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TL;DR: Stream Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester City in the FA Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming service from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The FA Cup is a special competition, and you can watch some of the biggest games from the fourth round of the competition without spending anything. BBC iPlayer and ITVX are offering free live streaming of the FA Cup this season, which is great news for fans who really don't fancy travelling to the game.

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

When is Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester City in the FA Cup?

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City will kick off at 8 p.m. GMT on Jan. 26 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester City for free

You can watch the FA Cup fixture between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City live on ITV1, with coverage starting from 7:30 p.m. GMT on Jan. 26. You can also live stream this fixture for free on ITVX.

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

Unblock ITVX 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. Steam Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester City for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By capitalising on these offers, you can gain access to ITVX without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it gives you time to stream Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester City for free.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 94 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

• Up to five simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 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.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester City for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Medvedev vs. Zverev in the Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The first Grand Slam of the year is coming to an end, with only a handful of players left fighting it out for victory. The Australian Open has delivered some truly special tennis, and we're hoping for more of the same between Medvedev and Zverev in their semi-final.

If you want to watch Medvedev vs. Zverev in the Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Medvedev vs. Zverev?

Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev will meet in their semi-final match on Jan. 26 (AEDT).

How to watch Medvedev vs. Zverev for free

Every match from the Australian Open is available to stream for free on 9Now, including the semi-final between Medvedev vs. Zverev.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can gain access to this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can connect to 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access 9Now 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 Australia

4. Visit 9Now

5. Stream Medvedev vs. Zverev for free

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but top VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to 9Now without actually spending anything. This is not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2024 Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 94 countries including Australia

• 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 five simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 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 Medvedev vs. Zverev for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

When you're sheltering alone in your creepy cabin during a massive storm, there's only one thing to do when a knock comes at the door: ignore it. Unfortunately the man in the trailer for You'll Never Find Me, Patrick (Brendan Rock), picks the other option — and everything goes downhill from there.

Written by Indianna Bell and directed by Bell and Josiah Allen, Shudder's latest horror follows a strange woman (Jordan Cowan) who asks to shelter inside Patrick's cabin during the storm. But have they met each other before? And what's she really doing there?

How to watch: You'll Never Find Me is streaming on Shudder from March 22.

TL;DR: Stream Newport Country vs. Manchester United in the FA Cup for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming service from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The fourth-round of the FA Cup is delivering a lot of matchups between Premier League sides and smaller clubs with big dreams and nothing to lose. It's what makes the competition so special. The chance of a giant killing is always exciting, and there aren't many bigger giants than Manchester United.

If you want to watch Newport Country vs. Manchester United for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Newport Country vs. Manchester United?

Newport Country and Manchester United will kick off at 4:30 p.m. GMT on Jan. 28 at Rodney Parade.

How to watch Newport Country vs. Manchester United for free

The FA Cup fixture between Newport Country and Manchester United is live on BBC One, with coverage starting from 4 p.m. GMT on Jan. 28. You can also live stream this fixture 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 tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can connect to BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Unblock BBC iPlayer 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. Stream Newport Country vs. Manchester United for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to BBC iPlayer without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it gives you time to stream games like Newport Country vs. Manchester United before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 94 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

• Up to five simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 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.

Watch Newport Country vs. Manchester United for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Stream Liverpool vs. Norwich City in the FA Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming service from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The FA Cup is at its best when the biggest clubs in the country take on sides from outside the Premier League. Everyone wants to see a surprise result. Everyone except Liverpool fans that is, because Liverpool are hosting Norwich City in the fourth round of the competition.

If you want to watch Liverpool vs. Norwich City for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Liverpool vs. Norwich City?

Liverpool and Norwich City will kick off at 2:30 p.m. GMT on Jan. 28 at Anfield.

How to watch Liverpool vs. Norwich City for free

You can watch the FA Cup fixture between Liverpool and Norwich City live on ITV1, with coverage starting from 1:55 p.m. GMT on Jan. 28. You can also live stream this fixture for free on ITVX.

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

Unblock ITVX 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. Stream Liverpool vs. Norwich City for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By capitalising on these offers, you can gain access to ITVX without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it gives you time to stream Liverpool vs. Norwich City for free.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 94 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

• Up to five simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 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.

Watch Liverpool vs. Norwich City for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to Write Bot AI Content Creation is on sale for £31.42, saving you 92% on list price.

Writing may sound easy on paper, but chipping away at writer's block one word at a time can be tough and time-consuming. When you have a ton of other things you need to get done, you might not have time to do the job justice. 

Generative AI writing tools may be able to speed things up. While its no replacement for your own human brain, an AI content generator could help you quickly get the bulk of the work done so you can focus on fine-tuning. With Write Bot, that means you can use AI to quickly come up with ideas, outlines, drafts, and more, and a lifetime subscription is £31.42 for a limited time.

Write Bot is an AI-powered content generator that could help you craft quality content magnitudes faster. This Generative AI lets you choose from various use cases like blog ideas, business proposals, social media ads, product descriptions, and more when you're ready to craft a new text. Then you just fill in some information and let the AI do the rest. It may only take seconds for the AI to generate what could have taken hours otherwise. You can even edit and polish the final document right there. 

The Premium plan lets you generate up to 1,000,000 words per month across 12+ use cases. You also get access to priority email and chat support. Plus, you can access Write Bot from all your devices, so you can use it at work, at home, or on the go. It's accessible through any modern browser on desktop or mobile devices. This subscription is only available to new users. 

Don't miss your chance to get your own AI writer for life for a limited-time low price. Get a lifetime subscription to Write Bot for £31.42. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Write Bot Write Bot AI Content Creation (Lifetime Subscription) £31.42 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal

Question: Is there anything better than a chilled, fresh, relaxing, tasty, proper pint of beer in the pub? Answer (as if we actually need an answer): Absolutely not.  

We all like a beer at home too — a bag of cans or a few bottles are all well and good — but it’s not the same as a pub-pulled pint. That’s why home dispensers are increasingly popular. For beer enthusiasts, a dispenser should go alongside the coffee machine or kettle — an essential appliance that every kitchen needs.

But where to start? Different drinks for different needs, and that’s also true of beer dispensers. So we’ve rounded up a selection of machines to suit all kinds of beer lovers.

How does a beer dispenser work?

This really depends on the beer dispenser you buy. Some take kegs, some use their own technology, and others allow you to pour the beer straight in. We’ve even included one dispenser that sucks the beer straight from the can and turns into it a draught-style pint. Most models use kegs, or a variation on the keg.

How much beer does a beer dispenser hold?

While it would be easier for brands to list keg and dispenser capacities in pints — that’s how we like to drink it, after all — they’re measured in litres. Most dispensers hold kegs of around 5 litres (and there’s 1.76 pints in a litre), though some will hold a little more or less.

What types of beer do dispensers use?

Being limited to kegs doesn’t mean you’re limited with choice of beer brands. There’s actually a wide, ever-growing range of kegs available, with brands that include Budweiser, Stella Artois, Beck’s, Brewdog, Leffe, Goose Island, Corona, and Camden Hells. The Krups machine we’ve included in this roundup uses its own style kegs — oversized cans called “torps” — which include some alternative breweries and brands. That range includes the likes of Amstel, Moretti, Tiger, Lagunitas, and Brixton. Or you can get a home-brewing dispenser that allows you to brew all kinds of beer.

How much does a beer dispenser cost?

Luckily, this roundup of home beer dispensers includes a range of prices, from well under £100 to almost £400. There are cheaper options available, but if you want good quality, be prepared to spend at least a few hundred pounds. Remember there are ongoing costs with kegs, too. A 6 litre keg will cost somewhere between £30 and £45, depending on which brand you like to drink.

What is the best home beer dispenser?

Much like the beer itself, it all comes down to personal taste. Maybe you need something to keep the beer flowing at a party, or maybe you’re a serious beer connoisseur who wants the absolute best machine and best-tasting tipple that money can buy. Either way, there’s something for you on this list. We’ve taste-tested the reviews and scoured the internet for a good selection to suit every kind of beer lover.

There are the best beer dispensers in 2024.

Want to watch the series between India and England? These are your best options: Best For Cricket Fanatics Willow TV $9.99/month Get Deal Best FOR MULTIPLE CHANNELS Sling TV $20 for the first month, then $40/month (save $20) Get Deal Best For simultaneous streams DirecTV Stream $95/month Get Deal

Is there a tougher sporting challenge than going to India and winning a Test series? We don't think so.

The combination of testing pitches, passionate supporters, and some of the most gifted cricket players in the world makes a series in India feel almost impossible to win. But that's the challenge facing England. They might be revolutionising the game with a new brand of brave and attacking cricket, but they'll still be going into this series as massive underdogs.

If you want to watch the series between India and England, we have all the information you need.

India vs. England Test series schedule

England travel to India for a five-match Test series. That's a lot of cricket, so keep this schedule on hand so that you don't miss a minute of the action:

• 1st Test — Jan. 25-29 (Hyderabad)

• 2nd Test — Feb. 2-6 (Visakhapatnam)

• 3rd Test — Feb. 15-19 (Rajkot)

• 4th Test — Feb. 23-27 (Ranchi)

• 5th Test — March 7-11 (Dharmshala)

The good news is that fans can watch every match from this series, with the right subscription.

How to stream India vs. England in the U.S.

Every Test in the series between India and England is available to watch live on the popular cricket streaming service Willow TV. This platform is available with a direct subscription, or through services like Sling TV and DirecTV Stream.

Best for cricket fanatics: Willow TV Opens in a new window Credit: Willow TV Willow TV $9.99/month Get Deal

Interested in watching all the top tier cricket from around the world in HD? Then Willow TV is for you.

Willow TV is the official broadcaster of The International Cricket Council (ICC), Indian Premier League (IPL), England Cricket Board, Cricket Australia, Cricket South Africa, West Indies Cricket Board, Sri Lanka Cricket, Bangladesh Cricket Board, Pakistan Cricket Board, Zimbabwe Cricket, and Pakistan Super League. If you want to watch literally hundreds of days of live cricket, Willow TV has your back.

Best for multiple channels: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling TV Sling TV $20 for the first month, then $40/month Get Deal

Sling TV's Willow Cricket package offers unlimited access to Willow HD. And the best thing is if you miss a match, you'll still be able to stream later using Sling's catch-up service. This could be particularly useful if the game if taking place on the other side of the world, which is pretty much always.

Sling TV’s sports channel offerings also include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NFL Network, Pac-12 Network, and SEC Network.

Best for simultaneous streams: DirecTV Stream Opens in a new window Credit: DirecTV Stream DirecTV Stream $95/month Get Deal

Willow TV joined DirecTV and DirecTV Stream just in time for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, and it's still available as part of the service.

Willow TV is included in the DIRECTV Sports Pack, which offers access to more than 20 professional and specialty sports networks, including NFL RedZone from NFL Network, conference and league-specific services, and much more.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for Jan. 26's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Shy.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

A letter appears twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter A.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. What's the answer to Wordle today?

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to Wordle #951 is...

ALOOF.

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

Reporting by Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for January 20's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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 categories

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

• Blue - Game pieces

• Yellow - On the field

• Purple - Words before a type of rodent

• Green - Smack

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

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

• Blue - ORIGINAL MONOPOLY TOKENS

• Yellow - BASEBALL EQUIPMENT

• Purple - ____ BUNNY

• Green - HARD HIT

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 Connections #229 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Blue - ORIGINAL MONOPOLY TOKENS - BOOT, IRON, THIMBLE, TOP HAT

• Yellow - BASEBALL EQUIPMENT - BALL, BASE, BAT, GLOVE

• Purple - ____ BUNNY - BAD, BUGS, DUST, HONEY

• Green - HARD HIT - BLOW, LICK, SOCK, STRIKE

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.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

Push notifications are being exploited to invasively collect user data once again, according to a new report by researchers with app developer Mysk.

iPhone apps are utilizing push notifications in order to send device information and other analytics to remote servers, Mysk researchers found. Developers are able to collect this data even if the app isn't open on the device. 

What's going on here?

Apple doesn't allow iOS apps to run in the background and suspends inactive applications due to privacy concerns and performance issues. However, when a user receives a push notification, iOS activates the app temporarily in order for it to customize the push notification for the user. While iOS once again suspends the app after this action is performed, users' device data is gathered by these apps and sent to relevant parties during this time frame.

Mysk uploaded a video to YouTube that shows tested apps collecting data from the device via push notifications.

The apps found to be gathering data include some of the biggest social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Elon Musk's X.

"The ability to execute tasks in the background is a gold mine for data-hungry apps," Mysk said in a statement provided to Mashable. "Unsurprisingly, many social apps notorious for their aggressive data harvesting practices are taking advantage of the background execution time enabled by push notifications. In fact, developers can harness this workaround to run code in the background on demand. All they have to do is send push notifications to their users. As a result, iOS would wake their app in the background on every device, then the app runs whatever code the developer has built into the app."

SEE ALSO: 7 Slack privacy settings you should check right now

Mysk found that most apps engaging in this practice collected device data such as "system uptime, locale, keyboard language, available memory, battery status, device model, display brightness" and other related information. The researchers say that this data is all relevant when building unique profiles in order to track users online and serve them relevant advertisements. This practice, known as fingerprinting, is prohibited by Apple's iOS policies.

Can I do anything?

Some of the app developers are pushing back on Mysk's findings, according to Gizmodo.

LinkedIn and Meta denied to Gizmodo that this data is being misused. LinkedIn specified that the activity recorded via push notifications is used to make sure the notifications are working, and that this follows Apple's guidelines.

Late last year push notifications on iOS devices made headlines when U.S. Senator Ron Wyden was given a tip that law enforcements and governments were able to request sensitive data from users' devices via push notifications. After the story broke, Apple revamped its policies to require a search warrant before sending over users' data. 

Apple may be ahead of itself, however, in this instance. According to Mysk, Apple is already planning to start requiring that developers explain why apps are "using the APIs that return unique device signals," the activity used in the practice of fingerprinting later this year.

In the meantime, though, Mysk recommends that users who are concerned with this data collection turn push notifications off on their iPhone and iPad. Researchers noted that users must choose the option to disable push notifications for each app entirely in order to stop the data collection.

The iOS 17.4 beta update dropped with 118 new emoji, according to a recent Emojipedia blog post, including two head-shaking emoji that signify yes or no, a fiery phoenix, a lime slice, a mushroom, and a broken chain.

The aforementioned six are, as Emojipedia pointed out, "brand new emoji concepts." However, the remaining emoji build upon already established characters.

Tweet may have been deleted SEE ALSO: iOS 17.4 beta: 5 new features coming to iPhone, including Apple Podcasts transcripts iOS 17.4 beta new emoji

On top of the sextet of new emoji concepts, you'll also find four "non-gender-specifying" family emoji with the following combinations:

• Adult, Adult, Child

• Adult, Child, Child

• Adult, Child

• Adult, Adult, Child, Child

"In addition to these new four non-gender-specifying family emojis being introduced, the iOS 17.4 beta also changes all of the existing family emoji designs," Emojipedia said.

In other words, instead of the family emoji set having its current colorful aesthetic, they will now have a white-silhouette-on-gray-background look.

iOS 17.4 beta also introduces 108 new direction-specifying people emoji with varying skin tones and genders for the following characters:

• Person walking

• Person running

• Person kneeling

• Person with white cane

• Person in wheelchair (manual)

• Person in wheelchair (motorized)

iOS 17.4 is expected to roll out to the wider public some time this spring.

Featured Video For You A brief history of the iPhone

It's extraordinarily hard to fly on Mars. But NASA's Ingenuity helicopter did it — 72 times.

On Jan. 25, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson gloomily announced that the helicopter's 72nd flight was its final extraterrestrial trip. The first craft to ever make a powered, controlled flight on another planet damaged at least one of its essential four rotor blades, and cannot take flight again.

"It is bittersweet that I must announce that Ingenuity, the little helicopter that could — and it kept saying I think I can I think I can — well, it's now taken its last flight," Nelson said in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter.

SEE ALSO: NASA’s most unusual astronaut has died

The small, solar-powered, experimental craft flew for almost three years, logging over two hours of flight time over the Martian desert. Its life of flying, however, is clearly over.

"While the helicopter remains upright and in communication with ground controllers, imagery of its Jan. 18 flight sent to Earth this week indicates one or more of its rotor blades sustained damage during landing, and it is no longer capable of flight," the space agency explained in a statement.

Tweet may have been deleted

The helicopter's final landing on Jan. 18 was "rough," NASA explained. It was flying over smooth dunes, "relatively featureless terrain" that proved hard for the craft's autonomous navigation system to track. You can see this terrain in the image below:

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter flying over smooth terrain in December 2023. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech The Ingenuity helicopter flying on Mars in August 2023. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU / MSSS

Over the years, Ingenuity overcame profoundly challenging flight conditions on Mars. Compared to Earth, the Martian atmosphere is quite thin. Its volume is about 1 percent of Earth's, making it difficult to generate the lift needed for flight. To take to the air, Ingenuity spun four-foot-long rotor blades at a blazing 2,400 revolutions every minute. It flew distances as far as 2,315 feet.

Ingenuity served as a "scout" for NASA's Perseverance rover, as the two Martian robots sleuthed for places that might have preserved signs of past primitive life on the Martian surface. This could mean telltale pieces of genetic material, or parts of a degraded cell.

So far, there's no proof life ever existed on Mars — or anywhere beyond Earth, for that matter. But Ingenuity, which proved that flight in the harsh environs on Mars was possible, has set the stage for future aviation endeavors on the Red Planet.

"That remarkable helicopter flew higher and farther than we ever imagined and helped NASA do what we do best – make the impossible, possible," Nelson said.

Featured Video For You 10 mind-blowing discoveries from the James Webb Telescope

Folks who like gaming on-the-go got some good news from Apple on Thursday.

In a blog post on its developer website, Apple confirmed that third-party video game streaming apps from the likes of Xbox and Nvidia are now permitted on the App Store.

The Cupertino-based tech giant makes this announcement after years of forcing users to clunkily stream games via mobile browsers.

SEE ALSO: Apple Vision Pro is for hipsters and hustlers, but who else?

“Developers can now submit a single app with the capability to stream all of the games offered in their catalog,” Apple wrote in the blog post.

This should make life a lot easier for people who utilize services like Xbox Game Pass's cloud streaming, allowing them to play console and PC-quality games on-the-go.

It's always been possible to use those services on iOS, but again, you had to do so through a mobile browser, which just isn't as elegant as using a fully featured mobile app. Now, that problem will be a thing of the past.

At least this week brought some good tech news.

Google's new AI video generator is its most advanced yet — and that may lead to a rise in more convincing deepfakes.

Google Research just unveiled Lumiere, an AI video generator capable of creating five-second photorealistic videos from simple text prompts. What makes it so advanced, according to the research paper, is a "Space-Time U-Net architecture" that "generates the entire temporal duration of the video at once, through a single pass in the model."

Previous AI models created videos by generating individual images, frame by frame.

SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez deepfakes used in Le Creuset giveaway scam

Lumiere will in theory make it easier for users to create and edit videos without technical expertise. Prompts such as "panda playing ukulele at home" or "Sunset timelapse at the beach" generate detailed photorealistic videos. It can also generate videos based the style of a single image, such as a child's watercolor painting of flowers.

The editing capabilities are where it gets crazy. Lumiere can animate targeted parts of an image, and fill in blank areas from image prompts with "video inpainting." It can even edit specific parts of the video using follow-up text prompts, like changing a woman's dress or adding accessories to videos of owls and chicks.

"Our primary goal ... is to enable novice users to generate visual content," the paper concludes. "However, there is a risk of misuse for creating fake or harmful content with our technology, and we believe that it is crucial to develop and apply tools for detecting biases and malicious use cases in order to ensure a safe and fair use."

What the paper doesn't mention is the tools Google has already developed, and supposedly put in place.

At Google I/O last May, the company put its safety and responsibility measures front and center. Google DeepMind launched a beta version of an AI watermarking tool called SynthID in August, and in November, YouTube (owned by Google) announced a policy forcing users to disclose whether videos have been AI-generated.

Lumiere is just research at this point, and there's no mention of how or when it could be used as a consumer-facing tool. But for a company that claims "being bold on AI means being responsible from the start" — presuming the start includes research — this is a surprising omission from the Lumiere team.

Google has not yet responded to a request for comment.

The Pixel 8 isn't even six months old yet and we're already seeing leaks of the Pixel 9.

Shared as a collaboration between X user @OnLeaks and 91mobiles, leaked renders of the Pixel 9 appeared online this week.

The good news is that it still looks like a smartphone, so Google isn't doing anything too crazy. The bad news (depending on your taste) is that Google made it look a little more like an iPhone 15.

SEE ALSO: Google launches Pixel 8 and 8 Pro in new Mint color Tweet may have been deleted

To be more specific, Google went with flat sides as opposed to the rounded ones it used before. The edge-to-edge camera bar that defined the last few Pixel phones is also gone, replaced by a pill-shaped protrusion that could ruffle the feathers of those who liked the way the previous Pixel models looked.

Perhaps the most important (and most universally welcome) change, though, is the addition of a third camera lens to the base Pixel 9. Previous base Pixel phones have only had two, but the 91mobiles report suggested the Pixel 9 could come with a telephoto lens.

If Google is able to bring some of its zoom lens magic from the Pixel 8 Pro to the base Pixel 9, that could be a huge value add.

As always, though, we'll have to wait until this summer to get the real scoop on the latest Pixel phones.

It may be hard to believe, but the Mac turned 40 on Wednesday. Feeling old?

The Mac, formerly known as the Macintosh, stands as Apple's longest-running product line. Sure, over the years, the iPod, followed by the iPhone and iPad have stolen the Mac's spotlight among consumers. But the real tech heads know that the Mac is the backbone of the company, holding all of Apple's most popular products together as one synchronized ecosystem.

SEE ALSO: I switched to MacBook, but here are 5 things I miss about Windows The first Macintosh

The first Apple computer, the Apple Macintosh, was released on Jan. 24, 1984. The first desktop computer with pretty much everything built-in was a success for the company. And that's even with a price point of $2,495 — or the rough equivalent of $7,000 today.

With its one-button mouse, monitor and carrying handle built-in to the computer's body,  the Apple Macintosh is likely best known in 2024 for a very specific reason: It's iconic 1984 Super Bowl ad directed by Ridley Scott.

Today's Macs

From the Apple Macintosh to the days of the PowerMac (and its sibling line of PowerBook laptops) to today's Macs and MacBooks powered by Apple's very own Silicone chipset, Apple computers have evolved greatly over the past 40 years.

In the early days, Macs targeted business people. Then Apple's computers had a resurgence amid creative workers like graphic designers and filmmakers. Now, Macs are pretty much for anyone as Apple multiple different Mac models for a wide variety of consumers.

There's the more affordable MacBook Air and Mac mini options. And then there's a range of MacBook Pros and iMacs for everyday consumers and prosumers.  Then, there's the professional product lines, such as the Mac Studio and Mac Pro, for power users.

SEE ALSO: M3 MacBook Pro 14-inch review: Why you should buy this Apple laptop

And what better way for the Mac to enter year 40 than by being powered by the company's very own chipset, its most powerful yet, the M3 series.

Readers, if you're interested in checking out an archive full of commercials for pretty much every Mac that Apple has ever created, a website has been created marking the milestone anniversary: Mac40th.com.

Here's to another 40, Mac. And hopefully not too severe of a mid-life crisis.

Quick links for watching 'Saltburn' on Amazon Prime Video: BEST FOR NEW SUBSCRIBERS Amazon Prime trial free for 30 days Get Deal BEST FOR STUDENTS Amazon Prime Student 6-month free trial, then $69/year Get Deal BEST FOR EVERYONE ELSE Amazon Prime Video $8.99/month Get Deal

Plenty of films have stirred up our social feeds over the past few months, but Saltburn might take the cake when it comes to clogging up our Twitter/X timelines and TikTok FYPs. The seductive nostalgia, the stellar casting, the comeback of "Murder On The Dancefloor" by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and the infamous bathwater-drinking scene — what's not to love?

Emerald Fennell's highly anticipated follow-up to the Oscar-winning revenge-thriller Promising Young Woman, Saltburn has earned mixed reviews from critics with crude comparisons to The Talented Mr Ripley. Mashable's film editor Kristy Puchko, however, notes that the comparison "is as thin as that comparing Anna Kendricks's Woman of the Hour to Fennell's provocative previous feature." She explains that the framework may be familiar, but the film itself is "uniquely harrowing, hilarious, and exhilarating." Not to mention, it's "a thriller that edges confidently into self-aware queer comedy."

Saltburn hasn't just shaken up social media. Its casting choices (Barry Keoghan and Rosamund Pike, in particular) were nominated for Golden Globes. And for what it's worth, we also awarded it a spot in our top 20 movies of 2023.

If you've yet to see the film for yourself, it's available to stream as of Dec. 22 — here's what you need to know.

What streaming service is Saltburn on?

If you recently said so long to Amazon Prime, you'll be disappointed to find out that Saltburn is an Amazon Original. In other words, you need need Amazon Prime — or, at least, Amazon Prime Video — to watch the "sick, savage, and satisfying" flick. If you're already an Amazon Prime devotee, you're good to go. Just sign into your account, navigate to Prime Video, and Saltburn will be waiting for you. Otherwise, keep reading to find out the best ways to sign up and save some money.

Can I get Amazon Prime Video for free?

There is a way to watch Saltburn for free on Amazon Prime Video. However, the only way to take advantage of the free trial is if you haven't been a Prime user in over a year (or ever). Don't fall into that category? You can still score a discounted subscription if you're a student (or still have access to a .edu email address) or simply subscribe to Prime Video only (not a full Prime subscription) to save some money. Peep all the details below.

Best for newbies: Amazon Prime Video free trial Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Prime Video trial Free for 30 days for new and returning users Get Deal

Free trials are getting harder and harder to come across — especially when it comes to streaming. But refreshingly, Amazon still offers its 30-day Prime membership trial to new and returning users. If you're brand new to Prime or you canceled or paused your membership over a year ago, you can take advantage of the free month of service. This gets you all of the Prime perks paid members get for 30 days, including access to Prime Video to watch Saltburn and some of our other favorite films and TV shows of 2023 (Polite Society, M3GAN, Dead Ringers, I'm a Virgo). Just be sure to cancel your subscription trial before your 30 days are up if you want to avoid further charges.

Best for students: Amazon Prime Student Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Prime Student 6-month free trial, then $69/year Get Deal

It pays to be a student in the streaming age. Amazon Prime Student offers anyone with a verifiable student (.edu) email address a free six-month trial. Not only do you get access to Prime Video in those six months, which allows you to watch Saltburn and other gems, but you'll also get plenty of other goodies like free food delivery through GrubHub+, a free trial of Calm, discounted Amazon Music and Kindle subscriptions, and the usual Prime perks. Even better, once your free six-month trial ends, you'll only have to pay half the usual cost of Prime to keep your membership going — just $69/year.

Best for everyone else: Amazon Prime Video only Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Prime Video only $8.99/month Get Deal

Don't qualify for the free trial or student status? You can still save by simply subscribing to Amazon Prime Video alone instead of a full Amazon Prime account. A typical Prime membership would run you $14.99/month, but you can sign up for just the Prime Video subscription aspect for $8.99/month instead. Sure, it's not as good as getting to watch Saltburn for free, but saving $6 per month is still worth it. Plus, you can cancel at any time without commitment. Just remember to cancel before your month of service is up if you don't want to continue paying for it.

Checking the functionality of your mobile device can be is a simple as downloading an app. Here are 4 iOS and Android apps that offer a wide variety of tests including touch screen, audio, video, camera, microphone, sensors, and more.

There are no words.

But we'll have to find some to describe Microsoft's decision to cut 1,900 jobs from its gaming division.

SEE ALSO: It's not just eBay: 5 other tech companies with brutal layoffs

In an internal email obtained by Windows Central, Xbox head Phil Spencer explained the decision by saying the company needs a "sustainable cost structure" going forward, before thanking those who were impacted for their work:

The people who are directly impacted by these reductions have all played an important part in the success of Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax and the Xbox teams, and they should be proud of everything they’ve accomplished here. We are grateful for all of the creativity, passion and dedication they have brought to our games, our players and our colleagues. We will provide our full support to those who are impacted during the transition, including severance benefits informed by local employment laws.

As part of these changes, Blizzard Entertainment President Mike Ybarra announced his departure from the company. An untitled survival game Blizzard had been working on for a few years was also reportedly canceled.

SEE ALSO: It's not just eBay: 5 other tech companies with brutal layoffs Tweet may have been deleted The internet isn't having it

After news of the Microsoft Gaming layoffs hit the social media landscape, there's been no shortage of criticism directed at Spencer.

"Heartless to fire people right after BIG XBOX game showcase?" @RoninRakurai said on X. "The people that made the games you saw are being fired. Phil Spencer, Aaron, Sarah and the rest of the [clown emoji] gang will get away with it," the X user added, calling out VP of Xbox Games Marketing Aaron Greenberg and Xbox President Sarah Bond.

Check out some other heated tweets:

Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

This news came not even six months after Microsoft's $70 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard became official. It also dropped within 24 hours of the news that Microsoft became just the second tech company to hit $3 billion in market value, after Apple.

From the outside looking in, one would think Microsoft has money to spend on employee salaries, but evidently not.

These 1,900 people have been added onto a list of several thousand already impacted by big tech layoffs in 2024. More specifically in the realm of video games, nearly 6,000 jobs have been cut this January, as documented by an excellent ongoing roundup on Kotaku.

Hopefully, these job cuts end as soon as possible, though that might be cold comfort to those who have already lost their sources of income.