Technology

SAVE UP TO $40: As of Feb. 3, the new Amazon Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 are both on sale for their lowest prices to date. Grab the Echo Show 8 for just $149.99 (reg. $179.99) or the Echo Show 11 for $179.99 (reg. $219.99) — that's a savings of 17% and 18%, respectively.

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Amazon dropped four new Echo devices last fall that were built specifically for Alexa+, the new AI-enhanced version of the beloved voice assistant. The lineup includes two Death Star-like orb speakers and two upgraded smart displays — and the latter just dropped to their lowest prices since launch.

As of Feb. 3, you can grab the new Echo Show 8 for just $149.99 (reg. $179.99) or the Echo Show 11 for $179.99 (reg. $219.99) at Amazon. That's up to $40 in savings and the best price on record for both devices — even beating Black Friday.

Referred to as Amazon's "most advanced smart displays yet," both the Echo Show 8 and 11 feature the new in-house AZ3 Pro chips and Omnisense technology for AI-based, highly personalized experiences. They both include a new audio architecture with front-facing stereo speakers and a custom woofer for spatial audio. Not to mention, the combination of in-cell touch and the negative liquid crystal design make for the best viewing experience yet, with ambient visuals that adapt to the brightness of your environment. The built-in 13-megapixel camera can even recognize whoever walks up to it and show you the info you want to see.

Needless to say, both Echo Shows also act as smart home hubs for all of your devices as well as tiny entertainment centers. The only real difference between the two is the size — the Echo Show 8 features an 8.7-inch HD display, while the Echo Show 11 features an 11-inch full HD display. Either pick will give you the full Alexa+ experience.

There was a time when only geeky tech enthusiasts used Android phones. That’s certainly not the case anymore, but there’s still some jargon that the average person probably doesn’t know. You might not use these terms in your daily life, but knowledge is power.

FREE VALENTINE'S DAY LEGO: Through Feb. 6, spending $80 at Lego.com unlocks a free Penguins in Love set.

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$14.99 Save $14.99 Free with purchases of $80+ Shop Now

It's not up for discussion at this point. Legos are a universally elite Valentine's Day gift idea, for her or for him.

Building a set together could be a lighthearted way for a longtime couple to end an otherwise mushy night, or a sweet but not too serious date activity for the blossoming situationship. Opt for the classic bouquet of roses or prove how well you know them by gifting a Lego that speaks to their favorite movie or video game. Whatever you decide, just make sure to buy it from Lego.com directly by Feb 6. That's where you'll get a free Penguins in Love set just for spending $80 or more.

It features two lovebirds exchanging romantic gifts themselves (a fish and a pebble), plus three hearts hovering above their date. Free rizz tip: In the card, write: "Penguins mate for life, and I hope we do too."

If roses wouldn't be their flower of choice to receive, the Lego Botanicals collection has such a variety of pretty greenery options: a colorful wildflower bouquet, a potted orchid, a legitimately gorgeous framed landscape featuring Japanese cherry blossoms... there are countless options for a brick-able twist on the traditional V-Day gift.

SEE ALSO: Lego has dropped more Star Wars Smart Play sets, including a Millennium Falcon: Where to buy

Of course, other Lego gift ideas aren't hard to find if you know the person's passions. If they love art, get them a Lego Van Gogh painting. If they love Star Wars, pre-order a Smart Play set for them. (Yes, that still unlocks the penguin set.) Perhaps the very real Lego Crocs would be an immediate staple in their wardrobe.

NASA will forego a February launch for its Artemis II mission after engineers ran into leaks, cold-weather delays, and equipment problems during a key fueling test that ended early Tuesday morning.

The fuel-loading problems were reminiscent of the challenges the space agency faced in 2022 when it attempted to launch Artemis I, the uncrewed maiden voyage of the program. 

The decision pushes the earliest possible launch to March and underscores the technical challenges facing Artemis II, NASA's first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years and a critical step in the effort to return humans to the moon and possibly Mars. The mission will send four astronauts — Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch, and Jeremy Hansen — on a 10-day journey around the moon without landing, testing the Orion spaceship's life-support systems. It's a key test flight before NASA puts boots on the lunar surface in Artemis III. 

NASA concluded a so-called wet dress rehearsal that simulated launch countdown operations by loading 700,000 gallons of super-cold fuel into the 322-foot Space Launch System rocket, sending a team to the pad to complete closeout work on the capsule, and then safely draining propellant out of the rocket. The test is designed to expose problems before liftoff.

"Safety remains our top priority, for our astronauts, our workforce, our systems, and the public,"  said NASA administrator Jared Isaacman in a post on X. "We will only launch when we believe we are ready to undertake this historic mission."

SEE ALSO: No guarantees: Inside the biggest risks facing NASA's Artemis 2 crew

Engineers encountered several issues over the two-day countdown simulation that began Jan. 31 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, NASA said. The agency will review data from the rehearsal and conduct another fueling test before setting an official launch date.

Passing on the February launch window means the Artemis II astronauts will leave quarantine and not travel to Kennedy Space Center this week as planned. The crew has been waiting in Houston at Johnson Space Center since Jan. 21. 

NASA's Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, right, is the launch director for the Artemis II mission. Credit: NASA / Aubrey Gemignani

NASA said the astronauts will return for quarantine about two weeks before the next targeted launch opportunity. With February ruled out, the next window opens March 6 and continues through March 9, with one extra opportunity on March 11.

Cold weather at the launchpad slowed operations almost immediately, delaying the start of propellant loading while teams worked to warm hardware connections.

During tanking on Feb. 2, engineers spent several hours troubleshooting a liquid hydrogen leak where propellant feeds into the rocket’s core stage. Teams paused the flow of hydrogen, allowed the hardware to warm up to refit the seal, and adjusted flow rates.

Despite the delay, engineers ultimately filled all the tanks. A five-person team then went to the launchpad to complete Orion closeout operations as if the astronauts were there and boarding the ship.

The test ended prematurely with about five minutes remaining in the countdown. The ground launch sequencer automatically stopped after sensors detected a spike in the hydrogen leak.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Why hydrogen leaks plague rocket launches

Liquid hydrogen has been NASA's fuel of choice for decades because it has the lowest molecular weight. That's ideal for keeping the tanks as light as possible. It also helps that hydrogen burns with extreme intensity.

But the reason why hydrogen leaks seem to always stymie launches is that those little molecules are hard to wrangle, seeping out of any tiny crevice or crack. The super-cold temperature of the fuel can cause the rocket materials to contract and shrink, leaving minuscule gaps for the propellant to escape.

NASA reported several other problems during the test. A valve linked to pressurization of the Orion hatch required retightening after a recent replacement. Final checkouts took longer than expected. Cold temperatures disrupted multiple cameras and other equipment, which would have required extra attention if that had happened on launch day.

Engineers also experienced intermittent audio communication dropouts across ground teams, an issue they have been working on for weeks apparently. 

"Getting this mission right means returning to the Moon to stay," Isaacman said, "and a future to Artemis 100 and beyond."

SAVE $99.01: As of Feb. 3, get the iPad mini (A17 Pro) for $399.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $499. That's a discount of 20%.

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Looking for a new tablet, but don't want to spend an arm and a leg on one? The iPad mini is a great choice. And thanks to this deal from Amazon, you can get significant savings on your purchase, so now's the time to go ahead and invest.

As of Feb. 3, get the iPad mini (A17 Pro) for $399.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $499. That's a discount of 20%.

SEE ALSO: The 8 best tablets of 2026: I compared iPads, the Microsoft Surface Pro, and Amazon Fire

This iPad mini boasts the powerful A17 Pro chip, so it's capable of zippy performance and running multiple apps at once, if that's what you want to do. Its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display gives you more screen real estate to work with than your phone, too. So you get more space to play around with, which is a big draw to tablets in general.

It has a 12MP Ultra wide front camera with Center Stage, USB-C connecivity, WiFi 6E support, and it's compatible with Apple Pencil Pro. That means it's good for play, but it's especially useful for taking notes, doodling, or working on presentations. You can draw pictures with all the art tools iPad has.

If you're ready to go ahead and pick up an iPad mini, be sure you catch it at this price. You'll be glad you have the miniature form factor of the iPad that can still handle many of the same tasks.

Ever found yourself juggling between your terminal and a grep command guide when you're deep inside a project? Meet Clapgrep, a sleek, modern utility that brings the speed of terminal search tools into a user-friendly graphical interface. It's how I turn complex queries into a simple "point and click" operation.

SAVE $20: The Kobo Clara Colour e-reader is on sale for $139.99 at Amazon, down from the standard price of $159.99. That's a 13% discount that matches the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.

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Tis the season for reading non-stop. February tends to be a month marked by chilly temps and hibernation vibes. Instead of fighting those feelings, why not use this month to catch up on book titles you've been putting off for a later time? If you've been contemplating upgrading to an e-reader, one of Mashable's favorite models is on a great sale today.

As of Feb. 3, the Kobo Clara Colour is on sale for $139.99 at Amazon, marked down from the list price of $159.99. That's a 13% discount that takes $20 off the price. It also matches the record-low at Amazon.

On Mashable's list of the best e-readers, the Kobo Clara Colour earns the honor of our favorite Kobo model. Recently launched in white, the Kobo Clara Colour is an excellent e-reader if you're looking for a color-capable model in a compact size.

Mashable's review of the Kobo Clara Colour gives it points for having a matte, glare-free display with the perfect screen size. The Clara's six-inch display is smaller than the Paperwhite which means it might fit better in your hand. Mashable Shopping Reporter Samantha Mangino wrote, "In testing the Kobo Clara Colour, I put away my Kindle Paperwhite for a few weeks and was surprised but how much I didn't miss it. It was refreshing to use a smaller e-reader that truly felt handheld," she wrote. "The six-inch screen is smaller than the Paperwhite's, but I didn't miss the extra real estate. In fact, it was a worthy sacrifice for how comfortable it felt to hold."

SEE ALSO: A new 'Heated Rivalry' book is on the way — preorder 'Unrivaled' by Rachel Reid now

The smaller size means this is also more travel friendly compared to the Amazon models. Plus, Kobo recently launched the Kobo remote, which makes it the only e-reader with a native remote. From personal experience, I can tell you it's ultra convenient to use the remote with the Clara Colour. Plus, it's only $29.99.

While it's on sale for Valentine's Day, grab the Kobo Clara Colour e-reader and take off on a reading journey for the rest of winter. Load it up with free books from Libby and you'll be set for months.

You've heard of sexting, but what about actually texting while in the middle of the act? It's apparently not so uncommon for young adults: 35 percent of Gen Z adults have admitted to texting or checking social media during sex, according to a survey of 100,000 students from the anonymous college app Yik Yak. (Twenty-four students actually said they've picked up Mom's call while in bed, too.)

The statistic comes at a time when more people are talking about addictive behavior on social media sites, combined with how Gen Z is having less sex than their older counterparts did when they were younger. It's undeniable that the internet impacts Gen Z's lives — even their sex lives — when 81 percent use social media every day, and half say they spend more than three hours on it per day.

SEE ALSO: How the internet made long-distance love a Gen Z relationship goal

As Mashable reported last year, the internet shaped Gen Z's relationship to sex, in some more positive ways (such as the ability to see sex education materials if they weren't taught it in school or at home), and others more negative, such as anxiety about the way they're perceived.

Now, as it turns out, connectivity literally impacts a third of Gen Z while having sex. They can't seem to stay present, though if you're interested in being more mindful during sex, Mashable has a story for you.

The survey also found that 23 percent of Gen Z said they had sex while their roommate was in the room, and eight percent didn't care that their roommate was wide awake.

Reliability is often the first thing buyers think about when choosing an SUV, and for decades, Japanese-built crossovers have dominated that conversation. Yet one American SUV has quietly edged past many of its Japanese rivals in dependability scores, surprising shoppers who assume domestic models can’t compete on long-term reliability. In 2025, its track record makes it a compelling choice for anyone who wants peace of mind without sacrificing practicality or everyday usability.

We've been introduced to quite a few promising new vacuum cleaners over the past few months, including a handful of cordless stick vacuums snuck in with the big CES robot vacuum announcements. None of them could have prepared you for what the new Dyson PencilVac looks like.

The Feb. 3 release of the $599.99 PencilVac kicks off a string of long-awaited new Dyson vacuums slated for 2026. This launch is pretty huge news — prior to this, Dyson hadn't released a new cordless vacuum since 2023, and even those weren't overly groundbreaking. (We've seen what happens when a once-prestige brand gives up on innovating, à la The Fall of the House of iRobot.) So I jumped at the opportunity to test the PencilVac at home for a few days before launch. Considering that the PencilVac is somewhat a successor to my absolute favorite cordless vacuum of the past three years, you can imagine that the initial thoughts and early comparisons are already flowing.

The PencilVac is so thin that it could be stored under virtually any piece of furniture. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Since 2022, I've been recommending the Dyson V12 Detect Slim nonstop for two main reasons: It's incredibly lightweight, and the dust-illuminating laser completely changed the way I clean. The Dyson PencilVac weighs even less and has two lasers instead of one. Is unseating the GOAT really that simple?

Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson PencilVac $599.99 at Dyson
  Shop Now

Setting up the vacuum itself is incredibly easy because the PencilVac design is the definition of minimal. The box is compact and flat, and since it only comes with one attachment, you don't have to dig around through a ton of packaging. Just click the motor, wand, and cleaning head together and find a spot near an outlet for the charging stand. It actually took longer to connect the PencilVac to WiFi and the Dyson app.

SEE ALSO: Dreame doesn't just want to be a top vacuum brand. It wants to be a top everything brand.

OK, I'm not a huge fan of being forced to use an app with an appliance just for the sake of using an app. But since the PencilVac's screen is so tiny, I'm sure the app will come in handy for notifications about clogged airways or filter replacement.

Comparing the Dyson V12 Detect Slim (left) and PencilVac (right). Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable Four "Fluffycones" give the PencilVac an unbelievably smooth sweep. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable What's special about the Dyson PencilVac?

The Dyson PencilVac is a stick vacuum in the most literal sense of the term. It's legitimately shaped like a pencil and measures less than 1.5 inches around. The battery, motor, and dustbin are built into the wand, lying completely flush. There's no main body with a handle or a trigger or anything. All controls can be found halfway down the wand. There's one on/off button and one button to switch between three suction power modes on the screen. The screen also displays battery life with a countdown timer.

Without a big cylindrical dustbin or heavy battery pack, the PencilVac weighs in at less than four pounds. That's more than a pound lighter than the V12 Detect Slim (that I already find incredibly ergonomic), and less than half of the weight of the heaviest Dyson stick vacuum.

Holding the PencilVac in the air doesn't feel like a workout. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The PencilVac can go as far back as I need it to in my Litter-Robot's waste drawer slot. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

One of my first orders of business with the PencilVac was to vacuum the ceiling corners and any cobwebs that I'd previously been pretending weren't there. Without the top-heaviness from a clunky dustbin, the PencilVac was comfortable to hold above my head with one hand. (I certainly can't say the same for the 8.6-pound Dyson Gen5outsize that my mom has.)

The wand doesn't bend, so you'll have to be awkwardly far away from certain nooks and crannies while you're detailing them. But the long wand also makes it easy to keep up with dusty baseboards without kneeling down, and that's huge news for my allergies and my back.

SEE ALSO: Dreame X60 Max Ultra first impressions: It's tied for the most powerful robot vacuum of 2026. OK, prove it. I'm definitely being normal about the double laser situation

The PencilVac also has two of my favorite Dyson feature ever, the dust-illuminating laser: One that lights the cleaning path ahead and one that lights the trail directly behind the cleaning head.

I've been religiously laser vacuuming since I got my V12 Detect Slim in 2023, so the concept of dual lasers is monumental to someone who can barely remember life B.L. (Before Laser). You truly have no concept of how much dust, dander, and hair accumulate on your floors within the span of a day. Barring any egregiously huge obvious crumbs, hardwood and tile always look pretty spotless to the naked eye... until the laser enlightens you. You can never go back after that.

I can easily see how much litter my cats tracked out of the bathroom. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable And this wasn't even on the strongest power setting. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

I love that the double-headed laser provides a 360-degree view of the floor before and after you sweep it. After making a pass with my V12 Detect Slim, I'd often turn around to shine the laser where I just cleaned to make sure no minuscule stragglers would get stuck to my bare feet later. The double-headed laser shows you where the dirty spots are, then provides real-time proof of its debris pickup in the path behind it. The first PencilVac clean under my dresser and nightstand is going to be an all-timer — I can't wait to meet what's been living under there for months.

And cleaning gets even more granular from there. The PencilVac fluffy brush head can swivel the entire way around to hit the specific angle you need for any super niche spot, like between furniture and the wall.

Features I'm keeping an eye on: Dustbin practicality and carpet use

Emptying the PencilVac is slightly trickier than emptying a classic point-and-empty dustbin. You still hold it over the trash and click a button to release debris. But any veteran stick vacuum user knows that a piece of the dust bunny will inevitably need to be pulled out by hand. Since it's so damn thin, I can already tell that the PencilVac dustbin and suction airway are going to be harder to keep clear. I realized that a water bottle sponge (one we will NOT be using to wash dishes) fits well enough to wipe out any fine hairs or dust stuck to the sides, but I'm not sure what to do when a wad of hair gets wrapped around up there.

The wand slides to push debris out the bottom. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The PencilVac's dustbin isn't as easy to wipe out as a regular Dyson vacuum dustbin. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

At this point, it's also hard to tell how worthwhile the PencilVac will be in homes that have a lot of carpeting. Dyson officially says that the four conical brush bars were designed to detangle hair, but will four fully fluffy brushrolls really work well on similarly fluffy carpet that's covered in pet hair? Can a motor small enough to fit in the handle even generate enough power for sufficient carpet cleaning? I have two cats and a ton of rugs, so that's what I'll be investigating in the coming weeks.

The PencilVac is also one of the only Dyson stick vacuums in recent memory that doesn't come with a mini motorized pet hair tool. It's possible that thick influxes of fur could simply be too much for the small dustbin and filter to handle. Still, that's another consideration for shoppers who are centering their vacuum purchase around pet hair pickup.

SEE ALSO: Robot vacuums vs. stick vacuums: Shopping advice from someone who has both

Similarly, since the battery has to be small enough to fit in a 1.5-inch diameter handle, it's not that surprising that the PencilVac's battery life isn't great. It's advertised as 30 minutes on one charge, and I definitely noticed it draining quickly in my first few days. Most of us probably don't often vacuum nonstop for a full half hour anyway, but still something to keep in mind for larger homes.

The Dyson PencilVac is available to buy now for $599.99.

There are tons of Linux distros. Most of them are new, some of them are old, some of them so old they don't exist anymore. But there's one distro that has stood the test of time, surprisingly. And that's none other than Slackware.

SAVE $29.01: As of Feb. 3, get the Apple AirPods 4 for $99.99, down from their usual price of $129. That's a discount of 22%.

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$129 Save $29.01   Get Deal

If you're ready for a serious earbud upgrade, you can't go wrong with a pair of AirPods, specifically the affordable but great-sounding Apple AirPods 4. You can get them for a discount today at Amazon, so be sure to snag yours while they're available.

As of Feb. 3, get the Apple AirPods 4 for $99.99, down from their usual price of $129. That's $29.01 off and a discount of 22%.

SEE ALSO: The 8 best earbuds of 2026, tested by audio experts

These wireless earbuds offer easy Bluetooth connectivity and are especially simple to connect with via iPhone. They're sweat and water-resistant, and come with a USB-C charging case, so you can get up to 30 additional hours of battery life when you deplete what the earbuds have in them.

Most impressive is the personalized spatial audio they offer, so you can feel like you're right in the middle of your favorite music. It's important to note that this more affordable model doesn't offer noise cancellation, so if you're looking for that, you'll have to go up in price a bit. But for a simple pair of headphones with excellent audio, these AirPods are a great choice that you'll be satisfied with.

Just be sure to get yours quickly, since Apple discounts usually end up going fast.

I've cut my streaming subscriptions and replaced them with a mix of digitized CDs and FLACs, but the default media players built into Windows and Linux don't offer the same convenience as Spotify. This is how I made my own music streaming service.

SAVE $404.02: The Bluetti Elite 100 V2 portable power station is on sale for $394.98, down from the list price of $799. That's a 51% discount that matches the record low price at Amazon.

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The storms keep rolling it. It feels like every week, there's another winter weather warning that threatens to knock out power. While it sounds cozy to curl up on the couch under every blanket in the house with an e-reader, it's not convenient when your phone goes dead or you consider the food spoiling. Stay equipped with a portable power station. If you don't have one yet, check out this deal at Amazon.

As of Feb. 3, the Bluetti Elite 100 V2 portable power station is on sale for $394.98, down from the list price of $799. That works out to a savings of $404.02 from a 51% discount. It also matches the record low price at Amazon.

During the next power outage, the Bluetti Elite 100 V2 will keep your gadgets charged up and the lights on. It comes with 1,024Wh of battery capacity while only weighing 25 pounds. In real-world terms, that power can keep a light on for over 51 hours, a phone recharged 52 times, or a WiFi router online for over 45 hours.

The Bluetti Elite 100 V2 also recharges in a whizzingly quick time. Plug it into standard wall AC power and it can go from dead to 80% power in just 45 minutes. You can also connect it to up to 1,000W of solar panel which will get the power station back to 100% with 70 minutes of charging time.

SEE ALSO: The Bluetti Elite 10 mini portable power station is down to a record-low price — save over $86 before the next storm hits

More highlight features include an under 30 decibel noise level when powering up under 600W. That'll be useful if you plan to use the power station to keep a CPAP machine going. There's also an under 10 millisecond switching time should grid power cut out. That's also important for CPAP wearers or if you'll be using the power station to keep your desktop setup up online.

While the Bluetti Elite 100 V2 is on a massive 51% discount, make your life much more enjoyable during the next power outage. You'll be able to keep your phone charged, a lamp on, and even keep the refrigerator cooling.

I have a bunch of cheap smart devices, and I've never felt comfortable putting them on the same Wi-Fi network as my phone and PC. When you hook up a new Wi-Fi-powered smart home gadget, it always asks to connect to your home Wi-Fi. But did you know that there’s an easy way to make the devices work without giving out your real Wi-Fi password?

Recently, we've heard a rumor of a coming apocalypse in the tech world: QR codes will soon be used up. I can tell you that this simply isn't true. In reality, it's an absurd way to talk about QR codes and similar technologies. Here's why.

Matter was meant to unite smart home ecosystems, but instead, it has made the landscape more confusing. Rather than simplifying compatibility, it has added another layer to the problem it set out to solve.

SAVE $50: The M4 Mac Mini is on sale at Amazon for $549, down from the normal price of $599.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple M4 Mac Mini (2024, 256GB) $549 at Amazon
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Silicon Valley is going wild for the 2024 M4 Mac Mini, but it's not for the reason you might think. No, it's not being used as a traditional desktop computer in the way we assume. People are using it to run the latest AI assistant, Clawdbot. With a cute lobster mascot, the Clawdbot hype is driving up sales and snatching up stock of the Mac Mini with an M4 chip. Before it becomes impossible to find in-stock, check out this sale price.

As of Jan. 31, the M4 Mac Mini is on sale at Amazon for $549, marked down from the standard price of $599.

Why use a Mac Mini for running Clawdbot? The answers are pretty similar to why you'd want a Mac Mini in the first place. Like the name implies, it's a tiny beast that has 16GB of unified memory and 256GB SSD. Plus, you can leave it running at all times with no issue. If you live in the Apple ecosystem and plan to adopt Clawdbot, a dedicated Mac Mini could be an awesome sidekick.

SEE ALSO: Clawdbot is a viral AI assistant: What it is, how to try it

This 2024 version of the Mac Mini comes with Apple's powerful M4 chip, two USB-C ports, a headphone jack, ethernet, HDMI, and Thunderbolt 4 ports. All of that is housed in the compact five inch by five inch Mac Mini housing. This size makes it simple to add to your current desktop setup or take along on the next work trip.

If you're looking for the smallest possible personal assistant, running Clawdbot on a Mac Mini might be your best option. Before demand reaches even higher levels, snag the M4 Mac Mini from Amazon while it's on sale for $549. That's $50 off the normal price.

Excel tables are essential for keeping large datasets organized, but they're even better when you know the right keystrokes. Whether you're inserting new rows or toggling a total row for a quick analysis, these shortcuts will speed up your daily workflow, leaving more time for the work that actually matters.

In 2026, it's difficult to detangle love with tech, given the rise of dating apps and now AI. But an evolutionary biologist doesn't think it's changed the fabric of how relationships form.

"I think that these technologies are becoming more popular and more pervasive and more advanced, but they're still not at a place where they're overturning four million years of evolution in terms of our desire to form intense bonds," said Dr. Justin Garcia, executive director of the Kinsey Institute, in an interview with Mashable. 

SEE ALSO: Adult creators are still getting debanked — but it doesn't just impact them

Garcia is the author of the just-released book The Intimate Animal, all about the science behind sex and love. He sat down with Mashable to discuss AI, dating apps, and Gen Z daters — just in time for Valentine's Day. 

AI relationships as 'training wheels'

Singles are using AI in different ways to date. Some use it to optimize their photos and bios, while others skip over human relationships entirely and date AI. In a survey last year, AI companion company Joi found that eight out of 10 Gen Zers would "marry" an AI.

Garcia sees AI as somewhat helpful if you think of it as "training wheels" — if you want a bit of advice or want to build confidence and practice. 

"The thing about training wheels is the best case, you take them off at some point," he said. 

There are elements of a relationship that aren't replicated in chatting with an LLM (as of this publication, anyway — who knows what advances can be made). One that Garcia identified is the reciprocal nature of relationships. "Part of what we want in a relationship is 'I want to do good things for you. I want you to do good things for me,'" he said. 

The psychology of a couple's relationship includes the dyadic (consisting of two parts) process of whether you're growing together and making each other's lives better. For example, waking up early when you don't want to and making breakfast for you and your partner. 

Three elements of a relationship are me, you, and us, Garcia explained. "I'm not convinced at current that people interacting with these AIs think there's an 'us.'"

AI relationships seem more transactional. "If I have a relationship with AI, yeah, it's going to tell me every day that I'm smart and I'm handsome…there's something nice about that," he said, "but do I really think I'm making its life better?" Part of a happy, satisfying relationship is making your partner's life better. 

Pluses and minuses of dating apps

Garcia has worked with Match as a scientific adviser since 2010, but he's not afraid to be critical of the apps. 

"The challenge with the apps is they're divorced from how we've engaged in courtship for millions of years," he said. When we meet a potential partner, we want to hear their voice, see their body language, smell them, feel them, know their social network — you can't get that from an app (OK, maybe their voice if you're using Hinge's voice note feature). 

That's not to say apps haven't been a boon to different groups of people, such as those who are neurodivergent or daters who want something very particular, whether it's a certain religion or fetish. You can find someone with an app. "That's so incredible to me, that we have that ability," he said.

But its positives don't erase the negatives of dating apps, like distraction, attention, and overoptimization. Ghosting and bad user behavior are other gripes. 

And dating app burnout doesn't exist in a vacuum. People have reported burnout in other areas of life, not just dating, and Garcia sees that as adaptive in some ways to our current political, financial, and environmental climates.

But even with these challenges, courtship has always been a competition, Garcia said, and it wasn't any more fun 100 or 200 years ago. So the real question of dating apps is, how do we use them better?

"We can think about being more intentional. We can think about filling out our own profiles, thinking about engaging with a profile," he said. And remember that dating is also a dyadic process, meaning between two people, so more intentional choices are not going through 1,000 people swiping, going on second dates, even though there are other options on your phone. 

"Similar to AI, [apps are] tools that we can use. When we let them run the show, we get ourselves into trouble," Garcia said. 

Gen Z daters need to stop self-optimizing 

There are other challenges that don't have to do with dating apps, but might be the fault of technology. Newly published research from Match Group and the Kinsey Institute suggests that young adults want love, but believe they're not ready for it. Only 55 percent of 18-29 year-olds feel prepared to pursue a romantic relationship, while 80 percent believe they'll find true love. (This is according to a survey of 2,500 U.S. singles conducted by The Harris Poll between September and October 2025.)

"We're seeing a generation of people who are too focused on self-actualization."

"We're seeing a generation of people who are too focused on self-actualization," Garcia told Mashable, such as the belief that you have to work on yourself before you enter a relationship.

"You think our ancestors 'worked on themselves'?" he joked. We, young adults in particular, are focused on the idea that we have to "work on ourselves" in isolation, then show up to a potential date ready. And some self-improvement can happen on one's own, but Garcia said, "working on yourself happens in the context of a relationship." 

"That relationship is the container for making mistakes and finding yourself and having a trusted co-pilot to pick you up and to support each other," he said. 

Young people might have too much emphasis on "I need to be perfect, and you need to be perfect, and we have to go figure out what we want in a corner," he said. "I don't think it's helpful."

Match Group's Human Connections Lab researcher Amelia Miller believes tech plays a role in these feelings among young adults. 

"Social media and AI companions are teaching Gen Z that the messiness of human relationships is something to be tamed, not embraced, but vulnerability and friction are essential ingredients of intimacy," Miller said in the press release for the data. "The self-actualization that Gen Z is seeking out solo is actually unlocked through relationships with others."

So maybe in 2026, we don't need more tech to optimize ourselves; we don't need to optimize at all. Maybe to find love, we need to be a bit more human.