IT General

Bloat is the bane of modern computing. Have you ever uninstalled apps or disabled services just to put your system on a diet? i3 is like a desktop on a diet, a lean, simple, yet powerful system that improves my workflow efficiency dramatically—and it's not just for experts either.

In Excel, unnamed things work, though nobody knows why. But as soon as you give all elements of a workbook identifiable labels, you suddenly become a developer, not a mere user. Proper naming reduces mental load, keeps formulas tidy, and makes debugging 10 times faster. So, stop guessing and start coding.

Best early Amazon Big Spring Sale deals at a glancce eufy Robot Vacuum E28 $649.99 at Amazon (save $350) Get Deal Bissell PowerClean FurGuard cordless vacuum $199.99 at Amazon (save $100) Get Deal Bluetti Elite 30 V2 portable power station $219 at Amazon (save $80) Get Deal M4 MacBook Air, 15 inch (24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,299 at Amazon (save $300) Get Deal Hisense 85-Inch CanvasTV $1,896.99 at Amazon (save $301) Get Deal Ninja Kitchen System $129.99 at Amazon (save $90) Get Deal Levoit top-fill humidifier $27.95 at Amazon (save $12.04) Get Deal Amazon Echo Spot $49.99 at Amazon (save $30) Get Deal Bosch 300 Series Fully Automatic Espresso and Coffee Machine $499 at Amazon (save $400) Get Deal

With spring on the way, it's time to throw the windows open and get a fresh start. For the past two years, Amazon has launched its Big Spring Sale, a now annual event that brings major markdowns to warm-weather items ahead of the new season. This year, the Amazon Big Spring Sale is set for March 25 to 31.

Having covered Amazon's Big Spring Sale since it began two years ago, we're here to prep you on everything you need to know, including which deals will be available, early deals to shop today, and whether you need a Prime membership to shop the savings.

When is Amazon's Big Spring Sale?

Amazon's Big Spring Sale will span March 25 to 31 this year, which matches the same dates we saw last year. Amazon lists the sale as officially kicking off at 12:01 a.m. PT on March 25 and ending at 11:59 p.m. PT on March 31. But like all Amazon sales, you don't necessarily have to wait until the official start date. Amazon is already listing early Big Spring Sale deals on items like robot vacuums, Amazon devices, and Apple tech.

What deals will be available?

Amazon's Big Spring Sale is all about the transition from winter to spring. Last year, we saw deals up to 40% off across 35 different categories. The bulk of the deals focus on last-chance savings on cold-weather items, as well as early savings on warm-weather activities and spring-cleaning must-haves. However, deals span across other home and tech categories as well. This year, Amazon says we're in for savings of up to 35% off kitchen and up to 25% off home goods.

Last year, we saw savings across all of Amazon's device lineups: Echo, Fire TV, eero, and Kindle. In fact, the Kindle Colorsoft saw its first-ever sale last year. But will this sale beat Amazon's Black Friday pricing? That's still to be seen.

Do I need a Prime membership to shop Amazon's Big Spring Sale?

Prime Day, Amazon's flagship July sale, and Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon's holiday season kick-off sale, both require a Prime membership to shop all of the savings. Amazon's Big Spring Sale, on the other hand, doesn't require a membership to shop. That being said, in previous years, we've spotted Prime-exclusive savings, so being a Prime member is still your best bet to taking full advantage of the sale.

Will other retailers have spring sales?

When Amazon launches a sale, it kicks off a game of follow the leader. All the other big retailers — Best Buy, Target, and Walmart — have historically launched spring sales around the same time as Amazon's Big Spring Sale. No official sale announcements have come through yet, but we expect they'll come soon now that Amazon has announced official dates.

What are the best things to buy during Amazon's Big Spring sale?

An Amazon sale means some of the best savings will be on Amazon devices like Echos, Fire TVs, and Kindles, but the reach of its spring sale goes far beyond that. With the focus on the spring season, expect to see lots of savings on outdoor gear like furniture, grills, tents, and power stations. Plus, there will be plenty of classic big sale savings on TVs, laptops, headphones, and tablets.

How to sign up for Amazon Prime

Visit amazon.com/amazonprime to sign up for Amazon Prime. Those who haven't been a member within the past 12 months can take advantage of its free 30-day trial. Just remember to cancel your subscription before it renews at $14.99 per month or $139 per year.

Your monitor has a DisplayPort input, your computer has a DisplayPort output, and you've been told that's the best connection to use. So you've bought the requisite cable and plugged it in. Everything seems to be working, but is that it?

It's been a long time coming, but Apple finally upgraded its flagship headphones.

On Monday, Apple announced the AirPods Max 2, a new version of its over-the-ear headphones that originally launched in 2020 (with a minor update in 2024 that only brought the USB-C port).

The new AirPods Max 2 look the same, but they have Apple's H2 chip inside, powering a bunch of new features including Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, and Live Translation.

The sound was also improved thanks to a new high dynamic range amplifier, Apple says. Credit: Apple

Perhaps the most notable new feature is improved Active Noise Cancellation, which should be 1.5x more effective than before. Transparency Mode has also improved, allowing you to hear what's happening around you while still listening to music.

The new H2 chip, which we already know from Apple's AirPods Pro 3, also unlocked a number other smart features such as Siri head gestures, Camera Remote, and Loud Sound Reduction.

SEE ALSO: Apple MacBook Neo is not only cheaper than other Macs, it's also easier to repair

Apple's AirPods Max 2 start at $549, and are available in Blue, Midnight, Orange, Purple, and Starlight colors. They will be available for pre-order on March 25, with availability starting in April.

Smart security cameras can make your home more secure, but they can also pose security risks of their own. If your security camera stores video in the cloud, there's no telling who may be able to see it. Thankfully, there are plenty of options that don't need cloud storage, keeping your recordings more secure and saving you from paying for a cloud subscription.

Microsoft's built-in applications are slowly changing from simple, dependable tools into intrusive, resource-heavy freemium services. The apps you once depended on for basic things now frequently become a way for aggressive upsells, unwanted ads, pushing AI, and wasting background resources. It's a fundamental breakdown of your experience and privacy. While things can go wrong if you're not careful, the good news is that for each of these problematic apps, you'll find a better solution, often free and privacy-respecting, ready to take its place.

If you spend enough time in storage forums or Reddit threads, you will eventually encounter the same piece of advice repeated with quiet confidence: if you want speed, use RAID 0. The reasoning seems obvious because RAID 0 stripes data across multiple drives, so instead of one disk doing the work, two or four disks share it. In theory, that means double or quadruple the throughput and benchmarks often reinforce the idea. But the moment you step outside synthetic benchmarks and look at real workloads, the story becomes more complicated (not boring).

Luxury sports cars are often designed with performance as the top priority, delivering thrilling acceleration and razor-sharp handling. But that focus can sometimes come at the expense of reliability and everyday usability, making many of them better suited for weekend drives than daily commuting. Finding a sports car that blends excitement with long-term dependability isn’t always easy.

TL;DR: The Samsung 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 series gaming monitor is down to $687.06 at Amazon, saving you $212.93 off its $899.99 list price. That gets you a QHD QD-OLED panel, a 360Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro for under $700.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 Series Gaming Monitor $687.06 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $212.93 Get Deal

Although OLED monitors are becoming an increasingly common part of gaming PC setups, high prices from major brands keep them out of most budgets. However, Samsung’s latest offering might be your saving grace. 

As of March 16, the 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 series (G60SD model) gaming monitor is available for $687.06 at Amazon, down from its $899.99 list price. That’s 24% off, or just under $213 in savings on what Samsung promises to be one of its speediest 1440p gaming displays.

With QD-OLED tech used for its panel, this Samsung gaming monitor delivers strong brightness, deep contrast, and a wider color range than you’d expect from a standard model. This means that whether you’re diving into cinematic single-player adventures like Cyberpunk 2077, or competitive matches in constantly evolving multiplayer games like Fortnite, everything will look sharp, punchy, and appropriately dramatic.

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What’s more, Samsung includes an anti-glare screen coating, which should help reduce distractions if your setup is exposed to a lot of ambient light.

As for speed, the Odyssey OLED G6 supports up to a 360Hz refresh rate with a near-instant 0.03ms response time, plus AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support to help reduce screen tearing and choppiness. Samsung also says its OLED Safeguard+ features, including a dynamic cooling system and thermal modulation, are designed to help reduce burn-in concerns during longer sessions. 

Combined with all of those top-tier features, the sleek metal design and three-year warranty means you're getting a reliable unit that’s fit to be the crowning jewel of your PC setup.

If you want smart capabilities from a Samsung monitor, the 32-inch OLED M9 monitor is now $1,299.99 on sale at Amazon. As for other brands, the 32-inch LG 4K UltraGear monitor is available for just under $800.

TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering Duskmourn House of Horrors Play Booster Box is down to $127.99 at Walmart, putting it below market price and making this one of the better sealed MTG deals we’ve seen lately.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering Duskmourn House of Horrors Play Booster Box $127.99 at Walmart
$150.43 Save $22.44 Get Deal

Magic: The Gathering booster box prices can jump around fast, especially when a set stays popular with both players and collectors — or becomes less available as time goes on. Right now, the best place to find Duskmourn: House of Horrors booster boxes is Walmart.

As of March 16, the Magic: The Gathering Duskmourn House of Horrors Play Booster Box is discounted to $127.99 at Walmart, after a $22 price cut from its $150.43 list price. That puts it below the current market price on TCGplayer.

Released in September 2024, the Duskmourn: House of Horrors had been steadily creeping back up in price compared to the newer expansions (presumably due to less availability), so this is a great way to catch up on this set of trading cards themed around the Duskmourn and its collection of frightful creatures.

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This box includes 36 Play Booster packs, with each pack containing 14 cards plus a Token/Ad card or Art Series card. Each booster can include one to four cards of Rare or higher rarity, with the chance of pulling alternate treatments, special frames, and even a Borderless Mythic Rare from Magic’s history. There is also at least one Traditional Foil card in every pack, and 20% of boosters include a Traditional Foil Land card as well. Add in the 10 new Special Guest cards and Duskmourn’s full haunted-house aesthetic, and you’ve got a fun box that’s worth every cent.

Among Magic: The Gathering bargains is the Magic: the Gathering Lorwyn Eclipsed Play Booster Box for only $119.95 at Amazon. Also on Amazon, you can preorder the Magic: The Gathering Secrets of Strixhaven Play Booster Box for just $149.99.

You've heard for years about browser tracking, fingerprints, and cookies, but what do they all mean? How and why do tracking companies identify you? And more crucially, what is the most straightforward way to protect yourself? I cover all of these so you can resist intrusions into your digital life, and it's much easier than you think.

In a pretty overt promo for The Devil Wears Prada 2 mid-Oscars on Sunday, Anne Hathaway and Anna Wintour paired up to present Best Costume (Frankenstein's Kate Hawley took home the gold).

With the Vogue icon essentially subbing in for Meryl Streep in this moment, the duo arrived on stage to Madonna's "Vogue" and performed a Miranda Priestly-worthy bit.

"The character's costume is key to telling a story," Hathaway said. "One could argue that one's wardrobe in real life is also key. Does it make one appear elegant and attractive on, say, the most important night in Hollywood, and say, the most important people in fashion will be judging how one looks...Anna, I'm just curious, what do you think of my dress tonight?"

Wintour's deadpan response? "And the nominees are..."

For the full list of Oscars winners, Mashable's got you covered. We've also rounded up the wildest moments from the awards, and the best red carpet looks.

The Raspberry Pi 2 is now more than 10 years old, but that doesn't make it useless. You won't be able to self-host 10 demanding services simultaneously, but as long as you're selective, there are a huge range of useful projects you can run.

Well, Jessie Buckley's gone and done it.

The Hamnet star took home the Oscar for Best Actress for her devastating, sublime, and raw performance as Agnes in Chloé Zhao's film — and that's following wins at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Actor Awards, and more.

Buckley took to the stage during the 98th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, giving a moving and heartfelt speech.

"Thank you to the incredible women that I stand beside," Buckley said to her fellow nominees Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I'd Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), and Emma Stone (Bugonia). "I am inspired by your art and your heart, and I want to work with every single one of you."

SEE ALSO: Watch Michael B. Jordan's passionate Oscars acceptance speech

Buckley then showed love for her husband Freddie and daughter Isla before paying tribute to Zhao and Hamnet author Maggie O'Farrell, who co-wrote the adaptation.

"Chloe and Maggie," Buckley said. "To get to know this incandescent woman and journey to understand the capacity of a mother's love is the greatest collision of my life. It's Mother's Day in the UK today, so I would like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother's heart. We all come from a lineage of women who continue to create against all odds."

To finish, Buckley, who grew up in Killarney, spoke in Irish, saying, "Go raibh maith agaibh, slán," which translates to "Thank you all, goodbye."

Watch Mashable's interview with Buckley and her Hamnet co-star Paul Mescal. We've also got you covered with the full list of Oscars winners, the wildest moments from the awards, and the best red carpet looks.

The core cast of Bridesmaids reunited for the 2026 Oscars to announce the awards for Best Original Score and Achievement in Sound — but there was some important business to attend to first.

In the clip above Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Ellie Kemper read out notes apparently sent to them by various audience members, from Stellan Skarsgård writing "you're ageing well" to Leonardo DiCaprio telling Rose Byrne to "stop looking at me."

"I apologise, I have been staring at you," Byrne said. "I thought you were somebody else."

Extra points for the audience reaction shots.

For the full list of Oscars winners, Mashable's got you covered. We've also rounded up the wildest moments from the awards, and the best red carpet looks.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you know US geography.

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.

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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.

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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 Pips hints, answers for March 16, 2026 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: They travel together

• Green: Not in a rush

• Blue: Not pronounced

• Purple: There are 50 of them

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Animal group names

• Green: Things associated with being slow

• Blue: Silent "W"

• Purple: Words that sound like state abbreviations

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 #1007 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Animal group names: GAGGLE, PACK, POD, PRIDE

• Things associated with being slow: GLACIER, MOLASSES, SLOTH, TRAFFIC

• Silent "W": CARTWRIGHT, TWO, WRATH, WRESTLE

• Words that sound like state abbreviations: ANY, EMMY, ENVY, OKAY

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 March 16, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

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 the latest Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're an NCAA fan.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, 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 March 16, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 16, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Best of all

The words are related to sports.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a sports tournament.

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 March Madness.

NYT Strands word list for March 16

• Chalk

• Bracket

• March Madness

• Overtime

• Bubble

• Cinderella

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 the latest Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love a Broadway show.

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 hints today: Clues, answers for March 15, 2026 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 Pips hints, answers for March 15, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A spectacle.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter A appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter D.

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...

DRAMA

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.

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 the latest Wordle.

WIndows popularized GUIs on the PCs, but it's always had a command-line interface lurking underneath the surface. Windows Terminal is the latest way to harness the power of the command line. It's much more powerful than the old "DOS box," letting you tap into Linux and PowerShell as well as the classic Command Prompt. Here's what you're missing by ignoring it.