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All the best pet deals as of Feb. 28

All the best pet deals as of Feb. 28

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Golden retriever puppy walking with smart collar on

UPDATE: Feb. 28, 2022, 11:55 a.m. EST This story has been updated to include new deals on water fountains for cats, Kong and Bullymake dog toys, the Bissell portable dog bath, and more.

Got a pandemic puppy or a quarantine cat? You're not alone. Tons of people are adopting new pets — and figuring out that the cost of buying toys, beds, treats, and pet tech adds up quickly. To keep you from spending your entire paycheck on your four-legged friend, we'll be compiling a list of the best pet deals weekly so you can be the best pet parent ever — even if you're on a budget.

Pet tech deals

dog with green smart collar
Credit: Whistle
Our pick: Whistle GPS Pet trackers
Save 25% on all Whistle devices

Why we love it

For a limited time, you can save anywhere from $15 to $20 on the Whistle Fit, the Whistle Go Explore, or the Whistle Switch. Choose the option that's best for your pup's lifestyle, and keep an eye out for features like activity tracking, GPS location tracking, escape alerts, and more.

More pet tech on sale

Pet DNA kit deals

Wisdom Panel dog DNA test
Credit: Wisdom Panel
Our pick: Wisdom Panel Premium
$129.99 at Amazon

Why we love it

While Embark Dog DNA kit discounts have remained pretty steady since the holidays, Wisdom Panel discounts have been virtually nonexistent — until now. All Wisdom panel kits are discounted by around 20%, but the standout of the pack is the Wisdom Panel Premium dog DNA test. Not only will this kit check your dog's breed across 350 breeds, but it'll also look for the presence of up to 200 genetic conditions — great info to take to the vet for further screening. Grab it at Amazon for $129.99, or use code LOVE30 at Wisdom Panel to score the discount.

More pet DNA kits on sale

Pet toy deals

Plush lamb toy
Credit: Multipet
Our pick: Multipet Lamb Chop Squeaky Plush Dog Toy
$13.54 at Chewy

Why we love it

If you love Poppy the howling dog on TikTok, you definitely need this jumbo Lamb Chop toy. We can't guarantee that your dog will let out a Poppy-level awoo upon seeing it, but they'll definitely love snuggling this giant plush and playing with the squeaker. It's currently over $12 off and is part of a buy one, get one 50% off deal at Chewy, so you can score another select toy on sale with purchase.

More pet toys on sale

Other pet deals

Buy three, get fourth free graphic
Credit: Chewy
Our pick: Buy three, get the fourth free at Chewy
Mix and match select products at Chewy.com

Why we love it

Treat your best buds by taking advantage of this Chewy deal that gives you a free product of your choice when you buy three other qualifying products. With options from dog toys and cat scratching posts to bird and hamster accessories, every type of pet parent will find a deal for their furry (or feathery) friend.

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Snag the Ninja Foodi TenderCrisp for only $139 at Walmart

Snag the Ninja Foodi TenderCrisp for only $139 at Walmart

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ninja foodi tendercrisp pressure cooker

SAVE $90: The Ninja Foodi TenderCrisp is on sale for just $139 at Walmart as of Feb. 28. That's 39% in savings and $10 less than its last Black Friday price.

If you're looking for a way to declutter your counters and make cooking crispy, mouthwatering meals a breeze, the 6.5-quart Ninja Foodi TenderCrisp is a great companion.

The Foodi TenderCrisp is the 8-in-1 pressure cooker that can also air fry, and as of Feb. 28, it's on sale for only $139 at Walmart. That's $90 in savings and $10 less than last year's Black Friday pricing. (It also matches its all time-low price from early Black Friday 2020.)

SEE ALSO: Air fryer tortilla chips are easy to make but completely below average

The Foodi's claim to fame is its ability to get meals on the table fast — and its ability to finish dishes with a crisp. While the lid situation is kind of bulky (the biggest complaint from reviewers), there's no other appliance quite like it on the market. And while you can do the same thing with an Instant Pot, it'll require you to purchase additional accessories.

Speaking of accessories, you'll get a 6.5-quart ceramic-coated pot, a 4-quart ceramic-coated Cook and Crisp basket, a stainless steel reversible rack, and a 15-recipe book to get you started on your one-pot wonders.

ninja foodi tendercrisp
Credit: Ninja
6.5-Quart Ninja Foodi TenderCrisp
$139 at Walmart (save $90)

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The Xbox Series S is on sale (!) for $50 off

The Xbox Series S is on sale (!) for $50 off

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the xbox series s and an xbox wireless controller on a black and white background

SAVE $50: Woot has the all-digital Xbox Series S (512GB) on sale for just $249.99 as of Feb. 28. That's 16% off its suggested retail price of $299.

An actual discount on a next-gen console? In this economy ongoing supply chain mess? Hey, we'll take it.

As of Feb. 28, the Xbox Series S was on sale at Woot for only $249.99 — no coupon codes or waitlist required (though there is a limit of one per customer). It usually retails for $299, which means you'll save just over 16%.

SEE ALSO: We're a year into the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X generation. How are they doing?

The Series S is a pared-down version of Microsoft's flagship console (the Xbox Series X), and debuted alongside it in November 2020. It's got half the storage, a resolution cap of 1440p, and no disc drive, but it does deliver "similarly boosted performance, speedier load times, and fancier graphics" at a very reasonable price point, says Mashable's Adam Rosenberg. You can use it to play all your favorite games — it's backward compatible with four generations of Xbox titles — as well as movies and TV shows on your go-to streaming apps.

Woot's Xbox Series S deal is only live through the end of the day (or while supplies last), so hop to it. Estimated delivery dates were in the March 7 to 9 range at the time of writing.

an xbox series s next to its wireless controller
Credit: Microsoft
Xbox Series S
$249.99 (save $50) at Woot

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LG's latest CineBeam 4K projectors promise improved daytime viewing

LG's latest CineBeam 4K projectors promise improved daytime viewing

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LG is once again updating its CineBeam 4K projectors, and the upgrades are good news if you tend to watch during the day. Both the HU715Q Ultra Short Throw laser projector (above) and the HU710P laser-LED hybrid promise better daytime viewing through key upgrades. The HU715Q touts auto brightness, while the HU710P's move to a wheel-free hybrid offers brighter overall pictures than its predecessor. The two also provide high 2,000,000:1 contrast ratios to provide more details in bright and dark video scenes

The HU710P peaks at 2,000 lumens of brightness and is built for back-of-the-room projection at distances between 9.5 feet and 15 feet. It offers the most flexibility for image sizes, though, ranging between 40 inches to 300 inches. The HU715Q is limited to images 80 inches to 120 inches in size, but it can produce a 100-inch picture from just 8.5 inches away and delivers a brighter 2,500-lumen output (if slightly dimmer than the HU810P). It's also your pick if you can't justify external speakers, as it packs a 40W stereo setup and Bluetooth-enabled surround versus the 10W of the HU710P.

Both CineBeam 4K projectors include three HDMI ports (including eARC), two USB 2.0 ports and support for AirPlay 2, HomeKit and screen sharing. Their lamps are good for 20,000 hours of use.

LG is already shipping the two CineBeam projectors, starting at $2,499 for the HU710P and $2,999 for the HU715Q. Those aren't trivial prices, but their brightness upgrades might make them easier to justify as replacements for some premium large-screen TVs.


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The latest iPad is on sale for a new low price

The latest iPad is on sale for a new low price

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man working on ipad

Save $50: As of Feb. 28, the ninth-generation iPad from 2021 (256GB, WiFi) in space gray is on sale for $429 at Walmart: 10% off its usual price of $479. For a general use tablet with plenty of storage space, this is a hard deal to beat.

If you're thinking about the best tablet out there, the tablet that really made tablets worth wanting, you're probably thinking about the iPad. Even after all these years, the standard iPad has held on to its iconique status.

The latest version of the iPad has rarely been on sale since its surprise drop last fall, and when it is, it sells out fast, We'd like to let you know it's time to get a little hasty — the 256GB ninth-gen iPad is on sale for $429 at Walmart. This is $20 cheaper than the last time we saw it on sale, and as far as we can tell, this tablet's lowest price ever. Naturally, the silver has already sold out (and both colors are completely sold out at Amazon), so you'll want to add the space gray to your cart ASAP if you're interested.

SEE ALSO: The absolute best Apple deals

Because time is of the essence, here's a quick recap of why this particular iPad lives up to the Apple name. The A13 Bionic chip boosts your speed, the 10.2-inch Retina display comes with True Tone technology, the 12 megapixel camera allows for that sweet, sweet Center Stage on FaceTime, and it has a headphone jack. As a bonus, this 256GB model provides plenty of built-in storage space, so you'll likely never have to worry about deleting a few pictures or text chains to download a new app.

It's not the highest-powered iPad or the absolute smallest, but for a tablet that needs to suit a multitude of uses, it is one of the best in the game. After all, classics are classics for a reason.

space gray 10.2 inch ipad
Credit: Apple
10.2-inch ninth generation iPad (256GB, WiFi, space gray)
$429 at Walmart (save $50)

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GoFundMe launches a donation hub for Ukraine relief efforts

GoFundMe launches a donation hub for Ukraine relief efforts

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A poster of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin affixed to the

In response to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, GoFundMe has launched a centralized hub for verified fundraisers looking to raise money for humanitarian aid in Ukraine.

The hub currently hosts fundraisers that range from supporting large aid organizations like Save the Children to raising funds for specific families in Ukraine. All fundraisers hosted on the official hub have been verified by GoFundMe's global Trust & Safety team, which monitors the larger GoFundMe site in order to identify and validate fundraisers made in response to crises.

GoFundMe landing page for donations to Ukraine, showing a green map of Ukraine next to a block of text.
The landing page of GoFundMe's donation hub for Ukraine. Credit: Screenshot: GoFundMe

According to a blog post from GoFundMe, the Trust & Safety team is a large and diverse team that makes up a quarter of the organization, and it works to verify personal information and the identity of recipients in order to make sure that donations are sent to the right place. To do this, GoFundMe says it uses proprietary tools on par with those used by the financial industry that requires "government-issued identification, address details, and other forms of ID."

To be considered verified and therefore hosted on the donation hub, GoFundMe and the Trust & Safety team must know "the identity of the organizer, who they are raising funds for, the organizer’s relationship to the recipient of the funds, and how the funds will be used." The company holds on to "all funds raised until the recipient is added to the fundraiser to withdraw [their money], and their identity has been confirmed."

If a fundraiser hosted on GoFundMe is not on the hub or officially verified, that doesn't necessarily mean the campaign isn't valid; it's also possible that GoFundMe's payment processors have just not yet collected the necessary information, and delays like this may happen more often during a crisis like the one in Ukraine.

SEE ALSO: Russia's war on social media isn't going well, either

In a larger blog post about how to help Ukraine generally, GoFundMe also states that fundraisers not allowed on its platform include "any war effort support, regardless of the country, which can include funding weapons, any supplies to soldiers, and propaganda" and "travel to the location to support military or propaganda efforts."

GoFundMe has created donations hubs like this in the past, in response for crises like the West Coast wildfires, the Covid-19 surge in India, the Atlanta spa shootings, and the Surfside Condo collapse. The site also hosts its own fundraiser, dubbed the "Ukraine Humanitarian Fund," and it will distribute the total amount raised amongst various verified nonprofits working to provide relief in Ukraine.


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Russia's war on social media isn't going well, either

Russia's war on social media isn't going well, either

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Phone screen showing Defence of Ukraine's Twitter account page

As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine unfolds, much of the world continues to watch via social media. In response, Russia has waged its own forces against major social media platforms and services in an attempt to control the narrative coming out of Ukraine.

In what we imagine is much to Russia's chagrin, Ukrainian and Russian civilians seem to have found their ways around such measures, and the major platforms have taken firm stances against Russian state-sponsored messages. Below, here are all the ways the internet is standing up to Russia's attacks.

Many big platforms have restricted Russia’s access in some way

Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have proven invaluable in helping spread awareness of what is actually happening in Ukraine. As such, Russia has tried to control them, with little success.

On Feb. 25, Russia's communications regulator accused Facebook of censoring the accounts of four state-sponsored media sites. In response, the country moved to limit access to Facebook for its civilians.

Meta's vice president of global affairs Nick Clegg said in a statement that Russia had asked the company to stop fact-checking and labeling posts from those four accounts, and when Meta refused, Russia chose to restrict access. Meta seems to remain staunch in its efforts to curb misinformation on its sites, and has also chosen to block Russian state media from running any ads on Facebook or to monetize in any way, according to NPR.

Google has also paused Russia's ability to profit off of content across its services. YouTube is blocking state-sponsored ads from Russian channels on its platform, and is limiting video recommendations to Russian channels while blocking them entirely in Ukraine, at the request of the Ukrainian government.

On Sunday, Alphabet, Inc. (which owns Google and YouTube) also banned downloads of the RT app in Ukrainian territory at the request of the Ukrainian government, according to Reuters. New users in Ukraine will not be able to download the Russian-owned media outlet's app, while existing users may still be able to access it but won't receive any new updates.

SEE ALSO: How to keep up with the news from Russia and Ukraine

On Twitter, state-controlled ads have been banned since 2019, though state-sponsored media organizations like RT have accounts there. But in response to the conflict, the platform is temporarily pausing all ads in Ukraine and Russia regardless of the source, stating that it wants to "ensure critical public safety information is elevated and ads don’t detract from it."

Twitter is also being restricted in Russia according to usage metrics from internet watchdog group NetBlocks. When Mashable asked Twitter about the block, a spokesperson pointed us to a tweet stating the company's belief in "free and open access to the internet," but otherwise had no comment.

All three major platforms continue to monitor the situation in Eastern Europe and seemingly plan on taking action against any rule-violating activities. Twitter has also taken additional actions to increase security and protect the accounts of high profile journalists, activists, and government officials. According to NPR, Meta has created a special operations center to keep tabs on Russia's activity on its platforms, and YouTube has already "taken down hundreds of channels and thousands of videos in recent days for violating its policies, including rules against 'coordinated deceptive practices.'"

Online fundraising for Ukraine is active, and thriving via crypto

On Feb. 26, Ukraine’s official Twitter account said it would be accepting donations in the form of cryptocurrency. To date, more than $9.9 million has been raised in crypto for Ukraine, according to The Verge.

The country is officially accepting donations via Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether, while decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) have formed and can accept other forms of crypto donations as well. According to The Verge, Tether is supposed to pegged to the US dollar, but has been in such high demand that it is now trading above the dollar at $1.10.

People in Ukraine have also reported that their Ukrainian credit cards have stopped working, and that crypto has become the most feasible fallback.

Major crypto community players have expressed their support for Ukraine, including Russian-born creator of Ethereum Vitalik Buterin tweeting that the "invasion was a crime against Ukrainian and Russian people." Nadya Tolokonnikova, a member of the Russian performance art group Pussy Riot, also created UkraineDAO to raise funds, and a collaboration of NFT and web3 artists created RELI3F to act as another hub for crypto donations to Ukraine.

In contrast, Russia has pushed for a total ban on cryptocurrency and continues a "head-in-the-clouds" approach to talking about the conflict on its own official Twitter account. Given that, it's unlikely Russia will be soliciting a similar amount of donations via crypto any time soon.

Ukrainian and Russian civilians have found ways to communicate

Telegram is the most popular messenger in Ukraine, and while many believe it to be protected, rival app Signal's founder Moxie Marlinspike tweeted a thread explaining Telegram's cloud-based nature, detailing the possible threat from Russia.

While this doesn't guarantee a mass Ukrainian exodus from the potentially jeopardized app, the thread brings awareness to alternatives, as well as a feature within Telegram called "secret messages," that would provide more privacy and security for those who remain on the service.

Internet infrastructure company Cloudflare also saw a massive spike in Signal usage just after midnight on Feb. 24, approximately the same time that the Russian invasion began. Signal's messaging services promise end to end encryption, and is generally agreed upon by cybersecurity experts to be the most secure private messaging app.

To prepare for potential internet outages, many are also working to get around online censorship in Ukraine or Russia.

Yev Muchnik, a Ukraine-born lawyer who’s lived in the U.S. since 1988, told The Verge that he has been working with developers from PieFi and Ukraine United DAO to combat any attacks on internet access. Their goal is to "create peer-to-peer mesh networks to preserve internet connectivity, even if centralized internet service providers go down." Privacy-preserving internet browsing service Tor also tweeted out an extensive thread detailing how private citizens can protect themselves against surveillance and censorship.

On-the-ground info continues to spread online, albeit with misinfo concerns

As people across the internet continue to seek out information, other social platforms like TikTok have offered a view of what is actually happening on the ground in Ukraine. Even before the official invasion in the early hours of Feb. 24, TikTok videos had been showing Russian military weapons and vehicles en route to Ukrainian borders, alerting military analysts and civilians alike to the upcoming threat.

As the invasion began in earnest, more social posts have cropped up purporting to highlight the true day-to-day life in Ukraine and Russia right now.

Independent Russian journalist Ilya Varlamov has used Instagram to document photos and videos of his account of Russia's actions in Ukraine. Russian TikTokker Niki Proshin posted a video showing an anti-war protest in Russia. According to The Guardian, Ukrainian influencer Anna Prytula's Instagram (which has now been made private) showed footage of missiles attacking in Ukraine.

But even as Ukrainian and Russian residents are publishing real-time, truthful videos, fake war pages and accounts on platforms like Instagram and TikTok have also taken the opportunity to reel in views and followers.

SEE ALSO: 'SNL' opened on a solemn note with a moving Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York performance

Instagram has taken action by removing scam war pages for violating its community guidelines regarding inauthentic behavior, while TikTok told Business Insider, "We continue to closely monitor the situation, with increased resources to respond to emerging trends and remove violative content, including harmful misinformation and promotion of violence. We also partner with independent fact-checking organizations to further aid our efforts to help TikTok remain a safe and authentic place."

While the platforms are presumably working to take down blatant misinformation, journalists like those at CNN are also actively fact-checking viral videos in order to ensure that any first person accounts from Russian military action is accurate.


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Check out 2022's two new Pokémon games (and three adorable starters) in this new trailer

Check out 2022's two new Pokémon games (and three adorable starters) in this new trailer

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A landscape-oriented picture frame containing a piece of art that features three cute Pokémon: A cat-like creature, a dinosaur-like creature, and a duck-like creature.

It's a blessed 2022 for Pokémon fans.

You already got Pokémon Legends: Arceus, a bit of a new direction for the enduring series that came to Nintendo Switch back in February. It's excellent.

Now, just over a month later, The Pokémon Company is back with some news: Two new Pokémon games are still to come in "late 2022" and the pair takes us back to that traditional Pokémon vibe of releasing two largely identical games that have their own titles and critter lineups. The upcoming pair are called Pokémon Violet and Pokémon Scarlet.

The trailer also gives us a peek at the games' new Pokémon starters, from which all players choose their starting pal when they fire up a new game. This trio is as predictably adorable as any other Pokémon starter lineup: There a delighted-looking green kitten-thing, a smiling creature that looks like a cross between a dinosaur and a Shy Guy, and a cute, little duck that's either wearing a vaguely beret-shaped hat or has a swooping teal pompadour.

A landscape-oriented picture frame containing a piece of art that features three cute Pokémon: A cat-like creature, a dinosaur-like creature, and a duck-like creature.
Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon are a riot. Look for Pokémon Violet and Pokémon Scarlet when they come to Switch later in 2022.


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Samsung’s new Galaxy Book laptops get better webcams and brighter screens

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Samsung may be best known for its Galaxy phones, TVs and household appliances, but I think its laptops deserve more recognition. At MWC 2022 today, the company unveiled the next generation of its Galaxy Book series of PCs. Last year’s models brought vibrant AMOLED panels while maintaining strikingly sleek profiles. This time around, the new Galaxy Book 2 series offers upgraded webcams and processors, improved S Pens and a gorgeous new burgundy color option

At the moment, there are three models in the lineup: the convertible Galaxy Book 2 360, the clamshell Galaxy Book 2 Pro and the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360, which is not only a mouthful of a name but also a high-end 2-in-1. They all sport 13-inch screens, with the Pro and Pro 360 also coming in 15-inch versions. A fourth “Business” model is coming later this year, and it’s the only 14-inch option of the lot, which is interesting given the laptop industry has generally been moving towards that size.

Like most computers launching this year, the Galaxy Book 2s run Windows 11 and come equipped with Intel’s 12th-gen Core i5 or i7 processors. But Samsung’s strength is, as always, in its displays and this year's AMOLEDs can hit up to 500 nits of brightness, making for easier viewing in challenging lighting conditions. At a recent hands-on one evening in New York, I wasn’t able to take the machines out to read under direct sunlight as the sun had already set. In the brightly lit demo space as well as under our spotlights, though, it was easy to watch videos on the Galaxy Books.

A burgundy Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 on a white desk with decorative ornaments behind it.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Like I said last year in my review of the Book Pro 360, the new model’s 16:9 aspect ratio feels outdated in an era where most laptops have shifted to 16:10 screens. This leaves a thumb-wide bezel below the display that could otherwise display a few extra lines of text at least. Still, they all run at 1,920 x 1,080 which is probably a more power-efficient option than 4K for machines that are this thin and light.

I also enjoyed the vibrant colors on the AMOLED panels (which support HDR), almost as much as I enjoyed scrawling “I love cake” on them. The Book 2 Pro 360 comes with an S Pen, while the 360 supports it but doesn’t ship with one. The Pro, meanwhile, isn’t touch-enabled and doesn’t work with the stylus. There’s not much new about the S Pen here — Samsung says it's improved the latency, though it hasn't shared details beyond that. The pen is still a separate accessory that you might leave behind by accident. I miss when Samsung included a smaller version of it in an onboard slot in the Galaxy Book Flex.

Besides the new chips and brighter displays, the main upgrade for this generation of the Galaxy Book is higher-resolution webcams. Specifically, all three models now offer 1080p cameras that, based on my limited experience so far, already take better pictures than their predecessors. Samsung had aggressive beauty filters built into last year’s Galaxy Book Pro 360 for some reason, resulting in poorly exposed pictures from its 720p camera. This time, thankfully, the camera app looked like the stock Windows version with no strange filters on my face.

A Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 on a wooden table with the Engadget website on its screen. To its right sits a Tab S8 with an S Pen on its top edge.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget

In fact, it seems like Samsung’s cleaned up its software in general. Things from previous models like a faux privacy screen and a security feature that would snap pictures of people making failed login attempts were nowhere to be seen. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re gone — I didn’t have time to hunt them down during the hands-on. But the demo units presented a fairly clean Windows 11 experience, from what I saw.

The last new offering in the Galaxy Book 2 is a burgundy color option (limited to the Pro 360) and I am ashamed to admit this might be my favorite thing about Samsung’s latest laptops. It’s the same shade as you get in the S22 Ultra, and after covering boring silver, black, white and even copper laptops for years, I’m just grateful for something that’s not just different but that’s beautiful. Samsung’s notebooks have been some of the more colorful around, like its fiery red Chromebook or the cobalt blue Book Flex. I never knew I could lust after a burgundy laptop, but here I am coveting a PC for its color.

I also really liked how light and thin the Book 2 Pro is (13-inch version weighs 0.87kg or 1.91 pounds), and in spite of its daintiness it felt premium and sturdy. Samsung’s laptops might not look as elegant as HP’s Spectre series, but they certainly give Dell’s XPS or Microsoft’s Surface products some competition.

A close-up side view of the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360's keyboard and part of its trackpad.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget

But back to features that will make more of a difference in your daily workflow. The 15-inch Book 2 Pro 360 has a comfortable, spacious keyboard and gigantic touchpad that was responsive during my time with it. I hardly ever use numpads anymore, but the larger models come with them, which could be handy for those working with numbers a lot. I also enjoyed typing on the 13-inch versions of the Galaxy Book 2 — there’s enough travel and satisfying feedback.

My main gripe with the Galaxy Book 2 is the $50 price hike. The Book 2 Pro 360 starts at $1,250, up from last year’s $1,200, and I’m not sure a brighter screen and sharper webcam alone are worth the difference. I’d also need to test these devices out for longer to gauge their real-world performance and determine things like battery life and thermal efficiency. The good news is there’s still time — pre-orders start on March 18th, with availability beginning on April 1st. The Galaxy Book 2 360 starts at $900, and is only available from April 1st onwards, while the Book 2 Pro goes for $1,050.

Catch up on all of the news from MWC 2022 right here!


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Tina Fey, Paul Rudd hilariously welcome John Mulaney to the 'SNL' five-timers club

Tina Fey, Paul Rudd hilariously welcome John Mulaney to the 'SNL' five-timers club

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A still from

John Mulaney has officially checked into the Saturday Night Live five-timers club.

As the club's name suggests, SNL five-timers are people who have hosted the show at least five times. Mulaney, who used to be a writer on SNL, is now one of them. He joins an illustrious crew that includes Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Steve Martin, Candace Bergen, Elliott Gould, and a portrait of Drew Barrymore. Also, Conan O'Brien I guess (another legendary former SNL writer!).

These celeb-filled sketches can be hit or miss, but this one's a big time hit.


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Elon Musk pledges to send Starlink terminals to Ukraine

Elon Musk pledges to send Starlink terminals to Ukraine

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With Russia’s invasion causing significant damage to Ukraine’s internet infrastructure, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Saturday his company would bring its Starlink satellite internet service to the country. “Starlink service is now active in Ukraine,” Musk said on Twitter. “More terminals in route.”

Musk’s pledge came after Mykhailo Fedorov, the country’s vice prime minister, mentioned him in a tweet. “We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand,” Fedorov said.

While many were quick to praise Elon Musk’s announcement, others like Rebellion PAC executive director Brianna Wu noted Starlink is unlikely to help Ukrainians stay connected. For one, as The Verge points out in its review of the service, a Starlink dish requires a “near-perfect” line of sight with SpaceX’s constellation network. An urban environment is not a place you want to deploy the service since buildings (and, in this case, smoke from Russian artillery shelling) can easily obstruct a signal. There’s also the question of how you would get Starlink terminals to people in the city and other parts of the country. Kyiv, for instance, is surrounded by Russian forces.

Following four days of intense fighting, internet connectivity in Ukraine has been spotty at times, particularly in the parts of the country that have seen the most combat. On Saturday, NetBlocks told Reuters it saw connectivity to GigaTrans, Ukraine’s backbone internet provider, temporarily fall to below 20 percent of normal levels. While Ukraine hasn’t suffered a nationwide blackout yet, there’s worry the situation could change at any moment, potentially making it far more difficult for Ukrainians to stay in touch with their loved ones.


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TCL’s latest concept phone folds inwards and outwards

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TCL seems to love showing off eye-catching prototypes at shows, and today it’s doing the same for MWC 2022. Alongside an array of new phones and tablets, the company just debuted a concept device tentatively called the “Ultra Flex” — a phone with a 360-degree rotating hinge and a flexible display that bends along with it. That means this thing can fold in on itself as well as out towards the world.

This is a technically challenging proposition, since the screen has to undergo much more flexing than those that only bend one way. The strip that’s right above the hinge, in particular, would probably suffer the most stress.

In fact, it’s so prone to breaking that the unit we saw at our hands-on in New York never did turn on. Its 8-inch, 2,480 x 1,860 PLP AMOLED screen remained disappointingly dark, though TCL reps did show us photos of it working earlier that day. For now, we can only take their word for it.

Two pictures of the TCL Ultra Flex prototype with its screen on and folded to face outwards and inwards.
TCL

The display wasn’t the only engineering challenge for this prototype: The 360-degree hinge also needed some finessing. Each time I folded and unfolded the device, most of the movement was smooth until the screen’s halves were close to touching. That’s when it made unsettling noises and felt like crunching cereal under a membrane. TCL has not shared any specifics on how the hinge and display work, either, keeping those details confidential for now. It’s clear that this prototype is nowhere close to being a real product.

Why would we even want a device that can fold both ways? TCL reps said it would offer the benefits of both inward-folding devices like the Galaxy Z Fold as well as those that bend outwards like Huawei’s first Mate X foldable. Having a panel you could fold outwards could offer a preview for your camera subjects to see how they look while you frame them up, for example, or let you present slides to someone facing you. Given that Huawei has since adopted Samsung’s approach instead of sticking with an outside-facing flexible screen, it appears that style of foldable might not be very feasible.

Still, I liked the Ultra Flex prototype’s matte blue finish and the mock quad-camera array on the back. The pliable, corrugated backing for the hinge also added an interesting touch to the design, and a slot on the bottom left indicates potential for the inclusion of an onboard stylus.

The back of TCL's Ultra Flex prototype.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget

We also got to see the company’s “Fold n’ Roll” concept device in person for the first time since it was unveiled in April last year. This is a foldable 6.7-inch phone that uses a motorized mechanism that, at the push of a button, unfurls more of its screen to make an 8.8-inch 2,880 x 2,160 canvas. Like the Ultra Flex, this prototype felt janky, and getting the device to roll out its screen was like asking a dog to sit. Sometimes it worked as expected, sometimes pushing the button did nothing and sometimes the mechanism would whir away but the screen would struggle to move.

At least on this device the screen was working… Ish. For the first half of the demo session, the Fold n’ Roll was stuck on the lock screen, and didn’t respond to any touches or swipes. By some miracle, it eventually unlocked and revealed the Android home screen, but still refused to register any taps. I launched a grand total of zero apps on this prototype, helplessly watching it do nothing as I jabbed at the screen. It reminded me of the panel on Motorola’s Razr — both felt like they were slightly detached from the rest of the components below, like a piece of tape stuck to itself and no longer adhering to the rest of the roll.

The only thing it did was actually recognize when the additional bit of screen had finished rolling in or out, and change its aspect ratio and size to fill up and match the new widths. At this point I was so happy something worked that I was probably too impressed by a feature that should be expected, rather than a bonus.

TCL's
Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Were these prototypes buggy as hell? Yes. Was I intrigued by them regardless? Also yes. We all love being distracted by interesting new form factors and product types, especially as non-foldable smartphone hardware matures and stagnates. As foldables continue to pique our interest and actually become better over the years, who knows what other shapes they might evolve into?

TCL hasn’t said if these prototypes are worth pursuing and turning into actual products, but the company has promised that it plans to launch a foldable phone that costs hundreds less than the competition. Though that has yet to happen, we did see a canceled product last year codenamed Chicago. It’s very similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3, though with a different external screen and camera setup, as well as a slightly more textured finish. I was impressed how nice this looked in person, and the hinge felt less resistant than the Z Flip 3’s. Until TCL starts selling these for real, though, all of its prototypes and concepts remain aspirational. I get that there are global supply issues potentially in the way, but at this point it feels like TCL has teased us for too long.

Catch up on all of the news from MWC 2022 right here!


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Valve says it would happily help Microsoft bring PC Game Pass to Steam

Valve says it would happily help Microsoft bring PC Game Pass to Steam

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Valve says it’s willing to work with Microsoft to bring PC Game Pass to Steam. “I don’t think it’s something that we think we need to do ourselves, building a subscription service at this time,” Valve CEO Gabe Newell told PC Gamer in a recent interview. “But for their customers it’s clearly a popular option, and we’d be more than happy to work with them to get that on Steam.”

Newell’s subsequent comments suggest PC Game Pass won’t come to Steam anytime soon, but that the two companies have had discussions about the possibility. “We’ve talked to people there quite a bit about that topic,” he said. “If your customers want it, then you should figure out how to make it happen. That’s where we’re at.”

While PC Game Pass may never come to Steam there’s at least precedent for Microsoft to follow. In the summer of 2020, publisher Electronic Arts made EA Play, its subscription service, available on Steam. It's worth noting, as The Verge points out, not every EA Play tier is available through the marketplace, and Valve's 30 percent cut of sales could be a contentious issue in any negotiations between itself and Microsoft. For what it's worth, Microsoft has also expressed an interest in getting Steam onto the Windows 11 app store. Last June, Microsoft’s Panos Panay said Valve would be “very welcome” on the marketplace.


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Anonymous claims responsibility for Russian government website outages

Anonymous claims responsibility for Russian government website outages

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On Saturday morning, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine entered its third day, some of the country’s official government websites went down following a series of alleged cyberattacks. Among the sites that aren’t accessible as of the writing of this article include that of the Kremlin and the country’s Ministry of Defence. Several Twitter accounts claiming affiliation with Anonymous say the international hacking collective is behind the attacks.

“Faced with this series of attacks that Ukraine has been suffering from the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, we could not help but support the Ukrainian people,” said one account. At the start of the conflict, the group said it would launch a “cyber war against the Russian government.” However, the Kremlin has denied Anonymous is behind the attacks, according to CNN.

It’s believed Anonymous is also responsible for hacking several Russian state TV channels. People have uploaded videos showing those channels playing Ukrainian music and displaying images of the country’s flag and other nationalistic symbols. 

The collective has also pledged to “keep the Ukrainian people online as best we can,” even as the invasion takes a heavy toll on the country's internet infrastructure. While there hasn’t been a widespread blackout, some parts of Ukraine, particularly those areas where fighting has been the most intense, have seen greatly diminished access. That's something that has prevented people from staying in touch with their loved ones.


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Extremely wild planet hosts metal clouds and raining gems

Extremely wild planet hosts metal clouds and raining gems

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a type of exoplanet called a hot Jupiter

Over a trillion exoplanets likely orbit distant stars in our humble galaxy. Astronomers suspect one, 855 light-years away, harbors metallic clouds and raining gems.

This peculiar world, WASP-121 b is known as a "hot Jupiter," because it's a gaseous giant that orbits close to its searing star. Crucially, the planet is tidally locked to its star — like the moon is locked to Earth — meaning that one side of WASP-121 b is incessantly seared by its sun, while the other is dark and cooler.

In new research published by the journal Nature Astronomy, scientists demonstrate that airborne metals and gems exist on the planet's cooler side. (The intensely hot, 3,000 degree-Celsius, or over 5,400-degree Fahrenheit, dayside evaporates such clouds.) Using unique observations from the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers measured the temperature of the nightside atmosphere and showed that it was cool enough for various metals to condense, Thomas Mikal-Evans, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and a lead author of the research, told Mashable. The detected metals on WASP-121 b include magnesium, iron, vanadium, chromium, and nickel.

It's currently rare, and challenging, for astronomers to probe the atmospheres of distant exoplanets. In this case, the team used a clever observational method to glimpse the make-up of WASP-121 b's upper atmosphere. Hubble watched the planet orbit its star, and was able to analyze the sunlight that passed through the atmosphere, which ultimately reveals some of the chemicals present.

Even on the "cool" side, temperatures hover at 1,500 degrees Celsius, or some 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit. That's much too hot for water clouds, like Earth's. But metals in a gaseous state will condense in such environments. What might such unusual clouds look like?

"I don't think we can say what they'd look like for sure, because cloud formation is complicated and we don't have clouds like these to observe up close in our own solar system," Mikal-Evans said over email.

"I don't know what the clouds would look like for sure, but it's fun to speculate."

But he suspects the metallic clouds could potentially resemble dust storms that form on Earth, as seen in this YouTube video. As for the clouds' color, it's also speculation. But why not speculate? The researchers suspect WASP-121 b contains aluminum, which condenses into the mineral corundum. Ruby and sapphire are made of corundum, along with other trace chemicals (also likely on WASP-121 b) that provide these gems their rich colors. Fine droplets of ruby and sapphire may form clouds. "So perhaps some of the clouds would have red and blue coloration," Mikal-Evans mused.

Other clouds might be beige. Others grey or green. "As I said, I don't know what the clouds would look like for sure, but it's fun to speculate," Mikal Evans said.

a hot Jupiter exoplanet
An artist's conception of the exoplanet WASP-121 b, which orbits close to its sun. Credit: Patricia Klein / MPIA

Like on Earth, when conditions are right, metallic droplets in the clouds will condense enough to rain, in spectacular form.

"Liquid gems could therefore be raining on the nightside hemisphere of WASP-121 b," the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy noted in a press release.

SEE ALSO: Many of the Webb telescope’s greatest discoveries won't come from any amazing pictures

Exoplanet research, already fascinating, is about to be revolutionized.

The James Webb Space Telescope — the most powerful space telescope ever built — successfully launched into space and arrived at its home, nearly 1 million miles from Earth. Its science mission will begin this summer, and considerable time (one-quarter of its first year) will be spent observing the atmospheres of exoplanets. We'll learn unprecedented things. The Webb telescope can see more light than Hubble, and detect molecules that Hubble can't see.

Crucially, Webb will peer at smaller planets, like rocky planets around twice the size of Earth, and see if they contain the ingredients for life (as we know it). This includes water, carbon dioxide, and methane.

"We're going to be able to tell what [the planets] are made of," Mercedes López-Morales, an exoplanet researcher and astrophysicist at Center for Astrophysics-Harvard & Smithsonian, told Mashable.

Stay tuned. We already know the galaxy contains wild exoplanets almost certainly hosting otherworldly clouds. What else will we find in distant solar systems?


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Russia restricts Twitter access amid Ukraine invasion

Russia restricts Twitter access amid Ukraine invasion

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Russia has moved to restrict access to Twitter as its invasion of Ukraine continues. Starting early Saturday morning, internet monitor NetBlocks saw a nearly complete blackout of the platform across all major domestic telecom providers, including Rostelecom and MTS. For the time being, Russian residents and those visiting the country can still access Twitter using VPN services but reaching the website directly is nearly impossible.

Twitter confirmed the reports at 11:51AM ET. “We’re aware that Twitter is being restricted for some people in Russia and are working to keep our service safe and accessible,” the company said.

At the moment, Russians can reportedly still access Facebook and Instagram, but that may change. On Friday, the country’s telecom regulator, Roskomnadzor, began partially restricting access to Facebook after Meta refused to stop fact-checking and labeling content from state-owned news organizations. At the time, Roskomnadzor accused Facebook of violating “the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens.”

It’s unclear why Russia has moved to block Twitter, but all the videos of the conflict you see on the platform may have played a part in the decision. For instance, Russia claims its airstrikes haven’t targeted civilian infrastructure, but several widely circulated videos appear to show otherwise. Those clips and others would appear to paint a picture of the invasion that is quite different from the one Russian-state media has pushed. 

"Russia's restriction of Twitter will significantly limit the free flow of information at a time of crisis when the public most needs to stay informed," NetBlocks director Alp Toker told the BBC.


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Twitter gives all users access to one-time content warnings

Twitter gives all users access to one-time content warnings

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You can now attach one-time content warnings to the images and videos you tweet if you didn't have access to the feature in the past. Twitter started testing a feature that gives you a way to add warnings for nudity, violence and other types of sensitive content to each individual post last year. Now, Twitter Support has announced that the feature is available to everyone using its Android and iOS apps, as well as its web interface.

When you apply a warning to an individual tweet, the media you attach to it will look obscured to people viewing it until they opt to view what's behind it. The feature gives you a way to share content that may be upsetting or not appropriate for everyone without having to mark all your tweets as sensitive. 

To add a warning to a single tweet, simply click on the flag icon that shows up while you're editing the photo or video you attached and then choose between the nudity, violence and sensitive options. As The Verge notes, you can tag multiple warnings for each attachment, and Twitter will place a single warning over multiple media in a single post. 

You can watch Twitter Safety's video on how to access the feature below:


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Facebook blocks Russian state media from running ads

Facebook blocks Russian state media from running ads

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Facebook has blocked Russian state media outlets from using its advertising platform or using other monetization features in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

The move comes after Russia regulator Roskomnadzor said it would restrict access to the social network after Facebook officials declined to stop fact checking Russian state-run media outlets on the platform. Now, Meta’s Head of Security Policy Nathaniel Gleicher says the company is stepping up its restrictions on Russian state media, which are now barred from running ads or using monetization features anywhere in the world. He added that the company continues to “to apply labels to additional Russian state media.”

It follows a similar move from Twitter, which announced on Friday that it was suspending all advertising in Ukraine and Russia in order to better highlight authoritative information and guard against misinformation. Facebook has also previously enabled a “lock profile” feature for people in Ukraine as an added security feature, and has formed a “Special Operations Center” to track how the invasion of Ukraine is unfolding on its platform.


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Twitter lets you put content warnings on your tweets. Here's how to do it.

Twitter lets you put content warnings on your tweets. Here's how to do it.

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A first-person perspective view of someone looking down at their phone as they're walking.

Twitter's 2021 test of user-added content warnings was apparently a success. The feature is now live.

The company confirmed on Friday that Twitter users accessing the social media platform on Android, iOS, and the web can now add content warnings to any photos or videos attached to their tweets. It's a relatively simple process that forces anyone who wants to take a look at your posted media to manually click past a prompt first.

It's not a perfect implementation at this point. The content warning doesn't show up when a tweet that has one is embedded. The warnings also aren't visible in third-party Twitter apps — I use Tweetdeck and they're not showing up there.

Still, the process of adding a content warning is easy enough. And the feature should improve over time. Here's how to take advantage.

Create your tweet, attach any media

Yeah, the tweet comes first. Don't post it yet, but create your tweet. Add whatever media you plan to use. Then click or tap the "Edit" button to open up Twitter's built-in editing tools.

A screenshot of a post being created inside Twitter's browser interface. The text reads "This is a test tweet in the name of Journalism, but I need an image for it so here's Fozzie loving life." Below the text is a photo of a dog standing in the snow.
The "Edit" button is what you're looking for here. Credit: Screenshot by Adam Rosenberg / Mashable

Click the content warning icon

Once the Twitter edit tools pop up, look near the top of the window. You should see a few different tabs. The default one is for cropping and resizing, as indicated by the crop icon. The middle one, labeled "ALT," is for alt text, a basic description of the contents of whatever media you're sharing. Alt text is used by screen readers to help those who may not be able to see the media you're sharing know what's there.

In this case, though, the third icon is the one we want. It looks like a little flag.

A screenshot of Twitter's content warning interface. An image of a dog standing in the snow fills the bulk of the screenshot. Below it is text that reads: "Put a content warning on this tweet. Select a category, and we'll put a content warning on this Tweet. This helps people avoid content they don't want to see." There are three checkbox options to choose from: Nudity, Violence, Sensitive.
You've got three types of warning tags to choose from. Credit: Screenshot by Adam Rosenberg / Mashable

Select your warning

Clicking or tapping the flag icon opens up the content warning tab. You'll quickly notice there are three options to choose from here: Nudity, Violence, or Sensitive.

Choose whichever one is most appropriate for your media share, this appears to be the user's prerogative. So if you want to, say, stick a spoiler-y movie clip behind a content warning, the lack of a "spoiler" tag doesn't mean any of the others is the "wrong" choice. Your best bet is to go with "sensitive" in any situation where the thing you want to share isn't an easy fit in any of the categories.

A screenshot of Twitter's content warning interface. At the bottom is text that reads: "Put a content warning on this tweet. Select a category, and we'll put a content warning on this Tweet. This helps people avoid content they don't want to see." There are three checkbox options to choose from: Nudity, Violence, Sensitive. All three options are checked off and a preview pane above the text shows what the live content warning will look like.
You get to see your content warning before it's live. Credit: Screenshot by Adam Rosenberg / Mashable

You can select multiple warnings if you want. Once you check one of the boxes, the editing tools' preview window shows you what the warning will actually look like once it's live. Once you've got your warning set, click or tap "Save" and you'll be taken back to the original post editor.

Publish your tweet

At this point, you should be done and ready to publish your tweet (unless there's more you want to add). So do that. Anyone who looks at your post on Twitter official, whether it's the app or browser interface, will see a warning in front of your media just like it appeared in the preview.

A screenshot of a published tweet. It contains the text: "This is a test tweet in the name of Journalism, but I need an image for it so here's Fozzie loving life. It is not, as the content warning notes (if you can see that warning at all), sensitive. Fozzie is a very sensitive boy though." Below the text is an image blocked by a Twitter content warning.
The live version of the warning is identical to the preview version, as you can see here. Credit: Screenshot by Adam Rosenberg / Mashable
SEE ALSO: Tears of joy emoji might be experiencing a renaissance

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