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SAVE OVER 40%: As of March 15, HBO's Max streaming service is offering over 40% off its yearly subscription plans for new, existing, and returning subscribers.

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It's March, and you know what that means: in just a few days, the biggest NCAA games of the year will be taking place. Time to fill out those brackets and make sure your living room is ready with a great new TV and the best streaming service to catch all the action. If you're waiting to see it all go down on the court, be ready with a Max subscription.

The streaming platform is offering great deals on all of its yearly plans when you prepay for one year, so you can catch all the live games you've been waiting for across channels like TBS, TNT, and truTV in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, with seeding, tip times, and other important info going out on March 17.

As of March 15, you can save over 40% when you prepay for one year of Max with one of Max's three subscription tiers, starting with the With Ads option for just $69.99 a year, which breaks down to $5.83 a month and 42% off. Next up, the Ad-Free tier is $104.99 a year, which breaks down to $8.75 a month and 45% off. The highest tier is Ultimate Ad-Free, which is $139.99 a year, or $11.67 a month, and 42% off. All plans come with Max's Sports Add-On option for free for a limited time.

SEE ALSO: This $33 gadget turns your TV into an art museum

The cheapest With Ads plan nets you the ability to stream on two devices and HD video. Ad-Free comes with the ability to stream on two devices at once, HD video, and 30 downloads so you can watch on the go. Ultimate Ad-Free gets you streaming for up to four devices at once, 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Atmos audio, and 100 downloads to watch on the go.

Already subscribed to Max previously but enticed by these new offers? You can still participate. New, existing, and returning customers are eligible, as well as those who subscribe via the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Roku, and Amazon Fire. So if you're looking to catch all the latest hoops this season, Max is where it's at for more affordable plans right now. But act quickly, because this offer is only available through April 9.

To celebrate 15 years of Information is Beautiful this June, we’re hosting a series of rare and exclusive live performances in London, San Francisco, LA and potentially other cities – plus some virtual events for global timezones.

IIB founder and TED speaker David McCandless will start the festivities by hitting the stage at the prestigious Royal Institution in London on Tue 25th June 2024. Look forward to 90 minutes of fun, surprise, aha’s and Eurekas as David shares his funniest, and most insightful and revelatory visuals and data stories. All performed in his unique style of “performance journalism” he’s refined by speaking at over 200 festivals and events.

Come as you are and leave – we hope – a little smarter.

Current LIVE in-person shows
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Mashable reporter Elijah Gil talks to David Alan Grier (The American Society of Magical Negroes, Bob's Burgers) about the recent Katt Williams controversy.

From Spotify "killing the YouTube star" to GameScent's "smell-o-vision", host Josh Burstein takes us on a comedic journey through the week's top stories.

Check out more U Need to Know This episodes on Mashable.com.

Hitting play on a song that meant a lot to you can make you want to time travel but imagine if you could actually do it? In director Ned Benson's The Greatest Hits, the protagonist can.

The Hulu film, which just premiered at SXSW, sees Lucy Boynton as Harriet, who discovers she can indeed head back in time when she listens to certain songs. Where does she go? Straight to memories of her ex Max (David Corenswet), tragically killed in an accident. But while she's time-travelling and coming to understand the impact of changing events, she meets David (Justin H. Min), and they share a bond that has her torn between the past and the present.

Check out Mashable Film Editor Kristy Pucko's review out of SXSW and watch the trailer above.

The Greatest Hits opens in cinemas for limited release April 5, then debut on Hulu April 12. 

TikTok may be facing a total ban in the U.S., following years of pushback from the government. Users and creators alike are alarmed at the prospect of losing their favorite app. Among them is model and writer Emily Ratajkowski, who has a significant following on TikTok and posted her thoughts on why the app may be so threatening to officials in the country.

After the House passed a bill that could ban TikTok across the country on Thursday, Ratajkowski took to TikTok and her 2.7 million followers with a response, saying that TikTok has become a hub for politics and activism, important to so many users and yet potentially threatening to higher forces.

"Because this is one of the few platforms that isn't completely controlled by the U.S. government, or through corporations that have the U.S. government's interest in mind, progressive politics have been able to blossom on here," Ratajkowski says in the video.

"TikTok is being banned," she continued, "because the U.S. government is legitimately scared with the influence that it's having on the American people and the general population, which to me indicates that TikTok is a very powerful tool for organization, for alternative thinking, and for activism."

SEE ALSO: ACLU warns against proposed TikTok ban for violating the First Amendment

Ratajkowski also said that while lawmakers argue that the app poses a national security threat due to its China-based parent company ByteDance, TikTok's data collection could be seen as no different from that of U.S. companies like Meta or Apple. While Meta says "we don't sell your information" we've all seen how that's worked out — and government authorities like law enforcement constantly make (and are granted) requests for your data. Apple, similarly, says it only hands over data in compliance with the law and search warrants "upon a showing of probable cause, or customer consent". But it's clear that user data has been harnessed by the government before, despite guardrails being implemented by the tech giants themselves.

With her larger argument, Ratajkowski is echoing what many users — especially younger people — now fear. A ban on TikTok could have rippling effects for brands, businesses, and individuals who have spent years building a legacy on the platform. And equally, the prospect of losing TikTok is personal and political for the many people who have used the app to learn, motivate, and organize around under-discussed and suppressed issues people are facing.

Moral panic around TikTok has also spiked following the escalation of the war on Gaza. In the last few months of 2023, several lawmakers, celebrities, and creators accused TikTok of pushing "pro-Palestine" content. The criticism resulted in TikTok having to release its own statement about the overwhelming support for Palestine demonstrated on the app, which has little to do with TikTok's algorithms: "The data shows that this support is not new and was rising before TikTok was created, so it would be unrealistic to ascribe such broad sentiments to a single communications channel such as TikTok."

It would be amiss to suggest TikTok doesn't have its fair share of problems. Its aggressive foray into shopping and consumer culture, for one thing, has frustrated users. The app hosts a whole library of subjects, some of which have pushed for archaic values and aspirational cultures. Of course, these pockets exist on TikTok, a place where online communities tend to pick up traction. TikTok has also undeniably suffered from issues of misinformation, which most social media platforms struggle to contain, too.

But the app has opened conversations that are arguably missing or deemed more complicated by others. Meta has been on a journey to limit news stories, starting with the blocking of news from Instagram and Facebook in Canada, and more recently, announcing that political posts will be less readily available on its platform before elections come worldwide. Next month, Meta will ditch Facebook News altogether in the U.S. and Australia. Meanwhile, Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter (now X), has led to a torrent of disinformation and hate speech across subjects.

It's no surprise that young and politically-activated people turn to TikTok. The app has taken up a significant amount of the digital space occupied by such users, who have utilized TikTok as both a search engine and a more holistic news source. As Sophia Smith Galer writes for Mashable, "TikTok also reaches 20 percent of 18-24 year olds across global markets specifically for news."

According to Ratajkowski — and presumably, millions of others — "we should be really, really scared."

The European Union recently imposed a $2 billion fine on Apple for banning Spotify (and other music providers) from giving users info on cheaper music subscription offers in their iOS apps.

Now, Spotify claims that Apple has deliberately held up the updated Spotify app, which provides users such info, from appearing in Apple's App Store for nine days — and without a good explanation.

SEE ALSO: Uh, YouTube? Spotify just added full music videos

The European Commission's decision was made public on March 4, with Apple saying it would appeal the decision, and Spotify submitting an updated version of its app to Apple the day after. In the new app, Spotify links to its website and offers pricing information for subscription options that circumvent Apple's payment system.

But the updated app still isn't live in Apple's App Store in the EU, and now Spotify has once again complained to the European Commission, The Verge reported.

In an email seen by the outlet, Spotify said that Apple has "neither acknowledged nor responded to Spotify’s submission," and claims that this is "yet another example of how Apple if unchecked, will seek to circumvent and/or not comply with the Commission’s decision." Spotify also said it's "concerned that Apple's delay is intentional" and "aimed at delaying or avoiding compliance altogether."

"It's been nine days now and we’re still waiting to hear from Apple about our app submission to show EU consumers pricing and a link to our website, which we are now authorized to do by the European Commission’s decision on the music streaming case," a Spotify spokesperson told The Verge.

It's worth noting that Apple itself commented that its App Review team has so far "reviewed and approved 421 versions of the Spotify app — usually with same-day turnaround," and that it "frequently expedites reviews at Spotify’s request."

Mashable has contacted Apple for comment and will update this article when we hear back.

Mashable's supervising producer Mark Stetson sits down with the cast of Irish Wish to discuss the characters with the cast and how Lindsay Lohan's knowledge of physical comedy played a role in putting it all together.

Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Busy Philips, Paula Pell and creator Meredith Scardino give us all the background we need before watching Season 3 of Girls5Eva.

Girls5Eva is now streaming on Netflix.

We know you're here to find out about the best VPNs for the Fire TV Stick, but first we should explain that the Fire TV Stick is, well, a little stick that you can plug into your HDTV to stream over 10,000 apps, games, and Alexa skills, including Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, Netflix, and more. You can also use it to gain access to millions of websites like YouTube, Facebook, and Reddit.

As an added bonus, you can launch apps and control your content with the Alexa Voice Remote that comes included with your purchase. Just ask for the content you want and Alexa responds. It's as easy as that.

Amazon Prime members get access to even more content options. They get unlimited access to Prime Video, which features thousands of movies and TV episodes at no additional cost. Plus, Prime members can add over 50 premium channels such as Discovery and Eurosport Player.

With all of that content, how could there possibly be a problem? Well, a lot of the shows and movies are just out of reach due to geo-blocking, meaning that certain programmes are only available from a particular location. This can be down to content licensing agreements and broadcast rights, and there doesn't immediately seem to be anything you can do about it. Well friends, we have a solution to this annoying issue.

An effective way of getting around content blocking is to use a VPN. These services can hide your real location when you're online, meaning you enjoy everything that the Fire Stick has to offer without any restrictions.

What is a VPN?

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) provide protection for your online information by creating a private network that hides your real IP address. All of your activity is untraceable and secure, because all of your online traffic passes through an encrypted tunnel. Nobody can view or access anything within the tunnel, meaning everything is protected against online threats like hackers, viruses, and malware.

Do you need to use a VPN?

VPNs are effective security tools that provide protection for your sensitive information. The online world can be a dangerous place, so it's important to stay safe out there. Investing in a VPN is a quick and easy way of protecting your data and identity. VPNs might be designed for cybersecurity, but there is another reason you might consider subscribing to a service. These tools can be also be used to access blocked sites.

VPNs hide your real IP address and connect you to a server in another country, meaning you can watch all your favourite content from that location. There is so much content out there that can be accessed with the help of a VPN, and it all comes down to bypassing geo-restrictions. VPNs are kind of like keys to the online world, granting you access to more of the shows and films you love. 

What is the best VPN for the Fire TV Stick?

At this point you're probably sold on the idea of using a VPN with your Fire TV Stick, but which VPN is the best option for you? We have tried to help you out by highlighting a selection of the very best VPNs, including popular services like ExpressVPN and PureVPN.

There should be something for every user and every budget in this list, and all you need to do is pick a favourite. Consider all of these options and weigh them up against your set of preferences. The top choice should become clear.

These are the best VPNs for the Fire TV Stick in 2024.

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

Many people resist the urge to get a decent VPN for their Android phone or tablet. Why bother with an extra app just to get online?

Over time, however, the scenarios in which you might need a VPN become more common. You could need to check what a site looks like from another geolocation, or test something that isn't available in your country. What often acts as the final straw is being unable to watch some of your favourite TV shows while travelling.

What is a VPN?

VPNs provide protection for your data and identity by creating a private network that hides your real IP address. All of your activity is untraceable and secure because everything passes through an encrypted tunnel. Nobody can see into the tunnel, and everything inside is protected against online threats.

Do you need a VPN for your Android?

Investing in a VPN is one of the best ways to ensure your safety and anonymity online. VPNs are important tools in the fight against scammers and cybercriminals, meaning you can use your Android device safe in the knowledge that you're secure from these threats.

VPNs can also be used to unlock streaming services from around the world, including the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+. All you need to do is open up your preferred VPN, connect to a server from another country in order to spoof your IP to another address, and then head to your preferred streaming site. This process tricks the site into thinking you are based in another country, meaning you can watch all that great content that is normally blocked. If you stream on your Android, you could benefit from a VPN.

Should you use free VPNs?

The good news is that there are plenty of free versions of popular VPNs out there, plus free trials with full access to everything you get with a premium plan. The bad news is that there tends to always be a catch.

With free versions of popular VPNs, you normally get limited data usage. These plans will work fine if you aren't really online, but if you're going to be streaming or downloading anything, this simply isn't going to work. Free trials come with everything you get in a paid plan, but don't tend to last very long. So you'll be all set for a short time, but this isn't really a long-term solution.

What is the best VPN for Android?

Choosing a VPN provider is both easy and incredibly difficult. There are a lot of options to consider, but it's very hard to test how reliable they are in different scenarios. So below, you'll find a list of some VPNs that are just plain good. We've checked out everything on offer and highlighted a selection of the best providers, including popular names like PureVPN and CyberGhost VPN.

These are the best VPNs for Android in 2024.

If you've ever wondered what's going on inside Tesla's $5.5 billion Gigafactory Berlin, check out the company's wild new drone video.

In a clip that feels more Subnautica than real life, Tesla's latest YouTube video gives you a flying tour through the facility that produces the company's popular Tesla Model Y — reportedly along with Tesla's first €25,000 ($26,867) car. It's basically a PR video for recruitment at the Gigafactory, but it's a fun ride.

Opened in 2022, Tesla’s first manufacturing location in Europe is full of both human technicians and robots, which you'll fly by in this drone trip, through casting, stamping, painting, plastic moulding, and more stages of production, all the way to final checks.

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for March 15 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for March 15

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, March 15, 2024:

AcrossWord after lightning or stink

• The answer is bug.

Earth Day month: Abbr.

• The answer is Apr.

Without a doubt

• The answer is byfar.

Blue-footed ___ (marine bird)

• The answer is booby.

Swear word

• The answer is curse.

DownGive a little extra flair, with "up"

• The answer is bayou.

With 3-Down, available to whoever wants it

• The answer is upfor.

See 2-Down

• The answer is grabs.

"Doctor Who" airer

• The answer is BBC.

"The Catcher in the ___"

• The answer is Rye.

Last month, as New Hampshire voters prepared to cast their ballots in the state's primary election, some woke up to an uncharacteristic call to action from our country's leader. The voters were potential victims of an AI-generated robocall designed to sound like President Joe Biden himself, asking them to stay home and not vote in the primary election — an unnerving use of advancing deepfake technology that makes robocalls of yore sound like laughably non-human attempts.

Quickly deemed fake by the New Hampshire Department of Justice (who followed up with urgent calls to still vote), the call was created by the Texas-based Life Corporation, using a deepfake library compiled by AI startup ElevenLabs. Life Corporation has since been accused of engaging in voter suppression.

It was the latest warning sign that actors armed with AI may take a stab at influencing components of the upcoming presidential election. 

SEE ALSO: Homeland Security is hiring AI experts

Concerns about AI have run the gamut of social and political possibilities, but almost all argue the technology has untold potential to advance the reach of disinformation. Nonprofit public policy center the Brookings Institute, for example, argues that while many fears surrounding AI's potential might be hyperbolic, there is warranted attention on how generative AI will profoundly change the production and diffusion of misinformation.

"AI could make misinformation more pervasive and persuasive. We know the vast majority of misinformation stories just aren’t seen by more than a handful of people unless they 'win the lottery' and break through to reverberate across the media landscape. But with each additional false story, image, and video, that scenario becomes more likely," the Institute wrote.  

Legal nonprofit the Brennan Center for Justice has already dubbed the 2020s "the beginning of the deepfake era in elections," not just in the U.S. but around the globe. "Republican primary candidates are already using AI in campaign advertisements," the Center reported. "Most famously, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s campaign released AI-generated images of former President Donald Trump embracing Anthony Fauci, who has become a lightning rod among Republican primary voters because of the Covid-19 mitigation policies he advocated." 

Social media's response may also play a major role in AI's "threat" to democracy and truth, and in the words of the companies behind its development, AI is only getting smarter — not to mention more universal. Developing a stronger media literacy is more important than ever, and spotting election misinformation is becoming more complex.

McKenzie Sadeghi, AI and foreign influence editor for misinformation watchdog NewsGuard, explained to Mashable that the organization has tracked AI's weaponization in a variety of forms, from generating entire, low-quality news websites from scratch to deepfake videos, audio, and images. "To date, we've identified 676 websites that are generated by AI and operating with little to no human oversight," Sadeghi said. "One thing we'll be closely watching is the intersection of AI and 'pink slime' networks, which are partisan news outlets that portray themselves as trusted local news outlets and attempt to reach voters and target them with Facebook advertising."

According to Sadeghi and NewsGuard's research, these stats are expected to grow. "When we first started identifying these websites in 2023, we initially found 49 websites. We have continued to track those on a weekly basis and found that it shows no signs of slowing down. And if it continues on the trajectory, it can be closer to the 1000s by the time we approach the election," Sadeghi explained

What to know about AI laws and regulations 

AI remains a gray area for regulation, as congressional leaders have failed to agree on a risk-avoidant path forward and have failed to pass any law mitigating the rise of AI. 

In October 2023, the Biden administration issued an executive order outlining new standards for AI safety and security, including a directive for the Department of Commerce to establish ways to detect AI content and scams. 

Responding to an increase in AI robocall scams and deepfakes, the FCC announced a proposal to outlaw AI robocalls completely under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). 

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has yet to issue AI regulations, but Chair Sean Cooksey has stated guidelines will be developed this summer.

Some state legislatures have also put their opinions down on the books. The National Conference of State Legislatures have compiled a list of states addressing the threat of AI in elections. States with explicit statutes that "prohibit the publication of materially deceptive media intended to harm a candidate or deceive voters," or prohibit deepfakes specifically, include:

• California

• Michigan

• Minnesota 

• Texas

• Washington

While other states have introduced laws to curb the use of AI during the election, few have passed. Successful state laws include:

• Michigan (requires the disclosure of AI in election ads)

• Minnesota (prohibits deepfakes intended to influence an election)

• Washington (requires the disclosure of "synthetic media" used to influence an election)

AI watermarks 

Another stopgap for AI content promoted by many is image and video watermarking technology. For AI, this involves teaching a model to embed a text or image-based signature in every piece of content it creates, allowing future algorithms to trace back the content's origins. 

In 2023, OpenAI, Alphabet, Meta, and other major names in AI development pledged to develop their own watermarking technologies that would help identify manipulated content. 

In October 2023, Meta introduced its proposed solution known as Stable Signature, a method for adding watermarks to images created using its open source generative AI tools. Rather than applying watermarks to images post-production, Stable Signature adds invisible watermarks attributable to specific users directly in generative AI models themselves, according to Meta. 

On Feb. 7, OpenAI announced it would be adding similarly detectable watermarks to all images generated by DALL-E 3, following guidelines created by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA). As Mashable's Cecily Mauran reported, the C2PA is a technical standard used by Adobe, Microsoft, BBC, and other companies and publishers to address the prevalence of deepfakes and misinformation "by certifying the source and history (or provenance) of media content."

Watermarks aren't a full solution, however. While still in its early stages, research suggests that AI watermarks are vulnerable to manipulation, removal, and even attack from third-party actors.  

SEE ALSO: What to do if someone makes a deepfake of you AI company policies

Adobe has previously committed to the AI safety and security measures announced by the White House in September, as well as the Content Authenticity Initiative supported by C2PA.

In November, Microsoft (creator of Bing AI chatbot Copilot) issued its own election guidelines, which included a new tool that lets users digitally sign and authenticate their media (including election materials) using C2PA's watermarking guidelines. "These watermarking credentials empower an individual or organization to assert that an image or video came from them while protecting against tampering by showing if content was altered after its credentials were created," the company explained. 

Microsoft also pledged to create an Elections Communication Hub and specific "campaign success teams" to assist candidates and election authorities. 

In December, Alphabet announced that it would restrict the types of election-related questions Google's AI model Gemini (formerly Bard) would be able to respond to, in order to curb misinformation often spread by chatbots. 

In January, OpenAI released new election policies to combat misinformation, including better transparency around the origin of images and tools used to create them and a future AI image detection tool. OpenAI already banned developers from using OpenAI technologies for political campaigning. 

Despite these attempts at security, many wary experts fear that the most dangerous forms of AI tampering won't come from the industry's big names, but from unregulated open source uses of AI tech at large. 

Social media policies

Social media platforms, arguably the primary hub for the dissemination of AI-manipulated content, have issued varying degrees of policies to address any use of AI on their platforms — policies that Sadeghi notes are not always enforced.  

YouTube (and its parent company Google) announced in September that any AI alteration made to political ads has to be disclosed to users. 

Most recently, Meta announced it would double down on identifying AI-altered images across its platforms Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Meta says it will add its in-house AI labels to all AI content from Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Adobe, Midjourney, and Shutterstock. Meta previously announced it would require advertisers to disclose AI-altered ads on its platforms, but has most recently come under fire for failing to enforce its policy against "manipulated media."

Snapchat has pledged to continue human review of all political ads, paying careful attention to "misleading uses" of AI to deceive users. 

TikTok has also issued a plan for the 2024 election cycle, leaning on its previous collaborations with fact-checking organizations and reiterating its own blue-check verification system. The platform also noted it will be vigilant to AI manipulation: "AI-generated content (AIGC) brings new challenges around misinformation in our industry, which we've proactively addressed with firm rules and new technologies. We don't allow manipulated content that could be misleading, including AIGC of public figures if it depicts them endorsing a political view. We also require creators to label any realistic AIGC and launched a first-of-its-kind tool to help people do this."

X/Twitter has yet to announce new policies for the 2024 election, following a policy reversal that now allows political campaign advertising on the site. Current guidelines ban the sharing of "synthetic, manipulated, or out-of-context" content and emphasize labeling and community notes to stop the spread of misinformation.

"Generally speaking, while some do have policies in place, bad actors have found ways to easily get around those," Sadeghi said of social media company's steps to combat AI misinformation. "We have found that misinformation doesn't always contain the label, or by the time a label is added to it, it's already been viewed by thousands and thousands of people."

SEE ALSO: The return of political campaign ads to X/Twitter raises important questions for users How to read for AI in text

A lack of regulation and consistent policy enforcement is worrisome for potential voters unequipped to assess the truth of the content spread online. 

On fraudulent news sites

In assessing whether an online news pages is entirely AI-generated, or even if just some of its content is AI-based, Sadeghi explained NewsGuard's methods involve scanning for indicators of AI plagiarism and hallucination, as well as analyzing the site's policies themselves. 

"It mainly comes down to the quality and nature of the content, as well as the transparency of the site," Sadeghi explains. "Most of the AI generated sites that we have seen have these tell tale signs, which include conflicting information. A lot of these AI models hallucinate and produce made-up facts. So we'll see that a lot. Another thing is the use of plagiarism and repetition. A lot of these websites are recycling news content from mainstream sources and rewriting it as their own without any attribution."

Sadeghi suggests looking for and fact-checking author names (or bylines) at the top of these stories, as well as contact information for the writer, editors, or the publication itself. Readers can also look for a plethora of repeated, constructive phrases like "In conclusion," which lack what Sadeghi calls a human touch. 

Spotting AI writing in text at large 

Generally, similarly simple strategies can be used for quickly deciphering if a body of text is AI-generated. 

For example, the Better Business Bureau warns of the use of AI chatbots to generate text for phishing and other text-based scams. The organization suggests watching out for:

• Short sentences with unimaginative language, no idioms, or contractions.

• Implausible statements.

According to guides from MIT's Technology Review and Emeritus, look for:

• Overuse of common words such as "the," "it," or "is."

• No typos or varying text, which could indicate a chatbot "cleaned up" the text. 

• A lack of context, specific facts, or statistics, without citations. 

• Overly "fancy" language and jargon, and little to no slang or different tones. 

Some researchers have even developed games to help individuals read for and spot computer-generated text. 

How to spot AI-generated images 

Most online users are more familiar with spotting the kind of "uncanny valley" images generated by AI, including slightly off human faces, poorly rendered hands, and eerily toothy smiles. 

But deepfake technology is making it more difficult to fully pinpoint where reality ends and AI begins.

Keeping an eye out for generative AI's fingerprints

The first step is in understanding the context of an image and how its presented, according to the Better Business Bureau. "Ask yourself these kinds of questions: Is the image or voice being used with pressure to take an urgent action, one that seems questionable, such as sending money to a stranger, or through an unexpected or odd payment mechanism? Is the context political, and does it seem like someone is trying to make you feel angry or emotional?"

If it's an image of a popular celebrity or well-known figure, search for the highest-resolution image possible and zoom in. Look for common visual mistakes generated by AI, such as:

• Logical inconsistencies, such as floating objects, weird symmetry, or objects and clothing that seem to disappear into other objects or backgrounds. 

• A lack of distinguishing between the foreground and the background, and weird shadows. 

• Strange textures or a very "glossy" or "airbrushed" appearance to the skin. 

Apply the same kind of scrutiny for videos, but also keep in mind:

• Unnatural lighting or shadow movements.

• Unnatural body movements, like blinking (or the lack of it). 

Be attuned to AI-generated audio, as well, and when in doubt double-check a photo or video with those around you or a reputable news source.

Fact-checking photos using Google

Individuals can also use tools they interact with on a daily basis to help detect AI-generated images. Google's recent expansion of its About This Image tool enables any user to confirm the legitimacy of images, including finding AI labels and watermarks.

Learn how to use those features. 

How to use automatic AI detector tools 

As generative AI has popularized itself across markets, so too have automatic AI detection services. Many of these tools are designed by AI developers themselves, although misinformation watchdogs have released their own AI-spotting resources. 

But much like the content they're designed to spot, these tools have their limits, said Sadeghi. And even their creators have admitted faults. After launching its own AI text classifier in early 2023, OpenAI pulled the tool for its reported low accuracy. 

For example, in the realm of education, AI and plagiarism bots have been criticized for exacerbating model biases against certain non-English speakers and for generating false positives that harm students. 

But they offer a place to start for the critical eye.  

"There's a growing amount of AI detection tools such as GPTZero and others," Sadeghi explained. "I don't think they are good to be used solely on their own — sometimes they can result in false positives. But I think in certain cases they can provide additional context."

Free AI-detecting tools 

• Origin browser extension: Created as a free, browser-based tool by AI detector GPTZero, Origin helps users distinguish whether text is human or computer written.

• Copyleaks: A free web tool and Chrome browser extension that scans for AI-generated text and plagiarism. 

• Deepware: A deepfake video and image scanner that lets users copy and paste links to suspected deepfake content.

Paid subscription tools 

• GPTZero: One of the most popular AI content detectors, GPTZero's paid subscriptions are marketed for teachers, organizations, and individuals.  

• SynthID: A paid tool for Google Cloud subscribers that use the company’s Vertex AI platform and the Imagen image generator, SynthID helps users detect AI-generated images and offers watermarking tools for AI image creators. 

• NewsGuard browser extension: NewsGuard offers its own paid service for detecting misinformation broadly, which includes a browser extension that automatically analyzes a news website's credibility, including AI-altered content.

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It's not easy to make an effective film in just one location with a tiny cast, but — as sci-fi/horror Monolith showed us recently — it can be done. You'll Never Find Me, which follows two strangers sheltering in a trailer from an unrelenting storm, is yet further proof.

Writer/director Indianna Bell and co-director Josiah Allen's tightly plotted movie is a masterclass in tension, trapping us in a dingy room with its troubled leads and ratcheting up the suspense with lingering close-ups, oppressive sound design, and a script that keeps you guessing until the final moments.

SEE ALSO: The best movies on Shudder that you can't stream anywhere else What's You'll Never Find Me about?

On the surface, the plot feels like well-worn horror territory. Bearded loner Patrick (a growly and impressive Brendan Rock) is sitting in his trailer in the middle of the night when there's a heavy knock on the door. He answers, squinting against the lashing rain and wind, and is greeted by a young woman (a wonderfully mysterious Jordan Cowan) asking for help.

Sounds a bit like Knock Knock or The Strangers, right? Well, it isn't. You'll Never Find Me is very much its own beast. Rather than making its threat clear from the outset, the film constantly keeps us guessing with a smart, sparse script that plays with power dynamics. Is Patrick a predator, doing everything he can to make sure his guest can't leave? Or is the young woman on his doorstep more than she seems? You'll think you know the answer, but you won't know for certain until the final scenes.

And in the background, meanwhile, the storm rages, making the cabin groan and creak as though something else wants to get inside. Is it possible both the leads are at risk from an unseen presence?

Who is Patrick's visitor? Credit: Shudder You'll Never Find Me does an amazing job of keeping you guessing.

The ever-shifting power balance is probably the movie's greatest strength. There's the sense that Patrick and his visitor are constantly circling and probing at each other, taking turns in moments of vulnerability. On the one hand, Patrick feels innately threatening: he never smiles, he growls out every word, and his insistence that his guest take a shower and wait for the storm to pass makes for uncomfortable viewing.

On the other hand, the stranger in his trailer carries her own hard-to-define threat. Why does her story shift and change all the time? Why does Patrick feel like he recognises her from somewhere? With these two characters, the filmmakers constantly play games with the audience's assumptions of gender power dynamics to amplify the uncertainty.

Every element of Allen and Bell's film-making complements this core tension. The previously mentioned sound design is forever ratcheting away in the background, punctuating strange comments with uneasy string music while the storm-battered trailer creaks and groans like a threat. The direction, meanwhile, is filled with uncomfortable close-ups — hard-to-read facial expressions and objects that appear to be significant, even if it's not always clear why. Bell's script too is brilliant, the dialogue laced with unease and ambiguity.

"If they lock the campsite at night, how did I get in?" the strange woman asks at one point, responding to one of Patrick's many reasons why she won't be able to leave just yet.

"I was about to ask you the same question," comes the reply.

Is Patrick a threat, or just lonely? Credit: Shudder Are there any weaknesses?

Honestly, not many. All of Bell and Allen's hard work could have been undone if the casting wasn't right, but fortunately Rock and Cowan are perfect in their roles, leaning into Bell's ominous dialogue while playing their cards close to their chests (incidentally there is also a card playing scene in the film, which was probably one of my favourite moments).

The ending is often where horror comes undone, and you could argue there's a little too much ending in You'll Never Find Me. The twists and reveals are great, but I felt like it could perhaps have been five minutes shorter than it was.

But still, that's only a niggle. The movie does exactly what it sets out to: puts us on edge, keeps us uneasy, keeps us gripped. "‘It’s nice to pass the time with a stranger," rasps Patrick at one point during the aforementioned card scene. But by the time You'll Never Find Me is finished, it's pretty much the last thing you'll want to do.

How to watch: You'll Never Find Me is in select theatres from March 16, and streaming on Shudder from March 22.

Google's annual developer conference is happening on May 14 and 15 this year.

On Friday, Google sent out invites for Google I/O 2024, which takes place at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California.

Typically, Google I/O is the place where we hear about Android developments and Pixel devices, but this time we can expect a big, very big, humongous focus on artificial intelligence. Google's Gemini 1.5 AI model launched in February, and despite some serious setbacks, it will likely be an important topic (if not the most important topic) at this year's I/O.

Tweet may have been deleted

Android 15 news and updates are a given, but we might also see new Pixel phones, most likely the Pixel 8a, but foldables, tablets and other surprises could happen as well.

As is customary, the Google I/O dates were sort-of pre-announced with a puzzle, which has now been solved, but you can still check it out on the I/O site.

Tweet may have been deleted

Google I/O is an in-person event this year, but you'll be able to follow it online on Google's official site.

It shouldn't shock you that we're lonely. We're years into a global pandemic, and even before so we were in the midst of a "loneliness epidemic." In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy sounded the alarm on the loneliness epidemic, stating that, "approximately half of U.S. adults reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness" before the onset of COVID. In the last few years, loneliness has only been exacerbated by our current reality.

On Google, the search "why do i feel lonely when i have friends" soared 300 percent in the last year, according to Google Trends. Initially, this doesn't make sense; shouldn't the existence of friends mean you don't feel lonely? According to friendship and communication experts, not in the slightest.

SEE ALSO: Unlearning loneliness: How TikTok is rewriting the rules of connection What is loneliness?

First, let's establish what loneliness is. Loneliness can either be a chronic situation that lasts months or years, or it's a temporary, momentary feeling, explained professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas, Jeffrey Hall. 

Hall, who specializes in relationships and social interaction, says loneliness can be a healthy response to the feeling of disconnection. If you have good connections, loneliness may be a temporary feeling, Hall said, "because that is exactly the body's way of telling you to take action to connect."

We have a misunderstanding that loneliness is something to be avoided, or that it's a feeling you shouldn't have. But longing for friends is adaptive and healthy, according to Hall, and it's something that makes you work to keep friends close to you.

Social media and loneliness

"Social media" is inherently social, right? For years, people have been saying the opposite: That social media sometimes isn't very social at all. 

Passive social media use — scrolling, not directly interacting with anybody — is linked to higher levels of loneliness. If you already feel lonely and see other people out and about on Instagram stories, you're probably going to feel worse after that.

The highlights people share on social media may give you an idea of what an "ideal" relationship is. "People feel lonely when they perceive there’s a discrepancy between their actual relationships and what they perceive to be ideal relationships," said Amanda Holmstrom, professor in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University. "So, we can have friends but still feel like those friendships aren't 'ideal.'" Holmstrom's work focuses on communication of social support in relationships and how that impacts wellbeing.

SEE ALSO: The best dating apps and sites in March 2024

Assistant professor of communication studies at Colorado State University, Natalie Pennington, encourages focusing on the active parts of social media, like commenting on posts or DMing someone. 

Still, chatting over social media may not cure your loneliness. In a paper, Hall and Pennington, as well as UC Santa Barbara professor Andy Merolla, found that social media use didn't promote connection or decrease loneliness. "Being digitally surrounded by people is not a useful way to get over loneliness," Hall told Mashable.

Increased technology has, at the same time, enabled us to not show up for our friends (canceling plans is just a text away), while entrapping us to respond to many connections that weren't possible pre-social media. 

Why do I feel lonely when I have friends?

"It's absolutely possible to feel lonely when you have fantastic friends," said Hall.

Pennington identified three reasons why one might feel lonely when they have friends: they don't live close to their friends; they don't spend time with them; or they don't feel close to them.

"It's absolutely possible to feel lonely when you have fantastic friends."

The first one is self-explanatory. Maybe you made friends in college and you all moved to separate locations after graduation, or you don't live near your hometown, childhood friends anymore.

Even if friends are nearby, though, there are reasons we don't spend time with them. "Especially in adulthood...we have competing obligations, like work or family — and those things increase as we get older — which is why our friendship networks get smaller," Pennington explained, "and we just don't have time for them as much as we used to."

Pennington, whose research centers around friendship and meeting social connection needs, said this is a product of life stage more than the current time period we're living in. But political, societal, or governmental factors can play a role as well. 

"People are generally happy with the number of friendships they have, but less happy about how they are able to maintain them," said Holmstrom.

And, since the pandemic, we've been spending a lot less time for other people. Perhaps you've gone back to the office, but many people are still working from home and have much fewer day-to-day social interactions. 

SEE ALSO: The 13 best dating apps for lasting connections or casual fun

"People are still feeling the aftershock effects of trying to figure out how to reorganize their social life" in the wake of the pandemic, Hall said. Many people aren't isolating due to COVID anymore (though others are, and the World Health Organization still categorizes COVID as a pandemic), but it's undeniable that our lives have been impacted by lockdowns and extended remote work. 

"We've become accustomed to loneliness," Hall continued. "We've become accustomed to a lot less social stress, a lot less opportunities to be around other people."

Hall developed the communicate bond belong (CBB) theory, which states that people balance their energy for social interaction with their need to belong. When we meet new people especially, it requires more energy from us to create meaningful connections. If you're not used to being around people — and you're exhausted from all the other tasks in your life — the amount of energy you have for new and existing friendships drops.

In the last few years, our baseline for societal interaction fell too, which has led to a "societal inertia," Hall said. "We're accustomed to less [interaction], and then we're like, 'Man, I feel lonely.'" 

How to feel less lonely 

While social media won't help loneliness, other forms of connection will. In fact, Hall encourages people to respond to their loneliness by taking action. 

Face-to-face interaction is unsurprisingly the best way to feel less lonely, according to Hall, Pennington, and Merolla's research. This is especially true if you know the people you're around well. It goes back to the CBB theory: you're getting that need to belong met, and you're energized by being around people who know you.

If in-person interaction isn't not possible, schedule a phone call with a friend or loved one.

SEE ALSO: How to have a successful double date

"Phone calls appear to be the most superlative form of distance communication compared to anything else right now," Hall said. This remains consistent in research now as well as that before social media. Lower down in the "ladder of communication" is video chatting; texting; group texting; and social media and email towards the bottom. 

Maybe you're in the habit of not answering messages, or not following up with people. It's understandable especially given the entrapment of being beholden (or at least thinking you are) to responding to texts, emails, Slack messages, DMs…the list goes on. But we can practice the skill of returning the text, or following up and asking to have a phone call. You can build it into your routine, if you have the capacity to do that.

This is especially true if you're friends with someone who feels lonely and disconnected themselves. "Making sure that you're more responsive to the people who are struggling is actually a very good thing to do," said Hall. "If you have more, you should give more."

If you're chronically lonely — which begets depression and vice versa, Hall said — then getting out of that can be more difficult. If you're highly anxious or depressed, seek professional help if possible. You don't need to pressure yourself to increase your social interactions; give yourself grace.

Know that you can feel closer to your friends in just a few minutes every day. In research done by Hall, Holmstrom, and Pennington, they found that just doing one small action with a friend over the course of a day increases people's wellbeing. These actions don't take much time and are pretty attainable, said Holmstrom: joking around, practicing careful listening when a friend talks, or offering a friend a sincere compliment. 

"One thing I've been doing lately is reaching out to some of my childhood friends when I remember something fun or funny we've done in the past," Holmstrom said. "I remind them of that time and how important that memory is to me. Though I can't speak for them, I do know that it makes me feel connected with them and like I'm keeping our friendship alive, despite our hectic lives and geographical distance."

TL;DR: As of March 15, get The Ultimate Microsoft Excel Certification Training Bundle for $29.99 — that's 37% off.

Across industries, Excel is hard to avoid. You might have seen Excel in every workplace, but that doesn't mean you're a master, even if you've worked with it before. There's more than one way to use Excel, whether you're using it for data analysis, data visualization, automation, or just to organize a few tables. 

Learning the basics of Excel on your own could be tough and require a whole lot of trial and error. If you want a more informed guide to help you out, then hop into the Ultimate Microsoft Excel Certification Training Bundle for just $29.99.

Excel instruction from excellent instructors 

This bundle doesn't have a starting point, so you can jump straight into the course that matches what you want to learn. However, if you're a total Excel beginner, Microsoft Excel from Beginner to Advanced could be the place to get the basics down. This course goes over basic functions, charts, and data management tools, and no experience is required to work through it. 

If you already have some Excel experience, you can move directly into specialized courses on pivot tables, macros, advanced functions, power query, and power pivot. 

Each course is taught by a real expert like Chris Dutton, a certified Excel Expert, analytics consultant, and best-selling instructor with over a decade of experience in data visualization. 

Learn Excel fundamentals 

Whether you're in data analysis or trying to streamline your workload by automating some of those exhausting repetitive tasks, becoming an Excel aficionado could be what makes all the difference, and this is how you get started. 

For a limited time, get this Microsoft Excel course bundle on sale for $29.99. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Your First Program The Ultimate Microsoft Excel Certification Training Bundle $29.99 at in the Mashable Shop
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TL;DR: As of March 15, get this 2024 Cybersecurity Developer and IT Skills bundle of courses for just $59.97.

There's more than one way to learn the fundamental skills you might need in the IT industry, and learning on your own might be a whole lot cheaper than going to college before you're ready. Studying on your own may not be the same as getting a formal certification or degree, but it could still help you get acquainted with the industry or even an entry-level job.

If you're ready to start learning core concepts in cybersecurity and IT, get the 2024 Cybersecurity Developer and IT Skills bundle while it's on sale for only $59.97.

Start your IT education

This bundle on its own doesn't come with an official certification in IT or cybersecurity, but the skills you take from it could be an effective introduction to the industry, and there are even CompTIA prep courses if you do want to seek out an official certification exam. 

Courses cover a range of topics from Microsoft Azure to Linux, penetration testing, coding with Python, managing mobile security, and a whole lot more. All course materials are available for life, so you can take as long as you want to study them. That works out well because there's over 400 hours of video lessons to work through, but courses aren't linear, so you can pick and choose courses based on the topic you'd like to learn about.

All of these courses are taught by iducate (formerly iCollege), and are known for comprehensive online learning packages covering essential IT topics to help aspiring professionals.

Prepare for official cybersecurity certifications

If you want to start studying basic IT concepts and skills, this bundle gives you a wealth of material to do it at your own pace. 

Get the best price online when you get the 2024 Cybersecurity Developer and IT Skills bundle while it's on sale for $59.97. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

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TL;DR: As of March 15, get Microsoft Office for Windows or Mac at just $29.97 each.

Whether you're starting a new semester or bringing your work home with you, it's important to have reliable software for basic productivity on your computer. That might mean getting a good data organizer, a simple and efficient word processor, or just a good email app.

If you've been using Microsoft 365 to accomplish all of that, you might be paying more than you need to. That does give you the latest version of some Microsoft apps, but the subscription fees aren't cheap. A low-cost alternative is to get the 2019 version of Microsoft Office for Windows or Mac and get many of the same apps for life. 

Apps without a subscription fee

If you've been using Microsoft 365, the apps in this suite might look a little familiar. While they may be the 2019 versions, they're still ready to go whether you need to write up an essay for school, organize a dataset for work, or just organize your inbox. 

There are some minor differences between the Mac and Windows versions of Microsoft Office 2019. Mac users get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Teams Classic. Windows users get the same apps, but instead of Teams Classic, they get Publisher and Access. 

For both software bundles, you can install each app on one computer once for life. That means if a student installs them before their freshman year of college, they could graduate without ever needing to drop another cent on the tools they've used to connect with professors, craft presentations, and take notes. 

Productivity software for life

Paying every month for software you'll always need is like adding a subscription fee to productivity. 

Check out these one-time payment deals:

• Lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows, on sale for $29.97

• Lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac, on sale for $29.97

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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