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On paper, Sony's PlayStation 5 Pro looks like the antidote to all the small flaws in the PlayStation 5 base console experience, but after carefully considering the coverage and real-world performance of the world's most powerful gaming console, I think I'll pass for now.

Horses in video games are far more than just another digital vehicle. They are characters in their own right, and in many cases you'll form a bond or at least some fondness for your steed. There have been many good horse boys (and girls) over the years, but these are the ones I think are legitimately iconic.

No matter what kind of vehicle you’re looking to purchase, reliability is easily one of the most important metrics you should look at. Making sure that the new car you buy has a good reputation can be the difference between a smooth ownership experience and a costly nightmare.

"Long Live the Real King."

That was the text displayed on an apparently AI-generated video featuring Donald Trump groveling and kissing Elon Musk's feet that played on a loop at the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development headquarters on Monday.

Tweet may have been deleted

A clip of the AI video playing on a TV set in the HUD cafeteria in Washington, D.C., was posted by Vox reporter Rachel Cohen, who received the video from a source.

The video was displayed on the same day that Elon Musk gave as a deadline for federal workers to send an email detailing five things they did last week or lose their job. Internet users have been sharing fake emails that have allegedly been sent to the government's Office of Personnel Management email address in order to troll Musk.

The AI-generated video played at HUD appears to be another apparent act of protest from those who disagree with Trump and Musk's dismantling of federal agencies. 

According to Forbes, HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett said that the video was “another waste of taxpayer dollars and resources” and “appropriate action” would be taken.

Tabletop gaming has experienced quite a resurgence in the last few years, and there's definitely a unique type of fun to be had when sitting down at a table with friends and manipulating cards, dice, and small plastic pieces. However, for my money, there are some games I just prefer to play in digital form. These in particular.

Google is rolling out transcripts for videos uploaded to Google Drive. The service was already generating captions for uploaded videos, but the new transcripts are a big upgrade for quickly finding the right part of a video.

The new iPhone 16e lacks MagSafe, Camera Control, vibrant colors, and more. It also has a missing GPU core and a downgraded display without Dynamic Island, among other omissions. If you’re getting an iPhone 16e for yourself, you need to know about the missing features.

Scientists have used orbiters and rovers to find dried streams, lakes, and gullies on Mars that hint at its watery past, but their cavalry of robots has struggled to prove the Red Planet ever had an actual ocean. 

A new study that leverages data from China's now-defunct rover provides some of the strongest evidence so far of a long gone vast body of water — one that wasn't just a temporary lake formed of melted ice, but a much larger sea. The findings lay bare what seems to be an ancient shoreline for an ocean that would have covered about one-third of the planet’s surface. 

The new paper, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests Earth's space neighbor had a warm and wet period that lasted for perhaps tens of millions of years. 

Such an Earth-like environment would seemingly increase the odds that life could have existed there. Though no one knows whether Mars was ever inhabited, the presence of an ocean means this location was at least habitable, said Benjamin Cardenas, a sediment geologist at Penn State and one of the coauthors. 

"Scientists who study the origin of life really do think that one of the main places that it might have started is along beaches not so different from what we think we saw here" on Mars, Cardenas told Mashable. "You've got shallow water, you've got air, you've got lands, and it's these interfaces where scientists who study this thing think that life probably cropped up on Earth in the first place."

SEE ALSO: NASA asked for cheaper ways to get Mars samples. It had one all along. The new data comes from the Zhurong rover, part of China's Tianwen-1 mission, which landed on Mars in May 2021. Credit: Chinese National Space Administration

The new data comes from the Zhurong rover, part of China's Tianwen-1 mission, which landed on Mars in May 2021. The six-wheeled rover was sent to investigate Utopia Planitia, a region far from NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers. It's the same rubbly plain where the U.S. Viking 2 lander touched down in 1976.

Collaborations between Chinese and U.S. researchers can be difficult to achieve, due to the Wolf Amendment established in 2011. The federal law prevents NASA from working with China because of concerns that the space program could exploit U.S. technology to enhance its weapons. But some U.S. scientists contributed to the study without receiving any federal government funding. China, for its part, made the rover data public, a requirement of publishing the research. 

Based on satellite images, scientists had previously hypothesized that Utopia Planitia, an area in Mars' northern hemisphere, once held water. But the idea remained debatable because they had lacked the underground evidence to substantiate it until now. The features that resembled coasts sat at different elevations, making it hard to determine whether water created them or something else, such as burbling lava, wind-blown sand dunes, or ancient rivers.

Zhurong did not survive the Martian winter as planned in December 2022. But it had traveled about one mile on the Red Planet over the course of a year before going kaput. 

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured images of China's Zhurong rover on the surface of the Red Planet that showed it didn't "wake up" from its planned winter hibernation in 2022. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / UArizona

In that time, the rover collected a lot of data, including some from a special instrument called ground-penetrating radar. The tool works by sending radio waves underground to measure the signals that bounce back. This helps scientists identify and plot different layers of rock and soil beneath the surface. 

The data revealed distinctive slopes of underground material, just like how waves build up sediment along Earth's coasts. These ancient beaches extended for about 4,300 feet — nearly a mile — and were buried 30 to 115 feet below the surface.

"To accumulate more than a kilometer of beach deposits on Earth takes a long time — hundreds of thousands of years to millions of years," Michael Manga, a UC Berkeley geoscientist and coauthor, told Mashable. "So if we say that the processes that operate on Earth also operated on Mars, at roughly the same kind of rates, it means the ocean was there for a decent amount of time."

From the new data, scientists can infer a larger water cycle for Mars. In order for beaches to creep nearly a mile into a body of water, there would need to be tides, standing water, and rivers feeding sediment into the ocean over a long period. 

A topographical view of Utopia Planitia with the hypothesized ancient ocean, colored with varying shades of blue based on the depth of the water. The star indicates the Zhurong rover's location. Credit: Robert Citron illustration

Manga, who has long-believed in the ocean hypothesis, found the Zhurong data deeply satisfying. 

"Just the fact that you can go to Mars with a rover and move over the surface and look underground is kind of mind-boggling to me," he said. "But then to see something that has structure and that's coherent — and by that I mean similar over such a broad scale — was really super exciting." 

The Perseverance rover has also detected sloping underground layers at its landing site in Jezero Crater, a former lakebed, but those could have been created by water or magma. A key difference between the two rovers' radar data is that the Jezero material had what's called "high permittivity" — holding more electrical charge. This could indicate the presence of volcanic rock. The material at Utopia Planitia, on the other hand, had "low permittivity" and is likely composed of a sand and pebble mixture, similar to what's found along many of Earth's shorelines. 

That Zhurong and Perseverance had different findings is a reminder that environments can vary a lot globally. Perseverance is about 3,000 miles away from Zhurong, farther than the distance between New York and LA. A few months ago, research on carbon-rich minerals at Gale Crater, where Curiosity roams about 2,000 miles from Zhurong, found that the region would have been icy and salty — quite hostile for life to emerge, at least above ground.

China's Zhurong rover takes a picture with its navigation camera, showing its antenna and solar panels, after it landed on Mars on May 15, 2021. Credit: CNS / CNSA / AFP / Getty Images

"It's not necessarily surprising to me that you can look at different parts of Mars, and you'll find that the story is more complicated," Cardenas said. "Regions of Mars may have been fairly different at different times."

While the new research helps to confirm Mars had a surface ocean in its past, it also prompts new questions — namely, where did all of that water go? Did it freeze beneath the surface, collect into ice sheets at the poles, or escape into space? The answer could help scientists understand how planets evolve and whether such a change could occur on Earth. 

Researchers may also want to further consider how gravity factors into beach formations, Manga said. Mars' gravity is 62 percent less than Earth's, and scientists don't yet know whether that could fundamentally alter how beaches work. That gap in knowledge could mean the team misinterpreted the shoreline features. But of all the possible explanations, the collaborators feel confident a stable and vast ocean is likely the best fit. 

"It would be interesting if it turns out that Mars did have large oceans and never created life," Manga said. "That would say something about how difficult life is to initiate." 

UPDATE: Feb. 25, 2025, 9:43 a.m. EST A researcher's name appeared misspelled in an earlier version of this story. Benjamin Cardenas is a sediment geologist at Penn State.

Microsoft is creating a new AI-based search feature for Bing called "Copilot Search." Instead of showing the usual blue links, this feature will present search results as summaries generated by AI.

The new iOS 18.4 developer beta was released, and with it came many new features.

Apple's latest iPhone operating system, iOS 18.4, adds AI capabilities and more news features. Here's a quick breakdown of what to expect. The developer beta was released last week and will become fully available to the public in April.

More Apple Intelligence options

Apple noted that iOS 18.4 would add numerous languages for Apple Intelligence, "including French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) — as well as localized English for Singapore and India."

SEE ALSO: What is Apple Intelligence?

With the operating system update, users in the European Union will also get access to Apple Intelligence, which had been delayed as the tech company worked to ensure it complied with local laws.

Priority notifications

Apple promised Apple Intelligence would continue to add capabilities as time passes. With the 18.4 developer beta, Apple finally rolled out priority notifications, as 9to5Mac noted. This is something we expected to get this year, and it's exactly what it sounds like: AI pushes important notifications to the top and less important stuff to the bottom.

SEE ALSO: New iOS 18 features we expect in 2025 News+ Food

iOS 18.4 is a big update for the culinary inclined. It has a new, food-focused news feature. However, you must subscribe to Apple News+.

In a press release, Apple wrote: "Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the world’s top food publishers, including Allrecipes, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Good Food, and Serious Eats."

Credit: Apple

Apple News editors will curate the section. If you are curious, an Apple News+ subscription will cost you $12.99 per month.

Ambient music

If you're a light sleeper or need background noise to get work done, Apple has a new feature for you with iOS 18.4. The ambient music feature can be added to your control center and play sounds for "Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing," Macrumors noted.

Lots of other minor changes

As the folks at 9to5Mac and Macrumors have noted, there are also several small shifts in design that come with the new beta version of Apple's new iOS. For instance, CarPlay has, for some folks, begun to show three rows of app icons. There are new widgets in the Podcast app, a list view for photos, and a new icon for clicking on Genmoji.

As with any iOS update, there are small changes in many places — and plenty of time to play around with it before it drops for the public in April.

Excel's spin button lets you quickly increase or decrease a value in a cell without having to type it manually. It can be used in wide-ranging contexts, such as a data entry form, a dashboard worksheet, or a price calculation table, and its flexible controls mean you can tailor it to your needs.

Google is ditching SMS two-factor authentication in favor of QR codes. The new 2FA method will provide increased protection against phishing and other common threats, but it may be less convenient than SMS verification, depending on Google's implementation.

Looking for a new Android phone for cheap? We've got your back! Whether you want an excellent camera, fantastic performance, a long-lasting battery, or a bit of everything, we've rounded up a list of the best budget Android phones we think you'll love.

Revolution is in full-swing in the trailer for Andor Season 2.

SEE ALSO: That 'Andor' post-credits scene means more than you think

Fittingly set to Steve Earle's song "The Revolution Starts Now," the trailer for the acclaimed Star Wars show's final season teases Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and his many allies' efforts to take down the Galactic Empire. Explosions and intense piloting missions are on the menu, while Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona), Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), and Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) are all in the fray.

SEE ALSO: 'Andor': more, more! Burning questions for Season 2 of the best Star Wars.

As Andor draws ever-closer to the events of Rogue One, the show will introduce characters from the film. Forest Whitaker returns as resistance fighter Saw Gerrera, Ben Mendelsohn is back as the villainous Orson Krennic, and Alan Tudyk once again lends his voice to droid K-2SO. Also present? The Death Star, which showed up briefly in Season 1 but will surely play an even bigger part in the lead-up to Rogue One.

Andor Season 2 premieres Apr. 22 on Disney+.

SAVE $28: As of Feb. 24, new users can sign up for a year of Calm Premium for only $41.99. That's 40% off the usual cost of annual subscriptions.

Opens in a new window Credit: Calm Calm Premium annual subscription $41.99
$69.99 Save $28.00 Get Deal

No matter which way you slice it, the world is pretty chaotic. That's why it's so essential to protect your peace with self-care, meditation, and solid rest. If you need some help with any of those three, a Calm subscription can be a game changer. And this week, it's 40% cheaper than usual.

Typically, an annual subscription to Calm's Premium tier is $69.99. However, new users can sign up for only $41.99 as of Feb. 24. That breaks down to only $3.50 per month.

Calm puts mental health at the forefront, with research-based tools designed to help you sleep better, manage stress, and ultimately live a happier and healthier life. Some of those tools include gratitude check-ins, guided meditations, sleep stories, exclusive music for focus, sleep, and relaxation, and even masterclasses to help you develop your own toolbox to handle stress and anxiety. There's over 50,000 minutes of content altogether and a Premium subscription gives you unlimited access to all of it. Even if you manage to go through every last minute of content, there's more added every week to keep you engaged.

It's never a bad idea to build your mental fitness. By signing up for a Calm Premium subscription while its 40% off, no matter what unfolds this year, at least your inner world will be, well, calm.

TL;DR: Through 30 March, a lifetime subscription to AdGuard's Family Plan is on sale for A$25 (reg. A$266) when you use the code GUARD20 at the Mashable Shop.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdGuard Software AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription A$25.00
A$266.00 Save A$241.00 Use code 'GUARD20' Get Deal

Online safety has never been more important, especially when it comes to protecting our families. As children spend more time online for both education and entertainment, the need for a reliable solution to safeguard them from the pitfalls of the web has become paramount.

AdGuard is a powerful tool designed to provide peace of mind for parents while offering a seamless browsing experience for the entire family. A lifetime subscription to the AdGuard Family Plan covers up to nine devices and is on sale for just A$25 (reg. A$266). That's 90% off.

With its advanced ad-blocking module, AdGuard eliminates the constant barrage of annoying banners, intrusive pop-ups, and disruptive video ads that clutter your browsing experience. But AdGuard goes beyond just blocking ads; it also shields your family from harmful malware and phishing websites, acting as a fortress for your digital life.

For parents, AdGuard’s parental control feature is a game-changer. It allows you to restrict access to inappropriate and adult content so your children can explore the internet in a safe and secure environment. Whether they are doing schoolwork or watching videos, you can rest easier knowing that they're protected from the dangers lurking online.

AdGuard works across all your devices, from smartphones to tablets, covering both Android and iOS operating systems. And this lifetime subscription includes continuous updates and new features.

Jump on this chance to protect yourself online for life with the AdGuard Family Plan for just A$25 (reg. A$266) at the Mashable Shop. Just be sure to use code GUARD20 through 30 March at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

People are afraid of flying right now — but that fear isn't based in much data.

There's been a huge uptick in content about plane crashes over the past few weeks. If you look at Google Trends for searches about aviation accidents and incidents, we're searching for them nearly 50 times more often now than we were at any point since Google started collecting data — including when the infamous lost Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that took over our breaking news banners in 2014.

But, in reality, flying is safer than it ever has been. In fact, the number of reported plane crashes are at an all time low according to data from the National Transportation Safety Board. In January 2025, there were 63 total airplane accidents, the majority of which were on private flights, compared to the 80 recorded in January 2024. Data from International Civil Aviation Organization shows a similar decrease in crashes over time, the BBC reported.

SEE ALSO: Are you scared to fly? The internet is, too. Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

So why is everyone freaking out online?

The first clear answer is that there was a massive, deadly crash in the beginning of the year that timed up pretty perfectly with the destabilization of government organizations meant to keep air travel safe. While only 10 of the flights in January 2025 were fatal, in comparison to 19 fatal flights in January 2024, according to the NTSB data, one of those flights was a collision between a commercial airliner and a military helicopter in Washington D.C., in which 67 people died. Another flight was a commercial flight that left multiple people injured and crash landed upside down in Toronto. At the same time, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), under the leadership of Elon Musk, made significant cuts to the Federal Aviation Administration including multiple jobs that helped support air safety, the Associated Press reported. Plus, as CNN reported, some of these crashes — including the D.C. collision and the crash in Toronto — involved commercial airliners. Typically, the majority of crashes are smaller, private planes, which tend to be less safe, according to CNN. They also naturally get less attention in the media and result in fewer fatalities.

This left us in a place to be primed for horror — and social media doesn't help that. Marco Chan, a former pilot and senior lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University, told BBC Verify that the increase in air disaster awareness is being fueled because "accidents are getting increasing exposure from social media platforms."

Some videos and posts on X, Instagram, and TikTok about travel dangers are going viral, but not everyone is trying to fear monger.

One travel creator, @bmekween, posted a video pointing out just how inconsistent our flight fears are with the current data. And, she thinks, it might be connected to fear mongering from the current administration.

"I'm truly not trying to be a conspiracy theorist," she said in a video with more than 121,000 likes on Reels. On TikTok, the same video has over a million views and 150,000 likes. "One of the ways that people in power will try to control other people is by convincing them that something different from what they are experiencing is dangerous and creating a fear around that."

Overall, a poll from AP-NORC shows that while people might think air travel is slightly less safe today than they did in January 2024, a majority of the public still thinks plane travel is safe.

Save $50: As of Feb. 24, the M4 Apple Mac mini with 256GB of storage is on sale for $549, down from $599, netting you an 8% discount at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple M4 Apple Mac mini (256GB) $549.00 at Amazon
$599.00 Save $50.00 Get Deal

If you want a Mac but don't want to pay $1,000 or more, it's important to remember that MacBooks aren't your only options.

Apple's Mac mini runs the same M4 chip as the MacBook Pro, along with the same 10-core GPU and CPU. It starts at 256GB of storage instead of the Pro's 512GB but that's the most glaring difference spec-wise — except, of course, the price. Compared to the Pro's $1,599, the M4 Mac mini costs just $599, and as of Feb. 24, is on sale for even less at $549. Even in comparison to Apple's other M4 desktop, the iMac, you'll be spending hundreds less on the Mac mini.

These price differences are nothing to balk at, but we do have to note up top that if you need a machine with portability, the Mac mini is a desktop machine that won't work for you. However, if you find yourself working at your desk most of the time anyway, the mini is a way cheaper entry-price than the Pro laptops, leaving plenty of wiggle room for you to buy a monitor, keyboard, and mouse (if you don't already have one) and still be spending hundreds less than you would on the Pro (and the iMac for that matter).

SEE ALSO: M4 Mac mini vs. M2 Mac mini: What are the differences?

Mashable's Matt Binder put it best in his comparison of the two computers: "If you're seeking a stationary setup and a more cost-effective system, the M4 Mac mini is for you."

Alongside the performance specs, the Mac mini comes with eight ports, including: a headphone jack, two USB-C ports, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, one HDMI 2.1 port, and an Ethernet port.

SAVE 50% + FREE GIFT: LELO's Valentine's Day sale is ending soon! Get up to 50% off and a free gift with purchase.

Opens in a new window Credit: LELO LELO Valentine's Day Sale Shop Now

We’re well past Valentine’s Day, but LELO is still hosting its annual sale — only for the next 22 hours, though! Whether you’re shopping for a little treat for yourself or looking for the perfect gift for your bestie or SO, you’re gonna want to check out what LELO has to offer.

As of Feb. 24, you can score up to 50% off select LELO toys, plus get a free LELO Relax Body Mat with any purchase of $199 or more (which isn’t hard to do when you’re shopping luxe sex toys).

SEE ALSO: Get off to your favorite playlist with LELO's new sound-activated clitoral vibrator

LELO doesn’t skimp on quality, and some of its best-sellers are included in this sale. From the Smart Wand 2 to the Enigma Double Sonic (I have both!) to male masturbators, there’s something for everyone.

Here are a few standout deals we've spotted:

• SONA 2 Cruise — $127.20 $159 (save $31.80)

• SILA Cruise — $149.25 $199 (save $49.75)

• HUGO 2 Remote — $171.75 $229 (save $57.25)

• Her Delight Bundle (Sona Cruise, GIGI 2, personal moisturizer, nipple play gel) — $199 $271.90 (save $72.90)

• Couple Play Bundle (TIANI 3, TOR 2, HEX Original, personal moisturizer, oral sex balm) — $239 $370 (save $131.80)

SAVE $100: The Nutri Ninja personal and countertop blender is on sale at Amazon for $149.99, down from the usual price of $249.99. That's a 40% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Nutri Ninja personal and countertop blender (BL642) $149.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal

If you've never been excited about a blender, you haven't used the right one. While plenty of kitchen appliances need no fancy settings, a blender can offer some really cool functions and Ninja is a fan-favorite brand. If you could use a new blender, check out this sweet deal at Amazon.

As of Feb. 24, the Nutri Ninja personal and countertop blender is on sale at Amazon for $149.99, down from the standard price of $249.99. That's a $100 discount that works out to a 40% discount.

The 1,200 watt motor is ready to tackle your blending projects. That means you'll be whipping up icy slushies, frozen drinks, and smoothies with no effort. Ninja mentions this model is perfect for both drinks and sauces. It's also powerful enough to handle nuts and fibrous vegetables like celery and kale.

SEE ALSO: The Ember Mug 2 is at an even better deal than it was a few weeks ago

This model comes with a full-size blending pitcher that holds 72 ounces, but it also comes with three portable single-serve cups (18, 24, and 32 ounces) with spout lids. All of these pieces are safe to clean in the dishwasher.

The Nutri Ninja uses the brand's Auto-iQ technology which automatically detects the blender's contents and times it perfectly to blend all ingredients which means you won't have to select a time or wait around to make sure everything gets blended.

If you're a fan of making smoothies or plan to become a frozen drink master this summer, jump on this Amazon deal that takes 40% off the price of the Nutri Ninja personal and countertop blender.