Author Archives: Carol Edwards

Quick links for watching ‘Saltburn’ on Amazon Prime Video:

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BEST FOR NEW SUBSCRIBERS

Amazon Prime trial

free for 30 days

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BEST FOR STUDENTS

Amazon Prime Student

6-month free trial, then $69/year

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BEST FOR EVERYONE ELSE

Amazon Prime Video

$8.99/month

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Plenty of films have stirred up our social feeds over the past few months, but Saltburn might take the cake when it comes to clogging up our Twitter/X timelines and TikTok FYPs. The seductive nostalgia, the stellar casting, the comeback of “Murder On The Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and the infamous bathwater-drinking scene — what’s not to love?

Emerald Fennell’s highly anticipated follow-up to the Oscar-winning revenge-thriller Promising Young Woman, Saltburn has earned mixed reviews from critics with crude comparisons to The Talented Mr Ripley. Mashable’s film editor Kristy Puchko, however, notes that the comparison “is as thin as that comparing Anna Kendricks’s Woman of the Hour to Fennell’s provocative previous feature.” She explains that the framework may be familiar, but the film itself is “uniquely harrowing, hilarious, and exhilarating.” Not to mention, it’s “a thriller that edges confidently into self-aware queer comedy.”

Saltburn hasn’t just shaken up social media. Its casting choices (Barry Keoghan and Rosamund Pike, in particular) were nominated for Golden Globes. And for what it’s worth, we also awarded it a spot in our top 20 movies of 2023.

If you’ve yet to see the film for yourself, it’s available to stream as of Dec. 22 — here’s what you need to know.

What streaming service is Saltburn on?

If you recently said so long to Amazon Prime, you’ll be disappointed to find out that Saltburn is an Amazon Original. In other words, you need need Amazon Prime — or, at least, Amazon Prime Video — to watch the “sick, savage, and satisfying” flick. If you’re already an Amazon Prime devotee, you’re good to go. Just sign into your account, navigate to Prime Video, and Saltburn will be waiting for you. Otherwise, keep reading to find out the best ways to sign up and save some money.

Can I get Amazon Prime Video for free?

There is a way to watch Saltburn for free on Amazon Prime Video. However, the only way to take advantage of the free trial is if you haven’t been a Prime user in over a year (or ever). Don’t fall into that category? You can still score a discounted subscription if you’re a student (or still have access to a .edu email address) or simply subscribe to Prime Video only (not a full Prime subscription) to save some money. Peep all the details below.

Best for newbies: Amazon Prime Video free trial

Free trials are getting harder and harder to come across — especially when it comes to streaming. But refreshingly, Amazon still offers its 30-day Prime membership trial to new and returning users. If you’re brand new to Prime or you canceled or paused your membership over a year ago, you can take advantage of the free month of service. This gets you all of the Prime perks paid members get for 30 days, including access to Prime Video to watch Saltburn and some of our other favorite films and TV shows of 2023 (Polite Society, M3GAN, Dead Ringers, I’m a Virgo). Just be sure to cancel your subscription trial before your 30 days are up if you want to avoid further charges.

Best for students: Amazon Prime Student

It pays to be a student in the streaming age. Amazon Prime Student offers anyone with a verifiable student (.edu) email address a free six-month trial. Not only do you get access to Prime Video in those six months, which allows you to watch Saltburn and other gems, but you’ll also get plenty of other goodies like free food delivery through GrubHub+, a free trial of Calm, discounted Amazon Music and Kindle subscriptions, and the usual Prime perks. Even better, once your free six-month trial ends, you’ll only have to pay half the usual cost of Prime to keep your membership going — just $69/year.

Best for everyone else: Amazon Prime Video only

Don’t qualify for the free trial or student status? You can still save by simply subscribing to Amazon Prime Video alone instead of a full Amazon Prime account. A typical Prime membership would run you $14.99/month, but you can sign up for just the Prime Video subscription aspect for $8.99/month instead. Sure, it’s not as good as getting to watch Saltburn for free, but saving $6 per month is still worth it. Plus, you can cancel at any time without commitment. Just remember to cancel before your month of service is up if you don’t want to continue paying for it.

Last week, the New York Times published an op-ed on superstar Taylor Swift titled, “Look What We Made Taylor Swift Do.” In it, Times Opinion editor Anna Marks opines that Swift isn’t the straight LGBTQ ally she claims to be but rather queer herself. Marks supports her argument by rehashing observations that fans on the r/GaylorSwift subreddit and elsewhere on the internet have discussed openly for years.

Since the piece dropped, social media platforms like X and TikTok have been flooded with reactions — and by and large, backlash. Someone close to Swift commented to CNN, saying, “Because of her massive success, in this moment there is a Taylor-shaped hole in people’s ethics. This article wouldn’t have been allowed to be written about Shawn Mendes or any male artist whose sexuality has been questioned by fans.”

That’s not exactly true; Marks, the same writer of this op-ed, wrote about Harry Styles’s sexuality for the Times back in 2022. The point remains, even more so: It’s time to stop obsessing over celebrities’ sexualities.

I’m saying this as someone guilty of doing this — though I’m not writing 5,000-word Times opinion pieces on my theories. Maybe because I am bisexual, I am more ready and eager to think someone is queer like me based on very little: how they dress or speak or carry themselves. Conversely, because I’m queer, I know that queerness isn’t a certain look or mannerism. There’s the rub. GLAAD reported that the number of LGBTQ characters on streaming TV for the 2022-2023 season slightly dipped from the year prior; when queer people lack representation in media, they may look for it somewhere else.

The reality is, I’m often wrong in my assumptions, especially if they’re rooted in stereotypes of the queer community (i.e. wearing cuffed jeans means you’re bi, or waving around pride flags means you’re more than an ally).

I understand the urge to speculate, which in itself isn’t good or bad. Speculation becomes harmful, however, when it reaches a crescendo like this. As Swift’s associate told CNN, “There seems to be no boundary some journalists won’t cross when writing about Taylor, regardless of how invasive, untrue, and inappropriate it is — all under the protective veil of an ‘opinion piece.'”

We have a cultural obsession with celebrities, and the spillover fixation over their sexualities is a symptom of it. Plus, Swift is arguably the most-talked-about celeb right now, off the heels of the Eras Tour and the Eras Tour movie, as well as her much-publicized relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Further, throughout her career, Swift has dropped “Easter eggs” — clues, like capitalizing certain letters in her lyric book and painting her nails distinct colors, that hint at secret messages or what’s to come from her music — that turn fans into detectives, looking for the hidden meaning in everything she does and says.

These factors have created a perfect storm of conjecture that the biggest pop star is queer but not out. Marks attempts to justify her speculation, writing, “[T]he stories that dominate our collective imagination shape what our culture permits artists and their audiences to say and be. Every time an artist signals queerness and that transmission falls on deaf ears, that signal dies. Recognizing the possibility of queerness — while being conscious of the difference between possibility and certainty — keeps that signal alive.”

Marks is essentially accusing Swift of “queerbaiting,” a term meant for media that’s been grafted onto real-life people in recent years. Queerbaiting is when writers and producers of TV and film tease that the show will feature a canonical queer relationship but fail to deliver. 

What is Marks really saying, here? That Swift owes us a coming-out because she “signals queerness”? Because she’s dyed her hair with the colors of the bi flag and wore rainbow dresses? Even if Swift is queer, coming out isn’t something to force or coerce. It’s an act that is supposed to be on someone’s own terms.

If Taylor Swift ever did come out as bi, I know what’d happen as a bi woman myself: People would scrutinize every relationship she’s had, even more so than they do now. They’d accuse her of not really being bi because of all the men she dated. She’d be added to the list of “bi celebrities who’ve never [publicly] dated someone of the same gender.” She’d face homophobia and biphobia the likes of which we haven’t seen because of her megastar status. 

Should this be the case? Of course not — but that’s the world we live in. To come out in America in 2024 is to obtain much more support than one would in decades past, yes, but also to face an ungodly amount of bile.

What’s more is that Marks comments on the “stories that dominate our collective imagination” without naming one out musician that has actually dominated queer culture the past couple of years: Boygenius (Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers); Janelle Monáe;  MUNA; girl in red; Hayley Kiyoko; Fletcher; Reneé Rapp; Kehlani; and King Princess, to name a few. We don’t need to hem and haw over Swift’s sexuality when out and proud people already make music. 

Also, perhaps most importantly: Celebrities aren’t going to liberate us. Taylor Swift being queer wouldn’t eradicate homophobia or biphobia, nor stop the onslaught of anti-LGBTQ legislation (mostly aimed at trans people) introduced in the last year. For lasting change, we need to build community and uplift the most marginalized of us.

I understand the want for a huge celebrity — maybe even your favorite — to be on your “team.” To spread rumors in the paper of record (that have already proliferated the internet for years), however, isn’t justifiable. You need to calm down.

The 81st Golden Globe Awards ceremony is being held today, with filmmakers and actors gathering at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California to celebrate the last year in television and film. 

It’s been a rough 12 months in Hollywood, with the dual Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes shutting down US productions for much of the year. Even so, some entertaining movies and shows still made their way to our screens.

Greta Gertwig’s Barbie dominated this year’s nominations by racking up a total of 10 nods, while its unlikely cohort Oppenheimer followed close behind with eight. Other films recognised included Killers of the Flower Moon and Past Lives, while shows such as Succession, The Bear, and The Last of Us filled out the television categories.

Here is the full list of nominees and winners at the 81st Golden Globe Awards. This article is being updated live, with winners bolded as they are announced. You can watch the Golden Globe Awards ceremony live from 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and Paramount+.

Best Supporting Female Actor — Motion Picture

• Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer)

• Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple)

• Jodie Foster (Nyad)

• Julianne Moore (May December)

• Rosamund Pike (Saltburn)

• Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)

Best Supporting Male Actor — Motion Picture

• Willem Dafoe (Poor Things)

• Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon)

• Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)

• Ryan Gosling (Barbie)

• Charles Melton (May December)

• Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things)

Best Female Actor — Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Motion Picture

• Riley Keough (Daisy Jones and the Six)

• Brie Larson (Lessons in Chemistry)

• Elizabeth Olsen (Love and Death)

• Juno Temple (Fargo)

• Rachel Weisz (Dead Ringers)

• Ali Wong (Beef)

Best Television Male Actor — Drama Series

• Brian Cox (Succession)

• Kieran Culkin (Succession)

• Gary Oldman (Slow Horses)

• Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us)

• Jeremy Strong (Succession)

• Dominic West (The Crown)

Best Score — Motion Picture

• Jerskin Fendrix (Poor Things)

• Ludwig Göransson (Oppenheimer)

• Joe Hisaishi (The Boy and the Heron)

• Mica Levi (The Zone of Interest)

• Daniel Pemberton (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse)

• Robbie Robertson (Killers of the Flower Moon)

Best Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture

• All the Light We Cannot See

• Beef

• Daisy Jones & the Six

• Fargo

• Fellow Travelers

• Lessons in Chemistry

Best Female Actor — Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy

• Fantasia Barrino (The Color Purple)

• Jennifer Lawrence (No Hard Feelings)

• Natalie Portman (May December)

• Alma Pöysti (Fallen Leaves)

• Margot Robbie (Barbie)

• Emma Stone (Poor Things)

Best Television Female Actor — Musical/Comedy Series

• Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

• Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary)

• Ayo Edebiri (The Bear)

• Elle Fanning (The Great)

• Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building)

• Natasha Lyonne (Poker Face)

Best Picture — Non-English Language

• Anatomy of a Fall

• Fallen Leaves

• Io Capitano

• Past Lives

• Society of the Snow

• The Zone of Interest

Best Supporting Male Actor — Television

• Billy Crudup (The Morning Show)

• Matthew Macfadyen (Succession)

• James Marsden (Jury Duty)

• Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear)

• Alan Ruck (Succession)

• Alexander Skarsgård (Succession)

Best Song — Motion Picture

• “Addicted to Romance” — Bruce Springsteen (She Came to Me)

• “Dance the Night” — Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (Barbie)

• “I’m Just Ken” — Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (Barbie)

• “Peaches” —Jack Black, Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond and John Spiker (The Super Mario Bros. Movie)

• “Road to Freedom” — Lenny Kravitz (Rustin)

• “What Was I Made For?” — Billie Eilish and Finneas (Barbie)

Best Supporting Female Actor — Television

• Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown)

• Abby Elliott (The Bear)

• Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets)

• J. Smith Cameron (Succession)

• Meryl Streep (Only Murders in the Building)

• Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso)

Best Picture — Animated

• The Boy and the Heron

• Elemental

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

• The Super Mario Bros. Movie

• Suzume

• Wish

Best Screenplay — Motion Picture

• Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach (Barbie)

• Tony McNamara (Poor Things)

• Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)

• Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon)

• Celine Song (Past Lives)

• Justine Triet and Arthur Harari (Anatomy of a Fall)

Best Television Male Actor — Musical/Comedy Series

• Bill Hader (Barry)

• Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building)

• Jason Segel (Shrinking)

• Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building)

• Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)

• Jeremy Allen White (The Bear)

Best Male Actor — Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture

• Matt Bomer (Fellow Travelers)

• Sam Claflin (Daisy Jones and the Six)

• John Hamm (Fargo)

• Woody Harrelson (White House Plumbers)

• David Oyelowo (Lawmen: Bass Reeves)

• Steven Yeun (Beef)

Best Television Female Actor — Drama Series

• Helen Mirren (1923)

• Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us)

• Keri Russell (The Diplomat)

• Sarah Snook (Succession)

• Imelda Staunton (The Crown)

• Emma Stone (The Curse)

Best Director — Motion Picture

• Bradley Coooper (Maestro)

• Greta Gerwig (Barbie)

• Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things)

• Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)

• Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon)

• Celine Song (Past Lives)

Best Drama Series

• 1923

• The Crown

• The Diplomat

• The Last of Us

• The Morning Show

• Succession

Best Male Actor — Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy

• Nicolas Cage (Dream Scenario)

• Timothée Chalamet (Wonka)

• Matt Damon (Air)

• Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers)

• Joaquin Phoenix (Beau Is Afraid)

• Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction)

Best Musical/Comedy Series

• Abbott Elementary

• Barry

• The Bear

• Jury Duty

• Only Murders in the Building

• Ted Lasso

Best Stand-Up Comedian on Television

• Ricky Gervais (Ricky Gervais Armageddon)

• Trevor Noah (Trevor Noah: Where Was I)

• Chris Rock (Selective Outrage)

• Amy Schumer (Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact)

• Sarah Silverman (Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love)

• Wanda Sykes (I’m an Entertainer)

Cinematic and Box Office Achievement

• Barbie

• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

• John Wick: Chapter 4

• Oppenheimer

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

• The Super Mario Bros. Movie

• Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

Best Male Actor — Motion Picture — Drama

• Bradley Cooper (Maestro)

• Leonardo DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon)

• Colman Domingo (Rustin)

• Barry Keoghan (Saltburn)

• Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)

• Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers)

Best Female Actor — Motion Picture — Drama

• Annette Bening (Nyad)

• Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon)

• Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall)

• Greta Lee (Past Lives)

• Carey Mulligan (Maestro)

• Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla)

Best Picture — Musical/Comedy

• Air

• American Fiction

• Barbie

• The Holdovers

• May December

• Poor Things

Best Picture — Drama

• Anatomy of a Fall

• Killers of the Flower Moon

• Maestro

• Oppenheimer

• Past Lives

• The Zone of Interest

In April of last year, Microsoft discontinued its popular keyboards, mice, and webcams. Now the PC accessories are returning thanks to a partnership with Incase, reports The Verge.

The software company pivoted away from Microsoft-branded hardware to focus on Surface-branded accessories. “Going forward, we are focusing on our Windows PC accessories portfolio under the Surface brand,” Dan Laycock, senior communications manager at Microsoft, told The Verge in April. As a result, all existing Microsoft-branded PC accessories were sold off and they ceased to be produced.

This new partnership with Incase brings Microsoft-designed products back to consumers exactly as they were before, except each item is adorned with the Incase leaf rather than the Microsoft logo.

The first 23 Microsoft-designed accessories are available to view — but not yet purchase — on the Incase website. They feature a range of keyboards, mice, headphones, a speaker, and a webcam. The line-up includes fan-favorite models like the Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop keyboard and the Bluetooth Ergonomic Mouse.

Charlie Tebele, the CEO of Onward Brands — Incase’s parent company — teased in an interview with The Verge that new Microsoft-designed products will be released as part of the partnership, including a new ergonomic keyboard.

The products are slated to become available sometime in quarter two.

Disney has once again demonetized a third-party Steamboat Willie video, after previously remonetizing it and dropping its copyright claim against it. This time taking issue with the video’s audio.

On Thursday, Mashable reported that Disney struck voice actor and YouTuber Brock Baker with a copyright claim quickly after he posted a Steamboat Willie video, despite the cartoon entering the public domain at the beginning of the year. Due to the copyright claim, Baker couldn’t make money off the video, which was also banned from third-party embeds and altogether in some countries.

Twenty-four hours later, Disney retracted its copyright claim and Baker’s video was remonetized. Now Baker has been hit with a different copyright claim, this time concerning the video’s audio.

YouTube’s latest copyright claim to Brock Baker.
Credit: Brock Baker

The video titled “Steamboat Willie (Brock’s Dub)” features the entirety of the 1928 Disney animated short Steamboat Willie. Baker dubbed the nearly 8-minute cartoon with his own voiceover.

When Disney remonetized Baker’s video, it appeared to acknowledge that Steamboat Willie is public domain and available for a wide variety of creative uses of the film — including for-profit — but now that it’s hit “Steamboat Willie (Brock’s Dub)” with another copyright claim we’re back at square one.

Hopefully, Disney will quickly retract the copyright claim as they did before.

No, your eyes don’t need to be checked. What you’re seeing in that hero image are, indeed, arms from an astronaut sticking out of a laptop. “How can this be?” you may be wondering. Well, all of this is happening on Acer’s newly unveiled 3D laptop.

Called the Aspire 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition, this laptop — announced ahead of CES 2024 — is designed to deliver 3D entertainment without requiring you to wear 3D glasses.

Acer is killing it in the 3D space

This isn’t the first time Acer spotlighted a 3D laptop at CES. Earlier this year, at CES 2023, I was blown away by the Predator Helios 3D 15, a gaming laptop that uses a mix of eye tracking, real-time rendering tech, and a 3D stereoscopic display to deliver incredible 3D experiences.

Acer’s SpatialLabs tech
Credit: Acer

I played God of War in 3D and was stunned by the perception of depth it delivered to my eyes. The images didn’t jump off the screen. Instead of looking 2D and flat, it looked as if I could stick my arm through the laptop and interact with the characters. It was wild!

The Aspire 3D 15 SpatialLabs laptop, on the other hand, isn’t designed for gaming. As mentioned at the outset, it’s more for 3D entertainment and content creation (e.g., 3D modeling). Unlike the Predator Helios 3D 15, it doesn’t necessarily appear to have depth. Instead, certain areas of the screen with 3D objects appear to pop out of the display.

I got to test the laptop for a bit during an Acer showcase, and to my surprise, the astronaut on the display looked like its arms were reaching out of the panel.

Look closely. You’ll see the astronaut’s hands sticking out of the display.
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

How does it work? “It uses Acer’s proprietary AI models to transform 2D content to 3D in real-time,” Acer said in a press release.

Quick look at specs

In 2D mode, the Aspire 3D 15 features a 15.6-inch 3840 x 2160-pixel display. However, when 3D mode is on, you get a 1920 x 2160-pixel panel instead. That’s an unusual pairing of display ratios, but this is an unusual display.

It comes with Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics; you can choose between a 2050 or a 4050. (If you want to play demanding games on this machine, opt for the latter, but for content creation, grab the former.)

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

This laptop doesn’t come with the new AI-focused Intel Core Ultra processors. Instead, it’s configured with a 13th-generation Intel Core i7 or i5 CPU. You can get up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. It’s also worth noting that this laptop isn’t lightweight; it’s slightly over five pounds.

The Aspire 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition will be available in February and has a starting price of $1,400.

The Acer Swift Go 14 is now unleashed ahead of CES 2024, and at first glance, it may seem like your average laptop.

It’s got the ever-so-popular silver chassis and a clamshell form factor — what’s the big deal about it? Well, something curious happens to the touchpad when you fire up YouTube on the Swift Go 14.

The Swift Go 14’s funky touchpad

While you’re watching YouTube on a laptop, and you need to pause it to grab some lunch, why go through the arduous journey of dragging the cursor all the way to the pause button? Your poor pointer finger shouldn’t have to go through such a strenuous task.

That’s why Acer, coddling our first-world problems, decided to place media controls on top of the touchpad. In other words, the trackpad doubles as a hub for play, pause, rewind, and fast-forward buttons.

The best part is that the Swift Go 14 can automatically detect whether media is playing on the display. So it’s not just YouTube these LED-lit controls will appear for — it should pop up for sites like Spotify, Twitch, and other media platforms.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

I got to test the Swift Go 14 at an Acer showcase. The touchpad lit up with the integrated media controls when I fired up YouTube, allowing me to hit pause, play, and skip without a hitch.

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

However, when I tried to pull up other sites besides YouTube (e.g., Twitch), the controls didn’t show up. However, Acer stressed that I was experimenting with a pre-production model and the units bound for store shelves will work as marketed. Once we get the Swift Go 14 in for testing, we’ll know for sure.

12-hour battery life?

The Swift Go 14, equipped with the new Intel Core Ultra processors that are designed to improve AI workflow performance, can reportedly deliver 12.5 hours of battery life. (Again, this is yet another claim I’ll have to test in our lab once Mashable receives a review unit.)

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

It comes with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2TB of SSD storage. While all configurations offer a 14-inch display, you can choose the panel you want, from a 1920 x 1200-pixel IPS screen with a 60Hz refresh rate to a 2880 x 1880-pixel OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate.

It comes with a 1440p webcam, and from what I saw at the showcase, it features a microSD card slot, a headset jack, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB Type-A ports, a Kensington lock slot, and an HDMI port.

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The Swift Go 14 will be available in March and has a starting price of $749.99.

TL;DR: Through Jan. 7, you can get a lifetime subscription to Koofr cloud storage with 1TB of space for just $139.99 (reg. $810) with coupon code KOOFR. That’s almost 83% in savings.

Leave the “storage full” nightmares in 2023 and save yourself unnecessary frustration by storing your important files, photos, and data in the cloud. In today’s world, nearly everything runs on a subscription-based model, but now you can leave that in the past, too. With Koofr, you only have to pay once, and you’re set with 1TB of storage space for life. Until the end of the day January 7, you can score 1TB of Koofr cloud storage for only $139.99 with coupon code KOOFR.

If you take screenshot after screenshot or like to film at concerts, you don’t have to worry about being selective anymore. 1TB of storage can store approximately 250,000 12MP photos, 500 hours of HD videos, or 6.5 million document pages like PDFs. With this plan, you won’t see any warning signs anytime soon.

Koof allows you to view all of your files within a central hub. It also integrates seamlessly with external cloud accounts like Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon, and OneDrive, so you can access files across multiple platforms. Your files are also accessible through your smartphone, personal computer, or via WebDav, so you can access your files anytime, anywhere at your convenience.

If your files are all over the place, Koofr has a built-in duplicate finder tool that helps you find and remove duplicate files within your account. It also features advanced file management features like the ability to rename options and link appearance customization.

Enjoy privacy as you transfer or add new data into your cloud. Koofr is the only cloud storage provider that gives you peace of mind to do as you please.

Keep your physical life and digital life organized this New Year and grab a lifetime subscription to Koofr cloud storage plan (1TB) for only $139.99 (reg. $810) with code KOOFR until January 7 at 11:59 p.m. PT. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Through Jan. 7, you can sign up for a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 and get a bundle of training courses to get you started for only $39.97. That’s a savings of 86%.

The new year is a wonderful time to get rid of the frustrations of the year you’ve left behind, and that includes paying for things you might not have to pay for. MS Office apps may be practically essential, but that doesn’t mean you need to pay for them every month or every year. Instead, you could pick up a lifetime license to an older software version that still gets the job done. 

That’s what’s available with Microsoft Office Pro Plus 2019 for Windows, and it even comes with a training bundle to show you the ropes. Get the whole package for $39.97 while it’s marked down through January 7.

Install MSO on one computer for life

This Microsoft Office 2019 license comes with 2019 Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access. They aren’t the most recent versions, but have all of the basics you need.

Once you’ve connected your Microsoft Office license to your account, you can download each app onto one computer one time. Small security updates are included, but other than that, the apps won’t change suddenly or gain any new features you have to figure out just to get the same work done. 

If you need a refresher or this is your first time with Microsoft Office 2019, make sure to check out the included Microsoft Office 2019 Basics Bundle. This eLearning course pack comes with 106 lessons showing you the ins and outs of the apps included with Microsoft Office 2019, and they’re all in videos you can watch at your own pace. 

Microsoft Office with no subscription fees

Start the new year with a new solution to all those frustrating monthly app fees.

Until January 7 at 11:59 p.m. PT, you can get Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows and an MSO 2019 Training Bundle for $39.97, with no coupon needed. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Through Jan. 7, you can get the Poputar T2 Acoustic Classical Guitar for only $279.99 instead of $429.99 and learn to play with the interactive, light-up fretboard, and extensive music library. That’s a savings of 34%.

If learning to strum the six strings is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, you’re in for a rewarding treat — and a challenge. Even the greats like Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen didn’t become pros overnight, but they also didn’t have this smart guitar with LED lights as a playing guide. Or this limited-time offer through January 7 to get one for $279.99 (reg. $429.99).

Smart learning with an app and LED fretboard

Successfully funded on Indiegogo, the Poputar is revolutionizing the way prospective guitar players learn. Unlike traditional lessons or by-the-book methods, the Poputar pairs with a free iOS or Android app to illuminate 96 LED lights on the fretboard. Here, you’ll discover video tutorials and an extensive library of music to play along to.

On your device, you’ll see a moving music score that helps you figure out which notes to play and their timing. At the same time, the guitar’s LED lights illuminate the correct string and fret to hold down. Having this interactive combination might get you playing the songs you love faster than picking up a plain old six-string.

Poputar: Anything but an ordinary guitar

Play the Poputar for up to ten hours on a single charge with strong battery life that allows for intense practice sessions and weekend-long jams. While the Poputar isn’t a regular acoustic guitar, it can act as one if you simply turn it off. Once you feel confident playing your favorite songs alongside the app, you may want to focus on memorizing them so you can show off to friends and family, or jam with your new band.

Learn how to play the guitar the fun and interactive way with the Poputar T2 on sale for $279.99 (reg. $429.99) until January 7 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed.

StackSocial prices subject to change.