Tech
Mini Kindle Pods are trending on TikTok, but these devices arent what they seem

Among passionate TikTok communities, BookTok, may be the most influential.
BookTok is where book lovers and e-reader obsessives to come together to discuss their favorite books and device hacks. For readers who use e-readers, Kindle, Kobo, and Boox lead the charge as the most popular devices, so it's notable when a new device goes viral. "Mini Kindles" appear to be the latest device to cause a stir on BookTok, with hundreds of videos showcasing the tiny e-readers.
On TikTok, searching for "mini Kindle" (or "mini Kindle pods") brings up dozens of user videos showing someone walking into a Barnes & Noble or Target and then cutting to an unboxing of a so-called "mini Kindle". As someone who tests e-readers for a living, this confused me.
I have no reason to believe these e-readers are actually being purchased at Barnes & Noble, nor do they have any apparent affiliation with Amazon Kindles.
In fact, the devices being hyped in these videos appear to be sold by the users who post them.
In a since-deleted video, user @aurealeaf directs viewers to the website NovaLeaf, where the "NovaLeaf Mini Kindle" is listed. (Editor's note: As of this writing, the @aurealeaf account is no longer available.) Another user, @hydro_scope, directs viewers to their website with a listing for a NOVA Mini Pink Kindle. Both devices claim to be pocket-sized e-readers under the Kindle name, despite no affiliation with Amazon.
We reached out to both @aurealeaf and @hydro_scope, and we'll update this post if we receive a response.
Are mini Kindle pods actually Kindles?
These mini Kindles do not seem to be actual Kindle e-readers or associated with Amazon at all, nor does Amazon sell any mini version of the Kindle e-readers. We reached out for comment from Amazon and have not heard back at the time of publication.
By performing reverse image searches on Nova and NovaLeaf websites, I found that the "mini Kindles" listed for sale there are visual matches for devices manufactured by a company called Oilsky. They appear to be 4-inch touchscreen MP3 and 1080p video players. With built-in access to the Google Play store, the Kindle app is available to download onto the device; however, that appears to be the only connection to Amazon.
The Oilsky MP3 player and copycat versions are currently listed on Amazon. These TikTok-based sellers have their mini Kindles listed for $79.99, about $10 more than the direct Oilsky listing on Amazon. Oilsky MP3 players are not listed for sale at Barnes & Noble or Target.
In short, the viral TikTok videos are using the word "Kindle" to refer to any e-reader-like device and may be at risk of legal action from Amazon.
As of this writing, the @aurealeaf TikTok account is no longer available.
Tech
KitKat heist tracker lets candy lovers check if their KitKat is from the heist

The problem with announcing any kind of news on April 1 is that absolutely nobody will believe you.
Case in point: On Wednesday morning, KitKat announced that customers could use a special online tracking tool to figure out if their purchased confectionery goods were part of the massive 12-ton KitKat heist that's gotten the internet's attention over the past few days.
The KitKat heist tracker was advertised on the official KitKat X account, and whoever runs the account is ardently insisting, both in the original post and in the replies, that this is real and not an April Fool's joke.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Taking a look at the tracker itself, it's hard to parse fiction from reality. It appears to be a pretty straightforward tracker with a text input for an 8-digit batch code on the back of each KitKat package. I don't personally have any KitKats on hand to test this out with, but I typed in a random 8-digit number and was told that it wasn't part of the stolen batch.
So, at the very least, the tracker is actually checking for something. It's just impossible to say what would happen if you happened to type in a "correct" batch code.
Whether or not the tracker is a hoax, the heist was very real. More than 400,000 KitKat bars were stolen from a delivery truck going between Italy and Poland, prompting plenty of The Fast and the Furious memes (and some genuine concerns for the public supply of KitKats ahead of the Easter holiday).
For what it's worth, the company, Nestle KitKat, says there is no threat to the chocolatey supply chain at this time.
Tech
The Hisense 55-inch Canvas art TV is down to a new best price ever post-Spring Sale

SAVE $400: As of April 1, the Hisense 55-inch Canvas QLED 4K TV is down to only $599.99 at Amazon. That's 40% off its list price and a new best price ever.
The Amazon Big Spring Sale delivered plenty of excellent TV deals, but budget-friendly brand Hisense isn't playing by the rules. While the brand (which is one of our favorites, BTW) did drop prices over the last week, it waited until the sale was officially over to give us its best prices ever on several TV models — including the coveted Canvas art TV.
As of April 1, the Hisense 55-inch Canvas QLED 4K TV is down to just $599.99 at Amazon. That's 40% or $400 off its list price and a new lowest price on record. For those curious, the same TV was $87.98 more during the Spring Sale.
The Canvas TV is an alternative to the popular Samsung The Frame TV for budget-conscious shoppers. Like The Frame, it transforms a basic black box into a stylish piece of artwork that hangs on your wall. Its matte finish allows it to blend seamlessly into a gallery wall with other non-tech wall hangings. Unlike The Frame, it uses Google TV's interface, which Mashable's Miller Kern (a Canvas TV owner) says is "way more intuitive and responsive than Samsung's."
Beyond doubling as artwork, the Hisense Canvas is a QLED TV, so it's noticeably brighter and more saturated than a basic LED TV. It'll look brilliant in any lighting conditions. It also features a variable refresh rate up to 144Hz, which is surprisingly good for gaming, real-time adaptive brightness and color temperature, and an ultra-slim wall mount that lies flush against the wall for the true framed art look.
Tech
NYT Strands hints, answers for March 31, 2026

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you believe in magic.
Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: While you were sleeping…
The words are related to a mythical creature.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe a children's tradition.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today's spangram is Tooth Fairy.
NYT Strands word list for March 31
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Wings
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Exchange
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Tutu
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Wand
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Coin
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Note
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Pillow
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Tooth Fairy
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.
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