IT General

I reached the point where the number of remotes I needed to control all my AV devices was getting out of hand. For a long time, I made do with a universal remote, but when that remote broke (and I learned it had been discontinued), I knew it was time to take matters into my own hands.

One of the greatest things Netflix has ever done is produce the Fear Street trilogy. Pulling inspiration from R.L. Stine's seminal Fear Street novels, director Leigh Janiak's triptych slasher transported horror lovers back to 1994, then 1978, and finally 1666, for a winding tale of witchcraft and sapphic love. Now, the torch has been passed to Matt Palmer (Calibre), as he helms Fear Street: Prom Queen.

Can it live up to Janiak's sensational slasher trilogy? This teaser gives us a taste of what to expect and a release date to mark on our calendars.

Fear Street: Prom Queen ushers Netflix subscribers back to Shadyside, specifically prom season 1988. There, the popular girls of Shadyside High are practically feral in their fight for the coveted crown. But two things disrupt the John Hughes of it all. First off, a feisty misfit puts her name in for consideration, disrupting the pecking order. And more crucially, other could-be contenders begin to go missing. So, Prom Night should be one hell of a night.

The ensemble cast includes India Fowler, Suzanna Son, Fina Strazza, Chris Klein, David Iacono, Ella Rubin, and Ariana Greenblatt, plus Lili Taylor and Katherine Waterston. But who will make it to a could-be sequel? We'll find out this spring.

Fear Street: Prom Queen releases globally on Netflix May 23.

Palworld has found itself at the center of a major legal battle against Nintendo, a huge player in the gaming industry. The conflict started in Japan but is moving to the United States, where the stakes could be much higher.

If you've been eyeing the recently-announced OnePlus Watch 3 as your next smartwatch, you might need to wait a bit to get your hands on one. OnePlus is apparently delaying most shipments of its latest smartwatch, and it's all thanks to an issue with the watch's appearance that made it through all the way to production.

The Raspberry Pi is a small, single-board computer that has been hacked into nearly any type of device you can imagine. But what if you could run Linux on a Pi in the form factor of a BlackBerry smartphone? Someone did just that.

Robert De Niro is joined by Angela Bassett, Lizzie Caplan, Connie Britton, Dan Stevens, Matthew Modine and the the Zero Day showrunners to break down the show's hack and it's startling relevance to today.

Zero Day is now streaming on Netflix.

Microsoft now offers unlimited Copilot Voice and Think Deeper functionality for free users. These advanced features were already available to non-paying users, but they were bound by daily usage limits.

Hyperspace is a new Mac application designed to save storage space. It merges data used by duplicate files, using a trick implemented by Apple in the Mac’s modern file system, giving you more storage space without any changes to your visible files.

You don’t have to worry about too many hidden costs when buying an already-expensive MacBook. However, there are still a few extra purchases you’ll likely need to make in order to get everything you want out of your Apple laptop. Here are six vital add-ons to keep in mind.

Retro games tend to look great in our minds, but that always changes once we finally replay them. Even for games that you've sunk hundreds of hours into, the graphics will usually seem a lot worse than you remembered. But why do we always seem to misremember our favorite games?

It's so hard to make sense of money. One second, you're intent on saving; the next, you've somehow blown through an entire paycheck.

The internet's chock full of folks offering financial advice. And the information can be helpful. It can also be dangerous since not everyone has your best interests in mind. The best advice about financial advice is to be careful who you trust.

Mashable previously listed some of the savvy TikTok finance accounts that appear to have their audience's best interests in mind. But with the internet overflowing with financial tips, we also thought it'd be helpful to share some of the better advice we've seen. Here are four of the most useful money suggestions:

SEE ALSO: 4 savvy finance accounts to follow on TikTok 1. Negotiate your big expenses

This is a major tenant of Vivian Tu, also known as @YourRichBFF. Medical bills, the price of your car, your home purchase — try to get the number down, Tu advises. Getting a discount on a big bill has a much bigger, immediate effect than, say, cutting back on groceries.

"It's pretty normal to be able to say, 'I got my home $50,000 under asking,'" Tu recently told Yahoo. "Do you know how many lattes you need to not drink to save $50,000? Just put on your big boy or big girl pants for 10 seconds, have that uncomfortable conversation, and really, really work on negotiating."

One of Tu's videos discussing negotiating medical bills has racked up more than 2 million views.

2. Build an emergency fund before doing anything else

Stuff happens. Being ready for that stuff really matters. Tori Dunlap of @herfirst100k recommends building up three months of living expenses in a high yield savings account before even paying off debt. Her reasoning is that it helps prevent you from going into further debt during an emergency and it'll help you mentally to have something saved for a rainy day.

3. Keep an impulse list

Michela Allocca runs the TikTok account @BreakYourBudget which primarily focuses on helping folks create and keep a budget. Allocca noted they keep a list of things they'd like to impulse buy, which they return to at a later date. That helps you determine if you actually want or need something.

4. Loud budgeting

It can be awkward to tell friends "no" because you want to keep to your budget. TikTok creator Lukas Battle coined the idea of "loud budgeting" where you openly state you want to avoid purchasing something because of the cost.

"It's not, 'I don't have enough.' It's, 'I don't want to spend,'" Battle said in a viral TikTok.

It's a somewhat radical idea that you can be more open about money and be frank about what is worth your hard-earned dollar.

The idea behind all these tips, really, is to be more mindful about money. Taking care of your finances can feel so unwieldy and impossible, but the best advice makes it more manageable.

I love getting out in nature, but I hate getting lost. Fortunately, modern smartphones make that less likely than ever as long as you’ve got enough power and the right software.

More than 20 Department of Government Efficiency ("DOGE") employees resigned Tuesday (Feb. 25), saying they would no longer aid in leader Elon Musk's technological overhaul of federal services.

The group — made up of technologists previously employed at digital giants like Google and Amazon — comprised about one-third of the U.S. Digital Service, the government office subsumed and rebranded as DOGE by Musk following President Donald Trump's instatement. Musk previously fired around 40 digital service staffers after taking over the office.

SEE ALSO: Grok blocked sources accusing Elon Musk of spreading misinformation

The remaining members posted their call to action as part of WeTheBuilders, a recently-launched collective and website created by current and public federal workers who decry Trump's federal efficiency plans and share inside stories about DOGE's overhaul. The group calls themselves "The official resistance team of the U.S. Digital Service."

"We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations. However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments... We will not use our skills as technologists to compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans’ sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services. We will not lend our expertise to carry out or legitimize DOGE’s actions," wrote the Digital Service employees in a joint resignation letter to Trump's chief of staff, obtained by the Associated Press. "These actions are not compatible with the mission we joined the United States Digital Service to carry out: to deliver better services to the American people through technology and design."

💪💻 We are the Builders. #altUSDS #wethebuilders @apnews.com

[image or embed]

— Alt US Digital Service (@altusds.bsky.social) February 25, 2025 at 12:30 PM

According to the employees, unaffiliated White House visitors who refused to identify themselves entered the Digital Services offices in January, aggressively interviewing current employees about their political stances and expertise, while hinting at Musk's overhaul. Digital Services staff said those actions, and more, presented an alarming breach of security protocol. "DOGE’s actions — firing technical experts, mishandling sensitive data and breaking critical systems — contradict their stated mission of ‘modernizing federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity," they wrote.

Last week, Musk sent out a mass email (and statement via social media platform X) to federal workers, telling them that they needed to send a documented report of all the work they had accomplished over the last work week or effectively resign from their positions. The Office of Personnel Management, the federal government's human resources department, announced yesterday that response to the email is "voluntary."

The White House quickly responded to the DOGE resignations, dismissing the group's criticisms. "Anyone who thinks protests, lawsuits, and lawfare will deter President Trump must have been sleeping under a rock for the past several years," said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. "President Trump will not be deterred from delivering on the promises he made to make our federal government more efficient and more accountable to the hardworking American taxpayers."

The iPhone 16e may be budget-friendly, but it still needs protection. Rugged cases offer the best defense, while slim and clear options provide style and function. And, even though it lacks MagSafe, third-party cases can add compatibility.

The Nissan GT-R is a performance powerhouse, rocketing from 0-60 mph in just 2.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 196 mph in R35 guise. They don't come cheap, though, so if a GT-R is out of budget, here are 10 cheap sports cars that would give the Nissan a serious run for its money.

Google’s Pixel 9a just got hit with a major leak, and this time, it’s a full-on hands-on video.

The yet-to-be-announced phone reportedly made an early appearance, showcasing its familiar minimalist design — but with a build that leans more budget than premium, according to 9to5Google.

Google’s A-series Pixel phones have always been about balancing cost savings with flagship-tier features, but the Pixel 9a might take a slightly different approach. If the latest leaks hold up, the device is expected to pack familiar specs: a Tensor G4 processor, up to 8GB of RAM, and a 120Hz OLED display, among other Pixel-specific features.

SEE ALSO: Google Pixel 9 review: Officially too much AI

But affordability comes with trade-offs. According to a hands-on video spotted on 9to5Google, the 9a might be built with cheaper materials for its chassis and frame. Despite its more budget-friendly appearance, the leaker describes the phone as "plastic feeling" — comparing it to a "Nokia Lumia" that’s surprisingly comfortable in hand.

There’s not much else known about the Pixel 9a at this point, but if you’re particular about how a phone feels in hand, well, here’s something to consider. That said, the leak suggests the 9a will deliver an aesthetically pleasing design, opting for a flat profile over bulky camera bumps.

When can you actually get your hands on one? If the rumors are true, Google could be gearing up to launch the Pixel 9a sometime in late March.

For years, iPhone and iPad owners were unable to change their default app settings. But times have changed, and Apple has loosened its grip with a bit of pressure from the courts for good measure. Here’s how to change app defaults, and some ideas of what to replace them with.

While more and more phones are slowly getting satellite text or cellular calling, carriers aren't stopping there. This week, Verizon and AT&T separately announced that they had successfully completed and tested satellite-to-phone video calls. And no, it's not through Starlink.

SPEND $25, SAVE $5: Through 3 a.m. ET (12 a.m. PT) on Feb. 25, you can save $5 when you spend $25 on over 4,000 eligible paperback and hardcover books at Target.

Opens in a new window Credit: Red Tower Books / Entangled Publishing Spend $25 on books, save $5 Shop Now

E-book deals are popping up pretty much every week these days.

But if physical page turning is what really gets your dopamine dopamine-ing, Target's current book sale is about to do a real number on your 2025 reading list — and perhaps provide inspo for a spring refresh of your coffee table decor. Through 3 a.m. ET (midnight PT) on Feb. 25, Target will shave off $5 when you spend $25 on books.

SEE ALSO: I read over 50 books a year. Here are my favorite e-readers.

The discount is applied at checkout for Target Circle members, which is a quick, free membership you'll want to join — Target offers little coupons like this all the time.

The list of eligible books is more than 4,000 long — sifting through all 50 pages is essentially reading a book in itself. Shop BookTok heavy hitters like the Court of Thorns and Roses series or titles from Freida McFadden and Colleen Hoover, nonfiction gems like Matthew McConaughey's Greenlights, shadow work journals, or even the occasional coloring book.

Mashable curated a list of TikTok's favorite fiction books from 2024, in case you don't feel like spending hours on the app yourself. You know, because you like to spend your free time... reading. Even if you're not a big book person yourself, this sale is a gold mine for gift ideas or donation options.

With the launch of a brand new version of Photoshop for smartphones, Adobe has also launched what is now its cheapest premium Photoshop plan. We're not sure if it's a good replacement for that 20GB Photography Plan that Adobe killed off a couple of months ago, though.