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By now, you might have heard about Lego Smart Play system, which Lego calls the biggest evolution in brick-building technology in 50 years. You may have even heard of the Smart Bricks from your kids. 

Or perhaps you saw Mashable's own CES coverage of the unveiling, when Lego made its first appearance at the world's biggest technology convention to officially announce Smart Play and Smart Bricks.

Lego's first Smart Play sets, which are all part of the Lego Star Wars line, are now available for pre-order and will start shipping in early March.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Pre-order Lego Smart Play Building Kits Starting at $39.99 Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Millennium Falcon Building Kit $99.99 at Amazon
Ships March 1 Get Deal

Whether you know what Smart Play or Smart Bricks are or not, you probably have some questions: More tech for my children? Is this safe? Will their privacy be respected? Should I get Lego Smart Bricks for them?

Mashable is here to help.

What are Lego Smart Play and Lego Smart Bricks?

Lego, the iconic 93-year-old toy company, isn't known for computer chips or gyroscopes or sensors; they're known for their simple multi-colored interconnecting building bricks and square Lego people. Yet, at CES, Lego announced they were bringing those chips and gyroscopes, and sensors to their building bricks and Lego people with their Smart Play line, which includes Smart Bricks, Smart Tags, and Smart Minifigures.

Smart what now? Let's break it all down.

Lego Smart Bricks Credit: Lego

Smart Bricks are the new Lego brick with all that previously mentioned tech inside. They work just like any other Lego brick when it comes to building. Smart Bricks can snap into any regular Lego brick and vice versa. However, Smart Bricks can also play sounds, light up in different colors, and interact with the world around them.

For example, if you connect a Smart Brick to a Lego airplane, the plane will make different sounds depending on whether you're a kid flying the plane right-side up or upside down. If the Lego plane is "crashing," the Smart Brick will make screaming noises as if it's emitting from the Lego minifigure pilot.

Smart Tags are a thin, flat surface brick that snaps onto your Lego creation and informs the Smart Brick about what it's connected to. Using that airplane example, you'd need the Smart Tag for that Lego airplane in order for the Smart Brick to know how to make those corresponding airplane wooshing sounds.

Smart Minifigures are Lego minifigures built specifically for Smart Bricks. The Smart Tag is basically built right onto the figure.

And Smart Play is basically just the name of this entire new interactive Lego toy line.

Lego Star Wars Smart Play TIE Fighter Credit: Lego Are Lego Smart Bricks safe for my kids?

Generations of kids have played with Legos without any sort of tech add-on. Now, our children will experience a whole new Lego. And, of course, whenever technology is introduced to children, there are certain concerns to be watchful for.  Should parents be concerned?

The main worry is usually regarding privacy. Lego says its Smart Bricks technology does not connect to the internet in any way and is completely offline. Lego doesn't collect any data. There are no cameras or audio recording devices inside or connected to Smart Bricks.

Another potential issue when introducing tech to kids is whether it'll affect their playtime or development. This isn't as straightforward as the privacy concerns, as each parent will likely have their own opinion on this. However, Lego said that it created the Smart Play line in order to enhance physical play. It's not meant to take over a child's imagination or creativity. There's no AI involved, no app that Smart Bricks need to connect to, and there are no screens involved at all.

Kids still have to build their Lego creations in the Smart Play line.

A perfect example of Lego Smart Play enhancing physical play was demonstrated by Lego at CES. Lego had two children race their Lego racecars. Thanks to the Smart Play capabilities, the Smart Brick at the finish line was able to light up with the color of the racecar that won the race. In a neck and neck race, Smart Play can help avoid any potential conflict that might arise between two highly competitive kids, leaving time for more building or racing and less arguing..

What will the Lego Smart Play sets look like?

Lego seems to have a good idea of how to sell parents and kids alike on their new Smart Bricks technology. The first Lego Smart Play sets are all Lego Star Wars related.

Lego Star Wars Smart Play X-Wing Credit: Lego

At CES, Lego announced three Lego Star Wars Smart Play sets: Luke's X-Wing, Darth Vader's TIE Fighter, and the Emperor's Throne Room Duel.

Since then, Lego has announced five more Lego Smart Play sets — and once again, they're all Lego Star Wars related: Millennium Falcon, Mos Eisley Cantina, Luke's Landspeeder, Yoda's Hut, and Attack on Endor.

Lego Star Wars Smart Play Throne Room Duel Credit: Lego

The Landspeeder set is the most affordable, priced at $39.99. The Throne Room Duel is the most pricey of the Lego Star Wars Smart Play sets at $159.99.

When will Lego release Smart Play sets?

Lego will release the first Smart Play sets on March 1, but fans can pre-order them now at Lego and Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Pre-Order Lego Smart Play Building Kits   Get Deal

Make no mistake. Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model wouldn't exist without hatewatchers on TikTok.

Though America's Next Top Model premiered in 2003, content creators on TikTok have been looking back on the competition show with damning critiques of its problematic photo challenges, fat-shaming tactics, and the harsh words from the show's panel of judges. First, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model delves into these critiques, featuring TikTok snippets to give a sense of the avalanche of criticism. Then, Reality Check's directors Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan (also co-executive producers) offer new interviews with ANTM host Tyra Banks, plus former ANTM judges — including photographer Nigel Barker, photoshoot director Jay Manuel, and runway walk coach Miss J. Alexander — where they're asked to face the TikTok critiques on camera.

I watched all three episodes of Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, totaling just shy of three hours. Props to Loushy and Sivan, this mini-series has a sensational understanding of its audience, who want to see not only the ANTM's most shocking moments but also the famous judges answering for them. And while this doc is definitely tapping into hate-watching, Reality Check satisfies by asking the hard questions — even if the answers leave much to be desired.

Who is interviewed in Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model? Miss J in "Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model." Credit: Netflix

Among the show's judges, Tyra Banks, Miss J. Alexander, Jay Manuel, Nigel Barker, and model manager Nolé Marin give talking-head interviews. Also featured in new interviews are director/developer Ken Mok and TV executive Dawn Ostroff. 

Former contestants also share their story in Reality Check, including Ebony Haith (Cycle 1), Giselle Samson (Cycle 1), Joanie Sprague (Cycle 6), Whitney Thompson (Cycle 10), Dani Evans (Cycle 6), Bre Scullark (Cycle 5), Dionne Walters (Cycle 8), Keenyah Hill (Cycle 4), and Shandi Sullivan (Cycle 2). They share insights into the brutal truth behind their reality TV experiences, and it's not pretty.

Who's not interviewed in Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model? "America’s Next Top Model" stage is lit but empty. Credit: Netflix

The most notable absences are Janice Dickinson and Tiffany Richardson, who both have segments dedicated to their time on the reality competition show. 

As a judge, Dickinson was vicious in her opinions, insulting the contestants to their faces and unapologetically writing them off as ugly or fat. Jay Manuel, who throughout the doc series will defend the show and make excuses for many of its most controversial moments, notes he didn't like Dickinson's brutal approach to critiques and tried to push back with his own. However, he also suggests that her attitude reflected a segment of the modeling industry, and thus had its place on America's Next Top Model.

Did the critiques get too personal? It seemed so for Tiffany Richardson in Cycle 4. She is the contestant whose dressing down from Banks became a meme: "We were rooting for you." And while a substantial part of episode 3, titled "We Were Rooting For You," focuses on this memorable moment, Richardson is not interviewed for Reality Check.

Another surprising absence is Adrianne Curry, the Cycle 1 winner of ANTM, who went on to use that spotlight to become an actress and TV personality. A less noticeable but curious omission, Kenya Barris — who co-created America's Next Top Model and produced it ahead of creating hit sitcoms like Black-ish, Grown-ish, and Mixed-ish — is not interviewed or even mentioned. 

America's Next Top Model's judges offer excuses, not apologies.  Jay Manuel in "Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model" Credit: Netflix

In episode one, Jay Manuel says, "It was such a different time," when speaking to the representation that he and Miss J, as queer people of color, brought to the show. However, this phrase, used to express how America's Next Top Model broke boundaries, is also employed by nearly every ANTM judge to justify how the contestants were treated. 

Reality Check begins by swiftly recounting how Banks, as a Black woman, faced prejudice in her modeling career due to the fashion industry's narrow definition of marketable beauty. With America's Next Top Model, she wanted to open the door for other women to pursue careers in modeling and to show the world the breadth of beauty. However, the very premise of the show set every contestant up to be picked apart for how she looked, from her teeth to her skin to her weight, and on and on. As the face of the show, Banks was frequently seen supporting the very stringent view of beauty she claimed to be breaking down. 

In this first episode of Reality Check, Banks is dismissive of people who criticize the ANTM but "didn't watch it back then" when it first aired. She claims that binge-watching on streaming led to people rediscovering the show, and "overnight," the attitude towards it changed to "look how wrong this is." She ignores that America's Next Top Model sparked discourse as it aired about the outrageous stunts pulled and the brutal pursuit of the picture-perfect shot.

Banks argues it's "important to understand where [ANTM] came from," and so begins the finger-pointing to 2000s culture that was obsessed with skinny women and heroin chic. The early 2000s were a cultural nightmare in that regard, judging every remotely famous woman who dared to have a less-than-flat stomach. But as a show that literally promised to present the next big name in modeling, ANTM bolstered that fixation on weight through their determination of what is beautiful or not.

Banks won't acknowledge that; instead she blames pop culture, the modeling industry, her ANTM colleagues (claiming she had no power whenever a tough choice was made), and the audience that tuned in. "We kept pushing, and we kept creating more, more, more," she said of bizarre photo shoots. "You guys were demanding it. The viewers wanted more and more and more." And with every finger-pointing, Reality Check rebrands Banks as a reality TV villain, just as TikTok has been saying.

What scandals does Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model get into? Nigel Barker in "Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model." Credit: Netflix

Reality Check digs into plenty of America's Next Top Model's most shocking moments. 

ANTM's most disturbing photo shoots

Episode 2 touches on a barrage of gross or problematic photo shoots, including one where the contestants wore meat, another where unhoused people were treated like set dressing, and, of course, the race-swap challenge, where models were painted and dressed to represent an alternate ethnicity.

In this segment of Reality Check, Banks does say, "Yeah, there's some dumb shit," but also defends the race-bending shoot by saying, "This is my way to show the world that brown and Black is beautiful." 

Several models recount how their photoshoot assignments could feel cruel. One particularly horrid example was in Cycle 8, when the models were tasked to be gorgeous homicide victims. Dionne Walters, who was challenged to pose as a woman shot in the head, points out the producers knew her family had a tragic history with gun violence.

"I think they wanted to see some sort of mental breakdown," she tells Reality Check, noting she's proud she didn't give them that. While apologies are few and far between in this mini-series, ANTM director Mok did say of this particular photo shoot, "I take full responsibility for that shoot. It was a mistake. It was crazy. That one I look back and like, 'You're an idiot.'"

ANTM makeovers that demanded cosmetic surgery

More disturbing, however, is how the contestants, many of whom were young and hadn't been away from home before, were put into high-pressure situations that had lasting impacts on their lives. 

Dani Evans and Joanie Sprague from Cycle 6 recount how the show demanded they get cosmetic dental surgery to continue in the competition. The former was pressured by Banks to get the gap between her two front teeth filled. The other went through hours of painful surgery to get rid of her snaggletooth. 

To this, Banks replies, "I've actually apologized for the issue with Dani and what happened. That was between a rock and a hard place for me, because there were agents that would tell me she will not work with those teeth. It's just not going to happen. That's what they told me... But hindsight is 20/20 for all of us. It just so happens that a lot of things that are 20/20 for me happened in front the world." 

Evans responds in her Reality Check interview, "Bull fucking shit."

Sexual harassment on ANTM Tyra Banks attends"SMiZE & DREAM" Hot Ice Cream First Taste at Artechouse NYC on December 10, 2025 in New York City. Credit: Manny Carabel / Getty Images

Other contestants, including Keenyah Hill from Cycle 4, share how the pressure to keep off weight was intense, leading to girls passing out. Footage from her season shows how Manuel had her pose as "Gluttony" for one photo shoot challenge, then as an elephant in another, with the judges calling her fat in critiques. 

Beyond that, when Hill was sexually harassed by a male model on a photo shoot, she was chastised by the judges for speaking up. In the America's Next Top Model episode, Banks told Evans from the judge's panel she should have said something "in a fun way, where he knows to back the heck up, but it doesn't put static in the air." Essentially, Banks suggested it was on the model being harassed to manage others' comfort about what happened. 

In her interview for Reality Check, Hill gets emotional watching this footage back, pointing out that the male model is groping her legs in the photo that producers chose for judging. 

Looking back on this incident for Reality Check, Banks admits, "It should've been stopped down. We now all understand the protections that women need. And so I say to Keenyah, 'Boo-boo, I am so sorry. None of us knew. Network executives didn't know. And I did the best that I could at that time.' But she deserved more. She did."

"We were rooting for you" wasn't what it seemed.  

We all know the meme. But those of us who watched Tiffany Richardson get screamed at by an uncharacteristically furious Tyra Banks remember how shocking that moment was. Reality Check provides context by presenting footage from America's Next Top Model. Tiffany's arc had been one of a bad girl redeemed. Previously cut from the show because of a physical altercation, she was back and thriving in Cycle 4. Then came the teleprompter challenge. 

The contestants were tasked with reading from a teleprompter without first looking at the copy. Many stumbled on designer names like Hermès, and Tiffany angered the judges by rejecting this challenge, which was clearly designed to make these aspiring models look stupid. When she was told she was no longer in the running to be America's Next Top Model, instead of crying, Richardson laughed as she said goodbye to her fellow contestants. And then Banks went off on her. 

On TV, the dressing down was intense, in large part because it broke from Banks' persona as a gentle, smizing mentor to the contestants. Within the televised rant, Banks said she was yelling but insisted it came from a place of love.

In Reality Check, Banks admits she went "too far." Manuel reveals that Banks said "a lot more" than what was shown and "some of the things that were said were really not well-intentioned." He declines to explain what else was said. But Marin adds, "All I know is next week we had all the lawyers on set."

In an archival interview with E!, Richardson said, "If she loved me, she wouldn't have shown that the way she showed it. If you love someone, you won't humiliate them."

The reality behind Shandi's slut-shaming

Reality Check uncovers the harsh reality that Cycle 2 contestant Shandi Sullivan faced after the show made a spectacle of her "cheating" on her boyfriend. America's Next Top Model presented Shandi's story as a one-night-stand that betrayed her boyfriend back home — and was caught on tape. The morning after, Tyra had an unexpected "girl talk" with the models (while cameras rolled), talking about how bad she felt when she was cheated on. When Shandi called her boyfriend to confess, she wept while he called her a "bitch" on national television

In her interview for Reality Check, Sullivan reveals that she was blackout drunk that night. She notes that while camera crews filmed what happened, no one intervened. She felt the show exploited her to make "good TV," which is a refrain echoed across the model interviews. 

For her part, Banks distances herself from the incident by saying that part of production wasn't her territory. Meanwhile, Mok argues, "We treated Top Model as a documentary,” to explain why no one intervened. However, Sullivan notes the show's makers only gave her a phone to call her boyfriend after she threatened to quit the show. And then, they only gave the phone to her if she'd take the call with cameras rolling. She also reveals that after the show, strangers would slut-shame her on the street in front of her boyfriend.

Calling America's Next Top Model a documentary is intellectually dishonest, as it implies the producers weren't intervening at other times. But they were. His argument that the girls signed on knowing they'd be filmed at all times is infuriatingly insufficient. If these girls were in a fishbowl, even if they agreed to that, they had no say on if someone shakes the fishbowl to see their reaction. They were all pretty meat to the America's Next Top Model grinder.

Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model is now streaming on Netflix.

We're a long way from the drunken jigs of A Knight of the Seven Kingdom's earlier episodes, with the trailer for the series finale seeing our faves in bleak waters.

Following the pure drama of episode 5's brutal trial of seven, the Game of Thrones prequel's last chapter sees Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall (Peter Claffey) in a state. What will become of the once dynamic duo Dunk and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell)? What of the Targaryens?

From the looks of the trailer above, we're in for one hell of a finale.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is streaming on HBO Max, with the finale to premiere Sunday Feb. 21 at 10 p.m. ET.

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.

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

A mistake.

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

ERROR

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Not ninth.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 16, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

TENTH

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To fail.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for February 16 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 16, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

FLUNK

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To suggest.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

OPINE

Final Hurdle hint

Sheen.

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

GLOSS

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

The Moon is almost completely dark tonight, signaling that the New Moon phase is close. The final visible crescent of the Moon on display is ever so faint, meaning it's another night of no visible lunar features.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Monday, Feb. 16, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 2% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

Once again, too little of the Moon's surface is illuminated tonight to be able to spot any lunar features. After the New Moon has passed, it will start to come back into view.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on March 3. The last Full Moon was on Feb. 1.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete one orbit around the Earth. Throughout that time, it goes through eight different phases of visibility. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the part that’s lit up changes as it moves along its orbit. The amount of sunlight reflecting off the surface is what changes the Moon's appearance, and why sometimes it looks full, partly lit, or almost dark. The eight phases are:

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.

In the world of Westeros, flashbacks are just as important as prophecies.

And while they're sometimes used for comic effect in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the flashback in episode 5 with young Dunk (Bamber Todd) and Rafe (Chloe Lea) feels more significant than others.

So what happens, and why is it important?

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Targaryen family tree: How everyone connects What happens in the episode 5 flashback?

As Dunk (Peter Claffey) blacks out on the trial of seven battlefield, the lights come up on a different battlefield in a different time: the aftermath of the Blackfyre Rebellion, with young Dunk and his friend Rafe looting bodies in the hunt for something valuable.

Later, as they walk back to their home of Flea Bottom in King's Landing, they have a conversation about how Rafe wants them to leave the city. We've transcribed it in full below.

Dunk: "I just don't know why we're in such a rush to leave anymore? The war is over. The Black Dragon's dead. Ferret said we'll all get free bread now."

Rafe: "Are you stupid? Nothing's over. Don't you remember when Pudding killed Cedric's little brother?"

Dunk: "That was an accident."

Rafe: "Aye. And we all figured that'd be the end to it, only for Cedric to come back a year later and near burn down half of Flea Bottom trying to kill Pudding. No one forgets shit. You hurt someone, they hurt you back. If you want to stay, fine. But Flea Bottom is full up on people hurting. It's tinder waiting to catch."

It's a conversation that foreshadows Rafe's death, but it's also so much bigger than that.

Why is the conversation so important?

The conversation between Dunk and Rafe taps into a theme that's been prevalent in every single Game of Thrones story so far: the cycle of violence. In House of the Dragon, this takes the form of the escalation between Team Green and Team Black, and in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, it's already been plainly demonstrated by the trial of seven Dunk's forced into to defend his life.

And while this exchange between Dunk and Rafe resonates throughout the wider GoT universe, it's not the only purpose the flashback serves.

Later, after Rafe has been mortally wounded, the way Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb) intervenes to protect young Dunk mirrors the way an adult Dunk intervenes to protect Tanselle (Tanzyn Crawford) from Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett). In this way, the flashback to Dunk's childhood shows us why he values the principles of being a knight as strongly as he does. Dunk's heroism is learned behaviour, and Tanselle is a reminder of the friend he was unable to save as a child.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes hitting HBO and HBO Max Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 5 doesn't just give viewers a brutal trial of seven to prove Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall's (Peter Claffey) innocence. It also offers up an extended flashback to his past as an urchin in Flea Bottom — and that past includes a Westerosi history lesson.

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Targaryen family tree: How everyone connects

After scavenging around a battlefield with his friend Rafe (Dune: Prophecy's Chloe Lea), young Dunk (Bamber Todd) remarks that "the war is over. The Black Dragon's dead." But what war is he talking about, and which Targaryen has the title of the Black Dragon? Let's break it down.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms references the Blackfyre Rebellion.

The war Dunk mentions is known as the Blackfyre Rebellion, a Seven Kingdoms-wide conflict that took place in 196 AC (after Aegon's conquest), 13 years before the Ashford Meadow tourney. Similarly to the Dance of the Dragons seen in House of the Dragon, the Blackfyre Rebellion was fought between members of House Targaryen.

On one side of the war was King Daeron II Targaryen, who is still on the Iron Throne by the time of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Opposing him was his half-brother Daemon I Blackfyre, a legitimized Targaryen bastard.

Both Daeron II and Daemon were sons of Aegon IV Targaryen, the grandson of House of the Dragon's Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy and Matt Smith). Prince Daeron's relationship with his father was tense, as Aegon IV wanted to attack Dorne unprompted, while Daeron II (married to Dornish Princess Myriah Martell) urged caution.

During this time, Aegon IV earned his father of the year status by spreading rumors that Daeron II was a bastard and that he would choose a new heir. He heavily favored one of his bastard sons, Daemon Waters, going so far as to give him Aegon the Conqueror's sword Blackfyre after he won a tournament at age 12. Daemon took Blackfyre as his own name after that.

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Aegon IV never did appoint a new heir, but he did legitimize all of his bastard sons on his deathbed in 184 AC, setting the stage for maximum Targaryen chaos. It took 12 years, but in 196 AC, Daemon opted for open rebellion and made a play for the Iron Throne. His sigil was a black dragon on a red field, the inverse of House Targaryen's usual sigil, prompting him to be known as the Black Dragon.

Daeron II won out in the end thanks to a decisive victory in the Battle of Redgrass Field, which Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) references in song back in episode 3. Both Daemon and his twin sons died in battle, but they were far from the last of the Blackfyre Pretenders. Others departed Westeros for the Free Cities, only to come back later to try and take the Iron Throne for themselves.

Spoiler alert: It doesn't quite work out, but that's a story for another time (and potentially another season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms).

New episodes of Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premiere Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Industry has never been afraid to shy away from frank depictions of sex and kink.

In Season 1, Yasmin Kara-Hanani (Marisa Abela) made Rob Spearing (Harry Lawtey) eat his own ejaculate off a mirror. In Season 3, Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington) asked Yasmin to urinate on him. Each scene was about sex, yes, but also about the power dynamics at play: Who was willing to give up control, and who relished it.

SEE ALSO: 'Industry's Ken Leung on Eric's episode 6 sacrifice: 'It's his ultimate show of love'

The same goes for a new sex scene in Season 4, episode 6, titled "Dear Henry." The episode sees Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella) manipulating Henry before leaving him implicated in Tender's illegal activities. Among his manipulative tactics? Plying Henry and Tender's auditor with expensive alcohol at dinner, thereby breaking Henry's sobriety. Afterwards, Henry and Whitney go to a gay club, where Henry receives oral sex at a glory hole while Whitney urges him on.

"When you see that on paper, you're like, 'Bloody hell, this is going to be intense,' and you kind of laugh about it," Harington told Mashable in a video interview alongside Minghella. "Then you get to the actual scene, and it's so much more than just a glory hole scene. There's so much more going on than the fetish and slightly giggly nature of it. It's about these two characters, and it's about manipulation, and it's about intensity and falling down some rabbit hole."

SEE ALSO: 'Industry's Miriam Petche weighs in on Sweetpea's big episode, including those devastating final moments

The roles here are fairly clear-cut: Whitney is the manipulator luring Henry further into his web, while Henry is swept up in the ride. It's been that way since Whitney brought Henry on as CEO, but Whitney's guidance of Henry throughout the scene lays their dynamic even more starkly bare.

Minghella, tasked with playing the season's slippery puppetmaster, found his own mind changing about the sequence.

"I had ideas on the day of what was authentic about that moment or inauthentic about it, and I have slightly different feelings now that I've seen the episode cut together and in the context of the season as a whole," Minghella said.

These different feelings stem from Industry's process of pinning down the "mercurial" Whitney in the show's edit.

"We changed quite a lot of things quite drastically in post, not specifically around this [glory hole] scene, but for me, large components of the character were shifted as we worked on the edit and ADR and all these things," Minghella explained. "We're constantly finding Whitney and where the truth of Whitney lies."

In the final edit, Henry and Whitney's trip to the club is accompanied by voiceover from Whitney, as he reads from one of the many drafts of the letter Henry will receive by the episode's end, when he learns he's been implicated.

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"Dear Henry," Whitney says in voiceover. "You have to be the person that makes the other feel safe in the fullest expression of who they really are."

Voiceover Whitney is laying out his seduction plan of Henry as it's nearing its completion. Between the alcohol and the stroking of Henry's ego, Whitney has made him feel "safe" enough to let his guard totally down, leading to the glory hole scene.

Henry's giving in here marks a far cry from his earlier argument with Yasmin about Whitney's attraction to him. When she reminded Henry that he gave one of his male classmates a blowjob, he defensively shuts it down, saying, "you can be a homo at school."

(Later, Henry hooks up with two women, perhaps another defensive mechanism to affirm his straightness.)

For Harington, that all of these layers of backstory and power are swirling during the scene is "typical" Industry.

"It spoke to what Industry really is about," Harington said. "So much of the time you're reading a scene, and it's never really about the banking or financial jargon. It's the same with this. It's never really about that glory hole. It's about everything else that's around. It's about these two characters delving into the most intense and seductive thing they can find in life."

New episodes of Industry Season 4 premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Industry Season 4, episode 6 should have been a victory lap for Harper Stern (Myha'la) and Eric Tao (Ken Leung). Instead, it was a heart-wrenching parting of ways.

The episode, titled "Dear Henry," saw Harper present SternTao's findings on Tender's scam activity, kicking off a large-scale short on the fraudulent fintech giant. Eric declares their win his "favorite day in finance."

SEE ALSO: Kit Harington and Max Minghella break down 'Industry's NSFW glory hole scene

However, that all comes crashing down when Eric receives a text from an unknown number. It's a video recording of his tryst with escort Dolly (Skye Lucia Degruttola), from earlier in the season. A photo of her passport soon follows, revealing that she was born in 2011.

It's a nauseating discovery, one that leaves Eric shell-shocked. Making matters worse is the fact that one of his teenage daughters, Lily (Serrana Su-Ling Bliss), is in the room when he receives the text. (She's just told Eric how much she loves him, a huge step in their otherwise-distant relationship, and he's simply unable to respond.)

SEE ALSO: 'Industry's Miriam Petche weighs in on Sweetpea's big episode, including those devastating final moments

Turns out, this is Whitney Halberstram's (Max Minghella) playbook at work. He hires escorts like Hayley (Kiernan Shipka) to get opponents in compromising sexual situations, then he blackmails them with the footage. Eric doesn't back down right away, though. He takes Whit head-on in a CNN interview, then transfers the entirety of his partnership in SternTao to Harper.

"It's yours, not mine," he tells her.

Their goodbye scene is shattering. So often a toxic mentor-mentee, father-daughter relationship, Harper and Eric have somehow managed to find more of an equilibrium in Season 4. Now, it all comes crashing down, but for Leung, Eric's sacrificing of his place at SternTao "is his ultimate show of love."

"It's his version of the highest love that he can give, the surrendering of self to protect [Harper]," Leung told Mashable in a video interview. "[He's thinking,] 'I'm going to kill myself to protect you.'"

Eric's protectiveness revolves around his complicated relationship with his daughters: Both his twins, Lily and Lara (Isla Bonner), as well his daughter figure in Harper. This season has seen him grow far closer to the latter, even pouring the Lily Lara Fund he'd established for his twins into SternTao.

But even as Eric has been estranged from Lily and Lara, he's had to face some uncomfortable truths about them. First, as he says in episode 5, he doesn't feel a "celestial" bond to them — more of a transactional one. Second, he's realizing that they have a similar capacity for ruthlessness as he does in the finance world. Lily was expelled from school for catfishing a classmate.

"In the professional sphere, Harper has come to take on a form that resembles [Eric], in his mind," Leung explained. "In the personal sphere, his daughter has become a version of him in her being a monster at school, getting kicked out of school. In one world, he can speak the language, and in the other world, he doesn't know how to, and I think for this season, Eric is trying to learn how to [get through] to his daughter through the world that he knows."

In the end, that internal struggle culminates in Eric's decision to give SternTao entirely up to Harper.

"It's what he's always wanted to do, tried to do, dreamt of doing as a dad, and could never [do]," Leung said. "But in this world, he can, and so that's what he does."

New episodes of Industry Season 4 premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

TL;DR: Convert, edit, OCR, and manage PDFs with a $24.97 AcePDF lifetime license — one tool that replaces multiple document apps.

Opens in a new window Credit: Acethinker AcePDF Converter & Editor: Lifetime License $24.97
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PDFs are one of those file types everyone uses, but almost nobody enjoys working with.

That’s why all-in-one tools like AcePDF Converter & Editor exist — to turn PDFs from “locked document headaches” into files you can actually work with.

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The biggest advantage here is flexibility. AcePDF lets you convert PDFs into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, HTML, and text while keeping original layouts, formatting, and links intact. It also works in reverse, letting you create PDFs from Office files or images in just a few clicks.

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Editing tools cover the basics and beyond: merge PDFs, split pages, compress large files, extract images, add watermarks, and password-protect or unlock documents. You can even build or fill interactive forms directly inside the software.

For anyone who regularly works with documents — whether it’s for work, school, or personal projects — having one tool that handles everything can make everyday tasks noticeably smoother, and your life a little less stressful.

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TL;DR: Get lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more for Mac for $49.97 — a one-time purchase that replaces ongoing subscription fees.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021: Lifetime License $49.97
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Some software purchases feel optional. Productivity software usually isn’t one of them.

For most Mac users, apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook are daily tools — whether for work projects, school assignments, business tasks, or keeping life organized. That’s why one-time payment software options have a lot of appeal.

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Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 for Mac delivers the core Microsoft apps most people already rely on, just without the ongoing subscription model. Everything installs directly onto your Mac and is tied to your Microsoft account, so you can keep using it without worrying about renewals.

The bundle includes Word for documents, Excel for data and budgeting, PowerPoint for presentations, Outlook for email and calendar management, plus Teams (basic) and OneNote for notes and collaboration.

Performance-wise, Office 2021 still feels modern and fast on current Mac hardware. It’s built for everyday productivity — writing, data work, presentations, and communication — without adding unnecessary complexity.

Sometimes the simplest tech decisions are the best ones — especially when they remove one more recurring payment from your life.

The lifetime Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 for Mac license is available for $49.97 (reg. $219) through Feb. 22.

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Looking to buy a new hard drive? Get ready to pay even more this year.

According to Western Digital, one of the world's biggest hard drive manufacturers, the company has already sold out of its storage capacity for 2026 with more than 10 months still left in the year.

"We're pretty much sold out for calendar 2026," said Western Digital CEO Irving Tan on the company's recent quarterly earnings call. 

Tan shared that most of the storage space has been allocated to its "top seven customers." Three of these companies already have agreements with Western Digital for 2027 and even 2028. 

SEE ALSO: This is your last chance to get super cheap SSDs and hard drives at Amazon

Furthermore, the incentive for these hardware companies to prioritize the average consumer is also dwindling. According to Western Digital, thanks to a surge in demand from its enterprise customers, the consumer market now accounts for just 5 percent of the company's revenue.

AI companies have been eating up computer hardware as industry growth accelerates. Prices for products ranging from computer processors to video game consoles have skyrocketed due to these AI companies cannibalizing supply chains.

The tech industry has already been experiencing a shortage of memory due to demand from AI companies. PC makers have been forced to raise RAM prices on a near-regular basis as shortages persist. Video game console makers, like Sony, have even reportedly considered pushing the next PlayStation launch beyond the planned 2027 release in hopes that AI-related hardware shortages would be resolved by then.

With this latest news from Western Digital, it appears the ever-increasing demands from AI companies for memory and storage will continue to grow, with no end in sight. Unless, of course, investors decide to pull back from AI over fears that AI's promises may not come to fruition. But, for now at least, the shortages – and price hikes for consumers – will continue.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 15, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for February 15, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 15 Pips

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this red space must be equal to 3. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally; 3-1, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 6-3, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this orange space must add up to 5. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this orange space must add up to 1. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically; 2-0, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 15 Pips

Equal (3): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this orange space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 5-2, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally.

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 6-1, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 6-1, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 15 Pips

Equal (6): Everything in this purpspace must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this orange space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 4-2, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically; 2-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 1. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this dark blue space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 6-0, placed vertically; 4-3, placed vertically.

Number (22): Everything in this space must add up to 22. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed vertically; 6-0, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this red space must be equal to 4. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally; 4-5, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 6. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically.

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

The next time you book a rental on Airbnb, you might be getting some help from AI.

Airbnb is currently testing out a new AI-powered search feature. According to the company's Q4 shareholder letter, Airbnb is currently "integrating AI" into its app. One such integration, AI-powered search, is already in its testing phase and available to a "small percentage" of Airbnb's users.

SEE ALSO: Bitcoin biopic 'Killing Satoshi' leans into generative AI

Airbnb's AI-powered search currently lets users use natural language to describe the type of rental and amenities they're looking for. This means users no longer have to formulate the perfect search query to find exactly what they want; they can simply describe the type of rental they're looking to book in a conversational manner. Users can also use the AI-powered search to ask questions about specific listings and their locations.

The company says that the AI-powered search feature will eventually "evolve into a more comprehensive and intuitive search experience that extends through the trip."

During Airbnb's recent Q4 earnings call, company CEO Brian Chesky described how the property rental company is currently working on an  "AI-native experience" for its users.

Airbnb also shared that its AI-powered customer support assistant, which was released in the U.S. last year, now resolves a third of all customer support requests. The company says it's prepared to roll out the feature globally to all users later this year.

Investors have been hearing a lot about AI integrations lately from big tech companies, as AI has been frequently mentioned on recent quarterly earnings calls. Music streaming giant Spotify shared during its Q4 call that its developers now have AI handling the majority of the company's coding work.

TL;DR: Live stream India vs. Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 for free on ICC.TV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are so many huge games in the 2026 T20 World Cup, but there really isn't anything bigger than India vs. Pakistan. For a long time it looked like this Group A contest wouldn't take place, but fans can now look forward to the biggest game in world cricket. That's if the hold rain holds off in Colombo.

Both sides have won their two opening games, so confidence is high. We're expecting an awesome spectacle from two star-studded squads. There isn't much on the line at this early stage of the tournament, but try telling that to the players. They'll give everything to gain an edge over their fiercest rivals before the latter stages of the competition.

If you want to watch India vs. Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is India vs. Pakistan?

India vs. Pakistan in the 2026 T20 World Cup starts at 8:30 a.m. ET on Feb. 15. This game takes place at the R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium.

How to watch India vs. Pakistan for free

India vs. Pakistan in the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup is available to live stream for free on ICC.TV.

This free live stream on ICC.TV is only available in select regions (see full list of territories here), but anyone can live stream the T20 Cricket World Cup for free with a VPN. These helpful tools can hide your IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in a location with free access. This simple process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can live stream on ICC.TV from anywhere in the world.

Live stream India vs. Pakistan in the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with access

4. Visit ICC.TV

5. Watch the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch every game from the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup (plus the Winter Olympics) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ICC.TV?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ICC.TV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch the 2026 T20 World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Wales vs. France in the 2026 Six Nations for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Six Nations started with a number of huge performances from the usual candidates. The best performance from the opening round? It's difficult to look past France. They dismantled Ireland in front of a passionate Stade de France, making a big statement of intent as the tournament kicked off.

Next France face Wales at the Millennium Stadium. Wales suffered a defeat to England in the opening round, and will be hoping to see improvements over the next few weeks. Fans will expect France to win this one comfortably, but you can never truly count out Wales.

If you want to watch Wales vs. France in the 2026 Six Nations for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Wales vs. France?

Wales vs. France in the 2026 Six Nations starts at 3:10 p.m. GMT on Feb. 15. This fixture takes place at the Millennium Stadium.

How to watch Wales vs. France for free

Wales vs. France in the 2026 Six Nations is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

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

Live stream Wales vs. France from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream Wales vs. France for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Wales vs. France without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream most of the 2026 Six Nations before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services to watch the Winter Olympics, the T20 World Cup, and more from anywhere in the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for the 2026 Six Nations?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Wales vs. France in the 2026 Six Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Get forever access to ChatGPT, Gemini, and other top AI tools with a 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan lifetime subscription, now $74.97 through Feb. 22 (reg. $540).

Opens in a new window Credit: 1minAI 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription $74.97
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At some point, most people using AI have the same realization: ‘Why am I paying for all these tools separately?’ ChatGPT here, Gemini there, another subscription for images, another for video — it adds up faster than streaming subscriptions.

1min.AI solves that problem by giving you access to multiple AI models in one place, and right now, it’s available as a lifetime deal at its best price yet. Save 86% on a lifetime subscription while this deal lasts.

What is 1min.AI?

If you’ve been intimidated by the idea of working with artificial intelligence, 1min.AI makes it totally accessible and a lot more convenient as a central hub for popular models. This handy tool lets you input your request in one place and enjoy the fruits of multiple AI models’ labor, with no tab-hopping required.

Need to create AI-generated images? Looking to whip up some content for social media? Since all the AI models have different strengths, 1min.AI takes the guesswork out of which service to use.

Take advantage of all the perks that ChatGPT, Gemini, Mistral, and more models have to offer, without having to pay multiple subscription costs. Just make sure to check 1min.AI’s output and make sure no light editing is required.

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I love Kindles. Among e-readers, Kindles are still the best option for most readers. (I do love Kobos, though, don't get me wrong.) But within the Kindle line-up, there's been one dud: the Kindle Scribe. I've tested two previous generations of the Scribe, and it's been a decent enough e-reader, as well as the only Kindle with writing abilities. However, it's always been a little lackluster; it's too big, too slow, and too expensive — until now.

Announced in Sept. 2025, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft didn't actually hit the market until Dec. 2025. Now that I've had the chance to try the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, I'm pleasantly surprised, and I can confidently say that this is the first Kindle Scribe worth buying. It's faster, brighter, and a lot of fun for writing, reading, and doodling.

There's just one problem: It's still way too expensive.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft price and specs The home page of the Kindle Scribe got a much needed makeover. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The 2025 Kindle Scribe received a significant redesign from the previous two generations of Scribes. They got rid of the extraneous sidebar for a more narrow, streamlined look.

These are the full specs for the 2025 Kindle Scribe Colorsoft:

• 11-inch glare-free display, up to 100 nits brightness, 300 ppi black and white, and 150 ppi color resolution

• USB-C charging port with up to eight weeks of reading battery life and two weeks of writing battery life.

• 32GB or 64GB storage options available

• Premium pen included

• Includes Google Drive and Microsoft One integrations

• Comes in fig (purple) or graphite (dark gray)

• Not waterproof

Classic Kindle speed and a redesigned home screen Improvements to the user interface gives the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft a boost. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Historically, I've found that the Scribe runs slower than other Kindles, but with this latest iteration, it's caught up. The Scribe Colorsoft is a quick-moving e-reader with writing capabilities. It moves swiftly between pages and doesn't lag when switching between books. It does tend to slow down when writing and using the notebooks; however, it is much faster than previous models, and I barely noticed the difference.

Kindles are generally already user-friendly devices; however, Amazon made some significant interface improvements on the new Scribe. The Scribe Colorsoft has a redesigned home screen that puts notebooks front and center. This makes it super convenient to switch between notebooks when you need to hop between a journal and a planner.

Plus, I love that you can add documents or books to your notebook section. For students, this makes swapping between your readings and notebooks truly convenient, so you don't have to move between your library and notebook sections.

It also just looks better. The device now has a front light, giving it a much lighter, brighter display. This means the screen has an actual white background rather than a muted gray that previous generations had.

It conveniently collects notes You can annotate, take notes on the page, or take notes in the margins. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Another way the Scribe is nailing the user interface is how it collects notes. Testing the Kindle Scribe came at a convenient time as I was taking a class and needing to do some required reading. Using the Scribe, I annotated, wrote notes on the page, and made comments in the margins.

Go back and find all of your notes throughout a book in one spot. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Kindle collects all of these notes in one place, allowing you to see your comments and the section annotated. From there, you can tap to go back to the page where your notes are, which is extremely helpful when I was in a class discussion and wanted to go back to read a quote or remind myself of a thought I had about it.

Did Kindle solve ghosting? The Kindle Scribe's ghosting is at its worst after erasing. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Scribe has had one major performance issue across all generations thus far: ghosting. This is the phenomenon in which traces of previous screens linger, creating shadows of images. Ghosting is a common issue that any e-reader is susceptible to, but especially those with writing capabilities.

Ghosting on Kindle Scribes has been quite egregious in our previous reviews, so we didn't expect this Kindle to have nearly no ghosting. When using the device as an e-reader, there's no trace of ghosting.

When writing, though, some minor ghosting does appear. This typically happens after erasing on the Scribe. Some writing or drawing appears even after it's erased. Even this ghosting is mild, though, as I found that as soon as I refreshed the page, those marks disappeared.

Feeling like Lady Whistledown when I write My handwriting has never looked better. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Whenever I need to write digitally, trying to craft a signature with a finger on the screen, it looks... terrible. Luckily, with the Kindle, my handwriting truly looks better than ever. To write, there's an included stylus, Amazon's premium pen that automatically connects to the device.

There are five pen styles on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft but my favorite is the fountain pen. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

When writing with the premium pen, you have so many writing styles available, including pen, fountain pen, marker, pencil, and, for illustrators or highlighters, a shader. Each pen style has adjustable width and color, too, making it something you could even illustrate with.

I'm not an artist, so I can only judge it by its writing, and on that front, it makes my handwriting look neater and more beautiful. I'm particularly fond of the fountain pen, which has me feeling like Lady Whistledown writing with her quill.

Where does it stand to improve? The color resolution

While color e-readers are rising in popularity, some features are still slow to improve. The standard color resolution across most color e-readers, including the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, maxes out at 150 ppi, half the usual black and white resolution. The result is muted colors and some pixelation.

To its credit, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft works well within the constraints of its low resolution. It uses colors that skew in the pastel range, which look better than other shades. This is best showcased in the lock-screen ads, which I thought were delightful and gorgeous, surprising since I've never been impressed by Amazon's lock-screen images before.

It's still too expensive

Usually, I find Kindles to be well-priced e-readers, but the Scribe and Colorsoft e-readers are far too expensive. Unfortunately, this is the case for the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, which starts at $629.99. This puts it on par with the Remarkable Paper Pro's price tag, although the Remarkable e-ink tablet has better color resolution and worse black-and-white resolution at 229 ppi for both.

It's certainly an investment, and if you're just using it as an e-reader, it's way overpriced. However, if you're looking for an e-reader that's also a great e-ink tablet, it is on par with the market price, even if we still think that the market price is too high.

Should you buy the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft? Amazon finally made a Kindle Scribe worth buying. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

If you can stomach the price, I think the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is the first Scribe worth purchasing. Its redesigned build has crafted a smaller tablet with a wider screen that's more comfortable to hold. The added front light is visually stunning and truer white background. Amazon has sped up the Kindle Scribe's processing, resulting in a faster e-reader with very little ghosting.

For those turned off by the price, I say hold out. It hasn't gone on sale yet, but if it does during the next Prime Day, it'll be a far better value than it is now.

The way marketing professor Scott Galloway puts it, the primary way to get President Donald J. Trump's attention is by influencing the market.

Don't like Trump's deployment of immigration authorities to Minneapolis or the killings of Americans observing the agents' actions? Find a way to change the economic calculus for Trump, Galloway says.

That's why Galloway, the popular podcast host and author, recently launched a month-long economic strike campaign called Resist and Unsubscribe. The initiative invites people to cancel tech subscriptions and services they may enjoy using for work, convenience, and entertainment.

He says the campaign has reached nearly a million people via its website and related content has been viewed more than 18 million times on social media.

SEE ALSO: The tech titans who show up in the Epstein files

The list of services Galloway says to consider forgoing includes Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Uber, and X. Galloway has identified these and other tech companies "as having outsized influence over the national economy and our president."

Amazon, for example, spent tens of millions of dollars making and promoting Melania, a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump, a move that skeptics of the deal and film have likened to a "bribe" and "propaganda." Amazon has said it made the movie because they believed customers would "love" it.

Mashable asked Galloway to share his reasoning for this strike, which services he personally canceled, and what he's doing with the time he's reclaiming from various tech products he used prior to the strike.

Mashable: Why is canceling subscriptions specifically important if someone wants to protest what you describe as "the Trump administration's assault on our nation's values"?

Galloway: The Trump administration doesn’t respond to outrage, it responds to economics. If you look at the times that the President walked back plans (like annexing Greenland or raising tariffs) it’s always been the result of the bond market or stock market falling. I'm recommending we focus on subscription cancellations because that's currently the easiest opportunity in the market. The Magnificent 7 account for roughly 35 percent of the S&P 500, and they’re all tech companies. Targeting Big Tech will have an outsized impact on the markets, which will influence the President.

Mashable: The tech-based subscriptions you encourage people to cancel have become central to how people entertain themselves, shop, and work. If someone is balking at the list and the prospect of giving up, say Apple Music or ChatGPT, or both, how do you frame the stakes for them?

Galloway: By all means, I'm not asking anyone to give up something that's central to their life or work. What I will say: if you head over to our website and read the list of companies we're targeting, you'll almost certainly find a subscription that you can go without for a short period of time. Like me, you'll also probably find out that you've been paying for two Spotify accounts and an Amazon Health account that you didn't know existed. At the very least, it’s a good excuse to audit what you’re paying for. 

Mashable: You've canceled Amazon Prime, Uber, Apple TV+, and Amazon One. Have you subscribed to other services to make up the difference, like a competing retailer delivery program or ride-hailing app? What have you learned from canceling these subscriptions? 

Galloway: Personally, I’m trying to reclaim my time as much as possible from technology and use it to do things that make me truly happy — connecting with friends, spending time with family, shopping locally and in-person — but there are definitely alternatives to the big tech services out there. For entertainment, you can stream films and documentaries via Kanopy with a library card. If you're switching from Uber, you can use Lyft — still corporate, but a much smaller player in the markets. Above all, shopping locally is a great alternative to using Amazon. 

Mashable: If someone cancels a service, such as LinkedIn or Apple Fitness+, but their membership is still good for a period of time, is it OK to continue using it? Is it the cancellation that really counts or the combination of terminating the subscription and ceasing to use the service?

Galloway: As a guy with economic security, I'm not going to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't cancel. I just want to make it easy to take action. Maybe you unsubscribe from a few things, pause others, realize you don't need half of what you're paying for. What I'm really trying to highlight is something we all forget: in a capitalist society, the most radical thing you can do is stop participating. Whether that's canceling the subscription or just stopping usage, the point is opting out.

Mashable: If someone cancels a subscription, should they communicate to the company that the cancellation is due to the company's support of the president's administration and policies?

Absolutely. Companies track cancellation reasons, and if enough customers cite political concerns, that data influences decision-making. Be explicit about why you're leaving — whether through the cancellation form, a follow-up email, or by sharing publicly on Instagram using our template.

Mashable: What's the most memorable or profound feedback you've received from someone who participated in this campaign?

It's been amazing seeing the outpouring of support for Resist and Unsubscribe. I've received thousands of emails in which people tell me what they've unsubscribed from. The collective response has been profound. Above all, it's given me hope. It's easy to lose that right now — but this has shown me that there's still a lot of good people out there who care about America and are willing to make personal sacrifices to create change. 

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