Technology

You've got your Plex server set up and your content loaded into your Plex library, but when you play back certain videos, you get constant buffering, or poor image quality, or both. That's a common issue people face, and often the cause has to do with how your Plex server handles transcoding.

After five months of work, the developers of Heroic Games Launcher have debuted version 2.19 of its open source game manager targeting Linux users. It includes experimental support for a new gaming platform to go alongside its existing support for Epic Games Store, GoG Store, and Amazon Luna.

Stuttering and lag are some of the toughest issues to diagnose on a Windows computer, which is a shame because in my experience Windows is the operating system where this crops up most often.

Linux—you've heard of it, and maybe you've given it a try once or twice. However, statistically, you're probably not a committed desktop Linux user. Globally, as of 2025, just over 4% of desktop PCs run Linux. That's a tiny slice of the market, and yet it's a milestone for Linux worth celebrating.

Most sports cars lose value quickly, leaving buyers with steep depreciation just when they expected thrills and style. But one affordable performance car defies that trend, holding its value far better than most of its peers and giving owners surprising long-term equity. In a segment where rapid price drops are the norm, this model’s exceptional resale strength makes it one of the smartest buys for drivers who want fun without the typical financial hit.

If you're thinking of dual-booting Linux alongside Windows on your PC, there are a few things I recommend you be sure to avoid doing. You'll be modifying the underlying system and building the foundation for your PC workflow that you don't want to mess up.

Who's ready to buy more tools this year? Milwaukee is already one of the best, offering a solid collection of power tools and accessories for enthusiasts or professionals, and more are on the way. While we recently confirmed over 150 new items are coming in 2026, here are four more that are actually worth waiting for.

It’s hard to believe that Samsung has been refining its foldable phones for seven years already. Last month, the company officially confirmed its first double-hinged foldable, and now it has confirmed the price and availability as well. Everyone knew it would be expensive—now we know just how expensive.

If you’re looking to upgrade to a new phone, your default solution for the old one might be to trade it in. The truth is, though, that most trade-in programs offer pennies on the dollar, so you’d only be getting a fraction of your phone’s actual value.

Linux fans like to dream of the day when Linux is a mainstream OS instead of a hacker's tool. As much fun and useful as Linux is, it seems that Linux will still be a "geek" OS. Here's why the Linux community should embrace this rather than fight it.

NVMe SSDs are quickly becoming one of the most expensive components in a typical gaming PC. Yet despite their importance, many people ignore a crucial factor for performance and longevity: cooling.

Awards season can't be stopped, won't be stopped, with the nominations for the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards announced on Tuesday.

Following this year's Sinners-ruled Oscar nominations, the BAFTAs are also set to celebrate an outstanding 2025 in movies, with the nominations read by actors David Jonsson and Aimee Lou Wood, streamed on YouTube.

SEE ALSO: Oscars 2026: The biggest surprises out of the nominations list

One Battle After Another topped the BAFTA total nominations with 14, followed by Sinners with 13, and Hamnet and Marty Supreme with 11 each. British films that weren't as represented at the Oscars, including Pillion, 28 Years Later, The Ballad Of Wallis Island, and I Swear, saw much-anticipated nominations. Plus, Paul Mescal and Chase Infiniti made up for their Oscar snubs with their BAFTA nods for One Battle After Another and Hamnet, respectively.

Featured Video For You Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley reveal the real surprise in 'Hamnet'

So, did your favourite film make the cut?

Best Film

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

Sentimental Value

Sinners

Best British Film

28 Years Later

The Ballad Of Wallis Island

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy

Die My Love

H Is For Hawk

Hamnet

I Swear

Mr Burton

Pillion

Steve

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director and Producer

Pillion

The Ceremony

Eastman

A Want In Her

My Father’s Shadow

Best Director

Yorgos Lanthimos, Bugonia

Chloé Zhao, Hamnet

Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme

Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value

Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Best Leading Actor

Robert Aramayo, I Swear

Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme

Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another

Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon

Michael B Jordan, Sinners

Jesse Plemons, Bugonia

Best Leading Actress

Jessie Buckley, Hamnet

Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue

Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another

Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value

Emma Stone, Bugonia

Best Supporting Actor

Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another

Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein

Paul Mescal, Hamnet

Peter Mullan, I Swear

Sean Penn, One Battle After Another

Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value

Best Supporting Actress

Odessa A'zion, Marty Supreme

Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value

Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners

Carey Mulligan, The Ballad Of Wallis Island

Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

Emily Watson, Hamnet

Best Makeup and Hair

Frankenstein

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

Sinners

Wicked: For Good

Best Original Score

Hamnet 

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Begonia

Frankenstein

Best Original Screenplay

I Swear

Marty Supreme

Sentimental Value

Sinners

The Secret Agent

Best Film Not in the English Language

The Voice of Hind Rajab

It Was Just an Accident

The Secret Agent

Sentimental Value

Sirat

Best Costume Design

Frankenstein

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

Sinners

Wicked: For Good

Best Cinematography 

Frankenstein

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Train Dreams

Best Children’s and Family Film

Arco 

Boong

Lilo and Stitch

Zootropolis 2

Best Casting

I Swear

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

Sentimental Value

Sinners

Best British Short Film 

Welcome Home Freckles 

Magid / Zafar

Nostalgie

Terence 

This Is Endometriosis

Best British Short Animation

Cardboard 

Solstice

Two Black Boys in Paradise

Best Animated Film

Elio

Little Amelie

Zootropolis 2

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Ballad of Wallis Island

Bugonia

Hamnet

One Battle After Another

Pillion

Best Documentary 

2000 Meters to Andriivka

Apocalypse in the Tropics

Cover-Up

Mr. Nobody Against Putin

The Perfect Neighbour

Best Editing

A House of Dynamite

F1

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Best Production Design

Frankenstein

Hamnet

Marty Supreme

One Battle After Another

Sinners

Best Sound

F1 

Frankenstein

One Battle After Another

Sinner

Warfare

Best Special Visual Effects

Avatar: Fire and Ash

F1

Frankenstein

How to Train Your Dragon

The Lost Bus

Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema 

Claire Binns

The 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards ceremony will air on Feb. 22.

2026 marks the 25th anniversary of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, where the filmmaker best known for horror took his own unexpected journey to bring J R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novel to life on the big screen. Each installment told the tale of Elijah Wood's Frodo Baggins, as the young Hobbit set out from the Shire to destroy the One Ring before its master could rise and cast his shadow over the world once more. Despite it being a seemingly impossible task, Jackson succeeded in creating not only a faithful adaptation but also cementing his trilogy as one of the best movie series ever made.

Shortcuts in an operating system or application can make or break the user experience, and frustratingly, Windows certainly has a lot you probably won't use. Luckily, there is a free, open-source app that lets you customize almost every single shortcut in Windows and most apps.

SAVE $10: As of Jan. 27, the Lego Botanicals Mini Bonsai Trees (10373) has dropped to $54.99 at Amazon. This is $10 off its list price of $64.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Botanicals Mini Bonsai Trees Building Set (10373) $54.99 at Amazon
$64.99 Save $10.00   Get Deal

Lego's Botanicals sets add a sweet splash of color to your home when put on display. And as an added bonus, these floral arrangements don't require any watering or maintenance. If you've been hoping to pick up a set to work on during these winter months, the delightful Lego Botanicals Mini Bonsai Trees (10373) are worth checking out.

The Lego Botanicals Mini Bonsai Trees normally come with a price tag of $64.99, but for a limited time they've dropped to $54.99. This saves you $10, but keep in mind that since Amazon has this set marked as a limited-time deal, it may not be live much longer. If you've had your eye on it, now is a great time to grab it for less.

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Recommended for adults, the 709-piece Lego Botanicals Mini Bonsai Trees set allows you to piece together three different mini bonsai trees to put up on display. One of the trees you'll build is a ginkgo bonsai tree, which is blooming with bright yellow leaves. Then there's a black pine bonsai tree covered in green needles, and finally a wisteria bonsai tree with lovely lilac flowers.

Again, this limited-time offer may not be around for long, so don't miss out on this deal on the Lego Botanicals Mini Bonsai Trees at Amazon.

If you're curious what other sets we think are worth your time right now, have a look at some of the best new new floral Lego sets or some of our top picks for the best Lego sets to give for Valentine’s Day.

The following article contains an extract from Kink Curious: A Guide to Exploring Your Kinks, Dispelling Shame, and Staying Safe by Gigi Engle.

For many of us, getting kinky sounds very exciting. The idea of being tied up (or tying someone up) and spanking them into oblivion while wearing a leather corset and thigh-high boots is enticing, but we’re just not even sure where to begin with such a fantasy. This is because we have no idea if we’re actually into something or just like the idea of it. This disconnect can be further aggravated by feelings of shame and a lack of solid educational materials available for the kink-curious among us.

SEE ALSO: The best sexting apps for discreet NSFW chats

Further still, you might not even have fully formed fantasies or desires quite yet. It is possible (and normal) to have vague inklings of wanting to be submissive and degraded, but not be entirely sure how that would look for you. Or maybe you want to step into your power as a Dom who enjoys doling out spankings and punishments, but you’re scared sh*tless because you don’t know what kind of Dom you’d be or how you'd even be a Dom in the first place. And what kind of implements would you even want to use, anyway?

How do you begin to figure out what you’re into?

Honestly, a lot of kink educational materials that are available kind of miss this piece of the puzzle: How do you begin to figure out what you’re into?

Now, you might be 100 percent sure what kinds of kink play you’re into and what you want to try, and that’s fantastic. But I would still invite you to look a bit deeper with conscious curiosity to figure out if there are more kinks you’re into that you’re just not aware of yet, understand what it is about your kinks that gets you going, and consider how you might want to explore these kinks in your own erotic life.

Another pivotal question worth pondering: How important are these kinks to you? You might not have the answer right now (and that’s totally OK!) but if you’re here reading this, you might have very strong kinky predilections. The first place to start is a little self-reflection.

Questions to ask yourself

• How important are my kinks?

• Where do they fit into my identity as a human being?

• How might my life or happiness be affected (or not affected) if I weren’t able to explore my kinks?

Understanding this can help you formulate a blueprint for how you want to incorporate kink into your life. For some people, kink is part of their sexuality. For others, it’s just something they take part in, according to Rea Pearson, a sex-positive BACP-accredited counselor and relationship therapist.

If your kinks are an essential component of your happiness and fulfilment, this isn’t anything to be ashamed of. It’s entirely valid. It’s just a matter of figuring out a way to incorporate them into your sex life in a way that works for you (and possibly a current or future partner).

Feel free to save this bigger existential question on the importance of kink until later down the road. You don’t need to have the answers yet. I only wanted to introduce it here so you could start to think about it as we unpack your desires.

Using erotic content for inspiration

Using porn and other erotic content is such an amazing way to start exploring different kinds of kink play and figuring out what gets you going.

It’s important that when we’re choosing erotic content, you’re looking for content that isn’t, well, sh*t. Mainstream porn (think free tube sites) is a form of highly stylized entertainment that is geared toward cis-het men. There are all kinds of questionable practices going on behind the scenes as well as in them. If you’ve ever watched a mainstream gang bang scene, you’ll probably know what I’m talking about. There is a lens placed on men dominating women, punish-f*cking them, with questionable consent (if consent is present at all).

Which is why we want to be sure that what we’re consuming is ethical. Now, you might be thinking: There’s an ethical way for me to watch a woman be turned into a human chandelier in a rope harness and be anally penetrated that is considered above board? Yes, this is correct.

With the rise of ethically made porn, stricter standards (standardized, fair pay for actors, STI testing, collaborations over scripts and scenes that take the actors’ boundaries into account, and so forth, just more human respect) are slowly being implemented in smaller indie studios. And this is super important for everyone involved—from the viewer, to the crew, to the actors.

Why is this important for you? Because you want to be sure that the kink content you’re consuming is high quality, with everyone enjoying themselves and practicing safely. Porn is not education — so don’t take it as a substitute for workshops, classes, or reading this book. This is meant to serve as inspiration.

SEE ALSO: Top 5 NSFW sites to learn what porn didn't teach you Ethical erotic content for inspiration

OK, where do I find good ethically made material?

CrashPad Series

CrashPad Series is a queer, non-binary, and female-focused studio with authentic, playful, genuine connections and sexual expression with a diverse array of body types, presentations, identities, and expressions.

Royal Fetish Films

Royal Fetish Films is run by King and Jet Setting Jasmine and is setting a high industry standard in ethical porn with inclusive, beautifully made, and incredibly kinky content.

Bellesa

Bellesa is free-to-consume, curated porn made by and for women and femmes, with something for everyone, including plenty of kink.

Cheex

Cheex includes carefully curated erotic films from independent artists and production companies, plus erotic audio stories and educational resources with articles and interviews around sexual wellness and pleasure.

SPIT 

SPIT incorporates photos, audio erotica, and videos from naked story time to partnered play, highlighting diverse sexual expression and taking viewers on an authentic journey through desire and exploration.

Erika Lust

Erika Lust produces movie-quality ethical porn and remains one of the top producers in the industry.

Dipsea

Dipsea is an audio erotica app with countless steamy stories and is a fabulous option for anyone who doesn’t enjoy visual representations of sex.

Afterglow

Afterglow is brand-new on the scene and offers inclusive, high-quality ethical porn for a wide range of desires.

You can also subscribe to OnlyFans creators that you particularly like. This is a great way to support your local sex workers — and find content that you want to see.

SEE ALSO: Your guide to audio erotica apps and websites Using journaling to explore desire

Journaling is such a fantastic tool for figuring out what it is you’re into. Figuring out what you’re into is not about landing on a perfectly curated list of kinks or arriving at a fixed sexual identity. It’s about learning how to listen to yourself without judgment, letting curiosity replace shame, and giving your desires room to breathe. The internet can be a powerful mirror when used intentionally, reflecting back patterns, themes, and emotional truths you might not yet have words for.

What turns you on today may deepen, shift, or surprise you tomorrow.

You don’t need to rush this process, and you don’t need to have it all figured out before you start exploring. Desire evolves. Context changes. What turns you on today may deepen, shift, or surprise you tomorrow. By pairing ethical erotic content with reflection and self-inquiry, you’re not just discovering kinks, you’re building a relationship with your own desire that’s rooted in awareness, consent, and self-trust. And that, more than any specific act or label, is the foundation of a fulfilling erotic life.

Kink Curious: A Guide to Exploring Your Kinks, Dispelling Shame, and Staying Safe by Gigi Engle, published by Jessica Kingsley, is out now.

SAVE $500: The DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is on sale at Amazon for $1,099, down from the normal price of $1,599. That's a 31% discount that matches the record low at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo $1,099 at Amazon
$1,599 Save $500   Get Deal

Despite the FCC ban on foreign drones, you can still get yourself a DJI drone. The fine print of the ban explains that any drone already in the country are excluded from the new legislation, which means they're fair game for ownership and operation. However, that means stock is dwindling, so if you're searching for a DJI drone, check out this latest deal.

The DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is on sale for $1,099 at Amazon, marked down from the standard price of $1,599. That's a 31% discount that takes a hefty $500 off the price. It also matches the record low at Amazon.

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The DJI Mini 5 Pro is a premium drone and the Fly More Combo makes it just that much more appealing. The bundle includes the DJI Mini 5 Pro drone itself, the DJI RC 2 camera-drone remote controller, a set of filters, three DJI Mini 5 Pro Intelligent Flight batteries, three propeller sets, a shoulder bag, and more. Boiled down, this is everything you'd want for an epic drone set-up.

In terms of performance, the DJI Mini 5 Pro is a stellar model. It has a one-inch CMOS camera with 4K HDR filming at 60fps. You can also go with 4K 120fps for slow-motion filming. DJI also made this model especially appealing for night flying thanks to the 360 degree Nightscape Omnidirectional Sensing and Nighttime return-to-home function. DJI's ActiveTrack 360° technology is a must-have feature if you'll be filming moving subjects like a cyclist, skier, or surfer.

While it's still in stock and on sale for a record-low price, snag the DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo. The bundle is packed with advanced accessories while still being a perfect model for beginners.

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

If we can get a movie, an album, or Amazon purchase with the tap of a smartphone — hell, even get a takeaway delivered directly to your door — there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to get a date in the same way. Indeed, this is the age of on-demand apps and instant gratification. That’s hardly news. Online dating and dating apps have dominated the romantic landscape for the best part of 20 years. But things are changing within the online dating world.

According to the sex-perts at Lovehoney — everyone’s favourite progressively-minded sex toy brand — these are horny-but-wholesome times. They’ve declared that 2026 is "The Year of Pleasure."

That doesn’t mean one-night stands and flippant flings. According to research, one-night stands are on the decrease. Prospective daters are actually looking for "purposeful pleasure" and "meaningful connections". In other words, hookups that have some actual substance. We're still hooking up, but we're getting more selective. That’s why using the right dating app is so important. Every dating app has something slightly different to offer, and you need the tools to find someone you actually want to share your time (and more) with. Getting a date might be as easy as tapping your phone, but it has to be the right date. To help you, we’ve looked at the top apps and taken advice from sex and relationship experts.

What to know before you swipe

Before you start downloading apps, it’s good know just how to approach online dating. We advise that you’re completely up-front about who and what you’re looking for. And maybe pass on those mainstream dating apps that are all about romance and happily ever afters (we're looking at you, eharmony). The best hookup apps make chatting quick and easy (messaging, video calls, all that good stuff), and even the free ones should have features like profile verification to help keep you safe. But most importantly, be sure to stick to apps that are purpose-built for hookups, casual fun, and satisfying your kink. It can be freeing, not to mention productive, to be open about specific desires. The ways in which we understand sex and relationships are changing all the time — just looking at fast-growing "heteroflexible" sexuality — and hookup apps allow you to explore curiosities with no judgement or social anxiety.

SEE ALSO: The best sexting apps for discreet NSFW chats

It doesn’t matter what you’re looking for, whether it's the chance to explore a new sexual frontier, a friends-with-benefits situation on the reg, or an old school one-night stand (the one-night stand might be going out of fashion, but it’s still fun as long as it’s safe and on your terms). Whatever you're after, we’ve got your back with this guide on the best hookups apps, all based on Mashable’s own real-world testing and expert input. We’ve broken down each of the best hookup apps, selecting an option for every type of dater and every dating desire.

These are the best hookup apps for 2026.

I've spent a good part of my life commuting in cold weather, the kind where the roads aren't plowed yet and the forecast is already wrong. I've driven through blizzards, across mountain passes, and on mornings where the hardest part of the drive was just getting the car to cooperate long enough to leave the driveway. After enough winters like that, you stop thinking about cold as a seasonal inconvenience and start treating it as a mechanical stress test. It's also a big part of why I live in Florida now.

Stephen Colbert's monologue on Monday had a far more serious tone than usual, with the Late Show host discussing ICE's killing of nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday.

"Masked government agents disarmed an American citizen and then executed him in the streets," says Colbert, describing what videos of the shooting showed despite what the Trump administration has tried to claim.

Colbert goes on to respond to Trump officials trying to reframe the shooting with contradictory statements, including Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino, who described the federal agents as "the victims" on CNN.

"Bulls***!" responds Colbert. "Masked secret police shooting innocent people with impunity in the streets are not victims. The only way they could ever even be considered close to victims is that they are, at best, weak-minded individuals full of anger who have been led to the darkness by Donald Trump and are now participating in an evil system that will stick to them like hot black tar for the rest of their lives."

Elsewhere, Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart both had similar thoughts.