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SAVE 29%: Today, April 12, the Eufy L60 robot vacuum is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon. With a regular list price of $279.99, today's limited-time deal saves you $80.

Opens in a new window Credit: eufy Eufy L60 Robot Vacuum $199.99 at Amazon
$279.99 Save $80.00 Get Deal

No matter how much we love our fur babies, cleaning up their messes can be a tedious chore, especially if they're prone to shedding. A robot vacuum can save you precious time and energy and help keep your home tidy even when you're away.

As of April 12, you can get a Eufy L60 robot vacuum for just $199.99. That's $80 off this robovac's normal price of $279.99 and a discount of 29%. This marks the robot vacuum's lowest price yet.

SEE ALSO: How to choose a robot vacuum in 2024: Consider these 5 features before buying

The Eufy L60 robot vacuum has powerful suction abilities, operating at 5,000 Pa so it easily scoops up dirt and debris while collecting stubborn pet hair. It also adjusts its suction power depending on what type of floor you have so you get an optimal clean every time and conserve battery life. It can easily climb carpet lips and uses iPath Laser Navigation with Lidar technology to map your home so every inch is cleaned. Plus, you can customize cleanings to stay in (or avoid a) particular room if needed.

Take the stress out of cleaning your home when you shop the Eufy L60 robot vacuum today at Amazon for its lowest-ever price.

If you're an avid Walmart shopper, you'll probably want to consider signing up for Walmart+. We know that having to sign up for yet another membership service sounds like a pain, but it may be worth it for you (don't worry, we'll tell you why).

SEE ALSO: Our favorite tech gifts: Treat yourself to a new toy with that tax return money

You'll especially want to consider snagging a membership before July 2, because Walmart+ is offering a few special, limited-time benefits until then, including free subscriptions to Apple Music, Xbox Game Pass, and more.

Below, we'll explain what the service is, what you'll get out of it, and how to get started.

What is Walmart+?

Walmart+ is the big-box retailer's premier membership program that gets you exclusive benefits, both online and in-store. These include perks like free and fast shipping, early sale access, mobile scan and go at Walmart stores, and lots more. Many compare it to Amazon Prime, though it's still a bit different.

What are the perks?

The whole reason for signing up for Walmart+ is those sweet perks. Here's what you'll get when you become a member:

• Unlimited free delivery: All $35+ orders from Walmart stores will be delivered free of charge.

• Fast shipping: Next-day and two-day shipping is free for Walmart+ members with no minimum required.

• Easy returns: If you need to return something, Walmart will pick it up for you. You won't need to print any labels or repackage any products.

• Savings on fuel: Walmart+ members save 10 cents per gallon at participating fueling stations like Exxon, Mobil, Walmart, Sam's Club, and more.

• Auto care: Visit any Walmart Auto Care center for free flat tire repair and road hazard warranty.

• Mobile scan and go: Shopping at a physical Walmart location? Use your smartphone to scan and pay for your items to make the checkout process faster.

• Paramount+: Gain access to Paramount+ for no additional fee and enjoy the catalog of movies and TV shows.

• Early access: Members will get first dibs on special product releases and big sale events, including Black Friday.

• Walmart+ travel: Enjoy up to 5% in Walmart Cash when booking hotels, car rentals, tours, and more with Expedia, and up to 2% on flights.

What are the new perks?

Walmart+ is now offering some new perks for the spring, but only for a limited time. If you want to reap the benefits, be sure to sign up before July 2. Here's a breakdown of what's new:

• Apple Music: Walmart+ members can get up to five free months of Apple Music, which gets you a massive catalog of ad-free music, interviews, live shows, and more.

• Apple Fitness+: Redeem up to four months of Apple Fitness+ and access their extensive library of virtual workout classes, from HIIT cardio, to Yoga, and more.

• Xbox Game Pass: Two free months of Xbox Game Pass is available to Walmart+ members, and nets you an amazing selection of games to download and play whenever you want, access to online play, and exclusive discounts, among other things.

• YouTube Premium: Tired of annoying ads before your videos? Skip them all with three months of YouTube Premium, plus the ability to access content offline.

• Calm: Everyone needs a break from life once in a while. Redeem four months of Calm and start practicing mindfulness, meditation, and find your inner peace.

• Angi discount: Spring has sprung, and that means it's time to get your home in order. Walmart+ members enjoy a 30% discount with Angi.

How much does Walmart+ cost?

A membership to Walmart+ costs $98 annually, or $12.95 monthly. All new members can redeem a 30-day free trial to test the waters before fully committing, too.

How do you sign up?

Signing up with Walmart+ couldn't be any easier. Here's how to get started:

1. Go to the Walmart+ page. Here, you'll find information on what the service is, what perks you'll get, and pricing.

2. Click on "Start your free 30-day trial." (Yes, you get your first month totally free! A recurring billing period will start after the trial ends.)

3. Fill out your personal and payment information for billing and shipping purposes.

4. That's literally it. You're now a Walmart+ member, and you can start enjoying your perks immediately!

Walmart+ or Amazon Prime?

Though similar, Walmart+ and Amazon Prime still have some pretty big differences between them, and we could make a case for having both. Both services include free and fast shipping benefits, grocery delivery, and access to select streaming services, to name a few shared perks. But, if you had to pick one, we'd say the answer lies in just one question: Do you plan on shopping in-store? If yes, go for Walmart+, but if you think you'll only be shopping online, Amazon Prime will be your best bet. (One more note to consider: Amazon Prime costs about $40 more annually than Walmart+.)

Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart Walmart+ Learn More

Private messages on dating apps often don't stay private. Screenshotting a conversation with a match and showing your friends — or strangers on social media — is common. Such is the case from this Hinge message an X (formerly Twitter) user @bjorksunibrow posted this week: 

Tweet may have been deleted

"Heyyy thanks for checking in, would you mind if we put a pin in those plans for now?" the message reads. "Full transparency: I kind of met someone yesterday that I wasn't expecting to vibe with as much as I did and I'd feel a bit weird going out right away with someone else."

SEE ALSO: AI-written dating app bios are all the rage. Is romance dead?

The "radically" honest, corporate jargon-laced message generated lots of reactions on X. Carlos, the user who received it, captioned the screenshot, "We're in an era of over-communication." In a follow-up post, he said, "Normalize white lies!"

In a DM, Carlos told me that the date was the sender's idea. Carlos was looking forward to it, as they flirted on and off, but when he messaged his match to confirm the date the day of, he received "The Message."

"So many things bothered me about it," Carlos said, "the HR professional tone, the fact that he was canceling a date that he proposed, that he let me know he hit it off with someone else he’d just met, that he implied a future date if things didn’t work out with this new guy..."

Carlos ultimately believes there are kinder and more decent ways to cancel a date. As it was a first date, he didn't need all the details. "I date casually quite a bit and try to let someone down in a way that isn't so crass," he said. "That includes an occasional white lie to cushion the blow."

Other people agreed with the sentiment of Carlos's tweet, saying this message was too up-front and the person should've lied. Some, however, loved the message, hailing its transparency or simply calling it "normal" and "mature." Others still called the message "soulless" and "brutal."

There's no right answer here; your actions will never please everybody, especially on social media. Carlos told me he received comments saying he must be "allergic to direct communication," and other assumptions about the kind of person he is. "I wish more folks would move away from brazen honesty and toward sympathy and communication that considers basic human decency," he said.

The message and subsequent response speak volumes about the current state of dating and, more broadly, our relationships. On some level, we're forgetting (or already forgot) how to actually talk to each other. 

We communicate, perhaps even over-communicate as Carlos said, but for typing a whole lot of words, we're not saying much of anything. 

The sender followed a script. He shoved his intangible feelings into the corporate- and therapy-speak meat grinder, and this message oozed out. Instead of telling the unfiltered truth, he dressed it up in the nicest yet most sterile way possible.

Carlos let the match know he didn't need all the info, while the would-be date replied that he prefers "to be open about things."

On some level, the "HR professional tone" is understandable. In 2024, there's always a possibility of someone screenshotting your words and disseminating them for the world to see. People have been harassed and doxxed for less. (Thankfully, here, Carlos cut out any identifying information before uploading the screenshot to X.) 

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

Social media has programmed us to think about each and every possible reaction, and most of them are unkind. We're constantly aware of how others perceive us. In our obsession with optics, we hedge, add disclaimers, and dilute our true thoughts until they're a puddle of nothing.

Aside from this issue, this message also reeks of "optimization." In the search for meaning under capitalism (or, I don't know, a lot of TikTok followers), many have turned to optimizing their health and work. This has bled over into dating. Why actually think about and share my actual feelings, when the internet (or your therapist, or ChatGPT) already wrote a response for me? Why stop swiping on apps when my next match might be ten percent hotter or make ten percent more money? Why keep my plans with that one Hinge match when the person I met yesterday seems so much better? 

As culture critic Magdalene J. Taylor recently wrote, optimization will not save you — and it will certainly not save relationships. If anything, optimization shrinks intimacy and trust. Our inner thoughts and feelings are messy, but sharing them actually leads to us getting to know one another on that messy, human level. 

Maybe that message of "putting a pin" in plans was "optimal," but as my Mashable colleague Cecily Mauran said, it reads more like a bad layoff email. In this era of increasing tech and optimization, we need more reminders that life is inherently messy — and not the kind of uncanny valley messiness of an AI-generated photo, but something different. Something human.

UPDATE: Apr. 12, 2024, 4:29 p.m. EDT This article has been updated with additional context from Carlos, @bjorksunibrow on X.

Folks who love iPhones, but don't want to spend $1,000 on their next one, got some good news on Thursday.

Freelance coder Nguyen Phi Hung (spotted via Phone Arena) posted a bundle of purported iPhone SE 4 specs this week on X. The basic gist is that the new budget iPhone, which would follow up the 2022 iPhone SE model, borrows a lot of physical features from the iPhone 13 and iPhone XR.

SEE ALSO: iPhone users in 92 countries received a spyware attack alert

More specifically, the display has been bumped up from 4.7-inches to 6.1-inches. The display will be OLED — and the front of the phone will feature a notch and support for Face ID, all of which would be new to the SE line. For reference, the previous SE model was physically based on the iPhone 8, meaning it was smaller, had a home button, and didn't have Face ID at all.

Tweet may have been deleted

In keeping with previous SE models, the rear reportedly features just one lone camera lens. However, the phone's backside reportedly resembles that of an iPhone XR. Other odds and ends include an A16 Bionic processor (found in the iPhone 15), a USB-C charging port, and a 60Hz refresh rate.

In total, it sounds like the new iPhone SE, whenever it launches, will be a big boon to those who want an iPhone, but can't afford the bleeding edge models. As an owner of a 2020 iPhone SE, it all sounds great to me. Heck, I'd take one right now.

GET UP TO $25 OFF: As of April 12, buy sex toys and sex wellness goods during Lovers' Spend & Save Sale and get $10 off $75, $15 off $100, or $25 off $150 with promo codes.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lovers Lovers Spend & Save Sale Get up to $25 off when you spend $150 with code SAVE$25 Shop Now

If you're trying to figure out what little treat to get yourself today, why not a sex toy? Investing in pleasure is always a good idea, and with Lovers' Spend & Save Sale, it will be easy on your wallet too.

Now through April 27, you can get $10 off your order when you spend $75 or more (code SAVE$10), $15 off your order when you spend $100 or more (code SAVE$15), or a whopping $25 off your order when you spend $150 or more (code SAVE$25) at Lovers. It's basically like getting paid to buy sex toys.

SEE ALSO: The best sex toys for masturbation that anybody can enjoy

While this sale can't be combined with other promotions (and there are a lot going on right now, which I'll detail below), it's still a good deal. For example, the VIM by Fun Factory retails on the site for $169, but with this discount, you can get free shipping and $25 off, bringing the total to just $144. (The VIM is one of our favorite toys, so this is a deal worth taking advantage of.)

Prefer dual stimulation or penetrative toys? The Evolved Thump and Thrust Dual Vibrator (which I have and love whenever I'm feeling a little extra) is included in this sale, but it's also included in the vibrator sale (listed below) for even more savings. So you can get it for $127.20 ($31.80 off) and enjoy dual pleasure without breaking the bank.

More Lovers sales going on right now:

• Get 15% off Lovers' favorite air pulsators now through 4/13 with code OHWOW15

• Get 20% off select vulva vibrators now through 4/27 with code VIBEME

• Get 30% off select Playboy Pleasures toys now through 4/27; no code is required

Lovers also has an Afterglow rewards program where you can sign up to earn points every time you make a purchase. You can earn 100 points for every $1 spent and redeem those points for discounts on future orders. (You need 10,000 points to get $5 off your next purchase, and it goes up from there.) You can also earn points for following Lovers on social media, writing a review, or referring a friend.

ChatGPT is getting an upgrade with OpenAI's most advanced large language model.

On Thursday evening, OpenAI shared on X that GPT-4 Turbo will now power paid versions of ChatGPT. That includes ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Enterprise users.

Tweet may have been deleted

GPT-4 Turbo was announced last November as an updated version of GPT-4. Previously it was only available to developers, but now paying ChatGPT users can experience the updates for themselves. OpenAI says GPT-4 Turbo has improved writing, math, reasoning, and coding capabilities and users can expect "more direct, less verbose" responses and "more conversational language," according to OpenAI's X post.

SEE ALSO: ChatGPT no longer requires an account to use it. Here's how OpenAI plans to handle the mass adoption.

In an example prompt requesting an RSVP reminder to a birthday dinner, the previous model wrote a longer, wordier draft whereas the response with GPT-4 Turbo was concise and to the point.

Tweet may have been deleted

A graph illustrating the increase in key benchmarks from an earlier version of GPT-4 Turbo to the current model shows the biggest improvements in math and GPQA or Graduate-Level Google-Proof Q&A, which is a multiple choice dataset that measures biology, physics, and chemistry knowledge.

Although OpenAI says GPT-4 Turbo is now available in ChatGPT, we still don't seem to have it, which suggests this is a gradual rollout.

Along with the turbo-charged update, ChatGPT has a more recent cutoff date. Previously it was April 2023, but now ChatGPT has knowledge of internet data up until December 2023, which will make it more useful for generating up-to-date responses.

Amazon deals of the day at a glance: OUR TOP PICK Amazon 40-inch 2-Series Fire TV $178.99 at Amazon (save $71) Get Deal BEST EARBUDS DEAL Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II $199 at Amazon (save $80.99) Get Deal BEST TABLET DEAL Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (128GB, WiFi) $418.56 at Amazon (save $281.43) Get Deal

There are always deals to be found at Amazon, and we have laser-focused vision when it comes to spotting them. Amongst a cluttered feed of too-good-to-be-true discounts, there are always a few gems hidden in plain sight. We've sorted through the mess and hand-picked a few of the best deals for you to shop today, April 12.

Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day. And don't forget to check out our picks from April 10 and April 11 — many of those deals are still active as well!

Our top pick Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon deal of the day: Amazon 40-inch 2-Series Fire TV $178.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $71.00 Get Deal

If you're in the market for a budget-friendly, no frills smart TV, check out this deal on the Amazon 40-inch 2-Series Fire TV. As of April 12, it's down to just $178.99 at Amazon — that's $71 off its usual retail price and $1 cheaper than its previous all-time low price from last Cyber Monday. This TV does not support 4K resolution (check out the 4-Series for that feature), but it does offer all the smart capabilities from the Fire TV experience, hands-free control via on-board Alexa, and support for HDR 10, HLG, and Dolby Digital Audio. If you're simply looking for a basic smart TV that looks good and won't break the bank, it's really hard to beat this price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II $199.00 at Amazon
$279.99 Save $80.99 Get Deal

Back down to their all-time low price from Cyber Monday 2023, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are an excellent value at just under $200. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, these buds are able to intelligently adjust noise cancellation and sound performance based on your ears and your environment. They also come with three sets of ear tips and stability bands for ultimate comfort. We haven't had a chance to review the newest iteration (although we reviewed the original QuietComfort Earbuds and were big fans), but our friends at PCMag (which is owned by Mashable's publisher, Ziff Davis) gave them a 4.5-star rating and an Editor's Choice award. Save nearly 30% as of April 12 and grab these babies for just $199 at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 (128GB, WiFi) $418.56 at Amazon
$699.99 Save $281.43 Get Deal

The entry-level Galaxy Tab S8 (128GB, WiFi) is sitting at an all-time low $418.56 at Amazon as of April 12 — that's a savings of 40%. While it doesn't offer as much screen real estate as the Plus or Ultra models at 11 inches, it still packs a lot of the same hardware, including a 120Hz refresh rate, WiFi 6E, an ultra-wide 12MP front camera with auto-framing technology, Dolby Atmos speakers, and a 4nm chip. Its 8,000mAh battery also features fast-charging support, which can bring a dead battery back to 100 percent in 80 minutes.

None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.

Today kicks off Best Buy's 3-Day Sale. Check out our favorite tech deals from the sale below.

Today's best Best Buy 3-Day Sale deals as of April 12: Best iPad deal Apple iPad (64GB, WiFi) $349 at Best Buy (save $100) Get Deal Best earbuds deal Apple AirPods Pro $189.99 at Best Buy (save $60) Get Deal Best vacuum deal Dyson V8 cordless vacuum $349.99 at Best Buy ( save $120) Get Deal Best GoPro deal GoPro Hero12 Creator Edition Action Camera $499.99 at Best Buy (save $100) Get Deal

Today, April 12, Best Buy is kicking off its 3-Day Sale that includes limited-quantity deals across all categories, from cameras and headphones to vacuums and big-ticket tech items. In addition to the 3-Day Sale, Best Buy is also running a limited-time outlet event where you can save up to 50% on clearance, refurbished, and open-box items.

Best Buy's 3-Day Sale ends on Sunday, April 14, so we recommend acting fast on the available deals. Today, we've rounded up some of the top deals we've seen so far from Best Buy's 3-Day Sale, including deals on Apple AirPods Pro and iPads.

Best iPad deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Our pick: Apple iPad (64GB, WiFi) $349.00 at Best Buy
$449.00 Save $100.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Best Buy's 3-Day Sale is bringing us the latest model of the Apple iPad for $100 off, taking the price down from $449 to $349. We love how the 10.9-inch screen on this 10th-gen model is a comfortable size for getting work done, streaming movies, and enjoying video calls, and how its 2360 x 1640 resolution gives you clearer, sharper images. When you shop today, you also get three free months of Apple TV+.

Best earbuds deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Our pick: Apple AirPods Pro $189.99 at Best Buy
$249.99 Save $60.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Whether you're prone to traveling, taking work calls while out and about, or enjoying a workout backed by your favorite music, a great pair of earbuds are a must-have for many people on the go. Today, you can score a pair of Apple AirPods Pro for $189.99, saving you $60. With water-resistant technology and a 6-hour battery life, these true wireless headphones are ready for whatever your day throws at you. When you score this deal today at Best Buy, you also get three free months of Apple TV+ and Apple Music.

Best vacuum deal Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Our pick: Dyson V8 cordless vacuum $349.99 at Best Buy
$469.99 Save $120.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Buying a Dyson vacuum can be a big investment. However, the 3-Day sale is making the formidable vacuums a bit more budget-friendly. The powerful and functional Dyson V8 cordless vacuum is going for $349.99, which is $120 less than its typical price. Known for its detangling Motorbar cleaner, the Dyson V8 is an ideal pick for households that are fighting pet hair and. Untether yourself from the wall for less.

Best GoPro deal Opens in a new window Credit: GoPro Our pick: GoPro Hero12 Creator Edition Action Camera $499.99 at Best Buy
$599.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Why we like it

A taste for adventure and an eye for content creation come together with the GoPro Hero12 Creator Edition Action Camera. The compact camera shoots in 5K resolution and 27 megapixels, giving you superior footage and GoPro's signature 360-degree capture. Ideal for filmmakers, bloggers, and other creatives, the GoPro Hero12 also comes with a carrying case and stabilizing mount, giving you everything you need to get shooting. When you shop today, you also save $100.

$100 OFF: On April 12, as of 11 a.m. EST, you can get the Samsung Music Frame for just $299.99, down from $399.99 at Best Buy. That's a 25% discount or $100 off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Music Frame $299.99 at Best Buy
$399.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal

Just in case you haven't heard, Best Buy is having a crazy sale called Best Buy Drops. Daily deals are set to happen during the sale at a specific time each day. All you have to do is download the app, find the items you're interested in, and click "notify me" to receive an alert when the drop goes live.

Each day, Best Buy will feature a different product at a significantly discounted price during the drop. While it's live, a status bar will show you how many units are left and how much time remains before the deal ends. Once the product's sold out, it's gone, and that usually happens within a few hours.

Today, the special item featured in the Best Buy Drops event is the Samsung Music Frame. (This is convenient, considering today marks its official release day.) This little gadget was available for pre-order on April 3 for $399.99 with an incentive of a free $100 Best Buy digital gift card with purchase, but now it's available for just $299.99. That's a $100 discount!

The Samsung Music Frame smart speaker isn't just a speaker; it's a stylish display, too. It can hold one 10-by-8-inch photo or artwork, and you can switch out the bezel to match your home decor.

The Samsung Music Frame with Dolby Atmos Music and Sound delivers your favorite songs with clarity and depth. The Q Symphony feature allows the speaker to work with your Samsung TV's built-in speakers, providing an immersive audio experience. Connect it to a soundbar or other audio devices for even more powerful sound. It's also voice assistant enabled, so you can control it via simple voice commands.

This little frame includes a photo mat, wall mount kit, power adapter, stand, and an art panel holder.

SAVE $20: As of April 12, the Apple HomePod Mini is just $79.99 at Best Buy. That's a discount of 20%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Best Buy Apple HomePod Mini $79.99 at Best Buy
$99.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal

A great Bluetooth speaker is essential if you like listening to your favorite tunes and podcasts without committing to a pricey stereo system. There are tons of great choices out there, including the adorable Apple HomePod Mini. This diminutive version of the larger Apple HomePod is not only more affordable than its larger cousin, but it comes in multiple fun colors and still manages to really kick out the jams. If you're curious about bringing one into your home, this sale is a great time to do it.

As of April 12, the Apple HomePod Mini is $79.99 at Best Buy. That's $20 off its normal price of $99.99 and a 20% discount. It comes in five different colors, including a fun neon orange and bright yellow.

The Apple HomePod Mini is an impossibly fun little speaker. Half the fun is in its aesthetics, like many of Apple's products, but that philosophy really shines through here. It's a small spherical speaker that you can place anywhere in your home for loud, crisp sound. Connect to your phone via Siri and queue up music, listen to podcasts, and even control your smart home devices right from the speaker. Its 360-degree room-filling sound is big and bright, and you can even pair two HomePod Mini speakers together for a louder, bolder sound. And if you start out listening on your iPhone, you can use Handoff to continue on the HomePod Mini.

For larger families, you can use this speaker as an intercom as well. It can recognize up to six different voices, so each person has a more personalized experience. It's a small speaker with plenty of functions. If you've been curious about one for a while, now's a great time to lock it in.

With Drive-Away Dolls, Ethan Coen is happily embracing the "trashy" and "stupid." After decades directing alongside his brother Joel (The Tragedy of Macbeth), he's teamed with long-time Coen Bros collaborator Tricia Cooke, who edited a slew of their films alongside the siblings, including O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Man Who Wasn't There, and The Big Lebowski. And the result of Cooke and Coen's latest collaboration, which the married couple co-wrote, edited, and directed together, is a gleefully outrageous comedy about sex, death, and dildos.

Bursting with stars like Geraldine Viswanathan, Margaret Qualley, Beanie Feldstein, Matt Damon, and Pedro Pascal, Drive-Away Dolls shares some DNA with the Coen Bros.' best crime comedies. But under Cooke's influence, there's some spicy new terrain to be trekked. This movie is as racy as it is unabashedly entertaining. And yeah, some may call it trashy. But trashy done right can be a treasure.

SEE ALSO: Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke know critics may not get 'Drive-Away Dolls' What's Drive-Away Dolls about?  Credit: Focus Features

Inspired by Cooke's experiences in lesbian bars in her youth, this 1999-set comedy follows two sapphic besties, uptight Marian (Miracle Workers' Geraldine Viswanathan) and free-spirited Jamie (Sanctuary's Margaret Qualley) on a road trip meant to shake loose the rut that has become their lives. However, what should have been a gleeful getaway peppered with hookups and hot nights becomes intense when they discover they've accidentally crossed a very powerful man (Matt Damon in a surly cameo) and his very violent associates (including Academy Award nominee for Rustin, Colman Domingo). 

Making matters even messier, Jamie's ex Sukie (Beanie Feldstein on fire) is coping with heartbreak through indignation and wrath. So whether or not she'll be a hero or another foe in their journey is a thrilling question that can only be answered outside a lesbian bar with a gun and a dog named Alice B. Toklas. Naturally. 

Like Raising Arizona or The Hudsucker Proxy or The Big Lebowski, Drive-Away Dolls is a tale of good-hearted but naive folks confronted by conspiracy and mayhem they couldn't imagine. But scripted by Coen and Cooke, there's a unique bounciness to the proceedings, which includes a shame-free celebration of sapphic lust. 

Drive-Away Dolls is a giddy queer comedy.  Credit: Focus Features

Fans of Coen Bros banter will thrill over the dialogue, which offers explosions of peculiar pondering, cheeky rejoinders, and witty wordplay. Garrulous, daffy, and ultimately daring, the dynamic lesbian duo at its center fit perfectly in the wider world of H.I., Marge, and even Anton. Qualley and Viswanathan have terrific chemistry and effervescent comedic timing, which makes their odd couple click from a tossed bag of frozen vegetables. Yet on top of familiar Coen fun, there's a generous slather of bawdy jokes about sex, dildos, and an eccentric historical figure (played here by Grammy-winning provocateur Miley Cyrus). 

Just as O Brother, Where Art Thou? ushered audiences into an Odyssean barrage of Southern settings — some charming, some harrowing — Drive-Away Dolls does the same through the lens of its sapphic heroines. Some sequences are set in rainbow-lit bars with body shots on the menu. Another scene embeds us in a slumber party with a circle of female athletes making a game of making out. Seedy hotel rooms become a recurring respite. And when the pair gets to Florida, they drive under the unblinking eyes of a conservative politician's billboard, to which Jamie warns, "Holy shit, Florida. Lesbian, do not let the sun go down on you here" — an ominous reminder that not all spaces are so safe for girls who love girls. 

Featured Video For You What it was like to work with Pedro Pascal's decapitated head SEE ALSO: TikTok lesbian bar debacle raises question: Who belongs in queer spaces?

Beyond these sexy (and sometimes scary) settings, Cooke and Coen also loop in a love story that is silly but sweet. And for Marian, who struggles to flirt — much less fling herself into casual sex — colorful flashbacks look fondly back on a first crush and bit of peeping-tommery that comes off as more winsome than worrisome. 

Drive-Away Dolls' cast kicks ass.  Credit: Focus Features

Qualley and Visawathan are a perfect fit for Cooke and Coen's material, nailing not only the sharp dialogue and crisp pacing but also the physical comedy, which includes mad mugging and the occasional kooky O-face. And they are surrounded by an incredible supporting cast. 

Feldstein is ferocious and funny as a snarling cop. Domingo has sneering swagger as a mysterious tough called The Chief. Joey Slotnick and C.J. Wilson offer a rotted version of the Odd Couple dynamic as a pair of goons; respectively, a gregarious pseudo-intellectual and a growling bruiser. Damon's role is short, but it's not the size that matters here, as he makes the most out of every frame, oozing with a nefarious arrogance. Pedro Pascal, internet obsession and Last of Us star, is likewise seen little yet makes a big impact, leaning not only into his skill for broad comedy but also his Game of Thrones past. 

Last but not least, character actor Bill Camp shines as a growling grump named Curlie, who runs the car rental place where misadventure kicks off. With a scruffy exhaustion and pesky peccadillos he's quick and grumbling to unfurl, he fits in instantly with the coterie of quirky American store clerks who are a precious — though often overlooked — element of Coen Bros iconography. While the leading ladies get the most punchlines, Camp makes his small role count by breathing deeply and hilariously as a bone-tired man who is over this romp before it's even begun. 

Drive-Away Dolls is a treat for those seeking saucy fun. Credit: Focus Features

Thrillingly, Drive-Away Dolls is where the Coen Bros. aesthetic and queer cinema collide, even with only one bro. Teamed with Cooke, Ethan explores the pleasures to be found in a trashy B-movie plot. Unmoored by the pressure to be Oscar material or a big summer blockbuster, this creative team comes up with a comedy that brings fresh dazzle to the underserved subgenre of lesbian laffers. 

Qualley, often dazzling, is an absolute firecracker as a thrill-seeking wild child with a heart of gold. Viswanathan plays the straight man, as it were, grounding the emotional beats and the life-or-death stakes with an alert anxiety. Feldstein walks in Holly Hunter's striding steps, and does so with aplomb. And the rest of the cast positively crackles. 

The jokes are a joy, whether they are born from racing (or racy) repartee, a sultry prop, or a ludicrous plot twist. And overall, there's an exhilarating spontaneity as Cooke and Coen embrace the freedom of a movie that doesn't have to be for everyone.

In the end, Drive-Away Dolls is a joyous romp, stuffed with fun, sex appeal, and stars. What more could we ask for at a night out at the movies? 

Drive-Away Dolls is now streaming on Peacock.

UPDATE: Apr. 12, 2024, 10:00 a.m. EDT Drive-Away Dolls was originally reviewed out its theatrical release on Feb. 23, 2024. The review has been republished tied to its streaming debut.

During a pivotal scene in Strange Way of Life, Pedro Pascal's outlaw Silva reminds Ethan Hawke's Sheriff Jake of a conversation they had 25 years prior: "Years ago, you asked me what two men could do living together on a ranch," Silva whispers. This is both the story crux of Pedro Almodóvar's queer Western short — a tale of former lovers reuniting and reminiscing on the eve of inevitable conflict — as much as it is the film's raison d'être.

A little over two decades ago, Almodóvar had the opportunity to direct Brokeback Mountain — the iconic, tragic drama about two ranchers in love, which was eventually helmed by Ang Lee. But the Spanish maestro declined the project, citing fears that Hollywood wouldn't grant him the freedom necessary to capture two men enraptured by love and "animalistic" lust. His 30-minute cinematic answer, releasing in theaters on Oct. 4, doesn't quite reach the emotional highs of either Lee's Oscar-winning landmark or his own filmography. Often, it seems torn between a hastily truncated feature and an overlong concept short. But despite its unpolished structure and its unwieldy dialogue that tries to bridge dramatic gaps, Almodóvar’s passion for the project is on full display, as is the aforementioned carnality he had once hoped to bring to Brokeback.

What truly sells the film — as a drama in its own right, and as a meta-textual tale of regret — is Hawke's thoughtful, deeply layered performance. His portrayal of Jake proves him once again to be the rare American actor whose career kisses the Hollywood mainstream but who also feels like he belongs to the world of elevated arthouse cinema several oceans away. In Strange Way of Life, which is a Spanish production in the guise of a classic Western, he’s granted the stylistic balance he deserves. This may very well be a career-defining performance, even if the film in question is riddled with imperfections.

SEE ALSO: 'Drive-Away Dolls' cast on working with Pedro Pascal's 'head' Almodóvar sets the mood for his cowboy romance. Credit: Photo by Nico Bustos. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

It's hard to avoid the sense that Strange Way of Life leaves much of its story untold. It introduces us to Jake just as he begins to investigate a murder, which occurs off-screen. It’s here that the lone rider Silva intrudes upon his small town, in the hopes of sharing a drink with him. Stilted spoken exchanges fill in the gaps of who and why, awkwardly revealing both men's connection to the case, but these details quickly (if inelegantly) build emotional walls between them. Despite coming face to face for the first time in decades, they barely see eye to eye. Before long, the movie's quiet moments take control, letting its exposition temporarily fade into the backdrop.

With emotional efficiency, Almodóvar weaves an entire world around Jake and Silva, even though the film is confined to a handful of rooms. The frame lingers on details and objects. Jake's bed, his drawer of undergarments that Silva curiously inspects, an old handkerchief of Silva's that Jake held onto as a keepsake are introduced both through isolated shots that highlight their vital importance to the former couple, as well as through fleeting dialogue that hints at why this relationship must remain behind closed doors.

However, Strange Way of Life doesn't harp on the illicit nature of Jake and Silva's romance. That they must remain closeted in the Old West is simply a tragic given — a concrete, unchanging backdrop that introduces new complications for the duo when they find themselves on opposite sides of the law. In the process, the items that Jake and Silva gaze at longingly become physical reminders of the intangible, of a love that may have once been true but can never be fully real.

SEE ALSO: 25 best movies of 2023, and where to watch them Ethan Hawke outshines Pedro Pascal in Strange Way of Life. Credit: El Deseo. Photo by Iglesias Más. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Strange Way of Life has no qualms about the Wild West being a rough-and-tumble realm of outlaws. Therefore, the physical gentleness shared by Jake and Silva feels like a precious gem, peeking out from the harsh and unforgiving desert sand. Though their confrontations are verbose, both men reveal longing and a sense of unspoken regret through their silences — not only when their gazes meet, but also when they quickly divert their eyes, as if dancing around the specifics of their past is the only way to keep their long-buried heartbreak at bay.

At just 30 minutes long, the short film never has the time to show us what it looks like when all that pain comes rushing to the fore, except for a few moments when Hawke tries to bury it but briefly loses control. Almodóvar's melodrama — with its signature telenovela artifice  — builds but never fully explodes here. Yet Hawke spends all of his screen time approaching that point of irrepressible anger and guilt, letting it guide both Jake’s actions as well as his inactions. His voice grows increasingly hoarse, and increasingly pained, as if Silva's very presence, as a walking reminder of the past, were too much for him to bear. Hawke's work is stunning to behold.

Pascal is by no means a minor player, but sadly, Silva is saddled with the lion's share of the "Hey, remember that time—" dialogue, while Jake is afforded practically all the remembering. Silva's motives are, unfortunately, only clarified in retrospect, so it can be hard to read him the first time around. However, upon revisiting Strange Way of Life a second time, it reveals layers to Pascal's performance that might be unclear upon initial watch. It's a film that obfuscates much of its drama before haphazardly scattering it across the floor like stray LEGO blocks, owing to its limited runtime. But once Pascal begins to pick up the pieces, the film’s emotional mysteries begin clicking into place. 

Despite the truncated length, Hawke and Pascal weave an entire history together through their interactions, their hesitant body language, and their brief but passionate physical rendezvous. Almodóvar and cinematographer José Luis Alcaine's camera captures them unabashedly as aged men attempting to live out both the violent and romantic fantasies of the young. Closeups of heavy eyes tell of life lived, and the wrinkles around them hint at laughs laughed — both together and apart. However, what helps solidify this idea is a peek into the past, in a brief flashback scene that further synthesizes this theme and allows it to be truly felt, rather than merely spoken. 

Strange Way of Life idealizes the past in a haunting way.   Credit: El Deseo. Photo by Nico Bustos. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

While Hawke and Pascal play broken men beset by regret, a minor scene set decades in the past sees Jake and Silva played by Jason Fernández and José Condessa. These are young, beautiful men who feel as though they belong on a contemporary catwalk rather than in a Western — a fitting flourish, since the short was co-financed by fashion house Saint Laurent — though the exuberant sheen of this flashback is more than just eye candy.

The scene, which involves the two men, a trio of women, and pistols and wine, is rife with the kind of unbridled sexual passion Almodóvar spoke of when justifying his decision to leave Brokeback Mountain. It's less explicit than Lee's eventual film, but it's arguably more impassioned and intoxicating. It's practically bacchanalian, and it breathes life into Jake and Silva's past in a way their words in the present don't seem to.

This disconnect, between the way words and images paint a picture of the past, does rob the film of its power on occasion — the flashback only takes up a fraction of the half-hour runtime — but this dynamic speaks to the dissonance between how Jake and Silva see their past selves and their lovelorn romance, and the people they have now become. Strange Way of Life is by no means in the same league as Almodóvar’s Pain and Glory, which treads similar territory about regret but with much more poetry and emotional heft. Jake and Silva's words, on the other hand, are clunky, grasping at meaning that never fully coalesces. But the images that depict this past are pristine, making their present predicament all the more melancholy.

In fact, the film's visual language draws us in and out of these flashbacks using both men's close-ups, as if we were witnessing not the subjective memory of either character but a shared fantasy. Here plays a depiction of emotions and physical sensations that they may never be able to recapture. Rather than the memory of any one person, it's the memory of the film itself, harkening back to echoes of what Almodovar might have conceived of years ago, had he made Brokeback Mountain in 2005. This peculiar editing approach frames these images as idealizations of a film that never was and could never be. They exist now only as the fantasies of an older and wiser man — one who perhaps lives with artistic regrets, even if the film doesn’t have the time or bandwidth to fully explore this instinct. 

Strange Way of Life may be slight in its runtime and overall scope, but it features undeniably powerful moments courtesy of its daring performances, as well as its eye toward a likely imperfect past depicted with a sense of impossible perfection. It's the kind of luxuriant filmmaking at which Almodóvar excels, and the kind that makes his brief Western foray so watchable and alluring.

Strange Way of Life is now streaming on Netflix.

UPDATE: Apr. 12, 2024, 9:00 a.m. EDT Strange Way of Life was reviewed out of the New York Film Festival. This review has been rerun for its Netflix debut.

Whether you've just purchased your first vibrator or you're a seasoned dildo user, it's important to learn how to properly care for it. One major safety precaution you need to take — before both solo and partner play — is to clean your sex toy.

While it may not sound sexy, cleaning your toys is essential. "Pleasure products can help you embrace confidence, help navigate intimate desires and boundaries and boost self-love," said Kristin Fretz, co-founder and CMO of Emojibator. "But having an experience like getting a UTI from a vibrator is not just uncomfortable and can be extremely painful if left untreated, but it perpetuates the shame around masturbation and can create individual resistance to self-pleasure."

SEE ALSO: Own your pleasure: A guide to the best sex toys for women

If the pandemic taught us anything, it's that we should all try to be more mindful about sanitization — especially when it comes to the most sensitive areas of your body. While it may not seem sexy, cleaning your sex toys can just be another (perhaps the last) step when you masturbate or play with a partner. Just as you wash your body after sex and rigorously wash your hands after…well, touching anything, cleaning sex toys is crucial to being as safe and healthy as possible.

Furthermore, you'll want to find a clean space to store your clean sex toy. Not doing so would basically make washing them useless. It'd be like washing your hands only to cough into them seconds later; you'd have to rewash them. Many toys come with their own pouch, which is useful, but there are many other options available too.

To help you avoid getting into an unpleasant or even downright dangerous situation, Mashable spoke with three experts, including Fretz, about how to clean sex toys in the safest and most thorough way.

What sex toy material can you clean?

You can, and probably should, think about how you're going to clean a new toy even before purchasing one. Look for nonporous material, such as silicone, because a porous sex toy is more likely to hold harmful bacteria according to Laurie Mintz. Mintz is a Ph.D., author of Becoming Cliterate and A Tired Woman’s Guide to Passionate Sex as well as the "sexpert" for sex toy brand LELO.

Here are a few examples of what kind of porous material you might find in a sex toy: hard plastic, elastomer, thermoplastic elastomer (TPR), or jelly rubber. Since these materials can hold bacteria even after they've been cleaned, Mintz recommends toys using medical-grade materials such as medical-grade silicone. If your toy doesn't come with instructions on how best to clean it, you can ask the merchant who sold it to you for advice about what will work best.

SEE ALSO: I tried Poco, MysteryVibe's new smart, bendable vibrator

That being said, there are some precautions you can take if you do choose to use a porous toy. Lisa Finn, a sex educator for the sex toy shop Babeland, has a few recommendations. If you properly clean your toy with a mild soap and water and store it safely — in a clean toy bag or box, kept away from other porous toys — porous sex toys can be kept safe for solo use. When using them with a partner, as an anal toy, or if you are particularly prone to developing a yeast infection, Finn suggests using a condom on your porous toy. If your toy changes color or starts to smell, it's time to retire it.

Finn said that shopping at a trusted retailer can ensure that your toys are high quality and not made out of "novelty" materials like jelly rubber.

Shopping at a trusted retailer can ensure that your toys are high quality. Can I wash sex toys with soap and water?

All of the experts agreed that most sex toys can be cleaned with mild antibacterial soap and warm water. (Be sure to wash them for at least 20 seconds, just like washing your hands! And remember to dry them with a clean towel.) Mintz recommends this for both a motorized or non-motorized silicone, stainless steel, or glass toy. Finn said this technique will usually do the trick for nonporous toys.

What about sex toy cleaners?

While a soapy washcloth and water works in many cases, you can also buy specialized sex toy cleaner. This is Mintz's preferred method, and she advises people to look for a water-based cleaner that's both alcohol and paraben-free. She recommends — and uses herself — LELO's Toy Cleaning Spray. For those looking to compare options, Babeland has a toy cleaner as well.

"READ. THE. INGREDIENTS of any toy cleaner," said Fretz, who compared cleaning an adult toy to eating anything delicious: You want to know exactly what's going in your body.

SEE ALSO: We're in a sex toy revolution. Here's how you can join.

"If you can’t pronounce most of the words listed, you should double check the liquid you’re using to clean your toys that go inside your body are not harmful. Also make sure your cleaner is compatible with the material of your sex toy," she said. This information is usually available on the toy company or merchant's website.

Also, do not put toy cleaners directly on genitals. Avoid bleaches and toxic cleaners. Remember, the vulva is extremely absorbent and you don't want bleach anywhere near there.

Cleaning your sex toys is essential. Credit: Bob Al-Greene / Mashable Can I wash toys in the dishwasher? What about boiling water?

"Just like in Broad City, you’ll want to avoid putting anything in the dishwasher that isn’t dishwasher safe, which is all vibrators and many plastics," said Fretz. "Same goes for boiling toys, which can melt and warm most materials."

Some nonporous material, like a pure silicone toy, can be boiled — as long as it's a waterproof toy and there's not a motor inside that can be destroyed by the heat, according to Finn. "Boil these toys for 1-3 minutes, making sure that they’re completely submerged and you’re keeping an eye on 'em."

If you're considering washing your toys in the dishwasher, know that dish soap can leave a residue — which is why Finn doesn't recommend it. Non-motorized toys made of silicone, glass, or stainless steel can be placed in the dishwasher without soap for 5 to 10 minutes, according to Mintz.

What about cleaning sex toys with UV light?

If you're looking for a gadget to help you with your cleaning process, there are two UV sterilizers on the market: UVee and b-Vibe UV Sterilizer Pouch. Finn calls both products amazing, but here's a caveat: While they disinfect, they don't clean.

Finn recommends you still wash or wipe down your toy with a damp cloth after use, because while UV light kills bacteria, it won't get rid of, say, bodily fluids or dust.

SEE ALSO: What to look for when buying a sex toy Can I clean sex toys with wipes?

Yes, you can, but they're really best used in combination with other methods. "Post play wipes are great intermediate cleaning if you don’t have a cleaner or running water on hand," said Fretz, "but you’ll want to fully disinfect it with an anti-bacterial cleaner or soap and water as soon as you can."

How often should I clean my sex toys?

After every use, without question. If you don't do this, bacteria left behind can multiply exponentially, said Fretz. Since genital tissue is sensitive (and for those with a vulva and vagina, extremely absorbent), not routinely cleaning sex toys after every use could result in yeast infections, urinary tract infections, and bacterial vaginosis flareups.

How should I store my sex toys?

How you store your sex toys is arguably just as important as how you clean them. If you clean your toy, but then stick it in a drawer with other dirty sex toys, it's just going to pick up bacteria again. So it's key to store your toy in a case, if it came with one. If it didn't, you can use a clean container with a closure like a makeup bag with a zipper or Velcro closure works, according to Mintz. Store your sex toys with the same care you do other sensitive items, such as a menstrual cup.

While you may not have been taught about sex toy cleaning — or sex toys, period — in sex ed, it's a crucial step to protect yourself and your partners. "Like any consumer product, you need to take care of it," said Fretz. "You oil your cast iron pots and cutting boards. You wind your watches. Part of the care of a sex toy, ensuring that it's the same quality product you received in the sanitary seal, in addition to charging or changing the batteries, is regular cleaning."

This article was first published in 2020 and republished in 2024.

Humane Ai Pin reviews are in.

Critiques poured in on Thursday, with journalists voicing their harsh opinions on a device touted as the next "smartphone killer."

Humane boasts that the Ai Pin, a display-less wearable that can project virtual information onto your palms and take voice-activated commands, is a revolutionary device that can potentially jumpstart a "screenless" future.

But the question is, is Humane blowing hot air — or is the Humane Ai Pin truly a future smartphone disruptor?

Reviewers bluntly answered this question with harsh critiques. But first, here's a quick refresh on what, exactly, the Humane Ai Pin is.

What is the Humane Ai Pin?

Mashable's Chance Townsend had a chance to have some hands-on experience with Humane Ai Pin at SXSW. But you may be wondering, what is it and why is it setting the internet abuzz?

Credit: Humane

The Humane Ai Pin, as its name suggests, is a pin with AI capabilities you can wear on your clothing. It doesn't have a screen. As Mashable's Cecily Mauran explained, it can do the following futuristic things:

• Instead of relying on a display, it projects green virtual imagery onto your palm

• It handles tasks, search, and commands via your voice. It can also answer questions by tapping into the AI that underpins it.

• It can translate languages in real time.

• It can identify objects and tell you about them (e.g., telling you how much protein is in a handful of almonds)

• It can take photos and videos with a double-tap for the former and a long press with the latter

But of course, that just scratches the surface of its capabilities. Let's dive into this review roundup so you can get a proper overview of the Human Ai Pin's purpose.

Humane Ai Pin: 5 things critics disliked about it

This overview comes from a handful of reviews, from The Washington Post to The Verge. Here are the five most common complaints:

1. Humane Ai Pin's on-palm projection is a fail

As mentioned, the Humane Ai Pin can project visual artifacts on your palm via the device's laser projector display.

Credit: Humane

It's a cool idea in theory, however, the execution has been poor, according to critics.

"I'm going to say it now: Humane's laser projector display is never going to take off as a viable method of interacting with a gadget. It's overly sensitive and slow to navigate." - Wired

"The projector’s 720p resolution is crap, and it only projects green light, but it does a good-enough job of projecting text onto your hand unless you’re in bright light, and then it’s just about invisible." -The Verge

"The projector is basically unreadable when you’re in the sun. Summer’s just around the corner, and it’s sure to offer plenty of warm days I don’t want my phone to get in the way of, but the Pin is much less useful in broad daylight." -The Washington Post

On top of that, as you'll find in the next section, interacting with this green projection has been challenging, too.

2. Humane Ai Pin gestures are frustrating

Because the Humane Ai Pin doesn't have a screen, it heavily relies on users' hand gestures (e.g., pinching and tilting one's hand) to navigate the UI.

Unfortunately, many critics say that the gestures are too complex to use. In some cases, reviewers found that the Ai Pin failed to "understand" their intended selections.

"Even after two weeks, I still find myself struggling to select just the right menu options" -The Washington Post

"I swear to you, I never once managed to select the correct icon on the first time. It's way too many interaction systems to memorize, especially when none of them work very well." -The Verge

"Tilt too much and it moves past the icon you want, landing on the thing next to it. It's just plain annoying. Using the projected interface to run through old text messages is also a chore." -Wired

"Pinching can feel a bit awkward especially when keeping your palm open. Tilting and moving my hand farther out or closer to select numbers, to enter my passcode for unlocking the Humane AI Pin every time I attach it to my clothes, is a hassle." -CNET

Humane's co-founders are former Apple employees, but unfortunately, they haven't been able to secure the Vision Pro's beloved hand-gesture magic.

3. You must pay $24 a month to use it

The Humane Ai Pin absolutely requires you to pay $24 for a monthly subscription to T-Mobile's network. On the plus side, you'll get three months for free to start. But if that expires, and you fail to pay the data fee, the Ai Pin will become inoperable, Wired said.

Credit: Humane

The Washington Post remarked that this is "annoying," particularly because you need an additional cellular connection that's not connected to your existing number. Without it, it won't answer your questions nor execute commands.

4. Sound is an issue, especially music

WaPo noted that while phone calls sounded good on the Ai Pin's built-in speaker, if you're standing in a crowd, it's easy for that sound to get drowned out (though you can rectify this by connecting it to a pair of Bluetooth headphones like Apple AirPods).

Credit: Humane

The Verge took it one step further and tested music on the Humane Ai Pin. To its dismay, it only supports the Tidal music app (for now). Unfortunately, however, the reviewer discovered that the "connection is as broken as anything else on the AI Pin."

After trying to play Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album, the reviewer found that the Ai Pin failed to play the tunes they were seeking.

"Bongiorno [one of the co-founders of Humane] says this particular bug has been fixed, but I still can’t get Tidal to play Cowboy Carter consistently. It’s just broken," The Verge said.

5. Overheating issues

Several critics noticed that the Humane Ai Pin would get warm — too warm.

Credit: Humane

"The Pin starts to overheat pretty quickly when you’re making back-to-back requests or using the Pin’s projector for too long [...]. When that happens, don’t be surprised when the Pin cuts off contact for a while as it cools off." -The Washington Post

"It’s pretty much constantly warm. In my testing, it never got truly painfully hot, but after even a few minutes of using it, I could feel the battery like a hand warmer against my skin." -The Verge

"It emanates this light warmth that is still hard to ignore, especially if you're wearing a light hoodie or a T-shirt. It just makes my body feel a bit warmer in that one specific area" -Wired

It's worth noting that Bongiorno told The Verge that the warmth comes from overuse or issues with a poor connection. In these cases, the device is "aggressive" about shutting down when it gets too warm.

Is the Humane Ai Pin worth it?

On the plus side, some critics praised the Humane Ai Pin for its ability to translate languages, with Wired calling its real-time translation feature "solid." Others praised its design in that it can be pinned in a location that is convenient (on your chest).

A few appreciated the Humane Center, a hub where you can find your photos and videos after taking them via the Pin. Keep in mind, though, according to Wired, you can only access it "when the Pin is on Wi-Fi and charging."

Another cool feature some highlighted is the Ai Pin's ability to identify objects in one's environment before telling them some information about them (although some critics noted that the AI's response was sometimes inaccurate).

However, when it comes to recommending the Ai Pin, all said no.

"Should you buy this thing? That one’s easy. Nope. Nuh-uh. No way," The Verge concluded.

As the weather warms up, the late April light show that is the Lyrid meteor shower is many people's opportunity to dust off their stargazing blankets (not to mention their favorite hot beverage containers) and get back to looking up at the night sky in 2024. Renewed fascination in the heavenly spheres stimulated by the total solar eclipse earlier this month is probably also goosing interest in the Lyrids. 

But the almost full moon has other plans. Its brightness will be less than optimal. However, that doesn't have to completely ruin this opportunity to look up. 

SEE ALSO: The best telescopes for gazing at stars and solar eclipses in 2024 When to watch the Lyrids in 2024

Either stay up super late the night of April 21, or wake up in the pre-dawn hours of April 22, because peak activity is expected at 5:23 a.m. ET. That moment of peak activity is really where you should direct your effort, because the Lyrids come fast and furious within a compressed time window — sometimes at a rate of 100 meteor sightings per hour. You won't really get the flexibility you get with a longer show like the Perseids, which stick around for weeks. On the plus side, the focused intensity of the Lyrids can include fireballs, according to the American Meteor Society. 

How do I see the Lyrids when the moon is bright?

A bright waxing gibbous moon ahead of the full moon arriving on April 23 will undoubtedly add to your meteor-spotting difficulty level. That doesn't mean it won't be possible to see the shower, but it does mean extra effort will be rewarded. For instance, getting a nice view of any meteor shower usually requires you to minimize light pollution by putting about forty miles between yourself and the nearest city. That's even truer in these lunar conditions.

So the moon will be a buzzkill, and it's not always possible to take a drive out into nature, but think of it this way: when visibility is ideal, you can usually see four to eight meteors per hour even when there's no meteor shower. That means during the Lyrids, even if you just watch the sky from suburbia for an hour and you glimpse ten meteors, you got a pretty good show on the whole.

Oh, and your night vision will work better if you don't acclimate your eyes to a glowing screen, so keep your phone in your pocket. 

What are the Lyrids anyway? 

Most meteor showers owe their existence to the debris left by passing comets orbiting our sun, and the Lyrids are no different. They're a streak of dust left by Comet Thatcher, which last appeared in 1861 (and won't be back until 2278). When our orbit carries us through the trail each year, the result is a show of pyrotechnics as the grain-of-rice-sized chunks burn up in our atmosphere. 

Meteors streak across the entire sky, but if you're having trouble seeing the action, it can help a bit to look for the radiant point, the spot in the sky where the glowing meteors can be seen. We generally map radiant points with the stars or constellations they overlap, which can create the false impression that meteors originate from many light-years away, when they're actually colliding with our planet. In North America, the radiant point of the Lyrids overlaps more or less with the star Vega in the constellation Lyra, which will rise just a little before midnight, and be at its highest just before dawn. 

So bring patience, hot drinks, and — if you're feeling utterly lost — a stargazing app will direct your attention to the radiant point. But given the brightness of the moon, the problem might not be your sense of direction. This just might not be your year to see the Lyrids.

If you've been dabbling in digital assets, you may be tempted to skip telling the Internal Revenue Service about crypto-related transactions on your annual tax filing.

But that could be a costly omission, says Lisa Zarlenga, who advises clients on cryptocurrency tax issues as tax partner at the law firm Steptoe. The IRS has been "cracking down" on taxpayers who don't disclose their taxable digital asset transactions as required by law, according to Zarlenga.

Though the agency must take certain steps to obtain the information, Zarlenga says the IRS can track down your digital asset transactions. That means you could be subject to penalties if you fail to report digital assets.

SEE ALSO: When is the last day to file taxes?

"Some people might think, 'Oh, well, they're never going to find out about me…' I wouldn't necessarily assume that," says Zarlenga.

With that in mind, here are four basic things to know about when and how to report digital assets in your tax return:

1. When you need to report digital assets

Zarlenga says that the IRS treats digital assets as property, like a car, for tax purposes. If you buy, sell, or trade property, you may be subject to taxes. The same is true of digital assets like cryptocurrency.

A taxpayer must answer yes or no to the following question on the front of the IRS Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return: "At any time during 2023, did you: (a) receive (as a reward, award, or payment for property or services); or (b) sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of a digital asset (or a financial interest in a digital asset)?"

If you owned digital assets but had no transactions, the IRS says you can check no in response to this question. You may also check no if you only had certain nontaxable activities, such as purchasing and holding digital assets or transferring them from one wallet to another wallet, both of which are in your control.

2. How to report digital assets

If you have reportable digital asset transactions, they must be disclosed on Form 8949, Sales and Other Dispositions of Capital Assets, and on Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses.

The good news is that centralized digital asset platforms can help with reporting digital asset transactions if they provide monthly or yearly statements. Use this information to report all income from any digital asset transactions.

If your transactions did not take place on a centralized platform, Zarlenga says you can buy crypto tax software that is geared toward tracking that activity. (In 2026, for transactions occurring in 2025, taxpayers should begin receiving Forms 1099-DA from their digital asset brokers, similar to the Form 1099-B received from their stock brokers.)

SEE ALSO: Best last-minute tax software deals: Make the April 15 deadline and save big

When transactions are more complex, like lending tokens or providing liquidity to a decentralized exchange, they may fall into a gray area for reporting related income, because the IRS has not provided guidance, Zarlenga says. If you are at all confused about what to report or you're an active trader with frequent transactions, Zarlenga recommends working with a certified public accountant who knows how to report digital asset income to the IRS.

The agency also maintains a frequently asked questions page that you can consult to learn more about reporting digital asset income.

3. What happens if you fail to report digital assets

With its summons power, the IRS can seek and obtain account information on the more significant transactions that take place on platforms like Coinbase and Kraken. If your activity shows up in these reports but not on your return, the IRS would likely send you a letter of inquiry, which could become a full-fledged audit, says Zarlenga.

If the IRS learns that you have not reported digital asset income, it can assess the new tax owed, plus interest, and will likely impose a penalty. Zarlenga says that penalty could be for negligence or disregard of the rules, substantial understatement, or even fraud, depending on the IRS' findings.

In general, penalties for these violations are 20 percent of the underpayment, or in the case of fraud, 75 percent of the underpayment. The IRS may also choose to refer a case for criminal investigation.

4. How to fix your return if you failed to report digital assets

If you've already submitted a return but want to change how you reported digital asset transactions, Zarlenga says you can file a superseding return until the tax return is due, on April 15, 2024. Be sure to file the new return prior to the due date or file an extension if you expect to miss that deadline.

If Tax Day has come and gone, you'll need to file an amended return.

Zarlenga says taxpayers shouldn't worry that proactively correcting their mistake will land them in hot water with the IRS.

Instead, the riskier thing to do is play the audit lottery, says Zarlenga: "Generally, if they find you on an audit, your chances of having a higher penalty are greater."

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 April 12 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for April 12

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, April 12, 2024:

Across___ Cline, first solo female artist inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame

• The answer is Patsy.

Show one's feelings

• The answer is emote.

Put on the wall, as a poster

• The answer is pinup.

Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire

• The answer is gin.

Part of a play

• The answer is act.

DownEnthusiastic energy

The answer is pep.

Female friend, in Spanish

• The answer is amiga.

Common mixer for 8-Across

• The answer is tonic.

Double feature in the movies?

• The answer is stunt.

"Mm-hmm"

• The answer is yep.

It's not the sexiest part of vibrator ownership, but properly cleaning and storing your vibrator is an important thing you should do for your own sexual health.

Dirty vibrators aren't just gross, they can be dangerous too — germs from dirty toys can cause yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis or worse.

Fortunately, cleaning a vibrator is just about as easy as washing your hands, and certainly you've had plenty of practice at the latter by now!

How to clean your vibrator

Truly, cleaning a vibrator is extremely easy. The best thing to use is a mild soap that you'd use on your body, like liquid or foaming hand soap, a clear body wash (avoid using body washes that contain microbeads or moisturizers), or bar soap.

Wet the vibrator and a cloth with warm water, apply soap to the damp cloth, and gently wash the toy with the soapy washcloth for 20 seconds. Then simply rinse it under warm running water and dry thoroughly with a clean towel. That's all!

SEE ALSO: The best sex toy deals to shop this week

It's worth noting that specialized foaming or spray sex toy cleaners are available, and they are a perfectly good, if slightly more expensive, choice. One benefit that a toy cleaner offers over soap and water is transportability, i.e., you can toss a small bottle of sex toy cleaner in a purse or overnight bag and rest well knowing you'll be able to clean your toy even in circumstances where you may not have access to soap and running water.

To use a toy cleaner, apply the spray or foaming cleaner directly to the vibrator, leave the product on the surface of the toy for the length of time specified by the manufacturer (usually 5-10 seconds), and then wipe or rinse the vibrator clean.

Should you use vibrator cleaning wipes?

Sex toy cleaning wipes are a very good thing to know about when it comes to caring for your vibrator. They're an incredibly convenient — stash a pack in a bedside table drawer, or toss a package in a Dopp kit for use when traveling. They also can double as personal wipes to remove bodily fluids, lube, sweat, etc. from your body after sex, both solo or coupled.

But while sex toy cleaning wipes are perfect for cleaning a vibrator in between uses, there are some drawbacks: They can leave behind fluids and bacteria, so they shouldn't entirely replace a deeper cleaning with mild soap and water, but instead be used as a quick cleaning solution.

Related Video: 5 ways to safely clean your sex toys Mistakes to avoid when cleaning your vibrator

Given that it's the most important rule of sex toy cleaning, this bears repeating: Clean a vibrator after each use, and never, ever store a dirty toy. Keeping sex toys clean and dry will help to prevent infections that are caused when bacteria is left to linger after use.

Another rule to live by when cleaning sex toys of any kind or material, including but not limited to vibrators, is to avoid using any cleaning products that you wouldn't put in your body. So: Don't soak your vibrators in bleach, don't spray your dildos with Windex, and don't use Soft Scrub on your butt plugs. If it doesn't go in your vagina or anus, it shouldn't go on your vibrator. Antibacterial soap that is designed for use on skin is fine to use, but not necessary.

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

And one last thing: Even if they're waterproof, motorized toys shouldn't be cleaned in the dishwasher. The heating element on dishwashers is too hot, and it can cause damage to a vibrator's motor. Non-motorized toys can be washed in the top rack of the dishwasher, provided they are waterproof.

How to store your sex toys

An important, and easy-to-overlook, part of keeping a vibrator (or any sex toy) clean, is how and where it's stored while not in use. Improper storage will leave a vibrator exposed to bacteria and airborne pollutants, and using a dirty toy can lead to infections. Before putting a vibrator away, it must be clean and dry, and it should be stored in a bag or box of its own to keep it from getting dirty while not in use.

This article was first published in 2020 and republished in 2024.

Love comes in many forms — be it romantic, platonic, familial. And each of those forms of love deserve to be celebrated.

National Girlfriend Day is a day for celebrating female friendship. So, if you didn't get a chance to show your gal pals any love on Galentine's Day (Feb. 13), then mark your calendars for the chance to spoil them.

While the day was originally set up to honour the women in our lives, there's no one preventing couples from taking part too. Valentine's Day only happens once a year, so why not seize this opportunity to make your partner feel extra-special?

SEE ALSO: Our favorite tech gifts: Treat yourself to a new toy with that tax return money When it National Girlfriend Day?

National Girlfriend Day is celebrated each year on August 1.

What is National Girlfriend Day?

Established in 2004, National Girlfriend Day was created by lifestyle blogger Mistress Susan as a way for gal pals to show love for one another.

All that remains to be done is decide how you're going to celebrate. Need gift inspo? Try out Mashable's Gift Lab to find the perfect gift.

Another day, another bit of drama on X.

This time, yet again, it's the old blue check marks in the spotlight. In the pre-Elon Musk era these had to be applied for, before the platform's new owner swept in and started charging people $8 for them. Then everyone began making fun of people who paid, and finally X allowed those people to get the same Premium benefits but keep the blue check hidden to avoid ridicule.

And now? Yep, X is backtracking on that.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's X pushed a fake headline about Iran attacking Israel. X's AI chatbot Grok made it up.

"The hide your checkmark feature of X Premium is going away soon," reads a notification screenshotted by Premium users. "Tap to manage your X premium features."

Tweet may have been deleted

Given that X recently starting handing out blue check marks to certain influential accounts for free (whether they wanted it or not) again, the timing of this update seems deliberate.

All in all, it hasn't been a good couple of weeks for the social media platform. X recently began forcibly changing "Twitter" to "X" in URLs people were posting, which resulted in a number of those same URLs breaking. A study was also released that showed a rise in anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate speech on the platform. And a couple of weeks back, a report showed that use of X/Twitter is down by almost a quarter since Musk took charge.