IT General

A little over an hour into Babygirl, something magical happens.

SEE ALSO: 'Babygirl' review: Nicole Kidman to 'Challengers': Hold my beer

CEO Romy (Nicole Kidman) and intern Samuel (Harris Dickinson) meet in an opulent hotel room to rekindle their BDSM-tinged affair. Right as they reconnect — with Samuel finally calling Romy his "babygirl," no less — you hear them. The telltale snare drums and synths of George Michael's "Father Figure," ushering us into a montage where Romy and Samuel explore their sexual boundaries, complete with a shirtless dance scene from Samuel.

It's a needle drop that is at once sensual and playful, as Romy and Samuel search for the "something special, something sacred" Michael sings about wanting in the song. It's also just one of many reasons Babygirl is a feast for the ears. Immaculate needle drops and the growling wolves and operatic vocals of Cristobal Tapia de Veer's (The White Lotus) score prove to be the perfect accompaniment to Romy and Samuel's exploration. However, Babygirl's soundscape also charts Romy's own journey of self-discovery, following her from her initial repression and shame about her desires to being unafraid to share what she wants.

To learn more, Mashable spoke with music supervisor Meghan Currier (Past Lives) and de Veer about their work on the film, including why "Father Figure" is Babygirl's anthem, and how Nicole Kidman's voice ended up on the soundtrack in an unexpected way.

"Father Figure" by George Michael is Babygirl's musical centerpiece. Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson in "Babygirl." Credit: A24

"Father Figure" was written into the first draft of Babygirl's script that Currier received from writer/director Halina Reijn. "It was always in her mind," Currier told Mashable over Zoom. "She was like, 'As I was writing this script, I played this constantly.'"

(Outside of the song, the word "fatherly" does pop up a few times in the Babygirl screenplay, twice being used to describe Samuel's tone with Romy.)

Because of Reijn's connection to "Father Figure," Currier knew there was no alternative song for the scene and made it a priority to secure it. She also used it to build a musical mood board for Babygirl, which included gabber dance music for the film's rave scene and Christmas songs to match the film's time period as well. While these help flesh out the music of Babygirl's wider world, "Father Figure" remained the guiding sound for Romy and Samuel's relationship. It led Currier to use INXS's "Never Tear Us Apart" in the film as well.

SEE ALSO: The 25 best movies of 2024, and where to watch them

"Almost in a generational context between Romy's character and Samuel's character, [Reijn and I] felt that leaning into some of these timeless songs that were created in the '80s felt really right," Currier said. "INXS also emerged from that same root."

"Never Tear Us Apart" plays during the first montage of Romy and Samuel's affair, speaking to the early days of their relationship. "Even though it's a beautiful love song, there's a darkness that cuts through it as well, and I think that really underscores the naughtiness of what they're engaging in," Currier explained. "At the same time, we see them figuring out the roles of the game, so to speak, so there is this push-and-pull quality sonically that beautifully takes us through that montage of them figuring out their roles."

By the time we get to the "Father Figure" montage, Samuel and Romy's relationship has shifted. Now they have a better sense of their roles in their sexual escapades. But there's also more of a willingness to be vulnerable with one another, highlighted in George Michael's lyrics about wanting to understand and be there for his lover. To paraphrase "Father Figure," Romy and Samuel can finally "be bold and naked" at each other's sides.

"The song has a much more grounded, soft quality to it that really supports what we're seeing in the dynamics of the two in this beautiful hotel room," Currier said. "It feels more cocooned and safe."

Babygirl's score tells a "werewolf" story. Harris Dickinson and Nicole Kidman in "Babygirl." Credit: A24

In the time between the "Never Tear Us Apart" montage and the "Father Figure" montage, Romy has grown to further embrace and understand her own desires, yet she still finds it difficult to verbalize what she wants, something Babygirl mirrors in de Veer's score.

De Veer plays with two main themes throughout. The first, titled "Mommy's Dollhouse," is our gateway into Romy's manicured, polished world. Strings, operatic vocals, and a lilting piano guide us through Romy's seemingly picture-perfect life – yet thumping drums hint at an underlying darkness and stress within. That inner conflict also comes through in the theme's piano line.

"I wrote this with my partner, Kim [Neundorf]. She was playing the right hand, which is this waltz-y melody, and I was playing the left hand. In my head, I was playing a military march," de Veer explained to Mashable over Zoom. "A waltz would be in three time, while what I'm playing is in four time. So there's kind of a fight going on. There's two things going on, which is unusual for a waltz, and I like the fact that there is something militaristic about her professional life."

The "militaristic" nature of "Mommy's Dollhouse" couldn't be farther from de Veer's second theme, "Wolves." Here, distorted vocals, animalistic breathing, and growling wolves blur together. It's part survival instinct, part distilled desire. For de Veer, the emphasis on the wolf sounds is also representative of Romy's personal transformation.

"There's almost a werewolf situation going on in this movie," de Veer said. "The theme transforms throughout until it becomes this kind of atonal music. It's rhythm, it's pulse — that's pretty much it."

Somewhere among the layers of rhythm and pulse that represent Romy's desire lies some of Kidman's own voice. In one iteration of "Wolves," de Veer samples a surprised noise Kidman made when she almost tripped on set during one of the dailies de Veer saw. (This isn't the first time de Veer has sampled Kidman's voice in his work. During his time in Canadian band One Ton, he sampled part of Kidman's argument with Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut.)

"This 'woo' sound [from Kidman] was spontaneous, so I took that," de Veer said. "I pretty much used anything I had."

While "Wolves" and "Mommy's Dollhouse" represent the two very different sides of Romy — her hidden desires and her outward perfectionism — de Veer manages to meld them together in the film's final scene, when Romy's husband, Jacob (Antonio Banderas), helps bring her fantasies to life. The organization and harmony of "Mommy's Dollhouse" mix with the primal, animalistic sounds of "Wolves," until Romy gets exactly what she wants.

As de Veer put it, "It feels like an explosion."

Babygirl is now on VOD and digital platforms.

UPDATE: Jan. 27, 2025, 4:42 p.m. EST This article was originally published on Dec. 26, 2024. It has been updated to include the latest viewing information.

Writer/director Halina Reijn and actor Harris Dickinson discuss the layers of Babygirl, an erotic thriller that subverts genre norms. Reijn delves into the film’s metaphorical death, and how sexuality wraps around deeper narratives. Dickinson shares insights on working with an intimacy coordinator and the importance of clarity in such scenes.

Babygirl is now on VOD and digital platforms.

UPDATE: Jan. 27, 2025, 4:50 p.m. EST This article was originally published on Dec. 24, 2024, and has been updated to include the latest viewing information.

Moana has introduced many of us to the idea of the "never-ending chain." The directors of Moana 2, Dana Ledoux Miller, David G. Derrick Jr., and Jason Hand, break it down for us and explain how that idea is explored in the hit Disney films.

Star Auliʻi Cravalho and songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear also talked to Mashable about the film's music.

Moana 2 is now available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Prime Video, and more.

UPDATE: Jan. 28, 2025, 9:03 a.m. UTC This interview for "Moana 2" was was originally published on Dec. 2, 2024 around the film's cinematic release. It has since been updated to include the most recent viewing options.

Moana is back with brand new songs including hype song "Can I Get a Chee Hoo?" and big ballad "Beyond" — the successor to the Oscar-winning "How Far I'll Go."

UK editor Shannon Connellan talked to star Auliʻi Cravalho and songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear about the making of the film, and how music helped explore Moana's personal growth.

Mashable also spoke to Moana 2 directors Dana Ledoux Miller, David G. Derrick Jr., and Jason Hand about the world of Moana and the meaning of the "never-ending chain."

Moana 2 is now available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Prime Video, and more.

UPDATE: Jan. 28, 2025, 9:02 a.m. UTC This interview for "Moana 2" was was originally published on Nov. 26, 2024 for the film's cinematic release. It has since been updated to include the most recent viewing options.

When Disney first announced Moana 2 in February 2024, I was apprehensive. Here was a surprise announcement, mere months out from a November release, that a Moana TV show had been reworked into a feature film. Did that mean Moana 2 was a rush job for Disney to recover from some of its 2023 box office disappointments, like The Marvels and Wish? And if so, would that mean sacrificing quality for a swift turnaround?

SEE ALSO: Disney's 'Moana 2' trailer expands on the lore of the original

Thankfully, Moana 2 soothed my worries and then some, thanks to its blend of epic adventure and its deeply felt story about family ties. Yes, there are elements that don't hit as hard, including a cookie cutter villain and some songs that just don't pass muster when compared to Moana's. But most of Moana 2 measures up to (and occasionally even surpasses) what came before — and that's due in no small part to the growth of its incredible heroine.

Moana 2 reminds you that Moana is a certified star Credit: Disney

Even if you haven't rewatched Moana since 2016, Moana 2 wastes no time in reminding you that Moana (voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho, Mean Girls) is a total badass. In the film's opening sequence, she runs through a dense rainforest, leaps across a ravine, and climbs a steep rock face with her trusty pig Pua on her back. Seconds later, we get a classic hero shot: Moana, hair streaming in the wind, atop an island mountain, surveying the vast ocean around her. She takes a deep breath, blows a welcoming call into her conch... and no one answers. Turns out, despite Moana's expert wayfinding skills, she hasn't been able to find any other humans who live in the ocean.

Moana's island home of Motunui is thriving, though — and Moana is nothing less than a "living legend" there. Young girls dress and do their hair like her, going as far as to find their own version of Pua. (The film dubs them "Moanabes.") Everyone calls her "the future of Motunui." Her father Tui (Temuera Morrison, The Book of Boba Fett), Motunui's chief, even wishes to bestow the title of Tautai upon her, an honor for a skilled navigator and leader that hasn't been held for many, many years.

Featured Video For You The music of ‘Moana 2’: Auliʻi Cravalho goes ‘Beyond’

But when Moana gets a desolate vision of Motunui's future should they not reconnect with other humans, she faces a difficult choice. She could strike out for the legendary island of Motufetu, which used to connect all the ocean's pathways and peoples. Yet it's farther than Moana or any of her ancestors have ever gotten (not to mention cursed by the human-hating god Nalo). If she goes, she risks not coming back to her family or her beloved island.

Here's where Moana 2 really shows us how far Moana has grown. With age and greater status in Motunui, she's become far more aware of the stakes of her potential failure. Plus, she's terrified to lose her family — especially her scene-stealing little sister Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda). With the weight of the world on her shoulders, Moana sets a course for Motufetu, along with an upgraded canoe and a new crew.

Moana 2's new characters make an exciting adventure even better. Credit: Disney

Moana may be used to wayfinding by herself, but in Moana 2, she's got to share a canoe with three newbies. Keen-eyed inventor Loto (Starstruck's Rose Matafeo) brings an endearing enthusiasm to the squad, even if her tendency to take apart the canoe in her efforts to improve it is concerning. As the oldest member of the crew, you might expect farmer Kele (David Fane, Our Flag Means Death) to bring elder wisdom to the journey, but he's more the crotchety complainer type. Rounding things out is Motunui legend expert Moni (Hualālai Chung), who doubles as the canoe's resident Maui (Dwayne Johnson) fanboy. (Yes, he paints "fanfic" of him and Maui being best friends.)

So imagine Moni's sadness when he realizes Maui isn't along for the ride. While Moana could desperately use his help, Maui's actually in a pickle of his own. He's trapped by Nalo's accomplice, the goddess Matangi (Awhimai Fraser), whom I can only describe as a "bat diva." Constantly surrounded by a cloud of the winged creatures, and even sporting bat fangs herself, Matangi exudes vampiric aura. She almost gives Moana's shiny crab Tamatoa (Jemaine Clement) a run for his money.

SEE ALSO: 'Spellbound' review: Netflix's animated adventure finds its magic right at the end

But Matangi isn't the only foe Moana and co. will have to conquer. The coconut pirates known as the Kakamora are back to wreak havoc, while a giant, island-sized clam risks swallowing our heroes whole. With so many colorful creatures to face, it's a shame that Moana 2's Big Bad Nalo is basically a nonentity, reducing the (otherwise very cool) final set piece to a faceless confrontation with inclement weather. Contrast Moana 2's magical waterspouts with Moana's expressive lava monster Te Kā to get a sense of how detached the sequel is from its villain. (Except for a mid-credit scene that somehow implies he's Moana Thanos.)

Luckily, Moana 2 finds plenty of connection elsewhere, from Moana's friendships with Maui and her crewmates to her continued relationship with her ancestors. Gramma Tala (Thor: Ragnarok's Rachel House) is back to pass along some wisdom — and give us a good hard cry along the way. Elsewhere, Moana's steadfast belief in bringing the people of the ocean back together makes for a necessary counterpoint to Nalo's hopes to sow discord and isolation. (At least, what little we learn of it through exposition.) Moana's optimism and determination proves there's power in connection, which we get to see firsthand as her crew begins to gel at sea.

Moana 2's songs are fine, but they're no match for Moana's. Credit: Disney

With its beautiful, textured animation and its propulsive adventure to the far ends of the ocean, Moana 2 is another win for Disney animation. The only major letdown? The film's songs, which are totally OK, but certainly nothing special compared to Moana's greatest hits.

Moana composers and songwriters Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa'i have returned for Moana 2, but one key member of the first film's team is missing: songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda. Taking his place are Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the Grammy-winning team behind The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical. Even so, Miranda's presence is greatly missed, with songs often feeling like lackluster rehashes of the first film's songs.

Take "Beyond," essentially a toned-down evolution of "How Far I'll Go," where Moana readies herself to go back out into the ocean. Cravalho's delivery is gorgeous, and I could listen to her sing for hours, but do I remember a single line of that song beyond "I'll go beyond"? Then there's Maui's "Can I Get A Chee Hoo?," a patter song that will make you miss the fast-paced wordplay of "You're Welcome." (A flaming conch solo does lend it some extra flair.) The patter extends to travel song "What Could Be Better Than This?" While I adore Matafeo's lightning-fast delivery of Loto's science-themed rap, it all feels like imitation Miranda. Awkward rhythmic moments and some obvious rhymes further highlight how much of an asset he was on Moana.

Even the funky "Get Lost," my beloved bat diva Matangi's big number, is a letdown. Based on her character introduction, you might expect something in the vein of a dark Bond theme. Instead, you get a pop tune that, despite Fraser's serious pipes, feels fairly generic. (The slowed-down piano beginning also can't help but remind me of The Princess and the Frog's "Almost There," although I'm sure other similarities abound.) All I'm saying is, if the previous film's villain song featured a giant coconut crab doing a David Bowie tribute, you've got to aim higher.

At least Moana 2's less-than inspired songs get a boost from their accompanying animated sequences. "Can I Get A Chee Hoo?" drops us into a god-tier obstacle course, while "Get Lost" features some pretty rad bat choreography. "What Could Be Better Than This?" also scores laughs from Kele's annoyance at Moana, Moni, and Loto's increasingly excited dances, which low-key read like they're trying to get him to join their ocean-loving cult. That's the magic of Moana 2: Even when the songs aren't hitting, something else will elevate them, turning a decent number into a great experience.

Moana 2 is now available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Prime Video, and more.

UPDATE: Jan. 28, 2025, 8:58 a.m. UTC "Moana 2" was reviewed with its cinematic release. This review was originally published on Nov. 26, 2024. It has since been updated to include the most recent viewing options.

SAVE $440: As of Jan. 28, iRobot Roomba j7+ robot vacuum is available at Best Buy for $359, a massive $440 discount off its regular $799 price tag.

Opens in a new window Credit: iRobot iRobot Roomba j7+ $359.00 at Best Buy
$799.00 Save $440.00 Get Deal

No one loves vacuuming, and with the iRobot Roomba j7+, you’ll never have to think about it again. Right now, it’s down to $359 in Best Buy’s 48-hour flash sale, saving you a jaw-dropping $440. This is a game-changing deal for a robot vacuum that not only cleans but empties itself.

The Roomba j7+ takes cleaning to the next level with 10x the power-lifting suction compared to the Roomba 600 series, making it perfect for tackling stubborn messes. Got pets? It’s a lifesaver. iRobot guarantees its P.O.O.P. (Pet Owner Official Promise, fantastic), meaning the j7+ can identify and avoid pet waste. If it fails, they’ll replace it for free.

SEE ALSO: Where to preorder Samsung's new Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra smartphones

Say goodbye to pre-cleaning rituals. With PrecisionVision Navigation, this vacuum can dodge obstacles like cables, shoes, and even socks. Set it loose, and it’ll navigate your home like a pro. With Imprint Smart Mapping, you can customize its cleaning schedule by room and time, store multiple floor plans, and create “Keep Out Zones” for areas you’d rather skip.

One of the best features is the self-emptying base. The Roomba j7+ empties itself into an enclosed dirt disposal bag, meaning you don’t have to deal with the dust for months. It even knows when to clean without bothering you, starting its rounds when you leave the house and wrapping up before you return.

From rugs to hardwood, the Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes adjust automatically to different floor types, so every surface gets the attention it deserves. It’s also equipped with Cliff Detect, which prevents it from falling down the stairs, and advanced sensors that glide under furniture with ease.

At $359, this deal is a no-brainer for anyone tired of dragging out the old vacuum. With features like voice control through Alexa or Google Assistant and personalized cleaning suggestions, the Roomba j7+ doesn’t just clean your home — it changes how you think about cleaning altogether. But hurry — this deal disappears after today, and so should your old vacuum.

SAVE $560: As of Jan. 28, the Alienware m16 16-inch gaming laptop is on sale for $2,239.99 at Best Buy, a massive $560 discount off its regular price of $2,799.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Alienware Alienware m16 16-inch gaming laptop $2,239.99 at Best Buy
$2,799.99 Save $560.00 Get Deal

Here’s the deal: Best Buy’s clearance sale is offering a monster gaming laptop at a price that’s hard to ignore. Alienware m16, armed with the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, is down to $2,239.99 from $2,799.99. That’s $560 in savings for one of the most stacked rigs on the market.

The m16’s 16-inch QHD+ display isn’t just big. It’s loaded. With a 240Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time, it’s designed to handle fast-paced games with buttery-smooth visuals. Dolby Vision support means you get cinematic color and contrast, from hectic moments in DooM to exploring in Skyrim. Add Dolby Atmos audio to the mix, and you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of the action.

SEE ALSO: Where to preorder Samsung's new Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra smartphones

Performance-wise, the 12-core Ryzen 9 7845HX CPU and 16GB of DDR5 RAM are built for serious multitasking and intense gaming sessions. Pair that with the RTX 4080 GPU, featuring 12GB of GDDR6 video memory, and this machine isn’t just ready for modern games. It’s prepared to dominate them on ultra settings. Thanks to the 1TB NVMe SSD, you’ll have plenty of space for your growing game library and near-instant load times.

Alienware didn’t skimp on cooling, either. The Cryo-tech cooling system combines a vapor chamber, quad fans, seven heat pipes, and Alienware’s proprietary Element 31 thermal material to keep temperatures in check, even during demanding sessions. The redesigned chassis and Legend 3 aesthetics make this machine look as premium as it performs.

This is a complete package for gamers who want top-tier specs, and at this clearance price, it’s a solid investment. This is your green light if you’ve been holding out for a major upgrade. Just don’t wait too long. Clearance deals don’t last, and someone else might claim this beast while you’re still deciding.

SAVE $170: As of Jan. 28, the Insignia 75-inch F50 4K UHD Smart Fire TV is on sale for $429.99 at Best Buy, saving you $170 off its regular $599.99 price during the 48-hour flash sale.

Opens in a new window Credit: Insignia Insignia 75-inch F50 4K UHD Smart Fire TV $429.99 at Best Buy
$599.99 Save $170.00 Get Deal

When was the last time you upgraded your TV? Because this Insignia F50 Series 75-inch 4K Fire TV deal at Best Buy is calling your name. Right now, it's slashed down to $429.99 from its usual $599.99, and trust me, that's a lot of screen for not a lot of money. At this size, everything from Sunday football games to your favorite Netflix dramas feels like a front-row experience. Plus, it's got 4K Ultra HD resolution, so those stunning visuals will leave you wondering why you waited so long to ditch your old TV.

This deal is even sweeter because it's a complete entertainment hub. With Fire TV built-in, you can immediately stream everything from Prime Video to Disney+. The Alexa voice remote also comes in handy. You can ask her to launch apps, find a specific movie, or even change inputs without lifting more than a finger. And if you're an Apple fan, it supports AirPlay, so sharing photos or videos from your phone is a breeze.

SEE ALSO: Where to preorder Samsung's new Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra smartphones

Now let's talk sound. The DTS Studio Sound technology might not replace your home theater system. Still, for built-in speakers, it delivers some surprisingly immersive audio. And if you've got a soundbar, the TV's HDMI ARC and eARC support make hooking it up hassle-free.

On the tech side, you're getting features that make this more than just a budget TV. The HDR10 support ensures colors pop with vibrant contrast. At the same time, the LED-backlit LCD panel offers sharp clarity for those Netflix binges or gaming marathons. Plus, it has three HDMI ports, so no one's unplugging the PS5 to watch cable.

At just $429.99, this Insignia 75-inch F50 Fire TV is a rare find, especially during Best Buy's 48-hour flash sale. If you're serious about leveling up your home theater without draining your bank account, this deal is one you'll regret passing up.

A decapitated train conductor is said to prowl a section of railroad in Maco Station, North Carolina, illuminating the tracks with a lantern.

But this ghost is far from the only reported rail sighting in the U.S. "There's a recurring theme. There are ghosts reported along railroad tracks holding lanterns," U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Susan Hough told Mashable.

While investigating the 1886 quake in Charleston, South Carolina — a potent 7.0 temblor that collapsed buildings and killed some 60 people — the legendary haunting of the nearby abandoned Summerville rail captured Hough's attention. As the viral shaking in New York City in 2024 illustrated, earthquakes stoked by shifting faults do rattle the Eastern U.S. from time to time. Perhaps, thought Hough, the Summerville ghost's lantern is actually a radiant earthquake phenomenon reported globally called "earthquake lights," commonly described as balls of light or steady glows.

"Maybe these ghosts are showing us where you have shallow, active faults in these [eastern] areas," said Hough, who recently published a research article on the phenomenon in the journal Seismological Research Letters.

SEE ALSO: Scientists reveal why the mighty Yellowstone isn't ready to blow

While visiting the Charleston area, Hough dug up old book records from the 1950s and 1960s, which documented residents' attempts to spy light from the Summerville ghost (the lantern was supposedly carried by an apparition waiting for her husband to return). One such account reported that, during a Summerville ghost outing, their car shook violently.

"To a seismologist, that screams a shallow earthquake," Hough said.

"There are ghosts reported along railroad tracks holding lanterns."

Hough suggests that many of these sightings can be explained by quaking activity or earthquake faults. Summerville, after all, is thought to be the epicenter of the 1886 quake, and smaller 3.5 to 4.4 temblors hit there in 1959 and 1960. Even milder quakes, too small to be felt, but able to potentially produce earthquake lights, almost certainly affect the region, too.

A locomotive derailed by the Aug. 31, 1886, earthquake in South Carolina. Credit: CORBIS / Getty Images Damage on East Bay Street in Charleston from the 1886 earthquake. Credit: Bettmann / Contributor

If the supernatural isn't responsible for the radiance, how might quakes naturally create such brilliant lights?

Hough thinks that most quake experts accept that earthquake lights do occur, though there's still some skepticism. It's unclear, however, what causes them — but there are compelling seismic ideas. In the case of the "railroad ghosts," the process may begin with gases, like methane or radon, escaping to the surface through underground fractures in a shallow fault zone. Once on the surface, the gases can become trapped in water vapor and pool, igniting when they're exposed to oxygen. Then, the trains come into play. Trains create static electricity on steel tracks; even abandoned lines or heaps of steel rail can create the static spark, ultimately producing the eerie light.

Of course, not every railroad ghost is stoked by fault phenomena, Hough cautions. Sometimes, they're headlight reflections from nearby highways. But many could be caused by faults. And Hough says this could be tested, for example, by purchasing radon kits and placing them where the lights are, or have been, reportedly seen. Scientists could also look for shallow faults in these areas.

Tweet may have been deleted An old illustration of two people ghost-hunting on railroad tracks with a lantern. Credit: PennyLens / Getty Images

The Eastern U.S. certainly doesn't have the robust quaking activity seen on the West Coast — as there are no well-defined faults or major earthquake zones like California's infamous San Andreas Fault. But quakes do happen there, as illustrated by a recent 3.8 magnitude temblor in Maine on Jan. 27. It'd behoove us to understand where these shallow faults are, and to better grasp their risk.

In 2011, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit near Mineral, Virginia, with significant shaking reaching some 80 miles away, to Washington, D.C. The temblor damaged the Washington National Cathedral and Washington Monument. Fortunately, no one was killed.

But what if such a relatively rare quake hit much nearer to the nation's capital?

"If it was closer, it could have had a serious impact," Hough said.

This story has been updated with information about earthquakes in the Eastern U.S.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Lingo Serena Williams would use

• Green: Football team abbreviations

• Blue: Points awarded on a single play in NFL

• Purple: Two

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Tennis lingo

• Green: NFL teams on scoreboards

• Blue: Possible points on a football play

• Purple: No. 2

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #127 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Tennis lingo - ACE, FAULT, LET, WINNER

• NFL teams on scoreboards - NOR, PIT, SEA, TEN

• Possible points on a football play - ONE, SIX, THREE, TWO

• No. 2 - JETER, PLACE, RUNNER-UP, SILVER MEDAL

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

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

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for January 28 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for January 28, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

High body temperature due to illness.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter E appears twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter F.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

FEVER.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 28

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for January 28 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Someone who entertains

• Green: Used for strength training

• Blue: Candy bar, singular

• Purple: Associated with "speed"

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Funny Person

• Green: Resistance Training Equipment

• Blue: Candy Bar Minus "S"

• Purple: Speed___

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #597 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Funny Person: CARD, CHARACTER, JOKER, LAUGH

• Resistance Training Equipment: BAND, BENCH, DUMBBELL, MAT

• Candy Bar Minus "S": AIRHEAD, MAR, MOUND, SNICKER

• Speed___: BUMP, CHESS, DEMON, DIAL

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 28

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

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 28 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 28 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Stable supply

These words are things a cowboy might need.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

Words are related to horses in a stable.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is HorsebackRiding.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for January 28

• Reins

• Harness

• Spurs

• Saddle

• Crop

• Bridle

• HorsebackRiding

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

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

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, January 28, 2025:

AcrossMagic accessory for Gandalf the Grey

• The answer is Staff.

Item often cut with a pocket-sized guillotine cutter

• The answer is Cigar.

Fill with awe

• The answer is Amaze.

Flood stopper

• The answer is Levee.

Word repeated in "Any ___ is good ___"

• The answer is Press.

DownTop of the head

• The answer is Scalp.

Track meet official

• The answer is Timer.

Plant used to make tequila

• The answer is Agave.

Flusters

• The answer is Fazes.

Saves from jail in Capture the Flag, say

• The answer is Frees.

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.

One of President Donald Trump's first actions after last week's inauguration was to sign an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, as well as Denali to Mount McKinley. Now Google has announced it will follow Trump's directive, changing how these landmarks are labelled in Google Maps.

While Trump's order alters the U.S. government's official position regarding the Gulf of Mexico and Denali's names, it does not specifically direct companies to follow suit. Even so, Google confirmed that its Maps app will be renaming the Gulf of Mexico and Denali in an X post on Monday.

"We’ve received a few questions about naming within Google Maps," Google wrote (with at least a few of those questions coming from Mashable). "We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources."

SEE ALSO: Google and Apple Maps still list Gulf of Mexico, not America, per Trump's order Tweet may have been deleted

The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is the U.S. government's official source for geographic features' names, maintaining records and standardising information across the country. As of Monday, the GNIS has not yet been updated to reflect Trump's executive order, and still lists the sea and mountain in question as the Gulf of Mexico and Denali respectively.

However, Trump's directive included a 30-day deadline for the name changes to be completed and all references to the Gulf of Mexico removed. Google has thus stated that it will wait until the GNIS amends its records before switching over to the new Trump-mandated names.

"When that happens, we will update Google Maps in the U.S. quickly to show Mount McKinley and Gulf of America," wrote Google.

I never ever under any circumstances install chrome plugins, but I will install one that makes it display Gulf of Mexico instead of Gulf of America on Google maps.

— MC Frontalot (@mc.frontalot.com) January 28, 2025 at 11:56 AM

The tech giant also confirmed that Google Map's name changes won't only be visible to U.S. users. Rather, the "Gulf of America" and "Mount McKinley" labels will be visible to everyone who uses Google Maps regardless of the country they're in. This is due to Google's "longstanding practice" of handling labelling inconsistencies by deferring to a landmark's official name in the country where it's located. 

"When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name," said Google. "Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too."

As such, we can reasonably expect Google Maps to change its label for Denali to Mount McKinley across the globe in the near future, as the mountain is located entirely within U.S. borders.

In contrast, the U.S. does not own the Gulf of Mexico/America, which is also bordered by Mexico and Cuba. It therefore appears likely that while U.S. Google Maps users will see the gulf completely renamed to "Gulf of America," international users may see the new name alongside its internationally recognised label "Gulf of Mexico."

Mashable has reached out to Google for comment.

TL;DR: Get a PDF Expert Premium lifetime subscription for £64.21 (reg. £112.38) and manage your PDFs with seamless editing, organising, and annotation tools.

Opens in a new window Credit: Readdle Limited PDF Expert Premium Plan: Lifetime Subscription (Mac) £64.21 at the Mashable Shop
£112.38 Save £48.17 Get Deal

PDFs are great until you need to edit one — then they can feel like an unsolvable puzzle. With PDF Expert Premium, you’ll never have to wrestle with your files again. This powerful £64.21 (reg. £112.38) tool puts you in full control of your PDFs, making edits, annotations, and organisation simple.

PDF Expert is built for flexibility and ease of use. If you want to tweak text, images, or links, it’s as simple as clicking and typing. You can highlight, comment, and mark up your PDFs with intuitive tools that let you collaborate seamlessly.

But it doesn’t stop at edits. PDF Expert also makes organising large batches of documents effortless. Merge multiple PDFs into one, split files, or rearrange pages to your liking. Plus, its handy search function ensures you’ll never waste time hunting for key information again.

For those focused on security, PDF Expert has you covered. Lock your documents with passwords and control access to sensitive information. Whether you’re handling contracts, assignments, or personal files, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your data is protected.

Great for students, professionals, or anyone who deals with PDFs regularly, you can say goodbye to clunky workarounds and hello to streamlined productivity.

With a one-time payment of £64.2 — a 42% discount — you get lifetime access to PDF Expert Premium's complete suite of features.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

There are lots of reasons to equip your outdoor area with speakers: Maybe you like to dine outside, throw garden parties, or simply kick your feet up and relax when the sun is out. You could always just blast a playlist from your smartphone's speaker, of course, but it never sounds great. If you're serious about music, treat those with the respect they deserve. Invest in a purpose-made outdoor speaker.

You can think beyond your own outdoor space, too. In the Bluetooth-connected world, you can pair your smart device and play music just about anywhere. So, if you're a regular picnicker or traveller, it's good to have a portable Bluetooth speaker that you can use in just about any outdoor space — the park, the beach, the poolside, wherever.

Finding a good pair of speakers is straightforward when you're building a sound system for inside your home, but finding the same kind of high-quality audio for the outdoors can be tricky. You can't use the same speakers for your living room as you do in your garden. Not only can they not withstand the weather, but indoor speakers just aren't built to carry audio in wide-open spaces. Read on for a guide on sweet-sounding outdoor speakers, plus a selection of the best options in 2025.

Are wired or wireless speakers best for outdoors?

Ultimately, it depends how, when, and where you use them. Wireless speakers are great for their portability, which makes them super convenient, but wired outdoor speakers are likely to be more powerful, more dependable, and less susceptible to interference. And with wired speakers, you'll never have to worry about recharging the battery or walking too far out of Bluetooth range. Those are definite perks when you’re throwing an all-day, all-night party and want to mingle with your guests. Outdoor wired speakers also tend to be better at filling large spaces with an even distribution of sound, especially since you can hook up several around the garden.

Wireless speakers — which usually work via Bluetooth — have their plus points, too. Bluetooth speakers can stream audio content from your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or other Bluetooth-capable device. Sometimes, these speakers will also allow for hands-free capabilities through voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. The other bonus is that you can take them to the party, so you're not bound by one location. You can also take a portable Bluetooth speaker to the park, the pool, or on holiday.

But — because of where we are with speaker technology technology right now — there are speakers that effectively fill both roles, delivering massive sound more typical of wired speakers while also offering Bluetooth and streaming technology.

Can you mount outdoor speakers?

Mounting wired speakers around your outdoor living area is an ideal choice when you have the space to place them on walls or under decks. Often, these speakers are sold in pairs and have a stereo configuration with left and right inputs to help fill your space with more complex audio. The only downside is that they have a more limited range of projecting sound as they can only be tilted so far without literally hitting a wall.

If your outdoor space is further away from mountable opportunities, however, you could opt to hide your setup in your landscaping with some in-ground speakers instead. It will involve the careful burying of some wires, but it's a great choice for dispersing audio more evenly as many ground-level speakers boast 360° sound. The only caveat? Whichever option you choose for your outdoor listening, you'll want to ensure that they are actually designed to be used outside.

Are outdoor speakers waterproof?

While on your search for outdoors speakers, look out for keywords like "weatherproof" and "water-resistant". Most outdoor speakers will clearly let you know that all the electrical stuff is safely housed inside a weather-resistant shell. This means it can withstand the elements, including rain, snow, and extreme temperatures. 

A high waterproof rating is standard with portable Bluetooth speakers, but less common on mountable wired speakers. That said, it's common for wired outdoor speakers to be labelled as weather-resistant rather than waterproof. If you are concerned about wild weather, you might opt to place your speakers under some sort of cover to offer them more protection.

What is the best outdoor speaker?

We've tried to narrow down your options and compiled a roundup of top speakers for a wide range of people, budgets, and activities. We’re pretty confident you’ll find what you need to enjoy the outdoors without missing a beat. We've tracked down impressive devices from top brands like Bose, JBL, and Sonos. Just pick a favourite.

These are the best outdoor speakers in 2025.

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

Either you've got a Bluetooth speaker and it's time to upgrade, or you haven't got one and you're woefully behind the times. In either case, it's time to splash out on a decent Bluetooth speaker. In this world of synced devices and endless connectivity, it's a must-have device. Particularly if most of your music is streamed from a playlist.

A Bluetooth speaker can integrate perfectly into a smart ecosystem, allowing you to pump up the volume from your phone or speak to Alexa — not to mention offer handy portability for taking on your holidays or even your daily commute.

There are loads of top-quality speakers out there, so you have plenty of choice. The problem with having so many impressive products from top brands is that picking the right device can be tricky. That’s where we come in. Here's a quick guide.

Do Bluetooth speakers sound good?

You’d be surprised at the quality of the audio tech in Bluetooth speakers. But what will you be using your speaker for? Purely music? Podcasts? A bit of both? It will surely factor into what kind of speaker you end up buying — whether that's surround sound, Dolby Atmos, something for the great outdoors, or just plain stereo (which is also great — don't feel pressured to get something super fancy and expensive if you don't really need it). Not all speakers produce the same kind of sound quality, so it's important to know exactly the kind of listening experience you're looking for.

How big are Bluetooth speakers?

Speakers can get pretty big, even portable ones, so take stock of how much useable space you want to dedicate to your audio setup both horizontally and vertically. Not everyone has the room for multiple speakers that work in tandem, so don't overwhelm yourself with something gigantic if it's constantly going to be getting in your way. There are plenty of speakers that can be easily stored or concealed, and some that are small enough to rest on a tabletop or shelf.

How many speakers do you need to buy? 

We always recommend choosing quality over quantity. Having two amazing speakers is always going to get you better results than having five average speakers. Plus, having too many speakers around is just going to take up an unnecessary amount of space. If you have the room, we think two speakers is the perfect number. 

Two speakers are especially ideal if you listen to a lot of music — music is normally recorded for a stereo setting, so having a left and right channel will do you wonders. And if you have a smaller space, even one really good speaker should do you just fine (as long as it sounds great). Many Bluetooth speakers also have easy pairing options with other speakers of the same make, so setting them up should be a breeze.

What are smart speakers?

These are speakers that double up as smart devices, which may connect to Alexa or sync with other smart home devices. They’re great in their own right, but they aren't always the best way to listen to music (sorry, Alexa). If you really can't live without having some sort of smart assistant within your speaker setup, we recommend getting something that is Bluetooth-enabled and connecting it to your smartphone. That way, you get the perks of your phone's built-in smart assistant without downgrading. 

Are Bluetooth speakers waterproof?

Many modern speakers have some kind of water resistance. That means you can rock out at the pool or beach. Or, erm, in the shower. Even if you're not planning on taking your speaker on holiday, it's not out of the question that it could be a target for spills no matter where you have it in your home.

What is the best Bluetooth speaker?

There are plenty of Bluetooth speakers out there that are worth considering. We’ve tracked down some of the very best options. We have lined up impressive Bluetooth speakers from all the biggest brands, with something for everyone and every budget.

These are the best Bluetooth speakers in 2025.

A Chinese manufacturer just shocked a larger, complacent U.S. rival with a cheaper product that is significantly more customizable. News at 11.

In many industries, in the 21st century so far, this statement would not in fact be news; it would be such a familiar tale, few would bother mentioning it. But the old tale is noteworthy in this latest instance, thanks to the industry being Artificial Intelligence. Which, ironically, now seems to be an industry that was not very intelligent about obvious developments coming down the pike.

DeepSeek has taken off at a difficult time in the U.S., and not just politically. A divided country was just coming to grips with what AI means for business, for jobs, and whether the promised returns would be worth the investment that has been ploughed into (and by) U.S. companies. One thing few seemed to question was that a U.S. business would always be in the lead. No matter who was in or out, an American leader would emerge victorious in the AI marketplace — be that leader OpenAI's Sam Altman, Nvidia's Jensen Huang, Anthropic's Dario Amodei, Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Google's Sundar Pichai, or for the true believers, xAI's Elon Musk.

ChatGPT appeared to have a grip on the public imagination, and Altman seemed to be the most media savvy public face of the AI salesmen, so — presuming he could stop having weird feuds over celebrity voices and isn't found liable for allegedly abusing his sister — probably him?

Now here comes Liang Wenfeng, founder and CEO of DeepSeek, with a face so unknown there isn't even, at time of writing, a photo on his Wikipedia entry, nor does the mighty Getty archive contain any picture of him. (He did show up at a Beijing Symposium last week, should you want to know what he looks like.) DeepSeek doesn't swim in the media-facing, market-facing waters of the posturing U.S. AI giants. All it has is a better product — a faster, way cheaper product that fulfills a promise Altman forgot: It's open source.

And in the flattened world of the internet, turns out, that's all you need.

A day in the life of DeepSeek

One day, that's all it took. One day for DeepSeek to vault to the top of the app charts on Apple and Google. One day for Nvidia's Jensen Huang to lose nearly $21 billion of his net worth, thanks to the biggest single-day loss for any stock ever.

Reports that DeepSeek may have been partly trained on sanctions-busting Nvidia chips didn't stop the slide, because DeepSeek's secret sauce is that it simply doesn't need as much computing power as other Large Language Models. DeepSeek isn't just cheaper and more customizable, it is up to 50 times more efficient than the top U.S. models. Which could be good news for the environment, and bad news for Nvidia, let alone any U.S. tech giant which have been gearing up their data center budgets and massively overspending on Nvidia chips (in other words, pretty much all of them — except Apple, which has wisely put Apple Intelligence to work mostly on the device itself.)

"Nvidia has basically been getting rich selling shovels in the midst of a gold rush," AI expert Gary Marcus, one of the deepest skeptics of the U.S. AI approach, wrote as DeepSeek news poured in, "but may suddenly face a world in which people suddenly require far fewer shovels ... building $500 billion worth of power and data centers in the service of those chips isn't looking so sensible either."

Indeed, an increasing number of companies may be able to avoid paying for cloud-based AI services at all. At costs of pennies on the dollar, executives will be able to download an open-source LLM that can be customized to fit their database and data needs. It doesn't need to be the absolute fastest and smartest AI, it just needs to be competitive with the fastest and smartest — which DeepSeek's R1 model apparently is.

SEE ALSO: Here's what DeepSeek AI does better than OpenAI's ChatGPT

So what has ChatGPT, and by extension Altman, got on its side? Why, in this fast-moving tech consumer world, where a competitor is only an app store tap away, would anyone stick with the app they know? Sure, many will for a while, but relying on the inertia of your customer base in the face of close-to-free alternatives is a great way to ... become the next AOL. ChatGPT's fall from grace could arguably happen faster than its ascendency in 2022, which in itself was practically overnight.

Which is not to say that U.S. AI companies are sunk. After all, they have an ongoing cyberattack and a protectionist U.S. government in their corner. Today's Washington is willing to pass the CHIPS act to prevent Chinese companies from accessing the latest U.S. chip technology, which evidently did not work, but it is also willing to ban TikTok, the kind of blunt tool that would work to stunt DeepSeek's scary-fast growth. Suspicions over what China could do with all the U.S. customer data its companies are acquiring are rife, and can always be stoked.

But what are you going to do? Keep banning every Chinese LLM that undercuts a bloated U.S. rival? At a certain point, that's playing whack-a-mole, and it ignores the point. If the market wants a super-cheap, super-efficient open-source AI, then American companies need to be the ones who provide them.

If Altman doesn't release a supposedly superior GPT 5 soon, and if he doesn't want OpenAI to be heading for the kind of long-term decline that has affected so many haughty U.S. tech companies in the past, then he needs to join DeepSeek and Meta in the ranks of AI makers that release open-source products.

And maybe concentrating on the carbon footprint of your AI model — a pretty good proxy for how inefficient it is — isn't such a bad idea after all.

DeepSeek appears to be twisting the knife.

U.S.-based AI stocks took a tumble on Monday following the release of the China-based DeepSeek AI chatbot. The new product from the Chinese tech startup offers a more affordable large language model (LLM), presenting a competitive alternative to OpenAI's options like ChatGPT.

But DeepSeek wasn’t finished. By Monday afternoon, the company unveiled its latest innovation: Janus-Pro-7B, a cutting-edge AI image generation model.

SEE ALSO: DeepSeek AI might be smarter than OpenAI's smartest AI, and you can try it out now

DeepSeek claims its Janus-Pro-7B outperforms existing models such as OpenAI's DALL-E and Stable Diffusion. In a bold move that mirrors its approach with DeepSeek-R1, the company has made Janus-Pro-7B free and open source.

Like DALL-E, a user can input text describing a photo or artwork, and DeepSeek's Janus-Pro will provide the user with an AI-generated image. DeepSeek says that Janus-Pro can both analyze and generate images.

"Janus-Pro is a novel autoregressive framework that unifies multimodal understanding and generation," the company said in a technical report of the model. "It addresses the limitations of previous approaches by decoupling visual encoding into separate pathways while still utilizing a single, unified transformer architecture for processing."

DeepSeek provided AI-generated image examples of the improvements between its prior Janus model, which can be viewed below.

Credit: DeepSeek

Though fairly new to the space, DeepSeek is already positioning itself as a formidable disruptor in the AI race, no doubt leaving industry leaders scrambling to adapt.