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You might've heard of those scam texts about tolls. Heck, at this point, you've likely gotten a text pretending to be from E-ZPass or some such entity. We covered these scams at Mashable back in January , and they're back, if they ever left at all. The main points remain the same: Do not click any links and do not engage with potential scammers . If you get a text claiming to be from E-ZPass, FasTrak, or some other toll service, be very skeptical, as this has only become a more pervasive scam. We've got the latest details to keep you up to date. What are the E-ZPass and FasTrak scam texts, and how do you spot them? The E-ZPass toll scam has evolved and shifted over time, but the broad strokes remain the same: a text from a random number claiming you have unpaid tolls or fees, and that you have to remedy that fact or face some sort of consequence. That should immediately ring alarm bells — scammers often want you to feel a sense of urgency in order to keep you from ...

OpenAI is working to fix a bug that allowed — and, in some cases, reportedly encouraged — minors to generate erotica on ChatGPT , as TechCrunch reported on Monday, April 28. OpenAI told TechCrunch that the company is "actively deploying a fix," since its policies don't allow its AI chatbot to send responses like this to users under 18 years old. Young people have been finding ways to access pornography and erotica since the dawn of the internet, so it's not surprising that youngsters would also test the limits of the popular AI chatbot. An OpenAI spokesperson told Mashable over email that its "model policies don’t allow the kind of responses that happened here, and they shouldn’t have been shown to users." “Protecting younger users is a top priority, and our Model Spec, which guides model behavior, clearly restricts sensitive content like erotica to narrow contexts such as scientific, historical, or news reporting. In this case, a bug allowed response...

Russian authorities have branded World of Tanks-related operations "extremist" and are threatening to confiscate property held by Wargaming executives. The case involves Lesta Games, a Moscow-based studio that Wargaming divested. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Wargaming cut ties with Russia and Belarus, handing over regional operations to Lesta. Read Entire Article from TechSpot https://ift.tt/uq9j76s via

There’s just something about a bouquet arriving at your doorstep that instantly boosts your mood. Even science backs that idea, and it's a bonus that flowers help us connect.  If you want to brighten your mother’s day with that fresh flower feeling, you can’t go wrong with blooms from 1-800-Flowers . Made with rare, hard-to-source blooms, each arrangement is distinctive, elegant, and exclusive to 1-800-Flowers. They have bouquets for every type of mom, all available to purchase online with quick delivery available every day. Think ranunculus (hello, 2025 Flower of the Year), peonies, anemones, garden roses, and more, always on-trend, always unforgettable. For the mom who loves bold colors Tulips are at their most beautiful from late March to mid-May, making them the perfect bloom for Mother’s Day gifting. These aren’t your average grocery store tulips. Soil-grown tulips mean stronger stems and bigger, longer-lasting blooms. The Mother’s Day Radiant Tulips include ...

Karin Kimbrough, LinkedIn's chief global economist, explained that the tech industry now assigns up to 40 different titles to similar roles, leaving job seekers uncertain about whether one position is the same as another. She noted this confusion in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. This ambiguity is widespread,... Read Entire Article from TechSpot https://ift.tt/nCQ02H6 via

We're back with The Last of Us Season 2, with mysterious new characters and geared-up new factions to avoid like the plague or join, depending on your priorities in the apocalypse.  In Season 1 of Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann's Naughty Dog game adaptation, it was all about FEDRA and the Fireflies . But now, with the majority of Fireflies sent into oblivion by Joel (Pedro Pascal) in the Season 1 finale , the faction has evolved elsewhere. SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us': What you can expect from Season 2 In Season 2, episode 1, we meet Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and her crew, who are members of a group with a wolf logo on their gear. But who is this new faction? Are they good or bad? Now, it'll be unfeasible for me to tell you everything about this group — if you've played the games, you'll know what happens with this group in The Last of Us Part II . But here's what I can tell viewers of the HBO series about the WLF as it happens in Season 2 (with n...

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle . As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer. 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 today: Hints and answers for April 27 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 .  Wor...

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle , then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine. There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown. An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle. If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered. SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint Cadence. SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook ...

Researchers at Cornell University are now charting a new course with RHyME, an artificial intelligence framework that dramatically streamlines robot learning. An acronym for Retrieval for Hybrid Imitation under Mismatched Execution, RHyME enables robots to pick up new skills by watching a single demonstration video. This is a sharp departure... Read Entire Article from TechSpot https://ift.tt/fkO8jlt via

TL;DR: Get an AI Magicx lifetime subscription for $59.99 with code MAGIC35 (reg. $99.99). You know the feeling — you ask ChatGPT for help with a creative project, and it spits out something…underwhelming. It’s fine, but it could be better. That’s why so many writers, designers, and creators are moving to this new AI tool for content creation . AI Magicx is what ChatGPT wishes it could be. The layout of preset templates for writing, images, coding, and more is insanely refreshing compared to the simple chatbot’s text-based prompts. Using them is even sweeter — and cheaper. Own AI Magicx for $64.99 using code MAGIC35 at checkout (reg. $99.99). The content creator’s dream tool No more arguing with ChatGPT when you have a deadline on that article or marketing ad — see what AI Magicx’s tools have to offer. Having prebuilt templates for each need makes it much easier to communicate with each AI and get better results. Let’s say you want to generate an AI logo . Rather than sendi...

As with most applications being enhanced with GenAI, the creative world of AI-powered image and video creation continues to evolve at a tremendously rapid pace. It's no surprise then to see Adobe unveil a new version of its Firefly image generation models at the recent Adobe MAX event in London.... Read Entire Article from TechSpot https://ift.tt/6Z4mpUJ via

While the Pentagon now uses custom-built controllers to operate its systems, Russia continues to rely on off-the-shelf video game controllers manufactured in the West. Authorities in the UK aim to block exports of these devices after reports revealed that Russian forces have repurposed them to control drones in Ukraine air... Read Entire Article from TechSpot https://ift.tt/Efdve6Z via

TL;DR: Until this weekend only, get a Weather Hi-Def Radar Storm Watch Plus lifetime subscription for A$43 with code TAKE30 at checkout (reg. A$313). Imagine you're setting up an outdoor movie night, projector humming, and snacks perfectly arranged. Just as you're about to hit play, you notice a dark cloud looming. Instead of packing up prematurely, you open a weather radar app — its future radar image reveals the storm will just miss you, meaning movie night can proceed without a hitch. Weather Hi-Def Radar Storm Watch Plus goes beyond basic forecasts, essentially becoming a personal meteorologist. Unlike your phone’s default weather app, this one has future-generated radar images and a customizable map. Be prepared for anything this summer and beyond with A$270 savings with code TAKE30 at checkout through April 27. Feel like a weather psychic  With this app in your back pocket, planning activities no longer requires gambling with the weather. Hoping to spend the day...

The so-called "reciprocal tariffs" imposed by the Trump administration could push major PC manufacturers to find new production hubs, and it likely won't be in the US. Earlier this month, laptop makers were already forced to halt shipments to the US due to tariff-related uncertainty and logistical chaos. Now, some... Read Entire Article from TechSpot https://ift.tt/5rxXkTw via

SAVE $87.58: As of April 23, the 13-inch M4 Apple MacBook Air has fallen to a new record-low price on Amazon. You can now score the base model for just $911.42 (normally $999). Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $911.42 at Amazon $999 Save $87.58 Get Deal Apple's latest MacBook Air just keeps getting cheaper and cheaper thanks to Amazon. After dropping the 13-inch base model to $939 on Tuesday, April 22, the retail giant has put it on sale for an even better price a mere 24 hours later. At the time of writing, the midnight black variant of the M4 MacBook Air was listed for only $911.42 on Amazon, or almost $88 off its $999 MSRP. (Other colorways had fallen to $912.) For shoppers interested in a slightly bigger, nicer display, the 15-inch version had dipped to $1,117 in starlight and silver — that's an $82 discount on its $1,199 sticker price. Both come with 16GB of memory and 256GB of storage, and the 15-inch model has a slightly higher re...

This update enables real-time translation in English, French, Italian, and Spanish, allowing users to hold conversations across language barriers and hear instant translations through their glasses. For travelers and users without reliable internet access, the feature can also function offline, provided the necessary language packs are downloaded in advance. Read Entire Article from TechSpot https://ift.tt/awUSEbj via

On Monday, the My Nintendo Store in Japan opened its first round of pre-orders for the long-awaited Switch 2 – and closed them just as fast. Within hours, the store marked the new system's availability as "sold out," with pre-order applications closed until at least May 6 – a day after launch. Read Entire Article from TechSpot https://ift.tt/B6jtUKG via

We're just hours away from the official preorder date for the Nintendo Switch 2 , which means you better start putting a plan in place. Major retailers in the U.S. like Best Buy, GameStop, and Walmart will all be taking pre-orders starting April 24, but not all at the exact same time, and they aren't all offering the same pickup and delivery options for the June 5 launch as each other. Allow us to help sort out the confusion here for anyone planning on desperately trying to secure a Switch 2 preorder on Thursday. Nintendo Switch 2 retailer preorders: Everything you need to know Everyone will be open for business on the 24th, but not in the same manner. One bit of advice that will apply to all of these retailers: Make an account on their website or app with your payment and shipping info settled in before the preorder window starts so you don't have to waste precious seconds filling in that info at checkout. This helped me secure a PS5 back in the day. How to preorder ...