IT General

SAVE $700: As of Feb. 10, you can get the NordicTrack T Series treadmill for just $599 at Amazon. That's a 54% discount and a $700 price cut.

Opens in a new window Credit: NordicTrack NordicTrack T Series treadmill $599.00 at Amazon
$1,299.00 Save $700.00 Get Deal

Presidents’ Day isn’t until next week, but Amazon’s already cutting prices on everything from tech to fitness equipment, and one of the best deals we've spotted so far is on the NordicTrack T Series treadmill, which is currently 54% off its regular price.

As of Feb. 10, you can get the NordicTrack T Series 10 treadmill for just $599 — that’s $700 off the sticker price and a solid deal for a treadmill with 34K reviews and a 4.3-star average rating on Amazon.

This treadmill has a large 10-inch display so you can stream live and on-demand workouts, connect with the iFit app, and access a library of over 17,000 studio classes and scenic runs. (The iFit membership is sold separately.) The SmartAdjust feature adapts to your fitness level and auto-adjusts the intensity during your workout. And thanks to its syncing option, you can access your fitness data and stats right on your connected device (Google Fit, STRAVA, Apple Health, etc.).

PlayStation Network went down at the worst possible time for gamers this past weekend.

Around 9 p.m. ET on Friday night, PlayStation users found themselves unable to connect to PSN. The network was down for a still unspecified outage, meaning users could not connect to play online games. In addition, users were unable to buy some digitally purchased games that require an online connection.

If you're a paying member of the PlayStation Plus premium subscription and had your weekend gaming plans interrupted, things aren't all bad. PlayStation has announced that they will make it up to you.

"All PlayStation Plus members will automatically receive an additional 5 days of service," reads a post on X from the official PlayStation support account @AskPlayStation.

Tweet may have been deleted

Five free days of service isn't a bad trade for an issue that lasted around half a day.

PlayStation Network downtime was a big topic of conversation across the internet over the weekend. Although a complete network outage resulting in downtime is not unheard of, these issues are usually fixed quickly. That's why gamers were surprised to wake up on Saturday morning and find that PlayStation Network was still down.

In fact, the first reports about PSN being back up didn't start to trickle in until Saturday afternoon, roughly 15 hours later.

"Network services have fully recovered from an operational issue," PlayStation's support account posted on Sunday. "We apologize for the inconvenience and thank the community for their patience."

Picking an Apple Watch band is no different from clothes shopping. Feeling the materials of each band, trying out their fastening mechanisms, and strapping them on is the only way to find the best fit. Skirting this process could prove a pricey mistake, just as it was for me.

OnePlus has revealed the OnePlus Watch 3 smartwatch will be available in North America and Europe later in February. The main selling point here is its long-lasting battery.

Picture this: you’re dating someone new, and, not for nothing, you’re excited about them. They do things like chat to you all the time, texting and checking in with how your day is going. They take you on thoughtfully planned dates, talk about introducing you to their friends, kiss your forehead after sex, and cuddle you all night — in short, they’re waving lots of green flags and you think there’s a real future here.

But then you blink and suddenly, even though this person put so much of their time and emotional energy into signposting at every turn that they were serious about you, and never once saying they just wanted to keep things casual, they drop you without so much as an "it's not you, it’s me."

This is what I’ve dubbed the Relationship Experience. I’ve seen it play out time and time again, and it’s liable to make even the most sure-footed singleton stumble. 

With a name borrowed from the niche of sex work commonly referred to as 'the Girlfriend Experience,' a Relationship Experience is about enjoying the perks of having a partner for a little while without any actual commitment.

In a way, it’s a tale as old as time. How many times have you, dear reader, felt like you’ve been led down the garden path by someone who was giving off all the signs of wanting something serious with you, only to be unceremoniously ditched without any explanation?

Not quite a situationship, not quite love bombing

A situationship, for instance, is an umbrella term that can define all manner of casual dating scenarios like this one, but not all of them have to be bad. Meanwhile, ghosting can be at play in how they end things with you, but there are plenty of other insensitive ways someone can call time on a Relationship Experience.

As for love bombing, that behaviour is done with seriously nefarious intent, often by narcissists. It’s a means of controlling you later down the line. By drowning you in how good their overabundance of ‘love’ feels early on, their affection becomes the carrot they dangle to get you to do what they want, while their emotional distance and/or cruelty become the stick.

SEE ALSO: How does orientation affect the dating app experience?

Yes, it’s possible to date a person with the best of long-term intentions only to change your mind about wanting to commit to them. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes, and it’s nobody’s fault. 

But the crux of the Relationship Experience is that one party may very well never have intended to commit in the first place. Meanwhile, all the green flags a Relationship Experience-seeker waves can trip up even the most seasoned singleton. This is what makes it so nefarious. 

And when they take their leave of you, they do so noncommittal-y rather than sensitively ending things.

Hurt people hurting people

But all this still raises the question: why do they put so much time and energy into romancing you, even though they have zero plans to take the ‘relationship’ further? 

Dr. Wendy Walsh, a relationship expert and psychology professor, thinks the answer is simple. "An unspoken rule has been observed by evolutionary psychologists around the world; the easiest way to obtain a short-term relationship is by pretending to want a long-term relationship."

"An unspoken rule has been observed by evolutionary psychologists around the world; the easiest way to obtain a short-term relationship is by pretending to want a long-term relationship."

However, psychotherapist Dr. Gisele Caseiras, of Likeminds psychotherapy, wonders if the whole thing isn’t more to do with fear and self-sabotage. She explains that the seeker of a Relationship Experience may well be conflicted about having a genuinely close and committed relationship. "While they seem to desire intimacy, crave connection, and pursue it intensely," she adds, "their underlying fear of intimacy leads them to sabotage the relationship."

And why not be upfront about their feelings? Again, the answer may stem from fear — of rejection and of intimacy — combined with a desire to protect themselves.

Caseiras says: "They may worry that opening up will make them seem unattractive or uninteresting. To avoid feeling rejected, they might show a lot of affection early on, fostering a sense of dependency in their partners."

"This strategy enables them to end the relationship on their terms before facing rejection, often leaving their partner confused and overwhelmed. By not explicitly stating their intentions, individuals might try to avoid becoming emotionally involved and maintain a sense of power."

Thus they can more easily leave the whole situation in the dust if they feel like things are getting "too intense" on either side. 

Even if they’re actively seeking out a connection, they could still fear that intimacy deep down. "By keeping things ambiguous," Caseiras adds, "they can avoid getting too close and risking the emotional pain that inevitably comes with rejection or vulnerability."

This fear can stem from previous love life traumas the Relationship Experience-seeker went through. "Sometimes," Dr. Caseiras says, "people can reenact past experiences, repeating unconscious patterns of behaviour."

"As painful as heartbreak can be, it often teaches us a lot about ourselves."

Ultimately, if you’ve been hurt by someone who was only looking for the Relationship Experience, it’s largely not your business to fully understand why. Or, heaven forbid, try to fix them. Instead, it’s a lot wiser to focus on yourself.

Walsh, whose PhD is in clinical psychology and who works closely with DatingAdvice, suggests: "Use the experience as research on human behavior. Learn from it without beating yourself up for not seeing the red flags."

Caseiras agrees, suggesting you reflect, process, and note what you’ve learned from the whole thing.

"It would be natural to feel rejected but also confused, angry, and frustrated at being misled," she says. "Allow yourself time to reflect on those painful feelings. Explore your experience with a trusted friend — we often make better sense of experiences when we begin to think and put them into a context that others might understand. Those important conversations might help you not only to process your feelings but also lead you to some ‘aha’ moments."

You might also want to think about what exactly drew you to this Relationship Experience-seeker in the first place. "As painful as heartbreak can be," Caseiras says, "it often teaches us a lot about ourselves and what we are looking for in a relationship. Be curious about what kind of partner you are attracted to and whether that pattern is healthy for you. Keep that in mind when you feel ready to start dating again."

SEE ALSO: 10 free dating apps worth trying in 2025

As for new red flags to take away, you should watch out for things like a lack of truly deep conversations and a focus on physical attraction.

As Caseiras explains: “While chemistry and physical attraction are important, if the focus of the relationship seems solely on physical intimacy without any deeper connection, it could be a warning sign. You can tell if the person is interested in you by noticing if they are curious about you, your hobbies, and your interests. They might want to know about your views of the world and your goals. If the conversation is superficial and lacks depth, it could be a sign that the person is not interested in getting to know you on a deeper level.”

Emotional intensity early doors is another thing to be wary of, because, as the good doctor Caseiras says: “While feeling passionate is good, showing strong emotions and declaring love too soon can be a warning sign. If someone makes big gestures, wants constant contact, or makes big promises early on, it can leave you feeling vulnerable and dependent.”

And remember, cliché though it may be, actions speak louder than words. If someone consistently backs up what they say by making an effort to spend quality time with you and is there for you emotionally as well as physically, those are pretty big green flags.

Most vehicles depreciate the most in their first five years on the road. This means that if you’re looking for a used bargain that is going to save you a ton of money up front and won’t depreciate aggressively, you should nab one that is around five years old. This is particularly true of hybrid vehicles.

A good pair of headphones is worth its weight in gold, but what if I told you that you could enhance the sound quality of your existing ones without spending a dime? The solution lies in adjusting your equalizer, and you can do it effortlessly with AutoEq.

Discord has released a new feature called "Ignore" that gives users a new way to make someone stop interacting with users. This feature is being rolled out to every user and should be available soon.

Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of Feb. 10: OUR TOP PICK Kindle Paperwhite Kids $139.99 (save $40) Get Deal BEST SMARTHOME DEAL Amazon Echo Show 5 $69.99 (save $20) Get Deal BEST HEADPHONES DEAL Bose QuietComfort headphones $249 (save $100) Get Deal BEST EARBUDS DEAL Amazon Echo Buds $34.99 (save $15) Get Deal

Another week, another slew of deals at Amazon. We've rounded up the best discounts we could find today amongst the lengthy list of President's Day deals at the mega retailer. From Kindle to Bose, some of our favorite gadgets are down to impressive lows.

Here are our picks for the best Amazon deals of the day on Feb. 10. If these aren't sparking your interest, stay tuned this week as we select new deals each day.

Our top pick: Kindle Paperwhite Kids Opens in a new window Credit: Kindle Kindle Paperwhite Kids $139.99 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $40.00 Get Deal

The Paperwhite Kids is a heftier kids version of the standard Kindle Paperwhite, weighing in at 11.6 ounces compared to the adult version's 7.4 ounces. That means it's sturdier and can withstand most things a kid throws at it. It comes with built-in parental controls so you can monitor the content your kiddo is consuming. Plus, it comes with six free months of Amazon kids+, which is packed with tons of age-appropriate books. As of Feb. 10, you can snag it on sale for just $139.99 instead of the usual $179.99. That's a savings of 22% and matches its best price ever from Black Friday.

Amazon Echo Show 5 Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Show 5 $69.99 at Amazon
$89.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal

The third-generation Echo Show 5 upgraded its speaker system with double the bass, more clarity for calls, music, audiobooks, podcasts, video content, and more. Not to mention, its reengineered microphone array makes for better Alexa responsiveness and its AZ2 Neural Edge processor makes for a speedier experience overall. While the display is small at 5.5 inches, it's a great fit for a nightstand or desktop. Usually $89.99, it's on sale for just $69.99. That's 22% off.

Bose QuietComfort Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort $249.00 at Amazon
$349.00 Save $100.00 Get Deal

The Bose QuietComfort headphones check all the right boxes: top-notch noise cancellation, rich audio, comfortable fit, and affordable price tag. They're not quite as impressive as their more expensive sibling, the QuietComfort Ultras, but our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) say "they absolutely won't disappoint if you want to save a bit of money." They come in seven different color options, each of which are on sale for just $249. That's 29% off the usual cost.

Amazon Echo Buds Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Buds $34.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $15.00 Get Deal

Amazon's budget-friendly Echo Buds from 2023 completely revamped the design from the previous version. While they're pretty simple earbuds, they'll still get the job done. They don't offer noise cancellation or the most comfortable fit, but they sound great, last for up to 20 hours, and seamlessly pair with your other Alexa gadgets. Mashable's reviewer SaVanna Shoemaker put it simply: "For the price, the Echo Buds are a solid pair of wireless earbuds." As of Feb. 10, you can pick up a pair for only $34.99. That's 30% in savings.

Check out our full review of the Amazon Echo Buds.

None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.

A hardware security key is a physical gadget—like a USB stick or—that gives you an extra layer of security through multifactor authentication (MFA). When you sign in to certain services, you’ll plug it in and either tap or touch it on a compatible device to confirm it’s really you.

TL;DR: Learning doesn't end. Spend your life learning new skills in IT, marketing, business management, and more with lifetime access to the full 1,000+ course catalog on StackSkills Unlimited, just A$32. 

When you're in school, learning sort of happens at you. There are teachers and homework and tests, but when you're an adult, those aren't quite as common. Taking the initiative to learn something new can be tough, but there are plenty of courses out there to help. Plus, they might even help elevate your career. 

Whether you're an IT professional, a graphic designer, a business owner, or a hobby collector, StackSkills Unlimited has something for you to learn. This expansive learning platform is home to over 1,000 courses across fields as varied as IT, finance, and marketing, and it's only A$32 to unlock them all. 

Is StackSkills worth it?

Judging whether or not access to a learning platform is worth it is tough. If you want to expand your skillset professionally or personally, there's certainly quite a lot to learn here. You can check the catalog before buying to see if there's a few you're interested in, but it's unlikely anyone would want to finish every course. 

StackSkills isn't just about professional courses. You can check out guitar lessons, courses about different types of art, and more. If learning is your hobby, you have quite a lot to work with, and there's no rush to get through it all. If you leave a course and want to come back, you can track your progress from your account page. 

Lifelong learners, look out

Whether you want to practice a new skill to show off at work or finally figure out how to play piano, StackSkills has a course for you. 

Get Lifetime Access to StackSkills Unlimited on sale for A$32. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: StackSkills EDU Unlimited by StackSkills: Lifetime Access A$32.00
A$962.00 Save A$930.00 Get Deal

Generating random lists of numbers in Excel is handy for randomizing lists, statistical sampling, and many other uses. However, Excel's random number functions are volatile, meaning they change constantly. In this article, I'll show you how to generate and fix random numbers and remove duplicates.

The first beta of Apple's new iOS 18.4 is coming very soon, and it will include a much improved, smarter voice assistant Siri.

This is according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who claims that the first iOS 18.4 beta is coming in a matter of days; more precisely, "sometime between the middle of this week and the next one."

SEE ALSO: Apple's new iPhone SE is coming very soon, report claims

It's a very important update for iPhone owners as it should finally include the long-promised changes to Siri. This will include the ability for Apple's digital assistant to tap into your personal data to provide better answer to your queries. In its promotional materials, Apple says that Siri will also have richer language understanding, more natural communication, and the "ability to take action in and across apps."

Gurman does say that this will not put Siri on the same level as the most advanced voice assistants out there, though integration with OpenAI's ChatGPT should help with that regard. It is, however, an important update for Apple, which unveiled a suite of Apple Intelligence features last June, but still hasn't gotten to launching them all yet.

A public version of iOS 18.4 is due in April, says Gurman.

In his latest newsletter, Gurman also mentioned that Apple is ramping up efforts to create a tabletop robot, which could hit the market in 2027.

Gurman also reiterated his previous prediction that Apple will launch a new, revamped iPhone SE this week, likely accompanied with Apple's new PowerBeats Pro 2 earbuds.

Have you ever blamed a problem on an app or website, only to learn that your computer was the problem? Yeah, well, macOS' predictive text feature interrupted my work for weeks, and I'm still mad about it.

AirPods rely on software updates to bring new features, fix bugs, device compatibility, and performance improvements. If things aren't behaving as expected, it's a good idea to check whether updates are available. AirPods should update automatically, but here's how to force a firmware update if needed.

Clean Slate's Laverne Cox and George Wallace describe their experiences working on the show, what the show hopefully means for the LGBTQ+ community, and which music icons they would invite to the Last Supper of Soul.

Clean Slate premieres on Prime Video on Feb. 6.

The Dimension 20 cast (Brennan Lee Mulligan, Ally Beardsley, Lou Wilson, Siobhan Thompson, and Zac Oyama) stopped by the Mashable studios to give out show superlatives to their most beloved campaigns, like the funniest campaign, the campaign they would most like to revisit, and the best campaign for beginners.

Dimension 20 is now streaming on Dropout. Gauntlet at the Garden will stream on Dropout at a later date.

Now that PlayStation 5 is receiving games previously exclusive to Xbox, it’s hard to deny that it’s the best all-rounder for current-gen gaming. However, it comes with some serious hidden costs and one crucial component that you may not even be able to buy.

Check In is a great way to notify someone that you've safely arrived at your destination, like when you go on a jog or head home after dark. Although it was released with iOS 17, Apple hasn't touched the feature for a while and a few extra features would take Check In to the next level.

SAVE $70: As of Feb. 10, the Bose Ultra Open-Ear earbuds are on sale for $229 in Best Buy's Presidents' Day sale. This is $70 off their list price of $299.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose Ultra Open-Ear Earbuds $229.00 at Best Buy
$299.00 Save $70.00 Get Deal

Best Buy is starting February off strong with its Presidents' Day sale. This event features an excellent variety of deals on everything from appliances to tech that are worth checking out. In particular, if you've been looking to upgrade your headphones or earbuds, there are quite a few offers to look through, including this discount on the Bose Ultra open-ear earbuds.

These earbuds have dropped from their list price of $299 to $229, allowing you to pocket $70. On top of that, your purchase also comes with YouTube Premium free for three months, so you can give them a test run on a variety of videos and music. This deal will not stick around for long though, as this sale event comes to an end on Feb. 17. So if they've caught your eye, act fast to grab them at this price.

SEE ALSO: 30 Valentine's Day gifts for all the sweethearts in your life

Unlike most earbuds, these have a open design that allows sound to pass through, ensuring that you are more aware of your surroundings rather than tuned out through noise-cancelation. That doesn't mean they don't have high-quality sound, though. In our review, writer RJ Andersen says that these earbuds, "have a unique design that prioritizes awareness over noise cancellation. Though we were skeptical at first, these buds are extremely comfortable and score top marks for battery life, spatial audio, and sound quality."

As we mentioned earlier, this deal may not stick around for very long, so act fast to save $70 on the Bose Ultra Open-Ear Earbuds today at Best Buy.

If you'd rather see what's going on in the world of headphone deals, there are quite a few worth checking out at Best Buy and over at Amazon. Best Buy's also offering an excellent discount on the Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) and Amazon has deals on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones and the Beats Solo 4.