IT General

25+ of the best book deals in Amazons Big Spring Sale

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:48
The best Amazon Big Spring Sale book deals at a glance: Best overall book deal 'Sunrise on the Reaping' by Suzanne Collins $19.59 (save $8.40) Get Deal Best sci-fi book deal 'Project Hail Mary' by Andy Weir $13.98 (save $6.02) Get Deal Best non-fiction book deal 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear $9.66 (save $17.34 with on-page coupon) Get Deal Best fiction book deal 'God of the Woods' by Liz Moore $17 (save $13) Get Deal

Amazon sales are notorious for offering steep discounts on robot vacuums, Apple devices, tablets, and headphones. We're seeing plenty of sweet discounts in these categories now that the Amazon Big Spring Sale is underway, but we're also jazzed to see so many great deals in other categories — including books.

Nothing compares to the joy that comes from sitting in the warm spring air with a good book. Plus, these sale prices make this the perfect time to stock up on books for summer vacation.

SEE ALSO: The best Kindle deals in Amazon's Spring Sale

Check out these great book deals at Amazon if your bookshelf is feeling a bit bare after winter hibernation. The Big Spring Sale runs from March 25 through 31, so we'll update the list with any new deals that drop throughout the week.

Best overall book deal Opens in a new window Credit: Scholastic Press 'Sunrise on the Reaping' by Suzanne Collins $19.59 at Amazon
$27.99 Save $8.40 Get Deal Why we like it

The 50th annual Hunger Games is about to begin, and we're here for it. The latest novel in the saga, Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, is the fifth book in the Hunger Games series, which just released on March 18.

A beloved character from previous novels, this latest story in the realm takes us along with Haymitch Abernathy as his name is called to serve as tribute for District 12. Get ready for 400 pages back in the Panem universe by grabbing Sunrise on the Reaping for $19.59 in hardcover, down from the list price of $27.99.

Best sci-fi book deal Opens in a new window Credit: Ballantine Books 'Project Hail Mary' by Andy Weir $13.98 at Amazon
$20 Save $6.02 Get Deal Why we like it

Ryland Grace wakes up feeling groggy and confused. Once he figures out what his name is, he might be able to progress in figuring it all out. Anyone who enjoyed Andy Weir's hit sci-fi book The Martian is bound to love Project Hail Mary. The paperback version is on sale during Amazon's Big Spring Sale for just $13.98, down from the standard price of $20.

Grabbing this title now is a great idea since you'll want to read Project Hail Mary before the motion picture starring Ryan Gosling hits theaters in 2026.

Best non-fiction book deal Opens in a new window Credit: Avery 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear $9.66 at Amazon
$27 Save $17.34 with on-page coupon Get Deal Why we like it

Although Atomic Habits isn't a brand new title, it's worth a read anytime — or a re-reading. Since the hardcover version is 56% off in the Amazon sale, there's no excuse not to add this title to your bookshelf. Author James Clear uses the 320 pages to dive into bad habits, good habits, change, goals, and more. If 2025 is your year of change, Atomic Habits is a great place to start.

Best fiction book deal Opens in a new window Credit: Riverhead Books 'The God of the Woods' by Liz Moore $17 at Amazon
$30 Save $13 Get Deal Why we like it

One of the best-selling thriller books of 2024, The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, is 43% off at Amazon, bringing the hardcover book down to just $17. Moore takes us back to summer camp in 1975 when early one morning a counselor realizes someone is missing from their bunk. It's not an ordinary camper. The missing teen is Barbara Van Leer — the daughter of the family that owns the camp. The complex thriller takes us down many storylines that weave together into the perfect thriller that's nearly impossible to put down.

More fiction book dealsMore non-fiction book deals
Categories: IT General, Technology

Target Circle Week is live: Shop all the best deals right here

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:41
The best Target Circle Week deals at a glance: BEST DEAL OVERALL Peacock Premium free for 3 months (save $23.97) Get Deal BEST GIFT CARD DEAL Spend $50 on household essentials get a $15 Target gift card Get Deal BEST TECH DEAL Beats Solo Buds (Target-exclusive Arctic Purple) $49.99 (save $30) Get Deal BEST TOY DEAL Select Lego sets save up to 30% Get Deal BEST HOME DEAL Bissell Little Green Max portable carpet cleaner $89.99 (save $50) Get Deal BEST BOOK DEAL Select books, movies, music Buy 2 get 1 free Get Deal

It's almost been a year since Target launched its Target Circle 360 membership. What better way to celebrate than with a sale?

Unsurprisingly, this one-year anniversary celebration happens to fall alongside Amazon's Big Spring Sale. Coincidence? Never. We knew the mega-retailer wouldn't pass up the chance to compete with Mr. Bezos. Enter: Target Circle Week.

"We are thrilled to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Target Circle 360 with our best Target Circle Week yet," said Cara Sylvester, Target's executive vice president and chief guest experience officer, in a press release. "Target Circle members will receive the biggest deals on thousands of items from the latest in spring style to everyday favorites that are always on the checklist."

Target Circle Week is an exclusive savings event for Target Circle members, held multiple times a year. Non-coincidentally, it tends to occur at the same times as major shopping events at Amazon, like Prime Day and Black Friday. Here's everything you need to know about the competing spring sale at Target.

When is Target Circle Week?

As a shock to nobody, Target Circle Week will overlap with the Amazon Big Spring Sale (which runs March 25 to 31). Circle Week officially kicked off on March 23 at 3:00 a.m. ET and runs through March 29, delivering seven days of exclusive deals. The discounts will be available to Target Circle members on the Target app and website, as well as in stores.

How to sign up for Target Circle

Target Circle Week requires a membership to shop, but unlike Prime or Walmart Plus, Target Circle is free to join. Here's how:

  1. Head to Target.com/circle and choose "Create account."

  2. Enter your full name, email address, and phone number.

  3. Choose whether to use a password or passkey (fingerprint, face ID, or pin) to sign in.

  4. Select "Create account." You are now a Target Circle member and are free to shop the savings event when it goes live.

Early access for Target Circle 360 members

For the first time, Target Circle 360 members will get early access to select deals 24 hours before they open to all Target Circle members.

Target Circle 360 members can shop the following deals before anyone else: 

Target Circle 360 is a paid membership that offers unlimited same-day delivery from Target, access to a curated marketplace of other retailers and grocers via Shipt.com, free two-day shipping on eligible items, and other exclusive benefits and experiences. Typically $99 for the year, memberships are on sale for just $49 from March 16 through 29. That's 50% in savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Target Target Circle 360 one-year membership $49
$99 Save $50 Get Deal Best Target Circle Week deals

Target Circle Week will feature deals on "must-have spring items," which coincidentally encompasses just about everything from home essentials and beauty products to books and toys. Mashable's shopping experts will be following the Target Circle Week sale closely and updating this list with any new noteworthy deals that drop through March 29. Here's a look at some of the best featured deals.

Peacock Premium deal

Another first for Target Circle Week: three free months of Peacock Premium. Thanks to a special, limited-time partner perk, new and returning Peacock subscribers can sign up for the ad-supported tier at no cost from March 9 through March 29. Conveniently, Wicked started streaming on March 21 on Peacock — just saying.

Of course, once the three-month promotional period expires, you'll be charged full price (currently $7.99 per month), and your subscription will auto-renew monthly. You can cancel anytime to avoid further charges.

Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock Premium Get 3 free months free with Target Circle Get Deal Target's Deal of the Day

As stated in the press release, Target Circle Week will bring back the customer-favorite "Deal of the Day." Limited-time unique deals will pop up (and then disappear) for members to shop. Similar to Amazon's Lightning deals, they'll only stick around for 24 hours. Keep an eye out for these exclusive discounts each day of the sale. So far, we've seen the Instant Pot 7-in-1 Rio Wide down to $79.99 from $129.99 and 25% off Hearth & Hand with Magnolia home products.

Here's a sneak peek at some of the upcoming deals:

  • Dyson V8 Origin cordless stick vacuum (March 25)

  • 30% off women's denim (March 25)

  • BOGO 50% off pet toys and accessories (March 26)

  • 40% off rugs (March 26)

  • 40% off select jewelry and accessories (March 27)

  • 50% off Brightroom Y-Weave storage items (March 27)

  • 40% off sandals & shoes for all (March 28)

  • 30% off Gigglescape toys (March 28)

  • 30% off swimsuits for all (March 29)

  • 30% off All In Motion fitness items & water bottles (March 29)

Gift card reward dealsBest Target Circle Week tech dealsBest Target Circle Week toy dealsBest Target Circle Week home dealsEven more deals
Categories: IT General, Technology

The best stick vacuum deals in the Amazon Big Spring Sale

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:39
A peek at the best stick vacuum deals in Amazon's Big Spring Sale: Best under $200 Dreame R10 149.99 at Amazon (save $50) Get Deal Best self-emptying deal Shark Clean & Empty $299.99 at Amazon (save $100) Get Deal

There are two types of spring cleaners in the world: The ones who wish they could unwind while the job is done for them, or the ones who classify a deep clean as their ideal unwinding activity. In terms of floor care, the latter group is probably eyeing up a manual vacuum over a robot vacuum, and Amazon's Big Spring Sale is a great time to get one on sale.

SEE ALSO: The Roborock Saros 10R aces one thing that most other robot vacuums can't

Amazon's selection of stick vacuum deals exemplifies the diversity of solid, affordable options in between the rinky-dink Dyson dupes on TikTok and pricey Dysons themselves. Amazon actually isn't a great place to find Dyson vacuums on sale — Walmart or Dyson's own website are way better bets for Dyson, while brands like Shark, Samsung, and Tineco flood Amazon.

Below, I'm tracking the best cordless stick vacuum deals through the end of the Big Spring Sale, which runs March 25 to 31. (Though if you're open to automating this chore, I'd recommend considering the robot vacuum deals at Amazon, too.) Note: Deals with a 🔥 next to them have dropped to record-low prices.

Best stick vacuum deal from Amazon's Spring Sale Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark Clean & Empty cordless vacuum with auto-empty system $299.99 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $100 Get Deal Why we like it

Self-emptying robot vacuums are way more common than self-emptying stick vacuums, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. After all, you shouldn't be saddled with the task of manual dustbin emptying just because you happen to prefer manual sweeping. Shark gets that, even if Dyson still doesn't.

This Shark Clean & Empty is like a diet version of the Shark PowerDetect and Shark Detect Pro cordless vacuums that I've tested. Like those slightly pricier models, it automatically adjusts suction power based on floor type and automatically empties its debris into the docking station where it charges. It also comes with a motorized hand tool — a crucial addition if you'll also be cleaning pet hair off of furniture.

More stick vacuums on sale
Categories: IT General, Technology

The best Kindle deals in the Amazon Big Spring Sale 2025

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:38
Best early 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 $449.97 (save $60) Get Deal Best Kindle Colorsoft bundle deal Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition Essentials Bundle $327.97 (save $35) Get Deal

After weeks of anticipation, Amazon's Big Spring Sale is finally here, running from March 25-31. This seasonal sale brings deals on springtime favorites for a little refresh as we exit winter.

As expected, this sale is bringing discounts on Amazon's flagship devices. Our favorites, as always, are Amazon's Kindles. Having tried nearly every model in the line-up, we can safely say that Kindles are fantastic e-readers, well suited for anyone, whether you're an avid annotator or shopping on a budget.

But let's temper your expectations. The deals are good but unexpected. We're seeing no deals on our preferred Kindles, the basic model, Paperwhite, and Paperwhite Signature Edition. Instead, Amazon has marked down its Kindles with a little more flair, like the Colorsoft and Scribe. And while the sale is more limited than expected on Kindles, we can say that the deals are great. Like lowest price ever great.

Here are the best deals on Kindles to shop 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.

More Kindle bundle deals
Categories: IT General, Technology

The best live deals on tablets in the Amazon Big Spring Sale 2025

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:36

Get ready, because Amazon's Big Spring Sale is finally here. Running from March 25 to 31, the event will mostly feature deals on spring essentials and outdoor items, but that doesn't mean it'll be completely devoid of tech deals. Case in point: A bunch of tablets are on sale during the event, including some fan favorites. So far, we're finding some pretty decent discounts on iPads, Amazon Fire Tablets, and others that we think are worth giving a look.

SEE ALSO: Amazon has a lot of Apple Watch deals ahead of its Big Spring Sale, but shoppers should still wait to buy

If you (or your kid) are in need of a new tablet, check out our favorite deals from Amazon's Big Spring Sale below. And stay tuned to our coverage throughout the event, because we'll be updating you on all the best deals as soon as they pop up.

iPad dealsAmazon Fire tablet dealsMore tablet deals
Categories: IT General, Technology

The best gaming deals in the Amazon Big Spring Sale 2025 — shop PlayStation, Nintendo, and more

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:35

2025 is going to be a huge year for gaming. That's fantastic news, but it also means that you're probably going to be spending a lot of money on gaming-related things over the next few months, whether it's individual titles, accessories, or even new consoles. You know what we're going to say next: That's why it's a good idea to keep your eyes open for a big sale to give your bank account a break.

SEE ALSO: Gaming starter kit: All the gear you need to play like a real gamer

Thankfully, Amazon is swooping in to save the day with yet another Big Spring Sale. Taking place from March 25 to 31, the sale features tons of deals on mostly spring essentials and outdoor products, but gaming discounts are also making an appearance in a big way.

Read on for a list of our favorite gaming deals from Amazon's Big Spring Sale below, including price cuts on consoles, games, accessories, and plenty more.

PlayStation game dealsPlayStation hardware deals

Headsets

Accessories

Xbox game dealsXbox hardware deals

Consoles

Controllers

Headsets

Best Nintendo Switch game dealsNintendo Switch hardware deals

Controllers and accessories

Memory cards

Categories: IT General, Technology

The closest potentially Earth-like exoplanet probably cant host life

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:30

Only a few years ago, astronomers heralded the discovery of a rocky world circling the sun's closest space neighbor, Proxima Centauri. 

The star, just four light-years away, is known as a red dwarf, or M-type, and is quite different from Earth's own. Although the exoplanet, Proxima b, orbits extremely close — a year there is only 11 Earth-days — its star's relatively smaller size and lower temperature could mean this world has the right conditions for liquid water to pool on its surface. 

But a new study may have dashed scientists' hopes that the alien world could support life. The star’s flares are much more violent than previously thought, the researchers say, potentially obliterating the planet’s air. Not having an atmosphere, which traps important gases like oxygen and water vapor, may render a planet uninhabitable, even if it were otherwise an Earth doppelganger.

"Our Sun’s activity doesn’t remove Earth’s atmosphere and instead causes beautiful auroras because we have a thick atmosphere and a strong magnetic field to protect our planet," said Meredith MacGregor of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, one of the authors, in a statement. "But Proxima Centauri’s flares are much more powerful."

SEE ALSO: Webb telescope captures weird auroras on Neptune for the first time The sun's nearest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centauri, likely clobers any orbiting exoplanets with radiation, a new study finds. Credit: ESO / M. Kornmesser illustration

The study relied on the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, or ALMA, a telescope in Chile that can detect light at radio and millimeter wavelengths. During 50 hours of observations, the team saw 463 flares, which occur when a star's magnetic field tangles, compresses, and causes an explosion. Such a blast releases a torrent of radiation. 

Some of the flares only lasted a handful of seconds, but the strongest ones were so powerful that they could destroy a planet's atmosphere over time, according to the research. The paper was published in The Astrophysical Journal.

The study suggests Proxima Centauri's flares are much more frequent and extreme, likely because it is fully convective. That means unlike the sun, which has layers that behave differently, Proxima Centauri's entire structure moves like a boiling cauldron of water. The result is a magnetic field that is always jumbling and snapping, releasing enormous bursts of energy. 

If the researchers had only studied the star's activity in visible light wavelengths, they wouldn't have gotten a complete picture of the high-energy particles Proxima Centauri releases, MacGregor said. 

Scientists will continue to study the habitability of worlds orbiting red dwarf stars through a major James Webb Space Telescope campaign. Credit: ESO / L. Calçada illustration

"When we see the flares with ALMA, what we’re seeing is the electromagnetic radiation — the light in various wavelengths," she said in a statement. "But looking deeper, this radio wavelength flaring is also giving us a way to trace the properties of those particles."

Though Proxima b may be nothing more than an irradiated rock, scientists are continuing to look at rocky worlds outside the solar system, specifically those closely orbiting small red stars, to determine whether they can hold onto atmospheres. Despite red dwarfs being the most common stars in the Milky Way, nobody knows whether these planets can host air. 

A massive James Webb Space Telescope campaign will home in on a dozen nearby-ish planets over the next two years to try to answer that question. The program, first reported by Mashable, budgets about 500 hours of observations on Webb, along with about 250 orbits of ultraviolet observations with the Hubble Space Telescope, to help characterize the host stars' activity. 

Néstor Espinoza, an astronomer heading up the campaign's implementation, said it's a high-risk, high-reward program. 

"If you found out that none of them have atmospheres, that would be pretty sad, but also pretty interesting," he told Mashable last year. "It would mean that our planetary system is actually really, really special."

Categories: IT General, Technology

Today's NYT Connections Hints and Answer for March 28 (#656)

How-To Geek - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:00

Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn't—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they're usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we've got you covered.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega and the Death of a Unicorn cast reveal when their minds were utterly blown

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:00

Death of a Unicorn's Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Téa Leoni, Will Poulter, and Richard E. Grant describe the moments in their life when their lives changed forever.

Death of a Unicorn is now in theaters.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Webb telescopes new photo isnt just rare. Its psychedelic.

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:00

Space is phantasmagorical.

Astronomers using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope to survey distant galaxies spotted an unusual, chance phenomenon called an "Einstein ring." It's not an actual object, but a warped, mind-bending optical illusion.

"The picture features a rare cosmic phenomenon — an Einstein ring. What appears to be a single, strangely shaped galaxy is actually two galaxies far apart," the European Space Agency explained online.

SEE ALSO: NASA dropped a new report. It's a wake-up call.

The effect, created by "gravitational lensing" and theorized to exist by Albert Einstein over a century ago, occurs when the mass of a foreground galaxy warps space and time, like a bowling ball sitting on a mattress, causing light emanating from the galaxy located in near-perfect alignment beyond it (from Webb's view in the cosmos) to become warped. The closer galaxy, in effect, creates a lens. In the image below, the foreground object is a massive, egg-shaped elliptical galaxy, and in the background is a spiral galaxy (like the Milky Way) that appears wrapped around the elliptical galaxy.

Amazingly, even though the spiral galaxy has been profoundly contorted, you can still see bright star clusters in the galaxy's stretched spiral arms.

An Einstein ring recently captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: ESA / Webb / NASA / CSA / G. Mahler // Acknowledgement: M. A. McDonald This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Einstein rings created by gravitational lensing are not just cosmic eye candy. This ring was captured during the Strong Lensing and Cluster Evolution (SLICE) survey, which seeks to identify such distant galaxies that have been naturally magnified by massive foreground galaxies, or clusters of galaxies.

"Objects like these are the ideal laboratory in which to research galaxies too faint and distant to otherwise see," ESA explained.

It's a clever way to combine the capability of the most powerful space telescope ever built with the natural magnifying power of the universe.

The Webb telescope's powerful abilities

The Webb telescope — a scientific collaboration between NASA, ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency — is designed to peer into the deepest cosmos and reveal new insights about the early universe. It's also examining intriguing planets in our galaxy, along with the planets and moons in our solar system.

Here's how Webb is achieving unparalleled feats, and may for years to come:

- Giant mirror: Webb's mirror, which captures light, is over 21 feet across. That's over two-and-a-half times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope's mirror, meaning Webb has six times the light-collecting area. Capturing more light allows Webb to see more distant, ancient objects. The telescope is peering at stars and galaxies that formed over 13 billion years ago, just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. "We're going to see the very first stars and galaxies that ever formed," Jean Creighton, an astronomer and the director of the Manfred Olson Planetarium at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, told Mashable in 2021.

- Infrared view: Unlike Hubble, which largely views light that's visible to us, Webb is primarily an infrared space telescope, meaning it views light in the infrared spectrum. This allows us to see far more of the universe. Infrared has longer wavelengths than visible light, so the light waves more efficiently slip through cosmic clouds; the light doesn't as often collide with and get scattered by these densely packed particles. Ultimately, Webb's infrared eyesight can penetrate places Hubble can't.

"It lifts the veil," said Creighton.

- Peering into distant exoplanets: The Webb telescope carries specialized equipment called spectrographs that will revolutionize our understanding of these far-off worlds. The instruments can decipher what molecules (such as water, carbon dioxide, and methane) exist in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets — be they gas giants or smaller rocky worlds. Webb looks at exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. Who knows what we'll find?

"We might learn things we never thought about," Mercedes López-Morales, an exoplanet researcher and astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics-Harvard & Smithsonian, previously told Mashable.

Featured Video For You How Did We Get Here: Into the Unknown
Categories: IT General, Technology

When the urge to gamble strikes, try mindfulness

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:00

Here's an experiment to try at home: Listen to a sports podcast, scroll social media, or use an app with native ads, and see how many times you encounter an ad for online gambling.

The double dare version of the experiment is to attempt it during March Madness, a weeks-long college basketball tournament in the U.S. during which people are expected to gamble a whopping $3.1 billion. That's up from $2.7 billion last year, according to the American Gaming Association.

While the ad trackers and algorithms curating any individual digital experience might not expose them to gambling-related marketing, the level of ad spending across the industry has skyrocketed in recent years.

SEE ALSO: Legal gambling has kind of ruined sports

Sports betting effectively became legal in the U.S. following a 2018 Supreme Court decision. Online sports better advertising units jumped from just under 250,000 that year to around 2.5 million in 2023.

Meanwhile, there's evidence that problem gambling may be on the rise. A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found there were 23 percent more Google searches in the U.S. for terms related to gambling addiction help-seeking between January 2016 and June 2024.

In an accompanying editorial, two experts wrote that "gambling must be recognized as a public health problem," and that sports betting is specifically more harmful than other types of gambling products, like lotteries. The house, as they say, always wins.

So how could someone who's exposed to gambling marketing, or is developing a gambling addiction, acknowledge the urge to make a bet but let it pass? Experts say mindfulness, the practice of observing your thoughts with curiosity but without judgement, can be a helpful tool.

"With mindfulness, you learn to disassociate yourself with those impulses and just appreciate that they're impulses and they're not something you have to do," says Dr. Nigel Turner, an addiction expert with the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. "You learn to let it go."

Can mindfulness help with gambling?

Turner, who co-authored a 2021 report on mindfulness-based prevention to problem gambling, describes this strategy as "urge surfing." You imagine an impulse as a wave that may seem strong, but will ultimately pass.

Turner says it's important to remember that people gamble for a variety of reasons that make sense to them. A mindfulness approach encourages curiosity and self-compassion — instead of feeling shame or frustration because you struggled with the urge.

Gambling urges may manifest in a variety of sensible-sounding ways. Someone may enjoy the mechanics of a certain game. They might view betting as a form of problem-solving: if they win enough, the proceeds could pay for their education or a down payment on a new home. And for some, gambling provides an escape from painful feelings and experiences.

But as the brain habituates to gambling, it can become a maladaptive routine. Mindfulness can address that, too, by helping someone challenge the "automatic thinking" that characterizes addiction. For problem gamblers, that might sound like, "If I keep losing, I'm due to win."

Turner says that often people experience such a thought, then place a bet without pausing to evaluate why or how it occurred to them in the first place. It's tricky, he adds, because the brain is "terrible" at understanding random chance, and gamblers typically have a "strong illusion of control."

"It's very easy to fool yourself into believing that you have figured out the odds, that you know somehow more than all the other people betting on it," Turner says.

Why 'mindful gambling' is a deception

Research on gambling and mindfulness is limited. Still, Turner points to a general consensus in the field of addiction that mindfulness practices have a positive effect on people's coping skills and recovery. He's even advocated for players to learn about mindfulness.

One major brand has given gamblers its own version of that education. In 2023, the online casino BetMGM created an explainer on how to mindfully gamble, including tips for staying in the present moment and remaining calm regardless of whether you win or lose.

It also suggested that mindful gambling can help players better focus and learn their games of choice by analyzing "patterns, trends, and probabilities more effectively." Turner, who reviewed the content when Mashable shared it with him, said this statement was a "misrepresentation of what mindfulness is about."

Turner said that the content seemed more like an "advertising gimmick" that could actually encourage people to gamble. While some of the suggestions were good, others felt deceptive, Turner added.

SEE ALSO: This is why mindfulness isn't working for you

In their problem gambling report, Turner and his co-authors included breathing and meditation practices, exercises to develop emotional awareness, and worksheets designed to help people identify triggers and high-risk situations.

There are, however, limits to relying on mindfulness to resist gambling advertising and combat urges. The gold standard for addiction treatment, including for problem gambling, is cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of intervention that helps patients better assess and manage their thoughts.

Turner also acknowledges that some people — particularly those with a history of trauma — don't find mindfulness to be an effective solution.

Turner says that people experiencing problem gambling should seek mental health care, and consider mindfulness as complementary to that treatment. Signs that indicate you need help include spending more money than you can afford and believing that you'll win and get rich.

Young adults, problem gambling, and mindfulness

Young adults may be particularly at risk of problem gambling, says Amaura Kemmerer, a licensed clinical social worker and director of clinical affairs for the college mental health and wellness company Uwill.

If you're young and experimenting with newfound freedoms, then have direct access to gambling on your phone, or if you're exposed to the industry's wave of advertising, you may be more vulnerable for high-risk behaviors. Research also suggests that sports books in particular appeal to young audiences, who consider betting a leisure activity.

The issue has become pronounced on college campuses. Kemmerer says that some students experience consequences related to betting on major sports events like March Madness. Within that period, demand for mental health services often increases.

Typically, college students might feel anxious, depressed, or stressed, or they're experiencing related academic problems. Problem gambling can emerge as an issue in sessions with a counselor or therapist.

When a mindfulness practice positively affects other aspects of well-being, like improving sleep and decreasing anxiety and depression symptoms, Kemmerer believes it can also help reduce high-risk behaviors.

"You're getting to students before there's really any kind of identified problem, or when that problem is very early on and it's easier for a young person to make small adjustments so it doesn't become more problematic," Kemmerer says.

If you experience gambling problems, call the 24/7 National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 for free, confidential support. You can also access the National Council on Problem Gambling's website for more help and information, as well as a list of international resources.

Categories: IT General, Technology

AI-powered piano lessons are now 50% off for life

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:00

TL;DR: Skoove Premium Piano Lessons uses advanced AI to give you curated virtual piano lessons, and right now a lifetime subscription can be yours for just $149.99 (reg. $299). 

Opens in a new window Credit: Skoove Skoove Premium Piano Lessons: Lifetime Subscription $149.99
$299.99 Save $150 Get Deal

Whether you've dabbled in lessons as a kid or never sat on a piano bench, Skoove Premium Piano Lessons can help you master the keys from the comfort of home. All you'll need is a tablet, a keyboard, and this AI-powered app. 

Right now, you can save 50% on a lifetime subscription and keep honing your craft for life for just $149.99 (reg. $299). 

Learn piano on your lunch break

Skoove offers AI-powered piano lessons that let you tickle the ivories in your spare time. That means even people with the busiest schedules can pencil in time to pound the keys and elevate their skills, with Skoove providing curated feedback and useful resources as you learn. 

These virtual piano lessons only require a piano or keyboard and your tablet, so you don't need to buy anything else to get started. And this lifetime subscription lets you work at your own pace.

You'll get access to 400 lessons and thousands of instructional videos, but don't think you'll just be sitting back and repeating after the video. Thanks to AI, you play and Skoove listens, recognizing your notes and offering real-time feedback so you can continuously improve. 

Learn what you love, thanks to Skoove's wide range of genres. Practice playing with tunes from Adele or John Legend, or go old school and work on some Bach or Beethoven. Monthly updates bring new song choices, so you never have to worry about running out of material. 

While learning from the AI is interactive, there's also backup if needed. If you ever get stumped, Skoove's music instructors are available for one-on-one support. 

Ready to join over one million people already mastering piano with Skoove?

Get a lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium Piano Lessons for just $149.99 (reg. $299) right here. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Learn a new language (or 25) for life with Rosetta Stone

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:00

TL;DR: Learn the native language before your next trip abroad with this lifetime subscription to all languages with Rosetta Stone for just $179.99 (reg. $399).

Opens in a new window Credit: Rosetta Stone Rosetta Stone: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $179.99
$399 Save $219.01 Get Deal

With spring break just around the corner, vacation season is about to commence. If you've got big plans for the summer or beyond, you can make your trip even more memorable by learning the local language. It's easier than ever with Rosetta Stone. 

A lifetime subscription to all 25 languages offered on Rosetta Stone is available now for just $179.99 (reg. $399) right here for a limited time. 

Learn languages for life with Rosetta Stone

What do NASA, Calvin Klein, and TripAdvisor have in common? They all have trusted Rosetta Stone with language learning for the past 27 years.

Rosetta Stone has a trusted, immersive training method that teaches you new languages the way you learned your native one as a kid — starting out with matching words and pictures. 

After working with images, you'll gradually move on to their interactive lessons that use Rosetta Stone's proprietary speech-recognition technology. It analyzes the words you say 100 times a second and offers instant feedback so you can improve your pronunciation as you go. 

Hoping to use your new skills on a trip? Rosetta Stone starts you out with basic conversational skills on topics like shopping, ordering, or taking a taxi, so you should have a good foundation by the time the plane touches down. 

This award-winning interactive software is yours for life, so you can learn languages one at a time forever... and even conquer all 25 offered if that's your goal. 

Secure your lifetime subscription to all 25 languages on Rosetta Stone for only $179.99 here for a limited time. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Enjoy Microsoft Office staples for less than $5 an app for life

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:00

TL;DR: Outfit your PC with a license for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows for just $29.97 (reg. $229) through March 30. 

When something has serious staying power, you know it's good. And what's been around longer in the computer world than Microsoft Office? These go-to programs got us through school in the '90s and '00s, and they're still helping us tackle our 9-to-5s today. 

Rediscover the power of these beloved apps with this Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows license. It's just $29.97, $200 off the usual price, now through March 30. 

These Microsoft Office apps have always been there for us

If you've been living without Microsoft Office staples, you're in luck. You can rekindle your love for these classics with this Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 license for less than $5 an app.

You'll get lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher and Access on your PC with this deal. It's an instant delivery and download, so right after purchase, you'll have your software license keys and download links to get started.

Wondering why you would want to go vintage with this 2019 version? Though it's not the newest, it's the most cost-effective. By owning your license, you avoid monthly subscription fees that Office 365 requires.

You can also easily work offline, a great option for those who spend a lot of time traveling. And there's no reliance on the cloud, offering better security and more control over your data.

Despite being an older version, all documents made with Office 19 are fully compatible with Office 365 and Office 2021. 

This Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 license is compatible with Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019, so it's a great option if you haven't yet moved to Windows 11. 

Secure your own license for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows for just $29.97 now through March 30. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows $29.97
$229 Save $199.03 Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

Pay $120 once, enjoy a lifetime of top-rated cloud storage for life

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:00

TL;DR: Get access to 1TB of secure and private data storage with this lifetime subscription to Koofr Cloud Storage, now $119.97 with code KOOFR through April 27. 

Trying to consolidate your monthly subscription expenses? If you're tired of shelling out a small fortune on your cloud storage solution, a swap to Koofr Cloud Storage can help. 

Keep 1TB of your important data safe for life with this deal on Koofr Cloud Storage, now just $119.97 (reg. $810) with code KOOFR through April 27.

Stop the madness of monthly cloud storage fees

Koofr is a trusted cloud storage option that's been around since 2013. And though it may not have the same brand recognition as the big names, there's another thing it doesn't have — monthly storage fees.

With Koofr, you can secure a lifetime subscription for 1TB and pay once. That's enough room for 250,000 12MP photos, 500 hours of HD video, or 6.5 million PDF files.

There are other great perks to swapping to Koofr, like their unique Koofr Duplicate Finder feature. It finds and removes duplicate files, helping save you time and freeing up space. And you don't have to worry about data tracking — your files will be encrypted both during transfer and rest. 

They even make moving your files from your former storage provider a breeze. Koofr features convenient integration with other external cloud accounts so that you can connect and access your files from Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon, and OneDrive easily. 

Store 1TB for life for the one-time low price of $119.97 (reg. $810) with code KOOFR through April 27 with this Koofr Cloud Storage lifetime subscription deal. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Koofr Koofr Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription (1TB) $119.97
$810 Save $690.03 Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

How to watch A24s Queer: The Golden Globe nominee is now streaming

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:00
The best ways to watch 'Queer' at a glance: BEST NON-STREAMING OPTION Rent or buy 'Queer on Prime Video $5.99 or $19.99 Get Deal BEST DEAL OVERALL Max (With Ads) annual subscription $99.99 per year (save $19.89) Get Deal BEST AD-FREE DEAL Max Ad-Free annual subscription $169.99/year (save $33.89) Get Deal BEST FOR STUDENTS Max Student $4.99 per month for 12 months (save $5 per month) Get Deal BEST BUNDLE DEAL Disney+, Hulu, and Max with ads $16.99 per month (save $8.98 per month) Get Deal GET MAX FOR FREE Max (With Ads) Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month unlimited plan (save $9.99 per month) Learn More GET MAX FOR FREE Max (With Ads) Free for DashPass annual plan subscribers (save $9.99 per month) Get Deal

Challengers' titillating sexual tension made for a major hit in early 2024, and Luca Guadagnino and Justin Kuritzkes teamed up once again for Queer. An adaptation of the 1985 novel by William S. Burroughs, the A24 film is yet another sexually explosive and emotionally infuriating tale from the duo.

"Queer is a languid journey that meanders through flirtations, fucking, dream sequences, and willfully anachronistic music to chart a passionate but also baffling tale of unrequited love," writes Mashable Film Editor Kristy Puchko in her review of the A24 period drama.

Starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey, Queer made its theatrical debut in November 2024 — just seven months after Challengers. Though it may have earned less hype from the internet, it still nabbed a handful of award nominations. For those who missed it in the theaters, it's now available to watch at home. Here's everything you need to know.

What is Queer about?

Based on William S. Burroughs’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, Queer is a scintillating and steamy tale set in 1950s Mexico City. It follows William Lee (Daniel Craig), an American expat in his late forties who fuels his sense of loneliness with booze, bravado, and loveable loser pal Joe (Jason Schwartzman). When he meets Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), a young student visiting the city, it's a stirring and intoxicating connection that forces him to come to grips with his own sexuality.

Check out the official trailer:

Is Queer worth watching?

"Queer is both visually lush, sexually explosive, and emotionally infuriating. It is not a journey that leaves our hearts full, but open and aching," Puchko writes. However, it's certainly worth watching. The film holds a 77 percent critic rating and 65 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Plus, it earned Daniel Craig Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and SAG Award nominations. Sadly, his performance was snubbed at the Oscars, which is a shame because Puchko says, "Craig is mesmerizing as Lee, swanning from catty gossip sessions to carnal encounters to body-rattling withdrawals and psychedelic splendors. It's easy to be beguiled by his charms, including a suave sex appeal made less intimidating by his tendency toward silliness."

Read our full review of Queer.

How to watch Queer at home Credit: A24

Queer made its theatrical debut on Nov. 27, 2024, and just a month and a half later, it hit digital retailers. You can buy or rent the film from on-demand sites like Prime Video or Apple TV+ for $19.99 or $5.99. Note: rentals give you 30 days to watch the film and just 48 hours to finish once started.

Here are some quick links to purchase or rent Queer:

Opens in a new window Credit: Prime Video Buy or rent 'Queer' on digital $19.99 or $5.99 Get Deal Is Queer streaming?

Queer made its streaming debut on Max on March 28. Thanks to a multi-year output deal between A24 and Warner Bros. Discovery, all of A24's recent theatrical releases have landed on the streamer. There, you'll also find recent films like We Live in Time, Heretic, A Different Man, and soon enough, Y2K and The Brutalist.

Max subscriptions start at $9.99 per month, but there are a few ways to save money on your plan. We've rounded up the best Max streaming deals for you below.

The best Max streaming dealsBest for most people: Save 16% on Max with ads annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max (with ads) yearly subscription $99.99 per year (save 16%) Get Deal

A Max with ads subscription costs $9.99 per month, but you can knock the price down to $8.33 per month by paying for a year in advance. If you're in it for the long haul, the annual subscription goes for $99.99, which ends up saving you about 16%. Of course, you can also just sign up for a single month at $9.99 and cancel once you've watched Queer.

Best Max deal with no ads: Save 16% on a Max Ad-Free annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max (No Ads) annual subscription $169.99 per year (save 16%) Get Deal

Hate dealing with ads? The same annual deal applies: save 16% by committing to a yearly plan of one of the Max ad-free tiers. You can choose either the Max Ad-Free or Max Ultimate Ad-Free plan. The basic ad-free tier costs either $16.99 per month or $169.99 per year (about $14.17 per month), while the Ultimate tier costs either $20.99 per month or $209.99 per year (about $17.50 per month). Both tiers offer an ad-free viewing experience, but the Ultimate tier comes with 4K Ultra HD video quality and Dolby Atmos immersive audio.

Best Max deal for Cricket customers: Free Max with ads for customers on the $60/month unlimited plan Opens in a new window Credit: Cricket / Max Max (with ads) Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month plan Get Deal

The best way to score Max for free is by switching your phone plan to Cricket's $60 per month unlimited plan. Max with ads — a $9.99 per month value — is included for no extra charge on this plan. Once you sign up, just head over to the Max app, choose Cricket as your provider, then enter your Cricket credentials to log in. Boom — you're free to watch whatever you want, whenever you want, including Queer and any other A24 film on Max. Check out the terms and conditions on Cricket's website to learn more.

Best Max deal for DoorDash users: Free Max with ads with DashPass annual plan Opens in a new window Credit: DoorDash / Max Max (with ads) Free with DashPass annual plan ($8/month) Get Deal

With a DashPass annual plan for $96 per year ($8 per month), you'll unlock Max with ads for free — along with $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on DoorDash orders. That's a $9.99 per month value for $0. Eligible Subscribers must activate their Max subscription in their DoorDash account. Don't want ads? You can upgrade for a discounted rate.

Best Max deal for students: Save 50% on Max with ads Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max Student $4.99 per month for 12 months Get Deal

College students can get an entire year of Max with ads for just $4.99 per month instead of $9.99. That's 50% in savings. Just verify your student status with UNiDAYS to retrieve the unique discount code that will drop the price. And don't share your code, as each unique code can only be used once.

Best bundle deal: Get Max, Disney+, and Hulu for up to 38% off Opens in a new window Credit: Disney / Hulu / Max Disney+, Hulu, and Max $16.99 per month (with ads), $29.99 per month (no ads) Get Deal

It may not be the cheapest way to get Max, but you can get more bang for your buck if you choose a streaming bundle deal instead of a single service. For only $16.99 per month (reg. $25.97), you can sign up for Max, Hulu, and Disney+ with ads or $29.99 per month (reg. $48.97) without ads. That's up to 38% in savings for access to three full streaming libraries.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Queer review: Daniel Craig tackles William S. Burroughs in hot, heart-wrenching romance

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:00

It's outrageous that in the same year that Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino gave audiences the high-tension love triangle of Challengers, he's also served up a Daniel Craig-fronted adaptation of William S. Burroughs' novella Queer. Both films were written by Justin Kuritzkes, and both offer bold explorations of love, lust, and longing, with steamy sex scenes that serve as punctuation. And yet, they are wildly unalike.

Challengers is a propulsive love story that zings back and forth its timeline, keeping the audience on their toes, just like its tennis-playing trio. Queer is a languid journey that meanders through flirtations, fucking, dream sequences, and willfully anachronistic music to chart a passionate but also baffling tale of unrequited love.

It's a marvel of a movie that feels as if it is precisely what it intends to be, and yet it's ultimately unsatisfying. Perhaps that's intended too?

Daniel Craig is a dynamic thrill-seeker in Queer.  Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis

Echoing elements of Burroughs' own life, Queer ushers audiences into 1950s Mexico City, where a band of American expats — many of whom are gay men — lounge about cafes, bars, and cheap motels looking for illicit thrills, be it booze, hard drugs, or casual sex. Wearing a white linen suit, a crisp fedora, and a crooked smile, William Lee (Craig) has a breezy American swagger with a hint of comic buffoonery that beckons to the English actor's acclaimed portrayals of Southern gentleman detective Benoit Blanc in Knives Out and roguish bomb-maker Joe Bang in Logan Lucky. Yet his Lee is distinctive, with an unapologetic sleaziness that's edged with gawping insecurity, which urges him toward playing the fool more often than not. 

Craig is mesmerizing as Lee, swanning from catty gossip sessions to carnal encounters to body-rattling withdrawals and psychedelic splendors. It's easy to be beguiled by his charms, including a suave sex appeal made less intimidating by his tendency toward silliness. He smoothly seduces local trade and amuses scene queens like the chic John Dumé (Drew Droege, who became internet famous with his cheeky impersonations of Chloë Sevigny), and lovable loser/rousing raconteur Joe (Jason Schwartzman). And yet, Lee cannot firmly claim the love of his crush, a young discharged American Navy serviceman named Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). 

The romantic interest of Queer proves its central mystery.  Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis

Lee throws himself at his could-be paramour ardently, plying him with affection, booze, and even a flashy getaway when all else fails. Maybe a journey into the jungle to try the mind-altering psychedelic ayahuasca will unlock the gate that seems to stand between them. 

The first act is an intoxicating portrait of Lee's Mexico City, rich in color, music, and romantic possibilities — or at least enthralling ones. In tender moments, Lee's dream of being intricately partnered with Eugene is expressed beautifully through simple dissolves. Footage of what is — the two sitting side by side in a movie theater — is overlaid faintly with what Lee wishes: to stroke Eugene's face, softly and publicly. More vivid dream sequences use jarringly bright red sets and stark female nudity to express Lee's doubts about Eugene's interest in the older man. But as his desperation to keep Eugene close intensifies, the audience might wonder what it is Lee is even fighting for. 

Defined chiefly by his wandering eye and an interest in playing chess with a red-headed female acquaintance, Eugene is not a fleshed-out character but a sketch, unknowable between the slight lines that are his only details. Is he into Lee? Is he even queer? These are questions that might seem answered by the torrid love scenes between the two. But for every moment approaching intimacy, Eugene offers a follow-up that is at best casual, and at worst cruel.

Tall, white, preppy, and neatly pressed even when wearing a T-shirt, Eugene is presented visually as a tidier, younger version of Lee. Perhaps this is meant to echo that what Lee is chasing is not this man but his past, or a version of himself that was less ravaged by drugs, trauma, and heartache. Or perhaps the supremely unrumpled persona is all Lee can understand of this mysterious man.

Queer's third act is its biggest risk.  Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis

In any case, as Lee drags a reluctant (and infuriatingly stoic) Eugene into the jungle to find a mythic medicine woman (Lesley Manville), Guadagnino's movie asks more patience of its audience than his most heralded offerings. In I Am Love, it's easy to see why Tilda Swinton could be seduced by such photogenic food. Call Me by Your Name captured the heat and sweetness of young love through a well-placed peach. Bones and All masterfully turned a tale of teenage cannibals into a sizzling subtextual queer romance, not despite of its gore but because of it. Then, Challengers sold the electrifying love triangle between its players through the breath-taking onscreen chemistry of Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor. Queer, on the other hand, asks us to follow Lee to fight for a love that feels like an illusion.

Since the film's world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, critics have jeered Queer's turn from its vivacious first act to its lumbering third. Yet there's something in the film's aesthetic that gently warns of this change.

In the beginning, production design by Stefano Baisi paints Lee's Mexico City as a quaint yet deliciously seedy paradise, where towering windows in cafes and warm street lights allow for layers of lives to unfurl all at once, without feeling cluttered or claustrophobic. The palette of yellows, reds, and sickly greens favored by cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom as tracking shots follow Lee in slow motion down lively streets evoke the faded colors of pulp novels, promising decadent delights around every corner. Queer's soundtrack boasts smooth, smokey songs like Nirvana's "Come as You Are," Sinead O'Connor's cover of Nirvana's "All Apologies," and Radiohead's haunting "Talk Show Host." Through the jarring anachronism of this collection of songs, Guadagnino knowingly blends the nostalgic sentimentality of the film's visuals with the sharper-edged sounds of '90s pop disillusionment. Essentially, the visual and audio are thematically at war, reflecting Lee's inner doubts about his life and his lover. 

Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis

At two hours and 15 minutes, Queer is a movie that indulges its protagonist more than its audience, following him through meandering mental exercises to an unfulfilling epiphany. Viewers may grow restless as Craig's charms are swallowed by Lee's raw need and his ruthless vices. Undeniably, the experience of living vicariously through Lee shifts from pleasurable to uneasy as the glamor is stripped away from this expat holiday, revealing crude realities like the decidedly unromantic subterfuge required to cop drugs in a new locale, or the subsequent toll of withdrawals on Lee's body — and Eugene's patience. That certainly seems to be Guadagnino's goal: not to tell a story of formative first love or world-altering romance, but the ugly truth of unrequited love. It's not easy to experience, but it is undeniably masterfully made. So, in the end, Queer is both visually lush, sexually explosive, and emotionally infuriating. It is not a journey that leaves our hearts full, but open and aching.

Queer is now streaming on Max.

UPDATE: Mar. 26, 2025, 9:46 a.m. Queer was reviewed for its theatrical release on November 27, 2024. This article has been updated to reflect its current streaming accessibility.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The Ballad of Wallis Island review: A feel-good movie thats pretty great

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:00

Have you every had a day so terrible that it felt like the world was out to get you specifically? If so, you might relish the hilarious indignities inflicting the grumbling protagonist of The Ballad of Wallis Island. Written by and starring Tom Basden and Tim Key, this charming comedy centers on the bond that builds between a (folk) rock star and an eccentric millionaire. But not in any way you might expect, in that neither is living some enviably glitzy high life, and they're both shades of goofy. 

SEE ALSO: The SXSW premieres you need to know about

Their story begins with Herb McGwyer (Basden), of the 2010's folk rock band McGwyer Mortimer, arriving at a remote island, where he's been contracted to play a private concert for an obscene amount of money. But the price tag sets an expectation that the host will not meet. Not only is this island a bit of a fixer-upper with no dock, much less a harbor, but the private concert is for an audience of one, a super-fan desperate to reconnect to the music of his youth. 

Far from a highfalutin snob, the affluent Charles Heath (Tim Key) is a humble man who wears waders to meet his famous guest, then accidentally causes Herb and his baggage to tumble into the tides. It's a rough start, and things will only get rougher for Herb when he learns that his ex-girlfriend/former bandmate Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan) will soon be arriving too — along with her new husband, Michael (Akemnji Ndifornyen). 

What should have been an easy gig quickly becomes a cavalcade of embarrassments, forcing Herb to revisit the romance that defined his work and his past, and to reassess what he wants of his future. Unexpectedly, this story of rock stars and a millionaire super-fan is deeply relatable, warmly funny, and profoundly sweet. 

The Ballad of Wallis Island features a finely tuned comedy duo.  Carey Mulligan, Tom Basden, and Tim Key sit on a beach in "The Ballad of Wallis Island." Credit: Alistair Heap/Focus Features

Key plays a lovable fool who can't read the room but is quick to offer a bowl of rice pudding, even if that won't save Herb's cellphone from its ocean swim. Basden is his straight man, exuding a self-seriousness that practically demands to be dressed down. This happens quite literally as Herb's fall into the water forces him to abandon his soaked-through cool guy clothes for Charles' hand-me-downs, which include concert merch from McGwyer Mortimer. Imagine running into your ex while wearing a T-shirt with an old photo of the two of you on it, and you'll have some idea of the hell that is Herb's stay on Wallis Island. 

Even dressed similarly, the two are perfect foils. Herb is reedy, arrogantly stiff, and a pessimist, endlessly vexed by each new surprise about Wallis Island, such as the revelation that it has no arena, theater, or bandshell, so he will be playing on a stone beach. By contrast, Charles is portly and endlessly chipper, an optimist seeking to reconnect to the world through the music (and musicians) that have given him such joy, even in the hard times. They don't battle as much as Herb fusses and Charles rushes to soothe, only to cause further frustrations. Basden and Key have the comedy balance of these two finely tuned, not only because they wrote the script but also because this feature film is based on their award-winning short film, "The One And Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island."

The short's director James Griffiths reteams with the pair for The Ballad of Wallis Island, and together they hone a more sophisticated vision of their story, one of love, loss, and moving on. Simple beats of Charles missing the social cue are not just hit but lovingly luxuriated in, creating a sort of cringe comedy where we can laugh at this buffoon and recognize how often we've been just as bumbling. Yet these two connect, because as different as they are, they are lonely and yearn not to be anymore. 

Carey Mulligan is smartly cast in The Ballad of Wallis Island.  Co-writer/actor Tom Basden, director James Griffiths and actor Carey Mulligan on the set of their film THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND, a Focus Features release. Credit: Alistair Heap/Focus Features

Basden and Key have had years to adjust the balance of their comedic interactions as Herb and Charles. Nell is a new addition, not appearing in the short film. Basden and Key carefully evolved their script, weaving in Nell and Michael, who bring with them a breezy attitude and new complications for Herb. With a radiant smile and a chicly bohemian energy, Mulligan strides into Wallis Island, confidently bringing a less indulgent perspective that only makes Charles and Herb funnier in comparison. 

The three-time Academy Award-nominated actress doesn't outshine her co-stars. Instead, the lightness she brings as Nell neatly knits in pathos. It's easy to see why Herb fell for her, and why he still longs for her. In scenes where they sing together, the audience may well be with Charles in wishing for their reunion, on stage and maybe in love. Yet, Mulligan is careful not to divulge too much as Nell, who seems keenly aware of Herb's feelings and sagely mindful not to toy with them. The dance she does around his mercurial moods suggests a deeply developed intimacy that Nell still honors in some sense. Then, when the two sing together, the movie shifts from silly to sublimely sincere. 

But beyond this central trio, The Ballad of Wallis Island also boasts some shrewd supporting players. As Nell's husband, Ndifornyen is sharp, quick to stand up for his wife and smart to be suspicious of Herb. Yet Basden and Key are sure to give Michael more to do than play romantic rival, giving him quirks that add complexity amid the conflicts. Then, there's Sian Clifford, who might be best recognized as the tightly wound Claire from the brilliant Fleabag. ("I look like a pencil!") Here in Wallis Island, her vibe is more relaxed as she plays Amanda, a friendly but comically oblivious shopkeeper who is mystified by requests for dried rice and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. (She offers a can of peanut butter and a coffee cup, because Amanda is nothing if not obliging.)

Completing the picture of The Ballad of Wallis Island is a terrifically chosen setting. The island itself is cobbled together by a rocky beach, winding footpaths, chipped paint houses, rich greenery, and a precariously placed tennis court. There are some signs of wealth in its remoteness, among other outlying signifiers. Its rough-and-tumble charm is well suited to its resident millionaire, though an understandable frustration to its visiting rock stars. But just as Charles grows on Herb, so too do the virtues of this less-than-cozy island grow on all of us. 

Ultimately, The Ballad of Wallis Island is not only deeply charming and laugh out loud funny for all its social foibles and comedy duo banter, but it's also cathartic. The careful crafting of the relationships herein makes for a story you can't help but get tangled in, perhaps relating to one figure then another. So, by the end, as Basden and Key strike their final chord of this masterfully charted comedy, you feel it reverberate warmly in your heart, carrying you out of the theater with a song still playing there. 

The Ballad of Wallis Island opens in limited release on March 28, a nationwide expansion will follow on April 18.

UPDATE: Mar. 26, 2025, 9:28 a.m. The Ballad of Wallis Island was reviewed out of the 2025 SXSW Film Festival on March 8, 2025. The article has been updated with the latest theatrical release information.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The Rule of Jenny Pen review: John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush go psycho-biddy

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 11:00

It's time for horror fans to get to know James Ashcroft. The New Zealand actor turned writer/director awed critics in 2021 with Coming Home in the Dark, a movie so scary that it literally knocked me out of my seat. Now, he's back with a sophisticated yet elegantly demented follow-up, The Rule of Jenny Pen, a psycho-biddy thriller that pits heralded actors John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush against each other in a deranged battle of wills. 

Traditionally, this horror subgenre — which is also referred to as hagsploitation and includes classics like What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? — centers on an aging woman who is so isolated that she's become mentally unstable, and a threat to any who crosses her path. This distinctly disturbing subgenre is often used to explore the way aging women are disregarded by society, to our peril. Essentially, though aging and forgotten, these women still carry the power to torment or even kill. It might even be viewed that their petty grievances and gnarly obsessions are what keeps them alive. With The Rule of Jenny Pen, Ashcroft places men in a psycho-biddy scenario, reflecting how some horrors of aging aren't reserved just for women.

SEE ALSO: John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush reveal their character inspirations for 'The Rule of Jenny Pen'

This makes for a movie that is in turn manic, eerie, disturbing, and shocking. It's little wonder The Rule of Jenny Pen has been praised by icon of horror Stephen King as "one of the best movies I've seen." 

The Rule of Jenny Pen hauntingly echoes What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? John Lithgow as Dave Crealy with Jenny Pen in James Ashcroft's "The Rule of Jenny Pen." Credit: Stan Alley / An IFC Films and Shudder Release.

Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush stars as Judge Stefan Mortensen, who uses his bench not only to determine justice but also to morally reprimand the defendants who come before his snarling gaze. That is, until a near-fatal stroke forces him into a retirement home. Partially paralyzed, the judge must use a wheelchair and depend on the care workers for some of his more intimate needs. While he's insistent this is temporary, just until he can recover, a creeping dread suggests there is no escape from his failing body and this institution dedicated to housing — and hiding away — the old and infirm. 

Notably, Ashcroft paints the retirement facility itself as a cheery place, portrayed in cool pink tones, where the residents are offered a variety of activities from games to dancing, and the caregivers are devoted and kind, if not always receptive. The horror creeps in with the introduction of Dave Crealy, played two-time Academy Award nominee John Lithgow. A longtime resident of the facility, Crealy is regarded by the caregivers as a jolly eccentric who laughs loudly, loves to sing and dance, and treasures his dolly, an eyeless hand puppet he calls Jenny Pen. But when they're not looking, Crealy is a brutal bully, tormenting the other residents through intimidation, violence, and humiliation. But he may have met his match in the proud Mortensen. 

John Lithgow is a terrific terror in The Rule of Jenny Pen.  John Lithgow as Dave Crealy with Jenny Pen in James Ashcroft's "The Rule of Jenny Pen." Credit: Stan Alley / An IFC Films and Shudder Release.

Known for everything from 3rd Rock From the Sun to Trial & Error to Conclave, Lithgow has long been an actor who can leap from comedy to drama without missing a step. Here, Lithgow's natural height of 6'4" is brilliantly used to have Crealy tower over Mortensen, who uses a wheelchair that he feels showcases his infirmity. In an interview with Mashable, Lithgow, who executive produced alongside Rush, shared how he sought out silvery contact lenses and gnarly prosthetic teeth to build his concept of Crealy, adding on a scruffy beard for good measure. The effect is realistic and unnerving, transforming the beloved performer's face into something just off of what we've come to know. His smile becomes more easily menacing, his stare sharper and colder. 

When Crealy begins creeping into Mortensen's room at night to harass him, he carries an eerie stillness, like a tiger stalking its prey. The contrast between the tall man and the small, battered puppet is unnerving on its own. But Ashcroft amplifies the energy of malice by slicing through his daytime color palette of pinks with a giallo red, punctuated by sharp lines or quick cuts that turn this everyday setting into a surreal prison. This perturbing posturing is what Crealy effects as he abuses his fellow residents, forcing them into embarrassing submission or tugging mercilessly on catheters. Yet Crealy is at his most frightening during the day, in plain sight. 

There, where any aide or resident might see, he taunts the judge with a song and dance. The tune itself is a Cockney pub song, "Knees Up Mother Brown." And Crealy sings it with the enthusiasm that its name might suggest. But Crealy's focus, as he lifts his knees high and sings loudly, is to rub in Mortensen's face his mobility, his autonomy, his power. Because of course Mortensen has reported Crealy to the carers, but who could believe such a jovial old fool could be as cruel as described? This song then becomes about Crealy pouring salt into the wounds he's already inflicted. With a love of cheerful performance (and his own version of "I've Written a Letter to Daddy"), Crealy is a mercurial Baby Jane Hudson to Mortensen's Blanche (Joan Crawford), who also uses a wheelchair in Baby Jane. However, Mortensen hasn't been battered down by decades of abuse and guilt, and so will fight back in his own way. And the results are sensational and scary. 

The Rule of Jenny Pen unblinklingly reveals the indignities of aging.  Nick Blake as Tobias in "The Rule of Jenny Pen." Credit: Stan Alley / An IFC Films and Shudder Release.

The titular puppet is suitably creepy. The man who wields her like a weapon is enchantingly horrifying. But the most penetrating terror of The Rule of Jenny Pen is that Crealy's campaign of abuse can exist at all. In the opening scene, Mortensen is presented as a man infallible, with the power of privilege, respect, and status. But one stroke and he is struck down, losing his autonomy because of his disability. More than that, he loses his voice because of the agism that urges society to ignore the elderly. 

Mortensen is ignored like the pleas for love or attention of any psycho-biddy. His claims about Crealy written off with a banal smile from a caregiver more determined to clean him up than hear him out. Desperate to not lose himself to this wall of ignorance, Mortensen does battle with his bully. But like Coming Home in the Dark, Ashcroft sets up a story that can have no happy ending. For there is no escape from the decay aging brings, not only psychically but also psychologically and — perhaps most crucially — socially. 

Like in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? someone will lose this battle of wills, but no one will win. And in that, The Rule of Jenny Pen leaves us with a harrowing final image, simple yet unforgettable. In the end, The Rule of Jenny Pen becomes not just a frightening warning but also a haunting call for empathy — a memento mori of sorts, reminding the viewer, "As I am, you will be."

The Rule of Jenny Pen is now streaming on Shudder.

UPDATE: Mar. 26, 2025, 9:37 a.m. The Rule of Jenny Pen was reviewed for its theatrical release on March 7, 2025. The article has been updated to reflect the latest streaming options.


Categories: IT General, Technology

Millions of Americans are about to see yet another eclipse

Mashable - Fri, 03/28/2025 - 10:45

Fresh off a spectacular total lunar eclipse, millions of Americans will soon witness a solar eclipse on March 29, 2025.

The good news is, it's happening at a decent hour (beginning around 6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. ET). Yet it'll be visible to far fewer people. Everyone in the lower 48 states and much of the Americas could see (weather-permitting) the recent lunar eclipse, but in the U.S., the coming partial solar eclipse will be largely limited to the Northeast region.

It'll be, quite literally, a sunrise event.

"In much of the Americas, including the Northeastern United States, the partial solar eclipse will already be in progress during sunrise," NASA explained.

SEE ALSO: Solar eclipses were once extremely terrifying events, experts say

Here's what you need to know about the looming celestial event:

Where will the March 29, 2025, solar eclipse be visible?

It will be visible in parts of many global regions, including North America, Europe, slivers of South America, Northern Asia, and remote areas beyond. For those in the Northeastern U.S., you can see your general viewing time in the NASA-provided chart below.

Partial solar eclipse viewing times for those in the Northeastern U.S. Credit: NASA

Large swathes of Europe will see the partial eclipse, too, though in the later morning. NASA has an expansive list of those viewing times.

What will you see during the partial solar eclipse?

During a partial solar eclipse, the moon passes between Earth and the sun, casting a shadow on Earth. But, unlike during a total solar eclipse, the moon doesn't totally block the sun. Hence, the partial eclipse. It's like seeing a crescent of the sun.

Different regions will be in different parts of the moon's shadow, meaning the people therein, weather-permitting, will be able to see different amounts of our star eclipsed by the moon (as depicted in the chart above). Folks in places like Boston, Massachusetts, and Portland, Maine, will see a considerable part of the sun eclipsed. New York City will see nearly a quarter of the sun eclipsed.

People in the colored boundaries will see, weather-permitting, a partial solar eclipse on March 29, 2025. The orange loops show where sunset or sunrise are happening during the event. Credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio Do you need to wear eye protection for the partial solar eclipse?

Absolutely.

"When watching a partial solar eclipse directly with your eyes, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses ('eclipse glasses') or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times," NASA emphasizes. (Also, don't view it through a telescope or binoculars without eye protection.)

Many of you may still have eclipse glasses from 2024's total solar eclipse. If not, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) has vigilantly vetted products and sellers, so you can make an informed purchasing decision. Here's their carefully vetted list of suppliers of safe solar filters and viewers. "But don't just randomly order them online," Richard Fienberg, an astronomer and senior advisor at the American Astronomical Society, told Mashable before the 2024 solar eclipse. "Check the AAS list."

"It will still look cool with eclipse glasses."

Approved eclipse glasses block out much more sunlight than sunglasses, and comply with an ISO 12312-2 international standard. They block so much light, you shouldn't be able to see anything other than the sun while wearing them.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

As noted above, those viewing the partial solar eclipse will see a poignant crescent of the sun as the moon passes by. It's not anything like a total solar eclipse — wherein the moon completely blocks out the sun and reveals our star's ghostly atmosphere emanating into space — but it's certainly worth witnessing the movement of these dominant celestial objects.

"It will still look cool with eclipse glasses," Emily Rice, an astronomer at Macaulay Honors College of the City University of New York, told Mashable.

This story first published on March 20, 2025, and has been updated.

Categories: IT General, Technology
Syndicate content

eXTReMe Tracker