IT General

Doom: The Dark Ages preview: I am a rhino with a gun

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 16:00

The release of the original Doom in 1993 was a pivotal moment in video game history. Widely considered one of the most influential first-person shooters (FPS), Doom's relatively sparse plot followed an unnamed marine (dubbed "Doom Guy" by fans) fighting demons on Mars.

Several decades have passed since then, and expectations for games have significantly evolved. Even so, there are some classic truths that have stood the test of time. One of these is that the joy of mindlessly plowing through demons and exploding them like bloody piñatas remains eternal. In this, Doom: The Dark Ages aims to deliver.

SEE ALSO: The Doom-themed CAPTCHA is real and you can try it now

I recently spent a couple of hours with an early PC build of Doom: The Dark Ages, previewing a handful of chapters in the normal "Hurt Me Plenty" difficulty mode to get a feel for the gameplay. While the original Doom was almost exclusively demon-demolishing action, Doom: The Dark Ages makes an effort to incorporate more plot via cinematic cutscenes, taking players well beyond Mars in this prequel to 2016's Doom reboot.

Even so, if you ignore the details, the crux of what I saw was relatively straightforward enough for even newcomers to Doom's lore to grasp. You are the "Slayer," kept as a mind-controlled "super weapon of gods and kings." Your mission? Kill demons. Kill them dead.

Taking on Hell with guns and hubris Credit: Bethesda

Developed by id Software and published by Bethesda, Doom: The Dark Ages hearkens back to the original '90s game in many ways, complete with floating green armour packs, blue health pickups, and even the Doom Guy's face in the bottom centre of the screen offering an indication of your health. (Doom: The Dark Ages' holographic visage will turn from blue to red when your health is getting low, and begin to take on a distinctly more skull-like appearance.) 

Unsurprisingly, this also includes the game's focus on FPS gunplay. Doom: The Dark Ages offers a selection of different weapons which vary gameplay and encourage you to switch up your playstyle. For example, you can shoot a plasma shield with a plasma gun to overcharge it, or fire at metal armour to overheat it before shattering it with a throw of your shield. Choosing the right gun for each situation did have a notable impact on its effectiveness, with different demons more susceptible to different strategies. Watching a plasma shield blow up and take out surrounding enemies is undeniably satisfying. 

Fortunately for those who prefer their mindless violence even more mindless, I also found the "just keep firing until it stops moving or you run out of ammo" strategy was also entirely valid.

Personally, I largely favoured charging in with my shield like a rhino, locking on to my paper bag enemies and rocketing across the battlefield to bash them into satisfying gory explosions. Zipping between demons like a deadly ping-pong ball also had the added benefit of bringing me close enough to administer a Super Shotgun to their sturdier colleagues' faces, or a Gauntlet to the gut.

My shield-focused strategy was subsequently improved when chainsaw blades were later added to its rim, creating the most family-unfriendly frisbee ever. This enabled me to throw it to cut down demons like a grimdark Captain America, or even embed it in stronger enemies. Happily, there was no fiddly aiming which might have slowed down the bloody mayhem. I merely needed to lock on to one of the demons before letting my shield deliver death via express post. Finesse has no place in a viscera-soaked battlefield such as this.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bethesda Doom: The Dark Ages Pre-order Here

Aside from the plot and gunplay, Doom: The Dark Ages also expands beyond the franchise's typically linear gameplay to include some maps that are more open. Even so, the open segments I explored in my preview session weren't anywhere near as expansive as the phrase "open-world" might have one imagine. Rather, they merely offered a little room to choose the order in which you tackle battles, or explore to discover resources in secret areas. In one instance, I grew frustrated with a tough fight so wandered off to take out a few easier groups of enemies before returning.

According to the cutscenes, the Slayer's captors have erased everything from his mind except "hatred for demons." Even so, he apparently still retains a working knowledge of commerce, being capable of collecting gold to exchange for weapon upgrades.

Fortunately, you don't have to spend your hard-found gold on ammo, shields, or health. Aside from the aforementioned pickups found around the map, enemies will also drop health upon death if you're wounded. Murdering demons with up close melee attacks can yield ammo as well, encouraging players to keep fighting even against dire odds. Even so, I did find myself frantically running in circles to collect health and ammo packs on at least one occasion, kiting a surprisingly sturdy mini-boss as I gathered the resources to chip away at their health.

Doom: The Dark Ages' mecha made me a big chunky murder baby Credit: Bethesda

Running, gunning, and punching demons in the face isn't the only chaos you can unleash in Doom: The Dark Ages. Some chapters also allow you to punch giant demons in their giant faces with a giant humanoid Atlan mecha, or engage in aerial combat atop a Mecha Dragon.

The Mecha Dragon is relatively agile, locking on to stationary enemies and swivelling around that point to dodge incoming fire. In contrast to both this and Doom: The Dark Ages' non-mech assisted gunplay, combat in the Atlan takes a more sluggish pace, requiring you to lumber up to your opponent before taking a swing like kaiju duking it out in the streets of Tokyo. 

It's an interesting change of pace, and made me feel less like a rhino with a gun and more like a giant toddler inadvertently ruining everything. And just like a toddler, I also felt absolutely no guilt about any of it.

Credit: Bethesda

Doom: The Dark Ages generally doesn't include friendly fire (a fact I discovered after immediately attempting to mow down the first cowering soldiers I encountered). However, the Atlan mecha does allow you to decimate your allies by knocking down bridges they're standing on and stepping on their tanks. The unfriendly destruction is so complete in fact that one could reasonably argue that deploying the Atlan does more harm to the war effort than good.

For my part, turning my allies into pancakes was largely not deliberate — at least, not at first. Sometimes there's just a bridge in the way of your journey, and unfortunately the mecha's designers didn't feel that the ability to step over objects was a necessary function to include. 

However, this is also where I found Doom: The Dark Ages' plot a little bit more important to my gameplay experience. I'd have felt a lot worse about killing my allies if they weren't keeping me as a mind-controlled murder slave. Once I remembered this factoid, I had no qualms stomping them like grapes.

Doom: The Dark Ages blends old and new Credit: Bethesda

Doom: The Dark Ages didn't always keep up the frantic pace I'd expected. Even aside from cutscenes and mecha sections, there were only a few moments during my preview where I got that locked-in focus and flow synonymous with mowing down a seemingly neverending horde of demons. I also remain largely unconvinced that Doom: The Dark Ages' cutscenes and focus on plot are entirely necessary, particularly as the franchise's primary appeal has not historically revolved around its story. It will be interesting to see how this impacts the pace of the game in its final release.

Even so, I found demolishing demons in Doom: The Dark Ages nostalgic, refreshing, and fun, hearkening back to simpler times while still working to add features befitting modern video game standards (including robust accessibility settings). As everything in the world seems to grow increasingly complex, the simple joys can feel increasingly hard to find. 

Doom: The Dark Ages is a simple joy, offering a cathartic, mindless escape from complicated problems that can't be solved by indiscriminate violence. There are no moral debates here, no difficult questions or philosophical dilemmas to keep you up at night. There is only evil, and there is gun.

This I can appreciate. Sometimes you just need to work out your anger via a simple demon-busting power fantasy. In that, Doom: The Dark Ages may have you covered.

Doom: The Dark Ages arrives May 15 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Best dating apps for women to fall in love, find a plus one, or end a dry spell

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 15:47

Being a woman on the internet is hard. Being a woman trying to find a genuine connection on the internet is even harder. And when that internet is littered with emboldened creeps and AI profiles that pique more curiosity than the real ones, apparently, applying to be on Love Island may start to seem like a sane alternative.

That said, meeting someone great online isn't impossible. With a bit of common sense, a personalized list of dating non-negotiables, and a game plan (for which we've set some guidelines below), there's no need to rule dating apps out as a place to find romance, a wedding date, or an animate alternative to your sex toy collection.

SEE ALSO: What do we owe our online dating matches? So, which dating app is best for women?

Circling back to that common sense we just mentioned — there's no hard and fast answer singling out a single dating app as the one every woman will love. We can, however, provide recommendations based on your ideal entanglement situation: Don't want men to be able to message you first? Bumble. Don't want any cishet men to infiltrate your queer dating pool at all? HER. Simply want a less gamified feel than Tinder — or a free ride to the airport? Hinge.

But really, we know online dating is exhausting — so we've done the hands-on work to find dating apps that go beyond superficial swiping and generic profiles. Of course, if you are looking for superficial swiping, we have some options for that, too. Based on our personal experience looking for love, lust, and friendship online, here are the best dating apps for women in any situation:

Categories: IT General, Technology

The best live deals under $25 in the Amazon Big Spring Sale

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 15:46
Best deals for under $25 in the Amazon Big Spring Sale: Best Lego deal Lego sunflowers $8.36 (save $6.63) Get Deal Best security camera deal TP-Link Tapo 1080p Indoor Security Camera $14.99 (save $10) Get Deal Best book deal Atomic Habits by James Clear (Hardcover) $14.49 (save $12.51) Get Deal

In case you haven’t noticed, life has become expensive. From eggs to gas to pretty much everything in between, the cost of living has skyrocketed, leaving many of us feeling the pinch. Luckily, even as inflation squeezes our budgets, there are still opportunities to find great deals, especially with Amazon and its never-ending sales.

We’re covering the Amazon Big Spring Sale, which ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on March 31. While the main event is winding down, there are still tons of deals under $25 worth grabbing.

Here are our picks for the best items to scoop up during the sale that won't break the bank.

Best Lego deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego sunflowers $8.15 at Amazon
$14.99 Save $6.84 Get Deal Why we like it

Anyone who's ever fallen down the Lego rabbit hole knows it's not the cheapest hobby out there. While none of the popular Lego Botanicals have dropped in price on Amazon so far, this simple sunflower set is on sale for under $10, making it the second-cheapest deal on this list. They're the perfect way to celebrate spring all season long.

Best security camera deal Opens in a new window Credit: TP-Link TP-Link Tapo 1080p Indoor Security Camera $14.99 at Amazon
$24.99 Save $10.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Whenever I leave my apartment, I prop up a tiny off-brand camera to keep an eye on my pups. It’s not the best, but it’s enough to give me peace of mind.

If you’re looking for a more reliable indoor security camera, the TP-Link Tapo 1080p Indoor Security Camera is only $14.99 at Amazon. That’s 35% off the sticker price and just a few cents off from the all-time low.

The Tapo camera can send you instant push notifications whenever movement, a person, or a crying baby is detected. It has night vision, two-way audio, and high-definition 1080p video. And at under $15, it's a budget-friendly way to keep an eye on your home.

Best book deal Opens in a new window Credit: Avery Atomic Habits by James Clear (Hardcover) $14.49 at Amazon
$27 Save $12.51 Get Deal Why we like it

We’re usually all about gadgets, but sometimes, it's nice to take a break from screens and dive into a good old-fashioned book.

The hardcover version of Atomic Habits by James Clear is only $14.49 right now, down from its usual $27 list price. Although we saw this book get to $9.66 earlier in the week, it’s still cheaper than what you’ll find it for on the shelves. If you prefer the Kindle edition, that’s on sale for $12.99.

Atomic Habits is one of the most popular self-help books of the last few years, with over 20 million copies sold. It’s all about building better habits, one tiny change at a time — the perfect read if you're trying to make improvements in your life.

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Categories: IT General, Technology

This Amazon Spring Sale deal on the Eufy X10 Pro Omni robot vacuum is one of the best weve seen

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 15:34

Save $350: As of March 28, the Eufy X10 Pro Omni robot vacuum is on sale for $549.99 in the Amazon Spring Sale. That's a saving of 39% on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Eufy Eufy X10 Pro Omni Robot Vacuum $549.99 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $350 Get Deal

Amazon's Big Spring Sale is the perfect excuse to finally upgrade to the robot vacuum you've been dreaming of. They make your life SO much easier, but we get it: anything that makes our lives that much easier doesn't come without a cost — and for many high-end robot vacuums, that cost is a pretty hefty price tag.

Luckily for everyone involved, the impressive Eufy X10 Pro Omni robot vacuum has a hefty discount in the Amazon Spring Sale, bringing it down to its lowest-ever price. As of March 28, this robot vacuum is now down to $549.99, saving you 39%.

SEE ALSO: I’d happily pay full price for the Soundcore Space A40 earbuds, but I don't need to thanks to the Amazon Spring Sale

If you're not convinced, this vacuum need only speak for itself. Standout features include self-emptying functionality, AI obstacle detection, carpet detection, and voice reminders. If you have an Alexa device, it'll even work with voice control. And it doesn't just pick up dirt, this model also mops your floors, as well as self-cleans and refills, so your work is always done. We've given it the full review treatment, so you can see just how much we love it.

If you have a pet, then the detangling brush will be your favorite feature. The roller brush rotates in reverse, and the Pro-Detangle Comb flips down to loosen and remove hair that's wrapped around the roller brush so you don't have to. Score.

This deal won't stick around forever, so head to Amazon's Big Spring Sale now to grab this great discount.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The best MacBook deals in Amazons Big Spring Sale: New M4 Airs are still $50 off

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 15:31
The best Macbook deals from Amazon's Big Spring Sale at a glance: Best MacBook Air deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $949 (save $50) Get Deal Best MacBook Pro deal Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,399 (save $200) Get Deal

Amazon doesn't offer a ton of great discounts on a huge selection of laptops year-round, but shoppers can always count on it for MacBook deals. It's never difficult to find a current or recent-gen configuration on sale there at any given time, at prices that often give Best Buy a run for its money. (That's usually where you'll see the best laptop deals across all categories — Windows, Chromebooks, gaming laptops, etc.)

Amazon's MacBook deals tend to get especially good during its major sitewide sales, and with its second-ever Big Spring Sale on from March 25 to 31, I wasn't surprised to see discounts of up to $400 popping up across the Air and Pro lines. That included $50 price cuts for the brand-new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Airs (launched on March 12), which were still holding strong at the tail end of the event. Some of the record-lows on MacBook Pros that popped up mid-sale last week have since gone up in price, but the 14-inch base configuration of the M4 model is still just $4 away from its biggest discount on record.

SEE ALSO: 350+ of the best live deals in the Amazon Big Spring Sale, selected by Mashable's team of experts

Mashable's Shopping team will continue to keep track of the best MacBook deals on Amazon until the Big Spring Sale ends later tonight. You can check out our current picks below. Note: Deals with a 🔥 next to them have dropped to record-low prices, while struck-through deals were sold out or expired at the time of writing.

For what it's worth, all but one of Amazon's still-live MacBook deals were matched at Best Buy the last time I checked (the missing one being a $350 discount on the 14-inch M4 Max MacBook Pro). Shoppers may be interested in buying there instead if they have an older laptop to trade in, which nets an additional savings of up to $600.

Best MacBook Air dealsBest MacBook Pro deals
Categories: IT General, Technology

Nonprofits get $10 million grant from Google to expand AI

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 15:30

Google.org, the tech giant's philanthropic arm, is investing millions of dollars into getting nonprofits up to speed on generative AI, part of a massive funding effort to empower organizations to adopt the tech, including Google's own AI offerings. 

Channeled through community foundations in Atlanta, Austin, Columbia, New York City, and San Francisco, more than $10 million in grants have been awarded to technical nonprofits that will then supply individualized AI support to organizations in their communities.

In 2024, Google.org announced an initiative-wide investment in nonprofit AI integration, including a generative AI accelerator program and an AI Opportunity Fund, which would funnel nearly $100 million into training and integration programs for participating nonprofits.  

SEE ALSO: Character.AI launches parental supervision feature

Over the last year, 20 organizations have benefitted from opportunity fund grants, earmarked specifically for investing and scaling their AI expertise, staffing, and capacity. "Organizations across the Fund spent the first year creating, vetting, and piloting new, tailored AI curricula to provide practical skills to the communities they serve," Maggie Johnson, vice president and global head of Google.org told Mashable. "They established national AI committees and working groups that spanned learning and development experts, local chapter leaders, and technological advisors (often Googlers). Now in their second year, the grantees are implementing these programs, and we’ve been excited to see their progress."

Through the six month-long generative AI accelerator, 21 participating nonprofits received a crash course in technical training, which are expected to impact more than 30 million people through new "gen AI-powered solutions," Johnson said. "Overall, Google.org funding recipients report that AI helps them achieve their goals in one third of the time at nearly half the cost. This spans industries including education, health, workforce readiness, and more," she said.

Through this new round of funding, Google is funding educators, awarding millions in grants to organizations like the Tech:NYC Foundation's Decoded Futures project and Project Evident, which bring together leadership in the tech, social, and education sectors with nonprofits to advance safe and equitable technologies — and foster AI literacy. "By connecting nonprofits with accessible AI training, we're equipping them with the tools to streamline operations, enhance their impact, and ultimately, better serve our community," said Julie Samuels, president and CEO of Tech:NYC.

"Project Evident sees this collaboration as one way to strengthen the voices of nonprofits and the communities they serve in the important ongoing conversation about AI’s role in society," said Sarah Di Troia, managing director of Outcomes AI at Project Evident. "[Our organization] calls this moment of emergent AI adoption in the social and education sectors 'all teach, all learn,' and we’re approaching this collaboration as a co-creation process. The most important question Project Evident asks when working with nonprofits on AI adoption is 'Why AI?'" 

Nonprofits that have benefitted from Google's funding include global organizations like the World Bank, as well as community nonprofits like Climate Ride, a catalyst for environment and sustainability fundraising, and Erika's Lighthouse, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing adolescent mental health  — both of which received training in integrating Google's AI-powered assistant Gemini and Notebook LM into their nonprofit work. 

SEE ALSO: Can AI lift up struggling nonprofits — or cause them more pain?

"We do as much as possible on a limited budget with a small team to meet our mission," said Climate ride partnership manager Mackenzie Cole. "We've turned to generative AI to help us do more with our time and to fill knowledge gaps. We rely on tools like Gemini to reduce the hours taken up by time-consuming tasks, like working out spreadsheet formulas or rewriting website copy, so we have more time and energy to focus on the complicated work we do running events to fundraise for other environmental non-profits."

As AI scales at lightning speed, nonprofits have had to leverage the tech's practical benefits against society's ethical quandaries around generative AI, all while trying to stay afloat in a shifting funding landscape. "As with any evolving technology, there are valid concerns around AI use," said Erika's Lighthouse executive director Brandon Combs. "We must also recognize that we are also in the midst of a crisis facing our youth, and these tools will allow us to quickly address and make a meaningful impact in schools across the country."

Google's investments join a mass effort to build an AI-skilled American labor force, with programs like the AI Opportunity Force honing in on demand among understaffed, underfunded nonprofits, rural and underserved workers, educators, and the public sector.

"Project Evident knows that some nonprofits and grant makers are hesitant to engage with AI, but AI is here, and it is not going away," said Di Troia. "Over the past decade, AI has reshaped how we interact with every consumer-facing company, from choosing what movies to watch to completing sentences in our emails or text messages. Choosing not to deploy AI to drive productivity or more equitable outcomes not only limits nonprofits’ efficiency and impact but also deprives them of formulating an informed perspective about how AI should be integrated into our society."

As Di Troia explained, collaborations with major tech leaders, like Google, may ensure that nonprofits and community members become critical actors within a field of AI technology developers, policy regulators, and tech evangelists.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The best live Kindle deals in Amazons Big Spring Sale 2025

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 15:29
Best Kindle deals Best Kindle deal Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition $224.99 (Save $55) Get Deal Best Scribe Deal Amazon Kindle Scribe $364.99 (Save $85) Get Deal Best kids deal Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids $139.99 (Save $40) Get Deal Best Kindle Scribe bundle deal Amazon Kindle Scribe Essentials Bundle $359.97 (save $150) Get Deal Best Kindle Colorsoft bundle deal Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition Essentials Bundle $258.97 (save $104) Get Deal

Last call! Today is the final day of Amazon's Big Spring Sale, your last chance to snag those springtime refresh deals. While we were hoping for broader discounts on the core Kindle lineup — the basic model, Paperwhite, and Paperwhite Signature Edition — Amazon has surprised us with some unexpected deals on its more distinctive models, like the Colorsoft and Scribe.

Despite the limited selection, these discounts are genuinely impressive, with some hitting all-time low prices.

Here are the best deals on Kindles to shop for during Amazon's Big Spring Sale.

Best Kindle Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition $224.99 at Amazon
$279.99 Save $55 Get Deal Why we like it

If you're looking to buy a Kindle during Amazon's Big Spring Sale, the best savings are on the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition. This is the first color Kindle, which debuted in late 2024. While we've yet to test this e-reader, we have high hopes for the device as the rest of the Kindle line-up is stellar.

This will be a particularly good e-reader for graphic novel readers who want the convenience and portability of the device but still want to enjoy every detail in color. It has some great specs, including 32GB of storage, auto-adjusting warmth and brightness, and wireless charging, in the same vein as the Paperwhite Signature Edition.

The Colorsoft is 20% off during the spring sale, bringing it down to $224.99. That's the lowest price the Kindle Colorsoft has reached, saving you $55.

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Categories: IT General, Technology

Apple AirPods deals are still going strong in the final day of Amazons Big Spring Sale

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 15:25
Best Amazon Big Spring Sale AirPods deals at a glance: Best deal overall Apple AirPods Pro 2 $169.99 (save $79.01) Get Deal Best budget deal Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation $148.99 (save $30.01) Get Deal

We're into the final day of Amazon's Big Spring Sale. For those who haven't checked out the mega retailer's deals yet, there's still time to score some sweet discounts across a wide range of categories. You'll want to act fast though, because the Amazon Spring Sale ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on March 31.

If you've been waiting for Apple products to drop to low prices after the holiday season, this is your chance to scoop them up for less. AirPods, in particular, are seeing some pretty solid discounts during the Big Spring Sale, with the latest AirPods 4 on sale for up to 32% off. In fact, a few AirPods have made the cut of our running list of favorite deals from the event.

SEE ALSO: The 9 best noise-cancelling headphones we use and love

We're tracking all the best AirPods deals from Amazon's Big Spring Sale below. Since March 31 is the final day of the sale, now's a great time to score these deals.

Best AirPods Pro deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro 2 $169.99 at Amazon
$249 Save $79.01 Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the Apple AirPods Pro 2.

Apple's AirPods Pro 2 have plenty to offer, including active noise cancellation, hearing protection options, personalized spatial audio, and so much more. If you've had them on your shopping list, they've dropped down to $169.99 at Amazon, making them a much better dealt than the $199 they typically sit at.

Best AirPods 4 deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 (with ANC) $148.99 at Amazon
$179 Save $30.01 Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the Apple AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation.

If you aren't into the higher price tag of the AirPods Pro, the AirPods 4 are a good option that'll go easier on your wallet, especially with Amazon's $30 markdown. While we have seen these earbuds drop all the way down to $138.99, this 17% discount is still a solid deal. Note that you won't get the silicone ear tips found on the AirPods Pro, but you will enjoy the top of the line sound quality and Active Noise Cancellation Apple's become known for.

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Best dating sites for singles over 40

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 15:15

Deciding to get back into the dating game can be nerve-wracking at any age. But the stakes may feel a little higher if you're in your 40s, especially when considering the cost of dating sites nowadays and whether or not they're truly worth it for finding love.

You may assume that people in your demographic either aren't interested in dating or are already settled into long-term relationships, but many people in their 40s are single parents, divorced, or unpartnered, leading to a diverse age range within the dating pool. Getting on one of the best dating sites for over 40 singles could help you find your forever partner — it's not too late to date.

According to a recent Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data, as of 2021, nearly 25 percent of 40-somethings in the U.S. have never been married. Additionally, only 22 percent of unmarried adults ages 40 to 44 were cohabiting couples.

SEE ALSO: Dating predictions for the rest of 2024

So, have people in their 40s given up on finding love? Not at all. In fact, according to the Pew Research analysis, approximately one in four 40-year-olds who weren't married in 2001 tied the knot by age 60. But unlike people in their 20s and 30s, single people over 40 know what they want and aren't afraid to wait a little longer to find the right person.

How to find a partner in your 40s

Now, after that speech and spew of statistics, you're probably wondering what our grand plan is to get you out on the dance floor. The answer? Online dating. Before you scoff, hear us out.

Online dating is a great way to meet new people in a low-pressure environment. The best dating sites for people over 40 make it so easy to connect with potential partners. You can filter through profiles and find matches who share your interests and values. Imagine if you could do that when scanning the room at a party — it would save a lot of time and effort.

But before you download a bunch of apps, Kiana Reeves, Somatic Sex Educator, Intimacy Coach, and Chief Education Officer at Foria, recommends taking a moment for self-reflection: "We join dating sites because we’re looking for connection, whether in the form of a serious relationship, a casual fling, or something in between. With that in mind, it’s important to identify the kind of connection you’re looking for before you join any dating sites, apps, etc."

SEE ALSO: Tired of casual dates? Try the best dating apps for serious relationships.

Next, consider your approach to online dating, Reeves says. "Are you looking for a casual swipe-through site to meet people in a new city? Are you someone who likes to make the first move? Are you looking for someone who is only interested in a serious relationship? Are you looking for someone who shares your same faith? How much time are you planning to devote to making a connection?"

Once you've clarified your dating goals, Reeves recommends "joining a couple [apps] to start out with, so you can feel out what kind of user experience makes the most sense for you." She adds, "Of course, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s totally fine to just join one to start."

Ready to find love after 40? Or maybe you're just looking for a no-strings-attached fling? We get it, and we're here to help. As dating site experts, we've combed through the best dating sites and best dating apps for people over 40, done the research, and even tried them out ourselves to find the best options for singles like you. Whether you're a single parent, new to the dating scene, or just looking for a fresh start, our guide will help you find the best platform to connect with others in their 40s and beyond.

Categories: IT General, Technology

When does Amazons Big Spring Sale end?

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 15:10

Amazon's Big Spring Sale is in full bloom, bringing sitewide discounts on a huge range of items. While the sale is billed as a seasonal event packed with deals on outdoor gear, spring cleaning necessities, and home decor, the Mashable Shopping team is also seeing steep price cuts on Apple devices, laptops, headphones, and other tech.

The Big Spring Sale is Amazon's first major savings event of the year, and it's more than three times longer than the retailer's flagship Prime Day sale in July. It's also unlike Prime Day in that it's not exclusive to Prime members — though they do get access to a handful of special markdowns.

SEE ALSO: 350+ of the best live deals in the Amazon Big Spring Sale, selected by Mashable's team of experts

Strategic shoppers should know this: While some of Amazon's spring sale deals are limited-time "daily drops," most of its offers will be live throughout the entire sale. Here's how long it's scheduled to last.

How long is the Amazon Spring Sale?

Amazon's Big Spring Sale is a full week long. (For comparison's sake, Prime Day is just a two-day affair.)

When does Amazon's Spring Sale end?

The 2025 Amazon Big Spring Sale will end at 11:59 p.m. PT on Monday, March 31. That's 2:59 a.m. on Tuesday, April 1 for shoppers on the East Coast.

When is Amazon's next big sale?

Amazon hasn't announced its next major savings event at this point, but it will almost certainly host a sale over Memorial Day weekend in late May. Stay tuned.

The last chance to get the best Amazon Spring Sale deals
Categories: IT General, Technology

4 clues from The White Lotus Season 3 finale trailer you may have missed

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 14:26

The trailer for The White Lotus Season 3 finale has dropped, and it's imperative that we comb through it frame-by-frame for answers.

There are many burning questions going into the finale — Will Belinda be safe from Greg? What's really going on with Rick and Jim Hollinger? Who is going to end up dead, and who's the killer? — and although the trailer doesn't give too much away, there are some small hints.

From an ominous shot of a smoothie to a deal gone awry, we've broken down the biggest clues from the trailer below.

SEE ALSO: 'The White Lotus' Season 3, episode 7: So, what happened at Laurie's wedding? The fruit and the smoothie Credit: YouTube/Max

It's hard to imagine things getting much worse for the Ratliffs, but the finale trailer appears to be saying "hold my smoothie." Tim (Jason Isaacs) has been fantasising about killing his family for the past few episodes, and in the finale trailer he asks hotel worker and "health butler" Pam (Morgana O'Reilly) about the deadly fruit of the pong pong tree she mentioned back in episode 1 — remember, Saxon picked one up from the ground in the villa when they first arrived.

"Locals actually call it the suicide tree," Pam tells Tim in the trailer. "So don't eat it."

This makes the subsequent shot of one of Saxon's smoothie/protein shakes being blended all the more worrying.

Jim Holllinger back at the hotel Credit: YouTube/Max

It's a brief shot from the back, but it appears that Sritala (Lek Patravadi) and her husband Jim Hollinger will be returning to the hotel for the finale. So what does this mean for Rick (Walton Goggins), who spent the past episode waving a gun in Jim's face in Bangkok? Well, it sounds like an odd thing to say, but I reckon this actually makes Rick safer. Just think: If someone as powerful as Jim wanted Rick dead, why would he murder someone in his own hotel or even be there in-person for the job? No, it seems more likely that Jim wants to see Rick again — maybe to tell him more about what really happened with Gloria Hatchett.

Belinda (maybe) refusing Greg's deal Credit: YouTube/Max

After being made a hush money offer of $100,000 in episode 7, Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) pays another visit to Greg (Jon Gries) in the trailer, this time with her son Zion (Nicholas Duvernay) — and it doesn't look like things go well. "I'm not doing this," she says, standing up. "It's a waste of time." Oh dear. We also see another shot of Greg in the trailer, this time back at the White Lotus hotel sipping a drink and looking sinister. Could he have planned a hit on Belinda? Has he come back to the hotel so that he has an alibi?

Frank losing his cool Credit: YouTube/Max

Now this is an interesting one. I originally thought Frank (Sam Rockwell) would be a cameo character that stays in Bangkok, but it appears the show isn't done with him yet. We get a shot of Frank meditating in the trailer, followed by a far less calm shot of him cutting open an inanimate object in what looks like a hotel room. Is Frank taking the anger at his lost sobriety out on the upholstery? Or is he looking for something that may have been hidden? It's hard to say. But what if Frank holds Rick responsible for him falling off the wagon, and decides to follow him back to The White Lotus on a vengeful whim?

The White Lotus Season 3 is now streaming on Max with new episodes weekly at 9 p.m. ET Sundays on HBO.

Featured Video For You ‘Even more hallways’: The cast of severance on getting lost in Lumon’s expanding maze
Categories: IT General, Technology

The White Lotus Season 3, episode 7: So, what happened at Lauries wedding?

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 13:25

In The White Lotus Season 3, tensions between our three teeth-gritting besties Laurie (Carrie Coon), Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), and Kate (Leslie Bibb) have been steadily rising for various reasons personal and political. However, in episode 7, the trio's dinner turned into a bonafide home truths session.

As earnest hotel manager Fabian (Christian Friedel) finally took the stage for his first performance at the White Lotus restaurant, the group reached a simmering point where the audience got a fleeting peek into why Laurie has such a problem with Jaclyn's actions, and why she may have offered that resounding wail in her room in the very first episode.

SEE ALSO: 'The White Lotus' Season 3: I have a theory about Jim Hollinger

One thing's for sure, we're going to need a little more detail about what happened at Laurie's wedding.

What happens in The White Lotus Season 3, episode 7? They should serve popcorn for this dinner. Credit: Fabio Lovino / HBO

The penultimate episode Season 3 had many an uncomfortable revelation following the choices-were-made rager of a Full Moon Party in episodes 5 and 6 (pour out a smoothie for the Ratliff brothers).

For school friends Laurie, Kate, and Jaclyn, over the course of the day after, Jaclyn's post-party sleepover with wellness coach Valentin (Arnas Fedaravičius) becomes the topic of the day in episode 6, with Laurie slowly processing Jaclyn's decision to a) cheat on her husband and b) do so with the man Jaclyn herself was pushing Laurie to have a holiday dalliance with. Laurie's strategy to compute the situation was spending the whole day seemingly laughing it off as Jaclyn flat out lied about it to both Kate and Laurie. But there's more going on here.

Kate, you might want to listen to Laurie... Credit: Fabio Lovino / HBO

In episode 7, over a hastily-ordered bottle of rosé at dinner, Laurie makes a quip about Jaclyn being tired and the whole thing kicks off. Laurie accuses Jaclyn of being untrustworthy when Kate steps in to describe the whole Valentin thing as "not that big of a deal."

"Was it a big deal when she did the same thing with Dave?" Laurie asks, explaining to Kate: "At my wedding she was all over Dave. I'm sure you remember."

Who is Dave, friends? That would be Kate's now-husband. That means 15 years ago, at Laurie's wedding to her ex Brian, Jaclyn was allegedly "all over" the partner of the friend most in her corner right now. We don't know if Kate and Dave were together at Laurie's wedding, but if Laurie is delivering this news as proof of Jaclyn's behaviour patterns, we're guessing they were at least dating (or at the very least Kate had already expressed an interest in him).

Jaclyn denies the event, but we all know she's not only an actor but a pretty good liar by this point with the whole Valentin thing. After Jaclyn and Kate (defending Jaclyn in the moment) drop some crisp and cruel home truths on Laurie, Laurie leaves some of her own revelations on the table and heads off to the Muay Thai fight in town.

So, what exactly happened at Laurie's wedding, Jaclyn? Jaclyn seems to enjoy competing with her friends. Credit: Fabio Lovino / HBO

It's not clear we'll actually get any more information on what exactly happened at Laurie's wedding in the finale.

In episode 1, when the guests first arrive at the White Lotus and the trio settle into their villa for the evening, Laurie calls it a night and heads up to her room. It's here, staring at Jaclyn and Kate having a cozy conversation, Laurie issues the most agonised, mournful, pent-up wail we've heard in an age. It seems like she's burying a truth here about her friends' deep emotional impact on her. Slowly but surely, over the course of the season, we're clued into the dynamic between the three, and it seems to be one of slightly toxic competition from Jaclyn's perspective, particularly with her friends' partners or love interests.

Maybe we'll get a scene where Kate confronts Jaclyn about what happened between her and Dave at Laurie's wedding. Maybe we won't. But the real question will be what Kate now does with this revelation, and whether her friendship is really worth it. Give us the details, Laurie!

The White Lotus Season 3 is now streaming on Max with new episodes weekly at 9 p.m. ET Sundays on HBO.

UPDATE: Mar. 31, 2025, 4:49 p.m. UTC We've updated this post to reflect the fact that Jaclyn cheated on her husband (not boyfriend), a fact that Laurie should probably keep up her sleeve for future dinners.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Get the Sony SRS-XB100 Bluetooth speaker for under $50 in Amazons Big Spring Sale

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 13:16

SAVE $11.99: As of March 31, the Sony SRS-XB100 Bluetooth speaker is on sale for $48 in the Amazon Big Spring Sale. That's 20% off its list price of $59.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony SRS-XB100 Wireless Speaker $48 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $11.99 Get Deal

March 31 is the final day of Amazon's Big Spring Sale and there are still quite a few deals worth checking out before it all comes to an end. If you've had your eye on a portable speaker to take on some outdoor adventures, there are some great deals still floating around, including on the Sony SRS-XB100.

This compact Bluetooth speaker has dropped from its list price of $59.99 to $48 in the Amazon Spring Sale. There are a few different color options available to choose from at this price, including the black, light gray, and orange.

SEE ALSO: When does Amazon's Big Spring Sale end?

The Sony SRS-XB100 is tiny but mighty, boasting a wonderfully compact size that's easy to take with you on the go and powerful sound that'll make your favorite songs, podcasts, or whatever else you choose to listen to on it sound crisp and clear. It also has a nice battery life of up to 16 hours and a durable build that's waterproof and dustproof. No matter where your travels take you this year, this little speaker can keep up.

This deal may not stick around for long after Amazon's Big Spring Sale, so act fast to save on the Sony SRS-XB100.

This Bluetooth speaker is one of many that have popped up in the Big Spring Sale. To see a few more of our favorites, check out our roundup of headphones and speaker deals live from Amazon's Big Spring Sale.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Last chance to score the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 for under $300 in Amazons Big Spring Sale

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 12:40

SAVE $80: As of March 31, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is on sale for $299.99 in the Amazon Big Spring Sale. That's 21% off its list price of $379.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 $299.99 at Amazon
$379.99 Save $80 Get Deal

Amazon's Big Spring Sale comes to an end after March 31, so if you have found some exciting deals, now is the time to grab them. If you've been looking at smartwatches, there are still some great discounts available, including on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7.

Offering a 21% discount, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is currently marked down from its list price of $379.99 to $299.99. This is only a few dollars away from its lowest-ever price of $295.93, so now's a great time to pick it up if it has caught your eye. Two different colors are marked down to this price as well, so you can choose between the silver and green models.

SEE ALSO: Every single Apple Watch Series 10 has dropped to a record-low price during Amazon's Big Spring Sale

If you're looking to up your fitness game with the weather getting warmer, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is the perfect workout companion. It boasts a variety of fitness features, including an Energy Score that shows your readiness for the day based on your activities from the previous day. It also features a heart rate tracker, sleep tracker, and wellness tips to help you stay focused on hitting your goals.

This is your last chance to save on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 in Amazon's Big Spring Sale, so act fast to scoop it up at its discounted price.

Curious what other deals are still available in the sale event? Have a look through our roundup of 350+ of the best live deals from the Amazon Big Spring Sale to see our favorite discounts from the big seasonal sale.

The last chance to pick up the best deals from the Amazon Spring Sale
Categories: IT General, Technology

The roborock Q8 Max+ is at its lowest-ever price in Amazons Big Spring Sale — last chance to save on this popular robot vacuum

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 12:30

SAVE $420: As of March 31, the roborock Q8 Max+ Robot Vacuum and Mop is on sale for $399.99 in the Amazon Big Spring Sale. That's 51% off its list price of $819.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: roborock roborock Q8 Max+ Robot Vacuum and Mop $399.99 at Amazon
$819.99 Save $420 Get Deal

March 31 is the last day to take advantage of the deals in Amazon's Big Spring Sale. Some of the best discounts we've come across have been on robot vacuums, which makes sense given that this time of year is a great opportunity to give your home a cleaning refresh.

If you've been hoping to pick up a discounted robot vacuum in the sale, this is your last chance. One of our favorite discounts from the sale is on the roborock Q8 Max+ Robot Vacuum and Mop, which has received an astonishing 51% discount in the sale. This has dropped its price down from $819.99 to $399.99, allowing you to save over $400 on the robot vacuum. It even marks its lowest-ever price, so if you've had your eye on it there's no better time than now to add it into your shopping cart.

SEE ALSO: 350+ of the best live deals in the Amazon Big Spring Sale, picked by Mashable's team of experts

The roborock Q8 Max+ will help make your spring cleaning just a little bit easier. It features a powerful 5500 Pa HyperForce Suction that'll push through your carpet to keep it neat and tidy. And when it comes to mopping, you can adjust your mopping settings in the app to suit the room so it can always clean the appropriate amount for each area. Not to mention, it even has a self-emptying feature so it can keep going for up to seven weeks.

Save some cash and make spring cleaning this year a much easier task with this incredible deal on the roborock Q8 Max+ Robot Vacuum and Mop at Amazon.

There are plenty more robot vacuum deals worth checking out in these final moments of Amazon's Big Spring Sale. Have a look through our roundup of robot vacuum deals in Amazon's Big Spring Sale to see a few more of our favorites from the sale event.

Categories: IT General, Technology

NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for March 31, 2025

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 11:09

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 Monday, March 31, 2025:

AcrossCall from an unknown number, often

  • The answer is Spam.

Where a dog might like to be scratched

  • The answer is Belly.

Look forward to

  • The answer is Await.

Shell that can be played as a wind instrument

  • The answer is Conch.

Patella's place

  • The answer is Knee.

DownAffix, as a patch

  • The answer is Sew on (no space).

Maker of connections

  • The answer is Plane.

One going down a literary rabbit hole?

  • The answer is Alice.

"The Great Wall of China is visible from space," for one

  • The answer is Myth.

Where a human might like to be scratched

  • The answer is Back.

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 today's Mini Crossword.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Former White House AI chief: Heres how to protect kids from harm

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 11:00

When Bruce Reed served in the Biden administration as the president's deputy chief of staff, he led the effort on working with leading AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI on voluntary comittments to ensure the safety of their products.  

Reed has since left the White House, but he's not finished with AI, a technology he described to Mashable as "exciting, amazing, sometimes terrifying."

He will continue working at Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that supports children and parents as they navigate media and technology. Popularly known for its media ratings of children's content, including video games, TV shows, and movies, the nonprofit also conducts research and advocacy.

SEE ALSO: Teens are talking to AI companions, whether it's safe or not

Reed, a veteran of three Democratic presidential administrations, will lead Common Sense AI, which advocates for more comprehensive AI legislation in California. Common Sense AI has already backed two state bills that separately establish a transparency system for measuring risk of AI products to young users, and protects AI whistleblowers from retaliation when they report a "critical risk."

Reed argues that we're in a critical window to implement AI safeguards, particularly for minors, before certain business practices become entrenched and harder to regulate.

"When social media companies rushed to move fast and break things, and ignored kids' privacy and safety we ended up with a youth mental health crisis," Reed says. "Nobody wants to see that happen again."

Parents' concerns about AI chatbot harms

While some experts disagree that social media drove an increase in mental health conditions amongst youth, parents are already stepping forward with grave concerns about how their children are engaging with AI chatbots.

Last fall, bereaved mother Megan Garcia filed a lawsuit against Character.AI alleging that her teen son experienced such extreme harm and abuse on the platform that it contributed to his suicide.

Soon after, two mothers in Texas filed another lawsuit against Character.AI alleging that the company knowingly exposed their children to harmful and sexualized content. One teen of the plaintiff allegedly received a suggestion by its chatbot to kill his parents.

Common Sense issued its own parental guidelines on AI companions last fall, and Character.AI has since added new safety and parental control features.

California, where Common Sense Media is headquartered, is an ideal place to pass legislation that addresses some of the emerging risks of AI, Reed says. He was instrumental in drafting the state's consumer privacy law in 2018. In the absence of a federal bill, the state legislation effectively became the national standard because so many tech companies are based in California.

The politics of AI safety

Reed also doesn't seem intimidated by the shifting political calculus now that Donald Trump is back in the White House, having given the impression that AI technology companies have carte blanche to pursue "dominance."

One of Trump's executive orders rescinded AI safety testing rules that Biden himself put into effect. Meanwhile, the companies that might have once voluntarily worked with the Biden administration on safety commitments are now appealing to Trump for less regulation.

Despite the rhetoric and lobbying, Reed is convinced that it's in AI tech companies' long-term best interests to test their products, ensuring their safety prior to putting them on the market.

After all, lawsuits that force companies to reveal their inner-workings and adopt safety measures tend to create bad headlines, reduce investor confidence, and sow public distrust.

Reed is also aware of the narrative that the Biden administration intended to stifle AI innovation.

Critics in Silicon Valley, including venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, have alleged that the Biden administration wanted to take control of, or "kill," AI. (Andreessen described a meeting with Biden officials on the topic of AI as "absolutely horrifying," and said the alleged exchange helped convince him to endorse and financially support Trump.)

Reed participated in numerous meetings with major tech stakeholders, including Andreessen. He politely disagrees that anything of the nature described by critics occurred throughout these conversations.

"The thrum in Silicon Valley has tried to suggest that the Biden administration somehow overreached on AI, which isn't true," he says. "We didn't have the regulatory authority to overreach, even if we wanted to."

Reed instead believes the main objection from Silicon Valley tech investors like Andreessen to the Biden administration's policies had to do with the Securities and Exchange Commission's attempts to crack down on cryptocurrency companies. Andreessen backed some of these companies, and the Trump administration has dropped a number of the SEC's lawsuits in recent weeks.

Pro-innovation, pro-safety

Regardless of the characterization of Biden officials as anti-AI, Reed says he supports innovation — and wants to make sure that the companies get it "right" from the beginning.

"It's important for America to win the AI race, not China, but it's also important for America to set the standard for AI trust, security, and safety, because China's not going to do that."

Reed says that an area of possible bipartisan and industry cooperation, for example, could be tackling explicit deepfakes, a technology that has ensnared teens and adolescents with devastating consequences.

The Biden White House laid out its own strategy for curbing the non-consensual imagery, and First Lady Melania Trump has backed a bill giving victims stronger protections.

Clearly, Reed says, this is not an area where American companies need to pursue dominance at all costs: "We don't need to lead the world in deepfakes — we want to lead the world in stopping deepfakes."

Reed says there's no time to waste on any front, particularly as it relates to ensuring that AI products are designed with children's privacy and safety in mind.

"We can achieve the most powerful AI and still make sure that privacy is protected and that companies are transparent about what they're doing to make their products safe," he says.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Add barber to your résumé with this $50 clipper set for cutting your hair

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 11:00

TL;DR: Become your own barber with the Wahl Self Cut Pro Rechargeable Clipper Set, now $49.99 (reg. $99.99) with free shipping at the Mashable Shop.

Looking for an easy way to save at least $40 a month? If you take care of haircuts at home, that's easily another $500 in your pocket every year. And the Wahl Self Cut Pro Rechargeable Clipper Set makes it a lot less daunting. Head to the Mashable Shop to grab this Wahl hair clipper set for just $49.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Wahl Wahl Self Cut Pro Rechargeable Clipper Set $49.99
$99.99 Save $50.00 Free Shipping Get Deal Add barber to your résumé

The Wahl Self Cut Pro was made to turn you into your own hairstylist. And don't worry, it takes into account the fact that you have no prior training. 

Made by Wahl, an American brand trusted by the real pros since 1919, this cordless hair-cutting kit is truly foolproof thanks to the Snap-N-Lock clipper guards that prevent slipping and ensure precise haircuts. Just select your length, with 12 options ranging from 1/16-inch to 1 inch. 

The Dual Grip 360 makes the Self Cut Pro specifically designed to help you cut your own hair, offering flexibility, comfort, and control. And the SmartCut feature makes sure you can cut from any angle, including the back, top, and sides, thanks to the 15-degree blade angle.

You'll enjoy up to 2.5 hours of cordless use thanks to the Self Cut Pro's lithium battery, and an LED indicator warns you when you're running low on battery. 

Take haircutting into your own hands and get professional results from home with help from the Self Cut Pro, now only $49.99 (reg. $99) with free shipping for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Stop taking notes. This $73 AI device can do it for you.

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 11:00

TL;DR: Focais Meet One is your AI-powered sidekick that records, transcribes, translates, and summarizes conversations in 120+ languages. Grab it for $72.99 (reg. $149) + free shipping.

If you’ve ever sat through a long meeting only to later realize you remembered none of the details, we’ve got something that’s going to blow your organized little mind. The Focais Meet One isn’t just another recorder—it’s basically your new AI-powered executive assistant that fits in your pocket.

At just $72.99 (reg. $149), this sleek device is here to save your memory, your sanity, and possibly your GPA if you're a student.

Designed for anyone who’s tired of typing notes mid-conversation or rewatching Zoom recordings at 1.5x speed, the Focais Meet One captures crystal-clear audio and then uses advanced AI to transcribe and summarize it in real time.

So yes, you can zone out a little and still get a full summary later. This little genius supports over 120 languages, so whether you're juggling international clients or taking a multilingual class load, it has your back.

It works completely offline and is small enough to clip discreetly to your shirt or backpack or magnetically to a nearby surface. There’s no fumbling with apps or multiple logins. Just press the button and let it do its thing.

You get 600 minutes of AI processing per month for life. This can be used for automated transcriptions, translations, and summaries each month.

It’s ideal for professionals who are in and out of meetings all day, students recording lectures, or just about anyone who’d rather focus on the moment than worry about getting it all down.

Whether you're trying to remember that genius marketing idea, keep up with a fast-talking professor, or capture your startup brainstorming session, Focais Meet One is ready to take notes for you—and actually do it better than you could.

Pick up the Focais Meet One while it's on sale for $72.99 (reg. $149) + free shipping.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Focais Focais: Meet One – Your AI-Powered Assistant to Capture & Summarize Notes $72.99
$149 Save $76.01 Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

Exactly how Nintendo can avoid Joy-Con drift in Switch 2

Mashable - Mon, 03/31/2025 - 11:00

On November 22, 2022, Nintendo of America scored a major legal victory. The company had been facing down a potential class-action lawsuit in California over a defect with the Nintendo Switch and its Joy-Con controllers, until a judge threw out the case thanks to a loophole in the console's user agreement. 

This isn't the only legal battle Nintendo has fought over an infuriating design flaw known to many as "Joy-Con drift," in which the joysticks wear down over time and begin to detect movement even when you're not touching the controller. And yet, throughout the Switch's eight-year history, Nintendo has largely managed to avoid any fallout from a hardware issue that most gamers are painfully familiar with. Now, with the Switch 2 on the horizon, Nintendo has a chance to fix Joy-Con drift once and for all. But will it?

"They're going to get flamed if they don't," Carsten Frauenheim told Mashable.

Frauenheim is a repairability engineer at iFixit, a popular website known for breaking down gadgets, publishing guides on how to fix them, and selling replacement parts and toolkits. Over the years, iFixit's staff and community have written countless articles explaining what causes Joy-Con drift and how to fix it yourself. Frauenheim praised the current Joy-Con design for being easy to repair — at least compared to similar controllers from Xbox and PlayStation, where the joysticks are soldered into place — but he added that there's an obvious upgrade Nintendo needs to make. 

"The rumors are that Switch 2 is moving to [the] Hall effect, which makes so much sense," Frauenheim said.

Hardcore gamers (the type who buy "Elite" controllers to get a slight edge over their friends in Call of Duty) may be familiar with the term "Hall effect," but to the casual masses, it's mostly unknown. So with the Switch 2 just weeks away from its official unveiling, here's everything you need to know about the Hall effect, and why it's the best solution for Nintendo's Joy-Con drift problem. 

Nintendo did not respond to Mashable's request for comment on this article.

What causes Joy-Con drift?

Crack open pretty much any off-the-rack video game controller, and you'll find an identical joystick component. The modules used by Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox all feature potentiometers, which is a fancy way of saying that they use a tiny metal arm that slides along a resistive layer of graphite. The potentiometer measures that movement and translates it into video game actions. 

Potentiometers are cheap and easy to mass produce, but the technology has one glaring problem.

"It wears out over time," Frauenheim said.

Because the components of a potentiometer are physically rubbing against each other with each swivel of your joystick, they become less reliable as wear and tear builds up. With enough use, a potentiometer joystick can even shift its starting point. That's presumably what causes a motionless joystick to suddenly register movement, causing your character to run off a platform and plummet to its demise while you're busy looking at your phone.

(Some controllers compensate for this issue by creating a "dead zone" around the joystick's starting point to compensate for drift, but that only delays the inevitable.)

So we know what's causing the problem — even if Nintendo won't admit it — but what's the solution? The answer lies in a scientific discovery dating back to 1879.

What is the Hall effect, and can it fix Joy-Con drift?

Henry Hall was a student at Johns Hopkins University when he discovered the Hall effect. At the time, scientists had no way of telling whether an electrical current was positive or negative, explained Chia-Ling Chien, a leading expert in the Hall effect and a professor at Johns Hopkins since 1976. Hall figured out a way to tell the difference by taking a thin strip of gold that was carrying an electric current and placing it in a magnetic field. The electric current moved in response.

Thus, the Hall effect was born, though it only got that name because Hall's advisor, the esteemed scientist Henry Rowland, didn't have much faith in the results.

"Rowland refused to put his name on the paper," Chien told Mashable, "but he allowed his students to publish the paper alone."

While interesting to physicists, the Hall effect didn't have much of a practical application until the advent of semiconductors in the mid-20th century. This made it possible to create smaller Hall-effect sensors capable of measuring a button press without physical contact between a physical button and its detector. Instead, a Hall switch registers the interaction between an electrical current and a magnetic field.

"The most important application today of the Hall effect is the Hall switch," Chien said.

Today, Hall switches power many of the devices we use each day. Chien noted that many computer keyboards use the Hall effect to improve the device's lifespan, although Apple notably prefers mechanical keys for its MacBook keyboards.

"There's no wear and tear," Chien said of the technology. "This thing can last forever."

Hall-effect controllers use the same technology to avoid issues like joystick drift. Instead of a physical stick pushing against a resistor and measuring the force, these controllers use magnets to measure the change in electrical currents as the joystick moves. 

"There's no contact," Frauenheim said. "It's moving around magnets, and so there's no physical wear happening."

(Confused by all this science mumbo jumbo? Here's the simplest possible explanation, courtesy of the popular subreddit Explain Like I'm 5: "It uses the magic of magnets to make the game move. Other controllers use rubbing to make the game move and rubbing means the controller will break one day. The magnet one won't break as quickly or maybe ever!")

None of gaming's big three currently offer a controller with Hall-effect joysticks, even though making the switch would only add a few "pennies" to the cost, according to Frauenheim. (Microsoft's Xbox Elite Wireless Series 2 does feature Hall-effect triggers, which use the same technology, but even that still sports potentiometer joysticks.) And sure, there are plenty of third-party options available, but most casual gamers probably aren't going to shell out extra for a new controller with high-tech features they don't understand. However, there's hope that this could finally change with the Nintendo Switch 2.

Will the Switch 2 have Hall-effect joysticks?

Nintendo has yet to confirm whether the Switch 2 will swap potentiometers for Hall switches, but recent reports suggest that could be the plan. One anonymous online leaker going by the handle @NextHandheld previously claimed the new Joy-Cons would rely on Hall-effect technology, and as Video Games Chronicle points out, @NextHandheld has already been proven right when it comes to some other Switch 2 leaks.

Those rumors also got a boost when iFixit broke down Nintendo's new smart alarm clock, Alarmo, and found a Hall-effect sensor in the device. In its breakdown report, the site noted that these sensors would "ensure longevity," before adding, "We wish Nintendo used [this] in the Switch Joy-Cons."

However, just because Nintendo used a Hall-effect sensor in the Alarmo doesn't necessarily mean we'll see similar tech in the Switch 2.

"They're kind of two separate input devices," iFixit's Frauenheim said. "You're not sitting there spinning the Alarmo like crazy. So Nintendo's not really worried about cycles on that as much as other stuff."

That said, he's definitely not ruling out the possibility either. 

"Hall-effect sensors have been around forever," Frauenheim pointed out. "So translating it into a controller is not that far-fetched."

Ultimately, we'll just have to wait and see whether Nintendo has a fix for Joy-Con drift, but according to Frauenheim, there's simply no good reason for Nintendo not to embrace Hall-effect technology for the Switch 2.

"It makes no sense for them to stick with potentiometers," he said.

Categories: IT General, Technology
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