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New York has banned DeepSeek's AI app from government devices, citing security concerns about the Chinese-owned company. It's the TikTok ban discourse all over again.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the statewide DeepSeek ban on Monday, stating that "New York will continue fighting to combat cyber threats, ensure the privacy and safety of our data, and safeguard against state-sponsored censorship."

SEE ALSO: Bill threatens to make using DeepSeek a crime for Americans

Though DeepSeek has been around for a while, the company made a huge splash in January when it released a chatbot app based on its DeepSeek R-1 model. DeepSeek's new AI assistant swiftly shot to the top of Apple's App Store, impressing users with its superiority over rival OpenAI's ChatGPT when it comes to technical tasks. It's also free, unlike ChatGPT.

Unsurprisingly, DeepSeek's meteoric success alarmed the U.S. tech industry, particularly as it claimed its AI chatbot was developed at a fraction of the cost of OpenAI's models. Nvidia's stock plummeted in response, with investors realising that future development of AI technology may not require as many GPUs as U.S. companies have been using.

Questions also quickly arose regarding DeepSeek's security, and what the company might do with users' inputted data. U.S. officials have expressed concerns about whether the Chinese government might censor content or use the app to surveil users. Some users have reported censorship on DeepSeek, particularly regarding criticism of the Chinese government.

"Serious concerns have been raised concerning DeepSeek AI’s connection to foreign government surveillance and censorship, including how DeepSeek can be used to harvest user data and steal technology secrets," read Hochul's announcement.

New York isn't the only U.S. state which has prohibited government employees from downloading DeepSeek. In late January, Texas Governor Greg Abbott banned Chinese social media and AI apps on government devices, including DeepSeek, RedNote, and Lemon8. Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Darin LaHood also introduced the unambiguous bipartisan bill "No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act" to the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, which would impact all federal employees.

Though DeepSeek is only prohibited on U.S. government devices for now, and only in a few states, such bans may be a precursor to wider restrictions. Last Monday, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley introduced a bill that would "prohibit the import from or export to China of artificial intelligence technology," regardless of whether the user is a government employee or not. While the proposed "Decoupling America’s Artificial Intelligence Capabilities from China Act" doesn't specifically single out DeepSeek by name, it's clear that the AI company is of significant concern to the U.S. government.

The U.S. government's concern about DeepSeek mirrors its attention toward TikTok, the video sharing app having also been accused of surveilling users and spreading propaganda at the behest of the Chinese government. Though TikTok was prohibited on all U.S. government devices in early 2023, by Jan. 2025 the app was legally banned across the entire country. President Donald Trump temporarily delayed the ban so he can "negotiate a resolution" to officials' national security concerns, however TikTok could very well exit the U.S. entirely if one is not agreed to by April.

Google has officially updated Maps to label the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America," following U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order renaming the sea. Fortunately, the tech giant is also retaining the gulf's internationally recognised name which it has held since at least 1552 — at least, for non-American users.

Late last month, Google confirmed that it would update Maps to reflect Trump's directive, renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, as well as Denali to Mount McKinley. The tech giant stated that it was only holding off on the changes because of its "longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources."

The relevant government source in this case is the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which hadn't yet been updated with the gulf's new American name. Trump's executive order gave a 30-day deadline for name changes to be made, including removing all references to the Gulf of Mexico from the GNIS.

SEE ALSO: Google Maps will rename Gulf of Mexico to America following Trump's order

Now the GNIS has executed at least one of Trump's name changes, labelling the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America." As such, Google Maps has followed suit.

People within the U.S. who search Google for "Gulf of Mexico" will now be presented with bold text reading "Gulf of America" instead. Searching Google Maps for the phrase will do the same, changing the search term to "Gulf of America" and directing them to the body of water now completely relabelled "Gulf of America."

U.S. Google Search results for "Gulf of Mexico," showing text reading "Gulf of America." Credit: Mashable screenshot / Google

In contrast, inputting "Gulf of Mexico" into Google from Australia results in text reading "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)." Similarly, Google Maps retains the name Gulf of Mexico, but adds Gulf of America in parenthesis to both the search term and the map's labelling. Searching "Gulf of America" does bring up the relevant sea as the first result (labelled as such with no mention of Mexico), however the map is not centered on it, and several American businesses are suggested as well.

Australian Google Search results for "Gulf of Mexico," showing text reading "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)." Credit: Mashable screenshot / Google Australian Google Maps results for "Gulf of Mexico," automatically changed to "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)" and with the location's label reading as such. Credit: Mashable screenshot / Google Australian Google Maps results for "Gulf of America," including the relevant gulf as well as several American businesses featuring the word "gulf." Credit: Mashable screenshot / Google

Last Sunday, Trump proclaimed Feb. 9 the "first ever Gulf of America Day" to commemorate his renaming of the gulf. The president further called upon "public officials and all the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities." It isn't clear exactly what activities Trump might think are appropriate for this occasion, but it probably won't be a public holiday.

Interestingly, Denali has still retained its name on Google Maps for now, rather than its new Trump-mandated label of Mount McKinley. The GNIS hasn't changed the mountain's name yet, so it appears that Google is still waiting for it to be official.

Sabbaticals aren’t just for academics or executives—they can be taken by everyone from early-career professionals to those nearing retirement. Whether you’re an achiever with a goal, an explorer seeking new adventures, or someone recovering from burnout, here’s how to make the most of your time off. Protect your time. Set firm boundaries. Resist the pull […]

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TL;DR: For only £28.32, you can grab a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019, 84% off the usual price of £185.47.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows £28.32 at the Mashable Shop
£185.47 Save £157.15 Get Deal

Ready to make 2025 your most productive year yet? Start strong with Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019, now available for just £28.32 (reg. £185.47). This no-nonsense version of Microsoft Office is the ideal solution for professionals, small business owners, and budget-conscious freelancers who want premium productivity tools without spending a fortune.

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

Battery swelling is one of those unexpected problems that can often catch us off guard. If left unaddressed, it can inflict serious internal damage to your device and is a safety hazard. But what causes this concerning issue, and what steps can you take to prevent it?

A group of investors led by Elon Musk made a bid to buy out the leading artificial intelligence company, OpenAI. However, it appears that the offer has already been rejected.

According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, Musk and his investor group submitted an unsolicited offer of $97.4 billion to acquire the nonprofit group that controls OpenAI.

Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman both originally co-founded OpenAI. However, Musk later cut ties with the organization. Since then, the two have butted heads over the direction OpenAI has gone in. At its founding, OpenAI was initially meant to operate as a not-for-profit group with an open-source ethos. However, since ChatGPT exploded on the tech scene, Altman has sought to turn OpenAI into a for-profit company.

Musk, who has since started his own AI company, xAI, has often publicly criticized OpenAI and Altman for its direction.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk’s xAI receives another $6B in funding as Grok app looms

"It's time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was," Musk's lawyer said to WSJ in a statement. "We will make sure that happens."

In a contextless post on Musk's X, Altman seems to have rejected Musk's bid. OpenAI has already raised billions of dollars from companies like Microsoft and was last valued at $157 billion.

Tweet may have been deleted

On X, Altman posted, "no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want." Altman's quip about buying Twitter was a not-so-subtle jab at Musk. 

Musk acquired X, formerly known as Twitter, for $44 billion in 2022. Musk's purchase price for the company was well beyond what the social media platform was worth. Since Musk's takeover, X has only dropped further in value.

Musk replied to Altman's rejection with a single word: "Swindler."

Temu has exploded as a popular online shopping site all over the world, but at the same time has raised many concerns. I've been wary of using it myself, but over time I've become a regular customer, and there are a few key reasons why.

Booking travel isn't usually done in a state of calm. You're trying to match the cheapest flights and hotel dates, juggle transport connections, and in the worst-case scenario, coordinate with a number of travel companions with different opinions. Amongst all of this, it's easy to make mistakes.

Apple released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1 today to fix a serious security problem related to USB Restricted Mode. This vulnerability could let someone bypass USB Restricted Mode on a locked device through a physical attack, which might allow access to the device's data.

TikTok is still missing from the Play Store and App Store, meaning that anyone who uninstalled the app on January 18th is effectively locked out. To alleviate this problem, the TikTok website is now distributing an APK for Android users.

Before optical discs started their plunge in popularity, CDs were set to be replaced by the DVD-A format. A format that would take use beyond stereo music and push fidelity into the stratosphere—so what happened?

As much as NVIDIA technically downsized the RTX 5090, it's still consuming a lot of power. It has a crazy 575W TDP, almost as much as a whole computer could consume a decade ago. No one could've seen this coming: power cables are melting again this generation.

According to Spotify, more than 1.6 million Valentine's Day playlists are created globally each year. If you're like me and take great pride in producing the perfect playlist, you'll love this new Valentine's Day sticker collection for sprucing up your playlist with the right cover art.

Not even Elmo, the beloved Sesame Street puppet, is safe from the internet's ire. The little red monster got roasted for a tweet about the Super Bowl.

Ahead of Sunday's big game, Elmo's X/Twitter account posted: "Elmo just hopes both teams have fun!"

Seems innocuous enough, no? Not to the internet, apparently.

Tweet may have been deleted

There were countless posts demanding Elmo stop riding the fence in the matchup between the Chiefs and Eagles.

Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

There were also a number of jokes about sports gambling to Elmo, who, canonically, is 3.5 years old.

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Pretty much everyone got in on the joke, even the Philadelphia Eagles' account, as the team cruised to a championship.

Tweet may have been deleted

This just goes to show that the internet will come after anyone at any time, including beloved children's puppets.

While many retro gamers are trying to snap up a good CRT TV before they're all gone (or at least gone up in price) there are some of you that are trying to offload your tubular paperweights, but can't seem to get rid of them. If no one seems interested in your old CRT TV, consider these tips.

Meta is joining other tech industry giants slimming down their workforces, as it begins a massive round of job cuts that reflect a priority shift towards AI.

In an internal memo sent to employees today (Feb. 10), Meta announced it would begin notifying "low performing" employees singled out for lay offs based on manager reviews and attrition rates of the previous year. The layoffs will affect almost 4,000 Meta workers across the United States, Europe, and Asia — U.S. employees are expected to be hit first.

SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg doubles down on Meta's submission to Trump

In January, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the company was planning to lay off more than 5 percent of its workforce based on an anticipated "intense year" for the tech giant, according to a leaked Workplace memo. The leader previously explained that Meta is doubling down on its "year of efficiency" and has been reorganizing the company's divisions to free up resources for its AI and AGI push. According to other internal documents, Meta is fast-tracking hiring for machine learning engineers and recently transferred some of the company's leadership to its generative AI group.

"Mark is creating fear. He's creating a culture where you have to be loyal to him or else," an anonymous Meta worker told Business Insider. "Self-censorship is rampant. At a company supposedly dedicated to connecting people, the human side of our work is disappearing, and everyone is acting more robotic."

Zuckerberg was recently spotted exiting the White House following his public support for President Donald Trump. A few weeks before Trump took office, Meta announced it was axing its in-house DEI policies and changing its Hateful Conduct policy.

Android 16 could soon get a feature that would be a lifesaver for frequent travelers: an alert for time zone changes. 

If you've ever traveled across a time zone change, you know it can be confusing if you're not paying attention. Your phone will automatically shift into the new time zone, whether you're paying attention or not. A new potential feature from Android 16 would send users an alert to alleviate that confusion.

Android Authority spotted a potential new feature in the beta for Android 16. It wrote that in Settings > System > Date & Time, there is a new "time zone change" feature that will let users "receive a notification when their time zone is automatically updated."

SEE ALSO: Android 16 public beta arrives: 3 new features, how to try it now

As of this writing, the new feature appears to be available only to folks running the Android 16 beta, but it could very well be a part of the final operating system that rolls out to users.

It's a small change, but one that could be pretty helpful for travelers. Changing time zones during a drive, in particular, can be a bit disorienting. With this potential new feature, you might never have to worry about that again.

SAVE UP TO $900: The Purple Presidents' Day sale takes up to $900 off mattress and base bundles, up to 30% off bedding, and 20% off Purple pillows.

Best Purple Presidents' Day Sale deals Best mattress deal Purple Mattress $1299 (save $200) Get Deal Best Purple bedding deal Purple SoftStretch Sheet Set $183 (save $46) Get Deal Best Purple pillow deal Harmony Anywhere Travel Bundle $150 (save $53) Get Deal

Sleep is one of life's essentials. If you've ever gone through a period in life where sleep was hard to come by, you understand the impact poor sleep has on memory, cognition, mood, the immune system, and overall vibes.

On the other hand, if you've been getting great sleep that leaves you feeling refreshed and ready for each new day, congratulations because you've unlocked one of life's most significant hacks.

A huge component of whether you're getting the best sleep of your life or slogging through each night to clock just five hours of rest is your mattress and bedding setup. You deserve something comfortable and supportive, from the mattress itself to your sheets and pillows.

Thankfully, one of the leading mattress companies is offering some great discounts during Presidents' Day. Purple has taken up to $900 off mattress and base bundles while also offering discounts on sheet sets and pillows. If you're in need of a bedroom refresh, check out some of our favorite deals at Purple during Presidents' Day.

Best mattress deal Opens in a new window Credit: Purple Purple Mattress (queen) $1,299.00 at Purple
$1,499.00 Save $200.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Mattresses vary significantly in materials and construction and the Purple Mattress is unique in the use of the brand's GelFlex Grid. This upper comfort layer is a hyper-elastic polymer material that aims to offer great pressure relief with excellent cooling. This makes the Purple Mattress great for anyone who's looking for a comfortable night's rest without overheating.

It's also great when it come to motion isolation which is something sleepers should look for if they're easily awaken by a partner's movements of if the dog tends to jump up on the bed at 3 a.m. The material is also hypoallergenic which is great for those who deal with allergies.

In a queen size, the Purple Mattress usually costs $1,499 but the Presidents' Day Sale brings it down to $1,299. You also get a 100-night sleep trial to test out the mattress at home.

Best bedding deal Opens in a new window Credit: Purple Purple SoftStretch Sheet Set (queen) $183.00 at Purple
$229.00 Save $46.00 Get Deal Why we like it

A good mattress deserves to be dressed in nice sheets, and you deserve to sleep well in cozy bedding. The queen-size Purple SoftStretch Sheet Set includes a fitted sheet, flat sheet, and two pillowcases, and it's on sale for $183 at part of the Purple Presidents' Day sale, down from the normal price of $229.

Purple makes these soft sheets with a bamboo-blend fabric that feels silky and smooth, draping over the body. The material is also nice for hot sleepers since it's both moisture-wicking and temperature-regulating. The StretchSecure elastic band on the fitted sheet helps it stay snugly in place over your mattress.

Best pillow deal Opens in a new window Credit: Purple Harmony Anywhere Travel Bundle $150.00 at Purple
$203.00 Save $53.00 Get Deal Why we like it

There's nothing worse that getting bad sleep on vacation. While some hotels are genuinely a dream come true when it comes to mattress and bedding comfort, others could use some serious help. Instead of playing roulette with sleep while traveling, grab the Purple Harmony Anywhere Travel Bundle. It includes the Purple Harmony Travel Pillow, Purple SoftStretch Pillowcase, and the Harmony Anywhere Travel Case. Together, the bundle is discounted to $150 instead of the typical price of $203.

The Harmony Anywhere Pillow is a smaller version of the brand's Harmony Pillow and both use the brand's signature GelFlex Grid for ultimate cooling and pressure relief. The core of the pillow is made with ventilated latex for even more comfort.

Not only is the pillow great for planes, it's great for when your Airbnb only has pillows that feel worthy of getting tossed out.

More Purple Presidents' Day deals:

• Purple Mattress Protector — $79 $99 (save $20)

• Purple Harmony Pillow — $179 $199 (save $20)

• Purple Restore Hybrid Mattress (queen) — $2,099 $2,399 (save $300)

• Purple Rejuvenate Mattress (queen) — $4,995 $5,495 (save $500)

T-Mobile's Starlink satellite messaging service is free for everyone to try — even AT&T and Verizon customers.

During the Super Bowl on Sunday, T-Mobile announced the public beta launch of its direct-to-cell program with Starlink. Customers can sign up, free of charge, until it moves out of beta in July. And you don't have to be a T-Mobile subscriber to try it out.

SEE ALSO: FCC approves T-Mobile's Starlink cell coverage plans

"When your service is amazing and different, you want as many people to try it as possible," reads the announcement. "T-Mobile is giving AT&T and Verizon customers the opportunity to try out T-Mobile Starlink satellite service on their existing phones."

When T-Mobile Starlink is released from beta, it will be included in the Go5G plan at no extra charge. T-Mobile customers on other plans can opt for the Starlink add-on for $15 a month per line. AT&T and Verizon customers can also add T-Mobile Starlink's satellite text messaging for $20 a month per line. All they need is a compatible smartphone.

While anyone with a compatible phone can sign up for T-Mobile Starlink, this does not mean it's automatically "installed" on iPhones, contrary to a rumor on TikTok. There's no direct partnership between Apple and Starlink, and Elon Musk, who owns Starlink, cannot access iPhone user data. 

All this means is that the iPhones have the Starlink connectivity option through T-Mobile since the iPhone has 1900MHz (band 25) spectrum support. This is not automatically included as part of the iPhone's iOS 18.3 update; users must opt to add Starlink coverage as part of their plan.

For the record, Apple has had satellite messaging support since the iPhone 14 via its Globalstar partnership. You can opt out of any satellite messaging by going to Settings > Cellular > your carrier > then turn off Satellite.

SAVE $700: As of Feb. 10, you can get the NordicTrack T Series treadmill for just $599 at Amazon. That's a 54% discount and a $700 price cut.

Opens in a new window Credit: NordicTrack NordicTrack T Series treadmill $599.00 at Amazon
$1,299.00 Save $700.00 Get Deal

Presidents’ Day isn’t until next week, but Amazon’s already cutting prices on everything from tech to fitness equipment, and one of the best deals we've spotted so far is on the NordicTrack T Series treadmill, which is currently 54% off its regular price.

As of Feb. 10, you can get the NordicTrack T Series 10 treadmill for just $599 — that’s $700 off the sticker price and a solid deal for a treadmill with 34K reviews and a 4.3-star average rating on Amazon.

This treadmill has a large 10-inch display so you can stream live and on-demand workouts, connect with the iFit app, and access a library of over 17,000 studio classes and scenic runs. (The iFit membership is sold separately.) The SmartAdjust feature adapts to your fitness level and auto-adjusts the intensity during your workout. And thanks to its syncing option, you can access your fitness data and stats right on your connected device (Google Fit, STRAVA, Apple Health, etc.).