Tech

Mars evidence shows ancient river likely larger and faster than thought

Published

2 days ago

March 22, 2026

Vicky

A NASA rover has discovered signs of an ancient river beneath Mars' surface, using ground-penetrating radar to reveal buried layers of sediment left behind by flowing water.

But this was not a lazy river. This was likely a larger and faster-moving channel than many scientists had accounted for, perhaps comparable to medium-size rivers on Earth.

Before NASA sent the Perseverance rover to Jezero Crater, geologists already believed the basin once held a bygone body of water. Orbital images showed classic delta landscapes on the surface, with fanlike deposits where a river might have emptied into a lake.

Perseverance's findings add compelling direct evidence from below the surface. They suggest the Martian river, existing between 3.7 and 4.2 billion years ago, was part of a larger system than space satellites could see. Its currents may have been capable of carrying sand and small rocks downstream.

The new data, published in the journal Science Advances, also show the river was likely stable over a long stretch of time, not merely a flash flood with sudden mudflows. That matters because it bolsters the idea that Mars once had better conditions for supporting simple life.

Mars today is cold and dry, with a thin atmosphere that lets water quickly evaporate or freeze. But billions of years ago, the planet probably had a thicker atmosphere and a warmer climate. Rivers and lakes may have lasted long enough to carve valleys, move sediment, and reshape entire regions.

The rover collected the underground data as it drove across the floor of Jezero Crater. Its instrument, the Radar Imager for Mars Subsurface Experiment, or "Rimfax" for short, works by sending radio waves into the ground and interpreting the echoes that bounce back. Different materials — sand, rock, or ice — reflect the signals in distinct ways. By studying those patterns, researchers can map hidden ancient landscapes.

An artist's rendering of an ancient river on Mars

Billions of years ago, Mars probably had a thicker atmosphere and a warmer climate, able to sustain robust rivers and lakes.
Credit: dottedhippo / iStock / Getty Images Plus illustration

During 78 traverses, the car-sized lab on six wheels collected data from more than 115 feet underground, according to the new paper. That's nearly two times deeper than the rover has peered below the surface in the past.

The radar images show steep, slanted layers that usually form when water has shuttled sediment and dropped them in stacks. Over time, those stacks build up into recognizable shapes. On Mars, they now sit buried under dust and volcanic debris.

China's now-defunct Zhurong rover, part of the 2021 Tianwen-1 mission, also used underground radar to discover evidence of a vast ancient Martian ocean, which may have covered about one-third of the Red Planet's surface at one time. Its location is about 3,000 miles away from Perseverance at Utopia Planitia — the place where NASA's Viking 2 lander touched down in 1976.

The Chinese radar revealed ancient beaches that extended nearly a mile, buried 30 to 115 feet below the surface. Several U.S.-based scientists, including Michael Manga at UC Berkeley, helped analyze the data.

"The fact that you can go to Mars with a rover and move over the surface and look underground is kind of mind-boggling to me," Manga told Mashable last year.

Locating Rimfax instrument on the Perseverance rover

Highlighted areas on NASA's Perseverance rover show the components of the Radar Imager for Mars Subsurface Experiment, or 'Rimfax' for short.
Credit: S.E. Hamran et al. / doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00740-4 / NASA / JPL-Caltech

Researchers say the new Perseverance work may have implications for where scientists look for biosignatures in the future. Sediments formed in water are prime targets because they can trap and preserve chemical clues about the past.

Perseverance is collecting Martian rock and soil samples to send back to Earth, though the future of that mission remains doubtful. Mars Sample Return has been in limbo since a review found it would cost upward of $11 billion and take nearly two decades to achieve. NASA leaders say they're trying to salvage it with a new approach.

In September, NASA announced a sample collected by Perseverance contained fossilized material that ancient alien microorganisms could have created. Though the evidence is strong, NASA scientists say they can't rule out other non-biological explanations for what the rover found.

Perseverance scientists say they've exhausted what they can learn about the sample on Mars, but advanced tools on Earth could probe it for complex organic molecules, cell structures, and DNA.

"This finding by our incredible Perseverance rover is the closest we've actually come to discovering ancient life on Mars," said Nicky Fox, NASA's associate administrator for science.

Tech

Desperate times: Reddit considers adding ID verification to fight flood of AI bots

Published

3 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Vicky

Reddit has a real bot problem on its hands.

And, in order to deal with this problem, Reddit is considering turning to the latest go-to solution for the tech industry: ID verification.

On the tech show TBPN, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman spoke about how AI has caused issues for the platform and discussed potential solutions.

Hoffman explained how the solutions would look to answer the question "Is there actually a human using Reddit right now?"

"Reddit is for humans," Hoffman said, before discussing various verification processes that the company is looking at.

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"The most lightweight way is something like face ID or touch ID or broadly the family of technology that's called passkeys," Hoffman continued. "Every platform wants to know 'is this is a person?' Now Reddit's version is 'is this a person but we don't want to know which person this is.'"

That's a pretty important distinction for Reddit, which has based its platform on users' ability to maintain anonymity. Hoffman explained that there are "heavier versions" of ID verification, like "ID checking services," which the company already complies with where required by government regulations. However, it doesn't sound like they are looking to implement something like this more broadly to fight the platform's bot problem.

Alexis Ohanian, a co-founder of Reddit who resigned from the company's board in 2020, posted a message of support for trying to solve the bot problem, but also pointed out how tricky it will be to do so without alienating Reddit users.

"RDDT requiring Face ID was not something I had on my bingo card but something has got to be done about all the fake / botted content — I just don't know how to sell face-scanning to redditors or even lurkers," Ohanian said.

In his TBPN interview, Hoffman expressed support for real AI use cases on the site, such as auto-translation bots. However, Hoffman said that even with good AI bots on the platform, the company needs to be sure a real human is behind the bot.

Reddit has long had issues with automated accounts and content farms submitting posts and gaming the upvote system. However, with the rise in AI, Reddit has become inundated with AI bots attempting to mimic real users and replying to real user posts and comments with spam.

Since 2024, Google has drastically increased Reddit's visibility in search results. As a result, spammers have flocked to Reddit as a search engine optimization (SEO) technique.

It'll be interesting to see which ID verification method is chosen by Reddit. Regardless of what it is, it'll very likely receive blowback from the platform's very opinionated and privacy-oriented user base.

Tech

iPhone Fold leaks, rumors, and renders: Everything we know

Published

3 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Vicky

The long-awaited foldable iPhone — rumored to be called the iPhone Fold — should arrive in 2026. So far, Apple has kept a very tight lid on its first-ever foldable phone, but all signs point to a fall or winter 2026 release.

Early adopters already love foldables — and they have plenty of options — but Apple's been notably absent from the genre. However, don't count Apple out. The company has a history of showing up late to the party and then absolutely cornering the market, as the AirPods and iPhone did with MP3 players and smartphones.

So, as we await official details, here's everything we know about the future addition to the iPhone lineup, including the latest rumors, possible specifications, release date, and pricing information.

Table of Contents

When will the iPhone Fold be released?

We initially thought that the iPhone Fold would be coming in fall 2026 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Numerous rumors pointed to this over the last year. However, while Apple traditionally releases all of its new iPhones in September, the Fold might not be ready by then.

A tech analyst named Tim Long recently claimed that shipments of the iPhone Fold will begin in December of this year, not September, so it might be a winter device instead of a fall one. Of course, Apple could still announce it in September, but it may not be available right away like the iPhone 18 lineup.

For now, Long is the only one reporting that the iPhone Fold (or is it the iFold?) will come after September, so it could still be on store shelves sooner. Given the global memory shortage, last-minute delays are also possible, so we'll have to wait and see.

How much will the iPhone Fold cost, and will people buy it?

hypothetical depiction of the iphone fold

A hypothetical rendering of the rumored iPhone Fold.
Credit: Zain bin Awais / Mashable

The iPhone Fold is likely to be expensive. An early estimate from research analyst Arthur Liao suggested the price tag for the Fold — gulp — could come in around $2,399. That's in line with expectations in a new report from International Data Corporation (IDC). Last year, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the iPhone Fold is likely to retail between $2,000 and $2,500.

Despite the sizable cost (the flagship Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is priced at $1,999.99), sales expectations remain high. The IDC report estimated Apple would siphon one-third of the spending in the foldable market in 2026.

"But the real game-changer for the category comes at year-end when Apple enters the foldable space, projected to capture over 22% unit share and a staggering 34% of the foldables market value in its first year, thanks to an expected average price point of $2,400,” read the report.

In March, Mark Gurman claimed that Apple could classify the iPhone Fold as an "Ultra" product, putting it in a higher price tier than other devices in its portfolio alongside other high-end machines like the Apple Watch Ultra. If the phone ends up costing at least $2,000 as expected, this would make sense.

The latest iPhone Fold leaks

a hypothetical render of the iphone fold in cosmic orange

The most recent leaks point to two rear cameras, not three.
Credit: Zain bin Awais / Mashable

In December 2025, we saw lots of alleged iPhone Fold renders circulating on social media, which all share a similar design. We'd take these with a grain of salt, of course.

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In February, a leaker known as Instant Digital posted some alleged renders of the iPhone to the Chinese social media site Weibo. Like most leaks, especially the ones pertaining to Apple, we can't confirm their authenticity. However, they line up with earlier reports of the overall look of the phone.

More recently, Apple leaker Sonny Dickson shared another potential iPhone Fold render in March 2026.

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Instant Digital makes some interesting claims. Most notably, the report says the iPhone Fold will have the largest-ever iPhone battery. (For reference, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is estimated to have a roughly 5,088 mAh battery.)

"The volume buttons are not on the left side," reads a translation of the post. "Instead, they are placed directly on the top of the right-side frame (similar to the volume button layout on the top of the iPad mini). This may take some getting used to for users’ typical phone habits."

The post also stated, "The rear dual camera + right-side microphone + flash are arranged horizontally. The camera module appears to be fully black and does not match the body color. Currently, the only confirmed color is white, but it is expected that Apple will launch two color options."

Beyond physical design, another recent report suggested you'll be able to run multiple apps side-by-side when the phone is unfolded, sort of like multitasking on iPadOS 26. However, by all accounts, this device will run iOS, not iPadOS, so you won't exactly get a full iPad experience from the iPhone Fold. (Apps that are designed to run natively in iPadOS, for example, would not be compatible.)

What will the iPhone Fold specs look like?

hypothetical render of the iphone fold on a stylized background

What would you want to see in a foldable iPhone design? Let us know in the comments.
Credit: Zain bin Awais / Mashable

The iPhone Fold remains a mystery to some extent, of course, but we do have a very rough idea of what it could offer. Based on all the rumors, the iPhone Fold could look something like this:

Displays: 7.8-inch inner OLED display, 5.5-inch outer OLED display
Thickness: 9.5mm unfolded, 4.5mm when folded
Security: Touch ID
Processor: A20 processor
Cameras: Dual rear cameras (48MP), dual inner/outer front cameras
Price: $2,399
Battery: At least 5,088 mAh

A report from Chinese news outlet United Daily News noted the iPhone Fold could be creaseless, which means you wouldn't see that awkward line when it's folded open.

Since then, we've seen several reports claiming that Apple is committed to making the iPhone Fold's display the best it can possibly be. It should be very durable, super thin, and yes, without a visible crease. Samsung Display is reportedly producing the OLED displays for the iPhone Fold, as Samsung's got the best flexible display tech in the game. There's a reason Samsung released the Galaxy TriFold while the world is still waiting on the first foldable iPhone.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also posted several reports on the iPhone Fold recently, including laying out the basic specs for the device. He said that the foldable iPhone would be a book-style foldable with four cameras — two on the back, one on the inside, and one front selfie camera. Gurman also predicted it would use Touch ID like the iPad Air and Pro, even though iPhones typically use Face ID.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported earlier this year that the iPhone Fold would have a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display, and measure in at just 9 to 9.5mm of thickness. We heard another rumor in September 2025, which claimed the iPhone Fold would look like two iPhone Airs put together, with a similar thickness of 5.6mm. Why the discrepancy between the two reports? It could be the difference between the device's thickness when folded and unfolded.

There's also talk about Apple using innovative tech to make the iPhone Fold lighter and more durable than most foldables. These rumors include a report that the company is using liquid metal for the phone's hinge, which should improve durability.

Mashable's Alex Perry also compared the potential specs of the iPhone Fold with the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold, which we know a lot more about. Obviously, the Samsung trifold will be larger and thicker than the iPhone Fold. Otherwise, we're still waiting on official details. But if recent rumors prove true, the wait shouldn't be too much longer.

Finally, even though the iPhone Fold is still in the realm of fantasy, there are already rumors about a follow-up, clamshell-style foldable from Apple, potentially called the iPhone Flip. That one probably isn't coming until next year, though.

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Tech

Amazons Big Spring Sale is back: The best deals already live on Apple, robot vacuums, headphones, and more

Published

3 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Vicky

The best early Amazon Big Spring Sale deals at a glance:

Best Apple deal

Apple AirPods Pro 3

$199.99
(save $49.01)

Best robot vacuum deal

Roborock Q10 S5+

$279.99
(save $270)

Best Amazon device deal

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select

$17.99
(save $22)

Best headphones deal

Sony WH-CH720N

$98
(save $81.99)

Best TV deal

Hisense 75-inch U7 Mini LED QLED 4K TV

$897.96
(save $1,102.03)

Best outdoor deal

Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 portable power station

$489.99
(save $309.01)

Anker Solix C1000 portable power station

The sun is shining past 6 p.m., flowers are beginning to bloom, and pollen is in the air. This all means spring is finally here, and Amazon is ready to celebrate in their customary fashion: with deals.

On March 16, the retailer officially announced the third annual Amazon Big Spring Sale. Deals will be live for an entire week, from March 25-31, keeping in line with the schedule from last year's sale.

Also, as in years past, the deals featured in this sale will reflect the spirit of the season: Camping and yard care supplies, cleaning items from disinfectant wipes to robot vacuums, spring fashion, and other household essentials will be the major featured deals. While that does mean less of an emphasis on tech than Amazon's other sales like Prime Day and Black Friday, we still anticipate a selection of worthwhile savings on devices. Last year's spring sale brought savings on Amazon's devices like Kindles, Apple deals on MacBooks and iPads, and markdowns on headphones and TVs.

Already, we're starting to see early savings roll out on those exact product categories, from Fire sticks and Sony headphones to Roborock vacuums and Ninja kitchen appliances. Most deals are available whether or not you have a Prime membership — a major benefit of the Big Spring Sale is that, unlike Amazon's other Prime member-focused sales, a majority of the deals are available for anyone to purchase. That said, those with a Prime membership will be able to "unlock exclusive savings with Prime-exclusive Best Deals featuring the 'Prime Spring Deal' badge," according to Amazon.

Once it kicks off, the sale will also feature daily deal drops on categories from spring cleaning to beauty. In the meantime, Mashable's shopping team will be keeping an eye on the best deals live in the lead-up to Amazon's Big Spring Sale. Check out the best early finds below:

Best Apple deal

Credit: Apple

Apple AirPods Pro 3

$199.99
at Amazon

$249
Save $49.01

Why we like it

According to our review, Apple's AirPods Pro 3 are an "easy buy" if you've been looking for a new pair of AirPods. It's easy to see why: They have excellent ANC, eight hours of listening time per charge, a built-in heart rate monitor, and live translation features. While they hit a lower price of $184 back in February, this markdown is still worth checking out.

Check out Mashable's full review of the Apple AirPods Pro 3.

MacBook deals

Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $949 $1,199 (save $250)
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $949 $1,199 (save $250)
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,049 $1,099 (save $50)
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,099 $1,399 (save $300)

AirPods deals

Apple AirPods 4 — $99 $129 (save $30)
Apple AirPods 4 (with ANC) — $148.99 $179 (save $30.01)
Apple AirPods Max — $449.99 $549 (save $99.01)

iPad deals

Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 128GB) — $299 $349 (save $50)
Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M3, WiFi + Cellular, 128GB) — $549.99 $749 (save $199.01)
Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) — $559 $599 (save $40)
Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) — $732.99 $799 (save $66.01)
Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) — $1,199 $1,299 (save $100)

Apple Watch deals

Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) — $219 $249 (save $30)
Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS + Cellular, 40mm) — $269 $299 (save $30)
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) — $299 $399 (save $100)
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS + Cellular, 42mm) — $399 $499 (save $100)

AirTag deals

Apple AirTag (1st Generation, 4 Pack) — $59.99 $99 (save $39.01)

Best robot vacuum deal

Credit: Roborock

Roborock Q10 S5+

$279.99
at Amazon

$549.99
Save $270

Why we like it

Mashable's robot vacuum expert, Leah Stodart, deemed the Roborock Q10 S5+ the best quiet robot vacuum on the market, and ahead of the Big Spring Sale, it's down to a record-low price.

One of the major pros of this vacuum is that it frequently drops down in price to $379.99, but this price drop to under $280 is especially impressive. Stodart points to the LiDAR smart mapping performance, effective sonic mopping, small obstacle avoidance, and five-digit suction power as the standouts of this vacuum. While the vacuum itself isn't slim and the edge mopping isn't the best, this remains a killer deal.

More robot vacuum deals

Shark AV753 ION — $149.99 $249.99 (save $100)
iRobot Roomba 105 — $169 $319.99 (save $150.99)
Narwal Freo X Plus — $169.99 $199.99 (save $30)
Roborock Q7 M5+ — $249.99 $359.99 (save $110 with Prime membership)
Mova P10 Pro Ultra — $399 $499 (save $100)
Eufy C28 — $499.99 $799.99 (save $300)
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni — $599 $1,099.99 (save $500.99)
Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller — $999.99 $1,599.99 (save $600)

Best Amazon device deal

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select

$17.99
at Amazon

$39.99
Save $22.00

Why we like it

The newest Fire TV Stick in Amazon's lineup, the 4K Select, was one of Mashable reader's (and team's) favorite deals from Black Friday. We saw it drop to a wildly low price of $9.99 during that sale. While this current discount doesn't quite measure up to those savings, it's still a pretty epic value. Not only is this the newest Fire TV Stick, but it's also the first one with the Linux-based Vega operating system. It offers support for Alexa+, HDR10+, Amazon Kids+, Amazon Luna, Xbox Game Pass, and NordVPN and it's already more than 50% off.

Fire TV deals

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $21.99 $49.99 (save $28 with code SAVE254K)
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max — $29.99 $59.99 (save $30 with code FTV4KMAX)
Amazon Fire TV Cube — $99.99 $139.99 (save $40)
Amazon 43-inch 4-Series 4K Fire TV — $199.99 $329.99 (save $130)
Amazon 55-inch 4-Series 4K Fire TV — $279.99 $459.99 (save $180)
Amazon 55-inch Omni Mini LED QLED 4K Fire TV — $719.99 $819.99 (save $100)
Amazon 65-inch Omni QLED 4K Fire TV — $749.99 $849.99 (save $100)
Amazon 75-inch Omni Mini LED QLED 4K Fire TV — $1,249.99 $1,499.99 (save $250)

Echo device deals

Amazon Echo Pop Kids — $29.99 $49.99 (save $20)
Amazon Echo Spot — $49.99 $79.99 (save $30)
Amazon Echo Show 5 — $69.99 $89.99 (save $20)
Amazon Echo Dot Max — $74.99 $99.99 (save $25)
Amazon Echo Show 8 — $139.99 $179.99 (save $40)
Amazon Echo Studio — $189.99 $219.99 (save $30)
Amazon Echo Show 11 — $169.99 $219.99 (save $50)
Amazon Echo Show 15 — $254.99 $299.99 (save $45)
Amazon Echo Show 21 — $349.99 $399.99 (save $50)

Kindle deals

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft (16 GB) — $169.99 $249.99 (save $80)
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Kids (16GB) — $189.99 $269.99 (save $80)

Best outdoor deal

Credit: Anker

Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 portable power station

$489.99
at Amazon

$799
Save $309.01

Why we like it

Weighing in at just under 25 pounds, Anker's Solix C1000 Gen 2 portable power station makes an excellent camping companion. The power station can keep your devices juiced up and even has enough oomph to power up some cute fairy lights or whip up a quick meal in the air fryer. It also can recharge in under 50 minutes, which can really come in handy when you're off the grid. Mashable's reviewer called it "the perfect model for taking on a weekend camping trip or keeping around the house for occasional power outages."

More outdoor deals

LifeStraw Go Series Water Filter Bottle (1 liter) — $37.05 $49.95 (save $12.90)
Helinox HeliDrop Ultralight, Portable Bean Bag Toss Game — $59.96 $79.95 (save $19.99)
RTIC Ultra-Light Hard Cooler (22 quart) — $127.49 $149.95 (save $22.50)
JBL Charge 6 Bluetooth Speaker — $129.95 $199.95 (save $70)
Ninja FrostVault Cooler (30 quart) — $149.99 $199.99 (save $50)

Best TV deal

Credit: Hisense

Hisense 75-inch U7 Mini LED QLED 4K TV

$897.96
at Amazon

$1,999.99
Save $1,102.03

Why we like it

Hisense's 2025 U7 TV combines mini LED backlighting with a 165Hz refresh rate and Dolby Atmos to pack a major punch with a not-so-major price tag. At least, now that it's considered a last-generation model. The 2026 version of the same TV (just unveiled on March 6) will run you $1,999.99 for the 75-inch model. If you opt for last year's version instead, it'll only cost you $897.96. Not only is that over 50% off, but it's about $100 cheaper than it was just last month for President's Day.

More TV deals

43-inch TVs and under

Insignia 43-inch Class F50 Series — $132.99 $199.99 (save $67)
Hisense 32-inch S5 Déco QLED FHD TV — $194.99 $299.99 (save $105)
Amazon 43-inch 4-Series 4K Fire TV (newest model) — $199.97 $329.99 (save $130.02)

50- to 55-inch TVs

Amazon 50-inch 4-Series 4K Fire TV — $239.97 $399.99 (save $160.02)
Amazon 55-inch 4-Series 4K Fire TV (newest model) — $279.97 $459.99 (save $180.02)
LG 50-inch QNED82 4K TV — $396.99 $466.99 (save $70)
Amazon 55-inch Omni QLED 4K Fire TV — $439.99 $499.99 (save $60)
TCL 55-inch T7 QLED 4K Fire TV — $439.99 $599.99 (save $160)
Hisense 55-Inch S7N Canvas QLED 4K TV — $693.99 $999.99 (save $306)
Hisense 55-inch U8 Mini LED QLED 4K Fire TV — $739.96 $898 (save $158.04)
Samsung 55-inch The Frame LS30F QLED 4K TV — $797.99 $1,197.99 (save $400)
Samsung 55-inch S90F OLED 4K TV — $1,097.99 $1,597.99 (save $400)