Why are we working on Leap Day? February 29 should be a national holiday.

Mashable
illustration of feb. 29 on calendar with yellow background

Tomorrow is Feb. 29. February. Twenty-Ninth. Sorry, but that sounds fake. It's a fake date. It's not real. To me, that date is rude for existing. Oh, it evens out the years to keep the calendar on track? Sounds fishy.

But, in all seriousness...why do we have to work on Leap Day, otherwise known as Feb. 29?

It's a once-every-four-year day that we then have to work on? So...it's a bonus work day?

In

As AI takes hold of your smartphone, the end of the app era could be in sight

Tech Insider
A concept for an AI, app-free phone on the MWC show floor
A concept for an AI, app-free phone at the Mobile World Congress.

PAU BARRENA/AFP

  • Smartphone makers flooded Mobile World Congress to show off new AI features.
  • More AI tools are moving on to devices, which would make them faster and cheaper to run.
  • It could push us toward more helpful devices, but it's unclear if it would galvanize mobile sales.
  • This article is part of "5G and Connectivity Playbook," a

Your Dog's Diarrhea Might Be Riddled with Superbugs

Gizmodo

Your dog’s poop might be a dangerous source of bacterial superbugs. In a new study, researchers in China detail evidence that dogs experiencing diarrhea are commonly carrying multi-drug resistant strains of Escherichia coli—around 50%, in their study.

Read more...

If you're buying the Kara Swisher book on Amazon, make sure it's not an AI-generated knockoff

Mashable
Kara Swisher onstage at a press event

UPDATE: Feb. 29, 2024, 11:02 a.m. EST This story has been updated to include a statement from Amazon.

The veteran Silicon Valley journalist Kara Swisher has a new memoir out. But if you're buying it on Amazon don't be misled into buying AI-generated garbage.

According to 404 Media, ripoffs of Kara Swisher's new book Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, have proliferated on Amazon. A quick search for

Lucas Pope's Mars After Midnight hits the Playdate console on March 12

Engadget

Panic just held a games showcase for its portable Playdate console, revealing over a dozen upcoming exclusives. The company also announced a March 12 release date for the long-anticipated Mars After Midnight, which is likely the console’s first marquee title.

Mars After Midnight is a game created by renowned developer Lucas Pope, the guy behind Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn. Both of

You can now file your taxes directly to the IRS for free — if you live in 1 of these 12 states

Tech Insider
A tax refund check
The Internal Revenue Service is rolling out a free online tool to have taxpayers file directly for free. But only some states apply for now.

Douglas Sacha / Getty Images

  • The IRS' much-anticipated free tax filing software is now online.
  • Direct File is in a pilot phase and available for "simple" tax returns for 2023.
  • For now, the tool is limited to taxpayers who lived in one of 12 states last year.

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