Tech Boys

The year’s BAFTAS , the British equivalent of the Oscars, will not be remembered for which movies won, but rather how the BBC handled a shocking moment. During the broadcast, an attendee with Tourette syndrome yelled a racial slur, which could be heard on the tape-delayed broadcast . The first time the N-word was shouted by John Davidson, whose life was the basis for the BAFTA-nominated film I Swear , was at the beginning of the BBC’s broadcast, as Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the first award. Both Jordan and Lindo are Black. Update, Feb. 23, 3 p.m. ET: Davidson released a statement about the events at the BAFTAs, thanking the organizers for inviting him and explaining his tics to the audience. He also stated, "In addition to the announcement by Alan Cumming, the BBC and BAFTA, I can only add that I am, and always have been deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning." For his part, Lin...

Anthropic is issuing a call to action against AI "distillation attacks," after accusing three AI companies of misusing its Claude chatbot . On its website, Anthropic claimed that DeepSeek , Moonshot and MiniMax have been conducting "industrial-scale campaigns…to illicitly extract Claude’s capabilities to improve their own models." Distillation in the AI world refers to when less capable models lean on the responses of more powerful ones to train themselves. While distillation isn't a bad thing across the board, Anthropic said that these types of attacks can be used in a more nefarious way. According to Anthropic, these three Chinese AI firms were responsible for more than "16 million exchanges with Claude through approximately 24,000 fraudulent accounts." From Anthropic's perspective, these competing companies were using Claude as a shortcut to develop more advanced AI models, which could also lead to circumventing certain safeguards . Anthropi...

It looks like a March launch is no longer in the cards for Artemis II, NASA's first crewed trip to the moon's vicinity since the final Apollo mission over 50 years ago. While preparations were underway at the Kennedy Space Center for a launch as soon as March 6 , the space agency says it ran into an issue with the flow of helium to its SLS rocket's upper stage this weekend and it now has to roll the rocket from the launch pad back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to figure out what's wrong and fix it. A media briefing is planned for sometime this week to discuss the problem and what's next.  But in a post on X, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman confirmed the rollback will "take the March launch window out of consideration." NASA noted on its blog that the current effort "potentially preserves the April launch window, pending the outcome of data findings, repair efforts, and how the schedule comes to fruition in the coming days and weeks....

Samsung's next flagship devices will offer Perplexity as part of an expansion to support multiple AI agents in Galaxy AI. Perplexity's AI agent will work with apps including Samsung Notes, Clock, Gallery, Reminder and Calendar, according to the announcement . And, some third-party apps will support it, though Samsung hasn't yet said which. The news comes just a few days before Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event , so we can expect to find out more about that integration and how it fits in with Samsung's revamped Bixby very soon.  What we know so far is that the Perplexity agent will respond to the wake phrase, "Hey Plex" (not to be confused with the streaming service Plex). It can also be initiated by quick-access physical controls. In a statement, Samsung's Won-Joon Choi, President, COO and Head of the R&D Office for Samsung's Mobile eXperience Business, said the expansion of Galaxy AI is aimed at giving users more choice and flexibility in gett...

NASA is already walking back its Friday announcement that it will try to launch to the moon in March, after discovering a new problem with the Artemis II rocket.  Officials said they're eyeing Tuesday, Feb. 24, to haul the rocket off the launchpad. During a routine step to restore pressure in the Space Launch System , the team couldn't get helium to flow properly through the rocket. Helium, though not a fuel, is important because it helps protect the engines and keeps the fuel tanks at the right pressure. Though the helium system worked fine during a launch rehearsal that ended Thursday night, engineers are especially troubled knowing a similar pattern cropped up before the Artemis I launch in 2022, which didn't carry astronauts.  The affected part is the rocket's upper stage, which uses super-cold fuels — liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen — to power the mission once it’s in space . Engineers are looking at several possible causes, including a connection point...

TL;DR: Protect your family’s devices, block ads , and secure your online activity with AdGuard Family Plan — only $15.97 through Feb. 22. Opens in a new window Credit: AdGuard AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription $15.97 $169.99 Save $154.02   Get Deal Browsing the web should be smooth, but distractions and risks pile up fast — annoying pop-ups, autoplay videos, tracking scripts, and hidden malware can make your online time stressful. The AdGuard Family Plan provides a one-time fix: remove the clutter, safeguard your privacy, and give every device in your home a safer, cleaner internet experience for life. What makes this deal stand out? You’ll pay just $15.97 once, and you’re covered for a lifetime across nine devices. That’s phones, tablets, laptops — whatever your household uses, AdGuard works across platforms and syncs quietly in the background to make everything run smoother. Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deal...

TL;DR: Get lifetime access to Office 2024 Home & Business for $99.97 (reg. $249.99) through Mar. 1 and unlock Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook with AI features and faster performance. Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime License $99.97 $249.99 Save $150.02   Get Deal Free productivity apps can only get you so far — when you need power, polish, and reliability, Microsoft Office delivers. Office 2024 Home & Business, now $99.97 through Mar. 1 for a lifetime license, gives you the tools modern professionals actually use every day. This version of Office isn’t about bells and whistles — it’s about smarter workflows. You get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, redesigned with a unified interface that feels cleaner, faster, and more intuitive. Plus, you can use it whether you’re on a PC or a Mac. Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right...

The Stop Killing Games campaign is evolving into more than just a movement. In a YouTube video , the campaign's creator, Ross Scott, explained that organizers are planning to establish two non-governmental organizations, one for the European Union and another for the US. According to Scott, these NGOs would allow for "long-term counter lobbying" when publishers end support for certain video games. "Let me start off by saying I think we're going to win this, namely the problem of publishers destroying video games that you've already paid for," Scott said in the video. According to Scott, the NGOs will work on getting the original Stop Killing Games petition codified into EU law, while also pursuing more watchdog actions, like setting up a system to report publishers for revoking access to purchased video games. The Stop Killing Games campaign started as a reaction to Ubisoft's delisting of The Crew from players' libraries. The controversial ...

Samsung’s 2025 was filled with new foldables , an ultra-thin new form factor and the launch of Google's XR platform . After making some announcements at CES 2026 , the company has announced its first Galaxy Unpacked of the year will take place on February 25, where it is expected to introduce the Galaxy S26 lineup. Official invites have been shared, but actual information on what devices are arriving then is still not completely confirmed. But as usual, we know a lot about what’s expected at Unpacked. Engadget will be covering Galaxy Unpacked live from San Francisco next week, and we'll most likely have hands-on coverage of Samsung's new smartphones soon after they're announced. While we wait for the full details, here's everything we expect Samsung will introduce at the first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2026. When is Unpacked 2026 taking place? According to the official invite that Samsung shared on February 10, Unpacked will happen on February 25, 2026 in San...

The Supreme Court struck down one of President Donald Trump's signature accomplishments on Friday, ruling 6-3 that the president lacked the authority to impose many of his tariffs . Since returning to the White House, President Trump has tested the boundaries of executive power, and the Supreme Court decision was a clear check on presidential authority. In response to the ruling, Trump pledged to impose a new 10 percent global tariff via executive order, citing Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. (That statute would allow him to impose the tariffs for 150 days, at which point they would need congressional approval.) A defiant Trump insisted, "I have the right to do tariffs," according to CNBC . SEE ALSO: People with disabilities are 'eating the cost' of tariffs Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. issued the court's opinion, which found that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) does not give the president the authority to impose...