Technology

Apple is turning its Wallet into something akin to a digital passport — but don't expect to be flying internationally without a physical passport just yet.

On Wednesday, the company launched Digital ID, which is a way to present your ID in Apple Wallet in a secure and private way.

SEE ALSO: Apple's iPhone Pocket is a new way to carry the iPhone, and we have questions

The new feature is launching as a fairly limited beta. It will initially be only available in the U.S. for domestic travel only, rolling out to TSA checkpoints at more than 250 airports across the country.

To create a Digital ID, users will have to scan their U.S. passport. To do so, open Wallet on your iPhone, tap the Add + button at the top of the screen, select Driver's License or ID Cards, then select Digital ID and follow the instructions.

The process consists of scanning your passport with your iPhone, then scanning the chip that's embedded in the passport, and occasionally completing a series of facial and head movements (such as closing your eyes) during setup.

Instead of scanning your passport, you'll be able to scan your Digital ID on select TSA checkpoint locations. Credit: Apple

When presenting a Digital ID (for example, at a TSA checkpoint), you'll need to double click the iPhone's side button to open Wallet and select your Digital ID, hold your iPhone near an identity reader, and then use Face ID or Touch ID to authenticate. The process also works with Wallet on Apple Watch.

Apple points out that right now, you cannot use Digital ID to travel internationally.

Featured Video For You Crafting Your First AI-Generated Video in Sora

This is just a start for Digital ID, but Apple has big plans for the feature. For example, in the future you might be able to present your ID to prove your age at a venue that requires it, and you'll be able to use it for identity verification in certain apps.

The advantage of using Apple's Digital ID over whipping out a physical ID is that the venue that's reading it can only verify certain data, such as your age and photo, but they don't get to see all the data on the ID.

The feature builds on Apple's digital driver's license and state ID, which launched in 2022. These can already be added to Wallet in 12 U.S. states, as well as Puerto Rico.

Google Pixel phones are popular due to their clean, smooth, and customizable software experience, but there's room for improvement. While Material 3 Expressive makes these phones more customizable than ever, one of my biggest complaints is the at-a-glance widget. It's a non-removable "feature" inside the Pixel launcher.

I understand if you don't subscribe to MGM+. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you've never heard of it. The streaming service, now owned by Amazon, doesn't have the extensive catalog or popularity of something like Netflix. Plus, there are only so many subscriptions one person can have!

Windows 11 now has native support for third-party passkey managers. The November 2025 security update is adding this in. This should bring an end to the disjointed feeling that Passkeys used to have if you weren't fully using Microsoft’s built-in tools.

Airbnb is reportedly integrating with Instacart in an interesting way, at least for a few months.

Folks who book stays in an Airbnb property will soon be able to order groceries ahead of their stay and have everything stocked and ready for them when they arrive, per Bloomberg. This will happen via a directly integrated Instacart interface within the Airbnb app. It should be noted that this is just a three-month pilot program starting on Jan. 5, and right now it's only for hosts in Phoenix, Orlando, and Los Angeles.

Still, this seems like a promising feature that could make traveling a lot easier for Airbnb guests.

SEE ALSO: Airbnb now offers 'Services' like makeup, photography, catered meals

The benefits for Airbnb customers here are obvious, but there are also incentives for hosts to play along, too. Each host will get $25 per completed Instacart order to their property and a $100 bonus for the first one, as long as they receive the order and put everything away on time.

Getting paid money to put away other people's groceries in the property you own is an interesting labor arrangement, if nothing else.

FX's Alien: Earth quickly became one of the most obsession-worthy shows of the summer

Over the course of eight episodes, Noah Hawley's Alien prequel series gifted viewers with bold new tech, a host of terrifying creatures, and a downright nausea-inducing mini Alien movie. With the show's Season 1 finale looming, can fans expect more Alien: Earth in a Season 2?

SEE ALSO: 'Alien: Earth's game-changing ending, explained Will there be an Alien: Earth Season 2?

Yes! On Nov. 11, FX announced that Alien: Earth has been renewed for a second season. FX also revealed that Hawley had signed an overall deal with FX and Disney Entertainment Television, which bodes well for the future of Alien: Earth.

SEE ALSO: Five burning questions we have for 'Alien: Earth' Season 2

That's a future that Hawley has been thinking about for a long time. In a 2025 interview with Variety, Hawley mentioned his hopes for further seasons. "Season 1 is the proof of concept," Hawley said. "And if it works commercially, then Season 2 is about building a model upon which we can envision making a Season 3, 4, 5."

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Hawley is also already thinking about the wait time between seasons, telling Evolution of Horror that he has "a destination in mind, story-wise" and that his main question going forward is, "How streamlined can we make the process so that you're not waiting for three or four or five years for more?"

When would Alien: Earth Season 2 air?

FX has yet to set a release date for Alien: Earth Season 2. However, the renewal announcement stated that Season 2 will begin filming in London in 2026. From this, we can make an educated guess based on the turnaround time on Season 1.

Season 1 of Alien: Earth entered production in July of 2023, although it began filming without its American SAG-AFTRA members due to the Hollywood strikes. (British cast members were able to film as they were not part of SAG-AFTRA.) Production paused later due to the strike, before resuming in April of 2024 and then wrapping in July of 2024. The show premiered in Aug. of 2025, making for a two-year turnaround from the beginning of production to release. That means we might be waiting until 2028 for a Season 2.

However, production on an Alien: Earth Season 2 will not have to contend with another SAG-AFTRA strike, meaning it will hopefully take less time for Wendy (Sydney Chandler) and her Xenomorph to grace our screens again.

Alien: Earth Season 1 is now streaming on Hulu.

UPDATE: Nov. 12, 2025, 9:30 a.m. EST This article was originally published on Sept. 23, 2025. It has been updated to reflect the news of Alien: Earth's renewal.

Look anywhere online, and you'll see discussions about how streaming services are ruining the cinema experience and negatively impacting movie theaters. And while I agree with many of those points, there's more to it than that. This new generation of endless content available to stream at a moment's notice ruined movies and TV in more ways than you realize.

ChatGPT has become the poster child for artificial intelligence and large language models everywhere, but if you want something more specialized, or you want something you can guarantee is private, it isn't your only option.

It seems like there's always a shakeup going down in AI, with Meta seeing more shakeups than most. The company recently laid off 600 people within its AI unit.

Now, Yann LeCun, a chief AI scientist at Meta and professor at New York University, is planning to leave the company and build his own startup, anonymous sources told the Financial Times. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Mashable.

The report says that LeCun, who won the prestigious A.M. Turing Award for breakthroughs in AI, will be leaving in the coming months to pursue work on a startup that focuses on his own world models. He is already working on raising capital for the startup, according to the Financial Times.

LeCun wouldn't be the first to focus on world models, which, according to TechCrunch, are AI systems that develop "an internal understanding of its environment so it can simulate cause-and-effect scenarios to predict outcomes." World Lab, Google DeepMind, and Nvidia are all also developing world models.

This comes at a time when Meta is heavily inserting AI into users' feeds and is working frantically to keep up with AI rivals such as OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.

The northern lights wowed sky gazers across much of the U.S. last night when they made an exciting appearance in states as far south as Florida. But if you missed out last night, don't worry, the skies are set to be glowing again tonight as another blast of geomagnetic energy is coming, according to a prediction from the Space Weather Prediction Center.

Wrap up warm, pick a dark, secluded spot, and keep on reading to see when and how you can spot the northern lights tonight.

When are the northern lights?

Tonight, Nov. 12, the northern lights are returning to North American skies. The Space Weather Prediction Center is predicting a "severe" geomagnetic storm, meaning the chances of there being northern lights are pretty high.

The geomagnetic activity is measured by the planetary K index, or Kp. It ranges from 0 to 9, with higher numbers indicating stronger activity and a greater chance of seeing the aurora across the United States. Tonight’s activity is forecast to reach a Kp of 8, meaning the northern lights could move far from the poles and appear bright and active, even across northern parts of the U.S. According to these stats, the northern lights should peak at 10 p.m. ET.

Where will the northern lights be visible?

According to maps from the Space Weather Prediction Center, the northern states are more likely to see the northern lights tonight. However, social media posts from last night have revealed people as far south as Florida managed to catch a glimpse of them.

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These maps display the view line cutting roughly through Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, and up to Maine. Anywhere above this line has a very high chance of spotting the northern lights, but this is approximate, not a strict boundary. And don't count yourself out if you live a little further south, with a Kp of 8, you might just get lucky...

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. What causes the northern lights?

The aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights, is a natural light phenomenon visible in the night sky, most often near the polar regions. NASA explains that the display happens when charged solar particles interact with Earth’s atmosphere, producing glowing streaks of green, pink, and purple that ripple and move overhead.

Viewing tips for the northern lights

Catching a glimpse of the northern lights can be a stroke of luck. There are so many elements at play, including your local forecast and cloud coverage, but there are some things you can do to help. As ever with these events, travel away from light pollution as much as you can, and don't forget to give your eyes time to adjust. The Space Weather Prediction Center also suggests the best time to see the aurora is usually between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, when displays are at their most active.

There are ways to use the Python programming language on a typical Android device, iPhone, or iPad, but with fewer features available than Python on most desktop computers. Thankfully, you can still get the full Python experience on those devices—you just need a Raspberry Pi or other low-power server on the same network.

People are traveling more and more. According to UN Tourism (World Tourism Barometer), in 2024, more than 1.4 billion people traveled abroad, almost as many as before the pandemic. Those who are vacationing to relax and freelancers are among them. However, with the revival of tourism, the risks of falling prey to fraudsters while traveling have made a comeback, too.

Nintendo held a Nintendo Direct livestream...of sorts on Wednesday.

No, there weren't any trailers for new Switch 2 games or anything like that. It was only a few minutes long and was dedicated solely to the upcoming film The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The sequel to 2023's blockbuster hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie is taking Mario and friends to space, just as the game Super Mario Galaxy did in 2007. The trailer is just a quick peek at the movie, but it looks a lot like the game it's inspired by.

SEE ALSO: Yoshi's design in 'Super Mario Galaxy' may have leaked thanks to a box of cookies

That's not all, though. Nintendo also revealed two key new cast members for the movie. Playing the role of galactic protector, Princess Rosalina is Academy Award winner Brie Larson, who, perhaps not coincidentally, is also a noted fan of Nintendo games. (She also has quite a bit of experience playing a galactic protector in the form of Captain Marvel.) That one makes sense.

On the funnier end is Uncut Gems co-director Benny Safdie as Bowser Jr., the movie's primary villain. Safdie has also worked as an actor, sure, but the idea of anyone at Nintendo watching and enjoying Uncut Gems is bringing me a lot of joy this morning. Safdie most recently appeared in Oppenheimer, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., and Happy Gilmore 2.

Behold, the itty bitty baby Bowser in all his glory. Credit: Universal and Illumination Pictures

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie comes out in theaters on April 3.

The 2026 Hyundai Palisade takes the brand’s largest SUV to the next level with a hybrid setup that boosts both performance and efficiency. It’s not just about horsepower or fuel numbers, but about a ride that feels smoother, quieter, and more responsive in everyday driving.

If the title for Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die didn't give you an idea of the bonkers energy Gore Verbinski's upcoming film is channelling, the trailer will lock it in.

In the video above, the Pirates of the Caribbean director sends you into a Los Angeles diner on a rainy night, where Sam Rockwell turns up in a strange (and leaking?) get-up claiming to be from the future. His warning? Technology and AI are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our impending doom. As weird things begin happening and birthday parties are ruined, we're in for a mission to save the world with an all-star cast including Zazie Beetz, Michael Peña, Juno Temple, Haley Lu Richardson, Asim Chandhry, and Tom Taylor.

Written by Matthew Robinson (The Invention of Lying), Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die kind of looks like a film for people currently obsessing over apocalypses and possibly Apple TV+'s Pluribus (that's us, we're people).

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die hits cinemas Feb. 13.

Although Android still receives major updates every year, they’re nowhere near as transformative as those from the early days of the OS. One of the biggest milestones was Android Lollipop, which began rolling out via OTA updates on November 12, 2014. Let’s take a look at everything that made this update so special.

In a Truth Social post and an interview with Fox News, Donald Trump has introduced the idea of a 50-year mortgage in the U.S, suggesting it might make home ownership more affordable for Americans. But Daily Show host Josh Johnson isn't convinced.

In the clip above from Tuesday's show, the host pulls up a graphic calculating that a six percent mortgage on a $400,000 home would mean roughly $300 a month less in repayments versus a 30-year mortgage, but over $800,000 in interest over the lifetime of the loan.

"So you're saying that after interest, a $400,000 mortgage is going to cost me $1.3 million?" says Johnson. "That is the opposite of affordability. This man is creating generational debt. They're going to be fighting to get out of grandma's Will. Grandkids will be like, 'I barely knew her, alright? I wouldn't even hug her at Christmas because her skin was too loose."

With so many menus to dig through, getting a document to look decent in Microsoft Word can feel like a chore. I used to find formatting tedious, but after learning a few features and shortcuts, it became effortless. If formatting feels like a struggle, here’s how to do it faster and with less effort.

I am mainly a Linux user, but sometimes I have to return to Windows for work or gaming. Whenever I do, I notice that Windows hasn’t evolved in any meaningful way since I first used it. Compared to Linux, it feels like it’s stuck in time. Let me explain what I mean.

SAVE $50: As of Nov. 12, the Dyson HushJet is on sale for $299.99 at Amazon. That's a 14% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson HushJet $299.99 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $50   Get Deal

If you're someone who suffers from allergies, has a pet, or just really hates the thought of lingering dust, an air purifier will become your best friend. They're handy devices that keep the area around you feeling clean and clear, as well as eliminating any unwanted odors. And as of Nov. 12, you can get one of the most popular models on sale at Amazon.

Right now you can get the Dyson HushJet on sale for its lowest-ever price. At Amazon you'll find the HushJet reduced to $299.99, a saving of $50 on list price.

SEE ALSO: The best vacuums we've tested at home, from robots to Dyson stick vacs

The Dyson HushJet is a compact but powerful air purifier that's perfect if you don't want a big, clunky device taking up space. And despite its size, it can purify up to 203 square feet. It has a fully sealed system which means any pollutants or allergens it collects won't escape. It also has a 360° Electrostatic filter that captures 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns.

One of the best qualities of this device is its noise level. Operating at just 24dB in Sleep mode, it will deliver purified air quietly through a star-shaped nozzle that minimizes turbulence. If you can't focus or sleep with background noise, this purifier won't bother you.

Everything is controlled through the MyDyson app, so it's easy to monitor and control air quality from anywhere. You can even set schedules, adjust modes, and view personalized air quality reports.

This is a limited-time deal according to Amazon, so act fast so you don't miss out.