Technology

When it comes to PCs, few things can ruin your day as much as when things just don't work. PC-related problems lead to hours of troubleshooting, frantic googling, and frustrated muttering under your breath. I've been there.

Using Google Maps for navigation is great. It combines live traffic updates, changing routes, and voice commands all from my phone. However, the heavy demands of constant GPS pings, ongoing data streaming, and a bright screen drain even large batteries very quickly. However, you can make a quick change to a minor setting to see a major benefit.

While I enjoy a good superhero show, I adore those that are satirical in nature. Nothing beats a good laugh. Luckily, Amazon Prime Video is home to several acclaimed satirical superhero series, and they each function in hearty ways that deconstruct the genre piece by piece.

Intel has reportedly reached a deal to manufacture Apple chips just days after rumors emerged of ongoing talks, and the consequences could be profound even if you're an avid Windows PC user.

Own an old Moto Android phone but don’t plan to give it away or sell it? Instead of keeping it in some dim, dusty drawer and pulling it out every few months to check whether its battery has turned into a spicy pillow, you can repurpose it into something useful and keep using it on a daily basis.

That extra Ethernet port on the back of your motherboard is one of the most underrated bits of hardware on a modern PC. Most people glance at it once during the build, plug a cable into the other one, and forget it exists for the rest of the system's life. I did just the same thing, never caring for it much.

By the end of the week, I totally get the appeal of just turning your brain off and watching a mindless episode of Too Hot to Handle. But sometimes the most restorative weekends come by adding a bit of real-life perspective to your gray matter, with a good documentary. Luckily, HBO Max has some of the best quality ones around, and I've got a few suggestions below.

The luxury compact SUV segment looks different today than it did in 2003. When the BMW X3 first arrived, it essentially defined the category by proving an SUV (or crossover) could handle like a sporty sedan. The X3 has been a benchmark for over two decades, but the market is shifting. Buyers are moving away from luxury for luxury's sake and are, instead, looking for a vehicle that prioritizes everyday functionality and long-term value.

The weekend is the best time to actually sit down and mess with your Linux setup. This time, I have for you a selection of three apps that are aimed at improving your quality of life and using Linux that much more convenient. Each app solves a different kind of friction you've probably just accepted as part of your workflow.

SAVE 20 CENTS PER GALLON: Amazon Prime members can save up to 20 cents a gallon at BP and Amoco on Fridays. Here’s how to claim your fuel discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Save up to 20 cents a gallon at BP and Amoco on Fridays   Learn More

It's easy to forget all the benefits you get with Amazon Prime. Like, I somehow always forget that prescription and gas discounts are included with a membership. And, as the proud owner of a V-8 GMC Sierra, that's the kind of information I need to keep in the "relevant" file. I've literally seen regular gas (not even premium) as high as $4.30 per gallon in North Carolina, which is ridiculous. So, whenever there's a way to make filling up this truck even slightly cheaper, I'm all over it.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Prime members can save $5 on their next Grubhub delivery of $15 — here's how

If you have Amazon Prime and you aren't using its fuel discount yet, you're basically throwing money away. By linking your Prime account to BP's "earnify" app (which is completely free to set up), you get a flat 10 cents off per gallon every single time you fill up at a participating BP, Amoco, ampm, or Thorntons location. There's no cap on how many gallons you can buy, and it works on all fuel grades. You don't even have to open the app at the pump — you just punch in your phone number, and it automatically applies the discount. (One less app to deal with, hallelujah.)

Even better, Amazon's running a "Fuel Up Friday" promo right now through May 29 that doubles the savings. If you time your fill-ups for Fridays, you get 20 cents off per gallon (valid once every Friday during the promo window).

ShinyHunters apparently isn't done with edutech giant Instructure.

The now-infamous hacking and extortion collective known as ShinyHunters has once again breached Instructure, the education technology company best known for its popular Learning Management System (LMS) application Canvas. ShinyHunters originally breached Instructure's systems just over a week ago, stealing data connected with nearly 9,000 schools worldwide.

According to a report from TechCrunch, this week, ShinyHunters hackers defaced Canvas login pages for several schools that use the coursework and messaging platform.

TechCrunch says that it saw at least three school login pages compromised with a message via an injected HTML file from ShinyHunters threatening to publicly release stolen data on May 12 unless Instructure agrees to “negotiate a settlement."

SEE ALSO: ShinyHunters breached 'GTA 6' developer Rockstar Games in ransomware attack

Instructure confirmed that it had been breached by the same bad actors responsible for the previously reported breach into the company. This marks a second breach into Instructure, though into a different part of its infrastructure this time.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Vote for your favorite creators today

Instructure took Canvas offline temporarily while it investigated the second breach. The company says that it found that the hackers "exploited an issue related to our Free-For-Teacher accounts." The company has since temporarily shut down these accounts and restored Canvas access for its users.

Earlier this month, ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for a breach that Instructure later confirmed. According to ShinyHunters, the stolen data linked to the original breach is associated with 275 million Instructure users and affects 8,809 schools worldwide. The stolen data belongs to students, teachers, and school staff who use Instructure's products and contains users' names, email addresses, student IDs, and private messages exchanged on the Canvas platform.

The request from ShinyHunters to "negotiate a settlement" has become par the course for the group, which actively seeks to profit from its excursions.

Over the past year, ShinyHunters have claimed responsibility for data breaches at companies such as Panera Bread, Crunchyroll, Bumble, ADT, and Rockstar Games, among others.

One of the biggest advantages of turning a laptop into a NAS is that you get to fully reuse its internals, including the built-in battery. In the event of a power outage, that battery can keep the system running until electricity returns, effectively serving as a mini-UPS. This allows zero downtime and no need to reset or reconfigure anything, which is especially useful if your NAS is in a hard-to-reach spot like mine.

The best TV deals to shop this weekend: Best Hisense deal Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV (2026 model) $998.99 (save $501) Get Deal Best TCL deal TCL 85-inch QM8K Mini-LED QLED 4K TV (2025 model) $1,709.99 (save $990 with on-page coupon) Get Deal Best Amazon deal Amazon Ember 55-inch Mini-LED QLED 4K TV (2024 model) $559.99 (save $260) Get Deal

Springtime is one of the best times to upgrade your TV. When new models hit shelves in March and April, older models get the deal treatment. It's like clockwork.

If you've recently realized your TV kind of sucks, now's as good of a time as any to make the investment in something better. With the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs underway and a boat load of new series and movies making their way to streaming, you'll be glad you upgraded.

We've rounded up the best TV deals to shop this weekend from top brands like Hisense, TCL, and Amazon so you can weigh your options.

Best Hisense TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV (2026 model) $998.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $501   Get Deal Why we like it

It's fairly common to see 2025 TV models drop in price once the latest make their debut. But to see a brand-new 2026 model on sale for over 30% off is rare. You can get the 2026 Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED TV for under $1,000 for the first time since its launch last month. Of course, if you want to save even more, you can certainly do worse than the 2025 model of the same TV (which is currently at a record-low $696.97).

The 2026 model is an iterative upgrade with an improved anti-glare coating and enhanced AI processor. Both models offer a 165Hz refresh rate, 2.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos sound system, up to 3,000 nits peak brightness, and the Google operating system.

Best TCL TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 85-inch QM8K Mini-LED QLED 4K TV (2025 model) $1,709.99 at Amazon
$2,699.99 Save $990.00 with on-page coupon Get Deal Why we like it

"A premium Mini-LED TV with a price to match," as our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) put it, we'd only recommend grabbing the TCL QM8K when it's on sale. And lucky for you, the 85-inch model is down to a record-low $1,709.99 at Amazon with the help of an on-page coupon.

As far as specs go, the QM8K is pretty impressive, with up to HDR5000 brightness, 3,800 local dimming zones, a 2.2.2-channel Bang & Olufsen-designed speaker array with Dolby Atmos spatial audio, a 144Hz native refresh rate, and hands-free Google voice commands. Essentially, it checks all the most important boxes when buying a new TV: excellent Mini-LED picture quality, good sound, and plenty of smart features.

Best Amazon TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Ember 55-inch Mini-LED QLED 4K TV (2024 model) $559.99 at Amazon
$819.99 Save $260   Get Deal Why we like it

One of the most advanced TVs in Amazon's Ember lineup (recently rebranded from Fire TV), the Mini-LED is loaded with specs. It packs hands-free Alexa, Interactive Art Mode, a 144Hz refresh rate, and Intelligent Picture technology, which can fine-tune the details of whatever you're watching.

Our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) tested it last year and were pleasantly surprised. "With the Fire TV Omni Mini-LED, Amazon finally offers a Fire TV-based television that gets adequately bright," their reviewer writes. Its 4K QLED Mini-LED display features Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive, up to 1,400 nits of peak brightness, and 768 dimming zones. Typically an already affordable $820, the 55-inch model is now down to only $559.99 — its lowest price ever.

More TV deals worth grabbing this weekend

Amazon

• Amazon 55-inch Ember 4-Series 4K TV — $379.99 $459.99 (save $80)

• Amazon 65-inch Ember QLED 4K TV — $749.99 $849.99 (save $100)

Hisense

• Hisense 75-inch E6 Cinema QLED 4K TV — $499.99 $799.99 (save $300)

• Hisense 55-inch S7N Canvas QLED 4K TV — $647.99 $999.99 (save $352)

• Hisense 50-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $798.99 $1,299.99 (save $501)

• Hisense 65-inch U8 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $999.99 $2,199.99 (save $1,200)

LG

• LG 48-inch C5 OLED 4K TV — $896.99 $1,396.99 (save $500)

Samsung

• Samsung 65-inch Q7F QLED 4K TV — $427.99 $629.99 (save $202)

• Samsung 65-inch Q8F QLED 4K TV — $599.99 $899.99 (save $300)

• Samsung 65-inch The Frame LS03F QLED 4K TV — $997.99 $1,497.99 (save $500)

TCL

• TCL 75-inch T7 QLED 4K TV — $629.99 $899.99 (save $270)

• TCL 75-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED — $1,999.99 $2,999.99 (save 1,000)

SAVE 20%: As of May 8, you can get the Nex Playground for $239 at Amazon. That's a 20% discount or $60.99 in savings.

Nex Playground Camera Controller-Free Gaming Console (5 Games Included) $239 at Amazon
$299 Save $60   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Walmart Get Deal at Best Buy

I'm not a gamer per se; I play old-school games like Tomb Raider and Crash Bandicoot on the PS5, but when I first tried the Nex Playground at my sister's house last Christmas, I was hooked. But every store I went to was out of stock. Nowhere had one! Eventually, I had to just accept my fate and have it shipped from Best Buy (I think it took two weeks).

Fortunately for you, Nex Playground is back in stock and on sale (for the first time in a long time) at multiple retailers. As of May 8, the Nex Playground is on sale at Amazon for $239. (You can also find it for $239.99 at Target, Walmart, and Best Buy.)

SEE ALSO: Nintendo is raising the price of the Switch 2 — where to buy before the hike hits

If you haven't seen a Nex Playground in person, it's essentially a plug-and-play console that uses an AI-powered wide-angle camera to track your natural body movements. Like Nintendo Wii, but without the hand controls. It's great for families, but I love using it to get a quick workout in between shifts.

It comes with five interactive games built in (including Fruit Ninja and Whac-a-Mole), but a Play Pass subscription (which is only $89 for the year or $49 for three months) will give you full access to the Nex Playground library.

Instagram has officially pulled end-to-end encryption (e2ee) for direct messages.

The privacy feature, which prevents messages from being intercepted and read in transit between users, was previously an opt-in setting for Instagram users. Now, all chats will be under standard encryption. Under the latter, service or network providers can potentially access messages.

Meta announced an investment in end-to-end encryption in 2019, with plans to roll out the feature as a default chat setting across its platforms, including Messenger and Instagram. But the company has since reversed its course under wider industry pressure.

SEE ALSO: New report: X remains the most dangerous platform for LGBTQ users

The platform quietly announced the feature would be retired in March, with a spokesperson explaining that the decision was spurred by low usage. Privacy groups have raised alarm about tech giants turning over private user communications to law enforcement and for use in AI training — Meta has said it does not use private messages to train its AI models.

Other online safety groups have welcomed greater transparency to improve platform moderation, including those fighting against the proliferation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and child predator networks.

I had end-to-end encryption on. What do I do now?

For those who still want the privacy of end-to-end encryption, the company has recommended users turn to WhatsApp or Meta's standalone Messenger app, which still offers the feature.

Meta also said it notified users who had end-to-end encryption turned on in chats with friends, prompting them to download their chat histories and media. Users may need the latest app update to archive their encrypted chats, the company noted.

Satisfaction means different things to different people. For some, it’s completing a complex set of instructions in order to build something truly impressive, for others, it’s something altogether more tactile. Sometimes it’s finding another way to keep your hands busy while you focus on other tasks.

While Amazon might have the most popular e-reader with Kindles, the company is falling behind on supporting accessories. On May 8, Boox launched the Tappy remote, a wireless device that lets users turn the page on an e-book, scroll through articles, and hit play on an audiobook. The remote connects easily to Boox e-readers for seamless reading.

The Boox Tappy remote comes with two spare key caps so you can customize the remote. Credit: Boox

Remotes for e-readers are the hottest accessory at the moment. The trendy devices blew up on BookTok, of course, with e-reader users showing off their cozy reading nook setups that include an e-reader stand paired with a remote. Most of these remotes are off-brand models, but Kobo became the first e-reader brand to launch a native remote to its e-readers. Boox is now joining the party with its Tappy remote.

The Tappy retails for $25.99 and will be available on Amazon and Boox. Currently, the device is sold out of its US warehouse, but is available from its Hong Kong warehouse. At the time of writing, the Boox Tappy's Amazon listing is not live. It comes in two shades, sage (Amazon exclusive) and citrus (Boox exclusive).

The Boox Tappy features three modes: reading, browsing, and multimedia. Credit: Boox

The remote comes with three different modes:

• Reading Mode: Best suited for page-by-page reading, you can flip through stories in most reading apps with a simple click.

• Browsing Mode: This mode allows you to scroll up and down through vertical content, great for browsing news or long-form articles.

• Multimedia Mode: For audiobooks or music, Tappy functions as a remote to skip to the previous or next track.

According to the brand, on Boox e-readers running Firmware V4.2 or later, you can customize button functions to suit your preference. So, a double-tap or long hold can execute different actions.

It connects to Boox devices via Bluetooth and, according to the press release, will work with other devices. TBD if that means it's also compatible with Kindles, which are Bluetooth compatible. This would be a huge boon for Kindle users, as it seems like Amazon is the last e-reader brand to make its own remote.

Once we get our hands on the Boox Tappy, we'll be trying it ourselves to see if it works with more than just Boox e-readers.

Opens in a new window Credit: Boox Boox Tappy Remote $25.99 at Boox
  Learn More

I don't like it when old games are as limited as they were twenty years ago. I think that when we emulate games, the advances in technology should translate to better gameplay. Unfortunately, that's not how it's worked with my emulator for a long time. Luckily, lossless scaling solved this problem for me, but it did come with some hiccups.

Gemini is already in your search results, your Gmail, your calendar, and your Android phone. At Google I/O on May 19, Google is going further. Faster AI, an assistant that actually acts for you, smart glasses built with real fashion brands, and a new laptop OS. Iyaz Akhtar is here to break down what to expect from Google I/O 2026.

Cloud storage feels like the obvious choice for backing up important data. It’s cheap (and even free up to a point), convenient, and simple to set up.