Category Archives: Blog

While COVID-19 vaccines roll out across the country, it’s still important to wear a mask (or two) to stop the spread of the virus. 

A new national PSA from the Ad Council, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and WarnerMedia, re-imagining iconic scenes from some of Warner Bros.’ most famous films, emphasizes this message. 

It’s an important one. While 72 percent of Americans say they wear masks at all times outside of their homes, of those who participate in indoor activities outside of their homes, only 44 percent wear masks at all times, according to an Axios-Ipsos survey from earlier this month.  Read more…

More about Social Good, Masks, Psa, Pandemic, and Social Good

In our Love App-tually series, Mashable shines a light into the foggy world of online dating.

After 26-year-old Brandon Fellows stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, he told Bloomberg News he had no regrets. Instead, he boasted that his Bumble profile was “blowing up.” 

All the while, women were actively trying to locate the insurrectionists on dating appsBumble removed its political filter amid the chaos, only to reinstate it a day later after users complained.

Politics is personal, and that’s been true on dating apps for awhile — but as the global health crisis collided with a heated election and an attempted coup, it shifted things even further and now politics on dating apps are thornier than ever. Read more…

More about Politics, Online Dating, Culture, and Sex Relationships

Arctic air will plunge deep into the U.S.

Unusual cold, even for the heart of winter, will grip a great swath of the U.S. by the weekend. That’s largely because the polar vortex — comprised of lofty winds that circle around the Arctic during winter — has weakened in 2021, ultimately allowing frigid northern air to spill south.

“It’s going to be an icy Valentine’s Day,” said Jeff Weber, a research meteorologist at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, an organization that studies earth system sciences. (Weber is speaking figuratively: Many folks can expect unusually cold or freezing temperatures but not necessarily snow or icy conditions.) Read more…

More about Polar Vortex, Science, and Climate Environment

Netflix is continuing to create captivating true crime content. Its latest show to join the likes of Unsolved Mysteries, Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, and American Murder: The Family Next Door is Crime Scene: Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, a creepy four-part docuseries about an unusual missing person case. 

I went into this series with no knowledge about the case that was about to unfold, and boy, was it wildVanishing at the Cecil Hotel recounts the story of Elisa Lam, a 21-year-old woman from Canada with bipolar disorder and an active Tumblr presence who traveled to Los Angeles in 2013. She checked into the Cecil Hotel downtown, only to disappear and be discovered dead, floating in a water tank on the roof days later. While there was little evidence pointing to what happened, the LAPD released a bizarre video of Lam caught on an elevator security camera just prior to her disappearance that shows her pushing multiple buttons, waving her hands around, and looking out the door as if someone is nearby. Read more…

More about Netflix, Movie Review, True Crime, Entertainment, and Movies Tv Shows

TL;DR: Add stability training to your workout routine with Omniball rolling weights. As of Feb. 10, get a set of two for $69.99, a 12% savings.

It didn’t take long for the excitement of staying home to wear off. At first, we saw it as an opportunity to try new things without ever getting out of our pajamas. We could do everything from the comfort of our living room, from working an eight-hour shift to fitting in an hourlong workout. But after a year of doing the same thing every day, it’s possible that you’re… over it.

Unfortunately, we can’t make your job more interesting, but we do have a great way to add some excitement to your body workouts: Omniball Weights. These innovative rolling weights are the result of over two years of testing and seven different prototypes. They can be added to most upper and lower body exercises for a unique and challenging workout experience. Read more…

More about Fitness, Mashable Shopping, Home Gym, Culture, and Work Life

TL;DR: Grow your business and create more brand awareness with the Complete 2021 Growth Hacker Bundle. As of Feb. 10, get it for $39.99, a 98% savings.

You could have the best product idea in the world, but unless you know how to leverage resources to get it in front of customers, it’ll be difficult to get it off the ground. At a loss for what steps you should take? Check out this 46-hour growth hacker guide.

If you’ve never heard of growth hacking, it’s basically exactly what it sounds like — a short-term game plan to “hack” your business’ growth by boosting brand awareness, encouraging potential customers, and building hype around your product. In this 13-course guide, you’ll learn some of today’s most important growth hacking techniques, from social media marketing to SEO. Read more…

More about Marketing, Online Learning, Mashable Shopping, Growth Hacking, and Culture

TL;DR: Cut back on cord clutter with this Wireless Charging Dock for iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, on sale for $101.99 — a 30% discount — as of Feb. 10.

Finding and untangling cords every time you need to charge your phone just isn’t the move anymore. This is 2021, and w charge our devices in style. Time to upgrade to a snazzy wireless dock.

For a limited time, you can add this sleek wireless charging station, which is made of walnut and topped with felt, to your desk for just over $100.

There are designated spots to house your Qi-compatible phone, Apple Watch, and any earbuds capable of charging wirelessly. And as soon as you place your Apple Watch on the dock, it turns into “nightstand mode,” allowing you to easily see the time at a glance. There’s a single cord in the back to plug the dock itself into an outlet, but everything else works wirelessly. Read more…

More about Charging Stations, Mashable Shopping, Tech, and Consumer Tech

TL;DR: Keep your emails private and encrypted with a subscription to SecureMyEmail. As of Feb. 10, get a lifetime subscription for $99.99, a 93% savings. 

Whether you’re working on a first-of-its-kind business project, dealing with sensitive information, or just value your privacy, email encryption can be a useful tool. The SecureMyEmail app from Witopia will encrypt your emails end-to-end. They’ll also have the ability to “self-destruct” as necessary. 

The SecureMyEmail app works with plenty of email services, including Gmail and Yahoo. The latest version has also been upgraded with a more automated installation process, so setup will be easy. Read more…

More about Security, Email Encryption, Mashable Shopping, Tech, and Work Life

Apple Maps on iOS is becoming a bit like Waze.

The new iOS 14.5 beta (via MacRumors) has a new Apple Maps feature, allowing users to report incidents on the road such as accidents, hazards, and speed checks. 

The new feature is located in the swipe up menu on Maps, under “Report.” MacRumors notes that tapping on one of the incident icons flags your location immediately without an additional confirmation prompt, so the feature should be used with caution. 

Another way to invoke the feature is to say “Hey Siri, there’s an accident.” And MacRumors says, via a comment on the site’s forums, that the feature also shows up on the CarPlay screen if in use.  Read more…

More about Apple Maps, Tech, and Smartphones

“Here we go again, again,” Late Show host Stephen Colbert quipped. “I’ve got that real feeling of déjà coup.”

Former president Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial finally got underway on Monday, almost a year after his first impeachment, and Republicans are again trying to shield their darling baby boy from a consequence. While the prosecution presented a video demonstrating that the Jan. 6 insurrection and Trump’s rally were one and the same, numerous Republicans determinedly averted their gaze as though not looking at it meant it didn’t exist.

“You know that they say, gentlemen,” said Colbert. “See no evil, hear no evil, makes you seem really evil.” Read more…

More about Stephen Colbert, Impeachment Trial, Culture, and Politics