Technology

Boston-based travel blogger Jake Rosmarin is among the approximately 100 people aboard the m/v Hondius, a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean now struggling to contain a deadly hantavirus outbreak. 

In a tearful video Rosmarin filmed for TikTok, the outside world was asked to remember the “uncertainty” for passengers. "What is happening is very real for us right now," Rosmarin said. "We’re not just a story, we’re not just headlines, we’re people, people with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home.”

Before departing from Argentina on the 35-day cruise, Rosmarin filmed a video tour of the ship — highlighting the dining hall, bridge, outer decks, and his own room.

The state of the ship

Three passengers on the Hondius, which departed on April 11 from Argentina en route to Cape Verde, have died from hantavirus, which is typically contracted through exposure to the feces, urine, or saliva of rodents. It is believed the disease spread during a birdwatching expedition, according to NBC News.

The World Health Organization is currently reporting five confirmed cases of the virus. This specific strain of hantavirus, known as the Andes strain, can spread from person to person.

After the first infections began to show on the ship, 30 people aboard the Hondius disembarked on April 24 on the island of St. Helena, including the wife of a man who died from the virus. Her husband’s body was removed as well. Contact tracing was not conducted in St. Helena, according to reports.

SEE ALSO: Meet the women using AI to detect hidden heart disease

The unnamed widow then flew to Johannesburg and then attempted to fly home to Amsterdam, but was removed from the flight before it took off for Europe. The woman has since died.

Several of the people who got off in St. Helena are now in the United States, specifically California, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, and Virginia. Representatives of the World Health Organization say the outbreak “is not the start of a new pandemic or epidemic,” according to NBC News.

The Hondius is currently en route to the Canary Islands and is expected to arrive in three or four days, but the president of the Spanish-controlled islands is currently resisting the ship docking there. No one aboard the ship is currently symptomatic, Hondius operator Oceanwide Expeditions declared in a statement.

WHO recommendations

On Wednesday, WHO offered key facts about hantavirus:

• Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans.

• People usually get infected through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva.

• Infection with hantaviruses can cause a range of illnesses, including severe disease and death.

• In the Americas, hantaviruses can cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), a severe respiratory illness, with a case fatality rate up to 50 percent.

• Andes virus, found in South America, is a currently known hantavirus for which limited human‑to‑human transmission among contacts has been documented.

• In Europe and Asia, hantaviruses cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).

Hantavirus symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Symptoms of hantavirus can emerge anywhere from one to eight weeks after exposure, and typically include fatigue, fever, headache, muscle aches, abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting.

WHO warns that early diagnosis of hantavirus infection is difficult because many early symptoms are similar to flu, pneumonia, and COVID. The Andes strain of hantavirus is not as easily transmitted as flu or COVID though, according to health experts cited by NBC News.

Hantavirus can cause two distinct syndromes: pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which affects the lungs, and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which affects the kidneys. HPS is much more dangerous, with a 38 percent fatality rate, according to USA Today, while HFRS has a 1 percent to 15 percent fatality rate.

There is no specific treatment or vaccine available for hantavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Patients should receive supportive care, including rest, hydration, and treatment of symptoms," the agency states on its website.

If you think you’ve been exposed

Wear a face mask and go to the nearest hospital or medical facility immediately.

SAVE $150: As of May 7, the Apple MacBook Air (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) is back on sale for just $949 at Amazon. That's $150 off its list price of $1,099 and its lowest price on record.

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$1,099 Save $150   Get Deal

When Mashable Tech Editor Tim Beck Werth tested Apple's newest MacBook Air, he called it a "near-perfect machine" that's "too powerful for its own good." It's extremely similar to the M4 Air, but now packs Apple's M5 silicon and comes with a steeper starting price of $1,099. "For $899, or even $949, I'd find this laptop irresistible," Werth writes in his review.

I'm pleased to announce that his wish has been granted, as the 13-inch Apple M5 MacBook Air is now just $949 at Amazon. As of May 7, you'll save 14% or $150 on the base model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of solid-state storage. That's also its lowest price on record, which it's reached just once before.

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While the starting price for the M5 MacBook Air is technically higher, you're getting more storage than the previous generation. So when you do the math, you'll actually be saving even more by grabbing this deal.

Aside from the speedier processor and more base storage, the 2026 Air also comes with the N1 wireless chip, which brings support for WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and is configurable with up to 4TB (up from 2TB). Otherwise, the specs are largely comparable to the previous generation. It still packs a 60Hz Liquid Retina display, 12MP Center Stage webcam, dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, and 18-hour battery life.

It's certainly not an essential upgrade if you already have an M3 or M4 MacBook Air. However, if you're rocking an older MacBook or you're just joining the Apple world, this is the best MacBook to get. And as Werth put it, at this price it's irresistible.

TL;DR: Show off legendary paintings on your wall with Dreamscreens Dream Art Collection 4K, on sale now for just $24.99 (reg. $49.99).

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Want to jazz up your living room? Dreamscreens gives your houseguests something to talk about, putting more than 500 famous paintings from history on display right on your wall. You don’t have to spend a fortune on prints and frames; all you have to do is plug the drive into a USB slot in your Smart TV.

Right now, you can snag Dreamscreens for just $24.99, with no coupon code required.

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Whether you’re an art lover or you just want to switch up your home’s aesthetic, Dreamscreens Dream Art Collection 4K brings over 500 paintings to your wall in seconds. It’s a USB drive packed with famous paintings from throughout history, and there’s no complicated setup — all you have to do is plug it in.

Wondering which paintings are included? Iconic images like The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh, The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, and The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo. It serves as a great conversation starter at home, turning your TV into a talking point.

Dreamscreens delivers 4K quality, so you can check out every detail of each painting in ultra-high definition. You can also choose to see the paintings in their original aspect ratio with the standard screen version, or select the widescreen version to fill the entire television screen.

Not interested in static art? You can also set it up as a video slideshow, with background music to set the vibe.

Just one framed print of these paintings could set you back hundreds of dollars. Dreamscreens gives you access to over 500, so you can consistently change things up and enjoy variety.

Get Dreamscreens Dream Art Collection 4K for just $24.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

When Bumble posted a cryptic image on Instagram telling the swipe that "it's over," people questioned whether the dating app was really getting rid of swiping. Today, its founder and CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd, confirmed that it is.

On "The Axios Show," Wolfe Herd said, "We are going to be saying goodbye to the swipe and hello to something that I believe is revolutionary for the category."

The change in the matching mechanism will hit certain markets starting in the fourth quarter of 2026.

SEE ALSO: Bumble failed to protect user data in ShinyHunters hack, class action suit claims

What will replace the swipe? Wolfe Herd didn't say exactly, but it likely has to do with the new AI-driven matchmaking experience, Dates. Wolfe Herd has also mentioned on multiple earnings calls that Bumble is revamping the app's backend as well.

"We are evolving into our next chapter," Wolfe Herd told Axios's Sara Fischer, which is similar to what a Bumble spokesperson told Mashable yesterday when asked about the Instagram post.

The full episode doesn't appear to be live yet, but from Axios's own coverage, Wolfe Herd also said that the app will not "force one gender over another to do something first," yet the app will keep "the essence of what was always meant to be women making the first move."

Bumble has already begun moving away from its "women making the first move" ethos that it held since its inception in 2014.

In 2024, the app launched "Opening Moves" to let men message women first in heterosexual matches. Then-CEO Lidiane Jones said the move was at least partly due to dating app fatigue. Wolfe Herd soon returned as Bumble's CEO in early 2025, and in February 2026, the app removed the option in Mexico and Australia.

Swiping has been integral to Bumble's user experience since its launch, two years after Tinder (which Wolfe Herd also cofounded) popularized the "hot or not" swipe model. But given that Bumble's revenue and paying users are down year over year, it seems the company wants to try something new to regain those users.

Tinder, too, has seen financial dips recently, and it's also made some changes.

In March, Tinder released a suite of new features, including an AI matchmaker, Chemistry. Hinge, meanwhile, doesn't have swiping and keeps growing financially, suggesting that dating app users may be tired of rejecting someone with their thumb.

The Tesla Model Y has become the benchmark in the EV SUV space, and for good reason. It consistently leads sales and sets expectations for range, technology, and everyday usability.

Apple might expand its AI wearable efforts into the world of AirPods.

Bloomberg reported today that Apple is in the final stages of testing a new AirPods model that would feature small cameras in each earbud. They would have longer stems than the AirPods you're used to, but would otherwise look very similar, says Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

According to his latest report, the device has "entered a phase where prototypes feature a near-final design and capabilities" after years of development internally, but we don't have a firm release date yet. It's also possible that these prototype AirPods never make it to market.

SEE ALSO: Apple AI lawsuit settled: Every iPhone included in the $250 million settlement

In case you're worried about being surreptitiously recorded by any random person with AirPods you see on the street, these cameras would not be used for any kind of photo or video capture. Instead, Gurman says they would be low-resolution modules used to see the environment for the purpose of interacting with an AI assistant.

We first heard about AirPods with cameras back in 2024, when the reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo described AirPods with built-in infrared cameras. At the time, he said these modules would be similar to FaceID cameras and power new spatial audio experiences. More recently, Gurman reported on camera-equipped AirPods this January, saying the focus would be on powering AI features.

Gurman says the AirPods will apparently include a little LED indicator light that turns on when the cameras are working their magic, but without seeing the earbuds in action, we don't know how visible that will be to anyone else yet.

While Apple has a strong track record with privacy, there are obvious privacy concerns with putting cameras (no matter how low resolution) in a pair of earbuds. Meta's Ray-Ban glasses have enabled a lot of bad behavior, for instance.

All of this begs the question: Would you wear earbuds with a built-in camera?

As someone who vividly remembers the very negative public response to Google Glass, I do wonder if the populace will feel differently this time around.

Big Tech companies clearly think there will be demand for this sort of device. OpenAI is working on an AI wearable with the famed designer Jony Ive, and Motorola released a concept AI pendant at CES 2026. Apple is also rumored to be working on a wearable AI pin, while Meta and Google have invested in developing smart glasses with cameras.

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Who's ready to head back to the kitchen and hang out with our favorite crew on The Bear? While the new season is still over one month away, Hulu dropped a surprise prequel episode of The Bear earlier this week. Titled Gary, the episode chronicles a trip to Indiana featuring Mikey (Jon Bernthal) and Richie. While it's not an entire season's worth of episodes, it's a nice appetizer before the final season.

Many of my colleagues here at How-To Geek are experts on artificial intelligence and how to incorporate it into your everyday life. Some of my colleagues have shared ideas for making Gemini a more functional tool or using Claude to help with Raspberry Pi projects that come up on a whim. After listening to them speak about AI during our team meetings, I decided to use it myself.

Elon Musk's X is still the most unsafe social media platform for LGBTQ+ users, according to a new report by GLAAD.

The organization's annual Social Media Safety Index (SMSI) and its "platform scorecards" grade social media sites on LGBTQ safety, privacy, and expression. GLAAD assessed external-facing policies on diversity programs, content moderation, user suppression, and enforcement mechanisms, among other metrics, for six major companies: Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, YouTube, and TikTok.

X scored just 29 points out of a possible 100. No platform has ever scored above a 67.

SEE ALSO: Parents on Instagram, Facebook: Expect a big message from Meta

While X may have received the worst marks of the bunch, none of the platforms analyzed by the organization got passing grades. Many, in fact, hit historic lows. GLAAD found that all platforms were "rife with anti-LGBTQ hate, harassment, and disinformation," and noted nationwide rollbacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts.

The report specifically calls out Meta and YouTube's updated LGBTQ policies, including Meta's overhaul of its Hateful Conduct policy. YouTube's score fell 11 points, the most severe drop, compared to the 2025 analysis. TikTok was the only platform whose score did not decrease over the last year, although it still only earned a score of 56 out of 100.

GLAAD began issuing platform scorecards in 2021. Over the last five years, X has consistently earned some of the lowest scores among competitor platforms — X came out on top of TikTok in the organization's 2022 report. Scores are based on corporate transparency metrics established by global digital human rights organization Ranking Digital Rights and 14 LGBTQ-specific online indicators, GLAAD explained.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's X settles $128 million lawsuit with Twitter executives

GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis wrote:

"Leading social media companies today do not meet basic best practices in content moderation, transparency, data privacy, and workforce diversity — and continuously refuse to meaningfully prioritize the safety, privacy, and expression of LGBTQ people and other marginalized communities. Advertisers should question commitments to LGBTQ safety and the disregard for the safety of LGBTQ users as they plan which platforms to continue to support.

To LGBTQ creators, advocates, and organizations targeted on and by these platforms: these companies need to hear from you. The threats in your DMs, the disinformation fueling anti-LGBTQ legislation, and the bullying that leads to real-world violence are not just ‘part of the job.’ They are systemic failures that tech leaders have the tools to fix, yet they choose to profit from them instead."

Apple's MacBook Neo upended the PC market in part because of a $599 starting price that put many comparable Windows laptops to shame, but it might have to give up that advantage.

Even with the addition of tabs, the file browsing experience on Windows is still lackluster. The search is as broken as ever. I’m still waiting for bulk renaming, file locks, a bookmarks bar, or secure deletion. Panes have limited file previews and organization is bare bones. Let’s fix it all.

When you think about the history of smartphones, several iconic releases stand out. I'm talking about the Galaxy SIII, iPhone 4, HTC One M7, and even Google's LG-made Nexus 5 was a big deal, even if it didn't have sales numbers to back it up. But one phone that's often overlooked is this huge 12-year-old Motorola phone, the Nexus 6.

Sports cars are usually terrible financial decisions. They’re built to maximize fun, not preserve value, which is why most of them lose a painful amount of money the moment they leave the dealership. Practical sedans like the Toyota Camry are normally the safer long-term bet, at least on paper.

Endings are hard. How many times have you watched a movie that nails the first 80% before falling apart at the ending? I'm looking at I Am Legend, a good movie that collapsed in the final moments. That's why when a film nails its ending, it should be praised.

OpenAI has been under intense legal and public pressure to improve the way its flagship AI product ChatGPT responds when a user express suicidal feelings.

On Thursday, the company launched a feature called Trusted Contact, which allows users to designate an adult to notify should the user talk about self-harm or suicide in a serious or concerning way.

The optional feature only encourages the trusted contact to reach out to the user. It does not share chat transcripts or conversation details.

SEE ALSO: 4 reasons not to turn ChatGPT into your therapist

"Our goal is to ensure that AI systems do not exist in isolation," the company said in a blog post announcing the feature. "Instead they should help connect people to the real-world care, relationships, and resources that matter most."

OpenAI has been sued multiple times for wrongful death by family members of ChatGPT users who died by suicide after ChatGPT allegedly coached them to end their lives or didn't respond appropriately to their discussions of psychological distress. OpenAI has denied the allegations in the first of those lawsuits.

A designated trusted contact receives an invitation like this from ChatGPT. Credit: Courtesy OpenAI

The state of Florida is also investigating ChatGPT's links to "criminal behavior," including the "encouragement of suicide and self-harm."

Trusted Contact was developed with feedback from experts, including OpenAI's Expert Council on Well-Being and AI and the American Psychological Association.

"Helping people identify a trusted person in advance, while preserving their choice and autonomy, can make it easier to reach out to real-world support when it matters most," Dr. Arthur Evans, chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association, said in a statement.

How ChatGPT's Trusted Contact works

1. Users can start the Trusted Contact process by clicking on their ChatGPT settings.

2. One adult age 18 or older can be added via the Trusted Contact form.

3. The contact doesn't need a ChatGPT account.

4. The designated contact will receive an invitation from OpenAI explaining their role as a trusted contact. They must accept the invite within one week in order to activate the feature. The contact can share their phone number or email address as a contact method. Should the person decline, the user can add a different adult.

5. When OpenAI's automated monitoring systems detect discussion of self-harm or indicates a serious safety issue, ChatGPT alerts the user that the company may notify their trusted contact. The user prompt encourages outreach to the trusted contact and provides conversation starters.

6. The safety issue is then reviewed by what OpenAI describes as a "small team of specially trained people." When the human reviewers confirm a possible serious safety concern, ChatGPT sends the Trusted Contact a brief email or text message. If the person has a ChatGPT account, they will receive an in-app notification.

7. The notification doesn't include details about the user's discussion. Instead, it informs the trusted contact that the user mentioned self-harm and encourages the contact to reach out. The message includes a link to guidance for having sensitive conversations.

8. Users are free to remove or edit their Trusted Contact at any time. The Trusted Contact can also remove themselves via ChatGPT's help center.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.

Of all things related to PCs, the BIOS/UEFI seems to be the one that most people would rather steer clear of. Most PC users only venture into the BIOS when something has gone terribly wrong, and even then, many would just rather skip it entirely. And I get it—no matter how user-friendly motherboard makers try to make it seem, it's never as easy as just clicking your way around an operating system.

Lexus is finally expanding its electric SUV options beyond the two-row RZ. The brand just introduced the 2027 TZ, its first three-row electric SUV, and a few luxury-oriented features that are firsts for Lexus as a whole, not just its EV lineup.

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen surprised the business world on May 3 when he announced that GameStop was making a bid to acquire eBay for $55 billion.

The news raised an obvious question: How could GameStop, valued at roughly $12 billion, afford to buy eBay?

In a now-viral CNBC interview on Monday, Cohen declined to answer this riddle, and the interview only raised more questions about the acquisition.

In its announcement, GameStop said it would offer half cash and half stock, and noted that GameStop's 1,600 physical storefronts could serve as hubs to authenticate and fulfill eBay orders. In addition, GameStop has also quietly purchased a 5 percent stake in eBay in recent years, and Cohen presented CNBC with a letter from TD Securities confirming that the bank would provide $20 billion in financing.

However, for many analysts, the math simply isn't mathing. When pressed on how he would get to $55 billion, Cohen repeatedly told CNBC he didn't understand the question.

Mashable reached out to GameStop for clarification on Cohen's interview, and the company responded on Wednesday with a link to a recent post from Cohen on X, where he joked, "I’m selling stuff on eBay to pay for eBay." That post is now pinned to the top of Cohen's profile.

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In a follow-up X post, Cohen shared a screenshot of an eBay listing for old socks, along with a warning that his account had reached a $50,000 monthly limit for eBay listings. And not long after that, Cohen shared a screenshot of an email that said his ryan_5050 eBay account had been "permanently suspended because of activity that we believe was putting the eBay community at risk." (The ryan_5050 eBay profile is still online, with active listings for vintage software and gaming memorabilia.)

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This is what's called "leaning into the spin."

GameStop has a history as a meme stock, but by all accounts, the bid for eBay is no joke. In later interviews, Cohen described the deal in more detail, and the New York Times described the offer as "a deal that sounded like a reverse merger." Before becoming chairman and CEO at GameStop, Cohen founded the popular online pet store Chewy.

eBay confirmed receipt of the acquisition bid in a May 4 press release.

The bare-bones press statement says that eBay had received an "unsolicited proposal" and that it "had no discussions with or outreach from GameStop prior to receiving the proposal."

It also said that eBay's board of directors would review the proposal and consider whether or not GameStop was really capable of delivering an "actionable proposal." (Mashable reached out to eBay with questions, but we have not received a response.)

The New York Times reports that Michael Burry, a GameStop investor who was famously portrayed by Christian Bale in The Big Short, has since sold all of his GameStop holdings.

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Google announced a few new AI-related updates to Google Search this week, including a new feature that appears as "Expert Advice" in AI Mode and the AI Overview section at the top of the search results page. 

When a user performs a search, Google will now bring in social media posts and forum discussions from around the internet in order to help answer a user's query. The content will appear beside the creator's name, handle, or the community name where the information was posted. A link will also be included to the source.

In one of Google's examples, a search about taking pictures of the Northern Lights provided the user with "Expert Advice" from sources such as photography news website DPReview and a WordPress-hosted website for an aurora borealis tour company. However, the advice also featured commentary from Reddit's r/photography subreddit.

Google's new update for AI Overviews brings perspectives from social media and online communities into Google Search. Credit: Google

Labeling social media and forum posts as "Expert Advice" could certainly be problematic for certain search queries. Search results from platforms like Reddit have become very popular among users looking for reviews or recommendations on products or services.

However, users likely shouldn't trust these sources for something like medical advice. And because many spammers are taking advantage of Reddit's newfound visibility in Google Search, not all Reddit commentary comes from actual users.

Google says that these new sources won't always be labeled "Expert Advice." The company is describing this content as a "preview of perspectives." In some of Google's examples of the feature, the social media and forum content appears under the title of "Perspectives" or "Community Experiences."

Along with this new feature, Google announced a few more updates to AI Overviews and AI Mode as well.

AI Overviews will now provide users with recommendations on topics or queries for "Further Exploration" in order to encourage users to dig deeper. 

In addition, Google has launched a link preview feature inside AI Overviews to give users more information about a certain source. Users will see a pop-up with a preview of the website when hovering over a link.

Speaking of links, Google is making links in AI Overviews more obvious, too. Relevant links in AI responses will be highlighted and appear right next to the information.

Google is also rolling out a feature that will highlight links in AI Overviews from news sources that a user subscribes to. According to Google, in its testing of the feature, users were more likely to click links for sources that they were already subscribed to. 

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

Home Assistant's latest update has added a new feature that will significantly expand the range of devices that can connect to the platform. The Home Assistant 2026.5 update has introduced native radio frequency support, allowing users to connect devices that function on radio frequency using transmitter integrations.