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 Every now and then, the world blesses us with an opportunity to get money from a giant tech company. This is one of those times. If you owned a Siri-enabled device and experienced an "unintended Siri activation during a confidential or private communication" between Sept. 17, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2024, you may be eligible for up to $100 in cash from Apple. There's a website where you can read all the specific rules of this class-action settlement and submit claims, with a deadline of July 2. You can submit claims for up to five devices, and there's a payout cap of up to $20 per device, so you could theoretically get as much as $100 from this settlement. Of course, submitting a claim doesn't guarantee you will receive money. This is the conclusion of a lawsuit that started in 2019 and ended in January of this year, with Apple agreeing to pay out a $95 million settlement for Siri (and third-party contractors) listening in on private conversations. Apple claims it only gave Siri recordings to those contractors for quality-control testing and never sold anyone's conversations to advertisers. "Apple has never used Siri data to build marketing profiles, never made it available for advertising, and never sold it to anyone for any purpose," the company said in a statement at the time. Regardless, some Apple customers can at least get some cash out of it now. | ↑ |
 SAVE $133: As of May 9, get the 65-inch LG UR9000 4K TV at Amazon for $496.99, down from its usual price of $629.99. That's a discount of 21%. Looking for a new TV to check out all your favorite shows and movies this summer? If you're planning on gathering in your living room all season to be the place everyone gets their binge-watching on, a new screen will make it all the better. And you can get a fantastic deal on an LG TV right now if you head to Amazon. As of May 9, get the 65-inch LG UR9000 4K TV at Amazon for $496.99, down from its usual price of $629.99. That's $133 off for a discount of 21%. The LG UR9000 4K TV boasts upscaling features that can bring your favorite shows into 4K for a more crisp image and lifelike details, with HDR10 support and contrast that helps shows pop off the screen. That means brighter colors and darker shades that feel more realistic. It's powered by an AI-centred Gen6 processor that handles the upscaling and adjusts the picture using the lighting in the room, so you don't have to worry about manually setting contrast and picture settings on your own. With a 3840 x 2160 resolution and 60Hz refresh rate, it looks great out of the box, but you can tweak the settings further if needed. The TV also supports LG's webOS, with a swath of over 300 free channels you can surf when there's nothing on TV and Quick Cards that help you move all the apps you use regularly into special categories so you can find them faster. If it's time to grab a new screen, this LG TV should get you what you're looking for in an affordable package, but be quick. It probably won't last long at this price. | ↑ |
 SAVE $90: As of May 9, the Bose Ultra Open earbuds are on sale for just $209 instead of $299 at Amazon in the Diamond 60th anniversary edition color option. That's a savings of 30%. AirPods and their many doppelgängers aren't for everyone. If you're not a fan of the design or fit and want to try something a bit different, the Bose Ultra Open's unique design might be right up your alley — and they're currently on sale for 30% off. As of May 9, the Bose Ultra Open earbuds in the Diamond 60th Anniversary Edition colorway are on sale for just $209 at Amazon. That's $90 off their usual cost and just $10 away from their best price on record. The Ultra Open earbuds keep you in touch with your surroundings while you listen to music, audiobooks, or podcasts. Each earbud loops around the edge of your ear like an earring cuff, rather than going inside your ear canal. The open design (hence the name) makes them a particularly good option for runners, cyclists, or commuters looking to stay aware and alert. Mashable's reviewer RJ Andersen writes, "Though we were skeptical at first, these buds are extremely comfortable and score top marks for battery life, spatial audio, and sound quality." The buds clock in at over seven hours of play time and the included charging case offers another 2.5 full charges. Our reviewer found the battery life to be crazy good and right on the money with what Bose claimed. If you're not into the AirPods-style earbuds and want to try something a little different, the Bose Ultra Open are in a category of their own. Plus, they're $90 cheaper than usual, so why not give them a shot? | ↑ |
 SAVE 40%: As of May 9, you can get a 27-inch Samsung Odyssey G55C Series QHD 1000R curved gaming monitor for $179.99, down from $299.99, at Amazon. That's a 40% discount for $120 in savings.  Your gaming experience is only going to be as good as the display you’re playing on, so it might be time for an upgrade. If you’re looking for a bigger and better gaming monitor, Amazon’s got a deal that’s definitely worth checking out. As of May 9, you can get the 27-inch Samsung Odyssey G55C Series QHD 1000R curved gaming monitor (LS27CG552ENXZA, 2024) for $179.99, down from $299.99, at Amazon. That’s a 40% discount and a $120 savings. If you need an even bigger screen, the 32-inch monitor is $273.38. This monitor features QHD resolution with HDR10 support, 1ms response time, and up to a 165Hz refresh rate. The AMD Radeon FreeSync keeps your monitor and graphics card refresh rate in sync to reduce image tearing and stuttering (which basically means that your game will run smoother). Plus, with the 1000R curved display, you’ll feel like you’re really in the game. (We recommend pairing it with some gaming headphones for the ultimate immersive experience.) Samsung also added an Eye Saver Mode for intense gaming sessions to minimize blue light and reduce eye strain, so you can keep your eyes on the prize. | ↑ |
 UPDATE: May. 8, 2025, 11:30 a.m. EDT This story has been updated with additional Mother's Day sales from the Google Store, KitchenAid, Motorola, and Therabody.
The best last-minute Mother's Day deals at a glance:
        Mother's Day is just days away (Sunday, May 11), and there are plenty of good sales worth shopping. You can also find plenty of last-minute gift ideas at Amazon, where you can take advantage of that sweet, sweet Prime shipping. You might not be able to buy Mom the one thing she truly deserves — the world, duh — but you can definitely find a good deal on a gift that shows your appreciation for her. Below, we've rounded up a list of the best Mother's Day sales and gift ideas, including some deals on flowers that should still arrive on time if you hustle. ( Amazon's same- and next-day delivery options will be the most forgiving.) Be sure to check shipping times before you hit "purchase." Mother's Day flower dealsAt the time of writing, all online flower delivery services we checked still had slots available for Mother's Day (or the Saturday prior), though you may have to splash out on expedited shipping:
Amazon — shop last-minute deals and gift ideasThe retail giant has thrown together a dedicated Mother's Day storefront featuring myriad gift ideas for different kinds of moms, unique finds from small business, and deals under various price points (including discounted gift cards). You can filter its options by delivery day to make sure your order arrives by Sunday at the latest. There are also flowers available for next-day delivery. Here are some of the best last-minute Mother's Day deals and gifts we spotted on Amazon:
Bird Buddy — save up to 40% on smart bird feeders and bundlesBird Buddy's award-winning solar-powered smart bird feeders have built-in species recognition to help you get to know your backyard friends a little better. The company also makes a hummingbird feeder in addition to its two standard (seed) feeders, in case Mom lives somewhere warm. Prices start at $199. And in addition to the official Bird Buddy sale, you can also find these products discounted at Amazon.
Bird Buddy sales
   Bose — save up to 25% on select headphones, earbuds, and speakersBose's QuietComfort Ultra headphones and earbuds are Mashable's top picks for noise cancellation, combining great ANC with long battery lives and super comfy designs. The brand's Mother's Day sale knocks $30 and $50 off their sticker prices, respectively. Its biggest discount is going to the standard Bose QuietComfort headphones (now just $249, or $100 off), which scrap some of their Ultra counterparts' features and audio modes. Prices start at $99. Dreame — save up to 56% on select robot vacuumsGiving Mom a robot vacuum is like giving her a permanently shorter to-do list — love that for her. Dreame has discounted several models in its Amazon storefront through May 11, including the X50 Ultra ($340 off), the X40 Ultra ($600 off), the L20 Ultra ($400 off with on-page coupon), and the L10s Ultra ($500 off). They're all self-emptying models that can also mop. Prices start at $159.99. Garmin — save up to $150 on select smartwatchesGarmin smartwatches range from rugged wearables equipped with workout presets (see: the Venu 3) to elegant timepieces with leather bands and metallic accents (i.e., the Lily 2). Most of the models it has on sale for Mother's Day come with a built-in heart rate monitor, health and wellness features, and a blood oxygen sensor — something that you won't find on modern Apple Watches. Two golfing devices are also discounted as part of the event. Google Store — save up to $300 on smartphones and wearablesGoogle has put its entire lineup on sale in honor of Mom. That includes some of our favorite smartphones you can buy right now — the Google Pixel 9a, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold — and the Pixel Tablet, a great iPad alternative. The sale has also takes up to $50 off three Fitbits. One of them, the new Fitbit Charge 6, can be bundled with a pair of Pixel Buds A-Series for a total savings of $100. Prices start at $59. KitchenAid — save up to $130 on select countertop appliancesIn the off-chance Mom doesn't already have a trusty KitchenAid stand mixer, you can snag one for her in a rainbow of colors for as low as $249.99 during the brand's Mother's Day sale (live through May 11). Attachments for it, like a pasta roller and a veggie spiralizer, are also marked down by up to 30%. MasterClass — save 50% on subscriptionsOne of our favorite digital gifts, a MasterClass subscription unlocks a huge catalog of online courses taught by celebrities and industry leaders. (For example, Miss Magnolia herself, Joanna Gaines, leads a class about home design.) Annual plans usually cost $120 to $240, depending on the tier, but they're all half off through May 11. Motorola — save up to $400 on select smartphonesTime is a flat circle, and the phones that were cool when Mom was young are, indeed, cool again. Motorola's Mother's Day sale slaps discounts across its lineup. Notably, last year's Razr flip phone comes with a free matching case worth $50 on top of a $100 discount, and preorders for the just-announced Razr Ultra foldable are $200 off. Prices start at only $169.99. Ninja — save up to 25% on select kitchen appliances and cookwareRed alert: Ninja's jam-packed Mother's Day sale includes deals on the mega-popular Creami frozen treat maker ($30 off) and a bundle that pairs the upgraded Creami Deluxe with a waffle maker — homemade ice cream sandwiches, anyone? Other Mother's Day deals on Ninja kitchen appliances and cookware start at $129.99. Plus, you can take an extra 10% off any spare accessories using the coupon code SPECIAL10. Solawave — save up to 35% on red light therapy kitsKits bundling Solawave's red light therapy devices with serums, creams, or face masks start at just $99 during its Mother's Day sale. We're huge fans of the original Solawave wand, which our reviewer called "way more convenient and budget-friendly" than other light therapy devices, and "a great tool that has definitely changed my skin for the better." T3 — save up to $100 on select hair toolsT3's Aire 360 multi-styler and Aire IQ hair dryer are some of our favorite dupes for Dyson's pricey Airwrap and Supersonic Nural, respectively. Its Mother's Day sale drops their prices by up to 25%, starting at $249.99. (Meanwhile, neither Dyson hair tool is on sale right now.) Therabody — save up to $100 on select massage guns and skincare devicesThe star of Therabody's Mother's Day sale is the Mashable Choice Award-winning TheraFace Pro, which our reviewer deemed "the ultimate 'it girl' skincare tool." It's 25% off during the event, and its swappable Hot and Cold Ring attachments are 20% off. Prices start at $79. | ↑ |
 SAVE $20: As of May 9, get the Roku Ultra for $79.99, down from its usual price of $99.99. That's a 20% discount. A great streaming device is easy to set up, perfectly portable, and powerful enough to handle whatever you want to throw at it, whether that's streaming in 4K, offering audio options like Dolby Atmos, and the ability to use just about any app you need. The Roku Ultra delivers all that and then some, and it's on sale right now. Summer's here, and if you're planning a vacation where you want to take your shows and movies with you or just staying inside to beat the heat, you should make sure your streaming situation is on lock. As of May 9, get the Roku Ultra for $79.99, down from its usual price of $99.99. That's $20 off and a 20% discount. The Roku Ultra is a 4K streaming device tha supports HDR10+, Dolby vision, Dolby Atmos, and Wi-Fi 6. It's also 30% faster than the previous Roku playesr before it, so apps are snappier and menus load quicker than before. The Roku itself is about the size of an Apple TV, so it's unobtrusive, and it comes with a Roku remote that you can use to control your streams via voice or dedicated buttons. The Roku Voice Remote Pro even has a lost remote finder if you happen to misplace it. This is a much more powerful, full-featured version of whatever Roku you may have been using prior, or other streaming device, with more reasons to make it your main platform if you aren't planning on heading out with it. It's also handy for travel given its smaller size. But with $20 off, it's a good time to go ahead and lock yours in if you're interested, especially if you have some binge-watching to do this summer. | ↑ |
 SAVE 20%: As of May 9, you can get the Fitbit Inspire 3 for $79.95, down from $99.95, at Amazon. That's a 20% discount for $20 in savings.  Each day is a fresh opportunity to get up and try again, and that goes for your fitness, too. Adding a smartwatch to your routines could be a helpful hand in reaching your desired goals — and today's deal might just be your sign that it's time to try one out. As of May 9, you can get the Fitbit Inspire 3 at Amazon for $79.95, which is $20 cheaper than the original price of $99.95. It’s also just $10 more than its lowest price ever. The Fitbit Inspire 3 is a basic fitness tracker, but it has a lot of features for the price. You can track your steps, heart rate, sleep (you’ll get a personalized sleep profile), and activity levels. There’s also a Daily Readiness Score to help you start each day with a plan, based on your body and the stats of the day before. Plus, you’ll get a six-month Premium Fitbit membership with your purchase if you’re a new or returning Fitbit Premium customer. The battery can last up to 10 days, depending on usage. Plus, you can get call and text notifications on your wrist. The smart wake vibrating alarm is also a nice touch. | ↑ |
 SAVE 17%: As of May 9, you can get the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 for $189, down from $229, at Amazon. That's a 17% discount and a $40 savings.  Finding a good pair of earbuds that are also noise-cancelling isn’t the easiest task, especially if you’re trying to get something that’s high-end but not break-the-bank expensive. Right now, you can get the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 for $189, down from $229, at Amazon. That’s a 17% discount and a $40 savings. It’s also just $10 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked, which was right before Black Friday. These buds come in multiple color options (the price doesn’t change with color) and you’ll get four size options, a charging case, and a quick-start guide in the box. They’re also built to be comfortable, secure, and compatible with Google AI. The Tensor A1 chip (the very first to come in an earbud) powers “twice the ANC” and “delivers premium sound,” according to the product description. You can even “lock in” during workouts by adjusting the twist-to-adjust stabilizer. The Conversation Detection feature pauses your music and switches your earbuds to Transparency Mode whenever you’re talking, so you don’t have to fumble around with the controls to hear what’s going on. And when you’re ready to start listening again, your music will pick up where it left off (you can get 30 hours of listening time on a single charge). | ↑ |
 PRE-ORDER NOW: As of May 9, you can pre-order the newly announced Pixar Lamp Lego set from Lego's website. It costs $69.99, and will ship out by June 1, 2025. If you're a fan of Lego and Pixar, the perfect intersection of your interests just dropped: Lego just announced a new set that recreates the iconic Pixar Lamp (also known as Luxo Jr.) that we all know and love from the opening credits of the popular animation studio's films. It even comes with the cute little star-branded ball that you can place the lamp on to get the full effect. The Pixar Lamp Lego set is currently available to pre-order on Lego's website for $69.99, and it'll ship out by June 1, 2025. It's going to look fantastic on your bookshelf. The set comes with 613 pieces in total, and of course includes a handy instruction booklet to guide you along the building process. Once the set is complete, you'll have a fully functional Pixar Lamp that can hinge and rotate like a real desk lamp. You'll also be able to build the Disney Pixar Ball that we mentioned above, which contains some fun hidden Easter eggs from movies like Ratatouille, The Incredibles, Toy Story, and more. Pre-order yours starting today for just $69.99 on Lego's website — you can expect it to arrive to your door by June 1. | ↑ |
 SAVE $20: As of May 9, Best Buy is offering Backbone One carrying cases for just $5 ($20 off the original price). The deal is only live for one day, though, so act fast. Cloud gaming is looking more promising than ever, with big-name companies like Xbox and PlayStation doubling down on remote play capabilities that you can enjoy from anywhere. But the marquee brands aren't the only ones taking the cloud gaming scene by storm — Backbone is also at the forefront of it all, and they just announced the release of their latest device in the Backbone Pro. But if you were an early adopter like us and picked up the original Backbone One, you'll want to take advantage of this deal while you can — Best Buy is offering Backbone One carrying cases for just $5, which is $20 off the original price. If you find yourself taking your controller with you on the go quite often (which you should), grabbing a case at this price is a no-brainer. Just act quickly, though, because this is a one-day-only deal. The Backbone One is meant to follow you wherever you go. It snaps easily onto your smartphone, and from there, you can start playing games via the cloud (if you have WiFi), or any titles you have downloaded to the device itself. Because it plugs directly into your phone, you'll never need to charge it. You can also record gameplay straight from the controller, and it has a convenient 3.5mm headphone jack. Pick up one of the carrying cases, and your Backbone setup will be complete (and only cost you $5). | ↑ |
 SAVE $140: As of May 9, the Amazon 50-inch 4-Series Fire TV is on sale for just $259.99, down from $399.99. That's 35% in savings and its lowest price to date. It's a busy season for TV. There's the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs and the NBA playoffs, new seasons of shows like Poker Face and You, and a ton of great films coming to streaming like Black Bag and Drop. If you want to make the most of your time in front of the old tube, an upgrade may be in order. Now happens to be a great time, as Amazon is running a Fire TV Spotlight sale. As of May 9, you can pick up the newish 50-inch 4-Series Fire TV at Amazon for just $259.99. That's a massive $140 or 35% discount and its lowest price on record by a landslide. The latest 4-series model dropped in Nov. 2024 and features an ultraslim bezel that fades into the background, which makes whatever you're watching even more immersive. Otherwise, it's just a newer rendition of Amazon's most popular smart TV. It supports 4K Ultra HD, HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Digital Plus. For the uninitiated, that's code for vivid color, brightness, and clarity. It also features four HDMI inputs to connect all of your gaming and audio peripherals and comes with the Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced, which is not your average remote. The Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced can control compatible soundbars and speakers, jump into apps with preset buttons, and control compatible smart home devices with a click. You can ask Alexa to check the weather, play music, dim the lights, or show your front doorbell camera. While it doesn't double as artwork like the Omni QLED Series, the 4-Series is still a very good-looking TV. And at just $259.99 for a 50-inch, it's practically a steal. | ↑ |
 SAVE 29%: As of May 9, you can bu y the Toshiba 65-inch Class C350 Series LED 4K UHD smart Fire TV for just $299.99, down from $419.99, at Amazon. That's a 29% discount and a $120.99 savings.  If you have a large-ish living room and want to upgrade to a moderately sized smart TV for a moderately low price, Amazon’s got a deal for you. As of May 9, you can get the Toshiba 65-inch Class C350 Series LED 4K UHD smart Fire TV with Alexa Voice Remote (65C350LU, 2023 Model) for $299.99, down from $419.99. That’s a 29% discount and a $120.99 savings.
SEE ALSO:
The best time to buy a TV: A guide to the times of year that you'll find the best TV deals
This model features Regza Engine 4K, which Toshiba says optimizes picture quality, and Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10 for a broader color palette and increased contrast. With the built-in Fire TV, you can stream over one million movies and episodes from your favorite platforms, including Hulu, Netflix, and Paramount+. The Alexa Voice Remote makes it easy to search for titles, change channels, and control smart home devices. There’s also an auto-low-latency Game Mode, and you can play games like you stream movies with Amazon Luna or download games from the App Store (no PlayStation or Xbox required; though, you will need a Luna+ or Amazon Prime subscription). | ↑ |
 The Trump Administration's massive overhaul of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hitting some of the nation's least controversial, most cost-efficient "green" programs, as the government commits to downsizing the agency's staff. Next on the admin's chopping block is the bipartisan-supported appliance program Energy Star, which will be shuttered as the EPA is forced to dissolve and restructure its administering office. The decision was announced during an all-hands meeting of the Office of Atmospheric Protection, first reported by CNN and the Washington Post, which spoke to employees under anonymity. First established in 1992, the Energy Star program is a collaborative effort from the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy, which certifies appliances along the government's energy efficiency standards. Energy Star appliances are eligible for tax credits and rebates, intended to incentivize individuals to buy more eco-friendly appliances. In the decades since, the Energy Star labels have become a fixture of appliance aisles, and, according to the program, have saved Americans nearly $500 billion. The Trump administration has made a concerted effort to disempower the government's energy efficiency programs, including an executive order titled " Make America's Showers Great Again" that redefined Obama-era shower head efficiency benchmarks and struck out against the previous administration's "green agenda." This is the second effort to defund the program under President Donald Trump, after introducing a budget plan under his first term that proposed to eliminate Energy Star spending. According to the Associated Press at the time, more than 1,000 companies lobbied for the program to remain, outraged by the administration's decision to cut the relatively modest $50 million line item. Meanwhile, the cost of foreign-made goods and appliances in the country are steadily rising as the Trump Administration double downs on its steep tariff plan amid trade negotiations with China, with many consumers running to make big purchases before the market gets worse. | ↑ |
 SAVE $25: As of May 9, get the Amazon Kindle Kids for $104.99, down from its usual price of $129.99. That's a discount of 19%. Wish your kids would spend more time feeding their minds instead of playing games all day? Give them a fun and easy way to consume more books, like an e-reader. Today, thanks to a deal from Amazon, you can save big on a Kindle that's made just for kids to facilitate that. As of May 9, get the Amazon Kindle Kids for $104.99, down from its usual price of $129.99. That's $25 off for a discount of 19%.
SEE ALSO:
The Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle has never been cheaper, so what are you waiting for?
The new Amazon Kindle Kids is just like a regular Kindle, but made especially for kids, with an enhanced, 6-inch, glare-free display and faster page turns than the original device. It comes with a colorful cover (choose from Ocean Explorer, Space Whale, or Unicorn Valley) too, which kids will love. It's also 25% brighter at max setting, which means it's as bright as a Kindle Paperwhite, with light and dark mode. Most importantly, it comes with a six-month subscription to Amazon Kids+, which gives your kids unlimited access to books appropriate for readers 3-12. After six months, you'll have to pay $5.99 a month for the subscription, but you can cancel anytime. If your kids break this Kindle, Amazon will replace it, too. So you can give it to them with some peace of mind, knowing they can read age-appropriate content, and they can drop it all day long if they have to, with a replacement on the way if there's a problem. It's a great way to instill a love of reading in young users, and perfect for getting the kids off your back about using your e-reader if they're asking. | ↑ |
 SAVE $40: As of May 9, the Kindle Paperwhite Kids is on sale for just $139.99 at Amazon instead of $179.99. That's 22% in savings and matches its lowest price on record. Kids love screens and there's no denying it. Rather than eliminating them altogether, why not try making their screen time more productive? The Kindle Paperwhite Kids is still a screen, but it's a screen you can feel good about, as it's packed only with kid-friendly books. No notifications, apps, videos, or games — just stories. And for a limited time, you can snag one on sale. As of May 9, the Kindle Paperwhite Kids is down to just $139.99 from $179.99 at Amazon. That's a saving of 22% and matches its best price ever, which it reached for the first time around Black Friday 2024. A step up from the basic Kindle Kids device, the Kindle Paperwhite Kids is our favorite option for little readers. The newest version was released in October and comes in its thinnest, fastest form yet — as well as a variety of new designs. The seven-inch display also packs a higher contrast ratio and 25 percent faster page turns than its predecessor, which help to keep kids engaged in the content. Like previous models, it's also waterproof, packed with built-in parental controls, and comes with a two-year worry-free guarantee. It has a heftier build than the adult Kindle Paperwhite, which makes for a sturdier design that can withstand just about anything kids throw at it (within reason). But if anything does happen to it within the first two years, Amazon will replace it. We're also big fans of Amazon Kids+, which is loaded with tons of age-appropriate books. Your Kindle Paperwhite Kids purchase will come with a free six-month subscription to get started. Afterwards, it'll cost $5.99 per month, so that $40 in savings on the device itself will certainly come in handy. | ↑ |
 SAVE OVER $70: As of May 9, the 11-inch Apple iPad (A16 chip, 128GB, WiFi) is on sale for $277.78 at Amazon. That's the lowest-ever price according to the price tracker camelcamelcamel. We need some sort of alarm at this point, because another new Apple device has dropped to a record-low level: the 11-inch Apple iPad fitted with the A16 chip is now available for its lowest-ever price according to price tracker camelcamelcamel. As of May 9, the 11-inch Apple iPad (A16 chip, 128GB, WiFi) is on sale for $277.78 at Amazon. This deal saves you over $70 on list price. This deal is available on the pink and yellow models. Considering this iPad was only announced in March, this is an impressively low price. Boasting the A16 chip, this 11-inch iPad comes with a boost in power over its predecessor and even more storage at 128GB. Its Liquid Retina display gives everything a welcome pop with vibrant colors and crisp details. We consider this model to be the best iPad on a budget in our roundup of the best iPads, with Mashable's Samantha Mangino saying, "The iPad (11th generation) doesn't possess the flair of the Pro or Air, but it is a testament that Apple can still produce good entry-level tech. It's currently the lowest-priced iPad, even defeating the Mini." That's good enough for us. Pick up the 11-inch Apple iPad (A16 chip, 128GB, WiFi) for its lowest-ever price at Amazon. | ↑ |
 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. What is Connections?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. Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Here are today's Connections categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
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 #698 is... What is the answer to Connections today
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? 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 yesterday's Connections. | ↑ |
 TL;DR: Live stream Munster vs. Ulster in the United Rugby Championship for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN. There are a number of massive rugby fixtures taking place this weekend, and everything kicks off with arguably the biggest of the lot: Munster vs. Ulster. Neither side has lit up the league this season, but that won't make this match any less significant. It's going to be an absolute battle from start to finish. If you want to watch Munster vs. Ulster in the United Rugby Championship for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need. When is Munster vs. Ulster?Munster vs. Ulster starts at 7:35 p.m. BST on May 9. This fixture takes place at Thomond Park. How to watch Munster vs. Ulster for freeMunster vs. Ulster in the United Rugby Championship is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player. RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These helpful tools can hide your IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland. This process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can stream on RTÉ Player from any location. Access free live streams of the United Rugby Championship by following these simple steps:
ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free)
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The best VPNs for streaming aren't free, but leading VPN providers do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By signing up for these deals, you'll be able access free live streams without actually spending anything. This is a temporary fix, but it gives you enough time to stream Munster vs. Ulster (plus more United Rugby Championship fixtures) before recovering your investment. What is the best VPN for sport?ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to live stream the United Rugby Championship, for a number of reasons:
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months of coverage for free — 61% off list price. This deal includes a year of unlimited data backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Live stream Munster vs. Ulster for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN. | ↑ |
 SAVE $70: As of May 9, Beats Studio Buds + are on sale for $99.95 at Amazon. That's 41% off their list price of $169.95. If you've been looking to invest in new earbuds, there are some great deals available on a range of popular models right now. The Beats Studio Buds + have returned to their lowest-ever price at Amazon, so there's no better time to pick them up. The Beats Studio Buds + are currently available for $99.95, a 41% discount off their retail price of $169.95. It's worth keeping in mind that these are listed as a limited-time deal right now, so they may not stay at this price for long. Act fast to scoop them up and save. The Beats Studio Buds + feature high-quality sound and noise-canceling features — Active Noise Canceling and Transparency mode, depending on how much outside sound you want to hear around you — that make listening to your favorite music, audiobooks, or podcasts an even more enjoyable experience. And with up to 36 hours of battery life with the charging case, they're a perfect option to take on your next trip or outdoor adventure as summer approaches. This deal on the Beats Studio Buds + may not last for very long, so pick them up at their lowest-ever price without delay. These aren't the only discounted earbuds we've come across recently. At the moment, the AirPods Pro 2 are enjoying a great discount at Amazon. | ↑ |
 Despite the enthusiasm of actors in Swiffer commercials, few people are smiling at the workout that is manually mopping their hardwood and tile floors. If even plain old vacuuming dredges up that same type of dread, consider automating both sweeping and mopping by investing in a robot vacuum that mops. Are robot vacuums good at mopping?I'm not saying you can expect a hybrid robot vacuum to scrub your kitchen grout with the same tenacity you would get with a toothbrush. But mopping robots have gotten much better at mopping over the past few years. Since 2020-ish, most top robot vacuum brands have added a few automatic moppers to their lineup, spanning the pricing spectrum from as affordable as $200 to well over $1,000. Expectedly, the mopping technique gets more meticulous as the price goes up, so the soil level of your floors on any given day will play a big part in how much you should be spending on a 2-in-1 robotic cleaner. Are you mostly concerned with wiping up easy spur-of-the-moment spills, or will you be a stickler about dried-on stains that call for more heavy-duty scrubbing? Fortunately, both ends of the pricing spectrum provide way more bang for their buck in 2025 than they did in the early 2020s. In the early days, a hybrid's "mopping" wasn't much more than lightly dragging a damp cloth across the floor — I wouldn't exactly call it "scrubbing." While that simplified approach is still present in many cheap robot vacuum and mop combos, the more premium moppers are armed with advanced mechanics that better mimic the elbow grease that a human with a mop or Swiffer would provide, like pressurized, vibrating, or spinning mopping pads. Most premium mops can also mop with real germ-fighting cleaning solution rather than just water. That has been crucial in upping my own personal confidence in walking around barefoot. But arguably, the most pivotal shift 2-in-1 robot vacuums saw in the past year is related to their docks. Past automatically emptying the dust bin, the best robot mop combos now also automatically wash and dry their mopping pads, then refill themselves with clean water from the dock. (Some high-end hybrids can even dispense cleaning liquid on their own.) With one of these fancy self-cleaning stations, your robovac will be ready to mop again almost immediately. This is a clutch improvement over the outdated, basic design that required you to deal with the dirty mopping pads by hand and refill the water tank almost daily. In theory, mopping pad maintenance should be nearly as automated as the cleaning itself. If it's too involved, you may subconsciously save yourself the hassle by avoiding mop mode — and then what was the point of getting a robot vacuum that mops in the first place? Not sure if it'd be worth it to get a robot vacuum that mops? I've tested more than 15 hybrid cleaners in my own apartment, from basic cleaners to the most advanced on the market. As more 2-in-1 vacuums come through my doors, my list of the best robot vacuums and mops to buy gets adjusted. As of spring 2025, I've narrowed it down to these top four robot vacuums that also wash your floors. Other robot vacuums I'm testingI'm currently testing the Roborock Saros 10 — the obvious foil to the Roborock Saros 10R. The Saros 10 is nearly just as strong a contender, but does a few main things differently than the 10R. (Some better, some worse.) It was announced at CES 2025 along with the Saros 10R and has the same retail price of $1,599. I ultimately think the Saros 10R has a slight edge over the Saros 10 because of its superior edge mopping. 
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
First things first: Larger homes with 10 or more rooms would fare much better with the Saros 10 than the 10R. For some reason, Roborock put a cap on the number of rooms that the Saros 10R's app can hold in a floorplan, which has been maxed out in my three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment when the back corridor, kitchen, and living room are also included. (I wanted to split the kitchen into two to designate the dining room, but I got a "room limit reached" notice.) The room limit is doubled with the Saros 10. The main differences between the Saros 10R and Saros 10 are related to cleaning mechanisms and navigation. The Saros 10 has slightly more powerful suction, cleaning at 22,000 Pa of suction power compared to the Saros 10R's 20,000 Pa. The 2,000 Pa disparity isn't anything drastic when you've already hit the 20,000 Pa mark, and I haven't noticed the Saros 10 necessarily doing a better job on cat hair, fine kitty litter dust, protein powder, or large debris like kibble. Upon flipping the Saros 10 over, you'll see that it trades the spinning mopping pad setup of the 10R for a D-shaped mopping pad. That singular pad scrubs by vibrating and exerting downward pressure. While the active mopping area is apparently 26 percent larger than that of the S8 MaxV Ultra, I still don't think this sliver of a pad provides the varietal scrub that two spinning pads do. For dried-on stains, especially, the extra physical agitation that comes with spinning is more thorough than a straightforward wipe. On top of the Saros 10, you'll notice a small, retractable LiDAR tower that the Saros 10R doesn't have. Roborock carried its Reactive AI small obstacle avoidance over from most of the 2024 Roborocks to the Saros 10, while the Saros 10R ditches the laser turret completely for what Roborock calls StarSight navigation. Both are more accurate than most other robot vacuums you could buy, but the Saros 10R's StarSight has a better track record with cords and pet toys in my home. The Saros 10R is also not available in white like the Saros 10 is. That feels like an odd design choice considering white blends in with many walls, and I think that the white Saros 10 looks so much more sophisticated in my living room than the Saros 10R does. I also recently tested the $1,699.99 Dreame X50 Ultra. It grabbed attention during its CES 2025 debut for its ability to "climb," though the fine print is that it can't scale thresholds taller than 6 milimeters (about 2.36 inches). The Roborock Saros 10 and 10R were able to hoist over the few thick doorway thresholds in my apartment just as well as the X50 Ultra. Its mopping and vacuuming capabilities are better than most mid-range robot vacuums, of course, but they weren't impressive enough for me to suggest the X50 Ultra in this list over either Saros model. iRobot announced multiple new mopping Roombas in March 2025. I'm in the process of getting my hands on them for at-home testing and will update this guide with any standouts. | ↑ |
 Apple is working on a bunch of specialized chips, and it shows how serious the company is about AI. It also indicates that Apple hasn't given up on its own version of smart glasses. According to a new Bloomberg report, Apple is developing chips for wearable devices, including its first-ever smart glasses. We're not talking about the company's Vision Pro mixed reality headset, but something akin to Ray-Ban's Meta smart glasses, which wear like normal glasses but are equipped with speakers, cameras, and some basic AI capabilities. This particular chip is based on the processor used in the Apple Watch, only it's been customized to make it even more power efficient. It will also be able to control the "multiple cameras" that Apple plans to build into its smart glasses. The chip should be ready for mass production by the end of 2026 or sometime in 2027, meaning that's roughly when Apple could launch the smart glasses. Apple is reportedly working on two different versions of the smart glasses, one simpler, lightweight, and similar to the Ray-Ban Metas, and the other having AR capabilities. Apple is also working on several new chips for Macs, including the ones that will likely launch under the names M6 and M7. There's also a "more advanced" Mac chip being developed, but for that one we know nothing besides the codename: Sotra. Finally, Apple is working on specialized chips for AI servers, coming in 2027. These servers will be the ones remotely processing Apple Intelligence requests from customers — right now, according to the report, Apple uses its high-end Macs chips for that purpose, such as the M2 Ultra. Ultimately, this means the AI requests would be completed faster, and would open up the path for more powerful AI capabilities down the road. | ↑ |
 TL;DR: ExpressVPN is a reliable option for unblocking leading porn sites like Pornhub, XVideos, and ePorner. If you want to unblock popular sites like Pornhub, Xnxx, and ePorner, you should seriously consider using a VPN. These cybersecurity services can hide your real IP address and connect you to servers in other locations, meaning you can bypass content restrictions to unblock your favourite porn sites from anywhere in the world. This process might sound complicated, but it's actually really quick and easy. How to unblock ePorner for freeVPNs can hide your real IP address and connect you to a secure server in another location. This process tricks streaming platforms into providing you with access, even if there is a block in place over your network. Unblock ePorner from anywhere in the world by following this simple process:
The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are unfortunately not free, but most leading services do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By utilising these offers, you can unblock porn sites like ePorner without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it means you can temporarily unblock porn sites like ePorner for free. This method is particularly useful if you frequently use unknown or unsecured networks when travelling. What is the best VPN for porn?There are plenty of VPNs that can reliably bypass content restrictions to unblock streaming platforms, but ExpressVPN is tough to beat. It's not the cheapest service, but users get a long list of impressive features:
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. You can use the money-back guarantee to unblock ePorner without committing with your cash. This is sneaky, but it works. Unblock ePorner for free with ExpressVPN. | ↑ |
 SAVE $600: As of May 9, the Dreame X40 Ultra Robotic Vacuum with Mop is on sale for $899.99 at Amazon. That's 40% off its list price of $1,499.99. A robot vacuum can be a helpful purchase if you're looking for a little extra cleaning assistance around the house. If you've been trying to track down a good option to buy, there are quite a few on sale right now that are worth a look. One of our favorites is the Dreame X40 Ultra, which has received a 40% discount at Amazon. Normally, the Dreame X40 Ultra Robotic Vacuum and Mop is listed for $1,499.99, but this discount has dropped the price down to $899.99. It's currently listed as a limited-time deal, so if it has caught your eye, you'll want to act fast to secure this low price. Featuring powerful 12,000Pa suction, this model will collect any dust, dirt, and debris that drops on your floor. And with MopExtend technology, it can mop and clean corners that would usually be out of reach. It can handle a variety of surfaces as well, from hard floors to carpet, so you can feel content knowing every corner of your home is getting a good clean. Don't miss out on 40% off the Dreame X40 Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop at Amazon. Looking for more robot vacuum deals? Right now you can also save on the Roborock Q5 Max+ at Amazon, if you want to spend a little less right now. | ↑ |
 SAVE $500: As of May 9, the Dreame L10s Pro Ultra Heat Robot Vacuum and Mop is on sale for $499.99 at Amazon. That's 50% off its list price of $999.99. If you're still getting some spring cleaning done around the house, a robot vacuum can be a helpful investment to take the weight off. If you're on the hunt for a good option to buy, the good news is that there are some very nice deals available on select models right now. This includes the Dreame L10s Pro Ultra Heat Robot Vacuum and Mop, which has received a 50% discount at Amazon. This has dropped the price of the Dreame L10s Pro Ultra Heat from $999.99 to $499.99, saving you $500 on list price. This deal may not stick around for long, as Amazon has it listed as a limited-time deal. Boasting 7,000Pa suction, the Dreame L10s Pro Ultra Heat can tackle any dirt, hair, or dust that's gathered up on your floor. It covers a variety of surfaces as well, so it can help keep multiple areas around your home looking clean and tidy. And when it comes to mopping, it features a mop extension making for a more efficient clean. Treat yourself to a new robot vacuum with 50% off the Dreame L10s Pro Ultra Heat Robot Vacuum and Mop at Amazon. | ↑ |
 No matter the gifting occasion, you want to wow your mom. She sacrificed a lot for you, and now you're in a place where you can show her how grateful you are. Part of our larger series dedicated to the Best Gifts for Everyone, this list of gifts for mom attempts to dismantle the played-out tropes that have plagued moms at major holidays for dedicates. When gifting to your mom (or any mom, for that matter) consider hyper-specific things that speak to her unique hobbies or interests. Your mom (or mom figure) should revel in her own glory with gifts that make her feel smart, sophisticated, and valued. Consider what she does when she has no one putting demands on her time — then shop for those moments. And if you get stuck, visit our guide to the best gifts under $50 for even more winning ideas. | ↑ |
 TL;DR: Watch the 2025 MotoGP World Championship for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN. Are you looking for thrilling and unpredictable racing? No we're not talking about F1, unless you like regular pit stops, safety cars, and the same driver winning most weeks. We're talking about a form of two-wheel racing where anything could happen. The MotoGP World Championship is where the real action can be found. Every week you see the best riders in the world go wheel to wheel with their rivals, throwing their bikes into corners with absolutely no sense of self preservation. It's an awesome spectacle, and it doesn't need to cost you anything to watch. Want to watch the 2025 MotoGP World Championship for free from anywhere in the world? We have all the information you need. What is MotoGP?MotoGP is the oldest established motorsport world championship, with the inaugural season taking place in 1949. Races last approximately 45 minutes, without pitting for fuel or fresh tires. The likes of Ducati, Honda, and Yamaha do battle for the constructors' championship. Jorge Martín is the defending champion. When is the 2025 MotoGP World Championship?The 2025 MotoGP World Championship features 22 races held all over the world between March and November:
The good news for fans is that it's possible to live stream the MotoGP World Championship for free in 2025. How to watch the 2025 MotoGP World Championship for freeYou can stream the 2025 MotoGP World Championship for free on ServusTV. ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can access ServusTV from anywhere in the world. Unblock ServusTV by following this quick and easy process:
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees. By using these money-back guarantees, you can watch MotoGP live streams without fully committing with your cash. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select races without actually spending anything. What is the best VPN for ServusTV?ExpressVPN is tough to beat when it comes to streaming live sport, for a number of reasons:
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 30-day money-back guarantee. Live stream the 2025 MotoGP World Championship for free with ExpressVPN. | ↑ |
 TL;DR: Watch the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of France for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN. The 2025 MotoGP is shaping up to be pretty special. Marc Márquez, Álex Márquez, and Francesco Bagnaia are battling it out at the top of the standings, with all eyes on Le Mans this weekend. If you're interested in watching the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of France for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need. When is the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of France?The MotoGP Grand Prix of France takes place at Le Mans. The 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of France race starts at 8 a.m. ET on May 11. How to watch the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of France for freeThe MotoGP Grand Prix of France is available to live stream for free on ServusTV. ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access ServusTV from anywhere in the world. Unblock ServusTV by following this simple process:
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access MotoGP live streams without fully committing with your cash. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of France 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 live streaming is on sale for a limited time. What is the best VPN for MotoGP?ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking ServusTV, for a number of reasons:
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Watch the 2025 MotoGP Grand Prix of France for free with ExpressVPN. | ↑ |
 FREE AUDIOBOOKS: Stuff Your Earbuds Day is takes place on May 9-10. There's no limit on the number of free audiobooks you can download. Stuff Your Kindle Day is always exciting, but what about the audio equivalent? Stuff Your Earbuds Day is a lesser-known event that gives shoppers the opportunity to score free audiobooks. It's time to put Stuff Your Kindle Day to the side and show some love for this generous event. Looking to make the most out of Stuff Your Earbuds Day? We've got all the information you need. What is Stuff Your Earbuds Day?Stuff Your Earbuds Day is an annual event hosted by Romance Audiobookworms. During the special event, you can gain access to literally hundreds of free audiobooks across a range of romance sub-genres. These free audiobook deals are live for 48 hours, and there’s no limit on the number that you can download. This is your moment to stock up. When is Stuff Your Earbuds Day?Stuff Your Earbuds Day takes place on May 9-10. You can sign up for updates and reminders here. Who can participate in Stuff Your Earbuds Day?The great thing about Stuff Your Earbuds Day (besides all the free audiobooks) is that anyone can participate. All you have to do is locate the audiobooks you want and download them from whatever platform you prefer ( Google Play Books, Apple Books, Spotify, Chirp, Kobo, BookFunnel, and Barnes & Noble Nook). | ↑ |
 SAVE $100: As of May 9, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is on sale for $279.99 at Amazon. That's $100 off its list price of $379.99. We made a massive fuss about the fact that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 dropped to its lowest-ever price last month. We shouted from the rooftops, we rang the bells, and we lit the beacons. And now we look like monumental fools. Shame on us for not seeing into the near future. We jumped on that lowest-ever price like greedy children crowding around birthday cake at the end of a party. We should have stepped back, assessed the scene, and realized that a much bigger, tastier cake was being held back for the adults. Well that cake has been wheeled in, and it's absolutely glorious. As of May 9, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is on sale for $279.99 at Amazon. That's $100 off its list price of $379.99, and a new record-low price on Amazon according to camelcamelcamel. Congratulations if you remained patient when the last deal dropped and we made all that noise. Your reward is an extra $10 saving. Spend it on something nice, and wipe that smug grin off your face. The lowest-ever price might provide you with the nudge you needed to buy, but in case you're not convinced, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 speaks for itself. This popular smartwatch offers a variety of health and fitness features to keep you in the know, including a heart rate tracker, sleep tracker, wellness tips, and an Energy Score that lets you know exactly how much you're going to struggle through the day. Don't miss out on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 at its lowest-ever price at Amazon. | ↑ |
 Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer. 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. Where did Wordle come from?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. What's the best Wordle starting word?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. What happened to the Wordle archive?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. Is Wordle getting harder?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. Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:Gibberish. Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?There are no recurring letters. Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter T. The Wordle answer today is...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... TRIPE. 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 yesterday's Wordle. | ↑ |
 If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game. Strands 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 preferrined pace. NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: OutsidersThe words are outdoor-related. Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThese words are types of camping essentials. NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal. NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Camping Gear NYT Strands word list for May 9
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, a nd if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more. Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands. | ↑ |
 Forget James Bond, Jason Bourne, or Ethan Hunt. The secret agent at the heart of the Josh Hartnett-fronted Fight or Flight has more in common with Austin Powers or Brad Pitt's put-upon mercenary from Bullet Train, as he is highly skilled, hilariously eccentric, and nowhere near as suave as he thinks he is. Directed by James Madigan and written by Brooks McLaren (How It Ends) and D.J. Cotrona, Fight or Flight brings spiky fun to its espionage thriller framework by filling a fancy plane with contract killers, each brandishing their own set of skills, specialty weapons, and aesthetic quirks. With the madcap energy of Snakes on a Plane, Fight or Flight centers on one world-weary man-of-action who wants no part of the mayhem, but must master it to survive. The resulting melee is outrageous, fun, and surprising, yet it is mostly confined to a cramped, sky-high cabin. Fight or Flight is a spy comedy full of action.
Charithra Chandran as Isha in "Fight or Flight."
Credit: Vertical
Disgraced and disavowed, former American operative Lucas Reyes (Hartnett) has been living in hiding, and he's worse for wear. Introduced as scruffy, bedraggled, and day-drunk, he looks like he can barely handle his shift on a pedicab, much less sweep in to covertly recover a top-secret asset from an international flight. But when former colleague Katherine Brunt (an icy Katee Sackhoff) calls with a mission that could redeem him, how can he say no? Katherine needs Lucas to find "The Ghost," a "black hat terrorist" who's been suspected of destabilizing governments through corporate intrusion. This mysterious figure is on the run after an explosive collision with U.S. ops. And the closest agent they have to The Ghost's escape route is the down-and-out Lucas, so he's sent in to snag The Ghost alive. There are just a few problems. For one, no one knows what The Ghost looks like. So even a well-meaning flight attendant like Isha ( Bridgerton's Charithra Chandran) is at a loss as to how to help. And two, Lucas isn't the only hired gun hunting this notorious Ghost. So, he'll not only have to capture his target, but also keep The Ghost alive as a fleet of assassins reveal themselves. Josh Hartnett crushes stunts and slapstick in Fight or Flight.
Credit: Vertical
Where Lucas may once have been a smooth operator in the field, he's become a messy drunkard who has no interest in doing this wet work sober. Champagne, whiskey, frog venom — you put it in front of Lucas, he'll give it a go. And this means his fighting style has a goofy looseness, whether he's going hand-to-hand in a spacious first-class bathroom, facing off against a cat-eyed killer (Nóra Trokán) in the aisles, or in full-on battle mode, using improvised tools and other passengers as weapons. With the help of a crack stunt team, Hartnett tackles most of these stunts himself. This means his face is front and center during much of the chaotic action, allowing him to mug in comic dismay, rage, or surprise for the camera. And as was hinted in Trap, Hartnett has a terrifically twisted sense of humor. Here it runs free as Lucas bumbles from one comically bloody confrontation to another and into a drug trip that turns reality into rainbows and fireworks, while his reality is much more fountains of gore. Surrounding his discombobulated hero are a cavalcade of killers who have little time to develop character. Instead, odd bits of business like dancing, details like facial tattoos or strange contact lenses, or costumes of martial artist robes signify a wider world of distinctive operatives. Fight or Flight doesn't have the time or inclination to get as into its world-building as the John Wick franchise or even Bullet Train, as most of the foes Lucas faces will be ejected from the plot after their first fight with him. Still, the supporting cast has a collective verve that suits Hartnett's chaotic energy, allowing the flow to be fast, furious, and entertaining. 
Katee Sackhoff and Julian Kostov play U.S. agents in "Fight or Flight."
Credit: Vertical
When on the plane, Fight or Flight delivers claustrophobic thrills, serving up exciting action built on sharp fight choreography and mindful use of every airplane in-flight element you could imagine. Biting banters — mostly between loopy Lucas and the annoyed Isha — keep the fun flying. Admittedly, Madigan struggles keeping the action on the ground — where Katherine delivers exposition with a snarling colleague (Julian Kostov) — as propulsive. But props to Sackoff, who brings intensity to everything, be it efficient plot point delivery or a hissed insult at a group of strangers meditating loudly in a public park. Beyond elevating such requisites of plot and genre, she smartly creates a foil to Lucas. Katherine, who is almost absurdly stern, is what Lucas might have been had he not flared out years back. That makes his bonkers attitude feel like a bit of a victory, a freedom from spy stuffiness that we get to enjoy vicariously — without the inevitable hangover. In the end, sure, Fight or Flight is not as richly built as Austin Powers movies or even Bullet Train, which got soap operatic in its characters and their connections. But it's deliriously fun, satisfying our craving for madcap mayhem, outrageous action, goofy gore, and Hartnett going ham. I mean, this is a movie where a disavowed spy fires up a chainsaw on an airplane in flight. Get on board, or be bored elsewhere. | ↑ |
 Artificial intelligence chatbots like ChatGPT are getting a whole lot smarter, a whole lot more natural, and a whole lot more…human-like. It makes sense — humans are the ones creating the large language models that underpin AI chatbots' systems, after all. But as these tools get better at "reasoning" and mimicking human speech, are they smart enough yet to pass the Turing Test? For decades, the Turing Test has been held up as a key benchmark in machine intelligence. Now, researchers are actually putting LLMs like ChatGPT to the test. If ChatGPT can pass, the accomplishment would be a major milestone in AI development. So, can ChatGPT pass the Turing Test? According to some researchers, yes. However, the results aren't entirely definitive. The Turing Test isn't a simple pass/fail, which means the results aren't really black and white. Besides, even if ChatGPT could pass the Turing Test, that may not really tell us how “human” an LLM really is. Let's break it down. What is the Turing Test?The concept of the Turing Test is actually pretty simple. The test was originally proposed by British mathematician Alan Turing, the father of modern computer science and a hero to nerds around the world. In 1949 or 1950, he proposed the Imitation Game — a test for machine intelligence that has since been named for him. The Turing Test involves a human judge having a conversation with both a human and a machine without knowing which one is which (or who is who, if you believe in AGI). If the judge can't tell which one is the machine and which one is the human, the machine passes the Turing Test. In a research context, the test is performed many times with multiple judges. Of course, the test can't necessarily determine if a large language model is actually as smart as a human (or smarter) — just if it’s able to pass for a human. Do LLMs really think like us?Large language models, of course, do not have a brain, consciousness, or world model. They're not aware of their own existence. They also lack true opinions or beliefs. Instead, large language models are trained on massive datasets of information — books, internet articles, documents, transcripts. When text is inputted by a user, the AI model uses its "reasoning" to determine the most likely meaning and intent of the input. Then, the model generates a response. At the most basic level, LLMs are word prediction engines. Using their vast training data, they calculate probabilities for the first “token” (usually a single word) of the response using their vocabulary. They repeat this process until a complete response is generated. That's an oversimplification, of course, but let's keep it simple: LLMs generate responses to input based on probability and statistics. So, the response of an LLM is based on mathematics, not an actual understanding of the world. So, no, LLMs don't actually think in any sense of the word. What do the studies say about ChatGPT and the Turing Test?
Joseph Maldonado / Mashable Composite by Rene Ramos
Credit: Mashable
There have been quite a few studies to determine if ChatGPT has passed the Turing test, and many of them have had positive findings. That's why some computer scientists argue that, yes, large language models like GPT-4 and GPT-4.5 can now pass the famous Turing Test. Most tests focus on OpenAI's GPT-4 model, the one that's used by most ChatGPT users. Using that model, a study from UC San Diego found that in many cases, human judges were unable to distinguish GPT-4 from a human. In the study, GPT-4 was judged to be a human 54% of the time. However, this still lagged behind actual humans, who were judged to be human 67% of the time. Then, GPT-4.5 was released, and the UC San Diego researchers performed the study again. This time, the large language model was identified as human 73% of the time, outperforming actual humans. The test also found that Meta’s LLaMa-3.1-405B was able to pass the test. Other studies outside of UC San Diego have also given GPT passing grades, too. A 2024 University of Reading study of GPT-4 had the model create answers for take-home assessments for undergraduate courses. The test graders weren't told about the experiment, and they only flagged one of 33 entries. ChatGPT received above-average grades with the other 32 entries. So, are these studies definitive? Not quite. Some critics (and there are a lot of them) say these research studies aren't as impressive as they seem. That's why we aren't ready to definitively say that ChatGPT passes the Turing Test. We can say that while previous-gen LLMs like GPT-4 sometimes passed the Turing test, passing grades are becoming more common as LLMs get more advanced. And as cutting-edge models like GPT-4.5 come out, we’re fast headed toward models that can easily pass the Turing Test every time. OpenAI itself certainly envisions a world in which it's impossible to tell human from AI. That's why OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has invested in a human verification project with an eyeball-scanning machine called The Orb. What does ChatGPT itself say?We decided to ask ChatGPT if it could pass the Turing Test, and it told us yes, with the same caveats we've already discussed. When we posed the question, "Can ChatGPT pass the Turing Test?" to the AI chatbot (using the 4o model), it told us, "ChatGPT can pass the Turing Test in some scenarios, but not reliably or universally." The chatbot concluded, "It might pass the Turing Test with an average user under casual conditions, but a determined and thoughtful interrogator could almost always unmask it." 
AI-generated image.
Credit: OpenAI
The limitations of the Turing TestSome computer scientists now believe the Turing test is outdated, and that it's not all that helpful in judging large language models. Gary Marcus, an American psychologist, cognitive scientist, author, and popular AI prognosticator, summed it up best in a recent blog post, where he wrote, “as I (and many others) have said for years, the Turing Test is a test of human gullibility, not a test of intelligence." It's also worth keeping in mind that the Turing Test is more about the perception of intelligence rather than actual intelligence. That's an important distinction. A model like ChatGPT 4o might be able to pass simply by mimicking human speech. Not only that, but whether or not a large language model passes the test will vary depending on the topic and the tester. ChatGPT could easily ape small talk, but it could struggle with conversations that require true emotional intelligence. Not only that, but modern AI systems are used for much more than chatting, especially as we head toward a world of agentic AI. None of that is to say that the Turing Test is irrelevant. It's a neat historical benchmark, and it's certainly interesting that large language models are able to pass it. But the Turing Test is hardly the gold-standard benchmark of machine intelligence. What would a better benchmark look like? That's a whole other can of worms that we'll have to save for another story. 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. | ↑ |
 Winning an Academy Award may be the peak of an actor's career, not only because they are honored by an iconic gold statue in front of their gussied-up peers and a worldwide TV audience, but because the Oscar curse might come for them soon after. This bit of Hollywood superstition declares that after the heady high of an Oscar win, many an actor will suffer either a personal scandal, a box office bomb, or an inexplicable dry spell in casting. Now, you might well scoff at the idea of an Oscar curse, but Love Hurts, which co-stars recent Oscar winners Ke Huy Quan ( Everything Everywhere All At Once) and Ariana DeBose ( West Side Story) could make you believe. On its surface, Quan's casting in Love Hurts seems a no-brainer, as it capitalizes on what the child star turned leading man brought to the Best Picture–winning Everything Everywhere All At Once: the superb ability to perform character and comedy through stunt scenes. That DeBose, who dazzled as the passionate Anita in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, was cast as his co-star, should have been gravy. However, this action-comedy set on Valentine's Day is a catastrophic mess of fight scenes, quirky characters, and an aggravating lack of vision from first-time director Jonathan Eusebio. Good action isn't enough to make Love Hurts work.
Credit: Universal Pictures
Quan stars as Marvin Gable, a real estate agent with a gleeful determination to find the perfect home for his client. However, before he was regional realtor of the year (a certificated honor of which he is comically proud), Marvin was a hitman for his suave but merciless boba tea-swigging brother Knuckles ( American Born Chinese's Daniel Wu). The past he happily left behind comes back to bite him in the foxy form of Rose Carlisle (DeBose), the one that got away. And by that, I mean she is both the love of his life and the hit he faked to save her life. Back with a vengeance, Rose wants Knuckles and his crew to pay for trying to off her, but Marvin just wants to keep his cozy life — and his co-workers and clients — safe from his brother's wrath. Much violence ensues. To the credit of stunt coordinator turned director Eusebio, Love Hurts' fight scenes are varied and amusing. There's hand-to-hand combat, knife throwing, gunfights, and domestic improvisational weapons like cookie cutters and a set of wall ornaments shaped like a giant fork and spoon. Further whimsy is woven in through motivation. While the assassins sent after Rose and Marvin are out for blood, Marvin just wants to get away — ideally with his crush and his treasured certificate intact. Props to the stunt team led by Can Aydin, the shift between actors and stunt doubles is pretty seamless. The actors' faces embrace the film's wacky tone with big expressions of shock, pain, and excitement as they battle, which is mirrored in the physicality throughout. The blows hit convincingly, and gruesomely. Coming from Nobody and Violent Night's producer David Leitch, Love Hurts shares those action offerings' thirst for blood. And just as I found the broad comedy and gore jarring in those movies, it hits oddly here. One moment, you've got Sean Astin (in a charming Goonies reunion) delivering a heart-warming speech about the power of second chances, and in the next, Eusebio hits audiences with a grisly murder in close-up, with a visual gag that is gag-worthy. After the spirited dildo fight and overall embrace of weirdness and warmth o f Everything Everywhere All At Once, this kind of violence feels a bit like a sucker punch. Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose deserve better.
Credit: Universal Pictures
As he did in Everything Everywhere All At Once, Quan is given the chance to play different iterations of Marvin. The foremost is the redeemed realtor, who is full of good advice and love for his fellow man. But in flashbacks, we see a mustachioed Marvin, whose physicality is not loose and light but hard and intimidating. There's a thrill in seeing Quan transform, as he did in the swooning alley-set scene in Everything Everywhere All At Once. But the script by Matthew Murray, Josh Stoddard, and Luke Passmore only offers us a taste of this enticing transformation. So much of Love Hurts feels like a thin variant on the role that won Quan the Oscar. Why watch this when a better version of this movie is already streaming? As for DeBose, this is the latest in a string of post-Oscar win duds, which includes Disney's cringingly synergizing Wish, the dunderheaded spy comedy Argylle, and Sony's latest Spider-Man spinoff flop Kraven: The Hunter. (No shade to the indie horror thriller House of Spoils — it slaps.) In Love Hurts, as in Kraven and Argylle, she plays a stylish badass, who has incredible skills but remains a sidekick to the hero. To DeBose's credit in Love Hurts, she tries to make the most out of a character who is a clumsy amalgamation of clichés pulled from film noir, blaxploitation flicks, and gangster movies. As Rose, she has a convincing swagger and a mischievous glint in her eye. But neither Quan nor DeBose can elevate a script that feels achingly like an early draft, peppered with too many paper-thin characters, obvious twists, and a final reveal that's so out of nowhere one might assume a whole subplot got sloppily scrapped. The film moves at a relentless pace, but not in terms of generating tension. Loaded with voiceover — from both Marvin and Rose — there's barely a moment without exposition-dumping, dialogue, or fight sounds. It's as if the filmmakers so fear the audience will lose interest that they can't allow any emotional beats the space to actually land. This undercuts not only the headliners but also a supporting cast that shines with promise. Among them, Lio Tipton thrills as a millennial realtor going through a hilarious existential crisis, while Mustafa Shakir proves swoon-worthy as a poetic hitman called the Raven. Astin brings a reliable warmth and aforementioned speeches as a cowboy-hatted friend of Marvin's. Drew Scott kicks into action as a rival realtor with a hero complex, and Marshawn Lynch brings back that wild card Bottoms energy as another determined hitman. But you can feel the desperation of the filmmakers when he screams out his real life nickname — "Beast Mode" — while barreling into action. Indeed, the whole third act feels like it was written in post-production. Much of the finale dialogue between the warring brothers happens when the person speaking is not facing the camera, suggesting an aggressive use of ADR (additional dialogue recording). This a big red flag that Love Hurts lost its way in the making, and little wonder that tonally the movie is all over the place, scene to scene, moment to moment. Even at 83 minutes, it's a slog due to the aching lack of cohesion. Still, any good actor can make a bad movie. So why bring the Oscar curse into it? Well, because there's an element of the Oscar curse that's too often overlooked. Hollywood still doesn't know what to do with actors of color.DeBose, who is Afro-Latina, went from playing arguably the most iconic Latina role in Hollywood cinema (shout out to the first Oscar–winning Anita, Rita Moreno) to playing a string of "strong female" sidekicks. The moxie she showed in West Wide Story, the passion displayed in her Oscar acceptance speech, and the whimsy she delivered in her infamous BAFTA rap, should have opened a floodgate of leading roles for her, as her range was clear. But instead we get Kraven and Love Hurts. With his Everything Everywhere All At Once promotional campaign, Quan reclaimed the hearts of movie fans, some of whom saw him first as the dynamic kid sidekick Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. We cheered for his rousing comeback, thrilled when he got cast on Loki. But for his first leading man turn post-Oscar, it's deeply disappointing that this is all he gets. Sure, it could have been capitalizing on what we loved about that role. Here he gets to do comedy, action, and romance. But for all their charms, Quan and DeBose have zero sexual chemistry, so their characters' insistence that they are madly in love always rings hollow. The whole film works this way, offering spectacle but no depth. So while Love Hurts delivers bursts of thrills and fun, it is overall a mind-numbing miss. Love Hurts is now streaming on Peacock. UPDATE: May. 8, 2025, 12:49 p.m. EDT This review was first published on Feb. 6, 2025. It has been updated for its streaming debut. | ↑ |
 There are hundreds of different headphones and earbuds in varying shapes, sizes, styles, colors, and, of course, prices. And these days, you can grab a random pair off the digital shelf without too much research and find that they do the job just fine. However, if you're tired of settling for "just fine", then it's worth investing in the best headphones available. Through hours and hours of listening, we sorted through dozens of headphones to find the very best models. How to choose the best headphonesWe won't beat around the bush: There's no definitive "best" product here. Sure, elite headphones brands like Bose, Sony, and Apple put out high-quality products across the board, but even within each of those brands, you'll find different tiers of products. Some will deliver better value, and some will deliver better hardware and performance. All this to say, the best pair of earbuds or headphones largely comes down to personal preference and how you plan to use them. Some listeners swear by over-ear headphones, while others prefer the minimalism of earbuds — one is not necessarily better than the other. Athletes who like to use headphones at the gym will appreciate waterproof materials and certifications, while frequent fliers will prefer devices with long battery life, comfort, and portability. Finally, music lovers and audiophiles will want to invest in premium features like a custom equalizer, spatial audio, or best-in-class active noise cancellation. To help you pick, we tested all of the headphones in this guide (and a lot that didn't make the cut) to bring you the best for noise cancellation, music, budget shoppers, and wired connections. So, read on to find the best new pair of headphones or earbuds for you. What are the best wireless headphones of 2025?With the exception of the Marshall Mode earbuds, we focused primarily on wireless Bluetooth headphones and earbuds in our testing. While wired headphones have their fans, wireless headphones are just more convenient for most of us. Below, you'll find our favorite Bluetooth headphones picks for different scenarios — whether you want exceptional noise cancellation, mind-blowing sound quality, or all-day comfort. Other headphones we've testedYou might notice that the Apple AirPods Max are missing from our top picks. It's not that we don't like them — in fact, we think they sound and look great. But when we reviewed them (in their original Lightning cable form), we found that they didn't have a practical storage option, they never really turn off (thus draining the otherwise long battery life), and are just too expensive to justify a wholehearted recommendation. While we appreciate that they now (finally) come with lossless audio, they're too behind on most basic features (like battery life and having a power button) for us to recommend them. We also tested the Marshall Major V headphones and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 headphones, both of which had excellent sound profiles and easy-to-navigate custom equalizers on their companion apps. Ultimately, they didn't make the cut on our final list for a couple of reasons. With the Major V headphones, we love that their claim of 100+ hours of battery life held up under our testing, but we found them to get uncomfortable after a couple of hours. We also would have appreciated ANC at their $149 price point. For the B&W headphones, we loved their design and premium feel in addition to their truly impressive sound, but we found that their ANC was only so-so. If you're willing to spend $399, you can find a better balance of sound and ANC in the Sony XM5 headphones. We've also tested the Sonos Ace headphones and Dyson OnTrac headphones. And while we loved them both for sound quality and noise cancellation, they fare in the way of AirPods Max — left out of our recommendations for their high price points. In the testing pipelineFor our future updates, we're testing out more budget noise-cancelling earbuds. Right now, we're considering the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC and Sony WF-710N earbuds. We'll also be testing open earbuds from Bose, Shokz, Anker Soundcore, and Nothing, and will update this guide accordingly once we determine which is the best. | ↑ |
 TL;DR: Through May 11, Skoove Premium piano lessons are on sale for $119.99 (reg. $299.99). You’ll get a lifetime of piano lessons, ear training, and more. Always wanted to learn piano, but never found the time — or the right way to start? Private lessons can get expensive fast, and syncing your schedule with an instructor week after week is a whole challenge in itself. Sure, YouTube is free, but it’s also overwhelming and usually lacks the structure needed to stay motivated and make real progress…or the answers you need when you’re confused about a technique. That’s where Skoove Premium steps in. It offers a smarter way to learn piano, blending personalized guidance with the convenience of learning at home. And right now, you can score lifetime access for just $119.99 (reg. $299.99) — but only through May 11. Skoove’s interactive platform uses AI to actually listen to your piano-playing and give real-time feedback — you won’t just be following (or flailing) along, either. You could improve your piano skills with every session. You’ll have access to more than 400 step-by-step lessons across all genres, from hits by Adele and The Beatles to classical pieces by Beethoven and Mozart. Plus, you can reach out to real instructors for one-on-one help when you need it. New songs and lessons drop every month, so the content stays fresh and you’ll always look forward to learning a new tune. Plus, you won’t ever have to pay recurring fees for Skoove. Once you pay the upfront fee, your lessons and instruction are available forever, which might just give you that extra motivation to stick with it and actually follow through on your piano goals. If you’ve been waiting for the right time and the right method to start learning piano, this is it. You have until May 11 at 11:59 p.m. PT to grab this Skoove Premium lifetime subscription for $119.99 — that’s 60% off the normal price. Act while supplies last. StackSocial prices subject to change. | ↑ |
 Cozy crime is a subgenre in which intriguing tales of murder boast a jaunty aesthetic that's irreverently twee. Think Only Murders in the Building, with its foolhardy amateur sleuths alternately investigating homicide and bickering over their podcast's production. Think Pushing Daisies, a candy-colored mystery series about a lovelorn pie-maker who can literally raise the dead to solve their murders. Think Sew Torn. Written and directed by Freddy Macdonald, this inventive indie crime comedy begins with a drug deal gone violently wrong, before stitching together a multi-thread tale of an unlikely criminal mastermind: a mild-mannered mobile seamstress played by Eve Connolly (Vikings). What's Sew Torn about?Sew Torn is set in a picturesque village high in the mountains, where a pleasant business district boasts quaint shops. One such shop is owned by seamstress Barbara Duggen (Connolly), who offers custom embroideries alongside alterations. Further out, vibrant green pastures dotted with cows stretch to a mighty concrete bridge overlooking a misty valley, reaching even farther to stately homes, where a wealthy bride-to-be (a hilariously harsh Caroline Goodall) is in a snit over a fallen button. In an opening in which Barbara barely speaks, Macdonald swiftly sets up how this young woman has shrunken in the shadow of her late mother, the original mobile seamstress. Trapped by her dedication to carry on her mother's work even as the family business fails, Barbara's fingers twitch at rebellion as she stitches. Her urge for self-sabotage might be ruinous, but at least it could bring something new. By flicking a button into a floor vent, she must flee the growling bride to get another. Barbara's lovely commute back to her village is interrupted when she comes across a pair of bumbling gangsters on a blood-spattered, remote road. A clever lass, Barbara takes one quick look at the scene and assesses from the felled motorcycles, hobbled goons, and scattered bags of white powder that the briefcase skittered down the road is full of cash. "A perfect crime," she says to herself, seeing a solution to her financial woes. She doesn't just pick up the money and run, though. Instead, Barbara uses her handy seamstress kit and its brightly colored threads to create a Rube Goldberg machine that should neatly dispose of the messier bits of this could-be heist. Despite her quick thinking, things don't exactly go to plan. Sew Torn offers a collection of possibilities and quirky characters.In 1998, writer/director Tom Tykwer awed critics with his high-energy crime thriller Run Lola Run, which featured a flame-haired Franka Potente chasing down several different solutions to save her scheming boyfriend from a deadly fate. Sew Torn offers Barbara a similar bargain. When her perfect crime proves deeply flawed (and fatal), rather than leaving her bleeding out in a cornfield, Macdonald thrusts her back onto that road, staring down the coveted briefcase once more. Armed with some hard-won knowledge from her previous encounter with the briefcase, Barbara tries a new plan; she calls the cops. Well, actually, this village is so small that she calls the cop, an elderly woman who is not only the sheriff but also the local notary and the justice of the peace. Far from a hard-ass, K Callan ( Poker Face, Knives Out) brings the energy of Coen brothers comedy, as her character can suss out bullshit with ease yet exudes patience and empathy. She'll collar all three of these crooks with the sternness of a school marm teaching a lesson. Here and throughout the other threads, Barbara's choices knit in a reluctant gangster (Calum Worthy), a frantic thug (Thomas Douglas), a chatty embroidery enthusiast (Ron Cook), and a merciless kingpin (John Lynch). Each gets their moment to shine via Sew Torn's curious narrative structure. Some imbrue menace, while others give off agony, and still others a boisterous warmth. Yet all would be for naught if Connolly weren't crushing the lead role. Eve Connolly proves she's a captivating leading lady in Sew Torn.While this crime comedy can get quite silly with its violent slapstick, thread-centric machinations, and kooky criminals, Barbara is the straight man surrounded by stooges. Her expression is often drawn, her eyes spiked with calculation. While other characters bloviate about their lives, Barbara is a much more internal character, her quietness making her seem all the more an outsider in her hometown. But Connolly makes sure Barbara never feels flat or passive. Voiceovers framing the beginning and the end give audiences a peek into Barbara's thinking, but mostly we rely on Connolly's sharp facial expression and precise physicality for insight. All of this interiority makes a sharp contrast in the third thread of the film all the more exciting. In this sequence, Barbara's only path to survival is to throw herself into a dance number. It is explosive and inexplicable. Her limbs fling about madly while her face is sharply focused. This is not a celebration; it is a scheme tied to strings. And of all the incredible things she pulls off with thread, it's the most climactic and wickedly fun. Macdonald enhances the fantastical possibilities of this crime-ridden tale with color, using vivid hues but a medium contrast. There's grays within these tones, perhaps reflecting Barbara's boredom with these surroundings despite their beauty. Yet there's no ignoring the boldness of things like the dazzling blue of her eyes, the harsh red of blood, and the bright yellow thread wrapped around the giant bobbin at the back of her teal Volkswagen bug (a cutesy signifier of her trade). Notably, each color is reflected in literal threads that prove crucial to Barbara's plans. Each burst of color speaks to Barbara's possibilities for more than mending. She can remake the world around her or tear it to shreds. But what to do with that knowledge? Thanks to a crackling cast, a clever color scheme, and a plotline that's uniquely knotty, Macdonald makes Sew Torn a sensational experience. It has the cheeky fun of a top-notch crime comedy without losing the edge of life-or-death stakes. With a series of possibilities being unspooled, the movie is delightfully unpredictable. Its leading lady lands each beat, be it one of harrumphing frustration, a outrageous dance, or a dangerous hope. And in the end, it leaves its audience dizzy but satisfied by its wild spins. Sew Torn was reviewed out of its World Premiere at SXSW 2024. It is now in theaters. UPDATE: May. 8, 2025, 12:03 p.m. EDT This review was first published on March 11, 2024, as part of Mashable's SXSW 2024 coverage. It has been updated for its theatrical premiere. | ↑ |
 There are moments in life that break us to pieces, but not quickly, like a hammer hitting a vase — in a slow but unavoidable way, like a crack in a window. It's only a matter of time before the glass will give way, leaving you wrecked and wide open to a world that keeps on moving regardless. Sharp Corner is about such a moment, where an inexplicable event slowly shatters the psyche of an average family man who previously thought himself content. Written by Jason Buxton and Russell Wangersky, Sharp Corner is a lean but gripping psychological thriller than explores fear, anxiety, and how a societal double standard can leave men in a unique disadvantage when it comes to processing trauma. So who better to headline this movie than Ben Foster? This American actor has delved powerfully into these themes in previous roles, such as the wild-card brother of Hell or High Water, the anti-social father of Leave No Trace, and the hardened soldier of The Messenger. Ben Foster plays a father in crisis in Sharp Corner.
Credit: Elevation Pictures
Mild-mannered, middle-aged Josh McCall (Foster) is a loving partner to his intellectual wife Rachel Davis-McCall ( High School's Cobie Smulders) and a playful parent to his young son Max (William Kosovic). Their first night in their new home in suburban Canada, Josh gently tucks his kid into bed, assuring him that there's nothing to fear in this unfamiliar setting. Next, Josh and his wife christen the living room with some hasty but spirited sex. But then disaster strikes. Before the opening title card even hits the screen, a car's tire flies through the big display window, shattering glass and shooting past Rachel's head before landing with a terrifying thud. A car has crashed dramatically in their lawn. While Rachel races to soothe their crying child, Josh stands looking out the window, pantless and powerless, his bare ass facing us while he gazes upon a horrifying new reality. Everyone in the family is dealing with this shocking incident in their own ways. Rachel avoids conversation around it and buries herself in caring for her child, who is finding bits of busted reflector as he plays in the yard. But this leaves Josh with no one to talk to about his fears. He had considered himself the family's protector, but it was only dumb luck they too weren't hurt that night. So, Sharp Corner follows his slow-burn quest to reclaim a sense of control, first through understanding the cause of the accident, then by educating himself on life-saving tools like CPR. But more fatal crashes on the titular turn make this increasingly difficult, pushing Josh into disturbing behaviors to reclaim his identity. Sharp Corner's deep-set empathy makes its horrors hit harder.
Credit: Elevation Pictures
Often, when media discusses toxic masculinity, they're addressing macho men who refuse to acknowledge their own emotions. Ben is not that guy. He's desperate to talk about what happened, but he can't find a place where he feels safe to do so. His wife doesn't want to hear it. His friends aren't prepared to go from wine recommendations to trauma-dumping, and he doesn't trust a stoic psychiatrist, who has a dog named Drake. So, like a lot of people grappling with anxiety and post-traumatic distress, Josh throws himself into action. He creates projects to prevent further crashes, and when that fails, he is desperate to be prepared to save a life when the need arises. Maybe that can restore his sense of self? Maybe that can save his family from falling apart? Foster's nuanced performance — tension rippling under his skin and need gleaming through his eyes — makes this terror feel at once extraordinary and achingly common. Yet as empathetic as Sharp Corner is, binding us to Josh in moments he can't share with anyone, it doesn't paint his wife as an uncaring nag or a cliched villain. She too is grappling with this jolting realization, not only that their dream home is a suburban nightmare but also that death can be random, and stupid, and on your front lawn over and over. Though hers is a much smaller role, Smulders comfortably shoulders the character work of Rachel, her careful words hitting with precision. Her tone shifts from direct and annoyed, when the two adults are alone, to guarded yet cutting when they're with their son. Together, they create a couple that feels real — and really on the brink of splitting up. Sharp Corner packs a punch without packing in gore.The script is crisply realized, keenly charting Josh's downward spiral as he surrenders everything to his desperate need to reclaim a sense of power in a world that's made him feel impotent and futile. Buxton, who also directs, wisely trusts in Foster and Smulders to ground the film's drama. It helps he keeps the home's aesthetic clean and cozy in cool blues and grays, so the carnage outside — with its streaks of yellow dome lights and red reflectors and blood — is all the more jarring. Yet the deaths are largely off-screen, or when they're shown, are done so with a mindfulness towards graphic bodily harm. Buxton isn't seeking to sensationalize these moments. He gives us just enough to understand why Josh can't shake them. So, we too struggle to focus as others talk to him about mundane things like school pick-up and work assignments. But how far would we walk in his shoes? That's the terrifying question Sharp Corner asks in a third act that is ruthlessly plotted. Focused so intently on the inner turmoil of its ego-ravaged hero, Sharp Corner is leanly executed. But Buxton and Wangersky seems to lose faith in their audience in the second act, offering a sequence where a psychiatrist basically spells out what Josh is going through (though she's not knowingly talking about him). Despite this detour, the finale regains momentum. Ultimately, a smart premise is poignantly brought to life by Foster and Smulders, making for a psychological thriller that is nerve-rattlingly tense and a family drama that is unapologetically gutting. Sharp Corner was reviewed out of its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. It is now in theaters. UPDATE: May. 8, 2025, 12:26 p.m. EDT This review was first published on Sept. 6, 2024, as part of Mashable's coverage of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. It has been updated to reflect its theatrical premiere. | ↑ |
 At this point, just the sight of Tim Robinson's face is a comedic weapon. Case in point: the opening scene of Friendship, which begins with a tight shot on cancer survivor Tami (Kate Mara) sharing with her support group. As the camera zooms out, her husband Craig (Robinson) comes into view beside her, and his look of too-intense concentration is enough to send anyone into orbit. It's not long before he opens his mouth to glibly interrupt Tami's worries about her cancer returning, just the first of many social faux pas Craig will commit across the course of Friendship. If you're both cringing and cackling at the thought of this interaction, that's the Robinson effect. The I Think You Should Leave creator is a master at wringing comedy from social anxiety, as well as crafting oddball characters whose quirks are only outweighed by their earnestness (and their propensity for shouting). All these qualities are on display in Friendship, a film that tests the limits of how much Robinson-style cringe comedy you can stand. Hardcore Robinson fans will likely enjoy, but even as a Robinson appreciator, I felt that the I Think You Should Leave-style bits that make the film's early scenes such an uncomfortable blast quickly lose their sheen. They work well in sketches, but can they hold up the weight of an entire feature film? Friendship, written and directed by Andrew DeYoung, suggests not. What's Friendship about?
Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in "Friendship."
Credit: A24
At its core, Friendship is all about the trials of male friendship and male loneliness. Robinson's Craig has little to no social life — as Tami points out, he always spends his evenings sitting in their living room. ("You don't know my schedule!" Craig spits, one of many great Robinson line readings.) So when neighbor Austin (Paul Rudd) invites Craig over for a drink, it's more than just a friendly get-together. For Craig, it's the start of a brand-new, beautiful future. In fantasy sequences, he sees himself playing drums in Craig's band, then leading Craig and a larger crew through the apocalypse. His encounters with Austin are almost as fantastical as his imagined future. Austin brings him through their town's sewer system to the top of city hall. He takes Craig mushroom foraging. He encourages Craig to ditch his phone, to buy a drum set, to try new things. But their beautiful friendship collapses after a nightmare hang with Austin's other friends. One shattered glass door, several bruised noses, and one a capella cover of Ghost Town DJs' "My Boo" later, Craig is ousted from Austin's inner circle and left to spiral. Friendship starts strong, then unravels.
Tim Robinson in "Friendship."
Credit: A24
These opening sequences of Craig and Austin's early meets are Friendship's strongest, with Robinson nailing the awkward catch-up of hanging out with someone you definitely want to be friends with. Rudd, meanwhile, excels as a character who has his own struggles and ambitions — like wanting to be the morning weatherman instead of the evening — but who also exists for Craig to project his fantasies of friendship onto. Their odd-couple dynamic is rife with opportunities for anxiety-inducing laughs, which comes to a fever pitch in the aforementioned group hang. But once Craig and Austin have their friendship breakup, Friendship finds itself as adrift as Craig. The film meanders from one bit to the next — like a disastrous meeting with the town mayor, or an unsuccessful return to the sewers — with each acting like its own sketch that's been awkwardly strung together. Perhaps this unmoored feeling is DeYoung's goal, to place us in Craig's shoes as he navigates life without a friend who meant so much to him. Yet with so many sections feeling so underwhelming — only a toad-induced drug trip truly delivers on Friendship's comedic strangeness — you may find yourself feeling more disengaged than unmoored. Something similar happens with Craig, who often reads as a collection of gags as opposed to a full-fledged character. He's both obsessed with wanting to see "the new Marvel" but deathly afraid of having it spoiled. He eats soap in order to repent for being a "bad boy." His biggest goal in life is finishing a local bar's novelty meal themed around the SEALs who killed Osama Bin Laden. These are all hilarious both in and out of context in Friendship, helped along by Robinson's reliably panicked — often screaming — delivery. But are we laughing because Craig is a character we've grown to know over the course of the film, or because we're projecting our prior experiences of watching Robinson in similar roles onto Craig? Friendship still elicits plenty of laughs and discomfort from its look at a collapsed friendship. Ultimately, though, it overstays its welcome, much like Craig at a group hang. | ↑ |
 The past week or so has been a real whirlwind for anyone lookin forward to Grand Theft Auto VI. Last Friday, Rockstar told us the game was delayed to the middle of 2026. Then, on Tuesday, we got a surprise second trailer for the game, full of story bits and some looks at the very realistic and lively looking version of Vice City that acts as its setting. Finally, on Wednesday, Rockstar revealed one more very interesting detail about the trailer itself: It was captured entirely on a base PlayStation 5 console, and apparently features "equal parts" gameplay and cutscenes. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. The first part of that announcement is a very pleasant surprise. There's been a vibe online for a while now that Rockstar is creating a game world so large, fully-featured, and vibrant that it will struggle to run on current hardware. Hearing that Rockstar was able to capture all of the footage in this trailer, which does indeed look incredible on a technical level, on a regular PS5, is heartening for folks who thought they'd be left behind without upgrading to at least a PS5 Pro.
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‘Grand Theft Hamlet’ review: 'Grand Theft Auto' meets Shakespeare in hilarious, moving doc
It's tougher to suss out which parts of the trailer are cutscenes and which are gameplay. A large majority of it, to me, looks like cutscenes, but there are a few shots of the protagonists driving cars, airboats, and jet-skis that look like they could conceivably be gameplay footage. None of it is shown from a third-person gameplay camera angle, though, so it's really hard to tell what is and isn't running in real-time. Beyond all of that, Rockstar posted an absolute bounty of 70 screenshots from the game on its website to go alongside the trailer. There are obviously way too many to share in this one article, but I picked out my favorites. See the Grand Theft Auto VI screenshots
Vice City at sunset.
Credit: Rockstar Games
Decidedly not Vice City.
Credit: Rockstar Games
The Miami party vibes are out of control in 'GTA 6.'
Credit: Rockstar Games
Lucia Caminos gets locked up.
Credit: Rockstar Games
Find your happy place, Cal Hampton.
Credit: Rockstar Games
A character named DreQuan Priest.
Credit: Rockstar Games
A character billed as Raul Bautista.
Credit: Rockstar Games
The character Leonida Keys, who has real Florida Woman vibes.
Credit: Rockstar Games
There are more than 60 more to sift through beyond that, so have yourself some fun during downtime at work by looking at them and wishing the game was out this month instead of next year. | ↑ |
 Have you received an urgent email from tech support company Geek Squad, charging you an exorbitant amount of money for a subscription renewal? It's a scam. The email is not really from Geek Squad, which is a legitimate business owned by the electronics retail chain Best Buy. And while scammers love to make it sound like you're minutes away from a massive credit card charge, they can't really charge you. The large amount stated in the email is just there to scare you…that is, unless you respond and give the cybercriminals the information they want. So, up top, let's be clear: Don't respond to these Geek Squad scam emails. Ignore them. Don't engage with the scammer. What is the Geek Squad scam?Fake subscription or payment scams have been quite popular in recent months. One growing scam in this vein is the E-Z Pass toll road text scam, which tries to trick targets into thinking they owe a payment for a toll road. Victims either pay a phony bill, or they hand over valuable personal information while trying to "correct" the penalty. The Geek Squad scam is quite similar. The scammer sends a fake bill via email to an unsuspecting target. The bill is ostensibly for a subscription to Geek Squad's technical support services. Sometimes, the bill will be for general support or for a specific yet vague product like a "network shield" or "computer protection." This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. However, there is one common strategy that these Geek Squad scammers all use: The price for the service is usually an exorbitant amount. It's not uncommon for these emails to inform users that they will be charged in the range of $300 to $500 for a renewal of this nonexistent subscription service. The pricing on the fake bill is quite purposeful. A target will see they are about to be charged a large sum of money and immediately reach out to the phone number provided in hopes of stopping the charge. This is both a common technique among scammers and a dead giveaway: Beware all emails and texts that try to create a sense of urgency. Legitimate businesses won't use these kinds of pressure tactics. As with the toll scams, there's another layer here: Some victims will reach out to the scammer to stop the erroneous charge. If they are a Geek Squad customer, they'll contact the number with the belief that they are talking to real Geek Squad representative. If they're not, the scammers will try to trick them into revealing credit card numbers, social security numbers, or some other valuable information. The Geek Squad scam has been going around for a few years now, which means it must be rather successful for scam artists because they keep utilizing this strategy. Over the past few months, there's been an uptick in local news reports on the scam, particularly in New York and Wisconsin, so be on your gard. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. How to avoid getting scammedWhile scammers have likely been raking in the cash with their Geek Squad scam, thankfully, it's also very easy to avoid getting scammed. The scammer relies on their target seeing the fake bill and contacting them via a link or phone number included in the email. Once the victim makes contact, the scammer engages in basic social engineering strategies to trick the target into giving them private information. Victims have also reported that the scammer convinced them to install software that allowed them to remotely control the target's computer. Simply do not engage with an email allegedly from Geek Squad. Do not reply to the email. Do not click a link in the email. Do not call the phone number listed in the email. If you are a Geek Squad customer and must reach the company, please go to Geek Squad's official website at Best Buy, which provides a real number for legitimate contact. In conclusion: If you're wondering if that Geek Squad email is real, assume that it isn't. | ↑ |
 TL;DR: The NanoPhone is a credit-card-sized smartphone that barely takes up space while keeping you connected, and right now it’s only $89.97 through June 1. Trying to cut down on your screen time? How about your screen size? The NanoPhone is a miniaturized smartphone with all the perks of your device in a credit card-size frame. And right now, one can be yours for just $89.97 (reg. $199.99) through June 1. This tiny smartphone actually fits in your pocketWhether you’re trying to minimize your doomscrolling or simply be more present in daily life, smartphones make cutting back on screen time a challenge. Unfortunately, we’re all tethered to these tiny computers, which help us stay connected with loved ones, tackle work tasks, capture memories on camera, and unwind after a long day with our favorite apps. The NanoPhone aims to let you do all of those things on a smaller scale. This credit-card-sized smartphone is fully functional, offering 4G and WiFi connectivity, the ability to make calls, video chat and take photos with the front and rear cameras, stream videos, use apps, and much more. There’s no extra data plan needed — you can use your existing SIM card in the NanoPhone. Pop it in and take the NanoPhone along for nights out, gym sessions, or just keep it as an emergency backup phone. Bluetooth capabilities make it easy to connect to your wireless headphones or a smartwatch. The lengthy battery life ensures you’re not hunting down a charger all day. And despite the compact size, the NanoPhone is a durable device meant to withstand everyday wear and tear. Secure your own NanoPhone for only $89.97, $110 off the usual price, now through June 1. StackSocial prices subject to change. | ↑ |
 My wife and I ran a half-marathon in Brooklyn a couple of weeks ago. If you're a runner, it was us, along with probably half your timeline. Carl Radke from Bravo's Summer House? Check. Sen. Chuck Schumer, for whatever reason? Check. White House stenographer and running influencer Kate Mackz? Check (and more on her later). This isn't entirely surprising, considering some 25,000 people showed up to jog 13.1 miles that Sunday. But it's a symptom of a bigger, more annoying problem. Run clubs, running influencers, #RunTok, and the concept of running as a trend have gone too far. It's making running less enjoyable. Am I an old man yelling at a cloud? No! I am an old man yelling at a group of 40 jabronis, dressed in sleek, moisture-wicking, wildly expensive gear. I'm yelling at that very same group, rumbling down the narrow Williamsburg bridge path, three-wide, impossibly jolly, barreling through the solitary walkers and joggers. If you think I'm exaggerating, I'm not. These were the exact conditions of the training runs my wife and I took. No fewer than a half-dozen times were we entirely overwhelmed — like a picnic inundated with fit, person-sized gnats — by oversized run clubs. And if you think I'm airing a local, personal grievance in a national publication, well, you're only half correct. Because it is a personal grievance that ultimately gets at a wider trend. First of all, I'm not the only one complaining about the overbearing NYC run clubs. A thread blew up on Reddit eight months ago debating the subject. And it's not just NYC. It's a hotly debated issue on runner forums, all over social media, in Australia, and pretty much everywhere, to some degree. Now, to be clear, I love that people are running. I have been a runner my entire life. Not to brag (but to brag), I've done three marathons and ran a backyard half for Mashable during the COVID lockdown. My day doesn't feel complete without a jog, and it's cool that more people agree nowadays. What started for lots of people as a COVID-friendly hobby has become a wildly popular means for socializing. RunSignUp had 7.4 million race registrations in 2019. By 2024, that figure was 10.8 million. RunTok has racked up more than a billion views and attracted major brands like Nike and Brooks. Run clubs themselves are not even the problem, not really. Neither is #RunTok nor running influencers. It's the confluence of those things that's turning running into a trend rather than a fun activity. It's the internet's obsession with too much of a good thing. It's the same disease that turns every Internet Thing into something with a massive, mobbed-out line. A 40-minute wait for a viral croissant is equivalent to the 40-person blob of runners swallowing the sidewalk. It's great that people are turning to running, so much so that it's been called the "new group chat." It's awesome to see people hang out IRL while getting in a nice sweat. But a group chat with 40-some people is just as overbearing as a run club that size. We, as runners, have to practice etiquette. My proposal? Ten people. A group of runners has no reason to be more than 10 people. That gives you plenty of runners to chat with and enough bodies to claim some space from cars and cyclists (don’t even get me started on car culture). But it limits your group so it's not hogging the street, sidewalk, or bike path. If your run club has more than 10 people show up that day? Sick! I'm so glad you're building a community. Split that community up into groups of 10, each running a different route. You can all end at the same park and chat after your respective jogs. While I complain, it's also important to note that run clubs have become, in a good way, about much more than running. Some have morphed into matchmaking groups. Lots of run clubs, like Philly's Slow Girl Run Club, have made it a point to welcome in all kinds of folks and make the hobby more approachable. It's genuinely wonderful that you could meet your partner, find friends, get acclimated to a city, or build community via running. But we should also be wary of anyone commoditizing running, which can include run clubs or the bandleaders therein. One of the things that makes running so beautiful is that anyone can do it. Sure, you can spend thousands of dollars on the latest shoes, gear, and gadgets. And you can also throw on a pair of sweats and hit the pavement. There is no entry fee for running. You don't need anyone to tell you how to do it; it's already coded within your DNA. And you certainly don't need an influencer like Mackz, a Brooklynite who'd lean on her audience's morals for views. But I'd argue Mackz was already a symbol of where running went wrong before, you know, cheerfully selling out to the Trump administration by interviewing its press secretary while pretending to have the critical thinking skills of a goldfish. What started as a harmless schtick — she interviews people while running — quickly became a vehicle for celebrity worship and naked shilling. Her whole brand became using the trend of running to sell you on celebs Being Normal. The fun of RunTok, of runners finding community, is stripped for parts and presented for sale. Sorry, but that sucks. And no, that doesn't directly relate to the hordes of runners in run clubs. But it's of the same ecosystem. To paraphrase reality TV, it's not running for the right reasons. Run clubs are great until you're doing a run club because doing a run club is what everyone's doing. Because here's a little secret: Jogging in a group of 40-some people cannot be fun for the runners. If you've ever done a race, you know this. The start of any running race is cramped and miserable. You jostle to find open paths and fret about turning an ankle. You're constantly either passing or getting passed. Packing a large group of runners onto the sidewalk, which, mind you, is still occupied by walkers, dogs, kids, and other runners, is basically recreating those circumstances. Running should be meditative, and fun, and difficult, and hard on your knees, and rewarding, and the last thing you want to do after a long day, and the thing you're glad you did once you've done it. Running has been around since...well...since human beings have been around. We don't need to reinvent jogging — it doesn't need to be a trend or more than it is. Running is putting one foot in front of the other and repeating for an indeterminate amount of time and distance. That's beautiful. It's between you and the ground and gravity, and it does not require dozens of comrades to bear witness. | ↑ |
 TL;DR: Turn your smartphone into a scanner with a lifetime subscription to SwiftScan VIP, now just $41.99 with code TAKE30 through June 1. Don’t have the space for a desktop scanner? Those bulky gadgets are no longer in high demand, but we still need to be able to scan documents. SwiftScan updates the scanning process for 2025, offering a simple way to digitize documents directly from your device. Right now, you can turn your smartphone or tablet into an on-demand scanner forever with a lifetime subscription to SwiftScan VIP for only $41.99 (reg. $199.99) with code TAKE30 through June 1. Turn your smartphone into a scannerIt’s surprising how often we need to scan things nowadays. From saving receipts to snapping a barcode or filling out a form, SwiftScan’s user-friendly interface lets you create high-quality scans with one tap. And this lifetime subscription means you’ll have a scanner at your fingertips every day. SwiftScan instantly identifies document edges and captures and crops your pages, saving them as premium-quality scans that start at 200 dpi. Color filters, auto-optimization, and blur reduction offer enhancements, allowing you to decide whether to save them as a JPEG or PDF. Need to scan multiple pages? That’s no problem — SwiftScan can even save them as a single document with Multi-Page scans. It can also scan QR codes and barcodes to save contacts, open websites, view product information, and more. Once you’ve scanned, you can easily send files to where they need to go via email, fax, or upload them to your preferred cloud storage service. In addition to scanning, SwiftScan also serves as a PDF editor. You can draw, highlight, or erase text in your scans. There’s also the option to add signatures and notes, redact content, or add, remove, or reorder multiple pages, if needed. It also saves and organizes your scans in folders so you can easily find them later. Make the scanning process seamless with a lifetime subscription to SwiftScan VIP for just $41.99 (reg. $199.99) with code TAKE30 now through June 1. StackSocial prices subject to change. | ↑ |
 When Mimi*, 22, was in college, she created a fake profile on the dating app Hinge to report another phony account. Someone was impersonating her then-boyfriend on the app, and the couple wanted to report this account together. "I didn't think much of it at the time," she says. But two years later, single and living in New York City, Mimi turned back to Hinge, this time in a real attempt to try online dating and meet someone new. She quickly discovered she had been banned. Trying to reverse the situation, Mimi wrote a complaint to Hinge, outlining her circumstances in a few brief sentences. She wanted to use the app to restart her dating journey, preferring it over Tinder, Bumble, Raya, and the other seemingly countless options out there. Her appeal didn't help, though. Mimi says Hinge sent back a "somewhat automated response," telling her she had been permanently banned from using the app. She gained no further clarity from the email, with Hinge providing no other details. Mimi isn't alone in experiencing seemingly arbitrary and unfair bans from Hinge. Over the last three years, over 15,000 users have filed complaints about Hinge with the consumer advocacy group Better Business Bureau, many claiming to have been unfairly exiled from the app. Most of these users said the bans were irreversible. In the last year alone, Hinge received over 7,000 reports on the same platform. "I was unjustly banned from Hinge," reads one complaint. "I have not acted in any unlawful or inappropriate manner while using Hinge on or off the app," complains another. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Karma, 23, is based in New Delhi and tells Mashable she found most of her dates in the city via Hinge — that is, until she was banned from the app earlier this year. She isn't entirely sure why it happened. "I wasn't provided with any clear-cut reason," she says. She has a hunch, though. At some point, she asked a few matches to participate in a survey she was conducting, sending out a link in direct messages. People may have reported her "out of annoyance," she says. "When it comes to bans, a lot of people report accounts out of sheer spite, and Hinge should really look thoroughly into the matter before banning a person straight away," she says. "I think using the app for non-dating purposes isn't a bad thing. Or, at least for petty reasons as such, [they] should start with a warning." Hinge is "committed to keeping daters safe by using protocols that protect the integrity of [the] community," Tamika Young, Hinge's VP of global communications, tells Mashable. "If someone believes they were incorrectly removed from the platform, they are encouraged to submit an appeal directly in the app or via email. Every appeal is reviewed by a human moderator," continues Young. She pointed towards Hinge's Help Center and Terms of Service. Within the help center, the company explains that users get explanations for some appeal decisions, but not for others. Tinder takes "appropriate actions on accounts" that have violated the app's Terms of Use, Community Guidelines, or Policies, Philip Price Fry, VP of communications at the platform, tells Mashable. "Tinder uses a combination of AI and human moderation to detect these violations, and we work hard to reduce any wrongful removals from our platform," Fry tells Mashable. "If a member believes their account was banned in error, they can appeal from the Appeal Center within the app." Of course, there are valid reasons for bans, from predatory behaviors to catfishing. Match Group, which owns Hinge, Tinder, and other dating apps, has recently come under fire for reportedly concealing assault cases and failing to ban users accused of sexual assault, even after reports were made directly to the company. Three in four dating app users have experienced abuse on these platforms, according to a 2022 study by the Australian Institute of Criminology. Staying safe on dating apps is imperative. Apps have introduced a selection of safety features over the years, such as Tinder's contentious background check option and Hinge's "Hidden Words" feature, which lets users filter out unwanted content. At times, seemingly random bans may be a widespread consequence of efforts to combat abusive behaviors, affecting those who are simply trying to meet someone. "Platforms are really trying to push back against bots and a lot of bad and inappropriate behaviors that come up," says Liesel Sharabi, an associate professor at Arizona State University specializing in the intersection of technology and relationships. "So I think that they're getting seemingly stricter about the bans." Why are bans on Tinder and Hinge becoming so common?Across X and TikTok, dating app users allege these bans have been imposed on them, and they are left to speculate why. Most say whatever got them banned is unclear. Some think it's because of revenge reporting: ex-partners or unhappy matches report accounts out of malice. Some report being banned after ghosting matches (a repercussion Bumble formally introduced in 2023). Others say their accounts appeared too bot-like, even when they were real. In Mimi's case, creating a new account could have been a problem; according to The Tab, this is one of the many "innocent" actions that can get you exiled from the land of digital dating. There have also been discriminatory reasons for bans: in 2019, trans people were getting banned from Tinder as a result of people reporting them unfairly. Tinder acknowledged the issues trans people face on the app, releasing a statement declaring their commitment to inclusivity. On the Reddit forum SwipeHelper, a group dedicated to dating app qualms and queries, several users express confusion and even helplessness thanks to what they consider to be arbitrary bans. People complain the most on the subreddit about Tinder and Hinge and say that appeals are essentially useless, as cases like Mimi's show. Some said that once they were banned on Hinge, the same happened on Tinder, rendering both unusable. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. These bans are becoming increasingly common, says Sharabi. She posits that many users don't read the terms of service on apps and end up getting inadvertently exiled. (Hinge was unable to provide how many users it bans year over year.) "I think what's missing for a lot of people is the explanation," says Sharabi. "And for some people, that's going to be obvious, like they were misrepresenting themselves or something really blatant. But for other people, I think it's a lot more ambiguous, and they don't necessarily know how they can challenge that decision, or who they can talk to to have it reconsidered. They want to know what they did." She adds that people don't necessarily know how a decision can be challenged or reconsidered, leading to "a frustrating experience." Mimi says she appreciates the security measures being taken by apps, but thinks that both the banning and appeal processes need reform. "It really does seem like their responses [to appeals] are completely automated, and I haven't heard of a single case in which someone who wrote an appeal had their ban removed," she says. "If they're putting in so much effort to get rid of bots, then they should stop acting like bots themselves." As with most large tech companies with vast user bases, this is unlikely to change: most will turn to automated solutions to sift through such reports. "If they're putting in so much effort to get rid of bots, then they should stop acting like bots themselves." In response to this dilemma, people have come up with some solutions to surpass bans themselves. On TikTok and Reddit, people suggest getting a new phone or number and using a fresh email address, although these fixes can easily lead to bad actors — who have been justifiably banned — managing to get back on these apps after getting removed. Some also say DatingZest, a platform created for the sole purpose of getting banned users back on the apps, has worked for them (others have pointed out that the service hasn't always done the trick). In a statement to Mashable, DatingZest says it has helped "countless users" make comebacks on apps, especially when it comes to Hinge. The platform was created after its team realized "how many innocent users get banned due to dating apps' automated systems, sometimes from a single false or revenge report." "The lack of transparency and inconsistent moderation is a major frustration for many daters," says DatingZest. While some quick fixes are available to users, the problem goes deeper. In recent years, despite the ubiquity of online dating, people have faced serious swipe fatigue and felt a lack of trust in these apps. When it comes to the digital platforms that have become fundamental tools for matchmaking, frequent bans are just another cause for concern. Getting in the way of love — and matchesToday, it almost goes without saying that dating apps are central to dating culture. Heterosexual couples are more likely to meet online than in person, as researchers at Stanford University found in 2019. 53 percent of Americans under 30 report using such platforms at some point in their lives, according to 2023 data from the Pew Research Center. So when someone is banned from a prominent dating app, the effects — both perceived and in practice — are real. "Dating apps have become the single most common way that people meet in the U.S.," says Sharabi. "And so if somebody is getting banned from a dating app, that can seem like a minor thing, but it's actually quite a big deal. It's the equivalent of getting kicked out of the most popular club in town where everyone's meeting and you're now no longer allowed to enter." Karma says getting banned from Hinge left her feeling uneasy. She says her experience with meeting people on Hinge, compared to other apps in India, was a positive one. "We can always meet new people at social events but Hinge was a very convenient way to do that," she says. "It's the equivalent of getting kicked out of the most popular club in town where everyone's meeting and you're now no longer allowed to enter." Mimi, similarly, says that she didn't think the ban would be "that big of a deal" at first. "But when you're out there on weekends, trying to meet people, that's when you realize it's simply not how it's done anymore," she tells Mashable. "The easiest way [to meet someone] is to do it digitally." "I think being banned from these apps definitely has social ramifications," Mimi says. Sharabi says that these bans can be scary for people, especially those who have been reliant on them in the past. "I think for people that are single and looking to date, there can be this feeling that they have to be on the apps to be successful," she explains. She also says that this dependence on apps begs the question of social utility: "They're providing a pretty essential service to people." However, she senses a potential shift on the horizon. Sharabi mentions the onset of AI and its effects on dating, with its potential to improve the dating app landscape. She suggests that AI could help apps "reconfigure how they're matching people and re-examine how they're helping people form relationships." For users, AI has been increasingly wielded to help write profiles or craft messages. But she also says young people are leaning toward surrendering apps entirely to meet people face-to-face. But, as the numbers suggest, apps are still not going anywhere — and can't be ruled out. Mimi is one example: someone caught between exploring the world of online dating and wanting to forge connections outside of these platforms. She says she would love to meet someone in person now. "That's the dream, isn't it?" * Names changed for privacy. | ↑ |
 TL;DR: Keep track of your wallet once and for all with the KeySmart® SmartCard, now available in a three-pack for just $79.97 (reg. $119.97) through May 11. Tired of hunting down your wallet every time you leave the house? Or searching for your passport at the last minute before a big trip? The KeySmart SmartCard makes finding your items as easy as opening the Apple Find My app. And right now, a three-pack of these sleek trackers can be yours for just $79.99 for the next two days. Stop losing things with this sleek smart trackerThe KeySmart SmartCard is less than 2mm thick — about the size of two credit cards — making it an ultra-slim option that’s great for places AirTags just can’t fit, like wallets or passports. There’s also a lanyard slot available so that you can keep an extra eye on your ID cards or security badges. Once you place your KeySmart® SmartCard, add it to the Find My app on your Apple device for easy tracking. It plays a sound when you need to locate it, and even notifies your Apple devices if you’ve left it behind. If you lose an item, the KeySmart SmartCard can help you get it back by showing the last known location and displaying a message and contact information to anyone who finds your card. Got an item that might be braving the elements? You can rest easy knowing it has an IPX8 rating, one of the highest possible waterproof ratings, so that it can survive up to an hour in 3.3 feet of water. The rechargeable battery on the KeySmart SmartCard lasts up to five months on a single charge. And when you do need to recharge it, you can power it up with any Qi-enabled wireless charger, so you don’t need a special cable. Act fast to score a three-pack of KeySmart® SmartCards for just $79.97 (reg. $119.97) now through May 11. StackSocial prices subject to change. | ↑ |
 The Roman Catholic Church elected its new pope on Thursday, with the conclave selecting American Cardinal Robert Prevost, henceforth known as Pope Leo XIV. And like friends investigating their bestie's new boyfriend, the internet is already digging through the pope's old social media posts. Pope Leo XIV opened his X account @drprevost in August 2011, back when the social media platform was still known as Twitter. However, rather than pen his own posts, Pope Leo XIV overwhelmingly preferred sharing other people's posts, links to external articles, and the occasional Catholic-themed meme. Of the few posts he appears to have written himself, many merely record administrative events, whether in his professional life or more broadly within the Catholic Church. However, we can still glean a lot from what the new pontiff chose to share. Pope Leo XIV is pro-lifeThis Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. The first post strongly indicating Pope Leo XIV's attitude toward a political issue came in 2012. That February, the then-Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine appeared to share a petition calling for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to scrap its requirement that Catholic employers provide their workers with healthcare insurance plans which include birth control. The petition ultimately garnered 29,127 signatures. In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that employers could enjoy an exemption from the HHS' requirement on religious and moral grounds. Pope Leo XIV's views on abortion appear to have remained unchanged in 2016, when he shared an article in which pro-life voters blamed Hillary Clinton's election defeat on her pro-choice stance. The next year, he shared articles from the religious publication Catholic News Agency (CNA), which reported on then-U.S. vice president Mike Pence and New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan's comments at a pro-life rally. The freshly minted pontiff also shared an article from CNA reporting on allegations that doctors conducting abortions were selling fetal tissue and endorsing infantcide. Though not mentioned in the article, an investigation by media watchdog Media Matters for America found that the undercover video giving rise to these claims had been deceptively edited and taken out of context. Pope Leo XIV is pro-immigrant rightsThis Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Though he apparently shares Pence's views on abortion, this doesn't mean Pope Leo XIV is wholeheartedly supportive of President Donald Trump's administration. The pope has long expressed disapproval of Trump's immigration policies in particular. One of Pope Leo XIV's old X posts which has gained significant attention dates back to when Trump was campaigning. In August 2015, Pope Leo XIV shared a Washington Post opinion piece from Dolan entitled, "Why Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is so problematic." "I am not in the business of telling people what candidates they should support or who deserves their vote," wrote Dolan. "But as a Catholic, I take seriously the Bible’s teaching that we are to welcome the stranger, one of the most frequently mentioned moral imperatives in both the Old and New Testament." Then shortly after the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Pope Leo XIV shared a speech by Archbishop José H. Gomez acknowledging that Trump's win left many immigrants fearful. "This should not be happening in America," said Gomez. "We are better people than this. We should not accept that this is the best we can hope for — in our politics or in ourselves." This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Then in 2017, Pope Leo XIV shared several posts condemning U.S. bans on refugees. He further shared statements from Gomez calling for immigration reform, speaking against deportation of undocumented people, and stating that the U.S. government's "ongoing failure to address the immigration crisis is a humanitarian tragedy." "There is nothing remotely Christian, American, or morally defensible about a policy that takes children away from their parents and warehouses them in cages," Cardinal Blase J. Cupich wrote in a post Pope Leo XIV shared in 2018, referring to Trump's widely criticised policy of separating immigrant children from their parents. "This is being carried out in our name and the shame is on us all." The pontiff further shared articles examining his predecessor Pope Francis' letter to U.S. bishops on immigration, and criticising J.D. Vance's statement on Fox News that "you love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens, and then after that prioritize the rest of the world." "J.D. Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others," read the headline for a National Catholic Reporter article shared by the new pope. As of writing, the most recent update on Pope Leo XIV's X account is a repost sharing an article in the Catholic Standard by Bishop Evelio Menjivar, which condemns the U.S. government's recent treatment of immigrants and refugees. "Do you not see the suffering…?" wrote Menjivar. Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet? Pope Leo XIV is for gun controlThis Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. The pope also seems to support gun control. In the wake of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, Pope Leo XIV shared a statement from Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, which called for "increased access to mental health care and stronger, sensible gun control laws." Pope Leo XIV also shared a post by Democratic senator Chris Murphy, who wrote, "To my colleagues: your cowardice to act cannot be whitewashed by thoughts and prayers. None of this ends unless we do something to stop it." Pope Leo XIV is against racismThis Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Pope Leo XIV also took to X to condemn racism mere days after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in May 2020. The murder sparked global protests against racism and police brutality, and widespread support for the Black Lives Matter movement. In one of his rare self-penned X posts, Pope Leo XIV wrote, "We need to hear more from leaders in the Church, to reject racism and seek justice." He also shared posts expressing support for Floyd's family and condemning racism. Pope Leo XIV is for vaccines and masks
Credit: Francesco Sforza - Vatican Media via Vatican Pool / Getty Images
The pope continued posting on X during the COVID-19 pandemic, posting news of mask donations in Peru. He also displayed a sense of humour when he shared a comedic TikTok skit about social distancing. More significantly, in 2021 Pope Leo XIV shared a post from Gomez stating, "May God grant us the grace to face #COVID19 with the strength of faith, ensuring that vaccines are available for all, so that we can all get immunized." Pope Leo XIV believes in climate changeThis Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. While the pope hasn't made many posts about climate change on X, he isn't completely silent on the matter. In November 2015, Pope Leo XIV called for followers to sign a climate petition organised by the Global Catholic Climate Movement, which has since been renamed to the Laudato Si' Movement. This organisation advocates for non-proliferation and divestment from fossil fuels, as well as the protection of biodiversity. Pope Leo XIV opposes the death penalty and euthanasiaThis Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Another issue Pope Leo XIV touched on in his X posts was the death penalty. The pope took a strong stance against capital punishment in March 2015, writing, "It's time to end the death penalty." He also doesn't seem to be a big fan of euthanasia, sharing an article in 2016 which reported on Belgium citizens who advocated against Canada legalising the practice. Canada legalised medical assistance in dying later that year. Pope Leo XIV might share some of Pope Francis' progressive philosophyThis Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Exactly how closely Pope Leo XIV will follow in Pope Francis' footsteps is still yet to be seen. However, a few of his X posts indicate he may be sympathetic to some of his predecessor's progressive views. In 2016, Pope Leo XIV shared a talk by Pope Francis in which he stated that God's law "was not drawn up to enslave us but to set us free," and that rigid adherence to it "isn't a gift of God." Later sharing guidance that Pope Francis issued to bishops in 2021, Pope Leo XIV added that "These beatitudes also highlight the temptations faced by bishops, like that of seeking power and a comfortable lifestyle." Another hint at what we might expect from Pope Leo XIV's papacy may be found in a 2015 article he shared from Huffpost. In it, author Kerry Weber discussed the future of the Catholic Church, and suggested how it might retain younger Catholics. This included supporting women in leadership roles; putting more emphasis on a global, diverse church; and making more of an effort to listen to younger Catholics. Much of Pope Leo XIV's activity on X is years old, so it's possible that some of his opinions may have changed over time. Merely sharing an article also doesn't necessarily denote agreement with absolutely everything in it, and looking solely at the new pope's X activity still leaves many questions and gaps. Still, examining Pope Leo XIV's digital footprint certainly offers interesting clues as to what the Catholic Church might look like under its new leader. | ↑ |
 SAVE OVER $200: As of May 9, the Apple MacBook Pro (M4 Chip, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD Storage) is on sale for $1,322.02 at Amazon. This deal saves you 14% on list price. Something wonderful is happening to the Apple M4 chip. We're seeing deals on MacBooks, Mac Minis, and MacBook Pros, with some models falling to record-low prices. What a time to be alive! As of May 9, the Apple MacBook Pro (M4 Chip, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) is on sale for $1,322.02 at Amazon. This deal saves you 17% on list price, and represents the lowest-ever price on Amazon according to tracker camelcamelcamel. It literally doesn't get any better than this, so if you've been patiently waiting for your moment to invest in this powerhouse, this is it. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 chip offers stunning levels of performance in a machine that's primed for Apple Intelligence. Users get all-day battery life and an impressive Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1600 nits peak brightness. In our review, Kimberly Gedeon said the "M4 MacBook Pro wows with endurance-defying battery life and stellar performance, allowing Apple to reclaim its throne." In short, we liked it. Pick up the Apple MacBook Pro for its lowest-ever price at Amazon. | ↑ |
 Connections: Sports Edition is a new 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. What is Connections Sports Edition?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. Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
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 #228 is... What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today
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? 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 yesterday's Connections. | ↑ |
 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 Friday, May 9, 2025: AcrossHumpty Dumpty, in many illustrations
Cartoon bear who wears a red shirt and no pants
Collection of world maps
Counterpart of "adios"
[See circled letters]
DownClean water org.
Subculture with black clothing
"When they ___ ..." (start of a memorable Michelle Obama line)
Angel topper
It has sharp teeth
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 yesterday's Mini Crossword. | ↑ |
 TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1. You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it'll cost you way less in the long run. Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you've been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It's that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac. What's included?This license comes with:
The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you're switching to a lifetime license doesn't mean you'll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations. Once you've redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they're yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about. Why rent when you can own? Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed. StackSocial prices subject to change. | ↑ |
 Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she's your mother-in-law, your best friend's mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times. Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain. The game plan here isn't just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you're not the kid who forgot Mother's Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don't even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother's Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas? Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it's something to make a part of her life easier, something she's mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can't put a price on everything she's done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help. After all, they say "No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother." But is that even a bad thing? | ↑ |
 We can all agree that moms and mother figures deserve the world. But realistically, very few of us can afford to gift ours the diamond necklace or island getaway she's worthy of unwrapping this Mother's Day. Is that an excuse to just send Mom a gift card from the grocery store checkout line and call it a day? Not in the slightest. (Don't even think about it.) Read on for more than 20 inexpensive but thoughtful Mother's Day gift ideas under $50 that will make her feel special without breaking the bank, including several products recommended to us by our own moms and mom friends. | ↑ |
 TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub from Alabama with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN. The world of porn was rocked earlier this year by the news that more than a third of U.S. states introduced restrictions for online adult content. After the introduction of age verification laws, millions of users in Alabama are now unable to access Pornhub. There are complicated reasons for the restriction, but the workaround is actually straightforward. If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from Alabama, we have all the information you need. How to unblock Pornhub for free in AlabamaVPNs are useful tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world. Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:
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The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment. If you want to retain permanent access to sites like Pornhub, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing content restrictions is on sale for a limited time. What is the best VPN for Pornhub?ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Unblock Pornhub for free in Alabama with ExpressVPN. | ↑ |
 TL;DR: Live stream the 2025 Giro d’Italia for free on SBS on Demand. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN. There is something so special about watching the best cyclists in the world compete in the Grand Tours. The scenery is amazing, the fans are incredibly passionate, and the racing is always intense. You quickly become aware that you're watching something otherwordly. These athletes are not normal, and we're blessed to be able to watch these stars compete over three weeks of gruelling competition. The Giro d'Italia is the first Grand Tour of the season. This year's event includes the likes of Primoz Roglic, Juan Ayuso, and Adam Yates. If you're interested in watching the 2025 Giro d'Italia for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need. What is the Giro d’Italia?The Giro d'Italia is an annual multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in Italy. The Giro d'Italia is one of cycling's most prestigious three-week-long Grand Tours (alongside the Tour de France and Vuelta a España). When is the 2025 Giro d’Italia?The 2025 Giro d'Italia is the 108th edition of the famous race. This year's event takes place from May 9 to June 1. How to watch the 2025 Giro d’Italia for freeThe 2025 Giro d'Italia is available to live stream for free on SBS on Demand. SBS on Demand is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can unblock this free streaming platform with a VPN. These powerful tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can access SBS on Demand from anywhere in the world. Live stream the 2025 Giro d'Italia for free by following these simple steps:
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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2025 Giro d’Italia before recovering your investment. If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time. What is the best VPN for Giro d’Italia?ExpressVPN is the best service for live streaming top sporting events from around the world, for a number of reasons:
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This heavily discounted plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Live stream the 2025 Giro d’Italia for free with ExpressVPN. | ↑ |
 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. Hurdle Word 1 hintTourist attraction in Venice and Amsterdam. Hurdle Word 1 answerCANAL Hurdle Word 2 hintLively. Hurdle Word 2 AnswerPERKY Hurdle Word 3 hintTo accumulate over time. Hurdle Word 3 answerAMASS Hurdle Word 4 hintFelt in the back or neck after a bad night's sleep. Hurdle Word 4 answerCRICK Final Hurdle hintA kind of beer. Hurdle Word 5 answerLAGER If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more. | ↑ |
 Thanks to President Donald Trump's tariffs, we've seen a lot of price increases in the tech world. And today, some outlets reported that Microsoft is increasing prices on some of its Surface devices. We're not so sure. Yes, the $999.99 base configurations of Microsoft's 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 7 and 13-inch Surface Pro 11 disappeared from its online store this week after the company unveiled two smaller and cheaper Surface devices. The two flagship Copilot+ PCs now start at $1,199.99 in the Microsoft Store, causing several tech publications to report 20-percent price hikes. And to be fair, Microsoft did recently increase the price of Xbox gaming consoles. However, Microsoft tells Mashable the price of its base Surface Laptop and Pro hasn't changed after all. "Microsoft did not raise Surface Pro or Surface Laptop prices," Nancie Gaskill, Microsoft's General Manager of Surface Business, said in a statement to Mashable. "Microsoft simply removed the Surface Laptop and Pro $999 base models from Microsoft.com. Customers can purchase base models of Pro and Laptop at the starting price of $999 at other key retailers." At the time of writing, shoppers could buy them for even less: The base models of both devices were on sale for $200 off at Best Buy. Why the markup in the Microsoft Store, then? Look closely at the specs in their listings: The $1,199.99 Surface Laptop and Pro that Microsoft is selling have a 10-core Snapdragon X Plus processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage, while the $999.99 base models available elsewhere have half the storage (just 256GB). So, the prices haven't changed; the company is simply no longer selling the lesser configurations. It's also worth noting that both 512GB models have held steady at $1,199.99 since launching in June 2024. Microsoft's newly announced 13-inch Surface Laptop and 12-inch Surface Pro are slightly cheaper alternatives to their flagship counterparts, with starting prices of $899.99 and $799.99, respectively. They're available for preorder in the Microsoft Store and beyond. Some laptop manufacturers have raised their prices because of President Donald Trump's tariffs on imported Chinese goods. Asus previously told Mashable that some of its laptops saw tariff-related price hikes of up to nine percent. But Microsoft's Copilot+ PCs have been marked safe for now. Other Microsoft products haven't been so lucky. On May 1, the tech giant announced that it was raising the recommended retail prices of its Xbox consoles and controllers, and that new first-party games would debut at $79.99 later this year. It attributed the price changes to "market conditions and the rising cost of development." | ↑ |
 Digital resurrection projects — using artificial intelligence to bring back the likeness of people who have died — have become a trend for at least two years. And, as AI gets more advanced, so do the resurrections. Most recently, Stacey Wales used AI to generate a video of her late brother, Christopher Pelkey, to address the courtroom at the sentencing hearing for the man who killed him in a road rage incident in Chandler, Arizona. According to NPR, its the first time AI has ever been used in this way. "He doesn't get a say. He doesn't get a chance to speak," Wales told NPR, referring to her brother. "We can't let that happen. We have to give him a voice." Pelkey was a veteran who served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army, according to an online obituary. He was also heavily involved in his local church, and he went on multiple mission trips. His sister told NPR that he loved God, loved others, and would give a stranger the shirt off his back. He was 37 when he died. Wales created the AI video of her brother in a few days, but she didn't come up with the idea immediately. After two years of trying to craft a victim impact statement, Wales said she had the epiphany that the only voice that mattered was her late brother's. "Every time I'd get in the shower or the car and my thoughts were quiet, I wrote down what I was feeling — frustrated, crying or emotions, yelling, anger, love, anything that I could think of," she told NBC News. "I've been writing it for two years, but I never had the idea to help Chris speak until a week and a half before this second trial." Wales also posted the AI video of her brother online, and you can watch the same video shown in the courtroom. "Hello. Just to be clear for everyone seeing this, I'm a version of Chris Pelkey recreated through AI that uses my picture and my voice profile," the AI avatar said in the video. AI Pelkey thanked everyone in his life, and said he and his shooter, Gabriel Paul Horcasitas, "could have been friends" in "another life." "Well, I'm gonna go fishing now. Love you all. See you on the other side," AI Pelkey said at the end of the video. According to NPR, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Todd Lang said, "I loved that AI. Thank you for that." He gave Horcasitas the maximum sentence of just over a decade in prison for manslaughter. This isn't the first time people have pushed the limits of AI to create versions of people who have died. It's a phenomenon particularly beloved by TikTok true crime fans, as Rolling Stone reported in 2023. And just last year, youth-focused gun reform organizations March For Our Lives and Change the Ref used audio "deepfakes" to "resurrect" gun violence victims in a campaign to Congress. | ↑ |
 I love sleeping — getting under the covers and rubbing my feet together like a little cricket before drifting into an easy sleep. Except that last part — drifting into an easy sleep — doesn't always happen for me. As an anxious person with insomnia, falling asleep is a battle. I've spent my lifetime gathering a tool kit of breathing exercises, trying sleep trackers, and developing a routine to combat sleepless nights. While I'm usually good at counting my breaths in my mindfulness practice, the Moonbird device promises to be a personal breathing coach for further relaxation. Over a few weeks, I tested the Moonbird handheld breathing coach, using it to relax in the evenings or calm down in anxious moments. While it's an effective tool, I'm not sure it's worth the price. Plus, we've got to talk about its... interesting design. Here are all my thoughts on the Moonbird breathing coach. It's an effective, distraction-free breathing tool
Holding your thumb to the Moonbird's sensor automatically starts a new breathing exercise.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
Despite being a tech-based tool, the Moonbird breathing coach is a distraction-free device without any required screen time. To use it, gently shake the device awake and hold it with your thumb resting against the sensor. The device then slowly expands and retracts to signal when you should inhale and exhale. The standard exercise runs for six minutes, and then the device shuts off. If you decide to end the exercise early, take your hand off the sensor, which will shut off after a few moments. Holding the device is genuinely comforting. The feeling of the smooth silicone expanding and falling emulates the image of a lung expanding or your stomach rising and falling with your breath. What I liked most is that using the device takes the thought out of the exercise. No longer did I need to count the seconds of my breath; instead, I focused on the tactile motions of the device, letting my mind rest. Plus, I love that the Moonbird has no screen or light. While I enjoy tuning into a meditation app or guided breathing exercise on my phone, I don't love doing so before bed when trying to avoid screen time. With the Moonbird, I hold the device to start the exercise with no blue light exposure. It's also a huge plus when I want to use it in bed. My partner goes to bed much earlier than I do, so I don't want to disturb them with any noise or light when I finally slip into bed. The silent and lightless Moonbird lets me use it without disturbing them. And the Moonbird does work. One evening after hosting a group of friends for movie night, I was still wired despite feeling exhausted. My brain wouldn't shut off after my evening reading, so I reached for the Moonbird to follow its breath coaching, and before the six-minute exercise was over, I was already drifting off. It proved that it really does come in handy in moments I'd otherwise feel restless. With the app, get customizable breathing exercises and biometric feedback
You can set the duration of any exercise through the app.
Credit: Moonbird
Have a breathing exercise you like? You can craft it in the Moonbird app.
Credit: Moonbird
The Moonbird comes programmed with a standard six-minute breathing exercise, but there are other options. When connected to the Moonbird app, you can adjust the device's settings to other breathing patterns designed for sleep or in the classic box breathing style. There's even an option to create your own breathing program if you have something that already works for you. Custom exercises can range from 2 to 30 minutes. The only downside is that you have to open up your smartphone to do so, defeating the purpose of a screen-free device. I preferred only adjusting the exercises during the day to avoid exposure to nightly screen time. In addition to other Moonbird settings, the app has a library of educational materials on breathing, stress reduction, and heart rate. When using the app, you also gain access to biometric feedback, such as heart rate, so you can actually see the effects of the Moonbird device. The Moonbird needs a redesign
There's no denying what the Moonbird looks like, but this is no vibrator.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
We've gone this long, it's time to address the elephant in the room. The Moonbird totally looks like a vibrator. My colleagues and I thought so when we first saw the device, and I have touted it to all my friends for their opinions. Let's be clear, despite its looks, it is not a personal massager. While it's silly to acknowledge, its design affects its usage. There are many situations where I'd love to bring along the Moonbird for some mindfulness on the go, whether coming down from a stressful situation at work or trying to fall asleep while flying. However, I'd be totally embarrassed to bring this on a plane, knowing what it could be misconstrued for. Moonbird has an alternative design, the Moonbuddy, which is designed for kids and is downright adorable. It doesn't have the same biofeedback or controls as the Moonbird, but I still wish the flagship device would take on a similar design to look less provocative and more appropriate for public use. The app is buggy and doesn't have a ton to offerYou could use Moonbird without the app and be totally pleased with it, but $199 is a lot of money to spend on just one breathing exercise. Downloading the app unlocks heart rate tracking and a new set of customizable breathing exercises, but the app itself is buggy. Every time I've gone to open the app, it requires the Moonbird device to reconnect to the app, which takes a few seconds and is a real pain. Plus, it has a limited library of knowledge compared to apps like Headspace or Calm, so while the accompanying app is an added bonus, it doesn't add much value to the Moonbird's $199 price tag. Is the Moonbird worth it?
If you're in desperate need of a distraction-free breathing tool, then the Moonbird might be worth it.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
The Moonbird might be worth it if you want a distraction-free breathing tool. It is effective and takes the thinking out of your breathing exercise, but other devices with similar functionality cost a lot less. We recently tested the Dodow, a light-based breathing device, which we thought was expensive at $60. Considering the Moonbird is $199, it's hard to justify its cost when it has a design we're skeptical of — and one you can't use in public. However, the Moonbird's screen-free design is a huge boon. If you've tried meditation apps, tired of their screen time, and want a silent, distraction-free alternative, the Moonbird might be a worthwhile investment. | ↑ |
 UPDATE: May 8, 2025, 5:20 p.m. EDT In a statement to Mashable, Microsoft confirmed that it will no longer sell the $999.99 configurations of its flagship Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 with 10-core Snapdragon X Plus processors, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD. Both models were pulled from the company's online storefront this week after it announced new compact Surface Copilot+ PCs. However, they'll still be available elsewhere. "Microsoft did not raise Surface Pro or Surface Laptop prices," said Nancie Gaskill, Microsoft's General Manager of Surface Business. "Microsoft simply removed the Surface Laptop and Pro $999 base models from Microsoft.com. Customers can purchase base models of Pro and Laptop at the starting price of $999 at other key retailers." Amazon and Best Buy had those lesser configurations in stock — and on sale — at the time of writing. Our original story follows. Microsoft confirmed some long-standing rumors Tuesday and unveiled two new compact Surface devices, its second batch of Qualcomm-powered Copilot+ PCs. The devices include a more portable 13-inch Surface Laptop and a 12-inch Surface Pro, which are pared-down versions of Microsoft's flagship laptop and convertible. Both Surface devices feature an eight-core Snapdragon X Plus processor with an NPU rated at 45 trillion AI operations per second (TOPS), which supports the latest Copilot+ experiences. The new Surface Laptop and Surface Pro will come with 16GB of RAM, 256GB or 512GB of UFS storage, and three finishes: Ocean, Violet, and Platinum. They're set for release on Tuesday, May 20 starting at $899.99 and $799.99, respectively. Preorders are now available from the Microsoft Store, Amazon, and Best Buy.
Preorder the new Microsoft Surface devices:
Microsoft Store
Microsoft Surface Laptop, 13-inch (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 256GB/512GB UFS)
Starting at $899.99
Microsoft Store
Microsoft Store
Amazon
Microsoft Surface Laptop, 13-inch (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 256GB/512GB UFS)
Starting at $899.99
Amazon
Best Buy
Microsoft Surface Laptop, 13-inch (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 256GB/512GB UFS)
Starting at $899.99
Best Buy
Best Buy
 The new 13-inch Surface Laptop: Another MacBook Air rival
Credit: Microsoft
Measuring in at 11.25 x 8.43 x 0.61 inches and 2.7 pounds, the new 13-inch Surface Laptop is the "thinnest and lightest Surface Laptop yet," according to a company blog post. It joins the Surface Laptop 7th Edition, Mashable's current favorite Windows laptop, which debuted in June 2024 in two sizes: 13.8 inches and 15 inches. Compared to last year's model, the new Surface Laptop has a downgraded 60Hz touchscreen display with a lower resolution and contrast ratio. It's also a tad less powerful, as the existing Surface Laptop 7 is configurable with 10-core Snapdragon X Plus and 12-core Snapdragon X Elite CPUs with up to 64GB of RAM. It should still be plenty peppy, though: Microsoft's announcement claims it "outpaces the MacBook Air M3," Apple's previous-generation notebook. The 13-inch Surface Laptop might have one leg up over the flagship model in the stamina department. It's rated at 23 hours of local video playback per charge, whereas the Surface Laptop 7 is rated at 20 hours. That said, the latter lasted nearly 23 hours in Mashable's hands-on testing, so they could be equals in practice. At $899.99, the new Surface Laptop is $100 cheaper than the base Surface Laptop 7 (and the entry-level M4 MacBook Air). The new 12-inch Surface Pro: A tinier hybrid
Credit: Microsoft
The 12-inch Surface Pro measures 10.8 x 7.47 x 0.3 inches and weighs in at only 1.5 pounds, making it "the thinnest and lightest Copilot+ PC yet" across all brands, per Microsoft's announcement. That title was previously held by the Asus ZenBook A14 (and maybe it should still be: the 12-inch Surface Pro doesn't include a keyboard). A hybrid device with a built-in adjustable kickstand, the new Surface Pro is a smaller alternative to last year's 13-inch Surface Pro 11th Edition, which came in two different configurations: a 10-core Snapdragon X Plus variant with a LCD touchscreen display, and a 12-core Snapdragon X Elite model with an OLED touchscreen display, both with up to 64GB of memory. Its own touchscreen has a worse refresh rate, resolution, and contrast ratio than both of the flagship options, but a better rated battery life of 16 hours of local video playback per charge (compared to 14 on WiFi-only models and nine with those sporting cellular connectivity). As with the new Surface Laptop, we'll see how that translates to real-world usage. A new $149.99 Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard will turn the Surface Pro into a laptop, while Microsoft's Surface Slim Pen will allow the user to draw or take notes on its display. (It can magnetically attach to the back of the new Surface Pro for safekeeping.) Both accessories are sold separately, as is the 12-inch Surface Pro's charger. The new Surface Pro will start at $799.99, making it $200 cheaper than the base Surface Pro 11. No more 'Go'?The launch of the 13-inch Surface Laptop and 12-inch Surface Pro seems to spell an end for Microsoft's Surface Laptop Go line of budget portable laptops, which was last updated in late 2023, though the company hasn't confirmed this yet. A Microsoft rep issued the following statement to Mashable when asked about the Surface Laptop Go's fate: "The Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch expand the Pro and Laptop lines, serving as entry points to our Surface Copilot+ PC family." If nothing else, these new releases are sure signs that the tech giant is committed to Windows on ARM over x86-based processors (for its consumer-oriented products, at least). New Windows Copilot+ experiencesMicrosoft introduced several new and updated Copilot+ experiences alongside its new Surface devices Tuesday, including a dynamic lighting feature in Microsoft Photos, a custom sticker generator in Paint, image description-reading capabilities for Narrator, and more Click to Do actions. They'll roll out to members of its Windows Insiders feature preview program over the course of the next month. Copilot+ PC users will also soon have the option to enable an AI agent that can automate and execute tasks within their Settings menu. Users will be able to describe what they need help with in plain English, such as "my mouse pointer is too small," and the AI agent will take care of it. Head over to the Microsoft Blog to check out the full list of new Copilot features. | ↑ |
 Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return to The Conjuring franchise for one final demonic case in The Conjuring: Last Rites. The pair have played real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren since 2013's The Conjuring. They reprised their roles in the sequels The Conjuring 2 and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Plus, they also appeared in cameos or supporting roles in other Conjuring Universe films, like Annabelle Comes Home and The Nun. Safe to say that after all this time, Ed and Lorraine have seen enough demonic activity to scare them several lifetimes over. But The Conjuring: Last Rites promises to be their last case, raising the question: After killer dolls and possession, what could possibly have been bad enough to make the Warrens retire? The Conjuring: Last Rites is based on the Warrens' investigation of the Smurl family, who claimed to have experienced several supernatural incidents in their house in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. The trailer for The Conjuring: Last Rites highlights some of these occurrences, including a nightmarish floating doll and a sink filling with blood. But surely it will take more than that to deter the Warrens. The Conjuring: Last Rites also stars Mia Tomlinson as Ed and Lorraine's daughter Judy, as well as Ben Hardy as Judy's boyfriend Tony. Michael Chaves, who helmed The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, is back in the director's chair. James Wan, creator of the franchise, serves as a producer alongside Peter Safran. | ↑ |
 Based on how hard it's been to lock down a Nintendo Switch 2 preorder, just about anyone could predict a big launch for the hotly anticipated new game console. In its latest earnings report, Nintendo itself predicted a giant first year for the Switch 2. In its latest official sales forecast, released on Thursday, Nintendo said it expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles before the end of March 2026, per CNBC. That date may seem random, but Nintendo's corporate fiscal calendar runs through March, so that's Q4 for the Japanese gaming giant. For context, 15 million units would be one of the fastest starts for a console ever. Per Polygon, the original Switch came in at 14.8 million units in a similar timespan after its launch, while the PS5 (which was admittedly hurt by COVID supply chain issues) hit 13.4 million in that same window. Fascinatingly, some industry analysts like Daniel Ahmad from Niko Partners actually see the 15 million units figure as conservative by Nintendo, and with good reason. While the hardware itself is impressive and there's a solid enough software lineup to match, President Donald Trump's tariff policies have thrown the general economic state of the world into question. The Switch 2's preorder in the U.S. had to be delayed by a couple of weeks because of tariffs, and though the announced price point of $450 is unchanged at the time of publication, the recent Xbox price hikes show that the gaming industry is not immune to large-scale price increases due to economic uncertainty. With that in mind, it's entirely possible that Nintendo is low-balling itself and the Switch 2 will be an even bigger hit than predicted. Or, perhaps, many gamers will be avoiding big purchases over the next several months. Everything is on the table. | ↑ |
 Toyota is facing a staggering $1.2 billion tariff bill, and that sum only includes tariff costs for April and May. The Japanese automaker released financial results on May 8, which the company said "tentatively factored in" the estimated costs of the Trump tariffs. In its FY2025 financial results, the company forecasted material costs for the coming year at 350 billion yen. But that number does not include an additional 180 billion yen for tariff impacts. To put these numbers in perspective, Toyota reported a net profit for the year of $32.7 billion (through March). The $1.2 billion tariff bill would amount to 4 percent of the company's profit. Overall, Toyota's operating profit was down about 10.4 percent year over year, and the company forecasted a steeper decline of 21 percent in 2026. The company also reported that electric vehicle sales now accounted for 46.2 percent of total sales, a “significant increase” driven largely by hybrid EVs like the Prius. The company sold an additional 850,000 EVs in the latest fiscal year, and it expects EVs to account for 50 percent of all sales in 2026, a major milestone. Across the world, current and potential Tesla drivers are rejecting the brand because of polemic CEO Elon Musk, which could be a boon for companies like Toyota. The financial report also acknowledges the uncertainty of the current financial moment. The slapdash rollout of the Trump tariffs has caused much confusion and many price increases, and the report highlights "the difficulties in anticipating the business outlook due to the impact of U.S. tariff impacts and other factors." Previously, Mashable reported on the ongoing fallout from the Trump tariffs. Smart home company Wyze recently shared a steep tariff bill on X, while e-commerce giants like Shein and Temu are struggling after the May 2 expiration of the de minimis exemption for imports. According to the Wall Street Journal, Toyota only included the April and May tariff impacts because the tariff situation is so "fluid." The United States and Japan are actively negotiating the latter's tariff rate. We reached out to Toyota for comment on the tariff situation, and we'll update this report if we hear back. | ↑ |
 In 2020, The Old Guard, from director Gina Prince-Bythewood ( The Woman King), delivered a thrilling combination of badass action and fantasy. Now, the tale of a group of immortal mercenaries — headed up by Charlize Theron, firmly in her action hero era between this, Atomic Blonde, and Mad Max: Fury Road — continues in The Old Guard 2. For The Old Guard 2, Victoria Mahoney (Yelling to the Sky) takes over directing duties from Prince-Bythewood, who remains a producer. Greg Rucka, who wrote the first film as well as the original Old Guard graphic novels, co-wrote the film with Sarah L. Walker. The movie picks up in the aftermath of The Old Guard. Andromache "Andy" of Scythia (Theron) has lost her immortality, while newbie immortal Nile (KiKi Layne) is getting the hang of being on the team. However, a fresh threat is rising: The first of the immortals (Uma Thurman) is coming to tear Andy and co. apart, resulting in a sword fight in the film's first trailer that will leave you saying, "Hell yeah." But Thurman's character isn't the only problem awaiting Andy and Nile. Fellow immortal Quynh (Veronica Ngô) has escaped from her underwater prison and teamed up with traitor Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts). You can bet that after 500 years of being trapped in an iron maiden, revenge is Quynh's top priority. As the past catches up to Andy, and as she grapples with being mortal, will she and the rest of the Old Guard live to see another day? The Old Guard 2 also stars Marwan Kenzari and Luca Marinelli as longtime lovers Joe and Nicky and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Old Guard handler Copley. The film introduces Henry Golding as Andy's longtime friend Tuah. | ↑ |
 Meet Aperol and Bellini, the codenames Meta has given its new "super-sensing" AI glasses with facial recognition technology, according to The Information. Meta originally scrapped the facial recognition feature for the first generation of the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses over ethical concerns. However, the new report from The Information claims that a more business-friendly Federal Trade Commission under the new Trump Administration has emboldened Meta to reboot its plans for the next generation of smart glasses. It's the latest example of AI-powered tech creeping into your private life, whether you like it or not. Meta may have signalled this shift back in April, when the company updated its privacy policies for its AR glasses. Meta also sometimes uses facial recognition to verify users' identity. Now, The Information reports that facial recognition will be part of a live AI feature that will "always keep its cameras and sensors turned on and use AI to remember what its wearer encountered throughout a day." The feature will be opt-in (for the wearer, of course, not for anyone they interact with), but Meta is reportedly considering an indicator that would let people know the super-sensing feature is active. Currently, Meta's AI glasses have a light in the corner of the frame that signals when the glasses are taking a photo or video. The live AI feature is already available, but it only lasts for about 30 minutes because of battery constraints. The new initiative is exploring how to make this feature last for hours, while adding facial recognition into the mix. Meta's new focus is one of several instances of tech companies leveraging the AI boom to gather and process more granular data from its users. Recently, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas said on the TBPN podcast that they're building a browser to gather more personalized data about users. OpenAI is reportedly exploring some kind of social network to better compete with Meta AI and xAI's Grok, which can train on data from user posts. And then there's the Sam Altman-backed nonprofit World, which recently unveiled a mobile human verification device that scans people's eyeballs to distinguish humans from AI. User data can be valuable to advertisers, but it can also be leveraged to improve AI models, since experts say companies are running out of training data (after "sucking the internet dry of usable information," as Nature put it recently). As companies compete to gather as much data as possible, a concerning trend is becoming clear: privacy is out and surveillance is in. 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. | ↑ |
 Your next AR headset may include a brand-new microdisplay technology from Samsung. According to a new report from South Korean business news outlet The Korea Economic Daily, Samsung's semiconductor division is now accelerating work on its new microdisplay technology, LED on Silicon, or LEDoS. LEDoS is described as a "miniature display platform built on micro-LEDs mounted on silicon wafers." This next-generation display is being created with the intent that the technology will be used in augmented reality products (AR). Samsung's new microdisplay technology could heat up the competition in the AR space. However, in addition to Samsung's own upcoming AR glasses, the company reportedly wants to supply its LEDoS technology to Apple and Meta for use in their AR glasses. When will we see LEDoS AR glasses?According to the report, Samsung is currently looking at commercial production of LEDoS by 2027. That's also when Samsung's Mobile eXperience (MX) division could debut the company's second-generation AR glasses. Smart glasses and AR headsets are the current big bet in the tech hardware space. Mashable noticed this trend earlier this year at CES 2025, as multiple AR startups showed off their latest augmented reality wares. It's not just up-and-comers either. Tech companies like Sony and XREAL are also taking advantage of the AR headset market with new products. And, of course, companies like Meta and Apple already have products in the space. However, a few tech giants have been noticeably absent. That is, until earlier this year when Samsung briefly teased its rumored XR headset, " Project Moohan." The headset is a joint venture between the South Korean electronics giant and Google. Tech companies are betting big on AR despite early failures
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Credit: Google engineer Ian McKellar wears Google Glass during the Google I/O developers conference in 2013.
Speaking of Google, the search giant has also been rather quiet in this space. When it comes to wearables, Google is perhaps best known for its smart glasses failure, Google Glass, which set the entire industry back by years. (Are you old enough to remember the "Glasshole" backlash?) However, Google is expected to make announcements related to Project Astra, its visual AI tool meant for mobile devices and AR headsets, at the company's upcoming Google I/O 2025 event. With big augmented reality plans in the works from Samsung and Google, it seems like big tech will continue betting on AR headsets and smart glasses. Clearly, they're hoping to succeed where even Apple failed. | ↑ |
 UPDATE: May 8, 2025, 1:45 p.m. EDT Bird Buddy's Kickstarter campaign for the Petal nature camera and Wonder Blocks has now raised $2.1 million (with 11 days still to go), beating its original fundraising goal by nearly 2,000%. Due to this success, the company announced today that all Petal cameras will come with a free LED light ring attachment, which users will be able to control remotely. The light will turn on automatically when the user takes photos at night. Our original story follows. Scores of new gadgets are introduced every year at the Consumer Electronics Show ( CES), the tech world's biggest showcase. Yet many of these products never make it to market. They're only proofs of concept or prototypes of devices that could maybe one day potentially hit the market. That makes Bird Buddy's new $129 Petal smart nature camera somewhat of a phenom. After debuting at CES 2025 in January, the Petal and its modular Wonder Blocks system finally went up for preorder on Kickstarter on April 29, becoming an instant smash. A company representative said the campaign raised $1.5 million from more than 5,000 backers in 24 hours, crushing its $100,000 fundraising goal by 1,400 percent. (At the time of writing, it had drummed up over $1.8 million from 6,300 backers.) Why all the hype? I wanted to share my take as someone who got to check out the Petal and Wonder Blocks on the CES showroom floor this past winter. 
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable
Bird Buddy to bee buddyThe Bird Buddy name alone has a big sway. The company's eponymous smart bird feeder, which has a built-in camera that can identify different avian species, has become hugely popular since it first launched in late 2020. Bird Buddy co-founder and CEO Franci Zidar told me at CES that the company has cultivated an enthusiastic user base that's passionate about connecting with nature. Zidar said the Petal was an obvious next step to help people better understand their local ecosystems, going beyond just birds to capture backyard plants, insects, and pollinators, too. 
Credit: Bird Buddy
Design-wise, the Petal is a 12MP camera in a cup-shaped case that comes in several colors. You can install the Petal by clipping it to the side of a pole or planter, or simply by wrapping its squiggly, bendable stem mount around a branch or gate. It's a lot friendlier-looking and less austere than your standard security camera. (To quote my CES writeup, the base and stem combo makes it look sort of "like a minimalist, bionic flower.") The Petal ships with a swappable macro lens for detailed close-ups and an ovular solar panel that'll keep it running "indefinitely in most environments," according to its press materials. Without the panel, the device's "low-powered architecture" lets it run for over a month between charges. The Petal isn't meant to be a cutesy backyard CCTV system: Its purpose is to get you on a "first-name basis" with your local flora and fauna, Zidar said in January. Its camera can identify more than 2,000 species using visual and audio cues. It can also detect shifts in its surroundings using an "advanced AI layer" called Nature Intelligence, which alerts users to these changes. For example, if a songbird starts building a nest in a nearby tree, you'll get a ping. 
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable
Per the press release, Petal's companion app has a "built-in storytelling engine" called Nature's Voice that can create "BBC Earth–style mini documentaries" using highlights from its 4K video footage. Its narrator does a pretty good Attenborough impression. A feature called Impact Score gives the user insights into their backyard's biodiversity and the frequency of pollinator visits. Users hoping to up that frequency can look into Wonder Blocks, a modular habitat system for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds that launched alongside the Petal. Together, they form what Bird Buddy calls a "Smart Nature Observatory." The core Wonder Block configuration includes a Petal camera, an Observation Pole, and a self-watering planter base called the Habitat. The latter contains a built-in Bee Habitat, a Bee Observatory, and a "micro water feature" called the Stream. It ships with a seed pod that'll grow flowers native to your region. You can also add accessories like a butterfly shelter, hummingbird feeder, and a magnetic trellis. 
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable
Bird Buddy CEO Zidar originally told me that the Petal would cost less than $100, but Bird Buddy has it priced at $129 on Kickstarter for early backers. (There's also a Duo Bundle with two cameras and an Observation Pole for $249.) Wonder Blocks setups range from $299 to $1,199. A singular Habitat planter sans Petal is also available for $149. For those who have been waiting to try the Petal and Wonder Blocks since their CES appearance, stay patient: They'll start shipping in mid-2026. I know, I know — that's a long way off. In the meantime, the Bird Buddy smart bird feeder is available at Amazon and Target for $199.
Meet the Bird Buddy product line
The original
Coming soon-ish
Coming soon-ish
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 SAVE $300: As of May 8, the original Peloton bike is down to $1,145 at Amazon instead of the usual $1,445. That's 21% in savings and just $50 away from its lowest price on record. The OG Peloton bike skyrocketed to popularity during the pandemic and has since become synonymous with the term exercise bike, a la Kleenex with facial tissues. That's not to say it's the only worthy exercise bike option on the market, but it is pretty dang great. That greatness comes at a very steep price, so when we see a discount on the flagship bike, we have to let the people know. As of May 8, you can get the Mashable Choice Award-winning original Peloton bike for $1,145 at Amazon. That's $300 or 21% cheaper than usual and just $50 shy of its best price ever, which it reached during October Prime Day in 2023. Unlike a typical indoor exercise bike, the Peloton features a large display and companion app so you can follow along in on-demand classes or pedal alongside others in live classes. As Mashable's reviewer wrote, "The workouts are tough, but the captivating experience and (practically) never-ending list of exercise classes are enough to make me want to glue myself to the seat and stay in the magical Peloton universe forever." The bike itself takes up about the same amount of space as a small yoga mat, so you don't need a ton of square footage to start pedaling. It uses a resistance knob to adjust the tension, so you can manually choose to leisurely ride along flat roads or climb hills and mountains. And like any good exercise bike, everything can be adjusted to suit your comfort: the seat, handlebars, and even the screen itself. Peloton bikes aren't cheap by any means, but as of May 8, you can invest in one for $300 less than usual. That makes the purchase a little more palatable. | ↑ |
 Mashable Senior Creative Producer Mark Stetson sat down with the cast and creators of the Netflix family comedy Nonnas. The film follows aspiring restaurateur Joe Scaravella (Vince Vaughn), who's looking for purpose after the death of his mother. He decides to risk everything to honor her by opening up an Italian restaurant, Enoteca Maria, in her honor. The hook: He hires local Italian grandmothers (Lorraine Bracco, Susan Sarandon, Brenda Vaccaro, and Talia Shire) as the chefs. Before long, everyone in Joe's life rallies to help, including his best friend, Bruno (Joe Manganiello), who goes so far as to do all of the contracting work for free. "It's based on a real place," Vaughn told Mashable. "It started off by being Italian grandmothers that were really cooking the recipes from their families...And so they were the chefs and preparing these family traditions unique to their own family that was really shared and created this unbelievable feeling of family." The actual Staten Island restaurant's palette has expanded since its opening in 2007, with "nonnas" from all different cultures throwing their family recipes into the melting pot. Joe Manganiello goes on to describe the experience of eating in the now famous restaurant: "We had dinner and the nonnas served us. There's a Puerto Rican nonna now, and there's a Japanese nonna and...we had this gigantic meal that just wouldn't end. It was just endless. I mean, one plate would have been somebody's full dinner and there were like 12, you know? It just kept going!" "These women who didn't have a shot, for whatever reason, to have outside jobs or hobbies or find their artistic pursuits, found it in the delicacies of what they cooked," Sarandon added. "So it wasn't just a duty. I think it was also their expression. And that's why they kept their recipes very secret...because it was their specific, patented dish." "And that's why they covered all their furniture in plastic," joked Lorraine Bracco. Nonnas is now streaming on Netflix. Медиа: | ↑ |
 UPDATE: Apr. 24, 2025, 4:30 p.m. EDT Following President Trump's tariffs, the Ozlo Sleepbuds increased in price from $299 to $349 on Ozlo's website and Amazon in the United States. We'll be evaluating whether or not this changes our rating, and will be updating this review once we do. Below is our review as it was written when the earbuds cost $299. Who among us hasn't used earbuds to help them quiet an overly active brain (or a snoring partner) when going to bed at night? Personally, bedtime is when I'm most likely to be using earbuds in the course of my day. Prior to this review, I used my first-gen AirPods Pro for listening to podcasts and video essays as I drifted off to sleep — on my more mindful nights, I opted for Loop earplugs. While I knew sleep earbuds existed, I never got on board with the idea they'd offer anything that different from my existing system (even though my existing system often meant I could only wear one AirPod comfortably as a side sleeper and that I often woke up to that AirPod dying). Thankfully, the universe knew I deserved better, so when the chance to test out the Ozlo Sleepbuds came up, I took it. As someone who's tested many (and owned a pair of) Bose headphones, my curiosity was piqued by Ozlo being founded by former Bose engineers — especially considering Bose discontinued its Sleepbuds line. After a few weeks of testing them nearly every night under my belt, I've ended up more of a sleep earbuds convert than I expected — let's get into why. The sleep earbud marketIf you've Googled " best sleep earbuds" anytime recently, you'll likely see a rotation of the following: sleep headbands from Amazon, the Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds, Loop earplugs, and of course, the Ozlo Sleepbuds. If you don't like the idea of a headband and if you're sticking to more recognizable brands (not Amazon keyboard smash brands), you'll soon realize that sleep earbuds are one of the less saturated product markets out there. They also tend to be a market where if you want under-triple-digit prices, you'll be making some sacrifices: in my research, I couldn't find a budget pair that promised at least eight hours of battery life. 
The Ozlo Sleepbuds...
Credit: Ozlo
Compared to the Bose Sleepbuds II.
Credit: Bose
That market space for sleep earbuds that could deliver a more premium experience (and battery life that actually lasts the length of a full night of sleep) is the reason the Bose Sleepbuds came up in the first place. With the Bose earbuds discontinued, the Ozlo Sleepbuds tried to take the passive noise cancellation and comfortable design that made them great and add in the ability to stream your own audio and track data around your sleep. At the time of writing, the only other sleep earbuds that claim to perform similarly are the Soundcore A20 earbuds — interestingly, the Soundcore earbuds are also about $120 cheaper, retailing at $150. I haven't tested them (yet), so I won't be comparing them head to head in this review, but it's worth knowing that while the Ozlo Sleepbuds don't have a ton of competitors, they aren't totally unique. Here's why you might want to invest in the Ozlo Sleepbuds. Comfort: Arguably the most important factorFirst and foremost, the Ozlo Sleepbuds are incredibly comfortable. Their wingtips kept the earbuds in my ears without ever making me feel sore, and they sat at just the right point in my ears so that I could sleep on both sides without issue. Once I found the right tip and wing size out of the four sizes included in the box, I never experienced any issues with them falling out. In other words, they absolutely blew my experience with my AirPods out of the water, making a strong starting case for why someone might want to switch to sleep earbuds. 
The choice of four different wingtip sizes made it easy to find the right fit.
Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable
A streaming experience catered to actually sleepingI also appreciated that the experience of using these earbuds truly felt tailored for falling and staying asleep. Ozlo could've relied on the side sleeper-friendly design for doing the heavy lifting, but it went a step further with how the earbuds stream audio and sleep sounds. With the app, you can select your preferred "Sleep Sound," with options like Fireglow, Misty Rain, and Into the Woods that mask sounds in your environment to assist with the earbuds' passive noise cancellation. (I was partial to the default "Crimson Cloak" sound). In addition to these sounds, you could stream your own audio and toggle when you'd like your sleep sound to kick in. You can delay it for any time between 15 minutes to two hours (within 15-minute increments) or choose a Beta feature that switches to your sleep sound once the earbuds recognize you've fallen asleep. I selected the Beta option for about a week of my testing period, and only woke up to a YouTube video once. (As a side note, streaming with Bluetooth does require that you keep your phone at least within 10 feet of the smart case for it to work, but that never presented any issues for me). 
Plenty of alarm sounds are available.
Credit: Screenshot: Ozlo
Users also have a decent amount of choice for sleep sounds.
Credit: Screenshot: Ozlo
The app also has a feature that stops any sound from your audio — streaming and white noise alike — at 15-minute increments all the way up to seven hours and 45 minutes. 
The sleep timer in the app offers flexibility on how (and when) you want any audio to stop.
Credit: Screenshot: Ozlo
Alarm featureThough not the most unique feature among sleep earbuds, I still have to give the alarm on the Ozlo Sleepbuds a shoutout. Working with an East Coast-based team while living on the West Coast has made me intimately familiar with the guilt of setting an alarm that my partner probably wishes was a tiny bit later. This simple feature basically solved that problem, alleviating my guilt and giving him another hour of sleep back. The snooze feature was also useful and reliable. 
The Ozlo alarms function almost exactly the same as your phone's built-in alarm.
Credit: Screenshot: Ozlo
No Bluetooth necessaryIn my heart of hearts, I know I get better sleep when I don't fall asleep to videos. That's part of the reason I initially invested in Loop earplugs — I wanted the noise cancellation provided by an earbud without the temptation of YouTube's autoplay feature keeping me up. While part of the Ozlo Sleepbuds' appeal is in their ability to stream whatever you want, I also really appreciated that the earbuds are completely functional without the app, giving them the flexibility of being more like a really fancy earplug. All you need is to connect them to the app during initial setup, but after that, the earbuds can be set to play white noise as soon as you take them out of the case. For anyone trying to sleep with their phone outside of their bedroom, this is a very useful option. And while there were a lot of positives about the Sleepbuds, there were also a few shortcomings. No sleep data (yet)Currently, the Ozlo Sleepbuds offer no sleep metrics. Maybe you have a fitness tracker or Oura Ring ( or even a bed) that takes care of that for you, so the lack of this feature isn't a big deal. However, for $299, I would've expected some sort of sleep analysis features. After all, the much cheaper Soundcore earbuds offer them. 
The Ozlo app has a "My Sleep" tab, which says an update will unlock sleep data in the future.
Credit: Screenshot: Ozlo
With that said, the app does indicate that some sort of update for sleep data is in the pipeline. I reached out to Ozlo's team to see if they had a more specific estimate as to when and I will update this review once I hear back. Battery life could be betterThe earbuds themselves have exactly the battery life most people will need for a nightly basis. The case, on the other hand, could use an upgrade. I found that after two nights, I would need to recharge the case to juice the earbuds back up. The workaround for this is leaving the case plugged in 24/7, but if that's not an option, I did find it a little too easy to forget to plug the case back in after it felt like I'd charged it up recently. 
Leaving the case plugged in helped me get around its shorter battery life.
Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable
Connecting the earbuds wasn't a flawless experienceIn the roughly three weeks I used these earbuds, there were only a couple of times that I had trouble connecting them, but those nights do stick out to me. Generally, you connect the earbuds by opening up the case and waiting for the blinking lights below each earbud to appear solid, indicating that they're ready for playback. It takes a little longer than a standard pair of earbuds, but no more than 10 seconds. Once they're ready, you pop them in, and your app switches from the connection screen to the main page where the settings live. 
Before...
Credit: Screenshot: Ozlo
...and after successfully connecting the sleepbuds to the Ozlo app.
Credit: Screenshot: Ozlo
On the two nights I had trouble connecting the earbuds, I struggled getting the solid light to appear and then getting the app to talk to the earbuds. One night, after closing and opening the case a few times, it worked, while the other night, I could not make it happen. As I was going to bed a little late and already tired, I decided to sleep earbuds-less that night. Only once did I see these screens while trying to connect my earbuds.
Credit: Screenshot: Ozlo
Credit: Screenshot: Ozlo
To give the benefit of the doubt, that night, I also needed to update the earbuds for around 30 minutes, but I didn't see that until right before bed, so I decided to use them as is. My theory is that ignoring the update might have interfered with the connection. While it was annoying, there is a silver lining: the update changed it so the Sleepbuds stay in a connectable state in the case, if the case is connected to power. While I've only used them for a couple of nights since updating them, they do connect much faster and without issue, so Ozlo does seem to be interested in improving its existing product. On the expensive sideAt the end of the day, these are pricey sleep earbuds. Directly from Ozlo's site and from Amazon, they'll run you $299. For comparison, the original Bose Sleepbuds and their second generation cost $250. Sure, the Ozlo buds have a couple more features, but a main critique of the Bose earbuds was that they were light on features you'd expect at $250, like audio streaming and sleep data. While the Ozlo Sleepbuds are definitely an improvement, their lack of sleep data features does feel a bit like following a similar pattern. Ozlo also sells a travel case you can purchase separately for $30, which again, feels like something you should just get with the core product if you're shelling out nearly twice the price of a competitor that has similar features. All of that said, you can purchase these earbuds with an HSA or FSA, or rent a pair for $22 a month through Ozlo if you want to try them out before committing. Are the Ozlo Sleepbuds worth it?The Ozlo Sleepbuds were a strong introduction to the world of sleep earbuds, and I can definitely see a world where I'd take the plunge and invest in them. Their streaming capabilities actually help me fall and stay asleep, and they successfully block out everything from my heating unit to cars on the street outside. Ninety-nine percent of the time, they performed exactly as promised. If the Soundcore A20 earbuds didn't exist, it'd be very easy to say the Ozlo earbuds are absolutely worth it. Again, while I can't personally speak to the A20s' performance, it is hard to completely discount how many features these two earbuds have in common for vastly different price points, especially with the generally favorable reviews I've seen around the Soundcore buds' performance. For the time being, I'll say that Ozlo seems like a company committed to improving its product over time and is starting from a really solid baseline. The inclusion of sleep features could do a lot for their value, and the experience they offer does feel premium. Most importantly, at the end of the day (literally), these are now what I reach for most when I'm going to sleep. If you have the $299 (or the $22 to check them out), you likely won't be disappointed with how they perform. However, if streaming audio or white noise isn't as important to you, something like the Loop Quiet 2 or Dream earbuds will more than do the job. If it is, and you can't quite swing the price, the Soundcore earbuds might be the place to look instead.  UPDATE: Apr. 1, 2025, 2:35 p.m. EDT This review formerly stated that the Ozlo Sleepbuds cost $279 from Ozlo's website, but that was only a limited-time sale price. The earbuds cost $299, at Ozlo and other authorized retailers. We've corrected the pricing and regret the error. | ↑ |
 TL;DR: Hurry and grab lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more with a Microsoft Office 2019 license for Windows at A$46 through 1 June. Your credit card is exhausted from all of today’s subscription fees. While you probably don’t want to cancel Peacock and never see the ending of Yellowstone or say goodbye to two-day shipping with Prime, you could swap your Microsoft 365 subscription for a Microsoft Office lifetime license. Instead of spending A$11 monthly (or A$132 yearly), you can pay once and use the apps as much as you’d like. For a little while longer, the Windows software suite is on sale for A$46 through 1 June. What apps are included?Microsoft Office 2019 isn’t the newest version available, but it’s the cheaper one for people who just need to use the apps and don’t care about what they look like inside. However, it does have a classic, timeless design. Here's a list of the apps you get:
Differences between Microsoft 365 and a lifetime licenseThis purchase is a no-brainer if you aren’t taking full advantage of Microsoft 365’s OneDrive storage, mobile app access, and cloud-based backups. Those just wanting the apps should be more than comfortable with a Microsoft Office download. You might actually like this license more than the subscription. The apps are downloaded directly onto your PC instead of hosted on the cloud. While this does mean there are no built-in cloud backups, you don’t have to worry about the hassle of trying to work offline. Plus, now that Microsoft added Copilot’s AI features to Microsoft 365, you might be looking for a way to escape them. Not everyone is crazy about having a virtual robot interfere with their work, and these classic apps won’t ever bug you about it. The price drop on this lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2019 for Windows won't last for too long, so get your download for A$46 until 1 June at 11:59 p.m. PT. StackSocial prices subject to change. | ↑ |
 Tesla customers are no stranger to preordering a new product and then waiting years and years (and years) for it to be released. In the case of the Tesla Roadster, for example, people who preordered the electric vehicle in 2017 are still waiting. However, it appears that the wait is over for Tesla owners who preordered the Cybertruck Range Extender. And, no, it's not because the product has now been released. Tesla has now cancelled its plan for a Cybertruck Range Extender, according to a report from EV news outlet Electrek. "We are no longer planning to sell the Range Extender for Cybertruck," reads a Tesla email sent to a customer that was obtained by Electrek. "As a result, we will be refunding your deposit in full." The range extender was essentially a $16,000 removable battery pack that would have sat in the Cybertruck's bed and extended just how far the vehicle could travel before needing a charge. Tesla originally stated that the range extender would bump the dual motor Cybertruck's range up from 325 to 470 miles, but was later revised to 445 miles. Elon Musk's EV company also originally slated the range extender release for early 2025, but moved it to mid-2025. Now it appears there will be no release at all. Outlets first noticed trouble for the Cybertruck Range Extender last month when Tesla quietly removed the $2,000 preorder for the range extender from its website. Range issues continue to be a major concern for EV owners and potential EV customers alike. Tesla and Musk himself have previously been accused of overexaggerating the range of their vehicles when promoting Tesla's EVs. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. In fact, in 2023, Reuters reported that Tesla had created a team specifically responsible for suppressing range-related complaints from Tesla customers. Customers who scheduled maintenance visits over concerns that their Tesla wasn't hitting the ranges as advertised had their appointments quietly cancelled by this team. Vehicle range has especially been an issue with Tesla's Cybertruck, with some customers reporting that the actual range could be 100 miles less than Tesla advertises. For Cybertruck owners who actually want to keep their vehicle, their options for extending the truck's range may be limited. | ↑ |
 If you haven't gotten your Nintendo Switch 2 preorder in yet, there may be another option on the table in the near future. Leaked photos from a potential FCC product listing seem to confirm the existence of an Xbox-branded handheld gaming PC, made in partnership with Asus. The device, which was discovered in an Indonesian listing by 91mobiles (before Videocardz found the FCC listing, with photos via The Verge), looks to be a new iteration on the existing Asus ROG Ally handheld gaming PC — but with a new button with the Xbox logo. The Xbox logo is faint, but it's there. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. To be extra clear, this seems to be a listing for the ROG Ally 2, and the Xbox machine seems to be a variant of that rather than a new, distinct piece of hardware by itself. Specs reportedly listed in the FCC filing include a 7-inch 120Hz display and an 8-core AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme CPU, which dwarfs the 4-core CPU in the non-Xbox-branded white version of the ROG Ally 2. While these details are promising, we haven't been able to locate an FCC listing that matches these details. Xbox has been rumored to be working on a handheld gaming console for a while now, but it wasn't until a recent report from The Verge that we knew it would be made by Asus. As The Verge pointed out, this device is likely not far off from being announced if FCC certification is already underway. The biggest questions at this point relate to how exactly it works. Is there any kind of special Xbox-themed OS built into the black ROG Ally 2, or is it just Windows? Does the Xbox button just open the Xbox Windows app during gameplay? Are there any differences in game compatibility between the black and white ROG Ally 2 models? We don't know the answers to any of those questions yet. However, the device at least seems to exist. It probably won't be long now before we hear everything we need to hear about it. | ↑ |
 SAVE $30: As of May 8, get the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds at Amazon for $149, down from their usual price of $179. That's a discount of 17%. Summer's here! One way to further enjoy sunbathing and long walks outside are a great pair of earbuds. You can snag a pair that not only sound great, but offer noise cancellation that you'll absolutely love on sale today at Amazon. As of May 8, get the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds for $149, down from their usual price of $179. That's $30 off and a discount of 17%. This price applies to all three colorways: Black, Chilled Lilac, and White Smoke.
SEE ALSO:
We tested every pair of Bose headphones to find the best for noise cancellation, sound quality, more
These earbuds are a fantastic option if you're looking to block out unwanted noise while outside. They also sound great when you're listening to your favorite songs, with crisp treble and rumbling bass. Plus, they boast up to 8.5 hours of listening time, with only a 20-minute recharge should you need them juiced up again quickly. They offer on-board tap controls as well that let you change tracks, pause what you're listening to, and change the volume if needed. If you're in the market for a new pair of earbuds, you can't go wrong with Bose, especially if blocking out unwanted sound is the goal. Grab a pair and see how it can improve a walk or just some time outside when you don't have to hear traffic or construction noise at the same time. | ↑ |
 SAVE $50: The Garmin Lily 2 Active smartwatch is on sale for $249.99 at Amazon, down from $299.99, as of May 8. That's 17% in savings and matches its lowest price on record. You can find the same discount at Best Buy and Garmin itself. Smartwatches aren't exactly known for their aesthetic appeal, but the Garmin Lily changed that. Our reviewer called the second generation of the watch "sleek, stylish, and beautiful." The thing is, that beauty came with a few functionality qualms — particularly in activity tracking. The Garmin Lily 2 Active, the latest generation of the watch, offers a major upgrade to fix those functionality flaws. And it's on sale! As of May 8, you can get the Garmin Lily 2 Active for just $249.99 instead of $299.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Garmin itself. That's about 17% in savings and knocks it back down to its lowest price on record — only the second time it's dropped this low since its fall release. The Lily 2 Active keeps all the aesthetic grace of the the first two generations, but adds expanded sport modes, a longer battery life (up to 9 days vs. 5 days), physical buttons on the side for easier use during workouts, and the real kicker: built-in GPS. Adding built-in GPS allows you to more accurately track outdoor activities like walks, runs, bike rides, and more without relying on your phone. It's also worth noting that the Garmin Connect companion app, which Mashable's reviewer was less than pleased with, has been overhauled since her initial review. The upgrade simplified the app design and I, as a Garmin user, can tell you the difference is night and day. The clunkiness is gone and while there's hiccups like any other app, it's mostly a seamless experience working alongside the watch. If you're in the market for a smartwatch, but hate the unsightly Apple Watch look (no offense), the Garmin Lily 2 Active is not only beautiful, but also highly functional and now $50 more affordable. | ↑ |
 SAVE $200: The Philips Series 3300 automatic espresso machine is on sale for $599.96 at Amazon, down from the usual price of $799.99. That's a 25% discount. After countless mornings spent making us breakfast and getting us off to school, mom deserves to have some chill and easy mornings. If you're still searching for a Mother's Day present that'll arrive in time for Sunday's celebration and your mom happens to love coffee, she's gonna be elated to get this gift and you'll be thrilled about the savings. As of May 8, the Philips Series 3300 Espresso Machine is on sale at Amazon for $599.96, marked down from the usual price of $799.99. That's a 25% discount that takes $200.03 off the price tag. The Philips 3300 Series Espresso Machine is all about convenience without sacrificing quality. For starters, the machine features a ceramic grinder which means the morning cup of coffee will come from freshly ground beans. Then there's the Aquaclean Filter which ensures the water used to brew your cup is clean — an important factor that often gets overlooked by using tap water. Then there's the one-touch drink choice that lets you select from six hot and iced drinks. This Philips espresso maker also comes with the brand's LatteGo milk system which whips up perfect coffee-house quality foam to top your coffee creations. Philips mentions this system even works well with milk alternatives like oat or almond milk. Quiet operation is also a focus on the Philips Series 3300, making it less likely you'll need to wait around in the morning until everyone in the house is awake before making a cup. Plus, the Philips HomeID app is convenient for discovering tutorials and tips on how to use the espresso machine. If a mom in your life deserves great coffee each morning without any hassle or long lines at the local shop, gift her the versatile Philips Series 3300 espresso machine. It's on sale for 25% off at Amazon and it's likely to arrive in time for Sunday's celebration. | ↑ |
 SAVE $360: As of May 8, get the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (Intel Core 5 10-Core, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) at B&H Photo for $429.99, down from its usual price of $789.99. That's a discount of 49%.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (Intel Core 5 10-Core, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Integrated Intel Graphics)
$429.99
at B&H Photo
$789.99 Save $360 Ready to upgrade to a new laptop? Or maybe you've been using a desktop for a long time, and you're ready to make the switch to something more portable. Whatever the case may be, you can get a great deal on a Lenovo laptop right now at B&H Photo. As of May 8, get the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (Intel Core 5 10-Core, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) at B&H Photo for $429.99, down from its usual price of $789.99. That's $360 for a discount of 49%. This laptop is a great, lightweight option with a processor powerful enough to handle work, streaming, and much more. It has an Intel Core 5 10-core chip with integrated Intel graphics, a 16-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS display, and a 1TB SSD to hold all your important files (and photos, too). It's built to travel, so it weighs just four pounds, and it's an attractive computer at that. It comes in a brushed silver and would look great as a desktop replacement or your daily driver, even if you just need it to answer emails on your commute each day. For under $500, this is a capable laptop that can handle the stresses of daily use and then some. IdeaPads also come with great, clicky keyboards that feel good to use. Grab this deal and upgrade your tech stack. | ↑ |
 The question plaguing everyone's mind on TikTok right now is one of patriotism, grit, and an understanding of colonial history. Who would win in a fight: 100 Americans or 100 Brits? TikTok creator @2mwad asked his followers and, as a result, everyone else, "Everyone's talking about 100 men versus one gorilla. F*ck that, I got a new one. 100 British people versus 100 Americans. One big room. No weapons. Who's winning? Leave it in the comment section." I have never seen more American patriotism in my life. As one commenter on 2mwad's video wrote, "Nothing brings US Citizens [sic] together like a red coat making a challenge." It should be known that I am American, so I come to this question with bias, as do most of the TikTok creators who responded. But the consensus seems pretty clear to me: the Americans would win, no competition. As the top comment on 2mwad's video said, "We already did this we celebrate it on July 4th." Some creators are responding with their own lineups, and the one lineup that really sold me on America beating Britain comes from comedian Keara Sullivan, @superkeara on TikTok, who drafted a "very diverse, broad-ranging fantasy team" of just 30 people she thinks could beat 100 British people:
There’s some heavy stereotyping at play here, but it’s all clearly part of the bit. Here's what the rest of the internet had to say: So, what do you think? Who would win in a fight: 100 Americans or 100 Brits? | ↑ |
 If rom-coms taught us anything, it's that you never know when you might meet the love of your life. Out at a bar, at your job, at the annual small-town snowman competition — it's always possible. Well, it's time to add the world of Minecraft to that list of potential meet-cute spots. A couple not only met but also actually got married in the world of Minecraft. Tech magazine Wired detailed the romance in a charming feature. The story centers on Sarah Nguyen, 24, from Oregon, and Jamie Patel, 25, from England, who met playing Minecraft as kids. That eventually blossomed into a romantic relationship and a beautiful wedding...hosted in the world of Minecraft. The couple explained it was a great venue for their vows because it was where they truly bonded. "It’s the closest thing we have to a shared home," Nguyen told Wired. "We’ve lived apart our whole relationship. That world is where we live together." The piece goes on to tell the story of another couple who got married in Roblox and of a digital officiant who does these sorts of ceremonies online. It's not super uncommon for weddings to be a digital affair these days. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Speaking as someone who had his wedding postponed for 18 months because of COVID, these sorts of stories track. The wedding industrial complex was completely upended by the pandemic, with folks doing online ceremonies or small events hosted at home. Heck, an Animal Crossing wedding went viral in 2020. All that opened the door for non-traditional weddings. Now, here we are in 2025, with weddings in Minecraft. Frankly, it's not a bad idea, especially for folks who love gaming. At the very least, you'll certainly save a boatload on venue costs. | ↑ |
 Joann, the fabric and craft retailer, is closing. Unfortunately, that means scammers are swarming: Warn the DIY crafters in your life. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a consumer warning this week specifically addressing the Joann Fabric & Craft scammers. The deception is relatively sophisticated. The FTC warned that bad actors are running fake promos online and on social media, promising stellar going-out-of-business deals since Joann is closing. Those ads lead to fake websites that steal consumers' info. Wrote the FTC:
In short, yes, Joann Fabrics is going out of business, but the Joann going-out-of-business online sale you saw advertised on Facebook or Pinterest is fake. In fact, Joann isn't selling anything online anymore. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. What to do if you see the Joann Fabrics scam?Per the FTC, the first thing you need to know is that Joann closing sales are in-person only, meaning online deals are, by definition, fake. Do not click those ads and, if you like, report the phony ads to the platform where it's hosted. In general, the FTC warned that consumers should be wary of "unusually good deals" and to pay with credit cards when possible, since they often offer more protections. If you clicked one of these ads and entered any personal information, contact your financial institution right away. Have a story to share about a scam or security breach that impacted you? Tell us about it. Email submissions@mashable.com with the subject line "Safety Net" or use this form. Someone from Mashable will get in touch. | ↑ |
 SAVE $15: As of May 8, get a $100 Instacart gift card for $85. That saves you $15 for 15% off. These days, prices seem to be going up with no end in sight. Every time I go to the grocery store, I swear the bill gets bigger. While you can make some switches to save money, like going for the generic brands or buying in bulk, sometimes price increases are unavoidable. Luckily, Instacart has a gift card deal that helps you save money on your next shop. As of May 8, get a $100 Instacard gift card for just $85 at Newegg. That saves you $15 for 15% off. While this is a good opportunity to get someone the gift of groceries, you could also treat yourself to some savings. Instacart saves you the headache of going to the store. If you need one less thing on your to-do list, build your cart in the Instacart app and a shopper will go to the store for you and deliver groceries straight to your door. And with this gift card deal, it feels like hacking the system to get some extra savings. When you use this $100 gift card that only costs $85, you're saving $15 on your next grocery order. | ↑ |
 FREE COLD FOAM: Cold Foam Days at Starbucks take place from May 7 through May 11. Rewards members in the U.S. or Canada can add cold foam to a cold beverage for free. Starbucks has a legion of dedicated fans out there who probably love and hate their relationship with the store in equal measure. Sure, grabbing your favorite drink from Starbucks every single day is the treat you absolutely deserve, but those costs are surely adding up. That's why it's so key to get everything you can out of Starbucks, including making the most out of free giveaways. On the rare occasion that Starbucks is actually giving away something for free, you should be first in line. Cold Foam Days have landed Starbucks. From May 7 through May 11, Starbucks Rewards members in the U.S. or Canada can add cold foam to a cold beverage for free. You can redeem the offer by ordering your favorite cold beverage in the Starbucks app and applying the coupon or by letting your barista know you’d like to apply the offer when ordering in person. If you’re not a Starbucks Rewards member but want to take part in Cold Foam Days, you'll need to sign up by downloading the Starbucks app and creating an account. We should point out that there is a limit of 50 redemptions per member. That seems like a lot for even the most devoted Starbucks fan, but we're sure there are people out there that could test the limits. | ↑ |
 SAVE 28%: The Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle (16GB) is on sale at Amazon for $156.97, down from the full price of $216.97. That's a savings of $60 and the lowest price we've ever spotted at Amazon. If you're shopping to celebrate mom this weekend, we're down to crunch time. You'll need to get that order in soon if you want it in-hand for Sunday. If your mom is an avid reader, there's something special that will arrive in time — and it's on sale today. As of May 8, the Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle (16GB) is on sale for just $156.97, marked down from the usual price of $216.97. That's a 28% discount, or a savings of $60. It also happens to be the lowest price we've spotted at Amazon for the bundle, and $10 less than yesterday's deal. The Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle is perfect for anyone who's new to e-readers. This deal includes the 16GB Kindle Paperwhite, a fabric cover (in either Jade or Raspberry), and a 9W power adapter. In Mashable's review of the best Kindles, Shopping Reporter Samantha Mangino considers the Kindle Paperwhite to be the best overall option. "The screen's front light is vibrant and has adjustable brightness, meaning it can adjust when transitioning from reading in the sun or shade," she says. "It also comes with adjustable screen warmth, perfect for evening readers who want to give their eyes a chance to relax." The 7-inch display is designed to be glare-free, which means your summer reading sessions in the sun will be much less squinty. Plus, it's perfect to pack along on vacation since it's both lightweight and waterproof. If a mom in your life loves to read but doesn't have the best Kindle around, now's a great time to gift the Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle. While it's on sale for $156.97, you'll be gifting unlimited hours of enjoyment while scoring the lowest price we've seen. | ↑ |
 SAVE $50: Both the 10-ounce and 14-ounce Ember Smart Mugs are on sale at Best Buy for $79.99 and $99.99, respectively. That's up to 39% in savings. But act fast, as the 10-ounce option is part of Best Buy's Deal of the Day and will be gone tomorrow. If you're the kind of coffee drinker who requires multiple microwave sessions to get through a cup, it's time you meet the Ember Mug 2. Built just for people like you, the smart mug ensures you never have to worry about reheating your drink. And for a very limited time, it's on sale for nearly 40% off. As of May 8, both sizes of the Ember Mug 2 are $50 off. The 10-ounce mug is down 39% to just $79.99 from $129.99 as one of Best Buy's Deals of the Day. That means it'll only stick around today, then jump back up to full price. Meanwhile, the 14-ounce mug is down about 33% to $99.99 from $149.99. The larger mug is not part of the limited-time Deal of the Day programming, so you might have more time to grab this one on sale (but no guarantees). What makes the Ember Mug 2 so special? It features a built-in battery that can hold a set temperature (120 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit) for an hour and a half. If you still can't finish your cup in that time, the included charging coaster can maintain an all-day temperature. Just use the app to customize your mug to the exact degree you prefer and you'll essentially have all day to drink it. A smart LED indicator will even alert you when the mug has the reached the perfect temperature. Take note that it is hand wash only, as to be expected with a smart gadget. Sure, $80 or $100 is pretty steep to pay for a single mug, but the peace of mind and endless comfort of a hot cup of coffee or tea that comes with it is worth it. Whether you're sick of reheating your cup every morning or know another slow or distracted drinker, the Ember Mug 2 makes for a great gift (yes, even to yourself). | ↑ |
 SAVE $320: As of May 8, get the Roborock Q5 Max+ for $279.99, down from its usual price of $599.99 at Amazon. That's a discount of 53%. If you find yourself dealing with dirty floors more often than clean ones, maybe it's time to enlist a robot for some help. A robot vacuum can make all of those seemingly endless cleaning cycles feel way less daunting. Right now, you can score a great one thanks to a discount at Amazon. As of May 8, get the Roborock Q5 Max+ for $279.99, down from its usual price of $599.99 at Amazon. That's $320 off and a discount of 53%. This vacuum is meant to help you clean your home, and then clean itself. It offers seven weeks of hands-free cleaning, since you don't have to empty its reservoir for that long. Then, all you have to do is empty the bin, and it can get right back to its normal cleaning. It uses 5500 Pa of suction to capture dust, debris, and hair from your carpet, which its DuoRoller brush can power through without you having to worry about tangling. Its on-board LiDAR means it can easily navigate your home with 3D maps, and avoid running into obstacles, too. You can control and set up cleaning schedules via the included app, but the Q5 Max+ can also use voice control via Alexa, Google Home, and Siri, so all you have to do is tell the robot vacuum what to do, no remote required. If you're ready to cede some cleaning to a bot, this is a great deal. Grab one and let it transform how you tidy up before they're all gone. | ↑ |
 SAVE OVER $350: As of May 8, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 power station is on sale for $448.99, down from $799 at Amazon. That's 44% in savings. It's camping season, y'all. And right alongside it: tornado and hurricane season. In other words, it's a good time to grab a source of backup power. You don't necessarily need to spend a fortune on a generator, either. This Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 portable power station can keep you connected and power multiple appliances without breaking the bank — especially since it's on sale. As of May 8, you can grab the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 portable power station for $448.99 instead of $799 at Amazon. That's 44% in savings and — brace yourselves — one cent cheaper than it was a few weeks ago. Every cent counts in this economy. Thanks to a 1,500W AC output and a 3,000W surge peak, the Explorer 1000 V2 is capable of powering multiple appliances, including AC units, fridges, and coffee makers — not to mention your phone and laptop. It features two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, one DC car port, three pure sine wave AC ports, LED lights, and a 1,070Wh capacity. And when you activate emergency charging mode via the Jackery app, the power station itself will charge from zero to 100 percent battery in just an hour. Whether you want a source of backup power for emergencies or a way to stay connected when you're on a camping trip, the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 checks both boxes. After all, there's going off the grid and then there's going off the grid. | ↑ |
 SAVE $140: The Tineco Floor One S5 smart wet dry vacuum is on sale at Amazon for $309.99, down from the usual price of $449.99. That's a 31% discount. Mopping the floors tends to be a messy task. The sloshing water from the bucket, waiting for the floor to dry, and then finding somewhere to store the mop is never fun. No matter where you put it, the mop handle just loves to fall over. Ditch the struggle and upgrade to a cordless combo mop and vacuum that's easy to store. If that sounds ideal, check out this deal at Amazon. As of May 8, the Tineco Floor One S5 smart cordless wet dry vacuum is on sale for $309.99 at Amazon, marked down from the standard price of $449.99. That's a 31% discount that works out to a savings of $140. With a convenient storage and charging base, the Tineco Floor One S5 is both a cordless vacuum and a powerful mop. On a single charge, you can get up to 35 minutes of cleaning time, and Tineco added a larger clean water tank with this model so it can go longer before it needs a refill. This model also uses the brand's iLoop Smart Sensor, which automatically adjusts suction power, water flow, and speed of the brush roller to match the mess it's cleaning. The self-propel design makes the task of floor cleaning less like a workout with the Tineco Floor One S5. The brand mentions this model is especially great for dealing with pet hair or sticky messes. If you're looking for an all-in-one floor cleaning solution, the Tineco Floor One S5 is ready for the task. With smart features and larger water tanks, the versatile vacuum and mop could be well worth the investment. | ↑ |
 Bill Gates is giving away all his wealth, and he's doing it faster than originally planned. " I will give away virtually all my wealth through the Gates Foundation over the next 20 years to the cause of saving and improving lives around the world," the billionaire Microsoft founder said in a post on his blog. According to Gates' plan, his net worth should drop 99 percent over the next two decades, from the $108 billion he owns now, to "virtually" zero. Gates also said that the Gates Foundation will "permanently" close its doors on Dec. 31, 2045 — a change of plans, given that the organization was originally supposed to shut down several decades after Gates and his ex-wide Melinda were dead. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Gates said that he now believes that the foundation's goals can be reached on a shorter timeline, with plans to give away more than $200 billion to charity between now and 2045. As for where that money will go, the foundation's main goals will be to end preventable deaths of mothers and babies, eradicate deadly infectious diseases, as well as lift "millions" of people out of poverty. The Gates Foundation, started by Bill and Melinda in 2000, has given away more than $100 billion for charitable causes so far. Bill Gates' pledge to give away all his wealth isn't new. Together with billionaire Warren Buffett and Melinda Gates, Bill announced the Giving Pledge campaign in 2010, urging wealthy people to contribute a majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes. And even though Gates has already donated around $60 billion of his fortune to the Foundation, he remained a very wealthy man (according to Bloomberg data, he's the fifth richest person in the world, with a total net worth of $168 billion, though he claims he owns $108 billion), partly due to his investments appreciating in value over time. Now, he's going to donate much more rapidly. "People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that 'he died rich' will not be one of them. There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people," he wrote. | ↑ |
 TL;DR: Live stream Manchester United vs. Athletic Club for free on RTBF Auvio. The best service for live streaming sport is ExpressVPN. Manchester United surprised everyone by beating Athletic Club 3-0 in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final matchup. It has been a really tough season for Ruben Amorim's side, but they've looked great in this competition. They have one foot in the final already, but the job is not done yet. They still need to focus in front of their own fans to make sure their spot in the final is booked. If you want to watch Manchester United vs. Athletic Club for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need. When is Manchester United vs. Athletic Club?Manchester United vs. Athletic Club kicks off at 8 p.m. BST on May 8. This fixture takes place at Old Trafford. How to watch Manchester United vs. Athletic Club for freeManchester United vs. Athletic Club is available to live stream for free on RTBF Auvio in Belgium. RTBF Auvio is geo-restricted to Belgium, so if you're away from Belgium for this fixture, you'll have to use a VPN to get access to your usual coverage. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Belgium, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access RTBF Auvio from anywhere in the world. Unblock RTBF Auvio by following these simple steps:
ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free)
$139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to provide free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to RTBF Auvio without committing with your cash. This is not a long-term solution, but it gives you plenty of time to stream Manchester United vs. Athletic Club before recovering your investment. What is the best VPN for ServusTV?ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on ServusTV, for a number of reasons:
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Live stream Manchester United vs. Athletic Club for free with ExpressVPN. | ↑ |
 TL;DR: Live stream Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN. Spurs have almost confirmed their spot in the Europa League final, likely against Manchester United. They beat Bodo/Glimt 3-0 in the first leg, so barring an embarrassing collapse in the second leg, they will secure their place in the showpiece event taking place on May 21. If you want to watch Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need. When is Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur?Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur kicks off at 8 p.m. BST on May 8. This fixture takes place at the Aspmyra Stadion. How to watch Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur for freeBodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur is available to live stream for free on ServusTV. ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access ServusTV from anywhere in the world. Unblock ServusTV by following these simple steps:
ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free)
$139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to provide free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to ServusTV without committing with your cash. This is not a long-term solution, but it gives you plenty of time to stream Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur before recovering your investment. What is the best VPN for ServusTV?ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on ServusTV, for a number of reasons:
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Stream Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur for free with ExpressVPN. | ↑ |
 Lenovo is updating its most eye-popping gaming laptop for 2025, and the new iteration makes your gameplay literally pop. The Chinese tech giant announced the new Lenovo Legion 9i (Gen 10) today at Tech World Shanghai 2025, billing it as a powerful machine for both gamers and game developers. The big pull? Its 18-inch 4K display has an optional upgrade that will let the user view content in 2K 3D without wearing special glasses or hooking up a separate 3D-compatible monitor. 
Credit: Lenovo
According to a press release, the Legion 9i's display uses "a combination of eye-tracking and lenticular lens array" to make visuals appear three-dimensional, as if they're emerging from the screen. Its Lenovo 3D Studio software suite will make it capable of displaying 2D and 3D content simultaneously, either side-by-side or stacked on top of one another, and bring support for 30 games plus "myriad other creation apps." The 3D-enabled Legion 9i will also have a Dual Mode feature that lets it swap between a buttery 240Hz refresh rate at 4K and up to a borderline-overkill 440Hz refresh rate at FHD. The 2D-only model sticks with 240Hz at all resolutions. Glasses-free 3D laptops aren't new, but this is Lenovo's first official entry to the category that consumers will actually be able to purchase. (The company brought a conceptual 3D ThinkBook to Mobile World Congress this past February.) It certainly won't be an accessible option for those interested in trying the tech, if its specs are any indication. The Legion 9i will come with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor and will be configurable with up to a monstrous Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card, 192GB of memory, and 8TB of storage (with four slots apiece for RAM and SSDs). That's a boatload of power, but Lenovo has done its best to ensure it runs cool and quiet: It has a vapor thermal system that puts dedicated fans right over its WiFi card, SSD, and RAM. This replaces the integrated liquid-cooling system in the original Legion 9i, a 16-incher from 2023, which worked quite well in practice. 
Credit: Lenovo
Aesthetically, the Legion 9i looks almost exactly like its predecessor. Its Carbon Black top cover is still made from strong layers of carbon fiber that have been forged together by hand, resulting in camo-like patterns that are different from laptop to laptop. And it still has some ports on the back of its chassis below the lid hinges, but most of them have been moved to its sides, including two Thunderbolt 5 ports. It'll measure in at 15.87 x 11.67 x 0.94 to 1.1 inches (depending on the display type) and start at around a chunky 7.72 pounds. The original Legion 9i was one of the most powerful laptops Mashable has ever tested (having been only recently dethroned by the M4 Pro Apple MacBook Pro), and its $4,000+ price tag reflected as much. Lenovo hasn't yet revealed exactly how much the new model will cost when it arrives in the U.S. sometime this fall, but a number over the $5,000 mark wouldn't be shocking. | ↑ |
 A new era of Whoop is here. As of May 8, two new Whoop devices have been announced: the Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG. Alongside the new devices come three new tiers of membership for more affordable options that offer deeper health insights. Included in our guides to the best fitness trackers and best sleep trackers, Whoop is a screen-free wearable made for both professional athletes and the everyday person. Here's everything you need to know about the new Whoop 5.0 and MG. What to expect from the Whoop 5.0 and MG
With the new Whoop devices come new stylish bands.
Credit: Whoop / Mashable Composite
Already one of the most comfortable fitness trackers we've tested, the new Whoop devices will have a 7 percent smaller form with an over 14-day battery life to boot. The devices also come with a new Wireless PowerPack that unlocks a month of charging. The new Whoop devices are getting a makeover, too. New, more sophisticated bands are coming that include colorful silicone, leather, and patterned knit bands. The Whoop 5.0 and MG come with new insights that include blood pressure and medical-grade ECG monitors. Here's the full list of new features coming to the Whoop 5.0 and MG:
The Whoop app now features cycle tracking insights for all stages of life including menstruation, pregnancy, perimenopause.
Credit: Whoop
Whoop's patent-pending blood pressure monitoring delivers daily readings.
Credit: Whoop
New affordable membership options
Credit: Whoop
Like the popular Oura Ring, Whoop devices also feature a membership fee to access the wearable's full range of features. Previously, Whoop's membership options started at $239 annually or $399 for a two-year membership. Now the brand has unveiled three new membership tiers:
Which membership tier you choose will determine which Whoop model you receive. The One and Peak tiers come with the Whoop 5.0, while the Life membership features the MG model. All models are available for purchase at Whoop now. | ↑ |
 In 2023, Celine Song captivated audiences (and broke our hearts) with her Academy Award-nominated debut feature Past Lives. Now, the acclaimed writer and director looks to deliver another swoon-worthy love triangle with her second film, Materialists. Distributed by A24, Materialists stars three of the world's buzziest stars: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal. Johnson plays Lucy, a matchmaker and "eternal bachelorette" who helps couples find their happily ever after, while figuring she has no shot at her own. That all changes when not one but two potential suitors crash into her life. In one corner we have Harry (Pascal), an incredibly attractive, incredibly rich bachelor who looks to sweep Lucy off her feet. But could this perfect "unicorn" be too good to be true? In the other corner we have John (Evans), Lucy's (also incredibly attractive) ex-boyfriend. He's a theater actor by night and a cater waiter by day, and he seems determined to make things right with Lucy in a second go at their relationship. However, based on an argument in the trailer above, it seems like the two initially broke up over money concerns — something Harry would never have to worry about. So will Lucy choose Harry and his riches, or John and her past? Either way, we can't wait to witness another Celine Song love triangle. | ↑ |
 FREE LEGO: On May 17-18, build a Lego Ninjago Thunderfang model at participating stores and take it home with you for free. The time has come for another Lego make and take event. Following in the footsteps of the Steering Wheel, Valentine's Day Heart, Mother's Day Bouquet, and Grogu events, fans can build a Lego Ninjago Thunderfang model at participating stores and take it home with them for free. Visitors to select Lego Stores on May 17 (from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.) and May 18 (from 12-2 p.m.) can take part in this giveaway. The Lego Ninjago Thunderfang model will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis, at participating locations, while supplies last. There's a limit of one build per participant, but don't let that stop you from attending. Something important to note about this Lego Ninjago Thunderfang model is that it's not available for purchase. So by getting involved in this free giveaway, you're getting your hands on an exclusive item that money cannot buy. Build and take home an exclusive Lego Ninjago Thunderfang model for free on May 17-18. | ↑ |
 On May 8, Ultrahuman, the smart ring maker, announced plans to fulfill all U.S. orders out of its Texas-based facility. The tech company, which makes the Ultrahuman Air ring, plans to expand its Plano, Texas, factory, which opened in November 2024. The "UltraFactory" is a partnership with U.S.-based SVtronics and has plans to expand annual manufacturing capacity to 500,000, meeting U.S. demand. This is part of Ultrahuman's goal to have the factory fulfill all U.S. orders. In a press release, the company stated, "By producing rings domestically, the company is ensuring faster shipping, better service, and increased reliability for U.S. consumers." 
The Ultra Factory plans to scale up production to meet and fulfill U.S. demand.
Credit: Ultrahuman
It's a well-timed move as tariffs disrupt the tech industry. Foreignly manufactured products like Framework laptops, Anker chargers, and Nvidia GPUs have all seen price hikes due to components and devices being made in China or other countries impacted by President Trump's tariffs. The smart rings manufactured at the Ultra Factory in Plano, Texas, will not face tariffs. But the motivation to expand the U.S. factory is not tariffs-based, according to the company. A representative from Ultrahuman said that manufacturing in the U.S. allows the company to work more closely with the U.S. health and military sectors to craft hardware and not just software for its U.S. customer base. The Ultrahuman ring is a popular alternative to the Oura Ring and is among the best smart rings we've tested at Mashable. It has a similar design and is equipped with many of the same features as the Oura Ring. While it's not without its faults, like a buggy app UX, it is a more affordable smart ring. All Ultrahuman Air rings cost $349, the same price as the cheapest Oura model. Ultrahuman rings also don't require a monthly membership to access their full range of features, like Oura's do. Mohit Kumar, founder and CEO of Ultrahuman, said, "The UltraFactory in Plano, Texas, allows us to deliver products faster, enhance quality control, and further strengthen our commitment to American consumers to bring them cutting-edge health technology." | ↑ |
 SAVE OVER $100: As of May 8, the Mac Mini 2024 (M4 Chip, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) is on sale for $494.92 at Amazon. The Apple M4 chip is finally coming down in price, meaning deals on MacBooks and Mac Minis. Rejoice, lovers of all things Apple. As of May 8, the Mac Mini 2024 (M4 Chip, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) is on sale for $494.92 at Amazon. This deal saves you over $100 on list price. The 2024 Mac Mini boasts the M4 chip and heaps of power. Apple claims that its M4 chip is up to 13 times faster than its fastest silicone Mini model. This model offers 16GB of RAM to support its 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, and holds a 256GB SSD that's ready to stock with movies, games, and much more. And if the built-in SSD isn't enough for you, the three thunderbolt ports let you expand the memory with an external SSD. It also has two USB-C ports, a headphone jack, HDMI, and an ethernet port. Pick up the Mac Mini 2024 for over $100 off at Amazon. | ↑ |
 Let's talk about the genius behind Sinners. On the surface, the hit movie from Ryan Coogler is about Preacher Boy resisting a vampire. But it's a film packed with history and lore. One where the closer you look, the deeper it gets. And there's a bigger story you might have missed. The film follows Sammie Moore (Miles Caton), a musician fighting off Remmick (Jack O'Connell), a bloodsucking villain who is building a hive mind coven. But if you listen closely to the opening monologue, Annie (Wunmi Mosaku) talks about a legend that exists in ancient Ireland, Choctaw land, and West Africa:
That evil? Remmick. And that gift? Sammie's song, which literally conjures people from across time to dance at the juke joint. Fans have speculated that Remmick might also be one of those mythic music makers, but as hypnotic as his Irish song and jig is, it doesn't pierce the veil like Sammie's tune. However, the gold coins, the accent, and the fact that Remmick knows exactly what he's looking for suggests Remmick is from a culture that knows of the legend. He may not just be here to feed, but rather, trying to find a way back to his people, to his past. And Sammie's voice might be his ticket. And it goes even deeper. Early in the film, Remmick was hunted by a band of Choctaw men. So was Remmick targeting their version of Sammie, a fire keeper with that same dangerous gift? All of this raises the real question: Could Ryan Coogler be setting up something much bigger? A prequel about Remmick's origin? A sequel about those Choctaw vampire hunters? Basically, a whole trilogy hiding in plain sight. Coogler has said to Ebony he wrote it as a "finished thing." But let's be real. Doors like this don't always close. Медиа: | ↑ |
 Connections: Sports Edition is a new 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. What is Connections Sports Edition?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. Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
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 #226 is... What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today
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? 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 today's Connections. | ↑ |
 Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer. 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. Where did Wordle come from?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. What's the best Wordle starting word?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. What happened to the Wordle archive?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. Is Wordle getting harder?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. Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:Warm weather. Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?There are no recurring letters. Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter B. The Wordle answer today is...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... BALMY. 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 today's Wordle. | ↑ |
 If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game. Strands 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 preferrined pace. NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Well, fancy that!The words are wealth-related. Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThese words are used to describe luxurious things. NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical. NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Ooh Shiny NYT Strands word list for May 8
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, a nd 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 today's Strands. | ↑ |
