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After four World Cup wins and millions of dollars in lost wages, U.S. women soccer players are finally scoring equal pay.

Tuesday, the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) and the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) announced that they had reached a settlement in the team’s equal pay class action lawsuit. President Biden was among the many politicians, advocates, celebrities, and, of course, soccer stars who cheered the settlement on social media.

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Filed in 2019 with superstars like Megan Rapinoe leading the charge, the suit alleged that women were getting paid less than their counterparts on the men’s soccer team. The settlement allots $22 million to the players in the lawsuit, plus $2 million to go toward a fund for promoting women’s and girl’s soccer that the players can apply to use.

The team originally wanted $67 million in back pay. But the settlement also comes with the promise that pay for future USWNT players will be equal with men’s teams. 

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Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and new USSF president Cindy Cone (who succeeded the former president, who oversaw many of the years of pay disparity) shared the good news on Good Morning America. Rapinoe showed some love for host Robin Roberts as both shared in the joy.

“It’s a good day, Robin,” Rapinoe said.

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High-profile supporters of the team and the equal pay movement also celebrated on social media. That included truly goals-worth interactions between fellow icons Rapinoe, Hillary Clinton, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

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While the settlement is certainly momentous, the USSF is only one part of the equal pay equation. Much of the disparity also comes from the international soccer organization FIFA, which awards prize money to players in World Cup tournaments. The USSF says FIFA awards less money to women than to men, which is part of the reason for the gender gap. Rapinoe told ESPN that, going forward, the USWNT and the USSF can lobby FIFA to right this wrong together.

There is still work to be done with FIFA, and the women’s player’s union and the USSF still have to finalize a collective bargaining agreement. But players past and present took a moment Tuesday to cheer on the settlement. 

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Celebrities and fellow athletes, including Billie Jean King, gave props to the team, too.

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Alexis Ohanian, husband of Serena Williams, Reddit founder, and the lead founding investor in the new women’s Los Angeles soccer team, sent one up with a well-chosen gif.

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We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

If hologram meetings catch on, you’re going to have to put on some pants — or at least swap out the slippers for shoes.

Two companies are attempting to make remote video conferencing more holographic, realistic, and life-size, but without the spectacle associated with Tupac’s 2012 Coachella appearance or Kim Kardashian’s father’s resurrection.

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It’s like a next-level Zoom video call, but instead of appearing on someone else’s computer screen in a small box, your full-size likeness is projected onto a holographic screen for them to see. So, all 5 feet and 4 inches of me are displayed with 3D realness — but this can only happen if you’ve got a special device to display the holographic version of the person you’re interacting with, and they have a studio-level camera — and these screens or pods can run up to $75,000. Just filming with nice camera equipment can cost a few thousand dollars.

Credit: Mashable

Portl is one of the makers of these hologram devices. As the company’s CEO David Nussbaum said last week while beaming in live to San Francisco from Los Angeles, “We want to connect the living instead of resurrecting the dead.” Hologram meetings are ideal for remote meetings from different places taking place at the same time. It’s a way of putting everyone in the room together, in a manner of speaking.

But it comes at a big cost (Portl’s Epic box is $75,000 to own, along with an annual software licensing fee around $5,000) and equipment-heavy, with cameras, proprietary software, and special screens to beam people in. Meanwhile, a Zoom meeting (or your preferred platform) can usually suffice using a laptop camera or smartphone.

Two separate demo events in San Francisco last week helped show the value in highly realistic life-size video feeds projected onto a screen in real time. ARHT Media’s CEO Larry O’Reilly looked like he was in the downtown SF office while physically in a studio in Toronto. Portl’s Nussbaum jokingly reached for a glass someone was holding next to the screen where he was displayed in SF while physically in LA. It looked like he was about to pop out from the hologram box and snatch the drink.

It felt like I was experiencing something like Google’s Project Starline concept to create 3D video calls.

Credit: Sasha Lekach / Mashable

Live from Toronto…in San Francisco.
Credit: Sasha Lekach / Mashable

Photos and even videos of these 2D holograms (they may look 3D, but the images are still projected onto a flat screen) can’t convey the realness and energy as convincingly as experiencing them in person, which makes for a hard sell. And then there are the exorbitant upfront costs, which make Zoom’s $1,200 audio conference annual fee look like chump change. It makes sense that both companies are partnering with co-working spaces to demonstrate how well hologram life conferencing can work IRL.

ARHT Media’s WeWork partnership is in over 16 locations across the U.S., Europe, Singapore, and soon, Australia. Its HoloPod hologram box and studio stage are available for meetings as a member benefit. WeWork clients can hologram-meet with remote team members at other WeWorks across the globe — for $3,500 per session. “It makes busy people that much more efficient,” O’Reilly said.

Portl’s Epic pod is sitting in the Bay Area co-working facility Canopy, in the heart of the North Beach neighborhood. But as Portl CEO Nussbaum noted, he could be physically in LA, “attending” a party in SF, and “beam into multiple places at the same time.”

While mesmerizing and a little freaky to see yourself in hologram form, these types of interactions seem better suited for big corporate events, conferences, trainings, lecture halls, and celebrity appearances. Actor Jason Momoa was part of a pre-recorded demo reel for ARHT, while actor Casey Affleck made a life-like appearance on the Portl. Retired NFL star Eric Dickerson beamed in live to answer questions from LA as a surprise guest at Portl’s Bay Area debut event.

It seems unlikely the average Zoom user will be using a HoloPod set-up just to talk to their long-distance partner or immunocompromised grandma. But for a TV interview for CBS Sports with different NFL stars from around the country, the Portl proved how it can efficiently bring everyone into the same space without any travel costs, and look better and more realistic than Zoom. Nussbaum said viewers thought CBS Sports had put the players in a white box to interview them in person — that’s how convincing the holograms are.

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While big companies like CBS or WeWork can budget in for the hardware and software costs, the rest of us have price (and even physical space) limitations. A major conference might throw down $25,000 for a weeklong rental of Portl’s Epic box and cameras, but it’s hard for a small company to justify investing this much just to give remote workers a more realistic glimpse of its CEO.

ARHT Media’s HoloPod is $55,000 for the box-shaped pod. An annual licensing fee is $14,000 to use the low-latency holographic video software. An elaborate HoloPresence stage set-up is about $25,000. And that’s just to see the hologram. The subject has to have a camera and studio arrangement on their end to film themselves.

Credit: Portl

Portl is trying to make hologram meetings more accessible for the average consumer. It has plans for a mobile app to record video instead of an elaborate camera set-up and eventually a smaller, cheaper hologram box with a touchscreen. It’ll be the Portl M (for mini) and fit on a desk for closer to $2,500, which is still more than you spend on your average FaceTime or Zoom call.

Until then, brace for more Zoom fatigue.

UPDATE: Feb. 22, 2022, 5:05 p.m. EST This story has been updated to reflect the latest savings during the final full week of the month of love, with some more markdowns from Lelo and Pleasure Works.

• The We-Vibe Tango is a bullet vibe but better — $59 $79 (save $20)

• The Lelo Sila is a luxury suction vibrator that just got more affordable — $126.75 $169 (save $42.25)

• The Fleshlight Go Stamina Training Unit Lady Pack is an enticing offer from one of the best masturbation sleeve brands in the biz — $69.95 $81.85 (save $11.90)

We’re not saying that treating yourself to some new sex toys will almost certainly improve your life, but we’re also not not saying that. Spending some money on upping your solo sesh game or adding a little spice with a partner is well worth the investment. Though we do believe in springing for well-made toys since you’ll be putting them in, on, and around your genitals, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to drop a ton of cash. Every week, we’ll be rounding up the best deals directly from manufacturers and online sex shops alike, so you can find a toy you’ll love, at prices you’ll love (almost) as much. Check out our finds from this week below.

Vibrator deals

Why we like it

Read more from Mashable about the We-Vibe Tango.

Think bullet vibrator, but better. The We-Vibe offers the perfect pinpointed vibrations, with a flat-topped lipstick-shaped head that’s better than the rounded design you’ll find on most bullet vibes. It’s also waterproof and rechargeable, making it clear why Mashable culture reporter Anna Iovine deemed the Tango “the best bullet vibrator I’ve tried.”

More vibrator deals:

• Pleasure Works Pirouette Waterproof Vibrator — $22 $27.99 (save $5.99)

• Satisfyer Magic Bunny Vibrator — $29.98 $79.99 (save $50.01 with code BLOOM)

• We-Vibe Tango — $59 $79 (save $20)

• Rocks Off Oriel 10 Function Rechargeable Wand Vibrator — $55.99 $69.99 (save $14)

• Fifty Shades of Grey Greedy Girl Rabbit Vibrator — $56 $139.99 (save $83.99)

• Fifty Shades of Grey Relentless Vibrations Remote Control Egg — $59.99 $99.99 (save $40)

• Original Magic Wand — $69.95 $99.99 (save $30.04 with code BLOOM)

• We-Vibe Touch — $79 $99 (save $20)

• Lelo Lily 2 — $112 $149 (save $37)

• MysteryVibe Crescendo — $171.75 $229 (save $57.25)

Clitoral stimulator and suction toy deals

Why we like it

Check out Mashable’s review of the Lelo Sila.

Lelo’s sex toys fall firmly into the luxury category, and their prices reflect that. But with its sonic wave pulsations, the Lelo Sila might just justify its price, especially since it’s enjoying a nice discount as of Feb. 15. If you’ve been waiting to treat yourself with something extra fancy, the time might just be now, with a toy that our reviewer deemed “one of the most worthwhile, standout innovations in the suction toy category in quite a while.”

More clitoral stimulator and suction toy deals:

• Fifty Shades of Grey Greedy Girl Clitoral Rabbit Vibrator — $35.99 $59.99 (save $14)

• Mantric Rabbit Ears clitoral vibrator — $38.99 $64.99 (save $26)

• Satisfyer Twirling Joy Clitoral Vibrator — $39.99 $49.95 (save $9.96)

• Satisfyer Pro 2 Next Generation — $39.99 $59.99 (save $20)

• Better Love Tap Dancer — $69.99 $175.99 (save $106)

• Lelo Sona Cruise — $90.01 $137.99 (save $47.98)

• We-Vibe Tango and Satisfyer Pro 2 bundle — $96.99 $148.99 (save $52)

• Lelo Sona Cruise 2 — $111.20 $139 (save $27.80 with code BLOOM)

• Lelo Sila — $126.75 $169 (save $42.25)

• Lelo Ora 3 — $134.25 $179 (save $44.75)

• Womanizer Premium — $176 $199 (save $23)

Dildo deals

Why we like it

When it comes down to it, everyone will have their own preferences when it comes to dildos (or any sex toys, for that matter), but here’s why this one is worth a second look. The silicone material gives the dildo some flex, so you can find those just-right angles (which can feel even better thanks to its approachable size). The circular base doubles as a suction cup too, making this dildo easy to hold, fit into a harness, or stick on to the non-porous surface of your choosing.

More dildo deals:

• Mr. Swirly 6.5-inch G-Spot Glass Dildo — $14.36 $17.95 (save $3.59 with code BLOOM)

• Lovehoney Sensual Glass Beaded Textured Dildo — $18.49 $36.99 (save $18)

• Adam & Eve Twisted Love Glass Dildo — $21.97 $39.95 (save $17.98 with code AESAVE45)

• Pleasure Works Rookie Vibrating Silicone Dildo — $22 $94.99 (save $74.99)

• Lifelike Lover Classic Girthy Realistic Dildo 7 Inch — $22.19 $36.99 (save $14.80)

• Lovehoney Double Delight Adjustable Vibrating Strapless Strap-On Dildo — $24.99 $49.99 (save $25)

• Blush Impressions N5 Vibrating Dildo with Suction Cup — $39.99 $69.99 (save $30)

• Le Wand Hoop — $115.96 $129.99 (save $14.03 with code BLOOM)

Deals on sex toys for penises

Why we like it

When it comes to sex toys specifically for people with penises, Fleshlight might just be the most recognizable name out there, and for good reason — they’re masters at the masturbation sleeve. Fleshlight’s sleeves have made our favorites list before, and this bundle comes with a compact version of one of the brand’s most popular sleeves, the Stamina Training Unit, as well as lube and cleaner.

More deals on sex toys for penises:

• Oxballs TRI-SPORT Cock Ring and Ball Sling — $15.99 $19.99 (save $4)

• Doc Johnson Reversible Stroker — $22 $31.99 (save $10)

• Satisfyer Men Vibration Masturbator — $49.95 $84.99 (save $35.04)

• Buy 2 Fleshlight sleeves, get one free — $99.90 $149.85 (save $49.95)

• Lelo F1S V2 penis sleeve — $172 $229 (save $57)

• MysteryVibe Tenuto wearable vibrator — $211.65 $249 (save $37.35)

• Fleshlight Quickshot Launch Vantage Pack — $221.95 $246.85 (save $24.90)

Anal toy deals

Why we like it

From a glance alone, this Bump pick looks like a pretty good plug — it’s not too big, not too small, has a nice tapered edge and a wind end for keeping things where you want them, and is silicone-smooth so it slides right in without friction. Once you realize it has 10 different vibration modes and can be submerged safely in water, well, you may just feel like you’ve won the butt plug lotto.

More anal toy deals:

• PinkCherry Triple Trainer Anal Kit — $19.95 $59.99 (save $40.04 with code BLOOM)

• Pleasure Works Valentino Vibrating Silicone Anal Toy — $22 $64.99 (save $42.99)

• Kink Trainer Kit — $27.47 $49.95 (save $22.48 with code AESAVE45)

• Bump Rechargeable Anal Vibe — $27.47 $49.95 (save $22.48 with code AESAVE45)

• Satisfyer Lolli Plug — $27.99 $39.99 (save $12)

• Sono No. 78 Anal Stimulator — $27.99 $59.99 (save $32)

• Je Joue Nuo Vibrating Butt Plug — $79 $139 (save $60)

• B-vibe Vibrating Snug Plug — $85 $100 (save $15)

• Lelo Hugo — $164.25 $219 (save $54.75)

Even more sex toy deals:

• Black Furry Hand Cuffs — $4.95 $19.99 (save $15.04 with code BLOOM)

• Sex! Card Game — $6.39 $12.99 (save $6.60 with code BLOOM)

• Temptasia Harness Strap-on Briefs — $16.99 $29.99 (save $13)

• BASICS Couple’s Kit (5 Piece) — $27.99 $39.99 (save $12)

Explore related content:

• What to look for when buying a sex toy

• Where to buy sex toys online (even at Target)

• The best budget-friendly sex toys under $50

UPDATE: Feb. 22, 2022, 4:35 p.m. EST We’ve updated this post with the latest deals from across the Apple universe, including price drops on the latest MacBook and the Apple Watch Series 7 with cellular.

• BEST MAC DEAL: MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD), the brand new Pro at a brand new low — $1,799 $1,999 at Amazon (save $200)

• BEST IPAD DEAL: The 2021 iPad Air (WiFi, 64GB) is lightweight, colorful, and powerful— $539 $599 (save $60)

• BEST IPHONE DEAL: The iPhone 13 Mini (64GB) at Verizon is a mini phone with plenty of storage space and a battery life worth bragging about — $0 with select trade-ins or BOGO with any unlimited plan $699.99 (save up to $699.99)

• BEST APPLE WATCH DEAL: The Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm, GPS) has a bigger, better watch face and multiple color options on sale — $349 $399 (save $50)

• BEST ACCESSORIES DEAL: The AirPods (second-gen) are a good pair of wireless buds at a better value than the latest iteration of Apple’s earbuds — $118.98 $159 (save $40.02)

You could really kill some time trying to dissect the iron grasp Apple has on the general population, but when it comes down to it, its products look good, work well, and stay cutting-edge — of course people like them. Whether your favorite day of the year is its annual September reveal event or you just want a solid computer no matter the brand, Apple’s got you covered. Sure, it is a little notorious for its higher prices, but we’ve rounded up the best deals on iPads, AirPods, and more to help you out. Check them out below.

Mac and MacBook deals

Why we like it

Check out our full review of the 2021 MacBook Pro (M1 Pro).

The latest MacBook Pro has officially hit its best price ever. While it’s enjoyed very minor mark offs in the past, you can now get the laptop with Apple’s speedy M1 Pro chip (second only to the M1 Max), a brand new keyboard (goodbye Butterfly), and an all-workday battery life. While it might be a tad too much for the average user, this supercharged machine is a great pick for creatives and those that need a little more out of their laptop. As with any Apple deal worth its salt, don’t expect this one to last for long — since it went live late last week, the silver has sold out, so you’ll want to act soon to grab the space gray if you’re interested.

More Mac and MacBook deals

2021 MacBook Pro, 14-inch

• MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,799 $1,999 at Amazon (save $200)

• MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,249.99 $2,499 at Amazon (save $249.01 with coupon automatically applied at checkout)

2021 MacBook Pro, 16-inch

• MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $2,299 $2,499 at Amazon (save $200)

2020 MacBook Pro, 13-inch

• MacBook Pro (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $1,249 $1,299 at Amazon (save $50)

• MacBook Pro (M1, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,399 $1,499 at Amazon (save $120)

2020 MacBook Pro, 16-inch

• MacBook Pro (Intel Core i9, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,519.99 $2,799.99 at Best Buy (save $280)

2020 MacBook Air, 13-inch

• MacBook Air (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $949 $999 at Amazon (save $50)

More Macs

• 2020 Mac Mini (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $649 $699 at Amazon (save $50)

• 2020 Mac Mini (M1, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $799 $899 at Amazon (save $100)

• 2021 24″ iMac (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $1,349.99 $1,499 at Amazon (save $149.01 with coupon automatically applied at checkout)

Refurbished Macs and MacBooks

• Refurbished 2017 13″ MacBook Air (Intel Core i5, 128GB) — $365 at Walmart

• Pre-owned 2015 13″ MacBook Air (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) — $499.99 $579.99 at Best Buy (save $80)

iPad deals

Why we like it

iPad deals may be a bit sparse as of late, but this $60 markdown is still worth checking out. The latest iPad Air has a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, an A14 Bionic chip for speedy processing, 10 hours of battery life, and is one of our favorite tablets. And with all that, it still holds true to its name by being super lightweight.

More iPad deals

• 2021 iPad Air (WiFi, 64GB) — $539 $599 at Walmart (save $60)

• 2021 iPad Air (WiFi, 64GB) — $539 $599 at Amazon (save $60)

• 2021 iPad Mini (WiFi, 256GB) — $599 $649 (save $50)

• 2020 12.9″ iPad Pro (WiFi, 256GB) — $934.99 $1,099.99 at Best Buy (save $165)

• 2021 12.9″ iPad Pro (WiFi, 128GB) — $999 $1,099 at Amazon (save $100)

• 2021 12.9″ iPad Pro (WiFi, 128GB) — $999 $1,099 at Best Buy (save $100)

iPhone deals

Why we like it

Check out Mashable’s official review of the iPhone 13 Mini.

If you’re picking up some new phones for more than one person, it’ll be difficult to find a better deal than this buy one, get one on the iPhone 13 Mini at Verizon. Though this model looks quite similar to its predecessor, its starting storage of 128GB and improved battery life definitely justify the upgrade.

More iPhone deals

• iPhone 12 Mini (64GB) at AT&T — $314.99 with a switch to any unlimited plan and no trade-in necessary — $629.99 (save up to $314.99)

• iPhone 12 (64GB) at AT&T — $5 per month for 36 months on an unlimited plan, then receive up to $550 in bill credits

• iPhone 13 Mini (128GB) at AT&T — $0 with an eligible trade-in on an unlimited plan $699.99 (save up to $700)

• iPhone 13 (128GB) at AT&T — $0 with an eligible trade-in on an unlimited plan $799.99 (save up to $799.99)

• iPhone 13 Pro (128GB) at AT&T — $100 with an eligible trade-in on an unlimited plan, with installed payment plan $999.99 (save up to $800)

• iPhone 13 Mini (64GB) at Verizon — $0 with select trade-ins or BOGO with any unlimited plan $699.99 (save up to $699.99)

• iPhone 13 (128GB) at Verizon — $0 with an eligible trade-in on an unlimited plan or BOGO with any unlimited plan $799.99 (save $800)

• iPhone 13 Pro (128GB) at Verizon — $0 with select trade-ins $999.99 (save up to $999.99)

Apple Watch deals

Why we like it

The price of Apple’s latest smartwatch keeps going up and down. Though it’s not quite as on sale as we’ve seen it in weeks past, it’s only $10 away from its lowest price ever on a watch with a larger face, increased support for biking workouts, better durability. Plus, every in-stock color is available at this discounted price. You can also score these savings at Walmart.

More Apple Watch deals

Series 7

• Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm, GPS) — $349 $399 at Amazon (save $50)

• Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm, GPS) — $349 $399 at Walmart (save $50)

• Apple Watch Series 7 (45mm, GPS) — $379 $429 at Amazon (save $50)

• Apple Watch Series 7 (45mm, GPS) — $379 $429 at Walmart (save $50)

• Apple Watch Series 7 (41 mm, GPS + cellular, stainless steel case) — $449.99 $699 (save $249.01 with a coupon automatically applied at checkout)

SE

• Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS) — $249 $279 at Amazon (save $30)

• Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS) — $249 $279 at Walmart (save $30)

• Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS) — $279 $309 at Amazon (save $30)

• Apple Watch SE (44m, GPS) — $279 $309 at Walmart (save $30)

Series 3

• Apple Watch Series 3 (38mm, GPS) — $169 $199 at Walmart (save $30)

• Apple Watch Series 3 (42mm, GPS) — $199 $229 at Walmart (save $30)

• Apple Watch Series 3 (42mm, GPS) — $199 $229 at Amazon (save $30)

Refurbished

• Refurbished Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, GPS + Cellular) — $313.99 $399.73 at Amazon (save $85.74)

• Renewed Apple Watch Series 5 (44mm, GPS) — $234 $429 at Amazon (save $195)

Apple accessories deals

Why we like it

Check out Mashable’s official review of the second-generation AirPods.

Sure, you could spend more on the third-gen AirPods that didn’t really give us anything to write home about. Or, you could opt for the second-gens, which come with an H1 chip for easy pairing, a nice long battery life, and the honor of being a Mashable Choice pick back in their day.

More Apple accessories deals

• AirPods (second gen) — $118.98 $129.99 at Amazon (save $40.02)

• AirPods (third gen) — $169.95 $179 at Amazon (save $9.05)

• AirPods Pro — $197 $249 at Amazon (save $52)

• AirPods Pro — $197 $249 at Walmart (save $52)

• AirPods Max— $468.09 $549 at Amazon (save $80.91)

• Powerbeats Pro Totally Wireless Earphones — $169.95 $249.95 at Amazon (save $80)

• Beats Studio 3 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones — $208.75 $349.95 at Amazon (save $141.20)

• Apple TV 4K 32GB — $169.99 $179 at Amazon (save $9.01)

• Apple Pencil (first gen) — $89 $99 at Amazon (save $10)

• Apple Pencil (first gen) — $89 $99 at Walmart (save $10)

• Apple Pencil 2 — $110.89 $129 at Amazon (save $18.11)

• Apple Pencil 2 — $110.89 $129 at Walmart (save $18.11)

Explore related content:

• 8 monitors to take your MacBook Pro to the next level

• MacBooks aren’t the only great laptops — and this list proves it

• Best headphones for iPhone owners: Think outside the (AirPods) box

Donald Trump’s new social media platform, Truth Social, has already been plagued with signup issues and a long waitlist barring most people from even using the service.

But, perhaps that’s the price users must pay for a truly “free speech” platform, right?

Well, just one day into this very soft-launch of Truth Social and even its “free speech” branding is – perhaps, unsurprisingly – falling apart.

Web developer Matt Ortega signed up for the Truth Social service and soon discovered an email from Truth Social telling him that his account had been banned. Ortega confirmed the authenticity of the email and ban in a private message to Mashable.

Furthermore, Ortega had never posted a single thing to Truth Social as his account was one of the many still on the waitlist to join. Ortega was banned simply because of the username he used to sign up for the platform: @DevinNunesCow.

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If that username sounds familiar, it’s because @DevinNunesCow is similar to the name of a Twitter parody account, @DevinCow, that gained notoriety when its creator was sued by then-Republican Rep. Devin Nunes for pretending to be a cow owned by the Congressman. Nunes claimed the account, among others, were defamatory.

The account was created in reference to a report from Esquire detailing how the former Congressman from California has ownership in a family dairy farm based in Iowa, which he had kept secret.

If you’re wondering what Nunes is up to now, he left Congress to become the CEO of Truth Social’s parent company, Trump Media & Technology Group.

“Your account @DevinNunesCow has been banned,” reads the subject of the Truth Social email received by Ortega. “After careful review, we have decided to delete your account permanently due to Truth Social community guideline violations.”

So, to be clear, a user was banned from Trump’s new “free speech” social media platform for registering a username that Truth Social’s CEO does not like.

Interestingly, Truth Social has specific rules limiting speech on the platform when it involves Trump and others who own the platform. When Truth Social was first announced last year, the site’s terms of services explicitly prohibited “disparage, tarnish, or otherwise harm, in our opinion, us and/or the Site.”

And Ortega’s not the only one who has already experienced the limits of Truth Social’s “free speech,” albeit under very different circumstances.

Right-wing personality Stew Peters is claiming he was censored on Truth Social, too. Unlike Ortega, Peters already has an account set up on Trump’s platform and is already posting content. According to Peters, his post calling for the execution of those responsible for the COVID-19 vaccine, was labeled as “sensitive content” by Truth Social, requiring users to go through an extra step to view the content in the post.

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The vaccines that are available in the U.S. were developed under the Trump administration, and is something Trump continues to tout as a success.

“I’m ALREADY being censored on Truth Social,” wrote Peters on the chat service Telegram. “Free Speech isn’t free.”

While the action taken against Peters’ post may seem fair, this is the very kind of platform behavior Trump’s supporters are seeking to escape when they start using Truth Social. Trump’s most diehard fans may soon be in for a rude awakening when they find out Truth Social’s “free speech” rules are likely no different from the Big Tech companies they seek to replace, like Twitter.

In fact, in some ways, Truth Social is going to be even more restrictive on speech. (A ban on “excessive use of capital letters?” REALLY?)

UPDATE: Feb. 22, 2022, 8:00 p.m. EST According to new information provided by Matt Ortega, the exact match username @DevinCow, was blocked from being registered on Truth Social, which is why he registered @DevinNunesCow.

In addition, the post has been updated to make it clear that the handle for the infamous Twitter account is @DevinCow. Ortega is not associated with that Twitter account.

Love Is Blind invites you to watch strangers fall in love with each other, sight unseen. But it’s hard to focus on those love stories when all you can think about is a massive set of gold wine glasses. Allow me to explain.

Season 2 of Netflix’s intriguing, well-intentioned, deeply unhinged dating show premiered on Feb. 18, and fans watched contestants fall in love in “the pods,” private rooms with speakers where they can converse with but not see each other. After intimate conversations, a few strong couples get engaged in the pods and are allowed to meet IRL. Then, over the course of several weeks they take a romantic vacation, move in together, meet each other’s families, and prepare for their weddings.

Through nearly every each step of that chaotic journey, one unexpected prop was prominently present: golden wine goblets.

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In Season 2, the extremely extra drinkware is first spotted on the Love Is Blind set. Contestants cheers’d with the opaque metal wine glasses and faithfully sipped from them during pod conversations, but when they left the set to embark on their romantic Mexico getaways, the wine glasses followed! Though the hotel did feature classic, transparent glassware, the gold metal wine glasses returned after paradise. They were spotted in apartments, at a beach reunion, at parents’ houses, at the wedding dress venue, and even at the freaking ceremonies themselves.

These glasses get so much screen time and photobomb so many serious shots in Season 2 that we have no choice but to dub them the Roy Kent of wine glasses. They’re here, they’re there, they’re every-fucking-where.

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It’s worth noting that there are two sets of glasses in Season 2. One is a long-stemmed gold wine glass that’s mostly muted gold, with about an inch of shiny gold around the rim, and the other is a stemless gold glass. Both styles become ubiquitous on the show and appear to be stainless steel or metal of some sort. At one point the stemless glasses even held boiling water. Fascinating.

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The goblets are fit for royalty, and when asked why they’re everywhere, series creator Chris Coelen told Variety it’s because he likes them.

“I don’t know. It’s something I like. When you turn on the show, you know it’s our show. It’s a very authentic, really true following of these people’s journeys, but I like the fact that we have this sort of connective tissue with that in a really light way, it’s fun.”

The true love story in Love Is Blind Season 2 is between Coelen and the golden wine goblets. The contestants might not last together, but we have a feeling Coelen and these gold wine glasses are forever.

The first nine episodes of Love Is Blind Season 2 are now streaming on Netflix. The season finale will stream on Feb. 25.

Update: Slack started seeing “signs of improvement” and many users can now begin using the platform. They are still monitoring the situation. Our original story follows.

Time to call it: Slack is down for some users, and we can all go home.

You might want to check with your boss on the second part, but the first bit holds true.

According to Slack and Down Detector, the communication platform many of us use for work stopped loading for some users around 9:25 est on Tuesday morning. (Full disclosure: Downdetector is owned by Mashable’s parent company, ZiffDavis.)

“We’re investigating the issue where Slack is not loading for some users,” the platform said. “We’re looking into the cause and will provide more information as soon as it’s available.”

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Here’s hoping Slack figures it out before the work day begins in full — or it crashes, and we all get the day off. What a start to the week.

Finding your soulmate is priceless. Sure. But do you have to use a paid site to find a real relationship? Does a monthly fee really weed out people who aren’t taking the process seriously?

This wasn’t really an issue before 2012, but the Tinder-led surge of 30-second profiles and instant access to all single folks within 10 miles gave older sites with tedious personality analyses and upscale subscriptions a run for their money — literally.

Vox said what we’re all really thinking: “At what point in the completely nightmarish process of online dating does one decide that it’s worth spending money on making that experience slightly less terrible?”

Is it worth paying for a dating site?

According to Reddit and Consumer Reports, not really. This Consumer Reports survey found that free sites actually scored better than paid sites on this when it came to overall satisfaction because they’re “better value.” Unless you’re absolutely lost without those heavy-duty matchmaking algorithms, many free sites still offer the questionnaires, detailed bios, and compatibility ratings that indicate red flags and users you wouldn’t get along with.

There’s no one dating site that everyone is particularly psyched about. Swiping exhaustion and creepily persistent users are an omnipresent part of all online dating. Sorry, but a paid subscription isn’t a metal detector that pulls all of the upstanding, faithful singles up out of the crowd. When there are sites that can offer millions of users for free and success stories to prove they work, why not try them before spending $40 per month elsewhere?

A hefty price point doesn’t guarantee the absence of fakes or catfishes, either. (Before the Tinder Swindler hype, in 2019, some guy on match posed as a millionaire and stole $80,000 from the woman he was talking to. In 2020, money lost to online “romance scams” hit a record high.) For what it’s worth however, many free sites are just as big as paid ones on privacy and safety, requiring users to verify themselves through Facebook to increase transparency about age and first names. Plus, no paid sites have the safety features that Tinder does, which was the first of the Match Group apps to offer 911 assistance and location services to make meeting a stranger safer.

The aesthetic experience certainly isn’t what your money is going toward, either. Many of the older, subscription-based sites have been slow to modernize their UX designs, still relying on the very 2000s style of bombarding you with notifications for every wink, message, and whatever else.

Can you actually fall in love with someone online?

We’ve all accepted that online dating is great for finding a friend with benefits, but telling family members that it’s getting serious with that person you met online still takes convincing. However, recent studies show that meeting online can foster a pretty reliable romantic foundation.

A 2017 study cited in the MIT Technology Review found that people who meet online are more likely to be compatible and have a better chance at a healthy marriage if they decide to get hitched. Another study found that heterosexual couples who met online were quicker to tie the knot. These stats don’t take anything from correlation to causation, but they do make the case that people who sign up for dating sites that require thoughtful responses are in a better spot to settle down.

There’s an unspoken assumption that people on free dating sites are young, horny people with no disposable income and that people on paid dating site are mature, employed individuals who are ready to settle down. But nowadays, eharmony, Match, Tinder, and OkCupid have rather similar age demographics, all with surprisingly close splits between people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.

Which dating sites are actually free?

Waters get muddied when basically every damn dating site has some sort of paid and free version. Truly free apps let users access its key features as a baseline, and then offer paid perks such as the ability to see everyone who has swiped right on you or boosts for your profile for a certain amount of time. Free-but-not-really apps are the ones that are technically free to use, but where you have to pay to do just about anything, including read or respond to messages.

Premium memberships of “freemium” apps are an affordable way to get more control over your pool of potential boos, but they probably don’t do much to expedite the grueling swiping process. When Tinder first released Tinder Gold, it beat out Candy Crush as the Apple Store’s top-grossing app. People were that willing to pay to see who swiped right on them. That might be handy knowledge if you’re looking to get laid, but it’s hard to tell if it would help find someone that you like enough to share your life with. No one I know has kept a paid version of a free app for more than a month.

At any rate, there’s a certain serendipitous feeling that comes with the possibility that, out of the millions of users Hinge could have shown you that day, your soulmate popped up in the crowd of 8 likes you can give out per day (compared to the unlimited likes that come with Hinge Preferred).

These are the best free dating sites for finding a serious relationship in 2022.

Because sometimes it’s better to wait.

Twitter is known for blazing hot takes, lightning fast updates, and memes upon memes dissecting the internet’s obsession du jour. The social media company’s slogan, “it’s what’s happening,” emphasizes the platform’s focus on nowness — it’s signup page, which loudly declares “happening now,” makes that message unmistakable.

• Twitter finally lets you sort out your messy DMs

• Twitter is rolling out playback speed on videos

• How to keep your Twitter account safe using two-factor authentication (2FA)

That’s why hitting “Tweet” immediately sends your potentially ill-considered musings out into the world without delay. However, if the vibe isn’t right, or if the thing you want to comment on hasn’t happened yet, you can use a little-known feature to schedule your tweets to be sent at a later time of your choosing.

How to schedule tweets

Scheduling tweets works exactly like you might expect. You write the tweet now, but it sends at a later date.

Twitter rolled out the feature in 2020, but, it’s only available on the web app, people who primarily use Twitter on their phones may have never even noticed it.

To schedule a tweet:

1. Open Twitter on your desktop or laptop

2. Compose the tweet you want to send later

3. Select the calendar icon

Yeah, not now.
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4. Choose the time and date you wish to send the tweet

That looks better.
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5. Select “Confirm”

6. Hit “Schedule”

That’s it! You’ve now scheduled a tweet for later.

Twitter will remind you of this fact with some text telling you when the tweet is scheduled to post.

Yeah, perfect.
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You’re all done — except for one crucial and all-important detail: remember that you’ve scheduled the tweet.

You don’t want to be caught off guard months later, when your out-of-date take shows up on Twitter because you forget to change it.

Twitter is, after all, about what’s happening now.

More on Twitter

• Twitter’s NFT profile pics are the new blue check

• Twitter makes it possible to link NFTs to profile pics (for a price)

• How to turn on Twitter’s dark mode

• Here’s how to change the text size on Twitter

• White supremacists, extremists are a problem on Twitter Spaces

The latest internet villain just reared its head and it isn’t a corporate mega-billionaire, wayward politician, or Twitter troll, but rather an unassuming Spotify bot named Ashley.

Multiple users have complained that their public, collaborative playlists — designed to allow Spotify users and their friends to curate songs in real time together — have been commandeered by bots masquerading as normal users, primarily one account simply named “Ashley.”

The invasive habits, and general vibe sabotaging, of Ashley and other bots like have turned users into bonafide detectives, including TikTokker and musician @jw__francis. Francis first pointed out the bot in a video about funny playlists that feature his own music, including one touched by the infamous Ashley.

The relatable responses to that TikTok inspired him to dig further, posting a video highlighting the many victims of Ashley and other similarly-disguised bots, including an “Emma” and an “Elsie.” It seems the users hope to ward off the advances of the bots by adding messages in the titles of their playlists, like one titled “STOP FUCKING ADDING SONGS ASHLEY LITERALLY WHO TF ARE U LEAVE.”

The comments on the latest video appear to be filled with Ashley’s victims, as well. “Ashley is a literal virus I got her from a work playlist that got her from a coworker and so on, it’s wild,” replied user @hey_bro_wheres_my_sheep.

“this happened to my group playlist & we kept removing the songs & THEY DELETED EVERY SONG OUT OF OUR 19+ hour playlist i felt so violated,” commented user @bbnaluu.

“Another reason to drop Spotify, this is such an invasion of privacy,” wrote @acidrefluxburps.

Ashley has entered the chat.
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Ashley strikes again!
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Ashley isn’t the only perpetrator.
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Simple, but not effective it seems.
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In the TikTok, Francis theorizes that these bots are promotional accounts created to boost the listening stats of a single artist’s music by adding them to as many public playlists as possible — it’s a strategy that’s been used by streaming artists and fandoms before. Francis discovered that the Ashley bot was exclusively engaging with and adding the music of one Spotify account called Pesukone. According to Pesukone’s Instagram, the account is a Finnish collective devoted to highlighting unknown musicians (including bots, too, I guess?).

Some of the TikTok’s commenters noticed other bots promoting single artists, like user @middleghostie. “An anni did this to me!! The artist isn’t that bad tho tbh,” they wrote. Other commenters dropped names include a Jeni, an Olivia, Claudia, Julia, and Lily — at least a dozen ghost accounts ruining the playlist vibes with the music of outside artists. At the end of the TikTok, Francis asked a pressing question: Why are all these bots women? There are no answers.

Over on Reddit, users have been theorizing about the Ashley’s of Spotify, while pointing out less subtle and non-gendered bots that have been ruining the vibes on playlists near and far, like “SongSuggestor(beta)” and “Picked Tracks.”

They’ve also asked for assistance to stop the intrusions, some turning to the Spotify Community for help. Unfortunately the summary of responses seems to be a simple, “We can’t help you with that right now.” In reply to a June 2021 request to limit bots adding songs, a Spotify Community moderator responded that the issue couldn’t be resolved with current settings — you can’t block a single user from editing a playlist, and collaborative playlists don’t have an “invite only” setting. Instead they suggested bot victims support a suggested change in future Spotify updates that would allow playlist makers to change the editing permissions on collaborative playlists.

Currently, the only solution to the Ashley problem is to manually remove each song that’s added, block the bot (do this by going to their profile, clicking on the three dots at the top of the page, and selecting “block”), or removing the public settings on your playlists. And pray that Ashley won’t find you again.

As we batten down the hatches on our public playlists, or resign ourselves to the song choices of random bots, what hero will rise to vanquish Ashley? Will our playlists always be vulnerable to such intrusive vibe checks? Will Spotify make time to save us, as it deals with its own streaming controversies? Only time will tell.

Mashable has reached out to Spotify for comment and will update this article if there is a response.