Spending time in a sauna can feel good, but it can also entail a little bit of suffering; after all, if the weather outside were the same as the temperature in a sauna, you’d probably want to hide out in the air conditioning all day. There’s something about unpleasant bodily experiences that makes us think they must be good for us, somehow, and so the sauna has gained a healthful reputation that it doesn’t entirely deserve. Here’s a rundown of what a sauna can and can’t do for you.
Saunas don’t burn fat
It is technically true that you can lose weight by sitting in a sauna, but that’s not because your body is torching fat; it’s because you’re sweating, and sweat is made of water, and water weighs something. As soon as you rehydrate—which you should—the scale will go right back to where it was at the beginning. After all, as I've discussed in the context of exercise, sweating doesn’t mean that you got a good workout or that you burned calories. It just means you were hot.
People who sell saunas and sauna services like to talk up their calorie-burning benefits, but there’s no evidence to suggest you burn significantly more calories sitting in a hot room than you would sitting on your couch at home. Some more skeptical websites cite a modest figure of 1.5 to 2 times as many calories as you would burn sitting at room temperature, but without a citation. If true, that’s about the same as the difference between sitting and standing—so you can skip that trip to the sauna and just spend half an hour standing around.
So why does your fitness tracker say you burned a ton of calories in the sauna? First of all, don't bring your phone in the sauna, it's bad for the battery. But since you did anyway, I'll explain. The calorie-burning algorithms on your watch are built to estimate your calorie burn from your heart rate under the assumption that you are exercising. If your heart rate increases but you are not exercising, the calculations aren't correct. The calorie burn during exercise comes from the fact that muscles all over your body are contracting over and over again. That is simply not what's happening when you sit in the sauna.
Saunas don’t “detox” you
It’s 2026 and we as a society should be over this “detox” concept, which has been debunked time and time again. Ordinary inconveniences like being tired sometimes aren’t due to some secret toxins that are constantly poisoning you, and even if you do have health issues due to toxins, you should seek medical treatment and not expect smoothies or saunas to cure you.
Saunas don’t replace exercise
Saunas and exercise both heat up your body and make you sweat, but there aren’t many similarities aside from that. Remember, exercise makes us stronger and improves our cardiovascular endurance (giving us a higher VO2max, for example). Sweating in a hot room doesn’t do that.
Even this rundown from an exercise science researcher, whose headline draws parallels between running and sitting in a sauna, includes the following disclaimer: "Before you contemplate cancelling your gym membership and investing the savings in a Jacuzzi, know that regular saunas or baths are unable to replicate all the health benefits of exercise training, such as promoting fat loss and increasing muscle mass. Using hot baths or saunas shouldn’t be considered as a substitute for exercise."
Saunas may be good for your blood vessels
What that researcher does point out, after the disclaimer, is that there are a few lesser-known benefits of exercise that seem to be related to the increase in body heat and heart rate, rather than from the more obvious strain on our lungs or muscles.
When your body temperature rises, blood vessels near the surface of your skin dilate (get wider) and this process may help cell growth and repair. In other words, simply raising body temperature may be good for your blood vessels. That's not something we normally think about, but healthy blood vessels are a part of a healthy cardiovascular system.
Relaxation is real
If you find saunas relaxing—and many of us do—that can be a health benefit in itself. Now, this isn’t as concrete a benefit as it’s sometimes made out to be. You’re not going to cure your depression or reverse your heart disease just by relaxing in a sauna every now and then. But if you enjoy your sauna sessions, they could certainly contribute to lowering your stress levels and improving your mental health. Pro tip: If you don't have access to a sauna, a hot bath may have a lot of these effects as well.
Heat has its pros and cons
For other medical conditions and athletic uses, the pros and cons of a sauna come down to the pros and cons of heat itself. If you have sore muscles, heat often feels good, so athletes often enjoy sauna sessions.
Some skin conditions respond well to the dry air of a sauna, while others can be exacerbated by dry air but could feel better with the humid air of a steam room. Use common sense and check with your medical provider if you want to use a sauna to manage a health condition.
Saunas have risks, too
If we’re talking about health benefits, it’s only fair to discuss risks as well. Saunas are reasonably safe, but people with medical conditions are often advised to steer clear, or to talk to a doctor before deciding to spend time in a sauna. This may include you if you are pregnant, have unusually high or low blood pressure, have epilepsy, or are taking stimulants, tranquilizers, or mind-altering drugs. Spending time in a sauna has also been linked to temporarily lowered fertility because heat impairs the production of sperm.
The main danger of a sauna is that you could overheat or dehydrate; severe heat illness and dehydration can both be life threatening, and people have died in saunas. Alcohol makes you more susceptible; half of the people who died in saunas, according to a Finnish study, were under the influence of alcohol. (The authors argue that the biggest danger is not alcohol itself, but allowing a drunk person to be in a sauna alone.) So if you choose to spend time in a sauna, be smart about it. Hydrate well, don’t go alone, and don’t expect the sauna to do things that saunas can’t do.
They actually did it. OpenAI officially deprecated GPT-4o on Friday, despite the model's particularly passionate fan base. This news shouldn't have been such a surprise. In fact, the company announced that Feb. 13 would mark the end of GPT-4o—as well as models like GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and o4-mini—just over two weeks ago. However, whether you're one of the many who are attached to this model, or you simply know how dedicated 4o's user base is, you might be surprised OpenAI actually killed its most agreeable AI.
This isn't the first time the company depreciated the model, either. OpenAI previously shut down GPT-4o back in August, to coincide with the release of GPT-5. Users quickly revolted against the company, some because they felt GPT-5 was a poor upgrade compared to 4o, while others legitimately mourned connections they had developed with the model. The backlash was so strong that OpenAI relented, and rereleased the models it had deprecated, including 4o.
If you're a casual ChatGPT user, you might just use the app as-is, and assume the newest version tends to be the best, and wonder what all the hullabaloo surrounding these models is all about. After all, whether it's GPT-4o, or GPT-5.2, the model spits out generations that read like AI, complete with flowery word choices, awkward similes, and constant affirmations. 4o, however, does tend to lean even more into affirmations than other models, which is what some users love about it. But critics accuse it of being too agreeable: 4o is at the center of lawsuits accusing ChatGPT of enabling delusional thinking, and, in some cases, helping users take their own lives. As TechCrunch highlights, 4o is OpenAI's highest-scoring model for sycophancy.
I'm not sure where 4o's most devoted fans go from here, nor do I know how OpenAI is prepared to deal with the presumed backlash to this deprecation. But I know it's not a good sign that so many people feel this attached to an AI model.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
AI-powered browser extensions continue to be a popular vector for threat actors looking to harvest user information. Researchers at security firm LayerX have analyzed multiple campaigns in recent months involving malicious browser extensions, including the widespread GhostPoster scheme targeting Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. In the latest one—dubbed AiFrame—threat actors have pushed approximately 30 Chrome add-ons that impersonate well-known AI assistants, including Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and "AI Gmail." Collectively, these fakes have more than 300,000 installs.
Fake Chrome extensions look like popular AI assistants
The Chrome extensions identified as part of AiFrame look like legitimate AI tools commonly used for summarizing, chat, writing, and Gmail assistance. But once installed, they grant attackers wide-ranging remote access to the user's browser. Some of the capabilities observed include voice recognition, pixel tracking, and email content readability. Researchers note that extensions are broadly capable of harvesting data and monitoring user behavior.
Though the extensions analyzed by LayerX used a variety of names and branding, all 30 were found to have the same internal structure, logic, permissions, and backend infrastructure. Instead of implementing functionality locally on the user's device, they render a full-screen iframe that loads remote content as the extension's interface. This allows attackers to push changes silently at any time without a requiring Chrome Web Store update.
LayerX has a complete list of the names and extension IDs to refer to. Because threat actors use familiar and/or generic branding, such as "Gemini AI Sidebar" and "ChatGPT Translate," you may not be able to identify fakes at first glance. If you have an AI assistant installed in Chrome, go to chrome://extensions, toggle on Developer mode in the top-right corner, and search for the ID below the extension name. Remove any malicious add-ons and reset passwords.
As BleepingComputer reports, some of the malicious extensions have already been removed from the Chrome Web Store, but others remain. Several have received the "Featured" badge, adding to their legitimacy. Threat actors have also been able to quickly republish add-ons under new names using the existing infrastructure, so this campaign and others like it may persist. Always vet extensions carefully—don't just rely on a familiar name like ChatGPT—and note that even AI-powered add-ons from trusted sources can be highly invasive.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Augmented reality smart glasses blend digital content directly with the physical world, enabling hands-free device use, but a persistent pain point remains: Low brightness can make them unusable in certain settings. Many models max out at 400 to 600 nits, but a rare few exceed that, making them more practical in different conditions—like the Viture Luma Pro AR glasses, which can hit 1,000 nits of brightness.
The Viture Luma Pro glasses earned high marks from PCMag, which labeled them the “brightest smart glasses [we've] ever seen.” This higher peak brightness makes the glasses more functional in well-lit settings. They boast a 52-degree field of view (which translates to a 152-inch virtual screen) and have a 1200p (1920×1200 per eye) resolution with up to a 120Hz refresh rate. Along with a bright picture, they have dimmable lenses and focus adjustment dials for nearsighted users. In real-life testing at max resolution, some blurry edges can occur, these specs deliver deliver a bright, crisp, and sizable digital picture overall.
On the audio side, the built-in Harman-tuned speakers perform well but may struggle in a very noisy environment. The glasses don’t have integrated head-tracking features, but you can enable 3DOF with the brand’s free SpaceWalker software available for desktop and mobile and compatible with iOS, Android, Windows, and MacOS.
For those seeking a visually impressive monitor or virtual workstation that they can wear on their face (and reliance on software for motion-tracking isn’t a dealbreaker), the Viture Luma Pro AR glasses excel in most areas.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Presidents' Day Deals Right Now
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Presidents' Day sales are around the corner, and the deals are coming in early; right now, Amazon has the latest Kindle Paperwhite from 2024 in "Like-New" conditions for $114.99 (originally $143.99). This Paperwhite in new condition would cost you $159.99, making the refurbished version a much cheaper choice to get while it lasts (discounted Kindle Paperwhites usually sell out quickly).
The Kindle Paperwhite is the most popular reading tablet from Amazon, and it's the best for most people, according to PCMag's "outstanding" review. It offers many improvements over the 11th-generation version from 2021—mainly a larger seven-inch display and a much faster boost in performance. It still retains all of the great attributes that made the previous version great, like a fully waterproof design with an IPX8 rating, enough storage to hold more than 10,000 books, and unlimited cloud storage. If you want an ad-free experience with some better features, get the Signature Edition.
If you're not sure if this is the right Kindle for you, check out the Colorsoft version—it offers color, so it can make reading manga or comics more lively. We also have a breakdown of every kind of Kindle to help you decide. If you already own the 11th generation, there might not be enough here to warrant an upgrade, unless you just want the latest Amazon has to offer. However, any devices older than that may be worth an upgrade for features like Bluetooth compatibility, which is great for audiobooks.
The screen features a 300 ppi (pixels per inch) display with 16 levels of background lighting, and optional warm lighting as well. I use this feature to read before bed and not strain my eyes. I also love the absurdly long battery life. This one is estimated at up to 12 weeks on a single charge, depending on your use and brightness settings.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Presidents' Day Deals Right Now
If you own a home with an unfinished attic, you’ve probably thought about all that precious space and how you might make it more useful. Your attic already serves an important purpose in temperature and moisture regulation in the house, of course, but that doesn’t mean it can’t do more. If you’ve got the budget, you can transform an attic into a bedroom or office space, or a crisp, well-lit storage option.
If you don’t have the budget to really build out your attic, though, you can still make it into a more useful space, even if it’s small or slightly scary. With just a few modest purchases (and possibly some sweat equity), you can make your attic an ideal storage space.
Install easy, modular flooring on the attic's floor
Your first step towards making your attic useful is to make it safe to walk around. Even if your attic is shallow and standing up straight is impossible, having a stable surface will reduce your chances of falling through the ceiling.
Putting down plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) is a cheap and relatively easy option, but it’s also labor-intensive and pretty permanent. If you want a faster solution, floor panels like these from Attic Dek are sized to fit most standard joist spacings and are designed to just snap together, allowing you to quickly drop a floor into place without needing to cut them. They come with screws, and it’s a good idea to secure them in place, but if you just need a temporary floor that can bear weight (up to 250 pounds) you can just click them into place and bolt them down later.
Add no-wiring lights to the attic's ceiling
If your attic isn’t wired up or lacks light fixtures, you don’t need to hire an electrician and spend a mountain of cash. Just pick up one or two of these rechargeable ceiling lights and stick them to the ceiling or overhead joist (literally—you place a magnetic sticker on the ceiling and that holds the light in place—no screws required). It’s motion-activated, so every time you haul yourself up into the attic, the light will come on and save you from stumbling about in the dark.
Install adjustable storage that fits the space
Once you have a sturdy, safe floor in your attic, you can start installing storage options. You could, of course, just pile up some boxes or bins and call it a day, but you can do a lot better than that without breaking the bank:
Installing some hanging rods designed for slanted surfaces (like an attic ceiling or rafters) will give you the option of hanging clothing or storage bags without cluttering up the floor.
A few cheap, adjustable shelving units like this one can add all the shelf space you need to keep bins of stuff organized and off the floor, making it easy to store or retrieve items.
If your attic is tight and trusses make it difficult to store anything, you can install some truss-friendly shelving. This can be a relatively easy DIY job involving screwing some support brackets into the trusses (as seen here). If you don’t have a floor in your attic, you have to avoid placing heavy storage boxes or bins directly on insulation—compressed insulation isn’t very effective. You can purchase some truss brackets that support plastic bins or other storage boxes off the floor.
Install a way to transport your stuff into the attic
Once you’ve got storage, you need a way to get stuff up into the attic, which can be more challenging than you expect. Carrying awkward, heavy boxes up flimsy, pull-down attic stairs is a recipe for accidents, so consider rigging up some mechanical assistance. You can spend a fair amount of money on a fancy lift system that will make bringing stuff up to your attic pretty easy, but if that’s too rich for your blood, you could opt for a simpler winch system that will allow you to haul up to 440lbs of stuff up there at a time. If that’s still a little too much, you could also opt for a classic pulley system, using good old-fashioned mechanical advantage to get your stuff up into the attic.
Who among us has not looked at a newly framed picture, then looked at their wall and thought, "Eh, surely I can eye-ball it this time." Hanging pictures should be an easy feat, but so often they end up uncentered or slightly crooked, causing us to add more holes the wall than intended or desired. The next time you hang pictures or artwork in your home, use one of these 10 hacks so they're level and evenly spaced on the first try.
Use a small ball as a makeshift level to hang pictures
A level is essential when hanging art—a frame that’s even slightly crooked will be an eyesore, and if you’re hanging multiple pieces in a group, it’s even more important that everything be level. If you forgot to grab your level, or you don’t have one, you can use a small ball, like a ping pong ball or a marble. Place it on top of the frame and adjust until the ball sits still, then mark it on the wall.
Use painter’s tape to accurately space two nails when hanging a picture
If your frame has two widely spaced hooks, knowing where to insert your nail, screw, or other fastener on the wall can be a mind-bending challenge. But if you have some painter’s tape on hand, it’s easy: Place a piece of tape across the back of the frame, with the top of the tape lined up with the top of the hooks. Mark the position of the hooks with a marker or pen, then remove the tape and place it on the wall at the desired height. Using a level, adjust the tape until it’s placed correctly. Then drive your nails right through the tape at the marked locations, remove the tape, and hang your picture. Here's a visual tutorial.
Use toothpaste to help you mark the spots where hooks or nails need to go
An alternative to the painter’s tape method is to use some toothpaste (or any gooey, sticky stuff that will wash off your wall easily). Mark the hooks on the back of the frame with a gob of toothpaste, check that it's level and at the desired height on your wall, then press the frame against the wall. The toothpaste will mark the precise spot where you need to drive your nails to hang the frame. Insert your fasteners, clean everything up, and hang that picture in the perfect spot. Here's a visual tutorial.
Make this quick DIY tool to mark the spot for a hook or nail when hanging a picture
If you have spare cardboard (a cereal box will do) and a pin or thumbtack, you can make a little DIY tool that will make marking the spot for a hook or nail easy. Cut out a rectangle of cardboard, then cut a tab at the bottom that’s narrow enough to fit through the hook on the back of the frame. Slide the tab through, and push a pin or tack through from the back. Then push the picture into the wall at the right spot, and the pin will create a tiny hole where your hook or nail needs to be. Here's a visual tutorial.
Use string to guide a hook onto a nail when hanging a picture
Got the nail in the wall, but can’t seem to catch the hook on the picture frame? Get a piece of string and loop it around the nail, then adjust so the ends are even. Take both ends together and run them through the hook, then pull the string tight as you bring the frame toward the wall. The string will guide the hook right onto the nail, no guesswork required. Here's a visual tutorial.
Use a fork to guide wire onto a nail when hanging a picture
If your frame uses a wire across the back to catch a nail or hook in the wall, you know that sometimes you question your own perception of reality as you repeatedly fail to catch the hook on the wire. There’s an easy hack: Grab a fork from the kitchen and place it on the nail or hook in the wall so it leans outward. Then hook the wire onto the stem of the fork and slide the frame down, letting the fork guide the wire down. When it’s hooked, remove the fork and admire your work. (And wash the fork, probably.) Here's a visual tutorial.
Hang pictures with Monkey Hooks if you don't want to use any tools
Hanging art on drywall and dread all the mess and trouble of drilling or nailing? Skip it by using Monkey Hooks instead. These are self-drilling pieces of wire—you just poke them through the wall with a tiny bit of elbow grease—that spin around and provide strong, secure hooks that can hold up to 50 pounds of weight, all without a single tool. Here's a visual tutorial.
Make this paper template when you're hanging multiple pictures in one area
If you’re going to be hanging multiple frames on the wall, grab some paper and create a template first. You can use wrapping paper, butcher paper or any kind of paper you have lying around or can get your hands on cheap (you can also use cardboard if that’s what you have on hand). Lay your frames out on the paper and trace them carefully. Then use the toothpaste or cardboard/nail hacks described above to mark where the nails need to be placed. Hang the template on the wall (ensuring it’s level), hammer in your nails, remove the template, and hang your frames. Here's a visual tutorial.
Use an envelope to catch dust when drilling to hang a picture
If you’re going to drill or nail into your walls to hang pictures, you’re going to get a lot of annoying dust all over the place, unless you use a very simple hack: Tape an envelope to the wall underneath where you’ll be drilling. It will catch all that dust and save you the extra step of vacuuming afterward. If you don’t have any envelopes (or tape), some Post-it Notes will do in a pinch—just fold one in half and stick it to the wall under the spot where you’ll be drilling, and it will catch that dust. You can combine more than one Post-it if you need to. Here's a visual tutorial.
Use your own saliva to mark the spot where you need to hang a picture
If all else fails, and you need to hang a framed picture but you are short on time or patience, there’s a simple solution: Lick the back of your finger, curl it over the hanging hook on the back of the frame, and place it against the wall at the desired height (typically around 57-60 inches from the floor). Your own saliva will leave a faint, temporary mark on the wall where you can confidently place your hook without fuss or delay.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 isn’t trying to win you over with just flashy specs, though it has plenty of those. It’s currently on sale (see more President’s Day sale here) for $489.99 on Amazon (down from $579.99), which also happens to be its lowest tracked price to date, according to price trackers.
This particular bundle includes some solid extras: two batteries, a flip screen hood, a leather case, a grip kit, and even a pocket printer to turn your favorite captures into prints. What you’re really getting, though, is a rugged, compact camera that delivers impressive 4K video, stable footage, and solid low-light performance—all in a body that’s waterproof, durable, and lightweight enough to clip onto your shirt or bike.
While Insta360 advertises 8K recording at 30fps, most people will likely stick to its excellent 4K modes, which go up to 120fps for smooth slow motion. It also offers a log profile (I-Log) for anyone who wants to color grade their footage later. The 2.5-inch flip-up screen is a standout—bigger than what you get on front-facing GoPro or DJI screens—making framing easier whether you're filming yourself or setting up a shot. The flip mechanism can be a bit clunky if you're constantly switching angles, but it doubles as a mount or even a POV bite grip in a pinch. Unlike its rivals, it doesn’t have built-in storage, so a microSD card (up to 1TB supported, sold separately) is a must-have from day one.
In daily use, the Ace Pro 2 delivers. The footage is sharp, the stabilization keeps things steady, and the built-in mics offer better-than-expected audio. There’s Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB-C 3.0, and solid app integration for both iOS and Android, making edits and uploads quick. Battery life is solid, and the included extras in this Flash Print Bundle add good value. It’s not leagues ahead of the GoPro Hero 13 or DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro, but it brings enough to the table—like the larger flip screen, smart mounting system, and polished app experience—to make it worth considering. If you’re in the market for a flagship action cam and prefer editing clean 4K footage over fiddling with massive 8K files, this is a smart pickup at its current price.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Presidents' Day Deals Right Now
Ring isn't having the week it probably thought it would have. The Amazon-owned company aired an ad on Super Bowl Sunday for "Search Party," its new feature that turns a neighborhood's collective Ring cameras into one network, with the goal of locating lost dogs. Viewers, however, saw this as a major privacy violation—it doesn't take much to imagine using this type of surveillance tech to locate people, not pets.
The backlash wasn't just isolated to the ad, however. The controversy reignited criticisms of the company's partnership with Flock Safety, a security company that sells security cameras that track vehicles, notably for license plate recognition. But the partnership with Ring wasn't about tracking vehicles: Instead, Flock Safety's role was to make it easier for law enforcement agencies that use Flock Safety software to request Ring camera footage from users. Agencies could put in a request to an area where a crime supposedly took place, and Ring users would be notified about the request. They didn't have to agree to share footage, however.
Law enforcement could already request footage from Ring users, through the platform's existing "Community Requests" feature. But this partnership would let agencies make these requests directly through Flock Safety's software. If a user submitted footage following a request, Ring said that data would be "securely packaged" by Flock Safety and share to the agency through FlockOS or Flock Nova.
Ring cancels its partnership with Flock Safety
That partnership is officially over. On Friday, Ring published a blog post announcing the end of its relationship with Flock Safety. The company said, after a review, the integration "would require significantly more time and resources than anticipated." As such, both parties have agree to cancel the partnership.
Importantly, Ring says that since the integration never actually launched, no user footage was ever sent to Flock Safety—despite the company announcing the partnership four months ago. Social media influencers had spread the false claim that Flock Safety was seeding Ring footage directly to law enforcement agencies, such as ICE. While those claims are inaccurate, they were likely fueled by reporting from 404 Media that ICE has been able to access Flock Safety's data in its investigations. Had Ring's partnership with Flock Safety gone ahead, there would be legitimate cause to believe that agencies like ICE could tap into the footage Ring users had shared—even if those users were under the impression they were only sharing footage with local agencies to solve specific cases.
While privacy advocates will likely celebrate this news, the cancelled partnership has no effect on Community Requests. Law enforcement agencies will still be able to request footage from Ring users, and those users will still have a say in whether or not they send that footage. Ring sees the feature as an objective good, allowing users to voluntarily share footage that could help law enforcement solve important cases. In its announcement on Friday, Ring cited the December 2025 Brown University shooting, in which seven users shared 168 video clips with law enforcement. According to Ring, one of those videos assisted police in identifying the suspect's car, which, in turn, solved the case.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
The Sony HT-Z9F is down to $419.99 on Woot, a steep drop from its original price of $899.99. At this price, it becomes a far more accessible way to upgrade your TV audio without committing to a full AV receiver and multi-speaker setup. The deal is available for the next 16 days or until it sells out, whichever happens first. Prime members receive free standard shipping, while non-Prime customers pay $6. That said, shipping is not available to Alaska, Hawaii, APO addresses, or PO Boxes, and the purchase includes a 90-day Woot limited warranty. Discover more President's Day Sale deals and the best Tech deals during the early President's Day Sale here.
It’s a 3.1-channel soundbar, meaning it has left, right, and center speakers built in, plus a wireless subwoofer. That dedicated center channel is especially helpful for dialogue—it keeps voices clear and easy to follow, even during action scenes or loud background scores (meaning you do not need to ride the volume during conversations, then scramble to lower it when explosions hit). And then, there’s the wireless sub, which adds weight to action movies and bass-heavy playlists. It is not room-shaking, but it gives enough low-end punch to feel cinematic in a living room setting.
Sony markets the HT-Z9F as Dolby Atmos-enabled, but it does not have upward-firing drivers or rear satellite speakers. Instead, it relies on Sony’s S-Force Pro Front Surround and Vertical Surround Engine to simulate height and surround effects. That processing does create a wider sound field than basic stereo, but everything still feels anchored to the front of the room. Overhead effects lack the distinct placement you would get from true Atmos speakers bouncing sound off the ceiling. If you are upgrading from built-in TV speakers, the improvement will be obvious. But if you expect a fully immersive surround with objects flying above and behind you, this will not deliver that experience.
As for its connectivity, you get two full HDMI inputs that handle all major audio formats, plus HDMI ARC for TV connection. You also get Bluetooth, wifi, and built-in Chromecast for streaming music directly from your phone or apps. The design looks premium and feels sturdy, which helps it blend into a midrange or high-end setup. The tradeoff is limited sound customization. There are preset EQ modes, but no detailed treble or bass adjustments. At $419.99, the HT-Z9F makes sense for someone who values clear dialogue and solid bass, with wide-format support. Those chasing a true Atmos surround setup with discrete height channels may want to look elsewhere.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Presidents' Day Deals Right Now
I rely heavily on my digital calendar—as far as I'm concerned, if something isn't there, it doesn't exist. It's annoying, then, when someone hands me a piece of paper or even an email stating when multiple meetings are going to happen. I need to either manually add everything to my calendar—which is time consuming—or try to keep track of everything separately from my calendar.
I've found a better way, though. As of this week, even the free version of Claude can create files for you, including iCal ones. These files are handy for quickly adding multiple appointments to the Apple, Google, and Microsoft calendar services.
How Claude can create custom iCal files for you
For example, say you wanted every Olympic men's hockey game on your calendar (I'm Canadian—what else was I going to use as a demonstration?) All you need to do is take a screenshot of the schedule, upload that screenshot to Claude, and ask for it to create an iCal download using the information. I tried this and it worked perfectly.
The Olympics thing is just an example, though. Say you're at a conference and the staff gives you a paper schedule—you could take a photo, ask Claude for the iCal file, and add everything to your calendar at once.
Note that you might need to inform Claude about time zones. In my example, the screenshot I had mentioned what time zone the events were happening in, and Claude worked it out. In other tests, I found I needed to mention any potential time zone complications before asking for the file.
How to import Claude's iCal files to your calendar
Using these files on a Mac is easy: just open it and the Calendar app will ask you which calendar you want to add the appointments to. But it's also not hard on Google Calendar or Outlook.
On Google Calendar, click the gear icon near the top-right corner, then click Settings and find the Import option in the left side bar. Click "Select file from your computer" and point it toward the file you downloaded from Claude.
Credit: Justin Pot
The steps for Microsoft Outlook are similar. In Outlook, click File, then Open & Export, then Import/Export, then select Import and iCalendar (.ics) or vCalendar (.vcs). Select which calendar you want to add the appointments to and you're done—the appointments will all show up.
In Apple TV's Silo, Rebecca Ferguson stars as Juliette Nichols, an engineer who gets wrapped up in an investigation involving the local sheriff (David Oyelowo)—usual procedural stuff, except that the characters all inhabit a massive silo, 144-levels deep, protecting the remaining 10,000 humans from the allegedly poisoned world above. It's an addictive show in spite of its smart, dystopian vibe and, it's been renewed through a concluding fourth season, doing one better than the three-book Hugh Howey novel series on which it's based.
Season three is expected sometime in 2026. In the meantime, you can catch these other shows that blend dystopian settings with existential mysteries. Stream Silo on Apple TV
Snowpiercer (2020 – 2024)
Though initially feeling like an unnecessary extension of Bong Joon Ho's allegorical post-apocalyptic film, Snowpiercer the show ultimately takes on a life of its own, a clever sci-fi melodrama that realizes that there are no heroes and few true villains at the end of the world, but mostly just people doing whatever they can to survive. In a frozen future (2026, to be precise), humanity survives on an extremely long train that circumnavigates the globe. If it stops, the power will go out and everyone (literally everyone) will die. Those who came aboard with wealth live near the front in relative luxury, while the poor live on scraps (or worse) in the tail. Daveed Diggs stars as former detective Andre Layton, a "Tailie" deputized by Jennifer Connelly's Melanie Cavill, engineer and the train's head of hospitality, to solve a series of murders. The inevitable uprising that follows sets the two of them on different sides of a violent conflict, as each comes to realize they're just pawns of elites—same as it ever was. Stream Snowpiercer on AMC+ or buy episodes from Prime Video.
The miniseries, based on the Emily St. John Mandel bestseller, was released at either the best time or the worst possible time: The story of the world 20 years after a devastating flu pandemic hit HBO square in the middle of COVID—and don't all of our current apocalypse dramas owe just a bit to that waking nightmare? The adaptation follows two tracks. In the past, Kirsten Raymonde is a young stage actor whose performance in a production of King Lear is cut short by the onset of a virus with a 99% fatality rate. We also visit Kirsten 20 years on, still an actor, but in a world very much changed. This one is a slow-burn, picking up steam only after a couple of episodes, but ultimately, it makes a moving case for the power of art, even (or especially) in moments when survival is on the line. Stream Station Eleven on HBO Max.
The tones here aren't a match, with Pluribus leaning toward dark comedy, but as post-apocalyptic mysteries go, you could do a lot worse than this sci-fi dystopia from Breaking Bad's Vince Gilligan. Well, I say dystopia, but the world of Pluribus is about as good as it gets for basically everyone but our main character. Rhea Seehorn plays Carol Sturka, a fantasy romance author and general grouch who becomes one of only 13 people on the planet immune to the "Joining," an alien virus that transforms the rest of humanity into a peaceful, perky, and perpetually content hive mind. Carol refuses to surrender her miserableness in the face of a loss of identity, fighting instead to restore humanity to its admittedly cruddy ways. Thrilling, heartbreaking, and oddly funny, the show manages to address big questions about what it means to be human, and what we'd be willing to give up to change. Stream Pluribus on Apple TV+.
Decades after a comet impact killed most of the Earth's population and left a barely breathable atmosphere, survivors in Seoul live in wildly segregated conditions. QR codes tattooed on hands determine your level of access to resources including air, as supplemental oxygen is a necessity for survival, to the point that cutting off the hand of someone with a better code than yours is seen as a viable means of moving up. It's all controlled by the mega-corporation that's building an underground refuge for survivors of its choosing, and that doles out oxygen via couriers who've taken on legendary status. One such deliveryman, known only as 5-8 (Kim Woo-bin), is also running an underground operation to help out the neediest of Seoul's population—which soon puts him at odds with the powers that be. Stream Black Knight on Netflix.
While we're talking high-concept sci-fi, let's head off to Wayward Pines, from whence you will never leave. Based on a trilogy of Blake Crouch novels, this one stars Matt Dillon as a secret service agent investigating the disappearances of two fellow agents in the Idaho town of Wayward Pines. Things go awry pretty much immediately, and he wakes up from a car accident to find one of the agents (Carla Gugino), who's also his ex, having settled down in the seemingly idyllic community—and 12 years older than when he last saw her, only a few weeks ago. Even more dramatically, the local sheriff (Terrence Howard) enforces a strict "no one ever leaves" policy, on pain of having one's neck slit. As in Silo, the mysteries pile up from there. Stream Wayward Pines on Hulu.
Paradise reunites This is Us creator Dan Fogelman with one of that ensemble's stars, Sterling K. Brown, for something quite different. It looks more like a political thriller at the outset: We're apparently in an affluent suburban town in which everything looks fairly tidy. It's the home of Brown's Xavier Collins, a widower and secret service agent, which would be more impressive if the president he'd been serving (James Marsden) hadn't been murdered (much of the narrative is revealed in flashbacks). Oh, and that cute little town? Turns out that it's an underground bunker, fancier one than in Silo, but just as ominous. Stream Paradise on Hulu.
Leave it to those melancholy Danes to center an apocalypse around precipitation. In this three-season import, a virus spread by rainfall that wipes out most of the population of Scandinavia. Siblings Simone and Rasmus emerge from their bunker six years later, setting off across the countryside with the hope of finding a safe haven, and maybe tracking down their father. It turns out that one of them holds the key to wiping out the virus and saving the world. It’s not the most original premise (The Last of Us game came out five years earlier), but the setting gives it a unique feel, and the series comes to a decisive ending. Stream The Rain on Netflix.
The War of the Worlds industrial complex is never far from churning out new adaptations, this being one of two competing series that started in 2019. There was a period-faithful BBC miniseries, and then this French co-production, serving as a much looser, modern-set adaptation. Gabriel Byrne and Elizabeth McGovern lead the cast as estranged couple Bill and Helen, among the few survivors of an alien pulse that leaves the world sparsely populated, and humanity under constant threat from the mysterious invaders who aren't done with us yet. It's as dark as they come, with traumatized individuals nursing secrets and making calculations as to whom they might be willing to sacrifice in order to survive our new overlords. Stream War of the Worlds on MGM+ or buy it from Prime Video.
Going from an underground dystopia to an outer-space dystopia only to find that things aren't all that different, save that the giant hunk of metal that contains the bulk of surviving humanity is horizontal and in space rather than vertical and underground. Humans will figure out how to take our problems with us anywhere, being the point. Here, the trigger is the monotheistic Cylons, an artificial intelligence once relegated to serve as a labor force and who evolve, rebel, and have a plan involving wiping out their former masters in twelve colony worlds. The relatively few survivors, all that remains of humanity, escape on the title ship accompanied by a handful of others. Politics follow them, with military commander Adama (Edward James Olmos) frequently at odds with Mary McDonnell's Laura Roslin, the education secretary promoted to president after the entire line of succession is wiped out. It's one of the smartest shows of the aughts, in spite of the silly name, treating the premise of the cheesy '70s original with deadly seriousness. Buy Battlestar Galactica from Prime Video.
Late-stage capitalism encourages “work-life balance” while simultaneously making it impossible, and then makes us feel guilty about it. In Severance, biotechnology giant Lumon Industries has a solution: They split your consciousness between your life at work and your life outside of it. For our lead characters (among them, Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, and Britt Lower) the work- and home-based consciousnesses grow apart to the point that they become entirely different people. The show blends the conventions of office-based dark comedies with movies like Brazil and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, diving into the dangers of modern American-style totalitarian capitalism while providing a reminder that technology often promises to improve our lives while only making them worse. Stream Severance on Apple TV+.
As in Silo, we're stuck with a large chunk of humanity being forced to live underground for reasons that aren't entirely legit. In the world ofFallout, adapted from the video games, the aesthetic of the 1950s hung on for a lot longer than it did in our own, so plot similarities give way, in part, to a unique sense of style. The background is a little complicated, but not belabored within the show itself: It's 2296 on an Earth devastated two centuries earlier by a nuclear war between the United States and China. Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell) emerges from the underground fallout shelter where she's lived her entire life in order to find her father, kidnapped by raiders. The aboveground wasteland is dominated by warring factions, each of which considers the others cults and believes that they alone know the correct way forward for mankind. Amid this conflict, the landscape is also overrun by ghouls, gulpers, and other wild radiation monsters, and Lucy seems to be just about the only human with any lingering belief in humanity. Stream Fallout on Prime Video.
Not to be confused with The Simpsons Movie, this is the other story about an entire town trapped under a giant dome. Adapted rather loosely from the Stephen King novel, the show finds an entire community cut off from the rest of the world—their own personal apocalypse. As resources begin to dwindle, social structures begin to collapse, and the squabbling residents need to figure out how to survive and, if they're ever to escape, to figure out why they've been trapped under this dang dome to begin with. Stream Under the Dome on Paramount+.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Presidents' Day is not until Monday, but as is often the case, the sales are already here. Amazon's sale features some notable deals on tech products like smartwatches, headphones, home appliances, speakers, and more. There are plenty of other Presidents Day sales on the way, so don't fret if nothing here catches your eye. Regardless, I've gathered the best of Amazon's sale below, which features a few all-time low prices, according to price-checking tools.
The Apple Watch Series 11 is the latest Apple Watch and it improves on the Series 10 in many ways. It has a longer battery life and tiny tweaks that make a big difference, like a brighter screen, greater durability, and new software features. Right now, the Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS 42mm) is down 25% to $299 (originally $399).
The Beats Studio Pro headphones are 51% off
Beats headphones are well-known for their style and seamless compatibility with Apple devices. Right now, the brand's flagship headphones with 40 hours of battery life, the Beats Studio Pro, are on sale for $169.95 (originally $349.99), the second-lowest price they have been. Every color is included in the sale.
My favorite Shark vacuum is 40% off
I've been loving the Shark Pet Cordless Vacuum for the past few months and have cleaned my rugs to a degree that none of my old vacuums were able to manage. It works for floors as well, and I've been using the light with the lights off to easily see any dirt on my floor. Get it for $179.99 (originally $299.99).
A 57-inch curved Samsung gaming monitor for $800 off
The 57-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G9, one of the best ultra-wide gaming monitors on the market, is currently on sale for $1,499.99 (originally $2,499.99 at launch). This monitor came out in 2023 with an "excellent" review from PCMag, mainly due to its impressive 7,680 by 2,160 4K native resolution, the ridiculous 57-inch screen size, its great color range and accuracy, the 240Hz refresh rate, and its design.
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar is $140 off
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is one of the best soundbars you can buy today, especially if you're short on space. This compact soundbar doesn't skimp on premium features, and it's currently down to $369 (originally $499), a near-record low. This is the soundbar I'd choose if I were looking for a powerful option that wouldn't take up a ton of space in my living room.
The Amazon Echo Show 11 gets its first $40 discount
Amazon released the Amazon Echo Show 11 last year to replace the 3rd Generation Echo Show 10. The upgraded home hub and smart speaker hybrid features a larger, sharper display; a separate static screen, Alexa+ capabilities, and other updates, and right now, it's at its lowest price since launch. You can get it for $179.99, down $40 from the usual price, and its lowest price ever.
The SHOKZ OpenRun bone conduction headphones are $90
The original OpenRun headphones are great for their current discounted price of $89.94 (originally $129.95); that's the lowest price they've been. You won't get the same thumpy bass you'd get from regular headphones, but they're still great, and the bone conduction technology adds a fun layer of novelty.
The Bose Ultra Open earbuds are $100 off
The Bose Ultra Open earbuds cater to people who prefer awareness over isolation. Think cyclists, runners, or anyone who doesn’t want to miss the honk of a car while listening to music. Instead of sealing you off from the world, they sit outside your ears, letting in ambient sound while still delivering rich, detailed audio. Priced at $199 (down from its original $299), this is their lowest price yet.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Presidents' Day Deals Right Now
YouTube has finally come to Apple Vision Pro. YouTube for Vision OS is a free, standalone app that lets users log into their existing YouTube accounts through their Vision headsets and stream videos like they would expect to, including standard videos, 180° videos, 360° videos, and YouTube Shorts. Vision Pro M5 users can stream 8K videos, and premium YouTube members can download videos directly to their headsets, a must for long flights.
Google, YouTube's parent company, has apparently been working on the app for a while. In 2024, a spokesperson confirmed that a standalone Vision Pro app was "on our roadmap," but until today, the only way Vision users could watch YouTube on their headsets was through the Safari web browser.
The new YouTube app is designed to fit into Vision's spatial computing environments. "Rather than just responding to different screen sizes, we needed something that responds to different spaces, volumes and use cases," YouTube's senior UX designer Brendan Polley told Apple. "We built an entirely new design system that isolated core elements—comments, the play button, 'like' and 'dislike'—to fit any layout."
Having downloaded the app, it works exactly as intended. If you're looking for something that demonstrates Vision Pro's immersive video capabilities, you should check out the just-released 360° videos from the Milano Cortina winter Olympics on NBC's channel. Immersive luge is terrifying!
Samsung has officially revealed when its next Galaxy Unpacked event, which is where everyone's expecting the Galaxy S26 series to be announced, will take place. But before it airs on Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. EST, the company's offering the chance to get ahead of the game by trading in your current phone for a little extra moolah. Right now, you can sign up on Samsung's website to trade in your phone for up to $900 while pre-ordering a Galaxy S26 phone (or, on the very unlikely chance the S26 isn't announced at the event, whatever is announced in its place).
How to get $900 on Samsung Galaxy S26 trade-in
That's $200 more than Samsung currently offers on trade-ins for its other phones, which top out at $700 when trading in a Galaxy S24 Ultra for a Galaxy S25 phone. And while you're signing up, you'll also get $30 to spend on accessories during (but not before or after) your pre-order. You can also choose to be entered in a $5,000 sweepstakes for general Samsung online store credit, if you'd like.
The catch? The pre-order window doesn't seem to be open quiet yet. Usually, that happens within a week of Galaxy Unpacked airing, but you can still get the process started now. Just head to Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked reservation website, enter your name and at least an email address (you can also toss in your phone number, if you'd like), and you'll be taken to the form you need. If you want to enter the sweepstakes, also check the box saying you want to enter.
From there, you can pick your current phone manufacturer and your phone model from a drop-down menu. Note that the manufacturer options include Samsung, Apple, Google, and "Other," so it seems like Samsung is willing to let you trade in phones it doesn't make, too. As for the model picker, you can pick models going back around five years for each of the manufacturer options, although if you don't see your model on the list, you can also pick "Other" here, too.
How much will Samsung give me for my phone?
I can't promise how much Samsung will give you for each specific phone model, although it stands to reason that newer and higher spec phones will earn you more. I'm also willing to wager that Samsung might give you more credit if you trade in one of its own phones, but that's just speculation. To get the full $900, I'm guessing you'll need to trade in a Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Once you've made your selection, hit Submit, then scroll down a bit and click what you're interested in getting offers from Samsung on. Make sure you at least select "Trade In," and then click Submit here, too.
And that's it for now. Samsung will now know what type of phone you have and that you're interested in a trade-in, and should email you with an appropriate trade-in offer once it's available. Again, this should happen closer to Unpacked, likely within a week of Feb 25.
What will the Galaxy S26 look like?
All in all, it's a good opportunity for a deal, but it does continue an unfortunate trend of Samsung's—asking you to pre-order a device before it's officially been revealed, and before you know its full specs list. Luckily, a number of rumors for the Galaxy S26 has made it easy to guess at what we're likely to see, including a similar look to the S25, no ultra thin S26 Edge model, a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, and a new 10MP telephoto lens on the Ultra model. For confirmation, though, we have no choice but to wait.
“Activation” exercises are often recommended at the beginnings of workouts. You might get the idea—whether from random TikToks or from a trainer you pay for their expertise—that activations are necessary to get your muscles firing correctly and able to take advantage of the workout to come. That’s not exactly true, though, so let’s dive in to what activations really do.
What does it mean to “activate” your muscles?
The explanation you’ll hear most often is that our muscles—often specifically our glutes, or butt muscles—“forget” how to fire correctly. But that isn’t really a thing that happens, as physical therapist Tyler Detmer told Lifehacker when discussing so-called gluteal amnesia. Our muscles don’t need specific exercises to be able to contract correctly.
But that doesn’t mean activation exercises are useless; it's better to think of these moves as warmups with a specific purpose. As I’ve written before, warmup exercises occupy a spectrum from general (like jogging on a treadmill before squats) to specific (doing lighter squats before doing heavier squats).
The warmups that are sometimes called “activation” exercises fall in the middle of that continuum. They can help you to get ready for your heavier exercises of the day, since they’re fairly specific to the muscles involved. If the person who designed your workout is good at their job, they're a great way to prepare for your working exercises. Unfortunately, not all activations are a good use of your time. So here are some of the cases where activation exercises are useful—and some where they aren’t.
Activation exercises help you “feel” a muscle
If you’re going to do isolation exercises, it helps to know what it feels like to work the muscle properly. Using glutes as our example again, a side-lying leg raise can be done in ways that really use the glutes (when your leg is slightly behind you) or in ways that distribute some of the load to other muscles (like when your leg is slightly in front of you). When you’re doing those leg raises, you can pay attention to whether you’re feeling your glutes—but to do that, you have to know what it feels like to work your glutes.
That’s where activation exercises come in. You do a movement that’s hard to do without using your glutes, and you get to feel the sensations that go along with using that muscle. You might feel a burning sensation as the muscle begins to fatigue, or a tight, full feeling as the muscle fills with fluid (this is what bodybuilders call a “pump”). All of this helps to direct your attention to that muscle and what it feels like. When you do your next exercise, you’ll remember that feeling.
Activation exercises are extra workouts in disguise
The more work you give a muscle, the bigger and stronger it tends to get. We often call that amount of work “volume” and measure that as the number of sets: You’ll build more muscle if you do six sets of squats at each workout than if you only do three.
Activation exercises, if they’re challenging enough, can count toward those sets. Imagine we have two people in the gym: One does three sets each of banded walks and single-leg glute bridges (both often classed as activation exercises) before doing three sets of barbell hip thrusts. The other just does the hip thrusts. That first person is giving their glutes more work than the second, regardless of how the exercises are labeled.
To use activation exercises this way, though, they have to be challenging. If you do your activations heavy enough that you’re at or near the point of failure by the end of each set, they’re adding to your total volume. But if they’re light and easy and you’re just going through the motions, they aren’t really adding anything.
Activation exercises aren’t ever necessary, but they can be helpful
I’ve described a few ways that activation exercises can help in your workouts, but that doesn’t mean that they’re unskippable. You don’t need to feel a muscle working to know that you’re giving it a good workout. And if you’d like to get more volume for a body part, you can do those extra sets before, after, or during your main workout; they don’t have to happen during the “activation” stage at the beginning.
So if you haven’t been doing activations, that’s fine. Just make sure you’re warming up in some kind of appropriate way. (If you’re not sure, read through this guide I wrote to putting together an effective warmup. A warmup is about what gets you ready to work, and it should really be personalized to your body and your workout.)
But if your trainer has given you activation exercises, or if you’ve seen a few you’d like to try online, go ahead and do them. They’ll give you extra work for the target muscle, and you might find that they help you to feel ready by the time you begin the main sets of your workout.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
An ultra-wide curved gaming monitor with ridiculous specs is every gamer's dream, but they (usually) don't come cheap. The 57-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G9, one of the best ultra-wide gaming monitors on the market, is currently on sale for $1,499.99 (originally $2,499.99 at launch)—that's its best discount this year, according to price-checking tools.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 Series is not a regular ultra-wide gaming monitor. It has impressive specs, but you'll need a top-notch gaming computer with specific outputs to take full advantage of its 240Hz refresh rate potential.
This monitor came out in 2023 with an "excellent" review from PCMag, mainly due to its impressive 7,680 by 2,160 4K native resolution, the ridiculous 57-inch screen size, its great color range and accuracy, the 240Hz refresh rate, and its design. The VA panel also means you get a bright 1,000-nit screen.
To make full use of its powerful 240Hz refresh rate, you'll need to use a DisplayPort 2.1, or you'll be limited to 120Hz. You'll also need a powerful modern graphics card that is able to push the frames at a native resolution to max out the monitor's potential.
Although it is pricey, this monitor is a great value for the right gamer. You'll need plenty of space to fit a 57-inch screen, as well as a powerful computer to justify using the monitor—if you're not a competitive gamer with a powerful computer, it's probably not worth the price tag. Instead, consider this Asus gaming monitor going for $337.99 (originally $499) right now.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Presidents' Day Deals Right Now
When it's time to buy a new car, you don't necessarily need to stick with the one you had before. You don't lose your cloud-based photos by switching from Toyota to Subaru, nor will your friends yell at you for ruining the group chat by buying a Kia. That's not the case with smartphones: When you buy an iPhone, it's tough to switch away from it. The same goes for Android: While it's easy enough to switch within the Android ecosystem, such as between Pixel or Galaxy, moving from Android to iPhone can also be a pain. Tech companies tend to make it tempting to stick with their platform, and introduce friction when you try to leave.
That, of course, is entirely business-based. Apple hasn't traditionally made it easy to move to Android, because, well, you might actually do it. It doesn't have to be this way, either. There's nothing inherent to smartphones that should make it so challenging to break out of any particular ecosystem. All it takes is some intentional design: If smartphones were made to be traded, you could migrate from one to another, without worrying about losing pictures, messages, or any other important data or processes.
It's now easier than ever to switch between iPhone and Android
As it happens, that intentional design is here. Apple and Google actually worked together to make it easier to transfer data between iPhone and Androids, which makes switching between the two platforms more seamless.
News first broke about this partnership back in December, and, at that time, Google released some of this progress as part of the latest Android Canary, the company's earliest pre-release software. Shortly after, Apple released the first beta for iOS 26.3, which featured the transfer tool. Now, iOS 26.3 is here, and with it, an easier way to switch from iPhone to a device made by Google, Samsung, or any other Android OEM.
How to use the new iPhone-to-Android option in iOS 26.3
The feature seems easy enough to use. Once you update your iPhone to iOS 26.3, you can head to Settings > General, then scroll down to "Transfer or Reset iPhone." Tap this option, then choose "Transfer to Android." Here, iOS will present a pop-up, telling you to place your iPhone next to your new Android device, where you can transfer photos, messages, and apps, among other data points. (That said, health data, devices paired with Bluetooth, and "protected items" cannot be transferred.)
You'll need to make sure both devices are running the latest updates, are connected to wifi, and have Bluetooth enabled. However, Apple also says your Android device should be in the "setup process," which means you likely won't be able to use this feature if your Android phone is already set up. From here, your iPhone will ask you to scan a QR code that should appear on your Android device. Alternatively, you'll be able to tap "Other Options" on your iPhone to enter the Session ID and Pairing Code that should appear on your Android.
Now, you can choose the data you want to transfer, including photos, contacts, calendars, call history, and messages. Tap "Continue" once complete, then choose to transfer your eSIM, if applicable. (You'll need to double-click the side of your iPhone when prompted to complete the eSIM transfer.) This works in the other direction too, though Apple says you do still need to use the Move to iOS app on Android—at least until Google sets up a similar protocol on its end.
More flexibility from Apple and Google is better for everyone
Apple and Google might not be motivated by charity, of course, as the EU has been cracking down on restrictive practices by tech companies in recent years. But while both companies may see this as a way to lose customers, it's also a way to gain them: Sure, some iPhone users may switch to Android if it's easier to do so, but some Android users may do the reverse for the same reasons.
More choice is good for everyone—even if it doesn't guarantee exponential growth to shareholders.
If you're a PC gamer who's been looking into getting a Steam Deck to help you play your games on the go, then I've got some bad news for you: On Valve's official Steam Deck store page—the only place to buy new Steam Decks in the United States—every single model is sold out right now. That includes the discontinued LCD model, both versions of the Steam Deck OLED, and even refurbished options.
The shortage was first spotted last night by deals hunter Wario64, who at the time noted that the Steam Deck was sold out in the U.S., but still available in other countries. Unfortunately, since then, both Tom's Hardware and Windows Central have reported that the handheld isn't available in some Asian countries either. There does still seems to be some hope for gamers in Europe, as Windows Central's Adam Hales said he could still see available stock in his native U.K., including the discontinued Steam Deck LCD.
Valve has yet to comment on the sudden disappearance of the Steam Deck from its site, although I've reached out and will update this post if I hear back.
Why is the Steam Deck out of stock?
While Valve hasn't provided an official reason for the Steam Deck shortage, an obvious culprit is the ongoing RAM crisis, which has seen the cost for consumer memory components double or even triple as AI data centers eat up the available supply. It's possible this shortage is finally affecting the Steam Deck, although that's just speculation until Valve officially confirms it.
That said, the explanation would align with a post Valve made to its blog last week, in which the company said its upcoming Steam Machine and Steam Frame hardware are being impacted by "memory and storage shortages." While the company didn't outright announce a delay for these devices, saying it still plans to ship them "in the first half of the year," it also noted "we must revisit our exact shipping schedule and pricing."
It's possible the situation with "limited availability and growing prices of these critical components," as Valve put it it that post, is now affecting the Steam Deck too, though there are other possible explanations. The simplest, and most hopeful, is that this is simply a minor hiccup in availability, and it will be corrected by the end of the week. Alternatively, it's possible the shortage could be related to tariffs, as while whole smartphones and computers are exempt from increased tariffs, it's unclear whether that applies to gaming devices, or to any individual components Valve might purchase to construct new Steam Decks.
At any rate, we can't know for sure until we hear back from the Half-Life company itself. Perhaps slim pickings or higher prices are in the Steam Deck's future, but there's no way to know right now.
What to buy instead during the Steam Deck shortage
While we don't yet know how long the Steam Deck will stay sold out, it might be worth looking into getting a different handheld gaming PC if the situation drags on. While you can buy Steam Decks from unofficial sellers, I wouldn't advise it, as these would all be from the secondhand market. Most come with heavily marked up prices, and it's impossible to know what kind of condition your device will be in when it arrives. A more trustworthy alternative could be GameStop, as the retailer does sell its own certified refurbished Steam Decks, which are cleaned up in a separate process from Valve's. Unfortunately, these are also out of stock at the moment.
Instead, I would suggest looking at alternatives like the Lenovo Legion Go S, which starts at $600, is slightly more powerful than the Steam Deck, has a higher resolution screen, and in an official partnership with Valve, comes equipped with the same operating system as the Steam Deck. (I actually prefer the Legion Go S to the Steam Deck myself.)
If you've got cash to burn, you could look at a premium upgrade. The obvious ones here are the Lenovo Legion Go 2, which ups the power and packs a gorgeous OLED screen; and the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, which may be more welcoming to console gamers. (That said, the Xbox handheld's software wasn't quite there yet, at least when I reviewed it).
Whatever your choice, you have no shortage of options for PC gaming handhelds to keep you occupied while you wait for the Steam Deck to come back in stock. Gamers will always find a way to play.
It's once again time to update your Apple devices. The company just released a whole host of security patches, including a fix for an actively exploited zero-day affecting iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe. These updates arrived alongside the official release of iOS 26.3, which includes features like more seamless data transfer between iPhone and Android. Other security patches address bugs in Photos, VoiceOver, and Screenshots, to name a few.
iOS 26.3 patches a zero-day affecting dyld
According to Apple's latest security bulletin, the zero-day—tracked as CVE-2026-20700—is a memory corruption issue in dyld, Apple's "Dynamic Link Editor." The flaw could allow attackers with memory write capability to execute arbitrary code—or, in other words, run their own code on your device.
Apple says that the vulnerability may have been exploited in an "extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals" in earlier versions of iOS alongside CVE-2025-14174 and CVE-2025-43529. Those at greatest risk with this bug are likely high-profile users with access to sensitive data—users who might be inclined to use Apple's Lockdown Mode—but everyone should install the update to patch the issue.
The patch for this flaw is available for the following iOS and iPadOS devices, in addition to all Macs that run macOS Tahoe:
iPhone 11 and later
iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later
iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later
iPad Air 3rd generation and later
iPad 8th generation and later
iPad mini 5th generation and later
How to install the latest security update for iPhone
You should have automatic updates enabled to ensure you receive critical security patches ASAP, but you can confirm that you're on the latest OS version under Settings > General > Software Update. As a reminder, Apple won't message you urging you to click links, download attachments, or install apps related to security updates. Always go through your device settings to receive official fixes.
If you're an Apple fan who closely follows tech news, you might have been looking forward to Siri's big AI overhaul for some time now—specifically, since the company initially announced it at WWDC 2024. But despite delay after delay, rumors have strongly suggested that the next generation of Siri is set to launch with iOS 26.4. And seeing as Apple just released iOS 26.3 this week, AI Siri is closer than ever, right? Wrong.
As reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has once again kicked Siri's big updates down the road. According to Gurman, the company really did intend to release AI Siri with iOS 26.4, which is reportedly planned to release sometime in March. However, due to testing "snags," the company is instead planning to break up Siri's major updates and distribute them across several iOS updates. Gurman notes that likely means iOS 26.5, which could launch in May, and iOS 27, which will likely release in September, if it follows Apple's usual release dates. But looking at Apple's track record here, don't hold your breath.
AI Siri's upcoming features are a struggle
According to Gurman's sources, Apple is struggling to get Siri to "properly process queries," or to actually respond fast enough, both of which would defeat the purpose of using a smart assistant. Apple is reportedly pushing engineers to use iOS 26.5 to test these features, particularly the ability for Siri to use your personal data to answer questions. Users may be able to flip a switch in Settings to "preview" these features, and may treat the rollout as a beta.
Engineers are also struggling to get Siri's app intents to work, or the feature that lets Siri take actions on your behalf. You could ask Siri to open an image, edit it, then share it with a friend, but only if the feature itself actually works. This, too, may roll out with iOS 26.5, but it's unclear due to reliability issues. Siri is also cutting off user prompts too soon, and sometimes taps into ChatGPT instead of using Apple's underlying tech—which would look pretty bad for the company.
Apple is also testing new AI features for iOS 26.5 that we haven't heard of yet. One is a new web search tool that functions like other AI search features from companies like Perplexity and Google. You ask a question to search on the web, and it returns a report with summaries and links. The other new feature is a custom image generation tool, that builds on Image Playground, but that too is hitting development hurdles.
Looking even further ahead, Apple is planning more Siri advancements—namely, giving the assistant chatbot features, à la ChatGPT. (That said, it will reportedly use Gemini to power these features.) This version of Siri may even have its own app.
What's going on with AI Siri?
It seems Siri really is Apple's albatross. Despite arguably popularizing smart assistants for the general population, Siri quickly fell behind compared to the likes of Alexa and Gemini (née Google Assistant). Now, the latter have fully embraced modern generative AI, offering features like contextual awareness and natural language commands. While Amazon and Google users can ask their assistants increasingly complicated questions, Siri still feels designed mostly to handle setting alarms and checking the weather.
That was going to change with iOS 18, alongside Apple Intelligence as a whole. Apple's initial pitch for AI Siri was an assistant that could see what's on your phone to better understand questions you ask, and take actions on your behalf—i.e., app intents. You could ask Siri to edit an image you have pulled up on your Photos app, and because the assistant is contextually aware, it would know what image you mean, and apply the edits you ask for. Or, you could ask when your friend was set to arrive, and the assistant would be able to scan messages and emails to know that, one, your friend is visiting town this weekend, and two, that they sent you their flight itinerary that gets them into the airport at 3:55 p.m.
This Siri has never launched, however. While the company has rolled out iterative updates to Siri with some AI-powered features, its overhaul with these ambitious features have been a trial for Apple's AI team. It all stems from Apple's issues with AI in general: The company was caught off guard by the generative AI wave kicked off in late 2022 by OpenAI's ChatGPT, and following some resistance from corporate leadership, have been scrambling to keep up ever since. Apple Intelligence launched half-baked with issues of its own, but rather than launch a half-baked AI Siri, the company has been struggling to build up the assistant internally.
Part of the problem is privacy-related: Unlike other tech companies, who have no problem hoovering up user data to train their models with, Apple still wants to preserve privacy while rolling out AI features. As such, that complicates their situation, as they need to ensure both the hardware and software involved meet those standards. You can't have Siri pull user data into the cloud without strict security measures if you want to ensure your users' data remains private. The company is also focused on building its own hardware for cloud-based AI processing, rather than focus on simply buying up GPUs as many other companies have.
Apple is the second most valuable tech company in the world, but a host of factors—including with software, hardware, and leadership—have made it so even Apple can't magically produce an AI assistant. Though, I'm not sold that an AI Siri will move units for Apple in the first place. I can't imagine Gemini moves people to Android, and you can download ChatGPT on any device you own. It's even now built into your iPhone.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
A good smart lock is an extremely important purchase, personally, for security, reliability, and practical reasons. I've gone through my fair share of smart locks, but none have been more reliable, affordable, and easy to install than the SwitchBot WiFi Smart Lock Pro. Right now, you can get the bundle that has everything you need (it comes with the smart lock, keypad, and hub to control it remotely) for just $92.99 (originally $199.99 at launch) during an early Presidents Day sale. Don't let the $99.99 list price on Amazon full you, this is a $107 discount that doesn't happen very often, according to price-tracking tools (and the Switchbot website).
The main reason I love this smart lock is its reliability. A smart lock's most important job is to open and close reliably, whether that's physically with a key, with your finger, code, or remotely through the app. That seems like a pretty basic requirement, but you'd be surprised how few smart locks nail it—the SwitchBot has been the only smart lock to not fail me in the years I've been using it so far.
The installation was also the easiest of any smart lock I've installed. You only need to remove the lock faceplate from inside and use an L-shaped hex wrench that comes in the box to mount the smart lock. It took me seven minutes to finish. There's also an option to glue the hardware for a complete tool-free option. It's also subscription-free.
The smart lock also retrofits most locks, and since the installation is so easy, that makes it perfect for renters, too. Some nice features are the auto-lock (I love not having to close the door behind me), a status detector that notifies or alerts you of activity, and being able to send permanent or temporary codes to family or guests. It also works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT. The battery lasts up to nine months, according to SwitchBot, but it'll depend on use (that was accurate for mine).
Our Best Editor-Vetted Presidents' Day Deals Right Now
It’s tempting to think that an LLM chatbot can answer any question you pose it, including those about your health. After all, chatbots have been trained on plenty of medical information, and can regurgitate it if given the right prompts. But that doesn’t mean they will give you accurate medical advice, and a new study shows how easily AI’s supposed expertise breaks down. In short, they are even worse at it than I thought.
In the study, researchers first quizzed several chatbots about medical information. In these carefully conducted tests, ChatGPT-4o, Llama 3, and Command R+ correctly diagnosed medical scenarios an impressive 94% of the time—though they were able to recommend the right treatment a much less impressive 56% of the time.
But that wasn’t a real-world test for the chatbots medical utility.
The researchers then gave medical scenarios to 1,298 people, and asked them to use an LLM to figure out what might be going on in that scenario, plus what they should do about it (for example, whether they should call an ambulance, follow up with their doctor when convenient, or take care of the issue on their own).
The participants were recruited through an online platform that reported it verifies that research subjects are real humans and not bots themselves. Some participants were in a control group that was told to research the scenario on their own, and not using any AI tools. In the end, the no-AI control group did far better than the LLM-using group in correctly identifying medical conditions, including most serious “red flag” scenarios.
How a chatbot with “correct” information can lead people astray
As the researchers write, “Strong performance from the LLMs operating alone is not sufficient for strong performance with users.” Plenty of previous research has shown that chatbot output is sensitive to the exact phrasing people use when asking questions, and that chatbots seem to prioritize pleasing a user over giving correct information.
Even if an LLM bot can correctly answer an objectively phrased question, that doesn’t mean it will give you good advice when you need it. That’s why it doesn’t really matter that ChatGPT can “pass” a modified medical licensing exam—success at answering formulaic multiple choice questions is not the same thing as telling you when you need to go to the hospital.
The researchers analyzed chat logs to figure out where things broke down. Here are some of the issues they identified:
The users didn’t always give the bot all of the relevant information. As non-experts, the users certainly didn’t know what was most important to include. If you’ve been to a doctor about anything potentially serious, you know they’ll pepper you with questions to be sure you aren’t leaving out something important. The bots don’t necessarily do that.
The bots “generated several types of misleading and incorrect information.” Sometimes they ignored important details to narrow in on something else; sometimes they recommended calling an emergency number but gave the wrong one (such as an Australian emergency number for U.K. users).
Responses could be drastically different for similar prompts. In one example, two users gave nearly identical messages about a subarachnoid hemorrhage. One response told the user to seek emergency care; the other said to lie down in a dark room.
People varied in how they conversed with the chatbot. For example, some asked specific questions to constrain the bot’s answers, but some let the bot take the lead. Either method could introduce unreliability into the LLM's output.
Correct answers were often grouped with incorrect answers. On average, each LLM gave 2.21 answers for the user to choose from. People understandably did not always choose correctly from those options.
Overall, people who didn't use LLMs were 1.76 times more likely to get the right diagnosis. (Both groups were similarly likely to figure out the right course of action, but that's not saying much—on average, they only got it right about 43% of the time.) The researchers described the control group as doing "significantly better" at the task. And this may represent a best-case scenario: the researchers point out that they provided clear examples of common conditions, and LLMs would likely do worse with rare conditions or more complicated medical scenarios. They conclude: “Despite strong performance from the LLMs alone, both on existing benchmarks and on our scenarios, medical expertise was insufficient for effective patient care.”
Chatbots are a risk for doctors, too
Patients may not know how to talk to an LLM, or how to vet its output, but surely doctors would fare better, right? Unfortunately, people in the medical field are also using AI chatbots for medical information in ways that create risks to patient care.
ECRI, a medical safety nonprofit, put the misuse of AI chatbots in the number one spot on its list of health technology hazards of 2026. While the AI hype machine is trying to convince you to give ChatGPT your medical information, ECRI correctly points out that it’s wrong to think of these chatbots as having human personalities or cognition: “While these models produce humanlike responses, they do so by predicting the next word based on large datasets, not through genuine comprehension of the information.”
ECRI reports that physicians are, in fact, using generative AI tools for patient care, and that research has already shown the serious risks involved. Using LLMs does not improve doctors’ clinical reasoning. LLMs will elaborate confidently on incorrect details included in prompts. Google’s Med-Gemini model, created for medical use, made up a nonexistent body part whose name was a mashup of two unrelated real body parts; Google told a Verge reporter that the mistake was a “typo.” ECRI argues that “because LLM responses often sound authoritative, the risk exists that clinicians may subconsciously factor AI-generated suggestions into their judgments without critical review.”
Even in situations that don’t seem like life-and-death cases, consulting a chatbot can cause harm. ECRI asked four LLMs to recommend brands of gel that could be used with a certain ultrasound device on a patient with an indwelling catheter near the area being scanned. It’s important to use a sterile gel in this situation, because of the risk of infection. Only one of the four chatbots identified this issue and made appropriate suggestions; the others just recommended regular ultrasound gels. In other cases, ECRI’s tests resulted in chatbots giving unsafe advice on electrode placement and isolation gowns.
Clearly, LLM chatbots are not ready to be trusted to keep people safe when seeking medical care, whether you’re the person who needs care, the doctor treating them, or even the staffer ordering supplies. But the services are already out there, being widely used and aggressively promoted. (Their makers are even fighting in the Super Bowl ads.) There’s no good way to be sure these chatbots aren’t involved in your care, but at the very least we can stick with good old Dr. Google—just make sure to disable AI-powered search results.
I'd never owned a really good pair of headphones; it's just not something I've really cared about. But the JBL Tour One M3s I recently acquired changed my mind forever. (Our resident audio expert Daniel Oropeza went in depth about these headphones in his review, which you should read.)
I've always taken a punk-rock approach to sound gear—cheap and loud has been good enough for me—but using these headphones non-stop for the past couple of weeks proves I've been very wrong. Music is better when played through decent equipment. There's so much more there, even in songs I've listened to a million times: I can finally make out what's actually being said in the "party chatter" that provides atmosphere in Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," and who knew there was so much going on in The Dead Boys "Sonic Reducer?" And the spatial audio? Forget it: Hearing different instruments from different parts of 3D space is amazing. These headphones have me thinking seriously about stereo separation, constantly messing with the EQ, and turning my nose up to every format that isn't lossless. I'm listening to damn jazz. What's even happening?
Silence is better when it's truly silent
Okay, I know active noise-cancelling has been around for 20 years, but I never cared about it—most of the music I like is mostly noise, so why would I want to cancel it?—but it's for cancelling all that other noise that surrounds us. These are perfect for an airplane or car trip but also for just wearing around. I had no idea how much ambient sound I'm swimming in all day at my home office—the fridge running, the cars on the road, the wind—all gone in an instant. Nothing to hear but silence and tinnitus (from too much punk rock).
What the audio transmitter does
Credit: Stephen Johnson
When I first opened the box and saw the smart transmitter/controller thing that comes with these phones, I was like, "What's this dumb thing?" But it turns out it's not dumb. It's a Smart Tx Audio Transmitter. You can plug it into almost anything audio and it will wirelessly stream 24-bit audio. Plug the AUX-to-USB-C cable into the beat-up jack at the gym, or an airplane’s headphone jack ,and you can listen with full noise-canceling and high-quality audio. (Now that I'm an audiophile, this is important to me.) It's also a touch screen controller so you can mess around with the EQ to hear Art Pepper's dulcet saxophone tone without taking your phone out, and trust me, you haven't heard Art Pepper if it's not lossless and tuned with JBL's "personal sound amplification." I mean, you might as well be listening to The Dead Boys or something.
It comes with a traveling case
In my old life, I would have left the Smart Tx Audio Transmitter on a bus, but these phones come with a little carrying case where all my little cords have places to live, and I put my audio transmitter right where it goes, because I never want to be burdened with inferior audio again.
I could go on about these headphones, but I've realized that air is an imperfect medium for sound vibrations, so I'm going to sit and stare at the sheet music of Coltrane's A Love Supreme and listen to pure theory.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
The Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS + Cellular, 41mm] is currently going for $299.99 on Woot, which is a solid deal considering the same model starts at $399 new and about $226 refurbished on Amazon. This one’s brand-new and comes with a full one-year Apple warranty. With Prime, you also get free standard shipping (while non-Prime members are levied a $6 shipping fee), and the offer is live for four more days or until it sells out.
It’s the model with cellular connectivity, so with an active carrier plan, you can call, message, or stream music even when your iPhone’s not nearby—something the cheaper GPS-only versions can’t do. That’s a big plus if you run without your phone or want to stay reachable while leaving it behind.
The Series 9 runs on Apple’s S9 processor, which makes everything feel faster, and the screen gets much brighter. At 2,000 nits, it’s easy to read even when the sun’s beating down on your wrist. It also adds a double-tap gesture, so you can control things like answering a call or scrolling through widgets with just a pinch of your fingers. The onboard Siri lets you start a workout or set a timer with your voice, and it’s the first Apple Watch that’s carbon-neutral (at least in this aluminum and sport band combo). It also has access to the App Store, so apps like Spotify, Strava, and Calm run directly on the watch, notes this PCMag review.
Battery life is around 32.5 hours, even with the always-on display enabled, which holds up fine for a full day and night of use, though heavy cellular use will shorten that.
Health tracking is comprehensive. You get heart rate monitoring, ECG, blood oxygen readings, temperature sensing, sleep tracking, GPS, and fall detection. The watch is also IP6X dust resistant and WR50 water resistant, making it suitable for swimming and gym sessions. At $299.99, this is a strong price for a new cellular Apple Watch, making it one of the better deals for lifestyle smartwatches right now.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Presidents' Day Deals Right Now
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Samsung’s fan editions are meant to give you most of the flagship experience without the flagship price—and the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE does just that. Right now, it’s down to $509.99 from $709.99; a price drop that, according to price tracking tools, marks its lowest price yet. That puts it well below the regular Galaxy S25 while keeping much of the same look and software.
PCMag rated it “excellent,” and after looking at what it offers, that tracks. Its 6.7-inch AMOLED screen is big, bright, and responsive, with smooth 120Hz scrolling and enough brightness to hold its own in most settings, though you might catch some glare under direct sunlight.
It includes Samsung’s full Galaxy AI feature set, the same tools found on its pricier siblings. In practice, that means features like live translation, AI photo editing, and writing help are all here. The battery’s a solid performer too, clocking in at 17 hours of video playback in PCMag’s testing. Charging’s fast enough at 45W wired, and you get wireless and reverse wireless charging (handy for earbuds) as well. On the connectivity side, it supports 5G, along with Wi‑Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and NFC for contactless payments. You can use one physical SIM and one eSIM, or go fully digital with dual eSIMs.
The camera setup sticks close to its more expensive siblings with a 50MP main sensor (with OIS), a 12MP ultra-wide, and an 8MP telephoto lens offering 3x zoom. Photos are sharp from the main lens, with Samsung’s typical slightly saturated colors, and the ultra-wide and telephoto lenses are good for social media, though fine detail reportedly falls off when you zoom or crop in. Audio is decent through the stereo speakers, but you’ll want Bluetooth headphones or earbuds for better sound. There’s no headphone jack or microSD card slot, and storage is capped at 256GB—but for the price, that’s not unreasonable. If you want to be in the Samsung ecosystem and try out its newest AI features without spending $800 or more, this is one of the better deals going right now.
I'm the latest early-adopter in history. I finally got my hands on an Apple Vision Pro VR/AR headset, two years after launch, and I feel like I'm showing up at a party at 4 a.m., just in time to watch the last stragglers call for Ubers. Back in the more innocent days of 2024, Apple said the Vision Pro would be "the beginning of a new era for computing," but it's become an industry cautionary tale, proof that making a product that's better than everything else on the market (arguably) doesn't guarantee squat.
I've had this thing strapped to my face nearly 24/7 for the last week, and it's a frustrating device. It's insanely cool, among the most impressive pieces of hardware I've ever used, but I don't need to have it. It struggles to answer the most basic question: "What would I actually do with this thing?" The same question was asked by many when it launched, and from my late-comer perspective, the answer has yet to arrive.
The Apple Vision Pro's design is... astronaut chic
Credit: Stephen Johnson
I love the design of the Vision Pro. The aluminum grey and orange accent with bubbled-out faceplate screams "NASA moon mission." It looks like it's going to take you into orbit. It's so sleek: A single piece of rounded glass acts as both an optical lens for the cameras and a display for the Eyesight feature where people can see your eyes outside the headset. The aluminum alloy frame curves around your face and the cushy light shield snaps on magnetically. The fit and finish (as they used to say in car magazines) is top-notch too. Nothing rattles. No knob or button feels chintzy. There's a heft and solidness to the Vision Pro that makes it clear that this is equipment, not a toy.
But that makes it fairly heavy too. A Vision Pro weighs between 26.4 and 28.2 ounces, about the weight of an iPad Pro and a half. The headband (much improved with the newest version of the Vision Pro) and external battery do a ton to keep it from feeling saggy, but after awhile—maybe an hour or two depending on your neck muscles—you definitely feel the weight.
The Apple Vision Pro's technical specs are so good, they almost don't matter
Credit: Stephen Johnson
I could get into the tech specs of the Vision Pro, the micro-OLED displays and dual-chip architecture, with M2 and R1 processors and all that, but the important part is what the tech does: blow your mind.
After a painless set up, the first thing I did with the Vision Pro was check out "Encounter Dinosaurs," a free app that comes with the device. In it, a window opens to a prehistoric world. I'm sitting there enjoying the dinosaur drama on 10-foot tall virtual screen, a little shook at how perfectly defined it is, when the damn Rajasaurus sticks its entire head into my living room. Then it makes eye contact. Genuinely feeling like prey, I said, "holy crap" out loud, and the thing reacted. It all feels entirely real. The lighting matches your room lighting. The sound comes from all around you. It's jaw-dropping.
I was ready to go on a full dinosaur adventure in my new space helmet, but then the tech demo ended. It's a few minutes of dazzle. "Encounter Dinosaurs" encapsulates the overall experience of the Vision Pro—it's a tease, the suggestion of space flight, only to find you're the third backup astronaut who might get to go to the moon, if congress doesn't cut Apollo's spending first.
But the tech is so good. The eye-scanning, gesture-based UI (no controllers here) is flawless and feels like you're operating a computer with your mind. The spatial audio is pristine. The integration with other Mac gear is seamless. The definition and brightness of the graphics is perfect—no pixels visible at all. You can even use it to do things.
What it's like to use the Apple Vision Pro for work and entertainment
Credit: Stephen Johnson
I'm totally spatially computing right now. I'm looking at a wide-screen version of the display from my laptop floating before me, with a music app open and Olympic skiing in another window. I'm combining my laptop screen with apps from my helmet, sizing and arranging everything in virtual space, and navigating with my eyes and gestures. Everything works great. It's like living in the future. And the future is exhausting. It's not just the weight of the headset becoming more noticeable with each moment or the eyestrain headache I can feel coming on, it's the maximalism of it; it's too much. I'm sure some people dig it, but I feel like I need to escape, maybe to a nice beach or something.
But the Vision Pro's streaming is excellent, as good or better than your TV, whether you're watching movies from major streaming services, getting fully immersed in an NBA game or Metallica concert (both amazing, by the way), or just scrolling TikTok. The colors are brilliant. There's no hint of edge-blurriness. The dual micro-OLED displays create a virtual screen that's approximately 3660 x 3200 pixels per eye. That's better than 4K, on a display that can be as big as a movie screen. No notes.
Gaming is more of mixed bag. It's clear gamers weren't Apple's primary focus with the Vision Pro. You can link the Vision Pro to your PC or Mac for more complex games, but there aren't any real "AAA" games developed specifically for the device. There are some cool smaller titles, though. I was very impressed with recently released Retrocade, a collection of perfect ports of 1980s arcade games. They're the best ports I've ever played, because you play them on perfect virtual recreation of actual arcade cabinets, detailed down to reflections on the CRT screens. But it's kind of sad that the best gaming use of 2026's most advanced consumer technology is playing Frogger. There's so much possibility here, but the Vision Pro gaming section of the app store is a lonely place. I downloaded some random games—a shooter, a horror game—all glorified tech demoes. Overall, the Vision Pro apps in the App Store are few and mostly forgettable. Two years in, the ecosystem hasn't developed, which is a shame, given the possibilities.
I'm not sure what I actually want from the Vision Pro. It's advanced technology that you can use to privately stream movies at extremely high quality, play a few mildly diverting games, or get some work done in a new way. Shouldn't that be enough? Maybe. Mine is borrowed, but if I had dropped $3,500 for a Vision Pro, I would not think, "This was a wise use of my money." It's not just the money, though, it's also the friction.
What "augmented reality" is like on the Apple Vision Pro
Credit: Stephen Johnson
While full-immersion virtual reality is possible with the Apple Vision Pro, the focus has always been on augmented reality—real life, just with digital bells and whistles—but it's not really augmented reality. You can walk around with the headset on, but you're seeing the world through some cameras, with a field of view of 100° X 75°, about half of reality's FOV. And the outward looking cameras aren't nearly as good as the display, so "reality" is blurry around the edges, where "augmented" is clear as day. As good as the tech is, it still feels unsettling and alienating to use, particularly the transition from augmented life to just life. That sense of fakeness plus the strapping-a-heavy-thing-on-your-face factor adds up to it feeling like a chore to use a Vision Pro. It's the kind of device I'd use sparingly—pull it out to show a friend how cool it is or bring it on my next flight—but I haven't seen a killer app that overcomes the pain-in-the-ass factor enough to use it more often than that.
Ok, except that dinosaur thing. I want augmented reality to be that, but for longer than a few minutes. I want the transformative, the transcendent, something you couldn't experience any other way to make the weight and digital claustrophobia feel worth it. Sadly, it seems unlikely that Apple will be putting out the Apple Vision 2 any time soon. The future is smart glasses, and it's going to be a few years (if ever) for augmented reality to get closer to reality-reality in a pair of spectacles. Until then, I'll be waiting for the dinosaurs to come back.
If your chat app of choice is Telegram, you have some changes to look forward to. The company announced a number of updates this week, chief among them a new look for its Android and iOS apps—the former is getting a total overhaul, but iPhone users will still note some new UI elements when chatting with friends on Telegram. There are also some new features, including one I find a little odd.
There's a new look for Telegram on mobile
Credit: Telegram
Per the announcement, the biggest changes come via UI updates, particularly on Android. Telegram says that its Android app has a "fully redesigned interface" intended to make navigating the app quicker and more intuitive—Telegram notes the interface code itself was entirely rebuilt to meet these goals. Changes include a new iOS-like bottom bar that lets you switch between your chats, settings, and profile, among other functionality. If you find the new interface effects to be too much, or too big a draw on your battery, Telegram says you can adjust them from Settings > Power Saving.
The company also updated its iOS app, though not quite in the same way. Telegram says it added "even more Liquid Glass" to its iOS app, Apple's new design language for iOS 26, including a redesigned media viewer, sticker and emoji pack preview panels, and new context menus in profiles when choosing messages.
You can now transfer a Telegram group chat to a new admin
Credit: Telegram
As of this latest update, if the owner of a Telegram group chat leaves that conversation, the ownership of the group will transfer automatically to one of the group's admins after a week. However, the departing group owner can also choose their own admin if they want to, as Telegram now presets an option to appoint another admin when leaving the group. The company adds that admins can transfer ownership at any time, even if they don't leave.
Telegram bots are now more colorful
Credit: Telegram
A small change, but if you develop bots for Telegram, you now have the option to add colors and emojis to those buttons. It's far from a radical update, but it could make it a bit easier to tell options apart at a glance.
There's a new send message shortcut on the Telegram iPad app
A small but noteworthy feature for any Telegram users on iPad: Now, you can send a message using the shortcut "Command + Enter."
You can now "craft" gifts in Telegram
And here's that weird new feature: I don't usually expect my chat app to offer collectible gifts, but apparently Telegram does. It previously introduced the ability to send gifts to other people, and even upgrade those gifts to collectibles that can be auctioned on NFT marketplaces (which requires real money).
Now, Telegram is reportedly expanding this gift system in the latest update with the ability to combine existing gifts in a new "crafting" system to create "Uncommon, Rare, Epic or Legendary" versions. You can combine up to four gifts at once, and adding multiple gifts with the same "attributes" raises the chance the crafted gift will have that attribute as well. Again, this is the last thing I'd expect or want from a chat app, but, as it's part of this update, so I'm telling you about it.
I’m one who can appreciate the great diversity of squats in the world. High squats, low squats, front squats, back squats—they’re all beautiful. And yet, people on the internet love to argue about which squat is the best. So here’s a little guide to squat depth, and how to find the squat that’s right for you. The short, easy answer is that you probably want to squat "to parallel," and I'll explain what that means, but there are advantages to squatting lower and higher than parallel, depending on your goals in the gym.
What is squat depth, anyway?
When people talk about how "deep" a squat is, they're referring to how low you get your hips. Some strong and flexible people can squat all the way down until their thighs are touching their calves and their butts are nearly on the ground. Sometimes this is called an "ass-to-grass" squat.
If you can only bend your knees partway before the movement falls apart, you might be told that you're squatting "high," or that you aren't squatting "to depth." If the person who says this is a coach, trainer, or a friend whose advice you value, listen to them, and try to squat deeper. (In a minute I'll give you some tips for how to do that.) On the other hand, if that person is some internet rando or a busybody at your local gym, you do not owe them any specific squat depth and they should mind their own business.
Generally, the higher a squat is, the easier it tends to be, meaning you can move more weight. When you're training you'll want some to find a way to be consistent. For example, if you squat 225 pounds to parallel at the beginning of your training program, and 315 as a super-high half-squat by the end, you cannot legitimately say that you added 90 pounds to your squat, as the parallel squat and the high squat are basically two different lifts. Pick a depth, and stick to it.
Most people should squat to parallel
The best squat depth for most people is squatting "to parallel." This means your thighs are parallel with the floor, or to put it another way, your hips and your knees are about on the same level. (If your hips go lower than your knees, you're "below parallel" and if your hips stay above your knees you are "above parallel.")
This is how most people define a full squat, and it's a definition that comes from convenience: It's easy to see when somebody is squatting to parallel, and this makes it easy for a trainer or a competition judge to tell when you're doing a squat. It also keeps things consistent for your training. If you squat to parallel every time, you know you're doing the same difficulty of squat from week to week.
If you compete in powerlifting, you know that judges will look very carefully at your position in the bottom of the squat to know whether you're doing the lift according to the rulebook. Usually the rule is that your hip joint (or the crease of your hip) needs to go lower than the top of your kneecap. Roughly, this corresponds to your thigh being parallel to the floor, and so people will describe this position as “parallel.” Here’s a video showing what this depth means, and how judges see it:
Do not try to judge this in the mirror while you are squatting! Your eyes aren't at the right level to judge it accurately. Instead, video yourself from the side (with the camera at or below hip level), or ask a friend to watch you squat and tell you if you're hitting the right depth. Another way to make sure you're squatting to a consistent depth is to find a bench or box of an appropriate height, and tap your butt on it with each rep.
Benefits of squatting to parallel:
You get more range of motion, thus engaging your muscles better, than if you did a higher squat.
Most people can achieve a parallel squat with training, so even if your mobility isn't great when you first start training, this is an achievable goal.
You may be able to squat more weight this way than if you go lower.
It's easier to keep your feet in a stable position on the floor in a parallel squat than in a lower squat (see the point above about mobility).
You have a consistent basis of comparison from one set to another. (If your squats get higher the more weight you load on the bar, you aren't actually as strong as you think.)
When you might want to squat lower than parallel
What about squatting lower than parallel? First, if you're using "parallel" as your gauge, technically any squat lower than parallel still meets the requirement. If you enter a powerlifting competition and squat until your butt is nearly touching your shoes, that's still a legal squat. There's no such thing as being red-lighted for going too low.
But usually people only squat that low if they have a good reason to do so. Sometimes that reason is personal preference: You may find that your squats are more comfortable (and you may even be able to lift more weight!) if you let your hamstrings kind of bounce off your calves at the bottom of the squat. As long as it's a controlled, precise movement, it's safe and may be effective for you, depending on your body type.
You'll also often see olympic weightlifters squatting very low. That's because they use squats to help train leg strength for lifts like cleans and snatches, and when you do a clean or a snatch you'll usually end up in a low squat position. Essentially, they train the specific positions that their sport demands.
Low squats are also popular among some gym-goers who want to work on mobility at the same time as strength, or who want to make sure they're training their legs through their full range of motion.
An important caveat is that not everybody feels comfortable squatting low. If you don't have good ankle mobility, you may not be able to get into a low squat position while keeping your body balanced and your feet firmly on the ground. This position may also put more strain on your knees than you would like, leading some people with knee injuries to prefer higher squats. (That said, deep squats are not proven to lead to knee injuries, no matter what that busybody at your gym says.)
Benefits of squatting low:
You train a larger range-of-motion for your leg and hip muscles than with a parallel squat.
You may see more muscle growth for your glutes and adductors, according to some research.
You keep your hips and ankles limber.
You will be better prepared for snatches, cleans, pistol squats, and other movements that require mobility in a deep squat position.
When you might want to squat higher than parallel
Allow me to pause while the purists clutch their pearls, faint, and wait to be revived, before I note that it's actually not a terrible idea to purposely squat above parallel. There is a place for this in many people's training! I define high squats as those where your hip joint doesn't even get close to being on the same level as your knee. These are sometimes called "half squats" (because you're only going halfway to parallel) or sometimes even "quarter squats," if you're just bending your knees a bit.
Half/quarter squats can be a legitimate training tool, especially for people who train for sports that involve running and jumping. You rarely find yourself in a full squat position in, say, basketball, so training full squats may not be a high priority in the weight room. On the other hand, training half squats can let you load up even more weight than you would use for a parallel squat, letting you overload the upper end of that range of motion.
High squats are also often done out of necessity. If you don't yet have the mobility for a parallel squat, or if you're working around an injury that prevents you from bending your knees all the way, you may need to choose between squatting high or not squatting at all. In most of those cases, squatting high is the better option of the two. To make sure you have a consistent target for every set of squats, you can use a tall box, placed just behind you, and squat down just until your butt touches the box. (You can also use a shorter box over time if you are working toward lower squats.)
Benefits of squatting high:
Half squats can build strength for running and jumping sports.
Squatting high is better than not squatting at all.
Squatting high may be a stepping stone to getting back to normal depth when dealing with an injury or other issue that prevents you from doing parallel or lower squats.
How to squat deeper
What if you want to squat deeper, but you can't? Most of the time, the issue is ankle mobility. Even though your legs are doing most of the work, and your back is helping to support the weight of the bar, the weak link in your squat is the flexibility of your ankles. Your ankles need to bend pretty deeply to allow you to squat to parallel or lower.
I put together a guide to improving your ankle mobility for squats, but for a quick fix, you can put plates under your heels or wear specialized weightlifting shoes, like these. In addition, make sure to do some calf and ankle stretches before beginning your squats for the day. A few more stretches at the end of the day (or on non-lifting days) can help to get you more ankle mobility over the long term.
You can also work on ankle mobility over time with stretching and foam rolling. Also, try different stance widths and different types of squats (front squats, goblet squats, high bar, low bar) to see if some are more comfortable for you than others.
How to figure out which squat depth is right for you
Okay, so what if you don’t compete in any squat-centric sport, and you can see upsides to each of the depths we discussed above? Here’s squatting’s dirty secret: It doesn’t matter. The squat police won't come to arrest you if your squats are too high (though some of your gym buddies may heckle you about it, because why aren’t you going deeper?).
You can move more weight if you only do a partial squat, and every gym has people who will tell you about their huge squat PRs but then it turns out they weren’t getting anywhere near parallel. If you are cheating your squats so you can brag about your numbers, swallow your ego and squat to parallel already.
Nor will the squat police come for you if you squat extremely low—but once a week or so, a stranger will tell you you’re going to "ruin your knees" squatting like that. You may ignore them. Low squats aren’t inherently bad for your knees, so if you feel fine, you can keep on keepin’ on. (I discuss this myth at length in my guide to squats.)
That said, if you don’t like squatting low, but you do it because somebody told you you “should,” feel free to ditch that advice and squat to the level you prefer. Squatting ass-to-grass does not make you a better person.
It hasn't even been a month since the U.S. arm of TikTok came under new ownership, and already American users are getting an exclusive feature. In a surprise move, the app today introduced a new "Local Feed" specific to U.S. users, ostensibly aimed at helping Americans see content from their immediate area. Technically, it's similar to the "Nearby Feed" that was introduced in the U.K. and Europe in December, although this specific iteration might differ in the minor details, like the name. Perhaps more importantly, the company wants access to your GPS data to power the Local Feed, but it's opt-in, and you can still use a version of the local feed without sharing it.
TikTok's new Local Feed
TikTok announced its Local Feed today, and it has already popped up in my app without the need for an update or for me to opt into seeing it. It's located to the left of the Following feed, and tapping on it brings you to a scrollable list of posts rather than the usual "swipe-to-navigate" autoplaying videos. TikTok says that the feed is "designed to help you discover and connect with content, businesses, and services wherever you are," and yeah, what I saw was mostly restaurant recommendations for New York City.
It's worth noting that I was already occasionally getting these recommendations on my For You feed, and when I go on vacation, these posts usually change to match wherever I'm staying. So the app's algorithm did already take location into account, at least to a degree. But the Local Feed allows you to choose when to see those posts, instead of waiting for the For You feed to show them to you at its discretion. It also, supposedly, can make them even more specific to your location, which I'll get into shortly.
(Note that while it does originally display as a scrollable list, hopping into a video will allow you to swipe through the feed as usual.)
How to see the Local Feed on your TikTok account
The Local Feed showed up for me automatically when I opened my app today, and TikTok confirmed to me on a phone call that you do not have to opt in to seeing it. However, there are some restrictions to what gets posted to it. For instance, accounts belonging to users under the age of 18 won't have their content featured in the Local Feed, and neither will private accounts or accounts where post privacy is set to Friends or Only You.
TikTok's Local Feed has two ways of knowing your location
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt
What is slightly concerning about TikTok's Local Feed is a disclaimer towards the bottom of the post announcing it, noting that TikTok will use your GPS location to "help power the Local Feed." However, in a phone call, the company clarified to me that this isn't so clear cut. Essentially, there are two ways for TikTok's Local Feed to know where you are, "coarse location data collection" and "precise GPS data collection."
Coarse data collection is how the app worked previously, and it uses information like your IP address, which network you're connecting from, and some of your posting activity (such as how you've been tagged) to generally figure out where you are. This does not use your GPS, and is more similar to, say, Netflix knowing that you're watching from the U.S. based on your wifi network. This functionality cannot be disabled, but TikTok confirmed to me that it tends to only narrow your location down to a county this way, and both the For You feed and the Local Feed can then use that to find information that's relevant to you. Essentially, this is how the app has operated for years, and TikTok confirmed to me that "nothing has changed with respect to approximate location."
What's new is the ability to share your precise GPS data with TikTok, which isn't mandatory for the Local Feed to work, but will be used to help the Local Feed deliver even more specific content. For instance, it might show you content for Red Hook or Astoria (specific neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens) rather than just content related to all of Brooklyn or Queens.. According to a TikTok support page, you'll find the toggle to enable this in the TikTok app under Settings and privacy > Privacy, although it's still rolling out to some users, and I don't have it yet.
According to the TikTok representative I spoke with, there was initially some confusion among users, as the Local Feed appeared to be showing them content specific to their area even while the app did not appear to be tracking their GPS location in their phones' settings (for iPhone, this is under Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services). However, I was told this was drawn from existing coarse location data (described above), and if you do not have the option to enable Location Services in the TikTok app or you do not see the TikTok app located on the Location Services page in your device settings, then you can rest assured that TikTok cannot access your GPS data.
That should come as a relief to anyone concerned about TikTok's new privacy policy, which initially appeared to give the company permission to gather your "precise location" so long as you had location services enabled on your phone, but now reads that location services need to be enabled for the TikTok app specifically for that to be the case.
How the Local Feed uses your GPS data
In other words, the Local Feed does not track your GPS data by default, but that doesn't mean you won't see anything if you don't opt in to sharing your GPS data—it'll instead use the same course location data the app has had access to for years to fill that feed. If you want more precise content and are OK with the app tracking your GPS data, then, you simply need to wait for TikTok Location Services to be rolled out to you and then enable it in the TikTok app under Settings > Security and privacy > Location Services.
If you don't, the company "does not have access to your precise location," a fact noted in a later update to the initial post announcing the Local Feed. Meanwhile, if you don't see the Location Services toggle on that page at all, then according to the update, "you don't have access to the feature" yet and need to wait for it to roll out to you. Whatever the case, until you enable that setting, the Local Feed will use approximate data instead.
If you do enable Location Services for TikTok, the company says it will only track your location while you're using the app, and that when it does, you will see an on-screen indicator while your location is being accessed. Additionally, accounts for users under the age of 18 will be unable to turn GPS sharing on, although it remains optional for all users regardless, and is set to off by default.
Meanwhile, if you want to turn off approximate location tracking, your only choice is to delete the app altogether—although that was also true before the Local Feed was introduced.
Update 2/11/2026 at 4:22 PM: Added clarification from TikTok about how the Local Feed feature works, and when it does and doesn't access your data.
Threat actors don't have to work that hard to obtain sophisticated malware to deploy against unsuspecting targets. A new spyware platform known as ZeroDayRAT is reportedly being sold on Telegram, complete with customer support and updates.
According to mobile security company iVerify, this aggressive spyware grants full remote control over devices running Android 15 through 16 and iOS versions up to iOS 26. Once deployed, it allows everything from user profiling and location tracking to live surveillance and financial theft.
What ZeroDayRAT can gather from your device
This spyware has wide-ranging capabilities that, according to iVerify, have traditionally been found on platforms sponsored by state actors. Here's a look at what ZeroDayRAT can do:
Collect information about the device, such as model, OS, battery, country, lock status, SIM and carrier info, app usage, live activity, and SMS message previews. This allows threat actors to develop user profiles for further targeting.
Pull GPS coordinates, capture notifications from apps and systems, and harvest account information, such as usernames and emails.
Send SMS messages and receive verification codes to bypass two-factor authentication.
Log keystrokes (including biometric unlocks, gestures, and app launches), access the camera and microphone, and screen record.
Log crypto wallet addresses and target banking and payment app credentials via overlay attacks.
How to protect against spyware
ZeroDayRAT can infect your device only if a malicious binary—an APK on Android or iOS payload—is downloaded and installed. These may be distributed through phishing, such as links sent via emails, texts, or messaging platforms, as well as in fake app stores.
All standard guidance for avoiding scams and malware applies: never click links in unsolicited communication, including conversations in apps like Telegram and WhatsApp, and only download apps and extensions from official, trusted sources.
Users at high risk of being targeted and anyone who wants an extra layer of security can consider enabling Lockdown Mode (iOS) or Advanced Protection (Android).
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Gaming monitors with 4K ultra HD and high refresh rates have historically been quite expensive, but the Asus ROG Strix XG27UCS challenged that notion, bringing competitive specs at a more budget-friendly price. Right now, the Asus ROG Strix XG27UCS is $337.99 (originally launched at $499) after a 25% discount. This is the lowest price it has ever been, according to price tracking tools.
The ROG Strix XG27UCS is a 27-inch gaming monitor that was launched in March of 2024. To get it down to its lower price (when compared to other gaming monitors) ASUS made cuts to RGB technology and a USB hub, which more premium gaming monitors will usually have. It still has the 160Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and 4K resolution you'd expect, though.
Because this is an IPS panel monitor, you won't get the true black that OLEDs offer. The contrast ratio for this monitor is close to 922:1, according to IGN's review, so black hues might look closer to dark gray. You can calibrate the settings to match specific games or genres—and a nice touch is that it allows you to save profiles with customized settings so you can easily switch between them if you jump from one game to another.
The stand's height, tilt, swivel, and pivot are all adjustable. You can also change the view from landscape to portrait, making it useful to people who also want to use it for work. One other feature that makes it work-friendly is a USB-C port that supports Display Port, meaning it's the only cable you'll need to hook up your laptop for video, audio, and charging (most laptops have this feature now). It also has a tray for a small device on the stand where you can prop your phone and a headphone jack for wired headphones or external speakers.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
For bass-heads and audiophiles, there’s arguably no more acceptable choice than bass-y over-ear headphones. They have superior immersive sound, larger drivers that produce richer sound, and bigger cups that avoid that dreaded ear-squishing feeling. Skullcandy is known for its wide range of over-ear headphones, and the Skullcandy Crusher Evo wireless headphones are a mid-range option known for their bass. Right now, they’re 52% off, down to their lowest price ever of $99.99 (originally $209.99).
The standout feature on these headphones is the extra bass drivers that beef up the dual 40mm drivers; it has a unique haptic bass slider that adds vibration to low frequencies, and you can crank it up if you want a more bass-heavy experience. Compared to on-ear headphones, which can lead to discomfort over time, the plush memory foam cups will let you comfortably game or listen to music and podcasts all day (or night) long. And despite the generous ear cups, they fold flat, making them fairly compact for over-ear headphones.
They’re advertised as lasting an impressive 40 hours on a single charge; they take a little over three hours to fully charge, but just 10 minutes of charging will get you a solid four-hour top-up. They don’t offer premium features such as multi-device pairing or high-res codecs, and the lack of active noise cancellation may be a dealbreaker for some. However, if you’ve been on the hunt for comfy, long-lasting, bass-thumping headphones that deliver at around a $100 price point, the Skullcandy Crusher Evo wireless headphonesare less expensive than many alternatives, and have a bass-tuning feature that’s hard to come across.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Presidents' Day Deals Right Now
Like millions of Americans, I've been watching the news of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance with concern—so I was somewhat relieved when the FBI announced they were releasing new footage of a suspect. Finally, the case had something to go on, even if it was only doorbell video of a masked stranger.
When I saw the footage, I assumed this was something the FBI had in their possession since the beginning, and had finally decided to release to the public. But that's not what happened at all. If you have been following this case closely, you may know that law enforcement had previously confirmed that Guthrie's Google Nest camera was disconnected (presumably by the perpetrator), and that she did not have a subscription that would store video either on the doorbell or in the cloud. Yet despite the fact the doorbell should have been a dead end, the FBI has seemingly produced this video out of thin air.
If you have a Google Nest device in or attached to your home, this might give you pause. Sure, it's one thing if law enforcement is able to obtain video from your subscription or from the device itself. But if you don't keep video records on your Nest, it seems it is still possible to retrieve the footage. How did the FBI do this, and what does it mean for the privacy of your Nest devices?
The FBI likely pieced the video together from fragments
The short answer is that we don't really know for sure how the FBI got the footage, but there are a few leads. According to FBI Director Kash Patel, the Google Nest footage was recovered "from residual data located in backend systems." That's pretty vague, though the FBI isn't necessarily known for its transparency.
According to experts that spoke to NBC News, however, it is possible to obtain data from the "complex infrastructure" of cloud-based cameras, including Google Nest devices. Retired FBI agent Timothy Gallagher told NBC News that Guthrie's Nest camera might have sent images to Google's cloud service, or at least stored data points locally throughout the hardware of the device, even though she wasn't paying for a Nest subscription. The FBI could have obtained the footage from the cloud this way, or pieced together the video from those data points.
Both possibilities track, based on how Nest cameras work without a subscription: While you need to pay Google in order to save video clips from your Nest cameras, some Nest devices record event histories and store them on-device. The third-gen wired Nest Doorbell can save up to 10 seconds of clips, while the first and second-gen wired doorbells can save up to three hours of event history, all without a subscription. They also support live video feeds when motion is detected, which could impact the video data points saved to the device or cloud.
It's entirely possible the subject walking up to the camera triggered the doorbell to save an event history. But since it took the FBI so long to produce the footage, and since the director claims it was obtained from "residual data," my guess is it wasn't readily available in Guthrie's Google Home app. Maybe the event history saved to the cloud, but it wasn't clear where it was located. Maybe it was overwritten, but the FBI was able to build it back up with recovered data points. My guess would learn toward the latter, as authorities did say the camera had been disconnected. Unfortunately, we don't have a definitive answer at this time, even if the theory is sound.
I've reached out to Google for comment, and will update this piece if I hear back.
Should you get rid of your Nest camera over privacy concerns?
Based on what we know, it doesn't really seem like your Nest doorbell or camera is a fourth amendment disaster waiting to happen—but I don't blame anyone for being concerned. After all, if you don't have a Nest subscription, you might have been comforted by the thought that none of your footage was being saved anywhere, meaning law enforcement or other authorities would have nothing to seize if you somehow popped up on their radar. That doesn't necessarily appear to be the case.
That said, without a subscription, you don't have access to a collection of all clips your Nest camera has ever recorded. You might have a limited event history saved, based on motion detection, but that will be limited to three hours of data. Your device might have data points that an organization like the FBI could theoretically use to restore footage, but that's likely true for any camera or smart doorbell system—not just Nest.
Also, this is not a Ring situation—Google hasn't partnered with organizations like Flock to help law enforcement request footage from users. Nest also lacks Ring's "Search Party" feature, which can turn a neighborhood into a kind of surveillance state, and probably not just to search for lost dogs. I'm not dismissing every security and privacy concern, of course: By putting a commercially-available smart camera on your front door, you are placing your data in the hands of companies like Google or Amazon. If you want to eliminate the risk of the FBI obtaining your doorbell footage, you simply can't have a doorbell with a camera. But barring a warrant, or a Nancy Guthrie-level situation, the chances of your Nest doorbell footage actually being used against you seem rather slim.
Microsoft's February security update is a big one. This latest "Patch Tuesday" fixes 58 vulnerabilities in total, six of which are zero-day flaws. As a reminder, a zero-day is a vulnerability that has been either actively exploited in the wild or publicly disclosed before an official fix is released by the developer.
As BleepingComputer reports, security flaws were found in the following categories: 25 elevation-of-privilege vulnerabilities, five security feature bypass vulnerabilities, 12 remote code-execution vulnerabilities, six information disclosure vulnerabilities, three denial of service vulnerabilities, and seven spoofing vulnerabilities. Three of the elevation of privilege vulnerabilities and two of the information disclosure vulnerabilities are considered "critical." (These numbers do not include the three Microsoft Edge vulnerabilities patched earlier in February.)
Patch Tuesday updates are typically released around 10 am PT on the second Tuesday of every month, and your device should receive them automatically. BleepingComputer reports that this month's release also includes Secure Boot certificate updates for 2011 certificates that are expiring in June.
Six zero-days patched in February
Three of the six actively exploited zero-days fixed in February are security feature bypass vulnerabilities:
CVE-2026-21510: This is a flaw the Windows Shell that allows an attacker to execute content without warning or gaining user consent, though the user does need to open a malicious link or shortcut file.
CVE-2026-21513: This MSHTML Framework vulnerability allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network. Microsoft has not released details on how this flaw was exploited.
CVE-2026-21514: This vulnerability in Microsoft Word allows an attacker to bypasses OLE mitigations in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Office once a user has opened a malicious Office file.
All three of the above flaws have been attributed to Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC), Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC), Office Product Group Security Team, and Google Threat Intelligence Group along with an anonymous researcher for CVE-2026-21510 and CVE-2026-21514.
Two of the zero-days are elevation of privilege vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-21519 is a Desktop Windows Manager flaw that allows an attacker to gain SYSTEM privileges, while CVE-2026-21533 is a Windows Remote Desktop Services flaw that allows an attacker to elevate privileges locally. The former has been attributed to MSTIC and MSRC, while the latter was discovered by the Advanced Research Team at CrowdStrike.
Finally, CVE-2026-21525 is a denial of service vulnerability in the Windows Remote Access Connection Manager that allows an unauthorized attacker to deny service locally. This flaw was discovered by the ACROS Security team with 0patch—it was reportedly found in a public malware repository in December 2025.
Live translation is probably the most genuinely useful thing to come out of the AI boom, but if you want to use it during a phone call, you usually need to use a specific device or a separate app. T-Mobile is looking to change that. The carrier announced today that it will soon introduce live translation to all phones connected to its 5G or 4G networks, and to get in on the action, you're going to want to sign up for the beta now.
According to a press release sent to journalists today, the new feature will kick in for you automatically once you're selected for it, no matter what phone app or device you use. All you'll need to do to access it is type in "87" on the keypad during a phone call. Which means that, yes, it will also be compatible with feature phones, aka classic-style flip phones with physical buttons.
How T-Mobile live translation works
The device you use doesn't matter because all of the computing for the translation will happen on T-Mobile's end, rather than on your device. The downside is that you won't get to pick which AI model the translation uses, and T-Mobile hasn't yet to provide any indication of which one it will use. You'll also just have to trust T-Mobile's servers with any audio recorded from your conversation. T-Mobile spokesperson Mason Miller told Lifehacker's sister site PCMag via email that, "[T-Mobile does] not save call recordings or transcripts," but the company will certainly ave to run your data through its servers at some point to make the feature work. By comparison, competing translation apps often rely on downloaded language packs and on-device models.
Still, I see where T-Mobile is coming from with this offering: When live translation is limited to specific devices or apps, it vastly impacts its usability, since both callers need to have a compatible device for it to work. Processing translation over the cloud makes it more likely you'll be able to use it exactly when you need it—and as a bonus, only one caller will actually need to be on T-Mobile's 5G or 4G network to pull this trick off.
While T-Mobile's press release focuses on 5G, the carrier confirmed availability for the feature on 4G to The Verge earlier today. The Verge also reports that, in addition to dialing 87, beta participants will eventually be able to trigger live translation by saying "Hey T-Mobile" instead.
When T-Mobile live translations will go live
Testing for T-Mobile's live translation will begin "for selected users" this spring, with more general availability planned for "later this year." The feature will be free during the beta, although a surcharge might be added after it goes into wide release. "We will share more on pricing and plan details closer to commercial launch," Miller told PCMag.
Cooking can be a creative outlet, a way of showing affection, and a way to take control of your health. But cooking can also be stressful and time-consuming, especially on a weeknight when you're already exhausted from a long day at work and you've got a hungry family (or just yourself) to feed. Ordering in is always tempting, but that gets expensive and can have an adverse impact on your waistline.
You might already have some of the more obvious and established time-saving appliances in your kitchen, but you can always shave a few more minutes and adrenaline spikes off your nightly cook. These kitchen gadgets will make cooking weeknight dinners easier no matter what the menu looks like.
Snap-on strainers prevent you from dumping pasta in the sink
If you have ever had a weeknight dinner go off the rails due to a pot of pasta accidentally dumped in the sink during a straining misadventure, know that snap-on strainers exist. Just pop one onto your pot, and you can easily strain without worrying about the dreaded dump out (or a fourth-degree burn from pasta water). These strainers are flexible and will fit just about any pot or pan you need to strain out of.
An automatic pot stirrer will stir while you finish other tasks
Cooking is often a series of dull, repetitive tasks, and sometimes those tasks need to be performed simultaneously—so why not at least outsource all that pot stirring? This battery-operated device does just what it says: You place it in your pot or pan, press the button, and it stirs anything that needs it while you go and live your life (or chop vegetables).
"Souper Cubes" help you better portion food to freeze for later
Here's a mistake I make over and over again when prepping sauces, stock, or soup for future dinners: I forget to divide it up before I pop it in the freezer. When it's time to make that weekday dinner, I have plenty of pre-made sauce—or, rather, I have too much of it, and I either defrost the whole bit and waste some or try hacking off a piece. Enter: Souper Cubes. These are like ice cube trays for food, and make it easy to freeze precise amounts of prepped or leftover food.
Oven guards protect your hands from hot racks
Anyone who cooks regularly has the minor wounds and scars to show for it—including the tell-tale burns from hurriedly grabbing stuff from a hot oven. Oven rack guards allow you to throw caution to the wind when pulling trays out of a crowded oven, even when reaching into a lower rack or grabbing something that's migrated to the rear of the oven.
A self-stirring cooker lets you outsource most of the meal's work
If an automated pot stirrer is cool, a cooker that also stirs itself is even cooler. If your life goals include being able to make dinner every night while somehow doing other things, this is the kitchen appliance you need. It can cook a wide range of meals more or less on its own, and will stir meals automatically. Just load up your ingredients, set your parameters, and walk away.
An automatic can opener saves time and effort
Cooking using canned ingredients is nothing to be ashamed of, but opening all those cans can be a chore that keeps you away from other cooking tasks. Enter the automatic can opener—just pop it on a can, press the button, and let it do its thing while you do literally anything more useful with your time.
A warming mat will keep everything hot for you
If your dinner plans involve more than one dish, you know the stress of being on the clock when something is ready long before the rest of the meal. Serving up cold sides or sauces is no fun, so a warming mat like this is the answer. Just place dishes on it as they're ready and keep working on the balance of the meal, and everything will still be piping hot by the time you're ready to sit down.
A divided skillet lets you cook multiple things at once
We've all been there: You need to fry up several different things, but you only have one skillet. Your choice is to desperately cook and put aside each portion of the meal, or get yourself a divided non-stick skillet that makes it easy to cook several things simultaneously, speeding up your dinner process and ensuring that everything hits the table hot and ready.
A "Thaw Claw" can speed up your defrosting process
If you're like me and you consistently forget to plan ahead when it comes to thawing out frozen ingredients ahead of time, you also know the struggle of trying to speed up the process. Submerging frozen meat in cold water is a proven way of speeding up the thawing process—unless your frozen goods just float to the surface. Enter the Thaw Claw, a simple device that clamps your frozen food to the bottom of your sink or bowl so it can defrost more quickly and effectively.
Digital measuring spoons save you time on measuring
Saving time when cooking dinner is all about accumulating small wins. The time spent weighing and measuring all the ingredients for your meal adds up, so having a digital measuring spoon can make the process faster and more efficient, since you won't have to place anything on a scale, adjust, and then use a separate implement to transfer it to your pots and skillets. Just measure as you scoop and keep moving.
"Fry Away" disposes of oil or grease more easily
Cleanup is part of the time and effort of any mid-week meal, and if you were tired before you started making dinner, you're not going to be less tired after eating. So make cleanup a little easier with Fry Away, which makes disposing of all that grease and oil a very simple process: Add some to hot oil or grease, let it cool, and then peel off the somewhat gross results and toss into the trash. Not having a jar of old oil sitting on the kitchen counter (or not calling a plumber to clean your drains if you're too lazy to have a jar of old oil on your kitchen counter) or needing to scrub away at a greasy pan? This is the way.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Wireless open-ear earbuds are a popular choice for runners, commuters, dog owners, and anyone else who wants premium audio quality while still allowing enough ambient noise through to stay safe and aware of their surroundings. The Shokz OpenFit Air open-ear earbuds are one of the best budget open earbuds on the market; they check all those boxes. They’re a reliable, lightweight option for everyday music and podcast listening, and right now, they’re 33% off at an all-time low price of $79.95 (originally $119.95).
These earbuds sit over your ear canals, stay in place during high-impact workouts, and are comfortable enough for all-day wear. For those who have been eyeing the Shokz OpenFit earbuds but still can’t justify spending around $200, the OpenFit Air model is a more budget-friendly alternative. They still offer the same comfort, stable ear design, and safety benefits as pricier open-earbuds; however, the lower price comes with slightly weaker bass and a shorter battery life (six hours vs. seven—still long enough for most marathon training sessions). With the charging case, total battery life reaches up to 28 hours.
If you don’t mind those trade-offs, an unexpected perk is that compared to the pricier version, their lightweight, stripped-down design makes them even more comfortable and secure for workouts. They also have an IP54 rating, making them sweat and water-resistant, though they can’t be submerged like the Shokz OpenSwim Pro headphones. Four built-in microphones provide clear audio on calls, but because there’s no noise cancellation, background noise can still come through.
While they don’t offer the most immersive sound and may be underwhelming for listeners of bass-heavy music, you can customize the listening experience and different EQ modes via the Shokz app, which also enables multipoint pairing. Some reviews also note that the touch controls can be inconsistent and prone to accidental activation. If you’re looking for an alternative to in-ear buds and your priority is excellent comfort for extended wear, the Shokz OpenFit Air open-ear earbuds are a great value buy at around $80—just expect slightly less battery life and bass compared to pricier models.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Presidents' Day Deals Right Now
The dark web is a virtual neighborhood beyond the borders of the normal, everyday internet (which includes the website you're looking at right now). It's somewhere Google and Bing don't index, and you need special tools to get to it.
It's a place where you'll find data leaks and illegal trades, but also legitimate, legal online activities users want to carry out without attracting the attention of law enforcement agencies or governments. It's a part of the internet that's less regulated and more shadowy, for better and for worse.
Piqued your interest? I'm going to explain how to get on the dark web and what you can find there—though Lifehacker doesn't endorse doing anything that breaks the law, so I'm not going to tell you how to do something you shouldn't.
The deep web versus the dark web: What’s the difference?
Much of the web isn't freely accessible.Credit: Lifehacker
You'll often see these terms used in your travels across the internet, and there's some confusion about what they mean. I'll start with the deep web: That's everything online that isn't indexed by regular search engines, which includes pages locked behind paywalls, private databases, email archives, company intranets, and so on.
Think about all the parts of the web you can't see without logging in, from academic journals to your Netflix account page: That's the deep web. It accounts for around 90 percent of websites, by some estimates, so we're talking about a substantial chunk of everything that's online.
The dark web, which is what I'm discussing here, is a small subset of the deep web, and refers to websites that are specifically trying to stay out of sight. These pages come with extra protections for user anonymity and data security, and you need special software to access them. You can't get at them through your normal web browser, like you can with much of the rest of the deep web.
Dark web tools and services
The dark web comes with its own set of tools and services, including web browsers and search engines (which I'll get on to in a moment). Part of what makes the dark web the dark web is that you can't access it through your normal web browser, nor can you look something up on it via a Google search.
Having a place on the internet that's private and anonymous will naturally encourage certain kinds of illicit activities: Hacking tools, drugs, fake passports, porn, firearms, and more are all traded on the dark web. It's a bit like wandering into the sketchiest part of a city, with all the associated goings-on.
However, there are plenty of legal and legitimate online activities that require privacy and anonymity. The dark web is used by journalists, whistleblowers, and political activists who need the protections that it offers. Anything you need to do that has to be off the books to some extent, for noble or ignoble reasons, can be done on the dark web.
To browse the dark web, you need a dark web browser
Tor is your way into the dark web.Credit: Lifehacker
To get on the dark web, you need a browser built for the job, and the best in the business is Tor. Tor is a browser engineered for extra security and privacy, and can be used to navigate the normal, surface web as well as the dark web. It blocks trackers, prevents user fingerprinting, encrypts data, and reroutes your browsing so no one can see where in the world you are.
Tor is like the public-facing door to the dark web, and there are also mobile apps for Android and iOS. While there are other browsers you can use to get on the dark web, Tor is usually recommended as the best for most people in terms of the features it offers and the ease with which anyone can make use of it.
Key to the way Tor works is what's known as onion routing technology. It gets its name from the way it puts several layers of obfuscation between you and the web, like the layers of an onion: Your traffic is bounced between multiple nodes, which means it's not as quick as regular browsing, but also that it's very difficult for anyone else to tell who you are or where you are.
Configuring dark web access through Tor.Credit: Lifehacker
When you open up the browser for the first time on the desktop, you'll see the option to Configure Connection or just Connect—choose the former, and you get more control over the nodes (or "bridges") used to get online. For most people, it's fine to let Tor handle this automatically (and you can set this to be the default in your browser too, if you like).
Once you are online, everything works in a similar way to a regular browser. You can access all of the normal web through Tor, and take advantage of the extra privacy its rerouting provides, as well as diving into the dark web. There are a few neat extra touches though, like the New identity button (the broomstick icon, top right) that clears everything from your current session and restarts Tor.
The mobile apps are straightforward to use as well. Tor for Android is the official app for Google's mobile platform, and while there's no exact equivalent on iOS, the open-source Onion Browser is a recommended alternative: The buttons for "onionizing" sites are on the top left (Android) and top right (iOS) corners. In both cases you can choose to install the Orbot VPN service, also part of the Tor project, to further secure your connection to the web.
The Onion Browser on iOS, with rerouting details.Credit: Lifehacker
Even with Tor and onion routing in place, though, you're not suddenly completely invisible and free to do whatever you want, without repercussions. Certain details of your traffic can be intercepted at the entry and exit points of the node, by the people running those nodes, if they know what they're doing and what they're looking for. You're also open to threats like end-to-end correlation attacks, so while Tor is a lot more secure and private, it's by no means completely safe.
Bear in mind, too, that your internet provider will be able to see you connecting to Tor nodes, even if it doesn't know exactly what you're doing. Many people install a VPN as well, but then you're putting your trust in an additional third party to not track your activities or report them to anyone else.
Cybersecurity has to also cover everything physically on your computer too—which law enforcement or government authorities might have the right to seize if they come calling. If you want to be untraceable and undetectable, connecting to the dark web via the Tor browser is a major step towards that, but not the only step you'll need.
A dark web search engine
Open up Tor, and you won't suddenly see the dark web staring back at you. Not only do you need a dark web browser, you need a dark web search engine too. This search engine will get you to the sites you need, though you can also go directly to dark web addresses if you know what they are, as with standard URLs.
DuckDuckGo is the default search engine inside the Tor browser, and once you turn on the Onionize toggle switch in the search box, you're able to use it to find dark web links. These typically come with ".onion" after them, rather than something like ".com" as on the standard web. On the dark web, you have to do become more of a search engine yourself: You'll often get web links from other users or forums online, and you'll need to keep these bookmarked to get back to them later.
Other dark web search engines worth investigating are Ahmia, Torch, NotEvil, and the Onion URL Directory—just type out some keywords for what you're looking for. Some of these sites can be found through regular web browsers, but you'll then need to switch over to Tor once you've got the onion links you want to follow.
Dark web websites
The BBC has a dark web site.Credit: Lifehacker
Individual sites on the dark web look much like they do on the regular web, though a lot of them are a bit more rough around the edges. (Presentation and polish isn't quite so important on this part of the internet.) Click on any website link, and it'll appear on screen, with its address at the top.
Some of the websites to look out for on the dark web include mirrors of both the BBC and the Mediapart journalism platforms, built to help inform people who are living in countries where the internet is heavily censored. If you're after secure email, look for the Proton Mail service. If you visit a regular website that also has a dark web (.onion) equivalent, you should see see a message to this effect in the top right corner of Tor: Click on the Visit the .onion button to view it.
Given the associations that the dark web has and some of the illegal activities that take place on it, you won't find a huge number of well-known websites on there—a lot of the dark web is made up of sites, wikis, and forums maintained by volunteers. However, there's still plenty worth exploring.
What's for sale on the dark web
I've already touched on some of the stuff that you'll find for sale on the dark web: It's a long way from eBay, let me put it like that. Anything you can think of that you shouldn't be downloading or buying, you can usually find it somewhere on the dark web.
For obvious reasons—I don't want to get you or me into trouble, after all—I'm not going to get too specific when it comes to what you can find for sale on the dark web. A lot of transactions are handled via cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, which is relatively (but not completely) private and anonymous. Another private cryptocurrency you'll find being used is Monero, which prides itself on being untraceable.
That's not to say you should assume any transactions you make on the dark web won't ever be linked back to you—law enforcement has gotten pretty good at tracking down people who think they've been acting in the shadows. Even if you're using a private, anonymized crypto wallet, there are other ways your identity can be revealed—even if it's something as simple as letting a personal detail slip in an instant message.
Taken as a whole, there aren't many good reasons to move your legitimate shopping activities to the dark web. Because of the way it works, and the kinds of items and goods that are typically on sale, it attracts a lot of scammers and hackers, and there are very few protections for you if you find yourself duped.
Is the dark web illegal?
Many dark web sites come and go.Credit: Lifehacker
The dark web itself isn't illegal, and you're not going to get into any trouble just by visiting it—but it's a place where a lot of illegal activities are carried out, because it's much harder for law enforcement agencies to see what's going on there.
You might often see news stories about criminal activity involving the dark web, and because of what's happening in some corners of the dark web, it tends to put off law-abiding companies and users alike. Sections of the dark web are often closed down, too, as part of police operations.
With all of that in mind, you need to tread carefully when browsing, in terms of the sites you visit and the other users you interact with. Bear in mind too that laws about freedom of speech and censorship vary from country to country, which is part of the reason the dark web exists in the first place.
Staying on top of the hacker underground
Hackers spend a lot of time on the dark web, and it's not too difficult to get access to hacking tools and data leaks in this part of the internet. However, it's much harder to get at the people who are doing the uploading and downloading.
If you make use of a password manager, then it may come with a feature that monitors the dark web for mentions of your email address and password, or any other personal details. If dark web monitoring isn't offered by the security packages you already have, there are other ways to do it, and there are steps you can take if your information does get leaked.
As I've previously said, it's a good idea to keep your interactions with the dark web to a minimum, unless you can absolutely trust the people you're dealing with. You'll often see a sign in stores that says "look, don't touch," and it's not a bad adage to bear in mind as you navigate around the dark web.
If you were affected by 23andMe's data breach—which involved the information of approximately 6.4 million U.S. residents—you have just a few more days to claim your compensation. Following the 2023 credential-stuffing attack, 23AndMe in 2024 agreed to a $30–$50 million payout for impacted consumers. The genetic testing company then filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2025 (introducing new privacy concerns around the potential sale of customer data). The courts approved the deal last month, and class members have until Feb. 17 to submit claims related to the cyber incident.
How much you'll receive from the 23andMe settlement
There are several tiers of payouts with the 23andMe settlement. Users with an "extraordinary claim"—those who experienced identity theft or fraudulent tax filings as a result of the breach—could qualify for up to $10,000 to reimburse verified expenses, including costs for physical or cyber security systems as well as mental health treatment.
Claimants who received notices that certain health information was leaked in the breach will be paid up to $165. Eligible data include raw genotype data, health reports (including health predisposition reports, wellness reports, and carrier status reports), and self-reported health conditions. Individuals residing in Alaska, California, Illinois, and Oregon will receive an additional $100 thanks to state privacy laws. Note that payments will likely take time to be distributed.
The settlement also provides for five years of identity monitoring services through a customized program called Privacy & Medical Shield + Genetic Monitoring. This is available to all class members regardless of payout.
How to file a 23andMe claim
Consumers who were impacted by the 2023 data breach can file a Cyber Security Incident Claim, which must be submitted by Feb. 17, 2026 (unless you received a notice in 2026 indicating otherwise). To be eligible, you must have been a 23andMe customer between May 1, 2023 and October 1, 2023 and have received a notice (via letter or email) that your information was compromised in the breach. You also must attest that you incurred damages (monetary or non-monetary) as a result of the incident.
Claims can be filed online via the settlement website, or you can mail a hard copy of your claim form (postmarked by Feb. 17) to the address listed. To complete a claim, you must provide some personal information as well as details about the harm incurred with supporting documentation, such as bank or credit card statements substantiating losses.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
The 64GB refurbished Amazon Kindle Scribe is down to $278.99 right now, which is its lowest price to date, according to price trackers. A brand-new model costs $449.99, so the savings are significant. In this case, “like-new” means Amazon has cleaned, inspected, and cleared the device to function like a new unit, just without the shrink wrap. That price gap makes this Scribe more approachable, especially if you were curious about combining an e-reader with a digital notebook but did not want to pay flagship-tablet money.
This is the Scribe with the Premium Pen bundled in, and paired with its 10.2-inch E Ink screen, it offers a nice balance of size and sharpness, with 300 ppi, and an adjustable cool to warm-toned front light, which helps during long reading sessions. But even with that crisp display, it’s still grayscale, and the lack of color does feel limiting when compared to competitors (if you’re curious about your options, PCMag has a comprehensive roundup of the best e-readers for 2026). The software has gotten better, though—note-taking now includes direct annotation on books via something called Active Canvas. Just don’t expect the fluidity of an iPad or Supernote. Also, according to this PCMag review, things like drawing arrows or circling aren’t supported, and even Amazon’s AI features (like cleaning up your notes or summarizing) feel a little half-baked, considering the Scribe’s price point.
That said, for pure reading, the Scribe still holds up. It’s light, looks good with its aluminum frame, has ample storage, and offers a battery that can last over two months with basic use. If you’re writing or sketching regularly, that drops to around three weeks—but even then, it’s more than respectable. You do need your own USB-C charging brick, though. And unless you like slippery backs, a case is basically required. At $278.99, this version makes more sense than it ever did at launch. Just know going in that while the writing feel is great, thanks to the paper-like texture of the screen, the software may not be as smooth or intuitive as you’d expect from a premium device trying to be both a digital notebook and Kindle.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
At $239, down from its usual $299, the Nothing Headphone (1) is currently at its lowest price ever, according to price trackers—and that might just be the nudge you needed if you’ve had your eye on them.
In line with Nothing’s design language, these over-ear headphones feature transparent elements and bold, geometric detailing that make them stand out from typical matte-black pairs. But it’s not just about aesthetics. These IP52-rated headphones come packed with 40mm drivers, hybrid ANC, and both USB-C and 3.5mm connectivity. They support high-res audio via LDAC, and Nothing’s companion app gives you both a basic and advanced EQ for fine-tuning sound. Battery life is impressive, too: 35 hours with ANC on, up to 80 without.
But the hardware alone doesn’t define the experience—Nothing’s control scheme is what makes these wireless headphones stand out. Instead of touch panels or clunky buttons, you get a satisfying volume scroll wheel (they call it the Roller), a multi-function Paddle for track navigation, and a customizable Button that can switch EQ profiles or noise modes. The tactile design takes a minute to learn, but once you do, it’s intuitive and genuinely useful. You also get spatial audio and multipoint Bluetooth support, which work well across Android and iOS. That said, comfort may vary. The earcups aren’t the softest for long sessions, and while they’re padded, the shape might not suit everyone. Performance-wise, the ANC handles low-end noise well (think airplane engines and AC hum) but struggles with sharper, unexpected sounds like clanging dishes or chatter nearby. The sound profile is punchy, especially with a bit of EQ tweaking in the app, but you’ll need to put in some effort if you want the best results, notes this PCMag review.
Many academically minded types have written at great length and with fascinating eloquence on the connection between sex and death in horror movies. We'll cut right to the chase, offering up some of the best and most potent examples of sexuality in the horror-movie genre.
But first, a disclaimer: These are horror movies, spanning decades, and, thus, don't always, or often, offer up the healthiest representations of human sexuality. Whether it's vampire eroticism or horny teen campers, sex in movies is complicated, and not always sex-positive, even as we're being invited to be aroused.
Some of these movies have deep and complex, if often uncomfortable, things to say about the links between sex and death; others are pure titillation—movies that throw in some nude bodies and sweaty, writhing flesh in order to get more butts in seats. We're not here to make a distinction between high-minded horniness and baser sexual impulses—if it's sexy, it's under consideration.
The Untamed (2016)
Alejandra (Ruth Ramos) and Angel (Jesus Meza) don't have the greatest sex life: she's bored and frustrated, he's sleeping with her brother Fabian (Eden Villavicencio) on the side while acting like a homophobic creep in public. All typical family drama, until we meet Veronica (Simone Bucio), a new friend of Fabian's who's had a satisfying years-long sexual relationship with a many-tentacled creature that came from a meteor and now resides in an old couple's barn. But even the best relationships can take dark turns, and the sexy tentacle thing gets aggressive, causing an injury that raises questions and draws in the other characters. Things quickly get violent, but who can resist the allure of hot tentacle monster? Stream The Untamed on Tubi or rent it from Prime Video.
Mourning the recent death of their child, Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland take off for Venice to get away from things—and then almost immediately run into a psychic who claims to be in contact with their daughter. Adapted from a Daphne du Maurier story, and ultimately about the ways in which grief and loss can profoundly alter a relationship for better or for worse, the movie includes one major sex scene involving the couple, but it quickly went down in horny horror history: Not only does it include a depiction of oral sex, unheard-of for a mainstream movie in 1973 and rare even today, given that it's a woman on the receiving end, but the scene is both emotionally raw and impressively frank. So much so that rumors have persisted in the decades since that the scene itself was entirely unsimulated. Probably not true, despite the Paramount executive who claims he saw it, but still gives you a sense of the scene's hold on imaginations. Warren Beatty (of all people) even fought to have the scene removed from the film, horrified that his then-girlfriend Christie would be involved in such a sordid business. Stream Don't Look Now on Kanopy or rent it from Prime Video.
Yann Gonzalez’s slick and stylish French slasher is set, quite reasonably, in the world of ‘70s gay porn. Anne Parèze (Vanessa Paradis) runs a production company that makes the exploitation movies Knife + Heart centers on, but the series of murders that occur on set barely draw the attention of the local police, who aren’t terribly torn up about the deaths of gay porn actors. Anne decides that her next film will be about the murders themselves, unfolding a movie-within-a-movie that only draws the attention of the killer (and his spiked dildo). The movie celebrates giallo, with plenty of deep cuts for fans of classic Italian horror, and ‘70s sleaze more generally, but with a gorgeous look all its own. Stream Knife + Heart on Shudder and AMC+ or rent it from Prime Video.
I think we're supposed to call this a thriller to distinguish it from less-reputable horror movies like Friday the 13th, but no one evokes nightmarish disconnection and existential dread like David Lynch, and this story of the descent into madness by an aspiring actress is as horrific as they come. But it's not all bad for Naomi Watts' Diane Selwyn—or is it Betty Elms? She finds herself in a very hot, very heavy relationship with Laura Harring's Rita, climaxing (ahem) in one of mainstream cinema's hottest same-sex love scenes this side of Bound. It's also very nearly the moment when everything bright and hopeful turns dark and forbidding for our heroine, but I think that's more to do with the type of movie we're in than with the sexy gay stuff. Rent Mulholland Drive from Prime Video.
There's only so much plot here, but who needs plot when charting a stylish and sexy vampire love triangle among Catherine Denueve, David Bowie, and Susan Sarandon, all three at approximately their most beautiful. Deneuve is vampire Miriam Blaylock, while Bowie plays her longtime companion John. Miriam is truly immortal, but John is fading after centuries, and desperate to preserve not just his life but his youth. Enter Sarah (Sarandon) the doctor whom he seeks out for help, and who quickly becomes the latest target of Miriam's erotic fascination. Director Tony Scott's movie is all glossy, gauzy style and set design—but the chemistry (and sex) between Miriam and Sarah is delicious. Stream The Hunger on Tubi or rent it from Prime Video.
K (Kadeem Harrison) and Joel (James Bond III, who also wrote and directed) have been best friends since childhood—but while Joel has become a minister, K has put his similarly religious upbringing aside to move to New York and become an actor. Still, it's Joel who becomes enamored of the mysterious woman that they meet during a night out in NYC. She's known only as Temptress (novelist Cynthia Bond), and she's been seducing and murdering men in seedy NYC bars for some time, what with being a succubus and all. It's a smart, stylish, and erotic bit of early 1990s horror that comes with more than its share of sex and nudity. Stream Def by Temptation on Prime Video, AMC+, Shudder, and Tubi.
She did it all for love, you see. Julia Cotton (Clare Higgins) will do whatever it takes to bring back her lost lover (who happens to be her husband's brother). He died while occupied with freaky cult stuff involving a particularly memorable puzzle box, and Julia's "whatever it takes" involves hooking up with guys in bars, bringing them back to her place, and killing them so her man can soak up the blood and gradually reconstitute his body. As anyone would. In the process, though, she invokes the Cenobites, who are hells kinkiest priests—a goth group inspired by writer-director Clive Barker's obsession with BDSM. Judge Julia if you will, but only if you've never made questionable choices to get laid. Stream Hellraiser on Prime Video and Tubi.
There's an alien on the loose—and she must mate! The setup here is very 1950s monster movie, and that's what makes it fun. Scientists at SETI receive an alien genome from space and, believing the senders to be benevolent, go right ahead and splice it with human DNA. As you do. The result is SIl (Natasha Henstridge), a hybrid who grows to adulthood in just months, and who the scientists quickly realize is impossible to control. Fearing that she'll mate with humans (will she ever!) and eventually wipe out our gene pool, they try to kill her before she escapes and, as predicted, starts looking for humans to fuck. It might not be high art, but the movie's soft-core thrills inspired several sequels and even a couple of novels. Stream Species on Tubi or rent it from Prime Video.
A loose remake of 1942's similarly sensual, if far less overt, original, Cat People stars Nastassja Kinski as Irena, who reconnects with her brother Paul (Malcolm McDowell) in New Orleans while learning some old family history. It turns out, you see, that they come from a long line of werepanthers (not as silly as it sounds, at least in the context of the movie), and the transformation tends to happen in moments of maximum passion. Sex transforms them, and only killing a human can turn them back. This complicates her crush on zookeeper Oliver (John Heard), and introduces a weird tension with Paul, who informs her that their kind are typically incestuous. The result is an erotic fever dream of a movie, with an absolutely wild ending. Rent Cat People from Prime Video.
Not unlike Tod Browning's 1931 adaptation of Dracula, this Francis Ford Coppola take is an often unwieldy assortment of stunning imagery and more forgettable moments. Like that earlier movie, though, what works here works impeccably, and remains as haunting as it is hot. Gary Oldman's performance here is a campy career best, his entire motivation coming down to love (i.e. erotic obsession) for/with Winona Ryder's Mina Harker, who he believes to be the reincarnation of his beloved wife, Elisabeta (and why shouldn't he, given that they're played by the same actress). Come for the blood drinking, wolf-man sex, and passionate longing, stay for the horny and half-naked vampire thralls who populate Dracula's Castle and who can't keep their hands off of Keanu Reeves' Jonathan Harker. Stream Bram Stoker's Dracula on Netflix or rent it from Prime Video.
Since we're talking about Keanu Reeves, we'll just forward to this 2015 sexy home invasion (-ish) horror movie from writer/director Eli Roth (Hostel, Thanksgiving). Family man Evan (Reeves) is left home alone when two very wet young women (Ana de Armas and Lorenza Izzo, who've been caught in a storm, you see) come to the door and quickly get flirty with the middle-aged dad. The three of them have fairly aggressive sex, which winds up being an understandable but extremely bad decision on poor Evan's part. It's a sexier and slightly more satirical take on more serious torture thrillers like Funny Games, and a solid reminder that you're absolutely correct to never answer your doorbell. Rent Knock Knock from Prime Video.
This slasher/horror movie also echoes the erotic thrillers of the good old days. Here, Pierre Deladonchamps plays Franck, a regular visitor to a nude beach and the surrounding woods, both popular cruising spots. Franck begins a passionate relationship (meaning: lots of pretty explicit sex in the woods) with Michel (Christophe Paou), who Franck later spots drowning someone in the lake. As the investigation into that event heats up, Franck finds himself struggling to give up a good thing, even in the face of murder. Rent Stranger by the Lake from Prime Video.
Ah, yes: the erotic bisexual vampire genre, which definitely had a moment in the 1970s. Daughters of Darkness is better than most, and certainly more genuinely sexy. Eschewing the hot-lesbians-for-straight-guys vibe of other movies, Daughters has a look and feel that borders on arthouse, with a grand and elegant style, as well as a willingness to go deeper. Delphine Seyrig plays Countess Elizabeth Báthory, who happens upon a newlywed couple honeymooning in a remote region, and immediately sets about seducing the wife away from her boring human sexual and moral conformity. Stream Daughters of Darkness on Tubi and Shudder or rent it from Prime Video.
After witnessing a mass shooting as a child, Luke (Miles Robbins) develops an imaginary friend, the title's Daniel (played by White Lotus' Patrick Schwarzenegger). Perfectly reasonable response, until Daniel tells Luke to poison his mother. Years later, Luke's a shy college student struggling with his mental health and whaddaya know? Daniel is back. At first, he's helpful, encouraging Luke in his schoolwork and toward a relationship with an artist; before long, though, he's asserting his own will and taking over fully to engage in behavior that's increasingly erratic and sometimes violent. Daniel is also perfectly content endanger Luke's new relationship by having sex with other women, and not entirely on the sly. Or maybe this is all just Luke's subconscious acting out and...Daniel isn't real? Stream Daniel Isn't Real on Prime Video and Tubi.
The recent AMC series adaptation is great, and dispenses with any subtext where Lestat and Louis (and Armand!) are concerned. Subtext is way overrated when it comes to queer themes, but this 1994 adaptation walks impressively close to that edge, and seeing a couple of big-name male stars set up house and raise their surly vampire daughter while sucking each other's blood was thrilling back in the day. As threeways go, you could have done a helluva lot worse in the mid-1990s than to assemble Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Antonio Banderas. The movie remains a thoroughly entertaining, and very, very sweaty, story of housekeeping and murder in New Orleans. Rent Interview with the Vampire from Prime Video.
Just another movie about a gender-fluid erotic dancer and serial killer (Alexia/Adrien, played by Agathe Rousselle) who fucks a car, gets pregnant as a result, and is then taken in by a man (Vincent Lindon) who believes that, in Alexia (soon to identify as Adrien), he's found his long lost son. You know. Typical Hollywood. There's a lot going on in writer/director Julia Ducournau's wild love story, and the sex and eroticism aren't entirely conventional (unless Crash-style car sex is your thing), but the movie definitely has an undeniable, and undeniably weird, sensuality. Stream Titane on Tubi.
What looks like an STI outbreak at a luxury apartment tower is something quite a bit more gruesome, which would have been immediately obvious had I mentioned that we're in a David Cronenberg film (one of his earliest body horror classics). A weird science experiment has created a parasite that spreads via sexual contact and, helpfully enough, turns its victims into endlessly horny nymphomaniacs (the alternate title, They Came from Within, feels more apt). The veil of upper-middle-class respectability falls away entirely as the residents of Starliner Towers give in to an endless and increasingly violent orgy. Stream Shivers on Prime Video and Tubi.
The fact that it's a loose (very) adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel of the same name offers this one some plausible deniability when it comes to the nature of the titular white worm—but just barely, given that the plot turns first on Amanda Donohoe's typically nude priestess, and later on some weaponized dildos. Future Doctor Who Peter Capaldi plays an archaeology student investigating the skull of a rather alarmingly large snake in the East Midlands, and Hugh Grant is the local lord on whose land all of this horny folderol is unfolding.Stream Lair of the White Worm on Prime Video and Tubi.
Lots of movies beat around the bush (ahem) before delivering sexy scares, but Nate Dushku's indie horror gem Birder builds its premise around giving the people what they want. It's set at a clothing-very-optional campground, so most everyone is immediately naked. Michael Emery plays Kristian Brooks, a bird enthusiast who's sweet, charming, and conventionally hot in a way that draws attention from the camp's regulars, who soon discover that he's also phenomenal in the sack (or on a towel, more typically). Which is all well and good, until Kristian's body count becomes more literal. There are underlying themes about the horror inherent in the violation of a positive, queer-friendly space but, for our purposes, feel free to focus on the serial killer running amok among naked people. Rent Birder from Prime Video.
Adam Green's slasher series was created as an explicit tribute to the trashy slashers of yore, with roles and appearances from actors better known for A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Candyman, Halloween, etc. That means not only lots of gruesome practical effects, but also plenty of nudity (i.e. boobs) and sex. The second movie in the series, which finds the first movie's Final Girl Marybeth (Danielle Harris) returning to the swamp with plans to take revenge on murderous Victor Crowley (Kane Holder), goes further than the others in its (non-male) nudity and sex. Try to beat the sex scene involving the corpse that won't stop thrusting for intentional tastelessness. Stream Hatchet II on Prime Video and Tubi.
Riffing on the classic 1936 Dracula's Daughter (with its extremely thinly veiled lesbian subtext and its "Save the women of London from Dracula's Daughter!" tagline, this film opens with the death of Count Dracula at the hands of his old nemesis, Van Helsing (Peter Fonda)—traumatizing the vampire's daughter, Nadja (Elina Löwensohn). On a sullen quest for revenge, she seeks out the daughter of Van Helsing to have sex with—Nadja will make her a thrall and use her to destroy the whole family. A late example of the sexy queer lady vampire genre, Nadja brings some arthouse style (David Lynch produces and has a cameo) to its blood, gore, and horny gay vamps. Stream Nadja on Prime Video.
Ben (Cooper Koch) just wants to pop off to Los Angeles for an exciting new life as a gay porn star—but, first, his friend Dom (who has a secret crush) has a great idea: They'll make a quick drug run across the Canadian border for some seed money, if you will. Actually, and unsurprisingly, it's a very bad idea, as the two are forced to swallow condoms full of a mysterious...something. Some of the condoms are broken during a confrontation with a bigot in a bathroom truck stop, and things go from bad to worse when they finally meet the drug boss (Mark Patton) who's simultaneously ruthless, and also extremely hot for Ben. Oh, and did I mention that the condoms are filled with the larvae of a bug that bites to get you high and or erect? Classify this one as Boner Body Horror. Stream Swallowed on Prime Video.
If you want subversive, it's hard to beat the great South Korean director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Decision to Leave), and he's at the height of his powers with this erotic vampire horror movie. Christian priest Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho) volunteers to be infected by a virus for research, but finds himself with an endless hunger for blood, and also sex, as a result. It builds to a gory climax as Sang-hyun finds himself gradually shedding his earlier morality, but in the meantime there's a passionate affair, as well as some more uncomfortable moments of sexual violence. Genuinely a vampire film like no other. Rent Thirst from Prime Video.
A horror movie about a bad divorce written during the director’s real-life marital split, Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession deals with an allegory for marriage going wrong in the form of a literal monster. As her marriage to Sam Neill’s Mark disintegrates, Isabelle Adjani’s Anna is nurturing a creature whom seems to have taken Mark’s place in her affections; the movie includes a memorable sex scene with the shapeless mass of a monster that put it on the radar of the anti-video nasty crusaders in Britain, where it was banned. It's been recently restored to its full length, and makes a compelling case for the Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill as two of the hottest actors in the game circa 1981. Stream Possession on The Criterion Channel and Shudder or rent it from Prime Video.
Hardly the most graphically sexual horror movie, An American Werewolf in London still more than makes the cut for the presence of, and movie-length chemistry between, David Naughton and Jenny Agutter. It doesn't get much hotter than the movie's central shower-sex scene. Stream An American Werewolf in London on Tubi or rent it from Prime Video.
The dark web has a bad reputation—one it has earned, at that. It's a complex subsection of the web, and it's not all bad by any means, but its nature does allow illicit and illegal activity to prosper anonymously. That's why hackers choose the dark web as their point of sale for stolen user data: If you're going to traffic digital contraband, you're going to do so as privately as possible.
As such, you might be a bit stressed if you're told your email address was found on the dark web. Maybe you use an identity theft service, which discovered your information here. Perhaps you're noticing an uptick in spam, especially spam that seems targeted to you personally. In any case, it's understandable to be anxious. The good news is, this is more common than you think, and there are steps you can take to protect your data going forward.
What is the dark web?
Despite its aforementioned reputation, the dark web is not "Evil Doers Central." It's simply one part of the deep web, or the part of the internet not indexed by search engines. The deep web makes up the vast majority of the global internet, but the dark web is unique, because it requires a specific type of browser, like Tor, and knowledge of specific dark web addresses, to access.
The dark web is inherently private, and inherently anonymous. That's why it attracts bad actors. But that doesn't mean that's all it's good for. Anyone who needs to access the internet without worrying about intervention can use the dark web. Think about journalists in countries that would rather they not tell their stories, or citizens whose governments censor the public internet. There's plenty of bad to be had, to be sure, but there's also perfectly innocent and productive content, too. For more information about this murky, mysterious place, check out our full explainer and guide here.
Why is my email address on the dark web?
If your email address is on the dark web, it's likely because one of the companies you shared it with suffered a data breach. Unfortunately, data breaches happen all the time, and there's really no way to ensure that a company you choose to share your email address with won't be a victim of a breach at some point in the future. Sometimes the company itself is breached; other times, it's a third-party the company shares data to.
When bad actors break into an organization's systems and steal their data, they often put the spoils on the dark web. This makes it easier to sell the stolen data anonymously. As such, it's really no surprise if your email ends up on the dark web—though that might not be much consolation.
What can hackers do with my email on the dark web?
Your email address is for sale, and someone buys it. Now what? Well, such a hacker could choose a few tactics here. First, they'll likely want to try breaking into different accounts you might have used that email address with. If you lost any passwords in the data breach, they might try those, too. That's why it's an excellent idea to change your passwords as soon as you learn about the breach—but more on that later.
If they can't break into your accounts on their own, they'll want to enlist your services—unknowingly, of course. To do so, they'll likely target you in phishing attacks, and, seeing as they know your email address, they'll probably come via email. There are a lot of phishing campaigns out there, but here are some examples: You might receive fake data breach notices, with a link to check your account; you might find a message telling you it's time to change your password; you might get an email warning you about a login attempt; you might even receive an aggressive email, with demands from the hackers.
Hackers may also choose to impersonate you. They might create an email that looks very similar to yours, and reach out to your contacts in order to trick them into thinking it's really you. Tell your close contacts (especially any you think won't look close at the "from" line in an email) that your email was leaked on the dark web, and to watch out for imposters.
Here's what to do if your email address is on the dark web
First of all, don't panic. Again, data breaches happen so often that many of our email addresses (among other data) have leaked onto the dark web. While this isn't a good thing, it also isn't the end of the world.
Next, change your passwords, starting with your email account itself. If you know the account the email was stolen from, make sure to change this next, as your password may have also be affected in the data breach. As usual, make each password strong and unique: You should never reuse passwords with any account, and all of them should be long and difficult for both humans and computers to guess. As long as each of your accounts uses a strong and unique password, you really shouldn't have to change all of your passwords: Hackers may have your email, but they won't have all these passwords to use with it.
From here, make sure all of your accounts use two-factor authentication (2FA), when available. 2FA ensures that even if you have the email address and password for a given account, you still need access to a trusted device to verify your identity. Hackers won't be able to do anything with your stolen credentials if they don't have physical access to, say, your smartphone. This is a crucial step for maintaining your security following a data breach. You could also choose to use passkeys instead of passwords for any accounts that offers it. Passkeys combine the convenience of passwords with the security of 2FA: You log in with your fingerprint, face scan, or PIN, and there's no password to actually steal.
From here, monitor your various accounts connected to this email, especially your financial accounts. Your email address alone likely won't put you in too much jeopardy, but if you lost additional information, you'll want to ensure hackers don't breach your important accounts. You could take drastic steps, like freezing your credit, but, again, if it's just your email address, this is likely a step too far.
Can I remove my email from the dark web?
While some data removal services claim to be able to remove data like email addresses from the dark web, it's just not 100% possible. The dark web is vast and unregulated, and once the data leaks onto it, the cat's kind of out of the bag. Sure, a service like DeleteMe could request data web hosts to take down your email, but they don't have to. Plus, hackers who buy your email already have it. Again, exposed email addresses are not the end of the world. But if you can't stand having your email on the dark web, your best bet may be to make a new account.
Preventing your email address from winding up on the dark web
What you can do is take measures to prevent data loss in the future. The best step to take is to stop sharing your email in the first place. You don't need to be a hermit, though: Use an email alias service, like Apple's Hide My Email or Proton's email alias feature, to generate a new alias every time you need to share your email. Messages sent to the alias are forwarded to your inbox, so the experience is the same for you, all without exposing your actual address to the world. If one of these companies suffers a data breach, no problem: Just retire the alias.
To that point, going forward, consider using a data monitoring and removal service. Maybe you already do, and that's how you learned about your email on the dark web to begin with. But if you don't, there are many options out there to choose from. While none can promise they'll remove email addresses from the dark web, they might spot your email if it ends up there. If you use aliases, you can then kill that particular address and make a new one for the affected account. Plus, if your email ends up somewhere other than the dark web, they might be able to remove it for you.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Like most of the eastern United States this winter, I experienced some rough snowstorms with ice rain. Now that I've seen what can happen during any winter, I wasted no time getting myself a power station. This is a great time to get yourself one, since the Anker SOLIX C1000 Portable Power Station is 50% off right now, going for $397 (originally $799). This is the lowest price it has been, according to price-tracking tools.
Many people in my city had to endure below-freezing temperatures without power. Luckily for me, our power didn't go out, but I still had to prepare for the worst. I decided to finally dive into the world of power stations, and I was surprised to learn that some of these power stations can power refrigerators. The Anker SOLIX C1000 can power a fridge for around 32 hours, depending on the size. That can be the difference between losing all of your food in the fridge during a power outage or being able to feed your household during the outage.
Anker's power stations are some of the best in the market. Like most top-tier power stations, they have accessories like solar panels or extra batteries that you can buy separately if you ever feel the need to have a longer or more sustainable option in the future. It also has an excellent app that tracks how your energy is being used and lets you customize the battery output. As Mashable's review points out, it's also a versatile tool that you can take on camping trips to power TVs, cooking materials, phones, etc.
The peace of mind of having a power station at home by itself is worth the price to me. If you've been considering one, get it now while it's 50% off, not when the next storm is on the horizon.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Presidents' Day Deals Right Now
While there are a lot of chat apps out there, WhatsApp is the undeniable leader of the pack. The app has over three billion monthly active users, constantly messaging and calling one another across the globe. However, currently those calls are all happening over the mobile app, or maybe the desktop app. Though WhatsApp does have a web app, the service has never supported audio or video calls outside of its downloadable apps—until now.
You can now make calls from the WhatsApp web app
According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is slowly rolling out audio and video calls to its web app. At launch, the functionality is coming to individual chats with users who elect to enroll in the WhatsApp web app's beta, but the company plans to roll out the feature to all web app users over the coming weeks.
WABetaInfo notes that voice and audio calls work about the same as they do in the WhatsApp desktop app. When you open an individual chat in the web app, you'll now see a video call icon at the top. Click this, and you'll find two options: one to place a voice call, and one to place a video call. These calls are still end-to-end encrypted, as they are on WhatsApp's desktop and mobile apps, meaning only the users who are a part of the calls can hear what's being said. In addition, the web app's video call client supports Screen Share, so you can share a live stream of your computer's screen to another WhatsApp contact.
WhatsApp is also reportedly working on group chat calls for web app users, as well. While that feature won't roll out alongside individual calls, when it does launch, you'll be able to join group chats with up to 32 people.
If you tend to use the WhatsApp desktop or mobile apps, this might not seem like huge news—but it is pretty substantial for a few subsets of WhatsApp users. One, of course, is the user base that just prefers using WhatsApp in their computer's web browser—but the other is Linux users. WhatsApp doesn't actually offer a version of its desktop app for Linux, so those users have to use the web app if they want to run WhatsApp on their computers. That means they've never before been able to place calls without pulling out a mobile device.
How to sign up for the WhatsApp web app beta
This feature will soon roll out to all web app users, but until then, you need to be running the WhatsApp web app beta in order to try it.
Luckily, it's pretty easy to get up and running. To start, open the web app, then head to the settings menu, choose "Help," then choose the "Join beta" option. This will immediately switch you over to the beta version of the web app. (You should see a "Beta" label on your screen.) Now that you're running the beta, should you find the option to place calls in individual chats.
A typical strength- or muscle-building workout happens in sets. You lift the weight a certain number of times (“reps”), then you put it down for a quick rest before going again. But how long should that rest be? The answer will depend on a few factors, including the purpose of the workout. And a lot of us aren't resting enough.
Why rest times matter
Let's talk about the point of rest times. If you can keep moving for an entire workout without ever stopping to rest, you're probably not doing very effective strength training. Cardio can be continuous; most forms of strength training require that you work so hard you must rest.
So we do our strength exercises in "sets" of some number of "reps." You do 10 reps of shoulder press, and then put the weight down for a minute or so. By resting appropriately, you give your muscles time to recover so they can do another set. The longer the rest, the heavier the weight you can usually handle in the next set.
But there are pros and cons to long and short rest times. The longer you rest between sets, the more recovered you'll feel. But the shorter your rests, the more work you'll be able to do in a given gym session. Choosing the most appropriate rest time for each exercise will get you the best gains in the gym. But the optimal rest time will depend on what kind of exercise you're doing and what your goals are. So let's go over some pros and cons of long and short rest times.
When to use long rest times
Longer rests (say, three minutes or more) are best for strength workouts where the goal is to improve both your strength and your skill at lifting heavy weights. After all, you need practice at lifting heavy if you want to be able to lift heavy. After you put a heavy barbell down, you'll need several minutes for your body to be ready to do another big lift. Long rest times are best for:
Compound exercises (those that use many muscles) like squats, deadlifts, snatches, and power cleans.
Heavier weights. If you're working with barbells or doing fewer than 8 reps, you probably want a nice long rest.
Ambitious strength goals. If you have a goal in mind—someday bench 225, for example—the kind of training that will get you there will require heavy weights and long rests.
In the three to five minutes you might rest between sets of (say) barbell squats, the ATP in your muscles regenerates. You get some blood flow to bring oxygen and nutrients into your muscle cells, and flush away metabolic byproducts. Resting for several minutes gives you the best chance of coming back to the next set at full strength.
The longer you rest—within reason—the more fully recovered you’ll be for the next set. If you only allow yourself one minute, you’ll still be fatigued when you pick up the weight again. But if you wait longer, you’ll be able to handle more weight.
The downsides of long rest times
The main disadvantage of long rest times is time management. Your workouts will be longer if you rest five minutes between exercises instead of one or two. You may also find yourself getting distracted between sets. You scroll social media for a bit, and somehow it's been eight minutes since you last touched a weight. Setting a timer can help with this.
Some people get antsy during long rests, and will pass the time by doing pushups or jumping jacks. That kind of defeats the purpose of long rests. Save the supersets for your accessory work afterwards, not the main lift where you're trying to go heavy.
How long is a "long" rest time?
For an exercise where you're using large muscle groups (like a squat or deadlift), five minutes is typical once you're up to your heaviest working weights for the day. Warmup sets don't need as much time.
For exercises where you're working on strength but it's a lighter lift or uses smaller muscles (like overhead press), two to three minutes is usually plenty.
When to use short rest times
When it comes to muscle growth, also called hypertrophy, shorter rests can make more sense. To be clear, strength and muscle growth are related, but not the same thing. If you aren't interested in lifting the heaviest weight possible, just in making your muscles bigger or your body more "toned," you would want to pay attention to the best rest times for hypertrophy. These will be shorter than for pure strength. Use short rests for:
Isolation exercises (those that only target one muscle group at a time).
Lighter weights. "Accessory" exercises with small weights don't need as much rest time.
Training for muscle size when strength is less important. If you don't care how much weight you're lifting, and you just want to move a weight and be done with your workout, short rests can help keep the workout moving while still giving your muscles something to do.
Traditionally, trainers say that 90 seconds or less is a good rule of thumb. (The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends 0 to 60 seconds; the personal training textbooks from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American Council on Exercise both recommend 30 to 90 seconds.)
But research has shown that short rest periods may not actually be better for muscle growth than longer ones. A 2016 study found that three-minute rest periods actually yielded more muscle growth than one-minute rests. The authors think this is because the men in their three-minute group (yep, the study was only done on men) were able to use heavier weights than the men in the one-minute group. Since the number of sets was the same in both groups, this means the three-minute group lifted more weight.
A more recent meta-analysis also comes down on the side of longer rests. According to the studies they included in the analysis, the authors found that 30 to 60 seconds is likely too short. Resting one to two minutes between sets is best for muscle growth, they say. But according to this, more than two minutes doesn't really help, and may slow down your workout enough that you get fewer sets in.
The downsides of short rest times
The shorter your rests, the lighter weights you'll work with. This is fine if you're trying to make do with light dumbbells, but it means you're not getting practice with heavier weights. Most of us want to be jacked and strong, so short rest times mean you're biasing yourself to the muscle size side of the equation.
Very short rest times (less than a minute) may also interfere with your ability to make the biggest gains, as the studies above noted. You may be able to make up for this by doing more sets of the exercise. If you enjoy the go-go-go feeling of short rests, that may be totally fine with you. Add an extra set or two and you know you're using your time well. For the rest of us, though, slowing down and taking a full minute between sets will be better than rushing it.
How long is a "short" rest time?
One to two minutes is likely the sweet spot, according to recent studies. That's on the higher end of the recommended 30 to 90 seconds. It's fine to do some of your rests shorter and some longer, but if you'd like me to tell you what to punch in on your timer, go with 90 seconds.
How to get the benefits of both long and short rest times
Ultimately, you may be best off using a mix of long and short rest times, which is how a lot of strength training programs are designed. Use longer rest times for a few big compound lifts at the beginning of the workout (like squats or bench press) and shorter rest times for circuits, accessories, or isolation exercises afterward (like curls or glute bridges).
Supersets are a great way to split the difference. If you work different muscle groups in two different exercises, you can do one exercise while the other muscles rest. This isn't your best option if you truly want all your energy and focus to go toward one lift (like if you're working up to a PR on your bench press) but it's a great way to do hypertrophy work. For example, try this:
Do a set of pull-ups
Rest 30 seconds
Do a set of pushups
Rest 30 seconds
In this example, if it takes you 30 seconds to do the set of pushups, you've rested 90 total seconds in between your first set of pullups and your second set of pullups.
How long to rest between sets of specific exercises
Okay, but what if you want to get stronger and grow muscle? What if you want to stop overthinking the specifics and do whatever rest period makes you look like a normal person at the gym who knows what they’re doing? Here’s a cheat sheet:
For pushups and pull-ups: If you do a small to medium number of reps (less than 12), treat them as a strength exercise and wait three to five minutes between sets. If you’re one of those people banging out 20 or 50 at a time, you probably want to take rests of about a minute so that fatigue can make your next set a bit shorter and you can finish your workout in this lifetime.
For barbell squats and deadlifts: These are compound lifts that use many muscles in your body. They’re pretty much always done (relatively) heavy, and it’s useful to build strength in these moves. Treat them as a strength exercise and wait three to five minutes.
For bench press, overhead press, chest press, and shoulder press: These involve smaller muscles and less weight than squats and deadlifts, but they still qualify as compound, strength-focused exercises. Two to three minutes will be enough, most of the time, but take up to five on heavy sets if you need to.
For rows and lat pulldowns: Same as the presses, for the same reasons. Two to three minutes may be enough, but up to five would still be reasonable.
For isolation exercises: if you’re trying to feel the burn or the pump, short rests will really help you here. Take 30 seconds between sets.
These are just guidelines, so feel free to experiment. If you want to work on your cardiovascular conditioning, take a little less rest between sets. If you’ve already done a big set of bench presses today, do the rest of your arm and chest accessories with shorter rest periods.
All your questions about rest times, answered
Let's do a lightning round, since I know rest times are a huge subject of discussion among people who are getting the hang of the gym routine. But first, a plea for you to not overthink this: if you simply rest until you feel ready to go again, you'll probably do ok.
Is three minutes' rest between sets too much?
No. If you're trying to move a heavy weight, you probably want to rest a minimum of three minutes. If you're training for muscle size (and don't care as much about strength), you could shorten your rests a bit. Still, it's not bad to rest too long, just slightly inefficient.
Can you rest an hour between sets?
At that point I wouldn't call it a rest time, just a different workout. When you come back to the gym after that hour, you'll need to warm up all over again. I would say if it's been more than 10 or 15 minutes between sets, or if you feel like you're physically cooling down, it's worth doing some kind of exercise just to keep your body ready. This could be pushups while you're waiting for a bench to free up, for example.
How long should I rest if I'm new to the gym?
As a noob, you're probably not lifting very heavy (yet). That means you don't have a lot to rest from. Say you're doing squats: your body is still learning how to squat at all. You aren't taking 300 pounds for a ride and needing to rest several minutes to recover.
For that reason, newer people may not need to rest as much. Two minutes between squat sets? Sure, that's fine if you feel ready. The pitfall here is that if you get used to taking short rests, you could end up working with weights that are too light for you. After your first few weeks at the gym, make sure to do some of your heavier lifts with longer rest times (at least three minutes) and see if you feel fresher.
What happens if I don't rest between sets?
If you can do multiple sets of an exercise without resting in between, you're not using an appropriate weight. There's supposed to be a difference between three sets of 10, and one set of 30. If your workout says to do 3x10, you're supposed to feel tired enough after that 10th rep that you need to rest at least a minute or two before going again.
And yes, it can be awkward to be standing around in the squat rack, doing nothing or even scrolling on your phone while others are waiting. But remember: Everybody rests between sets! Or at least, they should.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Meta has made virtual reality (VR) accessible to many more people, offering good VR headsets for much cheaper than the competition. Right now, the 128GB Meta Quest 3S Batman: Arkham Shadow Bundle is on sale for $249 (originally $299.99), the lowest price it has been, according to price-tracking tools. You can double the storage for $375.91 (originally $399.99); that version has dropped to $350 in the past. The bundle includes the Batman game (with a list price of $49.99) and a three-month trial subscription to Meta Horizon+ that's normally $7.99 a month.
It's true, the Meta Quest 3 has better graphics, but it costs substantially more (currently $499.99) than the 3S version. Lifehacker staff writer Stephen Johnson tested both VR headsets to decide which of the two is better, and the Meta Quest 3S was his winner—you can read a more in-depth review of the Quest 3S here. There just isn't enough of a difference between the two models to justify the additional cost, with the Quest 3S's graphics looking very close to the 3 and running the same games and apps.
The Meta Quest 3S has a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor, 8GB of RAM, a display resolution of 1,832 by 1,920 (per eye), and a refresh rate of 120Hz. Once you put them on, the horizontal field of view is 96 degrees, and the vertical view is 90 degrees. The audio is stereo, which is nice, and the speakers are compatible with 3D spatial audio. When it comes to battery life, expect up to two and a half hours of juice before having to recharge (expect it to take about two hours for a full charge). I've recently got the headset and have to say I've never experienced something so immersive (it was my first time using a VR headset). If you've been curious about the experience, this is the best time to get your hands on one.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Presidents' Day Deals Right Now
I'm one of those folks who has completely moved from X to Bluesky, and for the most part, it's been a pretty seamless experience. It's not hard to move your following list over; you can upload (almost) all of your old tweets if you want; and the scrolling and posting experience is almost identical to what you'll remember from the old days of Twitter. The only feature I've missed? Drafts.
Finally, drafts have arrived. In a post to the official Bluesky account, the company announced that it's added drafts to the platform, and that they're rolling out now. To create a draft, just start writing a post, and instead of tapping the Post button, hit Cancel or Drafts instead and choose Save draft. What you've written will be saved as a draft that you can return to later. The feature works for pre-written threads, too (made using the + button on the post screen). To see your saved drafts, open a blank post and hit Drafts before typing anything else. You'll see a list of your stored drafts, and you can either tap on a draft to open it, or hit the three-dots button to the right of the drift and then Discard to delete it.
Drafts were a big part of Twitter for me—not just because they helped save posts if my connection dropped in the middle of writing them, but because they also gave me some time to consider if I really wanted to post something before taking it live. It's a handy feature for a platform with such a small character limit, where it might be easy to toss a stray thought out into the ether without really knowing how it might land or if you've expressed yourself as well as you could have.
I'm not alone, here: A common trend on Twitter was posting screenshots of draft libraries, to give your followers a peak at the half-formed ideas you didn't think were quite ready for prime time. It's a bit of culture I've missed in moving over to the new site, and I'm glad it's now possible once agin.
As for where Bluesky could go next, responses to the drafts announcement include requests for more robust DMs or an edit button, although Bluesky staffers have expressed both logistical and ethical concerns with implementing these. In the meantime, there are third-party tools that try to add some of this functionality, but they do come with wonky formatting that an official solution could probably avoid.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
LG has some of the best OLED TVs on the market, from entry-level models that suit a lower budget to ultra-premium, high-tech options. If you want OLED-quality performance from a reliable brand without breaking the bank, the LG B5 is an intuitive smart TV with the brand’s signature vivid color, contrast-rich visuals, and strong gaming features. Right now, this 77-inch LG B5 OLED TV is $1,500 off at Best Buy in a Presidents Day Deal, bringing its original $2,999.99 price tag down to $1,499.99.
The B5 is LG’s most affordable 2025 OLED TV, and its biggest draw is excellent OLED picture quality, with true blacks, strong color accuracy, and detailed contrast (as well as built-in burn-in mitigation). It’s suitable for both streaming and gaming, with 4K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate with low input lag and VRR, G-Sync, and FreeSync support, as well as HDMI 2.1 ports. It uses the easy-to-navigate webOS platform and includes a range of streaming apps, free channels, and AI features like AI Voice ID, which can recognize individual viewers and switch to their profile.
While it has a lot in common with the C4, the lower price tag and the fact that it supports Wi-Fi 6E make this model more appealing for some buyers. And for a huge OLED TV, it’s aggressively priced, making the 77-inch LG B5 OLED TV a smart value buy for gamers and everyday viewers at $1,500 off. However, if you want better brightness and more advanced processing, you may want to level up to the C4 or the newer C5.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Presidents' Day Deals Right Now
Login
