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TL;DR: Simplify your AI workflow with this lifetime subscription to the ChatPlayground AI Unlimited Plan for just $79.

Opens in a new window Credit: ChatPlayground AI ChatPlayground AI: Lifetime Subscription (Unlimited Plan) $79
$619 Save $540   Get Deal

Is your browser filled with tabs of all your go-to AI models? ChatPlayground AI streamlines that workflow by consolidating over 25 popular models in one place, so you don’t have to hop between tabs.

Right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to the ChatPlayground AI Unlimited Plan for just $79.

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Not all AI models are created equal. What some are good at, others don’t get right. If you’re tired of keeping this information straight and staying on top of each individual model’s strengths and weaknesses, it’s time to get ChatPlayground AI. This lifetime subscription lets you work with multiple models in one window for life — all without having to pay for multiple subscriptions.

ChatPlayground AI works as a Chrome extension and puts ChatGPT, Gemini, Llama, DeepSeek, Perplexity, and over 20 more models in one window. Just enter your prompt, and the answers will be displayed side by side, so you can find the best answer for your queries.

Get help with creating images, writing code, or answering questions. ChatPlayground AI even helps you build the right prompt with prompt engineering, so you can get the best response possible. You can use image and PDF chat features to save yourself time and access past conversations for future reference.

Your lifetime subscription to ChatPlayground AI Unlimited Plan includes unlimited monthly messaging, priority customer service, and priority access to new features and future models.

Get this lifetime subscription to the ChatPlayground AI Unlimited Plan for just $79.

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TL;DR: Get six apps for one low price with this lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021, now only $59.97 through April 12.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021: Lifetime License $59.97
$219 Save $159.03   Get Deal

Ten bucks doesn’t stretch very far nowadays — it won’t even cover your lunch. So getting apps for life for that low price is a steal, making this Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 lifetime license pretty tough to beat. It outfits your Mac with six Microsoft tools for the low price of $59.97 — just $10 each — if you act before April 12.

It seems like every app comes with a monthly subscription these days, so scoring Microsoft staples that have been around for decades for your Mac at a one-time low price sounds too good to be true. But that’s exactly what this Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 provides.

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With this Microsoft Office license, you can give your Mac the gift of easy document creation with Word, simple spreadsheet building with Excel, and powerful presentation designing with PowerPoint. Handle all your emails in Outlook, stay connected to coworkers, friends, and family in Teams, and then elevate your note-taking in OneNote.

After you purchase, you’ll receive an instant delivery and download. This gives you permanent access to the Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 apps for life, no subscriptions or cloud connectivity required. Just be sure your Mac is running macOS 14 Sonoma, macOS 15 Sequoia, or macOS 26 Tahoe before buying.

Get this lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 for just $59.97 now through April 12.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Live stream USA vs. Canada in the 2026 World Baseball Classic for free on Tele Rebelde or Venevision. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 World Baseball Classic has already delivered loads of big performances and dramatic moments. There was a point when it looked like USA might not make it out of the pool stage, but after Italy's victory over Mexico, USA did indeed advance to the knockout rounds.

Now USA face Canada in the second quarter final on the schedule. We're expecting an improved performance from USA after a disappointing defeat to Italy.

If you want to watch the 2026 World Baseball Classic for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is USA vs. Canada?

USA vs. Canada in the 2026 World Baseball Classic starts at 8 p.m. ET on March 13. This fixture will take place at Daikin Park.

How to watch USA vs. Canada for free

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is available to live stream for free on a number of platforms:

• Cuba — Tele Rebelde

• Venezuela — Venevision

These streaming platforms are geo-restricted, but anyone can access for free with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in another location, meaning you can unblock free streaming sites from anywhere in the world.

Live stream USA vs. Canada in the World Baseball Classic by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit Tele Rebelde or Venevision

5. Live stream the 2026 World Baseball Classic for free from anywhere in the world

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

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

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for live sport?

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

• Servers in 105 countries

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Watch USA vs. Canada in the 2026 World Baseball Classic for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream South Korea vs. Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic for free on Tele Rebelde or Venevision. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 World Baseball Classic pool stage is completed. Now things get serious in the knockout rounds. Places in the semi finals are up for grabs as South Korea and Dominican Republic face off in the first quarter-final matchup on the schedule.

Dominican Republic come into this clash with a perfect record from the pool stage, topping Group D against tough opposition like Venezuela. South Korea placed second in Group C, narrowly qualifying ahead of Australia and Chinese Taipei. We're expecting an exciting contest when these teams meet at LoanDepot Park in Miami.

If you want to watch the 2026 World Baseball Classic for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is South Korea vs. Dominican Republic?

South Korea vs. Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic starts at 6:30 p.m. ET on March 13. This game will take place at LoanDepot Park.

How to watch South Korea vs. Dominican Republic for free

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is available to live stream for free on a number of platforms:

• Cuba — Tele Rebelde

• Venezuela — Venevision

These streaming platforms are geo-restricted, but anyone can access for free with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in another location, meaning you can unblock free streaming sites from anywhere in the world.

Live stream South Korea vs. Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit Tele Rebelde or Venevision

5. Live stream the 2026 World Baseball Classic for free from anywhere in the world

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

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

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for live sport?

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

• Servers in 105 countries

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Watch South Korea vs. Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic for free with ExpressVPN.

SAVE $200: As of March 13, the Google Pixel 10 is on sale for $599 at Amazon. That's a 25% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Google Google Pixel 10 $599
$799 Save $200   Get Deal

The Google Pixel 10 just got a great new discount at Amazon. If you've been looking to upgrade your smartphone, this deal will save you $200. As of March 13, the 128GB indigo and frost model is down to $599 from $799. For lemongrass and obsidian, the price is slightly higher at $629.

It's a seriously impressive smartphone. With a mix of strong hardware (namely the new Tensor G5 chip) and Google’s latest AI features, you'll get a faster performance and improved efficiency. It also has Gemini AI built directly into the device to help with everything from everyday questions to getting tasks done faster.

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There's great camera quality too, with an upgraded triple rear camera. It now includes a new 5x telephoto lens with up to 20x Super Res Zoom, alongside Night Sight for clear low-light photography and Camera Coach to help you capture better photos.

And for the clumsy among us, this phone's durability is a lifesaver. It has scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and an IP68 rating for water and dust protection.

Get this Google Pixel deal at Amazon.

TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering Lorwyn Eclipsed Play Booster Box is down to $119.95 at Amazon, which saves you $44.75 off its list price and marks a new low price for this year.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering Lorwyn Eclipsed Play Booster Box $119.95 at Amazon
$164.70 Save $44.75 Get Deal

Prices on Magic: The Gathering booster boxes can move around fast, and this latest drop on Lorwyn Eclipsed is one of the strongest we’ve seen in some time. As of March 13, the Lorwyn Eclipsed Play Booster Box is available for $119.95 at Amazon, cutting $44.75 off its $164.70 list price. 

Not only is this the lowest price we’ve seen for the Magic: The Gathering Lorwyn Eclipsed Play Booster Box this year (as confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel), but it is also only 18 cents short of reaching its market price on TCGplayer.

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This booster box includes 30 Play Boosters, which is the best way to open and explore Lorwyn Eclipsed. These are especially well-suited for Limited play, while still offering the kind of creature synergies and guaranteed foil card in every pack that makes opening boosters appealing even if you’re mostly collecting.

Each booster pack includes 14 Magic trading cards, with 1 to 4 cards of rare or higher rarity, 3 to 5 uncommons, 6 to 9 commons, and 1 land. Every pack includes one traditional foil card, with a foil borderless mythic rare appearing in under 1% of boosters. 

Lorwyn Eclipsed itself is a pretty easy sell as an expansion for longtime fans. This set was a return to a Lorwyn that’s now split between light and shadow, with players crossing from the ordered world of eternal day into the chaos of Shadowmoor’s endless night. 

For even more money-saving deals on Magic: The Gathering, you can still buy the Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Play Booster Box for under $175 at Walmart. Meanwhile, the Tarkir Dragonstorm Play Booster Box is now below $110 at Walmart. 

TL;DR: Battlefield 6 is free from March 17-24 through Battlefield REDSEC, giving players access to three playlists and four maps, including the new Season 2 battlegrounds Hagental Base and Contaminated.

The best 'Battlefield 6' deals at a glance: Best PS5 Deal Battlefield 6 $52.60 (save $17.39) Shop Now Best XBOX SERIES X Deal Battlefield 6 $46.48 (save $23.51) Shop Now Best PC Deal Battlefield 6 $69.99 Shop Now

If you’ve been curious about Battlefield 6 but haven’t yet made your move, EA is willing to give you a taste for free, right in time for its Season 2: Nightfall update. 

From March 17-24, Battlefield 6 will be free to try for everyone through Battlefield REDSEC on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, opening the door to a sizable slice of the game’s multiplayer offering for one week. Rather than tossing players a tiny demo and leaving it at that, this free trial will act more like a dress rehearsal of what Season 2 has lined up.

The big draw of this update is Nightfall, a playlist built around the new Hagental Base map. It includes Team Deathmatch, Squad Deathmatch, and Domination, with a twist — the lights are out. That means players will need to rely on Night Vision Goggles, weapon attachments, and anything else that can help cut through the darkness.

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Battlefield 6 is also making room for players who want the more traditional large-scale experience. The All-Out Warfare playlist includes Conquest, Breakthrough, and Escalation, the latter being the mode that gradually intensifies as map boundaries shift and extra vehicles enter the fight. That playlist spans four maps in total: Season 2’s Contaminated and Hagental Base, plus Eastwood from Season 1 and Mirak Valley from the game’s launch lineup.

For anyone who doesn’t want to be immediately thrown into the more intense gaming side of multiplayer, there’s also Casual Breakthrough. This mode is aimed at newer or less competitive players, with smaller squads of real players supported by bots on both sides. You’ll still be able to earn progression and work through challenges, but with a softer landing than a full PvP lobby. Casual Breakthrough will run across Hagental Base, Contaminated, and Eastwood.

The fact that there are people who can simply fall asleep when they're tired is mind-blowing to someone who's had serious trouble sleeping for over a decade. (Like, what do you mean you just go to bed at night?) After years of feeling like a zombie 24/7, relaying the same story to different doctors, and feeling resentful when someone in my life casually takes a nap, I've developed a serious "that won't work on me" attitude about most sleep products.

At the risk of sounding like I'm trying to win the insomnia competition, that's all just background on why I roll my eyes at trendy melatonin gummies or sleepy teas. So I'm kind of shocked that a Hatch alarm clock — perhaps the mother of all viral sleep products — is actually somewhat helping me wind down at night.

What does a Hatch alarm clock do?

The Hatch Restore 3 is a premium sunrise alarm clock that's also a sound machine and color-changing lamp. Sunrise alarm clocks use gradual brightening light to signal to our body that it's time to wake up, promoting a more natural transition out of sleep than being jolted awake by an annoying siren.

The Restore 3 is the newest Hatch. It has a knob on the top for easier controls. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The Restore 3's clock can be always on, always off, or automatically off at night. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

But the Hatch Restore 3 acts like just as much of a sunset alarm clock. Our bodies respond similarly well to light cues to get sleepy at night, and the bulk of Hatch's features actually come into play the evening before. If you have the paid subscription, the Restore 3 provides a ton of calming wind-down entertainment content like bedtime stories and podcasts to keep you from craving phone stimulation before bed.

Sleep is second nature for some, but I have to hone it like a skill

OK, but what about the people who... don't really get sleepy at night?

I don't know what I did to so royally cook my circadian rhythm and nervous system, but it's not just that I don't necessarily get tired at night — it's that my mind is also wired at night. And scrolling too late is just a fraction of my issue. There are nights when I effortlessly don't look at my phone for an hour or two before bed, but only because I randomly got the motivation to scrub my bathtub at 11 p.m. To be fair, I only got in the habit of squeezing tasks in while I'm "up" because I spent years trying to stick to a "normal" bedtime, lying awake until the wee hours of the morning (often not sleeping at all), regardless of if I was physically exhausted.

The ~night owl~ thing was a silly little quirk in high school and college. But nowadays, my late-night brain activity is now spiked with adult worries that weren't on my radar back then: Health anxiety, productivity anxiety, and general state of humanity anxiety are the big ones, all floating alongside anxiety about not being able to sleep. I'm not sure how much of my insomnia stems from severe racing thoughts, but it's unsustainable now.

SEE ALSO: Shark CryoGlow mask review after 10 months: The only way I'll ever stop using this is if Shark releases a new one

I spent months using my insatiable late-night need to Google everything in the world to figure out how to get myself back on track. It became clear that making my room pitch dark and 68 degrees wasn't enough. I needed to start being just as strict with my sleep routine as I was with my skincare routine or cleaning routine. Part of that just requires the discipline to get my non-negotiables done earlier, but I was curious about whether a sunrise alarm clock could help my schedule (or lack thereof) feel less overwhelming.

The Hatch Restore 3 is helping me romanticize routine

Up until a few months ago, I would have died on the hill that a sound machine was no better than letting an eight-hour YouTube video of rain sounds play out of your phone. But after having the Hatch Restore 3 on my nightstand, I'll vouch for the Hatch experience being much different than simply using my phone.

First, I have to note that the Restore 3's speaker quality is divine. Sounds are velvety smooth without the faint crackle that you hear with an iPhone speaker, and there's never a harsh cutoff between sound loops. But the audio quality is hardly the most important difference — it's the whole pre-sleep routine that the Hatch inspires.

My favorite Hatch feature is the "cue to unwind." Every night at 10:30, my Hatch automatically starts glowing and playing dreamy music. I use "Lavender Sky," the average ambient tune that sounds like something you'd hear at the massage studio, plus a matching light that flickers between purple and blue. The human brain really likes repetition — repeated actions are how we form a habit that feels subconscious, not forced.

The purple Hatch light and red light bulb in my lamp create the most heavenly scene in this corner. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

I clearly struggled to start my bedtime process at a decent hour on my own, so the Restore 3's cue to unwind has been a helpful tangible reminder that it's time to start chilling out. The sound and light combo makes me want to be responsible and read instead of immediately opening TikTok when I get in bed. Any mental chatter that I need to remember (an idea for work, a chore, a text I need to send, even a new outfit brainstorm) gets written down by hand in a notebook instead of my Notes app. Then, it's up to my self-control to actually save those tasks until tomorrow.

Like unwind cues, Hatch sleep routines can involve whatever combination of sound and light that helps you doze off. (The sound options are different, though.) I opt for thunderstorm sounds or "shower in the next room." One press of the big top button shifts your Hatch from unwind to sleep mode.

There's a sunset gradient for any mood — not just typical sunset colors. Credit: Screenshot: Hatch I appreciate the variety of those cozy, familiar household options. Credit: Screenshot: Hatch

There are a ton of free sunset routines that gradually dim the clock's light to help lull you to sleep. Sleep routine duration can be set to last for a few minutes, a few hours, a full day, or just until you tap the clock. I feel like the whole sunset thing isn't that helpful if you use a sleep mask, so I've actually been utilizing the sunset sleep routines while I'm still awake and trying to get tired.

It's a bummer that the Hatch Restore 3 isn't waterproof. The cozy lighting would be much more valuable in my bathroom when I'm showering and self-caring. All of my steps take forever, and the harsh bathroom lighting certainly isn't conducive to mellowing out.

The Restore 3's sunrise is adjustable, from brightness to duration before your alarm goes off. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The Restore 3 gradually shifts between shades of orange and peach, then to bright white. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

In the morning, the gradual sunset starts five minutes to an hour before your alarm goes off. It slowly brightens while shifting between orange and peach tones — it's kind of dull in my room that gets a lot of sun in the morning, but it probably hits so hard in a dark room. I appreciate that the alarm sound fades in instead of hitting at full volume immediately. The bird chirps are a cute touch.

Isn't this all just stuff you could do without a $170 alarm clock?

When all of the premium features come at an extra monthly cost, the Hatch Restore 3 feels a bit overpriced — especially considering many of its features can be replicated with less expensive devices. Smart lightbulbs could be set to turn a certain color at a certain time. It's not hard to find a dedicated sound machine for $40 or $50, or a cheaper sunrise alarm clock in general. If you're most concerned with staying off your phone before bed, you could just buy a Brick for $59.

SEE ALSO: I ran the Dyson HushJet 24/7 for a week. It's so quiet that I forgot it was on, but I did notice fresher air. Can you use the Hatch Restore 3 without a subscription?

Yep, you can technically get full use out of the Hatch Restore 3 without paying extra (that's what I do). Free audio options include 40+ sleep sounds and 20+ alarms spanning nature sounds, color noises, fans and other humming appliances, and soothing lo-fi beats. There are definitely enough options for my needs, mostly because I don't care enough to pay for anything more elaborate. But without the ability to filter out Hatch+ exclusive sounds in the app, it does get frustrating to see a lock on nearly every sound you swipe past.

The paid Hatch subscription costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. Aside from the larger sound library, Hatch+ unlocks access to a ton of sleep content like sound baths, bedtime podcasts, guided meditations, and audiobook snippets. So, without paying for Hatch+, you're losing out on most of the entertainment options that were supposed to help build your phone-free nightly routine.

SEE ALSO: From Oura to Whoop, we tested the best sleep trackers of 2026

Hatch+ also gatekeeps many more alarms than sleep sounds. Most genres of music (grunge, '90s and "Hatchstreet Boys," elegant instrumentals, etc.), anything seasonal, and meditation shuffles are all locked. Maybe you've seen a Hatch ad involving a celebrity recording a funny or inspirational wakeup call — yep, locked. The celebrity ones might be mildly amusing the first few mornings, but hearing the same voice yapping about how it's going to be a great day feels like severely unserious long-term alarms.

The actual sunrise part needs a relatively dark room

You may not be able to take full advantage of the Hatch Restore 3's actual sunrise sequence if your room gets blindingly bright in the morning, or if you wear a sleep mask.

Since all of the blinds in my apartment are borderline worthless, I sleep with a black t-shirt over my eyes. (I can't stand a sleep mask strap.) Even though it's not attached to my head, I usually wake up with it repositioned to block out morning light. So am I really getting the full effect of the gradual rosy glow that comes on before my alarm goes off? Doubtful.

My coworker Samantha Mangino, who also has a Hatch Restore 3, made an interesting point: She wishes that it had a normal alarm sound. Hatch is so set on waking you up gently that it doesn't consider heavy sleepers who want to try the sunrise function, but need a noise less gentle than wind chimes.

Is a Hatch alarm clock worth it?

If you always feel chaotic at bedtime or upon waking up, the Hatch Restore 3 could be really helpful in getting your rest routine under control. You'd be surprised at how much stress is simply coming from being scared awake by a blaring phone ringtone.

The nightly unwind cues automatically create the relaxing environment that you may have been struggling to create for yourself. My decade-long inability to sleep at a normal time has hardly been cured by scheduled ambient sound and lighting, but the Restore 3 has made me take my bedtime routine more seriously — successfully leading to dozing off a tiny bit earlier on some nights. Is that worth $170? Maybe, if other sleep products haven't been effective.

But a Hatch alarm clock can only build the phone-free routine it claims if you're making a conscious effort to stay off your phone — or if you're paying for Hatch+. The gradual dimming light won't magically knock you out if you're still on TikTok in bed, and most pre-sleep anti-phone entertainment is exclusive to the $4.99 per month subscription. If you don't want to pay for Hatch+, you'll need to be strict about sticking to screen-free entertainment when your unwind cue comes on. Otherwise, a $170 alarm clock won't be much more than a color-changing lamp on your nightstand.

Hatch Restore 3 $144.99 at Amazon
$169.99 Save $25   Shop Now at Amazon

The bump in the night is a horror staple for a reason. There's something uniquely unsettling about a sound you can't explain. Undertone, the latest horror movie from A24, delves into the eerie earworms that might echo through nightmares. 

Written and directed by Ian Tuason, Undertone centers on an isolated podcaster named Evy (Nina Kiri), who becomes fixated on a series of mysterious audio clips. As she goes down the metaphorical rabbit's hole on what they could mean, the world around her seems to shift, forcing her to face a horrid reality.

Undertone is a slow-burning, spooky thriller.  Nina Kiri stars as a haunted podcaster in "Undertone." Credit: A24

Tuason makes an impressive feature directorial debut with Undertone, as this film exudes a quiet confidence that rejects standard scare tropes. Forget a cold open that looks to titillate with terror out of the gate, and don't expect cheap jump scares. Tuason's version of horror is more akin to slow suffocation than to quick, brutal stabs. 

SEE ALSO: A24's 'undertone' trailer teases a podcast turning into a nightmare

We'll meet Evy in her mother's house, which is decorated in feminine but festering flourishes that reflect the woman's waning health even when she's offscreen. Evy is surrounded by her mother's things and the looming certainty of her mother's impending death. Tuason offers us no escape from Evy's cage, as all of Undertone is set in this one house, and most of it in one room. While characters exist beyond Evy and her mother, they will be the only people we see for the whole of the film, heightening the sense of Evy's isolation. 

The only friend Evy seems to have is her podcast partner Justin (Adam DiMarco, who is never shown onscreen), who lives in the UK, meaning that the best time for them to record is 3 a.m. for Evy. In the still of the night, she hunches over the dining room table that's she's transformed into a podcasting setup, complete with noise-cancelling headphones, a prominent microphone, her notes, and a glowing laptop. Visually, Evy's modern, cold electronics clash with her mother's floral wallpaper and the requisite Last Supper print hanging behind her. But stronger clashes will come in the audio as Undertone spins its slippery story. 

Undertone leans hard into audio terror. 

Justin and Evy's podcast dedicatedly explores creepy stories, with him playing the eager believer to her scathing skeptic. So, when he pulls up 10 audio clips from a mysterious source, she's already rolling her eyes. However, the story teased within them soon hooks her interest. A young heterosexual couple is recording their slumber, because the woman is talking in her sleep. What begins as an amusement for the pair turns perilous as it seems something sinister begins speaking through her in the night. 

While Justin is giddy over the progression of the tapes, Evy is uncharacteristically shaken. They'll need to pick up the next recording on another night. And in between, Evy has only the fading breath of her mother and her own footsteps for company, right? Not quite. Something seems to have entered her home through those tapes. Snatches of creepy children's songs, weird crayon scribblings, and a strange figure become Evy's new — and unwelcome companions. The elements themselves have been used plenty in horror. But Tuason makes the most out of them with a masterful soundscape that swells, throbs, and chitters in the theater, rattling the ears — and very bones — of the audience, just as they do Evy's. 

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In all these aspects, I admire Tuason's technical approach to building terror, even if they didn't do much to scare me. The audio meant to be chilling often had me chilling. Not that scratchy records of children singing "Baa Baa Black Sheep" will make my meditation playlist anytime soon, but the should-be creepy sound effects had me drifting toward sleep, even as I was engaged in the mystery of the tapes. Then that mystery takes a subgenre twist that left me disappointed. To Tuason's credit, he earnestly builds lore that competently aligns to Evy's personal struggles, as if these tapes have found her — and not vice versa. However, after being enthralled by the film's first and second acts, I found my mind wandering in the third. By that point, the strong soundscape concept is overtaken by horror clichés, leading to an ending that is disturbing but also underwhelming. For me, the film's slow burn approach, and my patience for it, didn't pay off.

In the end, I was more impressed by Undertone's concept than I was entertained by its execution. I am intrigued to see what Tuason does next. But this one — I'm not on its wavelength.

Undertone opens in theaters on March 13.

At CES 2024 (and, again, at CES 2025), Honda showcased some of the coolest-looking electric vehicle concepts we've ever seen.

With a sleek retro aesthetic, the Honda 0 Series Saloon and 0 Series SUV seemed to be the company's ticket to make serious waves in the EV space, at a time when many other manufacturers were scaling down their EV plans.

The idea was to bring these cars to market in 2026, but that's not going to happen. On Thursday, Honda announced it would cancel the development and market launch of both the Honda 0 Series models, as well as the electric Acura RSX, writing off roughly $15.7 billion in restructuring costs.

"Honda determined that starting production and sales of these three models in current business environment where the demand for EVs is declining significantly would likely result in further losses over the long term," the company said in a statement.

The company lays down the blame for the move on Trump's tariffs, as well as its own inability to properly balance resources needed to develop EVs and remain competitive in Asia.

One paragraph from the statement is particularly notable as it clearly explains why Honda (but also many other, older manufacturers) cannot compete with the new wave of EVs from China.

"In China, what customers value more in automobiles is shifting from hardware features, such as fuel efficiency and cabin space, to software-based features that will continuously advance according to customer preferences. This has intensified the competition due to the rapid emergence of newer EV manufacturers that leverage their short product development cycles and strengths in the area of software-defined vehicle (SDV) technologies, including advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). In such a difficult competitive environment, Honda was unable to deliver products that offer value for money better than that of newer EV manufacturers."

European manufacturers, take note: This isn't only happening in China, and it goes for many of you, too.

SEE ALSO: CES 2025: Hands-on with Sony-Honda's AFEELA 1 Signature

While this isn't mentioned in the post, this likely means that the associated projects, such as this cool solar-powered camper, probably aren't happening either.

Honda will instead focus on hybrids for the time being. As for EVs, Honda will monitor "the balance between profitability and market trends" before it decides to introduce new EV models.