Blogroll

These 5 luxury cars guzzle way more gas than a Ford Maverick

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 20:00

In the automotive world, luxury usually translates to more. More hand-crafted leather, more high-resolution screens, more panoramic roof space, and more social clout. It can also translate to more visits to the gas station.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How to watch Cagliari vs. Napoli online for free

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 20:00

TL;DR: Live stream Cagliari vs. Napoli in Serie A for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Serie A action kicks off this weekend with a huge clash between Cagliari and Napoli.

The defending champions are nine points behind Inter going into this game, so they need to be incredibly consistent if they stand any chance of bridging that gap. They'll expect to beat Cagliari, but the home team will be desperate to pick up points and move away from the relegation zone.

If you want to watch Cagliari vs. Napoli in Serie A for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Cagliari vs. Napoli?

Cagliari vs. Napoli in Serie A kicks off at 5:30 p.m. GMT on March 20. This fixture takes place at the Unipol Domus.

How to watch Cagliari vs. Napoli for free

Cagliari vs. Napoli in Serie A is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

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

Live stream Cagliari vs. Napoli for free by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

  4. Visit BBC iPlayer

  5. Live stream Cagliari vs. Napoli for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Cagliari vs. Napoli without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream select fixtures from Serie A before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

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

  • Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds free from throttling

  • Up to 10 simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream Cagliari vs. Napoli in Serie A for free with ExpressVPN.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The most expensive Toyota RAV4 isn’t the one you should buy

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 19:46

Toyota has built its reputation on cars that just work, from dependable sedans to SUVs people trust with everything from commutes to road trips. The Toyota RAV4 is a big part of that story—a compact SUV that’s been practical, efficient, and easy to live with for decades.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps (Update)

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 19:05

One of the biggest Android stories of last year was Google’s planned major changes to sideloading. It caused a legitimate uproar in the community, leading Google to backtrack a bit. Now, we’re getting our first look at what these new restrictions will look like.

Categories: IT General, Technology

These 6 simple tricks will turn your Android phone into an eReader

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 19:00

Unless you've got a phone with an e-ink display, you won't be able to get a one-to-one eReader experience on a phone. That said, with a few tweaks, you can get pretty close. The tricks shared below can be especially handy if you've got an old phone or tablet lying around that you'd like to turn into an Android-based eReader.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Pokémon Pokopia: How to power up Rock Smash

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 18:41

Pokémon Pokopia is arguably the first real Nintendo Switch 2 sensation, but it doesn't spell out everything about its various systems right away.

Case in point: upgrading abilities. Pokopia showers you with a handful of important abilities during its tutorial, and then doles out some more over the course of its story, but what it doesn't make clear up front is that you can upgrade those abilities to make them much more useful.

Rock Smash is one of them. At first, you can punch through most types of materials to clear them out and collect what's inside of them, but you'll also encounter some harder or bigger types of rocks that can't be smashed. What gives? Keep reading to find out how to fix that problem.

SEE ALSO: 10 of the coolest and weirdest 'Pokémon Pokopia' builds we've seen so far How to upgrade Rock Smash in Pokémon Pokopia

Upgrading your abilities in Pokopia is kind of an involved process if you're starting from the beginning. The main thing you need to know is that it's done through cooking, as different types of dishes upgrade different abilities. Specifically, you want to cook a hamburger steak of any kind because eating one will upgrade Rock Smash for you.

SEE ALSO: 'Pokémon Pokopia': How to get the Suck ability to move water around

If you don't already have the ability to cook, you'll need to simply progress through the main story until you unlock the Rocky Ridges area. Keep doing the story and eventually you'll meet a friendly Greedent who teaches you how to cook. Sorry for being somewhat vague about this, but it really is just a matter of doing what the game says until you unlock cooking.

SEE ALSO: A cool 'Pokémon' GameCube game is now on Nintendo Switch 2, but there's a catch

In order to make a hamburger steak, you need a frying pan and some beans. The former is what you use to cook hamburger steaks, and the latter is the primary ingredient for them. Once you have both of those, plop the frying pan down over a flame, put beans and another ingredient in it if you like, and then you'll have what you need. Eat your creation and Rock Smash should upgrade itself.

Once it's upgraded, you can punch through those troublesome rocks and collect rare ores from them. Congratulations!

Categories: IT General, Technology

Homelab projects to try this weekend (March 20 - 22)

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 18:30

Stay strong, the weekend is coming—and that means you’ll have a few days to work on some new homelab projects! This weekend, you should give Stirling PDF, Planka, and Glances a try. They’re easy to deploy Docker containers that offer a lot of value.

Categories: IT General, Technology

After 20 years, I've finally found a replacement for WinRAR

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 18:09

WinRAR has been such a steadfast part of the Windows experience that its payment model—politely nagging users to buy a license—has become a meme. But after more than 20 years, I've finally found an alternative.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The best laptop deals live ahead of Amazons Big Spring Sale: Its a MacBook show so far

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 18:06
A quick look at Amazon's best laptop deals ahead of the Big Spring Sale: Best MacBook deal Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,299 at Amazon (save $300) Get Deal Best Windows laptop deal Asus ROG Flow Z13 (AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $2,069.99 at Amazon (save $330 + free code for "Crimson Desert") Get Deal

Amazon's third annual Big Spring Sale is just around the corner (from March 25 to 31). The event is themed around seasonal goodies like spring cleaning supplies, outdoor gear, and warm-weather apparel. But in the past, we've also seen it prompt some great deals on tech — including laptops.

So far, the bulk of Amazon's best pre-sale computer deals involve MacBooks, MacBooks, and more MacBooks. Almost every configuration from the past two years is on sale, if it's still in stock, with the biggest price cuts going to 2025's M4 MacBook Airs. They're all $200 to $300 off, making them significantly cheaper than their iterative M5 replacements, which Apple announced earlier this month. (Those are also on sale already, but only for about $50 off.) A couple of configurations are sitting at record-low prices.

Things are a little less exciting on the Windows laptop side. I managed to find a powerful Asus gaming convertible on sale for $330 off, which is its biggest discount ever; that's the only one I would add to my cart now. A handful of Microsoft Surface Laptop 7s are up to 26% off, but since all of them have been much cheaper before, I'd wait to see if their prices drop further once the sale starts next week.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's Big Spring Sale is back: The best deals already live on Apple, robot vacuums, headphones, and more

As a reminder, I don't endorse buying laptops from any third-party sellers on Amazon. (The bulk of its laptop listings comes from them.) They can have different customer service policies than Amazon itself, and they might be advertising misleading specs. This isn't to say they're all scammers doing something illegal, and Amazon has a guarantee that covers delivery or item condition issues. Still, I wouldn't take a chance on a big purchase like a new laptop. The Shipper/Seller should be "Amazon.com" (below the orange "Buy Now" button).

I would also recommend shopping around a bit at other retailers, especially Best Buy. It has a much better selection of Windows laptops than Amazon, and its pricing is competitive where their inventories overlap. Best Buy hasn't announced any plans to hold its own sale around the Big Spring Sale, but I bet that changes in the coming days.

Note: Deals marked with a 🔥 have dropped to a record-low price.

Best MacBook deals Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) 🔥 $1,299 at Amazon
$1,599 Save $300   Get Deal Why we like it

The 2025 MacBook Air is basically identical to its successor, save for its wireless chip and processor. (You're not missing out on much there: In our performance tests, the M4 version was only about six percent slower than the M5 model in both single- and multi-core workloads — you won't feel that in practice.) It features a vibrant Liquid Retina display, a backlit keyboard, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a 12MP webcam with Center Stage support. This 15-inch configuration is well future-proofed with plenty of RAM, and it's never been cheaper.

Read Mashable's full review of the 15-inch Apple MacBook Air (M4).

More MacBook Air dealsMacBook Pro dealsBest Windows laptop deal Opens in a new window Credit: Asus Asus ROG Flow Z13 (AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) 🔥 $2,069.99 at Amazon
$2,399.99 Save $330 Includes free code for "Crimson Desert" Get Deal Why we like it

The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a zippy gaming convertible with a detachable keyboard and a slick 180Hz display — GTA V's Ned Luke is a fan. This configuration is powered by a high-end AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip with integrated graphics that performed on par with an RTX 4060 GPU when we tested it in another Asus laptop. Amazon has it marked down to $2,069.99, which is 14% off its MSRP and its best deal to date. (Ignore Amazon's deflated list price; it actually retails for $2,399.99, according to Asus' website.) It also comes with a free PC download code for Crimson Desert, Pearl Abyss' huge new fantasy-action adventure game.

This ROG Flow Z13 deal is price-matched at Best Buy, but it doesn't include the Crimson Desert code there.

More Windows laptop dealsGaming laptop deals
Categories: IT General, Technology

5 bizarre retro devices that prove floppy disks weren't just for beige PCs

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 18:00

Are you old enough to remember using floppy disks? Do they fill you with nostalgia? But I bet that nine times out of ten, you think of them as something to be used with a PC. After all, that's where most people used them ... but that's far from the only thing floppies were commonly seen in.

Categories: IT General, Technology

IntelliJ IDEA is taking on Visual Studio Code with more free features

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:51

Visual Studio Code is an excellent editor for JavaScript and TypeScript code, and its status as a free application has helped pull people away from other integrated development environments (IDEs). Now, JetBrains is striking back with a significant change to IntelliJ IDEA’s free version: proper JavaScript and TypeScript support.

Categories: IT General, Technology

BMW’s new electric 3 Series changes the game: 440 miles of range and 6 big upgrades

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:46

The BMW 3 Series is the very soul of the German brand, a true driver’s car in every aspect, whether as an entry-level sedan or a fire-breathing M3. Now, 50 years into that journey, the 3 Series returns for its most significant entrance yet: the fully electric BMW i3 50 xDrive.

Categories: IT General, Technology

40+ home deals from Amazons Big Spring Sale for fresher air and cleaner floors

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:37
Best Big Spring Sale home deals Best home tech deal Amazon Echo Spot $49.99 at Amazon (save $30) Get Deal Best home air deal Blueair Blue Signature $299.99 at Amazon (save $150) Get Deal Best vacuum deal Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete $1,499.99 at Amazon (save $200) Get Deal

It's time for another Amazon sale event. To celebrate the changing seasons, Amazon is hosting its Big Spring Sale from March 25 to 31. The sale highlights warmer-weather products to get your home ready for spring and summer.

For your home, this means clean floors, clean air, and so much more. While the sale doesn't officially start until the 25th, early deals are aplenty, with special attention on Echo devices, air purifiers, and vacuums.

We rounded up the best deals from Amazon, Blueair, Dreo, Dyson, and more.

Best Big Spring Sale home tech deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Spot $49.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $30.00   Get Deal

With the clocks springing forward, you may be feeling a little groggy. If you need a boost in your morning, consider upgrading what's on your nightstand. During the lead-up to Amazon's Big Spring Sale, we spotted early savings on the Amazon Echo Spot.

This smart alarm clock packs everything you love about an Amazon Echo into a bedside device. It wakes you up but also helps you wind down. You can program it to start your day with a weather report and your favorite music.

Ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale, get the Amazon Echo Spot for just $49.99 and save $30 off its $79.99 list price.

More home tech dealsBest Big Spring Sale air purifier deal Opens in a new window Credit: Blueair Blueair Blue Signature $299.99 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $150   Get Deal

Warmer weather means you can put away your heavy winter coats and pull out the antihistamines because spring allergies are on their way. If you're already getting the pollen-induced sniffles, you can do one thing to protect your home air: get an air purifier.

The Blueair Blue Signature is a heavy-duty air purifier, able to clean up to 3,385 square feet. It removes smoke, dust, and pet hair for clean air and easy breathing.

More air purifier dealsBest cooling dealsBest Amazon Big Spring sale vacuum deal Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete $1,499.99 at Amazon
$1,699.99 Save $200   Get Deal at Amazon

Read Mashable's review of the Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete.

If you have the cash to burn and you’re looking for an investment piece, Mashable’s vacuum expert and senior shopping reporter, Leah Stodart, says the Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete is a “well-rounded premium robot vacuum,” especially for pet owners. It has a livestream pet camera and can clean edges and corners with precision. (Stodart says this vacuum is so good at cleaning corners that it’s dethroned the Roborock Saros 10R for corner mopping.)

“Measuring just over three inches tall, it's also easily the best slim robot vacuum out there — ideal for homes with low-clearance furniture, or expectations for cleaning under cabinets,” she says.

As of March 15, you can get the Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete for $1,499.99, down from $1,699.99, at Amazon. That's a 12% discount or $200 savings.

More robot vacuum dealsMore vacuum dealsMore home deals
Categories: IT General, Technology

3 best Tubi movies to watch this weekend (March 20–22)

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:31

Many movie fans will head to the theater this weekend to watch Ryan Gosling play an astronaut attempting to save the world in Project Hail Mary. It's a crowd-pleasing story that will make you laugh, cry, and believe in humanity. If you walk out wanting more space adventures this weekend, head to Tubi and stream Ad Astra for free.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Polymarket set to open a bar dedicated to monitoring the situation

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:16

Online betting platforms have users betting on nuclear war — and now, apparently, they'll be able to bet on humanity's destruction in person.

Prediction market site Polymarket announced on social media yesterday that its bar The Situation Room will open in Washington, D.C., tomorrow.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Polymarket calls it "the world's first bar dedicated to monitoring the situation," referencing the meme of looking at the news or, for bettors, the market.

SEE ALSO: The Looksmaxxing Glossary: Every term you need to understand the internet's most unhinged subculture

In a follow-up post, Polymarket stated, "Imagine a sports bar… but just for situation monitoring — live X feeds, flight radar, Bloomberg terminals, and Polymarket screens." The concept artwork features not just a bar with screens on the walls, as is typical of any sports bar, but also additional screens on columns and what appears to be a globe in the center of the room (it seems to be a screen, like a mini-Vegas Sphere).

As Mashable has reported, online gambling is everywhere now. The wave that began with sports betting has exploded into wagering money on basically everything — including aforementioned nuclear fallout, but also which movie will win Best Picture, how many times Elon Musk will post on X in a given month, and more.

Given the gambling boom, it makes sense that Polymarket is capitalizing on it and turning it into an IRL experience. And it's not the first; in February, Polymarket opened a free grocery store in New York City for five days.

Who wants to bet on how odd that bar will smell?

Categories: IT General, Technology

Here are my favorite Galaxy S26 Ultra features that Samsung didn't show you

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:15

The Samsung Galaxy S26 series is finally here, and it has several impressive features despite a similar overall design. And while many of them are well-known, like the new Privacy display Samsung highlighted, a bunch of excellent features are flying under the radar. Here are a few of my favorite Galaxy S26 Ultra features Samsung didn't show off.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The best creator-approved deals to shop before Amazons Big Spring Sale — save on DJI, Insta360, and SanDisk

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:15
Best early creator-approved deals to shop before the Amazon Big Spring Sale Best drone deal DJI Mini 4K Fly More Combo $309 at Amazon (save $140) Get Deal Best portable mic deal DJI Mic Mini (2 transmitters + 1 receiver) $59 at Amazon (save $20) Get Deal Best podcast mic deal Logitech Creators Blue Yeti Microphone $98 at Amazon (save $41.99) Get Deal Best portable power station deal DJI Power 1000 V2 $364 at Amazon (save $335) Get Deal Best gimbal deal Insta360 Flow 2 Plus Gimbal $99.99 at Amazon (save $30) Get Deal Best camera bundle deal DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo $549.99 at Amazon (save $79.01) Get Deal Best storage deal SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD $188.79 at Amazon (save $94.20) Get Deal

Creators are well known for having an arsenal of great gadgets. From cameras to mics to clip-on lighting options, creator-approved tech makes the job a whole lot easier. Not only does it help with making the process more streamlined, it can level-up the polish on content creations.

SEE ALSO: Snag some serious DJI discounts before the Amazon Big Spring Sale lands

Not all of this gear comes cheap, which is why it's smart to make upgrades during major shopping events like the upcoming Amazon Big Spring Sale. Fortunately, we're already seeing nice discounts on creator-approved gear before the sale officially begins. Here are some of the best early creator-approved deals to shop ahead of the event.

Best drone deal Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Mini 4K Fly More Combo $309 at Amazon
$449 Save $140   Get Deal Why we like it

Finding DJI drones in stock has been an issue since the brand faced an FCC ban late last year. However, not only is the DJI Mini 4K Fly More Combo in stock at Amazon right now, it's down to a new record-low price. Instead of paying the list price of $449 for the combo drone package, it's down to $309 which is a major 31% discount.

The bundle includes the DJI Mini 4K drone, three batteries for a total of 93 minutes of flight time, a carrying case, the DJI RC-N1C remote controller, and plenty more accessories for getting you drone in the air and capturing content.

Best mic deal Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Mic Mini (2 transmitters + 1 receiver) $59 at Amazon
$79 Save $20   Get Deal Why we like it

Over the last few years, the DJI Mic Mini has become the creator-approved mic. Mashable Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard tested out the DJI Mic Mini to see if it lived up to hype and found that it is, indeed, a great asset. She wrote, "If you need any degree of portability with your mic setup, the DJI Mic Mini offers a lot of versatility, and for a great value. That makes it a solid option for making vlogs and TikToks, and for anyone who feels less than confident with their tech skills."

Before the Amazon sale kicks off, the DJI Mic Mini with two receivers and one transmitter is on sale for $59, marked down from the list price of $79. This sale price matches the record-low at Amazon.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Vivaldi browser has a new way to keep you focused on work

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:13

Tabs, toolbars, and address bars are essential for browser navigation, but when you’re deep into reading an article or watching a video, they’re just clutter that takes away the immersive viewing experience. Instead of adding AI features like its rivals, Vivaldi 7.9 is doubling down on interface control and distraction-free browsing with its latest update.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat review: Prank shows return is comedy magic

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:00

In 2023, Jury Duty stormed onto our screens as a surprisingly wholesome prank show, one where subject Ronald Gladden was treated not as the butt of the joke, but rather as the hero of a bizarro story. From its ultra-committed cast (including a stellar James Marsden) to Gladden's impeccable straight man work, the series felt like lightning in a bottle.

That is, until now.

Jury Duty is back for its second season, titled Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat. And thanks to its larger scale and an endearing new lead, it's proof that lightning can, in fact, strike twice.

SEE ALSO: 'The Comeback' Season 3 review: Lisa Kudrow warns us of the AI apocalypse What's Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat about? Alex Bonifer, Jerry Hauck, and Anthony Norman in "Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat." Credit: Prime Video

Company Retreat remixes Jury Duty's original premise, swapping a court trial for a company's annual week-long bonding trip. That company is small business Rockin' Grandma's Hot Sauce, and all but one of its employees is an actor.

The one non-actor is Anthony Norman, who's been brought on as a temp assistant to help out on the company retreat. This year's retreat is a big one: Rockin' Grandma's CEO (Jerry Hauck) is officially handing the reins to his son, Dougie Jr. (Alex Bonifer). Dougie has spent the last few years living in Jamaica as part of a Rastafarian band, and he's returned with questionable accent choices and almost no business experience. Will he be able to make a good first impression to the rest of Rockin' Grandma's employees?

SEE ALSO: What's new to streaming this week? (March 20, 2026)

The wider staff is chock-full of standout characters, including remote IT worker Claire (Rachel Kaly), whose efforts to stave off the sun grow increasingly outlandish; receptionist PJ (Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur), who's planning to become a snack-fluencer; and warehouse manager Jimmy (Jim Woods), whose relentless virtue signaling is what cringe comedy dreams are made of. The entire cast delivers memorable moments, with a workplace ensemble akin to the oddballs of The Office. So much of the fun of this season is witnessing them commit so fully to their roles over the course of a week. It's truly an Olympic feat of comedy.

Another draw to the season is its scale. Aside from a trip to Margaritaville, Jury Duty mostly stayed within the courthouse or the hotel where its cast was sequestered, giving the crew a tight, controlled space in which to operate. In Company Retreat, the show is operating across a larger outdoor campus. There are far more moving parts, meaning more ways in which Anthony could discover the jig is up. On top of this presenting an exciting technical challenge, it also helps set Company Retreat apart from the original Jury Duty and proves that this format has potential as a greater anthology series, as long as it can find the right lead.

Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat's star Anthony is a delight. Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur and Anthony Norman in "Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat." Credit: Prime Video

Thankfully, Company Retreat has found the right lead in Anthony. Like Ronald, he doesn't push away the odder characters he encounters. Instead, he befriends them and even walks them through the wildest of situations. A season highlight is the burgeoning friendship between him and Dougie. While Bonifer often takes Dougie to annoying extremes, there's an endearing quality to his desire to excel as CEO. Anthony latches onto that in the hopes of helping him achieve that goal, making for a sweet bromance.

Like the cast, Anthony commits hard — not to the performance, since he's unaware this is all fake, but to Rockin' Grandma's itself. Even though he's only been working there for a few days, he's fully ready to do whatever it takes to uphold the "family" at the heart of the business. When a sketchy venture capitalist firm shows up to potentially acquire Rockin' Grandma's, Anthony is ready to throw down for his fellow staffers.

It's a testament to his character, but also to the immersive quality of Company Retreat's elaborate ruse. At times, that immersion means the season can feel more manipulative than the original Jury Duty, especially with its focus on (fake) team bonding. Like with Ronald, the final reveal winds up more heartwarming than anything, but you do have to wonder what impacts Truman Show-ing a guy will have.

However, it helps that Anthony is constantly willing to roll with the punches. More than that, he's the perfect audience stand-in, unafraid to laugh in disbelief at some of the season's wildest one-liners. Rarely have I laughed harder at someone laughing.

"You couldn't even make this up for a TV show, honestly," Ronald says during a talking head confessional. "This is so authentic and real. Nobody could sit down and write a script like this."

Well, turns out they did, and it makes for great TV — but just like with Ronald and Jury Duty, it's Anthony who takes it over the top.

The first three episodes of Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat premiere March 20 on Prime Video, with new episodes weekly.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Screenshotting disappearing nudes could soon be illegal in the UK

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 16:57

In Feb. 2026, the UK government announced a ban on incest porn, as well as other bans to do with explicit images, as part of the UK's Crime and Policing Bill. While it's not currently law yet, it's already dredging up discussion online — especially considering last year's Online Safety Act, which established age verification in the country.

Mashable spoke with experts about what these bans entail and why they matter.

What is the incest porn ban in the UK?

On Feb. 23, Lord Hanson and Baroness Levitt announced a ban on incest porn and other explicit content in an open letter to Lord Davies at the House of Lords, the upper house of UK Parliament. 

SEE ALSO: Teens sue xAI for Grok's reported sexual image generation issues

Specifically, the amendment (numbered 297 in the marshalled list of amendments from Feb. 23) makes the possession and/or publishing of pornographic images of sex between relatives illegal — even if the people in the image are pretending to be related. This also applies to adopted relatives and, as of March 2, step-relatives. Possession can result in a fine and/or a prison sentence of up to two years, and publishing such an image can result in a prison sentence of up to five years.

This ban in particular has faced backlash on social media, with one Bluesky user posting at the time of the announcement, "im really upset and idk what to do [sic]." Another Bluesky user said, "I find it rich that any country with a royal family would try to ban incest art."

The proposed ban fits into a different category of reforms that the government is making around the content of mainstream pornography, like the strangulation porn ban the UK announced in Nov., according to Clare McGlynn, law professor at the University of Durham. McGlynn, an expert in the legal regulation of porn in the UK, has worked with various parliamentarians and made suggestions about legislation. 

"Incest pornography is…another part of that," she said, "Really trying to change the content that is online." 

What are the image-based sexual abuse bans?

In addition to the incest porn ban, the new amendments seek to ban what the government is calling intimate image abuses, specifically, banning screenshotting temporary intimate images without consent and semen-defaced images (known as "cum tributes" or "hatewank videos").

SEE ALSO: How 'hatewank' videos became a tool for harassing women in the public eye

"The introduction of new image-based sexual abuse legislation is essential for protecting fundamental human rights," sex educator Jessie Gretener told Mashable. "The right to bodily autonomy extends beyond physical experiences, and therefore, legal frameworks need to reflect the harmful and degrading acts that compromise the safety and agency of people — online and offline."

The latest reporting from the UK's Office of National Statistic state that 900,000 sexual offenses were reported over the course of 12 months from 2024 to 2025, but Gretener said, "The reality is always significantly higher."

One crucial point, according to Gretener, is that the number of sexual offenses recorded by the police increased by 11 percent, which is partially attributed to prior image-based abuse legislation introduced under the Online Safety Act. 

Screenshotting temporary nudes

This amendment (281) would make it an offense for someone to create a copy of an intimate photograph or film that is shared with them temporarily without consent. An exception is if the image or film was uploaded in a more public place, or if the person photographed doesn't have a reasonable expectation of privacy, or if the person had consented to previous sharing. 

Should someone commit this offense, they'll face up to six months in prison, and/or a fine.

"Having your screenshots and your privacy leaked by someone that you feel you can trust is incredibly damaging," sex educator, sex worker, and host of the podcast Come Curious, Reed Amber, told Mashable.

This law "will protect more people from fearing that sharing an enjoyable, exciting, intimate moment with somebody won't be used against you in the future," she said.

Semen-defaced images

This amendment (278) would make it illegal to share a semen-defaced image if the person whose image it is doesn't consent to it, or the sharer doesn't reasonably think they do. This also includes graphics generated by a computer. In her interview with Mashable, McGlynn mentioned Grok and AI-generated images of semen on X. 

As with screenshotting without consent, this act faces a maximum prison sentence of six months and/or a fine. 

Amber said that she's personally had two images of her with semen on them sent to her non-consensually. 

"As a sex worker, this is the kind of content I see on a regular basis and in my in-person sessions, but to have somebody non-consensually do that without giving me a warning or without having a conversation around it first, it felt like a real personal invasion of privacy," she said. She fully stands by a ban on these non-consensual images. 

"It's part and parcel of that kind of ecosystem, of the ways in which technologies and… images are being used to abuse and harass women," McGlynn said. "The offense is about trying to say to survivors, 'We recognize this is happening to you. It's harmful, it's wrong, it's violating. It shouldn't be on the platforms, and it'll be a criminal offense.'"

A ban on nudification tools in the UK

In addition to the aforementioned amendments, another one (272) is that it'd be illegal to make or supply "nudification tools," or "purported intimate image generators," as the bill calls them. This offense carries a maximum penalty of up to three years in prison and/or a fine. 

This ban comes after a Jan. report Center for Countering Digital Hate found that Grok generated millions of sexualized images, including of children, in only 11 days. The UK is investigating Grok, as are Ireland, Brazil, India, and France. This month, three teens filed a lawsuit against xAI, which produced Grok, in a federal California court due to generating sexualized images of them.

The Crime and Policing Bill still has to go through several stages before becoming law. But given how the Online Safety Act has changed porn-viewing in the UK — such as Pornhub blocking itself, and non-pornographic content becoming age-gated — this will likely continue that trend. 

Categories: IT General, Technology
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