Technology

SAVE $80: As of Feb. 11, get a pair of Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $169 at Amazon. That's a discount of 32%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple AirPods Pro 2 $169.00 at Amazon
$249.00 Save $80.00 Get Deal

A good pair of earbuds can be hard to find. There are tons of choices out there, but you've got to make sure the pair you buy fit in your ears first and foremost. And if you like the fit, you also want to make sure they sound good. The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are an excellent pick all around. But while they can be a bit pricey for some budgets, they're on sale right now at a great price that make them a no-brainer when it comes to audio.

As of Feb. 11, get a pair of Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $169 at Amazon. That's $80 off their normal price of $249. That's a discount of 32%.

These earbuds are top of the line, and net you fantastic noise cancellation, crystal clear sound quality, and quick and painless integration with any Apple device you use with them. Their H2 chip gives them better clarity, improved battery life, and zippiness that the previous models were a bit lacking in. Plus, Apple's Adaptive Transparency mode helps to cut down on any background noise you may be hearing at any given time.

They're not just good for listening to music or podcasts in silence, though. They're the perfect choice for whipping out and talking to friends and family on the phone if you need to do so hands-free. You can adjust the ear tips size with four different tips that are included, and you also get up to six hours of use with Active Noise Cancellation on. That number jumps to 30 when you re-up with the included USB-C charging case.

Whether you're an Apple user or not, you'll find that these earbuds are just about everything you're looking for and more, and at a great price right now.

While you can't go wrong with flowers and chocolate, let's branch out this Valentine's Day. There's no better way to show someone your love than getting them a gift that demonstrates just how well you know them. We've put together a list of the 30 best Valentine's Day gifts and ideas to get for literally anybody on your list. Whether you're in need of a gift for an eco-conscious best friend or a comedy-obsessed partner, there's something for everyone on this list. Plus, we've included Mashable-vetted items like the most comfortable headphones or fastest e-reader.

In need of a more specific gift? You're in luck. We have Valentine's Day gift guides for girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, and wives too.

Simone Ashley stole our hearts as Kate Bridgerton (née Sharma) in Bridgerton. Now, she takes on a modern romantic comedy in Prime Video's upcoming Picture This.

SEE ALSO: 2025 movie preview: All the films you'll want to know about

Ashley stars as Pia, a struggling single photographer who receives a staggering prediction: She'll find true love in her next five dates. As her sister's wedding approaches, her family will set her up with new suitors — played by an ensemble including Starstruck's Nikesh Patel and Ted Lasso's Phil Dunster — in the hopes that she finds her perfect match.

But things get complicated when Pia's first love (and ex) Charlie (Hero Fiennes Tiffin, The Woman King, After) re-enters the picture. According to the trailer, he still thinks about Pia, an admission which throws her love life into chaos. Will Pia and Charlie be able to work things out and have their own happily ever after?

Picture This premieres March 6 on Prime Video.

Male bonding moves way too fast in the trailer for Andrew DeYoung's Friendship, starring Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson.

The upcoming A24 comedy promises a nightmare of friendship between the I Think You Should Leave and Only Murders in the Building stars. Robinson plays Craig, a man encouraged by his wife (Kate Mara) to befriend his charming neighbour (Rudd), who appears to collect male friends like baseball cards and ditch any he's done with.

When the friendship suddenly comes to a halt, Craig's sense of self and connection is thrown into the air, and signature Robinson yelling begins.

Friendship hits cinemas in May.

The Witcher fans know how to wait.

It's been six months since we farewelled The Witcher in Henry Cavill mode, with Liam Hemsworth's Geralt gauntlet expected later this year. We've been lightly thriving on news of the fourth RPG game in The Witcher franchise, the first since 2015's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, but it's going to be a while before we're roaming the Continent, as Ciri this time.

So, for those missing The Witcher, there's a new animated Netflix film that's quite the crossover between the books, the voice talents of the games, and the live action series. The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep sees Doug Cockle, who voiced titular witcher Geralt of Rivia in the games, returning to the role alongside Joey Batey and Anya Chalotra, who played Jaskier and Yennefer in the TV show.

SEE ALSO: How does Henry Cavill finish up as Geralt in 'The Witcher'?

Directed by The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf's Kang Hei Chul and animated by South Korean animation studio Studio MIR, Sirens of the Deep functions like a side quest for Geralt and his unrelentingly chipper bard pal Jaskier, sending them into a simmering, potential war between humans and merpeople, with spectacular fight scenes, impressive monsters, and characteristically awkward love scenes in store. And it's more than close to the tale of The Little Mermaid.

What is The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep about? Credit: Netflix

Sirens of the Deep is set in Season 1 of the Netflix series, between episodes 5 and 6, after Geralt meets Yennefer for the first time amid the whole djinn business. Written by Mike Ostrowski and Rae Benjamin, produced by The Witcher series showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich with The Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski as a creative consultant, Sirens of the Deep effectively functions as a canon side story, based on the short story "A Little Sacrifice" from the second Witcher book, Sword of Destiny. 

Geralt and Jaskier investigate the seaside kingdom of Bremervoord, run by King Usveldt (Simon Templemen), where violence between sea creatures and humans is on the rise, threatening all-out war. The conflict could be resolved through the wedding of the merprincess Sh'eenaz (Emily Carey) and human prince Agloval (Camrus Johnson), but instead their union is scorned by their families — aside from the princess' scheming aunt Melusina (Mallory Jansen) — and folks on both sides keep turning up dead.

Featured Video For You Henry Cavill dug deep into 'The Witcher' games and fantasy fiction to get his Geralt just right

How does Geralt get caught up in this political mess? As he always does: by being hired to kill a monster, avoiding doing so thanks to his moral compass, and finding himself hauled into a pompous royal throne room full of bearded accusations and knee-jerk declarations of retribution. Writers Ostrowski and Benjamin include plenty of banter between Geralt and Jaskier between these moments, and importantly bring one of Sapkowski's less known characters to the screen: Jaskier's Bremervoord bard bestie Essi Daven (the closest we've come to seeing Essi onscreen was through the character of Priscilla in Wild Hunt).

In what feels like an unexpected turn for The Witcher universe, Sirens of the Deep mirrors Disney's version of Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale The Little Mermaid right down to an undeniably "Poor Unfortunate Souls" moment between Sh'eenaz and Melusina. However, the film pushes the story of a mer-human romance into more violent territory, probably more akin to the dark mood of the original tale, sending the humans and merfolk into a brutal war after several bloody attacks. Just as Ursula made a whirlpool of aquatic hell, Melusina has her tentacles stirring an evil plan.

The fight scenes in Sirens of the Deep are phenomenal Credit: Netflix

Throughout Sirens of the Deep there's some dabbling in a lukewarm romantic storyline between Geralt and Essi, and a middlingly moving reflection on Jaskier's childhood in Bremervoord. But the real star is the action scenes.

Seizing on the gravity-defying benefits of animation, Sirens of the Deep features some truly magnificent fights. Brutal, bloody, and artfully choreographed, these scenes outshine the film's narrative and allow Geralt to do some pretty damn fancy footwork — the film opens with an acrobatic battle with an Allamorax sea monster that would cost a mint in live action. South Korean animation studio Studio MIR, who've worked on The Legend of Korra, Dota: Dragon's Blood, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge and the first Netflix Witcher animation, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, really show off those skills in these scenes of pure violence. Eyeballs bulge, bodies are unceremoniously ripped in half, and giant tentacles are hacked at.

But aside from these chaotic chapters of combat, what makes it truly feel like a win for Witcher fans is the return of one very familiar voice.

It's damn good to hear Doug Cockle's voice Credit: Netflix

The instant satisfaction that comes from hearing Cockle's voice as Geralt of Rivia is honestly worth watching Sirens of the Deep for. Cavill took cues from Cockle for his own characterisation, so it's deeply fulfilling to hear Game Geralt's gravelly vocals within the Netflix series. No one quite delivers the line "Fuck" quite like Cockle, and Sirens of the Deep knows it. And while several moments in the film hinge on cringeworthy and cheesy, not one moment of Cockle's delivery misses. 

Cockle's performance combined with Studio MIR's spectacular animated fight scenes make Sirens of the Deep a worthy watch for The Witcher fans. If you can survive the awkwardness of the romance scenes, can run with The Little Mermaid parallels, and have long yearned for a Joey Batey bard banger moment, you'll have a decent time.

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is now streaming on Netflix.

BBC Radio One's "Unpopular Opinion" game – in which radio callers phone in with their unpopular opinions celebrities share their thoughts – has a history of inciting some entertaining bickering — and Anthony Mackie's appearance is no exception.

In the clip above, the Captain America: Brave New World star and host Greg James react to opinions on everything from donuts needing to be banished to concert encores being pointless.

Come for the debate, stay for Mackie's British accent.

SAVE $600: As of Feb. 11, the 55-inch Samsung The Frame TV is on sale for $899.99 in Best Buy's Presidents' Day sale. This is $600 off its list price of $1,499.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 55-inch LS03D The Frame QLED TV $899.99 at Best Buy
$1,499.99 Save $600.00 Get Deal

Best Buy's Presidents' Day sale is full of excellent discounts on tech. If you've been on the lookout for a new TV, there are plenty on sale at the retailer right now that are worth a look, including the Samsung The Frame TVs. These sleek little two-in-one TVs and art displays have gotten some very nice deals, but the 55-inch model is one that definitely caught our eye with a $600 discount.

This has dropped the price of the 55-inch Samsung The Frame TV to $899.99 from its list price of $1,499.99, which is definitely worth taking advantage of while the deal is still live. Not to mention, your purchase also comes with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, so gamers can have a test run on this new TV with Game Pass's massive library for free for a month.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's Presidents' Day sale is live — find all the best deals here

As mentioned earlier, The Frame's are known for being both a high-quality TV and a display for art. When it comes to the former, it boasts 4K resolution that makes images on your screen appear crisp and vibrant so you can savor every detail. It also features a matte display that reduces glare so you don't have to deal with any annoying light reflecting off it. This is especially helpful with the art you can put up.

There's a wide variety of art pieces you can choose from to display in your home as well, including a selection of pieces from New York's Museum of Modern Art. Some of the artworks included in this collection are from the likes of Vincent van Gogh, Henri Rousseau, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Frida Kahlo, so you can have plenty of amazing options to show off.

Best Buy's Presidents' Day sale comes to an end on Feb. 17, so act fast to save on this 55-inch Samsung The Frame TV.

To see even more TV deals, have a look through our breakdown of Best Buy's Presidents' Day sale event, which features discounts on other Samsung models, Toshiba TVs, and a few from LG.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

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

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 11 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 11 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: "Attention all shoppers"

These words are areas of a store.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

Words are sections in large grocery stores, like Walmart or Target.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Big Box.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for February 11

• Beauty

• Home

• Garden

• Bath

• Electronics

• Toys

• Kitchen

• Big Box

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: 8NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for February 11 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for February 11, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

This is something the Chiefs wished they'd done a bit more of on Sunday.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

No letters repeat in today's puzzle.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

SCORE.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for February 10

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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

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

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for February 11 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Pull

• Green: Pal, but not really

• Blue: Stretching helpers

• Purple: Same second word

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Wrest

• Green: Buster

• Blue: Yoga accessories

• Purple: ____ cap

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #611 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Wrest: JERK, TUG, WRENCH, YANK

• Buster: BUB, BUD, JACK, MAN

• Yoga accessories: BLOCK, BOLSTER, MAT, STAMP

• ____ cap: HUB, KNEE, MAD, NIGHT

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for February 11

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

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

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

You get two Jo(h)n's for the price of one in the latest episode of The Daily Show, with host Jon Stewart being joined by Last Week Tonight host John Oliver for a cameo at the end of the monologue.

The topic in hand? The way Donald Trump's America is quickly regressing, going so far back in time that Oliver encourages Stewart to embrace his country's "monarchy era".

"I'm here to gloat," Oliver says. "America had its little fun, experimenting with democracy. You fought so hard to get away from us. Acting up, throwing all that tea into the harbour — you still owe us for that, by the way."

Stewart's tearful realisation, after Oliver lays the current state of affairs out plainly for him? "We really have become our father."

TL;DR: Unblock porn sites with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

The online world is not as open as you might think. At first glance, it seems like you can navigate this world with total freedom, but there are actually content restrictions and blockades all over the place. This doesn't usually get in the way, but from time to time, the ability to bypass online restrictions would be really helpful.

Take porn sites, for example. Your access to your favorite porn sites is not always guaranteed. There's probably a good reason for this, but when the time is right, there's nothing wrong with visiting sites like Xnxx. Fortunately, there is a simple hack that can bypass geo-restrictions to unblock porn sites like Xnxx from anywhere in the world.

If you're looking for the best way to Xnxx for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to unblock Xnxx for free

VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions to access porn sites like Xnxx from anywhere in the world.

Unblock porn sites like Xnxx by following these simple steps:

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 a location that supports access to Xnxx

4. Visit Xnxx

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for bypassing content restrictions are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Xnxx without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can retain access to porn sites when temporarily away from home.

What is the best VPN for porn?

ExpressVPN is the best service for fast and reliable unblocking of porn sites like Xnxx, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy

• 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 generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Unblock Xnxx for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: A wide range of AI courses are available to take for free on Udemy.

Is AI going to take over the world? Probably, but we should have a few years before we get to the point of no return. And in that timeframe, we could all benefit from learning more about this technology. We might as well learn how to make the most of AI before it becomes it deems that we're all obsolete.

The good news is that a wide range of online courses on AI can be found on Udemy. And better yet, some of the best examples can be taken for free. We've checked out everything on offer and lined up a selection of standout courses to get you started.

These are the best online AI courses you can take for free this month:

• A Gentle Introduction to Generative AI

• AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals

• AI Art Generation Guide: Create AI Images For Free

• AI Filmmaking

• AI for Beginners: Learn The Basics of ChatGPT

• AI for Everyone

• AI Literacy Essentials: Working Responsibly with AI

• AI-Powered Chatbot: Build Your Own with No Code

• AI Product Strategy

• Artificial Intelligence for Accountants

• Artificial Intelligence for Humans: AI Explained

• Artificial Intelligence: Preparing Your Career for AI

• Become an AI Accelerated Engineer Using ChatGPT

• Become an AI-Powered Engineer: ChatGPT, Github Copilot

• Become an AI-Powered Engineer: Cursor, the AI-First IDE

• Business Analyst: Digital Director for AI and Data Science

• ChatGPT 101: The Complete Beginner's Guide and Masterclass

• ChatGPT in 30 Minutes: New Prompt Engineering and AI Skills

• ChatGPT, Midjourney, Firefly, Bard, DALL-E, AI Crash Course

• ChatGPT Security: Privacy Risks and Data Protection Basics

• Create Faceless YouTube Videos Using Free AI Tools Only

• Deep Learning and AI with Python for Beginners

• Digital, Virtual and AI Photography

• Gemini AI Course for Beginners

• Generative AI and Prompt Engineering

• Generative AI For Leaders

• Google Gemini AI with Python API

• How To Make YouTube Automation Videos in 20 Minutes Using AI

• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

• Learn Basics About AI

• Master Gemini AI

• Mastering Generative AI for Developer Productivity

• Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals: Get Started with AI

• Midjourney and ChatGPT: Unleash AI for Unique Image Generation

• Prompt Engineering+: Master Speaking To AI

• Prompt Engineering Principles: ChatGPT & DALL-E

• Unleash your Creativity with Stable Diffusion AI

These free online courses don't include certificates of completion or direct instructor messaging, but you still get unrestricted access to all the video content. You can learn at a pace that suits you, so what's stopping you from enrolling?

Find the best free AI courses on Udemy.

Opens in a new window Credit: Udemy AI Courses Free at Udemy Get Deal

SAVE $10: As of Feb. 11, the Echo Dot is on sale for $39.99 at Amazon. That's 20% off its list price of $49.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Dot $39.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $10.00 Get Deal

With Valentine's Day right around the corner and Presidents' Day sales starting to kick off, there are plenty of deals to look through right now. Over at Amazon you can save on quite a few of the retailer's own devices, including the Echo Dot smart speaker.

The Echo Dot smart speaker — in charcoal, deep sea blue, and glacier white — has dropped from its list price of $49.99 to $39.99, saving you 20%. Amazon has this listed as a limited-time deal, which means it may not stick around for long. If you've had the Echo Dot on your shopping list, now's the time to grab it.

SEE ALSO: 30 Valentine's Day gifts for all the sweethearts in your life

Alongside offering excellent sound quality, the Echo Dot can serve as a hub to control compatible smart devices. We also rank it in our roundup of the best Amazon Echo devices as the best pick for smaller spaces, saying that "the Echo Dot is just about the same as its spherical older brother, except in a smaller form." In our breakdown of Echo Dot vs. Echo Pop we also found that, "The Echo Dot is the quintessential budget smart home assistant, allowing you to summon Alexa with your voice and control other smart gadgets in your home."

Don't miss out on this limited-time deal on the Echo Dot at Amazon.

There are a few more deals on Amazon devices that are worth checking out right now, too. You can also save on the latest Kindle Paperwhite and the Echo Show 5 has gotten a nice discount as well.

Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn't—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they're usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we've got you covered.

TL;DR: This week only, get a Microsoft Office 2024 lifetime license for PC or Mac at $139.97 (reg. $149.99).

You know those tasks that eat up way more time than they should, like rewriting a paragraph in Word, creating a graph in Excel, and perfecting formatting in PowerPoint? Microsoft’s newest AI features could mean these struggles are finally over.

Office 2024 is loaded with built-in AI tools that don’t take over your workflow but complement it. And, unlike a Microsoft 365 subscription that comes with recurring fees, this version only requires a one-time payment. Own it now for PC or Mac for $139.97 (reg. $149.99).

Another way AI is making your life easier

The newest version of Office includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, each with its own AI features. But first, know that you won’t have to re-learn any of your favorite apps — they all have a fresh look, but they’re still familiar.

Let’s start with Word. Smart Compose will help you brainstorm ideas when staring at a blank page with a blinking cursor. And for those times when you’re stumped on how to finish a sentence, it can suggest text based on the context of your writing.

AI in Excel now eliminates the need to memorize how to create those complicated charts and graphs manually. Plus, you’ll get AI-powered insights on your data.

When you’re working in PowerPoint and OneNote, you’ll get intelligent suggestions for text, formatting, and design elements. Whether you’re creating a presentation or organizing your notes, let AI do the heavy lifting.

Download Microsoft Office 2024 for PC or Mac while it’s $139.97 this week only (reg. $149.99). No coupon is needed to get this price.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Retail King Microsoft Office 2024 Home for Mac or PC: One-Time Purchase $139.97
$149.99 Save $10.02 Get Deal

TL;DR: Save 81% on a 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan lifetime subscription with our unbeatable offer.

ChatGPT-5 is coming … eventually. But why wait for an updated version of a single AI model when there’s a tool that combines all top AI models into one platform? It’s called 1min.AI, and its lifetime subscription may be a better investment than an OpenAI subscription. Here’s why:

• 1min.AI gives you lifetime access to GPT, Gemini, Llama, Midjourney, and more AI models for a one-time payment

• All of these AI models allow you to generate AI articles, images, video, music, and code

• Every tool is organized into a neat dashboard, and you can grab preset templates depending on what you’d like to create

• Each month, you get credits to spend on AI content. This subscription tier gives you enough to generate about 1.1 million words or 1,100 images every month

Get lifetime access to this all-in-one AI tool for $99.99 (reg. $540). You won’t find a better deal anywhere else.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: 1min.AI 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription $99.99
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Frustration with dating apps isn't hard to find in 2025. Between talk of dating app fatigue and dating apps becoming increasingly similar online, you can hardly swipe on your FYP without some complaint about being on "the apps."

Dating app executives seem to be aware of this. Both Hinge's CEO and Bumble's former CEO mentioned burnout and exhaustion, respectively, and Tinder is enlisting influencers to try to entice young adults into swiping. 

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

Increasingly, new feature drops utilize AI, at least in their marketing. Could AI be the way to save dating apps?

Why dating sucks right now

Tinder launched in 2012, and since then, it and other dating apps have reshaped how singles meet. Now, according to the Pew Research Center, one in ten partnered adults met their partners on a dating app, and that figure increases for adults under 30 and LGBTQ people.

Despite some people having success on dating apps (if success to you means meeting a partner), users complain about them for multiple reasons. 

One is "swipe fatigue," the feeling that you're repeating the motions and it's not leading to meaningful outcomes, according to sexologist, sociologist, and relationship expert Dr. Jennifer Gunsaullus. 

Then there's the issue of having an amazing interaction with someone on the app, but then you meet them in person and they can't carry a conversation. "I could see how dating apps could feel less and less authentic because they're more and more curated," Gunsaullus said. "That gets frustrating."

Gunsaullus also mentioned the paradox of choice: When presented with many options, we can have more trouble deciding on one than if we were only presented with two or three options. 

This abundance of choice, coupled with how photo-focused the most popular apps are, can lead to feeling like these interactions are superficial. Snap judgments about a whole person based on a profile can lead to bad behavior (like ghosting) and feelings of rejection and jadedness, said Gunsaullus, a PhD in sociology.

Trust in dating apps has also waned in recent years. Last year, Match Group was sued in a class action lawsuit claiming that its platforms are "addictive" and "predatory" and that it prioritizes spending more time and money on the app than facilitating matches. (Match Group is a conglomerate that owns Tinder, Hinge, and other dating apps.) The lawsuit has since been sent to arbitration.

A common gripe in recent years is that dating apps paywalled good features that used to be free.

"Match Group has slowly put more and more things behind the paywall, removed useful features, and a lot of the apps have become homogenized," said custom software developer and dating app user Ben Smith. Like other app users, Smith blamed encroaching paywalls on companies' incentives to monetize. 

Match Group, like Bumble, is publicly traded, and waning public opinion for dating apps may be reflected in the stock market: Prices for Match Group and Bumble have fallen in the last year as of publication. Despite Bumble's stock price being up in the last six months, its CEO is out after a year to be replaced by founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, and Match Group just announced a new CEO too. (Grindr, which is also publicly traded, is also up in the last year.)

In the UK, major apps also saw a decrease in users year-over-year from 2023 to 2024: Tinder lost 600,000 users, while Bumble lost 368,000, and Hinge lost 131,000, according to UK communications watchdog Ofcom.

A spokesperson for Bumble said they had nothing to share with Mashable about the stock market or user loss. Match Group wouldn't confirm or deny third-party data, but did share that Hinge's monthly active users are up 20 percent year over year. Tinder's monthly active users are down, which it attributes to safety enhancements.

Additionally, distrust about AI has entered the mix: How are apps training AI? What data is it using? What data is it storing? These answers are sometimes answered in an app's privacy policy, but not always.

Dating coach Erika Ettin said daters she knows aren't comfortable using Tinder's Photo Selector tool. According to Tinder's Photo Selector FAQ, the tool requires access to a user's partial or full camera library to pick out the "best" photos. This is done on-device, and Tinder only stores photos you pick to go on your profile, but Ettin said it "creeps [her] out a little."

"On Tinder, users can take advantage of Photo Selector when they're having trouble picking a profile pic. We found that 52 percent of singles struggle with choosing the perfect photo, and this AI-driven feature takes the hassle out of the process," a Tinder spokesperson told Mashable. "And at the end, you still have the final say on which photo gets uploaded."

But maybe dating apps suck because dating itself sucks.

"All of this shifting attention from 'the apps don't work in terms of long-term relationship building' is really just a smokescreen for what really has been going on forever," said relationship and online dating expert Dr. Jess Carbino, "which is people have frustrations with dating."

There hasn't been a significant innovation in the online dating space since Tinder's development in 2012, Carbino said. Carbino, a PhD in sociology, used to work as a sociologist for Tinder and Bumble. "This [AI] is truly the new frontier."

Pros of AI features on dating apps

What AI can be useful for is weeding out spam and inappropriate messages. Bumble's Deception Detector (which weeds out spam and fake accounts) and Private Detector (which finds and blurs lewd images) are examples. The app told Mashable that it blocked over 2.2 million spam, scam, and inauthentic profiles in 2024. Tinder has several ways to red flag bad behavior, like "Are You Sure?" (to stop a user from sending a potentially harmful message) and "Does This Bother You?" (to let a user on the receiving end report a harmful message). Hinge has similar features to detect harmful or illegal behavior on the app.

Carbino is hopeful that AI features and development will help apps deliver better matches to people and initial messaging between strangers. "I think that this is just a way of enhancing the experience that's fundamental and the steps that are necessary to do what dating apps are meant to do, which is to create connections," she said. "And then people have to take it from there."

Gunsaullus agrees that AI algorithms could lead to better matches. She also likes the idea of using AI as a coach to help daters learn some communication skills.

Potential drawbacks of AI dating features

While Gunsaullus thinks AI has the potential to be a helpful coach, the initial use of AI in dating isn't as helpful. When you have ChatGPT write messages for you, for example, you're not developing skills of talking to strangers — and you're not presenting your true self to a match. It's like posting highly-filtered photos of yourself.

"We have filters now for people's personalities and communication skills or lack of skills," Gunsaullus said, and those skills take time, commitment, and a willingness to be bad at first to learn.

It's understandable why young people are especially drawn to AI features during COVID lockdowns, given their reliance on phones for social interaction. While face-to-face interaction is best for combatting loneliness, according to experts, digital interactions fill in the gaps when you can't be around each other in person. Early research suggests that this has had negative impacts on social skills. 

Putting yourself out there in person is vulnerable and can be awkward, and young people may not want to do it. But, because of this, digital dependency may continue to get worse due to AI, Gunsaullus said. While relying on technology like AI is easy and convenient and allows us to be less vulnerable and awkward, that may not breed happiness and well-being in the long run.

Ettin personally doesn't like AI features on dating apps and doesn't think they've greatly improved their usage. 

"In my opinion, all of the sites would be better off hiring a bunch of me's or a bunch of experts on how to use the apps and coaches to do a seminar or help people in a group setting," she said. "It'd save a lot of money and it would be a lot more personal."

SEE ALSO: A mindfulness-themed browser is (calmly) shaking up search

Smith, meanwhile, is very pro-AI and believes it's going to transform the world to a greater extent than the internet did. However, he also believes we're currently in the trough of disillusionment stage of the hype cycle around AI, meaning interest is waning as early adaptation of AI fails to deliver.

"Right now, we are in the painful buzzword phase where everyone is just tossing it into their products and hoping that it makes the number go up," Smith said. "But once we get through this, the trough of disillusionment, we'll start getting actual innovation that actually makes them better."

Both Tinder CEO Faye Iosolatuno and Hinge CEO Justin McLeod mentioned the use of AI at Match Group's Investor Day back in December, suggesting that AI features aren't going away on the major dating apps. 

Can we even meet 'offline'?

You might see someone on TikTok bemoan that they just want to meet their partner "organically" — aka having an offline meet cute. But it may not be that easy. 

Social, economic, and demographical reasons make technology the mechanism or institution we rely upon to meet people, Carbino said. For example, fewer people live in their neighborhood of origin as they did in the past, breaking the social ties they have there. Fewer people are going to religious places of worship, which used to be a prime place to meet a partner. 

At the same time, young adults have less financial independence than in years past. They live at home with parents longer than previous generations, making it potentially harder to date in-person.

Not to mention that people just spend a lot of time on their phones.

"I think that technology is going to be more and more present because no other institution that we have seen historically has intervened or developed in a way in recent years to overcome that," Carbino said.

Despite daters' frustrations, Ettin doesn't think they'll quit the apps. Dating apps aren't at fault for the issues people have with them — like people looking at you more like a commodity than an individual, or people thinking there's someone better around the corner, she said. 

"I think it's human nature," said Ettin, "and technology and wanting instant gratification."

Even though there is annoyance over meeting people online, where else do singles find supper clubs, speed dating events, or ClassPass's Valentine's Day singles event? Online.

"What's ironic to me is that the ways people are now trying to meet in person are harnessing technology," Carbino said. "Digital is IRL, and IRL is digital. You can't divorce the two."

Daters are inherently curious about AI and are open to the idea that it can be helpful. "I think that people want to be hopeful," said Carbino. "That's why they stay on the apps."

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