Tech Boys

Google is tweaking how sponsored results will appear in Search. Going forward, it will group any text ads on the Search page into a "Sponsored results" section that will appear at the top of the screen. The size of the ads is unchanged and Google says there will never be more than four ads in a grouping. Once you scroll past the section with ads, you can click a button to hide all sponsored results.  According to Google, "the new design helps people navigate the top of the page more easily." Maybe that's because people have gotten used to automatically looking farther down the search results to skip the AI Overviews. Google's announcement even noted that the sponsored tab might appear either above or below its AI-generated summary. What's another second of scrolling to actually reach information? But lest you scroll too far, Google will also have a "Sponsored results" section at the very bottom of the page that can only be hidden after you...

If you've gotten a text that promises a refund for your inflation-related spending, you're probably getting scammed. According to Bleeping Computer , New Yorkers are getting texts from a number that says they're the Department of Taxation and Finance. The texter claims the recipient is eligible for "Inflation Refunds" and requests personal and financial data — a major red flag. Remember: The U.S. government will never send you a text like this, nor will your state or local tax officials. Now, it is true that some New Yorkers are getting inflation refunds from the state Department of Taxation and Finance . According to the department, some taxpayers are eligible for a one-time inflation refund check if they filed certain tax forms in 2023, reported income within qualifying thresholds, and were not claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return. If they meet the criteria, they can receive a check for $150 to $400 to compensate them for inflated sales tax ...

Google's AI tool, Gemini, has drastically improved its ability to create and edit photos. And people are looking for, and posting about, the best ways to use the tool. That's because Google recently integrated Nano Banana — the company's AI-powered image generation and editing tool — into Gemini's new Gemini 2.5 Flash Image . Simply put, if you go to Google AI Studio or to the Gemini App , you should be able to make better photo creations. In Mashable's tests, Nano Banana works particularly well as an image editor . Now, I'd probably argue that instead of playing around with AI, you might simply go out into the world and take pictures. Enjoy some sunshine, if you're so lucky. But hey, whatever floats your boat or drains your water supply . So, if you're serious about using an AI image generator to get interesting results, we've got some good prompt ideas to get you started. Google Gemini AI photo prompts to try Ask it to make trading cards : ...

Days ahead of the next Pokémon game release , Centro Leaks is back with another batch of possible leaks about the franchise. The source claims that the same hacker behind last year's so-called Teraleak has released more information they obtained from datamining files owned by Pokémon developer Game Freak that shows the roadmap for all upcoming projects the company has in the works. And there appear to be quite a few of them. This type of hacked information may not be an accurate reflection of Game Freak's actual plans, and any alleged details about the games may not appear in final iterations of the studio's titles. And even if these files are genuine, some of the planning documents are supposedly from 2020 , so hardly the freshest info. With those caveats in mind, here's an overview of what the datamining revealed. The leaker claims that the Gen 10 game will be called Pokémon Wind and Waves . Its theme is "infinity" and the project is slated for a 202...

Today's Wordle answer is sometimes a bit fuzzy. If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 13, 2025 Where did Wordle come from? Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble , music identification game Heardle , and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once .  Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times , and TikTok creators...

SpaceX is gearing up for the 11th flight test of its Starship megarocket, which will launch from its Starbase in Texas as early as Monday. The launch window opens on October 13 at 7:15PM ET. You'll be able to watch live starting 30 minutes before liftoff on the SpaceX website and on X.  Starship's latest flight follows a successful test at the end of August, during which it deployed a payload — eight dummy Starlink satellites — in space for the first time following a failed attempt earlier in the year. The company is aiming to carry out another payload demonstration for flight 11, again using eight Starlink simulators. For this flight, SpaceX is using a previously flown Super Heavy booster, with 24 of its 33 Raptor engines being flight-proven. The goals this time around include "flight experiments gathering data for the next generation Super Heavy booster, stress-testing Starship’s heatshield, and demonstrating maneuvers that will mimic the upper stage’s final app...

Today's Wordle answer is difficult simply because one uncommon letter could leave you with more guesses than chances to guess. If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 11, 2025 Where did Wordle come from? Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble , music identification game Heardle , and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once .  Wordle eventually beca...

It seems to be the end of the road for Apple's Clips app. The company said on a support page that it has stopped updating the video-editing app, and new users can no longer download it from the App Store. Existing users on iOS and iPadOS will continue to have access for the time being, but the company hasn't said how long that will last. "If you previously downloaded the Clips app, you can still redownload it from your Apple account in the App Store," the support page notes.  Clips was introduced in 2017 and offers a host of editing tools geared toward creating videos for social media. But Clips never really caught on, and many of the features it boasts are pretty much standard fare on the social apps now. Apple has recommended that Clips users save their  videos to their photo libraries or elsewhere, so if you are one of the few users hanging on, you should probably go ahead and do that before it's too late.  This article originally appeared on Engadget...

Following San Diego Comic-Con this summer, New York Comic-Con brought even more exciting announcements. Here's a running list of TV and movie trailer drops and sneak peeks you need to know about. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a prequel to Game of Thrones , taking place a century before the events of the original series. Based on novellas by George R.R. Martin, A Knight of Seven Kingdoms will follow shabby knight Sir Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). How to watch: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres January 18 on HBO Max. Marvel's Wonder Man miniseries teaser Marvel dropped a teaser for Wonder Man , an eight-episode miniseries. The trailer is pretty meta, with talk of an in-universe reboot of a Wonder Man movie. "I know your question is, 'Why one more superhero film?'" a reclusive director character says in an interview. "Everyone is tired of superheroes"...

Online dating as a gay man is a rite of passage, from the Craigslist m4m era to today's endless scroll. But for all the high rewards, even the best dating apps come with a unique set of challenges for gay men: ghosting , catfishing , straight guys who shouldn't be in your feed, and even some not-so-subtle fetishization. It's a lot to take in when you're just trying to find a genuine connection. Yet, despite the BS, the best gay dating apps are still one of the main ways to meet new people, especially if you're gay or bisexual. Pew Research found that about one in four LGBTQ+ adults met their partner online, a much higher rate than for straight people. Of course, we can't talk about gay dating without talking about Grindr. It's still the undisputed king of gay dating apps, even if the user experience has been suffering of late. The free version of Grindr is now stuffed full of ads, leaving many guys longing for an alternative. Plus, because of its well-...