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SAVE 50%: The Fitbit Ace 3 activity tracker for kids is just $39.95 at Amazon, down from the listed MSRP of $79.95. That's a savings of $40 and the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Ace 3 (Blue Astro Green or Black/Red Racer) $39.95 at Amazon
$79.95 Save $40.00 Get Deal

In our modern digital age, kids don't sleep on the latest tech. They not only own the latest gadgets, but they know how to use them better than many adults. If you're looking for an activity tracker designed for kids, today's deal at Amazon offers some great features at an ultra-low price.

As of March 13, the Fitbit Ace 3 activity tracker for kids is just $39.95, down from the listed MSPR of $79.95. That's a 50% discount or a savings of $40, and the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon. To score this deal, grab the watch in either Blue Astro Green or Black/Racer Red.

The Fitbit Ace 3 is designed for kids ages six and up and offers plenty of features that help build healthy habits. The animated watch face includes graphics that change throughout the day as kids progress toward goals. The backlit display makes it convenient to check on the day's progress as well as the time.

SEE ALSO: The best fitness trackers of 2024: Tested and reviewed

Kids can also get sleep-tracking insights with the Fitbit Ace 3 to help get a better idea of how restful each night is. They can also set bedtime reminders and silence any alarms for undisrupted sleep.

The activity tracker also comes with some great features for kids like water resistance up to 50 meters, so there's no worry about swimming lessons or a summer day at the beach. The Fitbit 3 can get up to eight days of battery life, so many will only need to recharge once per week.

If your kids have been asking for an activity tracker, grab the Fitbit Ace 3 and enjoy achieving family activity goals this spring.

The House of Representatives passed a bill that could ban TikTok in the U.S. on Wednesday with a vote of 352 to 65. Fifty Democrats and 15 Republicans voted against the bill.

The bill — "Protecting Americans from Foreign Advisory Controlled Applications Act" — had bipartisan support in its committee and in the House. Now, the bill is headed to the Senate, where its future is a bit less clear. It would ban TikTok from U.S. app stores and unless it divests from its parent company ByteDance.

Lawmakers argue that TikTok poses a national security threat because its parent company is based out of China and, therefore, subject to Chinese intelligence laws which could, theoretically and hypothetically, force ByteDance to hand over data of the app's 170 million U.S. users. TikTok, for its part, has consistently denied the claim that user data for U.S. citizens could be accessed by the Chinese state.

In 2022, the app began routing all its U.S. user data to Oracle's cloud infrastructure in a move intended to assuage fears that the Chinese government could access this data.

SEE ALSO: Yet another bill is proposing a TikTok 'ban.' Could it actually happen?

The bill is now headed to the Senate where, if it passes, it will hit President Joe Biden's desk. Biden, whose campaign is on TikTok, said he would sign the bill into law. That would give TikTok five months to either sell TikTok or see it banned in the U.S.

This isn't the first time the U.S. has attempted to ban the app — then-President Donald Trump attempted a ban with an executive order in 2020, multiple states have attempted bans, and the app has been banned on government-issued devices. TikTok has taken most of these bans to court, and the courts tend to side with the app, saying an outright ban on it is an infringement of the First Amendment right to free speech.

TikTok has been leading a pretty aggressive lobbying campaign aligning with the free speech argument. Just last week, it unleashed a pop-up to its U.S. users telling them to call their representatives and ask them to not ban the app. Congress was inundated with calls.

Apples Never Fall opens with a bunch of fallen apples. Overly literal and more funny than it is suspenseful, the image does not bode well for Peacock's latest miniseries, which is based on Liane Moriarty novel of the same name. Sure HBO saw success with their adaptation of Moriarty's Big Little Lies, but Apples Never Fall doesn't have the same bite.

SEE ALSO: 'The Gentlemen' review: A messy rollercoaster that's too much filler, not enough killer

The apples belong to Joy Delaney (Annette Bening), a retired tennis coach out running errands for the day. One of those errands involves buying (and staring at for several beats too long) some luscious apples. Not long after, those apples are strewn along the road next to Joy's bloody bike — and she is nowhere to be found.

In the days that follow, Joy's husband Stan (Sam Neill) and their four adult children scramble to figure out what happened to her, only to uncover some brutal family secrets of their own. Among them? How much the kids take after their dysfunctional parents. (How do you like them metaphorical apples never falling far from metaphorical trees?) Yet the central mystery's twists are neither satisfying nor particularly interesting. The same goes for the Delaney family as a whole, making for a miniseries that feels more unripe than anything else.

Apples Never Fall introduces to the on-edge Delaney family. Essie Randles, Jake Lacy, Alison Brie, and Conor Merrigan-Turner in "Apples Never Fall." Credit: Vince Valitutti/PEACOCK

Unlike Big Little Lies, Apples Never Fall never really clicks as a family drama, instead resting on tired archetypes.

These clichés are especially true when it comes to the Delaney children. There's Troy (Jake Lacy), the richest, oldest supposed heir with a constant grudge against his dad; Amy (Alison Brie), a troubled free spirit; Logan (Conor Merrigan Turner), a total suck-up to Stan; and Brooke (Essie Randles), the mature baby of the family, who owns a struggling physical therapy practice. Every family scene before Joy's disappearance is rife with tension. The kids air out their siblings' failures, while the ultra-competitive Stan seems to take pleasure in pitting them against one another.

SEE ALSO: Should you sign up for Peacock?

Nowhere is this clearer than on the tennis court. Given Stan and Joy's coaching background, tennis has always been the way the family connects. Unfortunately, the connection is more competitive than supportive. The kids literally play to win their father's love and approval. Meanwhile, they leave Joy stuck on the sidelines, taken for granted in everything she does.

The initial portrait of this messed-up family exposes deep-seated resentments and old wounds. It's when Apples Never Fall brings in its central mystery that things really fly off the handle.

Apples Never Fall's mystery is more silly than suspenseful. Sam Neill in "Apples Never Fall." Credit: Vince Valitutti/PEACOCK

Joy's disappearance sets Apples Never Fall's present-day timeline in motion. The biggest question for the Delaney children is whether Stan was involved. He's been acting shady, to say the least. Plus, the massive scratch down the side of his face suggests more violence between him and Joy than he's willing to admit.

But there's another possible ill-doer in the mix: Savannah (Georgia Flood), a young woman Stan and Joy took in when she showed up bleeding at their doorstep. For the Delaney kids, Savannah gradually overstays her welcome, worming her way into becoming a kind of surrogate daughter to their parents. But is she really who she says she is? Or is there something deeper and more malicious at play here?

Apples Never Fall would like to keep you guessing, but Savannah is set up as a villain with motives so easy to suss out that's she's basically boring. The same goes for the rest of the show's treatment of Joy's disappearance. The red herrings — of which there are many — are practically crimson, with Apples Never Fall dragging each dead end out an embarrassing amount. Worst of all are its attempts to create suspense, including an overused dramatic inhaling sound effect that plays whenever the show toggles between the past and the present. (Or "then" and "now," as the show labels its timelines.) It's the kind of sound you'd expect to hear in a second-rate true crime podcast, not a miniseries starring Bening and Neill.

When the mystery finally reveals its grand twists after all that sound and fury, they're more groan-worthy than gasp-worthy. The same goes for Apples Never Fall as a whole.

Apples Never Fall hits Peacock March 14.

SAVE ON HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, AND MORE: Priceline's Spring Planning sale is live until March 24. If you have spring or summer travel in mind, you'll want to check out these deals.

Our top picks from Priceline's spring sale Best bundle deal Priceline's Spring Planning sale coupon deal Save up to $250 on hotel + flight packages with code SPRINGBUNDLES Get Deal Best family travel deal Priceline's Spring Planning sale Hilton deal Kids and teens stay free at select all-inclusive Hilton hotels Get Deal Best car rental deal Priceline's Spring Planning rental cars sale save up to 20% extra on select rental cars Get Deal

As inflation touches almost every aspect of our daily lives, it feels like we need a little treat to pat ourselves on the back for dealing with the new price of... well, everything. Unfortunately, treats also cost money. But if your ideal treat happens to involve hopping on a plane to a tropical beach, Priceline's Spring Planning Sale is now live. You'll save big on hotel stays, rental cars, and more. Here are some of the great travel deals to score thanks to Priceline's spring sale.

Best bundle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Getty Images / Thomas Barwick Our pick: Priceline's Spring Planning sale coupon deal Save up to $250 on hotel + flight packages with code SPRINGBUNDLES Get Deal Why we like it

Booking a bundle deal can sometimes be the most stress-free method for planning a getaway. Priceline's Spring Planning Sale offers extra savings totaling up to $250 off packages with the code SPRINGBUNDLES. This deal extends to bundles that include flights and select hotel stays of two nights or longer. Press "book" and know you're set for flights and accommodations, and that you got a great deal thanks to this coupon code.

Best family travel deal Opens in a new window Credit: Getty Images / Thomas Barwick Our pick: Priceline's Spring Planning sale Hilton deal Kids and teens stay free at select all-inclusive Hilton hotels Get Deal Why we like it

There's nothing quite like the lasting memories that come from a family vacation. The Priceline Spring Planning Sale means kids and teens stay for free at select all-inclusive Hilton properties. To grab this deal, you'll need to book before March 31 and stay for at least three nights between now and Oct. 31. Select your ideal vacation destination in Mexico, including locations like Cancun, Tulum, and Puerto Vallarta.

Best car rental deal Opens in a new window Credit: Getty Images / Oscar Wong Our pick: Priceline's Spring Planning rental cars sale save up to 20% extra on select rental cars Get Deal Why we like it

Adding on the price of a rental car is never anyone's favorite part of travel planning, but a rental car affords you the freedom to explore and adventure at your own pace. Thanks to Priceline's Spring Planning Sale, you can save up to 20% extra on select car rentals with major companies like Avis and Budget. When booking, look for the sale icon to find eligible deals.

More travel deals at Priceline

• Save an extra 10% on hotel, rental car, or flight bookings with code SPRINGTRAVEL

• Get up to $1,000 to spend onboard select cruises

• Save up to 35% on select Aruba hotels

• Save an extra 30% on bookings at select Hilton hotels when you book hotel and flight together

• Save an extra 15% on select hotel stays before July 30

SAVE $48: As of March 13, get a new Nintendo Switch for just $276.99 at Amazon, plus get an additional $25 in Amazon credit with promo code NSWNEON25. That's a total savings of $48 and the lowest price we've seen for the system yet.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Nintendo Switch $276.99
$299.99 Save $23.00 Redeem promo code NSWNEON25 to get an additional $25 in Amazon credit Get Deal

The Mario-centric celebration MAR10 Day has come and gone. But there are still a few great deals to shop on Nintendo games and hardware left over from the weekend, as well as some new ones popping up here and there. If you haven't yet bought a Nintendo Switch, it might be time to go ahead and grab one now that we're on the brink of a new Switch model in the coming months – especially when you can get one now for the lowest price we've seen.

As of March 13, you can get a Nintendo Switch at Amazon for just $276.99, plus get an additional $25 in Amazon credit with on-page coupon NSWNEON25 (make sure you click "redeem"). This is an overall discount of $48 from the system's usual price of $299.99 and the lowest price we've seen so far.

SEE ALSO: Verizon will give you a free Nintendo Switch (and more) just for switching to Verizon Home Internet in March

The Nintendo Switch is one of the most versatile handheld consoles ever. It can be used to play your favorite games on the go, or you can set it up on your TV to enjoy as a home system instead. With detachable Joy-Con controllers, you can play alone or game with others, either via motion controls or by turning the Joy-Con on its side to be used like a typical gamepad. Slide the controllers off the screen and dock it, or set it up using its built-in kickstand for an impromptu multiplayer session.

There's a massive library of games for the Switch, too. Whether you want to play some of Nintendo's latest and greatest titles like Super Mario RPG or the upcoming Princess Peach: Showtime!, you'll find titles for every age and gamer type. And since there's still time left before the new Switch finally comes out, now is a great time to get caught up on must-plays like Super Mario Odyssey or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

If you've never had a Switch, this is a perfect time to grab one, especially at this low price.

SXSW's Creative Industry Expo has offered some interesting and WTF tech this year. For us, however, one of the standouts on the floor was Positive+1.

SEE ALSO: SXSW 2024: 3 WTF tech products, including an AI Marilyn Monroe

The UK-based social media app, founded by Christian Mercer-Hall, is an online social networking platform that offers sanctuary for those affected by HIV. Positive+1 provides a mix of connection, education, and genuine support that goes beyond the screen.

Launched in November 2023, the app is in its early days. At just over 5,000 users, according to Head of PR Lyle McAdam, the platform is meant to bring together individuals living with HIV, their loved ones, and professionals working within the field. Thus Mercer-Hall's goal is to create a "vibrant and diverse community" built on shared understanding.

The app — eight years in the making — is the first of its kind for those affected by HIV. What makes it unique from other apps for the HIV community is that Positive+1 is a resource center with the connectivity of social networking. According to McAdam, whom I spoke with at SXSW, it's a place where people with HIV and their supporters can meet, share knowledge, find important resources, and make genuine connections with others who get what they're going through.

Education plays a crucial role in the response to HIV. According to KFF (formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation), "approximately 39 million people are currently living with HIV, and tens of millions of people have died of AIDS-related causes since the beginning of the epidemic." However, despite recent medical advancements that make living with HIV possible, there is still a massive stigma surrounding the disease, its risks, and how HIV transmits.

Positive+1 addresses this head-on by providing a plethora of resources. From expert articles to personal narratives of resilience, the platform ensures that knowledge and empowerment go hand in hand. Additionally, the team at Positive+1 has been championed by a network of charity partners, including the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, AIDS United, AHF Pharmacy, Aid for AIDS Nevada (AFAN), and the HIV/AIDS Policy team at The White House.

As stated before, the app recently launched, but it's available now on the App Store and Google Play Store. The app is available globally in the U.S., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

SAVE UP TO 80%: As of March 13, you can get up to 80% off this month's top-rated Kindle books.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle Monthly Deals Get up to 80% off Shop Now

Whether you're a true bookworm or want to explore new genres before splurging on a hardback, Amazon's Kindle store has a little bit of something for everyone, from mystery to romance to self-help.

With hundreds of titles and generous monthly discounts, there's always an opportunity to save big on your next digital read. This month, Kindle is offering up to 80% off more than 700 Kindle titles, including bestsellers and highly acclaimed authors like Dean Koontz and Mark Sullivan.

SEE ALSO: A 2-month Kindle Unlimited subscription is available for free

This deal expires on the last day of the month, and we're pretty sure a new set of discounts will start soon after. But 80% off is nothing to sneeze at, so you might want to take this opportunity to stock up your digital library and discover new reads at a fraction of the price.

Don't want to miss out on any deals? Subscribe to Kindle email newsletters to stay updated on the latest promotions and discounts. With the "Kindle Daily Deals" newsletter, you'll receive the best deals straight to your inbox, while the "Best of Kindle" newsletter provides personalized recommendations based on your reading preferences and includes exclusive offers.

There are also genre-specific newsletters for romance, mystery, science fiction, and more, so you can stay informed about discounts in your favorite genres.

This is a great way to start ticking books off your reading list this year.

The first trailer for Netflix's futuristic sci-fi thriller Atlas is here, featuring Jennifer Lopez having a very bad day.

Atlas follows the titular character Atlas Shepherd (Lopez), a government data analyst with a healthy distrust of artificial intelligence. However, after a mission to capture a rogue robot from her past goes wrong, she soon finds herself having to trust AI in order to save humanity. If AI wrote propaganda, this is probably what it would sound like.

The film also stars Simu Liu, Sterling K. Brown, Gregory James Cohan, Abraham Popoola, Lana Parrilla, and Mark Strong.

Atlas premieres May 24 on Netflix.

The European Union has adopted landmark new regulation that aims to protect its citizens from high-risk AI.

The AI Act, approved by the EU today, aims to "protect fundamental rights, democracy, the rule of law and environmental sustainability from high-risk AI, while boosting innovation and establishing Europe as a leader in the field," a press release said.

Specifically, the regulation aims to address risks created by AI applications, prohibit risky AI practices, set clear requirements for high-risk AI, and define the obligations, conformity measures, and enforcement pertaining those who deploy high-risk AI applications.

SEE ALSO: 5 ways AI changed the internet in 2023

Applications which are banned by this new regulation include:

• "biometric categorisation systems based on sensitive characteristics and untargeted scraping of facial images from the internet or CCTV footage to create facial recognition databases,"

• "emotion recognition in the workplace and schools,"

• "social scoring,"

• "predictive policing" when based "solely on profiling a person or assessing their characteristics," and

• "AI that manipulates human behaviour or exploits people’s vulnerabilities."

There are exceptions for law enforcement, but some types of applications are still either banned or can only be used in very specific scenarios. For example, real-time biometric identification systems are allowed to be deployed only if "strict safeguards are met," including requirements for "specific prior judicial or administrative authorisation." In an example, such systems could be used in cases of missing persons or terrorist threats.

General purpose AI (GPAI) systems will have to meet the EU's transparency requirements, such as compliance with the EU's copyright law. Very powerful GPAI systems will have to meet additional requirements, including systemic risk assessment and incident reports. All artificial or manipulated images, audio, or video content (commonly known as deepfakes), will have to be clearly labeled as such.

Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, called the AI Act "trailblazing."

Tweet may have been deleted

"It means leadership, innovation & new avenues. But equally respect for fundamental rights," she tweeted.

European Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, called the new regulations "the world's 1st comprehensive, binding rules for trusted AI," adding that the EU is "regulating as little as possible — but as much as needed!"

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk is entering the world of artificial intelligence

The AI Act is still subject to some final checks and needs to be formally endorsed by the European Council. It should come into force 20 days after being published in the EU's official Journal, which should happen fairly soon, and will be fully applicable two years after that — except in some more serious cases such as banned practices, in which case it will apply six months after entering into force.

"For years, more than half of us have been excluded, unfavored, and bound by the fate of of our genders," a voice echoes in the opening seconds of In Bloom, a new film anthology released in celebration of Women's History Month. Various vignettes then appear on the screen, of women around the world. A girl holds up a sanitary pad. Another woman places figurines on a cake. A supposedly defiant teenage girl locks herself in the bathroom, refusing to come out.

The introduction to In Bloom is uplifting, colorful, and real, as are the short films that follow. Streaming on Paramount+, the anthology was born from a collaboration between MTV's Staying Alive Foundation and Paramount's Content for Change initiative, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Bringing together five female filmmakers from five different countries, each short film lasts minutes, but probes some of the most pressing contemporary issues women face around the world.

The directors — Nicole Teeny, Priyanka Banerjee, Giuliana Monteiro, Voline Ogutu, and Dolapo 'LowlaDee' Adeleke — dissect subjects close to the cultures of their respective countries, ranging from period poverty to to unpaid care work to HIV stigma to child marriage.

A still from "Kifungo", starring Brenda Wairimu and directed by Voline Ogutu. Credit: MTV Staying Alive Foundation / Paramount.

Banerjee, an award-winning director from India, explains the five directors were selected by MTV's initiative and brought together into a virtual writers room in early February 2023. Their writing was bolstered with insights from lead researchers and academics who shed light on various themes of gender equality.

SEE ALSO: The women fighting to make women and girls safe in the digital age

"The idea of each of our films was to speak about our topic but to make sure to speak about it from the lens of our culture," Banerjee explains in an interview with Mashable. "And while we're doing that, we're still keeping it universal so that the films can still connect to one another."

Each of the directors ventured to tell their own stories set in a distinctive cultural sphere and context, though all the films were shot over the course of a month in Johannesburg, South Africa. The stories float across genre, subject, and cause. There's a horror short based in Kenya that centers a young woman diagnosed with HIV; a comedy-drama about an American teenager who can't afford menstrual products; a drama about a Brazilian woman grappling with motherhood and mental health. The women are seen in their homes, cars, and classrooms, also in hazy house parties and busy hair salons. The issues are nuanced, as are their representations, and each speaks to a lesser-known aspect of the societies they cover.

A shot from "Alta", Priyanka Banerjee's short fim. Credit: MTV Staying Alive Foundation / Paramount.

"In Bloom connects the dots and brings to light 'silent pandemics' that affect not just women and girls, but our global communities," says Wame Jallow, executive director at MTV's Staying Alive Foundation, adding that each project "enable[s] thought-provoking reflections on gender."

Banerjee directed Alta, a Bengali drama film based in West Bengal, starring Mazel Vyas. Sitting at about eight minutes long, the short concerns a cocoon of issues impacting young women in India, examining the worth of life and themes of trust, innocence and betrayal. In the film, a teenage girl has locked herself away in the bathroom of her home, with her helpless father trying to get her out. But things aren't as they seem, which Banerjee conveys through language both heard and seen.

"There’s something a lot more sinister going on and a lot of the relationships are not as simple as they seem," Banerjee says.

A BTS shot from the short film "Maré", directed by Giuliana Monteiro. Credit: MTV Staying Alive Foundation / Paramount.

One of the connecting motifs between each film, Banerjee explains, is that of mirrors. In each film, the protagonist faces a transformative moment when she sees her face in a mirror. It is then that she grapples with the issue she is facing, one that is strikingly personal yet universal.

"Every single character in the films have a moment when they engage with themselves in the mirror, which becomes a pivotal moment for the character, where they decide: 'I’m going to do things differently', or 'I accept my fate', or 'I’m going to fight against what’s happening to me'", says Banerjee. The storytelling power of these moments is apparent in each film, when choices and circumstance come together and change, in ways both big and small, is fostered.

In Bloom is available to watch now on Paramount+ and Pluto TV.

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

There are a number of reasons why you might want to start using a VPN. These security tools offer many benefits, including bypassing geographic restrictions for unlocking shows and films on popular streaming sites.

VPNs can also help to protect your privacy and make your browsing more secure (although it's always a good idea to vet your VPN provider's claims carefully — some do a better a job than others). VPNs can encrypt your traffic and provide protection against things like hackers, viruses, and malware. All of this is essential if you own a MacBook, because you don't want online threats attacking your most precious device.

What is a VPN?

Without getting too deep in the weeds — we've already done so in our review — a virtual private network, or VPN, is an encrypted connection between your Mac and a private, remote server.

In the most basic sense, it's a service that keeps you totally incognito on the web by masking your online activities and making it seem like your connection's coming from somewhere you aren't. 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 with a Mac?

All Macs and MacBooks come with built-in antivirus software that blocks and removes malware, and any apps you download from the internet are swabbed for malicious code by Apple's Gatekeeper tool. Furthermore, all of the data that lives on your macOS device's hard drive is secured with FileVault 2, a full-disk program featuring XTS-AES-128 encryption and a 256-bit key.

It's when any of your precious data ventures outside the localised protection of your Mac that things start to get dicey — and that happens every single time you connect to the web. Your Internet Service Provider, or ISP, tracks your every click to compile browsing logs they (sometimes) sell to marketers, who are champing at the bit to use your data for targeted ads. That information can also wind up in the hands of certain government agencies if your ISP is served with a subpoena.

Connecting to a public WiFi network is especially risky since you don't know who set it up or who else is using it; wannabe hackers can easily hop on to intercept your internet traffic in some sort of "man-in-the-middle" attack when you're browsing the web at a café, library, or airport.

A VPN takes care of those privacy issues and then some: With your IRL location hidden, you can skirt geo-restrictions that streaming services like Netflix have put in place and bypass government censorship in places like China. Online anonymity also means you're free to dabble in torrenting/peer-to-peer file-sharing — not that we condone the illegal kind.

What should you consider before subscribing to a VPN?

There are a lot of VPNs out there offering similar packages. This makes it difficult to select a service that works for you. To make your life a little easier, we have highlighted a selection of the most important things to consider before subscribing:

• Connection speed: Whether you're looking to use a VPN for online security or streaming, this is massively important. Using a VPN is likely to result in a drop in your connection speed, but you shouldn't accept anything significant.

• Encryption: VPNs are primarily designed to provide protection for your data, so encryption is important. The best VPNs will make sure all your data is unreadable and untraceable.

• Number of connections: The best VPNs offer multiple simultaneous connections, so you can stay protected on all your devices at the same time.

• Privacy policy: Your VPN of choice should be very clear about how they handle, store, and use your data. These practices should be laid out in a privacy policy, and if anything isn't obvious, you should look elsewhere.

• Server network: The very best VPNs provide access to literally thousands of servers located all around the world. If you're looking for a stable and speedy connection for streaming, shopping, or browsing, you need options.

You should also keep in mind things like bandwidth limits, apps for certain operating systems, and customer support, but this is a good place to start.

Should you use free VPNs?

Yes, there are plenty of free versions and trials of popular VPNs out there. It may be possible to get full access to everything you get with a premium plan, but as with most things in life, you get what you pay for with VPNs.

There is almost always a catch with free versions, and it's usually in the form of limited data usage. These plans will work fine if you're just an occasional user, but if you're going to be streaming or downloading, this isn't going to work. Free trials tend to come with everything you get in a paid plan, but this isn't a long-term solution.

We're sorry to say, but to gain access to advanced security and streaming features without limitations on usage, you need to pay up. Fortunately, there are plenty of cheap plans on offer from the most popular providers.

What is the best VPN for your Mac?

There's no specialised VPN for Macs, but almost all major VPN providers maintain support for macOS apps. So, with lots of options, you'll want to think carefully about which features matter most to you: Do you want a VPN with a huge server network and split tunneling for streaming and gaming? Will you feel more confident browsing with a kill switch or multihop (double VPN)? Do you need support for a bunch of connections based on the size of your household? Do you have the budget for add-ons like a dedicated IP?

Choosing the right VPN for your MacBook can be a daunting task. Fortunately for you, we have highlighted a selection of your best options. This list includes popular names like PureVPN, NordVPN, and TunnelBear.

These are the best VPNs for your Mac in 2024.

Sport dominates the lives of millions of people around the world, and fortunately most of it is available to watch on one platform or another. That is unless you are abroad.

If you are travelling, you might find yourself blocked by your favourite streaming platforms. If you want to keep up to speed with all the action when abroad, you need to invest in a VPN. A VPN relocates your IP address back home and bypasses those pesky geographical restrictions. This means that you don't need to put your security at risk with some sketchy stream that regularly cuts out and fills your screen with risqué adverts.

What is a VPN?

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) provide protection for your data and identity when you're online by creating a private network that hides your real IP address. This means that all of your activity is untraceable and secure. Try thinking about VPNs as encrypted tunnels through which all of your online traffic passes through. Nobody can see into the tunnel, and everything inside the tunnel is protected against online threats like viruses, hackers, and malware.

Can you use free VPNs for streaming sport?

Yes, there are plenty of free versions of popular VPNs out there, plus free trials of VPNs with full access to everything you get with a premium plan. Alternatively, you can pay for a VPN. So which option is best for you and your lifestyle?

You get what you pay for with VPNs. There tends to always be a catch with free versions, and it's normally in the form of limited data usage. If you're just an occasional user, these plans will work fine. But if you're going to be streaming or downloading, this isn't going to work. Free trials are a little bit different: they come with everything you get in a paid plan, but obviously they don't tend to last very long. Trials are great for testing out a service before committing, but this isn't a long-term solution.

How do you watch sport with a VPN?

All you need to do is open your VPN of choice, connect to a secure server located back home, and enjoy undisturbed coverage of your preferred sport platform. It's that easy. The only difficult aspect is actually selecting a VPN service to use. That's because there are so many great services out there, offering different sets of features that will suit some users more than others.

What is the best VPN for sport?

A VPN could provide access to games that would usually be out of reach. We have made choosing a service as easy as possible. We have tracked down the best VPNs for speed, security, simplicity, and much more, so you can make an informed decision.

These are the best VPNs for watching sport in 2024.

Today, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on a new bill that could ban TikTok in the U.S. In the lead-up to the vote (but not directly citing the bill itself), TikTok itself lobbied for users to quite literally call their representatives and "tell them to stop a TikTok shutdown." Following push notifications within the TikTok app, U.S. Congressional offices told the BBC they were being absolutely pummelled with calls.

In a segment on The Late Show, host Stephen Colbert summarized the potential U.S. ban on TikTok — "or as most members of Congress put it, 'The TikToks have gotta go! The orange ones are the only ones that taste good and when I drop the little box they go clickety clack and everybody stares at me at the matinée. No more TikToks!'"

It's a pretty fun and lighthearted breakdown of the situation, but remember, the ban could have huge ramifications beyond just TikTok.

Social platform Bluesky is open-sourcing its moderation tool Ozone, allowing users to choose exactly how the content on their timelines is moderated.

With the introduction of Ozone, Bluesky is allowing individuals and teams to run their own independent moderation services that can be integrated into the Bluesky app. Essentially, people will be able to install filters from these services, giving Bluesky frequenters the ability to create a tailored feed. This will be available in addition to Bluesky's built-in moderation service, alongside its existing community guidelines, each layer being a part of Bluesky's "stackable approach" to moderation.

Users can customize exactly what they want to see as they scroll. Credit: Bluesky.

The app provided the example of a "Spider Shield" filter, which would essentially mean installing a moderation filter that would protect a person's feed from seeing any spiders, if that's something they'd want to prevent. With these filters, you can also "recruit others" who want to screen the same kind of content, building a moderation tool around any niche content together.

SEE ALSO: Bluesky officially opens to everyone, no invite code needed

Currently, the tool is available on the desktop version of the app and will soon be rolling out to mobile. Ozone has been open-sourced as of yesterday, and the moderation tools can be enabled later this week.

"On an open social network like Bluesky, you can shape your experience for yourself," reads the social platform's blog post. "One team will never be perfect at moderation and curation for the entire world, with its wide variety of contexts, cultures, and preferences. So we’re excited about opening the ecosystem to empower experts, developers, and users with local context to provide their own input that you can additionally subscribe to, on top of Bluesky’s moderation service."

Bluesky previously faced criticism from its community after a number of users with racial slurs in their usernames were allowed to register for the app. The Bluesky team told Mashable that the moderation team took down these accounts, and were "continuing to invest in moderation and support systems" as their platform grew in numbers.

A hot contender for an alternative to X/Twitter, Bluesky was once invite-only but opened up to everyone in February this year. In November 2023, the app hit 2 million users and has since seen its community grow to 5 million strong.

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 13 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for March 13

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Wednesday, March 13, 2024:

AcrossAnimal attractions

• The answer is zoos.

"Keep it down!"

• The answer is hush.

Language in which you might wish someone "Goedemorgen"

• The answer is Dutch.

Opinion columnist Klein

• The answer is Ezra.

Norse god with a hammer

• The answer is Thor.

DownGive a little extra flair, with "up"

• The answer is zhuzh.

Closing part of a song

• The answer is outro.

Statue seen in Hollywood

• The answer is Oscar.

"Keep it down!"

• The answer is shh.

Police dept. title

• The answer is det.

The Rabbit R1, an AI assistant that can fit in your palm, took the tech world by storm when it got spotlighted at CES 2024. From its retro-esque look and bright orange chassis to its AI prowess and pocketable design, Rabbit R1 sold out of its 10,000 units in just one day.

Clearly, people are interested in this pocket companion. After all, it can, as The Verge pointed out, purchase groceries on your behalf, control your music, send texts for you, and more. With your voice, simply ask what you want, and in theory, your wish should be granted.

Further demystifying the Rabbit R1, Jesse Lyu, the CEO and founder behind Rabbit, gave us a demo on how the funky-looking pocket rocket handles audio.

SEE ALSO: What is the Rabbit R1 AI Assistant and why is everyone going crazy for it? How does Rabbit R1 handle audio?

On X, Lyu posted a demo of the Rabbit R1's note-taking capabilities.

Tweet may have been deleted

Lyu said, "Start a note taking session." And on the Rabbit R1's 2.88-inch screen, an animation of rotating cassette spindles appeared, indicating that it is "listening."

After playing an audio snippet for several seconds, Lyu hit a physical button on the Rabbit R1 to stop it from recording. Indicating that it captured your audio, it says, "Your session was saved to the rabbit hole."

Navigating to what looks like a Rabbit R1 companion app on his laptop, Lyu shows that the AI assistant created a short summary based on the audio. There's also a button that says, "Transcript," which presumably lets you grab a transcription of the audio file. Plus, the audio can be accessed via the cloud, allowing you to share it with other platforms.

Lyu admitted that it still needs a little work, but added that the experience is "intuitive and functional." He said, "More to come," hinting that more updates are in the works for Rabbit R1.

Rabbit R1 is $199 and is currently available for pre-order.

Ray-Ban's Meta smart glasses are getting smarter.

The camera-equipped spectacles, launched in December, can now use their multimodal AI smarts to retrieve information on popular landmarks.

Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth, who shared the news on Threads, shared some examples of how this works in practice. For example, asking the glasses (through the built-in mics) for "a cool fact" about the Golden Gate Bridge, while looking at said bridge, nets a result in which the glasses tell you (through the built-in speakers) about the bridge's famous International Orange color.

In another example, the Meta glasses share some info about San Francisco's Coit Tower.

Post by @boztank View on Threads

All of this is currently available for beta testers only; those without access can sign up on the waitlist on Meta's website.

Bosworth shared a few other tidbits on the Meta glasses' smart features. The hands-free experience has gotten an update that lets users share their latest Meta AI interaction on WhatsApp, Messenger, or send it as a text message. You can also share the last photo you took with a contact of yours. Finally, podcast listeners will "soon" be able to configure Meta AI readouts to be slower or faster; the option will be available under voice settings.

SEE ALSO: Forget Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. We tested cheaper ones that support ChatGPT.

The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses (read our review here) have gotten a bit brainier this December thanks to Meta's AI wizardry, elevating them from a gadget that basically serves for taking photos and videos to something you might actually want to use when you need an AI voice assistant's help. The landmark-describing feature, while fairly narrow in scope, is a perfect fit for the glasses, and we hope to see more such features added to the Meta glasses in the future.

Spotify has taken a sweet chunk out of YouTube by adding full music videos to its audio streaming platform.

Available in beta for Spotify Premium users from today, the feature elevates the company's short looping Canvas videos, instead allowing users to "switch to video" from the album artwork to see the full clip. There's a limited catalogue of artists with music videos available for the beta launch; Mashable was easily able to find vids for a bunch of major artists from Beyoncé to Dua Lipa, Doja Cat to Charli XCX, RAYE to Reneé Rapp.

The feature is rolling out to 11 countries — the UK, Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, the Netherlands, Colombia, Poland, Philippines, and Sweden — with no plans yet for additional markets.

SEE ALSO: YouTube lets you create AI music that sounds like Charli XCX (with permission)

Spotify's music videos will be available through the app on iOS and Android devices, desktop, and smart TVs. To find them on Spotify, when you search and play a song, you'll see a new toggle reading "switch to video" where — if the song you're playing has a video uploaded to Spotify — it'll start playing instantly. From here, you'll also be able to "switch to audio" if you want to revert to background listening.

See that tiny "switch to audio/video" option? Credit: Mashable / Shannon Connellan / Spotify

You can also check an artist's page to see if they have music videos, by scrolling down the page to find a carousel of them. At present, it's only a handful of major artists we can see that have music videos, and the newest videos we could find were from 2023, but as the beta test runs we're sure to see more added.

The carousel sits between "Discovered on" and "About". Credit: Mashable screenshot / Spotify

While watching, you can go to full screen (or "cinema mode") or leave it in the smaller version. If you're using a mobile device, you can turn to landscape mode just like any other video streaming app. And you can share the video to friends, just like a song link.

Rival music streaming services like Tidal and Apple Music have had music videos on their streaming platform for years. But, what does this mean for the giant of music video streaming, YouTube? First things first, the music videos are being hosted directly on Spotify, not being embedded from another platform like YouTube, Vimeo, Vevo, et al, so the company is directly diverting views from those platforms — Google, for one, won't be stoked about that. It's unclear whether Spotify will show music video play counts alongside streaming numbers, so the impact of a music video won't be explicitly obvious — a possible con for motivated online fandoms.

But giving Spotify Premium users more bang for their buck? Especially when it sets you back £10.99 per month? I'm here for that. It's one more perk for Premium, the chaser to Spotify's 2023 additions like Jam, which lets you listen to shared playlists with friends in real time, and the platform's AI DJ.

"At Spotify, we know that the most powerful time to reach fans is when they're engaging with the music. So Spotify is really the best place for fans to dive deeper into an artist's music," Alex Bousquet, associate director, consumer product marketing, told Mashable.

"Music videos is also bringing more value to Premium listeners. Recently, we've launched DJ and Jam in 2023, which are uniquely and only available right now to our Premium users. Music videos is another way for Premium subscribers to enjoy music on Spotify."

If you're in one of the 11 countries above, here's how to try out the new feature:

How to watch music videos on Spotify Total Time

• 3 min

What You Need

• Spotify app on iOS / Android / desktop / smart TV
• Spotify Premium account

Step 1: Search for an artist or specific song on Spotify.

Step 2: If the artist has music videos hosted on Spotify they will appear in a carousel — scroll down to find it.

Credit: Mashable / Shannon Connellan / Spotify

Step 3: If the song you have searched has a music video on Spotify, the "switch to video" toggle will appear over the artwork.

Credit: Mashable / Shannon Connellan / Spotify

Step 4: Hit "switch to video" and it will instantly play.

Step 5: Press the "cinema mode" button to go full screen on desktop, or turn your phone to do so on mobile.

Step 6: To go back to background listening, hit "switch to audio."

Around 11,000 years ago, a giant star exploded. But its corpse remains.

Astronomers used a powerful camera mounted to the National Science Foundation's Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope in the lofty Chilean mountains to snap an extremely detailed view of the "Vela Supernova Remnant" — the leftovers of this ancient cosmic blast. It's now a region of churning gas, expanding further into space.

"The Vela Supernova Remnant is merely the ghost of a massive star that once was," the NSF's NOIRLab, which runs big telescopes across the U.S. and elsewhere, said in a statement.

SEE ALSO: The most fascinating star in our sky inches closer to exploding

The images above and below show the central part of the stellar corpse. In total, it's huge, as the star's gas continues expanding into space. It's left those blue and yellow "tendrils" of gas.

"The Vela Supernova Remnant is a gigantic structure, spanning almost 100 light-years and extending to 20 times the diameter of the full moon in the night sky," NOIRLab explained.

The exploded remnants, however, are 800 light-years away. So a powerful telescope, and camera, are needed to capture this level of detail. The digital camera responsible is the Department of Energy's Dark Energy Camera, itself boasting a 3.3-foot (nearly 1 meter) lens.

The cosmic vista is so expansive that the labeled image below identifies other objects — such as a star cluster and other nebulae (clouds of dust and gas) — amid the view of the Vela Supernova Remnant. Also noted is the shock wave from the star's explosion, long ago.

A labeled view of the Vela Supernova Remnant. Credit: CTIO / NOIRLab / DOE / NSF / AURA // Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage / NSF’s NOIRLab) / M. Zamani & D. de Martin (NSF’s NOIRLab)

Stellar explosions are a critical part of the cosmos. Before collapsing on themselves, massive stars use the immense pressure in their cores to fuse helium into carbon. After thousands of years, they fuse carbon and helium to create oxygen, and the forging process continues, ultimately creating metals like iron (an important component of our blood). The eventual blast spreads these vital elements through space. The next solar systems, and planets, can use these newly created materials.

Sometimes collapsing stars form black holes — which are so massive and gravitationally powerful that not even light can escape. Other times, they create an extremely dense object, called a neutron star. Just a sugar-cube-sized piece of this extremely dense material weighs 1 billion tons. The particular stellar collapse 11,000 years ago created such a star, which astronomers call "Vela Pulsar." You can find this small, though powerful, star's location in the bottom left of the image.

Space, folks, continues to be hardcore.

TL;DR: If you're learning to play guitar, let your instrument do some of the teaching for you. The Poputar T2 Smart Guitar has 96 LEDs to help guide your finger placement as you play songs from a massive in-app library, and as of March 13, it's on sale for $323.99. 

If you want to learn the guitar, there's a special instrument you might want to try. The Poputar T2 Smart Guitar isn't a regular instrument. This smart guitar pairs with an app to give you access to a huge library of songs that you can learn to play with help from the guitar itself.

This poplar wood and copper guitar produces a clear, resonant sound, and it has some awesome smart features that could be worth a round of applause from all the aspiring musicians it could help. Plus, it's on sale for 24% off and is only $323.99. 

Make some music 

You can play the Poputar T2 like any regular acoustic guitar, but it has a lot more to offer than a regular instrument. This smart guitar has 96 LED lights built into it to help guide your finger placement for any of the songs in the library. It won't make you Jimi Hendrix overnight, but it could help you get the muscle memory down quicker because you can quickly adjust your grip instead of constantly checking a video or guidebook. It's like your instrument is your teacher. 

Granted, a normal guitar doesn't have a battery life, but this one could still give you some long play sessions with a full charge lasting up to 10 hours. Plus, you'll get interactive video lessons that you can play like a game.

This musician's bundle includes the Poputar T2 Smart Guitar in black, a PopuBag guitar bag that's stylish and helps keep your guitar safe, a manual, a hex key for maintenance, and a VIP member card.

A guitar that shows you how to play

Now your guitar teacher can double as a mid-song light show. 

Get the Poputar T2 Smart Acoustic Guitar while it's only $323.99. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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