Tech
New Lego Star Wars Smart Play sets just dropped — preorders are live at Amazon
Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Throne Room Duel and A-Wing

Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Luke’s Red Five X-Wing

Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter

CES is always one of the most exciting weeks in the world of tech. This year we got announcements of new smart glasses, a $9,000 smart purse, and plenty of robots. But on a more practical level, we got a major Lego upgrade with the arrival of Lego Smart Play sets.
We didn't need another reason to be obsessed with building Lego sets, but the Danish brand has gone ahead and provided it. The Lego Smart Play system introduces an interactive aspect to a build with sounds, lights, and behaviors that add a new layer of fun. Plus, all you need to enter this new realm is a single Smart Play brick.
Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth attended the Lego announcement ahead of the official CES kickoff in Las Vegas. Lego demonstrated highlights of the new smart bricks and Beck Werth wrote, "With a single smart brick, the CES demo brought Lego creations, characters, and playsets to life. Lego cars revved their engines, a Lego duck quacked and even snored when placed on its side, and a Lego airplane pilot exclaimed 'woah!' to being flipped upside down."
Lucky for us Star Wars fans, the new Smart Play sets debut with a Star Wars theme. The three builds launch the first two days of March and they're all available for preorder at Amazon. Here are the details.
Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Throne Room Duel and A-Wing
The largest of the Lego Star Wars Smart Play builds takes us back to an iconic scene from Return of the Jedi. The 962-piece Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Throne Room Duel and A-Wing recreates the legendary Luke Skywalker lightsaber battle with Darth Vader. But unlike a standard Lego build, this Smart Play set will hum like a real-life lightsaber battle would. The set also comes with five Lego Smart Tags which add to the interactive experience with extra lights and sounds.

Credit: Mashable
Each Smart Brick battery life is about 45 minutes and the set comes with the charger you'll need to continue playing. The Star Wars build comes with a release date of March 1.
Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Luke’s Red Five X-Wing
Enter Luke's world with this 581-piece build that's a great showcase of the new Lego Smart Play features. A Smart Play block on Luke's X-Wing means it'll come with lifelike sounds and lights like engine sounds, lights, and even repair noises. Smart Luke Skywalker and Smart Princess Leia minifigures are on hand for more interactive and responsive play.

Credit: Mashable
The Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Luke’s Red Five X-Wing comes with a price of $89.99 and has a release date of March 1.
Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter
The most affordable of the new Lego Star Wars Smart Play sets is Darth Vader's TIE Fighter build with a price tag set at $69.99. The set has 473 pieces which features Darth Vader, his TIE Fighter, a fuel station, a Rebel Fleet Trooper, and more. In terms of the smart features and interactive additions, you'll get motion-activated engine sounds, lights, and laser-shooting because it simply wouldn't be Star Wars without those sounds. It also has refueling and repair sounds for the TIE.

Credit: Mashable
Like the other Lego sets, this comes with a March 1 release date. This set is designed for Lego builders aged eight and up.
Tech
Elon Musk wants to build a giant catapult on the moon

For years, Elon Musk has talked about colonizing Mars. Now, he's talking about building Looney Tunes contraptions on the moon instead.
The New York Times reported that Musk told employees at xAI on Tuesday evening that he wants to build a factory on the moon to construct AI data center satellites. Not only that, but Musk wants the factory to include some type of gigantic space catapult, called a mass driver, that would then launch the satellites into space, purportedly for the sake of powering xAI's artificial intelligence network.
"You have to go to the moon," Musk reportedly told employees, per the Times.
In case you're wondering why this plan involves xAI and not just SpaceX, it's because the two just recently merged at the corporate level. Musk said that the merger was necessary to help xAI build AI data centers in orbit around the Earth.
While these plans sound like something straight out of science fiction, Musk does have an impressive track record with SpaceX, which has accomplished many engineering firsts.
Of course, Musk did not elaborate on how, exactly, this facility would be built, or on what sort of timeline it would come together. Musk has spent decades talking up the notion of using SpaceX to colonize Mars, but he recently pivoted to the moon instead. Musk often talks about the importance of making the human race interplanetary.
As Mashable has reported previously, Musk has a history of making bold announcements that don't come to fruition.
Tech
How to watch Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey for free on RTVE. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The Copa del Rey semi finals are absolutely mouthwatering. A lot of fans will be focused on Atlético Madrid vs. Barcelona, but the first semi-final matchup is arguably even better.
Athletic Club take on Real Sociedad in the Basque derby. The San Mamés stadium will host the first leg of this fiery rivalry. We're expecting passionate support, intense competition, and of course, drama in abundance. It's going to be electric, and you can enjoy everything that this famous game has to offer without spending anything.
If you want to watch Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad?
Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 11. This fixture takes place at the San Mamés.
How to watch Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad for free
Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey is available to live stream for free on RTVE.
RTVE is geo-restricted to Spain, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Spain, meaning you can unblock RTVE to live stream the Copa del Rey for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey for free by following these simple steps:
-
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
-
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
-
Open up the app and connect to a server in Spain
-
Visit RTVE
-
Watch Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Copa del Rey without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for RTVE?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTVE, for a number of reasons:
-
Servers in 105 countries including Spain
-
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
-
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
-
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
-
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
-
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey for free with ExpressVPN.
Tech
Reserve a new Galaxy device before Samsung Unpacked and get a free $30 credit
FREE $30 CREDIT: Reservations for a new Samsung Galaxy device come with a free $30 Samsung credit.
Set a calendar event because the next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event is set for Feb. 25 online at both samsung.com and the brand's YouTube channel. If you'll be first in line for one of the new Galaxy S26 devices, there's a special deal in store if you reserve in advance.
Reservations for a new Samsung Galaxy device will earn you a free $30 Samsung credit. In addition, you'll be eligible for a savings of up to $900 on your order, and get entered to win $5,000 to spend at Samsung.
We have some idea of what the new Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup will include, but we'll all have to wait until Feb. 25 to get solid specs. But if you have intentions of upgrading, there's no harm in securing a reservation and saving $30. All you'll need to do is fill out Samsung's simple form with your name, e-mail address, and your phone number, if you feel like it. Then Samsung will keep you updated about future steps. The discount gets cancelled if you don't end up ordering a qualifying Galaxy device.
Mashable Tech Reporter Alex Perry said he wouldn't be surprised if the new S26 lineup comes with camera upgrades, in addition to more standard improvements like better battery life.
For those who've been patiently waiting for Galaxy Unpacked, now's your chance to place a reservation on a new Galaxy device with a free $30 credit. It's a win-win for those who are ready for an upgrade.
-
Tech2 weeks agoSend Help review: GLOP! Youre not ready for Rachel McAdams latest… but I love it
-
Business5 months ago
How I Paid Off My Mortgage 10 Years Early On A Teacher’s Salary
-
Politics5 months agoBlack Lives Matter Activist in Boston Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges – Scammed Donors to Fund Her Lifestyle
-
Tech5 months agoGet a lifetime subscription to the “ChatGPT for investors” for under $60
-
Tech5 months agoReview: The Dreame H15 Pro CarpetFlex is the first wet/dry vacuum I liked
-
Business5 months ago
25 Low-Effort Side Hustles You Can Start This Weekend
-
Business5 months ago
9 Ways to Command a Six-Figure Salary Without a Bachelor’s
-
Entertainment4 months agoFat Joe Recalls Bruno Mars Snapping on Him Over Question About Puerto Rican Roots: ‘Broke My Heart’
