Here are the best deals for Friday, February 28. Highlights include a 75" TV for $400, 25% off the fastest ever OLED gaming monitor, a 2-pack of Anker wall chargers for $15, the lowest price we've seen for a four pack of Apple AirTags, a new Harry Potter Illustrated Edition book up for preorder, $300 off the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL smartphone, and more.Check out "the best deals under $30" for any impulse buys on items that you never knew you needed until you visited this page. Read on lower for some great deals that cost over $30 and may require a bit more involved decision-making.Preorder Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Interactive Illustrated Edition on Amazon and Barnes & NobleOut October 14, 2025Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Interactive Illustrated EditionThere is a new interactive edition of the Goblet of Fire arriving in October that you can preorder right now at bost Amazon and Best Buy. Not to be confused with the books illustrated by Jim Kay, the interactive editions of Harry Potter feature wonderful illustrations as well as paper-engineered elements that pop off the page. This illustrated edition features 150 full-color illustrations and elements similar to a pop-up book. The new book is illustrated by Karl James Mountford and the papercraft designs were made by Jess Tice-Gilbert. This is a different group of creatives that worked on this book after the previous interactive illustrated editions from MinaLima were discontinued after The Prisoner of Azkaban.75" Insignia 75" 4K Fire TV for $399.9975" Insignia F50 4K Fire TVIt's hard to argue with a 75" TV for under $400. Besides the wall-filling screen size, the Insignia F50 features native 4K resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, and the Amazon Fire TV smart interface. Fire TV is intuitive to use and pairs well with the Alexa ecosystem, including Echo smart devices and Alexa voice assistant. Hurry though, because this deal ends today.$250 Off 27" LG 480Hz OLED Gaming Monitor27" LG 27GX790A-B QHD 480Hz G-Sync OLED Gaming MonitorThe LG 27GX790A-B was released in the tail end of 2024 and currently boasts the highest refresh rate of any OLED monitor. Aside from its incredible 480Hz refresh rate, this 27" display features a 2560x1440 QHD resolution, sub 0.03ms response time, and G-Sync compatibility. The OLED panel offers true blacks and a near infinite contrast ratio that can't be achieved with any other panel type. Every retailer has this monitor for $1,000 except curiously for LG itself, where you can get it for $749.99 after a 25% off coupon code "MONITOR25".2-Pack Anker 20W USB-C Nano Wall Charger for $14.992-Pack Anker Nano Pro 20W USB Type-C Wall ChargersHere's a great deal on a compact wall charger that's a perfect match for the Nintendo Switch. Amazon is offering a two-pack of the Anker Nano Pro 20W USB Type-C wall charger for only $14.99 after you apply coupon code "0UD8TFST". That's 50% off the original $30 list price and comes out to only $7.50 per charging cube. The set even comes with two 6-feet USB-C cables. Each cube can deliver up to 20W of Power Delivery from its single USB Type-C port, which is enough to max out the charging rate on a Nintendo Switch, which caps out at 18W.4-Pack Apple AirTags for $64.494-Pack Apple AirTagsAmazon and Best Buy are both offering a four-pack of Apple AirTags keyfinders for only $64.49. That's over $35 off the retail price and only $16.10 for each AirTag. This is a very practical accessory for anyone who owns an iPhone and tends to lose small wearables like wallets, keys, or remotes.SanDisk Extreme 256GB Micro SDXC Card for $18.91SanDisk Extreme 256GB Micro SDXC CardThe SanDisk Extreme Micro SDHXC card is fully compatible with your Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or Asus ROG Ally gaming handheld, but it's really designed for devices that require its super fast transfer rates like DSLR cameras, action cams, quadcopter cams, or smartphones. It is U3 A2 rated with speeds of up to 190MB/s read and 130MB/s write.Wurkkos WK03 Pocket LED FlashlightWurkkos WK03 Pocket LED FlashlightThe Wurkkos WK03 EDC flashlight is down to $19.99 after a combined 30% off clippable coupon and 20% off promo code "UXNT5EVS" is applied during checkout. This flashlight measures less than 6" long but packs in a powerful 519A LED bulb that delivers up to 1,200 lumens of light with a beam reach of 194 meters. It has five different intensity settings and a strobe mode. The flashlight lasts up to 2 hours on the highest setting and can be recharged via USB Type-C cable.$200 Off the Google Pixel 9 Pro XLGoogle Pixel 9 Pro XL (128GB)If you're in the market for a new phone, Amazon has currently dropped the price of the Pixel 9 Pro XL lower than ever before. The price of the best overall phone from the latest generation has officially dropped below the lowest-ever price we saw on the standard Pixel 9 Pro earlier this year. The main difference between the Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro XL is the size of the phone. When it comes to Android, the Google Pixel line has some of the best phones on the market. The Pixel 9 series that was released just last year has one of the greatest cameras on any smartphone currently on the market and AI features that are really quite fun to play around with.Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 Gaming PC for $2,400Alienware Aurora R16 Intel Core Ultra 7 265F RTX 5080 Gaming PC$2,399.99 at AlienwareStarting today, Dell is offering an Alienware Aurora R16 gaming PC equipped with the new GeForce RTX 5080 GPU for just $2,399.99 shipped. This is one of the best prices you can get right now for an RTX 5080 equipped prebuilt, especially since most other brands seem to be jacking up prices steadily since the RTX 50 series launch in January. The only other prebuilt you can get at Dell with an RTX 5080 GPU costs over $4,000. Good luck trying to find a standalone GPU to build out your own DIY PC; you'll probably spend as much for the GPU as you would this entire system.Samsung 990 Evo Plus 2TB PS5 SSD for $129.99Samsung 990 Evo Plus 2TB PCIe Gen 4x4 M.2 SSDSamsung's newest SSD - the Samsung 990 Evo Plus 2TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe solid state drive - is on sale today for $129.99, which is actually lower than what I saw during Black Friday. This is an excellent drive for both your gaming PC and your PlayStation 5 console, with speeds of up to 7,250 read and 6,300MB/s write. This is a much faster drive than the 990 Evo non-Pro but not quite as fast as the 990 Pro. The main difference between this drive and the more expensive 990 Pro is that this is a DRAM-less drive. Because it is a single-sided SSD, it is power efficient and doesn't generate much heat, so you probably don't need to stick a heatsink on it, although you certainly could for peace of mind.Humble Choice Games for February 2025Read more about this dealHumble Choice - February 2025See it at Humble ChoiceIf you're searching for your next new game to play, Humble Choice February is now live, and this is the perfect bundle to discover something new! This month, Immortals of Aveum headlines the bundle, with seven other games like Total War: Pharoah Dynasties, Fabledom, and more included. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars to grab these games individually, you can get all eight games for just $11.99 at Humble Bundle for this month only.Why Should You Trust IGN's Deals Team?IGN's deals team has a combined 30+ years of experience finding the best discounts in gaming, tech, and just about every other category. We don't try to trick our readers into buying things they don't need at prices that aren't worth buying something at. Our ultimate goal is to surface the best possible deals from brands we trust and our editorial team has personal experience with. You can check out our deals standards here for more information on our process, or keep up with the latest deals we find on IGN's Deals account on Twitter.Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Looking forthe most recentMini Crossword answer?Click here for today's Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.Today'sNYT Mini Crosswordmade me laugh with the very first clue. "Chocolate/marshmallow sandwich" is just such a fancy-pants way to say...well, no spoilers, but every kid's favorite campfire treat. Need some help with today's Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times' games collection. If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visitCNET's NYT puzzle hints page.Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini CrosswordLet's get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers. The completed NYT Mini Crossword puzzle for March 1, 2025. NYT/Screenshot by CNETMini across clues and answers Upgrade your inbox Get cnet insider From talking fridges to iPhones, our experts are here to help make the world a little less complicated. 1A clue: Chocolate/marshmallow sandwichAnswer: SMORE6A clue: Weighed down (with)Answer: LADEN7A clue: Birthday cake insertsAnswer: CANDLES9A clue: First U.S. state alphabeticallyAnswer: ALABAMA10A clue: 0%Answer: NOTABIT11A clue: Free-for-all fightAnswer: MELEE12A clue: Puts on the marketAnswer: SELLSMini down clues and answers1D clue: Winding ski racesAnswer: SLALOMS2D clue: Herbivore seen off Florida shoresAnswer: MANATEE3D clue: Strange personAnswer: ODDBALL4D clue: Give another nameAnswer: RELABEL5D clue: Bowser and King Boo, in the Mario gamesAnswer: ENEMIES7D clue: Container on the pantry shelfAnswer: CAN8D clue: Took a chairAnswer: SATHow to play more Mini CrosswordsThe New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day's Mini Crossword for free, but you'll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.

I ended up going with a more classic sheer linen in the shade of bone because I decided ultimately that, while I love gingham, a personality packed pattern might be better suited for a duvet cover or something that could be easily swapped out. After a (mostly) painless installation process, Fletcher was particularly impressed by the look and high quality of her blinds. Ive had them for months now and have seen them perform through several season changes and they continue to look and work beautifully, she says, adding that her new shades have helped her achieve a sense of privacy and shield the room from bright direct light without totally shutting it out.What it costs: The cost of two custom-sized Roman Shades with no hardware came to $1,500. That said, the brand has a calculator function built into the order process so you can get a fairly good read on what your costs would be with just a few clicks once you select the desired size, fabric, pleat and lining. According to the brand, pricing breaks down per window like so:Drapery: starting from $815Shades: starting from $465Cafe Curtains: starting from $330Time frame: For swatches, items will ship within three business days. For drapery, caf curtains, shades, or hardware current ship time estimates are within six to eight weeks.The Hues Cronin CurtainsPhoto: Audrey LeePhoto: Audrey LeeThe Hues Cronin CurtainsThe experience: Commerce editor Audrey Lee knew she wanted some type of blackout curtains for her space to emulate hotel living year-round. Enter: The Hues (formerly known as Nicetown), a retailer that offers an extensive selection of window treatments by style, material, and function. Besides blackout curtains, the brand also offers soundproof, room darkening, light filtering, and thermal options. The brands Cronin curtain in particular is a blackout eyelet linen curtain that Lee chose for its additional soundproofing and thermal benefits, which were the perfect solution to her previously sheer curtains.While the drapes are custom made, everything is done online so you can browse the website and choose a fabric color, grommets, header and lining type, and size. You can also either choose from pre-set standard sizes or enter custom measurements for a bespoke treatment. These curtains are amazing for keeping the sun out, says Lee. The first few weeks I had them, it felt bizarre to be woken up by my alarm in such darknesshowever, soundproof they are not. She notes that while they slightly muffle some of the outside train noise, there isnt much to be done about traffic and other ambient sounds besides pop in some additional ear plugs.What it costs: For the pre-sized Cronin Curtains, prices range from $290 (52" x 84")$876 (100" x 108"). Swatches are available for $6 per kit should you want to preview the materials beforehand.Time frame: Orders placed before March 1 currently have an ETA of 15 to 22 days.Twopages Sara Le Cordless Roman ShadePhoto: Lila AllenPhoto: Lila AllenPhoto: Lila AllenTwopages Sara Le Cordless Roman ShadeThe experience: Allen was impressed at the quick ship time for her Sara Ledesigned cordless Roman shades from Twopages, another self-service platform that requires shoppers to take their own measurements (dont fretthe site makes helpful recommendations on how to measure windows for a precise fit). I had planned to hang the shades above my windows to make them feel taller, but those plans were foiled by an impenetrable metal backing in my wall, Allen says. She ended up just mounting them to her window frame instead, which ended up being a happy compromise.

Cribs are a big investment, especially when babies only sleep in them for one to two-and-a-half years. Thats why convertible cribs are the way to go for parents who want to be savvy with their shopping and invest in something that will last them a long time. A convertible crib has an adjustable floor and rails that can be lowered as your little one gets older and starts to make the transition to a toddler bed.When vetting picks, we ranked lifespan as one of the top priorities on our must-have list. Weve all heard the saying kids grow up so fast, and we want to ensure that youll be able to use a crib longer than just the 12 to 18 monthswhich go by in a flash!between the babys bassinet period and when they are fully capable of climbing out of a crib on their own. With a convertible crib, your kid can sleep in it for up to five years, thanks to the assistance of a toddler bed conversion kit. Of course, not every option on the market is a convertible one, and you'll usually need to purchase the relevant conversion kit from the retailer separately. Most of the kits arrive with bed rails, slats, and the necessary hardware to transform your babys convertible crib into a toddler bed.As with so many baby gear purchases like baby monitors and high chairs, its easy to get decision fatigue given the overwhelming amount of options to choose from. Plus, its also time consuming to source solutions that both assure your babys safety and meet your own decor standards to complement rugs, dressers, and more nursery furniture. So weve put in the hours, done all the research, tested out the best convertible cribs we could get our hands on for your babys bedroom. Lets get started to put one of the most important items on a baby shower shopping list to bed.Our Top Picks for the Best Cribs:A Classic Crib: Namesake Marin with Cane 3-in-1 Convertible Crib, $799For a Maximalist Nursery: Nestig Candy Cloud Crib, $749An Affordable Option: Babyletto Maki Crib, $399For a Minimalist Nursery: Crate&kids Gemini Light Ash Wood Crib, $899A Rounded Crib: Stokke Sleepi Bed, $899 $719A Nature-Inspired Crib: Nestig The Cloud Crib, $749Browse by Category:TheBest Convertible Cribs, OverallNamesake Marin with Cane 3-in-1 Convertible CribUpsidesElegant design and sturdy materialsIt looks more expensive than it actually isExcellent packing job meant no damage to the partsIntuitive assembly could be completed by one person, though an extra set of hands made it much easierIts Greenguard Gold certified, so your baby will breathe safe and healthy air in their cribDownsidesThis is super heavy, clocking in at 135 lbsInstructions were overly verbose and printed on poor-quality paper, making them hard to follow at timesConversion kit sold separatelySpecsColors Available: Natural walnut, honey, and warm whiteMaterials: American Poplar hardwood and TSCA compliant engineered woodWarranty Policies: Replacement or repairs provided at no cost within a year of the date of purchase from an authorized Namesake retailer, with some notable restrictionsAssembly Needed: Required full assembly and took one person about 30 minutesTester: Katy Olson, contributorHow was the delivery and setup? Expertly packed, there was no damage to any of the clearly high-quality parts, and the assembly was relatively hassle-free. It weighs 135 lbs., which means we required assistance hoisting it up a flight of stairs. We did this piece by heavy piece instead of hauling the large box it arrived in.Why did you choose this crib? My parents live close by, so I ordered this crib for the room theyve newly designated for their grandkidsa subtly tropical-themed space accented with palm-leaf printed fabrics and a vintage Hawaiian photograph on the wall. The standard size Marin crib is available in natural walnut, honey and warm white finishes (I went for the deep caramel color) with chic rattan-style paneling, rounded slats, and a super sturdy feel that fit right in with the rooms motif.Buy this ifyoure looking to make a decorative statement with cane (set against your choice of walnut, honey or white) without sacrificing high-quality, Greenguard Gold-certified materials.Nestig The Candy Cloud CribUpsidesThe mini crib comes with a mini mattress that fits most standard bassinet sheets, so you dont have to buy two mattresses or special sheetsMini crib has locking wheels so it easily goes from parents room to nurseryThe full size has three heights that can easily be adjusted as the baby growsDownsidesThe parts that arent actively in use (toddler crib bars, regular crib mattress, and bars) take up valuable storage space, particularly in an apartmentSpecsColors Available: Mint, rose, black licorice, bluebellMaterials: Crib base, legs, and top rail: sustainably harvested solid Brazilian pine. Steel spindles (for a subtle mid-century feel!) and the mattress support: eco-engineered wood.Warranty Policies: 60-day free trial, 18-year limited warrantyAssembly Needed: YesTester: Elaheh Nozari, contributorHow was the delivery and setup? Delivery was very easyit shipped normally and didnt require any scheduling, but note that it does take around a month to ship since its made to order in Brazil. It arrives in two boxesone with everything for the mini crib and one with the parts for the full size and toddler bed. I only set up the mini crib and stored the regular crib and toddler crib parts for the future. The setup was very easy and the directions were easy to understand. The only thing Id note is that the website says the average assembly time for the mini crib is 20 minutes but that seems very ambitious. In total it took me an hour, which included assembling the right parts.Why did you choose this crib? I wanted a crib that would last a long time and grow with the baby. I like that I can use the mini crib as a bassinet, and it has wheels so it can easily move from my room to the nursery or from my side of the bed to my husbands. I also liked the color optionsI wanted a light green crib to go with the rest of the nursery, which has a pastel theme, and this fits the bill!Buy this ifyou want a wheeled three-in-one solution that seamlessly transitions from bassinet to crib to toddler bed (and also from room to room), but doesnt cut corners on nursery-ready charm.Photo: Blake BakkilaPhoto: Blake BakkilaPhoto: Blake BakkilaBabyletto Maki CribUpsidesCollapsible frame with convenient, removable wheelsEasy to set up and break down, if neededModern, sleek design and finishesConverts into a toddler bed with the included kitMore affordable than other comparable cribs on the marketDownsidesWritten instructions were limited, so it was somewhat difficult to interpret some of the stepsBreaking it down requires some heavy lifting to remove and reinstall the baseboardDoesnt have as many conversion options as other Babyletto products, such as the YuzuSpecsColors Available: White, washed natural, honey, light sageMaterials: Sustainable New Zealand pine woodWarranty Policies: One-year limited warrantyAssembly Needed: YesTester: Blake Bakkila, contributorHow was the delivery and setup? The crib was delivered quickly and on time, and everything arrived in one large box. Assembly was also relatively straightforward, but you should probably have an extra set of hands to get the job done. Admittedly, my dad took on the bulk of the work while I supervised, and it only took about 20 minutes. We move and collapse it fairly often, which can be somewhat cumbersome because you need to remove the mattress and then the baseboard before folding the frame. There are two handy holes to put your fingers in to pull it up and out of the frame, and then youll need to place it back in when you need to set up the crib again.Why did you choose this crib? As a freelance writer and mom, I rely on my mom and grandma to watch my 15-month-old son while I work. We call ourselves day campers at Cathys Boarding House, and her guest room has quickly become a de facto nurserycomplete with the Babyletto Maki crib.For a while we used a pack n play for my sons daytime naps, but eventually my grandma suggested establishing a more semi-permanent sleeping space. After doing some research and reading countless reviews, we ultimately decided to order the Maki. Its a full-size, portable crib that is the baby product equivalent to a Transformer. With a collapsible frame and removable wheels, its easy to move around her home and break down whenever she needs to free up some space for other guests.Ive written about baby products for more than six years, and Ive never seen a full-size crib thats quite this portable and high-quality. And while my son often refuses to nap at first (I blame it on an incurable case of FOMO), the Maki has been a comfortable and dependable crib that can move to accommodate both my grandmas and sons schedules. I can take it from room to room if the guest room is occupied, and then lock the wheels in place when its ready for my sons next snooze session.Buy this ifyou need a space-saving crib for your home, or need one to keep at Grandmas. Even though the Maki is our part-time crib of choice, I could also see this working as a permanent fixture in any nursery room or nook just remove the wheels and itll look like a standard crib. At $399, its one of the lower-priced cribs from Babyletto, and the only full-size option on wheels. It has all of the benefits of a portable crib and the look and feel of a standard option, plus it can convert into a toddler bed.Crate&kids Gemini Light Ash Wood Baby CribUpsidesThe delivery experience couldnt have been easierIts got a lovely design. Plus, theres a matching dresser, changing table topper, and other accessories available if youd like to coordinate the entire nurserys decorTheres lots of versatility with this crib. Knowing we can use this crib with three adjustable mattress heights and even transition it into a toddler bed once our daughter is old enough is a game changer (The brand also sells it with accompanying toddler rail, for an additional cost.)It is eco-friendly This piece is FSC Certified, made with sustainable wood from forests that are responsibly managed and environmentally soundDownsidesI cant think of any! We love this crib through and through!SpecsColors Available: Light ash woodMaterials: Ash wood, ash veneer, and engineered woodWarranty Policies: The brands 30-day return, replacement, and refund policy applies but, according to a customer service rep from the brand, there is no warrantyAssembly Needed: Yes, but you can also purchase a white-glove service to assembleTester: Briana Feigon, contributorHow was the delivery and setup? Fantastic. The Crate and Barrel white-glove delivery was genuinely a godsend. I received this piece of furniture when I was nine months pregnant and I never would have been able to bring in the box inside, let alone set the crib up. The delivery team was punctual, friendly, set the entire crib up, and even cleared all of the boxes on their way out. 10/10!Why did you choose this crib? I love the simplicity of the design and the light ash wood. It feels clean and fresh. I also appreciate that it is Greenguard Gold Certified, so I felt confident that it would keep my baby girl safe.Buy this ifyou want an easy-to-install (hello, white-glove delivery!) crib that complements virtually any decor, all while meeting Greenguard Gold standards. Its long life expectancy plus its use of FSC Certified wood can put your environmental concerns slightly more at ease too.Stokke Sleepi Bed V3UpsidesThe circular shape is all about creating a womb-like environment for your baby, and it definitely delivers on that frontThe wheels allow exhausted parents to gently rock their babies to sleep, and the add-on drape rodwhich can also be used to hang a mobileand canopy envelop them in a cozy atmosphereIts easy to move around, and its unusually narrow width allows it to fit through a standard door frame, so you dont have to disassemble it before moving it room to roomIt fits into corners on an angle rather than taking them all up like a traditional rectangular cribIts conveniently available via Amazon, as well as via other retailersDownsidesThe shape means there arent a lot of options for mattresses and the Stokke mattress is on the thinner side. It also means finding sheets and coordinating them with your nursery decor is one step harder than normalIts difficult to adjust the mattress positions, which youll need to do before your baby can pull to stand. Since the base that supports the mattress is three separate parts instead of one, adjusting it takes at least twice as long as other cribsSpecsColors Available: Natural, white, and hazy grayMaterials: Beech wood, curved elements: beech laminate. Plates: beech plywood. FSC-certified wood.Warranty Policies: Seven-year warrantyAssembly Needed: YesTester: Marissa G. Muller, contributorHow was the delivery and setup? Delivery was fast and easythe setup, not so much.Putting together the Stokke Sleepi Bed is quite a chore. The instructions are not the most intuitive, the curved pieces are tricky to fit together and attach at the same time, and the whole experience really benefits from having two people instead of one.Why did you choose this crib? The Stokke Sleepi Bed is one of the most flexible ones on the market: It can be set up as a bassinet, a crib, or a toddler bed, and the wheels and narrow width make it really easy to move around from room to room.Buy this ifyou appreciate a circular design, whether for the aesthetic or for the ease of use. This narrower-than-average crib is especially capable when it comes to rolling from place to place without requiring re-assembly when you decide on its final destination.Nestig The Cloud CribUpsidesIt's super easy to buildAll the parts are shipped togetherIt's an incredibly durable frame made of beautiful handcrafted woodDownsidesThe full-size crib mattress ships separatelySpecsColors Available: Walnut, natural woodMaterials: Crib base, legs and top rail, sustainably harvested solid Brazilian pine in a walnut stain. Steel spindles and the mattress support is made of eco-engineered woodWarranty Policies: 60-day free trial, 18-year limited warrantyAssembly Needed: YesTester: Malena Galloway-Rivas, contributorHow was the delivery and setup? Delivery was easy-breezy. Weve received all three boxes for this 3-in-1 convertible crib (mini crib, full size crib and toddler bed) in one shipment, which was convenient. My husband and I put the crib together ourselves and it was easier than expected! All of the conversion kits are included as well, which makes it easy to transition the piece at every stage.Why did you choose this crib? We wanted a crib that could not only grow with our child but was made with safe, non-toxic materials. There are so many options on the market (too many!) and after coming across Nestig, we knew that this would be the best for our baby.Buy this ifyoure in it for the long-haul. This option comes with a toddler conversion kit (so theres no need to track one down separately), and the brands generous policy includes an 18-year limited warranty.How We Tested the Best Convertible CribsOur testers included a number of editors and contributors, all recently minted parents of infants. We asked them to choose their top convertible crib picks and rank each one based on a number of key shopping, safety, setup and decor factors. They were tasked with grading the delivery and setup, and evaluating the pros and cons of each itemassessing factors like assembly, ease of use, product design and overall aesthetic.Our hunt for the best convertible cribs had our reviewers paying attention to these essential elements:Selection: Why did you choose this crib? Style, substance, and safety all count!Delivery and assembly: Were delivery and set-up a pain, a cinch, or something in between?Pros and cons: What did you like, and dislike, most about the cribparticularly now that its being used in your home? Were there any standout qualities?Our editors and contributors experienced each aspect of the crib-buying process: they shopped for, organized delivery, and assembled them themselves. Most importantly, they used these convertible cribs with their families in their own homesmaking for a reliable, parent-approved test, from the initial add to cart click to everyday use.How to Choose the Best Convertible CribThere are so many options out there, and it can be difficult to determine which is best for your baby and your own personal preferences for years of use. We chatted with a few experts on the factors you should consider, and also about the different types of cribs you might want to purchase.Safety firstBy six months, most babies are clocking up to 16 hours of sleep a day. Given that your little one is spending about two thirds of their time in their crib, youre going to want to make sure that yours meets or exceeds all the safety standards that the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) target for preventing SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Refer to their sites to learn the nitty-gritty, but be sure to consider the following guidelines to start.Make sure that your babys crib has a crib mattress that fits tightly in the crib and is a firm, flat surface.Use a new crib and be sure youve read the manual. Ensure that no crib hardware is broken and that there are no loose bedding or loose objects in the crib. If youre concerned about keeping the baby warm, dress your baby in layers or use a sleep sack or wearable baby blanket.

WASHINGTON The State Department this week terminated a U.S. Agency for International Development initiative that has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to help restore Ukraine's energy grid from attacks by the Russian military,according to two USAID officials working on the agencys Ukraine mission.Power outages have been applied overnight in some regions of Ukraine due to the attacks on energy facilities. The countrys systems have sustained near-constant impact throughout the course of the three-year war. It significantly undercuts this administrations abilities to negotiate on the ceasefire, and itd signal to Russia that we dont care aboutUkraineor our past investments, one USAID official involved in theUkrainemission told NBC News.The official continued: Russia is fighting a two-pronged war in Ukraine: A military one but also an economic one. Theyre trying to crush the economy, but USAID has played a central role in helping it be resilient, [including] shoring up theenergygridWeve provided vast amount of support to the Ukrainian government to avoid a macro economic crisis.In addition to ending the Ukraine Energy Security Project, USAID is also dramatically downsizing its presence in Ukraine.Before the Trump administrations latest moves, 64 American government employees and contractors were serving on the ground inUkrainefor the agency. Just eight of those personnel are slated to remain on the ground in the war-torn country after the Trump administration placed its remaining global workforce on administrative leave and ordered those workers not deemed critical to return to the U.S.The two officials warned that USAID withdrawing from Ukraine would leave itsenergygrid vulnerable in the heart of the winter as it endures assaults from further Russian missiles.A State Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Both officials also asserted that USAID plays the foremost role in ensuring financial aid provided toUkraineis spent for its intended purposes.Based on a document obtained by NBC News, the State Department has also ordered the termination of a program focused on financial sector reform activity.We wont have the eyes on where this money has gone over the last few years, one of the officials said.USAIDs Bureau for Europe and Eurasia, which oversees the Ukraine mission, has 115 staff based in Washington, D.C. The bureaus staff has been told that number would be pared down to 29 employees remaining active, according to the two USAID officials.

The creators of a controversial AI-generated video shared by President Donald Trump on social media say they never meant to become a propaganda machine, and that their video, which depicts an outlandish vision of Gaza featuring bearded dancers in bikinis and a giant golden Trump statue, was created as satire.The videos creators, Solo Avital and Ariel Vromen, are two of the co-founders of Los Angeles-based EyeMix Visuals, which partly uses artificial intelligence to create commercials and promotional media.Speaking for the first time about the video, the pair told NBC News that it came about as a sort of pilot project as they experimented with an AI software called Arcana.Theyre not sure how their video ended up in Trumps hands but Vromen said he shared an early version with Mel Gibson, who Trump named as a special ambassador to Hollywood in January and who collaborated with EyeMix and Arcana on a previous project. While Gibson told them that he shared some of the creators other work with people close to Trump, the creators said he denied sharing the Gaza video with the president. A request for an interview with Gibson was declined by a representative.As part of testing the AI software, Avital and Vromen tried to create a video with an eight-hour turnaround. But they hadnt decided their topic until Trump announced a bizarre idea for the future of Gaza.A scene from an AI-generated video of a Trump Gaza resort. ("AI GENERATED" graphics added by NBC News.)Ariel Vromen and Solo AvitalIt was exactly the same minute that Trump was announcing this thing on TV, like, almost like in the background, you know, it was, Hey, why dont we do that? Lets do a little satire, Avital recounted.On Feb. 4, during a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump suggested that the U.S. could relocate Palestinians, at least temporarily, to other countries, and level the site to create a Riviera of the Middle East.Vromen said he was in Las Vegas when Trump made his proposal, which inspired the idea and aesthetics of the video. The idea was like, how Trump wants to turn Gaza into Vegas, Vromen said. We wanted to have an internal laugh about it. It was a joke.The video, completed on Feb. 6 according to records Avital and Vromen showed NBC News, delivered on that vision, with absurd depictions of Elon Musk eating pita, Trump sipping tropical drinks shirtless with Netanyahu, and dollar bills raining down on Palestinian children. Avital and Vromen, who are from Israel and now live in the United States, each said the video was satire, taking Trumps proposal and pushing it to an extreme level of imagination, but it wasnt necessarily critical. Vromen said that he thinks Trumps proposal is one of the few forward-thinking policy proposals that could address a longstanding stalemate in the region.You look at Trump Gaza, and youre like, Hey, gazillion times better than what it is right now, whether its good or bad, he said. With humor, there is truth, you know, but it was not our intention to be a propaganda machine.Trumps suggestion caused shock waves across the world, with some analysts and politicians comparing the proposal of displacing 2.2 million Palestinians to ethnic cleansing. While supported by some in Israel and the U.S., Trumps suggestion was widely condemned, even by some allies. After Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and another 250 kidnapped, local Palestinian officials say Israel has killed over 47,500 Palestinians.Vromen explained that the bearded dancers in the video were meant to poke fun at members of Hamas. Yes, that was a disrespectful, maybe, portrayal, he said, pointing out Hamas recent handling of dead Israeli hostages, which outraged many Israelis. The real intention of this specific piece I thought that Gaza will be so liberated that itwill become woke, Avital said.After the duo finished the video, they shared it with a limited group of people. We circulated it in a few groups of friends to get a reaction, like youre writing a draft of a script, Vromen said. I posted [it] for about three hours on my Instagram, and I took it off because I started to get some brands that didnt understand, again, the context.Vromen is a film director and DJ who may be best known for the 2012 movie The Iceman, which features Chris Evans, Winona Ryder, James Franco and Michael Shannon. He has 138,000 Instagram followers.Online, the video didnt appear to travel widely before Trump shared it on his pages. NBC News found several pro-Israel social media accounts that shared the video in the days after Vromen briefly posted it, but it had not picked up any notable traction in the weeks after.Avital said he was shocked when three weeks later Trump posted it on Truth Social and Instagram with no caption.He said he was surprised Trump would post a video that contained a scene of him dancing with a woman in a club that wasnt his wife, and a scene of himself standing erected in the center of the city as a golden statue, like some sort of a dictator.I would never imagine in my life, he said.The pair said they wish Trump would have given some context with the video, or offered some credit.At least give the context that this is something that was done with mixed intentions, because one intention was just like to react to news that was mind-blowing. And the other intention was like, Hey, maybe there is a vision behind it, said Vromen.He also said he feels Trump took the video without proper permission.Ariel Vromen.Courtesy Ariel Vroman / Sumatra FilmsTrump has stolen our content because this was made by artists, Vromen said. The Gaza Strip movie is perfect, unique original content that was taken out of context and published by the president of the United States.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly previously said: As President Trump has said, Gaza in its current state is unhabitable for any human being. President Trump is a visionary, and his plan to have the United States involved in Gazas rebuilding will allow for Palestinians to resettle in new, beautiful communities while improving conditions in the region for generations to come.Generative AI has helped facilitate a boom of fake political imagery, which has been particularly embraced by Trump and members of the GOP. Trump and Musk have frequently shared AI-generated images glorifying themselves or denigrating others. Arcana Labs CEO Jonathan Yunger called the video complete insanity, but welcomed the idea of artists expressing themselves via Arcana Labs platform.The video is not breaking any laws, as far as Im concerned. And artists are going to express themselves. What people decide to do with that, you know, is up to them, said Yunger. The fact that the president took it and posted it as his own, I think, is the one of the most insane things Ive ever seen in my life.

Mistral AI, the French company behind AI assistant Le Chat and several foundational models, is officially regarded as one of Frances most promising tech startups and is arguably the only European company that could compete with OpenAI. But compared to its $6 billion valuation, its global market share is still relatively low.However, the recent launch of its chat assistant on mobile app stores was met with some hype, particularly in its home country. Go and download Le Chat, which is made by Mistral, rather than ChatGPT by OpenAI or something else, French president Emmanuel Macron said in a TV interview ahead of the AI Action Summit in Paris.While this wave of attention may be encouraging, Mistral AI still faces challenges in competing with the likes of OpenAI and in doing so while keeping up with its self-definition as the worlds greenest and leading independent AI lab.What is Mistral AI?Mistral AI has raised significant amounts of funding since its creation in 2023 with the ambition to put frontier AI in the hands of everyone. While this isnt a direct jab at OpenAI, the slogan is meant to highlight the companys advocacy for openness in AI.Its alternative to ChatGPT, chat assistant Le Chat, is now also available on iOS and Android. It reached 1 million downloads in the two weeks following its mobile release, even grabbing Frances top spot for free downloads on the iOS App Store.This comes in addition to Mistral AIs suite of models, which includes:Mistral Large 2, the primary large language model replacing Mistral Large.Pixtral Large, unveiled in 2024 as a new addition to the Pixtral family of multimodal models.Codestral, a generative AI model for code.Les Ministraux, a family of models optimized for edge devices such as phones.Mistral Saba, focused on Arabic language.Who are Mistral AIs founders?Mistral AIs three foundersshare a background in AI research at major U.S. tech companies with significant operations in Paris. CEO Arthur Mensch used to work at Googles DeepMind, while CTO Timothe Lacroix and chief scientist officer Guillaume Lample are former Meta staffers.Co-founding advisers also include Jean-Charles Samuelian-Werve (also a board member) and Charles Gorintin from health insurance startup Alan, as well as former digital minister Cdric O, which caused controversy due to his previous role.Are Mistral AIs models open source?Not all of them. Mistral AI differentiates its premier models, whose weights are not available for commercial purposes, from its free models, for which it provides weight access under the Apache 2.0 license.Free models include research models such as Mistral NeMo, which was built in collaboration with Nvidia that the startup open-sourced in July 2024.How does Mistral AI make money?While many of Mistral AIs offerings are free or now have free tiers, Mistral AI plans to drive some revenue from Le Chats paid tiers. Introduced in February 2025, Le Chats Pro plan is priced at $14.99 a month.On the purely B2B side, Mistral AI monetizes its premier models through APIs with usage-based pricing. Enterprises can also license these models, and the company likely also generates a significant share of its revenue from its strategic partnerships, some of which it highlighted during the Paris AI Summit.Overall, however, Mistral AIs revenue is reportedly still in the eight-digit range, according to multiple sources.What partnerships has Mistral AI closed?In 2024, Mistral AI entered a deal with Microsoft that included a strategic partnership for distributing its AI models through Microsofts Azure platform and a 15 million investment. The U.K.s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) swiftly concluded that the deal didnt qualify for investigation due to its small size. However, it also sparked some criticism in the EU.In January 2025, Mistral AI signed a deal with press agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) to let Chat query the AFPs entire text archive dating back to 1983.Mistral AI also secured strategic partnerships with Frances army and job agency, German defense tech startup Helsing, IBM, Orange, and Stellantis.How much funding has Mistral AI raised to date?As of February 2025, Mistral AI raised around 1 billion in capital to date, approximately $1.04 billion at the current exchange rate. This includes some debt financing, as well as several equity financing rounds raised in close succession.In June 2023, and before it even released its first models, Mistral AI raised a record $112 million seed round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. Sources at the time said the seed round Europes largest ever valued the then-one-month-old startup at $260 million.Other investors in this seed round included Bpifrance, Eric Schmidt, Exor Ventures, First Minute Capital, Headline, JCDecaux Holding, La Famiglia, LocalGlobe, Motier Ventures, Rodolphe Saad, Sofina, and Xavier Niel.Only six months later, it closed a Series A of 385 million ($415 million at the time), at a reported valuation of $2 billion. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), with participation from existing backer Lightspeed, as well as BNP Paribas, CMA-CGM, Conviction, Elad Gil, General Catalyst, and Salesforce.The $16.3 million convertible investment that Microsoft made in Mistral AI as part of their partnership announced in February 2024 was presented as a Series A extension, implying an unchanged valuation.In June 2024, Mistral AI then raised 600 million in a mix of equity and debt (around $640 million at the exchange rate at the time). The long-rumored round was led by General Catalyst at a $6 billion valuation, with notable investors, including Cisco, IBM, Nvidia, Samsung Venture Investment Corporation, and others.What could a Mistral AI exit look like?Mistral is not for sale, Mensch said in January 2025 at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Of course, [an IPO is] the plan.This makes sense, given how much the startup has raised so far: Even a large sale may not provide high enough multiples for its investors, not to mention sovereignty concerns depending on the acquirer.However, the only way to definitely squash persistent acquisition rumors is to scale its revenue to levels that could even remotely justify its nearly $6 billion valuation. Either way, stay tuned.

General Catalyst, the powerhouse venture firm, is considering an IPO, Axios reported Friday morning, citing multiple sources.TechCrunch has reached out to the firms managing partner, Hemant Taneja, for comment. In the meantime, those following General Catalysts trajectory wont be surprised by the prospect.Founded 25 years ago as a small Cambridge, Mass.-based venture firm, General Catalyst (GC) started with $73 million in capital commitments. A decade later, armed with ballooning assets and pre-IPO stakes in software companies like Demandware and Brightcove, Taneja and then-partner Neil Sequeira set up shop in a charming yellow building with white trim on University Avenue in Palo Alto. There, GC quickly made its mark in the Bay Area, cutting software deals reminiscent of its East Coast successes while also forging deep ties with Y Combinator that paid off. In 2011, the firm secured a stake in Airbnb. In 2012, it committed to backing every Y Combinator startup sight unseen.That same year, in July 2012, GC led the Series B round for Stripe now Y Combinators most successful alum by valuation, even as the fintech giant maintains it has no immediate plans to go public.Meanwhile, GC itself has grown exponentially. Though Sequeira left in 2015 to start his own shop, GC today has a sprawling team with 20 managing directors, over $30 billion in assets, and offices from San Francisco to Bengaluru. It has also expanded far beyond traditional venture investing. As we noted in October after talking with Taneja for a podcast, the firm is almost unrecognizable from its former self. Among other moves, it has launched financing products, rolled out a wealth management business, is in the process of acquiring a small healthcare system in Ohio, and purchased two smaller venture firms.A question Axios asks and its a good one is whether GC will be the very first venture firm to go public. Its not only a question of whether the firm decides to move forward, but whether the mere talk of an offering speeds up the plans of other heavyweight firms like Andreessen Horowitz, which seem to have their eyes on the same prize.

The Rock speaks to Cody Rhodes (Photo by WWE/WWE via Getty Images)WWE via Getty ImagesThe WWEs second premium live event of 2025 takes place on Saturday, March 1 at Rogers Centre in Toronto.On Friday night, Cody Rhodes portion of the PLE will be arguably as impacting as any match.At some point in the show, possibly at the very end, Rhodes will decide if he will accept The Rocks offer to become his Corporate Champion. Rhodes answer to that question will determine a good amount of the major storylines as we move toward WrestleMania in April.Here is a look at the start time and viewing information for the event.Time: 7 p.m. ETDate: Saturday, March 1How to Watch: PeacockWWE Elimination Chamber 2025 Full CardMen's Elimination Chamber Match: John Cena vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest vs. CM Punk vs. Logan Paul vs. Seth RollinsWomen's Elimination Chamber Match: Bayley vs. Bianca Belair vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Liv Morgan vs. Naomi vs Roxanne PerezUnsanctioned Match: Kevin Owens vs. Sami ZaynTag Team Match: Tiffany Stratton and Trish Stratus vs. Nia Jax and Candice LeRaeCody Rhodes will give The Rock an answerWWE Elimination Chamber 2025 Potential SwervesCody Rhodes Decision: Heel Turn? Not Yet.Rhodes turning heel by aligning with The Rock and The Bloodline would be a major shift, but executing it at WrestleMania 41 rather than Elimination Chamber may be the more impactful move. Delaying the decision could increase anticipation and deliver a more memorable storyline moment. Raw the following Monday would be insane.Corporate Cody would be such a natural flip for Rhodes. Hes already masterful with the mic in his hand and if there is anyone who could convince fans that his flip was indeed best for business, it would be him.Could Hikuleo Appear at Elimination Chamber?Speculation surrounds the potential WWE debut of Hikuleo, possibly as Paul Heymans next project. His arrival would inject a fresh dynamic into the Bloodline storyline, and if introduced at Elimination Chamber, it could signal his involvement in a key WrestleMania match.At this point, Im beginning to think Im higher on Hikuleo than the WWE. From the moment news broke of him signing with WWE, I started thinking of the role he could play in the next phase of the Bloodline. Maybe well finally get to see it happen and itll be as big as Ive been anticipating for the past six months.Jade Cargills Potential InvolvementThere is an expectation that Jade Cargill will make her presence felt at Elimination Chamber. Whether through an in-ring appearance or a post-match confrontation, her involvement could set up a major WrestleMania feud, particularly within the womens division. Dont be surprised if Cargills involvement decides the womens elimination chamber.The big money feud is Bianca Belair vs. Jade Cargill, but WWE could be leaving money on the table by not pushing one of them into a program with Rhea Ripley. Well know the answers to these questions soon enough.

Looking for help with today's NYT Mini Crossword puzzle? Here are some hints and answers for the ... [+] puzzle.Credit: NYTIn case you missed Fridays NYT Mini Crossword puzzle, you can find the answers here:Its been awhile since Ive written one of these NYT Mini Crossword guides. Last time was back in Februarynow its March! Saturday is always the hardest crossword of the week, so lets get right to it!The NYT Mini is a smaller, quicker, more digestible, bite-sized version of the larger and more challenging NYT Crossword, and unlike its larger sibling, its free-to-play without a subscription to The New York Times. You can play it on the web or the app, though youll need the app to tackle the archive.Spoilers ahead!ACROSS1- Chocolate/marshmallow sandwich SMORE6- Weighed down (with) LADEN7- Birthday cake inserts CANDLES9- First U.S. state alphabetically ALABAMA10- 0% NOTABIT11- Free-for-all fight MELEE12- Puts on the market SELLSDOWN1- Winding ski races SLALOMS2- Herbivore seen off Florida shores MANATEE3- Strange person ODDBALL4- Give another name RELABEL5- Bowser and King Boo, in the Mario games ENEMIES7- Container on the pantry shelf CAN9- Took a chair SATToday's MiniScreenshot: Erik KainSaturday is supposed to be the hardest crossword of the week, but this onewhile certainly containing more wordswas not terribly difficult. I suppose thats partly just luck of the draw. Sometimes you know the words and sometimes you dont. SMORE was easy, but then I also knew SLALOMS (despite being a lousy skier) and CANDLES and ALABAMA at which point MANATEE was pretty obvious. From here, its like dominoes falling. Enough words fill in that even the ones you might not get right away like NOTABIT or LADEN quickly come into focus. This took me 1:38 today.How did you do? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.If you also play Wordle, I write guides about that as well. You can find those and all my TV guides, reviews and much more here on my blog. Thanks for reading!