IT General

Full-fat Microsoft Excel is still the big kid in the spreadsheet playground, and while the free version of Excel online is good for many use-cases, it has some key limitations compared to its desktop brother.

Keyboard shortcuts can significantly increase your workflow efficiency, though the sheer number of them can make them difficult to prioritize and remember. This is why we've created a cheat sheet of some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts for the new Microsoft Outlook—specifically aimed at the email section of the app on Windows computers—which you can print and have to hand whenever you need it!

Chatbots have gotten better over time at remembering the stuff we tell them. ChatGPT has its own memory feature, and now, Gemini is getting the capability to remember context across different chats.

WhatsApp has introduced a new feature that lets users change how their chats look. It comes with different backgrounds and chat bubble colors to make things feel a lot more personal.

Considering picking up a used electric vehicle to save? Take a look at our top pick for the best two-year-old Tesla to stretch your money all while enjoying a newer and feature-rich ride.

As a Gen Z gamer, I missed the heyday of interactive fiction games. I was always curious about these text-based games but worried they wouldn’t hold up after experiencing modern gaming. After giving them a shot, I think everyone should play an interactive fiction game at least once.

Over a year ago, Apple removed its ads from X after Elon Musk backed a series of antisemitic posts from far-right users on the social media platform. Around the same time, a new report found that ads from companies such as Apple were being served on pro-Nazi content on X.

However, since November 2023, when Apple stopped advertising on Musk's X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, a lot has happened. Namely, Donald Trump was elected president once again, and this time, Musk is essentially operating as his right-hand man.

Now, roughly 15 months after Apple halted its ad spend on X, Apple has returned to advertising on the platform.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk says he'll stop trying to buy OpenAI if it stays a nonprofit

MacRumors first noticed that Apple is currently running at least two different ad campaigns on X. One ad, from the official @Apple X account, promotes the company's Safari web browser. The other ad is being run on Apple's @AppleTV account for the Apple TV series Severance.

The ads currently do not appear on either of the accounts' X profiles. But that's not unusual for Apple. X allows advertisers to promote regular posts as ads, which would show up on their profile page, or run a post specifically as an advertisement, which does not appear on the advertiser's profile page. When running ads on X, Apple has always utilized the latter mechanism. However, for a user to observe these posts, X must serve the ads to them.

As MacRumors points out, although Apple paused its ads campaigns, Apple CEO Tim Cook and other Apple executives continued to maintain a presence on Musk's platform.

While Apple has resumed ads on X, it's unclear how big their current ad campaigns are. The Safari ad, for example, has just over 600,000 impressions as of publishing on Feb. 13. It was originally posted on Feb. 10. Other advertisers who previously left have returned at various points but with a significantly reduced marketing budget for ad spend on X.

Faith in hybrid technology is growing, meaning that more and more automakers are finding ways to include hybrids in their lineups. This is particularly true in the luxury segment, where hybrid technology is offsetting the poor fuel economy the market is traditionally known for without sacrificing power.

In an effort to reduce my screen time, I've stopped using my iPhone for absolutely everything. It's hard, but making the swap can have meaningful benefits. Here are some things I've stopped doing on my iPhone, and why.

Asahi Linux, the project bringing a native Linux desktop to Apple Silicon-based Mac computers, has hit some roadblocks with development and hardware support. The project’s founder is also retiring.

Google Family Link is getting a design upgrade.

The control panel, which is available as an app, offers parents a way to supervise their children's activity on Android devices.

But keeping track of screen time, settings, and permissions could be confusing, especially for parents whose children have multiple devices, like a phone, tablet, and laptop.

SEE ALSO: Google Messages could get upgraded 911 emergency texting soon

Google announced Tuesday in a blog post that Family Link will now provide streamlined access to settings in a single "screen time" tab.

The tab brings together Family Link's screen-time management options and tools, including time limits. Parents can now also use the tab to control the "downtime" and "school time" settings, which curtail usage during certain time periods.

The existing Control tab has been updated so that parents can access, in one place, account data management, approval of app downloads, and blocking of websites.

Google is also launching the "school time" setting on Android phones and tablets next week, after introducing it on the Samsung Galaxy Watch for Kids and Fitbit ACE LTE last year.

This year, according to the blog post, parents will be able to use Family Link to approve contacts for the Galaxy Watch for Kids.

Apple has announced a new product launch for next week, which is expected to be a new iPhone SE model. The current iPhone SE is the last remaining iPhone with Touch ID and a Lightning connector, so an upgrade with a more modern design is exciting.

A damning investigation from nonprofit news organization The Markup and Pulitzer Center's AI Accountability Network reports that Match Group (which owns major dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, and OkCupid) keeps records of users who are reported for sexual assault but doesn't take measures to properly ban them from the app network nor alert law enforcement or the public.

The case of Stephen Matthews is used as an example throughout the report. Matthews, a cardiologist, was reported for rape multiple times on Hinge, according to The Markup. Yet, his account remained up — and he was even made a "Standout" (a profile spotlighted for getting a lot of attention). Last October, Matthews was sentenced to 158 years to life in prison; a jury convicted him on 35 counts related to drugging and/or sexual assaulting 11 women between 2019 and 2023. Additional women accused Matthews of drugging and/or raping them that were not included in the court complaint, according to the report published today.

SEE ALSO: Meta-funded program teaches tweens about online exploitation

Despite women reporting Matthews on the app, his profile remained up. Why?

The Dating Apps Reporting Project, which published the investigation, said, "Match Group has known for years which users have been reported for drugging, assaulting, or raping their dates since at least 2016, according to internal company documents." While Match Group said in 2020 it was "committing to releasing our industry first Transparency Report for the United States for 2022," the company has still not yet published it.

In addition to this lack of transparency, the Project also found that Match Group doesn't have a robust enough system to ban bad actors, nor does it prevent users from re-signing up for the same app if it already banned them or signing up for another Match Group app. The researchers said they used various methods found online to see how easy it is for banned accounts to get back on the platforms.

"During multiple tests, we successfully created new accounts without needing to change the user's name, birthday, or profile photos," statistical journalist Natasha Uzcátegui-Liggett said in the report. "The Markup did not test any methods that required significant technical knowledge and only utilized information that would be easily accessible to someone who did a cursory search of how to get around a ban."

Meanwhile, over the last few years, as Match Group's stock price declined, the conglomerate reportedly faced pressure to cut costs — and the Project said trust-and-safety operations were impacted as a result. The report said that the company resisted efforts to increase investigative measures and safety protocols as this could stall corporate growth, according to internal documents viewed by the researchers. Just one example is Tinder partnering with nonprofit Garbo on background checks in 2022, only for the partnership to end the following year.

"We recognize our role in fostering safer communities and promoting authentic and respectful connections worldwide," a Match Group statement to the Project read. "We will always work to invest in and improve our systems, and search for ways to help our users stay safe, both online and when they connect in real life."

It continued, "We take every report of misconduct seriously, and vigilantly remove and block accounts that have violated our rules regarding this behavior."

A Match Group spokesperson told Mashable:

Any report of sexual assault or violence is deeply concerning and should never happen — on our platform or anywhere. At Match Group, we are committed to continuously strengthening our safety efforts, investing in cutting-edge technology, and working closely with regulators and safety experts to protect our global community. 

The Guardian story [the report was co-published there] relies on outdated information and mischaracterizes the current state of Trust & Safety on our apps, overlooking the significant advancements, industry-leading tools, and the work of hundreds of employees across Match Group who prioritize user safety every day. Our teams across the company are dedicated to making dating safer and ensuring our users feel respected and secure.

Read the rest of the investigation into Match Group.

UPDATE: Feb. 13, 2025, 3:34 p.m. EST This story was updated with a quote from a spokesperson from Match Group.

SAVE $11.60: As of Feb. 13, get the 8BitDo Pro 2 Controller for just $38.39 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $49.99. That's a discount of 23% and its lowest price yet.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon 8BitDo Pro 2 Controller $38.39 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $11.60 Get Deal

If you play a lot of Switch games, using Joy-Con controllers works well, and is even required for some titles. And most agree that the official Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is the Cadillac of peripherals, no matter what you're playing. But if you don't want to part with $70, there are still great options out there that feel just as good in the hands – and you can use them on other platforms.

As of Feb. 13, the 8BitDo Pro 2 Controller for Nintendo Switch is just $38.39 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $49.99. That's $11.60 off and a discount of 23%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

This controller is a versatile alternative to the Pro Controller from Nintendo, and it can be used with your PC, Android, Apple, and portable gaming devices. It has two back buttons, improved joysticks, and features custom profile switching so you can change up the button layout and then swap between users. With an enhanced grip, 4-way mode-swiching buttons, and rumble effects, it's everything you get with Nintendo's own version, but at a great discount.

The controller charges via USB-C and gives you up to 20 hours of playtime, so you don't have to keep swapping it out to charge while you're trying to cue up a game of Smash Bros. And it's appropriate to give your Player 2, because it's actually a good controller and not the one you save for company so you have an advantage. That means if you need a late Valentine's Day gift, this just might do the trick. Plus, having a second controller is always a good idea.

SAVE UP TO $120 ON DYSON HAIR CARE: My Best Buy members (free to join) can save $100 on Dyson hair care tools like the Dyson Supersonic and Dyson Airwrap. My Best Buy Plus and Total members (paid) can save $120 on the Dyson Airwrap.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Airwrap $499.99 at Best Buy
$599.99 Save $100.00 My Best Buy member pricing Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Supersonic $399.99 at Best Buy
$499.99 Save $100.00 My Best Buy member pricing Get Deal

Your hair deserves to be treated with respect, and kept safe from overheating. That's where Dyson hair care tools come into play. They focus on keeping hair healthy without inflicting heat damage. And if you're signed up as a My Best Buy member, you can save big on Dyson hair care tools today.

As of Feb. 13, My Best Buy members can take $100 of the Dyson Supersonic and the Dyson Airwrap. It's free to become a My Best Buy member. That brings the price of the Dyson Supersonic down to $399.99 from the normal price of $499.99, and the Dyson Airwrap down to $499.99 from the standard price of $599.99. My Best Buy Plus and Total members (paid tiers) can save $120 on the Dyson Airwrap. My Best Buy Plus comes in at $49.99 per year, while My Best But Total costs $179.99 per year.

SEE ALSO: Dyson's Valentine's Day gift to you: The Airwrap i.d. multi-styler in a gorgeous, limited-edition red velvet

If you're seeking out top-of-the-line hair care tools, Dyson is an obvious choice. The brand masters the art of airflow manipulation, giving us some of the best fans, vacuums, air purifiers, and hair care tools on the market. Of course, these tend to come with premium pricing, but thanks to these deals at Best Buy, you'll be saving at least $100.

The Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer uses advanced sensors to automatically adjust airflow and temperature, aiming to produce a natural shine while keeping the scalp healthy. Today's model at Best Buy comes with a complimentary storage case, which is super convenient for traveling. The bundle also includes five attachments for getting your desired look.

The Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete Long is designed for both straight and wavy hair, and it uses a powerful V9 digital motor to get styling just right. You'll get six styling attachments with the Dyson Airwrap to use in tandem with the Dyson Coanda styling effect, which uses air to attract and wrap hair onto the barrel or the brush surface.

If you're looking to treat yourself and your locks, snag the Dyson Airwrap or the Dyson Supersonic at Best Buy to save $100. If you happen to be a My Best Buy Plus or Total member, you're in line to take $120 off the Airwrap. All in all, the discounts save your wallet and your hair's health.

Apple CEO Tim Cook just confirmed rumors of an upcoming Apple launch next week.

In a post on X, Cook wrote, "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family. Wednesday, February 19," using a motion graphic of a silver shimmering Apple logo.

Tweet may have been deleted

Cook didn't specify anything beyond the launch happening on Wednesday, but Apple insiders believe it's a new version of the iPhone SE, which hasn't seen an upgrade since 2022, and possibly a MacBook Air with an M4 chip. The rumored iPhone SE 4 could come with Apple Intelligence thanks to an A18 chip, which also powers the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. It will also reportedly have a significantly larger display than the previous iPhone SE 3, going from 4.7 inches to 6.1 inches. Purportedly leaked images also show a matte black colorway and a single rear camera.

The M4 MacBook Air is likely on the way since Apple inadvertently confirmed this in files related to the macOS 15.2 Sequoia release, according to MacRumors. That could be announced next Wednesday or sometime later, but it's basically a matter of when.

Cook also didn't say what time to expect the announcement, which reinforces the prediction that the new devices will likely be in a press released instead of a livestream. Stay tuned for the drop on Feb. 19.

If you're tired of online dating, why not try being stationed alone in a watchtower by a mysterious chasm? The latter method turns out to be surprisingly successful in The Gorge, as director Scott Derrickson's (The Black Phone) new sci-fi thriller doubles as the world's most unlikely meet-cute.

SEE ALSO: What's new to streaming this week? (Feb. 14, 2025)

The film stars Anya Taylor-Joy (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) and Miles Teller (Spiderhead) as two highly skilled operatives who connect across the titular gorge. But their love story isn't the only thing on their minds. Unknown horrors lurk in the depths below them, and it's up to the two of them to guard the gorge's secrets — even if they don't know them themselves.

These sci-fi and mystery elements create a fascinating puzzle for The Gorge to solve. It's a shame, then, that so much of the film's runtime is spent on a romance that ranges from inoffensively cute to horrifyingly cheesy, threatening to undermine The Gorge's intrigue at every turn.

What is The Gorge about? Anya Taylor-Joy in "The Gorge." Credit: Apple TV+

Most of The Gorge's first act focuses on U.S. veteran and elite sniper Levi (Teller), whose lack of meaningful connections to friends or family makes him the perfect candidate for a top-secret mission. For one year, he must man a watchtower on the Western edge of a mist-filled gorge in some undisclosed location. (He's recruited by a very mysterious and very underused Sigourney Weaver.)

As Levi learns from his predecessor, this gorge has been under surveillance since the end of World War II, with Eastern and Western forces collaborating to keep it in check. Given the unlikely allyship, it's clear that the creatures that live within — nicknamed "the Hollow Men" by a 1940s-era watchman — are enough of a threat to the world to warrant collaboration between the U.S. and Russia. Not enough to allow contact between the Eastern and Western watchtowers, though, as Levi is forbidden to communicate with his counterpart across the gorge.

SEE ALSO: 'Captain America: Brave New World' review: Can Harrison Ford and Anthony Mackie save the MCU from itself?

But that's not going to stop his Eastern counterpart! Drasa (Taylor-Joy), a deadly Lithuanian sniper with ties to the Russian government, reaches out to Levi in a moment of loneliness on her birthday. Soon, the two have regular conversations thanks to the power of binoculars and written signs. It's not far from the "To me, you are perfect" scene from Love Actually. Or a good chunk of Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" music video. These communications are bubbly and sweet — but do they work in a movie like The Gorge?

The Gorge's romance feels out of place. Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy in "The Gorge." Credit: Apple TV+

I am not averse to The Gorge having a romantic element, since there is something quite touching about how Drasa and Levi break through their loneliness to find one another. Yet The Gorge doesn't let us sit in that loneliness long enough for their desperation for company to really resonate. This is especially true of Drasa, who gets almost no interiority during her and Levi's first months in their respective towers. The film's first few minutes do give us a sense of her family life and what she risks losing if she goes to the tower for a year, but the payoff there is negligible. Drasa's role, at least for the first half of the movie, is more to coax Levi out of his shell than to stand on her own two feet.

The courtship, too, rings false given Drasa and Levi's backgrounds. You're telling me these trained operatives would blast loud music or jam out on cutesy makeshift drum kits while on a covert mission that involves creatures who often gravitate towards sound?

SEE ALSO: 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' review: What if it's great, but I hate it?

Thankfully, at least some of their courtship feels earned, like a discussion of their sniping distance records. Elsewhere, a long-distance chess game (a nod to Taylor-Joy's role in The Queen's Gambit) is the right balance between funny, cutesy, and still feeling in touch with Levi and Drasa as characters.

The best portions of this love story come when the pair fight in tandem. After one of their first conversations, Drasa snaps from sweet to focused when she realizes Hollow Men are crawling up the Western side of the gorge. She jumps into action to protect Levi from afar, and he returns the favor moments later. Seeing how quickly these two gorge-crossed lovers have each other's backs does more for their love story than the entire Love Actually/"You Belong With Me" montage.

The gorge is the real star of The Gorge. Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller in "The Gorge." Credit: Apple TV+

Luckily, we get far more of Drasa and Levi in action once the contents of the gorge come to light. And what fun they are!

The Hollow Men make their first appearance fairly early on in The Gorge, looking like zombies crossed with the Green Knight from David Lowery's The Green Knight. But that first appearance isn't a case of The Gorge overplaying its hand too early. Instead, we're just getting started.

A dip into the gorge itself reveals a frightening world of body horror and genetic mutations, not too far off from Annihilation's trippy Area X. A sequence involving what I can only describe as a flesh tree is a standout, but The Gorge has its fair share of spooky, gloopy fun up its sleeve.

That fun especially comes into play in the film's latter half, which features some predictable plot twists but (maybe more importantly) also unleashes a whole load of "hell yeah" moments. (You'll never guess how they get back out of the gorge!) Taylor-Joy and Teller also prove way more dynamic to watch in action hero mode than in romance mode, especially since their action deepens their love story far more than their clichéd first interactions. (I'm sorry, I just can't get over the drum kits!)

With a first half hampered by a lackluster romance, it could be easy to write The Gorge off. But it's that second half, with all its carnage, that makes the trips into the depths a little bit worth it.

The Gorge premieres Feb. 14 on Apple TV+.

Elon Musk said he'll withdraw his $97.4 billion bid to buy OpenAI if the ChatGPT maker stops trying to become a for-profit company.

The latest installment in the Musk versus OpenAI saga comes from a court filing submitted on Wednesday, caught by CNBC. "If OpenAI, Inc.'s Board is prepared to preserve the charity’s mission and stipulate to take the 'for sale' sign off its assets by halting its conversion, Musk will withdraw the bid," read the filing submitted in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California. "Otherwise, the charity must be compensated by what an arms-length buyer will pay for its assets."

SEE ALSO: What Elon Musk could do with the digital keys to the kingdom

On Monday, Musk and a group of investors made an unsolicited bid to buy OpenAI, which currently exists as a capped-profit subsidiary governed by a nonprofit structure but is trying to convert to a conventional for-profit company. Musk was involved with the nonprofit, which launched in 2015, and says he donated $50 million in its early days. Then, OpenAI converted to its current capped profit structure in 2019 and has been trying to convert to a fully for-profit company since September 2024.

Upon this news, Musk sued OpenAI, alleging breach of contract for violating its mission promise to be a nonprofit open-source research firm for altruistically developing AGI (artificial general intelligence).

Fast-forward to this week: In an X post on Monday, Altman rejected Musk's bid to buy OpenAI, writing, "No thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want."

To complicate matters further, Musk has his own competing AI company, xAI, which makes the X chatbot Grok. "I think [the lawsuit is] to slow down a competitor and catch up with his thing, but I don’t really know," Altman told a CNBC reporter at the AI Action Summit in Paris on Tuesday.

Altman also said he is "not particularly" taking the bid seriously. Yet Musk and his team insist the offer is serious if OpenAI is allowed to convert to for-profit and "should... the charity’s assets proceed to sale."

Google Maps is adding functionality that'll help folks deal with weather-related road issues while driving.

This week, Android Police spotted that Google Maps added new report-types — flooded road, low visibility, and unplowed road — aimed at helping drivers navigate or avoid dangerous weather problems. In other words, you'll be able to report these sorts of incidents to Google Maps similar to how drivers report police presence, a stalled vehicle, or other such issues that pop up while they're using Google's navigation tool.

SEE ALSO: Waze's killer feature finally coming to Google Maps

The tech website reported that the new feature, for the time-being, is being rolled out only to Google Maps for Android Auto and the Google Maps app for iPhone users. It's likely it'll be available to Android users soon.

Google Maps has rolled out a number of new features and tools recently. It added the community reports from Waze — which Google owns — starting late last year, for instance. Around that same time it also added the ability to search saved locations. Earlier this month it added a bunch of different ways to customize your vehicle's icon.

Adding the weather-related reports could prove quite helpful for drivers looking to steer clear of dangerous conditions. So safe driving out there, and be on the look-out for reports.

PRE-ORDER NOW: As of Feb. 13, you can pre-order all three editions of Elden Ring Nightreign from the Bandai Namco Store, including the Collector's Edition.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bandai Namco 'Elden Ring Nightreign' $39.99 at Bandai Namco Store
Pre-Order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Bandai Namco 'Elden Ring Nightreign Deluxe Edition' $54.99 at Bandai Namco Store
Pre-Order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Bandai Namco 'Elden Ring Nightreign Collector's Edition' $199.99 at Bandai Namco Store
Pre-Order Here

Ready for more Elden Ring? If the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC just wasn't enough to quell your appetite for all things Tarnished, the series is back with something a little different. Elden Ring Nightreign, revealed during The Game Awards 2024, is a new co-op spinoff that changes things up significantly. It's set for a May 2025 release, but it's up for grabs for you to lock in your copy right now.

As of Feb. 13, you can pre-order Elden Ring Nightreign on the platform of your choice through the Bandai Namco Store. There are three editions available at the US Bandai Namco store right now: the Elden Ring Nightreign digital download, the Nightreign Deluxe Edition digital download, and the Nightreign Collector's Edition, which must be purchased from the physical Bandai Namco store.

SEE ALSO: The best gaming laptops in 2025, no matter your budget

You can choose your preferred platform for both the digital preorder bundles at the official Bandai Namco store link and will be redirected to purchase from there. The Nightreign digital download comes with a bonus gesture that your character can use in-game as a preorder bonus for $39.99. The Deluxe Edition digital download comes with the base game, digital artbook and mini soundtrack, and additional DLC with more playable characters and bosses.

The Collector's Edition is $199.99 and can be purchased via the Bandai Namco store. It's currently the only physical edition, but still comes with a code voucher for the actual game content. However, this version also has physical goodies like a statue of the character Wylder, a Steelbook case, Nightfarer Cards, a hardcover artbook, and a collector's box. You also get the same digital goods you get with the Deluxe Edition.

This is the first spinoff of Elden Ring, and it's a much different beast than the previous game and DLC. This time, you'll explore a procedurally-generated version of the Limgrave area as one of several premade characters. There's a single-player mode to explore, but the game is built for teams of three players to work together and clear sections as they prepare to fight a final boss.

The game will include a shrinking battle arena, much like games like Fortnite and PUBG offer, and there will be multiple roles for players to fill as they make their way through each area and conquer a series of new enemies.

If you're looking to get your Elden Ring fix in, you'll want to pre-order so you can play as soon as the game unlocks on the platform of your choice. And act quickly on the Collector's Edition, which tends to sell out fast.