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After 20 years, I've finally found a replacement for WinRAR

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 18:09

WinRAR has been such a steadfast part of the Windows experience that its payment model—politely nagging users to buy a license—has become a meme. But after more than 20 years, I've finally found an alternative.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The best laptop deals live ahead of Amazons Big Spring Sale: Its a MacBook show so far

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 18:06
A quick look at Amazon's best laptop deals ahead of the Big Spring Sale: Best MacBook deal Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,299 at Amazon (save $300) Get Deal Best Windows laptop deal Asus ROG Flow Z13 (AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $2,069.99 at Amazon (save $330 + free code for "Crimson Desert") Get Deal

Amazon's third annual Big Spring Sale is just around the corner (from March 25 to 31). The event is themed around seasonal goodies like spring cleaning supplies, outdoor gear, and warm-weather apparel. But in the past, we've also seen it prompt some great deals on tech — including laptops.

So far, the bulk of Amazon's best pre-sale computer deals involve MacBooks, MacBooks, and more MacBooks. Almost every configuration from the past two years is on sale, if it's still in stock, with the biggest price cuts going to 2025's M4 MacBook Airs. They're all $200 to $300 off, making them significantly cheaper than their iterative M5 replacements, which Apple announced earlier this month. (Those are also on sale already, but only for about $50 off.) A couple of configurations are sitting at record-low prices.

Things are a little less exciting on the Windows laptop side. I managed to find a powerful Asus gaming convertible on sale for $330 off, which is its biggest discount ever; that's the only one I would add to my cart now. A handful of Microsoft Surface Laptop 7s are up to 26% off, but since all of them have been much cheaper before, I'd wait to see if their prices drop further once the sale starts next week.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's Big Spring Sale is back: The best deals already live on Apple, robot vacuums, headphones, and more

As a reminder, I don't endorse buying laptops from any third-party sellers on Amazon. (The bulk of its laptop listings comes from them.) They can have different customer service policies than Amazon itself, and they might be advertising misleading specs. This isn't to say they're all scammers doing something illegal, and Amazon has a guarantee that covers delivery or item condition issues. Still, I wouldn't take a chance on a big purchase like a new laptop. The Shipper/Seller should be "Amazon.com" (below the orange "Buy Now" button).

I would also recommend shopping around a bit at other retailers, especially Best Buy. It has a much better selection of Windows laptops than Amazon, and its pricing is competitive where their inventories overlap. Best Buy hasn't announced any plans to hold its own sale around the Big Spring Sale, but I bet that changes in the coming days.

Note: Deals marked with a 🔥 have dropped to a record-low price.

Best MacBook deals Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) 🔥 $1,299 at Amazon
$1,599 Save $300   Get Deal Why we like it

The 2025 MacBook Air is basically identical to its successor, save for its wireless chip and processor. (You're not missing out on much there: In our performance tests, the M4 version was only about six percent slower than the M5 model in both single- and multi-core workloads — you won't feel that in practice.) It features a vibrant Liquid Retina display, a backlit keyboard, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a 12MP webcam with Center Stage support. This 15-inch configuration is well future-proofed with plenty of RAM, and it's never been cheaper.

Read Mashable's full review of the 15-inch Apple MacBook Air (M4).

More MacBook Air dealsMacBook Pro dealsBest Windows laptop deal Opens in a new window Credit: Asus Asus ROG Flow Z13 (AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) 🔥 $2,069.99 at Amazon
$2,399.99 Save $330 Includes free code for "Crimson Desert" Get Deal Why we like it

The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a zippy gaming convertible with a detachable keyboard and a slick 180Hz display — GTA V's Ned Luke is a fan. This configuration is powered by a high-end AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip with integrated graphics that performed on par with an RTX 4060 GPU when we tested it in another Asus laptop. Amazon has it marked down to $2,069.99, which is 14% off its MSRP and its best deal to date. (Ignore Amazon's deflated list price; it actually retails for $2,399.99, according to Asus' website.) It also comes with a free PC download code for Crimson Desert, Pearl Abyss' huge new fantasy-action adventure game.

This ROG Flow Z13 deal is price-matched at Best Buy, but it doesn't include the Crimson Desert code there.

More Windows laptop dealsGaming laptop deals
Categories: IT General, Technology

5 bizarre retro devices that prove floppy disks weren't just for beige PCs

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 18:00

Are you old enough to remember using floppy disks? Do they fill you with nostalgia? But I bet that nine times out of ten, you think of them as something to be used with a PC. After all, that's where most people used them ... but that's far from the only thing floppies were commonly seen in.

Categories: IT General, Technology

IntelliJ IDEA is taking on Visual Studio Code with more free features

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:51

Visual Studio Code is an excellent editor for JavaScript and TypeScript code, and its status as a free application has helped pull people away from other integrated development environments (IDEs). Now, JetBrains is striking back with a significant change to IntelliJ IDEA’s free version: proper JavaScript and TypeScript support.

Categories: IT General, Technology

BMW’s new electric 3 Series changes the game: 440 miles of range and 6 big upgrades

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:46

The BMW 3 Series is the very soul of the German brand, a true driver’s car in every aspect, whether as an entry-level sedan or a fire-breathing M3. Now, 50 years into that journey, the 3 Series returns for its most significant entrance yet: the fully electric BMW i3 50 xDrive.

Categories: IT General, Technology

40+ home deals from Amazons Big Spring Sale for fresher air and cleaner floors

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:37
Best Big Spring Sale home deals Best home tech deal Amazon Echo Spot $49.99 at Amazon (save $30) Get Deal Best home air deal Blueair Blue Signature $299.99 at Amazon (save $150) Get Deal Best vacuum deal Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete $1,499.99 at Amazon (save $200) Get Deal

It's time for another Amazon sale event. To celebrate the changing seasons, Amazon is hosting its Big Spring Sale from March 25 to 31. The sale highlights warmer-weather products to get your home ready for spring and summer.

For your home, this means clean floors, clean air, and so much more. While the sale doesn't officially start until the 25th, early deals are aplenty, with special attention on Echo devices, air purifiers, and vacuums.

We rounded up the best deals from Amazon, Blueair, Dreo, Dyson, and more.

Best Big Spring Sale home tech deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Spot $49.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $30.00   Get Deal

With the clocks springing forward, you may be feeling a little groggy. If you need a boost in your morning, consider upgrading what's on your nightstand. During the lead-up to Amazon's Big Spring Sale, we spotted early savings on the Amazon Echo Spot.

This smart alarm clock packs everything you love about an Amazon Echo into a bedside device. It wakes you up but also helps you wind down. You can program it to start your day with a weather report and your favorite music.

Ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale, get the Amazon Echo Spot for just $49.99 and save $30 off its $79.99 list price.

More home tech dealsBest Big Spring Sale air purifier deal Opens in a new window Credit: Blueair Blueair Blue Signature $299.99 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $150   Get Deal

Warmer weather means you can put away your heavy winter coats and pull out the antihistamines because spring allergies are on their way. If you're already getting the pollen-induced sniffles, you can do one thing to protect your home air: get an air purifier.

The Blueair Blue Signature is a heavy-duty air purifier, able to clean up to 3,385 square feet. It removes smoke, dust, and pet hair for clean air and easy breathing.

More air purifier dealsBest cooling dealsBest Amazon Big Spring sale vacuum deal Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete $1,499.99 at Amazon
$1,699.99 Save $200   Get Deal at Amazon

Read Mashable's review of the Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete.

If you have the cash to burn and you’re looking for an investment piece, Mashable’s vacuum expert and senior shopping reporter, Leah Stodart, says the Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete is a “well-rounded premium robot vacuum,” especially for pet owners. It has a livestream pet camera and can clean edges and corners with precision. (Stodart says this vacuum is so good at cleaning corners that it’s dethroned the Roborock Saros 10R for corner mopping.)

“Measuring just over three inches tall, it's also easily the best slim robot vacuum out there — ideal for homes with low-clearance furniture, or expectations for cleaning under cabinets,” she says.

As of March 15, you can get the Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete for $1,499.99, down from $1,699.99, at Amazon. That's a 12% discount or $200 savings.

More robot vacuum dealsMore vacuum dealsMore home deals
Categories: IT General, Technology

3 best Tubi movies to watch this weekend (March 20–22)

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:31

Many movie fans will head to the theater this weekend to watch Ryan Gosling play an astronaut attempting to save the world in Project Hail Mary. It's a crowd-pleasing story that will make you laugh, cry, and believe in humanity. If you walk out wanting more space adventures this weekend, head to Tubi and stream Ad Astra for free.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Polymarket set to open a bar dedicated to monitoring the situation

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:16

Online betting platforms have users betting on nuclear war — and now, apparently, they'll be able to bet on humanity's destruction in person.

Prediction market site Polymarket announced on social media yesterday that its bar The Situation Room will open in Washington, D.C., tomorrow.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Polymarket calls it "the world's first bar dedicated to monitoring the situation," referencing the meme of looking at the news or, for bettors, the market.

SEE ALSO: The Looksmaxxing Glossary: Every term you need to understand the internet's most unhinged subculture

In a follow-up post, Polymarket stated, "Imagine a sports bar… but just for situation monitoring — live X feeds, flight radar, Bloomberg terminals, and Polymarket screens." The concept artwork features not just a bar with screens on the walls, as is typical of any sports bar, but also additional screens on columns and what appears to be a globe in the center of the room (it seems to be a screen, like a mini-Vegas Sphere).

As Mashable has reported, online gambling is everywhere now. The wave that began with sports betting has exploded into wagering money on basically everything — including aforementioned nuclear fallout, but also which movie will win Best Picture, how many times Elon Musk will post on X in a given month, and more.

Given the gambling boom, it makes sense that Polymarket is capitalizing on it and turning it into an IRL experience. And it's not the first; in February, Polymarket opened a free grocery store in New York City for five days.

Who wants to bet on how odd that bar will smell?

Categories: IT General, Technology

Here are my favorite Galaxy S26 Ultra features that Samsung didn't show you

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:15

The Samsung Galaxy S26 series is finally here, and it has several impressive features despite a similar overall design. And while many of them are well-known, like the new Privacy display Samsung highlighted, a bunch of excellent features are flying under the radar. Here are a few of my favorite Galaxy S26 Ultra features Samsung didn't show off.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The best creator-approved deals to shop before Amazons Big Spring Sale — save on DJI, Insta360, and SanDisk

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:15
Best early creator-approved deals to shop before the Amazon Big Spring Sale Best drone deal DJI Mini 4K Fly More Combo $309 at Amazon (save $140) Get Deal Best portable mic deal DJI Mic Mini (2 transmitters + 1 receiver) $59 at Amazon (save $20) Get Deal Best podcast mic deal Logitech Creators Blue Yeti Microphone $98 at Amazon (save $41.99) Get Deal Best portable power station deal DJI Power 1000 V2 $364 at Amazon (save $335) Get Deal Best gimbal deal Insta360 Flow 2 Plus Gimbal $99.99 at Amazon (save $30) Get Deal Best camera bundle deal DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo $549.99 at Amazon (save $79.01) Get Deal Best storage deal SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD $188.79 at Amazon (save $94.20) Get Deal

Creators are well known for having an arsenal of great gadgets. From cameras to mics to clip-on lighting options, creator-approved tech makes the job a whole lot easier. Not only does it help with making the process more streamlined, it can level-up the polish on content creations.

SEE ALSO: Snag some serious DJI discounts before the Amazon Big Spring Sale lands

Not all of this gear comes cheap, which is why it's smart to make upgrades during major shopping events like the upcoming Amazon Big Spring Sale. Fortunately, we're already seeing nice discounts on creator-approved gear before the sale officially begins. Here are some of the best early creator-approved deals to shop ahead of the event.

Best drone deal Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Mini 4K Fly More Combo $309 at Amazon
$449 Save $140   Get Deal Why we like it

Finding DJI drones in stock has been an issue since the brand faced an FCC ban late last year. However, not only is the DJI Mini 4K Fly More Combo in stock at Amazon right now, it's down to a new record-low price. Instead of paying the list price of $449 for the combo drone package, it's down to $309 which is a major 31% discount.

The bundle includes the DJI Mini 4K drone, three batteries for a total of 93 minutes of flight time, a carrying case, the DJI RC-N1C remote controller, and plenty more accessories for getting you drone in the air and capturing content.

Best mic deal Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Mic Mini (2 transmitters + 1 receiver) $59 at Amazon
$79 Save $20   Get Deal Why we like it

Over the last few years, the DJI Mic Mini has become the creator-approved mic. Mashable Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard tested out the DJI Mic Mini to see if it lived up to hype and found that it is, indeed, a great asset. She wrote, "If you need any degree of portability with your mic setup, the DJI Mic Mini offers a lot of versatility, and for a great value. That makes it a solid option for making vlogs and TikToks, and for anyone who feels less than confident with their tech skills."

Before the Amazon sale kicks off, the DJI Mic Mini with two receivers and one transmitter is on sale for $59, marked down from the list price of $79. This sale price matches the record-low at Amazon.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Vivaldi browser has a new way to keep you focused on work

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:13

Tabs, toolbars, and address bars are essential for browser navigation, but when you’re deep into reading an article or watching a video, they’re just clutter that takes away the immersive viewing experience. Instead of adding AI features like its rivals, Vivaldi 7.9 is doubling down on interface control and distraction-free browsing with its latest update.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat review: Prank shows return is comedy magic

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 17:00

In 2023, Jury Duty stormed onto our screens as a surprisingly wholesome prank show, one where subject Ronald Gladden was treated not as the butt of the joke, but rather as the hero of a bizarro story. From its ultra-committed cast (including a stellar James Marsden) to Gladden's impeccable straight man work, the series felt like lightning in a bottle.

That is, until now.

Jury Duty is back for its second season, titled Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat. And thanks to its larger scale and an endearing new lead, it's proof that lightning can, in fact, strike twice.

SEE ALSO: 'The Comeback' Season 3 review: Lisa Kudrow warns us of the AI apocalypse What's Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat about? Alex Bonifer, Jerry Hauck, and Anthony Norman in "Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat." Credit: Prime Video

Company Retreat remixes Jury Duty's original premise, swapping a court trial for a company's annual week-long bonding trip. That company is small business Rockin' Grandma's Hot Sauce, and all but one of its employees is an actor.

The one non-actor is Anthony Norman, who's been brought on as a temp assistant to help out on the company retreat. This year's retreat is a big one: Rockin' Grandma's CEO (Jerry Hauck) is officially handing the reins to his son, Dougie Jr. (Alex Bonifer). Dougie has spent the last few years living in Jamaica as part of a Rastafarian band, and he's returned with questionable accent choices and almost no business experience. Will he be able to make a good first impression to the rest of Rockin' Grandma's employees?

SEE ALSO: What's new to streaming this week? (March 20, 2026)

The wider staff is chock-full of standout characters, including remote IT worker Claire (Rachel Kaly), whose efforts to stave off the sun grow increasingly outlandish; receptionist PJ (Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur), who's planning to become a snack-fluencer; and warehouse manager Jimmy (Jim Woods), whose relentless virtue signaling is what cringe comedy dreams are made of. The entire cast delivers memorable moments, with a workplace ensemble akin to the oddballs of The Office. So much of the fun of this season is witnessing them commit so fully to their roles over the course of a week. It's truly an Olympic feat of comedy.

Another draw to the season is its scale. Aside from a trip to Margaritaville, Jury Duty mostly stayed within the courthouse or the hotel where its cast was sequestered, giving the crew a tight, controlled space in which to operate. In Company Retreat, the show is operating across a larger outdoor campus. There are far more moving parts, meaning more ways in which Anthony could discover the jig is up. On top of this presenting an exciting technical challenge, it also helps set Company Retreat apart from the original Jury Duty and proves that this format has potential as a greater anthology series, as long as it can find the right lead.

Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat's star Anthony is a delight. Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur and Anthony Norman in "Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat." Credit: Prime Video

Thankfully, Company Retreat has found the right lead in Anthony. Like Ronald, he doesn't push away the odder characters he encounters. Instead, he befriends them and even walks them through the wildest of situations. A season highlight is the burgeoning friendship between him and Dougie. While Bonifer often takes Dougie to annoying extremes, there's an endearing quality to his desire to excel as CEO. Anthony latches onto that in the hopes of helping him achieve that goal, making for a sweet bromance.

Like the cast, Anthony commits hard — not to the performance, since he's unaware this is all fake, but to Rockin' Grandma's itself. Even though he's only been working there for a few days, he's fully ready to do whatever it takes to uphold the "family" at the heart of the business. When a sketchy venture capitalist firm shows up to potentially acquire Rockin' Grandma's, Anthony is ready to throw down for his fellow staffers.

It's a testament to his character, but also to the immersive quality of Company Retreat's elaborate ruse. At times, that immersion means the season can feel more manipulative than the original Jury Duty, especially with its focus on (fake) team bonding. Like with Ronald, the final reveal winds up more heartwarming than anything, but you do have to wonder what impacts Truman Show-ing a guy will have.

However, it helps that Anthony is constantly willing to roll with the punches. More than that, he's the perfect audience stand-in, unafraid to laugh in disbelief at some of the season's wildest one-liners. Rarely have I laughed harder at someone laughing.

"You couldn't even make this up for a TV show, honestly," Ronald says during a talking head confessional. "This is so authentic and real. Nobody could sit down and write a script like this."

Well, turns out they did, and it makes for great TV — but just like with Ronald and Jury Duty, it's Anthony who takes it over the top.

The first three episodes of Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat premiere March 20 on Prime Video, with new episodes weekly.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Screenshotting disappearing nudes could soon be illegal in the UK

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 16:57

In Feb. 2026, the UK government announced a ban on incest porn, as well as other bans to do with explicit images, as part of the UK's Crime and Policing Bill. While it's not currently law yet, it's already dredging up discussion online — especially considering last year's Online Safety Act, which established age verification in the country.

Mashable spoke with experts about what these bans entail and why they matter.

What is the incest porn ban in the UK?

On Feb. 23, Lord Hanson and Baroness Levitt announced a ban on incest porn and other explicit content in an open letter to Lord Davies at the House of Lords, the upper house of UK Parliament. 

SEE ALSO: Teens sue xAI for Grok's reported sexual image generation issues

Specifically, the amendment (numbered 297 in the marshalled list of amendments from Feb. 23) makes the possession and/or publishing of pornographic images of sex between relatives illegal — even if the people in the image are pretending to be related. This also applies to adopted relatives and, as of March 2, step-relatives. Possession can result in a fine and/or a prison sentence of up to two years, and publishing such an image can result in a prison sentence of up to five years.

This ban in particular has faced backlash on social media, with one Bluesky user posting at the time of the announcement, "im really upset and idk what to do [sic]." Another Bluesky user said, "I find it rich that any country with a royal family would try to ban incest art."

The proposed ban fits into a different category of reforms that the government is making around the content of mainstream pornography, like the strangulation porn ban the UK announced in Nov., according to Clare McGlynn, law professor at the University of Durham. McGlynn, an expert in the legal regulation of porn in the UK, has worked with various parliamentarians and made suggestions about legislation. 

"Incest pornography is…another part of that," she said, "Really trying to change the content that is online." 

What are the image-based sexual abuse bans?

In addition to the incest porn ban, the new amendments seek to ban what the government is calling intimate image abuses, specifically, banning screenshotting temporary intimate images without consent and semen-defaced images (known as "cum tributes" or "hatewank videos").

SEE ALSO: How 'hatewank' videos became a tool for harassing women in the public eye

"The introduction of new image-based sexual abuse legislation is essential for protecting fundamental human rights," sex educator Jessie Gretener told Mashable. "The right to bodily autonomy extends beyond physical experiences, and therefore, legal frameworks need to reflect the harmful and degrading acts that compromise the safety and agency of people — online and offline."

The latest reporting from the UK's Office of National Statistic state that 900,000 sexual offenses were reported over the course of 12 months from 2024 to 2025, but Gretener said, "The reality is always significantly higher."

One crucial point, according to Gretener, is that the number of sexual offenses recorded by the police increased by 11 percent, which is partially attributed to prior image-based abuse legislation introduced under the Online Safety Act. 

Screenshotting temporary nudes

This amendment (281) would make it an offense for someone to create a copy of an intimate photograph or film that is shared with them temporarily without consent. An exception is if the image or film was uploaded in a more public place, or if the person photographed doesn't have a reasonable expectation of privacy, or if the person had consented to previous sharing. 

Should someone commit this offense, they'll face up to six months in prison, and/or a fine.

"Having your screenshots and your privacy leaked by someone that you feel you can trust is incredibly damaging," sex educator, sex worker, and host of the podcast Come Curious, Reed Amber, told Mashable.

This law "will protect more people from fearing that sharing an enjoyable, exciting, intimate moment with somebody won't be used against you in the future," she said.

Semen-defaced images

This amendment (278) would make it illegal to share a semen-defaced image if the person whose image it is doesn't consent to it, or the sharer doesn't reasonably think they do. This also includes graphics generated by a computer. In her interview with Mashable, McGlynn mentioned Grok and AI-generated images of semen on X. 

As with screenshotting without consent, this act faces a maximum prison sentence of six months and/or a fine. 

Amber said that she's personally had two images of her with semen on them sent to her non-consensually. 

"As a sex worker, this is the kind of content I see on a regular basis and in my in-person sessions, but to have somebody non-consensually do that without giving me a warning or without having a conversation around it first, it felt like a real personal invasion of privacy," she said. She fully stands by a ban on these non-consensual images. 

"It's part and parcel of that kind of ecosystem, of the ways in which technologies and… images are being used to abuse and harass women," McGlynn said. "The offense is about trying to say to survivors, 'We recognize this is happening to you. It's harmful, it's wrong, it's violating. It shouldn't be on the platforms, and it'll be a criminal offense.'"

A ban on nudification tools in the UK

In addition to the aforementioned amendments, another one (272) is that it'd be illegal to make or supply "nudification tools," or "purported intimate image generators," as the bill calls them. This offense carries a maximum penalty of up to three years in prison and/or a fine. 

This ban comes after a Jan. report Center for Countering Digital Hate found that Grok generated millions of sexualized images, including of children, in only 11 days. The UK is investigating Grok, as are Ireland, Brazil, India, and France. This month, three teens filed a lawsuit against xAI, which produced Grok, in a federal California court due to generating sexualized images of them.

The Crime and Policing Bill still has to go through several stages before becoming law. But given how the Online Safety Act has changed porn-viewing in the UK — such as Pornhub blocking itself, and non-pornographic content becoming age-gated — this will likely continue that trend. 

Categories: IT General, Technology

Is The Housemaid streaming? How to watch Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfrieds popcorn thriller.

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 16:50
The best ways to watch 'The Housemaid' at a glance: Watch now Rent or buy 'The Housemaid' on Prime Video $9.99 or $19.99 Shop Now Watch now Rent or buy 'The Housemaid' on Fandango at Home $9.99 or $19.99 Shop Now Watch now Rent or buy 'The Housemaid' at Apple TV $9.99 or $19.99 Shop Now Watch as of April 1 Starz semi-annual plan $23.99 for 6 months (save $22) Get Deal Watch as of April 1 Starz monthly plan $6.99/month for three months (save $12) Get Deal Watch for free as of April 1 Starz (Prime Video add-on) free 7-day trial Get Deal

If you love a twisty popcorn thriller, Paul Feig's adaptation of The Housemaid is a wild ride. The Lionsgate box office hit stars Sydney Sweeney (Christy) and Amanda Seyfried (The Testament of Ann Lee), who go head-to-head in a tense battle of wits. It also features Brandon Sklenar (Drop), Indiana Elle, Elizabeth Perkins, and Michele Morrone in supporting roles.

You can officially stream Freida McFadden's over-the-top domestic thriller at home this spring. Here's everything you need to know.

What is The Housemaid about?

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Freida McFadden, The Housemaid follows a young woman named Millie (Sweeney) with a criminal past who is hired as the live-in maid for Nina and Andrew Winchester (Seyfried and Sklenar), a wealthy, picture-perfect couple. Of course, their "perfect" life is far from what it seems behind closed doors. Prepare for a ton of twists and turns, in true Freida McFadden fashion.

Check out the trailer to get a taste:

Is The Housemaid worth watching?

The Housemaid took theaters by storm and became a smash hit for Lionsgate, crossing the $350 million milestone at the global box office and becoming Sweeney's highest-grossing film to date. Audiences and critics are mostly loving it; it currently holds a 92 percent audience rating and 73 percent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Is it over the top? Yes, but in the best way. If you've read The Housemaid, or any Freida McFadden book for that matter, then you know the fast-paced, twisty, borderline ridiculous popcorn thriller-style story you're in for. If not, buckle up. It certainly won't be everyone's cup of tea — in fact, Mashable's own entertainment editor was not a fan — but I personally think it's a blast.

Read Mashable's review of The Housemaid.

How to watch The Housemaid Credit: Lionsgate

The Housemaid hit theaters on Dec. 19, 2025, and made its at-home debut about a month and a half later via digital-on-demand platforms. It will also be streaming this spring. See the details below.

Rent or buy on digital

Lionsgate released The Housemaid on video-on-demand platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV on Feb. 3. You can purchase the film for $19.99 or rent it for $9.99, which gives you 30 days to watch and just 48 hours to finish once you begin.

Quick links to rent or purchase The Housemaid:

Stream it on Starz

The Housemaid is a Lionsgate film, which means it'll make its streaming debut exclusively on the Starz streaming platform on April 1, 2026. This follows the same timeline as other recent Lionsgate theatrical releases (The Long Walk, The Strangers: Chapter 2) — about 3.5 months between its theatrical and streaming debut.

Since it's not the most popular streaming service, there's a good chance you don't already have a Starz subscription. Fortunately, there are several deals to sign up — shop the best streaming deals below.

The best Starz streaming dealsBest long-term deal: Save $22 on semi-annual plan Opens in a new window Credit: Starz Starz semi-annual plan $23.99 for 6 months (save $22) Get Deal

Starz typically offers a semi-annual plan for $45.99, but you can knock that cost down to only $23.99 for six months with the streamer's latest special offer. That breaks down to just $3.99 per month. After the six-month promo period is up, the price will jump back up to full cost unless you cancel. New and previous subscribers are eligible to secure this offer for a limited time.

Best short-term deal: Save 36% on three months of Starz Opens in a new window Credit: Starz Starz monthly plan $6.99 per month for three months (save $12) Get Deal

If you'd rather not commit to half a year, you can sign up for three months of Starz for just $6.99 per month for a limited time. That's a total of just $20.97 — a savings of 36%. The price will jump back up to the full $10.99 per month after three months, so be sure to cancel before that to avoid charges.

Best trial: free 7-day Starz trial via Prime Video Opens in a new window Credit: Starz Starz (Prime Video add-on) free 7-day trial, then $10.99 per month Get Deal

If you're a Prime member or Prime Video subscriber, you can sign up for Starz as an add-on subscription and secure a free seven-day trial. If you align your trial period to the official streaming release for The Housemaid (April 1), you'll be able to watch for free. Just remember to cancel before the week is up, or you'll automatically be charged the full $10.99 per month.

Categories: IT General, Technology

iPhone 18 rumors: Everything we know so far

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 16:48

Spring is just around the corner, and that means that the iPhone 18 is almost within reach.

While we still have about six months left to wait to get our hands on Apple's latest mobile devices, the rumor mill is in full swing. 

Here's everything we know so far about what's (potentially) coming with the iPhone 18 lineup that's different from the current and previous models.

The iPhone Fold joins the family

The name "iPhone Fold" is not yet a guarantee, but an all-new iPhone line is pretty much a sure thing for September's big Apple event.

The iPhone Fold, Apple's first foldable smartphone, has been speculated about for years. However, over the past few months, there have been numerous leaks from respected reporters and other Apple insiders that seem to cement the iPhone Fold's impending arrival.

Everything from the iPhone Fold's design to a potential retail price has leaked at this point.

The latest reports point to the iPhone Fold functioning as an iPhone when closed and presenting very much like an iPad mini when opened up, with apps running side-by-side.

If the rumors surrounding why it took so long for Apple to develop a foldable device are accurate, the iPhone Fold will likely have no visible crease when opened.

The iPhone Fold will also likely have two rear 48MP cameras (main and wide-angle) and two selfie cameras, one for when the device is closed and another for when the device is unfolded.

iPhone 18 Pro's different Dynamic Island

A mistranslation of a leaker's report originally set off some controversy among Apple fans as it appeared the company was maybe looking to get rid of the iPhone 18 Pro's Dynamic Island feature.

The iPhone 18 Pro will very likely still have the Dynamic Island. However, based on the correctly translated leak, the iPhone 18 Pro model may have a redesigned Dynamic Island that's smaller than the base model's.

It's still unclear exactly what changes are coming to the pill-shape Dynamic Island design, but it seems like it will be a bit different from its predecessors.

Variable aperture

Photographers should rejoice if this comes to fruition. Recent leaks suggest that Apple will be upgrading the iPhone 18 Pro's main camera with a variable aperture.

Typically, smartphone cameras have a fixed aperture due to limitations in fitting everything into such a small device. However, with the expanded camera plateau that was introduced with the iPhone 17, Apple has more space to work with.

It appears Apple is looking to utilize this by adding a variable aperture to the iPhone 18 Pro. A variable aperture would allow users to increase or decrease the size of the hole that lets in light to the camera sensor.

This will allow iPhone 18 Pro users to take more stylized photos, like allowing blur or bokeh effects to occur directly within the camera instead of in post-processing. A variable aperture can also improve the camera's shutter speed and reduce noise in the images as well. 

iPhone in 'Deep Red'

According to a report from Bloomberg's Apple insider Mark Gurman, Apple is testing out a new "deep red" color for at least two upcoming iPhone models.

This would be the first iPhone in any shade of red since the iPhone 14 came in red as part of the (PRODUCT)RED lineup. 

Apple's new affordable laptop, the MacBook Neo, has been a hit with its new vibrant "fun" color offerings like Citrus and Blush. While Apple may consider some iPhone colors in a similar vein, Gurman says the iPhone Fold will likely only come in more traditional color variations like space gray or black.

The A20 and A20 Pro chipset

An all new-generation of iPhones means an all-new generation of Apple's mobile chipset. The A20 is expected to come to the iPhone 18 lineup, while the A20 Pro chip will be found in the iPhone 18 Pro models.

While specs are still unknown, the A20 and A20 Pro chipsets will certainly be more powerful, faster, and more efficient than their predecessors. This is thanks to the TSMC's 2nm process that the A20 will use.

According to MacRumors, TSMC uses Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) technology, which means that the iPhone's RAM will be "integrated directly onto the same wafer as the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine, rather than the RAM being adjacent to the chip and connected via silicon interposer."

For users, the result of this technology is faster performance for many features, including Apple Intelligence, as well as increased battery life. This design also provides increased space within the iPhone for other technologies.

Analysts believe that the chipset will have 12GB of RAM embedded in it across the board. This means that the base model iPhone 18 would get an upgrade from last year's base model iPhone 17, which only had 8GB of RAM.

Along with the A20 chipset, the new iPhone 18 models will reportedly have a new N2 chip for increased Wi-FI and Bluetooth performance as well as a new C2 Modem, which will upgrade the iPhone's 5G and satellite connectivity.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Don’t trust your car’s default audio settings—5 quick, free ways to improve them

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 16:45

Some car enthusiasts never even turn on their radio. For them, the only music they want to hear is that of a rumbling V8, a high-pitched flat-six, or a screaming Soprano V12. Sometimes the world of music and engine notes collide, such as when the Yamaha Corporation tuned the exhaust note of the 1LR-GUE 4.8L V10 engine in the Lexus LFA.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Home Depot's Spring Ryobi battery sale is too good to pass up

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 16:35

If you are gearing up for spring cleaning and DIY projects around the house, now is the perfect time to buy new power tools or stock up on battery packs. Ryobi fans will be happy to hear that Home Depot has some epic deals right now, and its Spring battery sale is better than last year's buy-one-get-one.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Save $200 on the ECOVACS Deebot T90 Pro Omni and keep your floors spotless

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 16:33

Spring cleaning is the time to get rid of the old and bring in the new. But when you start getting rid of said older decorations, you might find some hidden dust bunnies or stir some dust around. It's not pleasant, but it doesn't mean you need to add another step to your annual refresh.

Categories: IT General, Technology

iOS 26.4 arrives in days. Heres 3 features we’re excited about

Mashable - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 16:31

Apple's next big-ish iOS update is purportedly just days away, and we finally have a good idea of what it will contain.

The update, officially called iOS 26.4, is expected to launch next week, per 9to5mac. Accordingly, Apple has released the latest beta with a list of new features you can expect. A lot of them are small and not particularly exciting, but here are the three that stood out to us the most.

SEE ALSO: iOS 27 update: Liquid Glass haters should prepare for disappointment New emoji Distorted face is really good. Credit: Unicode

Easily the most exciting new part of iOS 26.4 is the addition of several new emoji. These include a trombone, a funny distorted face that I'm sure will get used a lot online, a ballet dancer, an orca, and a sasquatch. I'm a big fan of the sasquatch, personally, but all of them are very good and will be welcome additions to the emoji portfolio.

SEE ALSO: Apple iOS 26.4 update: No Gemini-powered Siri yet, report suggests Apple Music enhancements

Apple made some enticing changes to Apple Music for iOS 26.4. First off, a new Concerts feature will help you find nearby shows for artists you listen to on a regular basis. Sure, you could also just Google that, but hey, might as well cut out the middleman.

There are also new automatically generated playlists based on user descriptions, as well as new full screen backgrounds for album and playlist pages. This isn't a massive overhaul for Apple Music by any means, but it should make the app better overall.

SEE ALSO: Here's how the MacBook Neo compares to older MacBook Airs Another change to Liquid Glass

Lastly, there's a small but hopefully helpful setting for Liquid Glass called "Reduce Motion." This will, naturally, reduce the intensity of UI animations for people who are sensitive to that sort of thing. This isn't a revolutionary change, but considering how many people still don't like Liquid Glass for a variety of reasons, this should hopefully give them some peace of mind.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Your Excel PivotTable isn't complete until you add these two pro-level features

How-To Geek - Thu, 03/19/2026 - 16:31

Many people treat a completed PivotTable as the finish line, but it's actually just the first step. In fact, pro-level Excel spreadsheets let users navigate the data primarily through Slicers and Timelines, minimizing the need to interact directly with the PivotTable grid. In minutes, you can turn static datasets into dynamic, app-like dashboards.

Categories: IT General, Technology
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