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Basketheads alert! Wicker 4DX has extended its run

Mashable - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 19:27

It was supposed to be for one night only. (Or a one-night stand?) But Black Bear has announced Wicker 4DX is getting an extension in theaters for an added week.

What does that mean? Well, for one, basketheads — as fans of the romance film have been dubbed — have many more chances to experience the motion-enhanced theater experience. And yes, that means sharing in the Fisherwoman's (Olivia Colman) experience of getting her world rocked by her Wicker Husband (Alexander Skarsgård).

For more on what that involves, you can check out my review of the Wicker 4DX experience.

SEE ALSO: I've lived the dream of 'Wicker' 4DX, and it was phenomenal

Or you can take a look online.

Various audience members have shared illicit footage from inside their 4DX screenings to give others a sense of what went down. Which seems pretty fitting, as the very reason Wicker got a 4DX release to begin with was because of fans thirsting over the Wicker Husband. And while I didn't record during the movie, I too was shook.

But the fun doesn't start at the theater.

When another Mashable staffer was checking out showtimes on Fandango, she spotted that reserved seats are signified by a little wicker basket.

Wicker 4DX Fandango screenshot Credit: Fandango screenshot

But what do Wicker's stars think of 4DX? Well, Here's Colman and Skarsgård on this unique experience.

Wicker 4DX seats are now on sale.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Instagram wants longer videos. Some creators could get $500,000 to post them.

Mashable - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 19:19

Instagram's pitch to longform video creators now reportedly comes with a paycheck, and for some, it could reach half a million dollars.

The platform has offered select creators deals worth up to $500,000 to post longer videos through its new Features format, Business Insider reported Oct. 29, citing people familiar with the agreements. Some offers are worth $50,000, while others reach six figures, according to the outlet.

The deals reportedly don't require creators to make their videos exclusive to Instagram. One person familiar with the offers told BI that Instagram is asking creators to upload the longform videos they publish on YouTube to Instagram on the same day.

For the creators already making those videos, this news could mean another place to distribute their work, with a payment attached.

"We've been public about the fact that we are funding Features content directly with some creators right now to support them," a Meta spokesperson told Business Insider. "The details of those deals are confidential, but we're excited to see the content going live."

The report adds a financial incentive to Instagram's latest attempt to get people watching longer videos. As Mashable reported earlier this week, Features will allow uploads of up to 90 minutes, with an emphasis on horizontal video that people can watch on their phones, computers, and TVs. Instagram is conducting small tests in the U.S. and Brazil.

SEE ALSO: Instagram is testing 90-minute videos

Instagram announced Features Monday, with Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri and VP of Product Tessa Lyons explaining how longer videos could fit alongside Reels.

"So many creators are producing longer videos, and they're using clips of those videos to drive discovery on Reels and help build their audience," Lyons said in the announcement. "Features would let those viewers watch the full video without leaving Instagram."

The format also gives Instagram more content for its television app,

"We've been working on a TV version of Reels, and we know that to do that well, we need more than just short-form video," Lyons said.

As Mashable reported, Instagram's TV app began testing on Amazon Fire TVs in late 2025, expanded to Samsung TVs in mid-2026, and arrived on Apple TV in October. Features would give people more to watch on those bigger screens, including longer, horizontal videos.

These additions reflect how Instagram is positioning itself to be more in direct competition with YouTube, giving viewers a new place to discover short clips and watch full-length videos on the same platform.

YouTube is still the platform to beat

Instagram is chasing a platform with both a bigger audience and an established way to pay creators. A Pew Research Center survey published Oct. 19 found that 84 percent of U.S. adults use YouTube, making it the most widely used platform surveyed, compared with 51 percent for Instagram. Among adults ages 18 to 29, YouTube reaches 95 percent, compared with Instagram's 79 percent.

Credit: Pew Research Center

YouTube's Partner Program gives eligible creators 55 percent of net ad revenue from their longform videos, offering a way to earn money beyond brand partnerships and individual platform deals. But qualifying will soon get harder. Starting Feb. 1, 2027, new applicants will need 8,000 qualified watch hours over 12 months or 20 million qualified Shorts views over 90 days — double the current thresholds. Both routes will still require at least 1,000 subscribers, while creators already enrolled will remain in the program.

SEE ALSO: YouTube just raised the bar for creators to earn ad revenue

Instagram's reported offers could make posting on both platforms more appealing for both reach and monetization, especially since the deals don't require exclusivity. But those payments are going to select creators, at least for now (though Instagram hasn’t announced a broader revenue-sharing program for Features).

"We understand the economics matter a ton, and are exploring multiple options to help long-form creators get paid," Mosseri wrote on X Wednesday.

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The next test is whether viewers who come for a quick Reel will stay for a full episode.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why I'm ditching my OLED TV (and what I'm replacing it with)

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 19:00

When I bought my OLED TV in 2020, I expected I would get a full decade or more out of it, just as I had the LCD model it replaced. Now, only six years later, the original LCD is still going strong, but the OLED has one foot in the grave.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Google, Reddit, and more tech stocks plummet: What’s driving market shocks

Mashable - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 18:53

Tech stocks are taking a big hit on the stock market today, and they really only have themselves to blame.

Just look at Google and Reddit's plummeting stocks. On Thursday, Google stock experienced its largest single-day drop ever, and Reddit is on track to have its worst-ever day on Friday. Other tech stocks are also down Friday. As of this writing, Intel is down 30 percent. NVIDIA is down almost 5 percent.

So, what's going on? The answer to this shouldn't surprise anyone: It's AI.

On a Q3 earnings call earlier this week, Google reported strong revenue growth, although weaker than expectations. However, in an earnings filing on Thursday, Google revealed that the company has substantially more exposure to AI risk than some investors realized, according to a Bloomberg report. For one, Google has now disclosed that in addition to its $1 trillion in future purchase commitments, it faces an additional $98 billion in possible future purchase commitments.

These commitments consist mainly of AI data centers and related computing power and hardware, Bloomberg reports. Basically, the company has a lot riding on the AI boom not going bust.

That's not the only concern either. Google's AI features are hurting one of the company's biggest moneymakers, Google Search advertising revenue.

According to Google's chief business officer Philipp Schindler, fewer users are clicking on Google ads in search because of features like AI mode. In fact, even though Google is currently experiencing more search queries than it has in the past five years, Google Search revenue growth is slowing due to these AI tools.

As click-through rates for websites appearing in Google Search decline, the effects are felt further down the line by websites that rely on Google Search traffic, as many websites do (including Mashable). And this is why Reddit's stock is dropping as well.

Last year, Reddit shared that a whopping 50 percent of its traffic comes from Google. As many Google users have noticed over the years, Reddit threads have been ranking quite highly on Google Search results pages for a variety of queries.

However, when Reddit released its Q3 earnings on Thursday, the company was singing a different tune about Google referral traffic.

"Our search referral traffic was down meaningfully in Q3, with the decline accelerating later in the quarter," Reddit said in a letter to shareholders, revealing that search traffic has been dropping by more than 1 million referrals per week.

In an interview with CNBC, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman outright blamed Google's AI Overviews for the drop in traffic.

“I think fundamentally that relationship between Google and the rest of the internet is evolving, and so for us, this means a continued focus on our core users that come to Reddit directly,” Huffman said

In addition to Reddit's woes with Google's AI features, the company announced it would soon require users to create accounts and log in to view content. This change is meant to combat AI scrapers, according to the company. However, this is undoubtedly going to result in further drops in traffic, as Elon Musk discovered when he briefly rolled out a similar login requirement on X, then known as Twitter, back in June 2023.

The tech industry continues to push AI into every facet of its multitude of products and services. It turns out that has had significant negative impacts on their successful existing businesses.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Get 36% off Corsair's 3500X Mid-Tower Case and put the savings toward more components

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 18:38

There's something special about building your own gaming rig from scratch, and you can't beat the satisfaction of seeing it work for the first time. The case is the foundation, and you'll need to get the right one to fit your components. Corsair's 3500X is an excellent choice for its space and quality, and you can get it 35% off with a limited-time Amazon deal.

Categories: IT General, Technology

6 essential Docker containers I only spin up when I need them

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 18:30

The last time I talked about Docker, I mentioned several containers that I keep running 24/7. These are containers that I never spin down unless I'm updating them manually. Some readers had some fantastic suggestions for containers I hadn't tried yet. And for those who asked about containers that I don't actually keep running, I got to thinking about it, and there are definitely a few Docker containers that I only spin up when I need them. I was surprised to see that they're actually some of the most important containers I use.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The $6.3 billion Binance hack has been linked to North Korean hackers

Mashable - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 18:16

It took about 20 minutes for hackers to move billions of dollars out of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. Now, investigators are pointing to a group linked to another record-breaking crypto theft.

Blockchain analysis firm TRM Labs has attributed the $6.3 billion attack to TraderTraitor, a North Korean hacking unit blamed for last year's $1.5 billion Bybit heist, with "high confidence. Chainalysis and Elliptic also linked the theft to North Korea, though Binance has not yet confirmed who was responsible.

Not only is this potentially the biggest hack of all time, it may also be the biggest heist of any kind, ever.

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The attack forced Binance to suspend withdrawals. The company says it will cover all losses and has worked with partners to freeze roughly $3 billion in affected assets, as Mashable previously reported. In total, Reuters reports that Binance has set aside approximately $6.34 billion in company funds to cover losses.

According to TRM, most of the stolen cryptocurrency was moved from Binance's wallets across 10 blockchain networks in about 20 minutes. The firm said the attack shared characteristics with previous North Korea-linked thefts, including the Bybit heist.

SEE ALSO: Binance hacked, billions in crypto stolen

Crypto compliance software company Elliptic said some stolen funds reached an address that had also received proceeds from a suspected North Korean attack on crypto exchange Bitget. North Korea has previously denied hacking allegations.

Binance initially said a compromised engineer's laptop may have allowed an attacker to submit unauthorized withdrawals. Its subsequent investigation uncovered additional points of breach, and the company has promised a full report once the facts are verified.

SEE ALSO: Binance hack update: How the $6.3 billion crypto hack happened

Meanwhile, deposits have resumed, and the exchange said early Friday that withdrawals were expected to return within 48 hours.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Im watching the Mexican GP for free this weekend — how to live stream F1 for free

Mashable - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 18:14

TL;DR: Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels to watch select F1 races for free. Watch the Mexico GP for free with the Prime Video app.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple TV Prime Video Channel Watch the Mexico GP for free with a 7-day trial Shop Now

Kimi Antonelli had a slim chance of winning the title last weekend in Austin. He did his part by winning the Grand Prix, but Hamilton and Russell stayed in the game. Now the action heads to Mexico, where Antonelli's victory seems all but certain.

Antonelli needs to finish in ninth place or higher in Mexico to be crowned champion, even if Russell takes the race win. Surely it's time. I'd be shocked if Antonelli doesn't secure his place as the youngest champion in F1 history.

SEE ALSO: ExpressVPN review: A stylish VPN service with proven privacy and a large U.S. presence

If you want to watch F1 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the Mexico GP?

The Mexico GP is the 19th race of the 2026 F1 season. Here's the full schedule from the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez:

  • Practice 1 — 2:30-3:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 30

  • Practice 2 — 6-7 p.m. ET on Oct. 30

  • Practice 3 — 1:30-2:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 31

  • Qualifying — 5-6 p.m. ET on Oct. 31

  • Race — 3 p.m. ET on Nov. 1

Fans can follow all the action from this race weekend without spending anything.

How to watch the Mexico GP for free

Apple TV holds exclusive U.S. broadcasting rights for F1, and you can now sign up for a seven-day free trial of Apple TV directly through Prime Video Channels.

That trial gives you access to select races for free, including this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix. The subscription rolls over to $12.99 per month after the seven-day trial, but you can disable the automatic renewal and still stream the entire race weekend for free.

If you're already paying for Amazon Prime, calling it "completely free" is a stretch. But if you don't have an active membership, Amazon offers a 30-day free trial for new users. Stacking that Prime trial with the seven-day Apple TV channel trial means you're truly spending nothing to stream this weekend's race.

If you've already made use of this method, you still have a few workarounds:

  • Apple TV: New standalone subscribers qualify for a direct seven-day free trial through Apple's app.

  • Apple One: If you want more than just streaming, the Apple One tier packages Apple TV alongside Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, and 50GB of iCloud storage — and it comes with a full one-month free trial ($19.95 per month after the promotional period).

  • Apple: The most generous Apple TV offer is tied to new hardware purchases. Buying an eligible iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV grants new subscribers three months of free service. You obviously have to spend money on hardware, but if you were already planning an upgrade, it effectively unlocks a massive chunk of the F1 season for free.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I set up 4 Samsung Modes and Routines, and driving got a lot easier

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 18:00

I used to change my phone settings manually every time I got in the car. I’d adjust the volume, switch modes, and fiddle with settings before hitting the road. I’ve used Samsung Modes and Routines to automate things like my sleep schedule and my gym sessions, so I figured it was time to do the same for driving. Between school runs, grocery trips, and appointments, I’m constantly getting in and out of my car.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Google Gemini upgrades are rolling out to all supported Android devices

Mashable - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 17:58

Google rolled out a small visual change to Gemini on non-Pixel devices, while improving the app's file management.

As spotted by 9to5Google, the Gemini app on Android received a couple of upgrades this week. For starters, the Gemini overlay that pops up when you activate Google's AI assistant on Android devices now stands out a little more visually. The pill-shaped search bar now has blurred edges, along with swirls of color.

SEE ALSO: Google announces Gemini 4 Carbon, its new frontier AI model

These elements help the overlay stand out a little bit more against the app icons on your home screen. Google introduced this change on Pixel 11 devices, but according to 9to5Google's report, it's now available on every supported Android device.

That's not all, though. According to a Google blog post, users can now "generate, preview, and edit" files within the Gemini chat window. While chatting with Gemini, you can open a file in full screen and edit it as you see fit, or highlight text to ask Gemini questions about it. Google is also touting the ability to create and edit slide decks for presentations on the fly in Gemini.

Maybe these aren't the most seismic updates in the world, but they are a sign that Gemini is continuing to become more dynamic and useful in some situations.

Categories: IT General, Technology

What I learned about Avengers: Doomsday by seeing Wicker

Mashable - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 17:56

Avengers: Doomsday is coming, and it's presumed to be one of the biggest movies of the year. And that's saying something in a year when Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey became a hot ticket. Since opening in July, it's grossed more than $1.7 billion dollars worldwide, making it the eleventh highest-grossing movie of all time.

But you know what's number one? Avengers: Endgame. And sure, Endgame boasted an almost obscene amount of superheroes, including not only the titular mighty collective, but also the Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther, Dr. Strange, and Spider-Man. And yet, Avengers: Doomsday will boast even more.

Fans of Captain America, Thor, Hulk, the New Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men have reason to get giddy. And fans of Robert Downey Jr. were gifted new reason to rejoice, because just as his time as Iron Man in the MCU has ended, Doomsday sees the American icon return as the nefarious Doctor Doom.

With all these reasons to revel, I have still be pretty ambivalent about Marvel's next chapter. Yes, after duds like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Captain America: Brave New World, and Thunderbolts*, I am superhero fatigued. But then I went to see Wicker.

How Wicker got me pumped to plunge back into the MCU.

The TLDR version of this story is I went to see Wicker in theaters, and the trailer for Avengers: Doomsday made me excited to see more. The more accurate version in the story involves one specific detail: 4DX.

SEE ALSO: I've lived the dream of 'Wicker' 4DX, and it was phenomenal

Yes, I saw Wicker in its one-night-only 4DX experience. And it's not that I'd never enjoyed (endured?) 4DX before, but the last time was a bad time. Yes, that was probably my fault, and for more on that, read the linked article above. But before my theater seat was rocked by Alexander Skarsgård as a lusty Wicker Husband, it was rigorously rattled by Doomsday.

Ahead of the feature presentation, the cinema unfurled an Avengers: Doomsday trailer with the 4DX treatment playing along. The audience around me tittered with laughter as we felt the first tiny rumble that warned us the seats had activated.

When Victor Doom lands that classic superhero pose after a mighty leap, the seats shuddered with the impact. As dust kicked up on Thor's landing, the seat rattled again, but this time a bit of fog shot forth from under the movie theater screen. When Thor is thrown back by Doom's powers, the seats bucked to the left, so violently I instinctively clutched the arm rests.

As I wrote in my review of the Wicker 4DX experience, it was a thrilling preview of the capabilities of the immersive elements of this motion-enhanced theater. As the hits kept coming, I couldn't even focus on the screen between the jostling seat and my own riotous laughter over the amusement park thrill of it all.

And yes, I realize my ennui about superhero movies may not be widely shared. I realize there's plenty of valid reasons to anticipate the return of the Avengers for another adventure, even more stuffed with stars. But for me, it took the added kick of a rattling theater seat to reconnect to the fun of seeing these moves on the big screen.

I have since reflected back on the times before I crowded into a packed press screening, where the pressure was on to turn around a review and as many editorials as I could for the ravenous MCU audience. I remembered going to see the first MCU phase at midnight screenings on Thursday nights, so the surprises wouldn't be spoiled. The audience around me in 4DX bucked and laughed in unison with me, and I remembered the communal joy of seeing Tony Stark kick butt for the first time, or Captain America brandishing his shield, or Thor pounding his hammer.

And with just a rigorous shaking of a 4DX theater, I am seated for Doomsday.

Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters on Dec. 18.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Android 17 might be the slowest Android rollout of all time

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 17:42

Android 17 has been available for four months, yet it only runs on 1% of active devices. The stable build of Google’s latest mobile platform landed in June this year—almost exactly a year after Android 16, so the launch windows are nearly identical. The adoption story, however, is a completely different one. That’s because releasing an update and getting it onto phones are two different things.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The Linux community is fed up with Ubuntu. Here are the distros they're switching to

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 17:30

Ask in any Linux forum which Linux distro you should use as a beginner, and one of the clear answers will be Ubuntu. Despite being one of the most popular distros, it has disappointed many general Linux users. Distro hopper or not, many people are switching from Canonical's distro to others.

Categories: IT General, Technology

3 ESP32 wireless audio projects to get stuck into this weekend (Oct 30 - Nov 1)

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 17:00

I’m constantly amazed by the projects I see shared online that make increasingly impressive use of cheap $5 microcontrollers like the ESP32. With built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, plus the ability to interface with additional radio interfaces, the wireless possibilities are seemingly endless.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Synology rushes out more PHP2Shell fixes as hackers target outdated NAS systems

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 16:38

Synology has been scrambling to fix the PHP2Shell vulnerabilities since the PHP developers released emergency security patches on October 21, and the company confirmed that a number of its NAS packages were affected. Now the story has taken a twist, as Synology reports that attackers are exploiting the flaws, and the US cybersecurity agency CISA has added them to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Synology is now extending security fixes to older DiskStation Manager (DSM) versions, following the discovery of a separate ransomware campaign targeting outdated NAS systems.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your ISP knows you have a homelab. Here's everything they can see

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 16:30

You don't have to be doing anything shady to still not want your ISP to know exactly what you're up to. It comes down to privacy, and knowing that your ISP, good or bad, knows a lot about your online habits isn't nice.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Everything to know about Targets Black Friday 2026 sale: Store hours, early access info, best deals

Mashable - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 16:13

Target's Black Friday 2026 sale is coming in hot, folks. Things kick off extra early this year, with the first official shopping event of the season on Nov. 5. In other words, you might want to get your lists ready ASAP.

While most holiday shopping is done online these days, Target still offers that classic Black Friday in-store shopping experience for those who want to soak it all in. The deals will really start to heat up as we get closer to Black Friday proper, but you can start checking off your lists as soon as today.

With every retailer holding major Black Friday events, it's easy to get your wires crossed. To help you keep all the details straight and get ready to shop at Target on Black Friday 2026, here's everything you need to know, including store hours, what will be on sale, and how to get early access to the best deals.

When is Target's Black Friday sale?

Black Friday proper falls on Nov. 27 in 2026, but most retailers start dropping deals well before that. Target's first early Black Friday sale kicks off on Nov. 5 and runs through Nov. 7, followed by new limited-time deal drops every weekend throughout the holiday season. The official Cyber Week schedule has yet to be unveiled, but Target has announced that its Deal of the Day program will return on Nov. 1. Shoppers can score a new featured deal each day until Dec. 24, with a one-day preview of the offers.

Here's a breakdown of Target's Black Friday schedule so far:

  • Nov. 1: Target Deal of the Day offers kick off

  • Nov. 5-7: Target's first early Black Friday sale

  • Every weekend after: New limited-time holiday deal offers

What time do Target stores open on Black Friday?

You can shop Target's Black Friday sale both online and in stores. Most Target stores will open their doors at 6 a.m. local time on Black Friday, Nov. 27. There may be exceptions to those hours, so double-check the exact opening hours for your local store. Target stores are closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Last year, Target made waking up early on Black Friday worth it, as the first 100 guests in line received limited-edition iridescent tote bags. Among those 100, 10 lucky shoppers got a surprise gift inside, ranging in value from $99 to $350. Those gifts included Target Circle 360 memberships, gift cards, a Ninja Slushie machine, and more. Target stores with Starbucks Cafés inside also offered samples of their Frozen Peppermint Hot Chocolate.

Target Circle 360 Black Friday early access

In 2025, Target gave its Target Circle 360 members early access to select deals during their Black Friday sales. It's highly likely that members will get early access this year as well.

Target Circle 360 is the retailer's paid membership program (separate from its free Circle membership). It costs $99 annually or $10.99 per month and offers perks like same-day delivery, free shipping, monthly freebies, early access to sales, and an extra 30 days for returns.

What will be on sale at Target for Black Friday?

Target has a wide assortment of Black Friday deals, ranging from toys to tech. We expect to see some steep discounts on toys and will definitely be keeping an eye on Lego sets and Pokémon 30th Anniversary products. In years past, we've also seen great deals on small appliances, TVs, headphones, floor care, and gift cards. Standout deals from 2025 included $69 AirPods, $600 off TCL's The Frame TV dupe, 20% off gift cards, and a $49 air fryer.

Best early Black Friday deals at Target

While Target's first early Black Friday sale doesn't kick off until Nov. 5, there are definitely already deals floating around. We've found a few worth shopping ahead of time. Here's a glimpse at some of our favorite early Black Friday deals at Target.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Botanicals Flower Arrangement 10345 $62.04 at Target
$72.99 Save $10.95   Get Deal at Target Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirTag (2nd gen) $23.99 at Target
$29.99 Save $6   Get Deal at Target Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Inspire 3 $69.95 at Target
$99.95 Save $30   Get Deal at Target Opens in a new window Credit: JBL JBL Charge 6 Bluetooth speaker $149.99 at Target
$199.99 Save $50   Get Deal at Target Opens in a new window Credit: HP HP DeskJet 2955 wireless all-in-one printer $49.99 at Target
$89.99 Save $40.00   Get Deal at Target Opens in a new window Credit: Canon Canon IVY2 $99.99 at Target
$119.99 Save $20   Get Deal at Target
Categories: IT General, Technology

Hundreds of Chrome extensions were caught hijacking searches. Here's how to check yours

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 16:08

Installing a Chrome extension might feel seemingly harmless, but it could give someone else a peek at everything you search for online. You might be taking a detour you never signed up for. That’s what security researchers at Socket have uncovered — 319 Chrome extensions with a collective 13.4 million installations that push people’s searches through hidden servers before landing on Bing or Yahoo. Nothing looks alarming, which is why they stay under the radar.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Reddit to force mandatory login as Google traffic drops

Mashable - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 16:04

One of the best things about Reddit is going away, and you have Google to thank for it.

In its third-quarter earnings report released on Thursday, Reddit revealed plans to eventually force all users to log in to a Reddit account in order to fully view the site, per CNBC. That would be a dramatic change, as "the front page of the internet" has been available to browse without an account for a long, long time. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman explained to CNBC that this change was the result of shrinking search referral traffic from Google as a result of the tech giant's introduction of AI Overviews, which have led to devastating traffic drops for many websites.

“I think fundamentally that relationship between Google and the rest of the internet is evolving, and so for us, this means a continued focus on our core users that come to Reddit directly,” Huffman told CNBC.

And in a letter to shareholders, Reddit leaders wrote:

Our search referral traffic was down meaningfully in Q3, with the decline accelerating later in the quarter. The biggest impact was on logged-out and web traffic, but some of the impact flows through to logged-in and App traffic, since search referral is a common source of reengagement for users...These declines have continued into the early part of Q4. During October, we have seen that search traffic has dropped by more than 1 million referrals on average per week.

SEE ALSO: Reddit homepage introduces a TikTok-style "For You" feed

In other words, Reddit can no longer trust that Google will bring an influx of traffic from curious users who just need to figure out how to fix their sink or something. In accordance, Reddit wants to focus instead on people who actively choose to visit the site every day, aka direct traffic. Reddit did not say when this change will be made, though CNBC reported that testing will begin outside the United States in the fourth quarter of this year.

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Categories: IT General, Technology

3 award-winning movies to watch on Netflix this weekend (October 30-November 1)

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/30/2026 - 16:00

Netflix has no shortage of movies and shows that have won big during awards season, but finding one that fits your mood can still take a bit of searching through the platform's crowded catalog.

Categories: IT General, Technology
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