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There was a time when the luxury car experience was inseparable from the badge on the hood. If you wanted rich leather upholstery and cutting-edge tech (like CD players and heated seats back in the day), you paid a prestige tax to a handful of legacy brands. In that landscape, the logo was a status symbol that told your friends, neighbors, and colleagues you’d arrived.

If you happen to catch a broadcast of The Masters this weekend, you'll probably notice a few obvious things: the undeniable talent of the players, the immaculate conditions of the course, and the sea of attendees wearing green as if it's a second St. Patrick's Day. But there's one other thing conspicuously absent from the weekend festivities: smartphones. 

Unlike other sporting events, sometimes heavily attended by people who paid obscene amounts of money to watch the excitement through the lens of an iPhone, The Masters bans all recording and communication devices, from phones and tablets to digital cameras. It's right there in black and white on their list of Prohibited Items, above "knives and weapons of any kind" (so you know they take it seriously). 

But, according to Golf Monthly, some sneaky attendees are finding a way to circumvent the ban: wearable technology. The latest smartwatches from Apple and Google are easily able to send and receive both text messages and phone calls, while the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are subtle enough to pass as regular eyewear (especially if worn under a golf cap).  

In response to the videos surfacing online of people sneaking in recording eyewear, golf reporter Daniel Rapaport was unequivocal: "Augusta’s no-phones rule needs to be updated to no phones or wearable technology. No Meta glasses, no Apple watches. The mystique of the Masters must be protected and it’s slipping." 

If there's any sporting event likely to die on this hill and strengthen their policy to keep all devices out, it's The Masters. But if the legions of happy fans strolling the course over the weekend, largely oblivious to the goings-on on Twitter and Facebook, are any indication, it may be for the greater good that they do. 

Despite the initial excitement, Disney has seemingly forgotten its streaming catalog's Blu-ray releases. Beginning in August 2023, the company began releasing content from Disney+ on physical media, allowing us physical media collectors to own the best that the platform has to offer on our shelves. The last of the currently released 12 titles was released in 2024, with no further waves having been announced since.

I will put it upfront that I do not like iPhones. Despite being a Mac and iPad devotee, my three-year dalliance with iPhones has come to an end and I could not be happier. Coming back to an Android phone (an S25 Ultra) feels like being unchained, but it's not all fireworks and celebration.

The success of the Artemis II mission around the moon has captured the attention of the entire world, but if you're not done celebrating the good vibes, or just want a fantastic way to commemorate a landmark moment in space exploration, you're in luck: NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have teamed up with LEGO to launch a 632-piece model, the Artemis Space Launch System Rocket. 

Not only does this set include the Artemis ship and thruster rockets that blast it out of Earth's gravitational field, but it also includes a clever launch platform with a hand crank designed to show the rocket in all three stages of the launch — just turn the crank and the rocket gradually takes off and the thruster rockets disengage. 

The set also includes four miniature astronaut figures, in honor of the four-person crew of the Artemis II, as well as an information panel that highlights key details about the Artemis II mission. 

The set is suitable for children ages 9 and up, but we all also know at least one adult who loves to build LEGO, so don't sleep on this as a gift option for the space-obsessed grown-up friend or family member in your life. 

Owing to overwhelming demand (space is cool, after all!), the set is currently sold out on Amazon, Walmart and the LEGO website, but if you order from LEGO.com today, you should expect to receive it when supplies refresh in 60 days, according to LEGO. 

And if your child is struggling with assembly or if you yourself need a little help, never fear: LEGO offers interactive, 3D building instructions through their Builder app, available for both iOS and Android users.

I have loved my Galaxy Z Fold 6 for over a year, but something bad has happened—I reviewed the Google Pixel 10a. That phone fit so perfectly into my hand that I'm questioning if I really want to return to my boxy foldable.

The world woke up to phenomenal news: All four astronauts who participated in NASA's ten-day Artemis II mission to fly around the moon, taking them farther into space than any humans had ever been before, have returned safely to earth, splashing down within a mile of their intended landing target in the Pacific Ocean, according to NASA.

The first major point of anxiety came with reentry into Earth's atmosphere, which CNN described as the riskiest part of the mission.

In a pre-landing blog post, NASA reporters Abby Graf and Joseph Zakrzewski described the challenges of reentry, beginning with the structural integrity of the ship itself.

Traveling more than 24,000 miles per hour (40,000 km/h), the spaceship compresses the air in front of it, creating a plasma fireball with temperatures of up to 2,700 Celsius or 4,892 Fahrenheit, roughly half the surface temperature of our sun.

Meanwhile, inside the ship, crew members experience the rapid deceleration as a huge increase in gravitational force, making them feel almost four times heavier than they would on the Earth's surface, according to former astronaut Chris Hadfield.

The NASA livestream of the Artemis II return, watched by more than 20 million people worldwide, reached peak tension during reentry, when for six whole minutes the extreme temperatures made all communication with the crew impossible, leaving not only mission control but also viewers holding their breath. 

It was Commander Reid Wiseman's voice that broke the silence: "Houston, Integrity here. We hear you loud and clear," BBC reported.

After communication was reestablished and the cheers of the NASA crews died down, all that was left was to stick the landing: 2,000 miles southwest of the coast of San Diego, in the Pacific Ocean. 

To slow the craft down and ensure a safe landing, the Orion landing capsule used a series of parachutes of four different designs, deployed in an extremely precise sequence for maximum effectiveness, described in this NASA brochure.

When the final parachutes were used, the tiny capsule containing the crew had slowed down exponentially, ending in a gentle descent to the ocean waters, captured by CNN.

Splashdown occurred shortly after 5 p.m. PT, hailed as a "perfect bull's eye splashdown for Integrity and its four astronauts" by NASA commentator Rob Navias, while a naval rescue mission extracted the four astronauts from the floating capsule before flying them by helicopter to the USS John P Murtha for medical evaluation, according to official NASA reporting by Jennifer M. Dooren. 

Interested in re-living the dramatic trip, or maybe you missed most of the action and want to see it for the first time? You can watch comprehensive coverage of the entire mission, including interviews with the crew, on NASA's official YouTube page.

For maximum drama, though, see the taped livestream below.

Or if you don't have multiple hours of free time to spare, check out our photo summary of the splashdown compiled by Chris Taylor.

The success of this mission, as well as its undeniable worldwide appeal, has both NASA and other space agencies thinking of the stars, but there are practical matters to attend to first.

The crew, described from the recovery ship by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman as "ambassadors for humanity," had not made as of this morning any public appearance since cameras captured their dramatic capsule exit, and are expected to take many days to recover from their 10-day trip beyond our atmosphere.

Before the R&R, though, the astronauts were expected to undergo one more ordeal: an obstacle course. As Mashable reporter Elisha Sauers details, the battery of tests, conducted in and out of their heavy astronaut suits, will be used study the body's adaptation to prolonged weightlessness.

But what about the future of space travel?

For some perspective, the Artemis II mission was the first crewed mission into deep space in more than 50 years, but NASA is also viewing it as a first step on a new, multi-decade project to establish a firmer foothold in space.

According to NASA writer Lauren E. Low, future plans include landing humans on the moon and establishing a permanent lunar base, testing rendezvous and docking capabilities with both SpaceX and Blue Origin lunar landers sometime in 2027, and eventually establishing the necessary preconditions for a crewed mission to Mars. 

For now, however, the world is breathing a collective sigh of relief, happy to accept the good news of the crews' safe return.

Reporting by Mashable's Elisha Sauers and Chris Taylor contributed to this article.

Americans have always had a soft spot for SUVs. It’s not hard to see why, since they’ve pretty much replaced the old station wagon for hauling kids, gear, and everything in between.

When Linus Torvalds released the Linux kernel all the way back in 1991, I wonder if he had the faintest inkling of how world-changing it would be. Not only because it's a robust clean-sheet approach to replicating UNIX, but also thanks to its open software license.

The platform formerly known as Twitter is learning new tricks. X is looking to expand its reach by launching XChat, a standalone messaging app promising end-to-end encryption, no ads and no tracking, at least according to the Apple press release.

In addition to the traditional text-based messages already offered by X, XChat promises to offer both audio and video calling, as well as the ability to send documents, create group chats, and edit or delete your sent messages. If the screenshots shared by X are accurate, the interface is minimalistic, emphasizing active chats in "a private, focused space built for conversation," according to Apple's press release.

Despite the claims of "privacy" and "end-to-end" encryption, some X users are pointing out what they perceive to be a contradiction in the app's privacy policy.

How is it, they're asking, that an app that cares about user privacy also links so much personal information, from your location and contact list to your search history and your user profile? 

Musk took to Twitter earlier this month to disparage the privacy policy of WhatsApp. WhatsApp pushed back against the claims.

XChat will only be accessible to people with an X account, and will only launch for the iPhone and iPad, according to the release, leaving out the Android market.

Given that apps including Signal and WhatsApp don't require a separate account on another platform, it remains to be seen if XChat can attract enough users to compete at the same scale. 

With an expected launch of April 17, though, we won't need to wait long to find out.

2026 is an incredible year for movies and shows alike, with some highly awaited titles dropping in theaters and streaming platforms. And if you're an anime lover, there's something for you too, whether it's a returning hit show or a new adaptation that fans have been waiting for.

I love the Apple TV adaptation of Foundation. These are some of my favorite books of all time, and the actual show is a top-tier prestige sci-fi epic that puts 90% of sci-fi movies to shame. However, it also has a two-year gap between seasons. It then only offers 10 episodes per season.

Using a Large Language Model (LLM) with Home Assistant has a number of benefits. It can add natural language understanding, power your voice assistant, and even analyze images. A local LLM can help maintain privacy, but you don't always need to use the largest model.

The Google Play Store has a treasure trove of apps, but it's not the only game in town. In fact, some of the most innovative and privacy-focused Android apps are hiding just beyond Google's official storefront.

Believe me, I know the pain of troubleshooting 3D prints to the point where I just feel like throwing my printer in the garbage and buying a new one.

Another day in 2026 means it's time for a streaming service to raise its prices. This time, it's YouTube, which is raising subscription fees for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music. Netflix, Spotify, Paramount+, and Prime Video have all announced price hikes this year, and it's only April. When will it end?

Nobody likes filing their taxes (or do they?), but a select few fast food restaurants are offering some financial relief to celebrate Tax Day. 

On April 15, you'll be able to score a dozen Original Glazed donuts from Krispy Kreme with the purchase of any regular dozen donuts at their usual price.

Best of all, the offer applies to in-store purchases, drive-thru pickup, and even to-go orders made through the Krispy Kreme app (use the code TAXBREAK at checkout).

You can read more about the promo on the Krispy Kreme official website, but suffice it to say a lot of families may be indulging after paying their accountants a visit. 

But Krispy Kreme isn't the only restaurant offering a break that you can grab on Tax Day and beyond.

Because April 15 falls on a Wednesday this year, Burger King's Whopper Wednesday discount applies, meaning you can pick up a regular Whopper for $3.99 or a Small Whopper Combo for $6.99.

Meanwhile, burrito chain QDOBA has instituted a Tax Day Guac Relief program, to highlight the fact that their guacamole is always free. To take advantage of the deal, first join their rewards program and then fill out a short survey about all of the times you've been forced to pay for guac in the past.

As a reward, you'll score $5 off a full-sized entree, redeemable between April 20 and 26. And the Tax Day Guac Relief forms? Naturally, they're due on Tax Day, April 15 — but what's a bit more paperwork when the payoff is so sweet?

If you want some much-deserved Tax Day relief, or if filing your taxes has inspired you with a new appreciation for a good deal, celebrate submitting your return with some well-deserved chow. 

PLA, or polylactic acid, is the most common material of choice for filament deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printers. It looks like plastic, smells like plastic, and probably tastes like plastic. It’s the filament that most of us start with, and it’s the one that many of us should stick with in all but the most exceptional circumstances.

Over time, Android phones and tablets accumulate a lot of junk files that take up space and clutter your storage. I found a wonderful free app that makes it easy (and fun) to clean up the mess. It even has a "feature" for keeping or deleting personal files just by swiping right or left on them.

We've all gone through the soundbar upgrade cycle. You start off with a cheap soundbar that's at least better than your TV's built-in audio but later buy a much nicer unit or even go all out with a surround setup.