 portable power station is over $1,000 off at Amazon — a new record-low price

And it's not overly complicated, either. In fact, EcoFlow states it's so easy to use, "a kid can manage it." There's no installation or over-the-top maintenance required, just plug your devices in and you're good to go. And its portable handle design makes it easy for this generator to go anywhere with you.

And even better yet, it doesn't make excessive noise while running. EcoFlow states it runs with hums as low as 30 dB, so it really is whisper-quiet.

Pick up this great power station deal from Amazon now.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, Sept. 26, 2025:

AcrossWhat this clue is in

• The answer is Bold.

Rowing sport

• The answer is Crew.

Businesses where the tongue-twisted might order a 1-Across/5-Across?

• The answer is Cafes.

___ Bunny, "Space Jam" character

• The answer is Lola.

End of a cigarette

• The answer is Butt.

DownInclude secretly, as on an email

• The answer is Bcc.

Toothbrush brand

• The answer is Oral B.

Gaston's sidekick in "Beauty and the Beast" (French for "the fool")

• The answer is Lefou.

Resided (in)

• The answer is Dwelt.

Took a chair

• The answer is Sat.

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

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Mini Crossword.

Instagram has always been pretty precocious. Now, just ahead of its 15th birthday, we have a new measure of its global fame — and it is on a level far beyond the dreams of regular teenagers.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Wednesday that the once-humble photo-sharing app, which he had the foresight to buy for a mere $1 billion in 2012, now has more than 3 billion active users. That's an extraordinary achievement, and not just because Instagram had barely cracked 30 million monthly active users at sale time.

Three billion is nearly 37 percent of the population of Earth. If it were a country, Instagram would be larger than India (which has the largest Insta audience), China, the U.S. and the E.U. combined. The Roman Empire, the British Empire, the American whatever-this-is — they can only dream of this level of conquest.

No empire, real or virtual (and these days who can tell the difference), has ever been forged this quickly. Even Instagram's older sibling, Facebook, only just hit 3 billion users in January, at the ripe age of 21. Instagram, launched on Oct. 6, 2010, is the true prodigy of the social media family. (WhatsApp is Meta's middle child; the company says it has 3 billion users too, but your mileage may vary on whether it counts as social media.)

Based on these growth numbers, there's every reason to believe Instagram will soon overtake big brother, and become synonymous with social media in the 2020s (and maybe even 2030s) the way Facebook was in the 2010s. (TikTok is on Insta's tail, but currently eating its dust with an estimated 1.6 billion active users.)

SEE ALSO: What to expect when you're expecting 8 billion internet users

Just as Alexander the Great was said to have wept when there was no more of the then-known world to be conquered, Zuckerberg may well lament that there are less than 5 billion smartphone users who could possibly download his app. (It's still banned in China, which Alexander couldn't reach either.)

Who counts as an Instagram 'user'?

But how does Zuckerberg's Meta count Instagram's "active users," anyway? And does it matter as much as the hype suggests?

It's an important question because Zuckerberg has been zigging and zagging on his metrics of late. In July, the company simply said that 3.48 billion people used the Meta "family of apps" — and that they did so every day. The last time Zuckerberg broke out Instagram's user number, on a quarterly call for investors and analysts in 2022, he pinned it at 2 billion monthly active users, which is the more frequently-used number. (MAUs are what we've used for TikTok and WhatsApp above.)

And Monthly Active Users (MAUs) is what Zuck meant this week, according to his Threads post. One that threw in a Breaking Bad GIF — "billions, with a b" — for extra swagger.

SEE ALSO: Who is actually using Threads?

So why switch from monthly to daily and back again? Is counting users as simple as receiving pings from servers when they log in, or is fuzzy math involved? Are we talking across all devices and web browsers, or smartphones only? Mashable reached out to Meta and asked them to walk us through the MAU-counting process, but the company is staying tight-lipped for now.

Still, there is some evidence to suggest that a Monthly Active User ain't what they used to be — and that counting the amount of time spent on the app may be a more relevant metric.

Take me, for an extreme example. Technically, I'm a Monthly Active User of Instagram. I'm part of the three billion-strong empire! But what that means is practice is that once or twice a month, I'll look someone up via their handle. I posted a grand total of two photos in 2024, and 15 in 2023, continuing a decline since 2020. According to Screen Time on my iPhone, my Instagram usage has dropped to an average 18 seconds a day.

Why? My feed has long felt too clogged with ads and algorithmic recommendations for me to truly enjoy it (and I'm far from alone on that front, especially given the controversial feed changes of 2024). The brand new redesign, which hides the post button and prioritizes DMs and Reels, makes Insta feel less friendly (at least to this user) than ever. It's a far cry from the app I loved in the 2010s (when at least one Mashable staffer declared an Instagram addiction, and I wasn't far off myself).

Why time on Instagram may be a better metric

Meta doesn't provide any kind of time-spent-on-app data for Instagram. Estimates from multiple online data services suggest it's around 32 minutes daily per Insta user, worldwide.

That might sound like a lot, but the number hasn't shifted since 2022. Previous to that, time on Instagram was increasing year on year. Now it may have flatlined.

SEE ALSO: President Trump finally inked a $14 billion TikTok deal to keep the app alive

TikTok is ahead of Insta here. The ByteDance app may have a billion-with-a-b fewer users overall, but those users spend an estimated average of 56 minutes every day on the app.

And that particular engagement figure is only going to become more relevant as the smartphone app market becomes saturated — as every single one of us downloads both apps on our phones, basically. The MAUs will encompass more and more of us, because who doesn't look at the occasional Reel or TikTok when their friends send one?

Minutes of usage per day may not be the only metric that matters, but it is a growing part of a complicated social media picture.

For now, perhaps the clearest snapshot of the social media landscape emerges if you multiply number of billion MAUs by daily average usage minutes. Do that math for TikTok, and you get 89. Do it for Instagram, you get 96.

The 'gram still wins, but TikTok is too close for comfort — close enough to take the swag out of Zuckerberg's boast.

This column reflects the opinions of the writer.

Only a few hundred light-years from the center of the Milky Way lies an enormous cloud of gas and cosmic dust coalescing to form new baby stars. 

Astronomers want to know why it's so fertile, especially when compared to the neighborhood. Despite having just 10 percent of the central region's star-making gas, the cloud, known as Sagittarius B2, accounts for half of all the area's stellar births, according to NASA. 

Getting to the bottom of that mystery may also give scientists new insights into the star-forming process as a whole. Stars create most of the chemical elements on Earth, including carbon and oxygen, which are essential for life. But even experts admit they have much to learn about the conditions necessary in space to create new stars. 

To study this mysterious nursery, scientists pointed the James Webb Space Telescope at it. The observations resulted in stunning new images of the galaxy's most massive star-forming cloud, just a short distance from Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole that defines the center. 

"Webb’s powerful infrared instruments provide detail we’ve never been able to see before, which will help us to understand some of the still-elusive mysteries of massive star formation and why Sagittarius B2 is so much more active than the rest of the galactic center," said Adam Ginsburg, one of the principal investigators, in a statement.

SEE ALSO: In another star system, a Pluto-like world survived until the bitter end

In April, a team of astronomers used Webb to look closer at Sagittarius C, another nearby cloud, but one with relatively few babies, to chisel away at the same question: If there's a lot of available star-forming ingredients in this region, why aren't there more newborn stars? Researchers now believe powerful magnetic fields may have something to do with it — perhaps countering star formation.

Webb was specifically designed to sense invisible light at stretched-out infrared wavelengths. In short, light stretches — or "redshifts" — over time and distance by the expansion of the universe. Those infrared waves can also pierce through the prevalent gas and dust in space that obscure the view of far and naturally dim light sources. 

Left: MID-INFRARED In mid-infrared light, Sagittarius B2 only reveals its brightest stars. The dark areas are not empty space but filled with such dense gas and dust that light is blocked from reaching the telescope. Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / Adam Ginsburg / Nazar Budaiev / Taehwa Yoo / Alyssa Pagan Right: NEAR-INFRARED In near-infrared light, the diverse colors of stars in Sagittarius B2 are on full display, but less of its gas and dust shine through than can be seen in mid-infrared light. Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / Adam Ginsburg / Nazar Budaiev / Taehwa Yoo / Alyssa Pagan

Infrared light passes through some of the region's thick clouds, allowing Webb to detect young stars and the warm dust around them. But one of the most intriguing aspects of the new study is what Webb still couldn't see. There are areas in the new images that appear dark. Scientists say they're not what they seem.

"These ironically empty-looking areas of space are actually so dense with gas and dust that even Webb cannot see through them," according to NASA. "These thick clouds are the raw material of future stars and a cocoon for those still too young to shine."

Researchers plan to do follow-up studies on the stars in Sagittarius B2 to learn more about their masses and ages. That information could help them understand how long the star-forming cloud has existed. Right now they can't say whether it's been going on for millions of years or an unknown process initiated it more recently. 

"Humans have been studying the stars for thousands of years, and there is still a lot to understand," said Nazar Budaiev, the other principal investigator, in a statement. "For everything new Webb is showing us, there are also new mysteries to explore, and it’s exciting to be a part of that ongoing discovery."

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Microsoft has always made wonderful hardware, and I've been a fan of the Surface line of devices for a long time now. Through the years, the design hasn't evolved very much. Surface introduced new form factors, such as the Surface Laptop and the (now-defunct) Surface Duo phone, but the garden-variety Surface Pro has been pretty consistent.

That's both a good thing and a bad thing. The good part is, the design is pretty great. It's a tablet with a detachable keyboard and a built-in kickstand that can position the device at basically any angle, which makes it versatile for drawing or just working like a normal Windows laptop.

SEE ALSO: The 7 best Windows laptops of 2025 will make Apple fans jealous

It's a bad thing because in all the time the Surface Pro has existed, Microsoft has never sold it with the keyboard cover. It's always a separate purchase, and it is here, too. (Mashable has complained about this before.) It absolutely boggles my mind that Microsoft can't figure out that a productivity tablet needs to have a keyboard in the box. I know, "Adam is complaining about no keyboard again," is basically an evergreen statement, and that's totally fair, but I will never not complain about this. You need to ship a keyboard in the box.

There's one other issue I have with the design that I will get into in a bit. For now, there's a lot to love here. I've been using the 13-inch Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition from mid-2024 as my main laptop for about two weeks, and here are my thoughts.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Surface Pro 11, 13-inch (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,199.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $300 Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Surface Pro 11, 13-inch Keyboard $129.99 at Best Buy
$169.99 Save $40 Shop Now The Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition: Just the basics

The 13-inch Microsoft Surface Pro 11 starts at $1,199.99, but if you want to upgrade from a base Snapdragon X Plus processor to a zippy Snapdragon X Elite chip (and trust me, you do), you’ll need to pony up $1,499.99 — or more. That's expensive, but still a touch less than elite M4 Apple MacBook Pros and other high-end laptops. And unlike the MacBook Pro, the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 can function as a tablet and laptop in one.

The Surface Pro 11 is also a Copilot+ PC, meaning it has built-in AI features powered by Microsoft Copilot, which is itself powered by a custom version of ChatGPT.

Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

• Type: Tablet with kickstand and detachable keyboard (sold separately)

• Processor: Snapdragon X Plus (10-core) or Snapdragon X Elite (12-core)

• Display: 13-inch 2880 x 1920 touchscreen with up to 120Hz refresh rate; LCD on Snapdragon Plus models and OLED on Snapdragon X Elite variants

• Memory: 16GB or 32GB RAM

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSD

• Ports: Two USB-C/USB4 ports, Surface Pro Keyboard port, and Surface Connect port

• Connectivity: WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4; 5G upgrade available

• Colors: Platinum, Sapphire, Dune, and Black

A 12-inch Microsoft Surface Pro 11 with an eight-core Snapdragon X Plus chip and is also available as of mid-2025. It starts at $799.99. (This review only covers the flagship 13-inch model.)

Flippy keyboard Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

The keyboard in particular takes some getting used to, but I really like it. The keyboard attaches to the bottom of the Surface Pro 11 using two little points that slot into the device. Then you flip up a flap that magnetically attaches to the front of the tablet, raising your keyboard to a comfortable typing level.

The keyboard itself is a little floppy, for lack of a better word. It's a little like typing on a raised piece of thin plywood. It's a tad bouncy, but I actually appreciate that kind of feedback. The keys have a great pitch and travel. If you like typing on a chiclet-style keyboard, this is a winner. Plus, it gets even better.

The Surface Pro 11's Bluetooth Flex Keyboard upgrade can switch to Bluetooth connection when it's detached. That's a fun addition to the keyboard that I first saw with a OnePlus tablet last year. Granted, my use cases for the Bluetooth keyboard are limited, but it's a "better to have it and not need it" kind of situation.

Plus, this year, the Flex keyboard has a space in it to store the Surface Pen (also sold separately), which is a great thing to have when you need it, and nice to stow away when you don't. Personally, I don't use the Surface Pen all that often — it's just not a part of my workflow — but I appreciate having it when I want to.

Software is coming along

Fortunately for Microsoft, Windows 11 is getting pretty good at working with unusual form factors, and while that's not as important for a device like the Surface Pro 11, it's still important because of its ability to switch between being a tablet and a "laptop." These days, the most important thing is dealing with the virtual keyboard.

More specifically, when I detach the keyboard, I'll usually want a virtual keyboard to appear. Microsoft muddies those waters when it introduced the Bluetooth-connected Flex Keyboard — you know that feature I was just extolling the virtues of? The problem I ran into was that the virtual keyboard popped up seemingly at random. Open search in the Windows 11 taskbar, and it didn't come up. Open an app like Notepad, and it does. It's a little hard to keep up with, to be perfectly honest.

Fortunately, the rest of the software is pretty solid — and it's standard Windows 11 fare. There's no bloatware or additional games installed, and that's likely because Microsoft runs its own show here. Still, I appreciate that.

I'm a little bit over the form factor Left: Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable Right: Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

The design of the Surface Pro 11 has one flaw that's tricky to overcome — it's top-heavy. Unlike a traditional laptop, where most of the components (and the battery) are in the lower part of the clamshell, the Surface Pro 11 has to fit literally everything into the tablet itself. The "bottom half" of the Surface Pro 11 is just a keyboard cover, and it's fairly light at that. Also, that keyboard doesn't have a hinge, per se. It just flops open and lands on the table you presumably have in front of you. That becomes problematic if you, you know, don't have a table in front of you.

Maybe you're wondering, "Where would someone be working on a laptop without a table or desk? The places I routinely use a laptop without a table or desk include in bed, on the couch, on an airplane, at launch events, and in the car, and that's just in the last four weeks. The Surface Pro 11 struggles in all of those environments — or to be more accurate, I struggle to use the Surface Pro 11 in those environments.

Put simply, I'm a little over the design of the Surface Pro. At first, it seemed novel and fun, but in the years since, it has grown a little stale, at least for my use case.

Once you get past that, there's still a lot to like here. The hinge on the back of the tablet in particular is a lovely innovation. I have laid that tablet down to its lowest setting and drawn/used the Surface Pen on a number of occasions, and every time, I absolutely adore it. So, if you're into it, and you often sit at a desk or table to work, there's nothing to worry about here.

Fast performance Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

The Surface Pro 11 I tested runs on the 12-core Snapdragon X Elite processor that debuted last year and is still super fast. The Snapdragon Elite X is built on ARM cores, and it may be the answer that Windows on ARM fans were waiting for. The fact that Microsoft launched its flagship hardware on the processor alone is enough to be positive about the chip. 

Software is coming along too. One of the last holdouts that I needed for the PC was Google Drive on ARM. Yes, most of Google Drive is done in the cloud, but its ability to sync files locally is massive for my workflow, so I'm thankful that it's here.

Another piece of software, DaVinci Resolve, was an early adopter of the Snapdragon processor. Coming from Adobe Premiere, it's been something of a challenge, but I've gotten used to the app very quickly. Most of the videos I produce are shorter, more geared toward Instagram or TikTok, but this computer is no slouch in that department.

Speaking of power and performance, our Geekbench 6 performance test clocked this Surface Pro 11 at a 13,469 multi-core score, which is fairly high against other laptops Mashable has tested recently, though not the highest. Compared to the 13.8-inch Surface Laptop, 7 with a Snapdragon X Elite chip, which notched a multi-core score of 14,548, it's a hair slower.

But along with that power comes longevity — something the Snapdragon X Elite was designed for. In our battery rundown test, the Surface Pro 11 offered 15 hours and 56 minutes of video playback (off of WiFi and Bluetooth and set to 50 percent brightness). That's worse than the Surface Laptop 7, which lasted almost 23 hours on a charge, but on par with the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro.

Overall, I love what the Snapdragon X Elite brings to the table.

Is the Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition worth it?

Yes. The 13-inch Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition is lightweight, powerful, and has really great battery life. It can handle almost any task you can throw at it. It is also easily upgradable — the SSD is placed under a small door in the back that has toolless removal. That's the kind of user friendliness you don't often see in laptops this thin.

Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

This is a great portable powerhouse, but it comes with a compromise in the design. This is not a traditional "laptop" that you can easily open on your lap. But if that's not your use case and you prefer the versatility of a tablet or 2-in-1, then this hybrid device is a smart pickup.

So, this is a great buy. It's not going to be a beast at gaming, nor will it export hour-long 8K videos easily. But chances are you don't need to do that. For everyone else, this is a versatile 2-in-1 that won't break the bank and provides great value. That's all you can ask for in a great computing machine.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Surface Pro 11, 13-inch (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,199.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $300 Shop Now