Technology

Not long ago, buying a new car followed a somewhat predictable path. Do online research, pick a trim level, choose your options, go for a test drive, and sign the paperwork. Once you pull away from the dealership, everything on that window sticker is yours. Heated seats worked. Remote start worked. The features and packages you paid for were yours for as long as you owned the vehicle.

One of Prime Video's most popular shows is forgoing a new season in favor of a movie. Instead ofseason 5, Prime Video has opted to continue John Krasinski's run as Jack Ryan in a movie, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War. While many fans, including myself, would have preferred another season of television, having Jack Ryan in a movie is better than not having the character at all.

Affordable compact cars often force buyers to compromise somewhere, whether it’s reliability, driving enjoyment, interior quality, or efficiency. That’s what makes the Honda Civic such a standout in 2026. Few cars at this price point manage to balance all the things that matter quite as well, combining strong fuel economy, impressive reliability, sharp handling, and a surprisingly refined cabin in one affordable package.

California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Thursday addressing the imminent "disruptions" of artificial intelligence on jobs.

The Democratic governor and widely-rumored 2028 presidential contender directed the state to explore a number of measures to prevent nightmare scenarios for workers affected by AI job loss.

The executive order focuses on policies for severance, employment insurance, universal basic income, and workforce training, among other potential responses to AI worker displacement.

SEE ALSO: Meta will track employee mouse movements and keystrokes for AI training, report says

"This moment demands that we reimagine the entire system — how we work, how we govern, how we prepare people for the future — and that work is starting right here in the Golden State," Newsom said in a statement.

Meta layoffs: AI job losses mount

The timing of Newsom's executive order is noteworthy. On Wednesday, California-based tech giant Meta laid off 8,000 employees, 10 percent of its workforce, and moved another several thousand to roles focused on AI.

Despite Meta's recent strong quarterly financial performance, the company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg discussed the layoffs as part of the company's aggressive transition to AI.

"Success isn’t a given. A.I. is the most consequential technology of our lifetimes," Zuckerberg wrote in a memo to staff, according to the New York Times. "The companies that lead the way will define the next generation."

Other major tech companies, including Cisco and Microsoft, are shedding jobs as they focus on AI.

The timeline for Newsom's AI executive order

Newsom's executive order established a short timeline for evaluating and identifying new solutions. Within 90 days, the state's Employment Development Department is supposed to launch a dashboard showing AI's impacts on California jobs, based on unemployment insurance data.

By mid-October, various state agencies should finish reviewing specific policies and practices, including how unionized workplaces are addressing the adoption of AI technology.

"Today is just the first step as we rewrite policy and direction, creating a future of work that works for all," Newsom said.

Your phone already uses its sensors more than you probably think. They count your steps, point maps in the right direction, adjust screen brightness, detect motion, and rotate the display when you turn the phone sideways. Phyphox is an open-source app that lets you use those sensors directly, so you can explore the world around you instead of only seeing the features they power.

Spotify is rolling out a new initiative on its platform that will make it simpler to get concert tickets in the U.S. The streaming platform has introduced Reserved, a way for Spotify Premium subscribers in the U.S. to get concert tickets without having to queue up in a race against others to get their hands on a ticket.

The American car market moves fast, and even huge nameplates can disappear almost overnight. Sedans like the Ford Fusion used to be everywhere, but the SUV boom pushed a lot of longtime favorites completely out of the conversation.

Spotify has used its 2026 Investor Day to introduce new features, including a desktop app built around AI. The company's new Studio by Spotify Labs is effectively a NotebookLM for audio that integrates the streaming service into your daily routine.

With a new Star Wars movie day approaching, The Mandalorian and Grogu is the perfect time to dive into the Galaxy Far, Far Away. Even with 11 movies, 7 live-action Disney+ shows, and numerous animated titles, there are plenty of adventures to be found off-screen. And across its 49-year history, the franchise's best stories have sometimes not been found on screen but in the pages of its comic book offerings.

If you've ever received an email from "msonlineservicesteam@microsoftonline.com," you'll know that this is an official email address used by Microsoft.

However, users should be aware that emails from this official Microsoft address may be scam messages.

Scammers have figured out how to weaponize this legitimate Microsoft email address in order to send fraudulent emails to targets. And it appears that bad actors are ramping up their use of this method, too.

Post by @zackwhittaker@mastodon.social View on Mastodon

Recently, multiple people on social media have shared that they received a scam email from a real Microsoft email address called msonlineservicesteam@microsoftonline.com. The emails look like most emails from Microsoft, utilizing the template that the company frequently uses. However, the subject line of these emails are often about Bitcoin or a promoting a third-party website. The subject line also usually includes a phone number or website link that are not associated with Microsoft.

The reason these emails look like actual emails from Microsoft is because, technically, they are.

Post by @spamhaus@infosec.exchange View on Mastodon

Normally, this Microsoft email is used by the company in order to send email notifications such as two-factor authentication codes or account notices. However, scammers have found that they can inject their fraudulent schemes into this legitimate email, bypassing any sort of scam or spam detection filters in users' email inbox.

As TechCrunch writes in its report, Microsoft doesn't appear to have addressed the issue or released any statement yet on the matter.

However, it appears that this issue has been around for quite some time now.

A January report from cybersecurity company Abnormal detailed how bad actors were abusing Microsoft's notification email system and tricking it into sending phishing emails.

"The attack begins with the bad actor spinning up a disposable Microsoft 365 tenant," reads Abnormal's report. "The core exploit lies in the Tenant Branding configuration within Microsoft Entra ID. The attacker navigates to Tenant Properties and modifies the 'Name' field to contain a fraudulent financial alert message."

With the name modified with the scammer's message, the bad actor then tricks Microsoft into sending a verification code email to the target's email address. The scammer does this by asking Microsoft to add the target's email address to the attacker's Microsoft account. When the email is sent to the target, Microsoft includes their name in the subject line. But, again, in this case, the scammer has input their message to the victim as the name.

Because this attack utilizes Microsoft's trusted email address and does not include any malicious hyperlinks or attachments, these scam emails are easily bypassing any sort of security measures.

As cybercriminals get craftier and more resourceful, internet users should remain vigilant and take a close look at emails they receive, even if the sender appears to check out.

What are book-style foldables good for? The answer is right there in the name! It's time Samsung, the company that mainstreamed this type of phone, used that expertise to go after the Kindle head-on.

When Nvidia announced that it'd be letting older GPUs gain access to DLSS 4, all eyes were on AMD to do the same. Previously, both GPU makers locked their most precious AI-driven frame generation and upscaling tech behind a paywall of sorts: you had to own a GPU from the latest generation in order to try them out.

As spring draws to a close and summer weather arrives, now is the perfect time to start DIY house or car projects. If you need some new power tools or battery packs, you'll be happy to hear that Home Depot's huge buy-one-get-one deal is back, along with several Memorial Day deals you don't want to miss.

The best early Memorial Day 2026 deals: Best Amazon deal Ninja Slushi $259 (save $90.99) Get Deal Best TV deal Toshiba 65-inch C350 LED 4K Fire TV $264.99 (save $265) Get Deal Best tech deal Bose QuietComfort headphones $229 (save $120) Get Deal Best home deal Ruggable save up to 25% sitewide Shop Now

The unofficial start to summer is almost here, but you don't have to wait until Memorial Day itself on May 25 to find those Memorial Day deals.

There are already deals live at Amazon, where you'll find savings of up to 40%. There are also plenty of savings from other online shopping destinations, with deals on products such as mattresses, TVs, furniture, and outdoor patio items. Plenty of brands are getting in on early MDW action — you can grab the Dyson Airwrap i.d. for $150 off and the Bose QuietComfort headphones for $120 off.

We'll be updating all the best Memorial Day deals throughout the weekend, so be sure to keep checking back on this page for the biggest and best savings.

Best Memorial Day Amazon deals Ninja Slushi $259.99 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $90   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Best Buy Why we like it

What says start of the summer better than slushies on demand? When Mashable's Leah Stodart reviewed the Ninja Slushi, she pointed out the merits of the Slushi over a regular blender: no ice is required, and it keeps drinks frozen while in its cooling cylinder. From cola slushies to frosé, this might just be the ultimate summer drink machine. It has some downsides (sugar-free beverages are a no-go), but if you're a frozen drink enthusiast, this deal is worth a closer look.

More Amazon deals

• Nekteck Massage Gun — $19.95 $45.99 (save $26.04)

• Stanley Quencher ProTour (40 ounces) — $33.75 $45 (save $11.25)

• Shokz OpenMove — $54.95 $79.95 (save $25)

• Levoit Tower Fan for Bedroom — $54.96 $74.99 (save $20.03)

• Coop Original Adjustable pillow (queen size) — $71.20 $89 (save $17.80)

• Bose QuietComfort headphones — $229 $349 (save $120)

• Sony WH-1000XM5 — $248 $399.99 (save $151.99)

• Technics EAH-AZ1000 — $249.99 $299.99 (save $50)

• Ninja Slushi — $259 $349.99 (save $90.99)

• Ninja FrostVault Cooler — $279.99 $349.99 (save $70)

• Sonos Move 2 — $399 $499 (save $100)

• Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 portable power station — $428.99 $799 (save $370.01)

• Anker SOLIX C1000 portable power station — $428.99 $799 (save $370.01)

• Dyson Airwrap i.d. — $499.99 $649.99 (save $150)

Best Memorial Day TV deals Opens in a new window Credit: Toshiba Toshiba 65-inch C350 LED 4K Fire TV $264.99 at Best Buy
$529.99 Save $265   Get Deal Why we like it

Best Buy and Amazon have been racing to match prices on this Fire TV. Best Buy was initially $75 cheaper than Amazon, so Amazon dropped its sale price to keep pace. But that's only a piece of the picture demonstrating just how good this deal is. Our resident TV expert, Leah Stodart, pointed out that this $264.99 price point is so good that it's less than the sale price of the 43-inch version of Amazon's most basic Ember 4K Fire TV. In other words, if you're looking to score a solid deal on a smart TV this Memorial Day, this could be the one for you.

More TV deals

43-inch to 50-inch TVs

• Hisense 43-inch E6 Cinema QLED 4K TV — $209.99 $349.99 (save $140)

• Amazon 43-inch Ember 4-Series 4K TV — $269.99 $329.99 (save $60)

• Amazon 50-inch Ember QLED 4K TV — $419.99 $479.99 (save $60)

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

55-inch TVs

• Insignia 55-inch F50 LED 4K TV — $199.99 $349.99 (save $150)

• Hisense 55-inch E6 Cinema QLED 4K TV — $278.99 $429.99 (save $151)

• Hisense 55-inch U6 Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $399.99 $549.99 (save $150)

• TCL 55-inch QM6K Mini-LED 4K TV — $499.99 $799.99 (save $300)

• Hisense 55-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $599.99 $849.99 (save $250)

• LG 55-inch B5 OLED 4K TV — $799.99 $1,499.99 (save $700)

65-inch TVs

• Pioneer 65-inch 4K Roku TV — $249.99 $499.99 (save $250)

• LG 65-inch 70A QNED AI 4K TV — $429.99 $579.99 (save $150)

• Hisense 65-inch U6 Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $547.97 $679.90 (save $131.93)

• Samsung 65-inch Q8F QLED 4K TV — $597.99 $899.99 (save $302)

• TCL 65-inch QM6K Mini-LED 4K TV — $649.99 $999.99 (save $350)

• Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $949.99 $1,499.99 (save $550)

• Hisense 65-inch S7 Canvas QLED 4K TV — $1,099.99 $1,999.99 (save $900)

• Samsung 65-inch S95F OLED 4K TV — $2,199.99 $2,599.99 (save $400)

• Sony 65-inch Bravia 8 II QD-OLED 4K TV — $2,598 $3,299.99 (save $701.99)

70-inch TVs and up

• Pioneer 70-inch 4K Roku TV — $299.99 $509.99 (save $210)

• Insignia 75-inch QF QLED 4K TV — $399.99 $649.99 (save $250)

• Hisense 75-inch E7 Mini-LED 4K TV — $749.99 $1,299 (save $549.01)

• TCL 75-inch QM6K Mini-LED 4K TV — $899.99 $1,299.99 (save $400)

• Hisense 85-inch U6 Mini‑LED 4K TV — $1,199.99 $1,999.99 (save $800)

• TCL 85-inch QM6K Mini-LED 4K TV — $1,199.99 $1,999.99 (save $800)

• LG 77-inch B5 OLED 4K TV — $1,499.99 $2,399.99 (save $1,500)

• Sony Bravia 5 85-inch Mini-LED 4K TV — $1,798 $2,999.99 (save $601.99)

Best Memorial Day mattress deals

• Avocado: Get up to 20% off organic mattresses, bed toppers, and bedding.

• Amerisleep: Get up to $1,000 off all mattresses and 40% off bundles

• Bear: Get 35% off sitewide, plus $275 worth of free accessories

• Casper: Get up to 30% off select mattresses and 35% off bundles

• Purple: Get up to $900 off a mattress and a base

• Helix: Get 25% off sitewide with code MEMDAY25

• Leesa: Get 30% off select mattresses

• Mattress Firm: Get up to 60% off select mattresses with queens starting at $189.99

• Nectar: Get up to 50% off select mattresses and 66% off bundles

• Saatva: Save up to $650 on mattresses, including the Saatva Classic and Memory Foam Hybrid mattresses

• Serta: Save up to $600 on select mattress and adjustable base sets

• Sleep Number: Save up to $1,200 on ClimateCool and ComfortNext mattresses, BOGO free Ultimate Shape Pillows, and BOGO 50% off sheets

• Tempur-Pedic: Save 40% on the Tempur-Cloud Mattress or up to $500 on adjustable mattress sets, plus free gifts

Best Memorial Day home deals

• Brooklinen: Refresh your bedding for summer with 25% off sitewide

• Buffy: Save up to 25% sitewide

• Caraway Home: Save up to 30% on cookware and bakeware

• Cozy Earth: Save 20% sitewide or 25% when you buy three or more items

• Crate & Barrel: Save up to 60% on rugs, 35% on kitchen brands, and 30% on furniture

• Cuisinart: Save 15% on $99.95+, 20% on $149.95+, and 25% on $249.95+

• Home Depot: Save up to 40% on select appliances, 20% on select patio furniture, and up to $175 off on select tools now through May 27

• Joybird: Take up to 45% off on bestselling furniture and up to 35% off sitewide through May 25

• Kohl's: Save up to 50% sitewide on clothes, kitchen appliances, bedding, patio furniture, and more

• Lovesac: Save 40% sitewide through May 31

• Lowe's: Save on appliances, grills, patio furniture, gardening supplies, and more through June 3

• Mellow Sleep: Get $20 off $100, $50 off $200, or $100 off $300

• Nest New York: Save 25% sitewide with code 25OFF

• Parachute: Save 25% sitewide plus 30% on bundles

• Ruggable: Save up to 25% sitewide

• Rugs Direct: Save up to 80% sitewide on brands like Safavieh, Chris Loves Julia, Loloi, Rifle Paper Co., and Rugs USA

• SharkNinja: Save up to 30% on Ninja kitchen appliances and Shark vacuums, hair tools, and fans

• Target: Target's Hello Summer Sale brings deals on summer favorites, including up to 20% off kids' outdoor toys and up to 45% off patio furniture and garden essentials

• Wayfair: Save up to 70% sitewide

Best Memorial Day tech deals

• Best Buy: Save on TVs, Apple products, laptops, monitors, Sony cameras, Bluetooth speakers, and more

• HP: Save up to 72% on OmniBook laptops, Omen gaming PCs, All-in-One desktops, and more

• Lenovo: Save up to 30% on ThinkPad, Yoga, ThinkBook, IdeaPad, and Legion laptops

• LG: Save up to 44% on TVs, 40% on monitors, and up to 58% on appliances

• Tile: Save up to 40% on trackers

Best Memorial Day beauty deals

• Dyson: Save up to $150 on the Dyson Airwrap i.d., Airstrait, and Supersonic Nural

• FabFitFun: Save 40% on your first box, plus get a free Vacation bonus box ($250 value) with an annual membership signup

• L'ange: Save 44% sitewide with code MEMORIAL

Best Memorial Day outdoor deals

• Columbia: Save up to 40% on "almost everything"

• Dick's Sporting Goods: Save up to 50% on bikes, kayaks, tents, grills, and golf gear, save up to to 40% on Nike and adidas

• Rumpl: Save 25% sitewide

• Solo Stove: Save 15% on select fire pits and pizza ovens

It's that time of the week again, so let's dive into three more fun homelab projects to try this weekend! Today, I'll be talking about setting up a home energy usage monitoring system, a private Pastebin alternative, and a retro LAN party box!

Tech giants Google, Meta, and TikTok are facing European scrutiny for their alleged role in a growing number of financial scams targeting users.

The three companies are accused of failing to proactively remove fraudulent ads from their platforms and notify users in an appropriate manner, outlined in complaints filed to regulators by the European Consumer ⁠Organisation (BEUC) and 29 of its members in 27 European countries, Reuters reported.

SEE ALSO: Child safety organizations accuse Roblox of violating FTC rules

The consumer group flagged 900 ads that they deemed violated EU laws, but said that only 27 percent of those ads were removed by platforms. More than half of the reports were rejected or ignored.

The complaints were submitted under the EU's Digital Services Act, and regulators could levy hefty fines if the companies are found in violation.

"This complaint misrepresents how we fight scams and is inherently flawed. We take extensive measures to keep scams off our platforms, blocking over 99% of policy-violating ads before they are ever seen," a Google spokesperson said in comment to the press.

"We ​invest in advanced AI, ⁠tools, and partnerships to stop them. Last year we found and removed over 159 million scam ads, 92% before anyone reported them to us," Meta responded.

Meta was recently accused of making tens of millions of dollars off of scam ads targeting older Americans and Medicare recipients. Last year, a Reuters investigation found that Meta made billions from fraudulent ads, also referred to as "high risk" advertising. AI-powered scams are proliferating across platforms, including Google-owned YouTube and TikTok.

The Digital Services Act — a broad set of laws that impose more transparent reporting and consumer protections on online service providers — went into effect in 2022. Since then, the European Union has initiated multiple inquiries against large tech companies, including a recent Google antitrust probe, an investigation into Meta's child safety policies, and a sweeping audit of TikTok's algorithm and data policies.

UPDATE: May. 21, 2026, 4:18 p.m. This story was updated with a new statement from Google.

A Wi-Fi router works best when it’s placed in a high, central spot in your home. Unfortunately, reality and pre-existing cabling often dictate where it ends up, leaving it stuck in corners or behind obstacles where coverage suffers.

Many Android fans will tell you that the signature requirement for apps outside the Google Play Store, even with the 24-hour sideloading exemption, represents the latest betrayal of the platform's open-source philosophy. You're supposed to have full control over what software you install and when, unlike the more closed-off iPhone experience, where Apple usually has the final say.

These days, scoring concert tickets can feel like entering a digital Hunger Games. Fans log on the second tickets go on sale, only to watch seats disappear instantly — many of them seemingly snapped up by scalpers and resellers before actual fans ever get a chance.

Now, Spotify wants to change that by rewarding the people who stream the most.

SEE ALSO: Spotify has a new Wrapped-like experience that covers its entire history

Today, May 21, the streaming platform announced Reserved by Spotify, a new ticketing initiative aimed at helping dedicated fans access concert tickets before they go on sale to the general public. The program is launching for Premium subscribers in the U.S. who are 18 or older.

Credit: Spotify

The idea is simple: Instead of forcing fans to battle through chaotic on-sale queues or complete elaborate fan-verification games, Spotify will identify an artist's most dedicated listeners through streaming activity and reserve tickets specifically for them. Eligible fans will receive a purchase window before the public on-sale begins, with up to two tickets held in their name.

Importantly, Spotify says the reserved tickets will not include additional Spotify service fees.

The company says the number of fans selected — and the number of tickets available — will vary depending on the artist, tour, and market. But Spotify says allocations are intended to be substantial and to scale with an artist's fanbase.

Credit: Spotify

The move reflects the growing importance of superfans to the music industry, where artists and platforms alike are increasingly trying to reward the fans who engage most deeply. In recent years, fandom has become one of the most powerful forces shaping touring, chart performance, and even marketing strategies, particularly in pop and K-pop spaces where highly organized fan communities already treat streaming like participation.

Reserved by Spotify also expands the company's broader ambitions in live music. Spotify says it has already driven more than $1.5 billion in ticket sales through its platform via partnerships with more than 40 ticketing companies, alongside features like Concerts Near You and Venue Search.

SEE ALSO: Why the Spotify icon is a disco ball

The bigger question, though, is whether programs like this can meaningfully combat the frustrations fans increasingly associate with modern ticket-buying in the U.S. As ticket prices continue to climb and resale markets remain difficult to control, many fans have grown cynical about whether fair access to concerts is even possible anymore.

Spotify is betting that listening history — not luck — might be the closest thing to a solution.