iPhone camera bump haters, we have some bad news: It sounds like the upcoming (but unannounced) iPhone 14 Pro might be getting an even thicker camera bump on its backside.

The original sleek profile rumor made waves back in September, after Apple leaker John Prosser shared purported product images showing the startling lack of a rear-mounted camera protrusion. The renders were met at the time with both enthusiasm (many Apple users seem to hate the clunky camera housing), as well as skepticism from those who doubted Apple would scale back its camera bump in favor of a larger body design.

As of this week, it appears the skeptics might have been right, with the bump remaining in new iPhone 14 Pro leaks — and getting even bigger.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo addressed newly circulated specs for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, explaining why the camera bump appeared somewhat larger compared to previous models. According to Kuo, the wide camera is getting a huge upgrade — from 12MP to 48MP — as well as an expansion of its contact image sensor (CIS) and an slightly larger lens overall.

Tweet may have been deleted

Tweet may have been deleted

While the total height and width in the would-be specs make this iPhone smaller than the one from the previous generation, the rumored design seems to have a thicker body accompanying the larger camera bump. And they appear to keep the newer iPhone notch changes, which favor a smaller, hole-punch design for the front camera.

Tweet may have been deleted

Tweet may have been deleted

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While many tech and Apple experts discuss the new rumors and what they mean for future Apple redesigns, many of us normie Apple users are all whispering the same thing: Isn’t this exactly what the last model looked like?

We’ll see if the slim profile makes a surprising return, or if the bump only gets bigger, when the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models are (likely, don’t forget they’re still technically unannounced) launched later this year.

The Russian payment card system called Mir will no longer be hosted on Apple Pay, adding to the existing restrictions against Russian economic activity enacted via Apple’s contactless payment service.

The Mir suspension took effect on on March 24, according to an announcement on Mir’s website. Apple also alerted Russia’s National Card Payment System (NSPK).

According to The Verge, the translated announcement states that uploading new Mir cards to Apple Pay is no longer possible, and any Mir cards added prior to the suspension should stop working over the next few days.

Apple Pay has been available in Russia since 2016, and Mir has been on the service since last year. But as of March 1, 2022, Apple had taken several measures to limit economic activity in Russia on its platforms in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Previous measures included restricting access to Russian MasterCard and Visa holders.

This latest Mir suspension removes Russia’s own internal payment system from Apple’s platform, making it so both international and domestic purchases in Russia cannot be made using Apple Pay. Before suspending Mir, Russian Apple Pay users had a loophole that allowed them to still access the contactless payment system so long as they were making their purchases via Mir.

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Apple isn’t the only tech company restricting Russian economic activity via its platforms. According to the Wall Street Journal, Google is also pausing a pilot program that allowed Mir cards on Google Pay. Russian Google Pay users also cannot access MasterCard or Visa, as the U.S.-based card networks have pulled out of the country entirely.

Notably, though, the lack of contactless card access via Google Pay is not a direct action from Google or its parent company, Alphabet. Because Visa and MasterCard suspended their own services in Russia more broadly, Google hasn’t taken responsibility for suspensions, and hasn’t itself addressed the pause of the pilot program that Mir was using.

“Google Pay is pausing payments-related services in Russia as a result of payment services disruption out of our control,” a Google spokeswoman told the WSJ.

Russian contactless payment users on both Apple Pay and Google Pay have also been affected by restrictions from other international banks, a list that Russia’s Central Bank has said includes VTB Group, Sovcombank, Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, and Otkritie FC Bank. These restrictions mostly affect any purchases made via Apple Pay or Google Pay by Russians while abroad, or online to stores based in countries that have taken financial sanctions against Russia (h/t The Verge).

Everyone who likes video games has wanted to share a cool moment or a hilarious glitch they saw with their friends. With both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles, that’s never been easier.

Just like the PS4 and Xbox One, both consoles come with buttons on their respective controllers dedicated entirely to capturing screenshots and clips. However, you used to have to upload those screenshots to Twitter, OneDrive, or a USB device in order to get them off the consoles and onto your phone, where it’s easiest to share them. By the grace of the universe, that’s no longer the case.

Here’s how to automagically beam captures from either of these gaming consoles to your mobile device.

How to send PS5 captures to your phone

Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S are capable of connecting to special mobile apps you can find on your device’s app store, which is the key to making all this capture magic happen. In order to get screenshots from your PS5 to your phone without posting them to Twitter first, download the PlayStation app on iOS or Android. You’ll also want to make sure your PS5’s system software is up to date.

Once you’ve logged into your PlayStation Network account on both the PS5 and in the mobile app, open it and click on the tab along the bottom row that shows six squares set behind a silhouette of the PlayStation controller to access your Game Library. Then, at the top of the screen, switch from “Games” to “Captures.” You should get a prompt to allow automatic capture uploads from the console to the app. Say yes, or else you will have just wasted a lot of time reading this article.

And that’s it! From now on, any screenshot or clip (that’s shorter than three minutes long) you capture using the DualSense’s dedicated share button (located to the left of the touchpad) will automatically appear in that section of the mobile app, where it will stay for 14 days. You’ll be able to save and share them from the app as you see fit.

Couldn’t be easier.

How to send Xbox Series S/X captures to your phone

For Xbox users, the process of getting clips from your console to your phone is pretty much exactly the same as it is on PS5. The one difference is that you actually have to do a little less work. We love to hear it.

Download the Xbox app and sign into your Xbox account. Obviously, make sure you’re signed in on the Xbox, too. By default, all captures taken with the share button (located to the left of the home button on the Xbox controller) are uploaded to the “Xbox Network,” a fancy name for a cloud server that can be accessed from the Xbox app. To do so, open the app and go to the tab on the bottom row marked by three vertical lines (with the rightmost line leaning against the other two). 

Your captures live here. To test it out, take a screenshot in-game, wait like 30 seconds, and then open the app to see if it’s there. If this isn’t working, you might have to enable automatic uploads. It should be on by default, but hey, weird things happen sometimes. To do that, follow these simple steps:

1. Press the Xbox home button on the controller

2. Navigate to “Profile & System”

3. Go to “Settings”

4. Go to “Preferences”

5. Go to “Capture & Share”

6. Toggle “Automatically upload” on

If that still doesn’t work for some reason, you can manually upload any capture to the Xbox Network by hitting the button to the left of the home button, selecting the individual screenshot or video you want, and then selecting “Upload.” Give it a little bit of time and it should appear in the Xbox app.

If you love sharing your gaming moments with your buds, using automatic capture uploads on either console will make your life so much easier.

What is Far Cry 6? Does Far Cry 6 even know what Far Cry 6 is at this point?

Ubisoft’s latest yawning Far Cry adventure slouched into its 2021 launched weighed down by all sorts of political baggage, even as it delivered an entertaining time in the end. Now, months later, with surprise content drops that have added the likes of Danny Trejo and Rambo to the game, it’s also become a platform for weird flights of video game fancy. That’s the context for this Stranger Things crossover.

“The Vanishing,” as this free Netflix-themed add-on mission is called, sends Far Cry 6 protagonist Dani Rojas off on an adventure into the Upside Down. Her plucky little canine pal Chorizo has gone missing, and the alternate dimension is apparently where he ended up.

You shouldn’t need to do much to get the mission started. Just make sure Far Cry 6 is updated, load your game, and you’ll get some dialogue over Dani’s radio explaining the situation. I haven’t tested it myself, but it seems like you’ll need to have at least push through the prologue.

It’s ideal timing for Ubisoft and Netflix both. Far Cry 6 is playable for free on all platforms — PC, PlayStation, and Xbox — through March 27, and the game is also on sale if you choose to take the next step of buying it.

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Accusations of workplace racism against Tesla aren’t going away anytime soon.

Less than two months after California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a massive lawsuit that accused the company of creating a “hostile work environment” for Black employees, more testimony about the company’s allegedly toxic work culture has emerged.

The Los Angeles Times published a lengthy report that includes direct testimony from multiple Black ex-employees detailing the way they were treated at the company’s Fremont, Calif. factory. The long read is well worth your time.

Fair warning, though: The accusations outlined in the piece are often disturbing. They include several instances of racial slurs being directed at Black employees, as well as Black employees repeatedly being given more tedious and more difficult work than their non-Black co-workers. Some were paid less than $20/hour to work 12-hour shifts at least six days a week, with Black workers allegedly being grouped together in parts of the factory with no air conditioning.

One of the former Tesla workers even said Black employees were forced out of view when CEO Elon Musk made visits to the factory. And when attempts were made to report discriminatory treatment through the proper company channels, some of those who filed complaints were fired not long after, according to the interviews.

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This reporting comes after a San Francisco court found in Oct. 2021 that Tesla had subjected one Black employee to unfair racial treatment and had not done enough to stop it. Ultimately, Tesla had to pay nearly $140 million in a settlement. It’s also worth noting that the company has something of an anti-union streak going back to at least 2018.

However this current lawsuit goes, don’t be surprised if more and more allegations like this pop up in the future.

What: The 94th Academy Awards

Where to watch: ABC.com, the ABC app, AT&T TV Now, Hulu, and YouTube TV.

Air date: March 27, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. ET

The time has come, movie-lovers.

With 2021 firmly in the rearview, Hollywood’s months-long gauntlet of awards shows is about to culminate in the Super Bowl of movies, the 94th Academy Awards. And while the ongoing pandemic continues to cut into box office performance — total earnings in 2021 are basically half what they were in a record-setting 2019 — there’s been a flood of movies arriving as COVID-delayed productions got back to work.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences flirted with disaster in February when it announced a decision to cut eight category awards from the show’s broadcast, a move intended to keep the show’s length to under three hours. But intense pushback from fans and filmmakers alike prompted a reversal, and the Academy will now pre-record those awards right before the show, and then edit them in during the broadcast.

With all that context out of the way, let’s get to the important stuff: How and where to watch, and what you should know about this year’s nominees.

How can I watch the Oscars?

It’s easier than ever to watch the Oscars live, whether you’re an enduring cable TV subscriber or a streaming cord-cutter. The show airs Sunday, March 27 on ABC starting at 8:00 p.m. ET, with a 7:00 p.m. pre-show.

That opening hour is when the Academy will hand out awards in the eight categories that were almost cut: Documentary Short, Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music Score, Production Design, Live Action Short, Animated Short and Sound. It’s not clear if those earlier award handouts will be televised live. It’s not clear if those tapings will also be broadcast live during the pre-show, however.

The easiest way to watch any of this is on ABC, the network that carries the Academy Awards show. For those who aren’t going to be near a TV on Sunday night, you can also watch online via ABC’s website or in the ABC app, provided you have a cable provider sign-in. The Oscars website runs through the list of allowed cable providers, including guidance for those who live outside the United States.

Streaming cable providers are also in the mix here. You’ll be able to check out the show using Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV Now, Sling TV, and FuboTV, among others. You’ll need a subscription, but most of these services have trial offers available. So you’ve got options.

Who are the 2022 Oscar nominees?

If you want a full list of 2022 Oscar nominees, we’ve got you covered. Many of those nominees are already up for streaming, too. So if you want to catch up on some of 2021’s Oscar-worthy movies, here’s everything you need to settle in for a binge.

As is the case every year, expect Best Picture to end the show and for its winner to be the buzziest of the night. There are 10 nominees in total for the 2022 Best Picture Academy Award: Belfast, CODA, Don’t Look Up, Drive My Car, Dune, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, The Power of the Dog, and West Side Story.

Disney Pixar’s Encanto should also make some headline news. While “Dos Oruguitas,” penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is up for the Best Original Song, it’s not the one that will be featured in the night’s on stage performances. That honor goes instead to “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which Miranda also wrote and which has skyrocketed in popularity since Encanto came to Disney+ in November.

Who is hosting the 2022 Oscars?

The 2022 Oscars show will feature three hosts in total: Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes. It’s a bit of a return to form for the Academy after three host-less years, only two of which were impacted by the pandemic. Kevin Hart had been set to host the 2019 show originally, but he stepped down before the broadcast after being called out for making a string of homophobic remarks in some of his older tweets.

The trio of hosts won’t be alone on that stage. The Academy has announced a lengthy list of presenters spanning different mediums of entertainment. Expect to see legendary actors like Jamie Lee Curtis and Bill Murray; young sensations like Zoë Kravitz and Simu Liu; music superstars Lady Gaga and DJ Khaled; and even an array of sports icons, from Serena and Venus Williams to Tony Hawk and Shaun White.

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Those of us who signed up for recurring 99 cent payments to Apple for more iCloud space years ago might get some of that money back soon.

That’s because Apple apparently breached its own terms of service, resulting in the company agreeing to pay out a $14.8 million class action settlement, per Macworld. The specific violation was that Apple apparently stored some iCloud data on third-party servers instead of its own. Apple continues to deny any wrongdoing, but that isn’t stopping it from shelling out cash to make the problem go away.

According to the terms of the settlement, this applies to folks who paid any additional money for extra iCloud storage from Sept. 16, 2015 to Jan. 31, 2016. You also needed to have a U.S. mailing address attached to your iCloud account during that time, so customers outside the States won’t get anything.

Folks who still subscribe to an iCloud storage plan will get the money through their Apple account, while anyone who has since cut off the subscription will get a check in the mail.

The monthly fees for iCloud storage back then ranged from 99 cents for 50 GB of cloud space to $10 for 1 TB of space. That part is important because how much money you’ll get back depends on how much you paid during those few months the settlement is zeroing in on.

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You probably shouldn’t expect a huge amount of money from this either way, though. That $14.8 million sounds like a lot, but once it’s dispersed among everyone who paid for iCloud storage a few years ago, it could wind up being a check for $2.79.

Still, free money is free money. All it took was for Apple to possibly compromise your personal data a little bit.

By the end of 2022, you might be able to use iMessage to talk to your pals on WhatsApp.

That’s one of the many implications of the new Digital Markets Act, a piece of legislation European Union member states agreed to on Friday in the European Parliament. While a final version of the DMA is still yet to be cemented into law via a vote among the EU countries, the expectation seems to be that it will pass and could go into effect as early as October of this year.

The basic gist of the bill is that big tech companies like Meta, Google, and Apple (or any other company with a market cap of at least 75 million euros and 45 million monthly European users) can’t give too much special treatment to their own apps on a customer’s device. For example, if you get a new iPhone, Safari may not be the default browser anymore. You can still set it as the default if you prefer that, but you’ll have more say in the matter at the initial setup.

Beyond that, messaging services like iMessage, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger will have interoperability between each other. This is pure speculation, but maybe, just maybe, this could be the first domino to fall in ending the horrible blue text/green text segregation between iOS and Android users. We can pray for that, anyway.

Any company that breaks these rules risks a fine of as much as 10 percent of their global revenues the first time and 20 percent the second time. After a third infraction, the EU could step in and at least threaten something as severe as breaking up the company. 

That sounds like a pipe dream, but for what it’s worth, the EU has been just about the only regulatory body on the planet to make big tech companies do anything for the greater good in recent years. The General Data Protection Regulation (or GDPR) law, signed in 2018, ensured that tech companies operating in Europe had to do things like notify users of data breaches, ask for consent to track data (like when a website asks if you’re OK with cookies), and give people the ability to delete their data from existence if they request it. 

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On the other hand, tech companies have also shown in the past that they’ll make region-specific exceptions in the way they operate. The California Consumer Privacy Act, signed in 2018, places limits on how companies can gather and sell user data. But instead of prompting a nationwide shift, the CCPA has prompted companies to carve out an exception and process — here an example from Sirius XM — for managing user data in California.

And since it’s not really worth the time or resources to make special versions of apps just for Europe, users in places like the U.S. wound up getting all of those benefits, too. If the DMA becomes reality, don’t be surprised if suddenly you start getting Facebook messages in your iMessage inbox.

With nearly one in five Americans reporting “heavy drinking” during the pandemic, it’s no surprise sober curiosity is becoming a burgeoning lifestyle. Sober curiosity — the idea of not going completely sober, but minimizing drinking — started growing in popularity even before COVID, and now the interest is surging.

This is true of daters, as well. A staggering 94 percent of singles said they’d be interested in someone who doesn’t drink at all, according to eharmony’s 2022 Happiness Index, a survey of 3,000 adults over 21. 

But with drinking so paramount to American dating culture — and social culture as a whole — how can one date while sober or sober curious? We asked the experts and found that it’s about being open about your goals, and setting boundaries.

Why sober curiosity? Why now?

“Alcohol might be having a cigarette moment,” said Heather Lowe, certified life and recovery coach with the International Center for Addiction and Recovery Education (ICARE). “Something that was once looked at as a cool pastime is now being reconsidered.” Lowe is also the president and founder of Ditched the Drink, a wellness company whose mission is to help professionals evaluate their relationship with alcohol. 

Interest in sober curiosity was growing prior to the pandemic, with mixologists serving up mocktails and “Dry January” a household term. Now, after a period of high alcohol use for some, this curiosity is booming: Sales of mocktails soared 33 percent from 2021 to 2022, and brewers told the Washington Post they expect the zero-proof market to only climb further.

According to eharmony, 74 percent of singles have considered restricting their drinking to some extent in the past year, with 21 percent considering not drinking at all.

The drinking decline makes sense, considering the overall emphasis on health and wellness lately. Given the last few years, people are starting to pay more attention to their wellbeing, said Minaa B., therapist, mental health educator, and one of eharmony’s relationship experts. 

Alcohol might be having a cigarette moment.

Mental health is top of mind these days — eharmony reports that 73 percent of singles are more attracted to people doing growth work like therapy — but it’s not just about therapy, said B. This also accounts for what we put into our bodies. Sober curiosity considers how outside stressors like alcohol can impact mental health.

The pandemic also made us more aware of our mortality, said Robin Finley, a licensed marriage and family therapist from Thriveworks in South Carolina, a counseling service for individuals, couples, and families. Folks may decrease their drinking for physical health risks, too.

Beyond health reasons, Finley said there can also be a desire to emotionally connect while sober. “I see a recent value placed on developing a real emotional connection as singles and couples are becoming more aware of the altering personality presentation when engaged in drinking,” she commented.

B. agreed, saying, “Sober curiosity is also coming up in regard to building healthier, more authentic connections.” This is true of connection with others, but also with ourselves and what we put into our bodies. 

How to start sober (curious) dating

You may want to try an app specifically for sober dating, like Loosid. Other general dating apps, like OkCupid and Hinge, also have options to share your drinking status. Last year, Bumble even launched a Sober Badge for people to proudly display their preference. Bumble and Hinge have an option to filter out those who drink, too, but you may have to pay for a subscription.

There’s no harm in mentioning your sobriety or curiosity in your dating app bio, said B. Given the newness of the term “sober curious,” it can even be a conversation starter.

Even if you don’t display your status on your profile, B. recommends openly communicating with your potential partner at some point — say, when you’re in the “getting to know you” stage and conversing about your interests.

Finley echoes this sentiment. “Be open, honest, and confident about the stance that you have chosen to take and the changes you are interested in pursuing regarding use of alcohol relating to dating while sober,” she said, “just as you would with your pursuit to develop any core value or self-improvement.”

Be mindful about where you have a date, B. continued. Bars are an obvious choice in modern dating, but they’re not the most comfortable for sober people. Branch out to environments where alcohol isn’t the focus, like a bowling alley or movie theater. That’s not to say alcohol won’t be served there, but it’s not the primary activity.

You can also go out for strictly non-alcoholic drinks, said Lowe. Go out for coffee, lemonade, or a milkshake. Or try something new: Visit a museum or art show, or take a fitness class together.

Set boundaries with your date — and yourself

No matter what kind of connection you’re looking for, whether a fling or long term partner, respect should be at the root, said B. In this case, respect looks like sharing your boundaries: telling your date about your sober or curiosity, that you’d prefer to go somewhere where alcohol isn’t the focus, or that you’re not drinking regardless of where you go.

Consider different signs and cues about this person’s ability to respect your desires, too. Alcohol is entrenched in our culture, and you may encounter people who are judgmental or may be pushy. Should your date pressure you to drink — or act like it’s weird that you’re not drinking — stand firm in your boundaries, B. said.

If someone crosses your boundaries, there are a few different ways to respond. You can restate your boundary (“As I said, I’m not drinking tonight”) or offer a suggestion for how to proceed (“Feel free to get a drink if you want one, but I’ll stick with water.”). If you’re uncomfortable, you can tell your date that in the moment, or message them later if you prefer. You can also choose to end the date if you’re really not feeling it.

On the flip side, they may be genuinely curious about your choices, and that’s OK. But when someone starts using language that makes you feel bad or tries to change your mind, that’s a red flag, said B. You can respond as above, and/or make a mental note to never see this person again.

Lowe suggests having a plan for dealing with the challenge of declining alcohol in a setting that encourages use. You’ll feel more prepared to say no, and it can help build your own self-confidence. 

But what about keeping your own boundary? If you find yourself breaking them — say, drinking when you told yourself you wouldn’t — first off, give yourself some grace, says B. You’re human, and none of us is perfect. We’re also living in a society where alcohol is ever present, and change doesn’t happen overnight.

Go back to your intention for setting the boundary in the first place, B. suggested. Why do you want to make this change? How will you benefit from not drinking on this date?

You may feel a craving, Lowe said, but you don’t have to give in to it. You can “play the tape forward” and envision how you’ll feel after a successfully sober date (and the morning after, to boot). 

Further, consider what support will make this journey easier for you. You can find an accountability partner, for example, or develop rituals and routines to keep you sober. 

Mindfulness, or getting back into the present, can also help in the moment. “When you’re in an environment like that, your mind is most likely racing with an abundance of thoughts,” B. explained, and grounding techniques help you get “back to reality, back to where we are and back into your body.”

B. offered grounding techniques you can use in a situation where people are drinking around you. Pay attention to the senses. If the bar offers peppermints, pop one and focus on the taste. Listen to the music or chatter in the room. Carry sensory items like a fidget spinner or stress ball, if those make you feel better. These mindfulness practices take you out of your head and back into your body.

Again, mistakes happen. There’s no switch flip that’ll kill your desire for alcohol. Beating ourselves up about it actually keeps us stuck in a cycle of shame and guilt, said B. 

Go forth and date without drinking

Ultimately, dating is about getting to know your potential partners. You want to know their interests, but also — and more importantly, especially if you’re looking for a dedicated partner — their values. 

“People’s interests can change over time,” B. said, “but our core values tend to be our character traits and how we engage with the world. Those things tend to stay the same.” 

She’d encourage you to think about their value system  — meaning, what they currently value in life. This tends to come from our core beliefs and what we truly admire and care about. Sharing core beliefs with your partner builds a foundation for your relationship. If not drinking is an important value to you, you want a partner who understands that, if not one who shares the same.

“Being sober or sober curious is a total superpower and you can view it that way,” said Lowe. “Someone who is willing to do the work to evolve, grow, heal, and transform is exactly the kind of partner most people are looking for.”

Good morning, Wordlers! It’s Saturday morning and today’s Wordle is new yet again.

If you just want today’s answer, scroll to the bottom. But here’s a little more on Wordle if you’re (somehow) new to the game: It’s a daily word game created by Brooklyn-based software engineer Josh Wardle and purchased by the New York Times.

Every day, players are greeted with a fresh word puzzle that can only be solved — or not! — using a series of process-of-elimination clues.

If you’re the adventurous type and want to try other versions of the game, there’s Absurdle, Worldle, the 31-word Grand Slam (aka Untrigintordle) — or you might want to try embracing two kinds of nerdery by exploring Wordle clones for specific fandoms.

More on our favorite word game below, along with the answer that brought you here.

Best Wordle starting word?

Step up your game today with our comprehensive guide to the best starting words.

Wordle Archive: Dig in

Just one Wordle a day not doing it for you? Good news. You can also play the whole archive of past Wordles.

Is Wordle getting harder?

If you feel like you’re struggling more with Wordle lately, you’re not alone — but it’s not getting harder. However, there is a Wordle hard mode (yes, we’ve technically been playing in ‘easy mode’ this whole time).

Now that you’re all caught up, without further ado, here’s the moment you’ve been waiting for.

The Wordle word today is…

EPOXY

Mashable will be providing Wordle answers, along with more Wordle updates in the weeks ahead. Stick with us.

Reporting by Caitlin Welsh and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.