Everybody makes mistakes at work but, leaving the no-fly list exposed on the internet seems like a really bad mess-up.

That’s reportedly what happened with the U.S. airline CommuteAir. The Daily Dot reported that a Swiss hacker known as “maia arson crimew” found the unsecured server while using the specialized search engine Shodan. There was apparently a lot of sensitive information on the server, including a version of the no-fly list from four years ago. Somewhat hilariously that was reportedly found via a text file labeled “NoFly.csv.” That is…not hard to guess.

A blog post from crimew titled “how to completely own an airline in 3 easy steps” cited boredom as the reason for finding the server. They were just poking around and found it.

“At this point, I’ve probably clicked through about 20 boring exposed servers with very little of any interest, when I suddenly start seeing some familiar words,” crimew says in their blogpost. “‘ACARS’, lots of mentions of ‘crew’ and so on. Lots of words I’ve heard before, most likely while binge-watching Mentour Pilot YouTube videos. Jackpot. An exposed jenkins server belonging to CommuteAir.”

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CommuteAir, a regional US airline headquartered in Ohio, confirmed the info on the server was authentic to the Daily Dot. The server has been taken offline.

“The server contained data from a 2019 version of the federal no-fly list that included first and last names and dates of birth,” CommuteAir Corporate Communications Manager Erik Kane told the Daily Dot. “In addition, certain CommuteAir employee and flight information was accessible. We have submitted notification to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and we are continuing with a full investigation.”

The info from the server has already been poured over, with some researchers saying it shows how the list is heavily biased against Muslim people. According to Daily Dot, while there is no official number to how many names are on the no-fly list, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) suggested in 2016, that over 81,000 people were on the list.

SNL‘s Weekend Update tackled the many lies told by Republican Rep. George Santos.

Co-host Colin Jost roasted some of the sillier falsehoods Santos peddled, including being a star volleyball player.

“Of all of George Santos’ lies, my favorite was that he was a standout volleyball for Baruch College,” Jost said. “Now, that is a fine-to-be but an insane thing to pretend to be. Like that’s his fantasy?”

Honestly, that’s a good point. From there, Jost and co-host Michael Che fired off some more jokes about Santos before getting into other headlines like the documents found at the house of President Joe Biden.

SNL‘s cold open combined two things in the news: the NFL playoffs and Republican Rep. George Santos, who has proven to have an extremely strained relationship with the truth.

This week’s Saturday Night Live, hosted by actress Aubrey Plaza, imagined a world where Santos took over the sideline reporter job for Fox’s NFL show. SNL‘s Bowen Yang did a great job lying his ass off as Santos, claiming he was once a top draft pick out of the University of College who somehow passed for both 300 and 600 yards in a single game,

Finally, the SNL cold open ventures into the latest news about Santos, which centers on if he used to perform drag before venturing into conservative politics.

Don’t look now, but the sun has a big dot on it. Like, literally, don’t look. You could permanently damage your eyes.

At almost five times the diameter of Earth, sunspot AR3190 is an attention-seeking blob on the surface of our star — so big you can currently see it whenever the sun is shining. But don’t give into the temptation to gawk unless you have a pair of eclipse glasses or goggles, preferably ones certified by the International Standards Organization (ISO). 

And by the way, it’s a good time to stock up on eclipse glasses because they tend to get expensive in the weeks before a solar eclipse, and there’s one coming on April 8.

So what’s the deal with this huge sunspot?

At the start of the current solar cycle — the sun’s roughly eleven-year pattern of only-somewhat-understood magnetic phenomena  — astronomers predicted that the peak year for solar activity such as sunspots would be 2025. It’s only 2023, and we’re experiencing extraordinary levels of solar activity, including impressive eruptions of plasma, and quite a few big spots — though none of the others are nearly as large as AR3190. Sunspots like this are unusual, but far from unheard of.

Does this sunspot pose any danger?

This sunspot probably poses no actual danger, but it does have a decent chance of, well, exploding.

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When a sunspot this size explodes, one can expect a release of energy called a solar flare. Astronomers expect that AR3190 would produce an “X-class” flare, the most intense kind. X-class flares send things like radio waves, X-rays, and gamma rays out into space at the speed of light. When Earth gets hit by a strong flare, the results can be good things like beautiful auroras at northern and southern latitudes, but also radio blackouts, satellite damage, and power grid disruption.

A sunspot explosion can also be accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME), which is a relatively slower ejection of particles from the sun’s “corona” — its atmosphere, basically. CMEs also cause beautiful auroras and also have the capability to disrupt communications and knock out power.

But it’s anyone’s guess if any of this will happen before AR3190 rotates out of view — which will also reduce the potential for the ensuing activities to cause problems on Earth.

TL;DR: As of Jan. 22, you can get a refurbished iPad Air (16GB, WiFi) for $99.99 instead of $150 — that’s a 33% discount.

Rumor has it that Apple won’t be doing any major hardware overhauls on their iPads in 2023. A new slate of models will likely still be released, but it won’t be until next year that fans will see any game-changing improvements worth throwing money at.

If you’re itching to get your hands on a new gadget, you may want to invest in a refurbished tablet. Make no mistake, buying refurbished does not mean that you’re getting a product that would run kaput after a few uses. It’s technically still a quality device that has been vetted to work like new. Plus, you’re dodging e-waste at the same time, so there are virtually no cons here. For just $99.99, you can score a like-new iPad Air for a limited time.

This 2013 iPad Air may be a decade old since its release, but it still packs quite a punch. With an A7 chip built-in, it’s efficient enough to accommodate multitasking, all while being battery-thrifty and delivering crystal-clear graphics for detailed visual content. 

While it’s the entry-level model in Apple’s iPad family, it comes equipped with a high-performance 9.7-inch Retina display, dual speakers, and a 16GB storage capacity for downloading your favorite apps and media, with plenty of remaining space to boot for other files. It also boasts 64-bit architecture that lets you enjoy powerful and dynamic apps.

What’s more, this iPad Air is only 7.5mm thin and weighs just one pound, making it convenient to tote around pretty much anywhere. 

If you want a device that’s powerful and nearly weightless, this deal offers an irresistible value. This refurbished 16GB iPad Air usually retails for $150, but for a limited time, you can grab it on sale for only $99.99 at 33% off.

Prices subject to change.

TL;DR: The Seido Japanese Master Chef’s Knife Set is on sale for $99.99 instead of $249 as of Jan. 22. That’s a 59% discount ahead of Valentine’s Day.

Looking for a Valentine’s Day gift that your other half will actually use? If you’re in love with an aspiring or seasoned chef, we bet they’d appreciate a nice upgrade for their most important tools in the kitchen: their knives! And you’ll appreciate that this Seido Japanese Master Chef’s Knife Set is already complete with a gift box. Plus, it’s on sale for 59% off the usual $249 price tag for just $99.99.

There are a plethora of average chef’s knives on the market today, some of which cost a pretty penny. Fortunately, Seido did the legwork for you, developing the best and most affordable high-quality kitchen knives and pairing them together in a beautiful gift box — no wrapping required — just in time for Valentine’s Day. 

Give your favorite kitchen tinkerer this set of five Japanese master chef knives. Curious about what sets Japanese knives apart? They improve upon the Western-style 20- to 25-degree edge angle with a more acute 15-degree angle that offers a noticeably sharper cutting face. This means your valentine will enjoy easier slicing, dicing, and chopping — and you’ll enjoy some delicious meals in return. 

This set includes an 8″ chef’s knife that makes for a great everyday tool, a 7″ cleaver that can be used as a butcher knife, a 7″ Santoku knife that features a thinner blade for a finer edge, a 5″ Santoku knife that easily chops vegetables or fruits, and 3.5″ paring knife when they need to do precision cutting. And all of these handy tools are available for one low price, housed inside a gorgeous gift box, saving you money on expensive V-Day gift wrapping supplies while also serving as a great place to keep the knives safe. 

Help your valentine improve their cooking skills with the Seido Japanese Master Chef’s Knife Set, complete with a gift box, all on sale for $99.99 just in time for Valentine’s Day. 

Prices subject to change.

TL;DR: As of Jan. 22, you can score 15 bottles of mixed wines from Wine Insiders for only $85 (shipping not included) rather than $300. That’s 71% in savings.

Though it feels like the holidays were just yesterday, it’s already time to start planning how you’ll wow your loved one this Valentine’s Day. If you used up all your brilliant gifting ideas in December, we have an option that you might even get to enjoy as well!

Give the gift of 15 bottles of delicious, curated wine delivered straight to your valentine’s door with this exceptional deal from Wine Insiders. The best part? Even though they’ll enjoy a box of over a dozen wines, it will only set you back $85 — that’s less than $8 a bottle. And this one’s even great for procrastinators, as it’s a digital voucher card you can send over instantly. 

Wine Insiders isn’t a wine club that ropes you into monthly charges, it’s a one-time purchase that gives you access to the 38-year-old company’s well-vetted wine choices at a crazy low price. And you’re in good hands with their wine-tasting experts — they only approve five out of every 100 bottles they sample, so Wine Insiders’ customers are receiving the best of the best. 

This deal from Wine Insiders includes 15 bottles of mixed wines that come from all around the world, so your valentine will be sipping on radiant whites and easy-drinking bottles of red. And all of it will be delivered right to their front porch after they redeem their digital voucher code. Tax and shipping charges are not included, but they’ll enjoy simplistic shipping since Wine Insiders partners directly with top wineries and eliminates the middlemen, making sure the bottles go straight to customers’ doorsteps. 

Give a fleet of delicious wines for just $85 with this 15 bottles of mixed wine deal from Wine Insiders, available just in time for Valentine’s Day. 

Prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Through Jan. 26, you can pick up the Square Off Grand Kingdom smart chessboard set for $369.99 instead of $499 — that’s 26% in savings.

Chess may be a very old game, but that hasn’t stopped it from changing over the years. This smart chessboard can connect online and move physical pieces on its own, and you can get it for 25% off until 11:59 p.m. PT on January 26. 

A high-tech chessboard 

Square Off’s Grand Kingdom Set even made an appearance at CES this year. Try a new twist on an old favorite. This set gives you a beautiful, wood-finished board with a secret inside. This Kickstarter-funded chessboard lets you connect to other players online. Join a community of 30 million chess players and test your skills. When your opponent makes a move, the corresponding piece will automatically move across the board. If you need practice, you can also play the built-in AI with 20 difficulty levels. 

After a game against the computer or a real player, you can set up a game analysis through the Square Off app. Practice as long as you want, but the battery may only last for up to 15 games before it needs a recharge. But even without a charge, this set is still a beautiful rosewood-colored chess board that comes with two 32 playing pieces. 

Your opponents online don’t need to have a Square Off chessboard to play. Those 30 million other plays come from some of the most popular chess destinations online like chess.com and Lichess. Compete with friends or strangers and start working your way toward grand master status. 

Save on the CES-featured smart chess set 

There’s more than one way to play chess, and this smart board lets you play online, in person, or on your own against a computer. You have until 11:59 p.m. PT on January 26 to get the Square Off Grand Master Set on sale for $369.99 (reg. $499). 

Prices subject to change.

January 30, and the days just before and just after that, will be a good time to try and see Mercury because it’s at its greatest western elongation. You won’t need a telescope for this, but you may need to wake up early. Also, the Southern Hemisphere will get a better view than the Northern. And as always with stargazing, if the clouds don’t cooperate, you’re out of luck.

What is the greatest western elongation of Mercury?

Mercury is an “inferior planet.” That doesn’t mean it’s just not all that great. For Earthlings, the term simply refers to Venus and Mercury, the planets that orbit closer to the Sun than we do. So any time we try to look at one of these planets we’re looking more or less toward the sun rather than out into space.

You don’t tend to glimpse Venus and Mercury too often, because they’re hugging the sun, an object that’s exponentially brighter in our sky — as you’ve probably noticed.

But when an inferior planet is at or near one of its “greatest elongations” (each inferior planet has an eastern and a western “greatest elongation”) you’ll have a decent shot at seeing it. Because it’s at a point of greatest (deep breath) angular separation from the Sun relative to Earth — so it’s not necessarily at the greatest distance from the sun in its entire orbit, but that’s what it looks like to us Earthlings, and because of that, it will seem brighter, and will look that way for longer.

How can I see Mercury at its greatest western elongation?

You’ll have to look toward the sun during twilight just before dawn, or just after sunset. If you have a fairly clear line of sight to the horizon Mercury should be there, a little dot in the clown close to where sky meets land. To differentiate this tiny, faint planet from any stars that may be visible, it may help do download a stargazing app with an augmented reality component. SkySafari is one example of such an app.

An even more expensive Twitter Blue subscription tier may be headed our way, according to a Saturday tweet from CEO Elon Musk. Musk claims, he and his already thin operating crew are working on plans to introduce a “higher priced” subscription for Twitter Blue users that allows “zero ads.”

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The full details of this new Twitter Blue tier are largely unknown, as the only information about the tier comes directly from Musk’s tweet. Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Mashable. In theory, Musk is serious about an ad-free tier coming to Twitter, but Musk also stated in court this week that just because he tweets something, it “does not mean people believe it or will act accordingly.” So, who knows if we should believe him or not?

As it stands for Twitter Blue users now, the current $7.99 per month subscription promises 50 percent fewer ads, a feature that has yet to be rolled out. Features that do exist, however, include a blue “verified” checkmark, the ability to edit and undo tweets, a reader mode for long threads, and prioritized ranking in conversations. Other promised features coming to the platform include “Coins” to reward creators (à la TikTok) and the ability to make the polarizing view counts feature optional.

Musk’s desire to offer an ad-free Twitter experience is due in part to what he claims are frequent and big ads taking over the platform. This announcement comes just a week after a Wall Street Journal report found that Twitter was willing to match advertisers up to $250,000 in a desperate plea for ad buyers to return. In the same thread, Musk also claims that a creator fund is in the works to incentivize content creators to stay on Twitter.

Musk’s tweet comes days after Twitter suddenly stopped supporting third-party clients who previously had access to the platform, and the two events may be related. According to the Verge, Twitter does not earn ad revenue when its API is used through third-party clients, meaning Musk was most likely grasping for more ad revenue by snubbing these third-party developers. Also per the Verge, the extra-expensive paid tier can be understood as another response to Twitter’s growing financial struggles — Musk simply needs users to give Twitter more money.

The Twitter drama never seems to stop does it? But maybe an expensive, ad-free version will deaden the pain.