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Of the 17 different types of charts in Excel, I'd confidently speculate that only a few are used frequently. Actually, they all have their benefits in different circumstances and allow you to display your data in diverse ways.

We all have at least one TV collecting dust after an upgrade. If you’re like me, you probably have a few older sets tucked away around your home.

If you're someone who works from home like our editorial staff, there are no doubt times when you'll be wondering if there are ways to make your workspace better. Perhaps there are too many distractions around, or sitting around your home workspace is making you antsy.

Another new batch of Epstein files was released by the DOJ on Friday, and this was a huge one. More than three million documents were included in the release related to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Among the revelations hidden in the latest trove of Epstein files? Emails showed that Epstein was banned from Xbox Live by Microsoft.

On Thursday, December 19, 2013, Epstein received an official email from Microsoft to his jeevacation@gmail.com personal email address with the title "Xbox LIVE - Notification of Enforcement Action." Being barred from Xbox Live basically means Epstein's account would have been unable to play games online via his Xbox console.

The Microsoft email notified Epstein that his "Xbox Live account privileges have been permanently suspended." The email lists the reasons for suspension as "harassment, threats, and/or abuse of other players" and describes them as "determined to be severe, repeated, and/or excessive."

SEE ALSO: Xbox is preparing to bring ads to cloud gaming

The email from Microsoft about Epstein's Xbox Live ban appears to be a default email that's sent to all users banned under this policy. It does not describe the actions of a specific user. However, the latest Epstein files release includes another follow-up email from Xbox Live sent later that same day, which provides more details about the ban. Microsoft banned Jeffrey Epstein from Xbox Live because Epstein was a registered sex offender. 

In 2012, Microsoft joined an initiative from the New York Attorney General to ban sex offenders from online platforms. According to the follow-up email from Xbox Live, this is the reason why it removed Epstein from the online gaming platform.

"This message is to notify you that Xbox LIVE has permanently suspended the Xbox LIVE account associated with this email address," reads the 2013 email. "This action is based on the New York Attorney General's partnership with Microsoft and other online gaming companies to remove New York-registered sex offenders from online gaming services to minimize the risk to others, particularly children."

Epstein became a registered sex offender in 2009 after serving a 13-month jail term for solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution with a minor under the age of 18. Another email released in the Epstein files appears to show that Epstein created his Xbox Live account in 2012, meaning it took roughly one year for Microsoft to take action to ban his account.

As The Verge points out, there are other emails from Epstein referring to Xbox, which make it unclear if Epstein was actively using the service or simply had an account in his name for another individual to use.

Google is known for a lot of things, and one of those things is killing its own products. The graveyard is filled with Google apps and services you may have heard about, but there are interesting, lesser-known hardware projects, too. Some were ahead of their time, others were just not good.

SAVE $50: As of Jan. 31, Amazon has Apple AirPods Pro 3 on sale for 20% off their list price of $250, which comes down to $50 in savings. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro 3 $199 at Amazon
$249 Save $50   Get Deal

Apple’s third iteration of their AirPods Pro was released in September 2025 to some rave reviews, including Mashable's own product reviewer, Adam Doud. "It's not that the AirPods Pro 3 do anything remarkably innovative compared to other wireless earbuds, which are often less expensive — you have your quality sound, active noise cancellation (ANC), transparency mode, and more. They exceeded expectations at every turn," said Doud in his review.

One unique feature of the Apple AirPods Pro 3 is heart rate monitoring. However, it’s not a constant HRM capability like that of an Apple watch. Instead, you can utilize the HRM feature of the AirPods Pro 3 when you are actively working out. 

Doud also raved about the classic features of this new AirPods model. "The ANC on these AirPods Pro 3 is seriously impressive. The purpose of ANC is to reduce outside noise… Apple goes further by reducing all sound around you to a near whisper." If you’re looking for a new pair of headphones with wireless capability and excellent noise cancellation, you really can’t go wrong with the Apple AirPods Pro 3.

This weekend on Amazon is a 20% sale on this model, which has happened a few times since its release, but it isn’t super common. 

Don’t ignore your kitchen when building out your smart home; the technology has so much potential to make your life easier and provide more convenience and peace of mind. Start with a few considered upgrades, rather than needlessly “smart” appliances.

Cron has enjoyed decades of development and widespread use and is still an effective and reliable way to schedule scripts on Unix systems. But it’s not the only scheduling utility. In fact, many would argue that it’s time we all ditched Cron for systemd timers since they are the superior, more modern way to schedule scripts.

Although we live in an era of constantly evolving technology, it sometimes feels like the truly innovative, unapologetically "out there" devices have already been invented and forgotten. One of those devices marks the origin story of the Microsoft Surface line of products. Yes, I do mean the laptops and the tablets like the Surface Pro ... only this one was neither.

Samsung Galaxy fans did not let the hefty near-$3,000 price tag deter them from snapping up the TriFold phone on Saturday, when it went on sale.

On the morning of Jan. 30, the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold officially launched in the U.S., and buyers were quick to order the new Samsung smartphone. 

According to our friends at CNET, the $2,9000 TriFold sold out within minutes of going on sale. CNET says multiple people logged in to Samsung's website to make their purchases at the moment the device went on sale. Only one person was able to order the TriFold.

Samsung's website currently lists the TriFold as sold out. Credit: Samsung

If you were planning on buying the TriFold today, you're out of luck. The website currently lists the TriFold as out of stock. While the site also indicates it will be restocked soon, no timeframe is listed for when consumers will be able to order the device again.

There was some question about whether consumers would spend nearly $3,000 on a smartphone, given that it has a foldable screen so big it folds twice. It turns out that people are willing to spend that much money on the TriFold – or at least the early adopters are. 

Pricing aside, the TriFold has been receiving rave reviews from those that tried it out. Mashable enjoyed our hands-on time with the device. Mashable's own Timothy Beck Werth liked the TriFold so much that he walked out of CES 2026 deciding it was among the best tech he saw. In fact, CNET Group, which includes CNET and Mashable, decided as a whole that the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold was the Best of CES.

Mashable will keep readers updated when Samsung restocks the TriFold.

Luxury coupes are often marketed as high-performance machines, but many buyers are really looking for something else entirely: quiet comfort, elegant design, and stress-free ownership. In a segment crowded with expensive European options that can quickly turn into maintenance nightmares, one Japanese luxury coupe takes a calmer, more sensible approach. It prioritizes refinement, long-term dependability, and everyday usability over chasing lap times or aggressive driving dynamics.

Have you ever found yourself on a system that's lacking the necessary tools? Maybe it was a rescue or installation environment, an unfamiliar system you were repairing, or a Docker container you were debugging. If you've used Linux for a while, you've likely encountered these scenarios, and installing the required tools can be a hassle when all you want is to finish the job. That's where a convenient toolkit becomes a lifesaver, and I have one that fits the bill perfectly.

I’ve manually turned lights off for movie nights for the last time. While I had a HomeKit scene to semi-automate this, I had no idea that I could integrate Plex into my smart home through Home Assistant, and I wish I had done this sooner.

I’m probably not alone in feeling that movies rarely live up to the hype. While standout feature films are becoming increasingly rare, TV shows have quietly taken the crown. Thanks to streaming, there’s never been a more abundant and high-quality landscape of rich, immersive series to get lost in.

There’s a special annoyance that comes with picking up your phone after it’s been sitting idle for hours, only to find the battery has dropped significantly. While the screen may not be on, your Android phone is always doing something. But is it doing too much?

There are plenty of gadgets that were very simple when they were first released to the public, which would have been easy to blow off. However, time has a way of improving things, and you wouldn't believe how advanced these same devices have gotten.

Finding a car that’s cheap to buy, dependable to own, and genuinely fun to drive isn’t easy, but one German sedan checks all those boxes in 2025. While many budget-friendly cars focus on value at the expense of personality, this model delivers engaging handling and a spirited driving feel without demanding a premium price or frequent trips to the shop. For buyers who want more than just basic transportation, that combination is rare.

Whether you're buying one of the fastest SSDs or picking up a budget drive for some extra storage, you're most likely paying some attention to the read/write speeds. After all, apart from the capacity, they're the one spec that matters most in an SSD.

One of the key benefits touted for desktop computers, as opposed to (for example) laptops, is that you can upgrade anything you want later down the line. Upgradability makes financial sense and offers you endless options down the road. However, the upgrade argument for desktop computers may not be as strong as it once was.

When you head to a hardware store like Home Depot for a new tool, you'll see a rainbow of colors that signify brands like Ryobi, Milwaukee, DeWALT, RIGID, and more. Ryobi is extremely popular for its affordability, but a new bright orange tool is starting to hit shelves at a budget-friendly price. That brand is Vevor, and here's what you need to know.