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Severance pulled off one of its biggest plot twists yet in "Woe's Hollow," the fourth episode of Season 2.

SEE ALSO: 'Severance's Dieter Eagan story is more important than you think

The episode brings Lumon's Innies back to the outside world for an Outdoor Retreat Team Building Occurrence, or ORTBO. It's basically a camping trip, with a healthy dose of Kier Eagan propaganda — and marshmallows! — thrown in for good measure. But the ORTBO ends in chaos when Irving (John Turturro) figures out that Helly (Britt Lower) is actually her Outie Helena, who has been posing as Helly since the start of Season 2.

Severance has been steadily building to this reveal since the first episode of Season 2, dropping hints (some subtle, some glaring) that something isn't right with Helly. So whether you called the Helena twist from episode 1 and want to revisit your detective work, or you were totally surprised and want to catch the clues you may have missed, we've got you covered. Here are the 10 biggest clues from Severance Season 2 that prove Helena was pretending to be Helly all along.

Helly's return to the Severed Floor was immediately suspicious. Adam Scott and Britt Lower in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

Right from the moment Helly reappears in Severance's Season 2 premiere, it's clear something is off. Innies like Irving and Mark (Adam Scott) return to the Severed Floor in the same state they were in when the Overtime Contingency ended: Mark is terrified and breathing hard following his revelation that Gemma (Dichen Lachman) is still alive, while Irving is banging on the elevator doors just as he was banging on Burt's (Christopher Walken) front door.

Helly, on the other hand, comes in running and out of breath, as if she'd been on the run for a long time. But she certainly wasn't running at the end of Season 1 — she'd been tackled to the ground. Between that discrepancy and her faked labored breathing, everything about her entrance feels performative.

SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2, episode 4: What is the Glasgow Block?

Helly's reaction to Mark's hug is also uncharacteristic of her. She seems more confused about seeing him than anything else. Of course, that could be read as Helly's discombobulation after a sudden return to the Severed Floor, but in hindsight, it's clear this is Helena trying to adjust to her new role as her Innie.

Helly was awfully focused on Lumon's lack of security cameras.

Every time the MDR Innies hesitate to tell each other what happened to them in the outside world, Helly brings up Lumon's seemingly relaxed surveillance tactics. One of her first lines back in the MDR office is "Where are the security cameras?" — a pointed attempt to prove the Innies aren't being surveilled.

SEE ALSO: The 15 most WTF moments from 'Severance' Season 2, episode 1

Later, in the new and improved break room, she reminds her co-workers that Lumon vowed that there would be no more cameras or microphones listening in on their conversations. But since when has Helly R. been one to trust Lumon propaganda at face value? No, these moments are actually all ploys from Helena to get the Innies talking. Lumon has been listening after all! Just not in the way it claimed.

Helly's lie about the Overtime Contingency was the clearest proof that she's Helena Eagan. Britt Lower and John Turturro in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

The alarm bells about Helly really begin when she lies to Mark, Irving, and Dylan about what she saw in the outside world. Sure, she could have been so ashamed about being an Eagan that she decided to keep it from the group, but that doesn't seem like something Helly would do. Remember, this is the woman who almost chopped off her own fingers and hanged herself to prove something to her Outie! She knows they're not the same, and it's more likely that she'd relish working with the rest of MDR to stick it to her Eagan Outie than cover it up.

SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2, episode 1: Why does Helly lie about what she saw?

Helena's lie is also so blatant that Irving knows immediately that something is up. That raises the question: Helena had days to think of this lie, and the best she could think of was a night gardener? Surely Lumon has some copywriters who could have conjured up something better for her.

Helly wanted the group to stay together, no matter what.

The only way Helena can glean information from the other Innies is if they remain with each other at all times. That explains her panicked insistence that "we should all go" when Dylan volunteers to talk to an upset Irving. She doesn't want to support Irving, she just wants to eavesdrop on him! Wouldn't want to miss a thing happening on the Severed Floor — her father could call her a "fetid moppet" again.

Helly's reaction to Mark's search for Gemma was off-putting from the jump. Adam Scott and Britt Lower in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

Another Helly/Helena clue in the first episode is her subdued reaction to the reveal that Gemma is alive at Lumon — and that Mark wants to get her out. Instead of jumping at the chance to free someone else from Lumon's clutches, Helena-as-Helly prods Mark about why he owes Gemma anything. You could chalk this hesitance up to romantic complications between Helly, Innie Mark, Outie Mark, and Gemma, but again, do we really think Helly would miss out on an opportunity to stick it to Lumon? Of course not! Helena is just trying to dissuade Mark from acting on the information he learned during the Overtime Contingency, hoping she can get him back on track to finish Cold Harbor.

SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2: What is Cold Harbor?

Helena's true feelings about the Innie-Outie divide come to the fore in their conversation about Gemma, when she tells Mark, "We're not the same [as our Outies], actually." The intensity calls to mind Helena's video message to Helly in Season 1, when she tells her, "I am a person. You are not."

Helena does try to backtrack, saying, "I don't think we owe [the Outies] shit." But it's too late! The cracks in her Helly facade are showing, and Helena Eagan is coming through.

An Invasion of the Body Snatchers reference hinted at Helena replacing Helly.

Eagle-eyed viewers spotted that the name of the file Helly is working on at the end of Severance's Season 2 premiere is Santa Mira, which is the fictional town where Invasion of the Body Snatchers takes place. Like the aliens in the film, Helena has replaced Helly, making the Santa Mira reference a fun, telling hint for movie lovers.

SEE ALSO: 'Severance's 'The You You Are' is now a real book. Here are 4 things we learned from it. Helena's body language was all off as Helly. Britt Lower and Adam Scott in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

Helena's first run out of the elevator and awkward hug of Mark aren't the only physical clues that she's posing as Helly. Elements like her walk, her hand placement, and more are evocative of the proper rigidity Helena exhibits. But the biggest body language discrepancy is how Helena fumbles with the switch to turn on her computer at the end of episode 1. All the other Innies are able to get it without looking, since this is a force of habit for them, so this small misstep is actually a pretty big red flag for Helena Eagan. I guess she should have studied her Innie better. Speaking of...

Helena watching Lumon's security footage was a dead giveaway that she would be taking Helly's place. Britt Lower in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

In Severance Season 2, episode 2, we don't see any of Helena-as-Helly. However, we get a sequence of Helena preparing to play her own Innie: the scene in which she watches and rewatches security footage of Helly's kiss with Mark from Season 1. It's like we're watching an actor preparing to go method for a biopic, but instead of an actor playing a famed musician or political figure, it's Helena Eagan preparing to play a version of herself she's subjected to endless torture. Oscar incoming!

Knowing that Helena is planning on impersonating Helly adds an extra layer to the sinister assertion from Lumon enforcer Mr. Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Somebody Somewhere) that "the board's going to give [Mark] what he wants. Including Helly R."

With that, Helena knows she's being expected to play up the intimacy between herself (as Helly) and Mark. It's another way of giving up her body to serve Lumon (although of course, that's what Lumon is doing to Innies in the first place).

The elevator doesn't ding when Helena heads to the Severed Floor. Britt Lower in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

When Helena takes the elevator down to the Severed Floor in Season 2, episode 2, we don't hear the trademark "ding" sound that's associated with the transition from Outie to Innie. That's fairly damning evidence on its own, but it's extra damning because Helena's entrance comes after Dylan and Irving's. You know what we hear when they take the elevator? The ding! The omission of a Helly ding right after these was a purposeful nod to Helena taking the reins on the Severed Floor — and it's proof that no detail on Severance is too small to be a coincidence.

SEE ALSO: The 14 most WTF moments from 'Severance' Season 2, episode 2 Helly's behavior on the entire "Woe's Hollow" field trip was a nail in the coffin for undercover Helena. Britt Lower, Adam Scott, John Turturro, and Zach Cherry in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+

Helena's time on the Severed Floor already had its suspicious moments, but her behavior on the ORTBO is what truly blows her cover. Her cruelty to Irving about him losing Burt is what truly convinces Irving, but there are other moments that signal that Helly is really Helena as well.

For starters, she immediately understands that the story about Kier Eagan's twin brother Dieter in the Fourth Appendix is an anti-masturbation tale, suggesting this is a text she's familiar with, as an Eagan would be. Her derision about the story at the campfire could be an overly performative attempt to capture Helly's anti-Eagan sentiment — or it could also be a freeing moment for Helena to push back against her family's teachings, some of which she may view as outdated.

Later, in one of the only instances when Helena-as-Helly truly gets some time alone, she wanders over to the Woe's Hollow waterfall and stares at it with a mix of pride and affection. Since Woe's Hollow is such an important place in Kier's life, Helena's gazing at the waterfall feels like a moment of acknowledging her family and her place in it, including everything she's done this season in order to continue serving Kier. Coming the morning after she has sex with Mark — both the ultimate way to get revenge against Helly, and concrete proof that she's fully earned Mark's trust — Helena's stop by the waterfall feels like a mini victory lap. At least, until Irving calls her out.

The official reveal that Helena was Helly all along raises Severance Season 2's rewatch factor to new heights, with every one of Lower's performance choices gaining new depth and context. What other clues did you pick out?

Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.

"Woe's Hollow," the fourth episode of Severance Season 2, is one of the show's most jam-packed entries yet. Over the course of an hour, Severance revealed that Helena Eagan (Britt Lower) had been posing as her Innie for the whole season. It also retired Irving's (John Turturro) Innie and introduced some bizarre new Kier Eagan lore. And that's only scratching the surface!

SEE ALSO: 'Severance's Dieter Eagan story is more important than you think

But in the middle of these major plot points, Severance slyly answered one of our biggest questions from all the way back in Season 1 — and it all starts with Mr. Milchick's (Tramell Tillman) mention of something known as "the Glasgow Block."

What is the Glasgow Block in Severance? What could all these functions do? Credit: Screenshot: AppleTV+

When Irving figures out that Helly is really her Outie posing as an Innie, he attempts to drown her in order to get Helly back. His plan works. Mr. Milchick calls someone back at Lumon and demands that they "remove the Glasgow Block."

Eagle-eyed viewers may remember that this isn't the first time the word "Glasgow" has come up in Severance. In Season 1, episode 8, when Dylan (Zach Cherry) prepared to launch the Overtime Contingency, he also saw a list of several other functions the severed chips can perform. Among them are Beehive, Elephant, Freeze Frame, and Glasgow.

SEE ALSO: Every time 'Severance' hinted at that huge Helly twist

Fans were quick to theorize about what each severed function could be. For Glasgow, they turned to the Glasgow Coma Scale, which measures levels of consciousness after brain trauma. Given that Severance is a show all about consciousness, the connection seemed like a perfect fit. Could Lumon use the Glasgow function to send its severed employees into a coma at a moment's notice?

After "Woe's Hollow," that theory doesn't sound too far off. It seems like the Glasgow function blocks an Innie persona from waking up entirely, allowing their Outie to be in control at all times, even on the Severed Floor.

What could the Glasgow Block mean for the rest of Severance Season 2?

The Glasgow Block's existence spells extra danger for the Innies. It's yet another way Lumon could snuff out their lives without warning, emphasizing once again how little autonomy they have and how little Lumon values them as actual people.

But could there be a flip side to the Innies learning about the Glasgow Block? If they rebel against Lumon again, could there be a way to reverse the block and make it so the Innies are the only active consciousness? That might be too similar to the Innies' triggering the Overtime Contingency in Season 1, but as tensions between the Innies and Outies escalate, anything could be possible.

Another reason the Glasgow Block's appearance here is so important is that it's proof that Severance is paying attention to the little bread crumbs it's dropped throughout its run, like the function menu in Season 1. Those functions weren't just random names — they had intention behind them, and at least one ended up being paid off in an immensely satisfying way. Who knows, maybe down the line we'll see the Beehive or Elephant function in action.

Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.

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Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

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

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

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

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

Tweet may have been deleted

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Parts of the big game you might want to watch

• Green: Ways your 'turn' might end in football

• Blue: Involves a receiver

• Purple: What you get when you're the last team standing

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

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

• Yellow: Parts of a Super Bowl broadcast

• Green: How football drives end

• Blue: Types of catches

• Purple: Rewards for winning a championship

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #137 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Parts of a Super Bowl broadcast - COMMERCIALS, HALFTIME SHOW, POSTGAME, PREGAME

• How football drives end - DOWNS, PUNT, SCORE, TURNOVER

• Types of catches - CIRCUS, CONTESTED, DIVING, FAIR

• Rewards for winning a championship - BONUS, PARADE, RING, TROPHY

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

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

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

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

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Being a solopreneur comes with plenty of benefits: You can set your own hours, decide your own business priorities, and kiss performance reviews goodbye. But a one-and-done tax season? That is not one of them.

In many cases, independent workers must pay the tax they owe not in one lump on April 15 but in four installments throughout the year. These payments are the dreaded quarterly, or estimated, taxes

Quarterly taxes can be confusing, but they don't have to be scary. Once you know the basics — and debunk a few pesky myths — you'll be in good shape.

What are quarterly taxes?

The IRS requires independent workers, including freelancers, contractors, and solopreneurs, to pay taxes on their income throughout the year instead of all at once. This is because without an employer involved, that income is not automatically taxed when you receive it — and the IRS wants its cash.
There are four quarterly tax deadlines throughout the year. They are:

• January 15

• April 15

• June 15

• September 15

If a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, it will shift to the next business day.

Who has to pay quarterly taxes?

Assume you must make quarterly payments if you expect to owe $1,000 or more in taxes on your non-W-2 income throughout the year. (If you're not sure, there are plenty of tax estimators out there to give you an idea — including a tax calculator from Mashable's No. 1 tax software pick for freelance filers, H&R Block.)

Non-W-2 income includes self-employment income, the type of income you make as a solopreneur. Take it from the IRS: "If you are in business for yourself, you generally need to make estimated tax payments."

How to estimate and pay quarterly taxes

OK, so you owe quarterly taxes. How do you figure out how much to pay each quarter? This question can be especially vexing for solopreneurs with seasonally inconsistent income. If you make twice as much in the summer as in the winter, for example, how do you know how much to pay?

According to Logan Allec, a CPA and owner of the tax relief company Choice Tax Relief, there are a few ways you can estimate your payments. The first is simply to set aside a percentage of what you earn every quarter and pay that amount. (This percentage could be your effective tax rate from the previous year; otherwise, around 30% is a solid rule of thumb.) If you end up overpaying, you'll eventually get that overpayment back as a tax refund from the IRS.

The second method takes advantage of what's called the prior year safe harbor rule. Under this rule, the IRS will not charge you underpayment penalties if you pay the same amount in taxes that you paid the previous year. So if you divide your tax liability from the previous year by four, then pay that amount each quarter, you'll be on good terms with the IRS no matter what. 

If your business has grown a lot since last year, though, use this method with caution: "You may end up owing more than you expected when you actually file this year's tax return if you made a lot more this year than [you did] last year," Allec says.

Finally, you can make an estimation using a little math. Each quarter, add up your actual income, multiply it by four (this will "annualize" it to the entire year), and then calculate your hypothetical yearly tax liability based on this amount. Divide that number by four, and you've got your estimated quarterly payment.

Once you've figured out your amount, you can make the actual payment through the IRS direct pay portal — or, if you're really old school, you can send a check.

Business deductions as a solopreneur

If you're self-employed as a solopreneur, you can deduct expenses that are "ordinary and necessary" for your business — things like home office expenses, postage and shipping costs, and business-related car expenses. Deducting these expenses will lower your tax bill. 

Here's how it works. Let's say you made $8,000 as a Depop seller during the year. However, you spent $1,000 on postage, packaging, driving to the post office, and other business-related expenses. 

That $1,000 is tax-deductible, meaning it'll be subtracted from your taxable income and not subject to taxes. Why? You didn't get to enjoy $8,000 of income. After expenses, you only got to enjoy $7,000. Therefore, you'll be taxed on $7,000 of income — as long as you remember to claim your deductions.

Quarterly tax tipsTax tip #1: Don't forget state taxes

Allec points out that in states that charge state income tax, you might have to make estimated quarterly state payments as well. "Apart from simply ignoring (or being completely unaware) of the requirement for state quarterly tax payments," he says, "some taxpayers assume that the payments work the same for federal as they do for state." Make sure you know the rules for your state to avoid an unexpected bill.

Tax tip #2: Take advantage of deductions

Remember those business deductions! They can make all the difference — and if you don't take them, you're effectively leaving free money on the table. If you're unsure what you can deduct, a CPA can help you out. Tax filing platforms like TurboTax can also assist you with business deductions, often for an additional fee or at a pricier tier. There are even apps like Keeper and FlyFin that you can use to track your business expenses throughout the year.

Tax tip #3: Get serious about bookkeeping

Paying quarterlies can make filing taxes a lot easier: You'll only have to deal with a few months of finances at a time rather than an entire year's worth. To avoid errors, though, it's essential to keep careful records: what you're bringing in (profits and losses), what you're spending on business expenses, and what you expect your tax burden to be. (Again, 30% is a good rule of thumb.) Whether you go the spreadsheet route, opt for software like QuickBooks, or hire someone to manage it all for you, record-keeping throughout the year will mean a lot less headache when it's time to file.

Tax tip #4: You can make payments more often

OK, paying taxes even more often than quarterly does sound like a nightmare. But if you budget monthly or biweekly, making payments in tandem with the rest of your bills might be helpful. It doesn't really matter when or how often you make your payments as long as you're up to date by the end of each quarter. Do what works best for you!

Tax tip #5: Don't be afraid to hire a pro

If you're overwhelmed by your taxes, having trouble keeping up with your bookkeeping, or just don't want to deal with it, don't be afraid to work with a CPA, Allec says. It's an investment, but it's worth it for plenty of solopreneurs — plus, an accountant can help you minimize your bill come tax time.

Amy Schumer is joined by the Kinda Pregnant cast (Jillian Bell, Brianne Howey, Urzila Carlson, and Lizze Broadway) in playing around with a Paper Magic 8 Ball, which prompts them into talking about their favorite moments from the shooting their new film.

Kinda Pregnant is now streaming on Netflix.

The floodgates have opened for building AI reasoning models on the cheap.

Researchers at Stanford and the University of Washington have developed a model that performs comparably to OpenAI o1 and DeepSeek R1 models in math and coding — for less than $50 of cloud compute credits.

What's more, the model was trained on only 1,000 questions, and took just 26 minutes and 16 Nvidia H100 GPUs. Stanford researcher Niklas Muennighoff said in a email to Mashable that the cost is an estimate based on the GPU runtime and number of H100 GPUs used.

SEE ALSO: Meet Alibaba's Qwen 2.5, an AI model claiming to beat both DeepSeek and OpenAI's ChatGPT

The AI industry of late is all about how new approaches to the pre and post training process can massively save computing costs, as evidenced by DeepSeek's disruptive impact. On top of that, developers are now able to build on top of existing AI models at little or no cost, through APIs, open-source access, and even closed-source models by distilling their data, bringing the costs down even more.

According to the team's research paper which was published last Friday, s1 was trained on a dataset consisting of "1,000 carefully curated questions paired with reasoning traces and answers distilled from Gemini Thinking Experimental." Google's Gemini Thinking Experimental model is accessible with daily limits through AI Studio. While it's a closed-source model, that clearly hasn't stopped researchers from making use of its responses.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI launches 'deep research' AI agent for ChatGPT

Next, the researchers used an "off the shelf" pretrained model from Alibaba-owned lab, Qwen, and performed supervised fine-tuning of its curated dataset. Then, the team created a token budget to control the amount of compute time for testing the model. If s1 went over budget on thinking tokens, it was cut off and forced to generate whatever answer it came up with. If the researchers wanted the model to spend more "test-time compute" on a problem, they would simply tell the model to "wait," which extended its thinking time and led to more accurate results.

By controlling the amount of time and compute spent on a problem, the researchers were able to show how increased thinking team leads to improved performance.

S1 is one example of open-source reasoning models that have been developed for a fraction of the cost of flagship models from Google and OpenAI. In January, UC Berkeley researchers released an open-source reasoning model called Sky-T1 that cost $450, "demonstrating that it is possible to replicate high-level reasoning capabilities affordably and efficiently," per its blog post. There's also the open-source rStar-Math reasoning model from Microsoft Asia researchers, Tulu 3 from non profit research institute Ai2, and HuggingFace has its own initiative to replicate DeepSeek's R1.

As high-quality models become more accessible and cheaper, we're starting to see a power shift from the few AI heavy hitters, to the many.

Tinder has rolled out relationship goals and relationship types in the last few years, and now — right ahead of Valentine's Day — it's letting users search for matches based on what they're looking for.

SEE ALSO: 10 free dating apps worth trying in 2025

Daters can go to the Explore page on the app, which evokes a more Instagram or TikTok look. Explore already gave users options to search others by shared interests, like whether they're nature lovers or looking for a coffee date.

Now, you can select a tile of what type of relationship you're looking for, and you can see singles in your area who are seeking the same. Here are the tiles you can choose from:

• Serious Dater

• Long-Term Partner

• Short-Term Fun

• Non-Monogamy

• New Friends

In order to enter the Serious Dater tile, users must have a bio and at least four photos and set their relationship goals to one of the long-term partner options, Tinder announced in its press release. Tinder predicts this will be a top tile; in a recent survey of active daters, 41 percent were looking for marriage material, 39 percent for the "long game," and 27 percent for an "intentionship." (The survey of 4,000 18-30 year-old active daters in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia was conducted last fall).

In December, Tinder CMO Melissa Hobley said in the app's Year in Swipe announcement, "Singles are embracing intentionality in their dating lives — being upfront about what they want and refusing to settle."

Meanwhile, 14 percent of Tinder users who use relationship types choose options that fall under non-monogamy (like ethical non-monogamy, open relationships, and polyamory), and 22 percent are open to exploring, according to global internal Tinder data from January.

No matter what type of relationship you're into, Tinder is rolling out this feature globally.

TL;DR: Live stream Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Spurs won the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final matchup with Liverpool 1-0, but the two teams face off at Anfield this time around. The league leaders will be confident of overturning that advantage and progressing to the final. Either Arsenal or Newcastle United await the winners.

If you want to watch Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur?

Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup starts at 8 p.m. GMT on Feb. 6. This fixture takes place at Anfield.

How to watch Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur for free

Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX 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 ITVX from anywhere in the world.

Access a free live stream of Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur 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 ITVX

5. Live stream Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur for free from anywhere in the world

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

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

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, 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 eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

President Donald Trump boasted that he would save the popular social media platform TikTok from a ban in the U.S. And that still could happen. However, according to those close to the talks, negotiations between the U.S. and TikTok's parent company, the China-based ByteDance, have stalled.

In a new report from the Washington Post, sources involved in the deal discussions say that it appears the Chinese government may still let it die unless it receives "larger concessions" from the Trump administration on other policies, such as trade. ByteDance requires approval from China's government before signing off on any sale, and Trump's new tariffs certainly haven't done a potential deal any favors.

SEE ALSO: Trump says U.S. government could buy TikTok

During his first term, Trump initiated the push to ban TikTok in the U.S., citing national security concerns. However, Trump left office without taking any action to shut TikTok down in the States. Congress later took up the mantle, passing legislation that then-President Joe Biden later signed into law. This required ByteDance to sell off TikTok in 90 days or face a ban in the U.S., which would mean those in the U.S. wouldn't be able to download or update the app, and it wouldn't appear in U.S. app stores.

That deadline came during Trump's inauguration weekend last month. TikTok temporarily blocked U.S. users from the platform. After discussions with Trump, during which Trump posed the issue of him "saving TikTok," TikTok opened its doors back to U.S. users less than a day later. A pop-up prompt in the app thanked Trump by name when users returned to the platform. TikTok even hosted an inauguration party for Trump, and CEO Shou Chew personally attended Trump's inauguration ceremony.

However, ByteDance is still being required to sell TikTok. Trump has been involved in negotiations with potential U.S. buyers and has even floated the idea of the U.S. government buying a stake in the company.

SEE ALSO: As TikTok faces a ban, creators brace for an uncertain future

While TikTok technically can continue to run in the U.S. right now, app stores like those run by Apple and Google face fines if they list its app. Despite assurances from Trump that ByteDance's deadline to sell TikTok has been extended, TikTok remains MIA on the major mobile app stores in the U.S.

According to one analyst that the Washington Post spoke with, ByteDance is far from desperate to sell as the company makes billions of dollars. For China, the successful homegrown IP and algorithm may be worth more than whatever price ByteDance would get for TikTok. China could also sign off on the sale of TikTok, the app, but not the company's recommendation algorithm that powers the platform.

Will Trump make the necessary concessions to sweeten the deal? Will China even approve of any acquisition? Will TikTok be banned once again? Things can still go either way, but as of now, they're not moving in the direction needed to sell TikTok before the new looming ban deadline.

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is allegedly altering publication dates on old press releases and skewing Google results for mass deportations, according to an investigation by the Guardian.

First documented by an immigration lawyer who spoke to the publication under anonymity, first page Google results for state specific deportation searches have been surfacing outdated press releases from the immigration agency, exacerbating an environment of fear as federal officials threaten ICE incursions in spaces like schools and workplaces. Later confirmed by the Guardian, thousands of ICE press releases describing deportation operations across the 50 states have been manipulated with new publication timestamps, with the earliest going as far back as 2008.

While the pages themselves are labeled as "archived content" on the ICE website itself, all of the organization's press releases now bear an HTML timestamp date of Jan. 24, 2025, implying, on first glance, a much broader immigration sweep touted by the Trump administration in its first 100 days.

UPDATE: Feb. 6, 2025, 1:59 p.m. EST

"The explanation here is very straightforward: the website in question added an ‘archived content’ bar to many of its press releases from 2024 and before (on a variety of topics), which is why the dates were updated in Search, as they were on other search engines as well. Our systems are not designed to boost a page's ranking simply because a timestamp is updated, and when people do these searches on Google, they find a range of sources including recent news articles," a Google spokesperson told Mashable.

In a statement sent to media outlets, Google explained that this applied to all of the agency's press releases, across a range of different topics not just pertaining to deportations. The new banner reads: "In an effort to keep ICE.gov current, the archive contains content from a previous administration or is otherwise outdated. This information is archived and not reflective of current practice." Gizmodo noted that similar HTML changes had occurred on ICE articles from Nov. 2024, but the same hadn't been done for other federal agencies.

Similar search results also appeared on Bing, according to a tech expert who evaluated the claim. "These are old articles that are now appearing at the top of the Google and Bing search results as recent headlines, where no other government agency is doing this. As someone in tech, I would interpret that as an intentional play to get more clicks, essentially on these misleading headlines," the expert told the Guardian.

President Donald Trump has pledged to crack down on immigration in what he hopes will be the "largest domestic deportation operation in the nation's history," including relocating migrant detainees to controversial military detention camp Guantanamo Bay.

Big Tech, meanwhile, has been bowing to many of Trump's demands, including the removal of content and policies related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Trump's new righthand man and leader of DOGE, Elon Musk, has forcibly taken over several government databases, laid off employees, and shut down entire agencies in the last week.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk killing USAID would hurt America's future. Here's why.

UPDATE: Feb. 6, 2025, 4:48 p.m. EST This story was updated with additional information on the press releases' metadata and an updated quote from Google.

SAVE $85: As of Feb. 6, get the Amazon Echo Buds for $54.99, down from their usual price of $139.99, at Amazon. That's a discount of 61%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Buds $54.99 at Amazon
$139.99 Save $85.00 Get Deal

A good pair of earbuds doesn't have to cost an exorbitant amount of money. In fact, you can get a whole selection of great options for around $50 to $60 these days, and they'll do your ears a wealth of good. Amazon has its own lineup of great earbuds, and you can save big on one of its newest pairs right now.

As of Feb. 6, you can get a pair of Amazon Echo Buds for just $54.99, down from their usual price of $139.99. That's a discount of $85 and 61% off.

SEE ALSO: The best headphones in 2025

These earbuds may be affordable, but that doesn't make them anything less than great at what they do. They come with 12mm drivers for crystal clear sound, crispy treble, and booming bass. They also fit snugly in your ear so you can use them while out and about without having to worry about them falling out.

They also boast Alexa compatibility, so you can use them with your Alexa-enabled devices to stream music, make calls, add items to your shopping list, and more. You can even use them to swap between multiple devices thanks to their multipoint pairing. And with up to 15 hours of battery per charge with their charging case, they're down to play as long as you are.

This is an excellent price for a pair of earbuds that typically go for over $130, so if you're wanting to snag a pair of your own, now's a good time to do it.

SAVE $70: The TheraGun Prime massage gun is on sale for $229 at Amazon (Black) and Best Buy (Adventure Green), down from the usual price of $299. That's a 23% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: TheraGun TheraGun Prime (Black) $229.00 at Amazon
$299.00 Save $70.00 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: TheraGun TheraGun Prime (Adventure Green) $229.00 at Best Buy
$299.00 Save $70.00 Get Deal

If you made 2025 goals to work out more often, you're probably very familiar with muscle pain that can take days to mend. There's something uniquely humbling about doing 60 squats at the gym and then being unable to walk down stairs the following day. If that sounds like something you deal with, check out this deal on a muscle-soothing massage gun.

As of Feb. 6, the TheraGun Prime massage gun is on sale for $229 Amazon in a Black colorway and Best Buy in Adventure Green, discounted from the standard price of $299, which means both offer a 23% discount.

SEE ALSO: Amazon deal of the day: Save $50 on Fitbit's fanciest smartwatch

The TheraGun Prime utilizes the power of percussive massage to help give muscles the best shot at quick recovery. Through deep-tissue massage, the Prime aims to help soothe tightness and discomfort, helping you get back into working out quicker.

Choose between five speed ranges to select the desired intensity, getting targeted muscle massage. The Prime also comes with several attachment options to help you get the best massage possible depending on the muscle group. The Thumb is said to work best on the lower back and trigger points, while the standard ball is great for all over the body.

If you're new to using a massage gun, you can connect to the TheraGun app, which is packed with guided routines you can follow step-by-step. It even has specific routines for common ailments like plantar fasciitis, arthritis, and sciatica.

The TheraGun Prime also comes with its own travel bag, which makes packing this along on your next trip much easier. That'll come in handy for sore necks after trying to sleep while sitting upright on that trans-Pacific flight.

For anyone who often considers if they should schedule a massage, investing in the TheraGun Prime will pay for itself in pain relief in no time. Take advantage of the $229 sale price at Amazon if you prefer a Black colorway, or go with Best Buy for the Adventure Green option.

Winning an Academy Award may be the peak of an actor's career, not only because they are honored by an iconic gold statue in front of their gussied-up peers and a worldwide TV audience, but because the Oscar curse might come for them soon after. This bit of Hollywood superstition declares that after the heady high of an Oscar win, many an actor will suffer either a personal scandal, a box office bomb, or an inexplicable dry spell in casting. Now, you might well scoff at the idea of an Oscar curse, but Love Hurts, which co-stars recent Oscar winners Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All At Once) and Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) could make you believe.

On its surface, Quan's casting in Love Hurts seems a no-brainer, as it capitalizes on what the child star turned leading man brought to the Best Picture–winning Everything Everywhere All At Once: the superb ability to perform character and comedy through stunt scenes. That DeBose, who dazzled as the passionate Anita in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, was cast as his co-star, should have been gravy. However, this action-comedy set on Valentine's Day is a catastrophic mess of fight scenes, quirky characters, and an aggravating lack of vision from first-time director Jonathan Eusebio. 

Good action isn't enough to make Love Hurts work.  Credit: Universal Pictures

Quan stars as Marvin Gable, a real estate agent with a gleeful determination to find the perfect home for his client. However, before he was regional realtor of the year (a certificated honor of which he is comically proud), Marvin was a hitman for his suave but merciless boba tea-swigging brother Knuckles (American Born Chinese's Daniel Wu). The past he happily left behind comes back to bite him in the foxy form of Rose Carlisle (DeBose), the one that got away. And by that, I mean she is both the love of his life and the hit he faked to save her life. Back with a vengeance, Rose wants Knuckles and his crew to pay for trying to off her, but Marvin just wants to keep his cozy life — and his co-workers and clients — safe from his brother's wrath. Much violence ensues.

To the credit of stunt coordinator turned director Eusebio, Love Hurts' fight scenes are varied and amusing. There's hand-to-hand combat, knife throwing, gunfights, and domestic improvisational weapons like cookie cutters and a set of wall ornaments shaped like a giant fork and spoon. Further whimsy is woven in through motivation. While the assassins sent after Rose and Marvin are out for blood, Marvin just wants to get away — ideally with his crush and his treasured certificate intact. Props to the stunt team led by Can Aydin, the shift between actors and stunt doubles is pretty seamless. The actors' faces embrace the film's wacky tone with big expressions of shock, pain, and excitement as they battle, which is mirrored in the physicality throughout. 

Featured Video For You 'The Fall Guy' stunt team's favorite stunts from the film

The blows hit convincingly, and gruesomely. Coming from Nobody and Violent Night's producer David Leitch, Love Hurts shares those action offerings' thirst for blood. And just as I found the broad comedy and gore jarring in those movies, it hits oddly here. One moment, you've got Sean Astin (in a charming Goonies reunion) delivering a heart-warming speech about the power of second chances, and in the next, Eusebio hits audiences with a grisly murder in close-up, with a visual gag that is gag-worthy. After the spirited dildo fight and overall embrace of weirdness and warmth of Everything Everywhere All At Once, this kind of violence feels a bit like a sucker punch. 

Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose deserve better.  Credit: Universal Pictures

As he did in Everything Everywhere All At Once, Quan is given the chance to play different iterations of Marvin. The foremost is the redeemed realtor, who is full of good advice and love for his fellow man. But in flashbacks, we see a mustachioed Marvin, whose physicality is not loose and light but hard and intimidating. There's a thrill in seeing Quan transform, as he did in the swooning alley-set scene in Everything Everywhere All At Once. But the script by Matthew Murray, Josh Stoddard, and Luke Passmore only offers us a taste of this enticing transformation. So much of Love Hurts feels like a thin variant on the role that won Quan the Oscar. Why watch this when a better version of this movie is already streaming?

As for DeBose, this is the latest in a string of post-Oscar win duds, which includes Disney's cringingly synergizing Wish, the dunderheaded spy comedy Argylle, and Sony's latest Spider-Man spinoff flop Kraven: The Hunter. (No shade to the indie horror thriller House of Spoils — it slaps.) In Love Hurts, as in Kraven and Argylle, she plays a stylish badass, who has incredible skills but remains a sidekick to the hero. To DeBose's credit in Love Hurts, she tries to make the most out of a character who is a clumsy amalgamation of clichés pulled from film noir, blaxploitation flicks, and gangster movies. As Rose, she has a convincing swagger and a mischievous glint in her eye. But neither Quan nor DeBose can elevate a script that feels achingly like an early draft, peppered with too many paper-thin characters, obvious twists, and a final reveal that's so out of nowhere one might assume a whole subplot got sloppily scrapped.

SEE ALSO: Ariana DeBose and the 'House of Spoils' cast on why they call it a "haunted fairytale."

The film moves at a relentless pace, but not in terms of generating tension. Loaded with voiceover — from both Marvin and Rose — there's barely a moment without exposition-dumping, dialogue, or fight sounds. It's as if the filmmakers so fear the audience will lose interest that they can't allow any emotional beats the space to actually land. This undercuts not only the headliners but also a supporting cast that shines with promise. Among them, Lio Tipton thrills as a millennial realtor going through a hilarious existential crisis, while Mustafa Shakir proves swoon-worthy as a poetic hitman called the Raven. Astin brings a reliable warmth and aforementioned speeches as a cowboy-hatted friend of Marvin's. Drew Scott kicks into action as a rival realtor with a hero complex, and Marshawn Lynch brings back that wild card Bottoms energy as another determined hitman. But you can feel the desperation of the filmmakers when he screams out his real life nickname — "Beast Mode" — while barreling into action.

Indeed, the whole third act feels like it was written in post-production. Much of the finale dialogue between the warring brothers happens when the person speaking is not facing the camera, suggesting an aggressive use of ADR (additional dialogue recording). This a big red flag that Love Hurts lost its way in the making, and little wonder that tonally the movie is all over the place, scene to scene, moment to moment. Even at 83 minutes, it's a slog due to the aching lack of cohesion. Still, any good actor can make a bad movie. So why bring the Oscar curse into it? Well, because there's an element of the Oscar curse that's too often overlooked. 

Hollywood still doesn't know what to do with actors of color. 

DeBose, who is Afro-Latina, went from playing arguably the most iconic Latina role in Hollywood cinema (shout out to the first Oscar–winning Anita, Rita Moreno) to playing a string of "strong female" sidekicks. The moxie she showed in West Wide Story, the passion displayed in her Oscar acceptance speech, and the whimsy she delivered in her infamous BAFTA rap, should have opened a floodgate of leading roles for her, as her range was clear. But instead we get Kraven and Love Hurts. 

With his Everything Everywhere All At Once promotional campaign, Quan reclaimed the hearts of movie fans, some of whom saw him first as the dynamic kid sidekick Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. We cheered for his rousing comeback, thrilled when he got cast on Loki. But for his first leading man turn post-Oscar, it's deeply disappointing that this is all he gets. Sure, it could have been capitalizing on what we loved about that role. Here he gets to do comedy, action, and romance. But for all their charms, Quan and DeBose have zero sexual chemistry, so their characters' insistence that they are madly in love always rings hollow.

The whole film works this way, offering spectacle but no depth. So while Love Hurts delivers bursts of thrills and fun, it is overall a mind-numbing miss. 

Love Hurts opens in theaters Feb. 7.

SAVE 53%: Shop the Revlon One-Step hair dryer at Amazon for 53% off. It's down to $32.99, down from $69.99, saving you $37.

Opens in a new window Credit: Revlon Revlon One-Step hair dryer $32.99 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $37.00 Get Deal

Too late to make an appointment at the salon for Valentine's Day? If you want a blowout but don't have the time or energy to learn how to do it like the professionals, there's a one-step styler to help you get the look.

Right now, you can find the Revlon One-Step hair dryer for just $32.99, down from the list price of $69.99. That saves you $37 for 53% off. While this isn't the lowest price the Revlon has ever dipped down to, it's pretty dang close; it's less than $2 away from its all-time low.

SEE ALSO: Amazon deal of the day: Save $50 on Fitbit's fanciest smartwatch

The Revlon One-Step hair dryer is an all-in-one styler that makes at-home blowouts easy. This hot air styler, brushes hair out while adding volume, creating styles that look like you just walked out of the salon. Among all of the hair stylers we've tested, it's our favorite for an at-home blowout.

Compared to the Dyson Airwrap or even the Shark FlexStyle, it's already a budget-friendly styler at $69.99. However, with this deal at Amazon, it's currently over 50% off. Shop the Revlon One-Step at Amazon now.

We're expecting to see multiple AI-related commercials during Super Bowl LIX this weekend, but at least one of them had to be edited before the game because of basic, factual wrongness.

As initially spotted by X user Nate Hake, Google had to edit its Wisconsin cheese-themed Super Bowl ad (in which the Gemini chatbot dispenses "useful" information about cheese) because Gemini got something wrong. In the original version of the ad, Gemini's response claimed gouda constitutes up to 60 percent of global cheese consumption. Despite Google's president of cloud applications Jerry Dischler claiming on X that it wasn't a hallucination, Google quietly altered the ad so that statement no longer appears in it.

SEE ALSO: 6 Super Bowl halftime shows that were better than the big game Tweet may have been deleted

A Cornell professor confirmed to The Verge that gouda is almost certainly not the most widely consumed cheese in the world. In case you're wondering, Gemini appears to have plucked that stat about gouda from a website called Cheese.com, and as The Verge noted, there's literally a decade-old Reddit thread full of people disputing the stat in question.

Featured Video For You Who will Kendrick Lamar bring out as special guests during his Super Bowl Halftime performance?

Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of Feb. 6: OUR TOP PICK Fitbit Sense 2 $199.95 (save $50) Get Deal BEST TABLET DEAL Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro $139.99 (save $50) Get Deal BEST BEAUTY TECH DEAL Revlon One Step Plus $32.99 (save $37) Get Deal BEST SMART HOME DEAL Amazon Smart Plug $19.99 (save $5) Get Deal BEST HEADPHONES DEAL Beats Flex wireless earbuds $39 (save $30.95) Get Deal

Before you head off into your weekend shenanigans, you might want to check out some of these deals we found at Amazon. From Fitbit to Beats, many of our favorite brands have significant discounts up to 53% off and we've rounded up a few we think are particularly worth grabbing on Feb. 6.

Here are our picks for the best Amazon deals of the day. If these aren't getting the job done, take a look at our picks from Feb. 4 and Feb. 5. Many of those discounts are still live, including $100 off the Sonos Ace headphones and a 13-inch iPad Air at its lowest price ever.

Our top pick: Fitbit Sense 2 Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Sense 2 $199.95 at Amazon
$249.95 Save $50.00 Get Deal

The most advanced smartwatch in the Fitbit lineup, the Sense 2 is a whole lot more than just a step counter. Its design is a bit Apple-esque and packed with features. It can track things like sleep, blood oxygen levels, ECG, altitude changes, skin temperature, and more. Plus, there's over 40 exercise modes built in, so you can keep up with your training whether you're a runner, skier, cyclist, paddle-boarder, or practically anything else. You can also take calls, follow Google Maps directions, tap-to-pay, and more. It's regularly $249.95, but you can snag it on sale for just under $200 as of Feb. 6.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro $139.99 at Amazon
$189.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal

Our favorite tablet for kids, the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro features a 10.1-inch 1080p full HD display, a lighter design, 3GB of RAM, up to 13 hours of battery life, and is 25 percent faster than the previous generation. And of course, its durable case (with a built-in kickstand) can handle all kinds of kid-friendly adventures. It also includes a year of Amazon Kids+, which offers a massive library of books, games, and educational apps for kids. Usually $189.99, you can grab it at Amazon for $139.99 as of Feb. 6. That's 26% in savings. For kids under age 6, the regular Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids is also on sale for the same price.

Revlon One Step Plus Opens in a new window Credit: Revlon Revlon One Step Plus $32.99 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $37.00 Get Deal

We dubbed the Revlon One Step one of the best Dyson Airwrap dupes when we first tested it back in 2022. Since then, we've found a few others that took away its title, but we still have love for the One Step — mostly because of its crazy low price. Typically only $69.99, the One Step Volumizer Plus 2.0 is down to only $32.99 at Amazon as of Feb. 6. That's 53% in savings. The newer Plus 2.0 model features an additional medium heat setting, a detachable head for travel and storage, a 2.4-inch oval head barrel for more volume, and a longer lasting motor.

Beats Flex wireless earbuds Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Flex wireless earbuds $39.00 at Amazon
$69.95 Save $30.95 Get Deal

The Beats Flex are a unique earbud pick in an oversaturated market. The neckband style ensures they won't fall out or go missing while you're wearing them. They're even magnetic, so you can keep them secure around your neck when you're not listening. They'll last 12 hours without needing a power boost and once they do, a 10-minute fast charge will get you another 1.5 hours. While that's not quite as good as over-ear headphones, it's definitely competitive in the earbud realm (for comparison, the AirPods Pro only last for six hours). Our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) gave them 4 out of 5 stars and noted "there's plenty to like for the price." As of Feb. 6, you can grab a pair for only $39. That's 44% in savings.

Amazon smart plug Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon smart plug $19.99 at Amazon
$24.99 Save $5.00 Get Deal

An easy and affordable way to make your home a little smarter, the Amazon Smart Plug seamlessly slips into your existing outlet to add Alexa voice commands to anything you plug in. Use it to schedule the coffee maker, grow lights, or anything else you don't want running 24/7 to turn on and off at specific times. It's usually $24.99, but you can save 20% as of Feb. 6.

None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.

SAVE $300: As of Feb. 6, get the Google Pixel 8 for $399 at Best Buy, down from its usual price of $699. That's a discount of 43%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Best Buy Google Pixel 8 $399.00 at Best Buy
$699.00 Save $300.00 Get Deal

If you've been thinking about upgrading your smartphone lately, here's your sign: a sale that knocks some serious cash off of the Google Pixel 8. This flagship phone is one of Google's best and brightest, and you can get it for a great price right now thanks to Amazon.

As of Feb. 6, get the Google Pixel 8 for $399, which is $300 off its normal price of $699 at Amazon. That's 43% off its normal price.

SEE ALSO: Get 20% off your Casetify purchase when you buy two items or more — safeguard your phone, tablet, and more

Mashable's Alex Perry praised the Google Pixel 8 smartphone for its 120Hz display, "great cameras", "good battery life," and array of features. It boasts a 6.2-inch screen with 1400 nits of brightness and a 1080 x 2400 resolution. It's powered by the Google Tensor G3 under the hood, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

As Perry mentioned, it's an incremental upgrade from the Google Pixel 7, but that doesn't mean it's a slouch of any kind. It comes packed with useful AI features and truly shines if you have photo editing needs, and plenty of other smart options that you'll want to use on a regular basis. Most of all, it's a crisp new smartphone that you don't have to spend an entire paycheck on.

If you're ready to go ahead and make the jump, you could absolutely do worse in terms of functionality and pricing, so grab this phone while it's still in stock, as it's already out of stock at Amazon.

SAVE 17%: The Amazon Echo Glow smart lamp is on sale for $24.99 at Amazon, down from the list price of $29.99. That's a $5 discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Glow smart lamp $24.99 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $5.00 Get Deal

Looking for a Valentine's Day gift for small humans that doesn't involve copious amounts of sugar? Giving them something thoughtful they can use every day to build independent routines while also adding a colorful element to their room is a great option. And a gift that fits the bill is currently on sale at Amazon.

As of Feb. 6, the Amazon Echo Glow smart lamp is on sale for $24.99, marked down from the usual price of $29.99. That's a 17% discount that takes $5 off the list price.

SEE ALSO: Lego is giving away a Valentine's Day Heart for free. Here’s how to get yours.

The Amazon Echo family is always expanding with new ways to make your smart home even better. But only a few stand out as great products for kids, and the Amazon Echo Glow is certainly one of them. The multicolored smart lamp is a great addition to a kids' bedroom. Use it as a calming and reassuring nightlight during bedtime, and set it as a wake-up light come morning. Kids can also use the Echo Glow as a timer, setting it to change color after the specified amount of time. Kids (and adults) can ask Alexa to start one of the Echo Glow's dynamic modes like campfire, firetruck, Valentine's Day, or Night Owl lighting modes.

The Echo Glow also works nicely with other Echo devices, like the adorable Echo Dot Kids. And given its small size, it's perfect for placing on a nightstand on a kids' dresser.

If you're looking to minimize sugary treats this Valentine's Day, consider something that'll add fun to any daily routine, like the Amazon Echo Glow. Not only is it a fun way for kids to add color to their bedrooms, it can help kids learn independence when it comes to their schedule.