IT General

2018 was a weird year. I was 22 and just graduated college with an art degree that I still haven’t used to this day. I was planning to be the next Ryan McGinley, taking photos of handsome twinks around New York City. But I was still naive and living with my parents, working with my dad over the summer to make quick cash while I applied to photography internships around Manhattan. All unpaid.

I was flat broke, so I got my very first credit card, which funded a much-needed new mattress and a ticket to Firefly Music Festival with some of my besties. But I realized I needed more money.

SEE ALSO: The great Grindr glossary: all terms and acronyms explained

I made an account on Seeking Arrangements, banking on being young and broke being enough, but to no avail. I went on Omegle with the tag “sugar daddy” so I could find someone who would let me bully them for incremental payments. That didn’t work either. I gave up on my sugar baby fantasy. 

Until I got to Firefly.

It was a hot weekend. Low 80s. No rain. I saw SZA and Kendrick and Eminem and Arctic Monkeys and MGMT. I was spending a lot of money on food inside the festival grounds. And I was horny. A little horny. Nothing crazy, but I was 22. If you’ve ever been 22, you know.

On the first night, we got back from the festival late. Past midnight. There were four of us in the tent and we were all sharing a Jackery power bank, rationing it so it would last the weekend. My friends were all asleep but I was still awake, phone charging, scrolling Grindr. Tons of profiles. Hot guys from Maine and Ohio and Michigan and Pennsylvania and even the United Kingdom flocking to me and me to them, all under 500 feet from me. Then, a message from a blank profile a little over 2,000 feet away.

SEE ALSO: The best gay dating apps of 2026: Grindr is still king (even if we sometimes wish it wasn't)

“Hey,” he said. I didn’t reply. No pic, no chat.

A few minutes roll by.

“Can I give you some money? You don’t have to do anything.”

My eyes widened.

If I received a message like this now, almost 10 years later in 2026, that would be an easy ignore.

If I received a message like this now, almost 10 years later in 2026, that would be an easy ignore. Grindr is packed to the brim with bots pretending to be real people offering money, fake sugar daddy arrangements, or claiming they want to use your photos for an art project. It’s weird and these bots don't do a great job of hiding it. In 2018, this wasn’t the case. If someone was offering you money, yes, they could be a scammer, but it was less likely.

“I don’t have to do anything?” I replied.

“Nothing. Just send me your email for PayPal and I’ll give you money,” he answers.

Too good to be true. I google, “can someone hack your PayPal if you give them your email?” and got a clear answer. No, they can’t. Unless they have your password.

“Why do you want to give me money? What do you get out of this?”

“Being used financially turns me on,” he tells me.

“Being used financially turns me on,” he tells me.

Whatever. Sure. I told him to keep the payment light because I felt bad. I told him to send me $30. A minute later, I got a notification from PayPal, saying someone sent me $30. A first and a last name. Let’s call him S.J. (not his real initials). I look him up on Facebook and he’s real and he lives in Maryland and he’s an uncle and he works at a bank or something. He’s sort of handsome.

“Can I pay you throughout the weekend?” he asks.

“Sure,” I say. I fall asleep.

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The next morning, I didn't tell my friends. I don’t want them to think I’m going to pay for their drinks or anything. That $30 is for me. I bought Arancini Bros and Island Noodles. There’s not much cell service inside of the festival. It’s better at the campgrounds. So, the whole day, I’m practically off the grid. When I get back, I have another notification from PayPal. The guy sent me $70. So, I have $100 total. I go back on Grindr to thank him and his profile is no longer there, meaning he either deleted or blocked me. Bummer. But, now I have $70 more to spend. I’ll live.

The weekend continues. I spend his money. The weekend ends. I go back home to New Jersey, working the same job with my dad at the courthouse. It’s around two weeks later and I remember how much the money sucks, and then I remember S.J. I look back at the PayPal receipts. Full name. I find him on Instagram. I send him a message. I don’t follow him.

SEE ALSO: Adult Friend Finder app: Where to download the AFF app and how secure is it?

“Hey man, how’s it been?”

He replies immediately. He doesn’t follow me either.

“Good, man, how about you?”

“Good, missing Firefly. I spent so much money that weekend,” I say.

“You’re telling me,” he replies.

“Speaking of, I’m wondering if you can send me more? I’m just out of college and really struggling with bills right now.” I’m trying to make him feel bad.

“Yeah, I can only send $50 right now, that ok?”

“Yeah.”

He sends me $50. I say thank you. He asks if I want to start a payment plan and I tell him yes and we agree on a number. $250/week, but he can’t start until the following week. I tell him that’s fine. I’m excited. Easy money. For f*cking nothing. No conversation. No nudes. No nothing. Just money for the sake of money.

I wait a week and receive nothing. I message him. Hey. No reply. A few days go by and I message him again. Nothing. Again. Nothing. Again. Nothing. I send him around 50 heys with no reply for the rest of the summer. 

He replies one night at 3 a.m.

“Hey.”

Sh*t. I missed it. 50 more heys. No reply ever again. I forget about him.

The email says S.J. was charging back $50 to dispute his second payment. Why?

I get a new job. One that pays like sh*t, too, but with potential to grow. I’m saving money to move to Brooklyn the following June and I’m doing an excellent job. It’s October 2 of the same year and I get an email from PayPal. 

The email says S.J. was charging back $50 to dispute his second payment. Why? He claims I did not provide the service I was supposed to perform. I look back at his payments. The first and third were sent as gifts from family and friends. The second he sent as a payment for services rendered. Services that never existed. I was just receiving money because he wanted to give it to me.

I call PayPal. I tell the guy on the other line exactly what happened. He sounds young and polished and it makes me trust everything he has to say. But he gives me information I don't love. What I did was a sex act, technically classified as financial domination, which their terms of service did not permit. PayPal's current terms state that it does not permit "services whose purpose is to facilitate meetings for sexually oriented activities." I'd never heard of financial domination (also known as findom). I tell him I didn't do anything sexual. He knows, he says, but given the circumstances, that's what was happening. This could suspend my account entirely, but he's leaving me with a warning. They're taking the $50. And another $20 for dispute charges.

Damn. This f*cking guy. I send S.J. a strongly worded email. I curse him out. I call him a loser. I call him pathetic. I call him a thief. I just lost $70. $70 I did nothing for, but still $70. $70 I spent already. I send the email. I’m fuming.

SEE ALSO: 'Castfishing' is the latest scam, and it's scarily like sextortion

He replies minutes later.

“That was so hot.” 

I reply. I’m still heated, but I try one last time.

“Yeah? You think so, you worthless loser? Send me $50, you filthy piece of trash.” 

Returned to sender.

I look up his Instagram. It’s gone. I look up his Facebook page. It’s gone. I type his name into Google. I find no way of contacting him at all.

I never hear from him again.

And, S.J. if you ever see this, my contact information remains the same. I could still use that $50.

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After expanding into color with devices like the Paper Pro, reMarkable is back to black-and-white. The company has unveiled the reMarkable Paper Pure, a third-generation E-Ink tablet that catches up in performance without making you pay for the color display you might not need.

Do you remember LaserDisc? It was an optical format with twice the resolution of VHS, and it was clearly the superior medium for home movies, yet VHS absolutely dominated it. The most plausible explanation for this I've heard is that VHS allowed people to record TV programs to watch later and that buying home movies wasn't something they knew they wanted.

Donald Trump hosted a group of children in the Oval Office for a physical fitness event on Tuesday, reviving the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, and the result was as ridiculous as you'd expect.

In the Daily Show clip above, host Desi Lydic plays footage of the president telling the assembled kids about "the power of a nuclear weapon" before adding "you might be too young for this."

"No, they're not too young, I'm sure they've already seen the Paw Patrol episode where they drop a ballistic missile on Humdinger," says Lydic. "How are you talking about nuclear war in front of children? You kids have seen Oppenheimer, right?"

Lydic goes on to play a montage of some of the other topics Trump discussed with the young cohort, including the "rigged election", "open borders", and "the Dow".

"Mom, could you pick me up from the White House?" says Lydic. "The president's trauma dumping on me again."

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For any job you can do on Linux—or Windows—there are at least a dozen GUI apps that can do what you want. However, to keep distractions to a minimum, I use the terminal for most of my day-to-day jobs, and I don't miss out on any productivity.

I am suspicious of cloud services, so much so that I avoided the entire premise of a smart home until the Matter standard eventually presented me with a local-only option. Yet in the process of living with a local-only hub, I’ve encountered some issues that you just don’t face when your smart home platform is based in the cloud.

Interrupting an actor's vocal warm-up is a risky move, especially when they're about to host SNL UK.

Ted Lasso star and West End icon Hannah Waddingham knows a thing or two about pre-show exercises, schooling cast members Annabel Marlow and George Fouracres in the video above.

Set to host the UK version of Saturday Night Live on May 9 with musical guest Myles Smith, Waddingham takes her warm-up extremely seriously, even if it's just throwing words together and dramatically sounding them out like "big beefy boys need big beefy toys."

It's the penultimate episode of SNL UK Season 1, the finale of which will be hosted by Doctor Who‘s Ncuti Gatwa on May 16, with musical guest Holly Humberstone. The first run of the spinoff has seen previous hosts Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan, Riz Ahmed, Jack Whitehall, Nicola Coughlan, and Aimee Lou Wood.

Season 2 is yet to be announced.

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To some degree, every Windows user should know at least some basic drive optimization. And in that regard, the OS has a bunch of party tricks you can use for that purpose. One of the most overlooked ones is Storage Sense, but what is it, and should you actually use it?

TL;DR: Amazon currently has the Samsung 49-inch Odyssey G9 (G95C) gaming monitor on sale for $699.99, down from its $999.99 list price. This deal comes with a free PC code for Resident Evil Requiem.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 49-Inch Odyssey G9 $699.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $300 Get Deal

If you’re hunting for a good price on an ultrawide gaming monitor to give your setup a well-deserved upgrade, one of Amazon’s best offers now includes a code for one of 2026’s biggest games. 

As of May 6, Amazon has cut the Samsung 49-inch Odyssey G9 (G95C) gaming monitor to $699.99 with free delivery, making it a solid 30% discount for anyone trying to stretch their setup across one giant screen instead of juggling multiple displays. 

The G95C goes big without going OLED, pairing a massive 49-inch Dual QHD screen with a sharp 1,000R curve designed to wrap around your field of view. The 32:9 aspect ratio gives you room to spread out a game, Discord, Twitch, and a few extra tabs without making your desk look like a command center you can barely manage. 

As for speed, this sleek Samsung unit lists a 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms(GtG) response time, which should help cut down on blur when matches get a bit chaotic. AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support is also included for smoother performance during fast-moving scenes, while DisplayHDR 1000, 1000-nit peak brightness, and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio help bring extra depth to bright highlights and dark corners. 

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Two business days after the monitor ships, you’ll receive an email with a redeemable code for the hit Capcom horror game Resident Evil Requiem. If you’re a fan of the long-running horror franchise, this a great first test for your visual upgrade. 

For any other games you feel like playing — be it a round of Fortnite or trying out Crimson Desert — the Odyssey G9 monitor’s setup-focused touches are worth noting. CoreSync and Core Lighting+ add reactive lighting behind the display, while the ergonomic stand lets you swivel, tilt, and adjust the height. Picture-by-Picture, Picture-in-Picture, Eye Saver Mode, and Auto Source Switch+ round out this unit for anyone using this as both a gaming screen and productivity hub. 

If you’re open to spending a bit less on a monitor that’s slightly smaller, the 34-inch Alienware curved gaming monitor is on sale for just under $300. What’s more, the LG 27-inch UltraGear GX7 is over $300 off. 

Back in 2020, in what's still one of the most shocking sporting upsets of the decade so far, Stephen Colbert managed to claim victory over Barack Obama in a game of "wastepaper basketball" — and now they're having a rematch.

In the clip above, after a tour and interview in the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, the two talk smack while throwing their little crumpled balls of paper at a distant trash can. The end result? A match that's not all that closely fought.

We won't tell you who wins, but we will say there's a trophy involved.

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SAVE $200: As of May 6, the EcoVacs Deebot X11 robot vacuum is on sale for $899 at Amazon. That's a 18% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: EcoVacs EcoVacs Deebot X11 Robot Vacuum $899 at Amazon
$1,099.99 Save $200.99   Get Deal

The EcoVacs Deebot X11 robot vacuum is back on sale at Amazon, and if you've been looking for a robot vacuum to handle all the work, this is a great choice. A vacuum and mop combo, this unit is at its best-ever price of $899 for a limited time.

This is a robot vacuum that can handle larger homes. Dirt and dust stand no chance thanks to the OZMO Roller 2.0 with TruEdge 3.0 which gives more precise mopping, reaching into edges and corners more effectively. The BLAST suction and ZeroTangle 3.0 technology provide reliable cleaning power, even for homes with pets.

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It also has a TruePass four-wheel system that helps it navigate thresholds and steps with ease, and the smart wet and dry cleaning system automatically adjusts by lifting the mop on carpets to avoid making a mess.

The X11 also features an OMNI Station that has bagless auto-emptying, hot water mop washing, and self-cleaning functions, so all manual work is taken out of your hands. It's even powered by AI navigation to help it learn your home layout by itself.

You can find this robot vacuum deal at Amazon now.

SAVE $500: As of May 6, the De'Longhi Eletta Explore is on sale for $1,499.95 at Amazon. That's a 24% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: De'Longhi De'Longhi Eletta Explore $1,499.95 at Amazon
$1,999.95 Save $500   Get Deal

Coffee connoisseurs, head to Amazon now because there's a new deal on the De'Longhi Eletta Explore. As of May 6, this impressive espresso machine has got a $500 discount, bringing the price down from $1,999.95 to $1,499.95.

This model is a super automatic espresso machine that lets you create a wide range of drinks at just the touch of a button. No fussing around with settings or complicated parts, this machine comes with over 50 one-touch hot and cold recipes including espresso, cappuccino, latte, iced drinks, and more.

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Pick one of the 50 recipes from the 3.5-inch full-touch TFT display. You can even personalize drinks, create profiles, and make changes to recipes through the De’Longhi Coffee Link App.

For those that are serious about their beans, this machine comes with a built-in grinder with 13 settings for precise dosing and optimal extraction. It also comes with a dual LatteCrema system that creates both hot and cold milk foam for different styles of coffee, if you prefer a cappuccino instead of a straight up espresso. Cold brew lovers are also covered, with the machine benefiting from Cold Extraction Technology to prepare cold brew in under three minutes.

Get this coffee machine deal from Amazon now.

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 SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Wednesday, May 6, 2026:

AcrossWikipedia or WebMD

• The answer is Site.

Host city of the 2024 Olympics

• The answer is Paris.

Nuclear reactors split them

• The answer is Atoms.

Hit 2021 film shot in the same location as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Martian"

• The answer is Dune.

C.I.A. asset

• The answer is Spy.

DownShowed sudden interest

• The answer is Sat up.

"Ten thousand spoons, when all you need is a knife," according to Alanis Morissette

• The answer is Irony.

What's displayed at the top of many iPhone lock screens

• The answer is Time.

Pluralizing letter, spelled out

• The answer is Ess.

Football player's protection

• The answer is Pads.

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

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.

SAVE $130: As of May 6, the DJI Flip (RC 2) is on sale for $509 at Amazon. That's a 20% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Flip (RC 2) $509 at Amazon
$639 Save $130   Get Deal

The DJI Flip is back on sale at Amazon, and as of May 6, it's down to its best-ever price. And with the ban on future imports of DJI drones, now might be the time to buy. Right now, you'll save $130 with the new price of $509.

This drone is incredibly lightweight, weighing under 249g, meaning it doesn't require FAA registration or Remote ID in the U.S. For peace of mind, it's designed with full-coverage carbon fibre propeller guards. For shooting great content, it benefits from features like subject tracking to keep subjects in focus during filming. It also benefits from a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor to capture images with more light and detail, and it supports 4K/60fps HDR video recording.

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With this DJI drone, you'll get an RC 2 remote controller with a high-bright screen, a battery, and additional essentials. To get going, you'll need to download the DJI Fly app from the official DJI website, as it was recently removed from Google Play.

Get this drone deal at Amazon now.

SAVE $30: As of May 6, get a free $30 Amazon gift card when you buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro $249.99 at Amazon
$279.99 Save $30   Get Deal

If you need a new pair of earbuds and you love a freebie as much as we do, you need to check out this Amazon deal on the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.

As of May 6, if you buy these earbuds, you'll get a free Amazon voucher worth $30. You can choose between black and white earbuds, both including the same gift card offer.

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And if the bonus gift card wasn't enough of a selling point, these earbuds are really incredible. Sound quality is seriously impressive, with each earbud featuring a two-way speaker system with a tweeter and woofer for high and low frequencies. They also have an Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation 2.0 feature. This can adjust sound in real time to your environment.

These earbuds also include touch controls for answering the phone, adjusting the volume, and other functions. There's even hands-free AI features such as voice assistance and live translation when used with compatible devices. And don't worry about them being flimsy, as these are designed for everyday use thanks to their IP57 dust and water rating.

Head to Amazon to score this earbuds and gift card bundle deal.

TL;DR: Amazon has the Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Bundle available for preorder at $69.99 ahead of its Aug. 14 release. TCGplayer listings are much higher (starting at $117.73).

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Bundle $69.99 at Amazon
Pre-order Here

The Magic: The Gathering trading card game is heading back to Middle-Earth, and this time Bilbo Baggins is getting his own turn at the table. The Hobbit crossover doesn’t launch until Aug. 14, but preorders are already live and Amazon has the most sensible price right now. 

As of May 6, the Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Bundle is up for preorder at Amazon for $69.99, which lines up exactly with the official bundle MSRP. It’s also being sold and shipped by Amazon, with Amazon’s preorder price guarantee attached. That means you won't pay more if the price shifts before launch. 

TCGplayer, meanwhile, seems to be preparing for official stock to sell out with higher listing prices. Its lowest listing is currently $117.73 with shipping included, while the listed median is hovering around $117.76. That makes Amazon the obvious first stop if you’re trying to lock in the new set without paying nearly $50 over retail price.

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Inside the box, you’ll get nine Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Play Boosters, one alt-art traditional foil promo card, four traditional foil full-art seasonal Hobbit lands, 15 traditional foil basic lands, 15 non-foil basic lands, two reference cards, a card-storage box, and an oversized Spindown life counter. 

That means it’s built for a little bit of everything: cracking packs, building out decks, storing cards, and admiring some very Shire-themed lands. The set pulls from Bilbo’s journey from The Shire to the Lonely Mountain, with Gandalf, Dwarves, Trolls, treasure, and Smaug all part of the adventure. 

As for deals from other MTG expansions, you can score the Avatar: The Last Airbender Beginner Box for only $20. To further expand your collection, Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar The Last Airbender Jumpstart Booster Box is also on sale for around $90. 

TL;DR: Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Booster Display Box up for preorder at $278.95, down from its typical $344.94 price. Walmart and TCGplayer listings are even cheaper, but this Amazon Chaos Rising Booster Box price is sporting a 19% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Booster Box $278.95 at Amazon
$344.94 Save $65.99   Pre-order Here

The Chaos Rising release date is getting closer, and Amazon is starting to drop more discounts on the upcoming expansion.

As of May 6, Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Booster Display Box listed for preorder at $278.95 with free shipping, sold by MVP Marketplace. That is 19% off its typical $344.94 price, saving you $65.99 before tax. 

Each Chaos Rising Booster Display Box contains 36 booster packs from the upcoming Mega Evolution expansion. At Amazon’s $278.95 price, that comes out to roughly $7.75 per booster pack before tax. The listing currently shows free delivery for May 27, with the fastest delivery option set for May 23, right after the expansion’s May 22 release date. 

That said, Amazon is still not the cheapest place to buy. Walmart currently has the same Chaos Rising Booster Box listed at $238.99 with free shipping, sold and shipped by T. Gaming. TCGplayer is also under Amazon, with unopened presale listings starting at $239.40 shipped and a current market price of $238.24.

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Chaos Rising includes over 120 cards, more new Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, more than 25 Trainer cards, and more than 35 Pokémon and Trainer cards with special illustrations. The set features Mega Floette ex, Mega Greninja ex, Mega Pyroar ex, and Mega Dragalge ex.

To get more from the upcoming expansion at a better price, you can also score the Pokemon TCG Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box for just over $130 at Amazon. You can also grab single Chaos Rising booster packs for $12.99 at Amazon. 

An icy world, perhaps just 300 miles wide and far beyond Pluto, may have air, challenging the assumption that small space objects can't hold onto an atmosphere.

This world, known as 2002 XV93, orbits in a distant region sprinkled with leftover rubble from our solar system's early planet-building days. Astronomers often study this ancient detritus, referred to as Trans-Neptunian Objects, by waiting for remnants to pass in front of stars. During rare alignments, researchers can measure how the starlight changes to learn about an object's size and features, such as rings or debris.

What scientists saw instead for this object was startling. On Jan. 10, 2024, the little object eclipsed a faint star — a star so anonymous it doesn't even have a common name. But that event, seen from East Asia, revealed thin air on 2002 XV93.

Typically, if an object has no atmosphere, the background starlight disappears abruptly as the object blocks it. Instead, telescopes recorded a gradual fading out and in of the light at the beginning and end of the event — a sign that an atmosphere had bent or scattered it.

"Our findings suggest that a fraction of distant icy minor planets can exhibit atmospheres," the researchers wrote in a new paper published in Nature Astronomy. 

SEE ALSO: Where NASA's Dragonfly mission is going, 'We don't need roads'

The researchers estimated that an extremely thin atmosphere, with a surface pressure between about 100 and 200 nanobars, surrounds the object. That level is far thinner than Pluto's atmosphere but stronger than anything previously measured around similar small bodies in the outer solar system.

In a post on X, lead author Ko Arimatsu said this is the first detection of an atmosphere for a Trans-Neptunian Object beyond Pluto. It's not known yet what gases are in the world's air, but methane, nitrogen, or carbon monoxide are the team's best guesses, based on their observations.

The discovery shocked scientists because astronomical models indicate small, distant objects should not be able to maintain an atmosphere — at least not for very long. Under weak gravity, gases tend to escape into space, meaning any atmosphere would likely dissipate within a few hundred to a few thousand years.

That may suggest the researchers caught a temporary atmosphere for the object at just the right time. 

The authors proffer a few scenarios for how 2002 XV93's atmosphere could have formed. One possibility is that a comet or asteroid could have crashed into the world recently, releasing trapped gases. Another possibility is that cold volcanoes could have vented gases instead of lava, or internal heat or chemistry could have pushed gases to the surface. 

If the air fades over time, it likely came from a collision. If it continues or changes in cycles, that may mean internal mechanisms are responsible. The team favors the former explanation over the latter.

Scientists say they'll need to study the object more to solve the mystery. They already have James Webb Space Telescope observations of the target that show no indication of frozen material that could have turned into gas.

TL;DR: AcePDF gives you conversion, editing, OCR, and file management tools in one app for a one-time $23.99 (reg. $99.99).

Opens in a new window Credit: Acethinker AcePDF Converter & Editor: Lifetime License $29.99
$99.99 Save $70   Get Deal

PDFs are one of those things many deal with on a regular basis, but rarely with just one tool. One app to convert, another to edit, something else to merge files. It all adds up fast, mentally and financially.

That’s what makes AcePDF Converter & Editor worth a look. For $23.99 (reg. $99.99) through May 10, it bundles pretty much every common PDF task into one place — with a one-time payment instead of another ongoing subscription.

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At the core, it handles conversions both ways. You can turn PDFs into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or images without losing formatting, and go the other direction just as easily. It also supports batch processing, which is a small detail that makes a big difference if you’re working with multiple files.

Editing is just as straightforward. You can merge, split, rotate, and rearrange pages, add annotations, or build forms. There’s even OCR built in, so scanned documents aren’t stuck as images — you can extract and edit the text directly.

Then there are the extras that tend to come in handy more often than expected: compressing large files, pulling images out of PDFs, adding watermarks, or locking documents with passwords.

Instead of piecing together multiple tools, you get a single app that handles the full workflow from start to finish.

If PDFs are part of your regular routine, this is one of those small upgrades that can save you time every week.

Get the AcePDF Converter & Editor for just $23.99 (reg. $99.99) through May 10at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Surfshark One+ and Incogni give you a VPN, antivirus, alternative ID, and data monitoring all in one $75 bundle.

Opens in a new window Credit: Surfshark Surfshark One+ Plan with Incogni: 1-Year VPN, Antivirus, and Personal Data Removal $74.99
$250.20 Save $175.21   Get Deal

Trying to manage your online privacy usually means juggling multiple subscriptions that each only solve one small part of the problem. Surfshark One+ with Incogni takes a different approach by combining a VPN, antivirus, breach alerts, and data removal into one plan. Right now, a one-year plan is even on sale for only $74.99 (reg. $250.20).

Surfshark takes care of your privacy in real time. The VPN encrypts your internet connection across devices, which helps protect your data on public networks and keeps your browsing activity more private. Antivirus protection runs in the background to catch malware, ransomware, and other threats, while Surfshark Alert notifies you if your information shows up in a data breach.

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There is also an Alternative ID tool, which lets you generate a substitute name and email when signing up for sites. That keeps your real information from getting added to more databases. Private search is included too, so you can browse without trackers tied to your activity.

Incogni focuses on something most people don’t deal with directly. Data brokers collect and sell personal information, which can lead to spam, robocalls, and targeted scams. After you authorize it, Incogni contacts hundreds of these brokers on your behalf and requests that your data be removed. It keeps following up over time, and you can track the progress through a dashboard.

Together, these tools cover both sides of the problem. One protects your current activity, and the other works to clean up what is already out there.

The plan works across up to five devices and runs on most major platforms, so you can keep everything under one account instead of managing separate tools.

Right now, it’s only $74.99 to get a one-year SurfShark One+ Plan with Incogni.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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