Technology

It's every parent's worst nightmare. The phone rings in the middle of the night, and it's your child sobbing, calling for your help, and time is running out. What would you do to save them? 

This is the beginning of Hallow Road, the latest thriller from Babak Anvari, director of the critically acclaimed psychological drama Under the Shadow. A call in the night spurs a pair of parents to race out to find their daughter, who's calling them from the scene of car crash. But set mostly in the car on the way to the collision, this on-the-road tale plumbs deeper than the everyday fears parents experience, into something remarkably more disturbing. Written by William Gillies, Hallow Road offers a claustrophobic setting where fear comes from the unknown of what's going on at the other end of the phone line. 

The film's lean premise is certainly enough to intrigue. But the gripping performances of Pike and Rhys, combined with Anvari's ruthlessly riveting direction, will have you gasping for air. 

SEE ALSO: SXSW: What are the movies and shows you need to know about? Hallow Road is a story of parents desperate to save their child. 

Somewhere in England, stoic mother Maddie (Rosamund Pike) gets a frantic phone call from her 18-year-old daughter Alice (Megan McDonnell). Tearfully, the college student tells her mother that she's been in a car collision, and she's about 40 minutes away on a heavily forested stretch known as Hallow Road. And while she's okay, someone is lying in the road, unmoving. 

Maddie, who is a paramedic, calmly begins by asking clarifying questions of her daughter, like if she's called emergency services for help. Meanwhile, Frank — instantly anxious  — insists they rush to the scene. In real time, the couple will clamor into the car, tensions already high. As they comfort Alice over the phone, allusions are made to a fight earlier in the evening, something that caused the girl to run off into the night in distress. But there's also a growing conflict between the mother and father, as one wishes to confront the potentially catastrophic truth of this road incident and the other is desperate to coddle their scared child. 

Incredibly, Hallow Road is shot mostly within the sports utility vehicle the parents drive to the titular scene. Showing remarkable restraint, Gillies' screenplay never urges Anvari to cut to Alice or what she can see from inside her vehicle. Instead, all we see of her during her parents' mad dash is a profile photo beaming up from the caller ID on Maddie's phone. Though it's a chipper photo of a young woman smiling in a colorful knit cap, it's unnerving because of the sharp contrast of her voice, unhinged and weepy on the other end of the line. Other sounds will creep into the call as well, bringing a spine-tingling uncertainty to what exactly is going down on Hallow Road. 

Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys are jaw-droppingly intense in Hallow Road. 

This setup of racing to a crash might seem a bit thin for an 80-minute movie, but Hallow Road is pulse-poundingly alive because of the brewing fight between Maddie and Frank. While he's desperate to protect Alice from any negative fallout from this collision, Maddie fears facing the consequences are the only way forward. She cryptically suggests you can't run from what you've done, even if you get away with it. But the full meaning of this will take time to unfold. And in that time, each passing minute throbs with this couple's mounting fear, resentment, and guilt.

Rhys is a raw nerve, bellowing to be in control in a situation far beyond him. Pike, who played the terrifying anti-heroine of Gone Girl and the blithely cruel matriarch of Saltburn, begins weary yet resolute. But as the story races along, each will offer a surprising and fascinating performance that demands to be seen again, in part because of the terrifying secrets they reveal. 

Because the premise of this movie pits its stars against a increasingly menacing phone call, Hallow Road will undoubtedly draw comparisons to movies like the emergency services dispatch thriller The Guilty (either its Danish original or the Jake Gyllenhaal-fronted U.S. remake) or Tom Hardy's car-centric drama Locke. But Hallow Road abruptly veers off from these grounded dramas when someone else shows up on Alice's side of the call. Is it a good Samaritan who just happened to be on a long, dark, remote road at 3 a.m. in the morning? Or does this family have a whole new thing to worry about? Trapped in the car with Maddie and Frank, we, the audience, are in their unenviable shoes. And it's wickedly exhilarating. 

Don't look for spoilers on Hallow Road. 

Surely, it's tempting. Out of its World Premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film and TV Festival, Hallow Road was swiftly gaining buzz among attendees and critics. Personally, I'm glad that colleagues said only that I should see it without going into details. I knew the basic premise. But the gnarly turns in Gillies' script came as a true surprise, giving this critic a rare rush of actually being caught off guard. 

I've been careful not to reveal where Hallow Road goes to protect its deliciously devilish secrets. But I can tell you without spoilers that Anvari's direction is masterful. Though confined to the car, the cinematography of Kit Fraser brings energy through whip pans between parents, and a very tight close-up hovering over a wide-eyed stare of horror, as they can see only the road ahead of them but can hear something strange on the other end of the line. Pike and Rhys lean into this claustrophobic energy, guzzling up all the air in the car with their combativeness, resentments, and agony. And the soundscape of Alice's tinny voice over the phone colliding with curious sounds in the forest around her are so genuinely frightening that I full-on screamed. Twice. 

In the end, Hallow Road is a sensationally scary thriller not only for the surprises it packs but also for the metaphor it makes about parenting. Trapped with a mother and father in a battle for their child's future, the hypothetical becomes intensely real and really harrowing. Like Steven Soderbergh and David Koepp's sophisticated haunted house movie Presence, the anxiety of letting your kid out into the world becomes its own horror, with genre elements feeding in to make that terror hit like a lightning bolt; it will electrify your nerves and rattle you right down to your bones. So when you walk away from Hallow Road, you'll carry its stomach-churning scares with you, perhaps thinking, "There but for the grace of God go I." 

Hallow Road was reviewed out its World Premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film and TV Festival.

Bong Joon Ho's Mickey 17 may star multiple Robert Pattinsons and Mark Ruffalo as Space Trump, but the real scene-stealers are none other than the film's creepers.

SEE ALSO: 'Mickey 17' review: Bong Joon Ho attacks Trump fascism in dizzying sci-fi comedy

Inhabitants of the ice planet Niflheim, the creepers are what you'd get if you crossed roly-polies with the Graboids from Tremors. They vary in size, with each life stage coming with its own unique qualities.

The babies, for example, evoke the cuteness of another great Bong creature: super pig Okja. (Mickey 17's creature designer Jang Heechul also worked on Okja and Bong's first creature feature, The Host.) Meanwhile, Bong told Letterboxd that the intimidating Mama Creeper was inspired by The Godfather's Vito Corleone. Her maternal fierceness and leadership instinct also calls to mind Aliens' xenomorph queen, albeit less bloodthirsty. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bong revealed that other major inspirations for the creepers included everything from croissants and bison to puppies and armadillos.

All these traits combine to create an instantly memorable sci-fi creature that, like the marvelous Dune sandworms, pulls focus from its human castmates whenever it's onscreen. And as the press tour for Mickey 17 got underway, the creepers' scene-stealing tendencies extended to real life.

While no actual creepers could hit the road with Mickey 17's stars (I wish!), plush baby creepers did pop up throughout the press tour. Check out the creeper plush's majestically cute red carpet debut:

Then, feast your eyes on Ruffalo, Bong, Naomi Ackie, and Steven Yeun playing with the baby creepers:

Robert Pattinson is even holding a creeper plush like it's his evening handbag during a red carpet interview.

Cute and they make the perfect accessory? Say less!

Comments under any creeper-centric video rightfully celebrate these plush creatures and ask where they can be bought. But while there are some unofficial, likely scam websites claiming to sell them (an offer I trust about as much as I trust Ruffalo's villainous Kenneth Marshall), there is no official way to buy your own baby creeper plush yet. Mashable has reached out to Warner Bros. for further information on if and when Mickey 17's creeper plushes will be made available to the public.

Hopefully it's soon, because it's clear the people yearn for creeper plushes. And after their stunning debut on the Mickey 17 press run, who can blame them?

Mickey 17 is now in theaters.

TL;DR: Learn to play piano with Skoove Premium Piano Lessons, an AI-powered teacher, now offering lifetime subscriptions for $149.99 (reg. $299). 

Always wanted to learn piano? Nowadays, you don't need a teacher, and you certainly don't need to sit through boring classes. All it takes is a tablet, a keyboard, and your favorite robot.

Skoove is an AI-powered piano tutoring app that listens while you play and gives you curated feedback and useful resources to improve your skills. Normally, a Skoove lifetime subscription would cost $299, but now you can get it for only $149.99. 

AI can teach you to play piano

Have you seen how much piano lessons with a human teacher cost lately? For less than the cost of a few hours of private instruction, Skoove provides virtual piano lessons for life.

You don't need to know how to play to get started. All you need is a piano and a little time. These lessons can be taken at your leisure, so they fit into even the busiest of schedules. And it's compatible with any piano or keyboard so you don't need to buy a new instrument just to get started.

You'll have access to 400 lessons and thousands of instructional videos with this Skoove subscription. And you won't just be learning passively — thanks to AI, Skoove can recognize the notes you play and provide real-time feedback as you go. 

Skoove offers a diverse range of genres, so you can learn the music you really love. You can conquer your favorite Beatles tune or learn to bust out some Beethoven. And you'll never have a shortage of song options thanks to the monthly updates that offer new music and lessons. 

More than one million people are already taking advantage of Skoove's innovative piano lessons and sharpening their skills at home. Your lifetime subscription ensures you can continuously improve your playing right alongside them. 

Lifelong access to Skoove Premium Piano Lessons are just $149.99 (Reg. $299) 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Skoove Premium Skoove Premium Piano Lessons: Lifetime Subscription $149.99
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TL;DR: Save an additional 20% on a PDF Converter Pro lifetime license with code SAVE20 at checkout for a limited time only.

What a disaster: Every so-called free PDF converter seems to follow the same pattern. Either they want your credit card before letting you download or they completely wreck your file’s formatting. The truth is you need to pay for the best PDF converter tools.

But you don’t have to pay subscription fees or shell out for name-brand tools that offer way more features than you’ll ever use, just grab something basic like PDF Converter Pro that gets the job done affordably. This week, you can use code SAVE20 at checkout to get a lifetime license for Windows or Mac at $23.99 (reg. $29.99).

What can PDF Converter Pro do?

Next time you have to convert a PDF, you don’t have to go searching for some sketchy online tool — just open the app on your PC or Mac. Then, convert to or from formats like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Text, HTML, PNG, and JPG.

PDF Converter Pro works quickly and accurately. Once you get your converted document, you’ll notice that the original layout — whether it was a PDF or another format — is completely preserved, no matter if you had images, text, or hyperlinks.

Beyond simple conversions, the PDF tool also has various editors available. Merge and split pages, extract images, or add/remove password protections as needed.

Grab this PDF converter tool for Windows and Mac while it’s on sale for $23.99 with code SAVE20 at checkout (reg. $29.99).

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TL;DR: Save $70 on the Kinhank retro-inspired gaming console for a limited time (reg. $159.99).

There’s a reason our readers are flipping out over this gaming console — it’s offering something big brands won’t. You get over 70,000 games pre-installed, from retro classics to modern favorites, plus built-in 4K streaming capabilities. And the best part? It’s only $90 with free shipping (reg. $159.99).

Soak in endless entertainment

A PlayStation or Xbox would cost you a fortune, and you’ll still have to buy every single game. So, it just makes sense that anyone who doesn’t want to play one of today’s newer games is grabbing this console to kick back and have fun game nights.

You’ll find tons of retro favorites like Space Invaders, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Pac-Man where family and friends of all ages can hop in and enjoy the fun. Your purchase includes two wireless controllers for multiplayer games, and you could turn a gathering into a tournament-style night.

When you aren’t playing games, the console can also stream movies. Add your favorite streaming apps with built-in Android OS, and use the included remote to easily navigate through when hosting movie nights.

Get your Kinhank Super Console while they’re still on sale for $90 with free shipping (reg. $159.99). No coupon is needed to get this price.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kinhank Kinhank Super Console X2 Pro Retro Gaming Emulator & Streaming Console $89.97
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Is it an ick? Or do you just not fancy them?

The term was originally coined in 1999 in an episode of Ally McBeal (Season 1, episode 15 to be exact), and later gained widespread popularity in the 2020s on social media. Now firmly cemented in the dating lexicon and pop culture, the ick is a term which describes the phenomenon of getting a sudden (and at times inexplicable) wave of revulsion, cringe, or dislike for the person you're dating. The causes of the ick range from the understandable — being rude to waitstaff on dates, disrespectful behaviour — to the downright niche. In a list of icks currently being circulated on WhatsApp, examples include: "Two phones on table," "Grown adults on manual scooters," "Spotify with ads," "Coloured bed sheets," to name a few.

The causes of the ick range from the understandable...to the downright niche.

The ick can be helpful at times, too. As I write in The Love Fix — a non-fiction book about why dating is so hard right now — the ick can come in handy when we're struggling with romantic rejection or finding it hard to move on from a connection that didn't work out: "If it helps, view their disinterest as an ick. Let it turn you off. View their indifference as a trait that makes you lose attraction to them."

I have a theory that this term is just shorthand for a lack of physical attraction. Take, for example, the time I got the ick when a guy I was dating had a strawberry seed stuck to the tip of his nose. He'd done nothing wrong, but when I looked at his face, all I could see was the seed on his face staring back at me. In this case of the ick, I could no longer hide from a fact I'd been avoiding for some time: I just wasn't physically attracted to my boyfriend. "He just doesn't do it for you?" as Ally McBeal's Renée succinctly put it.

The role of disgust in partner selection

In many ways, the ick can present as a turn off or a strong feeling of disgust. Evolutionary psychologists have extensively studied the role of disgust in relation to human survival.

Disgust has evolved to protect humans by encouraging them to avoid pathogens or anything that might cause disease. Sexual disgust discouraged humans from being attracted to partners with traits that might present threats to reproduction, such as health or genetic risks.

It's difficult to see how someone ordering soup of the day or who has their phone torch on unintentionally could be interpreted as a threat to reproduction, but here we are. But, from an evolutionary psychology perspective, we're wired to lose attraction when we experience disgust.

The importance of similarity in human attraction

I put this idea to a social psychologist specialising in human attraction: is the ick just a lack of attraction? Professor Viren Swami, social psychologist at Anglia Ruskin University, explained the difficulty in answering this question stems from the fact "the ick isn't a scientific term; rather, it's a phrase used in contemporary popular culture, which also means how the phrase is used can vary widely."

"I suspect icks signify the importance of similarity, particularly in the early stages of a relationship. We all have beliefs about how we think the world around us 'should work' — what is right, what is just, what is correct," says Swami.

SEE ALSO: How does orientation affect the dating app experience?

So, why is similarity important in the realm of human attraction? Social psychologists have extensively studied a phenomenon called the "similarity-attraction effect," which hinges on the idea that people are drawn to people who are similar to themselves in key respects. Why do we look for similarity in the people around us? Social psychologist Donn Byrne put forth the theory that humans have a foundational need to view the world as logical and consistent — this is called the "effectance motive." This means, we favour people who validate our ideas and views, who agree with us, and thus, reinforce the logic and consistency of the world around us.

Swami tells me that we want other people to share our views about how the world works "because that satisfies our 'effectance motive'." "But if someone behaves differently or does things in ways that feel 'wrong' to us, our effectance motive is no longer satisfied and that can cause anxiety or even repulsion," he adds. "In the early stages of a relationship, even minor differences in opinion or behaviour can feel like a big deal, precisely because our effectance motive is not being satisfied."

Is it the ick? Or just emotional unavailability?

Has the ick become a get-out-of-jail-free card for emotionally unavailable daters? Tom Stroud — Bumble ambassador and host of the Why Do Men?, a podcast about male dating behaviour, and star of Love Is Blind UK — thinks the ick is "a subconscious reaction which is symptomatic of something bigger." Stroud feels icks have become a "normalised way to justify losing interest" without engaging with the reality of waning attraction.

"Rather than interrogating the deeper reasons why attraction fades — compatibility, emotional availability, or fear of intimacy — people lean on the language of ‘icks’ to avoid engaging with those uncomfortable truths," he adds. "It’s easier to say, 'I can’t date him because he runs for the bus' than to admit, 'I’m not emotionally ready' or 'I never actually fancied him that much to begin with.'"

"The problem isn’t that ‘icks’ exist," Stroud adds. "It’s that they’ve been turned into a get-out-of-jail-free card for emotional avoidance. Instead of reflecting on what we really want in a partner, we outsource that decision to a fleeting moment of discomfort." 

SEE ALSO: What is attachment theory and how does it impact sex and relationships?

Annabelle Knight, dating and relationship expert at Lovehoney, echoes that avoidant attachment styles can play a role in the ick. “People who have an avoidant attachment style may get the ick more often as a way to distance themselves from their partner when intimacy starts to increase; it’s often a subconscious defence mechanism," says Knight.

What if you find yourself on the receiving end of the ick? Stroud says it's important to remember it's not a personal failure — "it’s just someone realising they’re not as into you as they thought." "And while it can be frustrating, it’s also a blessing in disguise. The right person isn’t going to completely lost interest the minute they discover your secret comic book collection or your lucky birthday pants," he adds.

Does the ick say more about us than the other person?

The ick is so firmly embedded in the popular zeitgeist, we use the term liberally, sometimes without fully realising what's at the root of this feeling. I firmly believe in trusting your instincts when it comes to dating — if something feels off, you should listen to that feeling and act accordingly.

But when the ick is something arbitrary like witnessing your partner running for a bus or rolling their ankle, it's worth spending some time with that reaction to try and understand where it's coming from. Could it be that you're just not that attracted to the person?

Knight suggests reflecting on why you might be feeling the ick. "Are you scared to get close to this person? Are you being too picky? Do you need a little more time to get comfortable? Quite often, the icks we feel about other people can reflect things we’re uncomfortable with about ourselves, rather than anything that person has done," she says. "Ask yourself if your response is appropriate or is it a little extreme for the ‘crime’ committed."

So, is the ick just a lack of attraction? Well, if it's disgust you're feeling, then yes! If it's a jolt that's alerting you to a strong dissimilarity to a person — also yes! But, if it's something deeper, like a fear of getting close to someone, you may need to interrogate what's behind this feeling.

For anyone who's seen Boiling Point — Philip Barantini's one-shot kitchen drama starring Stephen Graham — Adolescence is surely high on the to-watch list.

Co-created by Graham himself alongside frequent collaborator Jack Thorne, and directed by Barantini, the four-part Netflix drama/thriller takes Boiling Point's one-take format and multiplies it across four settings, following the shattered lives of a family whose 13-year-old son is accused of murdering a classmate.

Like Boiling Point, it's tense and hard to watch. But it's also stunningly acted, incredibly well written, and impossible to look away from.

SEE ALSO: The best Netflix TV shows of 2024 What's Adolescence about?

The show establishes its highly stressful tone early on with a dawn raid. Police batter down the door of the Miller family and march inside with guns drawn, ignoring the shock and confusion of dad Eddie (Graham), mum Manda (Christine Tremarco), and older sister Lisa (Amelie Pease) and going straight to the room of teenager Jamie (Owen Cooper). It quickly becomes apparent that he's under arrest for murder, and that DI Bascome (Top Boy's Ashley Walters) and DS Frank (Andor's Faye Marsay) have a strong case.

What follows is an unbroken hour at the local police station, where the camera roves between small-talking officers, wary solicitors, and the devastated Miller family as they huddle in a sterile waiting room and try to piece together what their son — who maintains his innocence — has been accused of.

It's TV at its most anxiety-inducing, somehow made even more intense by the unrelenting one-shot format. Like the Millers we're not given the luxury of cut-aways — we have to experience the entire chaotic ordeal alongside them in real time. The subsequent episodes (each of which is its own one-shot) jump forward by days and then months, giving us an insight into the aftermath, first at Jamie's school, then during a therapy session, and then finally coming back full circle to the Millers as they attempt to rebuild their lives.

Credit: Ben Blackall/Netflix Adolescence's one-shot format is a directing masterpiece.

Making a miniseries where each episode is shot in one take sounds more like a technical exercise than something that'll benefit the viewer. But the thing is, it does. Barantini's ambitious directorial format works perfectly for this tense show, and the change in locations between episodes keeps things fresh. The police station and school settings of the first two episodes are a chaos of sound and movement, an assault on the senses that mirrors what the characters are feeling. The third episode — which essentially just features Jamie and a psychologist (A Thousand Blows' Erin Doherty) — bubbles with the tension of a play. And the finale follows the Millers through a birthday, where they try to make the best of it despite everything. Here, the camera refuses to look away as the characters alternate between anger, sadness, and brief moments of happiness.

Calling Adolescence a TV show feels like it isn't doing it justice. It's somewhere between TV, film, and theatre, almost a new type of viewing experience altogether. The performances are crucial here, and fortunately everyone — from veterans like Graham and Walters to newcomers Cooper and Pease — does an outstanding job. The realism is constant, comprehensive, and painful.

Episode 2, which takes place at at school, is one hour of chaos. Credit: Ben Blackall/Netflix Does Adolescence have any weaknesses?

The subject matter at the heart of the show is difficult, and the story is so relentlessly miserable that it won't be for everyone. As two characters discuss directly in one episode, the focus is also very much on the accused rather than the victim, who is little more than a name in the show. But Adolescence's story isn't a crime mystery so much as a psychological study — it's an exploration of the manosphere culture that's having a real world affect on teenagers, and the societal and familial triggers that might lead to a seemingly ordinary 13-year-old doing something unthinkable.

On this level, and on almost all others, the show is chillingly effective.

Adolescence is streaming now on Netflix.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Thursday, March 13, 2025:

AcrossThe slightest bit

• The answer is ATad.

Like a crossword clue about crossword clues

• The answer is Meta.

Sports shocker … with a hint to the circled letters

• The answer is Upset.

Sign of life

• The answer is Pulse.

Small arguments

• The answer is Spats.

DownMake excited

• The answer is AmpUp.

Automaker with a Cybertruck

• The answer is Tesla.

"This is ___" (disclaimer accompanying an alarm)

• The answer is ATest.

First ones might be awkward

• The answer is Dates.

FedEx competitor

• The answer is UPS.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Mini Crossword.

The lunar eclipse is coming, and it's going to be a big one. The so-called blood moon on Thursday evening or Friday morning (depending on your time zone) will see the moon illuminated in a dusty red hue during a total lunar eclipse. While it'll be a sight to behold, it'll also be a sight to capture in photos. Thankfully, phone cameras have gotten really good over the years – and there's no reason you can't capture a solid photo with a decently modern phone.

But capturing something like a lunar eclipse involves a little more than just opening the camera app and hitting the capture button – at least if you want reasonably high-quality pictures. Here are some tips and tricks to help you take the best lunar eclipse photos you can, both in general, and with your specific phone.

General advice for taking lunar eclipse photos with your phone

There are a few things you can do to ensure that you capture great lunar eclipse photos with your phone no matter which model you have. Some things are very simple – clean your camera lens, and if your phone has one, shoot in RAW mode. This allows the device to capture more data than typical shooting modes. That means you can edit the photos more easily down the line without losing any image quality. If you're comfortable with camera settings and post-processing, it's worth leveraging the RAW mode. 

SEE ALSO: The good and bad news about total lunar eclipse viewing in the U.S.

Some things are slightly less simple but still worth doing to get the best shot. Perhaps the most important thing to do when capturing a lunar eclipse photo is to use a tripod, or at the very least, place your phone on a stable surface of some kind. Even minor movements and shakes will disrupt the photo, making it blurry, especially in the low-light conditions in which you'll be shooting. Movement and shaking are so disruptive that it's even worth placing your phone on a timed capture mode that can allow you to take your hands off the device, and for it to stop shaking, before the photo is captured.

Other things you can do might depend on your phone model a little. For example, it's worth using a telephoto lens if your phone has one built in, but don't use digital zoom as it will degrade the photo. Instead, consider using a telephoto lens attachment for your phone, which will allow you to zoom further in optically, ensuring that you get the best quality photo without losing any detail. Additionally, make sure that when you take the photo, you focus on the moon itself. On most phones, you'll be able to do this by simple tapping on the screen. You'll want to focus on the edge of the moon, which will direct the camera towards a crisp line that it can focus on.

SEE ALSO: An astronomer gave us tips for watching the imminent total lunar eclipse

Last but not least, you'll want to experiment with exposure settings, ensuring that the image isn't too dark and that the moon isn't so bright as to remove any color.

Some of these tricks will vary a little depending on your phone model – so here are some more specific tips for taking the best lunar eclipse photos with your phone. 

Taking lunar eclipse photos with an iPhone

If you have an iPhone, you have a series of great tools available to you for capturing awesome photos. That's especially true if you have a "Pro" phone, which has a telephoto camera that you can and should use to take photos of the lunar eclipse.

On an iPhone, it's very easy to take photos of the lunar eclipse. If you have an iPhone 12 Pro or a later Pro model, you can switch to capturing in Apple's ProRAW format by heading to Settings > Camera > Formats. Make sure ProRAW is toggled on. Depending on your iPhone model, you'll then be able to select the resolution. Then, when you're in the camera app, simply hit the "RAW," "ProRAW" or "ProRAW Max" button on the top right-hand corner.

Other settings are slightly easier to use. On an iPhone, simply tap on the area you want to focus on, and to adjust exposure, tap on that area then slide the little sun icon up or down. It's worth experimenting a little to get the right settings and the perfect photo. 

Taking lunar eclipse photos with a Samsung phone

Samsung phones, especially flagship models like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, come with powerful camera features that can help you get a great shot of the lunar eclipse. If your Samsung phone has a telephoto lens, make sure to use it rather than relying on digital zoom, which can reduce image quality. The highest-end Samsung phones these days have two telephoto cameras. Use the one with the furthest zoom when capturing the lunar eclipse. On the S25 Ultra, this is the 5x zoom telephoto camera.

If you want to keep things simple, open the Samsung camera app, hit the "5x" button to switch to the telephoto camera, and make sure the moon is in focus – then take the photo.

If you want a little more control, however, it might be worth using Samsung Expert RAW. To enable it, open the Camera app, tap “More,” then select “Expert RAW.” The first time you do this, the device will install the Expert Raw app, and it will appear as a separate app on your phone, but you'll still be able to open that app from the main camera app. In Expert RAW, you can experiment with slower shutter speeds and lower ISO, which might make for brighter and more detailed shots without overexposing. 

Taking total lunar eclipse photos with a Google Pixel

Google Pixel phones are known for their excellent computational photography, and they can handle lunar eclipse shots well with the right settings. If you have a recent Pixel model, Night Sight mode will be your best friend. Open the Camera app, swipe to Night Sight, and frame your shot.

Pixel phones actually go further than basic Night Sight, with Astrophotography mode – which should activate automatically when the phone is steady on a tripod, and Night Sight is on. You can also manually enable it if it doesn't seem to be working by heading to Night Sight mode (one of the main camera modes), and tapping on the little moon icon on the bottom right. This mode will capture a long exposure image with more detail and color. Just make sure to keep your phone completely still while the photo is being taken, as even small movements can cause blur.

To fine-tune the shot, tap on the moon to lock focus and adjust the exposure slider to avoid over-brightening. And you can enable RAW capture by hitting the camera settings button on the bottom left of the screen, tapping on the Pro tab, and toggling on RAW. Enabling it will allow for better post-processing down the line. 

Other phones

Many other Android phones also offer excellent tools for capturing a lunar eclipse. Most modern Android devices come with a dedicated Night Mode, which you can typically access by swiping through the camera modes or selecting it from a menu. Night Mode helps enhance low-light shots by increasing exposure time and reducing noise. Thankfully, on many phones, any built-in Night Mode will activate automatically when low lighting is detected. 

Many Android phones also feature a RAW shooting mode, allowing you to capture more image data and edit your photos without sacrificing quality. You can usually enable RAW mode in the camera settings under an 'Advanced' or 'Pro' section. If your phone includes a Pro Mode, it’s worth experimenting with manual settings like ISO and shutter speed to fine-tune your eclipse photos for the best possible results.

Even without RAW modes, however, the simple rules apply – use a tripod, make sure the phone has focused properly on the moon, and set the right exposure.

Meta has obtained an emergency ruling blocking whistleblower and former employee Sarah Wynn-Williams from promoting her memoir Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism. In other news, have you seen Barbra Streisand's house?

The International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) handed down the emergency arbitration ruling on Wednesday, finding that Meta was likely to succeed in its case against Wynn-Williams for breach of contract. Specifically, Meta alleges that Wynn-Williams violated the non-disparagement agreement she signed as an employee.

SEE ALSO: Meta built content censorship system to break into China, report says

"The Emergency Arbitrator finds that, after reviewing the briefs and hearing oral argument, [Meta] has established a likelihood of success on the merits of its contractual non-disparagement claim against Respondent Wynn-Williams, and that immediate and irreparable loss will result in the absence of emergency relief," the arbitrator wrote in his ruling.

As such, the ICDR ruled that Wynn-Williams is temporarily prohibited from promoting Careless People or further distributing audio and electronic versions of it. She is also temporarily barred from making any "disparaging, critical, or otherwise detrimental comments" about Meta, and has been instructed to retract any such comments she has previously made.

This does not mean that Wynn-Williams' claims in Careless People are false, nor that they are true. It simply means that the ICDR considers it likely that she violated her contract by sharing them.

Wynn-Williams was previously Meta's director of global public policy, with Careless People covering her time at the company from 2011 to 2017. The memoir paints a grossly unflattering picture of the tech giant, including allegations of sexual harassment and claims that Facebook ignored internal concerns about its impact on democracy and human rights.

In its review of the book, The New York Times called Careless People an "insider account of a company that she says was run by status-hungry and self-absorbed leaders… even as Facebook became a vector for disinformation campaigns and cozied up to authoritarian regimes."

This week it was reported that Wynn-Williams also filed a whistleblower complaint to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in April, alleging that Facebook (now Meta) misled investors about its efforts to enter China. According to the complaint, in 2015 Facebook developed a censorship system intended for use by the Chinese government in an effort to enter the Chinese market.

Meta ultimately fired Wynn-Williams in 2017, which she claims was retaliation for her sexual harassment complaints. Meta maintains that it fired Wynn-Williams due to issues with her performance and behaviour, and that while it had been interested in operating in China, they ultimately did not come to any agreement with the country's government. Still, this doesn't mean that Meta didn't try.

"[Careless People] is a mix of out-of-date and previously reported claims about the company and false accusations about our executives," Meta said in a statement shared with Mashable. "Sarah Wynn-Williams was fired for poor performance and toxic behavior, and an investigation at the time determined she made misleading and unfounded allegations of harassment. Since then, she has been paid by anti-Facebook activists and this is simply a continuation of that work."

Meta further directed Mashable to an X post by spokesperson Andy Stone, who claimed that Wynn-Williams "deliberately concealed the existence of her book project and avoided the industry’s standard fact-checking process in order to rush it to shelves after waiting for eight years."

Considering the ruling preventing Wynn-Williams from making "disparaging comments" about Meta, she isn't exactly in a position to address Meta's statements. However, publisher Macmillan told Business Insider that the book "went through a thorough editing and vetting process."

UPDATE: Mar. 14, 2025, 10:07 a.m. AEDT This article has been updated with comment from Meta and publisher Macmillan.

TL;DR: Watch the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Marc Márquez started the new MotoGP season with a victory at the Grand Prix of Thailand, but there is a queue of talented riders behind him in the standings looking to take the top spot off the experienced Spaniard. This weekend the action heads to Argentina.

If you're interested in watching the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina?

The MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina takes place at Chang International Circuit. The 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina race starts at 2 p.m. ET on March 16.

How to watch the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina for free

Every 2025 MotoGP race is available to live stream for free on ServusTV.

ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access ServusTV from anywhere in the world.

Unblock ServusTV by following this simple process:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Austria

4. Connect to ServusTV

5. Watch MotoGP for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access MotoGP live streams without fully committing with your cash. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for live streaming is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for MotoGP?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking ServusTV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Austria

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is protected

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of Argentina for free with ExpressVPN.

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Most people know the theory that an asteroid smashed into Earth — hitting what is now the Yucatán Peninsula — and killed off many of the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago. 

But that was not the only mass extinction for the planet — just the most well-known. Scientists believe at least five mass extinctions have occurred in the past 500 million years, and not all of them were caused by menacing space rocks. Perhaps two of them, one 372 million years ago and another 445 million years ago, were ice ages. 

A new study, based on a census of stars in the Milky Way, suggests those periods of severely cold climates may have begun with stars dying light-years away. 

"If a massive star were to explode as a supernova close to the Earth, the results would be devastating for life on Earth," said Nick Wright, an astrophysicist at Keele University in the United Kingdom, in a statement. "This research suggests that this may have already happened."

SEE ALSO: Hubble sees mini galaxies surrounding Andromeda are pretty wild A fossil of a type of brachiopod, Floweria chemungensis, went extinct in the late Devonian period. Credit: Andrew Bush / National Science Foundation

Previous research has yet to determine the cause for either the late Devonian or Ordovician mass extinctions, which occurred 372 and 445 million years ago, respectively. The Ordovician extinction is thought to have killed off about 60 percent of the invertebrate sea creatures at a time when most of Earth's species lived in the ocean; the late Devonian event eliminated 70 percent of all creatures and influenced sweeping changes in the kinds of fish that survived. 

Scientists have suspected these ice ages followed damage to the ozone layer. Crucially, the team working on the census says supernovas could have triggered the catastrophic changes in Earth's protective atmosphere. The rate of supernovas near Earth is consistent with the timing of both mass extinctions. The team's findings appear in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 

A supernova is a cataclysmic stellar death that leaves behind a black hole or neutron star. It is the biggest, brightest, and most violent type of explosion scientists have observed in the universe. 

These cosmic blasts are element factories, NASA says: They create carbon, for instance, the same chemical on which humans and much of life on Earth are based. They spread calcium and iron, the same stuff found in bones and blood, across interstellar space. This dispersal seeds new generations of stars and planets.

This is what astronomer Carl Sagan meant when he said we're made of "star stuff." The same substances composing our bodies were literally forged within the cores of stars, then flung through the cosmos when they died.

It's a great paradox then that supernovas could be both creators and destroyers of life, the authors observed. 

"Supernova explosions bring heavy chemical elements into the interstellar medium, which are then used to form new stars and planets," said Alexis Quintana, lead author, in a statement. "But if a planet, including the Earth, is located too close to this kind of event, this can have devastating effects."

A nearby supernova's blast of various forms of radiation could strip away the ozone layer. By "near," the experts mean within 65 light-years or so. Without the ozone, Earth would be exposed to harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun and acid rain. 

Betelgeuse, about 650 light-years away from Earth, is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Credit: Alan Dyer / VWPics / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Using models that estimate how stars evolve and emit light at different wavelengths, the team analyzed data from large sky surveys, including data from the European Space Agency's recently retired Gaia mission. The census involved nearly 25,000 so-called "OB stars" — very hot, massive stars — within 1,000 parsecs, or roughly 3,260 light-years, of the sun. These stars are so hot, they're at least double the sun's surface temperature. 

This census allowed the scientists to calculate the rate of supernovas in the local region of the galaxy and throughout the Milky Way as a whole. According to the team's calculations, about one supernova happens every 400 million years within close enough vicinity to Earth that its radiation could impact the atmosphere. 

The nearest stars that could blow within the next million years are thought to be Antares and Betelgeuse. If that gives you chills, don't worry: Both stars are more than 500 light-years away — far enough that their blasts wouldn't likely trigger an ice age.

At SXSW 2025, Will.i.am hyped up FYI.AI as the future of AI-powered messaging.

As part of that AI future, Will.i.am demoed the AI personas of his FYI.AI app at Qualcomm’s SXSW panel, "AI is the New UI," on Tuesday. Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor, Will.i.am claimed the goal of these personas was to make AI more relatable, giving it the "flavor and energy" of real people from different communities.

"This isn’t about replacing culture," Will.i.am said during the panel. "It’s about enhancing it, giving people AI that speaks to them in a way that feels natural."

For those unfamiliar, FYI.AI is an AI-powered productivity app for iOS and Android, built for creators. It helps organize projects, manage calendars, summarize group chats, make calls, send messages, and more — essentially an all-in-one digital assistant meant to replace all your other apps.

The AI personas are part of RAiDiO.FYI, a new FYI.AI feature that simulates a traditional radio experience with curated content and conversational AI. Think Spotify DJ, but with the ability to actually chat with the AI.

During the panel, Will.i.am introduced an AI persona named "Flowing with the vibes," meant to embody a young Black woman. Rather than a thoughtful representation, it felt overly scripted, dropping lines like, "You know I gotta keep it real with you, always bringing that authenticity," and "Chaaa, what's up my peeps!"

You can see so for yourself around the 39:30 mark on the video.

Qualcomm and Will.i.am clearly want to push the boundaries of AI personalization. The idea of AI that adapts to culture rather than imposing a corporate, one-size-fits-all approach is intriguing. 

Through his partnership with Qualcomm, Will.i.am is working to establish himself as a key player in AI, expanding his influence from collaborating with LG on XBOOM speakers to naming Jason Derulo as an FYI.AI ambassador.

This column reflects the opinion of the author.

It's become incredibly common for tech publications (and people on Reddit) to give out blanket advice to skip the base iPad and buy an iPad Air instead. I'm here to tell you that for most people, most of the time, the base iPad is more than you actually need.

Cooler Master cases are popular for a reason. They provide a pretty good price for really high-quality cases, and the company uses its expertise in fans and coolers to give you cases with great airflow as well. This one follows that line very well, and it's surprisingly flexible.

Niantic, the company Pokémon Go, has sold its division that makes third-party games to Scopely, a business owned by a Saudia Arabian company, for $3.5 billion. This includes Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now, and all the location data of its users with it.

Nintendo's 'MAR10' day might have come and gone, but some deals on Nintendo Switch games are still ongoing. You can now get Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for $40, a savings of $20 from the usual price—yes, Mario Kart 8 is still $60 most of the time. A bunch of other great games are also on sale.

Building your own PC is exciting. You get to cherry-pick every part and then assemble it all together. However, with so many components and wires, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Luckily, you can simplify the process by following this build order.

TP-Link has announced the TL-WR3002X. This is a new travel router that supports Wi-Fi 6, giving you a fast, reliable, and optional VPN filter everywhere you travel.