This digest compiles the latest from Mashable.
Today’s Mashable Roundup
HBO Max and Paramount+ are combining into one streaming service
HBO Max and Paramount+ are combining into one streaming service, but details about how exactly it’ll work are still a little thin.
Paramount CEO David Ellison spoke about his plans for the platforms during an investor call on Monday, with the announcement that his company has fended off Netflix in its bid to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery.
“We will combine the streaming portfolios of the two companies into one stronger platform over the coming years,” Ellison said. “Across the two platforms, there are over 200 million DTC [direct to consumer] subscribers today and more than 100 countries and territories worldwide, positioning us to compete effectively with the leading streaming services in today’s marketplace.”
The $111 billion deal will see Paramount own 100 percent of WBD and value the company at $31 per share. The deal has “unanimously approved” by both company boards, but still has to get the green light from U.S. and European regulators. It’s worth noting that Paramount sees the merger as “expected to close in Q3 2026”, so it may be a while off yet.
“At Paramount, by the middle of this year,” Ellison added later in the call, “we’ll have completed the consolidation of our three services under one unified stack, and you can see us taking a similar approach to this platform going forward. And we think the combined offering, and given the amount of content and what we can do from the tech side, really will put us in a position to be able to compete with the most scaled players in DTC.”
As to how much the new combined platform will cost, all we can do is refer to the current prices. HBO Max offers three subscription plans starting with the Basic with Ads plan at $10.99 per month, or $109.99 per year. Paramount+ is cheaper and has two tiers: one with ads ($8.99 per month, or $89.99 per year) and one without ads ($13.99 per month, or $139.99 per year).
Ellison also highlighted what will be the combined Paramount/WBD catalogue including franchises “from Harry Potter to Top Gun, Star Trek to Looney Tunes, Game of Thrones to Yellowstone.” In particular, Ellison said on the call that he plans for HBO to “be able to operate with independence.”
“Our viewpoint is that HBO should stay HBO,” he said. “They’ve built a phenomenal brand, they’re a leader in the space, and we just want them to continue doing more of it. But by bringing the platforms together all of our content will be able to reach even a broader audience than we can do standalone.”
When asked, Ellison said his favorite HBO show is Game of Thrones, so that’s probably good news for House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms at least.
Apple is anticipating high demand from its March 4 releases
Apple is reportedly planning for a big week — and warning retailers that its sales figures could be bonkers.
The news came from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, one of the preeminent sources on everything Apple. Gurman wrote that the tech giant has warned retailers that this week’s releases — especially its budget iPhone 17e and MacBook — could drive major interest.
Wrote Gurman in his Power On newsletter:
“Apple prepares for major rush to retail stores driven by new products. The company has told retail stores to expect an influx of customers in response to products being introduced this week. Some employees are even saying that the prelaunch planning is on par with what happens before the debut of new iPhones in the fall. That suggests Apple expects serious pent-up demand for the new offerings — and that at least one of the products will have major mainstream appeal.”
Apple is slowly releasing the details of new products this week. Monday already brought the news of the iPhone 17e, a budget-friendly offering starting at $599. It also announced a new M4 iPad Air, which starts at $599. Pre-orders for the devices begin on Wednesday, March 4.
Apple has been smashing sales records since the release of the iPhone 17 lineup in September 2025. Tim Cook said last year the iPhone 17 has been in extremely high demand, and the company recently announced record-breaking quarterly revenue driven by iPhone sales. In January, Apple officially became the most popular global smartphone brand, surpassing Samsung.
With the launch of budget versions of its signature products, the company could see even higher revenue in the months to come. Apple is expected to make more announcements on Monday or Tuesday, ahead of a Apple to host a ‘special experience’ on March 4. What might happen..
With all the incoming news, it certainly appears to be a big week for Apple and its fans.
The Anker Solix F2000 portable power station is on sale for over half off at Amazon — save $1,150
SAVE $1,150: The Anker Solix F2000 portable power station is on sale for $849, down from the list price of $1,999. That’s a 58% discount.
By now, you’ve heard the buzz about portable power stations. They’re useful in tons of situations like power outages at home, movie nights in the yard, and camping. While winter feels like it’s dragging on, we’ll eventually crawl out into spring and summer. If you’re securing campsite reservations, consider if your trips could use an upgrade with a portable power station. There’s a worthy model on sale today at Amazon.
As of March 2, the Anker Solix F2000 portable power station is on sale for $849, down from the list price of $1,999. That’s a 58% discount.
If you’re looking for something that offers more power than simply keeping your phones charged, the Solix F2000 could be perfect for your camping adventures. The station has 2,048Wh of battery capacity with a max output of 2,800W. In total, it has 12 ports that include 4 standard AC ports, a 30 amp plug, three USB-C, two USB-A, and more.
In real life terms, the Anker Solix F2000 will keep an air fryer cooking dinner for almost two hours, a projector powered up for over 24 hours, and recharge phones for 130 hours. You could also whip up some frozen margaritas at the campsite, blending for almost two hours thanks to the power of the Solix F2000. Back at home, the power station can keep a refrigerator on for 10 hours during a power outage or provide over 32 hours of operation for a CPAP machine.
Since the Solix F2000 weighs over 65 pounds, Anker equipped it with durable, all-terrain wheels and a telescoping handle. Both of these design features will be handy around the campground.
While it’s on sale for well over half off, upgrade your summer plans with the Anker Solix F2000 for under $850. You’ll be able to power up the campsite and have reassurance at home when the power goes out.
Find a gift that kids will actually like
When it comes to gifting, kids can be particular. The things kids like change not just with age, but also with evolving trends from TV shows and new technology. If parents are lucky enough, their kid will write a long list of the precise items they’d like as a birthday or Christmas or Hannukkah gift and put it up on the fridge with pride. But sometimes, it can be as much of a crapshoot as coming up with a gift idea for someone else’s kid. Without further ado, here are the best gifts for kids of all ages — including toy and non-toy gifts alike.
Best tech gifts, picked by professional gadget nerds
The coolest tech gifts may look like the most boring box in the present pile… until they’re unwrapped. But in a second, you’ll both unlock a new favorite memory: They get to gush over owning one of the most sought-after gadgets of the year, and you get to watch their face light up.
Our tech gift guide for 2025 includes some of the best new releases of the year from Apple, Nintendo, Shark, Razer, and GoPro, most of which we personally reviewed. We’re obviously loving the latest upgrades, like the AirPods Pro 3 and the long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2. But even if you’re not shopping for an early adopter, we’ve still found some awesome under-the-radar gadgets that’ll speak to their niche interests. The skincare enthusiast on your list may not care about the new fleet of Echos that Amazon just announced, but they will freak over the Shark LED face mask.
To find the best holiday gifts for the techies in your life, Mashable’s tech and shopping reporters have come together to curate a guide to our favorite gift-worthy gadgets of the year — the true ‘I can’t believe you got this for me’ gifts. So, whether you’re splurging on an iPad or searching for stocking stuffers, here are the best tech gifts for 2025.
LGs ultra-fast 27-inch OLED gaming monitor is 20% off at Amazon
SAVE 20%: As of March 2, you can get the LG Ultragear QHD OLED gaming monitor for $799.99, down from $999.99, at Amazon. That’s a 20% discount or $200 savings.
There’s nothing more frustrating than having the reflexes to beat your opponent, only to lose because your monitor couldn’t keep up with the action. If you’re tired of screen tearing and motion blur ruining your gameplay, LG makes a top-tier OLED display that’s at its best price yet.
As of March 2, you can get the LG Ultragear QHD OLED gaming monitor for $799.99, down from $999.99, at Amazon. That’s a 20% discount or $200 savings.
This 27-inch matte QHD display is built for competitive speed and clarity. It features a Dual Mode hotkey that lets you switch between QHD at 540Hz and HD at 720Hz. Combine that with a near-instant 0.02ms response time, NVIDIA G-Sync Compatibility, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and your games should stay fluid and tear-free. It’s also LG’s brightest OLED gaming monitor to date (according to the manufacturer).
The best college graduation gifts for life in the real world
Graduation season is creeping up on us and that can mean only one thing: it’s time to figure out what to give your favorite grad to welcome them to post-college reality. Graduates are about to enter the often overwhelming (and sometimes terrifying) world we call adulthood, and you’re tasked with giving them something to help ease the transition. The trick is to find that sweet spot between something your college grad will really need in life and something they’ll actually want to use. New graduates might not even know what they need to survive post-grad life — but that’s where you come in.
Best birthday gift ideas for women
The “best birthday gifts for women” is an almost laughably broad category. After all, the “best” gift depends on what the lady you’re shopping for is into. Gifts for your mom tend to focus on a problem she needs fixed, while gifts for your wife lean into self care. There is also the tricky task of shopping for a teen girl, but really all that takes is a keen eye for trends.
If you’re looking for a more general guide to gifts for women, there are a few stalwart picks you can turn to — and that’s what we’re here to reveal.
The key is to embrace two gift classifications: practical gifts and gifts she wouldn’t necessarily buy for herself. Fancy candles, pretty totes, and elegant journals all fit the bill here, but so do cute Bluetooth keyboards, versatile mini speakers, and even reusable grocery bags. Just make sure they have a certain je ne sais quoi.
In fact, here’s a shortcut. If you want to keep the gift for yourself instead of actually giving it to her on her special day, it’s a good choice. Carry that powerful and jealous energy with you as you make your purchase.
Here are our picks for the best birthday gifts for women.
Otherland Matchpoint Candle
Credit: Otherland / Amazon
For the Tennis Fan: Consider this quirky Otherland candle, which is formulated to smell like a tennis ball. Well, it’s also formulated to smell like “cut grass and cucumber,” but we’re focusing on the tennis ball thing. Bonus: The candle jar is attractive enough that she’ll want to clean it out and reuse it.
Voluspa Moso Bamboo Reed Diffuser
Credit: Voluspa / Amazon
For the Diffuser User: Or, if she’s more of a reed diffuser fan when it comes to home scents, go for this Voluspa option, which features notes of moso bamboo, black musk, and Japanese cypress. It’ll look pretty on a shelf, too.
Casio Vintage-Style Watch
Credit: Casio / Amazon
For the Fashion Girlie: A cute gold watch goes with pretty much everything. This timeless yet retro pick is perfect for daily wear — and not so expensive that she’ll be freaked out to wear it everywhere.
LEUCHTTURM 1917 Notebook
Credit: LEUCHTTURM / Amazon
For the Writer: Journaling just feels more fun in a handsome notebook. This one from the German brand Leuchtturm 1917 is particularly aesthetically pleasing, with its faux leather cover and crisp dotted pages.
Logitech POP Mechanical Wireless Keyboard
Credit: Logitech / Amazon
For the WFH-er: If she’s a work-from-home warrior who wants to mix things up a little, this cute mechanical keyboard (yes, a cute keyboard) makes a great gift. Its keys imitate the sound of a classic typewriter.
Baggu Standard, Set of 3
Credit: Baggu / Amazon
For the Impromptu Grocery Shopper: If she’s always running to the store to “just grab a few things,” a packable set of Baggu bags will be a godsend. They pack down small enough to be stowed in her purse all the time, so she’ll never be stranded without her reusable bags at checkout.
Stanley Quencher FlowState Tumbler, 40 oz
Credit: Stanley / Amazon
For the Hydration Queen: Help her reach those lofty hydration goals with the extremely popular Stanley Quencher FlowState Tumbler. It’ll keep her beverage of choice cold for a truly shocking amount of time — and it fits nicely into most car cup holders.
Owala FreeSip Water Bottle, 40 oz
Credit: Owala / Amazon
For the Hydration Queen Who Doesn’t Want a Stanley: If she’s not a Stanley gal, no problem. An Owala FreeSip is another excellent option. We particularly like its cheery color options, including this one called “Summer Sweetness.”
Apple AirTag, Pack of 4
Credit: Apple / Amazon
For the Forgetful Friend: Is she constantly misplacing her things right before she needs to be somewhere? Time for some AirTags. This pack of four will give her enough gadgets to keep track of her wallet, keys, luggage, and more.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen)
Credit: Apple / Amazon
For the Public Transit Commuter: A pair of AirPods is a must if she rides the train or bus to work every day. They’re lightweight, easy to stow, and have noise-canceling and “transparency” modes for a safe, pleasant commute.
Libbey Signature Coupe Glasses, Set of 4
Credit: Libbey / Amazon
For the Cocktail Drinker: A new set of coupe glasses will elevate her cocktail (and champagne, and champagne cocktail) game. These from Libbey are classic, elegant, and dishwasher-safe — and the price for four isn’t too shabby, either.
Soucolor 9×12 Sketchbook
Credit: Soucolor / Amazon
For the Amateur Artist: If she wants to get into drawing but hasn’t yet taken the plunge, help her get started with a sturdy, well-priced sketchbook. It comes in a bunch of cute colors, too – we particularly like the light purple.
Woolrich Burlington Berber Blanket
Credit: Woolrich / Amazon
For the Cozy Girl: Help her enter hibernation mode this winter with a very, very soft blanket from Woolrich, which can also serve as extra bedding on a full or queen bed. We like the light blue option, but there are several pleasant, neutral hues available.
Yeti Rambler Wine Chiller
Credit: Yeti / Amazon
For the Host: She can keep that champagne chilled to the bone with this Yeti wine chiller. It’s great for outdoor gatherings, but if she wants to use it indoors, rest assured there will be no condensation leaving a ring on her table.
Sony SRS-XB13 Extra Bass Portable Waterproof Speaker
Credit: Sony / Amazon
For the Playlist Maker: A high-quality (and waterproof) portable speaker makes a good gift for pretty much anyone. This one is an “extra bass” version, so gift it to the gal who likes to crank up the tunes at pool parties.
ZIMASILK Mulberry Silk Pillowcase
Credit: ZIMASILK / Amazon
For the Hair Care Expert: A silk pillowcase means she’s less likely to wake up with a severe case of bedhead. More importantly, it feels sumptuous and amazing to sleep on. Grab her a set of two and wait for her to tell you how well-rested she feels.
CULTivate: The Board Game
Credit: Pops & Bejou Games / Amazon
For the Competitor: In this board game, players assume the role of cult leaders trying to recruit followers to their compounds. Don’t worry; there’s plenty of room to sabotage your fellow messiahs so you come out on top.
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess Vinyl
Credit: Chappell Roan / Amazon
For the Record Collector: Chappell Roan is everywhere. Make your giftee’s record player yet another one of those places with a double vinyl of her glittery, fun pop album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.
Le Creuset Stoneware Tea Bag Holder
Credit: Le Creuset / Amazon
For the Tea Fiend: Make her nightly peppermint tea a more luxurious occasion with a Le Creuset tea bag holder, which could also be a spoon rest. It’s a great way to gift something from a pricier brand without breaking the bank.
Kindle Paperwhite
Credit: Kindle / Amazon
For the Reader on the Go: Readers know the struggle: You’re halfway through about three books at once (fiction, nonfiction, and a wild card pick, of course), but you can’t fit them all in your backpack to take with you on the train. Well, with a Kindle Paperwhite, she can.
How to preorder the iPhone 17e, Apples new budget phone
Apple kicked off its “big week” by announcing the latest budget iPhone, its first with MagSafe, alongside an updated iPad Air. The new iPhone 17e is set for release next Wednesday, March 11, and preorders open this Wednesday, March 4. (This story will be updated with retailers’ preorder listings as soon as they’re live.)
The iPhone 17e is priced at $599 with 256GB of storage to start. That’s double the base storage of last year’s iPhone 16e, which cost the same.
Credit: Apple
Apple says the iPhone 17e runs on its A19 chip, the same processor as the standard iPhone 17. It packs its new C1X cellular modem, which is supposedly up to twice as fast as the iPhone 16e’s C1 modem. It also features support for MagSafe wireless charging — a first for Apple’s budget smartphone line.
The iPhone 17e sports the same 6.1-inch OLED display as its predecessor, but an improved Ceramic Shield 2 front cover like its iPhone 17 series siblings. Additionally, it has a new 48MP Fusion rear camera system and a new soft pink finish. It’s slightly heavier than the iPhone 16e to accommodate these upgrades (5.96 ounces versus 5.88 ounces).
Here’s a quick overview of its full spec sheet:
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6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display
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Ceramic Shield 2 front cover
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A19 chip
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Up to 26 hours of video playback
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12MP TrueDepth front camera
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48MP Fusion rear camera system (48MP Fusion Main camera)
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Emergency SOS and Crash Detection
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MagSafe wireless charging
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256GB or 512GB of storage
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Rated IP68
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Apple Intelligence
Mashable’s Stan Schroeder thought the iPhone 16e was “pretty great when compared to other members of the iPhone 16 family,” but dinged it for lacking MagSafe and being pricier than the old iPhone SE. (That was Apple’s prior budget iPhone offering.) In the iPhone 17e, Apple has made several upgrades that bump its value on top of resolving the MagSafe issue. Stand by for our full review, but on paper, it looks incredibly promising.
These 3 ASUS ROG OLED gaming monitors are down to their best prices ever
ASUS 27-inch ROG Swift PG27AQDP QHD OLED gaming monitor
(save $100)
ASUS 32-inch ROG Strix XG32UCWG 4K OLED gaming monitor
(save $200)
ASUS 32-inch ROG Swift PG32UCDMR 4K OLED gaming monitor
(save $200)
Just like a good TV can improve your at-home cinematic experience, making the switch to an OLED gaming monitor can totally transform your gaming experience. If your current gaming monitor is looking a bit dull, you can upgrade to a high-end ASUS ROG model today and save up to 20%. Gaming hardware generally comes with a bit of sticker shock, so this is the perfect excuse to grab that big ticket purchase for less.
Best 27-inch ASUS gaming monitor deal
To make the most of your desktop space, the 27-inch ROG Swift PG27AQDP monitor offers a lot of bells and whistles in a frameless, ultra-slim package. Dubbed the “world’s first 1440p 480Hz OLED gaming monitor,” it pairs that wildly high refresh rate with a 0.03ms response time, FreeSync Premium, and G-SYNC compatibility for smooth, tear-free visuals with low latency. An AI assistant makes automatic improvements for better visuals and more seamless gameplay. As of March 2, it’s $100 cheaper than usual — a 13% drop and its lowest price on record.
Best 32-inch ASUS gaming monitor deal under $1000
Just a few inches bigger, but with slightly fewer features to keep the price affordable, the 32-inch ROG Strix XG32UCWG boasts a versatile dual mode to allow 4K gaming at 165Hz and FHD gaming at up to 330Hz. It features a TrueBlack Glossy OLED display with FreeSync Premium Pro and G-Sync compatibility, an AI assistant for improved gaming experiences, and extensive connectivity options. Usually $999, it’s on sale for $799 as of March 2. That’s 20% in savings and its lowest price to date as well.
Best splurge ASUS gaming monitor
Last, but not least, the ASUS 32-inch ROG Swift PG32UCDMR is a bit of a splurge. It’s designed for gaming, streaming, and content creation, with a buttery smooth 240Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time, and a 4K (3840 x 2160) QD-OLED panel with Dolby Vision. It packs AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology and NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility, plus a 99% DCI-P3 wide color gamut for accurate color reproduction for professional tasks. As of March 2, it’s on sale for $1,099 at Amazon — a savings of $200 — and comes with three free months of Adobe Creative Cloud. It may be the most expensive on this list, but it’s the cheapest we’ve ever seen this monitor.
The most unique gifts for less than $50
Some people possess an innate talent for finding gifts on a budget. No matter the occasion (Christmas, anniversary, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day) or recipient (wife, husband, boyfriend, teens, in-laws), they somehow nail it every time — winning the unofficial “best gift-giver” award among those who are lucky to know them. If you’re not the most intuitive gift-giver, fear not. We’ve put together a list of the best gift ideas for under $50, from expected-but-useful stocking stuffers to cool items they definitely don’t have yet. These unique budget-friendly gift ideas span such a variety of categories that you’re bound to find something up their alley. You might even catch a few on sale.
Build your own OpenClaw AI hub with this M4 Mac mini deal
SAVE 8%: As of March 2, you can get the Apple 2024 Mac mini (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $549, down from $599, at Amazon. That’s an 8% discount or a $50 price cut.
If you’re interested in using OpenClaw (formerly Clawdbot), you’ll need a system that can keep up. As of March 2, the Apple 2024 Mac mini (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) is down to $549 at Amazon. That’s an 8% discount or a $50 price cut. While it isn’t the biggest discount we’ve ever tracked, getting a deal on any Apple product is always a win. Plus, if you happen to get approved for an Amazon Visa, you can instantly knock the price down to $499.
The 2024 Mac mini has an M4 chip and 16GB of unified memory, all of which they’ve managed to fit into a space-saving, five-by-five-inch box. That makes it incredibly efficient for running local, always-on AI applications — like Apple Intelligence or the open-source OpenClaw — without slowing down your main laptop. Apple also redesigned this chassis to finally include front-facing USB-C ports and a headphone jack, alongside the Thunderbolt, HDMI, and Gigabit Ethernet ports on the back. It’s ready to go for your new era of projects.
The Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller robot vacuum and mop is back at its lowest price ever — save over $500
SAVE $550: The Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller robot vacuum and mop is on sale at Amazon for $1,049.99, down from the standard price of $1,599.99. That’s a 34% discount that matches the record low at Amazon.
No one wants to buy a robot vacuum only to find out that it doesn’t get the job done. Sadly, not all robot vacuums come with the same specs, suction power, ability to clean corners, get under couches, and mop up messes well. That’s why we like to turn to Mashable’s resident robot vacuum expert and Senior Shopping Reporter Leah Stodart. She’s tested over 30 robot vacuums and when she notes something is exceptional, it’s worth paying attention to. That’s even more true when one of her favorite models goes on sale. Check out this deal at Amazon.
As of March 2, the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller robot vacuum and mop is on sale at Amazon for $1,049.99, marked down from the standard price of $1,599.99. That’s a 34% discount that shaves a massive $550 off the price. It matches the record low at Amazon.
It’s not the only spec to pay attention to, but the suction power of a robot vacuum plays a major role in how well it performs. Boasting a whopping 30,000Pa, the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller gets major bragging rights. In Stodart’s review of the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller, she wrote, “If the 30,000 Pa of suction power benchmark doesn’t mean much to you, here’s a frame of reference: That’s more than double the 13,000 Pa of suction power of the flagship Roomba with a roller mop, the 2025 Roomba Max 705 Combo.”
On top of this, it has plenty of noteworthy additional features like a self-emptying base, hot water mopping, and hot air drying of the roller mop. Stodart also commended the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller’s ability to avoid obstacles like phone chargers and cables.
If you’ve been considering an upgrade to a robot vacuum and mop, the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller robot vacuum and mop is an ultra-powerful model that comes with equally impressive performance. Snag it while it’s back at its lowest price ever at Amazon and kickstart spring cleaning.
Apple announces new iPhone 17e, a $599 budget smartphone with MagSafe
On Monday, Apple officially announced that its latest budget smartphone, the iPhone 17e, will be available for preorder on Wednesday, March 4, starting at $599, alongside a new M4 iPad Air.
It’s a big week for Apple. On Friday, Tim Cook revealed that the company would be announcing new products starting today, ahead of its latest Apple event on Wednesday. Rumors have been swirling about a budget MacBook, possibly with a touchscreen, as well as a new iPad and iPhone.
So, what’s new with the iPhone 17e?
iPhone 17 e: Specs and cameras
According to an Apple press release, the new iPhone 17e is powered by its A19 chipset, which is the same chip found inside the base model iPhone 17. In addition, the iPhone 17e has the C1X, Apple’s latest in-house 5G modem. Apple says the C1X is twice as fast as the C1 found inside the iPhone 17e’s predecessor, the iPhone 16e.
Speaking of upgrades from the previous model, the iPhone 17e has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display and Ceramic Shield 2, which is three times more scratch-resistant than the iPhone 16e.
Credit: Apple
The iPhone 17e has a single camera lens, but utilizing Apple’s 2-in-1 camera system, the device is actually equipped with both a 48P wide-angle and telephoto Fusion camera.
In addition, the iPhone 17e is receiving a big storage upgrade with the base model starting at 256GB, or double what its predecessor had.
The iPhone 17e adds MagSafe
Credit: Apple
In a first for Apple’s budget smartphone line, the iPhone 17e has MagSafe, making it compatible with Apple’s array of MagSafe accessories and wireless charging peripherals.
With many of the same features of the iPhone 17, we’re anticipating strong demand for Apple’s new budget handset.
How to preorder the iPhone 17e
The iPhone 17e costs $599, or $200 less than the iPhone 17 base model with the same chipset and storage. The device will be available in three different color options: White, Black, or Soft Pink.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 17e will begin this Wednesday, March 4, likely right at the conclusion of the Apple event. The iPhone 17e will then be available just one week later on Wednesday, March 11.
Mashable will be testing the new budget iPhone as soon as possible, so keep checking back for updates and pre-order details.
Claude is down. Heres what Anthropic told us.
Claude, Anthropic’s AI chatbot, is experiencing technical issues, the company confirmed on Monday.
At 6:49 a.m. ET on Monday, Anthropic posted on its Claude status page that it was investigating “elevated errors” occurring with the Claude chatbot, Claude Opus 4.6 (its latest generation large language model), Claude Console (the Claude developer platform), and Claude Code (the company’s AI-powered coding assistant).
According to Downdetector, over 2,000 users have reported issues with Claude (Disclosure: Downdetector is owned by Ziff Davis, the same parent company as Mashable.)
So, what does Anthropic say the issue is?
Anthropic explained to Mashable in a statement that its team was working on a fix, saying:
Claude is currently unavailable on our consumer-facing surfaces such as claude.ai and our apps. The Claude API that powers businesses remains unaffected. Our team is working to restore full service and we’ll share updates as we have them.
We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work to bring things back online while experiencing unprecedented demand for Claude over the last week.
“We have discovered that some API methods are not working and we are investigating,” the company further wrote on the Claude status page, about everything but Claude Opus 4.6. For that LLM itself, Anthropic only said, “The issue has been identified and a fix is being implemented.”
This level of “unprecedented demand” Anthropic mentioned to Mashable is right. The outage comes after Claude took the number one spot from OpenAI’s ChatGPT in Apple’s App Store, now the most-downloaded free app in the U.S. (ChatGPT is second, Google’s Gemini is fourth).
This also comes after Donald Trump announced that the U.S. government would stop using Anthropic tech including Claude. Following this, OpenAI entered into a deal with the U.S. Department of War for military use of its AI tech in “classified environments”.
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Apple just announced the new M4 iPad Air, coming March 4 for $599
Ahead of Apple’s March 4 special experience, everyone’s favorite fruit company announced the imminent launch of the newest iPad Air. As expected, the iPad Air will be available for sale starting March 4.
The new iPad will be powered by M4 silicon and comes in 11- and 13-inch versions, with starting prices of $599 and $799, respectively. For education customers, prices will start at $549 and $749. Traditionally, the Air is Apple’s mid-range tablet, with the base version iPad being popular with budget shoppers and the M5 iPad Pro reserved for professionals and super users.
Here’s everything we know about the new Apple tablet so far.
Upgraded performance and specs
Credit: Apple
The previous-gen iPad Air launched in May 2024, and Apple says the new model gives users “a big jump in performance at the same starting price.”
With the launch of iPadOS 26 and Liquid Glass last year, the iPad has become more like a laptop, with distinct windows and multitasking capabilities.
To support those new features, the seventh-generation iPad Air has upgraded specs:
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Processor: M4 silicon, 16-core Neural Engine, 8-core CPU
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GPU: 9-core GPU
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Memory: 12GB of unified memory (120GB/s of memory bandwidth)
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Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB configurations.
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Colors: Blue, purple, starlight, and space gray
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Camera: 12MP Center Stage camera
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Sizes: 11- and 13-inch models
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Wireless and cellular connectivity: N1 and C1X silicon
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Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, 5G cellular, and Thread
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Accessories: Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil, Apple Pencil Pro
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What’s new, what’s not
Credit: Apple
Users in need of a new laptop will definitely want to consider upgrading to the iPad Air, which is known for being incredibly thin and lightweight without sacrificing performance. However, at first glance, the improvements here seem pretty iterative, and it’s not clear why users with the existing M3 iPad Air would rush to upgrade.
The M4 processor and enhanced wireless/cellular connectivity will undoubtedly deliver performance upgrades. Apple promises the new iPad Air will be 30 percent faster than the M3 model, with “50 percent more unified system memory.”
The iPadOS 26 features described at length in the announcement press release are already available with the iPad Air and iPad Pro. Likewise, Apple didn’t announce that the new iPad Air would be thinner or lighter than previous versions, which are already remarkably thin.
When can you buy the M4 iPad Air?
Credit: Apple
Apple says customers will be able to start ordering the M4 iPad Air on March 4 at the Apple Store (and at Apple.com). Apple expects it to ship to customers on Wednesday, March 11.
We’ll be testing and reviewing the M4 iPad Air as soon as we can, so keep checking back for updates.
Tecnos got the most modular phone ever
China’s Tecno Mobile is known for some wild phone concepts, and the company took it to the next level this year at MWC Barcelona.
Case in point: Tecno’s booth in Barcelona was chock-full of people trying to make sense of what the heck all those weird phones are about.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
Perhaps the weirdest of the bunch was the Tecno Pova Neon, a concept phone with actual ionized neon gas lighting up its rear panel. This result in a dynamic display of lightning-like lights; unlike some other phones with dynamic lighting in the back, Tecno’s variant is truly random and probably won’t get boring as fast. We’re not sure how this makes the phone better, but it will definitely turn heads when you whip it out of your pocket at a business meeting.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
Then there’s the sexily-named Modular Magnetic Interconnection Technology, a concept that consists of an incredibly thin, fairly basic phone that can be expanded with magnetically attached modules.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
We’ve seen modular phones before, but never has attaching new stuff to a phone felt this easy or fun. You can attached modules onto modules, too. You can, for example, slap two batteries onto your phone; or a battery and an extra speaker; or a speaker and an improved camera; the possibilities are endless.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
It’s unclear whether either of these are coming to market, but this may be the first time I’m actually interested in a modular phone.
If you prefer your futuristic phone branded with a familiar luxury brand, Tecno’s got you covered, too. The company partnered with Lamborghini to create a bunch of Lamborghini-themed accessories, including a phone called The Tecno Pova Metal Tonino Lamborghini Limited Edition. It, too, has a glowing thingy on the back; that’s been a theme this year, as we’ve seen similar devices all over the show floor in Barcelona.
The Nothing Phone 4a will be available in pink, and we have pictures and a video
Nothing just can’t stop leaking more details about its upcoming Nothing Phone 4a ahead of time.
So far, we’ve seen the phone, which is scheduled for a full reveal on March 5, in Nothing’s standard black-and-white, semi-transparent color.
Now, the company unveiled the phone in a somewhat surprising color for the brand – pink.
It’s still a Nothing phone, meaning the pink is very subtle, and the phone still has Nothing’s trademark semi-transparent look.
Lucy Birley, Colour Material Finish Design Lead at Nothing, has a fun explanation for the phone’s look. “Pink is actually just desaturated red (…) when we put the tint inside the transparency, because of how the light interacts with the resin underneath you get this incredible sense of depth which makes our products look really lively,” she said in a statement.
Sure, but we’ll just call it pink-ish.
The company also shared a 12-minute video, giving us a very detailed look into the phone’s design, including that new Glyph bar on the back.
Nothing still hasn’t revealed all of the phone’s specs, nor has it said anything about the (possible) more powerful variant, the Nothing Phone 4a Pro. We’ll get all the details at the official reveal, which is happening on March 5, at 10:30 a.m. GMT (5:30 a.m. ET).
Nothing Phone 4a gets an official launch date
We knew Nothing would be up to something (sorry) during this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but the company just made it official by sending us an invite for the launch of its next smartphone, the Nothing 4a.
The event is technically happening during MWC, which is held from March 2 to 5, 2026, but it will take place in London, UK. It starts at 10:30 a.m. GMT (5:30 a.m. ET), and it will be livestreamed on Nothing’s website.
The invite’s tagline is “something new is coming,” though there’s not a lot of mystery here, as the invite also says that the event is about the Nothing Phone 4a series.
During last year’s MWC, Nothing launched two smartphones, the Nothing 3a and Nothing 3a Pro. Both were slick-looking, fairly affordable mid-rangers with big displays, big batteries, and a couple of Nothing-specific software features.
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There’s no official world on what, exactly, is coming, but we’re probably going to see Nothing Phone 4a and Phone 4a Pro, both featuring Snapdragon 7-series chips. While Nothing is best known for its monochromatic designs, the new phones will probably be available in several colors.
Fun fact: Nothing’s launch event will be held just one day after Apple’s ‘special experience’ event, where the company is expected to launch a multitude of new products (as referenced by Nothing CEO Carl Pei’s cheeky tweet). As we’ve said in our recent MWC overview, it’s going to be a busy couple of weeks for gadget lovers.
Nothing teases Headphone (a) ahead of launch
Nothing has decided to slowly drip product teasers ahead of launch, and the latest in line are a pair of over-the-ear headphones.
A first for the brand, the Nothing Headphone (a) will launch alongside Nothing Phone 4a (and, potentially, other products) on March 5, during this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
The company revealed very little about the headphones, besides saying that they’ll come in “bold colourways” and deliver “the longest battery life of any Nothing audio product to date.”
One of those bold colourways is seen in the first teaser image shared by Nothing (see above), a fancy shade of yellow. Given Nothing’s trademark semi-transparent product designs, we’re pretty excited what the company will do with the new headphones.
Nothing actually offers a couple of earbuds, as well as full-sized headphones, including the Nothing Headphone 1 and Nothing Headphone Pro. The Headphone (a) name indicates that these are an entirely new product line.
Right now, the Nothing Headphone Pro lead the pack as far as playback time goes with up to 100-hour battery life. Per Nothing, the new Headphone (a) will go on for even longer.
The official reveal of Nothing Headphone (a), as well as the new phones, will be livestreamed on nothing.tech, starting on March 5, at 10:30 a.m. GMT (5:30 a.m. ET).
As for the rest of MWC, check out Mashable’s guide to what you can expect this year.
Hands-on: The irresistible cuteness of Pokémon Pokopia, my favorite Pokémon game in years
You can find plenty of doom-and-gloom takes about the Nintendo Switch 2. Many of them boil down to complaints about the lack of compelling exclusive games for the system.
The users making these complaints, however, have not yet played Pokémon Pokopia.
A combined effort from Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, and Koei Tecmo, Pokémon Pokopia launches exclusively on Switch 2 on March 5. More importantly, you may not be prepared for how big of a deal this game might be.
Essentially, the Nintendo team took Minecraft, stripped off the ugly art style, added social friendship mechanics a la Stardew Valley, and put a bunch of Pokémon in it.
Personally, I do not vibe with these types of games at all. But Pokopia combines player creativity, charming writing, a magnetic sense of progression that makes it hard to put down, and a downright shocking level of depth. It legitimately has me hooked. I want to keep digging away at Pokopia just to see what it has to offer, and it hasn’t disappointed me yet.
I just want to pick up Pokémon Pokopia and give it a hug
Credit: Nintendo
I covered the basics of Pokopia in a hands-on preview. But here’s the TL;DR. The easiest way to think of this game is that it takes elements of Minecraft, Animal Crossing, and Stardew Valley, all mixed in with an extremely potent dose of Pokémon creatures.
You start the game as a Ditto (a basic “normal” shapeshifting Pokémon) who wakes up in a world where all the humans are gone, leaving only ruined settlements. You take on the shape of a human (well, close enough) and set out to rebuild what once was, in the hope of attracting more Pokémon and eventually maybe some humans to come live with them.
Aesthetically, this means you play as a human child with a mildly creepy smiling Ditto face on it. Mechanically, this means all of your farming and town-building abilities include classic Pokémon moves such as Cut, Strength, and Surf, each learned from a different Pokémon and copied by the Ditto.
Credit: Nintendo
The best part of Pokopia is that each Pokémon who settles in your towns — you’ll actually build several across many different biomes as the game progresses — speaks your language and has a personality of its own. There’s no combat in Pokopia. You endear yourself to Pokémon by giving them gifts and building homes for them.
The writing in Pokopia is surprisingly funny; I was especially taken by a Magikarp who punctuates almost every sentence with the word “yo” for no good reason.
A big part of what makes Pokopia work for me, where games like Minecraft haven’t, is that you spend as much time talking to NPCs and trying to figure out how to solve their problems as you do digging through rocks and placing structures.
The game has a really nice amount of player direction, so there’s never any confusion as to what you can or should be doing at any point in time. Pokopia is also smart not to push the player too hard in any one direction. Even when you unlock new areas, the game explicitly encourages you to stick around the old ones and improve them before moving on.
The result is relaxing and peaceful, without ever really feeling like work.
But Pokopia also has so, so much more going on than you think
Credit: Nintendo
Having said that, there is a lot of work you can do in Pokopia. In the 10 to 15 hours I’ve played, I’ve been gobsmacked at the level of mechanical depth in this game. A lot of the things you can do are similar to activities in Minecraft and its many derivatives, but I expected a Pokémon-themed take on that kind of game to simplify things.
Pokopia does not dumb it down, however, and that’s a good thing.
For instance, bodies of water have rudimentary physics. You can dig out creeks if you feel like it. Grass on either side of a creek will benefit accordingly, so that’s a smart place to plant crops. Putting too much water in one area will increase its humidity, which might upset some Pokémon, but will please others. Yes, you can manage humidity in Pokémon Pokopia.
That’s not all. Windmills and water wheels can be used to power electrical appliances, and you can string together utility poles to power a whole town. Materials like clay can be turned into necessities like bricks if you happen to know a guy who can smelt them for you.
Pokémon like to have their own homes — but if you build a big enough one for yourself, you can invite your favorites to move in with you. I became roommates with Scyther at the earliest opportunity, because Scyther is cool as hell.
Credit: Nintendo
Pokopia even has cooking mechanics, which I’ve barely touched because I’ve been so busy doing other stuff. And I haven’t even had a chance to try the online multiplayer, which enables groups of friends to turn blank landmasses into the Pokémon paradises of their dreams through collaborative construction projects.
Each step of the way, Pokémon Pokopia will introduce some wild new idea or mechanic, which turns out to be a great way to keep someone who isn’t especially keen on managing little towns invested in the proceedings.
In short, I am wildly impressed by what I’ve played of Pokémon Pokopia, and I’m not even the game’s target audience. It may be the best Pokémon spin-off I’ve ever played, and easily one of the best games in the whole series in a long time, even including the RPGs.
I can’t wait to see what people who get really into Pokopia do with its menagerie of systems once the game has been out for a few weeks.
Pokémon Pokopia launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on March 5.
TCL releases RayNeo Air 4 Pro AR smart glasses for only $299: Save $50 at launch
RayNeo Air 4 Pro AR/XR Glasses
(save $50 at Amazon)
RayNeo Air 4 Pro AR/XR Glasses
(save $50 at RayNeo)
RayNeo Air 4 Pro × Batman Limited Edition
(save $50 at Amazon)
TCL has finally released its RayNeo Air 4 Pro smart glasses, alongside two limited-edition Batman-themed models. These AR glasses are the world’s first smart glasses with an HDR display, and they’re designed for watching movies and playing video games. While most smart glasses are priced at $500 or more, the new RayNeo AR glasses are priced at $299, which could shake up this emerging market.
On top of that, early buyers can also save $50 when they purchase the glasses from TCL or Amazon, bringing the price to $249 for a limited time.
When TCL showed off its RayNeo Air 4 Pro smart glasses at CES 2026, I was impressed, and I wrote at the time that competitors like Xreal should be worried. Despite the relatively affordable price tag, the glasses have super-bright OLED displays that support HDR10, something never seen before in smart glasses. TCL describes them as “head-mounted TVs,” and that’s what they feel like.
I’ve been testing the glasses over the past few weeks, and overall, I’m still impressed, despite their quirks. Like other AR glasses, you connect them to a compatible laptop, smartphone, or gaming device via the included USB-C cable.
Introducing the RayNeo Air 4 Pro smart glasses
Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable
The RayNeo Air 4 Pro smart glasses launched today. The base version is priced at $299, but TCL also released two limited-edition, Batman versions of the glasses, the Limited Justice and Limited Chaos Editions. The Batman glasses come with additional accessories like a Batman cowl that attaches to the frames; they have an MSRP of $319, though they’re also discounted at launch to $269.
The RayNeo Air 4 Pro smart glasses have an impressive list of specs. While they’re priced like a pair of budget smart glasses, they have a premium display.
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Style: Augmented reality smart glasses
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Display: 0.6-inch micro-OLED display
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Screen size: 201 inches
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Brightness: Up to 1,200 nits
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Resolution: 1920×1080 (3840×1080 for 3D)
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Refresh rate: Up to 120 Hz
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Color accuracy: ΔE
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Sound: Bang & Olufsen surround sound (4 speakers)
Using a Vision 4000 processor and dual OLED displays, the Air 4 Pro glasses can create a virtual screen up to 201 inches in size. I wore them to watch Mad Max: Fury Road and The Hobbit (not to mention countless YouTube videos), and the display is gorgeous, though it has some problems, too. As I noted in my initial review, the display has a flickering problem and lacks the 3D features Xreal recently introduced.
Are the RayNeo Air 4 Pro smart glasses worth it?
Credit: TCL
If you’re an early adopter looking to try out AR glasses, it’s hard to argue with the $299 price tag. For reference, Xreal recently launched a more affordable version of its glasses called the Xreal 1S, priced at $449.
There’s no doubt that the RayNeo Air 4 Pro smart glasses have a better display. The Xreal 1S has a peak brightness of 700 nits, compared to 1,200 with the RayNeo. In addition, the micro-OLED displays on the Air 4 Pro are noticeably more vibrant, ideal for watching movies and gaming.
However, before you get too excited, Xreal glasses still have some big advantages. First off, Xreal can project much larger virtual screens. You can also control the screen distance and angle for optimum viewing, and set the display to anchor in a specific spot in your eyeline or move with your head. There’s no anchor feature with the RayNeo glasses.
If you’re looking for AR glasses that can be used as a productivity tool, giving you an extra screen while you work, then Xreal is by far the better choice. But for entertainment, the Air 4 Pros are going to be hard to beat, especially for the price. If money is no object, then check out the ROG Xreal R1 AR Gaming Glasses.
The Lego Icons Lord of The Rings Balrog Book Nook is over $20 off right now at Amazon
SAVE OVER $20: As of March 2, the Lego Icons The Lord of The Rings: Balrog Book Nook is on sale for $108.99 at Amazon. This deal saves you $21 off its list price of $129.99.
at Amazon
$129.99
Save $21.00
When it comes to the Mashable team’s favorite Lego sets, the Lego Icons The Lord of The Rings: Balrog Book Nook (10367) has earned a special place on the list. If it’s a set that’s been on your radar but you’ve been waiting to see a price drop, you’re in luck: Amazon has dropped its price down to $108.99.
This 16% discount saves you just over $20 on the Balrog Book Nook set, but what really makes this deal so appealing is it’s just one dollar away from its lowest-ever price of $107.99 at the retailer. That’s a pretty great deal to take advantage of, so why not take this opportunity to grab it for the Lord of The Rings fan in your life?
It’s certainly an eye-catching set to have up on display. Coming with 1,201 pieces, the Balrog Book Nook set features the fiery Balrog at its center and Gandalf the Grey facing off against it with his staff and sword. The coolest part is that it can be positioned in two different ways. It can either be slotted between books on your shelf as a little window into that moment on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, or opened up to reveal a bigger snapshot of the scene with even more flames and the Balrog’s big wings on display.
Of course, this comes with a mini plaque with the classic “You shall not pass!” quote. It’s a truly excellent pick-up for Lord of The Rings fans, so why not grab the Lego Icons The Lord of The Rings: Balrog Book Nook (10367) while it’s still on sale?
Curious what’s new this month from Lego? Check out our breakdown of the best new Lego sets to see some of the latest drops.
John Oliver has a blunt response to Paramount buying Warner Bros.
Netflix and Paramount have spent the passed few months in a bidding war for Warner Bros., but it looks as though Paramount has finally emerged victorious after Netflix walked away from the deal last week.
As someone who has been vocal in the past about his business daddies, it was inevitable that John Oliver would weigh in — and on Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight he made his feelings very clear.
“It turns out we might be getting a new business daddy,” Oliver said at the start of the episode, before playing a clip of the announcement. “Yeah, not great news. In fact, if I may quote anyone who’s ever accidentally sat on their Roku remote: ‘Oh shit, I’m in Paramount now, how the fuck do I get out of this?'”
Oliver’s feelings likely stem from the fact that he has long been a vocal critic of the Trump administration. Paramount, which owns CBS, was recently bought by Skydance’s David Ellison, whose billionaire father Larry Ellison is a friend of President Donald Trump. Shortly before the merger was approved by the Trump administration, Stephen Colbert — another late night host critical of the president — accused Paramount of paying a “big fat bribe” to Trump during his CBS program, The Late Show, which was then canceled, much to Trump’s glee.
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Why is all this important? Paramount owning Warner Bros. would mean it also owns HBO, the home of Last Week Tonight. And while Oliver doesn’t appear to have directly incurred the president’s wrath in the same way that other late night hosts have, it’s not such a stretch to imagine that his “new business daddy” may not feel quite as positive about his show as the current owners.
Claude is down: What we know about the Anthropic outage
Claude, Anthropic’s AI chatbot, is currently down, with the company confirming “elevated errors.”
At 11:49 a.m. GMT (6:49 a.m. ET) on Monday, Anthropic posted on its Claude status page that it was “currently investigating this issue.” Later updates said the issues were “related to Claude.ai and with the login/logout paths, and that the team had “discovered that some API methods are not working.”
Anthropic explained to Mashable in a statement:
Claude is currently unavailable on our consumer-facing surfaces such as claude.ai and our apps. The Claude API that powers businesses remains unaffected. Our team is working to restore full service and we’ll share updates as we have them. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work to bring things back online while experiencing unprecedented demand for Claude over the last week.
According to Downdetector, over 2,000 users have reported issues with Claude (Disclosure: Downdetector is owned by Ziff Davis, the same parent company as Mashable.)
The errors, according to Anthropic, are affecting the Claude chatbot, Claude Opus 4.6 (its latest generation large language model or LLM), Claude Console (the Claude developer platform), and Claude Code (the company’s AI-powered coding assistant). The last time Claude saw “elevated errors” was on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, with issues found and resolved affecting Claude Opus 4.6.
Credit: Mashable screenshot / Claude
The outage came hours after Claude dethroned competitor OpenAI’s ChatGPT in Apple’s App Store, hitting number one as the most-downloaded free app in the U.S. (ChatGPT is second, Google’s Gemini is fourth) — and free Claude users have increased more than 60 percent since January. The chart win came notably after President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. government would no longer use Anthropic tech including Claude, after which OpenAI entered into a deal with the U.S. Department of War to provide its AI technology for military use in “classified environments”. Yes, there are concerns.
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UPDATE: Mar. 2, 2026, 2:42 p.m. UTC Added Anthropic’s statement and additional updates from the Claude status page.
Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 2, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you’re a Nickelodeon fan.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
Goo.
Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter S.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
SLIME
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 2, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you’re an MLB fan.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
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Yellow: Simone Biles
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Green: Level
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Blue: What an umpire might say
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Purple: Bawk Bawk
Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
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Yellow: Gymnastics apparatus
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Green: Status
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Blue: Baseball calls
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Purple: ___ Chicken
Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s Connections #995 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
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Gymnastics apparatus: BEAM, HORSE, RINGS, VAULT
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Status: POSITION, RANK, STANDING, STATION
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Baseball calls: BALL, FOUL, SAFE, STRIKE
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___ Chicken: FUNKY, POPCORN, RUBBER, SPRING
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.
NYT Strands hints, answers for March 2, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re a remote worker.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There’s always a theme linking every solution, along with the “spangram,” a special, word or phrase that sums up that day’s theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you’re feeling stuck or just don’t have 10 or more minutes to figure out today’s puzzle, we’ve got all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Home office alternative
The words are related to office work.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe working out of office.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is Coworking Space.
NYT Strands word list for March 2
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Booths
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Pantry
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Wifi
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Coworking Space
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Desks
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Printer
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Lounge
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and if you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Strands.
Seth Rogen pays a moving tribute to Catherine OHara during Actor Awards
Seth Rogen accepted the award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series on behalf of Catherine O’Hara at the 32nd annual Actor Awards, after O’Hara passed away on Jan. 30 at the age of 71.
Rogen, who worked with O’Hara on The Studio, told a story of how she’d make the Apple TV show better by sending him and co-creator Evan Goldberg polite emailed notes the day before shoots.
“She really showed that you can be a genius, and be kind, and one of those things does not have to come at the expense of the other in any way, shape or form,” says Rogen.
“So I guess I’ll leave you with this: If you have people in your lives that don’t know her work, if there are kids in your lives or just people who are out of touch or stupid or something, just show them O’Hara dancing to Harry Belafonte in Beetlejuice. Show them O’Hara hurting her knee in Best in Show, and doing that amazing thing where she hobbles around. And tell the people as they are laughing that that’s Catherine O’Hara, and we were lucky that we got to live in a world where she so generously shared her talents with us.”
The Fire TV Stick 4K Select is under $15 with this Amazon coupon code
SAVE $25: As of March 2, the Fire TV Stick 4K Select is $14.99 at Amazon with the coupon code FTVSELECT.
March sees some exciting new shows arriving on streaming services, including season two of Daredevil: Born Again and season two of One Piece. If you feel like you’re in need of a new setup for watching everything, now is the time to upgrade. Amazon has dropped the price of its streaming sticks, including the Fire TV Stick 4K Select.
For a limited time, the Fire TV Stick 4K Select has dropped to $14.99 at Amazon with the coupon code FTVSELECT. Only some of the Mashable team have been able to access this code. If you’re lucky, you’ll see this code, alongside a “redeem” button, on the store page.
At this point, Amazon has a few different 4K models of streaming stick to choose from, so what makes the Fire TV Stick 4K Select different? Well, it allows you to stream in 4K Ultra HD with High Dynamic Range 10+, but it doesn’t support Dolby Vision like its more expensive counterparts. It also supports WiFi 5 — whereas pricier models support WiFi 6 or WiFi 6E — for improved streaming quality. If you don’t mind these aspects, this is a great way to score higher picture quality for less.
On top of that, the Fire TV Stick 4K Select comes with 8GB of storage for holding all of your favorite apps. If it sounds like the upgrade you’ve been searching for, act fast to take advantage of this great deal at Amazon.
Check out these great deals on the Fire Stick 4K Plus and Fire Stick 4K Max to see some alternatives.
End of today’s Mashable roundup.
