SAVE $38: As of Oct. 13, you can pick up a like-new Kindle Paperwhite with 16GB of storage for just $96.99 at Amazon. That's 28% cheaper than buying a brand-new model.
While it has since been replaced with an upgraded model, the 2021 Kindle Paperwhite is still an excellent e-reader — especially when it's less than $100. As of Oct. 13, you can pick one up for just $96.99 (reg. $134.99) and save nearly 30% at Amazon. There's just one catch.
As a "like-new" model, this Kindle Paperwhite has been refurbished, tested, and certified to look and work like a brand-new device. Plus, it comes with the same warranty you'd get when purchasing a new model. It may just come in a generic Amazon box as opposed to a Kindle-specific box, which is no biggie.
Before the 2024 model was released, we touted the 2021 Kindle Paperwhite as the best e-reader on the market. At 6.8 inches, it's an ideal size for most hands, and at just over seven ounces, it won't weigh your arm down while holding it up. It's small enough to slip into a purse and since it's waterproof, you'll never have to stress about spills or splashes. The battery life, at up to 10 weeks, feels never-ending. The 300 ppi glare-free matte screen looks just like a printed page and is bright enough to read in direct sunlight. Plus, it features adjustable warm light and customizable fonts to make your reading experience personalized to your liking.
Sure, the newest Paperwhite device is even better, with faster page turning and even longer battery life, but the 2021 edition still holds a special place in our hearts. Grab a like-new model for under $100 while you can.
New California law hopes to stop AI-assisted suicide among teensTeen AI chatbot has ended in tragedy. This bill aims to improve safety.
After sustained outcry from child safety advocates, families, and politicians, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill designed to curb AI chatbot behavior that experts say is unsafe or dangerous, particularly for teens.
The law, known as SB 243, requires chatbot operators prevent their products from exposing minors to sexual content while also consistently reminding those users that chatbots are not human. Additionally, companies subject to the law must implement a protocol for handling situations in which a user discusses suicidal ideation, suicide, and self-harm.
State senator Steve Padilla, a Democrat representing San Diego, authored and introduced the bill earlier this year. In February, he told Mashable that SB 243 was meant to address urgent emerging safety issues with AI chatbots. Given the technology's rapid evolution and deployment, Padilla said the "regulatory guardrails are way behind."
Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group that supports children and parents as they navigate media and technology, declared AI chatbot companions as unsafe for teens younger than 18 earlier this year.
The Federal Trade Commission recently launched an inquiry into chatbots acting as companions. Last month, the agency informed major companies with chatbot products, including OpenAI, Alphabet, Meta, and Character Technologies, that it sought information about how they monetize user engagement, generate outputs, and develop so-called characters.
Prior to the passage of SB 243, Padilla lamented how AI chatbot companions can uniquely harm young users: "This technology can be a powerful educational and research tool, but left to their own devices the Tech Industry is incentivized to capture young people's attention and hold it at the expense of their real world relationships."
Last year, bereaved mother Megan Garcia filed a wrongful death suit against Character.AI, one of the most popular AI companion chatbot platforms. Her son, Sewell Setzer III, died by suicide following heavy engagement with a Character.AI companion. The suit alleges that Character.AI was designed to "manipulate Sewell – and millions of other young customers – into conflating reality and fiction," among other dangerous defects.
Garcia, who lobbied on behalf of SB 243, applauded Newsom's signing.
"Today, California has ensured that a companion chatbot will not be able to speak to a child or vulnerable individual about suicide, nor will a chatbot be able to help a person to plan his or her own suicide," Garcia said in a statement.
SB 243 also requires companion chatbot platforms to produce an annual report on the connection between use of their product and suicidal ideation. It permits families to pursue private legal action against "noncompliant and negligent developers."
Some experts, however, disagree that SB 243 will robustly protect children from AI chatbot harm. James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, told Mashable in a statement that the bill had been "watered down after major Big Tech industry pressure."
According to the nonprofit's analysis of the bill, companies could avoid liability if safeguards fail, as long as they were implemented in the first place.
Several hours after Newsom signed SB 243 into law, he vetoed a separate bill sponsored by Common Sense Media. That legislation, AB 1064, would've prohibited chatbot companions for minors when they're capable of certain foreseeable harms, among other safety measures.
Last week, Newsom signed legislation requiring AI labs to both disclose potential harms of their technology as well as information about their safety protocols.
As Mashable's Chase DiBenedetto reported, the bill is meant to "keep AI developers accountable to safety standards even when facing competitive pressure and includes protections for potential whistleblowers."
On Monday, Newsom also signed into laws two separate bills aimed at improving online child safety. AB 56 requires warning labels for social media platforms, highlighting the toll that addictive social media feeds can have on children's mental health and well-being. The other bill, AB 1043, implements an age verification requirement that will go into effect in 2027.
UPDATE: Oct. 13, 2025, 4:39 p.m. PDT This story has been updated to include Gov. Newsom's veto of AB 1064.
UPDATE: Oct. 13, 2025, 3:11 p.m. PDT This story has been update to include a statement from James P. Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media.
Snag the Oupes Exodus 2400 portable power station from Amazon while its $470 offThe Oupes Exodus 2400 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for $629, down from the standard price of $1,099. That's a 43% discount.
SAVE $470: The Oupses Exodus 2400 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for $629, down from the list price of $1,099. That's a 43% discount.
A portable power station can save the day on many occasions. It's perfect for taking along on a camping trip to keep electronics powered up and it's essential during a power outage. Instead of sitting in the dark, you can keep the WiFi router online and stream your favorite show on a projector. If that sounds ideal, check out this deal at Amazon.
As of Oct. 13, the Oupses Exodus 2400 portable power station is on sale for $629 at Amazon, marked down from the standard price of $1,099. That's a 43% discount that shaves $470 off the normal price.
Packing in 2,332Wh of capacity the Oupes Exodus 2400 is a great home-backup solution when the fall storms hits. It includes four standard AC ports, two USB-C ports at 140W, and four USB-A ports. It also offers a quick 20 millisecond uninterrupted power supply (UPS) which could be critical if you're working on a important project on a desktop or your family relies on powered medical devices.
When it comes time to recharge, the Exodus 2400 can handle an impressive 800W of solar power input. If you prefer to go the standard AC route, expect to get back to fully charged in under 90 minutes. You can also fast-charge with a simultaneous combination of solar and AC.
Through the Oupes app, users can monitor remaining battery amount, set a charging schedule, and manage solar input. While it packs in over 2,000Wh of capacity, it only weighs about 45 pounds. The side carrying handles are designed to make transportation easier around the house or the campground.
While it's on sale for under $630, prep your home for inevitable power outages with the Oupes Exodus 2400 portable power station. Instead of sitting in the dark, you'll be able to stay charged up and take the opportunity to catch up on new shows.
I tested OpenAI Sora 2 vs Google Veo 3 for AI video, and there’s a very clear winnerOpenAI Sora 2 and Google Veo 3 are two of the most popular AI video makers. We compared them head-to-head and found a clear winner.
AI-generated videos and images used to be so easy to spot (remember Will Smith eating spaghetti?). But the latest AI video models are getting good — scary good.
Naturally, generating video with AI is a whole lot trickier than generating images. While there are dozens of good to great AI image generators, in the video space, you can count on one hand how many tools can do it convincingly. Two of the most popular are Google's Veo 3 and OpenAI's Sora 2.
So, which AI video model wins out in a head-to-head contest? If you've been closely following this footrace, the answer probably won't surprise you.
Veo 3 is the name of Google's cutting-edge generative AI video model. Not only was Veo 3 a dramatic improvement over the previous generation, Veo 2, but it also kicked off a whole new era of AI video. Veo 3 can generate realistic videos based on text prompts rather than simply animating existing images. Crucially, it can also create dialogue and other realistic sounds. You can access Veo 3 in Google's AI chatbot Gemini or via other Google tools like Flow, an experimental AI filmmaking tool.
Veo 3 is available in two flavors — Veo 3 Fast and Veo 3 Quality. Because we wanted to test the quality of the videos, we chose the latter for this test.
OpenAI launched Sora 2 on Sept. 30 in a standalone iOS app called Sora. Sora 2 is the successor to the company's first AI video model, also called Sora. At the time of writing, Sora 2 is only available via the invite-only Sora app. Sora 2 also offers a social media-style feed of videos from the community, like TikTok for AI videos (because we didn't have enough of those already).
Appropriately, we used AI — in this case, ChatGPT — to help create prompts for AI video tests. The prompts below were designed to test different aspects of video creation, from audio to animation. ChatGPT came up with prompts to test video generators, which we then tweaked and refined.
A handheld camera follows a young woman walking through a crowded street in Tokyo at night during a light rain. Neon signs reflect off wet asphalt and umbrellas. The camera stays fixed on her from behind as she glances toward a glowing billboard, then continues walking. The scene should feel cinematic and hyper-real, like shot on a mirrorless camera with shallow depth of field.
A superhero in a red and silver suit lands hard on a rooftop at sunset, cracking the concrete under their feet. The cape ripples in the wind as the camera orbits around them in slow motion. In the distance, drones fly between skyscrapers with glowing windows. The overall tone should feel like a live-action blockbuster.
A cyberpunk-inspired 3D animation of Times Square filled with holographic ads and flying cars. A large digital billboard lights up with the word ‘MASHABLE’ in bold white type. The animation should have crisp text, glowing reflections, and dynamic lighting reminiscent of Into the Spider-Verse’s visual energy.
A hand-drawn, painterly 2D animation of two friends sitting by a café window on a rainy afternoon. Soft watercolor-style lighting and visible brush strokes. One says gently: ‘You know, sometimes the smallest step can change everything.’ The other smiles and nods. Include subtle mouth animation matching the line, light rain sound outside, and quiet clinking of cups in the background.
Photorealistic street scene where [the subject] dances freely down a tree-lined city sidewalk, loose casual clothes, upbeat tempo. Ambient street sounds (distant traffic, footsteps), cinematic lighting at golden hour.
I also created a prompt designed to generate a video of a copyrighted character, as well as a second prompt in case the generator refused. I'm choosing not to share this prompt so as to not encourage creating AI videos that blatantly use copyrighted material, which has been a sore point for OpenAI and Sora so far.
This prompt was generally straightforward in terms of creativity, but the hope was that the video generators would be able to create a cinematic and lively feel through things like reflections in water. So how'd they do?
Both Sora 2 and Veo 3 created nice-looking videos. But there were some clear differences. The video that Sora 2 generated had a much tighter crop than Veo 3, meaning images and details in the background of the shot were much less visible. Veo 3 had a wider angle, resulting in a more immersive video. That may be partially a point in Sora's favor, given the fact that the prompt specifically mentioned having a shallow depth of field; Sora 2's video showed a much shallower depth of field than the video created by Veo 3.
It was fascinating to see the choices that the generators made about the young woman. Sora generated a subject with an umbrella despite the prompt not directing it to do so – even though it did mention umbrellas. While the video created by Sora 2 wasn’t incorrect, the video created by Veo 3 was more interesting, more detailed, and better overall.
Winner: Veo 3
We pushed the two video generators to create videos of copyrighted characters, but not in this prompt. As a result, I was a little surprised when Sora 2 refused to create this video, noting copyrighted material. After all, the concept of a superhero isn't copyrighted. This seems to be part of a post-launch crackdown on intellectual property infringement.
While Veo 3 did produce a video, the result wasn't as ordered. For one thing, the prompt specifically mentions live-action, but the superhero's face, or what's visible of it, looked more animated than real.
The generator also struggled with physics. For most of the video, our superhero is standing on what appears to be a hole in the concrete, while the concrete pieces created when the superhero lands seemingly disappear into thin air. More prompt engineering could surely solve this problem, but it's annoying all the same.
Google also gets the win here, but only by forfeit — its opponent didn't show up.
Winner: Veo 3
This prompt, thankfully, was easy for both generators to follow. Both Veo 3 and Sora 2 were able to create an approximation of what Times Square might look like in the future, complete with skyscrapers and billboards. Both also followed the instruction to have one billboard show particular words.
Sora 2 did a slightly better job at recreating the Into the Spider-Verse aesthetic, though neither of the two could be rated excellent.
Still, Veo 3's video was more interesting than Sora 2's. It had movement instead of a single static image. (The generators often added moving details to static images, and it made for boring results.)
While Sora 2 followed the prompt a little better, Veo 3’s video was much more interesting. I’m giving this one to both.
Winner: Tie
This prompt was designed to test the generators' ability to create audio that goes along with the video. Both Veo 3 and Sora 2 have the ability to add dialogue and sound effects.
First, the visuals. The prompt specified 2D animation, and only Veo 3 actually followed that. Sora 2 created something in a style of 3D animation instead of 2D.
The audio that Sora 2 generated was a little strange. The dialogue sounded off, as if both of the characters were sleep-talking or hypnotized. Veo 3's dialogue was much more lively and realistic. The background sound effects were similar in both videos. In both, you can hear rain, but neither followed the prompt in adding the sounds of clinking cups.
The winner here is pretty clear. Again, it’s Veo 3.
Winner: Veo 3
One of the headline features of OpenAI's Sora 2 is cameos, or the ability to make videos featuring the likeness of real people (who have explicitly given permission for this use). For this prompt, I attempted to create a video of myself dancing in the street.
On Sora 2, this was easy; it's a feature that's explicitly supported by the app. In Veo, however, it was much more difficult. Google offers a feature called Ingredients to Video, where you can upload things like images for the generator to use in creating the video. However, Ingredients to Video is not supported by Veo 3, just the lower-quality Veo 2 Fast. You can only create portrait orientation videos with the feature.
On top of that, in our testing of Veo 3, we found that Gemini will often refuse to make videos based on pictures featuring people. This is done to prevent deepfakes, which is great, but animating still images is one of the most common uses of AI video, and Veo 3 makes it unnecessarily difficult.
Both videos were a little strange, and I say that as the subject. The face in the video created by Veo 2 was glitchy, and for some reason, Veo 2 decided that I should be dancing backwards. The video created by Sora 2 was a little more creative, and it gave me clothes that I don't think I could pull off in real life.
Sora did a better job at making me actually dance than Veo 2 did. I have no idea why Sora 2 had me say “this feels good”, but it's… not terrible.
Winner: Sora 2
This prompt was designed to test whether or not the generators could create video of copyrighted characters. As we saw in the superhero prompt, Sora 2 is extremely sensitive when it comes to this, so it came as no surprise when it refused to respond to the first and second prompts — even though the second prompt doesn't mention a character by name, only alluding to them.
Veo 3 had no problem generating a video of a copyrighted character, however. This worked with multiple characters, too.
There's no winner or loser in this category. We're not going to wade into the debate around generating content of copyrighted characters — at least, not here. Still, it's worth keeping in mind that if you're looking to create videos of characters you know and love, you won't be able to do it with Sora while the app is under such scrutiny from rights holders.
OpenAI's Sora 2 is making headlines for its social approach and its ability to create videos with you in them. However, beyond making memes, it's extremely limited.
Google's Veo 3 generates much better and higher-quality videos overall. Of the two models, if you want to use generative AI video for professional purposes — for filmmaking, gaming, social media, or, most likely, in advertising — only Veo 3 is a truly viable option.
Sora 2 did excel at creating a video of me, and that's the biggest advantage it has to offer right now. But Veo 3, when used in the Google Flow app, is both higher quality and more versatile, offering features for horizontal and portrait orientations and settings for creating multiple videos at a time.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
Inflation refund text scams are targeting New Yorkers. Heres how to report them.Scammers are sending fake “inflation refund” texts posing as New York’s Tax Department to steal personal and financial information.
If you've gotten a text that promises a refund for your inflation-related spending, you're probably getting scammed.
According to Bleeping Computer, New Yorkers are getting texts from a number that says they're the Department of Taxation and Finance. The texter claims the recipient is eligible for "Inflation Refunds" and requests personal and financial data — a major red flag.
Remember: The U.S. government will never send you a text like this, nor will your state or local tax officials.
Now, it is true that some New Yorkers are getting inflation refunds from the state Department of Taxation and Finance. According to the department, some taxpayers are eligible for a one-time inflation refund check if they filed certain tax forms in 2023, reported income within qualifying thresholds, and were not claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return. If they meet the criteria, they can receive a check for $150 to $400 to compensate them for inflated sales tax payments, which will be mailed directly to them.
However, even if you do qualify for the state's "first-ever inflation refund checks," the Department of Taxation and Finance will not send you a text.
"The Tax Department is not contacting taxpayers about the New York State inflation refund check," the Department of Taxation and Finance said in a statement on its website. "You do not need to provide us with additional information to receive a check. If you are contacted about the inflation refund check by someone supposedly from the Tax Department, report it."
You can report these texts by phone or by email.
"New Yorkers do not have to do anything to receive an inflation refund check outside of meeting the eligibility requirements," Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement in response to the scam texts. "With scams targeting the state’s inflation refund initiative, let me be clear: The Tax Department and the IRS do not call or text individuals for personal information. My administration urges New Yorkers to remain vigilant and report these scams to the Tax Department to protect yourself from being a victim."
As in toll text scams, Indeed text scams, and crypto text scams, the cybercriminals responsible will often use scare tactics to create a false sense of urgency.
When in doubt, contact your state government for more information; never respond to suspected scam texts.
6 Google Gemini AI photo prompts to tryWe've got ideas about how to test out Google Gemini's AI photo capabilities.
Google's AI tool, Gemini, has drastically improved its ability to create and edit photos. And people are looking for, and posting about, the best ways to use the tool.
That's because Google recently integrated Nano Banana — the company's AI-powered image generation and editing tool — into Gemini's new Gemini 2.5 Flash Image. Simply put, if you go to Google AI Studio or to the Gemini App, you should be able to make better photo creations. In Mashable's tests, Nano Banana works particularly well as an image editor.
Now, I'd probably argue that instead of playing around with AI, you might simply go out into the world and take pictures. Enjoy some sunshine, if you're so lucky. But hey, whatever floats your boat or drains your water supply. So, if you're serious about using an AI image generator to get interesting results, we've got some good prompt ideas to get you started.
Ask it to make trading cards: If you're really into sports cards, fantasy card games, Pokémon, or similar hobbies, you can feed Gemini photos, then ask it to create trading cards. As usual, specificity is key: You can ask Gemini to include stats, change outfits, or make tweaks just how you like them. Make all your childhood dreams come true. The idea is to be as specific as possible.
This Thread, for instance, suggests telling an AI tool all the different categories, attacks, and other necessary info to get a good Pokémon-style card. If you wanted a football playing card, you might tell Gemini to include stats — specifying categories like rushing yards, attempts, receptions, or touchdowns — and give other details to include, such as a fun nickname.
Add things to the background: As Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth showed, Gemini does a solid job of adding new details to images. In his example, he added dolphins in the water alongside a boat. But you can add just about anything to an image. In general, try to include details about how you want it to look. Typically speaking, I've gotten the best results specifying if I want it to look photorealistic. For instance, I added realistic-looking rain by asking for "easily visible rain that appears photorealistic."
Remix photos of your pets: Here's an example straight from Google itself. In a blog post about fun Google Gemini AI photo prompts, Google provided this prompt idea along with the before and after results: "Prompt: Recreate this cat as a 16-bit video game character, and place the character in a level of a 2D 16-bit platform video game."
Create or edit a headshot: Lots of folks need headshots for professional reasons. I'd suggest using a photographer for best results, but in a pinch, you can use Gemini's model to create or edit an image. I tried giving Gemini a random picture of myself and asked for a "professional-looking headshot" based off that. The results were quite uncanny valley. It looked enough like me to kind of work, but it was also clearly not me. I'd suggest using AI to edit a headshot rather than invent one out of whole cloth. If you're looking for help in crafting prompts, Reddit has lots of ideas about how to get a specific output.
Combine two photos: As we've shown before, Gemini does a solid job of transposing one photo onto another. So, as we detailed, you could add a spice bottle to an image of a fire — or whatever else you could dream up. So you might ask Gemini, "Combine these two photos. Take the hand holding a coffee and transpose it into the foreground of the picture of the Grand Canyon. Match the lighting and shadows so it appears the two images were taken as one."
Enter your favorite fantasy world: Say you love Game of Thrones. Well, you or anyone else can now enter that world via Gemini. It'd be a fun bit to send to fellow fans. The prompt is pretty simple: Upload a photo and ask Gemini to make the person or thing appear to be a part of your favorite franchise.
There's plenty to try out with Gemini — after all, it can make almost anything. In my experience, it might take a little bit of playing around, but you can get useful results by fine-tuning your prompts.
For more ideas on how to use Nano Banana and make and edit AI images in Gemini, the Google blog has more examples.
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere trailer: Jeremy Allen White will rock youJeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Odessa Young, Stephen Graham, Gaby Hoffmann, and David Krumholtz co-star.
It's easy to look at Bruce Springsteen, a living legend of American rock music, and think there was never a time when anyone could doubt him — not his drive, not his artistry, not his unrelenting charisma. But like last year's Bob Dylan–centered drama A Complete Unknown, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere narrows in on a time when a celebrated music star dared to do something so different that the doubt was ringing out.
Jeremy Allen White stars as Bruce Springsteen in director Scott Cooper's film adaptation of Warren Zanes’ book, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, which chronicles the creation of the artist's 1982 album, Nebraska. While critics have been divided on the film, White's been earning furious praise for his portrayal of the Boss.
In her review out of the New York Film Festival, entertainment reporter Belen Edwards noted the film's thematic ties to The Bear, the much-awarded TV series on which White has most recently been showered in accolades. However, she notes his performances in each are incredibly different, writing, "White's Carmy so often feels on the verge of exploding with anger or grief, while his Springsteen carries a steady sadness with him at all times. If Carmy is a pressure cooker, Springsteen is a deep lake."
You can dive into White's spin on Springsteen this weekend.
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere debuts in theaters Oct. 24.
Windows 10 life support ends Oct. 14. Here’s what will happen.Windows 10 life support ends Oct. 14, when Microsoft stops providing free free security updates, bug fixes, or technical support for the operating system.
Microsoft’s Windows 10 life support ends tomorrow, Oct. 14. After that, the tech giant will no longer provide free security updates, bug fixes, or technical support for the operating system.
That might sound alarming — especially to the millions of users around the globe who still use Windows 10. But don’t panic. Your computer won’t suddenly stop working, and you don’t have to upgrade to Windows 11 (though Microsoft would certainly prefer that you did).
So, what happens now?
You can still use Windows 10, but once cumulative updates stop, your system will gradually become more vulnerable. Without new patches, hackers can exploit security holes that go unaddressed — putting your data at risk as you browse the web, check email, or do online banking.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Microsoft Defender Antivirus will continue receiving virus definition updates until 2028, offering a basic layer of protection. However, the operating system itself won’t get critical security fixes, meaning antivirus alone won’t be enough to keep your device fully secure.
And over time, there’s another problem: compatibility. As developers increasingly focus on Windows 11, older apps, software, and even websites may stop running smoothly on Windows 10. Hard to believe, but the "modern" OS is already a decade old.
If you’re running an older computer that can’t handle Windows 11, there’s still a way to stay secure without buying a new PC. Microsoft is offering enrollment in its Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, which provides critical security patches for an additional year, through October 13, 2026.
Originally designed for businesses, the ESU program has now been expanded to regular users. However, it’s meant only as a stopgap. ESU won’t deliver new features or performance fixes, just essential security updates.
You can enroll for free if you use the Windows Backup app to upload your files to OneDrive, or if you’ve earned at least 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. Otherwise, access to ESU costs a one-time fee of $30. Enrollment is open now and will remain available until October 13, 2026.
Need a new TV? LGs 55-inch C5 OLED is down to a record-low priceAmazon has the LG 55-inch C5 OLED TV on sale for its best price ever. Save over $130 for a limited time.
SAVE $132: As of Oct. 13, the LG 55-inch C5 OLED 4K TV is on sale for $1,164.80 at Amazon. That's 10% or $132 off its usual retail price of $1,296.99, and the best price on record.
If you're looking to upgrade your TV and don't want to wait until Black Friday, the LG C5 OLED 4K TV is already chilling at its best price ever.
As of Oct. 13, the LG 55-inch C5 OLED 4K TV is down to $1,164.80 at Amazon. That's $132 less than its usual list price of $1,296.99 and the lowest price on record since its March release. We know that's still a bit pricey for a new TV, but our sister site CNET calls its "top choice among 2025 TVs." In other words, you get what you pay for.
LG's C4 model from last year is still one of the best TVs you can get, but the C5 is even better, with a brighter, more vibrant, and color-accurate picture quality. Of course, like all of LG's high-quality OLEDs, it also has superior contrast with near-perfect black levels, so it looks great when you're watching from any angle. Other upgrades include a fully redesigned Magic Remote and AI capabilities (shocker). Packing four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 144Hz, the C5 OLED TV is a great choice for gaming, as well as watching sports, movies, and TV shows.
We wouldn't recommend running out and buying the latest LG C-Series TV when it's at full price, but while it's down to a record-low $1,164.80, we say go for it.
Apple sued, again, for allegedly using copyrighted material to train its AITwo lawsuits allege that Apple trained its Apple Intelligence models using pirated works.
Two neuroscientists are suing Apple, alleging that the company trained its AI models using pirated book libraries that included their works and the copyrighted works of others.
Apple now joins the ranks of other tech companies like Meta and OpenAI, which have also been sued over their use of copyrighted material to train AI systems. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
Typically, tech companies claim that the fair use legal doctrine allows them to use copyrighted material in this context, even without permission or payment.
The lawsuit from Dr. Susana Martinez-Conde and Dr. Stephen Macknik, professors of neuroscience at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, is actually the second lawsuit in just over a month that targets the iPhone maker for using copyrighted material to train its Apple Intelligence models.
Last month, authors Grady Hendrix and Jennifer Roberson also sued Apple, claiming the company's scraper, Applebot, pulls material from "shadow libraries," online collections of unlicensed copyrighted books.
The latest lawsuit from professors Martinez-Conde and Macknik also alleges that Apple is pulling copyrighted material for AI training from shadow libraries. The two plaintiffs say that Apple trained its OpenELM model using a pirated database called Books3, a shadow library that contains more than 190,000 works. This is the same pirated dataset at issue in Kadrey vs. Meta and Bartz vs. Anthropic, which were ultimately decided in the AI companies' favor.
However, the issue of AI training and copyright remains unsettled while various cases work their way through the U.S. court system.
Anthropic also settled a class action lawsuit in September, after being sued by authors over the use of 500,000 pirated works to train the company's AI chatbot Claude. Last month, Anthropic agreed to settle the lawsuit for $1.5 billion.
Hendrix and Roberson's lawsuit against Apple also seeks class action status.
Apple has previously been sued over Apple Intelligence, although these two lawsuits mark the first time the company has been sued over copyright infringement claims. Earlier this year, Apple was sued for advertising Apple Intelligence features that were delayed and not yet available for consumers. Elon Musk's X also sued Apple over its partnership with ChatGPT creator OpenAI. The deal between Apple and OpenAI involves the AI giant powering some Apple Intelligence features.
The 11-inch Apple iPad is still $70 off at Amazon well after October Prime DayThe Apple iPad, 11-inch (11th Generation) is on sale at Amazon for $279, down from the normal price of $349. That's a 20% discount.
SAVE $70: The Apple iPad, 11-inch (11th Generation. 128GB, WiFi) is on sale at Amazon for $279, down from the list price of $349. That's a 20% discount.
The weather outside might not be frightful just yet, but shockingly we're only two months away from winter. If your fall and winter plans involve reading, streaming the best new shows, or getting really good at Balatro, you'll want to head into the season with a capable tablet. Lucky for everyone, Amazon has a solid model on sale to kick off the week.
As of Oct. 13, the Apple iPad, 11-inch (11th Generation, 128GB, WiFi) is on sale for $279 at Amazon, marked from the standard price of $349. That's a 20% discount that takes $70 off the price. Be sure to go with the silver, yellow, or pink colorway to score this discount. The blue colorway is also on sale but it's only 9% off for a total of $319.
The Apple iPad (11 inch) earns Mashable's choice for the best tablet for most people. Its size combined with its storage space and ample ability to multitask makes it a great option. "You'll be able to multitask without the system sputtering out, whether you're watching YouTube videos, playing your favorite high-res games, or just have a habit of leaving your apps running in the background," according to Mashable Senior Shopping Reporter Leah Stodart and Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth.
Apple considers the iPad to have all-day battery life so it'll be great for cozy weekends on the couch. The 12 megapixel camera is great for video chats with family while arranging holiday plans. Plus, it's compatible with both the Apple Pencil and the Magic Keyboard Folio, both of which take the tablet to a whole new level of functionality.
While it's still at the October Prime Day sale price of $279, snag the Apple iPad, 11 inch and get prepared for cozy season. Plus, it'll be great for keeping entertained (read: distracted) during holiday travel.
Xbox refutes Target, Walmart pulling stock as rumors swirlXbox refutes Target, Walmart pulling stock as rumors swirl
A now-debunked Reddit rumor spread so fast across the internet that Xbox itself had to step in to clear the air.
It all started with a post on the r/Xbox subreddit, where one user claimed that Target was removing its Xbox section entirely. The user even cited a store manager who allegedly said that all Target locations in the Kansas City area were purging their Xbox stock.
The post exploded, with commenters piling on. Some claimed Walmart stores were doing the same, while others declared it the final nail in the coffin for Xbox as a console maker — pointing to Microsoft’s recent focus on cloud gaming and its all-in push for Game Pass subscribers.
But the rumor didn’t hold up. As reported by Windows Central, Xbox quickly refuted the claims, telling the outlet that "Target and Walmart, among other retailers, remain committed partners for Xbox consoles, accessories, and games.”
So, for now, you can still pick up an Xbox console off a store shelf at these retailers. Just be ready to pay a little more if you’re subscribing to Game Pass — a price hike is on the horizon.
Samsung TriFold phone: Everything we knowSamsung's rumored tri-folding foldable phone seems like it's close to being a reality, but will it launch stateside?
Samsung's next journey into the foldable frontier is reportedly happening soon.
Just a few months after launching the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 foldables, various reports indicate that Samsung is relatively close to launching another foldable device with a new form factor. This one is said to be a "tri-folding" foldable, meaning it will have two hinges instead of one and offer much more screen real estate than even the Z Fold 7. If devices like the Z Fold 7 don't quite tickle your "it's a phone, but it's also a tablet" fancy, this might be the foldable for you.
So, what exactly do we know about the Samsung TriFold (unofficial name)? Let's get into it.
For starters, let's get into what the rumored TriFold actually is. As I covered previously, it's going to be a smartphone that unfolds into a tablet-like form factor with two folding hinges instead of one, like the Z Fold 7. Samsung has yet to produce such a device, or even announce it, but the company did acknowledge its existence in a recent earnings call, so we can be fairly sure it's real.
According to a recent report from SamMobile, these are the specs you might be able to expect from the Samsung TriFold. To be clear, though, none of this is official information and it could be wrong:
6.5-inch exterior cover display
10-inch unfolded interior display
Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor
Up to 16GB RAM
At least 256GB storage
200MP primary rear camera along with ultrawide and telephoto lenses
100x digital zoom capabilities
In terms of processors, cameras, RAM, and all that other fun stuff, these specs are pretty similar to what you'd find in a Z Fold 7. The 6.5-inch cover display stands out especially, as the one on the Z Fold 7 is the exact same size. The 10-inch interior display, however, would be quite a bit bigger than the 8-inch equivalent in the Z Fold 7. That's the big selling point here: When it's folded, this is sized like a bigger traditional smartphone, but when you unfold it, you're unlikely to find any phone with a bigger display.
One obstacle that could stand in the way of that is thickness. There don't seem to be any credible leaks as to how thick the TriFold will be just yet, but Samsung has made great strides in that department this year between the Z Fold 7 and Galaxy S25 Edge. If the TriFold can achieve similar levels of thinness to those phones, Samsung might be onto something here.
Battery will also be something to watch. We don't have an approximate battery size or battery life estimate to work with yet. That said, Phone Arena spotted a Korean patent filing suggesting there will be three battery cells, with one hidden inside each side of the phone. That could help Samsung achieve a usable level of battery life for a device with two very large displays, but we'll have to wait until the device is in our hands before we can accurately judge that.
Lastly, there's no telling what the price of this device will be based on the information we have. But consider that the Z Fold 7, with just one folding hinge, starts at $1,999.99, and set your expectations from there.
As for when you can expect to see the phone, we have some more concrete information about that. Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported recently that Samsung will showcase the device at the imminent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (or APEC) summit, which is happening in South Korea on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. So, in other words, we'll probably see this device by the end of the month. It would most likely launch not terribly long after that, almost certainly before the end of the year.
That last part isn't idle speculation on my part. Multiple reports, including the previously cited SamMobile report and an earlier one from this year, suggested the phone will be out soon, and it might not be exclusive to the Asian market. SamMobile says it has heard that the phone will launch in at least the United Arab Emirates on top of its assumed Chinese and Korean launches, and could come to the U.S., too. Whether it will come to the U.S. at the same time as it launches elsewhere remains to be seen, but that seems unlikely if the phone is being announced at a Korean summit.
That about covers what we know about the Samsung TriFold at this point in time. Expect it to be expensive and geared towards enthusiasts and early adopters. Hopefully the new form factor is actually useful and not excessive.
How to watch Wales vs. Belgium online for freeHow to watch World Cup qualifiers for free. Live stream Wales vs. Belgium in World Cup qualifiers for free.
TL;DR: Live stream Wales vs. Belgium in World Cup qualifiers for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
World Cup qualification is still very much undecided in Group J. North Macedonia are top of the standings, but Wales and Belgium can take top spot with a win in this huge matchup. We're expecting a tense contest between two talented sides.
If you want to watch Wales vs. Belgium in World Cup qualifiers for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
Wales vs. Belgium in World Cup qualifiers kicks off at 7:45 p.m. BST on Oct. 13. This fixture takes place at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Wales vs. Belgium in World Cup qualifiers is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.
BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can access free live streams on BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.
Lve stream Wales vs. Belgium 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 the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer
Stream Wales vs. Belgium 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 watch Wales vs. Belgium in World Cup qualifiers without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select World Cup qualifiers before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including the UK
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 eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also 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 $12.95 (including money-back guarantee).
Live stream Wales vs. Belgium in World Cup qualifiers for free with ExpressVPN.
How to watch Northern Ireland vs. Germany online for freeHow to watch World Cup qualifiers for free. Live stream Northern Ireland vs. Germany in World Cup qualifiers for free.
TL;DR: Live stream Northern Ireland vs. Germany in World Cup qualifiers for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
World Cup qualification is really heating up, with Northern Ireland taking on Germany in an all-important Group A meeting. Three teams are tied on six points after three games, with top spot on offer to both sides in this matchup. The atmosphere is going to be electric at Windsor Park.
If you want to watch Northern Ireland vs. Germany in World Cup qualifiers for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
Northern Ireland vs. Germany in World Cup qualifiers kicks off at 7:45 p.m. BST on Oct. 13. This fixture takes place at Windsor Park.
Northern Ireland vs. Germany in World Cup qualifiers is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.
BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can access free live streams on BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.
Lve stream Northern Ireland vs. Germany 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 the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer
Stream Northern Ireland vs. Germany 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 watch Northern Ireland vs. Germany in World Cup qualifiers without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select World Cup qualifiers before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including the UK
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 eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also 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 $12.95 (including money-back guarantee).
Live stream Northern Ireland vs. Germany in World Cup qualifiers for free with ExpressVPN.
Apple AirPods 4 are on sale for their lowest-ever price at AmazonAs of Oct. 13, you can get the Apple AirPods 4 (with ANC) for $118.98, down from $179. That's the best-ever price.
SAVE 34%: As of Oct. 13, you can get the Apple AirPods 4 for $118.98, down from $179. That's a 34% discount and the best-ever price.
We're now a week out from Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event, but Amazon's gifting us with ongoing discounts on several high-ticket items, including tons of Apple products.
Right now, you can get the Apple AirPods 4 (with ANC) for just $118.98, down from $179. That's a 34% discount and the best-ever price. We honestly can’t believe Amazon’s letting these go for so low after the event.
The fourth-generation AirPods feature Apple's H2 chip for clearer calls with Voice Isolation. They're also built to handle workouts and commutes with an IP54 rating for dust, sweat, and water resistance. For listening time, you can expect up to five hours from a single charge and a total of 30 hours with the included USB-C charging case.
Score the DJI Mic Mini for just $99 — its best price to dateAs of Oct. 13, the DJI Mic Mini bundle is on sale for $99 at Amazon. That's a 41% discount from its usual price of $169.
SAVE 41%: As of Oct. 13, the DJI Mic Mini bundle is on sale for $99 at Amazon. That's a 41% discount from its usual price of $169, and a savings of $70.
With a potential U.S. ban on the horizon due to a looming national security review deadline, the window to buy the DJI gear is closing fast. Fortunately, the company has a few leftover Prime Day deals available on its Amazon storefront.
As of Oct. 13, the DJI Mic Mini bundle is on sale for $99 at Amazon. That's a 41% discount from its usual price of $169, and a savings of $70.
If you've been relying on your phone's built-in microphone, the DJI Mic Mini is the upgrade your TikToks need. This tiny, clip-on wireless system is iPhone- and Android-compatible, so your audio should sound crisp and professional no matter what device you're using. The kit includes two mics and a charging case that'll give you up to 48 hours of battery life. It's also packed with features for creating on the go, like two-level noise cancellation to block out background noise and a 400-meter transmission range.
How to watch Iceland vs. France online for freeHow to watch World Cup qualifiers for free. Live stream Iceland vs. France in World Cup qualifiers for free.
TL;DR: Live stream Iceland vs. France in World Cup qualifiers for free on TF1+. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
France have made a perfect start to their World Cup qualification campaign, and next they face up against Iceland. Most fans will be expecting a win from Les Blues, but don't count out the home team. Stranger things have happened.
If you want to watch Iceland vs. France in World Cup qualifiers for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
Iceland vs. France in World Cup qualifiers kicks off at 7:45 p.m. BST on Oct. 13. This fixture takes place at Laugardalsvöllur.
Iceland vs. France in World Cup qualifiers is available to live stream for free on TF1+.
TF1+ is geo-restricted to France, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in France, meaning you can access free live streams on TF1+ from anywhere in the world.
Lve stream Iceland vs. France 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 France
Visit TF1+
Stream Iceland vs. France 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 watch Iceland vs. France in World Cup qualifiers without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select World Cup qualifiers before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on TF1+, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including France
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 eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also 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 $12.95 (including money-back guarantee).
Live stream Iceland vs. France in World Cup qualifiers for free with ExpressVPN.
Upgrade to the M4 MacBook Air while the 512GB option is under $1,000Apple's 13-inch M4 MacBook Air is on sale for $999 at Amazon post-Prime Day. That's $200 off its list price for the 512GB option.
SAVE $200: As of Oct. 13, you can grab the Apple MacBook Air with the M4 chip and 512GB of storage in sky blue for only $999 at Amazon. That's $200 or 17% off its list price.
Apple's M4 MacBook Air is an incredible deal on any given day, but when it's $200 off, it's practically a no-brainer purchase if you're looking to upgrade.
As of Oct. 13, the 13-inch MacBook Air with an upgraded 512GB of storage is on sale for only $999. That's $200 or 17% off its list price and matches its best price to date. The only catch? The price is only reflected on the sky blue model. Every other color option jumped back up in price post-Prime Big Deal Days.
This Apple laptop, just released last spring, has racked up a ton of superlatives over the last 7 months. Not only is it a Mashable Choice Award winner, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars, but it has also earned a spot on our list of the best MacBooks, best cheap laptops, and best laptops overall of 2025. To put it bluntly, this thing is a beast. It outperforms 89% of the laptops in our current testing database.
Mashable's reviewer, Stan Schroeder, called it "the best-buy Apple laptop, period," specifically shouting out its "impressively powerful" and silent performance and improved FaceTime camera. Compared to its predecessor, it also adds open-lid support for two external displays. The 15-inch option is a bit more impressive, with more screen real estate, a slightly better resolution, and two extra speakers. But for most people, the 13-inch model will do just fine — it's a bit more portable and costs less: what's not to love? If you don't mind the muted blue color, you can score the 512GB MacBook Air for under $1,000 at Amazon.
The Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 just dropped to a record-low price at AmazonThe Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 is on sale at Amazon for $429, down from the list price of $799. That's a 46% discount.
SAVE $370: The Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 is on sale for $429 at Amazon, down from the standard price of $799. That's a 46% discount and the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.
The leaves are changing, rainfall totals are adding up, and there's snow in the mountains. We're just a few weeks away from Halloween and fall storms might arrive any day. If you're in need of a way to stay online when the power goes out, you've probably considered getting a portable power station. What's even smarter is buying one that's on sale for nearly half off.
As of Oct. 13, the Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 is on sale at Amazon for $429, marked down from the standard price of $799. That's a 46% discount and the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.
The Gen 2 version of the Anker Solix C1000 is a refined and sleek version of the original Solix C1000, which I loved in testing. The Gen 2 has a few notable upgrades and perhaps the most impressive is its recharging time. Holding a Guinness World Record for recharging speed, the Solix C1000 Gen 2 can go from dead to 100% power in just 49 minutes. That pretty much means you can forget that it's dead and get it recharged before you're supposed to leave for the weekend camping trip.
Anker also added some refinements to the overall weight and size of the Gen 2. It's both smaller and lighter than the original Solix C1000, and it impressively weighs a bit under 25 pounds. The Gen 2 also features better USB-C ports since two of the three can handle 140W. The original C1000 tops out at 100W for USB-C. The new Gen 2 also features an updated LCD display that's super user-friendly.
To cut down on weight and size, Anker did remove a few features on the Gen 2 that I love on the original Solix C1000. It's missing the lightbar, which I think is fantastic for both camping and carrying the power station around the house during a power cut. But if you have other light sources, this might not be a deal breaker.
The newer Solix C1000 Gen 2 also lacks expansion ability. You can pair the original with one extra battery to double the capacity, but the Gen 2 is stuck with its 1,024Wh permanent since it lacks the guts and port to accept an extra battery. Again, this might not be a totally acceptable for some folks, and isn't necessarily a downgrade. On the flipside, the Gen 2 has a higher peak output of 3,000W.
Today's sale price of $429 puts the Gen 2 in line with the current sale price on the original C1000, which is $429.99. The model that is best for your needs depends on if you prioritize a lightweight model with super quick recharging and two USB-C ports at 140W. If you want a lightbar and one extra AC port, the original might be your best bet.
In either case, both Solix C1000 models are on sale for under $430 at Amazon. This marks the all-time low price on the Gen 2 and since fall storms could hit any day now, it's wise to prepare.
Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The End of an Era docu-series is coming to Disney+Disney+ is debuting "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour | The End of an Era", a 6-episode behind-the-scenes documentary about the Eras Tour.
Taylor Swift is giving fans everything they could want this year. She got engaged to her boyfriend Travis Kelce, and made the whole wide world feel a part of it. She dropped her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, for us all to dissect and obsess over. Now, in time for the giving season, she's unveiling a deeper look than ever before into her globe-trotting, massively successful Eras Tour.
First up, Disney+ is debuting Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour | The End of an Era, a 6-episode behind-the-scenes documentary series that takes fans inside the development, inner workings, and impact of all things Eras Tour. And that's not all. Disney+ will also offer a new version of the Eras Tour concert, featuring The Tortured Poet Department.
Mark your calendars, Swifties. Disney+ will premiere both Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour | The End of an Era and Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show on Dec. 12.
Among the goodies of the Eras Tour documentary series directed by Don Argott, The End an Era will also offer appearances from spotlight performers, Swift's family members, and friends – including Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter, Ed Sheeran, and Florence Welch.
As for The Final Show, this Glenn Weiss-directed concert doc was recorded in Vancouver, B.C.. The final stop of Swift's Eras Tour, the Vancouver show delivered a slew of songs that audiences have long loved, including the entirety of The Tortured Poets Department.
Get a taste of what Swift has in store with the first trailer above.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour | The End of an Era and Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show will debut on Disney+ on Dec. 12.
New The Running Man trailer looks like Die Hard meets Home AloneA new trailer for writer/director Edgar Wright's adaptation of Stephen King's "The Running Man", starring Glen Powell, has dropped.
Given how dark the source material is, writer/director Edgar Wright could have gone in a pretty bleak direction for his adaptation of Stephen King's novella The Running Man — but judging by the trailers so far, it looks like he's gone down the popcorn-munching route instead.
In the trailer above Ben Richards (Chad Powers' Glen Powell) is shown trying to survive and hide from a team of killers for 30 days as part of a televised game show. If he's caught, he dies. If he survives, he wins $1 billion for his family and can pay for a doctor that his child is in desperate need of. It's a grim dystopian concept, but the trailer is full of action-packed sequences, explosions, and funy larger-than-life moments — including hunters falling victim to a booby-trapped house that's like something out of a much more violent Home Alone.
William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, Sean Hayes, Katy O’Brian with Colman Domingo and Josh Brolin also star.
The Running Man hits theaters on Nov. 7.
Bridgerton Season 4 trailer reveals release dateNetflix's trailer for 'Bridgerton' Season 4 reveals the blockbuster show's next release date.
If you thought that with New York Comic Con drawn to a close, the trailer watch had ended, Netflix has news for you. The Bridgerton Season 4 teaser trailer has landed, and with it, the release dates for Part 1 and Part 2.
As previously revealed, Season 4 of this hit series will focus on Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), the rebellious second son who's gotten up to sexy escapades in past seasons, but not yet been wed. As per the logline from Netflix, things are about to change:
Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down — until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother's masquerade ball.
Dear readers of Julia Quinn's novel An Offer from a Gentleman, the third in Julia Quinn's Bridgerton book series, know the Lady in Silver is Sophie (Yerin Ha). And this much anticipated-teaser gives us a glimpse at this new character to Bridgerton and the masquerade ball where she'll meet a masked Benedict (giving Princess Bride). The brush of a gloved hand. The stolen smile. The dropped glove! We're already swooning.
But how long will Bridgerton fans have to wait until we get more from Lady Whistledown and her saucy neighbors? Asked and answered:
Bridgerton Season 4 shall arrive in two parts, with Part 1 debuting on Netflix Jan. 29 and Part 2 on Feb. 26. Each section will offer four new episodes. Can you wait to "unmask true love"?
The Lego Minecraft The Crafting Table set has dropped to its lowest-ever price at AmazonAs of Oct. 13, the Lego Minecraft The Crafting Table set is discounted at Amazon to $71.99, 20% off its list price of $89.99.
SAVE OVER $10: As of Oct. 13, the Lego Minecraft The Crafting Table set is on sale for $71.99 at Amazon. This is $18 off its list price of $89.99.
Amazon still has some sale surprises up its sleeve between its October Prime Day sale event and Black Friday in November, particularly on Lego sets. At the moment, the Lego Minecraft The Crafting Table set is down to its lowest price yet at the retailer, which is great news if you're hoping to get some early holiday shopping done.
While it's usually listed for $89.99, the Lego Minecraft The Crafting Table set has dropped to $71.99 at Amazon, making for $18 in savings. According to price tracker camelcamelcamel, this is its lowest-ever price, so now's an excellent time to pick it up if you're shopping for a Minecraft fan.
It's worth noting that the Lego Minecraft The Crafting Table set is recommended for older fans, aged 18 and up. However, if you know a younger fan who desperately wants it, just give them a hand with the build and they'll be all set. It comes with 1,195 pieces that create a very fun display piece that features five mini build modules and shows off 12 biomes: the Deep Dark, Lush Cave, Swamp, Plains, Forest, Cherry Grove, Desert, Taiga, Snowy Taiga, Dripstone Cave, Ice Spikes, and River.
No Lego set is complete without some figures, and this comes with eight buildable figures to include alongside your display: Steve, Alex, a skeleton, witch, Creeper, villager, cow, and a pig. It's a real treat for Minecraft fans, so don't miss out on this limited-time deal on the Lego Minecraft The Crafting Table set at Amazon.
If you're on the hunt for even more Lego sets to pick up right now, check out our roundup of the best Halloween-themed Lego sets for some great ideas to piece together this month during spooky season.
Amazons Fire TV Stick 4K Max is back to its October Prime Day priceAs of Oct. 13, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is discounted at Amazon to $39.99, 33% off its list price of $59.99.
SAVE $20: As of Oct. 13, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is on sale for $39.99 at Amazon. This is 33% off its list price of $59.99, saving you $20.
Amazon's October Prime Day sale had plenty of great discounts on Amazon's own devices, and surprisingly, some of these discounts have stuck around. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max has actually retuned to its Prime Big Deal Days price, so if you missed out, now is your chance to grab it at this low price.
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is on sale for $39.99, as of Oct. 13. This is 33% off its list price of $59.99, allowing you to pocket $20. This is the price it dropped to during the October Prime Day sale, but it's currently marked as a limited-time deal, so you'll want to be quick to grab it at this price.
If you're spending more time inside during these cooler months, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max supports high-quality 4K Ultra HD resolution and WiFi 6E for smooth streaming quality, so you can watch all of the latest shows and movies on your favorite streaming services. It also supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos audio to further enhance the images and sounds and create a cinematic viewing experience in your own home.
On top of that, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max comes with 16GB of storage over the standard Fire TV Stick 4Ks, so you have plenty of space for apps. It even comes with the Fire TV Ambient Experience, which allows you to display art and photography on your screen when it's not in use.
Who knows how much longer this deal will last, so act fast to score the Fire TV Stick 4K Max back at its Prime Big Deal Days price. It's not the only streaming device that's still on sale, either. You can also save on the regular Fire TV Stick 4K right now, if you don't want to go all-out with the 4K Max.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A release date, filesize, new mechanics, and Pokédex confirmed'Pokémon Legends: Z-A' is out this week for Nintendo Switch 1 and 2. Here's everything you need to know including release date, time, filesize, Pokédex, Story and brand new game mechanics.
We've not been back to Kalos in over a decade. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I took a break in the Black and White era for various life reasons, but Pokémon X and Y threw me right back in thanks to the first true 3D Pokémon experience.
Fast-forward to 2025 and Mega Evolutions returns in Pokémon Legends: Z-A for Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, and the hype for the games and trading card game couldn't be any higher. If you want to see what the new era of Pokémon TCG looks like with Mega Evolution, my full review gives you just that and some deck building ideas.
Do you need to know global release times for Legends: Z-A? Maybe you've been living under a rock and are only just finding out about the latest Pokémon game and need more information? I've put all this information plus a full Pokédex list so you have all the information you need. Let's get into it.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A officially leaked and was datamined on Oct. 12, just days before release. There's all kind of information out there, but we won't be sharing or leaking anything here. It looks like the leaks have come from a physical copy of the Switch 1 version that was sold early by a retailer.
It's a good idea to take some precautions if you're looking to have a surprise or 12 on release day. I'd recommend going onto your social media accounts such as X, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, and the like and muting "Pokémon Legends Z-A", "Pokémon", "Mega Evolution", and "Mega" if you don't wish to see anything early.
Nintendo has confirmed that Pokémon Legends: Z-A will follow the usual regional rollout at 12 a.m. local time in most regions. In North America, however, the game launches based on ET, meaning players on the West Coast can start early on Oct. 15. Here's the full schedule for those who have pre-ordered the game digitally. For physical copies, most retailers deliver the day before or on release day:
Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025
9 p.m. PDT — San Francisco
11 p.m. CST — Mexico City
Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025
12 a.m. EDT — New York
12 a.m. BRT — São Paulo
12 a.m. BST — London
12 a.m. CEST — Paris, Rome, Berlin
12 a.m. EEST — Istanbul
12 a.m. UTC+5:30 — New Delhi
12 a.m. ICT — Hanoi
12 a.m. HKT — Hong Kong
12 a.m. CST — Beijing
12 a.m. JST — Tokyo
12 a.m. AEST — Sydney
No matter where you live, the wait will end at midnight on Oct. 16 or a few hours earlier if you’re in the U.S. The official line is a release date of Oct. 15, 2025 on Nintendo Switch 1 and 2.
Digital preloads have already gone live via Nintendo eShop, with trainers needing 4.1GB of free space on Nintendo Switch 1 and 7.7GB for Switch 2, although this may increase if there's a day one patch for whatever reason. We're also not sure about the file size for the Mega Dimension DLC, which will release at a later date this year.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 2 Digital Edition — $69.99
Pokémon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 1 Physical Edition — $59.99
Pokémon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 1 Digital Edition — $59.99
Legends: Arceus focused on trainers roaming a zoned open world, but Legends: Z-A focuses on an expanded Luminose City in the Kalos region. It looks like it's set some time after Pokémon X and Y, and introduces real-time battles over the standard turn-based RPG mechanics Pokémon is known for.
What does that mean? Well, it means you'll be commanding Pokémon on the fly, with status moves working to turn the tide of battle in real-time for an extra layer of strategy layered on top-of stat changes. Attacks now have cooldowns, adding more of an angle towards quick thinking and setting your Pokémon up for a win.
Mega Evolution has returned, but it's different. Now Mega Evolution is tied to a timer bar, which can be extended by collecting Mega Energy during raids and battles. Trainers will be happy with catching mechanics returning from Legends: Arceus, throwing Pokéballs to catch Pokémon outside of battle etc. Here's some more changes that make Legends: Z-A the biggest switch-up to the Pokémon formula since generation one:
Z-A Royale: Trainers are free to explore Luminose City during the day to catch, evolve, complete research tasks on Pokémon and, of course, progress the main story. At night, the city turns into a battle ground called the Z-A Royale. It's an all out battle to climb the ranks from Z to A, with gym-leader-like landmarks battles throughout.
Rogue Pokémon Encounters: Rogue Events are a good way to catch strong and sometimes Mega Evolved Pokémon throughout the day in Luminose City. Much like Scarlet and Violet and Sword and Shield, a team of four is required to take down these extra-strong Pokémon, serving as "Boss battles" in-game.
Districts and Factions: Luminose is now split into various districts that are designed to integrate wild Pokémon into city life, which trainers can upgrade and unlock over time by increasing faction reputations like tech corporations and street performers. These choice also affect how the main story progresses, shop access, and Mega Evolution Research.
Mega Research: Mega Stones are now locked behind research missions, hitting new tiers and completing battle trials. This in turn will grant new permissions (Mega Stones) from Professor Mable. And yes, that's ex-team Flare Mable from X and Y.
Years after the events in Pokémon X and Y, Luminose City in undergoing renovation and innovations following the destruction of Team Flare. Whilst improvements are planned, the good will behind integrating Pokémon into living in-city alongside humans and cutting edge technology might not seem as harmonious as it seems.
We've got the immortal and great War-ender AZ running hotel Z alongside his legendary Florette, which should serve as a nice redemption arc and a base hub for Pokémon trainers. Meanwhile, Quasartico Inc. is pushing for agressive urban renewal, and the mysterious Rust Syndicate runs the city's underground, which should see Quasartico's leader Jett and Rust Syndicates Corbeau clashing with trainers stuck in the middle of it all.
In terms of the Mega Dimension DLC, this will be end-game content that looks to focus on dimensional travel and access to brand new Mega Evolutions such as Raichu X and Y. Hoopa's portal rings have been show in-game to drag Pokémon from across time and space, which made for one of the best post-game storylines in Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby. So it's very possible that we'll be dealing with multiple dimensions, timelines, and brand new Mega Evolutions. Anything is possible.
Whilst the original Kalosian starter Pokémon will be available in game (Froakie, Fennikin, and Chespin), trainers will start with either Chikorita or Tottodile from generation one or Tepig for Generation five. Given that generation one and three starter Pokémon have Mega Evolution forms, it seems all but confirmed that they will be available in-game, although Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander, Trekko, Mudkip, and Torchic have not been officially revealed at the time of writing. It was also possible to unlock starter Pokémon from all previous generation in X and Y, so hopefully this trend will continue.
Below is the full alphabetical list of confirmed Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, along with notes on their known or returning Mega Evolutions. Just to confirm, we won't be covering or speculating on leaks, so this is the official list so far:
Abomasnow — Mega Abomasnow confirmed
Absol — Mega Absol confirmed
Aerodactyl — Mega Aerodactyl confirmed
Aggron — Mega Aggron confirmed
Aegislash
Alakazam — Mega Alakazam confirmed
Altaria — Mega Altaria confirmed
Ampharos — Mega Ampharos confirmed
Arbok
Ariados
Aron
Audino — Mega Audino confirmed
Avalugg (Hisuian form available via Pokémon Home)
Banette — Mega Banette confirmed
Bagon
Barbaracle
Bayleef
Beedrill — Mega Beedrill confirmed
Bellsprout
Bergmite
Binacle
Beldum
Buneary
Budew
Bunnelby
Camerupt — Mega Camerupt confirmed
Chandelure
Charizard — Mega Charizard X & Y confirmed
Charmander
Charmeleon
Chikorita
Clauncher
Clawitzer
Klefki
Croconaw
Dedenne
Diglett
Diggersby
Doublade
Dragalge
Dragonair
Dragonite
Dratini
Eevee
Electrike
Emboar
Emolga
Espeon
Espurr
Feraligatr
Fletchinder
Fletchling
Flabebe
Flareon
Floette (Eternal Flower Floette appears in main story)
Florges
Furfrou
Gabite
Garchomp — Mega Garchomp confirmed
Gardevoir — Mega Gardevoir confirmed
Garbodor
Gengar — Mega Gengar confirmed
Gible
Glaceon
Gogoat
Goodra (Hisuian form available via Pokémon Home)
Goomy
Gourgeist
Hawlucha
Heliolisk
Helioptile
Herdier
Hippopotas
Hippowdon
Honedge
Hoopa — Possible Mega or alternate form teased in DLC trailer
Houndoom — Mega Houndoom confirmed
Houndour
Inkay
Jolteon
Kangaskhan — Mega Kangaskhan confirmed
Klefki
Krokorok
Krookodile
Lairon
Lampent
Larvitar
Leafeon
Litwick
Litleo
Lopunny — Mega Lopunny confirmed
Lucario — Mega Lucario confirmed
Lumineon
Machamp
Machoke
Machop
Magikarp
Malamar
Manectric — Mega Manectric confirmed
Mareep
Mawile — Mega Mawile confirmed
Medicham — Mega Medicham confirmed
Meditite
Meganium
Metagross — Mega Metagross confirmed
Metang
Meowstic
Noibat
Noivern
Numel
Onix
Pancham
Pangoro
Panpour
Pansage
Pansear
Patrat
Pichu
Pikachu
Pinsir — Mega Pinsir confirmed
Pidgeot — Mega Pidgeot confirmed
Pidgeotto
Pidgey
Pignite
Pumpkaboo
Pupitar
Pyroar
Raichu — Mega Raichu X & Y confirmed (Mega Dimension DLC)
Ralts
Riolu
Roselia
Roserade
Rotom
Sableye — Mega Sableye confirmed
Salamence — Mega Salamence confirmed
Sandile
Scrafty
Scraggy
Scizor — Mega Scizor confirmed
Scyther
Shuppet — Mega Banette confirmed through Shuppet line
Simipour
Simisage
Simisear
Skiddo
Skrelp
Sliggoo (Hisuian form available via Pokémon Home)
Slowbro — Mega Slowbro confirmed
Slowking — Galarian form via Pokémon Home
Slowpoke — Galarian form via Pokémon Home
Slurpuff
Snover
Spewpa
Spinarak
Spritzee
Starmie
Staryu
Steelix — Mega Steelix confirmed
Stoutland
Swablu
Swirlix
Talonflame
Tepig
Totodile
Trubbish
Tyranitar — Mega Tyranitar confirmed
Umbreon
Vaporeon
Victreebel
Vivillon
Watchog
Weedle
Weepinbell
Zygarde (10%, 50%, and Complete forms confirmed)
(Additional Mega Evolutions may be announced in future updates or DLC expansions.)
The Stranger Things cast rewatching Season 2 together is the recap we needThe "Stranger Things" cast sat down to rewatch Season 2 ahead of the new season's release.
It's been over three years since Season 4 of Stranger Things, and a whopping nine years since the show's first season — in short, we're going to need a recap ahead of Season 5.
Fortunately the cast has us covered, with Netflix sharing a video of them rewatching Season 1 last week, and now a video of the Season 2 rewatch this week — complete with new cast additions of Sadie Sink as Max, and Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair.
Oh, and if you need more Stranger Things ahead of the show's final season, check out this featurette that drops a few clues about what's to come.
Amazon has slashed $50 off the JBL Tune 670NC headphonesAs of Oct. 13, the JBL Tune 670NC headphones are discounted at Amazon to $59.95. This is 45% off their list price of $109.95.
SAVE $50: As of Oct. 13, the JBL Tune 670NC headphones are on sale for $59.95 at Amazon. This is $50 off their list price of $109.95.
This moment of time between October Prime Day and Black Friday may be a bit quiet, but it's not without good deals. There are a few headphone and earbud deals still floating around right now at Amazon after its latest sale event, including $50 off the JBL Tune 670NC headphones.
If you've been looking to score some new headphones, the JBL Tune 670NCs have dropped to $59.95. This is 45% off their usual retail price of $109.95, and what's even better is most of the available colors are marked down to this price as well. Choose between the black, blue, or white headphones.
Alongside having a nice variety of colors to choose from, the JBL Tune 670NC headphones offer Adaptive Noise Cancelling so you can feel completely absorbed in the sounds you're listening to without any outside distractions. Or, if you're wanting to pay closer attention to your surroundings while you're out and about, these headphones have Ambient Aware and TalkThru features that make it easier to hear what's going on around you.
These headphones even offer up to 70 hours of battery life (with ANC off) to keep you busy. Why wait to treat yourself to something new? Score the JBL Tune 670NC headphones for 45% off at Amazon while the deal is still available.
If you don't mind spending a little extra cash, check out our breakdown of the best headphones to see even more options we think are worth your time and money.
Upgrade your movie nights with this stunning mini projector deal — save over $50Find the best mini projector deal. Save 48% on the Magcubic Mini Projector at Amazon.
SAVE $53: As of Oct. 13, the Magcubic Mini Projector is on sale for $56.99 at Amazon. That's a 48% saving on the list price.
It's the season of cozy movies, scary movies, and rewatching the same comfort shows over and over again, and we couldn't be happier about it. And there are some things that can level up your movie nights at this time of year like nothing else: great snacks, aesthetic lighting, and of course, the screen you're watching everything on. While a big TV can be nice, if you really want that movie theater experience, why not try a mini projector?
These are clever devices that can stream movies or TV shows via WiFi or Bluetooth, without any complicated setup. And right now, you can get a deal on a great model at Amazon. As of Oct. 13, the Magcubic Mini Projector is currently at its best-ever price, reduced to $56.99. That's a $53 saving on list price.
This is the perfect option for a simple setup anywhere. It has 8,000 lumens and an 8000:1 contrast ratio, so it will display bright, clear images for movies or gaming, and the built-in 5W SoundBase Speaker adds great sound without the need for extra speakers. It’s super versatile too, you can mount it on the ceiling, place it on a table, use a tripod, or rotate it 180 degrees. And as the name suggests, it's mini in weight, at just 0.88lb, so it’s easy to move around.
WiFi and Bluetooth give you instant access to over a million videos without an external streaming stick, and the Air Mouse remote makes navigation easy and hassle free, control it from sitting down. You can even control it with voice commands.
While easy to use anywhere, the manufacturer recommends setting up with a 5.2ft distance for an 80-inch screen for the best viewing experience.
Pick up this mini projector from Amazon now.
The Apple AirTag 4-pack is still at its Prime Day price — save over $30Find the best Apple AirTags deal. Save 34% on the Apple AirTag 4-pack at Amazon.
SAVE $34.01: As of Oct. 13, the Apple AirTag 4-pack is on sale for $64.99 at Amazon. That's a 34% saving on the list price.
Apple products were the stars of the show during Prime Big Deal Days. Everything from AirPods to iPads saw big discounts, and some are still hanging around, like this latest deal on the AirTag 4-pack. As of Oct. 13, they are priced at $64.99, a saving of over $30 on list price.
AirTags are a lifesaver product if you regularly lose your phone, keys, passport, or anything you need regularly. They essentially work as a tracking device. Attach it to your item of choice and use the Find My app to track it. You can even share an AirTag with up to five people, so items that everyone uses can be tracked.
For items that are near but out of sight, they have a small speaker built in that will play a sound to help you locate the item. They are also IP67 water and dust resistant, so if your items end up somewhere they really shouldn't, the AirTag will still be trackable.
And if your item ends up further away than you'd like, hope is not lost. It can still be tracked through hundreds of millions of Apple devices in the Find My network.
Get this AirTag deal at Amazon before it goes back up in price.
Get the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge for its lowest-ever price — save over $400 for a limited timeFind the best smartphone deal. Save 40% on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge at Amazon.
SAVE $490: As of Oct. 13, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is on sale for $729.99 at Amazon. That's a 40% saving on the list price.
Prime Day has been and gone, but that doesn't mean the discounts are dead. If you're lucky, you might find the products at the top of your wishlist are still heavily discounted, or if you're really lucky, you might find them priced even lower. If you're in the market for a new phone and find the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge catches your eye, then you're one of the really lucky ones.
Yep, as of Oct 13, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge isn't just on sale, it's at its lowest-ever price and beats Prime Day. The new price of $729.99 is for the 512GB phone, and is available in the titanium jet black, titanium silver, and titanium icyblue colors.
The price is just one selling point of this phone. If you're looking for a model with a great camera, then look no further. It has a super sharp 200MP camera and benefits from Galaxy AI to enhance selfies and videos. It's fast, too, powered by Samsung’s most advanced processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite. This means no lagging or slow moving time between apps.
It's sleek too, and is the slimmest S Series phone yet. But despite this super-slim design, it's tough. Built with a titanium build and a Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 face, this phone is built to last.
Pick up this great smartphone deal from Amazon now.
The JBL Tune Buds are at their lowest-ever price — save over $50 on new earbuds right nowFind the best earbuds deal. Save 55% on the JBL Tune Buds at Amazon.
SAVE $55: As of Oct. 13, JBL Tune Buds are on sale for $44.95 at Amazon. That's a 55% saving on the list price.
JBL headphones are some of the best around. They offer great quality, a reliable name, and they're generally pretty affordable. Especially when they sport great discounts at Amazon, like this latest sale on the JBL Tune Buds. As of Oct. 13, this pair aren't just on sale for $55 off; they're currently at their lowest-ever price.
This great deal is a lingering Prime Day price. Most of these deals have vanished by now (but not all, so don't give up discount hope), so we can't guarantee this price will hang around for long. So if you're in need of some quality earbuds, don't wait.
These earbuds benefit from JBL's Pure Bass Sound. This means you'll get 10mm drivers enhanced by the buds to hear every beat. And the sound quality pros don't end there, as you'll also get Active Noise Cancelling with Smart Ambient technology. The noise cancelling technology lets you reduce the amount of audio distractions around you. Coffee shop chatter, TV background noise, whatever it is, it's gone. And with the Ambient Aware, you can choose to tune into your surroundings at any time. Cyclists, approaching cars, all of the important things you still want to hear.
They also have a great battery life, so you're always connected. Get up to 48 hours of battery life. And when you are running low, a quick 15 minutes of charging will give you four hours of playtime.
Get this earbud deal at Amazon before it runs out.
Apple might launch new iPad Pro, Vision Pro, and more this weekApple is reportedly launching a new iPad Pro, a revamped Vision Pro, and possibly a new MacBook Pro this week.
Apple is preparing to launch several new products this week.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims that Apple will launch an updated iPad Pro, Vision Pro, and (likely) a 14-inch MacBook Pro. The company won't hold an event for the launch, instead merely launching them via press releases.
The key part for all these upgrades is Apple's new M5 chip, which will see its debut in all three devices.
Rumors (via MacRumors) indicated that the iPad Pro will not significantly change in terms of design, but will have more RAM, alongside the new M5 chip.
Similarly, the Vision Pro will also mostly stay the same aside from the inclusion of the M5 chip and, possibly, a new R2 chip for input processing. Other details, such as new Space Black color option and a comfier head strap are possible, too.
The news is part of Gurman's wider report on the Vision Pro, in which he claims that the company is scaling back its plans for a cheaper, lighter Vision Pro in order to focus on smart glasses. That device is still on the table, and will be launched "eventually." For now, however, this minor upgrade will have to suffice.
Finally, the new 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 chip is ready to launch, though it's not quite clear whether it will launch this week. If it does, it will probably be very similar to last year's model.
Larger, more powerful MacBook Pro models aren't likely to launch this soon; Gurman claims that Apple can only produce the entry-level M5 chip at volume, while more powerful M5 Pro and M5 Max chips will come later.
Finally, a new AirTag, HomePod mini, and an upgraded Apple TV are "still very much on the road map," as are new iPad and iPad Air, and two new external monitors; all of this will arrive in "the coming months," the report claims.
Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 13, 2025Here's the answer for "Wordle" #1577 on October 13 as well as a few hints, tips, and clues to help you solve it yourself.
Today's Wordle answer is sometimes a bit fuzzy.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
A personal grooming choice.
There are no recurring letters.
Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.
Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
BEARD
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
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 the latest Wordle.
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 13, 2025Connections is a New York Times word game that's all about finding the "common threads between words." How to solve the puzzle.
The NYT Connections puzzle today is a bit more complex than usual and features a lot of misdirects.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Spot of trouble
Green: Nightlife
Blue: Later
Purple: Part of the answer is relevant to the clue
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Metaphors for potentially volatile situations
Green: Bar events
Blue: Words after a welcome departure
Purple: Ending with synonyms for "Swindle"
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections #855 is...
Metaphors for potentially volatile situations: CAN OF WORMS, HORNET'S NEST, MINEFIELD, PANDORA'S BOX
Bar events: HAPPY HOUR, KARAOKE, LIVE MUSIC, TRIVIA NIGHT
Words after a welcome departure: ABOUT TIME, FINALLY, GOOD RIDDANCE, SAYONARA
Ending with synonyms for "Swindle": AMERICAN HUSTLE, COMIC CON, GOLDEN FLEECE, LUCKY STIFF
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
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 the latest Connections.
NYT Strands hints, answers for October 13, 2025The NYT Strands hints and answers you need to make the most of your puzzling experience.
Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you have a birdfeeder.
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.
The words are related to a type of animal.
These words describe feathered friends.
Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
Today's spangram is Fall Migration.
Duck
Hawk
Finch
Goose
Warbler
Thrush
Fall Migration
Wren
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 the latest Strands.
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 13, 2025Connections: Sports Edition is a New York Times word game about finding common sports threads between words. How to solve the day's puzzle.
Today's Connections: Sports Edition requires some knowledge of finishes and positions.
As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Outcomes with no winner
Green: Iron sharpens iron
Blue: Pool dive finish
Purple: Midwest college coaches
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Even Match
Green: Outdo
Blue: Diving positions
Purple: Big Ten Football Head Coaches
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #385 is...
Even Match - DEADLOCK, DRAW, STALEMATE, TIE
Outdo - ECLIPSE, OUTSHINE, SURPASS, TRANSCEND
Diving positions - FREE, PIKE, STRAIGHT, TUCK
Big Ten Football Head Coaches - DAY, FISCH, FLECK, RHULE
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
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 the latest Connections.
NYT Pips hints, answers for October 13, 2025The New York Times' latest game, Pips, brings domino fun to your desktop. How to play Pips as well as hints in case you get stuck.
Happy Monday and welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.
Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.
Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.
If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.
The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.
Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:
Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.
If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.
Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically; 4-0, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed vertically.
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 3-5, placed vertically.
Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add to 2. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically.
Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally; 2-2, placed vertically.
Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically.
Number (15): Everything in this space must add to 15. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically; 2-5, placed vertically; 5-3, placed vertically.
Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.
Number (15): Everything in this dark blue space must add to 15. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically; 6-2, placed vertically; 3-2, placed vertically.
Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 3-2, placed vertically.
Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 6-5, placed vertically.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add to 10. The answer is 6-5, placed vertically; 0-5, placed horizontally.
Equal (0): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally; 0-6, placed horizontally.
Equal (1): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 1. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically; 1-6, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed vertically.
Equal (4): Everything in this green space must be equal to 4. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 4-3, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for October 13, 2025Answers to each clue for the October 13, 2025 edition of NYT's The Mini crossword puzzle.
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.
With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.
So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.
Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Monday, Oct. 13, 2025:
The answer is Knob.
The answer is No No.
The answer is Dirty.
The answer is If so.
The answer is Deep.
The answer is Knife.
The answer is Norse.
The answer is On top.
The answer is Boy.
The answer is Dip.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Mini Crossword.
The next Starship test is ready for liftoff. Heres what SpaceX plans to do.SpaceX's Starship is back at the launch pad for its 11th flight test, hoping to duplicate the success of its August flight while adding new challenges.
Coming off a successful flight test in August, SpaceX will try to continue Starship's redemption story with its next launch.
This time, Elon Musk's space company will attempt a new landing strategy for the booster and a more aggressive test of the ship's heat shield, which protects it from the extreme heat while reentering Earth's atmosphere. The last phase of the flight will also incorporate a new banking maneuver.
The upcoming Flight 11 test could happen as early as 6:15 p.m. CT on Monday from Starbase, Texas, SpaceX's headquarters, which is also now an official city. Starship's hourlong flight is expected to conclude with a splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Whether it can achieve that unscathed remains to be seen. SpaceX suffered a string of failures and mishaps earlier this year, including an explosion on the test stand in June.
Anyone can watch a livestream of the launch either on SpaceX's website or on X.com, the social platform also owned by billionaire Musk. The broadcast will begin roughly 30 minutes before liftoff, but the exact time is subject to changes based on the rocket-fueling process and weather.
"Over the course of a flight test campaign, success will continue to be measured by what we are able to learn," the company said.
NASA is counting on Starship, a 400-foot-tall, super-heavy-lift rocket and spaceship system, to put its first astronauts on the moon under a $4.2 billion contract. Though the U.S. space agency has its own rocket and spaceship, Starship is expected to ferry the crew from lunar orbit to the moon's surface for the last leg of the journey.
That mission, Artemis III, will be the first human landing in a half-century and could happen as early as 2027, though development delays will likely cause the schedule to slip. SpaceX must first demonstrate it can refuel in space, and touch down on land — specifically, the moon's cratered south pole region. So far, its prototypes have only plopped down in water on Earth.
Starship is also a passion project for Musk, who wants to eventually send humans to Mars and build a self-sustaining city on the Red Planet.
But how soon Starship can reach that level of safety and reliability is unclear. An explosion of a prototype on the ground this summer was a jarring image — and a sign that the vehicle is far from ready for people. SpaceX said the accident stemmed from a damaged high-pressure nitrogen tank, which caused the rocket to break apart and catch fire. No one was hurt, but the incident didn't help public opinion of the rocket's readiness for human spaceflight.
SpaceX’s last Starship test lifted off smoothly on Aug. 26. The booster completed a controlled descent back toward Earth and had a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, while the upper stage reached space. The ship then performed a payload demonstration, releasing eight mock Starlink satellites from a giant Pez-like dispenser. It then restarted one of its engines mid-flight.
During reentry, Starship’s heat shield and body were deliberately pushed to their limits before performing a controlled landing in the Indian Ocean.
"We probably gave it a little bit of extra time in the oven," said Dan Huot, a SpaceX spokesperson and launch commentator.
This upcoming test will expand on what the company learned from Flight 10, according to the company. The booster, which is being recycled from a previous flight, will use 24 Raptor engines and test a new way of landing at sea. Instead of returning to the launch pad, it will plunge into the Gulf of Mexico.
During its descent, the booster will attempt to switch between different groups of engines to see how the rocket behaves. SpaceX says this data will help engineers prepare for future boosters that may use more engines for safety and precision.
The ship will again release eight dummy satellites and try to restart one of its engines while coasting in space. Then, as the ship returns, SpaceX will see how it weathers the stress and friction of reentry by removing some heat-protection tiles.
The ship will perform a series of controlled turns to practice how future missions could steer back toward the launch site, according to SpaceX. If all goes to plan, it will splash down in the Indian Ocean.
Transform your iPhone or iPad into a smart scanner for just $25Make scanning a breeze with a lifetime subscription to the iScanner App, on sale now for $24.99 (reg. $199.90) with code SCAN through November 2.
TL;DR: Make scanning a breeze with a lifetime subscription to the iScanner App, on sale now for $24.99 (reg. $199.90) with code SCAN through November 2.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur handling important work documents or a busy parent keeping tabs on important forms for the kids, it’s important to have a scanner handy. iScanner App makes it easier than ever to digitize documents, transforming your iPhone or iPad into a scanning machine. And right now, you can score a lifetime subscription to this handy app for just $24.99 (reg. $199.90) with code SCAN until November 2.
There are endless reasons you need a scanner in your life, and if you don’t have one you know the inconvenience of searching for a way to upload a document at the last minute. iScanner App makes those frustrations a thing of the past, making it easier than ever to scan something quickly with your iPhone or iPad.
Need to upload your signature? Want to safeguard a handwritten note? Just grab your device and point the camera at the page you need to scan. iScanner takes it from there, with AI-powered features that can automatically detect and adjust the borders of your document, without any curves or distortions.
If you need to polish up your scan, iScanner has editing tools like color correction and noise-removing features. You can even take advantage of iScanner’s ability to solve math problems and translate text in up to 20 different languages.
After scanning, iScanner can serve as your own document manager. Organize your files with the drag-and-drop functionality and sort them into folders. It also serves as a PDF editor, allowing you to sign, add text, auto-fill documents with custom templates, and much more within these difficult file types.
Act fast to score a lifetime subscription to the iScanner App, on sale for $24.99 (reg. $199.90) with code SCAN now through November 2.
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TL;DR: Get your work done in one convenient spot with MobiOffice, on sale now for just $29.99 (reg. $119.97).
Looking for a one-stop shop when it comes to getting your work done? If you’re sick of hopping from app to app, MobiOffice has you covered. It’s a convenient hub that lets you create presentations, documents, spreadsheets, and organize your email. And it’s currently on sale for $29.99 (reg. $119.97).
Want to make your work life a little easier? MobiOffice gives you a convenient spot to get things done — unlike other office suites that make you jump from app to app. You can handle everything from work emails to budget spreadsheets in one place, thanks to four powerful tools within the app.
MobiOffice handles all your document needs, with easy-to-use templates and handy features like spell check and an AI-powered paraphraser. If you need to make a spreadsheet, MobiSheets can help, making data visualization a breeze for everyone from beginners to pros.
If you need to whip up a presentation, MobiSlides contains all the tools you’ll need to wow your colleagues. There are templates, animations, and more to make your information pop. When it comes time to send emails, you can keep tabs on those and your personal calendar within MobiMail.
Rounding out this suite? MobiPDF, a free PDF reader that makes working with these pesky file types much easier.
Get all your work tasks done without hopping around thanks to MobiOffice, on sale now for $29.99 (reg. $119.97).
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TL;DR: Give an old PC a makeover with the Adobe Acrobat Pro and Microsoft Office Professional 2019 License Bundle, on sale now for $89.99 (reg. $553).
Old computers, it’s time to rejoice. You’re about to see a lot more action thanks to the Adobe Acrobat Pro and Microsoft Office Professional 2019 License Bundle, which gives your PC a new lease on life with two powerful tools.
Get this three-year Adobe Acrobat license and a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2019 together for just $89.99 (reg. $553).
Looking for an easy and affordable way to give yourself a productivity boost? There’s no need to run out and buy a new computer — just let this bundle come to the rescue. It offers a total of eight apps geared toward helping you with your personal and professional tasks.
First up, a three-year license to Adobe Acrobat 2024 Pro, handy PDF editing software that makes these difficult files more manageable. This tool lets you create new PDFs from scratch, edit text on existing PDFs, and convert PDFs to Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files.
Working with sensitive information? You can also password-protect your PDFs or redact confidential information with Adobe Acrobat 2024 Pro. It’s all straightforward thanks to this app’s new interface, which makes the PDF editing tools easy to find and use.
When you’re done working with PDFs, you can take advantage of the seven apps included with Microsoft Office Professional 2019. This license outfits your PC with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access, all redesigned with improved features and cloud connectivity.
Upgrade your computer with this Adobe Acrobat Pro and Microsoft Office Professional 2019 License Bundle, on sale now for $89.99 (reg. $553).
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It's another moon phase tonight, which means the moon will look around half full (or, half gone?). But what phase is it, and what does it mean? Let's find out.
As of Monday, Oct. 13, the moon phase is Third Quarter. Tonight, only 53% will be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.
Third Quarter is also known as the Last Quarter. This occurs when then there is half a moon, but the left side is lit. First Quarter occurs when the right side is lit.
There's plenty to see on the moon's surface tonight, even with half of the moon in darkness. With just your naked eye, enjoy a glimpse of the Mare Imbrium, Aristarchus Plateau, and the Kepler Crater. If you want to take your moon gazing a bit more seriously, take out a pair of binoculars. With these, you'll see even more, including the Clavius and Alphonsus Craters and the Mare Humorum. And if you're lucky enough to have a telescope, you'll see all this plus the Apollo 14 and 15 landing spots, and the Reiner Gamma, a lunar swirl on the moon's surface.
The next full moon will be on Nov. 5.
Moon phases are a cycle that occur every 29.5 days, as the moon travels around Earth. The changes happen because the Sun, Earth, and Moon are always moving relative to each other. From here on Earth, the Moon can look full, partly lit, or even completely dark, but we always see the same side. What’s different each night is how much sunlight is hitting it.
The eight main moon phases are:
New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).
Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.
Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
The best SSD for gamingThe best SSDs for gaming, including options for consoles and PCs.
Here's a pro top for gamers: Success is all about small margins. Whether you are looking to invest in a new gaming mouse, keyboard, or monitor, the objective is the same. Hardware is made to improve your overall experience and therefore gain a competitive edge over other players. No matter how small the variables, you've got to be in it to win it.
The same goes for SSDs. Sure, they're little, but these devices can have a significant impact on your gaming system. And it's never not a good time for an upgrade. SSDs (solid state drives) have become the standard memory hardware for a reason and the technology moves — like the very best SSDs — at blazing speeds.
That's all very well, but it you don't know your SSDs from your RPGs, it's not easy to select the right model for you and your computer. That's why we're here to help. Keep reading for some useful information on solid state drives and a selection of the best SSDs available for gaming right now.
A solid-state drives is an all-electronic, non-volatile random access storage device. SSDs are used as the internal storage in smartphones, tablets, and laptops, and are increasingly often found instead of hard drives in desktop computers. This is because they work faster, meaning a device's operating system will boot up faster, programs will load quicker, and files can be saved almost instantly.
The short answer is "no, not necessarily". If you are already equipped with decent CPU, RAM, GPU, and storage, you should have no issue with your gaming system. However, if you are really looking to squeeze everything you can out of your experience, you could benefit from investing in a gaming-friendly SSD. Adding an SSD will result in faster game load times, improved game boot times, and smoother general gameplay. And what gamer doesn't want that? It's a no brainer.
In this case, we say "yes, absolutely". The PS5 comes equipped with just 667GB of usable internal storage. Not only will that fill up in no time, but we're just really just scratching the surface of PS5 gaming. That means there's still a whole lot of games, campaigns, and data to come that you'll need extra storage to enjoy.
Unlike a hard disc drive, an SSD is made up of two key components: A controller and flash memory chips. The SSD reads and writes data to these flash memory chips. If that all sounds confusing, here's a quick guide to some of the jargon:
Endurance — This refers to the maximum data that can be written onto an SSD, generally measured by DWPD (drive writes per day).
Flash memory — A type of non-volatile data storage. It essentially means that it retains data even when the power source is switched off.
Heatsink — A heatsink transfers heat from your SSD. A heatsink may be built into your SSD, or can be bought separately.
Read/write speeds — This is how fast the SSD takes to open a file on your device (i.e. read) and how fast it saves data on the SSD (writes). This is measured in MB/s (megabits per second). These speeds are sometimes measured in IOPS (input/output operations per second) depending on the manufacturer.
SATA — Serial ATA is an interface that connects the SSD to your computer. It has typically been the standard connecting technology. SATA SSDs have max speeds of around 600 MB/s.
PCIe — PCI Express is an alternative, faster interface used on later gen SSDs with speeds of 3,000 MB/s or more.
NVMe — This is a high-speed transfer protocol. NVMe SSDs usually use PCIe, so SSDs are generally defined as either SATA or NVMe.
We know that's a lot to take in, but we promise it's not that complicated. Keep these points in mind when considering the options out there.
You have plenty of options when it comes to SSDs. There are a lot of recognised brands that produce high-quality devices that can significantly improve your gaming experience. To help you find the best option for your system, we have lined up a selection of the best SSDs for gaming.
These are the best gaming SSDs in 2025.
Judge lifts order requiring OpenAI to preserve ChatGPT logsJudge lifts order requiring OpenAI to preserve ChatGPT logs
A small but significant victory for OpenAI: the court order requiring the company to preserve all of its ChatGPT data indefinitely has been lifted.
The original May 13 order — which OpenAI vehemently opposed — stemmed from an ongoing lawsuit filed by the New York Times in 2023. The paper alleges that OpenAI trained its AI models on Times content without proper authorization or compensation. The NYT is one of several news publishers currently suing OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, including The Intercept, Alternet, and Mashable's own parent company, ZiffDavis.
In a new order filed on Oct. 9, federal judge Ona T. Wang released OpenAI from its obligation to "preserve and segregate all output log data that would otherwise be deleted on a going-forward basis." With a few exceptions, the company is no longer required to maintain logs past Sept. 26.
The initial preservation order had allowed NYT to investigate its claims of copyright infringement. OpenAI, however, argued that the requirement was an "overreach" — one that could compromise user privacy and data security. The company ultimately lost that fight, with Judge Wang ruling that ChatGPT users are "non-parties" to the lawsuit. By July, the plaintiffs had begun combing through the preserved logs, which largely consisted of ChatGPT outputs.
Although the preservation order has now been rescinded, any logs saved under it remain accessible. OpenAI is also still required to retain logs linked to accounts specifically flagged by the New York Times.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
This SNL commercial imagines a non-non-alcoholic beerThis 'SNL' commercial imagines a non-non-alcoholic beer
What’s the solution for someone trying to sober up, still wants to hang in beer culture, but also kind of misses being drunk? According to Saturday Night Live, it’s simple: non-non-alcoholic beer.
In the fake commercial, Andrew Dismukes plays a chipper spokesperson and family man who proudly drinks non-alcoholic beer so he can "do the right thing" while still kicking back with the guys. But before long, he realizes something’s missing — namely, the part where you actually get drunk.
Enter non-non-alcoholic beer: the first "alcohol-free" beverage that’s somehow over 90 percent alcohol.
Of course, things take a darkly funny turn. Just like the "CouplaBeers" sketch from Season 50, our happy host’s drinking problem quickly shines through. His buddy (Kam Patterson) points out his breath smells like gasoline, and his wife (Ashley Padilla) starts to worry he’s fallen off the wagon.
The commercial’s big selling point: "Now I can drink and drive." Cue the horrified laughter.
SNL spoofs surprise Netflix hit The Hunting Wives'SNL' spoofs surprise Netflix hit 'The Hunting Wives'
You know a show has crossed into the pop-culture mainstream when it lands a spoof on Saturday Night Live. And that’s exactly what’s happened to Netflix’s glossy murder melodrama The Hunting Wives.
For the uninitiated, the show follows Brittany Snow (played here by Chloe Fineman) as a young woman from the East Coast who relocates to East Texas with her husband after a deadly drunk-driving accident. Once there, she becomes infatuated with her husband’s boss, played in the real series by Malin Akerman — and by Amy Poehler in the sketch — as the two spiral into a mess of drugs, secrets, and a young girl’s murder.
It’s got all the ingredients of a deliciously trashy Netflix hit, somewhere between You and Yellowstone. But what it’s really famous for — and what SNL zeroes in on — is just how gay the whole thing is. "Millions of Americans tuned into season one of The Hunting Wives, the straight-but-lesbian, horny Republican murder drama," the sketch’s narrator declares.
The parody nails every hallmark of the show: the overly sensual "teaching moments" between the lead women, gratuitous thigh-touching, terrible wigs, and — because it’s still a sudsy thriller at heart — wildly inappropriate relationships between adults and barely legal teens.
Even Aubrey Plaza pops up as a new arrival to the neighborhood, an actual lesbian whose presence isn’t exactly welcomed by the Hunting Wives themselves.
SNL cold open mocks Pam Bondis Senate hearing'SNL' cold open mocks Pam Bondi's Senate hearing
Saturday Night Live continues its 51st season with a sharp take on the bizarre, roundabout Senate Judiciary Committee hearing featuring President Trump’s attorney general, Pam Bondi.
Bondi, played by this week’s host Amy Poehler, sits before Congress to face an avalanche of alleged transgressions from the Trump administration — including the Epstein Files, the deployment of troops in American cities, and the indictment of former FBI chief James Comey.
Unsurprisingly, just like in real life, SNL’s Pam Bondi has no answers.
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" asks Senator Grassley, played by James Austin Johnson. Bondi replies with a resounding "no."
Instead, the attorney general comes armed with insults for each Committee member. When that fails, she calls in backup: former SNL stalwart Tina Fey, nearly unrecognizable under layers of MAGA makeup, as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 12, 2025Here's the answer for "Wordle" #1576 on October 12 as well as a few hints, tips, and clues to help you solve it yourself.
Today's Wordle answer is difficult simply because one uncommon letter could leave you with more guesses than chances to guess.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
An injury.
There are no recurring letters.
Today's Wordle starts with the letter W.
Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
WOUND
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
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 the latest Wordle.
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 12, 2025Connections is a New York Times word game that's all about finding the "common threads between words." How to solve the puzzle.
The NYT Connections puzzle today isn't too hard as long as you don't overthink it.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Longstanding
Green: Opposite of ending
Blue: Feathered friends
Purple: Same first word
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: For all time
Green: Establishes
Blue: Birds
Purple: Happy ____
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections #854 is...
For all time: ETERNAL, EVERLASTING, FOREVER, PERMANENT
Establishes: BEGINS, INSTITUTES, LAUNCHES, PIONEERS
Birds: KITE, ROBIN, SWALLOW, SWIFT
Happy ____: DAYS, ENDING, RETURNS, TRAILS
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
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 the latest Connections.
The 7 best smartwatches of 2025 include some surprisesFind the best smartwatch for Android and Apple users, including the Apple Watch Series 11, Pixel Watch 4, and the new Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro.
After a very busy fall, we finally have the new lineup of smartwatches from Apple, Samsung, and Google. And so whether you're team Apple or team Android, you have excellent choices for your wrist. Now that we've tested the major new releases, we're ready to name the best smartwatches of 2025. We have good news: As long as you stick to the flagship smartwatches from these three brands, you really can't go wrong.
In just the past few months, Samsung, Google, and Apple all released new flagship smartwatches. On top of that, the Venn diagram of the best smartwatches and the best fitness trackers is fast becoming an almost perfect circle. While brands like Garmin and Fitbit are more tailored to athletes than everyday use, the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra lines are packed with fitness-focused features. And don't forget, you can also opt for smart rings and sleep trackers for true 24/7 health tracking.
There's also a huge range in price. Recently released smartwatches include the relatively affordable Apple Watch SE 3 ($239.99 ) all the way up to the ultra-pricey Garmin Fenix 8 Pro ($1,199.99 to $1,999.99). However, you don't have to spend very much to get a kick-ass smartwatch. In fact, even if your budget caps out at $100, you still have good options. Case in point: The ChatGPT-connected Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro, priced at $99 but often available for $79.
Which wearables deserve a spot on your wrist? We're ready to render a verdict, and let's just say we have strong feelings and a couple of picks that might surprise you.
Yes, we chose not to include the new Apple Watch Ultra 3 (for now). Yes, we think the $99 Nothing Watch is a smarter buy than the new Galaxy Watch 8 (which we also love). No, we really don't think we can recommend the $1,999.99 microLED Garmin smartwatch, no matter how cool it is.
We're still in the process of testing the Apple Watch SE 3, but it's an Apple Watch — you know what you're getting. And here's the truth about the SE series: You get 98 percent of what you need from an Apple Watch or fitness tracker, and at a much better price. Unfortunately, you do take a hit on battery life. With 18 hours (versus 24 hours in the Series 11), you can't really call this an all-day smartwatch. And while you also miss out on blood oxygen monitoring, is that really crucial to the average user? We don't think so.
Add to that the fact that the SE 3 is the first Apple Watch SE to include an always-on display, and you have to wonder why you'd buy the Series 11 in the first place. In addition to its gorgeous OLED display, it has the same S10 chip inside the Ultra 3, the same water resistance as the Series 11, and all the necessary features you're looking for in a smartwatch — all for $150 less than the Series 11.
OK, so you really, really do want all-day battery life? Then you really do need to upgrade to the $399 Apple Watch Series 11. As Mashable's Stan Schroeder said in his review, it takes everything we loved about the Apple Watch Series 10 and adds a new processor and longer battery life. To be honest, there's not a lot to say beyond that. Apple can once again monitor your blood oxygen (after a legal dispute took away the feature), and now offers hypertension notifications as well.
Read our full review of the Apple Watch Series 11.
The Google Pixel Watch 4 looks really similar to the Pixel Watch 3 at first glance, but look more closely, and you'll notice a slightly more domed Actua display. It's a subtle change, but we think it makes the new smartwatch look absolutely gorgeous. We don't hate the "squircle" design of the Galaxy Watch 8 like some folks, but after comparing it to the Pixel Watch 4, let's just say Google takes this round.
We were also impressed by its feature set. Mashable senior reporter Christianna Silva is currently training for the New York City Marathon (and simultaneously testing 10+ smartwatches in the process), and they said the Pixel Watch 4 is a true runner's watch. That means it's elegant enough to wear to the office, but comfortable and smart enough to monitor workouts.
With a modern feel and a brighter display than the Pixel Watch 3, it's our current top choice as the best Android smartwatch.
Read our full review of the Pixel Watch 4.
Mashable readers have been going a bit gaga for this smartwatch ever since it was announced in July. And after testing it out for ourselves, we get it. We'll have an in-depth review of this budget smartwatch coming soon, but our reviewer had this to say: "I'm shocked by how awesome it is for the price." If you're looking for the best smartwatch under $100, nothing else comes close.
The British brand Nothing is known for its unique designs, which somehow look both retro and futuristic at the same time. CMF is the brand's budget line (which will soon be spinning off into its own company), but this doesn't perform like most cheap smartwatches. First of all, it offers direct ChatGPT integration, which even the Apple Watch can't do. Samsung and Google are eager to make you use their own AI tools, but if you prefer ChatGPT (and we know you probably do), then you'll love this watch.
Key specs include an extra-long battery life (Nothing promises 13 days), blood oxygen monitoring, stress tracking, and precise heart-rate monitoring and location tracking. For a smartwatch that often goes on sale for $79, that's frankly hard to believe.
Wait... the Ultra 2? Yes, the Ultra 2, not the latest flagship Ultra 3. Hear us out...
First, so long as you upgrade to the new watchOS 26, you can enjoy almost all of the new features that come with the pricier Apple Watch Ultra 3 (priced at $799, or $779.99 at Amazon). Plus, you can now pick up the past-gen Ultra 2 on sale for just $649, a big difference over the new version.
Look, if you're the type of person who always wants the newest Apple gadget, spend more on the new model, which does have some upgrades. The display is a teensy bit better, as is the battery life. But honestly? That's about it. The new Ultra arrived with the most iterative possible improvements. At the time, our resident Apple reviewer called it "a very minor upgrade." So, for our money, we're going with the Ultra 2, which has a killer OLED display, 36 to 72 hours of battery, and 3,000 nits of brightness.
Read our review of the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
The Fitbit Charge 6 is... fine. We included this popular Fitbit in our guide to the best fitness trackers of 2025 for a reason. For the average, casual athlete, it does a fine job of tracking your steps, heart rate, and activity.
Once upon a time, Fitbit was synonymous with fitness trackers. But to be honest, the brand has been slacking. The most recent Fitbits aren't as comfortable as you'd expect, especially for long workouts, and they can't compete with Apple, Garmin, or Pixel watches in the features department. For instance, it's lacking features like an altimeter, but on the plus side, we are big fans of the Fitbit app. So much so that some of our reviewers buy a different smartwatch but still use the Fitbit app to track workouts.
So, our verdict on the Fitbit Charge 6 is simply this: if you must.
Let's be clear: The new Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is a fantastic and smart wearable, especially if you use Gemini. It's a Mashable Choice product for a reason. It has a well-rounded feature set that offers everything you need in a smartwatch, fitness tracker, and sleep tracker. And we like the signature squircle design more than most people. It also benefits from Samsung's on-point design and technology.
While it was narrowly edged out by the Pixel Watch 4, we think you'll be happy with this watch, especially if you're already in the Samsung product ecosystem. It has a bright display, great software, and smart health features, including a new Sleep Coach. It also integrates Gemini in some clever ways. Our reviewer's only real complaint was the battery life, which is fine, but not great.
Read our full review of the Galaxy Watch 8.
TL;DR: Get a lifetime subscription to the AdGuard Family Plan for just $15.97 with code FAMPLAN (MSRP $169.99) through 11:59 p.m. PT on Oct. 12 and protect 9 devices from ads, trackers, and online threats.
Tired of dodging pop-ups, dealing with slow-loading websites, and feeling like your every move online might be tracked? You’re not alone. The internet should be a safe, smooth, and private space. The AdGuard Family Plan can help you smooth things out, digitally speaking.
For just $15.97 with promo code FAMPLAN, you’ll get lifetime protection for up to nine devices. Whether it’s your phone, tablet, or laptop, AdGuard blocks intrusive ads, prevents trackers from snooping on your data, and shields your family from possible malicious websites.
Ads aren’t just annoying; they slow down your browsing, eat up your data, and sometimes even carry malware. And if you’ve got kids online, you want to make sure they’re safe from inappropriate content. The AdGuard Family Plan does all that and more. With built-in parental controls, you can filter out harmful sites and ensure your family’s online experience is both secure and enjoyable.
With up to 9 devices covered, the AdGuard Family Plan is ideal for households where everyone’s connected. And because it’s a one-time payment for lifetime access, you’ll never have to worry about recurring fees or annoying subscription renewals.
So, whether you’re protecting your own devices or your whole family’s, AdGuard makes it easy to have a more peaceful online experience. Say goodbye to annoying ads and hello to a safer, faster internet.
Don’t miss the opportunity to save on a lifetime of AdGuard Family Plan protection while it’s just $15.97 (MSRP $169.99) with code FAMPLAN through Oct. 12 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
TL;DR: Learn piano for life with Skoove Premium Piano Lessons, only $109.97 (MSRP $299.99) while you can.
These days, you don’t need a classroom or a strict schedule to learn piano. Skoove Premium Piano Lessons lets you learn on your own terms, right from the comfort of your own home. All you need is the Skoove app, a keyboard, and a phone, tablet, or laptop.
Currently, you can secure a lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium Piano Lessons for just $109.97 (MSRP $299.99).
If you’ve ever wanted to pick up an instrument, Skoove Premium Piano Lessons lets you fit it into your busy schedule. There are no specific times or appointments to make — just grab your keyboard, open the app, and start playing. It’s ready to school total newbies and skilled pianists alike.
Over one million people are taking advantage of Skoove’s flexibility. There are more than 400 lessons and thousands of instructional videos in the app, and thanks to the power of AI, Skoove can listen to your playing and recognize your notes. It provides real-time feedback, and if you have any issues, there are music instructors available for more guidance.
You get to learn piano using music you actually like — from pop songs by Adele to classical tunes from Beethoven. And monthly updates ensure you never run out of fresh music to play.
Keep improving your piano skills for life with this lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium Piano Lessons for just $109.97 (MSRP $299.99).
StackSocial prices subject to change.
TL;DR: Windows 11 Pro is just $9.97 (MSRP $199) until 11:59 p.m. PT tonight — the smartest way to modernize your PC with a clean UI, better multitasking, and improved security.
Some upgrades just feel right. This is one of them.
If your PC has been running a little sluggish or you’ve been meaning to bring your system up to speed, Windows 11 Pro is just $9.97 (MSRP $199) through 11:59 p.m. PT tonight — a rare, time-sensitive offer that rewards quick, savvy decisions.
This isn’t about chasing trends; it’s more about giving your computer the modern foundation it deserves. Windows 11 Pro brings a sleeker UI, better multitasking, and enhanced security — all in a one-time lifetime license.
Think of it as the difference between driving a reliable car and suddenly upgrading to one with a smarter dashboard, smoother handling, and built-in security features.
For professionals, creators, and power users, this upgrade also unlocks features like Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox, BitLocker encryption, and seamless Azure AD integration — tools that make a real difference when you’re working across projects or managing sensitive data.
And yes, Windows 11 comes with Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant that can summarize pages, change settings, or even help you generate code on the fly. It’s like having a co-pilot (literally) inside your OS.
But you don’t need convincing — you already know a smart upgrade when you see one.
Get Windows 11 Pro for just $9.97 (MSRP $199) through Oct. 12 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
It's the moon's last night in Waning Gibbous before we're at a half moon. There's less and less visible each night, but keep reading to see what you can see tonight, Oct. 12.
As of Sunday, Oct. 12, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. Tonight, only 64% will be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.
If you look closely enough, without any visual aids, you can spot the Aristarchus Plateau, the Mare Imbrium, and the Mare Vaporum. Add binoculars to see the Grimaldi Basin, the Apennine Mountains, and the Alps Mountains. And if you have a telescope, you'll also see the Apollo 12 landing spot, Reiner Gamma, and Schiller Crater.
The next full moon will be on Nov. 5.
NASA tells us the Moon goes through eight phases as it makes its 29.5-day trip around Earth. The changes happen because the Sun, Earth, and Moon are always moving relative to each other. From here on Earth, the Moon can look full, partly lit, or even completely dark, but we always see the same side. What’s different each night is how much sunlight is hitting it.
The eight main moon phases are:
New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).
Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.
Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
The best graphics cards for upgrading your systemThe best GPUs for gaming, multi-display, and everything else from top brands like AMD and Nvidia.
If you're building a gaming PC from scratch or upgrading your current set-up, there's a list of basic hardware that's absolutely essential: The monitor, the keyboard, the PC itself (of course). But don't sleep on the importance of the graphics card. This powerful component is responsible for everything you see when you're gaming or using the PC in any capacity, and a great graphics card — or, indeed, a dud one — can be the difference between an incredible or lacklustre gaming experience.
But getting the right graphics card is sometimes easier said than done. There is just so much tech available — all with the rapidly-accelerating specifications and capabilities — and there's so much to consider in terms of what works for your computer and its compatibility. It’s all too easy to get blinded by science and muddled by jargon.
Fear not, PC gamers. We can help put you in the picture with the best graphics cards on the market. And just in case you’re new to the world of PC gaming, or you need a refresher, we've put together a quick guide on everything you need to know, along with a selection of the best graphics cards you can buy right now.
A graphics card aka GPU is one of the most important parts of any PC. It works alongside the CPU (or processor) to turn data into images. The best graphics cards process data at a faster rate and make those images sharper and more realistic. Modern graphics cards are capable of processing incredible 3D images with an almost non-existent lag between the commands you physically input with your controller or keyboard and the resulting action on the monitor.
If you’re a reasonably enthusiastic PC gamer, then yes. Games are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with ever improving 4K and ray tracing, so you’ll need the hardware to keep up with the pace. PC gamers are familiar with upgrading their machines regularly and the graphics card is the key component in next gen-level gaming. However, if you're just using your computer for everyday tasks, such as web browsing, emails, and video streaming, a specialised GPU is probably unnecessary.
Graphics cards are widely associated with gaming and that’s where most of the power lies. However, graphics cards can be important for creative professionals and designers too, with processing capabilities for video editing and decoding, 3D rendering, and graphic design-based apps. If you're upgrading your GPU for creative design work, check that it’s made to handle those tasks. Some graphics cards are for gaming only.
You're no doubt familiar with regular RAM (random access memory). VRAM is the graphics card equivalent (it stands for video random access memory) and is a core component with the graphics card. It effectively stores all the data your GPU needs to create images in a "pool". Different graphic cards have different VRAM gigabyte capabilities. A standard 8GB will be sufficient for gaming at 1080p but you'll need something more powerful for 4K gaming or tasks such as video editing. In that case look for 16GB of VRAM or more.
Not necessarily. It depends on the size of the PC or laptop. Not to mention the fact that more powerful graphics cards can actually be quite big. Be sure to check out the measurements before you buy a GPU, as well as your machine capacity. But that's not the only thing you need to look out for when it comes to compatibility. Be sure that the PC can supply the GPU's power requirements (or PSU wattage to use the proper computer jargon) and that the PCle slots are compatible.
PCIe stands for peripheral component interconnect express. In layman's terms, it's a connection point to the motherboard and allows the transfer of high-speed data. In other words, this is the interface where you connect your graphics card. All the GPUs listed below are PCIe 5.0, the most advanced version in consumer tech.
A cursory glance at online reviews would suggest that to be the case. Nvidia GeForce GPUs lead the pack, certainly in the mid-range and premium end of the market. That doesn’t mean you have to pay big bucks for the best Nvidia GeForce GPU. Top competitor AMD offer good options, particularly at lower price points.
This is when another manufacturer uses the GPU of a top brand — such as Nvidia and AMD — to create its own version. These are perfectly acceptable and in some cases more readily available. When Nvidia drops a new product, for instance, they can be like GPU gold dust. In which case it’s easier to get a third party version.
That’s really for you to decide, based on the specifications and requirements of your PC setup. What we can tell you, however, is that we’ve done the work of researching for you. We've scanned the internet and reviews to find the best options for every gamer.
These are the best graphics cards in 2025.
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 12, 2025Connections: Sports Edition is a New York Times word game about finding common sports threads between words. How to solve the day's puzzle.
Today's Connections: Sports Edition requires some knowledge of cards.
As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Teams in the City of Lakes
Green: Shorthand soccer teams
Blue: Gold medal gymnasts
Purple: Words with bodily functions
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Minnesota Teams
Green: Premier League Teams, Familiarly
Blue: First Names of U.S. Women's Gymnasts
Purple: Ends in a Body Part
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #384 is...
Minnesota Teams - LYNX, TWINS, VIKINGS, WILD
Premier League Teams, Familiarly - CITY, FOREST, VILLA, WOLVES
First Names of U.S. Women's Gymnasts - JADE, JORDAN, SIMONE, SUNISA
Ends in a Body Part - BACKFLIP, BUCKEYE, CHAMPIONSHIP, METCALF
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
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 the latest Connections.
NYT Pips hints, answers for October 12, 2025The New York Times' latest game, Pips, brings domino fun to your desktop. How to play Pips as well as hints in case you get stuck.
Happy Friday and welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.
Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.
Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.
If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.
The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.
Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:
Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.
If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.
Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally.
Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 2-2, placed vertically; 2-0, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add to 0. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add to 1. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically.
Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add to 10. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 3-5, placed horizontally.
Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed horizontally; 3-2, placed vertically.
Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add to 2. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed horizontally.
Number (7): Everything in this space must add to 7. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 3-2, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add to 4. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add to 1. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 4-5, placed vertically.
Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed vertically; 6-0, placed vertically; 4-2, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this dark blue space must add to 2. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add to 0. The answer is 6-0, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this purple space must add to 2. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add to 5. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically.
Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically; 4-6, placed vertically; 5-3, placed horizontally.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
NYT Strands hints, answers for October 12, 2025The NYT Strands hints and answers you need to make the most of your puzzling experience.
Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if have the right deck.
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.
The words are related to cards.
These words describe card games.
Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
Today's spangram is Trick Taking.
Whist
Bridge
Euchre
Pinochle
Spades
Hearts
Trick Taking
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 the latest Strands.
All the New York Comic-Con TV and movie announcements you need to knowTV and movie announcements that dropped at 2025 NYCC.
Following San Diego Comic-Con this summer, New York Comic-Con brought even more exciting announcements. Here's a running list of TV and movie trailer drops and sneak peeks you need to know about.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a prequel to Game of Thrones, taking place a century before the events of the original series. Based on novellas by George R.R. Martin, A Knight of Seven Kingdoms will follow shabby knight Sir Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).
How to watch: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres January 18 on HBO Max.
Marvel dropped a teaser for Wonder Man, an eight-episode miniseries. The trailer is pretty meta, with talk of an in-universe reboot of a Wonder Man movie. "I know your question is, 'Why one more superhero film?'" a reclusive director character says in an interview. "Everyone is tired of superheroes" — saying what many fans watching the teaser must be thinking. According to Entertainment Weekly, the series itself will be pretty meta as well, with the actual hero auditioning to be the movie version of Wonder Man.
"Have you given any thought about casting?" the interviewer asks, with the final shot of the teaser being Wonder Man (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) staring at his phone, watching.
On Marvel's website, it states that Wonder Man premieres in December, but Entertainment Weekly reported that it's shifted to January.
How to watch: Wonder Man premieres on Disney+ in January 2026.
At SDCC in July, creator Robert Kirkman updated fans about Invincible Season 4, like that Matthew Rhys will be voicing Dr. David Anders/Dinosaurus. Kirkman also revealed that Grand Regent Thragg, ruler of the Viltrum Empire, would debut — and now as of NYCC, we know who will voice him: Lee Pace, Variety reported. An entire trailer dropped, as well as a release date (March).
How to watch: Invincible Season 4 premieres on Amazon Prime in March 2026.
Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson star in this new sci-fi movie, Mercy, from Amazon MGM, releasing in January. "Mercy" is an advanced AI who acts as judge, jury, and executioner according to the trailer. (Not totally terrifying or topical at all!) Pratt plays Detective Raven, who helped develop the program, now on trial for murdering his wife. If he can't prove his innocence in 90 minutes to Mercy (Ferguson), the AI will kill him.
How to watch: Mercy will be released in theaters on January 23.
The Vampire Lestat, Season 3 of the AMC+ Interview With The Vampire adaptation, takes a bite at Anne Rice's second book in her Vampire Chronicles series. While Interview focused on Louis de Pointe du Lac's (Jacob Anderson) journey from human to vampire, The Vampire Lestat stars his (former) vampiric lover, Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) — in case the title didn't make that obvious. While the first trailer dropped last year at SDCC, fans will have to wait until next year for the entire season to drop, so AMC+ must've felt merciful to give fans an extended look at the 2025 NYCC.
How to watch: The Vampire Lestat premieres in 2026 on AMC+.
Fans at New York Comic Con got their first glimpse of Season 2 of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, the beloved alternate-universe duo’s next chapter. This time around, the pair set off on fresh adventures following their multiverse-hopping journey in Season 1.
The new ten-episode season premieres Thursday, Oct. 23, on HBO Max. New episodes will air weekly through Dec. 25.
Marvel Animation has given fans a clearer timeline for when to expect new seasons of its acclaimed Disney+ series: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, X-Men ’97, and Daredevil: Born Again.
Season 2 of the animated web-slinger is set to debut in fall 2026, featuring the return of a classic-suit Daredevil and the introduction of Venom to the series.
Marvel also confirmed that X-Men ’97 has been renewed for a third season, with Season 2 arriving in summer 2026. Fans in attendance were also treated to an early look at Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, which premieres in March 2026 and marks the long-awaited MCU return of Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones.
Paramount+ has unveiled the latest installment of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the hit Trek spinoff continuing the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike and the starship Enterprise. Where they’ll go next is anyone’s guess — but adventure, as always, awaits.
In the new clip premiered at New York Comic Con, the crew finds themselves trapped in a perilous, disorienting storm that puts both their ship and their resolve to the test.
No release date has been announced yet, but Paramount confirmed back in June that Strange New Worlds has been renewed for a fifth and final season.
Check back for more developments as NYCC continues.
Save 30% on this Fitbit Charge 6 this weekendThis Fitbit Charge 6 is 30% off this weekend, just in time for fall jogging weather
Save $55: As of Oct. 11, Walmart.com has the Fitbit Charge 6 on sale for 30% off. It costs $104.45, down from its list price of $159.95.
This weekend, Walmart.com has an excellent deal going on the Fitbit Charge 6. If you’re someone who likes to jog, hike, or bike among the changing leaves of fall, consider scoring a new Fitbit to track your progress.
The Fitbit Charge 6 has the most accurate heart rate tracking technology yet, according to the brand. Firstly, the device is packed full of fitness and health monitoring features that I will break down in a second. The device is also an excellent smartwatch; stay connected to Google Maps, Google Wallet, and get call, text, and app notifications as much (or as little) as you’d like.
The Fitbit also offers some fun aesthetic features, including different band colors (black, white, or coral). The vibrant touchscreen has watch faces that are fully customizable. The brand offers wrist straps in two sizes: small (140 mm–180 mm) or large (180 mm–220 mm). The battery life can last up to 6 days on one charge and is water-resistant for up to 50m.
As for the health features, there are many. The Fitbit Charge 6 features ECG and irregular heart rhythm notifications, oxygen saturation monitoring (Sp02). The device also offers notifications for an unusually low or high resting heart rate. You can also utilize your Fitbit Charge 6 for sleep wellness with smart wake alarms, nightly sleep scores, and on-wrist guided mindfulness sessions. Purchase of this model also includes a premium membership that gives users access to guided workouts, meditation sessions, and “deeper wellness insights”.
Select immersive NBA games coming to the Apple Vision ProSome Los Angeles Lakers games will be available to Apple Vision Pro users in Apple Immersive.
Apple Vision Pro users will be able to experience select NBA games in an immersive way for the 2025-26 season, Apple announced on Friday.
Some Los Angeles Lakers matches will be in Apple Immersive video, a format specifically for the headset. The company's release states, "Viewers will feel the intensity of each game as if they were courtside, with perspectives impossible to capture in traditional broadcasts. "
A schedule of Lakers matchups that can be watched immersively will come later this fall, and the first game will stream in early 2026. They'll be filmed with a camera called the URSA Cine Immersive Live camera from Blackmagic Design, which launched earlier this year to capture Apple Immersive videos.
The immersive games will be available through the upcoming Spectrum SportsNet App for fans in the team's regional broadcast territory: Southern California, Hawaii, and parts of southern Nevada, including Las Vegas. Users must run visionOS 26 or later to experience Apple Immersive video, and a subscription to Spectrum broadband or SportsNet is required to use the SportsNet app, according to the fine print.
On both the SportsNet and NBA apps, full game replays and highlights will be available to Vision Pro users in select regions and countries. Spectrum subscribers can also watch live and replay traditional game broadcasts with the Spectrum TV app, and if you have an NBA League Pass, you can do the same on the NBA app.
Last year, Apple dropped several immersive videos for the Vision Pro, including the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend.
Snag a 3-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription before the price hikeXbox Game Pass Ultimate allows you access a robust library of games to stream.
SAVE $30: As of Oct. 11, Amazon is offering a 3-month pass to XBox Game Pass Ultimate for $60 or $20 a month.
The past couple of weeks have been an emotional roller coaster for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate holders and fans. On Oct. 1st, Microsoft announced that it would be increasing the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate by a startling 50%. This increase was not received well by users and fans, according to Mashable’s senior culture reporter Christiana Silva. Since this announcement arrived two days before Microsoft also announced increased Xbox console prices, fans have been… upset.
Microsoft also sent out communications on October 8th stating that some users would not experience a price increase to their subscription. Unfortunately, the US and UK were not among the people catching a break. If you’re a big fan of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, there is good news this weekend, though. Right now on Amazon, you can get a 3-month pass for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for the current price.
If you’re curious what Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has to offer, it packs a lot into one pass. Game Pass Ultimate allows you to stream and play hundreds of games and join the heart of the Xbox gaming community with online console multiplayer. The pass includes console multiplayer, EA Play, and a sizable variety of game genres. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also allows you to play games like Avowed, South of Midnight, and Doom: The Dark Ages the minute they are released.
With this pass on Amazon, you can stave off the price increase to your subscription for a few months. Make sure to take note that Amazon explicitly states that this pass is non-returnable and non-refundable. The pass gives you a code for 3 free months, allowing you to decide when you begin to use it.
Get this ginormous 75-inch 4K UHD Hisense TV for a petite priceThis 75-inch Hisense TV with 4K UHD and Google Smart TV Features is 35% off and it’s also packed with additional features like Google assistant.
SAVE $250: As of Oct. 11, this 75-inch Hisense TV with 4K UHD is 35% off. Coming in at $448, which is down $250 from its list price of $698 on Walmart.com.
"Cozymax" your fall by leveling up your living room with this 75-inch Hisense TV. Not only is this TV simply massive, it's also packed with bonus features. The metal, bevel-less edge design of this TV allows you to have such a large screen without bulky borders taking up further space. The sleek design primes the TV to fit comfortably into your existing aesthetic.
As for software, this 75-inch Hisense TV deal offers a long list of benefits. First, it comes resplendent with Hisense's proprietary 4K ULED picture. ULED refers to a collection of traits that include QLED's ability to render richer, brighter colors and a tactile, sharp image when dimmed. It also includes 600-Nit peak brightness, which allows the TV to deliver quality HDR content.
The TV also comes with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos (which is said to deliver cinema-quality picture and sound straight to your home). Enjoy the TV's filmmaker mode, which allows you to watch movies in the exact aspect ratio and settings that the original filmmakers intended.
Believe it or not, the list is still far from done. This TV is also a Google smart TV with built-in Google Assistant. This can fit into your existing smart home ecosystem (or maybe inspire you to start building one). Tell your TV to dim the lights as you sit down with a massive bowl of popcorn to match your massive new TV screen.
Peter Thiel reportedly linked Greta Thunberg and AI skeptics to the AntichristIn a four-part lecture series on his views of religion, billionaire Peter Thiel reportedly said Luddites are the Antichrist.
Billionaire Peter Thiel apparently thinks activist Greta Thunberg and AI "doomers" are "legionnaires of the antichrist," the PayPal and Palantir co-founder reportedly said in a recording reviewed by the Washington Post.
The recording is from a four-part lecture series on the Antichrist, aptly titled "The Antichrist: A Four-Part Lecture Series," according to the Post. In the lectures, which were told to be off the record according to the event listing, Thiel laid out his religious views.
Reuters reported that Thiel has become cautious that an ntichrist who promises to stop something like AI will emerge and forge a one-world government. That person would curtail individual freedoms and human innovation.
"In the 17th, 18th century, the Antichrist would have been a Dr. Strangelove, a scientist who did all this sort of evil crazy science," Thiel reportedly said. "In the 21st century, the Antichrist is a Luddite who wants to stop all science. It's someone like Greta or Eliezer."
The Luddites were former textile workers in the early 19th century who destroyed machines used to replace their labor; "Luddite" has become a term to refer to technology skeptics or opposer.
Thiel also referred to Thunberg, who rose to fame for her climate activism and was recently detained by Israel along with other activists on an aid flotilla to Gaza. (It is apparently not the first time he associated her with the Antichrist.)
He also named Eliezer Yudkowsky, a prominent AI researcher whose new book, If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies, poses AI as an existential threat. As Gizmodo pointed out, Thiel started funding Yudkowsky's "Singularity Institute" in 2005.
Reuters also recently reported that Thiel warned fellow billionaire Elon Musk against donating to charities.
Is IT: Welcome to Derry based on Stephen Kings book?"IT: Welcome to Derry," a new series from Andy Muschietti, launches this month. But is it based on Stephen King's book?
Pennywise lives, and it won't be long before we meet everyone's least favorite clown beneath the sewers of Derry once more.
But given we've already had two IT movies that largely covered the events of Stephen King's famous novel, what is HBO Max's new series IT: Welcome to Derry going to be about?
We've seen from the trailer that Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) will return, and that a bunch of new kids will be banding together to face him — but how exactly does this tie in with the movies and book?
We've broken down everything we know so far below.
Our biggest clues as to what IT: Welcome to Derry will be based on, alongside the trailer, comes courtesy of the official HBO Max logline and some helpful interview quotes from executive producer Andy Muschietti himself.
"Set in the world of Stephen King’s IT universe, IT: WELCOME TO DERRY is based on King’s IT novel and expands the vision established by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the feature films IT and IT Chapter Two," reads the logline.
So, the show is based on the novel — but which bit? Well, for that we can turn to a Spanish interview Muschietti gave to Radio Tu earlier in the year, which has been translated by Bloody Disgusting (Mashable hasn't translated the original interview).
"It's a story that's based on the interludes of the book," Muschietti said. "The interludes are basically chapters that reflect Mike Hanlon's research. They're fragments of his research. For 27 years, it's the guy trying to figure out what it is, what did it, who did it, who saw it, and all that stuff."
For anyone who hasn't read King's novel, Mike Hanlon is the one member of the Losers' Club who stays behind in Derry after the kids defeat the monster the first time around. The novel has five interludes that are essentially diary entries written by Mike in which he compiles a history of Derry, chronicling the town's darker chapters that coincide with the cycles in which Pennywise awakens to feed.
"So they talk about catastrophic events from the past, like the fire in the Black Spot... the massacre of the Bradley Gang, a gang of bank robbers in the '30s... and the explosion of the Kitchener Ironworks," Muschietti said.
It appears these chapters of Derry's history will form the basis for the new show.
Although Andy Muschietti's IT movies were based on King's novel, there was one key difference that will have a knock-on effect for the series: While the childhood portion of the books was set in the late 1950s, the childhood section of the movies takes place in the '80s. This means that all the cycles in Muschietti's IT universe are essentially pushed back by one.
We know from the IT: Welcome to Derry trailer that the series takes place in in 1962, which is the cycle before the one shown in the first IT movie. And we know from Muschietti's interview that he's planning three seasons of this new show, each of which will jump back in time.
In the novels, Pennywise's killing cycles are bookended by catastrophic events. The 1930s cycle starts with the massacre of the Bradley Gang and ends with the fire at the Black Spot, while the cycle before that ends with the Ironworks exploding.
Based on Muschietti's comments, it seems like the show will bring these key moments in the town's history to life.
Metaverse team told to work five times faster with AIA note from a Meta executive reportedly states that employees building the Metaverse should use AI to work five times faster.
Remember the metaverse? The virtual reality world from which Mark Zuckerberg's Meta gets its name may not be the trendy tech term it was a couple of years ago, but the company now wants workers building it to utilize the latest shiny tech trend: AI.
In an internal message obtained by 404 Media, Meta's VP of Metaverse, Vishal Shah, apparently told the Metaverse team to work five times faster with AI. "Think 5X, not 5 percent," a graphic in the note included.
"Our goal is simple yet audacious: make Al a habit, not a novelty. This means prioritizing training and adoption for everyone, so that using Al becomes second nature — just like any other tool we rely on," Shah reportedly wrote to employees.
"I want to see [project managers], designers, and [cross-functional] partners rolling up their sleeves and building prototypes, fixing bugs, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible," the note continued, according to 404 Media. "I want to see us go 5X faster by eliminating the frictions that slow us down. And 5X faster to get to how our products feel much more quickly."
A Meta spokesperson told Gizmodo that it's well-known that this is a priority and that Meta is focused on using AI to help employees with their day-to-day work. Mashable reported in April that Zuckerberg wants AI to do half of Meta's coding by 2026.
This note comes shortly after AI stole the spotlight at the developer conference Meta Connect last month, with the debuting (and failed demo) of Meta's "AI glasses." Meta also recently launched Vibes, an endless scroll of AI-generated videos, and continues to bake AI into Facebook and Instagram, like adding an "AI dating assistant" to Facebook Dating.
While AI is today's hyped product, it wasn't too long ago that Meta leaned heavily into the metaverse, despite users not being really into it. Meta's VR efforts continue to incur losses, with Meta's Reality Labs reporting a loss of over $4 billion in the second quarter of 2025.
Strange AI-generated clips of musicians with animals are going viralPeople are posting odd, AI-generated videos where musicians are accompanied by animals. Like a rock musician with a cat...for some reason.
If nothing else, generative AI has proven useful for people who want to make odd stuff for no real reason.
The latest thing? Musicians accompanied by animals. Accompanied in the official, musical sense, and also in an even more literal way — as in a kitty cat climbing all over a metal singer for reasons that are entirely unclear.
Here's this clip that's racked up 13 million likes (and about 113 million views) on TikTok.
Is this AI? Yes. Obviously so, I'd argue. Just look at the cat — the way it moves is uncanny, physics-defying in a way that's unmistakably a trademark of AI. But it is good enough to fool lots of folks.
Here's a good breakdown of the inconsistencies in the video that make it clear it's AI-generated.
That metal singer with a cat isn't the only version of the strange, specific trend. Here's an AI-generated cat accompanying a choir. It's racked up nearly 3 million likes on Facebook.
If you look at the mouths of the singers or how the cat meows, nothing really lines up. But, again, it's good enough to get people to like it as they scroll by.
AI video trends have become remarkably common. There was a whole trend of faking surveillance footage of cute animals, or there was the one with uncanny valley babies, or an entire genre where humans clean whales with heavy machinery.
So just keep this in mind as you scroll: Anything that seems unbelievable, well, maybe you shouldn't believe it these days.
The best hookup apps, reviewed: I swiped until my thumb hurtWe tested the best hookup apps to help you find a fling, situationship, one-night stand, or whatever else you wanna call it.
In the age of on-demand everything, it’s no surprise that we can get "dates" (and I use that term loosely) hot to go with the tap of a button. Thanks to the best hookup apps, finding a sexy new friend can be just as easy as ordering a pizza. As for the quality, well, that’s probably the same too — hit or miss, depending on the time of day, where you're located, and how hungry you are.
Fortunately, you’ve got me, your resident dating app expert (though I prefer modern-day Carrie Bradshaw), to guide you. I've personally vetted all of the best dating apps to separate the contenders from the pretenders. I also consulted a panel of sex and relationship experts to make sure my picks are solid.
My number one rule is to be brutally honest about what you’re looking for. You’re here for a good time, not a long time — so own it. That also means staying in your lane; don't go looking for a one-night stand on an app like eharmony.
"Hookup apps help prevent situations where people are on mainstream dating sites with the intention of having a casual hookup but are unclear about these intentions," Suzannah Weiss, resident sexologist for Biird and author of Subjectified: Becoming a Sexual Subject, tells Mashable. "They also give women a space to be openly sexual creatures without judgment."
And here's a little insider secret I picked up from Alexander Liebisch, the CEO and founder of TinderProfile.ai: Timing is everything. He found that people messaging on Tinder's "free tonight" feature after 10 p.m. on a weekend had a 45 percent higher chance of hooking up.
So, whether you're looking for a one-night stand, a regular FWB situation, or just a space to explore your sexuality, I've got you covered. Based on all my hands-on testing and expert consultations, I’ve broken down the best hookup app for every type of person and mood.
Hinge: Hinge just keeps getting better, so I’ve bumped it up higher on my list. Its user base is growing, and my own recent tests on the app have been surprisingly positive.
Sniffies (added September 2025): I've added Sniffies, the map-based app for queer men, because it's been gaining a lot of traction. (It got a little too spicy for Apple and was pulled from the App Store, so it's now technically a website.) Don't say I didn't warn you about the NSFW content.
FetLife (added September 2025): FetLife is my new favorite "Honorable Mention." It's not your typical hookup app; it's more of a social network for the kink community (and, oddly enough, the best hookup app for gamers). Just remember: it's a community, so don't treat it like Tinder.
You might notice a few well-known hookup apps are missing here. That’s intentional. Part of my job is to swipe through the good, the bad, and the downright sketchy so you don’t have to. An app doesn't get my recommendation just because it's popular; it has to be effective, safe, and actually worth your time.
The apps below were left out for a combination of reasons, from having what I consider an ancient interface to user reviews and Reddit threads complaining about everything from bots to questionable billing practices.
BeNaughty and Fling.com: On the surface, sites like BeNaughty and Fling.com look like they'd be a good time, but the user feedback I read (and I read a lot) paints a different picture. Reddit threads are filled with complaints about these platforms being overrun with what seem to be bots and fake profiles. One user reported that, within a minute of making the payment, they received over 20 messages. That's a major red flag in my book. Multiple users have also reported confusing "trial" offers that lead to unexpected, recurring subscriptions, sometimes from affiliated sites they didn't realizing they were signing up for — a common trick on adult websites.
Kasual: Unlike the others, Kasual doesn't seem to be an outright "scam," but based on user feedback, it’s not very effective either. The biggest complaint is that the app feels like a ghost town, with a small and inactive user base, especially if you're not in a major city. Many users report that matches rarely reply or that conversations go nowhere, feeling forced or like people are just there to pass the time. While the platform itself seems legitimate, a dating app without enough active people is like a party with no guests. For that reason, I can't recommend it.
Plenty of Fish (removed January 2025): POF went through a rebrand recently, and honestly, I'm not impressed. My latest tests showed they got rid of key features like free messaging for non-matches, and I kept running into the same old profiles. At the end of the day, it just doesn't offer anything special that other apps aren't already doing better, so it's off the list.
Match (removed August 2025): I know some people say they've found casual hookups on Match, but that's not what it's for. Match is where you go to find a serious, long-term relationship, and I still recommend it for that. But for a hookup? You're just fishing in the wrong pond, so I've removed it from this guide to avoid any confusion.
Sexting can open up a whole new frontier for your sex life. In my experience, it’s an exciting form of digital foreplay that builds anticipation like nothing else. But you can't just slide into someone's DMs on a random dating app and start a spicy conversation (unless you're on a site like AdultFriendFinder, where that's the whole point). Real sexting requires more thought, especially when it comes to your privacy.
As Mashable's resident dating app expert for the last three years, I've tested dozens of platforms to find the best and most discreet apps for the job. My highest priority is always user safety. I spoke with security expert Gary Orenstein, who stressed that for sharing intimate content, "privacy features cannot be optional — they’re essential." He recommends looking for apps with three key features: end-to-end encryption, disappearing messages, and screenshot detection.
After all, if you believe in safe sex, you should practice safe sexting, too. Based on my hands-on testing and these expert criteria, I’ve picked the best sexting apps that will keep your chats private.
We regularly test new apps and dating platforms. For our most recent update to this guide in October 2025, we made the following changes:
Confide: We've once again named this the best overall sexting app, replacing Signal as the top pick. We still recommend Signal as the best free secure messaging app. On balance, we think Confide's security and privacy tools give it the edge.
Lovesense Remote: We added Lovesense Remote as the app that's "Best for Group Sexting." Lovesense Remote is also a fun way for couples (and polyamorous folks) to incorporate sexting and Bluetooth sex toys to their love life.
FetLife: We named FetLife "Best for Niche Kinks & Fetishes." This social networking platform is popular in the kinkster community and can be a good way to connect with sexy new friends.
I don’t know when it started, because it definitely wasn’t always like this, but Grindr has a serious problem. You can’t do a single damn thing on the app without being smacked in the face with an ad, and it’s absolute hell.
Does it really cost a minimum of five long seconds (in some cases, many, many more) to get a little bit of action in 2025? Yes, it does. But, it doesn’t have to… if you’re willing to let the Grindr gods take a peek into your wallet.
For $14.99 — a steep price for a weekly app subscription, I have to say — users can get rid of every unwanted Grindr ad for one whole week. On top of that, you’ll unlock access to 600 additional profiles in your area, enjoy unlimited album views without the hassle of them vanishing after a few hours, send as many expiring photos and albums as you like, and tons more.
But, for a little over $2 a day, is paying for Grindr XTRA for the week really worth the money, especially when there are so many other dating apps? Prior to testing the feature for myself, I was sure I’d say no. But the answer isn’t as black and white as you’d think.
Grindr XTRA is basically Grindr’s way of saying, “We know you’re desperate, so how about you pay us to make this hellscape slightly less miserable?” What do you get in return for coughing up the cash? First, sweet, sweet freedom from those endless ads clogging every corner of the app, which is a major bonus. It makes the app actually, dare I say, usable. This is the most beneficial aspect of getting Grindr XTRA, full stop.
You’ll also get the ability to create multiple albums, mark recently chatted people (so you don’t accidentally message the same guy twice), and the ability to send three expiring photos each day.
Multiple albums are a nice perk, though their usefulness feels a little limited to me. Since Grindr only allows one video per album, the feature really only shines if you’re juggling lots of photos or sending different sets to different people.
As for recently marked profiles, this one’s pretty killer. It saves you from déjà vu (and from coming across as desperate), like when you think, “Oh, this torso pic looks really hot,” click over for a quick “Hello,” and then realize you definitely messaged the same guy at 3 a.m. a couple of weekends ago. And, personally, when it comes to expiring albums, I don’t have much of a use for ‘em. I’m an out gay man, and I don’t really care who sees my dick anymore. Every Chicago gay on Grindr already has. It’s whatever. But, if you’re the type that likes to keep your nudes sensitive, this is a massive step up for privacy. You’ll never have to worry again about whether or not some rando you chatted with once saved your nudes to a private album in their smartphone.
Like I mentioned, you’ll also have a bigger grid of guys to scroll through (an absolutely incredible perk), a golden ticket to the global Explore feature (useless unless you’re planning to go on a Dublin trip next month and/or prefer long-distance sexting), and a few shiny extras like read receipts (so you know exactly who’s ignoring you) and saved phrases (so you don’t have to type what you’re into 600 times over).
Another handy feature is the ability to filter profiles more effectively based on what you’re looking for. The free version of Grindr doesn’t let you use filters nearly as well as it once did.
Back in the day (yes, I’ve been single long enough to remember), you could set an age range, pick a tribe (jocks, bears, twinks, etc.), select a “looking for” category (hookups, relationships, dates, and so on), add tags (bondage, anon, couples, whatever) to actually narrow in on your ideal person. The results would still show just as many profiles as you’d see without filters at all.
Now? The free version only spits out three to six profiles when you try to get specific. With Grindr XTRA, you’ll see the same full range of profiles whether you’re using filters or not. This is great if you’re interested in something super specific, like bottom non-binary bear trade who is into fisting (or ff, if you know, you know) and tentacles.
Grindr XTRA is currently available under four price points, which may vary by location:
One week: $14.99
One month: $22.99 (savings of 64%)
Three months: $49.99 (savings of 74%)
Twelve months: $149.99 (savings of 80%)
Because of course, Grindr XTRA isn’t the only paid Grindr subscription the app offers. Go figure. Grindr Unlimited is the cream of the crop when it comes to Grindr, offering every single aspect of what you’d get with Grindr XTRA, plus everything else in the kitchen sink. You’ll have the ability to see every single profile that has viewed you, unsend messages after post-nut clarity, browse the grid without being seen in incognito mode, see when someone is typing a message, and, of course, see unlimited profiles using unlimited filters.
The catch? It starts at $9.99 for one day. For a full month, though, that would set you back $22.99, with savings of 64% total. Three months is $49.99 with a savings of 74%, and 12 months is $149.99 with a savings of 80%. We don’t know what kind of money you’re working with, but if you can afford to pay for your hookup apps and you’re that horny, you do you, baby.
Here’s where things get tough: I honestly do not know how to answer this question for you. My wallet and brain both tell me no, but, the user experience Grindr XTRA has to offer? It’s incomprehensibly good. And I can’t help but feel like there’s a little conspiracy behind why that is.
Unpaid-for-Grindr is a borderline unusable app in 2025, but it does technically work just fine for free users. It’s not that you need to pay for Grindr to use it effectively. The problems with using Grindr for free in 2025 are the following:
Ads are overwhelming
The app crashes constantly
Messages slip through the cracks
The search function is almost useless
I’ve noticed all of these issues popping up over the past few years at different points in time, and I’m hardly the only one. I fear Grindr did this on purpose — make the app a true piece of shit so we’re left with no other option but to purchase a week-long Grindr XTRA subscription in our horniest of moments, realize once again how incredible the app can be, and then, poof, the week is over. Your only choice? Re-up for another week of Grindr XTRA or suffer through all of the ads once again. It’s kind of like a drug for insufferably horny gay men like myself.
But, again, is Grindr XTRA worth it? While I don't usually say this, I could go both ways. Sometimes, yes, depending on the circumstances. Are you touring a new city alone for a week and want your whole cake and to eat it, too? Then, sure — pay for a week-long Grindr XTRA subscription for a little over $2 a day. Go buck wild on your Berlin trip. Are you home on your couch when Pornhub is just a few clicks away in your Safari app? Maybe don’t pay for Grindr XTRA this time. Let it be a little treat every once in a while. Everybody deserves a little treat every once in a while.
I think that if you’re here and you read everything I had to say about Grindr XTRA, you’ll realize it absolutely has its perks, with my personal two favorites being absolutely zero ads and the ability to filter out the wazoo. But, once upon a time, these weren’t “perks”. This was just how gay dating apps were supposed to function. If Grindr would actually fix the unpaid user experience instead of squeezing every penny out of the gay community, we could go back to using Grindr the way the gay gods intended. No one should have to cough up cash just to make a hookup app function the way it’s supposed to. Just some food for thought.
But, here’s the hard truth we all have to swallow: I bought Grindr XTRA, and my experience was nothing less than perfect.
In the future, I do hope the Grindr experience goes back to the way it used to be, but that seems unlikely. So, here’s my verdict: When you take that solo trip to Rome, New York City, or Ibiza, pay for Grindr XTRA for a week, and only a week. You’ll hate yourself for paying, but you’ll hate Grindr even more if you don’t.
Watching sports used to be easy — after flipping a few channels, you'd likely stumble across the biggest games by pure chance. Now, between regional blackouts, exclusive streaming rights, and astronomical cable bills, tuning into live sports has become quite a headache.
Whether you've cut the cord or are still weighing your options, you can still catch all of the games, matches, and races you desire — it just may take a few different subscriptions. We've done some of the heavy lifting for you and dissected the top live sports streaming services to help you decide.
Streaming services give you the sports coverage you want, but on your terms. However, there are so many to choose from that it can be a little difficult deciding which ones are the best fit for you. When making your selection, here are some of the essential things to keep in mind:
Which sports are most important to you? If you’re a die-hard college football fan and don’t really pay attention to any other sports, you may be solid with just ESPN and Fox One. Only care about hockey? You can just subscribe to your regional sports network and forget about the rest.
Which channels do you need? Figure out which networks are non-negotiable for you to watch the sports you want. NFL games, for instance, air on CBS, FOX, NBC, and ESPN, while NBA, MLB, and NHL games mostly air on regional sports networks as well as TNT, TBS, ABC, and ESPN.
Are you looking for a cable replacement? Some streaming services on this list are a cable replacement first and a sports service second. YouTube TV, for example, offers access to a bunch of live channels, on-demand movies and shows, as well as sports. These kinds of options are great if your whole family is going to be using them, or you just want a comprehensive TV plan for yourself. Otherwise, they can be pretty expensive.
Is your team in-network? By far, the most annoying thing about streaming live sports is the prioritizing of in-network games. If you’re a fan of a local team, you shouldn’t have as much to worry about. But if you’re a fan of an out-of-market team, your life will be significantly harder — particularly for NFL games. You’ll probably have to splurge on NFL Sunday Ticket if you want access to all games, regardless of the network.
How much are you willing to pay? Cable replacement services are extremely pricey — especially if you want access to regional sports networks. If you don't need all of the extra bells and whistles that come with services like Fubo and YouTube TV, you can save a lot of money by opting for several casual streamers like ESPN and Peacock instead.
If you really only care about watching a specific team or league, you might not need to sign up for an entire cable replacement service. Individual leagues often offer dedicated streaming services. Of course, these services also have their own pros and cons, but we'll leave it to you to decide. Here's a brief breakdown of the league-specific streaming services you can choose from.
NFL+ — mobile only, in-market games only for $6.99 per month or $49.99 per year
NFL Sunday Ticket — out of market games only for $47.25 per month or $378 per year with YouTube TV, $60 per month or $480 per year without YouTube TV
MLB.TV — out of market games only for $29.99 per month or $149.99 per year
NBA League Pass — out of market games only for $16.99 per month or $109.99 per season
MLS Season Pass — every regular and post-season game for $14.99 per month or $99 per season
While there are at least a baker's dozen streaming platforms (and counting) to watch live and recorded sports, each has its perks and drawbacks. There's no point in canceling your cable plan if you can't watch your favorite teams live, right? We've done some of the grunt work and sorted out which streaming services can get you access to the live sports you crave. Check out our top picks to help you decide what to spend your money on.
Scientists snap first photo of two black holes in an epic staredownAstronomers have achieved the first radio image of a supermassive black hole pair, using the retired Russian RadioAstron satellite.
Astronomers have captured a radio image showing two black holes orbiting each other for the first time, just six years after the release of the first-ever photo of a single black hole.
The discovery confirms that pairs of supermassive black holes really do exist — something scientists have suspected for decades but never directly seen until now.
The system lies at the heart of a brilliant space object called quasar OJ 287, about 3.5 billion light-years from Earth. Quasars, a portmanteau for "quasi-stellar objects," are extremely bright galaxy cores powered by black holes feasting on surrounding gas and dust. OJ 287 has long stood out because its brightness rises and falls every 12 years. That pattern was a clue that two giant black holes might be circling one another like in a cosmic do-si-do.
The new observations are among the sharpest radio images ever made to explore what’s happening deep inside a quasar — and offers evidence that both black holes may be producing their own powerful jets of energy.
"The image of the two black holes was captured with a radio telescope system that included the RadioAstron satellite," said Mauri Valtonen of the University of Turku in Finland, in a statement. "In recent years, we have only been able to use Earth-based telescopes, where the image resolution is not as good."
Black holes rank among the most mind-boggling objects in the cosmos. They are regions in space where gravity is so intense that nothing, not even light, can escape. About 50 years ago, astronomers weren't entirely convinced these invisible giants were even real.
Today, black holes aren't just accepted, they're being photographed by a collection of enormous, synced-up radio dishes. In 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope produced the first-ever image of a black hole, located 53 million light-years away in the galaxy Messier 87. Three years later, the same group captured another historic image: the black hole at the center of our own Milky Way, called Sagittarius A*, or Sgr A* for short.
This new history-making radio image is part of a broader OJ 287 study led by Valtonen, which appears in The Astrophysical Journal. The host galaxy is thought to have one enormous black hole — about 18 billion times the weight of the sun — and a smaller companion roughly equal to 150 million suns in mass. As the smaller one orbits, it periodically crashes through the larger black hole’s disk of gas and dust, creating predictable bursts of light.
The first hints that something weird was happening in OJ 287 emerged in the late 1800s, according to the paper, when the quasar appeared unexpectedly in early sky photographs — long before scientists even knew black holes existed.
In the 1980s, Finnish astronomer Aimo Sillanpää noticed its repeating light pattern and proposed the idea of two black holes. Since then, researchers around the world have tracked the system, trying to map out the pair’s motion. More recently, scientists have calculated how they think the pair ought to appear.
The confirmation of this duo came from a powerful radio telescope network that included the Russian RadioAstron satellite, which operated until 2019. Its antenna once orbited about 120,000 miles from Earth, about halfway to the moon. When combined with ground-based radio dishes, this setup achieved extremely high resolution.
The approach differed from how the previous images of black holes were made, which used the Event Horizon Telescope, a virtual Earth-sized telescope that links radio dishes around the world. Instead, the new OJ 287 image used a space-based technique that "achieved a much longer observing baseline, and hence a higher-resolution image," said Daniel Reichart, a University of North Carolina professor and one of the study's co-authors.
The method has its drawbacks: It uses longer radio wavelengths that blur as they travel through space, making it impossible to see a black hole's edge. The tradeoff, Reichart explained to Mashable, is that the Event Horizon Telescope "has a slightly lower resolution, but a higher fidelity," delivering clearer images. But with the space-based technique, the team was able to see enough detail to separate the two black holes within OJ 287. Without that resolution, the pair would otherwise appear as a single light.
"For the first time, we managed to get an image of two black holes circling each other," Valtonen said. "The black holes themselves are perfectly black, but they can be detected by these particle jets or by the glowing gas surrounding the hole."
The team also saw something new: a twisting jet from the smaller black hole, which seems to whip back and forth as it moves through its orbit. Future studies may observe the jet changing direction over time.
The Secret Agent review: Kleber Mendonça Filhos political crime thriller is a must-see'Civil War' star Wagner Moura delivers an impeccable performance in Kleber Mendonça Filho's Cannes-winning political crime thriller. Review.
Aquarius and Bacurau director Kleber Mendonça Filho's The Secret Agent weaves a complex, time-jumping political crime thriller, focusing on one man's experience of persecution.
Mainly set in the late '70s in the Brazilian writer/director's hometown of Recife, Pernambuco, but moving fluidly between the past and present, the film predominantly takes place in the tumultuous years of Brazil's military dictatorship. It's a heavy topic explored with humanity, boasting such a compelling script, impeccable acting, and striking 1970s aesthetic that it's impossible to look away.
In the lead, Narcos and Civil War star Wagner Moura gives a tremendously interior performance as a man justifiably paranoid in his mission to escape his country's authoritarian regime. There's a reason Moura took Best Actor at Cannes, with Mendonça Filho snatching Best Director; The Secret Agent sees both dive headfirst into the complexities of rampant corruption and desperately searching for a way out.
Over three acts superbly edited by Eduardo Serrano and Matheus Farias, Mendonça Filho's film runs on multiple timelines in the past and present. In 1977, we meet Armando (Moura), who's going by the alias Marcelo, a man newly arrived in a residential complex in Recife during the annual Carnival period. A small Kodak box fits all of his possessions, and he gives little away about himself. The apartments are run by vigilant matriarch Dona Sebastiana (Tânia Maria), and Armando is welcomed with open arms. Among omnipresent Carnival celebrations, Armando is warmly introduced by his septuagenarian guardian to his neighbours. They're also political refugees, though not all enjoy using the term. There's Thereza Vitória (Isabél Zuaa), who has fled the Angolan Civil War with her partner; there's single mother Claudia (Hermila Guedes) whose past beyond her dental profession remains her own mystery to bear. Many live under threat of death, like our protagonist.
Meanwhile, corruption runs rife through the city streets, as do careening cop vans full of crooked officials, hooting, hollering, and unabashedly lawless. The most prominent in The Secret Agent is police chief Euclides (Robério Diógenes) and his bodyguard-like sons Arlindo (Ítalo Martins) and Sergio (Igor de Araújo), who enter the story by being pulled out of Carnival when a man's severed leg is found in a dead shark — and this is by no means the limit of the violence ahead in The Secret Agent.
Slowly, the film reveals the seriousness of Armando's situation: he's a widowed university professor, specialising in electrical engineering, who is fleeing persecution amid the country's military dictatorship. In his past, standing up to corporate greed and corrupt government bureaucracy has left him vulnerable and robbed him of his beloved wife Fátima (New Bandits' Alice Carvalho). Getting out is no easy feat, as corruption, surveillance, and sinister men orbit Armando at every turn — including two unnervingly unflappable hitmen, Bobbi (Ferrari's Gabriel Leone) and his stepfather Augusto (Roney Villela), on his trail.
As well as Dona Sebastiana, others work under the radar to help those persecuted escape the country, such as Elza (Vermelho Monet's Maria Fernanda Cândido), who offers a form of witness protection, promising passports in a few days. A placement within the city's Identification Institute is Armando's best chance of finding physical proof of his mother's identity before he leaves Brazil with his young son, who lives with his grandparents.
In the present, two young investigators in São Paulo listen to cassettes of recorded conversations from Armando's time, and we're left wondering where exactly their research is leading. Here, and through Mendonça Filho's use of archival photographs, the film becomes a fictional artifact in itself, a story worthy of study and examination. But it's the lived-in performances by the actors themselves that bring this unstable historical period to life, with Moura out front.
Tasked with multiple roles across time periods, Moura earns every inch of his Cannes Best Actor award in The Secret Agent. The role was specifically written by Mendonça Filho for him, after all. A classic hero brave enough to challenge powerful, corrupt entities while rightly fearing for his life and his family, Armando predominantly internalises the level of serious threat constantly weighing on him. Moura's subtlety and frustration imbues our protagonist with a deeply human valiance, one that makes us as viewers want to protect him at all costs.
Embodying a true ensemble affair, The Secret Agent sees Moura surrounded by bold, outlandish performances, all the way from iconic German actor Udo Kier as expat tailor Hans to Greta star Diógenes as the city's corrupt chief of police. Notably, Armando finds sanctuary with his father-in-law Sr. Alexandre (a wonderful performance by Bacurau's Carlos Francisco) who owns the local Cinema São Luiz, showing Brazilian films alongside American horror films like Jaws and The Omen that cause outright hysteria in audiences. Here, and through Evgenia Alexandrova's exquisite cinematography, you can feel Mendonça Filho's reverence for cinema as a filmmaker, critic, and curator — and its importance in turbulent times. In fact, The Secret Agent is a perfect pairing with the director's 2023 documentary Pictures of Ghosts (Retratos Fantasmas), which traces cinema in his hometown of Recife.
Despite the paranoia and corruption that pervades the narrative, Mendonça Filho's film is a stunning '70s affair. Shot in anamorphic Panavision, it's nothing short of a feast for the eyes (before it's not). Each scene comes awash with the decade's signature oranges, browns, and yellows, with production designer Thales Junqueira's meticulous work on full display. Architect Chu Ming Silveira's iconic, egg-shaped, yellow public phone booths known as Orelhões (or "Big Ears") form a vital part of both the storyline and city landscape, while costume designer Rita Azevedo finds glorious authenticity in period-specific outfits.
Despite the political upheaval on the ground, Mendonça Filho also reverently and accurately captures the visuals of Recife, with Armando taking in gorgeous cityscapes from the Cinema São Luiz projection room, bathed in sunlight, and the street scenes often focusing on the members of the community caught up in the chaos. There's also a little magical realism thrown in for unexpected measure, and composers Mateus Alves and Tomaz Alves Souza pull everything together with an immersive, atmospheric score.
Ultimately, Mendonça Filho's film explores a time of political corruption, violence, and warranted paranoia through a human lens, with the director saying in a press statement, "The challenge was to make a film about the logic of that time without ticking all the boxes of the dictatorship movie." With Moura's powerful performance framed by a reverent, authentic aesthetic, The Secret Agent is a deeply humanised look at a historical moment of authoritarianism and government corruption. It's a must-see.
The Secret Agent was reviewed out of BFI London Film Festival and will be released in the UK and Ireland Feb. 20, 2026. The film hits cinemas in New York on Nov. 26, and Los Angeles Dec. 5, with nationwide release to follow.
Make scroll-stopping art with Imagiyo for a one-time $39.97Design up to 500 images every month with a one-time $39.97 lifetime deal.
TL;DR: Hurry and grab a lifetime subscription to Imagiyo’s AI image generator for just $39.97 through Oct. 19.
Not every business tool has to be spreadsheets and strategy docs. Sometimes the thing that gets your creative spark back is a weird AI-generated jellyfish cat in a spacesuit — and that is a perfectly legitimate productivity win. If you’re a designer, digital artist, social media manager, or just someone trying to make your project pop with eye-catching visuals, this tool might become your secret weapon. But don’t wait to check it out, this lifetime deal for just $39.97 ends Oct. 19.
Imagiyo is an AI image generator that lets you whip up creative, commercial-ready artwork in just a few clicks. It runs on powerful Stable Diffusion models — including FLUX Schnell and Modelslab — and gives you high-res, watermark-free images with zero ads in sight. You can generate up to 500 images a month, two at a time, and save them permanently in the size you chose at creation.
It’s super straightforward to use and responsive on both desktop and mobile. You just enter your prompt, select a few settings, and get back two wildly detailed, AI-generated results. There’s even support for NSFW content if you’re creating behind closed doors — just mark those private.
Give your next project a visual edge without burning hours (or a hole in your wallet).
This deal for lifetime access to Imagiyo AI Image Generator is only available for new users, and you’ve got until Oct. 19 to grab it on sale for $39.97.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
TL;DR: Score permanent Office 2019 for one Windows PC for $19.97 through Oct. 19 — full suite, instant delivery, zero subscriptions.
Lifetime license to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access
One-time purchase for one Windows 10 or 11 PC — device-based activation
Improved inking, new Excel analysis tools, upgraded PowerPoint features
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Instant email with download link and license key — redeem within 7 days
All languages supported, updates included for the 2019 version
If your to-do list needs serious tools without a serious bill, this is the easy win — install once, get to work, and keep moving. Grab a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows for $19.97 (MSRP $229) until Oct. 19.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
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If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at yet another monthly bill from a cloud provider, this offer might feel like sweet relief. For a one-time payment of $119.99, FolderFort’s 2TB Cloud Storage Pro Plan gives you lifetime access to secure, fast, and easy-to-use storage — without ongoing fees.
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TL;DR: A 1min.AI lifetime subscription is now $79.99 with code SAVE20 at checkout for a limited time only (MSRP $540).
Paying $20 here for ChatGPT and another $10 there for image generation? It adds up quickly, but 1min.AI brings together all the top AI models, including GPT, Midjourney, Claude, Gemini, and more, into one platform for a one-time payment. Usually $99.99, you can use code SAVE20 to lock in lifelong access for just $79.99 during this sale (MSRP $540).
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Grief is many things, uniquely indescribable and specific to us all. For British author Max Porter, in his lauded, no-bullshit, deeply personal novella, it’s a thing with feathers. Specifically, a giant, hulking, wheezing crow ready to read your inner pain to filth as clichéd, unoriginal.
In his formidable debut feature, director Dylan Southern adapts Porter's book into a moving drama that gnaws on loss through the hallmarks of horror. It's by no means the first film to lean on terror to explore grief — Pet Sematary, The Babadook, Talk to Me, the list is long. However, with a raw, anguished performance by Benedict Cumberbatch and production design that makes walls literally bleed ink, The Thing with Feathers will pluck at your heartstrings while threatening to devour them.
And for a film involving a massive talking bird, it's a shockingly accurate depiction of bereavement.
Using magical realism to convey the inexplicability of loss, Porter's novella practically caws to be visualised — and Southern's adaptation could not be more aware of this.
The plot is human and simple: An illustrator and his two young sons are faced with life after their beloved matriarch suddenly dies. Characters in the story do not have names beyond their proper nouns — Dad, Boys, Mum — and where the book uses a polyphonic perspective structure, the film concentrates on one viewpoint per act for a fluid arc. Cumberbatch is Dad, now "Sad Dad," who privately struggles while keeping his two young Boys (twins Richard and Henry Boxall) fed, bathed, and picked up from school at the very least. However, one dark and stormy night, a colossal, gruff-voiced Crow descends upon this house of mourning, as the personification of grief (hence the title). And he refuses to leave "until you don’t need me anymore," which is... when?
Where Porter's writing most brightly shines through Southern's film is in this crucial character of Crow (impeccably voiced by David Thewlis). An onyx-winged, glossy-eyed creature of seemingly eternal origin, Crow is an otherworldly, rasping presence whose status as friend or foe remains in constant flux.
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Behind the film's bold creature design and animatronics, and Eric Lampaert's physical performance, Thewlis is nothing short of marvellous as the voice of Crow. Both terrifying and hilarious, the lugubrious creature "finds humans incredibly dull except when grieving," and persists in mocking "Guardian-reading" Dad when he's not completely terrorising him (and us) with jump scares. Crow's croaking dialogue is predominantly a splintered and spat-out stream of consciousness, freely associated words making strange sense through the lens of death and loss. The character is much more crass and explicit in his ramblings in the novella, with the film version sticking to more PG utterances, but George Cragg's razor-sharp editing echoes Porter's fragmented writing style.
The film's surrealist sequences between Crow and Dad are its strongest, with one scene using horror elements to see Cumberbatch pursued by his avian assailant through a regular ol' supermarket. Probably one of the best scenes sees Dad's guard completely down while being mocked by Crow in his own living room, as the feathered presence ditches Dad's "white widower music" for a more gravelly Screamin' Jay Hawkins. The camera circles the two in a raw, urgent dance, and Cumberbatch lets it all go.
What's undeniably missing from the film is Porter's inescapable olfactory descriptions, with the novella so descriptive you can practically smell the "rich smell of decay" and "sweet furry stink" off the pages. It's a tough ask of filmmakers to convey scents through the screen, and we get glimmers of it — Dad's brother Paul commenting on the "Tracey Emin's kitchen" state of the house, for one. But where the film does one-up the book is in the pure talent of Cumberbatch.
While The Thing with Feathers' primary emotional theme is grief, the film's exploration of fatherhood is just as multifaceted, brutal, and magical. Dad and the Boys are surrounded by reminders of Mum, in drawers, in wardrobes, in splintered memories, and Dad becomes instantly aware of how much he relied on his wife for "everything." As the Boys begin to act out in their own young grief, tension in their now-silent house reaches a boiling point for the forever-changed trio.
In the novella, which Porter wrote after the death of his father, the author writes of such specific aspects of grief they're frankly staggering. He describes Dad as a "trader in clichés of gratitude," a facade which Southern softens for the film but makes plain through a few scenes. Deleting the voicemails of concerned friends like Amanda (Vinette Robinson), family members like his brother Paul (Sam Spruell), and other — as Porter dubs them — "orbiting grievers," Cumberbatch's Dad doesn't allow himself to grieve in front of others, especially the Boys, instead burying his anguish until they're tucked up in bed.
Constantly surrounded by his new solo-parenting reality, Dad isn't as buoyed by imagination as the Boys are. Together, these two build "worlds full of life, full of possibility" while they're forced to process something not even their go-to grown-up is able to understand. Spiralling through torment and hinging on surrendering to total despair, Dad begins to replicate Crow-like behaviour, with vocal "krrraaa!"s and agitated movements that Cumberbatch embodies convincingly. Giving it everything he's got, the actor undergoes a full-bodied emotional upheaval throughout the film, unsuccessfully attempting to "keep things as normal as possible" for the Boys and always accompanied by the looming presence of Crow.
The power of art to convey what words cannot runs through the whole film, taking on a literal presence. Dad's profession is a comic illustrator, with his drawing style a violent array of charcoal and ink drawings sketched with urgency and desperation. Southern extends this artistic form off the page and down the walls of the house, which results in some of the film's most striking visual sequences.
Suzie Davies' impeccable production design moves Dad and the Boys' melancholy home through a sense of ruin and abandonment, of dark creative impulses leading to neglect. Blood and ink become one in some genuinely brutal scenes. Paired with this is an absolutely maddening triumph of abrasive foley work, with sound designer Joakim Sundström crafting visceral dread (and many a jump scare) through the omnipresent flurry of flapping wings, incessant cawing, scratching charcoal sticks. All this functions alongside Dad's soundtrack of everyday parenting, of scraped burnt toast, metal spoons clanging on ceramic bowls, and juvenile resistance. It's all punctuated by Zebedee Budworth's melancholy score of plucked staccato strings and haunting a capella, and the effect is all-consuming.
It's this constant flux between reality and fantasy that both Porter's novella and Southern's adaptation obsess over, and it's a strangely accurate representation of just how surreal and, well, fucked-up daily existence can be after a sudden loss. Stranger than fiction is the order of the day, every day, and confronting such pain can feel like being haunted by a giant winged geezer. You just learn to live with Crow.
The Thing with Feathers was reviewed out of BFI London Film Festival, where it is showing Oct. 11 and 12. The film will release in UK cinemas on Nov. 7 and U.S. cinemas Nov. 28.
Hurdle hints and answers for October 11, 2025Hints and answers to today's Hurdle all in one place.
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.
A fusion.
UNION
Fragrant.
MUSKY
Inside.
INNER
Windy.
GUSTY
To blast.
BLARE
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Moon phase today: What the moon will look like on October 11See the moon phase expected for October 11, 2025 as well as when the next full moon is expected.
The moon is in its "waning" phase, with each night less and less visible. This will continue until the new moon, and the start of a new lunar cycle.
Keep reading to see what's happening with the moon tonight, Oct. 11
As of Friday, Oct. 11, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. Tonight, only 74% will be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.
What can you see tonight? Well, if you look close enough, without any visual aids, you can spot the Oceanus Procellarum, the Mare Serenitatis, and the Mare Vaporum. Binoculars will increase your visibility, adding the Grimaldi Basin, the Posidonius Crater, and the Gassendi Crater to your lineup. And if you have a telescope, you'll also see the Apollo 12 and 17 landing spots and the Linne Crater.
The next full moon will be on Nov. 5.
We mention moon phases a lot, but what actually are they? NASA tells us that as the Moon completes its 29.5-day orbit around Earth, it passes through a series of eight phases. These changes happen because the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon relative to each other shift over time. From Earth, we see the Moon as fully bright, partially lit, or completely dark, but the same side always faces us. The differences in appearance come from how much sunlight hits its surface at each point in its orbit.
The eight main moon phases are:
New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).
Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.
Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
NYT Pips hints, answers for October 11, 2025The New York Times' latest game, Pips, brings domino fun to your desktop. How to play Pips as well as hints in case you get stuck.
Happy Friday and welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.
Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.
Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.
If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.
The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.
Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:
Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.
If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.
Number (12): Everything in this space must add to 12. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 3. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically; 4-4, placed horizontally.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 3. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed vertically.
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally.
Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically.
Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed vertically; 0-1, placed horizontally.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add to 4. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed horizontally.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed vertically.
Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add to 5. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add to 10. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed vertically.
Number (7): Everything in this space must add to 7. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed horizontally.
Number (9): Everything in this space must add to 9. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally; 3-1, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add to 4. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. 5-6, placed vertically.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 11, 2025Connections: Sports Edition is a New York Times word game about finding common sports threads between words. How to solve the day's puzzle.
Today's Connections: Sports Edition requires some knowledge of cards.
As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Other side
Green: Gambling lingo
Blue: Related to one player
Purple: Same second word
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Opponent
Green: Texas Hold'Em terms
Blue: Associated with Derek Jeter
Purple: ____ Bulls
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #383 is...
Opponent - ADVERSARY, FOE, NEMESIS, RIVAL
Texas Hold'Em terms - BLIND, FLOP, RIVER, TURN
Associated with Derek Jeter - 2, CAPTAIN, NEW YORK, SHORTSTOP
____ Bulls - BUFFALO, CHICAGO, RED, SOUTH FLORIDA
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
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 the latest Connections.
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 11, 2025Connections is a New York Times word game that's all about finding the "common threads between words." How to solve the puzzle.
The NYT Connections puzzle today requires you to think of multiple ways words can be used.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Supplies
Green: Adorn
Blue: Popular on maps
Purple: This and also that
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Equipment
Green: Dress in
Blue: Street suffixes
Purple: Nicknames that have other meanings
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections #853 is...
Equipment: GEAR, KIT, STUFF, TACKLE
Dress in: DON, PUT ON, SPORT, WEAR
Street suffixes: ALLEY, COURT, LANE, WAY
Nicknames that have other meanings: BILL, BOB, PAT, TOM
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
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 the latest Connections.
NYT Strands hints, answers for October 11, 2025The NYT Strands hints and answers you need to make the most of your puzzling experience.
Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you don't skip the ads.
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.
The words are related to visuals.
These words describe popular brands.
Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
Today's spangram is Iconic Logos.
Peacock
Shell
Bullseye
Swoosh
Apple
Iconic Logos
Arches
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 the latest Strands.
Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 11, 2025Here's the answer for "Wordle" #1575 on October 11 as well as a few hints, tips, and clues to help you solve it yourself.
Today's Wordle answer is neater than a pile.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
A row, but vertical.
There are no recurring letters.
Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.
Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
STACK
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
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 the latest Wordle.
Is This Thing On? review: Will Arnett and Bradley Cooper flop on stand-up comedyLaura Dern deserves better from the New York Film Festival's closing night film, "Is This Thing On?" Review.
As an actor, Bradley Cooper can be exciting and explosive because he refuses to take himself all that seriously. In critically heralded films like Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, even Guardians of the Galaxy, where he voiced Rocket Raccoon, he gamely plays the fool, egotistical, wrathful, and/or uncouth. Yet as a filmmaker, Cooper is tediously serious, even when making the divorce-centered comedy Is This Thing On?
Curiously, Cooper doesn't star in his latest, as he did in past directorial efforts A Star is Born (2018), and Maestro. Instead, he cast himself as the silliest character in his latest directorial effort, while Will Arnett, who co-wrote the screenplay with Cooper and Mark Chappell (See How They Run), headlines alongside Laura Dern.
Together, they play a middle-aged couple who are navigating the end of their 20-year marriage. But don't expect the fireworks of the troubled couples from his last two directorial efforts. Instead, these two have a mutual split that's more aching than angry. To cope, the soon-to-be ex-husband turns his pain into a new hobby: stand-up comedy. Yet the results aren't all that funny or profound.
Relying on cliches and a premise done recently and very well by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Is This Thing On? feels like a lost film from the late 2010's, when joking about dad bods was remotely fresh. Arnett stars as Alex Novak, who by day wears a suit for the sort of job the movie doesn't care about, and by night is stumbling into comedy clubs in New York city, looking for an open mic. Does he have dreams of doing stand-up professionally? Nope. It's more that tired meme: Men will do anything except go to therapy.
So, Alex goes up on stage and starts talking about his life, his wife Tess (Dern), and his penis, in search of — what — attention? Absolution? I'm not sure even he knows. Scoring a few laughs thrills Alex, but he seems even more grateful for the community of comics (most of them women and people of color) who immediately embrace him and offer pointers. Because a realm where straight white guys really need a helping hand is stand-up comedy, right?
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Where Midge Maisel's journey was about becoming great at stand-up, Alex's story is never about going pro, or even getting particularly good. Neither is it about becoming a member of the comic community so ready to embrace him. Instead, Is This Thing On? is a tedious, navel-gazing tale of a mediocre man doing the very least and feeling sort of bad about it. But hey, a female character who exists only to mock and fuck Alex says he's a "good" person. So, there's that.
Admittedly, I've never been much for Cooper's movies. A Star Is Born was a remake after a remake, but at least its dusty, toxic romance gave us a sensational Lady Gaga performance. As for Maestro, Cooper threw himself into mastering the intricacies of conducting an orchestra, but co-wrote and directed a Leonard Bernstein movie that was fueled by biphobic stereotypes, like that bisexual people are irrepressibly lusty and can't (or won't) commit to a monogamous relationship. Both films in tone and aesthetic pine for Hollywood's Golden Age of big stars and big drama, but in doing so, drag dated ideas along with them. Set today, Is This Thing On? is less egregious on these points, but not the tiresome gender roles of messy man and the incredible woman who loves him. In this case, this is taken to a comical extreme. Alex is an amateur comic; his wife is a former Olympian volleyball player.
Alex is often gruff and rumpled, looking very much the part of a man on the brink of divorce. The close-ups employed in Matthew Libatique's cinematography are practically suffocating, and repeatedly go directly into the protagonist's eyeline. So, whether he's tripping into a punchline or speaking sincerely to Tess, Alex is looking right at the camera, directly addressing the audience, perhaps asking us to love or at least see him.
However, it's unclear how self-aware Is This Thing On? is about Alex's emotional state. Sure, as the movie goes on, he begins to own his mistakes in the past, but less so in the present. He and Tess have two young sons together. And over the course of the movie, Alex — who has moved out of the family home — acts more like a guest than a parent. When a birthday party is thrown at their house, he arrives late with no gift or anything in hand. When it's time to clean up, Libatique's frame shows other party-goers gathering absurd amounts of streamers that have been scattered around the lawn, while Alex chats with his flighty friend Balls, a deluded actor played by Bradley Cooper.
To reiterate: Alex is not all that funny as a stand-up, in part because he tells tired jokes about dad bods and in part because he goes all Joker on occasion, turning his self-loathing on his audience. However, there's something brave and refreshing in suggesting someone can be into the performing arts as a hobby without being good at it, much less being successful. Cooper's character drives this point home, as he's the kind of New York actor who has been in the business for decades but has never broken through.
Entering with a pratfall that sprawls him out on the floor and spills a full quart of milk for a splashy punchline, Balls is ever-convinced he's on the brink of his moment. With a wide smile and chaotic charisma, he waxes poetic about the joys of being an understudy or cowhand #4. And though this makes him a clown within Alex's story, his final scene suggests he's found the key to happiness, and isn't bothered by other people's ideas of success. He's a goofball, but aspirational.
Elsewhere, Christine Ebersole is hilarious as Alex's pestering mother. Though only in the film briefly, she makes the most of every moment, nailing that backhanded mom humor that cuts and spurs cackles. Her intense energy plays well off of Arnett's low-key grumbling, as does Dern's hard-forged warmth. The film's tension becomes the will-they-won't-they of Tess and Alex's relationship, asking if this is really the end or not. Dern, flowing from charmed to impatient to furious and back again, carries a lot of the movie's emotional weight. However, the film never commits to her enough to make this a two-hander. So, in the supporting role of the wife/could-be ex-wife, she's left to have emotional breakthroughs not on the Comedy Cellar's stage, but on the phone with friends or family. Perhaps this is meant to show how one-sided their marriage had become, Tess left alone at home, calling out for help. But I suspect I'm giving Cooper too much credit there.
In the end, I lost patience with this movie about a man who is remarkable in no particular way. Is This Thing On? is like its hero, unremarkable. The humor in it occasionally hits, but more often doesn't. Though the narrative around divorce here is refreshingly lacking in the sort of cliched Kramer vs. Kramer or Marriage Story vitriol, its open-hearted exploration of a marriage on the rocks never seems to recognize the strangling gender norms at its core. The performances are solid from the supporting cast, including former pro footballer Peyton Manning and a smattering of actual stand-ups — like Chloe Radcliffe, Jordan Jensen, and Reggie Conquest. Then there's Arnett, who post-BoJack Horseman seems cozy in the role of a lost middle-aged loser seeking validation through performance. But ultimately, I wasn't rooting for this marriage to work out or fall apart. I was just waiting for someone to flash the light and bring this exasperating set to an end.
Is This Thing On? was reviewed out of its world premiere at the New York Film Festival. The movie will open in theaters on Dec. 19.
Google Translate app starts explaining itself with AI understandingGoogle Translate, the popular translation app, didn't explain itself — but a new feature on the Android app does.
The Google Translate app has been a worthy addition to any international traveler's tech arsenal ever since it launched in 2006; Google claims it now translates a trillion words every month. Not that it does so entirely accurately. Over two decades, the app has also been a source of hilarious translation fails — which have in themselves created enough content for multiple listicles, Reddit threads, and YouTube videos.
But right or wrong, the app has never been able to explain the process it went through to get to that translation — in other words, to show its work. Not until now. An experimental feature spotted by Android Authority, now being tested on the Android version of Google Translate, adds an "Understand" button at the bottom of the screen.
Using Gemini AI for the explanation, "Understand" details the app's "thinking" process. And it doesn't spare any user's blushes if the original language query isn't worded well. In Android Authority's example, the words "impractical that is" are translated into the Hindi "yah avyaavahaarik hai," with the app noting that this is a more common way to translate the English phrase "this is impractical." (Still, the app missed an opportunity for a teachable moment here — to point out that Hindi invariably puts its verbs at the end of the sentence.)
Another AI-driven button next to "Understand" is "Ask," which suggests further queries helpful to any language learner. The app is able to use the translated phrase in a sentence, and it can tell you whether the usage is formal or informal. In other words, Google Translate may soon be able to provide the kind of context any language teacher will tell you is crucial for true understanding.
The two experimental AI buttons, which are not yet confirmed as an upcoming feature, replace a single button that allowed Android users to "ask a follow up." Even that button doesn't yet exist in the iOS version, so iPhone users might have to wait a while to see this feature if they ever get it at all. At least the iOS version was the first to get larger, clearer text, which has only just been added to the Android version.
Adding more "understanding" to Google Translate seems in line with the company's stated plans to make the app more educational. This summer, Google announced Duolingo-style "language practice sessions" would be rolling out in beta form to Android and iOS users — starting with English-speaking users who want to learn Spanish.
"We're going far beyond simple language-to-language translation," wrote Google Translate product manager Matt Sheets. Based on user feedback, Sheets said, the app now aims to help you "listen and speak with confidence on the topics you care about." Adding more context-rich "understanding" would certainly boost that confidence. But whether these features are enough for Google to compete with Duolingo's far more intensive language courses remains, for now, in the untranslatable future.
The scariest movies on Paramount+ to send a chill down your spineFrom '90s classics like "Scream" and "The Faculty" to recent hits like "Smile 2," this list of scary movies streaming on Paramount+ has something for everyone.
Want to get your pulse racing and your spine tingling? Maybe you need something spooky as an excuse to cuddle up closer to your crush? Or perhaps you want to test your mettle with some supremely creepy cinema? Whatever your reasons, Paramount+ has a thrilling library of movies perfect for a scary night in.
Below, we’ve collected the highlights across a wide field of horror films. Whether you’re on the hunt for vicious zombies, sinister slashers, creepy critters, merciless monsters, or madcap mayhem, we’ve got what you want.
Here are the best scary movies now available on Paramount+.
John Krasinski went from actor to celebrated horror director with this spine-tingling 2018 hit. Starring opposite his real-life wife Emily Blunt, The Office star plays a farmer dedicated to protecting his family from killer creatures that hunt by sound. This clever premise means the movie’s characters can't scream, because such a sound would definitely be their last. That means your own sounds of terror are weaponized while watching, crashing into the silent soundscape that’s suffocating in tension.
Ruthlessly paced and keenly realized, A Quiet Place is a superbly scary thrill ride. But what makes it top tier are the poignant performances by Krasinski, Blunt, and their onscreen children, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe. Together, they make a family-frightening feature that's perfect for a quiet night at home. And if you dare to make it a triple feature, the spooky sequel A Quiet Place: Part II and prequel A Quiet Place: Day One are also available. — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor
How to watch: A Quiet Place is now streaming on Paramount+.
It was the slasher movie that changed the way we looked at this stabby subgenre. Directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, Scream imagined what if in a charming suburban town a Halloween-like scenario — masked killer targeting teen girls — was happening to a generation raised on such movies?
Virginal Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is the good girl of her group of friends, but soon seems to be the target of the Ghostface killer. Stalked and scared but far from helpless, she — with the help of a dopey deputy (David Arquette) and an opportunist news reporter (Courteney Cox) — must survive the night and unmask the killer. A classic that launched a franchise, Scream is still the gold standard by which dastardly reveals are judged. And hey, you can also watch Scream 2-6 on Paramount+ too! — K.P.
How to watch: Scream is now streaming on Paramount+.
Stephen King has long been heralded the king of horror novels. His Pet Sematary was a book so scary that it’s been adapted to the big screen twice. The first came in 1989, yet this 2019 version is less a remake and more a reimagining. Instead of retreading the gruesome path of the original, directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer make surprising turns to keep the thrills fresh and frightening — but still deliciously ghoulish!
Jason Clarke and Amy Seimetz star as parents happy to move their young children away from the bustling of a big city to a quaint Maine town. The locals are odd but friendly. (Shout-out to a perfectly morose John Lithgow.) Their house is lovely, but its location proves full of dangers and deadly temptations. Then, this dreamy family’s waking nightmare begins when a dead cat is resurrected. From there, things grow more monstrous and moldering. — K.P.
How to watch: Pet Sematary is now streaming on Paramount+.
A Rosemary's Baby prequel was a big gamble to take, but it paid off. Set months before the events of the 1968 classic, Relic director Natalie Erika James takes minor character Terry (Julia Garner), a neighbor of Rosemary who only has a single scene in the original, and fleshes her story out to terrifying effect.
"With Relic, Natalie Erika James spun an intimate tale of mother-daughter relationships and family curses into a rivetingly scary thriller," wrote Mashable's Kristy Puchko in her review. "Here, she uses that gift of emotional intelligence and skill for crafting unsettling scenes to tell a story that's familiar yet all the more frightening for it. We know where Terry's story will end because of Rosemary's Baby. Yet James keeps us at the edge of our seats as she expertly spins a web of rich drama and sly horror, working in heartfelt conversations, shattering jump scares, and defiant dazzle. From Polanski's foundation, she builds a glittering tale of girlhood stolen that is sick, stunning, and horrifyingly relevant."* — S.H.
How to watch: Apartment 7A is now streaming on Paramount+.
Adrian Lyne’s 1990 mindbender Jacob’s Ladder is a cult film that deserves a bigger cult. Tim Robbins plays Jacob Singer, a Vietnam veteran living in a dilapidated '70s New York with his girlfriend Jezzie (the late Elizabeth Peña) while experiencing horrifying hallucinations that may be the result of an experimental drug used on his platoon. Or is he being pursued by demons and the ghost of his dead son (an uncredited Macaulay Culkin)? Or is Jacob himself already dead and unaware of it? A surprisingly profound take on death and loss that happens to have one of the scariest hospitals ever seen on film. — Rufus Hickok, Contributing Writer
How to watch: Jacob’s Ladder is now streaming on Paramount+.
After the success of Parker Finn's Smile, expectations for the sequel were high — and you'd better believe that thing delivered. Following on from the events of the first movie, Smile 2 takes its cursed premise into the world of fame, following pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) on a world tour-turned-nightmare.
"To match his superstar heroine, Finn goes all in on creating an unpredictable narrative that's full of jump scares, creepy imagery, and spine-tingling sound effects," wrote Monica Castillo in her Mashable review. "There are even more violent injuries, body horror, and bloody deaths to make an audience recoil, and plenty of upsetting details, from Skye's compulsive hair-pulling habit (aka trichotillomania) to a group of smiling backup dancers chasing Skye through her apartment in choreographed formation. These scares can feel delightfully over the top, almost like a carnival ride, but they're as creative and horrific as the best parts of the Final Destination series."* — S.H.
How to watch: Smile 2 is now streaming on Paramount+.
Want something exciting with a fairytale flourish? Then you'll cherish this outrageous R-rated film from 2013, which not only offers action and fantasy but also ghoulish horror.
Directed by Dead Snow helmer Tommy Wirkola, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters reimagines the classic Grimm tale as one about two vengeance-driven siblings dedicated to eliminating the magical scourge that turns children into meals. Wearing matching smirks, Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton star as the titular brother-sister team. They wield crossbows and firearms with deadly accuracy and gory results. But with a massive coven coming for them, they'll need killer snares, quirky sidekicks, and some magic of their own. Along with bursts of action, Wirkola unveils a rich treasure trove of creepy witch designs that will have horror fans squealing. So, forget historical accuracy, embrace lunacy, and enjoy a realm where witches rule, trolls drool, and Hansel and Gretel are merciless ass-kickers. — K.P.
How to watch: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is now streaming on Paramount+.
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Want something scary that's PG-13? Then you'll get a kick out of Disturbia. This 2007 thriller is a sort-of remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, but leaning hard into the 00s thirst for teen slashers flicks.
Shia LaBeouf stars as a teen boy who's under house arrest, and has the ankle bracelet to prove it. (Hey, at least it's not a broken leg!) Watching through his windows, he spies on his neighbors, and soon suspects that one of them is a serial killer. Is he paranoid? Or is he onto something sinister? Creepy, exciting, and slick, this twisted gem from director D. J. Caruso makes for a great watch without R-rated gore. — K.P.
How to watch: Disturbia is now streaming on Paramount+.
Usually, the only terrifying thing about bougie fine dining experiences is the price tag attached to them. And perhaps the occasional food item that grosses you out. Directed by Mark Mylod, The Menu puts a new spin on fear-inducing gastronomy with what appears to be a murderous chef played by a very sinister-looking Ralph Fiennes, and a load of unsuspecting restaurant guests who think they're all in for nothing more than a night of haute cuisine. Naturally, they all get more than they bargained for. And, no, we don't mean free dessert. Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult play a couple who travel to the high-end restaurant, which handily happens to be on a coastal island (handy because no one can hear you screaming, perhaps). Shocks and surprises await them, and the other guests, at their foodie retreat. Anyone fancy eating at home, this evening? And maybe forever? — Rachel Thompson, Features Editor
How to watch: The Menu is now streaming on Paramount+.
Director Jeremy Saulnier's relentless 2015 panic attack of a movie stars Anton Yelchin (RIP), Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, and Callum Turner as a punk band on cheapo tour who find themselves performing at a skinhead bar in the middle of nowhere, Oregon. And that's not even the worst of it.
The worst comes when the band accidentally witnesses a murder in the green room. And their hosts don't want to leave any witnesses alive. Barricaded in the beer and piss-soaked back room of the title, the foursome find themselves besieged by a troupe of baddies, led by a terrifying Patrick Stewart, who is clearly relishing the opportunity to drop his StarFleet uniform for the cause of deeply freaking us out. Be warned, this one get gruesome.* — Jason Adams, Freelance Contributor
How to watch: Green Room is now streaming on Paramount+.
Craving a creature-feature with a jaw-droppingly star-studded cast? Then give this crocodile horror-comedy a bite. Set in Maine, Lake Placid focuses on a place where some massive, mysterious creature seems to be gobbling people up whole. Naturally, the local sheriff (Brendan Gleeson) must convene with an agent (Bill Pullman) from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, a paleontologist (Bridget Fonda), and an affluent mythology professor (Oliver Platt). That doesn't mean he's happy about it. Unhappier still is local Mrs. Delores Bickerman (a foul-mouthed Betty White), who doesn't take kindly to strangers sniffing around her home.
Written by David E. Kelley, this outrageous premise plays way smarter than you might expect. But director Steve Miner is sure to put in giddily grisly attacks and creature feature thrills for some big stupid fun. — K.P.
How to watch: Lake Placid is now streaming on Paramount+.
It’s a crime more people don’t know about this Breakfast Club vs. the Body Snatchers monster mashup. Not only does it boast the throwback fun of '50s alien invasion horror, but also, The Faculty scratches the itch for '90s teen horror. When the extraterrestrial-conquered teachers at an Ohio high school start acting very strange, a group of angsty teens have to stop them from taking over the town at the big football game. It’s an old story, but with Scream scribe Kevin Williamson bringing the meta-commentary, a cast featuring Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, Salma Hayek, Jon Stewart, and Piper Laurie, a '90s alt-rock soundtrack, fantastic creature design (by Bernie Wrightson), and Sin City director Robert Rodriguez keeping things moving quickly, it’s all too much fun. — R.H.
How to watch: The Faculty is now streaming on Paramount+.
UPDATE: Oct. 3, 2025, 3:40 p.m. EDT This article was first published on Sept. 3, 2021. It has since been updated to reflect current streaming options.
California greenlights AI safety, data protection, Netflix quietOver the last two weeks, California leaders have passed standard-setting Big Tech regulation.
California is riding a wave of Big Tech legislation, with the state's leaders signing several technology-related bills in quick succession.
The first, referred to as the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act, made headlines as a history-making state-level law ensuring more robust generative AI safety standards. The safety and transparency bill mandates AI labs disclose potential harm created by the rising technology and disclose their safety protocols as proof that companies are designing AI systems to mitigate catastrophic risk. The requirements are enforced by the state's Office of Emergency Services. It applies to companies that reach a certain threshold of computing power reserved exclusively for model training or those that make at least $500 million in annual revenue.
The bill is designed to keep AI developers accountable to safety standards even when facing competitive pressure and includes protections for potential whistleblowers. California governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement that the legislation proves that stronger safety regulations aren't necessarily an impediment to AI innovation, as many Big Tech leaders have argued.
Many onlookers have called the bill a new national standard.
A few days later, Newsom signed SB 576, a bill that prohibits commercial volume levels from exceeding the viewer's set volume. Importantly, it applies to streaming ads, too, which are widely underregulated. It extends the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act passed by Congress in 2010, which established average volume limits for broadcast television commercials and cable operators.
Most recently, the state has given the green light to AB 656, a law that requires social media companies to make it easier to cancel accounts and ensure that all personal account data is immediately deleted. Last year, the FTC announced new Click to Cancel rules, mandating subscription providers make it easier for customers to cancel recurring payments and delete their accounts.
Newsom — while fashioning himself into President Donald Trump's number one nemesis — has led California in passing some of the nation's most advanced tech regulation, child safety laws, and consumer protection acts. But Newsom has also cozied up to many of Big Tech's interests, including vetoing a contentious, sweeping 2024 bill that would have made AI companies liable for harms caused by its technology.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.How bad is the Discord hack? What you need to know.There's a broader concern coming out of the Discord breach.
Seventy-thousand. That's the number of users who may have had their government-issued IDs stolen as part of a major breach of the popular chat and messaging app Discord. While that may seem like a small number when considering Discord has hundreds of millions of users, there is a more concerning factor here — tech companies continuing to require identification from some of its users and the security risk involved in maintaining that information.
Last week, the popular chat and messaging platform Discord announced that a third-party customer support vendor had suffered a breach. Any information that a user provided to a customer support representative with this third-party could have potentially been stolen by a bad actor. Discord said this included usernames, names, email addresses, chats with the customer support team, limited billing information such as the last four digits of a credit card, and photos of a "small number" of government IDs.
On Thursday, Discord updated this notice to include more details, including a specific number of affected users. In total, up to 70,000 users had their government-issued IDs exposed. According to Discord, "Of the accounts impacted globally, we have identified approximately 70,000 users that may have had government-ID photos exposed, which our vendor used to review age-related appeals."
In the past, Discord did not collect government IDs from users. However, many states began requiring certain internet apps and services to prove users are not minors, either through a digital ID or facial recognition.
Discord allows users to submit a photo of themselves to prove their age; those pictures are then run through automated age verification systems. These systems estimate the user's age and either let them proceed on the site or deny them access. Photos submitted are then immediately deleted from the age verification system.
However, in some cases, these age verification systems get things wrong. Users can then submit an appeal along with a photo of their government ID. Discord's breach happened when its third-party vendor that processes its appeals was hacked.
As these age verification requirements spread, more sites will be forced to collect more information from users, giving hackers a trove of new information to pilfer.
As NBC News reports, hackers claiming to be behind the breach have set up a Telegram channel where they posted thousands of users' names, email addresses, and other sensitive data. Hackers have also posted over 100 photos of individual Discord users holding up their government IDs.
Discord says approximately 70,000 Discord users have had photos of their IDs stolen by hackers who are now attempting to extort the site. The hackers claim to have more than 2,185,000 photos, but Discord has denied that number, claiming the hackers are exagerating to extort a ransom. It's unclear what actions Discord intends to take at this time.
As age verification laws proliferate, tech companies like Discord will likely have to develop new, more secure methods for verifying their users' ages.
As is often the case in high-profile breaches, the hackers are trying to extort a ransom. However, Discord says that it will not pay a ransom or "reward" the cybercriminals responsible. A Discord spokesperson told The Verge, "we will not reward those responsible for their illegal actions."
Good Boys star dog Indy pleads for the Academy Awards to hear him outAnd the Oscar for Best Dog Performance goes to...
With the film festival season drawing to a close, award season is heating up. Now is the time for aspiring Oscar hopefuls to make themselves heard. And props to one of our favorite performers of the year for raising his paw for notice.
Indy is sniffing his way into the Academy Awards conversation with a public letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The lead of the dog-centered horror/thriller Good Boy, Indy has been earning praise for his sensational performance since its world premiere at SXSW last spring. In my review as Mashable's Entertainment editor, I cheered the incredible charisma of this canine, writing, "Indy is just a star from his first frame."
More critical acclaim followed as Good Boy hit festivals ahead of its theatrical debut. Even fans of the trailer were so taken by this canine star that social media was flooded with people asking, "Does the dog die in Good Boy?" So, with such a surge of love from critics and fans, why not the Academy?
In the letter, which you can read in full below, Indy notes he's not eligible to run as Best Actor because it is an all-human category. "This news feels as if someone has yanked my leash short," Indy writes, "as apparently I am not a good enough boy for you."
Of course, Indy's performance isn't only his. Good Boy filmmakers Ben Leonberg and Kari Fischer, a married couple who are the happy humans of Indy, crafted the performance over three years, using thoughtful camera angles and clever methods to get the performance they needed without ever actually having to spook their star.
With How It Hits, contributor Matthew Fornwald explored the difficulty of creating a terrific dog performance by working with his own pet. And when Indy, Ben, and Kari came by Mashable's studios for a visit to our Say More couch, we got to see a bit of their collaboration in action.
All this to say, Mashable is Team Indy, all the way to the Oscars.
Here's Indy's letter to the Academy:
For more of Indy, check out Good Boy, now in theaters.
The best gay dating apps of 2025: Grindr is still king, even if we wish it wasntLooking for the best gay dating apps of 2025? From Grindr to Scruff to Archer, here's our unfiltered guide to the best gay dating apps for men.
Online dating as a gay man is a rite of passage, from the Craigslist m4m era to today's endless scroll. But for all the high rewards, even the best dating apps come with a unique set of challenges for gay men: ghosting, catfishing, straight guys who shouldn't be in your feed, and even some not-so-subtle fetishization. It's a lot to take in when you're just trying to find a genuine connection.
Yet, despite the BS, the best gay dating apps are still one of the main ways to meet new people, especially if you're gay or bisexual. Pew Research found that about one in four LGBTQ+ adults met their partner online, a much higher rate than for straight people.
Of course, we can't talk about gay dating without talking about Grindr. It's still the undisputed king of gay dating apps, even if the user experience has been suffering of late. The free version of Grindr is now stuffed full of ads, leaving many guys longing for an alternative. Plus, because of its well-deserved reputation as one of the top hookup apps, it's not always the best option for making a love connection.
"Grindr is a tried and true app that many queer men gravitate toward to find partners or for relationships that require lesser commitment, so it’s easy to point to it as the No. 1 app," Michelle Herzog, LMFT, AASECT-certified sex therapist, tells Mashable. "However, like Tinder, it’s gained a reputation as a hookup app — but that doesn’t mean there still aren’t men looking for long-term commitments, either."
The good news is that the gay dating app landscape is bigger than Grindr. Mainstream apps like Hinge and OkCupid have made huge strides in inclusivity, while niche apps like Scruff and Feeld cater to specific communities, kinks, and desires. The key is figuring out which one is actually worth your time. So, here's our authoritative guide to the best dating apps for gay men in 2025.
Recent additions to this dating app guide include:
Feeld: As of October 2025, we've added Feeld to this guide as our top pick for "Best for Kink and Threesomes."
Hinge: As of October 2025, we've added Hinge as another alternative to Archer, as it's also great for finding serious relationships. We've selected it as the best gay dating app for younger guys as well, due to its popularity with Gen Z.
Samsung is trying to eat Apple's lunch in the XR space, and it might have the device to do it.
Android Headlines got a hold of leaked product renders and what seem to be actual specs for Samsung's upcoming Project Moohan XR headset this week. The device, which is rumored to launch sometime this month, still doesn't have an official name, though Android Headlines refers to it as "Galaxy XR" in its piece outlining the specs. We'll stick with Project Moohan for now.
Anyway, you're probably wondering how the reported (though still not official) specs for Project Moohan compare to Apple Vision Pro, perhaps the best-known competitor Samsung has in the space. Let's dig in and find out.
In terms of looks, both devices are pretty similar. They're both high-tech goggles that sit on your face, and both seem to have little techno-pucks attached via wires, which ideally would sit in your pocket or something while you use them.
One thing that's worth noting here is that Android Headlines claims Moohan isn't very front-heavy and doesn't feel like it's being propped up by your nose, thanks to a strap in the back and some additional cushioning. That stands in contrast to Vision Pro, which our reviewer noted felt a little burdensome to wear for long stretches because of how front-heavy it was. We'll have to wait to see for ourselves if what Android Headlines is saying is true, but that would be a very good thing, if so.
It's also worth mentioning that Moohan is reportedly 545 grams, while Vision Pro is anywhere from 600 to 650 grams depending on various factors. A lighter headset would be welcome here.
Display is one area where Samsung is allegedly on top of Apple. According to Android Headlines, Moohan has a pair of 4K micro-OLED displays that offer a total of 29 million pixels. Vision Pro, on the other hand, comes in just below 4K resolution and "only" has 23 million pixels.
Apple's headset has a 100Hz refresh rate, while we still don't know that figure on Moohan yet. It would be surprising if it were any lower than that, but surprises happen.
There are a lot of missing gaps in this report, so we can't paint a full picture of how Vision Pro and Moohan compare to each other just yet. However, there are a few other differences worth pointing out before we're done here today.
For starters, Moohan reportedly has two first-party motion-sensing controllers, while Vision Pro is based around hand gestures and only offers third-party controller support. To be clear, Moohan will also track hand gestures, but that won't be the only or necessarily the primary way of interacting with it, if you don't want it to be. Both devices also support eye tracking, for what that's worth.
In terms of battery life, Android Headlines says Moohan will be rated for 2 to 2.5 hours of use, depending on what you're doing. Our reviewer was able to squeeze about 3.5 hours out of a Vision Pro charge, so this is an area where Apple could potentially have a leg up over Samsung.
Again, we'll have to be patient and wait until the full spec sheet is out there from Samsung itself before we can do a full product comparison. But for now, it seems like Samsung waiting a while to enter the XR market might pay off with a superior device to what Apple is selling.
Pixel Buds 2a review: Googles new mid-range earbuds are a little too... mid?Google's latest earbuds offer good sound and ANC along with great battery life, but is that enough?
There's no shortage of midrange earbuds with good Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). The only trouble is finding one that offers a good value for the money. Google is going after that goal with the Pixel Buds 2a — and it's doing an okay, but not great, job.
The Pixel Buds 2a are a decent pair of midrange earbuds. They do some things right and some things wrong. You'll either love them or hate them. I've been using a pair of Pixel 2a earbuds for a week; here's what I learned.
The good old earbuds-and-stem build has its merits. Pixel Buds are designed to reside almost entirely inside your earlobe. That's a design that I personally like, even though there are some clear shortcomings.
The main reason I like them: size. The Pixel Buds 2a are just small enough to sleep on your side with them in. Your mileage will vary depending on the shape of your ear, but I found I could sleep in them. There is a bit of pressure on the ear when I do, but it's barely noticeable.
Despite being diminutive, these buds are good for about seven hours of playback on a single charge, with another two charges in the equally tiny case. In the week I was using them, I never charged the case – and it still has 35% charge as I write this. I'm also not the heaviest earbud user, so again, your mileage will vary.
The downside: the stems sticking out of your ears are touch sensitive. This can cause problems when you reach up to push the bud back into your ear … and inadvertently pause your music or turn off ANC. There's also no way to adjust the volume of the buds by touch. You can tell Google/Gemini to do it, but that's a workaround at best, annoying at worst.
The overall sound of these buds is pretty good. Out of the box, you get a pretty balanced tone, though there's a little bit less bass than I would normally like. Google provides a five band EQ that you can use to adjust sound. I'm usually more of a 7 to 9 band EQ fan, but was still able to tweak the sound to my liking.
One welcome addition to these buds, missing from the previous generation, is ANC. I found it surprisingly good considering the price point. It doesn't drown out everything, to be sure, but it certainly filters out quite a bit.
During my review, the office in my basement was blasted with sounds from a HVAC system, a 3D printer, and a washer and dryer, all running at the same time. Most of that noise was cancelled out. That was a very pleasant surprise.
Transparency mode is also effective. There is a bit of side tone when you speak, which can be a tad annoying. But overall, I have no complaints about transparency mode.
These earbuds don't do very well cancelling out wind noise when out riding on a bike (of course, you should never ride a bike with ANC turned on: don't try this at home). Still, the buds do a good job at eliminating wind noise for callers. Despite the atrocious wind noise I experienced on the phone, the person I was calling didn't even know I was on a bike. So there's that.
One Pixel bud feature it's easy to overlook: the hearing health information it feeds you. This is a feature that should be built into Android, and frankly every operating system you can pair earbuds to. It can tell you in real time how loud your audio is, and how that loudness has changed over time.
That's an awesome feature, but Google doesn't quite go far enough with it. What I'd like to see is a widget you can put on your home screen that gives you that same information in real time so you can actually see it.
As it is, this feature is buried inside the settings of the app; it desperately needs to be more front-facing. I would love it even more if Google didn't make it so easy to ignore.
One pet peeve I have with these buds (and other buds that do the same thing) is they limit what you can do with the touch controls. You can control the Pixel Buds 2a with short and long taps on the buds, which is fine, except for the problem of accidentally pausing your music. But you can't control what those taps do, except for the long tap.
A single tap pauses your music, a double tap skips forward and a triple tap skips back. You can control what a tap and hold does — either turn ANC on/off or summon Gemini, but that's the only option you have.
I would much prefer the ability to configure your controls however you want. For the buds, I'd rather double tap left/right to turn volume down or up, and triple tap left/right to skip back/forward; but it's simply not an option. That's not cool. They're my buds; let me control them however I want.
As with the AirPods Pro 3, and some other buds such as the OnePlus Buds Pro 3, the controls are in the Bluetooth settings — but Google automatically adds an "app" to access those settings as well. I put "app" in quotes because it's basically just a shortcut to the same settings panel. Definitely handy, but it's hardly an entire app.
In 2025, a product cannot be released without having some kind of AI built in. The AI here, of course, is Gemini, which is generally superior to Apple Intelligence — but what's nice about Apple's AI is you can use it to directly control functions in the buds, such as turning ANC on and off.
Gemini on the buds cannot do that, which is pretty weird. Gemini can control your smart devices, provide masses of information, or get directions. But ANC, apparently, is not on the table. This seems to fly in the face of using Gemini to turn volume up and down (which works, by the way). Using Google's buds to access Google's AI doesn't make it superior to any other earbuds that answer to "OK Google."
The Pixel Buds 2A weigh in at $129: an okay, but not amazing price for what you get. I like the sound quality and the ANC, but any set of earbuds you buy for around $100 will have pretty good sound and ANC.
A good transparency mode helps, but the lack of wireless charging in particular is hard to ignore at this price. There are just too many good options at or below that price that have those features and wireless charging besides.
The main thing these buds have going for them over their competitors are their size, which is adorably tiny, with good battery life (considering their size), and the fact that they pair very nicely with your Google-branded phone…if you have one. Hearing health is a feature no other set of earbuds that I've tested has, and Google should build on that and make it as front-facing as possible.
If those are all things that you're absolutely looking for in earbuds, then these are the buds for you. But if you're not necessarily interested in having small buds, or you want the ability to control your volume with touch (which is much more important for me than skipping forward/back) then there are better options.
Ultimately, Google needs to either add wireless charging or bring the price down to $99 to be truly competitive in this space. Being small and having a "G" on the bud isn't enough anymore.
As Elvira, Cassandra Peterson has become a true icon, headlining comedies like Elvira: Mistress of the Dark and Elvira's Haunted Hills, hosting hordes of TV B-movie presentations, appearing in comic books, and much, much more. Now, Peterson is resurrecting her Valley girl vamp for Elvira's Cookbook from Hell, a charming coffee table book that boasts goth recipes, glossy photos, crafting guides, and very Elvira-style hosting etiquette.
Peterson came by Mashable's Say More couch for an interview with Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko. Together, they dive into all things Elvira, including her new cookbook, how her dear(ly departed) friend and fellow horror icon Vincent Price was an inspiration, and drag queens.
Having guest judged on RuPaul's Drag Race "Monster Ball" and The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans "Halloween House Party," Peterson was happy to draw a connection between her Elvira character and the queens. "I do everything drag queens do," she said of putting together her goth goddess look, "except 'tuck'!"
Peterson also shared how Elvira's Cookbook from Hell has been a dream project for thirty years, dating back to Martha Stewart's rise. Loving to cook and host herself, Peterson began to pitch a cookbook for the goth crowd — but publishers wouldn't bite. Little did they understand the vision she had, not for a Halloween-specific cookbook, but for one that brings goth flare and Elvira's spirited sense of humor to every occasion, from a graveside picnic to a spooky cocktail hour to a chic and macabre wedding complete with a multi-tier cake. (Please note the Black Widow Smashes that Puchko tested and tasted to prepare for the interview.)
Puchko, who's long been burrowing through Price's cookbooks, wondered if he was an inspiration for a particular cucumber-based recipe in Elvira's Cookbook from Hell. From there, Peterson shared a story of how Price was the source of a recipe that didn't make the final draft of her book, but is treasured by her nonetheless. Dare you give it a try?
Watch our full Say More video to learn more about Elvira, Peterson's cookbook, and how you're not getting the most out of a dishwasher unless you're using it to steam your entree.
Elvira's Cookbook from Hell is now on sale.
The budget-friendly Sonos Beam Gen 2 is down to its best price everThe Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar is on sale for $369 at Amazon. That's its best price ever at $130 off.
SAVE $130: As of Oct. 10, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar is on sale for just $369 at Amazon. That's 26% off its list price of $499 and matches its best price on record.
If you're looking to enhance your movie marathons or football Sundays, a soundbar is the ticket to an epic home theater setup. And one of our favorites happens to be on sale for its best price ever.
As of Oct. 10, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is just $369 at Amazon post-Prime Big Deal Days. It's usually $499, so that's 26% or $130 in savings. This is just the third time ever that the sleek soundbar has dropped down to this record-low price.
The second-generation soundbar enhances what we already loved about the first generation Beam, which Mashable tech reporter Raymond Wong said "hits the sweet spot on price, design, sound quality, and features." It features a better processor, a new grill, and Dolby Atmos compatibility in addition to its immersive sound, crystal clarity, and voice assistant support. It's easy to set up and syncs with other Sonos products like a dream. So if you're already in the Sonos smart home ecosystem, it's an especially excellent choice.
Beyond just making your movies, shows, and sports pop, the second generation Sonos Beam also works double duty as a Bluetooth speaker. Even when the TV is off, you can stream music, podcasts, and audiobooks from all your favorite services.
Though the October Prime Day event has wrapped up, you can still snag this soundbar for a budget-friendly $369, making it an extra impressive value for the money.
Buy 3 Halloween costumes, candy items, and decor at Amazon and save 20%As of Oct. 10, buy 3 Halloween costumes, candy items, and decor at Amazon and save 20%.
BUY 3 ITEMS, GET 20% OFF: As of Oct. 10, buy 3 select Halloween costumes, candy items, or decor and get 20% off your purchase at Amazon.
Are you all stocked up and ready for Halloween? It's still quite early, so no worries if not. You've still got time to decorate the house, stock up on candy, and pick out costumes for you and the rest of the brood. Amazon is aiming to make the process a little cheaper this year thanks to this sale, which can save you a bundle when you buy all the Halloween goodies you need this year.
As of Oct. 10, buy 3 select Halloween costumes, candy items, or decor and get 20% off your purchase at Amazon. Just choose from the items available on the sale promo page and add to cart. Your discount will automatically be applied at checkout.
There's a ton to choose from when it comes to candy: Nerds Ropes, candy corn, Jolly Rancher, Sour Patch Kids, and much more, including multipacks of candy you can give out to the entire neighborhood, as well as chocolates you can just sit home and eat by yourself because you're an adult.
Choose from several kids and adult costumes like pirates, cowboys, the Statue of Liberty, witches, mummies, and more. And don't forget to grab a costume for your dog or cat because they're a part of the family too. You can even shop additional accessories to finish off your costume right.
Finally, don't miss decor and party essentials like plates, napkins, coolers, and other pieces of spooky ephemera to curate your home. Now's the time to make sure you're all ready for the scariest month of the year, so buy from Amazon and save some cash whle you're at it.
Amazons Echo Dots are holding their Prime Day pricesBoth the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) and the Echo Dot Kids (5th Gen) are on sale for $34.99.
SAVE UP TO 42%: As of Oct. 10, both the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) and the Echo Dot Kids (5th Gen) are on sale for $34.99. That's a 30% discount on the standard model (down from $49.99) and a 42% discount on the Kids edition (down from $59.99).
Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event may be over, but some of the best deals are sticking around. If you missed out on the main event, you still have a chance to snag some popular tech at a discount.
As of Oct. 10, both the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) and the Echo Dot Kids (5th Gen) are on sale for $34.99. That's a 30% discount on the standard model (down from $49.99) and a 42% discount on the Kids edition (down from $59.99).
Both models feature Amazon's improved audio for clearer vocals and deeper bass, so you should be able to stream music from services like Spotify or Apple Music without issue. The standard Echo Dot includes motion and temperature sensors to trigger smart home routines, while the Kids edition comes with a year of the Amazon Kids+ subscription for ad-free stories and games, easy-to-use parental controls, and a two-year worry-free guarantee.
