Blogroll

Stardew Valley is celebrating its 10th anniversary, marking a decade since cosy gamers were first invited to move into Grandpa's old farmhouse in Pelican Town. The popular farming simulator has grown significantly in the intervening years, with official updates adding new areas to explore, multiplayer mode, divorce, and even the ability to drink mayonnaise.

Now developer Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has unveiled more details about Stardew Valley's upcoming major update 1.7, announcing on Thursday that it will turn two of its non-player characters into romanceable marriage candidates. However, many players' excitement was dampened when they learned exactly which characters are joining the marriage market.

SEE ALSO: 'Stardew Valley's massive update lets players drink mayo, 'crit' babies, and put hats on dogs

Barone had teased the addition of new marriage candidates in an interview with IGN earlier this month, prompting fans to eagerly speculate about who they could be. Some dreamed of being homewreckers, hoping that town carpenter Robin would leave her husband in favour of them. Others longed for the magical touch of the Wizard's purple whiskers. The last romance options added to Stardew Valley were depressed alcoholic Shane and saloon employee Emily, who were both made romanceable within eight months of the game's release in 2016. As such, the addition of new potential lovers is a significant development for Stardew Valley.

These newly dateable characters' identities were finally revealed during an anniversary YouTube livestream on Thursday. In it, Barone stated that update 1.7 will allow players to romance Sandy, owner of a store in the Calico Desert, and Clint, the local Pelican Town blacksmith. 

It is Clint that players have taken issue with, subjecting him to an instant, brutal, internet-wide rejection.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Why does everyone hate Clint from 'Stardew Valley'?

Numerous Stardew Valley players have been put off by Clint's self-pitying attitude, accusing him of constantly complaining about his life yet refusing to do anything to change it. Issues with Clint also extend to his behaviour toward women, particularly his unspoken crush Emily. While said crush isn't in itself cause for ridicule, Clint's actions in response to it have caused fans to label him a creepy incel with few redeeming qualities.

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

Yet despite this widespread revulsion, some Stardew Valley players have jumped to Clint's defence, hoping that update 1.7 will finally give him a redemption arc. Barone has previously acknowledged issues such as Clint still expressing his attraction to Emily even after she's married, but stated that he'd been prioritising other work and hadn't gotten around to fixing it just yet.

"Unpopular opinion but I’m so happy it’s Clint," wrote X user @caroldirge. "Before Emily was added as a romance option he had a cute-awkward arc with her that ended with a carnival date. After, he got branded as a weirdo, creep, incel by the community. I want this blacksmith to be happy too."

Reddit Reddit

Of course, new romance options aren't the only additions players can expect from the 1.7 update. Barone previously hinted that it would include a new farm type as well as "more character/social stuff," though it's unclear if this was a reference to the new romances. Either way, it will likely include much more than has been revealed if past history is any indication. Stardew Valley's last major update added the ability to put hats on dogs and "crit" babies when it was released last March.

No release date has been set for Stardew Valley's 1.7 update, with Barone simply stating that it is in development for now. 

"With 1.7, My goal is to add more depth to various areas of the game that are somewhat lacking, without 'bloating' the game with too many systems," Barone wrote in an update on Steam. "More depth, but not necessarily more complexity. I'm confident you'll be happy with the result…  

"Oh, and you'll be able to marry Clint and Sandy. I know you've all been dying to marry Clint... right?  ...guys??  ..........  Welp...."

If your internal AI rollout looks successful on paper (licenses are being activated, usage is climbing) but you’re still not seeing meaningful impact, the issue often isn’t access, training, or mandates; it’s unaddressed employee fears. If you want real ROI, you need to manage risk perception, not just technology deployment. Here’s how.  Recognize industry-shaped risk before deploying AI. Your industry informs how your AI efforts will land […]

257257

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

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

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

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

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

To throw out.

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

EJECT

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Offspring.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 27, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

BROOD

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A hunt.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for February 27 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 27, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

QUEST

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To dive in.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

DELVE

Final Hurdle hint

Ebony and ___.

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

IVORY

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

The Moon is looking big and bright in the sky tonight, and we're not far away from the Full Moon. With so much of its surface illuminated, there will be plenty for you to spot tonight, so keep reading to find out what you can see.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, Feb. 27, the Moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 80% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

There's lots of Moon on display tonight, so plenty of opportunity to do some Moon gazing. With just your naked eye, you'll be able to see the Mares Tranquillitatis, Vaporum and Serenitatis. With binoculars you'll also be able to see the Mare Nectaris, and the Alphonsus and Endymion Craters, and with a telescope you'll see also see he Apollo 16 and 11 landing spots, and the Rupes Altai.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on March 3. The last Full Moon was on Feb. 1.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes about 29.5 days to orbit the Earth. Over the course of this period, it moves through eight recognisable phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of its surface lit by the Sun changes as it continues along its path. The shifts in sunlight create the different appearances we see from Earth, ranging from a fully illuminated Moon to a thin sliver or near darkness. The eight phases are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Los Angeles is finally extending its transit system to the tony streets of Beverly Hills, announcing on Thursday that a 4-mile extension of the D Line subway opens on May 8.

Transit followers eagerly anticipating the new subway extension have long made jokes on Reddit and X about wanting to "ride the D." Metro, LA County’s transportation agency, is not shying away from the randy pun. The agency is selling "Ride the D" t-shirts and crop tops on its online merch store.

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

The minimalist black tops are a steal, too. The crop is going for $20 (excluding taxes and shipping), and the T is $21; both were still available as of Thursday evening.

Along with the jubilation at the long-awaited project — which has been in the works for decades and has two more westward extensions that will open in 2027 and 2028 — there was much astonishment at Metro embracing the cheeky tagline.

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

Metro has been responding directly to riders on X from its @metrolosangeles account, leaning fully into the internet moment.

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

Back in 2007, Seattle welcomed a new streetcar line with a similarly sexual moniker — an acronym of the South Lake Union Trolley.

As we step into March, get ready to update your Netflix watch list with new, exciting titles, as the streaming platform gears up for a promising release slate. With new and returning titles coming to your screen almost every day, this month is sure to fulfill all your streaming needs.

TL;DR: Keep your favorite content watchable for life with this lifetime subscription to Keeprix All-in-One Streaming Video Downloader, on sale now for $95.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Keeprix Keeprix All-in-One Streaming Video Downloader: Lifetime Subscription $95.99
$159.99 Save $64.00   Get Deal

Your streaming service bills keep coming month after month, but your media library never grows. If you’re tired of paying a small fortune year after year with nothing to show for it, it’s time to meet Keeprix All-in-One Streaming Video Downloader. This tool lets you download and save content for later, and right now a lifetime subscription is yours for $95.99 (reg. $159.99).

Tired of streamers taking your favorite shows down? Want to watch content on your own terms? Keeprix All-in-One Streaming Video Downloader lets you download videos right from your streaming platforms. Save shows and movies from Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and more for life.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

Though it sounds too good to be true, it’s not. Just open Keeprix and paste in the link of the content you’d like to save. From there, you can download and save it forever. You’ll have unlimited downloads in MP4 or MKV format, compatible with both Windows and Mac devices.

Your Keeprix downloads will be watermark-free. Downloads are lightning-fast, and you can even use batch processing or add multiple videos to a queue to download a large amount of content at once.

Build up your media library and enjoy permanent access to your favorite things with this lifetime subscription to Keeprix. It helps you avoid regional restrictions, DRM limits, and pesky ads, and even allows you to repurpose content for other projects.

Grab this lifetime subscription to Keeprix All-in-One Streaming Video Downloader for only $95.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Upgrade your Mac with this lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021, on sale now for just $59.97 through April 12.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021: Lifetime License $59.97
$219 Save $159.03   Get Deal

If you’re looking to elevate your Mac, sometimes the best upgrades come from unexpected places. Like this lifetime license to Microsoft Office for Mac, which breathes new life into your Apple device with six of Microsoft’s best products.

Right now, you can score them all with this lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 for only $59.97 — less than $10 an app — through April 12.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

Give yourself a much-needed productivity boost with this set of six apps from Microsoft. This Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 license gives you new tools to tackle work, school, or personal tasks, including some essentials that have been around for decades.

If you used a computer in the ’90s, you probably relied on Microsoft Office to help you get things done. This license lets you take advantage of those classics today on your Mac, plus newer Microsoft favorites, with no subscription fees required.

Curious what’s included? You’ll get permanent access to Word for all your document creation needs, Excel for handling spreadsheets, and PowerPoint for crafting presentations. Outlook is included to help you manage email correspondence, while OneNote is there to upgrade the way you take notes, and Teams keeps you connected to friends, family, and coworkers.

You’ll receive instant delivery and download after purchase, so you have permanent access to these apps for life. Work offline as needed, and don’t worry about dealing with cloud connectivity. Just make sure your Mac is running macOS 14 or later.

Get this lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021, on sale now for just $59.97 through April 12.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

March is upon us, and like the regenerative days and months that lie ahead, Prime Video has unleashed a brand cornucopia of new movies and TV shows to entertain us. The streaming giant just dropped more than 80 new titles that include new Amazon original movies, TV shows, and specials, as well as a pile of new seasons of some of the most anticipated shows of the season.

Since showing up in 2007, the Acura RDX has carved out a steady spot in the U.S. luxury crossover crowd. It’s managed to stick around by blending solid performance, dependable engineering, and pricing that doesn’t feel outrageous for the badge.

The first Android 17 beta is only a week old, but Google has already released a second beta update, giving us a better look at what's coming to phones and tablets later this year. This time around, there are some impressive multitasking upgrades.

Just because the 2026 Winter Olympics have concluded, that’s no reason to cancel your Peacock subscription. In fact, it would be a big mistake. The streamer has an impressive library full of content—plenty of which consists of originals that aren’t just worth watching, they’re full-on addictive, and that's why you must see them.

As a gamer, I always built my computers with one goal in mind: a smooth gaming experience. Two decades ago, that meant something entirely different than it does now, and for the most part, many of us were happy to run the latest games at 1024x768, if not less. These days, with ever-growing hardware demands and games that aren't optimized too well, we're dealing with a whole host of different issues.

If you are of a certain age, you may recall advice from an older family member about letting your engine "warm up" for a bit, especially on cold mornings. In my rural northwest Iowa community back in the 1980s, everyone in town did this during the winter. You go out, start your car, clear the snow off, and then run back inside.

Nothing is ever truly free. There has to be a fee somewhere in the fine print, right? It's understandable to get an uneasy feeling when reading the word "free." So when I say that this list consists of three free movies, it might cause some hesitation.

Sitting still for long periods may increase the risk of serious health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, obesity, and some cancers. Even as little as one minute of walking every 30 minutes could provide modest benefits, such as reducing blood pressure. That's why I use one of my smart home sensors to nag me when I've been sitting for too long.

Ubuntu Linux 26.04 LTS will be released in two months, marking the next Long Term Support version of the popular desktop Linux distribution. The update already had a nickname, Resolute Raccoon, but now its raccoon-themed wallpaper background has finally been revealed.

Elon Musk's Tesla is taking the California Department of Motor Vehicles to court, an attempt to win back the right to use the term "autopilot" when advertising its line of cars.

In a case filed Feb. 13, the electric vehicle giant claims that the department "wrongfully and baselessly” labeled Tesla a “false advertiser,” and argues that the department did not effectively prove that customers had been led to believe the vehicles could be operated without human oversight.

SEE ALSO: Anthropic changes safety policy amid intense AI competition

Last year, a judge for California's Office of Administrative Hearings ruled that the company had engaged in deceptive marketing by describing its fleet's driver assistance systems as "Autopilot" modes. The court argued that Tesla's Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving Capability” (FSD) did not meet the necessary autonomous driving criteria under NHTSA’s Levels of Automation system — the features are rated by the NHTSA as Level 2 automation, where Level 5 is a fully autonomous vehicle. The decision claims features need to be at least Level 3 to be described as "self-driving."

In using such terms, Tesla has misled drivers and poses a consumer risk, the decision said. Tesla has faced multiple legal challenges that its self-driving features led to the deaths of multiple people. The company was found partially liable for a fatal, autopilot-related incident in August.

The California ruling went into effect on Jan. 15, and included a 30-day business suspension across the state unless the company ceased using the term in 60 days or changed its systems. Tesla responded in typical fashion: A tongue-in-cheek social post and a claim that sales would not be hit by the decision. Then, in January, the company effectively discontinued Basic Autopilot in the U.S., reshuffling its fleet offering with a standard traffic awareness mode and an option to upgrade your vehicle to FSD, now called "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)."

SEE ALSO: Robot, take the wheel: What you need to know about autonomous vehicles rolling out across the U.S.

A few weeks later, the state's DMV announced Tesla had met its obligations and would not face a suspension of its license, but now the company is fighting back against the decision with more force.

"An Administrative Law Judge found that Tesla broke state law by misleading consumers with the term ‘autopilot.’ Tesla agreed to stop this practice, and now they’re challenging it anyway. DMV is committed to protecting the traveling public and will defend the Administrative Law Judge’s findings and decision in court," a DMV representative said in a statement to CNBC.

Like many computer geeks, I tend to be a stickler for the right terminology. For example, I can never let it go when someone refers to a computer case as the "CPU" of the computer. Pedantic? Maybe. But there are some hills I just have to die on for some reason.

Samsung's all-new Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26 Ultra are finally here, but one of my favorite pre-order deals is no longer available from Samsung's website. I'm talking about the free upgrade that doubles the internal storage when you pre-order.