Technology

Sir David Attenborough turned 100 years old on Friday, with people across the globe sending him their well-wishes. He was also honoured with a wasp.

A beloved natural historian, conservationist, and broadcaster, Attenborough has educated millions about the wonders of the natural world across a career spanning over 70 years. Since joining the BBC in the early 1950s, Attenborough has presented a slew of well-received documentary programs such as Planet Earth, Blue Planet, and Extinction: The Facts. To many, his recognisable voice is synonymous with the majestic beauty of nature. 

SEE ALSO: 23 climate change documentaries you need to watch because this planet is NOT fine

Attenborough has regularly worked behind the camera as well, writing and producing numerous documentaries capturing the amazing world around us. He is also a conservationist, advocating for renewable energy, combating climate change, and protecting the planet's biodiversity. 

His work has inspired countless people, drawing attention to the beauty and fragility of our environment, as well as the urgent need for us to protect and preserve it.

"Don't waste anything," Attenborough said in a 2020 interview. "Don't waste electricity, don't waste food, don't waste power. Just treat the natural world as though it's precious, which it is." 

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As such, Attenborough's 100th birthday is cause for celebration. Various events have been organised to mark the occasion in the UK and abroad, including live BBC special David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth and a 242-foot (80-metre) sand portrait of him by arts collective Sand In Your Eye. The Australian Museum is also marking Attenborough's birthday by offering free entry to their exhibit Bloodsuckers: Nature's Vampires.

A sand portrait of Sir David Attenborough was created on Morecambe Beach in Morecambe, England. Credit: Anthony Devlin / Getty Images

Google also marked the occasion with an Easter egg, which generates images of animals, plants, and a message of thanks over Search results of Attenborough's name.

Credit: Google / Mashable screenshot

Of course, when an older, widely beloved personality such as Attenborough hits the headlines without immediate context, it inevitably causes some initial alarm. Fortunately, this adrenaline spike was unwarranted.

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While Attenborough has not been active on social media since a brief stint in 2020, he released an audio message via the BBC thanking people for their well-wishes.

"I had rather thought that I would celebrate my 100th birthday quietly, but it seems that many of you have had other ideas," Attenborough said on Thursday. "I've been completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings from pre-school groups to care home residents and countless individuals and families of all ages.

"I simply can't reply to each of you all separately, but I would like to thank you all most sincerely for your kind messages, and wish those of you who have planned your own local events tomorrow [to] have a very happy day."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Featured Video For You Humans could soon live underwater, in these deep sea habitats Sir David Attenborough gets a wasp for his 100th birthday

Attenborough received at least one unorthodox birthday gift this week, with London's Natural History Museum naming a new species after him. Over 50 species have previously been named after Attenborough, including a long-beaked echidna, a ghost shrimp, and a plesiosaur. Now one more has been added to the list: Attenboroughnculus tau, a species of parasitic wasp found in Chile. Though it was initially collected in 1984, the museum only recently identified the insect.

The museum announced its name on Thursday, stating that the decision was to honour Attenborough's work and inspire others to pursue natural history.

"I got this idea [that] I wanted to be a taxonomist from Attenborough from Life on Earth," principal curator of insects Dr. Gavin Broad told Australia's ABC News. "It was Attenborough who opened my eyes to the bigger world … so it's his fault I am where I am now."

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Despite the fortuitous timing, a parasitic wasp may not seem like the most complimentary creature that could be associated with Attenborough. It also isn't the first parasitic wasp to receive his name, preceded by the Smicromorpha attenboroughi from India in 2021.

Even so, it's still fairly fitting considering Attenborough's reverence and respect for all living creatures, despite reportedly hating rats. (While there are no rats named after Attenborough, he is the namesake of a carnivorous pitcher plant which ingests them.) If anyone could find beauty in a parasitic wasp, it'd probably be Attenborough.

SAVE OVER $190: As of May 8, the Dyson V8 Plus is on sale for $349.98 at Amazon. That's a 35% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson V8 Plus $349.98 at Amazon
$539.99 Save $190.01   Get Deal

If it's time for a vacuum upgrade, check out this deal on the Dyson V8 Plus at Amazon. As of May 8, it's on sale for $349.98, a $190.01 discount from its usual price of $539.99.

It's an ideal vacuum for all spaces in your home thanks to its Motorbar cleaner head that's designed to clean different floor types. It's great for pet hair too, and is able to detangle long hair. It comes with three attachments for cleaning different areas, along with a wall dock and charger.

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Dyson states that the vacuum gives up to 40 minutes of suction power in one go, or up to five minutes if you're using Max mode. This is one of two power modes, the standard mode is ideal for everyday cleaning while the Max mode is for more intensive spot cleaning. It can also be converted into a handheld vacuum for cleaning your car, your stairs, or just those really hard-to-reach corners.

Dyson's filtration system is impressive — with this vacuum you'll trap 99.99% of particles as small as 0.3 microns and expel cleaner air.

Head to Amazon now to score this Dyson deal.

TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities Play Booster Box has dropped to $129 at Amazon, marking its lowest-ever price with Amazon. Walmart is matching that price, while TCGplayer listings start slightly lower at $128 with shipping included.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities Play Booster Box (30 Packs) $129 at Amazon
$164.70 Save $35.70 Get Deal

If you have been waiting for Edge of Eternities to drop in price before adding the expansion to your trading card collection, Amazon has dropped a record-low price.

As of May 8, the Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities Play Booster Box is available for $129. That’s $35.70 off Amazon’s $164.70 list price, and it brings the 30-pack box down to around $4.30 per booster. It's also the lowest price this box has ever been with the retailer — confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel.

Walmart is also showing the same $129 price, but from a higher $169.99 regular price, which works out to a $40.99 saving. TCGplayer currently has Edge of Eternities Play Booster Displays listed as low as $128 with shipping included, with its market price sitting at $128.27 and a listed median at $164.63. So while TCGplayer is technically a dollar cheaper, Amazon might be the most convenient option for a lot of shoppers.

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For anyone who skipped this set when it first launched, Edge of Eternities is Magic’s first full space opera expansion, sending players into the Sothera system as a star system teeters on the edge of disaster. You can expect cards based on distant planets, alien factions, dazzling magic, and a dangerous supervoid at the center of everything. 

The Play Booster Box itself includes 30 Play Boosters, each containing 14 Magic cards and a token. Every pack includes at least one Traditional Foil, with 1-4 cards of rarity Rare or higher. There’s also a slim chance of pulling a Foil Borderless Mythic, while Traditional Foil Lands replace regular lands in 20% of boosters. 

For more savings on Magic: The Gathering boxes, you can still grab the 24-pack MTG Avatar: The Last Airbender Jumpstart Booster Box at its lowest-ever price. Among upcoming expansions, you can still pre-order MTG’s The Hobbit Bundle for only $69.99.

TL;DR: Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Sleeved Booster Pack up for preorder at $12.99 with free delivery, shipped and sold by MVP Marketplace. TCGplayer also currently has the same sleeved booster starting at $10.87 shipped, and non-sleeved boosters for $9.85.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Sleeved Booster Pack $12.99 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here

Chaos Rising preorder prices have been steadily going up for Elite Trainer Boxes, but prices for Booster Packs seem to have stabilized. 

As of May 8, Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Sleeved Booster Pack listed at $12.99 with free delivery. The listing is shipped and sold by MVP Marketplace, with Amazon currently showing delivery as early as May 21 for some shoppers. Just keep in mind that Pokémon lists Chaos Rising’s official release date as May 22, so that early delivery estimate may not be accurate.

Amazon is now only $2.08 above the Sleeved Chaos Rising Booster’s market price on TCGplayer. Also at TCGplayer, unopened presale listings for the same Chaos Rising Sleeved Booster Pack start at $10.87 with shipping included, with a listed median of $10.92 and a market price of $10.91.

If you care less about the cardboard sleeve, TCGplayer also has the standard Chaos Rising Booster Pack starting at $9.85 shipped, though its listed market price is higher at $12.06. Either way, each sealed Chaos Rising Booster Pack contains 10 random trading cards. 

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The Chaos Rising expansion launches the next wave of the Pokémon TCG’s Mega Evolution era, with over 120 cards, more new Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, more than 20 Trainer cards, and more than 35 Pokémon and Trainer cards with special illustrations. Expect Mega Greninja ex, Mega Floette ex, Mega Pyroar ex, and Mega Dragalge ex to headline this highly anticipated expansion. 

To save even more on boosters, you can still buy the 36-pack Pokémon TCG Chaos Rising Booster Display Box for $278.95 — making it so you’re only paying roughly $7.74 per pack. As for the last expansion, you can still grab the Pokémon TCG’s Perfect Order Build and Battle Box for around $40 at Amazon.

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Gmail's "Help me write," an AI-based assistant for drafting your emails, is a useful tool, but it can on occasion sound somewhat stiff compared to your own voice.

This should now change. In a blog post published Thursday, Google said it added two personalization enhancements to its Gemini-powered Gmail tool.

SEE ALSO: You can now change your Gmail username. Here’s how to do it.

One is topic contextualization, a feature that can connect Gmail to your Google Drive and Gmail based on your prompt, and then insert relevant info into your email draft based on the data it gathered from these apps.

The other new feature is tone and style personalization, enabling AI to write drafts that match the tone and style of your previous emails.

That's better. Credit: Google

In an example Google has provided, the user is drafting an email on recent influencer campaign launches, and the AI is able to get the actual names of the campaigns from Google Drive files, as well as info on how these campaigns are doing from recent emails. On top of that, the tone of the email is a bit more casual.

Google originally announced these changes in February, but they're now rolling out to following users: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus, as well as Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus. The feature is also rolling out to Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra consumer-grade users, as well as on the Google AI Pro for Education suite.

Featured Video For You 3 simple tips to optimise your ChatGPT search

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been having an awkward week. First he made the strange decision to quote rap lyrics while discussing the war in Iran, and now he's gone for a slightly uncomfortable meeting with the Pope after the president attacked the religious leader on Truth Social.

"The president would have gone there to meet the Pope himself but they decided it was too dangerous — when he enters a church all the holy water starts to boil," says Jimmy Kimmel in the clip above. "So they sent little Marco to a summit that got off to an awkward start."

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Kimmel goes on to play footage of Rubio entering a room and shaking hands with Pope Leo XIV, exchanging a few brief words, then posing for an unsmiling photo.

"Alright, good talk," says Kimmel. "That's what Marco calls 'vibing' with someone. They have the chemistry of parents at their daughter's wedding two months after the divorce."

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Group of eight.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

OCTET

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A box.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 8, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

CRATE

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Hurdle Word 3 hint

Sequence.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 8 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 8, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

ORDER

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A feather.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

QUILL

Final Hurdle hint

To squeeze.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

WEDGE

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

It's the day before the Third Quarter, so the Moon is closer to 50% illuminated. During this phase of the lunar cycle, the Moon is only half lit again, but this time it’s the opposite side compared to First Quarter, as the Moon moves toward the new moon.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, May 8, the Moon phase is Waning Gibbous. Tonight, 66% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

If you look up with you no visual aids tonight you'll be able to spot the Mare Imbrium, Tycho Crater and the Kelper Crater.

If you have binoculars, you'll be able to see even more, including the Clavius Crater, Gassendi Crater, and Apennine Mountains are just a few. And that's not all, if you have a telescope you'll see all this plus the Apollo 15 landing spot, the Schiller Crater, and the Fra Mauro Highlands.

When is the next Full Moon?

There are two Full Moons in May, with the next due to take place on May 31.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete a full orbit around Earth, passing through eight different phases along the way. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the way sunlight falls on it changes as it moves, which is what creates the familiar full, half, and crescent shapes. In total, there are eight main phases in the lunar cycle:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love a sweet treat.

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.

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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.

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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 Pips hints, answers for May 8, 2026 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: Tongue kiss

• Green: Same shape

• Blue: A surprise

• Purple: Sweets

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Vote for your favorite creators today

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Canoodling

• Green: Five-sided things

• Blue: Unexpected places to be "Out of"

• Purple: Ending in candy brands minus "S"

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 #1062 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Canoodling: FIRST BASE, MAKING OUT, NECKING, TONSIL HOCKEY

• Five-sided things: HOME PLATE, JEANS BACK POCKET, SCHOOL CROSSING SIGN, THE PENTAGON

• Unexpected places to be "Out of": LEFT FIELD, NOWHERE, THE BLUE, THIN AIR

• Ending in candy brands minus "S": BURGER KING WHOPPER, FILM NERD, MEMENTO, PITCHER'S MOUND

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 May 8, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

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.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you like ordinary things.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, 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 May 8, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Garden variety!

The words are related to simplicity.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe plain things.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Run of the Mill.

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NYT Strands word list for May 8

• Basic

• Pedestrian

• Ordinary

• Run of the Mill

• Prosaic

• Common

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.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're always in the background.

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: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 8, 2026 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 Pips hints, answers for May 8, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A shadow.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter U.

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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...

UMBRA

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.

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.

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

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

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

The state of the ship

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHO recommendations

On Wednesday, WHO offered key facts about hantavirus:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hantavirus symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

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

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

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

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

If you think you’ve been exposed

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

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

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $949 at Amazon
$1,099 Save $150   Get Deal

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opens in a new window Credit: Dreamscreens Dreamscreens $24.99
$49.99 Save $25.00   Get Deal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis wrote:

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

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