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Why ‘learning German’ is suddenly on so many people’s to-do lists

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 11:00

TL;DR: You can get six online German courses for $24.99, making each less than $5 (reg. $120).

Something feels off lately. Prices are climbing, job security feels shaky, and you might be catching yourself daydreaming about a fresh start. You’re not alone — more people than ever are thinking about what life might look like somewhere else, but few are making moves like learning a new language.

One country many people are dreaming about moving to — or at least visiting — is Germany. Maybe it’s the free healthcare or just the soft pretzels with butter everywhere. Either way, you should take some German lessons before flying overseas. We have an online bundle of six courses that you can keep for life priced at just $24.99 (reg. $120).

Prepare for a fresh start, or just fun times, in Germany

When most people think about picking up another language, they might flock to popular apps on the market. These can be perfect for some learners, but those who want to gain an in-depth understanding of German grammar and culture may benefit more from actual lessons.

Your instructor, Kevin Gründel, manages to compile everything he thinks you need to know into a self-paced format — so it won’t feel like going back to school. 

This bundle includes beginner, intermediate, and advanced German courses, walking you through skills like:

  • Essential German grammar

  • Pronunciation and vocabulary

  • Reading comprehension

  • Everyday fluency

  • Complex sentence formation

Learn how to speak German online with our $24.99 course bundle (reg. $120).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kevin Gründel The 2025 German Language Learning Bundle: Beginner to Expert $25
$120 Save $95 Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

See visitors from head-to-toe with this $120 Ring Doorbell thats sure to sell out

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 11:00

TL;DR: Beef up your home security with Ring Battery Doorbell Plus, a feature-packed video doorbell on sale for just $119.99 (reg. $149) while these limited supplies last. 

Want to keep tabs on your home while you're away? Whether you're only gone during work hours or you have a big trip planned, Ring Doorbell can help you keep a watchful eye. 

Right now, the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus, which includes head-to-toe HD video, motion detection and alerts, and a two-way talk feature, can be yours for only $119.99 (reg. $149), but you'll need to act fast. There are only 140 units available. 

Enjoy peace of mind at your doorstep 

Ring Battery Doorbell Plus lets you keep watch on your doorstep both day and night thanks to its crystal clear HD+ video and color night vision feature. You'll see exactly what's happening at your home with the expanded field view. 

Wondering what's new with this Ring Doorbell version? It includes a head-to-toe perspective to see visitors and packages on your stoop. And you don't have to worry about unnecessary alerts with this expanded view because you can set customizable motion zones so you are only notified about specific movements.

When you're out of the house, Ring Battery Doorbell Plus lets you speak to visitors with the two-way talk function or pre-selected instant responses you can fire off. Everything is handled right from the Ring App, so you're only a few taps away.

Unlike many other security measures, setting up the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is super easy and takes under five minutes. Just insert the rechargeable battery pack, connect it to the app, mount and secure it with the provided screws and then click the faceplate into place. 

Let the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus keep watch over your home even when you're away now for just $119.99 while limited supplies last.  

Ring Battery Doorbell Plus: Head-to-Toe HD+ Video, Motion Detection & Alerts, and Two-Way Talk - $119.99

See Deal

Note: A Ring Home paid subscription is not included in this offer. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ring Ring Battery Doorbell Plus: Head-to-Toe HD+ Video, Motion Detection & Alerts, and Two-Way Talk $120
$150 Save $30 Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

The book Facebook doesnt want you to read: What you need to know

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 11:00

In books by disgruntled former employees, it can be hard to hear real complaints over the sound of ax-grinding. Take ex-Apprentice star Omarosa's book from the first Trump administration, which unintentionally revealed its author to be defensive, shallow and complicit with the nightmare around her.

That isn't the case with Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams, former and first head of global policy at Facebook. Disgruntled she may be, but this is a self-aware woman with an important point to make, not an Omarosa-style embarrassment to herself.

This is bad news for the company now known as Meta, which wants Wynn-Williams to be seen as a mere "activist." Careless People made waves on publication, thanks to Wynn-Williams' filing a whistleblower complaint with the SEC, her accounts of sexual assault (which Meta denies), and a portrait that makes founder Mark Zuckerberg look like a clueless cult leader.

Then Meta made even more waves with the highly unusual step of going to an arbitrator, claiming Wynn-Williams' disparaging the company broke her severance contract. (What is this, Lumon Industries?)

The arbitrator issued an emergency gag order, leaving Meta to disparage Wynn-Williams in its statements, claiming she was fired for "toxic behavior" — exactly what her account says of her superiors — without fear of her responding. Not a great look for supposed free-speech advocate Zuckerberg — and now Careless People is an Amazon bestseller.

So what is Wynn-Williams' story, exactly? And do you really have to read the whole book to find out? Don't worry, we've got you. Here's what Facebook doesn't want you to know about Careless People.

Sarah Wynn-Williams is a sympathetic figure.

Memoirs usually open with an eye-catching anecdote before a chapter on the author's formative years. Aside from first ensuring readers know the book's title comes from F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous description of the wealthy Tom and Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby, Careless People is no different. It opens with the time Wynn-Williams had to smuggle Zuckerberg out of a state dinner in Panama, making a break for it past naked dancers and a troupe of horses.

But then her childhood chapter is unusually engaging. At age 13, in her native New Zealand, Wynn-Williams was attacked by a shark. Stoic parents told her she was fine; in fact, she was bleeding internally and had to beg to go to the hospital, where her blood pressure was so low they had to use a bone saw for the transfusion. I SAVED MYSELF was the first thing Wynn-Williams wrote to her mother afterward.

She grew up wanting to save the world too — first at the United Nations, where she served as a Kiwi diplomat working on international security and human rights before growing disillusioned by too much attention paid to wars over punctuation in agency statements and too little attention paid to actual wars. Then in 2009, Wynn-Williams gets hooked on Facebook and sees what we now know to be true: This thing will change the world, fast. It could be the greatest force for good ever created, if the company has a clue what it's doing.

Not for the last time, Facebook execs were too arrogant to have a clue. Wynn-Williams begins a multi-year campaign to get hired for a global policy position that doesn't exist yet; her interviewer says this is an American company with an American audience. When the Arab Spring started revolutions in 2011, in part because of its platform, Facebook seems to realize the world exists (and doesn't operate by U.S. laws).

Once hired, Wynn-Williams has to scramble to head off multiple government investigations made possible by the company's carelessness. She preps Zuckerberg for meetings with foreign leaders, which he hates. He claims Facebook is about connecting the world, but there's little interest in the global audience until the company goes public and starts looking for growth at any cost.

"There is no grand ideology here," Wynn-Williams writes. "No theory about what Facebook should be in the world. The company is just responding to stuff as it happens."

SEE ALSO: Zuck is a lightweight, and 4 more things we learned about Facebook from 'An Ugly Truth'

That's how she is repeatedly sent into danger alone — as in Myanmar, where she has to convince the military junta to bring Facebook back online. Back in the U.S. she warns of the anti-Muslim aggression being stoked in fake news posts that aren't even being taken down when they contain the Burmese equivalent of the N-word, because Facebook barely has any Burmese speakers. (The UN has traced Myanmar's 2017 genocide to Facebook posts which the company belatedly took down.)

Wynn-Williams also has three kids over the course of the book; watching her try to have it all, in the style of Sheryl Sandberg's book Lean In, is heartbreaking. She sends emails from the delivery room and returns to work earlier than she needs to. She hires a Filipina nanny because her boss insists and "I didn't want it to become an issue in performance reviews."

One time there's a risk that Facebook employees might be arrested if they step foot in South Korea because the company ignored a local law that applied to Facebook games. Executives are trying to pick a "warm body" who will test the waters. Wynn-Williams is so devoted that, in this very Succession-like story, she does a Tom Wambsgans and offers to go to jail.

"I don't think this says anything good about me," she says with typical self-deprecation, "but I would have got arrested" by being the one to fly to Seoul first — until her husband points out that she has a seven-month-old at home.

Mark Zuckerberg seems more Trump-like than we knew.

If Wynn-Williams is Tom from Succession, Zuckerberg is Kendall Roy (with more than a dash of Roman). He's the boy king who thinks he gets it, oblivious to the layers of people trying to manage his moods. He makes up policy on the fly — announcing at the UN that Facebook would provide Wifi for refugee camps, for example — then leaves it to others to clean up his mess.

"He seems to be giving less of a damn," Wynn-Williams says after the Wifi policy announcement (which goes nowhere because Zuckerberg decides he wants the refugees to pay for access.) "Saying things because they sound good. Posting things because they look good ... I regret having enabled this."

If that makes Zuckerberg sound Trumpian, it's not the only time. Like Trump, Zuckerberg says Andrew Jackson (whose Indian Removal Act led to the Trail of Tears) was the greatest president in U.S. history: "not even close." Like Trump, Zuckerberg gets seduced by the power of crowds, asking if his team can arrange "a riot or a peace rally" when he visits Jakarta (where his suite at a top hotel is described as "more like a citadel").

And like Trump, he's enraged by President Obama, who takes Zuckerberg to task for fake news on the platform during the 2016 election. Zuckerberg refuses to take responsibility, seeing "fake news" as a talking point from media organizations that see Facebook as a threat. He considers buying "the failing New York Times," but decides Facebook should make it irrelevant instead.

Zuckerberg's main focus in the wake of that election: testing the waters for a presidential run himself. "I think he came to this dark conclusion: if Trump can do it, so can he," says Wynn-Williams. "After all, not only does Mark now have Trump's playbook, he owns the tools and sets the rules ... after being shit on by Obama, he dug in."

You'd expect Zuckerberg's advisors to rein him in — but these would be the same advisors who are repeatedly found letting the boss win at his favorite board game, Settlers of Catan. When Wynn-Williams beats him at Settlers, Zuckerberg accuses her of cheating. Wynn-Williams "unwisely" unloads on his lack of strategy in general.

"You were so focused on winning the longest road just then, you weren't paying attention to the rest of what was happening on the board," she tells him. It's clear she's not just talking about the game, but Zuckerberg thinks for a while and just says: "fair."

So Zuckerberg is in a bubble of privilege? No, says Wynn-Williams: "A bubble implies flimsy transparency," she writes, "where you can see a normal life just beyond your grasp. What Mark inhabits is more like a thick opaque dome, a murky fortress that separates him from the rest of the world."

What did Sheryl Sandberg allegedly do?

Zuckerberg, always an odd duck, doesn't win the "we were all rooting for you!" award for biggest disappointment in Careless People. That goes to his former COO Sheryl Sandberg. Once seen as the adult in the room at Facebook, Sandberg became a feminist champion courtesy of the Lean In phenomenon.

SEE ALSO: Sheryl Sandberg's 'Lean In' Might Become a Movie

Then, on a private jet from the Davos conference to SFO, a pajama-clad Sandberg repeatedly insisted that Wynn-Williams join her in the plane's only bed. Wynn-Williams suggests another employee: a woman Sandberg calls "little doll" had slept in Sandberg's lap in the car while Sandberg stroked her hair (and vice versa). That employee had "slept over" lots of times, Sandberg snaps: "I'm asking you."

Apart from the inappropriateness of the ask, Wynn-Williams is heavily pregnant at the time and fears her snoring would horrify her boss. She repeatedly declines. Sandberg storms off: "people say no to Sheryl so rarely," Wynn-Williams writes, "she doesn't know what to do with this." Except to tell her again on the tarmac in California as they wait for Ubers: "you should have got into bed."

Later, confiding in another employee, Wynn-Williams is told that "half the department" has been in Sandberg's bed, so it's no big deal. After that, she notices Sandberg "beginning to ice me out."

The PJs incident happens halfway through the book, but we've already seen a widening gap between Sandberg's public image and private persona. She berates her team repeatedly for not seeing the difference. When they assume her kids will be OK eating McDonalds because Sandberg posted a picture on Facebook of herself doing just that, Sandberg hits back: she wasn't actually eating that stuff.

By the end of the book, Sandberg's staff is on another private jet, updating her on the historic Women's March that coincided with Trump's first inauguration. The feminist champion cuts them off to ask ... what Melania Trump was wearing.

What happened to the Lean In lady? Wynn-Williams recalls this maxim from author John Updike's autobiography: celebrity is a mask that eats into the face. "I feel a deep sadness for Sheryl," Wynn-Williams says, "who let the mask eat into her face."

The worst part of Careless People

Ironically, media focus on the PJs incident may have obscured allegations about Wynn-Williams' male manager, Joel Kaplan. (He's also Sandberg's old boyfriend and a former George W. Bush operative who took part in the infamous Brooks Brothers' riot that halted a crucial recount in Florida after the disputed 2000 presidential election.) Unlike Sandberg, Kaplan is still at the company and working as Facebook's vice president of global policy. But Careless People alleges multiple times Kaplan took conversations with his direct report in a sexual direction. Meta has denied the allegations.

Wynn-Williams writes how Kaplan insists on video meetings during Wynn-Williams' maternity leave. Kaplan is "sprawled across his bed," asking questions about breastfeeding. When she reveals she'll need more surgery, Kaplan keeps asking "where are you bleeding from?"

Wynn-Williams tries to transfer out of Kaplan's department, but the transfer is blocked. An investigation into Kaplan doesn't even include an interview with her, and the "toxic behavior" firing happens.

Is this the worst part of the book, then? Or is the worst part what Meta has done in response to the book — dismissing details such as the Myanmar genocide as "old news"? If this is what passes for policy in Zuckerberg and Kaplan's regime, and the gag order is what passes for free speech, then Meta is a global force run by some very careless people indeed.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Keep 10TB of files private for life for under $300 with Internxt Cloud Storage

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 11:00

TL;DR: Enjoy serious data security at an affordable price with a lifetime subscription to the Internxt Cloud Storage 10TB plan for $279.99 with code STORAGE20 through March 30. 

Are you tired of hitting the storage limits on free cloud storage services like Dropbox? If you're looking for somewhere dependable and secure to keep your precious data, Internxt is an excellent option. It's an open-source platform with end-to-end encryption so that you can trust your files will remain safe and private. 

Right now, you can bypass expensive monthly fees and secure a lifetime subscription to Internxt Cloud Storage's generous 10TB plan is available for just $279.99 (reg. $2,999) with code STORAGE20 through March 30. 

This cloud storage service truly values your privacy

Get serious about securing your important data with Internxt. They make privacy their top concern, so you can rest easy knowing your files are safe and the platform values transparency with its users. 

Though you may not have thought about it, traditional cloud storage providers can monetize user data with targeted advertising and data sharing. There's also the worry of data breaches or surveillance with these bigger companies. 

This is where Internxt shines — you don't have to worry about your data being accessed. They offer end-to-end encryption. That means data will be encrypted on the sender's device and only decrypted for the receiver, so not even Internxt can access it. 

Internxt also has an open-source policy. That means their code is publicly available, offering total transparency to users. They're also GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) compliant, which means they adhere to strict European laws that protect user privacy and data security.

Like the popular cloud storage options, Internxt offers cross-platform compatibility and easy integration across devices and operating systems. And unlike the competitors with monthly or yearly subscriptions, this lifetime subscription won't cost you a penny more after purchase. 

Enjoy a massive amount of storage with a service that prioritizes privacy with this lifetime subscription to the Internxt Cloud Storage 10TB plan for $279.99 (reg. $2,999) with code STORAGE20 through March 30. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Internxt Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 10TB Plan $280
$3,000 Save $2,720 Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

This 10" touchscreen car display makes an old car feel new again for under $70

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 11:00

TL;DR: Elevate your car's entertainment system with the ESSGOO Portable Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto car display, now $64.99 (reg. $89), with free shipping.

Looking for an easy way to make your car feel new again? How about one that is under $70? The ESSGOO Portable Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto car display can give your front seat a facelift, and right now, it's on sale for just $64.99 (reg. $89), with free shipping, for a limited time. 

This touchscreen car display gives your car a new lease on life

Let the ESSGOO Portable Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto car display bring your car's entertainment system into 2025. It's compatible with any vehicle model operating on 12-24V, and easily mounts to the dash or the windshield with no professional tools required. 

After you finish the hassle-free installation, you can enjoy the large 2.5D 10.26" HD touchscreen. It's compatible with iOS 7+ for Wireless Car Play and Android 11+ for Android Auto so you'll have access to your smartphone right there on the screen.

Enjoy a wireless, hands-free experience on the road as you navigate your favorite apps, go-to navigation helper, or music streaming services from the display. The intelligent brightness adjustment keeps the screen visible, and the original car reversing image is supported for your safety. 

When you're not driving, you can easily cast a video from your smartphone with help from AirPlay and Mirror Link, with audio transmitted through the included AUX cable or FM. 

While this car display won't give you that new car smell, it should provide the new car feel. 

Secure your own ESSGOO Portable Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto car display, complete with free shipping, for just $64.99 (reg. $89) while supplies last.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: ESSGOO 10" Touchscreen Telescopic Mount Wireless Car Display with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Support $65
$89 Save $24 Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

The best robot vacuums and mops of 2025 so far, tested hands-on at home

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 11:00

UPDATE: Mar. 18, 2025, 5:00 a.m. EDT Multiple new mopping Roombas were announced on March 11, 2025. I'm in the process of getting my hands on them for at-home testing and will update this guide accordingly.

Despite the enthusiasm of actors in Swiffer commercials, few people are smiling at the workout that is manually mopping their floors.

If you experience similar dread when faced with vacuuming, the best robot vacuum and mop combos will cross those two chores off of your list (three, if you count digging your old mop out of the closet as a chore in itself).

Are robot vacuums good at mopping?

I'm not saying you can expect a hybrid robot vacuum to scrub your kitchen grout with the same tenacity you would get with a toothbrush, but robot vacuums have gotten much better at mopping over the past few years.

Since 2020-ish, most robot vacuum companies have added at least one (several, in most cases) hybrid model to their lineup, with prices ranging from $200 to well over $1,000. You can generally expect the mopping technique to get a little more meticulous as price goes up, so the type of mess that your 2-in-1 model will need to conquer becomes a big deciding factor. Are you mostly concerned with wiping up spur-of-the-moment spills, or will you be a stickler about dried-on stains that call for more heavy-duty scrubbing?

SEE ALSO: As a Dyson stan, I wouldn't tell anyone to buy the Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum

Fortunately, both ends of the pricing spectrum provide way more bang for their buck in 2024 than they did in the early 2020s. The mere presence of a cloth and a water tank is far from good enough at this point — now, the best robot vacuums and mops are armed with more mechanics attempting to mimic the elbow grease that a human with a mop or Swiffer would provide, like pressurized and/or spinning mopping pads (rather than lackadaisical, stationary ones). Most modern 2-in-1 robot vacuums can also mop with real germ-fighting cleaning solution rather than just water — key in upping my own personal confidence in walking around barefoot.

SEE ALSO: iRobot just completely overhauled its lineup with 8 new Roombas for 2025

But arguably, the most pivotal shift 2-in-1 robot vacuums saw in the past year isn't on the robot vacuums themselves but in their docks. Past automatically emptying the dust bin, the best robot mop combos also cross post-mopping maintenance off of your list by automatically washing and drying their own mopping pads, then refilling themselves with clean water from the dock. With one of these fancy self-cleaning stations, your robovac will be ready to mop again almost immediately — a clutch change from an older, more basic design that had us all choosing between manually washing a smelly mopping pad after each use, letting it mop with a dirty pad, or just avoiding the mopping feature altogether.

Not sure how fancy of a hybrid robot vacuum you even need at home? I've tested 15+ of the most popular robot vacuum and mop combos at a range of prices on my own floors at home, narrowing down your options to the top four robot vacuums that also wash your floors so far in 2025.

(Note that each vacuum's retail price is listed by default, but that I've also noted the most common sale price each vacuum frequently drops to in "The Good" section. And yes, robot vacuum deals are common all throughout the year — not just during a shopping holiday like Black Friday.)

Categories: IT General, Technology

What is an autopen? Trump calls Bidens pardons void because they were signed by the machine.

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 10:25

President Donald Trump has claimed that pardons signed by his predecessor Joe Biden are invalid. His reasoning: They were allegedly signed with an autopen, a signing machine used by the U.S government for decades. Unfortunately for Trump, presidential pardons legally don't need to be signed at all.

On Monday, Trump declared that several pardons Biden had issued were "VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen" (emphasis original). Previously used by multiple past presidents, autopens are programmable machines with mechanical arms that can automatically write a given signature.

SEE ALSO: Trump and Musk hosted a Tesla ad at the White House

Specifically, Trump's announcement targeted preemptive pardons Biden had issued to members of the House committee who investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Biden granted these pardons hours before Trump's inauguration, aiming to shield the House committee members from the incoming president's retaliation. 

Trump had made no secret of his intent to go after those who investigated the attack, previously stating on his social media platform Truth Social that they "should be tried for Fraud and Treason." Now the president is attempting to eliminate obstacles to doing so, alleging not only that Biden didn't sign the pardons, but that he was completely unaware that they were even happening.

"Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!" Trump claimed on Truth Social. "The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime."

Trump has not offered any evidence supporting these allegations. When asked by a reporter whether any such evidence exists, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt merely stated, "You're a reporter, you should find out." Typically it is the duty of the party making allegations to provide proof of their claims.

Biden released a statement announcing the pardons at the time they were issued. He had also spoken about the possibility of issuing them in prior interviews.

Did Trump invalidate Biden's presidential pardons?

Despite Trump's attempts to invalidate Biden's pardons, with the president stating on Truth Social that House committee members "are subject to investigation at the highest level," his declaration doesn't have any actual legal impact. 

Regardless of whether Biden used an autopen to sign the House committee pardons, a signature is not needed to grant a presidential pardon. In fact, there are no "necessary Pardoning Documents" as Trump suggests. Last year, a U.S. court determined that while having a presidential pardon in writing is proof that it occurred, the Constitution does not require them to be written down at all, much less signed. As previously mentioned, Biden's statements made clear that he had issued the pardons.

Can a U.S. president use an autopen to sign documents? Credit: The Autopen Company

Even if a signature was required, the use of an autopen does not render a document void. Though the validity of documents signed by an autopen hasn't been tested in court, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published an opinion in 2005 stating that it is legal for presidents to sign bills with an autopen. This advice was issued in response to former president George W. Bush's request for guidance on the matter.

"The President need not personally perform the physical act of affixing his signature to a bill he approves and decides to sign in order for the bill to become law," wrote the DOJ. "Rather, the President may sign a bill… by directing a subordinate to affix the President’s signature to such a bill, for example by autopen."

Barack Obama became the first U.S. president to sign a bill into law with an autopen when he extended the Patriot Act in 2011. He subsequently used it several other times to sign bills when unable to put pen to paper in person. Biden also used the autopen to sign at least one bill. If all documents signed using an autopen were found to be invalid, there could be notable consequences far beyond the House committee.

U.S. officials had already used autopens to sign letters for decades, including former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld and former presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. Trump himself has admitted to using an autopen, telling reporters on Sunday that "we may use it, as an example, to send some young person a letter because it's nice." However, Trump claimed that he hasn't used the machine to sign documents of consequence.

"To sign pardons and all of the things that [Biden] signed with an autopen is disgraceful," Trump said, appearing to briefly acknowledge that Biden did in fact sign them.

Trump did concede on Sunday that the validity of Biden's pardons would be a matter for a court to decide, though the White House has not given any indication that it has filed a legal challenge. Even so, the president seems to have already made up his mind about the issue, regardless of the lack of evidence.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How to watch Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers online for free

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 07:00

TL;DR: Live stream Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers on Sling TV.

The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers will meet this week for two highly anticipated matchups in the MLB Tokyo Series, which marks the start of the 2025 regular season.

All eyes are on the Cubs and Dodgers — two teams with decades-long cult followings. The Dodgers have really been in the spotlight since Japanese player Shohei Ohtani signed a record-breaking contract with the team back in 2023. Rōki Sasaki just joined the Dodgers in January, and fans are eager to see both Japanese natives play in their home country.

Even though the games are in Tokyo, you can easily watch them in the US. We've also got you covered on how to watch from anywhere else in the world.

When is Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers?

The first Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers game of the series takes place at 6:10 a.m. ET on March 18.

The two teams will face off at the Tokyo Dome. The game will air on Fox.

How to watch Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Both Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers games this week can be streamed using Sling Blue and Sling Orange + Blue subscriptions on Sling TV.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling TV Sports Plan Shop Now

Sling TV offers its Orange & Blue package of 48 channels at $55 per month. Sign up to enjoy a first-month discounted rate of $27.50.

Sling TV’s sports channels feature ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.

How to watch Cubs vs. Dodgers from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of the MLB from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Cubs vs. Dodgers from anywhere in the world 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 U.S.

  4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

  5. Watch Cubs vs. Dodgers from anywhere in the world

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

  • Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.

  • 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 eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

The best eSIM for Japan in 2025

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 07:00

TL;DR: The best eSIM for Ireland is Saily. Save 5% on Saily eSIM data plans with the exclusive coupon code MASHABLE10.

The World Expo 2025 will take place in Osaka. The mega event is forecasted to attract a significant audience, with around 500 events taking place over the course of six months. With several million international visitors expected, there will be a huge number of people looking for the best way to stay connected. This is where an eSIM can help.

If you're looking for the best eSIM for Japan in 2025, we have all the information you need.

What is an eSIM?

An eSIM is a digital product that allows users to activate a data plan without needing a physical SIM card. Users can switch service providers via software settings, meaning you don't need to swap SIM cards when attempting to avoid roaming charges.

What is the best eSIM for Japan?

The best eSIM for Japan is Saily, a product from Nord Security.

Saily covers over 200 countries and territories, including Japan. When in Japan, you can choose between five Saily plans (1GB, 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, or 20GB) for a period of one week or 30 days. Users get 24/7 customer support, straightforward installation, and automatical activation upon arrival. And if you run out of data, users can easily top up their plan and continue using the services without interruption.

Saily's best eSIM deals for Japan are as follows:

  • 1GB (1 Week) — $3.60 $3.99 (save 10%)

  • 3GB (30 Days) — $7.20 $7.99 (save 5%)

  • 5GB (30 Days) — $9.9 $10.99 (save 5%)

  • 10GB (30 Days) — $16.19 $17.99 (save 5%)

  • 20GB (30 Days) — $22.49 $24.99 (save 5%)

Something to note is that all plans have a 30-day activation period. If you purchase a plan and don't activate it, it will be activated automatically after 30 days.

Opens in a new window Credit: Saily Saily: eSIM for Japan 10% off with exclusive coupon code MASHABLE10 Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

What to Do When Someone’s Half-Listening to You

Havard Management Tip of the Day - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 06:01

We’ve all been there: You’re mid-conversation, but the person you’re speaking to is only half-listening. Maybe they’re scrolling their phone, nodding absentmindedly, or giving you a distracted “uh-huh.” It’s frustrating, but instead of shutting down, try these steps to reset the conversation. Pause and assess. Before reacting, take a breath and evaluate the situation. Are […]

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Categories: Management

Hurdle hints and answers for March 18, 2025

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 04:00

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

A common unit of volume.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

LITER

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A line of people.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 18, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

QUEUE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

The opposite of straight.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 18 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 18, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

CURLY

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A symbol for Valentine's Day.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for March 18 Hurdle Word 4 answer

CUPID

Final Hurdle hint

A protective covering.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

LINER

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Categories: IT General, Technology

What Is a Blue Moon and When Is the Next One?

How-To Geek - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 00:00

Blue moon, as a term, is pretty misleading. It's neither particularly rare, as suggested by the popular idiom "once in a blue moon," nor blue in color. So, what does a blue moon signify? Here's everything you need to know.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The Ugly Stepsister trailer has big The Substance vibes

Mashable - Mon, 03/17/2025 - 23:12

"What if Wicked and The Substance had a grubby baby?" This was the headline for my review of The Ugly Stepsister out of Sundance 2025, as I cheered this twisted fairytale full of violent beauty treatments and body horror.

SEE ALSO: How 'The Substance' broke the Oscars mold

Directed by Emilie Blichfeldt, The Ugly Stepsister re-imagines the tale of Cinderella from the perspective of one of her maligned siblings. Elvira (Lea Myren) wants only to be friends with her pretty and proper new stepsister Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss). Well, that and she pines endlessly for the love of the prince, who publishes poetry that has her swooning into romantic fantasies. So when Elvira's mother promises her a path to wowing royalty at the upcoming ball, she'll do whatever it takes — even if that means a medieval nose job without anesthesia. And things only get more gruesome from there.

As promised in my review — which is pull-quoted in the above trailer — "The Ugly Stepsister is a deranged and dizzying achievement, folding in a classic story with a bitingly modern satire and bold body horror...Simply put, The Ugly Stepsister is savagely brutal and yet strangely beautiful."

The Ugly Stepsister opens in theaters in the U.S. on April 18; the U.K. theatrical release follows on April 25.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why are people leaving ChatGPT for this new AI?

Mashable - Mon, 03/17/2025 - 23:00

TL;DR: Get an AI Magicx lifetime subscription for $64.99 with code MAGIC35 (reg. $99.99). Fewer than 50 are left in stock.

You know the feeling — you ask ChatGPT for help with a creative project, and it spits out something…underwhelming. It’s fine, but it could be better. That’s why so many writers, designers, and creators are moving to this new AI tool for content creation.

AI Magicx is what ChatGPT wishes it could be. The layout of preset templates for writing, images, coding, and more is insanely refreshing compared to the simple chatbot’s text-based prompts. Using them is even sweeter — and cheaper. Own AI Magicx for $64.99 using code MAGIC35 at checkout (reg. $99.99).

The content creator’s dream tool

No more arguing with ChatGPT when you have a deadline on that article or marketing ad — see what AI Magicx’s tools have to offer. Having prebuilt templates for each need makes it much easier to communicate with each AI and get better results.

Let’s say you want to generate an AI logo. Rather than sending over a muddled paragraph to ChatGPT, simply:

  1. Describe your logo in a text box

  2. Choose a logo style

  3. Select a color palette and background color

  4. Hit generate

AI Magicx also hardly limits you as a creator. Each month, you get an unlimited number of AI words and up to 500 images and logos.

Own these AI writing and design tools for life with code MAGIC35 at checkout, dropping the price from $99.99 to $64.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: AI Magicx AI Magicx: Lifetime Subscription (Rune Plan) $64.99
$99.99 Save $35 Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

Ubuntu Linux 25.04 Will Be a Great Upgrade for Games

How-To Geek - Mon, 03/17/2025 - 22:54

Windows has typically been the platform of choice for gaming, but Linux is becoming an increasingly useful option for playing games as well. With Ubuntu 25.04, you might be getting a cool feature that will squeeze more performance out of your computer.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Gemini's AI Summaries Are Coming to Google Docs

How-To Geek - Mon, 03/17/2025 - 22:51

Google Workspace is introducing a new feature for Google Docs that uses AI to summarize documents. This feature is built on Gemini AI technology and allows users to create summaries of their texts.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How the Discovery of Uranus 240 Years Ago Doubled the Size of the Solar System

How-To Geek - Mon, 03/17/2025 - 22:47

Uranus' accidental discovery 240 years ago greatly enhanced our understanding of the solar system, doubling the size of the solar system as we knew it at the time. Here's how a German astronomer stumbled upon the ice giant.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Google Is Finally Fixing Chromecasts After a Week of Downtime

How-To Geek - Mon, 03/17/2025 - 22:35

After over a week of the Chromecast (2nd Gen) and Chromecast Audio being completely nonfunctional, Google is finally rolling out a fix for the streaming devices.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Googles new AI model is being used to remove image watermarks

Mashable - Mon, 03/17/2025 - 22:23

It's bad enough that tech companies trained their AI models on content that doesn't belong to them. Now, however, it appears that at least one AI model is being used to remove watermarks from images so others can use content that doesn't belong to them, too.

Social media users have recently discovered that Google's new Gemini 2.0 Flash AI model can be used to remove watermarks from images.

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As reported by TechCrunch, this isn't completely new. Other AI image models have been able to remove watermarks. However, Gemini 2.0 Flash appears to be better than all other AI models at this particular task. 

Gemini 2.0 Flash doesn't just remove the watermark. It fills in the gaps in the image that are left from removing the watermark.

Based on what users on platforms like X and Reddit have shared, it appears that ​​Gemini 2.0 Flash does have some trouble removing certain types of watermarks, such as semi-transparent watermarks. As TechCrunch notes, Google has only made the model available via its developer tools platform, and the company has currently labeled Gemini 2.0 Flash’s image generation feature as “experimental” and “not for production use."

Reddit

However, for photographers and other artists, this is certainly a concerning use of the tool, at least until Google puts some guardrails on the AI image generation feature.

Photographers often depend on watermarks to identify their work as their own; when someone purchases the work, the watermark is removed for that person's use. But if any internet user can just run the image through an AI model to remove the watermark, artists will certainly experience problems getting paid. (Note, also, that in most cases removing a watermark without the permission of the creator is copyright infringement, and illegal under U.S. law.)

The future issues here likely won't be with Google's specific AI tool. The issue is that this is possible with an AI model to begin with. Even if Google adds guardrails to protect copyright holders from uses such as this, there will likely be other third-party AI tools that will replicate these features. In fact, as we previously mentioned, they already are. And soon, they'll probably be just as good as Google's Gemini 2.0 Flash model, too.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Shocker: The M4 MacBook Air Is Still Not Super Repairable

How-To Geek - Mon, 03/17/2025 - 21:55

The new M4 MacBook Air might be a great upgrade in performance and pricing, but unfortunately, it’s still far from easy to repair. iFixit has released its teardown results for the latest MacBook, calling it “a mix of good intentions and frustrating limitations that continues to fall short of what consumers deserve in a premium laptop.”

Categories: IT General, Technology
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