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With no big stars, no flashy elevator pitch, and no provocative title, A Safe Distance might well get overlooked at its world premiere out of the 2026 SXSW film festival. And that would be the world's loss. Written by Aidan West, A Safe Distance is a lean and scintillating thriller that wears its influences — the works of Patricia Highsmith — on its sleeve without apology. The feature directorial debut of Gloria Mercer, this film is slippery, seductive, and smartly titillating. 

Like any psychological noir worth the price of salt, A Safe Distance begins in medias res, with a gunshot boom and a spatter of blood across a woman's face. In the woods, she and another woman, also marked with blood, walk quietly to a river and wash away the signs of violence. Who are they? And how did they get here? Where did the blood come from?

By hooking us with the promise of a shocking murder, A Safe Distance begins as a mystery before leaping back in time to a seemingly mundane camping trip. What follows, however, is the kind of fateful meeting that is the stuff of Highsmith novels like The Price of Salt, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Strangers on a Train. When strangers meet, anything is possible, including love and murder. 

A Safe Distance dares to tread the path less traveled. 

The story begins with a thirtysomething couple, Alex (Bethany Brown) and Joey (Chris McNally), celebrating their eighth anniversary with a camping trip in a sprawling forest. It should be romantic, but beneath her pleasant exterior, Alex seems bored. When Joey turns a cliffside hike into a cringingly clichéd opportunity to propose, she's not enthusiastic; she's repulsed. Dejected, he abandons her in the woods, which is when she meets Kianna (Tandia Mercedes) and Matt (Cody Kearsley). 

This couple is everything Alex and Joey are not. They are young, unconventional, and uninhibited. Alex feels lighter and more free just being in their company. At first, it might seem they're part of the Gen Z van-life community. But before long, Alex realizes they're not just living off the grid, they're bank robbers on the run. And far from being fearful, she's fascinated. 

Abandoned by her banal boyfriend, not expected back at her HR job for days, and now in the hands of a pair of armed and dangerous criminals, a new world of possibilities falls before her. What could life look like if she just didn't go home? Turned on by their devil-may-care attitudes, she's in their thrall sexually and psychologically. Firing a gun for shooting practice becomes as thrilling as a ménage à trois. But how long can this criminal bliss last? 

A Safe Distance evolves into a sapphic romance with crackling chemistry. 

Unmistakably, both Matt and Kianna are into Alex. There's an electrifying excitement as their desire becomes a three-way flame for a steamy sex scene. But Matt soon becomes less intriguing and more tedious. Tossing his long, shiny hair and flexing his muscles, he monologues about feminism and society with a gnawing arrogance that feels like he's pitching a podcast. So it's little surprise when Alex brushes off his advances for a stolen kiss, and Kianna grows visibly irritated with his presumptions about his own prowess as a thief. 

Stolen glances and conversations about the books of Patricia Highsmith point to where A Safe Distance is headed. I mean, two women sharing a picnic blanket, talking about the brilliance of The Price of Salt (which Todd Haynes adapted into the sumptuous queer romance Carol) is anything but subtle. But it's not meant to be. It's these women's version of passing a note in class that essentially says, "I like you, do you like me? Check yes or no." 

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Brown and Mercedes are superb in these scenes. While their characters each try to maintain a facade of aloof cool, their conversation oozes with vulnerability and hopefulness. Like Highsmith's heroes, villains, and antiheroes, they fall fast and unstoppably for a life path that society might reject as deranged, dangerous, or wicked. The dream of being not Bonnie and Clyde but Alex and Kianna is clear and glittering as they pull off an impromptu robbery at a random convenience store. Of course, Matt bristles at being left out. 

From there, the heat and tension builds, promising an eruption that we know will end in blood. But whose? That question pulls the final act into a place of dizzying anxiety and anticipation. It's a threesome turned love triangle turned deadly dance, and who will be left standing might seem obvious. But A Safe Distance has solid surprises in store. 

Cheers to West and Mercer, for this is a spectacular example of smart, sexy, and satisfying indie cinema. Their locations are modest. Their production design is mostly a forest. They have only a handful of characters, and no big names to boost the production's profile. So they lean into sharp storytelling, intoxicating chemistry, and a lean runtime of 85 minutes. A Safe Distance is terrifically paced, unapologetically alluring, and psychologically exciting, making this thriller a salty, twisted treat. The allusions to Highsmith could have hurt the film if it weren't such a solid homage to her storytelling style. Instead, it's easy to see Alex and Kianna among the ranks of Tom Ripley or Carol Aird, figures driven by their desires, for better or worse. And by damn, don't we love them for it? 

A Safe Distance was reviewed out of the 2026 SXSW Film Festival.

Apple TV and A24's Margo's Got Money Troubles begins with a bang, thanks to a fanciful, pinball-themed opening sequence that careens through a handmade world of books, overdue bills, and baby supplies.

Our guide through it all is a green alien woman rolling atop a small silver ball. She takes the punches of the pinball machine as they come, bouncing off platforms and falling down holes before emerging, triumphant, from her bedazzled spaceship. It's a sweet, richly textured sequence, and with the accompanying use of Robyn's "Blow My Mind," it promises the show to follow will blow our minds, too.

SEE ALSO: Everything we know about Apple TV's 'Margo's Got Money Troubles'

If only the rest of Margo's Got Money Troubles could live up to that promise.

The series itself, created by David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal) and led by Elle Fanning, is a heartwarming tale of an unconventional family unit coming together despite the odds. Yet it mostly lacks the imagination of both its title sequence and its central character, becoming a paint-by-numbers dramedy elevated by a great cast.

What's Margo's Got Money Troubles about? Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer in "Margo's Got Money Troubles." Credit: Apple TV

Based on the novel of the same name by Rufi Thorpe, Margo's Got Money Troubles introduces its titular character (Fanning) at a crossroads in her life. She's a college freshman with a promising writing talent. She's also pregnant, the result of an affair with her scummy, married literature professor, Mark (Michael Angarano). Against the wishes of both Mark and her mother Shyanne (Michelle Pfeiffer), she chooses to keep the baby, dropping out of school to raise him.

Raising baby Bodhi will take money that Margo does not have, and Margo's Got Money Troubles immediately sinks viewers into her stress spiral. To earn money for Bodhi, she needs a job. To work a full-time job, she needs to pay for childcare. To pay for childcare, she needs to earn money, and on and on it goes. It's a nightmarish cycle that the series renders in claustrophobic detail. When Margo shows up to a job interview with Bodhi in tow, you can feel the interviewer's cloying judgment shutting down any path forward. When Margo rings up her groceries, each beep of the scanner is a mini heart attack. And when two of Margo's roommates move out because they can't deal with living with a newborn, the added rent feels like a death sentence.

SEE ALSO: 'Margo's Got Money Troubles' trailer teases a single mother starting an OnlyFans

With her finances crumbling and no job opportunities in sight, Margo decides to make content on OnlyFans. What initially begins as a means to an end soon becomes a creative outlet, allowing her to flex her writing skills and earn enough money to take care of Bodhi.

Margo's Got Money Troubles' alien OnlyFans is bonkers fun, and I wish we had more of it. Elle Fanning in "Margo's Got Money Troubles." Credit: Apple TV

For her initial OnlyFans gimmick, Margo offers to tell her fans which Pokémon their penis resembles, and what their attacks would be. This results in several delightfully silly lines lifted straight from Thorpe's novel ("Your penis is a Tentacruel!"), delivered with gusto by Fanning. Later, as Margo tries to expand her empire, she draws on her father Jinx's (Nick Offerman) background as a pro wrestler and her roommate Susie's (Thaddea Graham) passion for cosplay. With their help, she builds an alien persona who regularly collaborates with fellow OnlyFans performers KC (Rico Nasty) and Rose (Lindsey Normington). The trio shoot elaborate wrestling matches, dance sequences, and even a mesmerizing short film involving alien Margo — resplendent in green body paint and a metallic silver dress — looming over a small model movie theater.

Just like the opening credits, these sequences are pure, imaginative fun, made all the more endearing by the characters' intense commitment. They're also proof of something Margo's Got Money Troubles told us from the start: that Margo, as an only child, needed to "develop a complex inner world." With each Pokémon penis comparison or alien short film, Margo's Got Money Troubles externalizes that inner world and gives her a clear point of view. I would have loved to see more of it — more of where her ideas come from, more of her creative process, more of why this alien storyline is what she wants to present to the world.

Instead, Margo's Got Money Troubles spends the bulk of its time on a plot that feels cobbled together from things we've seen before: teacher-student affairs, estranged parents reconnecting with their children, custody battles. When Margo tells her parents she's been doing sex work, you're all too aware of the judgment that will follow, just as you're all too aware that warm reconciliation will come next. It's pleasant to watch, but it rarely dives back into Margo's head in the way that her content creation scenes do.

Thorpe's novel alternates between first and third person, so maybe those varying degrees of distance are intentional. Yet Thorpe's novel also has a wry, observational style throughout that's as cutting and funny as it is heartwarming. Often, it feels like Margo's Got Money Troubles sacrifices the former for the latter.

Elle Fanning leads a great cast in Margo's Got Money Troubles. Nick Offerman and Thaddea Graham in "Margo's Got Money Troubles." Credit: Apple TV

Even when Margo's Got Money Troubles skews towards the formulaic, its cast keeps you locked in on its messy, complicated family. Fanning shines as Margo. From embodying Margo's alien persona to fighting tooth and nail for Bodhi's future, Fanning is tender, fierce, and funny, continuing her banner run of projects including 2025's Sentimental Value and Predator: Badlands.

Within mere seconds of screen time together, Fanning and Pfeiffer establish a raw, lived-in mother-daughter dynamic full of unspoken judgment and unconditional support. In Pfeiffer's hands, Shyanne's nickname of "Noodle" for Margo can either make you laugh or break you at a moment's notice. Elsewhere, Offerman brings warm, protective Papa Bear energy to Jinx as he tries to connect with Margo and remain in recovery after a stint in rehab. His former wrestling persona adds an extra layer of fun to the show, whether we're watching him dance around in the ring or lay Bodhi down while stage-whispering, "Slo-mo bodyslam!"

There's no denying that Margo's Got Money Troubles and this stellar cast will melt your heart. Yet overall, I just wish that the series could have been just as fearless and imaginative as Margo herself.

Margo's Got Money Troubles had its world premiere at SXSW. It premieres April 15 on Apple TV.

Four years after the ChatGPT revolution began, it's fair to say the humans are getting a little restless. AI's infinite slop machine cannot go on unchallenged; it's time for creatives to fight back. That much is clear from anyone who's joined the cult known as Your AI Slop Bores Me, where users conspire to steal AI's job.

The viral hit of the week, YASBM — let's just call it that — is a website where humans go to pretend to be AI to other humans. Users LARP (that's live-action role-play to you non-nerds) by writing or drawing anything that other humans request, within a strict time limit. You earn tokens by LARPing successfully; you spend tokens asking questions yourself.

The result? Amateurish and charming, which is very much the whole YASBM aesthetic (the site was designed to mimic the lo-fi coding of the 1990s web) — and very much the opposite of AI slop.

For example, I spent a token asking "AI" for a picture of "a vampire drinking a cup of blood" — an image conjured up earlier in the day by a friend going through chemo who found herself oddly jealous of other patients getting transfusions. The resulting scribble from a stranger brightened my friend's day more than any polished-but-soulless image I could have asked for on ChatGPT. (What's more, it was better for the environment.)

YASBM reminded me of the 0.5 selfie, Gen Z's deliberately silly, surprisingly meaningful revolt against the too-perfect selfie world of Millennials. I was also reminded that humans creating freely for humans can hold a lot more interest to humans than machine content. Funny, that.

And it seems like a lot of other humans agree — because YASBM doesn't seem to be one of those viral hits that fades after a week. There are early signs that YASBM has what it takes to become something bigger.

'People enjoy being the AI'

"We’re now seeing a more loyal user base with people returning daily," YASBM creator Mihir Maroju tells Mashable. That is, roughly a million unique visitors (not to mention more than 25,000 hardcore fans on the YASBM Discord server) coming back for more "helpful" answers and charming sketches. "People still enjoy being the AI over the human, though."

Navigating a week's worth of viral exposure — from Reddit, to a Twitter/X trending topic, to TikTok — hasn't been easy. Earlier this week, YASBM practically melted down its hosting company's server farm, leaving the site barely useable. But in the spirit of YASBM, Maroju found human help.

In just a few days, "the project has grown into a small volunteer team," he enthuses — with four humans on website and support, and five more managing the Discord server. "We’ve also tightened moderation systems and queues to make sure spammers don’t ruin the fun for everyone else," Maroju adds. Appropriately enough, that means users must click to confirm they're human.

What's next? When I asked Maroju if there was a YASBM app in the works, here was his reply: "We have some very cool stuff cooking! Stay tuned."

There's something else humans do best: create mystery around what's next. Your move, ChatGPT.

TL;DR: Planning a big trip? Babbel’s lifetime subscription lets you learn 14 languages with bite-sized lessons, conversation practice, and offline access — for a one-time $159 payment.

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Travel gets a lot more interesting when you can speak the language — even just a little. Ordering dinner, asking for directions, or chatting with a shop owner suddenly feels less stressful and more like a real cultural exchange. This All-Language Lifetime Subscription to Babbel is currently available for $159 (reg. $646.20) with the StackSocial code LEARN.

Babbel offers courses in 14 languages, including Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish, and more. Lessons focus on practical conversation skills, so instead of memorizing random vocabulary, you’re learning phrases you’re more likely to use while traveling.

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Each lesson takes about 10 to 15 minutes, making it easy to practice during a commute, lunch break, or while waiting for a flight. Babbel also includes speech recognition technology to help you improve pronunciation, plus an AI conversation partner to practice realistic back-and-forth dialogue.

The platform adapts to your skill level — beginner through advanced — and reinforces what you’ve learned with personalized review sessions. You can even download lessons for offline learning, which comes in handy when Wi-Fi isn’t available.

If you’ve got a big trip on the horizon, learning some key phrases beforehand can go a long way — and Babbel makes that process surprisingly manageable.

Get lifetime access to Babbel for a one-time $159 payment (reg. $646.20) with the StackSocial code LEARN while you can.

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If you're interested in a career as a creator, you can go a long way with a tripod and a smartphone equipped with 4K video (which is most of them). Maybe you upgrade, at some point, to a gimbal.

But when you're ready to graduate from a webcam or smartphone to a more professional setup? That's when livestreaming suddenly gets a lot more complicated. And that's where multi-camera livestreaming products from a Chinese company called Obsbot can help.

At the International Innovations expo at SXSW 2026 in Austin, Texas, I got the chance to try out Osbot's setup. Using the company's touchscreen Video Switcher Monitor, you can combine up to seven streams at once — in theory, cutting between shots, angles, and cameras for your audience on Twitch or YouTube.

Osbot cameras at SXSW 2026. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

This could be particularly useful when hosting a livestream with multiple participants — but even for a simple setup where you're talking to the camera, having multiple angles and cameras will instantly make your show look more professional.

Obsbot has been on the livestreaming scene since 2016; it was the official webcam partner of the 2025 Esports World Cup. Still, the company cites a very broad range of potential use cases: pastors livestreaming church services, gamers livestreaming on Twitch, professors teaching digital classes, and video creators of all kinds (or as we used to call them, vloggers).

The company's app supports livestreaming on Twitch, YouTube, X, Vimeo, and other popular platforms. Obsbot has webcam-style cameras and tracking cameras that can follow your face using AI, or operated by remote control.

In the demo, there was something very satisfying about remote-controlling the cameras, and watching them track my face as I moved around. Most webcams now offer some type of face tracking, of course, but Osbot's gimbal cameras are rare in offering 360-degree facial tracking.

Osbot cameras at SXSW 2026. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Unfortunately, there is a downside to graduating from your camera and tripod era: the price tag.

The Osbot Video Mixer Monitor will set you back $1,099, and the Tail Air 4k Streaming Camera and remote is priced at $549. Still, you can supplement these pricier elements with more traditional webcams, like the Obsbot Tiny 2 Lite, a 4K webcam, for only $179.

When you start adding all the cameras and accessories you need to make the mixer monitor work, the price can rise quickly. For example, if you want to go all-in, B&H Photo & Video has an Obsbot Streaming bundle with the video mixer, three Tail 2 AI cameras, three NDI license keys, three tripods, filters, and more accessories. The cost? A cool $6,669.

But, hey, if you're a professional creator, you can always write it off come tax season.

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NASA has cleared Artemis II for launch following a lengthy flight readiness review, mission managers said Thursday, as teams work toward a liftoff as early as April 1.

The new timeline follows the discovery of a helium-flow problem in the mega moon rocket's upper stage that required teams to roll the vehicle back to its enormous hangar for repairs. After swapping out seals and testing them, along with replacing some batteries, mission managers said they're ready to fly. 

So dead set is the space agency on launching next month that its managers have refused to provide launch windows beyond April 30. 

"I've said in the past that, yes, there are opportunities in other months," said Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for exploration systems development, on Thursday, "but right now, we are solely focused on April." 

The flight readiness review serves as the final, agency-level check of hardware, teams, and plans before the Space Launch System and Orion spaceship move back to the launch pad. "Polling go" means the agency is comfortable sending astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day flight around the moon, the first crewed deep space mission in more than 50 years.

SEE ALSO: The interstellar comet gets stranger as scientists learn what's in it

Mission managers said they expect to roll the 322-foot stacked rocket back to its launchpad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, next week on March 19.

Engineers identified and fixed a blocked helium seal in a ground line. The problem caught teams by surprise after a near-perfect fueling test in late February. NASA tested a redesigned connector and installed the modified part on the upper stage. Teams also replaced flight-termination system batteries and tested abort system batteries for the crew module.

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NASA said it remains on track to attempt liftoff as early as April 1, with the launch window opening at 6:24 p.m. ET. Backup dates are available April 2 through 6. The crew will enter pre-launch quarantine on March 18 and travel to Kennedy Space Center in Florida about five days before the launch, as part of standard procedures to protect crew health and readiness.

During the news conference, NASA officials had a tense exchange with reporters regarding the probability of a mission failure or crew loss. When pressed for a single risk number, mission managers balked, offering rough historical comparisons. Test flights often face high uncertainty, said John Honeycutt, chairman of the Artemis II mission management team.

When asked about it again, NASA moderator Rachel Kraft declined to let the panel answer. 

"We've addressed the risk question several times," she said. "We have plenty more questions to get to."

From left, astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen will be the first crew to fly in deep space since Apollo 17 about half a century ago. Credit: NASA / Joel Kowsky

Work still remains in the Vehicle Assembly Building. Teams will complete checkouts, remove access platforms, and secure the hardware for moving back to the pad. 

NASA does not plan to have another wet dress rehearsal, a practice launch countdown with actual fuel, that would eat up time in the April launch window. Instead, the agency aims to fill the rocket on a day that could lead directly into a launch.

The flight readiness review, albeit a significant achievement for any mission, was just a "step along the way," Honeycutt said. 

"We're not going to celebrate 'til we get Reid and Victor and Christina and Jeremy safely home," he said.  

At a Wednesday rally in Kentucky, President Donald Trump heaped praise on YouTuber Jake Paul and insinuated the influencer would soon run for political office.

Trump was in the Bluegrass state to campaign for Congressional candidate Ed Gallrein, who is running against Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican and avowed enemy of Trump’s. After Gallrein spoke to the crowd, Trump heaped praise on Paul, calling him a powerful fighter, a "great guy," and "a very tough cookie."

Paul came out briefly, saying he and Trump "never back down from a fight." The influencer also stated that he hopes to see more factories thriving in the area and throughout the country, possibly hinting at future issues he’ll campaign on.

SEE ALSO: Jimmy Kimmel reacts to Jake Paul speaking at a Trump rally

After Paul left the stage, Trump said, "I predict, I’m gonna make a prediction, that [Paul] will be, in the not-too-distant future, running for political office. And you have my complete and total endorsement."

Trump’s embrace of Paul is quite a reversal for the creator, whose California home was raided by the FBI in 2020. The raid was connected to a looting at an Arizona mall; Paul was never charged with any crimes.

Paul was accused of sexual assault by TikTok star Justine Paradise in 2021, but denied the claims.

In the years since, Paul has become as well known for his MMA and boxing careers as his highly lucrative work as a YouTuber and influencer.

Google Maps just got a major upgrade. A really major upgrade. In fact, according to Google, it's the biggest update to the company's mapping service in more than a decade.

What's new? Two features that have the power to change how users use the app entirely: Ask Maps and Immersive Navigation.

Ask Maps

The new AI feature, Ask Maps brings Google's most advanced Gemini models into the app. The goal: allow users to ask destination questions in a conversational way.

Users can get real specific, the company says, and ask questions like “My phone is dying — where can I charge it without having to wait in a long line for coffee?”

Ask Maps will then suggest locations where they can do exactly that. How accurate the suggestions are is another question.

Ask Maps Credit: Google

Google Maps users can also provide Ask Maps with a list of locations they are planning to visit, and ask if there's anything interesting they should check out.

The company says that it "analyzes information from over 300 million places, including reviews from our community of more than 500 million contributors" in order to build each user's itinerary.

Ask Maps will also reference your previous preferences when recommending locations and businesses — for example, a type of restaurant.

Ask Maps Credit: Google

Once a user picks a spot, Ask Maps says it can help book reservations at the restaurant, save the location to a list for a later date, and share locations with friends.

Immersive Navigation

What's a bigger deal than yet another Google app getting an AI feature? Answer: Immersive Navigation.

Google has basically introduced a whole new way to use Google Maps, with a redesign that the company is calling "a complete transformation of the navigation experience, with redesigned visuals and more intuitive guidance."

Immersive Navigation provides a 3D way to navigate in the app. The environment your avatar is driving through highlights important road details like lanes, crosswalks, traffic lights, and stop signs. Surrounding buildings, overpasses, and terrain will match more closely what they look like in real-life.

Immersive Navigation Credit: Google

Google Maps is also getting a slew of smaller features: more advanced notices for your routes, more natural and conversational voice guidance, parking recommendations when approaching your destination, and real-time road disruption alerts.

And when you're deciding whether to continue using the current direction, or opting for an alternate route that the app discovers, Google Maps will now offer more context for your decision.

Ask Maps is rolling out today in the U.S. for iOS and Android devices, and will come to the desktop app later in the year. Immersive Navigation will begin to roll out today in the U.S. and expand over the next few months to eligible iOS and Android devices, CarPlay, Android Auto and cars with Google built-in.

There's a slippery magic that can occur between two strangers. At first, they are nothing to each other, except perhaps a means to an end. Maybe they are even slightly repelled by each other. Then something flicks, and they are not just strangers anymore. They are people who, for better or worse, can see truly each other, even if they never see each other again.

This is the story at the core of Anima, which has a sci-fi setup that might suggest a cold world of disconnected folk. The story begins with Beck (Alien: Earth's Sydney Chandler), a young woman with a bob that's best described as retro-futuristic while French. Though trained as an engineer, Beck's lack of people skills has her searching for work. When a company that promises it can upload human consciousness into a cloud system is hiring, she'll take any job they've got on offer. Little does she expect it'll be a life-changing journey.

Anima is an entrancing road-trip movie.

An unappealing entry-level gig is how Beck meets Paul (Shōgun's Takehiro Hira), a man who's made his fortune on buttons (the clothing kind, not the pushing kind). Paul is a client of this consciousness-cloud storage company; she's been hired to pick him up and drive him to his final appointment. There, he will, according to the sales pitch, be copied over to a computer drive and then euthanized.

The instructions Beck is given from a formal executive (Birth/Rebirth's Marin Ireland) are simple: Drive him here and see that he has a good last meal. But Paul throws a curve into their journey by demanding they make a few stops along the way.

See, before he goes, Paul wants to make amends. Well, maybe "amends" isn't the right word. But he has some regrets to get off his chest, and Beck will be his sidekick whether she likes it or not.

Anima is a tale of opposites finding common ground.

At first, Beck regards Paul as a job, perhaps in part so she won't think too much about what their destination has in store for this soon-to-die man. But as their car ride kicks off, she soon is sneering at him — and understandably so! Sulking in a leather trench coat and business suit, he demands detours, detests the radio, and drags Beck into backyards, shops, and humble homes on his unhinged quest for resolution.

Along the way, they'll meet characters who burst with energy neither of these heroes can muster. A poolside vixen with a mouth painted perfectly red and welcoming. An American business colleague who practically cheers at Paul's arrival. An awkward teen clerk whose hobby is talking to an AI chatbot modeled after a Twin Peaks character. With each encounter, Beck sees who Paul is in contrast to those he'll leave behind. And in each stop, she reveals a bit of herself too.

Sydney Chandler and Takehiro Hira have a strange but compelling chemistry.

Writer/director Brian Tetsuro Ivie sculpts a story lean yet deep, where small plot points echo across the road trip. A stolen CD plays a song about a broken parent-child bond, allowing Beck and Paul to connect over a shared heartache from opposite sides. Something flips, just like that, and these two are not strangers but friends. So what will that mean for the end of their journey? I wouldn't dare reveal. But I will say that Chandler and Hira manage each step with a resonating reserve.

In dialogue, they move from crisply rude to hesitantly curious to trippingly warm to achingly vulnerable. Yet despite its themes of life, death, and regret, Anima never falls into suffocating sentimentality or tear-jerking theatrics. Its tone is softer and more elegiac, but never stoic.

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There's a thrum of yearning reverberating through Ivie's vision of a not-so-distant future. There, these heroes are often bathed in cool tones, perhaps reflecting the icy exteriors that have been their respective shields. But as they collide with the friends and family of Paul's life, the palette grows warm, as if to indicate life choices that really could have made the grass greener.

Paul's early rejection of the radio sets up a soundtrack that is selective, not constant. Sometimes the only music is the whispering of a river, or the hum of the car speeding down the highway. Other times, it's a deceptively cheery pop song, an artist perhaps singing the feelings neither Paul or Beck can dare to confess.

In the end, Anima is a touching story of human connection in a world where tech suggests we can do without. Moving and meditative, this drama is a ride well worth the taking.

Anima was reviewed out of SXSW.

The latest trailer for Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day, ahem, discloses a bit more information about the film's plot than its initial teaser.

According to the trailer, Josh O'Connor plays a whistleblowing cybersecurity administrator who's planning to reveal the sensitive information he's paid to protect. The information? That humans aren't alone in the universe.

SEE ALSO: Netflix's 'Thrash' trailer is hungry sharks after tsunami after hurricane

Soon, he'll be mixed up in a vast fight for the truth, and he won't be alone. He'll team up with a Kansas City TV meteorologist (Emily Blunt) who begins emitting alien clicking sounds while on air. His acquaintance Jane (Eve Hewson) also gets wrapped up in things, crossing paths with a menacing administrator (Colin Firth) who appears to be able to project himself anywhere in the world thanks to a machine he's wired up to. Said machine also seems to give him mind control powers and the ability to change his eye color, making it a Swiss Army knife of cool powers. (That doesn't mean I'd like to cross paths with anyone using it, though.)

The rest of the trailer is chock-full of intriguing imagery, from crop circles to a mysterious deer leading a young girl toward a glowing door. Do I know what's going on? No. Do I trust Spielberg to deliver another alien banger? Given that he's behind E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, that's going to be an absolute "yes."

Disclosure Day was written by Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp, from a story by Spielberg. Colman Domingo and Wyatt Russell also star.

Disclosure Day hits theaters June 12.

Tinder just announced several product updates at its inaugural event, Tinder Sparks — from its subtly teased AI matchmaker to safety upgrades and an astrology mode.

Up top, Tinder is "modernizing" its look with a Liquid Glass design (like Apple's) and full-screen photos and content. The app also wants to enhance onboarding new users by encouraging them to complete their profiles — from bios to multiple photos, instead of just uploading a selfie. Beyond that, here's a breakdown of all the newness coming to the dating app:

SEE ALSO: All your Tinder questions, answered New Tinder AI features

Like other major dating apps, Bumble and Hinge, Tinder is leaning into the AI craze. This isn't new — they've rolled out AI-powered features before — but today's announcement continues the trend.

First, there's Chemistry, an AI-powered matchmaker that's already being tested in Australia and New Zealand, but rolls out in the U.S. and Canada today.

Chemistry is "Tinder's AI-powered way of cutting through dating fatigue," according to Tinder's press release. Chemistry will use a Q&A and scan your camera roll to "get a better sense" of who you are, and in return, Tinder users will receive a daily curated match recommendation.

Credit: Tinder

The camera roll scan is an opt-in feature within Chemistry that helps discover "Photo Insights" such as your interests based on patterns in your camera roll. This seems similar to Photo Selector, an AI feature Tinder rolled out in 2024, that helped you pick a profile pic.

Similar features in the pipeline are Visual Interests and the AI-powered Photo Enhanced, which will reportedly highlight individuals' favorite things and make photos clearer, respectively.

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In addition, Tinder's real-time recommendation system, "Learning Mode," aims to quickly understand what you're looking for and gather feedback to serve you better potential matches. Internal testing of Learning Mode suggests that, for women joining Tinder for the first time, it's associated with a higher likelihood of returning to the app within the first week.

New modes for music and astrology lovers

Tinder previously introduced College Mode and Double Date Mode, and now it's continuing the trend.

Music Mode launched in 2021 in collaboration with Spotify, but Tinder has now redesigned it. Music Mode will now prioritize profiles with shared tastes and promises a sleeker user interface. In early testing, one in 10 Tinder users under 22 adopted it.

Then there's the new Astrology Mode, likely building on the growing online interest in astrology and already influencing Tinder users. Now, users can add their birth data to "unlock" their Sun, Moon, and Rising signs and see compatibility insights with a potential match. Women with Astrology profiles sent 20 percent more Likes in early testing, according to Tinder.

Credit: Tinder

Both Music Mode and Astrology Mode are live globally.

Encouraging more IRL moments

Capitalizing on the IRL trend, Tinder is piloting an Events feature in Los Angeles that lists local IRL happenings, allowing users to signal their interest in attending. Tinder plans to partner with event hosts to offer opportunities to get off the app and into in-person flirting, say, at a pottery class or trivia night. Both Tinder and Bumble have thrown IRL events in the past, but this is new.

Credit: Tinder

If you'd rather stay home but still want to see a date's face, you may prefer the new video speed-dating feature (also testing in Los Angeles). If you're photo verified (and all new U.S. users need to scan their face to join the app as of October last year), you can join scheduled, three-minute-long speed dates. You can add more time if you'd like, or connect with multiple matches in real time. Very 2020 of Tinder!

Tinder safety upgrades

Tinder has long had twin features, "Are You Sure?" and "Does This Bother You?", which ask users whether they want to send a potentially harmful message and prompt them to report if a message is making them uncomfortable, respectively.

Credit: Tinder

Now, Tinder announces that these features are (unsurprisingly) getting an AI-powered upgrade. "Are You Sure?" is "being fine-tuned to more accurately detect harm," according to Tinder, while "Does This Bother You?" will soon auto-blur potentially disrespectful messages.

Duolingo and Beli...on Tinder?

Tinder's had Spotify integrations since 2016, and now the app is introducing more partnerships — with language-learning app Duolingo and restaurant review app Beli. Expect that to drop globally later this year.

"With more than half our users under 30, we're building alongside a generation that wants dating to feel more authentic, lower-pressure, and worth their time," Match Group and Tinder CEO Spencer Rascoff stated in the press release.

If you're looking to get into Tinder but don't know how it all works, read Mashable's guide to Tinder.

We've already reviewed (and loved) the MacBook Neo, the newest member of Apple's laptop family. Its positive aspects include that $599 price point (or $499 with open-to-all education pricing), fun colors such as citrus, and a powerful A18 Pro chipset. And that sentiment is pretty much unanimous amongst tech reviewers.

Still, amongst all the adulation for Apple's most affordable laptop ever, there are drawbacks. These aren't necessarily flaws — Apple had to pick and choose what to include and what not to include in order to make its low-cost MacBook a reality. The positives outweigh the negatives, but it's still important for consumers to know what they're getting into. Here's why the Neo might not be your cup of tea.

Only 8GB of RAM

Most outlets, from Mashable to The Verge, have pointed out that the MacBook Neo only comes with 8GB of RAM. Regardless of which model you buy, there's no option to upgrade your MacBook Neo's memory nor is it possible to upgrade it at a later time. For most general use cases — writing documents, browsing the internet — 8GB will be more than enough. But if they need to multitask — or perform processor-hungry video editing, say — users will likely feel the need for a few more GB.

Few ports in a storm

The MacBook Neo is seriously lacking ports. As our review notes, the MacBook Neo doesn't have a Thunderbolt 4 port, meaning that it can only offer transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s. Compare that with 40Gb/s for the latest MacBook Air.

As for the Neo's two USB-C ports? Well, as Macworld writes, they aren't exactly equal. One is for 10Gb/s data transfer and displays, while the other one is only a 480Mbps port — which should be used mostly for charging purposes.

Single-core processes: Good. Multi-core processes? Ehh.

The MacBook Neo and its A18 Pro chip are surprisingly faster at many single-core processes than even the more powerful M Series chipsets. In 9to5Mac's benchmark tests, the Neo was faster than the M1, M2, and even M3 MacBook Air laptops when used for tasks like web browsing and basic photo editing. 

However, the MacBook Neo is significantly slower when it comes to more complex use cases like video exporting and AI processing  that require multi-cores. 9to5Mac found that the MacBook Neo was only slightly faster than the more than a 5-year-old M1 MacBook Air, and slower than the rest of the M Series chips.

Want slim? Consider the MacBook Air

Bloomberg, as well as our colleagues at CNET, make an interesting point. While the MacBook Neo is small thanks to its 13-inch display, it is still thicker than the MacBook Air. This makes sense — when you're paying the extra for an Air, you're paying for a slim build. But it means the Neo isn't quite as easy to tote around as you might think. (The Neo and the 13-inch MacBook Air both weigh the same, around 2.7 lbs.)

CNET also found that the MacBook Neo's battery life didn't last as long as some other MacBooks, including the MacBook Air.

MacBook Neo's base model may not be enough

As many reviewers noted, the $599 model only comes with 256GB of storage space and does not have Touch ID. In this day and age, 256GB of storage space isn't much. System data will take a chunk of that space off the bat; once you install apps, there might not be too much left for documents and downloads. Touch ID is really handy, meanwhile; it removes the need to type in most passwords.

Apple does provide an upgraded MacBook Neo model which doubles the storage space to 512GB, and includes Touch ID, for an extra $100. But that takes away the allure of the base model MacBook Neo's extremely low pricing.

As BGR points out, it seems Apple sent most early reviewers the 512GB model with Touch ID. That hints at which MacBook Neo model Apple considers standard. 

Bottom line: the MacBook Neo appears to be a powerful computer at an amazing price as long as you're using the device for basic, everyday tasks. In more advanced use cases, it may still fit your purposes — but we recommend taking a look at what else Apple has to offer, just to be sure you're buying the appropriate MacBook for your needs.

With most TikTok FYPs already brimming with podcast clips, it's clear the social media company is now trying to break into the genre.

On Friday, the company is launching the TikTok Podcast Network and a new platform called TikTok Radio. Both projects are working with iHeartMedia to help fill out the audio-first content. The idea behind TikTok Radio is, basically, an FYP for, well, radio and podcasts.

SEE ALSO: TikTok is using Charli XCX's 'House' better than "Wuthering Heights"

Wrote TikTok in a press release:

"TikTok Radio captures the speed and cultural momentum of the For You feed in real time, blending trending music with commentary from TikTok creators and established iHeartRadio personalities. The station will broadcast live for the first time on March 13 from SXSW, and will be available on the free iHeartRadio app and across 28 broadcast stations nationwide, including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, Miami, and more."

The TikTok Podcast Network, meanwhile, also launches on Friday with a lineup of creators enlisted to start pods. Among those creators were Lele Pons, Carter Gregory, and Caroline Vazzana. The idea is to give fans deeper insight into their favorite creators.

Here's a breakdown of the five long-form podcasts launching with the TikTok Podcast Network:

• The Set List: Hosted by media personality, music executive, host, and cultural tastemaker Carter Gregory (@thecarterb), The Set List takes listeners into the backstage spaces where culture is being created for intimate conversations with top artists and creatives, giving fans new insight into the creative DNA behind their work.

• Suite 305 with Lele Pons: Hosted by multihyphenate and social media star Lele Pons (@lelepons), listeners will step into the world’s most unfiltered slumber party. Suite 305 is where the people who shape culture finally get to be themselves.

• Caroline’s Closet: Hosted by fashion editor, author, and personality Caroline Vazzana(@cvazzana), Caroline is drawing back the curtain on the fashion industry and giving listeners a front row seat. 

• Sports Slice: Hosted by Tim Martin (@timbosliceoflife12), Sports Slice is where the biggest stories in sports get cut down and served with loud takes, real conversations, and absolutely no safe picks. 

• The Clifford Show: Hosted by former college football player turned viral sports creator Clifford Taylor IV (@clifford), The Clifford Show is your VIP pass to the hustle and grind of making it in sports and in media. 

"We couldn’t be more excited to launch TikTok Radio and introduce our inaugural slate of hosts for the TikTok Podcast Network," said Dan Page, global head of media and licensing partnerships at TikTok, in a statement.

"At TikTok, empowering creators to turn their passions into lasting careers is core to everything we do, and this partnership unlocks powerful new opportunities for them to expand their voices across radio, podcasts, and live moments, while connecting with fans in new ways."

SAVE $15.09: Apple AirTags is on sale for $13.91 at Amazon, down from the list price of $29. That marks a new record-low price at Amazon. If they're sold out at Amazon, check Walmart which is also offering the $13.91 sale price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirTag $13.91
$29 Save $15.09   Get Deal

Sometimes it's the simple things that make life so much easier. Bluetooth trackers fall into the category of items we're not sure how we lived without. If you could use a few extra Apple AirTags, today's your lucky day because they've never been this affordable.

As of March 12, Amazon is selling single Apple AirTags for $13.91, marked down from the list price of $29. That works out to a massive 52% discount or a savings of $15.09 per tracker, which is the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon. This deal has been coming in and out of stock, so if it's sold out at Amazon, check on stock at Walmart where they're also $13.91.

SEE ALSO: Attention Apple fans: The brand new M5 MacBook Air already has its first discount

In case you haven't heard, Apple has a new version of the AirTag. Sure, it comes with improved performance but the first generation saved us from losing luggage, pets, and car keys. Plus, the sale price of $13.91 makes for a damn compelling reason to stock up. Each 2nd Gen Apple AirTag is sitting at full price of $29, so today's deal on the previous model basically makes these buy one, get one free.

With spring break travel starting soon, this is great timing to grab some extra AirTags. Keep in mind stock has been fluctuating with this epic sale price, so check Amazon and Walmart to make sure you're scoring this new record-low price.

SAVE $400: As of March 12, get the Growatt Helios portable power station for just $1,199. That's $400 off the power station's $1,599 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Growatt Growatt Helios Portable Power Station $1,199 at Amazon
$1,599 Save $400   Get Deal

Portable power stations are essential devices whether you spend most of your time indoors or outside. Not only can it serve as a back-up power source in the case of an emergency power outage, but it can also accompany you on all your adventures. If you're headed out on a camping or RV trip this summer, a power station might just be the companion you need for keeping your devices charged.

If you're looking for a great power station, let us steer you in the direction of the Growatt Helios portable power station. As of March 12, it's on sale at Amazon, saving you $400 on its $1,599 list price. That brings it down to $1,199 for 25% off. It's not quite the power station's lowest-ever price of $1,099, but it's close.

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The Growatt Helios portable power station with 3,600W output and 3.6kWh. Let us translate that. It can power heavy duty devices including air conditioners and refrigerators. When fully charged, the Growatt Helios generator can power your fridge for 24 to 72 hours. It supports USB, DC, and AC power so you can charge multiple devices at once. Plus, you can power it up fast with solar.

Get the Growatt Helios Portable Power Station at Amazon for $1,199.

SAVE $49: As of March 12, the brand new Apple MacBook Air (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) is on sale for the first time in both the 13-inch and 15-inch models. Get the 13-inch for $1,049.99 (reg. $1,099) and the 15-inch for $1,249.99 (reg. $1,299).

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,049.99 at Amazon
$1,099 Save $49.01   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,249.99 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $49.01   Get Deal

The brand new Apple M5 MacBook Air officially has its first discount. It made its formal debut just yesterday, March 11, and is already on sale in both the 13-inch and 15-inch varieties.

The starting price for the M5 MacBook Air is $1,099 for the 13-inch model and $1,299 for the 15-inch model. Both base models feature 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. As of March 12, you can knock $49.01 off each laptop, bringing the starting price down to just $1,049.99 or $1,249.99. Sure, that's not a huge discount. But considering the base models are already technically $100 cheaper than their predecessors, that's pretty sweet value.

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So what's new about these laptops? Honestly, not a whole lot. Obviously, the M5 chip is a step up from the previous generation's M4 chip. They now have the same wildly fast processor as the 14-inch MacBook Pro from last fall. They also start with more base storage, are configurable with up to 4TB (up from 2TB) for the first time, and have added Apple's N1 wireless chip to bring support for WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

Otherwise, the new M5 MacBook Air is largely the same as the M4 MacBook Air — same 60Hz Liquid Retina display, 12MP Center Stage webcam, dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, and 18-hour battery life. While that's not necessarily a bad thing (we loved the M4 Air), it certainly makes it a non-essential upgrade unless you're rocking a MacBook that's a few generations old. Still, there's no denying what a great value the laptop is, particularly now that it's $49 cheaper in both sizes.

SAVE $300: As of March 12, get the Samsung 32-inch OLED M9 smart monitor for $1,299.99 at Amazon. It's marked down about 20% at Amazon, saving you $300 off its $1,599.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 32-inch OLED M9 Smart Monitor $1,299.99 at Amazon
$1,599.99 Save $300   Get Deal

It might be time to upgrade your gaming setup. As much as you may love your gaming laptop, that crook in your neck from hunching over it may be saying otherwise. For a better picture (and posture), bring in a monitor. If you want to go all out, look for a 4K OLED monitor. Although it'll be an investment, you can always find some savings to sweeten the deal.

As of March 12, shop the Samsung 32-inch OLED M9 smart monitor for $1,299.99. That saves you $300 off its $1,599.99 price tag. The 19% drop in price brings the monitor to its lowest price ever, but there are more savings to be had.

There are extra savings on Samsung monitors, TVs, and soundbars at Amazon. Right now, when you buy two qualifying items, save $100 with code BUYMORE, with savings maxing out at $500 off up to five qualifying items.

So, what's so special about the Samsung 32-inch OLED M9 smart monitor? Picture quality stuns on this monitor with OLED technology. Plus, you won't get bogged down with lag with a 165Hz refresh rate. This monitor, which is designed for gaming, doesn't necessarily need a PC or console to operate thanks to the Samsung Gaming Hub.

Shop the Samsung 32-inch OLED M9 smart monitor for $1,299.99 and save $300.

SAVE $44: As of March 12, the Renpho MorphoScan Nova Smart Scale is on sale for only $189.98 at Amazon. That's just shy of 20% off and its best price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: Renpho Renpho MorphoScan Nova Smart Scale $189.98 at Amazon
$233.99 Save $44.01   Get Deal

There's a whole lot more to your health than just your body weight. If you need a little guidance along your health and fitness journey, there's tons of tech that can help you see the big picture — starting with a smart scale. The Renpho MorphoScan Nova Smart Scale gives you a breakdown of your full body composition and for a limited time, it's down to its best-ever price.

As of March 12, you can grab the Renpho MorphoScan Nova Smart Scale for only $189.98 at Amazon instead of $233.99. That's nearly 20% in savings and its best price on record. But you'll have to act fast to secure the savings. As a Lightning deal, this discount will disappear when the timer runs out.

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The Renpho Smart Scale uses eight high-sensitivity electrodes to track over 50 body metrics, including weight, body fat, muscle mass, BMI, and much more. All metrics will show on the 4.3-inch TFT display, as well as in the user-friendly Renpho app, which can sync up with Apple Health, Google Fit, and MyFitnessPal. The app supports unlimited user profiles and offers personalized health insights for each.

You'll get historical body data and detailed charts to help you track long-term metrics and get a better glimpse at the big picture, rather than dwelling on daily fluctuations. In other words, this is not for casual users.

The clock is running down, so act quick to score the Renpho MorphoScan Nova Smart Scale for its best price to date.

Bumble will soon test an AI dating experience called, simply, Dates.

Dates will be powered by Bee, a standalone product feature designed as a personal dating assistant and matchmaker, Whitney Wolfe Herd, founder and CEO, said during its Q4 2025 earnings call.

SEE ALSO: Bumble announces AI-powered Profile Guidance and Photo Feedback

As Bumble told Mashable, users will start using Dates with an onboarding conversation to discuss values, relationship goals, communication style, lifestyle, and dating intentions. These conversations, which will be with "Bee," will apparently be private and not shared on your profile. Users will also be able to control what elements of the conversation Bee uses to search for matches.

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Then, Bee will identify a highly-compatible profile and notify both users with a description of why they're a match. If the interest is mutual, the connection moves to a conversation.

"To fully recover and return to growth, we must focus on product and technology innovation, which is where our efforts are now," Wolfe Herd said during Bumble's earnings call. Bumble's total revenue and paying users had decreased year over year (14 percent and 21 percent, respectively) compared to Q4 2024.

Wolfe Herd said that since the start of this year, she's been spending 90 percent of her days with the tech and product teams "reimagining what finding love looks like in the era of AI."

"We are rearchitecting the entire Bumble experience from start to finish," she said. Bumble can't use its legacy tech stack (the set of technologies that together build an app), so it's building a new, cloud-native tech stack with a targeted launch in Q2. Wolfe Herd said it's not just a backend upgrade, but a fully new platform coming.

Wolfe Herd also acknowledged the burnout and disillusionment with dating apps as of late. "Daters across the industry are dissatisfied with being reduced to images and potentially dismissed with a swipe," she said. "Bumble 2.0 introduces a chapter-based structure designed to help members tell their stories more authentically and understand one another more deeply."

SEE ALSO: App fatigue is real. I tested the best dating apps of 2026 to find the ones that really work.

She said the AI prioritizes fewer, more relevant matches over volume, combats swipe fatigue, and helps members move towards real-world connections.

The beta of Dates is launching soon, and future iterations are expected to incorporate date suggestions and anonymous feedback. Bumble already launched some AI features, Profile Guidance and Photo Feedback, last month.

Back in 2024, Wolfe Herd discussed an AI-powered dating concierge that would basically date for you, so it's unsurprising that the app is taking this direction.

Other major dating apps, particularly Tinder and Hinge, have also added AI features in the last few years. Tinder is also reportedly testing an AI matchmaker, while Hinge's latest AI feature helps start better conversations. Hinge's founder, Justin McLeod, left the app last year to launch an AI dating service called Overtone.

Popular YouTuber JerryRigEverything tore down the new Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, performing one of the most fun and anticipated tests of the new, premium phone.

JerryRigEverything took an extended look at the guts of the new phone and found that Samsung neglected to make a big deal of an upgraded camera system. Still, as most tech products go these days, the Galaxy S26 Ultra seems to be an incremental upgrade over previous models.

JerryRigEverything called it a "decent upgrade over last year, but I still wouldn't rush out to buy a new one if you have a phone that was made in the last two or three years."

In his review of the phone, Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth wrote that the S26 Ultra was a very good smartphone, mostly aimed at power users.

He wrote: "Still, for dedicated Android users — or anyone who loves big phones and hates Liquid Glass — the S26 Ultra is worth the investment. If you're a professional creator, an AI superuser, or a developer who can make the most of the snappy Qualcomm processor, then I think you'll be very happy."