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I used to shy away from buffers and tabs because the confusing terminology and obscure keyboard shortcuts put me off. But rest assured, learning all about buffers, windows, and tabs has transformed my Vim usage. I now wonder how I ever worked without them!

French prosecutors have raided the Paris officers of Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) as part of a preliminary investigation into child abuse images and deepfakes proliferating on the platform.

The investigation was opened in January 2025, with charges including "complicity" in "in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity and manipulation of an automated data processing system as part of an organized group," the AP reported Tuesday.

The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed the news via its own X account on Tuesday.

"A search is carried out at X's French premises by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor's office, with @CyberGEND and @Europol as part of the investigation opened in January 2025."

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Paris prosecutor's office also said it would be leaving X, inviting followers to find it on LinkedIn an Instagram.

Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino, which served as X CEO from May 2023 to July 2025, are summoned for "voluntary interviews," on April 20, the Paris prosecutor's office said in a statement.

“At this stage, the conduct of the investigation is based on a constructive approach, with the aim of ultimately ensuring that the X platform complies with French law, as it operates on the national territory,” said the statement.

In a message posted in July 2025, X called the investigation "politically motivated," and said it would not cooperate.

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Grok, xAI's AI assistant which has a prominent place on X, has recently come under scrutiny as it was being used to produce millions of sexualized images of adults and children. Grok later took measures to address these concerns, primarily via limiting image generation to paid subscribers, though several regulators and governments called the move insufficient.

Those 24TB drives on Amazon look tempting, I know. Imagine all of the stuff that you can fit inside of that drive. But maybe you shouldn't pull the trigger yet.

There are few things more casual than professional climber Alex Honnold calmly describing his latest life-or-death escapades in interviews, and the footage above with Jimmy Kimmel is no exception.

Following his live Netflix free solo ascent of Taipei 101, the 11th tallest structure in the world, Honnold sits down on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to describe the experience, including the reason why the climber hung by his legs no-handed near the top of the building.

"Style points. You have to play around just a little bit," says Honnold. "I mean that was near the top of the building, so I'd already done most of the really hard stuff, and you're kind of having a good time, you're enjoying the view. It's like, you've got to play around a little bit."

Kimmel's reaction says it all.

While the franchise's future may be in the hands of Amazon MGM, the James Bond franchise has returned to Netflix. The entire 25-movie saga of Sir Ian Fleming's gentleman spy is currently available on the streaming service, allowing viewers to watch the franchise's evolution from the fantastical, over-the-top adventures of Sean Connery's era to the franchise-redefining debut of Pierce Brosnan's Bond in GoldenEye.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Phantasmal Flames Elite Trainer Box is now just $91.80 at Amazon. That's $15 off its usual $106.89 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Phantasmal Flames Elite Trainer Box $91.80 at Amazon
$106.89 Save $15.09   Get Deal

Elite Trainer Boxes tied to high-demand Pokémon TCG expansions don’t tend to hang around at discounted prices for long, and Phantasmal Flames has been no exception. As of Feb. 3, the Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Phantasmal Flames Elite Trainer Box is down to $91.80 at Amazon. That's $15 off its usual $106.89 list price. 

Currently undercutting the cheapest listings available at TCGplayer by over $52, a Phantasmal Flames ETB at this price — compared to current market demand — is offering solid value for Pokémon trading card collectors and players alike. 

Like other Elite Trainer Boxes, this contains nine Phantasmal Flames booster packs, along with a full-art foil Charcadet promo card. You’ll also get 65 themed card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, a player’s guide to the expansion, six damage-counter dice, a competition-legal coin-flip die, and a sturdy collector’s box with dividers to keep everything organized.

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Considering that individual Phantasmal Flames booster packs on Amazon currently cost $9.87, you’re essentially getting the Charcadet promo card and all the other bonuses from the ETB for only an extra $2.97 — a great deal if you’re both aiming to get caught up on the expansion and be equipped for real-life play at the same time. 

While shopping for Pokemon TCG deals, you can still get the Mega Venusaur ex Premium Collection Box for almost $22 off at Amazon. For multiple packs, eight-pack lots of Pokémon TCG: Journey Together boosters are on sale at Amazon.

SAVE OVER $20: As of Feb. 3, the Sony WH-CH520 headphones are on sale for $48 at Amazon. This is $21.99 off their list price of $69.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Headphones $48 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $21.99   Get Deal

If you've had a new pair of headphones on your shopping list this year, but don't want to drop a lot of cash on something fancy, there are plenty of great budget options to consider. The Sony WH-CH520 headphones are included in that bunch — we even consider them the best on-ear budget headphones — and they're on sale right now at Amazon.

As of Feb. 3, every available color of the Sony WH-CH520 headphones is discounted to $48 at Amazon. Considering they're usually listed for $69.99, this deal allows you to save just over $20. On top of that, some colors are even back at their lowest-ever prices right now, such as the blue and white models.

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The Sony WH-CH520s boast solid sound quality and a battery life that can last up to 50 hours on a single charge. Our review from writer Alex Bracetti said they're the "best headphones under $50 — period." He continued on to say that they "surpass expectations by delivering broad connectivity, energetic sound, and longer playtimes than most luxury models."

While they don't come with noise-canceling features, and our roundup of the best budget headphones notes they feel "quite flimsy", they are worth grabbing for their sound alone. In that regard, the roundup states that the "the audio quality of this Sony pair certainly packed a punch."

If you're looking for headphones that offer great sound with a lighter price tag, this deal on the Sony WH-CH520 headphones is worth a look.

The week around the Super Bowl is one of the best times of the year to upgrade your TV, and Hisense is making the choice of what set to upgrade to practically a no-brainer.

Microsoft is famous for breaking windows and forcing AI integration where no one asked for it, but there are also a few hidden gems out there.

The latest batch of Epstein files have caused some uncomfortable questions to be asked of Elon Musk, who — despite asserting on X that he "always declined" invitations to the convicted sex offender's island, reportedly also emailed Epstein about a potential visit, writing in one message: "What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?"

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"You know sometimes I think Elon Musk is a lump with no charisma, but then he writes a line of poetry like 'What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?' and I stand corrected," says Seth Meyers in the Late Night clip above. 'What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?' is not a question you should ever ask anyone, but especially not a guy who, at that point, was already a registered sex offender."

Elsewhere, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert also unpacked the latest Epstein files.

Elon Musk's AI company xAI, which includes Elon Musk's social media platform X, has just been acquired by Elon Musk's space company SpaceX.

The merging of all of Elon Musk's "X" companies has now created a single entity with a valuation of $1.25 trillion. SpaceX has reportedly been planning to hold an initial public offering (IPO) later this year. The news of SpaceX's acquisition of xAI was first reported by Bloomberg and then confirmed by SpaceX with a statement posted on its website on Monday.

"SpaceX has acquired xAI to form the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world’s foremost real-time information and free speech platform," reads SpaceX's statement. "This marks not just the next chapter, but the next book in SpaceX and xAI's mission: scaling to make a sentient sun to understand the Universe and extend the light of consciousness to the stars!"

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's xAI raises $20 billion as Grok is investigated for deepfakes

The statement makes reference to all of the products now under the SpaceX umbrella, including its satellite internet service Starlink.

Musk's AI company xAI acquired the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, in an all-stock transaction last March. The deal valued X at $33 billion, or $11 billion less than what Musk paid for then-Twitter in 2022.

As Bloomberg points out, xAI, alongside its chatbot product Grok, spends around $1 billion each month in operation costs. The SpaceX merger helps pool each company's resources. 

SEE ALSO: AI chatbots like ChatGPT are using info from Elon Musk's Grokipedia, report reveals

In addition, the combination of SpaceX and xAI may also help move along Musk's intent to put AI data centers in space. SpaceX made a filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last week seeking permission to launch "a million satellites" for the endeavor.

In the statement posted on the SpaceX website, Musk specifically made mention of the project when discussing the merger.

"In the long term, space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale," Musk said. "To harness even a millionth of our Sun’s energy would require over a million times more energy than our civilization currently uses! The only logical solution therefore is to transport these resource-intensive efforts to a location with vast power and space. I mean, space is called 'space' for a reason."

Musk ended that statement with a cry laughing emoji.

Alphabet's Waymo just raised a ton of cash to finance massive expansion of its self-driving taxi fleet to over 20 more cities.

In a blog post Monday, Waymo said it raised a $16 billion investment, valuing the company at $126 billion. The round was led by Dragoneer Investment Group, DST Global, and Sequoia Capital, and included a who's who of investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Mubadala Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Silver Lake, Tiger Global, and T. Rowe Price.

SEE ALSO: Waymo launches robotaxi service in Miami

The new capital will be used to scale Waymo to a "commercial reality," which includes expansion to more than 20 additional cities in 2026, including Tokyo and London.

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Incidentally, a Waymo was recently spotted testing the waters in London, anecdotally annoying drivers as it was one of the few vehicles actually obeying speed limits.

The company recently kicked off its robotaxi operation in Miami and expanded San Francisco coverage to include the San Francisco International Airport.

Featured Video For You I took a ride in a robotaxi: How close are we to a driverless future?

While Waymo has been slowly rolling out its self-driving taxis in a small number of U.S. cities for years, it's been expanding far more rapidly in recent months. This probably has something to do with Tesla, which launched its own robotaxi service in several U.S. cities, prompting CEO Elon Musk to proclaim that Waymo "never really had a chance" in the robotaxi race. Whether that's true remains to be seen, but at least now Waymo has a big pile of cash it can use to increase its chances.

If you’re using the Raspberry Pi for all of your projects—even the simple ones—you’re using the wrong board for the job. While the Raspberry Pi is a great machine, sometimes an ESP32 or Arduino is just the better tool. Here’s when I think you should skip the Raspberry Pi and go for a microcontroller instead.

TL;DR: The Logitech G305 wireless gaming mouse is down to $34.99 at Amazon. That's 30% off its usual $49.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Logitech Logitech G305 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse $34.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $15 Get Deal

If you’ve been eyeing a dependable wireless gaming mouse to upgrade your setup without overspending, Logitech has a reputation for being one of the most affordable brands in the tech space. As of Feb. 3, the Logitech G305 wireless gaming mouse is down to just $34.99 at Amazon.

This is a safe bet for competitive PC gamers. By keeping things lightweight at just 99 grams, the G305 is easy to handle during fast-paced matches and longer gaming sessions. 

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Under the hood, Logitech’s Hero 12K optical sensor delivers up to 12,000 DPI with reliable, pixel-precise tracking — more than enough for shooters like Fortnite, MOBAs along the lines of League of Legends, and everyday play alike. The Lightspeed wireless technology should keep latency to a minimum, as well: offering a 1ms report rate that feels comparable to a wired connection.

Battery life is another standout feature, as the G305 can run for up to 250 hours on a single AA battery, meaning you can go months without thinking about recharging. It also includes six programmable buttons and onboard memory, letting you save settings directly to the mouse.

For more gaming mouse deals, you can still get the Razer Orochi V2 for around half price. Meanwhile, you can snag the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro gaming mouse near its lowest-ever price.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026:

Across"That's incredible!"

• The answer is Wow.

Makes a mistake

• The answer is Errs.

"Piece of cake" or "spill the beans"

• The answer is Idiom.

Cool in a throwback kind of way

• The answer is Retro.

See 1-Down

• The answer is Dream.

DownWith 9-Across, something you might wake up from and go "Huh?!"

• The answer is Weird.

What's spoken into a fast-food intercom

• The answer is Order.

Pen

• The answer is Write.

OpenAI product that creates video clips based on prompts

• The answer is Sora.

1-Across, flipped upside down

• The answer is Mom.

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

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.

Digging through Settings or Control Panel to make simple changes—like switching default audio device, managing users, or deleting temporary files—isn’t the best use of your time. With a few simple Run commands, you can do the same tasks much faster. Here are some commands to keep at your fingertips.

There's been another bulk release of Epstein files, and one of the prominent names to pop up is Elon Musk.

In the monologue above, Late Show host Stephen Colbert mocks the world's richest man, who has previously said he "always declined" Epstein's invitations to visit his island.

"He's publicly bragged that Mr Epstein 'tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED,' says Colbert. "But really. Did you?"

The host goes on to read an email reportedly sent from Musk to Epstein in 2012, asking if he had "any parties planned" and saying he wanted to "let loose."

"An email which was sent at 6:07 a.m. on Christmas morning," says Colbert. "Hey, say what you want, but he's a high achiever."

Elsewhere, Jon Stewart and Jimmy Kimmel also dug into the latest Epstein files release.

SAVE OVER $50: As of Feb. 3, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is on sale for $259.99 at Amazon. This saves you $90 off the list price of $349.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (2025) $259.99 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $90   Get Deal

Looking to make the jump to owning a smartwatch? If you're a Samsung phone user, you can't go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, which we consider to be our favorite Samsung smartwatch. And it's on sale at Amazon at the moment.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is usually priced at $349.99, but Amazon has dropped it down to $259.99 for a limited time. This deal allows you to save $90 on the smartwatch, but that's not all: both the graphite and silver models are down to this price, so you can have your pick of whichever style you like.

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The fact that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 "has a well-rounded feature set that offers everything you need in a smartwatch, fitness tracker, and sleep tracker" helped earned it the title of 'Best Samsung Smartwatch' in our roundup of the best smartwatches. Some of the features include an activity tracker, step tracking, a heart rate monitor, Advanced Sleep Coaching, Vascular Load monitoring for tracking your stress levels, and much more.

At the time of its release, our review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 from writer Adam Doud had high praise, even if the battery life was a bit of a letdown. In regard to this, he said "There's no question this watch can last you a full day on a charge. It definitely won't last you two days." However, ultimately, he said "I really like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, despite the battery life. I love the classy look, the software is really tight, and the Google Gemini integration is a big perk."

Don't wait, now is as good a time as any to grab the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 for $259.99 at Amazon.

TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub from Kansas with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

More than a third of U.S. states still have restrictions in place for online adult content after the introduction of age verification laws, meaning millions of potential users are locked out of sites like Pornhub and YouPorn. That number looks set to grow over the next few years, so a solution is desperately needed.

Fortunately, the workaround is straightforward. If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from Kansas, we have all the information you need.

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Kansas

VPNs are useful tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.

Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 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 a location that supports access to Pornhub

4. Visit Pornhub

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to sites like Pornhub, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing content restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Unblock Pornhub for free in Kansas with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: The Acer Nitro 27-inch WQHD gaming monitor is now down to just $199.99 at Amazon. That's 33% knocked off its usual $299.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Acer Acer Nitro 27-Inch WQHD $199.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $100 Get Deal

If you’ve been waiting to upgrade from a basic 1080p screen, Acer has just dropped a solid deal that makes a compelling case for jumping to QHD without blowing your budget. As of Feb. 3, the 27-inch Acer Nitro WQHD gaming monitor (XV272U model) has dropped to $199.99 at Amazon, marking a $100 discount off its $299.99 list price. That’s a 33% price cut on a high-refresh 1440p gaming display.

It’s not only the best price we’ve seen for this particular monitor yet (confirmed by price tracker camelcamelcamel), but it also undercuts many competing high-refresh monitors by a wide margin — making it a great go-to if you’re open to brands outside of LG and Samsung.

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At the core of the appeal is its 2560x1440 resolution, which will deliver noticeably sharper detail than Full HD while still being easier to drive than 4K. The IPS panel covers 99% of the sRGB color space, so it’s not just a gaming upgrade; it’s also well-suited for everyday work, streaming, and light creative tasks.

Where this monitor really flexes is speed. A blistering 300Hz refresh rate paired with up to a 0.5ms response time should also help keep fast-paced games — like Fortnite, Arc Raiders, and the new Highguard — looking smooth and responsive. AMD FreeSync Premium support works to reduce screen tearing and stutter, while DisplayHDR 400 adds a modest boost to highlights and contrast. 

If you’re willing to spend a bit more on full 4K, the LG UltraGear 27-inch gaming monitor has also just hit a record-low price. For more from Acer, the 49-inch Acer Nitro curved gaming monitor is also at its lowest-ever price on Amazon.